[Isaac can't prevent the burst of curl-bouncing giggles he lets out as he grabs onto Scott's arm, trying to hide his grin. Not that the boys didn't think their dad was attractive- nooo, they knew their dad was the best-looking alpha ever. In fact, when girls tried to flirt with their dad, they weren't surprised at all.
When Derek made comments like this, however, they couldn't help but laugh. Derek rarely ever makes these kind of comments, and it's always hilarious.]
[Scott lets out a few giggles too, but he's mostly full secretive (or as secretive as Scott can get) proud preening.
Of course his dad's the most handsome alpha of all the packs in california. Wolf or human. And Scott was gonna be a strong, handsome alpha too, even if he paired with Isaac.]
[His jaw drops open for a minute, surprised--but Stiles draws his mouth into a tight line, raising his eyebrows and snorting loudly. That was definitely "daaaaaaad" worthy. Shaking his arm where they were still connected, he rolls his eyes.]
Just for that, I'm calling you that for the rest of the night and keeping you from getting any phone numbers. I'm like a reverse wingman. It's that bad.
[After a beat, he adds.] Get a move on, Foxy Hale, we've got other houses to hit.
[ How Derek manages to keep a straight face as his sons laugh at him and Stiles' jaw drops is beyond anyone, but he manages to keep the expression perfectly. Slowly, he arches an eyebrow at the reverse wingman comment, but doesn't seem bothered in the slightest bit.
In fact, that's kind of a relief. The boys can show him his haul of phone numbers from the past two years when they get back to the house. ]
You're my date for the night, anyways, Honorary Dad. [ His expression is still the same as he calmly leads them towards the next lit house. ] It'd be pretty rude of me to go around getting numbers while we're all trick-or-treating.
[Scott can't help but bite his lip, looking over at Isaac and beginning to grin. Of course he can tell his dad is joking (or trying very hard to joke) but it still gets him a little giddy.]
Oh, cause we're the same species now? Cool. [He tilts his head to incline the wolf hat on his head, but behind the decently quick response is the fact that his heartbeat definitely just tripled. What. What.
It's totally a joke. It's gotta be. Isaac's comment doesn't help, either, and he snorts a little, watching them run ahead and calling after.]
Seriously, too many Disney movies!
[...Jeez. It takes him a couple minutes to remember he's actually in the company of werewolves, and Stiles takes a quick, deep breath to try and calm his heartbeat.
I await the day that neither of you are nearly as charming as you are now, and you come whining to me about your awkward teenage problems.
[ Whether he awaits the day eagerly or with dread isn't specified, but he just rolls his eyes and scoffs softly at their retreating backs. His eyes track them as they move, though, making sure that they're not too far ahead and that no one's posing a problem.
It helps him keep from reacting to the way that he catches Stiles' heartbeat kicking up, and he wisely refrains from commenting on it.
Instead, he slips his hands in his jeans pockets again, keeping their arms linked as they walk along after the boys. ]
Aw dude, your dad's idea of romantic advice is like bringing a deer carcass to someone's door.
[Not that he actually knows, but it's not that hard to venture a guess in the right direction. He could totally see Derek dragging a dead deer down the street and leaving it in someone's yard in a confession of love. Heh.
Grinning a little, he nodded his approval at Scott.] You should ask Miss Lydia to help you. She'll be your frickin' Glinda the Good Witch.
[ Derek doesn't assume that Isaac will be awkward so much as he just knows that one day, eventually, he is going to feel the sting of revenge. Scott, on the other hand, is basically a puppy.
He's bound to have a few awkward moments.
Slowly turning his head to look at Stiles, he raises both brows as if wondering what he's even on. ]
If I did that to you, I think your father would fire a warning shot.
[Weird because she doesn't really like Mr. Stiles, which is okay, but still weird. And because she doesn't really seem to like Scott much either, or has weird ways of showing it. But she likes Allison, so that's cool.
At the 'warning shot' comment, Scott scrunches up his nose. He doesn't think Sheriff would do that but leaving a deer carcass is a little weird.]
[Getting up slowly after Scott, Laura leans against the doorway, watching her two boys interact. It's taken some time to get used to the silence in the huge house; between the three of them, they can barely fill up the spaces where pack and noise and family used to be. But they're working past it--patching up the holes in their relationships with Scott as the thread. ]
Next time, you'll have to keep your ears in, Scott. [Finally, she pushes herself off the wall and leans over to put her hand in his hair, a reassuring, tactile gesture, and matching eyes with Derek.]
[ As Scott is a flurry of excited activity in front of him, Derek can't help the faint huff that leaves him. It's not surprising to see the sign, or the attempt at it, but he still flicks a quick look up to Laura before he shakes his head.
His expression remains fairly level, for a moment. It's the look of someone considering something, rather than a frown he'd shoot at his sister for the sign. After so long, in the quiet of the house and the weight of his guilt for that silence, he hasn't actually been the sign in a long time.
He crouches down to Scott's level, before allowing himself a partial shift for the first time in months, ears flicking up and towards Scott before his face scrunches at him. ]
[Scott makes an excited squeal, reaching up to pat his hands against Derek's cheeks. He hasn't seen Derek do that in ages and he can barely remember him doing it, but it still excites him just as much- especially since Scott can do very little to keep himself from partial shifting.
He tries to reach up to touch Derek's ears and then gives up, remembering that he has yet to greet Derek. Throwing his arms around Derek as best he can, Scott grins.]
[The easiest thing to do here is deflect. Stiles isn't dumb; he knows what Derek's implying when he mentions his dad. Their arms are linked together, he's...sort of been flirting with Derek this entire time, and oh god they might actually be on a date.
He's not exactly sure when that happened. The date thing, the reciprocating feelings maybe thing. It's all very much an enigma, which is very fitting for the damn murderwolf and his murdersons.
Damnit.
Stiles' reply to Derek is measured--a little quieter, out of earshot. It takes him two seconds to know that the boys'll hear him anyway, but whatever, might as well go for broke.]
[ It's easier to answer that than it is to address the fact his sons are dissing on his apparent ability to flirt. Which, really, is probably fairly accurate when it comes to most people. Derek's dates with other people don't last, and he never finds them particularly interesting enough to find a steady rhythm where he can actually feel comfortable enough to flirt.
The fact that he's had a steady banter with Stiles since day one probably says something pretty damn clearly, and he should've picked up on it long before now.
He tips his head towards Stiles a bit while looking forward again, despite the fact he doesn't need to so that he can hear him. The boys will even pick up on what he says, but hopefully they won't comment in a fairly mortifying way. ]
Doesn't mean that it doesn't sting. And anyways, I'd leave something that wasn't bloody and dead.
Dude, he might have a heart attack out of sheer joy. You have no idea how much he loves you guys. You actually listen to his sheriff stories.
[This entire conversation is freakin' surreal. Stiles keeps his attention forward too; the entire illusion that this is actually happening, his cool, everything's going to break if he makes eye contact with Derek.
That and he kind of wants to make out with him right now, and that would be ridiculously inappropriate in front of his kids.]
...and for the record, I'm not a flowers kinda guy.
To be fair, ever since they first met him one of their career choices has been police officer.
[ A part of Derek still thinks Scott will wind up going into the medical field, following in his mother's footsteps, but he's still not quite sure about Isaac. Time will only tell.
It's so much easier to think about that than it is to think about this entire conversation. The fact he's not looking at Stiles is a godsend, for the moment. ]
[Laura's eyes widen a little in surprise--it's been ages since Derek's last shifted, and she tries to keep her expression muted, despite the way her lips pull into a small smile.
Watching them both for a moment longer, Laura pushes off the doorway as Scott hugs Derek, then kneels down beside them, cracking her neck--by the time she's done so, a pair of ears perched up from her hair, dark brown, and her eyes shone a faint, light red, the alpha watching over her pack.
Folding her arms over her knees, she looked at Derek, smiling like she knew something. (Which, she did--it was great to see how much her little brother'd fit into the role of a dad, even if he wouldn't admit it.)]
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