#stacked stone hot tub frame

[viirinsims]

Atlanta Craftsman Pool Idea for a hot tub: a medium-sized craftsman-style backyard with kidney-shaped concrete pavers.

[shunkoku]

Hot Tub - Craftsman Pool Mid-sized craftsman backyard hot tub design featuring kidney-shaped stones.

[refinedbuffoonery]

Pulling in for a kiss with a scarf

LAST PROMPT!!!!!! Thank you all for submitting these! I’ve had so much fun writing them. Happy New Year, my dudes. <3 

Established MacRiley AU

Mac had wanted to go camping in Big Bear for New Year’s. Camping. In the snow. Of all things. Riley never shot down an idea so fast in her life. She’d slept in the snow plenty of times for work, so there was no way in hell she was going to do it on her vacation as well. 

So when she pulls up to the cute little cabin they’re renting, Riley merely smirks at her boyfriend before strolling inside. Hardwood paneling covers the floor and ceiling, and the walls look like they’re made of stacked logs. Even bigger beams extend over the living room from where the walls slant into the A-frame ceiling. An oversized stone fireplace takes up much of the living room. Whoever owns the cabin must’ve decorated for the holiday, because white lights swoop from the ceiling beams and frame the windows, bathing the interior in a soft, warm glow. She explores the rest of the cabin—semi-cramped kitchen, cozy master bedroom, small bathroom, even a hot tub on the back porch—leaving Mac alone to carry in their bags and snowboards. 

Finished exploring, Riley sinks into the living room’s mahogany leather couch, shamelessly ogling Mac while he hangs the boards on the fancy hooks by the door. Mac rolls his eyes when he notices. “Are you just going to sit there? Or are you going to help?” Riley makes a show of contemplating before getting up to assist. 

*****

Mac’s waiting at the bottom of the slope, having beaten her to the bottom, so Riley takes the opportunity to lightly spray him with snow as she skids to a stop. She unzips her coat and peels sweat-damp hair off the back of her neck; she should’ve ditched her ski jacket and just worn a hoodie, like Mac did. A few yards away, a group of young guys are sporting t-shirts, along with their snow pants and beanies. Riley chuckles. Only in SoCal. One of the guys catches her eye and winks. 

Mac follows her line of sight, frowning. “They’ve been drooling over you since we got here.” 

“Hadn’t noticed.” Mac looks dubious, but truthfully, she hasn’t. She’s been too busy either checking out Mac or focusing on not falling on her ass. “You can mark your territory or whatever, if you want,” she adds.  

Her boyfriend’s expression turns almost...hungry. “Come here.” He doesn’t wait for a response before grabbing a fistful of her clothes and pulling her in for a kiss. His lips are cool against hers. As Riley melts into the kiss, Mac’s hand drifts up to cradle her cheek. They stay like that for just a tad too long, but Riley doesn't care.

There's nowhere else she'd rather be.

*****

Dinner was lovely, and so was warming up in the hot tub—even after it started snowing—but by the time midnight approaches, Riley just wants to greet the new year in a moment of peace. She drags Mac outside, wrapping a thick blanket around their shoulders to ward off the cold as they stand on the cabin's front step.

They sip their spiked hot chocolate, watching snowflakes flutter downward like a movie with the volume turned down low. Riley and Mac each pick a flake and silently cheer it on as their flakes race to the ground. Distant laughter arcs through the stillness. Lacing her free hand through Mac's, Riley rests her head on his shoulder.

Neither of them check their watches. The passage of time is meaningless anyway when everything you need is in this moment, right now. Riley squeezes Mac's fingers, and, smiling at her, he squeezes back.

Cheering erupts from the surrounding cabins, crashing through the muffled night air. It must be midnight.

Riley presses a kiss to the point of Mac's shoulder. "Happy New Year, Mac."

He returns the gesture, lips lingering on the crown of her head. "Happy New Year, Riles."

The snow seems to slow, as if nature herself is dragging out this moment as long as possible. Still watching the snow, Mac says, "At dinner, you remember the table near us playing the newlywed game?"

Riley isn't sure where he's going with this. "Yeah?"

"One of the questions was 'Describe your partner is one word.'" He pauses. "I thought of what word I would use to describe you."

"Oh really," Riley teases, elbowing his side. "What is it?"

Mac swallows. "Everything." 

Riley captures his lips with hers, sinking into their steady rhythm of love and care. He kisses her back—deeply, slowly, like they have all the time in the world. 

Maybe they do. 

[jawsandbones]

I’ll Go First - Chapter Ten of Ten

Rating: E

Summary: An unexpected leader, unlikely allies. Bound by the Breach, Alexi Trevelyan is trying to hold it all together. Thankfully, he doesn’t stand alone.

Pairing: Cullen x Male Trevelyan

AO3 Link: Click Here

Chapter Ten: Gold Colored Lions

                                                                                                     art by @rennybu​

A hand curls into his cloak, while the other threads into curls already existing. Even though Cullen is the one lifting him up, it’s as if Alexi is the one cradling him. Gentle, against the back of his head, moving in slow, affirming circles. There is open talk now spreading throughout the Great Hall, even some delighted laughter. A handful of visiting Orlesian nobles mark the affection, and file away the memory for an exaggerated retelling later. Cullen doesn’t care. His senses are filled with other things. “You’re finally here,” Alexi says, “I’ve been so worried.”

It doesn’t take much for Alexi’s feet to once again touch ground. “You and the others disappeared, and there was no sign of you at the temple, and no word. I – we have all been worried about you and the others with you,” Cullen says as he crouches down and picks up Alexi’s staff for him, handing it to him. He takes it and holds it with both hands, his grip tightening as Cullen continues to speak, his voice lowering as he does. “I was terrified something had happened to you.” Alexi reaches out, his hand shyly brushing against Cullen’s, wrapping his index finger around his.

“I’m sorry, there’s so much to tell you,” he says.

“Yes, and you will have your chance to tell us all, Inquisitor,” Josephine says as she emerges from her navigation through the crowd, goes to stand with them. “I’ve given instructions that we in your inner circle are to have a briefing this evening, after dinner. It should give those of us who have just returned time to freshen up.”

“Thank you Josie,” Alexi tells her with a smile, “it’s good to have Skyhold back in your capable hands.” Dagna attracts Josephine’s attention, and schedules a chance to talk about more supplies for the underforge. Leliana is coming towards them as well, and Cullen can see Cassandra speaking with Barris and Fiona. He looks at Alexi, pulled into a conversation with Krem, discussing the next step for the Chargers. Cullen clears his throat, and pulls his hand back from Alexi’s.

“I should be with Cassandra, helping our troops get settled. I’ll see most of you later, at the briefing. Until then,” he says, giving a nod as he begins to walk away. True to his word, he throws himself immediately into his work. The couriers are frequent, and numerous. Reports are being compiled, brought together, and a larger picture of the Arbor Wilds begins to take shape. The movements of their battle, the gains and losses. The list of gains is short. The list of losses continues to grow. Names are given to him, those of the dead and their closest. As he pours over the list, Cullen knows there will be many long nights lost to letter writing.

Equipment will need to be repaired, remade, and reordered. They have lost numerous swords, and there’s quite a bit of armor that will need attention. Stack after stack of things needing to be done is added to his desk. There will be time enough for that later. As afternoon wears down, evening approaching, Cullen finally makes his way to take a bath. He’d already changed into something else, had his clothes sent away earlier to be cleaned. This area of Skyhold is quiet, reserved for the use of the Inquisitor’s advisors. He’s grateful for the privacy, the quiet. It’s the first inch of silence he’s had in a very long time.

He sinks down into the bath and half groans with relief as tense muscles meet hot water. Cullen sinks even further, feet resting over the edge, arms on the rim and head leaning back. He closes his eyes, listens to the echo of water dripping against stone. It takes time for him to release the tension he’s been holding. Letting go, relaxing, have never been a strong suit. So when he hears the knock, he very audibly groans. “I’m not to be disturbed,” he half barks it, “put it on my desk or find Belinda.”

There’s silence and then, “I’m sorry,” Alexi’s voice a gut punch to Cullen, “I’ll see you at the briefing later.”  

“No! Alexi, please come in,” Cullen says as he sits up in the bath, “I thought you were someone bringing me another report.”

“Josephine has had me thanking nobles and diplomats all day,” Alexi says as he closes the door behind him, “I only just escaped.” Cullen begins to make the motions to cover himself, then silently admonishes himself. “If you’d rather be alone, I’m sure we can find another time.”

“I’d rather you stay. I apologize, I shouldn’t have snapped.”

“At me, or some poor courier?” Alexi says with a smile as he leans his staff up against the wall, and braces himself against the rim of the tub as he crouches down. He crosses his arms, lets his chin sit on the back of his hand.

“Both,” Cullen says, “it’s a bad habit I’m currently failing to break.”

“You’ve been under a lot of stress these last few weeks. I think you can be forgiven,” he says as he lets one hand loose, a single finger dipping into the water. Almost immediately it’s that much warmer, as though no time had passed at all since Cullen first entered. “I don’t want to make you repeat things we might talk about in the briefing, but… you’re alright? You didn’t get hurt?”

“I’m fine. A few cuts and scrapes, but they’re nothing. The most I am is tired. What about you?”

“A little bit, but it’s nothing to worry about. I’m fine now,” Alexi tells him as he spins his finger round and round in a circle, casting out small ripples. His head tilts somewhat, his cheek leaning against his hand, and Cullen thinks he might have counted all of Alexi’s freckles from memory while they were apart. “It was awful waiting for you all to return. I – I wasn’t exactly sure what to do. I know the plan if we got separated was to return to Skyhold, but,” he shakes his head.

“We received Charter’s raven but I had to touch you with my own hands before I could dare hope it was true. Your staff, ah, Leliana found it in the temple. I brought it back with us, although I see you have a new one.” It’s somehow taller than Alexi, curled into a spiral at the top. It seems untamed, wild, small branches extruding from it in places. The middle section is wrapped in bands of leather, something gentle for Alexi to hold onto.

“Harritt worked with one of the mages to make it for me. I’m grateful, but I do miss my old one. I’ll have to transfer all my mess from it,” he says.

“What happened? Where did you go?” Cullen asks.

“I’m going to be terrible and make you wait for the briefing,” he says with a slight smile.

“Hm.” Alexi laughs at his grunt of displeasure. There’s an echoed edge to it, to all their noise, and together they break the silence far more than the dripping of water, flickering of torches. There’s an ease in his presence, one Cullen feels each time he is with Alexi. Other people are – confusing. Complicated. They drain him. Alexi only ever replenishes him. Impulsively he reaches out, his hands closing over Alexi’s.

“When we were marching back, we – I… I was thinking of things I had meant to say to you.” Cullen speaks softly, and so Alexi shifts, and using his echo as his guide, he makes sure he’s facing Cullen.

“Something else about being a Templar?”

“No! Maker – no.” Cullen laughs, but it’s wavering, gone as quick as it came. He clears his throat. “No. About us.” He feels Alexi’s hand tighten around his. His dark curls frame his face, and a few dangle gently, loosely, against his forehead. His hair has gotten long indeed, those curls reaching his cheeks. Alexi licks his lips and Cullen watches his tongue drift over his pale birthmark, to the darker freckle at the opposite side, at the very edge of his lower lip.

“Is something wrong?” Alexi asks in a small voice.

“The opposite.” Cullen shakes his head. He doesn’t see the shake, but Alexi does feel the small flecks of water against his face. Both of Cullen’s hands are now wrapped around his. “I know I have much to do. I haven’t – proven yet, that I meant the words I promised you in the library. I do, and I will. Perhaps it’s selfish saying this while I still need your help but…” he trails off, and then lifts his gaze to Alexi’s face, studies it carefully. “Alexi, I love you.” He sits up that much straighter, as though a weight has been lifted, and shifts that much closer to him, until their noses can practically touch. He’s dizzy with giddiness, and he says, “I love you,” again, just to make sure that he’s properly said the words.

Alexi is uncommonly still, worryingly silent. He breathes shallow as he remains unmoving, and Cullen’s stomach twists. “Unless I’ve overstepped,” Cullen stammers out as he drops his hands back into the water with some force, “maker’s breath.” Before he can hide his face in his hands, Alexi is reaching over him, across the width of the tub. He catches the briefest sight of the widest grin before Alexi is half standing, putting a foot in the water. “What –”

Water spills, overflows, seeps from the tub as Alexi half falls on top of Cullen. His sweater and jacket float briefly before they start to sink. Cullen’s hands are on his hips as Alexi straddles him, his hands on his face, moving through his stubble. Alexi’s so close to him, his thumb moving over his lips. “You mean it?” Spoken in a breathless whisper.

“I do.”

“Say it again.” His thumb is still a bridge over his mouth.

“I love you.” As he speaks, Alexi traces the words and the smile begins to spread. The moment his thumb leaves, his mouth takes its place. His fingers curl at the corners of Cullen’s jaw as his nose presses against his nose, discomfort lost in the urgency and the vital need of the kiss. They press together without grace or thought of etiquette, Cullen’s arms wrapping tightly around him. He pulls Alexi’s bottom lip between his teeth, and runs his tongue over his birthmark. Alexi is half pulled down by the weight of all his wet clothes, but neither seems to mind or notice.

“Aren’t you,” Cullen says in the inhale, in between desperate re-arranging, Alexi’s unceasing barrage of sentiment, “forgetting something?”

“What?” Alexi asks hoarsely as Cullen’s kisses find the corner of his mouth. Cullen pulls away his scarf with one hand, sets it afloat, and Alexi tips his head back, closes his eyes, and feels teeth against the bulge of his adam’s apple. He presses a kiss to the goblet of his throat, the slight circle of his collarbone, wraps his arms tightly around Alexi’s waist. Alexi’s fingers are carding through Cullen’s hair, his other hand at the nape of his neck, plants kisses like butterfly wings all about the crown of his head.

“‘I love you too’,” he says.

“Oh! Oh.” Alexi immediately throws himself forward, sinking them both even further into the water, his palms pressed against the bottom of the tub. “I love you too,” he says, his voice crystal clear beside Cullen’s ear, “I love you.”

“I love you too.” He savors the amused smile, and carries one of his own. Cullen has his hands linked around Alexi, resting gently against his lower back. This kiss is sweet, softer, and kinder. Alexi’s curls tickle against Cullen’s face, but he barely feels the itch. He’s too focused on how content he feels, how full. Something long locked has found its key, and Cullen holds him gratefully.

“I feel like my heart’s going to burst out of my chest,” Alexi says as he rests his head in the crook of Cullen’s neck, wraps his arms around him. They press against the free spaces of his back, waist, submerged in water.

“Mine too,” he chuckles, rubbing Alexi’s back in slow circles. He’s completely soaked, waterlogged, the bath nearly empty, but his touch brings with it warmth, a hint of magic. Alexi shifts forward, raises himself back up to straddle Cullen. He takes the opportunity to fix his posture as well, and his hands go back to resting on his hips. Alexi’s hands rest on Cullen’s chest, and Cullen watches as his cheeks begin to flood with crimson.

“I leapt in without thin-”

“Commander,” accompanied by an efficient knock, “you wanted to know when dinner was ending.”

“Yes,” Cullen calls out as he cups Alexi’s face in his hands, guiding him back to his lips, “thank you!” He leaves wet streaks across Alexi’s cheekbones, as they listen to the footsteps fading.

“Let’s go find you some dry clothes,” Cullen says, “and grab a bite to eat.”

“Alright,” Alexi murmurs, and as the kiss settles, neither make any actual effort to leave.

--

The Great Hall is closed for the evening. Josephine oversees the single table being brought in, the map being laid upon it. She flips through the parchment attached to her board as she stands just before the raised platform, underneath bright moonlight filtering through the large stained glass windows. Shifts have begun to change, and the only other ones who wander through are soldiers and guards. Guests have been tucked away, rooms found and furnished. Josephine chews at her inner cheek, parchment resting on the back of a single raised finger. One last piece until they have the full story of the Arbor Wilds, and then she can begin crafting her replies to Ferelden, Orlais and the Free Marches of the threat they still face.

She flicks her glance upwards at the sound of chairs being pushed in, and the table almost takes up the length of the hall. Flipping through page after page, finding the list, and she counts the chairs once again. There are extras, a number insisted upon by Leliana. Josephine grumbles to herself, remembering her wry smile as she asked for the extras. More secrets, but Josephine was holding out hope that this one would be pleasant, considering the smile. Drinks are being laid out, platters of food. Alexi will sit at the head, of course, his advisors around him – Josephine places the name tags, grumbles to herself once again at the spots she can give no names.

Once their work is finished, Josephine promptly dismisses the others. She ensures the proper doors are locked, the proper doors are open. Then, she places her board down at her own assigned seating, and begins to go through the various reports once again. So lost in the working of memorization, that the drink being shoved in front of her is enough to startle her. “Whatever you’re looking at can’t be so bad to deserve that look,” Dorian tells her as he takes a sip of his own drink. He shakes the glass for her, and Josephine takes it quickly before it spills.

She half reels when Sera appears at her other side, palm slapping onto the table as she leans over, beginning to flip through the papers at an unreadable pace. “It’s all numbers, innit? Ah shite, found the words.” Sera’s a mouth full of grins, choppy hair brushing over the bridge of her nose, round apples of her cheeks. Her ears seem permanently pointed upwards, unlike the more expressive wavers of Solas, flat wariness of Fiona. Despite the… chaotic nature of her, Josephine’s always enjoyed Sera’s presence – even when she has to scold her.

“Sera,” Josephine says, a simple request to stop touching her things. Sera grumbles, makes play at a tantrum by stamping her feet, rolling her head back. Still, she drops the parchment dutifully, then slides over to drape her arms over Josephine’s shoulders, hugging her tightly, and her pointed chin goes to rest on her own wrist. She’s warm and wrapped, and Josephine pats her arm with a smile. Dorian is wandering around the table, looking for his spot. The others are beginning to filter in as well – Merrill is playing cat’s cradle with Cole, while Varric holds the yarn for them. Cassandra and Solas arrive just before Iron Bull and Vivienne do, walking through the door in the middle of Bull apologizing for something sheepishly.

Blackwall covers a yawn with the back of his hand, while Cole holds down both long ends of his hat, shy eyes peering out from underneath it. They gravitate towards the table, their seats, and the chatter becomes loud, unfocused. “You’re forgetting that this isn’t just a briefing. This is also a celebration for our hard-won victory,” Dorian says, “even you can afford to relax once in a while.”

“We have not won yet,” Cassandra says at the other side of the table, her fingers drumming against it. “We were supposed to be starting already.” She throws this sentence at Cullen, who takes a breathless spot beside her. He doesn’t wear his usual regalia, settling for a simple tunic and trousers, his sword and belt. Cullen clears his throat, doesn’t look at her.

“I was, ah, delayed.”

“And where is the Inquisitor?”

“I’m right here,” Alexi says with a smile. He’s wrapped up in warmth, and the colors of his clothing actually currently match, without a single piece of fabric clashing with another. Josephine and Vivienne both silently and separately consider marking the date. Sera makes a whirling show of pulling out Alexi’s chair, pushing it in for him. Then she’s bounding down the table, pulling on Blackwall’s beard as she takes the seat next to him.

“You never used to be late. The rest of them are a bad influence on you, Schatzi,” she says, waving a vague hand down the table. Alexi chuckles, turning the staff in his hands, the newly returned bells chiming slightly. All the things that were on his broken staff have now found their way to this one. Cassandra looks from them, to Cullen, her eyes narrowing as she goes. Cullen keeps his gaze solidly on the flickering candle by Solas.

“Don’t say that. It couldn’t be helped, Cass. I wasn’t late on purpose,” Alexi says, the smile resting easy. She grumbles but lets the issue drop. Alexi settles, and the smile doesn’t leave. He casts out his echo, wrapping around each and every one of them. He knows the shape of their colors by heart, the way it feels to touch them with his magic. They are permanently etched, these friends of his. Alexi bites his bottom lip, tries to stop the smile from spreading any wider. It surrounds his every thought, slips into the forefront from time to time. He tries not to deliberately seek out Cullen. It’s hard not to, considering Cullen is currently burning with the brightest blue Alexi has ever seen.

“Don’t get up,” Leliana’s sharp voice cuts across conversation as she walks into the hall from the closed corridor. She moves to stand by where Alexi sits, at the head of the table. She puts a hand on his shoulder, gives it a fond squeeze. “Now, I am sure you’ve all noticed the empty places. Before the Arbor Wilds, I had sent messages to trusted associates. They arrived a week ago, but thought it best to wait until I could introduce them to the Inquisitor. I believe you’ll find them a useful resource.”

“Don’t oversell us Lels,” says the one leaning in the doorframe, arms crossed, “otherwise I’ll be stuck doing the heavy lifting to save the world again.” They’re short, slender but not without muscle. Their feet are bare, save for the wraps of their tight leggings which are held in place underneath their arches. Multiple sashes are wound around their waist, a few hanging down loosely. They don’t hide the sword at their side. A small patch of skin is visible just before being covered by high-necked dark fabric, a simple and short breastplate. Their shoulders, upper arms, are bare save for the wrapping held in place by gold rings just above their elbows, around their middle fingers. The sigil of a griffon is emblazoned on their chest.

Alexi, for his part, finds assured and confident teal, shadows of grey. Whispers of red and black writhe throughout, veins of power and corruption. He watches their shape push forward, waltz closer. “Hero and Warden-Commander of Ferelden. Arl of Amaranthine and Champion of Redcliffe. Also the one and only Dark Wolf.” Alexi rises to his feet as The Warden stands before him. “Rory Surana, at your pleasure, Inquisitor. I’ve brought with me the best the Wardens have to offer.”

“I am not a Warden, but I am the best.” Rory’s shadow, made of flesh and knives. He keeps his chin high, the grin wide and charming. He has thrown back the hood of his dark cloak, and wisps of strawberry blond hair curl over pointed ears. “Zevran Arainai, formerly a Crow of Antiva. I am now a freelance assassin although my time is mostly occupied by protecting the fools I call husband.”

“I object to being called a fool,” Rory retorts instantly.

“I’ve been called worse.” Even Alexi has to tilt his head upwards, to be sure his eyes are nearest to the shape of his face. He is wide, his colors strong yet soft. “Alistair Theirin, at your service. Out of us all, only Zevran’s not a Warden.” One by one, the rest of Rory’s Wardens introduce themselves.

“Nathaniel Howe.”

“Sigrun! Just – Sigrun.”

“Velanna. Also just of Velanna.”

“Uh. Yeah, Anders. Also just Anders,” he says, clearing his throat halfway through. The only thing which breaks the silence is Varric and Merrill both enthusiastically waving their hellos, and the screeching of Cassandra’s chair moving backwards as she rockets up to her feet.

“I’ll take this opportunity,” Rory says in a sing-song voice, wrapping an arm around Alexi’s waist and leaning into him, their head against his chest, “to remind those gathered that Anders has returned to the Wardens and is underneath my authority. We punish, and protect, our own. So long as he remains with us as a proclaimed Warden, the Chantry cannot touch him.” Alexi isn’t sure where to put his free arm as Rory hugs themselves around him.  

“I’m pleased to meet you all,” Alexi says, finally letting his arm rest over their shoulders, “I can’t thank you enough for travelling so far to help us.”

“Well, when both Leliana and Morrigan are signing letters together, you know it’s serious,” Alistair says.

“We have better ways of communicating than simple letters,” Leliana tells Alexi.

“I was trying not to blow our secret-magic cover,” Alistair says, sounding particularly wounded. Rory leans away from Alexi momentarily to fondly curl their fingers underneath Alistair’s chin.

“Anders, and – and – You knew! All this time you knew where the Warden was and how to get in contact with them,” Cassandra seethes, her fists pressed against the table, “you’re just as bad as he is!” She throws an accusatory finger down the table, landing pointedly on Varric. He immediately throws up his hand in surrender, laughs, and gives Leliana a small wink.

“Oh, you have no idea how bad I can be, Seeker,” he says, “no idea. Just wait to see who else I drag in here.” Cassandra makes a guttural noise of disgust. The last one doesn’t need any introduction. Carver has already moved to where Merrill and Varric are seated, and he’s ruffling his hand through Merrill’s hair with a sincere fondness.

“Now I know what you’re thinking and the answer is yes, absolutely you may,” Rory says, pulling Alexi’s attentions back to them. They take the arm from off their shoulders, and raise Alexi’s hand to their face. “I have a fantastic jawline. Wander as you like.” It’s hard not to be swept up in their bravado, the smile feeling like a permanent fixture on Alexi’s face whenever they speak. They’re true to their word. Their jawline is indeed, fantastic. The bridge of their nose is wide, forehead clear and hair parted down the middle. It comes to an end around pointed ears. Alexi can feel an earring – starting at the tip, followed by a long chain that connects to the other part at his lobe.  

“I’m a mage – and no, I don’t have a staff, I have a sword. Correct! I am a primarily offensive mage both in magic and some would say personality, but who finds the time to listen to those people. Now, I know you know this was coming, but I showed you so now you have to show me. Anchor,” Rory says. Alexi removes his glove, places it on the table beside them, and obediently holds out his hand. Rory’s fingers are exacting, bordering on the edge of painful. “How wonderful. It’s as if there’s no bottom to it, just a void that goes on forever. Were you injured recently? Or did you aggravate it?”

“I – how did you know?”

“Leliana told me it was like a cut across your palm. This is not a cut. Now I know it was already naturally spreading at a slow pace, but something’s accelerated that. I can see bits of the fade in the webbing between your fingers. I can feel the veil warping around it. Has it always been this noticeable?” Alexi shakes his head, gives quiet disagreement. “That’s what I thought.” Zevran and Alistair, flanking Rory, lean in from either side.

“That looks disgusting,” Alistair says, “no offense,” added quickly.

“It does look rather unique,” Zevran says, tilting his head, “I feel as though I am falling down an impossibly narrow and long corridor.”

“I bet all you pretty Circle mages and defensive apostates didn’t think to attack the anchor directly. I can see you’re simultaneously healing and reinforcing the area around the anchor to keep it contained. That’s the problem with all you healers. You don’t have an attacker’s imagination,” Rory says. “Do you take any particular offense to my using a bit of blood magic?” Alexi bites the bottom of his lip, thinking for a moment, then shakes his head. A toothy grin flashes across their face.

Rory pinches the round circle on one of their rings. A small blade unfolds at the center. They cut their thumb across it, smear the blood between it and their index finger. Then they outline the anchor in red. Through his echo, Alexi watches the blackened pitch rise up in Rory’s colors, and it begins to wrestle with the leaking green of the anchor.

“Ah! I get it. You’re using the blood as a tacking edge,” Merrill says, sneaking into the circle, utterly dwarfed beside Alistair. “I hadn’t thought to do that.”

“It’s not as small as it used to be, and I doubt it ever will be again, but it’s stable and I’ve bought you some time, you’re welcome,” Rory tells Alexi, as they reach for his glove, and put it back on his hand for him with surprising care. “I’m not sure how often you’ll be able to do such a thing. Using magic to resist it... it’s like throwing a bucket of water into the ocean and expecting the tides to change.”

“Thank you,” Alexi says.

“Now I suppose introductions are in order? Oh! There are name cards in front of everyone, perfect. Whoever did this is a genius and has my gratitude,” Rory says as they move to take the spot opposite Alexi, down at the other end with the rest of their group, who are already seated. Josephine hides a pleased smile, and sits up a little straighter. Alexi settles back into his own seat, Leliana taking the spot next to him – opposite Josephine and beside Cullen.

“Thank you Warden Surana, everyone, for agreeing to aid the Inquisition during this difficult time. I know that many of us are tired from the day and the journey. On that note, shall we begin?” Josephine stands as she speaks, flipping through her parchments, “the combined Inquisition and Orlesian forces struck at the heart of the Arbor Wilds to keep Corypheus and his army from obtaining an object which could allow him to enter the Fade directly. This object, the eluvian, was broken, while both the Inquisitor and his group disappeared after Corypheus’s arrival on the battlefield. Inquisitor?”

Josephine sits neatly while Alexi rises a little more unsteadily. He twists his hands around his staff. His voice is quieter, softer than hers, but it almost seems to demand more attention. “The most important thing first, I guess. Corypheus died at Mythal’s temple.” The collective inhale catches him off guard. “Not! Like that? Not – permanently.” Sera’s chair is wobbling back and forth as she rocks with laughter, arms wrapped around her waist as she heaves, pausing only briefly to wipe away tears. Alexi’s face grows hot.

“He ain’t wrong though!” She says, her chair slamming back down level. “Coryphefuss walked into the ward thingies, and then he fookin’ burst up into ashes and job done, yeah? Nope! Blighter burst outta the body like –” she makes a series of squelching noises, complete with graphic hand movements “– and then there he was! Not dead! All new! ‘S nasty.”

“It’s the Blight. He uses it somehow. He keeps all those Wardens around him because if he dies, he can sacrifice one of them to live again,” Blackwall says. All the Wardens, Zevran, exchange the same worried look. Beside him, Leliana’s hand has clenched into a fist and she too, is looking down at Rory. They have their legs crossed, feet up on the table, one arm crossed while their other hand plays with their lip.

“A not particularly well known secret is that the Archdemon must be killed by a Warden,” Rory says, “otherwise the Archdemon will not die. It uses the taint in the same way. But with an Archdemon, a Warden is a key to cancelling it out. We’re the closest source of blight, but our bodies and souls are busy being outs. It kills both the Warden and the Archdemon.”  

“Wait. If it kills both the Warden and the Archdemon, and you’re the Hero of Ferelden because you killed that Archdemon, then how are you still alive?” Varric asks, leaning forward, looking at Rory. Rory simply yawns, stretches, and falls back into the same position they were before. They smile at Varric and shrug.

“Ask Leliana.” Varric slumps back into his seat with disappointment.

“Please continue Alexi,” Leliana says, her legs crossed, one elbow on the rest, and she isn’t hiding the smug smile. Everyone knows Varric will get nothing from her.  

“Calpernia and her entourage had gone ahead while Corypheus… reformed. We managed to temporarily lock him out of the temple while we chased after Calpernia. We discovered that Corypheus was not only hoping to obtain the eluvian, but also the Well of Sorrows. The Well was the collected knowledge of all those who toiled in Mythal’s favor. Their experience, what they learned… the lives of all these ancient elves, but – But I’m getting off topic. Calpernia was meant to be its vessel, but we… dissuaded her from that path. She decided it was better to simply take the Venatori and leave before Corypheus could make her his slave,” Alexi says.

“And where is this ‘well’ now?” Cassandra asks.

“Hello!” Merrill chirps, waving at her. Varric turns to her, legitimately startled.

“Daisy did you keep a secret from me?” Merrill smiles as she presses her fists into her lap, her shoulders tight and her back straight.

“I have a lot of secrets, Varric! Most of them are naughty things about Isabela,” she tells him in a whisper.

“The Well is part of Merrill now, and it’s already helped us. It gave us the answer to making sure when we kill Corypheus, he stays dead. The dragon he commands. We need to kill it first,” Alexi says. “Rory, all of you… being Wardens, it isn’t safe to be near Corypheus. Merrill has a plan for taking down the dragon, but we still shouldn’t take any chances.”

“Agreed,” Rory says instantly. “Although just once I’d like to not be in mortal danger at all times. Why do we never go anywhere fun anymore? We should take another honeymoon in Antiva.” Both Alistair and Zevran are agreeing at the same time, with the same eager fervor.

“With the Well being part of her,” Cassandra says, ignoring the distractions, “does this mean it is now out of Corypheus’s reach?”

“Yes,” Alexi nods, “we took both the eluvian and the Well from him. He did put up a good fight.”

“Corypheus confronted us while Merrill was still taking in the Well,” Solas says, “we managed to delay him long enough for her to finish, then open the eluvian for our escape. I disagree on it being a ‘good’ fight. I doubt the others look back on it with fondness either. We very nearly lost you, Inquisitor.” Cullen looks from Solas to him, and Alexi twists a hand in all the extra fabric of a sweater.

“Yes, but – the important thing was that it worked,” Alexi says.

“It sounds like he was close to winning,” Rory says, “I bet he’s pissed. We’re adding ourselves to the guard rota. We’ll stay around Skyhold. I’d place a hefty amount of coin on a wager he’s on his way to you right now to finish the job.”

“How close was it?” Cullen is asking quietly. Cassandra’s wearing the same look, with a slightly more severe twist.

“Schatzi. You told me it was nothing,” she says.

“The Inquisitor, Morrigan and myself had erected a barrier to keep Corypheus from reaching Merrill. It did not stand for very long. Blackwall attempted to intervene, but Corypheus’s magic was too powerful. Sera’s arrows could not seem to reach him, and our magic seemed to serve only to annoy him. The Inquisitor used the anchor to open multiple rifts behind Corypheus, to pull him back. It caused great strain on the anchor, and the Inquisitor, and Corypheus used this to send a particularly severe spell through the gap in our defenses. This is where his staff was broken. Our only option was to run, so when Merrill unlocked the eluvian, we did so,” Solas says. Cassandra’s grunt tells Alexi that he’ll hear words of concern later. Cullen’s silence means there will be a long discussion. Alexi forces down the lump in his throat.

“So in terms of the Inquisition’s next move – it’s what, to wait for Corypheus?”

“According to you, he’ll be coming here,” Dorian says.

“Not that it happens often but there is the possibility of my being wrong,” Rory says, “so…?” Alexi slowly shrugs.

“We’ve exhausted every bit of information we had about what he might do. He no longer has his closest lieutenants, the ability to bind more demons to Wardens, but while some of his army have either deserted with Calpernia or were defeated, he still has a considerable force. As well as his dragon and himself,” Alexi says, “all we can really do is continue sending our scouts out to search for his base, so that we can end this.”

Rory claps their hands together, removing their legs from the table. “Good. Then it’s time for a game of Wicked Grace,” they say. Merrill claps her hands together in delight. Iron Bull is already filling up his plate with whatever he can find nearby, while Sera is kneeling on her chair to pluck and choose what she wants. Conversation has broken out, ranging from the unrelated to squarely on Corypheus, but all of it comes together in one sound. Cole moves to perch on a stool by Alexi, put his head on his shoulder, and whisper the names of all his cards to him. Varric is laughing while Cassandra struggles to understand the rules, shuffling the cards in her hands time and time again. Vivienne and Dorian both talk leisurely together over Iron Bull’s back.

In all the distraction, Rory finds his way to the opposite end of the table. They pull on one earlobe, and lean in at the other side of Cullen’s face. “You and I need to talk,” they say quietly, letting go of his earlobe, heading towards the door to the gardens. Cullen spares one glance to Alexi laughing at Leliana, as she cups her hands and shouts down to Alistair that she is most definitely going to ‘fuck him up’. Hardly anyone notices their sudden and coincidental absence.

Rory waits for him under the moonlight, their arms crossed, and their back facing Cullen. Grass flattens under his boots as he makes his way towards them. “You know I spent years thinking about what I would do if I saw you again. Punching you in the face was first on the list. I always wondered how it would feel,” they say as they slowly turn. Cullen stops, still a fair distance away from them, a conflicted frown twisting on his brow.

“I’ve been thinking of what I would do if we met again, as well. More often, recently. I thought of what I would say but it –” Cullen stumbles backwards, raising a hand to his face. The punch landed cleanly, Rory’s fists clenched tightly.

“Just as satisfying as I thought it would be,” they say, lunging forward again, winding their fists into his tunic, pulling him upwards to face them. “We’re gonna fight.” They push him back roughly, and draw their sword. It hums with low magic, Rory’s eyes shining with it.

“Wynne and Irving saved you last time,” they say, “There’s no one here to defend you now.” They circle him, arms open in confidence. They hold their sword where the point doesn’t extend towards the ground, but instead upwards, close to their arm, tip pointed at the sky. They were already a dangerous mage at the Circle, powerful and watched. Now – blood mage, the use of a sword – they have changed. Grown.

“I don’t need them to defend me,” Cullen says as he slowly draws his own blade, “I’m not the same man I was then.”

“Men like you never change.” Right. Left. Right. Right. Left. Underneath. Back step, swing, and turn. They move in the narrow spaces of the garden, metal glinting in moonlight, taking care to avoid the carefully planted herbs, flowers. Rory moves with assurance, ease, constantly putting Cullen on the back foot. Just when he thinks he might be stabilizing, Rory presses some advantage, turns in a way he doesn’t expect. They don’t fight like a soldier. They fight like a strange combination of Templar, and Crow.

And Mage.

He feels his leg practically being yanked off, throwing him to the ground. He barely rolls out of the way before Rory’s sword is planted in the grass where his neck once was. Cullen scrambles to his feet, both hands wrapped tightly around his sword. They practically slip into the ground, appear behind him, the stench of petrichor, spent magic, all around them.

“You’d have a chance if you silenced me,” Rory says as they swoop underneath the swing of his blade, bouncing upward on the balls of their feet to punch their fist hard up into Cullen’s jaw. “Silence me!” They complete it with a kick, bashing Cullen back down the ground, where his sword finally skitters away from him.

“I can’t,” Cullen says as he props himself up on an elbow, wipes away the blood from the edge of his mouth.

“Why not? Don’t think I can win without my magic?” Rory says, gesturing wide.

“I stopped taking lyrium some time ago. I’ve lost my Templar abilities,” he says.

“Bullshit.” Cullen moves himself up enough to sit, knees slightly bent, resting an elbow on one as he rubs his jaw.

“Is there any ‘silence’ around me? Do I feel like a Templar?”

“Did your Inquisitor tell you that? We’ve been keeping an eye on him, you know. Leliana asked it of me special. I’ve been protecting him while you’ve been romping through forests. I was here, you know, when they came back,” they point to the door Cullen knows to hide Merrill’s eluvian, “it was worse than what they said in there. All of them were in a panic. Morrigan and the other fuckin – bald guy, were practically carrying the rest, all of them knocking on death’s door. Alexi the worst of all. Everyone got treated to a gruesome lightshow from the anchor, and all the while he was screaming your name.”

Rory lets the sword slip from their hands as they flop down on the ground beside Cullen. They mirror the way he sits. “Leliana told me. The moment you were chosen to be Commander. If she were there,” they tighten their fists, “you would have never been recruited. You’re lucky she went to fetch Josephine while Cassandra was still in Kirkwall.”

“I know.”

“I hear Hawke’s dead now. Hear she punched you too.”

“Yes.”

“Good. You deserve it.” Rory stretches their legs out in a flat v with their posture horrible, hunched over as they rip out grass. “I was always pretty confident no one would ever give two shits about you again. Especially not a mage. Comforting knowing you were at least gonna be alone for the rest of your life. ” Their nose crinkles as they frown. “I thought you were one of the good ones. Easy going. Actually fucking… cared. A little. Maybe. More than the aged fuckers who’d beat us silly because all they could remember was that mages were bad. So maybe I was a little relieved to see that you were okay. Then I found out who you really were.” Cullen closes his eyes, shies away, as the pile of grass hits him in the temple, rains down onto him.

“’Kill the mages’,” they mock, “’you never know when one will turn on you!’” Cullen’s hand moves from his jaw to his forehead, clenching tightly.

“I was afraid. I was too proud to admit it or ask for help, so I twisted it into hate. I was – am – still terrified of mages. Every night I’m back in the tower, watching demons burst out of the people I was supposed to protect. Then every mage was only that possibility. They would turn, they would trap me, and they would do that again,” his words tremble. “Now I – I have been asking questions. Listening. Trying to learn and I – Alexi told me he’s afraid of that for himself, as well. Every day. He said it’s the same for every mage he’s met.” Cullen lets his hand fall away, and when he looks at Rory, his face is wet with more than just blood. Rory frowns.

“Yeah,” they say.

“How do you live with that fear?” he asks.

“I just do,” Rory says.

“I’m sorry.” Cullen has the wind knocked out of him as Rory crashes into him, slams him back into the ground. Their hands wrap around his throat.

“You don’t ever get to feel sorry for me,” they shout mere centimeters from his face. “For no mage! We don’t want your fucking pity! You don’t know anything!”

“Ruaidhrí Surana!” Whispered severely from one of the garden balconies, Morrigan is wearing a simple robe, her hair loose around her face. “Dueling, and now shouting? I am attempting to spend meaningful time with my son, and put him to bed. Hands off.” Rory rolls off of Cullen, rising to their feet, moving to collect their sword. “Sheathe it. Sheathe it now, Rory. Do not make me come down these steps. You will not give me that look. Tis you who are the problem, tis not I. Was it not this afternoon Leliana explicitly told you not to make a scene with Cullen? This is a scene.” She hisses out the words with authority. The door slams, then bounces away from the frame as Rory runs to the Great Hall. Morrigan says nothing to Cullen before she slips back inside her room.

Cullen lies where he’s been flattened, sighs as he watches the stars. That was not how he was hoping it to go. He’s not sure how long he’s there for. He waits until the ringing in his ears is over, the pounding in his head. The whole of his leg aches, as does most of his hip. He knows his jaw will bear the worst of it in the morning. He closes his eyes, listens to the cold mountain wind. He realizes he needs to move when he nearly nods off to sleep. He means to roll over, find his sword and return to his quarters. His eyes are caught by a flower nearby, with dark leaves.

“I win again!” Merrill cheers as she throws her arms up into the air, cards triumphantly spread across the table in front of her. Varric drags a hand over his face as he folds.

“You’re merciless Daisy,” he says. Josephine is slouched in the chair, her hands folded over her lap, chin practically touching her chest. Sera is under the table, asleep, again. Conversation has tapered off into small murmurs, tidbits of things. Rory is curled up in Alistair’s lap, the man’s arms wrapped around them, shielding them. He’s speaking to Zevran, who is leaning forward in his chair, elbows on the table, chin in his hands, smiling at Rory’s form. Leliana is now lounging, completely draped, in Rory’s former chair and is speaking across Alistair to Velanna. Alexi is running fingers through Cole’s hair, sitting on the floor with his head on Alexi’s lap and his hat on the table. All the rest have retreated to their quarters. One by one, others are shaken awake, sent away, and the Great Hall empties.

Only one person passes through, after, who isn’t a guard.  He’s washed away the blood, the grass stains, tended to the bruises as best he could. He’s changed his clothes, seems to have bathed again, and wears his usual regalia. A few specks of dirt follow behind him. He climbs the twisting stairs, takes a deep breath outside the closed door. He runs a hand through his hair again. There’s still light flickering from underneath the gap, so he should still be awake… Cullen forces himself to stop stalling and knocks gently at Alexi’s door.

As it creaks open, Boots slinks around the edge, scurries through the gap between Cullen’s legs. “Cullen? Is something wrong? Are you hurt?”

“I know it’s late but – but I was thinking about… today,” as he talks he shifts his weight from one foot to the other, squeezing the makeshift bouquet tightly with both hands, “I happened to get a good look at the gardens tonight, and I, I saw these flowers and they have leaves the same color as your eyes – but ah, they also smell very nice and I thought, maybe, you might like them.” Alexi steps into the doorway as he raises his hands to Cullen’s face, gentle on the tender swelling around his jaw, his eye.

“Who did this to you?”

“It’s not – I’m fine, don’t worry,” Cullen says as he feels Alexi’s heat seeping through his palms, and the faintest itch of magic speeding the process of his healing. Kind touch brushes away any remnants of hurt. “I could find a vase for these flowers, if, if you want them?” The laugh chokes out of him awkwardly and Cullen squeezes his eyes shut, clamps his jaw shut in distress so hard his teeth click. “Maker’s breath.” Luckily, when Cullen opens his eyes, Alexi is smiling. Fingertips move from Cullen’s cheek to the back of his hand. Alexi’s other hand drops to Cullen’s chest, and his smile grows.

“Why are you wearing your armor?” Alexi asks.  

“I ah, aha, is it silly that I’ve always felt more confident with armor on?” Cullen says, moving his free hand to the back of his neck. Alexi’s thumb is moving slow over his knuckles, felt as much as it’s able through his gloves.

“It’s not silly,” he says, “did you come here to give me flowers?”

“I was hoping we could continue our discussion from this afternoon,” Cullen says.

“I was hoping for that too,” Alexi says, smile breaking wider, radiant and unbridled. The dimples come instantly, easily, and Cullen watches his freckles, birthmarks, move as he speaks. He follows him into his quarters, and closes the door behind them. Alexi is reaching out, searching for the edge of his desk. It’s a momentary search, met with success. Cullen takes the vase as it’s handed out to him, and he puts the flower inside with no great grace. “Tell me what they look like.” Alexi’s fingers move over the back of his hands, and Cullen has never felt so frustrated by the presence of gloves.

“The leaves are almost entirely black,” he says, not looking at the flowers at all, but at Alexi, “but there are little flecks of brown. The petals are soft,” and he’s putting the vase on the desk behind Alexi, “the color of embers.” He takes off his own gloves before he reaches for Alexi’s closest hand. He begins to remove his glove, finger by finger. He puts it aside, with his own, and swipes a thumb over Alexi’s lifelines.

“That day,” Cullen says as he moves to Alexi’s other hand, begins to perform the same ritual, “in the Arbor Wilds, in your tent. You shocked me.”

“I did?” Alexi asks as Cullen puts this glove aside as well.

“Before then, I don’t think I’d ever thought someone could be nude even while clothed,” he says, unwrapping Alexi’s scarf. He’s pleased to watch Alexi make little loose fists while his cheeks color. Cullen opens his jacket, his sweater underneath, and finds the hem of the shirt closest to his skin.

“I had hoped you might come by,” he murmurs. The words nearly bring Cullen to his knees. He holds Alexi’s hands in his own as he tilts his face upwards, his nose brushing against Alexi’s.

“I have spent a lifetime holding myself back, when you’re the one person I should have – I thought I’d lost you at the Temple. Maker, all that time I’d wasted, and I never got to tell you all the things you deserved or the future I imagined for us –”

“The future you imagined for us?” Breathless words stop Cullen’s own in their tracks. He squeezes his hands tightly.

“At one time, I believed I would always be a Templar.” Cullen laughs ruefully. “Now I know the Inquisition will not be here forever, and I do – I do see a future for us outside of it.” He barely raises his voice above a hoarse whisper, as though speaking the words might break some spell, chasing this wanted future away. “Perhaps somewhere in Ferelden, near the mountains. A place with plenty of land and… a few mabari. I – I had been thinking of perhaps creating a place for Templars to be cared for. The ones who want to be rid of lyrium, and the ones who are too far gone. You helped me so much and I couldn’t hoard that to myself. I’ve been working with Fiona –”

“You’re working with Fiona? On what?” Cullen chuckles softly, fondly.

“I was getting to that part,” he tells him. Alexi’s forehead touches lightly against his as his cheeks color. Alexi makes a show of shutting his jaw, biting his lips, and Cullen can’t help but laugh. “There’s been enough secrets to divide Templars and mages. There isn’t any reason we shouldn’t share. So… She and a few other mages have been pouring over every Templar text I had with me, as well as anything I could add. A few of the mages are interested in researching how to handle lyrium addiction, and would be willing to help look after Templars which is – I did not expect –”

“You handed over Templar secrets? To apostates?”

“I… well, I suppose.” For some reason it makes him grin from ear to ear. “Meredith would be horrified.” Alexi’s grin mirrors his as his hands escape Cullen’s, and move to gently tug the cloak from his shoulders. Slung over the desk with all the rest and it takes a moment for searching fingers to find the clasps of his armor. Cullen handles the other side and soon enough, it’s on the floor. Alexi runs his hands over Cullen’s shoulders before he dives forward, practically swallows Cullen in the hug.

“There should be a garden,” Alexi says, and Cullen feels his heart pounding loud and wild in his chest, as his arms slowly wrap around Alexi’s waist, “and a place for cats. Somewhere for other mages and physicians to stay as well, so that it’s easy for us to share research.” Alexi’s hands fidget at the back of Cullen’s tunic, splay in the space between his shoulders as he continues shyly, “Our house should be small, but comfortable. A large bed though, big enough for at least two mabari and a cat to be there with us. We’ll take care of every stray, and… perhaps a goat? I’ve always liked goats.”

Cullen holds him tightly, practically lifts him off his feet. “You can have as many goats as you want,” he swears it faithfully. Alexi’s hand moves though the curls of Cullen’s hair, while Cullen breathes him in, savoring the weight of him.

“Tell me all the things I deserved?” Alexi gently questions. The hug slowly loosens as his forehead rests against Cullen’s once again. One arm stays draped over his shoulders.  His other hand curls fingers against the stubble at the corner of his jaw. Cullen thinks he might be able to feel the warmth blossoming in his cheeks.

“There were certain things about my life I had accepted,” he says, “and then you rather changed, well… everything.” He searches upwards, lips ghosting against Alexi’s. “I could barely breathe when they brought me the pieces of your staff. I realized I never told you how much your kindness, your friendship, has meant to me and how I – how I think I was in love with you from the moment we met. You’ve never been far from my thoughts, and-! Oh, oh Maker, you’re crying.” Cullen pales, and in a panic, he brings his hands up to Alexi’s face, trying to wipe away the tears as best he can. His palms are warm, his fingers trembling, but his touch is tactile, grounding. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

There’s a wet hiccup, a delighted giggle, as his touch slips from Cullen’s cheek to the nape of his neck. “Why are you sorry? Cullen I’m happy, I’m so happy,” he says, his laughter settling on Cullen’s lips, and he keeps him close for the kiss. Cullen’s once again wrapping arms around his waist, searching upwards, pulling at Alexi’s jacket. There’s no room to move backwards, and Alexi’s half sitting on the edge of the desk. Cullen moves a hand underneath his thigh, and places himself between Alexi’s legs.

Cullen looks at him under half-lidded eyes. It’s as though his cheeks are dusted with gold. A moment of silence, of finding a way to breathe, warm against Alexi’s lips. “Can I take this off?” He asks, giving Alexi’s jacket another tug. A small nod, and it’s slipped off his shoulders, falls in a heap around him on the desk. He raises his arms in the air, and Cullen pulls his sweater free as well. All that’s left is the tunic, so close to his skin, but Cullen is close too. He moves his hand over Alexi’s shoulder, coming to rest at his arm, fingers touching against goose prickled skin. The other is still at his hip. Alexi tips his head back when he feels Cullen’s mouth at his neck.

“Mhmm, Cullen, kiss me,” Alexi says hoarsely, slinging an arm over his shoulders. He surges up to Alexi’s mouth, and they both break into small bits of laughter when their teeth click together. Alexi’s thumb ghosts over Cullen’s lips, touch moving gently over his face. This kiss is lighter, sweeter, the wings of a butterfly. It deepens slowly, Alexi’s hand clenching into a fist at Cullen’s shoulder, the other at his cheek, the corner of his jaw, his fingers brushing against the curls behind his ear. Cullen’s arms are warm around him. Safe and solid, protecting and proud. He feels like quiet, stronger when he holds him.

Shyly fumbling, and they exchange murmurs, kisses, as Cullen helps Alexi remove his shirt. As he puts it aside, all of Cullen’s movements still. Alexi’s cheeks fill with color, his hands curled at the edge of the desk, as he half leans away. “Alexi,” Cullen sighs his name as he chases after him, fingers moving at his collarbone. “Alexi, Alexi.” Mouth against his skin, he follows the meandering trail of his birthmarks. “You’re so beautiful Alexi.” Across the goblet of his throat, over the width of his shoulders. Trailing down his arms, over his chest. His knuckles brush against the soft locks of hair that trail from his navel to the hem of his trousers.

Cullen’s shirt is more hastily removed, thrown to the ground as he moves to embrace him once again. His hands move up and down his back as he pulls at Alexi’s lower lip with his teeth, takes advantage of the surprise to open his mouth, press his tongue inside. Alexi meets him enthusiastically, his hands exploring every inch of him that he can. Over his back and the bumps of his spine, the width of his chest, the ridges of his ribs. The hard muscle of his belly, the sharp v of his hips. Alexi is softer, slimmer, and Cullen thinks he might lose himself utterly in the feel of him. “There are three birthmarks, on your left shoulder,” Cullen says, hand drifting at his arm as he kisses them each.

“You have them trailing down your throat,” he continues, a hand at the nape of Alexi’s neck, his tongue moving over each dark one which marks him. He leaves a mark of his own, and Alexi groans, his hands trembling on Cullen’s shoulders. He moves lower still, to the cluster of birthmarks at his ribs, the one right beside the bone of his hip. There are freckles everywhere, dusting him without reservation. His hands deftly undo the lacings of Alexi’s trousers, and his breath hitches as he does, his hands tangling in Cullen’s hair. Cullen helps him step out of his trousers, his hands moving up his legs from ankle to thigh.

Cullen swallows, his mouth suddenly dry when he sees the birthmarks on his thighs, noticing for the first time how long and lithe Alexi is. His fingers slip into the hem of his undergarments, and he helps him out of them the same way he did for the trousers. He is – “gorgeous,” Cullen murmurs, as he closes his eyes, runs his tongue over the birthmark which graces his inner thigh. Alexi’s head tips back, eyes closed, biting his bottom lip as his chin wobbles and the moan threatens to escape. It comes out as something muted, low, and when Cullen rises to his feet, the first thing he does is kiss that attempted composure apart. He cups Alexi’s face in his hands as he presses his tongue into his mouth, each movement done with desperate urgency.

The vase tips, falls over, flowers spilling out as Alexi slaps his hand back to keep balance, to push back with a desire that matches Cullen’s. His mouth is warm, wet, tongue insistent without being forceful. Alexi winds his legs around him, pulls him closer, leans forward into him as Cullen’s hands slip down his back. One stays splayed, holding him steady, while the other moves to cup his ample ass, until he pulls Alexi up and into his arms. Alexi wraps legs around him properly now, arms linked around his neck. Cullen carries him to the couch, carefully sitting down onto it. Alexi’s in Cullen’s lap, knees pressing into the cushions.

Alexi’s hands move to Cullen’s face. He gently kisses Alexi’s fingertips as they move over his lips. They trace the swell of his cheeks, the bridge of his nose. Cullen watches him, hands resting on his hips, his thumb moving in slow affectionate circles. Alexi leans forward, gathering up Cullen in a hug, his hand tangling in his hair at the back of Cullen’s head. He holds his face close to his chest, and Cullen’s grateful to listen to the quick beat of Alexi’s heart, the breathless want which trembles through him. “I can’t tell you how many times I have dreamed of you,” Cullen says, “of this.”

“They’re good dreams, then, I hope,” Alexi says, still running his hands through his hair.

“Yes,” and his voice sounds like an echo, even to him, “yes, the best” he says again more firmly. His hands move over Alexi’s thighs as Cullen leans back, and Alexi follows his lead. His palms plant themselves on Cullen’s knees, his back arched, watching the swirling blue of his colors. They seem to bleed out of him, sink into his own. Alexi feels his face flush deeper, his belly twisting as his heart pounds that much faster. He’s seen this with Varric and Hawke, with Rory, Zevran and Alistair, with countless others. He never thought he might feel it for himself.

Alexi’s entire body reacts at the first brush of Cullen’s touch against the head of his cock. Cullen watches the way his brows twist, teeth biting into his bottom lip again, fingers bruising around Cullen’s knee. If there was a spot without gooseflesh before, there isn’t now. He shudders, an involuntary thing, and Cullen chokes back a low groan as he realizes exactly how sensitive to touch Alexi actually is. His hand wraps around his hard length, the other at his hip, and he begins to stroke him slowly. Alexi’s mouth falls open, breath coming in quick bursts, curling hair falling over long lashes. His hips seem to follow Cullen’s hand, chase his touch.

“Cullen, Cullen,” he says, suddenly leaning forward to hold his face, kiss him firmly. Before Cullen even realizes what he’s doing, Alexi is moving deftly, spreading Cullen’s legs, lowering himself to kneel between them. He takes off Cullen’s boots, throws them aside. His hand palms Cullen’s cock through his trousers, before he finds the knot of his lacings, begins to undo them. He drags his trousers and undergarments underneath and off of Cullen, moving with ease.

“Wait, Alexi, I –” his words are immediately shoved aside, every other thought banished from his mind as Alexi wraps his mouth around the head of his cock. Cullen groans, head tipping back to lean against the backing of the couch, his hand tangling in Alexi’s hair. One of Alexi’s hands stays wrapped around the base of Cullen’s cock while his arm moves underneath Cullen’s leg, brings it onto his shoulder, and pulls him closer towards the edge of the couch. Cullen’s eyes flutter open, and immediately his breath stops seeing Alexi bent over him. His cheeks hollow, mouth moving up and down Cullen’s cock, tongue swirling in maddening circles around the head of him. “Please, Alexi, please, before I–”

Alexi sits back, coming free with a vulgar pop. His hands press into Cullen’s thighs, his head leaning against the one over his shoulder. He bears that weight with ease. His brows knot with concern, “is something wrong?”

“No, Maker, no, no, I just – I uh, had been hoping that tonight we would… so I – prepared myself, the way I had read in the books, and – Maker, Alexi, if you do that anymore I will not last long,” Cullen says as he feels his entire body heat with crimson.  

“You read books? About this?”

“I – I didn’t know, and I didn’t want you to be disappointed,” the words tumble out of his mouth in a rush. His leg falls to the side as Alexi moves forward, his arms wrapping around him, tilting his head upwards to find Cullen’s mouth.

“I won’t be,” Alexi says in between the kisses, “I couldn’t,” at the edge of his mouth, “I’m not.” Alexi is more of the aggressor this time, his fingertips pressing against Cullen’s spine, his tongue pushing into his mouth. It’s fierce, without reserve, and when Alexi moves, a line of spit links them for a moment before it breaks. Back properly on his knees once again, encouraging Cullen forward. He slips underneath Cullen’s leg, lets it rest in the crook of his arm as his hand wraps tight around the armrest. His other hand moves between them, effortlessly calling the grease to the palm of his hand.

“Does that mean you -?” The question hangs as Cullen curls into Alexi’s touch, allows him ease to brush fingers against his entrance.

“I followed instructions,” he says, all of it coming out in a rush, “I’ve been practicing. I’m tired of wasting time. I don’t want to do that anymore. I want you, and I don’t want to pretend that I don’t. And – and I wanted you to know how much I want you, but I’m not very good at words so I thought, perhaps, showing you would be… better. So yes, before I came here,” Cullen clears his throat, “I’m ready.” Alexi straightens, leans forward, and covers the area around Cullen’s mouth in kisses before resting his head on his shoulder.

He takes himself in hand, covers himself in slick. It takes a moment to find the right spot, testing the entrance, slowly pushing inside. As he does, he captures Cullen’s mouth with his own, swallowing the moan as Alexi buries himself in deep, his hips pressed up against his ass. The magic is second nature, so his hand is free of slick when he raises it to Cullen’s face. “I love you,” Alexi murmurs, “I want to see you.” Cullen closes his mouth around Alexi’s thumb, forehead pressed against forehead. “Cullen.” It makes him want to cry, to hear the fondness with which Alexi speaks his name.

It’s Alexi who’s crying instead, the tears rolling free down his cheeks, salty as they twist on his lips. He keeps a white knuckled grip around the arm rest, Cullen’s leg a comforting weight. His other leg twists around Alexi, perches against the back of Alexi’s own leg. Alexi pulls out, pushes back in with the same slow consideration. Cullen’s eyes are blown open, Alexi’s hand moving over his face. He feels the quick way he breathes, the way his jaw clicks back together whenever Alexi thrusts against that spot. Every miniscule change in expression, every hitched breath – Alexi savors all of it.

One of Cullen’s hands trembles against Alexi’s chest. Over his heart, feeling it drum against his touch. “Ah,” Alexi’s mouth gasps open as he slides in and out of Cullen, his tightness capturing and dragging out every last bit of pleasure. “Ah, ah… Cullen!” Magic is seeping from him. His eyes squeeze closed, focusing on the rhythm of his hips, he doesn’t notice. Cullen does. It’s full of warmth. It wraps around him, seeking to cover every inch of him. It’s intoxicating, an echoed assurance of Alexi’s want of him. “Cullen, I love you, I love you, I love you.”

His hand moves from Alexi’s chest, around his hip, cupping his ass, encouraging each and every thrust. Deeper. His back arches, his face flushed, Alexi fills him so good. A warbling hum, trembling, each time Alexi fucks up into him. Muted grunts and groans shared between them, the occasional sloppy kiss, tangling of tongues. His hand never leaves his face. He follows each expression, feels every whispered word. “Mn, Alexi,” Cullen says as his other hand moves between them, wraps around his own cock, matching strokes to each one of Alexi’s thrusts, “Alexi, I love you too, I love you so much.” His voice cracks, hoarse and longing, learning how good the words feel in his mouth.  

“I’m close, ah, Cullen, Cullen,” he repeats his name like a prayer, holy and revered, filled with emotion he can’t put proper words to. He doesn’t need to. Cullen understands. He echoes Alexi’s own name in the same way. He gasps as he begins to feel it, a spark that begins in his gut, begins to set off fireworks across his entire body.

“Alexi, me – Alexi, I’m,” Cullen says before Alexi presses another aching kiss against his lips. They pull each other along. Cullen’s breathing is ragged, while Alexi is exuding waves of prickling magic, his knuckles white as he holds tight to the couch. In the spaces between his fingers, around his hand, the wood of the armrest begins to sprout small clovers, bursting to the brim with life. Cullen spills against his own belly while Alexi half collapses against him, unable or unwilling to pull himself away from him.

“I never knew it could be like that,” Cullen says, once the stars begin to fade from his vision. Alexi hums his agreement, brushing his nose against Cullen’s, full of affection. It takes them minutes before they finally begin to move in earnest. They laugh together shyly as they help each other to their feet, sway in each other’s arms. Their hands tangle together and they are more than a few centimeters apart. They exchange quiet words, affection, as they clean, stealing kisses where they can. The clothes Cullen borrows from Alexi are warm, fit him almost perfectly considering most of Alexi’s things hang off his thin frame. Cullen still has to roll up the sleeves, and tuck the length of the pants.

Cullen collects their clothes, fixes the vase, while Alexi crawls into bed. He’s more than pleased to crawl in beside him, delighted when Alexi twists a leg over him, bringing them both close together. They lie side by side, Cullen’s gaze drifting over him as he brushes back hair from Alexi’s face. He softly smiles as he makes a note of all his small movements. How after he licks his lips, it almost seems to pull his bottom lip back so that he can bite at it briefly. How his nose twitches before a sniffle, how his eyes seem to reflect everything. “There are many things I wish I could change,” Cullen says, “but I don’t dare risk change to this. I don’t dare risk you.”

“In the morning, you should offer me your coin again,” Alexi says sleepily, his eyes closing as he inches forward to press a lingering kiss against Cullen’s lips. He remains that close, forehead against forehead, nose against nose. Cullen’s smile widens, an arm underneath Alexi’s neck, wrapped around him along with the other. Legs tangled up, and it’s so easy to fall asleep that way, with him.

--

He’s not entirely certain why he’s awake, not until he hears the hard tumble at the other side of the bed. Alexi’s weight falls heavy against the floor, a hand wrapped around his wrist as he begins to scream. Cullen is on his feet instantly, blindly going towards the sound of him, barely registering the flickering green light which fills the room. He gathers Alexi up in his arms as he shakes, the anchor on his hand so excruciatingly bright that Cullen can’t even stand to look at it. Unsure of what to do, how to help, he clamps his hand over his and struggles to hold it tightly. The screams are ragged, pulled from his throat as the tears stream down his face. “Alexi!” Alexi writhes in his arms, his teeth clamped together, his back arching.

“Cullen, make it stop,” agonized and wet, sobbingly incoherent, “make it stop, Cullen, please!” Cullen struggles to keep his hold on Alexi’s hand as it shakes out of Alexi’s control. His magic is overflowing once again, but this is raw, sick, not his own. He needs – he can – he could – Cullen’s jaw clenches. He could silence it. Alexi would keep a stock of lyrium somewhere in his room. He knows the risks. A shock to his system, the mages had said. Lightning strikes somewhere deep in the anchor and the veins trailing up his arms, his neck, all light up bright green. This scream is ragged, choked, until no sound is left to come out. Creaking agony and any risk is worth it just to stop this from happening to him.

“Cullen,” Alexi sobs, his head rolling against Cullen’s chest as he curls up against him, still holding tightly to his hand.

“Alexi where do you keep your lyrium?” Cullen asks urgently. Alexi shakes his head, the blood beginning to ooze between their palms.

“No, no, no, no,” he repeats it mindlessly, through his raw and scratched up throat, overflowing tears.

“I have to –”

“No. Breach!” Alexi heaves the word as something rich fills Cullen’s senses. The overwhelming flavor of petrichor, ozone, fresh soil after rain. It collides with the anchor and Alexi twists with renewed pain, screaming out as Cullen tries desperately to hold him steady. The anchor bubbles, fills, and Cullen can feel his palm sizzling with burnt, dead flesh as the anchor eats into him. He doesn’t let go of Alexi.

“Solas,” Cullen says, the decision made as he puts the pain out of his mind as he’s done a thousand times before. He pulls Alexi up with him, his arm around his waist, holding him up and starting for the door. He means to run, take Alexi with him but Alexi is reeling away from him and he –

“Let go. It’s coming! Let go!” Their hands fly apart, and Alexi tumbles forward, his hands shaking around the handle for the balcony. He stumbles through, arms outstretched and raised towards the sky, anchor sizzling all the while. It could almost be mistaken for the rising sun. Alexi faces the direction of the approaching fireball, the ghostly barrier slipping from his fingertips. He cannot simply stop it. He must do more than at the Winter Palace. He remembers Hawke, her lessons in the desert. He doesn’t stop it. He catches.

With a wrenching cry, he unleashes it back in the direction it came from. Cullen watches it go dim halfway through its arch. “He’s here,” Alexi pants, temples beaded with sweat, “Corypheus. He’s here.” Cullen moves quickly. They dress with whatever they can get their hands on, grab their gear. As they race around the bannister, Cullen grabs a fistful of his own cloak, and puts it over Alexi’s shoulders. Almost at the door, they stop when Alexi cries out again, falls backwards against Cullen. He has to hold him up as pain wracks through Alexi’s body, and the anchor flares.

Cullen squeezes his eyes closed, turns his face away. The brightness of it is almost blinding even through his eyelids. The petrichor, that sense of magic, was the fuse. Now, it is lit. All of Skyhold shakes with the explosion, and Cullen watches in horror as the breach once again takes shape in the sky. “Like a scab,” Alexi says weakly, with chattering teeth, “he peeled it off. Opened the wound.” Cullen wraps an arm around Alexi’s waist, and then pulls his other arm with his uninjured hand over his shoulder. He practically hauls Alexi down the stairs. Alexi keeps his other arm straight at his side, and the anchor spills itself onto each hurried stair, scurried stone. The Great Hall is unmitigated chaos. Josephine stands near the throne, attempting to reign it in. He pushes them through frantic diplomats and nobles, merchants seeking shelter.

In the sunrise, Leliana’s flaming hair is easy enough to spot. He decides she is the best direction. Halfway to her, Alexi tugs out of his grasp, quickly forms the barrier. Catch. He cries out, goes to his knees when it hits. This one is different from the first, the magic far more forceful. Vivienne puts her hand under Alexi’s other arm, and together with Cullen, they raise him to his feet. Her magic soon joins his, a purple bloom. He holds it, she pushes. Together, they send it back with precision.

“He’s here for me,” Alexi says, “I can –”

“Respectfully darling,” Vivienne interrupts Alexi, “but whatever you’re about to say, do shut up. This is not going to be another Haven, or Halamshiral. We stand together. There is no retreating.”

“The Orlesian soldiers are guarding and guiding the refugees and faithful down the mountain path towards Redcliffe, and then our forward scouts can take over protecting them,” Leliana shouts as she jogs over towards Alexi, Charter close on her heels. “Charter tells me that Corypheus has all that remains of his army. He’s ignoring the camps and he’s headed straight for the fortress.”

“I’ve instructed our mages to position themselves on the battlements. We are prepared to defend Skyhold!” Fiona tells them. “We will need many lyrium potions. As many as you can give us.”

“You’ll have them!” Dagna says, as she materializes a runner beside her, ready to take stock of their needs. The others are making their way out into the courtyard, quickly spotting their group and making their way over. Half of Sera’s hair is slicked upwards, stuck in whatever position she was sleeping in. Dorian is the opposite, his is devoid of its usual upwards motion.

“The Templars have already gone with the Inquisition army out into the field, under Barris,” Fiona says. Solas shifts from one foot to the other, his staff moving with him as Blackwall keeps a hand on the hilt of his sword.

“Rory and the others are guarding the road up to Skyhold,” Leliana says, as the Iron Bull and his Chargers join them. The mages all flick their gaze towards the horizon at the same time. Cullen feels the hackles of their magic rise, pins and needles on his skin. The rescued mages, forgotten and free apostates, are the ones who catch it this time. With the attention of the others so caught in this, Alexi leans against Cullen.

“Can Skyhold handle a full scale assault?” Alexi asks him quietly. Cullen struggles with the answer.

“Corypheus’s magic is an unknown quality,” Solas says.

“We could probably repel his army. Corypheus himself is another matter, and that dragon,” Cullen says.

“I’m ready for it,” Merrill says eagerly, eyes shining.

“We’ll divide his attention,” Alexi says, holding up his hand, the anchor. “Krem, you go with the Chargers to defend the gate. You’ll find Morrigan with a few Wardens, one of which is the Hero of Ferelden. If the Inquisition forces fail, you’re our last line of defense. Once the Orlesian soldiers have returned, they’ll need to be sent to bolster our forces and keep Corypheus’s army as far away from Skyhold as possible.”

“Where will you be?” Rory asks.

“On the field,” Alexi says, clenching his jaw. “Blackwall, Cassandra, Iron Bull… Cullen. Cole, Sera, Leliana and Varric. Dorian, Solas and Vivienne. Merrill. Corypheus will come at me personally again. He did it at Haven, and again at Mythal’s temple. He’s following the anchor. I’m asking you all to protect me, and to help me kill Corypheus once and for all.”

“D’ya really think we’d say no?” Sera asks, bouncing up and down. “Let’s fuckin’ kill Coryphy-shit!”

“We’ve got this, Boss,” Iron Bull says, grin wide as he hefts his axe between his hands.

“I will not abandon you Schatzi,” Cassandra says.

“You’re not going anywhere without me,” Dorian says.

“I’ll protect you,” Blackwall says.

“You can count on me, darling,” Vivienne swears, her hand moving to his shoulder.

“May the Maker guide my arrows,” Leliana says, testing the string of her bow.

“I want to help. I can be hard to see. I can kill things that would hurt people,” Cole says softly.

“At your lead, Inquisitor,” Solas tells him.

“I’m ready!” Merrill repeats again, with no less vigor.

“Shit,” Varric rubs the back of his head, “we’re really doing this, huh? Bianca and I have your back, kiddo.” Cullen’s hand slips into Alexi’s, gives it a small squeeze. Alexi takes a deep breath. The cool wind of the Frostback Mountains slips through the courtyard, and the fur of Cullen’s cloak on his shoulders brushes against Alexi’s neck.

“Alright. Let’s go.”

--

“I’m fucking tired,” Rory snarls as they sweep through a line of ghouls. Paltry things, hardly comparable to Darkspawn. They move low to the ground, their sword sweeping upwards. They pull at another with their magic, dragging it easily into Alistair’s own waiting sword. Morrigan is static, rising lightning, crashing thunder. She burns with wild power, ready to defend her friends, her son, to the bitter end. Carver boots down another, keeps it pinned as he raises his greatsword, and plunges it down.

“Those beds are nice,” he growls as he wrenches it free, moving onto the next. Anders and Nathaniel move in tandem together, back to back. Nathaniel is a barrage of arrows, one after another, while Anders sweeps his hand upwards and sends ice spiking upwards. Velanna burns through it with flame, and together they send their attackers into nothingness. Sigrun and Zevran both wield two blades, yet use them entirely differently. Zevran is the knife in the dark, the death before realization. Sigrun announces her death plainly, the slash across tendons before plunging into soft flesh.

“Rory!” They whirl at the sound of their name, the all too familiar music of Leliana’s voice. She’s accompanied by a green light behind her, a right crowd of people. Krem crashes into the ghouls, an indestructible battering ram, yelling all the while. The Chargers give the Wardens a needed reprieve to re-group themselves, solidify their formation, and push back any that challenge them. Dalish’s magic entwines with Merrill’s and Velanna’s. Together the three of them burst an unimaginable amount of vines from underground, dragging the ghouls down to suffocate.

Grim and Sigrun defend Rocky while he maniacally laughs, lighting the fuse on one of the round packages he hands to Skinner. She sends it flying, and a column of flame erupts farther down the road. “What do you need?” Rory asks, glancing at Alexi, the anchor, the group following behind them.

“A path,” Alexi says. The grin begins to spread wide across Rory’s face.

“I can do that for you.” Overhearing, Alistair reaches out and plucks Zevran back by the scruff of his hood, while Rory walks past them. The other Wardens are recognizing something, the same as Alistair, and keep the Chargers out of Rory’s way. Rory turns their sword upon themselves. Plunging straight through their belly, tip emerging out through their back. Their hands leave the hilt, arms opening wide as their back twists back, the blood bursting free and high – spinning strands of red wire, blooming out wide.

They slice through the ghouls, the demons, and a few of the venatori which have summoned them. Their blood the sewing needle and thread, they weave a macabre pattern. They divide them, create a path. Rory pulls it all back, and their flesh stitches back together as they pull the sword from their body. Their reputation is well deserved. “You have your path, Inquisitor!” They waste none of the time Rory has bought them. While the others go ahead, Leliana stays behind. They go not towards the camps, the easiest path, but around to the other side. Cullen still has an arm around Alexi’s waist, supporting him as another wave wracks him, the anchor shuddering.

“It’s likely he’s using the orb which created the mark,” Solas says, moving to Alexi’s side, examining the anchor. “It will augment his already considerable power, Inquisitor.” A warning. Alexi puts it aside for now. Instead he directs what attention he can towards the hurt he feels radiating from Cullen, the palm of his hand. They move quickly down into the valley, running across the field. Almost everyone looks up when they hear it. Merrill laughs when she sees it.

“It worked Alexi! He’s coming!” She says, as the wide wings of the red lyrium dragon cast an impressive shadow down upon them. The others keep running, she doesn’t. The voices of the well are loud, but not unkind. They unite into a single will, and Merrill trembles with the change. The feel of it is intoxicating. Flame rolls on her tongue, coal burns in her belly. Weighted and solid, yet light and free. Her wings are strong, proud. Moss grows on steel scales, mold and mushrooms on sharp claws. Varric watches this newest dragon take flight, meeting the red lyrium exhale with a burst of bright flame. He can feel the heat of it even from so far below.

Alexi tips forward with a cry as the anchor spasms, and Cullen is only barely able to catch him in time. On his knees in the grass, his hand wrapped around his wrist, trying to still the shuddering force of it. “I can still silence it,” Cullen tells him, “one of the others is sure to have a vial –”

“No!” Alexi barks it roughly. His hair hangs low over his eyes. Sweat drips down his temple. He shivers, despite Cullen’s cloak wrapped warmly around him. He leans against Cullen. “Don’t – please. Anything but that,” he says it so weakly that all Cullen can do is hold him.

“Uhh… might want to start running again. We’ve got a problem,” Varric says, slapping his hand urgently against Cullen’s back. He looks over his shoulder, and his stomach sinks at the sight of Red Templars on the ridge.

“I can stabilize it, but I will need time,” Solas says, moving to kneel in front of Alexi, calmly gathering up his hand once again.

“You will have it,” Vivienne says, turning her staff, moving to stand behind Cassandra, Blackwall and Iron Bull. They have already formed the line which their enemies will not cross. Dorian stands beside her, taking a deep breath as he centers his will. Cole pulls his daggers from his belt. Sera has an arrow knocked, ready to loose. Varric keeps Bianca steady, keeps close guard of the three on the ground. He casts a glance to where Merrill and the dragon still tangle overhead.

“C’mon Daisy,” he murmurs, practically a prayer.

The Red Templars break, water against rock. Cassandra and Blackwall are unmovable, their shields unbreakable. As they hold back the Templars, Vivienne reaches out, her hand flat, splaying all five fingers. She reaches between Cassandra and Blackwall as the lightning webs between her fingers. It sparks out, cuts an arc from Templar to Templar. Dorian finds what remains of them, brings them back up, and this time, they turn upon their fellow Templars. Iron Bull is a charger through and through, fighting into the fray, laughing all the while. Cole is careful at his side, a shadow, finishing off all those Bull cannot see.

The ground shakes beneath his feet and Iron Bull turns in time to see a behemoth charging towards him. He grins, holds his axe tightly, and solidifies his stance. Arrows embed themselves into the behemoth as it approaches, and they burst into brilliant white light. Bull covers his eye as the lyrium explodes, the behemoth rendered into shards. “Nice, Sera!” He bellows.

“Wazzat? Wazn’t me!” She shouts back. Varric meanwhile, is hollering.

Sebastian’s white armor glints in the rising sun, readying his next series of shots. Fenris is a blur of blue, lyrium lines alight, and Isabela is leaping in laughing at his side, daggers raised high. Aveline moves to reinforce the wall, Donnic at her side. She knocks one of the larger Templars flat on its back, and together, she and Donnic make quick work of it. “Good to see you again Seeker,” she says to Cassandra, giving her a respectful nod. Cassandra is in shock, her mouth agape.

“How – you – what?” She stutters.

“Varric wrote to us, said you might need our help,” Aveline says.

“For Hawke,” Fenris says.

“I thought we were going to have breakfast first!” Isabela says as she dances between blades, spinning up, slashing out. While Isabela moves high, Fenris stays low. He cuts the Templars down to size, his sword indiscriminate. He slips through them, permeable and unafraid.

“Where’s Carver?” His voice is water over gravel, and Varric catches it easy.

“And Merrill!” Isabela calls out.

“Carver’s back at the gate with the Wardens. But Merrill, she – look up!”

“Oh, she must be delighted,” Sebastian says warmly, with a fond smile, following the green dragon’s trail.

Bull feels the ground shake once again, and looks for the next behemoth. Confusion, when he finds none. The earth beneath his feet heaves, begins to buckle, and starts to pull free. He isn’t the only one. Cullen keeps a tight hold on Alexi as the ground beneath them begins to rise. Isabela stumbles, clutches onto Fenris with one hand and reaches for Sebastian with the other. He gladly takes it, struggling to maintain his balance. Sera and Cole are half in Cassandra and Bull’s arms, while both Blackwall and Dorian are moving to stand. Aveline and Donnic help Vivienne to her feet. The Red Templars are left scattered, most left on the ground.

“You have been a troublesome gnat, but do not let us forget every other time we have quarreled, Inquisitor,” Corypheus snarls, appearing from seemingly out of nowhere, the red orb spinning in his hand. Cullen reaches for his sword, and when he draws it, the metal breaks against Corypheus’s barrier. The magister easily reaches down and plucks up Alexi as Solas struggles to contain the destructive magic hurtling from the orb. “I will throw you down here, once and for all, and then crush your pathetic Inquisition.”

Alexi struggles with cold, spindly fingers wrapped around his throat. Solas has contained most of the anger, calmed some of its anger. But not all. Alexi wraps his hand around Corypheus’s wrist, and releases all the walls and barriers he had put in place. The anchor unravels, begins to devour, eat into Corypheus’s flesh as rifts begin to form in the spaces between Alexi’s fingers. The two dragons fly past, great wings beating, crying out, Merrill’s teeth sunk into the neck of the other.

Corypheus snarls, snatching away Alexi’s hand. Red magic, darker than even Rory’s blood, sinks deep into Alexi’s flesh. He screams out as the anchor activates, closing the rifts it had just opened. Knives and needles plunge into his hand as Corypheus tightens his grasp, casts the anchor back into dormancy. “Tell me, where is your Maker now? Call Him. Call down His wrath upon me. You cannot, for He does not exist. I shall deliver you from this lie in which you linger. Those who bow before their new god shall be spared,” Corypheus says, dropping Alexi’s arm.

“Fuck… you…” Alexi chokes out, his feet still dangling. Corypheus’s attention is caught by a streak of red flashing across the sky, as Merrill pours her flames directly into the corrupted dragon’s throat. With disgust, Corypheus drops Alexi and disappears once again, appearing on a platform closer to the fighting dragons. Cullen crawls forward, checking over Alexi with worry as he coughs air back into his lungs. A tear through parchment, and Corypheus is opening rifts of his own making.

“Why do they always summon demons?” Isabela pouts, twirling her daggers, “why can’t they ever summon something fun?”

“He’s trying to keep us separate. He can’t handle all of us,” Alexi says, crawling away from Cullen, towards the edge of their platform. His staff in one hand, he throws out his other towards the platform below. “Dorian!” He looks up while Blackwall hacks away at the demons near him, and instantly catches onto what Alexi is trying to do. They link up their magic, rope of another quality bound to the platforms, and begin to pull them together. They’re searching for others, reaching for Vivienne. Solas is stabilizing their hold, reinforcing their magic.  

“They at least seem to stay up, it’s just a matter of keeping them together,” Dorian says, wiping the sweat from his brow as they manage to all gather once again.

“Vivienne, perhaps we could –”

“Yes, I was thinking the same thing,” she says as she faces Solas. They take inspiration from Merrill. Roots twist and gnarl, binding the separate floating pieces together. Isabela is holding the back of Varric’s tunic while she tips him over the edge, looking wildly for any sign of Corypheus and the dragons. Through fog and cloud, bursts of blue and red. It’s impossible to tell who’s winning. Isabela pulls him back to stand properly on the platform.

“Well?” she asks.

“You can’t see shit,” he tells her with a shrug.

“How do we get back down then?” Alexi is asking his other mages in hushed tones. “We could use force magic, a barrier to cushion it but –”

“That would take immense power, concentration and time – two of which are not exactly at our disposal right now,” Solas says.

“I hate to agree but we’d be pushing against Corypheus’s magic. It’s more likely what we’re standing on would break into pieces and I happen to enjoy being alive,” Dorian says.

“Corypheus will be back, once the matter of the dragons are decided. He wants to kill Alexi, parade the fallen Inquisitor around,” Vivienne says frankly, “we wait for him, we kill him, and then we slow the fall.” Cullen’s hand is laced with one of Alexi’s, and he holds his sword in his other hand. Broken, but the jagged edges can still defend him.

“Then we better hope Merrill wins,” Dorian says.

“She will,” Alexi says. He takes stock of their injuries, casts out his echo. Fenris whirls, eyes narrowing, until Sebastian smiles, and puts a hand on his back. Alexi takes effort to breathe in deeply, breathe out just the same. Cuts and scrapes disappear, bruises soothed. Nothing serious, save for the fact that they’re running low on both mana and stamina. His whole body aches from the overuse of his magic. He can’t worry about it now.

A screech, a bellowing echo of a dragon’s dying cry. “Which one was it?” Isabela asks nervously, afraid to get close to the edge.

“I don’t know,” Varric murmurs.

Their question is answered soon enough. Sunlight bounces off green scales as Merrill breaks high into the sky, climbing to them. The shift happens in mid-air. Isabela throws open her arms wide, catches Merrill as she falls into her embrace. “Did you see me? I was a dragon!” She says, legs wrapping around Isabela’s waist. She’s steadied by a hand underneath her thigh, one at her back as Merrill sways in Isabela’s arms.

“I did see you! You won!” Alexi focuses his attention on Merrill. A few broken bones, cuts and scrapes. He heals what he can, what he’s able, but he knows it isn’t all of it. Still, that fact doesn’t seem to bother her.

“I won!”

“Get ready,” Fenris says, lyrium markings activating once again. Sebastian presses the arrow against his bow, while Varric holds up Bianca. They stand on edge. There’s no telling where he may come from. Cassandra’s eyes dart back and forth, while Blackwall keeps his shield raised as he turns. Aveline and Donnic are back to back, both of them at the ready. In their silence, they can hear the sounds of fighting below. The distant clashing of swords, magic cast and returned. Alexi swallows panic, the need to be there.

“Let it end here. Let the skies boil. Let the world be rent asunder.” The red orb hovers by Corypheus’s face, turning between his misshapen claws. At the sound, everyone immediately springs into motion. The barriers go up fast and strong, Alexi summoning all of his reserves. Vivienne lets her signature lightning spring loose, but it’s cast away by Corypheus’s own barrier. He’s handling the nearby warriors with ease, slapping away Cassandra, throwing Bull into the dirt.

“I will bind you as I have bound so many before,” Corypheus snarls as he rounds on Cole.

“I am no demon… and you are no god.” Cole flits at the edges, always just out of his grasp.

“Then die with the rest.” Corypheus squeezes his hold around the orb. It bleeds magic, corrupted by Corypheus’s very touch. Fenris is the first to break through, fueled by lyrium markings, bringing his sword upwards. Dorian neutralizes the spell Corypheus is casting before the intent can fully form. Corypheus barely steps out of the path of his sword, and Isabela presses the advantage. She works in tandem with Bull, pushing him in the direction they want him to go. Solas is building up the power between his palms, and he releases it forward, a slow arrow made of light. Whatever remains of Corypheus’s barrier is extinguished in an instant.

Blackwall angles his shield downwards, side by side with Aveline, and Corypheus’s expelled flames go nowhere. Sera is unhooking potions from her belt, throwing them at Corypheus, all the arrows gone from her quiver. She shouts all the while, “piss! Shit! Fuck!” Corypheus unleashes the elements, finds them swallowed up by Alexi. Heaving breath in the back, the skin around the anchor leaking blood. One arm slung over Cullen’s shoulders, as he holds him up.

“He can’t stop all of us,” Cullen is telling him, “just hold on.”

Corypheus stabs forward, catching Cassandra in the side. She screams as he lifts her in the air, throwing her back to the ground. He unleashes lighting as Blackwall springs forward, and it cascades over his shield and armor. Sera is screaming far more unintelligibly now as Aveline and Donnic struggle to defend their fallen comrades. Varric is clicking Bianca’s trigger, panic jittering through his jaw, but each pull creates the same result. No more bolts. Isabela and Merrill are both on the ground, bloodied. Fenris and Sebastian are barely holding their ground around them, steps faltering and unsteady.

With the orb, Corypheus sends a line of hard energy, as if the dragon’s beam, straight through Dorian’s shoulder. Vivienne’s staff breaks underneath his fist. Cole is a broken doll, slumped against Iron Bull. In his other hand, Corypheus carries Solas’s limp form. “Stay here,” Cullen tells Alexi, slowly lowering him to his knees. He grasps what remains of his sword.

Alexi brushes away the tears with the cloak Cullen had put on his shoulders that morning. Cullen’s own cloak, the only extra bit of protection he could offer Alexi. He feels something hard press against his face. With trembling fingers, he reaches into the inner pocket. He pulls out Cullen’s coin, clenches it hard in his fist. There isn’t much left. He’ll need to use all of it. More than that. The orb is a shining beacon in his dark. He reaches out his hand, the anchor beginning to flicker back to life once more. “…me,” a whimper, “come to… me!” The beacon grows brighter. It snaps from Corypheus’s hand to Alexi’s, as he stands on shaking legs.

“No!” The cry is furious, anguished, wrenched out of Corypheus. He begins to move forward, ignoring all the others, reaching towards Alexi and the orb. Alexi holds his other hand open. He uses the coin as a focal point. It’s a spark, reactive, and the lightning crackles between his fingers, just the way he’s been taught. He’s learned his lessons well. He yells as the anchor’s power links up with that of the orbs’, calling the lighting to it. It burns through the middle of the coin, crackles around the orb.

A spear. Straight through the middle of Corypheus, catching him midstep. From the center, the rift begins to emerge. “Dumat! Ancient Ones! I beseech you! Aid me! Dumat!” Corypheus’s body begins to contort, pulled in cracked bone by bone into the rift. Alexi turns his attention heavenward. The breach burns in the distance. It barely takes effort to reach it from this distance with the orb. His magic, the anchor, sighs into the breach. Clouds swirl around it, that sickly green, until they’re dispersed – giving way to clear skies. The rift closes, its job complete, and all at once, everything gives.  

His stomach drops as the platform begins to plummet. Alexi searches with his echo frantically, finds most colors dimmed. “Alexi!” Cullen is reaching for him, unable to reach him. A deep breath. In, out. Alexi reaches into the well inside the orb once again, closes his eyes. He focuses on the shape of the platform. Every jagged edge, feeling for the depth, weight of it. He pulls, upwards. He forms the barrier as a blanket below. He slows their descent, just in time.

The orb drops to the ground, cracks into pieces.

The platform lands, his magic releases. Cullen struggles to his feet, stumbles towards Alexi. There’s blood dribbling from his nose, from his mouth, as Alexi reaches for Cullen’s hand, presses the coin into his palm. There’s a burnt hole through its center. “I’m sorry,” Alexi whispers to him before his eyes roll back, he tips forward. Cullen dives forward, catching him in his arms, and gently goes to the ground with him.

“Alexi?” Cullen asks, his hand trembling on his cheek. “Alexi!”  

--

He’s not sure what he dreams of, if he dreams at all. There are moments which feel strangely close to real. Arms around his body, holding him close. A hand laced in his. A hand against his cheek. A voice, whispered by his ear. He knows the voice is warm, and he thinks it might be calling him home. His eyes are slow to open, but the darkness doesn’t change. He reaches for his magic, finds the well exhausted. How long has it been this way? He aches with the absence of it. No echo. Alexi winces as he pushes himself up to sit, hands pressed into the blankets. Bed. He leans back against the headboard.

His hand, arm is wrapped. The anchor is a dull drumming pain, flaring with each beat of his heart. His head pounds, his throat parched but – alive. That he’s certain of. He twists, his hands moving over the bed, looking for the edge. He finds someone warm instead. His fingers move over crossed arms, into curly hair. Alexi moves closer, a hand on the nape of Cullen’s neck. He feels his head slowly raise, hears the sharp intake of breath. The bed creaks underneath Cullen’s weight as he kneels forward on one knee, scooping up Alexi in the hug. Alexi’s hands settle on his back, delighted laughter forced out of him. “Did we win?”

“Yes,” Cullen says breathlessly, “we won.” Alexi tightens his hold around Cullen, his chin on his shoulder, the tears beginning to spill.

“How is every – everyone else?” Alexi asks through a wet hiccup. There are holes in his memory. Exhaustion, no doubt. He knows he saw all those dimmed colors however.

“Safe. They’re fine, Alexi, everyone’s fine. A bit beat up but that’s because the second best healer in the Inquisition has been busy trying to heal the very best,” Cullen says, leaning back, holding Alexi’s face in his hands. The kiss is aching, tender, lingers. “You scared me, again.”

“I was trying not to make a habit of it,” Alexi says as Cullen takes a seat at the edge of the bed. They lean against each other, hands coming together and pulling apart, only to come together once again. Cullen’s startled when Alexi suddenly goes rigid and breaks into a gasp. “The coin! Cullen, I’m so sorry, that was – oh no, I’ve ruined it.” He sounds so dejected and put out that Cullen can’t help but laugh, hug him closer.

“I’ve had Dagna working on something while you were asleep,” he says softly. He holds one of Alexi’s hands open, palm facing the ceiling. Cullen reaches into his pocket, and carefully places it into his hand. Alexi runs curious fingers over smooth rounded edges.

“Is this -?” Alexi asks, gooseflesh breaking out all over his skin, hair standing up. His eyes are wide, and he’s seeking Cullen’s voice, the quickened way which he breathes.

“If you’d like it to be. I was also thinking if not now then… at least it’s a promise of the future,” Cullen says, closing Alexi’s hand over the coin, now ring. Alexi bites his bottom lip, nodding eagerly, leaning wholeheartedly into Cullen. He rests his head in the crook of his neck, his hand shaking in the front of Cullen’s tunic. Cullen puts his hand over his, runs his thumb over his knuckles. “I love you Alexi Trevelyan. That will never change.” It makes Alexi cry a little bit harder.

“I love you too,” barely raised above a whimper, still Cullen smiles when he hears it, feels the ring on Alexi’s finger. “I love you.” It’s hours before they finally untangle from each other, softly talking. Cullen fills in Alexi on the days he’s missed, that Vivienne suspects his magic will be unusable for a few weeks but will come back. Alexi trembles when he hears that Solas has disappeared, taking the shards of the broken orb with him. Dorian suspects it shattered after Alexi had used up all its power and pushed it past its limit to close the breach. Landing the platform was the end of it. The Wardens have gone to Weisshaupt, save for Rory, Alistair and Zevran. Morrigan and Blackwall have stayed, but their intention to leave with Rory is well known.

Varric has been thrilled to have his friends around, and their laughter has been what’s kept worry about Alexi from growing too strong. Still, Cullen never left his side. Cassandra, Leliana and Josephine have managed to solidify the Inquisition’s power, affirm their victory over Corypheus. Red Templars, Venatori and rifts still remain, but while the Orlesian army will head home, most of the Inquisition forces have chosen to stay. The mages have their tower, and the support of Barris and his Templars. Knowledge is freely exchanged – a partnership of equals. Leliana will be making broader changes, when she is officially crowned Divine Victoria.

Cullen helps Alexi take a proper bath, change into clean clothes. He barely has to do much, more than Alexi if asking for his opinion or reaching for a steadying hand. Although he’s slept for so long, there are still dark circles under his eyes. Alexi leans into Cullen’s touch when he puts a hand against his cheek. He wraps his hands around Cullen’s wrist, hums contentment before he leans down. Cullen returns the kiss gladly. “Are you ready?” He asks. Alexi nods. They hold hands as they go down the stairs, and Cullen holds open the door to the Great Hall for him. A great hush falls as he steps out. A chair scrapes, and then even more, all of them up and on their feet, racing for him.

“Schatzi, I’m so glad you’re alright,” Cassandra sobs as she aggressively wipes away the tears from her cheeks. Iron Bull claps a hand onto Alexi’s shoulder, gives him a hard shake, the only noise escaping him sounding more like a relieved squeak than anything else. Blackwall falls into him with a hug, patting his back, repeating ‘good man’ as he does.

“You’d think the man enjoys breathing,” Dorian drawls as he shoos the others aside so that he can have Alexi’s full attention, hugs him just as heartily as Blackwall. Varric forces Alexi down, pulling him down by the ends of his scarf, so that he can give his cheek a big, wet, affectionate kiss. Boots takes advantage, hops up onto Alexi’s back, and finds his place in Alexi’s hood.

“Oh darling, you did give us all quite a scare,” Vivienne says while Cole rests his head on Alexi’s shoulder once he’s straightened up. The wide pursed smile is comical on Cole’s usually deadpan face. Josephine is sobbing in agreement with Vivienne, Leliana chuckling as she hands her a handkerchief.

“You’re just in time Inquisitor,” Rory is saying, “we were just about to start a new round. Care to join us?”

“I’d be happy to,” Alexi says, feeling fit to burst. He squeezes Cullen’s hand. Cullen squeezes back. He turns, leans towards him, and they share one more kiss before they settle into their seats at the table.

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The Unseen Soldier | Part 5 | Trapped After All

Subject: Hades & Persephone (aka Aiden & Sophie)

Genre: Southern Gothic retelling (working title)

Words: 3,035 (’nother long one ;p)

Summary: Sophie asks her captor one too many questions about his life.

Updates every Sunday! Click to read.

When she was finished her bath, she sent Bea to retrieve him, and she was surprised and warmed at the same time when the dog obeyed. He returned and slipped inside the bathroom with Bea hot on his heels. And like a willing captive, she sat on the edge of the tub, dressed in the pajamas he threw in for her. Though, they couldn’t really be counted as pajamas; they consisted of a old shirt and shorts. They were his old discards no doubt, left unworn for years. But she was thankful for the clean clothes and for their large size that dwarfed her figure.

He tended to her wounds as promised, and once the fresh gauze was in place, he lifted her into his arms and carried her out of the bathroom. He walked straight for the stairs, never glancing at her or offering an alternative. His arms held her small frame so close, so secure, and she lost herself in the feeling until he stepped on the bottom level of the stairs, jarring her body against his own.

“Uh, can we just sit for awhile and chat?” she asked, turning to face him fast with eyes pleading.

“Sure.” He relented easily enough, and instead of trudging up the stairs to carry her to her second-floor room, he turned toward the living room. He set her on the blue fabric couch and then flopped down beside her with a grunt. He threw his legs out in front of him and let his feet rest on the old trunk.

“What do you want to talk about?”

Her mind went blank. She asked for the opportunity to sit alone with him, to learn more about him and to maybe gain an upperhand in this bizarre situation. But as she stared at him, she couldn’t find the words to ask. So many questions filled her head; yet, she couldn’t force any of them to form.

That’s when it dawned on her. Simplicity. He was always so simple, and despite all the answers he held from her, there was one she was owed way before any other.

“What’s your name?”

He was caught off guard. “I thought you knew my name from all those stories.”

She shook her head, strings of her damp hair falling over her shoulder. “They never named you. They always called you a bastard or a creep or a murderer or--”

“O.K. I get it,” he said with a huff. “It’s Aiden.”

“Aiden?” she repeated with a wrinkle of her nose. “That’s it?”

He snorted a laugh. “What’s wrong with it?”

“I thought it’d be--I dunno--fancier?”

“Fancier?” He laughed again.

“Yeah, like Callahan or Donovan or Aidoneus or…” She met his eyes. “Or Bartholomew.”

“Bartholomew?” His own nose crunched in disgust. “That’s fancier than Aiden?”

“What’s wrong with it? It’s got heart.”

He scoffed and smiled wider. “O.K. You go ahead and name your son that then, and see how he feels about it? He’ll tell you how much heart it has.”

She swept her hair behind her shoulder and shuddered from the chill settling around her. The stone walls weren’t exactly free of drafts, and despite the crackling fire at their feet, she was growing cold under the weight of the night outside. To think, she was about to spend her first full night here in these woods, and she wasn’t afraid as she had been hours ago.

Sure, she sat across from a stranger, but he was nothing but kind. He tended to her wounds, fed her, gifted her with the seclusion and privacy of a guest room, and so far anyway, he asked nothing in return. A knotting sensation seized the muscles in her stomach, warning her to prepare for the moment he would ask. She tried to ignore that fretting thought, but it refused to be quiet.

He dropped his feet to the floor and leaned forward. Gripping the brilliant brass latches of the massive trunk in front of them, he unlocked its lid and lifted it, drawing a groan from its old hinges. Curiosity compelled her to lean forward and peer inside at its hidden contents. She saw stacks of old magazines, a plush leather bound book that resembled a photo album, a small wooden box with no lid that held random trinkets, and a stack of folded blankets.

That’s all she was able to see before he sat back and drew out one of the blankets. Rising from the couch, he unfolded it and draped it over her shoulders. She accepted its warmth gladly and drew the blanket closer around her form. She held tight to it, thankful for the shelter it provided so he couldn’t see the goosebumps on her skin that formed under his hand grazing her arms as he retreated.

He said nothing as he returned to his side of the couch and plopped down. He threw his legs back up on the trunk and leaned his head back, closing his eyes as if he were ready to drift off to sleep.

“What do you do out here all by yourself?”

“Whatever I want.”

Dismissive. “I’m serious,” she pressed. “It must get lonely out here.”

What are you doing?! She condemned herself with that statement. Was she offering to be the company he longed for? Certainly not! Or...at least, she shouldn’t be so pleased by the idea. What the hell is wrong with me? She watched him not even tense up at her words, and God, he was so handsome, so kind, so accommodating.

Love is, was, and always will be fickle. Her mother told her that all the time. No, all the time. And to be a teenager trapped in an older man’s home with no way to leave should have been terrifying. But he hadn’t made it seem so, and in response, her body was telling her to make the most of this seclusion. No matter how she tried to chase away those thoughts, they kept returning.

It’s just because I’m so young and he’s so old--no, not old, mature. He’s alluring. Older men always are, aren’t they? They’re knowledgeable, strong, and independent. They’ve soured from the hardships of life enough to know that not everything is sunshine and rainbows, but there’s still hope in their hearts that can be brought to life by the right people.

“Are you offering to keep me company?” he asked in a low whisper that swept over her ears like velvet and heightened all her sense all at once. He didn’t bother opening his eyes when he said it either.

Her cheeks reddened as she stared at him, and she raised the blanket close to her face to try and hide the blush in her face as the no squeaked out from her throat.

He opened one eye to watch her reaction, and he laughed. “I’m kiddin’, darlin’.”

Was he? She laughed, her nervous hands fidgeting with the blanket. “Ha, yeah, sure.”

“I build mostly. Fix things around the house. That takes up a lot of time.” He sat up straight and rubbed at his face. “I hunt for food for me and the dogs.”

“Hunt?”

He nodded with a yawn. “Yeah, how do you think I caught those birds we had for dinner? Well, the dogs and me anyway.”

“You have guns then?”

The thought never occurred to her that this man would be armed, capable of keeping her under lock and key with the implied force of gun. At the same time, though, she was foolish for never considering the possibility that he likely had several weapons. He lived alone after all, and while he wasn’t vulnerable or easily mislead, he had the right to cautious. He had to protect himself and the dogs as well. Hunting probably wasn’t the primary use for his guns.

“Does that bother you?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Yes. She refused to be honest, so she sidestepped his question. “When can I go home?”

His entire expression shifted at her words. “Is that what you want?”

“Stop that,” she said, her voice strained and tense.

“Stop what?”

“Answering every question with a question.”

He cracked a smile. “You’re not a prisoner, Sophie. You can leave whenever you want.”

“What about the woods?”

His face hardened. “The woods are dangerous.”

“I know. I--”

“The woods should be feared,” he said, his voice straining from the tension in his words.

The air in the room around them became stiff and awkward.

“H--how can I go home without passing through them?”

He dropped his gaze to the ground and whispered a solemn: “You can’t.”

She was quick to swat away the rising concern and instead leaned across the couch toward him, closing the gap between them. She was close to a real revelation; she could feel it. So she held tighter to the blanket to shield the chill in her unnerved skin from his attention while she pressed for more, plastering a solid stare on her face way braver than she felt.

“Because the forest has something to do with you, right? Like the stories say: the Unseen Soldier of the woods who houses untold goods; beware if you step inside, you won’t know when you’ve died.”

“You… memorized that?”

“It was hard not to. I heard it a lot.” She leaned closer to him with wide eyes. “Is it true?”

“What?”

“The rhyme?”

“I don’t even understand what it means.”

She huffed and crossed her arms. “You kill people who step in these woods.”

His expression changed; he became distant, reserved, but he offered no argument to her words.

“Don’t you? The stories say--”

“Not all stories are true.”

“You said that already, but you won’t say why.”

“Why what?” he asked, biting back his anger.

Keep going, she told herself. Don’t chicken out now.

“Why you didn’t kill me?”

“Is that what all these questions are about?”

She nodded slowly, never taking her eyes off him. “If you don’t plan to kill me for trespassing, then what do you want with me?”

He scoffed. “Didn’t your parents ever read you any normal stories when you were a kid?”

“No. They were all pretty much about you and this forest.”

“Hmm. It’s almost as if they knew you would wander mindlessly into them one day,” he retorted with a voice heavy in sarcasm.

She narrowed her eyes at him, annoyed by his insinuation. “I may have wandered beyond that forestline, but I didn’t do it mindlessly.”

“Then why did you come inside this forest?”

“I was curious. The others: they’re afraid of you.”

“Are you?”

Yes. She swallowed. “No.”

A mischievous grin danced across his face as he leaned his massive body toward her until his presence occupied most of the couch, causing her to slink away and retreat to her corner. When he noticed her scampering toward freedom, he grabbed her wrists, holding her still as he shifted closer to her. All of his form, all of his heat sat right in front of her, and his face was mere inches from her own.

“Are you afraid now?”

She lied. “No.”

His smile widened, stretching beyond the limits of what should be possible. He wound one arm around her waist and gathered her and the blanket into his embrace. Lifting her from the couch, he dragged her body against his until she sat on her folded legs, completely engulfed by his shadow as his body blocked out her view of the crackling fireplace.

She gripped the blanket’s edges as tight as she could manage without letting her nails bite into her palms. And she held her arms folded at the elbow and pinned to her chest, a subconscious need to keep some barrier between their chests.

“How about now?”

Her jaw tightened while her mind scrambled for an escape plan. “N--no.”

His smile cracked, and his lips parted, revealing those perfect white teeth. Before they seemed almost princely, but now in the flickering yellow and orange glow of the fire, they seemed like fangs, lengthening toward her with a hunger that terrified her.

His grip on her waist loosened, and he dropped both hands to her hips. In one smooth motion, he jerked her body further down the couch so that she lay beneath him. His hands held so tight to her bones that she struggled to suppress a whimper of pain as he pushed her into the couch, pinning her in place as she sank within its cushions.

He straddled her and bent his large body over her so that their bodies lined up: hips to hips, chest to chest, and face to face. Her lips parted, and a shaking breath slipped from her throat, unwilling to be held back any longer.

“Are you afraid now?” His voice was barely audible, the softest whisper she ever heard that held the darkest intentions.

She wanted to lie again. She had no reason why, only that her mind told her lying was a mistake while her heart told her she should find some version of this to be enjoyable. Stupid heart. What did it know? This was terrifying. He had her trapped beneath his weight, and she didn’t resist as he put her there. And now he stared at her with an intensity in his eyes that made her bones tremble.

She blinked several times to convince her mind this was all real, and once she believed what her eyes told her, she felt tears drip from the corners of her eyes and streak down her temples.

“Yes,” she answered him in a voice that cracked when released from quivering lips.

He grabbed the edge of the blanket at her chest and tugged on it, wishing to pry it from her hands to reveal her body. But she held fast, clutching it with the ferocity of a child who believed the sheer, soft fabric of the blanket would keep her safe from monsters and bad men. But it wouldn’t.

“Let it go,” he commanded in a voice softer than silk.

She refused at first, but he wasn’t going to back down. She saw it in his eyes, in the way he stared at her--no, stared through her. She dreaded what would happen if she relinquished its safe embrace from around her body, but she was petrified of what could happen if she refused any longer.

She let it go, and he threw it aside with such force that a blast of chilled air that once hung overhead slipped down between their bodies, making her tremble even more.

He placed his hand over her heart and spread his fingers wide. The edges of his fingers brushed over the mounds of her flattened breasts as she held them clamped beneath her fists. A nervous, trembling sigh left her mouth as she stared at his hand. Many emotions spun around her heart and mind, but the most prevalent was fear.

“You are afraid,” he whispered, almost to himself.

Then he slid his hand away from her heart, moving it further down her body. Her eyes remained poised on his hand while her heart hammered like a mad man inside her ribs desperate for escape.

“Look at me,” he demanded in a gruff voice straining to keep control.

Without hesitation, she tore her eyes from his hand and stared into his wild, unhinged gaze.

His hand sank lower, passing over her stomach and pausing over her belly button the instant she looked away from his eyes. That same gruff voice greeted her again.

“Look at me,” he growled.

She gasped like a animal bound to a corner by a predator. “Aiden--”

“Hush,” he barked.

His hand slid lower, passing over the line of her hips and stopping over the lower half her pelvis.

She shivered beneath his touch, both from the cold of losing the blanket so suddenly and from the panic tensing her muscles at the severity of this moment. Snapping her knees together, she pinched her thighs closed; it was her last solitary defense against what he intended.

Her tears refused to stop; they just continued to streak from her eyes, darting down her temples with a tickle each time, and dissolving into her hairline. She was helpless to stop them as they poured out. Her mind was far too busy focusing on where his hand was and how she really didn’t want this moment to be happening.

“Are you still afraid?”

“Yes.” She croaked out her response in a heartbeat.

He retracted his hand and bent down until his face was against hers once more, until the tip of his nose brushed against her own and his eyes held her attention with no distractions and no excuses.

“Good,” he said, his voice no longer demanding or hoarse with lust. “You should be afraid.”

As quickly as he had begun, he stopped. He rolled off of her and returned to his end of the couch, just beyond where her legs still stood frozen and locked together with the hope that no touch could pry them apart. He plopped down among the cushions as if nothing had happened, and he sank into their softness. Leaning his head back, he closed his eyes as another yawn consumed his mouth.

Staring at him with wide eyes, she sighed. What the hell was that about?

“You should be afraid.”

She drew in a long, deep breath and released it just as slowly, soothing her straining muscles and filling her tense, fearful lungs all at once. Confused, she sat up and scooted back to her corner of the couch. She didn’t bother to gather up the blanket; instead, she curled her legs up to her chest and wound her arms around them. Hugging herself, she began to rock back and forth at a gentle pace while her mind ran wild with thoughts.

It wasn’t until her mind grew quiet moments later that she realized he had drifted off. He was asleep on the couch, and the hounds at their feet were lost to their dreams as well. But thanks to him and his actions, she was wide awake and aware.

This was her chance.

[samuelmmarcus]

Charleston-Style Custom Home

  Hello, my friends! I hope everything is great with you.

I am excited to share this new construction project. The homeowners chose their lot based on neighborhood and proximity to the lake. The lot was small with a very steep uphill slope and across the street from the lake. To maximize the views and challenging topography they went to Todd W. Reed of Reed Brothers design & build (previously featured here & here) for advice and a game plan. Reed Brothers design & build is well known in the area for taking the diamond in the rough on difficult lake lots and turning them into a well-polished finished product. Todd pitched the idea of a 3-story Charleston-style home with the main living areas being in the middle and bedrooms on top level. This allowed for all of the views to be over the rooftops of the homes that would have normally blocked the lake views. The lower level garage/foyer/stair/elevator area maintained the best access for entrance of the steep, uphill home site. The results turned out well  as you can see in the photos below.

  Charleston-Style Custom Home

The home is located on a very steep lot, just across the street from the lake.

Driveway

The driveway has an extra parking spot for guests or it can also be used as a patio, since you can see the lake from this area.

Belgard pavers: Princeton driftwood.

Exterior

The exterior of this home features grey shingles, black shutters and stacked stone.

The shutters are pre-finished louvered black vinyl shutters.

Windows

Windows are Ply Gem 1500 series White vinyl.

Front Door

Front door is Tucker, mahogany w/iron accents.

Patio is Flagstone.

Similar Bench: Here with cushion.

Similar Outdoor Sconces: here, here & here (gas).

Kitchen

This traditional kitchen is a show-stopper! Walls are painted in Sherwin Williams matching Martha Stewart MSL266 Cement Gray.

Barstools: Safavieh.

Kitchen Cabinetry

Cabinet Details: Kitchen- maple hardwood, miter doors – Savannah w/Addison bead, 6″ cove crown.

Kitchen Lighting: Here – Other Beautiful Pendants: here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here & here.

Kitchen Layout

This traditional kitchen features a large island in the center with the kitchen hood located right across of the island sink. A wet bar is located on the left and a custom hutch is located on the opposite side of the room, close to the breakfast area.

Kitchen Island

Island Cabinetry: Savannah w/Addison bead, painted in Pebble Grey by Glidden (matched by Sherwin Williams).

Island Doors

The kitchen island also features a stunning display cabinet with Eclipse mullion doors.

Hardwood Flooring: 3-1/4” Red Oak with Minwax Jacobean stain and satin finish – similar here & here.

Kitchen Faucet: Delta.

Sink: Kohler.

White Cabinetry

The perimeter cabinets are made by the same company, Covenant Woodworks, and the color is “Canvas“. Notice the beautiful hood corbels.

Backsplash is Quartzite slab.

Kitchen Hardware: Pulls & Knobs.

Storage

The cooktop is flanked by custom pull-out cabinets, which were custom designed for spices and large utensils. Similar here.

Hutch

This grey hutch and the breakfast room are located on the other side of the kitchen. Notice the coffered ceiling, painted in Benjamin Moore Cobblestone, and the family room on the right.

All trim is Sherwin Williams Pure White in semi-gloss – This is my favorite paint color for trim and wainscoting and I often recommend it to my clients.

Cabinetry

The built-in hutch color is Glidden Pebble Grey.

Hutch & Kitchen Island Countertop

Kitchen island countertop is Super White Quartzite, polished.

Countertop Edge Profile

Edge Profile is 3cm Ogee Edge.

Bar

This wet bar is functional and perfect for baking — notice that practical appliance garage below the glass cabinet doors.

Faucet: Delta.

Hot and Cold Water Dispenser Faucet: InSinkErator.

Sink: Kohler.

Perimeter Countertop

Kitchen Perimeter Countertop: Nordic Black Granite, polished.

Backsplash: Bliss Iceland mosaic tile – Other Beautiful Tiles: Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here & Here.

Laundry Room Paint Color

Wall paint color Martha Stewart MSL266 Cement Gray.

Cabinet Paint Color

Laundry Room Cabinet Paint Color: Pure White by Sherwin Williams.

Floor Tile: Eramosa 12×24 Silver field tile.

Birdcage Pulls: Top Knobs.

Countertop & Faucet

Laundry room countertop is Silver Birch ½’ Corian with soft Ogee Edge. Backsplash is beadboard.

Faucet: Delta.

Sink: Kohler.

Master Bathroom

Beautiful cabinetry is also found in the master bathroom. Cabinetry features Miter doors, Colonial door style painted in Sherwin Williams SW 7066 Gray Matters.

 Master Bath Countertop

Countertop is Carrara polished 3cm marble with Ogee edge profile.

Faucets: Delta.

Sinks: Kohler.

Cabinet Knobs: Atlas Hardware – similar here & here.

Angled Shower

The master bathroom’s angled shower is spacious without being overwhelming. I also like how private it feels.

Shower Tile

Tile: Master Bath walls: Bianco polished 18×18 marble with matching pencil and chair rail framing herringbone and mosaic accent tiles – (some other options: here, here, here & here).

Floor Tile: Herringbone Marble Tile.

Plumbing: Delta.

Ceiling & Wall Paint Color

Paint color is Tradewind SW 6218 by Sherwin Williams.

Swarovski Chandelier: Here.

Flooring

Who wouldn’t love to take a bath with a view like that?! Flooring is 18×18 Bianco polished marble tile on diagonal.

Tub: Wyndham.

Tub Filler: Delta.

View

Impressive lake views can be enjoyed from many places in this home, including the deck.

Floor Plan – Ground Level Entry

Floor Plan – Main Floor

Floor Plan – Upper Level

  Many thanks to the architect & builder for sharing the details above!

Architectural design & builder: REED BROTHERS design & build Todd W. Reed (Instagram – Facebook)

Cabinetmaker: Covenant Woodworks.

Photographers: Atlanta Kitchens, Joe Garcia & Todd W. Reed.

   Best Sales of the Month:

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!

Wayfair: Up to 75% OFF – Huge Sales on Decor, Furniture & Rugs!!!

Joss & Main: End of Season Sale: Up to 85% Off!!!

Serena & Lily: Huge Furniture Sale! Up to 60% Off!!!

Pottery Barn: President’s Day Sale: Up to 70% Off!

One Kings Lane: High Quality Design Decor for Less.

West Elm: 20% Off your entire Purchase + Free Shipping: Use Code: WINTER

Anthropologie: Huge Sales on Furniture and Home Decor.

Urban Outfitters: Hip & Affordable Home Decor.

Horchow: High Quality Furniture and Decor. Up to 30% off the entire site!

Williams & Sonoma: New Sales every week.

Nordstrom: Up to 40% OFF!

Neiman Marcus: Luxurious Bedding, Home Decor & Gifts.

Pier 1: Take and 15% Off on Indoor Furniture.

Posts of the Week:

2019 New Year Home Tour.

Classic Colonial Home Design.

Empty-Nester Modern Farmhouse.

Beautiful Homes of Instagram:  How to Build your own Home.

Interior Design Ideas: Home Renovation.

Keeping Room & Master Bathroom Renovation.

Stone Lake House.

Beautiful Homes of Instagram: Building a Forever Home.

Newport Island Beach House.

Stone Cottage-style Home Design.

New Year, New Beautiful Homes of Instagram.

Family-friendly Home Design.

Beautiful Homes of Instagram: Canada.

Beautiful Homes of Instagram.

Georgian-Style Manor with Traditional Interiors.

Transitional Home Design.

Interior Design Ideas.

Grey Kitchen Paint Colors.

Beautiful Homes of Instagram: California Beach House.

Follow me on Instagram: @HomeBunch

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

Come Follow me on

Come Follow me on

Get Home Bunch Posts Via Email

Contact Luciane

“For your shopping convenience, this post might contain links to retailers where you can purchase the products (or similar) featured. I make a small commission if you use these links to make your purchase so thank you for your support!”

from Home http://www.homebunch.com/charleston-style-custom-home/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

[dawnjeman]

Charleston-Style Custom Home

  Hello, my friends! I hope everything is great with you.

I am excited to share this new construction project. The homeowners chose their lot based on neighborhood and proximity to the lake. The lot was small with a very steep uphill slope and across the street from the lake. To maximize the views and challenging topography they went to Todd W. Reed of Reed Brothers design & build (previously featured here & here) for advice and a game plan. Reed Brothers design & build is well known in the area for taking the diamond in the rough on difficult lake lots and turning them into a well-polished finished product. Todd pitched the idea of a 3-story Charleston-style home with the main living areas being in the middle and bedrooms on top level. This allowed for all of the views to be over the rooftops of the homes that would have normally blocked the lake views. The lower level garage/foyer/stair/elevator area maintained the best access for entrance of the steep, uphill home site. The results turned out well  as you can see in the photos below.

  Charleston-Style Custom Home

The home is located on a very steep lot, just across the street from the lake.

Driveway

The driveway has an extra parking spot for guests or it can also be used as a patio, since you can see the lake from this area.

Belgard pavers: Princeton driftwood.

Exterior

The exterior of this home features grey shingles, black shutters and stacked stone.

The shutters are pre-finished louvered black vinyl shutters.

Windows

Windows are Ply Gem 1500 series White vinyl.

Front Door

Front door is Tucker, mahogany w/iron accents.

Patio is Flagstone.

Similar Bench: Here with cushion.

Similar Outdoor Sconces: here, here & here (gas).

Kitchen

This traditional kitchen is a show-stopper! Walls are painted in Sherwin Williams matching Martha Stewart MSL266 Cement Gray.

Barstools: Safavieh.

Kitchen Cabinetry

Cabinet Details: Kitchen- maple hardwood, miter doors – Savannah w/Addison bead, 6″ cove crown.

Kitchen Lighting: Here – Other Beautiful Pendants: here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here & here.

Kitchen Layout

This traditional kitchen features a large island in the center with the kitchen hood located right across of the island sink. A wet bar is located on the left and a custom hutch is located on the opposite side of the room, close to the breakfast area.

Kitchen Island

Island Cabinetry: Savannah w/Addison bead, painted in Pebble Grey by Glidden (matched by Sherwin Williams).

Island Doors

The kitchen island also features a stunning display cabinet with Eclipse mullion doors.

Hardwood Flooring: 3-1/4” Red Oak with Minwax Jacobean stain and satin finish – similar here & here.

Kitchen Faucet: Delta.

Sink: Kohler.

White Cabinetry

The perimeter cabinets are made by the same company, Covenant Woodworks, and the color is “Canvas“. Notice the beautiful hood corbels.

Backsplash is Quartzite slab.

Kitchen Hardware: Pulls & Knobs.

Storage

The cooktop is flanked by custom pull-out cabinets, which were custom designed for spices and large utensils. Similar here.

Hutch

This grey hutch and the breakfast room are located on the other side of the kitchen. Notice the coffered ceiling, painted in Benjamin Moore Cobblestone, and the family room on the right.

All trim is Sherwin Williams Pure White in semi-gloss – This is my favorite paint color for trim and wainscoting and I often recommend it to my clients.

Cabinetry

The built-in hutch color is Glidden Pebble Grey.

Hutch & Kitchen Island Countertop

Kitchen island countertop is Super White Quartzite, polished.

Countertop Edge Profile

Edge Profile is 3cm Ogee Edge.

Bar

This wet bar is functional and perfect for baking — notice that practical appliance garage below the glass cabinet doors.

Faucet: Delta.

Hot and Cold Water Dispenser Faucet: InSinkErator.

Sink: Kohler.

Perimeter Countertop

Kitchen Perimeter Countertop: Nordic Black Granite, polished.

Backsplash: Bliss Iceland mosaic tile – Other Beautiful Tiles: Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here & Here.

Laundry Room Paint Color

Wall paint color Martha Stewart MSL266 Cement Gray.

Cabinet Paint Color

Laundry Room Cabinet Paint Color: Pure White by Sherwin Williams.

Floor Tile: Eramosa 12×24 Silver field tile.

Birdcage Pulls: Top Knobs.

Countertop & Faucet

Laundry room countertop is Silver Birch ½’ Corian with soft Ogee Edge. Backsplash is beadboard.

Faucet: Delta.

Sink: Kohler.

Master Bathroom

Beautiful cabinetry is also found in the master bathroom. Cabinetry features Miter doors, Colonial door style painted in Sherwin Williams SW 7066 Gray Matters.

 Master Bath Countertop

Countertop is Carrara polished 3cm marble with Ogee edge profile.

Faucets: Delta.

Sinks: Kohler.

Cabinet Knobs: Atlas Hardware – similar here & here.

Angled Shower

The master bathroom’s angled shower is spacious without being overwhelming. I also like how private it feels.

Shower Tile

Tile: Master Bath walls: Bianco polished 18×18 marble with matching pencil and chair rail framing herringbone and mosaic accent tiles – (some other options: here, here, here & here).

Floor Tile: Herringbone Marble Tile.

Plumbing: Delta.

Ceiling & Wall Paint Color

Paint color is Tradewind SW 6218 by Sherwin Williams.

Swarovski Chandelier: Here.

Flooring

Who wouldn’t love to take a bath with a view like that?! Flooring is 18×18 Bianco polished marble tile on diagonal.

Tub: Wyndham.

Tub Filler: Delta.

View

Impressive lake views can be enjoyed from many places in this home, including the deck.

Floor Plan – Ground Level Entry

Floor Plan – Main Floor

Floor Plan – Upper Level

  Many thanks to the architect & builder for sharing the details above!

Architectural design & builder: REED BROTHERS design & build Todd W. Reed (Instagram – Facebook)

Cabinetmaker: Covenant Woodworks.

Photographers: Atlanta Kitchens, Joe Garcia & Todd W. Reed.

   Best Sales of the Month:

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!

Wayfair: Up to 75% OFF – Huge Sales on Decor, Furniture & Rugs!!!

Joss & Main: End of Season Sale: Up to 85% Off!!!

Serena & Lily: Huge Furniture Sale! Up to 60% Off!!!

Pottery Barn: President’s Day Sale: Up to 70% Off!

One Kings Lane: High Quality Design Decor for Less.

West Elm: 20% Off your entire Purchase + Free Shipping: Use Code: WINTER

Anthropologie: Huge Sales on Furniture and Home Decor.

Urban Outfitters: Hip & Affordable Home Decor.

Horchow: High Quality Furniture and Decor. Up to 30% off the entire site!

Williams & Sonoma: New Sales every week.

Nordstrom: Up to 40% OFF!

Neiman Marcus: Luxurious Bedding, Home Decor & Gifts.

Pier 1: Take and 15% Off on Indoor Furniture.

Posts of the Week:

2019 New Year Home Tour.

Classic Colonial Home Design.

Empty-Nester Modern Farmhouse.

Beautiful Homes of Instagram:  How to Build your own Home.

Interior Design Ideas: Home Renovation.

Keeping Room & Master Bathroom Renovation.

Stone Lake House.

Beautiful Homes of Instagram: Building a Forever Home.

Newport Island Beach House.

Stone Cottage-style Home Design.

New Year, New Beautiful Homes of Instagram.

Family-friendly Home Design.

Beautiful Homes of Instagram: Canada.

Beautiful Homes of Instagram.

Georgian-Style Manor with Traditional Interiors.

Transitional Home Design.

Interior Design Ideas.

Grey Kitchen Paint Colors.

Beautiful Homes of Instagram: California Beach House.

Follow me on Instagram: @HomeBunch

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

Come Follow me on

Come Follow me on

Get Home Bunch Posts Via Email

Contact Luciane

“For your shopping convenience, this post might contain links to retailers where you can purchase the products (or similar) featured. I make a small commission if you use these links to make your purchase so thank you for your support!”

from Home http://www.homebunch.com/charleston-style-custom-home/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

[biofunmy]

$1.5 Million Homes in Indiana, Oregon and Colorado

Indianapolis | $1.5 Million

An 1889 Victorian with seven bedrooms and four and a half bathrooms, on a half-acre lot

This property is in the Old Northside neighborhood, a historic district with many elegant homes, less than two miles northwest of downtown. (Among them is an Italianate Victorian several blocks southwest, where President Benjamin Harrison lived.) The builder came from a lumber family, and this house displays a rich variety of woods, including cherry, mahogany and oak. At one point, it was the clubhouse for a fraternal order. A two-year renovation was completed last year.

Size: 9,097 square feet

Price per square foot: $165

Indoors: The original wood doors inset with gridded glass open to a marble-tiled foyer, followed by a reception room. Turning left, you enter a library with casement windows, a nonworking, exposed-brick fireplace with a wood-slab mantel and industrial-style floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.

Beyond is a series of rooms: a breakfast room with a beamed ceiling and a terra-cotta fireplace, which opens to a kitchen with a large marble-topped island and a custom stainless steel hood and, finally, a family room with a coffered ceiling and French doors opening to a large rear deck with an outdoor kitchen.

Pocket doors off the reception room on the other side of the staircase take you into a dining room with a coffered ceiling, wall paneling and a green-tile fireplace. Past the dining room is a home office with a curved wall and honeycomb floor tile. A nearby area beside the back door is outfitted with coat hooks and a phone-charging station.

On the second floor are four bedrooms with attached bathrooms, including a master with walk-in closets on either side of a decorative fireplace, a changing room and a bathroom with twin marble-topped vanities, a soaking tub and a multispray slate shower. There is also a large laundry room with black-and-white Moroccan-style wall tile that matches the kitchen’s backsplash.

The third floor has two additional bedrooms with hardwood floors and dormers, and a family room or game room.

The original carriage house was expanded several years ago to include a five-car garage at the base. One of the bays is extra high for the storage of a camper or boat. The second floor contains a two-bedroom apartment with a living room that has a gas fireplace, a corner kitchen with stainless steel appliances and an elegant bathroom.

Outdoor space: The house has a fenced front lawn, a curving front porch and a large rear deck with a trellis roof, an outdoor kitchen and a firepit.

Taxes: $40,129 without a homestead exemption (2018)

Contact: Joe Everhart, Everhart Studio, 317-916-1052; everhartlistings.com

Portland, Ore. | $1.495 Million

A triplex condominium in a 1921 building, with two bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms

A 1997 conversion created this three-level unit in a building on the North Park Blocks in the city’s Pearl District. The Willamette River, Union Station and Powell’s City of Books are within blocks of the condominium. The area is filled with restaurants, high-end doughnut shops, breweries, art galleries, boutiques and theaters.

Size: 2,050 square feet

Price per square foot: $729

Indoors: Elizabeth Raftopoulos, a fashion and interior designer, created the look of this fourth-through-sixth-floor unit. You enter a large loft room with wide-board French white-oak floors and a nook with coat hooks and storage under a metal staircase. Off to the side is a bead-board-paneled half bathroom with a marble-and-brass sink.

The open kitchen has custom dark-navy cabinets and an island with an Italian marble waterfall countertop. Among the appliances are a six-burner Wolf range, a Sub-Zero refrigerator with a glass door and an Electrolux wine cooler. A living area is at the end of the room, with Restoration Hardware glass-globed pendant lights, near a wall of casement windows.

The entire second level is taken up by a suite with a sitting area hung with Restoration Hardware hemispherical brass ceiling lights. Next to it is a bedroom with steel-framed glass walls on two sides, around which curtains can be drawn for privacy. The bedroom opens to a bathroom with a walk-in shower with black-granite tile and a marble-topped vanity.

The top-floor master bedroom has a sliding barn door and a niche for a desk. The en suite Italian marble bathroom includes built-in storage, a double vanity and a walk-in shower with controls and showerheads mounted on opposite walls. An interior steel-framed glass wall next to the Victoria & Albert Barcelona bathtub admits light from the bedroom windows and offers treetop views. This level also has a laundry room with a stacked washer and dryer and a granite-topped cabinet.

Outdoor space: A door from the living room opens to a terrace, and there is access from the master to a roof deck with planters. The unit looks out to the mature trees in the North Park Blocks. Parking for one car is in an attached garage.

Taxes: $13,171, plus a $658 monthly homeowner’s fee

Contact: Susan Suzuki, Sasha Welford or Todd Peres, Debbie Thomas Real Estate, 503-226-2141; debbiethomas.idxbroker.com

Durango, Colo. | $1.5 Million

A riverfront house built in 2011, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, on a 0.36-acre lot

A previous owner built this house with reclaimed oak barn-wood siding and a metal roof. It has about 150 feet of frontage on the Animas River, popular for kayaking, rafting and fishing. Durango is a city of about 19,000 in southwestern Colorado, at an elevation of 6,500 feet. This home is two and a half miles northeast of the terminus of the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, which makes a daily 50-mile trip north to Silverton, Colo., in summer. It is just east, across the river, from restaurants, markets and other businesses on Main Avenue. The campus of Fort Lewis College is three miles south.

Size: 2,068 square feet

Price per square foot: $725

Indoors: A cluster of attached, gabled forms creates interior spaces with vaulted ceilings. The double-height great room, for instance, rises 20 feet from its cherry floor to its ridge beam (made of fir from a Boeing airplane hangar in Seattle). Floor-to-ceiling windows offer river views, and a ladder ascends to a windowed loft.

Off the great room is a kitchen with raised-panel cabinetry, marble countertops and a white subway-tile backsplash. An attached dining room has direct outdoor access.

There is a ground-floor master bedroom with picture-rail molding and built-in wardrobes flanking glass doors that open to a river-facing back deck. The master bathroom includes a marble-topped vanity and a walk-in steam shower lined in glass subway tile and furnished with a bench.

Both upstairs bedrooms have vaulted ceilings. One has a cantilevered balcony overlooking the river. The upstairs bathroom has white paneling, a rustic wood vanity and pale-aqua glass tile on the bathtub wall.

Outdoor space: The property has shrubs and flowering trees, stone and gravel paths, and wood and metal-mesh fencing. There is also a wood-fired hot tub.

Taxes: $6,684 (2018)

Contact: Hannah Chary, Wells Group Real Estate, 970-799-5011; wellsgroupdurango.com

For weekly email updates on residential real estate news, sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @nytrealestate.

Sahred From Source link Real Estate

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[fuckingfuckingchickentown-blog]

How To Avoid A Disaster On Your Home Improvement Project Make sure that you consistently redecorate your house and add renovations to keep your home in top notch condition. There are many projects that you can complete on your own, eliminating the need to hire someone else. The advice in this article can help you. Even modest home improvement projects can increase the resale value of your home. If you are considering selling your home, consider undertaking a few small projects. A good example is a clean coat of interior and exterior paint. For around a hundred dollars or so, you can improve the worth of your home by thousands. If you have no counter space, install a microwave over the range. These microwaves take the place of the range hood. They come in budget ranges and luxury varieties, and some even allow convection-style cooking. This is not a suitable option for those who need high-powered ventilation, but it is a great idea for the everyday cook. It's important to have fun when doing any type of home improvement. While you should be careful, you should also enjoy yourself. If you aren't enjoying the process, mistakes are more likely. If you do not enjoy doing your home improvement project, hiring a professional might be the best alternative. Don't get too carried away demolishing everything in your path when you begin a project. Check for structural integrity in the wall cavity before you remove something. If there is electrical wiring there, it can be a costly mistake to fix. If your home improvement project means working near a gas line from a stove, furnace, fireplace or other fixture, ensure that you know exactly where the gas shutoff is before you start working. It is critical that you take extreme caution in these types of repairs. If you don't heed our warning, a fire or injury will likely be the result. While remodeling your kitchen or bathroom, consider replacing common wall board with the water-resistant type. This "green board", as it is commonly referred to, will stand up well to moisture, and prevent mold growth so it is ideally suited for these types of areas. Natural building materials are strongly preferred for interior home renovation projects. Natural materials, such as wood, ceramic, and stone, are typically much better to use then synthetic ones. Not only do they look better, but they are more durable as well. Usually these costly materials will end up being cheaper in the end due to the synthetic products having to be frequently replaced. Try getting ideas now for your home improvement projects. The sooner you start looking for ideas for your home, the more of them you will come across before it is time to make a decision. You should not feel rushed to decide anything while you are working on your project. A shower is a must for any home, so add one if there is not one in existence in one of your bathrooms. Showers are more accessible than tubs, and they also reduce water usage. Compared with a bath, a five-minute shower uses less than one-fourth of the water used by a full soak in the tub. If you live in dry or fire-prone area and are concerned about choosing the best fencing material for your home, consider red or white cedar fences. Cedar wood is well-loved for its durability and distinctive fragrance; it is also rated highly for safety in areas that are potentially threatened by wildfires. Are you sick of an old dresser in your bedroom? Give old furniture a breath of life by sanding and refinishing them. By refinishing, you'll save money and end up with a great-looking piece of furniture. There are many colors of stains from which you can choose. You must make an effort to drain the water out of your hot water at least twice per year. Your water heater should last a lot longer and be more efficient. This is a simple project since you just need to find the drain valve and turn it similar to a spigot. When you are going to remodel your bathroom, go small at first. If you have a small budget, it is possible to create a something that looks a lot more expensive. Little things like replacing lights and towel racks can make a big difference. Paint the walls or even add wallpaper. All of this will result in your bathroom looking brand new without having to spend a fortune. Make sure the contractor listens to what you have to say. Having a trustworthy contractor is incredibly important, but so is making sure that they hear your concerns. If your contractor is not willing to listen to your needs, they may make a mistake. Make sure that they pay very close attention to what you tell them. The task of updating your home is not a far-fetched one. You can do a lot of things yourself with a little research. Implement the tips that you have just learned into your own home improvement projects.

The Most Brilliant Tips For Your Home Improvement Project

Few endeavors are as gratifying as one that makes your house a more enjoyable and efficient place to live. There is no place like home, and there is no better place to make improvements. But how can you begin? The information you will learn here will give you a great idea of the things you can work on to improve the looks of your home.

You can create a higher ceiling appearance by using simple and clever techniques. Try painting stripes on the wall or you can just add a taller floor lamp. Adding this to your rooms will create an optical illusion for your eye to follow. The eyes will naturally focus on following all lines upward towards the ceiling, which will seem higher as a result.

Use wallpaper to create a great looking bookcase. Pick a unique and interesting design. If you apply wallpaper to a bookcase's back, when books are stacked the wallpaper design will appear behind the books. This will improve the appearance of the bookcase and add a unique focal point to whatever room it is in.

Installing a second bathroom in your residence will significantly enhance the value of the home. Another bathroom is also very useful, especially if you put it on another floor. And, you will soon find that, in addition to increasing your home's value, having a second bathroom comes in handy!

If you cannot find the right sized screen to replace one you are missing, it is simple to make one yourself. You can purchase a frame kit in any size. All you will have to do is attach the screen with a cord and a special tool. Some windows require a special type of screen, but attaching an external screen is easy with adapters.

When planning to do home improvement work on your house, a good homeowner will spend his money on high class materials and fixtures as opposed to buying pricey decor and furnishings. Those are the things that add value to the property. In contrast, the market value of a home is greatly enhanced by quality fixtures that remain with the house after it's sold.

Point your outside accent lighting downwards for better illumination of your pathways. When positioned in the branches of a large tree, this type of lighting can simulate natural light, such as that of the moon or a hint of sunlight on a dark day. Try emphasizing garden structures like trellises, statues or seating arrangements.

Refinish your dining table to update your dining room. Refinishing a table can take some time but the whole room will look much better. Take your time to assure it looks its best.

Plant mature flowers to provide instant curb appeal. Besides filling in your landscaping and preventing unsightly gaps, flowers that are planted mature make the exterior of your home much more colorful and vibrant. Seedlings still need time to grow, and may not add to your landscape for a few months until they produce blooms. Potential buyers can be powerfully influenced by a "finished" yard that will look great with minimal effort on their part.

A great deal of home improvement projects are something that you can do yourself. However, there are times when hiring a professional may be warranted. However, most homeowners can do simple plumbing projects and painting. When you do the repairs on your own, you save so much money.

Be mindful of your climate. If you're having a lot of days where it rains, then it's probably not a great idea to build a patio out back. Adding a patio cover, or something to ward off the wind can help alleviate the problem. However, if you do not want to spend money on these additional things, it is best to avoid it altogether.

Wallpaper borders in your bathroom change the whole look. It won't cost you much, and it comes in many designs. Wallpaper trim is very easy to use. Choose some inexpensive artwork to hang on your wall and your bathroom looks fresh and new!

Wallpaper is a good alternative if you don't like paneling or painting. It allows you to boost the look of your whole house. Be careful when choosing the paper, because certain ones will be harder to remove if and when you decide you no longer like them.

You should consider receiving (or formulating) a reliable estimate of the overall cost of your home improvement project to be a vital part of the initial planning process. Many homeowners lowball the cost of their home improvement projects. Try getting several estimates from different sources and plan additional funds for unforeseen expenses.

Your home is your castle, your headquarters, your life. It's very important to make your home look as good as possible for this reason. This article has given you some great home improvement suggestions. Determine how you can improve your home and then carve out some time to get this project started.

High Power Cleaning Services

[greekmythologyaesthetic-blog]

How To Avoid A Disaster On Your Home Improvement Project Make sure that you consistently redecorate your house and add renovations to keep your home in top notch condition. There are many projects that you can complete on your own, eliminating the need to hire someone else. The advice in this article can help you. Even modest home improvement projects can increase the resale value of your home. If you are considering selling your home, consider undertaking a few small projects. A good example is a clean coat of interior and exterior paint. For around a hundred dollars or so, you can improve the worth of your home by thousands. If you have no counter space, install a microwave over the range. These microwaves take the place of the range hood. They come in budget ranges and luxury varieties, and some even allow convection-style cooking. This is not a suitable option for those who need high-powered ventilation, but it is a great idea for the everyday cook. It's important to have fun when doing any type of home improvement. While you should be careful, you should also enjoy yourself. If you aren't enjoying the process, mistakes are more likely. If you do not enjoy doing your home improvement project, hiring a professional might be the best alternative. Don't get too carried away demolishing everything in your path when you begin a project. Check for structural integrity in the wall cavity before you remove something. If there is electrical wiring there, it can be a costly mistake to fix. If your home improvement project means working near a gas line from a stove, furnace, fireplace or other fixture, ensure that you know exactly where the gas shutoff is before you start working. It is critical that you take extreme caution in these types of repairs. If you don't heed our warning, a fire or injury will likely be the result. While remodeling your kitchen or bathroom, consider replacing common wall board with the water-resistant type. This "green board", as it is commonly referred to, will stand up well to moisture, and prevent mold growth so it is ideally suited for these types of areas. Natural building materials are strongly preferred for interior home renovation projects. Natural materials, such as wood, ceramic, and stone, are typically much better to use then synthetic ones. Not only do they look better, but they are more durable as well. Usually these costly materials will end up being cheaper in the end due to the synthetic products having to be frequently replaced. Try getting ideas now for your home improvement projects. The sooner you start looking for ideas for your home, the more of them you will come across before it is time to make a decision. You should not feel rushed to decide anything while you are working on your project. A shower is a must for any home, so add one if there is not one in existence in one of your bathrooms. Showers are more accessible than tubs, and they also reduce water usage. Compared with a bath, a five-minute shower uses less than one-fourth of the water used by a full soak in the tub. If you live in dry or fire-prone area and are concerned about choosing the best fencing material for your home, consider red or white cedar fences. Cedar wood is well-loved for its durability and distinctive fragrance; it is also rated highly for safety in areas that are potentially threatened by wildfires. Are you sick of an old dresser in your bedroom? Give old furniture a breath of life by sanding and refinishing them. By refinishing, you'll save money and end up with a great-looking piece of furniture. There are many colors of stains from which you can choose. You must make an effort to drain the water out of your hot water at least twice per year. Your water heater should last a lot longer and be more efficient. This is a simple project since you just need to find the drain valve and turn it similar to a spigot. When you are going to remodel your bathroom, go small at first. If you have a small budget, it is possible to create a something that looks a lot more expensive. Little things like replacing lights and towel racks can make a big difference. Paint the walls or even add wallpaper. All of this will result in your bathroom looking brand new without having to spend a fortune. Make sure the contractor listens to what you have to say. Having a trustworthy contractor is incredibly important, but so is making sure that they hear your concerns. If your contractor is not willing to listen to your needs, they may make a mistake. Make sure that they pay very close attention to what you tell them. The task of updating your home is not a far-fetched one. You can do a lot of things yourself with a little research. Implement the tips that you have just learned into your own home improvement projects.

The Most Brilliant Tips For Your Home Improvement Project

Few endeavors are as gratifying as one that makes your house a more enjoyable and efficient place to live. There is no place like home, and there is no better place to make improvements. But how can you begin? The information you will learn here will give you a great idea of the things you can work on to improve the looks of your home.

You can create a higher ceiling appearance by using simple and clever techniques. Try painting stripes on the wall or you can just add a taller floor lamp. Adding this to your rooms will create an optical illusion for your eye to follow. The eyes will naturally focus on following all lines upward towards the ceiling, which will seem higher as a result.

Use wallpaper to create a great looking bookcase. Pick a unique and interesting design. If you apply wallpaper to a bookcase's back, when books are stacked the wallpaper design will appear behind the books. This will improve the appearance of the bookcase and add a unique focal point to whatever room it is in.

Installing a second bathroom in your residence will significantly enhance the value of the home. Another bathroom is also very useful, especially if you put it on another floor. And, you will soon find that, in addition to increasing your home's value, having a second bathroom comes in handy!

If you cannot find the right sized screen to replace one you are missing, it is simple to make one yourself. You can purchase a frame kit in any size. All you will have to do is attach the screen with a cord and a special tool. Some windows require a special type of screen, but attaching an external screen is easy with adapters.

When planning to do home improvement work on your house, a good homeowner will spend his money on high class materials and fixtures as opposed to buying pricey decor and furnishings. Those are the things that add value to the property. In contrast, the market value of a home is greatly enhanced by quality fixtures that remain with the house after it's sold.

Point your outside accent lighting downwards for better illumination of your pathways. When positioned in the branches of a large tree, this type of lighting can simulate natural light, such as that of the moon or a hint of sunlight on a dark day. Try emphasizing garden structures like trellises, statues or seating arrangements.

Refinish your dining table to update your dining room. Refinishing a table can take some time but the whole room will look much better. Take your time to assure it looks its best.

Plant mature flowers to provide instant curb appeal. Besides filling in your landscaping and preventing unsightly gaps, flowers that are planted mature make the exterior of your home much more colorful and vibrant. Seedlings still need time to grow, and may not add to your landscape for a few months until they produce blooms. Potential buyers can be powerfully influenced by a "finished" yard that will look great with minimal effort on their part.

A great deal of home improvement projects are something that you can do yourself. However, there are times when hiring a professional may be warranted. However, most homeowners can do simple plumbing projects and painting. When you do the repairs on your own, you save so much money.

Be mindful of your climate. If you're having a lot of days where it rains, then it's probably not a great idea to build a patio out back. Adding a patio cover, or something to ward off the wind can help alleviate the problem. However, if you do not want to spend money on these additional things, it is best to avoid it altogether.

Wallpaper borders in your bathroom change the whole look. It won't cost you much, and it comes in many designs. Wallpaper trim is very easy to use. Choose some inexpensive artwork to hang on your wall and your bathroom looks fresh and new!

Wallpaper is a good alternative if you don't like paneling or painting. It allows you to boost the look of your whole house. Be careful when choosing the paper, because certain ones will be harder to remove if and when you decide you no longer like them.

You should consider receiving (or formulating) a reliable estimate of the overall cost of your home improvement project to be a vital part of the initial planning process. Many homeowners lowball the cost of their home improvement projects. Try getting several estimates from different sources and plan additional funds for unforeseen expenses.

Your home is your castle, your headquarters, your life. It's very important to make your home look as good as possible for this reason. This article has given you some great home improvement suggestions. Determine how you can improve your home and then carve out some time to get this project started.

High Power Cleaning Services

[tantalizingteasesking-blog]

How To Avoid A Disaster On Your Home Improvement Project Make sure that you consistently redecorate your house and add renovations to keep your home in top notch condition. There are many projects that you can complete on your own, eliminating the need to hire someone else. The advice in this article can help you. Even modest home improvement projects can increase the resale value of your home. If you are considering selling your home, consider undertaking a few small projects. A good example is a clean coat of interior and exterior paint. For around a hundred dollars or so, you can improve the worth of your home by thousands. If you have no counter space, install a microwave over the range. These microwaves take the place of the range hood. They come in budget ranges and luxury varieties, and some even allow convection-style cooking. This is not a suitable option for those who need high-powered ventilation, but it is a great idea for the everyday cook. It's important to have fun when doing any type of home improvement. While you should be careful, you should also enjoy yourself. If you aren't enjoying the process, mistakes are more likely. If you do not enjoy doing your home improvement project, hiring a professional might be the best alternative. Don't get too carried away demolishing everything in your path when you begin a project. Check for structural integrity in the wall cavity before you remove something. If there is electrical wiring there, it can be a costly mistake to fix. If your home improvement project means working near a gas line from a stove, furnace, fireplace or other fixture, ensure that you know exactly where the gas shutoff is before you start working. It is critical that you take extreme caution in these types of repairs. If you don't heed our warning, a fire or injury will likely be the result. While remodeling your kitchen or bathroom, consider replacing common wall board with the water-resistant type. This "green board", as it is commonly referred to, will stand up well to moisture, and prevent mold growth so it is ideally suited for these types of areas. Natural building materials are strongly preferred for interior home renovation projects. Natural materials, such as wood, ceramic, and stone, are typically much better to use then synthetic ones. Not only do they look better, but they are more durable as well. Usually these costly materials will end up being cheaper in the end due to the synthetic products having to be frequently replaced. Try getting ideas now for your home improvement projects. The sooner you start looking for ideas for your home, the more of them you will come across before it is time to make a decision. You should not feel rushed to decide anything while you are working on your project. A shower is a must for any home, so add one if there is not one in existence in one of your bathrooms. Showers are more accessible than tubs, and they also reduce water usage. Compared with a bath, a five-minute shower uses less than one-fourth of the water used by a full soak in the tub. If you live in dry or fire-prone area and are concerned about choosing the best fencing material for your home, consider red or white cedar fences. Cedar wood is well-loved for its durability and distinctive fragrance; it is also rated highly for safety in areas that are potentially threatened by wildfires. Are you sick of an old dresser in your bedroom? Give old furniture a breath of life by sanding and refinishing them. By refinishing, you'll save money and end up with a great-looking piece of furniture. There are many colors of stains from which you can choose. You must make an effort to drain the water out of your hot water at least twice per year. Your water heater should last a lot longer and be more efficient. This is a simple project since you just need to find the drain valve and turn it similar to a spigot. When you are going to remodel your bathroom, go small at first. If you have a small budget, it is possible to create a something that looks a lot more expensive. Little things like replacing lights and towel racks can make a big difference. Paint the walls or even add wallpaper. All of this will result in your bathroom looking brand new without having to spend a fortune. Make sure the contractor listens to what you have to say. Having a trustworthy contractor is incredibly important, but so is making sure that they hear your concerns. If your contractor is not willing to listen to your needs, they may make a mistake. Make sure that they pay very close attention to what you tell them. The task of updating your home is not a far-fetched one. You can do a lot of things yourself with a little research. Implement the tips that you have just learned into your own home improvement projects.

The Most Brilliant Tips For Your Home Improvement Project

Few endeavors are as gratifying as one that makes your house a more enjoyable and efficient place to live. There is no place like home, and there is no better place to make improvements. But how can you begin? The information you will learn here will give you a great idea of the things you can work on to improve the looks of your home.

You can create a higher ceiling appearance by using simple and clever techniques. Try painting stripes on the wall or you can just add a taller floor lamp. Adding this to your rooms will create an optical illusion for your eye to follow. The eyes will naturally focus on following all lines upward towards the ceiling, which will seem higher as a result.

Use wallpaper to create a great looking bookcase. Pick a unique and interesting design. If you apply wallpaper to a bookcase's back, when books are stacked the wallpaper design will appear behind the books. This will improve the appearance of the bookcase and add a unique focal point to whatever room it is in.

Installing a second bathroom in your residence will significantly enhance the value of the home. Another bathroom is also very useful, especially if you put it on another floor. And, you will soon find that, in addition to increasing your home's value, having a second bathroom comes in handy!

If you cannot find the right sized screen to replace one you are missing, it is simple to make one yourself. You can purchase a frame kit in any size. All you will have to do is attach the screen with a cord and a special tool. Some windows require a special type of screen, but attaching an external screen is easy with adapters.

When planning to do home improvement work on your house, a good homeowner will spend his money on high class materials and fixtures as opposed to buying pricey decor and furnishings. Those are the things that add value to the property. In contrast, the market value of a home is greatly enhanced by quality fixtures that remain with the house after it's sold.

Point your outside accent lighting downwards for better illumination of your pathways. When positioned in the branches of a large tree, this type of lighting can simulate natural light, such as that of the moon or a hint of sunlight on a dark day. Try emphasizing garden structures like trellises, statues or seating arrangements.

Refinish your dining table to update your dining room. Refinishing a table can take some time but the whole room will look much better. Take your time to assure it looks its best.

Plant mature flowers to provide instant curb appeal. Besides filling in your landscaping and preventing unsightly gaps, flowers that are planted mature make the exterior of your home much more colorful and vibrant. Seedlings still need time to grow, and may not add to your landscape for a few months until they produce blooms. Potential buyers can be powerfully influenced by a "finished" yard that will look great with minimal effort on their part.

A great deal of home improvement projects are something that you can do yourself. However, there are times when hiring a professional may be warranted. However, most homeowners can do simple plumbing projects and painting. When you do the repairs on your own, you save so much money.

Be mindful of your climate. If you're having a lot of days where it rains, then it's probably not a great idea to build a patio out back. Adding a patio cover, or something to ward off the wind can help alleviate the problem. However, if you do not want to spend money on these additional things, it is best to avoid it altogether.

Wallpaper borders in your bathroom change the whole look. It won't cost you much, and it comes in many designs. Wallpaper trim is very easy to use. Choose some inexpensive artwork to hang on your wall and your bathroom looks fresh and new!

Wallpaper is a good alternative if you don't like paneling or painting. It allows you to boost the look of your whole house. Be careful when choosing the paper, because certain ones will be harder to remove if and when you decide you no longer like them.

You should consider receiving (or formulating) a reliable estimate of the overall cost of your home improvement project to be a vital part of the initial planning process. Many homeowners lowball the cost of their home improvement projects. Try getting several estimates from different sources and plan additional funds for unforeseen expenses.

Your home is your castle, your headquarters, your life. It's very important to make your home look as good as possible for this reason. This article has given you some great home improvement suggestions. Determine how you can improve your home and then carve out some time to get this project started.

High Power Cleaning Services

[lesbianslovesatan-blog]

How To Avoid A Disaster On Your Home Improvement Project Make sure that you consistently redecorate your house and add renovations to keep your home in top notch condition. There are many projects that you can complete on your own, eliminating the need to hire someone else. The advice in this article can help you. Even modest home improvement projects can increase the resale value of your home. If you are considering selling your home, consider undertaking a few small projects. A good example is a clean coat of interior and exterior paint. For around a hundred dollars or so, you can improve the worth of your home by thousands. If you have no counter space, install a microwave over the range. These microwaves take the place of the range hood. They come in budget ranges and luxury varieties, and some even allow convection-style cooking. This is not a suitable option for those who need high-powered ventilation, but it is a great idea for the everyday cook. It's important to have fun when doing any type of home improvement. While you should be careful, you should also enjoy yourself. If you aren't enjoying the process, mistakes are more likely. If you do not enjoy doing your home improvement project, hiring a professional might be the best alternative. Don't get too carried away demolishing everything in your path when you begin a project. Check for structural integrity in the wall cavity before you remove something. If there is electrical wiring there, it can be a costly mistake to fix. If your home improvement project means working near a gas line from a stove, furnace, fireplace or other fixture, ensure that you know exactly where the gas shutoff is before you start working. It is critical that you take extreme caution in these types of repairs. If you don't heed our warning, a fire or injury will likely be the result. While remodeling your kitchen or bathroom, consider replacing common wall board with the water-resistant type. This "green board", as it is commonly referred to, will stand up well to moisture, and prevent mold growth so it is ideally suited for these types of areas. Natural building materials are strongly preferred for interior home renovation projects. Natural materials, such as wood, ceramic, and stone, are typically much better to use then synthetic ones. Not only do they look better, but they are more durable as well. Usually these costly materials will end up being cheaper in the end due to the synthetic products having to be frequently replaced. Try getting ideas now for your home improvement projects. The sooner you start looking for ideas for your home, the more of them you will come across before it is time to make a decision. You should not feel rushed to decide anything while you are working on your project. A shower is a must for any home, so add one if there is not one in existence in one of your bathrooms. Showers are more accessible than tubs, and they also reduce water usage. Compared with a bath, a five-minute shower uses less than one-fourth of the water used by a full soak in the tub. If you live in dry or fire-prone area and are concerned about choosing the best fencing material for your home, consider red or white cedar fences. Cedar wood is well-loved for its durability and distinctive fragrance; it is also rated highly for safety in areas that are potentially threatened by wildfires. Are you sick of an old dresser in your bedroom? Give old furniture a breath of life by sanding and refinishing them. By refinishing, you'll save money and end up with a great-looking piece of furniture. There are many colors of stains from which you can choose. You must make an effort to drain the water out of your hot water at least twice per year. Your water heater should last a lot longer and be more efficient. This is a simple project since you just need to find the drain valve and turn it similar to a spigot. When you are going to remodel your bathroom, go small at first. If you have a small budget, it is possible to create a something that looks a lot more expensive. Little things like replacing lights and towel racks can make a big difference. Paint the walls or even add wallpaper. All of this will result in your bathroom looking brand new without having to spend a fortune. Make sure the contractor listens to what you have to say. Having a trustworthy contractor is incredibly important, but so is making sure that they hear your concerns. If your contractor is not willing to listen to your needs, they may make a mistake. Make sure that they pay very close attention to what you tell them. The task of updating your home is not a far-fetched one. You can do a lot of things yourself with a little research. Implement the tips that you have just learned into your own home improvement projects.

The Most Brilliant Tips For Your Home Improvement Project

Few endeavors are as gratifying as one that makes your house a more enjoyable and efficient place to live. There is no place like home, and there is no better place to make improvements. But how can you begin? The information you will learn here will give you a great idea of the things you can work on to improve the looks of your home.

You can create a higher ceiling appearance by using simple and clever techniques. Try painting stripes on the wall or you can just add a taller floor lamp. Adding this to your rooms will create an optical illusion for your eye to follow. The eyes will naturally focus on following all lines upward towards the ceiling, which will seem higher as a result.

Use wallpaper to create a great looking bookcase. Pick a unique and interesting design. If you apply wallpaper to a bookcase's back, when books are stacked the wallpaper design will appear behind the books. This will improve the appearance of the bookcase and add a unique focal point to whatever room it is in.

Installing a second bathroom in your residence will significantly enhance the value of the home. Another bathroom is also very useful, especially if you put it on another floor. And, you will soon find that, in addition to increasing your home's value, having a second bathroom comes in handy!

If you cannot find the right sized screen to replace one you are missing, it is simple to make one yourself. You can purchase a frame kit in any size. All you will have to do is attach the screen with a cord and a special tool. Some windows require a special type of screen, but attaching an external screen is easy with adapters.

When planning to do home improvement work on your house, a good homeowner will spend his money on high class materials and fixtures as opposed to buying pricey decor and furnishings. Those are the things that add value to the property. In contrast, the market value of a home is greatly enhanced by quality fixtures that remain with the house after it's sold.

Point your outside accent lighting downwards for better illumination of your pathways. When positioned in the branches of a large tree, this type of lighting can simulate natural light, such as that of the moon or a hint of sunlight on a dark day. Try emphasizing garden structures like trellises, statues or seating arrangements.

Refinish your dining table to update your dining room. Refinishing a table can take some time but the whole room will look much better. Take your time to assure it looks its best.

Plant mature flowers to provide instant curb appeal. Besides filling in your landscaping and preventing unsightly gaps, flowers that are planted mature make the exterior of your home much more colorful and vibrant. Seedlings still need time to grow, and may not add to your landscape for a few months until they produce blooms. Potential buyers can be powerfully influenced by a "finished" yard that will look great with minimal effort on their part.

A great deal of home improvement projects are something that you can do yourself. However, there are times when hiring a professional may be warranted. However, most homeowners can do simple plumbing projects and painting. When you do the repairs on your own, you save so much money.

Be mindful of your climate. If you're having a lot of days where it rains, then it's probably not a great idea to build a patio out back. Adding a patio cover, or something to ward off the wind can help alleviate the problem. However, if you do not want to spend money on these additional things, it is best to avoid it altogether.

Wallpaper borders in your bathroom change the whole look. It won't cost you much, and it comes in many designs. Wallpaper trim is very easy to use. Choose some inexpensive artwork to hang on your wall and your bathroom looks fresh and new!

Wallpaper is a good alternative if you don't like paneling or painting. It allows you to boost the look of your whole house. Be careful when choosing the paper, because certain ones will be harder to remove if and when you decide you no longer like them.

You should consider receiving (or formulating) a reliable estimate of the overall cost of your home improvement project to be a vital part of the initial planning process. Many homeowners lowball the cost of their home improvement projects. Try getting several estimates from different sources and plan additional funds for unforeseen expenses.

Your home is your castle, your headquarters, your life. It's very important to make your home look as good as possible for this reason. This article has given you some great home improvement suggestions. Determine how you can improve your home and then carve out some time to get this project started.

High Power Cleaning Services

[badbitchbigtits-blog]

How To Avoid A Disaster On Your Home Improvement Project Make sure that you consistently redecorate your house and add renovations to keep your home in top notch condition. There are many projects that you can complete on your own, eliminating the need to hire someone else. The advice in this article can help you. Even modest home improvement projects can increase the resale value of your home. If you are considering selling your home, consider undertaking a few small projects. A good example is a clean coat of interior and exterior paint. For around a hundred dollars or so, you can improve the worth of your home by thousands. If you have no counter space, install a microwave over the range. These microwaves take the place of the range hood. They come in budget ranges and luxury varieties, and some even allow convection-style cooking. This is not a suitable option for those who need high-powered ventilation, but it is a great idea for the everyday cook. It's important to have fun when doing any type of home improvement. While you should be careful, you should also enjoy yourself. If you aren't enjoying the process, mistakes are more likely. If you do not enjoy doing your home improvement project, hiring a professional might be the best alternative. Don't get too carried away demolishing everything in your path when you begin a project. Check for structural integrity in the wall cavity before you remove something. If there is electrical wiring there, it can be a costly mistake to fix. If your home improvement project means working near a gas line from a stove, furnace, fireplace or other fixture, ensure that you know exactly where the gas shutoff is before you start working. It is critical that you take extreme caution in these types of repairs. If you don't heed our warning, a fire or injury will likely be the result. While remodeling your kitchen or bathroom, consider replacing common wall board with the water-resistant type. This "green board", as it is commonly referred to, will stand up well to moisture, and prevent mold growth so it is ideally suited for these types of areas. Natural building materials are strongly preferred for interior home renovation projects. Natural materials, such as wood, ceramic, and stone, are typically much better to use then synthetic ones. Not only do they look better, but they are more durable as well. Usually these costly materials will end up being cheaper in the end due to the synthetic products having to be frequently replaced. Try getting ideas now for your home improvement projects. The sooner you start looking for ideas for your home, the more of them you will come across before it is time to make a decision. You should not feel rushed to decide anything while you are working on your project. A shower is a must for any home, so add one if there is not one in existence in one of your bathrooms. Showers are more accessible than tubs, and they also reduce water usage. Compared with a bath, a five-minute shower uses less than one-fourth of the water used by a full soak in the tub. If you live in dry or fire-prone area and are concerned about choosing the best fencing material for your home, consider red or white cedar fences. Cedar wood is well-loved for its durability and distinctive fragrance; it is also rated highly for safety in areas that are potentially threatened by wildfires. Are you sick of an old dresser in your bedroom? Give old furniture a breath of life by sanding and refinishing them. By refinishing, you'll save money and end up with a great-looking piece of furniture. There are many colors of stains from which you can choose. You must make an effort to drain the water out of your hot water at least twice per year. Your water heater should last a lot longer and be more efficient. This is a simple project since you just need to find the drain valve and turn it similar to a spigot. When you are going to remodel your bathroom, go small at first. If you have a small budget, it is possible to create a something that looks a lot more expensive. Little things like replacing lights and towel racks can make a big difference. Paint the walls or even add wallpaper. All of this will result in your bathroom looking brand new without having to spend a fortune. Make sure the contractor listens to what you have to say. Having a trustworthy contractor is incredibly important, but so is making sure that they hear your concerns. If your contractor is not willing to listen to your needs, they may make a mistake. Make sure that they pay very close attention to what you tell them. The task of updating your home is not a far-fetched one. You can do a lot of things yourself with a little research. Implement the tips that you have just learned into your own home improvement projects.

The Most Brilliant Tips For Your Home Improvement Project

Few endeavors are as gratifying as one that makes your house a more enjoyable and efficient place to live. There is no place like home, and there is no better place to make improvements. But how can you begin? The information you will learn here will give you a great idea of the things you can work on to improve the looks of your home.

You can create a higher ceiling appearance by using simple and clever techniques. Try painting stripes on the wall or you can just add a taller floor lamp. Adding this to your rooms will create an optical illusion for your eye to follow. The eyes will naturally focus on following all lines upward towards the ceiling, which will seem higher as a result.

Use wallpaper to create a great looking bookcase. Pick a unique and interesting design. If you apply wallpaper to a bookcase's back, when books are stacked the wallpaper design will appear behind the books. This will improve the appearance of the bookcase and add a unique focal point to whatever room it is in.

Installing a second bathroom in your residence will significantly enhance the value of the home. Another bathroom is also very useful, especially if you put it on another floor. And, you will soon find that, in addition to increasing your home's value, having a second bathroom comes in handy!

If you cannot find the right sized screen to replace one you are missing, it is simple to make one yourself. You can purchase a frame kit in any size. All you will have to do is attach the screen with a cord and a special tool. Some windows require a special type of screen, but attaching an external screen is easy with adapters.

When planning to do home improvement work on your house, a good homeowner will spend his money on high class materials and fixtures as opposed to buying pricey decor and furnishings. Those are the things that add value to the property. In contrast, the market value of a home is greatly enhanced by quality fixtures that remain with the house after it's sold.

Point your outside accent lighting downwards for better illumination of your pathways. When positioned in the branches of a large tree, this type of lighting can simulate natural light, such as that of the moon or a hint of sunlight on a dark day. Try emphasizing garden structures like trellises, statues or seating arrangements.

Refinish your dining table to update your dining room. Refinishing a table can take some time but the whole room will look much better. Take your time to assure it looks its best.

Plant mature flowers to provide instant curb appeal. Besides filling in your landscaping and preventing unsightly gaps, flowers that are planted mature make the exterior of your home much more colorful and vibrant. Seedlings still need time to grow, and may not add to your landscape for a few months until they produce blooms. Potential buyers can be powerfully influenced by a "finished" yard that will look great with minimal effort on their part.

A great deal of home improvement projects are something that you can do yourself. However, there are times when hiring a professional may be warranted. However, most homeowners can do simple plumbing projects and painting. When you do the repairs on your own, you save so much money.

Be mindful of your climate. If you're having a lot of days where it rains, then it's probably not a great idea to build a patio out back. Adding a patio cover, or something to ward off the wind can help alleviate the problem. However, if you do not want to spend money on these additional things, it is best to avoid it altogether.

Wallpaper borders in your bathroom change the whole look. It won't cost you much, and it comes in many designs. Wallpaper trim is very easy to use. Choose some inexpensive artwork to hang on your wall and your bathroom looks fresh and new!

Wallpaper is a good alternative if you don't like paneling or painting. It allows you to boost the look of your whole house. Be careful when choosing the paper, because certain ones will be harder to remove if and when you decide you no longer like them.

You should consider receiving (or formulating) a reliable estimate of the overall cost of your home improvement project to be a vital part of the initial planning process. Many homeowners lowball the cost of their home improvement projects. Try getting several estimates from different sources and plan additional funds for unforeseen expenses.

Your home is your castle, your headquarters, your life. It's very important to make your home look as good as possible for this reason. This article has given you some great home improvement suggestions. Determine how you can improve your home and then carve out some time to get this project started.

High Power Cleaning Services

[madroxxordam-blog]

How To Avoid A Disaster On Your Home Improvement Project Make sure that you consistently redecorate your house and add renovations to keep your home in top notch condition. There are many projects that you can complete on your own, eliminating the need to hire someone else. The advice in this article can help you. Even modest home improvement projects can increase the resale value of your home. If you are considering selling your home, consider undertaking a few small projects. A good example is a clean coat of interior and exterior paint. For around a hundred dollars or so, you can improve the worth of your home by thousands. If you have no counter space, install a microwave over the range. These microwaves take the place of the range hood. They come in budget ranges and luxury varieties, and some even allow convection-style cooking. This is not a suitable option for those who need high-powered ventilation, but it is a great idea for the everyday cook. It's important to have fun when doing any type of home improvement. While you should be careful, you should also enjoy yourself. If you aren't enjoying the process, mistakes are more likely. If you do not enjoy doing your home improvement project, hiring a professional might be the best alternative. Don't get too carried away demolishing everything in your path when you begin a project. Check for structural integrity in the wall cavity before you remove something. If there is electrical wiring there, it can be a costly mistake to fix. If your home improvement project means working near a gas line from a stove, furnace, fireplace or other fixture, ensure that you know exactly where the gas shutoff is before you start working. It is critical that you take extreme caution in these types of repairs. If you don't heed our warning, a fire or injury will likely be the result. While remodeling your kitchen or bathroom, consider replacing common wall board with the water-resistant type. This "green board", as it is commonly referred to, will stand up well to moisture, and prevent mold growth so it is ideally suited for these types of areas. Natural building materials are strongly preferred for interior home renovation projects. Natural materials, such as wood, ceramic, and stone, are typically much better to use then synthetic ones. Not only do they look better, but they are more durable as well. Usually these costly materials will end up being cheaper in the end due to the synthetic products having to be frequently replaced. Try getting ideas now for your home improvement projects. The sooner you start looking for ideas for your home, the more of them you will come across before it is time to make a decision. You should not feel rushed to decide anything while you are working on your project. A shower is a must for any home, so add one if there is not one in existence in one of your bathrooms. Showers are more accessible than tubs, and they also reduce water usage. Compared with a bath, a five-minute shower uses less than one-fourth of the water used by a full soak in the tub. If you live in dry or fire-prone area and are concerned about choosing the best fencing material for your home, consider red or white cedar fences. Cedar wood is well-loved for its durability and distinctive fragrance; it is also rated highly for safety in areas that are potentially threatened by wildfires. Are you sick of an old dresser in your bedroom? Give old furniture a breath of life by sanding and refinishing them. By refinishing, you'll save money and end up with a great-looking piece of furniture. There are many colors of stains from which you can choose. You must make an effort to drain the water out of your hot water at least twice per year. Your water heater should last a lot longer and be more efficient. This is a simple project since you just need to find the drain valve and turn it similar to a spigot. When you are going to remodel your bathroom, go small at first. If you have a small budget, it is possible to create a something that looks a lot more expensive. Little things like replacing lights and towel racks can make a big difference. Paint the walls or even add wallpaper. All of this will result in your bathroom looking brand new without having to spend a fortune. Make sure the contractor listens to what you have to say. Having a trustworthy contractor is incredibly important, but so is making sure that they hear your concerns. If your contractor is not willing to listen to your needs, they may make a mistake. Make sure that they pay very close attention to what you tell them. The task of updating your home is not a far-fetched one. You can do a lot of things yourself with a little research. Implement the tips that you have just learned into your own home improvement projects.

The Most Brilliant Tips For Your Home Improvement Project

Few endeavors are as gratifying as one that makes your house a more enjoyable and efficient place to live. There is no place like home, and there is no better place to make improvements. But how can you begin? The information you will learn here will give you a great idea of the things you can work on to improve the looks of your home.

You can create a higher ceiling appearance by using simple and clever techniques. Try painting stripes on the wall or you can just add a taller floor lamp. Adding this to your rooms will create an optical illusion for your eye to follow. The eyes will naturally focus on following all lines upward towards the ceiling, which will seem higher as a result.

Use wallpaper to create a great looking bookcase. Pick a unique and interesting design. If you apply wallpaper to a bookcase's back, when books are stacked the wallpaper design will appear behind the books. This will improve the appearance of the bookcase and add a unique focal point to whatever room it is in.

Installing a second bathroom in your residence will significantly enhance the value of the home. Another bathroom is also very useful, especially if you put it on another floor. And, you will soon find that, in addition to increasing your home's value, having a second bathroom comes in handy!

If you cannot find the right sized screen to replace one you are missing, it is simple to make one yourself. You can purchase a frame kit in any size. All you will have to do is attach the screen with a cord and a special tool. Some windows require a special type of screen, but attaching an external screen is easy with adapters.

When planning to do home improvement work on your house, a good homeowner will spend his money on high class materials and fixtures as opposed to buying pricey decor and furnishings. Those are the things that add value to the property. In contrast, the market value of a home is greatly enhanced by quality fixtures that remain with the house after it's sold.

Point your outside accent lighting downwards for better illumination of your pathways. When positioned in the branches of a large tree, this type of lighting can simulate natural light, such as that of the moon or a hint of sunlight on a dark day. Try emphasizing garden structures like trellises, statues or seating arrangements.

Refinish your dining table to update your dining room. Refinishing a table can take some time but the whole room will look much better. Take your time to assure it looks its best.

Plant mature flowers to provide instant curb appeal. Besides filling in your landscaping and preventing unsightly gaps, flowers that are planted mature make the exterior of your home much more colorful and vibrant. Seedlings still need time to grow, and may not add to your landscape for a few months until they produce blooms. Potential buyers can be powerfully influenced by a "finished" yard that will look great with minimal effort on their part.

A great deal of home improvement projects are something that you can do yourself. However, there are times when hiring a professional may be warranted. However, most homeowners can do simple plumbing projects and painting. When you do the repairs on your own, you save so much money.

Be mindful of your climate. If you're having a lot of days where it rains, then it's probably not a great idea to build a patio out back. Adding a patio cover, or something to ward off the wind can help alleviate the problem. However, if you do not want to spend money on these additional things, it is best to avoid it altogether.

Wallpaper borders in your bathroom change the whole look. It won't cost you much, and it comes in many designs. Wallpaper trim is very easy to use. Choose some inexpensive artwork to hang on your wall and your bathroom looks fresh and new!

Wallpaper is a good alternative if you don't like paneling or painting. It allows you to boost the look of your whole house. Be careful when choosing the paper, because certain ones will be harder to remove if and when you decide you no longer like them.

You should consider receiving (or formulating) a reliable estimate of the overall cost of your home improvement project to be a vital part of the initial planning process. Many homeowners lowball the cost of their home improvement projects. Try getting several estimates from different sources and plan additional funds for unforeseen expenses.

Your home is your castle, your headquarters, your life. It's very important to make your home look as good as possible for this reason. This article has given you some great home improvement suggestions. Determine how you can improve your home and then carve out some time to get this project started.

High Power Cleaning Services

[sterlingfink-blog]

How To Avoid A Disaster On Your Home Improvement Project Make sure that you consistently redecorate your house and add renovations to keep your home in top notch condition. There are many projects that you can complete on your own, eliminating the need to hire someone else. The advice in this article can help you. Even modest home improvement projects can increase the resale value of your home. If you are considering selling your home, consider undertaking a few small projects. A good example is a clean coat of interior and exterior paint. For around a hundred dollars or so, you can improve the worth of your home by thousands. If you have no counter space, install a microwave over the range. These microwaves take the place of the range hood. They come in budget ranges and luxury varieties, and some even allow convection-style cooking. This is not a suitable option for those who need high-powered ventilation, but it is a great idea for the everyday cook. It's important to have fun when doing any type of home improvement. While you should be careful, you should also enjoy yourself. If you aren't enjoying the process, mistakes are more likely. If you do not enjoy doing your home improvement project, hiring a professional might be the best alternative. Don't get too carried away demolishing everything in your path when you begin a project. Check for structural integrity in the wall cavity before you remove something. If there is electrical wiring there, it can be a costly mistake to fix. If your home improvement project means working near a gas line from a stove, furnace, fireplace or other fixture, ensure that you know exactly where the gas shutoff is before you start working. It is critical that you take extreme caution in these types of repairs. If you don't heed our warning, a fire or injury will likely be the result. While remodeling your kitchen or bathroom, consider replacing common wall board with the water-resistant type. This "green board", as it is commonly referred to, will stand up well to moisture, and prevent mold growth so it is ideally suited for these types of areas. Natural building materials are strongly preferred for interior home renovation projects. Natural materials, such as wood, ceramic, and stone, are typically much better to use then synthetic ones. Not only do they look better, but they are more durable as well. Usually these costly materials will end up being cheaper in the end due to the synthetic products having to be frequently replaced. Try getting ideas now for your home improvement projects. The sooner you start looking for ideas for your home, the more of them you will come across before it is time to make a decision. You should not feel rushed to decide anything while you are working on your project. A shower is a must for any home, so add one if there is not one in existence in one of your bathrooms. Showers are more accessible than tubs, and they also reduce water usage. Compared with a bath, a five-minute shower uses less than one-fourth of the water used by a full soak in the tub. If you live in dry or fire-prone area and are concerned about choosing the best fencing material for your home, consider red or white cedar fences. Cedar wood is well-loved for its durability and distinctive fragrance; it is also rated highly for safety in areas that are potentially threatened by wildfires. Are you sick of an old dresser in your bedroom? Give old furniture a breath of life by sanding and refinishing them. By refinishing, you'll save money and end up with a great-looking piece of furniture. There are many colors of stains from which you can choose. You must make an effort to drain the water out of your hot water at least twice per year. Your water heater should last a lot longer and be more efficient. This is a simple project since you just need to find the drain valve and turn it similar to a spigot. When you are going to remodel your bathroom, go small at first. If you have a small budget, it is possible to create a something that looks a lot more expensive. Little things like replacing lights and towel racks can make a big difference. Paint the walls or even add wallpaper. All of this will result in your bathroom looking brand new without having to spend a fortune. Make sure the contractor listens to what you have to say. Having a trustworthy contractor is incredibly important, but so is making sure that they hear your concerns. If your contractor is not willing to listen to your needs, they may make a mistake. Make sure that they pay very close attention to what you tell them. The task of updating your home is not a far-fetched one. You can do a lot of things yourself with a little research. Implement the tips that you have just learned into your own home improvement projects.

The Most Brilliant Tips For Your Home Improvement Project

Few endeavors are as gratifying as one that makes your house a more enjoyable and efficient place to live. There is no place like home, and there is no better place to make improvements. But how can you begin? The information you will learn here will give you a great idea of the things you can work on to improve the looks of your home.

You can create a higher ceiling appearance by using simple and clever techniques. Try painting stripes on the wall or you can just add a taller floor lamp. Adding this to your rooms will create an optical illusion for your eye to follow. The eyes will naturally focus on following all lines upward towards the ceiling, which will seem higher as a result.

Use wallpaper to create a great looking bookcase. Pick a unique and interesting design. If you apply wallpaper to a bookcase's back, when books are stacked the wallpaper design will appear behind the books. This will improve the appearance of the bookcase and add a unique focal point to whatever room it is in.

Installing a second bathroom in your residence will significantly enhance the value of the home. Another bathroom is also very useful, especially if you put it on another floor. And, you will soon find that, in addition to increasing your home's value, having a second bathroom comes in handy!

If you cannot find the right sized screen to replace one you are missing, it is simple to make one yourself. You can purchase a frame kit in any size. All you will have to do is attach the screen with a cord and a special tool. Some windows require a special type of screen, but attaching an external screen is easy with adapters.

When planning to do home improvement work on your house, a good homeowner will spend his money on high class materials and fixtures as opposed to buying pricey decor and furnishings. Those are the things that add value to the property. In contrast, the market value of a home is greatly enhanced by quality fixtures that remain with the house after it's sold.

Point your outside accent lighting downwards for better illumination of your pathways. When positioned in the branches of a large tree, this type of lighting can simulate natural light, such as that of the moon or a hint of sunlight on a dark day. Try emphasizing garden structures like trellises, statues or seating arrangements.

Refinish your dining table to update your dining room. Refinishing a table can take some time but the whole room will look much better. Take your time to assure it looks its best.

Plant mature flowers to provide instant curb appeal. Besides filling in your landscaping and preventing unsightly gaps, flowers that are planted mature make the exterior of your home much more colorful and vibrant. Seedlings still need time to grow, and may not add to your landscape for a few months until they produce blooms. Potential buyers can be powerfully influenced by a "finished" yard that will look great with minimal effort on their part.

A great deal of home improvement projects are something that you can do yourself. However, there are times when hiring a professional may be warranted. However, most homeowners can do simple plumbing projects and painting. When you do the repairs on your own, you save so much money.

Be mindful of your climate. If you're having a lot of days where it rains, then it's probably not a great idea to build a patio out back. Adding a patio cover, or something to ward off the wind can help alleviate the problem. However, if you do not want to spend money on these additional things, it is best to avoid it altogether.

Wallpaper borders in your bathroom change the whole look. It won't cost you much, and it comes in many designs. Wallpaper trim is very easy to use. Choose some inexpensive artwork to hang on your wall and your bathroom looks fresh and new!

Wallpaper is a good alternative if you don't like paneling or painting. It allows you to boost the look of your whole house. Be careful when choosing the paper, because certain ones will be harder to remove if and when you decide you no longer like them.

You should consider receiving (or formulating) a reliable estimate of the overall cost of your home improvement project to be a vital part of the initial planning process. Many homeowners lowball the cost of their home improvement projects. Try getting several estimates from different sources and plan additional funds for unforeseen expenses.

Your home is your castle, your headquarters, your life. It's very important to make your home look as good as possible for this reason. This article has given you some great home improvement suggestions. Determine how you can improve your home and then carve out some time to get this project started.

High Power Cleaning Services