Jay‑Jay's POV
By the time everyone left, the apartment felt strangely quiet. No C‑in shouting, no Percy dramatizing, no Felix complaining about "emotional damage." Just faint echoes of laughter and the soft hum of the fridge.
I stood in the doorway after the last goodbye, hand still on the knob. Keifer clicked the lock, then turned to me. His eyes swept my face, searching. "You sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine," I said, and this time it didn't feel like a lie. "He didn't get to do anything. You guys came in fast."
His jaw clenched anyway. "Didn't like him that close to you. Ever."
I stepped closer, fingers brushing his wrist, over Serina's bracelet. "He's gone, Keifer. You're the one who's here."
Something in his shoulders relaxed. He exhaled slowly, then tugged me gently toward the couch. "Come here."
We sank down side by side, not touching at first, both staring at the quiet TV screen. After a moment, he shifted closer, our knees brushing. His hand found mine, fingers threading through.
"You scared me," he said quietly. "When I saw him pinning you like that… my brain just… snapped."
"I know," I replied, squeezing his hand. "But I wasn't alone. I'm never alone anymore."
He turned to me, eyes softening. "Because of me?"
"Because of you," I said. "Because of Section E. Because of your mom. Because we built something that doesn't break when someone ugly pushes against it."
His lips twitched into a small smile. "You're really bad at being a damsel in distress."
"Thanks?"
He chuckled, then his face turned serious again. "Jay‑Jay?"
"Yeah?"
He shifted closer, so close our thighs were pressed together. One of his hands came up to my cheek, calloused thumb stroking along my skin like he was memorizing it. His gaze dropped to my lips, then back to my eyes, asking a question without words.
My heart stuttered, but I didn't pull away. "You gonna stare or…?"
He huffed a quiet laugh, then leaned in.
The kiss was soft at first — careful, almost tentative, like he was afraid I might crumble. Warmth spread through my chest, chasing away the last of Yuri's shadow. I fisted my hands in the front of his shirt and pulled him closer.
He got the message.
The kiss deepened, slow but sure. His fingers slid into my hair, tilting my head just so, like he wanted to get lost and stay there forever. I could taste the faint sweetness of the alcoholhe'd been drinking, feel his heartbeat racing against my chest where we pressed together.
When we finally broke apart, we were both breathing a little harder. His forehead rested against mine, his eyes closed like he was hanging on to the moment.
"I love you so much," he murmured, voice low and honest. "Tonight proved it all over again. I can't stand the thought of losing you."
"You're stuck with me," I said, smiling. "Deal with it."
"Gladly."
He kissed me again, slower this time, less urgency, more certainty. His hand stroked down my arm, fingers tracing the curve of my waist before slipping around to pull me closer. I swung a leg over his lap without thinking, ending up straddling him, our faces inches apart.
His eyes widened for a second, then darkened with something warm and intense. "Jay…"
"If you don't want—"
"I do," he said quickly, hands settling respectfully at my hips. "Just… making sure you're okay."
"Keifer," I said, cupping his face, "I feel safest right here."
His answer was another kiss, deeper than the last, like he was pouring every unsaid word into it. His fingers slid gently up my spine, sending shivers down my back. The world shrank to just us — his breath, my heartbeat, the steady weight of his hands.
We broke apart eventually, noses brushing, both of us smiling like idiots.
"This okay?" he asked.
"More than okay," I said. "But if we go any further, Angelo will probably break down the door by instinct."
He groaned, dropping his head to my shoulder. "Way to kill the mood."
I laughed, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. "Mood's not dead. Just… on pause."
He kissed the side of my neck once, gentle, then leaned back against the couch, dragging me with him so I ended up tucked against his chest. His arms wrapped around me like a shield.
"Stay here?" he said.
"Always."
We lay there in the dim light of the living room, the apartment finally quiet in a way that felt safe, not empty. His heartbeat thumped steady under my ear. Every so often, he'd drop a lazy kiss on my hair, and I'd tilt my head to brush my lips over his jaw.
Outside, the city moved on. Inside, Yuri's attempt was already fading into background noise, drowned out by something stronger.
Love.
Ours.