Author Note: This is a companion piece to the Rucas fic Wedding Weekend.
Song used: When I Look Into Your Eyes-Firehouse
To Be With You
Chapter One: When I Look Into Your Eyes
Maya Hart had no idea how she was ever going to arrange her side of the room. Her roommate had already seemed to claim most of the free space. It wasn't even that Maya had that much, but what she did have seemed to have no place to go.
"Hart! I can't believe I found you." The voice was a surprising comfort as Maya turned to her opened door and saw one of her friends.
"Zay, tell me you live in this building." She pleaded suddenly dreading the world around her, how was she going to survive without her best friend Riley, without Farkle, hell even without Lucas.
He pulled her into a hug, "I'm two floors up. What's going on in here?"
"My roommate took every available space it seems. I'm trying to figure out what to do with all of my stuff." She looked at the boxes that were piled on her bed.
Zay took it in, "I'll be back in twenty minutes, maybe thirty. I have an idea; I think I know what we can do."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, just hold on I gotta grab a few things." He shot her a smile as he left into the hall filled with people.
Maya sighed; at least she could get her clothes put away in her closet while Zay was off doing whatever.
When he returned about twenty minutes later he had four large cinder blocks with him that he pulled on a hand-truck. "I had some extra. I thought we could raise your bed a little, maybe give you more space under it for storage."
"Zay that's great, but how am I going to get in bed?" She waved a hand down her body to remind him she was short.
"We'll go and get you a stepstool. Don't worry about it Sugar."
They raised the bed, and found that it gave her just enough storage for now. "Come on, let's go for a walk. I think you need some air." Zay led Maya out of the room, watching her lock the door before they went to the elevator.
"I'm so glad you'll be around." Maya confessed, "I think I would be really lost without you tonight."
"Hey we're friends; that's what we're for." Zay could see the sadness in her blue eyes, "Talk to Riley yet?"
"Yeah, she loves it. Have you checked her Instagram, mountains everywhere, or black and gold." The elevator dinged and a few people got off before they boarded, "You talk to Huckleberry yet?"
"Yeah, he's settling in, missing Riley like crazy, but he said he's going to pledge a Frat, that should help him stay busy or something." Zay shrugged as they rode down to the lobby.
"They're going to end up the first ones married out of our group of friends. They'll be disgustingly cute, move to Texas and raise bunnies." Maya half-joked as they entered the lobby of their building.
Zay led her out to the city streets, ever since moving to New York from Texas he had learned to love a good walk at night around the city. It might not be the same as a good walk around a ranch at night, but it was good still the same. "You hear from Farkle yet?"
"Not yet, we have a skype date tomorrow though." Maya breathed in the city air. "So what's your roommate like?"
"His name is Dave and he likes corn chips." Zay laughed, "That's who I got in the lottery, can you believe it?"
"Dave is your roommate, you're shitting me." Maya laughed, "Gosh, I've got some girl from Georgia; she's barely said two words to me. I think her name is Kelsey."
"Maybe she likes Corn Chips." Zay started walking backwards, when was the last time it had been just him and Maya, had it ever been just them. "This is nice."
Maya felt herself smile, "It really is, I don't think it's been just us since, Prom Night, Farkle and Smackle ran off somewhere and I don't know what happened to Riley and Lucas that night."
"Thank you by the way; you were a great Prom date, both years." She stopped talking, stopped walking.
Zay turned around, there was the problem, he was always the problem for Maya. Josh Matthews, Riley's Uncle and Maya's lifelong crush.
"Maya, Zay, you guys settling in?" Josh asked as he balanced some grocery bags in his arms.
"Yeah, great." Maya grabbed Zay's hand, her fingers lacing with his.
Josh nodded, "Great, I'll see you guys around. Bye."
Maya felt her heart crush as Josh walked away; he still didn't see her as anything more than Riley's best friend did he? She dropped Zay's hand, she didn't know what she'd been doing, maybe sending Josh a signal to be jealous, but it didn't work.
"One day that man is going to wake up and realize he missed out on the best person in the world, you." Zay put his arm around her and led her down the street, "We're in New York City, it's the greatest city in the world. What's something that you've always wanted to do, but never have?"
Her trademark wicked smile crossed her lips as she took his hand, "Come with me."
Zay followed her; he would follow her anywhere if he was honest. For years he'd had a crush on Maya, and it just got deeper each day. Yet she was hung up on that idiot Josh, who would never realize what he could have.
Maya led him down a few streets, he almost got lost before they stood in front of what looked to be an abandoned building. "Riley and Farkle always told me this place was trouble, but I've been dying to check it out for years."
"What is it?"
Maya opened the door and went inside.
Zay followed, he could hear music blasting from somewhere deep inside.
A bouncer nodded them in, not checking IDs.
"Let's dance!" Maya called out and pulled him onto the floor.
It was a cover band for 80s hairbands, at least that's what Zay thought they were called. They danced to the high energy numbers, and when a slow song came on.
I see forever when I look in your eyes
You're all I've ever wanted
I always want you to be mine
Let's make a promise to the end of time
We'll always be together
And our love will never die
Maya wrapped her arms around Zay's neck as his arms went around her waist. She was glad to have him in New York with her, realizing she might not have been able to do this alone. She'd had Riley with her for as far back as she could remember.
So here we are face to face and heart to heart
I want you to know we will never be apart
Now I believe that wishes can come true
'Cause when I see my whole world
I see only you
It killed Zay that she couldn't see how special she was, that she was setting herself up for the ultimate heartbreak. How could anyone give up the chance to get lost in her blue eyes. If given the chance Zay knew he would take it.
When I look into your eyes
I can see how much I love you
And it makes me realize
When I look into your eyes
I see all my dreams come true
When I look into your eyes
Maya wasn't sure what it was that made her rest her head on his chest, but she breathed in a scent that was comforting and exhilarating all at the same time. She didn't understand it, but she felt safe in this moment, hopeful.
I've looked for you all of my life
Now that I've found you
We will never say good-bye
Can't stop this feelin'
And there's nothing I can do
'Cause I see everything
When I look at you
Zay pulled her in closer, noticing she'd closed her eyes. His heartbeat was racing, sure she was thinking about Josh. What he wouldn't give for her to think of him as more than a friend. That's what she wanted them to be though; she would never see him as something more.
When I look into your eyes
I can see how much I love you
And it makes me realize
When I look into your eyes
I see all my dreams come true
When I look into your eyes
"Let's make a pact Zay." Maya opened her eyes and looked up at him.
"What kind of pact?"
"That we're here for each other this year, as long as we're both here in New York. You need a shoulder to cry on over a girl, or I need to vent about my roommate. We're there for each other."
Zay smiled, "We can do that Sugar."
"Great, I know I come off as a badass, but sometimes I think it only seems that way in contrast to Riley."
"Well, this is a new start. You get to be Maya Hart, not Maya and Riley."
She frowned, "I'm not sure who Maya Hart is."
"That's what college is for, discovery. You'll figure out who Maya is, I'll figure out who Zay is, and we'll be here for each other." He smirked, "If you're extra nice, I bet we could bring Dave into our new little group."
"Oh hush." She playfully slapped his arm.
When I look into your eyes
I can see how much I love you
And it makes me realize
When I look into your eyes
I see all my dreams come true
When I look into your eyes
Maya stared at her computer screen, trying to comprehend the update she was seeing from her best friend Riley. The door of her room opened, and she knew it was Zay, it had to be him.
It was, he held his cellphone in his hand, "She sent the promise ring back to him."
Maya finally looked away from the screen, "What? What did he do?"
"He doesn't know. I kind of believe him." Zay sat at her desk chair, "They were solid right, we didn't all imagine that, did we?"
"She changed their relationship status; you don't think Riley met someone else?" Maya shook her head, "No, she's been crazy about Lucas since I pushed her into his lap on the subway."
At the same time Maya's laptop and Zay's phone rang with a video call from Farkle. Maya pulled it up on her screen, "Hey, we're both here."
"What is going on?" Farkle asked from his dorm room at MIT.
"All we know is Riley sent him the promise ring back. He's a mess." Zay explained, he hadn't even told Maya that part yet, "He was getting ready to drive up and see her since she hasn't talked to him for a few days. She's been ignoring her."
"She's not answering my texts." Maya released a frustrated grunt, "This has to be a hiccup right? I mean Rucas can't be over, if Rucas can't survive, what hope do any of us have?"
Farkle rubbed his eyes, "This has to be a misunderstanding, I'm sure Riley, when she's calmed down will tell us what upset her, and she and Lucas can figure this out."
Maya scrolled through Lucas' Facebook page looking to see if any girls had left him a message that might have upset Riley. "The only people posting on Ranger Rick's page are frat guys. Blech."
"I haven't seen anything that weird on eithers page." Farkle sighed, "I have to go to a lecture, text me if you find out anything. Bye guys."
Maya closed her laptop and picked up her phone. "Finally, she texted me."
Lucas knows what he did.
Zay shook his head, "They're in different states and still exhausting."
Maya picked up her phone, waiting for the voicemail to pick up, "Huckleberry, what did you do, it had to be something bad to make Riley send the promise ring back. Call me."
Zay and Maya were silent for a long time.
"Zay, what if they don't get back together?"
"They will, let them calm down; maybe Lucas will realize he said something that she took the wrong way, or something. Christmas, they'll both be back then, I'm sure this will all be cleared up by then."
"I hope so, I really do." Her stomach twisted in knots, how could this be happening? How could her best friend not tell her what happened, was it really that bad?
"This is all going to be cleared up in a few hours." Farkle tried to convince himself as he sat in his bedroom with Maya and Zay, watching a movie. Waiting for Lucas to arrive, Riley had turned down the invitation to hang out with them tonight.
"I hope so. Every time I mention him she just starts crying and says he knows what he did." Maya rolled her eyes, "I don't know how to even handle her like this."
"And every time I ask Lucas, he has no clue. He said everything was normal, they had a video chat and everything was cool. Then next thing he knew she was ignoring him, and he got the ring back." Zay shook his head.
"They'll talk, Lucas said he was going to try and talk to her tonight. Maybe they'll clear the air, reunite and the rest of us can believe in love again." Farkle's leg bounced nervously.
The door opened, Lucas came in alone, sat in one of the chairs, "I couldn't do it. I climbed the fire escape and I went to knock on the window, but I saw her sitting in the middle of her bed crying."
"She didn't have the box of pictures, did she?" Maya crinkled her eyes.
Lucas nodded, "She looks so upset, I know I'm supposed to know what I did, but you guys, I swear I didn't do anything. I would never do anything to break her heart."
"Maybe she just needs a little more time." Zay suggested, though he really had no words of wisdom for his friend.
"Cory and Topanga will get through to her, I'm sure in a few days she'll call you, it'll be okay." Maya could only hope that they would get through to Riley because so far, no one else had.
Maya had a plan, tonight was the night. Josh Matthews was finally going to see what he'd been missing all this time. She styled her hair, put on her hottest outfit, and shoved a bottle of wine into her purse.
She was going to surprise him. He wouldn't be able to see him as just Riley's best friend after tonight. She double checked her purse that she had the condoms she'd gotten at the health center. Her hands were shaking as she pressed the elevator button.
Her body vibrated with nerves. She and Josh had been talking since Christmas, they kept running into each other everywhere, tonight she was going to finally show Josh that she was the girl for him.
She walked quickly through the streets of New York before arriving at his building, the security box long broken as she went up the three flights of steps before knocking on his door.
"Hi, can I help you?" A redheaded girl answered the door wearing one of Josh's shirts, Maya knew it was his because she helped Riley pick it out for him.
"Is Josh here?" Her voice unsteady and then half a moment later the door opened further, and she saw him in a pair of jeans, no shirt.
"Maya, what are you doing here?"
"I thought; who is she Josh?"
The redhead glared at Maya.
"This Charlotte my girlfriend. Char, this is my niece's best friend Maya."
Charlotte rolled her eyes, "Nice to meet you."
"Girlfriend?" Maya repeated before backing away and racing down the stairs.
Josh came after her, "Maya, what are you doing here?"
"I thought," She just stared at him, "I thought you finally saw me as more then Riley's best friend. You're never going to see me as anything else are you?"
"I'm sorry, but I don't think I will."
Maya could feel the tears burning in her eyes, the way her heart felt like it was falling apart, she thought of what Zay had said to her months ago. "One day Josh, you are going to wake up and realize that I would've been the best thing to ever happen to you. That I was the best person in the world for you and you blew it because you refused to see me as something more than Riley's friend. Goodbye."
Josh was shocked, not knowing what he could or should say as Maya stormed down the stairs. He took him a minute before he returned to his apartment and angry girlfriend.
Maya felt the tears release once she was in the bitter New York cold. She wanted to scream, she wanted to hit something, she wanted to hit someone. She leaned against the brick wall of a building and pulled her phone out.
"He has a girlfriend." Were the first words she said as soon as the call picked up, "Meet me in my room in fifteen?"
She threw her phone back in her purse and made her way back to her dorm. Zay was waiting outside her room, wrapping her up in a hug as she cried.
"One day he'll realize you were the best person for him and he missed his chance." He tried to sooth her and she started to laugh, "What?"
"That's pretty much what I told him when I left." Maya unlocked her door, letting herself and Zay in. "God I feel like such an idiot. He never mentioned a girlfriend Zay, and here she was in his shirt—nothing else. I know it's his shirt, I picked it out for Riley to give to him."
Zay sat her down on the bed, listening as she rambled on and he got a washcloth, running it under the cool tap water and squeezing it of the excess water. "Here put this one your face for a minute, it'll help you calm down."
Maya did as instructed, and found herself starting to relax. She pulled the washcloth off, "I really thought once I was in college he would have to see me as me."
"He's an idiot if he can't see how amazing, beautiful, spectacular you are. If he can only see you as Riley's best friend, then he's a moron." Zay sat next to her taking the washcloth from her, and wiping up some of her running makeup.
"Why do I always go for unattainable guys Zay?" She sighed, her head resting on his shoulder.
"I mean the Lucas thing, you didn't really chase him. Riley kind of forced that with that stupid brother thing, which actually you started. As for Josh, you've wanted him for so long; you had to make a real move. But now you know, you can move on, as for why you go for these guys, maybe it's because you expect to get hurt, so you go after guys who have already given their hearts away, so you can expect the hurt."
Maya sat up, looking at Zay, she didn't say anything she just kissed him. She didn't know why, she didn't care why. All she knew was at this moment it felt right, it felt nice, it felt exactly the way she wanted to feel.
Zay kissed her back, his fingers tangling in her hair as she pushed him back on the bed.
Neither spoke, their hands gliding over each other's clothed bodies for the first twenty or so minutes before clothing was shed and the next thing they knew they had slept together; both losing their virginities, but neither telling the other.
They fell asleep, and Zay dressed early in the morning, leaving Maya a note on her desk.
Josh is an idiot, you are amazing. Any guy would be lucky to have you.
Still on for the new Channing Tatum movie tonight?
Maya didn't know what was supposed to happen after this. Her first instinct was to call Riley, but something stopped her. She didn't know how to tell her best friend, that she'd lost her virginity. Wasn't this the kind of thing you shared with your best friend?
Zay knew that Maya didn't have feelings for him; he didn't want to push things with her. So he would just continue to let things be the way they had been for months, movie's together, dinner in the cafeteria, studying, whatever.
Maybe one day Maya would see him as more than a friend. Or maybe Zay would eventually get over this crush he had on the blond beauty.
The school year was almost over; Maya couldn't believe that she and Zay had never talked about what happened. It was almost as surprising as the fact that she hadn't talked to Riley about it. She thought maybe they could discuss it during Spring Break, but her friend had taken a trip with her new sorority sisters, and now she wasn't even coming home for the summer. Instead she would be off in Washington DC for an internship in her Uncle Eric's office.
Maya had gotten lucky and found a job at a Gallery in SoHo, she was moving back in with her Mom and Shawn for the summer, hoping to save money before she moved into her own studio apartment in the fall.
Zay and she still hung out all the time; it was almost as what had happened on Valentine's night didn't matter. She wished she could tell him that it was her first time, and she was happy it was with him, someone she trusted and cared about. It might not have been the perfect situation, but it felt right.
At least Zay would still in the city for the summer, working a crappy mail room job at a new start up blog called NYCBuzz, he hadn't been able to find a dance internship, but he found this one for his writing minor. If she couldn't have Riley around, she was happy to have Zay, Farkle, and even Lucas who was due back from Texas in a few days.
Zay sat on his fire escape, haunted by memories of his night with Maya. Why hadn't they talked about it, why hadn't she brought it up? Had it been awful, did she want to pretend it never happened? Wasn't that what they were doing?
In a few hours they would be reunited with Farkle and Lucas, he couldn't help but wonder how different the dynamic would be now, especially without Riley for the summer.
He wasn't sure what surprised him more, that Riley and Lucas still hadn't spoken, or that while he and Maya had grown closer, they couldn't talk about the night that really bonded them.
The sun was setting, the orange glow peaking behind the tall buildings. Sometimes at sunset he missed Texas, and other nights like this he could be lost in how breathtaking the city was in the right light.
He snapped a picture of the view before tweeting it to Maya.
IZayBay
I hope this inspires you. MayaPHartArt