Wake Up//Stydia AU

08. Hand Holding

Laughter.

It circled the room as though it clung to the air they breathed. Smiles were stretched across each person's face, and for a moment, Stiles felt the world slow down. He couldn't remember the last time everyone gathered around his old wooden kitchen table to enjoy a meal. Currently, stories were being swapped about their adventures in high school. They mainly consisted of Scott and Stiles trying to play detective.

The Sheriff was telling the story of the time when Scott and Stiles tried stealing a couple of the deputy uniforms so they could "blend in" better. That ended promptly when they got caught by one of the female officers and got their asses handed to them.

"I'm pretty sure she asked to be transferred a week later!" Mr. Stilinski had to wipe away a few stray tears that were a side effect to the side aching laughter. "I didn't really like her anyways so I really should be thanking you two boys."

Another round of laughter made its way around the table. Stiles could feel his cheeks hurting from it all. He looked around the room at the familiar faces he called family. Scott and Kira sat across from him, both leaning into each other softly. His father and Melissa had taken the ends of the table, but Stiles didn't miss the glances the two exchanged. It made his heart swell at the fact his father found someone who seemed to make him as happy as his mother once did. Deep down Stiles knew no one could completely fill the void from the lose of his mother, and he believed his father knew that too, but Melissa isn't here to replace his mother. She's the woman who chose to step in a be all she could be to the Stillinskis. To the sheriff, a new partner. To Stiles, well, there was no stopping it. She had already been like a second mother even when his own was still alive, now it is just becoming official.

"Hey," a slight nudge at his side brought him out of his thoughts. "You okay? You've been kind of quiet." Emerald eyes pierced his whiskey ones. Lydia sat comfortable at his side, quite noticeably enjoying her time home.

"I'm fine, just thinking." He paused to reach over and give her hand a squeeze. "I just realized how nice it is to be home." A ghost of a smile past his lips, almost as though he felt that he was not permitted, but couldn't keep it from tugging at the corners of his mouth.

His hand remained on top of hers, warm and comforting. Lydia gave him a small smile of her own, but on the inside she was practically screaming.

He's happy to be home.

The words looped in her mind. In reality, it wasn't much, but after the years of him pulling away it meant the world to hear those words.
For the remainder of their time spent around the dinner table, Stiles kept his hand comfortable placed on top of Lydia's. It was nothing romantic despite the many looks Scott and the others sent their way. No, you see, these two even after all these years are what keep each other a float in the sea of life. Recently though, they both had been drowning. With their reunion Lydia was finally seeing the light and beginning to pull her head above water, but Stiles, well it's sad to say. He saw the light, felt the warmth of the sun on his skin, but it was all from the depths of this deep ocean. Lydia was bringing in that light, but his mind had already tied a weight to his ankle, and it wouldn't take long for him to hit rock bottom.

----

The night turned out to be nothing less than blissful. They had all taken the time to catch up, and share stories of their high school days. They reminisced only shortly in their adventures with the supernatural, and it had only been then when Stiles became uncomfortable. Of course Lydia saw right through the fake smile, and saw pain in his eyes. She tried asking, but he just lied and said nothing. Once the subject passed he became better, but something continued to ache in his chest from their on out.