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Gemini walked into the bar wearing a perfectly tailored light beige suit. His steps blended into the low hum of conversation and the soft clinking of glassware. A crisp white shirt peeked from beneath his jacket, and a blue and white polka-dotted tie gave a small burst of color. On his wrist, a brown Cartier watch caught the glow of the pendant lights above. He carried with him a sense of belonging that didn’t quite match the present moment, but like someone who had wandered in from a different chapter of time.
As he entered, a few heads turned, drawn by the quiet confidence in his stride and the quiet elegance in his presence. The air inside smelled faintly of aged wood and leather. Gemini moved to his usual seat by the window and sat down with a glance around the room.
This bar had never changed. While the world outside kept rushing forward, this place stayed the same.
A waiter approached him to take his order for a meal. Gemini offered a polite smile and simply asked for a drink instead. His attention drifted to the piano on the center stage, to a black Yamaha gleamed under the spotlight. Sitting behind it was a man with a platinum blonde buzzcut, dressed in a sleek dark grey Louis Vuitton suit. His fingers moved across the keys with effortless grace, creating music that floated through the room.
He played as if he wasn’t aware of the crowd or maybe as if he didn’t care. His feet tapped softly against the pedals, his head swaying gently with each chord. People listened while sipping their drinks and chatting in hushed tones, but Gemini watched with a quiet smile.
His drink arrived shortly, a crystal glass filled with amber-colored liquor and a single nicely carved ice cube that clicked softly as he picked it up. He took a small sip, feeling the familiar warmth in his throat, and kept his gaze on the man at the piano.
The song came to an end. The pianist held the final note a few seconds longer than expected, then let it drift away. He stood, bowed slightly to the room, and offered a quiet smile before making his way across the floor. He walked with intention before stopping at Gemini’s table and taking the empty seat beside him.
Without asking, he flagged down the waiter and ordered the same drink. Their eyes met and lingered.
"Hello, Fourth," Gemini greeted.
"Hello, Gemini," Fourth replied, then let his gaze drift slowly over Gemini's outfit, taking it in from top to bottom.
“You look like you just stepped out of the nineties,” the pianist said, a teasing note in his voice.
Gemini grinned. “That’s because I did. I’m from the past.”
He tilted his head, looking the man up and down. “And what’s with the blonde buzzcut, the eyebrow slit, the earrings?”
The man smirked and ran a light hand through his hair.
“This is fashion… from the future,” he said with a smile. “Where I’m from.”
Their laughter was quiet, shared between just the two of them. Fourth placed his hands gently over Gemini’s. They were both wearing the same ring.
“And here we are,” he said, his voice softer now as his eyes settled on the rings they both wore. “In the present.”
He looked up at the man, a gentle smile playing at his lips.
“Aren’t you tired, Gem? All that traveling through time… just to see me?”
Gemini’s smile turned more tender. “It’s the only part of the future I look forward to.” He looked at him with equal warmth. “What about you? Doesn’t looking back ever wear you out?”
The man shook his head slowly. “It’s the only part of the past I want to remember.”
They sat in stillness for a while. When Fourth leaned in to kiss him, Gemini met him without hesitation. Their lips touched gently. The kiss wasn’t rushed. It felt like a memory and a promise at the same time. When they pulled apart, Gemini’s hand lingered, gently caressing Fourth’s cheek a moment longer.
“Do you want to take a walk?” Gemini asked. “We still have some time.”
Fourth nodded and slipped his fingers into Gemini’s. They left the bar hand in hand and stepped into the cool evening air. The streets were quiet except for the occasional car passing by. The night was still and carried the kind of calm that made everything feel just a little bit more real.
As a car drove past, Gemini watched it go. “So,” he asked, glancing at Fourth, “do we have flying cars yet? Like the ones in movies?”
Fourth laughed. “No, not flying cars. We do have electric cars, though,” he said. “And we don’t need to drive them. They drive themselves.”
“Electric?” Gemini looked confused.
“They don’t use gas anymore. They run on battery charge.”
Gemini looked surprised. “They drive themselves?”
Fourth nodded. “They can navigate roads and avoid accidents.”
He paused thoughtfully for a moment. “We still use trams,” he added.
Fourth smiled. They talked as they walked, sharing details about their timelines, pointing out little things that fascinated or confused the other. When they passed a flower shop, glowing under soft yellow light, they both stopped to admire the colorful display behind the glass.
“Let’s take a picture,” Fourth said suddenly, pulling out his phone.
Gemini leaned closer. “What’s that?”
“It’s a smartphone. It has a camera, music, money, everything. It’s all inside this little thing.”
Gemini took it carefully, turning it over in his hands.
“This is tiny,” he said. “It can do all that?” The question was mostly for himself.
He reached into his coat and pulled out a bulky cordless phone with an antenna.
“This is mine,” he said with a wry smile. “It only makes calls.”
Fourth’s eyes widened. “And a weapon you can throw at someone,” he laughed, taking the phone and weighing it in his hand. “It looks and feels like a brick.”
They both laughed, holding the two phones side by side, unable to ignore the ridiculous contrast. Fourth then stepped in front of Gemini, leaned in close, and snapped a few photos. Gemini wasn’t sure where to look at first, since there was no flash coming from the tiny device, but after a few snaps, he finally got the hang of it and smiled. Fourth took a few more pictures and showed them to him.
Gemini’s eyes lit up. “These are amazing,” he said.
“You can even add filters.” Fourth picked one and added pink blush to Gemini’s cheeks, along with a tiny ribbon in his hair.
They laughed harder this time. Fourth looked at the man, his eyes crinkling with amusement.
“Are you hungry?” Fourth asked.
Gemini hesitated, then nodded. He wasn’t really hungry, didn’t much care about food but he agreed to spend more time with Fourth, doing something mundane together.
They walked into a modern diner where the lights were soft and the furniture looked like something out of a catalog. Fourth pulled out his phone again and scanned a QR code on the table.
“What are you doing?” Gemini asked.
“Looking at the menu.”
“There are no physical ones?”
Fourth shook his head. “No. Actually, that’s one thing I kind of miss.”
They looked through the digital options and both ended up ordering mango-based desserts. Gemini picked sticky rice with mango and a scoop of ice cream, while Fourth chose mango cheesecake.
As they waited, their hands rested on the table, fingers gently tracing over one another again and again, as if memorizing each other’s touch. When the desserts arrived, Fourth offered the first bite of his to Gemini.
Gemini took it, his eyes widening immediately. “This is so good.” A bit of cream was smeared around his lips.
Fourth chuckled and wiped his own mouth with a napkin. “Messy eater,” he said with a smile.
They finished slowly, savoring both the food and the quiet moment. Then, without a word, Fourth stood and started walking toward the door.
Gemini jumped up to follow. “Don’t we have to pay?”
“I already did,” Fourth said.
“With your phone,” Gemini added slowly, piecing it together. He paused, then said, “That’s really convenient.”
Leaning his head sideways, he added quietly, “But it feels like something’s missing. No conversation. No thank you. Just you and the phone doing everything.”
Fourth looked at him with quiet agreement. Technology does make human interaction less. “You’re not wrong,” he said.
Outside, the night had grown colder. Fourth held the man’s hands gently as they walked together toward a nearby bench. They sat down side by side, their shoulders brushing lightly against each other. Fourth still kept a hold of Gemini’s hands, fingers entwined.
“How was your day?” he asked softly. “Tell me everything.”
Gemini smiled as he began. “I woke up around seven,” he started. “Then I got ready for work. I take the tram sometimes, or a cab.” He added, “During lunch, I usually go out with my colleagues,” and went on to describe the details of his day.
“What about you?” he asked, turning to Fourth.
Fourth answered with a calm smile, “I got up at eight, then drove myself to work.”
There was a clear contrast in how they spent their days. Gemini’s routine was more mundane, slower, and a little old-fashioned. Fourth’s was modern and efficient.
“The future sounds so interesting and advanced,” Gemini commented.
Fourth looked at him quietly. “Not advanced enough,” he said. “I wish I could meet you all the time… instead of just these exact ones.”
Gemini smiled a little. “That’s our limitation, isn’t it? Our timelines only overlap for these few hours,” he added softly, the sadness creeping into his voice.
Not wanting to dwell on it, he gently shifted the conversation. They began talking about other things. Their families, what everyone was up to, little stories from their lives.
Before they knew it, time had slipped away almost without them noticing.
Gemini glanced down at his watch. “It’s time,” he said quietly. “We need to go.”
Fourth looked at him for a few seconds longer, wishing the night would slow down just a little. Then he pulled Gemini into one last kiss. This one lingered, softer and deeper than before.
When they broke apart, Gemini looked at him, then leaned in and kissed him gently on the cheek.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said.
Fourth’s voice was barely audible. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Gem.”
With that, they both stood up and walked in opposite directions, already counting the hours until the next time they’d be together.