A light || Ricky and Nini

Chapter 108

Nini POV 

Ricky insists on being the one to drive to his dad's house, telling me that I'd probably end up driving under the speed limit and I smile as I realize he's caught onto my stalling. I take his hand and squeeze it gently as we pull into his driveway and he kisses my cheek. "Thank you for an incredible morning." He tells me against my ear and i smile brightly. "The day's not even close to over." I say and Ricky's fingers move to stroke through my hair calmly. "I know. But I know you so I know you probably planned something big for today and I don't want that to overshadow the morning we had. Just watching you dance through the park, feeling you under me, that's all I needed." He tells me and my face heats a little, but I smile from his sweet words. "I love you." I tell him confidently and softly at the same time and he doesn't respond, he just presses his lips against mine. When he pulls back, his eyes remain closed as I comb my fingers through his hair. "I love you Nini. So much." 

After a few moments, Ricky and I get out of the car and my anxiety and excitement start to build as we reach his front porch. For the past two hours, our friends, family and his skate park buddies got together to decorate his house for his party. Everyone wanted it to be special for him and I was getting excited knowing he's never truly had a birthday celebration. It's always been me and him and our parents joining at certain times. While I was excited for the main party, I was exceptionally excited for tonight as well. During the party, EJ and Gina insisted that they'd be able to stall Ricky so that I could slip away to set up our little date. A little nook in the park (sorta just an oversized rock that extends too far over the ground creating a cave) was going to be filled with twinkle lights (battery operated) and chocolate and blankets. It was going to be pretty perfect, and as Ricky's arm wraps around my waist while we stand on his front porch, i stand up on my tippy toes, pecking his cheek in excitement. 

Ricky POV 

"Lead the way" Nini tells me, her energy very clear in her voice and very contagious. I laugh and open the front door to my house. I almost have a heart attack. Maybe thirty people or so jump out at me, yelling various things like "happy birthday!" and "surprise!" I bring my hand to my mouth to try and control my happiness but it was overwhelming me as my friends rush forward to hug me and to ruffle my hair in excitement. My dad walks forward and puts a birthday hat on my head, patting my shoulder and pulling me into a tight hug. "Happy birthday son." He tells me and I smile brightly, hugging him again. "Thank you." I breathe out, still not over the shock and extreme happiness I feel. "Still so proud of the fact that you made it to seventeen without doing half of the shit I did as a teenager." He tells me and I laugh, recovering a little and pushing at his shoulder. "Hey I still have time." I say and he laughs as two sets of arms envelope me. I turn to see Nini's moms smiling brightly at me, their welcoming and loving expressions bringing my emotions to the surface again. "Happy happy birthday you sweet boy." Carol tells me, and I feel Dana's hand rub my back in a motherly way. "We can't believe you're so grown up." She tells me softly and I wrap both of them in hugs again. "I can't believe it either." I admit and Carol brushes my hair away from my forehead. "Thank god getting older doesn't mean seeing less of you." She says and I laugh, shaking my head. "No you're pretty stuck with me." I admit and right as I say that, I feel another pair of warm arms wrap around my midsection. "Good." I hear and I bring my hands to the small arms that hold onto me, rubbing them gently before turning around in them to face the body that they belong to. "Are you happy?" Nini asks gently and I almost can't even form a response. "Nini, this... this is all... it's just so..." I try to say but emotion gets caught in my throat and nothing is really coming out. Instead of trying to get an answer out of me, Nini leans up and presses her lips against mine. "I'm so glad baby. It's everything you derserve." She tells me, and as I look around the room at the people who gathered to celebrate me, I actually begin to tear up a little. Nini leans against my arm and she rubs my back gently, knowing exactly how to calm my emotions (even when they're overwhelmingly incredible.) "This is only the beginning." She tells me, a little smile very present in her voice. I notice we haven't even stepped out of the foyer and I look down at her. "God how am I so damn lucky?" I ask and she moves her body so that she's directly in front of me, her hands immediately moving to my neck. "You came into my life, and you brought nothing but overwhelming love, energy, peace, life. You care for everyone before you care for yourself and you feel every emotion to its fullest. You're incredible. That's how you got all this." She tells me and tears start to form in my eyes from her words. Her fingers start to rub the base of my neck gently, playing with the hair there calmingly. I smile through my tears tears and she presses her lips against mine. "Thank you for being here to help me make every year better." I tell her. "Oh now baby, that's what you're doing. I just get to be here for it." She whispers to me.