euphoria. [ rini au ]

chapter one.

Nini was in the Caswell's bright white and blue kitchen when E.J. came through the front door. Nini shared a grin with Sue Caswell, E.J.'s mom, before biting into warm peanut butter cookie. She thought about calling Ricky to let him know E.J. got home, but E.J's appearance in the doorway brought her thoughts back to the present and she let a wide grin split her face.

"You're back!" E.J. cried, crushing her into a hug, causing her cookie to fall to the ground and crumble.

"E.J., breathing has become a problem," Nini gasped as he choked her. "And you broke my cookie."

"This is awesome, I'm so happy you're back, Gina hasn't shut up about you coming home. Where's Ricky?" he asked, letting go of her and grabbing a cookie. "Oh and what's for dinner?"

"Your father is barbecuing, we invited the Bowen's and they are coming in half an hour," Sue replied, peeling corn husks. "Go get cleaned up and you can talk to Nini when you smell nice and fresh."

"Yes, Mama," E.J. told her, sliding on his stool. "Neenster, you gonna wait here?"

"Well, yeah," she told him, "there are cookies here."

He chuckled, leaving the kitchen while Nini grabbed another cookie. E.J.'s dad, Dean, entered the room and Sue held the door open as he brought the food out to the patio to start grilling. Nini hating feeling unhelpful, so when she spotted the plates and utensils piled up, she brought them outside and set the table.

"Oh, Nini, you didn't have to," Sue said in regards to her setting the table, "You're supposed to be resting, you've had a busy past week and you deserve a break. Why don't you give your mother a call, she's been wanting to check in on you."

"I'll send her a text, she's probably busy at a business dinner," Nini said, heading back inside.

As she entered the kitchen, she gasped, not expecting Ricky to appear in the doorway.

"Long time, no see," he joked, stepping closer to her, grabbing her waist and pulling her to him.

"It feels like it," she whispered. "Where are your parents?"

"They went around to the back on the patio with E.J.'s," Ricky told her, lifting a hand to play with the pendant on her necklace. "I was told E.J. is upstairs?"

"Shower," she added, gripping the hem of his t-shirt. "I haven't really see him since I got back. I missed you."

"Same here. When you left, my dad had this whole speech prepared when I got into the car," he told her. "He made me promise this wasn't some sort of game we were playing. He let it drop when I told him it wasn't."

"You're not a game," she insisted and his eyes danced.

"My words exactly," he replied, brushing her lips with his. Stomping noises came from the stairs and Nini froze. She heard E.J. call her name and she stepped back from Ricky just in time.

"Right here," she called as he entered the kitchen and E.J. looked puzzled seeing their hands together. Ricky let go of her hand like a hot coal and E.J. seemed to realize his best friend was in his kitchen.

"Hey, man, welcome home," E.J. said, "Dad says the food's ready."

"Sweet," Ricky said, following E.J. to the patio, taking a seat across from Nini at the table.

Everyone starting filling up their plates with salad, chicken and bread in relative silence. The atmosphere remained polite, but to Nini it held the tension of an expected storm when she realized what was happening. Nudging Ricky's foot, he looked up and saw the glint in her eye as she tried to silently tell him to play along.