Downstairs in the grand dining room, Mr. and Mrs. Watson were already seated at the dining table, quietly enjoying the morning peace before the day's chaos began.
The quiet didn't last long, though.
Soon enough, Sophia joined them, heading down the staircase while cheerfully whistling a random tune.
She practically bounded over to the table, coming to a halt behind her empty chair and gripping the backrest with both hands.
"Breakfast, breakfast, breakfast! I want breakfast!" she sang out loudly, rocking the chair slightly to the beat of her own voice.
Mr. and Mrs. Watson could only shake their heads in unison, sharing an amused, long-suffering look at their almost twenty-one-year-old daughter's unyielding antics.
No matter how old she got, Sophia never changed.
Sophia finally pulled her chair out and sat down, her sharp eyes instantly scanning the rest of the dining table.
She raised a skeptical eyebrow when she noticed two very specific, very empty chairs.
There was no sign of Keifer or Jay anywhere.
Leaning forward slightly, she caught her mother's attention.
Sophia let out a low, sharp whistle, gesturing with her eyes toward the empty seats, silently asking:
Where are those two lovebirds?
Mrs. Watson didn't say a word out loud.
She just subtly shrugged her shoulders and flicked her eyes toward the grand staircase, gesturing toward the master bedroom upstairs.
Soph made a silent, dramatic "Oh" with her mouth, her eyes widening in realization.
But within a fraction of a second, that surprised expression smoothly morphed into a wicked, teasing smirk.
"Then... what do you think?"
Sophia asked, leaning in closer, her voice laced with pure mischief.
"I think the exact same thing,"
her mother replied instantly, matching her daughter's expression with an identical, knowing double smirk.
Sophia's grin widened into something downright villainous.
"Then what are you planning?"
"The exact same thing you're planning," Mrs. Watson answered smoothly, her own grin turning completely mischievous.
Meanwhile, sitting at the head of the table, Mr. Watson was just watching the two of them back and forth with a profoundly confused expression.
He looked at his wife, then at his daughter, completely unable to decipher the unspoken, chaotic language passing between the Watson women.
Both of them stood up from their chairs in perfect synchronization.
Mr. Watson's brows shot up toward his hairline, his spoon frozen mid-air and completely stuck in his mouth as he watched them.
The two Watson women traded one final, wicked smirk and began a slow, synchronized march toward the staircase, fully intent on turning whatever romance was happening upstairs into absolute, unmitigated chaos.
They began taking quiet, calculated steps up the stairs, trying to keep their footsteps muffled.
Halfway up, Sophia leaned over, her bravado wavering just a tiny bit.
"Mom? Should we really do this?" she whispered.
Mrs. Watson didn't even hesitate.
"I think... yes."
"Ok then," Sophia said, her grin returning in full force.
They were just a few steps away from the master bedroom door, their hands practically rubbing together in anticipation, when the door suddenly clicked and swung wide open.
Keifer stepped out.
The two women froze instantly, like statues caught in a spotlight.
Keifer stopped in his tracks, looking at the two of them standing right outside his door. He raised a skeptical brow, his voice flat.
"Mom? Soph? What happened?"
Realizing they had been caught red-handed, Sophia and her mother slowly turned their heads toward each other and burst into a loud, incredibly forced, nervous laugh.
"Hehe..."
Keifer raised his other brow, his sharp mind instantly clicking into gear as he calculated exactly why they were sneaking around his hallway.
His face hardened into a serious, unamused expression as he locked a piercing gaze directly onto Sophia.
"Hehe!
I... I was just here to ask when you guys are coming down for breakfast!"
Sophia squeaked out, a stiff, plastic smile plastered across her face.
She didn't even know why she was suddenly so terrified, but Keifer's older-brother aura was working overtime.
Finding her explanation weak, Keifer shifted his intense, questioning gaze over to his mother, waiting.
"Me?" Mrs. Watson cleared her throat, trying to regain her maternal authority but sweating under his stare.
"I... I was here to ask if you guys did your dinner last night?
And... where is Jay?"
Keifer looked at both of them, his eyes darting back and forth between his mother and his sister.
He opened his mouth, just about to give them a calm, rehearsed answer to get them off his back, when Sophia interrupted him.
"Yes mom, they did," Sophia said, her voice suddenly dropping into a breathless, stunned whisper.
"But I think... I think Jay did the best dinner.
Very efficient."
Her strange words made both Keifer and Mrs. Watson snap their heads to look at her.
Sophia was standing completely frozen in her tracks, her jaw slightly slack and her eyes glued in an unblinking, horrified stare straight at Keifer's neck.
Keifer's face instantly exploded into a furious, bright red as realization hit him like a freight train.
He instinctively tried to shift his posture, but it was already too late.
Following her daughter's rigid gaze, Mrs. Watson's confused expression morphed into utter shock as she looked exactly where Sophia was pointing with her eyes.
A hickey. No-not just a hickey.
Bites.
Big, prominent, angry purple-red bites. And worst of all, it wasn't just one.
There were so many of them, completely dark and indisputable, trailing all the way down his neck and practically screaming for attention at his collarbone since the top two buttons of his fresh shirt were left completely open.
Mrs. Watson and Sophia stared at Keifer's neck in total silence for three long seconds.
Then, both of them broke into huge, mischievous grins.
"Well, well, well," Sophia laughed, crossing her arms and leaning in to get a closer look.
"Looks like someone was on the menu last night!
I didn't know my bestie could bite like that."
"Wow! I didn't knew it too!", Mom said, looking at his neck with jaw drop.
"Mom! Soph! Stop it!" Keifer snapped.
But his tough-guy act completely failed.
A bright, burning blush rushed up his neck and straight to the tips of his ears.
He looked anywhere but at them, quickly pulling his collar together with both hands to hide the marks.
Seeing him try to cover up his neck, Sophia instantly lunged forward and swatted his hands away.
"Hey! Put your hands down! Why are you trying to hide live Netflix from us? The drama is just getting good!"
"Don't hide it, anak," his mom said softly with a warm chuckle, gently pulling his hands down.
"It's your girlfriend's love.
People should see how much she loves you."
"And how possessive she is too!" Sophia added quickly, raising her hands up and making playful cat claw motions in the air.
Keifer looked like he wanted the floor to open up and swallow him alive.
Before he could try to block the door or defend himself, Sophia ducked right under his arm with lightning speed.
"I'm going to see the chef who cooked this wonderful meal!"
she shouted over her shoulder, sprinting straight into the bedroom toward an unsuspecting Jay.
"Soph, don't you dare-!" Keifer yelled, turning to chase her.
But Mrs. Watson stepped right into his path, crossing her arms with a massive grin.
"And where do you think you're going, young man?"
his mom asked, raising an eyebrow and completely blocking his way back into the room.
Keifer froze.
He looked toward the bedroom where Sophia was already laughing, then looked back at his mother who was waiting for an answer.
His brain completely short-circuited.
He looked back and forth, his eyes darting frantically between the door and the stairs.
"I-she-her pain is in her ankle!" he stammered, his voice cracking as his hands waved wildly in the air.
"I... I am food... no! I mean, I am going to get food! To go! Downstairs!"
Seeing her usually serious, scary son completely reduced to a stuttering, blushing mess over a few love bites, Mrs. Watson couldn't hold it in anymore.
She burst into a loud, happy laugh that echoed down the hallway.
Grateful for the distraction, Keifer didn't waste another second.
He spun around and practically jumped down the stairs, running as fast as he could toward the safety of the dining room.
**
Jay had already changed out of her soft bathrobe and into a casual, comfortable outfit-a simple crop top and a pair of well-fitting jeans.
Her hair was still a little damp around the edges, but she had neatly combed it out.
Right now, she was sitting all by herself on the comfortable couch in the master bedroom, completely relaxed.
She leaned her head back against the soft cushions, letting her eyelids flutter closed.
As the quietness of the room surrounded her, a sweet, dreamy smile naturally played on her lips.
Her mind was drifting right back to the beautiful, romantic moments she had shared with Keifer just a little while ago on the bed.
She could still feel the warmth of his hands on her hips, the soft brush of his lips against her neck, and the deep, breathless way he had kissed her.
Her heart gave a happy little flutter just thinking about his deep voice whispering that he belonged entirely to her.
She was totally lost in her own little world of happiness.
"Ooho! The chef is smiling all on her own!"
The sudden, loud voice shattered the silence, and Jay's eyes snapped wide open in surprise.
"Soph?"
Before Jay could even sit up properly or wipe the dreamy expression off her face, Sophia bounded across the room like a whirlwind.
With a dramatic leap, Sophia jumped onto the sofa right next to her, making the cushions bounce.
Without wasting a single second, Sophia reached out and gently pinched both of Jay's cheeks, wiggling them playfully.
"Oh, my bestie! Are you seriously sitting here blushing all by yourself?" Sophia cooed loudly, her eyes sparkling with absolute delight.
At the sudden accusation, an instant wave of intense heat rushed straight up Jay's neck and crawled onto her cheeks, making her blush even harder than before.
She quickly pulled her face away from Sophia's hands and looked down at her own lap, trying her best to act completely casual.
"Me? No! I'm not blushing," she protested, though her squeaky voice totally gave her away.
Sophia raised a skeptical eyebrow, her lips twisting into a massive, knowing smirk.
She leaned in closer, invading Jay's personal space. "Oh, really? Chef?"
Jay blinked, completely confused by the strange nickname. "Chef?"
"Yeah," Sophia giggled, crossing her arms proudly. "I just saw your meal downstairs."
"Meal? But... I didn't cook anything today...?" Jay asked, her voice trailing off.
She was totally lost and had absolutely no idea what had just transpired out in the hallway between Keifer, Sophia, and Mrs. Watson.
"Yeah, you didn't actually make the food," Sophia teased, nudging Jay's shoulder with her own.
"You just ate, and the meal got ready all on its own."
Jay gave her friend a deeply confused look, her eyebrows knitting together tightly.
She honestly thought Sophia was just talking in random riddles to annoy her.
"What are you even talking about, Soph? You're making no sense."
Sophia leaned in even closer, her eyes full of pure, unadulterated mischief as she prepared to drop the bomb.
"You know what? Your 'meal' was just walking down the stairs towards the kitchen... and he was completely covered in your bites."
"Bites?"
The single word hung heavily in the air for a second.
Then, all at once, Jay's mind flashed back to the dramatic events on the rooftop from the night before.
Suddenly, Jay's eyes widened to the size of large saucers as the horrifying realization hit her like a lightning bolt.
Her jaw practically dropped.
"Don't be shy, Jay! It's totally okay-he's yoursssss!" Sophia sang out at the top of her lungs, giggling uncontrollably as she watched Jay's epic, deer-in-the-headlights reaction.
"Sophhh!" Jay groaned loudly, burying her burning face inside her hands as her entire countenance turned a bright, furious shade of crimson.
She wanted nothing more than for a hole to open up in the floor and swallow her alive.
"What 'Soph' huh?" Sophia laughed, utterly ruthless in her mission to tease her best friend.
Before Jay could defend herself, Sophia suddenly reached over and playfully pinched the exposed skin on the right side of Jay's waist, right where her crop top ended.
"Ow! Soph, what are you doing?!" Jay squealed, jumping in surprise and trying to twist her body away from the attack.
But Sophia was on a roll and didn't stop there.
She instantly reached out with her other hand and playfully pinched the left side of Jay's waist, right in the sweet spot.
"Ow! Sophhh! Stop it!" Jay cried out. She was half-giggling and half-protesting, her hands flying down to swat Sophia's fingers away as she tried her best to defend herself from the sudden tickles.
Sophia finally stopped pinching, but she didn't move away.
Instead, she openly stared at Jay's exposed stomach with a look of pure mischief, and then she dramatically looked up at the ceiling, shaking her head.
"Wow, Jay! What a gorgeous, milky waist! Oh my goddd, no wonder Keifer completely lost his mind last night!
Even I'm on the verge of losing it!"
Jay's eyes widened even more, if that was even possible.
Her entire face was so hot she felt like she was standing next to an open oven.
"Soph! Stop saying things like that! Seriously!" she yelled, her voice full of embarrassed laughter.
Jay quickly grabbed the plush couch cushion and threw it with all her might straight at Sophia.
The cushion flew through the air and landed with a soft thud right on Sophia's nose.
"Jay-jayyyyyyy!" Sophia screamed at the top of her lungs, her arms flailing wildly.
Jay flinched, her shoulders tensing up as she shrank back into the corner of the sofa, clutching her knees.
Sophia slowly lowered the cushion, her eyes narrowed into a dramatic, angry glare.
She pointed a sharp index finger directly at her own chest, her jaw dropping open.
"You hit me?
Me?!"
Jay's throat went dry.
She swallowed hard, her eyes darting toward the closed bedroom door as she let out a small, terrified gulp.
"Now you will face the consequences!" Sophia declared, a wicked grin spreading across her face as she tossed the cushion aside.
Before Jay could even process the threat or try to scramble away, Sophia lunged forward with lightning speed, her knees sinking into the couch cushions.
Her hands shot out, her fingers digging straight into Jay's sensitive ribs and sides, instantly starting a brutal tickle attack.
Jay exploded into a fit of breathless giggles, her legs kicking out wildly as she twisted and turned on the cushions, trying desperately to block Sophia's hands with her forearms.
"Sophhhhh! Stop! Ahahaha!"
But Sophia didn't stop.
She laughed out loud, completely ruthless, her fingers moving even faster as she tickled her best friend mercilessly, her own hair flying wildly across her face.
"Never! This is revenge!"
"Soph, plzzzz! I can't breathe!"
Jay cried out, her face flushed red from laughing so hard, her hands flailing wildly in the air to push Sophia away, her back arching off the couch.
After torturing her for another solid minute, Sophia finally got tired.
Her hands dropped away from Jay's waist as she let out a loud groan of exhaustion.
In perfect synchronization, both girls collapsed backward.
They rested the backs of their heads against the top support of the sofa, their chests heaving up and down as they breathed heavily.
Small, breathless giggles still escaped their lips, and their eyes remained tightly closed as they tried to catch their breath in the quiet room.
When they finally finished panting and the laughter died down, a strange silence filled the bedroom.
Jay was the first to slowly flutter her eyes open.
Her gaze drifted toward the doorway, and her body instantly froze, her smile locking in place.
"Keifer..." Jay whispered, her voice barely a breath, her fingers gripping the edge of her jeans.
Keifer was standing right there in the middle of the room.
He was holding a large, heavy wooden tray completely piled high with delicious breakfast food.
His sharp eyebrows were raised high up on his forehead, and his expression was completely blank-like a statue that had been standing there for a long time, silently watching the entire chaotic show.
Sophia cracked one eye open, tilting her head back against the sofa to look at her brother.
She rolled her eyes dramatically, letting out a loud sigh as she crossed her arms.
"Oh man... can't you stay away from her for even a little bit?"
Keifer didn't blink.
"No."
Sophia sat up quickly, digging her elbows into her knees and scoffing loudly.
"How rude!"
Keifer shifted his dark eyes to his sister.
He stretched his lips into a wide, completely fake plastic smile.
The smile stayed on his face for exactly two seconds before it vanished into thin air, leaving his face cold and unamused again.
He took a slow step forward, the heavy tray shifting slightly in his strong grip.
"Can you please get up from here?"
Sophia didn't budge.
She dug her heels into the couch cushions, tilting her chin up defiantly, her lips forming a stubborn pout.
"Why?"
"I have to give her breakfast,"
Keifer said, his voice dropping into a low, impatient rumble as he nodded his head down toward the steaming plates on the tray.
"Then give it and go," Sophia snapped back smoothly, waving her right hand in the air to dismiss him while sinking deeper into the couch.
"Sophhhhh."
Sophia leaned her torso forward, mimicking his deep tone perfectly while raising her eyebrows.
"Keiferrrrr."
"I have to feed her too," Keifer argued, taking another determined step toward the edge of the couch, his eyes softening for a split second as he glanced at Jay's quiet figure before annoyed again as he looked at his sister.
Sophia let out a loud, scoffing laugh, pointing a dramatic finger at Jay's arms.
"Her hands are perfectly okay, bro! She can eat by herself. Her ankle is the only thing in pain!"
Keifer shrugged his shoulders.
"Still in pain. I'm feeding her. Move aside."
"Oh, is that the case?" Sophia challenged, suddenly jumping up from the sofa and stepping right into his space, extending her open palms toward him.
"Then I have hands too! Give this tray to me. I'll feed her."
Keifer instantly pulled the tray back against his chest, tilting his upper body away to shield the food from her reaching fingers.
"No."
Sophia stomped her right foot against the floor, her hands flying to her hips as she glared up at him.
"Why?!"
"No," Keifer repeated firmly, his dark eyes narrowing at her as he held his ground.
"Why?!" Sophia whined, stepping closer to try and grab the edge of the wooden tray again.
Keifer shifted his weight, turning his body away from her completely to protect the breakfast, his broad shoulders blocking her path.
"No means no."
"Why?!" Sophia yelled, stamping her foot a second time, her shoulders shaking with fake frustration.
Frustrated and out of arguments, Keifer snapped his head around to look at the girl sitting on the couch.
"Jay, tell her to go away from here," he complained, his tough Alpha persona completely melting into a pout as he looked at Jay.
Sophia instantly turned around too, pointing an accusing finger at Keifer while stepping closer to the couch.
"No, Jay! Tell him to go away!"
Keifer stepped forward, his eyes pleading as he leaned slightly over the tray.
"Jay, tell her."
Sophia nudged Jay's knee with her hand, leaning down.
"No, Jay! Tell him!"
"Jay!" Keifer barked softly, taking another step until he was right aat the edge of the table.
"Jay!" Sophia shouted right in her ear, shaking her head.
"Jay!" Keifer repeated, his voice getting desperate as his eyes darted back and forth.
"Jay-jay!" Sophia sang out, leaning right into Jay's face with a wide grin.
"Jay-jay!" Keifer called out, shifting the tray to his left hand so he could gesture wildly with his right hand toward the door.
Suddenly, both of them stopped shouting at each other and began staring directly at Jay, their voices dropping into a rapid-fire barrage of sweet, pleading nicknames to win her over, their eyes locking onto her at the exact same time.
"Sweetheart, tell him," Sophia pleaded, her voice turning incredibly fake-sweet as she took a step closer to Jay, her eyes widening as she tried to look innocent.
"Baby, tell her," Keifer intercepted instantly, his deep voice dropping an octave as he stepped to the side to clear his view of Jay, his eyebrows furrowing slightly.
"Cutie," Sophia retorted, fluttering her eyelashes dramatically and stepping directly in front of Keifer to block his view again, her arms crossed over her chest.
"Darling," Keifer said, shifting his entire body to the right to look past Sophia's shoulder, his lips forming a firm line.
"Milkywaist," Sophia blurted out mischievously, a huge smirk flashing on her face as her eyes darted down toward Jay's exposed midriff before she burst out laughing.
Jay's breath hitched, her fingers instantly flying up to pull her crop top down as her entire face exploded into a furious, bright red color at the sudden, embarrassing reminder.
But Keifer had the last word.
He stepped completely past Sophia, dropping his voice into a low, possessive, and incredibly deep whisper that sent a shiver straight down Jay's spine.
He leaned down slightly, his eyes locked onto the marks hidden beneath his own collar before looking straight into her eyes.
"My Vampire... tell her to leave."
Before Jay could even process the sudden, embarrassing new nickname, the siblings started bickering all over again, their heads snapping toward each other instantly.
"Soph! Get out," Keifer ordered, stepping forward and glaring down at his sister.
"Me? Huh?" Sophia gasped dramatically, placing a hand on her chest. "You get out!"
"You get out!" Keifer snapped back, his jaw tightening.
"You!" Sophia shouted, pointing a finger at his chest.
"You!" Keifer countered, leaning in closer.
"You!"
"You!"
"You both get out," a firm, authoritative voice suddenly echoed through the bedroom.
Both of their heads snapped toward the door at the exact same time. Mrs. Watson was standing at the entrance, her arms tightly crossed over her chest and a serious expression on her face.
She stepped into the room with slow, calm strides, walking right past her stunned children.
She came up next to Keifer and smoothly took the heavy wooden tray right out of his hands.
"Mom?" Keifer asked, his hands staying frozen mid-air where the tray used to be, his eyebrows raised in total confusion.
Mrs. Watson didn't even bother to reply to him.
She just held the tray securely in her arms, walked over to the couch, and sat down comfortably right next to Jay.
"You both," she said, turning her head and pointing a strict finger toward the two siblings, "get out."
"MOMMMMMM?!" both Keifer and Sophia screamed in unison, their voices echoing off the walls.
"What 'Mom'?" she asked, completely unbothered.
Keifer and Sophia pointed at each other with wide, open jaws, completely shocked that they were both being kicked out.
"What 'what'?" Mom mimicked their dramatic pointing actions with a small, sarcastic shrug of her shoulders.
"Mom, she's getting out," Keifer said, shifting his finger to point aggressively at Sophia's face.
"No, mom, he's getting out!"
Sophia countered instantly, stepping in front of him and pointing back.
"Mom, she-"
"Mom, he-"
"You!"
"You!"
"You!"
"You!"
"Shut up, both of you, and get out," Mrs. Watson interrupted, her calm voice easily cutting through their shouting as she settled the tray onto her lap.
"But..." Keifer started, taking a step forward to argue.
"No buts. Get out means get out,"
Mom said firmly, shutting him down completely.
She picked up a spoon, scooping up a perfect bite of food and moving it directly toward Jay's mouth.
"I can feed my daughter myself." She turned her warm gaze to Jay, smiling gently.
"Open your mouth, anak!"
"But..." Sophia tried to chime in, stomping her foot.
"I said, get out!" Mom shouted, suddenly snapping her head up and glaring at the two of them with a look that promised pure trouble if they stayed.
Seeing absolutely no other option and knowing better than to mess with an angry Mrs. Watson, the two siblings instantly surrendered.
Keifer and Sophia turned around and marched out of the bedroom side-by-side, bumping shoulders and angrily muttering complaints to each other under their breath
"And also, call the doctor for Jay."
Keifer paused for a split second, nodding his head obediently before Sophia pulled his arm, and the two of them finally walked out, closing the door tightly behind them.
Now, the bedroom was completely quiet.
It was just Jay and Mrs. Watson left alone in the room.
Mrs. Watson smiled warmly, balancing the heavy wooden tray on her lap.
She picked up the spoon, carefully scooping up a warm, delicious bite of breakfast, and held it right in front of Jay's lips, waiting to feed her.
Jay looked at the spoon and then at her mother-in-law, her face growing a little shy.
"I can do it, mom. It's okay," she murmured softly, reaching her hands out to take the spoon.
"You also shut up and open your mouth," Mrs. Watson said, her voice firm but full of motherly love as she pulled the spoon back just out of Jay's reach.
"But... mom..." Jay tried to protest, her eyes pleading.
Mrs. Watson didn't say a word.
She simply raised a single, sharp eyebrow, giving Jay a look that meant she was not taking no for an answer.
Defeated by that look, Jay completely gave up.
She let out a tiny sigh, a shy smile touching her lips as she opened her mouth.
Mrs. Watson smiled happily, gently feeding her the first bite of breakfast.
Jay chewed quietly, enjoying the food, while Mrs. Watson watched her with a soft, affectionate expression.
"Bite it properly..." Mrs. Watson said smoothly, her voice dropping into a playful whisper as she leaned in a little closer.
"...the same way you bite your boyfriend?"
Jay's eyes instantly widened to the size of saucers.
Her throat choked up for a split second, and a massive, burning blush exploded across her entire face, turning her cheeks a bright, furious crimson color.
She quickly lowered her head, completely unable to look her mother-in-law in the eye.
"Oho, Jay! Don't be shy!" Mrs. Watson teased merrily, bursting into a loud, joyous laugh that echoed through the quiet bedroom as she watched Jay's incredibly embarrassed reaction.
She set the tray down safely on the side table, still chuckling warmly. Seeing how incredibly red and flustered Jay was, Mrs. Watson's heart melted.
She leaned forward, wrapping her arms securely around Jay and pulling her into a tight, comforting hug.
Jay tell melt instantly.
___________________________________
Hey buddies! How are you?
I didn't update earlier because my exams were going on, also my mind was again blank to think anything. 😅
Ok buddies
4500+ words done ✅
Bye buddies
Love u ❤️