Falling in Love with a Blue Haired Girl

Chapter 8: Thaw

     It's been a week or so since Katelyn and I became a thing, and we still haven't told anyone. The snow has all but melted, except for places that don't get much sun. It's not the crisp, clean snow it once was. It's the ugly brown, muddy snow that happens as melting snow makes the ground muddy.
      Our relationship has changed a lot. It's almost indescribable, but our relationship has opened up to a level you just can't get with friends, except your close friend's.
     I feel...happy. It's a Saturday afternoon, Kawaii-Chan is in the kitchen baking, and Katelyn and I are lounging and watching Fairy Tail. When the episode comes to a close, Katelyn looks at me.
     "Hey Aphmau, I think we should tell everyone we're a thing." She says. I start to blush.
      "How exactly do you want to do it?" I squeak. She smiles, amused with how flustered I am.
       "I was thinking dinner at-"
       "Olive Garden!" I shriek, interuppting her. She giggles.
      "Yeah babe, I know you so well." She pulls me into a hug. I gladly embrace her. "Ok, I'm going to make the reservations, you ask everyone to meet us there." I nod.
     "How about 6:30 for the time?" I suggest.
      "Are Aphmau-Senpai and Katelyn-Sama planning a dinner at Olive Garden?" Kawaii-Chan pokes her head out from the kitchen. We've already told her, since it's hard to keep a relationship a secret from someone you live with. She was crushed her favorite ship was no more, but her back-up ship ended up being Katemau, and now she enthusiastically supports us.
      "Yep" Katelyn says.
      "Oh hooray!" Kawaii-Chan squeals. Katelyn heads to the kitchen and I hear her dial a number. Meanwhile, I get on the group chat and tell everyone to come to Olive Garden tonight at 6:30. Within a few minutes, everyone replies, and everyone is coming. So this is really happening, huh? I think with a few nervous flutters in my stomach. There's nothing to be worried about, come on Aphmau.
     Time just can't seem to fly quick enough, when suddenly it's 6 o'clock. Kawaii-Chan, Katelyn, and myself are in my car heading to Olive Garden. I'm driving, alternating between looking at Katelyn, the road, and my mirrors. I feel a soft hand cover my own, and I start.
     "Aph, you're making me dizzy just watching you. Please calm down, there's nothing to be nervous about." Katelyn says gently.
     "Aphmau-Senpai, none of our friends are homophobic if that's what your worried about." Kawaii-Chan pipes up from the back seat.
     "Thanks, but that's not what I'm worried about. Just the whole thing, and seeing Aaron, and..." I trail off into silence.
     "I'm right here with you, we'll do it together." Katelyn's warm smile sends a jolt of electricity through me. I'm able to focus on the road as her hand doesn't leave mine until we're safely parked. We all out of the car and starts to walk into Olive Garden. It's late January and MyStreet still hasn't recovered from the record breaking snowfall. The parking lot is clear for the most part, with big piles of snow taking up some spaces.
     Walking inside, we get a burst of heat and noise. It's pleasantly warm, and not very crowded despite it being the dinner hour. As the hostess takes us to the table we got reserved, I see everyone's smiling faces with Aaron sitting towards the end of the table next to Zane. His gaze shifts up to meet mine and he gives a little smile, but there is something slightly darker beneath the surface
     "There they are!" Laurance exclaims. He waves to us, flashing a goofy smile.
     "Like they weren't going to show? They're the ones who invited us," Lucinda rolls her eyes. We all sit down and start chatting, and a waiter comes for our drink orders. I love this feeling of being surrounded by friends, but the pit in my stomach hasn't gone away. Katelyn hasn't stopped squeezing my hand under the table.
     "So what's the occasion for this anyway?" Garroth asks us.
     "Well Katelyn has something to tell you guys and then Katelyn and myself have something to tell you guys," I say, not looking at anyone. Everyone stops talking and looks at Katelyn. Not threateningly, just looking. Katelyn removes her hand from the vice grip it has on mine.
     "I'm gay," she states bluntly. She's not the mumbling, shy girl she was when she told me. There's a second of silence, only broken by Lucinda.
     "I knew it!" She exclaims, causing everyone to look her way.
     "What do you mean you knew it?" Travis asks. Everyone starts talking at once, and I feel Katelyn relax beside me, but only slightly. After a few more minutes of everyone talking about how they always suspected Katelyn wasn't straight, Aaron speaks up.
     "Didn't Aphmau say she and Katelyn both had something to tell us?" His words are quiet but the effect is immediate, and everyone falls silent, looking at me. I'm suddenly thankful for Katelyn's hand gripping my own, giving me strength.
     "Me and Katelyn are dating," I'm as blunt as Katelyn. There's no other way to say it. Everyone already knows about the breakup one way or another, so that's some awkwardness avoided.
     "Aww, congrats guys," Dante coos. Zane smiles at me knowingly, as if recalling the day we talked outside in the snow. Again, everyone starts voicing their congratulations and showing their love as our friends.
     "Thanks for being so cool about this everyone, it really means a lot to us," I say, smiling at them all.
     "You'll make each other happy," Aaron says, again flashing that same smile that appears to be hiding something. This can't be easy on him, but he's strong. The waiter comes with our drinks and later our meals, while we all talk. The conversation shifts to whatever we want, and there's no more tension from Katelyn. Her hand is relaxed against mine. Sometime after 8, we all split the bill and head our seperate ways. We all pile into the car and Kawaii-Chan drives us home, happily chatting away as Katelyn and I sit in the backseat. We're holding hands.