GEMINI.
When I woke up, the first thing I noticed was the silence. It was a deep, profound quiet, a heavy, almost physical blanket muffling the world outside.
"Okay, Gemini. Don't panic. Just breathe. You know exactly where you are. You're okay."
I relaxed as the memories from the night before came rushing back, a hazy, thrilling reel of emotion and adrenaline, came flooding back: the sleek, black Bentley, the silent, almost reverent ride through the midnight streets, and Percy's calm presence.
The silence here, it's utterly unlike the usual morning racket of the dorms: the slam of doors, the tinny blast of someone's forgotten alarm, the shouted good-mornings echoing off concrete hallways. Here, there was only the slow, rhythmic beat of someone else's heart beneath my ear and the quickening pulse of my own.
The second thing I noticed was the weight—a warm, solid arm draped across my waist, pinning me gently to the expensive mattress. I froze instantly, every muscle in my body locking up, my breath catching in my throat like a shard of ice.
I carefully turned my head—a slow, painstaking rotation—and saw him. Percy. He was fast asleep, his face relaxed and stripped entirely of its usual intense, composed expression. His blonde hair, usually perfectly neat, was tousled and falling across his forehead. He looked so much younger, so much softer, and completely at peace. He was a complex puzzle I've been trying to put together, and this unguarded moment was a crucial piece.
"This is it," I thought, my gaze tracing the strong, clean line of his jaw. "This is the real, unedited version. The one he keeps tucked away behind the calculated smiles and the impeccable manners. And he let me see it. He actually trusts me enough to let me see this side of him."
A warmth spread through my chest, an acknowledgment of the trust inherent in this shared moment. But the practical side of my brain—the student whose dorm still needs cleaning—was already kicking into gear. I need to leave.
I carefully slipped out from under his arm, my body a study in absolute slow motion, trying not to disturb the peace of his sleep. He shifted slightly, a low, guttural hum in his throat that was surprisingly endearing, but he didn't wake up. Yes! Success.
I walked silently into the sitting area, gathering my stuff I'd haphazardly dropped there in the excitement of last night's arrival. This place is so different from my dorm. My dorm room that I remember has been a complete disaster after a week of frantic, caffeine-fueled studying—an archipelago of textbooks, empty coffee cups, and discarded notes. I needed to get back and do some serious, reality-based clean-up. A total reset. I can't keep living in that dump.
I know Percy wouldn't mind if I stayed. He'd probably wake up, make coffee, and start a quiet day, and I could easily join him. But the need to get back to my own space pulled at me. I needed to get back to the familiar chaos of my life, and to ground myself after the emotional whirlwind of the past few days.
"I can't process any of this while I'm still breathing his air and sleeping in his bed," I muttered to myself, tying back my messy hair. I need a haircut. "I need my four walls. I need my mess."
I found a plain white notepad and a pen on his neat, functional desk. My hand hovered over the blank page, suddenly paralyzed. Ahh! So...what do people usually write in a note like this? Somehow, a simple "Thanks for having me over," feels far too casual, too flippant between us. It has to be short, non-committal, and professional enough to maintain a shred of my dignity. I think I know just what to write.
Percy,
I had to get back to my dorm to do some clean up. See you later.
-Gemini
I placed the note on the center of his desk, precisely where he would see it the second he woke up. I took one last, lingering look around the serene space, a silent, comfortable sigh escaping my lips. It had been a truly chaotic week, but in Percy's quiet, steady presence—even asleep—I had finally found a moment of genuine peace.
I made my way downstairs as quietly as I had moved out of his room and went straight to the kitchen. I grabbed a glass and filled it with water, gulping down the cold liquid. Penelope is probably still sleeping, I thought. I would have loved to say hi to her, but the urge to be gone before Percy woke up was too strong.
I let myself out after finishing the glass of water, the soft click of the lock a surprisingly loud sound in the stillness. The city was just beginning to wake up, the sky a bruised purple on the horizon. I made mental notes: Clean my room, get a haircut and call my grandma...a bit later, which gives me enough time to rest after starting my part-time job next week.
I booked a cab on my phone, and it arrived in no time, its headlights cutting cleanly through the dawn mist. And as I sank into the back seat, heading back to the familiar, messy comfort of my dorm, a quiet certainty settled over me. Everything was going to be fine. In fact, everything might be better than fine.