Magnus conceded the point about his mother without argument, as it was true. But it was difficult to play it cool when Jessica mentioned kids. Their kids, when they had kids. It felt like so much pressure, on Magnus specifically. Yes, Jessica would be the one carrying their children for nine months, but before they even got there they had to... get to the bedroom. That was Magnus' job and he constantly failed to make the move. It was just so hard to find the right moment, to find the confidence. Thinking about it only made it worse.

So he bypassed that portion of the conversation completely, letting his gaze fall down, fiddling with his hands and examining his nails until Jessica had moved off the subject.

"I hadn't even thought about it," Magnus admitted in a puzzled tone as he obediently fished his phone from his pocket. He wasn't devious-minded as a rule. He didn't see himself as particularly good; it simply never occurred to him to break the rules or that there was a way around them.

Phone out, Magnus fussed over the wording of his text, erasing his words and rewriting them a few times before finally shooting off a message.