Unscripted Ties

Aftershock and Acceptance

The morning after, Gemini woke to the morning light spilling through his bedroom window, his mind still foggy from the alcohol, but the haze began to lift as he felt the warmth of another body beside him. Slowly, he turned his head and saw Fourth, wrapped in his sheets, his face buried in the pillow, the events of last night replaying in his mind like a blur of disjointed memories. A sense of dread spread through him, his heart hammering in his chest.

He sat up quickly, his movements jerky, almost stumbling off the bed in his haste. What had they done? How had they crossed that line so recklessly? He raked a hand through his hair, breathing in deeply as he tried to steady his racing thoughts. They'd been friends for years, coworkers, even partners in their careers, and now they'd gone and complicated everything in one alcohol-fueled night.

Just as he was gathering his bearings, Fourth stirred awake beside him, letting out a soft groan. His face twisted with discomfort, and when he tried to sit up, he winced and bit his lip, his legs trembling slightly. Gemini reached out instinctively, his hand hovering in the air as if unsure whether to touch him or not.

"Hey," Gemini said softly, his voice hoarse. "How are you feeling?"

Fourth closed his eyes for a moment, his head still spinning. "Sore," he admitted in a whisper, then attempted to shift his position again, but his body protested, muscles aching from last night's exertion.

"Take it easy," Gemini said, concern lacing his voice as he moved closer. Without another word, he gently looped an arm around Fourth's waist, guiding him to his feet, though Fourth stumbled slightly. "Come on, let me help you," Gemini insisted. He led Fourth toward the bathroom, keeping a firm hold on him the whole way.

The bath was quiet, almost too quiet, as Gemini helped Fourth into the tub. Fourth kept his gaze averted, cheeks tinged with embarrassment. He let out a shaky breath as the warm water enveloped him, easing some of the tension in his body. Neither of them said anything—there were no jokes, no teasing remarks like they usually shared. Just a thick silence, filled with unspoken questions and regrets that neither of them dared to voice.

When the bath was done, and Fourth was dried and dressed in fresh clothes, Gemini drove him back to his house. The ride was tense and silent, both of them staring out the windows, lost in their own spiraling thoughts. They made a brief stop at a pharmacy where Gemini went inside alone, returning a few minutes later with a small bag in hand. He passed Fourth the painkillers and morning-after pills without a word, the tension between them palpable. Fourth took them in silence, swallowing hard as he stared out the window.

Neither of them spoke about that night after that. They went on with their lives as if nothing had changed, as if they hadn't just crossed a line that could never be uncrossed. And for a while, that was their reality—a silent agreement to forget, to pretend it had never happened.

Seven Months Later

Fourth had been feeling off for weeks—nausea, fatigue, a strange discomfort in his stomach that just wouldn't go away. At first, he thought it was stress or something minor, but when the pain became too much to ignore, he finally dragged himself to the hospital. He never expected the words that came out of the doctor's mouth.

"You're pregnant," the doctor said, looking at the ultrasound screen.

Fourth's mind went blank. He stared at the image on the monitor, the tiny flicker of life that was growing inside of him. He blinked, once, twice, trying to process what he was seeing. "That's impossible," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "I—this can't be right."

"It's what's called a cryptic pregnancy," the doctor explained gently. "It's rare, but sometimes it happens. The signs can be so subtle that they go unnoticed, even to the person carrying the child."

Fourth's world tilted on its axis, the realization hitting him like a freight train. That night with Gemini—it was the only possible time. He left the hospital in a daze, his hand clutching the ultrasound image, his mind swirling with disbelief and panic.

When he got home, he sat his mother down and told her everything. To his surprise, she didn't react with shock or anger. Instead, she reached out and held his hand, her eyes soft with understanding and support.

"We'll get through this," she said firmly. "You're not alone in this, Fourth."

It took Fourth a week to come to terms with his new reality. He was going to have a baby, Gemini's baby. He knew he couldn't keep this from Gemini any longer, so he called him and invited him over for dinner at his place, needing to tell him the truth.

The Dinner

They sat across from each other at the dinner table, the food untouched, and the air between them filled with an awkward tension. Fourth could feel his heart pounding in his chest, the ultrasound image in his hand like a burning weight.

"Gemini," Fourth said, breaking the silence. His voice was soft but steady as he pushed the ultrasound picture toward him. "I need to show you something."

Gemini's eyes dropped to the image, his brows furrowing as he picked it up. He stared at the ultrasound, confusion etched on his face, and then it slowly morphed into shock. "Is this...?" he asked, his voice trailing off, almost like he was afraid to say the words.

"Yes," Fourth said, swallowing hard. "It's yours. We're having a baby."

The silence that followed was deafening. Gemini's face went through a series of emotions—shock, disbelief, confusion, and finally, something that looked like understanding. He didn't say anything right away, just kept staring at the image, his mind racing as he tried to process the magnitude of what Fourth had just told him.

"It's real," Fourth continued, his voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't know either, not until a week ago. It's a cryptic pregnancy."

Gemini finally looked up, meeting Fourth's eyes with a gaze that was both lost and determined. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again, taking a deep breath to steady himself. "Okay," he said at last. "Okay. I just—I need a moment to process this."

Fourth nodded, giving him the space he needed. They sat in silence for a while, the only sound being the soft ticking of the clock on the wall. Finally, Gemini nodded to himself as if he'd made a decision, his eyes more resolute now.

"We need to set some boundaries," Gemini said, his voice steady but soft. "We're in this together for Leo, no matter what happens between us. We're friends, coworkers, and now co-parents. But we have to be clear on where we stand with each other."

Fourth felt a pang in his chest but nodded in agreement. "You're right," he said, trying to keep his voice from wavering. "We'll do this the right way, for our child's sake. No more blurred lines."

They talked late into the night, setting boundaries and defining their roles as co-parents. They made a pact to put Leo first, to always be there for their son no matter what happened between them. The lines of their relationship might have been forever blurred, but they were determined to do right by their child, to be there for him in every way they could.

One Week Later

Fourth sat in his manager's office, the weight of his decision hanging heavily in the air. He explained everything to his manager and the company—the pregnancy, his need to go on hiatus. They listened, understanding but also concerned about the implications. After a long discussion, they agreed to announce that he was taking a break for "personal reasons," keeping the real story under wraps.

And so, he went on hiatus as his pregnancy progressed, retreating from the public eye just as he began to show. Three years of quiet, of being away from the spotlight, of raising Leo with the help of Gemini and their family.

Now, here he was, back in the public eye, their dynamic more complicated than ever, but at least with one thing clear—they were parents first and foremost. Anything else between them would have to stop, if it ever happened at all.