Second Chances (Ricky + Nini)

chapter 22 - everything's changin' within me

"Okay okay.." Ricky said. But Nini wasn't satisfied. 

"Look at me." Nini said gazing into his brown orbs. "Okay, say it with me : I'm an amazing human being and I'm proud of myself." 

"Neens, come on.." Ricky pleaded. It sounded ridiculous, and he didn't believe it. He didn't know why it was so hard for him to believe. If someone as great as Nini was proud of him, then he certainly should be proud of himself. 

"Will you just try it? Please, baby?" Nini looked at him with those doe eyes, and he couldn't resist. 

"Fine." Ricky took a deep breath. "I am an amazing human being, and I'm proud of myself." 

Nini kissed him, and that made the whole ordeal worth it. "See... that wasn't so hard. Now just keep saying that until you believe it." 

"Alright.. now can we please go back to cuddling and stargazing?" Ricky asked. "I only have so many hours left."

Nini snuggled into his side again. They just enjoyed the sky and each other for a while, but it wasn't long before she had another thought. Nini was always full of ideas and she had a tendency of thinking about anything and everything, Ricky loved that about her. 

"You ever thought about moving here?" Nini asked. "To New York, I mean." 

The honest answer would be that Ricky's thought about moving to New York since he found out Nini had moved here. But he didn't have a plan or a job out here. The only thing he had was Nini, and he didn't want to disappoint her. Yesterday, he promised her that he would be brave, and he was ready to do it for her. Take risks and show the world who he is. However, he needed to figure it out slowly, and there's a high possibility that he would fail. He didn't want to get her hopes up until he was sure he had something. 

"Not really." Ricky said, instead. "I mean.. my life's in Salt Lake, you know.." 

"Oh." Nini failed to hide the disappointment in her voice. "Right. Your studio's and everything's in Salt Lake. Sorry that was a stupid question." 

He didn't mean for it to sound like his whole life is in Salt Lake and there's nothing here for him. It was the exact opposite. She was the most important thing to him, and he would give it all up for her. He just felt that at this point he wasn't enough for her. 

"New York has it's perks too you know. I can see why you like it." Ricky said. "Also, this really pretty brunette lives here." 

"Nice save." Nini buried her head in his neck. "Would you ever consider it in the future? I'm just asking out of curiosity." 

"Of course." Ricky said. "Anything to be closer to you." 

That seemed to satisfy her because she just kept quiet and wrapped him in a tight embrace until they both fell asleep.
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"I'll see you in a few weeks, babe." Ricky said as they parted at the airport gate. 

"I'll miss you." Nini said. Eyes glassy. Even though it would only be two weeks, Nini found herself missing Ricky more and more each time she saw him. She took a mental picture of him, curls all messy, the slightest stubble on his face, his brown eyes and that lopsided smile that she loved so much. 

"I'll miss you too. But I'll be back in a while, okay? Don't be sad." Ricky said cupping her cheeks. 

"I almost forgot." Nini said looking through her tote and taking out a small brown paper bag. "Here." 

"What's this ?" Ricky asked. Surprise  the item in his hands to be a bit 

"It's a gift. So that you won't forget me."

"That's ridiculous, you know I can't forget you, Neens." Ricky laughed. "When did you even have the time to shop?" 

"Before you got here. I'm always prepared, Richard." Nini smiled. "Now, I think you have to go before you miss your flight. You can open it on the plane okay." 

"Okay. I love you so much. Don't you forget that." Ricky said kissing her fervently before boarding the plane. 

Nini couldn't bear to look at him leaving, she already missed him so much. 
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Ricky shifted in his seat, trying to find a more comfortable position as his plane finally took off, and they were allowed to take their seat belts off. He looked out the window and thought of Nini. He took her gift out of his bag and carefully removed the tape. 

It was a snow globe of New York City. The Empire State Building, Times Square, the Rockefeller Center and the Statue of Liberty were all squished into this tiny bubble, and when you shake it the snow fell. It was perfect. 

Ricky thought again about the things Nini had said to him this past weekend. Moving to New York. Being brave. Figuring out who he was. He shook the snow globe gently and watched as the tiny pieces of semolina floated in the glycerine solution. 

He wanted what Nini had. He wanted to have his own dreams and chase them. To live dangerously and feel challenged everyday. He'd never felt this way before. But deep down he knew that he'd just suppressed all his dreams, because he was too afraid. He wanted to be brave for her, to be brave for himself. 

Everything was about to change.