Not a Valentine's date

Chapter 19

After trying to get Lydia to pick up the damn phone for what feels like the hundredth time, he's had it. Next thing he knows he's parking the Jeep on her driveway, his nerves so on edge that he feels like he could rip his own skin out. Lucky enough, Natalie notices the lights from the Jeep and opens the door for him before he even rings the doorbell.

She looks at him concerned. "Stiles, honey. Is everything okay? It's almost ten..."

"I know, sorry. I just... I really need to see Lydia, she hasn't answered my calls all afternoon. I just want to see if she's okay," he murmurs, hands shoved in his pockets to hide his nervousness.

Natalie had noticed something was off with Lydia but her daughter wouldn't open up to her, let alone tell her mom that she'd been injured. Back at the school, Natalie had heard in passing something about Lydia and Malia but no one would give her much details. Now, the woman has a good idea of who is behind Lydia's lethargy. "You can go up, she's in her room." She gives him a devious smile. "I'll be downstairs. Just don't get too loud."

"Too loud? Wh-" His voice fails him as he realizes what she's implying and the smirk on Natalie's lips tells him he's right in his assumption. Stiles blushes hard and stutters. His heart starts beating so quickly he's sure the woman can hear it. "Oh, we're n- You mean...? We're not gonna do an-"

Natalie leaves him to his babbling with a smile, turning around to head towards the kitchen and Stiles, thinking better than to embarrass himself any further, starts pacing up the stairs. By the time he reaches Lydia's room, he's at a lack of words. He can't help the fleeting thought that crosses his mind of how this might not be the first time Natalie has let a boy in to see her daughter but he shakes his head vigorously, swearing lowly to himself to forget about it. By the time he knocks on Lydia's door, Stiles is more anxious than angry.

"Come in, mom. It's open," he hears from the inside, the strawberry blonde's voice sounding a little too faint for his liking.

He opens the door slowly to find Lydia in the same place on her bed she's been in all afternoon, only now underneath the covers and reading a book. "Uh, not your mom. It's just me."

She hadn't heard the Jeep, she hadn't heard the front door, she was not expecting him to stop by at all. Lydia sits up quickly, gasping, her book falling to the floor unnoticed. "Stiles? W- What are you doing here? How-"

He takes a step forward and closes the door behind him, reveling in the sight of Lydia Martin in a fluffy yellow pajama full of colorful teddy bears, which is something he's sure he'll never see again in his life. He'll have to tease her about that later; he almost flashes her a smile before remembering why he's there.

"I'm sorry to come by this late but I was worried, Lyds. You weren't answering your phone. I just wanted to make sure you were okay." He doesn't mean to let it out like an accusation but Stiles can feel how charged the room is; he just can't tell if it's all on his part or also Lydia's but it feels weird, standing there not sure of how to react. Things feel different for some reason and he's not sure that it is the tether's doing this time.

His voice comes out hurt, maybe a little tired, and Lydia feels her stomach twist at the sound. "I'm okay. I just didn't feel like going back to class," she murmurs, looking down at her hands.

He sits beside her on the bed but not as close as he'd like to. "How's your arm? Liam told me you went to see Melissa."

"She took care of it. It'll take some time to heal, though."

"Does it hurt?"

"Right now, not much. But it feels a little numb," she mumbles, letting her fingertips brush the bandages softly. Her forearm feels a little ticklish.