--: Author's POV: --
The luxury cruiser was barely ten minutes into the journey when the peace was officially shattered. While the rest of the group was settling in with drinks and music, the main lounge had turned into a verbal battlefield.
Aries was pacing in front of the sofa, his face flushed with a mix of exhaustion and pure irritation. He kept stopping to point a finger at Keifer, who was lounging back with his arms spread across the top of the cushions, looking like he owned the entire ocean.
"I'm asking you one last time, Watson," Aries barked, his voice rising over the hum of the engines. "What took so long? And why did you ignore our calls? We were about to call the police! And don't you dare to lie to me.."
Keifer tilted his head, a lazy, infuriatingly handsome smirk playing on his lips. "Police? For what, Aries? For oversleeping? I didn't know being tired was a crime."
"You weren't just tired!" Aries stepped closer, hovering over him. "I know that look on your face. You look way too smug. What did you do? Did you tease her? Did you stay in that room all night just to mess with my head? Did you two do anything?"
"I stayed in that room because it's my room," Keifer replied smoothly. He looked over at Aries and winked. "Relax, Brother-in-law. You're going to get wrinkles before we even hit the sand."
--: Jay-Jay's POV: --
I sat there, looking back and forth between them like I was watching a tennis match. My face was still warm from everything that happened at the mansion, and having them fight about it right in front of me was not helping.
"Aries, please," I groaned, tugging on Aries' shirt. "We just woke up late. The phones were on silent. That's it! He did...we did nothing wrong!"
"Don't defend him, Jay!" Aries snapped, though his eyes softened for a second before snapping back to Keifer. "And you! Stop calling me that! I am not your brother-in-law!"
"Yet," Keifer repeated, his voice a low rumble. He reached over and casually draped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer to him right in front of Aries. "But we both know it's inevitable. You might as well get used to the title, Aries. It has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"
Aries looked like he was about to explode. "Take your hand off her! Right now!"
Keifer didn't move. In fact, he leaned in and kissed the side of my head, his eyes locked onto Aries the whole time. "Make me, Brother-in-law."
--: Author's POV: --
"That's it! You're dead!" Aries lunged forward, reaching for Keifer's throat.
Keifer, expecting the move, laughed loudly and dove sideways, sliding off the sofa and scrambling toward the bar area. "Whoa! Easy there! Is this how you treat family?"
"You are not family until I say so!" Aries shouted, stumbling over a stray bag as he chased Keifer around the lounge.
The Section E boys were having the time of their lives. David was standing on a chair, recording the whole thing. Drew and Felix were taking bets on who would trip first, and Ci-N was cheering for Keifer to run faster.
"Run! Don't let the Aries catch you!" Mayo yelled, laughing so hard he nearly spilled his drink.
"I'm going to kill you, Watson!" Aries screamed, jumping over a coffee table. "Tell me the truth! Did you even try to wake her up, or did you just enjoy the 'silence'?"
"I enjoyed every second of it!" Keifer shouted back, dodging a flying sofa cushion. He sprinted toward the stairs leading to the upper deck, looking back with a wide, playful grin. "She's a very deep sleeper, Aries! And she's very warm! You can't blame a guy for wanting to stay in bed!"
"KEIFER! GET BACK HERE!"
Aries scrambled up the stairs after him, his face a mask of hilarious fury. The sound of their heavy footsteps thundering across the metal deck above, mixed with Keifer's mocking laughter and Aries' breathless threats, echoed across the water.
--: Jay-Jay's POV: --
I sank back into the sofa, pulling a pillow over my face to hide my embarrassment. I could hear them circling the deck above us, Keifer probably vaulting over sunbeds while Aries tried to tackle him.
"They're actually bonding," Kavin remarked, sitting down nearby with a smirk.
"Bonding?!" I muffled into the pillow. "Aries is trying to commit murder!"
"Nah," MJ added, clinking his glass against Kavin's. "Keifer is just marking his territory. And Aries is just realizing he's lost his little sister to a Watson. It's a classic brother-in-law ritual."
"I hate them both," I whispered, but I couldn't stop the small smile from forming.
Above us, I heard a loud thud followed by Keifer yelling, "Missed me, Brother-in-law! You're getting slow!"
Followed by Aries screaming, "I'LL SHOW YOU SLOW!"
The journey to the island was definitely not going to be quiet.