This was supposed to be a short drabble and somehow it turned into an over a thousand word fic .This is my first time writing fanfiction (in full at least) so please go easy on me, this is based on the prompt below. I did change a few aspects of it though. Alex (alexandriaperez3) and Jen (notreallythatpolpular) on tumblr both encouraged me to finish the second half of this so please give them some credit ;) This is dedicated to them and all the members of the SSUNL. Hope you enjoy!
Prompt: You don't have a name tattoo on your wrist, meaning you probably don't have a soulmate but you didn't want your friends to tease you about it so you had a tattoo made on your wrist about some name you picked at random because your friend said she wanted to see it soon. And then somehow there's a person claiming to be your soulmate and they're kind of cute and sweet so you don't know what to do.
Everyone had them. Every single person from the day they were born till the day they died, had a tattoo on the inside of their wrist in cursive containing the name of their soulmate.
Except Maya.
And it just wasn't fair.
Riley had one on each wrist, an unusual occurrence, Zay and Farkle certainly had trouble figuring that one out. In the end, Zay's tattoo had changed once he had moved back to Texas in order to move on. He and Vanessa had been previously dating and the rest was history.
Riley and Farkle had some issues about whether Riley would ever fully be faithful to him because of the two tattoos. They argued about it all senior year but finally worked through it when the Matthew family had the annual New Year's party. That ended in Cory chasing Farkle out the door the next morning with Farkle covered only by one of Riley's purple fluffy robes.
Everyone had their soulmate and life figured out. Except from Maya.
It had happened before, people cropping up without tattoos or without finding their soulmate. Most of them found peace in the fact that they were different and died alone, not caring that they never had a true love story like they were all supposed to.
But Maya wanted the perfect love story, ribbon-tied in a big box for her to open like on Christmas day. After all the shit she went through, the universe owed her one. But that never came.
She had only ever confided in Riley once, when she was wasted after a party in their second year of college and she was staying in Riley's dorm room. She kept blabbering on about how it wasn't fair that she had been dealt a shitty father and a mother who loved her more than anything but couldn't afford anything after rent. Riley just stroked her hair and nodded in the middle of Maya's rants while whispering soothing thoughts in her ear.
Maya was glad she had someone to talk to about it, it gave her one less thing to worry about constantly. After all, Riley had always been supportive of her choices even when they weren't the best. Right?
Once Riley asked if she would ever tell people that she hadn't been assigned a soulmate. Maya didn't answer the question and had left the restaurant they were eating in because it was too soon and too much.
She kept having to brush people off or say it was too personal when they asked to see her tattoo or asked if she had found the one yet. It wasn't anyone else's business whether or not she had, but she still didn't want to be teased about it like she had at her old middle school before she moved to Riley's class.
So that's why she was here. Friar's Inks.
To be honest, the place looked dodgy from the moment she saw it but it was the only place she could afford at short notice with her part time job at the food court in the mall. The black and red paint flaking off where the rain had been hitting against it and the cowboy hats in the display window didn't boost her confidence but nevertheless, Maya walked in.
The lights were dimmed low and there was a long row of chairs along the wall where people stared up at her when the bell tinkled, signalling the owners that someone had walked in. A shabby clock hung squint on the opposite wall and the minute hand was edging nearer to half past. To Maya's appointment.
As the minutes ticked away, Maya fidgeted with the stuffing that was falling out of the chair and played with her nails. She wished she remembered her phone, maybe Riley would be able to talk her out of this.
Finally her name was called by a stoic middle aged woman who looked so odd in such a contrasting room. She was ushered down a narrow corridor that split into different rooms.
It was a small, square room that she was in. Maya sat down on the cushy stool that sat next to a desk filled with inks, patterns and tools on top. She grabbed the book labelled 'Baby Name Designs' and flicked to a random page. Her eyes darted the page for a suitable name that she could lie about to anyone who asked. It needed to be something that could roll off the tongue, something she could spit out quickly and then never speak about again.
About three quarters down the page, styled in long script was printed 'Lucas'. That'll do. What about last name? She racked her brain for a second name that would go with Lucas. She looked around the room, hoping for inspiration to come to her. She noticed a black cowboy hat resting on top of the cleaning cupboard. Friar. Lucas Friar. Sounds like a cowboy.
But Maya didn't have time to think of another name because just that minute, a strong, well-built, dirty blonde, blue eyed, tall male strode into the room. They locked eyes for a moment but he looked down quickly after, his cheeks slightly tinted pink.
'What's your name?' he inquired in a low voice.
'Maya Hart' she quickly replies, not wanting to spend more time here than she had to.
His eyes darted around the room and landed on his wrist and his mouth opened just slightly before he realised the situation. He raised an eyebrow, questioning her but not saying anything.
'Can I have your ID?' he continued.
Maya fished her driving licence out from her jacket pocket and handed it to the man. It had taken her many lessons from Riley at midnight in college and months of reading about safety hazards to be able to get it.
The man jotted down her age, home address, phone number and set the clipboard down with his pen on the empty chair behind him.
'So, what would you like done and where?' he asks her in exasperation.
Maya fights the urge to roll her eyes at his tone. It dawns on her that she'll have to tell this random stranger that she doesn't have a soulmate and why she wants a random name tattooed on her wrist.
'Can I have the name Lucas Friar tattooed on my wrist?' She mumbles quietly.
'What did you say?' he asks with a confused expression painted in his face.
'I want the name Lucas Friar tattooed on my wrist'' Maya repeats with more confidence.
A flash of an emotion that Maya can't quite pin down washes over the man's bright blue eyes but as quick as it comes, he brushes it off nonchalantly and goes back to cleaning the needles.
''He your boyfriend or something?'' he blurts out quickly while reach up to get the stencil.
Was this guy hitting on her?
''I don't see how that's any of your business'' Maya spits out, a tinge of venom in her voice.
''Was only asking ma'am'' he retorts, a smirk forming.
Sure buddy.
The process went by quickly, as painful as it was. Even Maya with her tough exterior winced throughout the needle piercing her skin to create the design. The man put a bandage over it with his calloused hands and lightly patted it afterwards, lingering on her hand just a beat too long but she didn't say anything, just chewed the inside of her cheek, hard.
''Thanks'' she says after he's moved from her personal space and inhales a short breath.
''Your welcome'' he splutters out in the awkward atmosphere.
The air was electric.
She stands up, stretching her legs for the first time in an hour and relieving her feet from rubbing against her heels in the same spot, its not her fault she's so small. He opens the door for her as she picks up her bag and ushers her to the reception area she sat in because ''he's a gentleman''.
As soon as he waves her off and she's outside, she falls back on the glass window display and takes a deep breath to calm down. She's never been that affected by a guy like that before. She shakes her head the tiniest amount to wake herself up from the daze she's in.
She doesn't get much sleep that night because of those blue eyes.
He doesn't either because of that long, golden tresses of hair keep filling his dreams.
She sees Riley two days later, after the tattoo has supposedly healed, at a party for Riley's homecoming after being in Germany teaching English to children for her PhD. Riley notices the name almost immediately and gasps so loud that everyone turns to look her. She turns a bright shade of red and pulls Maya into the empty kitchen. She then proceeds to ask her a million questions at lightning speed.
Maya is so focused on deflecting questions about 'Lucas Friar' that she doesn't notice a tall figure re-filling his cup behind her. Riley notices him and then walks over to him.
''Maya, have you met my friend?'' she asks with a grin that resembles one that the Cheshire cat would wear.
The man turns around, taking a sip of his drink and locks eyes with Maya. It was the guy who had done her tattoo. Maya's eyes went as wide as golf balls, scared that this dude would reveal everything. She looked around the room and realised that she hadn't answered Riley's question.
''No, I haven't'' She replies with a forced smile that is more of a grimace than anything.
He moves to outstretch his hand for her to shake.
''Lucas, Lucas Friar'' he says with that all too familiar smirk.
Maya looks down at the opposite wrist of where she got her tattoo and sure enough, in the same script, is the name Lucas Friar. She once again looks into the bright blue eyes of her soulmate and this is so fucking insane. She looks between Riley and Lucas's grins and the playful and taunting look on Lucas's face.
Shit.