Disney Thoughts

Sure, when Philby goes on a little rant, Maybeck tends to interrupt with “In English, please,” or, “Spare us the history lesson, Professor,” but when it’s Willa, he’s totally engaged. He’s either grinning like an idiot like “Isn’t my girlfriend so smart?” or he gets very serious, trying to keep up with her mind so he can contribute to her line of thinking by asking questions or giving short rebuttals.

The reverse is also true, like Maybeck will just be standing at his easel, working on a painting, and Willa will look over and her brain will malfunction like “oh my god he’s so hot, that’s my boyfriend, so hot, gorgeous talented artist man I love him, oh my god that’s my boyfriend.”

Maybeck is canonically VERY attractive, but Willa, while pretty in her own way, is repeatedly described as not being a knock-out like Charlene. As much as she has made her peace with it, and has grown her confidence and security in her body, every once in a while Willa does get insecure and Maybeck reminds her that not only does he think she is gorgeous, but also that she is wicked smart and one of the kindest souls he’s ever encountered, and in his eyes, no one could be more wonderful.

They bond over being POC, him being black and her being Native American/hispanic.

She calls him Ter-bear to bug him.

A lot of absentminded touches, which is how the public starts to realize they’re dating. It’s not so much public displays of affection as much as just the casual intimacy of existing in each other’s personal space. She pushes away his dreads or twists (whichever style he happens to be rocking) when they get in his eyes. When they are in crowds, Maybeck will snag his finger on her belt loop just to be sure she doesn’t get separated.

Unspoken communication. The way they can be talking with someone else and simultaneously be holding an entire separate conversation with each other just with their eyes.

Amanda and Jess think they’re cute together. Jess will sometimes hang out with them, as the three artists of the group. Finn is a little protective of Willa and doesn’t want her to get crushed by Maybeck’s ego, though he respects her choices and doesn’t say anything outright. But, after a while, he realizes that they’re actually really good for one another.

Charlene isn’t shocked and she has such a wildly happy independent life that she built for herself that she couldn’t be mad if she wanted to. That being said, she teases them. A lot. Especially before they are officially public as a couple, she will pull pranks on them so that they’re running around trying to keep their relationship a secret and telling more and more ridiculous lies to hide the fact that they’re together.

Knowing the power of tending to someone else’s hair, Maybeck once sat Willa down and braided hers. Her gushing appreciation filled him with such joy that he learned more and more complicated braids and knots and updos. (She jokes that he’s the only one who can tame her mane). It only backfired when the other girls started wanting him to do theirs. But he likes to gloat and show off his skills, so he not so reluctantly complies. The attention is met with a little resentment from Finn and Philby.

She reciprocates by painting his nails and he likes the way the funky colors look when he’s throwing clay. Whenever pottery-making or painting or whatever hands-on activity he’s got going on messes up the manicure, he insists she fix it. Partly because he likes the look of it, partly because he likes the way she holds his hands when she does.

One day, he teaches her how to use charcoal and after an hour of sketching, she winds up with black smudges all over her face. Maybeck laughs and when she asks “What’s so funny?” He just grabs her face and kisses her.

Sometimes they like to hang out in silence, with her reading a book quietly to herself while he sketches across the table. Or she will read aloud to him while he sketches.

He leaves doodles on sticky notes for her to find, like little frogs with top hats and dinosaurs riding unicycles.

Their arguments are legendary. Not loud or cruel, but razor-sharp. They don’t shy from a fight and they aren’t afraid to be honest. But that’s how they resolve things too, by talking it out and apologizing when they get rightfully called out.

I can totally see them having simultaneous RBF as they wait around for the others, but when they spot the rest of the group, Willa’s quickly breaks into a friendly smile while Maybeck continues to smize like the diva he is. In a way, she is the golden retriever to his black cat.

He grounds her when she spirals; she keeps him cool when he gets a hot head.