Jay POV
The rain showed no signs of stopping.
Outside, heavy droplets crashed against the large glass windows of Keifer's mansion while distant thunder rolled across the dark sky.
Inside, however, everything felt warm.
Comfortable.
Safe.
I sat on the couch with a blanket wrapped around my legs while a random action movie played on the television.
Not that either of us was actually paying attention to it.
A few minutes ago, Keifer had been making fun of the main character's terrible decisions.
Now—
He was asleep.
Completely asleep.
On my lap.
I looked down at him and couldn't help smiling.
His eyes were closed peacefully, his breathing slow and steady. A few strands of dark hair had fallen over his forehead.
For once, he looked relaxed.
Not protective.
Not possessive.
Not angry.
Just... tired.
I carefully brushed a strand of hair away from his face.
"You're exhausting, you know that?" I whispered softly.
He didn't answer.
Obviously.
Because the idiot was asleep.
I rolled my eyes affectionately.
"Always worrying about everyone."
Another rumble of thunder echoed outside.
The rain only became stronger.
I leaned back against the couch and continued absentmindedly playing with his hair.
For a moment...
Everything felt peaceful.
Then—
The front door slammed open.
BANG!
I nearly jumped out of my skin.
"What the—?!"
A familiar voice echoed through the house.
"JAY!"
Oh no.
No.
Absolutely not.
I knew that voice.
My soul knew that voice.
Slowly, I turned toward the entrance.
And there stood Aries.
Completely soaked from the rain.
Holding a backpack.
Looking like a very angry older brother.
His eyes moved from me.
To Keifer.
To Keifer sleeping on my lap.
Then back to me.
Silence.
Dangerous silence.
Very dangerous silence.
"What."
His voice was terrifyingly calm.
"The."
Pause.
"Hell."
Another pause.
"Am."
Another pause.
"I."
Another pause.
"LOOKING AT?!"
"Oh God," I whispered.
"I'm dead."
Aries pointed dramatically.
"Why is he sleeping on your lap?!"
I immediately raised both hands.
"I can explain!"
"EXPLAIN FASTER!"
His shouting made Keifer flinch awake.
"Huh?"
Keifer blinked slowly.
Confused.
Sleepy.
Then he noticed Aries.
And smiled.
Big mistake.
"Aries."
Aries looked ready to commit murder.
"Don't 'Aries' me!"
Keifer sat up slowly.
"What happened?"
"YOU HAPPENED!"
I buried my face in my hands.
This was going to be a very long night.
"Jay," Aries said slowly.
The moment I heard that tone, I knew I was in trouble.
"Yes, Kuya?" I asked carefully.
"Why," Aries said, pointing at Keifer dramatically, "was this creature sleeping on your lap?"
"Creature?" Keifer asked in disbelief.
"Yes, creature," Aries replied.
"I have a name."
"I know."
"Then use it."
"No."
I sighed while watching them glare at each other.
Honestly, they were acting like children.
"You missed me," Keifer said suddenly.
Aries looked horrified.
"What?!"
"You missed me," Keifer repeated with a grin.
"I absolutely did not."
"You came here during a storm."
"I came here for my sister," Aries said immediately.
"Mhm," Keifer said.
"Don't 'mhm' me."
I rubbed my forehead.
This was giving me a headache already.
A loud thunderclap echoed outside. All three of us looked toward the windows. Rain continued pouring heavily against the glass.
There was no way anyone was leaving tonight.
Aries sighed and threw his backpack onto a nearby chair.
"I'm staying here tonight," he said.
"What?" I asked.
"I'm staying," Aries repeated. "Unless you want me to swim home."
"Fair enough," Keifer said.
A few minutes later, all three of us ended up in the kitchen.
Well...
Aries and Keifer were in the kitchen.
I was sitting on one of the stools, watching the disaster unfold.
"You're cutting that wrong," Aries said.
"I'm literally not," Keifer replied.
"You are."
"I'm not."
"You are."
"Aries."
"What?"
"Shut up."
"No."
I couldn't stop laughing.
Both of them turned toward me.
"Why are you laughing?" Aries asked.
"Because you two sound like an old married couple," I said.
The silence that followed was priceless.
"Take that back," Aries said immediately.
"Never," I replied.
Keifer started laughing so hard that he almost dropped the knife.
An hour later, dinner was finally ready.
Somehow.
Miraculously.
None of us got food poisoning.
While we were eating, Aries suddenly looked toward Keifer.
"You know..." Aries began.
"Hm?" Keifer asked.
"I'm still mad at you."
"I know."
"But you've been trying."
For a moment, the room became quiet.
Keifer nodded.
"Yeah. I have."
Aries didn't say anything after that.
But somehow, it felt like the first step toward fixing everything.
Later that night, after a lot of arguing, we ended up sharing one room.
I was already under the blanket when Aries entered and looked at the bed.
Then he looked at Keifer.
Then back at the bed.
"No."
Keifer smirked.
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"I'm sleeping in the middle," Aries declared.
"Seriously?" Keifer asked.
"Yes."
Five minutes later, Aries was indeed sleeping in the middle.
I was on one side.
Aries was in the middle.
And Keifer was on the other side.
"You don't trust me at all, do you?" Keifer asked.
"No," Aries replied.
"That hurts."
"Good."
I buried my face in my pillow to stop laughing.
A few minutes later, Keifer broke the silence.
"I missed you, Aries baby."
Aries nearly sat up.
"What the hell did you just call me?"
"Aries baby," Keifer repeated proudly.
"Stop."
"No."
"Stop."
"No."
I could hear the smile in Keifer's voice.
"Come on. Give me a hug."
"No."
"A little cuddle?"
"No."
"A cheek kiss?"
"Eww."
I laughed so hard that tears formed in my eyes.
"You two are impossible," I said.
"No," Aries replied. "HE is impossible."
"Love you too, baby."
"I'm going to throw you into the pool tomorrow."
"Violence," Keifer said dramatically.
"Deserved violence," Aries replied.
The argument continued for another ten minutes.
Eventually their voices became quieter.
Softer.
More familiar.
Like old friends finding their way back to each other.
I smiled to myself and closed my eyes.
The last thing I heard before falling asleep was—
"Good night, idiot," Aries said.
"Good night, Aries baby," Keifer replied.
"Shut up."
And somehow, despite all the chaos, it felt like home.
Keifer POV
The first thing I heard the next morning was laughter.
Then a pillow hit my face.
I opened my eyes immediately.
"What the hell?"
Aries groaned beside me.
"Five more minutes."
Another pillow landed directly on his head.
This time he sat up.
"WHO DARES?"
I looked toward the source of destruction.
Jay.
Of course.
She was standing beside the bed with the most innocent smile imaginable.
A smile that meant trouble.
Lots of trouble.
"Good morning," she said cheerfully.
"No," Aries said.
"No?" Jay repeated.
"No. Go back to sleep."
"I've been awake for an hour."
Aries looked horrified.
"An hour?"
"Yep."
"And you chose violence?"
"Yep."
I couldn't help laughing.
Jay pointed at us dramatically.
"Get up."
"Why?" I asked.
"Because I said so."
"That's not a reason."
"It is now."
Aries fell backward onto the mattress.
"I don't like mornings."
"I noticed," Jay said.
Ten minutes later, after a lot of complaining from Aries and absolutely no sympathy from Jay, all three of us were downstairs eating breakfast.
Jay was suspiciously quiet.
That alone was enough to worry me.
"Why are you smiling?" I asked.
"I'm not."
"You are."
"I'm innocent."
Aries immediately looked at me.
"She's planning something."
"Exactly."
Jay gasped dramatically.
"You both hurt my feelings."
"We'll survive," Aries replied.
I high-fived him.
For the first time in forever, neither of us argued.
Jay looked personally offended.
An hour later, we were near the swimming area behind the mansion.
The weather had completely changed.
The storm was gone.
Bright sunlight reflected across the water.
Jay was walking ahead of us when suddenly—
"Ouch!"
She stopped.
I immediately frowned.
"What happened?"
"My leg," Jay said pitifully.
I moved toward her instantly.
"Are you okay?"
She nodded dramatically.
"No."
Aries crossed his arms.
"She's lying."
I looked at him.
"What?"
"She's faking."
"I'm not!" Jay protested.
"You absolutely are."
"I'm injured."
"You're dramatic."
Jay gasped.
I rubbed my forehead.
Here we go again.
"Keifer," Jay said sadly. "Tell him."
Before I could answer, Aries picked up a floating foam noodle from the side of the pool.
"What are you doing?" Jay asked suspiciously.
Aries smiled.
The kind of smile that never meant anything good.
Then—
THWACK.
He lightly tossed the foam noodle toward her.
Jay immediately jumped away.
Perfectly.
Without limping.
Without hesitation.
Without pain.
Aries pointed dramatically.
"CAUGHT."
I stared at her.
Jay froze.
"Oh."
"Oh?" Aries repeated.
"Oh?"
I couldn't stop laughing.
"You were faking?"
"It was a social experiment."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Maybe."
Aries and I exchanged a look.
Then smiled.
The exact same smile.
Jay slowly stepped backward.
"Oh no."
"Oh yes," Aries said.
She pointed at us.
"Don't."
I rolled up my sleeves.
"Too late."
Jay immediately turned and ran.
Unfortunately for her—
She ran directly toward the pool.
Unfortunately for us—
She suddenly grabbed both of our arms.
"What are you doing?" I shouted.
"What does it look like?" she yelled back.
Then she jumped.
And dragged us with her.
SPLASH!
Cold water exploded everywhere.
I surfaced first.
Aries surfaced second.
Jay surfaced last.
The second she appeared, she started laughing.
Completely unapologetic.
"You little menace," Aries said.
"It was worth it."
I splashed water at her.
Jay shrieked.
"KEIFER!"
"That's for lying."
Then Aries joined in.
Soon all three of us were splashing each other like children.
For the first time in a long time—
Nobody was worried.
Nobody was angry.
Nobody was thinking about old wounds.
It was just laughter.
Just friendship.
Just family.
And honestly?
It felt nice.
Very nice. ❤️
End of chapter 4
# Ashdres for real#