The first thing Stiles was aware of as he sluggishly woke up was the slight squeaking noise of the door that led into his and Derek's bedroom. Somebody was coming into the room. Stiles frowned, straining his ears for any sound, keeping still and keeping his breaths deep and even, giving the illusion that he was still asleep. He concentrated on keeping his heart rate steady, not allowing it to accelerate in response to the fear building in the back of his mind.
"Shhh" a young voice hissed, "we'll get in trouble if we wake Daddy up."
Stiles' frown immediately turned into a smile at the sound of his youngest daughter's voice. Lydia was the bossiest of his five children, but she was also generally the voice of reason, the one most likely to talk the others out of whatever shenanigans they had planned.
The door creaked again, before clicking shut, and Stiles hears a scuffed footstep, followed by another, getting closer to the bed. He didn't move as he deft the bed dip slightly on Derek's side as somebody (Stiles was willing to bet Scott or Jackson) climbed up onto the bed. Keeping his eyes shut, Stiles rolled over, pretending he had only just woken up at the movement on the bed.
'Derek?" he mumbled sleepily, "Is that you?
"Uh oh" a small voice whispered and Stiles opened his eyes, unable to resist the desire to look at his children. Sitting on the edge of the bed on Derek's side was Scott, his eyes wide and fearful. From where he lay Stiles couldn't see his other children, none of them were tall enough to be seen over the bed.
"Hey buddy, you okay?" Stiles reached out his right hand, and Scott crawled closer, cuddling up against Stiles as best he could.
"Papa said not to wake you if you were having a sleep, but we wanted to spend time with you," Scott explained softly. Stiles kissed the top of Scott's messy brown hair. He wasn't surprised, to be honest. The pups were still young enough that they relied heavily of stiles for reassurance and comfort, and it didn't take much to send them scurrying to his side. Derek had only been trying to help Stiles when he'd told their children not to boether Stiles when he was sleeping, but Stiles preferred it when he was surrounded by his children…e slept better when they were there…especially when Derek wasn't in the house.
"I'll deal with Papa. Come on up, guys,"
Stiles watched as his four remaining children climbed up on the bed, far better at climbing than human two year olds ever would be.
"Are you okay, Daddy?" Isaac asked, his stuffed toy wolf clutching in his hand.
"Of course I am, buddy, come here." Stiles smiled. It was all the encouragement not only Isaac, but the others needed, and they all crawled over the bed to him, snuggling against him wherever they could, Scott moving to give his younger sibling more room, although he made sure that he still was touching Stiles.
Isaac's head was resting on Stiles' outstretched arm, almost on his shoulder, his curly hair brushing against Stiles' face. Of all of the pups, Isaac was the most like Stiles as a child, shy and anxious and eager to please anyone. He was the one that had the most difficulty being away from Stiles, and Isaac was the one who wanted the most hugs and physical contact with Stiles and Derek. Stiles' dad had once joked that the reason Isaac had been the last born had nothing to do with his position within Stiles' womb, but more because he hadn't wanted to leave Stiles. Stiles' stepmother Melissa had laughed and added that she was certain that Isaac was so much like Stiles and was so affectionate and eager to be loved because he'd spent the majority of the pregnancy being jammed into Stiles' ribcage, as close to Stiles' heart as anyone could get.
Logically Stiles knew that Isaac's position in the womb had nothing to do with his personality, but he had still appreciated the comment. Tilting his head, he pressed a kiss to the forehead of his youngest child.
"I love you, Isaac, he whispered, and a content smile spread across the toddler's face as he snuggled closer to Stiles.
Stiles' thoughts turned to the next of his children curled up on his body. Isaac was practically spooning Scott, with Scott's head resting on the bed, right against Stiles' side, his ear pressed against Stile's chest. Stiles knew that Scott was listening to his heartbeat, it was something Scott did whenever he and Stiles were hugging, reassuring himself that Stiles was alive and healthy.
Deep down, Stiles knew it was a subconscious behaviour spurned by Scott's desire to protect his pack. As Derek's firstborn, Scott was destined to become the next Hale Alpha if Derek was killed, and it showed in the toddler's behaviour. Both Deaton and Peter had commented that the fact that Scott was showing alpha behaviours at such a young age was an indication that he was going to be a good alpha once he had grown up. It had pleased Stiles to hear it, but he didn't want Scott to be pressured. He might be a good alpha for his pack one day, but for the moment he was Stiles' pup, his loyal, funny little pup.
Considering he was supposed to be the alpha of his pack, Stiles found it ironic and deeply amusing that Scott was the one that reminded Stiles the most of an actually puppy, even when he was in his human form, bouncing around in a perpetual state of excitement. He was loyal and protective of his siblings, and he was the most generous two year old Stiles had ever had the pleasure of meeting. Scott was always giving his toys to his siblings, making sure their needs were met before his own.
Peter had once commented that Derek had been the same way as a child, before the fire, but he hadn't expected Scott, as the one destined to become the next alpha, to have inherited those particular traits.
The thing was, though, that Scott didn't need to assert his dominance over his siblings. Instinctively they all looked up to him and regarded him as their alpha, even though Scott wasn't even alpha of the actual pack yet. Derek, of course, was the pups actual alpha, but between themselves Scott was undoubtedly the leader.
Stiles moved his arm, careful not to disturb Isaac, and played with Scott's messy dark hair, and Scott leaned into the touch, letting out a soft humming noise that was almost a purr.
"Love you, Daddy," Scott whispered
"I love you too, Scotty. Get some rest, nap time isn't over yet." Stiles replied, a glance at his watch telling him that the pups usually would still sleep for another hour or so.
Lydia was the next in the line, facing Scott and looking up towards Stiles' face. Like Scott, she had her head resting on the bed, tucked against Stiles' body, her small hand fisted around the hem of Stiles' t-shirt. A small, contented smile was on her face, her strawberry blonde hair falling out of the pigtails that Stiles had put it in that morning. Smirking, Stiles caught Lydia's eye and poked his tongue out. Lydia's scandalized look in response was identical to the exasperated look Derek often wore back when the rest of the pack were all in high school.
Of Derek and Stiles' children, Lydia was already the most academic. She loved asking question and figuring out how the world around her worked. Stiles' dad laughed madly for a good thirty minutes solid one afternoon as he watched Stiles get interrogated by Lydia, explaining afterwards that Stiles had been exactly the same at about the same age.
For the moment, though, Lydia seemed to be content being quiet and still, blinking sleepily as she gazed at Stiles.
"We'll look after you Daddy," she told Stiles, resolve and determination in her voice. Stiles smiled and nodded; when Lydia spoke it was always with utter confidence and conviction, like she could bend the world to her will. Stiles loved how confident his youngest daughter was, deep down it made him feel that, as she got older, she wouldn't let her actions be decided by others. She wouldn't let herself be picked on or bullied or made to feel inferior like Stiles had in his teenaged years.
"Of course you will, you're my little warrior princess."
Lydia beamed at the nickname, her grip on Stiles' shirt tightening as she clenched her fists in excitement, before she relaxed and snuggled down into the soft blankets covering the bed.
The next child along, Stiles could see when he lifted his head, was Jackson, his head resting on Stiles' thigh, his hand reached out and touching Lydia's back. All of the pups were close, but Jackson and Lydia were especially close, never far from one another's side.
As much as Scott reminded Stiles of a puppy, Jackson never had, not in his human form at least. Jackson had been the first of the pups to both crawl and walk, and even now was the one to take the biggest physical risks, like the day he managed to climb the whole way up a nine foot high book case, and then jumped off, aiming for the couch. Stiles was just grateful that all of his pups were werewolves, and that their broken bones healed quickly. Within a few days Jackson was back on his feet racing around with his brothers and sisters, but Stiles had nearly had an heart attack when he saw Jackson jump that day.
Outwardly, Jackson was the most independent of the pups, the first to move away from the legs of his parents in an unfamiliar situation, and the least likely to voluntarily seek out special attention, but Stiles knew his children. He could see how Jackson looked for reassurance, and he gave it readily…and Jackson never protested when Stiles picked him up and hugged him close and encouraged his efforts and showered him with love and affection.
As much as Jackson loved being fussed over by Stiles, his favourite person in the world was Derek, and nothing made him happier than being tossed up into the air by his papa, if his squeals of laughter were anything to go by. As far as other adults were concerned, Jackson was downright distrustful of anyone outside the pack, and even regarded outlying members of the pack like the Argents and Deaton with caution. It was like Jackson knew that his family had been betrayed in the past, and he was frightened it was going to happen again. As far as Stiles knew nobody had told the pups about the fire that nearly wiped out their father's entire family, and the events leading up to it, but Jackson already seemed to know that something bad had happened in the past.
At the moment Jackson was busy running his fingers through Lydia's silky hair, his eyes half lidded as he fought against the urge to fall asleep again. Stiles smiled at Jackson's stubbornness, knowing that with Stiles and Derek as parents, it was impossible for the pups to escape a certain degree of stubbornness.
"Go to sleep, Jackson, I'm not going to let anything happen to them," Stiles said in a soft voice. Jackson lifted his head, looking up at Stiles, a smile spreading it's way across his face, before he rested his head back on Stiles' leg,
The last in the line was Cora, and Stiles found it ironic that she and Jackson were lying so peacefully together. If Stiles heard the pups arguing, or was told about it, it was a very safe to assume that it was Cora and Jackson. Even though they had both inherited the majority of their traits from Derek, they still spent a lot of time fighting and arguing. As children Laura and Derek, apparently, been very similar and fought a lot as well, up until Derek turned eleven or thereabouts, so Stiles hoped that Cora and Jackson would grow out of it too.
Of the pups, Cora had been the first to learn to talk, which had caused some amusement at the time considering how much like Derek she was in both looks and personality. Cora was easily the most like Derek of the pups. From a young age some of her facial expressions reminded Stiles strongly on ones that Derek used. Cora, however, was far more relaxed and cheerful then Derek was, and Stiles was reasonably sure that Cora already had better people skills than Derek, although he had to concede that fatherhood had improved that aspect of Derek's nature.
Cora was also already a bit of a tomboy, preferring to play with blocks and cars, rather than dolls and art like Lydia. Lydia loved being called princess, while Cora hated it. There was only one person that could get away with calling Cora princess, and that was Boyd. Anyone else, even Stiles or Derek, got a full blown Hale glare, and sometimes, a small kick to the shin.
Loyal to her pack, Cora was protective of her younger siblings, getting on best with Lydia, and spending time with the extended pack. Of the pups, Cora was the happiest to go to an adult that wasn't Stiles or Derek. She especially liked spending time with Erica and Boyd, and when the pack was all together it was not uncommon for Cora to seek out the pair of betas and snuggle up with them.
Currently, however, Cora had her arms wrapped around Stiles' leg possessively, as if she could prevent him from moving away from her...not that he had any desire to. Why would he want to move, he was with his children, and all was well.
"Will Papa be home soon?" Cora asked sleepily.
Stiles nodded in response to Cora's question. The pups had eaten lunch just before they'd all laid down for their nap, and only an hour had passed since then. Derek usually tried to be home by four o'clock so he could spend some quality time with his children before it was time for dinner, baths, and then bed.
"He'll get home after afternoon snack, and you'll be able to tell him all about your day. Uncle Boyd and Auntie Erica and Uncle Danny and Uncle Ethan and Uncle Aidan are coming around for dinner too."
"Yay," Cora cheered sleepily, before she tightened her grip on her pillow and drifted off to sleep. Stiles exhaled, casting his gaze over his children. They were all sound asleep, lulled by the scent of his body, the sound of his heartbeat, and the sound of his voice. Even now, when they were two, Stiles was the best one for putting the pups to sleep.
Slowly, Stiles moved his hand from Scott's hair and rested it instead over the swell in his stomach. He'd never planned to fall pregnant again so quickly after the quintuplets had been born. He and Derek had both used birth control drugs the first two heats Stiles had gone through after the birth, but the next one had been the most intense heat Stiles had ever experienced, arriving weeks ahead of schedule and without any warning. Stiles and Derek hadn't had the chance to take the birth control drugs and let them start to work before Stiles was desperate to feel Derek's knot within him.
Within six weeks of the heat Stiles had known, even before taking a test, that he was pregnant again. This time, however, he was only carrying one baby, and Stiles was inwardly grateful. Despite there being only one baby within him, Stiles' second pregnancy had been far more difficult than his first, leaving Stiles exhausted and sapped of energy, especially when Stiles was the primary caregiver for five very active toddlers. A bad bout of the flu early on in the pregnancy had left Stiles weak and bedridden for a weak, and there had been serious discussions about sending him to hospital. It was only because Stiles had a severe panic attack at the very thought of going to the hospital, the same place his mother had died in front of him, that Melissa, Stiles' dad and Derek agreed that Stiles was better off where he was in the home that he was familiar with.
Eventually Stiles' fever had broken, and he'd stopped coughing and sneezing, but despite the attentive care of Derek and the rest of the pack, Stiles' strength hadn't fully returned to what it had been. At least, Stiles thought to himself, his unborn child hadn't been affected by Stiles' illness. His latest ultrasound had confirmed that the baby looked to be developing at the expected rate and growing well despite Stiles' weariness. As if he or she knew that Stiles was thinking about them, the baby kicked at the hand Stiles had resting on his stomach. Stiles rubbed his skin, trying to settle the baby down.
"Shh, baby, its nap time, not play time." Lydia whispered to the baby, obviously having been able to feel the baby's movements as well. Stiles bit his lip to contain his laughter at Lydia's comment, continuing to rub his stomach soothingly. Stiles wasn't sure whether it was Lydia's words, or his rubbing that worked, but the baby within him settled down. Stiles relaxed, and he drifted off to sleep, reassured by the feel of his children curled up around him.
TW
Derek was quiet as he slid the key out of the ignition of his car, opening up the car door and stepping out. The sounds of the woods washed over him, the chirping of birds, the rustling of leaves and branches as a gentle breeze blew through the trees, the distant scuffling of small woodland animals. He ignored it all though, instead focusing his attention on the house, relaxing only when he heard the gentle heartbeats of his mate and children. They all sounded normal, steady and even and strong.
Fatherhood had changed everything, as far as Derek was concerned. While it was true that he'd already had a pack, it wasn't until the pups had arrived that it had really struck Derek...that he had a pack...that he had a family again. So much of himself had died the day he'd lost his family, and now it was like so much of it had come back. Derek still grieved for the loss of his family, and blamed himself for letting Kate in, but the loss didn't pain him so much as it had back before he'd returned to Beacon Hills and met Stiles.
Derek locked his car and walked up to the house, letting himself through the locked front door with ease, before he glanced around the house. With the exception of the heartbeats upstairs, and the innocent ticking of the living room clock, the house was quiet, and Derek was immediately suspicious. With five toddlers in the house (let alone Stiles), silence was never a good omen. Taking off his shoes and his jacket, and carefully hanging his jacket on the back of his chair in the dining room, Derek filled the kettle with water and flicked it on.
Generally speaking, his and Stiles' children were well behaved, for their age, so Derek wasn't too concerned by the quiet, but they were only two years old. No child that age was perfectly behaved all of the time, and anyone who thought so was deluded, in Derek's opinion. He knew that they were all healthy and not injured, and they were all in the house, and that was all that mattered. If there was something wrong Derek would be able to tell from the pups' heart rates, as well was Stiles'.
The kettle slowly warming up, Derek tip toed up the stairs. Usually by this time of day the pups had woken up from their nap, ready to play, but it wasn't unheard of for them to sleep a little later. With Stiles as tired as he was Derek didn't want to upset his mate by waking up their pups and disrupting the peace and quiet that had descended onto their home.
Pausing at Scott's bedroom door, Derek poked his head into the room. The pups had only just recently been split up into their own individual rooms at nights to sleep even though they all played in each other rooms during the days, but for their afternoon nap the pups still liked being close together while they slept, a trait that Derek had connected back to not only being werewolves, where the pups traditionally all curled up and slept together, but also having spent the first nine or so months of their existence wrapped around one another within Stiles' womb.
Stiles had been the one to suggest a solution, with a soft mattress that could be brought out for nap times that was big enough for all five pups to sleep on. Derek had approved, and he'd known it was physically easier for Stiles to get the mattress out rather than lifting their five pups into their own individual cots. It was why Derek had been the one putting the pups into bed in the evenings ad getting them out again in the mornings ever since Stiles had realised he was pregnant.
Today, however, the mattress was empty, the assorted blankets and pillows the children like sleeping with looking rumpled. The pups had been sleeping here, but they weren't anymore. Derek concentrated on the exact location of the heartbeats he could hear, and smiled to himself. Really, he should have known.
Making his way down the hallway, Derek pushed his own bedroom door, inhaling deeply as he breathed in the combined scents of his mate, himself, and their pups. Stiles was lying on his side on the bed, Isaac, Scott, Lydia, Jackson and Cora curled up agasint him, all of them sound asleep. Smiling wryly to himself, Derek crossed the threshold into the room, crossing across the thick carpet to Stiles' side of the bed, sicne his own was occupied by his pups.
"Hmmm...Derek," Stiles blearily asked, his eyes fluttering open as he partially woke up. Derke smiled and put on hand over Stiles', feeling the swell in his stomach.
"Hey, I'm here," Derek told his mate softly.
Stiles smiled, "Hello...I missed you today."
"Did you?" Derek asked with a smile, before he pressed his lips to Stiles' in a soft, gentle, kiss. Derek felt the baby kick at his and Stiles' joined hands, and Stiles huffed out a quiet laugh.
"Guess I wasn't the only one," he commented with a grin. Derek knelt on the edge of the bed, kissing Stiles' soft stomach where his t-shirt ad ridden up.
"Hello to you too, little pup." He greeted, "I hope you've been good for daddy."
"Lydia told the baby off for kicking earlier," Stiles told Derek, and Derek snorted with amusement.
"She takes good care of you...they all do. How come they're in here?"
"I think they just wanted hugs," Stiles admitted with a shrug, although he aborted the gesture when Isaac made a small noise of protest. Derek reached out and soothed Issac, running his fingers through Isaac's curls.
"I can't blame them for that...I hate being away from you as well."
"What time is it? Did you get out of work early or something?"
"No...it's the normal time, coming up to four o'clock. You all must have been tired to sleep this long."
"They've enjoyed playing outside today. It's been the first day in awhile where the weather has been nice enough for us all to be out. The fresh air must have tired them out."
"What about you...how are you feeling?"
"Tired," Stiles admitted honestly, knowing that Derek would know if he lied, "but having a nice long sleep has helped, I think."
Derek felt Stiles' forehead, checking for any sign of a fever, a habit he'd developed when Stiles had been sick.
Stiles rolled his eyes, "I'm fine," he told Derek, voice thick with exasperation. Derek frowned combing his fingers through Stiles' hair, instead of Isaac's.
"I'm sorry if I pester you, Stiles, but I worry about you. You're the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning, and the last thing I think about before I go to sleep. I dream about you every night, and I think about you every moment of every day. You and the pups and the rest of the pack are the reason I exist. Without you I would be nothing. I would sacrifice my life over and over again in the most painful ways possible if it meant that you and our children were safe."
Stiles' eyes glistened with tears, and he reached out, pulling Derek into a kiss.
"I love you, Derek," he said once they broke apart for air, "and nothing will ever take that away."
"I love you too Stiles," Derek replied, kissing Stiles again, before he straightened up his back and walked around the bed, carefully climbing up onto it, avoiding putting his weight anywhere near the sleeping toddlers. Scott stirred, lifting his head up and peering sleepily up at Derek in a way that reminded Derek vividly of Stiles, just minutes earlier.
"Papa...you're home."
I sure am," Derek smiled, kissing Scott on the forehead. Scott let out a soft chuffing noise and snuggled back down, while Derek made himself comfortable. Cora moved in her sleep towards him, and Derek gathered her close in his arms, thankful that he and Stiles had a large bed that was perfect for family bonding sessions like this.
Soon it would be time for Derek to get up and start preparing dinner for the family (he wasn't as good as cooking as Stiles, but he managed), but for the moment, he just wanted to curl up with his family, and savour the moment. He was surrounded by his pups and his mate, with their unborn child growing healthily in his mate's womb. Everything, as far as Derek was concerned, was perfect.
