Richozzy Endgame (Oneshots)

Everything Has Changed

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."