The Princess & The Cowboy: A Collection of Rucas One Shots

Him and Her

A/N: Am I posting a Halloween one shot that's been sitting on my laptop for over a year...yep. Sure am. It's a wonder what you find when you actually go through the files on your laptop. Enjoy :)

Lucas' POV

"Explain to me, how the fuck this is supposed to help me?" I demand, slapping the flyer onto the desk where Zay was busy studying for his anatomy final. Zay rolls his eyes, eyeing the paper before going back to labeling his diagram of the human brain.

"Because, you and this girl have been texting for months and it's time that you finally meet the girl behind the emojis." I'm currently regretting ever telling Zay about the mystery girl who I accidentally started texting after a girl purposefully slipped me the wrong number. In hindsight, the gal could've told me she wasn't into me. I was a gentleman, not some dick who actively tries to find a new fuck buddy every weekend. The girl was attractive, raven haired and blue eyed, Jennifer or something but nevertheless she wasn't interested and I had somehow ended up texting a girl who refused to give me her name.

Smiley, she called herself.

"There's obviously a reason that she doesn't want me to know who she is and you had no right to do this" I insist, shoving the paper closer to him, as if he isn't aware of what it says.

Cinderella? Smiley? Anyone? Everyone.

Midnight Masquerade

October 31st

9:00pm-?

"You called her out specifically and now she's going to think that this stupid party was all my idea. She's going to think it's some ploy to get her to meet me because I'm getting bored-."

"Dude" Zay interrupts, standing up and shoving against my chest. "This girl is a complete and utter mystery. I know you think you know her but you don't. You need to get the truth before you start picking out wedding invitations." He closes up his books and hooks them under his arms. "You can thank me later."

I huff, crumpling up the flyer and storming out of the library...but not before I stop by the circulation desk. "Hey Riley" I greet the beautiful brunette behind the counter. She was my first on campus crush, I used to spend an embarrassing number of hours in here just staring at her....until one night she had left her phone on the counter while I was checking out a book and the word, "Him," flashed on the screen with a message.

Clearly, she had a boyfriend.

"Lucas" she smiles brightly. "I got something for you." She holds out another new book and I grin, taking it between my fingertips, edging my thumb along the spine. "This one is another post-apocalyptic world but it's about zombies specifically. It has three and half stars."

"Hm" I hum. "Thanks Riles. I'll have it back to you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? Isn't that party that your best friend is throwing tomorrow night?" I groan, leaning against the desk. I lie the book cover down in front of me and fold my arms over it.

"Can I tell you a secret?"

"Anything." She folds her hands too and our faces are close enough that I can smell the strawberry gum that she's chewing. I find myself entranced for a moment too long with the movements of her lips and I have to literally shake my head ever so discreetly and clear my throat a bit to refocus.

"I've sorta been talking to this girl."

She quirks an eyebrow at me. "Oh yea? Please do tell me more" she insists, ever enthralled.

"That's the thing" I roll my lips. "I know everything about her personally. I know where she went to high school. I know about her family. Her likes and her dislikes. I know that she hates book lights which got her in trouble in middle school because she'd read until all hours of the night" I chuckle, thinking of that hilarious story.

Riley's eyes widen and she stumbles back. "Really?"

"Yea. But we've never met. Do you think that's insane? I mean, she could be a bajillion years older than me...or a man. Not that there's anything wrong with that but I'm straight" I think out loud while Riley swallows harshly.

"I-I think it's s-sweet" she gets out, grabbing her chair to steady herself.

"You don't think it's weird?"

"No. M-maybe she's shy and didn't think you'd like her back. N-not that I'm an expert or something" she pauses, seemingly thinking better of her next thought. "Nevermind. You should go. I have work to do." I furrow my eyebrows. Riley's never been dismissive like this.

"Okay." I leave the library with an empty pit in my stomach, hoping I didn't just somehow lose one of my best friends.

*************************************************************************************

I'm not wearing a mask. Zay is seething beside me because of my defiance but I don't care. I don't want to be here anyway so he's just lucky I'm making an appearance.

Within minutes we're separated and I'm heading for the punch bowl, hoping to drown my sorrows. On top of Riley's cold shoulder, I was now being ghosted by my mystery girl. I swallow down the punch in one gulp and quirk my lips when I feel the familiar burn of vodka going down my throat. Someone had dumped at least an entire bottle of Grey Goose into this bowl.

I go in for another glass.

By glass number three I'm feeling pretty numb and ready to hit the dance floor. Everyone around me is in costume and I find myself lost in the crowd but after an hour the alcohol has simmered down in my system and I'm in need of another round.

So, I walk out of the sea of people and as if a god damned spotlight picks her out of the crowd, there she is. Riley. Dressed like Cinderella.

Suddenly, the puzzle pieces come together right in front of my eyes and my breath hitches in my throat.

She had gotten so weird yesterday when I mentioned the texts...because she was the girl behind them. I take three long strides and stop in front of her, gazing into her hazel brown eyes in awe. "Y-you're her."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you" she blurts out. "Y-you just never seemed interested in me-."

"Are you kidding me?" I shout over the music. "I was always interested in you but then I saw that contact...him" I explain and she laughs, shaking her head at me in amusement. She steps towards me and places her hands experimentally against my chest. Her fingertips fit perfectly in the crevices and I'm convinced we were meant to complete one another.

"That's your contact name!" she exclaims. "I didn't want to explain to people why Lucas Friar was texting me and I couldn't risk you catching that I had your contact name in my phone."

I couldn't believe this. I was jealous of myself. I was the guy the entire time. "So, I spent countless months thinking you had a boyfriend when I was the guy you were texting."

"Seemingly so. Good thing you're hot because your brains are something to be desired."

I flip her off playfully and she giggles, looping her arms around my neck and seamlessly we step into each other's embrace. I reach out and caress her cheek and her skin is warm underneath my touch. "Can I kiss you?" I ask softly and she nods, ever so slightly.

The world around me stops when her lips land on mine and I cannot believe that I wasted even a minute not kissing this girl. "Woah" she whispers when we pull apart.

"Couldn't have said it better myself" I murmur while discreetly fishing my phone out of my pocket. When I bring it into her line of vision she furrows her eyebrows. I unlock it and pull up her contact name soundlessly and click to edit it, looking up to her for a moment, kissing her swiftly.

I look back to my phone once more and change her contact to a simple word, Her. She beams back at me as I put my phone away and we fall back together, attached at the lips underneath the glimmering lights and nothing has ever felt more perfect.