now i'm something new,

─── “ had a dream about you last n i g h t. your eyes were ( shining ) so bright, those lips and that bittersweet s m i l e. it's like déjà vu when my hands up on you. give me feelings that i can't explain. ”

[fricrs]

mhartts:

she was playing with fire, so carelessly flinging around present tense declarations. even though it was barely there, her heart clenched when he smiled. “what are we talking about again?” she slurred, feigning memory loss. she wasn’t positive he’d believe it but trying was better than the alternative. at the very least, maybe he’d pretend to believe her. maya was nowhere near ready for admittance. from the beginning they seemed to dance around each other, neither of them wholly confessing their feelings. he hadn’t explicitly stated he liked either riley or herself during the triangle – not that she blamed him for the way everything came crashing down. she hadn’t exactly been open with her feelings either. realistically she knew it’d have to be her at some point; whether it happened tomorrow or five years down the line, but right now she’s selfish, wants him to be the one to declare he knows she’s been the one for him since they met on the subway. she hummed before responding. “m’okay, just stupid.” slightly amused, she thought how typical it was he’d taken the time (even if it was just thirty seconds) to stuff an aspirin in a bag. she had to stop herself and mentally shook thoughts out of her head. he would’ve done that for any of his friends. gingerly accepting the ziplock bag, she popped the pill into her mouth. “you come prepared for everything, don’t you, huckleberry?” while they entered his house, maya suddenly got the nerve to ask something she didn’t have a right in knowing. “can i ask you a question?” she paused as if she’d wait for him to say yes or no. instead she continued, not giving him the opportunity. “why did you break up with jade?” she looked up at him expectantly, chewing her bottom lip.

her resistance to clarify the comment she’d made left him with a cloudy mind, but seeing as she was still in a bit of a drunken stupor, lucas decided against further questions and merely continued up the stairs. the last thing he needed to be doing was overanalyze the words coming from an inebriated girl, even if they did sound awfully strange. broad shoulders offered a nonchalant shrug in response to him always being prepared, though they both knew that it was in his nature to look out for his friends. upon entering the apartment, he was quick to shut the door behind maya, placing his keys on the kitchen countertop as his frame leaned against the cabinets. eyebrows immediately lifted at the mention of jade, a hand reaching to scratch the back of his neck while he thought of how to tackle this conversation without revealing the real reason for their split. leave it to the blonde to hit him with the one topic he was trying to avoid. “oh, well, it was kind of a mutual decision.” he nodded in an attempt at being vague, which was seemingly more difficult than he’d like to admit. “i just don’t think we were meant to be and i didn’t wanna waste her time – especially with all those college guys ready to sweep in.” there was some truth to his explanation, he’d just decided to spare the details that involved her. his gaze drifted away from maya, instead legs moved to his bedroom where he grabbed comfier clothes for her to change into. “you should put these on.” he said as he returned with a t-shirt and pair of sweatpants, handing them to her. “and you can take my bed.”

[fricrs]

mhartts:

just like everyone else (especially riley), she had tried to view riley’s relationship with lucas a mirrored version of cory and topanga’s. believing they were meant to end up together and her feelings would never be requited aided her decision to keep quiet. it wasn’t until the realization that maybe they’d gotten it wrong – that she had a fair shot. “i never said either of them hated you. but you’re a guy who their daughters were or are interested in. that’s enough motive,” she stated matter-of-factly. while a sober maya would never hope to be called out on her plural and present usage and though improbable, she couldn’t help but want him to question it. despite being aware of how flawed her game plan of waiting for him to speak up any feelings he had towards her that were romantic or the lack thereof, she continued to bury her thoughts and words. it was easier than putting herself out there, only to lose him again, perhaps permanently. “that’s the only law i’ve broken in months. everyone should be proud.” she spoke softly but sarcasm laced her words. she inhaled sharply as they started moving, his scent intoxicating her seemingly more so than the alcohol. keeping her eyes closed, she trusted him enough to not let her fall. “the shed seems like such a scary place. except, your mom loves me. so i’m sure you’d be in there alone,” she boasted, smiling against his skin. “i’m tired of walking,” she complained, pouting her lips. “can we take a five minute break?”

ears immediately perked up as he attempted to decipher the meaning behind maya’s comment, wondering whether the words slipped out by accident or if she’d planned it all along. “are? as in present tense?” he queried, brows knitting together in confusion. “is there something i should know about?” he added, a ghost of a smile appearing along his features before letting out a dry chuckle. it was pretty late into the night (or should he say early in the morning), so he could’ve very easily been hearing things incorrectly, but he wasn’t drunk and as far as he knew, his hearing had always been top notch. there’s no way she could’ve meant anything by it, right? she was happily in a relationship with finn and riley had eyes for farkle – it wouldn’t make sense. “oh wow, i’m impressed.” he stated casually, giving her a gentle pat on the back as they continued their way up the stairs. “you don’t need to tell me twice. i’d take a week of suicide drills over the shed any day.” a cringe shivered through his body, remembering the handful of times he’d dealt with his mother’s crude punishment. somehow lucas never got used to it. “yeah, i don’t get that. you’d think she’d have more sympathy for her son…” his voice trailed off, envy dripping from his tongue while he shook his head at the blonde. though it was hard not to love her, which he’d learned through many trials and errors. he slowed his pace once she asked to stop, nodding in agreement and settling down on one of the steps. “you okay? i brought aspirin if you’re not feeling too good.” scrambling in his pocket, he held his palm out towards her with the ziplock bag that contained the small capsule.

[fricrs]

mhartts:

while knowing he was right, self reliance played a big role in the facade she carried around for everyone to see. letting go of it wasn’t in the cards – at least not anywhere in the near future. it’d be a lie for her to say she didn’t want to have to capability of being vulnerable; it’d be an even bigger lie for her to say she didn’t want to be vulnerable with him. “i could’ve at least found my way to the subway,” she argued, keeping her defense strong. “all fathers carry vendettas for the first guy their child ever wants to be with.” no matter how many times her best friend assured her their break up was mutual, maya refused to believe it. “was it really?” the three of them had spent too much time wrapped up in a messy situation for her to accept they hadn’t worked out. riley being happy was the only consolation she found in stepping back from something she wanted. keeping her eyes closed for the duration of the drive, they snapped open as soon as the car came to a halt. when the door opened, she slowly swung her body and dangled her legs outside of the truck. “there’s five of you, huckleberry,” she groaned, blindly reaching for his hand to aid her in stepping out. once her feet were planted on the ground she let her body fall into his, arms moving to wrap around his waist and her face nuzzled into his neck. “drinking should be illegal,” she mumbled, letting out a content sigh from their closeness.

why he felt the need to defend himself in front of a highly intoxicated girl was beyond him, knowing she wouldn’t recall any of this conversation once morning came. however, lucas still wanted to make his point clear, always going to great lengths to convince the blonde that what him and her best friend had wasn’t significant in the bigger scheme of things. “i don’t see why he’d have to. the most we ever did was share a few pecks, i’d hardly consider that reason enough to hate me.” while being with riley was an eye opening experience, it showed him the kind of relationship he didn’t want, pushing him towards a path of excitement – something he might have had if given the chance to choose differently. as the blonde’s arms wrapped around his torso, a soft chuckle reverberated through him upon hearing the next words that exited her mouth. “underage drinking is illegal.” he corrected, before shutting the car door with one of his hands, the other resting against the small of her back to keep her in place. to make his life easier, he decided to lift her body up against his, an arm tightly enclosed around her waist while he began taking slow strides towards the staircase at the end of the parking lot. though maya didn’t weigh much, he was thankful to live on one of the lower levels of the building. “you’re lucky my mama’s out of town this weekend, otherwise we’d both be dead right now.”

[fricrs]

mhartts:

not usually one to accept people expressing their concern for her (especially him), maya rolled her eyes. “i can take care of myself,” she argued, slumping further into the seat. “you don’t have to worry about me.” being a burden on anyone was one of her biggest fears, which caused her to put a fair enough distance between someone and herself. having practice growing up mostly on her own, it was never something that bothered her – she couldn’t say the same for the people in her life. more often than not, it seemed to weaken certain relationships. she hummed in response, pleased with his answer. even though she’d been the one to mention jade, she appreciated not having the idea cemented. she didn’t need another reason tacked on to why she had trouble falling asleep at night. her fingers tapped against the fabric of his pants as she remained oblivious to any reaction from him. “you’re right! i think he’s already not that fond of you. thank matthews for that. especially after riley? yikes,” she added, pursing her lips. with the car in constant motion, a throbbing sensation in her head quickly took over, causing her to retract her hand from his thigh and rub her temples harshly. with her head against the cool glass window, she closed her eyes with a grimace on her face. “heehaw, i don’t feel so good,” she pouted and rolled her head against the headrest to face him again. “are we there yet?”

her words caused a bittersweet smile to grace his lips, shaking his head at how wrong she was. asking lucas not to worry about her was the equivalent of farkle not filling their brains with useless facts. it just wasn’t possible. no matter how hard he seemed to try, there was always going to be a voice that led back to her. “if you could take care of yourself, you wouldn’t have needed help getting home.” he stated matter of factly, prompted with a simple shrug. “what do you mean after riley?” his gaze left the road momentarily, glancing at the blonde while eyebrows raised in concern. “it was a mutual decision!” he repeated for what felt like the billionth time, exasperation evident in his tone as a sigh slipped past him. years had passed since the end of their relationship and he was still suffering the consequences. he began to think he’d never live it down, even when his sights were set on the girl beside him. once her hand slipped away, lucas let out the breath he’d been holding in – clarity washing over him as he was reminded of the task at hand. get maya home. “almost, hang in there.” he gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze in an attempt to calm unsteady nerves. the next few minutes were silent, attention focused on the view ahead of him. as they arrived at the apartment, he parked his car in its usual spot before hurrying to the passenger side. opening the door for her, he spread his arms, motioning her to move forward. “c’mon, shortstack. let’s get you inside.”

[fricrs]

mhartts:

it was common of maya to take most of his comments negatively, her short-temper getting the best of her. “i may be drunk but i wouldn’t be stupid enough to cheat on my boyfriend.” offended by his accusation, her tone came off overly defensive. chewing on the inside of her cheek, she opted on staying silent as other interpretations of his words sunk in. even intoxicated, she was too prideful to apologize for her snappiness. she liked to think her morals were greater than cheating on someone but the truth was simple: what she was doing with finn wasn’t any better. “the second most important girl on your life.” she recited his text, keeping her eyes locked on the buildings in front of them. “you’re clearly a momma’s boy so i bet your mom takes first place. unless you’re really that hung up on jade.” the name alone caused her face to contort in disapproval, openly showcasing her dislike for the girl. though admitting to herself she could’ve liked the brunette, it didn’t seem all too surprising to anyone that she made no effort. she hadn’t thought of his relationship with jade being serious enough, but then again she’d tried her best to avoid being around as best she could. his nudge brought her out of the impending thoughts. “aye aye, bucky!” accepting the bottle, it took her a minute to successfully twist off the cap and take a swig of the water. “oh, wait!” she exclaimed, her free hand coming in contact with his thigh. “i hope shawn doesn’t wake up and think you got me drunk. or else you’re gonna end up dead.”

eyes stared ahead at the open road, enjoying the sense of serenity that hung in the air. it was reminiscent of texas nights, though the moment was short-lived as maya began to speak. “i never said anything about cheating.” he clarified, a bit irked by her accusing tone. “all i’m saying is you need to be careful at parties like that.” always the moral compass, he couldn’t help but be concerned about her well-being because even if she didn’t have any malicious intentions, he couldn’t necessarily say the same about the boys she’d been hanging around. hearing jade’s name stirred up a strange feeling inside of him, which he chose to disregard, releasing a quiet sigh instead. while there wasn’t any animosity between them, their relationship was a constant reminder of the lengths he’d go to shake the blonde from his system. “i’m surprised you’d even have to question it. of course my momma’s number one.” he kept his response vague in an attempt to close off the conversation, maya being the absolute last person he’d discuss his ex-girlfriend with. as soon as her hand came in contact with his thigh, any thoughts floating through his head disappeared. lucas diverted his gaze downward, obviously startled by what he assumed was a meaningless gesture. it may have been minuscule, but the action didn’t stop the heat from rushing to his ears. his gaze flickered back to the road, swallowing the dryness that had formed in his throat. “that’s exactly why i’m taking you back to my place. i don’t need shawn thinking i’m a bad influence.”

[fricrs]

mhartts:

with a concealed rolling of her eyes, she huddled closer to avoid being bumped into by students. “that’s because it’s almost two in the morning. no one else answered except you,” she lied, sticking her tongue out at him. there was no way she would ever admit to him being her first choice of contact. even if he chose to let it go, she couldn’t risk a confession hanging over her head or making her feelings apparent as she tried her best to squash them. being in·vehement denial with anything involving him, she was unsure if giving up her act would change their situation. she settled on no, preventing her from dwelling too much on the impossible. too much time spent on positive possibilities only resulted in unrealistic daydreams. paying attention to nothing but the boy beside her, she eyed him as if she’d never been more amazed. “i drunk so much, huckleberry,” maya slurred, breaking out into fits of uncharacteristic giggling. turning her body slightly, she scrunched her nose up at lucas. despite her visible reluctance, she turned back around and placed a foot on the bar. wobbly climbing in, she got herself situated in the seat with every ounce of concentration she was capable of conjuring up. letting out an exhausted sigh, her eyes wandered around the interior. “god, this thing is an eyesore.” subtlety never a strong suit, it was worth with alcohol in her system. “have you ever thought about sending it to texas where it belongs?”

“you should be glad i came when i did or you’d probably be waking up in some stranger’s room.” the thought was enough to cause him to clench his jaw, but he shook it away just as quickly as it entered and focused on the fact that she was safe. though fiercely protective of all his friends, the worry he felt towards maya had always been different from the rest. maybe it was because she had a tendency to make rash decisions (he knew that was a lie). regardless of the reason, he promised himself a long time ago he’d look out for her and lucas would continue to stick by his word, no matter what obstacles they’d come across. another chuckle escaped him at her sudden giddiness, unable to keep a straight face when she was exposing a completely new side of her. “i know, shortstack.” he nodded his head, bottom lip jutting out in the slightest as his gaze remained locked on her, watching the way she struggled into her seat. with a swift push of the door, he jogged to the driver’s side and jumped in. green eyes rolled at the girl’s quip, accustomed to the opinions she had on his choice of vehicle. turning the key inside the ignition, he squinted in her direction once the car roared to life. “not a chance. this truck is a part of me and she’s here to stay, whether you like it or not.” he explained, passing over the water bottle he’d grabbed moments earlier. “now, drink.” his voice was a bit more serious, giving her a gentle nudge before merging onto the abnormally vacant street.

[notfrayclary]

[fricrs]

mhartts:

shrugging her shoulders, she brought the cup to her lips to take another swig. “suit yourself, sundance. but you’re being a party pooper.” having him in her life was important to her, no matter how often she spoke differently. despite reconciling and agreeing to being friendly, she still found herself distancing herself from him when possible. she swore she was determined to get rid of any and all feelings she still harbored but all of her actions, sober and under the influence, prevented her attempts. after so many years, the thought of always envisioning them as something more was frightening to her. though in knowing pretending to be content with finn was morally terrible, she wanted to keep up with the charade. she hoped that by faking it, there was a possibility she would end up fine and over lucas. “and what makes you–” she stopped mid sentence, her mouth fell slightly open and brows furrowed when he took the drink away from her. “hey, i was drinking that!” she pouted in disappointment. however, the frown on her face quickly disappeared, a grin returning as she found herself in his embrace. securing an arm around his waist, maya’s feet stumbled as he walked them out causing her fingers to tighten their grip on his shirt. “out of here? where are we going?” she peered up at him in wonder, eyes lighting up.

her juvenile behavior caused a chuckle to slip past his parted lips, thoroughly amused by her antics even when the situation didn’t call for it. “you’re the one who texted this party pooper.” he stated matter of factly, brows quirking to give her a pointed look as he continued leading them out of the crowded dorm room. once the music became nothing but a faint noise in the background, lucas instantly felt relieved to hear himself think, though he wasn’t sure how beneficial that would be – seeing as his thoughts were a jumbled mess. he had a lot of questions: number one being what prompted maya to drink her body weight in alcohol, accompanied by why she’d decided to call him over her boyfriend (not that he was complaining). both of which wouldn’t be answered, at least not until the morning. and even then, the probability was unlikely. the pair may have been friends, but he knew he was the last person she’d ever spill the inner workings of her mind to. “we’re going to get you sobered up.” there was a hint of pep in his tone, as if he were gently disciplining a kid while simultaneously trying to ignore the way she was looking up at him with those damn blue eyes. reaching for the keys in his front pocket, he pressed the button to unlock the truck, his other arm remaining glued to her shoulders. he opened the door for her with ease, feet firmly planted on the concrete as he moved behind the blonde’s petite frame in case she slipped. “alright, hop in.”

[fricrs]

mhartts:

getting wasted at a college party wasn’t usually an ideal situation, except anything sounded better than being alone with the continuous thoughts of someone who wasn’t her boyfriend. though momentary, wrongfully flirting with boys who pushed drinks into her hands worked. when she stopped being able to count the drinks that went down and things got fuzzy, he invaded her mind again. she’d contemplated texting finn first, going as far as typing out a message, only to delete it and effortlessly send lucas a handful instead. when he replied not long after, a feeling she couldn’t place took over. she hadn’t expected him to answer until morning when she’d already found a way home. there wasn’t much she could comprehend, but his pushing to know where she was made her the slightest bit more alert. after replying, she slipped the phone into her back pocket and refreshed her drink before returning to the front of the room. taking being stopped by an obnoxious frat boy as an opportunity to waste time, she absentmindedly nodded at his babbling. with the guy in front of her far more drunk than she was, it made feigning interest easier. continuing to sip on her drink, maya’s ears perked at the sound of a familiar voice, her body whipping around. loosing her balance, she brought her free hand to grip his shoulder to steady herself. “my least favorite texan is here!” slurring her words, a grin etched across her face. “you want some?” she questioned, offering him the plastic cup.

had she not been drunk, he would’ve replied with a witty texan remark that would get under her skin, but he chose to ignore the comment and merely shake his head in response. “i’m good.” lips pressed into a thin line, respectfully declining the offer. while he didn’t mind being the one to pick her up because at least that way he’d make sure she got home safely, he couldn’t help but wonder where her boyfriend was in all of this. though never the biggest fan of finn, he still wanted to be assured maya was treated right, more so since his split with jade. thoughts kept circling back to the blonde – of what they could be if they just put aside their pride and admitted what everyone else already knew to be true. it was wrong to think about, that much he knew. he’d simply reached his breaking point, finally done denying the obvious. “i think you’ve had enough for one night.” taking the cup from her hands, he placed it on the coffee table before grabbing a bottle of water for later. an arm slung around her shoulders as he began making slow movements towards the door. “c’mon, let’s get you out of here.” he said without even waiting for maya to protest. the only thing on his radar at the moment was getting her sobered up to avoid startling her parents in her disheveled state.

[fricrs]

the second lucas received word on maya’s whereabouts, he hopped out of his bed and pulled the first shirt he could find over his head – thoughts too scrambled to care about his appearance. what the blonde was doing alone at a college party in the middle of the night was beyond him, but right now wasn’t the time to be questioning her life choices. instead, the image of her dancing with random guys in her drunken state clouded his mind as he made it downstairs to his truck, jumping in the driver’s seat and hurriedly exiting the garage. his hands were firmly placed on the wheel, trying to remain calm as opposed to visualizing every worst case scenario that could take place while he was on his way. once he arrived at the destination, he parked beside the curb of a popular dorm jade used to bring him to. he didn’t waste any time before beelining towards the familiar building, the loud thudding of music already ringing through his ears. walking past the open door, he kept his eyes peeled for the girl, only to see a crowd of rowdy students grinding all over each other. he rolled his eyes at the scene, moving further into the small space until he caught sight of blonde hair by the window. with maya’s back facing him, he took long strides in her direction, pushing past groups of people as they threw displeased looks at him. “there you are.” he stopped in his tracks, letting out a sigh of relief.

[fricrs]

✉ imessage → shortstack

maya: u could ignore me if u really wanted to i wouldn't blame u

maya: hey these chanitng frat boys are my new nest friends they gave me lots of alcohol

maya: get reeal ranger rick i've seen beter looking thnigs than it

maya: ur truck is an object why are u calling it a she

lucas: but i wouldn't. that seems more like ur area of expertise

lucas: wow sober maya would be glaring at u rn. just stay put, i'm on my way

lucas: careful ur jealousy is showing

lucas: bc she's a she in spirit, some might even call her the second most important girl in my life

[fricrs]

✉ imessage → shortstack

maya: i'm gonna pass

maya: u didn't have to answer me so herer we are

maya: nyu idk what dorm lol

maya: does thsism mean i have to see ur ugly trcuk

lucas: why wouldn't i answer if i'm already up? there's no point in me ignoring u lmao

lucas: i'll just follow the sound of chanting frat boys

lucas: first of all, my truck is beautiful so take that back

lucas: and second, u should be glad she's willing to give u a ride free of charge

[fricrs]

✉ imessage → shortstack

maya: what if it involves other people

maya: shouldn't u be sleeping

lucas: i'm sure whoever's involved would understand if the circumstances were explained to them

lucas: i was but i forgot to turn my sound off so here we are

lucas: now are u gonna tell me where u are or am i supposed to guess

[fricrs]

✉ imessage → shortstack

maya: i mean really bad things that u know are wrong

maya: not falling off a sheep when ur 5

maya: i'm too poor for an uber

lucas: oh

lucas: i try not to but we all slip up it isn't the end of the world

lucas: where are u?

[fricrs]

✉ imessage → shortstack

maya: what do u have to regret u do nothing

maya: yeah they're harmless until they murder u just like vodka in the form of jello in tiny cups

maya: captain obvious... is anyone ok???

maya: so maybe i have a problm

lucas: hey, i do a lot of things

lucas: i definitely regret falling off judy the sheep

lucas: so i'm guessing the answer is no....

lucas: seriously maya what's going on??

[fricrs]

✉ imessage → shortstack

maya: hey quicj question do u eever regret ur life choices

maya: who knew jello shots could be so sneaky

maya: like.... baby secret assassins

lucas: i mean... sometimes i guess???

lucas: baby assassins? that's an interesting observation

lucas: maya, it's 1 am

lucas: are u okay?

[fricrs]

mhartts:

trying not to show any signs of discomposure, she allowed herself to offer a tight lipped smile. “right, well… for her sake, i hope she enjoys horse stories.” despite bringing it upon herself, maya was overwhelmed by the feeling of disappointment. after so many years of harboring unexplored feelings for him, her conclusion was that she would always have a soft spot where he was concerned. no matter how much space she put between them, he managed to sneak into her thoughts. “no. i was just making sure.” being vulnerable had never been her strong suit and there was a small probability it would ever be. no matter how close she got with someone, parts of herself were kept hidden away. her eyes rolled and she brought a hand up to playfully shove his arm. his relentlessness on making sure she felt comfortable to open up with him wasn’t lost on her. “okay. but you can’t expect me to just come to you on my own.” it was rare for her to be so soft-spoken, but conversations with lucas seemed to elicit a gentler side. there was something about his own openness and ability to make her feel at ease that made her want to be the same way. he understood her in ways even riley couldn’t. “sometimes you’re gonna have to push me,” she admitted, chewing on her lower lip. after six years of knowing each other, she still needed reassurance he cared enough. there was no doubt they were prone to arguments – they were two morally different people. however, their banter seldom went beyond careless teasing and on the occasions where things got too heavy, fighting with him generated one of the worst feelings. she preferred having him in her corner, not on the opposite side of the room. “approximately how long is a long time? i can only handle so many years of you, huckleberry.”

a soft laugh emitted from his lips as he lightly shook his head. funny enough, his conversations with jade were nothing like those with maya. while initially intrigued by her because of the rebellious streak she had going, similar to a certain blonde, their personalities couldn’t have been more opposite. his relationship with the brunette felt seamless – no history, no drama. they were simply rolling with the punches, seeing where it took them. whereas him and maya were the embodiment of complicated. “the topic has never been brought up, but i’ll be sure to tell her if the opportunity presents itself. believe it or not, most girls don’t see me as a dorky cowboy. that’s just you.” he gave her a pointed look, eyes full of mirth. though his tone was playful, sometimes he wished she saw him as more than the butt of her jokes, but he knew that was unrealistic. choosing to brush off her response, he uttered a barely audible ‘oh’ under his breath, trying not to dwell on the things he couldn’t control. “push you?” he queried, forehead creasing. “and have you bust my balls for it? i don’t think so.” as long as he’d known her, pushing had never worked in his favor. it didn’t matter how much he might’ve wanted to confront her about an issue, if she wasn’t ready to talk, he doubted there was anything he could say that would change her mind. she was intimidating, five feet and all. “hmm… probably until one of us dies.” he answered confidently, followed by a firm nod. she was clearly put in his life for a reason and he'd be damned to let go of that, regardless of how many arguments they found themselves caught in between. “you need me, even if you don’t wanna admit it.”