(AUTHOR POV)
The silence of the room was shattered by a sound more terrifying than any battlefield explosion: the thunderous boom of Angelo's fist against the oak door.
"JAY JAY! KEIFER!" Angelo's roar echoed through the wood, vibrating the very frame of the bed. "If you both are inside, come out right now before I break this door down!"
(Jay Jay's POV)
My eyes snapped open, my heart jumping into my throat. I was still pinned beneath Keifer, our bodies still tangled and connected, and for a second, I forgot how to breathe. The "Queen" was officially about to be executed by her own brother.
"What is the timing, Kei—ahh!" I let out a sharp gasp as Keifer shifted, his weight pressing into me. "Keifer! Stop! Kuya is going to kill us!"
(Keifer's POV)
I winced, the sound of Angelo's voice hitting me like a bucket of ice water. The "beast" didn't just retreat,it went into hiding.
"I don't know, Jay," I whispered back, my voice gravelly and panicked. I slowly, reluctantly disconnected from her,pulling the sheets up to cover us both as the door rattled again. "I think the 'morning' we were waiting for is officially here."
(Jay Jay's POV)
I scrambled to sit up, but my legs felt like cooked noodles. I looked down at myself and nearly sobbed. I wasn't just marked,I was a literal masterpiece of purple and red.
Oh no.
Oh no, no, no.
My mind started racing through a frantic inventory: My breasts? Marked. My waist? Bruised from his hands. My legs, thighs, hips? All covered in Keifer's "territory." Even my back felt the sting of the rug. I wasn't blaming him—I had begged for every single one—but I was definitely terrified of the giant angry man on the other side of that door.
"What are you thinking, butterfly?" Keifer asked, watching me with a mix of concern and lingering smugness.
"Keifer! How am I supposed to hide this!?" I hissed, gesturing wildly to my body. "I need a turtleneck! I need a full-body suit! I need to disappear!"
(Keifer's POV)
I reached out, catching her flailing hands and pulling her close for a quick, grounding kiss. Despite the roaring lion outside, she looked so cute when she was panicked.
"It's already hidden, love," I murmured, a lopsided grin tugging at my lips. "Look. I didn't bite your neck this time. I kept everything low. I just sucked from your cleavage and below. As long as you wear your high-neck summer dress, you're safe."
(Jay Jay's POV)
I looked down, checking the mirror on the wardrobe. He was right. My neck was clean, but just an inch lower, it was a disaster zone. I let out a shaky breath, leaning my forehead against his chest.
"You're lucky you're smart," I whispered, poking his ribs. "But if I walk with a limp and Aries notices, I'm telling them you tripped me in the hallway!"
"Fair enough," he laughed softly, already reaching for his pants. "Now get dressed. I'll go out first and distract him with 'security reports.' You have five minutes to look like you just woke up from a long, innocent nap."
"Five minutes!?" I shrieked, diving for my dress. "Keifer, I need at least ten just to find my shoes!"
(AUTHOR POV)
The door groaned under the weight of Angelo's impatience, but inside the bathroom, the steam was rising. Keifer had scooped Jay Jay up, not caring that the "Executioner" was pacing just a few feet away.
(Keifer's POV)
"Keifer! What are you doing!?" SHE hissed, HER voice a panicked squeak as I turned on the shower. "My brother is literally ten feet away! He's going to bust the door and find us like this!"
I stepped into the spray, pulling her against me. I knew the clock was ticking, but the sight of her all flushed and panicked was too much. I gave her my most innocent, devastating smirk.
"If we take a bath together, we take less time, Jay. It's called efficiency," I whispered.Before she could argue, I moved. I didn't give her a choice, sliding back into her core with a slow, deep rhythm that made the bathroom tiles feel like they were melting.
(Jay Jay's POV)
"Aaahhh! Keifer, what are you... ah... doing!?" I clutched his wet shoulders, my head thumping against the glass. "We're going to die! We're actually going to—mmm!"
Every time I tried to be the voice of reason, he silenced me with a kiss. My body, traitor that it was, immediately synchronized with his. For five frantic, steaming minutes, the rest of the world—and Angelo's roaring—didn't exist.
The urgency outside the door was matched only by the frantic scrambling inside the bathroom.
(Keifer's POV)
I kept one hand on the towel wrapped around her as I used the other to blast the hairdryer on high. The sound of the dryer drowned out Angelo's pacing, but I could practically feel the floorboards vibrating with his anger.
"Jay, hold still," I murmured, my focus intense as I worked to get her hair dry enough to look natural. "The more you move, the longer this takes."
Shw was gripping the edges of her towel, her eyes darting between the door and my calm face. Questioning eyes:That How can I so calm!?
"Keifer, what are you doing!? My brother is literally right there!" She hissed, her voice barely audible over the hairdryer. "If he sees you in here, we're both finished! Just... just stop! I can air-dry it!"
I clicked the dryer off and pulled her into a quick, firm embrace, my hands lingering on her waist. I didn't want to leave. The idea of sneaking out a window like a thief in the night made my jaw tighten.
"I don't want to go, Jay," I rasped, looking down at her. "I should be out there standing next to you, not jumping off a balcony."
(Jay Jay's POV)
"No! You can't stay! Are you crazy!?" I started making every excuse I could think of. "If you stay, Kuya Angelo will make you do extra drills for a month! And... and Aries will look at me with those 'I-know-what-you-did' eyes! And Cin will try to share our breakfast!"
I saw him start to argue, his brow furrowing in that stubborn way he does. Before he could get a word out, I reached up and pulled his face down.
"I will kiss you, Keifer, okay? Mmm... see?" I gave him a quick, deep kiss that tasted like the peppermint soap we just used. "Now go! Please!"
"That was a bribe, Jay Jay," he muttered, but the smirk was already coming back. "And it wasn't nearly long enough to make up for the balcony jump."
"We are not having this argument right now!"i whispered-yelled, physically shoving him toward the open window. "You're a soldier! Jump! Go! Gago!"
"Profenity".
"When kuya leave you alive"I watched as he finally vaulted onto the windowsill, looking back at me with a look of pure, unadulterated mischief.
"I'm going, I'm going," he whispered, his eyes dark. "But I'm coming back for that full profenity kiss later."
"GO!" I pointed at the sky.
With a silent, predatory grace, Keifer disappeared over the ledge. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and dove for my hairbrush.
"I'M ALMOST READY, KUYA!" I shrieked, making sure I sounded sufficiently annoyed. "I'M JUST PUTTING ON MY SHOES! STOP KICKING THE DOOR!"
I checked the mirror one last time. Hair? Fluffy. Dress? towel half-necked. Expression? Perfectly bratty. Now, if I could just stop my legs from shaking under this towel, I might actually survive breakfast.
The heavy door to the Queen's Room creaked on its hinges, but before Angelo could deliver one final, bone-shattering kick, a door further down the hallway clicked open.
AUTHOR POV
Angelo froze, his fist mid-air. He had been 99% certain Keifer was inside that room, probably hiding under the bed or behind a curtain. But then, there he was. Keifer stepped out of his own room at the end of the hall, looking slightly disheveled but calm, adjusting his shirt as if he'd just woken up.
Angelo was stunned. He blinked, his protective rage flickering for a second as relief washed over him. He isn't with her.
"You're finally up," Angelo grunted, though his eyes remained narrowed with suspicion. He turned to Aries, who was leaning against the opposite wall, watching the exchange with a sharp, calculating gaze. "I could have sworn I heard two voices in there, Aries."
Aries grunted, his eyes flicking from Keifer to Jay Jay's door. "Maybe the palace is haunted, Angelo. Or maybe you're just getting old and hearing things."
"WHAT DID YOU SAY WASTON—"
Suddenly, the grand doors finally swung open.
Jay Jay stood there, a vision of "beautiful disaster." She was wrapped in a thick white towel that hit just above her knees, her hair a wild, tangled nest of curls that looked like she'd been fighting a windstorm. Her cheeks were flushed a deep pink, and she was rubbing one eye with a sleepy, exaggerated yawn.
(Keifer's POV)
I felt the air leave my lungs. She looked so soft, so wrecked, and so incredibly beautiful that I forgot I was supposed to be acting. I felt a smirk tugging at my lips before I could stop it.
"Cute," I whispered, the word slipping out under my breath.
AUTHOR POV
Angelo's head snapped toward Keifer, his eyes sparking. "Don't stare at her! Jay Jay, go back inside and put your clothes on! Why are you in a towel!?"
Jay Jay let out a long, dramatic groan, leaning against the doorframe for support mostly because her legs were actually trembling.
"You're in such a hurry, Kuya!" she snapped, her pout returning in full force. "You were roaring like a lion for me to come out, so I came out! Now you're telling me to go back in? Make up your mind! My dream about the dumplings was just getting to the good part!"
"You look like you've been in a cage with a tiger," Aries noted, pushing off the wall and walking toward her. He stopped a few feet away, his eyes scanning her face. "Why is your hair so... messy, Jay?"
"Because I sleep like a normal person, Aries! Not like a statue like you!" Jay Jay huffed, crossing her arms over her chest to make sure her towel—and the marks underneath—were securely hidden.
She glanced at Keifer, her eyes briefly meeting his. He looked so smug, leaning there in the hallway, that she wanted to throw a shoe at him. But she just turned her nose up at all of them.
"I'm going to get dressed. If anyone kicks my door again, I'm staying in here for another two days!"
With a sharp thud, she slammed the door shut, leaving the three men in the hallway.
"She seems... extra grumpy today," Angelo mused, finally relaxing his shoulders.
"Yeah," Aries muttered, looking at the floorboards where a stray damp footprint from the "efficiency bath" was slowly fading.
The hallway was still vibrating with the tension of the brothers' departure. Angelo and Aries had finally stomped off toward the kitchen, but not before giving Keifer a look that promised a very slow, very painful death if he even breathed in Jay Jay's direction for the rest of the day.
As soon as they were out of sight, the UlupongS of Section E closed in on Keifer like a pack of hyenas.
"Oh, look at him," Denzel crooned, circling Keifer with a predatory smirk. "He thinks he's slick. He thinks because he came from another room, we don't see that 'I-just-conquered-the-world' look on his face."
"It's not just the look," Felix whispered, leaning in to sniff the air around Keifer. "He smells like peppermint soap and... victory."
"Come on, Keifer," Blaster chuckled, elbowing him in the ribs. "I know that expression. I behave exactly like that when my night goes... well, you know. When the 'tactical mission' is completed successfully. You did it, didn't you?"
"Shut up, Blaster," Keifer hissed, his ears turning a deep shade of crimson. He tried to walk past them, but Rory and Adrix blocked his path, whispering "M-A-K-E--O-U-T" in a rhythmic, annoying chant right into his ears.
"He can't hide it!" Denzel announced to the rest of the group. "Look at the pupil dilation! Look at the relaxed jaw! A man only looks that satisfied when he's been thoroughly drained of all his 'stress.' It's a scientific fact! Keifer isn't a soldier right now,he's just a happy, satisfied puddle of dopamine!"
"I am going to my room," Keifer growled, his jaw clenching so hard it looked like it might snap. "And if any of you follow me, I'm putting you on 24-hour guard duty in the rain."
He pushed through the crowd, making a beeline for his door. Behind him, the chaos only got louder.
"Go ahead! Run to your room!" Felix shouted. "Go sleep for ten hours! We know you need it! We know our Mutya worked you hard!"
"SHUT UP!" Keifer roared, slamming his bedroom door shut.
But even through the thick wood, he could hear them. Section E was howling with laughter in the hallway, with Denzel leading a chant of "Satisfied Keifer! Satisfied Keifer!" while Blaster made loud, exaggerated kissing noises.
Inside his room, Keifer leaned his back against the door, closing his eyes. His heart was still racing, partly from the teasing and partly from the memory of Jay Jay's voice calling his name just an hour ago. He looked at the window he had jumped through and sighed.
Worth it, he thought, a small, involuntary smile breaking through his tough-guy act. Every single second was worth it.
The heavy doors had barely clicked shut behind the brothers before the girls of Section E swarmed. Ella, Freya, Honey, Graze, Raki, and Mica didn't even knock; they practically teleported into the room, surrounding the bed where Jay Jay sat wrapped in Keifer's oversized black T-shirt.
"Oh, look at that," Ella cooed, pointing at the collar of the shirt. "She's wearing the 'fragrance of victory' again. Jay, you're drowning in his scent!"
(Jay Jay's POV)
I tried to pull the shirt tighter, burying my nose in the soft fabric. It smelled like him—cedarwood, faint sweat, and that spicy soap he uses. It was the only thing keeping me from melting into a puddle after the night we had.
"I just... I like the material! It's soft!" I squeaked, but my face was betraying me. I was turning the color of a ripe tomato.
"Soft? Jay, you're literally glowing like a neon sign," Freya teased, plumping up a pillow next to her. "Just admit it. You didn't stay an extra day to 'look at the ocean.' You stayed to break the soldier."
"We did not!" I huffed, but Honey stepped forward with a look of pure, clinical mischief.
(Honey's POV)
I've been watching this since day 7. I know exactly how her body reacts. I leaned in, poking Jay Jay's flushed cheek.
"Actually, girls," I said, my voice dripping with "scientific" teasing. "Look at the physiological evidence. Her pupils are dilated, her skin is hyper-oxygenated, and her voice is three octaves higher than usual. Biologically, she's in a state of post-coital bliss. Her brain is basically a dopamine smoothie right now."
(Jay Jay's POV)
"Honey! Stop using big words to describe my... my... private matters!" I shrieked, grabbing a pillow and hiding my face.
"Oh, it's not just the brain," Graze chimed in, giggling. "Look at her neck! She's wearing a high collar, but the way she's sitting... her legs are literally shaking, Jay! You can't even hold them still!"
Raki and Mica started chanting in low voices, "Jay and Keifer, sitting in a tree... K-I-S-S-I-N-G..."
"It was more than kissing, wasn't it?" Mica whispered, wiggling her eyebrows. "Did he do the growl? Tell us he did the growl!"
"I am not telling you anything!" I yelled into the pillow, though I was smiling so hard it hurt.
"You are all bullies! Gagos! Go away!"
"We'll go," Ella said, standing up and smoothing out her dress. "But just so you know, the boys are already teasing Keifer in the hall. Denzel is currently explaining the biology of satisfaction to your brothers. You might want to stay in that shirt forever, because once you go out there, they're going to eat you alive."
(Jay Jay's POV)
I froze. Denzel. Talking to Kuya Angelo.
"Wait!" I scrambled to the edge of the bed, the T-shirt sliding off one shoulder to reveal a very deep, very purple mark Keifer had left on my collarbone.
The room went silent for one second before the girls erupted into a chorus of "Oooooh!" and "Keifer you beast!"
"I'm dead," I whispered, flopping back onto the mattress. "I'm officially dead."