#How to Meal Prep for a Healthy Week

[autistic-shaiapouf]

Fuck it, we're joyblogging now, went to the beach for a few hours and swam for the first time in literal years, walked along the shore a bunch, and now I'm gonna make Japanese curry for dinner with some vegetables I pre-chopped + some chicken, and might watch some eva while I have my curry

[promtad]

Easy Meal Prep Ideas for Healthy Weekdays

Are you tired of rushing to cook meals every day, only to end up with unhealthy takeout options? Do you struggle to find the time to eat nutritious and delicious meals during your busy weekdays? If so, it’s time to discover the power of meal prep. Meal prep is a game-changer when it comes to maintaining a healthy diet while juggling a hectic schedule. By dedicating a little time to plan and…

[heartmix]

Spoiled - LN4

Pairing: Lando Norris x gn!reader

Word Count: 800+

Warning: making fun of the british (slightly), expired food

A/N: the idea popped into my head after watching max's stream a few days ago. Also i'm pretty sure its Lando's birthday already somewhere in europe!

F1 Masterlist / Masterlist

Some days you wondered how Lando was still alive. Never mind driving a rocket ship on wheels for living, no, it was because he decide to put anything in his body without a second thought. Despite spending millions on cars and watches and other material items he didn't give a second thought about something he needs to survive, food. You blamed it on him being british and the fact that they don't have anything good to eat. You knew about the sweet potato incident, even if it was before you knew him. Finding out he went and ate spoiled food again was enough to give you the ick and put your foot down.

The plan was simple. Buy new groceries, do some meal prep and clean out the fridge for Lando while he was playing Tarkov with his friends. He mentioned that he was going to play all day and that max was going to stream later on in the night. That gave you enough time to run to the store and cook some easy meals so you could surprise him with a full fridge.

After waking up early and sending a text to Lando that you were going to drop off something later tonight, you headed to the grocery store to pick up everything you needed. A bunch of fresh produce to meal prep and some snacks that can last on the shelf for a few months. With Lando's strict diet (or lack of there) you pulled out all the stops for a healthy and tasty meal. 

As night time crept up you packed everything in bags and made your way over to his apartment. You got a notification that max started his stream a few ago so it was the perfect time to sneak in and fill his kitchen while dropping off some dinner. Any noise you made wouldn't be too out of the blue seeing as he knew you were coming and that you already had a key. 

While entering the house you could already hear the screaming and weird random sounds coming out of your boyfriends gaming room. That should keep him distracted for awhile. First you started with cleaning and sterilizing his fridge. Doubt he didn't have much which is probably why he ate expired chicken, but one could never be too careful. Once that was over with you packed away all his food that should last for the week. Seeing the finished product brought a smile to your face. At least he was going to be eating good for the week. 

Once his current raid ended you quietly made your way into the room being aware that his mic was on and that possibly a couple thousand fans could hear what could be said, even with this shit mic. When his door opened he saw you and an immediate smile was plastered on his face. 

"Hey baby." He smiled taking off his headphones and motioning you to come by him.

"Hi. I just came to drop off dinner. Don't want to keep you long." You smiled placing the plastic bag on his desk before he pulled you onto his lap.

"It's okay, raid just ended and the mic is off. Stay for a few seconds."

"Alright. I made you my famous stir fry. There's another serving in the fridge for tomorrow." You said bringing out the food and fork setting it up for him.

"What would i do without you."

"Eat expired chicken." 

"Haha i get it." He gave a fake laugh making a real one erupt from your throat. 

"Yeah you seriously gave me the ick. This was going to be a surprise but i stocked up your fridge and did some meal prep. You just have to heat it up in the microwave, although i'm scared you'll even mess that up." You laughed at another joke your boyfriend seemed to be the butt of. 

"Move in with me." All of the joking mood went out of the room as he looked at you with a serious almost pleading expression. 

For you it came out of the blue. Sure you've been together for almost two years and you've spent a good portion out of the year traveling with him to races, but moving in together never crossed your mind. It seemed like the next logical thing in the relationship but neither of you brought the topic up till now. 

"What?"

"Sorry, i was either going to blurt out that or marry me. I figure it's best to go in order." The words came out like it wasn't the most bizarre thing he could say in the moment. 

"You're crazy."

"Yeah, for you. So what do you say?" How could you say no to that adorable smile.

"Well someone needs to keep you alive." a smile slowly crept upon your face liking the idea of seeing with him more and being closer to him. Also it would save you money, monaco wasn't cheap. 

"Perfect." He said leaning in for a kiss before you pulled away. 

"I'm not kissing you after you just ate expired chicken."  

"That was yesterday!" 

[luvvannie]

PERIOD CRAMPS ᡣ𐭩 -> lads when u're on your period

syn. you're on your cycle. how do they take care of you?

gen. fluff.

cmts + rbgs are super duper appreciated !! :D

❀ SYLUS spoils you so badly on your period, that sometimes you don't tell him. but, he'd found a wraparound to that. he just linked your period tracker app onto his phone, and now he's prepared in advance every month. he'll send you the same message on the first day of your menstrual cycle every month.

💬 sylus: -> has our guest arrived yet, sweetheart?

💬 y/n: -> yea... 😞️

and as soon as he receives your confirmation, you have to mentally and physically prepare.

he'll send his men to your apartment with a package in the morning, containing some assorted goodies, your favourite brand of pads (the cushy expensive ones), your favourite snacks and chocolates and a little present. sometimes it's a purse, or a plushie or a some pretty shoes, but it's different every month.

when he's finished his work for the day, he'll come to you with dinner, whether he cooks it or buys it, and you won't lift a finger for the rest of the night. after you've eaten, he'll turn off all of the lights for some relaxing ambiance, let you lay on the couch with some blankets and pillows and make you choose something to watch on the tv while he gives you the best full-body massage of your life.

❀ ZAYNE always knows exactly what to do. obviously, being a doctor would help with that.

he doesn't let you binge on snacks, because he knows it'll only leave you feeling worse (but will buy you a few to have in moderation because you're in hell and could use some dopamine). he meal preps healthy, balanced meals for the entire week of your period, making sure it's food he knows you like, which makes it much easier on you to eat well when he's at the hospital and can't take care of you. he'll keep his phone on the whole time he's at work and message you every chance he gets between surgeries and paperwork, reminding you to drink water and making sure you've eaten and done some light exercise and stretching.

when zayne's home in the late evening, he'll baby you all you want. he'll reheat the hot water bottle you had against your tummy for you and spoon-feed your dinner to you. then, he'll put you to bed early with a warm mug of tea and let you lay your head on his chest as he strokes your hair and gently rubs your back and tummy. it's safe to say, you sleep through the night like a baby, despite the pain.

❀ XAVIER he hadn't really realised the scope of your period until early into your relationship, when you had bled through the sheets one morning and cried out of embarrassment. of course he had given you a hug and reassured you, then helped you clean yourself up and washed the sheets without question, and once you had gotten out of the shower, he asked you what it's like and what helps you, making a mental note of everything you told him.

he is an absolute sweetheart whenever you're on your period. he knows you get it pretty bad every month, so he doesn't leave your side as soon as he realises you're on it. he has a little routine which consists of all of those things you had told him about that helped you on that one morning. it had become a pattern since then, every month without fail. he is a little shy about it but he won't hesitate to help you ever. if you ask him for anything he will immediately fly up from his spot and go and do what you asked him immediately.

❀ CALEB is grateful for your period, in a way. to him, it's his time to show you how thankful and in love with you he is. he's appreciative of the opportunity to take care of you every month.

he'll cook you whatever you're craving, which is usually one of his special recipes, and make you a herbal tea while you rest on the couch or in bed. he's completely at your beck and call, and will be by your side within the second you ask for him.

he'll run you a warm bubble bath every night to help you with the pain and just lets you lay there, close your eyes and soak as he washes your body and hair and gives you a backrub until your skin is wrinkly and you're ready to come out. caleb knows you're demotivated to do what's important with how weak and exhausted you are, so he helps you however he can. he'll sit with you and help you do all of your work on your laptop while he holds a heat pack against your tummy, and makes sure you're eating, drinking and moving throughout the day.

❀ RAFAYEL will give you all the attention in the world for the entire week. he'll keep you laughing and smiling with his little teases and jokes, which surprisingly helps take your mind off of your pain and fatigue even if only temporarily. your cycle brings out a tenderness of him that initially surprised you earlier on, but now gives you something to look forward to every month. cute, cuddly rafayel who babies you and comforts you and holds you all day.

he'd cancel anything he had during the day, no matter how much you whined and complained that he shouldn't flake out on people.

"you worry too much, cutie. they can wait." he'll say dismissively, before ushering you back into your bed.

he adores you like this. in his arms, napping in the evening after you had eaten then food he brought you and watched a movie together. he smirks, taking his phone from the bedside table and taking a picture of you. that was going a new painting for sure.

[allaboutthemoonlight]

How to Build Self Discipline

Cultivating self-discipline is the way towards personal growth and achieving long-term goals. To me, it’s really all about making choices that honor your well-being and identity.

Understand that self-discipline is about self love and respect

It’s not about punishment or deprivation, but rather caring for yourself enough to make choices that align with your long-term well-being and goals.

You’re showing yourself the respect you deserve by honoring and committing to changes you want to make.

It’s all about recognizing your worth and having the motivation and courage to pursue what’s really best for you, even when it requires a lot of effort and decision-making.

Frame your identity in a way that includes discipline

How we act directly ties to our identities and how we believe we are. If you believe you’re a successful individual, you’ll live a life framed by confidence and determination. If you believe you’re someone who is lazy and unmotivated, you’ll struggle to find the drive to pursue your goals and aspirations.

Gaining discipline is all about acting as the person you believe you are and moving through life in a way that’s consistent with your determined identity. The key here is to try to imagine who you are at your highest self in a disciplined state of mind.

To start this, ask yourself these questions and slowly arrange your life in a way so there’s no distance between who you are now and your highest self:

What does your day look like

What do you eat

What do you wear

What does your week look like

What does your work day look like

What hobbies do you have

What’s your morning and night routine

Who are you surrounded by

What do you say yes and no to

Have systems in your life

I recently wrote a post about habits and mentioned the idea of systems versus goals. Here, I want to delve a bit deeper into that concept within the context of self-discipline.

To me, another way to truly live a disciplined life is to establish starting systems, something that will propel you past hurdles and reduce the friction that accompanies change.

Let’s say you want to improve your eating habits and cultivate discipline in consuming less sugar while incorporating more whole foods into your diet. You could begin by implementing a system of prepping healthy snacks or meals in advance at the start of each week, or however you see fit. By having these snacks readily available, you eliminate the need for decision-making, making it easier to adhere to your goal.

Anything that serves as a reminder or facilitates consistent action toward your desired outcome is a valuable system in your life.

Be okay with not doing something and embrace the mindset of small wins

This may seem paradoxical in the context of developing self-discipline, but being okay with not doing something is crucial. There are times in life when we need tough love and motivation, but there are also moments when compassion is the driving force that propels us forward.

When you don’t follow through with something, whether it’s going for a run or preparing a healthy dinner, it’s important to be okay with it. You don’t need to shame yourself or feel guilty for not taking action because that will only reinforce negative thought patterns, making it harder to create the change you desire.

Consider this: if you miss a planned run and spiral into self-criticism, you’re more likely to avoid running altogether. However, if you approach the situation with understanding and compassion, you’ll be more inclined to try again next time.

This is where small daily victories come into play. Sometimes, all we need is one small step forward to develop a new habit and maintain consistency. Whatever you're striving to improve or change, if it feels daunting, tell yourself, "Just for today, I'll do a 15-minute workout instead of the full hour," or "Just for today, I'll read 5 pages instead of the entire chapter," and celebrate these as small victories. Doing so not only helps you establish new habits but also allows you to acknowledge the progress you've made and the trust you've built within yourself.

—Luna

[weeeyotch]

warnings: dark themes, possessiveness, controlling behavior, emotional manipulation, 18+ themes (mdni)

okay but…soft!dark!possessive!bob has been on my mind a lot recently.

like this man has been through everything—addiction, trauma, abuse, and being forgotten by the world over and over. but then he meets you, and suddenly it’s like his world is 100x brighter.

you make life liveable for him. you make things make sense.

you look at him like he’s good, like he’s safe. and for the first time, he believes that he is.

but he needs that. he needs you.

at first, it’s gentle.

lovely little café or bookstore dates. going to those movie theatres that show old movies for half the price of a normal ticket. he’d shower you with flowers, little hand-written notes, and say things like

“please stay a bit longer”

“i sleep better when you’re here”

but that softness that made you fall in love with him starts to turn sticky.

clingy.

obsessive.

it starts with a few extra texts.

where are you?

did you make it home safe? honey?

it's getting dark. maybe don't go to that party tonight. let's just stay in. i'll come over. we can make pasta. please?

you find his concern endearing in the beginning. given his past, you couldn't fault him for how he feels. he thinks that the world is dangerous, and the people in it more so.

"don't take the train, okay? that guy you mentioned at the station last week—he could be dangerous. just let me drive you."

"but you already went out with your friends yesterday. don't you think it's better to just stay home today?"

"the world is too dangerous for someone as sweet as you."

"i don't know what i'd do if something happened to you."

his voice still trembles whenever he says your name. he still holds onto you like you're the last good thing in a horribly broken world. but now, his grip is always a bit tighter around your waist. now, there's a fear that shines in his eyes—terrified that you might slip through his fingers if he blinks.

when you finally move in with him after he spent months convincing you, his love starts to swallow you whole.

there's no such thing as space. or quiet. or alone.

he calls you whenever you're out. wants to track your location "just in case". and by the time you come home, he's already waiting there with dinner, plans, and questions.

soon, he starts to become obsessed with your health—your sleep, your meals, your water intake, your screen time.

he wants to make sure that you're perfect.

he'll meal prep all of your meals, trying to make them as healthy as possible. he'll shoot you quiet, disapproving looks if he sees you eating too many cookies, chocolates, or chips.

"it's all fine in moderation, darling. but maybe you've had enough for now? let me cut up some fruits for you."

soon, his early bedtime becomes yours.

it starts off with him disguising it as needing to cuddle you so he can sleep.

you couldn't deny that it's flattering—being needed like that, being the thing that makes the nightmares go quiet.

but the requests get more insistent.

the "please come sleep with me" turns into "you always stay up so late" and then into

"you don't care about your health like i do."

"you keep pushing yourself and i have to watch it ruin you."

you don't even realize it's a rule until you break it.

you stay up past 10pm reading or gaming, just once, and the change in bob is unmistakable.

he doesn't reach for your hand the next morning.

doesn't kiss your forehead when he passes back your mug that he filled with steaming coffee.

he still brings you snacks, still folds your laundry with precision, still says "love you" before he leaves the apartment. but it's cold. practiced.

he never says he's punishing you. how could he be? he's still sickly sweet, just a bit. . .off.

yet the moment you crawl back into bed with him at 9:58pm, he softens again. arms open and voice tender.

like nothing happened.

"there she is. my good girl."

the passive aggressiveness stings more than a scream or slap ever could.

but it's okay, you tell yourself. this is real love.

that he just wants what's best for you.

right?

sex with him is slow. intense. all-consuming.

there's so much eye contact that it feels like he's trying to read you. he touches you like he's afraid you'll vanish, but holds onto you like a lifeline.

bob's clinginess transforms during these moments.

it metamorphoses into pure, unadulterated devotion and worship.

he'd make you cum on his tongue and fingers a minimum of three times before slowly pushing his cock into you. his thrusts are focused and steady, but they get more sloppy the closer he gets.

missionary is his favorite position. he just wants to see your face and the way your lips part as you get closer to the edge. sometimes he presses his ear against your mouth just to feel your hot breath or hear your little noises.

eventually, as that coil of pleasure is close to exploding deep within his belly, he'd change your position. he'd have you wrap your legs around his waist, using one arm to lift you and hold you against him while the other hand grips the headboard for stability.

the bed creaks under the effort. his muscles flex around you as his body feels like a wall—solid and unshakable.

his sheer strength always leaves you breathless. but it never frightens you.

it's just a reminder.

a reminder of what this man has survived.

what he's capable of.

the damage he's done.

the destruction he could cause.

but never to you. no, he would rather die than ever lay a finger on you.

so he gives you everything else instead.

his body, his strength, his desperation that bleeds into every thrust. the quiet groan of your name against your skin like a prayer. the way he shudders when you say his in return.

and when he finally falls apart, spilling into you with a low, broken sound, you wrap your arms around him and let him cling.

because that's all he's ever wanted.

to be held like he's still human.

to feel like he's worth saving.

to feel loved.

[foxmurdock]

Soft Spots and Solar Flares.

Paring: Matt Murdock x GN Reader Summary: Acts of service is your primary love language, but it starts to feel like more than that, when it comes to your friend Matt Murdock. Tags: Blood and injuries, mild angst, hurt/comfort, um reader has questionable healthy boundaries for themself? Denial of feelings, no use of Y/N word count: 2600 A/N: This is my submission for @mattmurdocksscars Writing Challenge , Thanks for letting me participate and congrats on 2.5k followers!

“Oh, You're a saint.” It was that exhausted, raspy mutter from your study partner as you had placed a dinged up thermos in front of him. Just a simple expression of Matt’s gratitude as you plopped your bag and books on the table across from him, before uncapping the thermos. The gentle murmur from him as you poured crappy dorm coffee into paper cups you’d snagged from the residence hall’s kitchen.

The glossy wooden library table contrasted sharply with the scuffed surface of the container holding several ounces of hot coffee. There hadn’t been time for you to make the run to your usual cafe, so you had opted to brew some yourself. You had to boil the water using the microwave in the residence hall’s kitchen but you were too worried about other things to care. At least you had been able to use your french press brought from home to brew it and your favorite honey to smother the bitter flavor from the poor water quality.

It was the start of your undoing.

You prefer tea.

But it was just one little change. It was a simple thing to do that brought a little relief to Matt.

But that one single adjustment turned into a recurring action.

You scraped up a bit of extra money to buy a kettle, keeping it in a cardboard box with your french press and your honey. You started to buy coffee grounds instead of tea bags, even though it was a bit more expensive.

But every time you earned a smile from him, there was a rush in your system. You would study his reactions when you tweaked something. You’d adjust the ratio of honey and creamer in the coffee, eye Matt over the rim of your flimsy paper cup, and ask him how it was. Matt would always tell you it was good, but your gaze flicked over his face, looking for the details you needed. During all of your time together, in between classes, late night study sessions and early mornings scrambling to finish projects, you had developed a proclivity for reading the little details of Matt's body language.

A wrinkle in his brow, when he lifts the cup closer to his lips, pausing briefly before drinking, likely means you got the water temperature wrong, and the brew is too bitter. If his nose twitches right after a few swallows, then you probably put too much honey in, but if his lips twitch instead, just after the first sip, then you got the balance right.

It's like a small sugar high every time Matt murmurs thank you in that soft rumble, or if you succeed in doing something that makes him smile. You can almost feel your brain lighting up, the neurotransmitters sparking off in your skull like fireflies on southern summer nights, especially if he tacks your name on to the end.

Even the slightest bit of approval from him fills you with a warmth that you grow to crave. What started as simple acts of fondness became much more.

So you make adjustments. Changes and silent accommodations that start going beyond tweaks to Matt’s coffee.

Your time with Matt and Foggy in college had given you time to perfect that, but after graduation, you don’t get to see him almost every week with a curated cup, so it snowballs into other things.

Once your little group transitions from struggling college students to slightly less struggling adults, you start meal prepping, making a few extra for Foggy and Matt. It isn’t enough for a whole week but enough that you can casually say that you happen to have extra for them, without it appearing like you had done it on purpose.

When you take the food you made, still wrapped tight in foil, out of your bag and place some in Matt’s hand with a little quip about him needing a better meal routine, or he won’t last, he gives you that soft huff, the one that's not a full laugh, but a breathy, boyish chuckle.

“I’ll survive another day, thanks to you.”

Sure, it’s just Matt’s dry humor, thrown at you in deflection of your good intentions, but you can still hear the soft gratitude underneath. It sweeps up the fireflies in your brain, swirling them around on the gusts of his gratitude, sending them sailing on summer air, further rewriting the chemical configuration of your thoughts.

“Let me know if you like it?” you murmur in parting, turning to leave the office with a soft smile, acting like there isn't a sunset lodged in your ribcage.

Life becomes hectic. Between internships, finding a firm to work under, and making sure rent is paid on time, you don’t get to interact with Matt the way you used to. The space you made for him in your soul will ache sometimes, and when you stare out of your streaky apartment window, with twitchy hands and a knot in your gut, you wrack your brain for other things you can do for him.

You went to law school together, but they became defense attorneys, and you took a different path, meaning your work and clientele don’t often overlap. Any opportunities to help Matt there are lacking, so there’s not much you can do there to contribute. You do meet with them at Josie's to catch up after long weeks of work and life. It’s how you get introduced to Karen, and get enough updates that don't break privileges on some of the cases they pick up after starting Nelson and Murdock. Your stomach twists sometimes, and you have to shut down the part of you that wishes you had joined them in starting up their firm.

You would have had more chances to be useful to Matt then.

Instead, you sip your drink and offer occasional input or jokes with them, for work or just for fun, and pretend like you aren’t in knots over the choices you made.

Sometimes Matt joins you, but it becomes increasingly common that he skips out on meeting up, so you see him less, and the ache, the need, burns through that soft spot in your chest, expanding it by increments, then cooling rapidly and leaving jagged obsidian edges every time Karen and Foggy walk into the bar, without Matt trailing in behind them.

You love seeing your other friends of course, and you feel almost guilty each time the disappointment hits you. You have to dig claws deep into your mood to keep it from dropping and tell yourself it’s just because you miss seeing all your friends at once, and nothing else. You should put more effort into being a good friend to Foggy and Karen, wanting to be fair to them, especially when Matt skips out on them too.

Matt would want you to look after them when he can’t.

That’s just one more thing you told yourself when you were helping a drunk, heartbroken Foggy up to Matt’s apartment, the grief of what happened to Elena Cardenas driving his desperate need to help and make positive changes in the city that you all love. You recognized it in Foggy, and it's one of the many things that fostered the kinship in you with both him and Matt a long time ago. So when he insisted that he needed to go talk to Matt after you left Josies, you didn't protest.

But the changes that came out of that night weren't positive. Finding out Matt’s secret life threw so much off-kilter, and the only way you could find balance was to make yourself useful while you floated in the divide that was driven between your friends.

You can’t say your perception of him didn’t shift some when he gave you a vague breakdown of how his senses work. Your initial reaction held some panic of course, but that instinct to help him just flared brighter, overriding everything else at that moment.

You just cleaned up the blood from his skin, not asking if it belonged to Matt or someone else. He would try to insist he could take care of himself, but you were just as stubborn. He would sigh out your name when you showed up at his door with a whole bag of medical supplies, but even with the slight tremble in your fingers as you pressed gauze to a fresh wound on his side, your voice was steady and insistent.

“Let me do this.”

You keep the ‘for you’ off the end of your plea. As ridiculous as it may be, when you’ve gotten his literal blood on your hands, adding that one extra part just felt too intimate.

Your first aid skills are lacking, but you add it to the list of things you can change or improve. It has grown a bit extensive, after learning the depths of Matt’s abilities and senses, but you don’t mind.

This gives you more opportunities to try and help.

You hate that it's because Matt gets hurt that you have these chances, but that just drives you harder and makes you want to be better, to improve.

There are multiple courses you can take, both online and in person, so you start doing that. You commit to it in between your caseloads, and responsibilities. You mix it in with planning meals out for the new week. Lunch for you and then go drop some ‘extra’ off at Matt’s place, using it as a chance to take stock of what condition the previous week has left him in, and nudging him to let you check him over. You feel the familiar buzz of light through your brain when Matt thanks you for the food while you change out some bandages for him.

The new changes to your routine have been enough to sustain you, so you aren’t expecting the tap on your streaky apartment window on a random weeknight. The video on your laptop about how to pack a wound is paused, and an unread case file slips off your lap, as you sit up, twisting in the direction of the sound.

Your already fast pulse spikes a bit at the silhouette of The Devil in your window, perched on your fire escape.

“I thought I was the one who made the house calls.” You try to keep your voice light; even though you know, he can hear the loud drum of your heartbeat from seeing him like this.

It's not common for Matt to come to you first. Not unless he truly needs something, and even then it’s still rare for him to ask.

Apparently, he does need help because he doesn’t quip back at you, and your face drops when you hear him murmur your name, low and pained. You go to pull him in through the window, not even thinking about anything, just burning with that ever present need to help him.

Matt hisses when your hand lands on his arm, and when you yank back, there's a dampness on your fingers. You try not to panic, but your heart still lurches as he pushes his way inside your apartment, your now bloody hands still hovering. There aren’t any words, no scolding him, or a barrage of questions. You just help him to your couch, which Matt all but collapses onto.

Your mind flashes back to the night you and Foggy had found out Matt was The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen, bleeding out and half dead in his apartment, and, when everything finally came into focus, how terrified you had been. Not of Matt, but for him, of the possibility of losing him.

You can’t.

You try to steel your nerves, even as you smear bits of Matt’s blood on the handles of your bathroom cabinet while yanking out the first aid supplies you’d stashed away. This is what you’ve been practicing for, isn’t it? It’s why your social media algorithms are full of recommendation videos on wound care, and why you get random ads for trauma kits. It’s been weeks of cramming in as much knowledge as you can.

Because you need to be useful. You have to make sure that Matt stays okay.

You return to where you left him, supplies dropped on your coffee table, placing yourself beside him and assessing the damage. He’s got a few deep gashes on his upper arm, and a nasty laceration on his torso, and when you help him out of the slashed up black compression shirt, you can already see multiple red splotches that tell you he will have some ugly bruising soon.

Setting to work quickly, Matt has to talk you through some things, which doesn’t make you feel very confident, but you force yourself past it. What you feel isn’t important right now, you need to do. You can’t say who flinches and winces more at the moment, you or him when you start stitching up the cuts on his body. Your pulse never fully settles, and there is so much blood. On your hands, cloying your senses. It’s what you blame your watery eyes on.

You focus in and manage to get him fixed up, cutting the last thread in the final stitch in his skin, leaning back to stare at your work.

Your lack of experience glares back at you, bright red and bloody, etched in Matt’s skin and you feel your breath start to come faster through your nose, eyes stinging further with every blink.

But then that soothing rumble hits your ears, and there's a gentle touch on your arm. Your eyes jump from Matt’s abdomen to his face as he pulls your attention out of your anxious mind with a soft murmur of thanks.

“The kit I used for trial stitches didn’t have all the blood.” this is all you manage to respond with, feeling stupid as soon as it’s out of your mouth.

Matt gives a ragged huff, his mouth twitching along with the little touches on your arm, small circles of his thumb rubbing lightly on your skin.

“I can tell you’ve been practicing." he says in something that's slightly too soft to be teasing.

Like you’re the one who needs soothing. Maybe you do. Of course, he can tell.

Maybe you need just a little more. Usually, you don’t ask Matt for more, and only accept whatever gratitude and reassurance he willingly gives you, But you can’t get your pulse to slow down enough, and your eyes keep dropping back to the black thread poking out of his skin.

“Did I do good?” you question, trying not to fidget with your fingers as you rest your hands on your lap, feeling so exposed that it almost burns. You don’t know why it feels so different tonight. Is it because he came to you first, this time? You've cleaned up Matt’s less severe injuries and had some blood on you, But this feels like more than just the nerves of doing something for him that you've only practiced. It’s gone beyond just simple accommodations now. This time you’ve left marks in his skin.

You’ve adjusted his body with shaky stitches, and you need to know if all your effort has been enough.

‘You always do good.” Matt murmures, his warm hand finding your fidgety, still slightly sticky fingers, and holding them gently.

“You're honestly a saint, with the way you keep looking out for me.” he tells you, voice subdued with pain and exhaustion from his bad night.

You would argue, because you feel like all you do is the bare minimum of what he needs, but his touch, his words, it sends up that flare, the embers in your chest catching on the spark of Matt’s affection.

While you can’t agree with his statement, you wonder if the glowing feeling in your heart, in your soul, is what a saint feels like, set alight by the simple action of service. You don’t know. The only thing you’re sure of, as Matt slumps back on your couch, leaning his tired head on your shoulder, is that you will let the light that he ignites in you, burn you up if it means keeping him warm.

[rad0nwrites]

I’m having major brain worms at 12:19pm on a Monday about Simon Riley being domesticated by his partner.

Hear me out:

Not in the sense of him “losing his masculinity” or whatever. He’s got plenty of that in his 6’4” frame. But in the sense of experiencing healthy love, and a relationship that his mother should have had with his father.

He used to hate laundry day, but now he looks forward to it because his partner made it fun.

He started bringing a lunch that was packed for him, instead of scrounging the commissary for snack foods because he couldn’t stand seeing his significant other so distraught over his eating habits.

He leaves early on pub nights because he’d rather be home with the Missus/Mister/Spouse so he can see their eyes light up in surprise when he walks in the door.

He didn’t understand why he needed to go grocery shopping with them until he realized how fun it could be. You and him both got a say in what was had for dinner. He didn’t realize that that was even an option.

He makes it a habit to give them a kiss before he leaves for work. If he forgets, he’ll turn his ass back around to make up for it. (Being 15 minutes late won’t kill him.)

When he’s home, he makes it a habit to cook at least one meal a week for you both.

If you’re out of town, he’ll meal prep different freezer meals and other items so you won’t have to cook as much when he’s away. (He learned to make stock and froze it in ice cube trays after you offhandedly mentioned it and how life changing that would be.)

Simon Riley learns of soft loving and won’t stop doing so while you’re with him.

“Y’make me want t’be a better man, lovie.”

His partner has no idea how much they mean to him.

I just want this man to experience soft love, you know?

[flawless-peach]

change your life ✨️

feel free to join me in this. I'm going to try to post every day about how I did <3

- get at least 7 consecutive hours of sleep. I've found if I go to sleep and then wake up back for a couple hours and then finish the 8 hours I feel I incredibly unrested. I keep myself accountable by using pokemon sleep which has a great alarm, so I'm looking forward to trying this instead

- read or listen to an audiobook for 30 minutes. literacy is a muscle, and using it is important, but sometimes I can't just sit down and read a book, and audiobooks are great for when I'm cleaning or cooking or folding laundry

- get sun daily. humans are a lot more like plants than you would think and so it is important to get some sun, even when it's a wintery sun that's cold or when it's a blazing furnace. Since I have some mental health issues and am unable to go outside im going to at least open my curtains, and if possible, crack a window to get some fresh air

- start a hobby you can enjoy. this one can be difficult because a lot of things require some sort of financial investment. for me, my hobbies for these six months is going to be writing and annotating books. but being creative is great for the human mind.

- learn to be comfortable alone. honestly this one will be difficult. personally, I live in a studio. privacy is nothing i experience, butthe little moments where you find yourself escaping with TV playing or music pause it and sit with yourself, how else can you learn to love someone if you avoid them 🥰

- meditate daily. this will be something I struggle with so much, but I'm going to try in the mornings since that's my peak time <3 and that's when I plan on doing a yoga flow during the sunrise

- eat healthy nutritious food. I hate cooking and I hate eating. having autism can make these really difficult for me to do, but I'm really really trying. I started the week before last to work on figuring out what snack foods I can prep, and now i just need to work on planning out some meals.

- positive affirmations everyday. I really struggle to have positive self talk because it feels so awkward and uncomfortable because I've been pessimistic for so long, but I want to change that ^^

- reduce screen time. this is going to be specifically targetting mindless scrolling for me. I have a tiktok account that I use for motivation, same with my tumblr account, and I also read on my phone and use my sleep app that I need to keep open at night.

- practice gratitude. my goal is to at night reflect on the day to try and find the good. I already reflect on my days and pick a mood, but I want to create lists of things i am grateful for, especially while I'm in between jobs.

[orchidyoonkook]

To What We Were Before, And All The Things After | JJK | Ch. 9

Title: Sugar Cookies and Devious Confessions

Pairing: Prince!College Student!JK x Fine Arts Major!(F)!Reader

Series Rating//Genre: (M) | College AU, Mild Royalty AU, Smut, Angst, Fluff, S2F2L, Indiffernce to lovers, sloooowwww ass burn

Summary: Exams season and Solstice? Consider YN locked in, loaded, ready to go, hangry, and sentimental. Jungkook is just along for the ride with a hefty side of acts of service, quality time and physical touch are his love languages. Who'da thunk?

Warnings: T, language, fluff, so much fluff actually, I've surprised myself, semi-sexual conversations, JK is a menace but Reader can keep up...mostly, touch of angst tbh, reader gets hangry and is bad at taking care of herself sometimes, but apologises and makes up for it, mostly just wholesome this time. And fun!

Word Count: 6,675

Release Date: December 8, 2024. 12:30PM

A/N 1: Hiiiiiiiiiiii. It's here, thank you to those who reminded me. I literally would have forgotten for the third week in a row without them. I love you all.

A/N 1.5: Chapter ten will be coming sometime between Dec 20th-30th as it is festive and that's all I will say about it.

Series: Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Chapter Five | Chapter Six | Chapter Seven | Chapter Eight

Jungkook’s learned many things about you since your friendship started. 

From your favourite colours to your favourite brush to paint with. He learned that you are always team morally gray love interest in the books you read in your limited spare time, although that one was learned a little against your will. 

He’d wanted to know why you always went for them, and very begrudgingly you admitted you found it appealing when they’d do anything to protect the main character. That they always did what they thought was best or what needed to be done despite their sad backstory, because for some reason, they all had sad backstories.

Every. Single. One of them. 

And you claimed it suckered you in every time. 

But through all of your time spent together—specifically during midterms—Jungkook learned just how much you ignore all of your basic needs as a human being when it comes to exams season. 

How you’ll forget to eat all day in favour of studying, or staying up late to finish your practical exam projects, making absolutely sure they’re up to your impossibly high standards, disregarding sleep.

So it doesn’t surprise him when he turns the corner to the greenhouse cafe to see you, thinner than normal with bags under your eyes, slaving away at something on your computer. 

He hates that he can tell you’ve lost weight through your winter clothing.

You look up, briefly smiling in greeting. He can tell just from how long it took you to notice him that you need a break, a good healthy meal and some sleep.

He smiles back, but bypasses you and walks straight into the cafe. You don’t think twice about it, already knowing what he’s doing.

“Hey Vivian,” he says to the barista.

“Hey JK, the regular?” She's restocking some cups and lids to the counter.

“Please, but tag on a hot chocolate for YN and some tarts.” Vivian nods, typing the order into the cashing system, very much used to either of you adding on each other's order to your own at this point.

“Machines ready for you,” she says, already prepping the first drink—his by the looks of it.

Jungkook pays and waits patiently, watching you from the window. 

“How long’s she been here?” he asks over the currently frothing milk—that’s for your hot chocolate.

“Since seven. She grabbed a tea and hasn’t moved since.” 

It’s almost 1:30 now, and Viv looks at him knowingly. She’s watched you do this to yourself every mid-term and exam season since you started. 

“Ah. I see.” He purses his lips.

It’s only a few minutes before the drinks and tarts are ready. Jungkook grabs them and heads out the door, calling a thank you over his shoulder.

“Okay look,” he says to grab your attention as he stands directly in front of you. The act of walking to the front of you alone clearly not enough to gain it. 

Looking up, your eyes widen in glee at the treats he carries. You attempt to reach for them but he pulls them back.

“Nuh uh, you need food.” 

You look at him confused. “Those are food.”

“No, these are the reward. You need a meal.” 

You try to interrupt him. Most likely to say you do eat meals, but instant ramen or a box of mac'n'cheese do not count, and he cuts you off before you can. “A healthy meal, Picasso, something to give your body nourishment and energy. One that fills you up.”

You scowl at him. 

“But–”

“No buts,” he cuts you off again. “Healthy food. Full, happy belly food,” he says, gently patting his stomach so not as to spill his drink. “Pack up, we’re going to the cafeteria and getting you some.”

“But–”

“Y/N,” he says sternly, giving you a look that says he will not be budging on this, and that if you refuse, he’s going to throw you over his shoulder to ensure it happens. 

It was the voice of a future King, he thinks. Then internally shudders. That’s not who he is with you, but he can admit that sometimes this side of him comes in handy during times like these. 

“Fine.” You snip, very clearly not happy about this.

Fortunately, you don’t seem to have any art supplies with you today, just your computer, a notepad and pencil case. You gather them quickly, throwing them into your backpack with an annoyed look because you don’t want to stop, but he’s forcing your hand.

He doesn’t care. You need this, and it’s clear as hell you were not going to do it on your own.

You were so fucking stubborn sometimes. 

His mask, hat and baggy shirt combo mixed with some large combat boots and a slight slouch in posture has worked wonders disguising him from the public so far. In fact, he’s pretty sure it intimidates some people seeing as how they nearly jump out of his way. You’ve joked about it before, calling it his ‘scary dog privilege’…whatever that meant. 

Jungkook doesn’t mind, though. Despite being four months into the school year, and his speech at the beginning, people still fawn and stare at him. Trying to get his attention, his approval. Anything to get something from him, even if it’s just a look in their direction. 

He wonders if it will ever die down, if it'll ever go away. Or if with new freshmen every year, a new horde of people will seek him out. 

So, he’s grateful that with this little disguise on, no one bats an eye at him as you two walk the fifteen minutes it takes to get across campus to the cafeteria. He knows you’re more than mentally drained, because you’re not checking over your shoulder every few seconds to make sure no one realizes you’re with him like you usually do. 

You enter the main building, luckily the cafeteria on the ground floor, just near the back. Once there, you walk straight to the fridge of premade to-go foods. Grabbing a fruit cup, a chicken caesar salad, and a container of mixed vegetables with dip, you turn to him.

“Is this good enough for you?” you snark.

“Yep, great choices,” he says, ignoring your tone. “Very healthy and nutritious. Plus you nearly have all the food groups.”

“I do have all the food groups,” you say back, deadpan.

Wow…

You really need some sleep, he’s never heard you sound so lifeless. Or mean. You’re only ever truly mean when you’re beyond exhausted, too tired to care. 

He’d say your mood and overall vibe is like a mixture of brown and gray, but he knows if he said it out loud you’d make him specify which specific shades of brown and gray, so he keeps the thought to himself. Both not to provoke you and to be polite.  

“You’re missing dairy and grain,” he says.

You point to his hands holding the tarts and drink.

“Fair point,” he concedes, and trails you to the register, grabbing a protein shake from a nearby fridge on the way. His card is out and paying before you can reach for your wallet and you accept it, even too worn out to yell at him for buying you something. 

Hot chocolate and the occasional bag of tarts you're fine with, because half the time you’re also buying him his coffee and sharing your tarts, so you see it as a fair trade. But anything outside those and you damn near throw a fit, claiming you don’t need him to spend his money on you. 

You never want anything from him, so unlike everyone else in his life.

He leads you to a more private booth in the corner, scary dog privilege in full effect as no one dares stand in his way, and you very unceremoniously plop down, sluggishly shucking off your bag and coat. 

Definitely a brownish-gray. 

You two eat and drink in silence; you, slowly picking away at your food, him, finishing his drink then eating the vegetables from the container you don’t like. It’s a peaceful silence, contented as your mood gradually improves and some colour returns to your face the more you get into your system. 

The sight relieves him. 

“Sorry,” you say, eyes glued to the table, unable to look at him. And he knows it’s for the way you treated him pre-food.

“No worries,” he replies. “Feeling better?”

“Yeah.”

“Good. That's good.”

Jungkook wasn’t going to push, but now that your mood’s improving, he hopes it’s safe to.

“Hey,” you look up at him, the bags under your eyes more evident under the artificial light and his heart breaks a little at the sight. “Promise me you’ll get some sleep tonight?”

A small close lipped smile finds your face, eyes soft, appreciative. The corner of his own lifts to match. 

“I promise I’ll try.”

You fall asleep early that night, 9pm. 

You don’t know what allows you to, but your exam worries fade and assignment anxiety slips from your mind the heavier your eyes grow. In the back of your head however, a thought slips through your defenses; you know it’s because of the look in Jungkook's eyes when he’d asked you too. 

The one of worry—genuine worry—for you. 

You hate yourself for causing it. You never want him to have to worry about you, god…he already has so much on his plate, you don’t want to add to it. 

But mostly…

But mostly you let yourself succumb to slumber because you don’t want to disappoint him. 

He asked you so kindly, and you know he had your best interests at heart when he did. He always does. 

You don’t have it in you to deny him that simple favour. To take care of yourself a little better.

So you sleep, just this once. For him. To help relieve him of the stress you caused.

And you know that that thought is what lets you until 10am the next day.

You feel better than you have in weeks.

You have everything you could possibly need to make all the recipes you have planned for today. Eggs, flour, sugar, soju, cutters, extracts, ginger, honey, chocolate chips, food colouring, some fruit concentrates and more are stuffed into the bags that dangle from your now struggling arms. There’s also another much lighter bag filled with a surprise for him that sits near the crook of your elbow. 

 Jungkook’s not going to know what hit him.

The door clicks open and you watch his eyes nearly leave his skull before he reaches to take them from you.

“Oh wow, you really weren’t kidding were you,” he says as he takes them to the kitchen with ease. 

Stupid muscles, you think, but the thought doesn’t hold for too long, glad at having your arm circulation back. 

“Solstice cookies are no joke in my house,” you say, following him.

“Clearly.”

He starts taking things out of the bags and you grab the one with the surprise in it before he can get to it.

“Won’t we need that?” he asks.

“Yes, but it’s not for cookies,” you start backing away towards the living room, bag behind your back. “It’s a surprise.”

Jungkook has a goofy grin plastered on his face as he follows you, and you put one on to match.

You stand in front of the coffee table and order him to sit and close his eyes, a sarcastic ‘yes ma’am’ comes from his lips, but he does as told. 

You set the contents of the bag on the coffee table; a small fake tree with built in lights, some tiny baubles in a box, a star, a polaroid camera and a custom, empty ornament.

“Okay, open!”

Jungkook opens his eyes and the same goofy grin returns, but this time there’s a sparkle in his eyes that you’ve never seen before.

His voice is gentle and lovely when he asks, “What’s all this Picasso?”

“Your very own tree to decorate. We have lights, decorations, even a star for the top,” you say as he leans and picks up the star. “You said you didn’t really celebrate anymore so I wanted to bring some celebration back to you—if you wanted to, that is.”

He twirls the star in his hand, smile never leaving, as he inspects it closer. “Did you make this?”

You turn sheepish. “Ah… yeah. They don’t really sell mini toppers for the mini trees, just the baubles, so that guy’s made from the finest cereal box cardboard and tinfoil on the market.”

He just stares, at the star, at the tree, then to you. You can’t tell if you screwed up or not. Did he hate this?

But then he’s standing and you’re in his arms as he hugs you. 

You freeze, unsure of what to do for a second, before you let your arms go around him, hugging him back. 

He’s solid, you can feel the strength in him as he breathes, and the weight in his arms as they hold you. 

But also warm. So warm your cheeks start to heat to match the rest of your body that seems to be on fire. 

It ends before it barely started, and you find yourself missing him the second he’s gone. 

“Sorry,” he says, shaking his head as if not realizing what he’d just done until after he stopped. You want to tell him it was okay, but he says, “thank you,” immediately after, and squats down to open the baubles. 

“You’re welcome,” you say as you watch, sitting down on the couch. He looks like a kid, the brightest of smiles on his face as he goes to place the first one, but pauses, and hands it to you. 

“You know better than me where to start.”

You giggle, placing the red sphere near the middle, and gesture for him to put on the next one. It continues like this until the box is empty, you then him, then you then him. He places the last ornament and looks to you, star in hand. 

“You do it,” you say. You’ve done this a million times with your mum, you doubt he’s done the same.

He carefully grabs the top branch that sticks up, placing the star over it. Your heart swells at how gentle he is with your handmade decoration. 

“Now the last step,” you say, as you reach for the camera. This was your favourite tradition with your mother, the yearly solstice picture. You have one from every single year after you were born, and even one with you in your mum’s belly. 

“Turn around,” you say, spinning your finger and he does, you follow.

You’re both on the ground in front of the tree, and you lift the camera, leaning into him. Still so warm. He leans right back. 

“Say 'Solstice!'” you call out, and smile.

“Solstice,” he says with you as you snap the picture.

You pause for a moment, making sure the image is done capturing before leaning away again. 

The image prints out, and you take hold of it, shaking so it develops faster. 

“Can you get some scissors, and a permanent marker?” you ask Jungkook. He leaves for only a moment, returning from the kitchen, scissors and marker in hand. 

You reach for the empty, custom ornament. It’s a camera, and where the lens would be is a spot for a picture. Cutting the polaroid to fit, you slide it in, and write solstice followed by the year on the back of the ornament.  You put it in the middle of the tree, letting the baubles frame it.

You don’t see Jungkook watching you do all of this, a look in his eye that would melt you if you saw. 

“And now for the magic,” you say, turning on the built-in lights. The tree twinkles as the little LEDs reflect off baubles, like stars on a clear night winking at one another.

You're too busy looking at the tree when you hear a click. Following the sound you see Jungkook, polaroid camera in hand, lens facing you. The image pops out and he grabs it, placing it on the coffee table beside the tree.

“Aren't you supposed to shake it?” you ask.

He looks purely serene as he responds. “Nah, polaroids have chemicals and dyes layered in them, so if you shake them you can get microbubbles or marks on them.”

You didn’t know that, but it doesn’t surprise you in the slightest that he does. His talent for photography, a result of years of study and practice. 

“Oh, good to know,” you say as you take the camera from him, and direct him to look at the tree. You snap a picture to match your own, placing it on the table beside the one he took. 

He stays sat there, staring at the tree for a while, the occasional flit towards you before the tree once again.

“It’s perfect,” Jungkook says, breaking the comfortable silence. He clears his throat before adding. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

You don’t know what else to say besides that, but you can see the happiness in his eyes. Their glow. Their warmth. 

You don’t think you need to say more. 

He knows. 

Time is quickly passing, and you have five recipes to get through today. So as much as you find yourself not wanting to move, perfectly happy sitting here with him for the rest of the day in this beautiful silence, you can’t. The tree is only the beginning of your day together.

“Cookie time?” you ask. 

Jungkook looks to you and takes a deep breath, as if he was also content to stay where you were for the day.

Just you, him and the tree.

“Cookie time.”

“You bitch!” you say as flour flies from his hand to your cheek. 

You were three and a half recipes in, having made two easier recipes first to ease him into a more difficult one. Shortbread, maejakgwa, and gingerbread now sit around in tupperware and cooling sheets around the apartment. 

But because of that, Jungkook is slowly losing all seriousness as you retrieve the sugar cookie dough from his fridge. It was actually the first thing you’d made, knowing it had to chill for a while beforehand, hence the three and a half. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he says, all knowing smirk plastered on his face like a neon billboard. 

You refuse to sink to his childish levels, and remove the beautifully chilled dough from its refrigerator bowl. Wiping your face with a cloth to clean yourself of the flour, you order him over.

“Come use all your unnecessary muscles to roll this out, quarter inch thick,” holding out the rolling pin to him. The smirk lessons only slightly, but he does as told. 

“All my muscles are unnecessary, huh?” he says after a minute of rolling. You’re by the sink washing some dishes as he does and you can all but physically see the egging in his voice. 

“Yes.”

“And why’s that?” He asks as he finishes rolling out the dough and begins on his cookie cutter decisions. You’ve learned he’s particular about which one’s he wants to use for which type of cookie. 

“Because you have like a million eight foot tall, 450 pound security guards following your every move at all times,” you say, as if this was obvious. In reality, it was a solid team of six guards who were at their tallest 6 '4, and maybe 285 at their heaviest. 

Admittedly, they were all really nice guys, having met them numerous times over the months. And you were planning on stealing some of the cookies from today to give them little solstice bags. 

Jungkook’s never going to be able to eat them all by himself  anyway…you think. And even if he could, he really shouldn’t.

“So, because I have security guards,” he looks at you unbelievingly, “my muscles are unnecessary?” 

“Yes. Why have them if you don’t need them?” At this point you’re just teasing him.

“Lots of reasons,” and he starts listing as you continue to clean. “They look nice, but that's obvious.”

“I’m sure your groupies don’t mind that at all,” you sneak in under your breath, referring to his enormous, and rather lewd mouthed female following on social media. 

“Hey, you leave my groupies out of this, they’re nice people,” he says, pointing a white powdered finger. You scoff and go back to the dishes mumbling something about how they feed his ego. 

“There’s also the fact that I like being strong. I like that I don’t get winded from jogging up the stairs, and I like that I have the ability to help damsels who show up at my place with their arms full of far too many heavy bags.”

You shoot him a glare and he laughs. “You can’t say I’m wrong.”

You also don’t have to acknowledge that comment.

He takes it as a win in your ever ongoing battle of wits. And just to try and even out the playing field a little more, as you are currently winning by a landslide, he adds on a little more to his answer, hopefully one you’re not expecting, and therefore winning by shock factor.

“There’s other reasons too, but those are a lot less PG, to say the least.”

He—

Your hands pause their ministrations for mere seconds before continuing.

How did he say it so…casually!?

Like he didn’t essentially just tell you he likes being strong for bedroom purposes. A topic you’ve never been anywhere near speaking to him about, and he just… brings it up like that? So cryptically as if he wants you to ask for clarification. 

And you do want clarification, damn him!

You hate that it makes you curious. Hate. It.

You like knowing things, not to be nosey, but because you like the mental safety it brings. When you and Nel first started having sex you did a deep dive on everything you could, to make sure nothing was a surprise and that you didn’t hurt yourself or him if you tried anything new. 

Little did you know half of the research was for nothing. Nel has never been the most sexually adventurous person, whereas you wanted to try out new things, explore, see what you like via trial and error, he was fine with good ole missionary and a handful of other basic positions. 

What you two do now works though. And that’s what counts. Compromise. Overcome. Enjoy and respect each other's boundaries. 

But it makes you wonder if Jungkook knows anything you don’t. 

That reason alone is apparently enough for you to hear, “Like what?” leave your lips before you can stop it. And you internally freak.

What the fuck! You did not just ask him that. 

That did not just come out of your mouth.

You did not jus-

“You really wanna know?” he asks, eyeing you over his shoulder with a single quirked brow, like he can’t believe you said it either, but he’ll dish you if you want him too. 

How interesting. You don’t remember gaining this level of trust from him, to be honest about something so personal. So private. 

You wonder when that happened. 

No, you say in your mind. But your head is gingerly nodding yes. 

Stop that! You think to your body, betraying you once again.

Jungkook hums before picking up a cutter, a simple circle. 

“Well,” he punctuates the word with a cutter punch. “Uhh…there’s a certain level of—” a punch, “—power dynamic I prefer having, and they definitely help with that,” another cutter punch. “I also like being able to lift my partner with relative ease, or carry them if need be. Legs around my hips is a personal favourite.”

Your dishwashing slows as he continues, unable to stop the images that flood your mind thanks to your visual thinking. 

Stupid art brain.

A small pool of heat starts to form low in your stomach. Stupid art brain.

After some more circular cutter punches, you think he’s finished and you’re relieved, but then he switches to a spikier one and continues. 

“I’ve also learned that finger strength seems to be a fan favourite,” he jokes and you gulp, forcing that thought out of your head as soon as it enters like a slingshot.  “And most of my previous partners seemed to enjoy the fact that I could, uhm…well, that I could hold them in place while I did… that is…whatever I wanted to them.” 

You ignore the wetness in forming your underwear. This conversation, regardless of who it was with, was not helping you and your complete and utter lack of sex. 

Another enormous downside to long distance, your libido and its easily excitable nature due to lack of use. Maybe an appointment with your vibrator is due soon, if you’re this affected by these attempts at sterile descriptions of sexual-like encounters. He isn’t even saying anything expressly dirty. He’s trying to be as respectful and informative in his answers as he can.

Plus, you did this to yourself. 

“But if I had to pick, I think there’s a tie for my favourite part about having unnecessary muscles for non PG purposes,” he says, and looks at you with another quirked brow, seeing if he’s allowed to proceed.

You’ve entirely stopped washing the dishes. Too focused on not focusing on the growing need blooming inside you. 

Oh yes, you’re penciling it in right now: Vibrator appointment. Tonight. 10:30pm. 

Sharp.

Time to accept the consequences of your actions.

“Consider it a potential learning opportunity. Academically speaking, of course,” you say, as a way to make this educational. That’s all this is anyway right? To see if he knows anything you don’t. 

Right?

Right.

“If you say so Picasso.” He tears the leftover dough from the neatly cut cookies, and starts laying them on a baking pan. “First, I like that I’m strong enough to flip my partner over whether they’re, uhm...” he struggles for an ‘academic’ sounding word, but settles for, “restrained, or not.”

Heat. Everywhere. There's heat everywhere and you immediately go back to the dishes, changing the flowing water to ice cold and ignoring the throbbing of your core. You’re pretty sure if you slipped your hands down your pants right now, they’d be just as wet as they are cleaning the mixing bowls. 

Maybe you should reschedule to 10. Or even 9:30. Hell, why not 9 while you’re thinking about it.

“Secondly, I like the muscles because they help me make great use of walls.”

You nearly drop the bowl in the sink, not having nearly enough time to recover before he’s looking at you again, sugar cookie filled baking pan in hand.

“You ever done something like that?” he asks, sly smirk visible. He’s trying to make light of the situation, make it a joke for the sake of comfortability.

He’s spilling ‘all’ his secrets, why shouldn’t you spill one.

The oven dings, signaling the preheating is complete and it’s ready for use. He comes closer to you, only because the oven is opposite the sink, puts them in and sets the oven’s timer for 12 minutes. Turning back around, he’s not two feet from you.

You force your voice to be as smooth and cool as possible as you face him, your own smirk plastered. 

“Wouldn't you like to know?”

Yes, yes he would.

“Call your goons in, I have their bags ready.”

“They’re not my goons,” Jungkook says, texting Shen, head of his security detail. “They’re my guards.”

You’re both finishing up cleaning the kitchen, all of the ingredients are put away, the dishes are cleaned, and Jungkook is washing down the counterspace as you write the names of everyone on the little bags filled with the results of your combined labours.

The coffee table is covered in little polaroids from today, all still resting from when they developed. Half of them have some form of baking related mess on them, be it some flour or a small lump of dough. 

You look at one he took after throwing more flour on you, your nose is scrunched and it looks like half your face is white with the stuff. It’s cute. There’s another beside it, Jungkook is pretending to lick raw batter from the whisk, eyes wide, tongue outstretched. It’s chaotic.

They’re perfect.

Shen, Dae-Seong, Asa, Rowan, Micah and Hikari are Jungkook’s security detail. They all have shared apartments in the same building. Never too far away. Shen and Asa are stationed on his floor, Mikah and Rowan are on the floor below and Dae-Seong and Hikari are on the one above. 

“Guards, goons, same difference,” you say, but you hear knocking not seconds later, no doubt Shen and Asa. 

You go and open the door, welcoming them in.

“Hey Y/N,” Asa says, scooping you up for a hug, your feet dangling. Asa’s one of the guards who’s super tall, and he’s always been very affectionate towards you. Come to think of it, a lot of them are. 

“Hey Asa, how’s Natalie?” you chuckle, hugging him back lightly. Natalie is his wife, who's still back in the capital.

“She’s good, excited to have me home soon.”

“No doubt, say hi for me.”

“Yeah, will do.”

He sets you down just in time for another knock. 

Rowan, Micah, Hikari and Dae-Seong all make their way in too, giving high fives, light hugs or happy greetings to you as they do. Soon, you’re being towered over by men, feeling very small, but never scared as they are always so lovely to you.

You suspect you’re quickly becoming their favourite. 

Jungkook they’re used to seeing, they’ve known him for years, protected him for years. They give him shit, a nod or grab him by the neck with their arms as they play wrestle to greet him. No hugs or high fives to be seen with him, only laughter. Mostly at Jungkook. 

When they’re around, Jungkook is the most at ease you’ve ever seen him at. 

“So what’s up?” Shen asks. He’s the least affectionate out of everyone, stoic even, but that doesn’t surprise you. He’s responsible for the safety of the future monarch, that’s a stressful job.

You look to Jungkook, who’s now sitting on the couch. He signals with a hand that this is all you.

“I don’t know if you all celebrate, but just in case you do, Jungkook and I spent the day baking,” Rowan snorts at that, and you ignore it, motioning for them to follow you to the kitchen. The island carrying their individually labeled goody bags comes into their view.

“And this is just a little thank you for all you do from the jackass in the other room,” you point with a thumb to the wall the couch is on the other side of. The men snicker. 

“I heard that,” Jungkook calls.

“You were supposed to,” you call back, then to the group once more, “and it’s also a Happy Solstice from me.”

Rowan and Asa are still laughing at your less than kind words about their charge as you begin to hand them their bags. Each one says thank you as you do, and Asa gives you another hug. He may be 6’4 and god knows how many pounds, but really, he was just a big teddy bear—a lethal one— but cuddly nonetheless.

“We’ve got a decent selection, but feel free to trade,” you say, giving Shen his bag last. He has a thing with going last, you have no idea why, but you respect it. You whisper to him that he has an extra of each cookie, and not to tell the others, including Jungkook. He gives you the absolute smallest of small smiles, followed by a hushed ‘thank you.’

It’s the most tender you’ve ever seen him.

Micah pipes up. “What’s this one?” he asks, holding up a cookie.

“So, we’ve got gingerbread, maejakgwa, sugar cookies, shortbread and that, my dearest Micah,” the mountain of a man blushes at that, and you laugh, “is a yakgwa cookie. Think chewy honey and ginger.”

He pops it into his mouth instantly and you swear if he could, he’d melt into a puddle. 

“There’s no way King Pain in the Ass over there made these, they’re way too good,” Hikari says, on his third one. He seems to be trying one of each, seeing which he likes. So far? Apparently it’s all of them.

“Cross my heart,” you say, “it was a gallant team effort.”

“Thanks kid,” he calls to the prince, currently entering the room to see his guards happier than he has in a very long time. He will never admit it out loud, for fear of endless mocking, but the sight warms his heart.

Dae-Seong comes up to you, and very politely asks, “Could I get the recipe you used for the maejakgwa? My wife would love these.”

“Of course, Dae-Seong,” you place a kind hand on his forearm. “Give Minji my best will you?”

The man nods, grateful. 

All the recipes today were from your memory, so you get your phone, and start typing it out. 

You have him text it to himself from your phone when you’re finished, and use that as your que to grab the camera.

“Everyone,” you call out, and immediately seven pairs of eyes, with seven full mouths beneath them, are looking at you. Jungkook’s eating some from his own stash, or so you hope. “Crowd your favourite royal on the couch please, it’s picture time.” You shake the camera gently in your hand.

“My favourite royal’s back at the pala–” Hikari tries, but a punch to the shoulder from Jungkook has him laughing in favour of completing the sentence. 

You love the relationship he has with them. Like brothers.

Quickly, Jungkook is squished between the six men, one on either side and four on the floor in front of him. They tried to fit more on the couch but they're all so big that they couldn’t.

“Everyone needs to smile, and if they don't, I'm taking more until they do,” you say pointedly, eyeing up Shen. He only nods that he understands.

“Say Solstice!”

A chorus of deep voiced ‘solstice's' ring your eyes as you look through the eyepiece and snap the picture. It prints out and you leave it with all the others on the coffee table. You see that everyone is smiling in the picture as it develops. 

Perfect. Everything about today has been perfect.

After a few more minutes of chatting, the guards have to get back to their posts, and you’re at the door, wishing everyone a happy break as they leave. 

Shen, as usual, hangs back, wanting to be the last to leave. He’s standing beside Jungkook, both watching you as you bid the others farewell. 

“I like her,” Shen says to Jungkook quietly. 

“Me too,” Jungkook says back. 

Shen can see the prince means that in more than one way.

“Keep her around.”

“I'm trying my best to.”

It’s nearing 7:30, you’re both full after ordering dinner in, not wanting to be anywhere near a kitchen until next week, and working on assignments. Jungkook’s editing some photos, and you’re writing part of an essay from your phone, having completely forgotten to bring your computer in all the excitement. 

“Hey,” you say, sitting in your spot on the couch. You nudge him with a socked foot, he has headphones on so he can focus.

He doesn’t look to you, but removes a headphone. “Yeah?”

You lock your phone, brain mush for the night. “Can we move movie night to tonight? I have an exam at 8am on Monday and I want to use tomorrow to study.”

You’ve been thinking about it for a while, deciding that today would let you know if you needed to make the switch or not. And given that you’ve spent the day on your feet and partially socializing, you doubt you’ll be able to focus for the rest of the night, exhausted. But the good kind of exhausted.

You’ve been taking better care of yourself since that day with Jungkook. Not drastically, but you’re starting to listen to your body’s signals a little more, and right now it’s telling you you need TV and sleep. 

Appointment be damned. You’ll reschedule.

Jungkook hits the space bar and removes his headphones before closing the computer. 

“Yeah, of course. But–” he cuts himself off, looking at the tree in front of him. The lights are low in the apartment and it’s dark out, so the tree shines, glowing from within. The picture of you two still sits in the middle, and the now multiple stacks of polaroids sit around its base like presents. 

“But?”

“But that means I won’t see you after today. I only have two exams left, Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning, then I’m back at the palace.”

Oh. 

Right.

“We don’t have to, I can just study earlier in the d-”

“No! No, it’s okay. It just…it changes a few things,” he bites his lip as he thinks, and places his computer on the coffee table. “Close your eyes.”

“What?”

“Close your eyes Picasso, please?”

You’re very confused but comply, closing your eyes and waiting. You hear him get up and then him walking, then a door opens. There’s some rummaging before the door closes and his footsteps near again.

The couch dips right beside you.

“Hold out your hands.”

You hold them both out, palms up, and something bumpy and cylindrical is placed in them. 

“Okay, open.”

In your hands is a leather rolling brush case, held shut by not only matching leather strings, but a red ribbon and bow. 

“Oh,” you didn’t know you were doing gifts. “Jungkook. It’s—it’s beautiful.”

“Open it.”

You untie the ribbon, setting it to the side as you also untie the leather strings, and unroll. The case is filled with brushes from Olliveri and Schultz, the best brush makers in the realm. And a small, very surprised gasp escapes you. 

You’ve never once owned any of their products. Their brushes go for $50 at the lowest, for the smallest of brushes.  

Exquisite craftsmanship goes into each and every brush, hand carved wooden handles, the best bristles you can buy, and rust resistant ferrule. You’ve always dreamed of having one of their brushes, and now here you are, with a whole set.

They’re the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen. 

“Jungkook I—I don’t know what to say. I couldn’t possibly acce-”

“Yes you can. You can and you will. Please. I even made sure they put in an extra fan brush cuz it’s your favourite.” 

You notice the two brushes on the end, identical. 

He remembered. 

A lump is forming in your throat, overwhelmed with gratitude.

“I haven’t—I don’t—,” you take a breath, “I didn’t get you a gift, though.”

“Today was gift enough,” he says, and you can see in his eyes he means every word. “I haven't had a solstice like this in…a really long time, and the memories from today are enough, more than enough. I promise.”

You don’t know what to say, you haven’t been at this much of a loss for words since…ever. You can only think of one thing to convey how thankful you are.

Throwing your arms around his shoulders, you squeeze, his arms immediately around your waist. 

“Thank you,” you whisper, “I love them.”

Jungkook takes a deep breath too, savouring this moment for as long as he can. The feel of your arms around him, squeezing. The soft curve of your body up against his. His hands on your waist, you’re warmth under his touch, or maybe that was him, he can’t tell. And he doesn’t care. 

 It’s the first time you’ve ever initiated physical contact that was more than a nudge or playful shove. 

“You’re welcome, YN. Happy Solstice.” 

Chapter Ten: TBR

A/N 2: Fun fact! The tree and tin foil star are based on what I do irl. I have a dollarstore tree with little baubles and lights, but I made the star from a cereal box and tin foil because there weren't any toppers when I bought it.

A/N 3: As always, Thank you for reading, loves. Xoxo - Yoon <3

<- Back

[adviceformefromme]

💖 3 STEPS FOR 2025 TRANSFORMATION - 1 WEEK UNTIL 2025 [GLOW UP SERIES] 💖

It's been a moment! This time next week we will officially be in 2025!! It’s so crazy to think that our new year glow-up started in September and I for one have seen HUGE shifts in starting my pre-2025 glow-up. If you’re late to the game, and only now having time to reflect on what you want achieve in 2025 here 3 simple focus points:

You absolutely need a vision. What are you working towards? What is your goal? This needs to be centred around how you want to feel. Every time I’ve skipped this step, I’ve just plodded along with life, sure some things have changed but not on a DRASTIC level. If you want that unrecognisable-collapsing-timelines shift to take place in your life you need to get familiar with your next level, this is so when it arrives, when you are presented with stepping stones it feels natural. It doesn’t feel scary. When I was sharing a room with my mom a year ago looking at ocean view apartments that were way more than I was used to paying I was able to push through the fear and discomfort of ‘who am I to live there’, ‘this is too expensive’ because I had REHEARSED living in my new apartment so much. I knew what it felt like to walk my dog along the beach every morning. This lifestyle was NORMAL for me in my mind, so when the 3D caught up, I knew it was destiny. It felt right, it flowed, because I was FAMILIAR with my vision.

You need to actually look at your day to day and see where you are not optimising your life to move yourself forward. For example, you don’t have time for the gym in the mornings but waste 30mins scrolling in bed. That is time that can be optimised! You don’t have time to cook healthy lunches so end up buying junk food and feel gross, meal-prep is how you optimise your time! You don’t have time to meditate, but have to walk your dog every morning…Walking meditation with the dog is how you optimise. Make time work for you. Make your day, align with your future self, with the elevated you, not the lazy you, unproductive you.

You need to start speaking life into yourself with gratitude and praise. This looks like those mornings driving where you usually overthink and work yourself into a mental hell hole, you start speaking life into yourself. You go on a rampage, you remind yourself how good things always happen to you, how badass you truly are. It’s just you, in your car, let loose and make this a habit. You’re in the mirror, you pro-actively speak loving words into yourself, you go out of your way throughout the day to remind yourself how lucky you are that xxx, how wonderful it is xxxx, how grateful you are xxxx..What this does is mentally programme your mind into higher vibrational thoughts. You’ll naturally start thinking better, negative thoughts won’t be able to make a home inside of you because you will have a deposit of good energy, of self love from speaking life into yourself throughout the day. 

[haesunflower]

moments that makes everyone think you're dating (zb1).....₊˚⊹♡

genre: fluff/comedy

pairing: reader (mostly gn) x zerobaseone

about/tags: you're not dating, but everyone seems to think you are? hmm i wonder why?

just cute things hehe...

⠀⠀♡ kim jiwoong ♡ ⠀⠀

for some reason, you are always invited to movie night at the dorms

the boys initially teased jiwoong, but you cleared the air and told everyone that you were just childhood friends and you've never dated

the boys reluctantly accept the story

but your legs are always intertwined at the couch, and your head is always finding comfort on his chest, and his arms are always draped around your figure

members are dumbfounded, confused, then disgusted. friends??? always holding each other like that??? in front of us????

taerae who was getting popcorn, throws a singular piece to the both of you after he sees jiwoong nuzzling his nose into your hair

"the both of you...get a room please we're trying to enjoy the movie"

"you're just jealous taerae" you snipe back, throwing back the popcorn piece

jiwoong giggles and says "taerae-ya if you wanted to be cuddled you could have just said so"

everyone in the room is laughing except for taerae

⠀⠀ ♡ zhang hao ♡ ⠀⠀

you're his lockscreen in one of his many phones

when members would ask who that is – gyuvin, ricky, and yujin (the ones that have known hao the longest) would snicker and giggle, egging the question on and insinuating that you're hao's significant other

"oh, that's y/n. my best friend from when I was in school"

"best friend huuuhhh" gyuvin teases, raising his eyebrows up and down

hao throws a pillow at gyuvin to get him to shut up

one time, ricky caught hao going through your old pictures together and compiling it for a sweet birthday message he was gonna send to you

best believe that ricky immediately informed gyuvin and yujin about what he was doing and he got teased relentlessly that day

the 3 other yuehuaz end up gossiping to the rest of the members that they have in fact, met you in person and that you are in fact, insanely gorgeous that hao is out of your league and that in fact, gyuvin said he found you stunning and hao in fact, gave gyuvin the silent treatment for 2 weeks.

⠀⠀ ♡ sung hanbin ♡ ⠀⠀

hanbin asks for your help often to meal prep and cook at the dorms with him – it's mostly stuff that can be frozen and reheated for the week so that the boys have healthy homecooked meals to enjoy

it's grossly domestic, you'd think the both of you were in a long term relationship

sometimes, the members catch you feeding each other

hanbin would blow gently on the spoon before catching your attention by tilting your chin upwards, "how does this taste?"

he brings the spoon to your mouth and he beams when you smile and give him a thumbs up

in the summer, the kitchen gets too hot so you find yourself dabbing at hanbin's forehead sweat while he stirs the sauce

he shoots you a grateful smile, cheek dimples on display

"god, are you two married or what?" jiwoong grumbles as he passes by

you two just chuckle

⠀⠀ ♡ seok matthew ♡ ⠀⠀

you're his gym buddy and actually no one knows that you exist up until a few members started asking matthew if they could join him at the gym

you always greet matt so cheerfully, giving him a hello hug (you're both foreigners)

every time you finish a set you guys high five one another, and if you lack motivation he'll say something like: "one more set and i'll give you a reward"

"oh yeah like what, matt?"

"guess you'll have to finish up and see" 😉

harmless flirting is an effective motivational tool for the both of you

the rewards range from: a pre-workout smoothie treat or a signed photocard of himself haha

gunwook and jiwoong once caught matt staring at your ass :D not his fault your ass so fat :D

so it comes as a shock to gunwook when he hears you answering a phone call from your boyfriend, right after the three of you finished a circuit

when you leave, gunwook turns to matthew and says "she has a boyfriend? i thought you were the boyfriend!"

matthew has a shit-eating grin plastered on his face and says "nah we're just friends" and takes a sip of his water

⠀⠀ ♡ kim taerae ♡ ⠀⠀

he's like your driver, and you're the ultimate passenger princess/prince

taerae rushes out of practice the moment it's over "sorry guys gotta go, y/n is waiting for me to pick them up from school"

matthew calls taerae out for being a simp, while hanbin scolds matthew to leave the loverboy alone :(

taerae has no time to correct hanbin and just rushes out of there

he doesn't like making you wait after all!!

whenever it starts to rain too, he would leave the dorms telling members he's running an errand, when everyone knows he's just going to where you are so you don't have to commute in the rain

one time, taerae and hao were out to run an ACTUAL errand when you called him in a panic to ask if he was in the area – you were drenched in the rain and your phone was about to die

taerae of course, said he would come get you :) he also made hao move to the backseat so you could be right next to him :)

⠀⠀♡ ricky ♡ ⠀⠀

he's always on his damn phone, grinning from ear to ear or giggling to himself

when members ask him what's so funny, his face goes back to neutral and says "nothing"

the members don't know who he's texting and facetiming

while you were talking on facetime, ricky left his phone on the kitchen counter so he could make himself some food, and gyuvin took this as an opportunity to snatch his phone to figure out who you were

gyuvin was so quick, ricky didn't even realize it happened

gyuvin brought the phone to gunwook's room where they eagerly said hi and introduced themselves, then continued to ask you a bunch of questions like "how did you meet?" "how long have you been dating?" "what do you like best about ricky?"

i mean, you could answer all the questions but you had no time to – as ricky busted the door open and snatched the phone back

"sorry about that y/n, my members obviously don't have any common courtesy"

"haha it's fine ricky, they're very cute"

"cute??? cute you find them cute???" ricky sounds offended as he walks away from the two other members, shooting them a look and faking a punch

⠀⠀♡ kim gyuvin ♡ ⠀⠀

any free time he gets, he visits home so he can spend time with eumppappa

both you and gyuvin were the dog sitters and dog walkers for your building before he debuted

but he's getting a little busier nowadays, and his visits to his family home have been less frequent

you decide you'd walk eumppappa and your dog aiki to gyuvin's dorm for a quick visit, which has then become weekly tradition

the members just assume you're his significant other with how often you visit with his dog

that, and the fact that gyuvin refers to you as "eumppappa's eomma" and you refer to gyuvin as "aiki's appa"

the members don't know it's because you bought the dogs together

whatever tho, everyone thinks it's so cute

⠀⠀♡ park gunwook ♡ ⠀⠀

he's inserting you in the conversation any chance he gets

like when the boys are just playing overwatch or league of legends gunwook goes "ahhh i should invite y/n to play"

or when gunwook is trying food from a new restaurant he would excitedly take a picture and say "y/n would like this i should send some to her"

or when he's out shopping he would say "this would look so great on y/n"

or when he's helping yujin with school and he surprisingly doesn't know the answer, he says "y/n would know this, hold on let me ask"

again, every chance he gets. your name is mentioned. he's like an excited little puppy when your name gets mentioned by other people too

example, "gunwook i got ice cream - maybe you can share with y/n" and then he's bolting to his phone asking you to come over

the older members thinks it's adorable, how much he likes you

and when you actually meet the members clad in gunwook's sweater they all come to the conclusion you feel the same way for him

A/N: i missed writing and being delulu

૮ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ა

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[inclosedwalldelusion]

40 sentences that will teach you more about nutrition than a $400,000 medical degree

From Brett Boettcher @brettboettcher1

40 sentences that will teach you more about nutrition than a $400,000 medical degree.

1) Meat, eggs and animal organs are the most nutrient dense foods on the planet.

2) Bone broth is loaded in collagen and helps repair the gut so you can heal from the inside out.

3) Saturated fat doesn’t cause heart disease, insulin resistance does.

4) Your ratio of triglycerides to HDL is a great indicator of mortality risk; the lower the better. ·

5) Protein is the most metabolically active macronutrient and it isn’t bad for your kidneys.

6) There isn’t quality evidence to show that dietary cholesterol impacts the cholesterol in your blood. ·

7) There is even less evidence to support that total cholesterol is bad for your health since it is inversely correlated to mortality risk. · 4h 8) Walking before and after meals is a great way to improve digestion and reduce blood sugar spikes.

9) Fiber is the last thing you need if you have IBS or diverticulitis.

10) Dairy is great for your health and its saturated fat intake is inversely correlated to heart disease.

11) Most nutritional recommendations were introduced based on profit margins, not health outcomes.

12) Calories in and calories out is all that matter, but some calories make you hungrier (sugar/grains). Other calories (protein) help you burn more calories.

13) Multi grain just means they took 2+ different terrible sources of grain and put them together into one product.

14) Cereal and bread for breakfast will spike your blood sugar and have you starving before lunch. Try Greek yogurt or eggs instead. ·

15) “Intuitive eating” and “listen to your body” makes no sense considering 88% of people are metabolically unhealthy and addicted to food. No one would say “intuitive crack use.”

16) Eating is a stress on your body; The less often you can eat, the healthier you’ll be.

17) Plan your meals around the protein source (with its natural fat) and add a small side of carbs if needed.

18) Eating for satiety is more important than relying constantly on willpower. Find filling foods and avoid foods with addictive properties (ultra-processed).

19) You don’t have to know how to cook. Grill a meat, sauté a green vegetable, bake a potato. Mix and match a million ways.

20) Eating many of the same foods every week isn’t perfectly optimal but it’s likely your best path to consistency and therefore success. ·

21) Becoming more insulin sensitive should be the focus of any health-related nutrition plan.

22) Salad dressings are one of the worst things you can eat for your health. High in calories and inflammatory industrial oils.

23) Eating 5x per day won’t boost your metabolism. If you are trying to gain weight, it’s an excellent strategy.

24) Bacon can be healthy, just avoid the processing with nitrates.

25) Cottage cheese and Greek yogurt are two of the best sources of protein per calorie.

26) Carbs are beneficial around a workout. But many sources of carbs are processed and easily overeaten. Focus on single ingredient foods.

27) You can’t be healthy at any size no matter what your mother or liberal arts professor said.

28) Eat a high protein meal before attending social events that are filled with junk food.

29) If eating out, order the food with the highest protein content.

30) The #1 reason people fail is that they don’t prepare. Meal prep, meal plan, have ready to eat protein sources. · 31) The food you eat directly impacts your mental health and processed foods are correlated with depression and mental illness.

32) Processed foods have been engineered to be as addicting as possible. Your taste buds can be retrained with natural sources.

33) “Plant-based” foods are made in laboratories and are an easy way to sell overpriced junk to consumers at high margin.

34) Eating 1 gram of protein per lb of ideal body weight daily will do more for your body composition than spending 30 minutes on the treadmill.

35) When in doubt, if it comes from the center aisles of the grocery store or has more than 3 ingredients, it’s not good for you.

36) Many foods labeled as “keto” “paleo” or “high protein” are far from meeting the intended definition.

37) Your gut is responsible for 70% of your immune system; feeding it sugar and other inflammatory foods is making you sick now and later.

38) Genetics play a role but over 90% of the country has a resting metabolism within 500 calories daily. Being fit is possible for everyone.

39) Flipping the food pyramid upside down is closer to healthy eating than the traditional suggestions.

40) Eliminating drinking your calories is the first change to make when trying to improve your health.

[slutsenpai]

呪術廻戦 ⊹˚˖୧ sick :(◞♡ how the jjk boys take care of u when you’re sick

⟢ includes. gojō satoru, getō suguru, nanami kento, kamo chōsō, okkotsu yūta, itadori yūji, inumaki toge ⟢ content. headcanons of what it would be like to live with the jjk men, all fluff but characters are aged up to 20s regardless !!

⊹˚˖୧ satoru

⟢ I'll be real, he isn't going to be the best on this list LMAO. ⟢ however, he is still an absolute sweetheart. ⟢ we know how busy he is, but he might turn down a couple missions to take care of you if he's able to. ⟢ if you're sick, he always tries to stay up later and wake up earlier than you so he can check on you while you're sleeping. ⟢ he always wants you to be comfortable, covering you up with blankets, a hot compress, or taking you into his arms. ⟢ he isn't too concerned about himself getting sick, so he'll always cuddle up with you. ⟢ instead of cooking at home, he'll always get your favorite treats as long as your body can handle it — coffee, tea, somethin sweet, somethin salty. ⟢ he also orders out your favorite dinner and sets everything up for you, so you have to do as little as possible to eat and nourish yourself. ⟢ always makes sure that you're well fed and hydrated! ⟢ score : 7/10 ⟣

⊹˚˖୧ suguru

⟢ ok, but he would be such a good mom. ⟢ at this point in his life, you're the only thing that suguru actually cares about. you're the only thing he has to protect or take care of, and you damn well know that he's going to do a great job at it. ⟢ will absolutely cook for you and make your favorite soup all from scratch, including the noodles! ⟢ he has plenty of time to himself when you're sick, so he likes to spend it doing things for you instead. ⟢ he keeps you clean and comfy 100% of the time; he's giving you a new t-shirt, fresh blanket, or showering with you once you break a sweat. ⟢ aside from cooking, he's malewifing all of the cleaning too. ⟢ kitchen, bathroom, laundry room .. everything will be refreshed and spotless by the time you're back up! ⟢ always encourages you to visit the doctor, and will always drive you there when you need to go. ⟢ if you have to take meds, he's got timers set on his phone and makes sure you take them on time. ⟢ score : 11/10 ⟣

⊹˚˖୧ kento

⟢ nanami is another absolute keeper. ⟢ like suguru, he will be treating you with all sorts of homemade food. ⟢ he's insistent on keeping you hydrated and full, but he'll never be too pushy if he can tell you really aren't feeling it. ⟢ he won't take much time off from work partially because you tell him not to, but mostly so that you have plenty of space to relax and recover. ⟢ he'll make you breakfast if you're awake, or he'll leave something that can be fixed up easily if you're still asleep when he leaves. ⟢ he meal preps for both of you anyway, but he'll make healthy comfort foods for the entire week when you're feeling sick. ⟢ he loves to take a relaxing bath or shower with you. ⟢ he'll rub your back, neck, feet, anything if you need him to. he always offers; you never have to ask. ⟢ personal space is important for nanami, especially if he's going to work and will be around other people, but he will always cuddle up with you at the end of the day if you'll let him. ⟢ score : 10/10 ⟣

⊹˚˖୧ chōsō

⟢ to start, choso is going to need a bit of help because he doesn't know much about human sicknesses. ⟢ he hasn't been sick before himself, but he'll do his absolute best to understand everything about it, and all of your needs. ⟢ basically, if you tell him what needs to be done, he will do it and he'll do it with the cutest smile on his face. ⟢ he loves taking care of you, and after the first time you're sick, it makes him realize just how much he likes it and he's much more attentive now even when you're healthy. ⟢ he's always fixing food for you now, doing your laundry, asking if he can do your skincare for you, taking baths with you. ⟢ he definitely asks his friends and yuji for advice because he doesn't want to mess anything up. ⟢ he's also never been to a doctor, so he's oddly excited about accompanying you and he pays attention to everything so he can take care of you. ⟢ score : 9/10 ⟣ (+1 for effort)

⊹˚˖୧ yūta

⟢ god, please help this boy. ⟢ poor yuta. he's so helplessly in love with you that he can practically feel your symptoms within himself. ⟢ he's probably the most touchy out of the jjk men when you're sick, he just can't help himself even if he knows he shouldn't. ⟢ he's practically glued to you in bed, and he takes off work to spend more time with you. ⟢ he loves taking baths with you and he never minds cleaning you up, doing laundry, refreshing the sheets, etc. ⟢ always washes your hair for you so you can rest your arms, and brushes it when you're out of the bath. ⟢ he never wants you to do any work, especially if you're feeling bad. ⟢ always has water, hot tea, and meds ready for you. ⟢ switches up between making food for you and picking up your favorite treats! (his breakfast is the best, and he always has phenomenal coffee for you.) ⟢ as soon as you're feeling a bit better and your stomach can handle it, he's bringing home your favorite bubble milk tea :) ⟢ score : 10/10 ⟣

⊹˚˖୧ yūji

⟢ yuji is a little sunshiney ball of energy, so it's hard for him to laze about when you're sick. ⟢ he's kind of like suguru in the fact that he will pick up all of the chores. it's mostly to help you, of course, but he also just can't sit still without you. ⟢ because of his boredom, he usually goes out to get food for you, maybe stopping to see megumi and nobara along the way, but he also likes to mess around and try making new foods. ⟢ honestly, you prefer plain, more familiar comfort foods when you're sick, but you have no idea what you're getting to eat if you leave him to his own devices lmao. ⟢ cleaning isn't his favorite thing, but he'll make sure that you're always comfy and all of your clothes and blankets are fresh. ⟢ definitely cuddles up with you — he has an insanely strong immune system because of everything that happened with sukuna, and he takes full advantage of that when he can! ⟢ will take a bath with you, but is partial to showers because it's a bit easier and more refreshing when you're sick. ⟢ score: 8/10 ⟣

⊹˚˖୧ toge

⟢ this is my first time writing for toge, but I honestly think he'd be such a sweetheart when you're sick. ⟢ he's a little softie and he's always checking in on you, but he doesn't want to bother you too much. ⟢ you reassure him that it's okay, you like him being close to you as long as he's not worried about getting sick. ⟢ he mostly has throat medicine stocked up, but he basically has a small apothecary of stuff in your home for all sorts of maladies just in case. ⟢ he'll do everything for you, including cooking. he always makes small, simple meals for you, and his homemade miso soup is the best you've ever tasted. ⟢ he's also a big fan of tea and he has a bunch of sore throat, medicinal, and sleep teas at home which are perfect whenever you're feeling sick. ⟢ will sit with you and watch your favorite anime and movies for hours, and he'll stay with you while you're sleeping and read or play video games. but as soon as you're awake, all of his attention is back on you :) ⟢ score : 10/10 ⟣

⟢ @slutsenpai ⟣ // masterlist // navigation

notes. this is my first pure fluff post and it was actually quite nice to write! I will likely write more in the future, idk why but I assume people mostly come here for smut, so we'll see how this post performs! thanks :) likes, reblogs & comments much appreciated!◞♡ do not copy, repost, modify, or translate my writing anywhere for any reason.

[inmyglowupera]

Mindset Shift #3: You Need to Learn How to Plan and Cook Your Meals—There’s No Way Around It!

Did You Know?

Studies show that for the same number of calories consumed, people eating processed foods are more likely to experience weight gain compared to those eating whole foods.

Here’s why this happens:

Thermic Effect of Food (TEF):

• Whole foods like lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables require more energy to digest, absorb, and metabolize.

• Processed foods are often pre-digested (e.g., refined carbs), meaning your body spends less energy breaking them down, storing more as fat.

• A study published in Food & Nutrition Research (2010) found that a meal of whole foods increased energy expenditure by 50% compared to a meal of processed foods of the same calorie count.

Satiety and Nutrient Density:

• Whole foods are richer in fiber, protein, and water, which keep you fuller longer.

• Processed foods are often calorie-dense but nutrient-poor, leading to overeating.

Blood Sugar Spikes:

• Processed foods often cause quick spikes and crashes in blood sugar, triggering hunger and cravings sooner than whole foods would.

Learning to Cook Can Be Daunting, But Here’s How to Start:

Start Small: Focus on mastering 2–3 simple recipes you enjoy. Build confidence by perfecting these before moving on to more.

Meal Prep Basics: Plan meals for the week, batch-cook staples like grilled chicken or roasted veggies, and keep your pantry stocked with essentials like spices, whole grains, and healthy fats.

Keep It Simple: Use minimal ingredients and techniques at first. For example, a stir-fry with fresh veggies, protein, and a simple sauce can be quick and nutritious.

Get Curious About Food:

To make better food choices, it’s important to read labels and understand nutritional information. Here’s how:

Start with Ingredients: The fewer the ingredients, the better. Avoid items with a long list of unrecognizable additives.

Watch for Hidden Sugar and Sodium: Processed foods often sneak in sugar under names like maltose or high-fructose corn syrup. Check for sodium content, especially in packaged meals.

Focus on Nutrient Density: Look for foods high in protein, fiber, and healthy fats while being lower in refined carbs.

Be Wary of “Low Calorie/Low Sugar/Low Fat” Options:

Many “low” options can have unintended consequences:

1. Increased Hunger:

• Artificial sweeteners or fat replacements often leave you unsatisfied, leading to overeating.

• A study in Obesity Reviews (2010) showed that artificial sweeteners might increase appetite in some individuals.

2. Insulin Imbalance: Sugar substitutes can trigger insulin release even without calories, causing blood sugar instability.

3. Hidden Additives: Low-calorie or low-fat foods often replace natural fats or sugars with artificial additives that don’t support your health.

Reframe your mindset about cooking: it’s not a chore—it can be a fun meditative self-care experience.

Cooking engages all five senses, requiring focus on the present moment, which can have a calming effect on your nervous system. Here’s why:

1. Sensory Stimulation:

• The aroma of spices, the sound of sizzling pans, the texture of fresh ingredients, the sight of vibrant colors, and the taste of the final dish all ground you in the moment.

• Sensory activities like these can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes relaxation and reduces stress.

2. Mindfulness in Action:

• Cooking requires concentration on specific steps—chopping, measuring, mixing—which can act as a form of mindfulness, quieting racing thoughts.

• A study in Frontiers in Psychology (2014) found that mindfulness-based activities, even in small doses, improve mood and reduce anxiety.

3. Creative Outlet: Experimenting with flavors and presentation can turn cooking into a form of self-expression, which enhances mental well-being.

4. Sense of Accomplishment: Completing a meal, especially one you’ve planned and cooked yourself, fosters a sense of pride and satisfaction, boosting confidence.

All of this to say, making time for cooking and learning how to do it is not an option to lead a healthy lifestyle. Find cooking influencers who inspire you to try new recipes and offer advice for beginners. Get a beginner friendly cooking book with recipes you like and make it a journey to complete as many recipes during the year. You’ll soon recognize the common patterns in cooking and will be able to trust your abilities to nourish yourself in no time!

[concreteangel92]

Getting fit with Noah would include…

•gym sessions together

•Noah taking pride in showing you how each machine works and what settings are best for you and talking you through everything

•Noah clearly admiring you in your workout gear

•I’m talking full on heart eyes, proper distracted from his own workout

•especially when you’re squatting (dude is an ass man and I will hear no different!)

•meal prepping together, cooking healthy meals together, this man loves to cook

•no doubt a food fight would happen on the odd occasion

•mostly so you can shower together afterwards obviously

•Noah would love to spar with you after his classes

•again so he has an excuse to be all over you, pinning you down, being in all kinds of positions 👀

•Noah would always be great motivation on the days you really can’t be bothered

•and let’s face it, Noah is getting fitter, bigger and stronger everyday which can be intimidating if you’re not

•but Noah will always tell you how beautiful you are to him and he will never care what you look like

•if you were insecure about your thighs for example, doesn’t matter, he’ll spread them apart anyways 🤷🏻‍♀️

•and let’s be real here, I fully believe that Noah is the type of guy who wouldn’t be opposed to sex after a hard workout session together. Blood and adrenaline is pumping, you’re already sweaty and Noah wouldn’t be able to control himself, call it a primal need 😏

A/N: Silly 1am thoughts as I’ve been so busy over the last few weeks that I’ve not been able to write anything else and I’m also back on my own fitness kick atm so this just went through my head lol hopefully I’ll be able to write something proper soon but hope you enjoy ✌🏻

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