A/N Hello there! After my daily chapter updates for Girl Meets Growth last week and Texas all weekend, I decided I needed a little bit of Joshaya in my life. They were the first couple I cared about on GMW and had my heart from the moment Maya saw him and said "Boing!"

This was originally a one-shot but I can't seem to shut up about these two so who knows how long it will go. Reviews, etc. certainly let me know if you are interested

This chapter is dedicated to Cori, my Cowboy loving California friend, and onceuponatime2011, my GMW bestie, who remind me that my adult obsession about a Disney show is completely okay. Y'all are the best!

Loophole: noun, a small or narrow opening; a means or opportunity of evading a rule, law, etc.

Saturday, January 16, 2016

Part I

"Hey Kiddies" Joshua Matthews greeted enthusiastically as he entered his brother's apartment in New York on a cold Saturday afternoon.

"Uncle Josh!" Auggie yelled as Josh pulled him up into a big hug and tossed him up and down as if he weighed nothing.

"My Brotha'!" Cory greeted his younger sibling.

Cory had been expecting Josh to visit this weekend because Josh had been invited to take a tour of NYC's architecture department. He was considering making it his major when he came next fall so he jumped at the opportunity to check the place out.

"Hi Josh" Topanga said warmly as she wrapped him in a hug.

Josh had always had a soft spot in his heart for his brother's wife. His whole life Cory had told him he would meet his 'own Topanga' one day. At 17 the idea still seemed far off, but he wouldn't mind if it worked out with someone eventually. His brother's family was amazing. He was much younger than his siblings, as the "surprise!" he constantly teased his Dad about, but he wished he had siblings a little closer to him. From age 8 he was basically an only child. His niece, Riley, was closer to his age than any other family member. It's a big reason he chose NYU, actually. He wanted to spend more time with them.

"Josh, lunch is almost ready could you go upstairs and get the girls?" Topanga asked.

Josh agreed and poked his head in the open door once he was upstairs. As usual the girls were deep in conversation at Riley's bay window. He cleared his throat and they immediately noticed him in the doorway.

"Uncle Josh! Yay!" Riley enthusiastically said as she darted to him and gave him a hug.

Maya watched the reunion with a smile on her face as her heart warmed with Josh's presence, as usual. She stayed behind Riley, a little more hesitant to be as enthusiastic as she once was. Maya was determined to show Josh she was mature. She was 15 today after all and he promised he would stop thinking of her as a little kid.

"Hey Josh" Maya said kindly and smiled.

"Maya" Josh said and he didn't hesitate to pull her into a hug "Riley can you head downstairs real quick your mom needed you right away."

Riley nodded and bounced down the stairs with her usual positive energy.

"Everything okay Josh?" Maya asked. This was their first time seeing each other since she practically stalked him to a college party at NYU and embarrassed him in front of those college girls. Not exactly a memory she wanted to remind him of…

"Yeah Maya, I just know it's been a while and I wanted to make sure you were okay. I know my last visit was a little…interesting but I wanted to make sure we were in a good place" Josh said with sincerity.

Looking back he should have been nicer to her. She was a kid with a crush (he could almost hear her shouting "it's not a crush!" in his head) who did something crazy. The girls that Andrew introduced him to had thought it was sweet and tried to build her confidence, even if it meant putting him down a notch or two. His friend was right; it was kind of flattering in a weird way. Maya was a great kid. "No," he reminded himself, "you told her you would stop thinking of her as that 6 year old you met all those years ago."

And yes, she had grown up gorgeous. He's not blind. The girl was beautiful. He had eyes so denying it would just be stupid, right? And not only was she stunning but she was full of life and had a vibrant personality. They shared lots of interests, he wanted to be an architect and she was an artist. They liked similar bands. And most importantly they were both utterly devoted to his brother's family. His parents loved her and considered her part of the family already so that wasn't an issue either. It's like the universe was conspiring against him with the perfect girl who couldn't be his.

Maya had changed a lot since he last saw her. She wore her hair differently, dressed in more mature clothes, and seemed more thoughtful and less impulsive as she stood in front of him. He kind of missed the blonde ball of energy that jumped on his back without a thought, and the bold girl who declared she was devoted to him in a room full of strangers. He hoped underneath she was still that person. Unguarded emotion like that is rare, especially in girls. He had dealt with girls who liked to "play the game" one too many times. Maya never made it a mystery of how she saw him and where he stood with her. It was refreshing and he hoped she hadn't lost that quality.

Josh studied Maya as he waited for her to answer him. Yup, he was relieved to see she was still his Maya ("His Maya?" he asked himself "where did that come from?). She may look and act more mature, but he could read her like a book. It was the eyes. Maya had these big blue eyes that completely betrayed every feeling she felt. They always had. He bet she sucked at poker. He'd have to bring her to card night with his friends when she was a little older. But right now her eyes told him exactly what she was feeling. She adored him as much as she ever had.

Josh tried to tell himself that he was disappointed. If Maya got over her crush ("it's not a crush!" the voice in his brain corrected him) they could hang out more and he wouldn't worry about giving her the wrong impression. He thought she was cool. He just couldn't date her. What kind of an ass would he be if he led a girl along who he had no intention of dating? She would waste the best years of her life pining for him unless he enforced these limits and boundaries. At least as long as she had this infatuation, he had to push her away. He didn't like doing it, but he knew he needed to, for her.

Josh did at least acknowledge part of him was glad she still felt that way for him. It made him selfish and a total jerk, but he knew it was there all the same. It was the same part of him that was shocked when at 13 she told him she was in it for the "long game." The part of him that was blown away that a 14 year old who had probably never had a relationship was confident and bold enough to lecture him about the "history of love." It was also the same part of him who stared into her gaze in that college dorm room as she denied his statement that it was "just a crush" and that she didn't really know him. Her eyes showed a spark of defiance as she locked her gaze with his and listed off fact after fact about him. He shouldn't have been surprised but they just so happened to be the facts that were closest to his heart, including his devotion his Cory's family and his desire to please his brother above all others, including Josh's own father. He wondered how she could possibly know that. To most people he was fun Uncle Josh without a care in the world but Maya saw the insecurity and need for validation he tried so desperately to hide. Maybe she was as good at reading him as he was with her.

Maya took a minute before responding. Her head always got a little fuzzy whenever Joshua Matthews was in the room with her. He commanded her attention. If even part of her had hoped that this extended separation from him would lessen her feelings, seeing him again shot that idea down in a nanosecond. Confirmation of what she always knew; it's not just a crush. How inconvenient when her life would be so much simpler if she could just move on.

Maya was overwhelmed with his presence, and had to struggle to remain upright. At least this time she didn't need someone to catch her as she literally swooned for him (one of her more embarrassing memories) or restrain her from "jumping on his head." Of course, the temptation to do both was still there, but Maya had been working on self-control in her desire to be more mature. She may not be able to control the instinct to be in his orbit, but she could use all of her willpower to resist. At least she hoped so.

Maya's eyes sought Josh's like a magnet as they always had. She could tell he knew what she was thinking and feeling from just one glance. She tried to seem mature, but she knew he could see through it. She knew because she could read him just as easily. He tried to play it cool, but he was concerned. Maya knew he cared about her and wanted their relationship to be as easy as it could be. Josh was a good guy. He would have to be for her to be so unflinchingly dedicated to him. It wasn't just wanting them to be okay because it would make his visits easier for him either. It wasn't because she was his niece's best friend. Josh cared about Maya as an individual and wanted what was best for her.

Yes, Josh was a good guy turning into a wonderful man and it made her so happy to see, but it was also frustrating as hell. His stupid nobility was why he was so annoyingly resistant to the pull between them. Maya knew he felt it. She could tell. She would catch him watching her when he thought she wasn't looking, and his eyes would stay on her even when she looked away from him in conversation. Most importantly when Josh looked her in the eyes Maya knew she was the only thing he saw, just like he was for her. He fought it, but occasionally he would let her in. It was Andrew who snapped him out of their mutual hypnosis in that dorm room. He visibly had to shake his head back and forth to bring himself back into the moment. Maya would have giggled if she hadn't been experiencing the same thing. One look could turn seconds into what felt like hours, kind of like the look they were sharing right now.

"Guys dinner is ready!" Riley shouted up at them, breaking their moment.

"Yeah Riley, coming" Maya said weakly as she walked to the doorway.

"Wait, Maya, you never answered my question. Are we okay?" Josh asked, grabbing her wrist so she didn't get too far ahead of him before he got his answer.

Maya felt a shot of electricity zip up her arm and shivered at the physical contact. She flinched away from him causing him to look hurt, so she quickly said "Of course Josh. Of course we're okay. It's really good to see you again. I mean it" she said sincerely.

"Okay good. Although I kind of miss the "ball of fire Maya" I have to admit. You do look great though" he said as he winked at her as he headed down the stairs.

"Be careful what you wish for, Uncle Boing" she smirked to herself before she joined the rest of the family downstairs.