in your reflection || rini au

37. ur nervous, but i won't let u fall

nini sat on the hospital desk, her notes scattered in organized piles as she scrolled through the psychology homework due in for next week, focused as she waited for seb to come back from the cafeteria.

the doctors had kept nini in observation this past week for her ankle, since it wasn't strong enough to be able to do her usual daily routines at home. they'd came to the conclusion that she'd in fact had tore the main muscle in her ankle due to overworking and dancing on it when she should've rested it.

her mom was the most worried for nini's reaction when the doctors would tell her she wouldn't be able to dance in a long time. when they did, her mom had to hold her and comfort her as she cried in her arms.

nini kept her eyes on the notes she was writing, forcing out the memories of that day out of her mind as she neatly underlined a subheading when the door of her room opened up after a light knock was heard

"finally," she chuckled, her eyes still on the pages "i was beginning to think you got lost in the cafeteria."

"well, i am lost but not in that way."

nini's head shot up to the door at the sound of ricky's voice. she instantly dropped her pen and jaw in unison, looking at the curly-haired boy who was wearing his usual leather jacket and black jeans.

"ricky..." she breathed out "w-what...what are you doing here?"

"thought i'd come see and make sure you were, you know, alive and stuff." he answered nonchalantly "feels like you've been ignoring me?"

her heart sank. "i'm not ignoring you."

she looked down at her notes, putting them back in order anxiously before carefully standing up, taking her crutches and making her way to her bed as ricky's eyes followed her.

he raised an eyebrow "you kind of look like you are."

"i'm talking to you aren't i?" she shrugged, leaning the crutches against the table beside her bed and slowly raising her injured ankle to rest on the pillow that was placed at the end of the bed

ricky sighed, walking towards her and sitting down on the edge of the bed, his back facing her as he tilted his head just slightly to get a look at her.

her hair was put up in a messy bun, her eyes were red with bags under them and she had a pale, shaken expression that looked as though it were ready to enforce a breakdown out of her any second. tired was written all over the girl.

"have you eaten anything?"

nini furrowed her eyebrows. she wasn't expecting him to ask that.

then again, she didn't really know what to expect from him anymore...

"um...seb went to get me something. but the food here hasn't been that great. besides, i'm not really hungry." she replied, looking down at her fingers

"did you sleep or study all night?" he asked with a playful grin, nodding in the direction of her desk

nini pursed her lips and darted her eyes between the said table and back at him "ricky, what are you doing here?"

"came to see you. seeing as you've not been replying to my texts." he answered simply "why haven't you?"

"been busy." she mumbled under her breath after a few seconds of silence

he saw how she avoided her gaze, not wanting to look at him. he saw how she was shaking and he could tell she wasn't okay. not in the slightest.

"nini, talk to me." he whispered softly, inching a little closer as he turned to properly face her "you know you can talk to me."

but nini shook her head, feeling her eyes sting "i can't..."