On a Saturday in August, the Matthews and Maya are sitting at the kitchen table. Josh walks into the apartment.
"Hey family," he says, then looks at Maya. His eyes light up. He nods to her as he says, "Maya."
"Hey, Boing," Maya said.
"What you doin' here, brotha?" Cory asked.
"Well, um," Josh said. He looked at Maya. "Maya, can I talk to you for a sec?"
"How'd you know she'd be here, Uncle Josh?" Riley asked.
"I asked her mom," he said, trying to sound casual.
"You went to her house and asked her mom where she was?" Riley asked, giving him an amused look.
"Uh," he said. He turned back to Maya. "Maya?"
"Sure, Boing," she said. Maya looked at Riley.
"Riles?"
"Yeah, go ahead," Riley said. "That's where the most important decisions are made."
Maya glared at her. She looked back at Josh.
"Come on," she said. She pulled him into the hallway.
"Josh and Maya sitting in a tree," Riley and Auggie started saying together. Maya popped her head out of the hallway.
"We're just friends," Maya said. "Stop it."
She left back into the hallway.
"Anyone believe her?" Riley asked.
"Nope," Cory said.
Auggie shook his head.
Josh and Maya sat in the bay window.
"So, what did you want to talk to me about, Josh?" Maya asked.
"I was wondering if you'd like to go to a college party," he said, "with me."
"I'd like that," she said.
"I hope you'd say that," he said.
"Really?"
"Yeah, you're pretty much my best friend now," he said.
"You too," she said.
"What?!" A voice came from the bedroom door.
Josh and Maya jumped slightly. Maya walked to the door and opened it. Cory, Topanga, Riley, and Auggie fell into the room.
Maya looked at Josh.
"We should have expected this," she told him. They all stood up.
"Very mature, guys," Josh said.
"They convinced me," Topanga said, pointing at Cory and Riley.
"Maya, we need to talk," Riley said.
"Josh, we need to talk," Cory said.
Riley and Maya sat at the bay window.
Josh followed Cory out of the room.
"Don't grill her, sweetie, okay?" Topanga told her daughter.
"We'll see," Riley said.
Topanga and Auggie walked out of the room.
"So, what are you wearing for your first date with Uncle Josh?" Riley asked Maya.
"It's not a date, Riles," Maya told her. "It's just two friends going to a party together."
Cory and Josh are sitting at the kitchen table.
"You sure about that?" Cory asked Josh.
"Yes, Cor," Josh said. "We're playing the long game."
"Where friends become family," Cory said, "isn't that how you worded it?"
Josh smiled.
"You called him your best friend," Riley said. "He's gonna replace me, isn't he?"
"You and Farkle are my best friends too," Maya said. "That will never change."
"We're just friends, Cor," Josh told Cory.
"You have feelings for each other, Josh," Topanga said, as she and Auggie walked out of the hallway. "That doesn't seem like just friends to me."
"It has to change, Maya," Riley said. "We can't be your first priorities if you end up marrying Uncle Josh."
"We're not dating, Riles," Maya said. "Someday we will, but someday's not here yet."
"Why not?" Riley asked. "Why can't it be today? Tonight?"
"Why not take that leap, Joshua?" Topanga asked.
"We're playing the long game, Topanga," Josh said.
"Where friends become family," Cory said.
"Stop," Josh said.
"Why is that?" Topanga asked them. "Why did you say you'd play the long game?"
"I'm done talking about this with you," Maya said.
"Maya, no," Riley said.
"Riley, this doesn't concern you," Maya said.
Maya started walking to the door.
"I bet you'd talk to my Uncle Josh about it," she said.
Maya stopped in her tracks. She turned around and sat back next to Riley.
"We've gotten really close this summer. I've learned so much about him. And that's just made me fall even harder for him," she said. "We're not just friends, are we?"
"I don't think so, Peaches," Riley said.
"It's still not a date," Maya said. "Not until we agree it is."
"I don't want to talk about this anymore," he said.
"Why are you playing the long game, Josh?" Cory asked.
"Cory-"
Auggie sat across from Josh.
"Why are you playing the long game, Uncle Josh?" Auggie asked.
"Fine, you want to know why?" All three nodded. "I'm scared of my feelings for her, okay?"
"Scared of your feelings?" Topanga asked.
"Why?" Auggie asked.
"Do you not understand them?" Cory asked.
"Yeah, I do," Josh said. "That's why I'm scared. I feel completely comfortable with her, like when I'm with her, I'm…home. Like I can have everything and lose everything in a second. That's what's scary."
He looks at all of them.
"She's been hurt…a lot," he said. "I want to be someone that makes her feel safe. I don't want people to think that I'm taking advantage of her. That's why I'm playing the long game."
"You can't live in fear, Josh," Cory said. "If you want it to be a date, tell her that. Tell her how you feel."
Maya walks into the room from the hallway. She and Josh exchange looks. He walks up to her. He moves a loose strand of her hair to behind her hair.
"See you tonight," he said.
"See you then," she said.
Later, that night, Josh walks into the apartment. He's wearing a dress shirt and jeans.
"Pretty snazzed up for a college party, aren't you, Josh?" Topanga asked.
"This is, uh, what everyone wears," he said.
"Sure," she said.
Maya walked into the room, wearing a simple red dress with pink lipstick with her hair down.
Josh just stares.
"What do you think?"
"You look gorgeous," he says, his eyes still fixed on her. He snaps out of his gaze.
"You don't look too bad yourself," she said.
"You ready to go?"
"Yeah," she said.
Josh and Maya sat on the Subway.
"So, what did you and Riley talk about?" Josh asked Maya.
"Girl stuff," Maya said. "What did you and Cory talk about?"
"Guy stuff," Josh said.
They sat in silence for a bit.
"I still like you Josh," Maya said.
"I still like you too," Josh said.
"Riley asked me why someday can't be now," Maya said.
"Really?"
"Yeah," she said.
"Cory, Topanga, and Auggie asked me why I decided to play the long game," Josh said.
"What did you say?"
Josh looked over at Maya.
"Because I'm scared of my feelings for you," he admitted.
"Scared of your feelings for me?" She asked. "Why?"
"Can I be completely honest with you right now?"
"Of course," she said.
"I've liked you since that first Christmas at Cory and Topanga's," he said. "That's why I called you gorgeous. You changed a lot since the last time I saw you."
Maya smiled.
"Same, Boing," she said.
"But-"
But?" Maya asked.
"Those feeling have changed," he said. Maya's eyes began growing sad. "They've grown, ma-matured."
Her eyes lit up again.
"Are you saying what I think you're saying, Josh?"
"I'm love with you, Maya," he admitted.
"That's why you're scared?"
"Yeah," he said. "It's giving your whole heart, and if you give me yours too, I don't ever want to break it. You've been hurt too much."
"Well, it's yours if you'll take it," Maya said, with a smile.
She held his hand.
"Listen," Josh said, "I heard there's going to be drinking at that party, and I don't want either of us getting caught up in that. So…I made us reservations at William's Steakhouse, if that's okay."
"That's the most okay thing you've ever said to me. That's the best steakhouse in New York!" Maya told him. "So, is this a date?"
"Do you want it to be?"
"I do," she said.
"Me too," he said.
She laid her head on his shoulder. They both smiled.
"We're definitely not just friends, are we, Josh?"
"No, we're not," he said. "We were fooling ourselves convincing ourselves we were."
He looks at the blonde laying on his shoulder and smiled.
"And besides," he continues, "you mean too much to me for us to just be friends."
The subway stops.
"Here's our stop," he said. They both stood up. "After you."
Maya walks out of the Subway, Josh following her, still holding her hand.
"What do you think they're doing right now?" Riley asked her parents and brother, and Ava (who came over).
"Probably having fun at the party," Topanga said. "Don't worry, Riley, she's safe with him."
"I know," Riley said.
"Kissing," Ava said.
"What?" Riley asked her.
"You asked what we think their doing right now," Ava said, "I bet they're kissing."
Everyone started laughing.
There was a knock on the door. Riley answered it. It was Farkle, Lucas, and Zay.
"Hey guys," she said. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, I was going to see if you'd like to go on a date," Lucas said, then looks at Cory, "if that's okay, sir."
"Of course, Lucas," Cory answered him.
"I don't know why they're here," Lucas said.
"Well, I just got back from California with my dad," Farkle said. "So, I wanted to visit you, since I haven't seen you in like a month."
"Oh okay," Riley said.
"Well, I came to warn you guys not to go to a college party on Park Avenue," Zay said. "Sarah said there's a lot of underage drinking and other stuff. Someone called the cops, and a bunch of people are getting arrested."
"Josh and Maya are at that party!" Riley yelled.
"I'm going to call him," Topanga said, while taking out her phone.
"Here are your drinks," the waiter said, setting them in front of them. "A Dr. Pepper for the lady, and a Coke for gentleman. Your meals will be out soon."
"Thanks," they both say. The waiter walks away.
Josh's phone starts to ring.
"Who is it?" Maya asked.
"Topanga," he said.
"Answer it," she said.
He tapped answer and put the phone to his ear.
"Hello?" He answered.
"Please tell me you two aren't in a police station right now," Topanga said.
"What? No," Josh said. "Why would you think that?"
"There was drinking at the party," Topanga said.
"We know," Josh said. "That's why we decided not to go."
Topanga put the phone on speaker and set it on the table.
"Then where are you?" Topanga asked.
Josh looked at Maya and smiled.
"William's Steakhouse," he answered his sister-in-law.
Riley smiled enthusiastically.
"It's a date now, isn't it?!" She yelled happily.
Josh and Maya started laughing. Josh looked at Maya. She nodded.
"Yeah, Riley," Josh said. "We're on our first date right now."
"Yyyyyy-yay!" Riley shouted.
"Stop yelling, Riles," Maya said, laughing. "We're in a restaurant."
"Sorry," Riley said.
"Have you kissed yet?" Ava asked.
"Ava," Auggie said.
"What?" She asked. "I just wanna know."
"No, we haven't," Josh said.
"Now like we said before, we're on a date, so we gotta go," Maya said.
"Bye lovebirds," Cory said, jokingly.
"Bye future brother-in-law," Maya half-joked back.
Cory's face turned into a shocked face.
Josh hung up the phone.
Topanga snapped her fingers in front of Cory's face. His face didn't change.
"Let me try," Ava said.
"Be my guest," Topanga said.
Ava grabbed a chair and stood on it in front of Cory. She slapped him, and he snapped out of it.
"Ow!" He said. He looked at Topanga. "Why did you let her do that?"
"I couldn't snap you out of it," Topanga said.
"How did I not think about her being my sister-in-law if they work out?"
"I have no idea," Topanga said. "She reminds me of myself, sometimes."
"Yeah," he said. Realization crosses his face. "She's-"
"Yeah," Topanga said.
"She's the you for him," he said. "She's the woman as wonderful as you."
"Yeah," Topanga said with a smile. "They're perfect for each other."
Josh and Maya are back on the Subway. Maya is laying on his shoulder, asleep. He wraps his arms around her, and her head slightly falls onto his chest. He smiles. He holds her closer. He watches as the Subway goes into a tunnel. Their heartbeats fall together in perfect harmony.
Author's Note: This fanfic was inspired by "Perfect Harmony" by Madison Reyes and Charlie Gillespie (From "Julie and the Phantoms"). I first heard this song on TikTok and listened to the whole song on Spotify, and I absolutely love this song.