#or my dad trying to imply that i had that many missing assignments on purpose??? buddy i am the same kid that would've rather died than- | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

itssleepyrabbit · 3 years

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hi! wow i super love your art and i don’t have enough dabihawks in my life 🥺 was wondering if you had any fic recs for them?? 💕💕

aah thank you so much!! 💕💕 💕💕

BOY IF I DO HAVE!! alright buckle up this might get long (most are fluff and SFW~ i’ll put a NSFW warning but be sure to look at tags in all of them!!)

Bed I made (lie in it with me) by silverwordswrites

“Touya is in desperate need of a plus-one for his brother's wedding and Keigo is infinitely curious about the man who he was sure used to hate him in college.”

-- the summary says everything and honestly it’s one of the most romatics dabihawks fics i’ve read.

On-going

He Doesn't Love Me by Fatally

“Dabi doesn't love him. He's accepted that thorny truth, swallowed it down and let briars grow in his chest, drinking down his blood like water.Or: The one in which Hawks settles for pining for his entire life and doesn't realize Dabi's been staring at him the entire time, too.”

-- I love pinning Hawks with a burning passion.

Completed

sweetheart, is that you? by fuckendeavor666

“dabi and hawks say i love you (without actually saying i love you) in five different ways.“

-- This is my absolute fave dabihawks fic

Completed

Deck the Halls With Boughs of Folly by DrAphra

“In which the League has acquired a new fancy mansion -with all the heating and food and plush beds they could possibly need - but they still prefer to spend the day out in the wilderness with just each other. Plus Hawks.“

-- Honestly all Aphra’s dabihawks fics are more than worth it but this one has a special place on my heart.

Completed

fuck, im so young - orphaned

“Todoroki Touya writes poems.

Words upon words of heartfelt confessions, letters of sing song fantasies, syllables of feelings he never got to say out loud.

When Todoroki Touya hits sixteen, he burns himself to death.

When Dabi hits twenty four-

He meets Hawks.”

-- i don’t know how to explain but this fic it’s pretty

Completed

Feathers and Feelings by Toboe1087

“Hawks keeps leaving feathers on his pillow, and Dabi's about had it.

(like hell he'd let anyone else have them, though)”

-- Dabi preening Hawks feathers is a blessing

Complete

(this is not a) swan song by bittermoons

“"Who's your favorite, then?"

"Hawks." Touya doesn't miss a beat. "Definitely Hawks."

"What? Seriously? How come?"

"He has his flaws, but at the end of the day, he's trying to do good. It's something he always strives for. Dabi, on the other hand...if it weren't for Hawks, he wouldn't be a hero, that's for sure."

[Or: How a secret is revealed, and what comes afterwards.]”

-- Adorable no quirks AU with manga artist Touya and oblivious Keigo! Another author i adore pretty much all dabihawks works.

Completed

You can't trap the sky in a bottle by thyandra

“Letting Toga organize the accommodations for their trip might have been a mistake. This particular truth becomes obvious to Keigo as he opens the door of his hotel room for the first time. There, staring back at him mockingly, is a single, king-sized bed. It’s only by virtue of all the years spent perfecting his poker face around his adoptive parents, that he manages to keep his face straight. At his side, Touya clicks his tongue. “They must’ve given us the wrong key.””

--(no quirks AU) I really love they way Dabi and Hawks are written here i can’t express it in words and so so much pinning

Completed

A Tale as Old as Time by EloFromMars, Gotcocomilk

“Dabi and Hawks are hit by the most improbable Quirk: both are yeeted in Fairytales land and have to rely on each other to get out of this.“

-- this was such a fun read omg

Completed

A Romance Written All Over Your Body by minatsukinoamayo

//NSFW mind the tags!//

“Hawks is assigned to infiltrate the League of Villains in order to expose them. Hawks usually never fails a mission, but Keigo usually never falls in love, either.A story of how Hawks falls from grace to become a villain, because hero society has failed them all.

5 times they're not in a relationship and 1 time they are.“

-- you know those fics you say “one more chapter” and it’s 3AM

Completed

it caught spark in your eyes by youareoldfatherwilliam

//Mature - Implied Sexual Content//

“Keigo’s quirk is powerful, but sometimes it comes with unintended side effects.

Or: A 5 + 1 fic of five times the more…instinctively bird-like parts of Keigo’s quirk took over accidentally during his relationship with Dabi, and one time it happened entirely on purpose.“

-- I was screaming about this particular fic on twt the other day pls give it a read if you can it’s so so so good! Any fic that has Hawks with bird traits has a special place on my heart

Completed

The Others by threesipsmore

//Mature - 2 sexual scenes, nothing too explicit but they’re there//

“"Skeptic's starting to think he’s more important than me,” Toga sneers, an acidic edge to her voice. “Making decisions on his own, sending out birdie without even talking to me first.”

She’d simply acquiesced to cooperating with Skeptic, but from day one the complaints had never stopped. In this tiny room layered with sushi and cakes, Dabi was forced to listen to her whining.”

-- You go birb, you get that man

Completed

Equivalent Exchange by inexchangeforyoursoul

“Keigo blinks the blurry oblivion away from his eyes, although some part of it is oddly stubborn and to stay indefinitely. There's three things he's certain of: first, he’s alive. Second, just by looking at the bed and windows he can tell this is no villain hospital or torture room. Third: something feels wrong. Very wrong.

The silence… is deafening.

xxx

To obtain, something of equal value must be lost.

If so, what of a bird that has lost its wings?”

-- i had so many feelings reading i can’t physically explain them to you also PINK HAIR DABI PINK HAIR DABI

Completed

dabi's 5-step guide to being a better parent than endeavor by twinkfrankenstein (orphan_account)

“A little voice inside his head whispered spitefully about how this was no place for a child, and how he was making a mistake and would only traumatize the kid, yada yada. He responded with an equally spiteful-

“Fuck off, its not like I planned to do arson today.”

(or: how Dabi becomes a good dad just to spite his own, realizes he kinda sorta maybe likes Hawks for realsies, begrudgingly admits the League cares and finally comes to terms with his protective side. Not in that order.)“

-- this legit made me laught out loud idk what else tell you

Completed

The Todoroki In-Laws by aphrodaisyacs

“Over 10 years after the fight against the Paranormal Liberation Front, Rumi, aka the part-time hero Miruko and the proud wife of one Todoroki Fuyumi, decides it would be an awesome idea to create a groupchat with the significant others of the other Todoroki siblings.

Maybe things would be easier if its members weren’t two Pro Heroes, a former one and a rehabilitated villain, but…Honestly, where’s the fun in that?”

-- this is not dabihawks focused but it’s so funny pls

Completed

With Being Petty Comes Consequences by CursedUndead

“"When we were saying fuck pro heroes, I didn't think you literally meant FUCK them," Tomura grumbles, kicking over an empty beer can.

"Pretty judgmental for someone fucking a pro twice their age," Touya says.

Tomura squints, and says, "Ten years is not twice my age."

Or, after spending Enji's money, Touya is forced to babysit for the number 2 hero to pay him back. Touya makes it his life's mission to fuck his new boss.”

-- this only has 4 chapters but i know it’s going to be one of my faves

On-going

The Truth series by AmethystUnarmed

-- Hawks gets hit with a truth quirk and starts to be actually free by the power of love, friendship and a bit of crime <3

The last entry is on-going

and if we sit and count it up it's really not a lot by sincerelysamedt

“Hawks finds a bento box in his messenger bag and almost cries.

"Is that a loving wife bento?"“

-- please PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD READ THIS ONE /sobbing noises/

Completed

steal your heart by darlingest

//Mature//

“When infamous thief Hawks announces that he is going to steal the heart of Endeavor's son, everyone expects him to prey on Shoto Todoroki - nobody suspects Touya to be the actual target.“

-- Villain Hawks and civilian Dabi are my guilty pleasure and this one it’s so soft too i’m- djsahfdjkfhadf

Completed

darling, thank god it’s this universe we’re in (and you can annoy me as much as you please) by juurensha

“ Todoroki Rei divorces Endeavor and moves all four of her children into a small apartment next to a boy with wings as red as the hair of her eldest son. “

-- This was one of the first dabihawks fics i ever read and, to this day, i come back to it when i feel i need the extra burst in happy feelings and check their other works too! Honestly all are such a good fucking read

Completed

#ask #faerie-fang #this is not even half the fics i love #i can always show more but i was afraid of bugging again djsfhadf #honestly check ALL this authors you're not gonna regret it #fic rec #dabihawks

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monsieur-hadrien · 4 years

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Quarantine Harry Potter Fanfiction *READING LIST*

I’ve spent the past months reading copious amounts of fanfiction and now my amount of AO3 bookmarks is absurd. I really need to share these because if I don’t I think I might implode. Drarry-centric but not all!

These are in no particular order nor is there a particular time frame that these were all posted. I have a little bit of everything in here just you wait.

On Punching Gods and Absentee Dads by Enigmaris

56 Chapters, 247k Words, Complete, no slash, T Rating

Marvel, Norse Mythology, Harry Potter Crossover

TW: Past Abandonment

Harry finds out that his dad is alive, has been the whole time. Instead of being overjoyed, Harry's disgusted. His dad left earth and abandoned his friends. Every painful thing he's ever gone through can be traced back to one man. Now Harry's got super strength he can't control and an almost unnecessary amount of magical power. His dad might be living it up with the Avengers now but not for long. With the help of his friends, Harry comes up with a plan for revenge. Get ready Avengers, Harry's out to punch a god.

We’re starting off strong with a Marvel crossover fanfic wow. Who knew that crossovers could be done tastefully as 2013 Wattpad kind of ruined it for us. However, this fic changed my mind! This fic is funny as fuck and is just a goodass time. I love a good multi-chapter fic (as you’ll soon see) and this one is a showstopper.

The Man Who Lived by sebastianL

42 Chapters, 254k Words, Complete, Draco/Harry, E Rating

TW: Major Character Death, Graphic Deptictions of Violence

Draco breaks a cup, and one thing leads to another. A story of redemption, tattoos, dreams, mistakes, green eyes, long conversations, and copious amounts of coffee.

With all of the Black Lives Matter protests happening right now, I think that this fic is super relevant. Draco has moved to New York City and is working as a receptionist at a tattoo shop and a mentor for inner city kids, but he accidentally gets forced to work out his differences with Harry, who at this point hates his guts. This fic is pretty serious, tackling themes of mental health, suicide, and police brutality. Every OC in this story is completely lovable and I cried my eyes out many times. When people ask me for a fic reccomendation this is the one I give people. Dare I say that this is my all-time favorite fic.

Warm Bodies by Betty_Hazel

Work in Progress, 37 Chapters as of 6/12/2020, 108k Words, Draco/Harry, E Rating

TW: D/s Dynamics, Graphic Porn, Dubious Relationship with Food

Draco Malfoy has spent his whole life wanting to go down on his knees for other men, and that's by far the least of the depraved things he fantasises about. He's wanted it all for so long that he's stopped believing that there might be someone out there who might be able to give it all to him; it comes as something of a surprise to find that maybe Harry Potter can, and that maybe Harry's looking for something too.

ALRIGHT MY PORN LOVERS THIS ONE IS FOR YOU! Don’t lie I know you’re horny. Somehow this fic is so fucking gorgeous and sweet yet so sinfully hot. It’s literally two boys who have never felt like their emotional needs have been satisfied learning to help and love each other like how much more wholesome does it get. I mean it’s all fine and wholesome until you get to the kinky sex which is WONDERFULLY WRITTEN MIGHT I ADD! I always say that if porn can make you feel something other than just horny, you’ve found a winner, and this story does just that.

Definitely check all the tags and I mean all the tags before you read this, but this is definitely one of my favorite porn with plot stories.

Running On Air by eleventy7

17 Chapters, 75k Words, Complete, Draco/Harry, T Rating

TW: No Archive Warnings

Draco Malfoy has been missing for three years. Harry is assigned the cold case and finds himself slowly falling in love with the memories he collects.

Might I just say that classics are considered classics for a reason. This is one of those stories that has the vibe of high school summer after senior year where all you do is try to escape reality and figure out your place in the world. While the plot is wonderful and the characters are great, I think what shines the brightest from this story is the writing style. It’s so enchanting and poetic with the best one-liners that make your heart hurt. On my AO3 bookmark i captioned it, “This just ripped my soul in half and restitched it together again,” and I still stand by that.

Lokison (Series) and How To Train Your Godling (Series) by sifsshadowheart

Main Story (Lokison): 33 Chapters, 244k Words, Completed, Harry/Various Characters, E Rating

14 Spinoffs/ Sequel Stories, Completed, Harry/Various, Various Ratings

Norse Mythology, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Various Fandoms Crossover

TW: Major Character Death, Graphic Violence, Underage Sex, Spiralling Mental Health

James and Lily Potter had a secret, one which led to Thanatos saving young Harry from a dreary life with the Dursleys and changed the face of the Second British Wizarding War before it ever began.

This story feels much more like a 12 season television show than a two hour movie if you know what I mean. The plot is pretty slow going but the character development and interation makes it worth it. The story blends the lore and events of the HP and PJO to make a completely new story without making it feel like a goddamn recap. The reader follows Harry from when he’s young all the way into adulthood and it’s a fun time to watch him grow as a character and bond with his parental figures. Also some of the spinoffs are really wild and I never would have thought of the pairings but they just work somehow?? My personal favorite spinoff is the Pirates of Caribbean/Calypso and Leo arc like HELLO?! hot pirates. The total word count of the two series is 465k so beware it takes a hot second to chug through this one.

This Worship of an Extinct Fire by Lomonaaeren

Oneshot, 30k Words, Draco/Harry, M Rating

TW: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Emotional and Physical Abuse, Deppression

Unspeakable Draco Malfoy has planned for nearly six months how to take down Thomas Linwood, a man who has discovered the secret of converting wizard bodies to pure magic. He was prepared for anything--except the discovery of the missing Harry Potter in Linwood's compound.

This one, I don’t know how it’s not considered a classic. I’ve seen it floating around on drarry tumblr and wow is it good. I especially like the detailed magic system and mechanics that Draco is investigating. How the author managed to have so much detailed and gracefully planned out backstory in 30k words is beyond me. Also gentle Dracoo Malfoy is my favorite Draco Malfoy :) absolute angel mode.

Little Compton Street (One Rainy Night in Soho) by LLAP15 and Writcraft

Oneshot, 66k Words, Draco/Harry, Past Sirius/James, E Rating

TW: Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Light D/s Dynamics, References to Cancer, References to HIV/AIDS

Draco is lonely, Harry hates the press and it won’t stop raining in London. Harry discovers a magical street that’s close to disappearing forever and Draco realises he’s one rainy night in Soho away from finding everything he’s been searching for.

This fic is, in every sense, a masterpiece. Especially for pride month, the story surrounding LGBTQIA+ activism, the AIDS Epidemic of the 80s, and the gentrification of historically queer communities is one that should be read by everyone. Every single place, OC, and historic event has real world ties and is historically accurate, making this fic even more enchanting. Everything about this fic is graceful and slow burning I can’t help but fall in love with it. I’ve only seen this fic once on HP tumblr, but I feel like it should be considered a classic as it is truly a moving piece. This fic is one of the biggest reasons why I became so enthralled with LGBT history and am writing a fic that takes place in a wizarding version of the AIDS epidemic.

Sensitive Touch by Raserwolf

45 Chapters, 194k Words, Complete, Draco/Harry, E Rating

TW: Racism and Racial Slurs, Homophobic Slurs, Ablism and Ablist Slurs, Rape and Sexual Assault, Sensory Overloads and Mental Breakdowns, Extreme Bullying and Hate Crime, Past Abuse, Anxiety Disorders, PTSD wow this is a long list

When Draco Malfoy encounters a struggling and frustrated Harry desperately trying to tie his shoes after a meltdown in the Great Hall, his curiosity regarding the incident leads him to seek the help of the two people closest to Harry: Ron and Hermione.

After even they are shocked to hear the extent of Harry's issues, though Hermione had her suspicions, he discovers more about the man than he ever thought he knew before.

As a Neurotypical, I found this fic to be absolutely wonderful. I don’t know much about the typical traits of those who are one the autism spectrum and how they affect their everyday lives, but from what I was reading in the comments from those who are on the spectrum or who have family who are, this fic was pretty accurate and realistic. Harry, who lives with aspergers, goes without a known diagnosis until 8th year and it’s just heightened by his PTSD and anxiety and ugh I just want to hug the boy. The story follows Harry and Draco and the rest of the 8th year gang through the year and has multiple arcs in which the wizarding world are just dumbass bitches who can’t fucking seem to accept people for who they are. Not only is Harry on the spectrum but he’s also Desi with a purpose and not just mentioned and forgotten which is wonderful. The boys go through a lot of trauma in the story but there’s also a lot of teeth-rotting fluff that I live for. This is one of the fics that I have read and reread because I love it so much.

This definitely is not my full list I have a ton more stories in my bookmarks if you are curious. I’ll probably post a part two to this just cause I have so much and read so often. These, however, are definitely the biggest highlights.

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imagining-supernatural · 7 years

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Tell Me

Summary: Sam has this habit of distracting you every time he comes to visit. Working out more, forgetting to wear a shirt, you know the drill. But what happens when he finds a way to distract you when you’re in class as well?

Word Count: 5187 (got a little carried away. Not sorry at all)

Warnings: Implied smut. Sam Fucking Winchester (let’s be honest here, he is a warning all in himself)

A/N: @dancing-the-hellfire-rumba‘s fic Sexy Bastard is the fic that started this whole thing. Seriously, as soon as I read her summary “Sam is a fucking tease, okay?” I knew that I was done for. I’ve been working on this for an entire week because it just had to be done. Also, perfect timing! Happy Birthday Sam Winchester, you tease!

Tell Me English Masterlist -- Dime Masterlist en Español

“How about that homework last night?” Jonathan asked, sliding into his normal seat beside you.

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Nelly groaned, turning in her chair to talk to you two. “Lil and I worked on it for six hours and we still don’t know if we did it right.”

“Right?” You agreed emphatically, getting war flashbacks to your battles with the case study and your excel spreadsheet. “I swear, we haven’t even learned half of the stuff it was asking us to do.”

Rhetta pushed her chair closer and you fought to hold back your eye-roll. Here comes her self-righteous, better-than-you speech. “Actually, we learned about the regression analysis last week, and it was just a hop, skip, and a jump to answering question five from there.”

How about you just hop, skip, and jump away from us?

There was no way you would ever say that aloud, though. As a closed-off, borderline-shy person, you avoided conflict at all costs, and telling Rhetta to get lost would just light her fuse and it would only be a matter of time before you got in a fight.

When no one replied, Rhetta just smirked and flipped her hair over her shoulder. “I thought it was easy, at least.”

“At least one of us feels good about it,” you finally said. That satisfied her need to feel superior, and she finally rolled away. Nelly and Jonathan started discussing the assignment, sharing their woes. You were about to jump in when you heard an all-to-familiar voice, causing your head to snap over towards the teacher.

“Hi there, I’m Doctor Peralta. I believe you got my email about observing your class today?”

Standing there, introducing his fake self to your professor was none other than Sam Winchester. He caught your eye and winked, instantly dousing your face in pink blush. When your professor responded to him, Sam looked away from you. Now that he wasn’t watching you, the coast was clear to check him out.

Check him out to see if you could figure out why he was here, you meant. Not check him out, like check him out.

Though there was a fair amount of checking him out too, if you were being honest with yourself.

And dammit all if your mouth felt dry just looking at him. You’d seen Sam Winchester many times since Bobby took you in after your parents died, but you’d never seen him in a suit. The stark white shirt playing against his slightly tanned skin and the dark grey suit coat stretching across his shoulders. From the many times he’d walked around Bobby’s shirtless, doing pushups on the living room floor, or helping Bobby on the cars, you knew that the shoulder pads weren’t doing much padding. That man was all muscle.

His fingers—god, his fingers—started undoing the button on his suit coat, and your eyes snapped back to his. Your eyes locked onto his again, and your face inflamed even more at being caught checking him out. Just as he always did when he caught you staring, he tilted his head a little and raised his eyebrows as if asking a question. But he wasn’t asking a question. He just knew that calling you out made you even more embarrassed, and that was apparently his mission in life.

“Who is that?” Rhetta asked, once again asserting herself into your group.

The way she was staring at Sam, like he was going home with her tonight, lit a fire within you. She had no right to be looking at Sam like that. Sure, he wasn’t yours. But he sure as hell wasn’t hers.

“You don’t know who that is?” By the tone of your voice, everyone could tell that you thought the answer was obvious. “Seriously, Rhetta? That’s Doctor Peralta.”

“Doctor Peralta?”

“Yeah.” Time to concoct a backstory that hopefully wouldn’t clash with the one that Sam had prepared for himself. “Doctor Peralta. He’s, like, the most sought after business consultant in the Northern Hemisphere. He’s consulted Google and Berkshire and Koch and Apple.”

Her eyes narrowed. While she thought through your explanation, you glanced back over at Sam just in time to see him laugh at something your professor said to him and Sam Winchester’s laugh, well, it wound its way into your body and sent the neurons firing.

Class today was going to be a disaster. There was no way you would be able to focus for the rest of the day.

“I can’t find him on Google,” Rhetta snottily drew your attention back to her.

For once you knew something she didn’t. So as your professor got everyone’s attention, you whispered something back to her, knowing that it would drive her crazy. She prided herself on always being able to find the answer. She always had to be right. Well, not this time. “Maybe you’re just spelling his name wrong.”

Your victory over Rhetta, knowing that she would be too proud to ask how to spell his name, was briefly lived, since Sam commanded your attention once again, and in your weird friendship, he had all the power whether he knew it or not.

“Class, this is Doctor Peralta. He will be observing our class today for his research.”

“Research?” Rhetta whispered to you. “Not consulting. Looks like you don’t know anything either.”

Sam caught your eye as he began his mini-speech, flicking his gaze behind you to Rhetta for a moment. “Hi, everyone. As your professor said, I’m Doctor Peralta. I’m taking a sabbatical from my consulting work to research several graduate programs around the nation. Just pretend like I’m not here and do whatever you do. Don’t let the fact that I’ll be watching you distract you from your schoolwork.”

Of course he would say that last part to you. He kept his eyes on you dangerously longer than necessary, considering there were twenty other students in the classroom.

As class started, Sam took an empty seat in the back of the room, directly across from you. These U-shaped classrooms were great for classroom discussion, but not so good at avoiding someone’s gaze.

You tried to pay attention. You really did. But your professor wasn’t remotely as interesting as watching Sam take off his jacket and sling it across the back of the empty chair next to him. You couldn’t focus on practice problems when Sam’s white dress-shirt did absolutely nothing to hide the ripple of his muscles every time he moved.

Finally you had to completely turn to face the board, rest an elbow on the table beside you, and use your hand to shield your vision from Sam. For a good three minutes, you managed to at least keep your eyes on the board. And you were finally starting to get back into the groove when your phone vibrated.

Sam: Hey

Dammit. You dropped your hand and looked over at him, only to see that he was purposefully looking at anyone else but you. And it was on purpose. You knew it from the smile he was barely holding back.

Y/N: What are you doing here?

Sam: Hunt. Ghost.

That was highly unlikely. This building was the newest on campus. There were dozens of other, much older buildings.

You made a show of putting your phone in your backpack and went back to trying to ignore Sam. Which was a complete failure, you might add. You could feel Sam’s eyes on your skin every single time he looked at you. Even from across the room, you could swear that you heard the tap, tap, tap of his laptop keys as he typed out his fake notes. And dammit all if he looked amazing, even in these harsh fluorescent lights.

Finally class ended and chatter started up as everyone started packing away their books and papers. You slowly slid your binder into your bag, keeping Sam in the corner of your eyes at all times. He wasn’t about to catch you off-guard.

You tracked him as he prowled towards you. When he stopped in front of you and tapped his fingers on the table, you looked up at him.

“Miss Y/L/N, it’s good to see you again.”

Okay. That’s the story he was going with. Apparently Y/N Y/L/N had known Doctor Peralta from sometime in the past. Time to play along. “You too, Doctor Peralta. How’s your brother doing?”

“Good, good. He’s just working the job, you know. And your dad?”

“Asks about you every time I talk to him.” That wasn’t a lie. The Winchesters often came up in conversation with you and Bobby, your only living father figure. “You really helped him out.”

“Excuse me,” Rhetta inserted herself in. “Doctor Peralta, I’m Rhetta Esquire. I’m the number one ranked student in the program. If you have any questions, I would love to help you with your research.”

Sam barely acknowledged her. “Thank you. But I was actually hoping that Miss Y/L/N would be available?”

“How do you two know each other?” Rhetta asked, not giving you a chance to answer Sam.

“Oh, we go way back,” Sam replied, winking at you. You averted your eyes, yelling at yourself to get it together!

Whatever. Two can play at this game. You were in grad school for crying out loud. Cutthroat, pushy, grad school. You could definitely handle Sam Winchester.

“Yeah. You should’ve seen Peralta here try and change his nephew’s diaper for the first time. No one told him that baby boys become fountains as soon as the diaper comes off. His hair smelled like pee for days.”

“Aww, you have a nephew?” Rhetta latched onto the image of Sam with a baby and—dammit! Now you couldn’t get that image out of your head. It was crowding its way into the portion of your brain where all of your shirtless Sam memories danced around with the relaxed Sam who was laughing with a bottle of beer in his hand. Now there was the image of Sam with his fake nephew, cooing and being generally adorable thrown in the mix and your fantasies suddenly became bigger.

Well, your plan to play game backfired magnificently.

“Yeah,” Sam tossed an amused glare your way. “He’s adorable when he’s not screaming.”

“Anyway, I have to get to my next class. It starts in a few minutes.” You had to get away from Sam for your own sanity. “I’ll call you after I get off work tonight and you can ask me your questions then?”

Then Sam smirked and your stomach sank. “Sure. But can you point me towards room 483? I need to observe Professor Braker’s class next.”

There was absolutely no way that this was for a case. No way in hell. If it was for a case, then Sam wouldn’t be following you around. Still, as it was, you had to give him a tight smile since Rhetta was still there. “Sure thing. I’ll take you there.”

Like the true gentleman that he was, Sam grabbed your backpack and slung it across a shoulder. As soon as you were in the crowded, noisy hallway with Sam’s hand resting lightly on your back, you hissed up at him. “Sam, what the hell?”

“I told you. A hunt.”

“For a ghost in the newest building on campus? I think you’re just stalking me.”

“Now why would I do that?” He asked, keeping his eyes straight ahead. But there was still that infuriating smirk playing at the corner of his mouth.

“Whatever. I hope you like Strategic Supply Chain Management, because you’re about to spend two hours hearing all about it.”

Sam pulled to a stop just outside of the classroom door and handed you your backpack back. So quickly that you were sure you just imagined it, he brushed his fingers along your cheek, pushing some of your hair out of your face. “Y/N, if you think I’m gonna be focusing on the lecture, you’re not as smart as I gave you credit for.”

And just like that, he was gone. With his words rattling around in your head, you followed him into the room and made your way to your normal seat. As you sat down, you aimed a calculating gaze at Sam as he introduced himself to your professor. What had he meant by that?

“Greg?” You spun your chair towards your friend. “I have a favor to ask.”

“One… second…” Greg finished typing whatever he was doing on his laptop before giving his full attention to you. “What’s up?”

“I need you to flirt with me. I mean, not like, flirt-flirt. Just flirt. In a completely platonic way, you know? Like, not for real but—” Man, you were really murking this up.

Luckily for you, Greg was a pretty laid back guy. He only got intense when you argued about the stock market. So he just appeared amused by your rambling rather than concerned. “What’s going on, Y/N?”

With a sigh, you came up with as good an explanation as you could muster. “I need to test a theory. If you flirt with me and I flirt back, then I might make someone jealous. And then I’ll know if I’m right or not.”

“Who?”

“Don’t judge me,” you muttered. “It’s Doctor Peralta. That guy with Professor Braker. He’s an old family friend and I’m pretty sure that he’s spent the last few years, I don’t know, teasing me? Like, he’s always working out when he comes to visit. He’s not wearing a shirt more often than he is. He’s incredibly smart and he knows it, so he makes sure that I know it. And I think he knows that, well, I’m into guys like that.”

Greg leaned back in his chair and watched Sam out of the corner of his eye for a moment, which meant that you did too. Sam’s soft chuckle galloped across the room and rained down on your skin.

“Hey, Y/N,” Greg’s voice was slightly louder than it had just been. “What are you doing tonight?”

Torn out of your Sam haze, you were a little confused at first. Then you remember that you, quite literally, had asked for this. “Nothing. Probably just putting of some homework. Why? You have a better idea?”

“Yeah, I do.” Greg rolled his chair forward a little. “My friend just moved into town and we’re celebrating at that bar on fourth. Whaddaya say to being my date so I’m not the awkward third wheel to him and his wife?”

“Oh, come on. You could never be a third wheel,” you reassured him, reaching out to touch his arm lightly.

“Not with you there.” His head tilt and raised eyebrow in question.

With a shy smile, you glanced down at your books for a moment before looking back at Greg, just as you would have if this had been him really asking you out. “Yeah. That sounds like fun.”

“Almost as fun as our study sessions?”

That one got a real laugh out of you. “Except with alcohol.”

As your professor called the class to order, Greg pushed his chair closer, slung his arm across your shoulders and leaned in to whisper in your ear. “By the way, if you really wanna come tonight, you can. But I’ll take it as a bad sign if you show up because you’ve got that Peralta guy wrapped around your finger.”

You immediately sought out Sam and noted the tight set of his jaw and the way he was pointedly not looking at you. Maybe Greg was right. Maybe you were right. Maybe Sam really was teasing you more than to just make you blush.

So as soon as Sam started introducing himself and his purpose, you turned to whisper to Greg, purposefully keeping your face as close to his as you could. “I’m new to this… whole thing. How do I make my move without it being awkward?”

“What am I, your love guru?”

“Yes,” you said with fake seriousness. “As my friend and study buddy, it’s your duty to also be my love guru.”

Rolling his eyes slightly, Greg considered for a moment. Then he smiled mischievously. “You ever see How I Met Your Mother?” When you nodded, he went on. “Naked man.”

His unexpected suggestion coaxed a bark of laughter out of you, cutting Sam off. With a sheepish look, and trying to suppress your smile, you muttered a soft, “Sorry.”

Sam kept his hazel eyes on you for a moment longer before wrapping up his introduction and taking a seat on the opposite side of the room. You could feel his eyes burning into you, but you turned your attention back to Greg.

“I can’t do the naked man.” You tried to picture yourself waiting for Sam in your apartment, completely naked, but you just couldn’t. Hell, you needed help just to learn how to make a move. Waiting for a guy, completely naked was just way out of your comfort zone.

Just then, you made the mistake of imagining Sam doing the naked man. You could picture it. The squeak of your door as you closed it behind you, twisting the lock. Walking into your room and being greeted with the glorious sight of Sam Winchester and that irresistible smirk that would be the only thing he was wearing.

Your eyes wandered over to him and the way his muscles filled out his shirt. The way his hair brushed at the collar. The way his fingers tapped away at his laptop. And the way his eyes were burning into yours, seeing way too much.

He cocked his head slightly, eyeing you thoughtfully.

“Keep it in your pants until after class,” Greg whispered amusedly, jerking you away from your tunnel vision.

“What?” At your question, Greg just gave you an are you kidding me look before turning his attention back to the lecture. Unfortunately for you, Sam chose that moment to roll his sleeves up to his elbows, keeping his eyes on you the whole damn time. There was no way you would be able to pay attention to the lecture today.

*****

The sound of your front door opening put you on high alert and you reached for where you had a gun hidden in your bathroom drawer, but then the voice that called out made you relax.

“It’s just me!” Dean yelled. He quickly found his way to the bathroom where you were putting the finishing touches on your makeup. “Damn! You look hot, Y/N.”

You tried to cover up your blush with a coy smile. “Thank you, Dean. Where’s Sam?”

He leaned against the door jamb, dragging his eyes over your body appreciatively. Sure, Dean’s attention was unfamiliar and made you blush, but not to the degree that Sam’s attention did. “He’s getting something from the car. What’s up? You got a hot date tonight?”

“Kind of,” you hedged, slowly untwisting your mascara wand.

“Kind of? What kind of date is that?”

You glanced at Dean’s reflection and saw that he was watching you carefully, trying to puzzle this situation out. As much as you would love to be confident in Greg’s assessment of your weird relationship with Sam, you trusted Dean’s opinion much more. Maybe it would be best to test out your theory on him before you made an utter fool of yourself in front of Sam.

“I have a question.”

“Shoot.” Dean shrugged off the wall and settled himself down on your toilet.

How to phrase this? “What’s Sam like when I’m not around?”

Dean just raised an eyebrow, asking for more information. You surrendered to the conversation, setting down the mascara and giving Dean your full attention. “Like, does he walk around shirtless as much as he does when you guys came to visit Bobby? Does he really work out as much as he does around me? Or is that just some sort of macho, show-off thing? And what is the deal with him stalking me in class today?”

Just then the front door opened, closing your window of opportunity. Dean just laughed, stood up, and walked over until he was behind you. With a gentle hand on your waist and his lips at your ear, he winked at you in the mirror. “You have great instincts, Y/N. Trust in yourself.”

“So I found some lore on—whoa.” Sam rounded the corner and came to a halt as soon as he saw you.

Sam’s reaction and the wink that Dean threw your way just then set your face aflame and you quickly turned back to the mirror, trying to focus on your mascara. “You two sure know how to make a girl feel good about herself.”

“Since Y/N has a hot date tonight, I’ll go grab us some grub,” Dean said. He wrapped his hand around your waist and leaned in to kiss you on the cheek. As he pulled away, he whispered for your ears only. “I’ll be back in the morning.”

You watched Dean walk away and felt a sudden rush of confidence. If Dean thought that you weren’t even going to make it out of your apartment, and Greg wasn’t expecting you to show up, then maybe Sam really was trying to go out of his way to impress you because he liked you.

“You don’t think the dress is too drab?” You asked, turning to face him and holding your hands out to the side. You’d gone for a black, scoop neck dress with wide straps on the shoulders. The dress cut in at your waist, then flowed away in a skirt that was shorter in the front than in the back. From the front it was a perfectly acceptable daytime dress. But when you turned around, miles of skin on your back was showcased as the straps on the shoulder broke into smaller straps.

The dress had been sitting in the back of your closet for nearly a year, ever since your friend convinced you to buy it even though you knew that you would never find the occasion to wear it.

But now you were thanking her profusely.

“Uh, no. Not drab at all.”

While Sam dragged his eyes up your body—and you noted that he definitely took his time—you were trying to work up the courage to make a move. But when his eyes landed on yours, your mind suddenly went blank and you chickened out.

Looks like you were going to be Greg’s date tonight.

Trying not to let your disappointment in yourself show, you finished with your mascara and went back to fixing your hair. You’d curled it, then used a plethora of bobby pins to pin it up into an up-do that looked like it was natural, but still like you tried. However, the stupid bobby pins just wouldn’t keep your hair where you wanted it.

“Here,” Sam stepped up behind you and you froze when the heat of his body brushed against your bare back. “Let me.”

He snatched the pin from your fingers and you tried not to react too much as he gently pinned your hair in place, completely focused. Just feeling his fingers in your hair, brushing along your neck, resting on your bare shoulders…

Then he took a step back and stark, cold air rushed between you. “Your date’s a lucky guy.”

That made you mad. He sounded so forlorn and jealous and slightly annoyed. It was the tone of defeat. That was that moment that all of your shyness and careful instincts disappeared and you whirled around, pushing at Sam. Your movement caught him by surprise and he stumbled back a step until he hit the wall.

“Screw you, Sam!”

“E-excuse me?”

“You don’t get to be jealous. You don’t get to be mad or annoyed or, or, or whatever the hell you’re feeling. You’ve spent years teasing me. Years making me blush and making me fall for you. And as soon as it looks like I’m into some other guy you roll over and give up? I give you a taste of your own medicine for less than a day—and a horrible taste of your own medicine, I may add because Lord knows that I can not flirt to save my life—and that’s it? You’re over it? So yeah. Screw you.”

Fuming, you stalked out of the bathroom and headed to your room, aiming for the strappy heels you’d bought with the dress. Apparently you were just a game to Sam. As soon as you weren’t a fly caught in his trap anymore, he lost interest. As soon as it looked like you weren’t wrapped around his finger anymore, he didn’t care about you.

Well, you know what? Maybe it was time to use your frustration and anger to actually live your life. Get out of your shell. Maybe Greg could help you with that. Help you loosen up.

You grabbed your shoes and your keys and turned around, not even bothering to put the shoes on. You could do that later. Right now, all that you wanted to do was get away from this embarrassing situation. Eventually your brain was going to catch up to your mouth and you wanted to be far away and halfway drunk by the time that happened.

Who knew that for three smart people, you, Greg, and Dean could all be so horribly wrong about Sam?

When you turned to leave your room, Sam was standing in the doorway, blocking your exit.

“Move.”

“No.” He crossed his arms across his chest and you wondered if he purposefully flexed his muscles or if it was just natural.

“I’m not gonna ask you nicely, if that’s what you’re waiting for.”

“Tell me that you want me to move. Tell me that you want to go to that stupid bar with that guy. Tell me that you don’t want to be here with me, alone in your apartment.” He slowly started walking forward, looking very much like a predator stalking its prey. Each word he spoke brought his voice closer to a growl, and you were frozen in place.

“Tell me that you don’t want my hands all over your body. Tell me that you didn’t spend hours getting ready just for me. Tell me that you’d rather be at a dingy old bar rather than on your bed right there.”

Your feet were glued to the floor when Sam came to a stop right in front of you. The fabric of his shirt barely brushed at your dress and he ghosted his hands over your arms and shoulders, not quite touching you. He lowered his head and you unconsciously lifted your chin until you could feel his forehead and nose bumping yours, his warm breaths cascading over your lips like a waterfall.

“Tell me that you haven’t imagined what it would feel like. To have my fingers digging into your skin. To feel my lips on every single inch of your perfect body. To scream my name.”

Sam pulled back and his eyes latched onto yours with a dangerous glint. “Tell me that’s not what you want. Then I’ll move.”

The air was heavy like just before storm hits. You’d forgotten how to breathe, and your body yearned for Sam. You exhaled his name, barely moving the air, but it was enough to bring out Sam’s insufferable smirk.

“I’ve seen you, you know,” he continued. “How you watch me when I work out. I’ve noticed the way your face heats up. I bet you want to feel me, don’t you?” One of his hands finally landed on you, brushing along the exposed skin of your back and you were so worked up by just his voice that it was a struggle to bite back your whimper. You weren’t about to let him win quite yet. “You want to feel my body holding yours down on the bed or against a wall or even on a table. You wanna feel the way I would move inside of you.”

Your heart was already beating way too fast when Sam suddenly pressed against your back, sending you stumbling into his body. The soft fabric of your dress and thin tee-shirt he was wearing were flimsy barriers. Those firm, intoxicating muscles you’d spent hours memorizing over the years were hard against your soft curves. You brought your hands up to his waist for balance, though the way he was holding you wouldn’t have let you move anyway.

Sam’s voice was little more than a growl at your ear as his fingers dug and massaged their way up your back. “I’d make you beg for it, Y/N. I’d bring you to the edge so many times until you couldn’t take anymore. Even then, I would take my time. Get to know your body. How you respond. The way you move. What feels good. What feels insanely good.”

“Shit, Sam,” your voice was barely a whisper.

“You think I’ve been a tease, Y/N?” He nipped at your jaw. “You have no idea what I’m capable of.” Then he suddenly stepped back and you nearly fell forward. In an almost normal voice, he continued. “You should go now. Don’t wanna keep your date waiting.”

Honestly, you should. You should grab the shoes that you’d dropped sometime during that spectacle and walk right past him. Teach him that it’s mean to tease.

“Screw you, Sam,” you snapped, closing the distance between you two and pulling his lips down to yours. He wasted no time in kissing you back. Sam’s hands were all over you, pulling and pushing and tugging and driving you crazy.

You’d dreamt of those hands for years, but actually feeling the rough callouses and nimble muscles was so much better. And those lips… Lips that you’d watched explain a bit of lore thousands of times. Lips that drove you wild when they smirked every time he caught you staring. Lips that were stealing your oxygen away, demanding your attention, locking onto yours.

He hooked his hands under your thighs and easily lifted you up. The world tilted as he spun around until you were pressed against the wall and Sam’s lips latched onto your neck. Somewhere in the back of your mind, you noted that you wouldn’t be able to hide those marks in the morning, but in the moment you couldn’t care less. Sam’s hair was tangled in your fingers, your legs were wrapped around his waist, ankles hooked behind his ass, and he was grinding against you, making you forget about everything else.

“Oh, God, Sam.”

Sam pulled away with a dark, devilish grin. “Baby, you like that?” Your low groan when he rolled his hips against yours again was all the answer he needed. “I’m just getting started, Y/N. By the time I’m finished with you tonight, you’ll be feeling me for the rest of the week.”

“Are you just teasing me, or can you back up those words?” You asked in a shaky voice.

He chuckled humorously. “Patience, babe. We’ve got all night.”

Sequel: Now and Later

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houseofdayhouseofnight · 7 years

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Trans and not Transgender?

For my first real post, I thought I’d start off with a topic that I was giving a lot of consideration to the other day, and one that contributed to my desire to start this blog. Being somewhat out of the loop with the American LGBTQ community (I live in Japan), I’m not always up-to-date on the new terms people are using to describe their identities. From browsing on Tumblr, though, I saw several people arguing for the usage of “trans” rather than any of the other, older variants, such as trans*, transgender, transsexual, and so on. I never got the full context on their thought processes, though, so I wound up working through the issue for myself.

There is a misconception that many people seem to have about being trans, and it’s one that I found particularly disheartening to deal with when I first came out to my family. It derives, I think, from the impression that trans identities are sexual or fetishistic identities, the goal of which is to become a gender that one is not in order to accomplish a particular role or lifestyle. This may indeed apply to some people, as “trans” is an umbrella term which covers a wide community, but for many of us, our gender has nothing to do with what we want. It’s simply what we are, under the skin, beyond the name people call us every day, in our hearts, and there’s nothing we can do about it. It’s a part of ourselves: therefore, the point of being trans is not alter our genders but to affirm them. This, I think, is something most trans folks and other people ‘in the know’ understand. In a way, our gender is incidental: it is what makes us trans by definition when our self-realized gender doesn’t match up with our assigned gender, but the “transition” aspect of changing our personas over time to better accommodate who we are/are becoming is a common experience.

It’s important to dwell on this point before diving into the trans v.s. transgender issue because a gender transition always has a very specific purpose. It might not be the same purpose for everyone, but I don’t think anybody’s out there shooting up hormones for the kicks (though feel free to correct me if I’m wrong :)). Whatever your process is, and whatever your reasons, the goal is almost certainly to become more realized, embodied, expressed, and fulfilled as a person. To use myself as an example, I was none of those things when I was trying to live my life as a woman; instead, I was a mere caricature. Embracing myself as a man has allowed my personality to flourish and has improved my life immeasurably. And yet, critically, I embraced myself as the man that I am, with all my history and all my peculiarities. I’m no Arnold Schwarzenegger, and if I had realized I was trans but then proceeded to impel myself to become the manliest man who ever manned, regardless of my desires and whatever the cost, it would hardly have been any better than remaining a woman. If the people we become aren’t authentic, then the point of the gender transition has been missed: it is to allow us better to be ourselves, not to adopt a new but equally affected guise.

Incidentally, this misconception about the purpose of a gender transition -- that it is to become a gender at the expense of one’s true self and not vice versa -- probably contributes to the suspicion that trans folks are trying to deceive people by changing their identities. To the people who believe this, I say that it’s quite hard enough for me to trick people into thinking that I’m not perpetually loopy on ‘80s synthpop and happy pills without also corrupting the youth with my dad jeans, or whatever it is they think we do. But to return to the topic at hand, the distinction we’re making by saying “trans” rather than “transgender” is that it is not our gender which changes, but our expression of it. Transgender might imply that I was a woman but became a man; trans allows that I was always a man but underwent a transition to explore and expose it. By extension, to call myself a trans man could mean either that I transitioned into being a man (”transgender”) or that I am an individual man who transitioned to express it (”trans”).

Here’s where I have to diverge from the people I mentioned earlier, who favor “trans” over “transgender.” I think it’s necessary for us to differentiate our terms -- trans from transgender from transsexual, etc. -- but that doesn’t mean that only one of them is appropriate. In my specific case, I use trans, transgender, and transsexual to describe myself and highlight various facets of my experience. Bearing in mind that no one label can perfectly encapsulate one’s whole self or one’s life, I think it can be helpful for people -- and particularly trans people -- to acknowledge that there’s room for paradox, that on the level of one’s identity, the temporal distinctions of being and becoming, of knowing and not yet knowing, can become hazy. But the intricacies of working out whether or not you are trans definitely deserve their own post(s). I’ll mention before I wrap up that I understand the reason some people favor one term for “trans” over another has to do with the historical usage of some of them as slurs, but nevertheless, I’d like to put forth these questions for anybody who feels inclined to comment. Do you have a favored term or terms? Do you prefer them because they do a pretty good job of describing your experiences, or do you think there’s significant room for improvement? Have you come across or have you yourself invented any other terms that you’d like to propose as options?

#thanks to anybody who happened to read this!#trans #transgender #transsexual #terminology #long post #text #my thoughts #open topic for discussion :)

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humanegardener · 6 years

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As a human in the modern world, I’m experiencing a bit of habitat envy. I crave more chances to sleep longer, pick my own fruit, and curl up with loved ones under a tree. If the universe determined our fates based on personalities and preferences, I’d likely be assigned to sloth-hood: slow-moving, plant-eating, tree-dwelling. The bumblebee lifestyle would be a good fit, too, allowing me to visit flowers all day and cozy up with family at night.

But I’m not complaining. This year has yielded extraordinary opportunities to spread the word about the importance of caring for wild plants and animals in our backyards. If it’s meant less time in my own garden, I don’t regret it. And I’ve learned to live vicariously through the creatures taking shelter there. Even brief strolls through our little oasis have brought countless insights into their often hidden world. Follow along as I recap 11 unforgettable moments in our 2017 humane garden.

1. The Eclipse Wasp

When her iridescent blue wings close, she is twilight. When they open, she’s as brilliant as the sun. How fitting, then, that I first discovered this otherworldly wasp in my garden just as the solar eclipse was starting on the afternoon of August 21. The sight of such a brilliant animal just feet from the ground was even more spectacular than anything I could have spied in the sky. Known scientifically as Trogus pennator, she appeared to have no common name, so I dubbed her the eclipse wasp. Harmless to us, she has an unusual nesting site: the caterpillars of swallowtail butterflies. She injects a single egg into each caterpillar she finds; when the egg hatches, the wasp larva feeds on and eventually kills her host. To those who find this gutting of butterfly babies distasteful, I suggest remembering that birds devour caterpillars, too, and we don’t hold their predatory ways against them.

2. The Devoted and Drenched Dad

A summer downpour didn’t stop this papa cardinal, spotted one day through a screen door to our deck, from feeding his hungry family. Wondering about the identity of the unlucky soul about to end up in a baby bird’s belly, I checked my copy of Caterpillars of Eastern North America and discovered his name: Abbott’s sphinx moth caterpillar. Though I’d never seen one before, I guessed that we had plenty, as this species’ host plants—grape and Virginia creeper—proliferate in our gardens. Most chicks need an abundance of caterpillars in their diets, so these volunteer vines provide a plethora of baby food to young bird families.

3. The Superman Ant on a Mission

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Taking a quick break from writing to refresh the birdbaths one day, I happened upon a familiar-looking butterfly skating oddly across our patio. Closer inspection revealed an ant carrying the wing of a silver-spotted skipper. How that butterfly met her demise, I’m not sure, but the scavenging ants made sure she did not die in vain.

4. The Hitchhikers

At first glance, this might look like the opossum of the insect world, a devoted mama carrying young ones on her back. That’s what my husband, Will, and I assumed when we came upon this scene under our ash tree last spring. But the diminutive hitchhikers are no mini-mes. They’re a completely different species. Called fire-colored beetles, they are attracted to cantharidin, a caustic chemical exuded by the larger blister beetle to deter predators. The tiny passengers may lick, chew or nip to extract the coveted potion, which some beetle species pass along to females while mating to confer protection to their offspring, according to the book Beetles of Eastern North America.

5. The Special Delivery

Whenever Will says, “Nancy, come here and look at something, and come quietly,” I know I’m in for a treat. This time it was a special delivery in the patio garden right outside our basement door. All our outdoor plans ceased that late spring week; we barely set foot into the backyard for fear of disturbing this newborn fawn. Except to stand, stretch and turn around, she didn’t move much either. We knew her mother must be close by, calling her baby to nurse but otherwise keeping her distance to avoid attracting predators. We saw no signs of distress—no crying, no flies, no indication of discomfort or confusion. Still, I couldn’t help but worry. Just as I started to wonder aloud if we should be concerned about her well-being, we woke up one morning to find our baby had left as quietly as she’d arrived. She was strong enough now to join her mother, who would find new spots to hide her precious cargo each day and plenty of food for her family in our deer-friendly garden.

6. The Buzz That Fell on Half-Deaf Ears

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Being half-deaf all my life, I’ve missed a lot. Punchlines elude me amid roaring laughter, and having them repeated to me is of no use when I’ve already missed half the joke. But maybe this forced tuning-out of human noise has given me more sensitivity to nature’s music, including the dramatic soundtrack of bumblebee buzz pollination. Turn up the volume on the video, and between the lower drone of wing flapping, you’ll hear it, too: the distinctive high pitch of the bee’s flight muscles vibrating at a rapid clip to shake the pollen out of the anthers of this wild senna. It’s an amazing trick that some flowers—including those of tomatoes, blueberries and other human food crops—require for pollination. Only some bees can perform it, though, and the honeybee, a domesticated animal originally introduced from Europe, isn’t among them. We’d be awfully hungry without our buzz-pollinating wild friends—yet another reason to skip the hives in favor of nurturing habitat for the native bees already in our midst.

7. The Bird Who Thought Our Yard Was a Forest

When this scarlet tanager joined our happy hour one evening in the height of summer, I knew it was a rare event. Little did I know how rare until I posted the photo and received responses from avid birders saying they had yet to spot one on their treks through the woods. Described by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology as “frustratingly hard to find” because of their preference for high canopies of “large, undisturbed tracts of forest,” scarlet tanagers seem unlikely candidates for suburban backyard stopovers. This one kept us company for at least 20 minutes while feasting on the ripening fruit of staghorn sumac trees.

8. The Ant Hill That Wasn’t an Ant Hill

I’d read about it, written about it, and seen it from a distance in the past. But until this summer, I’d never actually gotten close enough to photograph a ground-nesting bee emerging from her hole, gathering pollen, and returning to her nest repeatedly. That seems strange in retrospect, since these soil dwellers are everywhere, comprising about 70 percent of our 4,000 or so native bee species in North America. They’re generally small and solitary, so it takes patience and a zoom lens to stake out such minifauna. One helpful clue to their whereabouts is the presence of mounds that look like anthills. Though they work alone, many bees create these nests near each other; I found mine along the edge of a mowed path that runs through our meadow down to the compost pile.

9. The Frog Who Thought He Was in a Jungle

As their name implies, tree frogs like to hang out high in the canopy. And sure enough, their vocalizations led my binocular-aided eyes to one atop a sassafras tree this summer. But sometimes the diminutive frogs descend to much lower altitudes during breeding season, seeming to take a particular liking to our potted rubber trees. In mid-May, just hours after I’d moved a few from their winter home in the basement to their summer spot on the patio, this little guy made himself right at home atop one of the sturdy leaves. Thin-skinned amphibians are especially vulnerable to the onslaught of chemicals and power equipment in a typical home landscape, so I feel especially protective of each one I find.

10. The Hamburglar Bun Gourmand

Our birdbaths serve many purposes: quenching animals’ thirst, helping birds clean their feathers, and—apparently—giving crow connoisseurs a place to prepare their meals. This hamburger bun of unknown origins got a thorough soaking last March before the bird took off with the dripping mass gripped firmly in his beak. Was he cleaning off the human refuse before deigning to eat it himself? Was he softening it up to make it more palatable? Theories abound, but this is a common behavior among our highly intelligent feathered friends. I’m just happy I got to see it, even if through a fuzzy window screen.

11. The Plant That Inspired Our Neighbor to Go Wild

How many species can one plant support? At some point we stopped counting, but our neighbor walked by when we were still trying. “What is this plant called?” she asked. “Can you give me some seeds?” I was surprised by the sudden interest. She’d never wanted tall plants but didn’t seem to care that this boneset towered above her. She’d never wanted prolific spreaders but could clearly see this self-starter had sprouted from a crack in our driveway. What sold my friend on Eupatorium serotinum? It certainly wasn’t me. Nothing I can say comes close to the sales pitch made by the bees, butterflies, mating wasps, bee flies, and moths crowding every bloom each summer. The moment confirmed my belief that wildlife of all kinds are the best ambassadors for the native plants that sustain them. We just need to have the courage to let them shine in our gardens for all the world to see.

Featured images, top: Tachinid flies also use caterpillars as a nesting site; when eggs hatch, the fly larvae feed on the caterpillars. Despite all this predation on baby butterflies and moths, we have dozens of winged beauties making it to adulthood in our garden, including the mourning cloak who emerged from winter dormancy in early March. (All photos by Nancy Lawson and Will Heinz)

Top 2017 Discoveries in Our Humane Garden As a human in the modern world, I'm experiencing a bit of habitat envy. I crave more chances to sleep longer, pick my own fruit, and curl up with loved ones under a tree.

#native plants #wildlife gardening

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