"So I think we're ready," Stiles says to Derek as they're lounging on the sofa one night. Stiles of course is shoving popcorn into his mouth and Derek is looking at him disapprovingly which only makes Stiles laugh and choke slightly as a kernel lodges in his throat.

"Ready for what?" Derek asks finally and adopts his typical "Stiles you're such an idiot" look which Stiles secretly loves.

"For a kid. Ready for a kid."

Derek just looks at him and without even glancing at the remote he pauses the TV. He was actually getting quite into the film but this changes everything and he can't do anything else but look at Stiles.

Stiles is beginning to appear a little wary as Derek hasn't said anything in over two minutes and he puts down the popcorn onto the table in front of him and takes Derek's face into his hands and kisses Derek's lips gently to rouse him from whatever mental state he had slipped into.

"Are you serious?" Derek asks and Stiles can't quite figure out what emotion Derek is hiding, his eyes are impossible to read as they stare into his own. Stiles holds his ground and stares back.

"Yeah," he says, calm and steady and shrugs his shoulders, not letting go of Derek's face, "aren't you?"

Derek only looks at him again and Stiles can tell he has a million thoughts running through his head, but by the way Derek starts frowning it seems he can't pick one to hold on to and say aloud.

"Yeah. Yeah I am," he says finally and Stiles lights up. He smiles and his eyes widen with joy and Derek smiles too and brings his hands up to rest on Stiles' which are just clutching his face tighter. He uses this as an advantage to bring his forehead down to rest against Stiles' and they just stay like that for a while, unmoving but ready to move on to the next chapter of their lives.

"So you're wanting to adopt a child together," the woman in a black pinstripe suit asks as she sits at the opposite end of the table than Derek and Stiles. It was intended as a question but it came out as a statement and Stiles holds up a hand to stop Derek from talking because, once Derek starts talking, someone always ends up offended.

"Yes," Stiles says firmly and he places his hand back down on the table, "we've been ready for a while now. Derek's always been a family man and considering I can't exactly produce a womb with a click of my fingers, adoption is the next best thing."

Derek has been quiet throughout this whole meeting and Stiles realises it's because he's scared of saying the wrong thing. Stiles just wants to boop his nose and tell him everything is going to be okay because hey, he's Stiles Stilinski and if the Stilinski charm worked well enough to get into Derek's pants, it can certainly work well enough to convince lovely Mrs. Adoption Lady to give them the all-systems-go on being able to bring up a child.

The woman stays quiet for a few minutes and both Stiles and Derek start fidgeting as Mrs. AL writes frantically onto a set of papers without saying a damn word. She then looks up and smiles. "Well Mr. Stilinski, Mr. Hale, I see no reason why a child would be unhappy with a family like yours." She holds out her hand and Stiles leans over and shakes it, grinning. Derek just smiles and takes ahold of Stiles' other hand and he's stopped shaking. The worry is over.

"So it's like an adoption agency? Do you go there and they're all in a pen and you pick out the cutest one to take home?" Scott asks nonchalantly as he tears another bite off a piece of day-old pizza from his fridge. Stiles slaps him upside the head and Scott scowls.

"If you honestly think that, I have no idea how you passed High School, let alone College," Stiles states and Scott scowls again but his expression softens.

"Man, I'm gonna be an uncle," he puts down his pizza and beams, pulling Stiles into a hug and Stiles rubs his back and smiles into his best friend's shoulder.

"I'm gonna be a dad."

They're in a room together, on the sofa, waiting and waiting for that door to open and for the nurse to come in and hand them their child. A sixteen hour labour and Stiles is almost too happy that he isn't a woman. He's sandwiched between Derek and Erica and his legs are shaking and suddenly there's a hand on either knee. "It'll be fine," Erica says as Derek just smiles and tightens his grip on Stiles, and Stiles knows that this isn't to stop him from shaking but to keep Derek grounded. He just sits there and twiddles the wedding band on his finger.

The door opens and a short stocky nurse walks through holding a bundle of blankets with their future wrapped in the centre. Derek stands and stills as Stiles stays where he is, terrified to even touch the baby just in case this is all a dream and he wakes up as a sixteen year old boy once more without a History degree and a Derek in his life.

The nurse speaks and Erica holds her hands up to her mouth and laughs. "What?" Stiles asks, coming back to the present as his hearing regains itself, "what are you laughing at?"

"It's a girl, you've got a baby girl," Erica replies and there are tears in her eyes as she grabs Stiles by the shoulders and pushes him over to the nurse, "hold her, go on."

Stiles just looks at the bundle of pink blankets and finds the face of his child. She's quiet but not asleep, sucking her thumb and looking up at Stiles with her bright blue eyes.

"Derek," Stiles whispers and Derek's at his side at once, holding his shoulders affectionately but standing further enough back so Stiles can move and reach out for the baby with shaky hands.

He doesn't say anything as the nurse lets go and the baby is in Stiles' arms, miraculously not crying, just looking and staring at Stiles as if she recognises him as another face she trusts.

"She's like you," Stiles laughs and Derek looks confused, "she won't stop staring, I don't think she's blinked in about a minute."

Erica laughs and sits back down on the uncomfortable seats that suddenly seem so welcoming as the wait is finally over and the tension has left the room. Stiles stands and sways slowly, making cooing noises at the baby to keep her quiet as she starts to babble and gurgle quietly.

"Have you got a name for her yet?" the nurse asks and Stiles grins and looks at Derek who's face lights up as he speaks.

"Laura," he says, reaching towards the newly-named Laura with his finger, and he lets out a small gasp as Laura takes ahold of it with her hand, "her name is Laura."