Curiosity Kills the Cat (An IDFB Fanfic)

Chapter 28

Chapter 28
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A Bit of Dessert
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Third Person P.O.V.

It was funny.

He could remember how much he wanted to hear the news, to hear she could finally move around. They'd finally be able to go to the library as they had planned for months. All those circled days on a makeshift calendar set up for long walks and stargazing. Picnics on a warm breezy day, basking in each other's presence.

Truthfully, he was the one who planned it all. Eager to get his best friend out into the world again. Though he kept that hidden from her, the calendar stashed under his bed. Coiny had anticipated this for far too long.

But with the news cracked open, he was nervous; anxious to the bone.

When he heard the words, he couldn't deny his joy, but with it came the crash of realization. There was a pause in his thought process, his smile fading as he stuck the puzzle pieces together.

If she had been walking for over a week, that would mean she could roam around the house whenever. Scratch that—she could keep up with his quickened pace.

The boy knew Pin was looking at him, a warm smile dressing her face as she awaited his response. He struggled to look back at her, his mind running and jumping to conclusions.

"Wait. You can walk?"

She nodded, once again reinforcing his thoughts. Worse, she could have—at some point—seen him leave. Though the chances were slim, it was still there. He didn't like it.

"F-For what? Two weeks," Coiny stuttered as he spoke, nervousness kicking in. He hated how his body tended to relax near Pin, never being able to get a good sense of hold of his emotions and feelings.

He tried his best to play it off, hoping he could ignore his thought. It was supposed to be good! This was good—no, great news! She was finally able to get the hang of something and that was impressive! She had struggled so badly to do so, but here he was, dismissing it.

The boy looked everywhere except towards her, moving around, trying to seem as nonchalant as he could.

He was happy for her—there wasn't a doubt about that—but he was letting his fears eat him alive. He sighed under his breath, slowly regaining control of his anxiety.

It hasn't happened. It doesn't matter. This is something to rejoice over, not look down on, he thought. Just think of anything other than this...

The copper-haired boy chuckled at the first thing to pop up to his head—Firey falling face first. Weird how that always seemed to work.

His head, now partially cleared, glanced back to Pin, tapping his index finger against his mouth. She was looking at him, clearly eager to see his reaction. He could feel his head go blank, trying to find a reaction to give her.

With a forced laugh, Coiny spoke. "That's great! That's really great!" He pulled her in for a hug, a nervous giggle leaving his lips as he did so.

He truly was happy for her. He'd be over the moon if it weren't for the terribly impeccable timing. Had it been earlier—later, once everything with Leafy was resolved—he would be ecstatic. Now all he felt was dread, all for a new liability in his acquaintanceship with the leaf girl. He didn't know what to say without letting his anxiety get in the way.

Pulling away from the hug, he tried overlooking his preoccupations. He could think about them later. Right then and there, Pin mattered. She was what mattered. Not him, not anything else. He gently punched Pin's shoulder, a grin forming on his face as he spoke. "So what's our chef cooking today, then?"