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“Don’t do that thing you do.”
Scott looked up from the text he was sending Stiles to give Lydia a confused look. It was their first night at Stanford and all of the students on their floor were downstairs in the lounge waiting for the R.A. to come downstairs.
“Excuse me?” Scott raised an eyebrow at her.
The red head plopped down next to him and turned so that they were face to face, “Just because we’re the only two from our pack to be here doesn’t mean you get to, you know…hover.”
“I don’t hover. Do I hover?” he asked her.
Lydia fixed him with one of her “Are you serious” looks.
“Just know that I can get by on my own. So don’t hover. Capiche?”
Scott fixed her with a small grin and nodded. She smiled back just as their R.A. entered the lounge and started rattling off about the rules and things she was frankly uninterested in.
True to his word Scott didn’t hover. He didn’t ignore her, of course. When they passed each other in the halls he would always stop and ask her how her day was. Sometimes he would invite her to eat lunch or dinner with him. There were times when they ran into each other at 1:00 in the morning on their way to get a late night snack and they would chat. Every time Lydia would insist that she was adjusting just fine. He could probably tell that she was lying.
Because the truth was college was much more different than Lydia had imagined. When she’d gotten her acceptance letters and finally decided on Stanford she’d envisioned it’d be like the television shows she indulged in: she’d meet a roommate who she instantly clicked with, she’d of course breeze through all her classes and maybe join a club or two-maybe pledge a sorority in her second semester. She would get invited to all of the parties and meet a boy who appreciated her brain as much as her looks.
Her roommate, Heidi, was on the soccer team and spent most of her time on the phone crying to her boyfriend about how much she missed him. She hardly talked to Lydia except to let ask her when it was their turn to clean the bathroom. Her classes, though more of a challenge than high school, were easy enough. She’d missed the day to sign up for clubs because she was too busy arguing about the B+ she received on her paper instead of the A she knew she deserved.
She only learned about the parties from the conversations she heard the next day. She’d gone to a few university sponsored ones and they were all the same: the DJ played the same songs on loop. It was too dark and crowded. Most of the guys came up behind you to grind with no sense of rhythm before scurrying away. So she spent most of her days holed up in her room watching Netflix and reading ahead.
In Beacon Hills she’d been the big fish. Everyone knew Lydia Martin. Everyone wanted to know her…be in her presence. Even after the Peter fiasco and the Jackson fiasco…she’d regained her position rather quickly. But this was a different pond. To be honest it was an ocean that Lydia was starting to think was too big for her to navigate.
Scott, though, Scott took to college like a duck in freaking water. She watched how easily he found his place here. When she would catch him in the dining hall he was never surrounded by less than 5 people always smiling and joking. She wanted to make the excuse of it being due to the fact that he was on the school’s lacrosse team but his teammates weren’t his only friends. He seemed to have admirers everywhere.
Lydia stopped moping 2 months into their first semester. It was a Saturday night and after her phone call with Stiles had been cut short because he was off to a party and suggested she get a life (Stiles!) Lydia decided it was time for a change. After a quick shower she chose her favorite violet mini dress and got ready. After surveying herself in the mirror Lydia gave a smile of approval. It was time to end this slump.
The frat party was boring. She didn’t know anyone. Most of the people there had huddled into groups. She’d danced with a few cute guys out of boredom but all in all she was bored. Two cups of jungle juices and three jell-o shots later and everything became a blur.
When the red head woke up next the glare of the morning sun sent a stabbing pain shooting through her temple.
“Easy.” She tried to focus on the voice. She closed her eyes tight and when she opened them again Scott was kneeling in front of her.
“What are you doing in my room?” she asked pointedly with a raspy voice. Her throat was sore. She must’ve thrown up sometime.
“You’re actually in mine.” He told her with that crooked smile he always wore.
She took a moment and looked around and saw that he was right, “How did I get here?”
“I carried you.”
“Why?”
“You couldn’t really walk on your own and your key was like at the bottom of your purse I think and I didn’t want to break your door. Plus…I needed to make sure you were ok.” He explained in a low voice.
Lydia put her hand to her head and sighed, “I told you about the hovering thing McCall.”
“Does it count as hovering if you called me?” he quirked an eyebrow.
“I called you.”
“You did.”
“And you came.”
“Of course.” He said it so earnestly.
Lydia wondered what she had said in that phone call to make him come and get her. She actually wasn’t sure she wanted to find out.
“I should go…whoa.” Lydia tried to stand and wobbled forwards. Scott’s quick reflexes caught her and eased her back down onto the bed.
“It’s Sunday and you’re not moving. Don’t make the homework excuse since I’m pretty sure you’re ahead. I put a turkey sandwich and some water right there on the table with a bottle of aspirin. Plus my computer is open so you can watch all the Netflix you want. I’ll be back in like 2 hours.” He explained to her calmly.
“Where are you going?”
“Practice.”
“It’s Sunday.” She reminded him.
“I know. But it’s like a team building thing. Stay. Rest. Please?” he added.
Lydia was too worn to argue so she nodded and lay back. Scott gave her a grateful smile before he headed out of the door. She wanted to rankle at being coddled like this but Lydia couldn’t find it in her to do so.
First of all Scott’s bed was ridiculously comfortable. More than hers had ever been. She realized why once she observed it more. The guy had three pillows and a body pillow. She sank into them and stretched. The red head looked around the room.
She had only been in Scott’s bedroom a handful of times in high school and his dorm room was a smaller version of what she remembered. There were no posters but it definitely looked lived in and comfortable. His bed was pushed up against the wall and when she turned she saw the large corkboard hanging on it. In the bottom left corner was his class schedule and above that his training schedule.
The rest of the board was littered with pictures. Most of them were a combination of Scott and Melissa; Scott and Stiles; Scott and John (it was odd not calling him “Sherriff”); Scott, Stiles, and John; and other variations of the now McCall-Stilinski family. The others were of Allison, Isaac, Erica, Boyd, Danny and even some of Derek. Lydia saw a postcard from the former alpha about his trip in New Mexico and Scott’s suggestion of visiting the country’s biggest yogurt spoon not being so lame. Lydia spied a few pictures of herself. One in particular was captured when she hadn’t been ready for the camera. She was laughing with tears in her eyes next to Scott who looked to be in the middle of telling a story or joke. She didn’t remember the moment…but it made her smile nonetheless.
Lydia decided to eat the food provided for her and took some aspirin. Three episodes into the first season of “The Hills” and Lydia got drowsy again. When next she woke up it was due to Scott knocking something over.
“Sorry.” He apologized in the middle of putting on a fresh tank top. He was newly showered.
“When did you get back?” Lydia rubbed at her eye.
“We got back like an hour ago.” He answered.
“We?”
“Hey.”
A dark skinned black boy poked his head from around the desk. Scott’s roommate, Clarence, with his horn-rimmed glasses and bright smile waved at her.
“Hi.”
“We’re going out to eat. Wanna come?” Scott asked her hopeful.
“I have to shower.”
“We can wait. It’s no problem Lydia.” He assured her.
She was very aware that he was coddling her. She was surprised to find that she didn’t mind.
She didn’t mind when an hour later he was outside her door when she texted and told him that she was ready. She didn’t mind when all throughout dinner he made it a point to never leave her out of the conversation and walked her to her door hours later. The next morning when he was outside of her door with a Vanilla Chai latte in his hand…Lydia smiled.
It turned out having Scott McCall “hover” wasn’t such a bad thing. Especially when he brought Vanilla Chai’s every morning and walked to your classes with you.
Scott introduced her to Nina, a Filipino math major who knew more about probability theorems than Lydia ever did. He brought her to Cuzco’s: a small Mexican restaurant that served the best chimichangas Lydia had ever tasted.
Soon enough he’d made a pretty significant Scott shaped dent in her life. While they’d definitely started to become more involved in each other’s lives in high school (supernatural hijinks will do that) there had always been an Allison or Stiles to act as buffer. But without either of them there Lydia had started to see more of Scott.
She’d always known that Scott was smart. But she never knew that he was witty. He was never offended by her piercing jabs and was quick with some of his own. His particular brand of “dad humor” was the only kind that could make her snort soda from her nose.
He listened…actually listened. He didn’t pretend to just to humor her. Scott listened to her complain about professors or her annoying ass roommate or the fact that her mom hadn’t called in a month. He listened and he offered advice when she needed it or just an ear when all she wanted to do was vent.
He was kind of exactly what she needed in a friend. So of course she had to go and fall for him. They were sitting on her bed when it happened. Lydia was reading while Scott was working on his paper. He was supposed to be. He had fallen asleep and his head was resting in her lap. She hadn’t realized that she was carding her hands through his hair until he made a small sigh of content. When she looked down at him: a peaceful smile on his face while he cuddled up to her she marveled at how right this moment felt. How she wanted to live in this moment forever. How much she wanted to lean down and brush her lips against his.
She started dating Maurice a week later because old habits die hard. He reminded her so much of Jackson it was eerie. But Maurice was a really good kisser and when they were together she didn’t have to think about Scott. About Scott and his perfect brown skin. And the way he smelled or how good and warm he felt pressed up against her. About the way he listened without judging her and that he was the only one who understood her literary references. She didn’t have to think about how much she wanted to be his except when he shot disapproving glances her way every time she and Maurice were together (and how every one of those glances made her a little bit ashamed).
They got into it outside of Brower Hall.
“I know you don’t like him Scott but could you keep the righteous looks to a minimum?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You know what I’m talking about.” She snapped.
He was silent for a few moments, “He’s not good enough for you. You deserve…better.”
Like you? Do I deserve you? She almost blurted out but instead Lydia straightened up and walked forward, “You don’t run my life Scott.”
“I’m not trying to.” He said taken aback, “I just want to be your friend Lydia.”
And maybe that shouldn’t have hurt her as much as it did.
“Just…stay out of my life Scott.” Lydia said and walked back inside before she broke.
Lydia wasn’t very good at apologies so they didn’t speak for a month. She broke up with Maurice two weeks after her fight with Scott. Even if he hadn’t said it she knew that the Maurice thing wouldn’t last very long.
It was hard opening her door at 8:30 AM and not seeing Scott there with a hot drink and a crooked smile. It was hard not barging into his room and flopping on his bed to complain about Heidi and the insidious music she insisted on blasting without earphones. It was even harder watching Scott still smiling and joking in the dining hall seemingly moving on while she felt empty without him.
*****
“Talk to him or I’ll come over there and kick your ass.” Allison said through her computer screen.
“And say what exactly?”
“Sorry I was such a dick…but I’m actually in love with you?” the brunette suggested.
“Allison.” Lydia said exasperated.
“I have to get up early for class tomorrow. Talk to him.” She said and hung up.
Lydia sighed and pulled up Netflix. Maybe a good Archer marathon would do her some good.
“You’re still asleep?”
Lydia shot out of bed when her roommate spoke. She looked at her alarm clock: 9:32 AM. She had missed her first class and the next one was in 18 minutes.
“Why didn’t you wake me up?” she screeched as she bolted out of the bed.
“Do I look like your mom?” Heidi scoffed and dropped on her bed.
“Bitch.” Lydia mumbled as she staggered towards the bathroom.
She was 7 minutes late to her English 101 class. They had a pop quiz. She missed it. Her professor decided not to let her make it up. She couldn’t pay attention in chemistry due to her headache and one of her experiments blew up. It started to rain just as her last class of the day had wrapped up and of course Lydia had forgotten her umbrella. The heel of her left shoe broke when she’d unsuccessfully tried to avoid a puddle. By the time she’d gotten to her dorm…Lydia was ready to annihilate anyone who breathed wrong near her. She dug around her bag only to realize…she’d walked out without her key. Lydia leaned her forehead against the door and let out a quiet scream.
“Lydia?”
She opened her eyes at his voice. She was already kneeling and turned to look up at the concerned look on Scott’s face.
“What are you doing here?” she sniffled. She was too tired to keep the tears of frustration out.
“I heard you scream.” He said and kneeled down to join her. He sat down to her left.
“You heard me?”
“Banshee.” He pointed to her then to himself, “Alpha, remember?”
Lydia sniffed and laid her head on his shoulder and whispered, “I miss you and I’m sorry.”
He laid his head on top of hers, “You don’t have to be. I shouldn’t have told you who to date.”
“Yes you should. Maurice was kind of a dick.”
The laugh that came out of his mouth made her chest tighten.
“So am I forgiven?” she asked him.
“Yeah. Sure.” He said.
He made to get up but Lydia stopped him, “Scott one more thing.”
He turned to her in confusion and Lydia took her chance. She kissed him. He didn’t kiss back immediately and Lydia panicked until he cupped her cheek and kissed her back. His lips were soft and his beard was scratchy against her face. They pulled apart eventually but their foreheads stayed in contact.
“Am I allowed to hover now?” he asked her.
“Yeah. Yeah you can hover now.”