Sunlight streamed faintly through the gauzy curtains, warming the edge of the bed before Lexie stirred. The first thing she registered was warmth — the solid weight of Mark's arm draped over her waist, the slow rise and fall of his chest behind her, and the comforting scratch of the sweater he somehow never took off completely the night before.
A sleepy smile touched her lips. She burrowed into the pillow, still too drowsy to move.
Then came a knock.
Not a polite one.
It was followed by a very familiar voice.
"I'm counting to five, and if you're not out here, I'm opening the door!" Alexis sing-songed from outside.
Lexie's eyes flew open. "He's not serious."
Mark groaned behind her, his face buried in the crook of her neck. "He's your brother. Of course he's serious."
"ONE!"
"Alex, don't you dare—!"
"TWO!"
Lexie scrambled upright, yanking the blanket up to her chin. "You have less than three seconds to lock that door—!"
"THREE!"
Mark barely managed to roll out of bed, stubbed his toe on the edge of the nightstand, and hopped toward the door like a wounded deer.
"FOUR—!"
The lock clicked just in time.
Outside, a triumphant laugh. "Cowards!"
Lexie collapsed back onto the pillows, cheeks flushed. "I swear, I'm going to kill him."
Mark was grinning now, his chest shaking with sleepy laughter."This is payback, isn't it? For every time I showed up at your place uninvited."
"Or for breathing near my brothers back in middle school," she muttered.
A beat of silence passed before Mark murmured, softer this time, "Worth it."
Lexie's heart skipped — but before she could respond, another voice called from farther down the hallway. Groggy. Confused.
"Did Daddy Mark not sleep beside Mama?"
Lexie slapped a hand over her face.
Mark looked stricken. "I can't face your family after this."
"We're never going to live this down," she muttered through her fingers.
Downstairs, the sound of coffee brewing and her dad's humming to a Christmas carol floated up to the second floor — completely unaware, or maybe willfully ignoring the chaos above. But her mom's voice rang out soon after:
"Breakfast in twenty! And Lexie, if you're hiding boys in your room again, at least make him help set the table!"
Lexie groaned into the pillow. Mark, already pulling his sweater back on, chuckled helplessly.
"You still sure you want to be part of this family?" he teased, hair sticking up in all directions.
Lexie rolled to her side, reached for his hand. "Always."
* * *
"Mama, Lola says we can put butter and condensed milk in the pandesal!" Ethan shouted triumphantly from the kitchen island, already halfway through his second plate. "Daddy Mark! Let's it!"
Lexie winced as they entered the kitchen. Mark trailed behind her, his sweater inside out and slightly askew.
"Oh, good morning, Romeo," Xander said sweetly, biting into a fried egg with all the smugness of someone who'd definitely heard hallway footsteps last night. "Sleep well? Or, I don't know—loudly?"
"Kuya (oppa)—!" Lexie gasped.
Her mom, graceful and composed as ever, didn't look up from arranging food. "He's teasing. Ignore him," she said lightly — while scooping an extra heap of rice onto Mark's plate with practiced subtlety. No big speech. Just quiet, Filipino-mom-style approval.
Mark slid into the seat beside Ethan, who immediately leaned into him and held up his spoon like an offering. "Daddy, you can have the last longganisa. I already ate three."
Lexie's heart softened, watching them. But the peace didn't last long.
Her dad wandered in with his mug of coffee — and that dangerous glint in his eye reserved for boyfriends caught in compromising positions. He took one look at Mark's tousled hair and inside-out sweater, then raised a brow at Lexie.
"Well," he said dryly. "At least he didn't sneak out the window like those boys in K-dramas."
Lexie nearly choked on her juice. "Dad! Not you too."
Mark went beet red, clearly wishing he could disappear into the floor. Haejun didn't help, poking at Mark's collar.
"You know your sweater's inside out, right? Or is that... a fashion statement?"
"I—I was cold," Mark mumbled. "Didn't check."
"Uh-huh," her dad replied, grinning.
Through the laughter and teasing, Lexie glanced across the table. Her mom caught her eye — and gave her the smallest, quietest smile.
No judgment. No questions. Just... understanding.
As if to say: I trust you. I see you.
And for Lexie, in the middle of the madness, that was more than enough.
~~ 끝 ~~