A/N: So I was watching 3x18 of teen wolf with the beautiful scenes between Lydia and Scott and it struck me that we don't see a lot of their friendship but it has evolved SO MUCH and I just want to see more of it. Hence this drabble. Not quite sure what this is because I sort of just let it flow wherever it wanted but hopefully it's not too big of a mess. Unbeta-ed so any mistakes are one hundred percent mine :)
Disclaimer: Obliviously Teen Wolf and the characters are not mine. This is just my interpretation of them.
Lydia often wondered how she got through her first sixteen years without her friendship with Scott McCall.
Standing at his locker waiting patiently as he pulled his books out one by one, Lydia watched his movements. It occurred to her how familiar this had become. It was common for her to wait at his locker before he walked her to her class across the hall. Regardless of whether Stiles was around too, it was Scott's locker she waited at. He didn't even question her presence anymore. It just was because that's how their life was now.
Lydia couldn't even pinpoint the exact moment she and Scott became proper friends. It wasn't like they hung out alone much. She only seemed to interact with him when Allison and the rest of the supernatural teens were around. But she liked Scott. Not in a romantic way; she had gotten that out of her system early on thank heavens. She just genuinely liked him and they got along well. They'd both grown up a lot over the course of the last few whirlwind-fueled year or so, and despite the unfortunate reason for it, Lydia was glad. She didn't think that the old Lydia would have gotten along with Scott as much as she did now. If Lydia was confronted with her old self (and in this new supernatural world around her she wouldn't be surprised if that happened) she had a feeling the old her would be extremely bewildered.
The old Lydia, pre-werewolf awareness had been content cruising through school and the social life with it. She'd been quite comfortable in the popular clique. But despite this she had never found herself with any proper close friends. She only had Jackson and looking back now, he wasn't much to brag about. To be friends with people like Scott was new. She'd never had a good male friend around before and now she had a whole bunch of them, all with different roles in her life. How exactly had that happened?
There was Danny of course - her last tie to Jackson. Despite being best friends with Jackson he was practically the polar opposite. He was also completely oblivious to the entire supernatural world in his backyard. Lydia had to admit sometimes it was nice to talk to him without stressing about the latest supernatural creature tipping her world upside down. With Danny, she was able to relax and pretend for a brief moment that she might be semi-normal, that the werewolves and kitsunes and darachs were just a big long crazy nightmare. Danny was easy to talk to and their relationship had always been comfortable. He had provided her with a pair of listening ears back when she had been dating Jackson, and had been a helpful go-between during their epic arguments.
Now that was over, it was nice to know Danny hadn't abandoned their friendship. Perhaps he saw her as his last tie to his best friend too. They didn't talk a lot at school, since most of her time these days was taken up by werewolves and the like. But it was Danny who came over for movie nights at least once a month, the two of them quite comfortable to cosy up on the couch with blankets and The Notebook. She knew she could rely on him to open his house up to her if she needed a night away from her crazy mother, as he had done in the past when Jackson was getting drunk god-knows-where. Danny was reliable.
"That's like really good." Danny's utter oblivion to the chaos surrounding him is something of a guilty pleasure for Lydia. She keeps him as close as she can knowing that as long as he is unaware of the supernatural in his backyard, she has somewhere safe to land when she needs an escape.
There was even Isaac, whose friendship with her had come as quite a surprise. She had initially seen him as too different, more damaged, too much mystery for her to be bothered investigating. The fact that he had once been considered an enemy to her pack didn't help. No one had explicitly spelt it out but Lydia wasn't stupid. She was almost certain that everyone had suspected her to be the kanima before they clued in on Jackson. And after figuring out that Derek had tried to kill the kanima, it appeared that Isaac had tried to help kill her. It wasn't the best premise for a friendship. Lydia found it hard to trust people enough as it was.
That had all changed now. Isaac had proved himself loyal and dedicated to Scott and the new pack time and time again. Somehow in his mission to prove his loyalty to Scott, he had taken it up on himself to make things right with Lydia too. Initially this yearning for her friendship appeared via a coffee in her hand when she had forgotten to order one in the rush of her crazy mornings. Or perhaps in the hesitant brush of his hand on her shoulder after the banshee within took over and she was left shaking and blurry eyed. Over time she gradually gave more of herself in return as she learned to trust the lanky werewolf. Now their friendship revolved around snarky remarks about their friends while they hovered at the back of pack meetings, coffee cups in hand. It was a friendship that didn't surprise her though. They were both full of sass and it was nice to be around someone who could keep up and match her dry remarks.
She isn't even aware that he is there until she realizes that the arrow has stopped only an inch from her face. Isaac isn't even watching her, too concerned for Allison's mental state now and rightly so. But as the trio walk out of the woods, thankfully all unharmed she catches his eye and with a mimed 'thanks' she lets herself absorb some of his warmth. He doesn't say anything in return. The feel of his palm warm and protective on her back says enough.
Then there was Stiles of course, who she still struggled to consider a friend sometimes in his moments of bizarre behavior and odd ramblings about dead babies. They worked well as a team when they needed to, she knew that now. He was almost as intelligent as her, and understood how her brain worked. He was like his father, a detective at heart. It was always entertaining to break down each detail with him. She knew she could count on him to be listening with all ears, taking in every possibility she offered. She knew he still had feelings for her too which complicated things sometimes. At least he seemed content being friends for now. But still their friendship occasionally felt full of tension and unspoken hopes that had the potential to change everything.
There were moments when she wondered whether she wanted more after all. His ever strong faith in her was reinforced again and again, leaving her to wonder if she wanted the same thing he did after all. But stepping into a relationship with Stiles was a step she was still too hesitant to take. It meant real feelings and real trust. It meant stepping into the complete unknown. Instead she tucked her feelings away and turned to the bad guys like Aiden to distract her from the growing awareness that she needed more. She couldn't completely escape Stiles though. No matter how hard she tried to brush him off, he always found his way into her heart, bit by bit.
Lately he had begun to cave into the darkness in his mind, and she could feel the distance between them growing. Stiles had sacrificed himself to save his father, clinging to Lydia's wrist as he sunk into the darkness. For reasons only Deaton understood, Lydia had been his tether. She was supposed to be the one to bring him out of this darkness. At first she hadn't understood what Deaton meant, but watching Stiles now, she was beginning to realise. She was going to be the one to tether him to the light. To keep him from being lost forever. Unfortunately right now she was clueless on how to help. Her studies had never covered how to help someone who was literally losing their mind.
"Scream Lydia! Scream!" His voice is enough. His confidence in her abilities has never wavered, even when she was full of doubt. His belief pushes her over the edge of fear and the banshee within rears up from within. When she calms down, it's Stiles she sees first. As they rush to save Kira, it's Stiles who whispers his words of comfort in her ear. His words always bring her back. She just hopes she will be able to do the same for him.
But then there was Scott. The sweet dork had somehow snuck his way into her trust circle and become one of the people she relied on most.
His status of true alpha, whatever that meant, had given him a lot more confidence these days, even if he himself sometimes struggled to understand it. There was a time when Lydia had been hesitant to trust anything Scott said. Back when Scott and Stiles were just two idiotic boys who kept irritating her between classes. With furtive glances and frantic whispers about kanimas and the mistaken wrath of Derek Hale. She hadn't known either of them the way she did now. Back then they were just two dorks causing her serious embarrassment.
There had been time when Lydia told herself she was stupid for even giving Scott and Stiles two minutes of her day. She used to think being seen with them put her in trouble of completely falling off the social ladder, for good reason too. She had seen the way Jackson and the rest of the group had turned their noses down at Stiles in particular, with his inability to speak without flinging hands everywhere. Scott was more of a threat to Jackson than anything else, as Lydia had been quick to pick up on. She hadn't exactly reacted well to this revelation, flinging herself at him. She had been desperate to that she wasn't just popular because of Jackson, that she was somebody who could seduce anyone if she wanted. He had been a target in her eyes. A distraction, nothing more.
But a lot had changed since then. A lot had happened. Lydia couldn't even count the number times she had woken out of a banshee-driven daze Now whenever Lydia caught Scott's eye in the hall, she found herself flashing him one of her not-so-rare-anymore genuine smiles. She didn't even think twice about reaching out to squeeze his shoulder as she passed him. When Scott told her to 'stay here' when the latest horrific creature was lurking around, no longer did she doubt him. Now she placed her life completely in his hands.
Lydia was part of Scott's little pack now. She wasn't completely sure when this had become official but she had accepted it a long time ago. She wasn't a werewolf so she didn't exactly feel the same connection to him that Isaac or Derek did, but she understood the level of trust that Scott's pack put in him because she did the same thing. But it was more than that. Scott wasn't just her alpha, he was one of her best friends.
Somewhere between banshee revelations and mysterious kitsunes, Lydia found herself texting Scott with reminders for English essays due the next day and fun facts about whatever topic she was currently reading. In return she received Scott's replies with sweet reminders to rest after an exhausting night of screaming and searching for dead bodies. Her phone contained hundreds of texts sent between the two of them. If she didn't see him much during the day it only felt natural to send him a text, if only to tell him a funny conversation she had with Allison. They didn't have a lot of alone time together, just the two of them. The nature of their supernatural life didn't seem to allow for that. But Lydia knew they didn't need that. It just took a simple squeeze of his hand as she asked him to help find the bodies, or that same reassuring hand on her back as he guided her out of the hospital where Stiles lay with an undeclared fate. These gestures were what made up her friendship with Scott.
His hand is firm around her wrist, pulling her along beside him gently. They walk away from the hospital, away from Stiles. Her mind is still reeling from the knowledge that her powers have let her down. They have never let her down like this, not when it mattered so much. She doesn't even notice that she is moving until she looks down and sees her feet moving on their own, following Scott's footsteps. She follows him down the hall, not knowing what else to do. She is utterly lost. Somehow Scott's hand on hers keeps her from breaking down now. So she follows him.
"Are you okay?" Scott's quiet tone managed to break Lydia out of her deep thoughts, pausing before he slammed his locker shut with a crash. She still felt her self jolt slightly at the crash of metal on metal. Lydia was about ninety percent sure that Scott still forgot he had werewolf strength now. It was a miracle he hadn't broken a locker door yet, the way he swung it to meet the locker with a bigger spurt of energy than necessary. Lydia nodded to assure Scott that she wasn't having some banshee premonition. The worried crease above his brow didn't waver though.
"You were deep in thought though. Is it Stiles? I'm going to find a way to fix this. I swear to God."
He had said something like this before, Lydia remembered vividly. It was a habit of his, it seemed. His determination to fix things. Shaking her head again, she gave a light tug on his jacket to bring him in step with her. They walked down the hall quietly for a few moments, the only sound between them being a sigh from her as he reaches to take her books into his own arms. She lets him though. She knows it's his way of trying to look after everyone. He can't, it's just the way things are. He knows it too. But if carrying her books sets him at ease, she won't stop him.
"I was just thinking about you." She said finally, realising that they are about halfway to her classroom and she still hasn't explained herself. Scott didn't say anything, just cocking his head to the side in question. "Just thinking how lucky I am that we're friends."
"It goes both ways." Scott cut in immediately, his eyes warm. She smiles and nods.
"I know. You'd be a mess without me." She joked, attempting to lighten the mood both between them and inside her. Scott's grin gave her a sense of accomplishment. It's nice to know the two of them can smile, despite their situation. Despite Stiles' situation.
They arrived at her classroom and the absence of Stiles, still hiding away until they find a solution, made Lydia feel like she was suffocating. She accepted the books from Scott wordlessly. Glancing up at him she was fairly sure that he knew exactly what she was thinking. Without another word he wrapped one arm around her in a quick hug.
"I'll see you after school." He murmured with a nod. She nodded back, already feeling the tension in her stomach returning at the thought of another night of failed resolutions to come. As Scott turned away to head into his classroom, Lydia suddenly found her arm reaching out, her hand gripping his. He whirled back to face her, concern painted all over his face.
Lydia glanced up and down the hall, almost empty now minus the last minute stragglers hurrying to class. She turned back to Scott and gave his hand a squeeze.
"We're going to be okay," is all she could think to say. It wasn't any big speech. It didn't make everything seem easy. It didn't solve any of their problems. But it seemed to help Scott. He returned the squeeze of her hand and flashed her warm smile before ducking into his classroom.
Lydia watched as he shut the classroom door behind him and disappeared from her view. She let herself stand still for a moment, taking a breath before she entered her classroom. As she settled into her own chair, pointedly ignoring the teacher's glare, she let the tiniest of smiles slip up her lips. She knew the situation with Stiles was dire. She knew she was surrounded by danger these days. She was surrounded by more mythology coming to life every day. She was Lydia Martin, the banshee whose only role seemed to be finding the bodies. But she smiled anyway. This new life she had been submersed in has its fair share of horrors. But there was a light amongst the dark. Despite it all, she had gained a friend in Scott. It was worth battling all the kanimas and nogitsunes if she did it with Scott by her side.
"You get me the time and I'll do something about it. I swear to God I will." It is this moment that sticks in Lydia's mind whenever she thinks of her friendship with Scott. It is this moment that defines them. Clutching his hand in hers as they watch the oblivious students and teachers in front of them, she feels the tension in her veins fade ever so slightly. She knows that no matter what horrors unfold tonight, no matter how awful her screams get, Scott will be there.