The Dangers of Falling (in Love)

Chapter 27-

*the next day*

"Don't worry Derek, Chris told Allison everything and she told us the short version of it. Just don't leave alright? We need you man." Scott says patting Derek's shoulder who was sitting under the veranda of the cottage.

"Thanks. I don't plan on going anywhere any time soon." Derek answers and the farmhands nod with a smile as they all sit down under the veranda.

They sit there for an hour or so, watching the sunrise over the horizon as the dark clouds slowly roll in from the West.

"The rain is finally coming." The Sheriff's voice says and Derek turns around to find him and Stiles walking towards them. He wasn't in his Sheriff's uniform which means he has the day off, which is good because he hasn't had many lately.

"You said a few months ago the rainfall this winter is going to be off the charts. Do we really want the rain if it's going to be that wet?" Boyd asks looking over at the Sheriff as he takes a seat next to Scott while Stiles sits next to Derek.

"That's true, remember a few years ago it rained a lot and we could barely walk down the driveway it was that muddy and boggy. We couldn't leave the property for a week because the cars kept getting bogged in the driveway." Parrish says and Stiles laughs remembering it.

"That's why last month we got new gravel on the driveways so our vehicles shouldn't get bogged." The Sheriff answers taking a drink of his coffee.

"How long until this storm hit us?" Stiles asks looking over at his dad.

"Tea time tonight roughly, I'd say. So make sure everything is under shelter and in sheds, because although this will only be the first lot of rain, I can guarantee there will be a lot more to come over the next few months." The Sheriff answers as Parrish turns the barbecue on getting ready to cook breakfast.

They all eat breakfast together before heading off on their own beginning the days work. Boyd goes out in the tractor with the sprayer connected to it. Parrish takes the old tractor and the slasher and begins going around the property cutting the tall grass to get ready for the rain. Scott and Stiles both go into Beacon Hills with Scott's ute to pick up bags of cattle and horse feed. They also grab extra food in case they do happen to be stuck on the farm for a week like last time.

Derek in the mean time chops the wood him and Stiles cut the other day. He uses the axe to cut them into good sizes for the fire places inside the farm house and cottage.

As the hours go on he cuts piles of wood before loading it all into the tipper trailer he hooked up the farm ute, before moving onto the next tree he cut down earlier. The weather was significantly cooler now. Scott and Boyd were even wearing jackets in the morning but from swinging the axe for the past few hours Derek was anything but cool.

After his second trailer load of wood he gave up wearing his long sleeve flannel and by the third trailer load he gave up with his white tank top that just stuck to his skin from sweat. Which is exactly how Stiles finds him in the late afternoon, swinging the axe in nothing but his jeans and boots.

"You know you are probably violating every occupational health and safety rule there is for cutting wood." Stiles comments walking over to him.

"Well good thing we live in the middle of no where." Derek responds throwing the axe down into a piece of wood so it sits there as he walks over to Stiles.

"Need any help? Because by the looks of things you are gonna get rained on very soon." Stiles says walking towards Derek who shakes his head.

"Nah the rain is ages away, I just got a couple more to cut. Then gotta load them into the trailer to dump into the wood shed out the back of the farm house." Derek responds and Stiles nods as he starts to grab the pieces of wood that Derek has already cut and throws them into the trailer.