Apologies for the super short chapter. This needed to be its own chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter Nineteen

This was it. Lucas was about to finish the list Riley had given him weeks ago. He honestly thought he would've finished sooner, but boy, the brunette did not make it easy for him. But that didn't matter, because he was going to complete the last task and then she was going to be his girlfriend. You know, if she would consider it.

Lucas took a deep breath. He had never been more nervous in his life. He found this last task more terrifying than the time he rode Tombstone the bull, or anything else on the list. Lucas raised his fist and knocked on the door. He waited for a response as his heart threatened to burst out of his chest.

"Ah, Mr. Friar," Cory answered the door. He leaned against the doorframe with a smirk. "You here to babysit Auggie again?"

"No, Sir," Lucas replied. "But I'd be delighted to if you ever need anyone to look after him."

"I appreciate the offer, Lucas, but—" Before Cory could finish his sentence, Lucas squeezed past him to get into the apartment. He sat on the couch and waited for a confused Cory to follow him. Cory sat down beside the boy with a scrunched face. As much as he liked Lucas, he sometimes wondered what went on in that teenage boy mind of his. Probably no good thoughts about his daughter, that's for sure.

"Actually, Sir, I'm here to see you," Lucas rubbed his hands together before wiping them on his pants. He turned to Cory, whose demeanor shifted.

"Oh, really?" Cory's eyes lit up. "No one ever comes to see me. Except Maya, sometimes."

"I want to talk to you about your daughter," Lucas said.

"Figures," Cory muttered.

Lucas chuckled nervously, "Ah, yeah. She's not here right now, is she?"

"At the bakery for a shift," Cory answered. He raised a brow. "But I'm sure you knew that." Cory placed a hand on Lucas's shoulder and gently squeezed it, "You know you don't have to ask me for permission every time you and Riley go out, right?"

"I know, Sir," Lucas nodded with a nervous chuckle. "But this isn't about that."

"Then what is it?" Cory asked.

Unbeknownst to the two, Topanga had overheard them from her and Cory's bedroom and decided to snoop. She stood in the corridor that led to the living room and leaned against the door frame. She folded her arms across her chest and she smirked. This was going to be interesting.

"What's going on, Mommy?" Auggie asked as he noticed his mother standing in the doorway. "Is Lucas here for me? Riley's not here so I'm assuming that's why he's here. Maybe he wants to take me to the movies again!"

"I'm afraid he's not here for you, Auggie," Topanaga answered. "He's here for your father."

"Why?" Auggie looked confused.

"Let's watch," Topanga smirked, ruffling her son's curly hair.

"You want my permission to ask Riley to be your girlfriend?" Cory said, giving Lucas a look.

"Yes, Sir," Lucas nodded.

"Why?"

"I care about what you and Mrs. Matthews think of me," Lucas replied. "And I know how much you care about Riley. And so I want to make sure that you approve of me and that you're okay with me potentially dating her."

"So you want my blessing," Cory replied. As much as he pretended to dislike Lucas, Cory couldn't help but feel relieved that this was the guy who was going to be Riley's first boyfriend. A kind, smart, sweet young man who was raised right. Lucas didn't need to ask Cory for permission, but the fact that he respected him enough to actually ask made Cory sure that this was the boy for his daughter.

"I do," Lucas confirmed.

The two sat in silence for a few seconds. Cory patted his legs before standing up and raising his arms, "You want my blessing, Friar? You got it!"

"What? Really?" Lucas stood up as well, his face surprised.

"Yeah," Cory nodded. He patted Lucas on the back, "I've always liked you, Lucas."

"You have?" Lucas couldn't help but smile. He always knew that Cory had a liking for him deep down, but it was still nice to have the validation.

"Of course. The day you walked into my classroom and I saw the look on my daughter's face. I knew that look. I knew you were the one," Cory confessed.

"Then why do you always try to scare me off?" Lucas asked with furrowed brows.

"As her father, it's my job to protect her," Cory chuckled. "And I'm also scared that my little girl is growing up. But I know you'd never do anything to hurt her, right?"

"No, Sir, not intentionally," Lucas promised.

"What about that first day of high school?" Cory said. Lucas's eyes grew wide. "Yeah, she told me about that."

"Sir, you gotta understand the situation. I was very angry, and I know I was wrong for putting it all on her, but—"

"You don't have to explain anything to me," Cory interrupted. "Riley told me everything. I get it. Everyone had their fault during that transition. It was a stressful time."

Lucas felt embarrassed. But the fact that Cory wasn't mad about that ordeal had to mean something, right?

"There's something else I want to give you besides my blessing," Cory said. He began to walk towards Riley's room, bumping into Topanga and Auggie along the way. Lucas was confused, but he followed anyway.

"Did you hear all of that?" Cory asked his wife and son.

Topanga and Auggie eagerly nodded. They then engulfed Lucas into a hug.

"Okay, now," Cory said. "Lucas and I are not finished talking."

"Where are you taking him?" Topanga asked.

"Riley's room," he replied. "I need to give him something."

"Alright, I gotta make dinner anyway," Topanga shrugged. She turned to Lucas. "Guess we'll be seeing more of you now that you and my Riley are going to start dating."

"Of course, Mrs. Matthews," Lucas smiled.

Cory and Lucas entered Riley's room and Lucas sat at the bay window like usual. Cory opened the door to Riley's closet, grabbed a bucket and placed it beside the patient boy. It was the bucket full of Lucas's shoes, the ones that Cory would manage to grab whenever he chased him out of his daughter's room and out the window. He had done it so often that Riley decided to get a bucket for them.

"Huh, I was wondering what you did with all my shoes, Sir," Lucas said.

"Riley wanted to keep them," Cory shrugged, taking a seat next to Lucas. "That little weirdo." He shook his head in amusement. "But I'm surprised you haven't resorted to wearing two different shoes. I'm sure you've got a lot of incomplete pairs."

"Dozens," Lucas confirmed. "But you not throwing away my shoes only further proves to me that you like me, Sir."

"Don't tell your friends, Friar," Cory said. "It'll ruin my reputation. Farkle doesn't call me Hambone for nothing."

"Of course," Lucas laughed. "Your fondness for me will be just between us two. And Riley."

Lucas felt odd carrying the bucket of shoes home. People he passed on the streets didn't seem to care, though. It was New York City; Lucas was sure they've seen much weirder things. But one thing was for sure, though. Lucas finally completed the last item on the list. Riley Matthews was going to be his girlfriend tomorrow.

I feel like most of you got the last item right! Damn, am I that predictable? I would apologize again for taking a month to update, but I'm sure you're all tired of my excuses. I'll make it up to you in the next (possibly last) chapter! I promise!