The next day at school was slow paced and unbearably long for Stiles. The morning started with lacrosse practice and each glance at the bleachers reminded the boy of Lydias ever growing absence in his life.

Allison was perched on the empty benches with Kira and her textbooks to keep her company. Lydia was nowhere to be found.

Stiles sighed heavily as he threw the ball back and forth to Scott with more anger than he usually had. Scott simply shook his head at his friend, ripping off his pads as Coach blew his whistle to signal the end of the period.

Jogging to catch up with his Stiles, he have Isaac and quick and knowing look that meant "give us a minute?".

Isaac nodding in understanding, clapped Stiles on the back and headed off for the changing rooms.

"Dude, why don't you just talk to her? You know, actually talk instead of arguing?"

Stiles shook his head and pursed his lips in frustration.

"You don't get it, Scott, what she said to me - after everything - after being friends for years and being there for each other and all the fucking making out and fooling arou-", Stiles groaned and rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"I can't stop thinking about her man, I want to strangle her and throw her back in my bed all at once". He laughed humorlessly.

Scott smiled tightly in response, sympathy radiating from him as he bumped his shoulder into his friend playfully.

"And of course you wouldn't want to make her your girlfriend and be able to actually

interact with her in public or anything..."

"Dude, I'd get down on one knee for that girl tomorrow".

The boys both chuckled despite Stiles serious tone.

"Just talk to her, man. Allison usually tells me to ignore what she says half of the time... Apparently girls pretty much want the opposite of what they actually said. Crazy, right?"

Stiles nodded his agreement as he threw open the door of the changing rooms, exchanging greetings with guys he knew from classes as he walked to his locker.

The alpha and the human continued to get changed as the rest of the team flooded out of the doors.

Scott kept up his positive chatter of how everything would be fixed if Stiles just spoke to the girl.

Eventually, his upbeat attitude wore thin on Stiles glum mood and he closed his locker with more force that needed.

"Scott, you don't get it!"

He stopped mid speech to look at Stiles with raised eyebrows, however, he paused and allowed his friend to continue.

"That night, at the cinema... I told her, fuck - I told Lydia I was falling in love with her".

Scott stood with his bag hanging loosely from his shoulder, his mouth agap and his eyes wide.

"And?"

"And, she told me to take her home. She said that I couldn't possibly love her and she told me to take her home".

"She didn't say it back?"

"No, Scott", Stiles picked up his back and threw it over his shoulder with a heavy sigh. He dropped his eyes, avoiding his best friends gaze as he admitted the words that had torn him apart for over a week, "she didn't say it back".

Scott followed Stiles out of the changing room and into the emptying hallway with less enthusiasm than he had before. Watching the way his friends head dropped and shoulders slumped pained him.

"You know that she does right? Lydia does love you... Anyone can see it".

"I guess everyone else is a lot more perceptive than I am".

The bell rang for the end of the day and Stiles headed straight for the main doors, bypassing his locker and digging furiously in his pockets for his car keys.

He made it to the jeep without any sign on Lydia, not once that day had he spotted her head of familiar auburn hair.

She had skipped lunch and Allison had guilty told the boy that she didn't know where Lydia was. Stiles had simply shrugged in defeat and returned to his half eaten lunch.

Just as he was starting the engine, a knock rapped against his window and his heart lept.

He turned and squinted through the bright sunshine to see Malia standing outside the door, waving and grinning happily. His heart quickly returned to the depths of his rib cage and he felt bad for a second.

He liked Malia, despite their failed attempt at a relationship. She was a nice girl and she had made Stiles sort of happy once.

Her rolled down his window and managed to stretch his lips into a small, welcoming smile for her.

"What can I do for you, Malia?"

"Okay so, Kira told me it would be rude to ask but I'm just going to anyway, okay?"

Stiles managed a real chuckle at her bluntness and honesty, and he prompted her to proceed with raised eyebrows and a wave of his hand.

"Could you give me a lift to Isaac's again? I hate getting on the back of that motorbike and I know you gave me a ride after Derek's the other night and I shouldn't be asking again but-"

Stiles stopped her rambling with another laugh and told her good naturedly to hop in. The coyote grinned in thanks and skipped round to the other side of the jeep.

After making sure she was buckled in, Stiles checked his mirrors and eased out of the space. An alluring glint of scarlet caught his attention from the main steps and he almost slammed harshly on the brakes in order to gape openly.

Lydia stood at the school doors, her books clutched to her chest and her long curls positively glowing in the afternoon sun. Her full lips were parted slightly and her brow was furrowed as she watched Stiles without any embarrassment. It was the first time he had seen her since yesterday afternoon. She looked tired, her normally emerald eyes were dull and full of so many conflicting emotions that Stiles couldn't decipher them.

Then, as Stiles jeep slowly turned the corner, she hopped quickly down the stairs and out of his eyeline.

The boy swore under his breath and jerked the jeep forcefully out of the parking lot and towards Isaac's. He knew exactly where he was driving too after dropping Malia off.

"Lydia, Stiles is here to see you''.

Those seven words made the girl bolt upright from her position on her bed, her eyes wide and her lips parted. She swore softly into her cell phone, making Allison question her words.

"What? What is it?''

"Shit, Allison, he's here''.

"What? Who, who's there Lydia?'' Her friend sounded frustrated at not knowing what was happening, the brunette was still confused at how the conversation had quickly moved away from planning a dinner out together.

"Give me a minute Mom, I'm, uh, I'm getting changed!'' Lydia swore once more as she quickly scrambled off of the mattress, fluffing out her hair as she still managed to hold the phone to her ear.

Allison was still on the other end, growing increasingly agitated at the passing seconds.

"Oh my God, Lydia, who the fu-''

"It's Stiles! Allison, it's Stiles and he's outside my room and I haven't spoken to him in days and I am freaking out".

There was silence on the other end as her friend processed this information. Lydia bit her lip as she impatiently waited for advice, her ears picking up the slight sounds the boy made in the hallway as he shuffled around.

"Just kiss him''.

"What?!''

"Seriously, just go for it - climb that boy like you know you want to, I promise-''

"You are no help at all!''

"Just grab his face and just-''

"I'm hanging up now".

Lydia pressed the button to end the call without any further goodbyes and moved to open her bedroom door. She prayed and prayed that the boy standing outside hadn't heard anything that was said.

Her stomach flipped as she placed a hand on the doorknob, her heart beating furiously in her chest and her mouth turned dry. Swearing under her breath, she mentally told herself to pull herself together. It was only Stiles. He was only a boy.

He was the boy that smelled so good, so clean and fresh and familiar. The boy that towered over her and made her feel so safe. The boy whose lips did wonderfully sinful things to her own, whose lips would trail across her neck and nip at her jaw.

She shuddered and took a deep breath, reminding herself that she was mad at him; angry at Stiles for ignoring and avoiding her, for leaving her alone and taking her home that night and… doing exactly what she had asked him to do.

Tears sprung to her eyes with such suddenness that she surprised herself. Lydia was well aware of her words and actions that night. She knew fine well that she had brought this on herself.

But she was terrified, terrified of letting Stiles get any closer than he already was. She couldn't bear the thought of losing him - their friendship meant too much to her. Lydia almost snorted at the irony of her musings, she had already pushed him away, he must hate her.

She shook the notion from her head, remembering those chocolate eyes that would always melt for her. If Stiles hated her, would he be here now? Outside her door?

On that last thought, she broke out of her own mind, the words and worries forgotten about as she threw open the door before she changed her mind.

"Hi".

Stiles startled, almost forgetting that he was waiting on the girl, he was ready to walk away and accept that she didn't want to see him.

He stood tall in front of her, his hair longer than the last time they had been alone together and Lydia fought the urge to run her hands through it, to grip the nape of his neck and pull his lips down to meet her own.

He smiled slightly, the familiar warmth returning to his eyes before it disappeared once more, almost as if he remembered that they were arguing.

"Hey...''

Lydia stood to the side to allow him access to her room and she held her breath as he swept past her, his scent filling her senses. Her body practically craved everything about him. The girl looked down at her bare feet on the carpet as he entered, waiting until he found a seat on the edge of her bed.

She mentally cursed herself for choosing tonight to wear the baggiest and ugliest pair of sweatpants that she owned.

The door closed with a soft click and Lydia took a few deep, calming breaths before turning around to face the boy with a neutral expression placed on her face. The room was bathed in silence and filled with tension. The sun outside slowly slipped away from the evening sky, bringing on the cooler night and darker skies.

Lydia finally met the boy's gaze and she bit her lip and raised an eyebrow expectantly. She refused to speak for fear that if she did, her voice would crack and her words would turn to tears. She would not become weak.

Stiles didn't know it was possible to describe a situation as sexually uncomfortable until now. Lydia stood only four feet from him, her tiny body hidden from him in gray sweatpants and the tightest tank top that he tried hard to ignore.

He longed to reach out to her, to hold her and press his lips to hers, to urge her to open up to him. He wanted to hear her sighs and moans, for her to whisper his name into his skin. He just wanted to see her smile.

"I think we need to talk''.

Stiles broke the silence with quiet words, his own voice rough and low. The sound vibrated through Lydia and she closed her eyes at the sensation. For the past two weeks, she had only heard his voice in loud, agitated tones that were directed at her.

"I think we need to talk about that night… and what I said and what you… didn't say. Lydia-''

"I don't want to talk Stiles, not about that night'', the girl raised her hands and ran them through her mussed curls. Taking deep breaths, she urged herself not to cry, to not get upset. "I told you, I can't say - that - I can't pretend that we can live happily ever after and nobody will get hurt''.

Stiles muttered a curse and wiped at his face in exhaustion, frustrated already at her negative words and attitude.

"Lydia, we can do and be whatever want, okay? But I can't go on like we have, I can't pretend that I don't miss you, I can't pretend that ignoring you is normal. I hate fighting'', he sighed, "I miss you", Stiles repeated.

Lydia nodded and ignored the fact that her eyes were filling up with tears, "I miss you too''.

Stiles let go of the breath he didn't realise he was holding, relief filling his body as the girl showed him some emotion once again. She missed him too. He could accept that happily.

"But, Stiles, can't we just - I don't know - just go back to normal?''

The boy raised his gaze from his hands to the girl at her words, his chestnut eyes drinking her in. "What's normal, Lydia?''

Lydia shrugged helplessly, her words finally failing her as she fought to express what 'normal' was to her and Stiles. How did she even begin to describe their relationship? They were more than friends, they always had been - even before that first kiss and the fooling around. Stiles kept her on edge and made her feel safe at the same time. He sent her heart and mind spinning but still managed to pull her back down to earth and keep focused. He was something that Lydia had never knew she needed, or wanted, before. Stiles was something else entirely. But he was her something, she knew that much.

Stiles slowly rose to his feet and stood before her, still gazing down at her with that curious expression. "Well, Lydia? What's normal, huh? What does that mean for us?''

She was about to tell him that that was an extremely good question but the words were stuck in her throat as he took a slow but deliberate step towards her.

"Nothing coming to mind?'' Another purposeful step.

She shook her head.

By the time Stiles stood only inches from her, Lydia's back was pressed against the hard wood of the door and her mind flew back to the last time they were in this postion. Her heart rate picked up and she licked her lips at the memory, her body practically expecting his lips on hers.

A ghost of a smile traced the boy's lips, as if he was reading her mind or his own was thinking back to the same day.

Stiles placed his large hands on Lydia's small waist; the thin material of her tank top doing nothing to diffuse the heat from his skin and the roughness of his palms. She felt her cheeks flush as his body moved into her own. Stiles let out a groan as their hips became flush and Lydia instantly arched closer.

"Is this normal, Lydia?'' Stiles ground the words almost angrily, his frustrations - both emotional and sexual - now sky high.

Lydia closed her eyes and let her head fall back against the door with a dull thud, her own tiny hands finding their way to Stiles' chest without any thought. She bunched the material of his shirt in her fists, keeping him there against her as if she was terrified he might run away.

She felt, rather than seen, the tip of his nose run along the strong line of her jaw, his light breath tickling her skin and the stubble of his cheeks grazing her neck. She gasped and her body became engulfed in heat. She had missed this, she had missed him.

The feel of him, solid and tall and warm and so, very real in front of her.

She whimpered impatiently and opened her eyes to meet the dark, hooded pair of Stiles.

"Is this us? Our friendship, huh Lydia? Are you telling me this, what you feel right now, is normal?''

An internal battle waged between Lydia's mind and body. She was adamant to stick to her words, as painful as they were, she was determined that they were true. She was so sure that nothing good could come from freely allowing herself to fall for Stiles. Only hurt and eventual pain.

On the other hand, she was completely desperate for him, more so than she had ever felt for anyone before. Her body screamed at her, her green eyes taking in his lips that were so tantalizingly close.

She gaped helplessly, no words forming in her mind or coming from her lips as she tried to articulate an answer to throw back at Stiles.

"Just kiss me''.

Lydia let out a groan as she watched Stiles' eyes darken before her own at her words. He bit his lips before allowing himself to smile - a slow, half smirk that made Lydia's knees weaken.

"You want me to kiss you?''

The girl could only nod, her fight and resolve flying out of the window and into the quiet night sky. Stiles hands dropped for her waist and she almost cried out in frustration and disappointment. Lydia's despair was cut short as the boy took her hands in his own and gently removed her grip from his shirt. Without missing a beat, he brought her captured hands up and pinned them against the door - his body now completely against her own. They both moaned unabashedly at the contact that they had both been craving for weeks.

"Then tell me, Lydia, tell me that this isn't normal'', he kissed at her neck between words, reveling in the way she arched into him, granting him all the access to her skin that he wanted.

"Stiles…''

"Tell me that we're just friends and nothing more - that you feel nothing more than that for me. Say it Lydia, prove me wrong'', his words trailed off into a hoarse murmur as doubt slowly crept it's way into his head. He kissed. licked and nipped at her jaw; each kiss coming closer to her mouth until he tasted the corner of her lips and nearly lost what little control he had.

"Stiles, kiss me, please, please, plea-''

"Tell me, sweetheart''.

"This isn't normal, okay?! I know that, I know that I'm not supposed to want my friend like this. I know you're not supposed to make me feel the way I do. It's not normal that I miss you as soon as you leave me'', Lydia let out the words in a sudden, breathy gasp. They flooded from her lips uncontrollably and her forehead fell forward to lean against Stiles' as they gazed at each other with the manic desperation they both felt.

Her words flew from her lips into his own and he drank them in like vodka.

"I know we're more than friends, I just don't know what yet… but I miss you, Stiles, I've missed you so much and that terrifies me - it makes me so scared and I don't know-''.

Stiles crushed his lips to her own and swallowed all the doubts she once thought. His hands freed hers from their prison and Lydia was quick to delve them into his mess of hair with satisfaction.

She curled her body around the boy as she stood on her tiptoes, desperate to bring her lips closer to his than they already were. She drank in his scent, the taste of him that made her dizzy.

With one sweeping motion, Stiles lifted her small frame into his own and pushed her against the door - her legs curling around his waist like they did it all the time. He licked at her lips impatiently but didn't even have to wait a second before they parted willingly for him. Their tongues danced and fought for dominance, their frustrated and emotional words haunting their kisses.

Lips became rougher and Lydia's touches became frantic as she grasped at the material of Stiles' shirt. She pulled greedily, her hands seeking out the warm, hard planes of muscles underneath. Stiles groaned into her mouth at the touch and he responded similarly, his own hands searching for the bare skin underneath her top. His long fingers skimmed the underside of her breasts and Lydia was sure he could feel her racing heart. They panted into each other's open lips and it was only then that they heard Stiles' cell ringing from his jeans pocket.

The mood momentarily broken, Lydia bit her bottom lip somewhat guiltily and allowed herself to slip down Stiles' body until her toes touched the floor.

Stiles cleared his throat and pulled his cell out without any words, cringing at the screen. Lydia was almost too busy looking at Stiles kiss swollen lips to notice the brightly lit screen. However, when she did, she saw Malia's name flashing impatiently back up at her.