GEMINI.
The evening air was cool, tinged with the quiet hum of campus life winding down. Percy had promised to pick me up from my dorm, and true to his word, he arrived right on schedule, his familiar silhouette against the dim glow of the hallway lamp. His expression was relaxed, but I could see a flicker of something else—anticipation, maybe? Or just the comfort of knowing he would be sleeping well tonight. As I stepped outside to meet him, I felt that familiar flutter of nervousness mixed with excitement.
We didn't say much as we headed back to his place—just the comfortable silence of two who don't need words to fill the space between them.
Once we arrived, he told me Penelope has already gone to bed so we started getting ready to settle in for the night too. The room was dimly lit, shadows dancing across the walls as we prepared for bed. But beneath the calm surface, something had been bothering me for a while now, since the day he mentioned his sleeping pills. An itch I need to scratch because one question has been turning over in my mind but I could never find the right moment to bring it up.
Tonight, I've decided, was the night. I hesitated, then took a deep breath. "I have something to say," I announced softly, trying to sound as confident as I could muster.
Percy turned his head, a curious glint in his eyes. "Say it then," he prompted, his voice calm and encouraging.
It was strange how things have changed—I felt my heart pounding a little harder. I'm sure why, but I know I need to say this. "It's going to sound like a question," I added quietly, almost afraid of how he might react.
He studied me for a moment, his gaze steady and patient. Then, with a gentle nod, he said, "Go ahead."
Taking a deep breath, I finally voiced what had been weighing on my mind. "It's about why you can't sleep without meds." As soon as the words left my mouth, I saw a flicker something pass across Percy's face—something unreadable, almost guarded. My heart twinged with a mix of worry and concern.
"I'm sorry! You don't have to tell me," I blurted quickly, hoping I hadn't crossed a line. The last thing I wanted was to make him uncomfortable.
For a long moment, Percy said nothing. His gaze drifted away, as if he was searching for the right words or maybe just gathering his courage. Then, gently, he laid down on the bed, hands folded behind his head, eyes closed. A slow, deliberate sigh escaped him.
"There was an incident when I was a kid," he said softly, opening his eyes to meet mine. His gaze was steady, but there was a vulnerability in it that made my chest tighten. "I want you to know, I wasn't trying to hide anything. But…this is not easy for me to talk about."
He paused, as if gathering his thoughts, then continued, "My parents were out of town for work, Pen and I went to bed together, like we always did. But that night, something was different. When I woke up the next morning, she was gone."
"Gone?" I echoed, my voice barely above a whisper.
Percy nodded, swallowing thickly. "Gone from the house. She was rushed to the hospital in the middle of the night while I was sleeping. She spent three days in the ICU. I didn't see her during those days. I couldn't sleep either—I was so scared. I was terrified something would happen to her, and I couldn't do anything about it."
He paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I got sick too, I would have nightmares every time I tried to sleep. So I stopped trying. I'd lie awake all night, terrified to close my eyes. Eventually, I had to be sedated just to get some rest, because the nightmares kept coming back."
I sat in silence, trying to imagine what that must have been like—for a child, no less. I wanted to reach out to him so badly but I stopped myself.
"The nightmares…what were they about?" I asked softly, wanting to understand more.
Percy's eyes fluttered shut for a moment before he answered, "Pen. She gets taken every time I sleep. Like, I wake up and she's gone again, this time for good and I can't do anything to stop it."
A chill ran down my spine. I know that feeling—helplessness, the dread of losing someone you love.
"You didn't blame yourself for her sickness, did you?
He hesitated, then shook his head slowly. "I don't know. Maybe. I was so afraid something would happen to her if I slept. And as I got older, that fear only grew. I started seeing a therapist and eventually started using pills—they didn't help much, but I kept taking them."
"I'm sorry." was the only thing I could say. Percy nodded with a small reassuring smile.
For a moment, I didn't say anything. I just watched him, feeling the weight of his words settle in the room. It must have been a terrible thing for him to endure. I feel bad for making him talk about this. I searched my brain to find something, anything to lighten the mood, I glanced at his neatly stashed game console on the TV stand.
"Hey, do you want to play video games?" I asked, gesturing toward the game console.
Percy raised a brow, definitely surprised by the sudden of topic. "Are you any good?" he asked, a teasing smile tugging at his lips.
I shrugged, feeling a little embarrassed. "Honestly? Never played before. Never really had the chance."
He chuckled softly standing up, he beckoned me to follow.
"Come on, I'll teach you."
I followed him to the couch, clutching the controller awkwardly as he started giving me tips on how to operate the game. He kept showing me which buttons to press, how to steer, the whole spiel. I tried my best, but honestly? It was a mess. Percy was already kicking my ass at every round, embarrassed I could only laugh at myself and it made him smile at least so that's something.
After a while, he leaned back, sighing. "Maybe we should just watch a movie instead," he suggested, a playful glint in his eyes. "You look like you're about to break the controller."
I laughed, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, that sounds good."
"Pick whatever you want." he said handing me the remote.
As I scrolled through the options, I settled on a familiar film I loved, and as the opening credits rolled, I folded my legs beneath myself on the couch, the flickering screen casting a warm glow over us. We were halfway through the movie when Percy suddenly dropped his head on my shoulder.
"You should go to bed," I said gently, noticing how he seemed a little more relaxed but also a little tired. "You're going to get neck cramps if you end up sleeping like this."
"I can't believe I'm feeling sleepy without pills" he mumbled, still resting his head on my shoulder. "this is because you're by my side."
I glanced at him briefly, surprised by his honest confession. "Well, if you're feeling sleepy, maybe we should just go to bed," I suggested softly.
Percy stayed still for a moment, then nodded. Without another word, he stood up and I followed behind closely. He climbed into his large bed and, unexpectedly, pulled me down with him. His arms wrapped immediately around me and I just lay there, momentarily stunned by his actions.
"Good night," the sound of his voice so close to my ear made me shiver.
And just like that, I found myself lying there, stiff as a board, caught in a moment I hadn't seen coming. The night stretched ahead, and I knew—this was going to be a long night.