what more can i say | rini au

12.

It feels like she's woken up to him every day this week. Even those mornings he wasn't actually in her bed when her eyes flickered open, he's been in it when she's fallen asleep the night before.

Maybe Gina was right to be a bit jealous of their relationship. Nini would be jealous of a girl sleeping in a bed with her boyfriend. Except well... he's not Gina's boyfriend anymore.

But he's not hers either...

Nini knows exactly what he means when he says he doesn't want to go home. That him not being ready to go home properly isn't actually about the memories of Gina there the way most might assume it would be.

It's about his dad. It's about Jennifer. It's about letting them know that he's failed. Failed at his first real relationship. Not that Nini thinks they would be upset at him, more for him in fact, if they knew what had been going on.

Ricky prefers stability to anything else, and well- even if his relationship with Gina wasn't what most would describe as a stable one, they'd been together over a year and there was a certain consistency and comfort to that. That's part of why it took him so much to want to end things with her, despite his pain. That's why this all hurt him so badly when she ended things instead.

He's never been good at keeping his insecurities from her, and Nini knows that right now he's reeling. He still is, even days later.

They say time heals all wounds, but they also say that feelings should fade with time, and hers certainly haven't.

Maybe Ricky Bowen was just a special case in that regard. But she does hope that he feels better soon. He deserves to be happy again.

--

As he finally stirs beside her, she feels the arm draped heavily over her waist pull her in closer.

It's not like the Salazar-Roberts family doesn't have a guest bedroom, it's also the office given the house is only so big, but Ricky's probably never once stayed in it.

Why would he when the two are childhood best friends? It's not like her moms have ever seen an issue with it, or even if they did neither has said a word over the years.

They're just friends. That's why it's okay.

And the girl knows that...

But when Nini feels his body curled around hers, her back against his chest, it's as though she can feel every inch of him on her, and it feels so far from platonic as his thumb traces circles on her hipbone, olive skin exposed by the low waistband of her pajama shorts.

She doesn't want to open her eyes and risk the moment. Everything about this feels so perfect.

His messy curls brush against the curve of her neck as he leans into her, prompting a soft exhale from her lips.

"I know you're awake Neens..." He whispers in her ear, and his voice, gravelly from sleep, makes her want to melt right there.

"Good morning to you too." She replies with a giggle, not moving away even an inch, still wanting to enjoy his touch as much as possible until he takes his warmth away.

"Oh pardon me, good morning Nini." His teasing tone combined with the low octave of his voice itself would have her feeling some type of way even if she wasn't already.

"That's better."

Her laughter melds with his as they lay together, wrapped up in the blankets without a thought to anything else.

"Can you pass me my phone?" He asks her a bit later.

The girl's bed is pushed up against the wall and she's laying on the side closer to the nightstand. He's not so concerned as to try to climb over her for it now, but frankly she wouldn't put it past him either.