Work Text:
An End That Couldn't Come Soon Enough
"I just don't like it. Deal with it, Riley."
And with that, she was gone. The harsh sound of the front door banging filled the room for nothing more than a second, and then it was gone, too. Just like her.
It felt like all the air got sucked out of the room as she left, only leaving the sharp intake of a breath behind.
It was Riley.
The usual happy ray of sunshine who could make anyone laugh with her sweet personality gasped for air and a single tear rolled down her cheek. Then, the brunette was gone, too, though she ran in the opposite direction and banged the door as well, hiding in her bedroom for the rest of the day.
Everyone else was left behind, with their eyes glued to the front door she had walked through. It felt so far away as she had walked in and everyone had jumped out of their hiding spot, yelling 'Congratulations' at once.
The look of surprise on her face had not been the one everyone was hoping for. No, it wasn't a good surprise but Riley couldn't understand that. She never did.
Cory and Shawn were holding paper streamers they had thrown across the room; Topanga was holding a plate with a huge chocolate cake she had prepared in her cafe the day before; Katy held her hands together and her face was full of sorrow, a deep frown on it; Zay and Lucas had similar looks of confusion yet sadness on their faces while holding two wrapped up packages in their hands; Farkle and Smackle were smiling, though not because they were happy, they were frozen in time, not being able to move; Josh was standing at the back, his hands shoved into the pockets of his trousers. His face didn't reveal anything though he had a storm raging on the inside.
He never liked seeing people cry, primarily his niece or her best friend, and especially not because of each other. Though he had a feeling Maya wasn't crying because of what her best friend did for her.
He watched as their friends exchanged a few looks with each other, having a silent conversation. Lucas and Zay nodded as Farkle gave them one last look and turned, walking towards Riley's bedroom. No one questioned what the young boy was doing as they were still trying to comprehend what just happened.
The adults glanced at each other with uncertain eyes and started putting the decorations away that Riley had trimmed the living room and kitchen with. It was beautiful, truly, but now it felt wrong to look at the colorful balloons and paper streamers, the huge festoon with the words 'Happy Birthday' etched into it, and the small gifts standing on the table surrounded with food and drinks.
The teenagers helped cleaning the room though Zay and Lucas were whispering to each other rather aggressively. Josh heard a few words here and there, catching something like birthday and sad, and Maya's name a few times. They probably tried to understand the reason for Maya's behavior and to decide whether they should run after her or not. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Topanga briefly hugging Katy before getting back to work, and Cory and Shawn whispering to each other as well, though they were much calmer than the two boys. Sometimes the two grown men glanced at him before looking back to each other, nodding to something they previously said.
Josh shot them a confused look before grabbing the plastic cups and putting them back into the cupboard. As he turned Shawn and Cory were standing right behind him and he was a second away from shouting out loud at their sudden appearance.
"Sorry," his older brother muttered, averting his gaze shortly. "We just... We wanted to ask you something, Joshy," Cory explained with an apologetic smile.
"And we'd be so happy if you could do it," Shawn added with a small pout and Josh already knew he couldn't say no, no matter what they were going to ask since both looked deeply concerned.
"What is it?" he whispered the question since there was still so much tension in the air from the events of the day. Cory and Shawn glanced at each other quickly before looking back at the young man in front of them.
This time Shawn spoke, "It's about Maya." Now Josh was sure he couldn't deny whatever they asked of him. "We wanted you to talk to her," Shawn said and Josh raised his eyebrows. "Yes, we know this might surprise you but... whenever something's wrong you are the only person Maya listens to, the only one she opens up to," he paused to take a deep breath. "You, Josh, are the person she truly trusts."
"Riley comes first," Josh reminded them. It wasn't an absolute shock to him that they wanted him to go look for Maya. He planned on doing that anyway.
"Usually, she does," Cory said. "But Maya doesn't tell her everything."
"And you think she'll tell me?" Josh pointed at himself, trying to lighten the mood a little. Shawn sighed and stared directly into Josh's eyes.
"Please, we know how you two feel about each other, have felt for years, and... it's her 18th birthday, Josh." Shawn's look was pleading. "You know what her greatest wish is."
Of course, Josh knew. Frankly, it was his greatest wish, too. Something he looked forward to since the second he made that deal with her all those years ago.
He was still out there for her, would always be, no matter what. He stuck to what he said because that was just the kind of guy he was.
Josh's smile was slow though full of promises as he stared at the men before him. "I'll be back later," he offered them as a way of accepting their request and felt a sigh of relief himself as they both visibly relaxed at his answer.
"Thank you," Shawn's voice was filled with gratefulness and almost covered the helplessness he felt at not being able to help his daughter. Josh nodded at them before making his way to the front door.
Before he could leave though he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. He looked to his right and faced a teary-eyed Katy Hunter, her hand shaking slightly.
"I just..." she took a deep breath. "Thank you, Josh." Her smile wasn't the brightest or the happiest but it said everything she wasn't able to put into words and that was more than enough for Josh.
"I would've talked to her either way so it's no big deal," Josh smiled, too.
"It is," Katy insisted. "I... I know what's going on but I have faith she'll tell you," the blond woman told him with a look of remorse in her clear blue eyes that reminded him of her daughter. "I could never help her in the way she needed and that's the one thing I regret the most."
Josh gave her a small nod, feeling speechless but he tried to say something nevertheless, "I'll do my best, Mrs. Hunter." That brought a small laugh out of her and Josh felt proud for making her laugh despite the fresh tears welling up.
"Now I feel even older," she chuckled. "Please, call me Katy." Josh gave her a bigger smile this time that she returned before letting go of him. Maya's mother watched as the young man walked out of the apartment and exhaled shakily.
A strong pair of arms pulled her into the warm embrace of her husband and the tears fell again.
"It's going to be okay, honey," Shawn tried to calm his wife despite feeling like crying himself. He had a feeling his wife knew something he didn't but he couldn't ask now. She would tell him eventually, he knew.
° ° ° ° °
Everyone was probably worrying that Josh might not be able to find the little blonde. Little did they know he had a sixth sense when it came to finding Maya Hunter. Somehow he always knew where she was. It was actually pretty easy knowing where she went if you listened to her when she was talking with you.
Maya loved talking about her favorite places in New York and sometimes she'd talk hours and hours about what she discovered on her walks. Josh loved watching her getting so passionate by just talking about things - was it art or her walks - he didn't care. As long as that brightness was sparkling in her eyes he would have listened to everything she had to say.
He quickly descended the stairs, already knowing where he needed to go to find the young artist. She recently told him about a small rooftop hidden behind trees and bushes she had found on one of her evening walks. The blonde had to climb up several ladders and walk through a few plants which just kept getting bigger and bigger and made it almost impossible to get through.
'I guess it's good you're so small then,' he had remarked after she finished her exciting story. Maya had given him one of her significant glares before he even finished his sentence and the silence was filled with his laughter. It didn't even stop after Maya threw her cupcake at his face, though as he had to go into the restroom to clean it up she had laughed as well.
This memory still brought a smile to his face just like every other memory he shared with Maya Hunter. Getting lost in his thoughts about the pretty blonde, time passed rather quickly and he found himself in front of the hidden place Maya told him about.
First, he walked into the small gap in-between two huge tenements, then climbed up the first ladder and quickly realized he needed to start working out again. After taking a deep breath and climbing up the other two ladders consisting out of metal, he came face to face with huge plants and trees blocking the entire view.
It was then as he understood just what Maya loved so much about this spot; it really was hidden and tucked away from prying eyes.
He fought his way through the plants and trees and still couldn't see anyone. Was he wrong about her whereabouts? Shaking his head, Josh took a few steps forward and turned left around the corner; behind a brick wall there she was, sitting beneath a black, metal staircase that led nowhere, at least not anymore.
She was hugging her legs and sniffled quietly into her forearms, blocking out the rest of the world. The roof was covered in fallen leaves from the trees and, despite the situation he found himself in, he couldn't deny the beauty this place provided. With Maya sitting on the floor with the leaves around her he couldn't help but think how much he would have loved to capture this moment on camera.
It was truly beautiful.
He stopped a few seconds, waiting for his thoughts to gather themselves and his frantic beating heart to calm down, before approaching the crying girl on the floor he has known for so long.
"Hey, ferret," he greeted her with that old nickname, knowing it always brought a smile upon her face when he called her that. Her head lifted ever so slightly and as she looked through her blurred vision and recognized the brown-haired boy that had captured her heart at a very young age, she couldn't help but let out a small sigh of relief.
"Hey, Boing." Maya wiped her cheeks, trying to get rid of the tears that just wouldn't stop streaming down her face. The sight of her crying made him sad, a small piece of his heart falling into a void where he would never get it back, though he was sure Maya was there to catch it like she always was.
He wanted to ask if she was okay but stopped himself quickly, realizing it would be foolish to ask. So instead he decided to go with, "Want some company?"
Maya managed to let out a small giggle in spite of her crying and nodded at him, leaving the smile on her face. "If you want to be my company," she added as an afterthought and Josh laughed softly at her grin.
As if there would ever be a time where he wouldn't want to be near her.
"You know I want to," the college student replied as he kneeled down to sit next to her. Although her cheeks were red from all the crying he could still make out the faint blush on her face and loved the effect he still had on her after all this time.
She nudged his shoulder with her own though she touched his arm more than his actual shoulder due to their high differences. Josh laughed and Maya knew he just had the same thought like her. Playfully she slapped him on the shoulder but it only intensified his laughter and soon he was gasping for air.
"You deserve that," the blonde remarked with a glare. A small laugh escaped her lungs as she saw how red he had become in the face.
"Thank you, glad you're having fun while I'm dying over here," Josh joked with a grin. Maya's body shook with her laughter until it slowly became quieter and faded away slowly. The silence was comfortable and Josh felt like Maya welcomed it.
A silence she didn't need to fill with her own cries and sobs, the sound of her breaking heart and the hurtful thoughts yelling at her from the inside.
No, now Maya had her thoughts full of memories she shared with the men sitting next to her.
The day they met for the first time; how they had played baseball in the backyard of his childhood home; as she fell down and hurt herself and Josh had picked her up, carrying her all the way back home; as a boy had called Maya 'easy' and Josh had almost punched this guy in the face; when she was home alone and scared so she called Josh and he came over for a movie night and even stayed, slept on the couch; as she got way too drunk for the first time at the age of seventeen and called him in the middle of the night, asking him if he could come and get her; when she found an art museum but no one had time to visit it with her, so Josh missed his morning classes in order to go with her.
It made her smile.
"How bad is it?" Her delicate voice gently pulled him out of his thoughts and she wondered if he had been recalling old memories, too. At first, he didn't answer so she looked to her side, startling a little as she found his calm eyes already gazing at her.
"Probably not as bad as you think," he replied, his voice carrying a faint trace of teasing. Maya broke their eye contact first, smiling a little at his response.
"I'm sorry," her voice sounded small as she spoke again, "All I ever do ends up in chaos." Josh was still looking at her, a certain sadness etched into his features.
"You don't have to be sorry, Maya." She let out a humorless laugh. "You didn't do anything wrong, you just acted on your feelings," he said in a calm voice. Blue eyes came back to him, gazing into his' with more vulnerability in them than he had ever seen before. "There's nothing wrong with that."
Her eyes flickered down onto his lips so briefly he thought, at first, he just imagined it. Then it happened again and he knew this wasn't a dream, it was reality, and Maya was right there next to him. She wasn't going to disappear, she was there and that's where she would stay. "Josh..." the whisper of his name from her lips felt like breaking out of a trance. His hand caressed her cheek lovingly and her face was extremely close.
She wasn't just in his heart but also safely tucked into his hands and he would never let go, not again. He would hold onto her as long as she wanted him to.
Slowly, he leaned in and felt his heart picking up its pace as he saw Maya doing the same. As their lips touched, it felt like the three years of waiting - even longer - was finally over, they've finally reached their end of the road and could now start a new one together.
Her hands slit up his chest until they were locked together behind his neck, his left hand came up as well and mirrored his right one. He felt the smile of her lips just as his' began to curl up into one as well but they never broke apart. One of Maya's small hands slowly stroked his soft hair and Josh loved her tender touch just as much as he loved the softness of her skin, her blond waves.
It was ironic, really, how this girl thought she only created chaos with her soft hands and her tender touch; she created art, creative and breathtaking; she pulled so many people into her embrace every day, carefully greeting them or giving comfort; those hands playing the strums of a guitar and creating melodies he's never heard before; the hands that turned words into poetry so her pretty voice could sing them to him.
As no oxygen was left for them to breathe they slowly pulled apart from each other, leaving their hands where they were and keeping their eyes closed, savoring the peace their moment brought upon them.
The silence was short-lived though; a small, sweet laugh made its way into his ears and as he opened his eyes, he found his someday-partner laughing with a grin that made her eyes crinkle and the sunlight streaming through the gaps of the trees highlighted her hair and skin, making her glow.
He wanted her to keep that smile for the rest of his life.
This thought didn't scare him anymore as it used to in the past because now he could think it, feel it, without having to be afraid of his emotions and because it was Maya.
When it came to Maya Hunter there was no reason to be afraid because she made sure nothing happened. Her unconditional love was enough to keep you alive. Her loud personality and every little quirk that came with it was just a bonus and Josh would never take her for granted.
He just couldn't lose her.
Maya has become such an important person in his life and maybe - just maybe - because he finally realized it, he found enough courage to ask her, "Maya?"
The laugh of the young woman stopped and she gazed at him with admiration in her bright eyes. "Yes?" Her voice was nothing more than a soft murmur.
"Why don't you like your birthday?"
She considered his question. He could see it in her eyes as her mind worked through thousands of ways to answer him. It took some time, but he patiently waited, letting his thumbs continue to stroke her cheeks. Before she answered him, her hand started to drive through his hair again, and Josh had to concentrate hard on listening instead of the feeling he got as Maya's nails carefully raked over his skull. Her eyes stared into the distance, her mind was far away as she quietly spoke, "I used to love my birthday," she started and it got quiet again.
Josh got comfortable against the brick wall behind his back and took Maya with him, pulling her fully into his embrace. Her head landed on his chest and her arms were around his waist in an instant. It felt nice to have Maya in his arms like that. For a while, there was just the quiet rustling of the leaves and once in a while, they heard a car driving too fast. A bird landed on the rooftop and picked up a few things, walking around like it was inspecting its new home.
Maya watched the bird and its tiny steps as Josh felt her tightening her grip ever so slightly. He kissed the top of her head lovingly and she kept watching the small bird as she spoke again, "As I was a child my birthday was the one day I loved even more than Christmas. I got so excited though there were still months left 'til I got older. My mum always laughed when I would jump around in the apartment and sing Happy Birthday to myself." Josh let out a chuckle as he imagined how that must have looked. "She sang it with me, ignoring the fact that it was still another few months. One time my father-" she stopped. Her voice had been even so far but as soon as she mentioned him, it shook a little.
Josh kissed her head again, stroking her hair to comfort her, and whispered, "Shh. It's okay, Maya."
The blonde took one of his hands and intertwined their fingers just so he could squeeze her hand. It was a habit both started doing some years ago just after they were at the ski lodge and shook hands to settle their deal. Maya hadn't been able to let go of his hand so he just squeezed it until she did let go.
"One time he came home and my mother and I were in the middle of singing. He ran to me and pulled me into his arms. You know what he said?" she paused and took a deep breath. Josh could practically feel the pain it was causing her to relive this memory. "He wished me a happy birthday and apologized for forgetting it this morning at breakfast before he went to work." He felt a small tear as it fell onto his forearm that was holding Maya.
She was crying again.
Josh leaned his head against hers and felt her relax under his touch. Another deep exhale and she continued, "He thought he forgot my birthday but it was months away. Months! And he didn't even realize. I cried for the rest of the day and he couldn't understand why. We never talked about this and I still wonder to this day if he ever realized his mistake," she exclaimed. "He continued to mix up the dates, he and mom had even more fights than before and soon my birthday was forgotten when it finally came. We either partied a day later or the weekend after and the only ending I got was with them fighting and a five-year-old Maya crying herself to sleep in her bedroom." Josh's heart broke as he listened to the woman in his arms. "My sixth birthday... Well, it started pretty well actually. My dad remembered, my mother didn't have to work, and we had cake. Lots of cake," despite feeling sad she managed a small smile and so did Josh. He knew how much Maya loved cake. "They both tugged me into bed at night and they just looked so happy together. At night I woke up because of a sound I couldn't identify back then. Now I know it was a door, our front door," she whispered the last part. "As I got up in the morning I heard my mother crying in the kitchen. She didn't tell me why so I brushed it off. My father didn't come back from work, I asked her and she lied. The next day the same. And the day after. For a few weeks, I'd ask, hear my mother crying at night, and wonder."
Josh hugged her even tighter and rested his head right next to hers on her shoulder. "I hope you know how sorry I am you had to go through this," he told her softly.
She nodded before saying, "I do, Boing." A sigh, then, "Thank you for listening."
"No need," he smiled. "You know I like having you as my company."
"You like me, huh?" she teased him as she turned her head.
"Maybe even more than that..." he teased right back and saw the familiar red on her cheeks as she blushed. "Shall we head back and celebrate having you on this earth with us?" He kept some of the playfulness in his tone. "'Cause I think there's a lot to celebrate, actually." The grin that overtook her face was breathtaking.
"Alright, Boing. If you say so," she nudged his head with her own before standing up, keeping their hands locked with each other.
The bird they saw walking on the rooftop was now happily building its nest on one of the trees and Maya smiled as she watched him. Josh led them through the plants and climbed down first. When they were back on the street and walked back to the Matthews' apartment, he tucked her under his arm so he could keep her close to him. Both had a smile on their face, making some of the strangers who passed the young adults on the sidewalk smile.
Every so often they would glance at each other as if making sure the other person was really there. Josh took her hand again and both squeezed three times in a turn.
"Maya?"
"Josh?"
"You always put other's needs above your own," he started, suddenly remembering something. "You never fail to amaze me with the way you always find an adventure, a reason to let out who you truly are," she watched him, confusion was written all over her face though there was a smile breaking through. "And, even though, you think you only create chaos, you are truly a masterpiece, one of a kind. That's just the kind of girl you are."
A slow grin erupted as realization dawned onto her and soon she was gracing him with her hearty laughter he adored so much.
"Boing?"
"Ferret?"
Another breathtaking smile, "Thanks for making my wish come true."
Another squeeze.
Another beat.
"I love you, too." His words echoed in her head, burning into her memory.
Another long-lasting kiss with Maya Hunter finally being held by the one person she had always wanted her to hold, Joshua Matthews.