I looked at him for a few more seconds before sighing tiredly.
Honestly…seeing Keifer cry this much was emotionally exhausting.
"You look horrible," I muttered.
A weak laugh escaped him. "Thanks."
"I'm serious. Your eyes are red."
"Been crying because of you."
"Good."
He clutched his chest dramatically. "You're so heartless."
I rolled my eyes before standing up from the couch.
"Now go to sleep, you idiot."
He looked up at me quietly.
"And don't drink anymore," I added while pointing at the bottles threateningly.
Something softened in his expression instantly.
Like the fact I still cared enough to scold him meant everything to him.
"Okay," he whispered.
I grabbed the bottle from the table again just in case and walked away before he could say anything else.
The mansion felt quieter now.
Softer somehow.
But my chest still felt messy.
Because nothing between us was fixed yet.
Not really.
I walked back into the room I woke up in earlier that evening and closed the door behind me.
This room again.
Guess this was officially my room now.
At least until I stopped being angry at that idiot.
I crawled into bed and turned my back toward the door immediately, pulling the blanket closer.
My mind refused to shut up.
His tears.
His voice cracking.
"I love you so much it scares me."
Idiot.
Stupid emotional idiot.
I shut my eyes tightly.
Why did he have to say things like that?
And why did a part of me still melt hearing them?
I groaned softly into the pillow.
No.
I was still angry.
Very angry.
He was absolutely not forgiven yet.
After a few minutes, I finally started calming down a little.
Then suddenly—
the bedroom door opened.
My entire body stiffened.
I heard footsteps.
Then the soft dip of the mattress behind me.
My breathing stopped instantly.
What the hell—
"What happened?" Keifer's sleepy voice came from behind me. "I'm only here to sleep."
ONLY HERE TO SLEEP?!
I turned around so fast I nearly hit him with the blanket.
"Don't you have any other room?!" I whispered aggressively. "Why are you here?!"
Keifer looked at me with complete confusion.
Then—unbelievably—a proud expression appeared on his face.
"Because," he said confidently, "it's my room."
I stared at him in pure disbelief.
"…What?"
He looked way too satisfied with himself.
"This is my room."
I blinked slowly.
Then looked around the room.
Then back at him.
Then around the room again.
No wonder everything looked so expensive and annoyingly organized.
"Oh my god."
Keifer looked seconds away from laughing.
"You've been sleeping in my room this whole time."
"You didn't tell me?!"
"You didn't ask."
"You are literally unbelievable."
"And yet you still came back to me."
"I came back because I was kidnapped, you narcissist!"
"Still counts."
I grabbed the nearest pillow and hit his chest with it immediately.
He laughed softly for the first time that night—an actual genuine laugh.
And annoyingly enough…
he looked happier just because I was arguing with him again.
I stared at him in disbelief while he looked way too proud of himself.
"You've been sleeping in my room this whole time," he repeated like he was enjoying every second of this.
"Why didn't you tell me?!"
He replied very calmly.
"You didn't ask."
I blinked at him.
"Wait—WHAT? Why the hell would I ask?! You literally put me in your room yourself!"
"Yeah," he said shamelessly, "because you were too heavy to carry to a farther room."
My jaw dropped.
"What?! I am NOT heavy!"
He looked completely unbothered.
"You almost broke my back."
I immediately sat up straighter. "Excuse you? I'm literally in perfect shape."
"Mhm."
"I have a perfect figure."
"Mhm."
"You're just weak."
That finally got a reaction from him.
His eyebrows lifted slowly before he suddenly leaned closer to me.
Very close.
Too close.
"Am I weak?" he asked quietly.
My breath hitched a little.
His face moved even closer, his voice dropping lower.
"Are you sure?" he murmured teasingly. "Or should I prove my strength…stamina…and power to you?"
My eyes widened instantly.
"UM okay maybe you're not weak," I corrected myself immediately. "But I'm definitely not heavy."
A smirk spread across his face.
"Okay, okay. I was joking."
I narrowed my eyes suspiciously before huffing dramatically and grabbing my blanket.
"You know what? I'm going to another room."
The second I tried getting up, his hand caught my wrist gently.
"No, you're not."
I looked at him with disbelief. "Why? Like you can stop me?"
His expression suddenly turned way too calm.
"Okay," he said casually. "But if you go, then we continue our profanity deal."
I froze.
"…What?"
A dangerous smile appeared on his face.
"A deal is a deal, Jay."
"No way. I'm not kissing you."
"You can't escape the contract."
"There is NO contract!"
"Oh there is."
I stared at him in horror as he suddenly grabbed his phone.
"Let's calculate the total."
"What total?!"
"Well," he started professionally, like some evil businessman, "you used profanity seventy-two times yesterday and one hundred eight times today."
My mouth fell open.
"YOU COUNTED?!"
"I had help."
"You're insane."
"I was in London for one month," he continued ignoring me completely, "so let's keep the average at one hundred fifty profanities per day."
I stared at him speechlessly while he pretended to calculate seriously.
"So that makes…" he hummed dramatically, "four thousand five hundred."
"Oh my god."
"And according to Ci and Felix," he continued proudly, "you additionally used eight hundred seventy-six profanities."
I looked genuinely betrayed.
"THEY SNITCHED ON ME?!"
"Very detailed reports too."
"I hate all of you."
"So," he finished calmly, "the grand total is five thousand five hundred fifty-six kisses."
I gasped loudly.
"NO WAY I'M DOING THAT!"
I immediately started hitting him repeatedly with the pillow.
"You psychopath!"
"OW—JAY—"
"You're actually mentally unstable!"
"Okay okay okay—stop attacking me!"
I kept smacking him anyway while he laughed uncontrollably and tried blocking himself.
Finally he grabbed the pillow dramatically.
"FINE!"
I narrowed my eyes.
"No profanity rule on this island anymore and the profanity count is 0 now," he surrendered. "Okay?"
I stopped mid-hit.
"…Really?"
"Yes."
I looked suspicious immediately.
"You're actually going to follow it?"
He raised both hands innocently.
"Yes, of course. I promise."
Honestly…
that wasn't a bad deal.
I slowly put the pillow down.
"…Fine."
Victory flashed across his face instantly.
"But," I warned while pointing at him threateningly, "don't you DARE try anything with me while I'm sleeping."
He blinked innocently.
"Otherwise," I continued darkly, "I will kick your reindeers."
Keifer instantly choked on his own laugh.
"My WHAT?"
"You heard me."
He stared at me in disbelief before raising both hands again dramatically.
"Okay okay! I will not touch you."
"Good."
He still looked deeply offended.
"I cannot believe you called them reindeers."
I pulled the blanket over myself smugly.
"Well maybe don't act like a horny Santa Claus then."
He stared at me for a solid five seconds before laughing so hard he almost fell off the bed.
The room slowly became quiet again after that.
Only Keifer's occasional laughter filled the darkness for a few more seconds before even that faded away.
I turned my back toward him dramatically and pulled the blanket closer.
"Goodnight," I muttered.
"Goodnight, menace."
"You're still annoying."
"You still stayed."
I rolled my eyes but didn't answer.
A few minutes passed.
Then more.
The mansion was completely silent now.
And despite everything…
for the first time in weeks, the silence didn't feel lonely.
I could hear Keifer moving slightly behind me, probably trying to get comfortable without "accidentally" touching me because of my threats toward his precious reindeers.
Idiot.
I shut my eyes slowly.
But sometime during the night…
half asleep and completely unaware…
I shifted backward slightly.
And my back accidentally touched his chest.
The moment it happened, my body froze for a second.
Warm.
Keifer went completely still too.
Neither of us moved.
My heartbeat slowly started getting louder in my ears.
Then very carefully…
very slowly…
I felt him pull the blanket over my shoulder properly where it had slipped down.
That tiny action made my chest ache.
No teasing.
No flirting.
Just quiet care.
I stayed still, pretending to be asleep.
And after a few seconds…
I felt his arm slowly wrap around my waist carefully.
Like he was scared I'd push him away.
His touch was gentle.
Almost hesitant.
I should've moved.
Should've complained.
Should've threatened to kick his reindeers again.
But instead…
I just stayed there.
Because deep down…
I had missed this too much.
Keifer buried his face slightly into my hair and let out the softest breath against my neck.
And god.
The way he held me felt less like desire and more like relief.
Like someone finally holding the only thing keeping them together.
His arm tightened slightly around me after a while.
Not possessive.
Protective.
Careful.
As if he was silently promising himself I was really there.
I could feel his heartbeat against my back now.
Slowly calming down.
And for some reason…
mine started matching it.
Half asleep, I heard him whisper quietly against my hair,
"I missed you so much."
The sadness in his voice hurt.
It wasn't dramatic.
Wasn't loud.
Just painfully honest.
And somehow that made it worse.
My eyes stung slightly.
Idiot.
Why did he always sound most genuine when he thought I wasn't listening?
I slowly relaxed against him before I could stop myself.
The second I did, his breathing softened.
Like even that tiny bit of closeness meant everything to him.
Then after a few quiet moments…
his fingers lightly intertwined with mine under the blanket.
And he held my hand while falling asleep.
Like he was scared I'd disappear again if he let go.
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