Jay POV
After Keifer woke up, we talked—even though he was talking with effort. After that, the doctor gave him medicine and an IV, painkillers maybe. But he fell asleep again. This time, I wasn't worried.
I was relieved.
Everyone in the room was sleeping except me. I was sitting in my usual spot—the chair beside Keifer's bed—but my eyes were getting heavy for the first time in days.
I put my head on the bed beside him and fell asleep.
---
I don't even remember closing my eyes.
I was just resting my head beside him for a little while.
Just a little.
That was my plan.
But for the first time in days, my heart wasn't panicking anymore.
Keifer was breathing beside me.
Not unconscious.
Not silent.
Not still.
Just sleeping.
Sleeping normally.
And somehow that alone made my body finally give up.
I slowly felt something warm around my fingers.
My eyebrows frowned in my sleep.
Hmm?
My eyes slowly opened.
The room was still dim.
Still quiet.
Morning sunlight was barely entering through the curtains.
For a few seconds my brain wasn't working.
I just stared blankly.
Then I felt it again.
A soft movement.
My eyes slowly moved down.
...
Keifer's hand.
His fingers were wrapped around mine.
Weakly.
Like he grabbed my hand while I was sleeping.
My eyes blinked slowly.
Then moved upward.
Keifer was awake.
He was staring at me quietly.
Very quietly.
No teasing.
No smirk.
Nothing.
Just looking.
I stared back.
Then looked around the room.
Percy was still sleeping awkwardly beside Kade.
Kade had somehow turned sideways and his tiny foot was pressed against Percy's stomach.
...How?
Actually never mind.
Not important.
I looked back at Keifer.
"...Why are you awake?" I whispered immediately.
His eyes stayed on me.
"...Why are you sleeping on a chair?" he whispered back.
...
Excuse me?
Sir.
Sir.
I sat up straight.
"Because of who?!"
Oops.
Whisper Jay.
Whisper.
I looked at Kade and Percy.
Still sleeping.
Okay good.
I looked back at Keifer and narrowed my eyes.
"You almost died."
His expression softened immediately.
My throat suddenly tightened.
Because I wasn't joking.
Not even a little.
I looked down at our hands.
"...I got scared."
Silence.
"...Really scared."
My voice became smaller.
"I kept thinking..."
I stopped.
No.
I don't want to say it.
Not now.
Not ever.
Because I hate those words.
For a few seconds Keifer didn't speak.
Then I felt his fingers move around mine.
Weak.
Slow.
Then quietly—
"...I'm sorry."
...
I froze.
My eyes slowly lifted toward him.
Keifer was looking at me.
And suddenly my chest hurt.
Because Keifer almost never says sorry for things outside his control.
But right now...
He looked guilty.
Like seeing me exhausted hurt him more than the accident hurt him.
---
"Mmm..."
Both mine and Keifer's heads turned immediately.
Kade moved beside Percy.
His tiny face scrunched up sleepily while his little hands rubbed against his eyes.
Messy hair everywhere.
Seriously everywhere.
He looked like he fought demons in his sleep.
Slowly his eyes opened.
Blink.
Blink.
He stared around in confusion.
At the ceiling.
At Percy.
At me.
Then—
His eyes landed on Keifer.
...
Everything went still.
Kade blinked again.
Like his tiny brain was processing something.
Then his little eyes widened.
"Pa..."
My breath caught.
Keifer froze.
Kade suddenly sat up clumsily and started bouncing excitedly where he was sitting beside Percy.
"Papapa! Bababa!"
Tiny hands waving everywhere.
Poor Percy almost got slapped in the face.
Percy's eyes opened suddenly.
"Huh—what happened?!"
He looked around sleepily.
Then followed Kade's line of sight.
Then saw Keifer awake.
His eyes widened.
"...You're alive."
Wow.
Amazing greeting.
Beautiful.
Kade meanwhile was still bouncing happily and stretching his tiny arms toward Keifer.
"Papa! Papa!"
My heart immediately melted.
Oh no.
No no.
My baby missed his Papa.
I quickly walked toward him and picked him up.
Immediately Kade twisted in my arms and reached toward Keifer again.
"Papaaa!"
I looked at Keifer suspiciously.
Very suspiciously.
Because I knew that expression.
That soft father expression.
The dangerous one.
The one where he'd forget he's injured.
I pointed at him immediately.
"No."
Keifer blinked.
"...No?"
"No trying to sit up."
"...Jay."
"No."
I narrowed my eyes.
"You slept for three days. Behave."
Percy looked between us.
Then quietly muttered—
"...Wow."
I ignored him.
I carefully carried Kade toward Keifer's bed and stood beside him so Kade could see him closely.
Immediately Kade leaned forward and pressed his tiny face against Keifer's shoulder carefully.
Like he was checking if Papa was really there.
Keifer stared at him for a moment.
Then very slowly, despite his weakness, lifted his hand and stroked Kade's tiny hair.
"...Hey baby."
Kade smiled immediately.
And Keifer looked like his entire world had just started breathing again.
__
Jay POV
Kade immediately smiled.
Not a small smile.
Not a normal smile.
No.
That giant baby smile.
The one with tiny teeth.
The one where his entire face joins the smile.
The one that makes me feel like my heart suddenly got punched.
He pressed his tiny cheek harder against Keifer's shoulder.
"Papapapa..."
Keifer's eyes didn't leave him.
Not even for a second.
His hand moved slowly through Kade's messy hair again.
Weak movements.
Careful movements.
But even weak—
Keifer was still Keifer.
His eyes had that look.
That soft look he only has with me and Kade.
Like we hung the moon and stars for him personally.
I stared quietly.
Then suddenly...
I felt emotional again.
Oh no.
No no.
Not again.
I've cried enough.
My tears have worked overtime these three days.
They deserve retirement.
Percy looked between me and Keifer.
Then rubbed his face.
"...I should be sleeping but somehow I feel like a third wheel in a hospital room."
Nobody looked at him.
"...Wow."
Still nobody.
"...Amazing."
Ignore Percy.
Kade suddenly pulled away from Keifer and stared at his face seriously.
Very seriously.
Suspiciously.
Then his tiny hand moved.
Straight toward Keifer's forehead.
Toward the bandage.
My eyes widened.
"Kade—"
I quickly caught his little hand.
"No touching."
Kade blinked at me.
Then looked offended.
Very offended.
Excuse me?
Sir, you're the criminal here.
He made tiny protesting noises immediately.
"Mamama!"
"No."
"Mama!"
"No."
He looked at Keifer immediately.
Traitor.
Absolute traitor.
Seeking backup already.
Keifer looked at him quietly.
Then looked at me.
Then back at him.
And I narrowed my eyes immediately.
"No."
"...Jay."
I pointed dramatically.
"No teaming up."
"..."
"I know that face."
"..."
"I KNOW THAT FACE."
Percy snorted beside us.
Keifer's lips barely moved.
Oh my God.
HE'S DOING IT AGAIN.
This injured man.
THIS MAN.
He was trying to smile.
I looked offended.
"Excuse me?"
Keifer blinked slowly.
"...Nothing."
Liar.
Big liar.
I carefully sat beside the bed while carrying Kade.
Kade immediately curled against me and yawned.
Poor baby.
He had been sick.
Crying for days.
Missing his Papa.
Tiny fingers slowly grabbed my shirt while the other hand reached toward Keifer.
Like he wanted both of us.
At the same time.
My eyes dropped to his little hand.
Then to Keifer.
Then suddenly...
everything became quiet in my head.
Because for the first time in days—
No fear.
No panic.
No waiting.
Keifer was awake.
Kade was okay.
Percy was here.
Mama and Papa would come later.
Everything wasn't magically fixed.
Keifer was still hurt.
Still weak.
Still in a hospital bed.
But...
for the first time in days—
I felt like I could breathe again.
Then suddenly—
"...Jay."
I looked up.
Keifer was staring at me.
"...Come here."
I blinked.
"Huh?"
His eyes moved toward the empty space beside him.
"...Come."
...
Sir.
SIR.
You're in a hospital bed looking like you fought death itself and still acting clingy?!
I stared at him.
Then at the tiny space beside him.
Then back at him.
"...Excuse me?"
Keifer looked at me with the same calm face.
"...Come here."
I blinked slowly.
Sir.
SIR.
You are injured.
You are attached to machines.
You woke up after being unconscious for three days.
And this is your priority?!
I looked around dramatically.
"There's no shame at all."
Percy, who was drinking water, suddenly choked.
I ignored him.
Keifer didn't even react.
Just stared at me quietly.
Waiting.
I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.
"What now?"
His eyes moved toward my face.
"...You look tired."
...
Oh.
My chest suddenly hurt a little.
Because he didn't say it as a joke.
Didn't say it while teasing me.
He looked at me like he was seeing everything.
The dark circles.
The swollen eyes.
The fact that I probably looked like I had survived a war.
Silence filled the room for a few seconds.
Then very softly—
"...Come here."
My eyes suddenly felt warm again.
Wow.
Amazing.
Crying again.
My tears are really committed employees.
I carefully shifted Kade in my arms.
He was already half asleep again, tiny head resting against my shoulder.
Percy quietly stood up.
I looked at him.
He looked at me.
Then at Keifer.
Then without saying anything, he picked up his pillow and walked toward the couch.
"...I suddenly respect privacy," he muttered.
I stared at him.
Traitor.
Absolute traitor.
I carefully sat closer beside Keifer.
Very carefully.
Because I was scared of hurting him.
Scared of accidentally touching somewhere painful.
Scared of everything.
Keifer slowly moved his hand.
Weakly.
Then placed it around my hand.
Just holding it.
No words.
Nothing.
Just holding it.
I looked at him.
He was already looking at Kade.
His eyes softened immediately.
Kade was sleeping peacefully between us now.
Tiny hand still holding onto my shirt.
Tiny foot pressed against my stomach.
Tiny mouth slightly open.
...
Cute.
Very cute.
Keifer slowly touched Kade's tiny fingers with his own.
His movements were careful.
Like he was afraid he'd wake him up.
Then quietly—
"...I thought about you two."
I looked at him.
His eyes stayed on Kade.
"When it happened."
My heart suddenly tightened.
The room became quiet.
Very quiet.
"...I kept thinking..." he whispered slowly, "...I need to go home."
I couldn't say anything.
Couldn't even breathe properly.
His fingers tightened around mine slightly.
"...I was scared."
...
I froze.
My eyes immediately moved to him.
Keifer looked at Kade quietly.
Then at me.
And I swear my heart almost broke.
Because Keifer rarely says things like that.
Rarely.
Not because he doesn't feel them—
but because he carries them alone.
"...Not for me," he whispered.
"...For you."
My lips started trembling immediately.
No.
No crying.
Absolutely not.
I looked down quickly.
Too late.
A tear fell onto Kade's tiny hand.
Traitor.
Kade moved sleepily.
Then without opening his eyes—
his tiny hand slowly grabbed both mine and Keifer's finger together.
...
Nobody spoke.
Because suddenly...
nothing needed to be said.
And for the first time in days—
the three of us were together again.
__