Richelle's POV:
"Okay, everyone," I shouted over the music to the dancers in Studio A. "Let's run over the routine one more time before we finish for the day. I want to see it looking clean this time, okay? 5, 6...5, 6, 7, 8." I counted the dancers in and watched as they moved through my choreography.
Since The Next Step had won Nationals, Nick had offered me a permanent position as Head Choreographer, which I'd gladly accepted. Having always dreamt of being Dance Captain, this job was exactly what I'd been working for. It felt like moving full circle as I'd grown up here, and I really loved the challenge.
As the music came to a close, the dancers took their final positions.
"And, hold," I instructed, as I looked over the formation. "Right, that's great, guys. Well done! That's the end of rehearsal for today, so you can all head home." The dancers dispersed and I headed into Nick's office to look over some paperwork.
I was rifling through the papers on the desk when I felt arms twist around my waist.
"Happy Valentine's Day," Ozzy muttered, planting a kiss on my cheek. I smiled and turned to face him, returning the embrace.
"Happy Valentine's, Oz," I replied, leaning up to connect my lips with his.
"God, get a room!" We both turned to see Izzy walking past the office with a disgusted look on their face. Ozzy picked up an eraser and chucked it vaguely in their direction.
"Get lost, loser," he laughed, as his sibling ducked, also laughing. I smiled watching the pair of siblings, admiring the strong bond they shared. As an only child, I used to envy those kinds of relationships, but since Ozzy and I had gotten together, Izzy had taken me in as their sister. It made me feel even luckier than I already did.
Ozzy turned his attention back to me.
"So, are you ready to head back to mine? I have a very special evening planned."
"Absolutely. Just let me get my stuff together, I'll meet you in the car," I said before giving him another quick kiss.
Once we were in the car, I played Taylor Swift's new album and sang along as Ozzy reluctantly joined in. As much as he resisted, I knew I was converting him into as big a fan as I was. After a short journey, we arrived at Ozzy's small house. He unlocked the door, which opened straight into the kitchen, and grabbed my hand.
"Close your eyes," he directed, and I narrowed my eyes at him.
"How many times have you said that and then shoved food in my face? And then there was that time when we were 14 and you put a bug in my hand!" I rebuked, pointing my finger at him teasingly.
"Hey, we're not 14 anymore. Just trust me, okay?" He gave me his best puppy dog eyes and I folded immediately, taking a deep breath and closing my eyes.
Guiding me forwards, Ozzy brought us into the snug living room. He briefly let go of my hand and shuffled around the room, before taking my hand back into his.
"Okay," he said. "Now, open your eyes." Doing as I was told, I opened my eyes to see the floor covered in blankets, an immense feast laid out decoratively on top. Candles were lit across the various surfaces in the room, lighting the scene perfectly.
My hands flew to my mouth as I looked around the room in disbelief.
"Ozzy, this is amazing." He smiled at me as we sat down to enjoy our picnic, and Ozzy poured us some drinks.
"To us," Ozzy said, lifting his glass in the air.
"Cheers," I replied, tapping my glass to his.
We enjoyed our food, talking and laughing for the next hour.
"Thank you, Oz," I said, as I finished my last bite. "This was perfect."
"Well," he said. "The night's not over yet. I got you something." Leaning behind the coffee table, he produced a gift box, wrapped neatly with a ribbon.
As I opened the box, I gasped.
"Ozzy, this is beautiful," I whispered, as I gazed at the intricately calved ballerina figurine. "It looks just like..." Ozzy smiled.
"It reminded me of you, when you danced your duet at Regionals," Ozzy replied. "That was the day when we talked, really talked, for the first time. It was the first time I felt like we were really friends, and I started to see the real you."
My heart contracted as I gazed at him in wonderment.
"That was when I realised just how much you really cared about me. No-one had ever cared like that before," I recalled, before I reached out and squeezed his hand. "I guess now it's my turn."
I reached into my bag and pulled out a small present.
"This is for you," I said, handing it to him. He carefully removed the wrapping paper to reveal a clear CD case with a disk inside.
"A CD?" He questioned, narrowing his eyes with intrigue. I took the disk and inserted it into the player next to him.
"It's all songs that remind me of you," I explained, pressing play on the machine. The room was immediately filled with the notes of 'Slow Motion'. Ozzy grinned at me and pulled me onto his lap.
"Our first duet," he stated simply. I ran my fingers through his hair and traced them down across his cheek.
"It's when I first saw what an amazing dancer you were, and how well we worked together. I was with Elliott at the time but I think even then my subconscious felt the connection me and you had."
Ozzy reached out and clicked the player to the next song, which was 'Never Felt Like This Before'. His brows furrowed and he looked to me in confusion. I rushed to explain,
"This was the song we danced to at prom, don't you remember?"
"No, I remember," he said. "I just can't believe you do. Like you said, you were with Elliott back then, he was your date."
"Yes, he was," I admitted. "But it was you who stepped in to dance with me when he left. When I think back to that night, I remember how much fun we had together." Ozzy leant in and kissed me deeply, smiling against my lips.
"I wish I could go back in time and tell that young Ozzy about how Richelle was going to be his girlfriend one day," Ozzy smiled.
"I think he'd have a heart attack," I replied, laughing.
We were still laughing as the track changed, the sound of 'Illusions' echoing around us.
"Ah, this was my Dancemania solo."
"It was," I grinned. "I remember watching you and feeling so immensely proud. And then when the team took me back, it was your opinion that mattered most to me. It's when I knew you were my best friend." He interlaced his fingers through mine and rubbed my back soothingly with his other hand.
"I think I knew you were mine the moment you left," he said. "I felt at such a loss without you, and I don't think anyone else could've made me feel like that."
"Hey, Oz." I nudged him lightly. "You're still my best friend." He smirked.
"Well, of course I am," he teased. "Who else could put up with your incessant whining?"
I jabbed at him with my finger and he started tickling my sides, leaving me flailing on the ground in fits of laughter.
"Okay, okay, truce!" I begged through my giggles.
We were still laughing as the next song began to play.
"Hey!" Ozzy called, as he listened to 'Symmetry Of'. "Shad wrote this song."
"He did," I admitted. "But, it was you I danced to it with. Eldon had just told me you were leaving for your new job, and above anyone else, that hurt me the most. I thought you were leaving me behind, and we had that big fight."
He looked at me incredulously.
"And this is a nice memory?"
"Yes," I continued. "Because despite my 'incessant whining', you still fought for me. You showed up for our duet even when I so determinedly pushed you away."
"Ah," he uttered. "So I'm assuming the next song is..." He clicked the button and as expected, 'Reality' began to play.
"I really loved this duet," Ozzy confessed.
"Me too," I smiled. "I think it was the point that I really fell for you, but I was stupid and didn't know it yet."
"So when did you know?" Ozzy pressed.
"Now, now," I said. "Spoilers."
Impatiently, he clicked onto the next song, 'The Feeling'.
"This is the song we danced to after your Nationals audition, right?" He asked. "You danced with me because I missed it."
"Yes. And that's when I knew. I don't know what it was, but it just clicked that you were so much more than just my friend."
He let out a groan.
"Why didn't you tell me? That's right before I started seeing Cassidy. If I'd have known..." He shook his head in exasperation.
"I didn't know if you still liked me! I was absolutely terrified of saying something and then ruining our entire friendship," I explained. "Which, by the way, I managed to nearly do anyway."
Ozzy smirked.
"Oh, this explains so much," he teased. "You going on about Cassidy being a spy...you were jealous!"
"Shut up!" I shot back, laughing. "You were jealous of Elliott!"
"And Shad," he conceded. "But, you being jealous over me with another girl...it's just never something I ever saw coming."
"Young Richelle would never believe you if you told her," I laughed.
"Young Ozzy would probably have another heart attack," he added.
I laid down on the ground, my head in his lap. Looking up at him, I told him to play the next song, which was 'Twist of Fate'.
"This solo was amazing. I don't think I'd ever seen you dance like that before."
"I had so much going through my head during it," I replied, taking his hand in mine. "I'd just managed to push my feelings down for you, and then Cassidy told me you'd broken up right before I had to perform."
Ozzy started to play with my hair absentmindedly.
"Shad had also just confessed his feelings for me, which was another spanner thrown in the works," I continued. "But when I started dancing, all I could think about was you. And when I saw you'd come to watch..." He smiled fondly.
"Of course I came."
I sat up.
"There's just one more song," I said, hitting play on 'History Tonight'.
"A-Troupe's finals song..." He said wistfully. "You'd just told me you wanted to be with me and I spent the entire time watching that routine completely distracted. I remember my heart beating so hard in my chest, and all I could think about how much I wanted to kiss you."
"And then you did," I whispered as I leaned in to kiss him now. It started off gentle and tender, before it deepened and he was kissing me more passionately than ever.
"Richelle," he muttered between kisses.
"Yes?"
"I love you..."
It was barely audible and he kept kissing me, so I wasn't sure I'd heard him correctly. I quickly pulled away.
"What did you just say?"
"I said," he affirmed. "I love you. You don't have to say it back, or even feel it right now. I've just been waiting for so long and I couldn't hold it in anymore."
I stared at him for a moment, and read the nervous vulnerability crossing his features.
"Well, here's one that'd do young Ozzy off for good," I whispered, leaning in so our faces were just centimetres apart. "I love you too."
Suddenly we were kissing once again, and I climbed onto his lap as his hands gripped my back firmly. My fingers entwined with his hair as I attempted to pull him even closer to me.
When we finally pulled apart, we were both out of breath.
"Hey, Oz," I breathed. "Wanna dance?" We both got to our feet as 'The Feeling' began to play again. We ran around the room like we were kids again, laughing and screaming, dancing completely off-beat. The world fell away as we began to slow-dance, and I leaned my head carefully against his chest and smiled.
Now I knew what it felt like to be completely, utterly, happy.