The sun is setting, Lydia notes absentmindedly.
The sun is setting, with the deep blue of the black night sky coating the top most parts of the horizon. In fact, the sun is almost gone, but there is a glowing haze covering everyone's faces as if it was still golden hour.
No, she smiles loosely, for golden hour they spent taking photos and laughing, and laughing, and laughing. Then again, that was how the whole day had been spent. With salt water and sand, with cold soft drink and the warmth of the sun to keep their little pack company.
Even now, as Lydia's friends gathered their things to head to a barbecue, where there was sure to be hot dogs and a chlorinated pool to float in, she couldn't help but linger on the evidence of their little niche at the beach.
There were indents in the sand where everyone had put their stuff, trenches dug so they could chuck sand balls at each other, and sandcastles in varying stages of decay. Soon the ocean would sweep it all away, creating a blank canvas for the next group of beach goers to make their own.
Lydia lay her head down on the opened window of Stiles' jeep, peering out at it all. She relished the feeling of cool metal against her undoubtedly sunburned skin. She tried not to think about the countless freckles that would materialise due to this day alone.
Suddenly the feeling of a cold can pressed against her face, wet with condensation. Lydia barely restrained a groan at the pleasant feeling, merely peeling her eyes up to find a grinning Stiles, his own fair share of pale skin hued a peachy pink.
His eyes softened when she looked up at him, and the burn already on her face deepened with her blush at his look. His ochre eyes were filled with a gentle caress, a twinkling fondness, and while Lydia knew this day would be memorable, she also knew that so would the way he looked at her, like she was the night sky littered with all the stars he'd never seen before.
"Close your eyes," he said, voice gravelly. She did so, feeling the dewy condensation of the drink leave, replaced with a gentle, lingering kiss on her rose-y cheek. His lips were nice and dry compared to the numbness left by the coldness of the drink, and it brought all feeling back to her cheek.
He pulled away slowly, and she kept her eyes closed with a content smile, leaning back against the opened window. Stiles touched her jaw gently, slipping his fingers away and placing another lingering kiss onto her sea salt dried hair.
The night air filled with the gentle background noise of her friends chattering away, laughing and filled with warmth. Lydia felt her heart fill with the love surrounding her, letting herself bask in this simple serendipity.
Soon, everything would be packed away, and the cars would be rumbling and filled with banter and boisterousness, on the way to their next destination, where she knew she would fool around in the pool, pretending to scold Stiles when he would undoubtedly cop a feel.
She knew she would put her feet up and dig into food that didn't taste faintly of sand, where she would observe the bonds around her, smiling in particular fondness at Stiles and Scott's antics. She knew she would dance with Stiles, and that when it was time for home, all of their friends would squish together in one car (which was almost impossible and definitely illegal) just to make sure she got home safely.
And to croon at her and Stiles saying goodnight to each other. But that was besides the point.
So Lydia kept her eyes closed and smiled. She never thought she'd love summer quite this much.