for the holidays | rini au

twenty three

"i actually- uh, i kinda have one more thing for you," ricky says, breaking the silence which had settles over them.

"oh," is all nini says, nodding her head as if to tell him to continue.

he reaches for the bag and hands it to her, nini immediately opening it and carefully unwrapping the box which was wrapped in tissue paper.

as she opens the white box, a pandora bracelet is revealed. she gasps and quietly whispers, "ricky," looking up at him. tears were beginning to form in her eyes as she delicately traces a finger over the bracelet.

he smiles at her, happy that her reaction was relatively positive, although he could see that she was still processing everything.

she quickly leans forward and pulls him into a hug, whispering, "it's too much. i cant accept it, ricky. i don't deserve it."

he pulls away and she looks down at her lap. he softly lifts her chin with his hand, forcing her to make eye contact.

"yes you do, nini. i know you've been wanting it for awhile, it's really not a big deal. you're going to accept it because i said so. and i kind of owe it to you," he replies lightheartedly, rubbing his thumb across her cheek before dropping his hand from her chin.

she sniffles quietly, wiping away the single tear that had fallen because of his gesture. she remembers telling him about the bracelet for the first time during their sophomore year of high school. she had been saving up for it, hoping to purchase it before graduation. her dreams fell short however, when she decided to use the money she had saved up to help ricky buy a new guitar.

she figured this is what he meant when he said he owed her. she briefly thinks they're stepping into a dynamic they haven't had since high school, one where they would do anything for the other. those thoughts were wiped away when she realized it didn't have to mean anything. just a kind gesture, she reminds herself, closing the box and placing it back onto the counter.

"thank you," she says, voice slightly shaky from the surprise provoked by the gift.

"you're welcome neens," she almost flinches at the nickname, however stops herself as he continues, "i should get going. happy valentine's day."

with that, he stood up and grabbed the bear and chocolates she had given him, letting himself out of her apartment. nini was left sitting at the counter, unsure what to think.