I'll Always Know It's From You (A Sterek Novella)

Chapter 3

Derek's POV

Stiles and I help Sheriff Stilinski clear the dinner table, putting dirty dishes into the sink and putting the uneaten food in the fridge, with Stiles rinsing and washing the dishes, and then he hands them to me to be dried, and finally I hand them to the Sheriff where he puts them away in their right places and neatly.

Our own little assembly line.

This has become part of the dinner routine for us on a daily basis.

Sheriff Stilinski crosses his arms, still covered by his uniform as he nods. "Alright, now that the dishes and dinner are taken care of, shall we get to writing that list of Christmas jazz we need?"

"Jazz? Dad did you seriously just use the word 'jazz'?" Stiles gives his Dad an incredulous look, covering his mouth with one of his hands as he silently laughs into it.

He gives his son a death glare look, which causes Stiles to stifle the silent laughter with a quite obnoxious cough, like he's clearing his throat to start a speech. "Alright! List making time! All that fun jazz!" Stiles fake exclaims, even adding a hand clap and some jazz hands to accompany the ridiculous thing.

"Good idea my son." Sheriff replies, clasping Stiles on the back, the motion making a loud noise against Stiles' shirt, his eyes closing in wincing as he smiles.

"I'll go get the paper." Stiles says, scurrying from his father, causing his Dad to laugh and shake his head. 

Stiles leaves the room, leaving the Sheriff and me alone. "You really love him don't you?" He asks, not looking at me but at the entrance to the kitchen and the living room, his eyes slightly glazed over as if he's lost in thought...

I nod, but think he can't see me, so I add, "Yeah, I really do. I always have, I've just been too blind to realize his mutual feelings until I was in a weak and vulnerable state. He was the only one who was truly there for me, helping me get back to being myself. Literally really."

"You seem so cold and calculating on the outside but on the inside you're really just a giant fluffy wolf aren't you?" Sheriff Stilinski says, shifting his eyes over to me, present in the conversation again.

I nod and laugh a little. "I guess you could say that, though I guess it's only for Stiles, because I still feel the same way I did before Stiles and I really became something. He picked me off my feet and warmed my cold heart, and to my surprise and gratefulness, I let him in. And that is something I'll never regret as long as I so shall live."

Stiles' father smiles, the smile reaching his eyes, illuminating them to a lighter shade. "And for that I think he's grateful to you because I know he loves you so wholeheartedly, and it's good to know as his father that the man he loves so dearly feels the same way. Thank you Derek."

My gaze shifts to the Sheriff's, our eyes locking. "Don't thank me for finding what I knew was always there deep down."

The Sheriff smiles and opens his mouth to say something as Stiles walks back into the room, a small pad of paper shaped like a snowman holding a snowflake in one hand, a multi-colored pen in the other, his face flushed and his breathing slightly ragged.

"What? Did you race to and from?" The Sheriff asks, noticing what I noticed about Stiles.

Stiles grins sheepishly. "Maybe. I'm just really excited about all this Christmas spirit is all! I haven't felt this joyous about Christmas since Mom's last Christmas, and we have forgotten to cherish that feeling, but now that we're bringing it back makes me giddy." He grins goofily, holding out the paper and pen for his Dad to take.

Sheriff smiles and takes the items from his son, as he ruffles Stiles' hair like he would do if Stiles were a child.

"Hey!" Stiles says, taken aback, but still grinning.

I walk over to Stiles as his father walks back the table and wrap Stiles in a hug from behind. I kiss his neck quickly on a spot where a hickey blossomed from before and grin at Stiles. "And what do you think you're doing?" Stiles asks me.

I laugh and lean close to his ear. "Giving you some more Christmas spirit. Now come on, let's help your dad." 

I unwrap my hands from Stiles' waist, heat obviously creeping his neck as he tries to look away. I follow his Dad back to the kitchen table and take a seat next to him.

"Alright what are we putting on the list of Christmas?" I ask, actually excited for the Stilinski's to experience Christmas again.

"Firstly, lights. You said they were all dead, right Derek?" Stiles asks as he takes his seat on the other side of his Dad, looking at me as I slowly nod to him. 

Sheriff Stilinski scribbles it on the paper, and looks between Stiles and I, clearly sensing the tension. 

His voice comes out so sarcastic, I wonder for a moment if he's actually kidding. "Do you two need condoms or something? I'm pretty sure the President can sense the tension between you two right now. Get it together for a bit so we can make this list and then I'll be leaving you boys here alone for a while to de-stress yourselves."

"D-dad!" Stiles exclaims, his already pink face intensifying as he looks away from me and at his father.

"What? I was just stating an observation." The Sheriff shrugs. "Now what else do us really add to the list?" He adds, now clearly wanting to change the subject.

"Stockings, like you said before. Candy canes too for the tree." Stiles says, his countenance one of deep in thought.

"Got any ideas Derek?" Sheriff turns to me.

I think for a moment. "Some ornaments, eggnog and whatever else you think of should be good." I add, attempting to be helpful.

Stiles' Dad nods and stands up. "Alright well that should be good for me to have for now. I'm sure as I walk through the store I'll come up with other things, but I should get going before it gets late. You two behave."

He pushes his chair in, grabbing his jacket from the back of it and sliding it on, stuffing the pen and the pad of paper into one of its pockets, giving us a goodbye nod and just like that, Stiles and I are alone again.