Say You Won't Let Go
Stiles looked around the overcrowded club, unable to see anything of interest to him. He took a swig from his beer before pushing the bottle away, turning to leave. It was then that the flash of orange caught his eye, seemingly brighter than anything else in the room. He'd never seen anyone like her. The way that she looked as if she just she just stepped from the salon chair, despite the fact that the rest of the crowd looked as if they'd been dragged backwards through a bush. Although, you never could be too sure that they hadn't with the quality of people this place drew in.
The red-haired beauty glanced in his direction and Stiles was sure it was just the flashing lights that gave the impression that she did a double take. He was sure that she wasn't subtly dragging her dark-haired friend in his direction. He was sure that she wasn't leaning against the bar beside him as the generic techno song came to a finish.
The dark-haired girl smirked as she pulled out her phone, leaving her friend to beckon the barman over with a solitary acrylic nail. Stiles watched with what he hoped resembled a provocative expression. When the barman brought over her drink, Stiles held up has hand and handed him his card. "Thanks," the girl called over the banging music. "So, what do they call you?"
"Stiles, you?" he called, leaning forward, partially to let her hear him, partially to get closer to her.
"Lydia," she said, standing on her toes to shout into his ear. Stiles nodded as she pulled her drink towards her and slipped the straw between her perfect teeth. Stiles took his card from the barman and slipped it back into his pocket. "So, Lydia, care to dance?" Stiles asked. He knew it was ballsy but something told him that this girl would appreciate it.
Lydia smiled widely around her drink before grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the dance floor, leaving her friend to talk to the barman with a smirk on her face.
Stiles doesn't remember much after that. The night was a blurry haze of dancing, kissing and grinding. When the DJ began to pack up and the barman had long since refused them any more drinks, Lydia grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the door, sighing when the cool air hit her face. "I live just around the corner," she hiccupped, "let's go."
Stiles swallowed before following the red-haired girl in the too-short dress down the street, watching her stumble in her skyscraper heels.
When they got to the door, Stiles helped her as fumbled with her keys and it was then that he realised how drunk he was and how much more drunk she was.
"Maybe I should go..." Stiles slurred, head swimming with the stupid amount of drinks he'd downed. "It's getting late..."
"No!" Lydia exclaimed with a giggle. "It's not late, it's fine, there's no one here."
Against Stiles' better judgement, he followed her through the door, closing the door behind him. He found her in the kitchen, shakily trying to poor two glasses of wine, the majority of it ending up on the countertop rather than inside the glasses.
"Lydia..." he said quietly, putting a hand on her arm and taking the bottle from her, "we've had enough, maybe you should just go to bed."
"No, I'm fine, I can go all night!" she giggled, pulling her hair from her face.
Stiles watched as her face dropped and she swayed slightly, afraid that she would topple over in her ridiculously tall heels. "Lydia...?"
"I think I'm gonna be sick..." she mumbled, a hand shooting towards her mouth as she quickly launched herself towards the bathroom.
Stiles followed slowly, not wanting to upset this virtual stranger. He followed the sound of retching until he saw a light shine through a crack in a doorway and he slowly pushed it open.
He knew now wasn't the time but all he could think of was how she was still as beautiful as she was when he first saw her a couple of hours ago.
Stiles couldn't help but rush over to her, pulling her silky red hair from her face to keep it clean. He rubbed her back gently as she retched, wondering where on earth she put all this vomit in her tiny frame.
Eventually she stopped, spitting into the bowl. Stiles watched her carefully as she slowly came back to reality. He chuckled when he saw her smile sheepishly over her shoulder at him. "Sorry about that..." she mumbled, "I'm not usually like this. I can usually handle my alcohol..."
Stiles didn't know what came over him but he found himself pulling her closer to him, her head resting against his chest. He softly kissed her head as she sighed.
"So are you gonna stay over?" she asked, trying to sound seductive but Stiles could see right through her, knew that what she both wanted and needed was a large glass of water and good night's sleep.
"I already told you, babe, I should go, you need to get some rest."
Lydia didn't fight him when he said that. She didn't fight him when he picked her up and carried her to bed. She didn't fight him when he carried a large glass of water and the mop bucket to her room, "just in case." And she certainly didn't fight him when he wrote his name and number on a post-it note and stuck it to the fridge, closing the door quietly behind him on his way out.
As Stiles closed the door he let out a sigh. He knew there was something special about this one. He knew he'd end up with her. He knew that he would marry this girl.
He should really learn her last name.
"Stiles, I can't believe you! Why would you think that that was funny? Did your tiny brain even consider that that would actually hurt me? No! Because you never fucking think!"
Stiles tried to stay calm as his girlfriend screamed at him. He had messed up and he knew that. He also knew Lydia. He knew that if he just stayed cool and collected, then she would calm down. She would realise that he didn't mean what he said. That it was just a joke. That he didn't think before he spoke.
But this time was different. She was shouting louder, arguing harder and it made Stiles uneasy. Maybe this was it. Maybe now would be the time that she realised that she was too good for him. He couldn't live without her.
"Like do you even care about me anymore? I feel like you don't even try. Do you even love me?"
"I-"
"Actually, you know what? Save it. I'm going home."
"Lyds, wait-"
But the door was already slammed.
"Lydia?" he whispered. "Lydia, wake up. I've gotten you something."
"Hmm?" Lydia hummed, rolling over and blinking in the sunlight filtering in through the gap in the curtains.
Stiles carefully bent down and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"Mmhmm, what time is it? I gotta get the kids up for school..."
Stiles shook his head, "Caspar and Evie are ready for school, they're standing by the front door and Westie is in his bouncer, waiting to be taken to Day Care. There's nothing left for you to do but drink this coffee," Stiles smiled, holding out the steaming cup.
Lydia frowned confusedly, before smiling sleepily and pushing herself upwards, grabbing the warm cup and holding it in both hands.
"What's the occasion?" Lydia asked, looking into her mug.
"No occasion, just because I love you," Stiles laughed, kissing her forehead again.
He'd never let her know about the date. She's never noticed the pattern, that this day every year he treats her like royalty, even more so than usual. The anniversary of the day he thought he lost her. The day he thought she would walk out on him altogether. What seemed like the end.
She doesn't need to know. She doesn't need reminding. She can just enjoy life right now.
"Daddy, where's Mommy?" Caspar said from his car seat.
Stiles glanced at his kids through the rear view mirror, "Mommy's asleep, you'll see her after school, Caspar." Stiles smirked when he heard West gurgle happily from his spot between the twins.
He smiled softly as he pulled into the elementary school parking lot. "Can you both undo your seatbelts?" Stiles asked, turning to his kids, even though he knew they could. He knew that they were growing up and soon they wouldn't need him. He tried not to think about it too much. The twins jumped from the car, Evie pushing the door closed as Stiles waved goodbye, while handing West's stuffed toy back to him, while pulling a funny face, relishing in the delighted giggle being emitted from the small child.
"Bye bye Westie, see you later, baby boy," Stiles mumbled into his son's ear, before kissing his head and handing him over. West giggled happily as he waved his chubby fist in the air.
Stiles sighed as he watched his son being carried away. He couldn't help but think that if it wasn't for that night in the club, he wouldn't have his three beautiful kids, his stable job that Lydia somehow talked him into going for, his gorgeous wife and cosy home.
Sometimes he needed to thank whoever was listening for that night.
"Lyds? Are you still in bed?" Stiles called as he slid through the doorway, dropping his keys onto the table and heading towards the kitchen.
He almost stopped when he saw her standing in the kitchen. Almost ten years later and she still took his breath away. She looked over her at him and Stiles was reminded of the night they met, when she, by chance, looked over at him, caught his eye and changed his world. She hadn't aged a day, if anything she had gotten more beautiful. And he really didn't think that could happen. But Lydia had always defied the odds, everything he knew about the world changed when he met her and he had known that he would never be the same.
He crossed the room and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her neck. "I love you, baby, and I always will, don't you ever change. I promised to love you the day we got married and I will never consider breaking that promise. I can't believe how lucky I am to be standing here with you."
"I love you, too, Stiles," she murmured. "I'll never let you go."