Chapter: Brother Roasting and Husband Defense
(AUTHOR'S POV)
The morning after the Honey Bee incident.
Sunlight streamed through Angelo's house.
Everyone was gathered in the living room.
Breakfast was served.
Chaos was brewing.
Aries and Percy sat on one couch.
Keifer and Jay sat on the other.
Angelo was at the dining table, reading documents and pretending not to watch.
Tita Gemma and Tito Rachel had left early.
Which meant—
No adults.
No supervision.
No mercy.
Jay looked at her brothers.
Aries, sprawled like he owned the couch.
Percy, checking his reflection in a spoon.
Again.
She smiled.
Sweet.
Dangerous.
"So."
Aries looked up.
"So what?"
Jay tilted her head.
"I was thinking."
Percy lowered his spoon.
"Uh oh."
Aries sat up straighter.
"That face means trouble."
Jay's smile widened.
"Just reflecting."
"On my brothers."
Aries blinked.
"Reflecting?"
"Like... nicely?"
Jay nodded.
"Oh yes."
"Very nicely."
Percy squinted.
"I don't believe you."
Jay ignored him.
Started.
"Aries."
He straightened.
"What?"
"You're twenty-six years old."
"Yes?"
"And you still can't cook."
Aries opened his mouth.
Closed it.
"You—"
"Not even rice."
"Rice!"
"THE EASIEST THING!"
Percy snorted.
Jay continued.
"Last week you tried to make instant noodles."
"And somehow—"
"Somehow—"
She paused for effect.
"Burned the water."
Aries' jaw dropped.
"THE WATER WASN'T BURNED!"
"It was discolored!"
"STEAM DAMAGE!"
Keifer choked on his coffee.
Percy fell off the couch laughing.
Aries pointed at Jay.
"THAT'S NOT FAIR!"
"You're supposed to be nice!"
Jay shrugged.
"I'm being honest."
She turned to Percy.
"Now you."
Percy froze.
"Me?"
"You."
Percy braced himself.
Jay smiled.
"You spent forty-five minutes in the bathroom this morning."
Percy blinked.
"So?"
"So?"
"You came out looking exactly the same."
Percy grabbed his chest.
"I DID NOT!"
"You looked!"
"I looked amazing!"
Jay raised an eyebrow.
"You had toothpaste on your shirt."
Percy looked down.
There it was.
A tiny white dot.
Right on his collar.
Aries screamed with laughter.
"TOOTHPASTE!"
"ON YOUR SHIRT!"
"AFTER FORTY-FIVE MINUTES!"
Percy tried to wipe it off.
Made it worse.
Jay continued mercilessly.
"You also sing in the shower."
"Loudly."
"Terribly."
Percy's face turned red.
"I DO NOT—"
"Yesterday."
"'My Heart Will Go On.'"
"Full volume."
"Off-key."
Aries was on the floor now.
Crying.
Laughing.
"Dying."
"Actually dying."
Percy pointed at Jay.
"YOU'RE THE WORST SISTER!"
Jay smiled.
"Thank you."
She turned back to Aries.
"Also, Aries?"
He looked up from the floor.
"What?"
"You snore."
"Loudly."
"Like a dying animal."
Aries sat up.
"I DO NOT!"
"Ask Ella."
"She told me."
Aries deflated.
"She... told you?"
Jay nodded.
"Girl talk."
Aries groaned.
Percy laughed through his pain.
"DYING ANIMAL!"
"THAT'S PERFECT!"
Aries pointed at Percy.
"YOU'RE ONE TO TALK!"
"YOU TALK IN YOUR SLEEP!"
Percy froze.
"I do not."
"You do."
"About what?!"
"Food."
"Mostly."
"Sometimes you cry about lost French fries."
Percy grabbed a pillow.
Threw it at Aries.
Aries dodged.
Threw one back.
Pillow fight started.
Jay watched.
Smug.
Satisfied.
Then—
Aries stopped.
Pointed at Keifer.
"AND YOU!"
Keifer raised an eyebrow.
"Me?"
"YES YOU!"
"You're supposed to be our best friend!"
Percy nodded.
"OUR best friend!"
"Not HERS!"
Aries crossed his arms.
"You just sat there!"
"Watching!"
"SMILING!"
Percy agreed.
"While she destroyed us!"
Keifer looked at Jay.
She smiled sweetly.
He looked back at them.
Shrugged.
"She's my wife."
Aries gasped.
"BETRAYAL!"
Percy grabbed his chest.
"FRIENDSHIP ENDED!"
Aries pointed dramatically.
"We've known you for YEARS!"
"Since university!"
"Through everything!"
Percy nodded.
"We were there when Jay left!"
"We were there when you cried!"
"We were there for ALL OF IT!"
Aries continued.
"And THIS is how you repay us?!"
"By SIDING WITH HER?!"
Keifer listened calmly.
Then—
He pulled Jay closer.
Kissed her head.
Looked at them.
"She's my wife."
"You said that already!"
"And I'll say it again."
"She's my wife."
"The woman I love."
"The woman I waited six years for."
"The woman I'd do anything for."
He smiled.
Sweet.
Innocent.
"So yes."
"I'm on her side."
"Always."
Aries screamed.
Percy fake cried.
"WE'RE NOTHING TO HIM!"
"JUST DISCARDED FRIENDS!"
"LEFT FOR DEAD!"
Jay laughed.
Laughed hard.
Tears forming.
Keifer grinned.
Pulled her closer.
Aries pointed at them.
"YOU TWO ARE DISGUSTING!"
Percy nodded.
"DISGUSTINGLY IN LOVE!"
"IT'S SICKENING!"
Jay wiped her eyes.
"Jealous?"
Aries gasped.
"JEALOUS?!"
"OF WHAT?!"
"Your constant public displays?!"
"Your 'wifey' and 'hubby' nonsense?!"
"Your— your— HAPPINESS?!"
Percy grabbed his chest.
"WE HAVE DIGNITY!"
Jay raised an eyebrow.
"You have toothpaste on your shirt."
Percy looked down.
Still there.
Aries laughed.
Percy threw another pillow.
Hit Aries in the face.
Aries grabbed two pillows.
Counter-attacked.
War resumed.
Keifer and Jay watched.
Safe on their couch.
Wrapped in each other.
Angelo finally looked up from his documents.
Sighed.
"This is my life now."
Jay grinned.
"Best life, Kuya."
He shook his head.
But he was smiling.
---
The War Continues
Pillows flew.
Laughter echoed.
Aries and Percy fought like children.
Which they were.
Emotionally.
Keifer and Jay stayed out of it.
Mostly.
Until a stray pillow hit Keifer in the face.
He blinked.
Looked at the pillow.
Looked at Aries.
Aries froze.
"Oh no."
Keifer stood.
Slowly.
Dangerously.
Aries backed away.
"Keifer— buddy— best friend—"
Keifer grabbed a pillow.
"Wifey?"
Jay grinned.
"Yes, hubby?"
"Permission to engage?"
"Granted."
Keifer attacked.
Aries screamed.
Ran.
Keifer chased.
Percy laughed.
Then Keifer turned.
Looked at Percy.
Percy stopped laughing.
"Oh no."
Keifer smiled.
"Your turn."
Percy ran.
Aries and Percy together.
Running from Keifer.
Screaming.
Begging.
Jay watched.
Laughed.
Harder than she had in weeks.
Angelo shook his head.
Went back to his documents.
"Children."
"All of them."
---
The Aftermath
Ten minutes later.
Everyone collapsed.
Aries on the floor.
Percy on the couch.
Keifer back beside Jay.
Breathing hard.
Smiling.
Aries pointed weakly.
"You... traitor."
Keifer shrugged.
"Worth it."
Percy groaned.
"Our best friend."
"Gone."
"Corrupted."
Jay leaned over.
Kissed Keifer's cheek.
"Good corruption."
He grinned.
"The best."
Aries fake gagged.
Percy fake vomited.
Angelo finally stood.
Walked to the kitchen.
Came back with water for everyone.
"You're all exhausting."
Aries sat up.
"But you love us."
Angelo sighed.
"Unfortunately."
Percy grinned.
"Family."
"Can't escape."
Angelo looked at Jay.
At Keifer.
At the chaos.
At the love.
He smiled.
Small.
Genuine.
"No."
"Can't escape."
"Wouldn't want to."
---
Later – Quiet Moment
The chaos settled.
Aries and Percy finally exhausted.
Dozing on their respective spots.
Angelo in his office working.
Jay and Keifer on the back porch.
Same view.
Same stars.
Same peace.
"That was fun," Jay said.
Keifer laughed.
"You're evil."
"Your evil."
He kissed her head.
"The best evil."
She leaned against him.
"Thanks for defending me."
He looked at her.
"Always."
"Forever."
"No question."
She smiled.
"I know."
"That's why I love you."
He pulled her closer.
"Love you too, wifey."
"Love you too, hubby."
They sat there.
Quiet.
Happy.
Together.
And somewhere inside—
Aries snored.
Loudly.
Like a dying animal.
Jay laughed.
Keifer laughed.
Perfect.
---
The End
(For now.)