[Jay's POV]
The hallway was quiet as I escaped the kitchen, my hands still smelling faintly of lemon soap and my heart still fluttering from Keifer's "optimization" attempt. I slipped into the Blue Suite, thinking I could finally have a moment to gather my thoughts and recalibrate my internal sensors.
I was wrong.
The door hadn't even fully clicked shut before a hand reached past me, pressing against the heavy wood. Click. The deadbolt engaged with a decisive, metallic finality.
Before I could turn around, I was spun and pinned. My back hit the cool, silk-papered wall, and Keifer's tall, powerful frame boxed me in. He placed both hands on the wall on either side of my head, leaning in until our noses were almost touching. His eyes weren't "chill" anymore. They were dark, focused, and burning with a specific kind of intent that made my knees feel like they were made of liquid.
"Now," he whispered, his voice a low, gravelly vibration that resonated right through my chest. "No Keigan. No Keiran. No water bottles. And most importantly... the door is locked."
"Keifer," I breathed, my breath hitching as his gaze dropped to my lips. "You're being... very persistent today."
"I'm an engineer, Jay," he murmured, leaning in closer, his lips brushing against my ear. "When I start a project, I finish it. We were interrupted in the kitchen. I don't like leaving things unfinished."
He trailed his lips down my jawline, slow and agonizingly deliberate. I felt my hands instinctively find his waist, clutching the fabric of his shirt. The world began to blur at the edges, the "Watson-Jay Constant" narrowing down to the heat of his skin and the scent of his cologne. He moved his hand from the wall to my waist, pulling me flush against him, his other hand cupping the back of my neck to tilt my head just right.
"Finally," he groaned softly, his forehead resting against mine. "Just us."
He started to lean in, his lips just a fraction of a millimeter from mine, the air between us thick with a heavy, magnetic tension—
"NEON LIGHTS! SHINING BRIGHT! WAKE UP, EMPRESS!"
A loud, synthesized J-Pop ringtone blasted from my pocket, shattering the silence like a sledgehammer to glass.
Keifer froze. His eyes closed tight, and he let out a long, pained breath against my lips. "You have got to be kidding me."
I fumbled for my phone, my face flushing deep scarlet. "It's... it's a group call. It's the whole Squad."
"Don't answer it," Keifer groaned, burying his face in the crook of my neck. "Let it go to voicemail. Let the world burn, Jay."
"Keifer, it's a group video call from Freya, Rakki, Mica, Ella, Erdix, Rory, David, Calix, Felix, Cin, Mayo, and Kit," I said, reading the names off the screen. "If I don't answer, they'll think something is wrong. Or worse... they'll know exactly what's right."
Keifer pulled back, looking at the ceiling as if asking the universe for strength. "I hate them. I officially hate every single person in our department."
He leaned in quickly, giving me a sharp, firm, and frustrated kiss—a "quick fix" for his interrupted project—before stepping back just enough to let me breathe. "Fine. Open the portal to hell. But I'm staying right here so they know who you belong to."
I swiped the screen, and suddenly, my phone screen was a chaotic mosaic of twelve different faces, all shouting and cheering at once.
"JAY! EMPRESS! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!" Freya's face was closest to the camera, she was wearing a festive headband.
"Look at her!" Mica squealed, pointing at the screen. "Why is your face so red, Jay? Is the heater in the Watson Estate set to 'Incinerate'?"
"Wait, wait!" Rory's face popped up, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the background. "Is that a bedpost? And... wait... move the camera... KEIFER! Is that you in the background looking like you want to murder us through the WiFi?"
Keifer leaned into the frame, his arm sliding around my shoulder, pulling me back against him. He looked at the camera with a deadpan, murderous stare. "Rory. If you value your life, you will hang up in exactly five seconds."
"Oooooh!" The entire group erupted into a chorus of teasing whistles and shouts.
"Look at the Chill Prince!" David laughed, holding up a glass of juice. "He's got that 'Interrupted Romance' look on his face. Sorry for the cock-block, Keif! We just wanted to check on our favorite couple."
"Jay, blink twice if he's being too clingy!" Ella teased, waving a hand. "We heard the K-Line brothers are back. How's the 'Ate' life treating you?"
"She's doing great," Keifer answered for me, his voice tight. "Or she was, until twelve variables crashed our system."
"Calm down, Watson!" Calix shouted, grinning. "We're having a virtual party! Mayo and Kit are already three rounds deep into a gaming tournament, and Erdix is trying to calculate the probability of you two getting married before the spring semester."
"The probability is 100%, now get off my screen," Keifer grumbled, but I could see the smallest ghost of a smile tugging at his lips. Even though he was annoyed, seeing the Squad—the people who had stood by us during the Kiara drama—brought a different kind of warmth to the room.
"Jay, you look beautiful!" Rakki chimed in. "Seriously, the Watson air suits you. You look... happy."
I looked at the screen, then up at Keifer, who was still scowling at Rory. "I am happy," I said, my voice soft and genuine. "100% happy."
"Gross! Stop being cute! It's hurting my single eyes!" Felix yelled, making everyone laugh.
The call turned into a chaotic mess of inside jokes, university gossip, and the Squad's plans for New Year's. We spent the next thirty minutes laughing as Mayo and Kit had a literal wrestling match on camera, and Cin tried to explain a new coding theory while clearly being distracted by a pizza delivery.
When we finally hung up, the room felt lighter. The intense, heavy romance had shifted into something more comfortable and joyful.
Keifer threw his phone onto the bed and looked at me, shaking his head. "Well. My reputation as a 'Cold Genius' is officially dead. They all saw me pouting like a teenager."
"I think they liked it," I teased, poking his chest. "It makes the 'Prince' seem more... accessible."
I don't want to be accessible," he grumbled, pulling me back into a hug. "I only want to be accessible to you."
Suddenly, there was a frantic scratching at the door.
"KUYA! ATE! Pappa says the hot cocoa is ready and Keigan is trying to drink all the marshmallows! COME FAST!" Keiran's voice muffled through the wood.
Keifer froze, then let out a laugh that was half-frustration and half-amusement. "You hear that? The marshmallows are in danger, Jay. The Empress is needed in the trenches."
"Duty calls," I giggled, reaching for the door.
As we walked out, Keifer grabbed my hand, squeezing it tight. The romance was there, steady and burning, but it was now wrapped in the beautiful, messy chaos of a family and a Squad that wouldn't let us be anything but ourselves.