Disclaimer: I don't own GMW nor do I claim such.

General Warnings: AU in the future. Joshua is approximately 23 and Maya is approximately 20, for reference.

There is suggestive dialogue. There is mild swearing. Briefly mentioned themes are battery against a woman and underage drinking. If any of these are triggers please do not read further. For those of you otherwise unaffected, please continue reading and enjoy Josh x Maya :)

Maya has her sunglasses covering her eyes but only to hide the fact that she's not slept in forty-eight hours. Also that she cried off all of her make-up and it now has faded enough to look like she has two black eyes. Of course, that isn't all bad since she does actually have a black eye on the left side of her face.

Riley will never forgive Maya for being in an abusive relationship when she finds out. Unfortunately, that's the burden that she must bear now. She foolishly shared a bank account that's been drained of all money. Her personal possessions save for the clothes on her back, were thrown in the garbage. Maya was informed by her now ex-boyfriend, Rodney, her value was burnt out, "You're not a princess. You're just another face in the crowd."

"That's kind of mean, don't you think?" Maya didn't realize she was speaking out loud, a problem she often has these days. These last two days, specifically. She shifts on the stairs of Riley's apartment building to confirm what she already knows.

Quietly she addresses him, "If you think you're a princess then I think you have a very big secret." She shakes her head to ensure that her hair envelops her face, and then Maya pulls her chin deep into her chest. The sound of jean material scraping subtly on the cement alerts her that Josh has taken up camp next to her.

"Everyone has secrets, gorgeous, but mine ain't that I'm a princess. And I don't think yours is either..." The tone of his voice is cautious. They see each other infrequently even though Riley and Josh live together. Being in his final year of college means that he juggles a full time career on top of his full time academic schedule. Seeing him is a rarity, especially in the middle of the day.

For a few seconds she considers looking at him for more information, to see if he is leading her on for an answer. Leaving his statement open ended just so that she would fill in the blank. Maya Hart is not one to be herded like a sheep and chooses to only lift her gaze parallel to the ground.

In one quick flourish Maya's attention is shifted from intentionally ignoring Joshua to grabbing his wrist as he holds a fistful of her hair. "What's your secret?" Blood races through her veins and her heart pumps too quickly for her to breathe steadily. Gasps for air leave Maya trembling to the point that she can't help but scream before tears darken the space between them.

She cannot tell who moves their arms first but they find themselves tangled in a sloppy embrace. Josh pats her head gently, his beanie that has stood the test of time starting to slide off of his head. Her own sunglasses start to slip off of the bridge of her nose as she sobs. It isn't until she calms down that Joshua puts her at arms length, shaking his head when he sees the state of her.

"I never thought I was a princess but I thought I was more powerful than this!" Maya squeaks through labored breaths. When she gestures to herself she hears her phone vibrating. Wait, she realizes it's not her phone. Josh takes his own phone out and ignores the call. But Maya got a glance at the number and she recognizes it almost instantly.

Joshua stands up, pulling Maya will him, explaining as he guides her inside, "Rodney is a friend of a friend. I had my suspicions for awhile so I decided to keep tabs on you from a distance."

Maya shakes her head in astonishment, "Wh-what do you mean?"

Joshua pushes her into an elevator instead of forcing her to walk up the stairs in her heeled boots. This is what she would have done regardless so she doesn't let herself think that he's guiding her in any way whatsoever.

"There were whispers that he abused his girlfriends in the past. When word got around to me that you were dating him I reached out a little more often. As it happens, Rodney likes to brag - especially after a few drinks." Joshua nervously fiddles with his keys. Maya isn't a fool and she can piece the puzzle together almost immediately. More than once her ex-boyfriend, Rodney, would say he had plans and then show up drunk in the middle of the night. His loud clamoring ensured sleepless nights and busy mornings.

Maya pushes him in frustration. He turns his body and ends up hitting his back flat against the elevator wall, "You were the one taking him out for drinks, then, weren't you?"

They finally arrive on the seventh floor. Silence envelopes the pair as they bounce through the hallway until they reach 17-B6. It is a corner apartment and has just a few more square feet than the rest of the places in the building. It also has a lovely view of the surrounding area. Maya would oftentimes show up at Riley's apartment just to sketch.

"Someone had to pay for the rounds. It was convenient." Joshua starts shedding layers. His jacket, his beanie, his sweatshirt, shoes, and then his socks; he even slides his belt out and lets it slink of the pile that he leaves on the edge of the kitchen. Riley complains about his laundry being everywhere all the time. Maya wanders over and picks his clothes up. Since he doesn't notice and appears to have intention of speak she decides to take his things to his room. As soon as she opens the door she finds that the entire room is a mess. Quickly she frowns and throws everything into the mess with a tilted head.

A hand lands in the small of her back, "Only very special ladies get to see the war zone. I didn't even give you permission!" His laugh is innocent enough. Maya feels him shift. Next thing she knows he is bent over picking up various pairs of underwear and t-shirts.

"Your room is a bigger mess than me. Quite the accomplishment." Endeavoring to engage in playful banter, Maya hopes that they won't have to address the obvious truth. The reality of her being kicked the curb with nothing to her name except thrift shop steals and physical residue of an abusive relationship...

For nearly half an hour Joshua flurries about putting clothes into a hamper, trash into a bin, and running dishes to the kitchen. Maya took it upon herself to lie on his unmade bed that smells of thirty days of thirty colognes and cold pizza. For as put together as Joshua Matthews lets the world believe, he definitely doesn't have his personal life together.

When he returns he plops down next to her, careful to sit slightly elevated so that he can pull her into his chest. It is a very natural action that Maya finds comfort in, especially after years of rejection; "You're every bit as squishy as I'd imagined."

Suddenly, Maya can't resist asking a question she always wanted the answer to - one that she was sure Josh would finally address maturely. Actual mature, not pretend mature to spare the feelings of a troubled girl; "So what is the real reason you always turned me down?"

"Are we really going to ignore the fact that you were punched in the face two days ago and that you should file battery charges against that filth bag?" Maya feels his chin wrinkle into her hair, which hurts because it tugs sharply on her scalp. Once she peels herself away she is able to turn around entirely. She folds her legs into each other and balances her elbows on her knees, and in turn balances her head in the palms of her hands.

Maya forgot her strength when she was dating Rodney. That is a dead issue, though. She filed a report the day it happened but the thing about the New York police force is that they have to prioritize the issues. And a first time battery offense between a young couple? That's not catching anyone's eye. Not until Rodney's name becomes more regular, anyway.

So she stands her ground on this one thing, just the way she used to when she was a kid in junior high, "Nope. This needs closure. So give it to me straight, Matthews, or I'll make you wish that you did, got it?" Together they nod in acceptance, Joshua moving around just slightly. A few times they make eye contact and Maya almost detects some hesitation. She suspects he won't be honest.

Surprisingly he smirks at her. There is no way he won't be telling her the honest truth. Not in light of what has happened, and not since they are both adults now. It is only respectful to be upfront on the matter.

Joshua runs his tongue nervously along the bottom of his top teeth. After exhaling he finally starts chatting, "So the real reason I always turned you down, huh? Because there's no possible way it really was about the age difference, right? There had to b-"

"Stop being an ass." Maya interrupts.

"Okay, so it obviously wasn't just the fact that we are three years apart. I mean that was why at first. When you're that young it really is a huge difference and it gets kind of illegal at some point." Josh has a point. He knows it and so does Maya. They agree that at some point it would have been a little weird. Like when Maya was sixteen and he would have been twenty. That would be uncomfortable for the parents for sure.

Maya chooses not to affirm this aloud because she worries he may not continue on his own accord. So she keeps her lips tightly sealed and merely shifts a shoulder up and then right back down. The gesture is so small that she isn't even sure that Joshua registered the movement.

Shifting again, Joshua slinks down and lays flat on his bed. Hands curl up and rest underneath his head. Eyes are cast to the ceiling with a slight glaze that Maya cannot ignore. Although it would have seemed her that interest in Joshua was shallow, she did always like his free personality. He is enthusiastic, confident, and very clearly a leader. Josh is every bit as bold and energetic as Maya and she craved to have that complimentary adventurism in a relationship. It is that very need that caused her to mistakenly accept aggressive in place of adventurous.

A quick glance at her, "Part of it was because you were Riley's best friend. It's a story that has been told a thousand ways. Fall in love with your brother's best female friend kind of thing, you know?"

While he laughs, Maya wants to point out that he has said the phrase "fall in love," but it hardly seems the appropriate time. Finally getting the information she craved from him for years – kind of hard to purposefully derail.

"The most important reason I always turned you down was because this is New York. You can fall in love today and realize it was false tomorrow. What good would it have served you if I agreed to a date only to find that there was someone else?" Maya purses her lips and jumps from the bed. When it all came down to it, to the make-it-or-break-it detail, what Josh was really afraid of was falling in love with someone else. He didn't want her to feel like a past time. And as considerate as that was the only thing she feels is undermined.

And she calls him out on it, too. "How kind of you to think that I wouldn't be worthy enough to keep you around! Damn me for ever thinking I would be anything more than a placeholder for the real girl of your dreams!" Maya can't even bring herself to cry over it. She knows that she shouldn't even be upset because she dug for the answers. If she didn't insist on knowing then she could have just believed that Josh simply was never that interested in her. Unrequited love is hardly a new concept, after all.

"I didn't mean that there might have been someone else for me." Maya's mind goes completely blank. Her cheeks puff up in a smile she once sported when she would get really mad at Lucas. There is nothing more remarkably ridiculous than this idea…

This idea that she… the incredibly broken Maya Hart…

…would be able to find someone else that she could fall in love with…

…and would love her back!

"That's stupid!"

Josh joins her in the doorframe, backs pressed against opposites sides and feet tangled in the middle. He shoves his hands in his pockets while she crosses hers over her chest. They remain in a deadlock stare for a very long time until finally Maya repeats herself.

"That's stupid. You don't just find someone you like and make them like you back! It kind of has to be mutual, don't you think? Who likes Maya Hart? I'm counting zero people." In protest she abandons the conversation. She marches into the bathroom and closes the door behind her, intentionally in Joshua's face since he was following.

It takes her nearly ten minutes of scrubbing but Maya does eventually get the make-up out of her skin. Now adorning red cheeks, bloodshot eyes, and a dark purple splotch along her cheekbone the only thing she can do is shower. She will just wear something of Riley's until something else is figured out.

The water is perfectly warm, like hot rays of sun on a breezy day. Maya has no idea how much time has actually passed when she emerges from the shower into the steamy bathroom. A fan is flipped on before she opens the door, towels tightly wrapped around her head and body.

When she crashes into something and lands on the floor, towel scrunched up exposing her bottom, she just slams her face into the carpet; "WHAT THE HELL JOSHUA!"

Josh helps her onto her feet and guides her to Riley's room. Before she goes in, though, he hands her a bag of clothes, "You need your own stuff. I hope you can manage until we figure out what to do with you."

"We? You have a committee now? Is it the called the 'Troubled Hart Organization' because that's just bad. On all levels, actually." Her head is bobbing to match the latent sarcasm in her voice. Unamused, or overly amused - Maya can't really tell, Joshua takes off towards the kitchen. She swears she hears him mutter that he needs a drink.

Once inside Maya realizes that Joshua got her literally a brand new outfit, bra and panties included. It's basic black cotton and therefore the most comfortable underwear she's ever worn. For actual clothes he's gotten her a black Metallica shirt that fits almost too perfectly with comfortable with gray jeggings to finish the look. Even though Maya feels a little darker than usual she is at least relieved to feel at home in the outfit. She balls the towels up and takes them to the hamper inside of the bathroom where the rest of her outfit currently resides.

Maya joins Joshua in the kitchen and finds him throwing back a shot of whiskey. The bottle sits next to his right hand with the lid off. Judging by the furrow in his brow he hasn't rallied enough to take too many at this point. She is guessing two or three tops. When he finishes pouring another Maya swipes it and downs it with a smile on her lips. Not legal drinking age yet, but if she's honest – this isn't the first drink she's had underage.

"I needed that!" Joshua grins, "How else am I supposed to get the courage to offer you my room?"

"Too late big shot, I was already in there. This special lady takes what she wants when she wants it." He pours another and she gulps it back effortlessly, "From now on." With the glass in the air for a mock toast, Joshua pretends to join. Maya motions for another but he refuses. He claims it is because she isn't allowed to drink yet and he could get into trouble but Maya knows that it's probably something sappier and less follow-the-rules. The bottle is put in a cabinet above the refrigerator; one that Maya would never be able to reach. The shot glass is dropped a little too harshly into the sink, and then Maya follows Josh back to his room.

He pokes a hand out indicating that she can go inside. Instead of taking a place on his bed she sets up shop in the window. There's just enough of a 'cubby' that she can sit in it and look through the cracks of his extremely dusty blinds.

She decides now is the best time to apologize, "I am sorry for getting upset earlier. I got exactly what I asked for and there was no justifiable reason for overreacting."

The air seems to swirl around her, which must mean that Joshua is, yep – he's got a hand on the wall behind her and a hand back in his pocket. His breath parts the hair on the back of her neck. The warmth slowly rains over the skin and it sends chill through her body.

And the chill sends her body to the floor with a thud. Very Riley of you, she thinks to herself.

Josh squats down grinning like a madman. This is hardly a laughing matter but he does it anyway. Maya plays like she has hurt her wrist but he isn't buying it. Helping her up is easy enough but Maya finds that he can't seem to let go. Hands move from her elbows to her waist. Intentionally she steps back, putting more space between them. It is the opposite of what she wants to do but it is what she thinks she needs to do – for him. Well, that's what she tells herself anyway.

But he makes his own decisions, doesn't he? Joshua counters in defiance with a large step forward. They are even closer now, noses almost touching. Maya feels her eyes beginning to cross as she struggles to look at him directly. In her head she counts backwards from five and then twists to walk away.

Her plan was poorly conceived, though, because Josh tackles her facedown into the bed. The weight of his body keeps her in place. Thankfully he shifts about so that he's not suffocating her, "I am trying to ask you to stay here as my personal guest!"

"I am both aroused and confused. Please get off of me!" Maya yells with her face pressed into his blankets. These don't smell like cologne and pizza but rather of sweaty… well… they smell sweaty…

Josh moves and allows her to sit up. When they look at each they just start giggling wildly. So many times they would run into each other and say one word, erupting in laughter instantaneously. Everything about them was just a natural effect. They could go weeks or months without seeing each other but it felt like picking up where they left off whenever they did have a run in; this Maya quiets for just a moment.

"So is this your screwed up way of telling me that you have liked me this whole time and that you want me to share you room because finally you think its okay to feel that way?" Joshua ponders what she's saying, almost in a way like he regrets even getting involved. Maya nearly regrets asking. And then she doesn't because he grabs her fiercely by the cheeks and kisses her with a very distinct hunger.

"Oo-oo-oo-oh!" Maya shutters in between kisses. They move from upright to completely flat against the mattress, a specific appetite clearly existent between them. At first they are just kissing, drinking in everything they missed out on for years because of [Joshua's] stubbornness. Eventually their hands start pulling on limbs, torsos, and clothes trying to achieve something even closer.

All of this going on prevents either of them from hearing the front door open. Or the footsteps in the apartment. In fact, they don't even hear Riley gasping in terror when she gets into the hall and sees them.

Well, she sees Josh and shouts, "I TOLD YOU TO CLOSE YOUR DOOR WHEN YOU HAVE LADY COMPANY!"

And in unison Josh and Maya shout back, "SHUT UP!"

"Maya?" Riley questions with an almost gleeful tone.

"I am kissing your uncle. This is grown up business." Joshua is sucking his lip in a way that has surpassed cute, surpassed arousing, and has arrived at Sexy Station. Maya has no idea whether or not kissing was turning into not-kissing, but she really doesn't care to know.

Instead she cares to find out – you know, finally.

"Can we really talk about this later, Riles? I was in the middle of asking Maya to live here." Screaming ensues. Screaming about the things, just the things that will be happening in Joshua's bedroom.

And she still didn't close the door either.