Jay POV
The house felt different when we got back.
Not heavy like the police station.
Just… tired.
I dropped my bag near the stairs. "Hex. Kitchen. Now."
He stopped mid-step. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me. Go help Aunty Gemma."
"I just came back from emotional trauma."
"And now you're entering culinary trauma," I replied calmly.
"I don't cook."
"You do this week."
He groaned dramatically and dragged himself toward the kitchen.
Aries was at the dining table, head down, writing.
Without looking up, he said, "Don't you guys have assignments?"
I froze.
Keifer froze.
"…We do," I admitted.
Aries finally looked up. "So why are you walking around like retired people?"
I narrowed my eyes at him. "Mind your business."
He went back to writing. "Just saying. Failing because of romance would be embarrassing."
Keifer coughed to hide a laugh.
I ignored both of them and headed upstairs to grab my math book.
The moment I stepped into my room—
Keifer followed.
I turned. "What are you doing here?"
He leaned against the door frame casually. "Assisting you with your work."
I blinked. "Who said I can't solve math?"
He shrugged. "Still."
I rolled my eyes and walked to my desk.
I opened the book and started solving an equation.
x² + 5x – 6 = 0.
Easy.
But I could feel it.
His stare.
"Stop staring," I said without looking up.
"I'm not."
"You are."
"I'm appreciating academic excellence."
I glared at him.
He smirked.
I went back to solving.
He walked closer.
Too close.
He leaned on my desk, one hand planted beside my notebook.
"You know," he said softly, "I heard you like maths...."
I froze.
"…What?"
"So what's the sum of U+Me?"
My pen paused mid-air.
"Keifer," I said slowly, "that was terrible."
"Really okay "
"Give me just a FRACTION of your heart and I will SOLVE all of your problems."
I froze completely
"Your crazy "
"But it worked," he replied.
I could feel heat crawling up my cheeks.
I looked back down at my book.
"I'm doing my assignment."
He leaned closer. "You're blushing."
"I'm not."
"You are."
I tried focusing.
Find two numbers that multiply to negative six and add to five.
Instead, my brain was malfunctioning.
"Don't you have to go home?" I asked quickly.
He smiled. "No. I want to taste Hex's cooking first."
I laughed softly. "True. Let's go see if the kitchen survived."
I stood up.
Before I could walk past him—
He caught my hand.
Pulled me slightly closer.
My breath hitched.
He didn't say anything at first.
Just looked at me.
The teasing faded.
Something softer replaced it.
"You look lighter today," he said quietly.
I swallowed. "Do I?"
"A little."
His thumb brushed lightly over my fingers.
The room felt smaller.
Warmer.
Dangerously quiet.
"You're distracting me," I whispered.
"That was the plan."
I rolled my eyes but didn't pull away.
Instead…
I stepped closer.
Just slightly.
"You're impossible," I said.
"And yet you keep letting me in your room."
Before I could overthink it—
I leaned up and gave him a quick peck on the lips.
Soft.
Quick.
Intentional.
His eyes widened slightly.
I stepped back immediately.
"Let's go check on Chef Hex," I said casually, walking toward the door.
Behind me, I heard him whisper, "…I definitely need to stay for dinner."