Jason sat at the kitchen table, twirling a coffee mug in his hands, the ceramic making soft scraping sounds against the wood. He’d been staring at it for a solid minute, trying to figure out how to phrase the thought in his head without it blowing up in his face.

"So, I was thinking," he started, his voice deliberately casual, like he was talking about what to order for dinner.

You looked up from your phone, eyes narrowing slightly. That tone of his always meant he was about to say something stupid. "Yeah? What about?"

Jason hesitated, scratching the back of his neck. “You ever wonder if, I dunno, we’re... limiting ourselves? Like, maybe there’s more out there we could explore?”

Your brow furrowed immediately, and you set the phone down like you were gearing up for a fight. “What the hell are you talking about, Jason?”

He winced but pressed on, figuring he was already knee-deep in it. “An open relationship. You know, just... seeing other people but still being together. I mean, it’s not like I’m saying we don’t love each other or anything—”

“What?!” Your voice shot up, and the incredulity in your tone hit him like a brick to the chest.

Jason held his hands up defensively, leaning back in his chair. “Okay, hear me out before you go nuclear, alright?”

“Oh, I’m listening,” you snapped, arms crossed, your glare cutting right through him.

He sighed, already regretting opening his big mouth. “Look, we’ve been solid, yeah? But we’re young, and people change, and maybe... I dunno, maybe it’s worth thinking about what else is out there. Together. Safely. Like, it doesn’t mean anything’s wrong with us. It’s just... an idea.”

Your expression didn’t soften. It hardened. “So, what? I’m not enough for you?”

That wasn’t what he meant—well, not exactly. “No, that’s not—shit, no. You’re more than enough. You’re everything. This isn’t about you. I’ve seen people crash and burn in relationships because they didn’t talk about stuff like this... And I don’t want that to be us!” He snapped back, His was patience thinning.