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“Momma, why does Stiles have a tail?” Derek asks, tugging on her hand, watching as Mrs Sti- ti- lin-ski washes Stiles’ hair with his Aladdin cup.
Derek likes getting his hair washed, especially with his Aladdin cup. It’s his favourite time of day and he doesn’t understand why none of his friends like bath time. He really, really likes it when Laurie washes his hair though, because she makes it into a game. Sometimes, he gets to be a pirate but Derek likes it best when he gets to be a starfish or a tortoise because they are the coolest. Last year, he got a book all about underwater sea creatures for his birthday and it was the best.
Maybe he should ask Laurie to wash Stiles’ hair too. Momma always says it’s important to share, especially our favouritest things.
“Well, they’re like us, sugar pie,” his momma smiles. “We’re werewolves and Stiles and his momma are merpeople. Instead of claws and fur, they have tails.”
“Merpeople?” Derek frowns, sticking out his tongue, thinking. “Like," he gasps, "like the little mermaid?” His eyes widen and he tugs on her hand again because when something is important you've just gotta make sure the grownups know too. That's what Uncle Peter says. “Do they live in the sea? Are they friends with dolphins? Can I meet some?”
Momma's smile widens and she ruffles his hair, bending down. “No, they don’t live in the sea but they could, if they wanted to. If you ask Mrs Stilinski nicely, she might agree to take you to meet some dolphins, but only if you are a good boy.”
"I'm always a good boy, momma."
"I know, sweetheart." She ruffles his hair again and Derek beams.
“Cool,” he grins, running over to the bath tub, wondering if Stiles has ever met a dolphin.
Stiles and Mrs Stilinski just moved to Beacon Hills and momma told Derek to had to be super extra special nice to them because they are their new neighbours and Mrs Stilinski is a special friend of daddy’s.
“Hi,” Derek says, offering his hand to Stiles, like he sees big people do on TV. “I’m Derek and I think your tail is really pretty.”
Stiles stares at Derek for a moment, making his face feel all warm and weird, before grinning and taking his hand, linking their fingers together instead of shaking it up and down like you're supposed to. Derek doesn’t think that means they are friends then, because to make friends you need to shake hands, it's big people law.
Looking down at their linked fingers, Derek smiles, wondering if Stiles maybe wants to be his boyfriend instead. People don't need to shake hands to be boyfriends, they need to hold hands and...well. He's never had a boyfriend before, but he wants one. Erica gave Boyd a flower at school last week and Boyd told Derek yesterday they were going to get married and everything. Derek wants to get married someday too. Then he’d have someone to give pretty things to and maybe even draw stuff for.
Biting his lip, he wonders if Stiles would like a drawing of a seahorse or a flower best. He doesn't want to draw him a seahorse if it will make him sad and miss his animal friends but Derek is really good at drawing seahorses. Daddy always puts them on the fridge or takes them to work.
“I think you’re really pretty,” Stiles whispers, like a secret, before turning to Mrs Stilinski and beaming at her. Derek can’t help but smile too, because Stiles has a really nice smile, like Aladdin. Maybe he should draw a picture of Stiles and give it to Mrs Stilinski as a present. He grins. That's a perfect idea.
“Momma," Stiles squeals, splashing a little. "Derek said my tail was pretty and I said he was pretty. Are we married now, momma? Do I have to live here all the time now?”
Mrs Stilinski giggles and Derek frowns because it’s not very nice to laugh at someone when they are asking you a question. One time, Uncle Peter laughed when Derek asked him if the people on the moon had dogs too and it made him feel sad. He doesn’t think Mrs Stilinski is a mean person because she is very pretty and she gave Derek chocolate cake with sprinkles on it and momma likes her a whole lot, but it’s still not nice to laugh.
“I think you need rings to get married,” he whispers, leaning in closer to Stiles, close enough to touch his tail. Derek really wants to touch it, but that would be rude, he thinks. Maybe Stiles will let him touch it one day though. Or, maybe when he’s bigger and he can fully shift like momma, he can let Stiles pet him and Derek can ask to pet Stiles back. Maybe. If Stiles wants to. “But...I don’t have any rings. I spent all my pocket money.”
“Oh,” Stiles says, looking sad. “Maybe we can-” he frowns, wriggling a little, splashing water everywhere. Derek thinks it's a good thing he didn't wear socks today. “Momma, what’s that big word? The one when you love someone very much but you don’t get a big party or cake because people are stupid?”
This time it’s his momma who laughs and Derek covers Stiles’ ears in case he hears. Maybe momma doesn’t know it’s not nice to laugh at people either. Derek makes sure to remember to tell her later, especially if Stiles is going to be his boyfriend. Laurie told him a really funny joke about cats when Uncle Peter laughed at him but Derek doesn’t know any jokes about cats. He’ll have to learn some, he decides, just in case.
“That’s called an engagement, truskaweczko,” Mrs Stilinski says, touching his nose and winking.
“Yes,” Stiles says, nodding, twisting to take Derek’s hands. He looks like daddy sometimes does when she is thinking about something really hard and Derek makes sure to remain extra quiet, sneaking glancing at Stiles' tail.
“Will you," Stiles says, after a moment, official, like a superhero, "promise not to get mad at me, even if I run away?” He looks down and Derek pats him on the head because he likes it when he gets head pats. Head parts are awesome. "I do that sometimes because I get-” He squirms some more. “I don’t mean to but sometimes I can’t help it. One time there was a dog and another time there was a butterfly. And I tried really hard to pet the butterfly but it wouldn’t let me." His lip wobbles. "My teacher was real mad.”
Derek thinks about this, climbing on top of the bath, even though it gets him even more wet. It’s worth it though, to see Stiles smile some more. “If you ran away, I’d run after you,” he finally decides. “That way, if people get mad at you, they will get mad at me too and people don’t like being mad at me for long.” He grins, leaning down to whisper in Stiles’ ear. “They usually give me sweeties.”
Stiles’ eyes widen, tail swishing a little, before reaching up to kiss Derek on the cheek. It does something funny to Derek’s tummy and he presses down on it, to check it’s okay, frowning. Maybe he's hungry.
“You are really cool,” Stiles says. “When I find a ring, I’m gonna give it to you, okay?”
Derek kisses Stiles back, pleased, and Stiles presses down on his tummy too. Maybe they're both hungry. After all, daddy always says cake isn’t enough to fill you up, you’ve gotta eat your vegetables too. Stiles hasn’t been able to get into his house yet - momma said Stiles’ daddy got the wrong keys - so Derek doesn’t think he will have had any vegetables today.
“Have you ever watched The Little Mermaid?” he asks. Stiles shakes his head. “Do you…do you maybe want to watch it with me?”
“Is it a scary film?”
“No. Well, there’s one mean person in it but I’ll protect you when she comes on, don’t worry.”
Stiles swallows, looking at his mom, before nodding and lifting up his arms. "I'm ready to come out now, momma." He turns to Derek. “Do you want to help dry my tail?”
Derek’s eyes widen, nodding as Mrs Stilinski sets him down on the bath mat, rushing to choose the blue towel from the basket because it’s the fluffiest and the warmest and he bets Stiles will look even prettier in blue.
Even though Stiles is smaller than him, his tail still takes super long to dry. Stiles giggles the whole time and Derek gasps, watching as toes replace his pale, pink fins. Stiles has moles on his feet and Derek touches them, because they are beautiful and, he suspects, magical. It makes Stiles giggle some more and Derek grins, pleased with himself.
Running out of the room, Derek goes to get Stiles his favourite pyjamas and when he comes back, Stiles is wearing the blue towel like one of Laurie or momma’s dresses.
“Blue is pretty,” Stiles says, twirling.
Derek looks down at the pyjamas in his hands. They’re yellow, a picture of Belle from Beauty and the Beast on the front. “I can....give you my Elsa pyjamas instead, if you want? She’s blue.”
“You have Elsa pyjamas?” Stiles’ jaw drops. “Elsa is the coolest.” Dropping the towel, he runs out the door.
Derek runs after him, making sure to close his eyes because Stiles forgot his towel, wanting to make sure he reaches his room safely.
"Thanks," Stiles says, patting Derek's arm, making him blush.
Walking over to his special Disney drawer, Derek looks for his Elsa pyjamas. “Here you go,” he says, after a moment, holding them out, eyes still closed.
Stiles giggles and kisses Derek on the cheek. “Thank you. You can wear my Batman ones tomorrow, okay?”
“Yeah?” Derek asks, opening one eye.
“Yeah. They are my favourite but I don’t mind sharing them with you.”
Derek grins, looking down at his feet. “That…would be cool.”
“Cool.”
“Cool.”