Page 52 of Only ever you-Ana & Byron
"Byron-"
He wouldn't meet her eye, just focused very intently on flipping the next pancake.
"Might've been cute, y'know. Two tiny gremlins runnin' about. Proper chaos."
She rolled her eyes, trying not to smile.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, yeah?"
He gave a soft huff through his nose, somewhere between a laugh and a sigh.
"Yeah, alright. Still... would've made good lookin' ones, wouldn't we? With my looks and your brains..."
Ana snorted, and he finally looked at her-grinning.
"Don't look so terrified, Bartolini. I'm not tryin' to trap you into motherhood before breakfast."
"I'm assuming you're... clean?"
"Yeah. Course I am," he said quickly, sounding a little affronted. "I get tested regularly. All clear.And I have always used a condom."
Ana narrowed her eyes. "Do you get a full panel after every encounter, or...?"
He hesitated. "Not everyone. But-" He cut himself off, then rubbed his jaw. "It’s been a while, Ana. Actually... you're the first girl I've had in this place. Ever."
That pulled her upshort.
"Seriously?"
"Swear down," he said, looking at her like she'd grown horns. "You think I'm bringin' birds back here every week like some kind of shag hotel?"
"You've never-"
"Last girl I slept with was, I dunno, year ago? Back when I had a man bun and made worse life choices."
Her mouth dropped open. "Shut up."
He shrugged, grabbing a mug of coffee.
"What? You've got your fancy jiggly toys. I've got my right hand. Does the job."
Ana snorted.
Then choked.
Then burst out laughing, shoulders shaking as she leaned into the counter.
Byron grinned, leaning back on his elbows.
"You're proper gigglin' now. It's a bit hot, not gonna lie."
She wiped her eyes, still wheezing. "You're an idiot."
"Yeah," he said softly, handing her a plate. "But I'm your idiot now, yeah? No takebacks, my little witch."
Ana sipped her coffee again, letting the heat settle in her chest. Byron was fussing over the second batch of pancakes, humming off-key to some 90s R&B track playing low on the kitchen speaker.
She watched him for a moment, her heart squeezing oddly at how normal it all felt.
