A/N: Happy New Year everyone, all around the world! This is a quick Rucas one-shot; I started writing at 11 PM, just so I could post at midnight here in the US. I hope everyone has the most wonderful 2016, and many more wonderful years to come!
She was lying in bed, under the sheets, sleeping. The New Year's party her parents had set up began at ten, something still unfathomable for Riley. She was asleep, her room dark and quiet, except for the sound of music traveling down the hall, every now and then.
But then the knock on her bay window came, and her eyes fluttered open.
Ring power, she thought to herself, as she pushed herself to sit. It wasn't Maya.
It was Lucas.
For only a moment she sat there shocked, staring out at his smiling face, before glancing over at her clock.
Eleven thirty at night.
"Lucas?" She whispered, knowing full well he could not hear her outside of the window. So she got up, tiptoeing to the ledge, and letting him in.
"Hi," She blushed, glancing down at her bunny pajamas.
"Hey," He greeted, climbing onto the bay window seat. She sat beside him, shutting the window.
"What're you doing here?"
"I'm here to make sure you're up for the Ball Drop." He smiled, as if that answered her question.
"What about your family?"
"Your parents invited me to the party tonight, but when I got here a few minutes ago, they told me you were in your room because you didn't want to stay up. So I left, and climbed the fire escape to your window." He explained, leaning forward to turn on the light.
"Are Maya and Farkle at the party too?"
"Just Maya, Farkle said he had to be asleep by seven thirty. But Maya told me to come get you."
"But…it's so late!" She complained, reaching over Lucas to flip the light switch back off. He caught her hand, a moment spurring an awkward stare from them both.
He let go, and she placed her hand at her side again, leaving the light on.
"Come on, let's go out to the party," He pushed, standing. She grabbed his arm, pulling him back to sit.
"I'm tired." She lied, fully awake at this point. His grin only widened.
"It'll be fun,"
"Oh, what's so special about seeing some crystal ball fall from the sky at midnight?" Even as she said the words, she understood why people did it.
"It's not about the ball, it's about being with the people you lov-care about, for the first moments of the New Year." He caught himself, but not fast enough for Riley not to catch on.
"Lucas," She warned, imagining Maya's face, that night she exposed her liking for Lucas in Texas.
"Riley, I've told you already, I don't-"
"Lucas, I'm tired. You should go back out to the party, with Maya." Her voice cracked.
He heard it loud and clear.
"I've already spoken to Maya. It's the reason she sent me here."
"Well, you came for no reason. I'm going back to bed, and you're going back to the party." She said slowly, standing and turning off the light.
He grabbed her arm before she could get back into her bed, and stood.
The dark room was silent for a moment, while he gathered his courage.
"Riley, we know you've been lying to us. And…it hurts that you'd hide something like this from your friends." She pulled away from him, looking back at his face, covered in shadows.
"Lucas," She couldn't hide the tear slipping down her face.
"Riley, I love you." He paused, catching her eyes, "Does that mean anything to you?"
There was a long pause, and a deep breath, though neither of them were positive from whom.
"Of course it means something to me. I…I love you too, Lucas," She whispered, choking back a sob.
Her feelings poured out of her, as if Lucas had torn a hole in her façade.
"I wanted Maya to be happy. I wanted everyone to be happy,"
"Sometimes you deserve happiness too. You understand that, don't you?"
He moved closer, until his face was clear in the light of her bunny lamp.
"Riley?" He waited.
"I just wanted everyone to be happy," She said again, wiping her eyes.
He walked up to the bed, taking a seat beside her, just as they had been at the bay window.
"You never asked me, you know?"
"What," Her voice was barely audible.
"You never asked me what I wanted. You just, you gave me over to Maya. But…I don't like Maya like I like you, Riley."
"I'm so sorry…"
"And I'm sorry I hadn't figured out how much you were hurting earlier."
She looked up at him, her eyes shining. Almost as if on instinct, he brought his hand to her cheek, gently wiping away her tears.
"What about Maya?" She mumbled, frowning ever so slightly. He could only wonder when she'd begin thinking about herself, about her happiness.
"Maya will be ok. We're all friends. We will always care about each other; But Riley, right now, I'm talking to you."
She leaned closer, unsure of what to do.
"Lucas,"
"Riley?"
"I'm happy when I'm with you. I can always talk to you, Lucas. I am comfortable around you."
He smiled, leaning even closer. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched her clock. Eleven fifty-nine.
"You stayed up to watch the ball drop with me, Riley."
10.
9.
8.
7.
6.
5.
4.
3.
2.
1…
His lips met hers.
They broke away a few moments later.
"Happy New Year, Riley."
A smile fell across her face.
"Happy New Year, Lucas."
They heard their friends and her family, shouting with glee down the hall.