Chapter: Their First Real Night Together
(Jay's POV)
The mansion was quiet.
Finally.
After days of chaos, family, interruptions, and Angelo's earth-shattering announcement—
Silence.
Blessed silence.
Keifer closed the bedroom door behind us.
The soft click echoed in the darkness.
I stood by the window, looking out at the city lights.
Processing everything.
Next month.
Wedding.
Marriage.
Forever.
His arms wrapped around me from behind.
Chin resting on my shoulder.
"What are you thinking about?"
I leaned back against him.
"Everything."
"Good things?"
I smiled.
"The best things."
He turned me around gently.
Faced me.
Looked into my eyes.
That look.
The one that made my heart forget how to beat properly.
"Jay."
"Yeah?"
"I've waited six years for this."
I touched his face.
"I know."
"Me too."
He leaned closer.
"Tonight—"
"No interruptions."
"No family."
"No chaos."
I grinned.
"You're tempting fate."
He smiled.
"Worth it."
His lips met mine.
Soft.
Tender.
Full of everything we had been holding back.
His hands found my waist.
Mine tangled in his hair.
The kiss deepened.
Slow.
Desperate.
Perfect.
He walked me backward gently.
Away from the window.
Toward the bed.
My legs hit the edge.
We fell together.
Laughing.
Breathless.
He hovered above me.
Looking down.
Eyes dark with want.
But also—
Love.
So much love.
"I love you," he whispered.
"I love you too."
He kissed me again.
Hungrier now.
Like he couldn't get enough.
Like six years of waiting was finally ending.
His lips left mine.
Trailed down my jaw.
My neck.
My collarbone.
I gasped.
"Keifer—"
He looked up.
"Too much?"
"No."
I pulled him back up.
Kissed him hard.
"Not enough."
He groaned against my lips.
"Jay."
"Yeah?"
"You're going to kill me."
I grinned.
"Good death?"
"The best."
His hands explored.
Mine mirrored.
Clothes became obstacles.
Then forgotten entirely.
Skin against skin.
Warmth against warmth.
Heart against heart.
He pulled back just enough to look at me.
Really look.
"You're beautiful."
I blushed.
Even after everything.
"You're not so bad yourself."
He laughed.
Soft.
Intimate.
"I'm serious."
"I know."
"So are you."
I touched his face.
"Keifer."
"Yeah?"
"I want this."
"I want you."
"All of you."
"Forever."
His eyes softened.
"Forever?"
I nodded.
"Forever."
He kissed me.
Slow.
Deep.
Full of promise.
Then—
He whispered against my lips.
"Then let's start now."
---
Hours Later
I don't know what time it was.
Didn't care.
We lay tangled together.
Sheets everywhere.
Bodies intertwined.
His heartbeat under my ear.
Mine matching his rhythm.
His fingers traced lazy patterns on my back.
Mine drew shapes on his chest.
No words.
Just presence.
Just peace.
Just us.
I lifted my head slightly.
He was already looking at me.
Those eyes.
Always those eyes.
"Hi," I whispered.
He smiled.
Soft.
Tender.
"Hi."
"Tired?"
"A little."
"Happy?"
I touched his face.
"The happiest."
He kissed my forehead.
"Good."
I lay back down.
Closed my eyes.
But sleep didn't come.
Too many thoughts.
Too many feelings.
"Keifer?"
"Yeah?"
"Next month feels like forever."
He laughed quietly.
"After six years?"
"One month is nothing."
I smiled.
"True."
He pulled me closer.
"But also—"
"It feels too soon?"
I nodded.
"Yeah."
He was quiet for a moment.
Then—
"We can wait."
I looked up.
"What?"
"If you're not ready—"
"We can wait."
"Another month."
"Another year."
"However long you need."
My chest tightened.
"You'd wait?"
"Again?"
He kissed my head.
"For you?"
"Forever."
I stared at him.
At this man.
This ridiculous, wonderful, selfless man.
Who had already waited six years.
Who would wait six more.
Just for me.
"No."
He blinked.
"No?"
I smiled.
"I've waited long enough."
"Haven't you?"
He grinned.
"Fair point."
I pulled him down.
Kissed him.
Slow.
Sweet.
Full of everything.
"When I said forever—"
"I meant it."
He kissed me back.
"Me too."
"So next month?"
"So next month."
I smiled against his lips.
"Good."
"Because I really want to be your wife."
He laughed.
"And I really want to be your husband."
We kissed again.
And again.
And again.
Until the night swallowed us whole.
Until the world disappeared.
Until there was nothing left—
But us.
---
Much Later – Almost Dawn
Grey light crept through the curtains.
I was barely awake.
Floating somewhere between sleep and consciousness.
Keifer's arms around me.
His breathing slow and even.
He was asleep.
Really asleep.
For the first time in probably years.
I smiled.
Carefully.
Gently.
I turned in his arms.
Faced him.
Watched him sleep.
His face relaxed.
Younger somehow.
Without the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Without the worry.
Without the fear.
Just him.
Just Keifer.
My Keifer.
I traced his features lightly.
His forehead.
His brow.
His nose.
His lips.
He stirred slightly.
Mumbled something unintelligible.
Then settled again.
I grinned.
Even asleep—
He was adorable.
"Love you," I whispered.
His arms tightened around me instinctively.
Even in sleep.
Even unconscious.
He held on.
Like he was afraid I'd disappear.
I kissed his chest.
Right over his heart.
"Never leaving again."
"Promise."
---
Morning
I woke to warmth.
Sunlight.
And lips on my shoulder.
Soft kisses trailing up my neck.
I smiled without opening my eyes.
"Someone's awake."
His voice, rough with sleep.
"Someone's beautiful."
I turned.
Faced him.
His eyes were soft.
Content.
Happy.
"Good morning."
I touched his face.
"Good morning."
He kissed me.
Slow.
Lazy.
Perfect.
"Sleep well?"
I nodded.
"You?"
"Best sleep in six years."
I laughed.
"Same."
He pulled me closer.
Spooned against him.
Spooned against me.
"What's the plan today?"
I thought about it.
Family.
Chaos.
Wedding planning.
Probably more interruptions.
"Honestly?"
"Yeah?"
"Can we just stay here?"
He kissed my shoulder.
"Forever?"
I smiled.
"Forever."
He laughed.
"Angelo would kill us."
"Worth it."
"Very worth it."
We lay there.
Warm.
Content.
In love.
Until—
My phone buzzed.
Then his phone buzzed.
Then both phones buzzed repeatedly.
I groaned.
"No."
"Don't look."
"I have to."
"Don't."
I reached for it.
The screen lit up.
Angelo: MORNING LOVE BIRDS
Angelo: WEDDING PLANNING STARTS TODAY
Angelo: BE HERE BY 10AM
Angelo: I MEAN IT
Angelo: BOTH OF YOU
Angelo: KEIFER I KNOW YOU HAVE A BEDROOM NOW IDC
Aries: THEY'RE DEFINITELY DOING THINGS
Percy: 100% doing things
Cin: Respect
Rakki: Jealous
Denzel: Please don't traumatize Grazel
Grace: She's already traumatized by this family
Grazel: KEIF! SMOL! WUV!
I stared at the screen.
Keifer stared over my shoulder.
We looked at each other.
Same thought.
Same realization.
Same—
"They know."
He laughed.
"They always know."
I buried my face in his chest.
"I'm never leaving this room."
He kissed my head.
"Fine with me."
Another buzz.
Angelo: 10AM JAY
Angelo: KEIFER
Angelo: DON'T MAKE ME COME GET YOU
I sighed.
"We have to go."
"Five more minutes."
"Keifer."
"Four more minutes."
"Keifer."
"Three."
I laughed.
"You're impossible."
He grinned.
"You love it."
I kissed him.
Quick.
Sweet.
"I do."
He pulled me closer.
"Then let's enjoy these three minutes."
I melted into him.
Because three minutes with him—
Was worth more than forever with anyone else.
---
Three Minutes Later
We got up.
Barely.
Stumbling.
Laughing.
Stealing kisses between getting ready.
By the time we actually made it downstairs—
It was 9:45.
Keifer grabbed my hand.
"We're going to be late."
"Your fault."
"Your face."
"My face?!"
"Too pretty."
"Distracting."
I hit his chest.
"That's the worst excuse ever."
He kissed me.
"Best excuse ever."
I rolled my eyes.
But I was smiling.
Because this—
This chaos.
This love.
This life.
Was exactly what I had been waiting for.
And Mark Keifer Watson?
He was worth every second.
---
The Drive to Angelo's
Hand in hand.
Sun shining.
Music playing softly.
Normal.
Peaceful.
Perfect.
"Hey, Keif?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For waiting."
"For not giving up."
"For loving me."
He squeezed my hand.
"Thank you for coming back."
"For trusting me."
"For loving me."
I smiled.
"Together?"
He kissed my hand.
"Together."
And the road ahead—
Full of chaos.
Full of family.
Full of interruptions.
But also full of love.
Full of him.
Full of us.
And that—
Was everything.
The end.
(For now.)