Something was up with Stiles.
Jackson knew about this stuff. After all, he hadn’t spent the majority of his life learning to read other people and teaching himself to look for subtle shifts in their body language or scent and the proper ways to react for nothing, had he? Of course, those skills had been imperative when navigating through high school while playing the alpha because that’s what he was expected to be. But it was handy at other times too — like when Stiles was acting shady and no one else seemed to pay attention.
So, Jackson decided to get to the bottom of it.
Thing was, Stiles was the cornerstone of their pack even though he’d deny it to his dying day. If something happened to him, it would affect them all but it would hit Derek the hardest. Jackson wasn’t that into Stiles — he’d sneered at the all-over-the-place omega back at high school — but ever since hooking up with Isaac, Jackson had learned to respect and look up to Derek, their alpha. And since Stiles was Derek’s mate, well, Jackson respected him by proxy.
Which lead back to the problem at hand.
Or perhaps it wasn’t really a problem, but it was something. And it was driving Jackson nuts.
1
”I’m serious, there’s something going on with Stiles,” Jackson insisted, poking Isaac on the side.
Isaac sighed and looked at him over his reading glasses. Jackson was sure Isaac didn’t even need them but used them because they added to his hipster style. ”What makes you think something’s going on?”
”I’m not sure. It’s a…” He searched for the word. ”A gut feeling. He’s been distracted lately, something’s off with his posture, and he smells… odd.”
”Odd? Like, sick or something?” Isaac asked sharply.
Jackson shook his head. ”No, just odd. There’s something familiar about it but I can’t put my finger in it.”
”You probably should keep your finger to yourself unless you want Derek to rip it off. With his teeth,” Isaac said dryly. ”Actually, shouldn’t you just leave the whole thing to Derek anyway? It’s his mate we’re talking about.”
”Yeah… I guess,” Jackson grumbled.
He had no intention to leave it to Derek. He might be their alpha and Stiles’s mate, but he was also hopelessly clueless in everything that came to subtlety. It had taken Stiles almost two years to woo him and appear at his door in almost full heat before Derek had gotten his shit together and had finally asked Stiles to be his mate. The whole pack had been aggressively relieved.
Ever since, Derek and Stiles had been sickeningly sweet and in love. Jackson would absolutely hate it if something messed it up.
*****
It was irritable. The more Jackson paid attention to Stiles, the more the feeling that something didn’t add up increased. The way Stiles was distracted and constantly tired under all his snark had Jackson on the edge.
In a way, he was annoyed that Derek didn’t seem to notice anything. Hell, Stiles was his mated omega, Derek was supposed to be tuned into his emotions. Then again, Stiles had always been extremely adept at hiding his true feelings and Derek was nowhere near as good at reading people as Jackson.
But it was okay. Jackson was going to figure this out for him.
2
A couple of weeks before Christmas, the pack was at Derek and Stiles’s, trying to come up with a way to deal with the whole Christmas thing without too many ulcers. The preliminary idea was that they’d have the Christmas dinner early so that Stiles’s dad could come before his late shift and after, they’d decorate the second Christmas tree.
Yes, the second tree.
For reasons unknown to everyone, Stiles had wanted two trees and, because Derek couldn’t deny him anything, Stiles would get his second tree.
Sitting on the couch armrest, Jackson let his gaze roam the living room, taking in their pack. Isaac was lounging on the couch with his scarf elegantly thrown over his shoulder and Boyd was sitting on the other end of the same couch. Erica was lying with her feet over Isaac’s thighs and her head on Boyd’s lap, her and Boyd’s baby asleep on her chest. Derek was sitting on the old armchair that was big enough for two, and Stiles had vacated his usual spot snuggled under Derek’s arm just a moment ago to get something from the kitchen.
Jackson leaned down to peck a kiss on top of Isaac’s head and wandered into the kitchen. He was totally getting more coffee and not trying to sneak up on Stiles.
”You smell weird,” Jackson said as he brushed past him.
”Huh?” Stiles asked, blinking slowly. He seemed distracted and tired, leaning against the counter.
”I’m not trying to invade your privacy or anything,” Jackson added. ”I’m just… well, I guess I’m worried about you.”
Stiles’s brows climbed up to his hairline. ”You are worried about me?” he asked. “You, Jackson Whittemore, are actually paying enough attention to me to ask if I’m okay?”
Jackson rolled his eyes. ”No need to be so surprised.”
Stiles grinned slowly. ”You like me!” he said, delighted. ”You liii-ike me,” he repeated in a sing-song voice.
”Uh,” Jackson said and fled the kitchen, Stiles’s delighted crooning ringing in his ears.
He only later realized that Stiles had evaded his question.
3
A small voice in the back of Jackson’s head pointed out to him he probably shouldn’t do this, but he ignored it.
”I hope you let Stiles get enough sleep,” he said to Derek some days later, keeping his voice nonchalant and light.
Derek looked up from his book and frowned. ”What do you mean?”
Jackson shrugged, pretending to do something important with his tablet. ”He’s been more tired lately. I was just hoping you’re not wearing him down completely.”
”Has he said something?” Derek asked, leaning forward and fixing Jackson an intense look. ”What did I do?”
”Nothing?” Jackson said, a bit taken aback by the reaction. ”I just…” He huffed. “Look, he just seems oddly tired, that’s all.”
Derek frowned and thought for a while. ”But why are you talking to me about this? Why didn’t he come to me himself?” He blinked, looking lost. “Is he mad at me?”
Jackson wanted to bang his head on the coffee table.
*****
”I told you that you should leave it to Derek,” Isaac mumbled against his neck that night.
Jackson didn’t bother pointing out that Derek wasn’t to be trusted with things like these.
4
It was by chance, really, how Jackson found out. He was wandering around the mall and completely by accident found himself near the baby section nonchalantly stroking a ridiculously soft baby socks when an oddly familiar scent caught his nose. He sniffed and turned around — and almost collided with a prominent baby bump.
So that was the scent!
He stared with wide eyes at the pregnant omega until they huffed and stomped away, muttering something about idiots without manners. Jackson didn’t even notice because Stiles was pregnant!
Holy Shit!
And… did Derek know already? Jackson thought back and decided that no, their alpha didn’t know. There was no way Derek could keep it a secret and stay as normal as he was. Jackson meant no disrespect, but he’d seen how extremely careful and protective Derek had turned when Erica had gotten pregnant, not to mention how ridiculously teary-eyed he’d been when the baby was finally born.
So no, Derek definitely didn’t know.
The only thing Jackson needed to decide now was what he was going to do about it.
5
“No,” Isaac said flatly when Jackson asked if he should buy Stiles a giant diaper cake as a gesture of good will and congratulations.
“Why?”
“Jackson, love of my life,” Isaac sighed and gripped his from the shoulders. “You don’t need to buy him anything to show you care.”
“Well, I don’t,” he protested. “I just want to show that I support my alpha and his mate.”
Isaac gave him a knowing look. “You can support them by letting Stiles tell everyone on his own time.”
It was what he tried to do, but his eyes were drawn to Stiles’s midsection even though there was nothing to see — yet.
“Dude, could you cut it out?” Stiles hissed him a couple of days later in the kitchen, running water from the faucet to hide their conversation.
“Why don’t you just tell everyone?” Jackson asked, exasperated. “It’s driving me nuts to keep this secret!”
“Keep what secret?” Derek asked from the doorway.
Stiles squealed and whirled around, eyes wide.
“Stiles?” Derek asked, and when Stiles didn’t answer, he turned towards Jackson who averted his gaze.
The silence stretched until Stiles threw his hands in the air. “Fine! Okay! Geez,” he exclaimed. ”I’m pregnant!”
Derek froze and stared at his mate with a stupefied look on his face. “Pregnant?” he echoed.
“Yeah,” Stiles said and shrugged, offering Derek a sheepish smile that came out as a grimace. “Surprise?”
Derek swallowed and took a hesitant step forward. “Pregnant?” he asked again. “You’re pregnant?”
Stiles nodded, a hopeful look in his eyes.
”But… why didn’t you say anything?”
”I wasn’t sure how to tell,” Stiles said. ”And you told me years ago that you didn’t think you wanted kids, remember?”
Derek let out a muffled sound. ”That was before we were mates,” he huffed, exasperated. ”Of course I want kids with you, you moron!”
”Oh,” Stiles breathed.
Shaking his head, Derek closed the distance between them and reached out his hand, stopping just short of touching Stiles’s abdomen.
“You can touch it, big guy,” Stiles said, his voice somewhere between a laugh and a sob. ”Merry Christmas.”
With utmost care, Derek spread his fingers across the flat of Stiles’s stomach and the pure wonder on his face made Jackson swallow. He felt like he was witnessing something he wasn’t privy to, and the way their alpha and his mate had eyes only for each other made a bit sick.
In a good way, but sick anyway.
From the doorway, Isaac rolled his eyes and beckoned his head. When they left, Jackson peeked one last look over his shoulder and saw Derek leaning his forehead on Stiles’s, one hand cupping his cheek and the other resting on his stomach, and Stiles’s hand over his. The look on Derek’s face was something Jackson had never seen before: wonder, love, and peace wrapped in together, crowned by the barest hint of a soft smile. Jackson sniffed discreetly and got a lungful of warm, happy scent that made his toes curl and his heart ache in the best way.
The last thing he heard before Isaac finally dragged him away were quietly murmured words of endearment.
*****
Yes, Derek turned almost insufferable in his protectiveness, but Jackson decided he didn’t care. Stiles still was all over the place and his mood swings made him even more irritable than usual, but the way how the whole pack basked in Derek’s happiness balanced it out.
Besides, Jackson had the dibs to be the first (and best) godfather and it made the whole hassle so worth it.