A/N Thank you so much for your support and enthusiastic reviews. I am pretty blown away that the story is connecting with you all and it inspires me to continue. This chapter is dedicated to my little Florida sister Sammy
Maya sat on the bench outside of Topanga's, her mind still in a daze from what happened with Riley and Lucas earlier. How had this happened? How had they ended up in this situation? However it happened, she was here to meet Lucas for a date, literally something she never thought would happen, even assured Riley it would never happen when her best friend was confused and upset last year. Riley thought she was scheming to make sure she and Lucas discovered their true feelings.
What were her true feelings for Ranger Rick? He challenged her, supported her, and cared about her for sure. They were friends, which she never even realized until the Art Program was almost taken away. Maya closed her eyes to shut the world out and really tried to assess deep down how she felt about him. Riley at least deserved for the two of them to do what they had promised, as scary as the possibilities might be.
Maya felt a slight feeling of warmth in her heart and goosebumps on her neck when she heard the door open and someone approached, which scared her (please not Lucas, please not Lucas). She slowly opened her eyes and simultaneously felt relief and dread. Joshua. Of course it was Josh. She should have known the only person who made her heart flutter in the past was most likely the only one who would ever be able to do it. She was never dealt the easy hand in life. Of course Maya gave her heart to the person who didn't want it in the first place. Apparently, if her current hammering pulse, shallow breath, and fuzzy brain were any indication, she would be unable to get it back anytime soon.
"Hey Maya" Josh said, hesitantly approaching her.
He had noticed her immediately when he came through the door, almost as if a magnet pulled him in her direction. She looked older than she had when he visited. Her clothes were a little different, more mature, and she was obviously deep in thought. Her eyes were closed, lost in whatever world her mind was experiencing. He had a few experiences of seeing this Maya, the serious Maya capable of deep feelings and maturity, and those are the ones that stuck with him. The way she looked in the dorm room as she approached him, so confident and sure beyond her 14 years, and declared "I like you" in front of strangers and his niece. When she showed accountability by accepting responsibility for behaving impulsively and sneaking out, he knew he had to look at her differently.
When Maya opened her eyes and stared into his the intense blue he saw there betrayed her thoughts. She was upset and conflicted.
Hearing his voice sent shivers down her back and she replied, "Josh" with trepidation and unease. Her intense reaction to him had only confirmed her attraction to him.
"No Uncle Boing?" Josh asked her, wondering where the quiet voice and indecision came from. Where was the bold Maya he knew, who lit up a room with her smile? Part of him looked forward to their teasing because it belonged to them alone. Sure he knew she was too young for him, but he genuinely enjoyed her company most of the time, when he wasn't hurting her feelings by bringing up the age difference.
Maya chuckled softly and she looked down, breaking the intense stare they shared. "Sorry I have a lot on my mind right now. Oh, and I didn't want to scare you off again" she said with a smirk.
"Okay I know it's been a while but you hardly scared me off, Maya." Josh replied.
"Hmmmm" she challenged, "so you haven't been avoiding New York because of me?"
Josh could tell there was an underlying insecurity beneath her words, and it made him realize he had hurt her with his absence, when he had been trying to let her live her life. How could Maya have the experiences she deserved if she was hung up on a guy who was too old for her? He no longer looked at her like a child, but a relationship between them was still impossible. He stopped coming down for the frequent visits he enjoyed before. Hopefully with enough space, she would come to terms with her feelings and move on. Then when he started NYU in the fall they could be friends. He thought he was doing her a favor but she perceived it as avoidance.
"If I have been staying away, Maya, I promise it is not because I wanted to avoid you." Josh's voice was sincere and Maya couldn't help but accept his lack of an explanation. It didn't really matter anyway, with the current situation draining any mental or emotional energy she had.
"Okay I will let you off the hook" Maya said.
Whatever was weighing on her mind when he walked by took over her thoughts again as her face grew distressed. He knew he shouldn't get involved, that boundaries and limits were needed in their relationship right now (right now? Josh would think about that fleeting thought later), but the blonde commanded his attention as she always had, in one way or another.
"So what are you up to?" Josh asked, treading lightly to see if she would unburden herself.
"Oh I am just waiting here for my date." Maya responded.
Her voice was less than enthusiastic and the look of confusion returned to her face. Josh felt a slight hot twinge when she said date, but her growing up and moving on is what he wanted. He had no interest in her like that ("right now" echoed again in the back of his mind).
"With?" Curiosity always got the best of him.
She let out a gasp of air as she said "Lucas, actually."
Josh tried not to let his jaw drop to the ground. Something had to be up here, because his niece was head over heels for the Texan.
"You and Captain Howdy? How did that happen? Aren't he and Riley" Josh tried to put the pieces together.
"It was Riley's idea." At Josh's blank expression she continued. "Riley has it in her mind that me and Lucas have "feelings" for each other. She wants us to go on a date to see what we are."
"Why would Riley think you have feelings for each other?" Josh asked. This conversation was getting weirder and weirder.
"Well we won best couple in the yearbook, and, before you ask, no we are not a couple, and there was this big miscommunication about semi-formal, and she feels insecure now."
Josh could tell it was painful for Maya to be the reason behind any sadness Riley may be feeling, but he had to ask, "Well, do you and Lucas have feelings for each other?"
Maya met his eyes for the first time since he saw her. She was searching for something, anything to help her work out her feelings.
"I don't know." Maya finally said.
Josh looked surprised at her response; he expected her to immediately deny it. He responded, "What do you mean? How do you not know?"
"Well, Josh, I know how it feels to like someone. You know that better than anyone. I know what it's like to have feelings like that. But how do you feel when you like each other? How does it feel to have that connection? I've never experienced it so who even knows what I feel. Lucas is one of my best friends. I care about him. I enjoy spending time with him. Is that having feelings for each other? We promised Riley so here I am." Maya's voice grew stronger the more she spoke.
Josh was happy to see a little bit of her fire again, but didn't have an answer before her "date" arrived. Lucas looked surprised to see Josh and uneasy about whatever this was with Maya.
"Come on Lucas let's get this show on the road." Maya said as she pushed him inside, lest he and Josh had some uncomfortable encounter over Riley. She turned to face Josh again and said softly, "Please make sure she's okay Josh?"
He nodded at her and said "I promise" before heading up to Cory's apartment to be there for Riley. He tried to prepare himself but he had no idea what to expect in this situation. Entering his niece's bedroom he saw her crying and enveloped her in the warmth of a hug that only comes from family.
Well I suppose the cat's out of the bag after this chapter, lol. My first GMW ship was Josh/Maya and they will always come first for me. This fic was a way to work out my vision for the rest of the season along with the writers tweets and some BMW influence (extra credit if you can name the episodes I am referring to ). Since season 2 started I have obviously joined team Rucas, so don't worry!
This chapter was my first Joshaya POV. If you all like how I have written Josh and Maya here I have a sweet one-shot I am thinking about putting out there. So let me know if you think I should write it! Thanks again!