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It's days like this that Lydia just doesn't understand why she let Stiles talk her into getting this job.
(Really, it was more like whine and beg and moan and groan until Lydia finally snapped, threw a copy of her resume at him, and told him to do whatever the hell he wanted as long as he just shut up.)
It'd been a relatively quiet afternoon. Lydia's shift had started at one, and Cora had only snarked at her a little before running off to class around four. And even though Isaac was late coming in, as usual, everything had been running smooth. Until, well.
"I'm so, so sorry, oh god, I'm sorry," Stiles is babbling, hands flailing all over the place.
The shocked-looking girl in front of him seems to be trying to calm him down, despite the fact that she's the one with coffee all down her front.
Lydia lets her head rest in her hands for a moment, gathering courage, before stepping out from behind the counter to do damage control. Surely Isaac can man the counter by himself for a moment. Everyone in the shop is too caught up in staring at the spectacle to do much else, anyway.
"I'll handle this," she says as she walks up to them, the girl's wide eyes snapping to hers instantly. They're warm and brown and Lydia can't help but pause for a second to take her in, her sharp jaw and her cream-white throat and the soft curls of her hair, before her gaze catches where the girl's shirt is plastered to her chest.
Right.
Stiles doesn't seem to have noticed her, so she prods him in the side. "Stiles."
Stiles' head snaps up, hands freezing in place where they'd been ineffectually shoving napkins at the girl's coffee stained shirt.
"Stiles," Lydia repeats, sighing. "Just… go be somewhere else, okay?"
She turns back to the girl as Stiles scampers off, twisting her lips into a professional, apologetic smile.
"Sorry about him. Was the coffee hot? Are you hurt?"
The girl smiles and shakes her head. "It was iced, I'm fine." She glances down at herself, plucks at the sodden material of her shirt. The fabric slaps wetly against her skin, and she sighs. "It's times like this I wish I lived closer to campus."
"You could have one of our employee shirts if you'd like," Lydia offers. "I can get you one, we have extras in the back."
In fact, they keep an entire boxful there for this very reason, since the second week Stiles started work. The cost of the shirt would have to come out of his salary, or maybe Lydia would just pay for it, Stiles needs the money more anyway--
--but the girl's shaking her head.
"It's fine, it'll be dry before my next class, I'll just pull a sweater over it."
She's standing there with a bright smile on her face, coffee still dripping down her arm, and Lydia feels her own smile melt into something more friendly.
"I'll help you clean up."
Lydia's much more adept with the napkins than Stiles had been, dabbing carefully at the girl's skin and the sleeve of her shirt. When she feels she's done all she can, she straightens up, and apologizes again with a sigh.
"I wish I could say this doesn't happen often, but Stiles is…" She shakes her head. "I'm pretty sure any other place would've fired him by now, but Laura's got a soft spot for him."
The girl laughs, and Lydia blinks up at her. Her breath catches for a fraction of a second, startled by the dimples and the playful curve of her smile.
Lydia tilts her head, slips back behind the counter.
"Let me get you another coffee, at least. What were you having?"
It's pushing eight-thirty, and Lydia's been off shift for a while. She's not particularly happy about still being at the shop, but she usually gets roped into it somehow; usually it's Stiles begging her to stay until he finishes his shift, or Scott somehow managing to convince her to do her work there, or a combination of the two.
Today it's Malia, having asked Lydia with wide eyes to please help them catch up with their coursework.
It's more of a trial of patience than anything. The moment Lydia'd started talking, Malia had leaned their head against Kira's shoulder, playing with their girlfriend's hair. At first it seemed like Malia was following along, but it's becoming increasingly clear that Kira's silky black locks are much more interesting than integration problems.
Lydia is more or less about to give up, when Stiles slides into the seat next to her.
"Ew, is that calculus?" he asks, wrinkling his nose at the textbook on the table between them. "Why are you even still doing that? It's college, you know you have the option of never touching math ever again, right?"
Malia looks up at him, fingers tangled in Kira's hair. "I do fine. Lydia's helping me."
Stiles raises an eyebrow at Lydia, but then his gaze catches on something near the door.
"Hey, isn't that the girl I spilled coffee on last week?"
And Lydia can't stop herself from turning around in her seat to check.
For all the kind smiles and sweetness, Lydia had not been expecting the girl to show up at Hale Bean anytime soon.
Or ever, seeing as she had an iced americano dumped over her front. But it's not like Lydia cares. Hell, she probably wouldn’t have even remembered her, if it weren't for Isaac going on and on about how her bra had shown through her wet shirt until Lydia stared him into silence. In any case, if Lydia was her, she would probably never go within a mile of the coffee shop again.
And yet, here she is, looking down at her phone as she waits in line. Her fingers fly over the screen and a dimpled half-smile blooms on her face.
"I'm gonna go see if Isaac needs help," Lydia says quickly, barely turning back to the table.
"You're not even on shift anymore!" Stiles calls after her, but she shrugs it off, slipping behind the counter and nudging a surprised Isaac out of the way just as the girl steps up to the counter.
"Hi, what can I get you?" Lydia asks her with a smile.
The girl's eyes blink down at her and Lydia can see the spark of recognition there as the girl grins. Lydia doesn't think she's ever seen a smile this genuine, and she's known Scott McCall since high school.
"Iced Americano, please," she says, slips her phone into her pocket, and Lydia lets Isaac take over the register again so she can prepare the girl's drink.
"You're the one-- you were here last week, right?" the girl's asking, and Lydia looks up at her as she pours ice into a cup.
"Yeah," she says, sloshing a shot of espresso over the ice. "I'd recommend you stay far away from Stiles this time."
The girl laughs, and the sound's just as bright as Lydia remembers it being.
"Stiles is your friend?"
"Unfortunately," Lydia says with a roll of her eyes, but she's smiling at the girl, can't seem to do anything but.
"I uh, I don't think I caught your name," the girl says, almost shyly, and it takes Lydia one long second to realize that she's not wearing her name tag. She'd taken it off along with her apron when she finished her shift. Almost two hours ago. Right.
"It's Lydia," she says quickly, fixing a lid onto the plastic cup and handing it to the girl. The way their fingers brush is purely accidental, really.
"Thanks," the girl says. "I'm Allison. And thanks again for helping me out last time."
"We should be thanking you, really, for being so nice about the whole thing. We get yelled at for less," Lydia tells her, and the way Allison laughs at that is really-- well, it's really nice.
She's clutching her cup but she hasn't made a move to leave yet, and Lydia leans against the counter a little. "So are you headed to class, or are you hanging around for a while?"
"Oh, I don't have class today, I'm actually waiting for someone," Allison says, pulling out her phone again to check the time. "He should be here soon."
"Oh," Lydia says, not quite sure where that curl of disappointment in her stomach is coming from. She taps her fingers on the counter twice. "Okay, well, it was nice seeing you again."
Allison's smile widens a little in goodbye, and Lydia turns on her heel to head back to the table where Stiles, Kira, and Malia are sitting. Isaac's got his eyebrows raised at her as she passes, but she doesn't pay him attention besides a pat on the arm, and she settles in the chair beside Stiles.
Kira tilts her head. "Who was that?"
"Allison," Lydia shrugs, folding one leg over the other. "She's nice."
"I spilled coffee on her last week," Stiles adds eagerly, craning his neck past Lydia. "She's sitting alone, should we invite her over?"
"Stiles," Lydia says, slaps at his arm. "Stop staring at her, and no, don't do that. She's waiting for a date."
Malia sits up at that from where they'd been slumped against Kira. "You should tell her you like her, before the date gets here."
"I'm not going to do that," Lydia says, twists a lock of her hair around her finger and frowns. "I mean, I don't like her like her, I don't know her."
"Seems like someone has a cru-ush," Stiles sings. Lydia pushes him away.
"Don't be ridiculous," she says, rolling her eyes. "I just said I don't know her. And anyway, she's waiting for someone."
"You said she was nice, you could get to know her anyway, maybe this date will be awful," Kira says, eyes big and earnest.
"Or I could go over there and spill coffee on her date when they get here," Stiles offers, and Lydia rolls her eyes at him again but can't help the grin that pulls at her lips.
And then Derek Hale walks in.
Stiles tenses up beside her immediately. He alternates between mocking the guy one week and falling all over him the next, and Derek's barely even acknowledged, well, any of it. And Lydia knows what it's like to be at the receiving end of Stiles' unwanted affections, but the way Derek completely freezes him out --and, to be honest, completely ignores their entire friend group, despite Malia being his own cousin-- is a bit much. Lydia would hate him for that alone, but she realized fairly early on that Derek Hale's just a huge asshole in general. Unfortunately he's also their boss Laura's brother, but what can you do.
Lydia barely has time to narrow her eyes at Derek's presence before the man's striding over to Allison's table and dropping a kiss on her cheek.
She can feel her eyebrows rise of their own accord and she turns back to Stiles, whose jaw has practically hit the floor.
"Your friend's dating Derek Hale?"
Lydia winces a little. "Apparently so."
Stiles emits a strangled groan-like sound and faceplants onto the table.
"You said she was nice," Kira says uncertainly, looking up at Lydia while reaching out to pat Stiles on the head.
"Maybe she'll realize he's a dick and break up with him," Stiles mumbles against the table.
"Derek's not that bad," Malia says, and Stiles lets out a pained whine at that. Lydia throws them a grimace, then slides her hand over Stiles' shoulder
"Derek's awful," Lydia reassures him. "Malia's just saying that ‘cause he's their cousin."
Malia almost says something but Kira nudges them gently and they shut their mouth with a soft click, slumping back against their chair.
Lydia leans back, too, one hand absent-mindedly stroking across Stiles' back. She watches Allison as she stands up, laughing at something Derek's said, and threads her arm through his as they walk towards the door. Right before they step outside, Allison looks back, her eyes catching Lydia's.
Lydia feels her heart thump hard as Allison smiles warmly at her, lifting a hand in a small wave, before turning back to Derek with a flick of her hair and pulling him outside.
Allison comes in almost every day after that. There's not really a set time or anything, it varies day to day, and that makes Lydia a little uncertain. She doesn't even meet Derek every time, as far as Lydia's aware; sometimes she'd be on her way to class, or on her way home, or was just in the neighbourhood.
Allison does leave with Derek at least once every week, though. Lydia tries her very best not to focus on that.
Despite her apparently lacking taste in men, Allison's actually a pretty great person; even Stiles warms to her within seconds of being properly introduced.
"You should meet Scott, Scott would love you," Stiles tells her enthusiastically, feet kicking at the air where he's sitting on a table. So ridiculously unprofessional, and he's on shift, but Laura's in today and if she's not gonna tell him off, Lydia sure as hell won't.
"I'm sure I'd love Scott, too," Allison says with a smile. She sips at her coffee and glances at Lydia from the corner of her eye.
"You would," Lydia agrees. "I can text him to come by, if you wanna meet him."
"Good idea, Lyds, you should text him," Stiles says, then gets a little gleam in his eye. "You know, Scott's much, much nicer than Derek. He's studying to be a vet, and he's got a smile like sunshine."
Allison smiles at that, looking a little confused, but Lydia smacks his knee. "You are not setting them up, Stiles."
Stiles pouts a little. "Fine. But they'd make cute babies, I'm just saying."
"You think Scott would make cute babies with anyone."
"Hell yeah he would," Stiles grins. "Scott's the best."
"So how do all of you know each other?" Allison asks, smiling at them almost indulgently as she leans forward, her long hair slipping over her shoulder.
"Stiles and Scott and I went to the same high school," Lydia says, smoothing her apron over her lap to keep her hands from wandering.
"Not that Lydia payed any attention to me back then," Stiles says, sighing deeply for effect. Lydia shoves at him.
"We only really got to know each other after we graduated," she explains to Allison. "We ended up in the same queer discussion group the summer after high school."
"Hell yeah, bi buddies!" Stiles cheers, holding up his hand for a high-five. Lydia rolls her eyes but gives in, high-fives him over the table.
Allison laughs, eyes sparkling, and it takes Lydia a while before she can look away. Stiles gives her a knowing look.
It's then that Laura appears from the back, striding towards them with purpose. Lydia leans back and schools her features into neutrality.
"Hey Ally," Laura greets as she walks up to their table. "Derek's not here yet?"
"Not yet," Allison says, shifting in her seat. "Should we head out and get him to meet us there?"
Laura pulls a face. "I guess, if he's not here in the next five minutes or so."
She grins suddenly, pulls out a chair and plops down on it.
"What were we talking about?"
Just then the door is flung open and a harried-looking Derek steps inside. Laura and Allison are on their feet immediately. There's a moment of stillness, then Laura snorts, breaking the tension. She pulls her jacket on and raises an eyebrow at her brother.
"Shall we go?"
Allison says a quick goodbye and then they file out the door, a tall, sharp jawed, dark-haired trio. Lydia raises her brows in confusion, but can't help but let her eyes linger as they leave.
So she's got a type, sue her.
She's refilling plastic lids the next morning when Stiles appears beside her.
"We have to break them up," he says, slapping his palms onto the counter.
Lydia just raises an eyebrow.
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Allison and Derek, come on Lyds," Stiles whines, following Lydia as she steps around him and makes her way to the creamer station. She lets Stiles ramble while she stacks.
"They're totally incompatible, seriously, their personalities would never work well together. We have to break them up, for both their sakes."
Lydia sighs, sets down the lids. "You don't know Allison well enough to judge that."
Stiles scoffs. "I know her well enough."
"I thought you liked Allison."
Stiles gives her a look. "I thought you liked Allison."
Lydia raises her chin and glares right back. "I do like Allison, she's a very sweet friend. We're not breaking them up."
"Fine," Stiles says, throwing his hands up. He wanders off, muttering about having to settle for a threesome.
(Not that Lydia would ever call a threesome with Allison and Derek settling.)
It's not until weeks later that the subject comes up again.
The-- not the threesome, but Allison and Derek's relationship. Allison's been coming in daily for a while, and Lydia's been learning little tidbits of her life-- she's an only child, is majoring in French and European History, and has a strange love of iced drinks in the increasingly cold weather that Lydia just doesn't get but is more than happy to cater to.
But Derek doesn't come up for a while when they talk. It's not that they're purposefully avoiding the topic, really, but they don't really venture in to relationships until a Tuesday morning sometime mid-November.
Isaac's moping. Something about a boy, probably. (Scott, if Lydia's intuition isn't wrong, and it rarely is.)
He's obvious enough about it that even Allison notices. Lydia sees her give Isaac a comforting smile and a squeeze of her fingers when Isaac gloomily hands her her change.
"Mocha over ice, huh?" Lydia raises an eyebrow at Allison as she prepares the drink.
Allison's smile widens, dimples pushing into her cheek. "It's good, I swear."
"It's below zero out," Lydia chides, but smiles back as she hands over the cup. "You on your way? Or staying for a bit?"
"I have a bit of time," Allison says. Lydia nods, a shocky warmth tingling in her fingertips as they brush Allison's.
"Isaac," she calls over. "I'm taking my break."
Isaac waves her off and goes back to staring dejectedly at the customers who approach him.
"Is he okay?" Allison asks once they're seated, across from each other at a table in the corner. It's Lydia's favourite spot, half-hidden behind a shelf of travel mugs. Even though it's right by the door, it has an almost secluded feel.
She smiles at Allison across the table. "He's fine. He's just pining."
"Poor kid," Allison pouts in sympathy, though her eyes are sparkling, and something warm flutters in Lydia's stomach. "We've all been there."
"Ah," Lydia looks down, traces the tip of her finger along the tabletop. "So how did you and Derek meet?"
"Me and Derek?" Allison seems startled by the question, but smiles nonetheless. "We've known each other since we were kids."
"That's so cute," Lydia says. She shifts in her seat, jerking a little when her knee presses against Allison's for a moment. "Though I imagine it couldn't have been easy."
Allison laughs. "Nothing about Derek is easy, really. He's a stubborn ass."
Lydia laughs with her, and it feels only a little forced. "Well, I'm happy for you two."
"What for?"
Allison's lips are curved upward, but there's a pucker of confusion on her brow. Lydia itches to reach over and smooth it gently with the pads of her fingers. Instead, she twists them in her own hair.
"For finding each other," she says, focuses on gentling her features. She shouldn't be jealous in the first place-- has absolutely no reason to be-- so it definitely shouldn't show on her face. "You two seem happy together."
Allison's eyes go wide and shocked, iced mocha frozen halfway to her lips. "What? We're-- we're not."
Lydia feels her eyebrows draw together. "What?"
"Derek and I are close," Allison says. She sets her drink down carefully, splays her pale fingers on the dark wood of the table. "We've known each forever, practically, but we're not. Together, I mean. We're not together."
"Oh," Lydia says. "Oh. Well, good."
As the word slips from her mouth, she feels her own eyes widen.
Allison looks up from under her curtain of hair, and Lydia quickly amends, "For Stiles. I meant good for Stiles, he's been pining over Derek since pretty much the first time they met."
"Ah, I see," Allison says, but there's a sparkle in her eyes that's making Lydia flush down her neck.
"Yeah, well, you know how Stiles gets," Lydia says, voice a little strained as she pushes her hair behind her ear.
Allison just hums, holds Lydia's gaze for a moment longer before checking the time on her phone. She sighs. "I have to head out."
Lydia nods quickly, pushing out of her seat. "See you tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow," Allison confirms as she stands up, then holds out her arms for a hug. Lydia steps close and wraps her arms around her taller frame, resting her cheek against Allison's shoulder for just a moment.
Allison's hand trails down her back as she steps away.
Lydia's already turning away, when Allison's fingers close around her wrist.
"Oh, and Lyds?"
Lydia turns back, and suddenly Allison's standing so much closer.
"Stiles should know," Allison says, leaning in so close that Lydia can almost feel the softness of her lips on the shell of her ear. "Derek is totally interested."
Allison steps back and with a grin and a swirl of her hair, she's gone, leaving Lydia rooted to the spot, heart tripping all over itself.
When she steps back behind the counter, Isaac whistles lowly. "Now that was hot."
"Shut up," she snaps at him, still feeling a little thrown. "Go back to brooding."
Isaac just smirks at her.
It's been two weeks.
Two weeks of Allison standing too close, touching Lydia's hands, arms, shoulders, her knee when they sit beside each other.
One time Allison stepped up right behind her, so close that Lydia could feel the heat of her along her back, her lips ghosting over the back of her neck. Lydia had to suppress a shudder, but couldn't help leaning into her just a little.
Nothing's really changed; Allison's still the same sweet, smiling girl. But for some reason every touch feels a thousand times warmer, heavier, more significant, and Lydia's going a little mad with it.
It's half an hour to closing and the shop's pretty much emptied out. There's a couple pressed together in a corner and across the room a man in his late sixties is reading a book.
Lydia looks around, turns to Cora at the counter with a sigh.
"Alright, let's do this."
Cora gets an evil little glint in her eye, and ducks down to grab the box. She shoves it onto the counter, and Lydia sighs again as she peers inside.
Tinsel. So much tinsel.
"Don't make such a fuss about it," Cora grins. "It's the tenth, most stores've been decorated for like, a month now."
"I'm not making a fuss," Lydia says. "In fact, I'm very grateful that your sister spared us a month of ridiculousness. But this," she reaches into the box to pull out a glittery sprig of plastic mistletoe, "is just gross."
"Oh, yeah. Make sure to put it over the door."
Lydia twists her lips into a grimace but grabs the box and a step ladder. She sticks the mistletoe above the door, and pulls tinsel along the windows. She pauses for a moment, watching the snow fall outside.
It had been snowing steadily all day, large clumps of flakes gathering on windowsills and building up on the ground. Lydia frowns a little at the foot and a half of snow blanketing on the sidewalk. She hadn't really been paying attention, but the roads are completely covered in it.
The door swings open with a rush of cold air and Derek steps in, followed closely by Allison.
"Hi!"
Allison's cheeks and nose are tinted with pink from the cold. Standing there in a wool hat and mittens, she looks-- well, she looks like Lydia wants to cuddle up with her on the couch.
"It's so snowy out there," Allison says, unwrapping her scarf from around her neck.
Lydia hops off the ladder. "Want me to make you something warm?"
Allison smiles. "Thanks, but I'm okay. We're leaving in a sec, anyway."
"We're just picking up Cora," Derek grunts behind her, and Lydia very nearly rolls her eyes at him on instinct.
The shop had emptied out completely in the meantime. Allison sits down at a table while Cora gets her stuff and Lydia starts shutting off the lights. When Cora appears with her bag, sans apron and name tag, she's frowning at her phone.
"The buses aren't running," she tells Derek. Derek swears.
"Because of the snow?" Allison asks, eyes wide.
"Yeah." Cora chews on her lip, sinking down into a chair beside her.
"We could probably stay at Laura's," Derek says uncertainly.
"Nu-uh," Cora says, grimacing. "She's got Tony over, there's no way I'm listening to them all night."
"You could come over to mine," Lydia hears herself say. Three pairs of eyes turn towards her.
"My place is just around the corner," she shrugs, even though Allison's gaze is making her feel a bit warm. "You guys could spend the night."
"All three of us?" Cora ask, sceptical.
Allison looks unsure as well. "If it's too much, we could find a hotel--"
"Don't be ridiculous," Lydia says. Now that she's made the suggestion, she's gonna stick with it. "I have a queen bed and a pull out couch. It'll be fine."
The Hales exchange a glance, but Allison smiles slowly.
"You're a lifesaver," she says, standing up and pulling Lydia to her side, pressing her cheek to the top of Lydia's head. "Thank you."
"Thanks," Derek grunts, buttoning his coat up again. "We should go before the snow gets worse."
"Yeah, okay." Lydia does a final check of the shop and flicks off the lights, ushering the rest of them outside as she locks up. Allison waits by her side, Cora and Derek standing on the sidewalk a little ways off.
"Hmm," Allison hums, pressing her arm against Lydia's. "Does mistletoe count from the other side of the glass?"
Lydia freezes, key halfway to her pocket, and looks up. She feels heat pool in her cheeks as she sees that gaudy plastic sprig right above them on the other side of the door.
"I'm not sure," she says finally, her gaze set firmly upwards. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Allison's face drift closer.
Allison's lips brush her cheek, and Lydia's eyes flutter closed. It's just a quick press of lips, Allison's cold nose pressing into her temple, but Lydia feels her heart stutter.
"Just to be safe," Allison says quietly, a smile in her voice. Lydia blushes, but meets Allison's eyes, goes up on tiptoe to kiss Allison's cheek in return.
"To be safe."
They take off, Lydia leading the way, arm linked with Allison's, Cora and Derek following along behind them.
Lydia flicks on the lights as she steps inside, pulling her coat off and hanging it up.
The place isn't spectacular, really, but she's done her best with it. Both the living room and the bedroom are small, but she had, of course, decorated tastefully and meticulously, and the place doesn't look half bad in the end.
She turns back to the others, the trio hanging around the doorway.
"Well?" she prompts, raising an eyebrow. "You're allowed to come in, you know."
Cora doesn't wait to be prompted again. She drapes her jacket over the kitchen counter and throws herself on the couch. Allison follows her, though she takes a second to hang up her coat beside Lydia's.
Derek still hovers, but pulls the door shut behind him. He stands just inside the threshold, clutching his scarf awkwardly. He's got a hickey just above the collar of his sweater, and half-melted snow in his beard.
Lydia takes him in, then sighs. "Alright then. How does dinner sound?"
She puts together a quick stir fry that even Derek eyes appreciatively. They settle in the living room as Cora rummages in the fridge. She appears a moment later with a carton of leftover Chinese.
"I'm having this," she tells Lydia, sprawling out on the floor in front of the couch.
"I do have a table," Lydia says from where she's sitting down, steaming plate in front of her. "Or do you like balancing your food on your knees?"
Cora rolls her eyes at her. Beside Lydia, Derek snorts.
Allison eats quietly, but every once in a while, Lydia feels her eyes on her. Halfway through the meal, a foot hooks around her ankle, and she looks up, meeting Allison's twinkling gaze. Flushing, she looks back down at her plate, but catches Allison's foot between her own.
They all curl up on the couch afterwards, turn on the tv to some random movie that's playing. Lydia ends up smushed between Allison and Derek, Cora's feet somehow in her lap.
It's a little awkward at first, but they all relax into it quickly, too sleepy and warm with snow falling heavily outside.
Lydia finds herself dozing, her head resting on Allison's shoulder. Just as she's about to fall asleep, she feels Allison's hand slip into hers, their fingers tangling together. She blinks her eyes open, suddenly feeling much more awake. She can feel her heart rate ratchet up, hopes her palms aren't sweaty as she squeezes Allison's fingers.
Allison turns her head, her lips to Lydia's hair, and Lydia presses closer, heart in her throat. She slides her eyes quickly to Derek and Cora.
Cora's conked out, head thrown back against the arm of the couch. Derek's got his eyes fixed on the tv, but Lydia gets the feeling that he's studiously not looking at them. Well, okay. She lets her eyes drift closed again.
"Maybe we should head to sleep," Allison murmurs.
Lydia sits up slowly, extricating herself from the tangle of limbs.
"Cora and I can take the couch," Derek says.
Lydia nods, then looks at Allison, feels her cheeks blush despite herself. "Are you okay with sharing a bed?"
But Allison just nods and stands up. "I don't suppose you'd have an extra toothbrush, would you?"
Lydia snorts quietly. "I'm friends with Stiles. I have extra everything."
She leads Allison to her bedroom, feeling only a little lightheaded, and sets out an oversized shirt, stolen from Scott, for her to use as pjs while she hunts down a couple extra toothbrushes.
She gives one to Derek, leaves another out for Cora, finds them a blanket and a few pillows and heads back to her room.
Allison's already changed, her clothes folded in a neat pile beside the bed. She's standing by the window, shirt hanging loosely off her shoulders, the lace trim on her panties peeking out at the top of her long, pale legs.
Lydia swallows, then steps up beside her, touching her fingers to the soft skin at the crook of Allison's arm.
"I got your toothbrush," she says, holds it up when Allison turns to her. Allison blinks at it, then laughs.
"Disney princesses, huh?" she asks, and Lydia can't help but reach up to skim her fingers along her cheek, her dimpled smile. Allison's smile turns gentle as she leans into her touch.
"Yeah," Lydia says, throat feeling a little dry as she pulls her hand back. She shakes her head a little. "Yeah, well, Stiles kept stealing mine, so I thought this would be incentive for him to not. Turns out, he loves Disney princesses." She shakes the toothbrush a little. "You get Ariel."
Allison laughs again, softer this time, leans against Lydia for a moment before plucking the toothbrush from her fingers and stepping back.
"Your bathroom's to the left, right?"
Lydia nods, watches her leave the room, then lets out a long breath. She shuffles over to her closet, pulls out the shirt and boxers she usually sleeps in, and starts undressing.
Once she's got her pajamas on, she sits on her bed, flips the covers up and lies down. She stretches, enjoying the pull of her muscles after a long day, and sighs, stroking her hand down her stomach, pushing up her shirt to trace her fingers across her skin. She feels sleepy-warm but wired, every touch of her fingers and her sheets against her skin magnified.
When Allison comes back, she's lying on her side on the bed, legs tangled in the blanket.
Allison smiles, eyes flicking to the light switch on the wall.
"Should I turn the lights off?" she asks.
"Sure," Lydia says, blinking as the room's suddenly enveloped in darkness. Her eyes get used to it in a moment, watching Allison's figure in the grey light filtering in from outside.
Allison lowers herself onto the bed, slips under the blanket. The bed is big, but she shuffles close, and their bare legs press against each other for a moment. Lydia's breath catches, and she steels herself for a second before slipping her calf between Allison's.
She looks up, Allison's face just inches from her in the darkness, dark eyes catching the faint light. She takes a deep breath, and shoves her hands under her pillow before they decide to wander anywhere else.
But Allison just smiles, slides her thigh up further along Lydia's, so her leg is practically curled around her.
"This okay?"
"Yeah," Lydia says. Allison's soft skin against hers is making her heart race, and she pulls her hands back out from under the pillow, pushes one under the covers instead, setting it on Allison's hip to pull her closer. "Is this?"
"Yeah," Allison breathes, and their noses are brushing. It only takes Lydia three more thumping heartbeats to press forward, tilting her head so that her lips catch on Allison's.
She can't help the sharp intake of breath, can't help the way her hips hitch forward at the touch. Allison's lips are so soft against hers and she pushes even closer, plastering herself to Allison's warmth.
She kisses her again and Allison's mouth opens under hers, her slick tongue teasing at Lydia's. Lydia can't help the small sounds she makes at that, can't help pushing herself up on her forearms to get a better angle. Allison's hands slide up her thigh, skim across her shorts and push under the back of her shirt. Lydia's trembling, leans in to the touch, has to lean her forehead against Allison's and take in gasping breaths of air when Allison's grip tightens on her waist.
"Here," Allison says, sounding out of breath, as she guides Lydia's thigh over her hips so that she's straddling her, and Lydia almost moans as Allison's pubic bone pushes up against her cunt.
Lydia presses her face into Allison's neck, can't help sucking bruises into her skin as she breathes in the warm, sweet scent of her.
"Can I--" Allison asks, and Lydia nods against her neck, rubs her nose behind Alison's ear and presses sucking kisses there before shuffling down Allison's body a little, kissing along the column of her neck to the hollow between her collar bones.
Allison's breath stutters when Lydia bites down. Her hands are at her hips, her grip bruising, and Lydia leans back up to kiss her again. Her own hand is buried in Allison's hair, the other on the bed beside her head, bracing herself above her. Allison's teeth sink into her lip, and she grinds down frantically, heat zinging down her spine to her belly.
And then Allison's hand smoothes down from her hip the top of her thigh, thumb pressing down against her as her finger tease at the edge of her underwear. Lydia throws her head back, breath coming faster and faster as Allison's finger slip under her shorts, thumb just teasing at her clit. She can feel sweat gathering at the nape of her neck, her lower back, her armpits, and she drags her shirt up over her head.
Allison makes a hungry noise and sits up so quickly that Lydia's thrown off balance for a moment before she's suddenly on her back, Allison hovering over her. Her eyes gleam as she pushes a thigh between Lydia's and leans down, skimming her nose down Lydia's chest before latching onto a nipple.
Lydia arches, gasping out broken little oh oh ohs as Allison sucks, her fingers tangled in Allison's thick, silky hair.
Allison sits up again, her cheeks flushed, hair wild. Lydia imagines she looks just as messy and flushed, and grins up at her. Allison grins back, then pulls her shirt off too. Lydia only has a moment to admire her small, firm breasts, her small dark nipples, before Allison's stretching out on top of Lydia again, pressing their bodies together.
Lydia groans at the feeling, Allison's nipples pressing against her skin, her tummy firm against Lydia's softer one. She wraps her legs around Allison's waist, her arms around her neck, and leans her head up to meet her in a kiss.
She trails a hand down Allison's smooth back til it catches at her panties, pushes a hand under the fabric to grab at Allison's bare ass. Allison breaks their kiss, panting wetly against Lydia's neck.
"You don't even know how much I've been wanting this," Allison murmurs, dragging her kiss-wet lips against her skin. Lydia shudders, turns her head to catch Allison's lips again, before sliding her hand forward along the curve of Allison's hip down between her thighs.
She can feel Allison's breath coming faster as she rubs her fingers against her. She's so wet that she's soaked her panties right through, and Lydia's pretty sure she's done the same. She slides her fingers between her folds, humming in satisfaction when Allison opens her thighs just a bit wider, thumbs at her clit until Allison's hiccuping moans against her mouth.
Suddenly she needs to taste, pushes her free hand against Allison's shoulders til she sits back, though her other hand is still rubbing against her.
"I want to put my mouth on you," she says. "Can I?"
Allison just nods, her lips wet and open, and Lydia pushes her onto her back before crawling up between her legs. She murmurs praises as she kisses her over her panties, finger still working under the damp material before pulling it aside, breathing in her sweet musk before licking around her fingers.
Allison's thighs spasm around her and she hums, eases back to pull her panties down over her hips, quickly shucking her own underwear as well.
She settles back down, nosing at the dark curls over Allison's cunt before sucking at her, sloppy, her thumb coming up to gently caress her wet folds.
"Lydia," Allison gasps, and Lydia hums again, pressing her mouth against the heat of her. She sucks at her clit, tongue curling around the firm little bud, as she slowly sinks two fingers into her.
Allison's thighs tense over her shoulders, and Lydia grabs one with her free hand, can feel her own pulse speed up, at the taste of her and the tight clench of her around her fingers, the way she's coming slowly undone.
Lydia's muffling her own moans by the time Allison comes, her mouth and chin sloppy with Allison's wetness and her own spit; she grinds her tongue against her clit insistently, fingers pressing a sharp rhythm inside her, and Allison cries out and comes again, pulling at Lydia's hair.
Lydia eases off, though she keeps her fingers inside her, leans up to kiss Allison's bitten-wet mouth. Allison sighs at the taste of herself on Lydia's tongue, and her hands trails down Lydia's body, plucking at her nipples before pressing the heel of her hand against her, pressing her fingers inside.
Lydia gasps, already on edge, grinding down on Allison's clever fingers until she comes, arching up into Allison's mouth on her breast.
They settle onto the bed, trailing hands over each other as their heart rates slow down. Lying on their sides, legs tangled together, they watch each other's faces with small, contented smiles.
Lydia reaches out, smooths Allison's dark, matter hair from her forehead.
"You're beautiful," she murmurs, trailing a finger down the side of Allison's face, over her sharp jaw, the smooth column of her neck, dips it into the hollow of her throat and traces it over the line of her collarbone. Allison shivers at the touch, and another slow pulse of want shudders over Lydia.
She leans and presses a slow kiss to her lips.
Allison pulls her close til they're pressed up against each other again, but breaks the kiss before it gets heavy, hides her blush-warmed face in Lydia's hair. Lydia smiles, combs her fingers through Allison's hair.
She breathes in deep, the smell of sex and sweat and Allison's hair, and hugs the girl to her tight before tugging the blanket up to their hips and turning over.
"I hope you're okay being the big spoon," she says, pulling Allison's arm around her waist.
Allison laughs, presses her nose into the hair behind Lydia's ear.
"Can we, could this maybe," she starts slowly. "Could this maybe be a thing? An us?"
Lydia smiles against her pillow, presses back against Allison before linking their fingers on her stomach.
"Yeah. It could."
(Cora complains all throughout breakfast. "If I would've wanted to hear people having sex, I would've gone to Laura's. Geez, you two, have you no shame?" Derek rolls her eyes at her and shoves her off her stool. Pressing her thigh against Allison's, Lydia thinks maybe Derek's not so bad after all.)