A/N: Helloo everyone! Im still a little mad about the last episode, so im just gonna say fanfictions exist for a reason :) Thank you for reading this one! (and sorry for any grammar or spelling mistakes)

Xxxx

Lydia was on the dance floor with Allison when she noticed a fluster in the place, but decided to ignore whatever had happened. But it didn't take long until the girls overheard some gossip about the fight, and they faced each other, chocked, before running off to find their friends. They found Scott and Malia next to the pool, both looking just as stressed.

"I can't find Stiles anywhere," Scott told them, running his hand nervously through his hair. "He must've left."

"But what happened?" Allison asked, putting her hand on his arm.

"Theo is saying that Stiles simply attacked him," Malia answered, typing furiously on her phone. "I don't believe a word that piece of shit says."

"Stiles is not here to say if Theo's lying or not, so," Lydia murmured, stretching her neck, trying to spot Theo. Malia looked away from her phone and landed her angry eyes on the redhead. "I'm sorry, Malia, but why would he just leave if..."

"Do you really believe Stiles..."

"Well, he's not here to defend himself, is he?" Lydia confronted her.

"Hey," Scott cut in before they started arguing. "We still don't know what happened, so let's not jump into conclusions."

Lydia let out an impatient sigh. "Whatever. I'll be right back," she said, walking away.

The redhead wasn't having any difficulties to believe that Stiles could attack Theo for no reason. He had never made an effort to hide his hatred towards Theo, and had probably been wanting to engage that fight for a long time. Lydia was angry and Stiles. Why couldn't he leave her relationship with Theo alone? Didn't he realize that she was not a child anymore, that she didn't need him to take care of her?

She finally found Theo, lying on one of the stretchers by the pool, pressing a towel against his bleeding nose. Lydia felt her heart tighten as she walked towards him.

"Hey," she said softly, sitting beside his legs. Theo lifted his head and opened one of his eyes.

"Oh, it's you," he said, laying his head again. "Came to bring regards from your buddy?"

"What? No, of course not..." Lydia frowned, eyeing his bleeding and bruised face with worry. "Theo, what happened?"

"The coward jumped me, that's what happened," he answered, lowering the towel. "You can ask anyone. I was just minding my own business when he came stumbling in my direction, drunk out of his mind. I barely had time to defend myself."

Lydia felt her anger grow considerably. Stiles had definitely crossed the line. Drunk, acting like an idiot, getting into pointless fights; he was not the same person. And that Stiles, who she wasn't sure she knew, was about to get his ass handed to him.

"Theo, I'm so sorry," she said, grabbing his hand. "I never thought Stiles could do something like..."

"Nah, you don't need to say you're sorry," he dismissed her, closing his eyes. "There will be payback."

The redhead blinked, taken back by his words. "What... What do you mean?"

"I could press charges, but I won't," Theo explained. "Your friend will pay, and I'll make sure he regrets what he did."

Staring him wide eyed, Lydia asked herself how he could make a threat like that with such a calm voice. It was hard to defend Theo when he was talking about revenge. Lydia realized she was afraid to ask what he had in mind because, given the determination in his voice, she was afraid she wouldn't be able to stop him. She opened her mouth to stutter something, but was interrupted by a brunette girl approaching them.

"Hey, Theo," the girl with a smile, kneeling beside him and handing him a red plastic cup. "I brought your drink."

"Thanks," he grumbled, grabbing the cup and chugging down its content.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, raising her hand and running her fingers through his hair. Theo didn't bother with her touch, which seemed to be known by him. Lydia watched the scene with wide eyes and a gaped mouth. That girl was definitely not a stranger, not to him. She was probably another Lydia; or maybe Lydia was just another girl from his list.

Theo shrugged, adjusting his back on the stretcher.

"I could be better, but I'll be fine."

"Well, I can make you feel better," the girl murmured seductively, inching closer. Lydia felt like throwing up. She jumped to her feet, putting some distance between them.

"Okay, this is..." She began to say, shaking her head as she struggled to find the words amongst all the anger. "How could you... You son of a bitch..."

"And who the hell are you?" The girl asked, as if she had just noticed Lydia's presence. The redhead scoffed, wetting her bottom lip. She turned to the people standing near them, grabbed two cups from their hands, then threw the alcohol all over Theo and the brunette. The girl let out a high pitched scream and she stood up, stupidly trying to clean her ruined white dress. Theo screamed too, but in pain because of his burning cuts. Lydia almost felt bad about hurting him that way. Almost.

"Fuck, Lydia!" He cursed.

"You deserved it, you disgusting pig. You're a gross son of a bitch and you know what? I pity you," she spat at him. Lydia then turned to the brunette, who stared at her with a stunned expression. "And you, want some advice? Fuck him and then leave. That's what he's good for."

Lydia spun on her heels and walked away as fast as she could. She head Allison calling her name, but ignored it and went back inside the house, pushing people out of her way and fighting the tears that threaten to fall until she finally got outside.

"Lydia, slow down," Allison said, finally reaching her. She grabbed her friend's shoulder and looked at the redhead with concern. "Are you okay? That was..."

"I don't wanna talk about it," Lydia interrupted her. Then she sighed and closed her eyes. "Sorry, I just... I want to go home."

Allison pursed her lips and nodded understandingly.

"Alright. Scott already left with Malia," she said. "Let's call a cab."

Lydia nodded, and they walked to the street as Allison made the call. She knew she would end up talking to her friend about the past events, but at that moment she just wanted to be alone.

The cab arrived and they got in. It was a quiet drive; the brunette respected the silence of her friend, who was clearly too upset to talk. They stopped by Lydia's house first, and she paid her share of the ride.

"Hey, if you need me just call, okay?" Allison said before Lydia closed the car door.

"Okay. Thanks, Ally." The redhead smiled lightly and closed the door.

Her aunt was pulling and all-nighter at the hospital, so the house was dark and silent when she walked in. Lydia locked the front door and went upstairs, straight to her room. She placed her purse on her desk, kicked off her shoes and collapsed on the bed.

Lydia closed her eyes and wished she could turn back time. But since that was impossible, her only option was to lay there and deal with her own stupidity.

It was hard for her to believe how much of an idiot she had been. A big, incredible idiot. She should have listened to her friends, but no, she had to be all confident and make her own plan of action based on her own poor choices. Getting involved with Theo, knowing that he was her just her type? Terrible, terrible choice. And fall for his lies, even after the multiple warnings from her friends? Lydia felt so stupid it was unbelievable.

She hadn't planned to start liking Theo. She had meant it when she said she wasn't looking for a boyfriend, that the only thing between them was physical attraction. But that was just her conveniently forgetting that all her relationships had worked in the very same way: they were basically physical, both sides together just by the desires of the flesh, nothing else. Lydia hadn't fallen for any of her old boyfriends - she had never fallen in love, ever. Deep feelings like that were never part of her relationships, that was why they were so fleeting, they started and ended too easily.

Theo wanted her. That was clear by the way he looked at her and touched her. He gave her the attention she liked, she made her feel powerful, the figure of his dreams. The attraction was irresistible, the sparkle between them burned every time they were together. Lydia should have seen where she was headed. She had walked voluntarily to the trap, she had played against herself and she hadn't realized how big was the mistake she was making until that night.

The fact that Theo was clearly involved with more than one girl wasn't the thing that upset her the most. It didn't even hurt; she had been there before, being cheated on wasn't a big chock anymore. What was killing her was knowing that the first she did when she heard about the fight was turn against Stiles. Lydia choose Theo over him and it was wrong, and stupid, and she was ashamed.

Stiles was defending her. Watching out for her, just like he used to when they were kids, protecting her even she said she had it all under control. Stiles, her best friend, her safety blanket for the tough moments. Lydia was lucky to have him around, though she hardly ever acknowledged it. And now, drowning in regret and shame, she realized that she never really found someone like him, and that she never would if she lost him. Even though the momentarily anger she had felt towards him hadn't left the boundaries of her mind, she knew she had to apologize. She had to say how sorry he was for not thinking Stiles only had the best of intentions.

With a long sigh, Lydia got up from her bed and went to take a shower. After changing into her loose and comfortable stay-at-home clothes, she grabbed her phone and texted Stiles, asking him if he was okay. She waited anxiously for an answer as she made herself a sandwich in the kitchen, and text a bunch of other texts as she ate, and after she brushed her teeth and went to bed. Lydia stared at her phone for a few minutes before realizing he wasn't going to text back, so she put it on the bed stand and pulled the duvet up to her neck. She still had tomorrow to apologize.

Xxxx

"Malia! Malia, wait!" Stiles called, running after his girlfriend, who walked with large steps towards the front door. "Come on, we still need to talk!"

"Not now, Stiles," she said, pulling the door open and stepping out of the house. "Your friend is waiting for you."

He opened her mouth but was already gone, walking to her car. "Malia, I... Just wait, okay? We-"

"Not now!" She yelled before getting in her car and starting the engine. Stiles watched as she drove off, until she was out of his sight. He ran a hand through his hair, taking a deep breath, then turned on his heels and went back inside the house. He climbed the stairs slowly, wishing he never reached his room. Stiles was not in the mood for another lecture; he didn't want to deal with the consequences anymore. He had already fucked things up with Malia and put his relationship at risk. What else could happen?

Alone in the room, Lydia sat on the edge of his bed, fidgeting nervously with the hem of her oversized sweater. She knew why Stiles and Malia were fighting, because it was her fault. Everything that had happened the night before had been her fault. She bit her lip as she held back the tears. What if he didn't forgive her? What would she do?

Stiles entered the room, and Lydia jumped to her feet. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt anything, you guys seemed to be in the middle of a very serious conversation and I just..." She began saying right away.

He frowned. "It's, okay..."

"I know I should have called, but I did call a few times and you weren't answering so I had to... come and check on you..." Her voice died as her eyes focused on his face, so pretty, bruised with colors she had helped painting. Stiles looked tired and defeated and Lydia hated it. The tears came to her eyes and she didn't make an effort to stop them. The pain he was feeling was also her fault.

Stiles was taken back by her reaction. She wasn't pissed at him - she was crying in a heartbreaking way, and it was unexpected. He crossed his room with two large steps and took her in his arms without hesitation. Lydia hugged him by the waist and buried her face on his chest, sobbing uncontrollably. He caressed her hair to calm her down, not really sure if there was anything else he could do. Stiles was not used to seeing her like that, it bothered him profusely. He hated to see her cry.

Eventually, her sobs slowed and she began to breathe properly, but he didn't step away.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." Lydia murmured against his shirt. Stiles frowned, confused. "It's all my fault, I'm so sorry..."

"Hey, hey," he said softly, breaking the hug and pulling her towards the bed, where they sat facing each other. "Why are you apologizing?"

"'Cause it's true," she said, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "I s-should have listened to you guys, I am such an idiot..."

"No, Lydia... Hey, look at me," he murmured. Lydia lifted her eyes to him, and Stiles gave her a small smile. "None of this is your fault, okay? Don't be so hard on yourself, you did nothing wrong."

"You knew he was cheating on me, didn't you? You saw it."

Stiles sighed and licked his bottom lip. "Yeah, I did, at the party."

"Was that why you two were fighting?"

He scratched the back of his neck. "Well, yes," he answered. "That's why it's not your fault. I was the idiot, I shouldn't have gone for him like that. I mean, the guy is twice my size."

Lydia shook her head. "But you warned me about him, and I'm familiar with the kind of guy he is. I honestly don't know what I was expecting..." She let out a short, bitter laugh. "I never learn."

"So let's turn last night into a lesson to us both," Stiles said. "You say put an end to your experiences with Theos and I put an end to my career as an Avenger."

The redhead laughed. "If it makes you feel better, Theo looked way worse than you."

"Being an Avenger is not for anyone, Lydia," he said with a very serious face. "My career was short, but effective."

"How's that?"

"I did kick his ass Avenger style."

Lydia laughed harder this time, and he joined her. It didn't even look like only a few minutes before, she had been crying on his chest. It seemed to be impossible for her to feel bad about anything when she was around him.

She raised a hand and carefully landed it on his cheek, caressing his bruised cheekbone with a light touch. The laughed slowly died on his lips. His heart pace began to speed up because of the unexpected touch. Her vibrant green eyes wandered around his face and she sighed.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. Their eyes met and Stiles, who had been staring intensely at he, blinked. "I'm so sorry you're hurt."

"Don't worry," he said, giving her a small smile. "It doesn't hurt that much. I mean, yeah, of course I wish I didn't look like this, but I can handle the pain. And I'm sorry too, for what Theo did to you."

Lydia sniffed. "Yeah, so am I."

"He's a jerk. No, I'm a jerk. Theo's like a totally different type of jerk... Something radioactive. Or alien. Nothing worth studying. Dangerous for the kids. And for the grown ups."

Stiles stopped rambling, something he did a lot when he was nervous, while she laughed at the nonsense that came out of his mouth. He'd rather see her laughing like that, because he liked to see the dimples on her cheeks and the sparkle in her eyes. In that moment, Lydia wasn't wearing any makeup, her strawberry blonde hair was up in a messy bun, and he thought she looked beautiful.

"Well, now I have to go," she said, getting up. "Gotta catch up with some homework."

"Really? I thought homework had to catch up with you," he joked, also leaving the bed.

"Come on, I'm a normal senior year student, Stiles."

"I highly doubt that, but okay."

Lydia shoved his shoulder playfully as he chuckled. Stiles followed her as she left the room and walked down the stairs. When they reached the front door, she turned to face him.

"I'm really glad you're fine," Lydia said, smiling.

Stiles waved his hand dismissively."Oh, I'm always fine. Don't worry about me."

The redhead smiled and stepped closer. Standing on her tiptoes, she put her arms around his neck and hugged him. Stiles' heart began to race again, something that hadn't happened the first time they hugged that day. This time, he couldn't help but notice the sweet smell of her strawberry hair, the very same smell from when she was younger... Stiles rushed to end that line of thought. He knew how her hair smelled when they were kids because... Well, he paid attention to everything in her back then. But that wasn't the case anymore.

Snap out of it, he told himself.

Lydia stepped back from the hug and Stiles quickly put a smile on his face.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said, opening the door. "Call me if you need anything."

The boy nodded, not knowing if he could trust his voice. Lydia smiled again and walked out the door. He watched her walk down the street, because they didn't live too far from each other. When he closed the door, Stiles rested his forehead on the wood and sighed. He thought about Malia, about how much he loved her. About how much he wanted to fix things between them. Stiles asked himself if it could be possible for the ghost of what he used to feel for Lydia to still be alive. And if he was, he wondered how fast he could made it go away for good.