We're going to need more than five minutes

Why does everything always have to be so complicated?

„Excuse me?", he asked, but Lana could only repeat herself: „Oh dear God..."

The doorbell rang again, now there was a male voice yelling from outside, same British accent.

„That's Sean and Bex."

„Who?

„Sean Maguire and Rebecca Mader. My friends and cast mates from ‚Once Upon A Time'. We were supposed to have brunch today, here at my place. I completely forgot!"

She hopped off the kitchen counter, her knees shaking and soft as jelly, and finally took the completely burned pancake off the heat.

He pulled up his PJs and tried to calm himself down again. „So I guess I'm heading out?"

She looked at him and didn't even dare to nod. „Guess so..." Then she shook her head and was almost close to tears. „I'm so, so sorry, baby! So terribly sorry!"

„It's alright, don't worry about it."

„No, don't say that! I do worry about it. You were always here for me and always made me the priority. And I can't even make you fucking pancakes? I've been promising you for days! I'm a terrible... whatever I am to you. Lover... friend with benefits... person."

He took a step towards her, gently took her face in between his hands and forced her to look at him. Yes, he was disappointed, he had been looking forward to today, a lot! But there would be other days, it wasn't the end of the world. Certainly she hadn't seen her friends in a while either.

„Hey, stop it, huh? You are amazing, for sure as a lover, as well as as a friend, with or without benefits, and as a person in general. You're not obliged to making me pancakes. And I know, you're probably not just upset about the pancakes, but we'll have our chill day at some point, and one day you'll finally make me those pancakes. But for now, you're going to enjoy the day with your friends, and I'm sure I'll find a way to keep myself busy."

She listened to him, took a deep breath and whispered: „I don't deserve you."

„Oh, you do", he pulled her into his arms and kissed her, then her phone started vibrating on the kitchen table.

Lana looked at it. „I need to open them... They shouldn't see you. Could you just..."

He nodded. „I'll go upstairs until the air is clear."

„I'll try to usher them through to the backyard as quickly as possible."

Finally she opened the door, slightly out of breath, but with a glowing smile. „Hey, you guys!"

Sean and Bex looked surprised as they greeted her with a hug and kisses. He was carrying a box of sandwiches, she a tray of muffins.

„Are you alright?", Sean asked.

„Oh yeah!", she waved it off, „I was just busy with preparing and didn't hear you guys at first, come in! How are you doing, how's the baby?" She patted her friend's round stomach.

„We're great!", Bex, five months pregnant, sniffed, „It smells burnt. Are you sure everything's alright?"

„Yeah, yeah, the last pancake burned, but it's okay. Why don't you go right ahead outside? I'll be there in a second."

She turned around and went back into the kitchen.

Sean and Bex exchanged looks, all this was too strange. It seemed like barely anything was prepared, and Lana herself looked as if she had just rolled out of bed, also... „Lana?", Bex yelled after her, „Are you butt naked under that shirt?"