[saw a post on twitter… and it inspired me a little bit 🤞🏾]
can you imagine the first time Eli goes to Stiles?
where Derek and Stiles’ relationship is fairly new; took them way too long to say what they meant and get their own heads out of their asses?
Stiles being nervous about interacting with Eli because Derek being a father wasn’t something he expected when he got back from the FBI. but he loves Derek and in turn loves Eli? but doesn’t want to push that boundary or a relationship he thinks he has to earn.
so all of Stiles’ interactions with the young boy have been extremely cautious. he doesn’t want to step on Derek’s toes, letting him give out rules or discipline when needed while he steps back and pretends to busy himself with something unimportant. he also doesn’t want to give Eli the idea that he’s replacing anyone. Stiles doesn’t know if there’s a mother in the picture; Derek doesn’t talk much about it and to be honest, Stiles doesn’t press any further (tho he may ask around to those who may have witnessed the introduction of Eli).
Stiles just wants to be the cool, fun guy that Eli can hopefully trust and knows that Stiles would never harm him or his father.
maybe Stiles had once tried telling Eli he loved him but got a less than enthusiastic response from the child. Derek had asked Stiles to drop Eli off at school one morning and Stiles happily volunteered. as he pulled up to the school’s drop-off zone, he turned around from the drivers seat to face Eli, giving a comforting smile and said cheerfully, “have a good day at school… i love you.”
okay, maybe Stiles didn’t sound so sure in saying it so it would make sense that Eli simply stared back at him before hopping out of the car, booking it for his teacher waiting by the entrance.
“i love you,” would replay in his head the entire drive back to Derek’s house. overthinking; his specialty!
and Stiles truly cannot fault the kid for the side eyes, the blank stares, the one-off responses before turning to his actual dad and giving him an entirely different energy.
“he hates me!” Stiles would say once Eli was down for bed (he’d say it humorously but deep down, he actually felt a tinge of hurt).
Derek snorted as he climbed down the last bit of stairs and rounded towards Stiles, rubbing his back and leaving a peck against his shoulder. his voice soothing, smooth like honey as he assured Stiles, “he doesn’t hate you.. he just doesn’t know you. once he does, he’ll warm up to you and love you just as much as i do.”
Stiles could only hope.
&
a few more weeks or months would pass, and although Stiles’ relationship with Eli is not where he’d like it to be, it’s at least gotten slightly better?
Eli tolerates him.. at best — Stiles is lucky if he can crack a smile out of the boy. “you are your father’s son,” Stiles would murmur to himself after another failed attempt at making Eli laugh.
but Eli reaching for Stiles for the first time comes as a surprise in the middle of the night.
Stiles being fast asleep but feeling tiny taps against his face. he’d murmur and mumble sleepily, all too comfortable by Derek being wrapped around him. after a few more taps against his nose and forehead, Stiles peered a drowsy eye open, seeing Eli standing directly in front of him.
it took Stiles a second to open his eyes completely, scanning Eli up and down with furrowed brows. the boy’s eyes were wide, his little fists clenched, and on his pajama shirt was clear evidence of the dinner they had mere hours ago.
“hey,” Eli whispered to which Stiles stupidly responded back, “hi” as if they were two friends just bumping into each other.
Stiles shook his own head at his ridiculous reply, rubbing his eyes in hopes it would boot up his brain to remember where and who he is in this situation. “hey, buddy,” Stiles tries again, “are we not feeling well?”
“i threw up,” Eli answers.
Stiles turns back, wondering if he should wake Derek and let him handle the situation. instead, Stiles gets up, thinking he can do this with no problems and wondering if it means something that Eli woke him up instead of his own father.
“yeah, i can see that,” Stiles says softly, “let’s get you cleaned up.” his second surprise comes when Eli willingly grabs his hand, leading Stiles out of the room to his own.
“ok, i’ve dealt with worse,” Stiles nods when he finds the vomit at eli’s bedside and on the edge of his sheets. he quietly moves to the bathroom, grabbing towels to clean the mess before helping Eli into a new set of pajamas and a cleaner face.
once the mess is cleaned, Stiles places fresh bedsheets on eli’s bed. “you’re good to go, baby,” Stiles whispers, tucking back the duvet cover and patting at the mattress.
he sighs when Eli stares between him and the new bed covers blankly, but gets a third and maybe final surprise when Eli takes his hand again and leads them back to the primary room.
Eli quietly climbs into the bed, curling into Derek’s chest as he burrows into the sheets. Stiles hesitates for a second, questioning if this would be a boundary pushed.
it must not be because Eli looks back, whispering, “can i sleep with you and daddy?”
Stiles can’t help but to smile lightly, nodding, “of course,” before falling into bed and wrapping as much of himself around Eli as comfortably possible. he lets out a relieved sigh when the young boy nestles in deeper between them, closing his eyes and slowly falling back to sleep.
Stiles would close his own eyes, hoping he’d get the same luck of falling asleep quickly. his body positively buzzing from a mix of joy and relief; feeling an even bigger comfort when Derek pulls the both of them in closer.
“told you,” Derek’s voice breaks through the quiet, soft and full of sleep, “warming up.”
