"Why are you walking me home?" she asked out of the blue.
"I always walk you home," he answered, looking curiously down at the small blonde girl.
"I know that, Cowboy. I just never bothered to ask why," she responded.
"Why ask now?" he asked, amusement pricking up the sides of his lips into a sly smile.
"Just answer the question," she replied, impatiently. She's always impatient, he noted with a roll of his eyes.
"Well, to protect you I guess. There are a lot of psychos out there, you know, and I'm a gentleman" he answered, hesitantly. He didn't think she'd take that response well, and he was right.
"What kind of nonsense is that?" she asked, squinting up at him, disapprovingly. "I walked from the subway stop alone all the time before you moved here, and I'll keep doing it when you get done with whatever this is."
"What makes you think I'll get done with you?" he asked, "I plan on us being friends for a very long time. And as friends, I think it's my Hopalong right to walk you to your apartment."
"Oh," she answered, "That's still dumb."
"Well, what did you want me to say?" he asked.
"Nothing, never mind," she answered, looking down at the sidewalk. Her hair all fell in front of her eyes, and he brushed it away, with a slick grin.
"What?" Maya asked looking up at him, and squinting again.
She hated when the sun blocked him out, he was too damn tall for her to look at when he stood on that side of the sidewalk, but he insisted on walking closer to the street. His antiquated ways were usually more annoying than endearing, but she didn't necessarily mind someone actually looking out for her for a change.
"What? Did you wanted me to say that I like spending time with you or something gross like that? You did, didn't you?" he asked, already knowing the answer. It thrilled him to see the streak of red burst across her pale complexion. She'd kill him if he ever pointed it out, but she blushes quite prettily.
"I wanted nothing of the sort," she responded, punching him in the arm. "Don't flatter yourself, Ranger Rick."
"Looks like someone needs a little attention," he said, teasing but not cruelly. "Here, I have a great idea, why don't I come by your apartment tonight and we can make out? I promise to tell you 'You're beautiful and you've got a great ass'. That's all it takes, right?"
She didn't appreciate his teasing her about her various romantic shortcomings, and her tendency to pick the wrong sort of guys, but it was technically true.
"So you think I have a great ass," she said instead, choosing to go the joking route instead of the more serious one.
"You know you do," he glanced at her, and now it was her turn to smirk at him.
Maya brushed past him, giving a shove as she did, "Shut up, Friar."
He strode to her side once more, "Friar? You never call me by my real name! Is this for real? Is Maya Hart finally comeback-less?"
"I'm just tired," she responded, sticking out her tongue at him.
Lucas grinned at the girl again, "Admit it, I'm growing on you."
She turned to him and said, "Like a nasty smelling fungus."
"Still doesn't change the fact that you love me. Admit it, I mean, how can you not? It's the southern charm," Lucas grinned widely at her, "Even you city girls can't resist it."
"You wish," she rolled her eyes, "That only works on Riley."
"And you. 'Fess up, Hart, you're in love with me, too," he said. He chose to ignore her comment about their other friend, who he tried not to focus on when he was with the blonde problem child. He didn't like to mix and match his female friends, especially when they presented such a complicated issue for him.
He had expected her to tell him to shut up again, but instead she stopped, abruptly. She faced him and closed the space between them. He could feel the heat in his body rise, he'd never been this close to her before.
He noticed how long her eyelashes were and how they looked like butterfly wings when she blinks, not to mention those lips. She bit the bottom one, and he practically groaned, he could bet she knew exactly what that lip bite did to him, and all red-blooded males, for that matter.
"What would you do, if I am?" she says, in this way makes the hairs on back of his neck stick up. Her breath smells like nicotine and he remembers he has to steal her cigarettes, as per Riley's request, of course.
"I, um-," he began, but now her mouth is slightly open, him, inviting him, and he can't think of a single word, let alone finish the sentence.
She leans in and just as he's about to meet her in the middle, she lets out a peal of laughter. It sounds like bells, and he loves her laugh usually, but now it just might kill him.
"I can't hold it anymore!" she finally burst out, pushing him away from her. She was bent over her knees, laughing. "You should've seen your expression!"
Lucas, who was still wasn't sure he knew exactly what had just happened, could only managed an admonishing, "That was not very nice."
"Like you were very nice to me this whole time?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Just because I get around doesn't mean you get to judge me. It's called having fun, you should try it sometime."
"That was not judging. I was just teasing, you were being very mean," he explained the difference to her.
"Oh come on. You're not going to hold that against me, are you?" she asked, having finally regained her composure, "Don't be a big baby."
"I guess not. But that doesn't mean it wasn't mean," he responded, still a bit embarrassed by the whole ordeal.
"You're just pissed that I've upped you one again," she says, her hands on her hips, "I'm the best at our little game."
"Only because I'm not playing," he explained.
"Only because you know it's not worth attempting to beat me," she answered.
He flung an arm over her shoulder and continued the walk to her apartment, "Let's get you home before you get anymore ideas for teasing me."
"Well, here we are," she said. She turned to him and took her few books from him. She never carries a backpack, she just had a few books and a folder, but the boy always insisted on carrying them for him, "Thank you for your protection, carrying my books, and the immense please of your company, Cowboy."
Maya was already up two steps of her apartment building, making them about the same height, although he's still a bit taller. She looked up him slyly and kissed him on the cheek; close to his lips, he noted. And as she pulled away, still smiling that slick smile, he knew she had noticed too. She'd won another round of their little game.