--: Author's POV: --
The kitchen was no longer a quiet sanctuary; it was a scene of organized mayhem. Boys didn't just "visit"—they occupied.
Kit was clattering through the upper cabinets, desperately trying to find enough mugs for everyone, muttering about how the estate never had enough clean coffee cups. Nearby, Josh and Felix were practically juggling ceramic plates, catching them mid-air and sliding them across the marble island to Blaster, and Eren, were already tearing into the donuts. Percy was leaning against the fridge, arms crossed, watching the domestic chaos with a smirk that said he'd been waiting for this day for a long time.
Everyone in this room knew the history. They had seen Keifer at his absolute lowest after returning from London, haunted by the "false truth" he'd told to protect Jay Jay—a lie that had nearly shattered them both. They had watched him spend months silently repenting, guarding her from a distance while he waited for even a sliver of her trust to return.
The tension that had hung over the Section for months had finally snapped. It wasn't a discovery; it was a relief.
Ci-N leaned over the breakfast bar, his eyes shifting from Keifer's face down to the hand firmly clasping Jay Jay's on the counter. "So... the cold war is officially over? The Queen finally signed the peace treaty?"
--: Keifer's POV: --
I didn't flinch. For months, I had been careful with how I touched her, always checking to see if she was comfortable, always staying a step behind. But now, feeling her fingers interlaced with mine, the weight of that guilt finally felt lighter.
"She gave me the green light, Ci-N," I said, my voice rough and honest. "I'm not planning on giving her a reason to take it back. Ever."
Mayo barked out a laugh from behind David, who was currently trying to save the brown paper bag of breakfast food from being crushed in the excitement. "It's about time! I was getting tired of watching you mope around like a lost puppy, Keifer. Your 'brooding protector' act was starting to get a little depressing for the rest of us."
"Shut up, Mayo," I muttered, but I couldn't even bring myself to look annoyed. I was too busy looking at Jay Jay, who was tucked into my side, hidden in the folds of my black hoodie.
--: Jay Jay's POV: --
I felt the warmth of the entire Section surrounding us. All of them were watching, their expressions a mix of teasing and genuine happiness. They had seen me cry over the things Keifer had said back then; they had seen me struggle to let him back in.
"I'm tired of the distance," I said, my voice small but carrying through the noise of the plates clattering. I looked at Keifer, meeting his dark, intense gaze. "He did everything he could to earn his way back. I just... I wanted to be the one to say it's okay now."
The kitchen went quiet for a heartbeat. Even Kit stopped his hunt for cups.
Ci-N let out a loud, dramatic whistle, slamming a hand on the counter. "Hear that, boys? The probation period is officially over! Keifer is back in the game with the Official Title!"
--: Author's POV: --
The room erupted. Blaster and Eren started high-fiving Keiran, while David finally managed to pour a cup of coffee and hand it to Jay Jay with a supportive nod.
"Does this mean we can stop acting like we're in a funeral home whenever you two are in the same room?" Percy asked, a wide grin spreading across his face as he snagged a chocolate donut from the box. "Seriously, man, the tension was getting so thick I could barely breathe, every time Jay Jay looked at you, you looked like you were ready to either drop to your knees or punch a wall."
David chuckled, nodding in agreement. "He's right. We've all been holding our breath waiting for this."
Keifer tightened his grip on Jay Jay's hand, his jaw set, but the usual coldness in his eyes had been replaced by a quiet, steady warmth. "I know I messed up, and I spent every day since I got back trying to fix it," Keifer said, his voice low and steady as he looked around at them. "But I'm done being the guy who just watches from the corner. I'm staying right here by her side, and this time, I'm not letting go."
As the boys eventually settled into their feast—Kit finally finding the last mug and Josh successfully stacking the plates—the atmosphere felt lighter.
Ci-N raised a donut in the air like a trophy. "A toast! To the most dramatic couple in Section E history! May Keifer never lie again, and may Jay Jay never make him wait for a 'Yes' ever again!"
"It was worth the wait" Keifer murmured, loud enough only for Jay Jay to hear.
Through the loud laughter and the sugar-coated chaos of seventeen brothers, Jay Jay leaned her head against Keifer's shoulder. The road back had been long and painful, but sitting here in his hoodie, with the Section cheering them on, she knew she had finally come home.