I Could Go Anywhere With You, and Probably be Happy

It was nearly 6am before she had even made it home, 7am before she had collapsed into her bed and 8am before she could finally calm her racing heart and fall asleep. She had been awake for nearly 24 hours, on her feet for most of it, her body full of adrenaline and fear, her hands shaking for hours, her throat raw from her wails. But it had been worth it, it had been worth it to get him back.

She would've gone through hell for him if he had asked, he wouldn't have even needed to ask to be honest.

They had parted with a hug, their arms wrapped around each other, whispered words of seeing each other tomorrow hung between them as the sun began to rise over a new Era in Beacon Hills. She had felt a pang, an absence in her heart, as he had walked off with his Father, his arm thrown around his son's shoulders, his sons head resting against him. She felt comfort though, at the fact he was going home, going home with someone who loved him as well.

She had been thinking about it the entire ride home, the time she had spent in the shower, the time spent drying her hair, putting on a soft shirt and pair of shorts, she had thought about it the entire hour that she had laid in her bed awake; she still hadn't said it back.

"You don't have to."

His words had been on repeat in her mind for hours now. The ambiguity of them slowly driving her mad.

Did he mean that she did't need to say it back because he didn't want to pressure her?

Did he mean that it was an unspoken connection?

Did her actions already show it?

Did he already know?

"You don't have to."

She let out an irritated groan, her face only softening at the thought of that kiss. She's been kissed before, but never like that. Never has a kiss sent her spiralling up into the clouds, never has it filled her heart so completely, never has a kiss conveyed so much.

She blindly reached for her phone in the dim light of her room and sent him a text, a simple one letting him know she wanted to see him later, that she needed to see him later. Because she had just spent three months without him, it had taken him being ripped away from her to realise what she had in front of him and she was done waiting.

All she wanted was him.

Eventually though, as it tends to do, sleep crept up on her and dragged her into a dreamless slumber.

She was awoken by a knock on her door and her Mother poking her head through the small crack, "Honey there's a Stiles here to see you." She said with a smile and a raise of the eyebrows, a knowing look that all Mother's seemed to have plastered on her face.

Lydia stirred from her sleep, sitting up to see him in the door way with a cup of take away coffee in each hand, a clean flannel on and his hair still damp from his shower.

"Hey sleepy." He said softly with a laugh, "I got your text, you didn't reply though so I got worried but then I realised you were probably asleep." He babbled a little nervously, the energy electric in the room with all the words unsaid between them.

"Hey." Lydia said, her voice croaking surprising her a little, "Sorry yeah." She said clearing her throat, her voice retuning to normal as she sat up and pushed her hair out of her eyes, she scrambled for her phone and saw the 20 odd messages from Stiles, biting her lip to try and hide the grin spreading on her face as she flicked her eyes over them. "Very observant." She commented making them both laugh.

"I got you coffee from Millie's though!" Stiles said walking over and placing it on her bedside, "And I was wondering if you wanted to go for a drive or something?" He asked a nervously, his hand scratching the back of his neck.

She felt comfort knowing that he was just as nervous as she was, "Yeah!" Lydia said tucking her hair behind both ears, smiling down at her knees, "That sounds great." She said slowly.

"Okay." Stiles replied nodding, "Cool, great, okay. I'll wait outside for you?" He asked backing out the door, walking into her desk behind him; wincing in both pain and embarrassment.

"Yeah, perfect." Lydia laughed, her cheeks turning a little pink.

"Cool. Okay. Well I'll let you get dressed and…" Stiles trailed off, "Great. Okay well be quick!" He said enthusiastically before leaving her room, her laugh following him down the hall.

He skipped down the stairs, his coffee still in hand, bidding a polite farewell to Mrs. Martin on the way out before unlocking his beloved jeep.

She did the double-tuck.

He had known her long enough, knew her well enough, to know that when Lydia was nervous she used both hands to tuck her hair behind her ears, it was a nervous habit. She was just as nervous as he was. He was waiting in his jeep barely 10 minutes before she stepped out her front door, her pyjamas replaced with her jeans and a simple floral top, her hair reflecting in the evening sun making it look like it was spun from gold. She had her purse flung over one shoulder and her coffee in the other hand, a smile on her face, a noticeable skip in her step causing a skip in Stiles' heart.

"Hi!" She said a little breathlessly as she hopped in the jeep, "Sorry I wasn't too long was I?"

"No, no not at all. You were perfect-I mean you look perfect- I mean- I'm sorry I'm talking a lot, I think I must be making up for the three months." He nervously laughed, calmed when her laugh joined in.

"It's okay." She softly said her smile lighting up the car, she reached for his hand and gave it a quick squeeze, "So where to?"

"The river I thought?" He asked, "It's just everywhere else is closed and you know the sun's about to set… it's warm…" He said trailing off, "Just thought it might be quite nice." He finished quietly, an awkward cough at the end.

"Sounds perfect." Lydia replied with a soft smile, leaning back , unaware of how much she had missed being in the passenger seat with him next to her.

The drive there was quiet, both too immersed in the soft music and the breeze that was floating in through the open windows, both content to stare into the soft glow of the town surrounding them in the setting sun, watching as the sky dimmed from a pale blue to a fantastical mix of pink and orange. The parking lot was empty as he drove in, everyone else too immersed in trying to dissect that the recent events to come to an overgrown look out point. It wasn't well known at the best of times, the path hidden by overgrown bushes, the parking lot more stones than concrete; but the river ran through the town, most knowing it from the row of shops that lined it on the east- but the lookout point was further west where the river widened, opening up and allowing for small boats and large birds.

It was a piece of calm in their mad world.

They got out the car in silence, leaving their now empty cups behind, walking in synch down the over grown path, Stiles leading; holding back branches for her when necessary. They laughed when he stumbled a little, taking her hand to help her over the fallen tree, not letting go once they had passed. And before they knew it the enclosed, overgrown, treacherous path gave way to a wide grassy expanse leading up to a small cycling path and a drop down to the river, a newly erected wooden barrier to stop people cycling in. They ignored the bench looking out and headed straight to the barrier, leaning up against it, smiling at the beauty of the sun setting against the clam water; reflecting the beautiful colours and painting their faces with streaks of gold.

"This is so much nicer than that train station." Stiles quietly spoke, breaking their silence, "I didn't realise how much I had missed the sun." He carried on, letting the last of the day's rays light up his face, turning his eyes from a lovely amber to a spectacular gold.

"Yeah?" Lydia asked softly, her hands gripping the wooden barrier.

"I'm never taking the outdoors for granted again." He said with a laugh making her smile, "I see why you like hiking so much now." He carried on making her look down and laugh. He liked making her laugh, it was one of his favourite sounds.

"I'll bring you along next time then." She said bumping his shoulder lightly making him smile, a silence settling over them again.

She could feel the breeze off the water hit her face lightly, causing her hair to float softly in the air, sending a small train off goosebumps up her arm despite the warm sun shining down on them. Out of the corner of her eye she could see him leaning against the barrier, his arms crossed, his eyes following the flock of birds flying above them, watching them intently, a small smile on his face. She couldn't help but smile too, her heart expanding with every passing second that she was looking at him. She gently peeled her hands off the wooden barrier and inched closer to him, wrapping her arms around his bicep and resting her hear against his shoulder, smiling even more when she felt him kiss her head.

"Stiles?" She quietly asked, finding his hand with hers,

"Yeah?"

"I love you." She said quietly, the words gliding out of her mouth before she could even think twice.

She felt him tense up under her fingers and removed her head, looking at him intently, biting her lip in apprehension.

He had dreamt about hearing those words from her, dreamt about this moment, the moment when the girl he had been in love with for a decade finally told him that she loved him too. And in all his imaginings he had never imagined a situation as perfect as the one in front of him. The one where the sun lit up her face, the one where she was in a t-shirt and jeans with no make-up because she didn't need to pretend with him, the one where they were both happy and safe, the one where the sky was the perfect mix of pinks and oranges. He had never imagined anything as perfect as the moment he was currently in.

He couldn't fathom any words that conveyed the elation he felt, no words to describe how weightless and happy he was in that moment, because he was. Because the girl he loved, loved in a real and true way was there in front of him saying words he had only dreamt off. The girl who had saved him countless times and made sure he was always as safe as she could ensure, made sure he wasn't alone in his darkest hours and had not only saved him but changed him for the better… there were no words to describe what he was feeling. Because she didn't have to say it back, but she had.

She loved him.

There were no words so all he could was gently take her face in his hands and kiss her, kiss her so tenderly and with so much compassion and love he hoped he could put across how elated he truly was. He could feel her smile as he kissed her, feel her hands relax against his chest and slowly move up around his neck and tangle in the base of his hair, he felt himself smiling too. Eventually he pulled away and softly ran his thumb across her bottom lip, smiling so widely he had to laugh a little.

"I love you too." He whispered resting his forehead against hers and lightly kissing he again, "Just in case that wasn't obvious."

She let out a happy laugh, a laugh he hadn't heard before, a laugh of a girl who was truly in love.

"I'm really glad you're back." She said gripping the front of his shirt with her hands, looking up at him from under her lashes.

"Me too." He said with a smile kissing her forehead lightly before wrapping her in his arms, "Me too."