"What's up baby bro?" Laura nudged Derek's shoulder. She frowned at her mum over Derek's head when he did not react to their normal bantering behaviour.

"Ok sweetheart, you have been quiet since you arrived, and staring a hole into my counter, what's going on?" Talia asked concerned taking the pan she had been stirring off the heat of the stove and walked over to stand opposite where he was sitting at the counter while Laura sat down beside him.

"It's nothing," Derek frowned at his hand.

"Ok, there something seriously wrong if you forgot that we're werewolves and can hear the fact that you're a lying liar who lies," Laura snorted. She and Talia shared a worried look at the smell of pain that came from Derek at the words. "Is it Stiles?" Laura guessed considering she had used his phrase.

"No...yeah...no…" Derek sighed from his boots and started spinning the wedding ring on his finger absently.

"Ok, Laura call your father and tell him to take Cora and Sam to a restaurant for supper. Derek dig out the wolfsbane wine, and I will call in pizza," Talia ordered.

"You guys, it's not…"

"On it!" Laura spoke over him and jogged over to her handbag.

"Wine Derek," Talia ordered already digging out the pizza menu while shoving her phone between her ear and shoulder.

Half an hour later they were in the den, pizza box open in front of them and filling the area with delicious smells, wine poured and ready for them, and Talia and Laura staring at Derek who was pointedly ignoring them.

"Derek," Talia urged gently.

"It's just...we have been married three years now and...I'm worried that he isn't happy with me, or not as happy as he could be with someone else," Derek admitted.

"Derek, that boy loves you with everything that he has, and he is very happy, I don't think I ever see the two of you together and he isn't smiling!" Talia said shocked.

"Mum's right, Stiles is happy, he stinks of it. What makes you think that he could be happier?" Laura asked.

Derek reached out and drained half of his glass of wine in two sips.

"The other day, we were at Scott and Allison's. Scott was saying all those sweet things to her that he always says. She was giggling and happy, and Stiles was watching them with this smile. And I realised, I haven't ever been able to say any of those things to him," Derek frowned. He snatched up a slice of pizza and bit into viciously.

"Derek, Stiles knows how you feel about him, and he understands that words are hard for you," Laura said softly.

"And he understands why as well," Talia said sadly.

"But….he deserves to hear it!" Derek said frustratedly. "We've been married for three and a half years, we've been together five, he deserves to hear those words, he deserves to hear how special he is and how much he means to me. He shouldn't just have to know, he should have it confirmed by me, I should be able to tell him!"

"Ok sweetheart, calm down," Talia nudged his wine glass toward him again. She picked up her own glass thoughtfully and took a few sips while Derek stared at her hopefully.

"I have it!" Laura cried out making the two of them jump and turn to blink at her. "Sorry, excited!" She beamed.

"What is it?" Derek asked hopefully.

"I read it in one of my fanfictions!" Laura crowed before glaring at Derek. "Don't judge, your husband happens to enjoy fanfiction as well,"

"Don't remind me, honestly, the other day I had to wait to speak to him about our holiday plans because he was at a vital part of the story," Derek rolled his eyes.

"Go on Laura," Talia urged.

"Right, anyway in the story, this guy leaves post-it notes for his boyfriend telling him how much he means to him! Just leaves them dotted around their home, on mirrors, cups. You write down what you think and tell him that way," Laura explained.

"Do you think that will work?" Derek asked hopefully.

"I think so, it is a good idea. You struggle to verbalise things, you want to tell Stiles how much he means to you, so writing it down for him will work. And I do think it will be more romantic doing it over times rather than one long love letter. Though that could be romantic too," Talia hummed.

"How about you start small and build up, and plan for something really romantic at the end of it?" Laura suggested.

"I could take him to the cabin for a long weekend, plan with his boss for him to have the weekend off but not tell him," Derek said thoughtfully, brightening visibly.

"There we go. Oh and Derek?" Talia looked sternly at him making him, and Laura, straighten their backs.

"Yes, mum?"

"Next time rather than brooding over something, come to your wiser and smarter mother and sister and let us help you," Talia grinned.

Stiles grinned softly as he felt lips brushing his forehead, cheek and then his lips.

"Time to wake up Stiles," Derek said quietly, his normal morning greeting still as sweet as it had been the first time he did it nearly four and a half years ago.

"Mmm morning Wolf Muffin," Stiles grinned wider cracking open his eyes to look at his amazing husband sitting perched on the edge of the bed wearing only his pyjama pants and looking delightfully sleep ruffled.

"You and your nicknames," Derek snorted standing up.

"Noooooooo Derekkkkkkk!" Stiles wined making grabby hands at his husband and pouting ridiculously.

"No! You know that you will never get up, we will both be late for work, and you will get told off again,!" Derek chuckled.

"Derek!" Stiles pouted even more, still wiggling his fingers.

"No!" Derek shook his head, but dodged forward and pressed a kiss to Stiles' lips and hurried toward the bathroom before the human could properly react and catch hold of him.

"Cheating! No werewolf speed!" Stiles complained.

Derek got into the shower listening to Stiles grumbling through the open bathroom door, the familiar routine soothing the slight nerves he could feel in his stomach.

They went through the rest of their morning routine until they were sitting opposite each other at their little kitchen table eating the breakfast Stiles had made for them. Stiles was rubbing his foot up and down Derek's leg while his husband studiously read the morning paper.

"Ready?" Stiles sighed after draining his cup of coffee.

"You act as though you hate work when we both know that you enjoy getting to argue with people all day while teaching them," Derek snorted but he put his paper down and draining his own cup.

"True, true, but it means that I have to leave you," Stiles fluttered his eyelashes at Derek.

"Idiot," Derek rolled his eyes but pressed a kiss to Stiles' forehead on his way passed taking their dishes to the dishwasher.

"Ok! I have witchology this morning and then the Greek legends this afternoon!" Stiles picked up his briefcase.

"Witchology isn't a thing,"

"Totally a thing,"

"Totally not a thing,"

"Totally a thing,"

"Not a thing,"

"I have a degree in it, it's a thing,"

"I am from that world, it's not a thing,"

"Cheating!"

"Yup!" Derek grabbed his own briefcase. "See you tonight Professor Hale-Stilinski,"

"See you tonight Professor Hale-Stilinski," Stiles grinned.

"Here's your lunch," Derek held out a lunch box to Stiles.

"Oo homemade lunch, what's the honour?" Stiles took the lunchbox happily.

"Just got up a little earlier," Derek said gruffly.

"Love you. See you tonight," Stiles grinned happily.

"See you tonight," Derek grunted getting into his car and gritting his teeth at his inability to say those words back to Stiles. But from the grin and the wave he got as Stiles backed his jeep out their driveway said that he was the only one that was bothered.

Stiles laughed with his colleagues as they sat down for lunch, Stiles popping open the Tupperware that Derek had given him that morning.

He had already taken a few bites of the sandwich when something on the lip of the Tupperware caught his attention. The orange paper caught his eye as he glanced around, and he took it off the lid curiously.

He immediately recognised the handwriting as Derek's.

I love your smile of a morning.

He blinked at the note surprised. He wasn't sure what to make of it. Derek had never said anything like that to him before. He showed it with his smiles in return and extra kisses, but he struggled to say anything like that to Stiles. And Stiles understood.

He had never written anything like this for him either.

He smiled softly to himself and tucked his post-it note safely into his briefcase.

That night when he got home Derek gave him a look, so vulnerable and open, with something in his eyes that stopped Stiles from saying anything about the note.

He did snuggle even closer than normal to his husband that night when they went to bed, however.

Derek stared thoughtfully at the post-it note under his hand, tapping the pen against his bottom lip as he thought what he wanted to say to Stiles today. It wasn't that he didn't know what to say, it was was more that he had too much to say and couldn't choose.

He thought about the look that Stiles had given him the night before, he knew that his husband had wanted to ask him about the post-it note that he had clearly found no problem, but as Stiles said he was an expert in reading Derek's none verbal communications, and instead of asking about the note, he had simply snuggled closer to Derek instead and given him a lingering kiss before he left this morning.

Smiling to himself he nodded knowing exactly what he wanted to put, leaning down to scribble his message out quickly before grabbing his briefcase and hurrying out the door, sticking the post-it note in his chosen place before locking up the house and heading to work.

"Yup that is me in now, yup, yup, love you too pops, I will see you at the weekend. Love you, bye!" Stiles said cheerfully before hanging up his phone. His dad was at a slight loose end after having had to retire due to his health. Stiles made sure to call him whenever he was on his way home from work for a quick chat and catch up.

His dad liked hearing his stories from work, and with his students, he had a lot of amusing stories to tell, though he reckoned the one to beat was still 'do they make condoms for animals?'

Yawning he locked the front door behind himself and dropped his briefcase onto the floor beside the shoe rack so that he could yank off his shoes. Honestly, for someone who had lived in a derelict train station and then a questionable loft Derek was surprisingly finickity about things like shoes in the house.

Smiling fondly at the thought of his husband Stiles yawned and wondered what to do with himself tonight. On Thursdays, Derek had a late night lecture and didn't normally get in till after 20:00. Sometimes Stiles would use the evening to go and have supper with Scott or his Dad, other times he would just sprawl out and catch up on the few shows that Derek didn't also like and wait for his husband to get home, generally grumbling about stupid students.

Standing he grabbed his briefcase and went to walk into the living room before something caught his attention.

Stuck to the mirror in their hallway was a bright orange post-it note.

I love how you always know what I am saying without me needing to say it. You're right, we probably wouldn't be where we are now without it.

P.S don't watch Game of Thrones without me. I mean it.

Stiles grinned to himself as he walked into the living room looking at the post-it note. He often teased Derek saying that if it wasn't for him being able to translate Derek's non-verbal cues, and realising that Derek's idea of flirting was in fact flirting, they wouldn't be together, never mind married.

Stiles wasn't sure what was going on, but Derek clearly did not want him to bring it up. He was more than happy to sit back and see where this was going. Grinning he tucked the note carefully into the pocket of his briefcase with the other before jumping to his feet and going into the kitchen to prepare treats for them to eat while they watched Game of Thrones.

"Dude, what's that?" Scott frowned.

"Hmm?" Stiles hummed distractedly trying to choose what he wanted to eat.

"This," Scott peeled the post-it note off of Stiles wallet where it had been carefully stuck.

"Oh," Stiles grinned to himself as he took the pink post-it note.

"What is it?" Scott pressed.

"Derek has been leaving me post-it notes with things that he loves about me, he is sticking them on different places for me to find when we're not together," Stiles explained.

"That is weirdly sweet," Scott blinked.

"Derek can be plenty sweet," Stiles narrowed his eyes at his friend.

"I know I know," Scott grinned raising his hands. "I just mean it is not Derek's normal way of being romantic,"

"No, it's not. I have a feeling that Laura had a hand in this, but for some reason, he has decided that he wants to do," Stiles shrugged.

"You haven't asked him about it?" Scott enquired.

"No, he doesn't want me to yet,"

"What does it say then?" Scott asked picking up the menu.

"I love that thing that you do with your tongue when you…"

"I don't want to know!" Scott squeaked.

"Only kidding, here," Stiles laughed handing over the post-it note.

Cautiously Scott looked at the note, not trusting his friend no to have passed him the note to read the traumatising message as well as hear it. It seemed it was perfectly safe, however.

I love waking up next to you and falling asleep with you at night.

"How long has he been doing this?" Scott asked handing the note over, watching with a fond smile as Siles carefully tucked the note into his wallet before answering.

"Three weeks now, he leaves one for me every day," Stiles hummed.

"Sweet,"

"Don't let Derek hear you saying that," Stiles chuckled.

Stiles hummed away to his music playing from their Alexa as he carefully placed his post-it notes into the small photo album that he had bought to keep his growing collection of post-it notes safe.

Derek was spending the day howling in the woods with his family on the preserve, and then for the night of the full moon, he would come home and spend it with Stiles, his wolf demanding that his mate be near. They spent a lot of moons at the Hale house for a few days, but some moons they stayed home, Stiles was happy either way. The Hales always made him feel more than welcome and made it clear that he was family, pack.

He turned his attention back to his post-it notes,

I love your freckles and moles

I love your laugh

I love when you cook me supper after a long day

I love hearing you sing

I love watching you dance

I love knowing you love me

I love when you cuddle with me on the sofa

I love your foot rubs

I love your mouth

I love that you said yes to marrying me

I love being your husband

I love watching you write

I love watching you concentrate

I love how good of a teacher you are.

I love listening to you talk about your interests

I love watching a new show with you

I love seeing you happy

I love knowing I have the rest of my life with you.

I love your eyes, they're like warm honey

I love how sarcastic you are, I spend half my time when you're being sarcastic trying not to laugh

I love that you forgive me when I am being an idiot.

I love that you know when I am feeling down

I love that you gave me the chance to love again

I love that you are such a geek

I love hearing you laugh when reading your fanfictions

I love your kisses, I think I remember each and every one

I love how you accept my wolf

I love that you love me exactly as I am, grumpy and all

I love how you are with my family

I love that you and dad make me part of your family.

Stiles smiled to himself as he carefully tucked each one into the album. He was wondering where this was going, but he was more than happy to go with it.

"Mum!" Stiles grinned jogging over to Talia. Derek snorted and followed along behind at a more sedate pace pushing their trolly. He watched as Stiles wrapped his arms around Talia and hugged her tightly, her face lighting up as she hugged her son-in-law.

"Oh, hello Derek," She said as he reached them. He snorted in amusement and she batted at his shoulder. "You know what I mean,"

"That I am your favourite," Stiles nodded sagely.

"Quiet you!" Talia laughed.

"Stiles!" Laura beamed hurrying over and wrapping Stiles in a tight hug. "Oh hello, Derek,"

"It's a good thing that I know you guys love me," He snorted.

"What?" Laura blinked at them as she stood there swaying Stiles in her hug.

"Oh, Stiles, we're going out for a little bit of a shop, will you come with us?" Talia said.

"Oh, we were planning on doing the grocery shopping," Stiles looked guiltily at Derek.

"It's fine, you did the list, I am sure that I can manage," Derek laughed pinching the list from Stiles' pocket.

"Thank you, here we go," Talia pressed another list into Derek's hand.

"What's this?" He blinked.

"Our shopping list, you're too generous," Laura laughed pressing her own list into his hand.

"Good job you have that werewolf strength," Stiles kissed his cheek.

"See you later son," Talia waved.

"See you later bro!" Laura winked at him.

"See you later love of my life," Stiles tugged him down and pressed a sweet and lingering kiss to his lips.

"Put my brother down and come on! I want to get my shop on!" Laura whined.

"Bring home something useless," Derek said their normal words.

"Always!" Stiles waved cheerfully as he jogged after Laura.

Derek puffed out a breath and brought out the fourth list from his pocket that Laura had helped him make the night before. The first part of the plan had gone well, Stiles would be distracted for the rest of the day, leaving him the time to do the rest of his plan. After he apparently did the shopping for himself and Stiles, his mum and Laura.

"See you for Sunday supper," Stiles leant forward from the back and placed a kiss on both the women's cheeks.

"See you on Sunday Stiles, have a good evening, and enjoy the half term," Laura smiled at him.

He hopped out the car and grabbed his bags from the boot before hurrying up the driveway to their house eager to see Derek. It was silly but he had missed him, despite the fact that he loved spending time with Laura and Talia. With Derek's family, he had the chance to have siblings, and he had someone to call mum again, despite never thinking he would say that word again.

But Talia never ever tried to be the replacement for his mum, and she understood the hurt that he had missing his mum. The first time he had tentatively asked if he could also call her mum, about a year and a half after he and Derek had gotten married, she had actually cried and hugged him so tightly Derek had looked a little worried for his safety.

So yes, he loved spending time with the ladies in his life, but he couldn't wait to see Derek now.

As he reached the front door he slowed down a little when he noticed a familiar bright orange piece of paper stuck to the front door. He had already had his post-it note for the day. He dropped his bags in front of the door and reached out to take the note from the front door curiously.

I love that you're my husband, I love that you said yes when I asked you to marry me and gave me the chance to spend my life with you. I have loved you from our second date, and I love you more and more every day.

Come into the dining room.

Stiles blinked a little as his eyes burnt slightly at the words that warmed his heart. He carefully placed the post-it note in his wallet to go into his album before quickly gathering his bags and making his way inside. The amazing smell of Derek's Swedish meatball meal filled his nose the second he had the door open, and a second sniff had him suspecting banana bread, Stiles' favourite.

He quickly kicked off his shoes and dropped his bags into the coat closet and made his way into the dinning room.

He blinked as he took in the change to their dining room. There were candles everywhere, and a few bouquets of lilies were dotted around the room. The table was set with the special dining set that they had bought mainly for when their family was over to try and convince them that they were actual adults now.

The table was already set for them, their meal dished out steaming, filling the room with its scent. And sitting there looking bashful in a way that Stiles so rarely got to see was Derek.

"What's going on?" He asked curiously watching as Derek sidled towards him.

"I'm spoiling you," Derek shrugged his big shoulders.

"Not that I am complaining but is there a particular reason?" Stiles wrapped his arms around Derek's neck smiling happily.

"Because I love you," Derek shrugged, his ears turning a delightful red.

"Has this something to do with the thing we don't mention?"

"The post-it notes yes," Derek rolled his eyes fondly.

"Why?" Stiles tilted his head.

"Because you deserve to hear it, and even though I know you know it you deserve to hear it, and I can't say it and that isn't fair on you and it isn't right, and you deserve to be told and so I thought…." Derek's ramble was cut off by Stiles' lips on his.

"You didn't need to at all, but I loved that you did," Stiles smiled. And Derek loved him even more as he understood everything to Derek had been trying to tell him.

"I love you,"

"I love you too," Stiles smiled pressing his lips to Derek's again. Stiles lost himself in the kiss, in the familiar scent of Derek's aftershave and the feeling of his strong arms holding him tenderly and securely, making him feel as always as though it were the safest place in the world for him.

Derek couldn't be happier, he had Stiles warm and happy in his arms, giving off the scent of honey and vanilla that meant he was absolutely content and happy, the faint scent of what Derek could only describe as love filling his senses. He deepened the kiss and was about to draw Stiles even closer to himself.

He was about to because just as he was doing so Stiles yanked away from him and stared around wide-eyed, and then the noise that had distracted him repeated itself, and he turned to stare at Derek with hopeful whisky eyes.

"Derek, was that a…" Stiles drew off.

"It was supposed to be a surprise for after supper, but it seems that he can't keep quiet," Derek chuckled taking Stiles' hand, taking him through to the living room. Stiles squealed and clung onto Derek's arm as his husband moved out the way so that he could see the puppy pen and the little jack russell puppy sitting wagging its tail excitedly at them realising that it had their attention.

"Derek…"

"I know that you have wanted a puppy for a while, and well, he was the last of his litter, the runt, I thought…" Derek shrugged.

"You soft hearted werewolf you," Stiles chuckled hurrying over to the puppy pen and scooping the wriggling ball of fur out. "Oh you are just so adorable, yes you are, yes you are, oh you're such a cutie pie, yes yes yes you are!" Stiles cooed as the puppy desperately tried to lick every inch of Stiles that he could.

Derek leant back against the sofa happily watching as Stiles fussed over the puppy.

An hour later they happily sat down to eat their reheated meal while the puppy, newly named Arthur, was running around their feet and attacking his new toys that Derek had stocked up on.

"Hey baby bro," Laura threw her arm over Derek's shoulders and leant against him, looking to where Stiles was running around the garden with Arthur trying to burn off some of his energy. "Nice touch with the puppy,"

"It makes him happy," Derek shrugged.

"And you?" Laura asked.

"Arthur is ok," Derek shrugged again.

"Translation, he adores the puppy," Cora laughed leaning against his other side.

"Who knew you could be so romantic," Laura cooed.

"It suddenly explains how he managed to seduce Stiles in the first place, the great mystery is resolved," Cora said to Laura over Derek.

"True very true, I did think that he just glared Stiles into submission," Laura hummed.

"I figured that he dropped a dead deer on his porch or something and grunted at him," Cora shrugged.

"I figured…"

"Enough! Shoo you evil she-wolves you," Stiles waved them off of Derek, the two of them jogging away laughing.

"Thank you," Derek wrapped his arms around his husband before chuckling as Arthur dropped himself down onto his foot with a tired huff.

"You're more than welcome," Stiles grinned.

"My knight in shining armour," Derek pressed a kiss to Stiles' lips. Derek blinked and pulled back when he felt something being stuck to his face.

He blinked at Stiles before reaching up and taking the post-it note from his face.

I will love you forever.

He smiled softly at Stiles drawing him closer and kissing him deeply. Yes forever.