Richozzy Endgame (Oneshots)

People Always Leave

A/N: Here's another story set after Season 8, about Richelle feeling insecure. I hope it's something they touch on in Season 9 if we get one, as I think it's a natural reaction from her character.

Ozzy's POV:
I walked into Studio A, where I found Richelle choreographing a routine for Internationals. Ever since she'd decided to stay, Kenzie had been asking Richelle for help on the routines - they made a great team.

I watched from the doorway and admired, as she hadn't spotted my yet. I was in complete awe. Even though we'd been dating for a few months now, I couldn't believe my luck every time I saw her. She still gave me butterflies like she did all those years ago, and now she was mine. She was everything to me.

"Looking good," I said, emerging from the doorway. She turned her head to me in surprise and smiled. My heart flipped over at the sight of that smile; the way she looked at me, with pure excitement and love, made the butterflies feel like a flock of birds in my stomach.

She gave me a quick peck and then leaned in to wrap her arms around my waist. Having her in my arms like this made everything make sense. It was how I wish we could stay forever.
"How are you?" She asked, looking up at me, her chin on my chest. I stroked her hair.
"I had a stressful day at work," I replied. "But it's already feeling better."

She smiled again, as I ran my thumb over her bottom lip and pulled her into another kiss. For so long I'd dreamed of kissing Richelle. The fact that I could now do it so freely and have the feelings reciprocated felt like a dream.

We pulled apart, and Richelle began to show me her choreo. She was still marking it through when Kenzie entered the studio.
"Richelle!" She called, her excitement palpable. "Some mail has arrived for you, care of The Next Step."

Richelle looked puzzled as she took the envelope from Kenzie. Apprehensively, she opened it to reveal a letter, which she scanned over. Her eyes widened in shock.
"What is it?" I asked, the curiosity killing me.
"A scout for Dance Explosion saw me performing at Nationals," she replied, her voice barely audible. "They want me to dance the lead on their tour."

Dance Explosion was one of the biggest touring troupes in the country, so this was huge. I ran at Richelle and picked her up, spinning her around.
"Congratulations!" I exclaimed. This was everything she'd been wanting and everything she deserved.

Richelle still looked stunned. She read over the letter again and then met my gaze.
"You think I should go?" She whispered.
"Of course," I said. The idea of Richelle going on tour was scary. I was going to miss her so much, and the idea of making our relationship long distance was almost unbearable. But this was what was best for her, and that's always what I wanted. "It's an amazing opportunity!"

Her brows twitched slightly and then an unreadable expression passed over her face. She pushed the letter against my chest.
"Excuse me," she said, walking abruptly out of the room. Kenzie gave me a confused look, and honestly I felt the same. What was going on?

"Richelle!" I called, as I ran into the corridor to follow her. "What's going on?" She turned to look at me, her expression cold and distant.
"This isn't going to work," she said. I furrowed my eyebrows.
"What do you mean? What isn't going to work?"

She crossed her arms across her chest and sucked in a sharp breath.
"Us, Ozzy. This." She signalled the two of us. "If I'm going on tour, I can't do this. We have to break up."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Just minutes ago, Richelle was kissing me and looking at me like I was the only person in the world. Now, suddenly, it was just over?

"Now, hang on a minute," I scrambled. She held her hand out in front of me.
"Save it, Ozzy. I've made my decision." She swallowed, her face still blank. "We're over." And with that, she turned and walked away.