Not mine
It's Scott, of all people, who notices it.
He watches Lydia Martin step in front of Kira, between her and a very angry fairy.
He might not have noticed were it not for the fact that he's glued to the ground in some extremely sticky purple goo, and can't turn his head to see anything but what's in front of him.
He wonders how often she's done that, protected Kira. Lord knows, someone had to.
Scott's self-aware enough to know that he hasn't done a very good job at it.
__________________________
"I'm a shitty boyfriend," he says to Stiles a few days later, over a six pack of beer that his best friend had insisted on for some reason.
"I know, dude, you never get me flowers."
Scott whips a couch pillow at Stiles, which knocks him off the couch and into the coffee table, and the beer goes flying.
Naturally that's when the Sheriff gets home. "You two are idiots," is all he says before heading past to the shower.
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"He's an idiot," Lydia mutters in disapproval, resting her cheek against the top of Kira's head.
The kitsune sighs. "He's got a lot of things on his mind."
"That's no excuse." Lydia thinks for a second, then wraps an arm around Kira and squeezes. "C'mon, this calls for a little retail therapy."
"I don't really feel like going anywhere, Lyds."
"Kira Yukimura, it's your birthday, and we're going to celebrate it."
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"Oh, dude, did you know today was Kira's birthday?" Stiles looks up at Scott with wide eyes.
Scott flings himself backward dramatically and lays down across Stiles' bed. "That's not funny."
Stiles tosses his phone to Scott, who reads the text from Lydia and groans. "You gotta be kidding me."
Stiles snickers. "Lydia's a better boyfriend than you are."
Another pillow hits Stiles in the face.
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Now that it's been said, though, Scott can't stop thinking about it.
He starts watching Kira and Lydia interact. Because at first he'd just taken their relationship at face value, best friends just like her and Allison. And yet, now that he's looking, it's different.
Lydia is very tactile with Kira. Like with Allison - they'd link arms or hands on occasion, but now, well, she's always touching Kira. Absently playing with her hair, sliding an arm around the dark haired girl's waist, orienting herself towards Kira as if she's the sun.
Scott doesn't even think she knows that she's doing it. And then there's the fact that she takes note of and remembers everything about Kira. It oddly reminds him of Stiles' obsession with the lady in question.
Scott may not be the brightest in the Pack, mostly because he's surrounded by geniuses, but he's not stupid.
Kira centers Lydia, and the redhead gives the younger girl confidence and support. They belong together. And he resolves to make them see it.
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Scott starts pairing them up on things, throwing them together constantly, while pulling himself back away from his relationship with Kira. Because he's suddenly realized that though he does love her, he's not in love with Kira.
He's pretty sure she's not in love with him. Somewhat because of Lydia. Mostly due to the fact that she doesn't seem to notice him pulling away.
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"He's pulling away and I don't know why." Kira is curled up on Lydia's bed, satin locks splayed across Lydia's lap. Perfectly manicured nails scratch lightly at the kitsune's scalp as Lydia reads a book over Kira's head.
"He's probably just busy. Werewolf stuff or lacrosse stuff or something else stupid," Lydia mutters absently as she memorizes a set of phrases.
"Maybe it's because I'm weird and awkward. Or maybe it's cause I joined the lacrosse team. Or because I'm not pretty enough..."
Lydia blinks at that last one, pulls her attention away from ancient incantations and blinks in surprise at Kira.
"No."
Kira blinks back up at Lydia, turns her head to look into the older girl's face. "No?"
Lydia furrows her brows. "Kira, how can you not realize that you're beautiful? Don't you have a mirror?"
Oh. Oh. Suddenly a mask drops and bared affection shines in Lydia's soft brown eyes.
Kira licks her lips and Lydia follows the movement, reaches a hand to gently stroke along the kitsune's cheek.
"Kira Yukimura, you are absolutely gorgeous."
Kira is frozen, staring, and Lydia flushes faintly, pulls her hand back away, and slides out from underneath the other girl.
"And if Scott doesn't realize how great you are, then he's not worth your time." Lydia's got her mask on again. "C'mon, lets get some dinner. We can go to that restaurant you like."
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"We need to talk." Two sets of dark brown eyes blink at each other as they say the words simultaneously, then Kira shakes her head, leads Scott to a picnic bench.
"It's about Lydia," Kira begins, and Scott smiles, his gentle full-of-sunshine smile and nods softly.
"I know, Kira."
The kitsune arches her brows and tilts her head. "How did you know?"
"I notice things sometimes. And I noticed that Lydia is always looking out for you."
"Scott, I didn't do anything-"
"I know," he says again, "but I think we both know that you should."
Kira bites her lower lip, looks up at the Alpha through her lashes. "You sure?"
"Absolutely."
Kira grins and throws her arms around him, and he hugs her tightly, hugs his girlfriend goodbye.
Lydia watches from her car, and then starts it back up and goes home.
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"Have you seen Lydia?" Kira settles next to Stiles at the lunch table, who frowns at her.
"No, she wasn't at her locker before first period, or in third period biology."
"I hope she's okay," Kira says softly, and Stiles snorts.
"She's always okay. She's Lydia."
Kira sighs, and eats her lunch silently. She's anxious all day, and only really gets distracted by lacrosse. But right afterward, the kitsune rushes through her shower and heads right to the Martin household.
Mrs. Martin opens the door and waves her upstairs, not even pausing in her conversation.
Kira halts in the doorway to Lydia's room, gasping as Lydia sits up to see her. The older girls hair is mussed and her makeup is smeared. "Shouldn't you be with Scott?"
"Um, no. We, kinda, broke up this morning."
Lydia flicks her gaze up, and her eyes have hope. "You did? Why?"
Kira smiles slowly, climbs onto the bed and pulls Lydia into her arms. "Because I like someone else."
Lydia curls into Kira, slides her arms around the kitsune's waist. "Yeah?"
Kira lifts Lydia's chin, leans in and kisses her soft and sweet before pulling back with a smile. "Yeah."
