Disclaimer: I own nothing.
*Another Tumblr request. Happy to oblige. Same OC as before. Still don't normally write characters with OC's, but there's always an exception to the rule. :)
Carlos' hands were shaking. His breath was coming in and out in short gasps and his palms were sweating profusely. He kept repeating exactly what he was going to say over and over in his mind as the seconds agonizingly ticked by.
'Rubi, I love you.'
That's it. Four simple words. But they were the most difficult set Carlos could have ever imagined saying.
"Ready to go babe?"
Carlos turns around upon hearing the voice of his girlfriend and is momentarily stunned.
Rubi is wearing a deep burgundy colored dress that just makes her gorgeous tanned skin stand out even more. Her hair is perfectly curled and her lips are coated in a sheer pink gloss.
She looks flawless.
Carlos can feel his pulse accelerate, and he takes a deep breath to calm himself down quickly before responding in a deep, almost strangled voice, "You look beautiful."
Rubi's cheeks heat up with a light blush and she bows her head in a coy manner. She glances up at Carlos and replies, "Thank you," and smiles a wide, bright smile.
Carlos nods his head and licks his lips before smiling back. He continues to stand there, drinking Rubi in, before she breaks his silence once more.
"So," she starts nonchalantly, "About those dinner reservations?"
Carlos' head snaps out of his daze and he softly shakes it to clear his thoughts.
"Right, Right. Dinner. Let's go," he says and grabs her small hand lacing his fingers through hers. Rubi leans into him as they make their way toward the door of 2J. Once they reach the elevator she lays her head delicately on his shoulder and questions, "Where exactly did you make the reservations for?"
Carlos laughs quietly and kisses Rubi's cheek sweetly. "It's a surprise," he states with an air of giddiness.
Once they reach the restaurant, Rubi is completely and utterly speechless. They were in Santa Monica on Wilshire Boulevard. Her breath taken face studies the building in front of her; Melisse. Rubi could hardly believe her eyes. She turns to Carlos with a bewildered stare and he chuckles endearingly at her.
"Surprised," he questions with a huge grin on his lips.
Rubi can only nod. She is still at a loss for words.
Carlos takes her lack of response as somewhat negative, and his face falls instantly.
"Are you not happy? We could go somewhere else if you want. I just thought…" he trails off sadly.
Rubi is shocked and frantically pulls herself together, desperately wanting to reassure him.
"No no no. Of course not Carlos. This is absolutely wonderful."
Carlos smiles once more. "Good, I was hoping you'd be excited."
"I am. But Melisse? Carlos how did you possibly get a reservation? And isn't it ridiculously expensive to eat here? I don't want you to spend a ton of money on me."
"Don't worry about it babe. For you? Anything," Carlos states and pulls Rubi close.
Rubi closes her eyes and listens to the faint heartbeat in his chest. She looks up at him after a few moments and tells him, "You're amazing, you know that?"
Carlos shrugs his shoulders and answers, "Yeah, so I've been told."
Rubi's ears are filled with his heartwarmingly laughter as she pulls away from him to lightly slap his arm. She gives him a pointed glare, but eventually laughs right alongside him.
Carlos pulls her back into him and tilts her face up to kiss her lips meaningfully. His one hand rests at the small of her back while the other raises to cup her face. Rubi sighs softly and the kiss becomes deeper as Carlos gently runs his tongue across her smooth bottom lip. Rubi picks up on his subtle hint and opens her mouth wider to give him the access he desires. The couple are clutching each another in a tight, passionate embrace, but eventually need to separate for air. As their lips detach from one another they lock eyes and smile. The mood is anything but unromantic and Carlos knows now is the perfect time to tell Rubi he loves her.
Rubi notices after a few moments of gazing at Carlos that his eyes are severely dilated. She also feels his fingers tremble against her lower back and his breath becomes slightly shaky. She begins to feel slightly concerned. Is Carlos okay?
Rubi vocalizes her question and Carlos immediately replies, "Yeah I'm fine, don't worry. I just need to tell you something."
"Well go ahead Carlos, you know you can tell me anything," she prompts. As if to further reassure him, Rubi reaches down to Carlos' limp hand and twines her fingers through his, giving them a gentle squeeze. She then pulls them up to her mouth and presses a light kiss to the back of his knuckles.
At that, Carlos seems to gain back some of his confidence. He squares his shoulders and takes a deep breath.
"Rubi, I l-l-love you," Carlos stutters out and Rubi feels her face stretch into a massive grin.
"What did you say," she questions, just to be sure she heard him right.
"I said I love you, I'm in love with you Rubi," Carlos repeats with even more confidence than before.
Rubi's heart momentarily stops beating and everything around her is spinning out of focus. All she can see is Carlos. Not that she minds much.
Rubi inhales a sharp intake of breath before she crashes forward, pressing her lips hungrily to Carlos' once again. She throws her arms around his neck and holds him to her. Carlos reciprocates her actions, hooking his arms around her slender waist. For a second time that night, the couple is grabbing onto one another, locked in a tight entanglement of limbs in front of the restaurant. And both of them couldn't be happier. Rubi draws back from Carlos and her hands rest at the nape of his neck, softly playing with the hair at the end of it.
"Carlos, I love you too. And thank you. You did all of this just to tell me you love me," Rubi asks, afraid that Carlos is simply too good to be true.
"Well yeah I did," Carlos begins. "I love you so much Rubi and honestly, you're worth every bit of it."
Rubi's heart flutters at his words and she presses another soft kiss to her boyfriends lips. She then untangles her arms from where they laid on his neck and settles for holding his hand. They smile at each other one final time, reading the love each has for the other in their eyes, before turning around and walking into the restaurant.
The rest of the night was perfect. And as Carlos is standing outside Rubi's door giving her a kiss goodnight, he suddenly leans forward and angles his lips next to her ear. He breaths out an 'I love you' and Rubi visibly shivers from it. She knew she would never grow tired of hearing Carlos say that to her, and desperately hoped he would never stop.
