*Troye's POV*

*Timeskip to April*

"Why did you have to choose something so active? We could have just gone to dinner or something." I complained, sinking further down in the passengers seat and wondering what possessed me to let him drive today. We'd planned the double date a couple weeks ago and it wasn't until today that I started to have second thoughts about it. Not just the location, but the entire situation. I loved Shane and Marcus, but there was something about being around them as a couple that just made me feel inferior. They just seemed to have it all together. Sure, they've been together longer than we have, but it's different.

"You're just upset because you know you'll suck at it." Tyler beamed back, going right back to singing along to the familiar song playing from the radio. He didn't seem to share my outlook at all. He was a ball of joy, as usual. He seemed thrilled at the idea of going bowling, for whatever reason. I bet he's just excited to show me up at it and make fun of me because he's been before.

"Will not. Once I get the hang of it I will slay you." I replied, deciding to just go along with the lighthearted mood he was setting for us.

"Wanna bet?" He jibed back, my competitive streak causing a confident smirk to find my face. Deep down I knew how stupid I'd be to believe I could beat someone with experience, but I didn't care.

"Winner pays for the other?" I suggested, wiggling my eyebrows at him despite the fact he still had his eyes glued to the road ahead of us. We were less than five minutes away from the bowling alley now, a weird mix of nerves and excitement settling in my stomach.

"Deal." He replied firmly, smiling to himself as he pulled onto the road. I looked out my window at the houses as they passed by, taking extra time to study one of the apartment buildings even after we'd zoomed past. 

I'd been thinking about moving out a lot lately, mostly just because I thought it'd help set the whole 'I'm an adult' thing into my brain. I didn't want to do it alone though, and I had no idea where Tyler stood on it. For all I know he might want to stay living with his mother forever to make sure she's okay. Sure, she has no serious health issues, but he's pretty concerned about her never-ending work schedule.

I snapped out of my thoughts when he sat his hand on my thigh, slowly tracing it higher in a teasing manner. I looked down and narrowed my eyes at the touch, clamping my hand over his and forcing it to stay still. I knew it was just teasing, there was no way we'd get a chance to follow through with anything today.

"Stop it. Are you ready to go inside?" I asked, reaching up to fix a piece of his quiff that had fallen forward. He made a face, scrunching his nose up and shrugging his shoulders.

"I mean, I'd rather you go inside but-"

"That wasn't even a good pun." I sighed out before he'd finished, shaking my head at his desperation to turn everything dirty. He rolled his eyes before sticking his tongue out at me, withdrawing his hand from under mine.

"Yes it was." He defended, crossing his arms over his chest. I shook my head, laughing slightly at the fact he could even think that.

"No it wasn't." I said firmly, watching as he just shook his head in disagreement and slid back over to the driver's seat.

"Whatever, let's go." He mumbled, opening the door and getting out. I followed his lead, jogging around the car afterward. Instead of embracing the awkward atmosphere like him I just threw my arm around his shoulders, forcing him to put up with me as I squeezed him to my side.

We made it halfway across the parking lot before noticing the two people standing waiting by the doors, exchanging a look as we realized we weren't the first ones here. Of course they got here early! Remember? They have their life together. I feel like they're quickly growing into that obnoxiously perfect couple everyone is both envious and annoyed by.

"Hey guys!" They shouted, spotting us for the two of us back, waving their hands above their heads like we couldn't see them there standing in clear sight. I flashed them a smile while Tyler ran ahead, throwing his arms around Marcus's neck. I reached them just as he settled back down with his feet on the ground, coming to a stop standing right beside him. Marcus gave us both a once over now that we were all there, smirking to himself and worrying me until he spoke up. "Nice hickeys."

"Fuck off." I said immediately, earning laughter from both of them and an embarrassed blush from Tyler. Of course they don't have hickeys, they're way too classy for that. I shrugged my hands into the pockets of my jacket as I walked through the doors ahead of the rest of them, not taking part in the conversation they'd started.

We grabbed our shoes, Tyler explaining to me that we paid afterward for however long we stayed at this particular bowling alley. I tightened the laces of my shoes and wandered off to look around, knowing they were still a ways behind me.

Tyler bounced over before the other two, grinning up at me and gesturing to the gutter where the bowling balls were.

"I'll give you five minutes to 'get the hang of it' before we start an actual match, okay?" He offered, a smile finding my lips at how considerate he was being. I expected him to just do everything he could to embarrass me and make sure he won the bet. I nodded my head, leaning in to peck his cheek before he was walking back over to the others, explaining the plans to them. They all moved to sit down at one of the tables in the corner, leaving me to get the hang of it by myself.

I lasted about five minutes before I was walking over to join them, shoulders slumped and feet dragging behind me. I slid onto the seat beside Tyler, sighing so loudly it interrupted him in the middle of what he was saying. Shane shot me a glare like he was angry at me for cutting him off, but Tyler just seemed happy to see me as he turned and smiled widely.

"How's it going?" He asked, a knowing smirk on his lips. I scoffed, knowing he probably knew just how well it was going by the fact I'd walked over here at all. I slumped further against his side though, past the point of embarrassed now.

"I suck." I whined, placing a chaste kiss to his exposed shoulder, thankful he'd decided to wear a muscle shirt under his sweater today. Not that he didn't look good in everything else, I just relished in seeing so much of his skin exposed.

"Not to say I told you so, but I really did tell y-"

"Shut-up. You're supposed to comfort me and romantically teach me how to do it." I cut him off, pouting as I lifted my head to lock eyes with him in a challenging glare. He just smiled back though, lifting his hand to cup my jaw before leaning in to rub noses with me.

"I was waiting for you to ask." He explained as he did, making me look away with a blush dusting my cheeks. I regretted it immediately, my eyes finding Shane's. I wouldn't say he looked uncomfortable with our show of affection, he just didn't look impressed either.

"Come on." I whispered, grabbing Tyler's hand and leading him away from them and the table. I tugged on his arm insistently when he started to turn back to them, likely to excuse himself. He didn't fight me though, following my lead and letting me lead him over to the same aisle I'd been in before.

Tyler moved to stand behind me, wrapping his arms around me from behind. He surprised me though, when he hugged me instead of reaching for one of the bowling balls.

"Shane got accepted into some fancy college a few states away." He whispered, my eyebrows shooting up at the new information. I wasn't sure how he expected me to react or his motives for telling me, deciding just to ask my own question back.

"Is Marcus going with him?" I asked, biting my lower lip. I hope they aren't breaking up. Even if they get on my nerves as a couple, they really do seem happy together and I'm happy for them over it. Tyler relieved me by shaking his head against my shoulder before replying.

"He wants to stay here and go straight into the working community. They're going to try long distance." I nodded my head, biting my lip as I registered the information. I felt bad for them, the idea of being separated from Tyler at all made me feel physically ill. If he decides to go to college I'm just going to change all of my plans to go along with him. It's probably stupid to get this invested in a relationship, but I can't help it. I've never cared about anything as much as I care about him.

"They've got it all figured out." I muttered, deciding I couldn't really come up with any response better than that. He nodded his head, sighing loudly.

"We haven't even talked about it." I gulped, not expecting him to say something like that. I mean, sure it's along the lines of how my thoughts were going, but I didn't think he'd take it so seriously. Maybe we should be looking at things more maturely, we can't just go on like we are forever.

"Well, you never mentioned college or university, I just assumed you weren't interested. Are you?" I asked, completely giving up on the entire bowling act and instead turning around to face him. He shrugged his shoulders, pulling a face.

"Not really, are you?" 

"I don't know." I answered honestly, feeling bad for not having a more straightforward answer. I couldn't help it though, I really didn't know. I'd been thinking about it a bit more lately. I'd come to the conclusion that I wanted a job that helped people, maybe something I could use my mindreading for. I might as well make the best of it, seeing as it's not going away. Not that I'm even entirely sure I want it to go away now. I'm mixed up on the whole situation, but I do now it's more help to me and less trouble if I continue to practice and embrace it.

"Well, you don't have to figure it out just yet anyway. We have jobs." He replied, looking up at me with another huge smile. I shrugged my shoulders, getting ready to drop even more realistic negativity.

"Part time jobs, not enough to really pay for a living." His smile faltered, slowly sinking down into a frown. I was about to backtrack and try and comfort him, not even managing to get a single word out before Shane suddenly jumped over and threw an arm around Tyler.

"Are you guys ready yet?" We both nodded despite how big of a lie it was, just eager to move on from the tense conversation. Shane flew off into a speech about how he was the town's greatest bowler but I ignored it, leaning in to whisper in Tyler's ear.

"We'll talk later, please don't stress. Enjoy the date." He sighed, nodding and squeezing my hand that hung between us.

***

"You two suck at this." Marcus laughed, doubling over to clutch at his chest after another glance up at the scoreboard. I crossed my arms over my chest to pout while Tyler went for a more extreme approach, shoving him and giving an angry huff.

"Hey!" He shouted, a little too loudly considering it earned him a glare from the man working the counter. I just laughed it off while he snapped his mouth shut, instinctively stepping closer to me like I'd help him out.

"Okay, Troye sucks at this." Shane corrected, winking at me.

"Hey!" I shouted now, defending myself. Another glare was sent in our direction, but I brushed it off completely.

"Don't worry buddy, we still love you, even when you suck." Marcus chuckled, throwing an arm over my shoulders. I sighed loudly, jumping when Shane sidestepped closer and threw his arm around the other side.

"Tyler loves him especially when he sucks." I gasped, Tyler's eyes going wide as they locked with mine. We both turned to stare at one of them with jaws slack.

"Hey!" We shouted in unison this time, the worker actually clearing his throat this time as he stepped out from behind the counter. Their arms dropped from my shoulders as Tyler stepped closer, cuddling into my side and burying his face in my shoulder.

"I'm going to have to ask you guys to leave if you can't keep it down, you're ruining the experience for everyone else." He said, looking between the four of us. Well, the four of us that could actually see him, so three. I nodded in time with the other boys, looking down at the floor nervously until he walked away. How Tyler managed to hang in with such a bad crowd for so long when he can't even look people in the eye while being scolded, that's a mystery to mankind.

"We should go." Shane suggested as Tyler lifted his head, all of us looking around and nodding in time with each other. I grabbed Tyler's hand and we all started to walk toward the area set aside for putting on and taking off shoes. We all sat down and scrambled out of them to slip back into our normal ones, occasionally casting nervous glances over at the worker.

We managed to get everything paid for and outside without another warning, Shane surprising us by offering to pay for all four. Neither of us objected, though I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel a bit inferior just accepting his help like that. I can pay for myself, and Tyler too. That's what a boyfriend does. Still, I'd be an idiot to reject his offer. I'll just buy Tyler something else with the money, something he'd appreciate more like food.

We paused in the parking lot, standing out of the way in an awkward circle of people. We looked between each other and the ground before Shane was the one to speak up again, offering a week smile. "I'm going to miss this, just hanging out together as a group."

"Well, we will again. You'll come home for breaks, right?" Tyler offered, grinning up at him and unintentionally making me swoon. That was one of the things I loved most about him, the way he was always so bright and cheerful. He was like a constant ball of happiness, especially for me, and he didn't even realize it.

"Yeah, of course." Shane smiled, eyes following the movement as I slipped an arm around Tyler's waist. I wasn't sure why I felt the need to always be touching him in public. I didn't think it was something about marking him as mine, it was more-so just needing him close to feel whole.

"Are you nervous?" He asked, completely unphased by my sudden embrace. He didn't even acknowledge it, but I didn't mind.

"Excited I think." He laughed, running his hand through his hair. It was growing longer again now, his fringe sweeping across his face. He'd lost weight too, a lot of it. "Do you have any plans for after school?"

"Oh, uh, not really yet." Tyler muttered, his eyes darting to the ground. My chest suddenly felt heavy, seeing how uncomfortable he looked. Maybe it's more important that we talk about this stuff then I thought.

"That's okay, you'll figure it out eventually." Shane smiled, the gesture oddly insulting like he was somehow looking down on Tyler with it. I hugged Tyler closer to my side, hearing his thoughts unintentionally for a change.

I don't want to figure it out eventually, I wanna have it all together now.

***

I decided to drive on the way home, needing something to concentrate on before I let my thoughts wander too much. That was proving to be a very unfortunate mistake today each time it happened. They were too serious, constantly drifting off to worrying over the future. If this is what it's like to be an adult I would willingly go back to human-hating fetus Troye.

It was only when I pulled into Tyler's driveway that I realized neither of us had spoken the entire drive, something that wasn't usually the normal for us. I looked down at my lap as I withdrew the keys, taking a deep breath. Should I try to start a conversation about things? No, what if it goes wrong? It'd be better to go to bed awkward than mad, right?

"Well, goodnight." I beamed, looking up at him with an expertly applied fake smile. He tried to return it, his lips immediately turning down into a frown despite his control. I didn't plan on calling him out on it until I noticed the tears gathering in his eyes, my body thrown into action as I hurriedly undid my seatbelt. I slid over to the middle seat, throwing my arms around him and letting out a relieved sigh as his head fell against my chest. "What's wrong?"

"We have no idea what we're doing." He whispered, a frown finding my face at his words. Is he really that upset about it? Even more than I am?

"Hey, it'll work out-"

"I don't know what I want to do with my life." He cut me off, sounding a mix of lost, sad, and angry, all at once. I settled a hand on his back, rubbing it in sure comforting circles. I could hear him sniffling quietly against me, my chest paining at the thought of him hurting this badly.

"Don't cry, you'll figure it out eventually." I consoled, pushing him back so I could look him in the eyes. He lifted a hand curled into a fist, wiping at his eyes and whimpering pathetically.

"And until then?" He asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow at me. I bit my lip, unsure what to say at first. He looked like he was going to start crying again though, so I hurriedly improvised my reply.

"We'll keep mooching off my parents." He rolled his eyes, giving a snort of laughter as he wiped the tear tracks off his cheeks.

"Not funny." He muttered, shaking his head as he turned away and opened his door. Suddenly it didn't feel right just letting him walk away though, the thought of him crying by himself after I'd left even more unbearable than any tense conversation we could possibly have. I scooted back over to my side of the car, slipping out my door and jogging across the lawn to catch up with him. He lifted an eyebrow as I slowed into step beside him, but he didn't question it as we ascended the steps of his porch together.

We paused in front of his door, him turning around to lean against it as I stood in the middle of the area. I bit my lip, trying to decide how to start the conversation back up. It was pretty clear now that we couldn't just brush over it without messing things up.

"You like cooking, you said you'd consider a job like that." I offered, giving a weak smile. He shrugged his shoulders, frowning slightly.

"I guess, but I'd have to start out as a waiter."

"You'd be a cute waiter. You could even work with your mother!" I suggested, already imagining what it'd be like to have him serve me meals. I could go to eat there every night he was working and admire how good he looked in an apron, just like I do at work now. 

"She hates it there, they treat her horribly." I frowned, remembering some of the stories he'd told me about that restaurant and Jackie's coworkers. He was right, I wouldn't want him working there. There were other restaurants though. I wasn't quite ready to give up this suggestion, not after seeing how much he enjoyed himself while cooking.

"Well, there's other places to work. I would drive you somewhere out of town every day if I had to." I offered, reaching out and taking both of his hands between mine. I ran my thumb over the smooth skin of his, staring down at how well the paleness stood out in the moonlight. His reply took a while and when he did speak up it was so meek it was hard to hear, but I listened as intently as I could.

"And what if we break up? This could be just another one of those highschool relationships that never last and we're so focused on us as a pair that we aren't really looking at us as individuals." I tilted my head to the side, staring at him in such shock I couldn't even find the will to wipe it off my features. Was he still worried about us breaking up? I thought this was just about us starting a living together as a pair, not in as separates. We are a pair. I may not be ready to get down on one knee yet, but I'm never letting him go. Even if he leaves me, I'll never get over him.

"That's because we are a pair." I said quietly, my words sounding nervous and unsure, almost like I expected him to object to them. Why was he talking like this? I thought he expected us to stay together forever too.

"We might not be forever though." He said quietly, my heart racing in my chest. Maybe he's just worried and second-guessing everything, he can't actually believe that we'd break-up. 

"Are you going to leave me?" I asked, knowing it was a vague question to ask. It's possible he might in the future, even if he can't see it happening now. I, however, know that I'll never leave him. I'll never meet anyone I care about like I do him, even after all that he's done to help me open up. He's the only one for me.

"No, but things can change." He muttered, tears starting to gather in his eyes again as he melted further back against the door. I stepped closer, pressing the length of my body to his. It wasn't a sexual gesture, more just getting as close to him as physically possible. I settled a hand over his heart then, my eyes fluttering shut as I concentrated on hearing his thoughts.

We have no idea what we're doing, what if we mess it up? What if things don't work out between us? Not that I'd leave him, and not that I think he'd leave me, but what if? It could happen, if we don't get things together. What if he goes off to college and leaves me here just like Shane? I don't want to be alone. But what if I'm just being naive? Maybe this is just a stupid highschool relationship and it just feels special to me because I don't know anything else. What if we grow out of each other? I don't want to, I really don't want to.

I pulled my hand away, eyes fluttering open to meet with his wide and nervous ones. He was probably unsure of what I'd heard and how I'd react to it, just like he always was when I read his mind. I didn't blame him, after being around my grandmother I realized just how tough it must be to constantly risk having your deepest thoughts heard. I almost felt bad for him, but he didn't seem to mind too much.

"Tyler, I don't care how complicated things get, nothing will ever tear me away from you." I said, my tone completely serious as I reached up, cupping his face with both of my hands. He looked away though, tearing out of my embrace as tears started to prick at his eyes again.

"You don't know that." He accused, his hands balled into fists at his side. I shook my head, chuckling under my breath.

"Trust me, I do."

"How?" He asked, looking up at me with wide eyes, curiosity written across his features. I took a deep breath, taking a moment to decide how to word this. I didn't want to come across as too clingy and show just how much I really relied on him, but I had to assure him some how.

"I wasn't whole before I met you and after seeing what it's like, to really be complete, I'd never go back to the other. I would fight anything and everything to stay by your side, as long as you'll have me." He opened his mouth as if to reply, snapping it tightly back shut and furrowing his brows in a confused expression. It was quick to change again though, shifting between an ecstatic smile and shaky frown, like he was bombarded by too many emotions at once to react. I chuckled, reaching up to distractedly run my thumb over his bottom lip, pulling it to the side slightly. I took a deep breath, deciding to continue speaking in order to make-up for his lack of reply. "That's why I asked if you planned on leaving me, because that's the only way you ever have to worry about me going."

"What would you do if I did? Break-up with you?" I blinked, not expecting this question at all. Despite actually hearing his thoughts and hearing him say it a million times, suddenly I found myself feeling a bit unsure. What would I do if he broke up with me? I'd be heartbroken, I'd probably give up trying to meet other people at all. I think it'd be worse than Lily, even if it was a gentle break-up where he was as nice to me as possible. In fact, maybe that'd be worse, it'd just remind me what a great guy I was losing. That I was losing the guy, the man of my dreams, the one I wanted to marry.

I couldn't react badly though, not to his face anyway, because I'd have to respect his decision. If he truly thought he'd be better off without me, isn't that what I should want? That's the tough thing about love, trying to figure out who's happiness means more, theirs or your own.

"Respect your decision because I want what makes you happiest." I sighed out, the words paining me even to say. I'd be ruined without him, but it'd be okay if it was what I had to do for him.

He seemed somewhat surprised by my reply, creasing his brows together and nodding his head slowly, as if taking time to process the response. He seemingly came to a conclusion a few seconds later, a stupid smile finding his lips as his eyes flickered back up to mine.

"You make me happiest." He whispered, my heart thudding insistently in my chest at his words. Of course I should have known he'd reply with something like this, but with what a big deal he was making over it I couldn't help but second-guess. He cleared his throat, my eyes widening as I realized he still had more to say. "I think it'll always be you, because I can't picture any other alternative and I don't want to either."

"If that's the case, then maybe we should start thinking about the future more." I said quietly, trying not to show just how ecstatic his words made me. I was glad to know we were on the same page, to hear his voice say those words. It didn't feel real, that this could be my life and be this perfect. I wasn't going to question it though, I just wanted to make the most of it. Hell, if anybody deserves it it's me, after all the shit I've gone through.

Tyler didn't seem to catch the direction I was going, sighing loudly and dramatically as he slumped away from me back against the door. He stared down at the space between us as he spoke again, his voice lacking any and all enthusiasm.

"Yeah, I guess we should start thinking about serious jobs and colleges and all that junk." I chuckled, shaking my head and leaning in to peck his cheek, pulling back just enough to rest my forehead against his.

"I was talking about moving in together." I explained, grinning as realization dawned across his features. He looked dazed, eyes wide and jaw falling open so his mouth hung agape. I furrowed my brows, unsure how to take the reaction. Was that positive or negative? I guess I could ask, even if it's awkward. "Do you want to?"

"Well, duh!" He practically shouted, my eyes going wide as I cast a warning glance toward the door. His mother was home, I didn't really want her walking out right now. However, he didn't seem nearly as concerned, bouncing forward and throwing his arms around my neck. He clambered up my body with a bit of unease, wrapping his legs around my waist and sending me slightly off balance. I caught myself against the door though, silently praying nobody opened it from the other side.

"Did you like the idea that much?"

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting for you to ask." He whispered, nuzzling his face into the crook of my neck. I blushed, knowing just how long I'd been putting it off in fear of getting turned down. That seems really stupid to consider now, huh?

"So, let's start scouting out apartments tomorrow. We don't have to find anything immediately, but just look around." I explained, watching the way his eyes lit up more and more with every word I spoke. I grinned at him, eager to continue when he was looking at me like that, like he couldn't get enough. I held up my hand, listing off key factors. "Pet friendly, good neighborhood so my car doesn't get stolen, and fairly cheap considering we haven't figured out the financial situation completely-"

"I have some saved up from my paychecks!" He offered, grabbing my hand where it was held in the air between us. I grinned, winding my fingers between his and sighing contently before gently easing him back down off of me to the ground.

"I know my family will insist on helping us get set up with furniture and shit." I added, already imagining how hectic those shopping trips were going to be. Mom was totally going to make us buy ugly things for our apartment that we'd never glance at otherwise, but I won't be able to complain because she'll be the one paying.

"This is really happening." Tyler blurted, my eyes blinking before focusing on him again, feeling giddy just from seeing how excited he was. "It just makes it seem so much more serious, you know?"

"Are you implying it wasn't serious before?" I teased, watching his eyes go wide like he thought he might have genuinely offended me.

"Well, it was, but like, this is almost a promise that we expect it to last." He explained, stopping and starting repeatedly throughout the explanation. He sighed after he'd finished, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't know, that sounded dumb after all you just said."

"What more reassurance do you want? You're the only one for me ever, Ty." I explained, moving closer to him and leaning against the door with a hand placed above his head. He nodded, blushing as he started to play with the hem of his shirt and avoid eye contact. "I'd propose now but I figure I'd better buy a decent ring first and get an actual job."

"Stop it." He muttered, feeling my own cheeks heat up as the blush spread across his. 

"Why?" I laughed, leaning close enough that my breath washed over his ear as I spoke added to it. "Does the marriage talk freak you out?"

"No, it gets me unreasonably excited for something I still have to wait for." He scoffed, my heart seemingly stopping for a few seconds over the unexpected reaction. I didn't think he actually liked the talk of getting married, I thought it made him nervous and uncomfortable after how shy he was that night at the campfire. Knowing that he was okay with it, even into it, made me see it in a completely different light too.

Proposing suddenly wasn't some far-off thing I wanted to do in the distance, knowing he wanted it too. I almost wanted to right now, but I knew that'd be stupid. I wanted it to be special, seeing as I only planned on doing it once in my life. I was about to move the conversation along to something else when my eyes fell on the school ring on my finger, my body moving faster than my mind as I slid it off.

"Here." I blurted, watching his confused expression as I lifted his hand and slid it onto the finger his was absent from. I took a deep breath, noticing just how shocked he looked. He probably thinks I'm actually proposing, I'd better clear things up quickly. "It's not a proposal! But it's kind of like a promise that there will be a proposal... eventually." He nodded his head, holding the hand out in front of him and admiring the way it looked like his class ring didn't look exactly the same with his name engraved.

"Engaged to be engaged." He said suddenly, making me look back to him. I studied his features, taking in how oblivious to everything else he seemed right now. He was radiating excitement, the emotion contagious the longer I looked at him. I could only imagine what it'd be like when I finally proposed for real.

"Exactly." I confirmed, watching him blink and come back to Earth at the sound of my voice. He jumped forward, hugging me tightly before backing out of the embrace.

"I'll be right back." He ordered, making a hand gesture that told me to stay put. He scrambled into the house then, clearly trying to stay quiet as he tiptoed inside and further into the house. I listened to him, not moving from the spot.

He didn't take long, returning less than a minute later with a huge grin on his face. He grabbed my hand, slipping his ring onto my hand. He'd only worn it once before while I was with him, the day he got it, but it still felt important that he'd give it to me. "Here."

"I can't wait to fall asleep together every single night." I whispered suddenly just as he finished putting it on, watching him react. He tucked his lips back, trying and failing to fight a smile. I was so caught up in waiting for it to break and that grin I loved so much to break out, I didn't notice the tears building in his eyes until one dripped down, sending me into a panic. "Why are you crying? Did I do something wrong?"

"I'm just happy." He laughed, reaching up to wipe his cheek off with his sleeve. My mouth hung in an 'o' shape, snapping back shut in embarrassment a few seconds later. He just laughed, the sound spluttered slightly as he coughed. "Do you want to stay over? Mom's home so we can't do anything, but-"

"Yes, do you really think that'd affect my decision?" I cut him off, wanting him to realize that I'd stay over no matter the situation. As long as it meant being closer to him, that's all that mattered.

"Stop being so perfect." He accused, reaching out to shove me away gently. I bounced back quickly though, pinning him against the door as I careened my neck to press our lips together quickly.

"Impossible." I whispered against his, watching the answering roll of his eyes.

"Are we even trying to keep from being those sappy boyfriends everyone hates now?" I vaguely recalled trying to fight how strongly we felt for each other before, but now it was pointless to even attempt. Besides, I didn't really have a problem with showing it off, especially not to him. I wanted him to know just how much he mattered to me.

"No, we're not just boyfriends, we're engaged to be engaged, we're allowed to be sappy." He replied, hands lifting to wind around the back of my neck, gripping it tightly. He pulled me back down, our lips meeting at a slower more sensual pace now. I took his lead, kissing him slow and gentle, yet still somehow passionate despite the pace. I pulled away before he could deepen it and add tongue though, knowing we'd get a chance for that later. Right now there was just something I had to say so badly it felt like it was burning on the tip of my tongue. "I love you."

"I love you too."

A/n: Here is some mushy a la gushy fresh off the stove for you my lovely bones. THAT MOVIE WAS SO SCARY I LITERALLY DIDNT LEAVE THE HOUSE FOR A MONTH AFTER WATCHING IT OMG I DO NOT RECOMMEND. whyyyyyyyy its 4am im having flashbacks im terrified hold me im gonnna cry. Anyway, I'm tired, so, imma make this short. LOOK AN EDIT BY @KATERINASIVAN ON TWITTER WHAT A SURPRISE ITS BEAUTIFUL  OKAY BYE IM DONE NIGHTNIGHT TWO CHAPTERS LEFT I MEAN WHAT WHO SAID THAT NOT ME SURELY NOT SORRY DONT THROW ROTTEN TOMATOES