𝐑 𝐔 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐄?¹ - juan soto

13.

the first rays of dawn filtered through the sheer curtains of lyra's bedroom, painting the room in soft gold and muted blue. lyra laid on her side, propped up on one elbow, watching as juan stretched lazily beside her. his arm was flung over his head, the sheet barely covering his waist, exposing the sharp lines of his shoulders and the curve of his back.

he was still half-asleep, his face turned toward her with the faintest of smirks tugging at his lips. lyra wondered if he always looked this at ease in the mornings or if it was just with her.

"morning," she said softly, breaking the quiet.

juan cracked one eye open, his smirk widening. "morning, larosa." his voice was thick with sleep, gravelly but warm.

she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, feeling oddly shy despite the intimacy of the moment. "sleep okay?"

"like a rock," he murmured, reaching out to brush his fingers over her bare arm. "your place is nice, you know."

lyra lightly chuckled. "you've been here before."

"yeah... but i didn't really see it before."

lyra's mind went back to that night. the storm, the way they yelled at each other. the way he—

juan cut through her thoughts, "you should really start charging for this five-star bed-and-breakfast service."

lyra rolled her eyes, but she smiled despite herself. "it's called my apartment, not a hotel."

"best one i've ever stayed in," he quipped, eyes finally opening fully to meet hers.

she laughed softly, but her expression turned more contemplative. this was nice—too nice, maybe. it felt fleeting, like something that could slip through her fingers at any moment.

she took a deep breath and decided to risk it. "juan, can i ask you something?"

his hand stilled on her arm, but his eyes didn't lose their usual spark. "uh-oh. that sounds serious."

"it is."

he sat up slightly, leaning on his elbow to face her. "hit me."

she hesitated, her fingers playing with the edge of the sheet. "what... what are we doing?"

his smirk faltered, but only for a second. "right now? lying in bed and debating whether we want breakfast or round two."

"juan." her voice was soft but firm, and the seriousness in it made him stop.

he studied her face for a moment, then sighed dramatically. "is this one of those 'define the relationship' talks?"

lyra's brows furrowed, and she sat up, clutching the sheet to her chest. "why do you always have to turn everything into a joke?"

"because jokes are easier than feelings," he said lightly, though his tone didn't carry the weight of a real confession.

she sighed, shaking her head. "i'm serious. we keep... doing this instead of talking, and i don't even know what it means to you."

juan sat up fully, running a hand through his messy hair. "lyra, does it have to mean something right this second? can't we just... enjoy it?"

her chest tightened. "it's not that simple for me."

he frowned slightly, tilting his head. "why not?"

"because i like you, juan," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "and i feel stupid still saying that because i don't even know if you still—"