AUTHOR POV
The gentle golden light of the early morning crept through the sheer white curtains, casting soft, warm lines across the master bedroom floor. The tropical island breeze carried the faint scent of saltwater and blooming hibiscus, rustling the fabric of the drapes.
On the massive bed, Jay Jay slowly began to stir. The heavy, protective weight of the duvet shifted as she uncurled her small frame. She blinked against the morning light, her long eyelashes fluttering open as she woke up right on schedule. For the first time in nine days, her body wasn't twisted in an alien angle,instead, she was lying comfortably, wrapped in the cozy familiarity of my oversized black t-shirt, looking like an incredibly cute, tiny brat.
Keifer's POV
I was already awake, leaning back against the plush headboard beside her. I had been quietly waiting for this exact moment.
Jay Jay didn't say a word. She simply lifted her left arm, her eyes focusing on the delicate gold hands of her wristwatch to verify the exact time. The schedule was absolute.
"Good morning, tree," she mumbled, her voice thick, raspy from sleep, and full of adorable morning attitude. She extended her wrist toward me, pointing a soft, stubby finger at the glass face. "It is exactly 12:20 PM. Window number one is officially open. You may begin your first twenty seconds."
I let out a soft, breathy laugh that resonated warmly in my chest. I didn't hesitate. I leaned down, my large, gentle hands framing her face just enough to steady her, and pressed a soft, deeply affectionate kiss right against the crown of her head.
I closed my eyes, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair, letting the warmth of my lips linger. I braced myself for the inevitable sound of her voice. I waited for the strict, rhythmic counting that usually started the exact second my skin touched hers.
But the room stayed completely quiet.
Jay Jay didn't say one. She didn't say two.
She just lay there, her tiny hands clutching the fabric of my sleeve, her eyes closed as she secretly melted into my warmth. She was being a total brat about the rules during the day, but right now, she was too cozy and cute to actually enforce them. She let me hold my lips against her hair in total, peaceful silence, completely breaking her own law.
After what felt like much longer than twenty seconds, I slowly and cautiously pulled back, a soft, amused smile playing on my lips.
"Jay?" I whispered, looking down at her flushed, sleepy face. "You didn't count."
Jay Jay opened one eye, squinting up at me with a thoroughly haughty but adorable pout.
She pulled the oversized collar of my shirt up to her chin, burying half her face in the fabric.
She stared at her watch for a second, then looked up at me, her expression softening into something raw, sweet, and completely genuine.
"I am dismissing the law," she stated, her voice dropping to a small, fragile whisper.
I blinked, completely caught off guard. "What?"
"You heard me, tree," she sniffed, a beautiful, stubborn flush spreading across her cheeks as she looked away. "The schedule is officially cancelled. The timer is broken. I am dismissing the law for touching. From now on... you can touch me whenever you want.And...As much as you want."
Hearing those words, a massive, explosive wave of pure, unadulterated joy crashed straight through my chest. In that single, breathtaking second, I felt like the happiest person on the entire planet. All the lingering weight of the villa, the suffocating guilt of the past nine days, and the fear of losing her completely evaporated into the warm morning air. My heart pounded fiercely against my ribs, overflowing with a rush of relief and love so intense it made my head spin.
"Jay..." I breathed, a wide, breathless grin breaking across my face.
Before she could even think about retracting her statement or turning back into a defensive little fortress, I lunged forward.
I threw my massive arms around her waist, lifting her tiny body completely off the mattress and pulling her flush against my chest in a crushing, unbreakable hug.
I buried my face deep into the crook of her neck, squeezing her so tightly that she let out a cute, breathless little squeak. I locked her in my arms, rocking her gently back and forth on the bed, my entire body vibrating with a ecstatic, giddy energy. I couldn't stop smiling, my lips brushing against her soft skin as I breathed her in.
"Keifer! Stop it, you're squeezing me like a giant teddy bear!" she complained loudly, her small fists weakly thumping against my back.
But she wasn't actually fighting me. A second later, her arms crept up around my neck, her fingers tangling into the hair at the nape of my neck as she clung right back to me, burying her face into my shoulder.
"Never," I whispered into her skin, my voice thick with emotion as I tightened my hold, completely drowning in her warmth. "I am never letting you go. You gave me unlimited time, Queen. You're stuck with me now."
"You're an idiot," she muffled against my shirt, though the unmistakable, sweet sound of her soft giggle echoed against my chest, sealing the promise between us forever.
I shifted my weight, pulling her smaller body flush against me until there wasn't a single millimeter of space left between us. I squeezed her tightly, burying my face into the soft crook of her neck, my heart pounding a steady, emotional rhythm against her ribs. I couldn't stop. It felt like I had been stranded in a freezing desert for a hundred years, and holding her right now was the only thing keeping me alive.
The relief was so intense it made my chest ache. The suffocating weight of the villa prank, the cold distance of the days, months—it all dissolved the moment she canceled that agonizing timer.
"Jay..." I whispered against her warm skin, my voice thick and rough with an exhaustion I couldn't hide anymore. "Please... just let me stay like this. Let me sleep with you today. Just for five hours. Please."
She went completely still in my arms, her small hands resting against my back.
"I haven't slept since that day," I confessed, my grip tightening instinctively as the raw honesty poured out of me. "I haven't been able to close my eyes for more than an hour without waking up in a panic. Every time I look at the bed, I just remember you screaming.I've been sitting in that armchair for days straight, terrified that if I fall asleep, you'll disappear or hate me even more. I'm so tired, love. I just need five hours of proper sleep with you."
Hearing my confession, Jay Jay didn't pull away. She didn't make a sassy remark or throw a dramatic tantrum about my chest being too hard. The truth was, she loved lying against my chest; it was her absolute favorite place in the world. Her fingers tangled into the hair at the nape of my neck, pulling me even closer until our breathing synchronized perfectly.
She's been suffering just as much as I have, I realized, feeling the sudden, quiet relaxation in her spine. She had been putting up a fierce, bratty front with her strict schedule to punish me, but deep down, she was lonely too. She had been tossing and turning in this giant bed, freezing without my warmth, waiting for the moment we could finally break the ice.
"Okay," she whispered softly into my shoulder, her voice stripped of all its haughty armor. "Five hours, tree. But you have to hold me the entire time."
As I adjusted the pillows and pulled the heavy duvet over both of us, a wave of profound comfort washed over me. Looking down at her swimming in my oversized black t-shirt, a sudden rush of old, beautiful memories flooded my mind.
Before the chaos, before the fever and the memory loss incidents, this was our normal.
This private island was our absolute sanctuary. Whenever we came here, Jay Jay would completely abandon her high-fashion wardrobe. She loved the freedom of the isolation,she would walk around the secluded beach and the house completely naked, totally unbothered because it was just the two of us.
And whenever she had to step outside the cottage or felt a chill, she would simply wrap a fluffy white towel around herself or throw on one of my massive, scent-soaked t-shirts because she found them more comfortable than anything else in the world.
She wasn't wearing my shirt today just to be a difficult brat. She was wearing it because, unconsciously, she was reaching for the safest, most comforting routine she knew.
"You're warm," she mumbled, adjusting her position so her face was completely buried back into the crook of my neck, her leg draping over my thigh. She let out a long, deeply peaceful sigh, her eyelids immediately growing heavy.
"I've got you," I murmured, resting my chin on top of her head.
With her tiny body securely locked against my chest, the phantom sound of her frantic villa screams finally vanished from my head. I closed my eyes, inhaling the familiar scent of her hair, and within seconds, both of us sank into the deepest, most peaceful sleep we had experienced in nine days.
After 7 hours.
Keifer's POV
The heavy, suffocating exhaustion of the past days was entirely washed away by the time my eyes slowly blinked open. I looked toward the glass doors of the bedroom and noticed the bright afternoon sun had already begun its descent, painting the walls in deep, lazy shades of amber and gold.
I glanced down at my watch. Seven hours.
We had completely blown past the five-hour limit I had begged for, sinking into the deepest, most restorative sleep of my life. My mind felt completely refreshed, the phantom panic of the villa prank finally gone, replaced by a profound sense of peace. And the best part? The reason for that peace was still fast asleep, locked securely against my chest.
Jay Jay hadn't shifted an inch. Her face was still buried deeply into the crook of my neck, her tiny nose pressing against my collarbone with every slow, even breath she took. One of her legs was casually thrown over my thigh, anchoring her to me, while her small hands remained loosely tangled in the fabric of my shirt.
I smiled softly, running my fingers through her dark hair, completely enjoying the fact that I had unlimited, unregulated time to just hold her.
As my hand moved in slow, soothing circles down her back, Jay Jay let out a tiny, disgruntled little groan. Her eyelashes fluttered against my skin before she slowly lifted her head, squinting up at me with a beautifully flushed, sleepy face.
"You cheated," she mumbled, her voice incredibly thick and raspy from the long nap.
"Good evening to you too, princess," I teased, my voice dropping to a low morning register. "How did I cheat?"
"The contract was for five hours, tree," she sniffed, trying to pull off her usual haughty attitude, though she looked way too cozy and cute to be intimidating. She pointed a weak, lazy finger toward the window. "Look at the window sun said bye–bye. It's practically night. You stole two extra hours of my premium hugging time without my permission."
"Hey, you were the one sleeping like a rock," I laughed softly, tightening my arms around her waist to pull her even higher against my chest. "I woke up a while ago, but you had me completely trapped. I was held hostage by a tiny brat in an oversized shirt."
Jay Jay pouted, hiding her face right back into my shoulder to block out the sunlight."Whatever. I was just supervising your sleep to make sure you didn't have any nightmares. You should be thanking me."
"Oh, is that what it was? Supervision?" I brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear, my expression turning incredibly fond. I looked down at the massive black cotton fabric engulfing her frame. "You know, seeing you like this... it reminds me of how things used to be before everything got so complicated."
Jay Jay peeked up at me, one eyebrow raised suspiciously. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, I finally remembered 3 months ago," I whispered, a playful smirk spreading across my lips. "I remembered how you actually operate on this island when we're alone. You threw a massive tantrum this morning about your clothes being 'scratchy' and blamed the humidity, but that wasn't the real reason, was it?"
The flush on her cheeks deepened instantly. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh, really?" I leaned down, pressing my lips against her jawline, making her shiver slightly. "Because I distinctly remember that whenever we come to this specific cottage, you completely abandon your wardrobe. You love the privacy so much that you spend the whole trip walking around completely...naked. And the second you get chilly or have to step onto the veranda, you just throw on a towel or steal one of my giant t-shirts because you think it's the coziest thing on earth."
"Keifer!" she gasped, her eyes widening as she weakly pounded her fist against my chest. "Shut up! That is a state secret!"
"It's not a secret if I'm the one whose clothes you're stealing," I chuckled, rolling over slightly so she was tucked safely beneath me, though I kept my weight off her. I looked down at her, my eyes tracing the oversized collar of my shirt sliding off her shoulder. "So, the whole 'scratchy clothes strike' this morning was just an excuse because you wanted to wear my shirt, wasn't it?"
"It was not!" she huffed, crossing her arms defensively and looking away, though the bright red tint on her ears gave her away completely. "My clothes were being annoying. And your shirts just happen to be the correct level of softness for a queen. You should be honored that I am using your closet as my personal loungewear."
"I am honored," I murmured, my playful tone softening into something deeply romantic. I leaned down, catching her lips in a slow, sweet, and lingering kiss that completely silenced her protests.
When I pulled back, her eyes were soft, glossy, and entirely full of affection. "I'm incredibly honored, Jay. You can wear my clothes, stretch my shirts, or walk around in a towel forever. As long as you're right here with me."
Jay Jay stared up at me for a long moment, the last of her stubborn armor melting away.
She reached up, her fingers gently tracing my jawline before she hooked her arms around my neck, pulling me back down into her warmth.
"Good," she whispered against my lips, a soft, beautiful smile finally breaking across her face. "Because I'm not giving this shirt back. Now stay still, tree. Our seven-hour nap was exhausting, and I need ten more minutes of quiet concrete-slab time."
I laughed softly, wrapping my arms around her and burying my face back into her hair, perfectly content to spend the rest of the day exactly like this.
The peaceful bubble of the cottage shattered an hour later when the front door burst open with unnecessary flair.
"If I have to breathe this island humidity for one more second, my complexion will be permanently compromised," Percy's voice echoed through the hallway, dripping with dramatic despair.
Keifer sighed against Jay Jay's hair, slowly untangling his long limbs from the bed. "Duty calls, princess."
Jay Jay groaned, instantly wrapping her limbs around his waist like a koala. "No. Tell the peasants to leave. You are my mattress. A queen does not sleep on a bare concrete slab."
"I have to check on them, Marshmallow," Keifer chuckled, gently peeling her hands away. He threw on some shorts and headed downstairs, leaving Jay Jay pouting magnificently in his oversized blue t-shirt, which hung past her thighs.
In the living room, the atmosphere was instantly heavy. Angelo stood by the veranda, his face grim, while Percy was already checking his reflection in a decorative mirror, adjusting his collar. Aries leaned against the wall, his arms crossed, glaring at the floor.
Angelo turned the moment Keifer descended the stairs. "Keifer. We have a problem. Watson is moving faster than we thought. The island isn't safe for you anymore."
Keifer frowned, his playful demeanor vanishing. "Watson? Why now?"
"Because you are a Watson heir, you idiot," Aries snapped, his voice sharp, though his eyes darted over Keifer as if checking for injuries. "Your bloodline makes you a direct threat to their inheritance. They don't just want to sideline you. They want you dead."
"Aries is right, darling," Percy chimed in, tossing his hair. "And frankly, the stress of you being hunted is giving me wrinkles. Do you know how hard it is to book a facial on short notice around here?"
"They know about this cottage," Angelo continued, ignoring Percy. "We need to move you before—"
THUMP. BUMP. CRASH.
"Whoa—oof! Tree, help!"
A streak of oversized blue cotton came tumbling down the wooden staircase in a spectacular, chaotic blur. Jay Jay had tried to sneak down to eavesdrop, but the massive, loose fabric of Keifer's t-shirt had tripped her up. She rolled down the last four steps, landing in a tangled, dramatic heap at the bottom.
"Jay Jay!" Keifer rushed over, his heart in his throat.
Instantly, the entire room erupted into chaos. Angelo dropped his files, kneeling beside her. Percy shrieked, covering his eyes. "Oh, the horror! Is there blood? Don't get it on my shoes!" Even Aries moved with blinding speed, arriving at her side before Keifer could even lift her up.
"Are you broken? Where does it hurt?" Aries demanded, his rough hands surprisingly gentle as he checked her ankles.
"My back... my royal dignity..." Jay Jay wheezed, her eyes closed tight as she clutched her stomach. She looked like a wounded kitten, shivering in the giant shirt.
Keifer carefully scooped her into his arms, placing her on the sofa while Angelo checked her pulse and Aries aggressively inspected her knees for bruises.
After five minutes of frantic evaluation, it became glaringly obvious that she didn't have a single scratch. Her ankles were fine. Her wrists were fine. She was just entirely clumsy.
The panic in the room instantly curdled into pure irritation.
"Are you completely out of your mind?!" Aries yelled, stepping back and throwing his hands up. "You almost broke your neck! Why are you walking like a newborn deer in a shirt three sizes too big?!"
"Jay Jay, you cannot be this careless," Angelo scolded, rubbing his temples, his authoritative voice booming. "We are trying to discuss life-or-death security matters, and you are rolling down the stairs like a bowling ball!"
"It was visually traumatic for everyone involved!" Percy added, pointing an accusing finger. "You disrupted my aura!"
Jay Jay gasped, her eyes snapping open.
Seeing them all towering over her and shouting, her inner mischievous brat took full control. She scrambled back against the sofa cushions, gripping her stomach over the loose blue shirt, her face contorting into an expression of agonised betrayal.
"Stop it! Stop screaming at me!" Jay Jay wailed, pointing a trembling finger at the trio. "If you guys yell at me one more time, I swear to God, I will deliver this baby right here on this rug!"
The room went dead silent.
Percy froze mid-pose, his eyes bulging. "You're... you're going to what?!"
Angelo's jaw dropped, his tactical brain completely short-circuiting as he stared at her flat stomach beneath the oversized shirt. "Jay... what are you talking about?"
Aries went entirely pale, his aggressive posture instantly evaporating into sheer, unadulterated panic. He looked at Keifer, then back to Jay Jay, his voice cracking. "A... a baby? Right now? On the floor?!"
Keifer buried his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking with silent, exhausted laughter. He knew exactly what she was doing.
"Yes! A baby!" Jay Jay cried out dramatically, throwing the back of her hand against her forehead. "The stress! The shouting! It's inducing labor! Aries, your loud voice is frightening the royal heir! If you don't use your inside voice, you're going to have to catch it!"
Angelo suddenly stopped, blinking as his brain finally reconnected. He squinted at Jay Jay, then looked at Keifer's shaking shoulders, and finally groaned loudly. " You did this exact same fake-labor routine when you wanted us to not scream at keifer!"
Aries froze, his panic instantly turning into a furious blush. "yeah a I remember the Italian pillow baby!"
"Also velvet baby pillow ,and I am far too young and far too beautiful to be an uncle in a hostage situation," Percy whimpered, looking around for a place to faint, completely ignoring the fact that it was a hoax.
Jay Jay sniffed, tucking her knees into the blue shirt and looking up at them with big, watery, victorious eyes. "It's the principle of the matter! You were yelling at a delicate queen!"
After hour.
To prove she was completely fine, Jay Jay boldly hopped off the couch to march over to the kitchen island for her juice. But because the blue t-shirt was still dragging around her knees, she took one confident step and smashed her pinky toe directly into the heavy wooden leg of the coffee table.
"Jay, sit down—" Keifer warned, reaching out.
"OWCH!" she shrieked, instantly hopping on one foot like a broken wind-up toy.
Too late. In her frantic hopping, her good foot caught the edge of a small rug. She tripped forward, collided with the side table, and went crashing completely onto the floor in another dramatic sprawl, sending a stack of coaster blocks flying through the air.
Silence fell over the room again. Nobody moved. They all just stared down at her.
Jay Jay lay flat on her stomach, her face pressed against the rug, the giant blue t-shirt completely swallowing her upper body like a parachute. For three seconds, she didn't move. Then, slowly, she lifted her head, her lower lip trembling with ultimate theatrical tragedy.
"It's over," she whispered, her voice cracking as she stared blankly into space. "My leg is paralyzed. The Watson family didn't kill me, but this treacherous coffee table did. I can no longer feel my royal pinky toeeeeee."
Aries rolled his eyes so hard it looked painful. "You literally just stubbed your toe and fell over your own feet. Get up."
"I cannot!" Jay Jay dramatically rolled onto her back, wrapping her arms around her chest and closing her eyes as if preparing for her final moments. "The impact has shattered my spinal alignment. I require immediate mouth-to-mouth resuscitation from Keifer, a velvet blanket, and three premium chocolate chip cookies to stabilize my vital organs."
"You fell from a height of zero inches," Angelo said, totally unamused, though a tiny smirk tugged at his lips. "And your arms are working perfectly fine for someone who is paralyzed."
"Percy! Tell them I am dying!" Jay Jay demanded, peeking one eye open.
Percy crossed his arms, sniffing delicately. "Darling, your dramatic blocking was excellent, but the script lacks realism. Also, you are getting carpet lint all over Keifer's shirt. It's an aesthetic disaster."
Keifer just chuckled softly, walking over to the floor and kneeling down beside his chaotic kitten. He hooked his arms under her armpits and easily dragged her back onto his lap.
"Alright, my little drama queen. Your audience has seen through the performance. Let's get that toe checked before you declare nationwide mourning."
Jay Jay pouted, burying her face right into Keifer's chest, her mischievous eyes glittering with victory because she had successfully derailed their serious meeting anyway.