Preschool teacher Stiles calling Derek on the phone, worry evident in his voice when Derek picks up. "Mr. Hale, This is Stiles Stilinksi at SunnyDay Preschool... About your son Eli–"
"I... think? I just... Would you please come over here? Now." Derek is already halfway into the Camaro.
"Is he hurt?!" He demands, speeding out of the parking lot.
"Hurt... No. I just... I'm asking for your trust in coming straight to the back of the school. I think it would... be better not to let the front know and better to not upset the other children." Derek's heartbeat is pounding against his chest as he brakes every speeding law there is to get the school in under 8 minutes.
Stiles is still on the phone and Derek can hear Eli sobbing in the background. He sails out of the car and rushes to the back door where a very flustered and exhausted looking man with moles and big doe eyes is holding his half shifted and wailing 3 year old.
Stiles? The teacher, gives him a long hard look and Derek feels his stomach plummet as he realizes Eli just shifted for the first time in his life. He runs towards them, taking his son from the human's arms.
"So... I can't say I've been a teacher for very long but I have seen my fair share of unique characteristics and I must confess... Glowing yellow eyes and reconstructed facial features is a new one." Stiles says in forced calmness.
"How did... I... Did anyone else-"
"No one else saw. One of the other boys pushed him to the ground and he just laid there crying. I went to help him up and saw he was... like this and I brought him out here immediately. Luckily he's memorized your phone number because I used my personal cell to call you."
"Werewolf. Right? Please, for the love of god tell me that's what's happening right now. Please tell me I'm not going insane. I-It runs in my family actually... You know. M-My mother. Th-This is real right?" Derek can only nod, anxiety and fear wrapping around him. All he can think of is the hunters. Of Kate coming for his son. If Stiles decides to tell anyone-
"Thank god. I thought maybe when I accidentally dropped him earlier-"
"You dropped him!?" Derek snarls. Stiles eyes narrow, his finger coming up to stab Derek in the shoulder.
"Hey! You're the one who sent a baby werewolf to Pre-K without informing any staff, buddy. Let's not play this off as me being the irresponsible one today!"
"Dadda, don be mean to 'Tiles." Eli hiccups, pudgy arms reaching back out to his teacher and Stiles pulls him back to his chest not even hesitating in the face of small, glinting fangs and sharpened claws.
"Yeah! Be nice to the very breakable human. Do you even know what was going through my head when I saw a half wolf baby lying on the ground in my group of 3-5 year olds? I'm 23 dude. I just got an ulcer from this."
"Don't call me dude." Derek hisses. But there's no bite to it as he watches Stiles bounce Eli on his hip. Making soothing and shushing noises that work to calm him as the shift slowly starts to fall away. "He's never... I didn't know he could..." He tries, a little hurt that Eli was not clinging to him the way he was now burying his face into Stiles neck.
"Ah." Stiles says, his voice softening as he seems to understand. "He just got the superpowers then. Wasn't always wolfie inclined?" Derek doesn't know what to say except that this human was taking the introduction into the supernatural a hell of a lot better than he could have hoped. "It's got to be painful, right? I've seen Eli fall before, he's a tough little guy. He wasn't crying because he got pushed..."
"It... It gets easier but yes. It hurts." Stiles nods solemnly as he gently rubs soothing circles down the toddlers back.
"So... Now that I know I don't need to call the CDC... What now?"
"Now?" Derek asks, guard back up.
"He can't go back to class today. You just said it hurt. I think he needs to go home and rest."
"NO!" Eli sobs, claws digging into Stile's white button-up hard enough to draw blood. "Want 'Tiles!" Eli cries, clinging to the human with unnatural strength. Derek rushes forward to pull him away but Stiles lifts his hand up to stop him, wincing but not even trying to dislodge the tiny fists from his shoulder.
"Hey... Eli, buddy. It's okay. You're not in trouble. I'm just worried because you were in pain."
"Want 'Tiles!" Eli chokes back. "Don't hurt wit 'Tiles." Derek's chest tightens when Stiles turns to look back at him questioningly.
"I..." Derek starts, not even really able to believe the words himself. "I think you're his anchor."
snowghoul
2087
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