Morning — Keifer's POV
The car ride to school feels… different today.
Jay sits beside me, calm, relaxed, her fingers loosely intertwined with mine over the gear. Married. The word still lands heavy and unreal in the best way. When we reach school and step inside together, Section E notices immediately.
The whispers start.
The grins follow.
Before anyone can say anything, Sir Alvin walks in.
"Well," he says, smiling as his eyes move between Jay and me, "congratulations are in order."
The class erupts.
"Sir—!"
"Jayfer!"
"Mr and Mrs Watson!"
Jay laughs, shaking her head, and I just sigh, already knowing this is my life now.
Sir Alvin raises a hand. "Enough. Sit down."
The room settles—barely.
"Now," he continues, flipping through his notes, "since everyone is in such a celebratory mood, let me add something exciting."
Groans.
"Your exams," he says calmly, "start next week."
Chaos.
"What?!"
"Sir, already?!"
"No way!"
"We just survived weddings!"
Jay leans closer to me and whispers, "They're going to blame us."
I smirk. "Worth it."
Sir Alvin watches the madness with amusement. "I suggest you all celebrate after you study."
As the noise slowly dies down, I glance at Jay. She's smiling, but there's something thoughtful in her eyes.
Somewhere else, I know, a different kind of storm is brewing.
Later — Keigan's POV
I feel it before I see it.
That tension in the air.
Our classroom is loud as usual when the teacher announces it—
"Your exams will begin next week."
Groans ripple through the room, but my eyes go straight to Eces.
She doesn't react much. Just nods once, calm on the surface.
Then Emilia laughs.
Still.
Even after everything, she still doesn't stop.
"Well," Emilia says loudly, eyes fixed on Eces, "guess some people will crack under pressure. Especially those who already have… issues."
I see it instantly.
Eces's jaw tightens.
Her fingers curl slowly into fists.
Her knuckles start turning red.
Too red.
My chest tightens.
"Emilia," I snap, stepping between them. "Stop."
She smirks. "What? I didn't even say her name."
But I know.
She knows.
Eces's breathing changes—shorter, sharper. Her shoulders stiffen like she's fighting herself, holding something back. She doesn't want to hurt anyone. I can see it written all over her face.
I don't think. I move.
My hand dives into my bag, fingers closing around the medicine strip I keep there just in case. I press it into her palm.
"Eces," I say quietly but firmly. "Now."
Her eyes flick to mine—focused, grateful—and she takes it immediately.
I guide her away without waiting, steering her out of the classroom, down the hallway, to a quiet corner near the stairs where there's no noise, no crowd.
She leans against the wall, eyes closed, fists slowly unclenching.
I stand in front of her, shielding her without touching.
"You're okay," I murmur. "You're safe."
Her breathing steadies, inch by inch.
As I watch her fight—every single day, against things no one else can see—something settles painfully clear in my chest.
This isn't just concern.
This isn't just protection.
I like her.
No—
I care about her far more than I should.
And as her hands finally relax and the color fades from her knuckles, I make a quiet promise to myself:
No matter what she's fighting,
she won't fight it alone.
Jay's POV
The house feels wrong the moment I step inside.
Too quiet.
Section E is still half-laughing behind us when I notice Keigan on the couch, phone in hand, backpack dumped beside him like he never meant to stay long. My smile fades.
"Keigan?" I ask. "Why are you home already? You should still be in school."
He looks up, locks his phone, and I see it in his eyes—this isn't nothing.
"Eces and I came back early," he says simply.
My chest tightens. "Why?"
He doesn't sugarcoat it. He tells us everything—about Emilia, about the line she used, about how Eces froze from the inside out even while trying to stay calm. About the medicine. About pulling her away before things got worse.
I barely hear the rest once he says her name.
"Where is she?" I ask, already turning.
"In her room," Keigan replies.
I don't wait.
Her door is closed, light seeping out from underneath. I knock once, soft.
"Eces? It's me."
There's a pause. Then, "Come in."
She's sitting on her bed, knees pulled up, wrapped in a hoodie. She looks… okay. Not broken. Not distant. Just tired.
I sit beside her without asking.
For a moment, we don't talk.
Then I reach out and lace my fingers through hers. She squeezes back—just once—but it says everything.
"I heard," I say gently.
Her jaw tightens. Not angry. Guarded. "I handled it."
"I know you did," I tell her. "You always do."
She exhales slowly. "Sometimes… I wish I didn't have to."
That's new.
My heart aches a little. "You don't have to be strong with me."
She looks down at our hands. "I don't like worrying you."
I smile softly. "You don't worry me. You matter to me."
She's quiet again, then says, barely above a whisper, "When people say things like that… it feels like being pushed back into something I worked so hard to climb out of."
I nod, understanding without needing details. "You climbed out anyway."
Her lips curve just a little. "Yeah."
I pull her into a gentle hug. She leans in—not all the way, but enough.
"That's you opening up," I tease lightly.
She huffs. "Don't get used to it."
I laugh, pressing a kiss to her hair. "Too late."
When I stand to leave, she looks up at me. "Jay?"
"Hmm?"
"Thank you… for coming."
Always, I think.
Always.
Eces slips on her slippers and follows me out of the room.
She stays close—just half a step behind—like she's not ready to face everyone yet, but she doesn't pull away when my hand finds hers on the stairs. That alone tells me more than words ever could.
The living room quiets the moment we step down.
Keifer is standing near the couch. Section E is spread around the room in their usual chaos—except now there's no teasing, no noise. Keigan straightens the second he sees Eces.
"There you are," I say lightly, giving her hand a squeeze.
Eces nods once. "Hey."
Keigan moves first. "You okay?"
She gives him a small nod. "Yeah. Better."
Good. That's enough for now.
I turn to everyone else. "She's fine," I say, firm but calm. "And she doesn't need twenty questions."
Section E collectively exhales.
Ci-n clears his throat. "We weren't going to interrogate."
Felix adds, softer than usual, "Just… worried."
Eces shifts, uncomfortable with the attention, so I step just a little closer, grounding her. Keifer's eyes meet mine across the room—quiet understanding passing between us.
Keifer speaks up. "Alright. Everyone sit."
They listen. Immediately.
Eces glances at me, surprised.
I smile. "Perks of being married to him."
That earns a tiny huff of amusement from her.
Keigan offers her a glass of water without a word. She takes it, murmuring thanks, fingers brushing his. He freezes for half a second before pretending not to notice.
I notice.
I always notice.
"We're staying in today," I say. "No school. No pressure."
Section E nods like it's obvious.
Denzel mutters, "Exams can wait."
Eces finally relaxes enough to sit on the couch beside me. Her shoulder presses into mine—small, but intentional.
And as the room slowly fills with normal sounds again—soft chatter, someone laughing quietly—I realize something important:
She came downstairs.
That means she's not shutting the world out.
That means today is a win.
The front door bangs open just past noon.
"I'M HOME!"
Keiren's voice fills the house like a warning siren.
Every head turns.
Keiren drops his bag near the door and freezes when he actually looks around. "Why is everyone here?"
Section E waves at him—far too cheerfully.
"Hi."
"Hey."
"Surprise."
Keiren squints. "Is this… a meeting?"
Keigan answers calmly, "No. Lunch."
Right on cue, the smell of food drifts in from the kitchen, and Keiren's suspicion immediately disappears.
"Oh." He grins. "Okay."
Lunch is chaos in the best way.
Everyone squeezes around the table—chairs too close, elbows bumping, voices overlapping. I sit between Keifer and Eces, with Keifer automatically reaching out every now and then to check if I'm comfortable.
Keiren stares at my hoodie. "Ate… isn't that Kuya Keifer's?"
Keigan smirks. "Good observation."
I clear my throat. "Eat your food."
Eces hides her smile behind her spoon.
Keiren points at my neck. "And that mosquito bite—"
"Nope," I say quickly. "We are not talking about mosquitoes."
Section E instantly lights up.
"That mosquito again!"
"Very aggressive species."
"Lives in bedrooms apparently."
I groan.
Keifer calmly says, "Focus on lunch."
Ci-n grins. "You sound very husband-coded."
Keifer doesn't even blink. "Because I am."
The table goes silent.
Then—
"OOOOH!"
"HE SAID IT!"
"MR WATSON CONFIRMED!"
I bury my face in my hands.
Eces leans toward me and whispers, "Ate, your ears are red."
"Please stop observing me," I whisper back.
Keiren looks between us suspiciously. "You two are acting strange."
Keigan nods. "Very strange."
Eces finally speaks, voice calm and dry. "You're all loud."
Everyone pauses.
Felix nods solemnly. "She's right."
Lunch continues with laughter, teasing, someone stealing food, Keiren dramatically protecting his dessert, and Keifer pretending he isn't smiling while watching all of it.
At one point, Eces nudges my arm gently. "Thank you… Ate."
I squeeze her fingers under the table. "Always."
And just like that, the house feels full again—not just with people, but with warmth, noise, and the kind of love that doesn't need to be said out loud. 💫
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