Author's Note: Well, you all sure had lots of interesting things to say about Girl Meets Friendship haha. I still haven't watched it yet, and I don't plan on it, but at least the Lucaya moments sound cute :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World...or Boy Meets World...

"Midnight,
You come and pick me up, no headlights
Long drive,
Could end in burning flames or paradise"

-Style, Taylor Swift

Maya doesn't want to be alone.

Normally, she doesn't care–she's used to it, after all. But not tonight, not after all she's been through. She needs to be withsomeone–and not someone like Riley, who's still filled with innocence and naiveté about the world and thinks she can fix every single problem.

She needs someone who's comfortable with just being with her, so she pulls out her phone and texts Lucas.

SOS.

And even though it's well after midnight, he texts back in less than two minutes, as if he was expecting her to text him all along.

I'll be there in five minutes, he replies.

And sure enough, five minutes to a tee, she sees the familiar shadow of his car and is sneaking out her window to meet him. (Shecould just walk out the front door–it's not like anyone's home to catch her. But it feels more symbolic this way, almost as if she's escaping a cage).

Lucas doesn't say anything as she climbs into the passenger seat, although his eyes watch her concernedly. He hands her his jacket to curl up in as he wordlessly drives off, no real destination in mind.

It isn't until they pass a fourth Bunny-Mart that Maya speaks up.

"My dad called earlier," she explains, voice hollow. "He wants to meet with me and my mom to talk."

Lucas frowns and glances at her for a split-second before focusing back on the road. "About what?"

Maya snorts derisively. "Don't know. The usual, I guess–how great his new family is; how happy he is; how much of a failure I am."

"You're not a failure, Maya," Lucas says automatically. "You know that, right?"

Maya shrugs and looks out the window at the passing streets. "Yeah, sure."

Lucas mutters a swear (the one bad habit he's picked up since moving to New York), and pulls the car over to the curb, shutting the engine off before facing Maya.

"You're not a failure," he repeats earnestly. "You stopped me from beating up Billy in seventh grade, and you always make Riley feel better when she's feeling insecure. Plus, you've gotten an A on every French exam this semester, and you agreed to take tango lessons with Farkle so he can impress Smackle. Does that really sound like someone who's failing to you?"

"I guess not," she admits softly.

"You need to say it," Lucas persists. "Say you're not a failure."

Maya looks over at him hesitantly. "I'm not a failure."

He smiles and nods encouragingly at her. "Again."

"I'm not a failure," she repeats more surely. "I'm not a failure!"

Lucas's grin widens as she raises her hands out the window to scream it again. "You're not."

She smiles at him, and there's something in her eyes, something he's only seen glimpses of before, and he feels himself drawing closer to her, like a magnet pulling towards another.

Suddenly, their lips collide and they're left breathless, hooked on each other's presence. Lucas's hands are tangled in Maya's curls, and her lipstick is smeared over his lips, and it's like nothing has ever felt more right to either of them in their entire lives.

Maya pulls away abruptly, blue eyes as wild-looking as her hair. "Lucas, we need to stop. I can't–"she swallows and looks away from him, and they both know she's pulling away from the moment, from him–"I won't do this to Riley. I'm not that kind of person."

"Riley and I aren't dating," Lucas reminds her thoughtfully. "She hasn't had a crush on me since eighth grade."

"You were her first crush, Lucas," Maya argues stubbornly. "You'll always be special to her."

Lucas sighs and starts the car silently, He knows he's not going to win this argument–not tonight, when it's 1:15 in the morning and Lucas can still feel her lips pressed against his.

He wants to tell her the truth: that Riley has known about his crush on Maya for months, and has been trying to get them together in her various, unsubtle ways, but he knows Maya won't be fully convinced until she hears it from Riley herself. She's the most loyal person he knows, and it just makes him like her more.

"Riley knows we like each other, doesn't she?" Maya asks knowingly as they pull to a stop in front of her apartment.

"Not exactly," Lucas answers, looking at her softly. "She knows I like you, but she keeps trying to figure out how you feel about me."

Maya smirks amusedly. "So that's why she keeps giving me that weird smile whenever we talk about you."

"You talk about me?" Lucas remarks, smirking with amusement.

"Occasionally," Maya replies, smirk widening.

"So do you?" Lucas asks, face hesitant. "Like me, I mean?"

"What do you think, Huckleberry?" Maya teases. "I don't just kiss every guy who picks me up in his car after midnight."

Lucas smiles contentedly. "I want to go out with you, Maya, but if we do, I want you to have no doubts about us," he says sincerely. "Talk to Riley; I'll still be here."

Maya smiles back at him, looking just as happy. "Thanks for the ride, Hee-Haw."

"Anytime," he smirks and tips his imaginary cowboy hat towards her. "Ma'am."

Maya's smile widens as she steps out of Lucas's car and climbs back into her bedroom gracefully. Lucas honks his horn at her once before driving off, and even though her mom is still at work and her Gammy is vacationing down in Florida, she's suddenly feeling a lot less alone.

A/N: Every review gets a Hart & Friar muffin :) Oatmeal, honey and local-harvested berries included!