Author's Note: So I'd thought of this idea a few weeks ago and I'm completely rendered to it.
For those of you who don't know, "Lydia after dark" is a show that Holland used to do a couple of years ago. For this fic, I'll keep as close to canon as I can with the only particularity that Lydia used to broadcast livestreams back in sophomore year and she stopped when she became involved with the supernatural, bringing it back now that they're almost at the end of senior year.
It starts with Stiles walking in on Lydia once while she's live and her viewers immediately start shipping Lydia with him. Social media, her followers and their friends will give them the right push to finally get together.
Expect at least 6 parts of fluff, awkwardness and lots of humor.
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1
Lydia can't lie. She has missed this.
She hasn't hosted a Lydia after dark since before the supernatural, since before her life went to complete shit and she's missed this, only this time it's completely different and so, so much better.
Her first livestreams had consisted of her so-called friends either praising her for ruling Beacon Hills High School or talking shit about her anonymously – like Lydia didn't know who they were, anyway. She was too smart for their own good even then! – as they discussed the most uninteresting subjects, after what she decided on making makeup tutorials and give fashion and dating advice. Jackson thought it was funny and cool, so Lydia had gone along with it.
(She seriously can't understand how she'd been so blind at the time.
Or rather, she does.
She just doesn't think much about it anymore.)
But now…
Now she's better.
And okay, the supernatural happened. Allison, Scott, Stiles and all the others happened. Her parents' divorce, the bite from Peter, her powers, her captivity.
Everything was thrown at her but she's still here.
Years passed, not everyone stayed, but bad luck came and now it's gone. It's almost the end of senior year and everything bad has been gone for weeks with no signs of returning anytime soon, thankfully.
Ever since Stiles rescued her from Eichen House and the pack was back together again, they've all been healing, mending wounds that were still deep enough to scar but they're all better now.
At least, they try their best to be.
The idea of returning to social media had appeared out of nowhere this time, and before Lydia knew it she was struggling with finding her password to see if she could still log in on her old account. Unable to, she made the decision of starting from scratch. A brand new account with a brand new purpose, only the same name because she liked it, to help people have a voice and teach them many useful things all the while having fun and bringing a little bit of the old Lydia back.
A girl can have her fun, after all.
Her fan base is much smaller than it was years ago and Lydia loves it just like that, going from over a hundred people to just nine girls that are far more mature than all her previous viewers could ever be, five of them regulars. The same way they watch Lydia, Lydia watches their livestreams as well, and stories and experiences have been shared in the last few weeks in between the girls. Lydia couldn't be more grateful to have met them.
Granted, she'll never be able to share everything - it's not like she can just dish on the supernatural without consequences - but what is important is there, and god knows she needs someone from outside the pack to talk to sometimes.
"Unfortunately it's time to wrap up for today, girls." She frowns to her webcam. "I'll let you know when I'll be online next time and we can discuss both more self-defense techniques and dresses for prom, as promised. It's less than a month away, after all," she laughs. Gotta be a multitasker. "I'll go dress shopping this weekend and maybe I can invite my friend Kira to join us next time?" she asks uncertain, but the response is immediate.
Bea: We're finally meeting your friends. YES!
Lin: That'd be awesome
Meggan: Don't forget shoes : )
Lydia grins. Kira will be shy about this at first, but she's gonna love it in the end. "It's settled then. Okay, I have to go get ready now so we'll talk soon."
Meggan: Have a date?
Lydia blushes. "Not, not a date. Or, well, a study date, that's all."
Meggan: Why get ready, then?
Bea: You look amazing, are you kidding?
Yeah, in a pair of old sweats and a t-shirt, her hair in a messy bun, no makeup. She's a mess, Lydia thinks.
"You guys are too sweet," she tells her viewers with a smile. "But it's just putting on something nice, you know? Look a little more presentable."
Chantell: Is it a study date or a study date? It's a study date, isn't it?
They haven't talked much about boys here, but Lydia had a feeling it would come up eventually.
Because she's getting nervous – boys hadn't been a subject for so long now -, Lydia mixes her words. "It's just dating, guys."
She watches in horror – and okay, it's really no reason for much drama except for the fact that she doesn't really know who she could be broadcasting for – as message after message after message tease her about it.
"Guys, studying. I meant studying!"
Really, that does nothing to stop the messages from coming in. If anything, her panicked features probably make it worse.
Before Lydia can do anything else about it, there's a knock on the door and Lydia startles slightly, looking over her shoulder. "Come in," she says in a raised tone of voice in the door's direction, turning around to face her computer again and hoping her mother won't snoop around to see what her viewers are writing right now. "I really need to go, guys."
"Hey, Lyds."
His voice puts her on edge immediately and her eyes widen. Checking the time on her computer screen, she finds that Stiles arrived over half an hour early. He wasn't supposed to know about this.
Well, shit.
Lin: Who's that?
Chantell: He looks fine, damn!
Lydia blushes despite herself even before facing him, checking some of the comments that now decided to rain on her.
Bea: Call him over.
Lin: Tell him hi.
Jen: Well, hello…
Meggan: WHO IS HE?
She counts 32 different messages before she even thinks of what to do next.
She can't come up with anything clever enough, much to her dismay.
"I uh-" Lydia glances at Stiles, who seems unaware of what's happening and is near her bed, taking pretty much every single item out of his backpack and spreading it on her mattress like he usually does when they study together. She decides on ending the feed as quickly as possible before it escalates. "Like I said, I really have to go so I'll talk to you next time, guys. Stay safe."
It's not her lucky day, obviously, because her bed isn't that for from where she's sitting at her desk, and as soon as she starts talking, Stiles glances at her to see what she's doing. He's behind her in 0,5 seconds, curiosity getting the best of him.
"What are you doing?" he asks, a cheeky grin on his face that Lydia isn't sure if she wants to wipe or kiss away. Their lines have been pretty blurry recently.
Well, more than usual.
Chantell: Hi.
Meggan: HI!
Jen: Hello, handsome!
Bea: Who's that, Lydia?
"Oh my god," he exclaims, amused. "You're doing Lydia after dark again?"
Lydia winces. "How- How did you even know about that?" she asks, surprised.
(Okay, maybe not that surprised. Everyone in BHHS knew about it back in the day, so of course Stiles would know too. She's just a little embarrassed at getting caught.
It is not the same Lydia after dark that he remembers, after all.)
"It's not the same-"
She doesn't get to explain it because Stiles peeks at the screen then, paying more attention and seeing the multiple messages that keep coming and going, variations of salutes and degrees of hotness attributed alike and all directed to him.
Lydia wants to dig her own grave right there.
"How does this work?" he asks interestedly, his cheeks mildly pink from the comments he's reading but pretending they're not for him. "I don't see anyone."
Is it too bad if she just cuts the feed?
"You uh-" Seriously, how does she find herself in these kinds of situations? "You don't see them. They see you," she explains.
"Oh." He ponders briefly if he should let it go but then he remembers that he's Stiles, so… "Hey," he grins, bending forward enough that he's too close to Lydia so that he can see himself in the image, grinning at her viewers. "I'm Stiles."
She ignores the way she feels hot all of a sudden the best that she can.
Her audience, even if small, doesn't give her much of a break to do so.
Bea: He's so cute.
Jen: Is he your boyfriend?
Lin: Oh my god! Are you blushing?!
Chantell: Where did you get him? I want 3.
"Oh wow," he murmurs, glancing at Lydia and noticing how she's, in fact, blushing too. "Are they always this forward?"
"They can hear you," Lydia mutters, slapping his hand away when he tries to adjust her screen so that they can both fit better in the image.
"Ouch! You know, people witnessed this."
Lydia rolls her eyes. "Shut up. Why are you early?"
"I wasn't doing anything, so I figured we'd save some time and maybe get something for dinner before we get to it. I already told your mom we're ordering pizza on my way up and I know you never eat before nine, so I came a little early or I know you'd probably start studying on an empty stomach. I wanted to make sure that that didn't happen," he says, shrugging his shoulders like it's an ordinary thing.
(It is.)
"Oh, and your mom left, by the way," he adds.
It's acceptable in modern society if Lydia just slams her forehead on her desk out of despair, right?
Lydia tries her best - she really, really does - not to look at the screen and check the entertaining messages that she just knows have to be there after this - especially with where their previous conversation had been headed before Stiles walked in -, but she can't help herself.
Lin: Looks like someone does have plans...
Bea: You're so having a date!
Meggan: Where do I get a study partner like that?
Chantell: What Meggan asked.
Jen: You two look adorable together!
Both she and Stiles glare, rather baffled and mesmerized, as message after message after goddamn message come in deeming them as cute.
They're not cute.
(Okay, they are. Whatever.)
On his part, Stiles just laughs at her face when he notices how awestruck Lydia is at her viewer's response. "God, this is fun. I should go grab a chair!"
She almost fumes, grabbing his arm so that he stays put. "It's not fun!"
"It so is. God, I need to tell Scott about this," he chuckles, taking out his phone from his pocket.
"Stiles, don't you dare," she murmurs, unable to contain a laugh either, reaching out and trying to take his phone away without success. In fact, it ends with her face too close to Stiles' as he keeps the device out of her reach, a shit-eating grin on his lips at the sudden proximity.
She ignores the way her heart falters.
"Don't tell him anything. No one was supposed to even know about this in the first place," she pleads.
Okay, maybe only Kira.
Stiles would believe her if she wasn't giving into a smile so easily. "Lydia, you're literally broadcasting to anyone who finds you online. We we're bound to find out about it eventually, don't you think?"
Would he just stop smiling?! "Well, I managed to keep it from all of you for almost six week-"
"WHAT?" he asks exaggeratedly.
Lydia smirks.
Stiles frowns. "Why didn't you say anything? I'm feeling attacked right now," he scolds playfully, placing a hand over his heart for good measure.
She can't help, again, that the corners of her lips curve upwards. He's so Stiles sometimes... "See if I care," she teases, turning around on her chair to be reminded that they've been bickering online, live and caught on camera for her viewers to enjoy.
Lydia is 100% sure that they're not letting this go easily the next time she broadcasts.
Chantell: This is better than watching TV *goes get popcorn*
Jen: Date!
Meggan: New OTP right here :) *fangirls*
Meggan: *fangirls some more because YES!*
Chantell: You should totally go study…
Bea: Real question.
Bea: Is he taking you to prom?
Is it possible for Lydia to blush further?
"Why did you use italics?" he voices, making the question for the camera.
Chantell: For emphasis.
"Oh."
Yes.
The answer is yes, Lydia can blush eve harder than before.
His mouth forms a perfect 'o' when he lets out the sound and Lydia watches delighted as he turns as scarlet as she imagines she is. He doesn't let it faze him. "I get it. It really is just studying, though. We actually should uh-" He glances at Lydia briefly. "Go do that?"
Lydia lets out a breath. She knew she loved him for a reason.
"Yes!" she exclaims all too enthusiastic for finally having an opportunity to end this. "We'll talk next time, girls. I'll let you know when I'm on."
She moves to end the feed quickly, but Stiles still manages to let out "I'll make sure to teach her manners, don't worry" with a grin that, this time, Lydia really just wants to wipe away.
(Forget it. Who is she kidding?
It's gonna be torture the next time she comes online.)
"Oh my god, that was so much fun!" he laughs, placing his hands on her shoulders and squeezing lightly. "Right?"
"Seriously?" Lydia looks up at him, noticing his cheeks bright red still.
Both of them at that, she's sure.
"Yeah." He lets go of her to go sit on her bed instead, patting the mattress at his right. "Come on, we've got some studying to do," he smirks, eyebrow raised.
"Not if you're saying it like that, we don't," she quips quickly.
Tonight should be interesting if they keep bantering.
"I'm kidding," he laughs, not bothered at all by her dismissal. "Come on."
She joins him on the bed, making sure to sit exactly on the opposite corner of her mattress just in case.
She's not really trusting herself today.
Stiles notices but doesn't say anything. "They seem great," he comments, referring to her viewers.
"They are. It may not have seemed like it today, but they are."
Normally, Stiles would push with her for Lydia to tell him why she'd think such a thing, why did it work her up so much that her viewers would think that they are or should be a couple.
Not now, though.
One of them said something that he's far more interested in at the moment and he'll save it for later.
"Are you at least being safe? You know, the dangers of the internet and all that?"
Lydia nods. "Yes. I met two of the girls at a support group I tried once, after Allison. We kept in touch and a few weeks ago I thought I'd bring back Lydia after dark. I talked to them about it and they were excited, so they told some of their friends. It's only nine viewers. It has nothing on the old Lydia after dark and I really like it this way. Whenever I have time to be online, I DM them the time I'll be on and then the link and that's that. We've been doing it for a few weeks now."
Lydia crosses her legs under her and fidgets on her lap, continuing. "I don't know, I- I have things I want to say and ways to help people now. I've been teaching them some self-defense, for instance, and in return they help me meditate. It helps with the voices."
"Oh, that's good."
"Yeah. And they're really easy to talk to and it's good to have someone outside of the pack to discuss some things. It's not the same when it's you guys I'm talking to."
"But you do know you can talk to us, right?"
"Yes, but there are some things I can't talk to you guys about."
She's not sure where the tension comes from, but it's there. His tone changes to a more apprehensive one. "Like what?"
You.
"I don't know," she says instead. "Girl's stuff."
"You have Kira. And I'm sure neither me nor Scott would mind much, if you ever needed us to listen to you."
"It's just… It's just not the same."
Again, he doesn't push her much. "Okay. As long as you know what you're doing and that you're safe from perverts and all crazy people…"
Lydia smiles warmly. "Don't worry, I'm being careful."
He nods in acknowledgement, taking off his shoes and mirroring Lydia's position. They start working immediately, Stiles handing her his notebooks so that she can make sure he completed his exercises successfully, asking her questions here and there that Lydia just loves to explain to him. She's never found someone who's as responsive as Stiles when she allows herself to use her brain and she loves it.
She loves him too, but that's something for another day.
Or is it?
They are already done eating and another hour into their studying session, sprawled on their stomachs side by side, when Stiles speaks up, bringing up the subject completely out of nowhere.
(Okay, not out of nowhere. Lydia's followers did pose pertinent questions, alright? He's not at fault.)
"So uh- " One of his hands goes instinctively to rub the back of his neck. "Prom is almost here."
The pen Lydia was using falls on her notebook unceremoniously as she all but gawks at Stiles, caught off guard. "Yeah, it is," she manages to let out, her voice hoarser than she'd like it to.
"Have you uh- Have you bought your dress yet?"
It's ridiculous that she can blush this hard. "No," she says, shaking her head dumbfounded. "Not yet. I'm taking Kira shopping this weekend."
He nods curtly, returning to his notes as if the subject were to end there. He tries to concentrate on what he's doing but he can't, of course. He can feel Lydia's eyes boring a hole into his skull. He wouldn't want to leave it like that, anyway. "Have you picked a color?" he asks sheepishly.
Lydia would have wanted for this conversation to be more serious, really, because the last time they went to a dance she was the one who had to ask him out. Or really, Allison was. But then he's looking at her almost shyly and she has to laugh at his poor attempts of getting her to go with him.
At least the grin she gives him makes him feel hopeful. "Stiles, if you're asking me to prom, I hardly doubt you'll get lucky by trying to match colors out of chance."
Stiles blushes and stutters, keeping his gaze on his notebook. "I uh- No. It's just... I just meant that uh-" He groans. "Since almost everyone is pairing up for the dance and uh… You know, we're friends and I'm single and you're single, and since we're obviously both gonna go to prom..."
He leaves it in the air out of uncertainty.
In response, Lydia purses her lips before giving in to a soft smile. "The only way I can ever give you an answer is if you ask me a question, Stiles."
He searches her eyes attentive to any signs of misleading, trying to find out just by staring at her if she's joking or actually being serious. He doesn't do anything until Lydia bumps her shoulder against his in reassurance, cheeks rosy and eyes sparkling, skin tingling in anticipation.
He mirrors her perfectly, if anything only a little more nervous. "Okay." He lets out a breath before looking right at her, his heart beating erratically. "Would you like to go to prom with me? We can go just as friends, we don't have to-"
"Yes."
"Yes?"
Lydia chuckles. "Yes."
Stiles laughs as well, running a hand through his hair. "Well, that was easy."
Lydia tilts her head. "Are you saying I'm easy?"
"God, never. You're the farthest thing from easy I've ever seen."
Trust him, he'd know.
He's been waiting on it for ten years now.
"Good," she teases. "I'll uh... I'll let you know the color of the dress I pick."
He's the one pursing his lips this time. He's not sure if he's imagining the way they seem to have moved slightly closer. "Alright," he murmurs.
His voice comes out raspy, almost unsteady, and seconds pass them by. Before Lydia knows it, they're both leaning in.
She'd like to state right now that she seriously hates her mother.
(They're still not on such good terms after everything that happened at Eichen, but this certainly, for sure, doesn't work in her favor.)
"Just wanted to let you two know that I'm back," Natalie's voice echoes through the silent, tension-filled room, when she appears by Lydia's bedroom door, and Stiles and Lydia sit up immediately, messily, almost caught red-handed.
Natalie seems just as stunned as them.
"Good" is all Lydia manages to let out.
"Hi," Stiles greets dumbly, embarrassed.
"Hi. Again," Natalie tells him, trying her best not to cheer. "I'll hmm... Let you two get back to uh... Yeah..." she mumbles, turning around and leaving before it gets even more embarrassing.
There's a fleeting moment when Stiles and Lydia all but look at each other completely unresponsive before they start cracking up.
Lydia leans on him as she laughs freely while Stiles wraps an arm around her shoulders and pulls her in, feeling far too happy for someone who was on the verge of kissing the girl he's in love with but didn't succeed.
It's okay though, and when they quiet Stiles and Lydia fall back into studying the same way they were before, only far more relaxed now that things have finally somewhat changed between them.
And he doesn't mind either that they haven't actually defined if they're going to prom just as friends or something more because right after midnight, when Stiles gathers his things to leave for the night, Lydia walks Stiles to his Jeep and kisses him on the cheek, lingering for far longer than she would have before tonight.
Better yet when neither wants to go and they just stay there, staring at each other, and out of nowhere Lydia tells him that she doesn't want a fancy ride for the dance, that Roscoe will do just fine.
"Really?" he gawks, unbelieving.
Lydia shrugs her shoulders nonchalantly. "Yeah, sure."
"Really?"
"You just got your baby back, safe and sound," she tells him, patting the hood of the Jeep. "You should ride him as often as you'd like."
If Stiles didn't know better, he'd say it was almost an amorous gesture.
He can't help but to kiss her cheek in return, wet and playfully, a true smooch that has Lydia grinning.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you," he mutters happily. "You won't regret it."
"It better not break down on the way though," she teases.
"It won't," he swears. "And if it does, I'll carry you. There's no way we're missing prom, I promise."
That's an image Lydia will stay with for the rest of the night.
She doesn't forget about his endearing grin either.
It isn't until she returns to her bedroom and glances at her computer before getting into bed that Lydia admits how it really wasn't that bad of an idea to bring back Lydia after dark. If anything, and with the right push, she and Stiles are getting somewhere. Or at least, it's a start.
She'll want to take it slow, though, cautiously trying not to get their friendship ruined even if they ended up not discussing the possibility of actually moving forward, but Stiles seems to want the same thing as her, which is more than she can ask for.
Now amazing would be not to have the girls nag her patience about how Stiles and Lydia are perfect for each other, but she's sure she'll never be so lucky.
(She really won't.)
Lydia can only hope that Stiles doesn't walk in on them again.
(Luck won't favor her here either.)
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Author's note: Please review :)
I'm you-make-me-wander on tumblr.