In Touch magazine claims that Heroes actor Milo Ventimiglia, 31, is going to ask girlfriend and co-star Hayden Panettiere, 18, to marry him. The couple haven’t been publicly dating all that long, since Hayden only became legal last August. But it was widely rumored that they were together for a while before that. If she wasn’t so young, I’d probably say they seem cute and happy together, best of luck, etc.

Don’t tell Hayden Panettiere, but her boyfriend, Milo Ventimiglia, is planning to propose! The actor, 31, recently confided to a friend that even though Hayden is only 18 years old, he wants to get engaged, preferably this year. “Milo was looking at rings in late June,” the pal says. “He really likes Cartier and intends to spend around $200,000.” Hayden and Milo, who met on the set of Heroes, reportedly began dating in January.

[From In Touch]

I think January is when they actually kinda sorta acknowledged that they were seeing each other. I will admit that Hayden seems a lot more mature than most of the other girls her age in Hollywood. You don’t see her out tramping around like Paris/Britney/Lindsay. She goes out to dinner and shops and does all that other photographer-friendly stuff, but she’s never photographed falling out of clubs drunk, and I’m pretty sure she has yet to rack up any DUIs.

All that said, she’s still 18. Being more mature than Paris Hilton doesn’t make a person ready for marriage. If so, my cats could have gotten hitched years ago. 18 is still 18, and that’s damn young to commit your life to someone, no matter how great they are. I doubt Hayden’s had all that many boyfriends besides Milo. It makes sense that he’s probably ready to get married at his age, but even if she thinks she is, it’d probably be best if they gave it some time. Maybe he’s just getting her a promise ring or something else more age-appropriate.

Here’s Milo and Hayden leaving the Geffen theatre after watching a play with fellow castmembers in November. Header from the Heroes photocall in London from last August. Photographer: Vince Maher; Images thanks to WENN.

GQ has a new spread and brief interview with Milo Ventimiglia. The photo section features the hot “Heroes” star in city and office settings wearing thousand dollar designer suits by Versace, Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein. He looks like a conniver in this photoshoot, like the type of guy you would want to sleep with for a week or two but who would be too slick to make a decent boyfriend.

In the accompanying interview, Milo, 30, doesn’t acknowledge that he’s in a relationship with his 18 year-old co-star, Hayden Panettiere, but he does say that the nickname for their relationship, “Halo,” makes him smile, and that he tries not to talk about his personal life. This is a departure from an interview he recently gave Cosmopolitan Magazine, in which he called himself single for the last year and a half and talked about the perils of dating:

Halo. That’s what the blogs are calling you and Hayden. Does that bug you?
You know what, man - it makes me smile.

If you two are dating, why not just say so? I read you bought the girl a ring from Tiffany’s!
When you’re in the public eye, you try to keep whatever you can private. People can speculate and talk. But what can you do - stop living your life?

Hayden was GQ’s Obsession of the Year. Did you like those photos?
Yes, I did. They were very nice.

[From GQ Magazine, print edition, April, 2008]

In the most recent issue of Cosmopolitan, Milo’s maybe-girlfriend Hayden says she has to date guys who aren’t threatened by her job. She said “I need somebody who is very secure. In this business, I’m constantly standing next to gorgeous people. My job is to make out with [attractive] men. Like, hello, who wouldn’t be completely threatened by that? But at the end of the day, you have to realize that it’s just a job.”

Hayden also said that she doesn’t drink and is a “pizza-and-a-movie girl,” and that she’s secure with her body the way it is. She said she doesn’t have a model’s body but that “I’m not one of those crazy girls who thinks that they’re fat. I’m okay with what I have. I can rock this body, you know?” [via Just Jared]

There are all sorts of rumors that these two are set to move in together after Hayden was spotting looking at condos with her mom. Maybe she’s just ready to move out of her parent’s place and isn’t about to move in with her boyfriend yet.

Hayden and Milo will pose together while they’re doing press for “Heroes,” but both have stayed wisely mum on their relationship.

Thanks to Stacie for these scans.

In the March issue of Cosmopolitan, hunky “Heroes” star Milo Ventimiglia, 30, is interviewed for the mag’s “Informer” section, but don’t count on any information about the actor’s love life, especially the status of his relationship with co-star Hayden Panettiere, 18. In fact, a “factoid” text box that overlays the actor’s yummy photo shoot identifies him as “single,” and in the interview, he tells the reporter, “I’ve been single for a year and a half.”

Do you get nervous on dates?

Yes. I’ve been single for a year and a half. It’s tough being witty for two hours.

Have friends tried to set you up?

Yeah, someone thinks you’d look “cute” together, but you share no interests and become combative [on a date]. You just wish you were home, scrubbing your toilet.

[From Cosmopolitan, March 2008 print issue]

Somebody needs to let Hayden Panettierre in on that little nugget, because she is clearly under the impression that Milo is her boyfriend. The couple have been seen everywhere holding hands, hugging and definitely behaving in a way that is not consistent with that whole “We’re just good friends” line of crap Milo has been feeding the press for months. At a recent party hosted by Candies shoes, for which Hayden is a spokesmodel, Milo went as Hayden’s date to show his support. And I’m no psychic, but he sure didn’t look like he would rather be home scrubbing his toilet.

Picture note by Celebitchy: Milo and Hayden are shown in the header image at a Lifetime Achievement Award presentation to Stan Lee Featuring the cast of “Heroes” on 12/15/07, thanks to PRPhotos.

The Hayden Panettiere and Milo Ventimiglia conspiracy continues! For her “18th birthday” Milo, 30, bought his fellow “Heroes” co-star and rumored girlfriend a $1,950 gold ring. The two deny dating and claim to be simply super good friends.

“According to an insider, Milo, 30, gave Hayden an 18-karat yellow-gold ring - worth $1,950 - from the famed jewelers as a belated birthday present, since she turned 18 in late August. The ring, called Somerset Heart, features a woven band and a heart, and according to the insider, is inscribed, “Sweet like Hayden.”

[In Touch Weekly via Perez Hilton]

The large age gap between the two has sparked a bit of an “ewww” factor at the mention of dating. After they appeared to be cozy at several different events the dating rumor mill began to turn. At the Governor’s Ball after party the NY Daily News reported that Milo cut Hayden’s meat at dinner. After the weird meat cutting the two danced as Hayden shook her money maker and “grazed Milo’s face with her hand.” Reps for both camps vehemently deny any romance between the two. Some find the belated birthday gift of a ring from Tiffany and Co. to speak for itself. Not to mention Milo’s comments before her birthday.

“Back in December, Hayden told USA Today that Milo was “like the big brother” on the set, explaining, “He’ll always raise an eye when he passes to let me know he’s watching, and that makes me laugh.” As for Ventimiglia, when the paper asked what he found “attractive” about the actress, he quipped, “Ask me Aug. 21 [Panettiere’s 18th birthday], and I’ll tell you a zillion things.”

Picture note by Celebitchy: Hayden and Milo Ventimiglia are shown at the “Heroes” Season One DVD release on 8/29/07, thanks to Splash News.