Hello everyone, and welcome to this Faya one-shot, Find Your Smile! I want to preface this story with a few things: first of all, this is my first time ever writing a GMW fanfiction. On top of that, this is also my first time writing in quite a few months, so please keep that in mind. I will have more information below I would like you to read if you're interested, but for now, without further ado, I present to you 'Find Your Smile'.

Farkle had always been the observant one.

In his square of friends, they all fulfilled particular roles. Lucas was the charming one, Riley was the kind one, Maya was the rebellious one, and he was the intelligent, charming, observant and very handsome one. That's just how it worked. And it worked well, most of the time.

And with those observant eyes of his, he could pinpoint many a thing. From when Mr. Matthews was trying his hardest not to baby Riley in History, when Lucas' cheeks occasionally tinged a shade of pink when he was near said brunette, or when Maya's eyes would slip downwards and her mouth would turn into a sad scowl at the mention of her mother.

So it quite frankly pissed him off when he realized that it had taken him far too long to notice Maya had been avoiding him.

From what he could understand, it had started around a month or a month and a half ago, he wasn't sure. His attention had been diverted to a myriad of tests of exams, rather than focusing on the blonde who equally shared his affections with her brunette best friend. Such was the joy of being fourteen, and slowly but surely crossing the threshold of pre-teenhood into teenage-hood and then, finally, into adulthood.

But it was one lunchtime when it finally dawned on him. He had walked into the cafeteria as per usual on a Tuesday, having just finished up this morning's Double Science class. He had surveyed the sea of his peers who all carried trays filled with food of varying degrees of healthiness and, quite frankly, quality. He recalled his eyes had set on one particular table, and with a smile he had presumed was welcoming, flashed it across the room at the occupants.

He had caught Maya's eye, as she slid them away from Riley, who was chatting away as happily as ever, and locked onto his. Something flashed in the bright blue pools (he had hoped it was lust, but that never seemed to be the case, sadly), and she had turned back to Riley with a snap of her head, mumbled something he couldn't hear, stood up, and promptly left.

Riley had looked just as confused as he had, and turned to look in the direction she had looked, before giving Farkle a small smile and a wave of her hand.

He had gone over, and asked her what Maya had said. She merely shrugged, and stated that Maya muttered something about 'needing to do homework'.

This had floored him, and still floored him to this moment, not only due to the fact that Maya very rarely ever did homework without copying off his or Riley's, but also because she could come up with much, much better excuses than that.

And it had got him thinking. For the past two weeks, he hadn't seen hide nor hair of Maya, not for extended periods of time, anyway. If he'd seen her in the corridor, she would either head the exact opposite way he was going, without saying hello or anything, or dart into a random classroom.

She hadn't returned his texts for quite a while, and the last time she did, she only said she was 'busy'. This had proved to be a falsehood, as Lucas had informed him the next day that the two of them had been bantering back and forth for the majority of the night.

Anytime he had tried to communicate with her, or even be in the same vicinity as her, the blonde had made her excuses and fled.

And it pissed him off even more that he didn't know why. He had spoken to Lucas about it, and he hadn't really known anything, although he did mention that, now he had mentioned it, whenever the name 'Farkle' was brought up in any conversation, Maya would immediately change the subject with an insult or a joke.

Riley had been even more unhelpful when he had sat down with her at lunch a few days ago, Maya once more having used an excuse that, while slightly better than having to do homework, certainly wasn't up to her usual standards. When he had brought up his concerns to the joint-first love of his life, she had just smiled at him. That was all, just gave him a soft grin, before changing the subject. What was all that about?

He had tried phoning her, tried texting her, tried approaching her in the corridor; hell, he had tried to go and visit her at her home, but there had been no answer, despite the fact he was certain he had seen her curtain shift upstairs.

It was getting on his nerves now, if he was honest. And as he stood outside, the light drizzle of rain plopping against his raincoat, he didn't feel bad in the slightest at what he had done.

Okay, so maybe he did a little bit. Despite his certain... eccentricities, he really wasn't a fan of stalking people. But Maya had been avoiding him for so long, and he needed to know why. If it was something he had done, he wanted to apologise. If she just didn't want to be friends with him anymore, then, as horrible as it would be, he would accept it.

He just wanted her to be happy.

He smiled sadly, turning his head side to side as he looked for any oncoming traffic. Despite the blaring of a horn down the road, there was nothing in sight through the grey drizzle. As he crossed the street, shoes slapping down upon the wet concrete, he briefly debated calling Lucas for back-up. Maya could hit really, really hard, and she really hadn't been in the mood to see him in the past... wow, it must've been a month now.

The thought made him sad.

But no, he wouldn't call Lucas. He needed to do this by himself.

Reaching the other end of the street, he paused, raising his head to look at the sign that swung soundlessly with the wind.

'Eyes Wide Open' was a cafe that Maya had discovered about a year or so ago. It could've been longer, but that's when she had said she found it, having looked for a place to hide out after an argument with her mother. She said she found it 'soothing' and 'comfy', and had once, according to Riley, admitted she also liked the variety of artwork on the walls.

It wasn't a place Farkle really felt comfortable intruding on. To his knowledge, Riley was the only other person who had ever been with Maya to the cafe. It was like her own little personal space, the thought of breaching and intruding on it was a little bit disconcerting.

Everyone had places like that. His was his closet. He didn't need to think about himself in there.

Shaking his head slightly, he lowered his gaze to the front door, stepped forward, and pushed it open.

The light tingle of the bell sent a shiver of nerves down his spine, but he somehow found it within himself not to react. Instead, his brown eyes swept over the scenery, and the sparse collection of men and women that huddled in corner booths, chatting quietly amongst themselves as they drank their beverage of choice. The crackling of the fireplace enveloped the cafe in blanket of warmth, and despite the dreariness of outside, cast an aura of orange that Farkle welcomed. Coupled with the smell of home-brewed coffee, tinged with the musty smell of wood, and it was obvious to see why Maya loved it here.

Before he could spot her, however, his attention was drawn by a woman clearing her throat. Turning to face her, Farkle lowered his hood, and gave her a small smile.

She stood behind a small counter, and behind her, a wide range of coffee beans labelled all different names sat temptingly on a row of shelves. She looked to be, by his estimation, in her early fifties, grey hair pulled up into a neat little ponytail, save for a strand of hair that fell over one of her honey-brown eyes. She gave him a motherly smile back, giving a dramatic sweep of her arm as she said, "Welcome to Eyes Wide Open. I've not seen you around here before," she regarded him for another moment, "but new customers are always welcome. What can I get for you?"

Farkle cleared his throat, and replied, "I'll have a caramel latte please, thank you."

There was a certain sparkle in her eye that Farkle couldn't place, but she responded with a polite nod, before turning her back to him, and setting to work. "But, actually, Farkle still has something else he wants."

She didn't turn around, didn't even pause in unscrewing the top of the coffee bean lid, but merely replied, "That your name, Farkle?"

He nodded, before realising she couldn't actually see him do so, and so replied, "Yeah, that's my name. I'm looking for someone, she frequents here-"

"You a detective?"

He paused, blinking. "Does Farkle look old enough to be a detective?"

The woman shrugged, pressing a button on one of the coffee machines in front of her, as the steamy scent of caramel filled the air. "Dunno. But I don't know many people who frequent here, kid. It's usually a place where someone comes once, and then doesn't return," her voice had picked up a hint of sadness, and Farkle frowned in sympathy.

"I'm sorry to hear that. It's a lovely place, though. Very comfy."

"You're looking for Maya, I take it?"

"W-wait, you know her name?"

The woman actually turned around his time, one thin grey brow raised in amusement. "She's one of the people that does frequent. Says she likes the artwork," she gestured to the array of paintings hanging on the walls, a myriad of colours mixed into beautiful scenes, from generals riding on horseback into battle, to maidens sitting in a beautiful garden, to a New York City street on a dreary day such as this. Such a bizarre concoction of unrelated pieces shouldn't have really worked, but for some strange reason, it did.

But those beautiful things were not what Farkle was here to see. "That's nice," he replied, far more curtly than he intended, although the woman didn't seem to notice, "Do you know where she's sitting?"

The woman smiled. "I do indeed." And with one finger, she pointed towards a booth tucked right into the corner of the cafe. Farkle gave her a toothy grin in thanks, before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a handful of change.

It was at this moment, he realised, as he looked up at the menu which held all the prices of the coffee, that he didn't have enough for a caramel latte.

The woman noticed this as well, but instead of her brow creasing in anger like Farkle thought she would, her gaze softened. "Don't worry about paying full price," she said softly, turning and grasping the handle of Farkle's drink, before handing it to him.

"Thank you," he replied, "but why?"

She laughed then, slightly hoarse, but still full of youth. "Can't a woman do something for a charming boy like yourself?"

Farkle, however, didn't laugh. "But I can't just leave without paying the correct amount. It wouldn't be right, it just wouldn't-"

"It's quite alright, honestly." She reassured him, "Just... make sure she's okay, yeah?" She gestured her head towards the corner booth, "She's been comin' in here a lot, and while I don't mind the business at all, she's too young to be as sad as she has been recently. Fix her, and we'll call it even."

Farkle nodded. "She doesn't need to be fixed, but I'll see what I can do, thank you."

She nodded in return. "Hope to see you around, Farkle."

And, with that, as someone new entered the shop with a jingle of the bell, Farkle turned on his heels, and began walking towards the corner booth as the woman welcomed the new arrival to the cafe.

He took a moment as he walked forwards to sample the coffee, and he had to admit, it was delightful. A tad bit hot, but it would do.

Now he just had to see if she would even talk to him at all.

The picture in front of her was beautiful.

As much as she denied it in her own head, thoughts screaming at her that it was shit, worthless, and that she wasn't a good artist, she had to admit that the piece in front of her was spectacular.

Maya had spent all of this afternoon working on it, her pencils laying beside the piece of paper, worn, but proud. The sketching was swift and sleek, the shadowed street of New York City illuminated by a sharply drawn moon in a sky that was devoid of all stars. It was empty of people to, but that was how she liked it.

How many times had she drawn this particular street? She saw it often enough, being the place where she had spent almost all her life, but her drawings of it had been fairly limited. She preferred to draw other things, things that made her happy.

This was not one of them. But, of course, it was probably one of the best things she had ever drawn. Life was funny that way.

But it just couldn't be simple. No, that would be too much trouble. Simplicity was welcome, it was needed. She could deal with her mother not being there, that had become a routine, it was simply a fact. But this... these new things... she didn't like them, she didn't need them. All she needed was Riley. Riley got her through the days where she didn't think she could make it, Riley was there when she was down, and damn well made her mood go up.

But, not even Riley could make this go away. And, if she was honest with herself, as much as she willed it to, she was sort of happy it wouldn't.

Feelings were a tricky subject most of the time. She even surprised herself with her ability to fake a smile, crack a joke when she felt her heart breaking, give a wink when she felt like she was about to cry.

But these weren't sad feelings. Yes, she felt her heart ache in her chest, but it was a good ache. A longing one.

And nobody knew why it was aching. Well, she did, but she continued to try and deny it every single second of every single day of every single week of every single month of every single year until it would go away.

It had to go away.

She sighed through gritted teeth, grasping at the piece of paper and stuffing it into her backpack, along with her pencils. This was all too much, school was hard enough as it was, she didn't need other distractions along with it.

Her thoughts scrambled all over the place, she didn't notice the approaching figure until he was right on top of her.

"Maya."

Something had shifted in her eyes at that moment. A jolt of realisation that she wasn't paying attention, perhaps, or maybe she had recognised the soft voice that had pierced her daydreaming. But Farkle recognised it.

It was fear.

Maya's head swivelled around in an almost robotic like fashion, steel blue eyes spending a moment on Farkle's chest, before raising up to meet his gaze.

She looked beautiful. It wasn't anything new, but the way she sat curled up in the corner of the booth, the soft crackling of flames dancing upon her face, cashing mysterious shadows that clung to her blonde hair.

But she was afraid, like a cat having been backed into a corner. And Farkle was the predator. And that didn't sit well with him at all.

They shared a moment of silence, but it felt like it dragged on for far longer. The woman who ran the cafe continued to talk animatedly with a new customer, and the fellow cafe-goers continued with their hushed conversations, merely backdrops to the drama that Farkle hoped wouldn't unfold.

"Hey Farkle."

That wasn't what he was expecting, if he was being honest. He had expected her to leap up, demand to know why he was following her and being such a creepy bastard, and, if he was honest, he was also expecting a rather hard kick to the crotch.

Instead, he received an almost timid reply that Maya tried so desperately to seem stern. It hadn't worked. She never broke his gaze, though, which unsettled him. She seemed so focused on his eyes, so much so that it was almost like she feared looking at anything else in the room.

He broke it quickly, and without asking, slid into the chair opposite her. She turned to face him wordlessly, and continued to regard him with those beautiful blue eyes. Farkle placed his coffee mug down with a clatter, and cleared his throat.

What would he say now? Would he segway into it, come out and say it? He hadn't planned this far ahead!

"How're you?" Was the lame reply that escaped from his throat. She blinked at him, the neutral line of her mouth slipping slightly.

"Fine. Busy," she replied. It seemed to be an unconscious thing she did, gripping and fiddling with the zipper of her coat. She might not have noticed it, but Farkle did. Why was she so nervous?

"So I've seen. I've missed you."

He could've sworn he saw her cheeks tinge pink, but it was probably just the orange flame that gave her that effect. Still, her mouth dropped even lower, and her eyes turned sharp. "Yeah, well you know what it's like. School's been kicking my ass," she shrugged, "nothing new, but it's decided to get bigger boots."

"It is exam season, yeah. But why didn't you ask me to help you?" Farkle inquired, leaning forward to examine her more closely.

This time she paused in her response, eyes darting from side to side, in what he could only presume was her looking for an escape route. When she found none, she slid them back onto him, and let out a deep, almost longing sigh. "I just couldn't Farkle, okay? Just drop it. How did you even find me here, anyway?"

Her deflections were getting weaker. Something really was wrong with her. Farkle frowned, and licked his lips in apprehension. "I followed you," he answered, and quickly added as her nostrils flared, "but you've been avoiding me, Maya. And you can't deny it. Being busy I understand, but I know for a fact you've been speaking with Lucas, and obviously Riley. I need to know what's going on Maya. Please?"

"Nothing's going on," she shrugged once more, looking towards one of the paintings that hung on the wall. "I've just been busy, as I've said. So drop it."

"That's bull Maya, and you know it." He could feel anger rising up in his chest, and he tried his hardest to force it back down. Getting mad wouldn't help him in this situation-

"It's not bull, Farkle! I've just... I've just... had things going on I don't want to talk about, alright!? I just want to be left alone by you!"

Her outburst, as well as her slamming her palms down onto the table, earned the attention of the fellow cafe-goers around her, but only for a few short moments, before they turned back to whatever they were doing. But Farkle's eyes had widened, and his bottom lip quivered with a sadness that felt like it was dragging his soul down to the depths of hell. Anger no longer coursed through his veins, only something cold and sickly.

"I see." His voice came out as a monotone, barely audible. "I'll leave you alone then."

With that, he rose, blinking back tears. Maya merely stared at him for a few moments, unrestrained heartache swimming in her eyes, but didn't stop him. She averted her gaze, and whispered, "Yeah."

Farkle swallowed, and looked at her for a few moments. Looked at how beautiful she was, how her golden hair flowed down her back, at how sharp her blue eyes were, and how much he wished she would give him a smile.

"I'm sorry, Maya. I hope this gives you your smile back."

And he was gone, just like that. Maya watched him go, unable to form coherent words, watching as the boy that made her heart flutter despite his oddness walked out of the cafe.

She bit back a sob, and as she berated herself for not telling him the truth, not being honest about anything with someone as kind and gentle as Farkle, she hoped he hadn't just walked out of her life.

But maybe that was for the better. She didn't deserve someone like him. She didn't deserve to like someone like him.

But he was wrong, she thought, as she looked through tearful eyes at his coffee mug. Her smile wouldn't be coming back anytime soon.

And there we go! This didn't end how I thought it would, honestly, but I like the ending more or less. As said above, please do keep in mind this is my first time writing anything for quite a long period, and I know that I can do better if you give me a chance. Faya is a pairing I think I could do a lot with, and while I am also a fan of Rucas and Lucaya, there's not a lot of Faya going on, and I'd like to change that. I do have the bare-bones of a plan for a multi-chapter Faya story, but the question is, would that be something that interests you? Drop a review or a PM to let me know, and if enough interest is drummed up, I may go through with it. It'll focus not only on Maya and Farkle's relationship, but I'll also delve into Farkle's private life, as well as Maya's, while also trying to expand on all of the characters' traits and flesh them out where needed.

Thank you all for reading, I do hope you enjoyed, and I hope you have a pleasant morning/afternoon/evening/night!