Keifer leaned on the kitchen counter.
Grinning.
Jay was still in his hoodie.
Hair a mess.
Sleep in his eyes.
"You're staring again."
Keifer didn't even pretend.
"I'm married to you. I'm allowed."
Jay laughed.
Soft.
Shy.
Still shy… after three years.
"You're disgusting."
"Romantically disgusting."
Jay walked over.
Slow.
On purpose.
"You woke up early."
"For you."
"For pancakes?"
"For you."
Jay blinked.
"…You made pancakes for me."
"I made pancakes because I love you."
"That's the same thing."
Keifer smiled.
Wide.
Proud.
Jay leaned in and kissed his cheek.
Just a kiss.
Nothing dramatic.
But Keifer froze like it was the first time.
"You still do that," Jay said.
"Do what?"
"Look at me like you just married me five minutes ago."
Keifer shrugged.
"Because I would marry you again."
Jay groaned.
"Oh my God. Stop."
"No."
Jay buried his face in Keifer's chest.
"You're too much."
Keifer wrapped his arms around him.
"You chose this."
"I didn't know it would be this cheesy."
"You married a cheese factory."
Jay laughed harder.
Keifer kissed the top of his head.
Then his forehead.
Then his nose.
"Keifer."
"What."
"You're attacking me with affection."
"Correct."
Jay pushed him lightly.
"You're gonna burn the pancakes."
"I'd rather burn the pancakes than stop holding you."
Jay stared.
"…You rehearsed that."
"Nope."
"Liar."
"Okay maybe a little."
Jay shook his head.
Smiling.
Always smiling.
"You're ridiculous."
"But I'm yours."
Jay's smile softened.
"Yeah."
A quiet beat.
Then—
"Hey."
"Hey what?"
"Do you still get butterflies?"
Keifer didn't answer right away.
He lifted Jay's hand.
Pressed it to his chest.
Jay felt it.
Fast.
Warm.
Real.
"All the time."
Jay's breath caught.
"That's unfair."
"You started it."
Jay laughed under his breath.
Then whispered—
"I really love you."
Keifer whispered back instantly.
No pause.
No hesitation.
"I really love you more."
Jay pulled back.
"That's not how that works."
"It absolutely is."
Jay pointed at him.
"We agreed it rotates."
"No. You're wrong today."
Jay scoffed.
"Excuse me?"
"I woke up first. I win."
"That's not a rule."
"It is in our marriage."
Jay crossed his arms.
Mock serious.
"Fine. But tomorrow I love you more."
Keifer leaned in.
Soft.
Slow.
Forehead to forehead.
"Deal."
They stood there.
Too close.
Too comfortable.
Too happy.
Jay whispered—
"Do you ever get scared?"
Keifer blinked.
"…Of what?"
Jay shrugged.
"Of losing this."
Keifer held his face.
Both hands.
Careful.
Like something breakable.
"I'm not scared."
Jay searched his eyes.
"Why not?"
Keifer smiled.
Because with Jay this close,
breathing the same air,
smiling the same stupid smile—
"Because I'm already home."
Hey jay is female , rewrite
Keifer leaned on the kitchen counter.
Grinning.
Jay was still in her hoodie.
Hair messy.
Sleep in her eyes.
"You're staring again."
Keifer didn't even try to hide it.
"I'm married to you. I'm allowed."
Jay laughed.
Soft.
A little embarrassed.
"You're so obvious."
"Good."
She walked closer.
Slow.
On purpose.
"You woke up early?"
"For you."
She squinted at the stove.
"For pancakes?"
"For you."
Jay froze.
"…You made pancakes for me."
"I made pancakes because I love you."
She smiled.
"That's the same thing."
Keifer shrugged proudly.
Jay leaned in and kissed his cheek.
Just a small kiss.
Nothing dramatic.
Keifer stopped moving like his soul had left his body.
Jay noticed.
Of course she noticed.
"You still do that."
"Do what?"
"Look at me like I just became your wife five minutes ago."
Keifer smiled.
"That's because I still can't believe you are."
Jay groaned.
"Oh my God, stop."
"No."
She stepped closer and rested her forehead on his chest.
"You're too romantic."
"You married romantic."
"I married dangerous levels of romantic."
He wrapped his arms around her.
Comfortable.
Easy.
"You chose this life."
"I did not know it would be this cheesy."
"You married a full cheese factory."
She laughed.
Real laughter.
The kind that bends her a little.
Keifer kissed the top of her head.
Then her forehead.
Then the tip of her nose.
"Keifer."
"What."
"You're aggressively affectionate."
"Correct."
She gently pushed him.
"You're going to burn the pancakes."
"I would rather burn pancakes than stop holding you."
Jay stared at him.
Slow blink.
"…You practiced that."
"No."
Her eyebrow lifted.
"…Okay maybe."
She shook her head.
Smiling anyway.
"You are ridiculous."
"But I'm your ridiculous."
Her smile softened.
"Yeah."
A small quiet pause.
The pan sizzled.
The kitchen smelled sweet.
Then—
"Hey," Jay said.
"Hey what?"
"Do you still get butterflies?"
Keifer went still.
He didn't answer right away.
Instead, he gently took her hand.
Pressed it to his chest.
Jay felt it.
Fast.
Warm.
Steady.
"Oh."
"All the time."
Her breath caught.
"That's not fair."
"You asked."
She laughed quietly.
Then whispered,
"I really love you."
He answered instantly.
"I really love you more."
She pulled back.
Pointed at him.
"That's not how it works."
"It absolutely is."
"We agreed it rotates."
"No."
He smiled.
"You're wrong today."
Jay gasped.
"Excuse me?"
"I woke up first."
She crossed her arms.
Fake serious.
"That is not a real rule."
"It is in our marriage."
She stared at him.
Then sighed dramatically.
"Fine. But tomorrow I love you more."
Keifer leaned down.
Slow.
Soft.
Forehead to forehead.
"Nah."
"Keifer."
"I'll allow you second place."
She laughed and hit his arm lightly.
"You're terrible."
"You married terrible."
They stayed there.
Too close.
Too comfortable.
Too happy.
Jay's voice dropped.
Quiet.
"Do you ever get scared?"
Keifer blinked.
"Scared of what?"
She shrugged.
Of course she shrugged.
"Of losing this."
Keifer lifted her face.
Both hands.
Gentle.
Like she was something fragile.
Something precious.
"I'm not scared."
Jay searched his eyes.
"Why?"
He smiled.
Small.
Certain.
Because she was right there.
Warm hands.
Messy hair.
That soft smile only she gave him.
"Because I'm already home."