Know Better - A Stydia AU

Chapter 6

Everyone gets together that weekend. Natalie comes to Beacon Hills to visit and check on her girls, and Chris will be coming home for the first time in weeks for his grandson's birthday. Lydia hasn't seen the man since she moved here. He had been nice to her when she met him back when she and Allison were in college. It'll be nice to see him again. It's like everything is falling into place.

The girls arrive at Stiles' place around four. The others are already there along with some kids from Eric's class and their parents. Stiles is the one opening the front door to mother and daughter, strawberry blond locks falling freely to their waist, matching olive dresses and rosy cheeks as they laugh. Stiles is speechless. He could swear he just died.

"Stiles, are you okay?" Lydia stops laughing abruptly, taking in his expression and blushing harder. He looks awed. It takes him a few seconds to answer.

"Y- Yeah, sorry. I-..." He kind of forgot how to breathe. "Sorry." He moves to let them in. "You look stunning".

Lydia cracks a smile and, without really thinking about it, she kisses him swiftly on the cheek, locking her eyes with his as she whispers. "Thank you." No one has ever made her feel like this with just words. It's silly. He makes her feel like she's in high school all over again.

The kiss takes him by surprise. They have never kissed before. Overwhelmed, he turns to Ariel. "Hey, gorgeous. You..." He takes her little hand and lifts her arm so she can spin, then placing a kiss on her hand. The girl giggles. "You look like a princess."

The girl answers him as forward as she can before running to meet her classmates. "I know."

"Oh my god, she totally got that from you," Stiles mutters, turning to Lydia and laughing. "Wasn't your mom coming?"

Natalie also took a liking of Stiles instantly. After first meeting him a few weeks ago, she wouldn't shut up about him either just like Ariel. And Lydia. A little like Lydia too, yes. A little. "Yeah, she's in the car. I'm gonna go help her. I just came to bring Ariel inside first, she was in a rush," she chuckles. Placing a not-so-subtle hand on her lower back, Stiles leads Lydia outside and they walk together, meeting Natalie in the driveway.

"Stiles, honey, it's nice to see you again." Natalie hugs him briefly, smiling at Lydia above his shoulder. "So, a little help?"

The three of them walk back to the house with loaded arms. Lydia carries four gift bags and Stiles helps Natalie carrying some desserts and homemade snacks that she prepared for dinner, along with one of Ariel's old baby bags with a few things for the girls. They planned on staying late, as Stiles had suggested. Already inside, they placed the dishes on the counter. There's food all around; every family brought a little something.

Lydia turns to Stiles. "Where should I put the presents?" she asks, raising her arms a little and shaking the bags.

"Over there," he points to a corner. "Eric will open them after dinner, when we cut the cake." Noticing that there are four bags, Stiles raises an eyebrow. "You're spoiling him, you know?"

Lydia smiles as they walk over to where the presents are. "Well, they are not all for Eric."

"Oh." Stiles' mouth falls to form a perfect 'o' and he blushes, a little embarrassed. "You didn't have to..."

Lydia catches his hand before it finds its place on the back of his neck; she knows he's nervous and he's not the only one. She hands him two of the gift bags. "These are yours. I don't know if you want to leave them here. Eric might think they're for him too." She smiles shyly, breaking the contact.

"Hmm, yeah. He'd probably want them. I'll take them upstairs?" He mutters. He didn't mean for it to sound like a question but he's avoiding babbling so yeah.