Flopping back down with a sigh, he took a few seconds to psych himself up enough to get out of the warm embrace of his bed. There was once a time where Derek would wake even earlier than this every day—run two miles to the gym, spend an hour there before running back to shower for a full day of college classes. However, that was fifteen years, and what felt like several lifetimes, ago. Back then, he was nineteen and living in New York City with Laura. Too much had happened since back then…

Derek reluctantly pulled himself out of bed to get himself ready for the day. His routine was the same as it was everyday: morning toilet break followed by a quick shower, get out, brush his ever greying hair and beard into some semblance of shape, and throw on the first set of clothes. Then, he headed downstairs to start on breakfast before he had to wake up Eli.

He was eternally grateful to whoever decided to make coffee pots have a function that you can set the night before to have it ready in the morning as he poured a steaming cup. Adding the perfect amount of pumpkin spice almond creamer, Derek smiled as he took his first sip when he realized which mug he had grabbed.

It was one that he had received from Stiles for his birthday a few years back when Derek had first moved into this house from the loft. It had shown up in the mail and was followed by a series of texts by the human saying that he had gotten the email that it had been delivered, and he wanted to know what Derek thought. On it was a cartoon anthromorphic wolf walking with sunglasses, jeans, and black leather jacket like Derek used to wear with the words "Howl you doin'?" underneath. Honestly, it wasn't anything Derek would have ever gotten for himself, by a long shot, but the idea that Stiles had taken the time to find this for him just made something warm curl up in his stomach. Especially since this was not long after a series of text conversations between the two of them about how Eli was going through a rough period of not sleeping well from being in a new environment.

Both Stilinskis were a godsend when it came to Derek's journey through fatherhood, even with it having been a good five years since Derek last saw Stiles in person.

Derek had been back living in Beacon Hills for just under two years when he opened his loft door one afternoon to see a newborn infant on his doorstep. Queue a wide-eyed Derek immediately showing up at the Sheriff's house unannounce with the precious bundle.

By this point, Derek had been consulting for the BHPD for a couple of years, and the Sheriff had taken Derek under his wing. Scott, Stiles and the rest of the young pack had already spread across the country for college. Cora, Isaac, and Peter were spread out even more throughout multiple countries, so Derek didn't really have anyone else at the time. Derek and John had even gotten into the habit of meeting at least once a week for beer and baseball (or whatever sport was in season at the time, but baseball was the one they bonded over the most) at the Stilinski house.

After some discussion back and forth, John managed to convince Derek to bring the infant to Deaton for a check-up. While there, they were able to run a blood test and confirm that the small boy was in fact Derek's son—a little bit of eye flashing established that the small boy was also a werewolf.

Unfortunately, they were unable to determine who the boy's mother was, and—to the fascination of Deaton at the mystery of it all—Derek honestly couldn't think of who it could possibly be. He didn't think he had been with anyone since right before he returned to Beacon Hills, and that wonderfully passionate night had definitely NOT been with a woman. Nor had it been done in a way that would have meant Derek impregnated anybody, if you caught his drift.

Regardless of the boy's mysterious origins, Derek threw himself wholeheartedly into being a father. He would never be one of those that claimed that his child completed him or anything ridiculously self-centered like that, but seeing his love for the boy reflected back at him in those big, green eyes made Derek actually feel worthy of love in a way that he hadn't truly felt in a long time.

Without any other names lined up, Derek named his new son after his father, Elijah.

Speaking of which, as Derek piled the last of the bacon he had cooked onto a plate, he heard Eli's heart quicken as the boy woke up.

"Eli, breakfast is ready!" Derek called, smiling softly as he heard little feet land on the floor above him before they pattered toward the stairs.

"BACON!!" Eli roared excitedly as he zoomed into sight, sniffing the air hungrily.