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Stiles used to love this class. it was perfect, with the sun glowing warm and bright through the studio’s windows, an empty peppermint hot chocolate on the windowsill behind him, and babies. So many adorable babies. Plus, as an added bonus, the moms were usually so preoccupied running after, feeding, or soothing their little munchkins that they had no time to tell him how great his ass looked in his yoga pants.
He never had to worry about anyone questioning his poses, whispering about his choices of cool down, or scoffing about his music selection. It was a great warm up to his Advanced class at eleven, and most of all it was fun.
Well, at least it had been before Derek Hale showed up.
Derek had stormed into his third class of the season with a flyer in his hand, an adorable little girl trailing behind him, and a scowl on his face.
"I’m assuming that your class is not just for Mommies." The little girl had looked up at Stiles, unblinking, and he had completely frozen.
Lydia, bless her soul, had come out and cleared everything up with a quick smile and hasty apologies. Derek had picked a spot near the front - all the better for the moms to gawk at his ass, Stiles thought meanly - and hadn’t spoken to Stiles since.
Granted, he didn’t really talk to anyone except Scout, whose real name - Katherine - Stiles had used once after reading through their registration forms, only to be met with an equal (and equally terrifying) set of glares. After that Stiles had given up, content (or at least resigned) to pine from afar. It was the mature, professional thing to do.
**
If Derek’s talent was glaring fiercely enough to make a grown man fumble a basic yoga pose, Scout’s was falling asleep faster than a college kid after midterm week. Seriously, they were two poses in and Stiles could already see her nodding off, propped up on Derek’s shoulders as he creatively interpreted Stiles’ gentle poses.
"All right, everyone, I want you to scoop those little munchkins into your arms as you rise," Stiles said, pleased that he sounded so even. He’d had to pretend that he’d had laryngitis last week, when Derek showed up in a sweaty tank top, muttering a general apology about how he’d missed his bus.
"Full, deep breaths," he continued, beaming at the tiny, wriggling forms all around him. The studio was filled with coos and babbles, and Stiles was finally starting to feel peace with his class again.
He wandered around, clapping his hands at Callie, a six month old with a bright, gummy smile. When he turned, he found Scout with one eye cracked open, looking at him with utter disappointment.
He refused to be intimidated by a four year old. “Finally joining us, Scout?” He smiled and crouched down so he could talk to her face to face. “It’s just as well; any more beauty sleep and you’ll be prettier than Lydia!”
The look Stiles got for that comment was mutinous. Apparently it was insulting enough to make her slide right off Derek’s back so that she could address Stiles on her own. “Sleep is to make your brain bigger, not make you pretty.” She crossed her arms and turned into her Dad’s legs. “Who cares about being pretty.”
Well, fuck. Stiles opened his mouth to apologize, but Derek cut him off.”You should really try to come up with positive things to say to little girls that don’t focus on their looks.”
Stiles gaped, completely thrown off by both his own ignorance and Derek’s extreme proximity. And shit, he should not have been thinking about Derek’s stubble when he was being given a crash course in sexism by a toddler. “I am so, so sorry,” he squeaked, running back to the front and refusing to look at the pair of them for the rest of the class.
**
Before he could run over to Lydia and whine about how he’d spent a solid four hours last night googling “How to Make a Single Dad fall for you”, and worse, how it was now all for nothing, he was cornered by Felicity, the one mom who managed to get her creep on despite attending the class with not one, but two little drool factories.
"I would report Derek if I were you," she cooed, stuck in permanent baby voice. Derek spoke to Scout like an adult, Stiles thought, as he tried to block out Felicity’s not-so-subtle attempts at flirting. Derek spoke to his daughter like an equal and apparently had been instilling some pretty strong values in her from day one. God, he was so completely fucked. And now Derek thought he was some kind of misogynistic douche. He really hoped Lydia still had a bar of Lindt chocolate behind the desk.
"Right, Stiles? Stiles?" Felicity looked a little miffed and Stiles scrambled to correct her before she gave up and left.
"What, for the Sleepy Beauty comment? No way, I was completely out of line. Do you know how many girls end up in careers in math and science? Or how many young girls suffer from eating disorders? Girls as young as eight - eight - won’t leave the house without makeup, because they’re afraid they look bad, and it’s our responsibility to make a better world for them. To be better, for them. I appreciate you wanting to defend me, Felicity, but what happened today was totally my fault. Now, I’m really sorry, but I have to go grab something to eat before my next class.”
He beelined for the desk, hoping that he could lock himself behind it for the next hour and forget that this morning had ever happened. Unfortunately, before he could make it there he ran face first into a solid wall of Hale.
"Derek," he said, sighing. "Look, I am really - "
"I know," Derek said, holding his yoga mat and looking, well, not friendly, but at least not murderous. “I heard you talking to Felicity.”
"I, well. I’m just sorry," Stiles finished lamely. "I really didn’t mean to be a jerk."
Scout giggled, and Derek looked down at her with a raised brow. She covered her mouth politely, but Stiles could still hear her snorting behind her palm.
"Apology accepted," Derek said. He quirked his lips into what Stiles was sure was a smile, and then turned around slowly as Scout scooped their yoga mat into her arms. “See you next week, Stiles.”
"See you next week," Stiles echoed faintly, his heart squeezing as Derek reached out to take his daughter’s hand.
"Lydia," he called once Derek and Scout were out of view. "Please, I need you. It’s an emergency!"