A/N: This is supposed to be a one-shot but I couldn't stop writing it. So let's call it a mini-series. This story will have three chapters or two. And THIS IS A LUCAYA STORY. And it is an angst, because I hate myself. And this idea came up when I was at a wedding three weeks ago with my cousin and he saw his ex, so I guess it's based on a true story though more angsty.
Rating is High T. Borderline M.
I hope you guys dig it!
Disclaimer: do not own GMW. le sigh... I wish I own Corey Fogelmanis though.
Maya knew this was an unavoidable thing.
Farkle had popped the question three months ago and Riley had gone berserk planning the perfect wedding ever since. Maya suggested that they should take it slow and enjoy their time being an engaged couple, but they were adamant on having the wedding in July because they wanted a summer wedding and to wait for another year was torture, they had told her. Maya remembered rolling her eyes when she heard that but she was still happy for them and Riley wanted her to be the maid of honor of course. So she had to fly two weeks earlier before anybody else to Connecticut from Chicago. Her boss was kind enough to let her took two weeks off in such a short notice. She knew from she was a little girl that her best friend's wedding would be one of the most important moments in her life, she would regret it terribly if she didn't have any part of planning or stressing over it.
Though, her excitement vanished the moment her plane landed on Tweed New Haven Airport. Throughout her four hours long flight she couldn't help but to realize Riley's wedding didn't just mean helping Riley turn her wedding board into a reality, it also meant saying Hi, how are you? to the past that she had to say goodbye to.
It was not surprising that Farkle had chosen him as his best man. Riley had her and Farkle had him, it had always been like that since middle school. And she was not going to miss the chance to see two of the most precious people in her life starting a vital chapter in their life just because he was going to be there. She had to accept the fact that he was still a part of her friends lives. Though, there was an unspoken rule between her and her friends that they didn't discuss him. Every time Riley or Farkle would FaceTime or call and fill in on the happenings in their lives, his name remained unspoken. They simply referred him as, my friend or one of our friends. Farkle is visiting his friend in New York for a couple of days. Riley burnt the kitchen trying to make grilled cheese when one of our friends visited last week. She often wondered if the unspoken rule extended to him as well. Did they avoid saying her name around him?
That rule, however, was broken when Riley picked her up at the airport. She was in the passenger's seat, tossing around the inside of her purse looking for her makeup kit. If she was going to see him again she was going to look like she got everything together and the current bags under her eyes didn't scream like that at all. It was like Riley could read her mind when she said, "Don't worry peaches, Lucas isn't going to be here until the day before the wedding."
She didn't reply and zipped her purse in a swift movement.
Riley offered her a smile. A wistful one.
She didn't understand how she could feel relieved yet disappointed at the same time.
...
Everyone started arriving the day before the wedding to attend the rehearsal dinner. She never received as many hugs as that day. Riley's parents, Auggie, Zay, her mother hugged her four times, Josh and his very pregnant wife Julia, and her step-dad. Every hug she wondered if they could hear her heart beating rapidly because it felt like it might burst through her chest. She kept her eyes on the entrance of the mansion.
It was not until her step-dad handing her a glass of champagne divided her attention. "You're awfully quiet, little bird."
She took the drink and finished it in one gulp. "Am I?"
"Waiting for someone?"
"I don't know," she answered.
"You should be with your best friend! She might change once she becomes Mrs. Riley Minkus," he couldn't help but chuckled.
She laughed. "That does have a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"
When the room started to roam, she saw Farkle running toward the front door. She turned around and saw him. He looked so much different from the last time she saw him. His hair was longer, darker and messier. He was taller and paler than she remembered him to be. And he wore glasses now. Still behind those glasses she could see the soft washed out green color that always reminded her of her favorite sea green sweater that's been washed too many time. He wore a midnight blue suit and simply paired it with a jet black tie, though it looked a little crooked. Her lips formed a smile as she remembered how he could never tie a tie the right way when they were together and it seemed like he never bothered to learn.
A rush of anxiety splashed through her when his gaze met hers. Her instinct was to smile and recite this mantra in her head that she was going to make this weekend perfect for Riley and not make any scene, she was going to be strong and civil. Stupidly, she didn't follow her instinct, she tore off his gaze found the nearest exit, ignoring her step-dad calling her name.
Once she was in the garden, she sat down on a bench and pulled out a cigarette from her purse and lit it up. She took a heavy suck as her thoughts started drifting back to that last night when they were together.
It was two weeks before her graduation, she had been applying jobs at several art galleries all over the city for the last four months and none would accept her because she didn't have any experience. But then in the middle of the day she got an email from Arya Fitzgerald's Art Gallery a prominent gallery in Downtown Chicago. She got the job and they were willing to fly her off to Chicago as soon as she graduated. She couldn't believe it when she read the email, she was one hairline thick to regret applying for art school and not listening to people's advices about how difficult it was to find a job afterward. And it didn't help when her friends got job offers so easily and she was the only one who didn't have one. Lucas got an internship at an animal hospital in his junior year, Riley had already had two best-selling novels by then, and Farkle had his father's company to rely on and Zay was getting ready to be shipped off to Camp Zama.
The email from Chicago was a reassurance that the decisions she had made were not amiss.
She rushed over to Lucas and Zay's apartment and unlocked the door with the spare keys he had given her. She saw him sitting on the couch still in his scrubs which was covered with dog hair, concentrating on the paperwork lying on the coffee table. She didn't care though, she was too ecstatic about her news. She placed herself on his laps and strangled his hip with her legs, he was smiling as he opened his mouth about to say something that was when she attacked his lips with her own, cupping his face in her hands. He drew her closer to him, his lips were hungry for the taste of her mouth.
"I.. really.. Needed.. This.." he muttered in between kisses.
She giggled, pushing him away gently. "Hold your horses Ranger, because I have a great news."
He smirked, playing with the hem of her blouse. "Oh, you do?"
"I finally got a job!" She could barely contain her excitement. She saw his lips were forming a smile. "And it's at one of the best art galleries in the country, they wanted me to start right after graduation and they offered me free accommodation and they told me I will also get my own office and all I have to do is, send them a copy of my ID or driver's license for the plane ticket and then I'll be good to go to Chicago!"
She waited for his answer but his face was hard to read, he moved her gently from his laps to the couch and stood up. He looked confused, frustrated, and angry. Nowhere near what she had imagined his reaction was going to be.
"What's the problem?" she remembered asking, when she saw him wringing his fingers through his hair.
"You're moving to Chicago?"
"Yeah, the gallery is in Chicago," she explained. "And I al-"
"And you're just telling me this now?"
"I just got the email two hours ago Lucas, I don't understand why you're acting like this!"
"You don't understand?" he snorted. "You didn't even tell me you were applying job all the way in Chicago, Maya! And you accepted it without even consulting me and it is a big deal Maya, and you're moving in two fucking weeks!"
"Oh so now I have to consult you in every fucking decision I make in my life?" she snapped back. It sounded harsher than she intended and Lucas looked hurt by that statement and the harshness in her tone.
She stood up from the couch to reach for his hand.
"What about us then? What about the future that we had always talked about together, the nights we spent laying in bed together making plans."
"We can still fulfill them Lucas," she said almost pleading. "You can come with me to Chicago, they have pet clinics and animal hospitals too. We can start from-"
They could do that.
But that was not the point.
The point was she did not tell him and decided it on her own.
The point was she didn't care enough.
The point was she was being selfish. She didn't care that he had plans, plans that he had started to put in motion. "I gave up so much for you."
"What?"
"I gave up my scholarship to UCLA and endured my father's wrath just so I could stay with you here in New York...and now you're asking me to throw away everything I've worked very hard for and start over again in Chicago."
His words cut her worse than a newly sharpened knife.
"I never asked you to do any of that," she replied coldly.
He looked at her in disbelief.
"Yeah well clearly I didn't know what I was thinking." All she could hear was he regretted choosing her, loving her, and being with her. She was already crying as she grabbed her purse and headed for the door.
Now five years later, the memory of that night still played in her mind like a sad movie. And seeing him tonight….she thought she could handle it. She had this picture in her head that their reunion for the first time would not be as painful as it was. She wanted him to think she was okay without him this last five years, that her life in the Windy City was a blissful one, she wanted him to think she didn't need him nor did she think of him. She wanted him to regret his decision for not following her to Chicago. She knew how childish and petty she was being, but she just wanted to make him pay for regretting choosing her, loving her and being with her all those years. But that was not what happened tonight, she successfully fooled herself into thinking she was strong enough to handle the situation.
"I didn't know you smoke."
She looked up to find Farkle smiling down at her. "I'm trying to quit."
Farkle sat down next to her and pulled out his palm asking her to hand it over. As soon as she did he threw it on the ground and squashed it with his shoe. "Suppose I shouldn't tell you smoking is not good for you."
She rolled her eyes. "For your information that was my first one in two months."
"What makes this night so special then?"
"This last two weeks have been stressful, is all," she shrugged. "Your fiancée can be a little intense with the whole wedding thing."
He chuckled. "I told her to go crazy with it. We're only getting married once."
"To each other anyway," he added.
Maya laughed, "Hey! Don't hurt her Okay. Or I'm gonna kill you in your sleep and run away with all of your money with Riley. And we will make it like it's an accident. I've watched enough of Criminal Minds I have the skills you know."
Farkle shook his head smiling. "I won't, I love her too much. Beside I've already gotten death threats from you, Shawn, her parents, Eric, Josh, her grandparents and Auggie. I won't harm a single hair on her head I swear."
"So basically everybody inside."
"I must admit Auggie's threat sprinkled my spine. Is he in a mob or something?" They laughed then a pregnant pause ensued.
"I think we should head back in," Farkle offered her a smile. "Riley is worried about you."
"I'm sorry for creating a scene," she sighed.
"Nobody noticed," he shrugged. "I mean, I get why it must be hard for you. I know you two aren't in a good term."
"Did he ever tell you what happened?"
"He never talked shit about you, if that's what you're asking."
She bit her lip. "I don't know what I should say to him."
"Just be civil with each other," he advised her. "If you can't do that just avoid him till tomorrow."
...
Once they were inside, Maya chose to follow Farkle's second advice. She was avoiding him, staying at least ten feet away from him, pretending like she did not feel his eyes were lingering on her and talked to the guests. She busied herself with maid of honor duties, making sure there were enough ice or champagne. Conversing with other guests about the big epic romance of Farkle and Riley. It was going well until she reached Josh and started catching up with him. She could not help the laughter that came out of her when Josh told her the mischief his four year-old son had accomplished at his very first day of kindergarten. Then he asked, "Hey, I know it's none of my business but the last time I saw you, you and the cowboy were together, right?"
She finished her glass of champagne before answering. "We were."
"And assuming that you two haven't spoken to each other since he arrived.. Things didn't end well between the two of you?"
"We just… we wanted different things," she shrugged her shoulders like it was not a big deal. "And we're fine now."
Josh leaned in closer and smirked, "You sure about that? Because the way he's looking at us now, it seems like he wants to strangle me for talking to you."
She looked over her shoulder to catch a glimpse of Lucas. He quickly diverted his gaze from her and engaged himself in a conversation with Zay. He ran his finger through his hair, if she remembered correctly it was his sign of frustration. She would know why. He was never really keen of Josh, considering Josh was her very first crush and they went on a date while she and Lucas were on a break. It was one of the most awkward date she had ever been on but she was glad that they did it because on that date Josh met his future wife, Julia, who was their waitress from that night. And she liked to take credit for that.
Josh gave her a cordial kiss on her cheek before joining his wife and parents.
She eyed Lucas one more time and decided to be the bigger person and march over him to say hello. She wanted this weekend to be completely drama free. And it seemed like everybody was starting to notice the tension between the two of them. She wanted to end it and fulfill her promise to Riley about being civil to each other. And it didn't matter if he hated her.
She fixed the wrinkles on her dress and tucked her hair behind her ears. But when she turned around she collided with a waiter who was holding a tray full of dirty glasses. He knocked her to the ground and his tray along with the dirty glasses collapsed on to her. She cursed in her head thinking if tonight could get any worse. And yet it could. The waiter gasped, "Your hand is bleeding."
The waiter helped her got up, he wouldn't stop apologizing and people started to gather around them. She looked down to her left hand, it was dripping with blood.
"Oh God. Peaches, you need to go to the ER!" Riley shrilled. "It looks serious!"
"I'm not spending the night in an emergency room and miss your rehearsal dinner for a cut that doesn't even hurt that much, I probably only need some bandages and I'll be fine."
"Maya, there's a lot of blood! You need to see a doctor! What if it gets infected, I don't care if you miss the wedding I don't want you to die!"
It hurt like hell she got to admit. But she didn't want to miss this night, she had been working so hard on her speech-, "I can look at it and make sure if it's infected or not," that was the first time she heard him spoke. Before she knew how to respond, he grabbed her injured hand and lift it up to take a closer look. He was holding her arm. After all this years his touch still had the power to turn her stomach into a knot. "It's not that serious but we should probably clean it. Do you have a first-aid kit?" he asked Farkle.
"There is one, upstairs bathroom next to the library," Farkle answered. "Maya you know where it is right?"
She could only nodded.
"Well you should probably hurry before she loses any more blood!" Riley yelled frantically.
"What about the rehearsal dinner?" She asked, feeling guilty for causing yet another scene.
"It can wait, beside some of the guest haven't arrived yet."
She pointed at the bathroom, and Lucas followed her. Farkle told them the first-aid kit was inside the cabinet. He pulled the kit out. Closing the lid on the toilet, he directed her to take a seat, then he kneeled down in front of her. She placed her bloody hand on her laps so it was easier for him to inspect. He pulled her hand closer to him. "That waiter is an idiot." He began to clean it and inspect the cut.
She flinched when the cotton dipped alcohol touched the wound. "It's not his fault, I was not looking."
"Well he should have been more careful," he said. "It's deeper than I thought. You need to go to the ER and get stitches."
"Can you just do it?"
He shook his head. "I'm a vet Maya, not a doctor."
"You stitched Zay's leg up when he accidentally stepped on a nail that one time, and I'm sure you have operated on dogs or horses so how different can it be. I don't want to miss the rehearsal dinner."
"It's pretty deep Maya and we don't have the right supplies. You might need sutures."
"There is a spool of thread there!" Pointing at the kit.
"Jesus, I'm not sewing a shirt here, Maya."
"Lucas," she groaned in frustration. "I'm not spending my night in an emergency room for a cut. I want to be here for the rehearsal dinner . Just do what you can. I'm gonna be fine!"
"I forgot how stubborn you can be," he sighed. He started to clean her wound again, then take the supplies he would need and lay them out on the counter, then he ordered her to stand up and put her hand on the counter. He positioned himself in front of her. "It's gonna hurt a lot," he warned her.
She simply nodded and closed her eyes.
He pierced her skin with the needle. "Holy Mother of God!"
"Don't move!"
"I can't do it!"
"I can't undo it now, you just need to be strong okay pancakes." She froze at the mention of his nickname for her. She never knew how much she missed that stupid nickname until she heard it coming out of his mouth. Her eyes started to water and she sobbed.
"You okay?" he asked still focusing on her hand and he wound and how it desperately needed to be closed.
"It just hurts so bad," she said, she didn't know whether it was because her wound or the forgotten nickname.
"It's gonna leave a scar," he told her in a quiet whisper.
She didn't make a sound and watched him work quietly. Their foreheads were only inches apart, and she could feel his breath on her cheek every time he exhaled.
"Done," he whispered again. He should be cleaning the mess, but he couldn't bring himself to look up from her hand. He set the needle aside, his fingers gently caressing the part of her palm that was left uninjured. Then he brought her hand close to his mouth, and kissed it gently.
"Lucas," she whispered, closing the gap between their foreheads.