common sense • rini/jolivia one shots

can i be him

A/N: i'm soft for Ricky in this one🥺

Ricky had always loved Nini. that's why it hurt so much.

she was his best friend. he had to just sit back and watch as she was being loved by somebody else. while she wrote love songs about somebody else. while she kissed someone else.

he wanted to be the one she was with.

the moment she told him that she was dating EJ Caswell was the worst moment of his life. of course he couldn't tell her that, she could never know his feelings.

"hey Ricky, i have something to tell you."

"sure Neens! what's up?" he sat to face her on her bed. she looked beautiful, her fairy lights illuminating her face.

"i started seeing someone."

Ricky was sure that she could hear his heart pounding.

"what?" he spat out.

"EJ and i made it official last night. i wanted you to be the first person to know."

he felt like he had been stabbed in the heart.

he sat in the library and watched as the couple sat closely, whispering and sharing quick kisses across the room. he wanted so badly to be the one next to her. he loved her so much but she didn't love him back. why would she, he was broken.

his parents failed relationship ruined love for him. he thought that Nini would be the one for him but obviously he wouldn't have a chance with her. god he wanted to be with her so bad. he wanted to be the one she talked about in her stories.

he would always be there for her no matter what but god, he couldn't stand to look at her with EJ. he got up quickly and stormed out of the library, tears stinging his eyes.

when school was over he immediately got on his skateboard, popped in his earbuds and skated home deciding to skip walking with Nini. the familiar song filled his headphones.

i swear that every word you sing,
you wrote them for me

he wiped away tears as he skated down the winding roads of Salt Lake.

i heard there was someone,
but i know he don't deserve you

Ricky was there through everything for Nini and Ej's relationship. he heard about their first date, their first kiss, their first everything. the one that hurt the most was the first heartbreak. the two had a fight and Nini showed up at Ricky's house at 1am on a saturday with a tear stained face.

"i told him i loved him and he didn't say it back."

she cried into his chest as he held the girl against him. they stood in the front doorway for a moment before Ricky took her up to his room. he sat her down on his bed and she clung to his chest. she sobbed as Ricky held her and ran his fingers through her hair.

"i love you Nini. you know that."

he heard her hum in response. if only she knew what he really meant.

"i won't let anybody hurt you Nini. you mean too much to me. i'll always be here for you."

the two tweens laid there in his bed for hours, Ricky humming the familiar tune that he loved so much to Nini.

"what's that song?" she asked quietly.

"oh it's nothing. just a melody i came up with." he lied. he hated lying to her but this song was just for him.

"Ricky, you'll always be here for me right?" she looked up at him from her spot on his chest with her glassy eyes.

"forever and always kid. i'm never leaving you. you're it for me."

she smiled in response.

Ricky didn't expect to see EJ and Nini kissing at her locker monday morning. guess he finally told her he loved her. anybody who had to hesitate to tell Nina Salazar-Roberts that they loved her was crazy. Ricky wanted to shout it from the rooftops everyday.

when he got home that day, he dug out his guitar and began to play that familiar song.

could i be the one you talk about in all your stories.
can i be the one?
oh, can i.
can i be him.

if only she saw how much he loved her, how much he devoted his life to her. he move heaven and hell for that girl if she asked. he'd do anything for her.

it was absolute hell to watch Nini with another guy everyday. he wanted so badly to tell her how he felt but he couldn't do that to her. she was happy and she deserved that happiness cause as long as Nini was happy, Ricky was happy.

if only he could convince himself of that. he felt as though EJ replaced him. instead of Ricky holding her hand is the hall, it was EJ. instead of Ricky and Nini walking home, EJ drove her home. he missed her.

he wanted her.

can i be him?

a/n:
i love Ricky and i heard this song and immediately felt like this was written about him thinking about Nini with EJ🥺
i've been wanting to write a Ricky centric chapter and got inspired by this song so i hope this was good because i wrote it in one sitting without stopping!
the song is 'can i be him' by james aurther
i added the song to the top of the video because it's such a great song and literally makes me cry every time i listen to it!