Timeless • A Kyle Kuzma Fanfiction

xxix

astin

"...I'm not ready to get married. I still have a lot of growing up and self realization to do before I can be the husband and daddy you and Blake need." He pauses and opens the box. "But I can promise you that one day I will be the perfect man for you and our kids. I know you don't like moving fast. I know you're still hurting from Blake. I know you're probably planning on running away after this, but I can't help how I feel about you and the thought of having a family with you. I love you and if you'll let me, I'd like to keep this promise to you, forever."

He had to be joking. This was a joke. Ashton Kutcher was somewhere, probably in my closet, waiting to jump out with the Punk'd crew and tell me they're revamping the show, starting with a birthday special starring myself. We had been together for two months. That's it! I loved Kyle, I did, but this, this was a lot.

"As? My knee is starting to hurt." He laughs nervously.

"K-Kyle," I stutter out, my mouth suddenly dry. I can feel a tear slip over my cheeks and I clutch my eyes close. "I don't know what I'm suppose to say."

"It's not an engagement ring. It's a promise ring; you don't like it?" He looks at it and frowns and I immediately feel bad.

"No! No, it's not that I just- okay, first of all get up." I pull him up and we sit on the bed. He sets the ring down and I gulp. I hold his hand in mine and continue. "Kyle, baby, I love you. And I want you to be the love for my life. I've had the love of my life and he was taken away from me so I know God must have gave you to me to keep forever but-"

"Stop saying 'but'. There is no but. Just let us be together, please." He leans his forehead against mine and I sigh.

Wordlessly, I hold out my left hand and I hear him sigh as he quickly slips on the ring.

"It's beautiful, Kyle." I murmur, getting a better look at it now that it was actually on my finger. It was simple; a platinum band with a platinum "k" in the middle of two diamonds. He'd snuck in two purple and gold gems into the "k" causing an unladylike snort to fall from my lips. "Did you ask Magic for advice on what to get?"

He shakes his head and smiles down at me. "Let me put on your necklace."

I turn around and he moves my hair out the way as he pulls the necklace around my neck and clasps it together. He kisses my shoulder, and then my neck, and behind my ear before moving away and clearing his throat.

"Come on, we have a schedule to keep to."

"A schedule?" He'd done entirely too much for me. Without answering, he stands and walks out the room. I grab my new bag and hurriedly toss my essentials into it and then do a light jog after him. I find Kyle leaning against the door, his phone in hand and eyebrows furrowed.

"Whatcha doing?" I try and peer at his screen.

"Nothing." He answers quickly, turning the screen away.

"...O-K. You ready?"

He nods, opening the door for me and following me downstairs and to his car. He swings our hands in between us as we make our way to the Porsche and opens the car door for me when we finally reach it.

"Where are we going?"

He sends me a side eye and I grin cheekily back. "Your favorite place to eat breakfast."

"What's my favorite place to eat breakfast?"

"The place we're going."

"And where is that?"

"Your favorite place to eat breakfast."

I groan and throw my head back. "Kyle!"

He turns up the radio and we drive in silence the rest of the way until we turn into the cut leading to the restaurant.

"How did you know about this place? We've never been together."

He parks the car and raises an eyebrow at me. "You really think I haven't done any research on you."

"Stalker." I mumble, sliding out the car and looking up at the small, hole-in-the-wall, restaurant that is Rochelle's. Mrs. Margot, the owner, had once been my father's personal chef as a child. She opened the eatery once he got older and refused to let her cook for his own children. I tried to come here with Blake as much as possible so she could make some of the same memories as me, but lately someone had been keeping us away.

Kyle holds onto my hand tightly, thumbing my ring as we make our way inside. The familiar chimes go off and a smile settles on my face.

"That can't be the birthday girl, could it?"

I snap my head to the right and my smile turns into a full fledged grin.

"Well I'll be damned, it is."

I break away from Kyle to run into Corey's arms. "It's been too long! Where have you been?"

Corey was Mrs.Margo's only kid and it had literally been years on years since I had seen him. Last I heard he was on some navy fleet in the middle of the Atlantic and wrote his mom solely for the purpose of her frozen apple fritters.

"They had me in Europe! You're just as big over there by the way." We laugh in sync and I really take a good look at him. He was never an unattractive guy but it seemed like the years in the navy had given him a boost. Long gone was the boyish, scrawny kid. He'd been replaced by a man with a strong build and rough edges.

My eyes weren't complaining.

There's a cough from behind us and I suddenly remember my boyfriend's presence.

"Oh! Core, this is Kyle, my boyfriend. Kyle, this is Corey."

Corey holds his hand out for Kyle to shake and Kyle looks at it in disgust before given it a half assed pull.

"I think we should start eating, baby. You know I have the whole day planned out for you." Kyle wraps his arms around me from behind and kisses my neck. I try and jab him with my elbow so he'd remember we were in public but it didn't seem to work as he continued moving his tongue over my skin.

"Uh, it was nice seeing you. Good to meet you Kyle. I'm heading out before your sister throws a tantrum. I know she's missed having me around."

"I know; she's going to lose her mind when she sees that her boyfriend is back in town." I say pointedly, causing Kyle to stop abruptly.

"Huh?"

Corey chuckles and waves behind his shoulder as he walks out the restaurant. I pull myself away from Kyle and storm away to a booth in the back.

"That," the dumbass starts. "was Ashley's boyfriend?"

"I hope you feel like an idiot." I huff, pulling a menu from the stand.

Kyle starts to talk and I glare at him. "Find what you want to order you jealous bum."