Baking My Way Into Your Heart

18 - Interference Part 3

Derek woke up early that morning feeling a little chilly. He sat up, got his bearings, and easily figured out why. It had nothing to do with the heater. It was still blowing at a warm enough temperature to feel comfortable underneath a blanket. If you had a blanket. Of which Derek did not. The sneaky little blanket bandit had struck again.

'How did he even do it?' Derek wondered, looking at where their hands were still joined. He smiled, rubbing his thumb against the back of Stiles' hand. 'You know… I could really get used to this. Waking up next to you.' He sighed. 'Actually… I think I already am.' Gently, he brought the warm palm to his lips, giving it a soft kiss.

Derek yawned, and with great reluctance, let go of the hand in his to stretch and rub the sleep out of his eyes. He looked around, trying to find a clock or something to figure out what time it was. In the dim light, he could see it was almost six on the wall clock hanging nearby. A creature of habit, Derek wondered how he might be able to get a morning workout in. Jogging would be dangerous considering he could slip on black ice. He supposed he could just go over to the den and workout in there. He was just about to do so when he spotted Isaac shift from where he was on his air mattress.

Derek scowled at the sleeping boy, remembering the teasing he did last night. 'I liked him better when he still feared me a little.' He rubbed the stubble on his chin, an idea hatching. 'Technically, it's not mean. I'm just asserting my authority is all,' he rationalized. 'Plus, it might be a good workout for my arms.'

Derek slid off the futon, doing his best not to stir its other occupant. He went over to his duffle bag, slipped on some socks and a sweater before putting his plan into action.

/\/\/\

About a half an hour later, Danny came downstairs.

"Morning Derek," he greeted.

Derek was standing over by the sliding door, arms crossed over his chest. He looked over his shoulder and nodded at the Hawaiian boy. "Morning."

"What are you looking at?" he asked, curiously, walking up next to the older boy to look out the sliding door. Danny gasped. "Is that-?"

"Mm-hmm."

Danny laughed, before running back up the stairs. Derek could faintly hear the boy trying to wake up his best friend.

"Mornin'," he heard uttered out as it was caught in a yawn.

Derek looked over his other shoulder, smiling when he spotted the sleepy Stiles shuffling over to him in a cocoon of blankets. "Good morning, Stiles."

"You wan' coffee?" he murmured.

"Please?"

Stiles yawned again as he made his way into the kitchen to brew a pot.

Derek returned his gaze back outside. "I hope you don't mind. I had to steal my blanket back from you."

Stiles flushed. "I stole it again?"

Derek merely nodded. "It's okay. I let Isaac borrow it."

From the corner of his eye, Derek saw Stiles look around. "Yeah, hey. Where is Isaac? Did he move to the den?"

"Nope."

"There, there! Look!" Danny said as he came back into the room, grinning as he dragged a sleepy Jackson over to where Derek was standing. He pointed outside.

Jackson's face grimaced in confusion. He rubbed his eyes, blinked a few times then burst into laughter. He turned to Derek, patting him heartily on the back. "Welcome to the group, man. Glad to have you."