Shot in the dark + favour + Hurt/Comfort
"Riles, I know you. I can tell that you're lying about your feelings." Farkle is tired of Riley lying, and asks her for a favour. It's exactly what she expected, except, it isn't.
My Safe Place
"Riles, I know you. I can tell that you're lying about your feelings." Farkle insisted, as he and Riley sat in the Bay Window.
"Farkle, I'm not willing to risk losing Maya over feelings that I don't even understand!"
"You're not going to lose her, Riles."
"I'm not risking any of you. You mean too much to me."
"Okay, that's okay, Riles. Can I ask you a favour?"
"Shot in the dark here, you want me to be honest about my feelings?" Riley snarked.
"Yes. But not in the way that you're thinking. Can you be honest, just here with me, about how you've been doing? I can read you better than anyone, you haven't been laughing since the project on horizons."
Riley sighed. She climbed into Farkle's lap, her legs against her chest and her head against his. "I'm tired, Farkle. I'm so tired. I'm tired of everyone thinking I'm stupid. I'm third in the class, and in the grade! Only you and Smackle are ahead of me, but everyone thinks I'm dumb! My own mother calls Maya an Amazon Warrior but tells me that I'm good at sleeping. Sleeping, Farkle! You know that I'm great at science, and English, and history! I'm good at math, it's only Spanish and Art that I have trouble with, and she says I'm good at sleeping! I'm tired of being seen as Smiley Riley all the time. Everyone treats me like a naïve little kid, but I'm not! I'm optimistic, I believe that people are good, and I stay hopeful, that doesn't mean that I don't know anything. I play along for Maya, and because I don't think anybody would take me seriously if I stopped. I'm tired of being me, Farkle, I'm so damn tired."
Farkle could feel tears soaking through his shirt, but he couldn't bring himself to care. The only thing he cared about was his best friend, sobbing out almost a year's worth of emotions, breaking down in his arms.
"Riles, sweetheart, it's okay. You can rest, I've got you. You don't have to pretend right now." Her body continued to shake with silent tears. "You're safe with me. Riles, you can break, I'll hold you together until you want me to stop."
The shaking slowed, then halted. "Thank you, Farkle," Riley whispered.
"I'm always here for you, you know that."
"I know, thank you."
"Always, Riles. Just, please don't fake it when it's just us? You're not going to scare me away."
"That's only the tip of the iceberg," she told him.
"You're not going to scare me away, Riles. There is nothing you could ever say or do to change that, don't worry. I know how you think. You're worried that eventually you're going to say or do something and I'll leave, but I won't. I'm never leaving you."
"I love you Farkle," she whispered into his chest.
He pressed a soft kiss to her temple. "And I love you."