A/N: Hey babes, so I started a oneshot book so I could have a place to put random scrap ideas that I get and feel the need to write down. I'll still update my other books, this is just for when I get other ideas. I'll do a short summary before each oneshot as well.

Summary: In which Maya just wants one night, but Lucas wants forever.

Maya feels her mind wake from it's unconscious state, her vision seeing nothing but blackness. She flutters her eyes open to a squint as she takes in her surroundings. She's laying on her side, her vision directly towards a window as calm rain patters down outside. She takes in a deep breath, pulling the sheet more tightly around her naked body. Lucas' toned arm tightens around her waist as she squirms, and she can feel him breathe evenly into her hair as he sleeps. She feels a toothless smile spread across her face, and she lets her body sink further into his as she hugs his arm, stroking the back of his hand with her thumb.

She rolls over onto her other side so that she's facing him, his arm pulling her close to him again so that her head is against his chest. She feels her heart burst at his closeness, at how his hand is rubbing soft circles on her bare back as she lays nuzzled against his warm body.

Images of the previous night flash through her mind; pictures of Lucas on top of her, her legs wrapped tightly around his hips, his biceps flexing and his knuckles going white as he held himself above her, driving into her gently and passionately as she stifled her cries into the crook of his shoulder. The night was a whirlwind of emotion and satisfaction, the two of them finally giving into each other after years of dancing around each other; lustful glances and denied attraction.

She backs away from his chest just far enough to look at his sleeping face with half-lidded blue eyes, admiring his soft features. She feels her heart flutter again as she stares at his messy light brown hair, his long lashes on his closed eyes, the slight sprinkle of stubble on his sharp jawline from missing a day of shaving. She finds it incredibly adorable how his cheek is squashed up against the pillow, how his arm is holding her tightly like he would never let her go.

And that's when a wave of cold washes over her.

Let her go. Just like her father had. And Josh. And her Grandmother. And like Lucas would. No matter how good she feels now, it'll end. Years from now, he'd break her like all the others had and make her wish she had never caved into his charms that one Saturday morning when she was seventeen.

And that's when she knows she has to leave.

She tries to subtly squirm against his grip to get out of the bed, but he groans in annoyance and hugs her to him again, goosebumps erupting on Maya's skin as his fingertips brush against her waist. She sighs in defeat and decides she's gonna have to face him.

She feels another rush of butterflies as Lucas hugs her to him, placing his lips against the top of her head in a long kiss. "Morning, baby." He mutters groggily against Maya's head, his low and alluring voice making it harder for her to leave by the second. She looks up at him to see his green eyes open as he stares down at her, an emotion so sweet held in his gaze as he moves a hand up to stroke her cheek gently. She feels a rush of joy, but it's soon followed by a churn in her stomach as she remembers what she has to do.

"Morning." She lets herself smile, putting off the inevitable until they get out of bed. She wants to savour the perfect moment for as long as she can, longing to lay in his arms for eternity.

Lucas smiles at her lovingly, tucking some of her blonde hair behind her ear before swooping her face up in a gentle kiss. Maya feels her heart soar at the feeling of his soft lips on hers, running her hand up his arm and to the side of his neck before he breaks the kiss. He then kisses her forehead sweetly, wrapping his arms tightly around her again as she giggles into his chest.

"So last night.." Lucas murmurs into the top of her head, one of his hands at the nape of her neck as he strokes the roots of her hair. "It was amazing. You're amazing. I honestly didn't know sex could be that good.." Maya feels his mouth smirk against her head, his hand trailing down and rubbing soft circles on her lower back. She feels a shiver run down her spine at his alluring actions, her body begging her to give in to him.

"Mmhm." She murmurs, agreeing completely with his statement. She had some images of what sex would be like over the years, but Lucas had blown them all out of the water. She even finds herself struggling not to jump his bones at this moment.

"You want some breakfast?" Lucas asks, stroking her hair again. "I've been told I can make a mean pancake. Seems appropriate, Short-stack." He grins, and Maya lets out a chuckle into his chest. She feels a sting behind her eyes as she realizes what she's about to do.

"I'm good, thanks." She says, avoiding his eyes. She feels horrible, but she knows it's what's best for her.

"Oh." Lucas says, a bit of confusion in his voice. He pulls away from her slightly, staring at her quizzically as she stares at her hands. "Would you wanna go out instead? Or are you not hungry?"

"Lucas.." Maya sighs, sitting up on his bed. She pulls up the sheet and wraps it around her chest, Lucas sitting up beside her and staring at her in concern. She hates how cute he looks, how his toned arms flex as they push him up into a sitting position. "I.. I can't." She sighs, closing her eyes as she feels her vision start to blur with tears.

"You can't what?" Lucas moves closer to her, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear. She opens her eyes and looks at him, worry and confusion swimming behind his sea foam gaze as his hand lingers on the side of her neck. She feels her vision blur instantly, pressure building at the bridge of her nose before she takes the sheet off of her and stands up. She feels a few tears trickle down her cheeks as she finds her underwear on the floor, pulling them on along with her t-shirt.

"I can't.. I just can't do this, Lucas!" Maya turns to him, her tears coming too quickly for them to stop now. She sees pain immediately wash over Lucas' face as he sees her tears, him standing and grabbing a pair of sweatpants off of the floor. He pulls them on quickly before running a hand through his messy hair, meeting Maya's eyes with that same sad expression.

"What'd you mean, you can't do this? Do what?" He asks, his voice cracking slightly as it wells with emotion.

"Be with you. I can't. I'm sorry." Maya chuckles mirthlessly, Lucas stepping forwards and wiping a falling tear off of her cheek. He does it quickly, his hands soon sliding down onto the sides of her neck as one of his thumbs strokes her cheek lovingly.

"Why? Why can't you? After all of these years I thought I finally had you, and now you're saying it's not what you want?" Lucas says, the pain in his voice breaking Maya's heart.

"I'm so sorry, Lucas."

"But Maya, I.. I want you. So fucking much, that it makes me feel like I'm full of this stupid gooey sap disease. I hate when you're not around, and I feel so happy when you're here. I fucking love you." Lucas states as Maya can see tears glisten in his eyes, her lower lip quivering as she sees the pain in his gaze. He blinks away his tears as well as he can, lowering his hands before running a hand through his hair frustratedly. "You told me you loved me too."

Maya rubs her arm as another tear rolls down her cheek, and she swallows thickly before forcing out the next words.

"I don't. I just wanted to sleep with you." She shrugs, unable to get rid of the tears that stream down her cheeks. She begs them to stop, but they're relentless; coming out in reckless abandon almost as if they're begging her to let him in. But she can't. "I'm sorry you got that impression, but it wasn't correct. I have to go."

Maya picks up her jeans from the floor, pulling them on and buttoning them aggressively as she can see Lucas approach her in the corner of her tear-blurred vision.

"Then why are you crying, huh?" Lucas asks her frustratedly. He puts a hand on her shoulder, the other moving up and caressing her cheek. "If you don't love me, the why would you cry? You wouldn't."

"Lucas, I have to-"

"Why can't you let yourself be happy, Maya?" Lucas chuckles mirthlessly, stroking her cheek like he always does, making the tears come faster. "I love you. More than I knew was physically possible. I would never hurt you. Can't you just let yourself have that?"

"Lucas.."

And then he kisses her. It's burning, it's passionate, and it practically makes Maya melt. He moves his other hand up so that he's cupping her face in his hands, tilting his head to deepen the kiss. Maya moves her hands up and takes hold of his wrists, kissing him with everything she has. She says everything she needs to say through her kiss; her apologies, her sadness, her desire to keep him with her for eternity. Her love for him. Her endless, overflowing, all encompassing love for him; the love that she wishes away with all of her might, but the love that always comes back nonetheless.

And that's when she breaks away, her face inches from Lucas' as she stares up into his green eyes. They're overflowing with compassion, with desire and with heartbreak. She lets go of his wrists and looks to the ground, picking up her shoes.

"Goodbye, Lucas."

And with that, she leaves through his window, his eyes following her with unbearable heartbreak behind their sea foam green.

That following Monday at school couldn't have been worse for Maya.

She woke up with a sticky, tear-stained face and a throbbing head from crying herself to sleep. All she could think of were Lucas' sad green eyes, the way his voice wavered as he held back tears. She didn't have the energy or motivation to throw on anything other than sweatpants, a tank top and an oversized cardigan, her blonde waves piled up into a messy bun. She spent the entire day avoiding Lucas, ducking around a corner every time she saw him across the hall. She had one class with him, AP human geography, and she spent the whole time with her headphones in working on her and Riley's slide presentation on Taoism.

However to her surprise, Lucas wasn't trying relentlessly to get her to talk to him. She was glad that it was sparing her the need to run into the girl's bathroom at any confrontation, but she also wasn't sure how she felt about it. She knew that he had every right to give her the silent treatment, but it wasn't at all what she had expected from him. He came to school in a similar manner as her, wearing adidas joggers and a white tee under his baseball hoodie, the one with "Friar" written across the back (and the one that Maya would steal from him on days where he'd come over to hang out and do homework). His dusty brown hair was messy and tousled, subtle evidence of him missing a shave sprinkled on his jaw. He had been wearing a ticked off expression for the entire day, his jaw seeming set in a permanent clench as he'd glare at everything that came his way. However Maya had caught him looking at her one time while they were being lectured about the lack of religious equality in our world, and it was like all of the sourness was gone from his expression. He looked at her with those sad green eyes, his brows quirked slightly in longing. He had looked away immediately when her gaze met his, his expression gaining the bitterness again and focusing back on his schoolwork.

At the end of the day, Maya was simply exhausted. She wanted nothing more than to lay on Riley's bed while Riley actually did the homework that Maya had come over to do. It was their routine, and Maya wanted nothing more than to get back into her routine. Yet she also knew what big a part of her routine Lucas was. Their lunchtime trips to Pret, the days Maya would come to Lucas' so that his mom could make her queso, chicken poppers, and other Texan foods. The days she would convince the whole school they were dating by stealing his letterman jacket and sweatshirts. She wasn't sure what she would do with that spare time, but she knew Riley and Farkle would be a big part of it.

Maya walks to her locker as soon as she's let out of her last class, twisting the combo into her lock. She opens the locker with a few metal clangs, putting her books away with a sigh.

"Maya, would you mind telling me why you're being such a hardass today?" Maya turns her head and sees Farkle, leaning up against the locker next to hers with a smirk on his lips. Farkle had grown up to be cute in a nerdy sort of way, his dirty blonde hair cut in a shaggy way that he was pushing back constantly. He was also towering over Maya by at least a foot, probably a few inches taller than Lucas.

But with way less muscle.

Maya shakes the thought.

"No reason. Just didn't sleep well last night." Maya waves off, and Farkle nods, seeming convinced. It isn't a lie, for Maya had been up a lot the previous night thinking. She slams her locker shut and faces him.

"Well everyone won't shut up about you and Lucas. And he looked really pissed today too. He spoke to me once though." Farkle runs a hand through his hair before crossing his arms. "He asked how you were, if you had been crying or anything. I said I didn't know and that he should ask Riles, but then when I asked him why he thought you'd be crying, he was like 'no reason' and then stalked off like some asshole. I feel like he's not acting like himself."

Maya chuckles and shoves her phone in her pocket. "Yeah, something kinda happened between us." Maya scrunches her nose, trying not to think about it too much. She doesn't want to start bawling in the middle of the hallway. Farkle raises his brows, but Maya stops his inevitable interrogation. "But I don't really wanna talk about it. Just call me later."

"Count on it." Farkle smiles kindy. "But he does seem like he cares about you a lot, if that means anything."

"Thanks, Farks." Maya gives him a half smile, before both of them turn as they hear the click of wedges on the tile floor. Maya looks up to see Riley, her medium length brown locks bobbing as she walks, her white wedges making her tower over Maya. As if she wasn't tall enough. She's still a few inches below Farkle, but Maya has never felt like more of a shrimp then now. She suddenly wishes she had wore her heels, rather than the birkenstocks she slipped on this morning.

"Maya, are you okay? You only dress like this when you're sad about something." Riley's brows quirk in concern. "And you also weren't talking in AP human geo."

"Can we talk about it at your house? With pints of ice cream?" Maya quirks her brows, giving Riley her best puppy dog eyes. "I need some comfort food if I'm being forced to talk about this."

"Aww, obviously!" Riley says with a sympathetic pout, hugging Maya to her chest and stroking her hair. "And can we watch Mean Girls? You got to choose last time, and while I did love the evening gowns in 007, I'm desperate for some bad high school movies."

"Okay Riles." Maya chuckles, breaking away from the hug. "But I have art club right now. It's only till five, I'll come over right after."

"Okay, sounds good. You can stay for dinner if you want. My mom is making spaghetti." Riley grins, rocking back on her heels.

"Wait, I want Topanga's spaghetti!" Farkle interjects with furrowed brows, Riley and Maya laughing.

"You can come too." Riley laughs with a playful eye roll, Farkle smiling.

"Sounds good to me too. I was just gonna get takeout since my mom is working, but that's way better." Maya nods. "I should go though. Art starts in like five minutes."

"Kay Peaches. See you later!" Riley smiles.

"Bye." Farkle waves.

Maya smiles at them and walks off to the art room, averting her eyes to the floor as she passes by Lucas at his locker. She spares him a glance as he looks into his locker to get his baseball duffel out, her heart skipping a beat like it always does when she looks at him. She tears her eyes away and keeps walking, fighting the tears that sting at the backs of her eyes.

Art club is pretty uneventful, her usual buddy Sage being absent that day. She spends the time sketching in her sketchbook, the one she spends the most time on being of Lucas. She wasn't really sure how it happened; one minute she was sketching a realistic rose, and the next she was flipping to the next page and drawing Lucas laying in the grass with his hands behind his head like he always would when they would hang out at the park. She doesn't even realize the time when it's five o'clock, too distracted by putting the last touches on his defined jaw. She jumps when she hears everyone else packing up, so she slams her sketchbook closed and gets up quickly.

"Thanks Mr. Carter." She smiles at the art teacher as she heads out the door, getting a smile and a brief goodbye in return.

Maya walks towards the doors of the school, but she's stopped she hears someone calling her name.

"M! Wait up." She turns and sees Zay, his mini afro damp from showering after practice. He's Lucas' best friend, and he's on the baseball team with him. Zay and Lucas had always been one of Maya's favorite pairs to hang out with. She's glad she can still probably hang with Zay, at least.

"Hey, Zay." Maya smiles at him. He approaches her and they fist bump, his white teeth showing in a handsome grin. Zay is fine, there's really no other way of putting it. Like Lucas, and basically everyone in their school, he towers over her (even more since she's wearing flats today), and he shares a similar athletic build as Lucas does. Him and Lucas are basically the two hottest guys in school, so Maya being so close with both of them had tons of girls calling her a slut. She didn't let it bother her, finding it funny since she was a virgin.

Was a virgin.

Maya takes a deep breath and pushes away the thought. "How was practice?"

"Kinda weird, honestly.." Zay scratches the back of his neck with furrowed brows. "Luc was acting all quiet and sulky. Coach got pissed about his attitude and made us run hills. I don't know what the fuck is up with him, but he's been moody all day. It was like he was Texas Lucas again or somethin'."

"That sucks." Maya nods, biting the inside of her cheek. Zay had always told everyone of how Lucas was back when the two of them lived in Texas. He was apparently a huge troublemaker, which Maya always thought was funny, but seeing how he was today made it easier to picture.

Zay narrows his eyes at her, swinging his duffel bag over his shoulder and crossing his arms.

"That's all you gotta say? No reason why? No sarcastic comment? This isn't the Maya I know and tolerate." Zay says suspiciously, Maya chuckling. "Did something happen with you and Lucas?"

"Zay, that's crazy." Maya sighs. "If you really wanna know, ask Lucas. He's your best friend."

"Ask me what?" Maya hears from behind her, and she turns to see Lucas, his own duffel bag slung over his shoulder, his hair messy and wet from the shower. Maya can smell his pine aftershave, and it practically turns her knees to jelly. He looks down at her in slight annoyance, Maya gaping up at him from a foot below (due to the damn birkenstocks).

"N-nothing." Maya lets out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, Lucas crossing his arms. "Ask Zay. I have to go meet Riley." Maya shrugs, hugging her sketchbook to her chest as she heads towards the door. She smiles at Zay as she goes, hearing silence from behind her as she can feel Lucas' gaze burn holes in her back.

"It was so stupid, guys.. You have no idea. I just gaped at him like an idiot and then left. He probably hates me!" Maya whines as she lays her head on Riley's fuzzy purple pillow, Riley sitting beside her on the bed, stroking her blonde hair soothingly. Farkle sits on Riley's swivel chair, slowly spinning as he eats out of a bag of potato chips. Maya has no clue how he's still hungry after the spaghetti they just stuffed themselves with, and she also wonders how it's possible that he's still so skinny.

"Probably." Farkle shrugs, his eyes glued to Riley's small TV as Mean Girls is playing.

"Farkle!" Riley scolds indignantly, Farkle's eyes rolling.

"It's true though. I mean Maya, why did you even push him away in the first place? I thought you two had, like, a good thing going." Farkle narrows his eyes slightly, eating another chip. "You always gush about each other when the other person isn't there. I seriously thought we'd finally have to stop hearing that."

"No we don't."

"Yes you do. Every conversation would turn into a 'this one time, me and Maya' story. It was so annoying." Farkle groans. "But what could you have done to put Lucas in such a funk? He just seems so pissed at everything, but it's just because of a kiss?"

"It wasn't just a kiss." Maya sighs, rubbing her eye as she feels Riley's hand stop petting her hair. "I slept with him."

"What!?" Riley and Farkle exclaim at the same time, looking at each other before looking back to Maya.

"He took your virginity?" Riley whispers. "But you're both just in high school! This is bananas."

"Riles, I'm seventeen. He's eighteen. It's not that weird." Maya chuckles. "Tons of people lose it before their junior year. Not to mention that Lucas is a year older."

"I know.. It's just weird. I'm sixteen, and I still feel like a kid." Riley shudders. "But then what? You walked out on him?"

"Told him I didn't love him. That I just wanted sex." Maya sighs, feeling that familiar sting behind her eyes.

"Ouch." Farkle says with raised brows, having stopped his chair spinning by now. "Had he told you he loved you?"

Maya bites her lip and nods.

"That explains the shitty mood he's been in." Farkle sighs, drumming his fingers on the chair's armrests.

"But Peaches.." Riley says quietly, both of them turning to her as she strokes Maya's hair again. "You love him, don't you." It's more of a statement than a question, a small smile spreading on Riley's lips.

"What?" Maya scoffs, sitting up on the bed and looking at Riley quizzically. "Where did you get that idea?"

"Maya, I know you. Basically better than anyone else, including myself most of the time." Riley chuckles. "And you love him. You're so crazy in love with him, yet you won't let yourself have him. Why won't you let yourself be happy, Maya?"

"Riley, I don't love him." Maya chuckles, standing up and looking ather with furrowed brows. "I'm me. I don't fall in love. With Lucas fucking Friar, nonetheless."

"I'm with Riley. You always get these big googoo eyes when you talk about him. And you did let him sleep with you. Like you said, fucking is his middle name." Farkle wiggles his eyebrows suggestively, Riley laughing out loud as Maya shoots him a glare. "Look, M, all I know is that you've never cried over a guy before now. And that must mean something."

"Maya, you have to tell him. You have to let yourself have this." Riley chuckles. "You have to let him have this. Don't you see how he's breaking without you?"

"No, because he's not. He can pull through! He's a big boy!" Maya scoffs. "I'll get over him. Just like he'll get over me. It's just not worth the risk."

"Maya, come on-" Farkle sighs, but Maya cuts him off.

"You know what? No. I'm not gonna sit here and let you guys make me feel worse about this. I'm going home." Maya picks up her phone from Riley's bed, storming towards the door.

"Maya-" Riley sighs, but she's cut off by Maya's slam of the door.

There wasn't art club on Tuesdays, but Maya lied and said there was. She didn't want to go home, because she was sure her mom's deadbeat boyfriend would be there, and she also didn't want to be dragged into another movie night at Riley's. So she said there was art, when she really just sat on the bench in the hall and sketched. Yet again, her pencil had seem to have a mind of it's own, an image of Lucas on her paper again. This time, it's an exact image of him the day his team won the playoffs. He's holding the trophy in one of his hands, staring straight at her with a huge grin on his face. The rest of his team is huddled around him, all of them blurry and not very noticeable, except for Zay, who's wearing his classic toothy grin and clapping Lucas on the back.

"Nice drawing, M." She hears from beside her and she jumps, her pencil rolling onto the floor as she looks up at Zay with wide eyes.

"You asshole." She scoffs, running a hand through her hair and shutting her sketchbook. "You scared me."

"Not my intention." He shrugs, picking up her fallen pencil and handing it to her with a small smile. "I know what happened with you and Lucas, by the way."

"Everything?" Maya sighs, quirking her brows and taking her pencil.

"Mmhmm." Zay nods. "Why did you run? That was the part of his story that I didn't quite get."

"Zay.. I can't open myself up like that. People who get their hopes up that high are just fools. And I'm no fool." Maya shrugs, soon looking at him threateningly and pointing her finger. "But if you tell him I said that, I'll kick you where the sun don't shine. I'm not even playing."

"Nah, I wouldn't do you like that." Zay sighs before sitting beside her. "But I know you made a mistake. He really cares about you. When he was telling me about what happened, I could tell he was a few moments away from crying and punching a hole in the wall."

"But what about in a few years? What about when we break up?" She says quietly, looking up at Zay with sadness in her blue eyes. "I don't want to lose another person who's important to me."

"Maya, you got a few scenarios here." Zay sighs, running a hand through his fro. "Number one: you do what you're doing now. Cry yourself to sleep about how you turned him down. About how you pushed down your feelings, and years from now, wonder what could have been. Number two: you date for a few years, for a few great years, until you break up, in a way that will probably be civilized and maybe even keep him in your life as a friend. Or, you could spend the rest of your lives together. The last one is a stretch, but if my parents can do it, and if Riley's can too, I'm sure you and Lucas can. You two have something. It's real obvious."

Maya opens her mouth to speak, but no words come out. He's right, and she knows it. She feels herself fill with fear of losing Lucas, but pushes it down as she realizes that she's losing him right now. If she wants him forever, her best chance at it is by going after him. By letting herself have something for once. She sighs, and she can only think of one thing to say.

"Where is he?"

"Locker room."

She gets up immediately, walking towards the boy's locker room.

"Yes, girl! Get your boy!" Zay hollers after her with his hands cupped around his mouth, standing from the bench. Maya laughs and flips him off. "That's my best friend! I know her!"

Maya takes a deep breath to calm her nerves as she stands in front of the locker room, nervously smoothing out her skirt in an attempt to gather her courage.

Go get him. Go get your huckleberry.

She pushes her blonde waves back and swings open the door, passing by a few confused looking guys on their way out. They give her weird looks, but she ignores them. She walks into the room, a few guys' eyes widening as they hold the towels around their waists.

"Why is there a chick in here?" She can hear some guy mutter, but she ignores him. She soon spots a guy she's kind of friends with, Billy Ross, and approaches him at his locker.

"Hey there, hot stuff." Billy smirks, putting his diamond stud earring back in. Billy is kind of an asshole. "Finally wanna ride the Billy express?"

"The Billy express? That's what you came up with?" Maya narrows her eyes, chuckling in disgust. "I'm looking for Lucas, perv."

"Maya?" Lucas' voice suddenly sounds from behind her, and she turns to see him there in all of his glory. He's at the door of one of the showers, a towel riding low on his hips, his defined muscles still damp from the shower. He looks unbearably sexy, Maya's eyes drawn to his perfect arm muscles as he shuts the shower door. She subtly rubs her thighs together at her sudden wave of arousal, walking towards him shamelessly.

"What're you-" He starts, but she cuts him off by taking the back of his neck in her hand and kissing him. He freezes in shock for a moment, Maya moving her other hand up to the side of his neck. He soon gives in, letting out a small, low growl against her lips as he pulls her flush against him, wrapping his arms around her waist. The other boys in the room let out wolf whistles and cheers, Lucas titling his head to deepen the kiss. Maya hardly can notice the heckles and jeers from the other guys, feeling like nobody else is there. It's only her and Lucas there, only his lips on hers and the endless bliss that she feels washing over her.

They soon break apart, Lucas moving his hand up and stroking her cheek with his thumb like he always does.

"What made you change your mind?" Lucas chuckles, a grin bigger than Texas spreading on his face.

"I realized that I need to let myself have things in order to be happy." Maya says, Lucas draping his arms over her waist and nodding, making Maya laugh. "Zay kinda helped me with that one."

"Zay?" Lucas chuckles with furrowed brows.

"Yup." Maya chuckles, biting her bottom lip. "But I figured something else out on my own."

"Oh yeah?" Lucas smiles, pulling her closer to him. "And what's that?"

"I love you. So much that feel like I have this weird gooey sap disease, and I can't make it go away." Maya smiles. "And now.. I don't really want it to."

"I love you too." Lucas sighs as happiness and relief flood his face, his hands moving up and cupping Maya's face before he kisses her again. It's sweet and passionate, his lips fitting perfectly to hers. The boys in the room cheer and whistle again, Maya breaking away from the kiss to laugh, him laughing as well as his hand tucks some hair behind her ear.

"I love you, Lucas Friar. Way more than I probably should." Maya chuckles, Lucas grinning before kissing her again. He breaks apart and quietly says "I love you", before kissing her cheek, then her jawline, then the side of her neck, muttering little "I love you"s between each peck, Maya giggling as he wraps his arms around her shoulders.

And in this moment, she's happy. And she knows that this wasn't a mistake.

Maybe hope isn't for suckers after all.