Chapter 6: Coincidental kiss

Axel was rudely jolted from his afternoon nap by the relentless ringing of his doorbell. He groaned, glancing at his phone to see it was only 3 p.m. "Who the hell is it now?" he muttered, dragging himself out of bed.

Still half-asleep, he trudged to the door and checked the camera feed. The moment he saw the person standing outside, he nearly swore aloud. "You've got to be kidding me," he hissed under his breath. Jayvaughn. Again.

"Is he obsessed or something?" Axel thought irritably. He rubbed his temple, trying to make sense of the situation. According to the original Axel's memories, Jayvaughn had only visited his apartment three times in the past three years.

Yet in the two days since he had gotten back from the hospital after he woke up in Axel's body, Jayvaughn had shown up both days without fail. It was suspicious.

More than that, it was unnerving. Did Jayvaughn know something? Was he testing him? Axel didn't like it. He had tried so hard to avoid Jayvaughn, to keep a distance.

He knew trouble when he saw it—and Jayvaughn was the kind of trouble Axel, or rather Z the ex_ assassin had sworn to keep at arm's length. But neither Jayvaughn nor the lingering feelings of the original Axel seemed intent on letting him maintain that distance.

Every time he even thought about ignoring Jayvaughn, the remnant soul inside him stirred restlessly, threatening to tear him apart.

The doorbell rang again, more urgently this time. Axel sighed heavily and swung the door open.

"What took you so long to open the door?" Jayvaughn asked, striding in like he owned the place.

Axel rolled his eyes. "Can't a guy take a nap anymore? What are you doing here again?"

Jayvaughn shrugged as he flopped onto one of Axel's cushions. "Just got back from the company. Thought you might be bored, so I came to keep you company."

Axel wanted to scream. He was not bored. He did not need Jayvaughn's company. But he bit down the urge and sat across from him with a grimace.

Jayvaughn tilted his head and smiled. "You're looking better than yesterday."

Axel gave a curt nod, offering no reply.

Then Jayvaughn added casually, "Do you know your sister is defaming you online? Want me to deal with her?"

Axel blinked. He tilted his head slightly, voice calm. "No need. She's not important enough for you to waste time on. I'll handle it."

Jayvaughn suddenly stood, closing the distance between them with startling speed. Before Axel could react, he was cornered against the armrest of the couch.

"W-What do you think you're doing?" Axel stammered, eyes wide. His calm was gone, replaced by a creeping panic.

Jayvaughn smirked inwardly. Finally, a reaction. Axel had been too calm lately, too distant. Seeing him flustered was a strange comfort.

He leaned in, face inches from Axel's. Axel's face turned bright red, his eyes darting anywhere but at Jayvaughn's. Panic spiraled in his chest. He had never been this close to anyone before. Not in this life, not in the last.

Back when he was Z, the infamous assassin, relationships were a luxury he couldn't afford. He had spent his life eliminating targets, not entertaining romantic feelings. This was all new territory—and overwhelming.

Jayvaughn, seeing the blush creeping up Axel's cheeks, almost laughed. It was... cute. Unexpectedly cute.

"I was just checking if you'd been swapped at the hospital. Wanted to confirm your face is still the same," Jayvaughn said smoothly, still not moving back.

Axel tried to push him away, but it was like trying to shove a boulder. "What kind of nonsense is that?! Move!"

Jayvaughn smirked, completely unbothered. "You used to act like a scared mouse whenever your sister came up. Now you say she's not important. Either you've changed or... you just don't want me interacting with her. Are you jealous?"

Axel had had enough. Without thinking, he kicked Jayvaughn hard in the thigh.

Jayvaughn let out a surprised yelp and stumbled—straight onto Axel.

Their faces, already too close, now collided. Lips pressed together.

Axel's eyes went impossibly wide. Jayvaughn blinked, momentarily stunned. But to Axel's horror, Jayvaughn casually pulled away and stood up like it was no big deal.

"Y-You... You...!" Axel stammered, face flaming.

Jayvaughn shot him a wicked grin. "I'll see you later this evening," he said nonchalantly and dashed out the door.

Axel sprang to his feet, rage coursing through him. He was going to murder that man. He stormed toward the door—

But pain shot through his chest like a burning lance. The remnant. Again.

He gritted his teeth, clutching the armrest as his knees buckled. It wasn't as intense as before, but it was enough to stop him. Enough to infuriate him.

"DAMN IT!" he screamed to no one. "That was my FIRST kiss! In both lives!"

He collapsed back onto the couch, seething. "I always imagined my first kiss with a stunning woman! Big chest! Curves! Not... Not Jayvaughn!"

Another spike of pain.

"YOU DAMN REMNANT!" Axel growled, clutching his chest. "I swear, if I could beat you out of this body, I would!"

But of course, he couldn't. Not when they were sharing the same body.

Axel slumped against the cushion, defeated and frustrated. Sulking.

He had barely been alive in this body for two weeks, and already he was spiraling.

_______________________

Jayvaughn stepped into the familiar comfort of his apartment and immediately let himself sink into a cushion chair. His mind elsewhere—on Axel.

He touched his lips lightly, remembering the coincidental kiss they'd just shared. "His lips are really soft," he muttered under his breath, almost in disbelief. The words barely escaped him before a flush crept up his neck. He sat up straighter, eyes narrowing as if accusing his own thoughts. "What the hell am I thinking?"

For the past three years, Axel had harbored feelings for him. Jayvaughn had always known, but he had never cared enough to acknowledge them. Back then, he was focused—on their career, on his family, on everything but Axel's longing gaze. Yet now, since Axel had woken from his coma, Jayvaughn had found himself oddly fixated.

He teased Axel relentlessly, amused by the way Axel's expression cracked ever so slightly from the emotionless mask he wore now. And today… that kiss.

Jayvaughn exhaled, his brows furrowing. Why now? Why was he suddenly drawn to Axel when he had always ignored him before? He was not one to play around, especially not with emotions.

But even after minutes of turning the thought over in his mind, he couldn't find a reason that made sense.

With a frustrated sigh, he decided to stop trying to understand it. He'd watch things unfold. Let the pieces fall where they may. But one thing was clear—he wanted to kiss Axel again. And this time, he wouldn't settle for accidental.

His eyes flicked to the clock. They were supposed to meet again soon with the others. He stood, smoothing down his clothes with a sense of anticipation. For once, he was looking forward to it.

_______________________

Axel, on the other hand, was not looking forward to seeing Jayvaughn at all. In fact, the idea of spending time with him again made Axel feel like ripping something apart. Preferably Jayvaughn.

Still, he got up, grabbed the revised lyrics sheet, and headed out. He stepped into the elevator, his reflection on the chrome walls cold and unreadable. The same neutral look on his face, the look that jayvaughn loathed since he woke up from the coma.

The elevator doors opened to the studio floor. The moment he stepped into the instrument room, the familiar buzz of chatter reached his ears. As usual, he was the last to arrive. Noah, James, and Jayvaughn were already inside.

And there it was again—Jayvaughn's smug, teasing expression. His brows arched, lips curled into that infuriating smirk Axel had grown to loathe.

All Axel wanted to do was knock it off his face.

It didn't make sense. In his memories—as Axel, Jayvaughn had always been stoic, driven, serious. Even in his past life as Z when he was still an assassin _in the stories he'd heard, the stories passing around underground, Jayvaughn Draxler the soldier had been a silent legend.

Yet now, the only thing legendary about Jayvaughn was his relentless mission to get under Axel's skin.

Ignoring him entirely, Axel walked to the center table and passed the lyrics sheets around. He turned to Noah. "I tweaked only my part of the lyrics like I promised. Let me know if there's anything you'd like changed."

Noah skimmed the sheet quickly, his face lighting up. "This is perfect. It keeps everything I wanted to say to the fans. I like this a lot."

Axel gave him a rare, genuine smile.

Jayvaughn, who had been watching in silence, clenched his jaw. That smile—the first since Axel had woken up—was not meant for him. Noah got it effortlessly, and Jayvaughn couldn't help but feel irritated. Unfairly so.

Noah suddenly shivered, rubbing his neck. "Huh. Feels like someone's sending daggers at me with their thoughts."

He turned to James. "I think we should head to the company today to finalize things. Our comeback is set for next month, and Axel confirmed he'll be fully recovered by then. That gives us time to practice."

He added, half-joking, "Might as well drag our manager back with us. He's been too busy babysitting those new artists. I'm starting to wonder if he remembers he has a band under him."

Then he turned to Jayvaughn and Axel. "While James and I are gone, why don't you two work on the melody together? No need to finish it today, but it'd be great to get started."

Axel blinked at him like he'd just committed a crime. His mouth opened slightly in protest.

"I don't think I have what it takes to work on melodies, really."

But Noah only grinned wider. "Princess, you've got talent. Just from this rewrite, I can tell. You didn't talk much before, but I believe in you. Ask our leader if you get stuck. He's the best among us—that's why I paired you two. He can guide you."

Axel froze.

Princess.

He hated that nickname.

He turned slowly to Jayvaughn, who was acting as if nothing had happened, calm as still water.

"Leader," Axel said, with forced composure, "What do you think of this arrangement?"

Jayvaughn, still quietly reeling from that smile Axel gave to Noah, answered in a flat, unreadable tone, "No problem. Let's get to work."

Axel stared at him, utterly speechless. How was he this good at hiding every emotion? Jayvaughn looked indifferent. Not annoyed. Not pleased. Not flustered. Nothing. As if the earlier kiss never happened. As if Axel's rejection, his anger, his discomfort didn't matter.

Two-faced bastard.

James and Noah exchanged glances.

"Well, we'll leave you two to it," James said, dragging Noah toward the door. Noah waved cheekily at Axel.

"Have fun, Princess."

The door shut behind them.

Now it was just the two of them. Alone.

Silence stretched between them. Axel didn't move. Jayvaughn stood by the soundboard, pretending to check the equipment.

Finally, Axel sighed and pulled out a pen. He handed Jayvaughn the lyric sheet and took his guitar. "Let's just get this over with."

Jayvaughn turned to look at him, something in his expression softening for a moment before quickly masking over.

"Sure," he said.

But inside, he was smiling.