JAY-JAY POV
"Jay dear." I froze. I knew that voice. Aunt Serina.
We turned around. Aunt Serina and Uncle Kaizer stood in the doorway, chuckling. And behind them, Keiran and Keigan, already smirking, ready to tease.
I looked at us— me in Keifer's shirt, flour streaked across my cheeks, and Keifer… shirtless, smirk steady, clipped, deliberate.
My cheeks burned, chaos colliding with fury and surrender.
"Aunt… Uncle…" I stammered, chaotic, trembling.
Keiran snorted, chaos sharp.
"Nice apron, Ate Or should I say… nice shirt?"
Keigan leaned against the doorframe, smirk deepening. "And Kuya, you really think shirtless baking is a thing?"
Keifer didn't flinch.
He smirked, clipped, certain. "Better than burning cookies."
Aunt Serina chuckled, chaos soft but knowing. "Children, don't tease them"
Uncle Kaizer shook his head, steady, amused. "Still… you two look more like you're playing than cooking."
I groaned, chaos spilling into my voice. "Keifer, this is your fault."
He leaned closer, brushing his lips near my ear, his voice low, clipped, playful. "Fault or not… you're still blushing."
The bell rang again. This time it was Kuya Angelo, Tita Gemma, and Aries… and Ella.
I froze for a second. Three years. Three years since I last saw them — except for Ella, of course.
"Hi, Jay," Ella greeted me, her eyes teasing, chaos flashing.
"Hi, Ella," I said, chaotic, trembling, my voice softer than I wanted.
Aunt Serina's voice cut through, steady, certain. "You, children — go get ready. We'll take care of the cookies."
I glanced at Keifer, shirtless still, flour streaked across his hair.
Me?
In his shirt, cheeks burning, chaos colliding with fury and surrender.
Tita Gemma chuckled, clipped, amused. "Looks like we came at the right time."
Ella smirked, chaos sharp. "Or the wrong time."
"Excuse us," I said quickly, chaos spilling into my voice. "We'll be back in ten minutes."
I didn't wait for their reaction.
I was already heading upstairs, Keifer following close behind, clipped, deliberate.
My heart raced — flour still on my cheeks, his shirt clinging to me, his smirk steady at my back.
Behind us, I could hear Ella's teasing laugh, Keiran's snort, Keigan's mutter.
Aunt Serina's voice floated up, steady, certain: "Go on, children. We'll handle the cookies."
I groaned under my breath, chaos trembling.
Three years apart, and this was how they saw me — in Keifer's shirt, flushed, storm‑struck.
Keifer leaned closer as we climbed the stairs, his voice low, clipped, teasing. "Ten minutes, Jay. Think we can behave that long?"
My cheeks burned, chaos colliding with fury and surrender. "Keifer, if you don't behave, I'll lock you out of the room."
He smirked, steady, deliberate. "Then I'll just wait at the door. Ten minutes isn't long."
I picked a casual but neat outfit, chaos buzzing in my chest as I smoothed the fabric down.
Keifer dressed too, clipped, deliberate — neat but still carrying that smirk that refused to leave his face.
I glanced at him, chaos flashing. "You look like you're going to a boardroom, not a dinner," I muttered, chaotic, sharp.
He adjusted his collar, steady, certain. "And you look like you're going to steal the spotlight."
My cheeks burned, chaos colliding with fury and surrender. "Ridiculous," I said under my breath, chaotic, bold.
He leaned closer, his voice low, clipped, teasing. "Ridiculous enough to walk downstairs with you."
I exhaled, chaos trembling, my heart racing.
Downstairs, voices and laughter already spilled into the air — family waiting, storm gathering.
I straightened my shoulders, chaos sharp, bold. "Let's go face them."
Keifer smirked, clipped, certain. "Together."
We went downstairs. "Ate, you only took ten minutes," Keiran said, chaos flashing in his grin.
"Because of Kuya's smirk, I thought I would hear voices or screams," Keigan teased, his tone sharp, chaotic.
My cheeks burned instantly, chaos colliding with fury and surrender.
"Keigan!" I snapped, chaotic, bold, glaring at him.
Keifer smirked, clipped, deliberate, unbothered.
"Ten minutes is enough," he said, his voice low, teasing, certain.
Ella giggled, chaos sharp. "Enough for what,Keifer?"
I groaned, chaos spilling into my voice. "Can you all stop? We were just getting ready."
Aunt Serina chuckled, steady, certain. "Children, don't tease them. Let them breathe."
My cheeks flushed deeper, chaos trembling.
We were talking — nothing big, nothing small.
When Tita Gemma spoke to me, I answered politely, steady, certain.
But whenever Kuya Angelo tried to talk, I slipped away, chaotic, sharp.
He looked like he wanted to explain himself, and I wasn't in the mood.
Then Ella pulled me aside, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
"So… you and Keifer. How is it going?" she asked, teasing.
"Well, we are fine now," I said, bold, trying to sound casual.
"I think you're more than fine," Ella said, smirk deepening. "You have the glow."
"What glow?" I asked,sharp, my brows furrowing.
She leaned closer, whispering, chaos playful. "The I had no sleep last night because I was busy with my husband glow."
Of course I blushed, chaos colliding with fury and surrender. My cheeks burned hotter, and I shoved her lightly, chaotic, bold. "Ella!" I hissed, chaotic, trembling.
She giggled, chaos sharp. "Don't deny it, Jay. Everyone can see it."
I groaned, chaos spilling into my voice. "Ridiculous. You're ridiculous."
But deep down, I knew she wasn't entirely wrong.
And that thought made my cheeks burn even more.
"Jay sweetheart come on lets eat dinner" Aunt Serina called us
"Lets go" Ella said
We went to the dinner and I sat next to Keifer, chaos buzzing in my chest.
"Did you make this, Jay?" Kuya Angelo asked, his voice steady, deliberate.
I nodded
"Me and Keifer."
Kuya Angelo nodded slowly, clipped, certain. His eyes lingered on me longer than I wanted, like he had words waiting but couldn't say them yet.
Aries didn't say anything. He just stared at his plate, clipped, quiet — regret flickering across his face like a shadow. It was the kind of silence that spoke louder than teasing.
Keifer leaned closer, smirked steady, clipped, teasing. "See? They like it. Told you we'd win."
I rolled my eyes, chaos flashing. "Ridiculous. This isn't a game."
But the storm at the table was shifting. Between laughter and teasing, there was something heavier — Kuya Angelo's gaze, Aries's silence, and the weight of three years pressing against the edges of my chest.
I forced a smile, bold, trying to keep the air light. "Eat before it gets cold."
The family dug in, voices rising again, but I could feel it — the storm wasn't just in the kitchen anymore. It was here, at the table, waiting to break.
Midway through dinner, Keifer placed his hand on my thigh, clipped, deliberate. My cheeks burned instantly, chaos colliding with fury and surrender.
I shot him a sharp look, chaotic, bold. "Keifer…" I muttered under my breath, chaos trembling.
He smirked, steady, teasing, his voice low. "What? I'm just keeping you close."
I groaned, chaos spilling into my voice. "Ridiculous. We're at the table."
Keiran noticed my flushed cheeks, smirk deepening. "Ate, why do you look like you swallowed fire?"
I froze, chaos flashing, trying to keep my composure. "Nothing," I said quickly, chaotic, sharp, forcing a smile.
Keigan leaned forward, chaos playful. "Nothing? Ate, you look guilty."
Ella giggled, eyes sparkling with mischief. "Or maybe she has the glow again."
My cheeks burned hotter, chaos trembling. I shoved Keifer lightly under the table, chaotic, bold. "Stop it," I hissed.
He leaned closer, smirk steady, clipped, teasing. "Can't. You're mine."
The storm of laughter and teasing swirled around us, but beneath the table, his hand stayed — steady, deliberate — reminding me that even in chaos, he never let go.
After dinner, Aunt Serina called me aside. I walked over, my heart still racing from the noise of the table.
"How are you and Keifer?" she asked, her voice calm, steady.
"Good," I replied simply.
"Good. You two seem close," she said with a soft smile. "Let's hope you don't go back to stranglers again."
I laughed nervously, cheeks warming. "Auntie… we're not like that anymore."
She raised her brows, her tone firm but kind. "Not anymore. But you two have fire. Fire can warm… or burn."
I swallowed, nodding. "We're learning. Keifer and I… we're trying to keep the fire warm."
Her smile deepened, gentle and certain. "That's all I wanted to hear."
She squeezed my hand, her touch grounding. "Stay close, Jay. Don't let pride pull you apart again."
I nodded again, her words lingering like a quiet storm inside me.
After the talk, we went outside. Keifer asked me what we talked about. "Nothing big," I said softly. He didn't bring it up again.
By then, the families were leaving because it was already ten o'clock.
"Bye, Ate," Keiran and Keigan said, hugging me tightly. "Bye," I replied with a small smile.
Ella hugged me next, her grin playful. "We should plan another night out again," she said. "It was fun last time."
I nodded and hugged her back. "I'd like that," I whispered.
I didn't say anything to the others in the Fernandez family. I just watched them leave, the night air settling into silence.
After everyone was gone, I went to our bedroom and lay down, exhaustion finally catching up with me.
Keifer came in a few minutes later. "Tired," he said, his voice low.
I nodded.
"Let's sleep," he added.
"Yeah… I'm sleepy," I murmured.
He got on the bed and pulled me into him, wrapping his arms around my waist.
My face rested against his chest, steady and warm.
For the first time that day, I let myself breathe, safe in the quiet rhythm of his heartbeat.