Lucas knew he screwed up bigger than he did last time he stood Riley up. She forgave him last time but he knew this time was different he was supposed to meet her dad and asks his permission to date her.
But as he gets Riley's voicemail for the twentieth time that hour he wasn't sure if he needed it now. He wasn't sure he even had a girlfriend anymore after this stunt no amount of candlelight dinners was going to fix this for him. He should have just been honest with her told her what he was feeling.
So here he stands outside her gate flowers in hand ready to throw himself on the mercy of the court. Or on the purple cat statue he sees someone washing paint off at the moment. He opens the gate and sees it's Auggie and doesn't know whether to brace himself to get punched or not.
"Well look who it is Mr. Stand my sister up. Flowers aren't gonna help you here buddy." Should prepare to get punched. Lucas thought as he sighed putting the flowers on the swing and walking back towards him.
"Did she tell you that? Is she inside?" Lucas asked walking towards the front door. "She isn't here. She left after our family paint war." Auggie tells him turning off the water and wiping his hands.
"So you covered her statue with paint?" Lucas asked sitting down on the porch. "No that was my grandpa him and Riley were a team and they attack grandma and me. Viciously might I add." Lucas chuckles looking back at the house wondering if Riley told Auggie to tell him that.
"So once I leave is she going to come out?" Lucas asked as Auggie didn't make no move to go inside. Auggie shakes his head smiling as Lucas tells him he knew Riley was inside hiding from him.
"If you knew my sister at all you know she doesn't play games. She isn't here won't be for a whole week." Auggie tells him unlocking the door after taking off his shoes. Lucas goes in with him looking around.
"Where is she?" Lucas asked leaning on the counter as Auggie opened the fridge. "Don't know my uncle and her take a week off to be goofballs together." Auggie tells him with a shrug. "Nobody really knows where they go until they come back."
He offers Lucas water and pulls out his phone. "What's Josh's number?" Auggie drinks his water and nearly chokes as he looks at him. "Josh isn't the uncle she is with. You know we can have more than one right?"
Auggie mutters dork under his breath as he hands Lucas a card. Lucas looks at it and smiles knowing she still cared but he was still in deep.
You're an idiot I'm not home and I'm not talking to you.
Lucas looked back in the house waiting to see if he sees her but doesn't. He sits across the street watching the house. "Lucas Friar?"
He looks up seeing that guy Kenny that worked behind the counter looking at him. "This is for you." He hands Lucas another card and goes back inside the deli. He looks at him confused and flips over the card chuckling.
I'm not home so go back to yours.
It truly amazed him how well she knows him in such a short amount of time they have spent together. He slaps the card in his hand standing up and looking at Riley's place before doing like she asked and went home.
"You didn't meet with her dad?" Vanessa shouts hitting him with her book as she walks out the elevator. "Who told you that?" He asked holding his head slightly glaring at her. She gives him a look and he nods knowing it was Zay since Lucas was at his restaurant.
"That husband of yours has a big mouth." Lucas tells her as she grabs a soda from the fridge and sitting down on his couch. "Zay didn't tell me anything." She tells him as his eyes widened just as she popped open her can.
"You..you talked to her?" He asked clearing his throat as Vanessa nods her head looking at him. "I did. The day she left she brought over the pictures and I asked about well you and she..." she trails off as Lucas lightly chuckles saying she didn't have nice words to say about him.
"Was it what I said to you the other day because if it was I'm sorry Luke I can talk to her make her see it was my fault." Lucas shakes his head getting up from the couch and heads to the fridge.
"No this is on me and the only way I'm going to fix it is pulling out the big guns." Vanessa looks at him confused and he smiles knowing what he was going to do wasn't going to be very easy.
"No way huckleberry I'm not helping you. You embarrassed and hurt my best friend. Forget it." Maya yells at him as she walks around her studio stopping at a drawer pulling out another sheet of paper to draw on. She starts sketching as Lucas sighs standing in front of her.
"Come on Maya I need some help here. I know I screwed up but.." he sighs making Maya look at him. "I like her Maya a lot and I want to make things right but I can't do that without your help."
Maya sighed putting her pencil down and looks at Lucas who looked at her with a pleading look in his eyes. She knew although stubborn and mad Riley still liked him but as her best friend she couldn't help even if she wanted to.
Well not directly she couldn't.
"Sorry ranger Rick I made a promise to my best friend and I stand by my best friend." She stands up handing him the paper she was sketching on. "Sorry Bucky Mcboing boing." She shrugs with a smile and walks upstairs leaving him alone.
Lucas looked at her and sighed before looking down at the paper in front of him. He couldn't help smiling and chuckling slightly at the drawing. She had drawn Riley's dad with a big head eating a piece of cake.
He folds the paper putting it in his pocket just as Maya comes back downstairs. "Sorry I couldn't help you Sundance." Maya tells him smiling as she walks to her easel putting her smock on as she grabs a paintbrush.
"Maybe someone else could but I can't sorry." He chuckles as he nods his head patting his pocket where the paper was walking out her studio.
The next day he heads to his restaurant working on paperwork as he thinks of his next move. "Hey boss are these dates going to be a permanent part of the menu or just a one time thing?" Darrin one of his employees asks walking in with more paperwork. Lucas looks up smiling at him as he tells him thanks and yes they were.
After getting their address from the lady at the bakery Lucas stood outside their door holding the food trying not to freak out. "Just knock Friar. You know how to and the worse that happens he tries to punch you and you let him."
Lucas knocks on the door wondering if Riley would answer but doubted she would since it had only been two days since Auggie told him she was gone. "You are not pizza." Auggie tells him putting the money he was holding back in his wallet.
Lucas smiles and asks if his dad was home and if he could come in. Auggie smiles letting out a light chuckle before opening the door more. "Dad visitor!" Auggie shouts up the stairs. Lucas gulps as Auggie passes him going upstairs muttering deadman walking.
Lucas paces as he waits for Mr. Matthews to come down and talk with him. He smiles as he looks at the fridge seeing pictures of Riley, Auggie and Maya when they were little. "You!" Lucas turns around and sees him with a crazed look in his eye making him regret not meeting him at the bakery with witnesses.
"Hello sir may I speak with you?" Lucas asked putting the bag he was holding down since Mr. Matthews still had a crazed look in his eyes and was making him extremely nervous and making the bag shake.
"No." Cory tells him walking to the fridge grabbing a drink and sitting down at the table.
Lucas sits across from him and slides the bag he brought over to him. "That's for you." He tells him as he looks in the bag. "Riley told me you liked how I made them the last time you were at my restaurant so I made you more. Plus a chocolate soufflé."
Cory looks in the bag and then folds his arms across his chest. "Oh I'm surprised you remember my daughter's name." He turns his head looking away smugly as Lucas smiles at him.
"Yes sir I remember her name I remember everything about your daughter. She's pretty amazing and hard to forget." Cory scoffed still not looking at Lucas as Topanga comes through the door.
"What's going on here?" She asked looking between the two as Lucas gets up offering her his hand. "Mrs. Matthews it's nice to finally meet you officially. I'm Lucas Friar." Topanga looks at him and then at Cory who was waving and mouthing to kick him out.
"Nice to meet you too Lucas." She tells him with a smile shaking his hand as Cory throws up his hands. "What brings you over.." "Yeah cause Riley isn't here." Cory tells him interrupting her as she sits next to him hitting him.
Lucas chuckles rubbing his neck as he makes his way back to the table sitting down staring at Riley's parents. "Well as you know Riley and I have been currently seeing each other." Cory scoffs as he grabs the bag taking out the food.
"Yes we are aware of this information." Topanga tells him with a smile waiting to see what he has to say. "Well I wanted to get your permission first before I started dating her but being around Riley makes me forget the world altogether except the one we created." He tells them smiling just thinking about Riley.
"I would also like to explain why I didn't show up to meet you last weekend too Mr. Matthews." They look at Cory who was stuffing the dates in his mouth not really listening. "Lucas this all seems well and good but shouldn't you explain yourself to Riley first?" Topanga asked.
"Yes I however wanted to explain to you and Mr. Matthews first and maybe you could help me with her?" Cory gasps choking on the soufflé as he shakes his head saying no over and over. "Cory let's hear him out and then we can negotiate."
Cory looks at Topanga seeing she had on her lawyer face and started smiling. "Okay kid let's hear what you have to say." Lucas looked between them and wasn't sure he should be happy or scared they were agreeing to help.
Riley dragged her feet along with her bag out the elevator towards her parents apartment. She could have gone home but she wanted to rub it into her dad and Auggie that she caught a bigger fish than both of them combined.
Riley calls out opening the door dropping her bag down and taking off her shoes. "Anyone here? Something smells good. You guys won't believe the size of the fish I caught. It was huge!"
She lays on her stomach on the couch trying to scratch at her back. "I would have brought it home but this huge hawk swoop down and almost scared the pee out of uncle Eric and I." She laughs continuing to scratch but gets frustrated.
"Anyone here?" She asks rolling over and shimmies on the couch trying to scratch. She sits up using the back of the couch but it doesn't work. "Can someone come scratch my back please? I have a mosquito bite in the center and can't reach."
She sighs happily closing her eyes as she feels someone scratch her back for her. "Thank you." She smiles leaning back on the couch. She opens her eyes when she hears them say your welcome.
"What are you doing here?" She asked standing up and moving away from Lucas hand. He smiles as he moves towards her. "I'm making dinner." He heads back to the stove checking on the food. Riley looks at him with a confused expression and calls out for her parents or Auggie.
"Auggie is with Ava and your parents stepped out for a moment." Lucas tells her grating cheese for the pasta. Riley glares at him grabbing her bag and reaches the door as her mom and dad walk in.
"Hello sweetheart." Topanga smiles as she hugs Riley and shakes her head at Cory when he pushes her out the way to hug her too. Riley watched as they walk in ignoring the fact that Lucas was there cooking.
"Um does someone want to explain this?" Riley asked as she sees her parents go about their business like Lucas wasn't there. "Explain what sweetie?" Her mom asks pouring herself some juice. "The fact that he is here." Pointing at Lucas and looking down at his feet. "And only has on one boot?"
Her dad snickers remembering stealing his shoe as him and Topanga both shrug making Riley toss her hands up grabbing her bag heading to her old room. She opens the door and gasps when she sees all the flowers. "You like them?" She turns around seeing Lucas standing in her doorway.
"How did you know I be here?" She asked picking up one of the roses from her dresser. He smiles moving closer to her looking at her through her mirror. "Honestly I didn't. There is a similar display on your front porch too."
He walks closer putting his head on her shoulder waiting to see what she does. They look at each other in the mirror before Riley moves away heading for the door. "This." She gestures at the flowers and him. "Doesn't change anything I'm still mad at you."
He nods smiling as he walks towards her handing her one of the roses. "I know." He turns to walk away but looks at her again. "You look beautiful by the way." He kisses her cheek walking away as Riley glares at him but smiles smelling the flower.
She goes downstairs and sees Lucas setting the table as her mom and dad were already sitting down. Auggie walks in with Ava greeting Lucas before sitting down confusing her even more than she was.
"Sweetheart are you going to come eat?" Her mom asks as Lucas takes a seat making room as Riley walks slowly to the table sitting next to him. She looks around at them as everyone starts digging into the food complementing him on it.
She looks around once more and starts eating when her stomach begins to rumble. "So Riley where did you and Eric go this time? And should I expect a call from the cops again?" Topanga asked grabbing a piece of garlic bread.
Lucas chokes on his pasta as he looks at Riley with wide eyes. "You've had the cops called on you before?" Riley ignores him eating her food as Auggie tells him the security at Disney world called their mom because of Eric and Riley.
"That wasn't our fault. Goofy and Pluto started it." Riley tells them as Cory asks how do two Disney characters start a food fight in the middle of the park. They all laugh and Riley tells them this time they went camping and fishing.
"You did not catch a bigger fish than I did?" Auggie tells her tossing cheese at her. "Yes I did august." She shouts tossing it right back. "But a giant hawk swoop down and stole it. I have proof if you want it." He tells her he does and they race to her room with Auggie yelling out as Riley jumps on him.
"It's like she never left." Cory tells Topanga as they laugh along with Ava as Lucas looks at them confused. Riley comes back downstairs after laughing at Auggie who didn't believe her until he saw her pictures. She sees her parents watching tv while Lucas was cleaning up.
"Okay what is going on here?" Riley asked gesturing at Lucas and putting her hands on her hips. They look at each other and then her shrugging again. She shakes her head and walks towards Lucas who was wrapping up leftovers putting them in the fridge.
"Why are you acting like my parents personal chef and maid?" Lucas chuckles shrugging wiping his hands off offering her a slice of cake he made. She frowns at him before walking away but comes right back grabbing the cake going back upstairs.
"I know you're mad at me but I thought I tell you I'm leaving now." Lucas tells her knocking on her open room door. She puts her book down nodding her head as she looks down at his feet.
"Are you going to go home with only one boot on?" Lucas looked down wiggling his toes lightly chuckling as he looks at her again. "Yeah but it's okay lost custody of it anyway." He smiles as she looks at him weirdly. "So I guess I'll see you around?"
Lucas walks slowly out the door looking back wondering if she was going to stop him. He stops on every step waiting a few seconds but still nothing. He sighs as he grabs his jacket looking back at the stairs telling Mr and Mrs Matthews goodnight.
Riley wakes the next morning to the smell of blueberry waffles her favorite. She jumps out of bed making her way downstairs with a smile until she sees who is in the kitchen. "What are you doing here again?" She asked Lucas noticing yet again he was missing a boot.
"Well I made you breakfast and got coffee from the bakery since your dad drank the last of it before he left for work." Lucas tells her setting a plate down along with the coffee. Riley eyes him as she sits down drinking her coffee and picking up her waffle biting into it.
"Still doesn't explain why you're here? And why you were here last night making dinner and why are you wearing only one boot?" Lucas chuckles grabbing his own plate sitting across from her pouring syrup on his waffles while Riley stares him down.
"I'm here because you are. I'm always where you are." He tells her cutting into his waffle. Riley bites her lip trying not to look at him and mentally telling her cheeks not to betray her. She puts down her knife and fork and folds her arms across the table. "Well I was at my house for a barbecue last Saturday. I didn't see you there."
Lucas flinched at her words making her smile slightly. He looks at her putting down his own knife and fork and folds his arms across his chest. "Okay maybe I wasn't but I'm here now shouldn't that count for something?"
Riley mimics him folding her own arms across her chest and glares at him. "It would if it didn't take you this long to apologize." Lucas glares back at her leaning forward in his seat. "I did call you the next day but you didn't answer."
"Maybe because I was mad just like I am now." She tells him leaning forward in her own chair. "Well are you going to let me explain why I didn't show or are you going to keep ignoring me?" Lucas tells her standing up hovering over the table.
"Maybe I will stop ignoring you are you going to tell me why you stood me up?!" Riley shouts standing up as well. Lucas and her both glare at each other but he couldn't help thinking how adorable she looked in that moment.
"I will tell you if you would just talk to me." He tells her as she scrunches her nose. "I am talking to you dummy!" She shouts at him. "Well maybe I don't want to talk anymore and all I want to do is kiss you right now!"
"Yeah well maybe I want you to kiss me right now!" Riley shouts as Lucas smiles moving to her side of the table and kisses her. She puts her arms around his neck as he pulls her closer to him. When they pull apart Lucas rest his head against Riley as they both try to catch their breath.
"I got scared." Riley opens her eyes looking at him seeing his eyes were still closed. She pulls back as Lucas opens his eyes looking at her. "Scared of what?" Riley asked looking at him. "Of you. What I'm feeling for you."
This time Riley let her cheeks betray her as she feels them heat up. "Before I met you I wasn't a guy who did relationships. I never had a girlfriend that lasted longer than a day. And here you come and that guy I use to be stopped existing."
"Still doesn't explain why you never showed up?" She asked as he played with the ends of her hair. "Well that's because I'm an idiot and that day Vanessa was at your house and I was talking with her and she was saying how she never seen me open and this happy with a girl before and..."
"And the old you didn't like hearing that?" Riley finished for him. "Yeah. He has a way of making an appearance in my head but so does someone else." She smiles as he looks at her knowing she didn't have to asks who that person was.
"So why are you being a personal chef for my parents?" Lucas smiles and tells her that he came and visit with her dad and mom and told them what he was telling her. And if he wanted their help and permission he was going to have to agree to some stuff.
"So in order for your parents to give me their permission I have to come over and cook for them twice a week. Dessert included your mom is one tough lawyer." Riley giggled as they continue eating breakfast. "But why do you go around with one boot on?"
"Your dad said he didn't have that much boy problems when you were a teen and he is making up for it now. I have no clue what that means but if it gets me here next to you I'll gladly take it." He goes to lean in to kiss her again when she back up.
"Whoa there cowboy. I'm still mad at you. I appreciate you telling me and everything but I'm your girlfriend now so I'm still mad and I have the perfect way for you to make it up to me." She tells him with a smile.