Scarlett blinked. "All of us?"
Jeffrie looked down at her, then across to Azul, Lily, Sophia, and Raven.
"All of you."
No one spoke for a beat.
Then—
Azul smiled first. "well shit."
Sophia pressed closer to his side. "this is still not over ill find out who you love more."
Lily's voice was softer. "Say it again."
Jeffrie smirked, then kissed the top of her head. "I love you, Lily."
She exhaled, eyes fluttering shut.
He turned slightly. "I love you, Sophia."
Sophia squeezed his arm.
He reached for Scarlett's hand, brushing his thumb across her knuckles. "You too, Red."
Scarlett's smirk trembled just a little. "Damn right."
He looked to Raven, who had gone unusually still. Her eyes met his, sharp but glassy.
"Even you, bird girl," he said with a grin.
Raven rolled her eyes—but only to cover the way her lip twitched. "Whatever."
Azul leaned in close. "You're not getting out of this alive if you try and die tomorrow. Got it?"
Jeffrie grinned. "Wouldn't dream of it."
And for the first time in a long time, he felt ready.
Not just for the mission.
For everything.
They were all on his shoulders.
But for now, just for this moment, he allowed himself to enjoy what he had.
His women. His team. His family.
Jeffrie exhaled deeply, his grip tightening around them.
"Yeah," he murmured. "I'll sleep."
As the Kraken continued its silent descent, the room fell into a comfortable stillness, broken only by the sound of their steady breathing.
But while Jeffrie found peace in his suite, elsewhere on the Kraken, his brothers were settling in.
Ray's Quarters
Ray stretched out on his bed, arms folded behind his head, smirking up at the two women standing at the foot of his bed— Isabella (Izzy) and Nyah.
Both had their arms crossed, looking down at him with matching expressions of skeptical amusement.
"You really thought we'd sleep in our own rooms?" Izzy arched a brow, hands on her hips.
Nyah smirked, glancing at Izzy. "He's got that look. He absolutely thought we were gonna."
Ray shrugged lazily, flashing his signature cocky grin. "A man can dream. But I ain't gonna act like I'm surprised."
Izzy rolled her eyes but still crawled onto the bed beside him. "You're impossible."
Nyah settled in on his other side, resting her head against his shoulder. "But you are comfortable."
Ray chuckled, draping his arms around both of them. "See? Y'all love me."
Izzy flicked his ear. "Don't push it."
Nyah laughed, her voice low. "He will."
Ray just smirked, settling deeper into the warmth of his two women.
"Y'all can act tough all you want, but I know the truth." He grinned. "You'd rather be here than anywhere else."
Izzy and Nyah exchanged glances before sighing in unison.
"Annoying."
"Cocky."
A pause.
Then—
Izzy admitted, resting her hand on his chest. "…But you're not wrong."
Ray chuckled. "Damn right."
As the Kraken hummed around them, descending into the unknown, they let the comfortable silence settle—knowing this was the last bit of peace before the war ahead.
Trice's Quarters
Trice leaned back against the headboard, watching Camila and Naomi bicker in front of him.
"…You serious right now?" he muttered, amused.
Naomi stood with her hands on her hips. "I had him first. So, technically, I should get dibs."
Camila raised an eyebrow. "You think that gives you dibs?"
Trice smirked, rubbing a hand down his face. "Y'all know there's room for both of you, right?"
Naomi shot him a look. "Oh, we know. That ain't the point."
Camila folded her arms. "Exactly. It's the principle of it."
Trice chuckled, shaking his head. "Man, y'all something' else."
Naomi flashed Camila a look—then smirked before diving onto the bed, curling up against Trice's side. "Welp, I'm already here, so…"
Camila narrowed her eyes before shaking her head with a smirk. "Fine."
She climbed onto the other side, resting her head against his chest.
"You better not play favorites, Trice."
Trice grinned, pulling both of them closer. "Ain't no favorites here, baby. Y'all both mine."
Naomi rolled her eyes. "Smooth."
Camila chuckled. "So smooth."
Trice just laughed, letting his head fall back against the pillows. "Ain't my fault y'all fighting' over me."
Naomi nudged his side. "We aren't fighting'. We're debating."
Camila smirked. "Exactly. Healthy competition."
Trice shook his head, laughing.
As the Kraken carried them deeper into the abyss, he knew one thing for sure—
This was the last time they'd rest before all hell broke loose.
Night inside the Kraken passed slowly, wrapped in silence and warmth.
Jeffrie drifted between sleep and peace, buried beneath a tangle of limbs and breath. For a moment, the war felt distant. For a moment, he had everything.
But one by one, they began to slip away.
Raven was the first—silent, as always. She brushed a kiss to his temple before vanishing like a ghost into the dark. No words. Just absence.
Then Scarlett, smirking softly, trailed a finger across his jaw before pulling herself out of bed with a whispered, "Don't get used to all of us staying."
Sophia pressed one last kiss to his chest before murmuring something he couldn't catch and stepping away without a sound.
Azul lingered longer. She stared at him for a full five seconds, searching for something behind his sleepy eyes. Then she kissed him—slow, deep, and slightly rough—like a silent promise.
But she left, too.
Until only Lily remained.
Still curled at his side, her hand resting over his heart.
She was awake.
Jeffrie blinked, realizing the quiet. "They're gone?"
Lily nodded slowly. "They needed space."
He exhaled. "Did I mess this up?"
Lily shifted to face him, her expression soft but conflicted. "You told us you loved us. All of us."
"Because I do."
She studied him for a long time. "And I believe you."
He blinked at that. "You… do?"
Lily nodded. "I've always known your heart was too big for one person. But that doesn't mean it's not going to hurt."
He reached up, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "I never meant to—"
"I know," she whispered, leaning into his touch. "But the others… they're not going to be okay with this forever. They'll want to know who you'd choose if you had to."
Jeffrie's heart sank.
"They're going to fight for you," Lily said gently. "Not because they don't love each other. But because they love you more than they ever expected."
He closed his eyes, guilt swelling in his chest.
Lily leaned in, kissed his forehead.
"But I'm here. And I'm not going anywhere. Not tonight."
He held Lily tighter.
In the stillness of that moment, it felt like safety.
But outside that room?
The storm brewing wasn't heartbreak.
It was pride.
Possession.
Confidence.
Because of Scarlett, Azul, Sophia, and Raven?
They weren't mad he loved them all.
They just didn't believe he loved anyone more than them.
The next morning in the Kraken's common area, the team gathered for a casual gear check before the mission briefing.
Jeffrie was still waking up, sipping coffee, hair tousled, half in a daze. Lily sat beside him, calm and content.
The others?
Not so calm.
Scarlett strolled in first, sauntering as the ship belonged to her, dropping her gear beside Jeffrie's chair with a thud.
"Morning," she said sweetly. "Sleep alright, Commander?"
Jeffrie blinked. "Uh. Yeah?"
She leaned in, close enough for her breath to kiss his ear. "I would've stayed too if someone hadn't taken the center spot."
Lily looked up with a smile. "You could've stayed. You left."
Scarlett's return smile didn't reach her eyes. "Didn't want to wake anyone. Some of us don't need constant attention."
Before Lily could answer, Azul appeared data pad in hand.
"Didn't realize we were comparing bed times," she said coolly, taking the seat on Jeffrie's other side. "Though if we are—I'm the last one he kissed goodnight."
Sophia scoffed from across the room, finishing the adjustments on her blade.
"Kissing someone after everyone else is just a consolation prize," she said. "We all know who he held the tightest."
Azul raised an eyebrow. "Bold claim. Didn't feel that way from where I was lying."
Raven finally slid into the room, arms crossed, leaning against the wall with a bored expression.
"Cute," she said, "how you all think proximity equals preference."
Scarlett turned, hands on her hips. "And what, Raven? You think laying across us like a blanket makes you the favorite?"
Raven shrugged. "Not my fault he fell asleep with his hand in my hair."
Lily, still sipping her tea, raised an eyebrow. "He fell asleep with me."
Jeffrie, now very much awake, looked between them—mouth slightly open, coffee halfway to his lips.
"...What the hell is happening right now?"
Sophia leaned against the table and smirked. "Nothing. Just a healthy conversation about who your heart belongs to."
Jeffrie blinked. "You mean all of you—?"
Azul smiled, deceptively calm. "Oh, we know that."
Scarlett finished the sentence for her. "We just want to know who you'd choose."
Jeffrie opened his mouth to speak—but realized there was no right answer.
Trice walked in, took one look at the table, turned around, and walked right back out.
Ray followed a second later. "Nope. Not getting involved in that."
Jeffrie ran a hand down his face. "This is hell."
Lily patted his thigh gently. "You made your bed, Commander."
Sophia grinned. "Literally."
The air in the room was thick with smug smiles and territorial remarks.
Scarlett smirked.
Azul crossed her arms.
Sophia leaned closer.
Raven looked ready to play psychological chess until someone cracked.
All of them circling the same unspoken question:
Who does Jeffrie love the most?
He looked like a man caught in a sniper scope from five directions.
Until Lily set her teacup down.
Delicately. Silently.
And stood up.
The others glanced at her, expecting a retort. A claim. Maybe a sarcastic jab.
Instead, Lily just smiled.
Not the sharp kind.
Not defensive.
Soft. Quiet. Unbothered.
"I'm not playing this game," she said, stepping in front of Jeffrie.
Scarlett arched a brow. "Backing out already?"
Azul smirked. "Didn't expect you to fold first."
Lily looked at them—unshaken.
"This isn't folding," she said. "This is understanding something the rest of you haven't yet."
Sophia narrowed her eyes. "And what's that?"
Lily turned her head to look at Jeffrie—really look at him. Not the Commander. Not the fighter. Just him.
"That it's not about being his favorite," she said simply. "It's about knowing how much space his heart actually has."
Jeffrie's breath hitched—because he felt it. The way her words landed like truth.
Then, without asking, Lily climbed into his lap, curling against him like she belonged there.
She was the smallest of them all—but in that moment, she owned the room.
Her arms looped loosely around his neck, her legs tucking in close, her cheek resting right over his heart.
"I don't need to compete," she murmured. "I already know where I stand."
The room fell completely silent.
Scarlett's lips parted, but she didn't say anything.
Azul blinked, jaw tightening just slightly.
Raven looked away like she suddenly found the ceiling very interesting.
Sophia crossed her arms, but her gaze dropped—thoughtful, not cold.
Jeffrie, stunned for a moment, wrapped his arms around Lily's waist without thinking.
Protective. Grateful.
In awe.
"Damn," Ray whispered from the hallway, still peeking in. "She won."
Trice just shook his head. "He's never getting out of this alive."
No one said anything for a long moment.
Lily stayed curled against Jeffrie's chest, eyes closed like none of it bothered her—and maybe it didn't. Maybe she'd already made peace with the way things were. Or maybe she just trusted him enough to let it be.
One by one, the others started to move.
Scarlett was the first. She stood tall, rolled her shoulders, and gave a dry little smirk. "Well… guess I've got gear to check."
Her exit was sharp—but not angry.
Azul followed without a word, slipping out with her data pad tucked under one arm. She didn't slam the door. But she didn't look back either.
Sophia lingered a moment longer, eyes flicking to Lily, then to Jeffrie. She gave a quiet nod—respect, maybe. Then she left without a sound.
Raven didn't move right away. She met Jeffrie's eyes across the room, said nothing, then turned and walked out as if it had all been part of the plan.
And then… it was just them.
Jeffrie and Lily.
Alone again.
She shifted in his lap just enough to glance up at him, her fingers resting gently on his chest.
"You okay?" she asked softly.
Jeffrie didn't answer right away. He looked toward the door the others had gone through—one by one—and felt every step they took echo in his chest.
"I don't know," he admitted quietly. "I didn't think… saying I loved all of you would make them feel like they had to fight for it."
Lily reached up, brushing a hand along his jaw. "They don't want your love. They want your certainty."
Jeffrie looked at her.
"And you?" he asked.
She smiled faintly. "I just want you."
Silence settled again—but this time, it was comfortable.
Warm.
Jeffrie tightened his hold around her, pulling her in.
"Thank you," he whispered.
Lily rested her head against his shoulder. "We'll figure the rest out. One mission at a time."
And with that, the room finally stilled.
The Kraken continued its silent descent, the deep hum of the ship vibrating through its steel bones. Everyone had settled into their quarters, seeking rest before the inevitable war waiting ahead.
Back in the command room, Azul sat at the control panel, fingers flying over the holographic interface as she monitored their path. Dim blue lights cast a soft glow over the displays, reflecting in her sharp eyes.
Jeffrie stepped inside, his presence steady yet unreadable. "How's everything looking?"
Azul didn't glance up. "On course. No disturbances. If we maintain this depth, we'll reach the designated entry point in six hours."
Jeffrie exhaled, nodding. "Good. Keep us in the shadows."
Azul smirked, finally turning toward him. "Isn't that what I always do?"
Jeffrie chuckled. "You do it best, babe."
Before she could respond, the ship's internal comms crackled to life.
"All crew members, report to the war room in thirty minutes for final mission preparations."
Scarlett's voice carried through the speakers—sharp authority laced with underlying excitement.
Azul arched a brow. "Looks like playtime's over."
Jeffrie glanced at the monitors one last time. For the briefest second, something flickered—a pulse on the screen that shouldn't have been there. A shape? A distortion?
But when he blinked, it was gone.
A glitch.
…Right?
Pushing the thought aside, he turned toward the exit. "Yeah. Time to get ready."