AN/ Guyssss! Thank you so much for that outpouring of love! You guys are the absolute best and I so appreciate every single one of you! Without further delay I hope you enjoy chapter 7!

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"You WHAT?!" Riley squeaked.

Maya quickly moved her phone away from her ear, shutting her eyes at the inhuman noise her best friend had made. "Riles you just made my brain rattle inside my head."

"Oh I'm sorry for rattling your brain, I'm just over here on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, freaking out over the fact that my best friend and uncle made out!"

Maya snorted. "Ah ah ah… It was a simple kiss we didn't exchange too much saliva." Maya smirked as she reached over her bed to grab her sketchbook from her nightstand. She opened up to a blank page and started doodling as she held her cell with her shoulder.

"Ok that's just gross, I didn't need that visual in my head." Riley grumbled.

"Look Riles, it's honestly not that big a deal, Josh and I just kissed…." She paused, she could feel her smile grow wider on her face and her cheeks start to flush at the memory. "Under the stars…. Surrounded by wilderness…. OK!" Maya dropped her sketchbook to sit up on her small bed and clutched her phone tighter. "It was a big deal, in fact it was a monumental deal! You might actually have to start calling me aunt Boing!"

"I knew it! Tell me more!"

Maya grinned she could practically feel the excitement coming from her best friend. She moved her legs to sit criss-cross on her bed. "We were just talking about how it felt for him to grow up with Matthews as an older brother, and one thing led to another.. I honestly feel like every cliche movie I used to mock when we were younger... GASP! Riles, I may die from gooey sap disease!" Maya exaggeratingly placed her hand over her forehead in mock faint.

"HA HA. So funny Maya."

Maya started fake coughing. "Riles, if I die… I want you to have all my shoes."

"Mayaaaaa. Be serious!" Riley cried.

Maya hadn't felt this light in such a long time. It felt so good to joke around this way again. She just couldn't help it.

Maya was about to answer when she felt her phone vibrate on the side of her face. She looked down to see a message from Josh.

She stared at her phone with what she was sure was a goofy expression. Just seeing his name light up on her phone gave her the small butterflies in her stomach.

"What art thou doing short stuff?"

"Speak of the devil Riles, uncle boing just messaged me to see what I was doing."

"Why the heck are you still talking to me for then?!"

Maya's eyes widened. "It's Monday. We always talk on Mondays. Josh can wait."

"It's fine Peaches, you can tell me all the juicy details another time. Just go enjoy your time with him. You've had me far longer." Riley joked.

Maya smiled. "Fine ok. Love you Riles."

"Love you too."

Maya ended the call and looked down at her phone at his message.

"The question Mr. Joshua Matthews is… what are you doing?"

A few seconds passed when her phone vibrated once again.

"Pretty sure I asked you first, but if you must know… I'm sitting on a bench watching people walk past me and I'm also kinda bummed out."

Her brow arched in confusion at his last remark. "Why are you kinda bummed out?"

This time it took him almost two minutes to respond and she was getting angsty waiting to see what he was going to say.

"Well, because. It's been what... like one whole day since we came back from the camping trip and I haven't seen your beautiful face."

She was grinning like a fool. A complete mad woman she could feel the way her cheeks were stretched to their fullest capacity. It was official, she may have been joking whenever she told Riley but if there were an actual disease named the 'Gooey Sap Disease' she and Josh both would definitely be wiped from this earth.

"That one actually gave me a cavity uncle Boing."

"Ouch Hart that one hurt me deep. Here I thought I was being romantic."

"I'm sure you'll live. ;)"

"So can I come up and see you?" He asked.

"Wow you're asking this time? Usually you just barge in my room." She teased.

"Hey I'm trying to be a gentleman here!"

"Uh huh, sure you are. I may need to start locking up my door. What if one day you come in the room and you find my roomate in a compromising position?"

"I don't know, I don't think I've ever met your roommate before. Is she even real?"

Maya laughed, truth was her roommate was scarce most of the time, which was fine. They'd only ever really talked a few times.

"Don't worry she's real. Though how about I go to you? I could use some more fresh air."

"Didn't get enough back when we were camping?"

Maya Hart was never much of a blusher… but oh boyyy did that change when Uncle Boing came into the picture, and he was good. Real good.

"I will hurt you."

"No you won't... I'll be waiting."

He could be so smug sometimes, but she'd be lying if she said she didn't find it absolutely endearing coming from him.

She hopped off her bed making sure to put her sketchbook back in its place and looked around her room for her favorite pair of combat boots, but her room was kind of a mess after she came back from their camping trip. Which turned out to be like the greatest trip ever.

Not only had they crossed out yet another thing off her bucket list but they'd shared their first kiss and it was everything she'd hoped it would be.

His story, listening to his perspective on the day they met was so special it made her giddy just thinking about it. They'd stayed up afterwards just talking and kissing on occasion. It was perfect.

As she found her boots she grabbed her leather jacket and walked out, but as soon as she did Maya bumped into someone, and the moment she looked up she felt all the blood in her body just rush down towards her toes.

"What the hell are you doing here." She spit out to the blonde man standing in front of her.

"Maya I need to talk to you." He replied no remorse in his voice. Nothing like Josh's. There was no softness there, just that annoying entitlement he always had towards her. He spoke with such a condescending tone as if she owed it to him. It made her sick, all those juvenile violent tendencies she had as a kid were starting to amplify and now she really wanted to kick this guy in the shin.

"I told you, I didn't want to talk to you again Evan. So leave me the hell alone." She tried moving past him but he grabbed her wrist stopping her from leaving. Maya glanced around and saw a couple standing at the end of the hall glancing their way. Which wasn't surprising considering she sort of yelled at him. They were definately making a scene.

She roughly pulled her hand away from his grasp and looked up at him and scowled. "Don't touch me." She spat out menacingly.

Why was it when life was starting to really get better the universe always felt the need to try and keep her down? It was getting old at this point. She didn't want to talk to him and she didn't want to look into that cheating face of his any longer.

She turned her back on him and started walking furiously down the hall towards the stairs. She needed to get away from him as soon as possible.

"Maya wait!" He shouted after her, even thought she'd put several feet between them he'd managed to catch up… curse her short legs.

She turned and this time she was really furious. "I said leave me alone. I don't have anything to say to you and frankly I don't want to hear a word that comes out of your mouth. Actions speak louder than words Evan and you showed exactly what you didn't want… and that was a relationship with me. So now I'll kindly ask you to get lost."

"Maya-"

His voice was drowned out with the sound of her phone ringing. She retrieved it from her back pocket and saw a selfie of her and Josh during their camping trip pop up. He must've started to get worried that she was taking too long. She picked up the phone acting as if her ex boyfriend of five years wasn't standing in front of her, completely ignoring his exsistance as best she could.

"Hey Josh." She didn't mean to sound as tired as she felt with the unwanted surprise visit from Even.

"Hey you ok? Usually doesn't take you this long to come down." - "god I really hope I didn't sound like a creep just now."

She grinned, leave it to Josh to make her smile at a time like this. "You didn't, I'll be down in a sec I just ran into someone…" She looked up and gave Evan a disgusted look. "I didn't really wanna see." She felt a tiny sliver of satisfaction watching Evans face fall into a frown.

The other end went silent for a moment. She knew the wheels in his head were turning. "Is it him?" He sounded serious.

She sighed. "Yeah, but it's ok. I'll be down in a bit, don't worry." She tried to reassure him.

"Alright, call me if you need me."

The line went dead and she put her phone back into her back pocket. She looked back up to Evan's angry expression.

"So Matthew's finally got his way huh."

Maya crossed her arms. "I don't know what you're talking about, and I told you already, I don't want to talk to you. I have someone waiting for me. So I'm going to go hope to see you never."

Before Maya could once again turn around and leave, he spoke up making her eyes roll. She was so not in the mood to deal with him. When she found out he'd been cheating on her, she had said everything she needed to say.

Gosh damn it, she just wanted to move on in peace. Was that too much to ask for?

"You're dating Josh Matthews now? Didn't take him long to finally make his move… actually I take that back guy has been trying to chase you ever since you and I started dating all those years ago." He smirked.

She wanted to wipe that cocky smile off his face so bad. "You don't know anything about Josh and I. We may have dated for five years but you don't truly know me. So i'll say it one more time. Leave me and Josh alone."

Before he could reply Maya turned and jogged away ignoring his calls for her to stop. She wanted to put as much distance as possible. She wanted to see Josh.

She felt the heaviness in her heart all the memories of finding out of his betrayal. The sadness. The anger she felt. All of it was crashing down on her; she felt like she was suffocating.

She felt weak and she hated feeling weak.

Not even twenty minutes ago was she thinking about how the camping trip with Josh was the most perfect time and then fate decides it was time to shit on Maya Hart again. All the hard work Josh put in to trying to her feel better… she didn't want it to be for nothing. She walked faster towards the bench she knew Josh always liked to sit at.

The familiar stinging at the back of her eyes was starting to burn, but Maya refused to let those tears fall. She swore she'd never cry because Evan ever again.

She clutched herself tighter trying to hold herself together. She didn't want Josh to see her upset, it would only worry him.

That's when she rounded the corner and saw him standing by the bench looking around, clearly feeling angsty while waiting for her to show up. She lightly jogged towards him and seeing him helped lessen the tightness in her chest.

It was as if he felt her presence because he turned around to look straight into her eyes, and she could only guess that her attempt to look like Evan's sudden reappearance didn't weigh on her, wasn't exactly a success.

She saw Josh quickly walk towards her and before she knew it she was engulfed by his warm strong arms. She was having a hard time holding it together.

She felt one of his hands hold the back of her head, softly stroking her hair in a comforting manner.

His head lay on top of hers as he continued to hug her tight. Her hands around his waist holding on for dear life.

"I swear if I ever see him bothering you-"

Maya just hugged him tighter, she's never heard him angry like that before. He wasn't the Josh she was used to. The cheesy, funny, carefree Josh that made her smile and made her heart skip a beat. This Josh was angry, but the way he held onto her was a complete contrast to what he sounded like.

The way he held onto her was warm and calming.

They stayed like that for a while his hand on her head softly stroking her golden strands, as she tried to calm herself down.

He moved back to hold her face between his two hands. His round blue eyes boring into hers. "I know this is probably a really stupid question, but will you be ok?" He asked so sincerely she wanted to cry.

She felt the gentle feel of his thumb lightly brushing her cheek. She loved that he didn't ask her if she was ok, but asked her if she would be. That spoke volumes, because he knew. He knew that right now in that moment she wasn't.

Would she be ok?

She looked into those sincere blue eyes and she knew that even though she felt weak and unsure right then. Even though the shock of seeing Evan again was overwhelming her and she felt like the sky was falling, she knew that she would be ok.

She closed her eyes and pushed back those tears and opened them up again nodding letting him know that things would be ok. She wasn't going to let the last few months be for nothing.

Josh nodded back and wrapped his arms around her again, making sure to hold her tight. She just held onto him pushing her face against his warm chest and soaking in the warmth he provided.

After a few minutes he let go of her but picked up her hand and held it in his and pulled her gently with him and they began to walk hand in hand. In silent companionship.

They continued walking silently watching the bustling of people around them. She felt his hand tighten around hers and she moved closer to hug his arm. She'd managed to calm her emotions down a bit and having someone around her to help keep her grounded was something she'd always be eternally grateful for.

She pushed down the small remaining feelings of sadness and anger and looked up to smile at the boy that had earned her trust.

Yeah, she'd definitely be ok.

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JPOV

To say he was 'mad' was the understatement of the day. He was absolutely livid. The nerve of that asshole to go looking for her after what he had done. He was so close to sprinting towards the residential area towards her room to confront Evan when he heard the slight break in her voice.

He knew something was wrong when he'd been waiting for her to come down, it wasn't like Maya to take a long time without saying something.

Only to hear that Evan had gone looking for her. Then whenever he saw her face. He coulds see how hard she was trying to hold it together. He saw the way her eyes were glossed over and the way her lower lip trembled slightly. It broke his heart.

To know that she'd been working so hard to try and overcome what had happened this past year, only to run into the man that not only broke her already fragile trust, but also reinforce feelings of self deprecation. It made him livid and he'd be damned if this guy came back in the picture to try and hurt her again. He wasn't having it.

Maya was strong. One of the strongest people he knew. He knows she can take care of herself but now she had him, and he'd be there to lend any sort of support she needed.

He glanced down at the beautiful blonde holding his hand and clutching onto the same arm as they just walked around. He had made a vow to help her, and help her he would. No matter what.

He gave her hand a light squeeze to make sure she knew he was there for her.

Minutes passed when he felt his phone start to ring. With his free hand he saw Cory calling him. He answered as he felt Maya look up towards him.

"Hey what's up?" Josh answered.

"Not much was wondering what you were up to?"

Josh looked down at Maya and saw the faint scatter of freckles around her face and it made him grin. Her answering smile took his breath away.

"Just walking around with Maya. Not much to do on a Monday."

"Why don't you both come over for dinner? It's been a while since I've seen her."

Josh placed his phone on his chest and glanced back at Maya, wordlessly asking if she'd be willing to go.

She simply nodded and he placed the phone back against his ear.

"Yeah sounds great, we'll be there in a bit."

"See you then." Cory answered then hung up.

"Mrs. Matthews is going to kill me." Josh chuckled at Mayas fearful eyes. Her normal gleam was returning.

"Topanga isn't going to kill you."

"I haven't been over in months, I used to practically live there… just you wait she's going to give me a stern talking to." She grumbled and dropped her forehead on his arm in mock shame.

He laughed, because if he were being honest, his sister in law was just as head strong as Maya, and she probably would lightly chastise Maya for not coming around more often. After all, she was practically family.

"I'll make sure to tell Cory, to not let her be too hard on you." He joked. He knew Cory had no power over Topanga and it was was one of the most hilarious dynamics in that relationship.

"Pffft. Matthews is a chicken when it comes to her." She giggled lightly.

"You're so right."

"Question." Maya said.

"Hmm?" He continued to hold her hand as the walked down the stairs into the subway station.

"What about…" She gestured towards their hands. "What do we say?-"

They walked through the opened doors of the subway and sat down, he looked at their joined hands.

"What do you mean short stuff?" He grinned teasingly at her.

She lightly punched his bicep with her free arm.

"I need to get you some boxing gloves, that tiny body of yours packs a punch."

She glared at him, her full lips in a pout.

"Ok! Ok! I'm just kidding, we'll tell them the truth…that you're now my girlfriend- I mean unless you don't want to, which is fine, it's up to yo-"

She stopped when Maya smacked him again. "Of course I want to tell them, after all they're like my second parents… plus I wanna see the look on their faces when I tell them I finally wore you down and made you my boyfriend." Maya grinned mischievously.

"I just wanted to make sure you were ok with that." She added almost shyly.

"I'm 100% ok with it… also if anything I'm the one who wore you down. I'm just saying."

Maya raised her brow at him. "Uh huh, sure you did Boing."

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They arrived at his brother's house and in usual fashion just walked in to both Topanga and Cory behind the stove cooking… his brother really needed to learn to lock that damn door.

As soon as he and Maya walked in Both Cory and Topanga turned to greet them.

"My brotha!" Cory yelled.

Josh smiled and let go of Maya's hand for a bit and lifted his arms up in their familiar greeting. "My brotha!"

He hugged his older brother and saw a head of curls running towards them. "Uncle Josh! Maya!"

"Auggieee!"

Kid had grown up so much in such a short time. "Little man you need to stop growing."

"No way uncle Josh, Eva is an inch taller than me. Gotta impress my lady y'know."

Josh laughed, looking towards Maya as she talked to his brother. "Yeah I know."

"Maya its so good to see you." Topanga said as she pulled her in for a tight hug. "We've missed you around here. No more disappearing acts ok?"

"I know Mrs. Matthews I'm sorry. It's been a tough time, but I'll make an effort to come bother Matthews over there more frequently." Maya pointed towards Cory.

Cory's eyes widened in fear and pointed at himself in question. "Why is it always me?"

"Well, who's ready for some tacos?"

"Tacosss!" Maya yelled and jogged towards the dinner table.

Josh smiled, Maya was definately going to be ok.

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After dinner they all decided to sit down in the living room and talk. Auggie had gone out a while after dinner with some of his friends to Topanga's. So now it was just the four of them lounging around.

Josh and Maya sat next to each other hand in hand, not exactly trying to hide anything from the older couple. He saw their curious eyes and was mildly surprised at the fact that Topanga hadn't made a comment on it already.

"Ok I can't take it any more!"

Josh had to bite his lip to keep from laughing at his sister in law. He'd spoken too soon.

"What is up with that?" She pointed at their joined hands.

"Oh this?" Maya said noncholantly. "My hand was just cold." She pursed her lips and nodded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Yeah who needs gloves?" He played along.

Although it probably wasn't a good idea considering Topanga was giving them a death glare.

There was a pregnant pause, until both Josha and Maya couldn't hold in their laughter.

"We're… together. Maya's my girlfriend." He admitted proudly.

He saw the triumphant look on his older brothers face, and Topangas glare turn into a full blown smile.

"My brotha!" Cory shouted.

"Finally." Topanga said, then she turned towards Cory holding her hand out. "I want my twenty dollars."

Cory's smile fell as he slightlly lifted himself off the couch to get a twenty dollar bill from his back pocket and with a kicked puppy expression placed it into Topangas waiting hand.

"You guys bet on when we'd get together?!" Both Josh and Maya shouted.

"Unbelievable." Cory grumbled at the same time.

"You guys just made me twenty dollars richer." She grinned holding up the bill towards the light, proud of winning the years long bet.

Cory gave an accusatory face. "Topangaaaaaaa."

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After dinner they'd decided to hail a cab, it was far too late to be walking the streets of New York and neither one of them wanted to ride the subway.

They sat in the back seat Maya had her eyes closed as she snuggled close to him. He was glad she'd agreed to go over to his brothers house. After the whole debacle earlier she needed to be surrounded by people that care about her. He saw the gleam in her eyes slowly but surley go back to the way it was before she saw that asshole.

As they sat in the back of the cab, with Maya's head pillowed on his shoulder, he kept thinking back, before they left Cory's place he had pulled his brother over to the side to ask him if he'd heard from Shawn Hunter.

He'd apparently gone back up to live in upstate New York.

Back into seclusion.

"Have you heard anything from Shawn?" He asked Cory arms crossed.

"He's back living in his old cottage. Took the divorce pretty hard. I honestly haven't talked to him, I don't know what to say… and I usually always know what to say." Cory looked defeated.

Josh sighed.

"Are you planning on going to look for him?" Cory asked.

Josh wasn't sure. He wanted to talk to Shawn, he's known him all his life. He wanted to ask why he left Maya? Why he broke the promise he made to her all those years ago, but he knew he couldn't, and if he could he woudn't. That was something Maya had to decide to do for herself.

"No. Not without Maya initiating anything. He hurt her, and she's doing a lot better than when it first happened but I know that pain still lingers. I won't do anything until she asks to or until she's ready to face him."

"Maya has been through so much. Riley told me what you've been doing for her, and i want you to know how proud I am of you. I know you've cared for her for such a long time, and you saw that the girl you liked was hurting and instead of pushing your feelings and your wants on her, you put her first and let what happened come naturally." Cory placed his hand on Josh's shoulders and gave him a light squeeze.

"Thanks Cory that means a lot."

Cory smiled. "You got the girl."

Josh grinned his blue eyes gleaming. "I got my girl."

"Hey you ok?" Maya whispered. He used the arm that was wrapped around her and pulled her closer. He lowered his lips down to her forehead and placed a small kiss on her warm soft skin.

He stayed there for a few seconds just breathing her in. Her small hand tightened on his shirt over his chest.

"I'm great."

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They walked in comfortable silence down the hall towards her dorm room. No one was around but they could hear the soft mumbles of people talking behind closed doors.

They stopped at her door and he brought her in for another hug. Holding her tight.

"Do you have Friday off?" He mumbled abover her.

She placed her chin on his chest looking up at him. "I do."

"I just realized short stuff, that we haven't been on our first official date as a couple yet." He stated matter-of-factly.

He lifted his hand and placed his thumb on her lower lip lightly. He'd been dying to kiss those lips of hers all day today.

He saw Maya's blue eyes turn dark, and felt the warm breathy exhale she let out as his thumb carassed her lip.

"Well that's your fault isn't it Mattews, wasted opportunities, could've asked me by now." She winked at him.

"You're right, I'm a horrible boyfriend."

"Terrible." She breathed out as his eyes looked down at her lips.

He replaced his thumb with his own lips and heard her soft sigh of contentment when they finally met.

His hand went back towards her waist and held her to him. Her arms snaked around his neck and he felt her go up on her tiptoes.

His teeth bit her bottom lip, teasing it lightly. He didn't want to push her despite the absolute rush and warmth he was feeling right now. There was nothing quite like kissing Maya Hart. She was a passionate human being. Everything she did, she did it with passion and kissing her was no different.

He could hear the way his heartbeat thudded against his chest and by the way they were so close together he knew she could feel it as well.

His hands spread across her back kneeding the muscles there as he continued to gently caress her lips with his. Her tiny hands working wonders as she raked her fingers through his thick hair.

They continued to kiss slowly for a few minutes when the need for air was becoming more apparent.

He pulled away slightly so they could catch their breaths but their lips were still pressed against each others, his forehead against hers and his arms wrapped around her tiny waist.

"So what do you say short stuff? Would you like to go out on a date with me?" He asked moving his face back and forth softly giving her an eskimo kiss.

He saw her eyes look up and to the side as if she were thinking about his question. "Hmmmm I don't know…-"

Josh grinned and placed another gentle kiss to her lips. "How about now?"

"Fineeee, you convinced me."