Last night, Drake wasn't present to accept his Video Music Award for Best Hip Hop Video ("Hotline Bling"), but he did show up in the final moments of the ceremony as the surprise presenter of the Video Vanguard Award, which went to Rihanna. Last week, Drake gave Rihanna her own billboard as his means of congratulating her for the prestigious award, and last night, he took his devotion even further by effusively singing her praises and proclaiming his love for her. "She's someone I've been in love with since I was 22 years old," he said, not a dry eye in the audience.
When Drake went to hand her the award, many thought that he wanted to seal the deal with a public kiss on the lips. Instead, Rihanna turned her cheek, and he settled by furrowing into her neck. Social media was quick to declare the moment to be a major curve on RiRi's part. Drake, however, was intent on proving that he's more than just an unrequited loverboy to his "Too Good" collaborator.
He soon went on Instagram to pay another tribute to Rihanna, which came with an especially coupley picture of the two of them in Toronto, huddled under the CN Tower while Drake plants a kiss near her left eye. It's unclear if they jetted to The 6 after the VMAs, which took place in NYC, though the Instagram post seems to be Drake's way of confirming that he is indeed getting that "Work" from the girl he's been in love with for almost seven years now.