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MAYA'S HEAD RESTED ON SHAUN'S CHEST. Although Maya had her own place most nights she fell asleep at Shaun's. They'd been trying to save up for a place of their own. A place they could share. Shaun's alarm went off scaring him but he quickly stopped himself so that he didn't wake Maya. He looked down to find her fast asleep.

Her brown hair was on her face, Shaun reached over and pulled Maya's hair behind her ear. Moments like this were Shaun's favorite. He was free of his father, his life was amazing, he had great friends and he had an amazing girlfriend.

Maya groaned. "If you get up now I'll make you breakfast before I go to work," Shaun said. Once again Maya groaned, "Can't we just stay like this forever." Most days Maya's schedule was the opposite of Shaun's, he worked most mornings and she was a bartender at the same hotel he worked at. Same days she went in at the same time as Shaun others she worked at night. He leaned in and kissed her forehead, "I wish we could but if we're going to be able to afford our own place then I need to go to work." Maya knew he was right so she rolled over and got out of bed. She picked up Shaun's t-shirt and pulled it over her head. Shaun quickly walked over to her a pressed a chaste kiss to her lips. "We're still meeting up tonight for drinks and dinner right?" Maya smiled, "I'll be there." she was about to grab her jeans when she was lifted and thrown over Shaun's shoulder.

She laughed, "Where are you taking me?" Shaun simply opened the door to the bathroom and turned on the shower. "I can't let you leave without taking a shower." The comment only made her laugh as he set her down in front of him. She closed the bathroom door.

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Maya, Katy, and Shaun sat across from their friends. They meet up every few days. Tonight's topic was how Katy, Shaun, and Maya meet. "I knew Katy was trouble the first day we meet in high school. I was getting picked on a lot for all the reasons we all got picked on a lot. Plus I had just moved to the U.S., so I was struggling with my English and I was on my way to lunch one day. When this guy who's twice my size is bothering Maya at her locker. He was making rude and sexual comments so I stepped in. His best comeback was "This isn't about you, Gangnam style." So I said, "I am Korean, idiot."

Katy leaned in, "I turned the corner and see this guy drop his backpack, he's getting all up in his face."

"And right before he was about to throw the first punch, Katy comes out of nowhere, steps right between us, and starts screaming the lyrics to Hotel California," Shaun said.

"What?"

"It's the art of confusion. Works great on stupid people," Katy said.

Shaun wrapped his arm around Maya's waist, "And that's how we met."

"Then I pulled them into the parking lot at which point she revealed that she had also swiped the keys to the guy's mustang."

"Yeah, we went on a little joyride around the block, and your wife was in the car, too." Katy looked over at Maya and Shaun, "these two bickered the entire time."

"To be fair I was handling it. I wasn't some damsel who needed saving." Maya said as she took a drink of her beer. Shaun rolled his eyes, "We're not doing this again." To this day Maya insisted that she could've held her own. "I'll let it go this time because if you hadn't stepped in, we wouldn't be here right now."

The two starred at each other ignoring their friends, "I'll take it." He smiled and kissed her before turning his attention back to his friends. "What's that supposed to mean?" Katy asked.

"That maybe there's a point where you're supposed to stop going on joyrides and start thinking about living up to your potential." Soo's words seemed to really hit a nerve for all three. "Please tell me you're kidding, Soo."

"Look, we're now living in a world where at any moment half the population can just disappear. Life's too short and too fragile. Katy, you're a valet driver with an honors degree from Berkeley. Shaun can speak, like, four languages. Maya has a degree from Berklee, College of Music that's a huge deal; Not to mention Shaun and Maya have been together since high school and you guys aren't even engaged. Shaun, she's not going to wait around forever. You've always been the most talented people I know. I just don't get why you're scared to actually use it for something serious."

Soo's comment about Maya and Shaun's relationship really bothered, Maya. She chugged the rest of her beer and excused herself to go get another. As she waited at the bar Maya thought about why she had never been bothered by Shaun never proposing and the only thing that came to mind was the fact she was keeping a secret from him. How could she promise to spend the rest of her life with him if she couldn't even tell him the truth? The bartender handed her the beer. She took a deep breath before returning to her boyfriend and friends, a smile on her face.

A few drinks later, they said their goodbyes. The three of them walked side by side. Shaun held Maya's hand tightly, there seemed to be something bothering him. "We're not running from adulthood. How is it running to have jobs that you actually like?"

"Yeah, that doesn't even make any sense."

"Did you think valet parking or that making drinks is easy?" Katy said as she stumbled over her words. "It's like the most challenging job ever. You need people skills, driving skills.." Shaun began only for Katy to interrupt. Maya had been quite completely lost in thought.

"Maya, what do you say?" Katy asked. Maya forced a smile, "Sounds good to me." She wasn't sure what she had just agreed to but she wasn't going to admit it because then Shaun would know something was wrong. "Katy, why don't you call us an uber," Shaun suggested, hinting at wanting to be alone with Maya. Katy nodded and walked away.

"Is this about what Soo said?" Shaun asked as he turned to her. "I could ask the same thing. Ever since we left the restaurant you haven't looked at me." Shaun let go of her hand to rub the back of his head. "I can't stop thinking about what Soo said. Is it true, have you been waiting for me to propose?"

Maya looked up at the night sky. Of course, she wanted to one day marry Shaun. But right now she was hiding a big secret from him and he believed he was hiding one from her. Maya couldn't find the right words to use. So she wrapped her arms around Shaun's neck, she pressed her forehead to his. "I love you. Of course, I want to marry you. But I am not waiting around for you. All relationships are different, we do things at our pace and when we want to. Plus if I was that desperate I would've proposed already."

"If anyone's proposing it's going to be me." He said as he pressed his lips to her's. The kiss was short and sweet. "I love you."

"You love birds ready to go?" Katy said.

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Most mornings Maya meet Shaun and Katy for breakfast at Katy's but she had overslept due to the karaoke night they had but that wasn't the only thing that had kept her awake. Even though she couldn't make it to breakfast she'd see them on the bus. Katy, Shaun, and Maya worked at the same hotel. The bus reached Shaun and Katy's stop, Shaun smiled when he saw Maya, quickly walking over to her and pressing his lips onto her's. Katy groaned behind him. "We get it, you love each other." She teased. The two took a seat on each side of Maya. It seemed that Maya wasn't the only one still thinking about Soo's words. Katy nudged her.

"Look. Look at that. Look at that girl. She's writing a research paper on the bus." Katy said, both Maya and Shaun looked over at the girl who sat a few feet from them. "So?" Shaun said not sure where Katy was going with her statement. 

"That is exactly the daughter my mom wishes came out of her vagina." Maya stifled a laugh as the girl Katy was talking about turned around to look at them. "I'm sorry about her."

A man stepped in front of Shaun, getting the trio's attention. "How's it going?" Shaun said. The man's eyes seemed focused on one thing, Shaun's necklace, "Give me the pendant, and no one gets hurt." he said in mandarin, his focus turning to Maya.  This was the first time since Maya had been sent on her mission that they had come across a little bit of trouble. But this wasn't anything she couldn't handle. 

"Do you know this guy?"

Shaun shook his head, "I don't know what you're talking about, dude." The man went to reach for the pendant but Maya grabbed his hand before he could reach it. The man then grabbed Maya and pulled her out of her seat. "Hey! Get off of her." Shaun said as he stood up and pushed the man away. Suddenly Shaun was grabbed by two men. "What is wrong with you, asshole?" 

"I don't want any trouble," Shaun said in mandarin. "Then give us the pendant!" The man still had a stronghold on Maya. "You have the wrong guy! Does he look like he can fight? Come on, bro!" Katy was pushed into her seat. Shaun released himself from the hold and punched the guy in the stomach causing him to let go of Maya. He extended his hand out to Maya and helped her up, "You okay?" She nodded and then they turned to Katy who looked too stunned to speak. The two men reached out and pulled Shaun back. But he was faster elbowing both men in the face. Maya wasn't even surprised by what her boyfriend could do, she always imagined he'd been trained by the best. After all his father would never leave unarmed and defenseless.

As much as Maya wanted to sit down and watch, she needed to help so she fought alongside her boyfriend. Her combat skills had caught Shaun's eyes, she could see the surprise in his eyes flipped a guy over her shoulder. From where she stood, she noticed a large man. Maya looked down at her hand, it'd been a long time since she used her powers and she didn't plan to use them if it wasn't absolutely necessary and something about the man at the back of the bus told her she was going to need them.  

And just like she had predicted the man at the back of the bus stood up, dropping his coat aggressively revealing his missing forearm. Maya was quick, stepping in front of Shaun. Shaun was a bit taken back by her action and as the man stepped closer, Shaun pushed her behind him. Once the two were a few inches away, the white man released a machete from his arm. He then welded his arm sword toward them both Shaun and Maya ducked. When he missed he went for the floor, hoping to catch Shaun off guard. Shaun then pushed Maya into one of the seats, hoping to keep her safe. Shaun and the machete from an arm guy fought their way through the bus, just about slicing everything in their path including a laptop. Maya was now out of the seat she had been pushed into only for Shaun to run into her when the bus swerved. 

He gave her a look that said stay out of this, and Maya shook her head. Shaun knew her better than anyone and he knew that no matter how much he begged Maya to stay put and out of the way, Maya was going to fight. "Be careful please." He said before running back to his fight. He swung himself to the driver's seat. Machete arm was about to run over to Shaun when Maya stopped in front of his tracks. "Hey big guy, stay away from him." She said as she punched him in the stomach. He swung his arm at her and missed. She kicked him, knocking him to his knees. 

"You think I am scared of you," he said. A smirk appeared on her face, "You should be." She stepped back and opened her palm and took a deep breath before she used her powers to punch him in the chest sending him flying to the back of the bus where he once sat. He was surprised but that didn't stop him, he quickly got up and ran towards her. But Maya was ready, she dodged every punch. He brought his machete arm to her face, "I heard all about you. Wouldn't it be a shame if your little boyfriend found out?" His comment caught Maya off guard, letting him cut her face. Katy caught sight of the blood and grabbed the fire extinguisher and threw it at the back of his head before running off towards the driver seat, where Shaun was driving. "Go help Maya." She said as they switched spots. Shaun ran through the bus dodging every blow and in the process damaging the bus. Maya watched as the bus was sliced in half. Shaun on one side and her on the other. Razor fist ran towards Shaun making him jump out of the bus. "Shaun!" He held on to the side of the bus. 

Maya watched in horror as her boyfriend swung himself across the side of the bus. Before she knew Shaun was swinging himself into the bus. Together both Maya fought off the men even going as far as pushing them out of the bus. "Everyone to the front of the bus!" Shaun said. His eyes then focused on Maya, "You to, I got this." It took everything in Maya to listen but she followed after them. From the other side she watched as they fought. Shaun was now pinned against the window. "You and your sister deserve what's coming." Shaun reached up and pulled on the cord, requesting a stop. At the front of the bus, Katy turned the bus dodging a construction sight. Shaun used the turn as his escape, kicking the man with full force to push himself to the side and with Maya's powers he landed safely on the other side. Behind him the bus fell apart. "Hold on everybody!" Katy yelled.

Maya watched in horror as Katy ran over a row of expensive cars. Shaun and Maya helped everyone avoid falling out of the bus. Once the bus had came to a stop, Shaun reached up searching for his pendent but it was nowhere to be found. Maya stood at the end of the bus helping  people out of the bus safely. Shaun look over at her and it was enough for Maya to know that the pendent was gone.