AN: Could not get this idea out of my head and plus, I wanted to contribute to this fandom. Hopefully this doesn't come across as too disjointed. (Also, bonus points if you get all the references.)

They go on a double date, because why the fuck not?

(A lifetime ago, that – a double date – meant something so different, didn't it? Cliques and popularity and vanity and egos and fucking high school.

Lydia won't admit how much she misses it.)

Well, it's not like their lives make any much more sense on a daily basis, so really, going out on a double date with a trying-to-be-better-but-might-not-be-possible Aiden and a I-can't-look-at-Scott-in-the-eyes-anymore Isaac really shouldn't be that hard or uncomfortable.

Fuck, is all Lydia can really think on the drive over. What where she and Allison even thinking? Regardless, she pulls up to the parking lot and sees Allison and Isaac already waiting there, somehow looking both adorable and awkward, at the entrance to the mini-golf place.

Mini-golf.

Sighs.

This is why Lydia doesn't let Allison plan activities. This is why Lydia refuses to ever again be persuaded by those deep brown eyes, those adorable dimples, and that beautiful smile. Really, she should know better by now. But of course, one conversation with Allison talking about wanting to see where this thing with Isaac was going and how she felt so guilty about Scott and why was Lydia still seeing Aiden and suddenly Lydia's talking about a group thing, where all these questions can be answered. And of course, Allison can't just pick going to the movies like a normal person. Her competitive and restless nature always taking over.

She tells Lydia she can pretend to not know how to hit the ball so Aiden can stand behind her and help.

Lydia laughs at that.

(She's done pretending.)

And anyway, it's not like there's much more to do in this town, that doesn't involve needing fake ids.

(They don't mention bowling.

Jackson -

Scott -

They don't consider ice-skating.

Stiles -

Scott -

Boyd.
Erica.

Peter - )

So, here they are on a Friday night, about to go play mini-golf.
Aiden gets out of the car and holds Lydia's door open for her before she can even process it. It's sweet. He's sweet.

(She ignores the whispers in her head.

He's dangerous.
He's unstable.
He's a murderer.
He's an Alpha.)

Lydia hugs Allison tightly, and nods at Isaac. Aiden nods at both of them. They walk inside to pay for the game. Eighteen holes can't possibly take that long, can they?

They're at Hole #12.

When not pretending, Lydia is actually pretty good at mini-golf. She and Allison are having a friendly rivalry as they battle it out for first place. Each hole constantly switching out who's in the lead.

They boys are terrible at mini-golf.

It's like their werewolf powers have taken all semblance of delicacy and control and shoved them right out the window. They keep hitting the balls too far – already they've lost 8 balls each – and that's not to mention the fact that they've both broken their clubs and had to go get new ones.

Isaac and Aiden are getting too competitive, both desperate to not be the loser of the game. Seeing more meaning in losing that Lydia's willing to analyze right now.

(She's actually considering just throwing herself in the water traps.

Allison's smile hasn't reached her eyes since Hole #4.)

Lydia idly wonders where Aiden's soft but sure hands are.

(Aiden hits another ball too far.

Lydia's patience breaks.)

She walks over to him and pulls him down to her level – even in heels, he's still so tall – by his shirt collar.

"Listen, sweetheart. Could you put away all this macho-bravado BS and just play like a normal person?" She narrows her eyes at him.

He blinks at her twice. Chuckles lowly and moves in closer to press his lips against hers chastely.

"Sorry."

He goes again and actually gets the ball in.

Lydia smiles at her victory.

They're at Hole #16.

Isaac has missed the shot 6 times. He's currently losing – the game, his patience, his mind.

(Losing, losing, losing.

Nobody likes a loser.

I came to win.)

Allison seems at a loss for what to do, so she just goes to get more balls.

"Aiden, go help Allison." Lydia orders. She needs to salvage this date for her best friend one way or another.

Aiden tenses, but says nothing as he follows Allison. Isaac's yellow-glowing eyes following him.

"Enough!" Lydia snaps at Isaac, marching over to invade his personal space. He takes a step back.

Beta wolf.

"Look, I don't care how guilty you feel about Scott. I don't care how much you and Aiden want to rip each other's throats out. And I don't care about this stupid mini-golf game! Do you want to know what I do care about?"

Isaac quirks an eyebrow at her.

"Allison. I care about Allison. She's my best friend and probably the person I love most in the world and right now she isn't happy. And do you know why?" Lydia pokes him in the chest hard. She keep going though, not letting him answer. "Because you've spent this whole night trying to prove something instead of having fun. You should be – I don't know – smiling that puppy smile at her instead of growling at my date."

He looks away for a second, before he meets her eyes.

"He killed Boyd."

Lydia swallows back her answer.

(She wasn't expecting that, she wasn't - )

She let's out a small breath before answering back in a smaller, softer voice.

"Yes. And Allison tried to kill you. And you tried to kill me." She doesn't know what to say anymore. The harsh reality they live in is always a constant in her head. Tonight was supposed to be about forgetting it, if only for a bit.

(Blue eyes. Red eyes.
Even what wasn't real still haunts her.
Peter - )

She looks at Isaac straight in the eyes. It's like he's trying to find something, see something, in her own eyes.

(Eyes, eyes, eyes.)

Isaac's glow again before going back to normal. He looks away again before speaking.

"Okay."

Lydia feels the tension drain from her shoulders.

(She ignores the whispers in her head.)

Allison wins.

(Shocker.)

Losing is worth it though, because Allison's smiling and, when Isaac picks her up and throws her over his shoulder proclaiming the need for ice-cream for the winner, her laughter is enough to warm Lydia's heart.

(The rest of the world fades away for a second. The darkness in Allison's heart, Isaac's fragility, the truth about Lydia's powers, Aiden's allegiance; it doesn't really matter right now.)

Aiden picks her up bridal style and they all laugh as the boys carry them outside. Lydia sometimes forgets how young they all really are.

Just a bunch of kids.

(You're just a bunch of stupid teenagers running around thinking you can stop people from getting killed but all you do is show up late. All you really do is find the bodies.

She ignores the whispers in her head.)

They're allowed to play mini-golf and eat ice-cream and worry about things other than death.

They're allowed.

(Isaac isn't Scott. And Aiden isn't Stile- Jackson. Jackson.

Isaac and Aiden aren't forever.

They're for right now.

And it works.)

(Lydia hopes.)

(She screams.)