JayJay POV
We were supposed to sleep.
That was the plan.
After garlic bread and pasta that didn't kill us.
After the horror movie that nearly did.
After I screamed so loud I knocked the popcorn off the couch and Keifer declared me emotionally unhinged.
We brushed our teeth like normal people.
Sort of.
I used his toothpaste.
He used my towel.
We argued about who got the left side of the bed.
I won.
Obviously.
He pouted.
I threw a pillow at him.
He threw one back.
It escalated.
Fast.
Pillow war.
Blanket betrayal.
Emotional sabotage.
I ended up tangled in his hoodie, breathless and laughing, hair a mess, heart louder than the movie.
He looked at me like I was the reason stars existed.
I looked at him like I was trying not to fall harder.
We climbed into bed.
One blanket.
One hoodie.
Too many feelings.
I curled up on my side.
He curled up behind me.
Close.
Warm.
Dangerous.
"Stop being romantic," I whispered.
"I'm literally lying here."
"Romantically."
He laughed.
I smiled.
Then turned to face him.
He was already looking at me.
Of course he was.
"Your hair's a mess," he said.
"Your face is a disaster," I said.
He grinned.
I kissed his nose.
He blinked.
Then pulled me closer.
I didn't resist.
Because the room was dark.
Because the silence was soft.
Because his heartbeat was steady and I was emotionally compromised.
We didn't speak.
Didn't need to.
His hand found mine under the blanket.
I let it.
He kissed my forehead.
I melted.
Then panicked.
Then kissed him back.
Because this?
This was loud.
This was chaotic.
This was love.
And right before I fell asleep, tangled in warmth and hoodie fabric and emotional ruin, he whispered—
"I love you."
I blinked.
He kept going.
"I love you when you scream like a banshee. I love you when you steal my hoodie. I love you when you throw pillows like a war general. I love you when you burn garlic and pretend it's intentional. I love you until scientists find the end of the universe. And then I'll love you past that too."
I stared at him.
Emotionally wrecked.
Romantically ruined.
Then whispered—
"You're ridiculous."
He smiled.
"You're mine."
I kissed him.
Because he was right.
Because I was scared.
Because I was in love.
We lay there.
Breath tangled.
Hands warm.
He hummed something soft.
I didn't ask what it was.
Just let it wrap around me like a lullaby.
And when I finally fell asleep, heart thudding like a drum solo, I knew one thing for sure:
This?
This was ours.
And I was never giving it back.