Kael narrowed his eyes at Leo, face flushed a soft pink from both the cold water and the growing embarrassment.
His jaw clenched as he muttered under his breath,
"Sweetheart my ass."
With a sharp exhale and towel draped over his head, he turned on his heel and stormed off toward his room.
The squish of his wet socks on the floor followed his retreat, leaving a trail of water behind like a wounded (but still hot) warrior escaping the battlefield.
His shoulders were tense, and the slight tremble in his hands betrayed how utterly flustered he was beneath that pissed-off façade.
The door slammed shut behind him.
Everyone stood frozen for a second.
Leo blinked… and then slowly turned his head toward Nova, who was already glaring at him like he had personally offended every cell in her body.
Leo raised both hands innocently, voice lower now, almost sheepish.
"So... what do I do now?"
Nova didn't blink.
She folded her arms across her chest and tilted her head slightly, voice dry as a desert.
"Go get him some clothes before he burns the entire building down. Jace's closet. You're lucky he didn't punch you."
Leo nodded once, almost serious—almost.
He turned to Jace, who was standing off to the side, arms crossed, frown deeper than the Mariana Trench.
"Hey, can I—"
Jace didn't even let him finish. He huffed, turned on his heel, and snapped,
"Follow me before I regret being born into this friend group."
Leo, unfazed as ever, grinned and jogged after him like a mischievous puppy.
"Thanks, bestie. You're so generous," he teased.
Jace growled under his breath.
"If I see your eyes drifting where they shouldn't again, I'll throw you out the window. Second floor or not."
Meanwhile, Nova pinched the bridge of her nose, muttering,
"I need a new circle of friends."
Jessi and Zim? Still wheezing.
Thea? Still recording on her phone.
And behind that closed door, Kael sat on the edge of his bed, towel still on his head, muttering,
"Stupid Leo and his stupid eyes…"
And his cheeks? Still burning.
As Leo followed Jace down the hallway, water still dripping from his jeans, he couldn't help but smirk to himself.
"Damn," he whispered under his breath, remembering the sight of Kael's soaked t-shirt clinging to that toned, fair skin like it was painted on.
"Didn't know he was hiding that under all that black hoodie energy."
Jace threw open his wardrobe and turned sharply.
"Here. Take whatever doesn't make you look like you escaped a boyband from hell."
He tossed a dark grey hoodie and sweatpants in Leo's direction without even checking sizes.
Leo caught it with a grin.
"Appreciate the hospitality, bro. Really feeling the warmth."
Jace gave him a look that could've frozen fire.
"You've got two minutes. Change before I decide to 'accidentally' spill something acidic on you."
Meanwhile, in Kael's room, the air was tense—partially from frustration, mostly from internal chaos.
He stood in front of the mirror, towel still around his neck, staring at himself.
"Ugh. Why did I even wear that thin-ass t-shirt?"
He brushed his damp hair back and clenched his fists. His reflection didn't answer, but the pink dusting on his cheeks was still there—mocking him.
There was a soft knock.
"What now?" Kael muttered.
The door creaked open slightly, and Nova peeked in, holding a dry towel and a bottle of water.
"I come in peace," she said, voice softer than usual.
Kael sighed and flopped down on his bed.
"I hate him."
Nova raised an eyebrow and handed him the water.
"You sure? Looked like your heartbeat said otherwise."
He shot her a look, but couldn't fight the way his lips twitched.
"You're all traitors," he muttered.
"Jessi was laughing like a gremlin, Thea was recording, Zim almost passed out, and you… You stood there all 'Leo stop staring at him like he's your midnight snack'."
Nova smiled, leaning against the wall.
"I was being protective."
Kael rolled his eyes.
Meanwhile, Leo stepped out of Jace's room now dressed in a dry hoodie and sweatpants, hair still a mess but somehow still pulling it off like a damn movie star.
He looked around and asked,
"So... where's my favorite grumpy kitten?"
From inside Kael's room came a muffled yell:
"I HEARD THAT!"
Everyone burst into laughter.
Even Leo chuckled to himself.
This was gonna be fun.
Everyone slowly made their way into the hall, one by one — some still chuckling, some acting like nothing had just happened, and some clearly hiding chaos inside.
Kael came last, still drying his damp hair with a towel, face a little flushed but trying to act calm.
He sat at the edge of the couch, arms folded, legs crossed, trying to ignore Leo, who had conveniently taken the seat directly across from him — all casual, like he hadn't just seen Kael's entire Greek god starter pack in a wet t-shirt ten minutes ago.
Nova plopped beside Kael with a smug smile, whispering,
"At least wear armor next time. Or better yet, just stay dry."
Kael elbowed her lightly, whispering back,
"I hope you step on a Lego."
Jessi and Zim were giggling on the bean bag, still scrolling through the blurry photo Jessi had somehow managed to click during the chaos.
"Zim, look! Look at Leo's face! Zoom into his eyes—he was not blinking!"
Zim nearly choked from laughter.
Thea, as usual, tried to act composed but failed — she was sipping juice dramatically from a wine glass like it was some Oscar night,
and every little glance between Kael and Leo had her grinning like a proud fanfiction writer.
Jace, on the other hand, stood behind the couch like a bodyguard, arms crossed, scanning Leo every three seconds like he was just waiting for a reason.
Leo, of course, leaned back in his seat, one arm draped on the sofa armrest, legs spread comfortably, and a ridiculously smug smile on his face.
"So…" he said, looking around. "No one gonna ask why I'm here?"
There was silence for a beat.
Then Nova said,
"We figured you just missed Kael's chest and wanted a second viewing."
Kael: "NOVA!"
Leo just smirked deeper, eyes on Kael.
"I mean... wouldn't mind."
Kael looked like he might explode.
"Okay!" Jace clapped his hands sharply, breaking the chaos. "Ground rules! Leo, you sit two feet away from Kael at all times."
Leo raised a brow, smug as ever.
"That's oddly specific."
"Because I measured it," Jace shot back.
And just like that, the whole hall burst into laughter again — chaos, tension, and a storm of unspoken feelings swirling in the air.
Kael was not ready.
Leo?
He was just getting started.
As the chaotic energy buzzed through the hall, someone suddenly remembered—
"Wait, where's Aven?"
Jessi's eyes lit up.
"Oh-ho-ho! He's still sleeping upstairs!"
Nova grinned like a criminal mastermind.
"Wakey-wakey time."
Before Kael could stop them, Jessi, Zim, and Thea rushed toward Aven's room like a team on a covert mission.
A few minutes later, muffled giggles and shuffling sounds were heard—followed by a BLOP sound and a very loud, very confused scream:
"WHO THE—?!?"
Thud.
Aven yelling.
More screaming.
And finally—
"JESSI, I SWEAR I'LL—"
The trio returned to the hall, completely unbothered, Zim wiping foam off her fingers, Jessi holding an empty whipped cream can, and Thea looking like she just came back from war — victorious.
Aven stormed in next, half-asleep, hair standing in weird directions, face
covered in whipped cream and holding a wet pillow like a weapon.
"Y'all are actual demons."
Everyone broke into laughter. Even Kael, who had been fuming moments ago, had to bite his lip to stop the smile.
Nova clapped Aven on the back.
"Welcome to the land of the living, sunshine."
Leo leaned back even further and laughed.
"This group's insane. I love it."
Kael, still trying to act annoyed, muttered under his breath,
"You're not supposed to love it."
But Leo just looked at him with a smirk,
"Too late."
The house was filled with chaos, dripping sarcasm, whipped cream, wet t-shirts, and very questionable friendships but damn, it felt like home.