It's Wednesday, and the halls of Beacon High are filled with paper hearts and fake red roses. Unmistakably, it's Valentine's Day. Scott doesn't need all the decorations to know that, since Lydia has been rambling on about it for what feels like years. Tonight's her big date with Deputy Parrish, and she's not letting any opportunity to remind Scott and Stiles about that pass her by.
Aside from the commercial aspect of Valentine's Day, Scott's a big fan. He thinks it's cute; watching people confess their love for each other. Everyone always thinks of it as such a cliché, but Scott's convinced that there's not one person in the world that doesn't feel flattered when they receive a stuffed teddy bear or a box of chocolates.
He and Allison would celebrate it as well. They would write each other cards and put them in each other's lockers. A little surprise, just for the two of them.
Scott's mouth floods with a bittersweet taste.
"So, what time's your date again?" Stiles asks, having just elbowed Scott. "Because I don't think you've mentioned it."
Lydia gives him an obvious look. "Make fun of me all you want, but nerves are a great motivator. Nerves make you perfect," she says with an upheld finger. "And I need to be perfect tonight."
Stiles scoffs, shaking his head a little. "You always look perfect."
Lydia turns around swiftly. She examines him for a moment with great distrust. When she's sure Stiles isn't joking, she nods. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Stiles says through gritted teeth.
Scott snickers, because there had been a time when Stiles had wished Lydia would've taken his compliments and noticed him. And, naturally, now that he has finally fallen out of love with her, she does. Because, to Stiles, that's the universe. He's convinced it's never on his side. He's plagued by bad luck. Always.
"Do you two have any plans?" Lydia wonders after they've settled down in the library. They all have a free period.
Stiles shoots a look at Scott, before taking his hand in his. "Well, actually…" he swoons playfully.
Scott doesn't hesitate to join in. "I was thinking of taking Stiles to this great doughnut place…" Stiles snorts, pressing his lips tightly together in an attempt to contain the laughter brimming just behind them.
Lydia's eyes flick up from her book. "You guys are not going there tonight. I'm serious. Not happening."
Scott and Stiles both chuckle, taking their books out of their bags as well.
"Seriously, though, any plans?" Lydia repeats her question. Her eyes have fixated on Scott in particular.
He shifts a little in his seat, eying her with suspicion. "No…who should I have any plans with?"
Lydia rolls her eyes. "With Liam, duh," she answers. "See, this is what I don't get about guys. You admit you like someone and then everything just ends after that."
"Well, it's complicated…" Scott mutters.
"Isn't it always?"
"Not with Allison it wasn't…"
Lydia's face falls and she rubs her forehead. The blow had come a little unexpectedly and Scott instantly regrets his words. He hadn't meant to make her feel bad. "Are you going to do something to remember her…later?"
Scott shrugs a little, stomach tightening. "I've thought about it," he admits, "but now with this whole thing with Liam it just feels weird, you know?"
Lydia sighs. "You should really start to see them separately." She swallows, shuffling her heels across the carpet. "They're two totally different individuals. One of them is in the past…the other is in the present…" Her hair sweeps up from the hand she runs through it. "It's unfair to keep treating them like they're both here." She chews on her bottom lip for a moment. "No matter how much we want that…"
Scott nods slowly. He twists and turns his pen between his fingers, staring at it with a thoughtful look. "Would you…" he clears his trembling voice. "Would you mind coming with me?" He looks up at her carefully. "When I go to see her?"
Lydia's eyebrows rise ever so slightly. The emerald in her eyes darkens for a moment. "Of course I wouldn't," she answers sincerely, before regaining her composure and closing her eyes briefly. "We'll go right after school, because I can't be late for my date." She purses her lips in a smirk.
Scott shakes his head and Stiles doesn't look up from his notepad when he comments, "Oh? You have a date? Please, do tell."
Scott scoffs, and even Lydia has to laugh softly. Stiles sneaks a glance up at Scott, who in return throws him a thankful look for lessening the weight that had pushed down upon their moods. Small gestures of kindness like that always warm Scott's stomach.
"What about you, Stiles?" Lydia changes the direction of the conversation. "Do you have anyone special you'd like to take on a date?"
"Nope," Stiles mutters, still not looking up from his homework.
"Really? No one?" Lydia pushes. "Not even…say…someone that might pop up when you least expect it?"
Stiles is suddenly hauled from his chair with so much force that it falls backwards, making a loud thud on the floor. Scott and Lydia both look up, shocked. They watch their friend be dragged across to the other side of the room and jammed against one the bookcases. The librarian has gotten up from her desk. Her glasses have fallen to the very edge of her nose and she's watching the drama speechlessly.
Stiles is panting heavily from the shock, his tongue lolling from his mouth as he tries to breathe normally. "Malia? What the hell?!"
"Go out with me," she hisses through gritted teeth. She's holding Stiles by his collar, still trapping him against the bookcase. The denim sweater she's wearing has fallen partly off her shoulders.
Stiles knew Malia's mother had past away when she was young. She was raised by her dad, which probably explained her rough handling and lack of tact. Some would say she sometimes came across like a jock or a typical high school bully. But even though those traits were mostly found unattractive; Stiles enjoyed them. His mother had died when he was five, so he could understand where she was coming from. It's also the one thing they have in common; a very important one.
One of his feet slips out from under him and Stiles tries to hold on to some books, throwing them onto the floor in the process. "W-What?" he stammers.
Everyone in the library is watching them intently; some without shame and some sneaking peeks from behind their books, knowing better than to bring attention to themselves.
"Go on a date with me," Malia repeats in the same demanding tone.
Stiles frowns when he realizes he has heard her correctly. "What? I… I didn't know you liked…" he swallows. "Me."
"That's because you're an idiot," Malia replies sternly. She tightens her grip around Stiles' neck, stance wide. The look in her eyes doesn't soften. "I tried to tell you when we were watching Marley & Me months ago, but you were a sobbing mess."
"Hey, that movie is very sad!" Stiles defends himself. He can see Scott nodding along fiercely in the background.
"Do you like me too?" Malia wants to know.
Stiles' frown deepens. He looks upwards theatrically. "Well…" He scrambles to his feet again. "…I am strangely aroused right now."
"Good," Malia responds. "Pick me up at seven. I like deer." She lets go of him with just as much force as she had taken hold of him with.
"Duly noted," Stiles says as she walks off. He winks at her, pointing his finger. Malia rolls her eyes.
Stiles straightens out his clothes as she exits the library. He picks up his chair from the floor and slumps back down in it. His book has become his shield, and Scott's staring at him with widened eyes – as are the rest of the students.
"I tried to tell you…" Lydia says in a provoking tone.
"What? You knew?"
"Of course I did," Lydia answers. "It's obvious."
Stiles' jaw drops in tandem with his eyebrows, one eye more closed than the other. "How was it obvious?"
Lydia thinks, before shrugging it off. "Maybe it was after she told me."
"When did she tell you?!"
"When I helped out with her Math homework."
"You mean when you made her cry?"
"That was one time!"
Stiles gapes at her. "And weeks ago! Why didn't you tell me?!"
Lydia raises her shoulders lightly. "I promised her I'd keep it a secret."
Scott watches Stiles' eyelid twitch. His best friend throws up his hands. "Unbelievable," he mutters. "Am I really that stupid?"
"Hey," Scott interferes. "You're not stupid," he reassures him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "You just tend to be a little blind to the things that are right in front of you."
"Oh, so you knew as well?!"
"What? Me?" Scott quickly shakes his head. "No. No, I lost my sight years ago," he tries to make a joke out of it, waving his hand in front of his face.
Stiles shakes his head. "I hate all of you."
Scott and Lydia snicker, both getting back to their work. They decide to leave their friend in peace…or rather, in turmoil, giving him some space to process what has just happened. Looking at Stiles' foul expression, that might take the whole hour.
But the silence only lasts for a couple of minutes. They hear the soles of someone's shoes shuffling across the floor and Scott is the first one to look up. When he sees who it is, he smiles brightly.
"Liam! Hey," he blurts out excitedly.
Behind him the librarian shushes.
Scott shrinks in on himself a little, now continuing in a softer voice, "What are you doing here? Do you have a free period as well?"
Liam shakes his head. "No, I actually have class. But on my way to the bathroom I ran into Malia and she said you guys were here, so…"
Scott's eyebrows knit together. In a flash, he gives Liam a once over. "Are you okay?" he asks.
Liam nods. "Yeah. Yeah, no, I'm fine," he quickly assures his friend. "It's just… I have…"
He lets his backpack fall from his shoulder, crouching down. Unzipping it, he rummages through it. Scott notices his hands are trembling. "I need to give you something," Liam mumbles, "and it has to be today or else it's just stupid." He's still looking through the contents of his bag. "That is, if I can find it," he whispers with slight annoyance. "Ah, there it is." He stands back up and outstretches his arm.
Scott's gaze holds Liam's eyes, the boy noticing the thin lines of shadow that are cast over his nose. When he blinks, they disappear.
"Scott?"
"Oh, right," he snaps back, eyes now gliding from Liam's own to the envelope he's holding in his hand. His heart skips a beat. "What's this?" he asks, taking the item.
"Just look," the boy answers impatiently. He throws a hasty look around himself, flashing a quick smile towards Scott's friends, who are looking up with the same surprised expression on their faces as Scott.
Scott's fingers twitch a couple of times as he opens the envelope. Inside of it is a card and he wiggles it out.
Which proves to be very hard when your hands won't stop shaking.
He looks at the front, a tingle sweeping up from the back of his neck towards his ears. His cheeks warm when he reads what's written there. His heartbeat is in his throat, and he swallows a couple of times in an attempt to get it back down.
'Are you made of Cupper and Tellurium? Because you're Cu29Te52', it reads.
Scott finds himself at a loss for words. He looks back up at Liam before looking back at the card. Liam rises and falls on and off his tiptoes a couple of times, rocking in place. The hem of his shirt has started to ruffle from pulling at it. He points at the card. "It's funny, because it's about chemistry and…"
"Yeah, no, I get it," Scott replies softly. "It's…" His breath hitches in his throat. "It's great. Thank you."
Liam's head falls forward as he exhales deeply, shoulders relaxing visibly. "You like it?"
Scott's lips pull into a sincere smile. "I do."
"Okay. Okay, good," Liam replies quickly. He shoots another look towards the door. "Then… I think I should go back to class," he says, pointing towards the hallway with his thumb. He swings his backpack back over his shoulder.
Scott nods slowly. "Yeah. I think you should."
"Okay."
Their eyes linger for a couple of seconds - both their cheeks reddened - before Liam gives a fierce nod and swiftly turns around on his heels, heading back to his class.
Scott stares at the card in his hands. His thumb brushes across the hand written letters and he lets out a soft sigh.
When he looks back up, Lydia has folded her hands over her chest. Her face is in awe and right when Scott's about to say something, she squeals, "I think I just died. Oh my God. That is adorable."
Stiles snickers behind his hand, obviously glad that he's now not the only one with an embarrassing Valentine's Day anecdote. "Never had such an eventful fourth period," he jokes.
Lydia holds Scott's stare, still touched. "See, you should totally focus on the present," she reminds him.
Scott's smile shows teeth and he nods, clutching the card a little tighter in his hands.
