She could feel his warm, large, hands gently caressing hers. His long fingers wrapped around her delicate wrists. His breaths were short and shallow; he was nervous.

She wanted to speak, to say something, anything. But she couldn't, she couldn't even open her eyes or move her fingertips to let him know that she was awake and knew that he was there, by her side. She felt like screaming. Her throat grew thick, like the feeling you get when you try not to cry. She hated herself for causing him so much pain. She couldn't remember how long she has been in this sleep paralysis state. Minutes seemed like hours; days felt like weeks.

"Lydia, come back," Stiles whispers. "Please come back to me." Stiles began rubbing his thumb over the inside of Lydia's tiny wrist when the nurse approached the outside of the door.

Lydia heard the door creak open, "Hey Stiles, I figured you would still be here," the nurse said. "I just came to check her vitals and then I will be on my way."

"Yeah I'm not going anywhere soon. Is she doing any better?" Stiles replied.

The nurses clammy hands lightly touched Lydia's rosy cheeks and forehead. "Looks like she broke her fever last night and her vitals are just about back to normal. The doctor will be coming in the morning to evaluate her state further."

"Okay," Stiles fell silent. Lydia still felt his hand resting carefully in hers; she tried to focus on moving her fingertips.

"Don't forget to take care of yourself, Stiles. The cafeteria is down the hall to the left and there are vending machines over there also."

"Thanks, I will go grab something in a little bit."

"Alright," Lydia could hear the nurse's footsteps reach the door and stop before exiting, "She is a very lucky girl to have someone like you in her life," the nurse said before exiting quickly. Stiles let out a slow exhale when the nurse left and began rubbing his index finger over her forearm, tracing her vibrant blue veins against her porcelain skin.

"So… I've heard that sometimes people that are in a medically induced coma can still hear and understand stories that other people tell and that it sometimes it helps bring them back," Stiles began to speak directly to Lydia, with little hope that she would be able to hear him through her comatose state.

"Um… I remember the first day I met you," he let out a chuckle, "you came into the third grade classroom with your long, fiery hair wind blown from the short walk into the building. Our teacher made you go up to the front of the class and tell the rest of the class where you were from and who you were and what not. You weren't scared at all, you were so confident in your self and that's when I knew I met my match. I remember turning to Scott and telling him how cute you looked. Then the teacher assigned you the seat right in front of myself and that's when you first smiled at me and I thought I was going to melt right then and there because of how hot my face turned. Scott laughed at me for days because of how nervous you made me; I wasn't able to talk to you. And really you scared the shit out of me because of how beautiful you were," Stiles paused for a moment and began tracing her veins again.

"Honestly, I still catch my breath when ever you're around. I have never met someone who is as beautiful, witty, or intelligent as you. You can strike a man down just by looking at him with your big green eyes. Lydia, you have no idea-," Stiles caught himself mid sentence. He knows he loves her. He doesn't want to be "just friends" with Lydia anymore. "So anyways, we didn't even become friends until last year, and everything has changed since." Stiles left the silence pass over them at that point.

He eventually made his way to the small couch that was against the wall underneath the only window in Lydia's small hospital room. He made a pillow out of his flannel shirt and curled up into a ball so he was able to fit his lanky body onto the sofa. Shortly after closing his eyes he fell asleep. Lydia was able to hear his soft snores and changed her breaths to match his.

When morning came, Lydia's body felt different; she was able to feel the needle that was piercing her left arm and could feel the coarse hospital sheets itching her bare feet. She knew she was close to waking up. She focused on moving her toes and fingertips. Eventually, which seemed like forever, but was only 13 minutes, she managed to wiggle her toes and twitch her fingers. She was on the brink of opening her eyes, she knew today was the day.

The door opened and she heard the loud clunking of shoes cross the room, by this point she knew exactly who it was without even hearing his voice. Stiles hand found hers; she knew things would be different when she wakes up. "Good morning Lydia, the doctor says that you are almost completely healed and that your head wound scabbed pretty nicely, which is kind of gross, but you aren't losing anymore blood. You still look angelic even with gauze wrapped around your head, it's not fair." He let out another one of his cute laughs. She wanted to punch him; he is so cute. Her fingers twitched.

"Oh my God!" Stiles exclaimed, "Lyds, are you there?" She tried so hard to give him another sign but her hands wouldn't do the things she wanted them to. Stiles was so excited that he ran out the door to grab the closest nurse he could find. When he came back with the nurse trailing behind him, his voice was filled with joy. "She's coming back! I know she heard me, she moved her fingers!"

"Mmm," Lydia croaked, her throat felt thick. She stretched her fingers out, searching for Stiles' hand.

"Oh! Let me go call the doctor, stay right here Stiles," the nurses voice was full of excitement.

Stiles took Lydia's hand in his, "Lyds, I'm right here."

"Stiles," Lydia's voice came out as a moan. Stiles gave her hand a soft squeeze and her eyes fluttered open.