Title: 3 Years

Summary: 3 years. That was always his excuse. 3 years. That's how long its been since she last saw him. 3 years. That's how long ago it was since they made the mistake that changed their lives. 3 years, is how long it took for them to fall in love. Joshaya Slight AU.

Chapter Title: Blast From The Past

Genre: Romance/Family

Rating: T

Point of View: 3rd Person

Disclaimer: I do not own GMW.

A/N: Hi! I'm new to fan fiction and wanted to try out a story idea I had! So here it goes! Also Josh is Riley's older brother.

People make mistakes. That's how they learn, but sometimes they wish they could take it back. She wishes she could start over. Never meet him. Never fall for him. Never let him ruin her life. She first met him when she was eight and he was eleven. It was there she realized she liked him. Maya Hart and finally met her best friend's older brother. She never saw him before, only heard of him.

Joshua Matthews had appeared out of the dark depths of his room when his sister called him to help her reach something. His dark brown hair and blue eyes popped out to her. He walked out of his room and did what he had to do, not even noticing Maya. It wasn't until later that day when Riley and Maya were going to Riley's room that Josh walked out of his and bumped into Maya, knocking her down. She landed with an oof and looked up at the boy who just knocked her down.

"Sorry," he apologized. He helped her up off the ground and smiled at her. "You're Maya right? Riley talks about you a lot."

Maya just stared up at him with her big blue eyes, and nodded. While he stared back at her expectantly, waiting for an answer. When he didn't receive one he just smiled again and went on his way. It wasn't until Maya heard Riley calling her name that she broke out of her trance and followed her best friend.

Maya was fourteen and Josh was seventeen. He knows how she feels about him, but always gives her the same excuse. "You're just too young Maya," he always says. It always stings and Riley always comforts her, but she knows he feels the same way. He's just too afraid to show it. She'll always remember the time where he felt her pain. Where he saw her side of the so called infatuation. She remembers seeing him on the subway after some junior at NYU rejected him, but he still never told her how he feels. She remembers how much it hurt when he got an actual girlfriend- Sydney.

She also remembers how later that year Sydney dumped him. Josh wasn't okay. He was just too upset to function. It may seem weird, but that's what Maya likes about him. He's the complete opposite of her. He shows what he's feeling. Whether its passion, anger, or sadness. He wasn't afraid to let down his wall. While its something no one could ever knock down for her. It was structurally safe and sound.

Fifteen and eighteen. That's how old they both were when Josh was accepted into NYU. They had a big celebration that lasted forever. It included the whole gang: Farkle, Riley, and Lucas. Yes, everything's alright between them even after that confusion down in Texas a while back. Riley and Lucas were happily dating, (Despite Cory's protests) and Farkle had what ever it was with Smackle. Nothing yet for Maya. Sure she had her first kiss by then with some guy she met at school, but it wasn't anything special. There were no sparks or fireworks. It was just okay. Something forgettable.

While everyone else was inside. Maya was out on the fire escape thinking. She knows her and Josh will most likely never happen. Its pretty much the only thing she's sure of. She didn't even turn when she heard someone's foot steps on the fire escape. She just stayed in her same spot. Contemplating. "What are you doing out here?" Josh asked. "The party is inside."

Maya shook her head. "I know. I guess I just needed some time outside for a bit. Just to get some air."

Josh looked at her skeptically and grabbed her hand. "Something is on your mind. You should tell me."

Maya shook her head once more and shook her hand out of his grasp even though she didn't want to. "Can't. There is absolutely nothing to tell."

Josh turned Maya so that she was facing him, and sternly said, "Maya. Talk."

Maya looked straight into his eyes as this fire built up behind her own. "Fine. You want me to talk? I'll talk. What's with you Josh? You are always telling me 'You grew up gorgeous.' What the hell is that supposed to mean? It doesn't seem to mean a thing when you constantly say 'You're too young Maya.'" She saw the guilt in his eyes, but continued on. "I don't know if you know this Josh, but I like you. I have feelings for you, but you constantly throw them away to the side whenever it comes up. It just doesn't seem fair Josh. I mean I have problems in my life, but I'd never thought you'd be one."

She finished her rant and stared at him as tears glistened in her eyes. She liked him so much, but it hurt. At the same time all she wanted to do was kiss him. So she did. She planted one right there on his lips and waited for a response. He looked at her and sighed. "Maya you do know-"

Maya cut him off and rolled her eyes. "I know. I'm too young. I know how this story goes remember?"

There she left him on the fires escape thinking about life.

An eighteen year old Maya took out the keys to her own apartment as she quickly entered her building. It was absolutely pouring outside so she had to make run for the subway, which isn't unusual for her. Maya, who was fed up with her mom and the stunts she pulled. Was emancipated at the tender age of sixteen. Between then and now she's still seen Josh. Here and there, but never had a conversation with him. It'd hurt too much. Besides that, Maya actually applied herself in school and managed to pull of a 3.0 GPA. She was actually accepted into NYU on scholarship for art. Riley, who wanted to be exactly like her mother is going to Columbia to study law.

Huckleberry? He's actually going back home to Texas to study there. Farkle? As always he's been the brains of the group so it only makes sense that he goes to the prestigious Harvard. I mean only the best for their Farkle!

Now, back to where we were. Maya was going down the hallway towards her apartment when she saw a soaking wet Joshua Matthews in front of her door. "What are you doing here?" she asked as she approached the now twenty one year old man.

He stood from his spot on the floor and looked at beautiful blonde girl before him. "I need to talk to you," he breathed.

Maya thought for a moment until she looked at his shivering form once more. She couldn't leave him like this. He would most likely get sick, and then have to go back out into the pouring rain. She unlocked her door and left it open for him as she walked inside. She grabbed him a towel from one of her closets and was expecting him to be right inside her apartment, but no. He still stood outside the door. He obviously didn't want to get her floor wet.

Maya walked over to the doorway where he stood and wrapped the towel around him. "If you're worried about getting the floor wet it doesn't matter," she said softly. "The bathroom is down the hall and to the right. Leave your clothes on top of the toilet and I'll throw them in the dryer for you. Then we'll talk."

About fifteen minutes later Josh emerged from Maya's bathroom wearing nothing but a black towel that was wrapped around his waist. He walked into her kitchen and saw her sitting at the table with two cups of hot chocolate in front of her. "I see you made hot chocolate," he began as he walked towards her. "I didn't think you'd remember since we've barely talked. You know with me busy with school over the past few years."

Maya's head turned towards him and struggled to get the words out since he was in nothing but a towel. "That's because we never talked Josh," she said as she played with the marsh mellows in her hot chocolate.

"Sure we did. We talked when-" he was interrupted by Maya.

"When you were always telling me that I was too young. That a three years difference was just too big." Her eyes met his and she knew her harsh words had hurt him, but it was the truth. "Why are you here Josh?"

Josh finally sat in front of Maya at the table and looked at her intently. "I got offered a job in Europe."

Maya smiled at him and quickly congratulated him. "That's great Josh, but why are you telling me this?"

Josh, who quickly grew more frustrated with this conversation just yelled out, "Because I like you too Maya!" His words stunned her. Maya had finally wrapped her mind around the fact that they weren't going to happen, and here comes Josh telling her this. "I couldn't leave without saying that," he whispered.

He reached to hold her hand on the table, but she pulled away and walked towards the living room. Josh got up and followed her there. "Maya!" he called. He saw her standing in the middle of her living room and grabbed her arm. "I know what you're thinking," he breathed. "You're thinking why am I telling you this now after all these years? That's because before I only saw what was different between us the three years. And now-"

"And now what Josh?" Maya asked. "You're leaving to go to Europe, and who knows when you're coming back? I'm eighteen Josh. I can't do the long distance thing in my life. I'm just getting to it. I just got accepted-"

This time Josh cut her off. With a kiss. He held her close and kissed her intently, waiting for her to kiss back. Which in fact she did. She wrapped her arms around his neck and just tried to get closer and closer. Not wanting this special connection to break. Here were her fireworks. Josh pulled away for a moment when he heard the dryer go off. "The dryer," he began but was met with another hungry kiss from Maya.

Maya began tug at the towel around his waist. Josh pulled away and looked into Maya's eyes. He didn't see lust. He saw something that at the time neither knew it was love. "Are you sure?" he asked. Maya simply nodded and led him towards her bedroom and closed the door shut.

They didn't come out until morning.

It was a maybe a week or so later since Josh and Maya had spent that special time together, and now he had to leave. He had promised to call every day, or at least every week.

He didn't do that. He didn't call. He left everyone guessing. He left them all hanging. Especially Maya, when she needed him the most.

Twenty-one and twenty four was how old they were when they crossed paths again, but things have changed. Big time. Maya hardly knew the Matthews anymore and cut Riley off completely a few years ago. She doesn't talk to Lucas, the only person she talked to was Farkle, and he was the only one who knew why she pushed everyone away.

Maya had walked up to her now different apartment and unlocked the door. "Farkle!"she called out.

Farkle poked his head out the doorway of her living room and trudged out there with a little girl attached to his leg. "Hey Maya!" he greeted. He looked down at his leg and looked back towards Maya. "Think you could?"

Maya laughed and talked to the little girl. "Aria," she warned. "Time to get off of Uncle Farkle's leg. Besides, we can't do anything tomorrow if you don't go to bed." She watched as the toddler slumped off his leg and stood up between the two adults. "Alright," Maya sighed as she picked her up. "Let's go get you ready for bed."

As soon as Maya was done with Aria she and Farkle sat down on the couch in deep conversation. It wasn't until Farkle brought up something that Maya began to get nervous. "I heard that he's back in town," Farkle hissed.

Maya shook her head. "You can say his name Farkle. Its not a trigger or anything."

"Yeah, but he said that he would call, and keep up with all of us. He didn't do that Maya, and look at where we are. In an apartment with your two year old daughter. He did this to you and didn't have the decency to pick up a phone and call any of us. Especially you."

"Its not his fault Farkle," Maya justified. "I was the stupid one. I let down my wall and I got hurt. I shouldn't have and now here I am. I teach art at the center and I have a beautiful baby who loves me. I'm not complaining."

Aria Erin Matthews is a beautiful girl. She had dirty blonde hair with blue eyes, and had a face all too much like her father. Sure it hurt Maya sometimes, but she remembers that its was him that hurt her not Aria. When Maya gave birth to the two year old a couple of years ago, she felt that she deserved to hold her father's last name. If it was possibly the only thing she could have of her father then so be it. Maya didn't want to keep that from her.

Farkle shook his head. "No Maya don't say that. You had a full scholarship to NYU. You were finally able to do something that you wanted to, and-"

"And I'm doing something I want to now. I'm fine with my life. Sure it could have been something more, but I'm fine Farkle. Really." She looked over at the time as it read ten o'clock. "You should get going Farkle. Ruling a multi million company is beckoning you. So go. I'll be fine."

Farkle looked at her warily and left the apartment. He was protective of his friends and hated seeing them get hurt.

The next day when Maya and Aria left their apartment they didn't expect anything interesting. Just another day out. So when they walked into Aria's favorite ice cream shop they just got their usual and sat down at a table eating. That only made it weirder when Aria jumped off Maya's lap and accidentally ran into a customer. If anyone saw how quick Maya got up to catch her toddler then she could be considered the Flash. She quickly apologized to the man saw that her daughter got his ice cream all over him. Maya groaned and looked into her wallet. Empty. "Shit," she muttered under her breath. She turned towards the man and was about to apologize, but froze when she saw the Joshua Gabriel Matthews.

He looked back at her astonished. Maya was frozen. She had Aria in her arms and was standing directly in front of the man who gave her Aria.

She sure as hell didn't know what to say.

A/N: I hope that was enjoyable! I hope the response is good!