euphoria. [ rini au ]

chapter twenty-four.

Nini braced both hands the fence that ran around the outskirt of the field. The metal was cold against her palms and the gentle breeze that tickled her skin was cool and slightly chilly. Above her, the blackening sky twinkled with stars that were blurred out by the lights of the city.

To her left, in the parking lot, students called to one another and horns honked as students arrived late to the charity ball taking place in the gym. As coordinator, Nini had opted not to go with her friends and their dates to dinner first, instead staying behind with Ricky to supervise the final decorations and give direction to those taking tickets. She had protested against his offer to remain with her, but he had merely waved it off and insisted. She really hadn't tried that hard to convince him otherwise.

Behind her, she heard footsteps on the gravel. She didn't have to turn around to see who would emerge from the darkness, knowing full well only one person would seek to find her here. She had counted on it when she left the noisy, crowded gym with its whimsical decorations and sought some place to just enjoy a moment of quiet where she could force everything from her mind and feel things slowing down. A gush of air shifted as the cool empty space at her back was replaced by warmth and heat, a jacket settled around her shoulders as Ricky's arms encircled her.

"Hey," she whispered, watching the taillights of the cars on the road as they winked in and out around corners and trees. "Is it still crazy?"

"Nah," he replied softly, hands sliding down her arms until his fingers lay over hers. "Everyone is pretty much settled and the DJ started to play a bigger variety. The dance floor isn't so empty now that everyone's friends are here."

"E.J. and them?" she inquired, lacing her fingers with his as she turned towards him.

"They're in the gym. I told them we were taking a break and you hadn't eaten yet," he told her, brushing a loose curl away from her face. "You look beautiful."

"You told me that earlier," she joked, a smile pulling at her lips as he gripped her chin and tilted her head up to capture her lips.

"Doesn't mean it's not true," he grinned.

Nini lost herself in the moment. No one was hounding her about basketball practices or last minute charity ball details. The yearbook staff wasn't grumbling about the amount of time they were spending in the darkroom and the SATs weren't looming in the future. She wasn't thinking about Christmas gifts that she needed to buy in the next few weeks or that her Thanksgiving break would be spent doing homework and applying to just about every school in the continental US. No one was asking the hated question of what she and Ricky would do come June and their parents weren't yelling through the floor to make sure the bedroom door stayed open. It was just her and Ricky, in their favourite place, on the bleachers.

"We can't stay here all night," he reminded her gently, "Someone will coming searching."

"We'll go back soon," she assured him, as they sat down. "Right now I'm enjoying the quiet."

"Whatever you want, Neens," he told her, twisting a curl around his finger as he watched her gaze up at the sky.

"Everything is just rushing by now," she siad. "When the summer started, I thought it would be the longest months of my life. I saw myself making new friends, but nothing big because the odds of seeing them again would be slim to none. I saw myself learning independence while hearing how everyone back at home was having the time of their lives. I did it because I thought it would be best for everyone if you and I didn't force them to get involved. Fate is ironic, isn't it?"

"If you define it by us, then yes," Ricky answered, shifting to let her snuggle under his arm.

"Now, everything is going at lightening speed., there's always something to do or somewhere to go. Those days where we would sit on the dock and do nothing but talk or read? Sometimes, I want those back."

"Everything is moving fast because the hard part is over. We all cringe and shy away, agonizing over the possible complications and the 'what ifs', so that the time it takes to reach the peak, it's painfully slow." He told her, his lips brushing against her forehead. "We're done with that. The hard part is over, it will only get better."

"What about if we ever-," Nini started but Ricky's finger rested on her lips to shush her with a smile.

"Nothing can drive us back to where we were, Neens. Nothing can happen to make me want to be in that place again," he swore and she relaxed in his grip.

"This is where I want to stay," she insisted, "Us, like this."

"That can be arranged for the next fifteen minutes," he agreed, pulling her into his lap and letting her lean back.

Nini let her focus slip as he started kissing the back of her bare neck. They intensified and drifted to her back and shoulders, leading along her jaw. Her hands gripped his tightly, her eyes sliding shut as she tried not to give in to his longing that radiated through her. Turning, she let kisses drop along his forehead before pulling back.

"We should go back down," she reminded him, "You keep telling me that."

"Should and will have different meanings," he replied, gripping her knee with one hand.

"People will think we snuck off to canoodle," she stated, "We're turning into that couple."

"We are that couple already," he responded, bringing his lips to her sweet spot on her neck.

"Whatever," she gasped, her hands holding onto his knees, relaxing into him. "Right now, let's just focus on this."

"I love this," he joked, as he settled his head back, taking in the moment.

"I love you," she shot back.

Above them, the stars brightened as the horizon turned black and the city began to slowly die. The music from the gym circulated on the breezes through the open doors and windows. The parking lot was quiet as people came and went, teachers hovering just inside the door. The wind tickled Nini's exposed skin and her laugh floated on the air as Ricky hugged her tightly into him. The charity ball dance carried on, Kourtney announcing the final amount raised in Nini's absence, which was noted by chaperones and students alike.

Locked in a state of complete euphoria, Ricky and Nini could have cared less about anything else but where they were right now.

author's note:

this is it. it's finished. complete. ended.

thanks to everyone for all of your votes and comments, they mean the world to me!!

hope you enjoyed the story!!