The aftermath of their holiday together should really have transpired into awkward hellos and the two avoiding one another in the halls. At least, that's what you would have assumed had you been anyone other than Maya or Lucas, because nobody else was privy to how close the two had actually become.
What actually happened was quite the opposite. It had ended up resulting in almost constant texting and stolen glances when nobody was paying any attention to them. They made physical contact a whole lot more, that was for sure. Usually just nudges on the arm, a hand on the small of Maya's back as they stood in a group, even accidental things like knees and arms brushing together as they sat too closely.
It was as if there was a magnetic pull and neither had put in any effort to fight it.
The weeks dragged on this way and they only ended up closer and closer, with Lucas dropping by more often and instigating some deep conversation or another. Some Maya could provide her original insight that drew them together for and some she couldn't.
It wasn't until the end of January that Lucas caught her off guard again.
"So this Valentine's Day dance that's coming up," he started, looking at her a little more intently than he usually did when he started a conversation.
They'd just been sitting in the library during their free period so that Lucas could help Maya with a math assignment that she couldn't understand no matter how hard her teacher tried.
She looked at him incredulously, her confidence in their talks wavering ever so slightly. "I'm not going to a Valentine's Day dance with you, Cowboy," she told him matter of factly.
He laughed at the nickname, which she hadn't been using with him in quite some time (and especially not one on one) but shook his head. "No, no, that's the last thing we need is people badgering us to define anything. I just thought since I don't plan on going I'd see if you weren't either and since everyone else definitely will be, maybe we could keep one another company."
He was looking down at his pencil, twirling it around in his fingers as he spoke. It was unlike him. He wasn't usually so bashful about asking Maya stuff like this. Hell, he'd even asked her out on what was, underneath it all, a date with more ease than this.
She pursed her lips and went over his words carefully. What did he mean define anything? Their definition was clear. That shouldn't have been the hard part. She wasn't even ready to consider the possibility that it wasn't all that clear at all. "Yeah we can hang out. I probably would have just gone as Riley's date, but having a slasher marathon sounds like a hell of a lot more fun than staring at baby cupids made out of construction paper."
He breathed a sigh of relief at that. He wasn't sure why he'd been so worried about her reaction. He was just terrified sometimes hat he was going to find a way to make it weird. Honestly though, if he hadn't by now then he probably wasn't going to.
The day of the dance rolled around in no time and Maya had decided to celebrate the holiday with a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt that she was pretty sure wasn't her own. The two had decided to spend their evening over at her place so that they wouldn't be interrupting anybody. It definitely wasn't so that they could have privacy.
He came to her door this time instead of through the window. He knew that her mother was out because for once they'd made their plans for him to drop by in advance. That wasn't the biggest difference about the evening though.
The biggest difference was that when Maya opened the door she was met with a bouquet of flowers and a stuffed bear. "It's stupid I know I just stopped to get the movie candy and it was all just there. I thought it would make you laugh," he announced as he handed them off to her.
Obviously if he was presenting it as a joke then that was how Maya was going to take it. She didn't dare consider that he was downplaying his intentions. She didn't dare consider that this was an actual Valentine's Day date either, but anybody else would have been able to spot it from a mile away.
"Well gee willikers I'd better put these purdy flowers in some water," she said in her best southern accent. She'd lost her touch and she knew it but she still had to try in those situations where she didn't really know what to do.
She walked over to the kitchen and pulled a vase down from a cabinet that she had to stand on a chair to reach. It was pathetic but he didn't say anything, and she appreciated that. She carried the flowers over to set on the end table next to where she'd be sitting on the couch. Truthfully they meant more to her than she was willing to let on. She also wouldn't let on when she brought them into her bedroom later to adorn her bedside table.
"What first," she asked finally, deciding to set the perspective awkwardness aside and opening up Netflix on the living room tv, which she used the Matthews' password for and had her own account on and everything.
They spent a few minutes picking out their first movie and it didn't take long before they were situated far too close on the couch, much like they'd been at Lucas' house at Christmas. It wasn't uncommon for them anymore. They both clearly craved the human contact and neither had any issues with being that for one another.
It was when Lucas' fingers started grazing the skin of Maya's arm that the attention was drawn.
"What are you doing," she asked in a whisper, turning her attention away from the movie to look at him. His eyes were trained on her and not bouncing around like she'd expected. She didn't know how to explain the look he was giving her and she wasn't sure yet if she even wanted to.
Lucas must have noticed her apprehension though because he was quickly inching away from her side to give her some personal space. "I'm sorry, I know the whole point of this was that a date on Valentine's Day was too much. Let's just watch the movie."
The disappointment in his voice caught Maya by more surprise than the move he made had in the first place and without thinking she was grabbing at the fabric of his shirt and pulling him closer to her, back to where he'd been minutes before. "Stop being dumb I don't want to just watch the movie. I want you to stay here and tell me what that was."
"You said that you saw yourself ending up this way," was all he said, his voice barely any louder than hers, barely any louder than necessary to be heard over the movie.
She wasn't sure she understood. In fact, she was sure she didn't at all. "What do you mean end up this way?"
He didn't answer and she didn't look away. They were at a stand still and it didn't look like he planned on breaking until she worked it out on her own. But that didn't seem as if it was going to happen so finally Lucas just sighed.
"I have a question," he started finally breaking the silence. She nodded for him to go on, but he stayed silent for a moment or two longer with an expression that let her know that he was trying to figure out how to word it. "If I had asked you to the dance tonight as my date with an actual definition attached to it would I have ruined everything?"
He was blushing and Maya could tell by the look in his eyes that he was terrified of all of this. She shook her head almost immediately.
"Lucas, no. You're my best friend and you mean so much to me. I know I told you that I wasn't going to go to the dance with you but I would have. If you were serious then I would have." Her promise was met with a small smile that prompted one of her own. She wasn't sure what any of this meant for them or why he was asking, but if she opened herself up to it then she was sure she had an idea.
"That's what you meant by ending up this way. I told you that I saw myself being with someone for a long time before I knew I was with someone." It wasn't a question and Lucas knew that she wasn't looking for confirmation. He held his breath as she worked it out. He could see the wheels turning and the smoke basically pouring from her ears as it all molded itself together.
Maya thought about all of the stolen glances, all of the small touches, all of the times he made her smile just by being around. She thought about how it never annoyed her when he just showed up and started asking her personal questions. How she hadn't thought twice about inviting him to sleep in her bed and how she'd pretended to be asleep on his couch so that he would snuggle with her a little longer.
She tilted her head to the side and studied him for what seemed to Lucas like hours. "How long have you been my long story?"
She wanted to laugh at his smile because it was just so pathetically adorable, but she didn't because she was certain she'd have one to match before the night was through. Instead she just reached her hand out and laced their fingers together as she waited for his answer.
"I think since that first night, honestly," he told her as he looked down at their fingers. He didn't plan on letting her let go and that was okay because she didn't plan on asking him to.
"So much for not defining ourselves tonight," she joked, but then gave him a small shove with her free hand. "You totally bought me those flowers as an actual romantic gesture you liar. You set me up for all of this."
He huffed out a laugh but he didn't bother trying to defend himself. Instead he just took the opportunity to tip her jaw up gently with his index finger and leaned forward to finally find out just how many fireworks kissing Maya Hart was going to set off.