So these are seven unrelated oneshots I wrote for RucasWeek over on tumblr. They all stand alone. This first one is to answer the prompt: Rucas studying together.

"I'm gonna fail."

"You're not gonna fail."

"I got a three on the last practice exam."

"Which isn't failing."

"It's not good enough either."

Lucas looks over to his girlfriend. It's only a week until their AP European History Exam and everyone's stressing about it, no one more so than Riley. He's not exactly sure why—outside of Farkle no one else's grades are consistently high like hers are—but something about the test has her panicked. Her eyes are bloodshot with dark circles forming beneath them, she's been mainlining energy drinks to get through study sessions and he knows she probably wouldn't be eating much of anything if it weren't for him and Maya putting food into her hands. She'd shown up to their planned study session in her cupcake pajamas; he wouldn't think much of it if they were working at one of their apartments, but on the couch in the middle of Topanga's, it's definitely out of place. At the rate she's going, Lucas isn't sure that she'll even make it to the test.

Something is going to have to change.

He closes the practice book he's working from and reaches over to close hers as well. The wide-eyed look she sends his way almost makes him regret the choice.

"What are you doing?"

"We're taking a study break." He says firmly. "You're not going to take anything in when you're so worried."

Riley goes for the books, but he maneuvers them out of her reach. Her eyes narrow. "Lucas, the test is in seven days, four of which we still have to go to other classes. We don't have time for a study break."

"I only want thirty minutes."

She stares him down. "Ten."

"Twenty-five."

"Fifteen."

"Thirty-five."

"Twenty. Final offer."

"Deal." Lucas grins. That trick would never have worked if Riley were actually on top of her game but he's not going to feel bad for taking advantage. He's only trying to help. "Now come here." He slings an arm around her shoulder to pull her close, and with his other hand reaches down to her bag on the floor. Sitting on top, Lucas can just see a hairbrush with a few elastics wrapped around the handle. He grabs it. "Riley, you've been acing this class all year. The only reason you're missing things now is because you're stressing yourself out. What has you so worried?" Lucas pulls her hair down from it's place in a messy bun and starts to work the brush through.

"This exam isn't just for a grade." Riley says. "Colleges are going to look at this. If we don't do well, they'll–,"

"Look at the grades we got for the rest of the year and realize that not everyone does well on standardized tests like that." Lucas cuts her off. "No school going to reject you solely on your knowledge of the French Revolution."

"They might."

He leans down to murmur her response directly in her ear. "They won't."

Riley pulls away. "They might when they realize the daughter of a history teacher can't even keep the Peace of Augsberg and the Peace of Westphalia straight."

There's the actual problem, Lucas quickly realizes. Riley, not for the first time, is worried about letting her parents down. The idea that she's not living up to their example or their expectations for her is the one insecurity that she's never really been able to shake over the years, even though he's never seen any indication from Mr. and Mrs. Matthews that they feel anything close to that about their daughter. Obviously as the date of the exam has gotten closer, Riley's been working herself up with visions of failing and disappointing her dad and things had snowballed from there.

He stops brushing her hair and gently turns her so they're facing each other. "OK. First of all, I know you know the difference between those two because you're the one who taught me how to remember which is which. Augsberg starts with A so it–,"

"Comes first and authorizes Lutheranism." Riley finishes the memory trick she had given him several months ago. "Westphalia weakens the HRE and ends the 30 YearsWar ."

"See? That's one question you have down. Second, no one is going to be holding you to any different standards when they're grading the tests. They won't even know which one's yours."

"That doesn't mean I won't fail."

"I have total confidence that you won't," Lucas begins, "but even if you did, what's the worst that could happen? You'll still get an A in the class, because this won't change our grades. At most, you won't get college credit, so you'll have to take a history class your freshman year. You were probably gonna do that anyway."

"But my dad–,"

"Has only ever been upset about your grades when he knows you didn't try. Everyone knows you've been studying for this, Riles. And you're more prepared than you think. You're just freezing up."

"That doesn't exactly fill me with confidence."

"You'll unfreeze if you relax a little. Try this." He turns her away again and instructs her to close her eyes and take a few slow, deep breaths while he goes back to brushing her hair. When Lucas feels some of the tension start to leave her, he speaks again in a slow, hushed voice.

"Keep your eyes closed. I want you to forget all about the exam and school. Forget about the city. Right now none of those things exist, because right now it's just you and me. We're at the lake where you go camping with your grandparents. The water's perfectly still. It's a warm, sunny day and everything is quiet except for a few songbirds." He switches from brushing her hair to braiding it. "Are you there?"

"Uh-huh."

"Good. Now tell me about absolute monarchs and twentieth-century dictators and the ways that they gain and maintain power." He reads off a practice question and continues to braid while Riley recites a near-perfect answer. It takes her a couple of minutes, but she doesn't stumble once. He ties off the braid. "See? You took a moment to breathe and you did great."

Riley sighs and leans back against his chest. "Yeah. It's too bad they won't let you do my hair during the test. Then I'd be sure to ace it."

"How about we both get there twenty minutes early and I'll do it then?"

"You'd give up your last minute cramming time for me?"

"Riles, if I don't know it by then, I'm not gonna know it. This helps both of us relax."

Riley tilts her head back, smiling up at him. "Best boyfriend ever." She stretches up and plants a quick kiss on his lips.