Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Wolf.


Can't Take My Eyes off You

Chapter Eleven

"So, you guys are dating now, right?" Malia asks later as she drives Lydia and Kira to her apartment after their dance lessons for a girls' night.

Lydia's face reddens at her question and she shakes her head. "What? No," she denies. "Stiles and I aren't dating."

They stop at a red light and Malia turns to shoot her a disbelieving look. "Are you sure, Lydia?" she prods. "You looked pretty couple-y tonight."

Kira peeks her head in between them and stares at Malia with wide eyes. "What happened tonight?" she demands excitedly. "What'd they do now?"

"Nothing happened," Lydia says before Malia can respond. "We didn't do anything tonight just like we didn't do anything any of those other times."

"They were basically eye-fucking each other again in front of me and Derek earlier," Malia tells her with an eye roll and a smirk, completely ignoring Lydia. "For half a second I thought they were going to start making out in front of us."

Kira squeals with excitement and awkwardly hugs Lydia the best she can around the front seat. "Again? And I missed it?" She suddenly groans in disappointment and sighs. "I wish you would just tell him already, Lydia. I bet you'd be even happier than you are now once you tell him. You know he'll never make a move until you tell him how you feel."

The light mercifully turns green, forcing Kira back in her seat before she can say anything else, and Malia continues down the road. Lydia leans her head on the cool glass of the window and she watches as the buildings of downtown Beacon Hills passes by in a blur. She knows Kira is right, but every time she attempts to tell Stiles how she feels she hesitates and says something else instead. Afterwards, she always tells herself that she will tell him next time. But when next time comes, she does the same thing and the cycle repeats itself.

"I'm scared," she whispers. She feels her friends' eyes on her skin and a part of her wants to turn away from their scrutiny.

"Of what?" Malia asks carefully.

Lydia looks down at her hands, anxiously turning the ring on her finger around the digit over and over again. "Of losing my best friend," she admits softly. It's the first time she has said the words aloud and she feels like a weight has been lifted from her shoulders after finally confessing her greatest fear aloud for the first time. "He's my best friend and I don't want to somehow ruin our friendship and lose him that way. It would break me."

The car pulls to a stop along the curb outside Malia's apartment building and Lydia slowly turns to look at her friends. Kira is staring at her with a sympathetic look in her eyes that she immediately hates, while Malia frowns at her confusion.

"But that won't happen," she says like it's the most obvious thing in the world. "Stiles would literally do anything to make sure that wouldn't happen, Lydia. The absolute last thing he would ever do is hurt you. He loves you just as much as you love him." She suddenly leans in toward Lydia and deliberately sniffs her. "If him moving in with you – and you guys sleeping in the same bed every night – hasn't hurt your relationship, I don't know what will."

Lydia meets her friend's gaze and searches her dark eyes. She only finds sincerity and warmth there and it's reassuring. Malia wasn't one to mince her words or say things she didn't mean. It's one of the things Lydia loves best about the were-coyote.

"Thanks, Malia," she says with a small smile.

She frowns in confusion, her brow furrowed. "For what?"

"For being yourself," Lydia tells her.

Malia stares at her through narrowed eyes before nodding once. "I don't get it, but okay." She nods again to herself before placing a hand on Lydia's shoulder. "You should know, you two are basically already a couple and honestly you've been acting like you've been married for years now," she tells her, expression serious. "Sometimes I forget you're not together, but then one of you does something stupid and I'm reminded again."

She pats her shoulder twice before saying, "When the time's right, though, you'll tell him." And with that Malia got out of the car, leaving Lydia speechless.

After a few minutes of silence, Kira leans forward so that she can look Lydia in the eye. "She's right. We're not pushing you to do anything you're not ready to. But we just want to see you happy, Lydia," she says, gently squeezing her hand.

Lydia smiles softly at her friend and nods. "I know," she murmurs.

They get out of the car and make their way over to where Malia's waiting for them. It's not until the three ladies are in the elevator that Kira suddenly gasps, reaching out to grasp Lydia's hand.

Lydia stares at her worriedly while Malia looks on curiously. "I just remembered!" Kira gasps, wide eyed and excitedly curious. "Do you and Stiles really sleep in the same bed like Malia said?"

Heat floods her cheeks and she fidgets under the kitsune's gaze. "Yes," she mumbles under her breath. She had been hoping that they'd forgotten Malia's earlier observation. "We do now. Since the siren incident," she admits grudgingly.

Malia rolls her eyes with a good-natured smile. "I know," is all she says as the elevator opens on her floor.

Kira on the other hand wraps Lydia in a tight hug. "Oh, you two," she coos as they step out and Lydia's silently relieved that they're not freaked out about it.