JAY JAY POV
NEXT DAY AFTER SCHOOL AND WORK
Friday night. After a grueling day of surviving school and a back-breaking shift at the diner, all I wanted was to melt into the sofa. I leaned back, burying myself against Keifer's firm chest. The movie was playing on the TV, but neither of us was watching. My mind was on the clock, and my heart was racing for a completely different reason.
"Keifer, it's Friday," I whispered, reaching back to grip his arms.
"Yeah? So what?" he murmured, his voice a low, lazy vibration against my spine. He wasn't even looking at the screen; his focus was entirely on the back of my head.
"Aries is coming back from college for the weekend, Keifer. He'll be here any second," I reminded him, trying to sound like a responsible adult even though my skin was tingling from his proximity.
"So what?" Keifer repeated, completely unfazed. He ignored my warning, leaning down to trail slow, agonizingly distracting kisses along the curve of my neck.
"Keifer, I'm serious! We have a guest!" I giggled, squirming in his iron-tight grip as he found that one sensitive spot behind my ear. "We need to look like semi-functional adults, not… whatever this mess is."
He pulled back just enough to catch my gaze, a mischievous, dark glint in his eyes that made my breath hitch. "So what? Let your brother see exactly how much I love his sister. Maybe then he'll stop calling me every five minutes to check if I've fed you."
"Keifer!" I scolded, my face heating up into a brilliant scarlet.
"Fine, fine. I'll behave," he relented with a smirk, though his hands didn't move an inch from my waist. "But I can't promise a damn thing if you keep looking this hot."
"Idiot," I muttered, swatting his chest, though the smile on my face gave me away.
Ding-dong.
The doorbell echoed through our tiny apartment, sharp and demanding. "Aries is here!" I cried, finally breaking free from Keifer's hold. I scrambled to my feet and ran to the door, swinging it open.
"Aries!" I shrieked, throwing my arms around him.
"Jay!" he laughed, the sound warm and familiar. He hugged me back so tight I could barely breathe, his lips pressing a protective kiss to the top of my forehead. "God, it's good to see you, kid."
He stepped inside, kicking his duffel bag toward the sofa with a practiced ease, his eyes scanning our small space. "Not bad," he admitted, nodding. "Better than my dorm, at least."
Keifer walked up behind me, looking remarkably composed given that he was nearly shirtless thirty seconds ago. He leaned in, sliding an unmistakably possessive arm around my shoulders, pulling me back into his space.
"Welcome to our house, Aries," Keifer said, his voice level but his eyes throwing down a silent challenge.
Aries didn't even hesitate. He stepped forward and physically swatted Keifer's hand off my shoulder, stepping between us like a human shield.
"She is my wife," Keifer snapped, his jaw tightening
"She is my sister," Aries shot back, staring him down with equal intensity.
I rolled my eyes so hard it hurt. The two most important men in my life were already marking their territory like stray dogs. I didn't have time for the testosterone show.
"I'm ignoring both of you," I announced, grabbing Aries by the sleeve. "Aries, come into the kitchen. I want to see if you actually brought that food you promised."
I dragged my brother away, leaving Keifer standing in the middle of the living room, looking like he was ready to start a war for his 'territory.'
Aries had arrived with arms full of stuff—bags of groceries, clothes I'd left behind, and even a few of my favorite snacks
We sat around the small table, the steam from the Thai food mixing with the easy comfort of being together.
"Did you talk to Mom and Dad?" Aries asked, his eyes searching mine over his bowl of noodles.
I shook my head slowly, the thought of them still tasting like ash. "No. Did you go to their house?"
Aries shook his head, looking exhausted just thinking about it. "They've been calling me non-stop. Especially Mom. She keeps telling me to talk sense into you... saying that Yuri was still the better choice." He rolled his eyes so hard I thought they might get stuck. "As if."
I mirrored the gesture, a dry laugh escaping me. "Of course. Because a business merger is always 'better' than actual happiness." I leaned forward, looking at my brother. "Now, are you going to tell me the truth? What did they really say to you about us?"
Aries paused, his gaze moving between me and Keifer. He looked at the way Keifer's chair was tucked close to mine, the way Keifer's hand was resting protectively on the back of my seat.
"I was going to tell you," Aries said quietly. "But looking at you both... I don't think it's necessary. I was worried, Jay. I really was. But I can see now that you're in safe hands."
Keifer didn't say anything, but a genuine, rare smile broke across his face—a silent acknowledgment of the respect between them.
I looked at the two of them, a question that had been bubbling in my mind finally surfacing. "How did you guys even become friends anyway? No offense, but there's a two-year gap between you. How did a college guy and a high schooler end up like this?"
Aries let out a snort, looking at Keifer. "Long story short? A lot and lots of fights. We used to clash at the courts, then in the alleys. Eventually, you just realize the guy hitting you has the same kind of crap going on at home as you do."
I nodded, fascinated. It made sense. Two protectors recognizing each other in the dark.
"So, Aries," Keifer said, leaning back with a smirk, trying to change the heavy subject. "Tell me. Any girls at college? Or is the 'Bodyguard' too busy studying?"
Aries actually blushed a little, rubbing the back of his neck. "There is a girl... Ella. That's her name. She's good, she's smart. But I don't know yet. It's complicated."
I smiled, reached over, and patted Aries' hand. "Finally! My brother has a crush." Then, my expression turned serious. "But listen to me, Aries. Take my advice. Do what I did. Get eloped before Mom and Dad find out and try to make you marry some random girl with a good last name."
Aries laughed, but there was a flicker of real thought in his eyes. "One rebel in the family might be enough for now, Jay. But I'll keep the chapel's number on speed dial, just in case."
Keifer chuckled, reaching for my hand under the table and squeezing it. "Don't worry, Aries. If you need to make a run for it, the Watsons have a spare couch."
When dinner was finally over, Aries stood up and stretched, looking a little guilty. "Actually, Jay... I lied. I have to head back. I told a few friends I'd catch up with them, and Mom and Dad already know I'm in town, so I have to make an appearance at the house before I leave."
He leaned down and kissed my forehead affectionately. Then, he turned to Keifer. The two of them exchanged a firm, complicated handshake—the kind that carried a lot of unspoken respect.
"I'll leave you two alone," Aries said, heading for the door. He paused, looking back with a mischievous wink at Keifer. "But Keifer? Don't make my sister pregnant yet. I'm serious."
"Aries!" I groaned, rolling my eyes at his lack of a filter.
"Come visit me whenever you have time," I told him, giving him one last wave. Aries nodded, stepped out into the hall, and the door clicked shut behind him.
The silence that followed was immediate and heavy. Keifer and I both stumbled back toward the bedroom, collapsing onto the mattress in a heap of tangled limbs and exhaustion.
"Thank God he's gone," Keifer breathed into the pillow. He shifted, propping himself up on one elbow to look down at me. The 'polite host' mask was completely gone, replaced by that dark, intense hunger I'd missed all day. "I thought I was going to have to act all innocent and 'gentlemanly' for the whole weekend."
He reached out, his hand trailing down my arm. "Now, take off your shirt."
I blinked, my brain still half-processing the sudden departure of my brother. "Why?"
Keifer's gaze dropped to the buttons of the shirt I was wearing—his shirt. A slow, predatory smirk spread across his face as he moved to hover over me, pinning me against the sheets.
"Why?" he repeated, his voice dropping to a gravelly, dangerous rasp. "Because I've spent the last three hours sitting three feet away from you, pretending I wasn't thinking about exactly this. Your brother gave me a warning, Jay Jay... but he also gave me an idea."
He leaned down, his lips brushing against the sensitive skin of my neck, sending a violent shiver through my entire body. "Now, are you going to do it yourself, or do I have to be the 'beast' your brother thinks I am?"
I reached up, my fingers trembling as they found the first button. "You're a menace, Keifer Watson."
"I'm your husband," he corrected, his teeth grazing my earlobe. "Now, hurry up. We have a lot of 'practicing' to do."
"Go to sleep," I said, trying to sound firm despite the way my body was already betraying me under his gaze.
"Why? Tomorrow is Saturday," Keifer pouted, his fingers continuing their slow, agonizing assault on my shirt buttons. He looked like a frustrated kid, but the heat in his eyes was all man.
"Idiot, we have work tomorrow," I reminded him, catching his hands to still them. "And our paycheck is tomorrow. We have to be there early, Keifer. We can't afford to be late just because you're being a clingy husband."
Keifer let out a low, frustrated growl, burying his face in the crook of my neck. He stayed there for a moment, his chest heaving against mine. "Fine," he grumbled, his voice muffled by my skin. "But not even a little make-out session?"
He looked up at me, his eyes pleading, and I felt my resolve crumbling.
I leaned in and captured his lips, intending it to be a quick "goodnight" kiss, but the second we touched, the Keifer didn't just melt—he caught fire.
Keifer didn't waste a heartbeat. He groaned into my mouth, his hands sliding from my waist to the back of my head, his fingers tangling in my hair to keep me exactly where he wanted me. He pulled me closer until I was crushed against his chest, the kiss deepening into something hungry and desperate.
It wasn't gentle. It was the kind of kiss that made my toes curl and my head spin. Every time I tried to pull back to remind him about our early shift, he'd just nip at my lower lip, drawing me back in until I was breathless. His tongue traced the line of my teeth, demanding entry, and when I gave in, I tasted the raw, addictive heat that always made me forget my own name.
His hands began to roam, burning tracks through the thin fabric of my shirt. One hand stayed anchored in my hair while the other slid down to the small of my back, molding my body to his so firmly I could feel every hard line of him. I reached up, my fingers digging into his shoulders, my nails grazing his skin as a low, broken moan escaped the back of my throat.
"Jay," he rasped against my lips, his voice a gravelly mess of desire.
He moved his mouth to my jaw, then down to my neck, sucking a mark right into the sensitive skin near my collarbone. I arched my back, my breath coming in short, jagged gasps. "Keifer... work... tomorrow..." I managed to whimper, though my hands were busy pulling his head closer.
"Five more minutes," he whispered hoarsely, his lips hovering over the pulse point in my throat.
The room felt like it was ten degrees hotter. We were a tangled mess of limbs and frantic breaths, lost in the friction and the taste of each other. For a few glorious, blurred minutes, the paycheck didn't matter, the diner didn't matter, and the world outside our bedroom ceased to exist.
Finally, Keifer pulled back just an inch, his forehead resting against mine. We were both panting, our lips swollen and red. He looked at me, his eyes dark and dilated, a slow, satisfied smirk tugging at his mouth.
"Okay," he breathed, reluctantly loosening his grip. "Now I can sleep."
Keifer eventually settled under the covers next to me. I turned my back to him, seeking a comfortable position, but I didn't stay alone for long. I felt the mattress shift as he closed the gap, sliding his arm over my side and pulling me flush against his chest. His hands rested firmly on my waist, grounding me.
"Jay," Keifer called out softly into the quiet of the room.
"Hmm?" I murmured, my eyes already closed, drifting on the edge of sleep.
"If your parents come back... if they realize they messed up and want you to be part of the family again... would you do it? Would you go back?" He sounded hesitant, like he was bracing himself for an answer that might take me away from this small life we'd built.
I went still, the fog of sleep lifting as I thought about the cold mansion, the bank transfers, and the parents who looked at me like a stranger.
"No, Keifer," I said, my voice small but certain. I turned slightly in his arms so I could look back at him. "Just because they realize their mistake and suddenly want their daughter back doesn't change the last eighteen years. I can't just go back and live with them. First, they ignored me for way too long for a simple apology to fix it. And second, Keifer... they barely know anything about me. They're strangers who happen to share my blood."
I took a breath, thinking about that night in the mansion. "Third... if I hadn't walked out with you that day, do you honestly think they were going to talk to me like everything was fine? They were going to sell me to Yuri. They only want me when it's convenient for them."
I reached down, lacing my fingers with his over my waist. "I'm a Watson now. I'd rather be here, tired and broke with someone who actually knows my heart, than be a 'Mariano' in a house where I'm invisible."
Keifer didn't say anything for a long moment. He just tightened his hold on me, burying his face in the back of my neck. I felt his chest expand in a deep, shaky sigh of relief.
"Good," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "Because I'm never letting you go back to being a ghost."
"You couldn't even if you tried," I teased softly, leaning back into his warmth. "Now go to sleep, Watson. We have a paycheck to catch."
"Yes, Ma'am," he murmured, and for the first time in my life, I fell asleep knowing that even if the whole world turned its back on me, the arms holding me weren't going anywhere.