Forehead Promise (Ring)

Casey sat on her back porch couch hugging her knees while Izzie made them popcorn in the kitchen. They had the house to themselves as Elsa and Doug ventured to their cabin for a weekend alone. This was Casey and Izzie's last night at the Garnder's before they had to spend their last couple of days with their own families and finish up packing. Within a few days, they'd be boarding their flight to California together. And soon after, they'd be moved into their dorm together.

Casey had been exceptionally quiet tonight as her nerves got the best of her. Izzie could tell something was up but decided to wait for Casey to come to her first. She was aware they had gone through hell and back this year - from coming out to her homophobic mother to the uncertainty of whether they would be going to UCLA together and whether their relationship could survive the distance. Casey and Izzie had discussed it all. They came to the same conclusion every time: They were going to do whatever it takes to make their relationship work. It wasn't until one fateful night, that Izzie got news of her scholarship within days of Casey getting hers, that their worries began to dwindle down. That's what Casey had thought until tonight. Her worries began to take over.

Casey and Izzie had a good summer. In between Izzie having to look after her siblings during the week and her and Casey's continued trainings for UCLA, they managed to have their alone time. Although they both knew that they loved each other, Casey worried that they hadn't had a chance to discuss exactly how much one meant to the other and that what she was about to say, or ask, would be too much for Izzie. At the same time, Casey didn't care, because she couldn't help herself. She needed Izzie to know this is what she wanted for the both of them and hoped her feelings were met with the same intensity.

Izzie sat down next to Casey with the bowl in between them. She smiled at Casey. Casey hesitated.
"I- I have something for you."
"You got me a gift?" Izzie smirked.
"Sort of..." Casey's eyes shifted to the ground. She let her legs down setting the bowl to the side and grabbed Izzie's hand and brought them to their feet. They stood face to face holding hands. Casey met Izzie's eyes but quickly closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Wait, is this why you've been so quiet tonight?"
"Yes"
"Should I be worried?"
"N-No!"
"Okay...then what is it?"
"I'm-I'm like" she breathes out "super nervous." Casey glances at her and tries to smile.
"Newton, you're acting like your first day at Clayton" Izzie smirks.
"I know...Okay, okay. Izzie...you know I love you, right?"
"Yes. And I love you too nerd" Izzie giggled as she squeezed Casey hands.
"Well...I wanted to give you something that shows how much I love you and...for you to remember that I'll always be there for you. I want to always be your favorite person and best friend. I'll always be your support system. And I...I had this whole speech prepared but looking at you has made me lose all train of thought." Casey breathed out and half smiled at her girlfriend.
Izzie's heartbeat began to race as her mind began to wonder what on Earth Casey could have gotten her to make her say all of that. She stared at Casey, her expression unreadable.
"I basically turned our forehead promise into a ring." Casey said shyly.
Izzie's heart panged and she began to tear up at the thought. "Casey...you got me a promise ring?"
Casey felt her own tears begin to brim and slowly nodded. She let go of Izzie's hand and reached into her pocket and pulled out a gold ring. The ring was simple, designed with small silver diamonds surrounding a larger dark blue diamond stone. Casey held the ring with her palm facing up in between them. Izzie stood still in disbelief.
"I know it's a lot to ask, we're only 18, it's okay if you say no, oh God, I don't know what I'm saying...I-I got it engraved. 'FP' stands for forehead promise, you know, in case you forget and 'CG' is-" Casey's rambling was cut off as Izzie gave her a tear-filled, passionate kiss. Similar to their kiss on the track, they kissed with an intensity and longing for more. Except this time, they were more comfortable, having explored the other's body more and becoming familiar with their touches. Izzie held Casey's face as Casey wrapped her arms around the smaller girl. Neither could get enough of the other.
After a minute, they pulled away breathless but kept their foreheads pressed together. Casey looked down at her own hand, still holding the ring.
"Are you sure...?" Casey asked, unsure if Izzie realized what she had asked.
Izzie looked at her girlfriend's lips and back to her eyes and let out a breathless nod.
"Yeah".
Izzie held out her left hand and gave her girlfriend permission to place it on her ring finger. Fitting perfectly, the smaller girl looked at the ring in awe. Izzie wrapped her hands around Casey's neck as Casey held Izzie's waist. Izzie started into the taller girls eyes thinking she couldn't possibly be more in love. "Casey...I love you so much. And I forehead promise the same. You don't know how much this means to me." Izzie smiles as she bites her lip.
"Me too." Casey smiles and sighs. "Do you wanna go inside and watch a movie?"
Izzie nods. Casey grabs the popcorn and leads them inside to the living room.
An hour into the movie, both had fallen into their familiar positions on the couch, with Izzie's head on Casey's lap. Casey stared at Izzie as she stroked her hair. Izzie could feel her stare and looked up at her.
"What are you thinking about, Newton?"
"You."
"What about me?" Izzie smirks.
"Maybe we don't have to get married." Casey blurts out.
"Wait what?" Izzie looks up at her confusingly.
"The idea of getting married...I don't know. We don't have to talk about it right now. I-I don't know why I said that." Casey shakes her head and starts to fiddle with her hands.
Izzie sits up and looks into the taller girl's eyes. "You don't want to get married?"
Casey sees the hurt in her girlfriend's eyes.
"Iz, the idea of getting married...it's not exactly appealing."
"Oh. I see. Then what's a promise ring for?" Izzie anger in her voice rising.
Casey starts to panic. "Izzie, it's not that I don't want to marry you. I just...Look at our parents. Things didn't exactly work out for them. My parents almost got a divorce because Elsa cheated. I don't want that to be us."
"So you think I'll do that to you? Or that you'll do what you did to Evan again?" Izzie angrily asks.
"No Iz-" Casey breathed but Izzie quickly cuts her off.
"Look. We don't have to have this discussion right now. I'm going for a run. Alone."
The taller girl stayed silent as the smaller girl put her shoes on and walked out the front door.
Casey learned to let Izzie go when she was upset. This gave them both time to think and cool down. It seemed to help and eventually the other apologized. But Casey wasn't sure how she'd dug herself into the biggest hole of them all. This is not how Casey expected the night to go. She heads up to her room and falls back onto her bed. Things were going perfectly and now she thought they couldn't be worse.
For Christ's sake. Of all things. And tonight of all nights. I'm such an idiot. I have no choice but to propose to her when she gets back. Casey sarcastically thought.