Josh has a lot of questions. Why does Geoffrey like him? Why did his mom take all those pills? Why won’t his dad just leave him alone? Why does Tom care so much about what happens on Neighbors?
But he doesn’t voice any of the whys. Instead, what comes out of his mouth is “what do you think Geoffrey’s dad was arrested for?”
Read the rest at AO3: http://archiveofourown.org/works/726813
A quick kiss in the school hallways just before they head off to their separate classes. I imagine Billy looking around and then grabbing Teddy’s shirt. Teddy understands and lifts his notebook up to their faces, and they quickly kiss and say, “See you!”
I hope you like! ♥
Stuck home from the hurricane, and putting that time to good use by writing fic based on this amazing, amazing, amazing art. Read it here or at AO3.
This makes me really want a non-werewolf!AU where Derek is a park ranger or something because it lets him wander around the woods by himself as a legitimate career. And one day, Derek would find an abandoned dog in the woods, which he takes in. It turns out the dog is pregnant, and so Derek winds up with a new dog and way more puppies than he can handle. It’s possible the puppies are part wolf (like Balto). He puts an ad in the paper for experienced dog owners looking to adopt possibly part wolf puppies.
Stiles has recently moved to town for grad school. After college, he moved home and was working in the local Barnes and Noble. It’s not like people were knocking down his door to give him a job with his BA in English, honors thesis on fairy tale monsters. It was fine for a little while. His dad was there, and his childhood dog, a big dumb retriever named Scott. Scott was the best friend a boy could have and also the worst. Like, seriously, for the entirety of high school, every time he and Alison Argent were paired together for a school project and she came over to work on it, Scott would hump her leg like crazy. (They couldn’t go to Alison’s house because her dad was crazy, albeit in a very different way.) But last year, Scott had to be put to sleep and Stiles realized he really should get started with his life. He has a moderately successful blog about monsters in pop culture, and he’s written a couple of articles and lists that have been published on some websites that are less-famous versions of McSweeny’s. And what he really wants to do is write a book which makes werewolves the new vampires (ignoring the fact that Maggie Stiefvater has already done that). So, he applies to an MFA program. And gets in.
So, Stiles is new in town. He’s renting this garden-level apartment that comes with backyard access. Classes have started, but they’re not yet at the point in the semester yet where writing is work. Grad school is proving different than the on-campus undergrad experience he had. He likes all his classmates, but he wouldn’t say any of them are particularly his friend yet. So, he’s lonely when he sees the add in the paper looking for experienced dog owners to adopt puppies. And, a new dog is maybe exactly what he needs.
“What do you want?” is how the guy on the other end answers the phone when he calls the number on the ad.
“You did place an ad in the paper about having dogs for adoption?” Stiles asks, his mind already spinning a tale that maybe this dude’s friends put the ad in the paper as a joke or something.
“Have you had a dog before?” the other guy asks.
“Yes,” Stiles tells him. “I had a crazy retriever up until about a year ago.”
“Fine,” the grumpy guy says and they make plans for Stiles to come meet the puppies the following day.
The guy, Derek, is just as gruff in person as he was on the phone, and also way hotter. He’s got six puppies, five of which yap and rollover and climb all over Stiles when he climbs into the puppy pen. The sixth just stands off to the side growling. Stiles plays with the puppies until they exhaust themselves, falling asleep in an adorable, fluffy pile (because that’s what puppies do), at which point the growly puppy walks right over and falls asleep in Stiles’s lap.
“I want this one,” Stiles tells Derek.
“He growled at you the whole time,” Derek says.
“I know,” Stiles says.
“You don’t want one of the ones that liked you?” Derek asks. Stiles is getting the sense that Derek thinks he’s stupid.
“They’ll be fine,” Stiles says. “But Derek, Jr., here,” Stiles pauses, petting the puppy in his lap, as though Derek might not know which one Stiles is talking about, “is taking after dad a little too much. If I adopt him now, I might be able to save him from a life of surliness and bad phone manners.”
“I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that last one,” Derek says.
“So, I can have him?” Stiles asks.
“If all your paperwork works out.” (Because let’s assume there’s some type of paperwork to prove you’re going to be a good dog owner in this universe.)
And so Stiles adopts the puppy, and the name Derek sticks, but also he starts seeing human Derek around town all the time. At first, it’s at dog related places, like PetCo and the dog park and the vet’s, which at least sort of makes sense. But then they run into each other at the grocery store, and then at the dry cleaners, which is really weird because it’s the first time Stiles has ever been to a dry cleaner in his life (he needs to dress up for some sort of school event, IDK) and Stiles kind of gets the sense that Derek’s not much of a suits guy (IDK what Derek’s getting cleaned, maybe it’s his once a year get his wool winter coat cleaned occasion or something). And the more they run into each other, the more they talk, and the more they like each other until they go on a date. And then another. And then, Derek comes back to Stiles’s place. And then Stiles makes some sort of hilarious comment about having a boyfriend and a dog with the same name while human-Derek and Stiles are trying to have sexy-time.
This is the only photo Stiles has of their mating ceremony. Photos aren’t not allowed. Stiles knows, he asked. There’s no photographer, obviously. The mating is pack-only, plus there’s the whole werewolves are a secret thing. But even if they could have had one, most of the guests eyes would do JJ Abrams proud with their lens-flare eyes.
It’s from the middle of the ceremony. After the processional and the passed drink, but before the bonding, (which involves sharing blood; a pocket knife in one of Stiles pocket for him, claws on Derek’s hands for his. Stiles would rather let Derek cut him too (that’s one of many reasons they make such good mates. Stiles is the brain. Derek handles the blood and guts), but there was something about ‘blood freely given,’ so Stiles will suck it up this time.), before the flower dust blessing and before they run together. Stiles wanted to exchange rings, a human tradition blended into the werewolf ceremony. There’s no ring bearer (no children in the pack at all) and no wedding officiant.
Instead, Scott’s stepping out of the circle, Melissa McCall and Issac scooting over to close the hole he leaves, while he jokes “you don’t usually hear me talking at things like this. Usually Stiles is the one running his mouth and Derek is the one running the show,” and there’s a quiet chuckle running through the circle. “So, it’s almost like this was meant to be,” more laughter. “Stiles asked me to intro the human part of this ceremony. I’ve known Stiles since we were little kids and he is brave and smart and has the biggest heart. Stiles is always looking out for everyone else. And with Derek, Stiles has found someone who will take care of him.”
“So, I’ll shut up now, and let them get to the exchange of rings. Derek,” Scott concedes the floor.
Derek takes the ring out of his pocket, holds Stiles hand in his hand, and Stiles eyes in his as he speaks just to him, “I never thought I’d have a family again. I never thought I’d have a life again. But now I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you. You’re extraordinary. I love you.” Derek slides the ring on Stiles finger.
Stiles is reluctant to let go of Derek’s hand, getting the ring for Derek out of his pocket (not the same pocket as the knife). It’s his turn to hold on to Derek’s hand with his shaking one, and he knows the wolves in the circle can hear his heart pounding. “It’s all you. You make my life extraordinary. You saw so much more in me than I even saw in myself. I love you so, so much.”
Stiles barely has the ring on Derek’s finger before he’s throwing his arms around him, pulling Derek close, hiding his face in Derek’s neck, eyes squeezed close. He didn’t think he’d be this worked up by the ceremony. Derek has been his forever for years. It shouldn’t feel new. But this close he can feel a mirrored tremor in Derek. Derek’s right there with him, hand coming up to hold the back of Stiles head, his own dipping down so his lips graze Stiles’ neck, the familiar scratch of Derek’s scruff reassuring. So Stiles goes easy when Derek’s hand pulls him into a kiss.
“Um, I guess you can now kiss your husband, husbands,” Scott says stuttering, stepping back to his place in the circle.
There was a time when Stile didn’t think he’d ever see Derek smile. And no matter how many times he sees it, it never becomes less precious. But Stiles can already say the smile he feels against his lips in this moment, before Derek pulls back, before Stiles says “let’s get on with this mating,” will always be his favorite.
How many listeners does Rush Limbaugh have? Well, in the press there are only two numbers you’ll ever see — 20 million or 15 million. Those are large numbers, so that is why Limbaugh is taken seriously and is believed to be influential.