The Perfect Gift

Ch. 18

He waves her off dismissively, but hides a grin to himself; he's had that page bookmarked for her ages ago.

*****

"So, you got any New Year's resolutions?" Ricky asks as he stares down at her curiously. There's a half-smile on his face as he waits for her answer.

They'd gotten bored after the YouTube videos a while ago and were pretty much spending their time cuddling on the couch and talking. With only a few minutes left of the current year, Ricky felt like the question was appropriate.

Nini shrugs. "Oh, I don't know," she admits in a low hum. "I'm pretty happy with where I'm at in my life right now so I didn't really think about it this year."

"Really?" He sounds surprised. "No offense, but you totally seem like the goal-setting, resolution-making type of girl," he says as he looks at her thoughtfully.

Nini shoots him a sheepish look. "Well, I used to come up with them all the time and I'd even set monthly and quarterly goals to achieve," she confesses. At the triumphant 'Aha!' on his face, she rolls her eyes before continuing. "But then I finished college and now I co-own Melody Mart with my mom and I live in a nice, but affordable, apartment, so... I'm pretty happy," she explains.

"And now you've got a man, too," he adds with a waggle of his eyebrows.

She laughs and nudges him playfully. "I'm basically set for the new year," she says with a short nod. "A career, a good job, even a boyfriend!" He smiles cockily at her and she adds with a heavy sigh, "Too bad he's just alright."

"Ouch."

She giggles and bumps his shoulder with her own. "What about you?" she murmurs. "Do you have a New Year's resolution?"

Ricky snorts derisively. "Why would somebody as awesome as me make a New Year's resolution? I don't need to improve on anything."

"You're absolutely right," Nini deadpans. "There's nothing that you should consider working on, especially not your ego. It's already at the right amount of 'massive'."

He chuckles and tugs on a lock of her hair. "Oh, c'mon, I'm just kidding," he says with a lopsided grin, now winding that same lock of hair around a finger. "My New Year's resolution is to save more orphan puppies, obviously."

Nini bats her eyelashes and sighs dreamily. "My, that's oh so noble of you," she coos. And then she pokes him in the arm. "But really. You don't have one?"

He shrugs noncommittally. "I've never really made them," he confesses. "Sometimes, I try to cut back on pancakes but it just never works." Nini giggles at that and he turns to her. "But you should make one," he says with a small bump to her shoulder. "Since, you know, you used to make them all the time."

She tilts her head to the side and gives him a considering look. "Well, you got any ideas for me?" she asks. "Any comments or suggestions?"

Ricky purses his lips in thought before answering. "Yeah, a few."

She eyes the clock on the wall and turns to him. "You've got about ten seconds. Lay them on me," she says quickly with a curious grin.

"Okay, you ready? You think you can take some constructive criticism?"

"Nine." Her eyebrows knit together worriedly. "Of course," she says softly.

"Well," he starts in a slow, careful voice, "you never yell."

"Eight."

"You never start fights."

"Seven."

"And you're way too pretty. Like, all the time. It's beyond ridiculous."

"Six." She quirks an eyebrow at him. "Really? That's it?" She's fighting a losing battle to keep the smile off her face.

He nods somberly. "They're all serious problems, Nini."

"Five. Are they?"

"Oh yeah. You should definitely work on them."

"Four." She grins at him. "I'll definitely make an effort to," she says quietly.

Ricky smirks and brushes some hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear gently. "Good." His hands come up to cup her face and he stares at her with a mock-serious look. "So you got your New Year's resolution, then?"

"Three." She nods. "I think so."

Ricky stares the clock and resumes the countdown for them. "Go ahead."

"Two. Must yell more, must start fights, mustn't be too pretty all the time because it's beyond ridiculous," she murmurs jokingly with a slow, warm smile.

"Sounds perfect," he whispers, leaning in towards her as their eyes start to slide closed.

"One," she whispers, her breath hitting Ricky's lips right before he closes the distance between them, his lips slanting over hers in a slow, tantalizing kiss that makes her knees go weak. Their kissing ends up getting a little deeper than either of them had intended. A few minutes had gone by and the pair had made their way to the couch, with Ricky on top of Nini. He pulled himself away from Nini's lips and began trailing kisses down her neck. Nini moaned as he began to suck on her pulse point and he smirked slightly, knowing that was her favorite spot on her neck to be kissed. Ricky was surprised when Nini suddenly pushed him off of her, expecting their abrupt make out to end. He was not, however, expecting the petite girl to climb on top of him and repeat the actions he was doing to her on his neck.

She was leaving gentle, open mouthed kisses up his neck until she reached his ear. "Hey baby?" She whispered before gently sucking and then biting his earlobe. He gasped at the sensation and gripped her hips even tighter than he had been. "What?" He managed to get out. Nini smiled before looking at him, suddenly feeling nervous. He sensed this and peeled her away from his neck and sat them up so he could look her in the eyes. "What is it, Neens?" He asked, gently. She looked down and fiddled with her thumbs. "I have one more resolution..." she mumbled. "And that is?" He urged. She finally looked him in the eyes.

"To fall more in love with you."
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Cute lil chappy