Early in the morning, Thea was heading downstairs when she noticed Kael's door was slightly open. Curiosity sparked in her eyes, and she slowed her steps. Quietly, she peeked inside—and froze.
Two figures were lying on the bed.
Her eyes widened, and she quickly tiptoed backward, rushing to find Nova. "Come here, quick," she whispered urgently, grabbing her friend's wrist and pulling her along.
Nova looked confused but followed. When they reached the doorway, both girls leaned in carefully, like they were spies on a secret mission.
Inside, the scene was unexpectedly… soft. Kael was sleeping peacefully, his arm wrapped around Leo's as if it were a pillow. Leo's face was relaxed, his expression calm and almost gentle in sleep.
Thea's lips curled into a mischievous grin, and she silently pulled out her phone. She crouched a little, angling the camera just right, and click—she took a photo of the two, bundled under the blanket.
The girls exchanged a glance, trying to hold back their giggles, then quietly backed out of the room, their eyes sparkling with the kind of mischief that promised they were definitely going to tease Kael later.
Outside the room, Nova quietly closed the door. She glanced at Thea, lowering her voice. "If Jace sees this, he'll definitely lose it."
Thea smirked. "Yeah… that's true."
A shared grin passed between them, and without another word, the two headed to the living room. Moments later, loud music blasted through the house—thumping beats echoing off the walls like it was a mini disco party at sunrise.
Jessi stumbled downstairs first, rubbing her eyes and muttering, "What's going on this early…?" But before anyone could answer, a thud sounded from upstairs—Zim, still half-asleep, had bolted upright in her bed at the sudden noise.
Her messy hair flew everywhere as she scrambled down the stairs, eyes wide.
"What the hell—!?" she yelped, clearly spooked.
Then came the storm. Jace appeared at the top of the stairs, his face dark with irritation.
"WHO is responsible for this?" His voice was sharp enough to cut through the music.
Without waiting for a reply, he stomped down, dragging a still-groggy Aven by the wrist.
"You're coming with me to shut this down," Jace growled.
Upstairs, the noise reached Kael's room. Half-awake, Kael frowned, his brows knitting in annoyance. But instead of getting up, he just shifted slightly… and to his own surprise, found himself snugged closer into Leo's arms. Leo didn't stir—still breathing evenly, warm and steady. Kael's irritation faded into drowsiness, and he muttered something under his breath before letting his eyes close again.
But then, in the middle of the muffled chaos downstairs, Kael's eyes slowly blinked open. For a second, his sleepy brain didn't process the fact that his arm felt… unusually warm. When his vision cleared, he froze—his cheek had been resting against Leo's chest, and Leo's arm was loosely draped over him like it belonged there.
Kael's eyes widened. Wait—what the hell?!
A jolt of shock shot through him, fully waking him up. He quickly pulled himself back, sitting upright on the bed, his heartbeat thudding in his ears. The sudden movement made Leo stir, his lashes fluttering open. "Mm… what's wrong?" he mumbled, still half-asleep.
"You—" Kael stammered, pointing at him, "were—sleeping—too close!"
Leo stretched lazily, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "Relax, it's not like I bit you."
Kael rolled his eyes, grabbing his water bottle just to avoid looking at him. But Leo, unfazed, swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. "Come on," he said casually, "sounds like the house is about to explode. Let's go before someone blames us too."
Kael sighed, still feeling that weird, lingering warmth where Leo's arm had been. Shaking it off, he followed him out. The two descended the stairs together—Kael trying to act normal, Leo looking annoyingly at ease—as the morning chaos unfolded in full force below.
Nova and Thea were in the living room, laughing manically like two villains who had just pulled off the perfect crime. Their eyes sparkled with mischief, and the memory of the morning's "photo mission" still had them grinning ear to ear.
Aven, sitting nearby, noticed Leo walking in with Kael. His brow furrowed instantly. "Where did you sleep?" he asked, his voice a mix of suspicion and curiosity.
The air went awkward for a second. Kael swallowed, avoiding eye contact. Before he could open his mouth, Leo answered smoothly, "Under the bed—Aven kicked me down in his sleep."
Thea smirked, leaning against the wall. "This man is not the type to share a bed," she commented knowingly.
"I know," thea said, exchanging a sly look with her.
Leo turned to Thea with an amused tilt of his head. "devilish how u know that."
"I didn't I guessed," Thea shot back, rolling her eyes.
Just then, Jessi trudged down the stairs, still half-asleep, dragging Zim along behind her. Zim's hair was messy, her eyes half-closed, and she muttered something incoherent about the noise. Jessi gave a sleepy sigh. "So… breakfast?"
Leo flashed a teasing smile toward Jace. "Don't worry, Jace will do it for us."
Jace, completely missing the sarcasm, straightened up with misplaced confidence. "Okay, bring it on me."
Nova stifled her laughter while Thea gave her a discreet high-five, the unspoken "mission accomplished" hanging in the air.
Jace marched into the kitchen like he was stepping into a battlefield, sleeves rolled up, eyes narrowed with laser focus. Master Chef mode: activated. He started pulling out pans and ingredients with dramatic precision, every movement sharp enough to make it look like a cooking show.
Everyone else stood at the doorway or leaned on counters, watching him like they were witnessing some sacred ritual.
From the couch, Thea smirked. "Hey, Kael—help your twin."
Kael's head snapped toward her, his brow knitting in irritation. "He is not my twin. Get it?"
Thea froze for a split second, then her grin widened even more. Beside her, Leo raised an eyebrow and leaned toward her with a curious spark in his eyes. The two exchanged a glance—a silent Wait… what? passing between them.
"How's that possible?" Thea whispered under her breath, still keeping her eyes on Kael.
Leo, equally baffled, whispered back, "They're in the same class, so they must be twins…"
Thea's lips twitched, clearly fighting the urge to tease Kael further. Leo's gaze lingered on Kael for a moment longer, as if he was trying to spot any difference that could break their theory.
Kael, catching the loAfter a solid twenty minutes of sizzling, chopping, and the occasional clang of utensils, Jace finally stepped back from the stove. In front of him, the counter was covered in perfectly plated dishes—fluffy pancakes stacked high, eggs cooked just right, toast golden and crisp, and a side of fresh fruit arranged so neatly it looked like it came from a five-star hotel menu.
When he placed the plates on the table, everyone just… froze. Eyes widened, jaws dropped.
Thea blinked twice. "Did we… just time-travel to a luxury brunch café?"
Leo tilted his head, staring at the pancakes like they might disappear if he blinked. "I suddenly feel underdressed for breakfast."
Nova—already reaching for a fork—murmured, "I'd marry whoever made this… Oh wait, that's Jace, never mind."
Kael sat back in his chair, a smug smile tugging at his lips. "Told you," he said, pride lacing his voice. "My brother can actually cook."
Jace shot him a playful glare over his shoulder. "Not your twin, huh?"
Kael rolled his eyes but couldn't hide the small, satisfied grin. Meanwhile, Thea leaned toward Leo, whispering dramatically, "I think Kael's just proud because this means he won't have to eat his own cooking anymore."
Kael threw her a don't test me look, but the corner of his mouth still twitched upward.
And just like that, everyone dug in—half of them making happy little noises after each bite, the other half too busy eating to even speak.
ok, sighed sharply and muttered, "Stop staring at me like that. And no—still not his twin."
Leo chuckled under his breath, Thea stifled a laugh, and Jace… kept cooking, completely oblivious to the identity crisis being plotted behind his back.