Summary: The times when a member of their group tells Lucas to tell Riley that he loves her, and the one time he is told not to.
A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for checking out this fic. I hope that you enjoy it. Let me know what you guys think below and if you have any suggestions for the next fic! :)
1. Maya
"Okay, Huckleberry. If you care about me, here's what you do. Go find Riley. Tell her you lover her."
His heart stops at her words and he stares at her for a moment. She is looking at him with determination in her eyes, her mind made up.
"Love her?" he repeats back.
"Just say it. We like it," she waves him off and when she does, he gives her a wide smile. This is the Maya he knows, the Maya he can always be comfortable with, and he is so happy that this whole triangle business is over. He's not hurt, and more importantly, neither is she.
"Thank you," he says as he wraps his arms around her, drawing her in for a hug. Maya rests her head on his shoulder for a while, and again, he is thankful. It's not weird to show her any form of affection anymore. For the first time in a long while, it feels as though a weight has been lifted from his chest.
"What are friends for?"
Those words make him smile wider as he gets up, and he gives Maya one last glance before he leaves to find the girl his heart has chosen since the day she fell into his lap.
Lucas ransacks through his room for the special box he has carried around with him since he made his decision. He had left it in his room that morning after walking away from Riley, hope diminishing when she told him that she and Evan had talked all night. He had been so sure that he had lost her until Maya told him to tell Riley that he loved her.
Maya would not send him after Riley if she was not sure that her best friend felt the same way too. And because Maya was so sure, Lucas knows that he should be too.
He does not know if what he feels for Riley can be called love just yet. What he does know is how sacred that word is to the both of them, and that to say those words right when they've just started figuring things out would probably scare the both of them.
He does not tell Riley that he loves her when he hands her the jellybean, even if the shy smile she gives him tugs at his heart. Maya's words ring through his head, but as he and Riley continue being with each other that day, he knows he did the right thing by not forcing those three little words out just yet.
He just had his moment, and he knows that he has future moments to look forward to. As she tells him about the picture Auggie just sent her, her face lights up as she grips his hand, and his heart leaps like it always does with her.
One day, he vows, he will tell take Maya's advice and tell Riley Matthews he loves her. And one day, she will be ready to hear it.
2. Zay
His hands tremble as he tries to hold on to his baseball bat, the wooden bat slipping from his sweaty palms. The excitement from the players around him becomes nothing but a faint buzz in his ears as his heart starts to beat faster than he thinks it should. He clutches his chest as he tries to remember how to breathe.
"Okay, boys, girl coming through!" a familiar voice all but shouts and Lucas blinks. "I promise my eyes are closed but if you would please just be appropriately clothed, I would really appreciate that."
He has to blink another few times to make sure that he is not dreaming. Walking towards him with an exasperated Maya leading her is his girlfriend. He grins at how cute she is with her hands over her eyes as she continues trying to assure his teammates that she is not looking at any of them.
"Okay, Huckleberry, I believe this is yours," Maya grins as she puts Riley hand into his and he tips his head at her. She rolls her eyes at the gesture, tells him to take care of Riley, and then leaves.
"Lucas? Can I open my eyes now?" Riley asks.
"Not yet, Riley," he chuckles before turning around to address his amused teammates. "Alright, get out of here."
His teammates wolf whistle and holler as they leave, and Lucas shakes his head at them. He playfully throws a towel at Zay's face when his best friend puckers up his lips at him from the entrance of the locker room before leaving the two of them alone.
Gently, he picks her fingers from her face and she opens her beautiful eyes at his touch. Brown orbs stare back at him as an adorable smile lights up her face. He finds another smile tugging at his lips, an effect that she has always had on him.
"Hi," she softly quips.
"Hey," he whispers, and this time, he is aware that his heart is racing for another reason altogether.
She takes both his hands and squeezes them, giving him a shy smile as she does so. Her eyes shine brightly at him, and not for the first time, he sees the faith she has in him. She is looking at him as though he can do anything in the world.
"Good luck," she grins at him before pecking him on his lips. A light blush stains her cheeks when she pulls away, and he squeezes her hand back.
"I'm scared," he admits. She just nods at him, understanding on her pretty face. There is not a hint of judgment in her eyes. Not for the first time, he wonders how he got so lucky to have her in his life.
"I know," she comes closer to him. Riley places a hand on his face, and he leans into it. "I believe in you, though. I'll always believe in you."
If there is one thing he will never doubt in this world, it is that.
It is then that he notices that his hands have stopped shaking, and that he is once again breathing normally. Because with her hands in his, he knows he can do anything in the world.
He points towards the door of the locker room. "Shall we?"
"We shall," she giggles, and together, they walk out of the locker rooms. Riley gives him one last comforting smile before she makes her way to the bleachers and Lucas makes his way to the field.
On the field, Zay grins at him when he takes his place beside him. His best friend is regarding him with a knowing look, eyebrows raised.
"What?"
"Oh, nothing. Just realized that you're not as nervous now and that you can actually grip your bat," Zay sarcastically mentions and Lucas rolls his eyes at him.
He makes the mistake of looking at the bleachers, and feels as though his throat is closing up again when he notices the crowd. The bleachers are full of people – parents, students and faculty members. Once again, he feels his chest constricting at the thought of playing his first high school baseball game in front of so many people?
What if the bat slips out of his hand when he needs to swing? What if he misses? What if he plays as badly as he did on the first day of tryouts?
Horrible, mind-numbing thoughts start to fill his brain and he is sure he is about to faint when he spots her in the crowd.
His girlfriend is in the middle row with Maya, Farkle and Smackle. Each of them is holding on to a part of the long banner that they had made themselves earlier that day. To see Riley holding the portion of the 'Go Zay and Lucas!' banner with his name makes him forget everything else. She waves at him excitedly, and he waves back.
"Alright, you can tell Riley how much you love her after the game," Zay jokingly snipes as he hits Lucas on the back of his head. Lucas punches him on the arm, feeling a sense of satisfaction when his best friend whimpers.
"C'mon, let's go win," he grins at his best friend.
3. Farkle
"You know, all you have to do is say sorry to her," the genius says as he plots himself beside him on the bench. He feels Zay's presence on his other side but Lucas just continues staring at the locker in front of him, fists clenched.
Anger is coursing through his veins, and the muscle in his jaw twitches.
"I am not apologizing for this, Farkle," Lucas insists and Farkle merely raises an eyebrow at him. The blonde baseball player squirms under his friend's gaze, but stubbornly crosses his arms across his chest and goes back to looking at the locker.
He does not know what he is looking at on the locker, but what he does know is that after what happened in the cafeteria earlier, he needed space. He needed a place where Riley would not find him, and the boys' locker room was the first and only place he could think of.
"You know you're just proving her point, right?" Zay asks him and he glares at his friend. The other teen raises his hands, as though he has surrendered. "Just stating the obvious, man."
"You're being jealous when you don't have to be," Farkle says and it is hearing Farkle say that which sets him off.
"Don't have to be?" he is aware that his voice is rising as he rounds off on Farkle. "Farkle, it has been obvious since the first day they started on their project that Jordan had a thing for her. I told her, and do you know what she said? That I was being jealous for nothing," he is seething as he continues on, "The next thing I know, she tells me that that piece of trash tried to kiss her. So please, Farkle, do tell me why I have nothing to be jealous about?"
It is a testament to their friendship that neither Farkle not Zay budge from their seats. Instead, the former regards him with an unimpressed look while the latter gives him a sympathetic one.
"Why didn't she believe me?"
Farkle stands up, and looks him straight in the eye, his expression calm and unwavering.
"You have nothing to worry about because she loves you," Farkle tells him and Lucas' eyes widen at his statement. "She knows how she feels about you, Lucas, and no other boy is going to change that. Especially not when she has waited so long to be with you. Do you really think that after everything the both of you have been through, she would jeopardize any future with you?"
Lucas remains silent, letting what the genius has just revealed sink in.
"Well then, why didn't she just trust Lucas in the first place?" Zay questions.
"Because she's Riley," Farkle fondly smiles. "Because she will always have faith in someone until they give her a reason not to. That's her biggest strength."
"It can also be her biggest weakness, you know," Zay points out. Lucas sighs as he sits back down.
"Maybe. But I don't plan on letting her weakness overcome her strength. Do you?" Farkle asks the former Texan. Lucas shakes his head.
He would never do anything to take away her spirit. If anything, it's one of the many things he loves about her. It is the faith she has in people that gave him the friends he has today. It is the trust she has that everyone deserves a second chance that he feels comfortable talking to her about his past. It is her belief that makes her Riley, and he hopes it is never taken from her.
"I know you're upset about the almost kiss," Farkle continues and once again, Lucas feels his blood boil. "But think of it rationally, Lucas. She stepped away the moment she saw for herself what Jordan's intentions were. She told you about it immediately after it happened because she knows that keeping it a secret from you would have driven the both of you apart eventually. She told you because she trusts that this relationship between the two of you is stronger than one stupid boy she does not even care about the way she cares about you."
He is right. Once again, Farkle is right.
"Damn man," Zay cheers and Farkle rolls his eyes. "That was deep."
Lucas regretfully rubs his forehead to soothe the oncoming headache he knows he is about to experience.
He should have told her that it was okay instead of jumping at her throat when she told him about the almost kiss. He should have been holding her close instead of leaving her room through her bay window despite her calls for him not to leave. He should have stayed with her and let her talk instead of letting his own insecurities and jealousy push them apart.
"Okay, Face, so here's what you're going to do. Go back to her place and tell her that you love her," Farkle orders as he hands Lucas his bag. "You're going to say that you're sorry for your outburst and you're going to assure her that this is not going to split you both apart. Because it isn't, right?"
He smiles at his friend appreciatively and makes his way to Riley's house. He drops a text to Mr Matthews to let him know that he was entering his apartment. Instead of going to the entrance of the apartment building, he makes his way up the steps and through the bedroom window.
He is not surprised to see her asleep with her head on Maya's lap. His heart aches at the tear tracks on her cheeks, and gulps when he sees Maya's furious face.
"I'm here to apologize. I promise," he whispers and Maya's face softens slightly. She is still looking at him with contempt though, as she gently shakes Riley awake.
Riley stirs from her sleep, sitting up as consciousness claims her. She blinks a few times, taking in her surroundings while giving Maya a confused smile. The smile vanishes when she sees him, and instead a sad, dejected look mars her pretty face.
He gulps as guilt consumes him. He is the reason for her pain.
Maya gives Riley a kiss on the cheek, telling them both that she will be right outside as she walks out of the room. When she closes the door behind her, Riley looks at him in uncertainty, and he notices the way she is fiddling with her hands.
She is trying to decide whether or not to hold his hand, he realizes. He internally curses himself for making her doubt how to act around him. He makes the decision for her when he takes her hand, and in that one simple gesture, he watches as the tension leaves her body and she looks at him with hope.
"I'm sorry," they both blurt out together.
Their eyes are wide as they regard each other, and not a moment later, they are chuckling at each other. Riley moves closer to him and grips his hand tighter.
"I'm sorry I didn't listen to you about Jordan," she is looking at him with such sincerity that he feels like looking away but he cannot. "I promise that nothing happened."
"I believe you," he assures her and tugs her towards him, feeling a sense of peace when she rests her head on his shoulder.
He finally can admit to himself that the strong feeling in his chest, the overwhelming need from before to know that she is okay even when he himself was still hurting, is love.
He loves her for not keeping the almost kiss a secret from him because she values their relationship. He loves her for being sorry about not trusting him about Jordan and he loves her for forgiving him when he had failed to understand her earlier.
He loves her for so much more than that too. He loves her for being the bumbling ray of sunshine that she is. He loves her for the faith she has in people, and for the never-ending love she has for her friends. He loves her for always believing in him.
He loves her. He is in love with Riley Matthews.
"Riley?" he stops her through the middle of her rant about her father bringing up their issues in class again.
"Lucas?"
"I… "
She waits for him to speak, her eyes wide as she regards him. It is just three words, and yet, he cannot say them right then, not when they just had their first major fight as a couple. He wants that moment to be special, he realises, and he is going to make sure he gives her a moment she never forgets. He is going to give her a moment she will never doubt.
"I'm glad we could talk things through today," he says instead, and she gives him a shy smile, lacing her fingers through his.
"I know I can always talk to you," she assures him and his heart soars at her words. "And you can always talk to me."
He will tell her he loves her soon. He just has to wait for the right moment.
4. Smackle
"I still do not understand why you have to make such a big deal out of this," Smackle says in a bored tone as she hands him the last rose. "Just tell her you love her at lunch. She'll give you her goofy 'sparkles' smile and then we can all tease you both for being saps."
Lucas gives her a dirty look as he arranges the rose in Riley's locker and steps back to look at his handiwork. In his girlfriend's locker sits a bouquet of roses and miniature model of the Eiffel Tower stands beside it. A note rests at the top of the bouquet, giving her instructions to meet him at him on her apartment rooftop after school.
He has everything planned. He and his friends had spent the morning cleaning the rooftop. It is one the places that Riley has avoided going to since New Years', but he thinks that it is about time that they make new and happier memories there. All he has to do is pick up the picnic basket from Topanga's bakery, and then he and Riley can have their date on the rooftop. When their date is almost over, he will look her in the eyes and tell her he loves her.
"I want it to be special, okay?" he closes the locker and turns to look at Smackle."It's a big thing."
"Why?" his friend asks. A look of genuine confusion mars her sweet face.
"It just is, Smackle," Lucas shrugs. "Besides, moments are kinda my thing."
"That is the dumbest thing you have ever said," Smackle snaps at him, and he stops in his tracks. He gives her an unimpressed look, eyebrows raised as he implores her to move on. "Lucas, those three words do not matter."
"Excuse me?"
"Farkle doesn't tell me he loves me but I know he does," Smackle says matter-of-factly. "And he knows I love him. Because when you love someone, it's not what you say that matters. It's what you do."
He is speechless as she continues talking, a lovesick expression on her face. A dreamy smile spreads across her lips and she continues, "Farkle shows me he loves me when he stands by my locker every morning and waits for me. I show him that I love him when I push him to think of another way to solve the hardest Calculus question in our textbook."
"You love him because of the small things – the things that make you feel safe," he sums it up and she nods. "But Riley and I aren't you and Farkle."
"Of course you're not. We're intellectually better than you," she waves him off and Lucas fondly smirks at her. "I'm just letting you know, as your former crush," he rolls his eyes at that, "that you don't have to keep stressing yourself out over these grand romantic gestures. If anything, I have heard her gushing to Maya about the little things that you do like bringing her a sandwich."
"So you think I should cancel our rooftop date?" he dejectedly asks and she smacks her hand to her forehead, as though talking to him has given her a headache.
"Not at all, hunk," she says and he snorts amusedly at her nickname. "I'm just saying that you don't have to stress yourself out so much over these 'moments'. These moments you're going to have with Riley do not have to be big ones all the time."
"But telling her that I love her is a big deal to me," he insists and when he tells her that, Smackle finally nods at him approvingly.
"Then tell her you love her because it means something to you, and not because you feel as though you have to make these moments special," Smackle squeezes his shoulder.
He understands the point she has made and tells her so, grinning when she comfortingly squeezes his shoulder again before dropping her hand.
"Stop hitting on me," he teasingly says and Smackle laughs. She sticks out her tongue at him, and they continue their silly gestures to each other until they meet their friends in the school cafeteria.
+1 Riley
"This was amazing, Lucas," Riley grins at him, and he feels his heart tug when she takes his hand and squeezes it. They'd just finished their picnic, plates between them stained with chocolate while the once full picnic basket now lays empty. "Thank you for this."
"You're welcome," he kisses her on the cheek, and when he pulls away, he notices that the smile she once donned slowly dissipates. Instead, she looks worried as she pulls her hand away and faces him.
Nervousness is evident on her face, but so is determination. She has decided to tell him something, and what she has decided to tell him is going to change things between them. He fears that nervousness she displays because more often than not, it never brings anything good. The first time he had seen that look was is Texas when she decided that he was going to be her brother. Thankfully for him, that had not worked out well.
He sees her gulp, and it is that action that makes his palms start to sweat and his breath start to hitch. He looks away from her, trying to slowly disentangle their hands but she holds on tightly.
He does not want to hear what she has to say. If it is going to tear them apart, he needs to get off the roof now.
"I love you, Lucas," she blurts out and he whips his head up to gape at her.
His eyes are wide and his jaw drops slightly. He desperately wants to tell her he loves her too but nothing comes out. Once again, she has rendered him speechless. This time, however, he does not ache with confusion and sadness like he did in Texas. This time, he is sure that he is about to burst into a happy dance any second now. This time, happiness overwhelms him, and he tries to speak, but he cannot.
"You don't have to say it back," Riley assures him. Though she is firm when she says so, her eyes are downcast and she tries to gently pry her hand away from his. He just grips her tighter, but she is no longer conscious. Instead, she carries on babbling, "I know how important those words are. But I just need you to know that I love you. I haven't been sure of a lot of things lately but loving you is one of the things I am most sure of. Lucas, if you don't feel the same way yet, it's fi – oompfh."
He grins against her lips as he kisses her, hand caressing her face. As she kisses him back, he feels a sense of happiness he has not felt in so long.
They pull away when they need air, though their foreheads stay pressed against the other.
"I love you too," he says easily then. She stares back at him with a giddy smile, and he is pretty sure that the smile on his face is mirroring hers.
He loves Riley Matthews. And she loves him.
Apologies if the characters may seem a little OOC. I am still trying to get the hang of writing them. Let me know if you know any ways I could improve, and also if you liked this fic or not! Cheers!