A/N: This is just some fluffy Rucas, to make up for all of the angst, I was originally going to do the whole part from the guys' perspective but this came out instead, but since the next one is Prom, expect a lot of fluff from all of the couples.

Episode 24 – Girl Meets Expectations and Reality

It's wasn't a normal Saturday, it had been three weeks since the fight with Riley and Lucas was trying to figure something out, and it didn't have anything to do with college. Mostly it had to do with prom. He didn't know what the expectations for prom were, the only dances they've been to usually ended up in disaster because of one reason or another. With the exception of the year before, but still there was something nagging at the back of his mind.

The best way to deal with questions of any kind was to ask someone directly, so he invited Zay, Farkle and Josh to go out for lunch so they could bounce ideas off one another but also so he could get some answers. The girls were out shopping for dresses, so why couldn't the guys hang out and talk, their tuxes were already picked out because they had the girls tell them how to coordinate the outfits and then they just yelled at them for five minutes before telling them that they'll handle it and all the guys had to do was show up for the fitting.

"Why is prom such a big deal anyway?" Farkle asked looking at them while they sat down in a booth at the Nighthawk diner. "It's just an oversized party."

"It's the last one you'll have while you're in high school," Josh said automatically.

"Says the guy who already graduated," Zay said while looking at the menu.

Lucas wasn't sure if he was going to get anywhere if they were all bickering about tuxes, and the importance of a dance. He sighed and picked up a menu before slapping onto the table.

"What's up your butt," Zay said looking at him and the offending menu.

"What are the expectations of prom?" Lucas said looking at his friends. "In movies they say prom is about finally getting some, while in real life it's just a regular dance. Are there any real expectations for it?"

"I am not having this talk with the guy dating my niece, my brother would kill me if I knew it would happen and I didn't warn him," Josh said trying to push Farkle out of the way because he was blocking the exit.

"I'm not going to have sex with Riley on prom night," Lucas said automatically. He knew that when they were both ready it will happen but until then he wasn't going to push it. "I just want to know how I should treat prom, should it be like a formal date, or a fun date…. I don't know."

"Knowing Riley she probably planned out the whole night," Farkle said to him.

"Nah, she would want Lucas to tell her if something was alright, ever since that fight the two of them talk everything over before they actually do anything," Josh said giving Lucas a knowing look.

"Why do I even bother having guy friends if all I get is sass," Lucas said looking at them.

"Dude we're not girls, we don't have to talk about our feelings," Zay answered him.

"Zay, if Cassie heard you talking like this what would she say?" Farkle asked him and Zay tensed up.

"Yeah especially since you two watch romcoms and dramas, hell you two watched The Notebook for fun the other night," Lucas said to his childhood friend.

"I never said a word," Zay answered automatically before looking around to see if Cassie had heard them talking.

The guys laughed at him for a moment before turning back to their menus, they ordered more food that should be consumed by anyone and they didn't care. Lucas was still mulling over the expectations of prom while shoving a burger in his mouth.

"Lucas don't worry about it," Josh said looking at them. "Listen prom is a celebration, you've survived school for this long, look at everything you've been through and now you're out on the other side kind of celebration."

"So there's no real expectations," Zay said looking at Josh.

"Nah, the girls expect limos, and flowers," Josh said smiling at them. "Giant declarations of love, for the whole world to know that you love them more than anything."

The three of them looked at Josh like he was messing with them, but in the end it did give Lucas an idea. After they finished eating they went to the shop to try on the tuxes the girls had picked out for them, along with shoes and even socks.

"They went a little overboard here don't you think?" Farkle said looking at all of the things that had been put aside for them.

"Don't worry too much, just remember that they care and that they want us to look good, because if we don't they would probably kick our asses," Zay said patting Farkle on the back.

By the time they went their separate ways Lucas went off towards a nearby shop to find the perfect thing to give to Riley on prom night, it had to be something simple, but he knew in the end that she would love it because she loved him.

Riley was exhausted, shopping should be fun not exhausting right? She thought to herself but after four hours of running around the city, she didn't know if he legs would ever recover. Her dress and shoes had been picked out for months now, but she somehow ended up having to pick out Lucas's tux, because boys were useless when trying to coordinate outfits. Then there was shopping for Maya, Smackle, and Cassie's dressed, which turned into them going to some obscure places because they wanted something special, which turned into a miniature fashion show, that even Smackle started having fun.

So of course by the time Riley had gotten home her legs were screaming and she couldn't really move off of her bed. There was a small knock on her window, but she didn't move she just waved her hand at whoever it was so that they knew she wasn't dead.

The window opened letting in the spring breeze which felt nice on her skin. "You know I could be some axe murderer," Lucas said as he sat down next to her and gave her a quick kiss. "I like my tux by the way."

"I'm glad," she said looking up at his eyes. "It fit right? I mean you did try it on and not just look at it and buy it."

"Yes it fits," he said smiling. "Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about something."

"As long as it doesn't involve me moving go ahead."

He laughed at her for a moment before stopping to speak. "Well I was talking with the guys earlier about expectations."

"Please don't tell me that this conversation is about sex on prom night," she before grabbing her pillow and hitting him on the face with it.

"Yes and no, I mean it came up but no we're not having sex on prom night," he said as he grabbed the pillow and throwing it across the room so she would stop hitting him with it. "It was more about what prom night really means."

"Lucas it's just a party, at this point I'll be happy if we danced for an hour and then went to the movies," she said smiling at him. "I like our simple dates more than big parties."

"Good, how about we dance for an hour and then have dinner and then go to the movies," he said adding to what she had suggested which only made her happier.

"That's perfect."

"Anyway, I got you something… to um… go with your dress," he stuttered out. "It's not much but I want you to have it," he pulled out a small rose gold necklace with a little metallic bead on it.

Riley sat up for the first time taking the necklace from him before looking at it and noticing the small heart on the bead. It wasn't huge, but it looked just like, "Pluto," she said out loud.

"I went looking for something special, prom is a huge deal but I want this to be a promise that no matter what I'll be there for you," he said to her and she could feel her eyes water.

"You didn't have to buy me something," she said but she held the necklace close to her heart.

"I know but I also want you to know that after everything we've been through that you're my Pluto, you're my hope Riley Matthews."

Riley could feel her heart beating in her chest, pounding in her ears, her blood pumping through her veins, this was everything and nothing at the same time. This was what perfect felt like, they fought, they laughed, they cried, but in the end their expectations and the reality of their relationship always made her smile and she couldn't believe that something so perfect could happen to her.

"I love you," she said before pulling him down for a kiss, to feel the softness of his lips against hers, the warmth of his hand on her face, his fingers in her hair. For as long as she's known him, he continues to surprise her, even after what had happened. It was at that moment that Riley knew that she could really have it all, it just took some work.

"I love you too," he said once she pulled away.

The door to her room slammed open and her father stood on the other side, before anything could happen Lucas was out the window and down the fire escape while Riley sat there in shock from just the door opening.

"We weren't doing anything," she said to her father who just ran out the window and after Lucas. Riley rolled her eyes and closed the window, she would let him have this moment because in the fall she would be at school and her father couldn't really chase Lucas away when they were two hours away.