Gemini regretted one thing the most: that he didn't have much time to make friends with Fourth, who usually disappeared into the back of his room right after lectures or training, as if he didn't want to talk to anyone.  Only occasionally did they manage to sneak out unnoticed into the gardens, where they could chat, joke, fool around, and sometimes Fourth would play some music on the phone and they both would dance to it.  They lacked rhythm and often performed completely different dance moves, but they had a great time, but those moments were very few, too few, and Gemini felt that when "his stranger" was not with him, he missed him and wanted him as soon as possible  to see him again, but Fourth always managed to disappear from his sight. When he asked about it First, he explained it to him during one of the dinners, where his little brother was also absent.

“Oh, just nong Fourth is an introvert like me, he likes to spend time in his own company and people with whom he is really close.”

Such explanations were not enough for Gemini, but he didn't understand why he wanted to see this handsome, funny boy as often and as long as possible.  Fortunately, Fourth stopped running away from him and came to him whenever they had the chance.  Gemini was most surprised when that same night, and it was well after one in the morning, there was a quiet knock on his door.

Gem was still awake then, engrossed in reading about the boggarts.  A storm was raging outside, and he wouldn't have heard the very gentle thumping of his fists on the wood, but for a small, terrified voice that sounded very much like Nattawat's voice in his mind.

Please, Gemi, let me in, I'm so scared.  Please don't send me back, not today.  I don't want to be alone and I don't want to worry First either, he's been through too many bad things anyway, he deserves some peace.  Please don't sleep yet.  Please come to the door.  I beg.  I need you.

It was then that Gemini discovered that their bond gave him the ability to hear some of Fourth's thoughts, if only Fourth himself would let him.  He jumped out of bed and ran to the door, not caring that his loud footsteps might wake up Tay in the next room.  He opened them quickly and saw a sight he never wanted to see and which shattered his delicate and sensitive heart into billions of tiny pieces.

Fourth was kneeling on the floor, covered in a red plaid blanket, shaking all over.  Tears flowed from his eyes and he couldn't or didn't want to stop them.  His hair was a mess.  Red spots appeared on his cheeks.  His lips were cracked as if he was fighting a fever.

“Fourth!”  Gemini crouched next to him and hugged him as tight as he could.  “I'm already with you.  It's okay, I'm here, do you hear?  I'm next to you. I'm not going anywhere, I'll be with you”.

Gemini spoke in a soft, melodious voice, wanting to calm Fourth and find out what had driven him to this state.  The first thing he thought was that they both could use a cup of hot, strong lemon tea.  He snapped his fingers, uttering a formula that instantly summoned the house elf to them.  A small creature appeared in front of them with a soft crack.

“You summoned me, Master Norawit?”  asked the creature, whose height reached both boys just above the waist and was dressed in simple gray sweatpants, an equally gray tank top and a brown kitchen apron.

“Yes.  Please prepare us two large cups of strong black tea with a slice of lemon and a plate of jelly biscuits, I know they were left over from dinner.”

“Of course, young master.  Do you have any other wishes?”

“No, that's all.  Thank you.”

The elf disappeared and Gemini looked back at Fourth, who had stopped sobbing and shaking but still looked terrible.

“Come to me”  Gemini put his arm around him and helped him up, then led him to his room and sat on the bed.

“Sorry.  I didn't know where to go.”

“Don't apologize.  Fourth, you can come to me anytime, day or night, and you don't have to knock.  Whatever happens, I'm here for you.”

Fourth thought how odd that he used to say the same thing to First, and now the day has come when fate returns him his own words and favor by putting this cute, crazy, optimistic and energetic boy in the way of his life, the boy, who opened not only the door of his room and heart for him without thinking, but also his arms whenever Fourth needed support and comfort.  Fourth made no secret of the fact that he loved being hugged.  When Gemini tried to move away for a moment to bring tissues to wipe Fourth's still tearful face, Nattawat pulled him by the hand, causing Norawit to lose his balance and land on his lap.

“Don't go anywhere, I'm afraid you'll disappear”  Gemini has never heard so much fear and desperation in someone's voice.  One look into the boy's eyes was enough for him to merely adjust to find a slightly more comfortable position and stay where he was.  Gem raised both hands to the height of the boy's face and began to dry his wet skin with his fingers.  Fourth put his arm around his waist and they sat like that for few minutes that passed.  Neither of them was going to change positions.  They were so comfortable.  They felt each other's warmth, and Gem watched with relief as Fourth's face slowly brightened until a faint smile appeared on it.  Gem pulled Fourth to him, placing a kiss on his forehead, which for both of them was a promise that they would always take care of each other, they would always be a safe zone for each other, a peaceful haven to which they could return after any storm.

They didn't need words.  Their souls spoke for themselves in a language only they knew.

By the time the tea, carried by four house elves (two carrying empty cups with lemon slices each, one plate of biscuits, and the fourth large pot full of tea) reached them, Nattawat had calmed down enough to tell about his next nightmare.

“It was worse this time, you know?  I tried to help you, but the creature made me choose between you, First, and NuNew.  I couldn't choose.  We were on the beach, huge waves foaming in the sea, lightning splitting the sky, and I felt I had lost my way.  Everywhere I looked, I saw someone imprisoned and tortured.  They wanted to burn Nu alive at the stake!  And break all your bones one by one!  First was nailed to the cross with his head down, do you understand?!  I heard screams of all of you! It was scary!”

At the mere mention, Fourth felt the same panicky fear again.  Anxiety seized him.  He had the feeling that something very evil lurked in the darkness and wouldn't let them breathe easily.  But he remembered the words of Professor Off Jumpol.

“From now on, you will face something you never even suspected existed.  Being a Knight of the Light isn't only pride, glory, fame and respect, it's also a duty, it is a duty we have towards the weaker ones, towards those whom we must protect and who often don't believe in us, who despise us.  More than once you will have to choose between what is right and what your heart tells you.  Never allow anger or envy to drive you.  There will be tasks whose success will depend on the purity of your intentions.  There will be fights that will leave a far deeper mark on you than just bodily wounds, and there will be situations where you have to sacrifice your own life or that of your comrades.”

“What about fear?  Are we allowed to be afraid?  I heard that the brave Knights of the Light are not afraid?”  Kaownah asked then.

“Only fools are not afraid.  Remember that, boy.  Fear is natural.  What sets us apart from ordinary beings is that we're able to control our fear and use it in such a way that it helps us gain victories over what lies in the dark.”

And now Fourth could say he knew fear like only few people ever did.  His fear was different, icy, seizing him by the throat, squeezing his heart and drawing tears from his eyes.  His fear made him want to run ahead, just to get away from what he was feeling, and at the same time he also knew he couldn't.  His fear had the scent of Gemini's favorite perfume, First's shower gel, and the sweet smell of NuNew's favorite chocolate.  His fear had its source in the feeling hidden at the bottom of his soul called love.

He was afraid that the people he loved would be hurt.  He didn't know that he was feeding a monster coming directly from the Darkness.  The more he feared, the stronger this monster became, but it also worked the other way around: the more Fourth loved and the purer his feelings became, the more he weakened the demon that fed mainly on his negative emotions and feelings.  Being around Gemi weakened the creature enough to leave Fourth alone for the next few days, and then the nightmares stopped, replaced by beautiful dreams where he, First, Khaotung, NuNew, Zee, and Gemini were just happy.

“Fotfot?  What do you think about us asking Zee to let us move in together?”  Gemini asked, again perfectly reading the thoughts of the boy next to him, who was just sipping hot tea slowly thoughtfully.

“You know him, you know he won't agree.”

“It never hurts to try. Maybe when we explain everything to him, he will understand and let us do it?”

“I don't think I even want to ask him. But on the other hand…” Fourth hesitated.  He placed his empty cup on the nightstand.  Darkness still enveloped the area, and the only lights were small bedside lamps on either side of the large, comfortable bed, and colored chains that glowed with magic on the furniture and walls, reminiscent of those on which, long ago, farmers used to fasten their cows, only slightly smaller and made of some light,  a delicate, colorful glow of matter.

Fourth was surprised at how many different themes merged into one completely coherent whole in this place.  There were three pairs of doors in the room: one led to a shared bathroom for Gemini and his roommate, the other to the corridor, and the third one to the bedroom of Tay, who was Gemini's guardian (senior) and who was sleeping at this time.  He was sleeping peacefully, and even the roar of a cannon wouldn't wake him up now.

The former rooms of the boys, where they had lived alone before they moved to Level II, now stood empty, waiting for new applicants.  Along with this slight, but nevertheless, promotion in the hierarchy, they also moved up from the second floor to the third floor, where the apartments were much larger and where they had access to a sauna, an indoor swimming pool, as many as three relaxation rooms or even a game room to which only  Level II students and their seniors.

Gemini left his cup half full, knowing that when he woke up in the morning, he would be able to drink before he even got out of bed.  He thought about how nice it would be to have Fourth right outside the door.  He did not hide that he had pinned his hopes on this, that they would be able to strengthen their friendship for the time being.

“Fotfot, listen to me.  After all, we can just tell Zee the truth, we can explain to him that you have nightmares and that you don't want to sleep alone, and you don't want to cause trouble for P'Gun.  I think P'Zee will agree.”

“Hmmm... Not a bad idea, but...”

“But what?”

“But do you really think P'Gun will agree to this?  And even if he does, I'm afraid P'Off will throw us out of a top-story window for ideas like this.”

Gemini remembered a funny scene during one of P'Off's lectures, where the special guest was none other than Gun Atthaphan, privately P'Off's husband, officially, especially for the Non-Magical, only his friend.  They gathered then, pushing all the desks against the walls and arranging the chairs, at Off's request, in a circle, the center of which was two much more comfortable, blue-green suede chairs, on which both teachers sat.  This time, Off allowed the students to ask them any questions they wanted.  Fluke asked a completely trivial question.

“P'Off, is there any place you'd like to travel to?”

Off smiled slyly, glanced briefly at Gun, then replied.

“I'd like to travel around the world.” And he got up from his chair to circle Gun twice.

Amused Gemi and Phu immediately started applauding them, Gun blushed slightly, and Joong just looked at them crookedly, still sitting with his arms folded on his chest.

“Pfff!  Do they have to be so sweet every step of the way?”

His statement was clearly heard by New, who scolded him.

“If you lived as much as they did and knew that your beloved one day will leave this world while you stay here, you too would like to have as much sweetness and romance in your life as possible, maybe then you would learn to enjoy every moment and not just  keep rushing forward.”

Joong wanted to say something back to him, but Dunk just in time tugged at his sleeve.

“Don't even say a word.”

Gemini couldn't forget it.

Each couple was different, some shared different kinds of love: for example, between friends, between brothers, between parabatai... But he was sure that he wanted him and Fourth to one day share the kind of love that Gun shared with Off.

Gun and Off were almost opposites of each other, and at first everyone who met them wondered how two such extreme opposites could attract so much, but then it all became clear.

Off Jumpol was a quiet, withdrawn, peaceful Knight of Light, he was fully magical, both of his parents came from two older magical families that had prided themselves on the purity of their blood for generations.  Gun was a hybrid son of a vampire and a witch.  Gun was loud, he was everywhere, and he loved to have fun and dance.  He hated solitude, Off loved it.

It was said that when they met, they jumped at each other's eyes, fought with each other and competed in almost everything.  None wanted to lose and none were going to give up, and perhaps they would have been fighting to this day had it not been for... had it not been for the disappearance of Mrs. Puitrakul's sons, Fourth and First.  It was then that they first acted together, wanting to find the boys and bring them safely into the arms of their longing mother.  They failed.  Whoever kidnapped the children back then must have been part of their world and knew how to hide.  However, it was this defeat that brought them closer together.  It was Gun who first proposed peace between them, Gun who confessed his feelings first, and Gun who asked Off to be his boyfriend first, but it was Off who proposed to Gun first, and the event was widely publicized throughout the wizarding world.

Their wedding, although it didn't take place at the Institute, was said to be beautiful and when Gem watched the recording of this event, he couldn't help but imagine himself and Fourth in Off and Gun's place.

“Let's go to bed now, we'll think about it tomorrow.” Fourth smiled sleepily at him and crawled under the covers, pulling them almost to the top of his head to hide his flushed cheeks.

Fourth couldn't understand what was happening to him.

He felt himself blushing, that Gemini being so close to him and looking at him with piercing eyes made him want to hide from his gaze and at the same time he wanted him to look at him, wanted him to really see him, to see in him  someone who is worth loving and worth waiting for.  He pushed away as best he could the thought that perhaps he had given his heart to him long ago.  And Gemini didn't rush him at all, he gave him freedom and time.  It seemed to him that Gem, despite how crazy and active he was every day, despite all his hyperactivity, could also be patient, quiet and calm.  It was as if the loud, frisky, lively great lion next to him was transforming into a tiny, adorable, fluffy kitten, the closeness of which brought him relief and peace.

He turned his back to Gemi, but when Gemi fell asleep a few minutes later, he couldn't help himself and turned back to face him.  Now he could fully admire his lovely, serene face in the dim light of the colored chains and the single bedside lamp on Fourth's side of the bed.

Gemini Norawit was really beautiful and he was also handsome.  He breathed calmly through the slightly ajar, large, soft-looking lips, which seemed to call to Fourth to touch them gently with his, after all, such a gentle touch couldn't wake Gem.  He wanted to do it, even came close to him, but stopped only a few centimeters from his mouth.  He couldn't do it.  It suddenly occurred to him that he wished both of them to be fully aware during their first kiss, and that both of them were sure that this was what they wanted.  He wanted each of them to have an equal chance to back off if necessary, and he felt that kissing Gemini without his knowledge, even if he knew that Gem wouldn't be offended at all, was unfair to him.

"What's the use of this kiss if he won't know about it or remember it?" He thought, and then suddenly the main meaning of his thought hit him, and then, like a burnt man, he turned around violently, falling off the bed, which woke Gemini up.

Norawit looked distractedly at Nattawat, wondering for a moment whether what he was seeing was real or just a dream.  He gave Nattawat a sleepy look and saw that the boy was sitting on the floor, supporting himself with his hands.

“What the hell are you doing there?” Gemini asked a bit annoyed that he was interrupted by a beautiful dream in which he was standing in the middle of one of the Christian temples dressed in a beautiful white suit and was about to kiss Fourth right after taking the marriage vows.

“Err?  Nothing... I guess?”

“Seriously?”

“Well... I'm comfortable here.”

Gemini looked at him as if he had just told him that planet Earth was actually a circular disk carried by twelve elephants, and humans had green antennae instead of ears.

“Okay, I fell.  Are you happy now?”

“And what the hell was the reason that have you fallen off the bed?”

“How am I supposed to know that?  I didn't fall because I wanted to fall.”

“If you want to fall somewhere, you can "fall" in love with me,”  Gemini said, deliberately using English instead of Thai, because "falling in love" sounded almost identical to just falling in English.

“Uh-huh... what?”

“Never mind.  Let's go to sleep.  Go back to bed.  Sweet dreams.”

As Fourth clambered back onto the bed, Gemini pounced on him and hugged him, holding him tight.

“What are you doing?”

“Nothing, but I prefer to hold you tight or else you'll fall off the bed again,” Gemini explained.  “Go to sleep now and don't worry, I'm not going to let you out until morning, I need to make sure you're safe.”

Fourth couldn't believe his ears.  He imagined that falling asleep in the arms of the boy he liked would be difficult for him because of his rapidly beating heart and accumulated emotions, and yet Gemi had a calming effect on him again and made him fall asleep almost immediately, feeling safe as never before.

* * *

The next morning, they all gathered in one place discussing their teacher's strange behavior.  For those who had not attended the previous day's classes, the students recounted what had happened, showing Professor Puttha's surreptitiously recorded statements.

* * *

Professor Puttha started these lectures quite differently than usual.  He didn't tell them any new story about the topic they were going to cover.  Instead, he began to call them to revolt against Zee.  Gemini and Pond surreptitiously took out their phones and began recording everything their teacher said.

“You can't let yourself be treated like this!  Fight it!  You are not as weak as you are told.  Think, some of you have been here since you were thirteen.” He paused at this point and looked pointedly at Joong, but Joong didn't seem to mind his words.  He was used to being misjudged by people, after all, he came from a middle-class family with a non-magical mother and a Knight of Light father.  In this reality and in this universe, such families were not uncommon.  They had heard of planet Earth I, where everything was much more difficult, but even here it wasn't easy.

Joong didn't even bat an eyelid as Mr. Puttha stared at him as if mentally trying to get him to react.

“What was I talking about?”  Mr. Puttha suddenly lost the plot, and Gem and Pond, who sat with him in the pew, exchanged knowing, worried glances.  They didn't like the professor's behavior.  “Oh, yes, you must fight for your rights.  You've been here for so long, some of you took the exam every six months for many years before you finally made it.  You've been told it's your fault that you didn't prepare well enough, but that's not true!  Don't listen to what they tell you!  Do not believe when they try to tell you that you are not sufficiently prepared to go on a mission, to carry out the tasks that were assigned to you, basically, on the day you were born into this world!  Don't let them make slaves of you when you are free!  Especially don't let your boss rule you!  Let him entrust you with a job that any second-rate candidate can do, don't let your mouth be shut and your hands tied, take your fate in your own hands!”

Mr. Puttha almost shouted the last sentences, but if he had expected understanding and support, he was sorely disappointed.

A murmur of quiet conversation passed between the students.  Now everyone was worried, no one had ever seen or heard of their professor acting like this.

“What if it's a demon?”  Phuwin asked Kaownah sitting with him in a hushed voice.

“Demon?  Do you have something specific in mind?”

“Uhm.  I forgot its name, but I know that its property is that it can easily transform itself into the being it wants to imitate and take its place.  These demons aren't very intelligent and are easy to trap, but I'm going to need your help with this.” He explained loudly enough for First and Joong in front of him and Gemini and Pond to their right to hear.  “But we'll talk about that at the break.”

The boys agreed.

During the break, Phuwin sent Gemini to fetch P'Zee, while he tried to stay in step with the professor.

He failed.  The professor apparently realized he was being followed, and as soon as Phuwin closed his tired eyes for a moment and yawned widely, Mr. Puttha disappeared completely, as if he had vanished into thin air.  Phuwin looked around in vain, looked out the window, looked in every corner, but could not see even the slightest trace of their teacher anywhere.  This gave him the terrible suspicion that they might be right after all, and that it wasn't their professor at all, but rather someone or something who was using his likeness and voice to deceive them.

They knew only too well that the real Mr. Puttha would never have dared to go against Zee, whom he considered his benefactor and savior just after Pierre Gasly had sent him here, as it were, to prison.  Zee helped him a lot then, interceded for him so that he could get a teaching position.

✨🪄👀♊4️⃣💎

About Fourth falling off the bed... It happened to me once when I was sleeping in the same bed with my friend at hotel 😂 Yes, I fell of the bed!!!