JAY JAY POV
While waiting for the doctor to arrive, I decided to do my duty as the new Ate of the house. I marched toward the brothers' rooms to do my usual drill.
"Wake up, guys! Time for school!" I called out, knocking on their doors with enough energy to wake up a fossil.
The door swung open, and Keiran stood there, looking like a disgruntled hedgehog with his messy bedhead. He squinted at me, holding his phone up like a holy relic.
"Ate… school was cancelled, remember? Because of the disaster-level weather yesterday," Keiran remarked, his voice still thick with sleep.
I froze. I slowly reached into my pajama pocket and checked my own phone. Shit. There it was. A notification from the school board. No classes.
"Sorry! I forgot!" I squeaked, my face heating up.
My brain is officially fried. This is what happens when you spend the night nursing a billionaire volcano—you forget how to read a calendar.
Keiran leaned against the doorframe, a slow, mischievous smirk spreading across his face. That signature Watson look—the one that means I'm about to be teased into oblivion.
"I think it's because Kuya kept you busy last night," Keiran said, his eyebrows doing a suggestive little dance.
"Go back to sleep!" I hissed-singed, covering my face with my hands.
I turned around to flee to the kitchen for some emotional-support coffee, but I ran straight into Keigan. He was already outside his room, looking much more composed than Keiran, but his face was full of questions.
"What happened? Didn't you get any sleep?" Keigan asked, rubbing his eyes. He paused, looking toward the grand staircase. "And why is there a doctor in the hall?"
The humor dissipated instantly, replaced by that heavy, fluttering anxiety in my chest.
"He's here for your Kuya. Call him to the room once he reaches the top," I told Keigan, my voice serious. I pointed toward the master bedroom. "Your Kuya is sick."
Keigan's expression shifted from sleepy to sharp in a second—that Watson protective instinct kicking in.
"Kuya is sick?" he repeated, already moving past me.
Keigan brushed past me with a look of pure worry
I sighed, leaning my head against the cool wall for a second.
I pushed off the wall and walked back into the room. Keifer was still lying exactly where I left him, but he wasn't sleeping anymore. He was staring intensely at the ceiling, his eyes following nothing in particular.
I stopped by the bed and looked up, trying to see what was so fascinating. A spider? A ghost? A hidden camera?
Nothing. Just white paint and expensive crown molding.
"What are you staring at?" I asked him, my voice soft but curious.
He slowly shifted his gaze from the ceiling to me. His eyes were still a bit glassy from the fever, and his hair was a beautiful, chaotic mess against the pillows. He didn't say anything at first; he just looked at me like I was a puzzle he was finally starting to solve.
"You," he rasped, his voice sounding like it had been dragged through sandpaper.
I blinked. Hala. My heart did a sudden, violent somersault. "I'm not on the ceiling, Keifer. I'm right here. Are you sure your brain isn't boiling?"
I reached out to check his temperature again, but he caught my hand mid-air. His grip was weak, but his skin was still incredibly hot. He didn't let go; he just held my hand against his cheek, leaning into my palm like a cat seeking warmth.
"I was thinking," he murmured, his eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made my toes curl.
"About what? Business? Stocks? How to buy the moon?" I teased, trying to ignore the way my face was starting to feel like a toasted marshmallow.
"About how you look in the morning," he said, a tiny, tired smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. "And how I'm glad it was you who stayed."
How can he say things like that while he's literally dying of a cold?! My heart was pounding so hard I was worried he could feel it through my hand. Someone please give me a fan, a bucket of ice, or a giant bag of spicy chips to distract me, because I am officially a goner.
"You're definitely delirious," I huffed, though I didn't pull my hand away. In fact, I used my other hand to smooth back his messy hair. "Just wait. Keigan is bringing the doctor up. After that, no more talking. Only sleeping and eating the soup I'm going to make you."
The doctor finished his check-up, looking at his clipboard with a very serious expression. I was standing there, twisting the hem of my pajamas, my brain already imagining the worst.
"Are you his wife?" the doctor asked, looking at me over his glasses.
I nodded, my heart doing that annoying nervous gallop. "Yes. Freshly married. Still have the receipt," I mumbled.
I turned to Keigan, who was standing there looking like he was ready to donate a kidney if needed. "Go, Keigan. I got this. I'll take care of your brother. Don't worry, I won't let him evaporate," I said. He gave me a small, grateful nod and finally headed out to find some breakfast.
"Umm… I don't know how to say this," the doctor started, hesitating.
Keifer, who was now sitting up and leaning against the headboard, froze. His jaw tightened.
I felt the panic rise in my throat like a hot rocket. "Is he gonna die?! I swear I didn't poison him! The bacon was fully cooked! The eggs were pasteurized! I have witnesses!" I shrieked, waving my hands frantically.
I am too young to be a billionaire widow! I haven't even figured out how to use the mansion's fancy coffee machine yet!
The doctor looked at me, completely shocked by my outburst. Keifer just closed his eyes, shaking his head with a tired, arrogant smirk. Even while he's dying, he still finds time to be a gago.
"No, Mrs. Watson, he is definitely not going to die," the doctor clarified, clearing his throat. "Although, his temperature is very high. Medicine will help, but to stabilize him faster, his body needs to be in constant contact with a normal temperature one."
My brain hit a brick wall.
Constant. Contact.
"Huwat?!" I squeaked. "You mean… like… like a human heating pad? Like huddling for survival in the middle of a blizzard?! Like skin-to-skin contact?!"
I looked at Keifer. He was looking back at me, his eyes dark and suddenly very, very awake. The smirk on his face widened, making my heart do a triple backflip and crash into my ribs.
"Skin-to-skin, you say?" Keifer rasped, his voice sounding entirely too amused for someone with a 39-degree fever.
"Yes," the doctor added, oblivious to my internal screaming. "It's called the kangaroo care method for adults. It helps regulate the heart rate and brings the fever down through thermal exchange. Since you're his wife, it's the most… efficient solution."
EFFICIENT. That word again! Why is my life being ruled by this word?!
"Wait, Doc! Isn't there a blanket for that? Or a lukewarm bath? Or a very large block of ice?!" I pleaded.
"It's not as effective as a spouse," the doctor said, packing his bag. "I'll leave the prescription with the maids. Good luck, Mrs. Watson."
Wait—what?! Good luck? For what?!
"Wait, wait!" I practically shouted, stumbling over my own feet just to keep up with him. My heart was doing some weird marathon in my chest. "Doc, please explain this to me. Because as far as I know—and I'm pretty sure I'm right—the kangaroo method is only for newborn babies! You know, tiny, little babies? Not for... for grown-up men!"
The doctor stopped at the top of the stairs and looked at me with this knowing, almost playful glint in his eyes. He sighed like he was explaining something to a toddler.
"In theory, yes, Mrs. Watson. But skin-to-skin contact releases oxytocin. It regulates heart rate, stabilizes blood pressure, and—more importantly—it provides comfort that no chemical drug can replicate. Your husband's recovery is as much emotional as it is physical."
I stood there, blinking. My jaw was literally inches away from the floor.
"So you're saying..." my voice cracked, and I had to clear my throat. "You're saying I have to... cuddle him? For medical purposes?"
"Essentially, yes. Skin-to-skin. Frequent and prolonged," the doctor smiled, tipping his invisible hat at me. "Think of it as a life-saving mission. Happy healing!"
And then, he was gone. Just like that! He left me standing there like a complete idiot!
I turned around and looked at the closed bedroom door. My husband—the arrogant, cold, and annoyingly handsome Mr. Watson—was behind that door, needing a 'kangaroo' to save him.
Oh my gosh. This cannot be happening!
I felt my face heating up until I was probably the color of a ripe tomato. This was supposed to be a simple marriage of convenience, right? But now, I had to treat him like a baby? A very large, very muscular, very shirtless baby?
Lord, please help me! If I die of embarrassment today, please tell my family I love them!
I took a deep breath, gripped the doorknob, and prayed for my soul. Here goes nothing.
I took a deep breath and pushed the door open. There he was, looking like a total mess on the bed, but still managed to look annoyingly handsome. Life is so unfair, right?
"You don't have to do it, Jay-Jay," Keifer muttered the moment he saw me.
I rolled my eyes so hard I almost saw my own brain. This guy! Seriously! He's only in this situation because of me, and now he's trying to be a martyr? What an absolute asshole. My guilt was already eating me alive, and his heroic act was not helping at all!
"Take off your shirt," I told him, trying to sound like I totally knew what I was doing (spoiler alert: I didn't).
"It's not necessary, really," he said, but I caught the way his neck was turning a deep, dark shade of red. Aha! So the King is flustered, huh?
I didn't wait for his permission. I leaned in and started slowly pulling his shirt off. My heart was thumping so loud I was scared he'd hear it and think there was an earthquake. When his shirt was finally gone, I felt my own face go up in flames. Focus, Jay-Jay! This is medical! This is science!
Then, I reached for the first button of my pajama top. My fingers were shaking, but I told myself to be brave. One button... two buttons...
"It's not necessary, Jay," Keifer said suddenly. His hand shot out, firm and warm, stopping my hands right over my heart.
He was looking at me with those eyes—you know, the kind that makes you forget your own name. I felt like a deer caught in headlights.
My gosh, Keifer! Can you stop being so... so YOU for one second?! My heart can't take this!
"It's okay. It's my duty as your wife to take care of you, remember?" I said, trying to keep my voice steady even though my hands were shaking like I'd had ten cups of coffee.
For the first time since he got sick, he didn't give me a sarcastic comeback. Instead, he smiled. And not that annoying, arrogant smirk he usually wears—this was soft. Gentle. The kind of smile that makes you want to hide under the bed covers and never come out because it's just too much for my poor heart to handle.
"Fine," he whispered, his voice all raspy and deep. "Have it your way, Jay."
I managed to finish unbuttoning my pajama top. My breath hitched. Okay, Jay-Jay, you can do this. It's for science! It's for his health! Don't look at his abs! I Repeat: DO NOT LOOK AT HIS—
Too late. I looked. And my gosh, why does he have to be so well-built even when he's sick? It's totally unfair!
I climbed onto the bed, my skin feeling all tingly as the cool air hit me. Keifer was already shirtless, his broad shoulders leaning against the pillows. He looked so vulnerable yet so... well, so him. I slowly moved closer, my heart beating so loud I was convinced it was actually a drum solo.
"Come here," he murmured, reaching out to pull me toward him.
When my chest finally touched his, I think I actually stopped breathing for a second. His skin was burning hot because of the fever, but the contact felt like an electric shock straight to my system. I tucked my head under his chin, my nose pressing against the crook of his neck. He smelled like expensive soap and... well, just like Keifer.
"Grabe," I whispered into his skin, my face probably glowing in the dark with how much I was blushing. "You're like a human heater."
He didn't say anything at first. He just wrapped his arms around me, pulling me even tighter until there wasn't a single inch of space left between us. I could feel his heart thumping against mine—fast, steady, and loud.
"Is the kangaroo happy now?" he teased, his chest vibrating against me.
"Shut up, Keifer," I muttered, though I was secretly melting into him. "Just get better already, okay? You're scaring me when you're like this."
I felt him kiss the top of my head, a lingering, soft touch that made my toes curl. My eyes started to get heavy as the warmth between us settled into something cozy and safe.
Lord, if this is a dream, please don't let the maids wake me up. But also, please make sure my heart doesn't actually explode, because that would be a very messy way to go.
As we stayed like that, skin-to-skin, I realized the doctor was right. It wasn't just about the fever. There was something about being this close to him that made everything else in the world faded away
+++++++++++++++++++++
Hey everyone! I know the chapters have been a little short lately — it's because my AP US History exam is coming up, and if you're taking it too, you KNOW the struggle 😭 Nine freaking units to review… my brain is already filing for retirement.
Plus, my leg finally healed, so I'm back to soccer and tennis, which means school sports are another thing on my plate ⚽🎾
So yeah, please don't comment saying the chapters are getting short — it's not because I'm being lazy. I just genuinely haven't had much time. The only reason I can upload at all is because I write whenever I get tiny pockets of free time.
But enough about my personal life — let's talk about our Ashdres 🤍🔥
🏆 TV Actor of the Year: Andres Muhlach (Ang Mutya ng Section E)
🏆 TV Actress of the Year: Ashtine Olviga (Ang Mutya ng Section E)
🏆 Love Team of the Year: ASHDRES
🏆 Supporting Actress of the Year: Ashtine Olviga (Manila's Finest)
🏆 7th VPCA Face of the Year – 1st Place: Ashtine Olviga
🏆 7th VPCA Face of the Year – 2nd Place: Andres Muhlach
🎬 Ang Mutya ng Section E – TV Series of the Year!
We did it, guys. We Keepers showed Ashdres that we STILL support them, even through all the chaos and hardships 🤍💚
I kinda hate that Ash wasn't there at the awards, but it's okay — she's been traveling for the past 3 days, and she's human. She's allowed to rest and be lazy sometimes 😭✨
Don't lose hope. We just have to wait until June for the Season 2 countdown. Let's hope things get better, and please… don't go hating on anyone.