The sun was sweltering as Stiles rode her bike down the long, winding path that led through the Beacon Hills Preserve to the Hale house. Dara had texted her just an hour earlier, telling her to come to her house for the day as they got ready for the party that would be held there later that afternoon. The Hales were out of town, leaving Dara with the house to herself, and she was taking full advantage of it.
As the large, beautiful house came into view, Stiles felt something flutter in her stomach at the prospect of spending the whole day with Dara, keeping the girl all to herself.
So, of course, when the door opened after Stiles knocked, her heart dropped as she spotted Kyle standing behind Dara.
Kyle was Dara's boyfriend, and had been for about the past four months. They weren't too serious, but were exclusive and tended to ignore their other friends whenever they were around each other.
Namely, they tended to ignore Stiles.
Double namely, Dara tended to ignore Stiles.
But whatever, Stiles was used to it, especially after her best friend Scott met Allison, the love of his life in sophomore year, and then met Kira, the other love of his life at the beginning of senior year.
However, when Dara and Stiles started getting closer than casual acquaintances shortly after Kira entered the picture, Stiles thought she had found someone who wouldn't forget her the second they started getting some.
Evidently she was wrong.
But Stiles wasn't jealous. Not of Kyle, anyway. She just wanted a loyal friend for once.
Okay, maybe she was a little jealous of Kyle, but it was only because he stole Stiles' best friend.
Okay, maybe that wasn't the only reason. Stiles could admit that she had started to notice… feelings for Dara. Mushy feelings. And, even worse, lustful ones.
Said feelings had become evident the day Dara had come to Stiles saying that this guy named Kyle had asked her out, and that they were going on a date later that week.
Stiles had felt and odd surge of jealousy and possessiveness at that, but had at first thought that it was because she didn't want to lose another friend to the short-lived inferno of teen romances. But then, later that day, Stiles had caught a glimpse of Dara changing out of her gym shorts in the locker room, bending down to slip them off her feet. Stiles' eyes had been glued to the soft skin of her thighs and the roundness of her butt as it pushed against the white cotton of her panties. She had felt her breath hitch and forced her gaze back in front of her, staring intently into her locker as she realized that her jealousy didn't quite stem from friendship…
The last week had been a bit different though, with Kyle being a tad more aggressive and Dara spending more time with her, and Stiles held onto hope that maybe she hadn't lost her friend.
Soft yet firm arms wrapping around her neck brought Stiles out of her head, and she quickly wound her own around Dara's waist, burying her nose briefly in the long, dark hair and inhaling the scent of her shampoo before pulling away. Kyle tugged Stiles into a one-armed hug and gave her a noogie, and then Stiles was pulling herself away and plastering on a fake smile.
She followed the couple into the kitchen where there was a box of cigarettes lying innocently on the counter next to a lighter.
That was another new habit that Kyle had introduced to Dara in the first month of their relationship, and, by extension, Stiles. The first time Dara had gotten Stiles to try one, she had choked and coughed harshly at the burn of the smoke. So instead of having Stiles puff straight from the cig, Dara took a drag of it and blew it into Stiles' open mouth. It had left her breathless, but no longer from the smoke.
Now, every time they smoked together, it was practically tradition for Dara to blow the first pull into Stiles' face before continuing. Whenever she did it, Stiles had to force herself to breathe in instead of holding her breath, like she naturally felt compelled to.
The three of them sat in silence on the kitchen counter, filling the room with swirling smoke that they would later try to air out with open windows and fans and mask with air-fresheners.
To say that Stiles was upset about Kyle being there was an understatement of massive proportions. She had been looking forward to a day with just the two of them, hanging out and talking and watching movies and smoking. Just being themselves with each other. But with Kyle there, they both were completely different people. Stiles was much more subdued in her natural energy and enthusiasm, and Dara acted like she was putting on a show for him- being extra flirty (Dara was never flirty), laughing at all of his jokes (even though they weren't funny, and the only person Dara really found funny was Stiles, anyway), and constantly placating his temper (even though she constantly challenged everyone else in her life). It wasn't… her. It was all an act, and she often looked sad or irritated when he wasn't looking.
Stiles for the life of her couldn't figure out why Dara even gave him the time of day.
Suddenly, Dara dropped off the counter and stated, "We should swim."
With nothing better to do for the next few hours, Stiles and Kyle agreed. But to be honest, Stiles would've said yes even if she had a million other things she had to get done. Stiles followed Dara to her bedroom where she had her swimsuit stored away in one of the drawers, because the only time she ever really went swimming was when she was at Dara's.
Pulling off her shirt, Stiles chanced a quick glance at Dara whose back was on full display, black, elegant triskele tattoo stark against her fair, smooth skin. Stiles remembered when she had gotten that tattoo. It was on her 18th birthday, and she had dragged a squeamish Stiles with her, who had almost passed out just watching the needle frantically stab at Dara's beautiful skin. Dara had scoffed and called her a baby, but the fond smile on her face had made Stiles smile through the nausea.
She smiled lightly at the memory, going back to putting on her own swimsuit. The feeling of eyes on her sent a small thrill through her spine and she peeked over at Dara through the corner of her eye, but the other girl was looking firmly at the ground as she tied her black bikini strap around the back of her neck.
They changed in silence, but it wasn't as thick as it had been in the kitchen. For some reason, it just seemed like a quiet sort of day.
Kyle was already sitting in a lounge chair by the pool when the two girls finally made it outside. Together, they jumped in the water and broke the surface laughing. Stiles spit water in Dara's face, which earned her a glare and a forceful dunk back into the water. They messed around for a bit, splashing around and floating and racing. Until Kyle jumped in, too. Then, it was Stiles watching as he carried Dara around on his back through the water. Dara kept looking over at Stiles, like she was checking in on her, and every time Stiles would send her a reassuring smile that she didn't really feel.
They got tired of the pool before too long and decided to go back inside to shower and get ready for the party in a few hours. Still in their suits, Dara yanked Stiles into the shower with her, where they washed their hair and scrubbed their bodies of the chlorine, brushing against each other with every movement in the cramped stall. After only a moment's hesitation, Stiles reached out and started massaging the shampoo into Dara's scalp. The girl let out a groan and tipped her head down so that Stiles could get at more of it. It was like petting a cat with the way she was practically purring in content, and it was so endearing that Stiles couldn't help but let out a giggle. Head snapping up, Dara huffed and rolled her eyes before forcefully spinning Stiles around and threading her fingers through the brown hair, scrubbing through the pixie cut with a firmness that dragged an almost obscene moan from Stiles' throat. The fingers tangled in her locks stilled for a moment before resuming with even more forcefulness. Dara tugged lightly at the silky strands and Stiles let out another pornographic mewl and let her head tip back until it made contact with Dara's shoulder. Stiles hadn't realized that she had been standing so close, but now all she could process were the sensations of Derek's fingers in her hair and her body pressed lightly up against Stiles' back. The steam in the shower seemed to thicken as Stiles opened her eyes and turned her head to the side so that she could see Dara's face.
It was so close. The girl's long, dark hair straightened down with the weight of the water cascading down onto it, rinsing out all the soap and leaving it looking almost black. Her eyes were their usual mixture of brown and blue and green, but seemed somehow brighter and even more gorgeous in the shroud of steam that enveloped them. A drop of water raced down her eyelash when she blinked, and made its way along her face and stopped at her lips, which parted ever so slightly to let the tip of her tongue collect it and bring it back into her mouth.
Without thinking, Stiles leaned slightly nearer to those lips, breathing a little heavier, and mind wrapped in a fog much like her body was.
Then her eye started burning so badly that she slapped a hand up to it, jerking away from Dara and slipping on the tile, falling to the shower floor in a waterfall of soap bottles. She hissed as the water rinsed the shampoo out of her eye, listening to the barking laughter Dara was sending her way and cursing the damn soap for ruining the moment.
But then, as she looked up at Dara's grin and heard her beautiful amusement, Stiles smiled and thought that maybe it didn't.
Once both girls were clean and in comfortable clothes, they wrapped their hair in towels to dry and sat on the bathroom floor across from each other. Reaching into a cabinet, Dara pulled out a small tub of nail polish that Stiles knew for a fact did not belong to her. After rummaging through it for a brief moment, she extracted a bottle of black. Stiles wouldn't expect any different. Taking the bottle from her, Stiles gave it a good shaking before settling Dara's right hand on her knee and applying the black paint.
She applied it to both hands and then did a second layer, all the while sharing shy and oddly intimate smiles with Dara.
They finished Dara's nails, who then did Stiles' in the same color without even asking first. Not that Stiles would've chosen anything different.
Before she knew it, they were back in Dara's bedroom, getting dressed for the party. As Dara plugged her phone into the speaker, Stiles wondered what Kyle had been doing the whole time. Probably smoking or watching TV, she thought, shrugging it off as one of her favorite songs came on. The two girls grinned at one another as the music started blasting through the speakers. They swayed toward the middle of the room and started dancing and singing along with the song.
"I didn't know I was lonely 'til I saw your face.
I wanna get better, better, better, better, I wanna get better!
I didn't know I was broken 'til I wanted to change.
I wanna get better, better, better, better, I wanna get better!"
They jumped around the room, twirling around each other and the whirling curtains, belting out the words to an invisible audience.
"Woke up this morning early before my family
From this dream where she was trying to show me
How a life can move from the darkness.
She said to get better.
Stiles leapt up onto Dara's bed, grabbing her hand and pulling her up as well. Together, the sang almost louder than the music and used their fists as microphones.
So I put a bullet where I shoulda put a helmet,
And I crash my car cause I wanna get carried away!
That's why I'm standing on the overpass, screaming at myself,
'Hey, I wanna get better!'"
The song ended and the two girls fell in a heap on the mattress, panting for air and clutching their sides as they laughed. Another few songs passed as they lay there, neither wanting to disrupt the content atmosphere.
The door slammed open and they both bolted up into sitting positions as Kyle entered the room. "The hell are you still doing in here? People are gonna start getting here soon, and we still have to set out the snacks and shit."
The sigh that Dara let out was so quiet that Stiles could barely hear it, even from right next to her. It sounded so sad and resigned; Stiles just wanted to pull her into a hug and never give her a reason to make that noise again.
Stiles ushered Kyle out of the room and the girls finished getting ready, adding the last touches of makeup and straightening their clothes. Dara looked gorgeous, as always, and Stiles struggled to keep her eyes and hands to herself.
Fifteen minutes later, the first few people arrived. After that it was like a floodgate had been opened and more people were entering the house in a steady stream until the house was packed with teenagers, all getting high and drunk and horny. Dara and Stiles at on the couch, each with a cup of soda. Neither really liked beer, but Kyle did, obvious by the way he was chugging down bottle after bottle across the room.
He was substantially drunk as he stumbled over the the couch. His hand shot out and latched onto Dara's arm, dragging her up onto her feet, pulling her close and mouthing at her neck from behind. The expression on Dara's face was one of false amusement and hidden resignation, so unlike her. She looked down and caught sight of Stiles' frown, which Stiles looked away to hide, but then she peaked up again and saw Dara's face harden. She shoved Kyle off her back harshly and dropped back to her place next to Stiles, who breathed a sigh of relief. Dara was still upset, but more herself, as Kyle scoffed and wobbled back over to his seat to drink more beer.
None of them smiled for the rest of the party.
Everyone had left a few hours later, and Stiles was alone. Although slightly wary of what she might find, she went off to search for Dara and Kyle. Walking down the halls of the large house, Stiles passed an unconscious Kyle lying in an armchair, and continued on to the backyard.
Sure enough, there she was. Stiles sighed and walked over to Dara, lowering herself to the concrete with her feet in the water, just like the dejected girl next to her.
They sat in silence, staring into the water. After a moment, Stiles felt Dara's head lean over to rest against her shoulder, nuzzling in slightly. Neither made a noise, content to just bask in each other's presence, drawing comfort from the other. The sunny, clear weather betrayed the glum feeling blanketing the house and its occupants.
That is, until Stiles looked over at the girl lying on her shoulder to see her gazing right back. The silence went from comforting to charged in just that one glance and this time, Stiles couldn't look away. Unconsciously and almost imperceptibly, they started to lean closer, sharing the same air and weighted looks into each other's eyes.
So close. Just a few inches away, and getting even closer, close enough to touch, close enough to-
Without warning, Stiles was flying backwards by a hand gripped tight in her short hair. Pain exploded in her lip and cheek and nose and forehead- her entire face really, as she landed roughly on the bricks surrounding the backyard garden. Her senses were in some sort of dulled overdrive, feeling the hot blood drip down her face and into her mouth, hearing the sound of yelling through the ringing in her ears and trying to make sense of it through the dizziness enshrouding her brain. The hysterical scream of her name forced Stiles to open her eyes and seek out Dara, who was staring at her and trying to get to her through Kyle, but he wasn't letting that happen. Even from her weakened state on the ground, Stiles could see the bruising grip he had on Dara's arms and hear the venomous words he was hurling in her face.
"No, you look at me when I'm talking to you! Don't look at her! Her?! Really?! How could you do this to me?!"
Dara's eyes were wide with fear and unshed tears as her gaze snapped back to Kyle's enraged gesturing. Seeing Dara so genuinely afraid was something Stiles never wanted to experience, and it filled her with a rage so potent that she found herself fighting to her feet, despite the pain that rippled through her limbs.
"How dare you, you bitch! How dare you-"
Two screams cut off Kyle's invective rant, one from Stiles as she threw herself at him, and one from Kyle as he was knocked to the ground.
She didn't- couldn't hold back anymore. Her fists rained down on his face and his head blindly, not caring where she hit because she couldn't see beyond her hair and her tears anyway. Soon her knuckles were aching just as much as the rest of her body, but this pain was much more satisfying.
All too soon, hands were grappling at her shoulders, her clothes, her waist, trying to pull her off of him. She let the grip drag her back upright and was soon looking into the eyes of a crying Dara. She still looked beautiful.
Dara's hand moved from her clothes to her face, stroking her cheeks and wiping the blood from her lip.
And finally, finally, nothing could stop them from crashing together in a desperate, bruising kiss. Not Kyle, not the pain, not anything. They gasped into each other's mouths, and it was wet with spit and tears and blood, but none of that mattered because they were too caught up in each other to notice anything other than the euphoric feeling of finally truly being together, without any boundaries or limitations.
After a few seconds, or maybe minutes, maybe hours, they pulled apart, resting their foreheads together and gasping for air as one. Dara tugged at Stiles' shoulder, pulling her into a tight embrace. The relief that Stiles felt was so overwhelming, she couldn't do anything other than cling to Dara as tightly as possible, not wanting to ever have let go.
Luckily, by the way Dara was gripping back just as hard, she wasn't planning on letting go anytime soon.