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Derek kept his growl to a minimum as he watched Eli hit the ball off the T and run with his little legs. If that Turner kid tried to trip him again Derek was liable to scare him when his parents weren’t looking.
“I can’t wait to get him little baseball and football outfits! What do you think he’ll want to play? Don’t say baseball because it’s your favorite!”
“Derek don’t growl at the kids, I’m the Sheriff but that only goes so far.” Derek heard the Sheriff whisper as he sat down next to the Alpha, a burger, 2 hot dogs, and a soda in his lap. Derek automatically snatched the burger and bit into it before anyone could say anything.
“Derek this trip is only a weekend but if I come back and you let my dad eat red meat…. You… I won’t give it up for a month!”
“Aw c'mon son, really?”
“No, you can have the hot dogs but no burgers. You know the rules.”
“Those were his rules ya no..” the Sheriff mumbled.
“Yeah well, I don’t want to be haunted by him so deal with it.”
Derek heard the man sigh next to him before digging into his hot dog, only stopping to scream “Go grandson!!” When Eli was running to the next base.
He sometimes liked coming to these games alone because, at least then, he could imagine his mate next to him. Wearing a ridiculous shirt and holding a sign saying something even more ridiculous. And Derek would pretend to sulk but secretly love it. He sees that in Eli sometimes. In all honesty, Derek sees Stiles in Eli more than he sees himself. The pack says it’s pretty even but he knows better.
He feels someone pat him on the thigh, blinking a bit he looks around and the bleachers are thinning out and Eli and the Sheriff are standing there. Eli was biting his thumb and smelled sad and the Sheriff had his concerned face on. Derek rubbed his face and stood up,
“Sorry buddy, daddy got lost in his head.” He said as he bent down and picked Eli up, equipment bag and all, shaking him a bit and making him giggle before just holding him to his side. He started to walk towards the car and noticed the Sheriff walking alongside him.
“Derek, I know how hard it is if you ever-“
“I’m fine Noah. I- I just haven’t been sleeping well is all, okay.” Derek clenched his jaw because he couldn’t snap at his mate's dad but he hated it when he did his Sheriff thing.
“Oh my god, Derek! I know you want him to like you but like you don’t get it. He does this thing where I just ah! It’s hard to explain, I call it - hold for dramatic effect - The Sheriff Thing. Original huh?”
“I’ll see ya at the house, I just have to get a few things done at the station.” And at the look of confusion, Derek knew he had on his face his father-in-law added “You know the pack bbq today?”
Derek sighed dramatically because no he didn’t know. He actually wanted to be left alone with Eli today. He was going to teach him some wolf thing and then binge the nature channel because that’s what his kid liked. Today was…. It was just a family unit day. He didn’t have to look again to know that the Sheriff left.
He hears some sniffling and looks down at Eli who is looking at him with sad eyes. And Derek can’t stand those eyes because those are Stiles’ eyes.
“What’s wrong pup?”
“Why did you lie to grandpa?”
Derek doesn’t answer right away because he taught Eli never to lie to him and in return, Derek wouldn’t lie to him either. He bends down and places Eli in his booster seat, fixing the seat belt on it before sitting down on the seat next to him.
“I didn’t really lie to your grandpa, I spared his feelings. People don’t always have to know how you feel or what you think.” Derek got up and closed the door but he should have known better than to think his son would accept that answer.
“But you said it was bad to lie to pack.” Eli was biting his thumb again, Derek could see him in the rearview mirror. He put on his seatbelt and turned the car on while taking a deep breath.
“I know bud, but it would grandpa sad if I told him, and we don’t want your grandpa sad do we?” Derek was looking at Eli in the mirror, his son still biting his thumb and looking back at him. He tried to stop that but it feels like it was a trait Stiles left him personally to annoy Derek since he had such a hard time trying to get his mate from doing the same thing when he was alive.
“But it’s okay to be sad, right? Be- because you said it was okay to be sad sometimes and Titi Marisol said guys that cry aren’t less for it and- and…” Eli paused looking down at his shoes and Derek turned around in his seat, reaching out and grabbing hold of Eli’s ankle, giving it a little shake.
“And what pup, hmm?”
“Tata says it’s always okay to be sad if you miss him, that he misses us too..”
Derek squinted and tilted his head, mulling around in his head what he heard. “Who told you that Eli? Who are you calling Tata?” Derek knew what it meant, it’s what Stiles wanted to be called.
“You’ll be daddy and I’ll be tata, and i’ll teach him polish so we can make fun of you in secret!”
Derek watches his sons’ face scrunch up before he looks up and speaks.
“In my dreams… I talk to Tata in my dreams and grandpa says that’s what I would have called him,” with a little shrug of his shoulder, “We always have fun. We have picnics and play frisbee and all the good stuffs and he tells me to tell you he misses you but I know you get sad when the pack says Tatas name and I didn’t wanna make you sad. I’m sorry daddy.” Eli takes a big breath because he definitely got the ‘speaking lots of words without breathing’ from Stiles and not him.
Derek has always had an appreciation for his parents and Noah because raising kids couldn’t have been easy but he now finally understood what it means to be speechless as a parent. Because he wanted to reassure his kid but his brain was still trying to process it. Granted on a normal level of thinking, Derek knew Eli has seen pictures of Stiles and they talk about him a lot so of course having dreams is a thing but still, it’s something he hasn’t had in a while. Anytime he dreams of Stiles it’s more of a nightmare, just reliving that night over and over again. So hearing that his son was having peaceful dreams, for a moment, made him irrationally jealous. If he could have slapped himself he would have but he just closed his eyes a moment and took a deep breath, because what kind of monster was jealous of their kid being able to peacefully dream? Derek, that’s who, jeez what was Stiles thinking of letting them start a family?
- Flashback -
“Stiles, baby, don’t try to lift that I-” Derek huffed and pinched the bridge of his nose as he watched his omega mate carrying his suitcase in the house, “You were dizzy at the airport babe and you haven’t even eaten. Stop lifting shit!” Derek glared at the eyeroll he received, which, rude, because he was trying to be a good Alpha and mate, but of course, he had to fall for the sassiest omega who didn’t mind throwing molotov cocktails or running into danger. Sighing and resigning himself to his life he grabbed the rest of their 3 suitcases and pushed the truck close with his arm before following after Stiles into the new pack house he had built.
He hadn’t been here for the final trimmings or furniture installations because he got married to a lunatic that said he wanted to see the world instead of going somewhere relaxing where they could be drinking mojitos all day. If anyone had asked Derek, which they didn’t, he would have said that an all-inclusive resort somewhere tropical was the best thing to do. But when you marry an omega who’s studying to be a forensic scientist, suddenly that vacation honeymoon turns into a 5-week tour of Europe and Africa, visiting archeological sites and the Paris catacombs -which never again, he will never do that again, no - although Italy was beautiful and they did spend time just enjoy each other’s company, but still, Costa Rica would have been better.
So here they were, back, where Stiles is still trying to keep up the facade he liked to say he didn’t have. At least when they were overseas he was able to coddle him, treat him softly, and not let him lift a finger unless he truly wanted to. Stiles was under the impression that because he was an Omega, he had to prove himself and, Derek, has told him a million times he never had to but his Omega was incapable of being anything other than stubborn at times. It took it all in him not to just growl and command Stiles to put the luggage down but he wouldn’t do that. He always said he wouldn’t be that type of Alpha, ‘meatheads’ as Stiles put it. And so he followed Stiles, past the large wrap-around porch and into the large foyer. He placed the suitcases down and looked around and when he managed to spy where Stiles went he chuckled.
Walking over he slipped one arm around his mate’s waist until his hand rested on his stomach, using his other hand to gently take the suitcase that was almost glued to Stiles’s hand, letting it thump to the ground next to them. Bringing his other hand to join the first he leaned his head on his Omega’s shoulder,
“I’m going to take the silence as a good thing.” he tried to say with confidence but if he were to be honest, he was a little nervous. He had the kitchen painted in yellows and oranges but not blindingly so, just to give a pop of color. The room was huge, two double ovens, a walk-in pantry, a chef-worthy gas range, Derek had just told them to make it look like it came out of a magazine. Specifically the one his mate had been drooling over one day when they were grocery shopping, he hadn’t noticed when Derek swiped it and placed it in the cart. He never was because he always ended up hugging Derek and nuzzling his neck because he hated that the cashiers usually tried to flirt with the Alpha.
“It’s beautiful, Der, how did you even?” Stiles turned in Derek’s arms, his hands splayed on the Alphas chest as he looked up at him. Derek could never let that look stay on his mate’s face long. The look of uncertainty that he had when something was done for him, whenever Derek did something that to him, seemed normal, Stiles would treat it as if he didn’t deserve it. So no, Derek, didn’t let that look linger. Moving his hand so that it cupped Stiles cheek he leaned down he nuzzled his cheek, rubbing his nose against Stiles’ before giving him a soft kiss,
“I know my baby don’t I?” He smiled and kissed Stiles again when his mate nodded, a small happy smile on his face before he leaned in and nuzzled Derek’s throat.
“Thank you, Alpha.” he whispered and Derek just smiled, hugging him tight and rubbing his back, moving his head so it rested in the crook of Stiles’ neck. It’s then that he noticed the smell, not a bad smell, if anything it just smelled like Stiles but more. He couldn’t pinpoint it but it made the wolf in him want to barricade him and Stiles in the house, not letting anyone in. He made a mental note to check in with Peter later because he was the only one that might know why he was reacting this way.
After getting everything situated, putting their clothes to wash, and going through the whole house, Derek was happy with it. He finally has a home that was big enough for his pack and family, eventually, because they did want kids. Lifting his face he inhaled and smirked, climbing the steps and walking over to the master bedroom where he found Stiles starfished on their bed, sleeping in the clothes he had arrived in. Sighing with a fondness he could only ever muster up for his Omega, he went over to the bed and carefully undressed him. Sneakers first, then the pants, he left the shirt because he was already pushing it and if he tried it he’d have the crankiest omega on his hands and he needs to go talk to Peter and check in with Scott. Leaning over he grabbed the throw blanket, this was definitely Lydia’s doing, placing it over Stiles’.
Sitting at the edge, Derek ran his hands up and down Stiles’ back, smiling at how the omega mumbled and seemed to fall deeper into his dreamland. Turning his head, he saw it read 3pm on the alarm clock, looking back to Stiles he groaned, he just wanted to lay right along with him but even if he wasn’t a werewolf alpha, he was still an Alpha and he had shit to do. Standing up, he looked around for something to write with, Stiles usually had post-it packets laying around but of course with them not being part of the move, it wouldn't be here. He spotted Stiles’ messenger bag and after digging through it he found his prize, scrawling a note saying he was going to talk to Peter and Scott, he left it on the nightstand. With a small smile on his lips Derek dipped down and kissed Stiles’ head before heading out, closing the door after him.
-
Derek tapped his fingers against the wheel, waiting for his uncle to hurry up in the coffee shop. Ever since Peter got better, -read: whatever demon was nesting inside him was wrestled out, courtesy of Lydia and Stiles- he had been better, getting closer and closer to the uncle he had before the fire. The car door opened, and Derek reached a hand out to snag the coffee he could taste already, and hearing Peter scoff at him, deterred nothing.
“I swear your sweet tooth is something incredibly deceiving nephew, anyone who saw you would say you were a ‘coffee-black’ man.” Peter laughed as he sipped his ‘coffee-black’, sliding into the passenger seat and closing the car door. “So what’s this you needed to speak to me about that I couldn’t come to the pack home, which Lydia still hasn’t allowed anyone to go into, by the way.” Peter turned in his seat and raised an eyebrow and that was only an indication that he had just been sucking down his frappuccino and not paying attention. Sue him. Stiles made fun of him already but he wasn’t ashamed, it’s why he worked out so hard so he could indulge, dammit.
“We got in a couple of hours ago and I don’t know, my wolf is just- agitated. More than usual.” Slurping the coffee drink before glaring at it, “why did you get me a grande, I need at least a venti.” Forcefully putting the cup in the cupholder he crossed his arms and side-eyed his uncle and saw he was making the hand motion to continue. Sighing loudly he pushed his head back into the headrest and stared up at the Camaro’s roof, “I don’t know, I scented him and it was like all my instincts were telling me to lock us away. I’ve never felt like that.” he stared at the steering wheel because if he didn’t stare at that, he’d stare at the time and then he’d know he left Stiles in bed sleeping 37 minutes ago and counting.
“Nephew, don’t try to kill me for the next series of questions I ask, I know how quick you are.” Peter chuckled but Derek still felt bad about killing his uncle, even if he did deserve it. After they found out he had been infected with some sort of spell that made him the way he was, Derek had always blamed himself for not noticing.
“I wish you would stop using that as a joke, honestly.” he gripped but nodded his head.
“It’s fun to watch you all squirm but anywho. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say you Stiles’ fucked like bunnies or wolf and his omega, in your case, yes?” Peter asked, Derek could hear the smirk. Without looking Derek nodded.
“Mmmhmm, and by chance did Stiles have a heat during your 5-week excursion across the world?” This question made Derek pause, because, yes Stiles did go through a heat when they were in Italy actually but they had taken precaution, birth control and the works.
“And I’m going to say that you had him take his birth control, yes?”
“Peter, you know the answer is yes to all this, but that still doesn’t explain anything!” Derek growled in annoyance, turning his head and leveling his blue eyes at his uncle.
“Don’t get your panties in a bunch Derek.” Peter placed his empty coffee cup in the cupholder before continuing, “Now if you were human, I would say that maybe your alpha instincts were acting that way because of the new house or such. But you aren’t human Derek. You’re a wolf who went through a wolf mating ceremony with your human omega who is “something” as he so eloquently put it.” Derek stared at Peter and his growling only got worse making Peter roll his eyes and lift his hands in an exasperated gesture. “That boy is pregnant, Derek.”
“No, that's- no, he’s on birth control Peter, we did everything right.” Derek shook his head, but he thought about it. Stiles' heat broke on the third day when it usually lasted a whole week but they just thought it was the new birth control he was on.
“Yes all true but humans don’t make birth control for wolves, we’re still in their fable books, nephew.” Peter tapped his shoulder before opening the door, “I have a dinner date, you run along home and have fun explaining that.” Derek heard Peter exit the car and he just stared at the time because how was he supposed to tell Stiles. “And nephew, pick up a pregnancy test on the way home and don’t worry I’ll let Scott know you won’t be available for a couple of days. Congrats and all that nephew.” With that, Peter walked away.
Derek looked below the clock and saw his cup, “You left your fucking cup, again!” he yelled and heard his uncle laugh up the street. He knew Derek hated that but now he had bigger problems, “Fuck.” Hitting the steering wheel, he started his car and drove to the pharmacy, standing in line with a pregnancy test is the most aggravating thing and he doesn’t wish this on anyone because why were people so damn nosey? Stop smiling at me and hurry up so I can buy my stuff and leave, Derek hates people sometimes. He glared at the cashier who seemed to understand his pain and didn’t offer small talk. Jogging back to the car he tried not to have a panic attack because as much as Stiles wanted kids, he wanted to wait until after he started his internship at the county office and he had gotten the job.
Parking the car in the driveway, he took a couple of deep breaths before exiting the car, grabbing the bag before he forgot it. Walking up the porch steps he could hear Stiles puttering in the kitchen, muttering to himself, it made the Alpha smile. The first thing he did after locking the door behind him was call out to Stiles and of course, his mate came out to meet him, with a sandwich in his hand.
“O Alpha, my Alpha, you called?” Stiles said with a cheeky smile, a bit of mayo on the side of his mouth. He was happy though, Derek could smell it and it calmed him down. Bending his head down, he licked the mayo off the side of his mate’s lip before kissing the same spot. “Why do you smell like caramel, Derek?” At this question Derek's ears turned a reddish hue, making him whine and hide his face in Stiles's neck.
“Went to starbucks…” Derek mumbled and sighed in defeat when he felt Stiles laughing. Lifting his head he glared, “I’ll never understand what’s funny about me liking sweet coffee.” He acted like he was mad but his mate knew wasn’t, and he understood why it looked weird but he didn’t care. It was the one thing he and his mom had, they had a sweet tooth and they went out on Saturdays and indulged.
“What’s in the bag, did you get me a present?” Stiles asked with an impish grin before taking another bite of a - Derek stared at the sandwich because it was tomato and mayo and that’s it. Stiles hated tomatoes. He sighed before holding the bag out of reach when he saw the omega reach for it.
“Okay before we get to what’s in the bag, I want you to take an inventory of your body right now and tell me if you feel off,” Derek said it in the calmest way he could, Stiles was good with knowing his body. He knew when his heats were coming early or if they would be late and so forth so this would be a good way to gauge. He saw Stiles face scrunch up as he chewed, and how his hand automatically moved towards his stomach.
“I mean I feel a bit off, but I mean we just got back home..” Derek could hear the uncertainty in his voice but asked his next question.
“Stiles, since when do you like tomatoes?” Derek thinks this would be the biggest thing because Stiles can eat pizza and pasta but straight tomatoes he couldn’t. Derek can attest, he remembers cleaning the vomit out of the carpet of the camaro because he found one in his burger.
Derek watched Stiles look down at his sandwich and he could slowly see the panic set in because then he jumped forward and grabbed at the bag so hard the test fell out.
“But we- we.” Stiles was looking up at Derek and then back down to the test on the floor with a look of betrayal and disbelief, “We took the birth control, we did everything…Der?” Derek bent down and picked up the test and on his way up he grabbed Stiles’ by the waist, pulling him to his chest as he kissed his hair.
“I spoke to Peter, he says it could be because I’m a wolf, I’m sorry baby.” Derek felt like he was swallowing sand with his next words, “Whatever you want to do, I’ll support you.” He could admit to himself that was a lie, he could never hate his mate but he didn’t know what he would do if Stiles’ didn’t want the baby if he was even pregnant. Sniffing at Stiles’ hair, the scent he had smelled before was there and now that he knew what he was looking for, he did smell subtle traces of something different in his scent. He remembered when his mom was pregnant with his younger brother Evan, she smelled the same but different and this is what Stiles scent was reminding him of.
“Wha- Derek the only thing I’m doing is having a baby ahead of time if the test is positive!” The sag of relief could be seen by anyone looking at Derek, he hugged Stiles tighter before letting him go a bit, still keeping him close. “I was just, I am- Well I’m just surprised is all.” and with that Stiles took the test from Derek’s hand and started walking to the half bath, taking Derek’s hand and dragging him along.
They sat there for the three minutes, staring at it, watching both lines activate, and once it did Stiles inspected the box and nodded before peeing on the second test that he had purchased.
“Double pink lines again Der,” Stiles was biting his lip as he looked up at Derek, “We’re having a baby.” Derek watched Stiles face, the wonder, and pure joy and he couldn’t but smile back. Reaching out he dragged his omega to him by the waist and started peppering his face with kisses, whispering “thank you” over and over again.
- End of Flashback -
Derek felt a tear track down his face and lifting a hand he wiped it off. Thinking of the second best day of his life would always break his heart. Stiles had been so happy, he still let Derek have it because he would have to place his career on hold but he knew Derek would support him and once the first year was over he would be able to pursue it. Derek hadn’t known he could love his mate anymore but that day proved he was wrong, his love grew so much that the pack always let it be known how nauseously cute they were. Sighing, Derek opened his eyes and saw Eli staring at him with an apprehensive look on his face.
“Daddy are you mad at me?” And if Derek’s heart hadn’t been broken before that would do it. Letting go of Eli’s ankle he ran his fingers through Eli’s curls.
“Daddy could never be mad at you pup, ok? I was just surprised you said you dreamed of Tata because picnics sound nice. I want to go on one of these picnics, huh, what do you think about that?” Derek said this as he started to tickle Eli’s stomach, smiling as his pup started to shriek and giggle.
“Daddy that’s silly, we can’t dream togethers, but I wish we could so you could see Tata.” Derek smiled and tickled Eli a bit more before letting the pup breathe.
“When you see your Tata you tell him I said I miss him too yea?” He watched Eli nod his head with a smile. Humming, he reached out and grabbed a stuffed frog and placed it in the pup's lap, smiling as he saw Eli hug it and yawn. Turning around he started the car and headed toward home. He wished he could go somewhere else because he knew what the pack was doing at the house and he just didn’t want to deal with it.
Arriving at the house he saw all the cars and could hear Isaac and Erica roughhousing in the backyard. Turning off the car he stepped out, went to the back seat, and shook his head at his son because no matter how short a distance if he was in the car he was sleeping. Picking the sleepy pup up and out of the car, he grabbed the gym bag as well before closing the door. Eli snuffled against his neck, snoring his little heart away, so when Derek entered the house he dropped the bag by the door and placed Eli down on the couch. He’d wake in a few and he’d scream his head off if he missed time with the pack. Throwing a blanket over him, Derek walked over to the kitchen where he knew Lydia was.
“You could have done this at your own house, you know,” Derek said as he leaned against the island with his arms crossed. Derek watched as the banshee put the cookie sheet into the oven before taking off the mittens and turning around with a sad smile, it was a smile Derek had learned to hate. Hate with love, but hate.
“You can’t hate Lydia because I had a crush on her at one time, I didn’t know my soul mate was a hunk and grump all in one yet. And she is my best friend, she could be yours too yanno. You’re more alike than you think. I guess I have a type.”
“Hello to you too Derek.” He watched her cross her arms too and raised an eyebrow that already alerted Derek that he wasn’t having his way and ending this thing early. “We are celebrating Derek. We are celebrating like he would have wanted us to.”
“I doubt he would want this, Lydia. Can’t you guys just go home or pick another fucking day?” He asked but it was rhetorical because he’d had this discussion before with her and yes he knew his husband but still this only gutted him, each and every year.
“He would want his life celebrated. It was the day you became our Alpha, we became a pack.” She said this with a strength he didn’t have at the moment, “You know he believed in celebrating those moments, he believed in celebrating love and loss.”
“I don’t think my husband would have wanted me to celebrate the day I couldn’t save him, Lydia,” he said this with a resigned tone, because he was all cried and screamed out. The first year they came to the house on this day he threw them out but they just jumped the fence. Same with the second year and after that he didn’t try to stop them anymore. It felt like they were rubbing it in his face even if he knew they weren’t.
“That wasn’t your fault Derek it was Scotts and you ended that so that will never happen to anyone in this pack ever again.” He watched her come closer as she placed a hand on his arm, “You’re a good Alpha and greater father, Eli adores you and we all love you. We’re family and Stiles is here with us always. It’s why we celebrate,” she hugged him knowing he couldn't hug her back right now, “It was his birthday Derek, he loved his birthday, he made you marry him on his birthday, he would want you to celebrate him, the happy moments.” She let him go with a kiss on his cheek before leaving the kitchen and grabbing a giggling Eli who had woken up when his toddler cousin came to pat his face.
“Omg it has to be on my birthday Der, c’mon, it’ll be the double best day. A 2-for-1 deal every year. We celebrate us and that’s just like me celebrating myself because the best part of me is you, Alpha.”
Derek walked over to the sink to look outside and watched Eli play with the pack, they had set up the sprinkler for the kids. Almost unconsciously his hand reached up to the ring on his necklace, “Just a bit more time, baby and if you could send me some strength in the meantime because I don’t know how to keep this up much longer.” Sighing Derek leaned his head back but flinched because it felt like someone had run their hands through his hair. Lifting his hand to his hair he shook his head and then jumped out of his skin when he looked down to see Eli with his hand reaching out.
“Hey pup, did your Aunt Lydia tell you to come get me?” Derek smiled as he took his sons’ hand and let him lead him to where the pack was.
“No daddy, Tata told me you were sad.” Derek just stared at his son, succumbing to the idea that Eli would speak of Stiles like that. Children were resilient and if this is how his son would cope then he wouldn’t stop it. He just hoped it didn’t hurt his pup in the end.