One Small Peek

Moving In?

"Make sure to leave a like because it helps out my channel a lot and I hoped you liked this video, see you guys next time!" Lizzie concluded her video and exited out of her screen recording program, as well as exiting Minecraft, being cautious about it not eating so much memory on her computer. She sighed, knowing later on that she was going to edit that video later that day so she could get it out the next. She just needed some peace before she got to altering the video.

A knock emanated from her door, she promptly reared herself from her chair and sauntered over to the door. Joel was at the door, holding a brown bag as he examined her face. "You have a video to edit?" He questioned as he tossed the bag onto her bed, plopping himself onto the bed subsequently. "I brought you Chinese food by the way." Joel glanced pointedly at the brown bag that was emitting a scent that suspiciously smelled like chicken wings.

Lizzie groaned in relief as she ultimately threw herself onto her bed next to Joel. "Literally, you are a lifesaver Joel," she pecked Joel on the cheek, before tearing the bag open. "I just finished university a couple months ago, and I'm trying to get out as many videos as I can, but keeping up with Shadowcraft 2.0, Crazy Craft 3.0, Kitty Powers Matchmaker, and those super long The Walking Dead videos, I barely have time to relax." She grumbled as she opened the box with beef lo mein in it.

Joel nodded in concurrence. "I guess it's hard to really keep up with everyone's requests when you have so many other series you want to start or continue. It can be stressful." A silence fell over the two as the only noticeable noise being heard was Lizzie chewing hungrily on her beef lo mein and Buddy's soft meowing as he snuggled against Joel's thigh and occasionally sniffing the bag containing various meats. "We've been dating for a while." Joel divulged, shattering the silence around them.

Lizzie acquiesced as she swallowed, waiting until she could really speak. "Yeah, about three years, almost four if I recall." She shrugged, not grasping at what Joel was trying to say. "Just asking but, what do you mean?" Lizzie queried as she fed Buddy a tiny piece of white rice that had tumbled onto her lap.

Joel shrugged, his shoulders drooping slightly. "I was just putting the idea out there that maybe I could move in." Joel suggested. "A lot of couples move in with each other in the first few months, but we've been dating for several years but we still haven't even talked about the possibilities of you or me moving into one another's house. Or we could, I don't know, get an apartment or house together." Joel's voice got decreasingly quieter as he finished his sentence.

Lizzie had her orifice gaped open slightly as she gawked at Joel. She never really considered taking these kind of steps with Joel, rather talk about it as well. She's been so busy with university and trying to make up for all the videos she's subsequently missed during her time in university. "I-well-we haven't really-considered. . ." Lizzie stammered, she didn't expect to be like this, especially during a conversation like this.

Joel stopped her from spluttering any further. "I'm going to stop you there because, well for one, you're spitting your food all over me," Joel wiped his face mockingly as Lizzie shoved Joel playfully, the corners of her lips tugging into a grin. "and, if you don't want to jump into that yet, that's totally fine with me. I was just bringing it up, kind of assuming you were ready for the topic."

"No-I'm prepared for the topic, I just thought I would bring it up, not you." Joel's eyebrows furrowed as a gleam flashed in his eyes.

"What do you mean by that?" Joel interrogated. "Did you automatically assume you are the 'responsible one' in the relationship and fid that you need to take it upon yourself to bring these types of topics?" Lizzie shook her head, trying to make Joel deem that she didn't mean it that way. Joel heaved an exhalation. "I've already done a crappy job at being the so called 'responsible one' by bringing this up anyways. I'm sorry Lizzie."

"It's fine Joel, it's not like either of us prepared for decisions like this anyways. But for now, let's speculate on why there is a bunch of white rice on your face." Lizzie sneered at Joel as she rummaged through the Chinese bag. Joel observed Lizzie in befuddlement.

"Wait, what?"

___________________________________________________________________________

"Christ Lizzie, you got it in my hair, not just in my face, or in and up my bloody eyes, nose and ears, but in my hair!" Joel scrutinized his hair in the mirror of the bathroom down the hall of Lizzie's bedroom. "If you weren't going to eat the white rice, you could've given it to me. My mum loves white rice." He plucked out another grain of rice as he flicked it into the trashcan by the toilet.

"You called me the responsible one?" Lizzie simpered at Joel from the bathroom doorway as he ruffled his hair so that he could uncover any left over rice grains. "Sorry about that by the way, you know, saying that I didn't think you could bring up the subject." Lizzie expressed regret as she studied the tiling on the bathroom floor. Joel swerved his head towards Lizzie and sent her a sympathetic smile.

Lizzie knew that they have both thought about it, never mentioning the thought to each other, afraid the other would deny their request or proposition if they had the nerve to say it out loud. She would've sooner, but with university and getting her channel back to her regular update schedule and filling in the large demand for series like Shadowcraft 2.0, it never really came to her until now. The other thought that generated in her mind when Joel was talking about their future was engagement.

She knew it was a crazy thought to think about, especially since they've only been together for over three years, almost four, but she's one to read comments on her Instagram, Youtube, Twitter, etc. She's seen how many people crave for her and Joel to get engaged or married, but the thought scared her. It was more menacing than all her nightmares she's had as a child, all the frights she's been through. That couldn't compare to the thought of getting married.

It never could.