Can't Hide Real Love

She didn't notice it at first, why would she? The very idea of these two particular people engaging in a pleasant conversation where one wasn't being at least sarcastic towards the other was hard to imagine, but something more happening between them? Something romantic? That seemed ridiculous.

Which is why she didn't notice the changes in their behavior towards each other at first, missed all the cues that most people would spot in a budding relationship. And she's fairly certain now that they were, in a relationship that is. Now that she sees their actions for what they are, she's willing to bet a brand new Prada handbag on it.

Lydia Martin had been the object of Stiles Stilinski's affections for two years before she finally had enough. It was intense, Stiles didn't do anything by halves. When she decided she was 'in love with her' it was evident in every word and deed involving her from that point forward, whether she wanted it or not.

It would be a lie to say that in the beginning she found it a little flattering, even if she never had any interest in her. It was kind of like being a celebrity, she was 'her biggest fan' to be sure. Eventually the novelty of having someone that singularly focused when they really didn't even know the object of their obsession got old, no one wants to realize they aren't actually loved but instead they are the idea of love.

It took quite a while to get Stiles to stop obsessing over her, even when they became sort-of-friends she only amplified in her adoration for a time. And to be fair, she may have sent some mixed signals but in her defense life or death situations can confuse a girl's feelings. She saved her life, her natural instinct was to question that maybe she had been the one getting it wrong. Maybe she did want an adoring girlfriend. better or worse, she was only interested in men on a romantic level.

She did grow to have love for her and she respected Stiles a lot more once she stopped fixating on who she thought Lydia was, finally destroying the little pedestal she had been put on.

It seemed Stiles was a bit unlucky in love, a series of short lived relationships once she decided to move on. At first Lydia thought she was playing the field now that she was allowing herself to look and try connections elsewhere, but the speed at which they seemed to come and go had her realizing Stiles was still trying to create the perfect partner. Risking their new balance, Lydia knew that she needed some serious girl perspective or Stiles was never going to find anyone.

"Stiles, you have to stop this. No one is perfect, didn't you learn that with us?"

Stiles looked like she was going to try and deny it at first but when she raised a brow at her and her mouth closed with a click, Stilinski's sigh and shoulders dropping told her that she knew it wasn't worth the fight.

"It's not that I want her - or him - to be perfect, I just want what my parents had. They really loved each other, is that so crazy?"

"No, it's sweet. But. No one is going to live up to that dream scenario right off the bat. Your parents didn't get that way on the first date, it took work. You have to get to know the real person first, not the 'love at first sight' version you're so fond of."

She looked a little sheepish, scratching the back of her neck and Lydia knew Stiles was thinking of the years spent chasing her.

"Also, I think you need to branch out of our high school. Everyone either knows you or your dad from childhood. Maybe someone older or someone who wasn't turned or abandoned, you know, someone who will have fun with you."

Leave it to Stiles to only listen to parts of her advice, ignoring some of the more important portions. Yes she latched onto the older, but she didn't mean that much older. And she supposed that she could give him that being turned or abandoned wasn't actually the kind of baggage Peter Hale possessed but damn. The man had a whole matching set of baggage.

At first she thought she misread the situation, catching something they clearly thought no one would notice or think anything of. Peter walked over to the dining room table where several of the pack members were sitting and working on various things - some homework, some researching for updates to the new beastiary that the teens were putting together.

Stiles had the makeshift book laid out in front of her, writing on a sticky note (at Lydia's insistence because most of the pack wrote like toddlers and if they would just put notes in, she could go back and write it cleanly) when Peter leaned over one shoulder. His looking over the younger pack member's work wasn't what caught her eye - well it did but mostly in the annoyed way that his presence usually caught her eye. Always waiting for him to finally leave.

He spoke in a softer tone, which sparked her interest because he usually loved to humiliate the human's any chance he got. His hand reached out and pointed to an error or an addendum he wanted Stiles to include, but it was when he pulled back that had her hackles raised. His hand passed by Stiles', fingers ghosting across her inner wrist just a bit too slow to be accidental.

The only thing that made her bite her tongue was the effort Stiles was putting in to try and look unaffected, her biting retort seriously lacking and coming off, well, ridiculous. The way her cheeks flamed and Lydia was pretty sure her eye lashes actually fluttered when she tried to look anywhere else. Fucking fluttered.

It was that reaction that had Lydia holding herself back, telling herself to calm down because something was happening and she needed to know what it was. Surely Peter wasn't fucking a teenager - eighteen but still, the word teen was in the damn word. And surely Stiles didn't actually trust Peter enough to let him near her.

Right?!

Wrong. As the days went on, the evidence was more and more damning. And curious. It was like watching some kind of live National Geographic documentary, two clearly delusional people trying to find love? With each other?

There was a moment a week later where she was quite confident that Peter had actually put some kind of spell on Stiles, because the absolute adoration Lydia caught her giving to Peter was scary.

They had both given the worst excuses she'd ever heard to leave the room, one after the other. No one paid attention, she was noticing that it could be quite easy to fool an entire room of supernatural beings if they didn't suspect any danger. Why would they? They were among pack.

(Insert her deepest eye roll here.)

She didn't say anything, just walked over to the dining room as casually as she pleased to where she kept her purse and opened it up. Her back was to them and for the most part not in direct line of sight, popping open her compact as she sat in a chair and opened her lip gloss. With the ease that came from countless applications, she applied it slowly as she angled her mirror to the right spot. There.

Peter was caging Stiles against the pantry door, one forearm pressed against the wall over her head. They were very close in height when they stood next to each other, but Stiles seemed to be all but melting to the floor. She seemed to only be held in place by the hand Peter hand around her throat, but she wasn't trying to push him away. Her hands were grasping his waist, urging him closer but he held firm in his position.

He was saying something Lydia couldn't hear but it had an almost physical impact on Stiles, her cheeks flaming and her lip going between her teeth as she attempted to nod. All of that was enough to concern Lydia, but the kicker was the eyes.

Even from where she sat, even in reverse in a compact mirror she could see it. Stiles was enamored, she looked almost bewitched by whatever Peter was saying as he lowered his head and teased her with a brushing of their lips together. His fingers dug into Stiles throat just enough for indentations and that was almost their undoing because she couldn't keep that quiet.

They must have someone on their side because her moan wasn't quite, like at all. But just at the same moment there was an eruption in the living room, Scott yelling about Jackson cheating at the game they were playing. Peter just grinned at Stiles' panicked face before he kissed her once again and walked away.

Stiles stayed where she was for several more moments, thumping the back of her head against the wall as she rubbed her fingers over her neck like she was trying to feel his touch there still. She finally shook herself out of her revery, bouncing up and down on her toes and shaking out her hands to collect herself.

Lydia had to think about what she saw because now Stiles looked like herself, even came over and spoke to her like everything was fine. She finally crossed off spells the next time she saw them interact almost a month later.

They were all leaving, the plan was to take several cars over to where there had been some unwanted activity. They wanted to look the area over in the daylight, try to find clues about what they were facing. Everyone was chatting as they filed out of the house, Lydia included. But she hung back a bit, noticing that Peter and Stiles hadn't come out.

More accurately, Stiles was packing things back in her backpack and Peter was clearly lingering. So once Lydia was outside, she took a few needed steps to a bench that sat under the window facing the front room. Where the final two pack members stood, all alone. She propped her foot on it, pretending to tie her Louis Vuitton sneakers.

She was camouflaged by the flower pots that Cora had bought and arranged on the ledge, an unexpected bonus when trying to make it all feel homier. Even if she couldn't see the way Stiles was forcing stuff into her backpack, the hard line of Stiles' mouth would tell her the girl was pissed about something.

Peter gave a passing glance at the closed front door before he moved over to Stiles, his hands gentle and then firm on her arms when she wouldn't initially stop moving. Stiles sighed and stood up but didn't turn around, letting Peter get closer as he wrapped his arms around her. At first he was saying something on the side of Stiles' head where Lydia couldn't see his mouth, but then he switched sides and did a little mental victory dance.

"I'm sorry that I hurt you, baby. It wasn't intentional. I was upset and I took it out on you." His hands were gentle once again as they smoothed up and down Stiles' arms.

Lydia felt alarm bells going off in her head as she read his lips, with his abilities he could have hurt in any number of ways. Though she tried to temper her concern by remembering that Stiles didn't look or act hurt physically when they were just together. But that doesn't mean he didn't hurt her in some other way.

"You're such an ass sometimes, Peter. You're allowed to be mad, but I'm not your punching bag." Stiles partially turned in his arms and she glared up at him, her own arms staying at her side.

"You're right, it was just something that took me by surprise and - I'm still working on communicating with someone." His smile was almost sheepish - which was a look Lydia didn't know he possessed.

Stiles sighed and Lydia knew he was about to be forgiven. "Just don't do it again, Peter. I mean it."

He turned her the rest of the way in his arms and his smile grew, something real and, hell, it was a good look on him. Lydia could only recall smirks, smarmy smiles, leers, but she could not recall a single time where he smiled like that at anyone. He looked at her like Stiles had given him a gift, whatever had happened he was genuinely worried that Stiles wouldn't have forgiven him.

From their new angle, Lydia couldn't read their lips but whatever Stiles said to him had him rolling his eyes, smile still in place. The younger girl finally pushed out of his arms and grabbed her bag, tossing it over her should.

"I think we should kiss, to seal that you've forgiven me." That smirk Lydia was familiar with, but Stiles next move surprised even Lydia.

She had no idea that Stiles could be that smooth. The girl walked up to Peter, her words blocked from Lydia's face but she could definitely see the way his eyes darkened and the way his hands reached out to pull her close again. For very different reasons than he had before.

But Stiles stood her ground, two of her fingers pressing against his lips like mock kiss before she turned and started for the front door. Lydia knew she would only have seconds before the door opened but she was stuck in her spot as she looked at the way Peter stared after her, like he was drunk on her. Like he was seconds from devouring here and now.

That was confirmation that he was just as gone on Stiles as the teen was on him, it was a mind fuck.

"Stiles, ride with me." Lydia ignored the started squawk the girl made as she started down the stairs of the deck towards her own car.

They were going to sort some things out, whether they wanted to or not Lydia wasn't letting Stiles out of the car until she knew something.

"So, how's life?" Stiles was clearly nervous, which was already telling since Lydia hadn't asked a single question yet.

They only had a few minute drive but she decided to take a detour for some coffee before they would meet the group, meanwhile Stiles' phone kept vibrating.

"Need to get that?"

"Huh? Oh no, it's just- alerts."

"Obviously." Lydia knew it was a bit mean to make her friend squirm but it was so easy. "Are you seeing someone Stiles?"

Even though Stiles only stiffened a little, Lydia could see the way her brain was doing more squawking and some internal flailing.

"What- why would you ask me that?"

"Stiles, you should know better than to answer a question with a question. Even I learned that from your dad's interrogation techniques." She raised a manicured brow at her before she pulled up to the line at the coffee house drive thru, there was only a couple people in front of them so it would give Stiles a chance to collect herself.

She huffed and sighed. "Alright, I don't know. Maybe?"

Lydia was not impressed and she was sure it showed on her face.

"It's new, I don't know what to call it. So maybe? It's all I got."

It's definitely not that new, it was probably going on before Lydia noticed it and it's been a while since she started paying really close attention. But even deflection and lies were telling when she already knew the truth. She decided that it might be better to play it a little dumb, at least for now.

"It's new. Alright, I'll give you that labels might not have been discussed yet. But I know you. I know how you get."

Stiles flushed and looked out the window, Lydia moving forward a bit before trying again.

"That wasn't an accusation, that was me stating a fact that you might not see in yourself when you're newly dating someone."

Stiles' eyes slowly came back to hers and she gave a small nod of understanding. "It's not one sided this time."

Oh she was quite aware of that. "I'm glad to hear it, it's got to be better that way."

The dreamy sigh that Stiles let out almost made her laugh, it was practically something out of a Disney princess movie. Really the only thing that stopped her was that she couldn't get over Stiles sighing that way over Peter.

"Is he a good guy?" No, he absolutely wasn't and this lie was probably going to push her into confronting Stiles after all.

There was silence from that side of the car with the exception of Stiles' drink choice once it was their turn.

"Every second you stay silent makes me feel like I already know the answer. And I'm not a fan."

Stiles shook her head and this time the sigh was frustrated and there were no hearts floating over her head. "It's complicated."

"This is not a Facebook relationship status update." Seriously, what the hell?

"I know, I know. I just- he's good to me. Like really good to me."

At a light, Lydia was able to really examine Stiles' earnest face. It told a different story from the scene in the living room, but she still didn't know what Peter did to upset Stiles or how he got her to forgive him so quickly.

"Well that's a start in the right direction." She sipped her drink as she drove forward, thinking about her next question. "That very specific answer tells me that he's not very good every where else."

"That's the complicated part." Stiles slid her straw up and down in her drink, the plastic scraping against plastic that made an unpleasant sound. "He's trying to be better but it's not getting as noticed since he has such- well he's made some bad choices in life."

Lydia couldn't help the derisive snort because no shit he's made bad decisions. "Stiles, take sex off the table. Is he really trying?"

Stiles spit out some of her drink, fortunately for her it mostly ended on her jeans. Lydia glared at her as she fished out some napkins and handed them over.

"My bad. What do you mean sex? Who said anything about me having sex?" The look Lydia gave to Stiles had her backpedaling. "Alright, fine. We are having sex but yes, he's changing. Even without the sex, I can truthfully say he's trying."

Lydia hummed, she could see the semi circle of cars parked in the distance. Almost out of time. "So you're not going to tell me who he is?"

Stiles thumped her head against the headrest. "No, I'm just not ready to go there. Seriously I don't know where it's going yet."

"You know I could find out if I wanted to."

The imploring look she was getting almost made her feel bad for saying it. Almost.

"Please, Lydia, don't. Look, I'll make you a deal. When I'm ready to tell, you'll be the first person. Before my dad or Scott even. Just leave it alone."

Lydia's brows rose, she had not expected negotiations. Interesting.

"That's tempting. Alright, I'll keep your secret but I want to add a condition."

Stiles' look of apprehension wasn't unwarranted, it wasn't like all her fixating on Lydia didn't educate her on how Lydia usually got her way no matter what.

As she pulled up to the group and put the car in park, she turned to Stiles to look at her full on. "I want you to check in, someone should know you're dating. It's reckless to assume he isn't going to flip a switch, no one would know."

Stiles relaxed a little, small smile forming on her face and the pink coming back to her cheeks. "I can do that, thank you. He - he really is good to me."

"As long as it stays that way, we won't have a problem. So, my silence for first information and weekly check ins."

She held her hand out for Stiles to shake and seal their agreement.

"Weekly? That's a bit much. Monthly." Stiles grasped Lydia's hand but they were both frozen in a stare down.

"Bi-weekly. And anytime you leave Beacon Hills together I want a 'leaving' and a 'returning' text. Especially if you're leaving the state."

There was a pause, Stiles looking mortified but pleased that someone cared so much. She finally nodded and shook her hand firmly.

"Awesome. If there's any coffee anywhere in my car other than that cup, none of this will even matter. Got it?" Lydia winked at Stiles as she climbed out of the car, leaving the panicked girl to go over the front seat with a fine tooth comb.

She wasn't sure she was exactly thrilled about the secret, even if she did feel a little bit better having talked about it. It was Peter for God's sake. He was practically twice Stiles' again, but again, that girl didn't do anything in halves so why wouldn't she date a man that old right out of the gate?

The last time she spied them was a genuine mistake, she had been minding her own business as she made her way through the preserve. It had become kind of a pet project, she had recently taken up photography and she was trying to capture as much of the preserve as possible to bring in money from the public to keep it going. Granted a good portion was owned by the Hale's, a lot was still public property and there was always some corporate interest to put condo's or some ungodly property on it. 'It'll be great for tourists.' Or so they say.

It was the Fourth of July and she suspected that was the only reason - ok maybe not the only reason - Peter didn't notice her in the general area. That and she had a pretty impressive telescoping lens, she didn't have to get very close to see them with absolute clarity.

They were on the edge of the preserve that butts up to the beach, a large blanket spread out under them. It would have been almost sweet, and perhaps at the start it was sweet, but she arrived a bit late for that. Peter was on his back, his shirt tossed to the side and Stiles was straddling his hips. His fingers were digging into them, his mouth moving with words she couldn't make out at this angle.

Stiles was grinning down at him, her hips rolling a little as she put her hands behind her head and ran her fingers through her own hair. She had shorts and a bikini top on, her own mouth moving in reply as she dropped her hands to his front and slid them up and down his chest. It was far sexier than Lydia would have given her credit for.

Peter sat up quickly, pulling Stiles close to his chest as he nipped at her exposed neck. Stiles laughter was light and flirty, clearly loving the way Peter was toying with her. It was almost wholesome if it wasn't for the way Peter's fingers nimbly untied her top and pulled it free from her body before she could register it.

Stiles squealed as she pressed herself even closer to Peter, her head whipping back and forth wildly as she looked for people on the beach who could see her like this. It wasn't the first time of late that Lydia had a twinge that she was intruding on a moment like this but it was almost an addiction now, seeing Stiles having a relationship that she had definitely never experienced on her own.

Jackson and Peter had often shared similar tendencies, the top of which being users who took pleasure at their leisure even if it hurt the people they cared about. But as she watched Peter soak up Stiles clinging to him like she was the rain and he was the desert, she realized Jackson never looked at her like that.

Sure Jackson held her tight and maybe even loved her most of the time, she hadn't realized that she was very possibly being the Stiles in her relationship. That maybe her relationship was one sided and she was seeing him through rose colored glasses. But no, she knew he was selfish and an ass. Right?

She didn't take any pictures of them of course, it wasn't like that. She had just wanted to make sure that Peter was treating Stiles right. She was definitely going to leave it alone now that she knew for sure that he was.

If she stood there a moment longer watching Peter kiss Stiles like she held the key to everything holy on her tongue, no one but Lydia would ever know. Stiles rocking on Peter's lap, her fingers digging into his hair and Peter's hands sliding over every inch of her exposed skin. His fingers left lines of red that came and went just as quickly while his fingers dug into her skin, her back arching as his hands slid between them and squeezed her breasts before pulling her tight to him again.

That she recognized, passion. She and Jackson had that in spades. It was the pause, Peter pulling back and pressing his forehead to Stiles' as he said something that had Stiles smiling shyly back. That was a little bit foreign. That looked like the kind of love that would have little hearts floating over Stiles' head, that Disney princess really didn't know what that was.

She made herself go back to her car as she warred with herself on the things she'd seen. Everything Peter did, from the first time she noticed until this moment, there was adoration and reverence. She stared out of her windshield as she thought back over her relationship with Jackson, even the handful of moments she saw Peter and Stiles together outweighed the truly meaningful moments she had with Jackson.

Has. Meaningful moments she has with Jackson. Or, maybe… maybe had was right.

She definitely didn't want Peter and she was still not into women but, she would love to be on the other side of the things she'd seen. She hadn't intended to start following Stiles around like stalker to start with, but still that made more sense than coming away from it with some enlightened perspective on relationships.

Seriously, did she just get a new standard of relationships from a secret relationship between a human and a werewolf that was eighteen and mid thirties? She shook her head and realized she seriously needed sleep, she'd been pushing herself too hard between school and fighting supernatural nonsense. She was sleep deprived, everything would make more sense in the morning.

Or, she'd wake up and breakup with Jackson. It'd been a minute since she was just single and as she headed towards her home and towards her bed, she started thinking that wasn't a half bad idea.