Hey guys!

This update really snuck up on me with all the election stuff going on (I almost forgot it was Wednesday, eeek), but I hope you guys enjoy it nonetheless. I hope all of you are doing well- I know how stressful these elections can get, (especially this one with all the controversy surrounding it).

Thank you all for your lovely reviews :) They mean the world to me! Also feel free to PM me with any questions you have or if you just feel like chatting, I love being able to talk with you guys!

There is a bit of a time jump in this chapter, it's about a month later.

Stay safe you guys.

I love you all so much,

-SleepingStarlight

A month had passed since their trip to Philly, and Riley and Maya were attempting to adapt to life in their new dorm. To both of their reliefs, classes did not start until the following week, so the days were spent socializing with the other students on their floor and enjoying their newfound freedom. And it was safe to say that it was not taken for granted.

So as Riley rearranged her closet for the fourth time since they had moved in, she wondered why her parents hadn't called that morning as they had the past few days. Maybe they're really beginning to let go, she thought semi-hopefully. A part of her truly did want her parents to stop crowding her and monitoring her every movement, but she couldn't help but miss them and their odd silliness, a trait she felt that they had passed on quite effectively. Her phone sat on her bedside table, and Riley glanced at it longingly, before shaking herself and placing her phone inside the drawer. She had to get used to living away from home, otherwise her university life would be truly awful.

She had just sat down to observe her organizing skills, quite satisfied with her work this time (if she said so herself), when she heard footsteps in the hallway as Maya entered the room.

"Riles! I found a poster for a frat party tonight. We are sooo going," she called while scrambling to put down the two steaming cups of coffee she held. Riley moaned while reaching for her cup, finally feeling her need to sleep catch up with her. Adjusting to a school schedule from summer vacation was perhaps the worst thing she had had to do yet. But school started too soon for her comfort so she had already been attempting to go to sleep early. Not that it was particularly easy when her best friend and roommate would stay up into early hours of the morning singing along with her strange rock bands and effectively throwing paint at a canvas in attempts to yield art- how she was successful Riley could never understand, especially since the process seemed so ridiculously unorganized, but it worked for Maya so it worked for her. Unless it was 2 a.m. because, no, that did not work for her whatsoever. So when Maya attempted to teasingly dance away from her with both cups of coffee and a taunting grin on her face, Riley could feel her blood beginning to boil as she channeled her inner Sassy Red Haltertop and savagely leapt towards her best friend, exhibiting a never-before seen grace as she grabbed her cup and landed on Maya's bed without spilling a drop, before beginning to guzzle.

"You realize you got nine hours of sleep last night, how can you possibly be this exhausted?" Maya laughed.

"Oh come on Maya," Riley said as she resurfaced from her drink with an eye roll, "there's no way! We must have gone to bed at like 4:00 a.m. Besides, I am a woman of many hours."

"Nice try honey, we went to bed at 12:30," Maya said with a smile lighting up her face in regards to her innocent friend's antics. University would really be an eye opener for her. "You're really going to have to get used to this Riles, we're university kids now, we're rebels who stay up past twelve. Who will ever be able to look us in the eye?!" Maya asked sarcastically as she wondered whether Riley's new schedule would put a damper on her plans for that night. Riley may have been satisfied with the goodie-two-shoes friends they had made on the second floor of their residence, but Maya wanted to expand her horizons a bit. All her life she had made friends with people like Riley- people with their heads straight on their shoulders- but now she was surrounded by so many people and the options seemed endless. She really wanted to get started (even if it meant having come to terms with her hair length and the possibility of lice).

"Whatever Maya," Riley said as she attempted to toss her empty cup in the garbage across the room, likely breaking some sort of coffee drinking record in the process. She knew where Maya would be going with this so she immediately latched onto the important questions, "When does it start and where is it?"

"It starts at 10 and it's at Jen's apartment across town," Maya replied smoothly, knowing what would happen next.

"IT STARTS AT 10?!" Riley yelled, shocked despite having already crashed a frat party at the same ungodly hour when she was just in middle school. Maya really is full of the craziest ideas, she thought with a scowl on her face.

"Riles, honey, you have to get over that. We have to go meet people! University will be no fun if we don't make friends."

"I know Peaches," Riley said with a pout, "but can't we make friends during the 12 hours we have during the day when the sun is shining, and like actually talk with them and stuff like we did with the girls who live below us? And what happened to lice? Your hair is way too long to make new friends!".

"Yeah I know honey, but tonight we're going to go have fun and socialize and dance with people we'll probably never talk to again, and that my dear is the magic of university frat parties! And we are going, so you better be ready, and awake, for ten! YES?" Maya shouted at her friend, feeling that she would probably have to get Riley caffeinated again if she wanted to go anywhere past nine o'clock.

"Yes," Riley replied almost dejectedly, despite the excitement running through her veins. She really was growing up. But, crap, what were she and Maya going to wear? Would they have to bring something? Do you need to take gifts to frat parties?

"Also Riles, I know for a fact that the football team and a bunch of their hot friends will be there tonight if that makes you any more excited," Maya smiled, throwing a wink at her best friend who immediately blushed happily, momentarily forgetting about her worries. Riley had a thing for the athletic type and Maya would not hesitate to use it if it meant they could actually go that night.

"What about you Maya," Riley asked hesitantly, almost as if she was scared to bring up the topic. "You're eighteen now, have you heard anything from Josh since the summer?" Her friend had been waiting for the eighteen landmark for years, mostly for the conventional reasons, but also because of a long game that was promised years ago which she hadn't forgotten.

Maya bit her lip nervously, this was a bit of a sensitive topic for her. "Nothing," she responded, feeling a bit raw, "We haven't really talked since we came back from Philly. We used to at least text once in a while before. Ya know, just to check in, but I feel like he might be ignoring me. But, I'm probably just being paranoid," she concluded while shaking her head as if trying to convince herself of the truth in what she was saying. But all things said and done, she missed him and the conversations they used to have, and the warmth she felt flood her in his presence. It was a bit lonely without the constant reassurance of their long game, and Maya wasn't going to lie and say it wasn't. She missed his blue eyes, his dorky beanie, and the smile he'd flash towards her when they were around each other. Waiting was one of the hardest things she'd ever done. Having an age difference is never easy, and she was often riddled with insecurities. How could he, who was surrounded by girls his own age all the time, possibly be interested in the short best friend of his niece who was constantly obsessed with him? Constantly all over him. At what point were her advances too much? Were they too much? Because when she looked at him she could feel her heart palpitate as if it didn't know that she was Maya Hart and this stuff didn't happen to her. But things were different around him and they always had been.

"It's not like I've tried texting him either, but I guess I was just hoping, you know?" Maya asked, desperately seeking for some form of reassurance. She felt a coil tighten in her stomach as she thought about what she was going to say next, "I guess I just imagined someday might have happened by now," she said quietly- phrasing her next words carefully, "I've liked him since I was 14… I just feel like I can't wait on him much longer." Seeing him in the summer was already tough. Having been so close with him the day before they left, only to not see him for a month. It may not have been a rejection, but that didn't stop it from feeling like one.

"Peaches," Riley cooed, holding her arms open, knowing how difficult saying that must have been for her best friend.

"No it's okay Riles, I-I'm gonna go out, I'll see you in a bit," Maya said hastily as she grabbed her coat for the second time that morning. She had suddenly felt the urgent need to get out of the room, maybe go for a walk and clear her head. The dorms were so small that she quickly discovered that it would be impossible to have alone time there, so she relocated her think-space to the park bench two blocks away. It wasn't ideal, and she had no idea what she would do come winter, but there weren't many options, so it would have to do.

"But you just got here!" Riley protested, "and we have to go to the party tonight!"

"I know, I'll be back before then," Maya said before closing the door quietly on her best friend.

"Well, fuck my life." Riley exclaimed exasperatedly. Things were always sensitive when it came to her uncle and best friend. So she turned again to her closet (knowing that it at least she could handle), her eyes narrowing as she took it in, suddenly unsatisfied with her previous attempts. "Maybe the fifth time's the charm," she sighed.

The timer for the ramen noodles had just began to ring when Riley's phone lit up excitedly. She felt a grin spread across her face, maybe her parents hadn't forgotten their morning call after all. But when she looked at the caller I.D. she couldn't help but feel disappointed with the words flashing across the screen.

"What do you want Josh?". Riley wasn't feeling particularly happy with her young uncle at the moment after hearing how much pain he was causing her best friend. Josh was family, but there were certain lines he could not cross, and it sounded like he had crossed quite a few. "You realize we have cellphones now right? You could have just texted me," she said testily, proud of her aggressive tone- maybe she had learned from Maya after all.

"Whatever Riley," Josh said with a laugh, "I'm going over to your parents tonight, I was just going to ask if you and Maya wanted to come."

"Excuse me? I just moved in a few days ago. Let me breathe a little," she replied with a bravado she wasn't quite feeling at the moment. She missed home, but she had to get used to this.

"Oh come on Riles, it's not like you actually have plans for tonight anyways, you're just a kid" Josh drawled, fully expecting what was about to come next.

"Fuck you Josh," Riley spat while Josh gaped on the other side of the phone. Correction: he wasn't quite expecting that. "I'm not a little kid anymore! I have plenty of friends and we go out and do adult things, and for your information… we even do it AFTER ten o'clock. So yeah. Besides," she thought aloud without sparing a breath- almost like word vomit, "Maya and I have a frat party to attend tonight. Oh and by the way there are one hundred percent going to be hot boys there tonight." She paused for effect, relishing how Maya had rubbed off on her. "Now hmmm, let me think… a night partying with my friends and some hot guys or ditching my newfound freedom to go hang out with my parents when I was literally just living with them four days ago? I dunno about you, but it seems pretty straightforward to me."

It took Josh a few seconds to regain his composure, "Shit Riles, living with Maya has really changed you. That was almost sarcasm."

Riley began to giggle unabashedly, "Yeaahhh, I'm a bad girl now." She had tired of being the one person (likely in their entire high school) who repeatedly gasped at the sound of cursing. It was sad that it worked out this way, she reflected, but she was older now. And people took her seriously like this. And, at the very least, she did.

"Nice try Riley, we all know you're good to the bone. I have to admit this is raising some flags for me though," Josh said, faux concern dripping from his voice, "I promised Cory that I'd watch over you guys. Do you mind if I tag along?"

"Fine Uncle Josh, but you better not crowd my space. Unless I'm hella drunk and doing something ridiculous. If that's the case, please help."

"Whatever Riles," Josh said feeling suddenly tired. He did not want to hear about his niece being drunk and doing ridiculous things. She may have been growing up, but he wasn't quite ready for that disaster yet. "I gotta go, could you text me the time and place?"

"Fine," Riley said in a resigned tone.

"And we're going over for dinner tomorrow with Cory and Topanga," Josh added hastily. "They do miss you, and even if that's not encouraging, Auggie needs help with his math homework and Cory and Topanga cannot remember pythagorean theorem for the life of them".

"FINE!" Riley laughed, "I'll come. But after this, you better give me some space," she said while attempting to sound threatening.

"Yeah sure Riles, whatever. I'll see you tonight," he chuckled before hanging up.

Maya reeled as the smell of marijuana permeated the air. Riley is going to freak, she thought while heading for the drinks table. They had only been there an hour and the arrays of cans were almost empty, but thankfully the iced tea wasn't, so Maya grabbed a solo cup and began to pour, feeling the need to refresh a bit. That last experience had felt a little too personal, she recalled with a shudder. He had just appeared behind her while she had been dancing with Riley, grabbed her hips, and began to grind on her, his hands travelling far too fast and much too far. That in mind, she kept pouring her drink, but moved away when she felt a warm body settling on the counter space beside her. She wasn't quite ready to deal with that situation again. But all thoughts flew out of her mind when she heard the voice she'd been dying to hear for weeks now.

"I see you have better taste than all the kids around here," Josh whispered in her ear as he saw an ear-splitting grin slowly appear on her face. It made him happy, even though it shouldn't, that he still had that effect on her.

"What can I say, everyone's got it wrong- Iced tea is the true life of the party," she said, turning to face him with her arms out. He wrapped her into his chest and heard her vaguely murmur, "I missed you," before feeling a stone drop in his stomach as quickly released her. He scratched the back of his head, eyes glancing over her in appreciation. He had known she would be there tonight, but it didn't really help the surge of longing he felt looking at her in her short dress and wild hair- causing him to see nothing but tousled gold as he felt her grab him again, obviously disappointed that he had let go so soon.

"You don't get to get rid of me that easily," she said- a real, but disguisedly mocking threat hanging in her words, "So nice try, Boing."

Josh let himself hold her for a moment before reluctantly pulling away and holding her at arm's length as he slowly took her in.

"You haven't been drinking, have you?" he asked, confused by the lack of flush in her eyes that everyone else in the room seemed to be living on. It also gave him a good opportunity to look at her. Like really look at her. He saw her blue eyes framed by mascaraed lashes, her dark eyebrows, and her smile as she beamed at him, surprised that he had noticed so quickly.

"I don't drink," she admitted, "It's pretty strange, but I don't like what it does to me." It had been difficult for her to make that decision, the idea of release was so tempting at times, but Maya functioned off the basis that even if she could not control what happened around/to her, she could control herself- and that would be increasingly difficult to do with her mind being numb from alcohol. So, Maya drew the line at coffee when it came to drugs.

"Wow Maya," Josh said as he processed what she had said, rather impressed. However, his next words were cut off as Riley screamed at Maya from across the room, while grinding on some guy from the tennis team- which was a sight Josh honestly wished he did not have to see.

"HEY MAYA, LOOK! I'M A BAD GIRL!' she yelled happily from across the room. Maya laughed as Riley began to clearly redouble her efforts as the guy began to moan behind her- his head involuntarily dropping to her shoulder. Riley flashed a thumbs up towards her best friend, before resuming her motions.

Maya grinned, drunk Riley was always a sight to see. Josh groaned from beside her, clearly scarred from what he had just seen.

"I'm a shit chaperone, aren't I?" he asked pointlessly while pouring himself a drink.

"Yup," Maya replied cheerfully while attempting to fix the collar on his flannel shirt- an oddly intimate gesture. "You showed up an hour late too Boing, so I'll have to dock some points on your monthly report."

"Please do. Honestly, maybe it'll deter Cory. It seemed a bit paranoid to babysit two eighteen year olds, but she's scaring me," Josh pouted, gesturing to Riley without looking.

"Yeah, okay Josh," Maya sighed, glancing at Riley who had moved to lying on a couch with her feet in the air, laughing at seemingly nothing- the guy having left her when she could no longer stand without spinning. "I think it's time me and her head home anyways."

"That sounds like a good idea," Josh said, relief blatantly apparent in his voice. He wasn't sure why he'd expected anything different from a frat party, he hadn't really gone to any since second year, but he'd sure seen some things he wished he hadn't that night, and that may have been an understatement.

Maya whistled, "Come on Riles!" she called. A drunk Riley needed to be babied, otherwise the night would surely end in tears. "It's time to go home now, Honey," she cooed, grasping her under her arms as they had done when they were younger. "Josh, can you grab her other side? I think she can still walk with some help," Maya said, her protectiveness for her best friend taking the lead at the moment. "If you could just help us to the steps, Josh, we should be fine from there. We live just around the corner, really," she said.

Josh frowned, a sleepy Riley almost falling as he loosened his grip. "Do you honestly think I'm going to let you walk home alone? It's like eleven-thirty."

Maya felt her heart beginning to race, excited over what he had just said. To say that she lacked a loving male presence in her life would have been an understatement until three years ago when Shawn had walked in and made what she hoped to be a permanent residence there. And though she did value her independence over everything else, it made her heart flutter to know that Josh, the boy she had liked for basically a millenia, cared enough to be concerned. It felt nice. It felt right.

"Fine," she grumbled, hoping her excitement wouldn't be conveyed in her tone, "but don't get used to it. I didn't move out to be followed around by yet another Matthews all the time." She said as they began to walk slowly with Riley between them half asleep and mumbling incoherently. She is definitely going to need some aspirin tomorrow, Maya thought, feeling bad for what a sucky morning Riley was going to have.

"No worries Maya, I promised Riles I'd stay out of your guys' way," he said laughingly. He felt her pause.

"Don't," Maya said suddenly. "Don't, okay?" she paused hesitantly. "I missed you. Come over whenever you want. Riles is just trying to be threatening, she's been practicing it lately. She'll love having you around, and… so will I," she said shyly, looking up at him with adoring eyes.

It was a look she reserved for him, he observed. He had never seen her look at people with that much honesty in her expression, and realizing that was unnerving, because shit. They were in deep.

After an uneventful walk and Maya almost having a panic attack when she realized she didn't have keys (thankfully Riley did), they made it to their dorm. Josh carefully lifted his niece onto her bed, relieved at how innocent she looked asleep. He could almost imagine that she hadn't grown up at all. She was still just precious, naive Riles at the moment, and he couldn't get enough of it.

Maya watched him tenderly, smiling at how careful he was with his niece. Really, how careful he was with everyone he loved. She had seen it in him everywhere, but it never got old- especially when he was that careful with her. It was rarely physical; Maya hated to be babied. But being aware of others' emotions, (watching as he called it), let the two of them to be in tune with one another to a degree which very few had observed. One who always had difficulty deciphering her emotions and the other spending his life learning how to. That being said, there were a few things she was sure of and she had dissected her reasoning behind them very early on: her friends, her mother, Shawn, the Matthews, Riley, and Josh. So no, she never had to revisit her feelings for him. Once they were cemented, they had stayed there despite the harsh elements they had been exposed to, because those kinds of feelings- they never went away.

Josh watched as Maya walked casually to Riley's bedside, placing the bottle of aspirin and a glass of water on the bedside table. He couldn't even pretend that she hadn't grown up. It was apparent in her every action, every mannerism. She had always been mature, but now not only had she grown in the physical sense (a fact Josh was very aware of since her visit in the summer), but she had grown to thrive off her emotions and memories rather than drown in them. And the new ones she made on the way only helped her to stay afloat. He had always been proud of her, but today he felt it resurge inside him as he saw her gently move the hair off of his niece's forehead before motioning at him to step outside of the bedroom.

"Hey I was going to make a cup of coffee, did you want some?" she asked nervously, realizing how the request might come across considering it was almost 12 am. Not having talked with him for the last month set her slightly on edge, and the wound was still a little raw, but she could never kick him out, and that was power-play that freaked her out to no end.

"I'll pass, but honestly? Maya it's the middle of the night. Why on earth are you drinking coffee?" he asked incredulously while fiddling with his jacket, very aware of their close proximity and wondering how it was that they always gravitated towards one another.

"Coffee is my preferred vice," she stated matter-of-factly. "I like it black… like my soul," she added, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Yeah right," he smirked, heading to the door. "I'll leave you to your demons, Maya."

Maya saw him step outside and reach in his pocket for… his beanie. Of course, Maya smiled. It was worn down, but it was the same as she remembered. She looked up at him, meaning to be brief before letting him head out, but she ended up looking at the blue orbs looking down at her and got caught in the memories they had. She felt a painful ache and found herself desperately wishing for someday, anything really, and the only way the pain lessened was when she stepped closer to him. And closer. And she was so close that she could feel his breath fan out across her face. She lost herself for a moment, thriving on his nearness, his Josh-ness almost, despite her logic being incomprehensible. Leaning forwards, she felt Josh stiffen as she pressed a kiss onto his cheek, wishing more than anything to travel down a bit further and capture his lips in hers. But she stayed where she was. His skin was soft, with a light down, and it was just so Josh that she couldn't handle it. She pulled away quickly, suddenly afraid of what she had just done and hastily closed the door. On the other side, Josh opened his eyes, shocked as guilt-ridden words were stolen from his lips as he processed what just happened, dread overwhelming him and tempting him to knock again, before ultimately deciding that it could wait until the morning. It had been a long night for everyone, and processing time was needed.

Maya groaned, walked over to her bed, and collapsed- coffee forgotten. She had always wanted someday, especially since the summer, but she hadn't forgotten their month of no contact. It still hurt and she just wanted to sleep. Sleep and forget.