Title: no need to say goodbye (you'll come back when we call you)
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: ~1,500
Characters: Allison/Lydia (friendship) with mentions of others
Summary: "As hot as you've always looked in black, Lydia," Allison begins, eyes sparkling as they gaze at each other, "you can't keep wearing it forever."
A/N: I tried writing a funeral scene for her, but I just couldn't get through it. I cried as soon as the sword went through Allison and I haven't completely stopped yet.
no need to say goodbye (you'll come back when we call you)
"It's Christmas, you know. People dress festively tonight—flashy dresses, bright colors, bold accessories. That's all you."
Allison smiles through the reflection.
"People also wear black," Lydia reminds, voice light, pushing more hangers aside to see what's hung further back into her closet. "It's classy and slimming and flattering—and it's accessorizes easily. You just can't go wrong." She pulls out a little black dress she's known she's worn at least twice before, though cannot for the life of her remember where.
"Isn't that the one you wore at that honors banquet?" Allison asks, as if reading Lydia's mind, which… well…
She's the only person that's ever been capable of doing that.
Allison tilts her head a little, giving this knowing smile, pushing herself off of the edge of Lydia's bed, and Lydia just watches through the mirror as she crosses the distance between them. She glances over the dress, ghosting her fingertips over the satin material, and her smile grows. "As hot as you've always looked in black, Lydia," Allison begins, eyes sparkling as they gaze at each other, "you can't keep wearing it forever—or darker, duller shades of everything. It'll be spring before you know it and you'll be itching to wear brighter colors."
"What? You don't think I could pull it off?" Lydia asks, lips tugging into a grin. "I may be heading into a biker phase. Scott will teach me to ride if I ask."
"I'm sure he will. But you'd get hot too easily, especially when the weather decides to warm up."
Lydia breathes out a laugh. "Always so worried about me," she teases.
"Well, you don't exactly make it easy."
Lydia opens her mouth to reply, but her phone buzzes on the vanity and she walks over to glance at the screen: a text from Scott, asking how she's doing and reminding her that they'll be there to pick her up in half an hour. She types back her reply and then lays her dress out on the bed.
"How is he?"
"You mean you can't visit him, too?" Lydia asks. Allison shakes her head and comes to stand behind Lydia as she sits herself at the vanity, beginning to rifle through her jewelry boxes to pick her accessories. "I wonder why that is, exactly. Not that I don't love your visits. But is my being a banshee the reason why I'm the only one that can hear you?"
"Probably," Allison replies with a lazy shrug. "I mean, you probably heard that I was… you know. You heard. You knew. You always know."
Lydia's vision blurs, eyelashes wetting with tears. "Yeah," she breathes. "But knowledge doesn't really do you a lot of good when you don't know what to do with it. That's what's so frustrating. Like, why am I seeing and hearing ghosts? Or, well, one ghost, but what does all this have to do with me?"
"You're my best friend. And I love you." Her voice is so sure, so steady, and Lydia pauses to watch the girl's smile widen. "That's what all this has to do with you."
Lydia can't help it. A tear rolls down her cheek.
"I love you, too," she says quickly, voice cracking as she blurts it out, like she can't get the words out fast enough. "I love you so, so much."
Allison reaches over and places a hand over Lydia's, making her skin tingle ever so lightly. "I know." Lydia presses her lips together and squeezes her eyes shut, more tears sliding down her cheeks, shoulder shuddering as she draws in a shaky breath. She can practically feel Allison's hand rubbing soothing circles over her back. "Hey," Allison says, and Lydia can barely make out the girl's face through her teary vision. "Don't frown, Lydia," she tells her, and Lydia lets out a soft, soft whimper. "Someone could be falling in love with your smile."
Lydia laughs shakily, breathlessly, and wipes at her cheeks. "I've already got someone, remember?"
"Yeah, and he's been in love with your smile since the third grade," Allison adds, brushing her fingers over Lydia's hair. "But that probably means he falls in love with your smile over and over again, like every time he sees it, he's seeing it for the very first time."
Lydia shakes her head. "Were you always this corny?"
"Probably," Allison laughs, moving to sit herself on the vanity. "And you never answered my question about Scott. How is he? And everyone else, of course."
Lydia begins digging through her jewelry box once more, laughing again as she replies, "Oh, well, you can imagine Scott. He's Scott—good grades, a total gentleman, in love with lacrosse, still such a team player that blames himself whenever Stiles gets a paper cut or Kira accidentally trips." She glances up at Allison, giggling a bit as she adds, "You should've seen him when I went with him to pick out a Christmas gift for Kira. He was like, hyperventilating! You know how worried he gets when it comes to making sure things are as perfect as possible. I know, I know," she adds, seeing Allison's grin, "It's what makes him so sweet and charming. I know that. But still, the boy could stand to ease up on things a little bit."
"And I'm guessing he and Kira are still adorable little puppies in love?"
"Well, of course, who else is he going to…" Lydia trails off, but Allison just looks at her expectantly and Lydia smiles, continuing with, "Yeah, they're madly in love. It took a little bit after you… you know, but he knows you, Allison. He knows he'd have your blessing, and that you wouldn't want him to hold out on himself and poor Kira for your sake."
"And, let me guess," Allison begins, grinning. "Stiles is still as sarcastic and spastic as ever, but probably even more so now that you two are finally together."
"Whoa, who said anything about being together? We went on one date so far," Lydia corrects, but she's laughing, too.
"I'm sure there's been only one formal date, but don't think I don't see you touching up your makeup and straightening up your outfit right before school lets out and you two are off on your unofficial dates." Lydia rolls her eyes, smiling. "How's my dad?"
"He's… dealing. Derek moved into your place to live with him, though, so that's helped."
"Derek's living with my dad?"
"He moved in after the funeral," Lydia explains. "I think Chris asked him—platonically, of course, though I'd never, ever imagine using the word with Derek, let alone with Derek and your dad, right? But he'd been staying at the loft for a little over a week because he just couldn't stay at the apartment and so Derek's there now, to keep him company."
Allison's quiet for a moment, eyes shining again, and Lydia swears she sees a tear roll down the girl's cheek. "I'm… I'm glad… more than glad, but…"
"I know," Lydia says, and they share a smile.
They spend the next half hour like this – Allison asking questions and Lydia answering as she's getting ready, laughing and tearing up and sometimes sitting in brief yet comfortable pauses. When Lydia goes to put on her dress, she catches Allison watching her, head tilted, smiling, and Lydia's eyes swell with tears almost instantly when she swaps the little black dress with a more appropriately festive red one from her closet and Allison giggles, clapping her hands a bit. She ties a bow at her waist, fastens on the earrings Allison had given her for her birthday before and the Christmas charm bracelet Stiles gave to her the other day, and she's just finished packing her matching crimson clutch as she hears a honk outside.
Lydia looks at Allison, pausing, and Allison ghosts her lips over Lydia's cheek and saying, "Well, don't keep them waiting!"
Lydia laughs and heads downstairs.
Kira's smiling widely at her when she gets the door open, and she's wearing white dress with red lace and her hair piled elegantly atop her head, and Lydia squeals as she throws her arms around the girl. "You look beautiful!" she says, pulling away and adding, "See? Didn't I tell you that going strapless would be perfect on you?"
"Well, you always know best," Kira laughs, brushing a curl back. "And Scott definitely likes it," she adds, eyes sparkling as her cheeks flush.
"I'll slip condoms into your clutch later," Lydia promises, laughing again as the girls cheeks turn a darker shade of pink. "Come on, let's not keep them waiting," Lydia adds before the girl can say anything.
Kira smiles and threads their fingers together, swinging their hands between them as they're walking back to Scott and Stiles in the jeep. Lydia glances over her shoulder for a moment, though, catching Allison smiling at her from the window. She waves her fingers at Lydia, mouthing, "I love you," through the glass, and Lydia smiles back.
I love you, too.