Happy Birthday to Nawal_Fatima_1006 🎉🍫🍩🧁🎂🍰
The base was finally quiet. Well… as quiet as it could be after Jay threw two shoes, threatened three lives, and nearly cried over the recruit list.
The last echo of laughter faded as everyone stumbled out of the room — Mason dragging a half-dazed Alex, Percy still snickering, and Aries yelling "JAY, YOU'RE STILL GROUNDED!" from down the hall.
Jay just stood there, staring at the crumpled papers on the table. Her once-glorious aura of authority now looked like someone who just realized they accidentally sent a love confession to the group chat.
She exhaled loudly and dropped onto the couch.Her mask was off now — tossed beside her — revealing that infamous face of "I want to die but fashionably."
"Great job, Jay," she muttered to herself. "Truly inspiring. World's most feared Alpha turned into a family group project gone wrong."
A quiet voice answered from behind her."You still look terrifyingly good doing it, though."
Jay turned her head. "Don't flirt with a dead woman, Keifer."
Keifer chuckled softly, stepping inside. "I thought you banned everyone from entering."
"I did," she said, eyes narrowing. "You just don't listen."
"Exactly," he said simply, leaning against the wall.
Jay rolled her eyes. "You're lucky I'm too tired to throw my other shoe."
"I already caught the first one," he reminded, smirking. "Good reflexes are a survival skill around you."
Jay gave him a mock glare, but her lips twitched. "You're impossible."
"Coming from you?" he said, walking closer. "That's practically a compliment."
Silence settled — the kind that felt heavier than before.Jay fiddled with her gloves, eyes unfocused. "I didn't want them here, Kei. Not my brothers, not my friends… not you, even."
That last part came out too soft, too raw.
Keifer sat beside her, careful not to touch — but close enough that their shoulders almost brushed. "Then why did you give the order to handle February recruits?"
Jay narrowed her eyes. "Careful, Watson. I'm one mental breakdown away from turning you into next month's paperwork."
Keifer laughed quietly — that low sound that always made her heartbeat misbehave. "You won't."
"Oh? Confident, are we?"
He turned, looking at her fully now. "Because I know you, Jay. You talk big. You threaten. You scream. But when it's me…"
His voice softened. "You hold back."
Jay stared at him — really stared — the way someone might look at a thunderstorm they're both terrified and mesmerized by.
"Maybe I should stop holding back," she muttered, tone playfully dangerous.
"Then do it."
Challenge. Plain and sharp.
Jay's lips parted — but then her brain decided to self-destruct. She stood abruptly, waving her hands. "Nope. Not doing this. Emotional vulnerability makes me break out in hives."
Keifer leaned back, amused. "You literally fight assassins but can't handle feelings?"
"I'd rather take a bullet," she deadpanned.
He laughed again, standing too. "You're still shaking."
"I'm not—"
Keifer stepped closer — and gently took her gloved hand. "You are."
The warmth of his touch burned through the leather. Jay froze, unsure if she wanted to run or melt.
"Breathe," he said quietly.
And she did — reluctantly, but she did.
After a few seconds, she whispered, "They're gonna kill me when we get home."
Keifer smiled faintly. "You survived worse."
Jay gave a tired laugh. "Like falling off a burning car?"
"Exactly."
"Or accidentally starting a war between two gangs in my first month as Alpha?"
"Classic Jay moment."
She snorted. "You remember too much."
"I remember everything about you," he said — simple, steady, no dramatics.
Jay blinked, caught off-guard again. "You really don't make this easy, do you?"
"Not supposed to."
Silence again — this time softer, calmer. The storm had passed; what was left was the ache of survival and the comfort of someone who stayed.
Jay sank back onto the couch, exhausted. "I hate emotions."
Keifer joined her. "You say that, but you're the most emotional person I know."
"Lies and slander."
"Truth and evidence."
Jay picked up a cushion and threw it at him — weakly. "You're annoying."
"Still your favorite," he said, catching the cushion midair.
She glared at him, then slouched deeper into the seat. "You sound too sure of that."
"I am."
"Arrogant."
"Accurate."
Jay groaned. "Can't even argue with that."
They sat there, quiet again — the hum of the underground lights filling the space.
After a minute, Jay tilted her head slightly. "You're… not mad?"
"Should I be?"
"I mean… I kept a whole double life from you. Again."
Keifer smiled faintly. "Jay, you kept it from everyone. I'm just the one who figured it out last."
Her face softened. "You did figure it out, didn't you?"
He nodded. "The eyes gave you away."
Jay looked down at her gloved hands. "I hate that. Everyone says my eyes give me away."
"They should," he said. "They're the only thing you never lie with."
Jay blinked, caught between speechless and flustered. "That's… unfairly poetic."
"I learned from you."
She threw another cushion at him. "You're disgusting."
"Still your favorite."
"Stop saying that."
"Make me."
"Don't tempt me."
He smiled, leaning in just slightly. "Maybe I'm hoping you do."
For a moment, the air went still — dangerously so.
Jay stared at him, heartbeat doing the same thing it did before a car explosion: fast, reckless, unstoppable.
Then, of course, reality ruined it.
Her communicator buzzed — Aries's voice loud enough to make her jump.
"JAY! Dinner. NOW. Bring Keifer if you want him to die with you."
Jay groaned loudly, falling back on the couch. "See? Told you. Dead woman walking."
Keifer laughed, standing and offering her a hand. "Guess I'll die with you, then."
Jay took it, muttering, "You're too calm about this."
He smirked. "You forget — I've seen your chaos. Your brothers can't be worse."
The doors opened before she could reply — Aries stood there, arms crossed, Angelo beside him looking just as done with life.
Angelo: "Jay."
Jay: "Kuya."
Aries: "We'll talk later."
Jay: "Can we not?"
Aries: "We will."
Jay: "I hate family meetings."
Angelo: "Too bad."
Keifer, whispering beside her: "You sure you don't want to run?"
Jay whispered back, "They'll find me. They always do."
Then, sighing dramatically, she squared her shoulders, tossed her hair back, and said, "If I die, delete my food delivery history."
Keifer grinned. "Already done."
"Wait—you what?"
He winked.
Jay glared at him, muttering, "You're lucky you're cute."
Angelo: "What was that?"
Jay: "NOTHING! COMING!"
The others followed them out, still laughing as Jay dragged Keifer by the wrist toward her doom — dramatic, chaotic, and very much alive.