Finding Strawberry~Stydia AU

The Box

Lydia saw a silhouette of Stiles Stilinski and a tall brunette girl. She was holding his hand and laughing at some joke he had made.

The last time Lydia felt like this was--well she couldn't even remember. It was that long ago. And the feeling was a weird one. It made her feel like a middle schooler. But the feeling felt so real.

The girl pulled him towards the school, holding his hand and smiling big. Lydia stood up and her eyes widened. "Malia?"

Lydia saw Kira, running up and laughing. "You won't believe what Scott's dog just did."

Lydia put her finger on Kira's lips. "Sh." She pointed to Stiles and Malia.

"No way."

"Yes way. I was afraid this would happen. Now I need a plan."

"What about Aiden?"

"Ew. No. I need a good plan."

Kira scrunched her nose. "Gee thanks. Well you can just drop out of college. That will get him good."

"You aren't helping, Kira."

"I realize that. Find it out yourself."

Lydia grabbed her books. "Fine." Her feet stomped all the way back to her car, where she sat for a long time before driving back towards Kira's apartment. At a stop light, she rethought and turned left, to Stiles' place.

When she walked in, her room had been filled with boxes of clothes he wanted to donate and such. A special box caught her eye. Labeled "LYDIA".

She opened it quickly and found a picture lying on top.

Lydia had a dragon. Not just a masculine, 5 year old boy dragon. But an elegant one. With flowers decorating it's torso. And Stiles had a tree on the back of his neck. The same tree that Lydia had drawn on all of her notebooks in high school. Big, barren branches, and a baby blue outline that made Stiles feel 'like a sack of baby blankets'.

"Sack? That's a choice word." Lydia argued with him, punching his shoulder.

They took a picture on Stiles' phone. They both looked like some sort of vogue model. "I'm gonna have that printed one day."

"Suuuure."

"C'mon Lyds. Let's dance."

"No."

Stiles squinted. "Please."

"No."

He took a deep breath. "Lydia, get off your cute little ass and dance with me, now."

She felt a stabbing pain in her chest, and tears filled her eyes. It was a silly thing to cry over. But it meant too much to her. Other things were in the box, too.

A box of Reese's puffs that Lydia had written on when they were going out.

Hey. I'm out at the mall with Kira. I'll be back at 5. I love you.

I love you.

I love you.

That hurt her even worse.

She heard the door open and she shut the box quickly, jumping into the closet and closing that door, but leaving a small space so she could see.

It was just Stiles. No Malia. He threw his keys across the room and entered Lydia's.

Lydia tried not to make a sound, but she knew what was about to happen.

Stiles sat down and opened the box. THE box. He took out the picture, and stared at it. "I messed up."

A few seconds past and Stiles got up. "Shit. I have to tell Malia."

He ran back into the living room, grabbed his keys and practically flew to his car. Lydia followed him out of the door, silently.

"It's mutual."