Oh, no...

Laura lay in the bathtub for as long as she dared. The cold water shocked her system and, more importantly, her traitorous brain into functioning correctly. After toweling off, she got out and took stock of what she was doing. It was time to stop the cuddles and the closeness between them. She was letting things go to far.

"Are... you okay?" Laura asked as she exited the bathroom. Dan had a strange look on his face she wasn't familiar with.

"Yeah, just making a decision is all," Dan answered.

"Oh? What did you decide?" she asked, wondering why he was so introspective all of the sudden.

Dan sat up and smiled up at her. "I want..." he said as he stared her right in the eyes. Laura felt her breath catch. That wasn't the look of a boy looking at his mother. "Pancakes, if we have any mix," he finished.

Laura blinked. She gave a little laugh and smiled. She was overthinking things. "I think I can do something along those lines," she said as she moved toward the kitchen, her wet feet slapping on the cold floor.

Dan got up and followed her. She put on the new apron and raised an eyebrow at him when she noticed him just staring at her. That look was back, on she'd seen before, but never on her son. It scared and... excited her.

"Thank you for cooking," Dan said as he placed a soft kiss on the side of her neck.

Laura shivered, her whole body swaying for a moment before she pushed back against him. This was NOT what she wanted. "I need to cook," she demanded. "You're... welcome," she muttered after a few seconds. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Things needed to change, quickly. Dan was getting the wrong impression about their relationship. A small corner of her mind asked why? It wouldn't be so bad to push just a little farther.