Disclaimer: 'Teen Wolf' belongs to Jeff Davis and MTV. No copyright infringement intended.
Rating/Word Count: T | 1,443
Author's Note: New Year. New Fandom.

xoxo

They were in a secluded area of the ballroom. They were the youngest there, but that was a good thing; they didn't have to socialize.

Jackson was sitting on the ledge of a roomy bay window, legs stretched out. He was in black dress pants and a blue-green, button-down dress shirt. Lydia was in a deep green, sleeveless dress that hit a couple of inches above the knee. She was sitting between her boyfriend's legs, leaning back against him. His arms were wrapped around her waist, hers on top, their fingers intertwined. They were in their own little world, talking, laughing, gazing – out the window, at each other – and making out.

When they first arrived, they mingled with their parents, saying hello to the guests, being polite and showing their well-to-do upbringing. And after half an hour (by 10 p.m.), Jackson's father gave him the go ahead, a nod that said, 'Good job. You're done. Have fun.' So the teens moved off, eating from the buffet of food laid out, before finding their little, quiet alcove.

It was 11:30 when Lydia's phone beeped with a new text. She moved her hand to Jackson's pocket – she didn't want to carry a purse! – and pulled it out. Slowly.

Jackson glared.

Lydia gave him an innocent look of 'What?'.

He wasn't fooled.

Her gaze returned to her phone. It was Danny. She sent a simple response back and a moment later, her Skype app alerted them of a video call request. Lydia clicked to accept.

"Hey, guys!" Danny grinned.

Lydia positioned the phone to make sure both she and Jackson were visible to their friend.

Lydia waved, "Hey!"

Jackson gave his best friend a genuine smile and took over holding the phone.

"You haven't answered me in a while, man," Danny pouted.

"Sorry," Jackson shrugged. "Turned my phone off."

Danny rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Spare me the details."

The couple just grinned at each other before Lydia pecked Jackson's lips. "So, what are you up to?"

Danny shrugged. "Nothing right now. Eating. We're heading out soon. Just waiting for everyone. Can't believe you're stuck at some ballroom gathering. You know you could have joined me. Both of you."

"We know," Lydia smiled. "But we're good. Found a nice, secluded spot away from everyone. It's actually nice."

Jackson gave her a kiss on the cheek.

They never shied away from PDA, even just Jackson's little kisses, which he had a tendency to do in the school hallway when he stuck up on her. Especially not in front of Danny, who may roll his eyes but was thankful when they initially hooked up at the end of freshman year, and definitely when they got back together before finals after that incredibly weird, confusing, don't-want-to-think-about-it state championship.

Danny was about to comment, make fun of Jackson like only a best friend could, when his 13-year-old sister suddenly appeared behind him and waved into the laptop camera. "Hey, Jackson, Lydia!"

"Hey, Cara," Jackson gave the girl a toothy grin.

Danny just rolled his eyes. How could his sister seriously be crushing on his jackass of a best friend? 'FYI, I'm everyone's type,' a voice in his head, which sounded exactly like Jackson's, smarmed.

"Hi." Lydia waved back.

"What are you guys doing," the younger girl asked curiously. She liked Jackson (and, yeah, so what if she had a tiny crush on her older brother's best friend. What of it?) and Lydia (the cool, popular, smart girl who took her shopping for her birthday two years in a row now).

"Just enjoying hiding from the adults," Lydia winked.

"Oh, that sucks."

"Nah, we're good," Jackson answered, giving the hand still in his resting on Lydia's waist a squeeze.

"Show me what you're wearing," Cara asked in excitement directed at Lydia.

Lydia nodded and maneuvered out of Jackson's grasp to stand. Her boyfriend angled the camera on the phone to capture the entire length of the outfit; the color complimenting her strawberry blonde hair and green eyes. Jackson couldn't help but state, even though he'd been with her for three hours.

Cara squealed, and Danny whistled and winked.

"Oh, my god, Lydia. You look so hot!" the girl gaped in awe.

Lydia returned to her position between Jackson's legs. "Thank you. When you come home I'll take you to Macy's, okay?"

"She doesn't need an outfit like that," Danny mumbled. It was fine on Lydia, who was 17. But for his 13-year-old sister? No. Just, no.

Jackson and Lydia laughed as Cara gave her brother's shoulder a slap. "Shut up, Danny." She turned back to the screen. "I'd love that, thanks! And I should probably go. Maybe next time you guys can be in Hawaii with us for the New Year?"

"Maybe," Jackson nodded. "Have fun. Be safe. See you next year, Cara," he winked.

Cara slightly blushed.

"Bye, Sweetie," Lydia said. "Happy New Year!"

"You too!" Cara grinned, waved, and ran off.

"I have no idea how this is even happening," Danny groaned.

"She has good taste," Jackson stated, knowing what Danny was talking about.

Lydia just snuggled more into her conceited boyfriend's hold.

"Anyway," Danny said. "I should go, too. We're heading out in a few. And it's almost 2012 for you. So have fun, and see you next year."

"Take care. Find a hot guy to kiss at midnight," Lydia said. "Call when you get home so we can write our resolutions, okay?" She blew him a kiss.

"Later, Danny," Jackson nodded. Emotions were not his thing, but Danny knew exactly what his best friend was saying with his eyes. (The same way he – and Lydia – knew Jackson loved his girl, but was too emotionally stunted to verbalize it.)

There was no movement for another moment before Lydia's screen went black, call ended.

She took the phone from Jackson, closed the app, and silenced her phone. She'd text Allison, Stiles, and her other friends later, but it was 10 till, and she just wanted to be with her boyfriend, wanted his arms around her, his lips on hers. To feel happiness and security, warmth and heat. Love.

She turned her head and kissed him, deeply since no one was watching them anymore.

When they broke apart, they just grinned, eyes locked. Lydia pushed back against his chest, trying to get closer, which caused her lower back to press against the front of his pants. Jackson groaned, eyes flashing blue for a moment. Lydia's grin just grew.

"Tease."

"I like it."

"Being a tease?"

"Well, yes, but, I mean your werewolf quirks."

He just raised an eyebrow.

"I like physically seeing you lose control," she whispered, head tilted back, kissing under his jaw.

"That your kink?" he tried to make it into a joke.

Lydia ignored it and continued in a whisper, like it was a secret. "Someone with so much control issues… I like that you allow yourself to let your guard down with me."

Their eyes locked again.

His heart was pounding, unprepared for this much emotional honesty. But hers was beating just as fast. It would have been the perfect time for him to finally say 'I love you' but those words, in that order… he felt it, but the words just couldn't come out yet.

Suddenly, the countdown began. A collective "Ten. Nine. Eight," rang though the room, reaching their quiet alcove.

"Seven. Six. Five."

"I trust you," Jackson stated. It was as close to the other three words – a letter off – as he could give her at the moment. But just as important.

They both had trust issues. Him being adopted and closing himself off, barely even trusting himself, and her watching her parents' marriage fall apart and bleed into a nasty, bitter divorce.

Lydia understood the implications of his words; knew he loved her.

And before she could respond, he leaned his head down slightly

"Two! ONE!"

and kissed her with all the emotions, all the words he couldn't say.

A hand wrapped around his neck, her other in his hair, stroking, pulling him closer. His arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

Behind his closed eyes, green turned blue.

For the first time since he received the bite, he was happy, accepting that there was finally a perk, something worth the hell he suffered for those two months directly after the bite, and then spent the rest of the year afraid of what he was capable of doing. It gave him another shot with Lydia, gave her a way to see things he couldn't verbalize. Gave them both a chance to try again, find a way back together. Find themselves, individually and as one.

.end.