Coffee Breaks - Home for the Holiday

Had Derek been more aware of what his body was doing, he most certainly would have told his leg to stop hopping up and down in what was decidedly not due to anxiety. But as it was, he was a little more preoccupied with the thoughts running through his head. It wasn't until a gentle hand slid over his knee and a soft pair of lips kissed his cheek that he realized the jumpiness of his wayward limb. Derek looked over to the boy sitting next to him and smiled, tension unwinding – at least for the time being. He slid his hand over Stiles', giving it a squeeze before entwining their fingers together.

"Nervous?" Stiles asked, thumb moving in small circles against the denim of Derek's jeans.

Derek scoffed. "No," he said simply, but the little frown on his face said otherwise.

Stiles just smirked, patting his boyfriend's knee. "Good. Cause like I said before, you have nothing to be nervous about."

Again, Derek merely scoffed. "Easy for you to say."

With the coffee shop closed for the next few days due to the holiday season, the pair were traveling up to Beacon Hills to spend time with their respective families. This would also be the first time Derek would be introducing himself to the Sheriff as Stiles' official boyfriend. And considering how nervous he felt around the older man just being Stiles' friend, he had to admit to feeling a bit anxious now that their relationship had progressed beyond that.

Derek felt two lips press against his cheek once more, melting into them before realizing his leg had been bouncing again. "Okay. I admit it. Your dad scares me."

"I told you. He likes you."

"Because asking me if I'd ever been hit by a baseball bat or a 12-gauge is really just code for 'bonding time'."

"Hey," Stiles frowned, poking Derek's shoulder. "He did say he'd leave the shotgun unloaded for you. I consider that a win."

The older man just groaned, throwing his head back and staring at the roof of the train. He heard Stiles chuckling beside him.

"You have nothing to worry about," he assured. "I promise."

Derek could only hope he was right.

/\/\/\

"Stiles!"

Turning at the sound of the familiar voice, both Derek and Stiles looked to see Sheriff Stilinski approaching them, arms wide with a grin on his face.

"Sheri-" Derek nodded in greeting but was immediately cut off when the older man simply brushed past him to wrap his arms around his son.

"Hey Dad," Stiles grinned, dropping his things to return the embrace. "Dad, you remember Derek," he said, stepping back and nodding at his boyfriend.

The Sheriff gave Derek a good, hard look, eyeing him as if seeing him for the first time. It made Derek feel like a suspect in a line up. "He's the guy whose bed you slept in when your ceiling caved in, right?"

"He's the guy who was nice enough to let me stay at his place when mine was out of commission," Stiles clarified, unfazed. Derek, on the other hand, was using his peripheral vision to find the best exit strategy.

"He's the guy who you slept with on our family room couch, right?"

Derek had the decency to blush at that. 'How did he find out about that?'

Stiles frowned before perking up and giving his father a smug smile. "He's the guy who saved my life."

The Sheriff looked completely unimpressed before he played his trump card. "He's Peter Hale's nephew," he paused for effect, "right." It wasn't a question. Just a statement. A statement that Derek sometimes – especially at this particular moment in time – wished wasn't true.

Stiles opened his mouth to retaliate, but immediately closed it and frowned. How do you top that? Then, with a sigh of defeat, he conceded. "Yes, Dad. He's Peter Hale's nephew."

"Uh, hi," Derek smiled weakly, adding a lame little wave.

The Sheriff just looked him up and down once more before clicking his tongue. "Hello, Derek," he said, managing to make his name sound like a curse word in Derek's ears. "How are you?"

"Um, good?"

"Is that a question?"

"Good," Derek repeated, firmly this time.

The Sheriff just quirked his eyebrow before draping an arm over his son's shoulder and leading him out into the parking lot.

'I guess I'll just… get the bags…' he thought lamely, shouldering Stiles' backpack and picking up his own duffle, following behind. Stiles just smiled sympathetically over his shoulder while his dad rattled off the goings-on of town.

Once they were in the parking lot, Stiles stopped, making Derek peer over his shoulder to see what might've caught his attention. He didn't have to worry long. "Dad, seriously? You brought the cruiser?"

The Sheriff merely shrugged. "What? The Toyota's low on gas and I was running a bit behind."

"Well what about the Jeep?"

He snorted. "I'm not driving that death-trap."

Stiles balked. "Roscoe is not a death-trap."

Derek had to silently agree with the Sheriff on that one. Stiles' Jeep seemed like it was past its prime. Way past.

"Here you go, Derek," the Sheriff grinned, holding open the back seat for him.

Derek might've taken a moment to enjoy being on the receiving end of the Sheriff's friendly smile hadn't it been for the fact that he felt sort of like a common criminal being ushered into the back of the police cruiser. All he needed now were the cuffs.

Stiles scoffed. "You don't have to sit there," he said, rolling his eyes at his dad.

"No, no," Derek shook his head. "It's okay."

The Sheriff seemed pleased by his answer, his grin only getting bigger as Derek slid into the back.

'At least he didn't hit me with a taser first,' Derek sighed, poking his fingers through the partition, wishing that they were inhumanly long enough to reach out and touch Stiles. Touching him always made Derek feel better.

Derek spent the next few moments of the car ride in silence as the Sheriff continued his one-on-one conversation with his son. If he were being honest, it made Derek feel a little rejected but also a bit glad that at least his face hadn't been blown off by the older Stilinski's shotgun. He couldn't exactly say he had been expecting much different, but he thought it would be nice if the Sheriff had welcomed him with open arms, giving Derek his complete consent for dating his son. Derek snorted at his wistful thoughts. 'One can dream.'

"So Derek," the Sheriff said, startling the man out of his thoughts. "What are your plans for the holiday?"

"I- um. Not much. Just staying with my sister and her fiancé. And my- um- Peter's gonna fly up from L. A. later tonight, too."

"I'll be sure to have my deputies keep an eye out for that, then."

Derek let out a breathy chuckle, but inside, he was just hoping Peter didn't do anything that might cause a ruckus – and make Derek look bad by association.

Stiles turned around in his seat and gave Derek a quick thumb's up and a wink before spinning back around again.

The whole plan, though, was that Tom and Laura would be driving out to spend some time with Tom's family. They had invited Derek to come along, but he didn't want to feel out of place and politely declined. And while Peter would be flying in, he also had a few important meetings to take care of throughout the afternoon. "Money doesn't take a holiday, baby boy," he'd said. So Derek was ready for a Christmas Day of lounging about in his pajamas until well into the afternoon. At least he'd have a Christmas Eve to spend with the boy he loved.

"Wait, Dad, where are you going?" Stiles asked, breaking Derek from his thoughts once more.

"What do you mean? I'm gonna drop Derek off."

"Oh," Stiles uttered, slumping a bit in his seat. "I thought he could spend the rest of the afternoon with us."

"Nonsense," the Sheriff snorted. "Derek wants to spend time with his sister, isn't that right, Derek?"

The man in question opened his mouth to reply, but the Sheriff just plowed on.

"Besides, you and I have some traditions to uphold before we go to your Babcia's house tomorrow."

"Yeah, exactly. We'll be at Baba's all day tomorrow so that's why I thought I could get some Derek time now."

Though he smiled at the mention of 'Derek Time,' that smile was quickly wiped away when Derek caught the Sheriff's imposing stare through the rear-view mirror. Uncomfortable under the hardened gaze, he slouched in his seat, clearing his throat and turned his own gaze out the window.

"He can help me bake," Stiles continued, unaware of what was going on around him. "He's really good at opening walnuts. He's got it down to an art."

Again, Derek tried to stifle a little smile at that.

"You don't need anyone to open walnuts for you. I got you the shelled kind."

"What- no-"

He'd thought Stiles had said it, but by the way the younger boy had turned in his seat and with the way the Sheriff's eyes were boring back into him, Derek realized that was his own voice that reached his ears. Again, Derek cleared his throat and slumped a little further into his seat, hoping beyond hope that he'd be able to slink far enough down to be hidden from view. "I just… he likes the ones with shells…" Derek eventually muttered. "Tastes more natural… preservatives," he finished, lamely.

Stiles grinned at Derek before turning back to his dad. "See? Derek knows."

The Sheriff merely snorted. "The walnuts are perfectly fine, Stiles. And I'm dropping him off at his sister's. End of discussion."

Stiles scoffed in retort, crossing his arms over his chest and slouching dramatically. Derek could see in the side mirror the frown marring the younger boy's face. He didn't like it there and wanted nothing more than to kiss it away. Again, he wished he could reach out and touch him, knowing that his touch was a comfort to Stiles too.

"You know he's my boyfriend now, don't you," Stiles blurted out, suddenly.

Now all Derek wanted to do with his hands was cover that big mouth.

Again, all the Sheriff did was snort, but Derek could definitely feel the eyes trying to cut right through him. He kept his gaze out the window, watching vaguely familiar streets pass by.

"Of course I know he's your boyfriend. I saw the e-mail. And the text. And you never stop talking about him on the phone and on Skype. And quite frankly, kid, I think that greeting card may have been a little bit over the top."

"It was an announcement," Stiles clarified. Because that made it better.

"It was unnecessary."

Stiles gasped. "Are you saying you are unconcerned about my love life?"

"I'm saying that I'm not gonna prioritize reading a descriptive letter of your intent!"

"Oh God…" Derek slowly bent over in his seat, the top of his head resting against the partition as he stared down at his shoes. He had to wonder why he didn't take his boyfriend seriously when he had mentioned sending such an announcement a few weeks back. It made him wonder what else Stiles might actually have been serious about. "Stiles," Derek croaked out. "Quick question."

"Yeah, boo bear?"

Derek had to pause at the nickname and set a mental reminder to talk to Stiles about right time and right place. Also, 'boo bear'? So not an option.

"Were you joking when you said you'd send one to your grandmother, too?"

At this, Stiles snorted, and for a brief second, a glimmer of hope hit Derek. That maybe Stiles' boundaries knew what was appropriate for elderly ladies since they clearly weren't established for gun-toting fathers. Unfortunately though, it only lasted a second.

"Of course I sent one to her. Baba likes to be kept in the loop."

Both the Sheriff and Derek let out identical groans.

Stiles gaped at them. "What?"

"Stiles, what you and your boyfriend do during your alone time-"

"Our Derek time-"

"Your alone time," he reiterated through gritted teeth, "is not an appropriate topic of discussion to have with your grandmother. Now," he huffed with all the air he had as a man of authority, immediately drawing Derek to sit upright in his seat, "I am dropping Derek off at his sister's because she is expecting him and you and I will get those walnuts you're so picky about while discussing why 'certain lubrication and contraceptive combinations' is not meant for Baba's eyes."

"Oh my God," Derek groaned.

Stiles shrugged. "At least she knows we're safe."

"Oh my God."

This time, when the eyes of doom were back and boring down into the very depths of his soul, Derek welcomed them. He could only imagine the kind of looks he'd get from the rest of Stiles' extended family – that is, if Stiles had been serious about those too.

/\/\/\

Derek wasn't exactly sure whether it was a blessing or a curse that he was now standing in his sister's driveway, watching the police cruiser drive out of sight. Admittedly, he was disappointed that he wouldn't be spending more of the holiday with his love, but he wasn't entirely sure if he could survive two days of… well… that.

Stiles didn't seem very happy about it either, a fact made apparent by his dejected demeanor. He trudged to the back door to let Derek out, face fixed in a frown before almost immediately burying it in the nape of Derek's neck once the older boy had stood up.

Stiles murmured into Derek's jacket, voice muffled against the fabric. But, Derek being Derek and practically an expert in all things Stiles, could understand him clearly, as if it were spoken to his face and not to his neck. He chuckled, bringing a hand up to run his fingers across the hair along the nape of Stiles' neck. "I'm going to miss you, too." He kissed Stiles' temple before letting out a heavy sigh. "But, I will see you on the 26th. That's not so far away."

Again, Stiles murmured into the jacket.

"It's not too far. Come on," Derek said, nudging Stiles with his shoulder, encouraging him to look up. "Give me a kiss."

Stiles complied, kissing Derek deeply, though Derek was determined to keep it fairly clean considering that the Sheriff was still waiting in the driver's seat. All too soon, he broke the kiss, peppering Stiles' forehead with light kisses before pulling completely away. "Soon," he promised. "I'll see you soon."

Stiles just nodded, watching Derek as he grabbed his duffle and closed the door. Derek stepped away from the car and waved, thanking the Sheriff for the ride before watching Stiles climb back in and hang out the window.

"I love you, Derek Hale!" Stiles yelled, grinning from ear to ear. "You have a really sexy as- whoa!"

The Sheriff yanked his son back into the car by the hood of his jacket. And without another word, he leaned down so he could see Derek clearly before pointing two fingers to his eyes and turning the same hand to point a firm and rather intimidating finger back at Derek. Derek just gulped and continued to wave weakly.

"Ah, was that the Sheriff's cruiser?"

Derek looked over his shoulder to see his sister clambering down the front steps before draping her arm over her brother's shoulder and waving at the receding car.

"Yeah," he exhaled.

"You know, I always dreaded the day I'd see you come home, climbing out of the back of one of those."

Derek snorted, recalling the familiar thought.

"But I guess I don't have to worry," Laura smiled. "Unless dating the Sheriff's son is a crime."

Derek let out a heavy sigh. "You know, it just might be."

Laura just laughed, pulling her brother into a tight hug. "Welcome home, baby bro. I missed you."

Derek smiled, heart warm in the familiarity of family. "I missed you, too."

/\/\/\

Although Derek was pretty sure he was a guest in his sister's home, it certainly didn't feel like it. Sure, Laura had said she had missed him, but Derek was nearly convinced that it was only because he was a source of free labor.

"Come on, Derek! Put your back into it!"

"Why can't you do it? You're just standing there!"

"I am supervising," she drawled, as if Derek were thick.

"Why did you wait 'til the last freaking day to decorate? It's Christmas Eve, Laura."

Laura waved her hand nonchalantly. "I've been in New York with Peter the past week. I didn't have time. But now that you're here, we can decorate together like we used to when we were kids."

"You mean you can boss me around and make me do all the work," he grumbled.

"Yes," she smirked. "Like we used to when we were kids."

And that was how Derek spent the rest of his afternoon, well into the evening. Surely a day of baking with Stiles – despite the constant watch of the unnerving warden – would have been better than decorating the entire house with the slave-driver that was Laura Hale. But, he had to admit. He had missed her. Just being with her again in the house they grew up in and sharing stories about Christmases past was enough to distract him from how much he missed Stiles. He was sure, though, that Stiles was also enjoying his own family time with his father. And that was what the holidays were all about.

"Ho, ho, ho!"

Derek didn't know whether to roll his eyes or grin at the call, followed by the sound of the front door bursting open. He settled for shaking his head in amusement. "Peter."

And sure. Finally seeing the man who was often a source of headaches without even needing to be in the same room, Derek had to admit he had missed his uncle too.

"Merry Christmas, baby boy!"

Derek snorted. It seems he had spoken too soon.

/\/\/\

Finally getting a chance to escape his sister's tyranny, Derek unpacked a few of his things, pausing for a moment to look at the gift resting on top of his clothes. He sighed. 'Maybe it was a little presumptuous to get him something… Hell. Even Stiles didn't want anything. Maybe it's a family thing.' At the thought of Stiles, Derek reached into his jacket pocket, hand curling around the trinket there. He sighed again before grabbing his toothbrush and getting ready for bed.

By the time Derek's head hit his pillow, it was nearing midnight and he was more than ready to call it a night. Laura, for some reason, wanted to go all out. Not a single spot in the spacious home was void of holiday décor. And even with the help of Tom – since Peter was beyond useless ("I just flew across the entire country to be with you, baby boy. I am drained." "Stop calling me that!") – Derek found himself exhausted from the setting up of trees and lugging of heavy boxes. His eyes were ready to close for the night, giving in to the sweet, sweet allure of sleep.

Clink! Clink, clink!

Of course, life had other plans.

Derek sat up, looking around the dark room.

Clink, clink!

He realized the sound was coming from his window. Turning his bedside lamp on, he padded over to it, pushing it open and leaning out to see what was going on.

"But soft! What light through yonder window break! Um… something, something… south by southwest!"

Stiles was standing just below, smile shining through the darkness, with one hand on his heart and the other outstretched dramatically in Derek's direction. As cheesy as it was, Derek couldn't help but smile, his heart pounding in his chest in seeing the boy he had missed.

"What are you doing?" he snorted.

He heard Stiles scoff before his arms fell lamely at his sides. "I'm trying to be romantic, you brute. I'm wooing you!"

Derek hoped the darkness could hide the grin that spread across his lips. "You could've just texted."

"Wouldja just get down here, huh? Ugh, no sense of romance, this guy…"

"I heard that."

"Good!"

Derek just chuckled before leaning back into his room, former exhaustion leaving him far behind. Quietly, he slipped out of his pajamas and into something more suited for the night. Feeling like a teen again, he turned off the light and tiptoed through the house, not wanting to catch the attention of his sister with her fiancé relaxing in front of the fireplace, nor that of his uncle unwinding from his travels in his room further down the hall. He crept through the front door as quietly as he could, turning back around to lock it behind him. With his back turned, Derek felt two arms wrap around his waist and a cheek nuzzle his shoulder. Derek melted against Stiles, hand instantly reaching to cover one wrapped around him.

"Come on," Stiles grinned, pulling Derek along with him. "Let's go."

"Where are we going?" he asked, following his boyfriend down the driveway.

"To my car, silly."

Derek scoffed. "I mean, after that."

"That, my dear Mr. Hale, is a surprise," he winked playfully, walking backwards and kissing the back of Derek's hand.

Derek just rolled his eyes despite the light flutter of excitement he felt.

Once they got to the car, Stiles drove them further into the woods, hand only ever leaving Derek's to shift the car's gears. He went off-road for a bit as Derek looked curiously out the window. The car finally came to a stop once the trees broke, giving them a perfect view of the town far below.

"Ah-ha! Just made it," Stiles grinned, looking at his watch. He leaned over, turning Derek's head toward him. "Merry Christmas, my love."

Derek smiled, leaning in as well to close the space between them. "Merry Christmas, Stiles."

They kissed long and full, pressing in a way they couldn't have earlier with the Sheriff's hawk-like gaze upon them.

Once they broke apart, Stiles hopped out of the Jeep, encouraging Derek to do the same. He grabbed his backpack from the back, as well as couple of blankets and laid one out in front of him. He sat down on it, reclining back before patting the spot next to him, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Derek just snorted but took a seat.

"Oh!" Stiles said, sitting back up and reaching for his pack. "Where is it?" he grumbled, digging through his things. "Ah!" Finding what he was looking for, Stiles shuffled on his knees until his was sitting in front of Derek. "Look, I know we said no presents, but then I saw this and I thought it was just perfect for you and technically, I do owe you a shirt anyway so I figure that maybe this could make up for the one that I never gave back plus the other three that I might've taken while you were sleeping but I only took them because the one I had doesn't smell much like you anymore cause I keep wearing it and well- just- here."

As Derek tried to make sense of all the ramblings that had just spouted out of his boyfriend's lips, Stiles shoved a rather messily wrapped package into Derek's arms. Derek tugged at the paper, revealing a shirt inside. With the light from the moon up above, he could make out what it said. "I put the 'stud' in study."

Stiles just laughed. "See? Perfect. I mean, how could I not?"

Derek just shook his head and bent forward, capturing Stiles' lips with his own. "Thank you. I'll wear it every night for two weeks straight so you can steal this one too."

"Aww, Derek," Stiles cooed. "You know me so well." This time, it was Stiles who closed the distance between them.

Derek just chuckled, enjoying the soft press of Stiles' lips against his own. The younger boy shifted, moving so that he was straddling Derek's legs, running his hands over Derek's broad chest. Derek set his gift aside, freeing his hands so they could roam over Stiles' waist. He slipped his hands under the hem of his shirt, feeling the warmth of Stiles' skin.

"Oh wait," Derek breathed out, breaking their kiss. "I, um," he fumbled, hands slipping out from under Stiles' shirt to pat down his pockets. "I mean, since you... I figure I can..." He reached into the pocket of his jacket, pulling something out. "I didn't wrap it," he said, holding his hand out, though keeping his fingers curled around the item.

Stiles reached out to open Derek's hand, but the older boy continued. "I-um... I know you said not to, but like you said... It was perfect. But since we said no presents, I've kinda just had it. Kinda like a good luck charm. Cause it reminds me of you." Stiles moved to open Derek's palm once more, but again, Derek cut him off. "I mean, you don't have to keep it if you don't want. It's kinda silly."

"De-rek." Stiles sighed, kissing him sweetly between his brows. He smiled at him before reaching for his hand one last time. This time, Derek uncurled his fingers. In his palm was small pin. Stiles tugged at Derek's hand, making him hold it out more into the light. A grin spread across Stiles' face. "It's a coffee cup."

"I told you. It's silly."

"It's perfect." Stiles took the pin from the outstretched hand. "Pin it for me?"

Derek simply nodded, taking the pin back and pulling it apart from its fastener. He reached inside Stiles' shirt, just below the collar and poked it through.

"Ow!"

"Shit! Sorry!"

Stiles chuckled. "I'm kidding- I'm sorry," he said quickly, trying his best to stifle his grin at the bemused expression on Derek's face.

Once it was secure, Stiles glanced down at it and smiled as it glinted in the moonlight. "Thank you."

Feeling shy under Stiles' loving gaze, Derek bowed his head. "You're welcome."

Having none of that, Stiles simply chuckled softly, taking Derek's head between his hands and pulling him up for a kiss.

As soft grazes turned to eager touch, Derek thought idly that even if he might've spent more than a few hours pouring through pages and pages of items to find the right gift, Stiles didn't need to know. With the way Stiles' tongue licked a stripe down Derek's neck, he decided there were more important things at hand.

/\/\/\

Stiles sighed in content from where he was pressed against Derek. Feeling similarly satiated, Derek wrapped his arm tighter around Stiles' waist, pulling him in close. He used his other arm as a pillow and stared up at the stars above them as they took a few moments to come down from their shared euphoria.

Again, Stiles let out another little sigh. "This is nice."

Agreeing, Derek kissed the top of Stiles head.

"I mean, I figured since I'm gonna be with my family all day today and you're gonna be with yours... I just wanted to get some time with you. And not necessarily just sexy time, but..."

"...Derek time."

Stiles chuckled. "Yeah." He moved to look at Derek, resting his chin on his arm that was pressed against Derek's chest. "Never enough Derek time."

Derek brought a hand up and caressed the side of Stiles' head, which the other boy instantly nuzzled in to. "Never enough Stiles."

The two gazed lovingly upon one another, enjoying the bonus gift of just being together. It wasn't until a shiver ran down Stiles' spine that their warm little bubble was burst.

"Cold?"

"Mm," Stiles nodded, before following it with a yawn. "Tired too."

Derek hummed. "All right then, come on. We better head back."

Stiles groaned childishly. "Do we have to?" he whined, slowly sitting up as if it were a chore.

Derek followed suit. "Well, what do you propose?"

"Let's sleep in the Jeep!"

Derek frowned. "We won't fit in there."

"Sure we can! I mean, it might be a little tight, but we'll manage."

"But you have to leave early tomorrow for your grandma's."

"It'll be fine," Stiles said with a wave. "I'll be awake and back home before my dad even notices I was gone."

Derek wasn't so sure.

"Unless... you don't want to?"

"Of course I want to. As long as you're sure you'll be back in time."

"I'm sure."

"I mean it, Stiles. I don't need your dad to come after me with his whole unit if he finds out you're not home."

Stiles snorted. "He wouldn't use the whole unit. I mean one or two deputies, tops." At the unamused expression on his face, Stiles just patted Derek's chest. "I'm joking, I'm joking. We'll be fine."

Feeling only slightly assured, the two moved the blankets back into the Jeep, trying their best to find a position comfortable enough for the both of them. With some creative shifting, they managed to find a good enough spot that allowed Derek to be the blanket he needed to be in order to keep Stiles from hogging the comforter to himself.

"Good night, Derek," Stiles yawned. "Love you."

"Good night, Stiles. I love you, too."

/\/\/\

By the time Derek woke up, dawn was just about to break, the sun's rays peeking over the hills surrounding the town. He yawned, stretching out the kinks in his body from the precarious position he'd fallen asleep in.

"Stiles," he said softly, shaking him gently.

"Hmm…"

"Stiles, come on. We should get going."

"Mm-hmm…"

Derek sighed. Then he decided to change tactics. He started at his boyfriend's neck, kissing it slowly, letting his tongue drag across it in a way he knew Stiles enjoyed. The boy in question merely hummed in response, though tilted his neck to give Derek more room.

Derek traveled up, kissing along Stiles' jaw before nibbling on his ear.

"I'm… awake. I…" he trailed, letting out a soft moan.

Pleased with his work, Derek pulled away.

This time, Stiles groaned. "Tease," he muttered. But he shifted nonetheless, stretching out as best he could in the cramped backseat. Derek swatted playfully at the arm extending in front of him.

He would never admit it out loud, but Derek loved watching Stiles wake up. He just looked so content, so relaxed. And his eyes, though heavy-lidded, shone with love as they blinked up at Derek. It made Derek smile.

Pulling him up so they were seated side-by-side, Derek allowed them a few more minutes of togetherness. He draped his arm over Stiles' shoulders, resting his head atop his as they watched the sunrise through the windshield of the Jeep. The light of the sun warmed the morning air, though it was nothing compared to the warmth in their hearts.

With one last yawn, Stiles finally sat up. "All right. Let's go. Hopefully my dad turned in late last night."

Derek didn't want to think what it would mean if he hadn't.

"Hey, hey," he smiled, patting Derek's knee. "No worries. Even if he didn't, he likes you."

Not wanting to exactly test the truth in the statement, Derek begrudgingly encouraged Stiles to move. They got back into the front of the car and headed back.

As they pulled up to the driveway, Stiles came to a full and complete stop just as they were approaching the house. "Shit."

Derek cocked an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"That's my dad's Toyota."

Derek could practically feel the blood drain from his face as all instinct told him to head for the hills. Whatever lay waiting for him at the end of the driveway – be it baseball bat, handheld firearm, or even a particularly pointy piece of cutlery – Derek was pretty sure he didn't want to face it.

Stiles, it seemed, had other plans. "It'll be okay," he assured, immediately reaching for Derek's hand. Whether it was for comfort or to keep him from bolting, he wasn't sure. "He was probably just wondering where I was, that's all."

Stiles drove the rest of the way up the driveway. The closer they got, it became clearer to Derek that there was a figure standing on the porch. The Sheriff was standing there, arms crossed over his chest and a very unamused expression on his face.

"Shit…" Stiles uttered under his breath.

This did not bode well for Derek.

Stiles quickly let out a forced chuckle as he squeezed the hand in his. "It's gonna be fine," he said, voice blasé.

Derek knew better than to trust him.

Stiles hopped out of the car, smiling and waving at his unmoved father. "Hi Dad!" He quickly walked over to the other side of the car where Derek still sat. He opened the door for him and not so gently yanked the older boy out of the car.

"I'm dead," Derek muttered.

"You're fine," Stiles assured, patting Derek's arm, still grinning and waving at his dad.

"He's gonna kill me. Why did you make me sneak out with you?"

"First of all, Derek, we're both adults and we can do what we want and second of all, there was no making of the sneaking. You came willingly. Twice, I might add," he smirked, cheekily.

"Stiles," Derek growled. This was neither the time nor place.

"Ah, good of you to join us, baby boy," Peter grinned, coming from within the house, two mugs in his hands. He passed one to the Sheriff before taking a sip from his own. "Good morning, Stiles."

"Uh, hey Peter," he waved. "Merry Christmas."

"Oh, before I forget..." he trailed off, taking his wallet out from his back pocket. He pulled out a twenty and handed it over to the older man. Peter chuckled. "Seems you were right, Sheriff. Quite frankly, I didn't think Stiles had the balls."

The Sheriff simply snorted, pocketing his winnings and taking a swig of his drink. "I know my son. You tell him not to do something and the first thing he'll do is sneak out and do just that."

Peter laughed. "Oh he did it all right. And judging by the look on Derek's face, he did it more than once."

Derek shut his eyes. 'This isn't happening. This isn't happening.'

"I mean," Stiles started, his voice halting Derek's mantra. "He isn't wrong."

"Stiles," growled through gritted teeth, though he straightened up once he spotted the Sheriff approaching. Suddenly, the trees were very interesting as Derek chose to look at them instead of the piercing blue eyes of the experienced officer.

"Stiles," the Sheriff said calmly. "I thought I told you yesterday that Derek would be spending time with his family while you would be spending time with me."

"You did... but it's Christmas!" he whined, as if that were an acceptable excuse for sneaking out of the house. And judging by the look on the Sheriff's face, it wasn't.

The Sheriff let out a long-suffering sigh. "Just get in the car," he said, pointing to the Toyota.

"Wha? We can't just leave Roscoe here."

"I'm sure Derek here will be more than willing to drop it off for you once he's done getting ready."

Derek dared to finally peek at the older man, his confusion and curiosity getting the best of him.

"Wait, what? Ready for what?" Stiles asked, similarly confused.

"He's coming with us to your Baba's house," he answered, though looking directly at Derek. "Your sister mentioned to me last week how you'd be having a rather uneventful morning, so I thought you might like to tag along. And later, we'll head back here once she and her fiancé are back and your uncle here is done with his meetings." He took another drink from his mug, though his eyes were still piercing through Derek's. "Although, it seems your morning was more eventful than I anticipated."

At his side, Stiles let out a cheer. "You," he grinned, hitting his father lightly on the shoulder. "You were planning this all along."

"Just get in the car, Stiles. We need to get ready," he said, taking one more swig before passing the mug to Derek. "You have an hour or else we're leaving without you."

Derek gave him a curt nod. "Yes sir."

"Stiles, hand over the keys."

The younger boy did just that, kissing Derek briefly on the lips as he did, excitement radiating off his face. "See you later, honey pot! Wear something nice! Something that shows off your as-"

"Just get in the car!" the Sheriff growled, pulling his son into a headlock, rolling his eyes as he dragged him towards the vehicle.

Stiles just laughed, giving Derek a little wave as they drove off.

He heard a dramatic sigh come from his side and was slightly startled to see Peter standing next to him. The older Hale sniffled, wiping at a tear that wasn't there. "My baby boy's all grown up and going off to meet his new family."

Derek would have reminded Peter not to call him that when it actually hit him. He was about to meet Stiles' family.

'Oh God, are they like the Sheriff? Do they all carry firearms? Heavy sporting equipment? Even pointy-edged projectiles?' A wave of dread hit Derek as he worried about what the afternoon would bring.

His inner battle was brought to a halt when two fingers snapped in front of his face. Derek blinked, seeing now that Peter had stepped in front of him.

Peter just smiled gently in finally having caught his nephew's attention. "Whatever you're thinking, stop it. Just be your usual charming self and everything will be all right."

Derek nodded minutely. "Right. Charming."

The older Hale simply shook his head, taking his nephew by the shoulders and leading him towards the front door. "Come on, lover boy. Let's get you ready before the Sheriff really does decide to leave you behind."

Derek had half a mind to think that that might actually be a good idea.

Peter lightly smacked the back of Derek's head. "This time I know what you're thinking. And it's not."

Derek just let out a defeated sigh. His uncle knew him too well.

/\/\/\

Approximately fifty-six minutes later, Derek found himself settling into the back seat of the Sheriff's SUV, fingers playing with the hastily tied ribbon wrapped around a bottle of wine. The wine had been Peter's idea, suggesting to Derek not to arrive empty handed. He just hoped it was enough.

'What if they don't drink wine,' Derek had to wonder. 'What if they all drink wine and I didn't bring enough? How many people are gonna be there? Should I have brought more? Damn... I should've brought more. What if they don't like red wine? Maybe champagne would've been better? Maybe I should've just brought eggnog. Wait, do we even have eggnog?'

The passenger seat collapsed into the space next to him, Stiles having reclined it as far as it could possibly go.

"You're thinking too much, my Chiquita Banana. I can hear you from up here."

Despite the sense of dread he felt within, Derek couldn't help but smile. It was in part because of how well Stiles seemed to be attuned to him, one part amusement in being called 'Chiquita Banana,' and most parts because Stiles just plain looked handsome. The younger man had dressed up for his family's party, foregoing his typical jeans and t-shirt combo for black slacks, a white button-down shirt underneath a burgundy cashmere sweater. He was also quite pleased to see the coffee cup pin had transferred from the shirt Stiles was wearing last night on to the lapel of his button-down. The overall look made Stiles appear quite dapper, like a sexy young businessman from Wall Street. It was enough to make him consider donating all of Stiles' clothes in favor of buying him a whole new wardrobe fit for a GQ model. 'Maybe next Christmas?'

"Stiles, fix your seat," the Sheriff growled, effectively snapping Derek out of his daydreams of sexing up his boyfriend while dressed in a suit and tie.

"I'm tired, Dad. I'm gonna catch some Z's before we make it to Baba's."

"Well whose fault is that?"

Derek pointedly looked away when the Sheriff darted a look at him from over his shoulder.

"Shhh," Stiles hushed, lightly hitting his dad's arm with his fingers. "Sleepy time." He made a show of yawning loudly and stretching out as best he could in the confines of his seat. He closed his eyes, but popped one open to look at Derek, smirking at his boyfriend.

Briefly glancing at the Sheriff in front of him, Derek smiled in return, reaching a hand out to run his fingers through the short strands of Stiles' hair.

Somewhere along the way, Derek had also fallen asleep, his form slumped against his seat, though his hand had remained on Stiles' head. His slumber came to an abrupt end when the car came to a rather forceful stop, followed by the Sheriff's boom belaying their arrival.

Once out of the car, Derek had moved to take Stiles' hand, but was quickly stopped when the Sheriff placed a bag of presents into it instead.

"Oh good," he grinned cheekily. "You can help me carry these."

Derek just nodded as his arms were loaded with bag after bag of presents. Stiles was left to carry the treats he had baked the day before while the Sheriff swung his arms freely at his sides, smiling merrily at Derek over his shoulder.

To say that Stiles had a large family would be an understatement. When they finally got into the house, there were people everywhere. Considering that this was the only time of the year the whole family could get together, it seemed every Stilinski in the world was in attendance. There were cousins and half-cousins, cousins twice removed. There were aunts and uncles, in-laws and fiancés. There were young kids and old kids, even those who were kids-at-heart. Needless to say, it was a bit overwhelming to Derek who had gotten used to the comparably tamer dinners he'd had with just him, Peter and Laura.

Luckily, Stiles seemed to innately know not to wander too far from Derek's side. Stiles' hand in his was a comfort in more ways than one in the hustle and bustle of the family gathering.

And if Derek thought that the Sheriff was tough, he had another thing coming. Though the Sheriff was incredibly intimidating, he ultimately was just one man. This paled in comparison to the thirty some odd family members who all seemed curious about this new man that their young Stiles had brought home. It was borderline an interrogation - the one bonus being the good food being served in between.

"So where did you guys meet?"

"At the coffee shop where Stiles works."

"How long have you been dating?"

"A few weeks now."

"What color are your eyes?"

"Um, excuse me?"

"Can you reach the top shelf in the cupboard cause that's where Baba hides the cookies!"

"If you ask her nicely for permission, I will reach the cookies for you."

"Will you be my boyfriend?"

"Sorry, I'm already taken."

"Have you guys done it yet?"

"Wait, how old are you? I don't think that's an appropriate question."

"So what are your plans after school?"

"I'll be signing up for basic training at a police academy. I'm studying to be a detective."

"Will you be my boyfriend if I eat all my vegetables?"

"When you finish first grade, then I will consider being your boyfriend."

"Seriously though. What color are your eyes?"

Stiles, it seemed, wasn't off the hook either. He too got bombarded with questions, although the ones he got were all pretty much the same.

"Wow, Stiles. How'd you manage to pull that?"

"He's quite the catch, huh Stiles?"

"Are we being punked?"

"Is he really your boyfriend?"

Stiles just balked at his family. "You guys make it seem like I'm a troll!"

By the end of it all, it seemed as if Derek had passed some unwritten test that proved that he was worthy enough for their Stiles. Eventually, the buzz around the new guest had died down and tradition took over. Derek watched as Stiles helped his younger family members hand out the presents from under the tree.

"Here you go!"

Derek blinked. "What? For me?"

His young, cookie cohort simply nodded, handing Derek the package before making his way back to Stiles.

"He called ahead and told us you were coming," Stiles' grandmother said, smiling as she took a seat next to Derek, using his shoulder as leverage. "Wanted to make you feel welcome."

"Thank you," Derek replied softly. "I only wish I could give you all something in return. Stiles shouldn't have."

The elder woman simply smiled, eyes crinkling with warmth. "Not Stiles, dearie. His dad. My son."

Surprised, Derek looked over to where the Sheriff stood, watching with amusement as the younger kids tore into their presents. "He… he did that?"

"He may seem like a tough guy, but my son is just a big 'ol softie on the inside."

Derek smiled to himself, glancing at the gift in his lap then back to the man who had made it so. Maybe Stiles had been right after all. Maybe the Sheriff really did like him.

Perhaps sensing eyes on him, the Sheriff glanced Derek's way, his relaxed demeanor quickly turning to steel as he set stern eyes on the younger man. Derek instantly looked away. He decided that whatever feeling the Sheriff had for him, it was less on the 'like' side and more on the 'I am the Sheriff and I know where to hide the body' side.

/\/\/\

After all the presents had been opened and all the food had been separated into take-home containers – of which Derek maybe took more than his fair share of Stiles' mocha walnut cookies and mini fig tarts with lemon mascarpone cream – it was finally time to head back to Beacon Hills. The Sheriff this time decided that he would be in the passenger seat, making Stiles sit in the back, thus leaving Derek as their designated driver.

"Dad!" Stiles whined. "You can't just recline the seat when I'm sitting behind you!"

"Then scoot over! It's my turn to catch some Z's since I was up early worrying about where my son had disappeared to."

Stiles scoffed. "Oh don't try to pull that with me, old man. You knew exactly where I was and who I was with. Peter said you made that bet with him last week."

'Wait,' Derek frowned. 'The Sheriff and Peter have been talking?' He wasn't exactly sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

The Sheriff merely scoffed. "Just keep it down, wouldja?" He crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes.

"Derek," Stiles whispered, scooting forward in his seat and draping his arms over his boyfriend's shoulders.

Derek spared a glance over to the Sheriff whose eyes were closed, though a frown marred his face.

"My grandma thinks you're cute," he smirked. "She asked me if you're an only child."

Derek quirked an eyebrow, briefly glimpsing over his shoulder to catch Stiles' eye before responsibly paying attention to the road before him. "And what did you say?"

"I told her that you have an older sister, but that she was engaged. She looked disappointed, but then I told her about Peter. Long story short, if Baba plays her cards right, we could be cousins! Or something. Some distant relation by marriage of sorts."

Derek was sure that the appalled look on his face certainly didn't match the amused one on his boyfriend's. Quite frankly, there was only one way in which Derek wanted to join Stiles' family, and it definitely didn't have anything to do with Peter.

"Hey! If they got married, that would make Peter my dad's step-dad!"

"Stiles."

Both boys startled at the sound of the Sheriff's voice. The man himself hadn't moved an inch. His eyes were still shut and his arms were still firmly crossed over his chest, but it was quite possible that his frown had deepened since Derek last looked.

"Get. Back. In. Your. Seat."

"That there is an incredible feat," Stiles mused, head bobbing up and down. "He's able to parent while asleep!"

The Sheriff merely popped one eye open and without saying a word, his icy stare was enough to ease his son back slowly into his seat. Satisfied, Sheriff Stilinski shut his eye, a smug grin in place of his previously firm frown.

Derek caught Stiles' eye in the rearview mirror. Stiles simply blew a kiss before smiling warmly at Derek's reflection.

For the sake of the Sheriff and not wanting to disrupt the beast dozing off next to them, the young couple spoke softly the way back to Beacon Hills as gentle Christmas carols played through the speakers of the car stereo.

"My mom's side of the family is pretty small compared to my dad's," Stiles noted softly. "They never really did the whole 'get together' thing. It was mostly just greeting cards during special occasions and holidays and a present or two in the mail."

"So you don't see them much at all?"

He shook his head. "Nah, but that's okay. My dad's side is large enough as is."

Derek smirked. "You can say that again."

"And you only got to see about half of them. Wait 'til we go visit the motherland."

The thought of such a large family all together in the same place left Derek a little stunned, and although he wouldn't admit it aloud, maybe also a bit envious too. Seeing Stiles with his family, chatting away with his aunts and uncles, playing games with his young cousins, made Derek wonder what it would've been like if his family had been that large too. What would it have been like had his old house in Beacon Hills been filled with to the brim with loved ones?

The rest of the drive went smoothly until they were finally pulling up to the very house he'd been thinking of. Compared to the crazy chaos of Stiles' grandmother's house, this home seemed very still. No voices yelling from the inside about running up and down the halls. No laughter ringing through caused by the antics of small children. No singing blaring out the windows of elders drunk on eggnog. The difference was certainly sobering.

Derek was left to wake the Sheriff as Stiles climbed out to grab the presents out of the back. "Sir, we're here." He tapped his shoulder gently, but when that didn't work, he tried shaking him instead. "Sheriff?"

Turns out, shaking was not the greatest of methods when stirring the older man.

"We got a 10-37 at the corner of Broderick-!"

Heart racing, Derek held his hands up in surrender, despite the fact that he wasn't even at fault of anything. It probably had to do with the white-knuckled grip the Sheriff had on Derek's jacket that made him very willing to do as the man commanded.

Sheriff Stilinski blinked a few times before glancing over at the suspect in his grips. Realizing his surroundings, he snorted in amusement before letting Derek go, patting him none-too-softly on the chest. "10-37 indeed."

Derek waited until the Sheriff righted his seat and climbed out the car before making another move. He straightened his shirt, and let out the breath he had been holding ever since the Sheriff grabbed at him. He took an extra second to wonder if the Sheriff had merely been dreaming about a suspicious person at the corner of Broderick or if it was his subconscious calling out on the older man's true thoughts of the type of character Derek was. He decided not to dwell on it too much and climbed out of the Toyota after them.

He hurried to catch up to them, Stiles already by the door and the Sheriff already making his way up the steps. Derek fumbled around in his pocket, pulling out his keys to open the door for the awaiting pair.

"Honey," Stiles called out as the three of them walked in. "We're ho-"

He stopped abruptly as a tiny ball of fur ran down the hall, slowing down before running into them, and then turning sharply down another direction. And not too shortly after that came Peter, barreling down the hall after it, jingling with every step, fully clad in a Santa suit. "Grab her!"

Spurred into action, Stiles grinned with glee and dashed after the tiny dog, leaving the bag of presents by the door. Taking a second to actually register what was happening in his home, Derek finally snapped into action, chasing after the dog as well.

With a roll of his eyes and a shake of his head, the Sheriff just picked up the presents and headed towards the living room, leaving the other three to run amok as they pleased.

"Hey," Peter said casually, holding his hat in place as he ran alongside Derek. "How was Christmas with the Stilinskis?"

"Really?" Derek had to ask, incredulously. "We're a little preoccupied right now, Peter."

The older man just laughed, slowing slightly and losing pace with his nephew. "Just trying to figure out if you were naughty or nice, baby boy."

Eventually, Peter bowed out of the chase in favor of pouring himself a glass of scotch and joining the Sheriff in the living room, who had already helped himself to his own glass. They watch mildly amused as the other two ducked in and out of the room as the small pup ran circles around them.

Finally cornering the dog in the dining room, both Stiles and Derek were panting as they inched closer to their target.

"Easy, puppy. Easy there," Stiles tried, hands out to try to grab the pup. Derek just stood his ground, doing his best to keep the dog blocked from running away on his side. Stiles jumped forward, making a move for it, but the dog was just too quick as she ran past the young man's legs. "Damn it," Stiles cursed, although he was smiling still as he turned back around and gave chase once more.

With a sigh of frustration, Derek followed quickly behind.

They were just about to make a lap around the dining table when suddenly the door to the kitchen burst open and sharp whistle filled the air, effectively stopping all three in their path.

Laura walked into the room, calm and collected, still dressed up from spending the morning with her fiancé's family. She breezed by the boys before swooping down and taking the suddenly compliant dog into her arms. With a smirk, she looked at the boys with victory in her eyes, petting the small pup the way an evil villain would in a cheesy movie.

"How'd you do that?" Stiles panted, holding his side as if he had a cramp.

Laura just shrugged. "Just gotta show 'em who's boss." She looked at both, squarely in the eye. "Now, get in the kitchen and help Tom with dinner."

"Aye, aye captain!" Stiles smiled, hopping to it and hurrying through the door.

Derek just rolled his eyes at his sister, not making a move. "You're not the boss of me," he said stubbornly.

"Der~ek!" Stiles yelled through the closed door. "There are walnuts here with your name on them!"

The two siblings just stared each other down, a growing and knowing smirk spreading over the older woman's lips as the confident bolster slowly dwindled out of the younger man. Laura just laughed at her brother as he dejectedly followed after his love, proving to her just who exactly was the boss of him.

Derek and Stiles helped Tom in the kitchen as they prepared a hearty Christmas dinner while the other three watched on and made light conversation. The dog turned out to be a gift from Peter to the two engaged. "What can I say? She chewed her way out of the box," he explained.

"You would've left that dog in the box until we opened gifts?" the Sheriff asked, disbelieving anyone could be that dumb.

"Of course not. I had to let her out to pee, didn't I? Which reminds me. Derek," he said, turning to his walnut-shelling nephew. "I'm pretty sure she got in your room, so just be careful where you step, all right?"

Derek just glowered at his uncle, also wondering how anyone could be that dumb.

/\/\/\

The rest of the evening flew by quickly. While the new puppy was enjoying her first Christmas meal in the kitchen, the rest of them gathered around the dining table, breaking bread and sharing stories of Christmases past.

"Derek, remember when I bought you that blow up doll?"

"Yes," Derek growled out. "Remember when I didn't accept it and threw it back at you?"

Peter just laughed. He nudged the Sheriff. "She's now a floatation device for my pool back in New York," he said with a wink.

"Pretty sure it's not mouth-to-mouth she'll be giving you."

"Dad!"

/\/\/\

"E-Z Bake Oven, my ass," Laura said with a wave of her hand. "Waiting an hour for two bites of a chocolate cake sounded like a bad investment even when I was seven."

"Please," Derek snorted. "You're just mad that everything you made was practically inedible."

"That's not true! Peter, I gave you a piece, remember?"

"Oh sweetie, I remember. Hell, even my dentist remembers. That thing was so tough, it popped the crown right off my tooth!"

/\/\/\

"I remember one year that my mom, in her haste to grab everything she needed to make dinner for our entire family, grabbed five cans of Fancy Feast instead of regular Tuna," Tom laughed at the memory.

Sheriff Stilinski chuckled. "Sounds to me like your pets had a wonderful Christmas dinner as well."

/\/\/\

"You were so cute. You made me this little paper wreath and hung little jingle bells all over it."

"I was six, Peter. And it was for a class project," Derek frowned. "Laura made a better looking Christmas tree out of popsicle sticks and I didn't wanna compete with that so I gave it to you instead of Mom and Dad."

Peter gasped, dramatically. "I am appalled. I cherished that gift and now you're telling me it was just a reject? I still carry that thing with me."

"Is that why you've been so jingly today?" Stiles wondered aloud.

Peter responded by pulling off his hat, reaching inside and showing off the small paper wreath he had kept with him all that time.

"Quit lying to him, Der-bear," Laura drawled. "That year you made snowmen out of cotton balls for them. That wreath was specially made."

"Laura, shut up!"

"Baby boy! You do love me!"

"Damn it, Peter! Get off!"

/\/\/\

"Claudia and I had taken Stiles up Tahoe that year and she thought it would be a good idea to go snowmobiling. And, I admit it was a good idea. Up until I let my throttle-happy son drive. He cranks up the speed, the snowmobile goes flying. Stiles has the bright idea to hop off it, while I'm still sitting there, mind you. So without a driver, I basically just tumble over face first into the snow."

"Yeah, but did you have fun?"

"Because getting dirty snow shoved up your nose is fun?"

"Because feeling the rush of life as you're barreling into a snow bank is fun?" Stiles tried.

"Because seeing my life flash before my eyes is fun?"

"Pft," Stiles blew out with a wave of his hand. "Now you're just being dramatic. You had a worse time learning to snowboard that one year!"

"I wasn't that bad."

"Dad, you had to wear a hand brace after it all from falling so much."

"You know," Peter interjected, wanting to throw in his two cents. "It just sounds to me like the two of you shouldn't be around snow."

After hearing all that, Derek found he had to agree.

/\/\/\

Once they had their fill of dinner, they moved on into the family room where the majestic tree that Tom and Derek had set up towered in all its glory. The pile of gifts surrounding it was surprising, especially considering how few of them there were.

True to outfit, Peter took it upon himself to distribute the presents, recruiting Stiles to be his elf. As Derek watched them move around the room, he realized that Laura, Peter and Tom had gone above and beyond to make the Stilinskis feel at home. They had included the duo into the festivities just as the Stilinski family had included him. It warmed Derek's heart at the effort they put in. And while he had felt envious of Stiles' large family earlier, Derek was more than satisfied with the one he had now.

Stiles grabbed at a small package at the bottom of the pile. He looked it all over. "This one doesn't have a name on it," he frowned.

Realizing what it was, Derek reached over and snatched it from his boyfriend's hands. "Oh that one. That's- that's mine."

Stiles quirked an eyebrow at that, but continued passing out the rest of the gifts. Once all of the presents were handed out, the five adults dug in.

Derek was the proud owner of two new sweaters, a new set of knives, a new set of Tupperware from Laura ("so you can send us more of Stiles' baking, you selfish brat"), a book about the 500 most heinous crimes in the past century which Derek was actually excited to read, some fancy gadget that Peter was convinced was going to be all the rage, and a few other knick-knacks from his family. He almost stopped opening the rest at all when he got to a box of fresh cookies from his favorite baker.

"What about this one," Stiles asked, pointing to the one half-hidden behind Derek's back as Derek took a bite of his third chocolate chip. "You gonna open it?"

Derek swallowed his bite. "It's not for me," he answered, voice low. "It's for…" he trailed off, glancing briefly at the direction of the Sheriff who was busy modeling off a sweater that Stiles had bought for him.

Stiles followed Derek's eye. "My dad? It's for my dad?" He took Derek's silence and lack of eye contact as confirmation. He smiled. "You should give it to him."

Derek immediately shook his head. "No, it's silly. I'll just- I'll return it when we get back."

"Don't be ridiculous," Stiles encouraged. "I'm sure whatever it is, he'll like it. Just like he likes you." When Derek hit him with unconvinced eyes, he chuckled. "Really, my love. Just give it to him."

Derek sighed. "Fine. I'll just… wait 'til Peter's not around to make fun of me for it." Now it was Stiles who was unconvinced. "I will. I promise."

The two continued to unwrap the rest of their presents. It's entirely possible that when Laura opened up her own box of handmade cookies from Stiles, that Derek reached over while his sister wasn't looking and snagged a few for himself. At the chuckle he heard from his soon-to-be brother-in-law, Derek brought a finger up to his lips to shush him before taking a few more.

When Peter poured out and passed a round of eggnog, he finally got Laura to submit to his whim. "Eight years of lessons, baby girl. Can't be for nothing."

She reluctantly handed off her tired pup to her fiancé before sitting down behind the piano to tinker off some Christmas carol. As the eggnog continued to flow, so did their restraint, and soon all of them were singing along with her songs.

It wasn't until after 'Joy to the World' and a uniquely-Peter-style of 'The 12 Days of Christmas' that Derek finally got his chance to hand over the gift.

"I'm gonna step out for a bit of air," the Sheriff said, standing up as wrapping paper and brightly colored bows fell to the floor.

"Now's your chance," Stiles nudged, whispering sharply. "Go give it to him."

"Stiles, I-"

"Just do it. He'll like it, I promise."

Derek wasn't so sure. Nonetheless, he grabbed the final gift from under the tree and cautiously made his way out after the Sheriff. He glanced back at his boyfriend, who gave him two thumbs up and an encouraging nod out the door.

Sheriff Stilinski was stretched out on a lounge chair, puffs of breath from the cold air lit by the glow of the moon. He looked at Derek as the young man slowly came up to him.

"Uh, nice out, huh," Derek tried. He kept the gift hidden behind him, trying to summon the courage to hand it over.

"It's a pretty nice night out for the dead of winter," the older man remarked casually.

Somehow, even hearing him say 'dead' was enough to intimidate Derek. But still, he tried.

"I-uh… I wanted to thank you. For… letting me join you and your family today…"

The Sheriff didn't reply. He simply watched Derek carefully. Expectantly.

"Here," he finally said. "I-uh... I got you this. It's nothing big, just... yeah." Derek handed over a small package, wrapped pristinely in festive paper, an immaculate bow topping it off.

The Sheriff eyed the package carefully until finally he stood, slowly taking the gift from the younger man. He pulled apart the bow and paper, the sounds of ripping filling the quiet air. Inside was a plaque. "I'd rather... be fishing," he read aloud, quirking his head at the image of the fish on the bottom leaping out of water.

Derek tried hard to read the Sheriff's expression, but nothing was registering. He resisted the temptation to bite his lip or grab the gift and hide and pretend this whole thing never happened. Instead, he stood there, waiting to see the Sheriff's reaction.

Finally he looked up at Derek, eyebrow arched. "What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

"Wha- I-"

"You think I'd rather be fishing instead of my duties as Sheriff?"

"N-"

"As father?"

"No!"

He should've went with the hiding plan. Definitely should have gone with the hiding plan.

The Sheriff just broke out into a huge grin, and barked out a hearty laugh. "Derek, Derek," he puffed. "I'm just messing with ya," he said between chuckles, slapping Derek's shoulder in camaraderie. "You've gotta lighten up, son."

Derek started at the word 'son' before letting out a little breath of relief and allowing a small smile to reach his lips. "Yes, sir. Of course, sir."

The Sheriff just snorted in amusement and patted Derek's shoulder once more. "Listen up, kid, cause I'm only gonna tell you this once. I know I give you a hard time, but in all honesty, I like you. You're a good guy. And you're good for Stiles and that's what matters to me most. That being said," Sheriff paused, taking a step closer, grip tightening on the younger man's shoulder, "if you ever- and I mean ever- hurt my boy, I will hunt you down and make it you regret it."

Every fiber of Derek's being wanted to retract in some sort of ball were it humanly possible, but there was another urge that overcame him instead. "In all honesty, Sheriff... I don't think you need to worry about that. I love your son very much. I care about him more than..." as Derek searched for the word, he caught the Sheriff's expression instead, his eyebrow having arched its way back up once more. "Well obviously, not more than you of course," he said quickly. "But more than I can put into words. I don't know what'll happen between us in the future, but I can say that... Stiles makes me a better person. He makes me want to be a better person. And for as long as he'll have me, I have no intention of letting him go, much less hurting him along the way." Derek looked at the Sheriff straight on, wanting him to know that his words were sincere.

After a few short moments of staring each other down - of which Derek surprising felt no urge to back down - the Sheriff finally nodded and smiled, patting Derek on the shoulder once more. "Good."

Relieved and pleased to officially have the Sheriff's blessing, Derek smiled softly.

"Now," the Sheriff started with a shake of his head. "In his announcement, my son mentioned something about you really enjoying the color blue. Should I be concerned about the kind of kinks you're into?"

"Stiles!"

The Sheriff simply laughed as Derek turned a rather lovely shade of scarlet.

/\/\/\

"You can't stay mad at me, cheesy poof," Stiles pouted.

On the contrary. Derek was determined to stay upset about things for quite awhile. Of course, the fact that Stiles was trying so hard to make it up to him via cuddles and kisses didn't affect his stubbornness at all. Because why would Derek Hale merely pretend to be upset if it meant his boyfriend gave him apology smooches and 'sorry' head massages and 'please-forgive-me-for-not-knowing-the-meaning-of-boundaries' back rubs? Why indeed.

"My dad and I have always had an open relationship. I tell him everything. I mean, sure, maybe he doesn't exactly need to know - or want to know for that matter - every single detail. But I, not unlike yourself, am a creature of habit."

"Stiles. He took a picture of it and showed it to Peter. To Peter."

Oh yes. Derek had every intention of staying upset for quite awhile.

After their talk outside, Derek and the Sheriff had gone back inside to join the others. And while Derek was questioning Stiles about what exactly it was he wrote in that announcement, it seemed that the Sheriff had decided to buddy up with the older Hale and then presumed to show him just what it was that got Derek all riled up.

"Jesus, Stiles," Peter had laughed. "It seems I'm the one who should be getting tips from you."

Mortification was hardly a strong enough word to describe what Derek was feeling and it was at that point, he had decided that he didn't even want to know. Derek spent the rest of the night pointedly driving out any conversation about special techniques that his uncle - and even more mortifyingly - his sister, brought up, after Peter had been so kind as to let Laura and Tom in on the fun. Laura, of course, was relentless, but at least Tom had the decency to look embarrassed for him. Stiles, all the while, merely seemed pleased. And while Derek had kissed Stiles goodnight once the festivities had worn down, he also stayed up well into the night coming up with different ways he could murder his love.

The Sheriff had picked him up later the next day - thankfully, without his cruiser - to drop them both off at the train station. And after a fond farewell between father and son, and a rather nerve-wracking one between the Sheriff and Derek, whose hand was practically crushed amidst one very firm handshake, the two were headed back into the relative safety of their school.

Derek took a moment to reflect on his Christmas with the two different families. But when he really thought about it, it wasn't so different at all. At Derek's house, there were kids running up and down the hall. There were people singing Christmas carols at the top of their lungs. And there was definitely elders drinking their fair share of eggnog. It was an overall success, one that made Derek grateful for all the people in his life. And hell, knowing that the Sheriff didn't exactly hate him had to have been the greatest gift of all.

"Come on, my little bean curd," Stiles said, snapping Derek out of his reverie.

'Bean curd?' Derek was convinced that Stiles wasn't even trying anymore. He was probably just choosing each term off a list of things he ate recently.

"Forgive me?" With Derek's hand firmly grasped in his, Stiles nuzzled it against his cheek, hitting Derek with his widest, sorriest, puppy-eyed expression he could muster up.

Setting his frown in place, Derek simply stared at the seat in front of him, though the fact that his thumb was idly circling the back Stiles' hand didn't really help in proving his iron-clad demeanor.

"Come on," Stiles tried again, this time kissing the back of Derek's hand, dragging soft lips against his knuckles. "If you forgive me," he started, voice low and breathy, "we'll try out a third of those things on that list as soon as we get back."

Derek let out a rather unsteady breath at that, feeling his pulse pick up at the implication.

Stiles smirked, taking pleasure in the effect he had on his boyfriend. This time, he pulled out all the stops. Lips circling the knuckle of Derek's thumb, Stiles gave it a soft lick before dragging his tongue down its length, letting the digit slip into the heat of his mouth, sucking on it teasingly, a filthy promise of more to come.

Derek tore his eyes away from the display, the breath he hadn't known he was holding coming out in shudders. He sat up straighter and tried to regain his composure, glancing around to see if maybe someone had spotted them. Fortunately, the car was fairly bare so no one had. Derek licked his lips. "Only a third," he scoffed, trying to sound nonchalant but merely succeeding in sounding eager.

A mischievous grin spread out over Stiles' face. He leaned in until Derek could feel his breath on his ear. "It was a very, very long list."

He knew he should've felt mortified that the Sheriff had read the list, that his family had read the list, that Stiles' grandmother had read the list, but with the way Stiles was teasing Derek's ear, all he could think of was how truly wonderful the list must be with all the promise it held of having Stiles naked and writhing against him.

"Besides," Stiles continued, letting his hand slip from Derek's down to his thigh, giving it a firm squeeze. "I was hoping we could do some of those things twice."

Derek shifted in his seat, pulling at the collar of his shirt, feeling much warmer than he had just moments ago. Now if Stiles would only move his hand a little higher...

His thoughts were broken - both to his dismay and to his relief, considering he really didn't need to be getting hard on a passenger train - by the sound of his phone receiving a text message. Derek frowned. He didn't recognize the number.

He opened the text, opening the photo attached to it and almost instantly paled. It was a picture of the Sheriff in his uniform, standing in his office, holding his shotgun and looking incredibly, terrifyingly intimidating.

"That's it," Derek sighed, standing up and moving to a different seat.

"Wha- Derek?" Stiles frowned, moving to follow.

"No, nope," the older boy said, shaking his head. "You stay there."

Stiles scoffed. "But why?"

"Cause your dad has spies." He held out his phone to his boyfriend, watching the confused look turn into one of understanding.

Deciding he didn't want to be that far away after all, Derek merely took the seat across the aisle, making himself comfortable for the long ride.

Stiles simply rolled his eyes, kicking his legs up onto the seat in front of him. "You're being ridiculous."

"I'm being smart. It's called self-preservation. I'd like not to die by the hands of your father, thanks."

"I told you. He likes you."

Derek just snorted, glancing back at the picture on his phone. "Sure has a funny way of showing it," he muttered. He heard Stiles chuckle next to him. With a sigh, Derek was just about to clear his screen when he spotted it. He squinted, trying to get a better look at the picture, thinking perhaps it was something else, but there was no mistaking it. Just over the Sheriff's shoulder was a plaque, the very same one Derek had handed to him the night before.

"I'd rather be fishing..." Derek said under his breath, smiling as he sat back in his seat. He glanced at Stiles who'd been watching him with curious eyes. Derek's smile grew, and without another word, he reached out across the aisle. Stiles chuckled again, shaking his head though taking Derek's hand in his.

"So...um," Stiles started, tightening his grip on Derek's hand. "I guess maybe this might be a good time to tell you about the weekly newsletter?"

"Stiles!"

His boyfriend simply laughed, insisting that he was only joking. Oh, how Derek wished he could believe him.

Later that night, Stiles fulfilled his promise, though by the end of it, they'd only made it a quarter of the way down his list - not that Derek minded. As it turned out, some of those things were worth a third try.

/\/\/\

Bonus:

"Here. Let me see it, let me see it. No, no. You have to do it again. And make sure the plaque is in there this time."

"You mean your silly 'fishing' sign?"

"It's not silly. It's important. Now take it again."

Deputy Parrish just shook his head before taking a picture of his boss trying to look intimidating while holding his shotgun, feeling marginally bad for the guy dating the Sheriff's son. "Is this better?"

Sheriff Stilinski looked over the picture and smiled. He looked excellent and the plaque was beautifully in focus behind him. He nodded. "It's perfect... Now get back to work."

The Deputy just shook his head, an amused smile gracing his lips at his boss' antics. "Yes, sir."

Notes: I'd like to thank those at Fanatic Fanfics Multi-Fandom Awards and especially those who nominated and voted to bring Baking My Way Into Your Heart into a Third Place victory for All-Time Favorites Teen Wolf Fanfic. That is amazing. I am surprised by the love that people have for this story and I am happy to know how much you all still care for it. You are all amazing. Thank you for continuing to read and enjoy this story. Hopefully you enjoyed this brief little return to their world.

:D