Not a Valentine's date

Chapter 17

At last, Stiles changes the subject by telling Lydia how he thinks Melissa and his dad could be a thing. How him and Scott have discussed it a few times and accepted that it will eventually happen. That maybe both their parents are just holding back because the Sheriff still seems too attached to the memory of Claudia and the same goes for Melissa because both women knew each other. That what he sees between his dad and Melissa is not burning passion or desire or anything of the sort, but true friendship and trust and companionship, the kind of love that's just there before they know it and that is so subtle and so strong they won't even know what hit them. Stiles whispers to Lydia how it reminds him of himself and her sometimes.

Lydia remains silent for a while when he tells her "I know you talked to my dad" because she knows exactly what Stiles means and he waits patiently until she finds the courage to say something. And when she finally does, Lydia tells him she meant every word and that it came out so naturally that she even surprised herself. She knows he's grinning when he says "I want to see you" but she has to tell him no. She knows the second he'd walk into her house they'd be ripping each other's clothes off. It's been too long, too much of a build up for it to go any other way and she doesn't want that.

When he insists one, two, three times because he really needs to hear to words from her mouth and see it in her eyes for himself, Lydia has to tell him adamantly "Stiles, you're not coming over!" and when he asks why, Lydia admits that it is something that bothered her, the way Stiles and Malia jumped into a relationship after having sex one time when they barely knew each other. And even if Lydia is no one to judge, partially because she has done the same thing in the past more times than she can be proud of, she tells Stiles that's not how she wants their relationship to start. That she wants to do it right this time because it's him and he's special and she really wants to make it work.

It takes all that Stiles has to not go to her house, to do what he's told because he knows Lydia is right. So when he tells her he can't wait to see her the next day, Lydia has to bite back a laugh for how excited he sounds but she still smiles wide. And he hears that smile in her voice when she asks him to pick her up in the morning, a shy tone falling out of her lips because of how new this whole situation is to her. When they hang up and go to sleep that night, the first time apart since he showed up at her house two days ago, they lie on their respective beds smiling like fools and with an uneasy sensation on their stomachs anticipating the next day.

xxxxxxxxxx

He gets out of the Jeep as soon as he parks on her driveway. Walking to her front porch and ringing the doorbell, Stiles runs one hand through his hair in another failed attempt to fix it. Natalie is the one opening the door for him.

"Hi, Mrs. Martin."

"Stiles, honey. It's good seeing you," she smiles. "You look better."

He blushes and smiles back. "I feel better. I'm picking Lydia up."

She steps aside. "Well, come on in. She should be down in no time. I have to go. You kids getting to school late is one thing, but a teacher getting there late is not advisable," she chuckles.

He shrugs his shoulders, grinning. "Oh, I wouldn't complain. It does make my day when we get to have no class because the teachers keep forgetting about the 15-minute rule."

Natalie laughs. "I'm glad to see your sense of humour remains unaffected by recent events." Placing her hand on his shoulder, she squeezes lightly before heading out. "Have a good day of school, sweetheart. I hope to see you soon."

Stiles waves her goodbye and waits for Lydia in the living room. She takes all of two minutes to meet him downstairs. Not really sure what to do or expect, Stiles leans against the back of her couch, hands shoved in his pockets. Lydia walks up to him determined, blushing as soon as he lays eyes on her, a little laugh escaping her lips. She doesn't even hesitate before pressing her lips against his in a soft, quick kiss. On her part, she won't waste another minute with the boy, even if they'll have to take things slow.

"Hi," she says shyly.

He chuckles. "Hey. Ready to go?"

"In a minute. I just wanted to say something first."

His mouth goes dry. If this is it, if this is the moment Lydia says something remotely endearing, even romantic, Stiles will probably die right there. He nods. "Okay."

Lydia takes a deep breath. "About our talk yesterday, I just wanted to say that I'm really happy that you told me all of those things. I'm glad you got to talk about your mom and that you shared it with me. No one has ever done that before." She cups his cheeks. "And I'm sorry for all you've been through. It couldn't have been easy. I wish I'd been there for you before."

He gives her a half-crooked smile. "You're here now."

She smiles back, her eyes sparkling. "I am. And I'm not going anywhere. I'm sorry I didn't let you come over yesterday. I really wanted you to but I don't want to rush this, alright?"

He nods again. "I get it."

"Okay, good." She gives him such a huge smile that Stiles' heart falters. "I was thinking maybe we could uh..." Lydia purses her lips, blushing. "Hang out sometime, maybe after school?"

Stiles' heart must be about to burst from all the excitment. Pulling her closer, he bumps his nose gently on hers and smiles. "I'd like that."

She whispers into his lips. "Me too." They stay still for a while, savouring the moment before Lydia kisses his cheek. "We can go now," she says amused, grabbing his hand and pulling him out the door.

xxxxxxxxxx

During their ride to school, they both agree to keep all touching to when they're alone. Stiles feels a little nervous about walking through those hallways knowing Malia could be just around a corner but Lydia tells him it'll be okay. Scott and Kira, along with Liam and Mason, meet them in the parking lot and they all walk in together to their first class without any unpleasant encounters (if you don't count all the stares from pretty much everyone, those petty looks that have Lydia sending death glares to each and every single one of those students until they look away, uncomfortable). In fact, they don't see the werecoyote the whole day. The same goes for the next day and it starts getting Stiles edgy, not knowing what's going on and it comes to the point in which even the rest of the pack starts getting concerned. Something could have happened to her and it wouldn't be the first time the pack only found out about a threat later than desirable.

That unnerving thought dissipates on Wednesday when one of their classmates approaches Stiles and, to bicker with the boy, says that Malia has been staying with the guy from the party, who happens to be his neighbour. He even goes to the extent of adding that the girl usually roams around the house naked and that a lot of people have seen Stiles' ex-girlfriend's attributes by now. Stiles just pats the other boy's back and walks past him with a smile, actually relieved that he can breathe easier. What was troubling him was the idea that something supernatural was happening again; aside from that, he couldn't care less.

He's been spending his late afternoons with Lydia. They do their homework together and study over dinner, mostly spending their free time as friends. And it's nice, Stiles thinks, to be able to be with Lydia like that. She doesn't hide her smartness anymore and he rivals her. Sure he isn't as good but he presents a challenge and she appreciates it. Likes it even. So much that sometimes she'll encourage him with a kiss to which he responds enthusiastically. They take it slow, maybe a little too slow for both their tastes but they're most certainly enjoying it. Lydia has never had someone like Stiles in her life before, and Stiles may not be well versed in relationships but this, whatever it is he and Lydia are right now, it feels right.

They start relaxing around each other. Whether alone or at school, they are more carefree and it feels so good that it takes a lot of control to not touch the other when they're surrounded. Still, their smiles are there, pure happiness all over their features. They don't tell anyone about their 'agreement'. They're not dating and they're not not dating, but it's no one's business anyway. And they like the idea of figuring it out on their own; it's how it was always supposed to go anyway.

On Thursday, however, things change. It's lunchtime and after leaving her classroom, Lydia walks up to her locker to leave her books before heading to the cafeteria to meet the others. She's distracted humming to a song that's stuck on her head since that morning when she hears a low growl behind her. She knows it's Malia even before the girl snarls "I knew it."