The Dangers of Falling (in Love)

Chapter 23-

"Boys!" The Sheriff's voice shouts. Derek's eyes fly open in an instant, jumping backwards in the bed when the back of his head cracks into the wall behind him. He hisses in pain grabbing the back of his head and looks up to where the Sheriff's voice came from. He is standing in the door way to Stiles' room in his uniform with his arms crossed over his chest.

"And I thought I was the clumsy one." Stiles mutters sleepily and Derek glances to him to find Stiles lying next to him covered in blankets. Well that's where my half of the blankets went, Derek thinks to himself before turning back to the Sheriff. He quickly climbs out of Stiles' bed realising that's why the older mans arms are crossed.

"Sir it's not what it looks like I swear." Derek quickly says standing himself up only just realising he was wearing nothing but his boxer shorts.

"Relax, I just came to tell Stiles that Melissa called and said she's having a small get together at the bar for her birthday tonight. All you guys are invited, she booked out the bar for the night too." The Sheriff informs and Derek nods still holding the back of his head which he could feel was starting to form an egg.

"Yes! It's a private party at the bar? Which means underage kids can drink?" Stiles asks hopefully and the Sheriff nods causing Stiles to fist pump the air in joy and Derek shakes his head with a smile.

"Also boys I don't want any of this in my house." The Sheriff says motioning towards the bed.

"We didn't do anything Dad, we just slept." Stiles says defensively and the Sheriff gives him a doubtful look.

"Good, keep it that way." His father replies walking out the door. "Coffee is ready by the way." He shouts over his shoulder and Derek sighs sitting back down on the bed in relief.

"I thought your Dad was going to shoot me." Derek mutters as Stiles sits himself up in bed.

"He wouldn't do that, he needs you around here." Stiles responds and Derek rolls his eyes grabbing his jeans off the floor putting them back on. "What the hell! How the heck didn't I notice you had a tattoo earlier?" Stiles suddenly asks and Derek looks over his shoulder to find Stiles staring at his back with shocked eyes.

"You've only seen me shirtless once so you wouldn't have noticed it earlier." Derek replies and Stiles shakes his head.

"No, I should have noticed it last night but I was a little distracted with your demigod like body." Stiles responds and Derek rolls his eyes. "Does it mean something?" Stiles asks as he traces the spirals on Derek's back.

"It's a triskelion, which is a Celtic symbol that can mean different things to different people." Derek explains and Stiles nods waiting for him to continue. "You see the three spirals? Each spiral represents something, for some it could be three names, three places, a three worded saying and so on."

"What does it mean to you?" Stiles asks still tracing the black spirals between Derek's shoulder blades.

"Mother, father, siblings." Derek answers looking over his shoulder at Stiles. "Laura had a smaller version of it on her wrist. We saved up our money from doing jobs for people and got it done a year after the fire, sort of like a way to remember them and to always have them with us."

"That is really beautiful, I've always wanted to get a tattoo but I hate needles so that's never happening." Stiles responds with a laugh before standing up putting his jeans on himself. "As much as I don't want you to put a shirt on, we better get changed and start work otherwise my Dad might actually shoot you." Stiles says throwing Derek his tank top and flannel admiring his perfectly sculpted abs and V-line for a little while longer.

-

The weather was getting cooler week by week but right now it felt like a sauna outside. Derek was currently hefting hay bales off Isaacs semi-truck. He throws them onto the ground next to the old barn where Stiles and Isaac began to stack them in rows. The semi trailer was only half full of bales but that was still a lot of bales to lift.