Chapter 28
The Infirmary smelled of antiseptic, ozone, and aggression.
"I carried her," Jax was saying. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, nursing a sprained wrist he had acquired during his "Shield Surfing" maneuver in the Exam Hall. "I used vampire speed. I broke the sound barrier. Therefore, I saved her."
"You tripped," Stone countered.
The former Enforcer was sitting in the plastic visitor's chair, his left arm in a sling. He had dislocated his shoulder tackling a door frame (long story). He looked grumpy.
"I didn't trip," Jax defended. "I encountered a structural irregularity."
"You tripped over your own cape," Stone deadpanned. "I caught her when you went down. I secured the package. Therefore, the save goes to the wolf."
"You both lack flair," Rook sighed.
The Fae professor was the one actually in the bed, tucked under the stark white sheets, though he looked perfectly fine. He was wearing silk pajamas he had summoned—magenta with gold piping. He was peeling a grape.
"I created the illusion of a soft landing," Rook explained, popping the grape into his mouth. "Without me, she would have landed on concrete. I cushioned the fall with a sonic buffer. Therefore, I am the hero. You two are merely the transport."
Ivy was standing in the middle of them.
She looked exhausted. She was still wearing her trench coat from the "Prank War," though it was now covered in soot and unidentifiable stains.
She was holding a bouquet of flowers that kept changing colors—shifting from red to blue to yellow—which was a sign that her chaos magic was acting up due to stress.
"You're all idiots," she announced.
The three men stopped arguing. They looked at her.
"I saved myself," Ivy snapped. "I floated. Remember? Leviosa? Or whatever the non-copyrighted version is? I cast a gravity dampener."
The three men looked at each other.
"She did float," Jax admitted, rubbing his neck.
"Confirmed," Stone grunted. "Vertical descent speed was controlled."
"A graceful landing," Rook nodded. "Very pirouette-esque."
I walked in with the Triad. We were carrying snacks—because in this group, snacks were the universal lubricant for social friction.
"Are we interrupting the 'Who is the Best Boyfriend' debate?" I asked, leaning against the doorframe.
"It's not a debate," Stone growled, crossing his good arm. "It's an after-action report. And we are not boyfriends. We are... allies. Co-belligerents."
"Allies who bought her chocolate?" I asked, pointing to the bedside table.
It was groaning under the weight of at least twenty boxes of Godiva. Dark chocolate. Milk chocolate. Truffles. It looked like a Valentine's Day display had exploded.
"Tactical rations," Stone clarified, blushing slightly. "High caloric density. Essential for recovery."
"It's bribery," Jax corrected. "I bought the truffles. Because I know she likes the hazelnut ones."
"I bought the ones with the little gold flakes," Rook added. "Because she likes shiny things."
Ivy sighed. It was a long, deep sigh that seemed to deflate her entire posture. She dropped the color-changing flowers onto Rook's legs.
"Okay, listen up," she said. "I'm tired. I have glitter in places glitter should never be—I found a sequin in my ear canal this morning. And I don't have time to date."
The room went silent. Even the hum of the magical monitors seemed to quiet down.
"So," Jax said slowly, his red eyes narrowing. "You're choosing?"
Stone stiffened. He sat up straighter, looking like a soldier facing a firing squad. Rook stopped peeling his grape.
"No," Ivy said, playing with a loose thread on her coat. "I'm not choosing. I'm... pausing."
"Pausing?" Stone asked, blinking.
"I just survived a void, an explosion, and a Dean who eats feelings," Ivy said, gesturing to the room. "And you three..." She looked at them. "You're all great. Jax is fun. Stone is... surprisingly sturdy. Rook is Rook."
"I am the moment," Rook agreed.
"But I am exhausted," Ivy concluded. "I don't have the bandwidth for a boyfriend. Let alone three potential ones. I can barely keep my own shoes tied."
"So... friend-zoned?" Jax asked, looking amused rather than disappointed.
"Team-zoned," Ivy corrected. "We fought together. We survived together. That means something. We're a unit. But right now? The only thing I want to commit to is a nap. And maybe a very large pizza."
Stone let out a breath he seemed to have been holding. His shoulders relaxed. "A unit. I can work with that. Defined parameters. No unexpected... romantic variables."
"Don't get too comfortable, Officer," Ivy warned, pointing a finger at him. "I'm still going to annoy you. It’s in my job description."
"I expect nothing less," Stone said, and a ghost of a smile touched his lips. It wasn't much, but it was there.
"And I still expect chocolates," Ivy added, patting the pile on the table. "As tribute. For my friendship."
"Ongoing tribute," Rook nodded. "Standard alliance tax."
"Deal," Jax declared. "I prefer the chase anyway."
Ivy rolled her eyes, but she looked relieved. The tension in the room broke, replaced by something easier. Lighter.
"Okay," she said, kicking off her shoes. "Now that the diplomatic crisis is diverted... scoot over. I'm stealing the bed."
"It's a single bed," Stone pointed out. "There are four of us."
"And?" Ivy raised an eyebrow. "Adapt, Officer. Overcome."
She climbed in, wedging herself between Rook (who refused to move) and Jax (who was laughing). Stone sighed, the long-suffering sigh of a man who knew he had lost control of his life, and sat back in the chair, keeping watch.
It wasn't a romance. Not yet.
But looking at them—bickering, laughing, sharing space in a sterile hospital room—it looked like a start.
I turned to my guys. Rhett looked confused. Kai looked impressed.
"Did she just... friend-zone three superpowers?" Rhett whispered.
"She 'Team-Zoned' them," Kai corrected. "It's a power move. I respect it."
"Come on," Lucien said, steering us toward the door. "Let's leave them to their... negotiations."
As we walked out, I heard Ivy's voice one last time.
"Okay, serious question. If we formed a band, who plays bass? Stone has bassist energy."
"I play the cello," Stone stated.
"Nerd," Jax coughed.
We closed the door, cutting off the argument.
I leaned against the wall in the hallway, laughing.
"They're going to be a disaster," I said.
"They're going to be happy," Kai corrected. "Loud, messy, confusingly happy."
"The best kind," I agreed.
The war was over. The villains were fired. The alliances were set.
All that was left was the victory lap.