#hale house reno

[atleastpleasetelephone]

Kinktober 2024 - Masterlist

Here is my kinktober masterlist - the prompts are from @starsandskies and these are all Elvis or one of his film characters. They're all x reader unless I've noted otherwise. Let me know what you're most excited about!

Day 1: Dirty talk -Glenn Tyler

You're trying to study but Glenn has other ideas...

Day 2: Against a wall - Elvis during the filming of Charro!

You deliver the Charro! script to Elvis and he takes his frustrations out on you.

Day 3: Orgasm control - Clint Reno

Clint comes to visit you to learn how to make love to a woman.

Day 4: Stockings - 70s Elvis

Elvis takes a liking to your stockings...

Day 5: Praise kink - Dr Carpenter

Dr Carpenter makes a house call.

Day 6: Thigh riding - Rick Richards

You've been flirting with Rick for the whole helicopter ride and now you want to have your way with him.

Day 7: Risky places - Sonny x reader x Elvis

It's yours and Sonny's wedding day, but you keep making eyes at Elvis. Sonny decides it's time to indulge your little fantasy.

Day 8: Threesome/Moresome - Elvis and many women in the jacuzzi

Elvis asks the Memphis Mafia for a tub full of women and has some fun with them.

Day 9: Naked-Clothed - Joe Lightcloud

Joe comes home from the rodeo unexpectedly and catches you having a little fun.

Day 10: Knife play - Charlie Rogers

You're one half of a knife-throwing act in the circus and Charlie wants in on it.

Day 11: Leather/Latex - 68 Elvis in a latex suit

Elvis puts on an outfit he thinks you can't resist, but you turn the tables on him.

Day 12: Role reversal - BDE

When you don't want to see photos of yourself, Elvis realises he hasn't told you you're pretty for a while.

Day 13: Oral - Elvis in the cadillac, early 60s.

Elvis takes you for a date in his new gold-plated Cadillac Limousine.

Day 14: Sensory deprivation/Sensory play - blindfold

When you find it difficult to let go in bed Elvis has an idea.

Day 15: Cock rings/Cages - Walter Hale

You and Walter can't leave each other alone, and he has stamina.

Day 16: Flashing - A girl flashes him at a concert, 72.

When Elvis is surprised by you flashing him he knows he has to find you.

Day 17: Biting/Biting marks - 70s Elvis

You tell BDE you're bored with your sex life so he takes matters into his own hands.

Day 18: Body writing - BDE

You want to show Elvis how much he means to you after a show, and decide lipstick is the best way to do it.

Day 19: Pegging/Strap-ons - Princess universe

Princess persuades Elvis to try something new in the bedroom.

Day 20: Facesitting - 1956 Elvis and an older woman.

Elvis comes to take your daughter for a date but ends up falling for you.

Day 21: Masturbation - Outtake from Gentle On My Mind

Gloria in the shower, thinking about Elvis.

Day 22: Breeding kink - 70s Elvis.

Elvis comes back from signing the contract with the International Hotel full of excitement.

Day 23: Bondage/Restraints - 72 Elvis, a continuation of Kinky Boots.

When you won't stop playing with Elvis' cane collection even though he's told you not to, he has to teach you a lesson.

Day 24: Dom/Sub dynamics - 50s Elvis reading fan mail.

When Elvis gets aroused reading his fan mail you have to teach him a lesson.

Day 25: Impact play/Spanking - 70 Elvis.

You persuade Elvis to hit you with one of his belts.

Day 26: Voyeurism/Exhibitionism - Dr Carpenter.

When Dr Carpenter doesn't come round at the usual time, you decide to go to him. Sequel to day 5.

Day 27: Choking/Breathplay - Greg Nolan.

You're a model Greg is photographing but you can't seem to get your head in the game, so you persuade him to choke you a little.

Day 28: Lap dance - 1970 Elvis in Vegas.

Elvis has fun with an exotic dancer after a Vegas show.

Day 29: Masks/Costumes - set in the present day with 1969 Elvis.

Elvis does a Calvin Klein ad, and as the photographer, you try to stay professional.

Day 30: Hair pulling - Elvis in his reading glasses.

Elvis examines your pussy and gets a little carried away.

Day 31: Aftercare - 70s Elvis.

Elvis feels bad whenever he's rough with you, and afterwards becomes the cutest, fluffiest guy ever.

Taglist:

@vintagepresley @arg-xoxo @from-memphis-with-love @msamarican @blursedblegh @returntopresley @another-identityofmine @eapep @everythingelvispresley @i-r-i-n-a-a @sissylittlefeather @arrolyn1114 @jhoneybees @cattcb @polksaladava @lookingforrainbows @jkdaddy01 @ccab @epthedream69 @lustnhim @elvisslut @pomtherine

[shelbgrey]

Sorting my favorite fictional characters into hogwarts houses because I'm board and I have writers block.

If I have the motivation I'll explain why later or you can commit your thoughts and I'll post them.

Grey's anatomy:

Derek shepherd - Ravenclaw

Meredith Grey - Gryffindor

April Kepner - Hufflepuff

Owen hunt - Gryffindor

Callie Torres - Ravenclaw

Miranda Bailey - Gryffindor

Alex Karev - Slytherin

Jackson avery - Ravenclaw

Arizona Robinson - Hufflepuff

Christina Yang - Askaban

Bridgerton:

Anthony Bridgerton - Slytherin

Benedict Bridgerton - Hufflepuff

Colin Bridgerton - Ravenclaw

Daphne Bridgerton - Gryffindor

Elois Bridgerton - Ravenclaw

Francesca Bridgerton - Hufflepuff

Gregory Bridgerton - Gryffindor

Hyacinth Bridgerton - Hufflepuff

Kate Sharma - Gryffindor

Penelope Fetherington - Ravenclaw

Marvel:

Tony stark - Sylthrin

Steve Rogers - Gryffindor

Clint Barton - Gryffindor

Bruce Banner - Ravenclaw

Thor - Hufflepuff

Natasha Romanoff - Sylthrin

Marc Spector - Gryffindor

Steven Grant - Hufflepuff

Jake Lockly - Slytherin

Scott lang - Hufflepuff

Stephen Strange - Ravenclaw

Wanda Maximoff - Gryffindor

Sam Wilson - Gryffindor

Vision - Ravenclaw

T'challa - Ravenclaw

Bucky Barnes - Sylthrin

Loki - Sylthrin

X-men:

Scott Summers - Gryffindor

Hank McCoy - Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff

Charles Xavier - Gryffindor

Logan Howlett - Slytherin

Jean Grey - Slytherin

Erik Lehnsherr - Slytherin

Storm - Gryffindor

Kurt Wagner - Hufflepuff

Rogue - Gryffindor or Slytherin

Bates motel:

Alex Romero - Gryffindor

Norma Bates - Hufflepuff

Norman Bates - Slytherin

Dylan Massett - Gryffindor

Emma Decody - Ravenclaw

Chick Hogan - Slytherin

Supernatural:

Dean winchester - Gryffindor

Sam Winchester - Ravenclaw

Castiel - Hufflepuff

Charlie Bradbury - Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff

Bobby Singer - Ravenclaw

Jack Kline - Hufflepuff

Lucifer - Slytherin

Gabriel - Gryffindor

Jody Mills - Ravenclaw

Clair Novak - Slytherin

Ghostbusters:

Egon Spengler - Ravenclaw

Peter Venkman - Gryffindor

Ray Stantz - Hufflepuff

Winston Zeddemore - Gryffindor

Bones:

Seeley Booth - Gryffindor

Jack Hodgins - Ravenclaw

Temperance Brennan - Ravenclaw

Lance Sweets - Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff

James Aubrey - Hufflepuff

Zack Addy - Hufflepuff

Angela Montenegro - Gryffindor

Caroline Julian - Gryffindor

Camille Saroyan - Slytherin

Arastoo Vaziri - Ravenclaw

Vincent Nigel-Murray - Hufflepuff

Finn Abernathy - Gryffindor

Colin Fisher - Slytherin

Wendell Bray - Ravenclaw

Daisy wick she shall not be named here - askaban

Once upon a time in... Hollywood

Cliff Booth - Gryffindor

Rick Dalton - Hufflepuff

Sharon Tate - Hufflepuff

The Outsiders:

Sodapop Curtis - Hufflepuff

Ponyboy Curtis - Ravenclaw

Darry Curtis - Gryffindor

Dally Winston - Slytherin

Steve Randle - Hufflepuff

Johnny Cade - Hufflepuff

Two-bit Mathews - Gryffindor

Twilight:

Carlisle Cullen - Ravenclaw

Esme cullen - Hufflepuff

Edward Cullen - Ravenclaw

Emmett Cullen - Gryffindor

Rosalie Hale - Slytherin

Alice Cullen - Hufflepuff

Jasper Hale - Gryffindor

Eleazar Denali - Ravenclaw

Carmen Denali - Gryffindor

Tayna Denali - Hufflepuff

Kate Denali - Gryffindor

Irina Denali - Sylthrin

Garrett - Sylthrin or Gryffindor

Benjamin - Hufflepuff

The Great Gastby:

Jay Gastby - Hufflepuff

Nick Carway - Gryffindor

Jordan Baker - Ravenclaw

Dasiy Buchanan - Hufflepuff

Tom Buchanan - Askaban

Once upon a time:

David Nolan - Gryffindor

Snow white - Hufflepuff

Robin Hood - Gryffindor

Killian Jones - Slytherin

Emma Swan - Gryffindor

Regina Mills - Slytherin

Henry Mills - Ravenclaw

Mr. Gold - Askaban

Belle French - Ravenclaw

Ruby - Gryffindor

August Booth - Ravenclaw

Archie Hopper - Hufflepuff

Elvis Presley's movie characters:

Vince Everett - Gryffindor

Chadwick Gates - Ravenclaw

Clint Reno - Hufflepuff

Steve Grayson - Ravenclaw

Ross Carpenter - Hufflepuff

ER:

Doug Ross - Gryffindor

Mark Greene - Ravenclaw

Susan Lewis - Hufflepuff

Peter Benton - Slytherin

John Carter - Hufflepuff

Ocean's 11:

Danny Ocean - Gryffindor

Rusty Ryan - Slytherin

Linus Caldwell - Hufflepuff

[lifebeginsbyleaving]

Everything but the kitchen table

The Hale house holds so much pain from the past for Derek, but it also holds so much potential for the future. Is he willing to let go of the charred remains in order to open the door and see it rebuilt? And what if all that pain and guilt is the only thing keeping him from the one thing he always gets lead back to. Is he really ashes in the ground or will Stiles be able to show him that he's a phoenix only in need of a spark?

This is part two to Totem poleing through the woods 101. This is also for sterek week 2019 the prompt movie night, but it kinda got away from me.

Derek heard something faintly coming down the driveway, so he turned his blaring music down. He was surprised to hear the old jeep rattling quite close to the house. Stiles was on bed rest for at least another week. The pack had been taking turns keeping him occupied during the days, and everyone found out quickly, operation 'keep Stiles off his sprained ankle' was no fun. Issac still will not speak of the day he ran out of adderall because he forgot to call the pharmacy. It was only two before the sheriff could run them his back up he kept at his office, but Isaac still gets a look of horror if you say 'I'm bored'.

It wasn't Derek's turn for a couple more days and Stiles wasn't supposed to be driving.

Derek quickly took off his dust mask, goggles, and dropped his sledgehammer while he heard squeaky breaks and gravel flying.

Derek took the steps two at a time, but by the time he opened the door Stiles was already out of his jeep and leaning against it.

"Oh haei erig. Ow es et oing?"

"What are you doing here? What have I said? Wait for help stupid!"

Stiles glared, and considering he was carrying a giant bag, filled with curly fries and burgers by stuffing it in his mouth, it lost some of its intended harshness. "Ood. I ough fouud."

Derek took the slightly slobbery bag of food out of Stiles' mouth.

"Ahh thanks man." Stiles, with one hand, kept stuffing things into a duffel bag that some how exploded mid drive, the other he used to keep his nonexistent balance.

"I'm not sure if whatever you just tried to pass off as words were words, but if they were, was it the answer to my question?"

Stiles stilled his shoving. "Derek it is too early in the morning for you to be confusing me like that. That was too many Ws for eight in the morning on a Saturday."

Derek rubbed his face in annoyance. "Stiles. What. Are. You. Doing. Here?" He gestured wildly except for 'you' he pointed at Stiles and for 'here' he pointed at the ground.

"And like I said before, Rude! I brought food." Stiles resumed his one handed shoving.

"Okay so you came over here to bring food, for yourself, to eat in front of me?"

Stiles looked offended. "I, unlike you! Have manners. I brought your favorite."

Derek rolled his eyes. "That is from a burger place on the edge of town. We've never been there together, and the teens that work there get cranky when you order more than seven burgers, so we don't do it for pack night. You don't know my favorite."

"Double cheese burger, no pickles, no mustard, extra onions, and ranch to dip it in. You heathen. Large vanilla shake with a medium regular fry. Bitch."

Derek looked stunned. "How do you possibly know that? We've neve-"

"I'm magic."

Derek gave him the 'oh yeah and I'm the king of leather jackets' eyebrows.

Looking back he didn't know why he named them that, he is the king of leather jackets. Hot damn.

"Erica mentioned it once. The no pickles thing really makes her distrust you, me, I'm more concerned about the ranch thing." Stiles finally finished packing and put the bag over his shoulder. He tried reaching his crutch in the back, but it had shifted in the drive. He couldn't quite reach it. Derek opened the back door and as Stiles' fingertips barely grazed it Derek pulled it out and brought it up to him.

"I had it. But thank you."

He propped himself up with the crutch, then he started looking for his phone which disappeared.

"Alright. Okay, off track. Why did you come to eat here? Why did you leave? You aren't supposed to be driving. I told you if you needed anything to text! I would've brought you food. Wait who was with you today?!"

"Here's the thing, I know your order and you don't know mine. Because you're a selfish prick that doesn't care about me." Stiles stuck out his bottom lip.

"Oh shut up Mr. Two large curly fries, diet coke, and bacon cheese burger! And I don't need you here if you'r- wait... Uggh, Stiles! You did that on purpose. You're trying to distract me, or trick me. You tried to make me angry on purpose!"

Stiles looked back up at him from where he was bent over to look under the seat. "Making the other angry is a defining characteristic of our relationship." He turned back. "And I don't see wh-"

"I want to know who you conned to get here, and I want it to be the next thing out of your mouth."

Derek could smell that Stiles was uncomfortable before he sighed and began speaking. "It was supposed to be my dad, but his days off don't always go as planned. Since he could be called in, Scott was on standby. So my dad Facebook messaged him, don't even ask why he won't text, and Scott still has all of his passwords as Allison soooo..." Stiles had been searching for an obviously not under that seat phone, conveniently crouched in a place Derek couldn't see his face.

"You logged on, pretended to be him, and deleted the messages to play Bueller. That still doesn't explain why you're here, this isn't the sears tower."

"Actually the dad not texting story is pretty funn-"

"Stiles!"

He leaned up quickly. "Fine! Okay. I just couldn't handle being in that house anymore it was driving me crazy. And I know they were only trying to help, but the pack babysitting me got on my nerves. I have a sprain, I didn't loose the bottom half of my body. And you're the only one that doesn't make me feel like I'm broken. I mean, you worry more than my father does, but you still let me do what I can without letting me do what I can't. Or letting me convince you I can actually do it."

Stiles scratched the back of his head. "And I knew you would start here today, so I wanted to be here. For you. You shouldn't be alone for this. So I came to listen, or to talk. Whatever you need. Whatever you want. If you want. I mean you might not want me to, but too bad. I'm here now. And I brought movies."

Derek took a deep breath. "Okay. Fine."

Derek paused in a defeated silence.

"Is that why there's a blow up mattress strapped to your roof?"

"I figured you still wouldn't have power yet, and I didn't think you would let me use the generator for it." He would have.

"Right. Do I even want to know how you got that up there?"

"No, not really."

"Okay. Inside."

Three mission impossibles later, Derek knew why it took Stiles so long to repack it, and why it looked so full. His old living room, and the air mattress that occupied it, was covered with stuff. There was candy all over, half eaten bags of chips scattered, and cords running from a battery bank to his computer and phone. Not to mention the surplus of blankets, sleeping bags, and quilts he must've mugged an old lady for that wrapped him in multiple layers like a mummy.

It was starting to get late and he was sweaty and dirty from the dust and work of knocking down the ruined walls of the left side of the house.

This was only the beginning of a long process, but Derek did feel like it was starting to heal him. The first few days after they got back from the woods that night, Derek watched over him and took the pain Stiles insisted was nothing. Even though he knew Stiles was joking when he said it was Derek's fault, he still knew Stiles wouldn't have been out there if it wasn't for him. He went out there for him to make sure he was okay, so the least Derek could do was stay with him to do the same. To keep him occupied they talked a lot, and Stiles kept bringing up the old Hale house and before the fourth day Derek had a contractor scheduled to come look at it by the next Thursday. Stiles had said something that had stuck with him and he couldn't sleep without it nagging him so much he had eventually called. The next day Stiles handed him papers on where to rent equipment and an industrial sized dumpster without Derek even saying anything and his words rang in his head once again.

'It's only closure if you're really closing something off. I don't think you ever really had closure with that house, because that book hasn't ended yet. Maybe the chapter did, but I don't think you're ready for it to be the end of the Hales. Are you ready to close that book when Cora or your pack could help you carry it on? They could be your future. Hell even Peter could. Derek, do you really want that to be where your story ends, or are you just too scared that looking at the next page is going to hurt knowing what isn't going to be written there. Who won't be there. Maybe you have to let go of them to hold on to who you have, and even what you could have. If you want it."

Stiles was right. He had been holding onto burning corpses for so long he forgot how to hold anything else. His hands were either too sensitive from the healing that it hurt him to hold on, or he chased people away with the callouses of scarred, harsh skin.

Stiles understood him in a way only his family ever had. Derek forgot what it like to trust someone to have your back and be able to take care of themselves before Stiles kept getting thrown in his path.

There was a small nagging part of him that thought maybe that made Stiles his, that maybe he had been resisting all this time for nothing. If he was being honest he had thought Stiles had been his the moment he jumped in that pool, but he needed to be sure.

Stiles was right he wanted to rebuild his future, he'd yearned for it for a long time, but he had to make sure it was the right one and that he had the right people. He had thought he was building something with people that only ever tore him down, so he was cautious. Maybe slightly over cautious, but the pack, his pack was involved.

He wouldn't trust the wrong person twice. Stiles wouldn't hurt him, but his past was like an old wound pulling his shoulder tight as his arms tried to reach out. It felt like a warning, reminder, and punishment all at the same time. Even as he tried to push the paranoia down he had to be sure. He wouldn't let silence fall on his pack again, even if he'd never been more sure of anything.

"Are you seriously starting the fourth one? Turn that off. I'm going to drive you home."

Stiles' eyes blinked rapidly to adjust from the computer screen to the dark. "Derek. Whoa! When did it get so dark?"

"It's like eight thirty. Get ready."

Stiles took a moment to focus. "No. I told dad I was staying at Scott's overnight, because it's too much moving to do just for a day. Plus he knows our gaming nights are always overnighters and most likely the whole weekend."

"Alright fine. You can come to the loft." Derek started gathering the duffel bag back together.

"No. I want to stay here."

"Stiles I'm not letting you stay here. It's cold, unprotected, and you're hurt."

"Well too bad it's not up to you. A shame really." He smoothed the blankets out on top of himself to prove his point, the little shit.

"I'm not letting you stay in this house yet. It's a disaster, it's not fit to stay in."

Stiles looked up defiantly. "This house is wonderful. I'm not going to get cold. The minute I got settled you boarded off this entire room to keep the heat from the heater in. It's not cold. Besides I came prepared, you are looking at every blanket in the Stilinski house except my dad's comforter. It's not unprotected, you're here, and so fucking what if I'm hurt? And what do you mean not fit to stay in? You stayed here! I mean I know it was a part of your holy self flagellation crusade to punish yourself, but you're still kickin so it must be okay. I'm staying here, are you?"

Derek sighed deeply, that was his 'I'm not changing my mind and you'll have to listen to me' voice. It sounded a lot like his regular voice to him. "Fine, but I get the big blue fluffy sleeping bag if I'm sleeping on the cold floor." Derek moved to grab the end of it to pull it from Stiles like a magician would a table cloth.

"Ah uh." Stiles shook his head them lifted the top corner of the layers of blankets. "I said it wasn't cold, not that it was warm. Come on, super heat please."

Derek internally debated till he saw Stiles start to lower the covers. "Fine. Only because your scrawny ass would freeze, and your dad has multiple guns."

"Atta boy."

This wasn't a couch, but with Stiles falling asleep next to him he easily imagined this happening more just like he had imagined that night in the woods. No matter how much of Stiles he got he always wanted more.

They watched a few more movies before Stiles' battery bank ran out and they both were tired. They both had seen them before so they talked throughout them about how the contractor said the only part that has to be completely demolished and rebuilt was the left side of the house which he was currently working on, what the next steps were, and they argued about whether or not Stiles would be staying tomorrow to watch more movies and occasionally shout, 'Oh nice one. I felt the walls rattle over here.' and 'Derek this is a good part!' while eating snacks.

He would be.

As they settled to go to sleep in the darkness Derek spoke, "Thank you. For today. The burger, the company, and the movies. I needed it and I didn't even know it, but you did. So thanks."

Derek heard Stiles's pillow rustle and he knew Stiles was looking where his human eyes thought his face was. It was oddly sweet that even now he wanted to show he was being sincere. "I'll always be here Derek."

There was a silence, then his pillow rustled again. "I'm like gum stuck to the bottom of your shoe, I'll stick around till you scrape me off."

Derek smiled into the darkness. "Goodnight gum eternally stuck to the bottom of my shoe."

"Goodnight inconvenient shoe that stole me from my sidewalk."

There was another pause.

"Good night Derek."

Derek's smile turned from amused to loving even if no one saw. "Goodnight Stiles."

Derek fell asleep with the soothing rhythm of Stiles' heartbeat and the pattern of his breathing in his ears.

Derek awoke from his slumber sensing danger. He half shifted and looked out with red eyes about to spring up. He searched his side of the room before turning and looking over Stiles.

His eyes caught a raccoon across the room that must've been used to this place being abandoned. It was snacking on a half eaten granola bar Stiles left out. Stiles turned in his sleep and drew the attention of the raccoon. It's beady little eyes were looking right at Stiles' sleeping face. Derek didn't like it. He pulled Stiles to his chest while growling with once again red eyes. Derek couldn't tell if the territorial tone of his growl was restaking his claim on the Hale property, or telling the raccoon to keep his grubby little paws off his Stiles. Either way it got the message, scampering away with the granola bar and snagging a bag of chips on his run out.

"Derek!"

Derek had just finished clearing out the charred remains of one of his cousins rooms and the dust was clouding his eyes and blurring them, even through his goggles, when he heard the shout. He made his way back to the room Stiles was in.

Stiles had called him at least a dozen times and Derek had come in to take breaks and catch parts of the movies when he got too tired or overwhelmed. Each time he would get whatever the other needed, and then each time Stiles would say what he needed to hear.

"Yes?"

"Do you know where my sour cream and onion chips are?"

Derek fought a grin. "By now? Eaten probably."

"I knew it! You ate my chips, you know they're my favorite! You bastard!"

"Second favorite, and I don't like sour cream and onion chips."

"Well then who took them? I bet you've been lying this whole time, so the pack trusts you and then bam! You steal their snacks. You fiend!"

Derek deadpanned. "Drats I've been caught. I've been lying this whole time to steal chips I could just buy myself."

"Seriously Derek I can't find them."

"I'll get you more. I have to go get some stuff for dinner anyway."

The theft was forgotten. "Will you get chicken fajitas?"

Derek nodded from where he was putting his mask back on. "Yeah I'll get some extra too, so you can take some for your dad tomorrow."

Stiles was taken aback by just how much that meant to him. Derek had sent Melissa flowers after she patched him up once and he sent all the cats of the little old ladies that seemed drawn to him and wouldn't stop talking about how worried about mister snuffles they were, over to Deaton to get them to stop talking, but this was him going out of his way to take care of his father. That meant the world to Stiles. It also didn't go unnoticed that Derek didn't put up a fight about Stiles staying again. He felt overwhelmed by all the feelings and the hope building in his chest.

"I love you."

Derek froze in his path back to the room he was working on.

"Shit no I- I meant thank you! Thank you that was very sweet."

Stiles noticed his tense shoulders slump.

"Yeah no problem." Derek resumed his path back towards the steps.

Oh fuck Stiles didn't mean to do that either. He basically said I love you then took it back. Shit. He couldn't let Derek misunderstand him.

"I do though."

Derek's arm stilled on the banister.

"I do love you." Even with the annoying dust mask blocking his view he could tell Derek was slightly smiling while he nodded softly. "You are a great alpha, a great friend, an-" Stiles hesitated for a moment that gave away what they both wished he could say next. "And a great contractor so go up there and show those walls who's boss!"

Stiles stayed the night again and watched the entire Bourne series. Derek caught the last two and they argued about their differing opinions about Jeremy Renner's acting choices. They both tried to pretend this wasn't going to become a thing.

Derek woke up wrapped around Stiles again and he couldn't possibly imagine how he thought he'd be strong enough to resist this.

After packing up his stuff Derek drove him back with the leftovers. He tried carrying Stiles up the steps, but that was met with threats of shoving a crutch somewhere it should not be. They did laugh again after Stiles said he wasn't two. Derek swore he could listen to that laugh forever and he could happily spend the rest of his life trying to cause it.

They didn't speak again until it was Derek's day. Then it was like the floodgates of planning opened.

Stiles told Derek he was bored and had nothing to do so he researched rebuilding houses and everything they needed to know. Which was a lot. He did have Derek fill in some holes though. How long do you want this to take was met with, I want the house ready as soon as possible, but there is no deadline. His various questions about the type of contractors  he wanted were more in depth. Then, when Stiles asked what the budget was Derek said I wasn't an issue. Stiles insisted he needed at least a guess estimate. Derek blankly told him he had five point five million dollars worth of life and homeowners insurance policies to cash in and if that wasn't enough he could get more. The way he said it told Stiles he hadn't touched the money yet, but he wanted as much of it used for this as possible.

Stiles swiftly moved on to showing Derek other things he had planned, like maybe a game room/den. There was something scribbled out next to it and Derek tried really hard to pretend he didn't read playroom with question marks by it, but he did and he was sure the next time he dreamed about Stiles they would have a little three year old in a room surrounded by toys.

Stiles was thorough, he said he was already planning the movie schedule. He outlined what movies would go best with which tasks. He even color coded how enjoyable the tasks would be to determine how great the movies had to be each day.

Derek was overwhelmed with just how much thought he had put into it, and how close this was to perfect. How close this was to Stiles and him building a home and future, together, for their pack. How close, 'You should do this.' was to, 'We should do this.' How close 'It's your house man.' was to, 'It's my house too babe!' This was the 'Hey I want one of the rooms right next door to yours.' kind of close, and Derek wanted nothing more than to just close that distance.

He snapped back to reality when Stiles showed him something about the plans.

"Why do the movies drop down to only two after two weekends?"

"Well I figure we'll be too tired to stay up for more than that, and I, unlike you, am not okay with just listening to movies even if I have seen them before."

"Why wouldn't you be able to watch them?"

Stiles looked at him like he was stupid. "Because I'll be helping. By then my leg will be healed completely."

Derek hadn't thought about his leg being healed. He was more disoriented than when wolf's bane was blown into his face.

He thought he was just coming over to get away from everyone else, once his leg was fine he didn't expect him to come back. He thought Stiles was just bored like he said, but he actually wanted to be involved. Stiles wanted to build a house with him. Stiles was in this for the long haul, and that meant something entirely different. Stiles was going to help him build a house. A house for his pack. He was stunned into silence as Stiles rambled for the rest of the day about plans. He couldn't imagine anything he wanted more than to hear Stiles talk about their future.

Stiles was a sweaty panting mess. There was dust covering him head to toe. He could barely get out his words. "I'm- I'm gonna ta- take a break. Water. Go and find water." Stiles pointed over his shoulder as he spoke like Derek needed a clue as to where he was going to find a water bottle.

Even down stairs he could still here him panting. Knowing he wasn't going to get any work done without maiming himself he went to take a break too.

When he walked into the room Stiles instantly smirked.

"What?"

Stiles didn't reply he just put both of his hands high into the air pointed towards Derek and made a grabby motion. Derek looked confused as he came closer. His hands moved to keep aimed at his head and Derek leaned his head down towards Stiles. He was still surprised when he felt fingers thread into his hair, then ruffle his hair.

"You looked like an old man with how much dust was in your hair."

He leaned up to catch sight of Stiles smirk.

"Thanks."

"No problem." Stiles threw him a water bottle.

"We could make today a half day, go get some lunch. You sound pretty tired. How bout we call it a day? You're human and still healing."

Stiles nodded as he swallowed a big gulp. "Yeah, I was thinking about that, what if we had more nonhuman muscle? And shut up I'm healed just fine."

"You mean the pack?"

"No, I was thinking of harnessing the workforce of the legion of dwarfs hidden in the forest."

"Oh I heard they unionized. Dang huh."

Stiles threw his hands up in disbelief. "Well, there goes that plan. I guess we could see if the pack is busy... If that's okay with you. It's totally fine if not, but we could use the help and I think they should be a part of this." Stiles tried to seem nonchalant, but he knew what he looked like when he was analyzing someone.

Derek wasn't wrong before, because he could never have imagined how great Stiles wanting to build a future with him and his pack was. "You'll have to factor them into your plan."

"I made two."

Derek nodded. "Okay. I think they should be here too."

"Great! Let's get back to work." Stiles jumped up with a surprising vigor.

Derek only rose an eyebrow and smirked at Stiles as he heard vehicles approaching a half hour later.

"What?"

"You brought your dad's extra sledgehammer in case one broke, huh?"

"I believe I said, 'Just in case one breaks, or something.' Consider this or something."

"What if I would've said no?"

"I knew you wouldn't."

"No you didn't."

Stiles rolled his eyes, then met Derek with a look so intense, even through two pairs of ridiculous goggles, he believed him when he spoke. "Yes I did."

That weekend the pack knocked down the rest of the scorched walls and watched Indiana Jones. The pack found some extra rope lying around and dared Jackson to use it as a whip and swing from a tree like Indy. When the rope slipped from the tree Stiles laughed as hard as Isaac did when Scott took down a walk by bursting through it like the kool-aid man. Everyone was in awe as Erica effortlessly used it to land perfectly on a branch, after tying a small log to the end. Stiles shouted that's my catwoman before everyone was yelled at to get back to work.

The pattern Stiles set was Derek was to work through the week and then the pack would help Friday nights till Sunday and watching movies after each day.

The next week they spent the entire time planning while watching the Ocean's movies, and were stunned to find out Lydia had taken an online introductory college course into architecture and structural support in freshman year.

"Wait, how? You had a full course load already."

"Well, technically Natalie Martin has the credit, but I was bored and I like mathematically correct buildings."

The rest of the weekend was filled with pizza, movies, and Lydia Martin looking at them like aliens for suggesting moving windows. She proved her genius status though, because as they argued back and forth she put together a beautiful plan that made everyone happy.

The first floor changes started as soon as you walk in the door, the mudroom was requested by Derek so they didn't track in as much dirt, and knowing them, eventually blood. As you looked straight the big set of stairs were going to be there. To the right was a living room that led into a large open concept kitchen, with a pantry tucked under the tall stairs. To the right on the other side after you walked into the front door, led into a library/ pack meeting room, with a bathroom tucked by the corner of the room and the stairs. From the library through elegant French doors was the dining room, right where the original was. Something Derek insisted on going into the plan. Off the dining room was an office sharing a wall with the pantry, also under the stairs.

The stairs to the second floor would lead up to a broad picture window to let in light, which was Allison's idea. There was a hallway in the shape of a lower case n, which the stairs were in the top part. Down the left side of the hall there were to be two bedrooms that shared a Jack and Jill bathroom. Going around the banister of the stairs the master bedroom was in the empty middle part of the n, which had an en suite. The right side mirrored the left in all except in the corner just as you turn right coming up the stairs the spiral stairs from Derek's loft were going there.

Something Stiles had fought them all for and ultimately used a pack decision veto for. Lydia said they were stupid which made Stiles scoff and go off about how cool they were. Malia and Cora agreed, but Boyd brought up they could be dangerous if there ever were any little kids, which brought a pause when all the couples looked at each other. Isaac then said they could wrap them in bubble wrap, with that the awkward pause was quickly pushed past.

Up and around the stairs on the right side of the house led to the same as below them, but in the middle instead of space for a large grand stairway and a master bedroom there was a regular sized bedroom and closest to the stairs a den. The den didn't have doors, just two entryways that led right through it to the other side of bedrooms and their bathroom. Jackson, Isaac, Erica, and Scott all thought that was stupid that there was no other way to get to the other bedrooms besides through the den, but were eventually overruled. The fact that that's where the gaming consoles would go had nothing to do with their opinion, even if it was brought up right before they took issue.

The basement was accessible by a door in the side of the stairs on the first floor and had a laundry room, but there were no further plans for it just yet and no one commented.

All of the ten bedrooms were on the upper two levels. However, after fights broke out Derek made it very clear that no decisions about who got what room were to be made till the house was further along, even if by Sunday everyone would call unofficial dibs on a room. Since no rooms were for sure they decided to wait on figuring out decoration and paints, one thing at a time.

With the plans made Stiles went to the station on Monday and brought his father a horrendously greasy burger and side of fries which he snatched and pointed an accusing finger.

"What did you do? If there's a body I don't want to know where it is, just that you've taken care of it."

Stiles out his hands up placatingly. "Whoa, whoa! Pops I would never, ever, and I mean ever, tell you if I did kill someone."

He squinted his eyes and his mouth gaped a little. "That's a great comfort Stiles. I can feel my blood pressure lowering. Seriously though son... do I need to go get a loan to pay somebody off, because the bank clos-"

"Come on, can't a son just come to visit his old man? Who is looking pretty great today. Eh eh? Did you do something different with your hair? It looks great."

"A son can, and even you can. When you bring me something leafy and green and disgusting, but with that burger you're up to something. What is it?"

"Oh yee of little faith. I am merely appreciating my wonderful father. Who loves me very much and wo-"

"Miezyslaw!" He used his authoritative sheriff father tone. Which was scarier than his father tone and his sheriff tone.

Stiles shoulders deflated and he dropped the overly happy face. "I need a small favor, or rather the pack needs one. You know your old friend from school Normand? Lovely old fellow. Would invite you to dinner all the time and to play golf, and-"

"And wouldn't shut up about how many properties he owned and couldn't stop speaking for two seconds, and wouldn't take no for an answer, and wouldn't let me leave for hours?"

"And the one on the committees in charge of planning permission and building permits."

He sighed. "No. Whatever it is no. It took me a year to slowly phase him out of talking to me. A year! He doesn't get a hint. I'm not putting up with him again."

Stiles slumped into his chair and looked utterly dejected. "Okay fine. It's no problem, really. It wasn't even that big of a deal. It was just for the pack, that's why it was important to me."

John looked away from Stiles' big sad eyes quickly. He riffled through the bag and it had a large fry and a double bacon cheese burger in it. Looking back up to asking if Stiles really did kill someone was a mistake. Stiles was pointedly not looking at the sheriff with almost teary eyes and a lip pouting out. Damn it.

He knew this con, Stiles pulled it when he was eight. He sat looking sad on the floor until he came over and asked what happened. He had given Scott his bumblebee toy after his parents had a big fight to cheer him up, but now he had nothing to play with besides his hundreds of other toys. Stiles looked at him with little innocent eyes as he told him he was just happy Scott was happy, but he did wish he could've given him the new optimus prime toy instead because it was his favorite and Stiles' was the bumblebee he had given away. It was two weeks later before he realized what happened and it was too late to take the toy back because Stiles had already given it to Scott and lost his. He knew he was going to fall for it again. Damn it.

Lately, sometimes when he looked at his son he didn't even recognize him, but right now with his big brown eyes shining and his pouty lips he looked as much like his mother as he had when he looked at the world with nothing but hope and mischief.

He sighed. "What do you need him for?"

"You know the old Hale house? The one Derek's family tragically died in when he was young?"

He looked at him flatly. "I think I know the one Stiles."

"Okay well recently I convinced Derek to rebuild it, but we hit a road block. Since it was burned down, you know tragically, the committee has the right to seem it unsafe and not worth the time and money to rebuild and force us to tear it down. Buuut they wouldn't know that a bunch of werewolves are rebuilding it, sooooo..."

"It sounds like they might not even do that, and you are very convincing when you want to be. Believe me, I know."

"Buuut daaad once they deem it unsafe we can't overturn it! And Derek has been getting really excited about it. He hasn't said, but I can tell." Stiles' voice got softer. "And I think this is good for him. Finally moving on. I think it's good for all of us. We've had so much going on lately and I think the pack just needs a place that they can be themselves-"

"And a place that isn't mine where they eat all of my food, while blaring back to the future. Friggin werewolves."

"We watched it one time dad. They always appreciated you letting us have pack stuff there. But we do need a bigger place, one where everyone can be safe. It would do us and Derek good being able to be close."

His son's tone betrayed a too personal note when he talked about safety for his liking. "Do you not feel safe here? Do I not allow you to be yourself?"

Stiles looked ashamed. "It's not my safety I'm worried about." Stiles looked away from him. "I couldn't live with myself if- if someone came to the house looking for me an- and they-"

He circled the desk swiftly and folded Stiles into a hug. "Hey, hey. You stop that, I'm supposed to be the one looking out for you. Besides if someone comes looking for trouble I've got an entire clip dipped in wolf's bane waiting in my nightstand for them. Now that I know the truth that is." He said the last bit scolding even as he was scared to death of the world his son was wrapped up in. He wanted nothing more than to yank his son out of it and into safety, but he knew with the people he cared about still in it Stiles would run right back.

Stiles' voice came out muffled and stuffy from where he was pressed against his dad's shoulder. "You did before too. I took it when you were sleeping."

He pulled back and looked at those brown eyes once again, but now the tears were falling and his nose was running.

"You're always taking care of your old man. When and how did you grow up from that scrawny little kid into a strong man that takes care of everybody else?"

Stiles wiped his snot and shrugged. "I just watched you."

And there it was. He was getting worried he'd never see that look of youthful adoration in his eyes again. He pulled him into a bone crushing hug. "Even if I'll never stop, I don't think it's just my job to watch out for you anymore, maybe I should start watching you instead kid."

"Maybe you could start watching after we get the permits. We could use some help once it's time to start working on the basement. I don't- I don't think he should be there. We need the help, I mean I know you've got brittle old man bones bu-"

"Hey!" His hands shot down to Stiles' ribs and as he started tickling Stiles jumped away with a laugh.

They smiled at each other before he spoke. "You wouldn't mind it? Or would they? Having your dad around? Isn't this project a pack thing?"

"I would love to have you there, and so would they. Erica absolutely loves you. It is. You're pack to me so you're pack to them. That's how it works. And if Derek can invite Peter, I sure as hell can invite you."

John looked touched. "I'll get in touch with Normand, don't even worry about it. Tell me the time. I'll be there son."

Stiles smiled at him.

"One last thing. When you say it would do us and Derek good to be close do you mean, like you and him us or you and the pack us?"

Stiles squinted not understanding. "Boooth? It would be good for all of us."

"No son. Look would you be getting your own room?"

"Of course I wou- Oh! Dad no! I won't be moving! I wouldn't leave you by yourself! I'm not go-"

"Gee thanks for making it seen like I'm a two year old that can't fend for myself. That's still not what I meant." He looked uncomfortable as he looked down and rubbed the back of his neck. He looked back up. "Would you be getting a room to yourself... or would you be sharing... with Derek?"

Stiles blinked a few times before he flailed.

The permit took a long four weeks to get approved, so good thing gutting was a long process. They had to take all of the old unusable walls, flooring, wiring, plumbing, HVAC, and insulation out. It was a good thing the house was built with such quality materials otherwise the process would be a doze and build from the ground up. Most of the fire burned hot and fast on the left side, and the right side was only in rough shape because of the smoke and neglect. Still he wanted everything possible, that had ash and burned air in it gone, while keeping as much of the bones as they could.

Gutting was strenuous so they were too tired to watch more than one movie. They watched one movie out of the underworld series, each night they all worked, for three weeks. Except the night they watched the shorts they spent most of the night debating whether or not the movies were offensive or so horrendously inaccurate that it was funny. Either way Stiles spent a good amount of time talking about how hot Michael Sheen was, and is in good omens.

On the fourth weekend there was nothing they could do, so Stiles went home. He spent some quality time with his dad, he complained about the pack and his dad complained about having to talk to Normand.

True to his word after he helped grease the wheels he showed up for adding support to the basement. Although he did decline staying for a movie. That might've been because he saw Stiles grab mean girls, and everyone had been wearing varying shades of pink, even Derek. He saw socks that looked strikingly familiar as he leaned up to hold a beam in the air. He had watched that movie so many times it wasn't even fetch, no thank you.

It was good having his dad there even if he knew with work it wouldn't happen often.

It was just Stiles and Derek now cleaning up.

"So how was today?" He was worried about Derek even if the pack wouldn't let him anywhere near the basement the whole day. He just cut the beams and helped with other things.

"Other than the disturbing fact that my uncle can quote Gretchen Weiners, not bad."

Stiles hip checked him as he went by with handfuls of garbage. "Are you sure? I was worried about it. That wasn't the best way to start off the project."

"Is that why you kept asking the contractor if we could start supporting the building from the bottom up somewhere else other than the basement? It was fine Stiles. Good even. Like he said, 'Kid if you want anything you build to stay up you've got to start at the bottom and support up.' Pretty good advice."

"Okay. Do you want to stay up to watch a different movie?"

"Nah I better get to sleep for tomorrow. You should too, are you staying?"

"Boo you whore. Yeah I think I will. It's too late to drive back now."

The after one weekend of Lydia commandeering movie choice to watch Nicolas Sparks movies, they watched John Mulaney specials the next, while finishing rebuilding the left side of the house's support, foundation, and walls. Even Peter showed up, although Derek cringed when he understood millennial humor better than he did. John shocked everyone when he quoted, 'Eat ass, suck a dick, and sell drugs.' They stared at him till Stiles explained he really loved when he showed him the Bittenbinder method and then became obsessed.

When the pack finished all the rebuilding of the frame of the left side, they watched both Mary Poppins in celebration. Isaac was ecstatic, because of his giant man crush on Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Allison spoke up after the first one, "We have to have a Julie Andrews marathon. I loved the princess diaries so much I only ate pears for a week. My dad had to cut me off, because I got stomachaches."

"Aww babe that's so cute!"

The dimple fest was as sickening as eating only pears for a week.

"Yes you're both adorable. Shut up. I think we should have a Anne Hathaway marathon, eh batman?"

He smirked. "Of course. She is my favorite."

They watched both of the princess diaries the next Friday night, and Scott and Stiles slid down the blanket covered stairs on the air mattress. Then they stayed up late to watch all three Christian Bale batmans. On Sunday when they were finishing putting the framing for the new walls up and nailing the outer boards to close all the holes in the house with a layer to keep the rain and cold out temporarily, Stiles couldn't stop quoting the movies.

"Stiles I asked for a cola two hours ago." Cora stared in disbelief.

Stiles merely held the soda out and lifted his chin. "A queen is never late, everyone else is simply early."

"More like drama queen." Derek muttered under his breath.

Stiles gasped and then smirked. "But I'm a cute drama queen I make all the other drama queens go rawwwr."

Several quite witty quotes, if Stiles had to say so, later and he could tell he crossed the, 'haha that's funny.' line into, 'I'll kill you if you say anything about pears again.'

"Stiles hand me the nail gun."

"'He's the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now.'" Stiles quoted as he held up a hammer and some nails.

"Stiles this is heavy."

"Dude you're a werewolf. Suck it up. Besides, the air compressor is out of air. It needs a minute, so 'He's the hero Goth-'"

"Swear to god Stilinski if you quote Batman one more time-"

"Don't worry your pretty little head... the eagle has landed for the last time." Stiles dashed out of the house and Jackson after him.

"I swear to god Stilinski I'm gonna nail gun your mouth closed."

"It's a good thing the compres- oof!"

They heard him get tackled to the ground.

"Guys! Help!"

Malia yelled, "Don't break him, we still need him to work. But make sure he can't quote anything else."

"Scott!"

"Sorry bud. Even I get sick of batman."

"Traitor! Derek!" There was a pause. "Come on, you complete me!"

"You know I was considering it, but just for that one you're on your own."

Stiles started laughing hysterically. Through the breathless laughs he tried to speak. "Catwoman! Come help me!"

"Sorry darling, cats come when they feel like it. Not when they're told."

By the time he escaped they looked like they were almost done.

The roof needed to be replaced next to complete the rough dry in before they could start on internal things. Peter apparently drove over to help Derek prep the roof before the weekend, because when they showed up it was ready to be done and Peter was creeping close by. Well, Stiles imagined he showed up out of a ominous cloud of mist and whispered I'm here, but his car was there so it's anybody's guess.

Roofing went horrible. It was three stories up and as soon as Stiles convinced them to let him up he nearly fell off reenacting the scene from avengers went  Thor says, 'You want me to put the hammer down?!' He was then confined to the ground and drink duty. They watched Aristocats and Finding Nemo and Stiles with Erica's help made caramel puffcorn, rice crispies, and crème de la crème à la Edgar at the sheriff's house before bringing it over. Malia said it was just warm milk and Jackson scoffed.

"I'm the leader I'll decide what it is."

Stiles gaped at Jackson. "Seriously!" He flailed. "After all the shit you gave me! You asshole."

Jackson shrugged. "It was always one of my favorites." He looked like he was about to bolt and he wouldn't look anyone in the eyes.

Stiles nodded. "Good choice dude. It's a great movie."

Jackson nodded and he was biting his lip as he looked down.

Derek asked Cora to help him with installing the windows and doors the following week. Stiles was happy for their sibling bonding time, but then once the pack got there on Friday there wasn't much to do. They didn't end up watching any movies. Which disappointed him, but he did blare waving through a window and love is an open door on repeat till Malia threatened to smash his phone. Cora and Derek seemed happier with each other and closer, so Stiles was glad.

They picked a stone grey for siding and a beautiful day to put it up. It was sunny, but with a slight breeze to cool everyone off.

Stiles dad was able to make it. Argent even came, because he had to drop Allison off while her car was in the shop and he decided to stay and help. Stiles thought it was because he felt guilty that the whole reason it had to be rebuilt was his sister. Derek thought he was using it as an opportunity for an olive branch for the sake of his daughter. It was probably both, but Stiles still was impressed that Derek could let an Argent other than Allison back on his territory, even if he was tense every time he saw him. Peter was the same way except Stiles thought his eyes were watching his ass a little more than necessary and with too much appreciation for it to all be suspicion. They were so going to have angry hate sex, Stiles was calling it now.

Stiles made sandwiches, Lydia brought fancy blackberry lemonade that was delicious, Erica made a pasta salad, Derek made an old family calico bean recipe, John brought dessert, and Jackson brought chips and dip.

The day was filled with work, play, and so many laughs they could all get used to peace like this. Stiles was shocked nothing had happened yet.

They were all busy outside with putting up the siding and messing around. Stiles' father came up to him.

"Hey kiddo. Are there other drinks inside?"

"Oh yeah. I'll go grab you something." Stiles started putting what he was doing down.

"No, no. I'll go."

Stiles looked nervously at where Derek was alone in the kitchen. They were still on rocky ground, since he arrested him and Stiles wasn't sure if he blamed Derek for Stiles being involved in a lot of the danger he was. He started to protest again.

"Relax. I'm not going to arrest him... again."

The sheriff stalked into the house with purpose.

"Sir." Derek nodded.

"Derek."

"Soda?"

John raised an eyebrow. "Are you okay with Stiles seeing you handing me a soda?"

"He's busy, I'll take my chances."

"So has everything been quiet in town sir?"

"Let's cut the small talk. I'd rather not talk about my job or the weather."

Derek's nerves rose. "Is there something you want to talk about sir?"

"This pack bond thing. How does it work?"

"There's a lot to it, and I think you want to know something specific. Right sir?"

"You being the alpha they protect you right? With their lives?"

"In some packs, yes, but not normally, no. I'm their alpha it's my job to protect them, I care for them, provide."

"Hence the house." John used his hand holding his soda to gesture to the house around them.

"Yes."

"But they do don't they? They protect you with their lives."

"They do."

"Is it because of the pack bond are they forced to?"

"It's a little complicated-"

"It's a simple question Derek, are you using these kids as human shields or not?"

Derek looked startled. "I-I um." Derek let out a breath and nodded his head while looking apologetic. "Yeah I guess I was. In the beginning when I just wanted power to protect myself, but they changed me. When you're bitten the alpha that bit you can force you to obey him, but if you choose an alpha willingly it has to be because you feel they are worth protecting, worth dying for."

Derek looked out at everyone.

"I don't think I'm worth any of their lives, hell not even all of them put together. I just want to protect them, to me they are worth dying for. Every last one of them chose to be in my pack, I still don't know why, but I'll be damned if I let anything happen to them. I'm not living through that again." Derek spoke every word with conviction and emotion.

"And does that go for all of them? Do you have the bond with the humans? Can you force them to do what you say too?"

"The lore isn't clear how the pack bond translates to humans. Some people say yes, some say no. I don't think I could force Lydia, Allison, or Stiles to do whatever I said even if they were my betas."

"Is it different because Stiles is a witch?" He waggled his fingers.

"He's a spark. And no. He's more human than wolf so that doesn't effect it."

"I guess what I'm trying to say is, what do you feel? Would you protect them like the rest of your pack? Would you protect Stiles?"

Derek looked John dead in the eyes. "I would protect him with everything in me sir. It's different with pack when you lose someone I wouldn't let it happen."

He nodded. "How so? How does it effect them if you die or get hurt?"

Derek thought for a moment. "My betas would be crushed. Some are even known to go mad with loss or kill themselves. It is an overwhelming feeling losing your alpha. It feels like you are lost and have no meaning, like you failed, and are utterly alone without guidance. But the humans, they would react like a regular person. They would feel the loss, but they would be okay."

"And you? If you lost one them?"

"I wouldn't live with myself. When you lose any pack it isn't like you lose someone close to you. It's like you lose a vital part of yourself. For an alpha it is tenfold. The worst pain I could think of."

"Okay that's all I needed to know. But I need to tell you some things."

Derek nodded. "Yes sir?"

"If someone hurts him, you'll feel it. I know that now, you'll take care of him. But if you hurt him-"

"You have wolf's bane bullets?"

"No. I have every faith you would pull the trigger before I ever could. If you hurt him, know that as his father, who has been a cop long enough to see too many horrible people do atrocious things, I could never make you hurt the way all the blame and guilt you put on yourself does. I know I can't stop him from getting into trouble as much as you can't. And now with all this crazy stuff he's in I can't be his big strong dad that can rescue him from anything. I haven't been for awhile, but I don't think he needs me anymore. I think he needs you, all of you. Even if he still will get into trouble. Just promise me you'll be there when he does."

"On my life and my mother's memory, nothing in this world could stop me from protecting him."

He seemed pleased with that. "Okay then I guess we're done."

They both started to walk away.

"Oh one last thing. If I ever, I mean ever, like twenty years from now you're married and have kids together ever, find out you had sex with my underage son under my roof, I will shoot you in the kneecaps with wolf's bane bullets."

Derek's eyes were wide and his mouth gaping. "What?! No! Sir I would never- me and him aren't ev- we're not! Never! I mean your son is a good man, but no!  Why-"

"Slow down there kid. I know. But I also see how you look at each other. I used to have a set of whiskey browns that looked at me the exact same way. And you're right, if he was any other son in the world I would correct you, but you're right. He is a fine man, he hasn't been a boy since he stepped up to deal with all of this shit. You can stop acting like he is one, he's almost eighteen and frankly he's been smarter than me for a long time And somehow wiser since birth. Even if he can be dumb as shit. So under my roof no sex. Clear?"

"Crystal, sir." Derek nodded like a toddler trying to convince an adult he didn't eat the missing cookie.

"But Derek, up until a point, what you do under your own roof is none of my business, once you get a whole house under it that is."

"Um sir?" Derek looked confused.

"One last word of advice son, everyday I wish I could've met her sooner so I could've loved her longer. You've met him, so what are you waiting for?"

Derek looked sure. "For him to be ready and for me to deserve him."

"I'm not saying you have to sodomize my son immediately, do not get me wrong. Just let him know how you feel at least, he's been ready for that a long time. Also you don't have to wait to deserve him, you're waiting until you feel you do. If Stiles chose you, you deserve him."

They shared a sincere silence, before John clapped him on the shoulder and continued, "God help your soul son."

They both walked out with wide grins, and John's hand was still on Derek's shoulder.

As soon as his dad went to help Scott and Boyd, Stiles flew over to Derek.

"What did he say to you!? What did you talk about?!" Stiles whisper shouted.

"You." Derek teased.

Stiles squinted. "I can't tell if you're being serious. I don't like it."

Derek rolled his eyes and pulled Stiles into a hug, before pulling him behind him by the hand back to work.

"Derek Hale did you give my father a soda!"

Once they had the bare bones of the house with exterior enclosing walls it was finally time to start actually building the inside of the house. Stiles couldn't wait to start the rest of the movies he had planned.

Derek did a walk through with the three contractors for the electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems so everything went smoothly and no one got in the way of each other. Stiles insisted on being there so none of his research got forgotten and all of his questions got answered. Derek regretted letting him as soon as he saw the twenty something hot electrician and the in surprisingly amazing shape thirtyish year old plumber. Luckily the HVAC specialist was a portly old man who should've retired long ago to pass down the family business to his daughter long ago.

As soon as Stiles started to stutter out his questions Derek wanted them out immediately. When he caught Stiles ogling the perky bubble butt, that should've been an unattractive hairy plumber's crack, of the man bent over to take a measurement he squinted his eyes and almost growled at him. He put a hand on Stiles' lower back to guide them into the kitchen where Harrold the HVAC man was trying to keep their attention while smirking. Stiles was still staring back and Derek was resolutely staring right at Harrold, so they both missed the man also supervising the measurement taking he ran Stiles right into. The man turned bright red and stuttered apologies. Derek heard an almost inaudible chuckle from back in what would be the living room. Derek wanted nothing more than for them to be a couple, hell he'd be fine with one of them banging the other right on his floor in front of them if it stopped Stiles' drooling. Knowing him there'd end up being a lake though.

He was ecstatic when it was over. Well, that was until Harrold said he thought it was really beautiful that they were rebuilding the house together and that it was a really great project to take on together. In spite of their confused faces he continued and asked what they were going to do with such a big house and if they planned on adopting or fostering. Recognition struck their faces as they tried to back pedal, but he was already convinced that they made a lovely couple.

Most of the plumbing, electrical, and the HVAC systems would take a long time and had to be installed by 'Harrold and the hotties' as Stiles referred to them, so they decided to start a big movie series, the MCU.

Since they got out of the work they camped the weekend out at the loft to marathon as many movies as they could. When they watched the first Thor they teased him for nearly falling off the roof then, he made a joke about how the, 'Seriously jacked.' plumber should've been the electrician because he had the body of, 'A thunder God of super hotness and muscle.' to distract them. Derek made a point to exercise shirtless the next morning while Stiles was making breakfast in Derek's kitchen to show him, 'Seriously jacked.'

The swarm of contractors that invaded the house took roughly a month and a half to finish the rough in for the massive house. In the beginning they didn't  think they would finish all of the movies on time, but as their time off dragged on they flew through them. Derek couldn't even remember him many times everyone hit Stiles with their pillow because he kept saying Captain America's lines before he could. During Winter Soldier Scott put a hand over his mouth and didn't even flinch when Stiles licked him, but when he bit him Scott let out a yell.

"Damn it Stiles. Remember what your dad said!"

Good god were they actually five?

Cora suffocated him with a pillow, till he kicked her in the head and when that proved ineffective, shot sparks into her leg.

Stiles could tell Derek was getting a little stir-crazy having his pet project routine interrupted. He tried to come over as much as possible to keep him company. They were supposed to be finished on a Thursday, but due to a last minute plumbing problem it was pushed till Monday. They watched Flushed Away, then Ratatoullie Friday night and laughed so hard. Saturday and Sunday they watched The Pirates of the Caribbean series.

From that weekend on, anytime someone would hear someone coming in they would get in their way and screech like the slugs. Derek caught Stiles coming in with a bunch of tools and they got in a screaming match that lasted ten minutes.

Once they had the all clear the next job was insulation and drywall, since it had to be done in stages once the mud dried they came over weeknights after school to help for two weeks.

It was a lot of work because they decided to insulate the interior walls a little bit as well as the exterior walls for just a bit more soundproofing. Derek insisted on his bedroom being soundproofed completely, which made the pack tease him mercilessly, but in the end they wanted the rooms they had unofficially picks out soundproofed as well. Everyone agreed in a house filled with werewolves there are just some things you don't want to hear.

They only had time before they had to get home to watch movies on the weekend, so they watched Venom and another Nickolas Sparks movie one night, and then both Deadpools. Stiles thought ahead and made tater tot casserole, bought tissues, and there were unicorn pillows, blankets, and plushies he had gotten at the dollar store. Allison quoted every line about tater tots, which was pretty much the whole movie. Everyone grumbled loudly that Lydia got to choose another movie that nobody else liked, and they were about to switch it when Boyd spoke up and said he liked it. They were all too shocked they didn't realize they were watching it still till it was to late and they were reaching for tissues because Bobby died.

Boyd left the room halfway through with teary eyes, and when Erica and Derek both didn't follow him Stiles did.

The night air was warm on Stiles' face.

"You didn't have to come out here, I'm fine, Erica and Derek didn't because they know I'm fine."

Stiles put his hands in his pj pockets and nodded while rocking back an forth slightly on his feet. "Okay. Maybe they don't need to come out here because you're fine, or maybe because you've always been the strong one they believe you to be so strong you don't need help. But, Boyd sometimes when you're always the strong one you feel you aren't allowed to be weak. You are. You're allowed to be hurt, and break, and wake up tomorrow and be strong again. Everyone is weak sometimes. If you don't want to talk to me about it that's fine, just let them know when you aren't alright. They can help you."

"And do you?"

Stiles looked confused. "Do I what?"

"Let them help you. Sure when we're in a fight you are protected, but when you're hurt or worried do you let people help you? For the longest time you didn't tell you're dad anything, and even still you shield him from so much. You are constantly tired from researching to keep the pack safe, you could ask Lydia to pause her college prep to help you. When you have nightmares do you tell your best friend? When you have a problem do you go to your alpha before trying to solve it yourself? No you don't do any of that. Because out of all of us werewolf, kanima, banshee, hunter you, Stiles Stilinski are the strongest of us. You take more pain than all of us combined to keep us from hurting. So do you allow yourself to be weak?"

Stiles seemed to take it all in. He nodded. "Fine. Fair enough. I still can't watch Halloween movies because I used to watch them with my mother and now they just make me sob." Stiles shrugged his shoulders.

Boyd looked away. "Fine. My sister used to pretend to love Disney princess love story movies so I could watch them with her, and I used to pretend to love action movies so she could watch them with me."

"Fine." Stiles nodded again.

Boyd sniffed a bit and Stiles could tell he was trying not to cry. He pulled the massive man into a hug and held him tightly against himself. He felt tears against his neck and shoulder.

He whispered with a small stuffy voice against the smaller man. "Fine."

When they came back Derek gave him a quizzical look, Stiles just brushed his arm as he went by with his hand to tell him everything was fine.

The next week each day after school Boyd went over to help Derek rebuild the front porch. Stiles thought it was so they could talk one on one, and he was proud of Derek for doing it.

Then they had another weekend of discussions about design. Although this time it was less about rooms and more about what they wanted the rooms to look like. Lydia had swatches and samples spread across the entire room.

Derek wanted all of the bathrooms to look similar, but not identical. They took a vote and the rooms would all be varying shades of grey with black or silver fixtures.

Everyone got to decorate their own room however they wanted. Erica said she was going to make her room a sex dungeon then and Derek did not look impressed.

The den on the third floor was to be a light beige with an enormous sectional couch.

The dining room was going to be a classy white to compliment the chandelier that was originally there.

The office was to be a light pastel yellow to not be too distracting, while the pantry was to be a bright pink because Scott asked and Derek didn't care. The stairs the rooms were under were set to keep their original wood just sanded and restained. The loft stairs were to stay as is per Stiles' request.

The library's color scheme choice was dueled out between Lydia and Peter. Lydia wanted a luxurious aubergine purple with a delicate pearl. However Peter won out with a bright, deep, and dark cobalt blue paired with a rich leather brown color, because they all agreed they were better for the mood of a library. Peter also requested they have a rolling ladder attached to the wall so they could built the bookshelves all the way up to take advantage of the first floors high ceilings.

The kitchen and living room were open concept, so the two rooms had to match well. For the kitchen Derek wanted clean colors, so they chose whites, greys, and touches of black with all stainless steel appliances. Isaac said they should get a large island with butcher's block on the top and everyone agreed. The floor was going to be a light grey tile with darker grey marbled in and dark grey grout to make it pop. The back splash was a simple white subway tile, and the counter tops were going to be soapstone. Since the kitchen was so nuanced the living room could be a bit bolder.

Stiles fought tooth and nail for a dark emerald green and they eventually had to concede. He bombarded them with color psychology. He went on about how green is known for health, calm, peace, growth, and safety. He also mentioned it was the color of nature and the natural world, plus it would go with the view out huge window out into the woods. He told them some researchers even found it improves reading ability, which would be great for the bay window they planned on putting in.

Lydia looked back through her notes there was no mention of a window seat, but by the time she was done looking and was going to interject Derek had agreed to both.

They had varying types of counters for the bathrooms that matched each room's back splashes and fixtures. Each Jack and Jill had two sinks, a shower, and a toilet. All the sinks were going to be white with those fancy faucets that had part of the pipe gone so you could see the water coming, because Cora thought they were cool.

For flooring they decided to do the bathrooms a grey tile with black striped in, similar to the kitchen. The mudroom would also be tile. The library, den, office, and stairs were going to be all wood. The hallways and living room were quickly agreed to be carpet, but once they got to the bedrooms things got a little heated.

"I will slaughter your first born if you even think about putting tile in my bedroom!"

Lydia looked at Stiles half crazed. "You are a man of intellect Stiles, you can at least on some level agree that tile or wood has practical reasons fo-"

"I agree with him. It makes no sense."

Stiles gestured to Allison like, 'Ha, there!'

"It does look nicer."

Stiles squinted and pointed an accusing finger at Scott. "You are dead to me."

"What if you want to lay on your floor? Carpet is way more comfortable." Isaac usually stayed quiet during arguments, but lately he's become more comfortable speaking up.

"Lay a blanket down."

"Great reason for a stylish rug."

"Why would you lay on the floor next to your bed?"

Boyd, Lydia, and Jackson spoke up, respectively, at the same time.

"You wouldn't have to worry about it if you just got carpet!" Stoke practically yelled.

Lydia responded in kind. "Carpet is hard to clean, and it makes your room look like a van from the seventies!"

"Cold feet end of story, bitch!"

"Wear socks you bastard!"

Derek stared in horror at his pack, which was about to tear each others throats out over flooring. "Okay everyone just calm down! It's late and we got a lot figured out today. How bout we stop here, everyone go home, and we'll pick it up tomorrow."

They slowly all trickled out. Only Derek and Stiles were left. Stiles was finishing up folding the blankets when he realized he hadn't seen Derek in awhile.

"Derek?" He called out.

"Up here Sti." The nickname gave him pause. He had only ever called him that when he was bleeding out, or needing comfort.

He went up the stairs and found him staring deeply in one of the rooms.

"What's up Der?" Stiles took advantage of the moment to call him a soft nickname back.

Normally he would protest and say he's fine, but he didn't. Stiles didn't know if he should take it as he really needed to get it off his chest that bad, or if it was because he was trusting Stiles more.

"This was Lillian's room."

Stiles didn't need any clarification. He knew all of Derek's family, but Lillian was the only one he'd heard of just from the Hale fire files. Lillian was Peter's oldest, she was three. Stiles guessed that they were really close. Stiles put his hand on Derek's shoulder.

"We can leave this one empty."

Derek smiled. "No. This is Scott and Allison's room."

"They can pick a diff-"

Derek turned the eyes Stiles thought would be misty, to face him with not a tear in sight.

"Stiles do you want to know why I wouldn't let them pick rooms before?"

"Because they were fighting?"

Derek tipped his head back and forth. "Yes, and no. Because while they were fighting about who got the room with the best window, or the one with the tree, or the one closest to the stairs, I kept thinking, 'That isn't your room, it's Lillian's so uncle Peter and aunt Darcy can be close to her! That isn't your room it is Laura's, so she can use the tree to sneak out. That room isn't yours it's Nan and Pop's, so they can look at the back yard.'"

Stiles felt horrible, maybe this all was a mistake. Maybe Derek wasn't ready yet.

"Do you know what I see now?"

"No. Tell me?"

"I see Allison looking out this window while drinking her morning coffee. I still see me and Lily on the floor playing horseies, but I feel this isn't her room anymore. This isn't their house anymore, it's ours. With some of the other rooms it's hard, to remember the old good memories, and to picture the new ones. In this one though, I know it's what she would've wanted. Sh-she ah-" Derek's voice was filled with emotion and he had tears in his eyes. "She used to make me promise to play with her ponies when she wasn't home so they wouldn't be lonely." Derek had a wistful look till he nodded with a look of certainty. "She wouldn't want her room to be lonely." He smiled. "I see Allison and Scott here."

Stiles hugged him and let his cries be muffled by his shirt. Once he calmed Stiles pulled back and took his hand to lead him.

"Where are we going?"

Stiles stayed silent till they were at the doorway of a room on the other side of the stairs. "What is your favorite memory in this room?"

"What?" Derek looked confused.

"You said it's hard to picture the good memories in some of the rooms, well I think you should try."

Stiles gave him time to think.

"This was my older brother's room. He taught me how to make paper air planes. One day we kept testing them by flying them out the window. We were having so much fun trying to out fly each other, we weren't paying attention to how many we flew." Derek let out a short laugh. "When we heard mom yell both our full names we knew we were in trouble. There had to have been a hundred paper airplanes scattered in the yard being blown around by the wind. We were chasing after them to clean up for hours."

Stiles' fond look mirrored Derek's. "Did she scold you about littering?"

"For weeks. It was respect the land this or you boys are so messy that."

Stiles nodded. "That was a good memory. What about something you picture happening here?"

"I picture teaching Isaac how to fly the perfect paper airplane."

Stiles grinned. "I think he would like that."

They went around the entire house like that. Derek remembering the old while picturing the new. Sometimes Stiles would say what he thought would happen in a room and Derek would say he agreed, but mostly he just listened. His favorites were that he once hid under his grandparent's bed till it was time to go to sleep, because Laura and aunt Darcy had dressed him up in a princess dress and put make up on him, but then they got a camera out. His Nan screamed so loud when he came out that his mom burst into the room in her beta shift. His other favorite was when they got to what would be the den, he said playing with our kids. When he heard him he nearly died, but then he clarified the packs kids. Stiles' subconscious still stubbornly hung on the fact that Derek and his kids would be considered pack kids, even as he drove home.  

The next day they invaded multiple home improvement stores, cabinetry places, mattress stores, and furniture shops to order what they would need. They had to go to a special place to get the island Isaac wanted, but then they got to have it made uniquely for them. Derek told them they could pick out their rooms and what kind of flooring they wanted, when it was time to decide.

The next week Erica came over alone after school to help with the next project. Her dad was an electrician, so she knew how to install the outlets, light fixtures, and fans. They still had some left on the weekend, and Erica said they would just he in their way, so they only came over to watch a movie Sunday night. Lydia brought The Notebook- again.

The next Monday Derek was surprised by a phone call when he was about to take a break for lunch. He put his paint roller to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Hi this is Beacon Hills high school. We are calling about one of the students here. They said th-"

Derek's stomach dropped out. He hurriedly grabbed his jacket.

"Are they okay?" Derek demanded.

"It's in regard of Jackson Whittmore. He apper-"

"Is he okay?!" Derek interrupted once again while starting his car.

"Yes, but-"

"I'm on my way."

"If you would let me get a word in sir, this young man struck another student. We can't release him till we talk to a parent or guardian. Both his parents are unavailable due to a work trip, but after many questions he finally told us he was left in your care. Is that true?" She spoke harshly.

"He is in my care."

"Well I can't see why he would do such a thing as to strike another student with such a polite man's example to follow." She sneered.

"I'll be there soon." He hung up on her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't have anyone else to call." Jackson was folded in on himself in the corner of the room. The receptionist was all smiles once he got there in person, but as soon as she realized he wasn't interested she went on lunch. The other student and his parents were in the principal's office with Lydia's mom. It was just them in the room.

Derek summoned his best alpha voice. "You hit another student?"

Jackson shrunk. "I listened to what you and Stiles said. I controlled my strength. I only hit him like a regular human."

Derek gave a withering glare. "That isn't better! Jackson you need to sto-"

Just then the door burst open and the pack and Danny came flooding in. Erica ran up to Jackson and threw herself at him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. Derek barely heard the whispered thank you.

He glanced at Stiles with a look of utter confusion. He motioned for him to come over to the side of the room. When he met him over there Stiles started to speak.

"That douchebag in there was showing the old video of Erica having a seizure. Derek's eyes widened in understanding. When looked back he saw Erica pulling back from Jackson a bright red lipstick mark on his cheek.

Everyone looked to where Lydia's mom was exiting her office. She asked Derek and Jackson to come in.

"It wasn't his fault!"

"He deserved it!"

"Mom just let us explain."

The pack all started talking at once the room descended into chaos. Natalie looked overwhelmed, Derek yelled over their voices.

"That's enough!"

They fell silent.

"If you would please follow me Mr. Hale and Jackson."

The pack started yelling again.

Stiles interjected. "I think you might find it better to just speak out here. Does anyone object to having this conversation where multiple eyewitnesses can correct the narrative?"

The parents looked smug. "I don't see why not."

Natalie looked like she knew how to pick her battles. "Very well, but if you are too disruptive I will send you all to the cafeteria."

Stiles nodded.

"We are here because Jackson struck another student, Preston. It was a violent action that this school will not endorse nor tolerate. He-"

Stiles interrupted once again. "How about a student showing a video showing another student having a medical reaction? Does this school tolerate that? Does it endorse it?"

Natalie looked shocked, Stiles assumed Preston left that little tidbit out. His parents looked at him appraisingly, as if to figure out if he did.

"How bout a student mocking another by following them down the halls pretending to have a seizure?"

Preston replied indignant. "That wasn't today!"

Stiles turned to him sharply. "So you admit you did it?"

He turned beet red and tried to deny it.

His parents started yelling at him. Natalie tried to calm them.

"Alright, alright. Even if Preston did do those things, which this school does not endorse or tolerate, Jackson still used violence. That canno-"

Stiles nodded. "Yes that is true, and he will be properly scolded. By us, and his parents when they get back. You did call them didn't you? Mrs. and Mr. Whittmore the two premier lawyers in the county?  I'm sure they would want to know the situation immediately! That their son hit a boy for only mocking and publicly humiliating a fellow student because of a disability." Stiles played it off like it was nothing. "I mean what is that? Just a prosecutable hate crime, nothing warranting violence for heavens sake!" Stiles looked scandalized. "Yes they would want to know right away."

Preston's parents blanched, before his dad started blundering. "I-I think we can settle this now? I mean lest we bother them."

Natalie smirked privately at Stiles.

Stiles continued. "Oh wonderful! Now he did use violence so I think one week suspension is a necessity, and since Preston was the primary aggressor two weeks and detention for the rest of the month after he gets back. You know, to give him a taste of what a life of crime will get you, and to discourage him from this path further."

Preston started to object, but his other leveled him with a glare. "Yes I think that is adequate."

Stiles turned to Natalie. "Does that fit school guidelines?"

She nodded.

"Well, then I think that is all we need from Preston, thank you for coming in to resolve this with us." He stared at them till they got the hint and scurried out.

"Mr. Whittmore I better stop seeing this type of thing from you, you were doing so well." She halfheartedly scolded him. "I thought this change was brought about by good influences, I hope you stick by their side. It's good to have people to defend you and to defend."

Jackson nodded.

"Miss Reyes you may be excused from classes if you like."

Erica shook her head. "I'm good."

"Very well. Mr. Hale you're all set to take him home. He will be due back for school next Tuesday, and make sure his parents get in touch as soon as possible. The rest of you are dismissed back to lunch."

They all started to file out. Natalie called out. "Oh and mister Stilinski..."

"Yes ma'am?"

"You negotiate just like your mother."

Stiles smirked. "Thank you."

Once they were in the hallway Jackson spoke, "Thanks Stilinski."

He saluted before going to lunch with the rest of them after Erica gave one more grateful look.  

"I am sorry Derek. Our maid is on vacation. I didn't know who else to call. I didn-"

"Listen to me Jackson, you call me. Always."

"Still I know I'm not your problem."

"You're my beta, that means your mine. My problem, my happiness, my duty, my friend, my responsibility, my everything. So if you need something, you call and I'm there. No matter what. I'll always be there."

Jackson's eyes were rimmed with tears. "Th-" He cleared his throat. "Thanks."

"Now how bout some ice cream?"

"Ice cream?" Jackson looked confused.

"Yeah. When I punched Gary Getzucci's smug little face off the swing he was sitting on after calling Laura a whore, my alpha took me for ice cream. Admittedly she didn't use me for free labor afterwards to prime the wall of her house, but you know."

Jackson spent the week priming the walls with Derek so they would be ready to paint on the weekend.

They entire time they were painting they were making fun of the noobs and saying things like, 'No like this.' They had the audacity to give each other long suffering looks when Stiles did something wrong.

Friday they watched 13 Going on 30 and Stiles shared his razzles with everyone except them. Then The Proposal.

The next day Stiles played music again, and when "Get Low" came on they belted out the lyrics from the various rooms they were painting and laughed so hard they had to take a break. Stiles blared T swift and Fergi and no one even complained.

They were painting the library when Derek realized Stiles wasn't singing along. Derek looked behind him where Stiles was supposed to be painting. He was beaming at his phone like the fucking sun. Derek frowned. Everyone the Stiles would text was in the house. His father was still anti-text.

"Something happen?"

Stiles didn't even slow his giddy texting.

"Stiles." He looked up after he finished his text.

"What?"

He was widely grinning at him, but knowing it wasn't meant for him it felt like he was frowning at him and had him responding in kind.

"Who are you texting?"

Stiles put his phone in his back pocket. "Nobody."

Derek furrowed his eyebrows. "Nobody must be pretty funny."

"What?"

"You were grinning like when Scott fell down the steps."

"Oh." Stiles seemed content to not give further information.

"Yeah." Derek turned to continue painting and to not have to look Stiles in the eyes. "New girlfriend?"

"No."

"Boyfriend?"

Stiles snorted. "After what he did for me, I'd marry him if he asked."

Derek's roller paused mid pass.

"I don't think it's likely though, so just friends."

"What did he do for you?" Derek asked while resuming painting.

"He found something for me."

Derek spun around. "Why didn't you ask me!?"

Stiles looked like a deer in headlights. "Uhhh, I don't think it's something you could've found." Stiles looked at him questioningly.

Derek seemed to process his outburst was unwarranted. He continued nonchalantly. "I just mean super senses. It would've been easier for me to find it, unless they also had them. Which they'd have to be a werewolf and-"

Stiles heartbeat sped up.

Derek's eyebrows rose. "-they're obviously not a werewolf, right?"

Stiles was quiet as he focused on his paint. "Why would I need a werewolf to find something?"

A question couldn't be a lie, he was hiding something.

"Right, right. And why would you ask a different on when you have a pack, an alpha? I mean it's not like you would go to a werewolf we knew for something I could do for you."

Stiles heartbeat ticked up. So we knew the man.

"And it's not like you would go to meet a werewolf not in your pack without telling your alpha."

Another uptick.

Stiles stopped painting with a groan. He yelled. "Scott, Derek is doing the heartbeat lie detector thing we said you guys can't do!"

"I was just as-"

"What dude?"

"Derek is being mean. He's reading my heartbeat!"

"Stiles is not telling the truth about his other werewolf friends."

"Dude! What other friends?! Not cool. You should tel-"

Stiles gave a meaningful look to him, and in order to be meaningful to Scott it was obvious to Derek.

Scott's face flashed recognition. "Oh. Oh! Yeah dude, not cool. Don't read heartbeats. We said that wasn't okay."

Wow, the best friend knew. Derek racked his brain trying to find the signs that Stiles had a boyfriend for long enough for it to be this serious. Scott never knew anything, but he knew this before Derek. Stiles must not trust him.

Derek turned to resume painting once again. "Okay, I won't pry."

Stiles' jokes and jabs went unanswered the rest of the day, as Derek was glumly pouting. Stiles had a boyfriend, and he didn't even tell him.

Afterwards they couldn't stay because of the paint fumes, so Stiles suggested they just go home.

Probably to text his boyfriend, Derek thought.

The next week after the paint had aired out enough he asked Malia to help him with putting the carpet in. When Malia mentioned the text at lunch it puzzled Stiles. Why Malia?

"Did he say why?"

Malia shrugged. "He mentioned it's easier with two people. Oh, and he had said that he could help me with social studies for the big test."

Stiles nodded. Derek was probably trying to bond with his cousin. It was nice of him, but Malia didn't get along with many people.

Stiles was shocked on Friday when the carpet Isaac picked out was beautifully installed and Malia was resting against a laughing Derek in the living room.

They helped them finish a few of the bedrooms before watching both Now You See Mes. On Sunday they had a studying day, and Malia was practically teaching Isaac.

Stiles had thought it was a little strange when he asked Malia to do a project with just him, but when he asked Scott to lay the wood and finish the stairs during the week he thought it was straight up weird.

Saturday while they painted the banister of the steps, Stiles drug Scott upstairs to a room.

He shut the door behind them. "What did you guys do?"

"What do you mean?"

"He's been doing a project with every pack member! I thought Peter, just showed up for the roof, but now I think he invited him. Boyd and him built the porch, Erica did the lights, Jackson primed the walls with him. Which I thought was just a coincidence because of the suspension, but I asked Erica and apparently Derek dropped him off, and planned on picking him up already. Now you with the floors. You didn't even know how to install wood flooring!"

Stiles had a crazed look in his eyes. "Oookay I'm going to need you to dial the conspiracy theorist down a few notches. Dude you're being crazy."

"Am I Scott? I overheard Derek and Allison talking- there's talk about Argent and my dad helping tile. My dad, Scott! And Argent! And Derek! And nobody else! Tiling!"

"By overheard you mean eavesdropping. Bro listen to yourself. There's talk? Who cares who helps him tile? He's probably just sick of having to work by himself during the week."

"Who cares?" Stiles flailed. "I care Scott! Guess who hasn't gotten in on the little paired project cult? Me!"

"Your dad and Argent won't be alone."

Stiles bawlked. "Of course not! My dad arrested him Scott! And Argent's sister is friggin Kate! Of course he's got a buffer!"

"Stiles you're being crazy and I'm going to leave now."

"You're in on Derek's freaky one on one project cult and it's not fair you won't tell me."

"Goodbye."

Later when Derek went to the kitchen to get more paint he felt Stiles creeping behind him.

"Yes Stiles?"

"It never stops sucking that I can't sneak up on you."

"Did you sneak up on me just to lament you can't sneak up on me orrr.."

"What did you and Scott talk about?"

Derek squinted at him. "Why do you want to know?"

"Why don't you want to tell me?"

"Why do you want me to tell you?"

Stiles groaned. "Because I want to know what you talked about."

"Why do you-" Oh Stiles wanted to know if Scott spilled the beans about Stiles' boytoy. "If you're worried about if Scott told me about your secret, don't worry he didn't." Derek brushed past him, leaving him to his thoughts.

What secret? Did he currently have a secret? He wasn't worried Scott told him a secret until now, now he was very worried.  Scott knew too many secrets about him for him to not know which one he told Derek. It better not have been the one about Kansas. He would kill him if it was. What other secret could it be?

"SCOTT!!"

After multiple assurances Scott told him nothing, not even that thing with the turtle and Mrs. Mia, Stiles still didn't believe him. Stiles stuck his tongue out across the room while cuddling Allison. Scott gave defeated puppy eyes at having lost both of his cuddle buddies for romcoms. They watched 21 Dresses and The Fault in Our Stars. Scott was making the best of cuddling Isaac though, he carded his fingers through his hair till he fell asleep.

Sunday they painted the porch, put in all the bathtubs, and went out to see Joker.

The next week tiling with Derek, John, Argent, and no body else was started.

Wednesday the sheriff came home to spaghetti dinner, with meatballs, and no zucchini noodles, he let out a sigh. "Kid, I'm tired. I just got done tiling Derek's house. I have to work in the morning. If this is a bribe it can wait till morning. If this is an apology I forgive you. If this is anything else I'll ask you who you are and what you've done with my son."

"It's neither of those, I just want to talk about my lovely father's day." Stiles had been worrying all day.

John appraised him. "Well then, I actually had a more eventful day at the office. Janice brought in-"

"Long john donuts. Yes I know. She does every Wednesday. I know what happens at the station. Were there any other eventful parts of your day?"

"If you count Argent cutting off Derek's hand with a power saw eventful, but Janice br-"

"What!?"

"Oh relax. It wasn't on purpose and he healed."

Stiles fumbled for his phone. "Just like the jackass to not call."

"I don't know why he didn't. His hand grew back like a dammed hydra, he has three hands he coulda picked up the phone with now."

Stiles narrowed his eyes. "Apparently someone isn't too tired for jokes, wiseass."

"Relax Stiles. It's been going well. Jesus I don't think your mother stressed this much about me spending time with your dziadek, and we were dating already."

"Dad!"

There were jokes on the first Saturday about how quickly grout dries that made all three men laugh, and nobody else got.

Stiles tried to commiserate with Allison about how weird it was, but she thought it was cute.

It was a torturous three weeks.

The first week they watched The Matrix series. The second they watched The Avengers and Age of Ultron, then Infinity War and Endgame, because Chris had never seen them. That was another thing, sometime during the weeks Argent had become Chris.  

They still had to do a couple more bathrooms before they were done, but there could only be a couple people working at a time so the rest played cards. Once they were done they all joined cards, then they watched The Lone Ranger. Peter hadn't stayed for any of the movies since Mean Girls and had been busy a lot of the times they asked for his help, so Stiles was pretty sure he came and stayed because Derek said Argent was going to be there.

Sunday they put in all the toilets and shower fixtures. With all the flooring done Derek thought it looked like an actual house, almost like the original, but different. Not better or worse, just different, new was almost the right word.

The next week Derek asked Allison to help him with the trim and library, and Stiles tried really hard to not be offended he still hadn't been asked yet. Saturday they pulled up  the driveway to Allison excitedly teaching Derek how to throw knives, he failed at not being offended that he hadn't had his bonding moment yet.

The weekend they finished the third floor and watched The Expendables.

Stiles made a plan for the next week. It was Isaac's exclude Stiles week and they were getting and  putting up blinds. It wouldn't take them all week, and Issac had evening classes on Wednesdays and Thursdays so it was perfect. Stiles would show up Wednesday to drop off food for them, forgetting about Isaac's classes and boom! They would plan their project. It was perfect.

Well it was until he walked in on Lydia and Derek in the middle of a hard core design and decor planning session. They already met constantly to shop and talk, but apparently they needed even more time. They said it was perfect timing because they needed his opinion on some things. He answered quickly, dropped the carbonara off, and made his excuses to leave.

Well that was it. Everyone in the pack had officially had a week or project, except him. A tiny part of him whispered that maybe Derek was saving the best project for him, or maybe Derek viewed the planning and research as his. That was quickly squashed by the bigger part that was angry.

Derek had asked if they could push them meeting there Friday till Saturday since there was nothing much to do till the furniture was delivered on Saturday and Sunday, the pack agreed. Stiles had cooled down a lot, someone had to be last why not him. Also maybe there was some big super important task left, one that Stiles was completely forgetting even after racking his brain all night. That was entirely possible. Likely even. There was no reason to be mad. He decided to go early with a peace offering of cake to make up for leaving Wednesday so early.

When he walked in Friday night to see Danny installing TVs and a surround sound system with Derek, he walked right back out. He went home and ate the entire cake, so he didn't feel as bad about lying to the pack about being sick because he really did feel sick then.

With all of the texts he got from the pack in the morning he wasn't getting out of the day.

"Dude are you okay? You look like shit."

Scott's words were comforting, especially since he wasn't even fucking sick. "Gesh Scottie you really know how to make a gal feel special." Sure he hadn't slept much, and he had cried as much as something that makes you eat an entire cake warrants, but other than that peachy.

"You sound nasally."

Thank you Cora. Maybe he was a little stuffy and had a cough, but there was so much dust it's to be expected.

Derek came up to him and felt his forehead. "You feel hot."

"Whoa is batman sick?"

"Stop it. I am not sick."

"You were sick yesterday."

"That was different."

"I'm sorry mister mucus monster if you could repeat that?"

"Haha." Stiles deadpanned. "I-I'm not s-si-Aa...CHEW! ick."

He was sick.

Derek tossed Boyd his keys and wallet. "Get some duchess soup from Mamma Tammi's, and pick up some flu medicine too." Jackson walked out the door with him.

"I don't have the flu!"

Derek looked him up and down. "Okay, try convincing me when you aren't about to eat your own snot."

Stiles wiped his nose on his sleeve.

"And some tissues!" Allison shouted.

"That is disgusting." Cora sneered.

"I remember a time you ate your boogers."

Isaac laughed and Cora turned red. "You jerk!"

"It's perfect that you're here though batman, so we can take care of you. While we watch movies of course."

Stiles squinted. "What if I don't want to watch movies?"

Erica pouted. "You always want to watch movies."

Stiles raised an eyebrow.

"Uggh fine. We want to try out the new surround sound. Derek wouldn't let us try it without you."

"He needs rest."

"Do not, sourwolf."

Derek rose an eyebrow at him. "Sure."

"Besides this is the perfect opportunity to get Scott to watch Star Wars."

After a few more protests they settled in with the original trio. All of the pack was snuggled into him somehow, damn werewolves not being able to get sick, except Allison on a chair and Lydia across the room. When he walked past to get to the bathroom she covered her mouth with her shirt and sprayed him with Lysol. With how cozy he felt he drifted off. He woke briefly when the mattress people got there and Derek had to get up, he remembered being happy hearing they would set them up so nobody had to move before drifting back off as he heard Yoda say something about no trying and doing. If he wasn't so tired he could think of it. He woke back up again when they moved the air mattress to get the couch in. With all of them moving the two giant sectionals, various chairs, and end tables Stiles started to shiver. Even under layers and layers of blankets. The werewolves made quick work of the heavy furniture, but they still weren't back soon enough for Stiles' liking. As all the pack passed the slightly deflated mattress in favor of the new comfy couch he made grabby hands towards Derek.

"Come. Heat. Cold."

"I'm glad in those eloquent words there was a please."

Stiles frowned cutely at him. "Please."

Derek crawled under the covers and gathered Stiles against his chest. Stiles drifted back to sleep with his second favorite badass Padme scene playing in the background. Sunday passed similarly, with Stiles dozing and the pack fussing over him while watching space battles. The desk for the office and the table and desk for the library arrived along with lamps for around the house. Later the nightstands for their bedrooms came with Derek's personal bookshelf, despite having an entire library. The man making the island called to say it wasn't ready yet, which disappointed Isaac.

Stiles' dad didn't want him to come home and get him sick so he stayed with Derek while everyone else left. Monday he was feeling better. They were eating breakfast Derek went out to get when someone knocked at the door. Derek opened the door to see Deaton loaded down with boxes of books.

"This should be enough to get you started. I have the truck loaded down."

Stiles got up urgently. "Is there something that needs to be researched? Did something happen?"

Deaton peaked around the boxes. "Ah Stiles. I wasn't aware you would be joining us."

"For what?"

"Derek didn't tell you? We're stocking his library with some of my old lore books. He asked me to help arrange them."

"Sorry I forgot that was today."

Un-fuckin- believable! Deaton even got something before he did!

"Did he now! Well that's great! Well I should probably get going."

Derek moved closer. "Are you sure? This will only take a bit. Are you up to driving yet?"

"I'm sure." Stiles walked out without a single sign there was anything wrong.

"Okay, What was wrong with you?" Derek spoke while climbing through his window effortlessly.

Stiles kept his face neutral. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"That." Derek pointed to his face. "And definitely all of this." Derek made a circular wide sweeping motion that gestured to his entire body.

Stiles looked down at himself. He was laid on his bed with his back against the head board. His legs were neatly crossed running down the center of the bed, and his hands were delicately intertwined and sat on his lap. "To what are you referring? Did you perhaps missmell a chemo signal? Even sniffer dogs are only right half the time."

Whoa mean dog jokes, he was pissed.

"What did I do?"

"You  didn't  do anything." No heartbeat jump. The truth.

"Are you mad at someone else?"

"I'm not mad at anyone." Heart jump, okay so he was mad at Derek. Otherwise he would've said no.

"Was it something I said?"

"You  didn't  say anything." There was that weird way he was saying things again, but apparently it wasn't something he said.

"Was it something you did?"

Stiles shot him a nasty look, and he immediately put his hands up.

"Okay so it's definitely me." Stiles wasn't saying anything about him reading his heartbeat, so he must've wanted him to figure it out. "Was it something I didn't mean to do, but did on accident?"

"You  didn't  do anything Derek ."

Why was he saying it li- Oh. "Was it something I didn't do?"

Just like that Stiles' arms and legs came uncrossed, and he was sprawled on the bed. "I don't know Derek what didn't you do?" Stiles was hoping he would be all like, 'Oh yeah I forgot to invite you for our super awesome bonding week, where we get closer like the rest of the pack. Were going to bedazzle the house walls.'

"I forgot to brush my teeth this morning?"

Not the time for jokes, I repeat not the time for jokes. Stiles flailed flail number 47, 'You done fucked up and I'm done.' he knew this one, he hated this one. It was a barely there flail, blink and you miss it. It reminded Derek of a dead fish's last flop. "You're right. I'm mad because of halitosis." Stiles turned away from him and pulled the covers up. "Turn my light off when you leave."

Stiles wasn't just mad, he was also hurt. What in the hell had he done?!

Derek moved closer to the bed and slid in behind Stiles. "I don't know what I didn't do yet. Can you tell me so I can apologize?"

"It's fine. I'm upset over nothing." The blankets rustled and Derek could tell that Stiles wiped tears away with his blanket.

"It's not nothing if you're upset." Derek burrowed into Stiles to try and stop his crying, but it only made it worse. "Tell me." Derek placed a kiss to the side of his neck. "Please?"

"Why didn't you want to do a project with just me? I mean I know it's silly, but you did one with literally everyone else."

Derek felt relieved. This was perfect, he could invite Stiles right now without it being weird. "Is that all this is about? Well then how about tomorrow? I've been meaning to swing by Ikea. It won't take long we can just pop in and out."

Stiles' tears were gone instantly.

To be replaced with rage. Pop in and out? What, were they getting throw pillows?! Oh wait no, Lydia gets those with her project. One that's taken almost a much time as the reno itself, and resulted in them saying things like, 'That back splash with that paint? Oh hunny no.' Maybe TV brack- oh no. Danny already installed those. Danny! HE ISN'T EVEN IN THE PACK! Argent tiled the god damn house his sister burned down, and Stiles gets a quick pop in Ikea?!

Stiles got up. "Actually, I think I'm going to lay on the couch. Lock the window on your way out."

That was something he said when he was done. Like I don't want to even see your face done. They both knew he couldn't lock the window from the outside, it was something Stiles said when he wanted him to know he wasn't welcome.

Stiles didn't even look back before slamming his door.

Derek was just back from his morning run and pouring himself a cup of coffee when he heard the doorbell. That's odd. Even if someone did try it out he was expecting them to just walk right in.

He opened it to see Stiles. An overly cheerful Stiles. "Mornin, mornin Derek! Can I come in?"

Derek's stomach rolled. "Of course, you can always come in. You know th-"

"Great. Cute bell. Last night?"

"Yeah." Derek eyed him warily.

"Cool, cool. Did Natalie help you install it? I mean you're trying to involve everyone right?" Stiles scrunched his nose and any other time it would've been cute, but not with the way his face was plastered with a fake smile.

"Nooo? I did it myself. Stiles, not that you aren't welcome, but why are you here? The counters aren't du-"

Stiles flailed number 78, 'I'm about to pretend to be fine, when I actually want to rip your face off.' "I'm here for Ikea silly."

Derek didn't think this was the best idea. "Are you sure you stil-"

"Great. Go get dressed."

Derek could tell there was no room for argument. So an hour later there they stood in Ikea.

"So Derek, what are we picking up? I mean you and Lydia already picked out the dishes and the silverware an-"

"The dining room table."

Stiles looked confused. "What happened to the one you ordered?"

Derek looked straight ahead. "I didn't order it."

"What!? Why not? It was perfect. Everyone loved it, it had enough space, it came wit-"

"You didn't like it."

"Yeah, but everyb-"

"You didn't like it."

Stiles stopped his protests. "Okay." Derek was pleased that Stiles seemed satiated with that.

"Good thing we didn't get it too, the dining room floor Scott picked wouldn't look as good with it."

He was back to grumpy. Derek just couldn't win.

Every time he would suggest something Stiles would grumble something practical, but harsh. All of his attempts at peace were misconstrued, and even his jokes and attempts at pronouncing the furniture were ignored.

Derek sighed. "Look we aren't finding anything. How about we eat quick and head home?"

"I'm starving and want to leave, perfect." Stiles pushed past him to where the cafeteria was.

Derek hung his head and let out a breath before following him.

"This food is good isn't it?" Derek tried to make small talk about a safe subject.

"I guess." Stiles pushed around his meatballs and gravy.

Derek tried to get him to meet his eyes. "What are you talking about, you love this kind of thing. Weren't you hungry?"

"I guess not."

Derek couldn't take this any longer. "Alright I'm done. I'm done coddling you! What did I do?"

"You di-"

Derek interrupted. "Oh don't start that 'You  didn't  do anything.' bullshit! What happened?! Tell me or stop acting like it's a big deal! I think you're making something out of nothing!" Derek whisper shouted, clearly not wanting to make a scene.

Well too bad. He started this, but Stiles would be damned if he wasn't going to finish it.

"You don't think it's a big deal?! Something out of nothing?!" Stiles shouted, drawing the attention of near by people. Derek blanched realizing his mistake. "I'm sorry if I'm a little upset that you're inviting everyone to do little fucking bonding projects when I'm the one you started this with! And then when I tell you this you just," Stiles lowered his voice to mock Derek. "'Oh, we could quick pop down to Ikea for a table.' Like I'm just some cheap whore you could take to olive garden to impress!"

Everyone that was staring quickly looked away and went on with their business, except one lady on the opposite side turned her chair around and held her tray in the air to eat while watching.

"Stiles can we do this at home?" Derek ducked down to whisper.

"Oh will that be my project?! Yelling at each other at home?! Or is it even my home?"

Derek saw red, Stiles knew that wasn't something to joke about. "Of course it is! You're the whole reason I'm building the damn house!" Derek was shouting back.

"Oh so now I forced you to build it, and you don't even want to have me involved anymore!"

"Stiles you're being ridiculous! You helped with the walk though with me! Of course I want you involved!"

"Oh really?! Then why does it feel like exclude Stiles from having a bonding week with Derek is your guy's inside joke?! And I was only there because I made you! That doesn't count! Danny even did the TVs! Danny! Deaton spent yesterday organizing the library! You don't even like Deaton!"

Derek scoffed. "I like Deaton just fine."

"Still! Deaton gets the library and I get a quick pop down to Ikea! You've already been here with Lydia! How come you didn't ask me to help with something bigger?! Am I not important enough?!"

The lady oooed and slurped a noodle.

"Oh yeah well how come you didn't ask me to help you find whatever you needed?! You still haven't told me what it was! You asked some other man to help you! Your little secret boyfriend!" Derek pointed an accusing finger.

Stiles looked confused, and the lady's mouth dropped open.

"My what?"

"Oh don't play dumb, I saw you smiling at your phone. It's another..." Derek was pulled out of the moment enough to catch his almost slip. "man like me! And Scott knows, but you didn't tell me!"

"I'm not dating anyone, and if you could pull your head out of your ass for two seconds, you'd see that."

Derek could hear his heartbeat so he knew it wasn't true, but he said it anyway.He knew it would get to him. "Whatever, Lydia thinks you are to get back at me. I believe her, because you're a liar."

Stiles face went wide with rage. He stood still till he used his spoon to flick a meatball at Derek in spite.

It hit him in the cheek and it left a gravy trail where it rolled down.

The rest of the cafeteria scattered like roaches once they started slinging food, but the lady just laughed and dodged a frisbee thrown cookie.

Turns out globby mashed potato hair and gravy face goes perfectly with a lifetime ban from Ikea. No really, the staff insists. Strongly. All the way to your car.

They didn't speak for several moments while they leaned against the car. Finally Stiles whirled on Derek and pointed a finger, before he could speak though a glob of mashed potatoes fell from his hair and landed on the floor with a splat. The both looked down at the poor pile of mashed potatoes and when they looked back up their eyes met.

They both burst out laughing. In between laughs they could barely get out scraps of sentences.

"Gravy-"

"Rolling meatball-"

"Banned from Ikea." After that one they laughed so hard they had to support themselves against the car.

They slowly stopped laughing. Their eyes again. They stood there staring and smiling at each other.

"We look ridiculous."

"And we definitely are not getting in my car like this." Stiles nodded. Derek unlocked his car and went around to the passenger side. He came back with a stack of napkins. He laid the rest on top of the car before starting to clean off Stiles' face. He gently grabbed Stiles' chin to keep him in place.

Stiles stared into his eyes as he wiped the gravy from his face.

He spoke in a soft voice. "I was mad because I felt excluded. The whole time it felt like this amazing pack thing, like we were all getting closer. And when you started doing individual projects I was happy that you were getting solo time with them, but then I didn't. The house was almost done and it felt like everyone had put finishing touches on the house, that made the house theirs, except me. I saw how close them doing things with you made you guys and I wanted that."

Derek's wiping stopped. "Sti, you are the only reason I even had the courage to start this. This whole thing is because of you. Yes, I did want everybody to have something they did to include them, but I never meant to exclude you. I was saving you for last. I wanted to get the table with you bec-"

"You just last minute threw that idea out there." Stiles rolled his eyes, and tried to look away.

Derek held his chin in place. "I didn't get that other table because you didn't like it. I decided when all was said and done I would ask you to pick out a table with me. The rest of the jobs were either they knew how to do it or it was just convenient, but with you I wanted to pick out the table. Because no matter what, no matter who was fighting, who was busy, who was tired when I was growing up we sat around the table for dinner. We were always brought together for dinner. We sat around that table and ate as a pack, even when we didn't want to be family. We sat around that table while we were at war with a rival pack. We did homework at that table, we made things, we helped my Pops with special dinners. We did everything at that table, and I wanted you to pick out this one because that's what you do. You bring us together. You brought me together, when I didn't even know this was something breaking me. No matter what is happening, you do every time. You help the pack with their homework, you teach Jackson how to make grilled cheese sandwiches, you, Stiles bring us together. So I wanted you to pick it out. That was your project. And you did it. I've never felt closer to the pack. I'm just sorry you felt excluded from that."

Derek let go of his chin and Stiles looked down. Derek could smell the tears salting the mashed potatoes on the ground.

"So- so what you're saying is, you got everything in the house but the kitchen table... because I'm the table?"

Stiles looked back up at him with tears in his eyes and an amused smirk, he still had mashed potatoes in his hair.

Derek didn't know how someone could be so beautiful.

"Yes. You're my kitchen table, Stiles."

"I have never wanted to kiss someone covered in gravy as much as I do now."

Derek froze.

Stiles kissed his cheek and got frosting on his lips. "But you still aren't ready, and that's okay."

Derek looked down at the pink frosting on his lips, and Stiles licked it away.

"Someone told me that even if I'm not ready for some things I should still tell you how I feel. I feel like I really want to kiss you right now, even if I don't feel ready for it." Derek still needed to know without a doubt. He knew Stiles wasn't Kate or Jennifer, he just needed to know that he wasn't Paige. Her loss changed him forever, but Stiles' would kill him. He needed to know that he was actually being led to Stiles and that this wasn't just another wonderful thing he would loose. He had lost too many things to not be sure.

"Alright. Let me know when you're ready."

The entire next week everyone was constantly in and out of the Hale house. Everyone showed up to help finalize. Everyone was moving their things into their rooms, and putting the finishing touches on the house. Cabinetry and counter tops arrived on Tuesday and Wednesday, then Thursday all the kitchen appliances arrived, even Scott's specially ordered toaster. Stiles tried to not let his dad lift any of the counter tops, but when Argent and Peter started snickering he stared into Stiles' eyes as he helped lift it.

Friday they decorated. When Derek found out that Stiles' 'secret boyfriend' was actually an alpha that knew his mother that Stiles got a picture from, he nearly cried. When he walked up to where the picture was hung in the mudroom he did cry. He hadn't seen a photo of all of them together since before all their photo albums burned up in the fire.

"I know I said you had to let go but I didn't mean forget. I thought that even if you can't hold them it might be nice to wave at them. Just to let them know you still think about them as you walk through the house."

Derek spoke with a voice filled with emotion. "Ho-how did you?"

"I used a spell to locate it. When I sensed the location housed the supernatural, I asked Deaton and he put me in touch with the alpha there. This was taken wh-"

"When we brokered a treaty with them." Derek's fingertips ghosted over the photo with reverence. "Lillian was so little." He smiled looking at her. "Thank you Stiles. I could never repay this."

He shrugged. "It was nothing."

Derek looked at him with teary eyes. "It means everything to me. Not a single thing you do means nothing, to me. This is everything."

After Derek turned back to the photo he could tell he should leave.

He went to go through to the living room, but Peter caught him by the arm.

"Peter wh-" He hauled him into a hug.

"Thank you for letting me see them again."

Stiles would think he was never there if he didn't have a lingering wet spot on his shirt and clear sight of Peter walking over to hug his nephew. After Derek called Cora over he took one last look at them all leaning on each other remembering their family before he got back to work.

After a hectic Saturday morning, the pack thought they would be all set for their first night in the house. They had a peaceful quiet lunch. Afterwards they filled all of the cabinets with the dishware, silverware, pots and pans, cooking utensils,and other miscellaneous things they had gotten. Allison and Lydia were putting throw blankets and pillows in the living room while DJing. Issac and Cora installed the fridge yelling lyrics of duets and songs they made into duets to Boyd and Scott who were making all of the beds upstairs.

Stiles was grinning down at an equally happy Derek while he was handing him fancy plates to put on the top shelf.

"They're crazy. How is our pack so crazy?"

Stiles looked down from where he was stood on a chair with a fond look before speaking. "You wouldn't have it any other way, sourwolf."

Derek paused handing him the next plate, before setting it down. "No I wouldn't." Derek lit up like a Christmas tree, before getting a devilish glint in his eyes.

"Der- WHOA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Derek picked him up by the back of his legs. "Put me down!"

"No we're in the pack too. We have to be crazy too!" Derek started waltzing around in circles while holding Stiles up high.  Cora and Issac started laughing.

"Come on Stiles they finally played Christmas music for you, sing!"

Stiles shook his head. "You're so weird!"

"AND ALL THE LIGHTS ARE SHINING, SO BRIGHTLY EVERYWHERE!" They both laughed as Derek sang loudly and twirled them into the living room. "AND THE SOUND OF CHILDREN'S LAUGHTER FILLS THE AIR!" Lydia and Allison laughed like witches as they danced around with them.

Stiles belted out the next lyric. "AND EVERYONE IS SINGING, I CAN HEAR THOSE SLEIGH BELLS RINGING!" Erica and his dad came to watch them with grins and cameras.

They nearly ran into Jackson and Malia on their way to the steps.

They sang the next lyric together. "SANTA WON'T YOU BRING ME THE ONE I REALLY LOVE, WON'T YOU PLEASE BRING MY BABY TO MEEEE!"

Stiles sang the next lyric to Peter and Argent where they were working on a bathroom.  "I DON'T WANT A LOT FOR CHRISTMAS, THIS IS ALL I'M ASKING FOR! NO I- Whoa!" Stiles grabbed the back of Derek's neck for balance.

Derek ran them over to the doorway of the room Scott and Boyd were working in and continued the song. "STANDING RIGHT OUTSIDE MY DOOR!"

Stiles joined back in.

"I JUST WANT YOU FOR MY OWN." Stiles gestured to Boyd and then Derek motioned to Scott. "MORE THAN YOU COULD EVER KNOW! MAKE MY WISH COME TRUUUE!" They went even louder for the finale.  "YOU KNOW THAT ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS," Scott and Boyd reached out for them. They sang the next lyric even louder. "IS YOUUUUU!!!" Right as they did Scott and Boyd turned and reached for each other.

Stiles went to look down at Derek in disbelief, but when he did Derek looked up and sang the next lyric to him softly. "Is youuu." Stiles smiled back at him.

Promiscuous started playing.

"Derek get your ass down here! Batman had his turn, put him down! This is our song! You better not miss your next part!" She went immediately into singing. "You lookin' for a girl that'll treat you right, you lookin' for her in the daytime with the light."

Derek's singing was terrible while holding Stiles and running. "You might be the type if I play my cards right, I'll find out by the end of the night."

"You expect me to just let you hit it, but will you still respect me if you get it?"

"All I can do is try, give me-"

"DEREK! THE CEILI-"  

"One chance."

"THUNK THUNK THUNK!"

"OW!"

There was no more dancing while holding people in the air near ceiling fans.

Once Stiles was back on the ground they laughed as he held his head.

"Oh my gold that is gold Stilinski!"

"I'm sorry." Derek could barely get it out in between laughter.

"Laugh it up jackasses." Even Stiles was smiling.

They were all doubled over in laughter so long they had to restart it for Erica and Derek.

Later Scott and Stiles sang islands in the stream, while everyone rolled their eyes.

They just had finishing touches to do before they could start the movie. Derek was listening to his pack belt out the lyrics to happy, when he realized he was. He was truly happy in a way he hadn't been since the fire. He felt complete and at peace, like he had finally healed. Looking over to where Stiles was singing into a bottle scrubber, Derek felt it. All of this was because of him, he healed him. He made him want to be better. He made him want to deserve to be happy, to deserve him. He had never felt something as sure as he did that Stiles was meant for him. He was meant to be his, he knew it now.

He got up to make his way to the kitchen determined.

"I'm so happy happyyy!" They were surprisingly in tune as they all sang.

"Hey Alli your phone is ringing."

"I'm happy happy!"

The gleeful mood was cut through like a knife as Allison's chemo signals became discordant with theirs by flooding anxiety and discomfort.

The wolves noticed immediately.

Derek paused his walk to the kitchen.

Boyd turned down the music.

"Babe what's wrong?" Scott looked concerned.

"It's some old friends of my dad."

The room instantly was silent.

Isaac spoke. "Don't answer it!"

Peter came storming down, pissed. Derek guessed his own moment was interrupted. "I agree with the cub, don't answer it."

Her dad came trailing after. "What am I missing?"

"Dave and Maria."

Argent looked down at her phone with understanding.

"Hang up!" Jackson urged.

"Well maybe not. What if they want to see if she's in for a hunt, say for us? We could use the heads up!" Lydia spoke logically.

"They aren't like that! They're some of the good ones."

Peter spoke while edging away from Argent. "You want to answer it!"

Allison looked shocked. "NO!"

Scott came to her side. "She's not like that, you know that Peter. Back off."

Derek was overwhelmed with how fast the peace had turned to chaos. He didn't know what to say.

"Well then why hasn't she hung up!"

"They keep calling, it could be important."

"Not your problem. You picked your side princess, or did you ?" Peter snarled.

Argent pushed Peter back. "Cool it. If I remember correctly you also didn't have a side once."

The sheriff moved his hands up and down to calm them. "Settle down everyone."

"How can we?"

It was all too much. He felt like everything was crashing down. He felt the building crumble beneath him. He felt a warm hand slide into his. He looked and he saw Stiles. He held his eyes as he nodded up and down reassuringly.

Derek turned back to the argument. "Answer it."

All eyes turned to him.

"Derek are you sure? I won't if you don-"

"Answer it. I trust you." He nodded.

It was tense as she answered the call and spoke for several moments. When she hung up there was silence till Derek spoke again.

"Go."

Stiles pulled his hand from Derek's and stood in front of him. "What?! No! She didn't say anything. You told her to answer it! Alli what was it about?"

"Maria was in a hunting accident taking down a rogue omega a couple towns over. Dave needs to be with her, but they don't have anyone to watch the kids."

"Sure a rouge omega. Next thing you know we're classified as a rogue pack!"

"They aren't like that! They investigate. See both sides. They are good!" Allison defended herself from Peter again. "They wouldn't just kill someone." The last part she pleaded to Derek.

"Okay. I believe you. Go."

"Nephew! I-"

Derek roared. "Enough Peter! Even if they were those kinds of hunters, they are just children. Wondering where their mother is. Scared and alone. Are you willing to burn the innocent to punish the ones you think guilty?" They all listened the words, but what they heard was, 'Are you like the one that took everything from you?'

Peter settled and seemed ashamed.

Derek turned back to Allison. "Nous protègons ceux qui ne peuvent pas se protèger eux-měmes. Go. Protect them."

"Thank you. You can tell me about the movie tomorrow." She hurriedly grabbed her things.

Stiles spoke up. "You're pack. We can't have pack movie night or the first night in the pack house without you. We'll do it tomorrow."

Argent and Allison left in a hurry, soon followed by Peter. Lydia and Jackson left with a mutter about extra time for college prep. Boyd and Erica offered to drop Issac and Cora off at the loft so Derek could stay behind and check a few things. The sheriff left after stealing another soda. It was just Scott, Stiles, and Derek. Once Scott left Derek could finally talk to Stiles.

"Oh shoot. Alli was my ride."

"Don't worry bro, I can drop you off."

"Thanks man."

Derek would talk to him tomorrow apparently.

The night stretched on, and tomorrow took forever to come. He laid awake wanting nothing more than to just talk to Stiles, but if it was right he could wait. It was right, he knew it.

Stiles took forever to get there, so by the time he did there was talk about going shopping to fill the empty pantry and cabinets. After they talked with Allison, they were off to the store.

"I swear to god if you guys don't decide on what cereal you want, nobody is getting any!"

"Why do we have to pick one, Stiles?" She whined.

"Because otherwise you eat all except half and open another one!"

"You're no even the one that's paying." Isaac brought out.

They all looked at Derek. He looked in between the pack and Stiles. "You can pick four cereals."

Stiles threw his hands up in the air.

"Does oatmeal count?" Scott asked.

Derek looked at Stiles as he crossed his arms. "Oatmeal counts." He looked slightly appeased.

By the time they finally got home it was early afternoon. Then they had to put everything away, so they were exhausted. They took a nap to test out the new couch. If Derek hadn't been awake almost all night he would've stayed awake, but slowly his eyelids drooped.

Derek awoke a couple hours later to see Stiles drooling on Malia. He sleepily smiled. Seeing him like that made him ache to talk to him, but it was right so he could wait.

They slowly woke up they wanted to start the new movies they got, once Stiles did he demanded the new Aladdin.

It was right. He could wait till the everyone fell asleep to talk to him.

"Hey  guys what if we did an all nighter? You now for the first night in the new house. Like a sleepover."

Derek was about kill Scott and shoot down the idea when-

"I've never had a sleepover." Curse Isaac and his adorable puppy eyes.

"Well me and Scott are pros so we'll teach you."

It was past midnight and Derek was crawling out of his skin. It didn't help that they were watching the notebook. Again! The sheriff, Argent, and Peter were long asleep, which he wished everyone but Stiles would follow. He went to the kitchen to get a drink.

"What do you really not like romantic movies? How could you not, we've only watched this one three times." Stiles started to pop another bag of popcorn.

Derek turned to give a tight smile. Oh god now that he was here this was so difficult. What if he said it wrong? What if Stiles didn't feel the same way anymore?

"What's wrong?"

Derek sighed and turned to lean back against the counter as he crossed his arms, which Stiles thought should be illegal for him when he's in joggers and a black tank top. His head hit the cabinets, but not before Stiles saw his face that means, 'I want to have an important conversation, but I'm emotionally constipated.'

With the quiet hum of the microwave Stiles settled against the counter opposite of Derek. "Are we going to talk about why you have constipated face? Orrr..."

"What would you say if I wanted to go for a run?" Derek's head was still tilted to the ceiling.

"I'd say that's something you normally would do even if I didn't know you, just because of what shape your body is in."

"No, not like a normal run."

"What? Do you mean now?" Stiles scoffed, but Derek didn't move.

"You mean now. Derek it is like two and pitch black out."

"The moon is out. And tonight is the best night for it. The only night."

"Why?"

"Well... I mean- uhh because I can feel my wolf pacing and it feels like it's clawing at my brain. I just- I have something on my mind and-and I need to know something. I need to do something, to prove something I've believed for a long time."

Stiles looked like he was trying his best to understand. "Okay. Then go. I'll make sure the pack is okay, and I'll clean up. I'll wait up to make sure you get ba-"

"No. No I don't want to go alone."

"Wait I don't understand? Do you want- Oh oh okay. You want the pack to come. This is like a wolf thing. Gotcha. Cuz for a second I thought-"

"No this-" Derek seemed reluctant to slowly interrupt.

"you meant me."

Derek stopped talking, so he continued.

"Which of course is crazy. I mean why would just you and I-"

Derek collected himself. "Stiles of course I meant the pack don't be stupid. And you're right it's a wolf thing."

"Okay. Yeah. Right. Alright let's get them then."

Derek looked like he was crazy. "Stiles it's the middle of the night they aren't going to want to just go out. It's cold out and they're in the middle of a movie."

Stiles rolled his eyes and scoffed with an air of superiority. "It's about tactics sourwolf. Also no one likes that movie except Lydia and Boyd. Watch and learn."

Stiles sauntered out of the room and Derek helplessly followed.

Stiles got the remote and clicked pause to be met with two disapprovals and a chorus of oh thank God.

"Alright pups I have an alternative to movie night. Who wants to-"

"Shut up Sti. It was finally my turn to pick a movie and I will not-"

"Who here wants to sign up for the mutiny against Lydia Martin's dictatorship over always doing The Notebook for her movie choice? Show of hands."

Lydia shot a glare at Jackson as everyone in the room except Boyd raised their hand.

"Okay. I propose a more exciting activity."

"Strip poker?"

"No, not exactly. Who wants to go for a run?"

Everyone looked at him like he had two fluffy ears and glowing eyes suddenly.

"What?"

"Oh come on it'll be fun!"

"Yeah sure whatever, but you Stilinski? You hate when coach makes us run more than literally everyone else in the school. And, oh I don't know, it's night."

"Well you know what they say, a good pitch black night is the best for a run."

"Sorry Stiles honey, but no. Now play my movie before I make you."

"Okay I didn't want to do this, but fine. Scott you're going. I could do this the long way and convince you, but we both know I will so just do it on good faith and awareness of the past. Allison you'll go because Scott is and because you love the woods at night. Derek's going so Isaac will. Erica you will go because you love me and because I agree to that favor you asked me, but I said no last Tuesday. Boyd you'll follow Erica. Malia you're always down for a run. And that leaves Lydia, you'll do this because of the business manager that I drove you to that night, neither of us will ever, and I mean ever, be able to forget that image, but I could've rejected your call but I didn't. So imagine this as pay back because you needed my car and for some reason to emotionally scar me. So Jackson will come because you do. Now are we all in agreement? Or do I need to repeat myself?"

Everyone sat in shock.

"And come on who hasn't wanted to go for a run as a pack in the middle of the night? It'll be fun. Like a secret party. Just us running with a thrill coursing through us. Now I'm going to run upstairs and grab my hoodie, last one ready to go and outside that door has to stay behind for five minutes and then catch up." Stiles dashed off.

They sat in silence.

"I don't know if that was scary or impressive." Isaac whispered slightly like maybe he could hear him through the floor.

"Both darling, but that's Batman for you."

Everyone still sat in quiet till Allison spoke, "Do you think he's joking? Or are we all going? Is he serious? He can't be serious."

Jackson spoke next, "This is so ridiculous. Why would we all just go running off into the woods in the middle of the night? It makes no sense. It would be stupid."

There was a shout. "I don't hear movement. Shall I make it ten? I've made it ten."

Derek could tell they needed a push. "You're right. You all wouldn't do such a thing. Especially with school tomorrow. What kind of childish, foolish group of kids would run in the woods this late?" Derek added one last thing. "It would be totally irresponsible."

Everyone scrambled up at once. There were shouts, shoves, and people slinging coats and scarves every which way. The door flung open as they all raced outside.

Lydia was the only one besides Stiles left. She walked up to him.

"Oh Derek? I totally know what you did there, but I am choosing to ignore it. M'kay?" She patted his cheek twice before turning and stalking out of the house.

Stiles was zipping up a coat from Derek's closet as he walked down the steps.

"Well that went well. I thought I would have more persuading to do once I got down here, but the elephant circus I heard down here was surprising and welcome. Thanks."

"Thank you, you're the one that did most of the convincing for me."

"No problem, but I do need forty bucks for the thing Erica asked me to do. Oh, and I hope you don't mind, I borrowed a jacket. Although I do hope this one isn't also the last thing you have left from a dead relative."

"Peter gave it to me so you're safe there. The bastard just won't die."

Stiles chuckled. "Alright well let's go. Don't want to be late."

"You already are. You're gonna be the last one out."

"Who says?"

Derek mock looked around. "They're all out there."

"You aren't."

"Yeah, but I'm pretty sure I can get out the door faster."

Stiles brazenly gave a wide knowing grin. "Really? Want to bet on that?"

"No magic?"

"No magic."

"Well then, I don't have to."

"Good man. Not betting on a losing horse."

"I fail to see my disadvantage." Derek smirked and crossed his arms.

"Really do you? Well, would you like to? You see, your disadvantage comes from the same place as my knowledge that I could get my hoodie on, search for the right coat, find my hat and gloves, tie my laces, and still get out that door before the last person."

"And where is that place, oh wise one?"

Stiles smirked and tapped his head. "I know you Derek. And I know one other thing."

"Really? Should we put that knowledge to the test?"

"Ready on three big guy?" They both were starting intently into each others eyes, both challenging the other. "One. Two. Three."

Derek was gone in a flash as Stiles fake flinched his own dash to the door.

Derek was leaning on the door frame with his forearms, having yet to cross the threshold. He could hear the pack a little ways off talking intently.

Derek finally heard a squeak in the floorboards that he didn't cause. "You see Derek, I know you..." Stiles ducked under his arm, and stayed close to him once he'd reached the other side. He gave him a fake coy smile. "And I knew you'd wait for me." Stiles patted his chest twice before turning away from him with a flirty wink. Stiles called without turning back, "Besides, my alpha has speed. You'll catch up, won't you?"

Derek closed his red eyes and took a few calming breaths before heading to his car.

When he finally got to the group Jackson asked, "So what? Are we just all going to run? What about the humans? I like winning, but up against Stilinski it's not even a game."

Stiles shot back. "It's not a game. It's pack bonding."

Derek spoke up. "Well actually it is a sort of game." At that the pack perked up and looked interested. "There will be two groups, and each team is made of pairs. One group will be seekers and one group will be hiders. And-"

"Okay it sounds really great so far and sorry for interrupting, but like what are those?" Stiles pointed to what Derek was holding.

"I was getting there. These are occaeco. They ar-"

"I might not speak archaic Latin, but I speak regular Latin and know what those plants and herbs are for. Occaeco. It means I make blind." Stiles looked puzzled even if he had figured out his question.

"Right. They are occaeco, mystical necklaces used in many rituals and practices."

Scott looked wary. "Um Derek, if you were looking for a way to make this totally tense and awkward, you found it dude."

"I am not putting something super witchy, that literally means to make blind around my neck."

Derek rolled his eyes. "Jackson my family and I used these all the time. My four year old cousin wore one for godsake. It's a family tradition, and no one has ever gone blind from it..." Derek suddenly looked contemplative. "Well I guess there was my great great uncle, what was his name? Jacob? No, Jack? Jackson that was it."

Everyone felt the shift in the air at his cousin being mentioned, and even jokingly.

"Okay fine."

"I promise they are harmless. They just make you undetectable to werewolves. They mask your scent, and muffle your heartbeat."

"What? Derek! Don't you think we could've used one of these when, oh I don't know, the alpha pack was attacking us!"

"Oh gee Stiles I never thought of that." He deadpanned. "They take a lot of time and energy to make. You need certain ingredients, and they have to be made with intent for a certain purpose. They're meant more just for fun though."

"What is this game called?" Erica asked with a competitive glint in her eyes. She always knew the right thing to ask.

"I-it's a complicated Latin name."

"Sourwolf I don't even need to know your heartbeat to know that was a lie."

Derek sighed. "It's called alphas and betas."

Snickers could be heard in the darkness.

"Like a werewolf cops and robbers? Oh my god this is the best!" Erica squealed.

"Shut up, and pair up. There should be at least one wolf per team. It should be with someone you are deeply connected with. Someone you think you could find even if you lost all of your senses."

Talking and arguing ensued.

"Hey bud do you want to be on my team?"

"Scott, I appreciate what you are doing here trying to be a considerate best friend by making sure I'm not the last kid picked for dodge ball, but if you and Allison were any more perfect for each other I'd throw up."

"Are you sure?"

"Go Scott."

"Me and Alli are a team."

"So are Jackson and I."

Derek handed them out as teams were called.

"Team sluts is a go. Sorry batman. Boyd also would like everyone to know he was not consulted on the name just subjected to it."

Cora spoke up. "We have odd numbers and I've played before, so I'll be the omega. If there's odd numbers the omega goes around trying to find the hiders before the seekers can."

Isaac started to speak. "I'm with-"

"Stiles is with me." Everyone looked with shocked faces to where they heard Derek's voice. Derek always paired with Isaac, so he didn't feel left out.

"But-" Derek brushed a reassuring arm up his.

"Isaac you're with Malia. You've been studying a lot together lately, right?"

They didn't need to see in the dark to know what red cheeks Isaac had, or how upset Cora was.

"Hey sourwolf, if you were looking for subtle you found it. And kept on driving right past it for several miles."

"Ugh whatever. As long as he wears the necklace."

"Did you make one for hi-" Stiles started.

"I knew she wouldn't wear it." Derek answered.

"Okay the game is won when the first team to find their teammate roars, but it continues till all pairs are found. Once you find your pair or are found you and your partner will head back to the house. If anyone gets lost take off your occaeco so we can find you."

Allison was messing with a necklace. "How do we figure out who's going to the alphas to find the betas in each pair? Does the alpha have to be a wolf?"

"That's not how the game works. You get your title at the end. The alphas are the first person to find someone and the last person found. The rest are betas. The seeker doesn't have to be a wolf."

More arguing ensued for several minutes.

"Okay is everyone final in their decisions? Okay great. Allison, Malia, Jackson, Erica, and Derek are the seekers, and me, Scott, Lydia, Boyd, and Isaac are the hiders. Hiders get a staggering twenty minute head start, thirty in my case."

"What?"

"No fair!"

"We never agreed to that rule."

"No ifs, ands, or buts. Derek was the last one out of the house. I didn't even know the game when I said it, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't pleased. Alright go!" With no further warning Stiles was off, quickly followed by the rest.

Stiles could feel his breath hammering out in harsh big breaths, the cold felt like knives with every lung full of air.

He kept moving swiftly through the woods, even though his legs felt on fire. He had heard Malia and Jackson's roars and Allison's yell as they started their hunts earlier. In what felt like seconds later Derek let out a booming roar that caused Stiles' feet to carry him even faster with a thrill. He should've been panicked, but he was darting and twisting through the woods with a focused purpose.

He heard a, "Erica, Boyd is over here!" before snickering.

"Malia you ass! That's not how the game works!" Boyd's slowed steps turned to a dead run as Lydia yelled.

"What? I thought it was predators vs prey?"

There was a rapidly departing stoic voice, "No, that's not how it works."

Stiles held in his laughter as he continued running and leaving fake paths.

Everything was quiet for awhile. It had been awhile since Stiles had heard any hoots or hollers from the pack. Earlier he had heard a startled yell from Scott and then Allison's yell once again. He thought she would be the first one to find her pair, she'd been tracking since she could walk. He was surprised when Erica's victorious roar cut through the air. Malia had survived on her own so her roar, awhile later, came as no surprise. He had seen Cora go by from where he was hiding behind a tree and he had held his breath. She followed one of the fake paths, and he let it out. Stiles smiled thinking he might even have a shot at being the last found, and how mad Jackson would be.  He wondered how Derek was doing.

Derek could feel the frustration in the form of fangs biting into his lip. He couldn't find Stiles. He couldn't help losing control. He heard Allison, then Erica, and even Malia. Malia and Isaac weren't even close! Isaac was only studying with her because they both needed the help and Cora seemed to pay more attention to him then! Derek had asked Stiles to do this to find answers, but now he was wishing he just stayed home. The game was a great cover for what he actually was trying to find out, but he wasn't ready to lose this badly. It hurt. He was so confused. He had been so sure before, so this was like a slap to the face. Maybe he was wrong.

Jackson's roar sounded. Derek lashed out and punched a nearby tree. He felt tears of frustration prick his eyes. His anger settled back to confusion and anguish.

Derek looked back up to the sky for what felt like the hundredth time. "Please. Just if you aren't leading me to him, stop. Please just stop making me think he's mine. I thought he was mine? Either show me to him or show me the truth. I want you to lead me to him. I might not deserve him, but I want him. He knows me. He knows my truth. Let him be my path or let me leave this one that keeps leading me to him."

"Mom?"

"Yes my darling?"

"Are moonmatches actually real?"

"I think so. Your dad is mine. Why sweetheart?"

"Do you think I will ever find my moonmatch?"

"Yes. I think you will. Why?"

"Because I've tried and I don't think I'll ever be able to find them. How do you know how to follow the moon when you find dad?" Derek's already quiet, sleepy voice turned to a whisper. "Does dad ever take off his occaeco so you can find him faster?"

"No he doesn't. It's not about knowing how, it's about knowing you will. And I'll let you know one other secret. You don't follow just the moon."

Derek's little eyebrows scrunched up.

"What do I tell you to say if you're scared, unsure, or alone?"

"The sun, the moon, and the truth."

"That's right little cub. The sun that lights the way, the moon that reflects the path, and the truth which carries the weight of the distance. One very important truth."

"What?" Derek covered a yawn with a tiny hand.

"I can't tell you that. Your truth is different than my truth. Just as your moon is different. I can tell you that you will find them though. I know you will. And my cub I promise you when you find them, you will know too. My little beacon of the sun. Your eyes shine too bright to not guide them home to you. You will find them and they will know your truth unlike any other ever could." Talia smoothed his blankets. "You will know when the time is right. Now sleep my little cub."

Derek was still looking at the sky as he remembered his mother all those moons ago.

What was his truth? What else would he follow if not the moon?

Derek was so frustrated. He pulled on his hair and squeezed his head. Why couldn't he think! Why didn't he know by now?! He self-deprecatingly thought that in his position Stiles would know.

Wait.

Stiles would know.

His mother said he would know who his mate was, but his mate was the one that would know the truth not him.

But then how was he supposed to find Stiles if Stiles is the one that knows his truth?

How was he supposed to find someone that is the person that knows where they are? It was all so complicated and he just wanted to find Stiles. But he couldn't find Stiles because he didn't know his truth. Even if according to his mother he didn't need to know his truth because Stiles knew it. By that logic he wouldn't need to find Stiles either because he-

Because he would find himself. Stiles would find himself.

This whole time he shouldn't have been looking for the moon to guide him, or the truth. He should've been following Stiles, and like he said at the doorway, 'I know you Derek.' Stiles knew him. He didn't need to find the moon, the truth, or even Stiles. This wasn't about finding out where Stiles would go, this was about where Derek would find him. Stiles would go somewhere Derek would.

Derek sprinted off in a dead run.

Trees were blurring by and branches were trying to slow his path. His chest was heaving. Finally his feet slowed once he saw a familiar place.

He heard a familiar voice too. One so familiar he would swear it was his.

"If that is anything other than Derek, you might as well eat me now because I'm not running. If it is, what took you so long?" Stiles spun around with a grin. Derek had never in his life been so happy to find such a smug bastard. Stiles grin fell. "You're hurt."

"You're here."

"I asked you first." Stiles had a fond smile.

Derek smirked. "Neither of us asked a question."

"Okay smart ass. Why are you hurt?"

"Because I couldn't wait any longer to do this." Like the glue keeping his feet in place had magically disappeared, Derek ran to Stiles.

Stiles held his breath waiting for the moment his lips would finally meet Derek's.

Derek wrapped him in a hug.

Stiles felt himself deflate. "Not that this isn't nice because this is really nice, but I thought you were going to kiss me. You know how badly I want you, so if we could not play with my feelings like that it'd b-"

"Stiles."

"Yes?"

"I want you too. But not like that. Not right now, not for this moment. I don't want you in the big grand moments, I want you in the small ones. The ones where you're quoting Captain America like breathing. The ones where you settle my pack by knowing the right words, the ones you settle me with the right words. The ones you drool on Malia, or bribe Erica. I don't want you in one grand ephemeral beginning, I want you in one long amazing middle, and when the end comes I'll want you in that too. I don't want you in one big finally there kiss. I want you in a hug that means I'm finally home. I don't want the momentary bliss of feeling your lips against mine. I want to hold you so tight we forget we aren't one, that we are actually just two people wound so closely together we forget that we are meant to be anything other than together. I want you. Forever. Not just now. But if you don't I und-"

Stiles gripped him impossibly closer. "I built a house with you. How much more forever could you get, stupid."

Derek let out a chuckle.

"I will love you Derek. For one long amazing middle. I can wait to kiss you until you're rea-"

Derek sweetly kissed his lips. "I'm ready."

Stiles understood now. He thought he did before, but he does now. That one small moment was worth ten thousand big dramatic kisses in the rain. That kiss told him Derek would be there always. It said Derek would take care of him. It was a kiss that said I want to spend everyday of my life rebuilding myself so you have a home for your heart. It told him Derek would lazily kiss his neck when he was mad he didn't put the milk away on sleepy Saturday mornings. It said I love you in a way that takes years to feel the magnitude of its intensity. It said to him, I will love you in little bits for the rest of our lives to show you that even broken down so small our love is still the greatest thing either of us will ever experience.  

Stiles never believed that there was such a thing as too much of a good thing. He hauled him in for another kiss. A kiss that said I will love you every day of my life. I will start loving you today, and I will never stop. It told him I love you when you laugh. I will love you in the small moments to such an extent that you think they are the big moments. It said I will spend my life being loud so you will never know the pain of silence again. It said there are not enough stars in the sky to thank for the privilege of being able to love you. It said I will never stop loving you in big grand ways because you deserve it, and I want to show you you do. It said I will never stop loving you in big ways in small moments. It said I will never stop loving you this intensely and I want every time you are quietly reading a book while rubbing my feet to know.

When they got back all of the pack was asleep in the living room.

Stiles smiled at them. Derek smiled at him.

"Should we wake them to tell them to go upstairs?"

"No, let them sleep."

"Yeah that's a good idea. They're already goi- Why are you staring at me like that?"

Derek smiled. "Nothing, just our pack, our house. I feel like I've waited all my life to finally have you." Derek kissed Stiles' hand. "Ours. Finally ours."

Stiles smiled back. "I feel like I've always been yours. I was just waiting for you."

"Now you have me."

"No. Forever I have you."

"Alright yoda."

"Love you I do."

Derek laughed quietly so he didn't wake the pack. He pulled him towards the couch and the sleeping pack that occupied it. Derek pulled Erica away from the side of the couch and slid into the spot, then he pulled her back to his side. He motioned Stiles closer. Stiles brought a blanket and covered them all after laying on top of Derek.

"Goodnight yoda I could spend the rest of my life loving."

"A goodnight my darling, you will have."

"Goodnight Stiles. I love you." Derek kissed him on his forehead.

"Goodnight Derek. I love you."

This was a hefty bitch. Sorry it is late but this beast had a mind of its own just ask @halevetica​ whom without I would’ve gone absolutely batshit. Thank you as always my darling. I hope you liked it!!!

[tabloidtoc]

Star, March 1

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Humiliated Jennifer Lopez used for money and fame by Alex Rodriguez

Page 1: Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank, who is a UK ambassador for George Clooney and Rande Gerber's tequila brand, welcomed a son on February 9 at London's Portland Hospital

Page 2: Contents, Robin Thicke in front of a piano at Gold Diggers studio in L.A.

Page 3: Star Shots -- Serena Williams honored late Olympic gold medalist Florence Griffith Joyner by rocking a one-legged Nike catsuit at the first day of the Australian open, Chrissy Metz brought some vibrancy to the virtual SCAD aTVFest where she discussed This Is Us and was honored with the Vanguard Award, Olivia Culpo checked out the view before heading to the Shaq Bowl in Tampa

Page 4: Inside Britney Spears' nightmare -- a shocking new documentary exposes how Britney was used and abused by people she trusted -- Britney's unable to communicate with fans directly without permission -- fans flooded Justin Timberlake's Instagram to demand an apology for what one called profiting from trashing a woman

Page 5: Facing a lawsuit from her estranged older sister has rattled Mariah Carey -- Alison Carey alleged to a NYC court that Mariah had intentionally inflicted emotional distress by writing about her in the 2020 tell-all The Meaning of Mariah Carey and Alison is seeking $1.25 million after the singer accused her of, among other things, throwing boiling hot tea on her and trying to sell a 12-year-old Mariah to a pimp -- now Mariah has become wary of even those in her inner circle and is making longtime employees re-interview for their jobs -- Mariah's always been on the paranoid side but everyone is a suspect now and she's grilling everyone from bodyguards to chefs to stylists and household staff who have been with her for years and if anyone pushes back they are shown the door -- her great fear is that people could cross over and spill secrets to the enemy because she's been caught off guard before by those she trusted

* Catching ZZZs has become a real problem for Kelly Clarkson -- between her gig as a daytime host, trying to sell homes in Nashville and Encino, and battling her ex Brandon Blackstock over custody of their two kids, she is beyond stressed and she can't sleep and nothing works; the most shut-eye she gets is two to three hours -- it's gotten so bad she's even tried hypnotherapy but her workaholic brain outwits it -- meanwhile her legal woes including a lawsuit with her husband and ex father-in-law's talent agency are getting nastier and Brandon has told her in no uncertain terms that he's not going to stop until he gets what he wants which is a ton of money and time with the kids

* She was the most loathed mother in America and now Casey Anthony wants her say -- 10 years after she was acquitted of murdering her two-year-old daughter Caylee, Casey is making a documentary about the trial and she thinks she can clear her name -- she's not looking for sympathy but she believes she's a victim too and was unfairly convicted in the public eye -- she is planning on dropping bombshells in the doc including her take on the theory that the toddler accidentally drowned in the family pool as well as shocking secrets about her own abusive upbringing but don't expect much remorse

Page 6: Just over a year after her father Kobe Bryant and sister Gianna Bryant perished in a tragic helicopter crash, Natalia Bryant who is Kobe's oldest daughter, has signed a modeling contract with IMG Models who also represent Bella Hadid and Gigi Hadid and the just signed Inauguration standout poet Amanda Gorman

* Rumer Willis was heartbroken when her months-long relationship with Armie Hammer fizzled out in December but after harrowing reports of Armie's alleged abuse of women including asking to barbecue their ribs and carry their severed toes in his pocket, Rumer is telling friends she feels lucky -- she wanted to defend him when the cannibalism stories first came out because she thought they were outrageous and now she feels badly for all of the victims and she's really grateful she didn't get caught up in the Armie nightmare

* Star Spots the Stars -- Eva Longoria, Mandy Moore, Demi Lovato, Dan Levy, Dorinda Medley

Page 8: Star Shots -- Meg Ryan wore some wide-legged trousers and a cute cap on a nature walk in Santa Barbara, Gavin Rossdale wore pink socks while playing tennis in L.A., Ciara holding six-month-old son Win during a family getaway to Hawaii

Page 9: Delilah Belle Hamlin and Love Island's Eyal Booker removed their masks for a quick street smooch during a coffee date in L.A., Sofia Richie enjoyed some PDA with shipping heir Gil Ofer in Miami

Page 12: Kate Upton doing yoga, Tia Mowry-Hardrict and her husband Cory Hardrict shared dishwashing duty after cooking at home, Robin Roberts tasted a treat on Good Morning America in New York City

Page 13: Pregnant Brittany Cartwright brought her dog along to retrieve the mail in L.A., Victoria Justice showed off her toned tummy post-workout in L.A.

Page 14: Goldie Hawn turned quality time with granddaughter Rani into a workout toting her in a backpack, Madonna and Guy Ritchie's son Rocco Ritchie waded in during a vacation in Tulum in Mexico, Lucy Hale on a stroll with her dog Elvis in L.A.

Page 16: Chris Noth put in a day's work on The Equalizer in Paterson in New Jersey, Flavor Flav and Flo Rida at The Super Glow Super Bowl kick-off party in Tampa, Bradley Cooper kept daughter Lea close as the two ran errands in NYC

Page 17: More than a week after celebrating 18 months of sobriety Lily Allen enjoyed a snack on-the-go in London, Jessica Alba lifted her son Hayes while riding scooters with husband Cash Warren in Beverly Hills

Page 18: Normal or Not? Cody Simpson got physical with new girlfriend Marloes Stevens during a romantic getaway in St. Barts -- normal, Selling Sunset's Christine Quinn picking up a portrait of herself in L.A. -- normal, Jack Black raised Thor's hammer in a parody posted on Instagram prompting Chris Hemsworth to call it the greatest thing he's ever seen -- not normal

Page 19: The Crown's Emma Corrin looked intrigued by a leafy object she stumbled upon during a stroll in London -- not normal, Sarah Jessica Parker kicked back in heels during a break from assisting shoppers at her flagship store in NYC -- not normal

Page 20: Fashion -- stars look sweet in tiered dresses -- Maude Apatow, Logan Browning, Margot Robbie

Page 21: Julianne Moore, Camila Morrone, Saoirse Ronan

Page 24: After months of quietly dating, Aaron Rodgers and Shailene Woodley are ready to marry and they announced it in the most low-key way possible and the couple are madly in love and feel unequivocally that this is the real deal -- Aaron and Shailene were friends long before sparks flew in August last year and having to endure a long-distance romance during football season actually made their bond stronger -- Aaron and Shailene are already planning to start a family and they're at that stage when they feel ready to be parents and are keen to have a baby

Page 25: Olivia Wilde and Harry Styles have found another dynamic duo to spend their downtime with which is Florence Pugh and Zach Braff -- the foursome hit it off on the set of Don't Worry, Darling which Olivia is directing and in which Florence and Harry star -- they have the best time together and know how to forget the world outside -- as it turns out bearing witness to Florence and Zach's happy relationship despite their 20-year age difference played a part in Olivia taking a chance on dating Harry who is nine years her junior following her split from Jason Sudeikis and seeing them together inspired Olivia to go for it with Harry and she's so glad she did

* While some couples are overwhelmed being with their kids 24/7 in lockdown, Prince William and Duchess Kate have enjoyed the extended family time with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis -- having the kids at home during the pandemic has given Kate baby fever and she loves being around them and wants to have one more and she and William are trying for another, with Kate saying she's hoping for a girl -- as for raising four young kids, the pair are up to the challenge because Kate's a pro at multitasking and William is a devoted dad and they'll split parenting duties

* Matt Damon is hoping a change of scenery will save his rocky 17-year relationship with wife Luciana Barroso as the couple and their three girls have set up house in a lavish $7000-a-night rental in Australia's tony Byron Bay while the actor films Thor: Love and Thunder -- the beachy new surroundings are just what the couple needs after hitting a rough patch and Matt is working overtime to make sure Luciana enjoys herself Down Under by arranging date nights and buying gifts for her to open every day and even when he's working he's got time set aside for just them and the gestures seem to be working and it's the shot in the arm they both needed

Page 26: Cover Story -- Jennifer Lopez humiliated and used -- shocking cheating allegations rock J.Lo's world as fiance Alex Rodriguez's mistress Madison LeCroy tells all -- while Jennifer is putting on a brave face the affair rumors are devastating to her whether she admits it or not -- after revealing she and Alex exchanged DMs Madison said she doesn't want anything bad for his family or for hers -- Alex says it was innocent and that nothing happened but Jennifer is not fully buying it -- Jennifer and Alex's relationship is personal but it's also business; together, their fortunes have doubled

Page 30: Chip and Joanna Gaines -- inside our farmhouse reno -- Chip and Jo are expanding and renovating their Waco home and it may be their toughest job yet

Page 32: Celeb Parenting Fails -- these celebrity moms and dads share their hilarious hapless moments -- Anne Hathaway, Brad Pitt

Page 33: Willie Geist, Mila Kunis, Pink

Page 48: Parting Shot -- Despite it being her first concert in over a year, Miley Cyrus was ready to rock while headlining the TikTok Tailgate Super Bowl pre-show event in Tampa -- the show treated 7500 Florida-based healthcare workers to a set that included guest appearances by Joan Jett and Billy Idol, who both collaborated on Miley's latest album

[152glasslippers]

ok I dont want to get your hopes up but I've started writing a fic based entirely on Derek repairing the hale house with his bare hands and Stiles helping but mostly standing off to the side ogling Derek and writing in his Worst Home Reno Injuries Derek Has Recovered From Without Medical Intervention and Derek Hale's Hottest Home Reno Looks notebooks with a HEALTHY dose of Hale Family angst and pack feels and dorks getting together

me, reading this ask:

THIS IS EVERYTHING I COULD EVER WANT

I don't care if you ever post it the fact that you felt inspired enough to write got me THRILLED

[tuseriesdetv]

Guía de series: Estrenos y regresos de junio 2020

Que esta nueva forma de vivir no nos impida ver nuevas series que podríamos recordar para siempre. Grandes estrenos nos esperan durante los próximos treinta días.

¡Feliz junio!

Leyenda:

Verde: series nuevas.

Negro: regresos de otras series.

Naranja: miniseries o series documentales.

Amarillo: tv movies, documentales, especiales o pilotos.

Morado: season finales.

Púrpura: midseason finales.

*

Calendario de series

1 de junio: 

Royalties (1T) en Quibi

Almost Paradise (1T finale) en WGN America

2 de junio: 

Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story (2T) en USA Network

Fuller House (5bT y última completa) en Netflix

Legends of Tomorrow (5T finale) en The CW

3 de junio: 

En casa y Collective en HBO

Spelling the Dream en Netflix

4 de junio: 

Alex Rider (1T completa) en Amazon UK

Vagrant Queen (1T finale) en Syfy

5 de junio: 

Trackers (1T) en Cinemax

El presidente (1T completa) en Amazon

13 Reasons Why (4T y última completa), The Last Days of American Crime en Netflix

Dear... en Apple TV+

The Other One (1T) en BBC One

7 de junio: I May Destroy You (1T) en HBO

8 de junio: L.A.'s Finest (2T) en Spectrum

10 de junio: 

Curon (1T completa) y Lenox Hill en Netflix

What We Do in the Shadows (2T finale) en FX

11 de junio: 

The Bold Type (4bT) en Freeform

Man with a Plan (series finale) en CBS

Brassic (2T finale) en Sky One

We Hunt Together (1T finale) en Alibi

12 de junio:

Crossing Swords (1T) en Hulu

Artemis Fowl en Disney+

The Woods (1T completa), F is for Family (4T completa) y Da 5 Bloods en Netflix

13 de junio: Alexa & Katie (3bT y última completa) en Netflix

14 de junio: 

Marcella (3T completa) en Netflix

Helter Skelter en Epix

15 de junio: Barkskins en National Geographic

17 de junio: 

Mr. Iglesias (2T completa) en Netflix

One Day at a Time (especial animado) en Pop

18 de junio: 

The Order (2T completa) en Netflix

Mira lo que has hecho (3T y última) en Movistar+

19 de junio: 

The Politician (2T completa), Coisa Mais Linda (2T completa), Lost Bullet, Feel the Beat y Wasp Network en Netflix

Love, Victor (1T completa) en Hulu

Desaparecidos (1T completa) en Amazon

21 de junio:

Perry Mason (1T) en HBO

The Chi (3T) en Showtime

NOS4A2 (2T) en AMC

Yellowstone (3T) en Paramount

22 de junio: The Luminaries (1T) en HBO España

23 de junio: Greenleaf (5T y última) en OWN

24 de junio: Nobody Knows I'm Here en Netflix

25 de junio: 

Doom Patrol (2T) en DC Universe

Search Party (3T) y Adventure Time: Distant Lands en HBO Max

The Twilight Zone (2T completa) en CBS All Access

26 de junio: Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga en Netflix

28 de junio: I'll Be Gone in the Dark en HBO

*

Estrenos de series

Royalties (Quibi)

Pierce (Darren Criss; Glee, American Crime Story) y Sara (Kether Donohue, You're the Worst) escriben canciones por encargo. El dúo está detrás de las sintonías y canciones más conocidas y gracias a ellos conoceremos el desconocido mundo de los compositores. Con John Stamos (Full House, Scream Queens), Georgia King (Vice Principals, The New Normal) y Tony Revolori (Servant).

Escrita y producida por Darren Criss junto a los hermanos Nick y Matt Lang, creadores de StarKid. Dirigida por Amy Heckerling (Clueless, The Carrie Diaries). Diez episodios.

Estreno: 1 de junio

Alex Rider (Amazon UK)

Adaptación de las novelas de Anthony Horowitz, trata sobre un adolescente de Londres (Otto Farrant; War & Peace, Mrs. Wilson) que ha sido entrenado desde pequeño en el peligroso mundo del espionaje. En la primera temporada, adaptación de 'Point Blanc' (2001), entra de incógnito a un internado para investigar la muerte de su tío y qué conexión existe con el asesinato de dos multimillonarios. Con Vicky McClure (Line of Duty, This Is England), Stephen Dillane (Game of Thrones, The Tunnell), Brenock O'Connor (Game of Thrones, Living the Dream), Ronke Adekoluejo (Christopher Robin), Andrew Buchan (Broadchurch, The Honourable Woman), Ace Bhatti (Three Girls, No Offence), Nyasha Hatendi (Casual, Black Earth Rising), Marli Siu (Anna and the Apocalypse), Earl Cave (Born to Kill), Katrin Vankova (Snatch), Nathan Clarke (Tyrant), Talitha Wing (The Feed), Haluk Bilginer (Halloween, New Blood) y Ana Ularu (Emerald City).

Escrita por Guy Burt (Riviera, The Bletchley Circle) y dirigida por Andreas Prochaska (Das Boot, Kommissar Rex) y Christopher Smith (Curfew, Creep). Producida por Horowitz. Ocho episodios.

Estreno: 4 de junio Estreno: Septiembre en Movistar+

Trackers (Cinemax)

Thriller basado en la novela de Deon Meyer (2010) que cruza tres historias en Ciudad del Cabo, Sudáfrica en una violenta conspiración que une crimen organizado, diamantes de contrabando, seguridad estatal, rinocerontes negros, la CIA y un plan terrorista internacional. Protagonizado por James Gracie (Madiba, The Wrong Mans), Rolanda Marais (High Rollers) y Ed Stoppard (Knightfall, The Frankenstein Chronicles).

Dirigida por Jyri Kähönen (Bordertown). Seis episodios.

Estreno: 5 de junio

Estreno en España: 6 de junio en HBO España

The Other One (BBC One)

Comedia sobre dos chicas llamadas Catherine Walcott, hermanas que no tenían ni idea de que la otra existía hasta que su padre muere. Con Siobhan Finneran (Happy Valley, Downton Abbey), Rebecca Front (Humans, War & Peace), Ellie White (Inside No. 9, The Windsors), Lauren Socha (Misfits, Catastrophe) y Amit Shah (Stag, W1A).

Creada por Holly Walsh (Motherland) y Pippa Brown (Psychobitches). Seis episodios.

Estreno: 5 de junio

I May Destroy You (HBO)

Tras ser agredida sexualmente en un bar, la vida de Arabella (Michaela Coel; Chewing Gum, Black Earth Rising) cambia de forma irreversible y se ve obligada a reevaluar su carrera y la relación con sus amigos y su familia en un viaje de autodescubrimiento. Completan el reparto Weruche Opia (Bad Education, Inside No. 9), Paapa Essiedu (Gangs of London, Kiri), Harriet Webb (White Gold, Scarborough), Ellie James (Giri/Haji), Franc Ashman (Prime Suspect 1973), Karan Gill (Flesh and Blood), Natalie Walter (Horrible Histories) y Samson Ajewole.

Creada y dirigida por Michaela Coel (Chewing Gum). Doce episodios.

Estreno: 7 de junio Estreno en España: 8 de junio en HBO España

Curon (Netflix)

Tras diecisiete años fuera a causa de un acontecimiento trágico, una mujer vuelve con sus hijos a su aparentemente tranquilo pueblo natal, pero pronto desaparece. Durante la búsqueda, los mellizos deberán lidiar con un siniestro legado que maldice a la familia cada vez que repican las campanas de la iglesia. Con Valeria Bilello (Sense8, Lejos de ti), Luca Lionello (The Passion of the Christ, Squadra antimafia - Palermo oggi) y Federico Russo (Don Matteo, I Cesaroni).

Escrita por Ezio Abbate (Suburra, Devils) y dirigida por Fabio Mollo (Tutto può succedere, Come Quando Fuori Piove). Siete episodios.

Estreno: 10 de junio Estreno en España: 10 de junio en Netflix España

Crossing Swords (Hulu)

Comedia de animación sobre un campesino bonachón que consigue convertirse en escudero del castillo real y descubre así que su amado reino está liderado por cachondos, ladrones y charlatanes. Con las voces de Nicholas Hoult (Skins, The Great), Luke Evans (The Alienist, Fast & Furious), Seth Green (The Italian Job, Robot Chicken), Tony Hale (Veep, Arrested Development), Wendi McClendon-Covey (The Goldbergs, Reno 911!), Breckin Meyer (Franklin & Bash, Robot Chicken), Adam Pally (Happy Endings, The Mindy Project), Tara Strong (The Fairly OddParents, Teen Titans Go!) y Alanna Ubach (Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce, Hung). 

Creada por John Harvatine IV y Tom Root, del equipo creativo de Robot Chicken y SuperMansion. Diez episodios.

Estreno: 12 de junio

The Woods (Netflix)

Adaptación de la novela de Harlan Coben (2007) que cuenta la historia de un abogado de Varsovia (Grzegorz Damiecki; Pakt, Wataha), todavía afectado por la desaparición de su hermana hace veinticinco años en un campamento de verano, que investiga ahora la muerte de un chico en cuyo cuerpo aparecen pruebas de aquel caso.

Escrita por Agata Malesinska (Samo Zycie, Niania) y Wojciech Miloszewski (Swiety, Prokurator). Seis episodios.

Estreno: 12 de junio

Love, Victor (Hulu)

Ambientada en el universo de la novela y la película Love, Simon, y narrada por él (Nick Robinson), es un spin-off que nos presenta a Victor (Michael Cimino; Annabelle Comes Home, Training Day), un nuevo estudiante de Creekwood que pide consejo a Simon para sobrellevar su vida en casa y en el instituto. Completan el reparto Ana Ortiz (Devious Maids, Ugly Betty), James Martinez (One Day at a Time), Rachel Naomi Wilson (Rise, The Good Wife), Sophia Bush (One Tree Hill, Chicago PD), Isabella Ferreira (Orange Is the New Black), Mateo Fernandez, Johnny Sequoyah (Believe), Bebe Wood (The Real O'Neals, The New Normal), George Sear (Will, Into the Badlands), Anthony Turpel (The Bold and the Beautiful) y Mason Gooding (Booksmart). Escrita por Isaac Aptaker y Elizabeth Berger, showrunners de This Is Us. Diez episodios. Estreno: 19 de junio

Perry Mason (HBO)

Basada en el personaje de Erle Stanley Gardner, se centrará en una etapa anterior a la de sus novelas y la serie de CBS (1957-1966), en la que Perry (Matthew Rhys; The Americans, Brothers & Sisters), en 1932, se enfrenta como investigador privado, antes de convertirse en abogado, a un secuestro infantil relacionado con varios casos de corrupción institucional. Le acompañarán Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black, World Without End), John Lithgow (The Crown, 3rd Rock from the Sun), Chris Chalk (Gotham, The Newsroom), Shea Whigham (Homecoming, Boardwalk Empire), Juliet Rylance (The Knick, McMafia), Nate Corddry (Mom), Veronica Falcon (Queen of the South), Jefferson Mays (I Am the Night), Gayle Rankin (GLOW), Lili Taylor (Six Feet Under, American Crime) y Justin Kirk (Weeds, Kidding). Escrita por Ron Fitzgerald (Weeds, Westworld) y Rolin Jones (Weeds, Friday Night Lights) y dirigida por Timothy Van Patten (The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire) y Deniz Gamze Ergüven (The Handmaid's Tale, The First). Producida por Rhys y Robert Downey Jr. (The Judge, Dolittle). Ocho episodios. Estreno: 21 de junio Estreno: 22 de junio en HBO España

The Luminaries (BBC One)

Adaptación de la novela de Eleanor Catton (2013), una compleja y épica historia de amor llena de romance, magia, asesinatos y venganzas durante la fiebre del oro de Nueva Zelanda en 1866. Protagonizada por Eva Green (Penny Dreadful, Casino Royale), Eve Hewson (The Knick, This Must Be the Place), Marton Csokas (The Lord of the Rings, Into the Badlands), Himesh Patel (Yesterday, Damned), Ewen Leslie (The Cry, Top of the Lake), Yoson An (Mortal Engines), Erik Thomson (The Code, All Saints), Benedict Hardie (Secret City, Hacksaw Ridge) y Richard Te Are (The Dead Lands). Escrita por la propia Catton y dirigida por Claire McCarthy (Ophelia, Domina). Seis episodios. Estreno: Junio en BBC One Estreno en España: 22 de junio en HBO España

The Salisbury Poisonings (BBC One)

En 2018, en una pequeña comunidad inglesa, hubo una serie de envenenamientos por un agente nervioso desarrollado por la Unión Soviética. Este drama basado en hechos reales muestra cómo reaccionaron la gente corriente y los servicios públicos frente a esta emergencia nacional sin precedentes. Con Anne-Marie Duff (Shameless, His Dark Materials), Rafe Spall (The War of the Worlds, Roadies), Mark Addy (Game of Thrones, Downton Abbey), Annabel Scholey (The Split, Britannia), Johnny Harris (This Is England, Fortitude), MyAnna Buring (The Witcher, Ripper Street), Ron Cook (Mr. Selfridge, Chernobyl), Stella Gonet (Holby City, The Cry), Faye McKeever (Trollied, A Confession), Kimberley Nixon (Fresh Meat, New Blood) y Duncan Pow (Holby City, Flowers).

Escrito por Adam Patterson y Declan Lawn y dirigido por Saul Dibb (Dublin Murders, The Duchess). Tres episodios.

Estreno: Aún sin fecha

[cessanderson]

Adding some color to the entry https://ift.tt/3bUXapx Sara @ Russet Street Reno What a strange time to be alive!  With the corona virus shut down eliminating my photography business, I've been going a little crazy like most people.  We are a very extroverted and social family, so we've been trying to get outside to say hi to neighbors, but still be safe.  In all this uncertainty, I have found myself very uninterested in editing photos I've taken of my kids, being on the computer for any length of time, and being creative in general.  I just have lacked the drive, and the kids (and cleaning up after them) take up so much of my time!  Luckily, I finally have a project that got me excited to share.  For the last five years, I've been walking in my front door and staring at an empty wall at the bottom of the stairs.  Like this....

I bought a few items for this wall a few years ago (haha classic Sara move) and they have sat in a basket since then.  My problem was that I wanted to add color to this little wall, but I didn't want to continue the color ALL the way down to the family room since it's all connected.  I dreamed up trim/ moldings, sharpie designs, all kinds of ways to stop the color here...but nothing really resonated with me.  Then I saw some wall inspiration in one of my photography groups, and this idea was born.  I love it so much!

I love making our ugly raised ranch cute ONE SPACE AT A TIME!  The idea of this technique is to blur the line between the two colors (usually white, but SW Popular Gray in my case) with paper towels and brushes, and make a watercolor type design.  When I first decided I wanted to do this, I took stock of the paint samples I had in my house to minimize my time at Home Depot.  I had these three colors and a quart of my popular gray paint to try it out on cardboard:  from top to bottom, BM Hale Navy, BM Newburg Green, and SW Gale Force that we used in our master bath in Minnesota.

Hale Navy was too purple-y/navy, Newburg was too green (but I still liked it a lot) and Gale Force was the best of both worlds!  I didn't quite have enough to do the project, so I made a quick trip to Home Depot and vowed to never go back until things were back to normal.  We also needed a new wax ring for our main bathroom because our toilet was leaking, so I justified my 'essential' trip that way.  I bought this quart and a whole gallon of SW Creamy for our main bathroom, which is a very boring post for another day.  We did end up replacing our very first was ring, and we were successful!  Here is my starting point for this project:

I recommend lightly drawing in pencil where you want the 'line' to go ahead of time, I didn't do that at first and the second wall turned out much better with a guideline!  I put the gray right next to my wet line, and then used a paper towel to smear the colors around.

I also used a flat brush that I got with my fusion mineral paints, it worked nice for the more 'sponge painted' areas. 

In hindsight, I should've applied the gray to the entire wall on the right side before doing this part.  It's also tricky because the dark colors require two coats, and it's almost impossible to do that after it dries without seeing the shiny brush strokes where you touched it up!  I look at it as extra texture and not a big deal. 

I tried to add areas where the white went farther into the blue to add interest, some work better than others, but I love the randomness of it all. 

Stupidly, I forgot to take photos of the wall without the other elements up, so I apologize.  I was so eager to add my decor!  The star is a Smallwoods wooden sign, which is a photo I took during our trip to Rocky Mountain National park last year.  I love this, because I didn't want anything with glass to show a strong glare as this area is hit with sunlight all day.  I chose a portrait crop to fit into the blue part of the wall better and leave more room for my shelf and hooks.  As you can see, Smallwoods added saturation, exposure, and changed the coloring of the mountains to be quite aqua, which is sort of disappointing.  However, it still looks beautiful so I won't complain too much. 

The shelf is another one of the cool acrylic shelves from CB2 that I used in my office nook.  I love these shelves, and they are so great for tight areas where you can't have a shelf stick out too far.  They are also great for containing things with the tall raised edge.  I love leaning photo frames against them, and I'm on the hunt for the perfect frame(s) since this one is just a placeholder. 

The hooks were a Target find, and they are amazing quality and price!  I made a simple template out of posterboard to make sure they were lined up correctly.  I spaced them out to perfectly fit under the 24" shelf, then poked holes through the paper and attached this to the wall in order to drill. 

I love how solid these are!  I used a very small drill bit to make the holes, so I didn't even need to use anchors.  The thought of putting 8 anchors into the wall was not appealing.  Side note, the center screw of the shelf did catch a stud, so I didn't use anchors for those, either! 

It turned out exactly as I had pictured in my mind.  Love the texture of the white paint behind the decor.  I did choose to keep decor elements simple as the wall painting is a busy feature in itself!

And after this wall was done, I realized I needed to continue this over the door to the other wall.  It just didn't make sense all alone, but once I did the stair wall, it was perfect!

I did a slight 'wave' shape with the blue, and it's beautiful!  I love how this technique allows me to keep my house mostly light with just a small amount of drama painted on. 

Here are some glamour shots!

It looks pretty with the light on, too.  I love this light, even though it barely clears the door. 

Here are some before and afters of this fun little redo!

Just for fun, here is a throw back 'before' and after!  Oh em gee, those were dark times.  Literally. 

Let me know what you think of my little project!  Hope you all are safe and healthy!

[briggsps]

Rick Dingus has explored the cultural and topographical landscapes of the western United States for more than four decades. Beginning in the late 1970s, his black and white and color photographs heightened with drawing created a dialogue between the multiplicity of photographic processes and the singularity of drawing. In the last several decades his panoramic, infrared, and circular images have been coupled with an unrelenting tinkering with cameras and lenses to adjust the “windows” of his worlds.

Dingus recently donated over 750 works, including notebooks and related notes, to an archive of his work in the AP/RC. His imagery explores ironies, contradictions, dialogues, and symbioses among human manipulated environments. While much of his attention has been directed toward the southwestern United States, Dingus has pictorially examined other regions of the western United States, as well as India, Australia and Mexico.

As the artist notes, “I’m interested in any situation that prompts contemplation of the curiously complex connections we share with the larger patterns of existence. Remote wilderness and rural settings, vernacular byways, urban environments, ancient pathways, ruins, historic, mythic and spiritual pilgrimage sites, scientific and technological research facilities, folk and professional museums, shrines, collections, displays, and dioramas all fascinate me because these places reflect individual and collective responses, understandings, and a myriad of relationships to the same world I live in.”

In 2016 the Museum of Texas Tech presented a retrospective exhibition  and the University of Oklahoma published a monographic survey of Dingus’ work, Shifting Views and Changing Places: The Photographs of Rick Dingus.

Go to the artists web site at: http://www.rickdingus.com/

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Every day at exactly 5pm in February 1973, Isla Vista, CA; digital print from color transparencies

After the Fire, Bandelier National Monument, NM (Topography Grid), 1977-78; silver gelatin print

After the Fire, Bandelier National Monument, NM (Denuded Slope Erosion), 1977-78; silver gelatin print

After the Fire, Bandelier National Monument, NM (in Snow), 1977-78; silver gelatin print

Pulpit Rock, W.H. Jackson, 1869; silver gelatin print from, negative from original print

Location of Pulpit Rock, for the Rephotographic Survey Project, 1978; silver gelatin print

Tertiary Conglomerates, Weber Valley (Witches Rocks #5), T.H. O’Sullivan, 1869; from photograph of original print

Tertiary Conglomerates, Weber Valley (Witches Rocks #5), T.H. O’Sullivan, 1869, for the Rephotographic Survey Project, 1978

Untitled (Hole with Board: Gravel Mound), 1977; silver gelatin print with graphite

Lightning Snake Shadow, 1977-81; silver gelatin print with graphite

Gravity Fence, 1979; silver gelatin print with graphite

After the Tornado at Wichita Falls, TX, 1979-82; silver gelatin print with graphite

Living Room, Langtry, Tx, 1984; silver gelatin print with graphite

Satellite TV, Junction, TX, 1984-85; silver gelatin print with graphite

Tilted Earth Shield: San Rafael Swell, UT, 1982-88; silver gelatin print with graphite

Earth Changes: Past-Present-Future, 1981-86; silver gelatin print with graphite

Ufinsihed House in the Woods near Taos, NM, 1985-88; silver gelatin print with graphite

Journey Within, 1987-88; silver gelatin print with graphite

Empty Soda Well near San Ysidro, NM, 1989; silver gelatin print with graphite

Entrance, Gulf Coast, Mississippi, 1988-90; silver gelatin print with graphite

Five Years After the Fire, Bandelier National Monument, NM, 1982-89; silver gelatin print with graphite

Tree of Knowledge, Turkey, TX, 1988-89; silver gelatin print with graphite

Ufinished Business, Mississippi, 1989; silver gelatin print with graphite

Underground Stairway, Sonora Caverns, TX 1993;

Wind Scored Tin near Lubbock, TX, 1995; chromogenic print with water-soluble wax and oil based pastel crayons

Airport Motel, Plainview, TX, 1992; chromogenic print with water-soluble wax and oil based pastel crayons

Neon Motel, Junction, TX, 1992; chromogenic print with water-soluble wax and oil based pastel crayons

Equinox Sunset Snake Creeps Down, Chichen Itza, Mexico, 1995-96; chromogenic print with water-soluble wax and oil based pastel crayons

Teotihuacan (from the Pyramid of the Moon), 1997-98; chromogenic print with water-soluble wax and oil based pastel crayons

Storefront Landscape, TX Panhandle, 1998; chromogenic print with water-soluble wax and oil based pastel crayons

Plowed Fields near Colorado City, TX, 1994-96; chromogenic print with water-soluble wax and oil based pastel crayons

Dust Storm, Lubbock, TX, 1995; chromogenic print with water-soluble wax and oil based pastel crayons

Field House near Snyder, TX, 1994-96; chromogenic print with water-soluble wax and oil based pastel crayons

“Tlaloc” Petroglyph near Cooks Peak, NM, 1984-85; silver gelatin print with graphite

Exterior: Cave Kiva near White Rock, NM (rebirth Place), 1982-86; silver gelatin print with graphite

Interior: Cave Kiva near White Rock, NM (Mythical Fragments), 1984-86; silver gelatin print with graphite

“Five Portraits” Ceremonial, Davis Canyon near Canyonlands, UT (Proposed Nuclear Waste Disposal Site), 1982-85; silver gelatin print with graphite

Marking the Passage, Three Rivers, NM, 1983-86; silver gelatin print with graphite

Location of the “Sky Faces” Pictographs, Canyonlands, UT, 1982-84; silver gelatin print with graphite

Painted Rock near Santa Barbara, CA, 1983-84; silver gelatin print with graphite

Lessons by the Campfire, 1987-88; silver gelatin print with graphite

After the Sweat, 1987-88; silver gelatin print with graphite

Shade House Full of Light, 1988; silver gelatin print with graphite

Volcanic Wall near Shiprock (Wings of the Giant Bird in the Journey to the Sky Father Story), 1987-88; silver gelatin print with graphite

Buddha with Onlookers, Pandu Lena Caves near Nasik, Maharashtra, India, 1988-90; silver gelatin print with graphite

Kneeling Figures, Buddhist Caves near Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India, 1988-90; silver gelatin print with graphite

Shiva Lingam, Panchaleshwar Temple, Poona, India, 1988-90; silver gelatin print with graphite

Hanuman, Panchaleshwar Temple, Poona, India, 1988-90; silver gelatin print with graphite

Collecting Navajo Smoke, 1992-93; chromogenic print with water-soluble wax and oil based pastel crayons

Collecting Salt at Zuni Salt Lake, 1991-92; chromogenic print with water-soluble wax and oil based pastel crayons

Shadow Over Moaning Lake, 1991-92; chromogenic print with water-soluble wax and oil based pastel crayons

White Cone, 1991-92; chromogenic print with water-soluble wax and oil based pastel crayons

Shiprock; 1991-92; chromogenic print with water-soluble wax and oil based pastel crayons

Tesla Coil, Lubbock, TX, 2000-02; chromogenic print

Unmarked Sensors, Los Alamos, NM, 1998-99; chromogenic print

Statue of a Water Witcher, Waterville, WA, 1998; chromogenic print

Fissure Vent with Camera, near Reno, NV (after T.H. O’Sullivan), 1998-99; chromogenic print

Tourists at Bonneville Dam, Columbia River, OR, 1998-99; chromogenic print

Dam and Viewing Platform, Shoshone Falls, ID (after T.H. O’Sullivan), 1998-99; chromogenic print

Scheduled for Removal: Lower Elwa River Dam, WA, 1998-99; chromogenic print

Recycled Beetle, Swetsville Zoo, Fort Collins, CO, 1998-99; chromogenic print

Neon Boneyard, Las Vegas, NV, 2002; chromogenic print

Listening to Stonehenge (Audio Tour), Wessex, England, 1998-2002; chromogenic print

UFO Watchtower near Hooper, CO, 2001-02; chromogenic print

Abandoned Dugout of a Supposed Hermit near Twin Falls, ID, 1998-99; chromogenic print

Caged Cave Kiva near White Rock, NM, 1998-99; chromogenic print

Movie Theater, Mt. St. Helens Visitor Center, WA, 1998-99; chromogenic print

After the Collapse, Crater Lake, OR, 1998-99; chromogenic print

Oil Refinery, Big Spring, TX, 2004-06; chromogenic print

Oilfield Trash, Penwell, TX, 2004-06; chromogenic print

Lamesa’s “Rainmaker Rocket,” now in Big Spring, TX, 2004-06; chromogenic print

Climate Controlled Storage, Lubbock, TX, 2005-06; chromogenic print

Crop Duster Mural, Caprock Cafe, Lubbock, TX, 2005-06; chromogenic print

Giant Femur, Mt. Blanco Fossil Museum, Crosbyton, TX, 2005-06; chromogenic print

Buffalo Mural, Hale Center, TX, 2004-06; chromogenic print

Horse, Wheatland, NM, 2004-06; chromogenic print

Lubbock-Marked Globe, International Cultural Center, Lubbock, TX, 2004-06; chromogenic print

Visitor Center, Monahans Sandhills State Park, TX, 2004-05; chromogenic print

Theater Mural, Floydada, TX, 2005-06; chromogenic print

Old Home Place in a Plowed Field, Posey, TX, 2004-06; chromogenic print

Picnic Table, Badlands National Park, SD, 2005-07; chromogenic print

Curtained Window in a Sod House, Prairie Homestead, Philip, SD, 2005-07; chromogenic print

Rock Display, Chadron State College, Chadron, NE, 2005-07; chromogenic print

Trail Head, Devil’s Tower National Monument, WY, 2005-07; chromogenic prints

Mammoth Site, Hot Springs, SD, 2005-07; chromogenic print

Smoking Foundation, near De Kalb, IL, 2005-07; chromogenic print

Museum Courtyard, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, 2005-07; chromogenic print

Global Rescue Station (Old Growth Forest Scheduled for Clear Cutting,) The Styx Valley of the Giants, Tasmania, Australia, 2005-07; chromogenic print

Stump Shelter in a Clear Cut Area of Old Growth Forest, The Styx Valley of the Giants, Tasmania, Australia, 2005-07; chromogenic print

Queenstown Overlook (Gravel Soccer Field near Landscape Denuded by the Mt. Lyell Mine), Queenstown, Tasmania, Australia, 2005-07; chromogenic print

Hydroelectric Water Transportation (during its Last Year of Use), Lake Margaret Dam, Tasmania, Australia, 2005-07; chromogenic print

Deep Sea Diver, Maritime Museum of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, 2005-07; chromogenic print

Queue for a View, Okie-Tex Star Party, Kenton, OK, 2013-15; pigment print; infrared sensor digital camera

Observatory Tent, Okie-Tex Star Party, Kenton, OK, 2013-15, pigment print; infrared sensor digital camera

Elaborate ATM, Okie-Tex Star Party, Kenton, OK, 2013-15, pigment print; infrared sensor digital camera

Many Views, Okie-Tex Star Party, Kenton, OK, 2013-15, pigment print; infrared sensor digital camera

Shared References, Okie-Tex Star Party, Kenton, OK, 2014-15, pigment print; infrared sensor digital camera

Observation Trailer, Okie-Tex Star Party, Kenton, OK, 2014-15, pigment print; infrared sensor digital camera

Lined Escarpment and Circles (SLC>DFW>LBB), 2012-15, pigment print; infrared sensor digital camera

Silicon Valley (OAK>LAS>LBB), 2014-15, pigment print; infrared sensor digital camera

Suburban Maze (OAK>LAS>LBB), 2014-15, pigment print; infrared sensor digital camera

Reworked Fields with Circles (LBB>LAS>OAK), 2014-15, pigment print; infrared sensor digital camera

Ridged Desert Highway (LBB>LAS>OAK), 2014-15, pigment print; infrared sensor digital camera

Line Marked Mountains (LBB>LAS>OAK), 2014-15, pigment print; infrared sensor digital camera

Drainage Toward Circles (LBB>LAS>OAK), 2014-15, pigment print; infrared sensor digital camera

Ridges, Roads and Runway (OAK>LAS>LBB), 2014-15, pigment print; infrared sensor digital camera

Straight Line Over Fractured Ground (OAK>LAS>LBB), 2014-15, pigment print; infrared sensor digital camera

New Additions to the AP/RC: Rick Dingus

Rick Dingus has explored the cultural and topographical landscapes of the western United States for more than four decades.

New Additions to the AP/RC: Rick Dingus Rick Dingus has explored the cultural and topographical landscapes of the western United States for more than four decades.

[dawnjeman]

Family Home Renovation with Casual Interiors

  Happy new week, my dear readers! I hope you had a great weekend and may we all have a very Blessed new week. It’s truly an honor to have you here!

Interior designer Heather Scott of Heather Scott Home & Design (previously featured on the blog here) recently renovated a beautiful home and here she shares more details:

” The young couple wanted their newly purchased home to reflect their modern style. They wanted their home to be light and bright, casual and sophisticated, and “California” cool. They also wanted to be sure that their home fit their lifestyle now, but would also transition with them as they start a family in next few years.  We worked on many of the main spaces of the home since the beginning of the renovation, including the homeowner’s master bath, kitchen, breakfast room, and den.”

Take notes on the details below and have a good time!

  Family Home Renovation with Casual Interiors

Homes with a front porch are always extra special, right? How dreamy!

Porch Swing: Wayfair.

Inspired by this Look:

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Navy Door

The front door is painted in Benjamin Moore Hale Navy.

Great Room

As you enter this home, you will notice how collected yet casual all of the spaces feel. This is the type of home that anyone could feel comfortable at. It’s not too trendy – which is a rare find these days – it’s completely well-balanced and warm.

Large Sectional and ottoman are from Heather Scott Home & Design Private Upholstery Label.

Black Console: Noir Furniture.

Similar Glass table Lamps: here, here, here, here, here & here.

Fireplace

The fireplace features the same natural stone used on the exterior.

Jute-Indigo & Brown Rug: Here.

Ceiling

The ceiling features custom boxed beams.

Ceiling Fan: Fanimation (great price!).

Sofa sectional is available through the designer – Other Sectionals: Here, Here, Here & Here.

Ottoman is available through the designer – Other Ottoman Coffee Tables: Here, Here, Here, Here, Here & Here.

Tray: Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin.

Natural Wood Framed Mirrors: Here – similar here.

Drapery

Window-Treatment: Euro Pinch Pleat, Navy Ombre dipped linen custom draperies – similar here.

Cabinetry Paint Color

Trim & Cabinetry Paint Color: Benjamin Moore OC-17 White Dove – Semi-gloss.

Chairs

Chairs are from Heather Scott Home & Design Private Upholstery Label. They’re just perfect! Similar here.

Beautiful Side Tables: here, here, here.

Kitchen

The kitchen is just a dream! I mean, we can see many types of kitchens come and go, but white kitchens are and will always be a classic choice!

Layout

The kitchen features two matching prep-islands and a long island with sink.

Kitchen Paint Color

Cabinets are painted in “Benjamin Moore OC-17 White Dove” – Semi-gloss.

Cabinetry

Kitchen Cabinet Details: Shaker style door with inset detail. Overlay style, not inset.

Beautiful & Bright

I love how bright this kitchen feels. Notice the lovely breakfast room.

Pendants

Kitchen Lighting: Two Pendants in flat black – similar here & here.

Island Details

Islands have one functional drawer and one functional cabinet (24”l) on each long side, with millwork on face of other sides only. Microwave drawer in breakfast side island (sink in other).

Island Dimension: 48”l x 30” w.

Ceiling Treatment

Ceiling Treatment: Beams were added to give more character to the kitchen area. They are stained in a rich cocoa color to match the stain of the wood floors.

The kitchen features a durable, power-loomed blue runner – similar here (machine washable!), here, here & here.

Countertop

Countertops are Caesarstone in London Grey.

Pot Filler

Pot Filler: Delta.

Range: Wolf 48″ – similar here.

Kitchen Decor

I love how Heather decorated this kitchen. These are the type of details that make a house feel more like a home.

Refresh Your Kitchen for the Holidays:

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Kitchen Backsplash & Hardware

The backsplash on the range and fridge wall have the same Caesarstone London Gray slab.

Cabinet Hardware: Stanton in Satin Nickel.

Prep-Kitchen Faucet

Prep-Kitchen Faucet: Delta.

Prep-Sink: Here.

Sink & Faucet

Kitchen Faucet (large island): Delta.

Kitchen Sink: Here.

Breakfast Nook

The kitchen opens directly to this beautiful and spacious breakfast room.

Lighting

Breakfast Lighting: Visual Comfort in Aged iron finish.

Dining Chairs

Breakfast Nook Chairs: William-Sonoma. Similar here, here, here & here.

Window Treatment

Window Treatment: Flat fold roman shade with Greek key tape trim. White linen with gray tape.

Dining Table

Dining Table: Tulip dining table with Marble oval top.

Trim Paint Color

Trim Paint Color: Benjamin Moore OC-65 Chantilly Lace in Semi-gloss (oil/latex).

Wall Paint Color

Benjamin Moore 1548 Classic Grey in Eggshell.

Banquette

Banquette is custom and it features a Sunbrella fabric.

Hardwood Flooring

Hardwood flooring is Oak – similar here.

Butler’s Pantry

This home also features a beautiful butler’s pantry with blue grey cabinets, marble-looking countertop and elongated hexagon tile backsplash.

Similar Tile: here, here, here & here.

Cabinet Hardware: here.

Paint Color

Sherwin Williams SW 6249 Storm Cloud in Satin Finish.

Master Bathroom

The master bathroom was also completely renovated and I really like how current yet timeless it feels.

Sconces: Visual Comfort.

Floor Tile

“Large tiles are not the safest option for bathroom flooring, especially in a shower. Therefore, we opted for small hexagonal marble tiles as the flooring throughout the master bath, including the shower. Smaller tiles have better grip than their larger counterparts, simply because they have so many grout lines. Smaller tile and grout keep the floor from getting too slippery, especially when wet.” – Heather Scott.

Floor Tile: 2”-3” hexagon marble tiles.

Cabinet Paint Color

Cabinet Paint Color: “Benjamin Moore 1536 Northern Cliffs Taupe” in Satin Finish.

Trim Paint Color

Trim & Ceiling Paint Color: Benjamin Moore OC-17 White Dove.

Shower Tile

Shower Tiles: 12”x24” Large format marble tile.

Window Treatment

Window Treatment: Natural woven shade with white privacy liner, Inside mount.

Paint Color

Wall color is “Benjamin Moore 943 Spanish Cream White” in Eggshell.

Similar Blue & White Ceramic Garden Stool: here, here, here & here.

Similar Freestanding Tub: here.

Similar Tub Filler: here.

Wall Tile

“The sleek tub is bordered with large format marble tiles. The marble tiles are laid horizontally for a polished feel. For another special detail, we capped the large wall tile with a chair rail. It adds a nice, finished edge to the space.” Heather Scott.

Runner

Runner is a 3’1”x8.7” Vintage Distressed Oushak Rug Runner (one of a kind) – Similar: here, here & here.

Lighting

Chandelier has been discounted – Similar Lighting: here, here & here.

Decor

The designer also added a round side table near tub for accents.

Similar Side Tables: here & here.

Home-Sweet-Home

“We installed a porch swing with navy blue and white accents. The seat is upholstered in a navy fabric with contrast pale blue piping. A mix of patterned pillows add some personality to the front porch. The dark stain wood frame and decorative siding of the bench gives a strong contrast to the front porch swing.” – Heather Scott.

Outdoor Fabric: Sunbrella.

Shared

Awww… Aren’t they adorable? They know how to make that irresistible “puppy face” that melts your heart!

  Many thanks to the interior designer for sharing the details above!

Interior Design: Heather Scott Home & Design (Instagram).

Photography: Kate Zimmerman.

  Bring the Holidays Home!

Online Holiday Shopping = More Options & Less Driving!

Exciting November Sales!

Thank you for shopping through Home Bunch. I would be happy to assist you if you have any questions or are looking for something in particular. Feel free to contact me and always make sure to check dimensions before ordering. Happy shopping!

Joss & Main: Sale: “Best Prices EVER“!

Wayfair: Up to 75% OFF – Huge Sales on Decor, Furniture & Rugs!!!

Serena & Lily: Serena and Lily – 25% off Rugs!!!

Pottery Barn: Warehouse Sale – Up to 75% Off

West Elm: Bedroom Sale – Up to 70% Off.

One Kings Lane: New Fall Arrivals!

Williams & Sonoma: New Sales every week.

Neiman Marcus: Designer Sale: Up to 40% OFF.

Pier 1: Big Furniture, Rugs and Fall Decor Sales!

Posts of the Week:

Beautiful Homes of Instagram: Canada.

Small Lot Modern Farmhouse.

Beautiful Homes of Instagram: New England Home.

Transitional Custom Home Design.

2018 Norton Children’s Hospital Raffle Home.

Acreage Modern Farmhouse.

Beautiful Homes of Instagram.

Newlyweds Home Design.

Family-friendly Home Design.

Southern Beach House with Modern Interiors.

Florida Vacation Home Style.

Beautiful Homes of Instagram: Lake House.

Black and White Interior Design Ideas.

Interior Design Ideas: Designer’s Home.

Interior Design Ideas: Colorful Interiors.

Florida New-Construction Family Home.

Interior Design: Ideas House Tour.

Custom Home with Artisan Craftsmanship Interiors.

Traditional Kitchen Reno Ideas.

Interior Design Ideas: New Orleans Home.

You can follow my pins here: Pinterest/HomeBunch

See more Inspiring Interior Design Ideas in my Archives.

“Dear God,

If I am wrong, right me. If I am lost, guide me. If I start to give-up, keep me going.

Lead me in Light and Love”.

Have a wonderful day, my friends and we’ll talk again tomorrow.”

with Love,

Luciane from HomeBunch.com

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[samuelmmarcus]

Coastal Home Decor Inspiration

  I am so grateful to be sharing this beautiful coastal home designed by Meghan Grimbert and Ann Ueno for Miami Living Co today because it not only features many interior design and decor inspirations but it also features the beautiful work of a very talented designer duo. They were kind enough to share every detail of this project, from hardwood flooring stain color to window treatments, so please make sure to check more of their work on their website and keep their name in mind if you are planning on hiring an interior designer.

Here, the designers share some important insights of this project:

“Welcome to our #coastalcasa, a 1950s cottage with original nautical stucco details located in the coveted Miami Shores neighborhood in Miami.

This home was given to us to completely redesign from the ground up. A gut renovation inclusive of a garage conversion, an addition, an extensive backyard design and front exterior design as well. From flooring, windows and window treatments, to a new kitchen, a laundry room expansion and hardscape in the front and back of the home, we had our work cut out for us!

The clients are a retired couple from Westchester, NY and they purchased this home with a goal to downsize and be closer to their children/grandchildren. We know that timeless and classic had to be a part of the aesthetic given the age and design goals of the client. But we also wanted to pepper in some modern touches to ensure there was personality throughout the home.”

Keep reading to know more!

Coastal Home Decor Inspiration

“As you walk into the house, there isn’t a formal entry so the kitchen island, entry nook and sitting area are all right there, connected and necessary to be very cohesive.”

Cabinet: Ballard Designs – Others: here, here, here, here & here.

Mirror: One Kings Lane.

Umbrella Stand: One Kings Lane.

Kitchen

“The kitchen design came relatively naturally for us. White shaker cabinets with beautiful quartzite countertop finished the polished nickel fixtures and pulls. You can’t go wrong with that!”

Counterstools: Serena & Lily.

Countertop

“Our added twist was including two different countertop materials – quartzite and honed black granite. AND, the client has impeccable appliance taste and agreed to more modern classic island pendants so those details really elevated the kitchen.”

Kitchen Island Dimensions: 84 x 60.

Backsplash

Backsplash: 3×6 Daltile subway tile.

Faucet: Kohler Artifacts Kitchen Faucet in Polished Nickel.

Lighting

Kitchen Lighting: Hicks Pendants – similar here – Others:  here, here, here & here.

Kitchen Cabinets

Kitchen cabinets are stocked shaker Cabinets in off-white.

Cabinet Hardware: Top Knobs Serene Lily pull 5 1/16 in polished nickel.

Kitchen Nook

Wall Paint Color: White Dove by Benjamin Moore.

Chairs: Serena & Lily.

Other Small Tables: here, here, here & here.

Window Treatment: Hunter Douglas woven wood Provencial collection Calliope Santorini.

Dining Room

The kitchen opens into a beautifully-designed yet uncomplicated dining room.

Dining Table: Oliver Round Extension Dining Table – Other Beautiful Dining Tables: here, here, here, here, here, here, here & here.

Dining Chairs: McGee & Co. – also available here.

Hardwood Flooring: Original White Oak flooring stained Early American by Minwax – Others: here & here.

Chandelier: Visual Comfort, Small.

Artwork: Navy Collection 1 & Navy Collection 2.

Metal Cabinet

A black metal cabinet add some extra storage to this space.

Cabinet: Crate & Barrel – Other Beautiful Metal Cabinets: here & here – these are perfect to be used in dining rooms, kitchens and living rooms.

Living Room

Thanks to a clean pallet, this is a place you can come home to and feel reenergized and not overwhelmed by “stuff”.

From this angle, we can see the kitchen, dining room and family room. Paint color is White Dove by Benjamin Moore.

Coffee Table: Pottery Barn.

Side Table: Caleb Side Table.

Settee: One Kings Lane (only a few left).

Artwork: Natural Curiosity Modern Color Studies, Square 2.

Well-Planned

 “We had a baby grand piano that needed a home. Given the limited space we had, it was crucial we got the space design right, but also we wanted each space to feel like it’s own. AND. WE. DID. IT. The client was left with a true entryway, an area to play the piano and a full sitting area in front of the fireplace. From McGee and Co and One Kings Lane furnishings to the durability and function of the FLOR carpet tiles, the client LOVED the outcome which means WE WIN!”

Chair: Maira Chair.

Floor Lamp: Hackney Bridge Arm Floor Lamp.

Family Room

A large sofa and a trendy chair certainly adds comfort to this inviting family room.

Coffee Table: Serena & Lily.

Chair: Maira Chair.

Rug: Dash & Albert.

Floor Lamp: Flynn Floor Lamp.

Sofa Sectional: Pottery Barn.

Tree: here & Basket – similar.

Pillows: Striped Pillows, Navy Blue Pillows & Block Print Pillows.

Laundry Room

The laundry room will forever hold a special place in our hearts! When the client agrees to a bold cement tile and a functional design, this is always a dream for interior designers. And we always believe in having a bit more fun and taking more risks where you can and a laundry room is a perfect place for that.

Laundry room Tile: Ava cement tile backsplash with black honed granite countertop.

Beautiful Patterned Tiles: here, here, here, here & here.

Faucet: Delta Cassidy.

Pulls: Top Knobs.

Guest Bedroom

I am loving everything about this bedroom, so much so that it’s inspiring me to change a few things around my own bedroom. Isn’t this space perfect?

Bed: One Kings Lane.

Tables: Serena & Lily.

Artwork: Beige Abstract 4, Beige Abstract 7 & Beige Abstract 8.

Guest Bathroom

“We had to have a little fun for the guest bathroom and what is more fun than gray circulos cement floor tiles, shiplap and a blue vanity? We kept the traditional coastal aesthetic but wanted this space to have a bit more energy given it’s for guests.”

Floor Tile: Cement tile Circulos in Grey.

Bath Tile: : 3×6 subway tile.

Paint Color

White Shiplap is painted in Simply White by Benjamin Moore and custom vanity is in Hale navy by Benjamin Moore.

Bathroom Faucet: Delta.

Mirror: here & here – similar.

Master Bedroom

“The bedrooms are home to amazing pieces from Serena and Lily, Pottery Barn, RH and McGee and Co – some of our personal favorite brands. But the standout has to be the grasscloth navy blue furniture from Serena and Lily – to die for!”

Bed: West Elm.

Nightstands: Serena & Lily.

Pillows: Serena & Lily.

Artwork: McGee & Co.

Lamps: Pottery Barn.

Duvet Cover & Shams: RH – similar here, here & here.

Dresser

Dresser: Serena & Lily.

Mirror: West Elm.

Master Bathroom

“The master bathroom, similar to the kitchen, was all about classic and what is more classic than carrara marble? A basketweave floor tile throughout added nice texture and dimension, while the carrara marble countertops and polished chrome fixtures added the smooth textures we were looking for.”

Paint Color: White Dove by Benjamin Moore.

Vanity: off-white shaker in stock cabinet – Other Beautiful Vanities: here, here, here, here, here & here.

Shower Tile: 6×12 honed carrara marble.

Floor Tile: Marble with carrara marble dot basket weave tile – similar here.

Hardware: Top Knobs Pulls.

Faucets

Master Bathroom Faucets: Kohler Purist wide spread faucet collection Chrome.

Mirrors: here – similar.

Outdoor Area

“Last, but not least, the outdoor space. We added hardscape off of both interior doors to keep the flow strong and garnished the space with beautiful teak furniture – strong and durable for the Miami climate. New plants, sod, walkways and a nice amount of living space, these owners are sure to enjoy their morning coffee or evening aperitif surrounded by nature and comfort.”

Exterior Paint Color: Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee.

Patio Set: Safavieh.

Garden Stool: One Kings Lane.

Patio Umbrella: Crate & Barrel.

  We hope you enjoyed the #coastalcasa home tour! Thanks for following along!

  Many thanks to the designers for sharing the details above.

Interior Design: Miami Living Co (Instagram)

Photography: Jackie Knabben.

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“Dear God,

If I am wrong, right me. If I am lost, guide me. If I start to give-up, keep me going.

Lead me in Light and Love”.

Have a wonderful day, my friends and we’ll talk again tomorrow.”

with Love,

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from Home https://www.homebunch.com/coastal-home-decor-inspiration/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

[alternance-web]

Boise and Reno capitalize on the California real estate exodus

Julie D’Agostino outside her home in Boise. The Renovare gated community in Eagle, Idaho, is selling homes that start at $650,000—a bargain by California standards, says sales agent Nik Buich.

BOISE — Julie D’Agostino spent 15 years in the San Francisco Bay Area working in tech and considers herself decidedly liberal. Still, she ended up buying a home in a surprising place: deep-red Idaho. The 51-year-old moved to Boise two years ago, attracted to its walkable downtown, lively arts scene, and, most important, cheaper housing. She’s happy there, even though her first winter in 2016 and Donald Trump’s election were a shock.

“It was like, ‘What have I done?’ ” D’Agostino says, sitting at the kitchen table of the three-bedroom home she bought in May for $259,000. But staying in the Bay Area long-term wasn’t an option financially. “I was already priced out. I didn’t see myself miraculously, suddenly being able to afford it.”

For some Californians, the state’s punishing housing costs, high taxes, and constant threat of natural disaster have all become too much. They’re making their escape to areas such as Boise, Phoenix, and Reno, Nev., fueling some of the biggest home-price gains in the country. While the moves are motivated mainly by economics, they’re also highlighting political divides as conservatives from the blue state seek friendlier areas and liberal transplants find themselves in sometimes hostile territory.

California’s history of booms and busts has fueled exoduses before, but its soaring real estate costs have made living there ever more difficult for people who don’t earn big salaries. In the second quarter, only 26 percent of homebuyers in the state could afford to purchase a median-price single-family house, which was almost $600,000, according to the California Association of Realtors.

Almost 143,000 more people left the state than arrived from elsewhere in the U.S. in 2016. Trump’s tax overhaul, which capped some mortgage interest and property tax deductions, has probably added “gas to the fire,” says Glenn Kelman, chief executive officer of Redfin Inc., a national real estate brokerage that recently opened a Boise outpost.

But mostly it’s the prices. “Eventually the laws of supply and demand are going to drive people to other parts of the country,” Kelman says. “Boise isn’t five times worse than California as a place to live. But places in California are five times more expensive.” Boise is becoming an alternative to traditional havens for Californians such as Portland and Seattle that have also gotten too pricey, he says.

About 29 percent of the Idaho capital’s home-listing views are from Californians, according to Realtor.com. Reno and Prescott, Ariz., also were popular. These housing markets are soaring while much of the rest of the country cools. In Nevada, where Californians make up the largest share of arrivals, prices jumped 13 percent in August, the biggest increase for any state, according to CoreLogic Inc. data. It was followed closely by Idaho, with a 12 percent gain.

Nestled against the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Boise (pop. 227,000) has drawn families for decades to its open spaces and short commutes. It’s been particularly attractive to Californians, who accounted for 85 percent of net domestic immigration to Idaho, according to Realtor.com’s analysis of 2016 Census data. While it has always prided itself on being welcoming, skyrocketing housing costs fueled by the influx is testing residents’ patience. In his state of the city speech last month, Mayor David Bieter outlined steps to keep housing affordable and asked Boise to stay friendly: “Call it Boise kind, our kindness manifesto,” he said.

It’s especially easy for buyers who have sold properties in the Golden State to push up prices in relatively cheap places because they feel like they’re playing with Monopoly money, Kelman says. The median existing-home price in Boise’s home of Ada County was $299,950 last month—up almost 18 percent from a year earlier, but still about half California’s. The influx is great news for people who already own homes in the area, says Danielle Hale, chief economist for Realtor.com. “But if you’re a local aspiring to homeownership, it feels very much that Californians are bringing high prices with them.”

Kyle Epperson, 22, exits the DMV, clutching new Idaho plates for his Mitsubishi Lancer. The shaggy-haired college student moved from El Dorado, Calif., about three months ago. Epperson, who says he leans right politically, says his mistake was waiting too long to change out his California plates: He’s been flipped off twice. With a roommate, he shares a brand-new two-bedroom apartment that costs him $1,100 a month. He says it’s a big upgrade over the dumpy one-bedrooms he was looking at in California for $1,500.

D’Agostino, the Bay Area transplant, isn’t ashamed of her progressive views and is finding her place: at the natural foods co-op downtown, the Boise’s Women’s March last year, and with the volunteer group she founded to collect unused food for the needy. But it was also good to get out of her comfort zone, she says. “I can’t remember a time when it’s ever been this divided, so the fact that I can have some interaction with people who might not have exactly the same beliefs as me, that’s fine,” she says. “As long as we can respect each other.”

Politics aside, businesses are rushing into Boise to fill every West Coast craving. In nearby Eagle, the new Renovare gated community is selling 1,900- to 4,000-square-foot homes with floor-to-ceiling glass and “wine walls” that start at $650,000—a bargain by California standards, says sales agent Nik Buich. About half of buyers are from out of state, he says.

Julie and John Cuevas left Southern California a year ago to open Madre, a “boutique taqueria” in Boise that would make many of their fellow transplants feel at home. It’s more fusion than typical Mexican fare, with taco fillings including kimchi short rib and the popular “Idaho spud & chorizo.” It would have cost them three times as much to open a restaurant in California, says John, a former chef at a Beverly Hills hotel.

John Del Rio, a real estate agent sporting a beard, baseball cap, and sunglasses, just registered moving2idaho.com, where he’s planning to blog about all the things that make his new home great. He left Northern California two years ago with his wife in search of a place with less crime, lighter regulation, and more open space. Del Rio, a conservative with a libertarian bent, is reassured to see average people walking through Walmart with handguns in their holsters. In Idaho, he says, “nobody even flinches.”

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Bargain Hunter’s Bonanza: Metros With the Most Homes for Sale Under $100K—Act Now!

iStock; realtor.com

What does a hundred grand buy you these days? Let’s see … a stripped-down Tesla Model X.  A Fabergé egg on eBay. A  year of military-trained, 24/7 private security. A year and a half of tuition, room, and board at Harvard. Or perhaps a house.

News that home prices nationally are steadily rising well past the paychecks of everyday Americans has become a familiar drumbeat in the heads of many would-be buyers. Yes, homes are expensive and only getting more so. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t bargains to be found—if you know where to look.

The thrifty data team at realtor.com® loves a challenge—so we set out to find the metropolitan areas that boast the largest number of single-family homes listed for under $100,000 on realtor.com as of March 1. (We’re talking about total volume, not highest percentage.) These unicorns exist, and in greater numbers than you might think. Your wallets can thank us now.

But what kind of abodes do you get for less than the price of a (gently used) Patek Philippe Nautilus wristwatch? In pricey cities along the coasts, buyers would consider themselves #blessed to find a closet-size condo for a few hundred thousand dollars. But in others they can pick up a three-bedroom, two-bathroom house with a yard out back in a suburban school district for below our $100,000 threshold. They might have to roll up their sleeves to get a deal on a fixer-upper, or perhaps take a chance in an area that’s in an early stage of revival.

Look at it this way: With all of the money they’re saving on the purchase price, buyers might be able to afford some sweet, Instagram-worthy renovations.

Bargain buyers might want to head first to the lower-priced Rust Belt or Midwest, where median home prices are already lower than the rest of the country.  But places such as Chicago and New York City also have quite a few affordable finds—for buyers willing to venture past the city limits into the smaller, far-flung regions that comprise the metropolitan areas.

“Bargains definitely exist. But buyers should go in with their eyes open,” cautions Chief Economist Danielle Hale of realtor.com®. “In some of those areas, $100,000 can buy a pretty decent home that maybe needs a little bit of updating. In others, it might be a home that needs an awful lot of work and might be in not-yet-up-and-coming neighborhoods.”

So, where are these mythical havens of affordability where buyers can close on a house for under six figures?

Homes under $100K

Claire Widman

1. Pittsburgh, PA

Median home list price*: $179,950 Number of homes listed for $100,000 or less: 2,656

This home in the borough of Brentwood in the Pittsburgh metro area lists for $88,900.

realtor.com

Pittsburgh is the poster child for the Rust Belt comeback. After a long slump, the Steel City has emerged as a magnet for young techies and creatives, as top-tier companies such as Google, Intel, and Facebook have established offices there.

So maybe it’s a bit of a surprise that many first-time buyers can still snag a two-story, three-bedroom Colonial with a yard in the $100,000 range.

“The nice thing about Pittsburgh is that there are big shifts in price, from neighborhood to neighborhood,” says real estate agent Bobby West, of Coldwell Banker Pittsburgh. That means plenty of opportunities for buyers on all kinds of budgets. “There are dumps in the $80,000 range, move-in ready places at $120,000, plenty of options in between.”

Formerly working-class neighborhoods such as Millvale, Hazelwood, Southside Slopes, and Brighton Heights, accessible by public transportation, have been transformed into millennial dream towns. (Check out this newly renovated four-bedroom, one-bathroom house in Hazelwood for $82,000.) They’re filled with old-school Pittsburgher neighborhood bars as well as hip restaurants and cocktail dens.

2. Detroit, MI

Median home list price: $245,050 Number of homes listed for $100,000 or less: 2,478

A $50,000 multi-family home in Detroit

realtor.com

When Tyson Gersh set up The Michigan Urban Farming Initiative on a vacant lot in Detroit’s North End in 2011, many of the neighborhood’s former commercial storefronts and Queen Anne–style homes were dilapidated or straight-up demolished. Back then, most of the homes were sold through auctions starting at $500.

That was before the Motown revival kicked in for real. Gersh nearly got priced out of the neighborhood that he had helped redevelop before working out a deal for a historic two-family home just last month. He’s preparing for a full rehab that he expects will cost a pretty penny. But he feels certain it’ll be worth it.

Buyers can still take a pick of bargain-priced homes here. Caveat emptor: After decades of neglect, many of the homes in desirable areas listed below six figures need complete renos. And due to the backlog, finding good contractors to do the work in a timely manner is no easy feat these days.

“You can find lots of homes right now under $100,000,” says Gersh, even if many are “blighted homes that are uninhabitable at the moment.”

But fixing them up could be a good investment, he adds: “On my street, there are three homes that have been rehabbed in the last year, all of which were [later sold for around] $300,000.”

3. Chicago, IL

Median home list price: $299,550 Number of homes listed for $100,000 or less: 2,397

Sub-$100K home in Matteson, IL, about an hour from Chicago

realtor.com

Buyers looking for a somewhat decent $100,000 home in a good school district likely won’t be living within Chicago’s city limits. The metro area sprawls from Kenosha, WI, past Gary, IN—and buyers in the lower price range will probably need to factor in long commutes to the city.

“You’re definitely not getting Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Uptown, or Gold Coast; no River Park, no Bucktown, no Ukrainian Village,” says real estate broker Evelyn Fred, of Baird & Warner, naming the nicer and trendier Chicago neighborhoods.

Fred recently sold a first-time buyer a four-bedroom, one-bathroom house with a huge yard, deck, and outdoor kitchen in Matteson, IL, for $85,000. The home was about a 45-minute drive or hourlong train ride from the museums, restaurants, and offices of Chicago proper.

4. St. Louis, MO

Median home list price: $207,550 Number of homes listed for $100,000 or less: 2,227

A home in Tower Grove South in St. Louis

realtor.com

St. Louis is one of those Midwestern cities where buyers don’t have to trade quality or location for a good price. Young buyers have been sucking up the $100,000-and-under, two-bedroom, brick bungalows in the Bevo neighborhood like frosty brews on a summer day. The area is buzzing these days, with a vibrant restaurant row and a wildly popular German pub that just opened inside a historic windmill.

“St. Louis is still superaffordable,” says Realtor® Jeannie Kennedy, of Garcia Realty St. Louis. “You can get a nice, clean, partly rehabbed house with an updated kitchen in Bevo for around $95,000.”

Similar home deals can be found in a few county suburbs (with better school districts) and other coveted, yet affordable St. Louis neighborhoods (e.g., Dutchtown, Carondelet, and even Tower Grove South). Tower Grove was once hailed as the “Best Place to Live” by local alt-weekly Riverfront Times for its diverse housing, restaurants, and bars.

While single-family homes can be found in Tower Grove South for under six figures, they’ll typically need some work—though not too much, says Kennedy. For example, this brick, two-bedroom, one-bedroom fixer-upper for $55,000.

“When people are first buying a home, they aren’t looking for the Taj Mahal,” Kennedy exlains.

5. Cleveland, OH

Median home list price: $175,050 Number of homes listed for $100,000 or less: 1,779

Home in Garfield Heights suburb of Cleveland

realtor.com

Because Cleveland boasts so many affordable homes, the city has been attracting hordes of out-of-state investors seeking properties that cost way less than a down payment in New York City or California.

“Price points vary widely,” says James Wise, a real estate broker with Holton-Wise Property Group, who specializes in investment properties and flippers.

Wise believes some of the best deals are found in working-class suburbs that tend to have more renters than owner-occupiers, including Garfield Heights, South Euclid, and Euclid (soon to house an Amazon fulfillment center). There, out-of-town buyers have been bagging turnkey bungalows in the $80,000 range as well as brick homes in the $60,000s. After some light reno work, the properties can garner rents around $1,000 a month.

There’s this three-bedroom, two-bathroom foreclosure for just $54,900. It comes with hardwood floors, central air, and a partly finished basement.

On the other side of the spectrum, many young professionals are still gravitating to trendier neighborhoods such as Ohio City, Gordon Square, and Tremont, where most renovated, single-family abodes cost upward of $300,000, Wise says.

6. Birmingham, AL

Median home list price: $219,950 Number of homes listed for $100,000 or less: 1,169

$52,000 bungalow in Birmingham, AL

realtor.com

Birmingham’s real estate market is in the midst of a boom, but buyers can score bargains—if they’re willing to move just outside the city limits.

Buyers can still find homes for a song in some of the historic neighborhoods, but they’re likely to require gut rehabs to bring them back to their early 20th-century glory. However, there are bargains to be found, including this two-bedroom, one-bathroom bungalow for $52,000.

Those willing to go farther afield to less desirable suburbs or rural parts of St. Clair County can find move in-ready abodes with land for less than the price of a condo in Magic City’s hottest hoods.

7. New York, NY

Median home list price: $523,740 Number of homes listed for $100,000 or less: 1,155

The city so nice, they made it impossible to find a sub-$100K house.

krblokhin/iStock

Ready to get your New York City house for less than $100,000? Fuhgeddaboudit. You can’t even get a 400-square-foot condo in the forgotten borough of Staten Island for that price. So, why is NYC on this list?

The New York metro area is so darn big, encompassing parts of upper New York state, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut, that it’s not a surprise that some of these smaller, more remote towns would have cheaper homes for sale. (The U.S. Census defines metro areas as including a large population hub that supports a broader region.)

In the woods of Pennsylvania’s Pike County, buyers who want to live near the Poconos ski resorts can take advantage of low taxes and good schools with a three-bedroom cabin for less than $100,000. Several buses pick up locals for multihour commutes to New York City. However, city workers are more likely to use the area for a getaway than a primary residence.

“We’re in a big market for second homes,” says Tom Moroney, a real estate agent with Century 21 Country Lake Homes.

Closer to the city, it’s harder to find a livable $100,000 single-family home. While northern New Jersey has seen a delayed surge of foreclosures from the recession, many of these properties have been seriously neglected, requiring costly renovations that will soar well beyond the five-figure mark.

8. Memphis, TN

Median home list price: $195,050 Number of homes listed for $100,000 or less: 1,135

A cabin in Memphis listing for $57,900.

realtor.com

Most of the homes selling for five figures in Memphis are investment properties, which folks buy to rent out. And the competition for them is fierce, as out-of-town, would-be landlords battle it out for the opportunity to lease those properties to Memphis residents burned by the housing crash and subsequent foreclosure crisis.

“Under $100,000 is going to be 90-plus% investment properties,” says Dan Butler, co-founder of CrestCore Realty Memphis. These aren’t properties geared toward first-time buyers seeking out nice neighborhoods where they would want to live and raise their families.

Investors who can drop $80,000 to $100,000 will find three-bedroom, two-bathroom homes with two-car garages in large, suburban subdivisions. But these homes may need an additional $30,000 to $40,000 for kitchen and bathroom upgrades, a paint job, and other renovations. Once they’re fixed up, they’re likely to be rented by double-income families willing to fork over $1,200 a month.

However, most of the young, first-time buyers looking to stake their claim on a piece of land are more interested in hard-to-find homes in East Memphis’ $150,000 starting range. They’re just a short drive from the action of midtown Memphis.

“Supply is low and demand is high,” Butler says.

9. Philadelphia, PA

Median home list price: $249,950 Number of homes listed for $100,000 or less: 1,087

Across the river in Palmyra, NJ, this house lists for $60k.

realtor.com

The brick Colonials on Philadelphia’s cobblestone streets are a steal compared with nearby metros such as New York City and Washington, DC. That doesn’t mean they come cheap, though. The average starting price for a nice, single-family home in downtown Philly is about $350,000.

Those willing to go about 6 miles southwest or north of Center City can still (occasionally) find deals in up-and-coming neighborhoods such as Kensington (which has this three-bedroom, one-bedroom, newly renovated home for $99,9000) and Port Richmond. Homes with three bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms, and small yards, similar to the entry-level homes in prime Philly, are particularly attractive to those on a budget.

“The market has plenty of first-time home buyers educated enough to know that owning a house in that price would be cheaper than renting,” says Jeanne Whipple, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Preferred Philadelphia.

10. Atlanta, GA

Median home list price: $330,888 Number of homes listed for $100,000 or less: 1,087

A 2,200 square foot bungalow in the Venetian Hills neighborhood of Atlanta

Those who want to be in the center of everything should expect to pay substantially more than $100,000 for a home in Atlanta. The starting point for a single-family abode in Atlanta’s Intown market, the 4-mile radius surrounding downtown, is well out of the reach of most first-time, cash-strapped buyers.

“To be in a nice property, you’re in the half-millions,” says Ryan Sconyers, a real estate agent with Graham Seeby Group Keller Williams. However, buyers who aren’t seeking a big house and backyard can still pick up a nice condo in a desirable neighborhood for around $125,000, Sconyers says.

There are still some single-family deals to be had in the south and southwest corridors of the city, in neighborhoods such as Venetian Hills and Polar Rock. Those lower-price markets have recently been dominated by flippers and investors looking to pick up dilapidated homes for $50,000 to fix up and sell for a huge profits, or rent out.

“There are old, established neighborhoods that haven’t bounced back out of the recession,” Sconyers says.

* Median metro home list prices are as of April 1.

The post Bargain Hunter’s Bonanza: Metros With the Most Homes for Sale Under $100K—Act Now! appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

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[realestateagent532]

Bargain Hunter’s Bonanza: Metros With the Most Homes for Sale Under $100K—Act Now!

iStock; realtor.com

What does a hundred grand buy you these days? Let’s see … a stripped-down Tesla Model X.  A Fabergé egg on eBay. A  year of military-trained, 24/7 private security. A year and a half of tuition, room, and board at Harvard. Or perhaps a house.

News that home prices nationally are steadily rising well past the paychecks of everyday Americans has become a familiar drumbeat in the heads of many would-be buyers. Yes, homes are expensive and only getting more so. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t bargains to be found—if you know where to look.

The thrifty data team at realtor.com® loves a challenge—so we set out to find the metropolitan areas that boast the largest number of single-family homes listed for under $100,000 on realtor.com as of March 1. (We’re talking about total volume, not highest percentage.) These unicorns exist, and in greater numbers than you might think. Your wallets can thank us now.

But what kind of abodes do you get for less than the price of a (gently used) Patek Philippe Nautilus wristwatch? In pricey cities along the coasts, buyers would consider themselves #blessed to find a closet-size condo for a few hundred thousand dollars. But in others they can pick up a three-bedroom, two-bathroom house with a yard out back in a suburban school district for below our $100,000 threshold. They might have to roll up their sleeves to get a deal on a fixer-upper, or perhaps take a chance in an area that’s in an early stage of revival.

Look at it this way: With all of the money they’re saving on the purchase price, buyers might be able to afford some sweet, Instagram-worthy renovations.

Bargain buyers might want to head first to the lower-priced Rust Belt or Midwest, where median home prices are already lower than the rest of the country.  But places such as Chicago and New York City also have quite a few affordable finds—for buyers willing to venture past the city limits into the smaller, far-flung regions that comprise the metropolitan areas.

“Bargains definitely exist. But buyers should go in with their eyes open,” cautions Chief Economist Danielle Hale of realtor.com®. “In some of those areas, $100,000 can buy a pretty decent home that maybe needs a little bit of updating. In others, it might be a home that needs an awful lot of work and might be in not-yet-up-and-coming neighborhoods.”

So, where are these mythical havens of affordability where buyers can close on a house for under six figures?

Homes under $100K

Claire Widman

1. Pittsburgh, PA

Median home list price*: $179,950 Number of homes listed for $100,000 or less: 2,656

This home in the borough of Brentwood in the Pittsburgh metro area lists for $88,900.

realtor.com

Pittsburgh is the poster child for the Rust Belt comeback. After a long slump, the Steel City has emerged as a magnet for young techies and creatives, as top-tier companies such as Google, Intel, and Facebook have established offices there.

So maybe it’s a bit of a surprise that many first-time buyers can still snag a two-story, three-bedroom Colonial with a yard in the $100,000 range.

“The nice thing about Pittsburgh is that there are big shifts in price, from neighborhood to neighborhood,” says real estate agent Bobby West, of Coldwell Banker Pittsburgh. That means plenty of opportunities for buyers on all kinds of budgets. “There are dumps in the $80,000 range, move-in ready places at $120,000, plenty of options in between.”

Formerly working-class neighborhoods such as Millvale, Hazelwood, Southside Slopes, and Brighton Heights, accessible by public transportation, have been transformed into millennial dream towns. (Check out this newly renovated four-bedroom, one-bathroom house in Hazelwood for $82,000.) They’re filled with old-school Pittsburgher neighborhood bars as well as hip restaurants and cocktail dens.

2. Detroit, MI

Median home list price: $245,050 Number of homes listed for $100,000 or less: 2,478

A $50,000 multi-family home in Detroit

realtor.com

When Tyson Gersh set up The Michigan Urban Farming Initiative on a vacant lot in Detroit’s North End in 2011, many of the neighborhood’s former commercial storefronts and Queen Anne–style homes were dilapidated or straight-up demolished. Back then, most of the homes were sold through auctions starting at $500.

That was before the Motown revival kicked in for real. Gersh nearly got priced out of the neighborhood that he had helped redevelop before working out a deal for a historic two-family home just last month. He’s preparing for a full rehab that he expects will cost a pretty penny. But he feels certain it’ll be worth it.

Buyers can still take a pick of bargain-priced homes here. Caveat emptor: After decades of neglect, many of the homes in desirable areas listed below six figures need complete renos. And due to the backlog, finding good contractors to do the work in a timely manner is no easy feat these days.

“You can find lots of homes right now under $100,000,” says Gersh, even if many are “blighted homes that are uninhabitable at the moment.”

But fixing them up could be a good investment, he adds: “On my street, there are three homes that have been rehabbed in the last year, all of which were [later sold for around] $300,000.”

3. Chicago, IL

Median home list price: $299,550 Number of homes listed for $100,000 or less: 2,397

Sub-$100K home in Matteson, IL, about an hour from Chicago

realtor.com

Buyers looking for a somewhat decent $100,000 home in a good school district likely won’t be living within Chicago’s city limits. The metro area sprawls from Kenosha, WI, past Gary, IN—and buyers in the lower price range will probably need to factor in long commutes to the city.

“You’re definitely not getting Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Uptown, or Gold Coast; no River Park, no Bucktown, no Ukrainian Village,” says real estate broker Evelyn Fred, of Baird & Warner, naming the nicer and trendier Chicago neighborhoods.

Fred recently sold a first-time buyer a four-bedroom, one-bathroom house with a huge yard, deck, and outdoor kitchen in Matteson, IL, for $85,000. The home was about a 45-minute drive or hourlong train ride from the museums, restaurants, and offices of Chicago proper.

4. St. Louis, MO

Median home list price: $207,550 Number of homes listed for $100,000 or less: 2,227

A home in Tower Grove South in St. Louis

realtor.com

St. Louis is one of those Midwestern cities where buyers don’t have to trade quality or location for a good price. Young buyers have been sucking up the $100,000-and-under, two-bedroom, brick bungalows in the Bevo neighborhood like frosty brews on a summer day. The area is buzzing these days, with a vibrant restaurant row and a wildly popular German pub that just opened inside a historic windmill.

“St. Louis is still superaffordable,” says Realtor® Jeannie Kennedy, of Garcia Realty St. Louis. “You can get a nice, clean, partly rehabbed house with an updated kitchen in Bevo for around $95,000.”

Similar home deals can be found in a few county suburbs (with better school districts) and other coveted, yet affordable St. Louis neighborhoods (e.g., Dutchtown, Carondelet, and even Tower Grove South). Tower Grove was once hailed as the “Best Place to Live” by local alt-weekly Riverfront Times for its diverse housing, restaurants, and bars.

While single-family homes can be found in Tower Grove South for under six figures, they’ll typically need some work—though not too much, says Kennedy. For example, this brick, two-bedroom, one-bedroom fixer-upper for $55,000.

“When people are first buying a home, they aren’t looking for the Taj Mahal,” Kennedy exlains.

5. Cleveland, OH

Median home list price: $175,050 Number of homes listed for $100,000 or less: 1,779

Home in Garfield Heights suburb of Cleveland

realtor.com

Because Cleveland boasts so many affordable homes, the city has been attracting hordes of out-of-state investors seeking properties that cost way less than a down payment in New York City or California.

“Price points vary widely,” says James Wise, a real estate broker with Holton-Wise Property Group, who specializes in investment properties and flippers.

Wise believes some of the best deals are found in working-class suburbs that tend to have more renters than owner-occupiers, including Garfield Heights, South Euclid, and Euclid (soon to house an Amazon fulfillment center). There, out-of-town buyers have been bagging turnkey bungalows in the $80,000 range as well as brick homes in the $60,000s. After some light reno work, the properties can garner rents around $1,000 a month.

There’s this three-bedroom, two-bathroom foreclosure for just $54,900. It comes with hardwood floors, central air, and a partly finished basement.

On the other side of the spectrum, many young professionals are still gravitating to trendier neighborhoods such as Ohio City, Gordon Square, and Tremont, where most renovated, single-family abodes cost upward of $300,000, Wise says.

6. Birmingham, AL

Median home list price: $219,950 Number of homes listed for $100,000 or less: 1,169

$52,000 bungalow in Birmingham, AL

realtor.com

Birmingham’s real estate market is in the midst of a boom, but buyers can score bargains—if they’re willing to move just outside the city limits.

Buyers can still find homes for a song in some of the historic neighborhoods, but they’re likely to require gut rehabs to bring them back to their early 20th-century glory. However, there are bargains to be found, including this two-bedroom, one-bathroom bungalow for $52,000.

Those willing to go farther afield to less desirable suburbs or rural parts of St. Clair County can find move in-ready abodes with land for less than the price of a condo in Magic City’s hottest hoods.

7. New York, NY

Median home list price: $523,740 Number of homes listed for $100,000 or less: 1,155

The city so nice, they made it impossible to find a sub-$100K house.

krblokhin/iStock

Ready to get your New York City house for less than $100,000? Fuhgeddaboudit. You can’t even get a 400-square-foot condo in the forgotten borough of Staten Island for that price. So, why is NYC on this list?

The New York metro area is so darn big, encompassing parts of upper New York state, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut, that it’s not a surprise that some of these smaller, more remote towns would have cheaper homes for sale. (The U.S. Census defines metro areas as including a large population hub that supports a broader region.)

In the woods of Pennsylvania’s Pike County, buyers who want to live near the Poconos ski resorts can take advantage of low taxes and good schools with a three-bedroom cabin for less than $100,000. Several buses pick up locals for multihour commutes to New York City. However, city workers are more likely to use the area for a getaway than a primary residence.

“We’re in a big market for second homes,” says Tom Moroney, a real estate agent with Century 21 Country Lake Homes.

Closer to the city, it’s harder to find a livable $100,000 single-family home. While northern New Jersey has seen a delayed surge of foreclosures from the recession, many of these properties have been seriously neglected, requiring costly renovations that will soar well beyond the five-figure mark.

8. Memphis, TN

Median home list price: $195,050 Number of homes listed for $100,000 or less: 1,135

A cabin in Memphis listing for $57,900.

realtor.com

Most of the homes selling for five figures in Memphis are investment properties, which folks buy to rent out. And the competition for them is fierce, as out-of-town, would-be landlords battle it out for the opportunity to lease those properties to Memphis residents burned by the housing crash and subsequent foreclosure crisis.

“Under $100,000 is going to be 90-plus% investment properties,” says Dan Butler, co-founder of CrestCore Realty Memphis. These aren’t properties geared toward first-time buyers seeking out nice neighborhoods where they would want to live and raise their families.

Investors who can drop $80,000 to $100,000 will find three-bedroom, two-bathroom homes with two-car garages in large, suburban subdivisions. But these homes may need an additional $30,000 to $40,000 for kitchen and bathroom upgrades, a paint job, and other renovations. Once they’re fixed up, they’re likely to be rented by double-income families willing to fork over $1,200 a month.

However, most of the young, first-time buyers looking to stake their claim on a piece of land are more interested in hard-to-find homes in East Memphis’ $150,000 starting range. They’re just a short drive from the action of midtown Memphis.

“Supply is low and demand is high,” Butler says.

9. Philadelphia, PA

Median home list price: $249,950 Number of homes listed for $100,000 or less: 1,087

Across the river in Palmyra, NJ, this house lists for $60k.

realtor.com

The brick Colonials on Philadelphia’s cobblestone streets are a steal compared with nearby metros such as New York City and Washington, DC. That doesn’t mean they come cheap, though. The average starting price for a nice, single-family home in downtown Philly is about $350,000.

Those willing to go about 6 miles southwest or north of Center City can still (occasionally) find deals in up-and-coming neighborhoods such as Kensington (which has this three-bedroom, one-bedroom, newly renovated home for $99,9000) and Port Richmond. Homes with three bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms, and small yards, similar to the entry-level homes in prime Philly, are particularly attractive to those on a budget.

“The market has plenty of first-time home buyers educated enough to know that owning a house in that price would be cheaper than renting,” says Jeanne Whipple, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Preferred Philadelphia.

10. Atlanta, GA

Median home list price: $330,888 Number of homes listed for $100,000 or less: 1,087

A 2,200 square foot bungalow in the Venetian Hills neighborhood of Atlanta

Those who want to be in the center of everything should expect to pay substantially more than $100,000 for a home in Atlanta. The starting point for a single-family abode in Atlanta’s Intown market, the 4-mile radius surrounding downtown, is well out of the reach of most first-time, cash-strapped buyers.

“To be in a nice property, you’re in the half-millions,” says Ryan Sconyers, a real estate agent with Graham Seeby Group Keller Williams. However, buyers who aren’t seeking a big house and backyard can still pick up a nice condo in a desirable neighborhood for around $125,000, Sconyers says.

There are still some single-family deals to be had in the south and southwest corridors of the city, in neighborhoods such as Venetian Hills and Polar Rock. Those lower-price markets have recently been dominated by flippers and investors looking to pick up dilapidated homes for $50,000 to fix up and sell for a huge profits, or rent out.

“There are old, established neighborhoods that haven’t bounced back out of the recession,” Sconyers says.

* Median metro home list prices are as of April 1.

The post Bargain Hunter’s Bonanza: Metros With the Most Homes for Sale Under $100K—Act Now! appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

from DIYS https://ift.tt/2Ji3Wb3

[jh7era-blog]

Sparks Nevada May 13, 2018 Mother’s Day

English 180, FRC- Blog 10 Nature Literature

Jake Haring

Weather is a very interesting thing here in Northern Nevada. These three pictures were taken in Sparks, Nevada this weekend.  It has been a strange but normal weather weekend in Sparks and Reno.  We have seen clouds, rain, sunshine, wind, hale, warm, cold and the same things all over again. The first picture above is taken off to the north and west of the Vistas in Sparks. The picture really shows the expansiveness of the brown soil and sagebrush along with the housing developments of Sparks. You can see from the other pictures that I took of the clouds above that the clouds are settled in, likely for more rain, but there is a little sliver of sun between the clouds off on the horizon and the mountains.

The other two pictures are more of the mountains to the west and Reno/Sparks below. You can barely see the Sierras in the pics but there are mountains there with snow on them.  The clouds are hanging really low and they look amazing.  They are huge and grey and white and dark and look like they might even come lower.  We really do live in a really interesting and awesome place in terms of scenery.  But I have to say it would be nice to have more predictable weather. This is spring in Northern Nevada….64 degrees one day and 80 the next day. Happy Mother’s Day Mother Nature. Now let’s get some sunshine and hot temps.

[investmart007]

Road to homeownership gets rockier this spring as rates rise

New Post has been published on https://goo.gl/EMGeYk

Road to homeownership gets rockier this spring as rates rise

LOS ANGELES/April 18, 2018 (AP)(STLRealEstate.News) — Higher mortgage rates are making the already challenging task of buying an affordable home even tougher for many Americans this spring.

In metro areas such as Denver, buyers are rushing to close a deal before mortgage rates get too high. In Dallas, some are embracing longer commutes to find homes they can afford. And in places such as Los Angeles, where the number of homes for sale is down sharply from a year ago, sellers routinely receive multiple offers.

While still low by historical standards, long-term mortgage rates have been mostly climbing this year. The average weekly rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage edged up to 4.42 percent last week. It was 3.95 percent at the start of this year.

A mere extra half percentage point or so can boost monthly payments and add tens of thousands of dollars extra in interest over the life of the typical 30-year loan. At a time when home prices are rising faster than incomes in many parts of the country, that could be enough to shut out some would-be buyers who make the median income in cities such as Seattle and Los Angeles.

First-time buyers already face significant hurdles to homeownership because starter homes have seen the steepest price increases as well as sharpest decline in the number of homes on the market. Higher mortgage rates only further limit what buyers can afford.

The combination of low inventory, rising prices and higher mortgage rates is expected to weigh on the U.S. housing market this year, with several economists and housing experts forecasting U.S. home sales will be flat or only slightly higher than in 2017.

“We’ve been talking about low inventory for several years, and yet inventory continues to turn lower,” said Danielle Hale, chief economist for Realtor.com. “That puts us in a position where for home shoppers this spring it’s going to be the most competitive market we’ve seen in the last few years.”

Chad Zolman got a taste of that while looking for a home in Denver. The account manager made 11 offers since his search began in September, but lost out to rivals offering more money. As mortgage rates started rising, so did Zolman’s anxiety about being able to afford to buy.

“The rates kept going up, and the more the rates kept going up, the less house you can buy,” said Zolman, 41. “And the less house you can buy in this market, that’s not good. You have to be able to pony up the cash.”

Zolman eventually bought a newly built, three-bedroom townhome for $370,000. He got approved for a 30-year fixed-rate loan just under 4.7 percent. He’s not in the clear yet, however. He can’t lock in his rate until mid-May, within the 120-day window before construction on the house is completed.

And if rates go higher by then?

“It is what it is,” Zolman said. “You just have to pay it.”

For others, rising mortgage rates — the 30-year rate hit a four-year high of 4.46 percent in March — make it tougher to bridge the widening gap between home prices and their incomes. Cities such as Denver, Los Angeles, Miami and Seattle have become less and less affordable, particularly for millennials and others looking to purchase their first home.

Consider that the national median home price is $225,264. That works out to 3.8 times the U.S. median income of $59,039, according to the most recent annual income figures from the U.S. Census and home price data from real estate information company Attom Data Solutions. The same price-to-income ratio was 3.3 back in 2000.

The affordability equation is less daunting for the buyer who earns the median wage in Pittsburgh, where a median-priced home at $125,000 is about 2.2 times the metro area’s median income of $56,063. The same goes for buyers in St. Louis, Oklahoma City, Indianapolis, Baltimore and other cities where the median home price is less than three times the median income.

By comparison, the home price-to-income gap becomes a yawning chasm in several California cities like Los Angeles, where a median-priced home at $605,000 is more than nine times the metropolitan area’s median income of $65,950. Rising housing prices have widened the home price-income gap to five times or more in Seattle, Denver, Portland, Oregon, and Reno, Nevada, among other cities.

“When you look at the coastlines — Seattle, San Francisco, New York, places in the Northeast — you have a lot of those first-time homebuyers who are now being priced out of the market,” said Nick Bailey, CEO of Century 21 Real Estate. “There’s a point at which the average first-time homebuyer just can’t compete.”

At this point, rising mortgage rates account for about a third of the increase in the typical homebuyer’s monthly payment, while the pickup in home prices makes up about two-thirds of that increased payment.

“At least so far, rising prices have been a much bigger factor,” Hale said. “And the reason prices are rising is that balance between supply and demand: Plentiful demand; not enough inventory.”

The supply of homes for sale fell 8.1 percent in February from a year earlier to 1.59 million. It would take just 3.4 months to snap up the supply of available homes at the current sales rate, down from an average of 6 months since 2000.

“Last year was the fastest housing market, in terms of days on market, that we’ve ever seen,” said Nela Richardson, chief economist at the real estate company Redfin. Homes are now selling five days faster than last year, she added.

Many current homeowners who locked in historically low rates in recent years may be reluctant to sell if it means taking on a higher mortgage rate on their next home. That could further diminish the inventory of homes for sale nationwide. Even if rates don’t move much, buyers can expect prices to keep climbing this year would-be buyers vastly outnumber the homes up for sale.

A strong job market has helped boost confidence among many Americans that it’s a good time to buy a home. Millennials, the largest generation since the baby boomers, is reaching peak homebuyer age, adding to the crop of would-be buyers this spring.

“The inventory crunch is there and it’s really acute for first-time buyers,” said Cheryl Young, senior economist at Trulia. “It’s definitely a sellers’ market.”

Home sales have been uneven so far this year. Among existing homes, sales rose 3 percent in February to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.54 million, according to the National Association of Realtors. That gain followed sales declines in January and December.

Overall, home prices are 6.3 percent higher than their peak in July 2006. Prices plunged when the housing bubble burst, hitting bottom in February 2012. Since then, prices have rebounded 46.5 percent.

To cope with rising prices in Dallas, first-time buyers like Rob Chilton and his wife have broadened their search area, even if it lengthens their commutes to work

The couple, who cut back on dining out and other luxuries the past few years to set aside money for a down payment, bought a three-bedroom, two-bath fixer-upper for $335,000 in February. That’s $15,000 below the asking price, but $45,000 more than what the couple felt they could comfortably afford.

“Houses that used to be comfortably in our price range three or four years ago are now out of our price range,” said Chilton, a music teacher.

The house is also in a suburb that adds an extra 15 minutes to Chilton’s wife’s work commute, on top of the hour-long drive she had before.

“By moving a little further North, we could get a newer home in a little bit better condition in our price range,” said Chilton, 33.

In Dallas, as in many other markets this spring, it’s common for sellers to receive multiple offers above their asking price. A home that hit the market recently for $215,000 drew no shortage of buyers, said James Williams, broker associate at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty.

“In the first weekend we had 40 showings, 10 offers with the highest offer being $15,000, or 7 percent, over the list price,” Williams said. “There’s definitely a shortage of inventory under $300,000, and when those homes do come on the market it’s a frenzy.”

______

By ALEX VEIGA, AP Business Writer, published on STL.NEWS by St. Louis Media, LLC (PS)

[briggsps]

Rick Dingus has explored the cultural and topographical landscapes of the western United States for more than four decades. Beginning in the late 1970s, his black and white and color photographs heightened with drawing created a dialogue between the multiplicity of photographic processes and the singularity of drawing. In the last several decades his panoramic, infrared, and circular images have been coupled with an unrelenting tinkering with cameras and lenses to adjust the “windows” of his worlds.

Dingus recently donated over 750 works, including notebooks and related notes, to an archive of his work in the AP/RC. His imagery explores ironies, contradictions, dialogues, and symbioses among human manipulated environments. While much of his attention has been directed toward the southwestern United States, Dingus has pictorially examined other regions of the western United States, as well as India, Australia and Mexico.

As the artist notes, “I’m interested in any situation that prompts contemplation of the curiously complex connections we share with the larger patterns of existence. Remote wilderness and rural settings, vernacular byways, urban environments, ancient pathways, ruins, historic, mythic and spiritual pilgrimage sites, scientific and technological research facilities, folk and professional museums, shrines, collections, displays, and dioramas all fascinate me because these places reflect individual and collective responses, understandings, and a myriad of relationships to the same world I live in.”

In 2016 the Museum of Texas Tech presented a retrospective exhibition  and the University of Oklahoma published a monographic survey of Dingus’ work, Shifting Views and Changing Places: The Photographs of Rick Dingus.

Go to the artists web site at: http://www.rickdingus.com/

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Every day at exactly 5pm in February 1973, Isla Vista, CA; digital print from color transparencies

After the Fire, Bandelier National Monument, NM (Topography Grid), 1977-78; silver gelatin print

After the Fire, Bandelier National Monument, NM (Denuded Slope Erosion), 1977-78; silver gelatin print

After the Fire, Bandelier National Monument, NM (in Snow), 1977-78; silver gelatin print

Pulpit Rock, W.H. Jackson, 1869; silver gelatin print from, negative from original print

Location of Pulpit Rock, for the Rephotographic Survey Project, 1978; silver gelatin print

Tertiary Conglomerates, Weber Valley (Witches Rocks #5), T.H. O’Sullivan, 1869; from photograph of original print

Tertiary Conglomerates, Weber Valley (Witches Rocks #5), T.H. O’Sullivan, 1869, for the Rephotographic Survey Project, 1978

Untitled (Hole with Board: Gravel Mound), 1977; silver gelatin print with graphite

Lightning Snake Shadow, 1977-81; silver gelatin print with graphite

Gravity Fence, 1979; silver gelatin print with graphite

After the Tornado at Wichita Falls, TX, 1979-82; silver gelatin print with graphite

Living Room, Langtry, Tx, 1984; silver gelatin print with graphite

Satellite TV, Junction, TX, 1984-85; silver gelatin print with graphite

Tilted Earth Shield: San Rafael Swell, UT, 1982-88; silver gelatin print with graphite

Earth Changes: Past-Present-Future, 1981-86; silver gelatin print with graphite

Ufinsihed House in the Woods near Taos, NM, 1985-88; silver gelatin print with graphite

Journey Within, 1987-88; silver gelatin print with graphite

Empty Soda Well near San Ysidro, NM, 1989; silver gelatin print with graphite

Entrance, Gulf Coast, Mississippi, 1988-90; silver gelatin print with graphite

Five Years After the Fire, Bandelier National Monument, NM, 1982-89; silver gelatin print with graphite

Tree of Knowledge, Turkey, TX, 1988-89; silver gelatin print with graphite

Ufinished Business, Mississippi, 1989; silver gelatin print with graphite

Underground Stairway, Sonora Caverns, TX 1993;

Wind Scored Tin near Lubbock, TX, 1995; chromogenic print with water-soluble wax and oil based pastel crayons

Airport Motel, Plainview, TX, 1992; chromogenic print with water-soluble wax and oil based pastel crayons

Neon Motel, Junction, TX, 1992; chromogenic print with water-soluble wax and oil based pastel crayons

Equinox Sunset Snake Creeps Down, Chichen Itza, Mexico, 1995-96; chromogenic print with water-soluble wax and oil based pastel crayons

Teotihuacan (from the Pyramid of the Moon), 1997-98; chromogenic print with water-soluble wax and oil based pastel crayons

Storefront Landscape, TX Panhandle, 1998; chromogenic print with water-soluble wax and oil based pastel crayons

Plowed Fields near Colorado City, TX, 1994-96; chromogenic print with water-soluble wax and oil based pastel crayons

Dust Storm, Lubbock, TX, 1995; chromogenic print with water-soluble wax and oil based pastel crayons

Field House near Snyder, TX, 1994-96; chromogenic print with water-soluble wax and oil based pastel crayons

“Tlaloc” Petroglyph near Cooks Peak, NM, 1984-85; silver gelatin print with graphite

Exterior: Cave Kiva near White Rock, NM (rebirth Place), 1982-86; silver gelatin print with graphite

Interior: Cave Kiva near White Rock, NM (Mythical Fragments), 1984-86; silver gelatin print with graphite

“Five Portraits” Ceremonial, Davis Canyon near Canyonlands, UT (Proposed Nuclear Waste Disposal Site), 1982-85; silver gelatin print with graphite

Marking the Passage, Three Rivers, NM, 1983-86; silver gelatin print with graphite

Location of the “Sky Faces” Pictographs, Canyonlands, UT, 1982-84; silver gelatin print with graphite

Painted Rock near Santa Barbara, CA, 1983-84; silver gelatin print with graphite

Lessons by the Campfire, 1987-88; silver gelatin print with graphite

After the Sweat, 1987-88; silver gelatin print with graphite

Shade House Full of Light, 1988; silver gelatin print with graphite

Volcanic Wall near Shiprock (Wings of the Giant Bird in the Journey to the Sky Father Story), 1987-88; silver gelatin print with graphite

Buddha with Onlookers, Pandu Lena Caves near Nasik, Maharashtra, India, 1988-90; silver gelatin print with graphite

Kneeling Figures, Buddhist Caves near Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India, 1988-90; silver gelatin print with graphite

Shiva Lingam, Panchaleshwar Temple, Poona, India, 1988-90; silver gelatin print with graphite

Hanuman, Panchaleshwar Temple, Poona, India, 1988-90; silver gelatin print with graphite

Collecting Navajo Smoke, 1992-93; chromogenic print with water-soluble wax and oil based pastel crayons

Collecting Salt at Zuni Salt Lake, 1991-92; chromogenic print with water-soluble wax and oil based pastel crayons

Shadow Over Moaning Lake, 1991-92; chromogenic print with water-soluble wax and oil based pastel crayons

White Cone, 1991-92; chromogenic print with water-soluble wax and oil based pastel crayons

Shiprock; 1991-92; chromogenic print with water-soluble wax and oil based pastel crayons

Tesla Coil, Lubbock, TX, 2000-02; chromogenic print

Unmarked Sensors, Los Alamos, NM, 1998-99; chromogenic print

Statue of a Water Witcher, Waterville, WA, 1998; chromogenic print

Fissure Vent with Camera, near Reno, NV (after T.H. O’Sullivan), 1998-99; chromogenic print

Tourists at Bonneville Dam, Columbia River, OR, 1998-99; chromogenic print

Dam and Viewing Platform, Shoshone Falls, ID (after T.H. O’Sullivan), 1998-99; chromogenic print

Scheduled for Removal: Lower Elwa River Dam, WA, 1998-99; chromogenic print

Recycled Beetle, Swetsville Zoo, Fort Collins, CO, 1998-99; chromogenic print

Neon Boneyard, Las Vegas, NV, 2002; chromogenic print

Listening to Stonehenge (Audio Tour), Wessex, England, 1998-2002; chromogenic print

UFO Watchtower near Hooper, CO, 2001-02; chromogenic print

Abandoned Dugout of a Supposed Hermit near Twin Falls, ID, 1998-99; chromogenic print

Caged Cave Kiva near White Rock, NM, 1998-99; chromogenic print

Movie Theater, Mt. St. Helens Visitor Center, WA, 1998-99; chromogenic print

After the Collapse, Crater Lake, OR, 1998-99; chromogenic print

Oil Refinery, Big Spring, TX, 2004-06; chromogenic print

Oilfield Trash, Penwell, TX, 2004-06; chromogenic print

Lamesa’s “Rainmaker Rocket,” now in Big Spring, TX, 2004-06; chromogenic print

Climate Controlled Storage, Lubbock, TX, 2005-06; chromogenic print

Crop Duster Mural, Caprock Cafe, Lubbock, TX, 2005-06; chromogenic print

Giant Femur, Mt. Blanco Fossil Museum, Crosbyton, TX, 2005-06; chromogenic print

Buffalo Mural, Hale Center, TX, 2004-06; chromogenic print

Horse, Wheatland, NM, 2004-06; chromogenic print

Lubbock-Marked Globe, International Cultural Center, Lubbock, TX, 2004-06; chromogenic print

Visitor Center, Monahans Sandhills State Park, TX, 2004-05; chromogenic print

Theater Mural, Floydada, TX, 2005-06; chromogenic print

Old Home Place in a Plowed Field, Posey, TX, 2004-06; chromogenic print

Picnic Table, Badlands National Park, SD, 2005-07; chromogenic print

Curtained Window in a Sod House, Prairie Homestead, Philip, SD, 2005-07; chromogenic print

Rock Display, Chadron State College, Chadron, NE, 2005-07; chromogenic print

Trail Head, Devil’s Tower National Monument, WY, 2005-07; chromogenic prints

Mammoth Site, Hot Springs, SD, 2005-07; chromogenic print

Smoking Foundation, near De Kalb, IL, 2005-07; chromogenic print

Museum Courtyard, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, 2005-07; chromogenic print

Global Rescue Station (Old Growth Forest Scheduled for Clear Cutting,) The Styx Valley of the Giants, Tasmania, Australia, 2005-07; chromogenic print

Stump Shelter in a Clear Cut Area of Old Growth Forest, The Styx Valley of the Giants, Tasmania, Australia, 2005-07; chromogenic print

Queenstown Overlook (Gravel Soccer Field near Landscape Denuded by the Mt. Lyell Mine), Queenstown, Tasmania, Australia, 2005-07; chromogenic print

Hydroelectric Water Transportation (during its Last Year of Use), Lake Margaret Dam, Tasmania, Australia, 2005-07; chromogenic print

Deep Sea Diver, Maritime Museum of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, 2005-07; chromogenic print

Queue for a View, Okie-Tex Star Party, Kenton, OK, 2013-15; pigment print; infrared sensor digital camera

Observatory Tent, Okie-Tex Star Party, Kenton, OK, 2013-15, pigment print; infrared sensor digital camera

Elaborate ATM, Okie-Tex Star Party, Kenton, OK, 2013-15, pigment print; infrared sensor digital camera

Many Views, Okie-Tex Star Party, Kenton, OK, 2013-15, pigment print; infrared sensor digital camera

Shared References, Okie-Tex Star Party, Kenton, OK, 2014-15, pigment print; infrared sensor digital camera

Observation Trailer, Okie-Tex Star Party, Kenton, OK, 2014-15, pigment print; infrared sensor digital camera

Lined Escarpment and Circles (SLC>DFW>LBB), 2012-15, pigment print; infrared sensor digital camera

Silicon Valley (OAK>LAS>LBB), 2014-15, pigment print; infrared sensor digital camera

Suburban Maze (OAK>LAS>LBB), 2014-15, pigment print; infrared sensor digital camera

Reworked Fields with Circles (LBB>LAS>OAK), 2014-15, pigment print; infrared sensor digital camera

Ridged Desert Highway (LBB>LAS>OAK), 2014-15, pigment print; infrared sensor digital camera

Line Marked Mountains (LBB>LAS>OAK), 2014-15, pigment print; infrared sensor digital camera

Drainage Toward Circles (LBB>LAS>OAK), 2014-15, pigment print; infrared sensor digital camera

Ridges, Roads and Runway (OAK>LAS>LBB), 2014-15, pigment print; infrared sensor digital camera

Straight Line Over Fractured Ground (OAK>LAS>LBB), 2014-15, pigment print; infrared sensor digital camera

New Additions to the AP/RC: Rick Dingus Rick Dingus has explored the cultural and topographical landscapes of the western United States for more than four decades.