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John says that it will just take a second, that there’s just some paperwork that he was looking over that he needs to grab before they can make their way to City Hall. That Peter doesn’t even need to come in, he’ll just be a few minutes if the mayor wants to stay in the car…
Peter silences him with a kiss before pulling away to say that he’d be more than happy to come in and hang out in the kitchen for John, that way he can take as long as he wants to find the papers he needs without worrying about keeping Peter waiting in the car.
There’s a moment where Peter is worried that John will insist, as he has for the past couple of months whenever an occasion comes up where he’s needed at home, that Peter stays in the car. While he had understood in the beginning, their relationship too new for John to feel comfortable with either introducing Peter to his son as his boyfriend, or let Peter be around his son when the potential for a breakup was still hovering around the edges of them dating, Peter had hoped that John knew that he wasn’t going anywhere unless explicitly asked.
(Even then, Peter would try to convince John to give them a shot. He knows he can be very persuasive when he puts his mind to it.)
In the end, John nods once before getting out of the car and running over to Peter’s side to open the door for him.
Peter exits the car with a raised brow, only half in exasperation; the other half is because he loves the way that John’s face turns that adorable shade of red when he blushes.
Clearing his throat and making his way to the front door, John mumbles something along the lines of excusing the mess as he enters the house.
Peter, for once in his life, bites down on the retort of John seeing his house after a full moon, or whenever Laura and Derek get into one of their pissing matches…
Mostly because he doesn’t want to explain that there are times when they’re literal pissing matches.
Peter is pulled out of his thoughts by the adoring cry of “Daddy!” followed by a heartbeat he knows almost as well as his own.
Following John into the living room, Peter isn’t really surprised to see Laura fighting to keep a smile off of her face, as Stiles is practically using his father as his own jungle gym, but he is surprised by the way the boy goes still when he sees Peter standing in the doorway.
It’s not the stillness of a child that has realized that someone new has entered the room, but more of a stillness that means Peter is being studied for some reason…
John doesn’t seem to notice as he finally sets Stiles down, letting Laura know that he’s not there to stay and that he needs something from his office, giving Stiles one more pat to the head before making his way upstairs.
There are a few more moments of silence as Stiles continues to study him, either unknowing or uncaring of the way Laura’s brows are climbing further and further up her head, before the boy asks, “Can I please have some orange juice, Laura? With my Hulk cup?”
Laura’s eyebrows look like they are in danger of leaving her forehead now, but she nonetheless leaves Stiles with Peter, who is slowly beginning to realize that he really isn’t the apex predator in this particular situation…
“You’re my Daddy’s new boyfriend.”
Something tells him that isn’t a question, but Peter nevertheless replies. “I am.”
“I thought that the mayor and sheriff weren’t supposed to be friends because they could get each other in trouble.” A frown grows on Stiles’ face and Peter desperately wishes that Laura would hurry up with the juice if the boy is going to start crying; Peter was terrible when it came to tears. “You’re not trying to get my Daddy in trouble, are you?”
“Of course not. Getting your father in trouble is the last-”
“Because I can get you in trouble if you think about hurting him.”
Peter blinks.
Stiles crosses his arms in front of his chest and, despite there being quite a few years between them, Peter is vividly aware of the similarities the Stiles shares with his father. It would’ve made him grin if he wasn’t busy wishing that Laura would hurry up with that damn juice, and get back in here already!
“My Daddy is a very good Sheriff and he’s taught me a lot of things that other kids don’t know. I know how to get fingerprints off of things and how to look up information on files.” The boy hesitates for a second and then straightens his spine to stare Peter in the eye with a glare that would have been impressive on a full grown man, which is nothing to say the effect that it allows a twelve-year-old…
“I’ve seen your face in some of my Daddy’s files, so I know I can find something that would get you in trouble if you hurt my Daddy.”
Some of the tension leaves Peter’s shoulders as he realizes just what this is and he contemplates how to answer; he doubts that the boy will fall for the normal platitudes that adults usually use to pander to children, so he drops to one knee and meets the child’s stare with one of his own.
“Stiles, I want you to listen to me very carefully, alright?” The boy’s eyes narrow and his head jerks in a short nod before Peter continues. “I like your father, too much to ever hurt him. I might do it accidentally, like saying something or doing something that I don’t think about, but I would never do so on purpose. Do you understand?”
Stiles meets Peter’s gaze for several long seconds, too serious eyes in a young face, before his head jerks in another short nod just as John shows up with his files, Laura following a moment later with a large green cup and an even larger grin splitting her face.
John stops in the entryway to the living room, his eyes darting between Stiles and Peter, before finally resting on his boyfriend. “Stiles isn’t being a pain, I hope?”
“Absolutely not,” Peter replies, giving Stiles’ shoulder a quick squeeze as he makes his way to his feet, only pausing to shoot Laura a look that says there will be words later. “Stiles and I were just coming to an understanding, weren’t we, Stiles?”
“Yup. We understand each other now.” Gone is the stern-faced child that threatened Peter not a minute ago and instead there’s a bright-eyed, beaming boy looking at his father with a grin that would put the Cheshire Cat to shame.
Peter’s impressed.
“Well, as long as everyone’s understanding…” John rolls his eyes and ruffles his son’s hair, earning him a squawk from the boy as he slaps his hands over his head in an attempt to keep from further disarray. “It’s time for me and Peter to go. You’ll be good for Laura, right, Stiles?”
The boy nods and wanders over to his sitter, taking the cup from her and watching placidly as Peter places a hand on the small of his father’s back to lead him from the house, much to John’s embarrassed delight.
When Peter looks back over his shoulder to say goodbye, however, Stiles makes a ‘v’ with his fingers and points to his eyes, making the ‘I’m-watching-you’ motion as the door closing cuts off Peter’s view.
Oh, yes. They have an understanding, alright…