Have you ever watched a cheesy movie with the traditional "welcome home" scene? Well Lydia felt as though she was watching one of those scenes unfold in front of her. This scene though, wasn't cheesy. What she was watching was kind of beautiful. The reuniting of a father and son. A pair, that through it all, are thick as thieves. The girl watched humbly as the two embraced one another. It made her heart swell. She really hoped this would be the weekend could be the one that starts bringing Stiles back. Lydia still found it hard to believe that the boy in front of her ever changed.
Lydia found herself thinking back to senior year. The two were knee deep in one of their numerous study sessions. Graduation was right around the corner and Lydia, surprisingly, was the nervous one.
"Stiles what if college is totally lame? What if the pack falls apart?"
Lydia had been pacing around the boy's room for the last half hour. Stiles was sitting on his bed watching the girl as she walked the length of his room.
"Lydia everything is going to be just fine. You've been dreaming about college for years now! You have nothing to worry about."
Mid step she paused to look his way. "I'm going away! Everyone is staying here and I'm moving across California. What if we lose touch? I can't let that happen Stiles."
She had watched his face lose it's playfulness, and watched how it quickly filled with sadness, and now his eyes burned holes in the floor. "Stiles?"
Lydia still got chills down her spine when she thought about how he looked up at her. He looked empty, and Lydia hadn't understood where it came from. In an instant, the boy's mood had taken a turn for the worse. "Stiles, what's wrong?"
It tore at her heart to see him like this; to see him look so broken.
Stiles motioned for her to sit by him.
"Lyds I've been meaning to talk to you about something."
If nervousness was a person, it would be Stiles from that very moment.
"Stiles?" She remembered holding his hand. It had become a habit of theirs. Neither of them really thought much of it, but despite how often it happened, it never stopped her from feeling a spark when their hands touched.
"I-I decided not to stay here, I'm going to San Francisco. I can't do this any more, I can't be here. I just need some time away ya know? It's not you, or anyone from the pack for that matter, It's just…"
She remembers him shaking, clenching slightly on to her hand.
"It's personal..." Stiles had just barely breathed out the words.
Lydia hadn't known what to say in that moment. She had been confused, it wasn't part of the plan Stiles had talked so proudly about. He never strayed away from the plans, that's how he was.
A moment later Stiles was now the one pacing his room.
"I-I'm sorry. I know this doesn't help you and is probably just adding more stress-"
"Stiles please calm down and just come sit back down." They had both been surprised by how stern her voice was.
Like a lost puppy, Stiles made his way back to where he once sat on the bed.
Lydia had noticed how nervous he was, and wondered why. Sure it meant one more of their friends away, but she was the one that was supposed to be nervous, not him. Stiles was the one who was supposed to be keeping them all together.
"Why did you decide to switch?"
"I'm just tired Lyds. I'm just so tired." Lydia knew Stiles suffered from anxiety, and just like Scott, he took the world on his shoulders. The Stiles she was looking at right now was not the Stiles she knew. This Stiles had bags under his eyes, and sadness across his features.
"Stiles are you okay?" Lydia had her own tears threatening to fall.
"You're acting like you did after the Nogis-"-
"Don't Lydia." She watched as the boy completely shut down. "Don't."
Since then, Lydia had wondered from time to time what that night was about. She never again saw the broken boy that had sat next to her that evening.
Had it been a one night thing? Or was that just a crack in his exterior?
Had she seen how Stiles really was?
What she feared most was now knowing how long it had been going on for.
They never spoke of that night, and it had ended with them both silently crying into one another, and falling asleep.
When she woke the next morning, Stiles had already made them breakfast, and any trace of the boy who cried last night had vanished. That was the day she realized her best friend had changed.
"Martin!" Lydia was drawn from her thoughts by the gold eyed boy that made her heart flutter.
Wait what?
"Martin were going inside. Dinner is about ready, and everyone is waiting for us."
"Oh sorry. Guess I was too deep in thought to notice."
Stiles rolled her eyes, "Stop day dreaming about me Lyds, it's embarrassing." He said it with a smirk playing on his lips.
"Damn it Stilinski. Not everything is about you."
The two continued to bicker until the sound of another car pulling into the Stilinski driveway. Scott and Kira were now here, and approaching the two. Stiles felt frozen in place, like his whole world stopped. He still didn't know how to act around Scott. Over the years they would go from being fine, to not fine. Stiles hated it. Scott was his brother, and quite literally by tomorrow.
Lydia noticed how Stiles had tensed up. She too, was a little nervous due to the phone call she had with Scott earlier that day. As if out of instinct, Lydia reached for Stiles' hand, and gave it a quick squeeze. After all these years, she still felt that same spark when their hands touched as she did each time before.
It seemed in their best interest for Lydia to say something first, so she quickly made her move to approach the incoming couple.
"Scott! Kira!"
Inky black hair cascaded through the air as Kira quickly ran in for a hug which was followed by something that sounded like a squeal.
"Lydia! I feel like I haven't seen you in forever!"
"I know, I know. I'm sorry. It has been crazy busy with the job and moving in. I won't let it happen again!"
Kira's big doe eyes lit up as she smiled widely. "Good!"
Once released, Lydia turned to her alpha friend.
"What? No running hug and squeal of excitement? I'm hurt McCall."
Her pink lips fell comfortably into a smirk. "Kidding."
Scott let out a low chuckle, "Hey Lydia."
The two shared a brief hug, but before separating Lydia whispered the simple phrase,
"Go easy on him." Knowing that his werewolf hearing would pick up her words.
Stiles stood frozen in the driveway. He watched as his friends embraced one another acting as friendly as they did back in high school. The boy couldn't help the feeling out being out of place that was starting to grow in his chest. It took all his strength to start moving one foot in front of the other as they felt as though they were cemented to the ground. He swallowed thickly and the palms of his hands started to sweat, but in an instant, Stiles stood in front of his long time best friend.
Scott moved away from Lydia's embrace to stand in front of Stiles. Stiles had no doubt that his friend could hear how fast his heart was beating. Neither of them spoke. They just stood there in the middle of the damn driveway, neither knowing what to say.
Stiles did his best to break the silence, "Scott I'm-" but the words didn't get out before the alpha brought the boy into a hug.
It took Stiles a moment to process what was going on. He was fully expecting a punch to the face. Slowly, Stiles reciprocated the hug fighting back a few tears that were brought upon by sheer relief.
"I'm so sorry."
Scott broke their hug and gave him his signature goofy grin, "You're my brother. It's going to take a lot more than the silent treatment for me to give up on you."
Stiles smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Thanks, man."
Scott nodded and looked over at the girls who seemed to have been holding their breath through out the entire exchange. "Well, shall we?" He moved to throw his arm around Stiles shoulders, and the two started making their way up to driveway to the house as they caught up on each other's lives.
"Well that went much better than I expected." Kira said softly.
Lydia too could barely find her voice, "You know those two, full of surprises." With that the two girls linked arms and followed along to join the others inside.
