Third Person's POV.
It had been three days since Keifer left for London, and he and Jayjay had been on a non-stop, continuous video call the entire time. If a phone needed to be charged, the video call stayed active. Even if they couldn't find the time to actually speak to one another, the FaceTime connection never dropped. Without fail, the phone was in their hands through every single part of their day. Whether they were eating, walking, or just doing chores, they remained on the call, making them feel as though they were right in front of each other. Even while they slept, the video call never ended. They were just two incredibly possessive, attached partners, refusing to separate even while being seven oceans apart.
...
It was the middle of the night, and Jayjay was currently sneaking down to the kitchen for some midnight snacks, creeping through the darkness like a total thief, when suddenly—
"What do you think you're doing?" Keifer's voice suddenly boomed from her phone speaker.
Jayjay jumped out of her skin and instantly bolted back toward the staircase. "Shut up!" she hissed into the mic, sprinting up the steps as fast as she could.
...
The next day in class, Jayjay had her phone cleverly hidden behind a stack of thick textbooks. The lecture was starting, and she obviously couldn't get caught on a video call in the middle of a lesson.
"You know, I could easily just shout something right now to get you caught by your teacher," Keifer whispered through the screen, a mischievous smirk on his face.
Jayjay glared down at the pages, mimicking his exact tone. "And if you do, I will instantly hang up and never call you ever again."
Keifer just chuckled softly at her threat, and the rest of the period passed by in a comfortable rhythm. The very second the teacher packed up their things and stepped out of the room, Keifer spoke up a bit louder.
"Jay."
"AHHH!" the entire Section E squad collectively screamed in terror, jumping back from her desk while Jayjay burst into a loud laugh at their dramatic reactions.
...
Later that evening, Jayjay was just wandering aimlessly around the mansion with her phone held firmly in her hand. On the other side of the screen, Keifer was buried in his work, typing away on his laptop. Neither of them was looking directly at the camera or saying a word, but they could both clearly feel each other's reassuring presence.
"Jayjay, who on earth are you on the phone with?" Gemma asked, noticing her walking around with the screen out.
"Keifer," Jayjay replied simply.
Gemma just nodded knowingly, completely used to their antics by now, and they both quietly walked out of the kitchen together.
...
By the time the third day arrived, they still hadn't officially cut the call. They had developed a specific routine for when they slept: if one of them woke up early, they would spend a few minutes quietly watching the other sleep. Then, they would quickly hang up the call, stretch, and call right back, acting as if they had both just freshly woken up together. It was a silly little game, but it kept them connected.
...
Later that night, Jayjay let out a massive, exhausted yawn. "Howawawawa..."
Keifer looked up at his screen, his expression softening instantly as he watched her blink sleepily. "You should go to sleep now, Jay," he said softly.
She gave a tired nod, pulled the blanket up to her chin, and closed her eyes. Keifer sat quietly on the other side of the world, just admiring his queen as she drifted off into a peaceful slumber. After a little while, he finally closed his laptop and fell asleep right along with her.
However, in the middle of the night, Jayjay suddenly jolted awake. She glanced at her phone screen and saw the call was still actively running, but her battery icon was flashing a dangerous 5%. Realizing her phone was about to die completely, she quickly tapped the screen and cut the call before plugging it into the charger.
...
On the morning of the fourth day, Jayjay woke up and immediately dialed his number, knowing he would likely already be awake on his side of the world.
The screen flickered to life, and Keifer's face appeared with a warm smile. "Good morning, love."
"Good morning to you too," she replied, still a bit groggy.
She propped the phone up safely on the mattress and headed into the washroom to do her morning routine and freshen up. Once she came back out, she picked the device back up, and they happily chatted for a good while. Eventually, she had to head off to school, and he had to get back to his endless corporate work.
...
Later that afternoon, since Keigan and Keiran were currently staying over at the mansion, Jayjay decided it was a good time to go upstairs and check on them. She left her phone charging on her bed and walked down the hallway to the guest rooms.
She knocked lightly and stepped into Keiran's room first.
"Hi, Ate!" Keiran greeted, looking up from his desk with a smile.
"Hi. Sorry for disturbing you, I'm just checking in," Jayjay said politely, leaning against the doorframe. "Do you need anything at all?"
Keiran shook his head. "No, I'm good. Thanks, Ate."
Giving him a nod, she walked over to the next door and knocked on Keigan's room before stepping inside.
"Oh, hi, Ate!" Keigan cheered happily as she walked in.
"Hi. Just wanted to see if you needed anything?" she asked him.
"No, I don't need anything, thank you," Keigan replied. He paused for a second, a bright grin breaking across his face. "But hey, do you know that Kuya Keifer is actually returning home tomorrow?"
Hearing the news, Jayjay's smile instantly widened in pure excitement. But a fraction of a second later, that excitement completely faded, replaced by a narrow-eyed glare as she realized Keifer hadn't muttered a single word about this to her. He was clearly trying to hide it.
"Well, I definitely didn't know about that," Jayjay said, a mischievous smirk replacing her glare. "But thanks for letting me know. Your Kuya is in big, big trouble now."
Keigan instantly caught on to the vibe, and the two of them burst into a soft, evil laugh together. Keifer's little surprise homecoming was officially ruined!
Jayjay's POV.
Wow. The King didn't even bother to tell me that he's coming home. I knew exactly what he was trying to do—he wanted to pull off a romantic surprise return. But what he didn't realize was that I was the one who was going to surprise him.
I marched right back into my bedroom and picked up my phone from the charger. The FaceTime screen was still waiting for me.
"Finally, you're back," Keifer sighed in relief the second my face reappeared. "Where on earth did you go?"
"Nowhere," I replied casually, keeping my expression completely blank. I leaned back against the headboard, eyeing him carefully through the lens. "By the way... when exactly are you planning to come back home?"
The moment the question left my mouth, Keifer cleared his throat loudly, visibly trying to suppress a triumphant smile from breaking across his face.
"I don't know yet," he answered, trying to sound nonchalant.
I just nodded, playing along with his little game. "Okay then. Well, I'm going to go to sleep now."
Keifer gave me a tender nod. "Okay. Sleep well, my queen."
"Bye," I said, and instantly cut the call.
Since he was arriving tomorrow, I needed to figure out a plan to get to the airport. I definitely couldn't ask any of my brothers, and I absolutely couldn't ask any of the ulupongs, otherwise, they would immediately leak the plan back to Keifer. So, who was left?
A smirk crossed my lips as the perfect solution hit me. I would just ask Keifer's personal driver to take me! After all, Keifer had strictly commanded me before leaving that if no one was available to pick me up or drop me off, I should just go to the mansion garage and order the driver to take me wherever I wanted. I was literally just following my husband's orders.
I snuggled deep into my blankets, a victorious smile on my face as I drifted off to sleep, imagining the look of utter shock that was going to be on Mark Keifer Watson's face tomorrow morning.
...
I woke up the next morning to the sharp blare of my alarm and immediately scrambled into the washroom to get ready. I had already informed Tita that I was going to the airport to pick Keifer up. She initially suggested that Kuya could just drive me there, but I stubbornly refused, wanting to keep it a total secret, so she eventually let it be.
I headed downstairs and quickly booked a taxi to take me over to Keifer's mansion. Once I arrived, I tracked down his personal driver and asked him to take me to the airport. He agreed happily, and we cruised through the traffic. When we finally arrived at the airport, the driver headed to the parking lot to wait while I marched straight inside the bustling terminal.
After waiting for a little while, my eyes finally locked onto a very familiar figure walking through the arrivals gate. Keifer was wearing a crisp white shirt, casual blue jeans, and sleek black sunglasses, rolling a single suitcase behind him. He looked absolutely stunning. I intentionally stood a little far back, but directly in his line of sight.
The moment his eyes landed on me, he froze in utter shock. "Jay?"
He instantly let go of his suitcase handle, leaving it abandoned on the floor. I didn't waste another second—I bolted forward and jumped right on him. I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck, and his strong arms instantly locked around my waist, lifting my feet completely off the floor. We were both grinning from ear to ear.
He gently set me back down on my feet, his eyes shining behind his glasses. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" he asked, his voice dripping with pure happiness.
"Because I wanted to surprise you!" I cheered, beaming up at him.
He smiled back warmly, his eyes crinkling. I eagerly grabbed his hand and dragged him out to the parking lot where the car was waiting. We both slid into the backseat, and Keifer instructed the driver to take us back to his mansion first. The moment we pulled into the mansion driveway, Keifer told the driver he could take the rest of the day off and that he would handle the driving from here. I watched him in total confusion, wondering what he was up to.
Keifer stepped out, opened my door, and smiled down at me. "What are you doing sitting in the backseat? Come sit in the passenger seat."
Though completely puzzled, I scrambled out of the back and slid into the front passenger seat instead. As he hopped into the driver's seat and buckled in, I turned to him. "Where exactly are we going?"
"To get you something to eat," he replied, glancing over at me.
My face instantly lit up with pure joy. "Yes! I haven't even eaten a single bite of breakfast yet!"
Keifer chuckled softly, starting up the engine. "Okay, my dear wifey."
For the entire duration of the drive, I talked his ear off. I went on and on about every single little detail that had happened over the last four days—even though we had literally been on FaceTime the entire time anyway. Keifer just drove smoothly, listening intently to my rambling while firmly holding my hand the whole way.
"And then Aries got flicked on the forehead by Lola because he accidentally called me 'Kokey' right in front of her!" I babbled, laughing at the memory.
Keifer nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "I know, I know."
We finally pulled up to a beautiful restaurant. Being a total gentleman, Keifer hopped out of the car first, walked over to my side, unbuckled my seatbelt for me, and helped me step out. I immediately wrapped my hand tightly around his arm (A/N: Bicep grab, my fellow readers! 😉), and we walked inside side-by-side.
"Hello, ma'am and sir! A table for two?" a polite waitress greeted us.
We nodded and followed her over to a cozy table. When the time came to order, Keifer went completely all out. He ordered a massive feast: Lumpia Shanghai, Sinigang, Chicken Adobo, a Shrimp Tempura Sushi Roll, Leche Flan, and a Mango Float. He ordered so much food it was insane, but as a dedicated foodie, I absolutely could not let a single bite go to waste. I was determined to eat it all!
When the dishes arrived, I eagerly grabbed a piece of sushi and tried to use the chopsticks. I struggled, dropped the roll, tried again, and completely failed. Within ten seconds, I lost my absolute patience, huffed in frustration, and tossed the chopsticks onto the table.
Keifer noticed my little tantrum, and that's when I realized he was using his own chopsticks completely flawlessly.
"Here, let me show you how to use them properly," he offered softly.
I nodded, watching him. Keifer stood up, walked over to my side of the table, and sat down right beside me. He gently reached out, wrapping his large hands over mine, carefully guiding my fingers into the correct positions on the wooden sticks. I don't even know how he did it, but with his hands over mine, everything suddenly clicked. I actually knew how to use them!
"Thanks," I whispered, smiling up at him.
Keifer smiled back tenderly, before moving back to his seat. I spent the rest of the lunch happily devouring the sushi roll with my new chopstick skills, feeling incredibly proud of myself that I could finally use them properly.
I was happily eating my food in total peace when Keifer suddenly stood up from the table and walked out of the dining area. I followed his retreating figure with my eyes as he stepped outside the restaurant. He pulled out his phone and began talking to someone. Judging by his stiff posture and the cold, serious expression on his face, he was definitely barking out some gang or corporate orders. Shrugging, I went back to enjoying my delicious feast.
After a little while, he finally walked back in and slid into his seat.
"Where did you go?" I asked, looking up at him curiously.
He just smiled smoothly, picking up his glass. "Just had to make a quick call."
I nodded, letting it slide for now. Once we finished every single bite of the massive meal, Keifer paid the bill, and we walked out to the parking lot. He followed closely behind me and held the car door open for me. Hehe, honestly, I think he has spoiled me so much that I won't even be able to open a regular door for myself pretty soon.
He walked around to the driver's side and climbed in next to me.
"Urgh... what is wrong with this stupid seatbelt?" I muttered in frustration, struggling to pull the strap across my shoulder.
I guess the King heard my annoyed grumbling because he instantly leaned across the center console, bringing his face incredibly close to mine, and smoothly buckled it in for me with a satisfying click.
"Just admit it, Jay. You literally can't handle a single thing without me anymore," he teased, leaning back and giving me a playful wink.
"Hmm, that's only because you're always taking over these small things," I shot back, though a tiny smile threatened to break.
He laughed softly under his breath. Remembering his mysterious exit earlier, I turned to face him fully. "So, who exactly was on the call?"
Instead of answering, Keifer completely ignored my question and started up the car engine. The absolute audacity of this guy?!
"I am literally asking you a question," I said, raising my voice a little.
He glanced over at me for a fraction of a second before turning his attention right back to the road. "Someone."
"Who 'someone'?" I demanded, narrowing my eyes.
"Just a close friend," he replied casually.
"Name? Gender?" I pressed, my inner detective completely taking over.
"You don't need to know," he said, a small, knowing smirk playing on his lips.
I crossed my arms tightly over my chest, my jealousy officially flaring up. "But I want to know."
"Why?" he asked.
"Because I want to!" I snapped back.
"But why do you want to?" he pushed again. Was this guy—who is apparently my husband—intentionally trying to provoke me right now?!
"Because—ugh, why should I even have to give you a reason?! It's just that I want to know, and when I want to know something, you are supposed to tell me!" I huffed.
Keifer actually burst out laughing at my frustration. "Give me a solid reason first."
"For you to tell me? It's because I'm your wife," I stated triumphantly, throwing a smug smirk his way.
"No, I mean give me a reason why you're so desperate to know," he countered, his eyes dancing with pure amusement.
Realizing he was just playing with me, I completely shut down the conversation. "You know what? If you don't want to tell me, then fine!"
I whipped my head around, turning my back to him completely and staring aggressively out the side window. As we drove down the highway, I heard him softly call out my name. "Jay..."
I completely ignored him, pretending I was a literal brick wall. He opened his mouth to try and speak one more time, but before a single word could leave his lips, I reached over and aggressively slammed my hand onto the radio button, turning the music up to full volume. The car practically shook with the loud bass.
Keifer let out a heavy sigh, shaking his head in fond amusement at my dramatic retaliation, and focused all his attention on his driving.
We finally reached the mansion, and this time, I didn't bother waiting for him to play the gentleman. I unlocked the door myself, hopped out, and marched straight into the garden. But as I was walking through the grass, a soft, high-pitched bark echoed from right behind me.
I whipped around, my jaw dropping. There stood Keifer, holding a tiny, pitch-black, fluffy puppy in his arms. In an instant, the puzzle pieces clicked together in my head. Now I understood exactly who he was talking to on the phone earlier! He was arranging the pickup for this little guy.
I quickly marched over to him, my anger completely melting away as I stared at the adorable ball of fluff cradled in Keifer's arms.
"He is so incredibly cute!" I squealed.
Keifer looked down at the puppy, then back up at me, pouting slightly. "Who? Me or him?"
I burst out laughing at his reaction. Seriously? The guy was actually getting jealous of a tiny puppy. "The puppy, of course," I teased, wanting to push his buttons.
Predictably, he instantly started to sulk, his shoulders dropping. "Just kidding! Both of you are cute," I added quickly with a grin.
That did the trick. A handsome smile broke across his face, and he gently handed the puppy over to me. I cradled the fluffy little thing against my chest, instantly petting its soft fur.
"So... are you still mad at me, wifey?" he asked, tilting his head.
I shook my head, smiling.
"By the way, who exactly told you that I was coming home today?" he questioned, narrowing his eyes slightly in suspicion.
I bit my lower lip, trying my absolute best to suppress a massive laugh. "Keigan, obviously," I replied.
Keifer groaned, shaking his head. "That little snitch. He's completely on your side now, isn't he?"
My smirk widened triumphantly. "Why? Do you want your brothers to hate me or something?"
"Absolutely not," he responded repeatedly, shaking his head with a look of pure horror at the thought.
I laughed loudly at his dramatic shift in energy. The fierce, terrifying gang leader had literally turned into a giant baby right in front of me. I carefully set the puppy down on the grass, reached up, and cupped both of his cheeks with my hands.
"You are so completely baby-coded, you know that?" I giggled.
Keifer didn't even hesitate—he leaned directly into my touch, clinging to me instantly. "That's because I am your baby."
I burst into a fit of hysterical laughter. He was behaving like an actual child right now—honestly, even more childish than Ci-N!
Hearing me crack up, Keifer raised an eyebrow, a playful glint in his eyes. "Are you seriously laughing at me right now?"
"Not at you! Just at your ridiculous behavior," I gasped out, trying to catch my breath.
"Stop laughing at me," he mumbled, a soft smile tugging at his lips. "I only ever behave like this when I'm around you."
I just shook my head, completely amused. Reaching down, I scooped the puppy back up into my arms and held him right up to Keifer's face. "See? Look at him. You're officially a dad now," I told him solemnly, before turning the puppy around to face him. "Look, buddy, that's Daddy Keif."
Keifer burst out laughing at my antics, staring fondly at me and our new little pet.
"Stop laughing right now, or you are seriously going to regret it," I warned baseline. But he didn't listen and just kept laughing.
Taking matters into my own hands, I carefully placed the fluffy puppy right on top of Keifer's head, before quickly reaching out and grabbing both of his wrists so he couldn't move. "There. Now laugh!" I challenged.
Instead of stopping, Keifer just threw his head back and laughed even louder, the tiny puppy balancing perfectly on his dark hair. I chuckled, grabbing the puppy back into my arms and looking down at it thoughtfully.
"What are you going to name him?" Keifer asked, adjusting his hair.
I paused, thinking over a few cute names. But before I could speak, Keifer suddenly blurted out, "Caretaker."
I literally choked on the literal air in my throat. I coughed, staring at him in absolute disbelief. "Are you completely out of your mind?!"
Keifer just shook his head, a massive, teasing smirk growing on his face. "I told you back when we were on the island, Jay. I'm going to name our children Caretaker and Watcher." He leaned in a bit closer, his eyes dancing. "And well... you just said I'm a dad."
I lost it, laughing so hard my stomach began to hurt. "You seriously still remember those ridiculous 'Caretaker' and 'Watcher' names?!" I asked between breaths.
He nodded slowly, his smirk widening.
"No, no, actually," Keifer corrected himself, his tone dropping into a smooth, teasing purr. "I think I'll save the name Caretaker for my actual human son."
I set the puppy back down on the grass and rolled my eyes at him. "Yeah, well, only if he ever comes into this world."
"We can arrange that right now," he whispered smoothly.
Before I could even process what he meant, he stepped closer, completely closing the distance between us. He leaned down, pressing his forehead gently against mine, and looked directly into my eyes. I stared right back into his deep gaze. Without breaking our eye contact, he pushed his forehead a bit firmer against mine. I don't even know why, but I instinctively took a small step backward, only for him to immediately step closer with me.
I could feel my cheeks burning up completely. Then, without a word or even a single warning, he slid his strong arm smoothly around my waist, pulling me significantly closer until our bodies were flush. Our foreheads were still touching. As we looked into each other's eyes, I could feel my face practically on fire, and I noticed his ears were also turning a bright shade of red. A small, tender smirk played on his lips, and even though I tried my hardest to fight it, I couldn't help but smile right back at him.
For a few beautiful seconds, the entire world vanished, and we were both completely lost in each other.
Click!
A sharp camera shutter sound, followed by a loud, collective "Ehhhh!" shattered the silence.
Panic spiking, I immediately shoved Keifer away from me. He just smirked, completely unfazed, while my face burned a bright crimson. I whipped my head around to find the source of the noise. Sure enough, standing by the door was that troublemaker brat Percy, surrounded by the entire grinning ulupong group. Percy was proudly holding up his phone, having just snapped a photo of us.
"So sweet!" Ci-N cooed, fanning his face dramatically.
I aggressively held up a closed fist, pretending I was about to punch him into next week.
"So corny," Calix groaned.
"Husband and wife things," Yuri chuckled.
"Wait, they are legally married, so it's fine," another added.
"Wow, they're even including kids now with that puppy," they commented one by one, completely enjoying my misery.
"Shut up, all of you!" I yelled, feeling my cheeks burning so hot they could probably fry an egg.
I quickly scooped the puppy off the grass, tucked him securely under my arm, and bolted straight past them into the house. The loud, booming laughter of the boys echoed right behind me, but I completely ignored them, focusing entirely on hiding my blushing face.
The End 🌸.