Unspoken - Book 3 - S.S.

Extra: Everyone mourns differently - Part 2

A/N: This one took me a while, but it came! The second part of the extra story I promised about Stiles and Lydia getting closer after Diana's death is here! I hope you enjoy this one too! Let me know your thoughts! As usual, comments and votes are always appreciated!

Everyone mourns differently.

Stiles knew it, he had seen it before. And if he didn't know her any better, Stiles would've said Lydia was almost indifferent to the whole thing. She was dressed up the same she used to, her hair up in a pretty braid, her makeup light, but always highlighting her best features. In a way, Stiles could see the old Lydia standing there in front of him at her front door and it almost made him feel better - seeing something so normal like that, so familiar. But Stiles knew better. Because, sure, maybe he and Lydia weren't the best of friends when it came to the pack, but Lydia and Diana were practically one so, if he cared so much for Diana, he cared just as much as Lydia. Or at least, he should have.

And, as it seemed, Lydia had the same thought he did.

"Stiles!" She practically gasped as soon as she noticed him there. "I... I wasn't expecting you."

"Yeah, I, hum... I actually didn't know I was going to come." Stiles admitted, practically cringing at his own words, but Lydia just smiled at him. "I... I'm sorry, if... If this is a bad time, I can come later."

"No, no. Don't worry." Lydia shook her head, stepping aside a little and pulling the door open wider to let Stiles inside the house. "Come in. Do you... Do you want anything?"

And, if the two of them were being honest, it was kind of awkward between the two. On the one hand, Lydia still felt bad for how she had been treating Stiles and Scott for the past few years of her life and she could tell Stiles still wasn't 100% comfortable around her. Sure, they had stuck together the most during the whole Nogitsune and Dark Phoenix encounter at the school, but the main reason behind it had been Diana. Stiles knew he needed to protect Lydia for Diana, the same way Lydia knew Diana would have asked her to protect Stiles when she couldn't. So, yes... Maybe the two of them were still a little awkward around each other, but, now that they didn't have their common ground anymore, there were two options as to what they could do: they could either grow apart, or, they could honor Diana one last time and make an effort to try and get to know each other a little more.

In Lydia's mind, the route to take now was clear, but she still wasn't entirely sure what it was that Stiles wanted to do.

"No, thanks. I'm fine." Stiles finally responded, a small smile on his lips - the biggest one he could muster, but still small - as he shoved his hands on the pockets of his sweats. "I kind of just wanted to see how you were. I mean... After..."

Stiles trailed off, but it wasn't as if he needed to say anything else for Lydia to understand. After all, he was wondering the same about him and, judging by how pale and skinny Stiles had gotten ever since the last time she had seen him, Lydia was pretty sure he was just as affected as she was still.

"I... I mean, I... I'm fine, I guess?" She frowned, her sentence sounding more like a question. Stiles just nodded at that, though, completely understanding of the feeling of saying I'm fine when they weren't fine at all. "I miss her. I miss her everyday. I miss her so much it hurts. I mean... I've known her since we were little kids and not a day went by that we didn't, at least, text each other, you know? But now... Now I get nothing. And I'll get nothing everyday of my life for the rest of my life and it just... It's not fair."

Stiles nodded then, the two of them still standing at the entrance hall of Lydia's house, face to face, but still a few meters away from one another. There was silence between them both and, as much as it was heavy on them, it didn't feel uncomfortable at all. At least, not anymore.