"I'll be right here waiting for you to come back," I.N promised you.
"I'll be really quick, I swear. I'll go so fast, you'll barely know I was gone!"
I.N let out a laugh as he watched you disappear into the maze of bookshelves at your local bookstore. It was Saturday and the two of you were out on a walk. When you realized you were near the local bookstore, you asked if you could stop by just to browse. However, your browsing had turned into book buying.
You ended up with three books in your hands and I.N offered to carry them while you were on the way to find a fourth. You loved books dearly. Back at your apartment, you had a few bookshelves full of books. You loved the adventure and escapism that words provided you.
I.N stopped to browse a section of books, but you were itching to go look at your favorite genre. You were bouncing on the balls of your feet so much that I.N let you go on ahead. You apologized, but he insisted. This was your element and you deserved to enjoy it.
So when you went darting in the other direction, I.N tucked your books beneath his arm. With his empty hand, he pulled out a book on the shelf and flipped it around to read the summary. Hearing a throat clear behind him, he spun around to come face to face with your older sister.
"Hi," he politely smiled at her.
"Hi. What are you doing here? I didn't think you were the book type?"
"I'm here with your sibling actually. They ran off to go find another book," he chuckled remembering how excited you were when you ran off.
Your sister rolled her eyes, "I can't believe the two of you are still dating. Don't you want to find someone better? They're such a huge dork and live with their head in the clouds. Wouldn't you want to be with someone more logical?"
"Not really," I.N shifted the weight of your books suddenly uncomfortable with the turn of the conversation. "I don't mind it at all. It makes them really happy."
Without warning, your sister began to complain about you. I.N watched her with a blank look on his face. He couldn't believe she was talking about you this way. You hadn't done anything to deserve to be talked about like this. What was wrong with enjoying escapism? He did the exact same thing with music.
As your sister continued, I.N's eyes darted around the nearby shelves. He didn't want to be rude, but he wanted to leave this conversation as quickly as possible. He couldn't imagine talking to his younger brother's significant other in this manner.
"And if you want me to talk to them for you, I can," your sister announced. "If you're looking for a reason to break up with them, I can provide you with multiple reasons. Aren't you famous? There's plenty of fish in the sea. You should be finding someone that matches your vibe, not someone who spends their time falling in love with fictional characters."
"I'll keep that in mind," I.N mumbled. He didn't plan on it, but he wanted a way to leave the conversation. "I should go find them and get going."
"I'm sure you should," your sister's sarcasm dripped out like venom. "If you need something, go ahead and call me. Do you need my number? I can gi-"
"If I need it, I'll get it from your sibling," I.N suddenly snapped, annoyed by her arrogance.
Your sister nodded and disappeared around the corner. I.N let out a sigh of relief. He was happy that she was finally gone. He mumbled something beneath his breath and slid the book he had back on the shelf. He kept hold of the books you were planning on getting.
On the other side of the shelf, you bit down on your lip trying not to cry. You were coming back with your book and when you spotted your sister with I.N, you ducked behind the next shelf over. You heard the full conversation and it suddenly felt like someone squeezed your heart until it burst.
You glanced down at the book in your hand. All the excitement bubbling up inside of you had fizzled away. With your head down, you disappeared back to the other side of the store and placed the book back on the shelf.
It took you a few extra minutes before you gathered the courage to reapproach I.N.
When he saw you, he smiled. "Hey, there you are! I was just about to come find you." He glanced down at your hands expecting a book, but he frowned not seeing one. "Where's the book you were talking about?"
"They didn't have it," your voice came out flat. You reached over and took your books from his hands.
"Oh. Well, we can talk to an employee. I'm sure someone could order it for you and then we can pick it up when it comes in."
You shook your head, "that's okay. I'm sure I'll come across it eventually."
You walked away from the shelf and I.N followed you. When you reached up with one of your books and began putting it back on the shelf, I.N's eyes widened in shock. "What are you doing?"
"I shouldn't be spending so much money on books."
"But you love them," his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "You love buying new books. Plus, you just recently got a pay raise at work, remember?"
"I should be saving money for a rainy day." You walked further down the shelves and placed the remaining two books back in their slots.
I.N studied you confused at your sudden change of mood. You were so happy to come to the bookstore, you nearly dragged him inside grinning and now you looked disappointed and almost sad. He tried not to let your sudden mood change bother him too much.
"What about the cafe? You always visit the cafe when you come here. I'll pay for your coff-"
"I'm not feeling it anymore," you commented.
"Oh. Do you want to go then?"
You nodded your head and I.N slipped his hand through yours. He gripped it tight trying to figure out what the reason was for your sudden change. He let you lead them out of the bookstore and down the sidewalk. A few storefronts away, it finally hit him.
There was only one reason why your mood must have completely taken a one-eighty change. Of course, you must have heard the conversation he had with your sister. Why didn't he realize that sooner? He mentally slapped himself still clutching your hand.
You turned around when you realized he wasn't moving from his spot. "Are you okay?" You were suddenly concerned.
"Huh? Oh, um...yeah. Can you stay right here for a moment?" He glanced down at you nervously. "I've got to go to the bathroom, so I'll be right back."
You nodded and I.N took back off towards the bookstore. He cursed himself the whole way there. Once he entered, he went back to the shelves the two of you visited and grabbed the books you once had. When he was finished, he headed over to your favorite section to find the book you were rambling about when you walked inside.
His heart dropped when he realized the bookstore wasn't missing it like you said. They didn't have a handful of copies on display, they had nearly half a shelf. He let out a sigh and grabbed one.
Heading to the register, he paid for the books, still upset with himself. You probably heard him mention he'd keep in mind there might be someone better than you. He suddenly felt sick with himself. No wonder you were so quiet, you probably thought he was going to break up with you.
When he finished at the counter, he headed over to the attached cafe. He bought your favorite drink and a cookie to make up for it along with a drink and cookie for himself. By the time he walked back outside, you were nervously fiddling with your hands up against the outside of the bookstore.
When you heard him call your name, you looked up and froze. He hurried towards you out of breath with a plastic bag on one arm, a drink in each hand, and a small bag pinched between his thumb and a cup.
"What are you doing?" You asked confused.
He sucked in a sharp breath, "I figured out you heard the conversation between your sister and me. I hope you know," he took in another breath, "I wasn't agreeing with what she was saying. I don't want anyone besides you, but I didn't want to be rude."
He handed the cup towards you. You took it with a small smile. You quietly thanked him as you took a sip of the drink.
"And I got you your books."
"What?" Your eyes widened. "Why would you do that? They're brand new! Do you know how much books cost? Two of those were hardcovers!"
"I don't care. You wanted them, so I got them for you. We can go home and put them directly on your bookshelf. I know they'll fit on the top open shelf perfectly."
"You really didn't have to do this," you mumbled.
"I didn't have to, but I wanted to. I like seeing your face light up and when you're happy, it makes me happy too. I love you a lot and I'll always love you."
You thought your heart was going to burst. His smile widened and revealed his dimples. You couldn't help, but smile back.
"And when we get home, can I read the one book you got? I glanced at the summary and it looks really good. We can cuddle up in bed and read if you want to."
"I'd love to do that with you."
"Oh! And I got you a cookie!" He scrambled to open the bag. "You mentioned cookies can cure even the worst kinds of sadness a few weeks ago."
"You remembered that?" A fond look grew across your face.
"Of course. I'll always remember the smallest things when it comes to you."