Arranged Love

Hot Chocolate

Maya's POV
"Did ya get it?" Was the first thing Cory said to us. In response I showed him my hand. Not even three seconds later I was being practically mowed down by my mom, Topanga, and Riley who all wanted to see the ring.
After a chorus of
"So pretty!" And "I love it" and other kinds of praise in my ring choices Shawn finally said,
"Okay ladies move over, it's our turn," and he and Cory looked at my ring.
"ITS SO LOVELY! WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT SHADE OF BLUE, COR?" Shawn exclaimed.
"LOOK AT IT SHAWNIE! ITS JUST SO MAYA!" Cory also exclaimed. Then Feeny said,
"You're all wrong." He pushed Cory and Shawn aside, looked at my ring, and simply screamed really high pitched for a whole minute. He then calmly said
"It's truly beautiful, Maya," as if his scream was totally normal. Which I guess, in this house, it kinda was.
"So, let's have a talk, just me, Shawnie, Maya, and Josh." Cory said.
"That means everybody else CLEAR OUT!" Shawn shouted when nobody moved. That caused everyone to hustle in attempt to leave, which triggered everyone bumping into each other as some left to the hallway and some to the bedrooms.
"Yes?" I asked when it was just the four of us.
"Let's chat." Cory said
"About what?" Josh asked.
"Your future," Shawn said. 'Your future'. Not futures. Future. As in Josh and I had only one future, and it was together.
"What are your thoughts on children?" Cory asked. I had a feeling children were mandatory, and Cory was just trying to at least compromise with us.
"Are they mandatory?" Josh asked, almost like he was reading my thoughts.
"Well, I really want little joshaya babies, but I'm just asking so we can at least compromise here," Cory said. I knew it!
"I don't want any more than two kids." I said.
"Me either," Josh agreed.
"And when?" Shawn asked.
"If you don't ask for any more than two kids, we'll let you choose when, all I ask is you give us at least one year." I told them.
"I say in 1-5 years, does that sound fair, Shawnie?" Cory asked. Shawn nodded. We looked to Josh. He was the only one that hadn't agreed.
"Yeah sure whatever." Josh agreed.
"Anything else?" I asked.
"That's all... For now." Shawn said.
"Oh wait one more thing!" Cory remembered.
"Starting tonight you guys will be living together. I bought you the apartment next door, but I expect you both to start covering the rent yourself as soon as you get back from your honeymoon." Cory said. Josh and I nodded. I didn't have any energy left to fight. I'm sure there would be a couch or a second bed or something for Josh to sleep on.
"I'm gonna go home and pack my stuff I guess. I'll go there tonight. Give me the keys," I said taking one of the two keys from Cory.
"Yeah me too" Josh said grabbing the other key.
Josh's POV
I had brought my stuff over but I wanted to wait for Maya to get here with her stuff so we could work out a closet/room sharing arrangement.
"I'm here," I heard her say with a door slam.
"Great. Come in the bedroom so we can decide who's stuff goes where." I said. We spent the next hour evenly dividing up closet space, drawer space, and all other spaces that had to be shared and then putting out stuff away.
"Can we talk now. Before we go to sleep?" I asked Maya.
"Okay. In gonna make hot chocolate, you want?" She asked.
"Yeah, sure." I sat down at the table as she pulled out our one pot and our paper cups.
"I'm sorry for saving your life," I started.
"I was fine Josh, I didn't need saving."
"Yes, you did. You don't remember anything after you blacked out, but I do. You almost died, Maya!"
"I remember having just a little to drink. The next thing I remember is waking up in a hospital bed with you there, and they told me you brought me in."
"Maya, you were completely drunk. You were walking around blabbering nonsense when you called me. You said "Josh I need you" and you hung up without telling me where you were. I drove around town to find you and when I did, it was because you walked right in front of a car next to me. I ran out of my car over to you. You were so out of it you didn't even realize it was me. You said "I want Josh" started laughing, and then you passed out. I called an ambulance and took you to the hospital, thankfully you were okay, and you woke up with no recollection of what happened, and you thought I just took you to the hospital for no reason, which I would never do because I know how much those places scared you." I told her the whole story. I had never told her all of it before. I had just let her blame me until it ended in us hating each other.
"Really?" She asked quietly, while facing the hot chocolate.
"Yes." I said. She began to slowly pour the hot chocolate.
"Why did you let me come to my own conclusions? You let me hate you!"
"I don't know, Maya! I never knew what to tell you and somewhere along the line, I just started hating you too. Cause after that night you continued drinking, but not enough to get caught. Not even by Riley. But I noticed, and I just began to resent you for being so stupid." I told her. Her mouth dropped open and she clearly took it as an insult. She looked at me, then at the cup, then back at me. The next thing I knew she had dumped my cup of scorching hot hot chocolate all over me and she ran. I yelled and grabbed a bunch of paper towels and tried to wipe myself off. When the burning stopped I decided to go shower to get rid of the stickiness. I absentmindedly opened the bathroom door not realizing somebody was already in the shower. She screamed and grabbed the nearest towel while I quickly covered my eyes and left. I grabbed a blanket and went to sleep on the couch still sticky from the hot chocolate.