Title: like a million dazzling lights
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: ~2,000
Characters: Scott/Kira
Summary: She almost poured orange juice into her cereal at breakfast, and after Scott didn't show up for history, it only made her more anxious.

A/N: No spoilers unless you haven't seen "Silverfinger" yet.

like a million dazzling lights

To say she's been distracted would be an understatement.

It's understandable if you consider everything that's happened, but her grades won't be able to afford the missed assignments and spacing out during lectures for much longer. She almost poured orange juice into her cereal at breakfast, and after Scott didn't show up for history, it only made her more anxious. She kept dropping her binders when she was at her locker between periods, and one of the twins (Scott told her their names but she can't even begin to tell them apart) actually stopped to help. She hardly feels comfortable around them, especially after last night, but he did give her a hand and then stayed while she tried to get organized again, so she managed a smile and thanked him as she shut her locker.

And she swears the look he'd given her before walking away seemed almost… understanding.

It's been a weird day.

When the dismissal bell finally rings, she's the first one out the door. She hasn't gotten her phone back from the police, so she can't just text Scott, and she wanted to catch up with Stiles to see if he knew anything, but he isn't at his locker after dismissal.

Someone bumps into her as she's trying to get back to her locker, which isn't new, but then a voice says, "Watch it, sweetie," and Kira looks up to see Lydia giving a stern look to the guy as he's walking away. Then she turns back to Kira and gives her this sympathetic smilethat makes it obvious she knows what happened last night. "I've been looking for you."

Kira furrows her eyebrows. "You have?"

"Mhmm. Are you done?" she asks, nodding at her Kira's open locker.

"Oh, um, I just need to…" Kira takes a second to swap out her binders for tonight's homework and then shuts the locker. "All done," she says needlessly.

"Walk with me."

Lydia starts heading down the hallway before Kira can respond, and Kira sort of jogs to catch up with her (because the girl walks surprisingly fast in stilettos) and can't help but feel nervous. She's seen Lydia around and all, but they haven't talked to each other since they'd been questioned at the police station the other night, and that was only because Lydia asked if she was alright and then briefed her on their cover story. She knows she can trust Lydia (Scott told her as much), but the first time they ever talked to each other, she'd seemed wary of Kira.

Kira wonders if that one night really did change Lydia's opinion of her, if only a little bit.

"So, how are you?" Lydia asks as they're stepping outside, and Kira can tell that's not just a casual question. "Derek filled me in after he walked you home," she adds as an explanation.

"You're close with Derek?"

Lydia looks amused. "I don't think anyone is. But don't dodge."

"I'm… doing alright," she finishes lamely.

Lydia gives her an unconvinced look and Kira presses her lips together. "It's alright if you're freaked out."

"I'm not really freaked, I'm just…" Lydia raises her eyebrows. "I've just been worried about Scott. I haven't seen him since he and his mom rushed his dad off to the hospital and then he didn't show up to school today, and I'd text him, but I haven't gotten my phone back from the police station and I don't even have his number—"

"Well, if that's all," Lydia says with a laugh. Kira gnaws her lip, grinning. "I can call him for you right now if you really want to know."

"You can?"

"I can. Or you can talk to him yourself." Kira furrows her eyebrows, but before she can ask what she's talking about, Lydia turns and says, "Here's your girl."

"Thanks, Lydia."

Scott.

He's sitting on his bike, his red helmet tucked under his arm and a dimpled smile on his face.

"Scott," Kira breathes, feeling her smile spread.

Lydia reaches over and pats Scott's arm. "You're welcome, and you owe me," she tells him, then turns on her heels and leans in to whisper to Kira, "Have fun, darling." Kira blushes, but Lydia winks and then Kira laughs a little and the girl waves her fingers at them as she's walking away.

Then Kira turns back to Scott and reaches over to touch his arm. "I was worried," she admits, squeezing lightly. "How's…"

"He's stable for the most part. He'll live." The tone of his voice makes Kira think that he's trying not to sound as relieved as he really is. "Do you want to go somewhere with me?"

"Like where?" she asks.

"Trust me?"

She tilts her head at him. "Of course I do."

"Then it's a secret," he says with a grin, handing her the red helmet.

She laughs and slips it on, climbing on behind him and tightening her arms around him as they're driving off. She wonders if he can feel her heart beating through her chest. At the very least, he'd be able to hear it with his super sensitive hearing, but for whatever reason, the thought doesn't embarrass her.

She isn't sure how long they were on the road or even where they are when the bike slows to a stop and Scott cuts off the engine, but they're at the edge of a beautiful forest area and she can see a lake a few yards away from them, the surface water reflecting the sunlight, and the place is so quiet and peaceful and beautiful. She pulls off her helmet and shakes out her hair a little. It must look like a mess and for a second she has the urge to use her reflection on the helmet to try and fix it, except she knows she doesn't have to for Scott.

"Awesome, right?" he asks, nodding towards the lake. She nods. "It's man-made. They just finished it a few weeks ago."

"I'm surprised more people aren't here, then," Kira admits.

"It gets more crowded closer to sunset, when parents get off of work and take their kids. But right now, it's all ours." He looks over his shoulder at her and she gnaws on her lip a little, smiling widely. "I just thought we needed to get away for a little bit."

"It's perfect," she says, meaning it, and squeezes his arm a little where her hand is resting above his elbow.

He gives her another dimpled smile and that look that…

Well, any girl would go weak at the knees if a boy looked at them like that, like they were the most dazzling thing they've ever seen.

She feels her cheeks warm and lets out a nervous laugh as she climbs off of the bike. It's only until she's waiting to the side and watching him nudge the kickstand into place with his foot that she notices he has a backpack on. She furrows her eyebrows as he turns to her, and when he asks what's wrong, she just reaches out and tugs a little at one of the straps.

"Oh, I needed somewhere to put the other helmet." She nods. That makes sense. "And I have a… present, I guess."

"You have a present?"

"Come on." He reaches for her hand, threading their fingers, and she presses her lips together to keep from giggling like an idiot like she wants to as he leads her to the lake. He moves to sit down, but then pauses and makes a face as he says, "I totally forgot to bring a blanket."

She does giggle this time. "I don't mind. I like how it feels to sit on grass."

"And just when I thought you couldn't get any more amazing," he says with a laugh.

She blinks, heart thumping. "What?"

He lowers himself to his knees, tugging gently on her arm so she'll sit down beside him, and says, "I said that you're amazing—more amazing than I originally thought, too."

"Really?" Her voice comes out in this whisper, but she knows he wouldn't have had trouble hearing her either way.

"Well, yeah," he says simply, like it's a given thing. "I mean, why… why does it seem so unbelievable that I find you amazing?"

"I've just… never had anyone call me that before."

He reaches out slowly, brushing his fingers across her temple as he tucks some of her hair behind her ear. "You are, though—amazing. You've been through so much the last few days, and you didn't seem to freak out when you first saw me turn into… you know… at the party." His eyebrows furrow a little, eyes shifting over her as he tucks his fingers through her hair. "You even seemed kind of fascinated by it. And you trusted me so easily. It was surprising. When you were quiet as I was taking you home, I thought you saw me as a—"

"Monster?" she guesses. He nods and she shifts closer. "Scott, you're… you're not one at all."

He nods again, just barely. "I'm starting to believe that," he admits, leaning in a little as he presses his palm against her cheek. She lifts a hand to cover his, rubs her thumb over his knuckles. "You make it easier to believe, too."

"Yeah?" she asks.

"Yeah," he says, eyes moving over her. He's close enough that she can count his eyelashes. He's looking at something—she can tell by the way his eyes shift. She wants to ask what it is but she honestly can't find her voice to do so. But then he says, "You know, Derek told me that I can see your aura with my eyes, if I look a little harder."

Her breath catches, heart thumping in her chest. "You can see it?"

"I can see you." He tilts his head and her eyelids flutter closed. "You're radiant."

Then his lips are against hers, soft and gentle, and she reaches out with her free hand and grasps onto the material of his shirt. She tips her head, kissing him a little harder, and he slides a hand over her hip and brings her closer. Her skin tingles and her cheeks feel flushed and her heart is thrumming.

She feels vibrant.

Her body feels a little weightless, humming like it had when electricity had pulsed through her and buzzed at the palm of her hands, and she only brings herself to pull away because when her lungs start to burn. She gasps for breath, leaning forward to rest against his shoulder, and she can feel him struggle with heavy breaths, too. She bites down on her lower lip a little and laughs breathlessly for whatever reason. Scott's chest rumbles with a laugh, too, and she sits back so she can press her forehead against his, reaching up to push a hand through his thick curls. He's giving her that look again – that fascinated, amazed look – and she feels her lips pull back into a wide smile, another laughter passing from her lips.

"I've wanted to do that since last night," he admits. "Well," he amends, "before last night, too… but…"

"Me too," she says, meaning it. Then she tilts her head a little, grinning as she pulls her hand away. "You said something about a present earlier?"

He chuckles and turns to grab his backpack, tugging the zipper aside and reaching in to produce a small, plastic container with a red velvet cupcake inside. The cream cheese frosting and chocolate sprinkles are smudged against the lid a little, but for the most part, it's surprisingly intact.

"From me and Mom," he says, handing it to her. "And if you want a better-looking one, there's more at my house. She… we were wondering if you'd join us for dinner tonight."

"Ah, a cupcake bribe—smart move." They laugh. She leans forward and kisses his cheek. "I'd love to have dinner with you guys."

He gives her a dimpled smile. "I was hoping that'd be your answer."

She grins and pops open the lid, swipes her index finger through some of the cream cheese frosting smudged against the plastic and pushing her finger between her lips, watching Scott watch her as she licks it clean. "Am I going to have to finish this all by myself?" she asks, and he just chuckles and steals some frosting.