Description: He's jealous of Zay and that god damn painting.

A/N: Inspired greatly by a Glee fic I read years ago that I've totally forgotten the name of, I'm sorry. Credit given where it's needed, though.

After months of writer's block, here's a third piece in two days. It's short and cute. Sorry if there's spelling mistakes, it's 5am.

Enjoy!

(*)

Shit hits the fan. And he's surprised in the least, because really, he knows he's not one to make the greatest of decisions- like ever. What he doesn't understand is how he still gets the shit end of the stick, when he wasn't even involved in the first place.

This is how it went down. He and Riley call it off in ninth grade, Zay takes it upon himself (using her vulnerable to his advantage) and asks her out. Despite the bro code, it doesn't bother him, they came out better as friends. Shocking everyone, she actually enjoys the presence of the weirdo and they started dated. Then came being the it couple around school and it kind of sickened him how tied at the hip they were. Eleventh grade rolls around and Farkle Minkus benefits greatly from puberty, growing a full two feet taller, filling into his baby face and on the rare occasion, joining Lucas at the gym. Farkle grows some balls, asks Riley out, to which the brunette falls head over heels and Zay, well Zay is left as a being the one shitted on in the end.

And really, Lucas feels sorry for his friend, because damn that was a two year relationship, shit had to hurt. But what he doesn't expect, is to be brought into this shit storm when he had been clearly happily single since the ninth grade. But, nonetheless, shit's entertaining as hell, it's like watching Gossip Girl, to which he'll never admit he watches out loud.

It stops being his fun front row seat to the love live's of his friends when Maya takes it upon herself to heal Zay back to health.

It starts when she asks him to switch seats with her so her and Zay can be partnered up for their next biology assignment. He's annoyed because well, who the hell is he supposed to be paired with when she snatches his best man away? He finds himself watching them from the other side of the room with a withering glare. Safe to say, no one steps up to be his partner that day.

And then she's sitting next to the boy when they'll all circled around the chairs in Topanga's and Zay's sending pathetic glances at Farkle and Riley. And he's pissed the hell off, to put it lightly, because it's not like Zay and her were the best of friends to begin with, in fact he can't remember the last time they had a full out conversation. So he watches them opposite of them with crossed arms as he leans back against his chair. Zay's offering to pay for her cream puff and since when did she even like cream puffs?

Not even that, but she hadn't even argued the I don't need to be treated like a charity case, I can pay for myself and just accepted it with a genuine smile. He's not impressed in the slightest.

He misses the elbow nudge Zay gives Maya when he notices the taller boy glaring at them. He misses the way she shoots daggers back at her friend, hiding behind an embarrassed smile.

(*)

It's not until they're all sitting in Maya's living room that he's just fucking livid. It's been two painfully long weeks of watching the two become closer and closer and he's just gonna blow his fucking top. Texas Lucas will come out to play real soon if she doesn't knock this shit off.

Riley's the one to mention it first. "You can at least try to be secretive about it, Lucas."

His eyes tear away from the laughing couple making popcorn in the kitchen, to the brunette with a knowing smile. "What?"

"You're jealous. And you're blatantly obvious about it."

It's not until it's said out loud that he realizes it. Frankly, it just makes everything worse for him because now he has a reason to want to punch Zay in the face.

He misses the way Zay smirks at Maya as she watches Lucas and Riley's interaction with darkened eyes.

(*)

He's in Zay's room when he see's it a day later. Starring up at the bright colors, he takes in the painting hanging against the wall. And shit, that was an amazing painting. It was a view of tall rocky mountains with a blanket of snow, the sun glistening off it, the sky filled with smokey clouds. He turns to the boy fiddling with his phone, scrawled across his bed. "Where did you get this?"

Zay glances up at him briefly as his phone dings. Bringing his attention back to the device in his hands, he mutters out a "Maya painted it for me a few days ago."

He snaps his gaze back to the wall with a scowl. That's the ugliest painting he's ever seen.

Zay stands up suddenly, shoving his cell in his back pocket, shaking his head. "You need to just tell her, man."

"Shut up."

"I'm serious! After spending a few days with her, you'd be a stupid motherfucker if you didn't go for her."

(*)

"You made a painting for Zay." He states after crawling through her opened window. He's standing at the foot of her bed and he can only see her silhouette from the moon in the dark room. He doesn't care what time is it, he wants answers.

Maya sits up, squinting as she takes him in. "What are you doing?"

"Why did you make a painting for Zay?" He rephrases as she reaches over to flick her lamp on. The light brightens the room, and he notices her wild, messy blond curls and pouting lips from her confusion to the whole situation.

And he really just wants to crawl on top of her and crash his body against her and feel her soft lips between his but he crosses his arms instead, raising his brows when she doesn't answer the question.

Maya rolls her eyes, sitting up and throwing her legs over the side of the bed. "Is that what this is about? He needed something to cheer him up from his break up, and painting is the best way I know how to do that, Huckleberry."

"Where's my painting?"

She blinks back at him. "What?"

His jaw clenches as he stalks towards her. "Where's my I'm sorry you're going through a break up painting? I didn't get a painting when Riley and I broke up and frankly I'm pissed off. Actually no, Ive been pissed off for two weeks watching you two skip along innocently together like he's not intentionally going after another girl I like." Panic rushes through his veins when he realizes his confession with a shocked looking Maya, standing wordlessly in front of him.

And shit, now he just feels guilty. Sighing, he goes to apologize as Maya leaps towards him, crashing her lips against his in a sloppy, rough kiss.

When she pulls back slowly, he's still in disbelief. "I've wanted to do that for three years." She admits, her cheeks turning rosy pink, ducking her head with a small smile.

It doesn't last long before he grabs at her wrist, yanking her back towards him, their lips meeting for a second time. And yeah, this is definitely what he pictured her lips tasting like.

"So, Zay was right." She smirks against his lips and he pulls back with a groan.

"Speaking of, I still want my own painting."

She almost laughs at his pouting. "I'll get right on that."