Second Chances (Ricky + Nini)

chapter 10 - if i could go back and change the past

Hi baby, I'm not feeling so good today..  I have a fever.. I think I'm dying. Raincheck on the dinner? Please say yes. 

Nini smiled to herself hearing the pet name slip up, he must have been delirious if he was calling her baby. In the past, whenever Ricky would get sick he would basically turn into a child. He would be needy and clingy, and Nini would have to take care of him all day. By the sound of his voice, Nini could tell that he was probably really sick, and she didn't have the heart to leave him alone. 

She was initially going to make some pasta, but she quickly whipped up a chicken noodle soup instead. Put on some comfortable clothes, left Bob with his dinner and a bowl of water, and made her way to Ricky's airbnb. 

She arrived at his door and rang the doorbell. At first she was concerned because she couldn't hear any movement from inside, but then she heard stumbling, the sound of an object falling to the ground, and the sound of Ricky's feet dragging on the wooden floor. When the door opened her heart melted at the sight in front of her. Ricky was in his college hoodie and a pair of sweatpants, his eyes sad and glassy, his hair all over the place, and he was pale as a ghost. 

"Nini?" Ricky said squinting. Nini was pretty sure the boy couldn't tell if she was real. 

"Hey. I got your voicemail, and I was worried so I brought some tylenol and soup." Nini said holding up said items. 

"Thanks. Umm.. come in." 

He was stumbling and almost fell, so Nini ended up guiding him back to bed. 

"You just stay in bed, okay. I'll be back." Nini said, touching his forehead to find that the boy was indeed burning up. 

She prepared a towel and a basin of water while the soup was heating up, and came back to the room to find that the boy was tossing and turning in bed mumbling a slurry of words in his sleep. She sat on his bedside and applied a cold compress on his forehead and face. Ricky's face relaxed at the touch of the cool towel against his burning skin. After about 10 minutes, she woke him up and fed him some soup. They didn't talk. Ricky was too ill to start a conversation, and Nini didn't make him. Afterwards she gave him some tylenol, and he was knocked out again. She'd brought some scented candles and lit them up hoping it would help him relax. 

She stepped out of the room and took out her ukulele, she figured she might as well stay and relax for a while in case his fever goes up again.
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It was 10 pm when Ricky woke up to use the bathroom. He was feeling much better and his headache had mostly subsided. He was about to get back in bed when he heard the gentle strumming of a ukulele from outside. His heart warmed when he realized that it was Nini. She was at the balcony playing her ukulele and singing. 

Ricky knew that Nini had written a number of songs throughout the years, but he had only heard a handful of them. She majored in journalism, but she was so talented she could whip up a song in minutes. Nini had somehow always been shy about her music, because her songs are very special to her, and she said some of them were only meant for the two of them. He wondered if this was still true, was she sharing them with someone else now? 

Still, he couldn't help himself and slowly walked towards her, making sure his stepped carefully so she wouldn't hear him. He stood by the sliding door and listened to the voice he'd been missing since the fight, and caught a snippet of the song. 

Don't you think I loved you too much to be used and discarded?
Don't you think I loved you too much to think I deserve nothing?
But don't tell me you're sorry, boy
Feel sorry for yourself
'Cause someday I'll be everything to somebody else
And they'll think that I am so exciting
And you'll be the one who's crying

Ricky felt his heart constrict as he heard the words. Was this song about him? Did he make her feel this way? He hated to think that he had caused her so much pain, when all she's done is take care of him. Even now, she's still taking care of him. He wished he could go turn back time and make it all go away, but it was too late now, and the only thing he could do was be the person she always deserved. He hoped he could convince her. He was lucky that she was even still in his life after everything. 

Ricky stepped away from the balcony and slipped back into bed. He knew her songs were private, and he wanted her to tell him about it because she wanted to, not because he caught her singing it. 
_____ 

Nini checked back on Ricky and found that his fever had gone down and he was sleeping soundly. She tucked him in and was about to turn the lights off and head home when she heard him mumble in his sleep, his words were jumbled up but just clear enough for her to hear. 

"Please dontleavemeagain, Neens." 

She brushed his hair from his forehead and whispered to him, "I'm always gonna be here for you." and it was true, even when they were broken up, she still loved him, and would do anything for him. If he needed her, she would always be at his beck and call, no questions asked. 

"Thankyou for.. taking careof me .. you're... always takingcare.. of me."

She kissed his temple softly, and headed out.
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