Disclaimer: I do not own Girl Meets World or any of the characters

Chapter 21

"Hey baby," Josh greeted when he saw his girlfriend walk into Topanga's the next day. The blonde looked up at the sound of her boyfriend's voice and smiled sweetly at him.

"Hey," Maya waved and then walked over to sit with him on one of the couches. She dropped down with a sigh and rested her head against his shoulder. She felt him place a kiss on the top of her head before speaking.

"Is everything okay?" Josh asked.

"I'm sleepy," Maya sighed. "Being a senior is exhausting."

"Well yeah," Josh chuckled. "It is supposed to prepare you for college."

"I thought it was going to be parties and sleeping," Maya pouted.

"That's college," Josh said.

"Really?" Maya looked up excited and saw him smirking. "You're lying, aren't you?"

"Well I mean you do party and sleep," Josh laughed. "But you also have papers, exams, and stress too."

"You're not very good at this whole pep talk thing," Maya shook her head and leaned back against the couch.

"You look like you could use a nap," Josh said.

"I could use a nap," Maya said. "I could use about a week of naps."

"Well let's go then," Josh said. He stood up and held out a hand in front of his girlfriend's face.

"Go where?" Maya scrunched her eyebrows together.

"To take a nap," Josh said. He wiggled his fingers and then raised an eyebrow at her. "We are going to go take a nap."

"We are, are we?" Maya asked, a soft chuckle escaping her. She loved the fact that her boyfriend suggested a nap. She would love nothing more than to curl up into his arms and fall into a peaceful sleep.

"We are," Josh nodded. She reached out and grabbed onto her boyfriend's hand. He pulled her up from her seat and leaned forward to kiss her quickly. She smiled and then pulled back with a smirk.

"No time for kissing mister! I need that nap before I get grumpy," Maya teased.

"Yes ma'am," Josh smirked. "I promise to protect you from those ballerina's in your nightmares."

"Joshua Matthews!" Maya turned to shoot him a look and he laughed.

"I won't let any of them hurt you," Josh nudged her side and she rolled her eyes.

"You're awful," Maya shook her head.

"It's a good thing you love me then," Josh said.

"Maybe so," Maya smiled at him. It was a good thing he loved her. It was everything to her.

. .GIRLMEETSWORLD.

Maya slowly opened her eyes and felt herself feeling disoriented. She let out a long yawn and then stretched her arm. She felt her side make contact with another person and she looked down to see her boyfriend asleep next to her. She smiled because he was the absolute sweetest when he slept. He was on his back. He had one arm behind his head and the other stretched out towards the side of the bed where she was sleeping. His mouth was slightly opened and she could hear the soft breaths he was taking. He looked so peaceful.

She felt her heart flutter at the feeling of the two of them in the bed together. It wasn't like it was the first time they had been in a bed together. It was far from the first time but this was the first time they had ever actually slept in the same bed. It felt like a big step for them. It felt like the two of them were moving even further into their relationship. She scooted closer to her boyfriend and then rested her head against his chest. She felt him shift slightly and wrap his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

"Were you watching me sleep?" Josh asked. She could hear the sleep in his tone and saw that his eyes were still closed.

"How would you know if I was? Your eyes are closed," Maya said.

"I know things," Josh teased.

"You are still so sarcastic even when you're half asleep," Maya giggled.

"It's a part of my charm that I can never turn off," Josh said. He slowly opened his eyes and she saw the baby blue eyes that she loved so much. The eyes that made her feel so safe and comfortable. The eyes she wanted to spend forever looking into.

"You still look sleepy," Maya whispered. She reached out and ran one of her thumbs underneath his eye.

"You say the sweetest things to Maya Penelope," Josh smirked.

"What can I say?" Maya teased. "My sass is who I am. You knew this when you started dating me."

"I sure did," Josh nodded. He pulled her even closer and kissed her forehead. "So, what do you think?"

"About what?" Maya raised an eyebrow at him.

"Can we share a bed? Are we good at this?" Josh asked.

"Hmm," Maya pretended to think about it and then laughed. "You do snore a lot."

"And you breath like Darth Vader," Josh retorted.

"I do not!" Maya protested.

"Do too," Josh said.

"Whatever," Maya rolled her eyes and smiled. "You think it's adorable."

"I sure do," Josh nodded.

"I think I could get used to sharing a bed with you," Maya admitted.

"Me too," Josh whispered and pulled her closer.

"I just want to stay here all night," Maya sighed.

"I want you to stay here," Josh said.

"I could tell my parents that I'm sleeping at Riley's and just sleep here," Maya suggested.

"Absolutely not," Josh shook his head.

"What?" Maya widened her eyes. "Why not? Don't most boyfriends beg their girlfriends to do that?"

"Because I am not going to risk Shawn or Cory finding out the truth," Josh said. "I will not tempt it."

"Afraid of your big brother and his bff?" Maya teased.

"Yes," Josh nodded.

"Don't worry," Maya laughed out loud and rubbed his arm. "I'll protect you from them."

"Don't patronize me," Josh shot his girlfriend a look.

"Never babe," Maya smiled.

"Come here," Josh pulled her closer and kissed her. She giggled and wrapped her arms around him as she returned the kiss. She knew she would go home that night but that didn't mean she couldn't enjoy the time she had with him now.

. .GIRLMEETSWORLD.

"Riley?" Josh asked, walking into her bedroom and seeing her curled up in her bed. She was staring off into space and seemingly ignoring him.

"Hi," Riley mumbled.

"Uh oh," Josh widened his eyes. "What happened?"

"Nothing," Riley shook her head.

"Come here," Josh patted the bay window and gestured for her to sit down with him. She reluctantly got out of her bed and sat down with her uncle. "Talk to me."

"Life sucks," Riley mumbled. She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on top of them.

"Did you and Lucas have a fight?" Josh asked, sensing that it had something to do with his niece's boyfriend.

"Yes," Riley nodded. "A bad fight."

"About what?" Josh asked.

"College," Riley sighed. "He thinks I'm set on New York and that I don't want to go with him Texas. I think he's stubborn and only hears what he wants to hear."

"Did you say that to him?" Josh winced.

"Sort of," Riley then winced herself.

"Do you not want to go to Texas?" Josh asked.

"I don't know," Riley shook her head. "I guess I'm scared, Uncle Josh. I'm afraid to leave everything that I know and everything that I'm comfortable with. I'm afraid to start over."

"And Lucas thinks this is your way of backing out of your future together?" Josh asked.

"Probably," Riley nodded.

"He is an insecure western hero," Josh smirked.

"It's not true though," Riley insisted. "I would never want to back out of a future with him. I love him so much. Me having doubts about Texas has nothing to do with him and everything to do with my fear of being alone."

"Did you tell him that?" Josh asked.

"No," Riley sighed. "I sort of got mad and walked away."

"Aren't you two supposed to be really good at communication?" Josh nudged her side. She chuckled softly and then nodded at her uncle.

"Yeah we are," Riley nodded.

"So talk to him, Riley. Be honest with him and let your hearts decide what you want. Listen to them because they know what's best for you," Josh insisted.

"Thanks Uncle Josh," Riley smiled at her uncle.

"Anything for my favorite niece," Josh smiled at her.

"You're lucky I'm your only niece," Riley laughed.

"Don't worry," Josh smirked. "You'd still be my favorite."

"If you insist," Riley teased and leaned into his side for a hug.

. .GIRLMEETSWORLD.

"Hey Huckleberry," Maya greeted her friend when she saw him sitting alone at Topanga's. He was twirling a coffee cup around in his hands and nodded in greeting at her. "Uh oh."

"What?" Lucas scrunched his eyebrows together at her.

"I know that look," Maya pointed at his face and then took a seat across from him.

"What look?" Lucas shrugged.

"The 'I'm fighting with Riley and now I'm upset' look," Maya explained. She watched as he just shrugged again before going back to play with his coffee cup. "What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything," Lucas shook his head.

"Let me guess," Maya said. "This has to do with college."

"I don't think she wants to go to Texas with me," Lucas said. "I think she wants to stay here but she just won't say it."

"And you think it's because she doesn't want to be with you?" Maya put the pieces together.

"How could I not?" Lucas shrugged. "I would be in Texas and she is having second thoughts about it. Makes me think she's having second thoughts about me too."

"Well that's just the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard," Maya said.

"Maya-," Lucas said but she cut him off.

"You know Riley," Maya said. "Probably better than most, not me, but most. She gets nervous when you are trying to take her out of her comfort zone. She panics and retreats to what she knows. Texas would be a huge change for her and if I remember correctly, she does not have the fondest memories of Texas."

"I know," Lucas sighed.

"She has come a long way but she's still our Riley. She still gets insecure, nervous and panics. This is a huge decision for her and she's going to lash out. It's not because she's unsure of her feelings for you. If there is one thing I know about that girl, it's how much she loves you. She's just afraid because this is a huge leap for her and your future," Maya explained.

"I should probably talk to her," Lucas said. He knew Maya was right and realized she was the perfect person to talk to right now. If there was anyone in this world who could crack the Riley Matthews code, it was Maya.

"She loves you and she's trying her best," Maya promised.

"Thanks Maya," Lucas smiled at the blonde in front of her.

"Don't mention it Ranger Rick," Maya nodded at him.

. .GIRLMEETSWORLD.

"What do you think they are going to do?" Josh asked.

"I don't know," Maya shook her head and lifted her legs underneath her. She saw him grab a pillow from her couch and place it in his lap. They had just finished talking about their discussions with both Riley and Lucas.

"Do you think they'll go to Texas?" Josh asked.

"I honestly don't know," Maya shrugged. "I think it's going to be a last minute decision. I think they are going to spend the next few weeks trying to decide."

"She said they were considering going out there for spring break," Josh said.

"Yeah," Maya nodded. "I think it's a chance for them to get a feel for it."

"We should all go," Josh suggested.

"What?" Maya scrunched her eyebrows together.

"For spring break," Josh said. "Our spring breaks fall around the same time. I know we talked about going in the summer but let's all do it now. Help them make their decision."

"That could be fun," Maya agreed.

"Makes me extra grateful you got into NYU," Josh said.

"What do you mean?" Maya asked.

"Now we don't have to worry about the distance and deciding what to do," Josh explained.

"Do you think we would have made it?" Maya asked.

"Made what?" Josh asked. "Survived the distance?"

"Yeah," Maya nodded.

"I do," Josh said.

"What makes you so sure?" Maya asked. She felt her heart start to race because it make her feel good to hear her boyfriend so certain about their future together.

"We both stayed single for three years. We played this long game and our feelings never wavered. I don't think a little distance in college would have been the thing to break us," Josh explained.

"I don't either," Maya agreed. "I think this was where we were always meant to be."

"Do you think we should have stopped the long game sooner?" Josh asked.

"Sometimes I say yes but that's because I wanted to be with you," Maya said.

"And the other times?" Josh asked.

"The other times I say no because it helped us grow," Maya said. "It helped us realize what we both really wanted. I feel like in a way it helped to appreciate what really have."

"It made me love you even more than I already did," Josh admitted.

"Yeah?" Maya smiled.

"Can I confess something?" Josh asked.

"Of course," Maya nodded and then scooted closer to him on the couch.

"I was kind of afraid that you would stop liking me," Josh admitted.

"What?" Maya widened her eyes.

"I was afraid because I made you wait so long and I was so hesitant that you would realize you didn't want to be with me anymore. You wouldn't want to be with someone who couldn't commit right away. I was afraid that I had lost you," Josh explained.

"Josh," Maya whispered.

"I was so afraid because I knew from the beginning how special you were. How special you are. I knew you weren't just another girlfriend and that scared me," Josh said. "I knew that there was a future for the two of us and I guess I pushed you away because I was afraid of what the commitment meant."

"I was afraid too," Maya admitted. She saw the surprise flash across his face so she reached out to grab his hand. "I have never been good at committing to a person. I have always been afraid of getting hurt or abandoned. I knew that if you ever left, it would kill me."

"I'm here," Josh promised.

"I waited this long for you, Josh. The long game was nothing to me. It never changed my feelings or made me think we wouldn't be together. If anything it strengthened my feelings for you," Maya said.

"Really?" Josh asked.

"Really," Maya nodded.

"This is the real deal, you know that right?" Josh asked. Maya reached out to grab his hand and scooted closer to him on the couch.

"I know," Maya nodded. "I am all in."

"I remember saying something similar to you at the very beginning of our relationship," Josh smiled at her.

"I still mean it," Maya promised. "I love you."

"I love you too," Josh whispered. He leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers. "Today, tomorrow and every day after."

"Today, tomorrow, and every day after," Maya promised and then closed the gap between them. She kissed him with all the love she felt for him.