our little secret [gemfot]

11

"Where is he?" Gemini's voice cut through the quiet living room like a blade. His mother, seated primly on the couch looked up with a mix of surprise and disapproval. He'd stormed in without so much as a greeting, his entire demeanor a storm cloud ready to burst.

"He is your father, Gemini. Show some respect," she replied, her tone carrying the weight of a woman who had scolded him many times before. But Gemini didn't have the patience for another lecture. His fists clenched at his sides, his jaw tight.

"I asked where he is!" His voice was louder now, frustration boiling over.

"He's in his study."

Ignoring her sharp tone, Gemini spun on his heel and strode toward the study. His mother's voice chased after him, but he didn't bother to listen. Everyone in the house knew better than to enter his father's study uninvited; it was an unspoken rule. But Gemini didn't care about rules anymore, not when it came to this.

He pushed the heavy wooden door open without knocking. The scent of polished wood and old paper hit him as he entered, startling the man seated behind the large oak desk. His father looked up from a thick stack of papers, his brow furrowed.

"Why did you do that?" Gemini's words were sharp, his eyes narrowing as he stepped further into the room. His gaze flickered to the desk, where a folded document caught his eye. Before he could react, his father slid the paper into a drawer with practiced ease, locking it with a soft click.

"Coming home unannounced, barging into my study, and demanding answers without so much as a proper greeting—where is your respect? Have I not taught you better?" his father asked, leaning back in his chair, exuding the same cold authority that had always made Gemini feel small as a child. But not anymore.

"Respect? I lost it a long time ago," Gemini shot back, his voice steady despite the fury simmering beneath it. He took another step forward. "I'll ask you again. Why did you do that to Fourth's father? To your own best friend?"

The question hung heavy in the room. His father's composed expression faltered for just a second before he leaned forward, a bitter laugh escaping his lips.

"You know?" he asked, his tone mocking. "And where did you hear such nonsense? From them? From him? I suppose the rumors were true, then."

"I'm not here to discuss rumors," Gemini snapped, cutting off the evasion he'd anticipated. "Answer me."

His father's calm returned as he leaned back again, clasping his hands together. "Why? Because he didn't know his place," he said, his voice measured, as if explaining something obvious to a child. "He started avoiding me, saying he couldn't meet or talk whenever I wanted to share our ideas, our dreams. And then he had the audacity to tell me he was in a relationship with a man. I had to remind him of his position—of his limits."

Gemini stared at the man before him, disgust bubbling in his chest. His father spoke as if he were entirely justified, as if his actions had been noble. But Gemini knew better.

"Or is it because you were scared?" Gemini countered, his voice low and sharp. "Scared that he'd succeed without you? Scared that he'd outshine you because he was smarter, more capable, more respected? He was top of the class, everyone admired him, and you—" Gemini's voice cracked slightly, his fury bleeding through. "You were just his shadow. A footnote in his success story. That's why you did it. You wanted to take his ideas for yourself."

His father's face hardened, his jaw tightening as his hands gripped the edge of the desk. "You should be grateful," he said, his voice a growl. "Because of what I did, you've lived a life of comfort and privilege. I did it for my future—for my family. For my wife and kid to live rich and free."