A/N: I'm so glad people have been enjoying this story! I hope as it starts to pick up all of your lucaya feels will be satisfied. Thanks so much to everyone who has reviewed, followed, or favorited this story. Reading what you guys have to say makes my day. :)

Enjoy!

Maya was more peaceful during the night, Lucas began to realize after finding her lying out on his family's land for the fourth night that week. He had never noticed how tense she was at school, the rigidness of her posture as she walked down the halls with her shoulders squeezed close so not to hit anyone that ventured in her path. Her chin was held high, but her gaze was low, like a lamb masking as a lion. But out on the field, everything was relaxed. Her sharp blue eyes softened, her body melting against the long blades of yellowed grass, and her breathing became so slowed Lucas often thought she had fallen asleep.

Lucas had come out every night after Halloween, curious to see if could find the blonde outside once more. He checked the spot where she had been the day previous, but found it to be empty, but on his ride back to the barn he saw her a few yards away, between two trees that had yet to lose their leaves. Once again, she said nothing as he sat down beside her, but fluttered her eyelashes towards the stars and kept breathing.

The third night. That had been the breakthrough. Lucas left his horse to walk, not feeling it fair to the animal to force it to wait for him so late. He had walked around aimlessly for a bit before finding her on yet another part of the land, and the extra steps did nothing to help the tiredness he felt from a long afternoon of practice. It was the Monday after their big loss, and the coach had not been easy on his players.

Almost instantly Lucas had fallen asleep, the ground below never feeling so inviting as he felt his eyelids close before he could stop himself. What felt like seconds later, he felt something hit his face. once. twice. a third time.

He opened his eyes to see Maya Hart criss-crossed beside him, tearing up small pieces of a crumpled piece of notebook paper she must have had stuffed in the pocket of her jeans, smashing small pieces into little balls to throw at his face.

"Rise and shine, cowboy," she said, as Lucas propped himself on his elbows. Too tired to be surprised that she was talking to him, Lucas ran a hand through his hair and groaned.

"You couldn't give me just a few minutes of peace?"

Maya snorted, and Lucas noticed how her nose wrinkled like a rabbits. "Try two hours. I have to get home."

"Oh, why didn't you?"

In the dark he could almost make out the slightest blush rising to the blonde girl's cheeks as she turned her face, arms crossing over her chest.

"You're the one who kept going on about coyotes," she mumbled, and Lucas grinned.

"Are you worried about my safety?"

"Of course not, Huckleberry," she said, scoffing. "I just don't know how I would explain it to my best friend if I let my lab partner get eaten."

But Lucas was still giving her his wide-toothed grin, and after a moment of keeping a straight face the petite blonde's lips curled upwards.

It was only after he had managed to return home to his bed did Lucas realized that was the first time he had seen Maya smile.