Chapter: When They Finally Came Out
(Aries' POV)
I was halfway through my third glass of water when it finally happened.
Click.
The sound of the door opening upstairs.
Every single head in the living room snapped toward the staircase.
Ci n slowly sat up.
Keigan froze mid-step.
Even Keiran stopped playing with the pillow and stared up.
For a few seconds…
Nothing happened.
Then—
Footsteps.
Slow footsteps coming down the stairs.
And then they appeared.
First Keif.
His hair was messy… completely messy like someone had run their hands through it a hundred times.
His shirt was slightly wrinkled.
And his expression?
The man looked exhausted.
Behind him…
Jay appeared.
Her hair slightly messy too, cheeks faintly pink, wearing one of Keif's hoodies that clearly didn't belong to her.
Ci n immediately covered his mouth to stop laughing.
Keigan turned away dramatically like he had seen something illegal.
Keiran looked completely innocent.
"Ate Jay! Kuya Keif! You finally came!"
Jay froze on the last step.
Then she slowly looked around the living room.
All of us staring at them.
Waiting.
Watching.
Judging.
Her eyes narrowed.
"…Why are you all looking at us like that?"
Ci n immediately raised his hand.
"Nothing."
Keigan coughed loudly.
"Absolutely nothing."
I crossed my arms.
"You two took one hour."
Jay blinked.
"…So?"
Ci n finally lost it.
"SO?!"
Keigan collapsed on the couch laughing.
"You locked yourselves in the room while the whole house was here!"
Jay looked completely unbothered.
She casually walked past us and sat on the couch like nothing happened.
Then she grabbed a cushion and hugged it.
"We were talking."
Ci n pointed dramatically toward the ceiling.
"THE WALLS WERE SHAKING."
Jay slowly turned her head toward him.
"…Do you want them to shake again?"
The room instantly went silent.
Ci n raised both hands.
"I apologize."
Keigan whispered to me.
"She's terrifying."
I nodded.
"Always has been."
Meanwhile Keiran looked at Keif.
"…Kuya why do you look tired?"
The entire room exploded with laughter.
Keif covered his face with his hand.
"Please stop."
Jay smirked.
"Yeah stop bullying him."
Ci n gasped.
"Oh now you're protecting him?"
Jay leaned back on the couch lazily.
"Obviously."
Keigan shook his head dramatically.
"I can't believe this."
I raised an eyebrow.
"Believe what?"
"That Keif survived."
Ci n clapped slowly.
"A warrior."
Jay grabbed the cushion and threw it at him.
"Shut up."
Just then—
Keif sat beside Jay.
And the moment he did…
Jay instantly curled against him.
Like she had been doing the whole week.
Her head resting against his shoulder.
Her fingers lightly gripping his shirt.
Keif sighed softly but wrapped his arm around her anyway.
Ci n whispered loudly.
"Oh look."
"Round two loading."
Jay grabbed another pillow.
"If you don't shut up I'll start round two right here."
Keigan nearly fell off the couch laughing.
I rubbed my forehead.
This house…
Was officially a circus now.
And somehow…
Keif and Jay were the ring leaders of chaos.