Third Person POV
The disaster had actually started much earlier that morning.
Before leaving, Kiefer had dropped a message in the Section E group chat.
Emergency. Need someone to watch my son.
Naturally, everyone agreed.
How hard could it be?
A few hours, maximum.
That confidence lasted exactly forty minutes.
The first to arrive was David.
Orion was still asleep, so David settled on the couch with his laptop and started working.
One by one, the others arrived.
Kit.
Mayo.
Calix.
Rory.
Edrik.
Eman.
Drew.
Denzel.
Felix.
Blaster.
Josh.
And several others.
Soon the house was filled with noise.
The moment Eman walked through the door, everyone immediately pointed toward the kitchen.
"You're cooking."
"What?"
"You're the only one here who can cook without poisoning us."
Eman stared at them.
Then sighed.
"Every single one of you is useless."
"Correct."
A few minutes later—
A loud cry echoed through the house.
Everyone froze.
Orion was awake.
David immediately picked him up.
Unfortunately—
The crying continued.
"What do we do now?" Kit asked.
"Maybe he's hungry?" Eman called from the kitchen.
"Feed him something."
Drew grabbed a bag of chips.
"We have food."
Rory smacked him on the back of the head.
"He's a baby, idiot."
"So?"
"He needs milk."
Denzel pointed dramatically.
"Feed him then."
Felix looked at him.
"Mix the formula."
Denzel looked offended.
"I don't know how."
"What do you mean you don't know how?"
"I've only seen Grazel do it."
Josh stared.
"You're such an asshole."
"I can do it."
Calix confidently stepped forward and grabbed the formula.
Everyone watched hopefully.
Meanwhile, several members of Section E were making ridiculous faces in front of Orion.
None of them worked.
Orion continued crying.
Calix finally returned with the bottle.
David took one look at it.
"That's way too hot."
Everyone froze.
"It is?"
"Yes."
"How do you know?"
"Because I have common sense."
Mayo immediately grabbed the bottle and poured water into it.
David looked horrified.
"What are you doing?"
"Cooling it down."
Kit kicked him.
"You cool the bottle in water, idiot! You don't add water to the formula!"
For the first time since waking up—
Orion stopped crying.
He stared at them.
Then smiled.
Everyone froze.
"He likes violence," Rory whispered.
"He really is Kiefer's son," Felix said.
Eventually, after several near-disasters, they managed to prepare the bottle correctly.
Calix carefully fed Orion.
The crying finally stopped.
The room collectively sighed in relief.
After finishing his milk, Orion leaned back happily.
Then David gently patted his back.
Rory frowned.
"What are you doing?"
"I heard Kiefer say babies need to burp after drinking milk."
Everyone stared.
A few seconds later—
Burp.
The entire room erupted into cheers.
"We did it!"
"We kept him alive!"
"We are amazing!"
Then Orion looked around.
Searching.
Looking for someone.
When he couldn't find them—
His face crumpled.
And he started crying again.
The celebration ended immediately.
"Why is he crying now?" Edrik groaned.
"Maybe he's looking for Jay and Kiefer," Felix suggested.
The room fell silent.
Then Kit suddenly stood.
"I have an idea."
Everyone watched as he disappeared upstairs.
A minute later—
He returned carrying one of Kiefer's hoodies.
"What are you doing?" Rory asked.
Kit carefully wrapped Orion in the oversized hoodie.
The crying stopped.
Immediately.
Orion grabbed the fabric and smiled.
Kit pointed proudly.
"See?"
The room stared in disbelief.
"He thinks that's Kiefer."
Kit puffed out his chest.
"Genius."
For the next ten minutes, everyone treated him like a hero.
Unfortunately—
That was only the beginning of Orion's reign of terror.
A few minutes later, Orion's face scrunched up.
Then he started crying again.
Everyone groaned.
"What now?" Denzel asked.
David looked suspiciously at the baby.
"...I think he's wet."
The room went silent.
"You mean..."
"We need to change his diaper."
"Nope."
"Absolutely not."
Rory and Edrik immediately took three steps back.
Cowards.
"I'll do it," Denzel declared confidently.
Eman narrowed his eyes.
"Don't tell me you've only watched someone do it."
"No."
"You actually know how?"
"...Maybe."
"That doesn't sound reassuring."
Ignoring them, Denzel carefully laid Orion down and removed the diaper.
Everyone crowded around him.
The entire Section E.
Watching.
Like scientists observing a rare phenomenon.
A few seconds later—
"Oh."
"He really is a boy."
"Congratulations, Edrik. You've discovered basic biology."
"Shut up."
After several minutes of confusion, arguments, and one near-disaster, they somehow managed to put on a fresh diaper.
Success.
Orion was placed safely in the middle of the table.
The entire group surrounded him.
Watching.
Waiting.
Thinking.
"So..." Felix began.
"Anyone know how to make him sleep?"
Silence.
Then—
"I know."
Everyone turned toward Blaster.
He confidently stepped forward.
Cracked his neck.
And started singing.
"Baby shark doo doo doo doo—"
Orion immediately started crying.
The room exploded.
"STOP!"
"Your singing made him cry!"
"He's protesting!"
Denzel grabbed a cushion and threw it at Blaster.
Blaster looked offended.
"What?"
"I'm an award-winning composer."
"Clearly not for lullabies."
The argument lasted three minutes.
Meanwhile, Orion continued judging all of them.
Eventually everyone tried taking turns.
Rory danced.
Felix made funny faces.
Josh played peek-a-boo.
Kit shook toys.
Calix rolled toy cars across the table.
Eman even abandoned cooking to help.
Nothing worked.
Not a smile.
Not a laugh.
Not even a yawn.
Orion simply stared at them.
Unimpressed.
Judgmental.
Tiny.
Terrifying.
"He's so grumpy," Rory complained.
"If Kiefer heard that, he'd kick your ass."
Edrik smacked the back of Rory's head.
Surprisingly—
Orion seemed impressed.
His eyes followed them closely.
Then—
He smiled.
The entire room froze.
"..."
"..."
"Did he just smile?"
"He did."
Mayo suddenly snapped his fingers.
"I have an idea."
Nobody liked that sentence.
"Maybe he likes action."
"What?"
"Think about it. He smiled when Edrik hit Rory."
"That's not evidence."
"It absolutely is."
Before anyone could stop him, Mayo pointed dramatically.
"Operation Entertainment begins now."
Unfortunately, everyone was stupid enough to participate.
Five minutes later—
Josh had somehow convinced everyone to play pirates.
Nobody knew how.
Nobody knew why.
But suddenly Rory was a pirate captain.
Felix was a sea monster.
Denzel was a kidnapped prince.
And Edrik was apparently a rival pirate.
The living room became complete chaos.
"Hand over the treasure!"
"Never!"
"Attack!"
"PIRATES DON'T PAY TAXES!"
"THAT'S NOT HOW PIRATES WORK!"
Cushions started flying.
People dramatically fell onto couches.
Others pretended to duel with pool noodles.
The entire thing made absolutely no sense.
Orion loved it.
He laughed.
Actually laughed.
Tiny giggles filled the room.
Then he started clapping.
Everyone stopped.
The room fell silent.
The grown men stared at the baby.
The baby stared back.
Then he giggled again.
"What exactly is Kiefer teaching him?" David asked.
Felix nodded.
"That is a very concerning question."
For the next hour, Section E continued performing increasingly ridiculous acts to keep Orion entertained.
By the end—
Everyone was exhausted.
Completely exhausted.
but
Orion didn't look sleepy at all.
Not even a little.
"We need to feed him again."
Eman handed a bottle to David.
David accepted it with the tired expression of a man who had aged ten years.
Drew looked at Orion drinking peacefully.
"I never knew I could be jealous of a baby."
Everyone looked at him.
"He eats."
Drew pointed at Orion.
"He sleeps."
Another point.
"He poops."
A third point.
"And somehow we're the ones working."
The room nodded.
Fair point.
Eventually, Orion finished his bottle.
His eyes grew heavier.
His tiny head started drooping.
Then—
He fell asleep.
The room went completely silent.
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
Nobody dared risk waking him.
A collective sigh of relief spread through the house.
"We survived."
"Don't say that yet."
"We survived this round."
That felt more accurate.
Several members collapsed onto the floor.
Others claimed couches.
A few simply laid wherever they happened to be standing.
Within minutes—
The entire living room looked like a battlefield.
Five peaceful minutes passed.
Then—
The front door opened.
"I'M HERE!"
C-In rolled into the house on his skates.
Everyone's eyes widened.
"No."
"Don't."
"Lower your voice."
Too late.
Orion's eyes opened.
The baby blinked.
Looked around.
Then his face crumpled.
"Oh no."
"He woke up."
"Run."
"HE'S GOING TO CRY AGAIN."
Blaster pointed dramatically.
And right on cue—
Orion took a deep breath.
The entire room braced for impact.
Then—
"WAAAAAAAAAH!"
The collective scream of despair from Section E was almost louder than the baby.
NOOOOOOO!"
"WE JUST GOT HIM TO SLEEP!"
"C-IN THIS IS YOUR FAULT!"
C-In looked offended.
"I just got here."
"LEAVE!"
"GO AWAY!"
Meanwhile, Orion continued crying.
C-In slowly skated closer.
Then something unexpected happened.
Orion stopped.
Everyone froze.
The baby stared at C-In.
C-In stared back.
Then C-In crouched down.
"Hi."
Orion blinked.
Then reached toward him.
The room went silent.
"No way."
"He likes him?"
C-In carefully picked him up.
Orion immediately grabbed the strings of his hoodie.
And smiled.
The entire room looked betrayed.
David pointed dramatically.
"We spent three hours entertaining him."
Felix nodded.
"Three hours."
"And he likes the guy who just arrived."
C-In hugged Orion proudly.
"Clearly he has excellent taste."
He looked around smugly.
"Why are you all jealous of me?"
"No."
"Absolutely not."
"Why would we be?"
"Good."
"It's excellent."
"Perfect."
Then everyone pointed at him.
"Now you handle him."
C-In blinked.
"What?"
"You're his favorite now."
"Congratulations."
"He's your responsibility."
Before he could protest, Orion's bag was handed to him.
Then the formula.
Then the diapers.
Then the toys.
Then the wipes.
Then somehow a blanket.
Within thirty seconds—
The entire responsibility of childcare had been transferred to C-In.
The rest of Section E immediately sat down and relaxed.
For the first time all day.
C-In looked horrified.
"Wait—"
"Nope."
"You've been chosen."
"By the child himself."
"The council has decided."
"The council?" C-In repeated.
"The council."
Everyone nodded solemnly.
C-In looked down at Orion.
Orion smiled.
C-In sighed dramatically.
"Fine."
For the next few hours, he actually tried.
He fed Orion.
Changed diapers.
Carried him around the house.
Played with toys.
Made funny faces.
At one point, he even pushed the baby stroller around the living room while making race car noises.
Everyone watched in amusement.
Then—
C-In fell asleep.
Unfortunately, Orion did not.
The moment C-In stopped moving—
Orion began crying.
Again.
The entire room groaned.
"No."
"Not again."
"We just got comfortable."
Meanwhile, Eman finished cooking and placed several dishes on the table.
Food.
Glorious food.
Everyone immediately rushed over.
"This is the best thing that's happened today."
"I'm emotional."
"I almost forgot what happiness felt like."
While eating, Denzel looked at C-In.
Then exchanged a glance with Blaster.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
"C-In."
"Hm?"
"If you had a baby with Rakki, she'd be impressed."
The room went silent.
Everyone looked at Denzel.
Then at Blaster.
Then at C-In.
C-In froze.
"What?"
Blaster nodded seriously.
"Women love responsible men."
"Really?"
"Of course."
"Very attractive."
"Extremely attractive."
The two of them sounded so confident that even Felix almost believed them.
C-In slowly looked down at Orion.
Then sat up straighter.
For the rest of the afternoon—
He tried even harder.
The others nearly died from holding in their laughter.
Then evening arrived.
The front door opened.
Two familiar figures walked inside.
Kiran.
And Kiegen.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Everyone sat straighter.
Several people suddenly remembered they had responsibilities.
Others looked away.
Because unlike Kiran—
Kiegen was terrifying when annoyed.
Kiegen's eyes swept across the room.
The sleeping bodies.
The scattered toys.
The half-destroyed cushions.
The snack wrappers.
The exhausted faces.
Then his gaze landed on Orion.
And finally on Section E.
"..."
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
The room was so quiet that a pin could have been heard dropping.
Then Kiegen raised an eyebrow.
"You're all here?"
The room immediately tensed.
Felix swallowed.
Rory suddenly became interested in the ceiling.
Denzel found the floor fascinating.
Nobody wanted to explain what had happened.
Because judging by Kiegen's expression—
He already knew it was something stupid.
Kiegen had that effect on people.
Ever since the incident with Blaster, most of Section E avoided provoking him.
Not because he picked fights.
Quite the opposite.
Because when Kiegen got angry, nobody wanted to be the reason.
And unfortunately for them—
He was also Kiefer's brother.
Meaning there was absolutely no winning that battle.
"We had to take care of Orion," David finally explained.
Kiegen looked at him.
Then at Orion.
Then at the destroyed living room.
"...I can see that."
Without another word, he walked upstairs.
The second he disappeared—
The entire room released a collective breath.
"I almost couldn't breathe."
Drew collapsed against the couch.
"Why does his presence feel different now?"
"No," Blaster said confidently. "He's still crazy."
Denzel immediately smacked him.
"Ow!"
"If Kiefer hears that, he'll beat the shit out of you."
"I was complimenting him!"
"How is that a compliment?"
Nobody knew.
A few minutes later, Kiran and Kiegen came back downstairs.
Everyone instinctively sat straighter.
Then something unexpected happened.
Kiegen walked directly toward C-In.
Without saying a word, he carefully lifted Orion from his arms.
The baby immediately reached for him.
Kiegen's expression softened.
Actually softened.
A small smile appeared on his face as he adjusted Orion comfortably against his shoulder.
The room stared.
Nobody had ever expected to witness such a thing.
Kiegen gently squeezed Orion's tiny hand.
Then looked toward Section E.
"Relax."
The room froze.
"I'm not going to beat anyone."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Then Kiegen frowned slightly.
And for the first time—
He looked almost embarrassed.
"...Sorry if I make everyone uncomfortable."
The room stopped functioning.
Mayo was the first to recover.
"You know you do that?"
Kit kicked him immediately.
Hard.
"Ow!"
Kiegen ignored them.
"If anyone's hungry, don't cook."
Everyone blinked.
"I already ordered food."
More blinking.
"Just tell me if you need anything."
Then, before anyone could process what had just happened, Kiegen turned around and headed upstairs with Orion in his arms.
The room remained silent until he disappeared.
Then—
"Did I die?"
Felix looked around nervously.
"Check my pulse."
"What just happened?"
"Why was he talking like a normal person?"
"I'm scared."
"Should we be scared?"
"Very."
Denzel pointed toward the stairs.
"Did Kiegen just apologize?"
"No."
"He did."
"He absolutely did."
"That's impossible."
Blaster looked genuinely concerned.
"Guys..."
"What?"
"What if he actually went crazy?"
The room fell silent.
Then everyone slowly nodded.
Because somehow—
That explanation made more sense than Kiegen apologizing.
The rest of the evening passed in a blur.
Everyone took turns showering.
Others changed into comfortable clothes.
And for the first time all day, they finally got to eat proper food.
The atmosphere relaxed considerably.
Until Kiegen came downstairs carrying Orion.
The baby looked perfectly happy.
Kiegen walked straight toward C-In and held Orion out.
"Feed him."
C-In blinked.
Then looked at Orion.
Then at Kiegen.
Then back at Orion.
"...I'm a boy. How am I supposed to do that?"
The entire room collectively smacked their own foreheads.
"Formula."
"The formula, idiot."
"Oh."
David immediately rescued Orion before Kiegen could lose patience.
A few minutes later, Eman prepared a bottle while David carefully fed him.
Everything seemed peaceful.
For exactly three minutes.
Then Orion started crying again.
The room groaned.
"No."
"Not again."
"We already survived this once."
Kiegen tried carrying him.
Failed.
David tried.
Failed.
Felix tried making faces.
Failed.
Denzel tried singing.
Failed.
Blaster tried singing.
Failed even harder.
Orion cried louder.
"Please stop helping," Rory begged.
Everyone took turns.
Nothing worked.
Then their eyes slowly shifted toward one person.
C-In.
Who was peacefully eating dinner.
"..."
"..."
"No."
"Absolutely not."
"It's your turn."
C-In sighed dramatically.
Then he picked Orion up.
Without thinking, he tucked the baby inside his oversized hoodie like he had done earlier.
Almost instantly—
The crying stopped.
The room fell silent.
Orion happily grabbed the hoodie strings.
Then settled against C-In's chest.
Comfortable.
Safe.
Content.
The betrayal was immediate.
"What?"
"That's not fair."
"We spent all day suffering."
"He does that for you?"
C-In looked smug.
"Talent."
A cushion immediately hit him in the face.
For the rest of the night, Orion refused to leave his favorite spot.
Whenever C-In tried putting him down—
Crying.
Whenever someone else carried him—
Crying.
Whenever C-In held him inside the hoodie—
Peace.
"C-In."
"Hm?"
Rory pointed at him.
"You look like a pregnant woman."
The room exploded into laughter.
C-In looked down at the lump inside his oversized hoodie.
Orion was comfortably tucked against his chest, with only the top of his head visible.
"..."
"You do."
"You absolutely do."
"Don't encourage him," C-In groaned.
At some point, Orion even fell asleep there.
The tiny menace had successfully claimed his favorite human.
Unfortunately for C-In—
That also made him responsible for everything.
The second Orion woke up crying—
Everyone blamed C-In.
"He woke him."
"It's his fault."
"He wasn't paying attention."
"I was literally asleep!"
"Excuses."
The accusations continued for hours.
By midnight, everyone looked half dead.
Then Eman watched Orion finish another bottle of milk.
The baby immediately reached for more snacks.
Eman stared.
"How does he eat this much?"
Kit nodded.
"Seriously."
"Did all babies eat this much?"
Someone snorted.
"Did you forget who his mother is?"
The room became quiet.
Then everyone remembered Jay.
The endless snacks.
The emergency chocolate stash.
The hidden chips.
The extra hidden chips.
Understanding dawned.
"...Right."
"Jay's kid."
"That explains everything."
The room erupted into tired laughter.
Meanwhile, Orion sat happily inside C-In's hoodie.
Completely unaware that he had spent the entire day defeating an organization full of grown men.
And by the look of the living room—
Winning.
"If he's this stubborn now, what's he going to be like when he grows up?" Eran asked.
The room went quiet.
Nobody wanted to think about it.
Then Kit pointed at him.
"Really? You're saying that?"
"What?"
"You don't even remember half your girlfriends' names."
The room exploded with laughter.
"Eran's not qualified to judge anybody."
Eran looked offended.
"That's not the point."
"It never is."
Meanwhile, Mayo was staring at Orion.
"Seriously though..."
Everyone looked at him.
"He doesn't even smile normally."
"What does that mean?"
"He looks exactly like Kiefer."
The room nodded.
That part was true.
The expression.
The stare.
The way he silently judged people.
Even the tiny frown.
It was all Kiefer.
"A photocopy," Mayo declared.
"A pocket-sized Watson."
The room shuddered.
Kit immediately turned toward Mayo.
"Didn't you say you wanted kids someday?"
Mayo pointed at Orion.
"Not anymore."
Everyone laughed.
"I can't even handle my own chores."
"At least you're honest."
Mayo dramatically wiped away an imaginary tear.
"My bloodline ends with me."
"Thank God."
A cushion immediately hit Felix.
Then Felix looked toward Orion.
The baby was happily chewing on one of C-In's hoodie strings.
Completely relaxed.
Completely adorable.
Completely dangerous.
Felix stared for several seconds.
Then sighed.
"You know..."
"What?"
"I used to think kids were cute."
The room looked at him.
"I don't anymore."
More laughter.
Felix pointed at Orion.
"That tiny human has held an entire organization hostage for twelve hours."
"He can't even talk yet."
"Exactly."
David nodded seriously.
"Imagine when he learns how."
The room became silent.
Everyone imagined it.
Then everyone looked at Orion.
Then at each other.
Then back at Orion.
A collective shiver ran through the room.
"No."
"Don't."
"I refuse."
"That future doesn't exist."
Meanwhile, Orion looked up from inside C-In's hoodie and smiled.
A bright.
Happy.
Completely innocent smile.
The entire room stared.
Then Rory sighed.
"Yep."
"What?"
"He's definitely Kiefer's son."
And somehow—
Nobody argued.
Present
After returning home, Jay quietly freshened up.
The house was still a disaster zone.
Section E had completely collapsed after their battle with Orion.
Some were sleeping on couches.
Some were sleeping on the floor.
One person was somehow sleeping half under a table.
Jay couldn't help smiling.
Despite all their complaints, they had still taken care of Orion all day.
Carefully, she covered a few of them with blankets.
Adjusted the air conditioner.
Moved a pillow under Felix's head before he woke up with a broken neck.
Then she quietly walked toward the kitchen.
She was reaching for a glass of water
She poured herself a glass of water.
Just as she lifted it—
Her phone rang.
Yuri.
Jay answered immediately.
Before she could even say hello—
"Kiefer."
Yuri's voice was rough.
Breathing hard.
"I was attacked."
Jay froze.
"I got hurt."
The sound of something crashing echoed through the phone.
Then—
Gunfire.
Jay's blood ran cold.
"Come to the location I'm sending."
"Yuri—"
There was a sharp curse.
Then silence.
The call disconnected.
A second later—
Her phone vibrated.
A location appeared.
Jay stared at it.
Her heart pounded violently against her chest.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Her first instinct was to call Kiefer.
But she already knew what would happen.
The moment she told him there was gunfire involved—
He would never let her leave.
Not alone.
Not now.
Not with everything else happening.
Jay looked toward the stairs.
Toward the room where Kiefer was.
Then back at the location.
Yuri sounded injured.
And alone.
She couldn't ignore that.
Decision made, she grabbed her keys.
The moment she turned around—
She froze.
David was standing in the doorway.
Watching her.
Neither of them spoke for a moment.
Then David glanced at the keys in her hand.
Then at her expression.
Then at the phone.
Understanding immediately crossed his face.
"Something happened."
It wasn't a question.
Jay hesitated.
David sighed.
"Who?"
"Yuri."
His expression darkened.
"What happened?"
"He said he was attacked."
The room suddenly felt colder.
"And you're planning to go."
Again.
Not a question.
Jay nodded.
David rubbed his face.
Then pointed toward the door.
"Fine."
Jay blinked.
"What?"
"If you're going, I'm coming too."
"David—"
"No."
His tone left no room for argument.
"If something is bad enough that you're hiding it from Kiefer, then there's no way I'm letting you go alone."
Jay opened her mouth.
Then closed it.
Because honestly—
He had a point.
A few minutes later, they were in the car.
Jay gripped the steering wheel tightly.
David sat beside her.
Neither spoke.
The address on the navigation screen counted down the distance.
Ten minutes.
Eight.
Six.
Five.
The closer they got—
The worse the feeling in Jay's chest became.
And neither of them noticed—
That upstairs, in the bedroom—
Kiefer had just started searching for Jay.
Author's Note: Dark romance isn't really my genre. This story is built around emotions, love, action, and the relationships between the characters. I hope you'll continue to enjoy it