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“C’mon, Der, you owe me!” Erica whined as she simultaneously tugged on his arm and shoved the garment bag at him.
“I owe you?” Derek questioned, brows raised. “For what?”
“For putting up with your sulky ass and not even saying ‘I told you so!’ after Kate turned out to be as psychotic as I told you.” She kept hitting him with the bag until he took it with a huff.
“You just said it,” he muttered, ignoring her triumphant smile as he trudged up the stairs to his room to change. “Why can’t Boyd do it?”
“You know why!” she shouted after him. “Besides, it’s for Scott McCall’s kid! You liked Scott!”
Derek rolled his eyes as he threw the garment bag on his bed ignoring her. He remembered McCall from high school; he’d been an asthmatic Freshman who wanted to play lacrosse when Derek was a senior and captain of the team. He’d felt sorry for McCall and let him on the team to ride the bench; it wouldn’t be the worst thing to see McCall, but it wasn’t who he was hoping to see if he did this.
Derek didn’t even know if McCall was still friends with the sheriff’s son or not, but if there was even a chance he’d see Stiles again, he was going to take it; no matter how ridiculous he looked. He unzipped the bag and rolled his eyes at the blue, white and gold material glaring back at him, beginning to change his mind when Erica’s voice carried up the stairs.
“You have twenty minutes if you want to make it on time - which you do or I’ll shave your eyebrows off while you sleep!”
Derek hurried to change wincing at the memory of the last time he’d gone against Erica’s wishes. He ran his hand through his hair feeling the rough edges where it still hadn’t grown back completely.
***
Stiles raced after his five-year-old daughter who’d overheard her Uncle Scott tell his mom that not only Ariel, but Prince Eric, was going to put in an appearance at his daughter’s birthday party. As soon as the words had been spoken, the adults seemingly forgetting the little ears everywhere in the house, Hanna made a beeline through the front door and towards the busy street running in front of the house.
He managed to grab her by the straps of her overalls as a familiar black Camaro squealed to a stop next to the mailbox. He opened his mouth to curse at the driver when Prince Eric leapt out of the driver’s seat and raced around the car, squatting in front of Hanna. “Are you alright?” he asked, looking her over before glancing up and locking eyes with Stiles who lost his breath for a moment.
Derek-freaking-Hale was here dressed as Prince Eric and talking to his daughter. Stiles knew he should yell at him for driving like an asshole, but all he could do was remember hours of watching Derek on the lacrosse field in high school and nights of imagining him in less than his uniform. He cleared his throat to speak when Hanna started yelling.
“Why are you in a car?” She screamed so loudly and suddenly that Derek slipped backwards. Stiles grabbing him by the arm was the only thing keeping him from getting grass stains on the butt of his white prince pants. “Where are your horses? Where’s Ariel?”
As if her question summoned her, the passenger door opened and Ariel stepped out of the car dressed in a teal ballgown, her red hair falling over her shoulders and a smile that slipped from predatory to sweet as soon as Hanna’s eyes fell on her. “Ariel!” Hanna struggled out of Stiles’ hold and threw herself at the princess.
“Why, hello! Why are you scaring my prince?” she asked, perfecting the confused Ariel expression. “Are you a sea witch?”
“Why are you in a car?” Hanna demanded, ignoring the question.
“A car?” Ariel asked looking over her shoulder. “The horseless carriage?” Hanna nodded. “Well, Eric tells me the horses are under the hood, whatever that means!” She threw her head back and laughed as Hanna opened her mouth to start another lecture about the absences of cars in Ariel’s universe, but Ariel talked right over her. “If you aren’t a sea witch, are you Princess Amaya? The birthday girl?”
“No!” Hanna shook her head wildly, braids whipping out and hitting Stiles and Derek in the face. “She’s my cousin. C’mon, I’ll take you to her!”
Stiles watched them disappear around the edge of the house towards the backyard where the party was before he turned his attention back to Derek. “Was that Erica Reyes?”
Derek laughed as he allowed Stiles to help him stand. “Yeah, it was,” he responded. “I’m Derek-”
“Derek Hale!” Stiles interrupted, shoving him. “I know who you are, asshole, even in that getup!”
“You do?” Derek couldn’t stop himself from asking, the tips of his ears heating up when Stiles snorted.
“Captain of the lacrosse team and debate club, Mercutio in Romeo & Juliet,” Stiles rattled off before gesturing wildly at the car. “Drove the hottest car in school.” He looked at Derek, chewing on his lower lip. “And the hottest guy.”
Derek swallowed hard, shocked by Stiles’ words. Taking a step closer, he was pleased to see they were nearly the same height as his eyes darted between Stiles’ lips and his eyes, searching for any sign that he was being anything except truthful. “I don’t think so,” he whispered.
Stiles took a step into him, their chests brushing. “I know so.”
Derek tilted his head. “I definitely think that title belonged to you,” he argued with a grin.
Stiles threw his head back and laughed, Derek’s eyes drawn to the long line of his neck and he held back from licking a stripe up it. “I wanted to ask you out back then. Every time you came to cheer for McCall, I’d wished it was me you were there to watch.”
Stiles laughter died when he turned his attention back on the serious set of Derek’s face. “You’re joking.”
“No,” he said as Stiles leaned in again.
“Please tell me you’re single like me,” Derek pleaded, picking up Stiles’ hands and running his thumb over the bare ring fingers. “And into men.”
“Yes, to both,” Stiles answered, squeezing Derek’s hands before giving him a sheepish look. “The little girl that was yelling at you…”
“Yeah?” Derek prompted as Stiles trailed off and tried to pull his hands away. Derek let go, not wanting to force anything, but his hands feeling cold immediately at the loss.
“She’s mine. And Lydia’s.” Stiles ran a hand over the back of his neck and then scrubbed at his hair. “You remember Lydia Martin?”
Derek’s heart sank for a moment, but he remembered Stiles just saying he was single. “I do. I remember your massive crush on her and Jackson trying to kick your ass on multiple occasions because of it.”
“She was my surrogate,” he hurried to explain, shrugging when Derek looked stunned. “I’ve always wanted kids and Kira got pregnant and I thought it would be cool for Scott’s kid to have a cousin close in age...You know that my dad and his mom got married, right?” Derek shook his head. “Well, they did and so we’re actually brothers now and we have kids close in age. I’m Amaya’s Godfather. And-”
“Stiles, shut up,” Derek said, laughing when he snapped his mouth shut. “Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?” He raised his hand and cupped his cheek, thumb brushing over his cheekbone.
“I’d really like that, but just so you know, Hanna and I are a package deal, so dating is-”
“She can come, too, if you want,” Derek interrupted, only slightly surprised that he meant it. “My sisters swear I’m great with kids.”
“You don’t…” Stiles closed his eyes with a smile. “I’d really like that.”
“Good,” Derek said, leaning in to brush his lips against Stiles’ and jumping backwards when a sharp pain shot through his shin. He looked down to see Hanna glaring up at him.
“Hey, kiddo,” Stiles said, squatting down in front of her. “Why’d you kick Prince Eric?”
“He was kissing you!” she shouted. “You are only supposed to kiss Ariel!” She gestured behind her and turned to see Ariel hugging someone. “What!? Ariel!” she shouted.
“Hanna,” Stiles said, grabbing her before she could run off to attack Boyd, Erica’s boyfriend since high school. “You know that Ariel is a cartoon, right? She’s not real.”
Hanna nodded, looking at him suspiciously before looking over at Erica who was holding Boyd’s hand and waving. Then she looked up at Derek for a moment. She stomped over to Erica and pointed at her hair. “Is that fake?” Erica nodded. “What’s your name?”
Erica smiled. “My name is Erica Reyes and this is my fiancé, Vernon Boyd, but we just call him Boyd.”
“Fiancé?” Hanna tilted her head. “What’s that?”
Stiles walked over and stood next to her. “It means that they’re going to get married.”
Hanna nodded and turned her attention to Derek. “What’s your name?”
“Derek Hale,” he responded and looked confused when she started giggling. “What?”
“Prince Eric. Prince Derek,” she said before looking at her father. “Is he your fiancé, Tata?”
Stiles and Derek both sputtered while Erica and Boyd laughed. As Stiles scrambled for an answer, Kira came out onto the porch. “Hey! Time for cake!”
Hanna ran into the house, pushing past her and cheering. Kira looked over her shoulder and turned her attention back to the group on the lawn. “I’m not even going to ask.”
“Thanks,” Stiles said, putting a hand over his red face as he made to follow his daughter. Stopping when Derek reached for his other hand and pulled him to a stop. “What?”
“I don’t think Hanna likes me very much. Maybe we should skip din-”
“Oh, hey, Stiles! Did Hanna ask you if she could spend the night? Amaya’s been begging all day,” Kira called over to him.
Licking his lips before breaking into a huge smile and without looking back at Kira, he responded with, “That sounds awesome!”
Erica tapped him on the shoulder. “You know, I’m sure it would be fine if Prince Eric was called away on princely duties.”
“They’re paying for Ariel and Prince Eric,” Derek said, but he crossed the fingers of the hand not holding Stiles’.
“We’re doing this for free,” Erica told him. “Now, go!” She shoved them both towards the car.
“How will you get home?” Stiles asked but his feet were shuffling towards Derek’s car.
“Boyd didn’t get here on a magic carpet,” Erica teased, heading towards the house and waving over her shoulder.
Stiles watched them disappear. “Am I a horrible Godfather for skipping out on the party?”
“We can go in if you want,” Derek offered, but he really hoped that Stiles wanted to leave.
“Really?” Stiles looked so hopeful that Derek nodded without reservation. “We can go out after presents?”
“That sounds great, as long as we can stop by my place so I can change first,” Derek said, tangling his fingers with Stiles’ and following him into the house.
Stiles pouted at him as he squeezed his hand before letting go and jerking his head towards the staring kids when Derek tried to grab for his hand again. “You mean I can’t have a date with Prince Eric?” he teased.
Before Derek could respond, Hanna came over and reached for his hand. “C’mon, Prince Eric, Ariel is waiting,” she said, winking at him.
He followed her to Erica who was taking pictures with some of the kids while Kira placed candles in the cake and Scott carried in containers of ice cream. He got into the pictures and smiled for the kids, talking to each little girl and treating her like a princess, but his eyes kept drifting back to Stiles who was staying in the background, watching him.
A few hours later, all of the guests had left, including Erica and Boyd, and Derek helped Stiles and Scott put the furniture back where it belonged while Kira took the girls upstairs and set them up with Netflix and popcorn. “Where do they put all that junk food?” Scott asked rhetorically.
Kira came back down the stairs, Hanna by her side. She was rubbing at her eyes and looked like she’d been crying. Stiles was scooping her up before she’d reached the bottom step. “What’s wrong, kiddo?”
“I don’t wanna miss the wedding,” she whimpered.
“Wedding?” Scott asked. “Who’s getting married?”
“Tata and Prince Derek,” she said, pointing at Derek, who froze when everyone turned to stare at him.
“Hanna, sweetie, Derek and I aren’t getting married tonight. We’re just going out to dinner,” Stiles said, sitting down in a chair and hugging Hanna to him.
Derek knelt next to the chair. “Do you want to go to dinner with us?” he asked, hoping Stiles wouldn’t mind or think he was overstepping.
“Can I, Tata?” she asked, biting her lower lip and looking so much like her father that Derek’s heart squeezed a little.
“Yes, of course, but are you sure you don’t want to stay the night with Amaya?” he asked, smiling at Derek over her head.
“No way, I’m going to dinner with you and Prince Derek,” she shouted, jumping off his lap and hurrying towards her shoes by the door.
Kira picked her up before she made it there. “You need to put some clothes on first, sweetie,” she said, carrying her back up the stairs.
“Thank you,” Stiles said. “I’m sure it’s not…”
Derek kissed him quickly on the lips to cut him off. “Stiles, I’m signing up for the package deal,” he said as he pulled away, smiling at Hanna as she ran down the stairs and grabbed their hands, dragging them towards the door for their date.