17 Things That Only Happen When You’ve Been Dating Someone Forever

1. You pick up snacks they like at the grocery store without even realizing that you’re doing it — it’s like your brain thinks that you suddenly like those snacks (even though you definitely don’t).

2. When you see a little old couple walking down the street helping each other and/or laughing, you can’t help but project the two of you onto them.

3. (In some ways, you already feel like you’re that old couple, just trapped in the bodies of two young people.)

4. Your friends tell a story where the two of you were there, except in reality only one of you was actually there, it’s just that you have melded into one unit in all of their minds.

5. Both of you simultaneously remember a funny thing that happened a year or so ago and burst into laughter, and sometimes you don’t even have to identify what that thing was for you both to understand.

6. While watching a movie, you catch yourselves both sitting in the exact same position with your arms and legs resting in the same way.

7. You occasionally have that moment of “whatever, who cares?” at restaurants when you want to do something corny like give each other a spoonful of your dish or sit on the same side. You are past the point of fearing the corny.

8. You watch a Valentine’s Day come and go without feeling any urge to do something special, because you both know it is amateur hour and the restaurants will all still be there (and less packed with dates) next week.

9. Alternatively, you find little ways to surprise each other with romantic things on totally random days, like bringing flowers home or having their favorite meal waiting for them.

10. When they’re gone, you find yourself involuntarily cuddling their pillow in your sleep because your brain thinks that it’s them.

11. There becomes a natural dividing up of the tasks, such as “who has to make the popcorn because one person always seasons it just right and the other one burns it just by looking at it.” One washes, the other dries — except this applies to every facet of life, and not just dishes.

12. You create a small sign of affection that feels unique (even if it isn’t), such as booping noses and actually saying “boop!” out loud.

13. When deciding what movie you want to watch, you both decide on one you really want to see, and only realize halfway through the film that you have already seen it, together, a few years ago.

14. You have mastered the art of “coordinating what you order at restaurants so that the two of you can share and maximize your tasting opportunities.”

15. All it takes is one look at a party, bar, or event for you both to know you’re completely over it and it’s time to go home, cuddle on the couch, and Netflix it for the rest of the night.

16. In the middle of the workday, you’ll randomly be struck with a “what isn’t right??” feeling, and you’ll be paranoid that you forgot to do something really important — until you realize that you just haven’t texted/GChatted with them yet today.

17. The “so, when are you two getting married??” questions go from an occasional, blush-inducing occurrence, to basically the phrase you get greeted with by family members and friends you haven’t seen in a while. And honestly, it doesn’t even bother you anymore. You both just kind of smile and shake your heads.