the eras of us ⎹ Lana Parrilla & Jennifer Morrison

Chapter 26

"Absolutely not."

"What? Why?" Jen's brows furrowed, her lower lip jutting out in a pout. "You said I could choose."

"I did say that, but I'm taking it back now," Lana replied, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the open recipe on the blonde's phone. "Because we are not baking healthy brownies. Is there even sugar in there?"

"Yes," Jen stepped closer to Lana, her gaze shifting between the recipe and Lana's expression. "It's..."

Lana's eyebrows arched, a mix of amusement and skepticism dancing in her eyes.

"Well, okay, there is no sugar in there. At least not industrial sugar, but the ripe banana and the unsweetened applesauce will-"

"Absolutely not," the brunette repeated, her lips curling into a playful grin. "I don't even have applesauce in my house."

"Yeah, well, then we gotta add it to the grocery list." Jen crossed her arms, a hint of shyness creeping into her demeanor as she mentioned 'their' grocery list, a subtle reminder of their shared space now that they were living together.

Oh dear god.

She was living with Lana.

Her heart fluttered erratically, her throat suddenly dry. The blonde avoided meeting Lana's gaze, hoping her cheeks weren't betraying her with a blush. She despised blushing, especially when it was Lana who caused it, although she'd always been prone to blushing easily. Jen recalled a girl from third grade who had once said her hair looked like a princess's. What was her name again? Callie? Cari? It blurred in her memory, replaced by the name Cory, a fabrication she used because she had told everyone it was a boy who complimented her. She couldn't fathom why admitting it came from a girl seemed harder, but pretending it was a boy made it simpler somehow.

"Jen?"

Snapping out of her reverie, the blonde blinked a few times. "Hmm? What?"

Lana chuckled softly. "Were you daydreaming? Or are you upset about the brownies?"

"I... No, no, I wasn't daydreaming. And no, I am not upset about the brownies. I'm thirsty."

Slightly puzzled by her ex-co-star's disjointed response, Lana watched as Jen walked over to the fridge, pouring herself a glass of orange juice.

"So," Jen started after taking a few sips, trying to regain her composure. "What about our brownies?"

"Let's make some really fudgy brownies with lots of sugar, chocolate, and even more chocolate. That sounds awesome, doesn't it?" Lana's excitement was palpable, her dark eyes sparkling with anticipation.

The blonde couldn't help but chuckle softly before nodding. "Alright, let's bake that sin."

"Perfect!" Lana beamed, before looking for a recipe.

...

"Can you pass me the cocoa powder?" Lana's voice, smooth and beautiful, filled the cozy kitchen.

"Sure," Jen smiled as she reached for the container, their hands brushing ever so briefly, but long enough to send a delightful warmth through her body. Lana's eyes sparkled in response to the small connection, making it hard for the blonde to breathe.

As the brunette sifted the cocoa powder into the bowl, the rich aroma filled the air, mingling with the sweetness of the sugar. She then cracked the eggs, one by one, expertly adding them to the mixture and whisking everything together until it formed a smooth, glossy batter.

Meanwhile, Jen prepared the dry ingredients, carefully measuring out the flour and salt, and adding them to the wet mixture in stages. She folded everything together with a spatula, the texture of the batter becoming thick and luscious.