Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. The only thing that belongs to me is the plot idea.


There was no worse sound in the world than the metallic clanging of the final bell. The fact that it signaled freedom from what many students found an odious experience (Secretly Lydia rather liked school, both for the academics it provided, and the healthy social life she gave) could not redeem the way that wailing and whinny sound grated upon her ears on a good day. Today, it was not aiding the pounding head that she had been suffering through all day.

The sour look that such a sound created did not leave her face even once she was out of the building that was supposed to educate her, and moving amongst the other students in supposedly fresh air. To her she thought it reeked of garbage and people struggling to be worth her notice (and failing). Just one day it would be nice to be presented with someone, anyone, that at least earned the disgusted look that she shot them; most of the time she felt she was giving them too much effort with that.

"Martin. Miss I'm Too Good For You's name is really Lydia Martin." Though she did not react to it, the voice of the man who fell into step with her was far more familiar than it probably should have been, considering she had only spoken to him once and for such a short amount of time. However, in a town where she struggled to find anyone deserving of her attention, she really couldn't go around getting the few that proved themselves to be in the running confused. She did in fact, have an IQ that was higher than that.

Pulling on the strap of her designer messenger bag the girl gave a slight hum in the back of her throat, "Well look who did his homework."

"I might know some people."

"Stalking is considered a crime in this part of the country, you know. Actually, last I checked it was crime in all of the country."

"Are you going to call the police?"

Out of the corner of her eye she grazed over his form, settling on finding the whole thing very appreciative, before she pulled her eyes forward again and continued to walk, "I might consider it. I never bought that idle curiosity excuse."

He gave another one of those low laughs. This time she took a moment to listen to the whole thing, pick out the way that it flowed from the back of his throat, coming out with a full chesty sound that could only come from a set of lungs that could hold a lot of air. Which, of course, lead to another thought of what one could do with all that air.

Which lead her to be completely surprised as the grate she missed in the sidewalk caught hold of her heel, snapping the designer show (which accounted for half if not more of the scream she made), turning her ankle and causing the strawberry blonde to fall towards the ground.

Only she did not make it to the ground. Not before there were a pair of strong firm arms wrapping around her, holding her against the chest that she had just been thinking about and keeping her fair skin from being shredded by the pavement it had been intended for. The whole thing left Lydia more breathless than she would have otherwise been, and therefore (and this was the only reason as far as she was concerned) she was ill prepared for the sight of the ruggedly handsome face so close to her own.

"Seems like the shoe was hardly worth the money that you spent on it," there was a husky element to his voice, and his breath was warm on her face.

Now, despite what people might say about her, Lydia Martin did in fact have standards. There were many things that she would refuse to touch with a ten foot pole, let alone her lips, however as far as she could tell, with his firm body pressed against her own, his scent cloaking her, hiding the one of pathetic losers that she was use to, and that breath brushing against her skin with every exhale, Derek Hale was the opposite of every one of those things.

As of this moment, he was the new standard.

"Do I look like I'm thinking about my shoes right now?" her face showed a distinct lack of impression at his comment, "Are you going to kiss me or not, Hale?"

The answer appeared to be a very resounding yes.


A/N: A sort one, but I think it's... sweet in it's own way. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it, and please don't hesitate to leave a comment. I enjoy all types of comments particularly constructive criticism. I did write this AU story for my own amusement, however all comments will better my writing in someway, and in the end that is what I want.