Please, Stay- A Stydia AU

Never Alone

Lydia leaned back on the balls of her feet and looked up at the building around her. They did it. They actually did it. "We're done," she breathed. She looked at Stiles, who grinned back at her and winked.
"Hmm." Stiles pursed his lips and looked around at the walls. "I don't know. I feel like we need something."
"Like what?" Lydia cocked her head at him. She liked that she could practically see his genius brain going a mile a minute. He bit his lower lip slightly then got to his feet. "I got it." He went into his room through the window then came back out. "Here."
Stiles pinned a picture of him and his mom to the wall and nodded. "What do you think? Is that okay?"
Lydia smiled. "I like it. She should be here. Just because we lose someone doesn't mean they're gone." As she said it she paused. "Actually... Hang on..." She hesitated briefly before going through the window. She opened her desk drawer and pulled out an old picture of her and Turner. Taking a deep breath, she carried it out to the treehouse and pinned it next to Stiles and his mom.
Stiles looked at the picture then at her. Gently he asked, "You lost him?"
"Yeah."
"Who is he?"
Lydia felt like her throat might close up as she answered, "My baby brother."
"I'm sorry," Stiles whispered.
"And I'm sorry about your mom."
"Well hey. We've got them here."
Lydia gave him a small smile. Slowly, tentatively, she slipped her hand into his. She watched him freeze, his eyes close, his breathing relax, and knew that she was in way over her head. But it was worth it. He was worth it. And that feeling scared her senseless.

-~-~
Lydia jogged downstairs and stopped at the bottom to pull her heels on. "I'm going out with some friends!" She called over her shoulder, hoping she wouldn't be stopped and questioned.
"You are?" The surprise in Natalie's voice made Lydia cringe. She used to go out all the time. And now she rarely did.
"Yes," she said. "I am. Our next door neighbor. I'm meeting him and some of his friends at a movie."
"Oh." Natalie smiled. "I'm glad to hear it." Lydia knew it was true. It wasn't hard for her to figure out that her mother was worried, especially when Lydia hadn't made a lot of friends at school.
"You're not driving are you?" Tom came to stand at his wife's side.
Lydia froze, her mouth falling open slightly at the comment. Maybe he wasn't taking a jab at her? Maybe he meant it innocently. Somehow she doubted it. "no," she said tensely. "We're carpooling from Stiles's house."
Tom nodded. "Good. Make sure he doesn't drink."
"Relax," Lydia snapped. "I wouldn't let anyone drink and be in the same car."
"Must be a new policy."
Lydia glared at him and stormed out of the house. "I'll be back later," she called over her shoulder.
"What time will-" her mom called after her but Lydia slammed the door shut in the middle of her sentence. Part of her wanted to go back and apologize to her mom but then again if Natalie hadn't taken him back that argument wouldn't have happened.
Lydia paused in between their houses and debated if she really wanted to go out and fake a smile. Finally she took a deep breath and knocked on Stiles's door. Sheriff opened it and smiled at her, "Lydia! It's great to see you. They're in the living room."
Lydia followed him into the other room, where Stiles and a few of their classmates were waiting. "Lydia!" They choruses, grinning up at her.
"Hey." She couldn't stop herself from smiling at them. "Where are we going anyway?"
"A movie," Stiles said at the same time Scott said, "Bowling." They looked at each other.
"Bowling and a movie," Isaac explained, getting up.
Lydia couldn't stop a grin from spreading across her face. There was something magical about this group of people.
-~-~
"It was okay?" Stiles asked, looking at Lydia. He was sitting in his window sill, long legs hanging off.
Lydia let her legs dangle off the tree house. "I loved it. I like your friends. Scott, Isaac, Kira, Allison... They're good people."
"They are. They like you." Stiles smiled at her. "A lot."
"I'm glad..." Lydia smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Stiles smiled to himself as he watched her and he was overwhelmed with the realization that if he wasn't in love with Lydia Martin yet, he could fall in love with her. He could feel it in his heat, this desire to make her happy, to make her safe. He wanted to hear her laugh and see her roll her eyes and walk her to her classes. He wanted to kiss her- oh, man, did he want to kiss her.
"You know what else I like?" Lydia pulled herself into the treehouse more and looked at the two pinned pictures. "These. I like that we have them here."
"Me too. And we have an addition." Stiles grabbed a picture off of his desk and went in the treehouse. He pinned up a picture that his dad had taken of him and Lydia working on the tree house.
Lydia smiled at it and looked at him, her hair framing her face perfectly as the moonlight glittered on her features. "I love it."
"This could be our picture wall," Stiles said quietly, looking in her eyes and wondering if she could see his soul as clearly as he could see hers.
"Absolutely." She let out a quiet sigh as she looked at the wall. "We'll never be alone now."
Stiles couldn't stop a small smile from touching his features. "I haven't been alone for a while now," he whispered, not even sure if she could hear him or not. It didn't matter though. All that mattered was that it was said and that he had her- his perfect guardian angel.