Work Text:
Title: Heart On Ice
“Come on Daddy!”
A little girl was jumping around. She had a bun on either side of her head, tied with big bright blue ribbons that clashed against the dark tone of her hair. She was wearing a white and warm jacket with big golden buttons, and blue gloves that covered her fingers. Her big hazel eyes were shining while watching her daddy putting his jacket on.
“It’z ztill cold and znowy outzide! Wanna go now daddy!”
Derek couldn’t help but chuckle at his daughter's adorable lisp. She was still unable to pronounce the letter “s” properly and Derek was finding it very cute. Some people weren’t that nice about it and tried to talk to him into letting her see a specialist. But Derek’s mom was on his side and told him that he had a lisp too, until the age of ten, and then it suddenly stopped.
“I’m coming Cordelia! You're in hurry today. I’m wondering why?” Derek joked while grabbing his car keys.
“Because it’z my birzday and we are going ize zkating!” Cordelia preened.
That was true. It was his daughter's fifth birthday and she asked to go ice skating. Since he took her to see the ballet “Casse-noisette on ice”, that was all she was talking about. And even if Derek was a shitty skater and really hated ice skating, he couldn’t refuse his only child her wish, especially for her birthday.
The both of them hopped into the car and Derek drove them to the outdoor rink. The place was already crowded with couples skating hand in hand. The speakers were sputtering some romantic song while the heart shaped lights flashed red or pink.
“…and happy Valentine’s Day to all of the couples here tonight,” the guy on the speaker said.
Derek sighed and took his daughter's hand to go over the skate rental. They took their skates and choose a bench to sit on. Once they were ready, Derek directed them toward the rink. He felt his daughter tighten her grip on his hand. He looked at her.
“You’re not going to let go of my hand daddy?”
“Of course not sweetie,” Derek answered with a reassuring smile.
Derek went first then helped Cordelia onto the ice. She started to wobble and shriek before Derek grabbed her other hand.
“Zank you daddy,” Cordelia said, smiling brightly.
Derek felt his heart swollen at his daughter's bright smile. They started skating or, more accurately, Derek pulled his daughter while being careful of other people.
“I can do it myzelf daddy now,” Cordelia assured him.
Derek raised an eyebrow but let his little girl’s hand slip from his. He stayed right next to her, ready to act during the next minutes, but after a while, she was doing pretty well and he started to relax.
“Do you zee zat daddy? I’m a ballet danzer on ize!” his daughter giggled.
She tried to do a swirl but lost her balance and bumped into another person.
“Ouzh!” Cordelia cried, trying to stand up but failing at it.
“Oh my god! Are you okay kiddo?” the guy into whose she had bumped, asked.
He pulled her back on her feet and put a hand against her back to stabilize her, clearly not knowing what to do with a crying child.
“Cordelia! Are you okay baby?” Derek ran towards her, or tried to with his skates.
When he arrived close, he pulled her into a hug, sending them both on the ice. Cordelia laughed through her tears.
“You fell too daddy!” she giggled.
Derek sighed, relieved. He put his daughter back on her feet but when he tried to stand, his skate slid and he fell back on his ass. Cordelia laughed at him.
“Here, let me help you man,” the guy that helped his daughter said.
He extended his hand and Derek took it. When he looked at the guy, he felt his heart beating faster. Both of them stared at each other for a while until Cordelia tugged his sleeve.
“Can I have a hot zhocolate daddy, please?”
Derek snapped out of whatever that was and nodded.
The guy coughed.
“Well, I guess I’m going to let you go back with your adorable date.”
“Daddy! Can the mizter come with uz?" Cordelia asked.
“Come on Lia, he probably has a date waiting for him,” Derek said, feeling his heart sink.
“Do you have a date mizter?” the little girl asked.
“Well, actually I’m here with a friend because he was meeting that girl for the first time so no, I don’t have a date.”
“Zee daddy! He don’t have a date!” Cordelia said.
The little girl extended her hand.
“My name is Cordelia Hale and it’z my birzday today. I'm five!” she explained.
“Well, Happy Birthday then Cordelia Hale,” the guy said with a twinkle in his eyes. “My name is Stiles Stilinski and it’s not my birthday today but I am nineteen.”
Derek was feeling a little put out by the exchange. Was that guy they only met a few minutes ago, already discussing with his usually shy daughter?
“My daddy is twenty-zeven and his birzday is on Chrizmaz,” Cordelia said.
“Okay Lia, that’s enough. I don’t think…Stiles? Want to hear all that stuff,” Derek interrupted, blushing.
“Actually, it doesn’t bother me,” Stiles said with a smile.
After that, they returned their skates to the location booth and went drinking hot chocolate. Cordelia kept telling Stiles stories about her family back home, in California, and when she mentioned Beacon Hills, Stiles interrupted her.
“Wait! What? You guys are from Beacon Hills?”
“Yes…” Derek answered.
“Dude! I am too! My dad’s the sheriff!” Stiles laughed.
“Sheriff Stilinski is your dad?” Derek said, surprised.
Stiles kept laughing and after that the discussion was more between the two adults. Cordelia was fine seating there and watching her dad drop his walls.
When they finished drinking and eating some sweets, they went out. They stood awkwardly in front of each other until Cordelia, a hand in her dad's, spoke.
“Daddy? Will you marry Stiles?”
Both men blushed and before Derek could come up with an answer, Stiles beat him to it.
“Well, as much I enjoyed this drink, I think your dad should ask for my number and take me out for another date first.”
Derek watched this guy, Stiles, with amazement. Never before a guy had wanted to date him when they learned he has a daughter and Stiles, after going out with both him and his daughter, still wanted to go on a date with him.
“Zo daddy! What are you waiting for?” Cordelia asked.
Stiles laughed softly and handed him his phone with an expecting gaze. Derek put his number in it and texted himself. While he was doing that, he saw Stiles and his daughter high fiving each other.
“Okay guys! See you another time! Bye princess,” Stiles kissed Cordelia on the head. “Bye Derek.”
The young man winked before kissing him on the cheek and whispering into his ear "And Happy Valentine’s day.”
Stiles walked away and before disappearing into the crowd, turned around and waved at them.
Derek and his daughter waved back.
oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
A few months later, Stiles moved in with Derek and his daughter.
“Stiles, you’re not going to spend your salary on your room when you could be living with us.”
“Wait! Are you asking me to move in with you?” Stiles said.
Stiles was in his first year of college and even if he had a scholarship for his classes, he still had to pay the rent for his room. And New York wasn’t cheap.
Derek froze then looked at Stiles who still had his daughter on his lap. They were playing “Mario Kart” and apparently Stiles was losing because his character crashed into a barrier. Derek heard his daughter's mocking laugh and that was it.
“Yes, I am.”
Stiles pulled Cordelia off his lap and stood up to jump on Derek and kiss him.
“Yes, I will move in.”
“Ztilez I won !” Cordelia giggled.
“WHAT?!”
Derek laughed at Stiles's shocked face.
Derek was happy and in love with two wonderful people even if they forced him to go ice skating every year on Valentine’s day.
“It’s my birthday daddy!” Cordelia would plead (like his mother said, she got rid of her lisp).
“It’s to celebrate the day we met, Derek!” Stiles would also plead.
“You are lucky I love you both so much,” he would groan.
And Stiles and Cordelia would high five each other.
And Derek would smile.
THE END.