Chapter Text
Gina’s love language is quality time, with acts of service as a close second. It’s no secret. For her whole life she valued actions more than words, and placed more emphasis on those who stick around rather than those who offer her empty promises.
It’s simply part of who she is.
For the longest time, she never experienced any sort of time with anyone—much less deserving of the word quality. Her mom was always half-answering her questions during breakfast as they scrambled to get ready for the day, Jamie would only come and visit for short periods of time with barely enough length to actually make an effort to be a good big brother, and her friends thought of her as more of an object than anything else.
However, that all changed when she met Ricky Bowen.
From the minute she first connected with him in Big Red’s car after homecoming, he always made a point to make whatever moment they had together matter. Of course when he was with Nini it was hard, but he still smiled at her from across the room, and asked her how her day was after a long rehearsal.
And now that they’re dating, his time spent with her is always worthwhile. He takes her out on late night drives, brings her junk food when she’s cramming for a test, and calls her at midnight when she can’t sleep.
Every second she spends with him is valuable—even the simple moments she doesn’t even know matter. They always do though, they matter simply because she does, and for the very first time she’s with someone who makes her feel that way.
Ricky, who right now is fixing her a bowl of Kraft macaroni and cheese, that particular dish being the only thing he can cook successfully, is showing her a prime example of why she loves quality time.
“I know you said you wanted to watch High School Musical: 2, but maybe we could watch the third one instead?” Ricky asks as he hands her the warm bowl of cheesy pasta and joins her on the couch in her living room.
Gina smiles at him, taking in the warmth of the pasta, but also the warmth of his body next to hers. “Any particular reason for that choice?” Gina inquires as she takes a spoonful of macaroni and cheese and drops it into her mouth.
Ricky bites his upper lip as he looks down at Gina who is wrapped up in a blanket with her back against his chest. “I just want to hear ‘Can I Have This Dance’ and imagine how it felt to be dancing with you on the rooftop again.” It’s a little cliche, but that was quite possibly the best moment of Ricky’s life.
Gina melts into Ricky’s arms at his confession. Three months ago, in the late September glimmer, Ricky had invited her up to the rooftop and proceeded to recreate the whole Troy and Gabriella scene where he asks her to Prom, only this was Ricky’s way of asking Gina to Homecoming.
They danced in the late evening glow as the sun began to set into the mountain sky around them, and Ricky held Gina close in his arms until the sky grew black. It was the perfect way to mark the last fall dance of his senior year. And when she said yes, both Ricky and Gina knew it was time for them to step out of hiding and make their relationship known to everyone at the school and around the world.
“Are you comfortable? Do you need more blankets? Water?” Ricky asks as he hands her the remote control for the TV.
Gina shakes her head, “I’m fine, Ricky. I promise.”
“Because if you’re in pain, I completely understand. We can totally watch whatever you want…”
Gina places her hand over his mouth, looking directly into his brown eyes, “I’m okay, Ricky. It’s just a broken foot.”
That’s the only thing that’s dampened her enthusiasm over the last week and a half. During her final dance recital of the year with her ballet class, one of the dancers had gone spinning off in Gina’s direction and completely knocked her off the stage. Gina landed wrong and felt pain instantly. And two hours later as she sat in the emergency room with her mother, still in her work clothes, Gina learned she’d broken her second and third metatarsal and would be out of dance for at least the next six weeks.
Ricky was gutted when he found out, and it took all of Gina’s reassurance that she was okay for him to not immediately cancel his guitar lesson and rush to be at her side at the hospital. He, however, did end up showing up at her house with just enough time to lift her out of her mom’s car and bring her inside where he and Terri proceeded to wait on her for the whole evening.
And ever since then, he’s been at her side practically day and night. Ricky shows up extra early in the morning to make sure she has enough help navigating around her house on crutches when her mom has already left for work. He drives her to school and makes sure to have scooted the passenger seat back as far as possible so she can have all the leg room available. And he carries her books to class for her, even if it causes him to be late to his own classes most of the time.
“I know, Gi,” Ricky replies as he gently brushes the collection of curls away from her face, “but I just feel like I’m not doing enough to make sure you’re okay.”
Gina shakes her head as she cups his cheek with the palm of her hand, “you’re doing more than I could have ever imagined. Thank you.”
Ricky wraps his arms around her, holding her as close as he can manage. “It’s nothing, Gina. You know I’d do anything for you.”
Gina laughs as she recalls a memory, “including eating that terrible monster cookie I made out of leftover Halloween candy last month?” His facial reactions after eating something even Gina was too afraid to try made it so much funnier. His nose scrunched up almost immediately after the substance entered his mouth, yet when Gina asked how it tasted, all he did was hold up his thumb.
“It wasn’t so bad,” Ricky says, downplaying the obvious disgust he experienced while eating her creation.
Gina rolls her eyes as the opening credits begin to roll across the screen, “one day you’ll admit it was bad. When? Who knows.”
———
For the next hour and a half, Gina snuggles in close to Ricky as they both sing along to the music of their favorite movie. Despite having just put on a production of the film in their own theater department, they could never grow tired of the chemistry between Troyella or the sometimes cheesy songs.
When the rooftop promposal scenes appear on screen they both recite the lines out of memory, and at the end, Ricky leans down and presses a deep kiss into Gina’s lips. He knows that her mom is watching them from the kitchen, but he can’t resist it. There is something so special about the way she looks at him when he’s singing about the future.
The movie ends and Gina is practically asleep against Ricky’s arm. He cradled her head softly as he sat up, letting it rest against his leg.
Terri Porter takes note of Ricky’s eyes against hers, “want to take her up to her room?” She asks. This wouldn’t be the first time that Gina’s fallen asleep against Ricky during their annual Sunday night movies.
Ricky nods and slowly lifts Gina up off the couch. Terri follows behind them, carrying Gina’s crutches and her blankets they had been using on the couch.
Ricky lowers Gina into her bed and gradually pulls back the covers as her mom places a pillow under her boot-clad injured foot. Ricky reaches inside the top drawer of her nightstand and grabs her pink silk bonnet. He gently slides it over her head and places a kiss on her forehead.
“Goodnight, my Gi.”
Terri sneaks out the door with Ricky not too far behind; however, he hears Gina’s tired voice call back for him.
“Ricky?”
He turns around and peeks his head back through her door. “Yes?”
“Can you maybe stay a little longer?” Gina asks as she sits up, resting herself on her elbows, “until I fall asleep?”
Ricky walks back into her room and sits down on her bed. He points to the guitar she keeps in the corner. He’s used it more than she has, but ever since she surprised him with a song for his first day of senior year, he’s been adamant that she keep playing.
“Can I play a song?”
Gina doesn’t even have to reply for Ricky to know her answer.
He reaches for the guitar and gently starts to strum some familiar chords.
Beauty queen of only eighteen, she had some trouble with herself
He was always there to help her, she always belonged to someone else
I drove for miles and miles, and wound up at your door
I've had you so many times, but somehow I want more
Gina keeps her eyes on his. He’s happiest when he’s singing, and she wishes she could bottle up his happiness and save it for the days when he doesn’t feel that way.
I don't mind spending every day
Out on your corner in the pouring rain
Look for the girl with the broken smile
Ask her if she wants to stay a while
And she will be loved
And she will be loved
He sings every word, and instead of it going through her head, it goes straight to her heart. She’s never felt more loved than in the moments when he’s singing to her when she’s tired and he’s doing whatever he can to promise her his love.
Tap on my window, knock on my door, I want to make you feel beautiful
I know I tend to get so insecure, it doesn't matter anymore
It's not always rainbows and butterflies, it's compromise that moves us along, yeah
My heart is full and my door's always open, you come anytime you want, yeah
In the dim lights of her small bedroom, Ricky promises Gina his presence. This is a simple declaration of how much he values the time he spends with her—even the simple moments.
I don't mind spending every day
Out on your corner in the pouring rain
Look for the girl with the broken smile
Ask her if she wants to stay a while
And she will be loved
And she will be loved
And she will be loved
And she will be loved
Gina closes her eyes, letting the melodic tones of his voice carry her away.
She’s drifting, and he’s following her. He’d follow her to the ends of the earth.
I know where you hide, alone in your car
Know all of the things that make you who you are
I know that goodbye means nothing at all
Comes back and begs me to catch her every time she falls, yeah
Ricky stands up slowly and makes his way to the corner of her room, watching her eyes grow heavier as he sings. This song has always been special to them, and he can’t wait for the moment the chords he knows better than most are playing as they walk down the aisle.
Tap on my window, knock on my door, I want to make you feel beautiful
I don't mind spending every day
Out on your corner in the pouring rain, oh
Look for the girl with the broken smile
Ask her if she wants to stay a while
He drops the guitar down to the floor and begins to walk out of her door, gently closing the door behind himself.
The last thing Gina registers before she drifts off is the sweet sound of Ricky’s voice singing.
And she will be loved
And she will be loved
And she will be loved
And she will be loved
She is so loved.