→ that the nights were mainly made for saying things

[studmuffin]

When: October 14th ; backdated.
Rating: PG-13.
Characters: Stilinski & Martin.
Summary: Moving in.

It takes him less time to move into Lydia's apartment than it did getting to the Youth Centre. Stiles thinks maybe it's just because he was slowed down by the weight of misery in his stomach but hey, he's trying to stop being so pathetic. Get out of that.

So he sets himself up and it's easy, he has his books and Mae's carefully chosen Batman sheets on the bed. He has a roof, and Lydia's Lydia and he'll never not feel a certain pull to her. It's changed, but he still loves her. Which is why he doesn't dwell, moves out to find her in the living room and sits down beside her on the couch, a low teenage slump he seems to constantly possess.

"You doing okay?"

It's been the first time in a couple of days he's had the chance to ask.

Comments

[lefthandedgenius]

One of the things Lydia's coming to enjoy about the City is the fact that no one's going to tell her that she can't indulge in alcohol. She helped Stiles a little bit with getting his things in the door, but once there she left him alone to set up the room the way he likes. Stiles is her friend, but Allison is her nearest and dearest, and she doesn't have Scott's confidence that she'll come back so quickly.

"Hmm?" she asks, a glass of wine in hand as she looks up at Stiles and watches him take a seat. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm really glad you're moving in. Like I said, I don't think I'd want to stay in this apartment by myself." Of course, knowing nothing really about Stiles living habits, she may come to regret this later!

[studmuffin]

"I get that."

He's not like Scott either, has seen too many people leave the City and stay gone to think Isaac or Allison are coming back straight away. Then again, he's kind of a pessimist.

"It's a nice place. Thanks for asking me."

[lefthandedgenius]

"Isn't it? You're the first person I thought of when I heard the news." Lydia tells him. "There's still a few things we need for the place, but then we're totally having a housewarming. Buck up on your bartending skills."

[studmuffin]

"I don't have any bartending skills, Lydia."

He just drinks the alcohol.

[lefthandedgenius]

She lifts a brow, and her hands. "Cup." She mimes holding one. "Booze." She tips her other hand like she's got a bottle in it. "Pour liberally. See? Not hard."

Grinning at him, she seems to be waiting for him to toss a pillow at her or something. "Sometimes you even have to pour from two bottles." She nods sagely.

[studmuffin]

"Ha, ha."

He does toss a pillow at her, moving to pull it from behind him before tossing it half-heartedly in her direction. "Admit it, you let me move in so I could be your butler."

[lefthandedgenius]

"You forget I've seen the state of your bedroom." she counters playfully. "Though I don't know, you might look cute in a butler's uniform, all Downton Abbey and stuff. Bonus if you call me 'milady'."

She holds out her glass of wine to him in offering to share.

[studmuffin]

"Hey, extenuating circumstances -- the horror and despair kind of makes the clean-up sort of tricky."

At least back home. Here he's doing much better. Here he doesn't have ... well okay, there's still a lot of panic. So he cuts that thought off, takes the wine and takes a sip, pulling a slight face as he does so. "Not gonna happen, Martin."

[lefthandedgenius]

She presses a hand to her forehead in mock maidenly anguish, the other reaching to take her wine back. "But speaking of gainful employment," she notes with a grin, "Are you getting a stipend from the city, or are you working? You know what, I never actually asked about that until now."

[studmuffin]

"I still get an allowance."

He's still pretty grossed out by the taste of that wine, Lydia. But then he leans back against the couch and crosses his feet at the ankles. "And I work down in Saya's garage like every other day so I have enough to cover the rent and everything else."

[lefthandedgenius]

"Cool." Lydia's pretty casual about the money thing in the way that a young woman accustomed to having it would be. She just wanted to know. "Then I'm sure between the two of us, we'll be okay."

[studmuffin]

"We'll work it out."

He figures he can pull extra shifts, do some work around the City if he needs to.

[lefthandedgenius]

"I'm not worried." she tells him seriously. "City Solutions pays really well. Honestly, I'm just glad you're here. It might not be the same at home, but...I don't think I can do this, here in the City, by myself."

Congratulations, Stiles. You're officially Lydia's security blanket.

[studmuffin]

It's what he's always wanted.

"Well, you don't have to. You never had to, Lydia. I would have helped you out no matter what."

[lefthandedgenius]

"I know." she admits. "And you would still, I think. I hope. Because sometimes I think about things." Well of course, doesn't everyone? She takes a breath. "Like what would happen if suddenly Jackson showed up here. Or Peter. I could handle Jackson, I think."

She can probably deal with Peter too, but right now he's built up in her brain as her personal bogeyman. It's the possibility that frightens her more than anything else.