A/N: I will always love Rucas, but every once in a while a little Riarkle comes out in me. So here's a very, very short one-shot of what I imagine Farkle could have been thinking during his ending scene with Riley in Girl Meets Texas Part 3.
Disclaimer: I don't own GMW; if I did, it wouldn't air on the Disney Channel.
There are a million reasons it could never work between the two of them. For starts, he had just spent the last ten minutes with her hashing over the intimate moments she had shared with his best friend throughout the last year and convincing her they might be worth another shot.
"You can't tell anybody." Farkle thought he had experienced heartbreak before, but as he watches the girl in front of him with tears on her face and a waver in her voice, his heart completely shatters. After all, since when has Riley Matthews' happiness not affected him?
"I will unless you do."
"Why?" Riley's voice is desperate, and it's killing him to say this to her, but it's for the greater good and he thinks they both know it.
"Because we are growing up and I don't know how to handle these feelings we're feeling. But I do know that we don't lie to each other." And he does feel a little hypocritical, because hasn't he been in love with Riley since the first grade? "We don't lie to each other, Riley." He says it again, more to convince himself than her, he thinks.
"You're right. This is really hard and maybe I just need some time."
"I'm always here for you." He doesn't think he has to tell her that, but she hurls herself into his arms and he thinks maybe she needed to hear it.
"I love you, Farkle." He knows she's sincere and he knows that she means it.
"And I love you." He only wishes she means it in the same way he does.
She pulls away from their embrace far too soon and he briefly wonders what would have come had he leaned down and kissed her. The thought is fleeting though because he knows that things are already complicated with Maya and Lucas, and now Charlie. And wasn't he just smitten with Isadora Smackle? Was she not simply adorable?
"Now go on your date." He tells her with a smile that doesn't quite meet his eyes.
"You ready?" As if on cue, Charlie walks out carrying Riley's jacket.
She lets out a breathless laugh. "For the previews of coming attractions?"
Farkle wants so badly to walk to her and wipe away her remaining tears. He told her once his favorite sound in the world was the sound of her laugh. What he never told her was the sound of her crying was his worst.
Instead, he's the one who answers her query. "Yeah, I'm sure we're all wondering what happens now."
He watches them leave and his gaze lingers a little too long on Riley.
They were growing up. The extent of their problems no longer consisted of nonexistent planets nor could they be resolved with paint fights. They had reached a point in their lives where even Mr. Matthews had to raise his hands and step back.
His eyes travel back inside Topanga's and he sees Zay sitting at the counter, watching the other two, amusement dissipated completely from his features, and he was left with pure exasperation. Then he looks to Lucas and Maya, they were sitting next to each other but they might as well have been on opposite sides of the café.
Farkle sighed. Everything was different now, with all of them. Feelings were changing and, frankly, he wasn't sure he liked any of it.