--: Keifer's POV: --
The sunlight wasn't a friend this morning. It felt like a physical weight, pressing through the thin curtains and highlighting every grain of sand on the floor. I woke up with my heart already thumping in my throat, a strange, heavy instinct telling me something was wrong.
I shifted my arm, which was still draped protectively over Jay-Jay, and that was when I felt it. The heat.
It wasn't the soft, cozy warmth of a sleeping girl. It was a dry, radiating heat that seemed to pulse against my skin. I sat up abruptly, ignoring the way my own muscles screamed in protest—a jagged reminder of the hours I'd spent driving myself into her. I pressed the back of my hand to her cheek, then her forehead.
"Shit," I hissed.
She was burning. Not dangerously high, but enough to make her skin clammy and her breathing shallow. The guilt, which had been a dull ache when I fell asleep, roared back to life like a wildfire. I had pushed her too far. I had seen her getting tired, heard her voice cracking, and yet the possessive, selfish part of me hadn't let go until she was literally falling apart.
I scrambled out of bed, my legs feeling like lead. I needed to be the "tactician" again, but my mind was spinning in a blind panic. I needed water. I needed medicine. I needed to fix the damage I'd caused.
I was halfway to the bathroom to find a cloth when a sudden, heavy thud shook the cottage door.
BAM. BAM. BAM.
"Keifer! Jay! It's past eleven! What the hell are you two doing? Even for a fall recovery, this is ridiculous!"
Aries.
My blood turned to ice. I looked around the room, and for the first time, I saw it through the eyes of someone else. Discarded silver, brown, red and I don't know what other coloured foil packets were scattered like shrapnel near the bed. The scent of our night—sandalwood, sweat, and something raw—hung heavy in the air.
"Wait! Don't come in!" I shouted, my voice cracking.
I didn't wait for his reply. I dove for the floor, grabbing every single used packet I could find, shoving them into the very bottom of the trash bin and burying them under a layer of old napkins and a discarded water bottle. I snatched the rest of the packets from the floor and jammed it into the deepest pocket of my bag, zipping it shut with a violent tug.
I grabbed a bottle of cologne and sprayed it twice—no, three times—into the air, the sharp scent of citrus trying to mask the reality of the room.
BAM! BAM!
"Keifer! Open this door before I kick it in! Why is it locked?"
I grabbed my shirt from the floor; I just threw the shirt over my bare chest. My fingers fumbled with the buttons, but my hands were shaking too much. I managed to get one or two closed, but the rest stayed open, hanging loose and barely hiding the long, red nail marks Jay-Jay had carved into my shoulders and chest during the height of it.
I rushed to the bed, grabbing the duvet and pulling it all the way to Jay's chin, tucking the edges under her shoulders so she looked like a cocoon. Only her flushed, sweating face was visible.
I cracked the door open just a few inches, blocking the entrance with my body.
"Aries, look, we—"
Aries didn't wait. He put his shoulder to the wood and pushed, forcing his way into the room. He stopped in the center of the cottage, his eyes darting around with the sharp, lethal instinct of a brother who knew something was off. He looked at me—my messy, sweat-damp hair, my half-open shirt, and the frantic look in my eyes.
"What took you so long?" Aries asked, his voice low and dangerous. He stepped closer, his gaze dropping to my chest. "And why are you half-naked? Why aren't you even dressed yet?"
"I was... I was in the middle of collecting things," I stammered, my mind racing to find a lie that didn't sound like a confession. "My hands were full. I was trying to find... something for Jay."
Aries narrowed his eyes. "What things? Why is the room smelling like a perfume factory? And why is it so quiet in here?"
He pushed past me toward the bed. My heart stopped.
"She has a fever," I said, a little too loudly. "I just noticed when I woke up. She's burning, Aries. I was just about to find a cloth to treat her when you started pounding on the door."
Aries froze. The anger in his face shifted instantly to worry, but the suspicion didn't disappear. He walked to the edge of the bed, his hand reaching out to touch her.
"Don't lift the duvet!" I blurted out, my voice sounding like a command. Ofcourse I can't let him see her only in my oversized t-shirt and nothing else.
Aries paused, his hand inches from the blanket. He looked back at me, his brow furrowed in confusion. "Why the hell not? I'm trying to see how sick she is."
"She's... she's having chills," I lied, the words tumbling out of my mouth. "She's burning up on the inside but she says she feels like she's in Antarctica. If you lift that duvet and let the cold air in, she'll start shivering and it'll make the fever spike. Just... leave it. I've got it covered."
Aries looked at me for a long, agonizing beat. I could see the gears turning in his head. He looked at the way I was clutching my shirt closed, the way I was standing guard over the bed like a feral dog. But then he looked at Jay-Jay. He reached out and pressed his palm to her forehead.
"Damn," he muttered, his expression softening. "She really is hot. This isn't just a little headache, Keifer. She's glowing."
Just as the tension seemed to break, Jay-Jay stirred. Her head thrashed once against the pillow, her face scrunching in discomfort. Her voice came out as a broken, feverish thread, barely audible but clear enough to stop my heart.
"Kei..fer"
Ohh God not now please!!
"Keifer... let's stop... please... just stop now..."
Ofc Fuckkk
The silence that followed was deafening. The only sound was the hum of the AC and the distant crash of the waves. Aries turned his head slowly, his eyes locking onto mine with a cold, terrifying clarity.
"What is she saying 'stop' to, Keifer?"
I felt a cold sweat break out on the back of my neck. I felt like the worst kind of criminal. Hearing her say that—the very thing she'd mumbled as I pushed her too far—being repeated in front of her brother... it was my nightmare made real.
"I... I don't know," I said, my voice barely a whisper. I forced myself to look him in the eye. "She's been blabbering for the last ten minutes. The fever makes you delirious, Aries. She's probably dreaming about the fall, or maybe she's telling the fever to stop. You know how she gets when she's sick."
Aries didn't look like he believed me. Not entirely. His jaw was set so tight I thought his teeth might crack. He looked at Jay-Jay again, then back at my unbuttoned shirt.
"She sounds like she's in pain," Aries said, his voice flat.
"She is. Her muscles are still sore from the fall and the fever is making everything worse," I said, pushing the lie as hard as I could. "That's why I need you to go, Aries. I need to treat her. I need to get her fever down before it gets any worse."
Aries stared at me for another eternity. I didn't blink. Finally, he let out a harsh breath through his nose.
"Fine. But I'm not just 'going.' I'll go to the main house and get some ice. You need to dip a cloth in ice water and put it on her forehead and neck. That'll pull the heat out faster than just tap water." He stood up, heading for the door. "Wake her up, Keifer. Give her some water and some fever reducers. If she isn't better by the time it's evening, I'm calling the boat to take her to a real doctor."
"I'll wake her," I promised.
The second the door clicked shut, I sank to my knees beside the bed. My forehead hit the mattress, and I let out a jagged breath I hadn't realized I was holding.
"Jay," I whispered, reaching out to brush the damp hair from her face. "Jay-Jay, baby, you have to wake up. Please. Your brother is coming back with ice, and we need to get some medicine in you before your fever gets worst."
--: Jay-Jay's POV: --
The world was a blur of gray and gold. I heard Keifer's voice, but it felt like it was coming through a thick layer of cotton. I felt a cool hand on my face, and for a second, the fire in my skin receded.
"Keifer?" I croaked, my throat feeling like I'd swallowed sand.
"I'm here," he said, his voice thick with relief. He helped me sit up just a fraction, propping me against his chest while he held a glass of water to my lips. "Drink. Slow. You have a fever, Jay."
I took a few sips, the cold water feeling like heaven. As my mind started to clear, I saw the state of him—the open shirt, the frantic look.
"Aries..." I whispered, the memory of his voice at the door hitting me. I thought I was just my dream, but it was real I guess. "Was he... was he here?"
"He was here," Keifer said, his grip on me tightening. "And he heard you talking in your sleep. You told me to 'stop,' Jay. He asked me what you meant."
I closed my eyes, a fresh wave of heat washing over me, this time from embarrassment. "What did you tell him?"
"I told him you were delirious," Keifer rasped, resting his forehead against mine. "He's gone to get ice. We have five minutes to get you looking like a normal sick person and not... whatever we were last night. Can you do that for me?"
"I'll try," I breathed, leaning into him. "But Keifer? My legs... they really do feel like they're broken now."
"I know," he whispered, a tear of pure guilt finally escaping and landing on my hand. "I know they do. I'm really really sorry for that, And I'm going to fix it. I promise."
--: Keifer's POV: --
"I'm going to fix it. I promise," I whispered again, but the words felt hollow against the heat radiating from her skin.
I forced myself to move. "Jay, listen. Aries is coming back any second. You need to put your shorts on under that shirt. Please, baby. Just in case he gets curious or the duvet slips. I can't risk him seeing you like this."
She nodded weakly, her movements clumsy and pained. I reached into her drawer, pulled out a pair of soft cotton shorts, and helped her slide them on beneath the covers, my heart aching as she winced at the slightest touch. Once she was decent, I tucked her back in and finally finished buttoning my own shirt, hiding the marks of the night just as the sound of footsteps returned.
I expected him to be fast, but it had been nearly twenty minutes. When the door opened, Aries wasn't just carrying a small thermocol box of ice; he had a tray with two steaming bowls and a bottle of water.
"Took a bit longer," Aries muttered, setting the tray on the nightstand. The clink of ice cubes in the bucket sounded like thunder in the quiet room. "When I got to the main house, everyone was hanging around. They saw me grabbing the ice and asked what was up. I told them Jay wasn't well, so the girls jumped in and prepared this soup. They said the ginger and herbs would help the recovery faster."
He handed me a separate plate of toast. "And I brought you something too. Eat, Keifer. You look like you're about to pass out."
"Thanks," I said, my voice tight.
Aries glanced at Jay-Jay, who was already drifting again, her head rolling toward my shoulder. "Wait, don't let her sleep yet. We should let her drink the soup while it's hot. Wake her up properly, Keifer. Give her the medicine, and then you can change the towel after feeding her."
--: Jay-Jay's POV: --
"Jay-Jay? Come on, honey. Just a few spoonfuls," Keifer's voice was right in my ear, soft and coaxing.
I forced my eyes open. Aries was standing at the foot of the bed, his arms crossed, watching us with that heavy, protective silence. Keifer held the bowl, blowing on a spoonful of broth before bringing it to my lips. I didn't want to eat, but the look of pure, raw guilt in Keifer's eyes made me swallow the savory liquid anyway.
I managed to finish the bowl before the exhaustion became a physical weight. Keifer handed me the medicine, and I swallowed the pills with a shaky hand.
"Eat your food before you pass out, Keifer" Aries warned one last time, eyeing the untouched toast. "I'll be at the main house. Keep that ice-water cloth on her forehead."
The moment the door clicked shut, the heavy silence of the room returned. Keifer didn't reach for his food. He reached for the ice bucket, his face a mask of sorrow.
"Keifer," I croaked. He looked up, his eyes glassy. "Come here."
"I'm so sorry, Jay. I did this. I saw you getting tired and I didn't stop—"
I didn't let him finish. I reached out, my fingers trembling, and pulled his head down to mine. I pressed my lips to his in a soft, lingering kiss. It was a kiss of forgiveness, of shared secrets, and of a hunger that we both owned.
I pulled back just an inch. "Stop it. You weren't alone in the bed. I wanted it as much as you did. I'm not a victim, Keifer. Stop carrying the guilt."
He tried to smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. I could see him trying to hide the pain for my sake. I knew he was still blaming himself, but I didn't have the energy to argue. Instead, I pointed at the tray. "Eat. I want to see you eat. I won't sleep if you don't eat."
Having no choice left, he obeyed, eating the toast in silence while I watched him through heavy lids. Once he finished, he refreshed the cloth on my forehead with cloth he dipped in ice-water.
"Sleep, Jay," he whispered. "I've got you."
--: Keifer's POV: --
I watched her fall into a deep, medicine-induced sleep. Her breathing evened out, and the flush on her cheeks began to fade slightly. But I couldn't rest. My body was screaming, but my mind was focused on the knots I could still feel in her muscles.
I stood up and quietly locked the door.
I wasn't going to sleep next to her yet. I had one more job to do. I reached for the healing oil—the real, therapeutic kind. I moved the duvet back, exposing her legs once more. Very slowly, so as not to wake her, I slid her shorts off again.
For the next hour, I worked in the dim light. I massaged her calves, her thighs, and even the sensitive muscles of her core with a light, healing touch. I poured all my penance into the movement of my hands, working out the stiffness I had caused. My own hands were cramping, but I didn't stop until she looked completely relaxed in her sleep.
I set the oil aside and washed my hands. I didn't put the shorts back on her; I wanted her to be comfortable, and the room was warm enough.I went to remove the oil off me, and washed my hands, then came out. I stripped off my own shirt, exposing the marks she'd left on me—marks I carried with a strange sense of pride and pain.
I slid into the bed beside her, the mattress dipping under my weight. The second I was close, Jay-Jay didn't even wake; she simply sighed and curled her body into my chest, her head finding its familiar home in the crook of my neck.
I wrapped my arms around her tightly, my bare skin meeting hers. The fever was breaking, the secret was safe for another few hours, and as the sun began to dip lower in the sky, I finally let the exhaustion take me too.