Talk

Maya couldn't sleep, she wasn't sure what it was. If it was the fact she was in a different bed, if it was Riley snoring next to her or even Auggie's little feet hitting out at the shins every so often. The fact that it was so quiet threw her too, after all she had always lived in the city. Whatever it was she found herself more restless that she was the night before her Mom and Shawn got married.

It didn't help that Josh was still mad at her, ok she knew she had been wrong for snooping, but she had suffered too for that. She had expected the silent treatment, she had even expected the sour looks and yelling. The yelling would have helped so much more than the avoidance she was getting now. Since Josh had screeched for his Mom and stormed out she hadn't really seen him.

From what Maya gathered he was working a lot in his dad's store and catching up with his friends from high school. Still Maya couldn't help but think she had some how pushed him out of his own house.

Auggie's foot made a particularly hard jab to her knee (yep that one was going to bruise) and Riley made a rather loud snot and Maya gave up on trying to sleep. She wished that she could sit on the bay window and clear her head. She wished that she had thought to pack the sketch book, that way she could let her frustrations out. The stars were so much clearer here than they were in the city, she thought as she found herself looking out of Josh's window. Everything seemed clearer here in a way, including what she needed to do to be able to sleep.

She had been worried about waking him at first but was she made her way down to the sitting room she could see the TV screen reflecting against the white walls. It would seem that she wasn't the only one having trouble falling asleep.

"Hey" Maya croaked making her way over the couch. She felt nervous, Josh had never made her feel like that before. Excited, a little crazy yes but ever nervous. She hadn't even be scared when she had turned up at that dorm party. Even though she was 95% sure he was completely pissed at her. Josh always had this calm exterior and she loved that about him. Maybe it was because her best friend tended to be on the dramatic side or her Mom had spent so much of her life pretending to be something or someone else but she liked that Josh was just Josh. So completely sure who he was and what he was about that he kinda made her brave. All she knew what that she didn't feel the least bit calm at the moment. She felt unsure about everything and like he was going to find out that she was anything but brave, that no matter what she still felt broken.

"Hey" Josh signed from his position on the couch. He didn't look the least bit comfortable, stretched out awkwardly in front of the TV, the lights out causing the illuminated screen to bounce of his features as strange angles. How was it even possible that he made that look good?

"Couldn't sleep" Maya stated, like she actually needed to, clearly she couldn't sleep otherwise she would be in bed right now.

"Like wise" Josh huffed, sitting up. Pulling at his t-shirt irritable as it twisted around his body. He was annoyed, he was tired and grumpy and no matter what he seemed to be the one having to give everything up for everyone else. His room, his privacy, he's plans. No-one had bothered to tell him that Maya was coming for a summer visit. Not even Tonpanga, who had been a surprise supporter of the whole Long Game thing. Not that he didn't like Maya, he did. That was the issue he liked her in a way that probably wasn't a good idea considering she was under age. This summer had meant to be able catching up with Friends from High School and hanging out with his Niece and Nephew and helping out it the store so that his dad could take a break and enjoy time with his son and grandkids. Now he was back in this weird dance that he and Maya seemed to have whenever they saw one another. Yeah he got that he had been the one to come up with the Long Game and he stuck by that decision. It was the best one for them, still it didn't mean that it wasn't a lot of work. His brain and his hormones seem to be constant conflict around her. And it got kind of exhausting.

"Look I'm sorry o.k." Maya rushed, throwing herself on to the other end of the couch

"Maya" Josh sighed, pulling his hand over his tired eyes "Can we not do this right now"

"I shouldn't have snooped" Maya insisted, knowing she was not going to be able to settle until she had this out with him. Knowing that it wasn't like he could be more annoyed at her than he already was so why not make it worse now so it could get better sooner.

"Yeah you shouldn't have" Josh grumbled.

"It was rude and I defiantly shouldn't have made Riley help me" Maya added, getting up from the couch and starting to pace the floor "She didn't want to by the way so if your going to be mad at someone it should be me"

"It's 3 in the morning" Josh complained feeling his temper start to raise "I need to be up in 4 hours to open the store and you need to be in bed" he was up on his feet looking down at the younger girl. If he hadn't been so completely annoyed by her being there he would have thought about how cute she looked in her PJs with her hair piled up on top of her head like that. As it happens the fact that she was irked him even more. Maya Hunter was a lot of things, Brave, caring, funny, sarcastic, smart but what she was to Josh was utterly confusing. She had been in and our for his life for as long as he could remember, always there in the background, even if it was in conversations had with his niece over Thanksgivings Dinner or Summer visits. She was Riley's best friend and they did everything together and that was it, until it wasn't. Until she was something else. She had slowly become the person that he couldn't help thinking about. The person who's smile seemed to make his heart jump and made him want to do everything in his power to make her smile again.

He had plans, he liked plans they kept things on track and give him something to work towards. Maya had never been part of the plan. Someday had never even crossed his mind before meeting her again that Thanksgiving. New York and NYU had never been about her. College had always been about working hard and playing hard, they had never been a plan for anyone serious let alone his Niece best friend. So why was she here taking up all the space in his head, why was she here looking at him like he was the biggest, brightest thing in the world?

"I can't sleep" Maya said firmly "Not when were are like this, not when I know your Pissed at me"

"Cause I'm pissed at you" Josh hissed, pushing the swing door into the kitchen a little hard that he intended to. Clearly he wasn't going to get out of the conversation. He knew from experience that there was no turning Maya around when she got her mind set on it. It looked like they were going to be up a while, the best he could do was making them some Hot Chocolate in hopes that it would give them something better to do than glare at each other.

"Good" Maya said following him into the room, blinking slightly as the soft light of the counter hit her eyes.

"Good" Josh said looking around the fridge door, raising his eyebrows.

"Well not good" Maya signed, sitting down at the kitchen table "But your right to be, am I sorry. Honestly I don't know why I do half the things I do"

"I'm not falling for that" Josh said firmly, as he slammed the fridge door. He moved over to the hob pouring milk into a pan and starting to heat it "There is a reason for everything you do, weather you admit it or not"

"If it makes you feel any better I think I'm more scarred about what I found than you are" Maya said with a weak smile, clearly trying to lighten the situation.

"Doubt that" Josh huffed moving over the cupboard to get mugs.

"Is that what you like" Maya asked in a small voice.

"What" Josh asked mid stretch.

"You know…"Maya shrugged, her eyes on her table in front of her. "Those girls…all tall and boobs and legs for miles"

"Are you serious?" Josh huffed, tried and grumpy

"Look I know what I did was wrong" Maya sighed, looking up at the older boy, watching him work "I just…" she fumbled taking a deep breath "I just want to know you Josh. Really know you. Like how Riley knows that Lucas prefers ketchup to Mustard and Smackle knows how to re-boot Farkle and Cory and Tonpanga know…"

"What massive thing to you think I'm hiding from you" Josh asked softly, siting down in front of Maya at the table. Don't get it wrong he was still pissed at her, embarrassed more than anything if he was completely honest. But he could see that he had hit on something her with her. That she was opening herself up to him and he wasn't about to take that away from her.

"I just don't get what you see in me" Maya signed, she could feel a lump starting to form in her throat.

"What" Josh asked, surly he couldn't be hearing her right, cause honestly how could she not see what the rest of the world cause.

"I'm broken" Maya said, feeling tears start to well in her eyes "I'm not smart, I don't get good grades. I do stupid things without thinking. I'm ugly, not pretty, I don't look like those women…"

"Your Beautiful" Josh said firmly, pulling her face up to look at him "Your amazing Maya. You are smart and funny and have the biggest heart I have ever seen. Everyone that you care about is lucky to have you in there lives"

"But I don't look like those woman in your magazine" Maya insisted, not knowing what else to say to all the amazing things that Josh had just said about her.

"No-one looks like that" Josh said rolling his eyes, getting up from the table as he heard the milk start to boil "I don't even remember how long its been under the bed"

"But you kept it" Maya said, confused.

"After everything I've just said to you, that's the bit your choosing to focus on" Josh chuckled, setting the hot chocolate down in front of Maya before joining her at the table "I'm not been in that room for 6 months, doesn't look like I'm going to be in there anytime soon either" he huffed, stretching out his aching back, he really was too tall for that couch. Watching Maya smirk as she took a drink for the steaming cup.

"It was a bet with Lewis" Josh rolled his eye, remembering what he had been like at Maya's age "Who could get away with buying one. Who wouldn't chicken out of asking the cashier". Honestly they had been idoits at that age. "Threw it under the bed thinking my Ma wouldn't see it. Like she wouldn't know" he smirked "She's already raised Eric and Corey"

"So it's not some big fantasy that you've got…" Maya asked, starting to feel a little better about the who thing "Cause if you think I'm going to lie out on your car like that…"

"Your good" Josh reassured her.

"You really think I'm Beautiful" Maya bushed

"I think your stunning" Josh said honestly, secretly loving the way that her cheeks flush. He loved that tough, feisty Maya Hunter cause be so bashful at compliments. She was gorgeous, he wanted to run his fingers though her blond locks that always looks so amazingly soft. Her eyes seemed to really see him in a way that he wasn't sure anyone other than her ever would. It hadn't stopped think about her plump, soft lips since had laid his own on hers months ago. Not so mention the soft curves of her body. He hadn't been able to stop thinking about having her in his arm or the way that she had seemed to fit against him perfectly. Here she was stressing over a woman in a magazine when he was pretty sure he had had more dreams about her than he had over them.

"Guys look at these things Maya" Josh said softly "It doesn't mean that I like you any less or that I'm not attracted to you…It's just one of those things" He shrugged not how else to explain it. He didn't really get it himself. They were like two completely different things. Yeah he looked at those type of magazines. More then than now, still it had never really accorded to him how girlfriends, Maya (whatever she officially was) would see it. They were real, the woman in the magazines weren't

"Just talk to me ok" Josh signed, feeling a little like they were going around in circles somehow "That stuff you want to know about me, I want to know them about you too. It takes time that's all. And isn't want this is all about, us taking our time"

"It is" Maya smiled, her hand going across the table to play with Josh's fingers that were around his cup. She thought she understood what he was saying. It was like her Celb crush. She found him attractive, but that didn't make her less attracted to Josh because of that.

"You were the one that said we needed to be honest with each other" Josh said firmly turning is hand over so that Maya could lace her fingers though his, knowing that that was what they both wanted. He has never really thought of himself as a hand holder. Don't get it wrong, he was all for PDA, still he had never felt the need to constantly be in contact with other girls he had dated. However he found himself craving it with her. "So if you want to know something just ask"

"I know" Maya smiled softly, squeezing his hand. "I'm sorry, this is all new to me"

"It's new to me too" Josh smiled, feeling better about things.

"How new exactly" Maya asked with a smirk, making Josh feel very much like he had walked himself into that one.

"What exactly are you asking me Maya Hunter" Josh asked his eyebrow raised.

"Well" Maya said, she knew she was being silly really. That she shouldn't be comparing herself to other, but it was hard not to. It was hard to wonder or think about the other girls Josh had been with. It was hard not to think how experienced he was compared to her. "I happen to know that I have only kissed 2 guys at this point"

"Meaning" Josh asked taking a sip of his hot chocolate, feeling a little more annoyed about the other guy she had kissed than he probably should. He knew about Brice of course. She had been up front with him about it all, he also knew that they were just friends now. This is what Someday was meant to be all about, not getting tangled up in each other and feeling trapped in the end. It was all about growing as people to become something amazing together.

Josh knew what Maya was really asking and well, he guess that it was a conversation that they would have to have at some point.

"You know what I'm asking" Maya chuckled, tugging at their interlocked hands. She knew that he was just teasing and that he was almost going to make her beg before he told her what he wanted to know.

"I honestly can't tell you Maya" Josh smiled, leaning forward in his seat so that they were closer together over the table. "I've not been keeping score"

"More than me though" Maya smiled at him.

"Yes" Josh nodded. He didn't think himself especially experienced. Yeah he had kissed more people her but he hadn't really had that much more experience than she had at her age. He knew what Maya really wanted to ask him though and he was more than happy to be honest with her, that being said if Maya really wanted to know then she was going to have to actually ask him.

"You're not making this easy are you" Maya huffed, knowing that he knew exactly where this was heading and was determined that she was going to have to voice what she wanted to know.

"Or you're not asking the right questions" Josh teased, pulling their still joined hands up to his lips, pressing a kiss on the back on her hand. Maya loved it when he did that and it gave her the confidence to ask what she needed to know.

"How many girlfriends have you had"

"Three" Josh smiled "Plus you know…you"

Maya smiled at this, thinking of him as something else too. They were more than friends, less than boyfriend and girlfriend but something more than just dating too (even though they hadn't actually been on a date)

"You've had more dates than girlfriend though right?" Maya asked, playing with his fingers again. She really did love his hands, the way that held hers making her feel safe and brave all at once.

"Yes" Josh nodded "But again I've not been keeping count"

Maya could understand that, not all dates turned into relationships and honestly 3 girlfriends wasn't the end of the world. She was pretty sure most guys his age had had more than 3 girlfriends. Still it wasn't like she loved the idea of him being with other girls.

"And your not dating anyone at the moment" Maya had to ask, because if he was with someone else now she didn't have any right to be holding his hand.

"I'm not" Josh smiled, watching as she played with his hand.

"That's good" Maya smiled, visibly relaxing. She knew that she didn't really have the right to ask, after all they weren't anything to each other. Not yet. Not really, Josh had been right in what he said to her months ago about not owing each other anything. Yet it was still good to know that she had not read the type of man he was wrong. She knew in her heart that he would not have been sat her with her. Holding her hand, making her feel like there was something between them if there was someone else in his life. Still it was good to have that all confirmed for her.

"So it that it" Josh teased, knowing that it wasn't "Can we sleep now"

"In a bit" Maya smiled, she knew that she was probably pushing her luck but she thought she might as well carry on going while she was getting away with it "You're not a virgin are you" She asked

Josh had to admit he shouldn't have been surprised by her question. After all Maya Hunter knew her own heart and she was not one to be scared off easily. He had sort of worked out where this little quiz session was heading when she asked about girlfriends. Still it would not be the first on the last time he was amazed by her bravery and feistiness.

"No I'm not a virgin" Josh said honestly "Does that bother you" there wasn't much he could do about it now and in all honest he did not regret it in the slightest. Still he wanted her to be confortable with everything and if she wasn't it was probably best they find out now.

"Only if it bothers you that I am one" Maya shrugged.

"It doesn't" Josh said softly, his ocean eyes meeting her crystal blue. He had sorted of guessed that for himself. Up to a few months ago she hadn't even had her first kiss and though she had been with Brice up to a few weeks ago he hadn't thought that they would have been that serious.

"Good" Maya smiled, giving there still joined hands a squeeze, feeling lighter for having everything out in the open between the pair of them. Realizing that it had been bothering her more than she had thought not knowing about this side of Josh's life.

"So how many…"Maya asked with a cheeky grin, not able to stop herself teasing him now.

"One" Josh said rolling his eyes.

"One" Maya teased "Hot college guy like you…" she was only half joking there, after all he was gorgeous and popular and seriously did he not see how girls looked at him, did he not wonder why she had felt so threatened by those college girls.

"Causal hook-ups aren't my thing" Josh shrugged. It wasn't like he hadn't had the opportunity and he had fooled around with girls before. He didn't know why but that felt different somehow. Something to share with someone that mattered not just anyone. He knew it was old fashioned in a way. Andrew had told him so enough times over the last year. Still they were something's he didn't just want to share with anyone.

"Good to know" Maya smiled brightly.

There would be a lot more of these types of conversations in there relationship. Some that were hard and heartbreaking. Others that were light hearten and fun. But one thing Maya knew for a fact was that conversation really was the most important thing in any relationship