Chapter Text
It was sniggering that woke him up. His mind latched onto the sound, and a warmth grew within him when he heard the whining of the door as it was slowly pushed open. They really needed to fix that. It first it was a mild inconvenience, but after month six, with him being torn from much needed sleep, it was beginning to be a nightmare.
Except now, because…
“Shh, shh, you’re gonna wake him up.”
There was more sniggering, only this time it was slightly muffled, no doubt by the hand over mouth solution that never helped. He clenched his jaw to keep his own smile from breaking free, and damn, what was it a mission when he heard a thump and a hissed “crackers!” and then, “Daddy, language!”
“Okay, Captain America.”
“You gotta be quiet.”
“Telling me to be quiet, isn’t us being quiet.”
“Daadddyy!”
“Okay, okay, go to Derek’s side.”
“I know.”
“Don’t you sas me,” Stiles joked back.
His ears perked up, as those heartbeats thundered on like a live drum show. Derek heard the shuffles over the carpet, heard the sloshing of liquid as a potent scent of excitement and giddiness wafted up his nose. His wolf perked, and Derek tensed up to keep still as Jack finally drew to his side of the bed.
“Now what?” Jack asked.
There was a pause, and he could hear the smirk growing on Stiles’ face. “Hang on.”
He felt the bed dip, his stomach tensing up when it felt something drew near. Unable to stop himself, Derek’s eyes snapped open, his hand shot to snatch Stiles’ wrist before those fingers got anymore near his ticklish spot.
“Derek!” Jack exclaimed in excitement before physically shaking his shoulders, “Happy Birthday! Happy Birthdaaay to youuu, happpyyy birthday--- Daddy, sing!”
Love and happiness flooded him as Derek watched on, his lips spreading into a beaming smiles as Jack carefully walked over to Derek with a glass of orange gripped tightly in his hand, the juice almost spilling over as Jack swayed on, unworried as a belted out “Happy birthday to you”.
Distracted and held captive by an overwhelmed heart, Derek barely noticed the small bed table being hovered over him, before being placed over his lap. A small bowl of berries, bacon that was burned to the crisp and a messy melted cheese sandwich that was cut up so the triangles made eyes and the bacon made a ghastly smile that Derek loved on sight.
“Tooooooooo Yoooooooooooooou,” Jack and Stiles finished together, with Stiles turning the “you” into a howl that Derek was not impressed by no matter that grin that was on his face. Laughter left him, his cheeks hurting from the wide smile.
“Here, Derek.” Jack moved over to him and placed the glass of orange juice beside his breakfast, licking at his fingers when the juice finally spilled over a bit. “I got you juice and Daddy got you coffee downstairs.”
The bed jostled as Stiles leaned over, pulling Jack onto the bed with exaggerated groans. Jack bounced about as he got comfortable on Derek’s legs, his weight pressing down on Derek’s calves to a point where it hurt a bit, but Derek had no plans on moving him as Jack beamed over at him, pride glowing in his big brown eyes.
“Do you like it?!” Jack asked him.
“Of course, I do!” Derek answered, his voice catching at the edge. Beside him, Stiles cooed, leaning against Derek’s side, his minty breath washing over Derek’s cheek as he pressed a kiss against heated skin. A strong arm, familiar and comforting curled around his waist, fingering fitting against his side perfectly.
Derek blinked over to the other man, and it was then that he noticed the way his eyes were burning as joy spilled over into a happy tears. Blinking, Derek smiled on, eyes tracing the way Stiles was barely still tired, his hair its usual mess that indicated he hasn’t run a brush through it yet, his lips were slanted and curled onto a soft smile of his eyes, with amber brown eyes a calming balm.
The weight on his legs shifted and Derek broke out his stupor.
His eyes fell on a now slightly nervous Jack, and Derek grinned. “This looks awesome, Jack. Did you do all this?”
“Uh-ha!” Jack’s curls bounced against his forehead as he nodded viciously, the nervous expression blinked away and replaced by bright joy. “I stood on the chair and Daddy did the bacon while I cut up the strawberries for you with my special knife. And, and I gots you the orange juice from that special store that Daddy goes to that is outside.”
Derek gasped. “You did? You got my juice from the farmer’s market?” Derek teased Stiles who rolled his eyes, nimble fingers digging into Derek’s side, making him squirm.
“Yes, I spoke with Paul and everything.”
Paul was a guy who made fresh juice and sold it at the farmer’s market and who Derek had known for a few years. Stiles was under the impression that Paul had a thing for Derek, but no amount of reassurance that Paul never once showed any interest in Derek will convince Stiles because “no one is giving away their juice away for free, Derek, grow up.”
“Wow, you must really love me.” Derek joked on.
Stiles nodded solemnly, “Guilty.”
Laughing, Derek leaned over to press a kiss to Stiles lips, drawing back when he felt those soft lips pull into a smile of their own.
“Thank you,” He looked at Stiles for a second before turning to Jack who had made himself comfortable and was currently picking out the blueberries from Derek’s fruit salad.
“Jack!” Stiles laughed at the sight.
Jack snatched his hand away from the bowl, big eyes wide as he looked at his dad. “Derek doesn’t like blueberries, daddy.”
“Really?” Stiles narrowed his eyes playfully.
“Yep! Right, Derek?” Jack looked over to him.
Snorting at the nerve of the kid, Derek wiggled his legs to jostle Jack a bit. “How about we all share?”
“No, no, we made the breakfast for you, even burned your bacon the way you liked which is frankly disgusting, I don’t know how your werewolf tongue can take it. Got your special juice from Paul, and I---”
Plucking up the left triangle, Derek offered it to Stiles, pressing the toasted corner against Stiles lips.
“I want to share my birthday breakfast with my family, Stiles. You’re gonna deny me my birthday wish?”
Jack gasped around the blueberry currently in his mouth, “Daddy, it’s Derek’s birthday wish, you can’ts deny him that!”
“Oh, well if it’s his birthday wish…”
Derek leaned back against his pillow, taking a bite of his crispy bacon. The bed jostled on as Jack shifted about to get to the blueberries in the bowl, popping one into his mouth before grabbing a cut up strawberry to give to Stiles when he asked for one, dropping it in Dad’s mouth, only to shriek with laughter as Stiles pretended to chomp down on his fingers.
The curtain to their window was open allowing the sunlight to warm the room, and shine onto his family. Stiles leaned back into the pillow, his arm curled around Derek’s neck, fingers tangled through his hair as he lightly and absentmindedly scratched at Derek’s sculp, while Jack goes on about how excited he was to see Grandma Mimi and Tali, and his other Grandpa Jace, and all the fun he was going to have in the pool today.
“Daddy, you gotsa tell Aunty Lydsia that she must do the cannonball like before. She made a big slash, remember, Dad?” Derek’s heart clenched but he continued on chewing as Jack went on, “Daddy got so wet,” Jack gave a big belly laugh at the member, obliviously to overwhelming balloon of love and light he had ignited in Derek at the “dad” slip-up.
Amber eyes locked with his, pink lips pulled into a smile. Stiles’ understanding eyes were soft and encouraging, his hand gentle as he lowered it to brush a thumb over Derek cheek. It wasn’t the first time Jack as let the “dad” slip. The first moment being the night he slipped into Stiles and Derek’s bedroom, calling “dad, I can’t sleep, I wants milk.” Derek had thought he meant Stiles, so he had reached out to shake Stiles away, but his action was halted when Jack walked over to his side of the bed, and whispered into his face, “dad, you up?”
There was no denying who he was talking to and took everything in Derek calmly get out of bed, suppressing his wolf’s ecstasy.
Three months since and Derek’s heart still jumped and his throat still tightened.
“Derek, do you want the last strawberry?” Jack asked him, holding up the last berry.
*
There was laughter and smiles, loud splashes as everyone enjoyed themselves in the pool. Cora setting on the edge, kicking her feet, trying to get Micha wet, complaining that Hawaii has changed her and that there was a time pool water was good enough. Mom and Dad were sitting with John and Melissa, laughing around the outside table, while Stiles and Callan stood beside the grill, Derek’s brother nodding on with his usual serious expression as he and Stiles talked about crime again, because that was something that people bonded over apparently, while Scott McCall attempted to not burn his fifth patty.
Jack was on Malia’s back as she dunked underwater for a second.
Lydia was with sitting Allison and Erica as the three soaked in the sun. Boyd was sitting on the spare chair, massaging Erica’s swollen feet, taking a break every now and then to press a hand on her pregnant belly, checking that “she wasn’t overheating”. Little Lincoln was a surprise, but Derek was so excited for both of them.
It was an odd image, one Derek had never in a million years thought he could look upon. That this would be his future one day. Inside in the kitchen area that led into the backyard, Derek looked around once more. They had moved into a place of their own 6 months after their first official date, which was technically their second date. A lovely home not far from where Stiles used to live.
It was open and welcoming and had clutter that revealed how alive the home was. Jack’s slippers were kicked off just outside the sliding door, one shoe under a chair, Stiles’ phone and wallet lay forgotten on the counter, Derek’s empty coffee cup from this morning was still there, yet to be cleaned.
Just outside, in the sitting area, over the fireplace was pictures of Jack, Stiles and Derek, standing outside the new place after having bought it; pictures of Jack and his grandparents, with his aunts and uncle. The picture of Malia, Lydia and Jack was still up and in the short hallway that led from the front door into the living room and right next to it was a picture of Stiles, John, and Evan, beaming as she cupped her pregnant belly.
Derek often caught himself looking at the picture, remembering how he had asked Stiles if he was going to put up a picture of her, and how Stiles had stumbled over his words only to grow quiet. The scent of pain and sorrow, faint as it was, had filled their bedroom.
They’d sat down on their bedroom floor, leaning back against unopened boxes, both staring at the box of pictures that had prompted the question. Stiles had confessed he didn’t know… he wasn’t sure how to include her in this, and if he should because it was their home.
Derek didn’t know himself, but, still, he said he would be okay with it. They had talked about Eve a lot, mainly on how they should keep her memory alive for Jack, even though the little boy didn’t know her. It was a two week later, when they had a “few” boxes left, that Stiles had sat down with Jack on their couch, the box of pictures open, and together, they had selected what picture to put up of her, handing it over to Derek to place onto to the mantle alongside a picture of Jack, Stiles and Derek snapped on their Picnic Day.
A warm body slid up from behind, and Derek jumped as arms curled around his waist. “You felt troubled.” Stiles rested his chin on Derek’s shoulder.
Derek drew his eyes away from the empty coffee cup he’d zoned out on, and turned in Stiles embrace, smiling when Stiles lowered himself down from having to press up a touch in order to reach Derek’s shoulder. Framing Stiles’ face with his hands, Derek’s eyes traced the slope of his nose, the slant of his lips, the moles that dotted his cheeks. Sighing, he leaned down and kissed him, humming when Stiles responded without pause. The kiss was soft and short, lips drawing back for small pecks.
“Not that I am complaining, but what was that kiss for?” Stiles tipped back, resting a bit of his weight on Derek’s arms.
“I need a reason to kiss you?”
“Oh, no, no, kiss me like that whenever, however, you won’t hear me making a fuss.”
Derek chuckled, sobering up with a smile still on his face. “I am just… really grateful for everything and everyone I have in my life.”
Stiles grinned. “Not even forty and you’re already getting nostalgic. Not that I blame you, I am a catch and my kid, oof, you won the lottery, pal, let me tell you.”
“Don’t need to tell me that.” Derek’s thumbs stroking the blushing apples of Stiles’ cheeks. Suddenly, Derek thought back on the day he met Stiles… It had started out like any other, and he had a million roads he could have taken. He could have gone for coffee, like he’d been craving that day, and shopped around later that day. He could have taken the right, and landed himself stuck in traffic due to an unexpected car that broke down…
He could have ignored his wolf that day when he’d sensed Jack, but he didn’t. It was a small moment, a faint flutter of light that had taken root in him, and bloomed when Jack had slipped his trusting hand into his, and since then, that light had only grown, glowing brighter and brighter. Looking into Stiles’ amber eyes, it felt like he was looking at the personification of Stiles and Jack’s spark, that was a part of him in ways he knew he would never truly understand.
“I love you…” Derek said, speaking into the small space between their lips.
Stiles lips quirked up mischievously, “I kn—"
Derek cut him off. Drawn in, Derek leaned down, slanting his mouth over Stiles, inhaling his scent. His wolf rumbled under his skin, and Derek felt his skin prickle as Stiles pressed his fingers into his back, squeezing and pressing him closer all in one. His skin burned, as his fingertips skated over the bare strip of skin from Stiles’ shirt riding up.
As his hand slipped up to trace the column of Stiles’ throat, there was a loud splash and then…
“DAD! COME PLAY!”
Derek and Stiles drew apart with an audible pop, both burning to look over to the open back door, where the loud boisterous noise of laughter, splashes and talking ran through the little bubble they had made for themselves.
“Dad!” Jack called out again.
Together, Derek and Stiles turned to look at each other. Derek didn’t bother hiding the way his heart was hopping about in his chest, or the way his lips were pulled into what he knew was his goofy smile. Stiles’ teasing, yet soft knowing look only worsened it.
“Come on. We’re being summoned.” Stiles said to Derek, leaning up for one last peck, before using his one arm still curled around Derek’s waist to steer him toward the backyard.
Derek wrapped his arm around Stiles’ shoulder, walking out into the back yard to join his family.