We don't talk enough about the look on Stiles face in 6x01 when Lydia tells him she isn't leaving him. He goes through like 4 different emotions and lands on fully realizing she loves him back in like 2 seconds
Oh, but we can talk about it!! I actually think we can never talk about this (or any Stydia moment for that matter) too much. By the way, I love how you phrased your observation about Stiles. He really did go through a range of emotions in a matter of seconds, and he really did land on Lydia Loves me! It’s such a powerful moment, and seriously, Dylan O'Brien is so damned good at conveying emotions that it appears completely effortless. We were so spoiled with this beautiful human!
Before we go any further, I think we should back up just a bit. Because Stiles’s state of mind before he even sees Lydia is also worth mentioning. This precious boy has just had the fear of the supernatural put into him. The Ghost Riders are coming for him, and there’s nothing he nor anyone else can do to stop them. Not only that, two of the most important people in his life – Scott and his dad have already forgotten him. He’s spinning out, desperately reaching for a lifeline, an anchor…
And, as if by divine intervention, she appears.
And the relief floods in because she still knows him. She not only knows Stiles – she is just as desperately reaching for him.
But the moment they touch, the fear surges back in. Because what if she gets taken too? Sure, they’d be together. But then who would remember them? How would they ever get back? What if she gets hurt?
So, what does Stiles do? He switches right into Protective Mode, of course. His instinct isn’t to try to save himself. It’s to keep Lydia safe. Because he loves her. He is willing to spend his last moments in this dimension all alone. Because he loves her.
You have to get away from me. Right now, he stresses.
And how does our girl respond?
I’m not leaving you, she insists, adamantly shaking her head.
And that, my loves, is when we strike *pure gold*. Because now, Stiles knows, without a shadow of a doubt, that Lydia loves him back. And wait! She doesn’t just love him, she's full-on ready to run away with him, just leave everyone and everything she knows behind, hop in his 35-year-old Jeep and go anywhere – just to be with him.
Poor Stiles! His dream has come true at the exact moment when he’s in absolutely no position to enjoy it.
Did I miss anything? Well, while we’re at it, I think we also have to talk about Lydia’s expression here too.
Because as much as I believe she knew she loved Stiles with all of her heart way before this moment, I think she is also realizing that her feelings for him are no longer this well-guarded secret. He understands her in every sense. He can distinguish the look in her eyes and hear the words she’s implied but hasn’t said.
So yeah, Stiles knows that Lydia is in love with him. And Lydia knows that Stiles knows she's in love with him. And she seems perfectly okay with that. It's monumental!
Ugh… I love this scene! Thanks so much for giving me an excuse to gush over it!
