Know Better - A Stydia AU

Chapter 7

Lydia slaps his arm and gives him a glare, not holding the face she's pulling for long. She can't seem to stop smiling. "Shut up."

He looks at her for a moment, his fingers fidgeting on the glass. "You look beautiful when you smile, did you know?" Lydia stops and stares at him meticulously, reading him, even blushing a little at his words. "I mean, you're always beautiful but there's just something when you smile... I don't know, I think it's your eyes. It's like they lit up. It makes you look younger, even, more carefree. It's gorgeous. You're gorgeous." He lets it out like a confession, his cheeks burning when he stops talking, not that he cares. Her lips draw a small smile.

They stay in silence for a little while, just eating and drinking, occasionally looking at the other. They only pour a little more wine on their glasses, choosing to leave half the bottle for later. When they finish, they put their glasses on his coffee table and they adjust on their spot, sitting more comfortably, now further relaxed.

"Thank you," she says, biting on her lip again and reaching for his hand. "For the compliment. I don't think anyone has ever said such nice things and actually meant it. Not like you, anyway."

He is a little surprised. He assumed that Lydia being Lydia, she'd be complimented all the time. She's a freaking goddess walking on Earth. That's actually one of the things that make him nervous about her. She's way out of his league and yet here she is, a girl who came into his life leaving him breathless and taking a place inside his heart so easily that it terrified him. "If no other guy ever told you that, then they're dicks." He laces their fingers together and looks down at their hands, mesmerized. He glances up at her to find Lydia doing the same thing. "You, Lydia Martin, are amazing. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. And if I'm the one who gets to tell you that, then I'm glad."

He smiles shyly and she smiles back, her eyes speaking for her, shining. He cracks a smile. "Can I ask you something?" He nods. "Why haven't you asked me out before? I mean, there's something here, right?"

He chuckles. "Yeah, I guess so. I- Hm, I don't know. I meant it before. It's not so much like you haven't been here long. I'm okay with that as long as you don't go anywhere." He smiles and she squeezes his hand softly, enticing him to keep going. "What about Ariel? I know she hasn't met her dad, I wouldn't want to confuse her or make things harder for her, you know..."

"We'll take it slow. We don't have to go on a date right away. We can spend some more time together first, just the two of us. Ariel idolizes you. And it is a little scary how much she depends on you sometimes or on anyone else really, but I think that's a good thing. She's so much better since we moved here..."

"Not just her. Eric too, he was always so shy. Now they are so open and honest and happy... We should be kids, it'd be so much easier." They laugh and Stiles takes a moment before continuing. "I love her. Ariel. It just works between us; I don't know how to explain it. I just don't want to break her little heart. I'd be devastated."

He said it so honorably that Lydia's heart falters and she wants nothing but to kiss him senseless. Instead, she brings their laced fingers up and kisses the palm of his hand. "I think we can make it work, Stiles. I really do. I might be a little broken and you might be a little broken, but we can do it." She smiles reassuringly.

He kisses her palm too. "Good. Which brings us to reason number three, our infamous past..."

"We can talk about it. We'll have to, eventually, so we might as well do it now, I guess..."

He considers it for a brief moment. She's right, of course. "It's as good a moment as any, so yeah, okay." He sits straighter on his spot and clears his throat. "So you probably heard about the accident, right?"