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tamingthemuseTitle: families of circumstance [1/?]
Fandom: Teen Wolf
Prompt: 495 - in loco parentis
Warnings: AU. Season 4 canon divergent.
Rating: PG
Word Count: ~1,160
Summary: Stiles does a friendly pack a favor by taking in an orphaned child, but Derek’s somehow the one that ends up watching her that first night.
Disclaimer: It’s all lies and I own nothing.
-- = --
Derek has just finished loading the last of the items in his grocery cart onto the belt in the checkout line when his phone starts ringing. It’s just before ten so it’s probably a pack-related call. When he sees Stiles’ name on the screen he has half a thought to just let it go to voicemail, but sighs and answers anyway. “Hello?”
“Uh, hey, Derek,” Stiles says slowly. “What are you up to?”
“I’m getting groceries then I’m going back home to finish my draft of Lydia’s house.” He offers the checkout girl a polite smile as he digs out his wallet and starts loading his bags back into his cart. “Why? What do you need?”
“I’ve got a favor to ask you.”
Derek barely holds back his sigh. While a lot has changed in the past year since most of the pack graduated and Derek returned, things are still somewhat awkward between him and Stiles; there’s a weird tension between them and they move around each other so carefully. Half the time, Derek’s not sure what to make of it—he’s pretty sure it’s something he did, though. Possibly the fact that he’s left a couple of times with little to no warning at the absolute worst times. He’s apologized and made up for it the best he could and it seems like everyone else in the pack has accepted him back. “Okay.”
“I’ve got a friend from the academy that’s part of the Mackenzie pack in Sacramento. He’s got a contact at CPS that’s in the know about all things supernatural and they’re on their way up here with a kid whose parents—”
“What’s the question, Stiles?”
There’s a long pause before Stiles sighs. He sounds like he’s physically deflating. “I’m not off shift until six. I just need you to keep her for a few hours. Please.”
As much as Derek wants to say no, he knows he can’t. Regardless of whatever feelings it might dredge up for him, there’s a child likely in danger and he can help. “Sure. Should I come down to the station?”
“No. This is all kind of unofficial. David’s gonna call me when they get into town, which should be in… Like, the next ten or fifteen. If you could meet me at my place—”
“Sure.”
Stiles’ sigh this time is relieved. “Thanks. Really, Derek. Thank you. I owe you big. You’ve got a key, right?”
It was Scott’s idea that everyone have spares for everybody else’s places just in case. “Yeah. I’ll see you in a bit.”
“Okay. Bye.”
#
Stiles’s lives in a fairly nice duplex not far from his dad. The building had, at one time, been a single-family home before it was converted into side-by-side apartments. As he’s pushing his key into the lock, Derek realizes he’s never been inside it before. It’s strange how much the space smells of Stiles. There are hints of his dad and Scott, traces of people Derek can’t identify—probably coworkers or neighbors or other friends—but it’s mostly just Stiles.
Derek tries not to be too nosey as he turns on lights and checks to see if Stiles happens to have a spare bedroom where a kid could possibly stay. On the second floor across from the bathroom there’s a room that’s mostly empty except for a futon with a thick cushion, a small side table with a lamp, and a pile of boxes in the corner. It smells faintly of Scott.
There’s a narrow closet in the bathroom with extra towels and fresh sheets and a few blankets. Derek gets the futon laying flat and stretches a sheet over the cover before draping one of the blankets on top. He hears a car pull up outside as he’s making his way back downstairs and meets Stiles at the front door.
The sight throws Derek for a loop, an obviously exhausted Stiles in his khaki deputy’s uniform with a bright purple backpack dangling from one shoulder and a dark-haired little girl no more than four cradled against his chest. She’s dressed in Hello Kitty pajamas and her arms are wrapped tightly around Stiles’ neck, her face tucked under his chin. Derek holds the door open for Stiles and follows him back inside. “I made up the futon upstairs.”
“Thanks,” Stiles says over the girl’s head. He runs a broad hand over her hair and down her back. “Sadie? This is my friend Derek. He’s going to watch you for a little bit until I’m done with work, okay?” Her arms tighten around Stiles as she whimpers. “Hey. It’s okay. He’s like you and he’s gonna keep you safe. Right, Derek?”
Derek nods. “Right.” He moves closer and sets a hand on Stiles’ shoulder so Sadie can catch his scent without him touching her. “Are you hungry?” Sadie shakes her head. “Sleepy?” She nods. Derek hesitates for a moment before asking, “Would you like it if I told you a story?” Sadie peeks up at him from under Stiles’ chin and nods again.
“Okay,” Stiles says. “Let’s get you upstairs and settled in bed, then Derek can tell you a story.”
Derek follows Stiles upstairs and watches him carefully lay the little girl on the bed. He sets her bag down and unzips it to pull out a gray and black stuffed wolf that he hands to her before tucking her in.
Stiles kneels next to the futon and brushes Sadie’s hair away from her face. “I’ve got to go back to work for a little while, but I’ll be here in the morning when you get up, okay? How do pancakes sound for breakfast?”
Sadie nods, glancing up at Derek before looking back at Stiles. “Good,” she says quietly.
Stiles beams at her. “Good. Derek’s gonna stay here with you until I get home. I’ll see you in the morning. Goodnight.”
“Night.”
Stiles slowly stands up and nudges Derek out into the hall. “I really can’t thank you enough for this. With my dad and Parrish gone for that conference we’re shorthanded and—“
“It’s okay. I don’t mind.”
“Still,” he says, eying Derek skeptically. “I owe you. I’ll be back no later than six thirty. I don’t recommend sleeping on the couch so, uh, you can take my bed. I just changed the sheets yesterday, so. Or, um, I think there’s an old air mattress in the hall closet downstairs. But it might have a hole in it. I can’t remember. We haven’t used it in a while because Scott usually just crashes on the futon.”
“Okay. I’ll figure it out. See you in the morning.”
Stiles nods. “See you.”
Derek watches him head for the stairs and listens to him leave before heading back into the guest room. “So,” he says, sitting gingerly on the edge of the futon, “what kind of story do you want to hear?”
Fandom: Teen Wolf
Prompt: 495 - in loco parentis
Warnings: AU. Season 4 canon divergent.
Rating: PG
Word Count: ~1,160
Summary: Stiles does a friendly pack a favor by taking in an orphaned child, but Derek’s somehow the one that ends up watching her that first night.
Disclaimer: It’s all lies and I own nothing.
Derek has just finished loading the last of the items in his grocery cart onto the belt in the checkout line when his phone starts ringing. It’s just before ten so it’s probably a pack-related call. When he sees Stiles’ name on the screen he has half a thought to just let it go to voicemail, but sighs and answers anyway. “Hello?”
“Uh, hey, Derek,” Stiles says slowly. “What are you up to?”
“I’m getting groceries then I’m going back home to finish my draft of Lydia’s house.” He offers the checkout girl a polite smile as he digs out his wallet and starts loading his bags back into his cart. “Why? What do you need?”
“I’ve got a favor to ask you.”
Derek barely holds back his sigh. While a lot has changed in the past year since most of the pack graduated and Derek returned, things are still somewhat awkward between him and Stiles; there’s a weird tension between them and they move around each other so carefully. Half the time, Derek’s not sure what to make of it—he’s pretty sure it’s something he did, though. Possibly the fact that he’s left a couple of times with little to no warning at the absolute worst times. He’s apologized and made up for it the best he could and it seems like everyone else in the pack has accepted him back. “Okay.”
“I’ve got a friend from the academy that’s part of the Mackenzie pack in Sacramento. He’s got a contact at CPS that’s in the know about all things supernatural and they’re on their way up here with a kid whose parents—”
“What’s the question, Stiles?”
There’s a long pause before Stiles sighs. He sounds like he’s physically deflating. “I’m not off shift until six. I just need you to keep her for a few hours. Please.”
As much as Derek wants to say no, he knows he can’t. Regardless of whatever feelings it might dredge up for him, there’s a child likely in danger and he can help. “Sure. Should I come down to the station?”
“No. This is all kind of unofficial. David’s gonna call me when they get into town, which should be in… Like, the next ten or fifteen. If you could meet me at my place—”
“Sure.”
Stiles’ sigh this time is relieved. “Thanks. Really, Derek. Thank you. I owe you big. You’ve got a key, right?”
It was Scott’s idea that everyone have spares for everybody else’s places just in case. “Yeah. I’ll see you in a bit.”
“Okay. Bye.”
Stiles’s lives in a fairly nice duplex not far from his dad. The building had, at one time, been a single-family home before it was converted into side-by-side apartments. As he’s pushing his key into the lock, Derek realizes he’s never been inside it before. It’s strange how much the space smells of Stiles. There are hints of his dad and Scott, traces of people Derek can’t identify—probably coworkers or neighbors or other friends—but it’s mostly just Stiles.
Derek tries not to be too nosey as he turns on lights and checks to see if Stiles happens to have a spare bedroom where a kid could possibly stay. On the second floor across from the bathroom there’s a room that’s mostly empty except for a futon with a thick cushion, a small side table with a lamp, and a pile of boxes in the corner. It smells faintly of Scott.
There’s a narrow closet in the bathroom with extra towels and fresh sheets and a few blankets. Derek gets the futon laying flat and stretches a sheet over the cover before draping one of the blankets on top. He hears a car pull up outside as he’s making his way back downstairs and meets Stiles at the front door.
The sight throws Derek for a loop, an obviously exhausted Stiles in his khaki deputy’s uniform with a bright purple backpack dangling from one shoulder and a dark-haired little girl no more than four cradled against his chest. She’s dressed in Hello Kitty pajamas and her arms are wrapped tightly around Stiles’ neck, her face tucked under his chin. Derek holds the door open for Stiles and follows him back inside. “I made up the futon upstairs.”
“Thanks,” Stiles says over the girl’s head. He runs a broad hand over her hair and down her back. “Sadie? This is my friend Derek. He’s going to watch you for a little bit until I’m done with work, okay?” Her arms tighten around Stiles as she whimpers. “Hey. It’s okay. He’s like you and he’s gonna keep you safe. Right, Derek?”
Derek nods. “Right.” He moves closer and sets a hand on Stiles’ shoulder so Sadie can catch his scent without him touching her. “Are you hungry?” Sadie shakes her head. “Sleepy?” She nods. Derek hesitates for a moment before asking, “Would you like it if I told you a story?” Sadie peeks up at him from under Stiles’ chin and nods again.
“Okay,” Stiles says. “Let’s get you upstairs and settled in bed, then Derek can tell you a story.”
Derek follows Stiles upstairs and watches him carefully lay the little girl on the bed. He sets her bag down and unzips it to pull out a gray and black stuffed wolf that he hands to her before tucking her in.
Stiles kneels next to the futon and brushes Sadie’s hair away from her face. “I’ve got to go back to work for a little while, but I’ll be here in the morning when you get up, okay? How do pancakes sound for breakfast?”
Sadie nods, glancing up at Derek before looking back at Stiles. “Good,” she says quietly.
Stiles beams at her. “Good. Derek’s gonna stay here with you until I get home. I’ll see you in the morning. Goodnight.”
“Night.”
Stiles slowly stands up and nudges Derek out into the hall. “I really can’t thank you enough for this. With my dad and Parrish gone for that conference we’re shorthanded and—“
“It’s okay. I don’t mind.”
“Still,” he says, eying Derek skeptically. “I owe you. I’ll be back no later than six thirty. I don’t recommend sleeping on the couch so, uh, you can take my bed. I just changed the sheets yesterday, so. Or, um, I think there’s an old air mattress in the hall closet downstairs. But it might have a hole in it. I can’t remember. We haven’t used it in a while because Scott usually just crashes on the futon.”
“Okay. I’ll figure it out. See you in the morning.”
Stiles nods. “See you.”
Derek watches him head for the stairs and listens to him leave before heading back into the guest room. “So,” he says, sitting gingerly on the edge of the futon, “what kind of story do you want to hear?”
