Love is Blind – Chapter 34
By MyNameIsCAL
Phineas and Gabe suggested a restaurant just a few minutes from our apartment to take Iggy to dinner. They told me nothing was as good as Iggy's cooking, but that this place came pretty damn close, and I was going to take their word for it because there was no way I could ever cook up some extravagant meal for Iggy like he did for me.
"Where are we going?" Iggy asked, taking my hand as we made our way down the street.
"A place Phineas and Gabe told me about," I answered.
"I could have cooked for us," Iggy told me.
I shook my head. "C'mon, Ig. I can't make you cook all the time."
He squeezed my hand. "You don't have to try and impress me, Fang. I think we're far beyond that."
I let a smile slip.
"Although I have to say it is nice to get out of the apartment and away from school," he added.
When we reached the restaurant, they seated us in a corner by the front windows. Cars zoomed by and the city traffic would be starting soon, people would start to fill the restaurant, but I had made the reservation weeks ago, so I leaned back in my chair and opened the menu, reading it to Iggy.
"I say we get some calamari," Iggy said, leaning against the table. "You know, I think that steak sounds good."
I ordered our food and we started to eat the bread they set out for us.
"So Phineas told me he was going ask Gabe soon," Iggy said.
"Is he really?"
Iggy nodded. "He wants to borrow us over Christmas break so Gabe won't suspect anything."
I looked out the window and then at Iggy, chewing on his bread almost thoughtfully. There was a jewelry shop across the street, and I started to think about Iggy and me, and that hopefully one day I'd find myself in a place like that with Iggy to pick out wedding rings.
"What are you looking at?" Iggy asked quietly, his leg resting against mine under the table.
"There's a jewelry shop across the street," I admitted.
"And what's that got you thinking about?"
I let out a breath and then took one in. "Us."
He gave me a smile.
Dinner almost went by too fast as we got caught up talking. By the time we had gotten to dessert, the last of the people coming into to eat were now leaving, Iggy and I almost the last ones here. I paid for the check and we made our way back to the apartment, giving the jewelry store one last glance.
Our pace seemed to slow as we got closer to home. We stopped on the edge of campus, hearing live music coming from down in the amphitheater.
"Fang…" Iggy brought me back from my thoughts.
"Yes, Iggy?" We started to push forward again, still moving slower than before.
"After college, Fang, will you marry me?" He sounded unsure of himself, like I might say no or give him an answer besides the obvious yes.
"Of course, Iggy." I gave him a reassuring smile, even though I knew he couldn't see it.
He shrugged and we now came to a stop outside the door of the apartment. Without another word, he put his arms around me slowly and drew me into a kiss.
I woke up the next morning, Iggy awake, his fingers entangled in my hair, ruffling it when I was finally awake.
"Good morning," he whispered.
"Morning." I sat up, giving him a quick kiss.
He gave me his usual morning grin. "It's a Saturday morning. I think it's about time we save Max from ruining the coffee."
I let him lead me out of the room and down the hall, but instead of finding Max in the kitchen trying to get the coffee maker to work, she sat in front of the TV, eyes fixated on the screen.
"The serial killer struck again," she muttered, turning the volume down. "Not far from where John was staying the night. You know, that's only a couple hours away from here."
"Where is John now?" I asked, trying to rack my brains to remember.
"He's heading here today," Max answered. "Just called me this morning to say he started to drive again. Plane tickets are too expensive this time of year because of Thanksgiving approaching."
Iggy let go of my hand, moving to the kitchen. His day didn't get into full swing without coffee, no matter what was going on. I took a seat next to Max and he brought a couple of mugs over a few minutes later.
"Well, John isn't gay, so what are you so worried about?" I asked Max quietly.
She shrugged, almost leaning against me before putting her weight against the arm of the couch. "I don't know, it just doesn't seem fair."
"Well, nothing's fair," Iggy commented. "And we turned out okay."
Max let out a sigh.
I handed Max her mug. "Stop worrying."
We shared dinner with John as usual when he came. Things suddenly seemed to be going better over on his end, and he was back to making jokes with Iggy. But I still got this off feeling from him, like he wasn't telling us how he really felt, or maybe that there was something still going on with his mom that he wasn't ready to share. It wasn't my place to say anything though, and I knew Max would figure it out by herself.
Thanksgiving was approaching and it seemed like John wouldn't be joining us this year. Instead, Max would be leaving us, and in a way, that disappointed me for some reason, although I would never admit that out loud. I didn't talk to Max as much either as she grew more concerned about John.
But things seemed alright. Iggy kept me from worrying with his wit and humor. Oh, and his cooking, of course. He was just that kind of guy that you couldn't help but smile when you were around him, and that's why I loved him.
I don't think I'll really go into much detail of Thanksgiving. I'll more likely skip to Winter Break for them. You'll most likely be meeting John's parents then and seeing a little bit with Phineas and Gabe. Of course I'll put some Figgy moments in there too! Thanks for reading and keep an eye out for the next update!