Jayjay'sPOV
"Keifer?" I whispered, my voice trembling violently in the quiet room.
His dark eyelashes fluttered once, then twice. A low, barely audible groan escaped his dry throat as he struggled with all his remaining strength to open his heavy eyelids. After a painful few seconds, his dark eyes slowly unsealed, squinting against the harsh, bright white light streaming into the room.
He blinked slowly, fighting through the haze in his vision, until his gaze finally landed straight on me.
"J-Jay..." he rasped out, his voice incredibly weak, hoarse, and dry.
More tears immediately spilled down my cheeks, but this time out of pure, overwhelming relief.
"Keifer! You're awake! Oh my god, you're awake..." I cried out, happy tears falling nonstop down my cheeks.
Slowly and carefully, he adjusted himself and sat up against the stark white headboard, leaning back slightly. He opened his arms wide toward me, looking at me with a soft, exhausted gaze.
"Come here," he said quietly.
Without thinking twice, I stepped forward and threw myself straight into his arms. He wrapped his arms around me securely, holding me close, while I clutched his hospital gown tightly, burying my face into his chest as heavy sobs racked my whole body.
"You don't know how much I was worried this whole time!" I sobbed directly into his chest, my breath hitching as I clung to him for dear life.
He just stared down at me quietly, his expression full of warmth, before reaching up to cup my face in his hands, gently forcing me to look up at him.
"I know... now stop crying," he said softly, pulling out a handkerchief—I didn't even know where he got it from—and tenderly wiping the tears from my cheeks. "Your nose is runny," he added quietly, gently dabbing at my upper lip.
"Shut up," I muttered, my voice crackling with emotion.
I reached up and wrapped my arms tightly around his neck, burying my face into his shoulder, taking extreme care not to press against his stitches or pull any of the IV lines hooked up to his arm.
"I'll shut up, but I remember what you said," he whispered, his hand slowly rubbing soothing circles on my back.
"What?" I mumbled into the crook of his neck.
I pulled back slightly to look at his face, my eyes swollen and rimmed with red.
"You... called me 'hubby'..." he murmured, his raspy voice filled with that familiar, infuriating warmth. "And promised so many things..."
My jaw dropped. My cheeks instantly burst into a furious, burning crimson blush, even while fresh tears were still spilling down my face.
"You were listening?!" I gasped, hit with a sudden wave of total embarrassment.
"I was trying... so hard to wake up..." Keifer whispered softly. He reached out and took my hand in his, his thumb lightly brushing across the back of my knuckles. "How could I stay asleep... when my wifey was finally being sweet?"
The moment those words left his mouth, my eyes stung all over again.
"Why did you take so long to wake up?" I asked, breaking into fresh tears as I looked at him. "Huh? You made me cry so much! I was so afraid to lose you! How did the accident happen? Why weren't you paying attention to the road, huh? Mark Keifer Watson, now you need to behave!" I scolded through my sniffling and crying.
He wiped my wet face once more with his handkerchief and pulled me back into a soft, protective hug.
"I was trying to wake up, and now I am," he whispered gently against my hair. "I know you cried your eyes out, wifey... and I'm sorry."
I sniffed against the fabric of his hospital gown, holding onto him tight.
"The road was completely empty," he began to explain softly. "I was just trying to call you, and when I looked up, out of nowhere a truck came right in front of my car, so I got hit."
Hearing that, I brought my fist up and hit his chest lightly. "Stupid idiot! Why were you calling me and not paying attention to the road?"
Keifer looked down at me, a soft smile playing on his pale lips, and leaned down to press a deep, lingering kiss onto my forehead.
"Because my cute little wifey was mad at me... so I was trying to convince her," he murmured gently.
I looked up into his eyes, and a crushing wave of guilt instantly washed over me. Seeing his eyes filled with nothing but pure love and care made my heart ache even more. I lowered my head, staring down at my lap, unable to hold his gaze.
"I'm sorry..." I whispered, fresh tears of guilt spilling over my eyelashes. "I didn't reply to your messages, and I wasn't picking up your calls because I was asleep... I'm so sorry, hubby."
"It's okay, it's not your fault," Keifer said softly, his hand steadily rubbing my back to calm me down. "The accident was just in my fate."
Hearing his gentle words, I clung to him even more tightly, burying my face into his shoulder once again.
"I was so afraid that I'd lose you..." I whispered, my voice barely audible.
Keifer let out a low, quiet chuckle against my ear. "I won't leave you, okay?"
I nodded eagerly against his chest. I hugged him as tightly as I possibly could while still being careful not to put pressure on his injuries. He continued to slowly and smoothly rub my back, letting me cling to him for as long as I needed.
"Did you eat?" he asked softly, looking down at me.
I just nodded against his chest. "Jay," he said, his tone turning suspicious.
"I ate, for sure," I lied, keeping my voice steady. He just woke up from a five-day coma—the absolute last thing I wanted was for him to start worrying about me.
"Liar!" a voice suddenly barked through the small glass window of the door.
I snapped my head toward the door and saw Section E crowded outside, with Aries and Percy standing right at the front. Hit with a sudden wave of embarrassment, I tried to pull back and slip out of Keifer's grip, but he held me firmly against him, refusing to let me go. Seeing that he wasn't going to budge, I gave up trying to escape.
"Shut up!" I snapped at the window.
A chorus of muffled laughter rang out from the hallway as they scattered in all directions. I grumbled under my breath, but when I turned back, Keifer was staring at me with a serious, unreadable expression.
"Why didn't you eat?" he asked quietly.
"I just didn't feel like it," I murmured, avoiding his gaze.
"Why?" he pressed.
"Because I didn't want to!" I said again, but he just kept staring right into my eyes, completely unconvincing. I let out a heavy sigh and finally surrendered. "Okay, fine! How could I eat when my husband was fighting for his life, huh? I was terrified for you, and I had zero appetite!"
Keifer's expression instantly softened, his dark eyes melting with pure warmth and affection as he listened to me.
"Do you have an appetite now?" he asked softly.
"A little," I mumbled.
He let out a low, quiet chuckle. Just then, the door swung open and Percy walked into the room, setting a bag of warm food down on the side table right in front of us.
"Here you go, lovebirds," Percy smirked teasingly. Before I could grab a spoon or anything nearby to throw at his head, he sprinted right back out the door, laughing.
I opened one of the food containers and forced myself to eat a few small bites, but my stomach still felt tight, so I pushed the box away. Keifer, on the other hand, calmly finished his entire meal. When he noticed me pushing my food aside, he turned his head toward me.
"Hubby, I really don't want any more," I whined gently.
Ignoring my protest, Keifer picked up a spoon, scooped up a neat portion of food, and held it out right in front of my lips.
"Say aaaa," he instructed softly.
I shook my head, keeping my lips pressed together.
"Jay," he said in that quiet, commanding tone that left no room for argument.
Defeated, I slowly opened my mouth. He gently fed me the bite, and just like that, spoon by spoon, he made sure I finished every last bit of the meal.
After eating, I took the empty food boxes, closed them up neatly, and set them on the side table. I turned back to Keifer and looked at him sternly, placing my hands firmly on my waist.
"Okay, now lay down and rest," I commanded.
First, he just sat there, leaning back against the stark white hospital pillows, giving me that stubborn, dark-eyed stare of his.
"I'm fine, Jay," he said smoothly, his voice still a little raspy from disuse. "I've been lying down for five days straight. I don't want to lay back down."
"I don't care if you've been lying down for five days or five years!" I snapped, though my voice was soft, completely devoid of any real anger. "The doctor said you lost a massive amount of blood and you just woke up from a coma. You need to rest, Mark Keifer Watson. Now lay down before I force you."
Keifer raised an eyebrow, a small, teasing smirk tugging at the corner of his pale lips. "Force me? Wifey, you couldn't push me down even if I was fast asleep."
"Try me!" I challenged, stepping closer to the edge of the bed and reaching for his shoulders.
Before I could even put my hands on him, Keifer reached out, wrapped his large, warm hand firmly around my wrist, and gave a gentle tug. My eyes widened in surprise as I lost my balance and stumbled forward, landing gently right against his chest.
"Hey!" I gasped, my face instantly flushing bright pink as my hands instinctively rested against his shoulders—taking extreme care to avoid his IV lines, monitor wires, and chest bandages. "What are you doing? You're supposed to be recovering!"
"I am recovering," Keifer whispered near my ear, his strong arm wrapping around my waist to hold me securely against him. "Having you close speeds up my recovery."
"You... you absolute liar!" I stuttered, my heart doing frantic, chaotic flips in my chest. "Let go! What if a nurse comes in? What if Kuya Angelo walks in?!"
"Let them," Keifer murmured, completely unfazed by my rambling.
He slowly shifted his weight, easing himself down until his head rested back against the soft hospital pillows, dragging me down right along with him so my head was resting over his chest.
I let out a soft huff, but I didn't fight him. Truthfully, after five horrifying days of holding his cold hand while he lay motionless, feeling his warm, steady heartbeat against my cheek was the only thing keeping my lingering panic at bay.
Between his firm grip on my waist, he felt me trying to shift my weight. Noticing my discomfort, he loosened his grip slightly to give me space. I shifted carefully, pressing my left cheek over the left side of his chest while my hand rested flat over his right side. Once I made sure none of my weight was pressing on his injuries, I wrapped my other arm around his waist, clinging to him like a helpless koala.
"If Kuya Angelo scolds you, I'm not defending you," I mumbled.
"He won't," Keifer replied softly, his long fingers lazily running through my hair, gently untangling the messy strands.
"How are you so sure?" I asked, looking down and absentmindedly playing with his large, warm hand.
"Because I just came out of a coma," he reasoned, looking straight down into my eyes.
"Are you forgetting he's known as—"
"Death," he completed smoothly, and a small chuckle escaped my lips. "But he can't say anything because you're my wife. Husbands and wives do a lot of things... we haven't done anything yet, we're just close," he murmured, his gaze holding mine. "And besides, I'm sure he'll be nice to hospital patients."
I couldn't help but let out a tiny, breathless chuckle at that. "Kuya Angelo? Nice to you? In your dreams, Watson."
"Hmm... maybe. But don't call me by my surname," he murmured softly.
"Why?" I asked, tilting my head slightly.
"Call me hubby. You promised to call me that," he said, staring intently into my eyes as I looked right back at him.
"I don't want to now," I teased, trying to hold back a smile.
"Huh? But you promised me! You can't break your promises, Jay," he argued, narrowing his eyes slightly.
"I'm not breaking my promise, hubby," I said, breaking into a bright smile.
Keifer let out a low, deep chuckle against my hair. "Say it one more time, wifey."
I brought my free hand up and hit his chest lightly. "Hubby, hubby, hubby!" I repeated teasingly, and we both chuckled quietly together.
A peaceful silence settled over the room, but it was no longer the heavy, suffocating agony from the past five days. It was warm, quiet, and filled with the steady, comforting rhythm of his heart beneath my palm. I closed my eyes, breathing in his familiar scent mixed with the faint, sharp smell of hospital antiseptics.
Suddenly, the heavy door swung open without even a single warning knock.
"Yow! Is the king awake or—WHOA!"
Ci-N's loud, obnoxious voice echoed through the room, only to cut off instantly in sheer shock. I practically jumped out of my skin, trying to scramble up immediately, but Keifer's grip on my waist didn't loosen even a single millimeter.
Standing right at the open doorway was the entirety of Section E. Felix, Yuri, David, Mayo, Percy, and Ci-N were all frozen completely in place, staring straight at us with wide eyes. Right behind them, Aries was peeking over Felix's shoulder, his jaw slowly dropping in utter disbelief.
"My eyes! My innocent eyes!" Ci-N squealed, dramatically covering his face with both hands, though he spread his fingers wide so he could still peer through them. "We come to visit our dying leader and we walk straight into a romantic movie scene!"
"Ci-N, shut up!" Aries growled furiously, shoving past him into the room with a severe, deadly glare directed straight at Keifer's arm wrapped around my waist. "Jayjay, get off him! He's supposed to be an injured patient, not a mattress!"
"Keifer, let go!" I hissed frantically under my breath.
He finally loosened his grip, and I quickly shifted away, scrambling up to sit neatly on the edge of the chair beside his bed, smoothing down my clothes with bright red cheeks.
"What's your problem? She's my wife," Keifer shot back at Aries, glaring right back at him without an ounce of regret.
"She's my sister first!" Aries snapped back instantly.
Keifer parted his lips, ready to shoot back another sharp insult, but before he could say a word, I reached out into the tiny gap between us and grabbed his hand tightly between both of mine.
"Please don't fight," I whispered up to him softly.
Keifer looked down at our joined hands and gave mine a firm, gentle squeeze—a quiet reassurance that he would hold his temper back. He turned his gaze back to Aries and simply rolled his eyes, dropping the argument.
"So, are you two done?" Ci-N asked, still peeking dramatically through his spread fingers.
SMACK!
Felix immediately brought his palm down on the back of Ci-N's head from behind. Ci-N let out a loud groan, rubbing the back of his neck.
Well deserved, I thought to myself, letting out a small sigh of relief as the rest of the gang began spilling into the room.
Ci-N, Drew, and Eren immediately sprinted toward the side table where all the snack bags and fruit baskets were piled up, their eyes lighting up like kids in a candy store. But before they could take even a single step further, Felix and Eman reached out, grabbed them firmly by their collars, and yanked them right back.
"We just came to see if the King Ulupong was actually awake, so we'll be heading out now," David said, tossing a brief, reassuring look toward Keifer.
"Yeah, come on everyone, let's go. Husband and wife need their time," Felix added with a knowing smirk, gesturing for the rest of Section E to start moving toward the exit.
"After all, the wife cried her eyes out for five straight days," Calix chimed in teasingly, shaking his head.
"But the snacks! What about the food?!" Ci-N whined loudly as Felix dragged him out by his hoodie.
One by one, Section E started spilling out into the hallway, their loud voices slowly fading down the corridor. Soon, the only ones left near the door were Aries and Percy. Aries stood completely frozen in place, his arms crossed over his chest, shooting a deadly, narrow-eyed glare straight at Keifer's arm resting near my side.
Before Aries could say a word or start another argument, Percy suddenly stepped up behind him, wrapped his arm firmly around Aries' neck, and locked him in a headlock.
"They're married now, man. Leave them alone," Percy chuckled, forcibly dragging a scowling Aries backward out of the room and pulling the heavy hospital door shut behind them.
Once the door clicked shut, absolute silence returned to Room 609—soft, warm, and peaceful.
"You know... you should really drill it into Aries' head that you're my wife," Keifer murmured, his raspy voice breaking the quiet as he looked up at me.
I rolled my eyes playfully and let out a soft chuckle. "Come on, Keifer. He's my brother."
"And what am I? Your husband, or just his lifelong rival?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at me with that subtle, stubborn look in his dark eyes.
"Of course you're my husband, which makes you his brother-in-law," I said, unable to hide the small smile creeping onto my face. "Look, Aries is just a little overly protective when it comes to us—especially when it's you and me together. The exact reason? Honest to God, I don't even know."
"He's weird," Keifer muttered under his breath.
I giggled softly, shaking my head. "Hey, watch it. He's still my brother."
"Fine, fine. I won't say anything to him from now on," Keifer said, shifting slightly against his pillows. A slow, mischievous grin suddenly tugged at the corner of his pale lips. "On one condition."
"No way in hell. Say whatever you want," I snapped back instantly, standing up from the edge of the bed to escape his gaze.
Keifer's brow furrowed as he watched me step away. "Where are you going?"
"To take you out for a walk," I declared, crossing my arms over my chest. "You've been stuck in this bed for days."
Keifer turned his head slightly and pointed toward the window. "Jay... it's night time."
I blinked, turning my head to look out the glass window. The dark, starry night sky stared right back at me, the city lights flickering in the distance.
"Oh, yeah..." I muttered, feeling a sudden wave of embarrassment wash over me as I rubbed the back of my neck.
"Where's my phone?" Keifer asked, his hand patting around the white bedsheets and checking the side table.
"It was right here a while ago," I said, stepping closer to help him search. I looked around the blanket, the small nightstand, and under the edges of the mattress. "Weird..." I muttered, failing to spot it anywhere.
"Oh, found it," Keifer said softly, reaching his arm under his pillow and pulling out his sleek black phone.
"Okay, good," I said.
I turned around, about to sit back down on the hard plastic visitor's chair beside his bed, when Keifer's hand shot out. Before I could even react, his strong arm wrapped firmly around my waist and pulled me straight onto the bed beside him.
"Keifer! The bed is way too small!" I gasped, my cheeks flushing bright red as my hands instinctively landed on his chest to balance myself.
"It's fine. We'll both fit," he murmured smoothly, loosening his grip on my waist just enough to give me room to adjust.
He tilted his head slightly, his dark eyes searching mine. "Or where else were you planning to sleep, huh?"
"On the couch," I replied, pointing my thumb toward the small leather sofa resting against the far wall.
"No way. Your back will hurt. Sleep here," Keifer commanded softly, leaving no room for argument.
"For the past five days, I've literally been sleeping on that couch!" I argued, looking at him incredulously.
"Well, I wasn't awake during those five days," Keifer shot back, his gaze softening as he gently pulled me closer. "If I was awake, I never would've let you sleep over there."
Without giving me another chance to protest, he slowly shifted onto his side and lay down properly against the pillows. He wrapped his arm securely back around my waist, tugging me straight against him. The bed was narrow, but as he pulled me in, my head landed naturally over the top of his arm, his other hand coming around to pull me firmly against his chest.
"Keifer..." I whispered anxiously, my breath hitching as I felt how close we were. "Your stitches... I'm going to hurt you."
"It's okay. Just sleep," he murmured softly.
He reached up with his free hand and gently guided my head, tucking it neatly right under his chin. I could feel the steady, rhythmic rise and fall of his chest beneath my palm, his warm breath lightly brushing against the top of my hair, completely wrapping me in his warmth.
The End 🌸.
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