The lights in the gym are fading, bringing the night and the dance to an end. The music and dances are slowing down, everything is slowing down.
As Lux comes into the gym, her head still spinning from her conversation with Cate, she looks around, trying to find Jones, assuming he came back to talk to her about everything that had happened. However, Lux doesn't see Jones, instead she sees Bug.
Standing in the middle of the dance floor, wearing his only button up shirt and tie, Bug is holding a huge bouquet of flowers and looking around. The next moment, he sees her. When their eyes meet, Lux isn't sure whether she should smile or cry or both, all she can think to do is to slowly move towards him, one step at a time. Seeing Lux, Bug can't help but allow a smile to cross his face. He can't believe how gorgeous the girl he loves looks. As they get closer, Lux's attempt to keep back a smile starts to fail.
"They're paid for," Bug says as he hands Lux the flowers. Her efforts are broken as Lux breaks a chuckle, remembering the time he had stolen flowers for her. Even if it was only in this small way, Lux can see that, to some degree, Bug has changed for her. He still is changing.
Taking the flowers, Lux looks into Bug's eyes, wondering when the boy she fell in love with decided to become a man. For the first time, he surprised her. He swept her off her feet without her seeing it coming, made her happy when she least expected him to. For the first time since he left, Lux sees a hint of the man in him she always knew was there.
"Whatever you want to do, I'm here," the words flow from Bug's lips and into Lux's ears the same way she always dreamed they would. Ever since everything changed, ever since Lux went back to live with her birth parents, she's just wanted to know that Bug would still love her no matter what. And now, knowing that, all of the love she's had for Bug floods back. Everything feels alright around him again. All of the reasons she fell for the tough guy that rides a motorcycle are obvious to her again.
"Prom queen," Bug continues, "President. Whatever. I want to be here." This is all she wanted. Her whole life, Lux has just wanted someone to tell her that they wanted to be with her through anything.
The world underneath Lux's feet seems to stop turning and, in the moment, all that Lux is aware of is the boy standing in front of her and the song playing around them: Lovers Without Love. For so long, Lux worried that's exactly what her and Bug would always be, lovers without any love to show for it. But now, as she stares at her version of a knight in shining armor, she knows that they've always had love, or some variety of it. They've always been special.
Lux wants to say all of this to Bug, but can't find her words. So she just smiles, hoping he gets it. "Even if it means being at a dance with people," Bug takes a breath, trying to find the way to admit he's vulnerable. Lux moves to look him in the eye but, as usual he dodges it, afraid that, maybe, Lux will see a little bit more of him than he's willing to admit to her. "I don't feel good enough to be around." Bug finishes.
As he does, Lux moves even closer to him. She doesn't care if this is a dream or not anymore. If it is, she doesn't mind because at least she gets to see it.
"You're good enough, Bug," Lux says. After the words fly from her lips like music, everything about Bug seems to light up brighter than any light in the gym around him. Through everything, through all of the recent changes, all Bug's wanted was to hear that he was still enough for Lux. That even with her shiny new house and shiny new school, he still meant just as much to her. And knowing now that he does, and always has, Bug wants nothing more than to hold her in his arms.
But Lux beats him to it.
"In fact," she starts putting her arms gently around him. They make eye contact before she continues, and she looks into the eyes of someone she knows she'll always love. "You're better," Lux promises him.
The moment after that never seems to end as the two of them dance to the world around them. Slowly, they grasp each other tight, both of them rejoicing in the long awaited sense of warmth.
The lights dim and, suddenly, people begin to abandon the dance floor, but not Lux and Bug. Instead, Bug keeps Lux in his arms, moves her hair from her ear, and whispers just one thing to her, "I'm here, Lux. I'm not going anywhere ever again."