JAY JAY POV
Everything has been a dream for the past two weeks.
Aurelia City has officially embraced us.
But the biggest news came yesterday. We both sat on our living room floor, laptops open, holding our breaths. When the acceptance emails popped up at the exact same time, we screamed so loud I'm sure the neighbors finally had their answer about the soundproof walls.
We're going to college.
Keifer got into the Business Administration program, and I got into Architecture. Because of our advanced high school credits and the specific accelerated program this university offers, we'll be done in just two years. Two years until I'm designing the very skyscrapers I used to look at from my bedroom window, and two years until Keifer has the credentials to run a company that isn't built on blood and threats.
AN- I know it's impossible but for the sake of the story pls pretend
"Two years, Jay Jay," Keifer said this morning, leaning against the kitchen counter as I brewed coffee. He was wearing his glasses—a look I've realized is incredibly hot—as he scrolled through his new course list. "In two years, we won't just be runaways. We'll be professionals."
"Architect and CEO," I teased, walking over to him. I wrapped my arms around his neck, smelling the fresh scent of his soap. "Sounds a lot better than 'The Ice King and the Runaway Princess,' don't you think?"
He chuckled, pulling me flush against him. His hands settled comfortably on my waist. "A lot better. Though I might keep the 'King' title in the bedroom."
I rolled my eyes, swatting his chest. "You're impossible."
"We're free today," Keifer said, ignoring my protest with a lazy, satisfied grin as he pulled me away from the coffee machine. "No bookstore, no errands. What do you want to do, Mrs. Watson?"
I tilted my head, thinking about it. "I don't know. Maybe go to that park by the waterfront? Or actually explore the museum district?"
"I have a better idea," Keifer said. Before I could ask what it was, he moved with lightning speed, pinning me against the cool surface of the refrigerator. His hands came up to rest on either side of my head, trapping me in the heat of his gaze.
"What?" I asked, my breath catching as the playful atmosphere suddenly turned electric.
"Why don't we just stay right here and fuck again?" he asked, his voice a low, unapologetic rumble. He leaned in, his nose brushing against mine, his hooded eyes shifting to my lips.
I let out a shocked laugh and slapped his cheek playfully, though I didn't push him away. "Shameless!" I cried. "Is that all you think about now"
"It's one of the perks of being a free man," he murmured, his hands sliding down from the fridge to grip my waist, pulling my hips flush against his. "Besides, we have two years of college coming up. We're going to be busy studying soon. I'm just trying to make sure we've... got it out of our systems."
"Liars don't go to heaven, Keifer Watson," I teased, my fingers tangling in the hair at the back of his neck. "You'll never get it out of your system."
"Fine, you caught me," he admitted, a wicked smirk playing on his lips. "I just want you. Every morning, every afternoon, every night. No distractions. No Marianos. Just this."
He didn't give me a chance to argue further. He captured my mouth in a kiss that was anything but 'casual.' It was slow, deep, and tasted like the total freedom we had fought so hard for.
As his hands began to wander under the hem of my oversized sleep shirt, I realized the museum and the park could definitely wait. We had all the time in the world now, but right here, in our sun-drenched kitchen, felt like the perfect place to start our day off.
"Final answer?" he whispered against my lips, his breath hitching as I arched into him. His hands were already sliding higher, and I could feel the familiar pull of his gravity.
"Let's go and explore," I said firmly, pushing gently against his chest with a playful smirk.
Keifer let out a long, theatrical groan, dropping his forehead onto my shoulder. "You're killing me, Jay Jay. I have a masterpiece in front of me, and you want to go look at old buildings and trees?"
"Yes," I laughed, dodging under his arm to safety. "We've spent the last two days mostly in this bed or at work. I want to see the city! I want to stand in the middle of a park where nobody knows who I am and eat a messy hot dog."
Keifer stayed leaning against the fridge, watching me with an expression that was half-annoyed and half-completely-smitten. He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "A messy hot dog. Is that all it takes to make the former Princess of the Mariano empire happy?"
"That, and the guy who's going to buy it for me," I said, grabbing my denim jacket from the chair.
"Fine," he grumbled, though a smile was already twitching at the corners of his mouth. He straightened his shirt and grabbed his keys. "But if a bird poops on me, we're coming straight back here and I'm getting my way."
"Deal!" I chirped, grabbing his hand and pulling him toward the front door.
Aurelia was different in the daylight. Higher up, the air was crisp, and the streets were buzzing with energy. We spent the afternoon acting like total tourists. We went to the waterfront, watching the massive ships come into the harbor. We walked through the park, and yes, I got my hot dog—extra mustard and all.
As we sat on a bench under a sprawling oak tree, Keifer put his arm around me. He looked more relaxed than I'd ever seen him.
"You're thinking about the architecture, aren't you?" he asked, noticing me staring at the bridge in the distance.
"I'm thinking about how I'm going to build something that strong one day," I admitted, leaning my head on his shoulder. "What are you thinking about?"
Keifer looked away from the bridge and down at me, his eyes dark and sincere. "I'm thinking that I don't care about the business degree or the money. I just like that I can hold your hand in public without checking every rooftop for a sniper."
The weight of his words settled over me, a reminder of how high the stakes had been. I squeezed his hand, and for a moment, we were just two silent figures in a vast, busy city.
"Let's go to the museum district next," I suggested, breaking the heavy silence. "I want to see the modern art gallery."
"Only if there's a cafe with very strong espresso nearby," Keifer bargained, standing up and pulling me with him. "Walking is a lot of work for a man who hasn't had his morning... exercise."
I laughed, feeling light as air. "Shameless. Absolutely shameless."
We spent the next hour at the museum, taking blurry selfies in front of massive abstract paintings and enjoying the quiet hum of the gallery. But as we stepped back out into the sun, my eyes landed on a row of boutiques down the street.
"Keifer, let's go shopping," I said, tugging on his arm.
Keifer nodded, a patient smile on his face. "Anything you want, Jay. We need to fill that new walk-in closet anyway."
When we walked into a large, high-end department store, the smell of expensive perfume and new fabric hit me. I immediately started browsing through the racks, picking out a few sleek summer dresses for myself and some soft cotton shirts for Keifer. I was so focused on comparing shades of blue that I didn't realize Keifer had wandered off to a different section.
A few minutes later, I saw him walking back toward me. He had a look of intense concentration on his face, and in his large hand, he was holding a pair of tiny, soft white sneakers. They were barely the size of my thumb.
My heart did a weird little flip-flop. "Whose are those?" I asked, pointing to the miniature shoes.
"Watcher's," Keifer answered simply, looking down at them as if they were the most important things in the store.
I blinked, completely confused. "Who is Watcher?"
"Our future baby," Keifer said, his voice dead serious.
I burst out laughing, the sound echoing through the quiet aisle. People at a nearby display of scarves turned to look at us.
"What?" Keifer asked, his eyebrows knitting together. "What I said wasn't funny."
"Keifer," I wheezed, trying to catch my breath. "Are you telling me you want to name our future child Watcher?"
"Yes," he said, then paused, his face lighting up with a new idea. "Wait, actually… Caretaker if it's a boy, and Watcher for a girl."
The older couple shopping near us started to chuckle, and I felt my face turn bright red. I reached out and gently took the tiny shoes out of his hands.
"Keifer, babe, no," I said, shaking my head as I placed the shoes back on a nearby shelf.
"Why?" he asked, looking genuinely disappointed. "They're strong names. Protective."
"One, by the time we actually have a baby, those shoes will be long gone or worn out," I said, taking his hand and leading him back toward the adult section. "And two, I am not naming my child that. I don't want our future baby to grow up and ask us why we hated them so much."
Keifer huffed, though I could see the playfulness returning to his eyes. "They wouldn't think we hated them. They'd know they were part of a legacy."
"A legacy of weird names," I teased, standing on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "How about we focus on finishing our two years of college before we start naming people after job titles?"
He wrapped his arm around my shoulders, drawing me into his side. "Fine. No Watcher or Caretaker. But I'm picking the middle names, and fair warning—I'm looking into ancient warrior titles."
"We'll see about that, Mr. Watson," I laughed, shaking my head as we exited the store with our bags.
By the time we finally reached the apartment, my feet were throbbing. The transition from a princess who was chauffeured everywhere to a girl who walked five-minute commutes and spent all day exploring a city was catching up to me.
I headed straight for the bedroom, barely having the energy to kick off my shoes. I swapped my jeans for one of Keifer's oversized t-shirts and collapsed onto the bed, the cool linens feeling like heaven against my skin.
A few minutes later, I felt the mattress sink as Keifer joined me. He'd changed into just his grey sweatpants, his skin still smelling like the crisp Aurelia air.
"What, tired already?" Keifer asked, propping himself up on one elbow to look down at me.
"Idiot," I mumbled into the pillow, my eyes already half-closed. "We've been walking around all day. Some of us don't have super-soldier stamina."
He chuckled and lay down properly. I didn't waste a second. I crawled toward him, immediately wrapping my arms and legs around his waist, tucking my head into the crook of his neck. He was like a human furnace, solid and warm, and being this close to him was the only way I could ever truly shut my brain off.
"Want to sleep?" he asked softly, his large hand coming up to stroke my hair in a slow, rhythmic motion.
I gave a small, tired nod against his chest.
"Go to sleep, Jay Jay," he whispered, his voice vibrating through me
I felt a ghost of a smile pull at my lips at his reference to our earlier conversation.