| Author POV |
The grand doors to the Queen's Room didn't just open—they were practically breached.
First came the brothers, a wall of protective muscle: Angelo, Aries, and Percy, their eyes scanning every corner for a threat. Right behind them surged the chaos of Section E: Rory, Adrix, Felix, Calix, Blaster, Drew, Eren, Eman, Kit, Mayo, and the girls—Ella, Freya, Honey, Graze, Raki, and Mica.
The room was suddenly packed, a sea of tactical gear and bright summer dresses.
"Jay!" Ella cried out, rushing toward the bed, but Angelo held up a hand, stopping the crowd.
"Wait," Angelo commanded, his voice echoing. He approached the bed where Jay Jay lay, looking tiny and overwhelmed.
He leaned down, kissing her forehead. When she woke up, her eyes went wide, darting from her brother to the crowd of nearly twenty people standing in her "secret" sanctuary.
"Everyone out," Angelo ordered, his voice stern but his eyes never leaving Jay Jay's flushed face. "She's barely awake. Give her some air. Now."
The group groaned in unison. "We just got here!" Blaster complained, but one look from Aries sent them scrambling. The girls blew kisses, and Section E shuffled out, teasing and whispering, until the heavy doors finally thudded shut, leaving only the brothers and a very, very flustered Jay Jay.
"You're okay?" Percy asked, his eyes narrowing as he spotted a stray damp patch on the rug.
"I'm fine!" Jay Jay squeaked, her hands clutching the sheet so hard they shook. "I just... I needed to sleep. Go away, Angelo! I need to get dressed!"
"You're very red, Jay," Aries noted suspiciously, crossing his arms.
"It's a royal room! It's poorly ventilated!" she snapped, her pout returning in full force. "Out! All of you! I'll meet you in the foyer in ten minutes!"
As the brothers finally retreated, Jay Jay let out the longest breath of her life. She looked toward the door Keifer had disappeared through, her heart still racing.
The air in the palace was thick with the scent of salt spray and the lingering chaos of Section E. Despite the tension of the morning, the group had settled in for their final twenty-four hours of "royal" relaxation.
While the brothers patrolled the perimeter—mostly to keep an eye on Keifer—the heart of the house was the kitchen.
Eren, the culinary genius of the group, was in his element, though he looked slightly stressed as a very helpful, very clumsy Keifer tried to assist with the prep. Jay Jay, still stubborn and pouting from her morning ordeal, sat on the counter, her legs swinging.
"Keifer, you're dicing those carrots like you're trying to assassinate them," Eren teased, nudging Keifer aside to take over the knife work.
"I'm a soldier, Eren, not a sous-chef," Keifer laughed, glancing warmly at Jay Jay.
"I want the spicy noodles!" Jay Jay chirped, leaning over to steal a piece of bell pepper. "And the dumplings. And the fried rice. Basically, everything."
"You have the appetite of a black hole, Jay," Eren said, shaking his head. "Section E is already hovering outside like a pack of wolves. If I don't make enough, Blaster might actually eat the furniture."
As the day progressed, the "secret" sanctuary became a playground. Cin, spent most of the afternoon teaching Jay Jay a secret handshake that involved three spins and a dramatic "pout-face" at the end. They were two peas in a pod—the loudest, most childish peas in the world.
"No, Cin! You missed the sparkle-finger part!" Jay Jay giggled, tripping over a rug as she tried to demonstrate.
"My bad, my bad! Let's do it again!" Cin cheered, matching her energy perfectly.
In the corner of the lounge, the atmosphere was different. Percy was admiring his own reflection in a gold-framed mirror, adjusting his collar for the tenth time. "I truly think this lighting was designed specifically for my bone structure," he mused.
Aries, sitting nearby, let out a low growl of annoyance. "It's a wall, Percy. It reflects light. Stop talking."
"You're just grumpy because you haven't tackled anyone today, Aries," Percy retorted, not looking away from his reflection.
Jay Jay, sensing the brewing storm, skipped over and plopped down between them. She grabbed Aries' hand and leaned her head on Percy's shoulder. Just like that, the tension vanished. She was the only person on earth who could turn a grumpy warrior and a narcissist into two protective teddy bears.
Later that night, the mood shifted. The reality of leaving the next morning hit Jay Jay like a ton of bricks. She dragged Keifer into his room, shutting the door with a firm thud.
"Keifer, I'm serious," she said, crossing her arms over her chest, looking incredibly small but incredibly fierce. "I didn't even get to play in the ocean. I didn't get to walk around in my towel long enough. And we didn't even... you know... do it in that room because of my brothers!"
Keifer sighed, a lopsided smile tugging at his lips as he reached out to pull her closer. "But Jay, your brothers are literally waiting at the door. Angelo has a schedule. We have to head back."
"No!" she snapped, her lower lip trembling in a classic, world-class pout. "I don't want to go. I will do it with you, and then we will leave from here. That is my final answer!"
Keifer let out a breathless laugh, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. "You're so stubborn. You realize if we stay another hour, Aries might actually break down the door just to check if you're breathing?"
"Let him!" Jay Jay huffed, stomping her foot. "I'm the Queen of this room, and the Queen says we stay."
She looked so cute in her defiance—cheeks flushed, eyes sparkling with a mix of mischief and longing—that Keifer couldn't help but pull her into a tight hug.
"One more day," she whispered into his chest, her voice softening. "Just one more day of being us before we go back to the chaos."
Keifer kissed the top of her head, knowing full well that no matter how much the brothers yelled or Section E complained, he was powerless against Jay Jay's final answer.
The group might have come to take her home, but for Jay Jay, home was wherever she could be this stubborn, this hungry, and this loved.
The tension in the hallway was thick enough to cut with a combat knife. Jay Jay stood her ground, looking up at Angelo with her ultimate weapon: the "Puppy Eyes of Doom."
[̲̅$̲̅(̲̅Keifer's POV)̲̅$̲̅]
I stood a few paces back, sweating. Not because of Angelo's terrifying "I-might-kill-you" glare, but because I knew exactly what was happening in Jay Jay's head. She wasn't looking for more "ocean time." She had a look in her eye that meant my innocence was currently on the chopping block.
She's going to devour me tonight, a small shiver running down my spine. I'm a trained soldier, but I am not prepared for a determined Jay Jay.
"Kuya, please!" she begged, clutching Angelo's arm. "Just one more day. I want to stay, please!"
Then, out of nowhere, Cin popped up like a chaotic jack-in-the-box. "Yes, Kuya! I also want to stay! The snacks here have better lighting!"
[̲̅$̲̅(̲̅Jay Jay's POV)̲̅$̲̅]
I internally screamed. Cin! You absolute brat!
This was NOT in the script. The script in my head was perfect:
1. Get the brothers to leave.
2. Finally jump Keifer's bones and take what is mine.
3. Wake up late, walk to the ocean wearing nothing but a towel and a smirk.
4. Spend the afternoon daydreaming about our future wedding on a ship.
But no. Cin had to open his big mouth and turn my romantic mission into a group sleepover. Now I had a childish best friend and a grumpy brother standing in the way of my "private" plans.
"Okay," Angelo finally sighed, rubbing his temples. He looked exhausted from just existing near us. "Two more days. But if I hear one weird noise coming from these rooms, Keifer is going into the ocean—without a boat."
"YES!" Cin cheered, grabbing my hands and spinning me around. "Two more days of mischief!"
I forced a smile, but I glared over Cin's shoulder at Keifer. He looked relieved that Angelo had stayed, which only made me more determined. Enjoy your safety for now, Keifer. But tonight? The towel plan is still on.
| Author's POV |
The foyer erupted into chaos as Section E heard the news. Blaster started a chant, and Percy immediately went back to the mirror to ensure his "vacation glow" would last another forty-eight hours.
Aries just grunted, crossing his arms. "Two days. If anyone breaks a vase, I'm breaking a limb."
Jay Jay pouted, watching Cin do a victory dance. She had her extra time, but with twenty people lurking in the hallways, her "secret mission" was going to require some serious tactical maneuvering.
The grand lounge had been transformed into a literal sea of fluff. Forty mattresses were pushed together, covered in the softest silk sheets and pillows that felt like clouds. Section E was scattered everywhere—Blaster was snoring like a chainsaw, Cin was hugging a pillow and mumbling about snacks, and the brothers were a protective barricade near the door.
[̲̅$̲̅(̲̅Keifer's POV)̲̅$̲̅]
The room was silent, but my heart was pounding against my ribs like a drum. I lay there, staring at the ceiling, trying to breathe normally. I was playing the "innocent" card, pretending to be fast asleep, but inside? I was a disaster. I'm a beast when I let go, but right now, with Angelo and Aries sleeping ten feet away, I had to be a saint.
Control, Keifer. Think about... logistics. Think about weapon maintenance. Anything but the girl breathing softly next to me.
Suddenly, the sheets shifted. A small, warm hand slid onto my chest, and I felt a puff of air against my ear.
"Keifer..." she whispered. It was a tiny, bratty command.
I squeezed my eyes shut. Don't move. If you move, you're dead.
[̲̅$̲̅(̲̅Jay Jay's POV)̲̅$̲̅]
He thought he was being so slick. He was lying there all stiff and "innocent," but I knew better. I could feel the heat radiating off him.
He was being a good boy for my brothers, but I didn't want a good boy. I wanted my beast.
I leaned closer, my lips almost touching his jaw. "I know you're awake," I breathed, being as mischievous as possible. I bit my lip, suppressed a giggle, and started tracing patterns on his arm with my fingernails.
He didn't move, but his pulse was jumping under my touch.
Got you.
"If you don't open your eyes," I whispered, my voice a mix of cute and threatening, "I'm going to scream and tell Angelo you pinched me."
[̲̅$̲̅(̲̅Keifer's POV)̲̅$̲̅]
My eyes snapped open. She wouldn't. She actually would.
I looked at her, and my resolve crumbled. She looked so cute—her hair a mess of curls, her eyes sparkling with pure bratty energy. She was being a total menace, but she was my menace.
"Jay, everyone is right here," I hissed, my voice rasping. My "beast" side was screaming at me to just grab her, but my "survival" side was picturing Aries' fist.
"I don't care," she pouted, her lower lip sticking out in that way that makes me lose my mind. She crawled closer, pinning me down with her tiny weight. "You're being mean. You're ignoring the Queen."
I groaned, burying my face in the softest pillow I could find to muffle the sound. The way she was looking at me—so stubborn, so needy, and so incredibly pretty—was making my self-control vanish. I reached out, my large hand wrapping around her waist to pull her flush against me under the covers.
"You're a brat," I whispered into her neck, my voice dropping an octave as the beast started to win. "A spoiled, dangerous little brat."
"Your brat," she giggled, snuggling into me, completely unafraid of the danger she was stirring up.
| Author's POV |
In the middle of twenty people, under the dim glow of the moonlight, a silent battle of wills was happening. Keifer was trying to stay a gentleman, while Jay Jay was doing everything in her power to break him.
Just as Keifer leaned in, his lips inches from hers, Aries shifted in his sleep and let out a loud, suspicious grunt.