Author's Note: Riarkle's first fight as a couple! Aww! Lolz, funny how a fighting prompt is actually romantic? Gets kinda angsty too, but I mean, come on! It's a fight and mean things are said without thinking.


Farkle didn't know where it all went wrong.

He'd thought he was just doing what Riley wanted! He was just trying to make her happy, right? So, how exactly had the attempt ended in her telling him to leave with tears in her eyes? How had he managed to hurt her so badly when all he ever watched was to make her smile?

It started as a typical Saturday night for them. Or least a typical Saturday night since they'd started dating a few weeks ago.

Farkle had snuck into her room through the open bay window, finding her sitting cross-legged on the floor with textbooks scattered about. He didn't really know why, but Riley'd been on a studying kick the last few weeks and hell, who was he to tell her to calm down?

Taking up his usual spot beside her, he leaned over and greeted her with a quick, distracted on her part, kiss. "What are we reading up on tonight, Babe?"

"Nuclear decay," Riley muttered, picking up one textbook to hold a chart right up to her eye, "I don't get it."

"Unless you're planning on pursuing a career in alternative energy, I don't know that you need to." He joked, resting his chin on her shoulder to observe the same chart. Basic estimation of half-lives…

Riley pouted, "Don't laugh at me!"

"I'm not!" Farkle countered, moving back just to look at her better, "I just don't understand why you're so determined to learn all this stuff. It's not like chemistry is exactly your favorite subject."

The brunette sighed and nodded, shutting the textbook before turning her body towards her boyfriend. She uncrossed her legs, instead tucking them under her and rested an elbow on the seat of the bay window, combing her fingers through her long hair. "I like science!"

"I know you do, Babe," Farkle leaned in for another kiss, this one lasting a bit longer and grabbing more of Riley's attention. He pulled away and smirked as his girlfriend licked her lips.

She paused, looking thoughtful, before stating, "You taste coconut-y. Why?"

Raising an eyebrow, the boy laughed, "Damn, nothing gets by you, Riles. New chapstick."

"Hypoallergenic?"

"And all natural."

"Hmm, that's hot," Riley commented, eyes trailing back down to the genius' lips, "I like it."

Farkle blushed and shook his head in disbelief. It was still a shock to his system that Riley Matthews actively flirted with him, now flirted only with him. And dammit if she wasn't incredibly attractive doing so…

"Oh, do you?" He tried to stay cool and collected but his voice sounded a little strangled.

This only made Riley grin, biting her lower lip as she sat up, shifting closer and nodding teasingly. "Yeah, I do."

And then they were kissing again. Riley ran her tongue along his lips and he took the opportunity to explore her mouth with his own tongue. Maybe he tasted like coconut, but she tasted like stardust and strawberry bubblegum. Her scent, like sunflowers, filled his brain as well, making rational or coherent thought incredibly difficult.

She shifted next to him and suddenly she was above him, straddling his lap and tugging his head back by the hair at the nape of his neck. If he weren't a healthy, young man, he might have worried about a heart attack from the accelerated pace, but he couldn't really think enough at all to be too concerned.

Farkle gripped her hips, bring her even closer, and breathed in her gasp of surprise and subsequent giggles. He could feel the small sliver of Riley's satin-soft skin where her tank top was riding up slightly and thought he'd pass out right there.

A sudden, quick pain dug into his lower lip and he marveled over the realization that Riley had just legitimately bitten him…And he was definitely into it? Lightly brushing his own teeth over her tongue, he smirked as she moaned in response and pressed herself even harder against him.

Roaming hands finally took the leap, slipping experimentally under the hem of her tank top. Fingers trailed softly along her bare back up until they reached her bra and then moved back down, tracing her spine and each rib. Moaning again, Riley released her grip on Farkle's hair to plant her hands firmly on his shoulders and break the heated kiss.

Farkle's eyes flashed open, his lips chasing hers mindlessly.

Breathless, Riley turned her head with a dazed smile, "We, uh, should probably take a breath. You know, for air."

"Right, yeah," The boy mumbled, still in a fog of sunflower perfume with the taste of sweetness on his lips. "Air is good."

Riley flushed, giggling and ducking her face into the crook of his neck. Maybe it was wrong, but god was it exhilarating to know that she, silly little Riles of Rileytown, could have such an effect on a boy. On Farkle, specifically.

"You know," Farkle spoke up, wrapping his arms around her waist, "I think we should make this a regular thing, this seating arrangement. Like, you should sit like this all the time."

She laughed, sitting up straighter but remaining in his lap, "I feel like my parents might get suspicious."

Any chance Farkle had of gaining Cory's blessing to date his daughter would fly right out the bay window the second he saw her on the young man's lap like that…but man, Farkle would almost risk it just to see Mr. Matthews expression

Nodding slowly, he sighed, "Right and all our friends. Wouldn't want them to know about us, would we?"

Maybe that was where he made his first mistake because up until that statement Riley had seemed pretty damn fond of him. The second the words were passed his lips, her brow furrowed and her grip on his shoulders tightened a bit painfully, "Would that be so bad? Our friends knowing?"

"Wouldn't it?" Farkle had asked, genuinely confused. "I mean, I thought we didn't want to tell them?"

Riley was the one who had said that to start with? She wanted to keep their new relationship quiet. That had meant just the two of them, no family, no friends, right? Farkle had easily played by her rules, after all, if that was how she wanted it, how could he argue?

Scoffing and rolling her eyes, Riley swung her leg back over him, sitting back on the floor of her bedroom. "Don't want to tell them? Or don't want to tell Smackle?"

So, looking back, laughing when she'd said that was probably not the best thing to do.

It was just so ridiculous! She couldn't really think he gave a damn about telling Smackle that he was now dating her, could she? He and Smackle had ended so long ago and were now almost painfully platonic; Riley wasn't actually worried about them, right?

"What?" She'd snapped, "What's so funny?"

He calmed his laughter, giving her an amused, apologetic look, "I'm sorry but that's probably the stupidest thing I've ever heard you ask."

Now, that was when Farkle realized he'd really screwed up.

Riley's narrowed eyes had vanished in a second at his words, which normally would have been a good thing if it hadn't been replaced by fiery, sharp glare. She looked away and shook her head like she was trying to shake him off, "You know, I'm not as stupid as everyone thinks I am."

She quickly got to her feet, picking up the textbooks from the floor.

Farkle followed suit, completely flabbergasted, "I don't think you're stupid, Riley."

"Oh really?" She whirled around, shoving the heavy books at him and letting them crash to the floor, "Because you just said I was. And you said I was too dumb for chemistry!"

Rolling his eyes, Farkle gave her a hard look, "I never said that!"

"Well, you might as well have! And if you want some super smart girlfriend who can actually get into Princeton, maybe you should go find Smackle!" Riley snapped, crossing her arms over her chest.

If he hadn't been so offended that she'd think so low of him…

If he'd just stopped right then and listened… really listened…

Maybe he would have heard the real problem then.

But he had been hurt and his temper had flared and he snapped.

"At least Smackle never threw temper tantrums over nothing! She could be mature!" He had yelled, without thinking.

Riley's face crumpled. Like tissue paper.

Her mouth had been open, ready to fire back, but she closed it and his gut twisted painfully upon noticing the wobble of her lower lip. She looked away, refusing to meet his eyes, and gripped her own arms with white knuckles. Farkle's angry vanished completely, however, when he saw her beautiful, warm brown eyes were filled with hurt and glassy.

"Riley-"

"You should go."

He froze mid-step towards her, heart dropping. She didn't mean that, right? She'd never asked him to go before; she was always asking for him stay, to stay just a little bit longer.

She looked towards the ceiling, hastily wiping her cheek as a single tear fell. Shit, he'd really fucked up, hadn't he? Turning away and going towards her bed, she repeated herself, "I'm tired, you should go."

So, he went, scrambling out of the bay window as quickly as he could. If his presence was making her feel worse, he'd get away at light speed. Farkle made it as far as the end of the fire escape before something painful tugged at his chest.

Turning back, he saw Riley had already closed the bay window and drawn the curtains. Still, it felt so wrong to just leave without saying goodbye, without trying to make this whole thing right. He had gone, but he couldn't bring himself to truly leave.

Setting up against the glass pane of the window, Farkle tilted his head back and looked up at the night's sky. Barely a star was in sight, be he figured that was New York and light pollution for you.

Riley was definitely upset.

She was blasting girl-power anthems and break-up ballads until all hours of the morning when she must have finally dozed off. Miss Movin' On by Fifth Harmony, Potential Breakup Song by Aly and AJ, and a helluva lot of Kelly Clarkson… at least according to the Siri 'name-that-tune' feature on his phone.

That could not be good.

Oh god, what if he actually couldn't make it right? What if he lost her?


Farkle woke up to the wind being knocked from his lungs as his back slammed into the hardwood of Riley's bedroom.

"What the hell were you doing out there?!" An angelic voice rang above him, sounding pretty pissed off.

Coughing and trying to breathe correctly again, he struggled to sit up, "You-" Gasp, "Said-" Cough, "To go!"

Riley rolled her eyes and helped him up, "Yeah, like go, Farkle. Not like come back and wait outside my window first thing in the morning."

"Didn't come back," He grumbled, rubbing his sore neck and trying to recover from his traumatic wake-up call.

His girlfriend, or at least he hoped that's what she still was, furrowed her eyebrows, "What does that mean?"

Swallowing he looked away from her inquisitive gaze and shrugged, "I didn't come back. I, uh, never really left."

There was a long silence before Riley spoke up again, her voice a whisper not too far from his ear, "You slept outside, waiting for me to let you back in?"

"Well, I had to make it right, didn't I? Riley, you have to know Smackle means nothing to me compared to-"

"I wasn't really mad about Smackle." She broke in, looking down at her hands.

"But you said-"

"I know what I said, Love. I was just… embarrassed because," Riley sighed, wringing her hands, "I looked it up and I don't, um, have the SAT score to even be considered by Princeton. Too dumb, I guess."

Farkle stared at her in the morning sunlight filtering in from the bay window. How could someone so perfect, inside and out, ever think she was 'too dumb'?

"You're not dumb, Riley," He said, fiercely, "And if Princeton doesn't want you, I don't want Princeton."

Riley scrunched up her nose and turned back to him, "Stop it."

"I mean it! We're on the same team, Babe, remember? Always." Farkle echoed one of their shared, cherished past moments.

For the second time in twenty-four hours, Farkle made Riley tear up, only this time she was grinning. Reaching out, she grabbed his face and kissed him long and hard.

Pulling away, she rested her forehead against his, "Always."


See, they made up! I don't know why, but I love the headcanon that whenever Riarkle fight, Riley plays like a ton of Miss-Independent and So-Over-You anthems. Like, that idea just cracks me up. Also, pretty hot make-out session, which always gives me butterflies! SEND ME MORE RIARKLE FUTURE, CANON-COMPLIANT MOMENTS TO ONE-SHOT! I NEED THEM TO SURVIVE!