43A/N Cute chapter. Breya fans will probably enjoy. Rucas is going to start making more appearances soon. Have a fabulous day and don't forget to review;)
Chapter 7
Maya couldn't sleep.
She'd never been a great sleeper in the first place but when there was a boy on her floor…
Sleep was avoiding her like people avoided her when she was mad, and she couldn't help but repeatedly look down at the floor.
Brent's face was messed up bad. In fact, it had gone from a solid seven to a terrifying ten because the swollen eye looked incredibly sore. Maya ran her teeth over her bottom lip nervously. He was a cage fighter with what she had learned to be anger issues and a past that was similar to hers. Is that how she would have turned out if she hadn't climbed through the bay window?
She rolled her eyes, internally scolding herself for thinking like that. Brent wasn't a bad person. The arguing with Cory was just tensions hitting their limit and the cage fighting was, well…
He said he went because of an itch. Not because he wanted to.
God this was all so confusing. If she just asked him then maybe it wouldn't be so complicated anymore-
"Brent." Maya whispered, sighing in annoyance when he didn't even move. "Brent." She whispered a little louder, moving her leg out of the side of the bed so that she could use her toes to nudge his back.
"What?" He groaned tiredly, his voice gravelly and deep as he rolled over.
"I wanna talk." She said quietly as she sat up in her bed and placed her back against the wall so that she could look straight down at him.
"Right now?" Brent asked gruffly, running a hand through his hair while he sat up to face her.
"Yep."
"Okay." He said softly, pulling his knees up to his chest as he looked at her outline with his good eye. It was still dark and the only lights in her room were the little beams of moonlight that were able to creep round the edges of the blinds that covered her window. Brent could barely see her face, and he doubted that she could see his. "What do you want to talk about?"
"You know before, when you said you gave in to an itch," Maya started as she crossed her legs into a pretzel shape. "What did you mean?"
"You know when you crave a food, like chocolate or something like that." He saw the outline of Maya's head nod slightly and knew that she wanted him to continue. "Well it's like that with the cage. I start craving it and I try and hold out, but then it gets worse and I give in and fight. I keep telling myself that it will be the last time but I just end up back there."
"So you're addicted to cage fighting?" Maya asked bluntly.
"I wouldn't say that-"
"The first step to recovery is admitting that you have a problem." She said knowingly. It was as if Brent could hear the smirk that had curled its way onto her lips.
"Jesus blondie, that's so cliché." Brent chuckled.
"I know." Maya giggled quietly in agreement. "But it's kinda true."
"Even if it is true, you don't have to worry. I'm fine."
"We're always fine." She whispered softly, so quietly that Brent swore she was just talking to herself. "We always say we're okay and we always have, but, are we?"
The vulnerability in her tone was literally ripping his heart out. Maya sounded confused and the way her voice cracked slightly while talking showed a weaker part of her that Brent hadn't seen since arriving in New York.
Gone was the tough, fierce girl that called him names, teased him to death and poked his bruised cheek. It was as if she'd done a complete one eighty and it killed Brent to see her like this.
"Riley told me a few days ago that she was happy that the old Maya was back, because everyone said I'd turned into her. Thing is, when they kept saying I was being Riley I told them all that they were crazy and that I was fine."
"But you weren't really okay?" Brent asked, moving quietly from the floor to the bed, taking a seat next to her with his back against the wall.
"I don't even know." She said as her head fell into her hands. "I'm supposed to be happy now my mom and Shawn are married – like we're moving out of here soon – but I still- I just-"
"Can't keep up with what's going on in your head; especially at night?"
"Yeah, that." Maya mumbled faintly, sitting back up and letting her head fall to the side so that it rested on Brent's shoulder.
"Well. Just so you know. I like this Maya." Brent whispered with a small smile. "And I also like the Maya that kicks me and smirks at me and calls me endless amounts of names."
"I guess you're okay yourself." She replied quietly, silently laughing when Brent snorted slightly. "You've gone from a solid seven to a tough ten, by the way."
"Got to love how highly you think of me sweetheart." He chuckled.
"Just saying, you should probably make sunglasses a permanent accessory for a while."
"They're in my suitcase-"
"Which is still at Riley's." Maya said with a soft sigh.
"Well that gives me a reason to go back, I suppose."
"You were going to go back anyway." She retorted, smirking.
"What makes you think that?" Brent asked with a sceptical frown.
"Because you have Matthews blood in you – and anyone that's a part of that family would eventually go back. It's how that family works."
"We've just got her back! Maya finally came back!" Riley raged at Cory and Topanga. "She's finally back without doing anything extreme and it's because Brent's around-"
"Honey, calm down." Topanga said soothingly, pulling her daughter down to sit on the couch.
Breakfast had been a tense affair, with Auggie asking millions of questions about Brent's whereabouts and Riley glaring at her father whenever he answered innocently. Only when Auggie went to his room did Riley explode, and because the optimistic girl didn't explode often, her bouts of anger were always known to be lethal.
"No! I refuse to be calm." Riley snapped, folding her arms petulantly. "You know that when Brent was around Maya was the old Maya again. And Auggie sees him like another older figure to look up to, and I think he makes Maya happy – and when Maya's happy, I'm happy."
"Riley, it's not that simple." Cory sighed, wriggling in his position on the couch as he tensely scratched the side of his face.
"It is simple." She argued. "Like, really, really simple. You're just holding a grudge because of your relationship with his mom."
"I'd appreciate it if we all stopped bringing that woman up in conversations." Cory said coldly.
"Off you go again." Topanga commented, rolling her eyes. "She isn't here Cory, her son is. Your son is. And now that you've both shouted at each other and got your feelings off your chests, I think that you should both agree to start again with a clean slate."
"Yeah, see, listen to mom." Riley added. "She knows what she's talking about."
"He's grown up without me." Cory stated calmly. "I've got no idea how we're going to start building a relationship now."
"Talk to Shawn." Topanga suggested. "Ask for some advice on how to start a relationship and listen to the feelings of someone who's grown up in a similar situation to Brent."
"That's a great idea." He said, regaining some of his cheer. "Talk to my best friend, how did I not even think of that?"
"Because you were upset." Riley said quickly.
"I may have been upset but I know I overreacted. I set a poor example for you and Maya and I made a lot of inappropriate comments that were clearly going to hurt Brent."
"Then tell him that; after you've talked to Shawn, approach Brent in the right way and discuss how you're going to start developing a relationship." Topanga said, cutting to the chase in a tone that she used while working. "Nothing about this whole thing is going to be easy Cory. But if the two of you can keep your tempers in check, it will make it a little bit easier for you and the rest of us."
The conversation continued on a higher note from there and while the three members of the Matthews family were talking, Brent and Maya were having their own morning conversation.
"Coffee?" Maya asked with a smirk. "Are you sure?"
"Very sure." Brent replied, smiling to himself while he cooked bacon.
The two had come to an agreement after Shawn and Katy had left the house. Even with his injuries, Brent had insisted on making breakfast and Maya being Maya was too lazy to put up a fight. She'd said she would do drinks so it wasn't like she was doing nothing.
"But you're English." Maya said, feigning a gasp as she stood on her toes to get two cups. "Aren't you supposed to be, you know, drinking tea and being all patriotic like a good Big Ben?"
"Come on sweetheart," Brent groaned. "I don't even like tea-"
"Seriously?" She whined. "Can't you just match with one stereotype?" Maya pouted as she spooned coffee into both of the cups. "It makes teasing you like ten times more fun."
"I like fish and chips, enjoy watching a good game of football every now 'n again, queue a lot and say sorry quite a bit." He said, smiling slightly when her sparkling eyes lit up and her smirk got even bigger.
"Thank god," Maya exclaimed with a small laugh. "Not everything is a lie."
"There's a lot more to me than that blondie." Brent chuckled as he picked up two large plates that were stationed nearby and began piling food onto both of them. "They're just four facts I thought you'd appreciate."
"I appreciate them very much." She replied, attempting a southern British accent while placing a cup of freshly made coffee on the counter beside him.
"I'm also making you a full English."
"Well aren't you funny?" Maya asked rhetorically. She walked past him, flicking his bruised cheek before sitting down at the small kitchen island.
"I really am quite hilarious." Brent couldn't help but put on a posher accent, grinning as the two bantered back and forth.
Maya Hart brightened his day. She'd brightened his day ever since the first family dinner and it wasn't stopping now that she knew about Brent's secret either. It made him relax, knowing that she wasn't vocally judging him and his decisions.
"Oh, now you're just getting my hopes up muscleman." Maya grinned into her cup of coffee as she took a sip, savouring the delicious taste of her morning caffeine while she watched Brent move around the kitchen in his ruined white t-shirt.
"Sorry, but I think I'm about to get them up even more." He shrugged sheepishly, taking a plate over to her before picking up his own along with the cup that Maya had left on the side for him.
"Oh my god this looks amazing." She commented. As soon as Brent passed her a knife and fork she immediately began digging into the plate that was packed with eggs, bacon, sausages, toast and other items that typically starred on a full English breakfast. "But seriously, you know I like food and all – I think this might be a bit much for me. I'm gonna try and finish this but I don't know if I can."
"I'm not gonna take offense if you don't eat it all." Brent laughed. "I got a bit carried away with the amount of stuff I was cooking, I don't expect you to finish everything."
After that the two sat quietly for a while, enjoying each other's company as they ate and drank their coffee. It was a calm morning, unlike the day before. That alone was refreshing for Brent and the fact that he was spending time with Maya made it that much nicer.
He hadn't been in America for long but he'd grown to care for Maya over the short period of time. Although her life had taken a turn for the better, she'd been through similar experiences to Brent and that alone made him feel closer to her than anyone else in his life currently.
Maya just seemed to get him. Even when it came to the cage fighting she didn't push; respecting the fact that he'd been through a lot and had fallen into something like fighting along the way.
She didn't negatively judge him either. Even when Brent had been dropped off at her door she had only looked pissed, not disappointed. Then Maya had gotten over her annoyance and helped him, just as she had done previously. Because that's the type of person she was – willing to help first and asking questions during and later.
Brent liked that about her. He liked a lot of other things as well but the fact that she cared was a quality that stood out to him. The best part about it was that she didn't even seem to try; it just came naturally.
"So, muscleman," Maya said as she cut into an egg. "I don't wanna piss you off or anything, but I've gotta ask: what's your plan?"
"Asking me that won't piss me off, and as for a plan – I don't have one."
"Well we're gonna have to make a plan then." She stated confidently. "So, first, we're gonna finish eating."
"I'm liking this plan so far." Brent drawled, chuckling when she rolled her eyes at his interference.
"So after, you're gonna turn your shirt around 'cause even though you'd suit red, blood isn't a good colour on you tough guy. Then you're going to put your jacket on; then we're going shopping for sunglasses and a new shirt."
"It's a good job I got paid last night then." Brent smirked and surprisingly, Maya smirked back. This was obviously going to be their new thing: giving each other shit-eating grins and cocky smirks. "And if we're going shopping for me, we're going shopping for you as well."
"Look," Maya said as the smirk faded from her face gradually. "My mom and Shawn got married and Shawn likes to spoil me as much as he can but money's still tight around here with the new place being finalised so-"
"Who said you're paying?" Brent shrugged, grinning when she frowned slightly. "What kinda British gentleman would I be if I made you pay? I've got my wallet and what I earned last night – so we're shopping for you as well – my treat."
"Come on Big Ben, you're insane if-"
"My treat." He repeated.
"I'm not just going to let you buy me clothes and stuff-"
"I'm treating you to lunch as well. Wherever you wanna eat, we'll eat there." Brent said sternly as he drank the rest of his coffee. "So, I'm gonna grab my jacket from your room and then do all the washing up while you get ready. No ifs, not buts. That's the plan, sweetheart."
"I'm only saying yes because you offered to do the dishes." Maya said bluntly. Brent couldn't help but laugh at her sarcastic comment and after a few moments Maya cracked, smiling and laughing along with him.
They'd gone into two stores, and Brent had walked out with a pair of urgently needed sunglasses, two new shirts and a new pair of boots because Maya liked them and thought they'd suit him.
Then Brent had told Maya he didn't need anything else, meaning it was her turn to start going crazy in stores such as Demolition.
Therefore: two tops, a pair of jeans, a skirt, two dresses, one pair of shoes, a cute necklace, and a bracelet were purchased. It totalled up to a modest amount but Brent didn't care how much of his winnings he spent, because it was on Maya. And he'd find a way to buy Maya anything if she asked.
After the unplanned shopping spree, Maya picked a small café that she'd visited a few times and Brent followed her there without questioning the decision, carrying most of her bags as well as his own.
In all honesty, Brent wasn't surprised to see that the café had a rather artistic, soothing feel. It was decorated with soft colours and there were many paintings on the walls to give the small, open space some originality. It seemed like a place that Maya would go to so that she could get some peace and quiet, perhaps to sketch without her world bothering her.
"So we're pretty much at the end of our plan." Maya said once they'd ordered sandwiches and milkshakes.
"Well this has been the best plan to ever be planned." Brent said with a sincere smile.
"Yeah, it's been alright." She replied coyly. "You know, muscleman, as much as I like the new glasses-"
"I look like a tool with them on inside. I know." Brent muttered as he took them off and put them down on the table.
"Well you've gone from a tough ten to a negative nine. How's your eye feeling at the moment?" Maya asked with a small smirk.
"It's feeling strained but I've barely thought about it." He answered. "Can't really complain anyway, I've had worse."
"That's a shame – I'm starting to miss that pretty face of yours."
"God, blondie, stop objectifying me." Brent whined satirically. "I can't believe you're only focused on my looks and not my personality; I'm not an item."
"I'm sorry." Maya said sarcastically. "It's just hard not to think about how pretty your face is with a purple patch and a swollen eye. The two really bring out your smile."
"My teeth are the only thing that are okay right now." Brent laughed and the two smiled at the waitress that started putting their food down on the table. "So, now that we've got to the end of our plan, do we make a new one?"
"Well, I was thinking," Maya said, picking up her sandwich. "That, if you're okay with it, we head to Riley's…"
"Maya-"
"You just need to talk to Mr. Matthews. He was a father figure to me growing up – I know that if you just talk for a bit it'll all be fine." She pushed.
"Don't you think it's a bit soon considering it happened yesterday?" He asked.
"Don't tell me you're scared to talk to them." Maya teased, smirking at him as she fiddled with the straw of her chocolate milkshake.
"I'm not scared-"
"Then you'll come with me when I go to Riley's then."
"Yeah, I will." Brent stated calmly, watching Maya as she silently celebrated her victory.
"Maya's home." Maya called as she entered the Matthews apartment. Brent followed her inside, holding all of her bags as he dropped his own on top of the suitcase that he'd left near the couch. "And I found a stray." She joked when a smiling Topanga came into view.
"Maya, Brent," Topanga said enthusiastically, stopping in front of the two. "I've been waiting for one of you to appear since this morning."
"Well you got us both." Brent cracked a half smile.
He still had the tinted sunglasses on and had no intention of taking them off, even when he was inside. The last thing he wanted was Topanga seeing the bruised eye to go along with the purple cheek.
"Look, Brent, about yesterday-"
"It's fine Topanga. It's a new day." Making peace with everyone was the best thing to do and Brent intended to do what was right. Arguing with the people that had accepted him into their lives wasn't something that he wanted, so making sure everything was okay with everyone was his mission.
"Well I'm glad you're doing okay." She had no idea. "And listen, I've been speaking to Cory and he's really beating himself up about what he said to you and how he said it."
"Yeah well I'm not completely innocent." Brent replied as he started handing Maya her bags. She was clearly eager to go and show Riley her new purchases. "Do you think he'll be willing to talk about it all?"
"Course he will Big Ben." Maya smirked, throwing the bags over her shoulders. "We're talking about Mr. Matthews here – he talks about everything."
"Been shopping Maya?" Topanga asked, folding her arms in amusement as she watched the blonde make her way across the room with multiple bags.
"We were supposed to be going shopping for him." She shrugged innocently, nodding towards Brent. "But underneath the tattoos he's one of those British gentlemen, so," Maya paused and lifted up her bags before heading off in the direction of Riley's room.
"You took her shopping?" Topanga's eyebrows raised as she looked back to Brent.
"Well, she took me shopping." Brent rephrased with a grin. "I just went wherever Maya wanted to go and carried her bags."
"And who paid?" She asked knowingly.
"I did." He said sheepishly, waiting for Topanga to scold him for being so close to Riley's best friend.
"The two of you seem to get along really well."
"We do." Brent agreed quietly.
"You can understand why Cory got worried then?" Topanga gave him and encouraging smile as the two moved to sit down on the couch. "There are some age gaps that can be worked around – like how it is with Maya and Josh. But-"
"But Cory doesn't want anything to happen between Maya and I. I understand that." Brent smiled a strained smile, internally thanking the fact that the sunglasses were covering his eyes.
His previous girlfriends always said that his eyes gave him away. That his eyes showed more emotion than gestures and words combined.
"It's not like that, Brent. The law and the fact that Cory knows that his brother has feelings for her are likely his main reasons." She explained sympathetically.
"You don't need to be worried." Brent said flatly. "I don't even know anyone here that well yet. We just give off a vibe like that because we get along great. Honestly, it's too early for me to say that I like her in a way that's anything other than platonic."
You keep telling yourself that, Romeo…
"Never say never though." Topanga was looking at him calmly but there was a hint of a mischievous glint in her eye. Definitely the Amazon warrior.
"Don't encourage me." Brent chuckled.
Click.
It was then that Cory entered through his front door.
Brent rose from his seat on the couch and the two men stared at each other for what felt like ages (even though it was simply a matter of seconds).
"I'm sorry." The two of them said, cracking under the pressure simultaneously.
"Can we just move past this?" Brent asked coolly.
"Yeah, of course." Cory said as a smile crept onto his face. "Come on," He said with a grin, holding out his arms. "Bring it in."
The two shared what they would later describe to be a manly hug, and Brent was brought back into the home without it even needing to be broadcasted.
When Auggie found out he celebrated loudly.
When Riley found out she hugged Brent tightly while Maya jumped on his back and called him names.
Topanga continued to treat him like one of her own.
And Cory even pulled him aside, happily explaining the secret of life.
People change people.
Brent had never really considered that. But coming from Cory, it made a whole lot of sense. The question appeared in his mind, though. Would he stay around long enough to let these people change him into what he wished to be: a better person?