To Build a Home

Chapter 19

"Do you think we baby Isaac?" Derek asked as he was folding clothes on one side of their bed, Stiles planning lessons from his laptop on the other.

"Define "baby"," Stiles replied distractedly, still typing, eyes glued to the screen.

"I don't know," he shrugged, pulling a towel from the basket. "Like, give in to his tantrums or do too much for him."

"Examples?"

"Putting his socks and shoes on. Pouring his juice."

"He's three," Stiles retorted, eyes rolling and finally meeting Derek's.

"Going on four," Derek added, folding the towel against his chest. "His birthday's in May."

"Do you want him pouring his own juice? Because I can tell you right-"

"Okay, maybe not the juice thing. But his socks and shoes. And running to see what's wrong every time he starts to cry."

"Because when he gets worked up he's more likely to have an attack," Stiles explained. "And the last time he was really upset and under the table you were the one trying to soothe him, so-"

"You know what I mean!" Derek groaned as he grabbed another towel.

Stiles closed his laptop and pushed it off to the side. "Where is all of this coming from, anyway?"

"Huh?"

"Why are you suddenly so concerned that we're negatively impacting our child by tying his shoes and pouring his juice for him?"

"Kindergarten is just a little over a year away and I don't want him to be the kid crying at the bus stop or being made fun of because he's sucking his thumb."

"Seriously?"

"What?!"

"Isaac never even sucks his thumb! Are you reading mommy blogs again?"

"I don't read mommy blogs!"

Stiles raised an eyebrow and laughed. "You so read mommy blogs on your lunch hour!"

"This isn't funny! I don't know why you're laughing."

"I get to laugh at this because it's proof that you're losing your mind," Stiles continued excitedly.

"Sorry that I don't work with children all day and have years of experience in the maternal department," Derek grumbled.

"Der, come on," Stiles said, crawling closer to his husband before sitting back on his heels. "I was just joking around."

"You really have no idea what these past few months have been like for me," he muttered, shaking his head as he loaded the basket back up with folded linens and Isaac's clothes.

"Babe."

"No, it's fine. Just leave it," he mumbled as he left the room with the basket on his hip, free hand waving Stiles away.

"I didn't mean to make you upset," Stiles tried as he walked towards Derek pushing a stack of towels into the hallway closet. "I thought you were in a playful mood."

"Am I ever?"

"No, but-"

"Just leave it, okay? I don't want to talk about it anymore."

"Hey, I read them too, sometimes, okay?" Stiles admitted, leaning against the hallway wall with his arms crossed.

"You're just saying that because you're trying to kill your comments with kindness, which might work on someone who isn't married to you, but-"