JAY'S POV — Morning, Apparently Now Includes Him
I woke up with a stupid smile on my face.
Blame last night.
The lake.
The necklace.
His hands on my waist.
His mouth on—
Nope. Not going there right now.
I got dressed and went downstairs, expecting maybe Aries grumbling over coffee or Angelo lecturing me about curfew again.
Instead, the doorbell rang.
I opened it.
And there he was.
Keifer
Leaning against his car like he was posing for a magazine he had no right being that attractive in.
School uniform, with the infamous red leather jacket, messy hair, sleepy eyes — unfair combination.
"Morning, baby," he said with that soft raspy voice he probably didn't even realize he had.
I blinked.
"baby? and Why are you here this early?"
"To pick up my girlfriend?" he said like it was obvious.
"Since when?"
"Since you said yes last night," he smirked and walked past me into the house.
Angelo's shout from the kitchen:
"WHY IS HE INSIDE MY HOUSE—"
Aries:
"Oh my god it's 8AM—"
Keifer:
"Morning, kuya-in-laws."
Me:
"Keifer STOP CALLING THEM THAT."
But he didn't stop smiling.
By the time we escaped the house (barely alive), he intertwined our fingers and kissed the top of my head before opening the car door for me.
I hid the smile but he saw it anyway.
"Don't pretend you don't love me," he whispered.
"I literally do not—"
"Jay."
"…Okay maybe a little."
---
IN CLASS — Aka Section E Is Nosy
We walked into class hand-in-hand.
The room collectively lost its mind.
Cin nearly fell out of his chair.
Rory slapped Eren's arm five times.
Joshua's jaw dropped so low it nearly hit the floor.
Felix actually clapped.
"THERE'S NO WAY YOU TWO MADE UP IN ONE DAY," Mayo yelled.
Keifer smirked. "We made out too."
I elbowed him SO HARD his soul left his body for a second.
Section E:
SCREAMING, SHOUTING, THROWING DESKS
We sat down at our shared desk (yes, same class, same row, same level of chaos).
Keifer leaned close, whispering against my ear,
"Your lips look swollen again."
I turned red.
The whole class turned to stare at me.
"BROOO YOU DID NOT JUST SAY THAT—" Denzel yelled.
"Watson you menace," Edrix groaned.
I covered my face.
Keifer laughed quietly and took my hand under the table, thumb brushing gently over my knuckles.
The whole morning passed like that —
soft teasing,
secret smiles,
his knuckles brushing mine,
his knee bumping against mine,
his gaze lingering way too long for my heart to stay stable.
Regular day?
Almost.
He even walked me to my locker between periods, stealing a small kiss before anyone saw us.
Well—
before almost anyone saw us.
Cin walked by, saw us, screamed, and ran.
Typical.
---
LUNCH — The Part That Felt Too Normal
We sat with Section E.
He fed me a fry.
I accidentally almost choked because Mayo made kissy noises.
Keifer glared at them.
I kicked him under the table, secretly amused.
But nothing major happened.
No fights.
No drama.
Just… him next to me, his shoulder lightly touching mine, his presence constantly warm.
A whole normal day.
Just us.
Just… quiet happiness.
Keifer looked at me like I hung his whole universe.
And I couldn't deny it—
I felt it too
By the last bell, I was actually relaxed.
We got into his car, music low, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the wheel. The air between us still soft from last night—tiny glances, small smiles, memories replaying like a movie neither of us wanted to end.
Then—
His phone rang.
He glanced at the screen.
His face drained.
"Kei?" I asked, sitting up.
He answered.
"Hello?"
A woman's frantic voice exploded through the speaker — the maid.
"Sir Keifer—Keigan had another attack—he—he locked himself in the room—he's not responding—he keeps saying he can't breathe— we don't know what to do—"
Keifer's entire body froze.
His throat tightened instantly.
I saw it.
This wasn't fear.
This was something deeper.
Something that hit bone.
"Is he hurt?" Keifer asked, voice low, tense, already shaking.
"We don't know—he won't open the door—he's crying—sir, please come—"
"I'm on my way."
He hung up before she finished.
The silence that followed felt sharp.
He stared straight ahead, jaw locked, knuckles white around the steering wheel.
"Keifer."
He blinked.
His breath hitched just once — barely — but I caught it.
"Keifer, hey—look at me."
He turned, eyes already glassy with worry he was trying to hide.
"My brother…" he whispered. "Jay, he—he gets these panic attacks sometimes. But this—he hasn't locked himself in like that in a long time."
My heart twisted.
"Drive," I said softly. "Take us there."
He looked almost surprised that I said us.
Then the fear flickered again.
"No—Jay, it's okay. I'll drop you home—"
"Keifer. Drive."
My voice firm, steady.
He swallowed.
Nodded.
And stepped on the gas.
The car roared forward as we raced toward his house, Keifer gripping the wheel like the world was collapsing.
And all I could think was—
I'm not letting him face this alone.
ARRIVING AT THE WATSON HOUSE
JAY'S POV —
Keifer barely parked the car.
He didn't even turn off the engine at first — he just jumped out, breathing too fast, running toward the front door.
"Keifer—wait!" I called, grabbing my bag and running after him.
He stopped halfway up the steps, chest rising and falling like he couldn't get enough air.
"He's upstairs," he muttered. "He locked the door—he never locks the door—Jay, I don't— I don't know what to do—"
His voice cracked.
Real panic.
Not the tough, cocky Keifer anyone else knew.
This was the boy underneath.
The big brother.
The terrified one.
I touched his arm gently.
"Hey. I've handled this before."
He froze.
"You… have?"
The memories flashed for half a second — Stella shaking, gasping, clutching at me in the middle of the night.
Cole once collapsing after getting overwhelmed.
And me, back when I didn't know how to breathe sometimes.
I nodded softly.
"I know what this looks like," I whispered. "Let me help him."
Keifer's eyes searched mine.
He was shaking.
And for the first time ever…
He let someone else take control.
"Okay," he breathed. "Okay. Please."
---
INSIDE THE HOUSE
The maid was pacing outside a closed bedroom door, wringing her hands.
"sir ! Thank God you're here," she said when she saw us. "He won't open the door—he hasn't answered in ten minutes—"
Keifer stepped forward and pressed his palm to the door.
"Keigan," he said, voice trembling. "Little man… it's me. I'm right here, okay? Please—please talk to me."
Nothing.
Silence.
I placed my hand over Keifer's.
"Let me try?"
He nodded immediately, stepping aside but staying close like he couldn't physically move away.
I knelt near the door, lowering my voice.
"Keigan?"
I didn't shout.
Didn't knock hard.
Just spoke softly — steady, calm.
"Hey, sweetheart. It's Jay. Your kuya's here with me."
I heard a tiny gasp from inside.
A choked one.
Good.
He heard me.
"You're not in trouble," I whispered. "You're not alone. You're safe."
Keifer's breathing shook beside me.
I continued, gentle and patient.
"I know it's scary when it feels like your chest is too tight. When your thoughts get too loud. When your body feels like it's not listening to you."
A small sound — like a whimper.
I softened my tone even more.
"But I'm right here, and your kuya is right here. You can open the door when you're ready. Just breathe with me, okay?"
I inhaled slowly.
Exhaled.
Loud enough for him to hear.
"Can you try that? Just once? In… and out."
A shaky inhale from behind the door.
Keifer's eyes widened.
"That's it," I whispered. "You're doing amazing."
The inhale came again.
This time a little steadier.
And then—
The lock clicked.
The door opened just enough for a small boy to be seen — eyes red, tears streaking his face, hugging a stuffed toy so tight his knuckles were white.
He looked at me first.
Then at his big brother.
And the moment he saw Keifer—
He broke.
"Kuya," he cried, running into him.
Keifer collapsed to his knees, arms wrapping him so tight he shook with the force of it.
"I'm here, I'm here, I'm here," Keifer whispered over and over again, burying his face in Keigan's hair.
"It's okay— I've got you— you're safe—"
My chest ached at the rawness of it.
At how scared he'd been.
At how small Keigan looked, trembling in his brother's arms.
And at how Keifer held him like the world could fall apart any second.
After a minute, Keifer looked at me over Keigan's shoulder.
His eyes were glassy.
Grateful.
Shaken.
Soft.
"Jay…" he whispered."I—thank you—"
I shook my head gently.
"Just take him inside. I'll get water."
He nodded, carrying Keigan to the bed while whispering to him quietly.
And for the first time…
I saw Keifer Watson without his walls.
Just a boy who loved his little brother enough to break for him.
I came back with the water keigan was now in better state I kept my hand on keifer's shoulder and signaled him to go outside.
I whispered "Keifer, you go outside keiren is back he wants you right now don't worry I'll take care of him"
He looked at me then at keigan nodded and left and shut the door behind him.
I sat near his bed and spoke "Keigan I know you don't like me much, you think I'll wreck you're brother and then leave but trust me that day will never come when I'll do that. "
He sniffled, eyes still puffy, fingers tightening around the stuffed toy sitting in his lap.
"I don't hate you…" he mumbled, cheeks blotchy. "I just… I get scared."
I shifted a little closer — not too close, not enough to overwhelm him — just enough so he felt I wasn't going anywhere.
"Scared of what?" I asked gently.
He wiped his cheek with the back of his hand.
"That you'll take Kuya away and that'll you'll change him"
My chest tightened.
Oh.
He looked down, shoulders curling inward like he was bracing for me to laugh or correct him or dismiss him.
I didn't.
Instead, I leaned forward just a bit.
"Keigan," I whispered, "no one could ever take you away from him. Not me. Not anyone."
He blinked hard, lower lip wobbling.
"You don't know how he gets," he whispered in that tiny, cracking voice. "When he's sad… when he thinks people leave. He holds on too tight. And then he gets hurt."
My throat burned.
This wasn't childish jealousy.
This was fear built from watching the person he loved most break before.
I inhaled slowly, careful, steady.
"I know," I said. "I see it too."
He looked up at me for the first time — really looked — his dark eyes large and wet and searching.
"And that's why," I continued quietly, "I want you to know something really, really important."
I reached out, slowly, palms open so he knew he didn't have to take it if he didn't want to.
He surprised me by placing his tiny hand in mine.
I squeezed gently.
"I'm not here to replace you," I whispered. "You're his brother. His heart. His whole world. I could never take that spot… even if I tried."
His chin wobbled again.
"And I'm not going to leave him," I added. "Not when he's hurting. Not when he's scared. Not when he's annoying as hell. Not ever."
A tiny laugh escaped him — barely there, but real.
"Promise?" he whispered.
I smiled softly and hooked my pinky out toward him.
"Promise."
He stared at it for a second, then wrapped his little pinky around mine — small, warm, trusting.
And when he whispered—
"I am sorry Jay Jay."
I nodded like telling him silently that he was long forgiven...
It felt like something fragile finally loosened in the air.
Like he finally let me in.
He scooted just a little closer, resting his head against my side.
Still shy.
Still trembling.
But calmer.
"Can you… stay until Kuya comes back?" he asked quietly.
I brushed his hair back gently.
"I'm not going anywhere."
Outside the door, I heard movement — Keifer, pacing, worried, listening.
And I knew the second he stepped back in…
He'd see the two people he loved most finally breathing in the same rhythm.
Finally not afraid of each other.
Finally okay.....