Work Text:
well, to start…
Cory has never thought much of his daughter’s friends beyond them being, well, his daughter’s friends. They’re his secondhand children, his favorite students, and he doesn’t really need to know much else.
But when high school comes along, he finds himself inexplicably caught up in their personal lives, including the infamous love triangle between Riley and Lucas and Maya.
This is not the way he expected it to turn out.
Farkle & Lucas
the clothes that you wear
the color of your hair
Cory gets to school early by accident. He’d stayed up late last night with Auggie, and in the rush of waking up sprawled across his son’s bed, he’d forgotten to check the time before having a manic freak out and rushing out the door.
The hallways are empty, which is his first clue towards his timely mistake, and he finds the classrooms empty too, which is the final needed indication to his blunder. He sighs, checking his watch and slapping his hand against his forehead when he sees the time.
“Oh well,” he sighs (again). “Might as well get some work done.”
(By this he means fall asleep on his desk until Maya screams in his ear to wake him up, but whatever.)
As he nears his classroom, he hears voices, at first muffled and then getting clearer.
“The velocity of the plane -”
Ah. Farkle.
“Makes it impossible -”
Cory wonders why he keeps cutting off and then starting up again, sounding raspier with every interruption, as if he’s just woken up.
“For the plane to -”
As Cory rounds the corner, he’s faced with the reason head on and has to bite down hard on his lip to keep from gasping.
Farkle is still talking, cut off by Lucas’ smiling lips every once in awhile, the Texan boy leaning over Farkle as the genius lays comfortably back against a locker, hands in his pockets.
Lucas’ eyes are shining, and he hums along to Farkle’s words though they’re no doubt nonsense to him. Farkle’s eyes slip open and shut in quick succession - wide when he’s talking, closed when his mouth is otherwise occupied.
Farkle’s usually pink lips are now red and swollen, with Lucas’ donning the same shade of scarlet. They look happy though, content, and Cory backs down the hallway as Farkle reaches his arms up to rest them on Lucas’ shoulders, fingers threading together around the back of Lucas’ neck as the cowboy presses more kisses to Farkle’s now silent mouth.
Lucas & Maya
the music that you share
I guess that I like you
With the triangle now finally resolved, Cory expects a rather mundane class. After all, with a newfound lack of flirting amongst his students, maybe he’ll finally be able to teach Farkle about Belgium.
He is very wrong.
Maya’s eyes are gleeful as she starts up with the Huckleberry’s and Ranger Rick’s, grin wide and wild. Lucas just smiles, that soft one where you can tell he’s thinking more about Maya’s eyes than comebacks for her insults.
Cory debates intervening once it gets to Bucky McBoing-Boing, but then leans back against his desk when he sees Maya lean forward towards Lucas, eyes glinting dangerously.
“You wanna tangle with me?” She challenges, and Cory waits for the usual, “ No ,” so he can move on.
Instead Lucas cups Maya’s face in his hands and presses his lips to hers, quick and sweet, and Cory’s eyes widen into saucers and then snap to Farkle, who’s smiling with twinkling eyes as if his boyfriend didn’t just kiss their best friend in front of him.
“Love you,” Lucas says perkily when he pulls away, dropping his hands back down, and Maya rolls her eyes as she turns back around with a scowl.
“Love you too, Huckleberry,” she grumbles, slouching in her seat, but Cory can see the smile tugging at her lips.
Now he’s just confused.
Farkle & Riley
and the way you pronounce an “s” is
like the feeling I have next to you is
beautiful, you are beautiful
Cory’s going to be asking a lot of questions of his daughter later.
She’s at the printer, getting some worksheets for him, while Farkle chats with Lucas and Maya, holding Lucas’ hand across the aisle between their desks.
“Ouch!”
Cory’s head turns towards Riley at lightning speed, along with Farkle’s, Lucas’, and Maya’s. Riley’s frowning down at her pointer finger, bottom lip stuck out.
“I got a papercut.”
Cory’s already halfway over there when Farkle hops up and jumps from desk to desk quicker than a bunny, landing in front of Riley and taking her hand.
He looks at the papercut, eyes concerned, while Riley smiles softly at him and brushes a hand through his hair. Farkle seems to consider something for a second, then kisses Riley’s pointer finger and looks up with a smile.
“There, all better,” he says, and Riley’s smile widens to a grin as she wraps her arms around his neck and kisses his cheek.
“Thank you,” she whispers in his ear, and Cory can feel his jaw drop.
He knows it’s coming but it doesn’t make it any less jarring when Maya starts laughing.
Riley & Maya
I’d like to spend the night with you
we’d crunch your cereal and choose
to bench press through the early hours
After such an eventful day, Cory is ready to be home. He breathes in the smell of slowly burning cookies and melted LEGOs, then heads for Riley’s room. He needs answers.
All he gets is more questions.
Riley’s sitting in the bay window, Maya across from her. They each have a hand tangled in the other’s while their other hands pull peppermints from a jar in between them and pop the treats into their mouths.
They’re smiling, talking. One of them laughs occasionally and the other always grins in response, proud to have made the other happy.
It’s nothing Cory hasn’t seen before, so he goes to open the door all the way when Riley takes Maya’s face in her hands and kisses her, soft and sweet.
When she pulls away, she whispers something Cory can’t hear, and Maya grins and licks her lips, murmuring something back before reaching down for another peppermint and throwing it into the air for Riley to catch with her mouth.
Riley giggles, clapping her hands as she sucks on the peppermint, and Cory feels his chest tighten and closes the door quietly behind him as he slides down against the wall, holding his hand over his racing heart.
Farkle & Maya
you are the puddle of mud in the pigsty of my life
and I hope that you know what I’m trying to say to you
I guess that I love you
Cory likes to pass by the art room sometimes during his free period, just because he rarely sees Maya truly comfortable with herself and it’s always nice to be reassured of her happiness.
After the day he had yesterday, he wants nothing more than to see her. If he can’t get Riley to talk (re: can’t look his daughter in the eye after seeing her slip her tongue into her best friend’s mouth), then Maya his next best shot.
But as he looks closer, he sees that Maya’s not alone. She’s laughing with someone, rainbow paint splattered across her face and a paintbrush twirling between her fingers.
Cory shifts a little more to the right, wondering who she’s with this time, and sees Farkle, arms around Maya’s waist as he kisses each and every drop of paint on her skin. She keeps snickering, wrinkling her nose whenever he kisses her cheeks, and Cory hears her delighted scream, “That tickles! Farkle!”
The boy in question just grins, kissing her in more and more places, faster and faster, before finally capturing her lips with his own.
Maya immediately goes silent, paintbrush dropping to the ground with a clatter as her hands come up to touch his shoulders and brush through his hair.
That’s - yup, yup, that’s tongue, Cory is leaving now.
Lucas & Riley
I have told you these things so that
you would not abandon your faith
your faith
Cory is starving. After spending his entire morning class not looking anyone in the eye and getting asked repeatedly why his face is so red, he’s ready to escape to the lunchroom for some much needed nurishment and alone time.
No such luck. He passes by Riley and Lucas in the hallway, so caught up in conversation they don’t notice him, even as he freezes in his tracks, eyes caught on their entwined hands.
Lucas is looking at Riley like she’s the world, not too far off from how Cory had caught him looking at Farkle and Maya the other day. Riley, however, remains oblivious, thumb rubbing habitably across the back of Lucas’ hand as she rambles on about the Knicks.
She only seems to notice when she looks up at the end of her rant with a, “Right?” and he’s just staring at her, not having heard a word she just said.
Riley blushes, stopping in her tracks as Lucas touches her cheek.
“What?”
Lucas smiles, eyes flicking down to her lips.
“Nothing.”
He leans down and Cory turns and hightails it for the teacher’s lounge, not needing to see any more of his daughter’s tongue than he already has.
Farkle & Lucas & Maya
let’s write a song together about
this other world that you speak of
cause I’d like to go there with you
Cory rushes into Topanga’s as soon as he finishes grading papers. All he wants is a sugary pastry and some hot cocoa, and maybe a chat or two with Shawn.
He’s greeted by the sight of Lucas and Farkle sitting in the two chairs facing right of the door, with Maya lying across their laps and talking. Something about a new painting of hers.
Lucas is grinning down at her, playing with her hair. He’s braiding and unbraiding it slowly, over and over, brushing his fingers across her cheek every once in awhile and pausing to interject a thought or two into the conversation.
Farkle’s head rests on Lucas’ shoulder, the genius’ eyes sleepy and his smile tired but happy. His hand is held gently in Maya’s as she plays with his fingers, and he occasionally brings her hand to his lips for a kiss or two, nestling closer to Lucas every time he drops his and Maya’s entwined hands back to her stomach.
The scene feels private, somehow, as if Cory is intruding on something, even though they’re in a public place and have yet to see him.
Cory finds himself smiling as he bites into jelly and crust, washing it down with chocolate that burns his throat. Young love, or whatever this is, is always nice to see.
Farkle & Lucas & Riley
I’d like to spend the day with you
we’d harmonise with indie tunes
and cut the collars from our shirts
Sometimes Cory sits in the doorway of his classroom when he’s grading papers, unable to focus at his desk. His free period is the students’ lunch hour, so enough kids are out and about in the hallway that no one notices him.
He glances up at a flash of pink in his peripheral vision and smiles when he sees Riley, settling herself on the bench next to Farkle, who’s talking animatedly to Lucas beside him.
Riley smiles fondly at Farkle, not seeming to mind that he hasn’t noticed her. She lays her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes, and when Cory looks closer he sees Farkle thread his fingers through Riley’s without ever looking away from Lucas, whose arm has now fallen across Farkle’s shoulders, his hand combing through Riley’s hair as she hums some lullaby under her breath.
After a minute or two, Lucas leans down and presses a kiss to Farkle’s cheek, whispering something in his ear. At Lucas’ words, Farkle’s own cut off, mouth dropping open as he looks at Lucas with wide eyes.
He then snakes his arm up and around Lucas’ neck, resting his palm on Lucas’ nape and resting their foreheads together, careful not to jostle Riley. Their eyes are closed, as if at peace, and at this point Cory gives up on grading papers and instead indulges his inner gossip girl by spending the rest of his free period trying to read Lucas and Farkle’s lips.
Farkle & Riley & Maya
you are the puddle of mud in the pigsty of my life
and I hope that you know what I’m trying to say to you
I guess that I love you
Cory runs out of coffee halfway through his detention period. He’s only watching three people today, but they’re arguably the ones who cause the most trouble for him, so he spends an agonizing fifteen minutes trying to focus without his coffee before finally giving up and muttering, “Be good, kids,” as he leaves the room (as if that’ll change their behavior at all ).
He’s trying to keep his heavy eyes open by watching the last of the steaming coffee drip slowly into the cup when he hears music blaring softly from his classroom’s open door.
Cory sighs tiredly, running a hand through his hair and heading for the door without bothering to be careful not to spill. By the time he gets to his classroom, the cup is only half full, having splashed all over the ground, but sue him, he hasn’t slept well in days.
His grip on the cup loosens and his jaw does too as he reaches the doorway, stopping to take in the scene in front of him. Cory wouldn’t be surprised if he was dreaming, except for the fact that he’s never dreamed of anything so strange.
The desks have all been pushed to the walls, clearing the floor. Farkle’s phone is on Cory’s desk, Good Mornin’ by Meghan Trainor eminating softly from it.
Farkle has a hand in each of the girls’, Maya on his left and Riley on his right. He twirls them both with a happy little smile, Maya throwing her head back in a laugh while Riley gives Farkle that fond look where her eyes get all big and her lips curl into a subtle smile.
Farkle is grinning as he spins Riley again, pulling Maya to his chest for a peck on the lips, grin meeting grin. Then he pulls Riley close too, capturing her lips in his also.
When he pulls away, Maya says something jokingly, but instead of laughing Farkle and Riley’s expressions morph into dopey eyes and lovesick smiles. Maya blushes, ducking her head, and while Farkle whispers something back, Riley leans in and kisses Maya’s lips sweetly.
There’s some dust in Cory’s eye.
Riley & Lucas & Maya
and I am coming home
and I’d fly across the world
and I am coming home
and I’d fly across the world
Cory takes the subway home, unable to even think of driving or walking right now. He’s exhausted, has been all week, and seeing his daughter repeatedly kissing her three best friends (with tongue!) is not helping.
He’s standing, holding on to the pole for dear life as he tries to keep himself upright through the rocking of the train and his own wobbly knees. He keeps closing his eyes, keeping them shut for long periods of time and only opening them whenever a new stop is announced.
This time, along with the conductor’s voice, he hears the familiar excited imitation of Maya. He smiles as her blonde hair catches his eye, over in the corner by the door.
She’s sitting in Lucas’ lap, gesturing with her hands as Lucas and Riley watch her with adoring smiles. Lucas has an arm securely around her waist, keeping her safely upright against him, and his other hand is clasped in that of Riley, who’s leaning forward away from the wall in order to hear Maya better over the screeching of the tracks.
Once she finishes her story, with an embellished thrusting of her arms in the air, Maya smiles down at her audience. She says something to Lucas, lips smiling around what looks like Huckleberry, and cups his face in her hands as she leans down for a quick kiss. Then she reaches for Riley’s free hand, squeezing it as she leans down with another whisper and presses a closed mouth kiss to Riley’s lips too.
Cory smiles to himself, leaning against the pole again, and hopes to high heaven that he’ll be able to get off soon - he’s feeling slightly nauseous.
Farkle & Lucas & Maya & Riley
I have told you these things so that
you would not abandon your faith
your faith
When Cory finally gets home, he’s ready to collapse. But still, true to his love for his kids and responsibility as a parent, he ventures down the hall to Riley’s room, cracking the door open to pitch black.
He pokes his head in and sees, by the dim glow of Riley’s nightlights, that there are four bodies in the bed made for one.
Lucas is on his back, snoring at the ceiling with one hand thrown over his stomach and the other to the side. Farkle has his head resting on the arm sticking straight out over the edge of the bed, sniffling in his sleep with his fingers curled around Maya’s on Lucas’ stomach. Farkle’s legs are stretched out across Lucas’, Riley’s legs tangled in his from her spot on Lucas’ other side, head pressed into his side.
Maya’s curled up like a cat on the pillows, her head tucked into the crook of Lucas’ neck and arm stretched out so she can reach Farkle’s hand. Her other hand is fisted loosely in the back of Riley’s shirt, showing no signs of letting go.
Cory leans against the doorway, watching his daughter sleep with a renewed sense of wonder. Affection bubbles beneath his skin, travelling to his smile. His legs feel just about ready to give out though, so with one last look he backs out of the room and pulls the door closed behind him.
“Sweet dreams, honey,” he whispers, more to himself than anything, and heads down the hall for his own bed, where cushy pillows and a soft comforter are waiting.
and, to end…
Cory supposes he started off thinking of them as nothing but his daughter’s friends. That was a mistake, he realizes now, though not a very big one, and not one that calls for much change.
All he really needs to do is start thinking of them as nothing but his daughter’s partners.
(Also embarrass her to hell about it, but for now he’s going to sleep.)