Hi Lily :) My favourite I've written in this compilation is a tie between Stuck/Whoops/Playing With Fire. My favourite Lucaya one shot I've written overall is All For You though (it'll always have a special place in my heart because it was my first Lucaya fanfic ever and first angsty piece ever). Thanks for asking! :D
First wave of requests finally complete XD! Second wave will begin on Thursday! Tomorrow's update will be something special for you all ;3
Enjoy! Shout-out to all of you for being such sweet, caring and wonderful people! I thank you kindly for every review, every kind word, everything you all have done for me! You're all the best :)
Disclaimer: I do not own GMW.
Title: Miles Apart
Pairings&Characters: Lucas, Maya, Lucaya, Riley
Genre: Romance, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, AU
Rating: T for Trying To Run
Summary: "Can miles truly separate you from friends... If you want to be with someone you love, aren't you already there?" ~Richard Bach
Request by miaadventure for Riley as a huge, obsessive Lucaya nut.
Inspired by a conversation with LovingMyLucaya about Riley having an accidental big mouth and miaadventure for the situation! Thank you both for giving me the idea for this one-shot! :3
"Maya. Can I talk to you for a second?" Lucas jogged over to her with a breathless smile on his face.
Katy smiled at Lucas, and then kissed Maya's forehead one more time before walking towards where Riley was being photographed by Shawn.
"Don't you have a crap ton of pictures to take with your thousands of relatives, Huckleberry?" Maya joked, trying not to think about how cute he looked in his graduation robes.
"I know. I do." He took off his cap and scratched the back of his head. "I just… I needed to say something. It's graduation, and I know you're going to Annecy with Riley for the summer, but I couldn't wait until you got back to tell you."
He smiled softly, taking her hand in his.
"I know you're going to school here in New York, and I know I'm going to be in Texas, but it's been six years since I met you and about three of those I've spent wishing we could have been something more."
Shit.
And suddenly, she knew exactly what this was.
"Wait, Lucas–"
"Maya, I like you." Lucas said, and Maya stiffened in shock. "I really do. And I've wanted to be with you since sophomore year. But you've been with one guy after the other and I missed chance after chance and I waited too long to tell you, but I'm telling you now. I want to be with you. And I can't help but feel like deep down, you want to be with me too."
She averted her gaze, hating the way his eyes were watching her like she was light in his dark and dreary world. She could feel her face burning red and her heart was pounding in her chest.
"Don't you have anything to say?" he implored earnestly.
"I…" She looked up and met his gaze, wanting to tell him the truth, but she couldn't. She pulled her hand out of his, trying to ignore the way her heart hurt when his hand fell against his side dejectedly. "I can't give you an answer."
He frowned, looking a bit confused. "Why not?"
"I just can't, okay?" Maya snapped, glaring up at him. "Why did you have to be an idiot and confess?"
"So I'm an idiot now because I care about you and wanted you to know?" Lucas growled, his fists clenched in irritation.
"You're an idiot because you couldn't keep your damn mouth shut!"
"Maya, I just told you I wanted to be with you!" He snapped, a bit of hurt creeping in his gaze, "If you don't want to be with me, just tell me you don't want to be with me. Don't make up some bullshit saying you don't have an answer!"
"I said I don't have an answer for you! Stop trying to twist my words." Maya ran her fingers through her hair in exasperation. "Look, Riley's coming over here. So can we please just pretend this conversation never happened?"
He stared at her incredulously, his jaw clenched and eyes glinting angrily.
Fuck, it was just her luck that Lucas would ruin this day because he couldn't keep his damn feelings to himself. No one had asked him for the confession! Why did he have to go and ruin it all?!
"Guys! I'm trying to get all our friends together to take one of those cool black and white throw the cap in the air pics since we weren't allowed to do it at the ceremony. Shawn's going to take it!" Riley said excitedly, "How does that sound?"
"Just peachy." Lucas grit out, still glaring at Maya.
Then he spun on his heel and stormed away, leaving Riley there totally confused, and Maya closing her eyes with a sigh, knowing that things had really gotten messed up.
Dammit.
Maya sighed and plopped face first onto her bed, looking at the calendar she had finally put back on her wall after bringing it with her to Annecy. Every day had been crossed off leading to the circle she'd put around tomorrow.
There was a knock at her door and it opened shortly after, Katy popping her head in and glancing around until her eyes landed on Maya's limp form on the bed.
"I didn't hear you get in." Katy said with a smile. "Just got back?"
Maya nodded, noncommittally grumbling in her pillow.
"I take it you're not going to unpack tonight then?"
"Too tired…"
Katy chuckled, "Alright, baby girl. You can tell me all about France tomorrow. Oh, and Farkle called earlier today. Told me to remind you to get to Riley's by eight so you all could get to the airport on time."
"Right…" Maya said, staring at the calendar on her wall.
"Lights off?"
"Please?"
Katy laughed a little and turned the lights off in Maya's room. Maya knew she had to change and take off her dress and at least the heels on her feet so she wouldn't wake up with foot cramps, but she was utterly exhausted. After she and Riley had gotten back, Maya had had to take a long taxi ride from the airport back to her mom's apartment.
Annecy had been incredible. A truly eye opening experience for her, especially since she'd had all the time in the world to check out the Conservatory for Art and History and speak to local artists in the art scene. She'd even gotten a chance to participate in some interesting public art events. And the four years of French definitely helped.
But she was exhausted now and she planned to sleep the last two weeks of her summer vacation away, getting over the jet lag.
Well… after tomorrow anyway.
Maya sighed and closed her eyes temporarily, wishing she could just not show up, but she knew Riley wouldn't let her, and Riley would probably hunt her down if she dared to stay at home.
As if on cue, her phone started violently vibrating in her hand, and Maya picked up, already mentally preparing for Riley's bubbly, excited manner of speech.
She didn't disappoint.
"So Lucas is leaving for Texas tomorrow morning. You'll be there right?"
Urgh. How the hell was Riley still able to have so much energy after that long, tiring flight and ruined sleep schedule when Maya was clinging helplessly to the dregs of her slumber?
"I'll be there." Maya muttered, "But that won't happen if I don't get any sleep tonight, which I won't because you're on the phone talking to me, honey."
"Sorry. It's just, I can't believe he's really going, you know? We're not going to see him for four years."
"He's going to visit us all during the summer." she said, though she felt the same way.
"But he's basically going to live in Texas now. There's really no real reason for him to come back."
Maya looked at the calendar again, falling silent and wishing they could talk about anything other than Lucas Friar.
"Unless, you know…" Riley said slowly, a little conspiratorially, "There's something here that will make him want to come back more often. Or, you know… Someone. Like a certain blonde girl with gorgeous blue eyes."
"Riley, I know where this is going. And I don't like it." Maya said, sitting up to tug off her heels.
"Maya, you never even responded to his confession. Maybe if you told him you liked him back—"
"I can't."
"—he wouldn't be so dead set on never really coming back to New York."
"Riley, I already told you I won't tell him."
"And I already told you I won't stop bugging you about it until you do!"
"I'm going to bed Riley."
Maya hung up the phone, peeling both of the pinchy, circulation-cutting-off pumps and tossing them haphazardly somewhere in her room. She sighed and laid back down on her bed, the source of her troubled thoughts pervading her mind.
Lucas was leaving for Texas.
And then she probably would never see him again.
She ran her hands through her hair anxiously. They hadn't spoken all summer, and last they'd seen each other, before she and Riley had left, they couldn't even look each other in the eye. This was going to be the most unbelievably awkward goodbye she'd have to go through in her life.
And the worst part was, she didn't want to say goodbye.
Her phone buzzed again, breaking her train of thought, and Maya narrowed her eyes as she checked the caller ID.
"What do you want?"
"Did you respond to his confession yet? Did you tell him you like him back yet?"
"No Riley. Stop asking."
"You need to tell him soon!" Riley ignored her. "Otherwise you'll miss your chance and he'll fall in love with some other artsy girl with sparkling blue eyes and blonde hair and a sharp tongue!"
"Riley enough. I'm going to sleep."
And Maya ended the call, rubbing her temples in annoyance. She knew it was a bad idea to tell Riley about the confession. She'd told her on the plane ride back from France after the weight of holding the secret on her shoulders all summer just got to be too much and since then, Riley had relentlessly continued to suggest Maya tell Lucas the truth.
But Maya refused.
She didn't see any reason to.
She wouldn't say a word.
Her phone vibrated again, and Maya answered it, knowing immediately what Riley was going to say before the words came out of her mouth.
"Did you tell him yet?"
"Riley, go away."
"Maya, c'mon! He's leaving tomorrow!"
"Well aware."
"Are you really going to miss this chance? He could be the love of your life, Maya!"
"Yes I'm going to miss this chance."
"I just don't understand. Why?"
"Okay first of all, Lucas will be gone for college. Why would I tell him I like him when he's not even going to be here?"
"But long distance relationships, Maya."
"Not worth it."
"Why not?"
"It's just not."
"But I still don't understand why you can't just tell him that you like him!"
"Riley, he's not going to be here." Maya repeated slowly. "What am I supposed to do? Sit here forever until he comes back?"
She was silent for a spell and Maya mentally cheered, hoping that she'd been deterred. But then Riley piped up again after a few seconds.
"Still Maya. Are you really going to let him go without knowing your true feelings?"
"Yes."
"I don't agree with your decision." Riley huffed.
"And I don't care." Maya said as sweetly as she could to her best friend, "Goodnight. And stop calling me."
She hung up once again.
Then Maya unzipped the side of her dress and slowly peeled it off her body, grimacing at the thin layer of sweat that had made it cling to her form. She slid it down her legs and then tossed it, glad she couldn't see the colour of her dress in the darkness of her room.
It was the colour of his eyes.
That swirling sea-foam green with the soft ring of bronze around the pupil. Eyes she'd stared into so many times that they were engraved in the recesses of her memory. Eyes that made her feel like she was floating on clouds. Eyes that made her feel loved, like she was the only important person in the world. Eyes that made her dreams that much more enjoyable.
She sighed dejectedly and settled under her covers, pulling them up to her chin and staring at the odd shadows cast on her ceiling through the window.
Maya wanted to tell him. She really did. But she'd meant what she said on graduation day. She couldn't tell him.
He was leaving.
What was she supposed to do? Tell him she liked him and then get her heart broken when he left and would be gone for four years? She refused to be that girl pining and moping around in her dorm because her boyfriend was miles away, and she could only see him once or twice in a semester. She wouldn't be able to live like that.
She liked him too much to be able to live like that.
It was the reason why she hadn't accepted his confession a few months ago. She didn't want to spend the rest of her college years yearning for him to be around (which wouldn't happen) and missing him (which was inevitable) and wishing to be near him at all times (which couldn't come true).
Sure, not telling him how she really felt was tearing her apart, but it was better than him knowing and still not being able to physically be with her.
Maybe it was a stupid reason, but Maya was selfish. And things regarding Lucas made her vulnerable.
She was going to keep it to herself no matter what.
And she'd forget about him in the future and all would be well in her world.
Her phone buzzed again, and Maya picked it up, knowing full well that Riley was projecting mental ring power to force her to answer the phone. And she could not physically ignore the call.
Damn their telepathy.
"Riley, I'm trying to sleep."
"Did you tell Lucas you like him yet?"
"No."
"Did you tell Lucas you like him yet?"
"No."
"Did you tell Lucas you like him yet?"
"No."
"Did you tell Lucas you like him yet?"
"No."
"Did you tell Lucas you like him yet?"
"No."
"Did you tell—"
"Goodnight Riley."
Maya set her phone on her dresser and snuggled further under her covers. So maybe she wasn't going to say a word about how she felt, but Lucas at least deserved some sort of closure.
She would respond to his confession and end whatever this was once and for all.
It wasn't worth the heartache.
~.~.~
"There are a lot of people, huh?" Maya muttered under her breath, rubbing her hands up and down her arms to clear away the goosebumps. It was cold as hell in this airport.
To say Maya was nervous as she waited for her turn to say goodbye to Lucas was an understatement. They had acquired a lot of friends over the years, adding to their already tight-knit group and pretty much everyone had come to say goodbye to Lucas. He wouldn't really be coming back to New York in the next four years, so this was basically the last chance to see him. Of their close friends, he was the one who was going the farthest away for college. Even Smackle, who had been accepted to every Ivy League school, had decided to stay local and go to Columbia.
Maya watched Lucas chatting with some friends from the baseball team and laughing. After not seeing or speaking to him all summer, it felt a little weird to be there. It wasn't like their relationship had been completely wrecked, but it wasn't like they were okay. She felt awkward, like a stranger to him, even though they'd been friends for years.
He looked pretty happy though, and a small smile came to her face.
She would really miss him.
Despite the mess of their relationship right now, she still would miss the days they spent on the roof of her apartment, Lucas chatting about the more shitty things in his life while Maya drew the sights on the street below. Or the emergency convenience store runs at four in the morning for ice cream. Or the hangover mornings they spent cuddled up in each other's beds, wallowing in their mutual misery. Lucas was her best friend, and there really was going to be a gap in her life when he was gone.
And then his gaze lifted, and his eyes met hers across the group of people around him. They held each other's gaze for a few moments, Lucas' expression revealing nothing. With a tight swallow, Maya turned her back on him, facing Riley with a nervous smile that came out as a grimace.
"Want to go shopping after this?" Maya asked Riley, if only to distract herself from the odd little moment.
Riley gave her a blank look, unaffected by her attempts to divert attention from the fact that Lucas was about to leave.
"Did you tell Lucas you like him yet?"
"Riley."
"Did you tell Lucas you like him yet?"
"No."
"Did you tell Lucas you like him yet?"
"Asking me over and over isn't going to—"
"Did you tell Lucas you like him yet?"
"Riley."
"Did you tell Lucas you like him yet?"
"What?"
A deep, distinctly male, and very Lucas Friar voice cut into their conversation.
With a sharp intake of breath, Maya spun around in shock. Lucas was standing behind her, looking surprised out of his mind. Riley slapped her hand over her own mouth with wide eyes, a small oops escaping her lips.
"Well now I don't need to…" Maya muttered.
Lucas hadn't been the only one to hear. Apparently, he'd walked over to them and most everyone else had followed him over. Everyone was staring at her, similar looks of surprise or excitement on their faces. No one was talking, just waiting to see what she had to say now.
Maya's cheeks slowly burned red.
"Maya?" Lucas asked, a small, slightly hopeful smile on his face. "Is that true?"
She chewed on her thumb nail in silence, staring up at him as her pulse slowly skyrocketed. She didn't want to be put on the spot like this! Maya wanted to run. She wanted to turn around and get away from all of this. What the hell was she supposed to say?
"You know... this would be the part where you tell him." Riley said in her ear.
"Riley, stop." Maya said, taking a slight step back away from him. Lucas was waiting patiently for her response, his sea-foam gaze a little wistful.
"Alright Maya." Riley said, "I'll stop."
Maya felt her shoulders untense and relax a bit and she tried to think of how she could get herself out of this situation without completely destroying everything.
And then Riley shoved her abruptly forward.
Maya stumbled right into Lucas, and he caught her by the shoulders to hold her steady. She looked up in alarm and tried to break away, but he kept her close, his grasp on her shoulders preventing her from cutting and running.
"Now kiss her Lucas!" Riley exclaimed, pulling her phone out of her pocket.
"Riley, stop it!" Maya said over her shoulder, flustered and trying not to inhale Lucas' amazing scent too deeply.
She was so sure she was the colour of a tomato by this point. When she glanced up, Lucas was just watching her, waiting for her to calm down a bit. She was so sure he could hear her heart hammering in her ribcage, threatening to fly out.
"Okay, I don't know how much you heard, but it's not what you think."
"So Riley lied then?" But his eyes were twinkling in mirth, like he knew she was trying to escape the issue. "You don't like me?"
"I never said that." Maya responded, gasping softly when his hands slid down to her waist, and he pulled her slightly closer.
"Then which is it?"
"...I..."
"Just tell me the truth, Maya."
"...I like you." she said quietly, her voice almost dropping down to a whisper.
"Do you want to be with me?" he asked softly.
"I don't know…" She curled her hands into the fabric of his shirt, looking away from his warm green gaze.
"Maya, yes or no."
She wanted to. She desperately wanted to, but she didn't want to be apart from him. A thousand miles was too far a distance.
"I want to. But you're not going to be here. And I don't want to be with you if it means I'm never going to see you—"
Without a word, Lucas lifted her chin up and kissed her softly.
For a moment, for just a moment, Maya's mind shut down and all she could hear was the pounding of her heart in her ears.
But then her eyes fluttered closed, and she sighed into his mouth, pushing up on her toes and clutching at his shirt. He held her tightly to him, kissing her slowly and lovingly, chills running down her back at the warmth from his body. It was a kiss so sweet and so mind-numbing she didn't know how she would be able to let him go.
He pulled slightly away, smiling gently in that way that always made goosebumps rise on her arms. She gazed up at him through half-lidded eyes, trying to get back her stolen breath from the rush.
"Lucas…"
"We can still be with each other you know. Even if I'm not around."
"How?"
"We'll figure it out." He tucked some loose hair behind her ear, cradling her cheek. "We always do."
She couldn't help but be skeptical, but there was something in the expression in his eyes, sincere and affectionate, that made her believe him. That made her believe they could make it work. She nodded, a small smile forming on her lips.
"Okay."
He smiled and leaned down again, capturing her lips in a warm kiss that sent electricity racing through her veins. Maya happily wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the embrace.
The people around them were cheering like crazy and making a lot of noise even though they were in the middle of an airport, but Maya couldn't care less. She'd wanted this for so long and now that she had it, she wasn't sure how she would make it with such a huge distance between them.
But he was right.
They would figure it out.
They always did.