The Watson Family Breakfast: 1,000% Shameless
[Author's POV]
The dining room of the Watson estate was a masterpiece of mahogany and sunlight, but this morning, the atmosphere was dominated by a different kind of energy. The long table was laden with every breakfast delicacy imaginable, yet the most interesting thing on the menu was the complete lack of restraint from the head of the table.
Keifer sat in his usual chair, but he hadn't left a single inch of space between himself and Jay. Instead of sitting in her own chair, Jay had been pulled—quite literally—into Keifer's lap.
[Jay's POV: The High-Voltage Zone]
I was currently sitting on Keifer's left thigh, his arm wrapped around my waist like a heavy, warm iron bar. I was trying to eat a piece of toast, but it's difficult to maintain "Empress" dignity when your husband is nuzzling your neck between sips of black coffee.
"Keif," I whispered, my face flushed a deep pink. "Everyone is watching. Sit properly."
"I am sitting properly," he murmured, his voice a low vibration against my skin. He ignored his own plate entirely, instead picking up a strawberry from mine and holding it to my lips. "Eat, Weify. You're too thin after this week. I'm recalibrating your nutrition levels personally."
I looked up, and my heart sank. The entire Watson clan was staring at us.
Keigan was mid-sip of his orange juice, his eyes wide over the rim of his glass. Keiran was holding a fork halfway to his mouth, looking like he'd just witnessed a system crash. Pappa Keizer was calmly reading the financial news, though the corner of his mouth was twitching, and Mamma Serina was beaming, looking like she'd just won the lottery.
And then there was Bridget.
The Teasing Storm
"Okay, that's it," Bridget said, slamming her spoon down against her cereal bowl. "I'm calling a formal 'Family Perimeter Breach.' Keifer, we are two feet away from you. We can hear you whispering. We can see you 'recalibrating' her fruit. It's 1,000% nauseating."
"Agreed," Keigan chimed in, finally finding his voice. "I came here to discuss the Q3 projections, not to watch a live-stream of 'The Powerhouse Forgot How To Behave In Public.' Seriously, Big Bro, you're acting like you've been stranded on a desert island for ten years."
"I was stranded," Keifer shot back, his eyes flashing with a playful but sharp intensity. He didn't let go of me; if anything, he pulled me closer, resting his chin on my shoulder. "I was stranded in a room with a 'Glitch' named Kiara. Now that I'm back with my Constant, I'm making up for every lost second. If you don't like the view, Keigan, look at your tablet."
"I can't!" Keiran wailed, pointing at us with a piece of bacon. "The 'Glow' is bouncing off the silverware! It's blinding! Pappa, tell him to stop. He's being shameless!"
Pappa Keizer lowered his newspaper slowly. He looked at Keifer, then at me, and then back at his sons.
"In this house," Pappa said, his voice deep and authoritative, "we value 100% loyalty and 1,000% devotion. Your brother is simply demonstrating the Watson standard. However..." He paused, his eyes twinkling. "Keifer, if you squeeze her any tighter, she's going to turn into a diamond. Let the girl breathe so she can finish her coffee."
[Keifer's POV: The Unapologetic King]
I heard them talking. I heard the teasing, the laughter, and the mock-outrage. I didn't care.
For seven days, I had been a ghost in my own body. I had looked at Jay and felt a hunger that nearly tore me apart because I couldn't remember why she was my air. Now that the Archive was open, I felt like I was running on a 5,000-volt battery.
"She's fine, Pappa," I said, my hand sliding up to cup Jay's cheek. I didn't care who was watching. I leaned in and kissed her temple, then the corner of her mouth, ignoring the chorus of "Ew!" and "Get a room!" from my brothers.
"Keif!" Jay giggled, her hands pushing feebly against my chest, though her eyes were shining with that beautiful, radiant light.
"Don't fight the system, Weify," I whispered. I looked across the table at Bridget, who was currently pretending to gag. "Bridget, since you're so worried about the 'view,' why don't you take the boys to the gym? I think Jay and I need the dining room for some... private data entry."
"OH, ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Bridget laughed, standing up and grabbing her toast. "We are staying right here until you act like a civilized human being. Mamma, help us!"
Mamma Serina just chuckled, reaching over to pat Jay's hand. "Let them be, everyone. After the week we've had, a little 'shameless' romance is exactly what this house needs. But Keifer... do try to let her eat her pancakes before they get cold."
I smirked, finally picking up a fork, but I didn't move her from my lap. Not an inch.
"The pancakes can wait," I muttered, looking only at Jay. "I've got everything I need right here."