Jayjay's POV
By 11:47 p.m., Section-E has officially destroyed my house.
Not metaphorically.
Actually destroyed it.
There is a shoe on the staircase.
Nobody knows whose.
A blanket is hanging from the chandelier.
I don't even want to know how that happened.
Someone left a half-eaten sandwich on the piano.
There are three empty glasses on the floor despite the fact that there are perfectly good tables everywhere.
And somehow—
Drew is asleep inside the laundry room.
I stand in the hallway.
I stare at him.
He stares back sleepily.
"...Why are you here?"
He blinks.
"I was looking for the bathroom."
"The bathroom is literally next door."
He looks around.
"Oh."
I sigh.
"Go to sleep."
"Okay."
He walks three steps.
Stops.
Turns around.
"Where's my room?"
I close my eyes.
"You're hopeless."
The living room is somehow worse.
Ci-N is sitting on the carpet with his legs crossed, holding a cushion like a weapon.
Yuri is sitting opposite him.
They're arguing.
About what?
Nobody knows.
"I'M TELLING YOU, ROOSTER, YOU'RE WRONG."
"I'm literally not."
"You are."
"Your argument has no evidence."
"I don't need evidence."
Yuri stares at him.
"That's exactly why you're wrong."
Ci-N gasps.
"Grandpa David!"
David is lying horizontally across the couch.
Eyes closed.
"I don't participate in politics."
Ci-N points at him.
"You're supposed to support me."
David opens one eye.
"I'm supposed to sleep."
"Traitor."
David closes his eye again.
Kit and Mayo are sitting on the floor under one blanket.
I stare at them.
"Why are you sharing one blanket?"
Mayo shrugs.
"Romance."
Kit nods.
"Love."
I stare.
"You're both ridiculous."
They grin.
"We know."
Eren looks up from his phone.
"Jay, do you have Wi-Fi?"
I stare at him.
"You invaded my island and that's your question?"
"Important question."
Josh doesn't even look up.
"He asked me that twenty minutes ago."
"And?"
"Still no answer."
Eren nods thoughtfully.
"Fair."
At the other end of the room, Blaster is quietly playing his guitar.
I point at him.
"Don't."
He stops.
"I wasn't singing."
"Good."
"I've improved."
"Nobody asked."
He looks offended.
Calix laughs.
Denzel is showing Felix photos of Grazel.
"Look at this one."
Felix leans closer.
"She's adorable."
"She asked about Jay."
I smile.
"Tell her I said hi."
Denzel grins.
"I will."
Then Percy walks in carrying two mugs.
He looks around.
Stops.
"...What happened?"
Angelo follows him.
He takes one look at the room.
"I told you this would happen."
Percy points at everyone.
"This is why I didn't want them unsupervised."
Eman looks up from the kitchen.
"You brought them."
Percy pauses.
"Fair."
Angelo sighs.
"Everybody has ten minutes to clean."
Nobody moves.
Angelo raises an eyebrow.
Still nothing.
"Five minutes."
Suddenly everyone gets up.
I blink.
"How did you do that?"
Angelo looks at me.
"I'm their older brother."
Percy pats his shoulder.
"And terrifying."
Keifer's POV
I stand in the doorway watching the chaos.
Jay is laughing.
That's all I really notice.
She's been laughing all evening.
Not forcing it.
Not pretending.
Just laughing.
Ci-N says something ridiculous.
She throws a cushion at him.
He catches it and looks offended.
"VIOLENCE?"
"You deserved it."
"I'M YOUR CHILD."
"You're an accident."
Everyone starts laughing.
Ci-N looks at me.
"Keifer!"
I shrug.
"She's got a point."
He looks betrayed.
"WHY IS EVERYONE AGAINST ME?"
David, without opening his eyes:
"Because you're loud."
Ci-N points at him.
"You're sleeping!"
"Exactly."
Jay laughs again.
I smile.
She catches me looking.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You're staring."
"I'm allowed."
"Why?"
"Because you're entertaining."
She rolls her eyes.
"Come help."
"With what?"
"Your friends."
"They're your friends too."
"Unfortunately."
I walk over.
She immediately hands me three glasses.
"Take these."
"Bossy."
"Yes."
I take them.
She smiles.
"Good."
12:36 a.m.
Eventually—
miraculously—
everyone begins disappearing.
Eman forces the last few people toward their rooms.
Denzel says goodnight approximately six times.
Blaster carries his guitar upstairs.
Kit and Mayo disappear under the excuse of "sleeping."
Nobody believes them.
Eren is still talking.
Josh physically turns off the lights.
David is already asleep.
Ci-N is the last one in the living room.
He looks at Jay.
"Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
He pauses.
Then quietly—
"I really missed you."
Jay's smile softens.
"I missed you too."
He nods.
Then looks at Keifer.
"Take care of her."
Keifer nods.
"I will."
Ci-N seems satisfied.
"Good."
He walks away.
Then turns around.
"WAIT."
Everyone groans.
"What?"
"Can I have pancakes tomorrow?"
Jay laughs.
"Go to sleep."
"That's not a yes."
"Goodnight, Ci-N."
He grins.
"Goodnight!"
And finally—
silence.
Jayjay's POV
I walk upstairs beside Keifer.
For the first time all day, the house is quiet.
I stop halfway up the staircase.
He looks back.
"What?"
I smile.
"Nothing."
"You've been doing that all evening."
"Doing what?"
"Looking happy."
I look away.
"Maybe I am."
He smiles.
"Good."
We continue upstairs.
When we reach the bedroom, I close the door.
The silence feels completely different here.
No shouting.
No arguments.
No Ci-N.
No Drew asking where the bathroom is.
Just us.
I sit on the edge of the bed.
Keifer walks over and hands me a glass of water.
I stare at it.
"Seriously?"
"What?"
"You're still doing princess treatment?"
"Of course."
"You've been doing it all day."
"You're my princess."
I give him a look.
"Don't get used to saying that."
"Too late."
I smile despite myself.
He adjusts the pillows behind me.
"Comfortable?"
"Yes."
"Temperature?"
"Fine."
"Water?"
"Already gave me some."
"Good."
I laugh.
"You're ridiculous."
He sits beside me.
"So I've been told."
For a moment, neither of us speaks.
Then I quietly say—
"I really missed them."
"I know."
"I didn't realize how much."
He looks at me.
"They clearly missed you too."
I smile.
"Ci-N nearly tackled me."
"He did."
"Drew ate my breakfast."
"He did."
"Eman threatened everyone."
"He did."
"David slept."
"He always does."
I laugh.
Then my voice softens.
"Thank you."
He looks at me.
"For bringing them here."
"You don't have to thank me."
"I know."
"Then don't."
I smile.
"Okay."
He gently takes my hand.
We sit there quietly.
No dramatic promises.
No big speeches.
Just the comfort of knowing neither of us has to pretend.
I lean against his shoulder.
He rests his head lightly against mine.
"This was a good day," I whisper.
"Yeah."
"Even though they destroyed your house."
"Our house."
I look up.
He smiles.
"Don't start."
"I'm not."
"You are."
"I'm really not."
I laugh.
He does too.
And somehow, after everything we've been through, this feels like the strangest kind of peace.
Not perfect.
Not permanent.
Just ours.
He pulls the blanket over us.
"Sleep."
"You too."
"Goodnight, Jay."
"Goodnight, Keifer."
I close my eyes.
Then open them again.
"Keifer?"
"Hm?"
"Don't disappear."
His voice is quiet.
"I won't."
That is enough.
I settle against him.
The island finally becomes silent.
And somewhere downstairs, Section-E is sleeping after their first day back with me.
Tomorrow will probably be chaos again.
But tonight—
for once—
everything is exactly where it should be.
And neither of us knows that tomorrow morning, peace is going to become a very distant memory. 🖤