The cool air of the new night sky rolled over his skin in waves. A light breeze brushed along his face and down his spine, earning a slight shiver and reminder of being alive.

Stiles Stilinski, part owner of apartment #137 across campus along with buddies Scott and Isaac. This was their second year living in the run down building, and despite its leaky sinks and creaky floors, he wouldn't change it for the world.

Stiles stood in his favorite spot, the balcony adjacent to his bedroom. There, almost every night he would stand out and watch the sunset, eagerly waiting for the moon to light up the sky. He watched as the stars appeared one by one, turning into constellations as those luminous balls of gas clustered together.

The sound of a clicking door brought Stiles crashing back down to earth from his bed of stars. For a brief moment the sound of music and laughter filled the cool air, but it left as soon as it came.

Scott McCall, best friend since the sandbox days stood before him. A crooked smile on his lips, and two red cups in his hands.

"Last time I checked, the party was inside."

One of the cups was passed his way, and from the sudden burning smell of alcohol Stiles only assumed it was some sort of mixed drink.

"I know I know. I just needed some fresh air that's all."

Stiles took a drink from his cup, letting the unknown liquid burn his throat. It was true, Stiles was not typically one for crowds and loud music so the fresh air was much needed. But he could never really explain to Scott why he stood out on the balcony every sunset. The galaxies and mysteries above were Stiles' secret to keep, and he liked it that way.

Walking over to lean on the railing, Scott spoke once more;
"Allison is almost here and she's bringing her roommate. She's really excited for us to meet her so please don't disappear like I know you do." A wink from his left eye and a chuckle from Stiles' lips echoed onto the night.

"Yeah yeah okay. I'll back in a minute I promise."

Pushing off the railing Scott nodded, heading towards the door just in time to see a spunky brunette with a mysterious red head.

"Over there is Erica, Theo and Boyd. Erica kinda has a thing with Isaac but don't tell him that."

The two girls had been in the apartment less than two minutes and Lydia was already feeling overwhelmed. Allison was pointing out practically everyone at the party.

"That's Liam, Hayden, Mason and Corey. They're seniors in high school, but had played lacrosse with Scott and his roommates so they come hang out sometimes."

Intimidation swelled inside Lydia like a balloon. Bodies among bodies, and it was starting to feel like the walls were caving in. Throughout the crowd there suddenly was a boy that stood out amongst the crowd. A boy with puppy dog eyes and a goofy crooked smile. He gracefully moved through the swarm of people, and Lydia watched as Allison's face grew into a glowing smile. And just like that, he stood in front of the two girls just as quick as he had appeared. Allison squealed and then jumped into his arms, while the boy whispered sweet I love yous into her ear. It was kind, it was simple, and it was love, something Lydia had not seen in quite some time. She was bolted to the floor as the couple spent another moment longer in their felt as though she was intruding, but there wasn't a chance to run before Allison was tugging her closer.

"Lydia! This is my boyfriend Scott. Scott this is my roommate and new bff Lydia."

Heat rose to Lydia's cheeks as she tried to collect herself enough to form an introduction.

"Hello." A whispered mumble escaped as she stuck out her hand. (The Martin parents always taught that the proper way to greet someone was with a handshake. To this day she only got a hug on rare occasions, but that was just the Martin way.)

Scott let out a low chuckle and shook his head before passing up her hand and bringing her into a quick embrace. "Friends don't shake hands. It's wonderful to finally meet you."

"L-Likewise." It was unclear to why Lydia continued to feel so nervous. Her stomach did somersaults as she tried to recall the last time she was in a social setting that wasn't some fancy dinner party her parents elaborated. She was surrounded by college students for crying out loud. A group of people full of not thought through decisions and free will. People filled with belly laughs and memories of drunken mistakes. They were carefree, and that terrified her.

Scott and Allison flagged down two girls, each carrying red cups and wide smiles.

"Lydia this is Kira and her girlfriend Malia."

Two more hugs were received and a loud 'Welcome to the family!' was exclaimed between drunken laughter. For awhile it was just the five of them. Stories were told of how the couples met, and adventures over the last few years. It was in the middle of Kira's story about how she met Malia that Lydia heard Allison whisper something to Scott. The question at hand wasn't heard completely clear, but she was certain she heard Where is he?

Before anyone had a chance to react, a boy with curly brown hair came bouncing into view carrying several different cups and began handing them out.

"You, darling, must be Lydia. The name's Isaac and my bedroom is down the hall and to the left if you ever so please." The strange boy wiggled his eyebrows and send a smirk her way.
"I don't think Erica would like that very much." The words fell from her lips before she had a chance to catch them. The small group surrounding her grew quiet and wide eyed, waiting to see the reaction of the second roommate. Isaac stared at Lydia for what seemed like centuries, but all at once he started laughing in a way that could be heard for miles.

"Fuck, we've got a firecracker over here. I like this one."

The group broke out into their own fits of laugher, and Scott even passed along a subtle high five. "No one puts him in his place, that was badass." He whispered in her ear, and Lydia had to pinch herself just to make sure this was all real. Everyone was laughing around her, and it was truly a lovely sight to see. Something inside Lydia told her to screenshot this into memory, and she had a feeling it was meant to be an image she would look back on for years to come.

The night was filled with drinks and stolen kisses. There was dancing and music, while the air was filled with its night life. Lydia was a few drinks in and was beginning to feel more like herself. She cracked jokes and told stories of mischief in her younger days. After time though, people started to disburse. Malia and Kira could be found on the couch whispering sweet nothings and stealing kisses. Isaac and Erica had disappeared, most likely to his room down the hall and to the left. It was just Scott, Allison, and her sitting around a kitchen table. Lydia felt bad that the two hadn't had really any time alone together, so with the alcohol running through her veins she decided to excused herself to find a restroom and ventured off.

It seemed as though the party was winding down, but groups of people could still be found around the apartment laughing and drinking. Lydia had a desperate need for the cool night air to fill her lungs. The word "balcony" had been tossed into conversation at one moment in the evening, so Lydia climbed the stairs in hopes of finding the outdoors. Tucked way in the back corner was a glass door with moon beams shining in. She approached it cheerfully in her buzzed state, powering through without a second thought. What happened next though, was a collision of bodies, and Lydia somehow ending up on her ass.

Alcohol enhanced panic came over her as a husky voice mumbled what she believed to be "Lovely."

Towering over her, was a boy. A boy with brown hair, moles scattered like constellations, and whiskey eyes that burned into her sea green ones. The moon illuminated him with a nightly glow, and the stars hung above his head like a cosmic crown. He was breathtaking, and the girl could hardly stop staring. The cool night air was officially trapped in her lungs, and words began to fail.

"I-I'm so sorry. I didn't see you, I was just excited to go outside so I wasn't think and.." The boy lifted a hand signaling her to stop.

"It's fine." His words were low, as if he was trying to preserve the peaceful night sky around them. A moment later his hand was stretched out in front of her.

A peace offering? No.

A realization that Lydia was still flat on her ass? Absolutely.

Her heart raced as she grabbed a hold, expecting to be jerked out up by the much taller boy. Instead though his touch was soft and warm, his hand scattered with calluses. She pictured him working outside somewhere that had sunshine more than moonlight, with various tools scattered at his shoes. Once back on her feel, Lydia brushed off, staring at the new scuff mark on the front of her right shoe. Her mind not so fuzzy as before, but enough liquid courage running through her veins brought the girl to stick out her hand once more.

"Lydia Martin."

The boy frowned. A look of skepticism and uncertainty clouded his eyes. Her heart broke, embarrassment rushed to her cheeks, but hesitantly his hand met hers once again.

"Stiles Stilinski."

"Nickname I presume?" She smiled, rolling the letters around in her head. The boy, Stiles, looked surprised.

"Yeah, no one ever catches that." He looked to her with curious eyes, and she thought about how he reminded her of whiskey. Brown, golden, eyes that were glossy and burned into your soul. His voice was smooth and burned words into your mind. Their hands were still locked, warm callouses over nimble fingers. Stiles retracted quickly with realization, and Lydia's eyes dropped to the floor. A familiar flush rushed to her cheeks,

"Let me grab you a drink." It was a peace offering, one to mend their collision. She heard him start to protest, so Lydia mimicked his earlier actions and held up a hand to stop him from speaking.

"One drink. It's the least I can do."

Conflict was once more riddled across his face.

One moment.

Two moments.

Three moments.

A slight nod followed by three simple words:

"I'll be here." His whiskey voice was a whisper, but Lydia heard him clear as day. Her eyes were on his, Sea green on golden whiskey.

One moment.
Two moments.

The girl smiled, a silent promise to be gone only a moment, and then she disappeared out the door.

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed! This story has been a lot of fun to write and I'm excited for where it is going. Thoughts? Comments? Ideas? Leave a note and let me know! Until the next chapter, all the love.

xxx fictionaddict