𝐒𝐓𝐘𝐃𝐈𝐀 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐓𝐒

Surprise

au: stiles comes back and surprised lydia from coming back from the military

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"Ally, it's been a year."

Lydia Stilinski had been swirling her fingers around the thin threads of the burgundy blanket she was currently laying under. Her tears had dried against her cheeks and her black stained mascara burned into her cheeks. Her forehead was flaming with high heat and her temple was pounding harmfully. She had been crying for hours; missing him.

Her best friend, Allison McCall, was sitting across from her with her legs crossed. The women had been sitting in the McCall living room just a little ways after dusk, the sun down and the stars up. The husband, Scott McCall, had been out running errands for his lovely wife, and should be back any time now.

Lydia's fingers felt hot at the tips, igniting a flame in her blood that made it boil. She was mad. She hadn't seen her husband in over a year. Skype calls weren't enough, and she missed her husband and everything about him.

"And he'll come back soon, I can guarantee that," said Allison optimistically.

"Guarantee? Just because you can't promise anything?"

Allison closed her eyes and sighed. Her black nail polish was chipped and looking like a mess, and she nervously picked at them trying to think of an approach to her best friend. She knew the strawberry blonde was sensitive about Stiles leaving for combat, and it scared her that any minute he could get hurt. Allison was scared for her.

"He'll be back."

Lydia scoffed.

"What if it's another year?" Lydia inquired, more to herself than her friend. "What if I never see him again? Just his face over a pixelated screen? Is that the kind of legacy he wants me to have of him?" Lydia wrapped her index finger around a thread so tight, her tips of her fingers started to turn white. She carefully unraveled the thread and took a deep breath.

"Lydia, please. I know it's been a while but you need to think happily. You'll see him soon."

Lydia made a noise of defeat; crushed.

"I just- I fucking miss him, Al. I miss his hair, his moles, his jokes- even if they are quite terrible. I miss the way he'd wake me up in the morning with kisses on my cheek and on my neck that made me feel wanted and special. I miss his cooking sprees where he'd bake me dinner everyday for three weeks a month. Just the little things make me feel appreciated, and fuck- I miss him."

Allison wiped her eyes, not necessarily catching tears, but stopping them from escaping her eyelids. "I miss him too, Lyd. And one day, soon, you'll be with him and feel like that."

"I can't even think about him not coming back."

It was silent.

"What if he never does come back?"

Allison ran a hand through her dark hair. "Stiles loves you in all conditions. I don't know what they exactly do over seas, but I do know that he's fighting for his life; he's fighting because he is determined to see you again."

Lydia shed a tear and wiped it with the back of her hand. "Thanks, Al."

Allison didn't quite understand her pain, but always missed Scott when he left to go on a business trip, or somewhere where he was gone for a few days. She remembered missing him so badly, and that was just a few days. She couldn't possibly empathize Lydia, but she knew that it was tough, but also that it will get better. Lydia just didn't know the whole plan.

"It's really a shame that people have to go through this," said Lydia hastily. "It's brutal."

Allison nodded in agreement. "I can tell. It's too much. I don't think that people understand that they have lives, families, friends, people that want them home and safe." Allison started to trace involuntary circles on her calves.