| Author POV |
Keifer walked into the living room like a man stepping onto a battlefield he'd already won. He ignored the chaos—the discarded pickles, the piles of silk blankets, and the weeping brothers. He walked straight to the floor where Jay Jay was huddled.
He knelt down, his movements slow and deliberate. "Hey," he whispered, his voice dropping into that velvet-soft, deep tone that only Jay Jay got to hear. "Why is my panda sitting on the hardwood?"
Jay Jay looked up, her lower lip trembling. She looked like a baby bird that had fallen out of a very expensive nest. "Because the sofa lied to me, Keifer," she whispered back, her voice tiny and cute. "It tried to eat meeeee."
"I'll handle the sofa later," Keifer murmured, reaching out to gently tuck a messy strand of hair behind her ear. His touch was so light it was like he was handling glass. "I brought the 80% cocoa. And I fixed the shower. It's sitting at a perfect 38.5."
Jay Jay sniffled, looking into his eyes. Then, she pulled back, her face turning into a mask of adorable, dramatic fury. "I want a divorce!"
The room exploded.
"A DIVORCE?!" Angelo roared, leaping over a coffee table. "WHEN DID YOU TWO GET MARRIED?! I WILL KILL YOU, KEIFER! I WILL LITERALLY END YOU! THERE WAS NO PROPOSAL! THERE WAS NO CONTRACT! THERE IS NO MARRIAGE STAY AWAY FROM MY SISTER!"
Eman leaned over to Rory, whispering loudly, "To be fair, the way he handles her cravings is legally binding in at least three countries."
"I bet the wedding cake was 80% dark cocoa and salt," Adrix added with a grin.
"I'm serious!" Jay Jay wailed, ignoring her brothers and pointing a small finger at Keifer's chest. "You left me! You left me with people who don't know that yellow mangoes are a sin! I want a divorce, and I'm taking the heavy blanket!"
Keifer didn't flinch at Angelo's death threats or Jay Jay's drama. He just leaned in closer, his voice getting even softer, more intimate. "You can't divorce me, Jay. Who else is going to toast the marshmallows until they're exactly gold-brown? Your brothers?"
Jay Jay glanced at Percy, who was currently trying to figure out how a microwave worked. She shuddered. "No. He'd probably set the house on fire."
"Exactly," Keifer whispered, a ghost of a smirk on his lips. "So, no divorce. Just a nap."
"Oooooh," Ella squealed, clutching Freya and Honey. "Did you hear that voice? It's like melted chocolate. I'd let him manage my water temperature any day."
"He's not an assistant, he's a therapist with a thermometer," Mica giggled, while Graze and Raki took notes on the 'divorce' proceedings.
"CAN EVERYONE STOP BEING ROMANTIC?!" Aries yelled, throwing a pillow at Felix and Calix. "HE IS TWENTY! SHE IS SEVENTEEN! THERE IS NO MARRIAGE! KEIFER, STEP AWAY FROM THE MY SISTER!"
"Shut up, Horoscope!" Jay Jay snapped, her mood swinging back to 'Cute Boss' mode.
She reached out and grabbed Keifer's hand, lacing her fingers with his. "He's not stepping away. He's carrying me to the 38.5-degree water. And if you yell at him, I'll divorce you too!"
"You can't divorce your brothers, Jay!" Blaster shouted from the kitchen.
"Watch me!" Jay Jay stuck her tongue out at Angelo, who looked like he was having a stroke.
Yuri sighed, watching Keifer effortlessly lift Jay Jay into his arms. "Well, that's that. The 'Titan' has been tamed by a man who knows the difference between sea salt and table salt."
Kit and Mayo nodded in sync. "We really are just the amateurs," they whispered.
The atmosphere in the Farnandez manor shifted from a battlefield to a high-stakes science lab the second Keifer stepped in. He didn't just turn on the shower he just look it carefully.
"It's ready, Jay," he called out, his voice a low, soothing hum that acted like a physical sedative on her frayed nerves.
"Is it... exactly?" Jay Jay sniffled, peering over the edge of her weighted blanket like a cautious kitten.
"To the decimal point," Keifer promised, holding out a hand to help her up. "I know your skin feels like it's made of paper right now. I won't let it sting."
"Oooooh, look at him," Honey whispered from the hallway, where the Section E girls were huddled in a pack. "He knows the exact thermodynamics of her period sensitivity. That is a man written by a woman."
"I bet his love language is 'Adjusting the Water Pressure,'" Ella giggled, nudging Freya.
While Jay Jay was in the shower, Keifer moved to the small kitchenette. He didn't use the pre-mixed packets. He pulled out raw 80% cocoa powder, a pinch of sea salt, and a dash of cinnamon.
"Watch him," Eman whispered to Rory and Adrix. "He's tempering the chocolate. He's not just making a drink; he's making a mood stabilizer."
"If he puts a toasted marshmallow on that, I'm legally changing my name to Keifer Jr.," Blaster added.
When Jay Jay finally emerged, wrapped in a fluffy robe and looking like a scrubbed, pink-cheeked toddler, she didn't look for a chair.
She looked at the massive marble dining table and pouted. "Everything is too low. I feel like I'm sinking."
Without a word, Keifer lifted her up and sat her directly on the dining table. He pulled a chair out for himself, sitting right in front of her so they were eye-level.
"I want divorce!" Jay Jay said suddenly, her mood swinging again as she looked at the cup of cocoa. "You left me for four days! That's basically abandonment!"
"WHEN DID YOU TWO GET MARRIED?!" Angelo screamed from the doorway, his face turning a dangerous shade of purple. "KEIFER, IF YOU MARRY MY SISTER WITHOUT A THREE-YEAR ENGAGEMENT PERIOD, I WILL KILL YOU! I WILL END YOUR LINEAGE!"
"Shut up, Angelo!" Tita hissed. "Can't you see they're having a moment? The 'divorce' is part of the foreplay!"
"It's not foreplay, it's a tantrum!" Aries groaned, rubbing his temples.
Keifer ignored the yelling. He picked up the spoon, blew on the dark, rich cocoa, and held it to Jay Jay's lips. "Drink, jay. The salt cuts the bitterness."
Jay Jay took a sip, her eyes widening as the perfect temperature and flavor hit her. Her dramatic anger melted into a soft, tiny smile. She leaned forward, resting her forehead against Keifer's.
"Okay," she whispered, her voice the cutest it had been all day. "No divorce. But you have to feed me the whole thing. And you have to promise the Miles deal doesn't get to see you until I'm done being dramatic."
"The Miles deal can wait," Keifer murmured, feeding her another spoonful. "I'm busy with the CEO."
"He's literally feeding her on the table," Yuri sighed, clutching her heart. "This is either the peak of romance or the weirdest performance review in corporate history."
"I'm voting for romance," Kit and Mayo said in unison.
[̲̅$̲̅(̲̅Keifer's)̲̅$̲̅]
I locked the door, finally blocking out the noise from the hallway. Outside, Ella and Freya were practically vibrating. "He's giving her the hoodie! It's happening!" Ella squealed.
Angelo's voice boomed right against the wood: "Keifer, if I hear a single zipper, I'm breaking this door down with my bare hands!"
I ignored them. I only had eyes for the tiny, shivering "Titan" in front of me.
Jay Jay stood in the center of the room in just her black bra and panties, looking absolutely devastating. Her eyes were glassy with tears, and her lower lip was stuck out so far it was a miracle she could still speak.
I didn't care. My focus was entirely on the girl standing by the bed.Jay Jay looked like a tiny, beautiful disaster. She had already started tugging at her clothes, her skin so sensitive from the hormones that even the finest silk felt like sandpaper to her. I stepped in to help, moving with a practiced, clinical slowness.
I knew her routine—on these nights, she couldn't stand the feeling of fabric touching her skin. It made her feel trapped, "too hot," and "itchy."One by one, I helped her out of her layers until she was completely bare. I reached for the heavy, cool sheets to tuck her in, but suddenly, the air was filled with a pathetic, high-pitched wail.
"WAAAAAH! Keifer! No! I changed my mind!"I froze, looking down at her. She was standing there, completely naked, shivering not from the cold, but from pure, unadulterated drama.
She looked impossibly cute—her cheeks flushed pink, her hair a wild mess, and her bottom lip trembling like a leaf in a storm."I want my panty and bra!" she sobbed, clutching her stomach. "It's my period day! I feel... I feel like a spilled soup! I need to be held together! AHHHHH!"
"Jay, two minutes ago you said clothes were 'the enemy of the state,'" I reminded her softly, my voice a low, grounding hum.
"That was two minutes ago! I'm a different person now!" she shrieked, her eyes wide and swimming with tears. "I want a divorce! You're trying to make me sleep like a cavewoman! You forgot I'm fragile! You're removing my clothes to humiliate the CEOOOO!"
"I want a divorce!" she announced, her voice a high-pitched, adorable squeak. "And I want... I want the alomanopy!"
I paused, tilting my head. "The what, Jay?"
"The alomanopy! The money you pay me because you're a bad husband who left me with yellow mangoes!"
"It's alimony, Jay," I corrected softly, my voice dropping into that low, velvet hum that always made her shoulders drop just a fraction.
"Whatever! I want it!" she wailed, stomping her foot. "And I don't want money! For my alomonpy, I want your all hoodies. Every single one. Especially the one you're wearing right now. It smells like you and safety."
There's no ceremony, no big white dress, and no legal document. Just us, the hoodie, and the fact that I can't imagine a version of my future where you aren't the main character.
She took a shaky step toward me, looking so small and cute it made my chest tight. "And I want my army. I want the big panda, the brown bears, the Snorlax, and every single soft toy you bought for me last time I was on my period. You said they were to 'protect' me, but you aren't here to lead themMM!"
"I'm here now," I murmured. I didn't hesitate. I pulled my own hoodie over my head and handed it to her.
She snatched it, diving into the fabric. She looked like a little mushroom, the sleeves dangling a foot past her hands. She looked up at me, her face framed by the giant hood, looking incredibly precious. "More," she whispered. "Bring the Snorlax. He's the only one who understands my stomach cramps."
I moved through the room, gathering the stuffed animals. I piled the giant panda, the bears, and the massive Snorlax onto the bed until it was a fortress of fluff.
"Oooooh, he's building her a nest!" Mica whispered loudly from the keyhole. "He's the Alimony King!"
"I WILL KILL HIM!" Angelo shrieked. "THAT SNORLAX WAS A GIFT FROM THE FAMILY!"
"No, it wasn't, Angelo, Keifer bought it!" Honey snapped back.
I ignored the peanut gallery. I lifted Jay Jay and tucked her right into the center of the plush mountain. She snuggled into the Snorlax, clutching my hoodie to her nose.
"You're still a mean husband," she mumbled, her eyes already half-closed. "But I'll put the divorce on hold... as long as you stay right here and hold the Snorlax's hand."
"We're not married yet my love,still I'm not going anywhere, Jay," I whispered, sitting on the edge of the bed and resting my hand on the giant plush's paw, which was resting on her.
I locked the door, finally muting the madness in the hallway. Outside, Ella was whispering, "The silence is suspicious!" while Angelo growled, "If he's not out in five minutes, I'm calling a locksmith and a priest!"
I didn't care. I turned back to Jay Jay, who was a tiny, trembling mess of hormones and heartache. Suddenly, she kicked off the hoodie, standing there in just her black panties, looking so fragile it made my chest ache. She lunged at me, her small hands clutching my waist as she buried her face in my sternum.
"I'm so sensitive, Keifer," she sobbed, her voice a tiny, cute croak. "Everything hurts. The air hurts. Being a CEO hurtsSSS—"
I didn't let her finish the scream. I leaned down and captured her lips with mine, a soft, grounding kiss that tasted like the dark chocolate she'd had earlier. It wasn't a "Titan" kiss, it was a promise. Her wail died instantly into a surprised, muffled hum. She melted against me, her fingers tangling in my hair as the tension finally bled out of her small frame.
"No more screaming, Butterfly 🦋," I murmured against her lips. "Just breathe."
I carefully lifted her, settling us both into the mountain of stuffed animals. I leaned back against the headboard, and she immediately crawled onto my lap, tucking her head under my chin. She was so small, her skin warm and soft against mine.
"I still want a divorce," she whispered, her eyes already drooping. "But only if you come with me in the settlement."
As she drifted off, her hands began to wander with a sleepy, restless energy. She fumbled with the buttons of my shirt, her brow furrowed in concentration even in her daze. "Too much fabric," she grumbled. "It's... it's a barrier to my alomanopy."
I helped her, unbuttoning the shirt and tossing it aside. She let out a contented little sigh, pressing her cheek directly against my bare chest. The feeling of her skin—soft, warm, and finally relaxed—against mine was the only thing that mattered.
Outside, Mica whispered, "I think he's shirtless now. I felt a disturbance in the Force."
"I AM GOING TO KILL HIM!" Angelo hissed, but he kept his voice low, terrified of waking the sleeping dragon.
Jay Jay's breathing finally evened out into a deep, rhythmic sleep. She was cocooned between my bare skin, a giant Snorlax, and a mountain of pillows. For the first time in three days, the Titan was at peace.
______________________________
[̲̅$̲̅(̲̅Keifer POV)̲̅$̲̅]
At 5:00 PM, the "Titan" finally stirred. The fever had broken, but the lingering ache in her body made her move like a little wounded bird. We retreated to the private theater room—a dark, plush sanctuary where the noise of the brothers and the Section E girls couldn't reach us.
We weren't watching the movie. The screen was a blur of colors, but the room was pitch-black and silent. Jay Jay was sitting on my lap, her back against my chest, wrapped in my softest hoodie. She was unusually quiet, her head lolling back against my shoulder.
"They hurt, Keifer," she whispered, her voice tiny and sweet, reaching back to grab my hand. "My chest... it feels heavy and tight. Like they're angry at me."
"I know, baby," I murmured, my voice dropping into that deep, private hum meant only for her. I knew how sensitive she got during her
cycle—how every inch of her felt tender and overworked. "I've got you. Just relax for your Keifer,hmm?"
"Umm"
I slid my hands under the hem of the hoodie, finding the soft skin underneath. My palms were warm—I'd made sure of it—as I began a slow, rhythmic massage. I moved with agonizing care, using the base of my palms to ease the tension in her breasts, circling gently to soothe the sharp aches she always complained about.
"Mmm," Jay Jay whimpered, her body finally turning into putty in my arms. She leaned her head back, her eyes closing as she melted into the sensation. "You have magic hands. You should be a doctor instead of a tycoon."
"I'm only a doctor for you, Jay," I whispered into her ear, my thumbs tracing slow, calming patterns. "Is that better? Does my CEO feel a bit lighter now?"
"Yes," she pouted, her voice thick with sleepiness. "But I'm still thinking about that divorce. You're making it very hard to leave you when you do this."
"You aren't going anywhere," I said, my voice possessive but soft. "Who else is going to take care of my baby girl when she's this grumpy? Who else knows exactly where it hurts?"
Outside the theater doors, the Section E girls were huddled. "Honey, can you hear anything?" Ella whispered. "Mica says the silence means he's doing 'The Technique.'"
"I don't care about techniques!" Angelo hissed, pacing the hallway with a bag of popcorn he was crushing in his fist. "It's been an hour! They're in the dark! I'm going in!"
"You go in there and ruin her nap, and she'll fire you from the family, kuya," Yuri warned, pulling him back by his shirt collar.
Inside, Jay Jay didn't hear them. She was far away, safe in the dark, tethered to the world only by the warmth of my hands and the steady beat of my heart against her back.
"I love you, Keifer," she mumbled, her hands coming up to rest over mine, holding them in place against her chest. "Even if you're a bossy husband."
"I love you until the scientist find the end of the universe, Jay," I whispered, pulling her closer and never letting the rhythm of my hands break.
The heavy, regal scent of oud and sandalwood was thick enough to taste, swirling around us in the pitch-black theater. I didn't care that the door had swung open. I didn't care that I could hear Angelo's heavy breathing and Percy's confused sniffing just a few feet away.
My focus was entirely beneath the fabric of my hoodie. My hands were slick with the warm oil, my fingers moving in deep, careful circles. I could feel the softness of her breasts, heavy and tender from her cycle, now slick and warm as I pressed into the muscle to ease the ache.
She felt like silk and heat in my hands, her body finally surrendering to the relief.
"I can smell it," Angelo hissed, his voice dangerously close. "That's the royal oud. He's definitely doing it. He's using the oil. Keifer, if your hands are anywhere but her shoulders, I'm going to—"
"I'm opening the lights!" Aries barked, his footsteps stomping toward the wall panel. "This is getting too quiet and smells too much like a palace bedroom!"
"No! AHHHHH!" Jay Jay suddenly wailed, her giggle turning into a heartbroken, dramatic sob. She clung to my wrists under the hoodie, making sure I didn't pull my hands away from her chest. "You don't love me! You want to hurt my eyes with the big lights! You want the Titan to be blind!"
"Jay, we just want to see if you're okay!" Percy pleaded.
"You don't!" she shrieked, burying her face in my neck while I continued the rhythmic, oiled pressure. "If you loved me, you'd let Keifer finish the alomanopy massage! You're just jealous because you don't have royal oil! You hate your sister!"
"She's right, you guys are being really unsupportive," Ella whispered loudly from the back. Mica added, "Yeah, the scent is calming her. If you turn on the lights, you'll break the 'vibe.'"
"I AM THE VIBE!" Angelo roared.
I leaned down, my lips brushing her temple as my hands stayed locked in their task, feeling her incredible softness against my palms.
"Ignore them," I murmured, my voice a dark, protective rumble. "I've got you. They aren't touching the lights. Not while I'm here."
"See?" Jay Jay sniffled cutely, leaning back into my chest as I kneaded the last of the tension away. "Keifer is the only one who cares about my biological rhythm. You guys just care about light switches. Go away! I'm busy being royal!"
"She's literally liquid right now," Yuri giggled. "You guys lost to a bottle of sandalwood."
I stood up from the theater chair with Jay Jay securely in my arms. She was a warm, oiled, and completely relaxed weight against my chest, her head tucked under my chin like I was her personal fortress.
As I walked toward the exit, the theater lights flickered on, revealing the "ambush" in all its pathetic glory. Angelo, Aries, and Percy were standing there with flashlights and crossed arms, looking like they were ready to interrogate a criminal. Behind them, the Section E girls—Ella, Mica, and Honey—were practically vibrating with excitement.
"Step aside," I said, my voice dropping into that cold, "Titan" frequency that even her brothers didn't dare challenge. "Jay is resting."
"She's covered in oud, Keifer!" Angelo hissed, pointing a finger at us. "She looks like she's been marinated!"
Jay Jay opened one eye, looking at her brothers with a sleepy, adorable pout. "I'm a royal marinated Titan," she mumbled, sticking her tongue out. "Keifer, take me away from the amateurs. They smell like popcorn and disappointment."
"Oooooh," Mica whispered, "The Alimony King is making his move!"
I carried her past them without a second glance, my stride steady as I reached her bedroom. I laid her down on the bed—the one with the "honest" floor-mat nearby just in case—and began the final phase of her recovery.
"On your stomach, Jay," I murmured.
She obeyed instantly, groaning happily as she sank into the pillows. I poured a fresh bit of the royal oil into my hands, the scent filling the room again. I started at her shoulders, my thumbs digging into the knots from forty-eight hours of stress, then moved down to her spine. I traced every vertebra with careful, oiled pressure, kneading the muscles of her waist where the period cramps always pulled the tightest.
"Mmm, Keifer..." she whimpered, her voice a soft, muffled honey. "Don't stop. I'll give you the whole company for the alomanopy."
"Just sleep, baby," I whispered.
I moved to her legs, massaging the calves that were tired from pacing the office, then her hands, and finally, I sat at the head of the bed to massage her scalp. My fingers moved through her hair in slow, rhythmic circles.
By the time I reached her temples, her breathing had evened out. The "Titan" was finally, truly asleep. She was a soft, scented, and peaceful seventeen-year-old girl again.
I stayed there for a moment, watching her. No boardroom, no Miles deal, no screaming. Just her.
I lifted her from the bed, though she groaned and tried to burrow deeper into the Snorlax. "Bath time, Jay. We need to get the oil off so your skin can breathe."
"Nooo," she wailed softly, her eyes still closed. "I want to stay royal. I want to be a scented statue. Keifer, I'm firing you! I'm divorcing you! You're trying to drown the CEO!"
"I'm not drowning you, baby," I murmured, carrying her into the en-suite where I had already set the water to a perfect 38.5 degrees. "I'm making sure my little Titan is fresh. Just relax for your Keifer."
Despite her adorable protests, I sat her in the warm water. She pouted, her lower lip trembling as she looked at me through her messy bangs. I ignored her tiny tantrums and reached for the shampoo, beginning to massage her scalp with slow, rhythmic circles.
"Is that good, Jay?" I whispered, my voice dropping into that sweet, private baby talk she only got when we were alone. "Does my bossy girl like the bubbles? Look at you, you're like a little mermaid in a spa."
"I'm a pufferfish," she grumbled, though she was already leaning her head back into my hands, her eyes fluttering shut. "A pufferfish who is very disappointed in her husband."
"Mmm-hmm," I hummed, carefully rinsing the royal oil from her hair. "A pufferfish who is about to get a fresh pajama set and a full night of sleep."
I dried her off with the thickest, softest towels and dressed her in a fresh, warm hoodie and her 'contained' cotton set. I carried her back to the bed, tucked her under the weighted blanket, and watched as she immediately sought out my hand.
"Stay?" she whispered, her voice tiny and sweet, completely stripped of the 'Titan' armor.
"Always, Jay," I promised, sitting beside her until her breathing went deep and even. The drama was over; the Boss was finally at rest.
She's pouting in her sleep. Probably dreaming about our hypothetical breakup again. It's ridiculous—how can she be so dramatic about leaving when she's currently using my arm as a pillow? She's a total kiddo, playing make-believe with my heart. You want a divorce, marshmallow? Good luck finding a lawyer who can handle how much I'm going to annoy you for the next sixty years.
My marshmallow is scared of the 'what ifs,' but she's just a kiddo who doesn't understand that I've already decided. There is no divorce in our future, because I'm never letting her out of my sight once I get married to my love.
"Sleep well wifey".