#weight loss palm beach gardens

[tinabrooks7]

Achieving Hormone Balance: A Path to Optimal Health in Palm Beach Gardens

Maintaining hormonal balance is essential for overall well-being, yet many individuals struggle with hormone-related issues. In Palm Beach Gardens, there exists a community of dedicated healthcare professionals who specialize in hormone balance. This blog post will explore the significance of hormonal equilibrium, its impact on health, and how seeking professional care in Palm Beach Gardens can lead to a vibrant and balanced life.

The Importance of Hormone Balance:

Regulation of Vital Functions:

Hormones play a crucial role in regulating various bodily functions, including metabolism, reproduction, and mood. Achieving balance ensures these processes function optimally.

2. Stabilized Mood and Emotions:

Hormonal imbalances can lead to mood swings, irritability, and feelings of anxiety or depression. Balancing hormones can significantly improve emotional well-being.

3. Improved Energy Levels:

Balanced hormones contribute to sustained energy levels throughout the day. This can lead to increased productivity and an overall sense of vitality.

4. Enhanced Metabolism and Weight Management:

Hormones influence metabolism and the body's ability to maintain a healthy weight. Achieving balance can support weight loss efforts and overall metabolic health.

5. Optimal Reproductive Health:

Hormonal balance is crucial for reproductive health in both men and women. It can improve fertility, menstrual regularity, and support healthy pregnancies.

Professional Hormone Balance Services in Palm Beach Gardens:

Specialized Healthcare Providers:

Palm Beach Gardens is home to a diverse community of highly skilled and experienced healthcare professionals specializing in hormone balance. They possess the expertise to assess and address individual hormone-related issues.

2. Comprehensive Assessment and Testing:

Professionals in Palm Beach Gardens conduct thorough evaluations, which may include blood tests and hormone panels, to identify specific hormonal imbalances.

Common Hormonal Imbalances and Treatments:

Estrogen Dominance:

This imbalance is common in women and can lead to symptoms like irregular periods, mood swings, and weight gain. Treatment options may include hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or lifestyle changes.

2. Testosterone Deficiency:

Low testosterone levels in men can result in decreased libido, reduced muscle mass, and fatigue. Treatment options may include testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) and lifestyle modifications.

3. Thyroid Dysfunction:

Imbalances in thyroid hormones can lead to symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, and mood swings. Treatment options may include thyroid hormone replacement medication and dietary changes.

4. Adrenal Fatigue:

This condition is characterized by fatigue, stress, and difficulty handling everyday tasks. Treatment may involve stress management techniques, lifestyle adjustments, and sometimes supplementation.

Why Choose Palm Beach Gardens for Hormone Balance:

Experienced Professionals:

Palm Beach Gardens boasts a community of highly skilled and experienced healthcare professionals specializing in hormone balance. They are dedicated to providing personalized care.

2. Cutting-Edge Technology:

Healthcare providers in Palm Beach Gardens are equipped with modern technology for accurate diagnoses and effective treatment planning, ensuring patients receive the highest quality care.

Achieving hormone balance is an essential step towards optimal health and well-being. By seeking professional care in Palm Beach Gardens, individuals can take proactive steps towards restoring and maintaining hormonal equilibrium. Whether addressing estrogen dominance, testosterone deficiency, thyroid dysfunction, or adrenal fatigue, specialized healthcare providers in Palm Beach Gardens are equipped to provide comprehensive care. Take the first step towards a balanced and vibrant life by scheduling a consultation for hormone balance in Palm Beach Gardens today. Experience the transformative impact of harmonized hormones on your overall health and vitality.

Reclaim balance and vitality with ThinWorks in Palm Beach Gardens. Schedule your consultation for personalized hormone balance today. Embrace a healthier, more vibrant you!

[mightyaphrodytee]

MY FIRST VISIT TO FLORIDA, January 1995, Palm Beach

Dad’s funeral, the whirlwind of seeing Rachel and Keelan for the first time in 12 years, absorbing the loss even as I felt no true grief for the man, only grief for a wound that would now never be healed, grief that my daughter lost a POTENTIAL actual grandfather—the last she had, staying in THAT HOUSE/MANSION IN PALM SPRINGS, Boz being shattered, Karina and Dorothy and Walter and their grief, the Ireland of it all being SO HEAVY, how warm and sunny it was even in late January, the High Catholicism funeral in the cathedral complete with incense and me (ME!) being asked to do a READING of some selected…scripture?—must’ve been, I can’t remember because honestly, it was all too much. Two days. Not enough yet too much all at once.

Yes I’m haunted but I’m feeling just fine

FLORIDA!!!

SECOND VISIT TO FLORIDA: April 1997, Orlando

With James, to Disney World and Universal Studios, Clay has a condo for us, surprise! Clay’s already there! I’ll pay for all the admission to everywhere if you just pay for your flight, DEAL!, being dependent on a cane, in constant pain while weight-bearing but my dr had not yet figured out what it was, seeing Rachel again under much better circumstances, light recreational drug use while partying with James and Clay and Rachel on whatever island that was, late at night, everybody drunk, we were drunk, Rachel and Clay hitting it off and dancing with a hundred other people VERY SUGGESTIVELY, and James’s subsequent meltdown over Clay wanting to be somehow sexual with A WOMAN and he’s a whore and on and on and then the next day sober acting like it never happened because nothing whatsoever happened between Rachel and Clay omg, going on all the rides before everybody else, no standing in line, because I was LITERALLY CANE DEPENDENT, the sensory overload, it was all 100% amazing and I was very sad to leave.

This was the first significant amount of time I got to hang with Rachel, and I fell in love. Sisters!

I have some regrets

I’ll bury them in

FLORIDA!!!

THIRD VISIT TO FLORIDA: November 1999, Palm Beach, Rachel’s wedding

Drunk, emotional, fabulous experience that felt like living through a hurricane. Of feelings! The Palm Beach Hotel, the spa at the PGA Gardens, the last day brunch on the beach when it was cloudy and drizzly and windy, the rehearsal dinner at that dope restaurant on Worth Avenue, the party at the Phippsberger’s with Inigo spraying tequila into my open mouth with a spray bottle and drunk driving golf carts around the estate, Boz in a cow suit (!!!), talking to Walter and getting some details about Dad’s childhood, feeling very Irish, very Butler heavy, Marie getting so hammered she fell down on the pavement (which, boy do I retroactively empathize with how bad that must’ve hurt), that chat with Jeannie about Dad omg, Miranda’s blossoming beauty that was definitely attractive to boys, the fun she had being a bridesmaid, her and Blanaid’s instant connection, that awful Patrick, getting high with Keelan at the reception in the tall hedges in front of Dad’s memorial tree, that friend of Dad’s who sat at our table and upon learning who I was, informed me that my father hadn’t been married prior to his marriage to Rachel’s mom, with such audacity and authority, my polite yet forceful recitation of the fact that I was, in fact, Jim’s oldest biological DAUGHTER and oh btw this girl next to me is his ONLY GRANDCHILD SO FAR, and him taking a moment to process, then saying ohhhhh, New York. Yeah, asshole, I thought. NEW YORK. After that he realized who we were, asked about Jay, and kissed our asses for hours. Hilarious. A fever dream. Joy and sorrow and gratitude and love all in one chaotic three-day weekend.

It’s one hell of a drug

FLORIDA!!!

FOURTH VISIT TO FLORIDA: March 2001, Daytona Bike Week

Wild veer between severely traumatic and utterly blissful. Met Lisa <3 Day. Loved her. Fran and Ron ditto. The other Ron, the one who gave us his cat before he retired. Waking and baking (except my husband.) Copious quantities of alcohol. Too much alcohol, as it turned out. The 10 pills, the hate in my heart for my husband, the ambulance, the ER, the coldness he displayed towards me for the rest of the trip despite knowing HE was the reason I kinda wanted to die and which he continued for a few days after we got home, as per usual. Passive-aggressive fuckery. One hell of a drug, charcoal is.

Tell me I’m despicable

Say it’s unforgivable

FLORIDA!!!

FIFTH VISIT TO FLORIDA: the very next month, April 2001

Orlando, West Palm, Palm Beach, Cocoa Beach, Julie and Sharon and Lisa Day (again!), in Cocoa Beach when the weather was so bad the wind was whipping the sand straight into our FACES, rendering sitting on the beach impossible (we joked it was free microdermabrasion to make us feel better that the one day we had all together was under such shitty weather), getting drunk instead and ordering takeout from Denny’s the next morning, hungover as fuck, Rachel and baby Liam, her husband basically ripping me off for $50 by taking my money to go get me weed, never to be heard from again), getting cafe con leches and Cuban sandwiches with Keelan, madness, escapism, all manner of substance abuse (just weed and alcohol, but some of the drinks and liquor store runs produced some increasingly complex cocktails), desperately delaying my return to real life, which was circling the drain back home, the dread was a physical thing I felt every single minute, but thankfully cell phones were limited, we didn’t have any, but still…and yet. Control was exerted and I submitted and went home strictly because I love my daughter.

So you pack your life away

Just to wait out the shitstorm back in Texas

FLORIDA!!!

And I’ve never been back. It all seems like a fever dream of colors and heightened emotions and hotel rooms and mansions and a hurricane with my name and me and my ghosts and laying to rest all the bodies that had been on my body and barricading myself in the bathroom with a bottle of wine, check, check, check.

[slimweightlossclinic]

Semaglutide vs. Tirzepatide: Which Is Right for Your Weight Loss Goals?

Choosing thе right weight loss solution іѕ a critical decision іn уоur journey tо a healthier уоu, аnd bоth Semaglutide аnd Tirzepatide offer promising options. Thеѕе medications, initially developed fоr managing type 2 diabetes, hаvе gained recognition fоr thеіr significant potential іn aiding weight management. Hеrе, wе wіll compare Semaglutide аnd Tirzepatide tо help уоu make аn informed decision аbоut whісh оnе aligns best wіth уоur weight loss goals.

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Whеn deciding bеtwееn Semaglutide аnd Tirzepatide, consider уоur weight loss goals, medical history, potential ѕіdе effects, lifestyle, аnd cost. Bоth medications hаvе demonstrated significant weight loss benefits, аnd уоur unique circumstances ѕhоuld guide уоur choice. Consulting wіth a healthcare professional іѕ crucial tо determine whісh medication aligns wіth уоur specific needs аnd goals. Whеthеr уоu opt fоr Semaglutide оr Tirzepatide, уоu аrе taking a positive step tоwаrd achieving уоur weight loss aspirations.

Contact US

Slim Weight Loss Clinic

4290 Professional Center Dr, Suite 309, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410, USA

Phone: 1-866-755-0594

Email: info@slimweightlossclinic.com

Website: https://slimweightlossclinic.com/

Company Hours:

Monday-Thursday: 09:00 AM – 08:00 PM Friday: 09:00 AM – 05:00 PM

External Links

Twitch.tv

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Devpost.com

Designspiration.com

Zazzle.com

[ivtherapytreatments]

Welcome to Liquivida Wellness Center in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Located in PGA Boulevard, we're equipped to offer you IV Therapy, Sexual Wellness, Weight Loss, HRT, Peptides, and Facial Aesthetics services. IV Therapy in Palm Beach Gardens Absorb 100 percent of nutrients at the cellular level and manage the aging process like a rockstar!

Optimal health and wellness is what keeps you living life to the fullest - so we want to keep you healthy and strong for as long as humanly possible.

At Liquivida, we're your one-stop-shop for all of your health, wellness, and anti-aging needs. If this is your first-time visiting our site, we'd love to meet you to show you how to get a thrill from everything life has to offer!

[perfectlyelegantdelusion]

Hey, @atomicdetectivehideout I’m happy to be your  @destielsecretsanta2020

Merry Christmas! Please, accept my humble gift for the holiday. It’s a 3k of fluff and stuff (well, when I say fluff, I mean, I really tried!). I sincerely hope you enjoy it. 

Thank you to the most awesomest people to ever awesome @campchitaquamemories and @amyoatmeal for offering to beta this little thing. You guys rock!

Here it is on ao3 if you prefer

Those Things That Couples Do

Come to think of it, it wasn’t such a lame idea. Not lame at all, Dean thought, to the extent he might even have to thank Sam later. Well, maybe not outright thank him, but definitely bake a cherry pie for Eileen (her favorite; the woman sure knew how to enjoy life). It felt nice, lying on the bed with Cas in the semi-darkness, Christmas lights on the dresser and a couple of the apple cider and cinnamon scented candles Cas liked so much (and Dean grumbled about but secretly enjoyed too) being the only source of light. It felt cozy. Safe. They talked in hushed voices so as not to disturb the quiet magic of the bubble they had created in that moment, and dammit, but Dean was grateful to his brother and soon-to-be sister-in-law for this particular chick-flick.

“So, you sure you want this to go on your list as the first item?” Dean nudged Cas gently with an elbow. “Sick of my cooking already? I’m hurt, man,” he added, only half-jokingly.

The idea Eileen pitched to them was to write down three items each to reflect their hopes and plans for the upcoming year. At first, Dean laughed when Sam handed him a blue envelope with four blank craft paper cards to be written on. He had been about to suggest Sam find someone more age-appropriate to participate in that particular brand of cute (Dean could almost see the faces Claire and Kaia would make at the suggestion), but Cas’s quiet ‘It’s a lovely idea’ made him silently accept the package at the last second. This provided Sam with the pleasure of witnessing his older brother biting his tongue and smiling reassuringly at Cas who’d been busy searching Dean’s face for a reaction.

Per the rules Sam had explained to them, they were supposed to write down their plans (which they were encouraged to discuss, because that’s apparently what couples do) and complete a bonus task – individually, this time – describing where they see themselves next year at Christmas. Then, they were to seal their envelope and give it to Sam and Eileen for safekeeping, accepting theirs in exchange. That way next year there would be an additional reason to spend Christmas together and see which things have come to pass.

“Stop fishing for a compliment. You know your cooking is delicious.” Cas turned to look at Dean. “I want to be able to do nice things for you, Dean. Like you do for me. Cooking for people you care about is how you show affection and those small, but meaningful gestures go a long way. I’d love to be able to surprise you with a breakfast pie in bed, or make soup for when you catch a cold, or-“ Dean interrupted him with a chaste and gentle kiss on the lips. “You had me at the breakfast pie, Cas. Cooking and baking: 101 it is.” Cas smiled, reached for Dean’s hand, and pressed a kiss to his knuckles. Laying back on the pillow, he rested Dean’s hand on his belly, gently stroking the fingers. Dean closed his eyes and sighed contentedly.

“What will you put as your first item?” Cas asked a moment later.

“That’s easy,” Dean murmured into Cas’s shoulder. “Beach vacay. Never had the time for that before. What do you think about some sand between our toes? Maybe even skinny-dipping with enough margaritas?”

“You do look extremely hot in those aviators of yours,” Cas replied in a thoughtful voice, as if mulling it over. “And skinny-dipping does sound promising. A beach vacation certainly belongs on that list.”

“Cas, if you want me naked and in sunglasses, that can be arranged anytime, anywhere.”

“I want you in those cut-off shorts of yours, and then I want you out of them,” Cas continued in a low voice, and Dean felt the hairs on his arm stand up under Castiel’s fingertips. “I want to explore your sun-kissed skin and count the freckles on your back. I want you to enjoy yourself in all the ways that appeal to you, so yes. You’re writing that down. I’m taking you to the beach.”

“Just like that?” Dean asked, teasingly. “Pretty goal-oriented, aren’t you?”

Cas glared at him; Christmas lights caught in his dark blue eyes. “I was a Seraph, Dean. Goal-oriented was in the job description.”

“Bossy,” Dean suggestively wiggled his eyebrows.

“You like that.”

“Touché.”

Cas turned on his side, facing Dean. They were lying so close now they breathed the same air, noses just shy of touching. Dean took Cas’s hand and laced their fingers, nudging a knee between Cas’s thighs. “What else is on your list?” Dean asked.

Cas didn’t answer right away, and Dean closed his eyes to bask in the warmth of their bodies.

“There’s a small plot of land behind the bunker,” Cas began, “I was wondering whether it’s okay with you and Sam if I make a garden there?” He sounded uncertain, for some unknown reason, and Dean frowned at that. “It wouldn’t be anything fancy, just some flowerbeds with sunflowers or maybe lavender-“

“Cas,” Dean interjected, still frowning, “why would you even ask? You don’t need anyone’s permission to do what you want to do, come on. The bunker belongs to you just as much it does to me or Sammy or Eileen or the rest of our extended family.” He propped himself up on one elbow and gently freed his hand from Castiel’s hold to cup his cheek. “If you want a garden, I’ll help you make one. Or just as happily will mind my own business if it’s something you want to do on your own. Okay?”

“Thank you, Dean,” Cas whispered, earnestly. And it wasn’t about the garden, really. It was about being reassured he belonged, was wanted. Accepted.

“You should definitely add the garden to your list, Cas. And, while we’re on the topic, there was actually something I wanted to ask you about.” Dean cleared his throat, his heart rate quickened. He’d been thinking about this for quite a while, but never seemed to find the right moment to broach the topic. Frankly, he’d never felt brave enough to do so. Why mess up a good thing? But the idea lived in his head rent free, and there was no lying to himself, no tricking his mind out of it. “What would you say about a real garden, though?  With an apple tree, some benches, maybe even a gazebo? Where you can plant all kinds of flowers to appease those honeybees of yours?”

“That- That sounds lovely, Dean,” Cas replied, obviously a little bit at a loss. “What do you have in mind?”

Dean was grateful it was dark in the room because he could feel himself blushing, chest burning as if someone had put a hot iron on it. He took a deep breath that didn’t do much to lessen the anxiety.

“Remember, back in Sioux Falls, Bobby’s old property?” Dean paused, waiting for Castiel to nod in agreement. “So, it’s all still there. It’s a pretty big plot of land, and the house burned down, obviously, but I was thinking,” the words kept jumping one in front of the other, and Dean felt the blush deepen, desperately hoping Cas would understand what he was trying to say. “I ain’t that bad at rebuilding things, and, of course, it’s gonna be quite a lot of work, but who doesn’t like a fixer-upper, right? There’s the salvage yard, too, we can do something with that. I’m sure Bobby wouldn’t mind, and there shouldn’t be any problems with the documents, given who’s the sheriff in town. And that way you and I get to be closer to Claire, and Donna, the whole gang-“

“You and I?” Cas asked quietly, and Dean took a deep breath, grateful for the interjection.

“You and I. And some bees, apparently,” Dean gave Cas a weak smile, searching his eyes.

Green met blue, and for the better part of a minute (eternity, really) Cas just kept looking at him silently. Dean’s heart was hammering in his chest so loudly, he wondered if maybe he just couldn’t hear Cas’s answer because of the pounding in his ears. But Castiel’s lips didn’t move, and Dean felt like he couldn’t breathe, like he needed to get out before he went into a full-blown panic attack. It was too much. Why would Cas want to leave the bunker? It was way safer there. There were other people, hunters, coming and going, Sam and Eileen lived barely an hour away, why would he even consider moving in with Dean, let alone-

Suddenly, Cas was on Dean, left hand on Dean’s pillow for support, right hand cupping Dean’s face. Cas pressed kisses everywhere, holding on to Dean like it was the last thing on Earth worth doing. Cas moved his hand into Dean’s hair, gripping tight, and Dean moaned, capturing Cas’s mouth with his own, deepening the kiss. Dean’s anxiety turned into exhilaration, because that was very clearly a yes, and somewhere at the back of his mind he wondered if maybe he’d just suffered a mild heart attack. In mere seconds, though, his body went pliant under Cas’s weight, the kiss grew even more urgent and heated. Dean’s brain short-circuited, the only thing that registered was the press of Cas’s groin to his own, the sounds Cas was making, the texture of his tongue, the softness of his palms, his smell, his taste, the overwhelming need to be closer, to become one, to forget there ever was an outside world at all. But as Dean slipped his hands under Cas’s T-shirt, Cas groaned and broke the kiss, panting. He pressed his forehead to Dean’s, eyes closed and breathing heavy.

“I believe we’ve gotten carried away,” Cas said, hoarsely. “We still have to finish the lists before Sam leaves for Eileen’s.”

“Screw Sam,” Dean rasped, “I don’t care, just take off your clothes and keep kissing me senseless.”

Cas growled and bit his lip to keep himself from grinding.

“There will be no screwing Sam,” he said in a low voice. “We finish the lists, give Sam the envelope, bid him goodnight,” Cas took a deep breath, his body looming over Dean. “And then we pick up right where we left off.”

“Fuck, Cas,” Dean whined.

“Patience, Dean,” Cas pressed a kiss behind his ear, where he knew Dean was especially sensitive. “All in due time.”

With that, Castiel got up, went to click his bedside lamp on, fluffed his pillow, propped it against the headboard, and took the writing supplies from the nightstand. When he got back on the bed, he made sure to leave a few inches of space between them.

Dean groaned. “Fuck my life,” he muttered, but took a couple of deep breaths, willing his heart rate to friggin’ slow down already.  He sat up and reached to switch on the lamp on his side of the bed. He watched Cas for a moment before clarifying, “Yes to the house, though?”

Cas looked at him, pen pausing in the middle of a sentence. “I love you, Dean. Yes to the house.”

Dean grinned. “So, two down, one to go. Item number three for 2021?”

Castiel chewed on the cap, thoughtfully. “This one is less specific, but I’d like to try things I haven’t tried before. Unusual food, new experiences, all kinds of activities – with you.”

“Cas, I swear, if you hadn’t stopped just now, I’d have given you a thing or two to cross out from that bucket list,” Dean smiled, cockily.

Cas grinned. “I should think so.”

“Just say the word,” Dean winked, “and we can go baptize the library.”

“Noted. Let’s just not traumatize your brother any further.”

“He’ll live.”

Cas sighed, a mix of fondness and exasperation. “We’ll get back to this conversation as soon as we’re finished with the task at hand. What’s your item number three for the list?”

“Well,” Dean sat up straighter to get himself into business mode, “I’d love to spend more time with family. Get to know them better, maybe set up some family traditions? I don’t know if everyone will appreciate the idea, but it would be kinda awesome.” He glanced at the framed photos proudly sitting on his shelf.

“I think it’s a wonderful thing to put on your list,” Castiel reached for his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, “and I don’t have a shadow of a doubt, everyone will be thrilled.”

“They’d better be. Otherwise, they’ll be missing out on the greatest feasts humanity’s ever known.”

“Yes,” Cas agreed easily, “among other things.”

Dean smiled and reached for his own supplies.

For the next five minutes the only sound that filled the room was rustling of paper. Having finished writing, Dean clicked his pen off. “So, what’s with the bonus task? The one where we describe where we see ourselves this time next year?”

Cas bent the card he was writing on in half and slid it into the envelope. “We’re not supposed to discuss it, but, seeing that we will be exchanging our predictions next year, I figure we just address it to each other?”

“Let’s do that,” Dean nodded. “So, no consulting, huh?”

Castiel hummed. “If we were to respect the rules. You know, though, my prediction doesn’t make much of a secret,” he shrugged, smiling. “This time next year, and all the years to come, I see myself watching a Christmas movie with you. I can’t keep up with the plot, really, because mostly I’m watching you watching the movie, watching you smile, listening to you laugh. And I am overwhelmed by how grateful I am for everything that has led me there, in that moment. I’m happy. I’m with you.”

Dean’s throat felt tight and his eyes started prickling with tears somewhere between ‘all the years to come’ and ‘watching you watching the movie’. Cas was looking at him with such adoration, reverence even, blue eyes glistening, pen and paper forgotten.

“Yeah,” Dean said, wrapping Cas in a bear hug. “Yeah.” He hid his face in the crook of Castiel’s neck and felt an awkward kiss being pressed to the side of his head. “You’re such a sap, man,” he breathed a somewhat wet laugh. “You’re such a sap, and I wouldn’t change a single thing about you. I hope you know that.”

“I know,” Cas mumbled, “I know.”

“You should still put all of that in writing. You know, for posterity.”

“I will. Will you write yours?”

Dean withdrew a little to give Cas a kiss on the cheek. “I will. But I’m gonna need you to bear with me, ‘cause for once in my life I would actually like to stick to the rules.” He caught Cas’s eyes, “Is that okay with you?” he asked, with a hint of a mischievous smile.

“Of course, Dean.”

“Good. Good.” Dean grinned. “And Cas? I love you, too.”

***

Eileen was supposed to pick him up in about an hour, so Sam sat at his desk browsing true crime documentaries on Netflix when Dean burst in his room without knocking.

“Would you appreciate it if I barged into your room like that?” Sam asked flatly, not looking up from the screen.

“We both know that’s an empty threat,” Dean replied without missing a beat. “Not with those delicate sensibilities of yours.”  He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Sam bristled, “You guys were doing it against the kitchen sink! A man should expect the kitchen to be a safe space!”

“Yes, yes,” Dean nodded vigorously, “he should. But it’s still ill-advised.”

Sam closed the lid of his laptop with a click . “Please, tell me you’ve got the envelope and I can go see my girl and bring home the victory of getting you and Cas to participate?”

“Sure thing, Sammy,” Dean dropped the envelope in question on the desk. “Take good care of that for us,” he winked at his brother mischievously. “Cas has already stashed yours in some dusty old book. And hey,” he added in a more serious voice, “tell Eileen thank you?”

“Wait, really?” Sam started, but Dean was already out in the hall.

“Can’t talk, gotta run, Cas says he wants to try new things, and believe me, Sammy, I am gonna deliver!”

“TMI, jerk!” Sam yelled after him, leaning his chair back on two legs to try and catch sight of his older brother.

“Drive safe, bitch!” Dean yelled back from down the hall.

Sam sighed and picked up the blue envelope titled Dean & Cas: 2021 Edition in Castiel’s neat handwriting. The envelope wasn’t sealed properly, and as soon as Sam turned it over in his hands the contents slipped out onto the desk.

“You’re so whipped, Dean,” Sam muttered under his breath picking up the papers. One of the cards fell onto the floor, and as Sam leaned to pick it up, he recognized Dean’s handwriting. Not his finest hour, he would figure later, but the eyes started skimming the text before the brain could actually approve the action.

Hey, Cas. So, we’re talking this time next year, huh? Let’s see. I’m most probably sitting on the couch with you, and we’re in the middle of binge-watching one of those shows you like or watching a documentary. I can’t really tell, because I’m having trouble focusing on what’s going on on the screen. The reason probably being that I have this ring in my pocket, and I keep thinking I should come up with more fitting words. I keep overanalyzing things, wondering if this is even something you might want. And then, we open the envelope, and I’m giving you this little piece of paper, and you start reading it. And I- I can see you frowning in concentration, and it’s been a year since I wrote this, and I still haven’t found the words, because really there are no words to even begin to describe what we have. So- So I take your hand, I kiss your knuckles, and I slip the ring on your finger, and I hope-

Man, I hope I get to spend the rest of my life with you.

With a dopey smile, Sam slipped the card back into the envelope, sealing it carefully. “So whipped,” he repeated quietly, but proudly. 2021 was going to be one for the books.

[maruzzewrites]

“I’ll kiss away the pain, doll.” - Risotto 👀

42. “I’ll kiss away the pain, doll.”

Content warnings: yandere content, obsessive behavior, implied stalking, creepy behavior, gore, violence, mouth trauma, throat trauma, you know what’s up fellas.

Vacations were very rare for you. You were soused to work or study, so used to the routine of buzzing sounds of a city, themurmur of people all running and fleeing around you, that you never reallythought about the possibility of taking some time off. You had certain goalsyou wanted to meet in set dates, set timeframes, just to prove yourselfsomething and because of the need of building self-discipline. Otherwise, youwere afraid you’d fall into a pit of inactivity, forever stalling in the stillwater of the present and never thinking of what was to come.

However, it was obvious that the rhythm youimposed to yourself could be sustained for only so long, until your mind gaveout and worried the people around you. You had the fortune of having caring family,caring peers and caring colleagues, who first encouraged, then demanded youtook time off your busy schedule even if you would use the time to lie down anddo nothing in the privacy of your room. But, ever the busybody, you couldn’tstand the thought of listening to the tick of the clock as it displayed thetime separating you from your return to your normal life. So, you packed yourbags and decided to take a little trip, not far away from your home. With a fewcalls, you found a hotel with vacancy ready to welcome you on the warm beaches ofa city near Naples, and you said goodbye to your loved ones with the promisesof photos.

The drive, on the bus, was rather quiet, but thetrepidation inside your chest made you understand how much your body craved therest you denied to yourself. Your arrival wasn’t spectacular, of course, butthe staff of the hotel was cordial, affable, more than willing to bring yoursuitcase to your room and let you know everything you needed about breakfast,lunch and dinner. With the keys in your pocket, you didn’t spend much time inyour own room, preferring to get familiar with the place before heading out toenjoy an evening walking around the little city you picked for your vacation.

The hall, the common rooms, the restaurant, allwere delightful and tidy, the perfect package for someone who wanted to simplyrelax for a few days without having a worry in mind. With light steps, the onlyburden the strain still present on your mind, you walked towards the garden inthe back of the hotel. Bright, warm sun rays washed over the little green space,with a short stone rail separating the building behind you from the privatebeach reserved to the patrons of the hotel. You rested your hands on the rail,looking at the sea, gently moved by the breeze that carried salt and aromas toyou with delicacy. It had been so long since you enjoyed the seaside, despiteliving so close to it, and your mind was filled not only with pleasant plansfor these coming days, but with memories of childhood and adolescence full ofcareless moments.

So engrossed in your own musings, that you didn’tnotice the presence of someone else right there. It’s only a small creak,almost inaudible, that woke you up from your reverie, and you whipped your headin the direction of the faint sound. With a breath, you took in a black, dullelement in the colorful scenario you were in; a man, dark and tall, seated on abench right on edge of the visible garden, against a bush. He had a computer onhis lap, and gloomy staring at you with deep red irises. For a moment, yourcuriosity about the weird appearance of the man didn’t allow you to feel anyfear at his presence, your head simply tilted into an inquisitive look as youscrutinized the person that entered your field of vision. It was only when heslammed the computer shut and moved towards you that you seemed to understandhe was an actual person, someone alive and breathing you were staring at. Inthe panic of such an imposing man stalking in your direction with calmconfidence, you didn’t think about escaping or running back to your room.

“Who are you?” His question was direct, easy toanswer, and it made you seal your lips with violence. You looked up at him, athis face, casted in shadow despite the sun shining high and bright over yourheads. You didn’t think about throwing quick glances around you, to check forany exit, and you just watched his steely face, as if he was unable to betrayany sort of emotion he didn’t want to display by his own volition. After a fewseconds in complete silence, you parted your lips to breath, and an answerspilled from your lips before you could stop yourself. You told him who youwere, throwing a mechanic greeting and the usual pleasantries, as if your brainjust decided to follow a script you prepared time ago.

His eyes searched you, the steel and coldnessbehind them draining slowly as you stood there paralyzed by his gaze, until hesighed in the most imperceptible way – you caught it simply because you werehyper-aware of his movements, of his reactions. He didn’t turn around, he didn’tcontinue to talk, you were stuck in an uncanny limbo where he was staring atyou and you had to fight the fear raising and gripping your throat. You wantedto walk away from that strange enchantment you were under, so you broke the eyecontact and glanced at the hotel. You raised a hand, waved goodbye, and smiledat him in a way you hoped was reassuring enough, speaking only to say you hopedto see him around. Before you fully turned away, you saw his face change,colored with surprise at your statement.

After that, you managed to actually meet himagain. More than once, too, as if he was especially seeking you out every timeyou were out your room and staying in the common rooms, on the private beach orjust standing outside your door for a little while. You wanted to assume he wason your same floor, but you couldn’t fully trust your wishful thinking when youwere getting more and more paranoid with how insistent and nosy that man was.He would ask to sit at the same table as you at lunch, pick the spot rightbesides you on the beach, make awkward small talk and awful conversation thathe started, but didn’t seem to be able to carry on without your help. It wasodd, uncomfortable even, and you couldn’t believe the few days of vacation yougot were ruined by such a creep.

Luckily, the last day rolled around, and you werepacking the few things you scattered around your room. Enjoying the remaining momentsof relax, you opted to stay inside all day and avoid all encounters withpotential neighbors or unrelenting suitors, no matter how flattering theythought they would be. You didn’t even get out to have lunch, simply appreciatingroom service for the possibility of dodging the necessity of getting out. Oncedinner arrived, however, you were too bored to stay in your room and headed tothe restaurant without too much thought about meeting that man, sure you’dleave him behind you once you were back at home.

“You weren’t here today.” Predictably, heapproached your table as soon as you were distracted, and you winced at hisvoice, at his tone filled with admonishment. You had no idea how he managed tosneak up on you so easily every time, but you didn’t appreciate the feeling of beingcornered each single time you saw him. Yet, you decided to keep peace for now,so close to escaping his attention, so you entertained a conversation with himwith more enthusiasm than usual. He seemed to notice, if the flash of a grin onhis face was any indication of his own thoughts.

The evening was going smoothly, despite theuncomfortable feeling gripping your stomach, and you considered how slippingaway without resistance just to leave him behind and have a peaceful last nightof sleep before returning to your routine. In your distraction, you let out theinformation about your imminent departure, about how you were about to returnhome and other idle comments about your time in that city, and you didn’tnotice how the man fell silent all of the sudden. His eyes bore into you,searching, analyzing, and you squirmed as soon as you noticed the weight of thatgaze. You excused yourself quickly, jogging towards your room.

Just as you were about to reach the right floor,you felt something under your skin. A vicious, slick sensation snaking all overyour body, flowing like a dull pain in the same point in your throat. Youcoughed, trying to get rid of the tightness you felt, but the pain was growingto the point of making you weep. You stopped in your tracks, looking around tofind some help, but the staircase was empty. Suddenly, you felt your throatbust open, yet the ache came only after; with your hands holding your newinjury, warm blood wetting your fingers, you let out a choked scream, but yourvoice didn’t spill from your lips for long as a hand pressed against your mouthto stop you from making any sound.

Your gaze was unfocused because of the shock, thepain and the blood loss, but you turned your head anyway, whatever was in yourthroat tearing agonizingly at the skin and the muscle with the movement of yourneck. With the corner of your eye, you caught a glimpse of familiar white hairand black clothes, the warm palm forced on your face big enough to belong tothe man you knew was hurting you. When you started to complain, to struggleagainst his hold, he dragged you closer to his body and the painful sensationfrom before resurfaced, clawing up on your tongue, in your gums, a scream dyingin your throat.

“Don’t fight it.” His voice was too composed andtoo calm for this situation, his hands keeping you glued against him as hestood up fully from his hunched-over position. Your feet weren’t on the groundanymore, and the sudden realization made you kick and struggle with renewed animosity.His fingers gripped your jaw with more strength, preventing it to move and ensuringyou won’t scream as you felt something seep through the gaps between yourteeth, excruciating pain occupying your mind until you couldn’t even move.

“I told you,” his tone was still that of anauthority figure, reprimanding you for a minor inconvenience, as you went limpin his arms, a metallic taste wetting your tongue. Your felt like you couldn’tbreathe, as if you were about to choke and black out, slip out from this world –and maybe that would have been the best option for you. With the littlestrength you still had, you realized the man was now moving down the stairs,stopping at the floor below the one you were in, walking down the empty hall withunnerving calm. You tried to resist again, but it was such a weak attempt that hedidn’t even bother to stop you; from behind his hand, you whimpered, and soonhis gloom voice reached your ears in an attempt to soothe you, “I’ll kiss awaythe pain, doll. Just be good.”

You sobbed and thrashed in his hold, your bodytoo frail to really do much and accomplish anything worthwhile. Yet, youassumed he wanted you to really behave, and he wouldn’t tolerate any type of defiancefrom you. The hand around your jaw moved quickly, slamming your mouth shut andsomething that felt like needles pierced your gums, renewing the previous painand making you let out a faint wheeze. After a moment of tension in your entirebody, your body and mind decided to give into the agony and the abrupt sensationof fainting. You heard the distant words of the man as your hands went to holdthe arm around your body in order to support yourself better, “Good, be good.”

You passed out as soon as you saw him open adoor, releasing your jaw.

[inspired-by-the-music]

For You: 4 O’Clock

Chapter 4. Truth

The fact that Mom and Donghae, during their argument, had forgotten about my presence in my upstairs bedroom was a curse and a blessing. 

It was a curse because (I think) if they considered that I was listening from afar, they wouldn’t have yelled their deepest secrets. Although, I guess I have to understand that their guarded truths were only secrets from my perspective. It was a curse because I didn’t want to know what they had worked so hard to keep between themselves. I know Lucas and I had spent the past few days casually wondering why Mom was avoiding Donghae, but I didn’t really want to know. I didn’t have any right to know. 

It was a blessing because their focus on each other— away from me— allowed me to slip out of the window undetected. 

I would probably never go so far as to thank Baekhyun, Lucas, and Mark for stealing me from my bedroom the night before, but were it not for them, I wouldn’t have known that the climb down to the back driveway was possible— easy, even. There was no destination in my mind when I started the descent, but once my bare feet touched the cold pavement, I knew where I could find refuge. 

The garden connected my house to the house the other members of SuperM called home until our projects were completed. I guess that since it was technically their garden too, I could have crossed paths with another member on any of the countless nights I walked out there to stroke the roses, and admire the stars, and reach for the moon. I never saw anybody outside, though, so I didn’t expect him to be out there. 

Earlier that night, I thought that Taemin was the last person I wanted to see. Now that I saw him sitting on the bench, holding a flower, I realized that I had been holding my breath, anticipating the sight of him since we parted ways that morning. I (who wore his jacket) felt silly approaching him (who wore my ribbon around his wrist just as Lucas reported— just as I remembered from that morning at the campsite). I felt silly that the ribbon, the symbol that lit me ablaze with rage that morning, should comfort me now. 

“Lei.” Taemin smiled at me. 

I realized when I blinked that the rose he held was broken. It hadn’t wilted, but the still scarlet petals that looked soft to the touch were falling apart. He cradled the flower with both hands as if willing it to mend. I wondered if he knew that it was an impossible hope— the petals were shed forever— but I didn’t want to tell him. I wanted his efforts to succeed. And maybe they would, I dreamed, if I kept my mouth closed. 

“Can I sit with you?” I asked, and he made room for me on the bench. 

When I sat next to him, Taemin seemed to realize that the rose was damaged beyond repair. Sighing, he placed one petal into my palm, and then two, and then three, and he continued until all that remained on the stem was a small bulb. The rose was probably less magnificent than it had been when it held all of its petals, but it looked healthier now. It was still beautiful. Maybe it didn’t need everything it lost. 

“Here you go.” Taemin delicately dropped the flower onto my lap. It matched my ruby-red dress. 

I couldn’t understand why he had given me all of the rose— the broken parts and what little remained intact— so I asked. 

He answered softly, “Because you’re crying.” 

Then, I realized that my face was sticky with tears, and my breaths were shallow, and I was practically leaning against Taemin. Taemin, who looked at me like he knew me even though he didn’t— Taemin, who wore my ribbon where anyone could see, as if it were something to show off— Taemin, who was far more than an idol. He didn’t shift or crumble under my weight, and he didn’t reciprocate the touch like I knew many others would without considering the implications of their actions. 

It wouldn’t have been so bad, I thought, if Taemin were to wrap his arm around me. I wouldn’t have flinched if Taemin reached up to wipe my tears. 

And yet, I didn’t quite crave his touch because his presence alone was calming. We looked up at the moon for what felt like a second and an hour and an eternity, and when I finally told him why I was crying, he seemed surprised that I had filled our silence with words. 

Knowing that my words would never leave our garden, I didn’t make Taemin swear to secrecy before I revealed, “Tonight I found out that Donghae has been in love with my mom for fifteen years, and she probably loves him too, but she always has to reject him because she’s the idol who never debuted, and I—”

My voice caught in my throat like it did when I was talking to Kai on the beach, but this time I was on the verge of tears— I was past the verge of tears because, “I’m what ruined her career. I’m what everyone at S.M. is told to fear when they talk about the idol who never—”

I hiccuped, drowning in my own tears, and that’s when Taemin touched me. He pulled me close and held my head against his chest, where I could feel the steady beating of his heart. He waited patiently until the sobs finished racking through my body. 

I know that I should have been embarrassed by my complete loss of control, but I had not fully cried about any personal emotional injury in my entire 21 years of life. Once the tears started, I didn’t know how to stop crying until all of the tears were expelled. I know that it’s wrong to lean on people (or at least that’s what I always thought), but I don’t know how I would have gotten through that first night of knowing the truth without having Taemin as my anchor. I know that I would have gotten through— I always did— but I don’t know how, I can’t imagine how, and I am glad Taemin was there. 

When I thought about it, though, it was like he had always been there. Before, it had been through his music that encouraged my emotional release; that night, it was through his embrace that shielded me from the feelings that threatened to destroy my sense of self. 

Once we were both satisfied that I would be okay— that the tears had finally run out— Taemin let me lift my head from his chest. He let me slink over to my own side of the bench, and we stared at the moon until we caught our breath. 

Then, it was Taemin’s turn to break the silence. “I have watched people— good people— drown in negative self-perceptions. Wrong self-perceptions. I have learned that I can’t make people see what I can see, but I have to tell you, Lei—” 

Taemin wouldn’t continue until I looked at him and fit my hand, still clutching the rose petals, into his. I didn’t hesitate. His skin was warm. 

Squeezing my hand (not hard enough to hurt but hard enough that I could never forget his words), Taemin said, “You didn’t ruin your mom’s career, and you didn’t ruin her relationship with Donghae. You didn’t ruin anything just by existing. You are one of the brightest people at S.M. and in the whole world, so don’t— don’t despair, okay?”

Taemin spoke with such gentle authority that I couldn’t have argued even if I wanted to. 

So many times, I had rolled my eyes or shrugged away when boys said things like, “You’re the best dancer,” or “Your voice is beautiful,” or “You’re my ideal type,” because there was an unspoken expectation that I should say something back. I should return the compliment. I should thank them for their attention. 

Taemin didn’t expect me to say anything in response, though. (What could I have said anyway?) As soon as he finished saying his piece, he stood from the bench and offered me his hand— the one donning the blue ribbon— saying, “I’ll walk you home. It’s late, and we have to leave early tomorrow.” 

To take Taemin’s hand— to hold it as we walked— I had to leave the shed rose petals behind. I don’t know why that made my heart twitch from sadness. What could I have done with a bunch of stray petals? Even the intact rose Taemin gave me would be wilted by the time I returned home from the tour to find it still lying on my vanity. 

Why, then, did I bother rooting through the house for a flower vase once Mom had retired to her room? My behavior made no sense. It made no sense to hope against all reason that Taemin’s rose would be the first in the history of roses to live forever. 

And still, I did.

Although Taemin and I texted until sunrise, we didn’t so much as wave at each other (at first) after boarding the plane. He was deep in conversation with Kai, smiling that bright smile, as I eased into the seat next to Mark. 

Besides, I rationalized as I ignored the urge to look at him just once, I wouldn’t have known what to say to Taemin anyway. It was one thing to talk in the garden (where only we could hear) or via texts (that only we could read); it was another to talk on the plane— at work— even if the only witnesses were the other members and staff. 

“Are you okay, Lei?” Mark broke a chunk from his chocolate bar and pressed it into my palm. “You look a little green.” 

I heard once that chocolate makes people feel a little happier, so I wasted no time in eating the candy. 

“Yeah, Lei.” Baekhyun leaned forward to poke his smiling face between my seat and Mark’s. “Do you think you caught whatever bug kept Momager from Donghae’s birthday party?” Evidently, the apology he delivered through Lucas didn’t promise that he would refrain from annoying me in the future. 

Last night, I lashed out when Baekhyun criticized Mom. That was before I knew her backstory. That was before I couldn’t look at her— who I had looked at every day of my life— without drowning in empathy. 

Now that I knew, now that I was drowning, now that Baekhyun was waiting with mischievously twinkling eyes for a reaction to his (probably well intentioned or, at least, not deliberately malicious) taunting, I couldn’t yell. 

Once looking at Mark and focusing on his concerned gaze, I could barely manage the words, “I’m okay,” as a whisper. 

Before Mark or Baekhyun could pry deeper, Lucas came to the rescue. He grinned as he urged Mark to move, saying, “I need to talk to Lei.” I knew Lucas well enough to understand that he came to discuss last night’s chaos in person. 

“Dude, you need to honor the straw system!” Mark initially refused to give in to Lucas’s demands until he met my pleading eyes. Talking to Lucas always made me feel better, and I think Mark understood that. Always, being a good guy took precedence over his crush. 

Mark huffed as he walked, chocolate bar in hand, to take Lucas’s old seat next to Taeyong, who murmured, “The straw system has been broken for a while,” jabbing a thumb at Taemin and Kai as they giggled like school girls. 

A crimson blush must have tainted my face as I looked at Taemin. I felt it— the heat of some unexplainable embarrassment marking my appearance— as I remembered that rose he gave me, as I imagined that the suddenly deafening pulse in my ears was his heartbeat that I felt when he held me in the garden. 

No, this erratic heartbeat could never belong to Taemin. His heartbeat had been slow, confident, unaffected by my proximity, and mine— mine was sporadic just because of the sight of him, smiling, radiant, and (thankfully) too lost in some other world to notice that I was staring even when Lucas loudly said, “God, Lei, try to be a little discreet!”

And Baekhyun seconded, “Yeah!” while pounding his fists against my seat. 

And Ten plucked an earbud from his ear to ask, “Who’s Lei ogling?”

And, finally, my temper was reborn because I wasn’t admiring Taemin in a way that justified their stupid boyish big-mouthed grins. “Nobody.” I fought to keep my tone even, knowing that Baekhyun and Ten would lose interest as long as my reaction was dull. 

Baekhyun might not have noticed how quickly my eyes averted out the window when Taemin turned to face the commotion. I couldn’t imagine that he would have been able to refrain from shouting, “Lei likes Taemin! Lei likes Taemin!” But I couldn’t trust Baekhyun. Maybe he was holding the information in reserve. 

Lucas definitely noticed, though. As the plane took off into the clouds, he dropped his voice to a whisper and asked, “What happened with Taemin?” 

I shouldn’t have been winded by how casually Lucas asked a question whose answer would require a deep probe into my heart. Lucas couldn’t have known the weight of his curiosity; he probably couldn’t have understood even if I endured the discomfort and tried to explain. 

“Nothing,” I almost lied. 

I almost convinced myself that it wasn’t a lie because probably, surely, that night in the garden wasn’t so special to Taemin. It wasn’t as if his idol braved a storm with him. It wasn’t as if I had tended to his wounds. It wasn’t as if I had become his friend for a moment— just a moment— of profound loneliness. It wasn’t as if I had called him one of the brightest people at S.M. and in the whole world.  

Maybe— maybe he could forget those eternal moments under the moon— and maybe that made them nothing to him. 

But they weren’t nothing to me. Even if they were once in a lifetime— and the nagging voice in the back of my mind that was never wrong told me they almost definitely were— I could never forget. There was this naive, foolish, selfish part of me that thought I could endure it all again— Donghae’s party, Mom and Donghae’s argument, every scattered moment of wanting so desperately (that I could never admit) to be in love— if that led me to Taemin’s embrace in the garden. 

So I couldn’t lie to Lucas, and I couldn’t tell the truth either. Sometimes, I think, the truth is too intimate to share. And that makes me sad because— I always wondered— what happens to the moments we harbor as secrets? 

Stealing a glance back at Baekhyun, shrinking when he winked, I mumbled, “I can’t talk about it here.” 

Had I known that Lucas would drag me by the hand into the tiny bathroom stall, eliciting catcalls from Baekhyun that attracted Taemin’s and Kai’s attention, I might have said something different. 

And I might have yelled at Lucas, “This is why we have dating rumors!” as he pressed his back against the closed door if he didn’t look at me like that. Like Mark had. Like I was about to be sick or burst into tears. Like he had never been so concerned. 

Was I really so fragile? 

Pulling me into a hug that was much gentler than his usual bone-crushing grip, Lucas asked, “Are you okay?” His voice, usually a shout, was a whisper. “I don’t know what happened. I know that Mom and Donghae had a fight. I know that you suddenly stopped texting me. And now I know that you can’t even look at Taemin, so— just— what happened? Did he hurt you?”

“What? No!” Jarred by the misunderstanding, I flinched out of Lucas’s hold. “No. I just—” I couldn’t tell him about the rose and the moon. I couldn’t. So I said, “I can’t look at Taemin because he is the only person who knows that Mom is the idol who never debuted.” 

Expecting that Lucas would look away, I tore my eyes away from his first— as if that would lessen the blow of knowing his impression of me was changed forever. I didn’t look at him until he asked, voice returning to its normal volume, “Well, how does he know that?” 

Unbelievable. When I looked up at him, he wasn’t stunned. He wasn’t looking at me like I was fragile anymore. His arms were crossed over his chest, head tilted and brows drawn together— the pose he always assumed when gossiping. 

I could have thanked him for being so normal, so himself ,when I felt less like myself than ever, but I didn’t want to make things weird. In the most casual tone I could muster, I answered, “I told him in the garden last night.”

“What was Taemin doing in your garden?”

Before I could explain that the garden wasn’t mine— it was ours— Mom forced the bathroom door open and hissed, “What are you two doing?”

Oblivious (or indifferent) to how bad this looked, standing close together in this stall, in light of our dating rumors, Lucas grinned as he started, “We were just—” 

Mom held up a hand to silence him. “I don’t even want to know!” She yanked Lucas out of the bathroom and reached for me, faltering (I guess) when she noticed my complexion. I must have been inhumanly pale or inhumanly red. I couldn’t tell. I was numb with emotions. 

Hopefully, she interpreted that as humiliation of being caught in an airplane restroom with Lucas. Hopefully, she didn’t know that I learned from her own mouth that she was the idol who never debuted. 

Would knowing the truth have been so bad if I hadn’t overheard it through our home’s thin walls? If she told me face to face, would I have felt so guilty? 

As Lucas and I did the walk of shame back to our seats, unresponsive to Baekhyun’s enthusiastic cheering, “Take their phones, Momager! Take their phooooooooones!” I covered my face, feeling as if the words “Mom is the idol who never debuted,” were tattooed in bold letters across my forehead. 

To Lucas’s horror, Mom held her hands out for us to turn in our phones. He stuttered, “But I need my phone, Mom! What if I get lost in America?”

“You won’t get lost,” Mom responded instantly, but I’m not sure anyone else was as confident in Lucas’s orienteering skills. 

I didn’t meet her eyes as I dropped my phone into her palm. Lucas sulked as he parted with his phone which, I guess, was his prized possession or something. Had he not looked so miserable when he sat back in his seat, I might have popped the back of his head for getting me in trouble in front of everyone. 

As Mom put the phones in her oversized black bag, Taeyong cautiously told me and Lucas, “We were just about to draw straws for our hotel roommates—”

“The straw system is broken!” Mom yelled before throwing the straws into the garbage bin. “Taemin and Kai always end up together, and so do Lucas and Lei!”

Everyone, even Baekhyun, was stunned silent by her outburst. 

Knowing that Mom would never be so angry at me and Lucas, even if we really were a couple, even if we really did sneak off to kiss in a bathroom, I squirmed. This explosive behavior— the frown contorting her scarlet lips, the slight smudge of her eyeliner— was a response to her fight with Donghae. Donghae, who loved her. Donghae, who she must have loved too. 

“You two—” she pointed a manicured finger at me and Lucas— “are on probation. Until further notice, I only want to see you together on stage for your subunit!”

Baekhyun leaned forward to whisper in my ear, “That’s taking LX2’s forbidden love concept a little far, huh?” 

He shot back in his seat, wincing, when Mom scolded, “Be quiet, Baekhyun!”

“You two,” Mom eyed Kai and Taemin, who stared back at her, wearing identical wide-eyed slack-jawed expressions, “are gonna have to separate. Kai, go sit with Lucas. And Lei, come sit with Taemin.”

Careful to avoid making eye contact in case that might prolong Mom’s rage, Kai and I wordlessly obeyed her orders. Taemin, apparently, didn’t think the same way that Kai and I did; he smiled brightly as I sat in the aisle seat. 

“I hope you all like who you’re sitting with,” Mom said shortly, “because that’s who you’ll be rooming with throughout the tour.”

It wouldn’t have mattered if I had been able to find the voice to point out how inappropriate it was for me to room with a boy. Mom stormed back to the portion of the plane reserved for staff as soon as she finished speaking. 

While the others— excluding Lucas, who already understood— discussed Mom’s unusual behavior, Taemin turned to face me. 

For some reason, I thought he was going to scold me for the whole Lucas/bathroom incident. Or maybe I thought he would ask if I was okay, since that was the question of the day; I hoped he wouldn’t because I couldn’t have lied to him. 

He only asked, “Are you cold?”

And there was barely any time to feel surprised at the re-emergence of that question he asked at the campsite before Taemin was draping another fleece lined denim jacket over my shoulders. This jacket was darker, heavier, warmer, and I hoped that its weight would prevent me from wearing it off the plane, where it would be seen by unforgiving eyes. 

Vaguely regretting my decision to leave his first jacket folded on my vanity as my eyes fell on the ribbon still tied around his wrist, I thanked him. I hoped he could feel the depth of my gratitude even though I couldn’t explain it. 

“Are you tired?” He asked, blinking. 

I knew better than to tell the truth: that I had been exhausted before sitting by his side, that I couldn’t sleep with my heart pounding and burning like it was. I shrugged. “A little.” 

“Do you want to listen to music with me?” He offered one half of his earphones. “I won’t be offended if you fall asleep.” 

On the one hand, I appreciated that our in person conversations consisted of Taemin asking questions to ensure my comfort. I was glad that he wouldn’t let us slip into a forever silence just because I didn’t know what to say. And yet, I wished more than anything that I could talk to him as openly (now that he was a real person before my eyes) as I had last night on the phone. 

How long would he be out of reach? Did we have some kind of bond that flourished only under the moon’s guidance? Or— 

Stop. 

Live in the present. 

Stop dreaming about the moon just because you can’t feel the sun’s rays. 

“Yeah.” I took Taemin’s earphone and allowed myself the pleasure of watching his smile grow. “I would love to listen to music with you.” 

I didn’t expect a song to already be playing as I fit the speaker into my ear, and I definitely didn’t expect the voice to be a familiar sound from my childhood. Tiffany, an American singer from the 1980s. An artist Mom played for me when I was first learning to sing. 

“You listen to Tiffany?” I couldn’t bite back my smile. 

“Not usually,” Taemin admitted as a rose color crawled from his neck to shade his bare face. “I watched this program where an idol said that Tiffany was the best performer she had ever seen live, and I wanted to hear her for myself.” 

Mom was the only person I knew who liked Tiffany; that’s why we went to one of her concerts the last time we visited my grandparents’ in Atlanta a year ago. Try to imagine my excitement, then, when I heard that some other idol, and now Taemin, liked Tiffany too. 

“Who—” I started to ask which idol had such impressive taste when I realized from Taemin’s bashful smile that he was talking about me. He was listening to the music I liked with me because he watched some TV show. 

Why? 

Maybe too embarrassed by the silence, and realizing that I wouldn’t break it, Taemin asked, “Which song is your favorite?”

Isn’t that a little too personal? 

Then its piano opening began, and Taemin said, “I think this is my favorite,” although I imagined that he would have preferred one of the more upbeat songs. 

“‘Could've Been’ is my favorite, too,” I admitted, suddenly less anxious. 

Smiling, he laid back in his seat. His eyes closed, and I thought he was falling asleep until he opened his eyes, caught me admiring him, and asked, “Can you translate this for me? Please?”

My heart dropped. Could I really explain such a sad song to Taemin? Of course, I knew that “Could’ve Been” wasn’t the first sad song he ever heard, and maybe it wasn’t the saddest either, but I didn’t want to be the mouthpiece for such an emotional message. 

When Taemin poked his bottom lip out, though, I had little choice. So, it turned out, Taemin could use his cuteness as a weapon. And it was especially effective on me. 

“Yeah,” I had to say, “I’ll translate it.” 

He restarted the song, and I translated each line to Korean, keeping up with the music as well as I could. Although I heard the song thousands of times, and I had cried to it throughout my younger years, the lyrics never quite resonated as they did then. 

Maybe it was more upsetting than usual because I couldn’t cry no matter how my lip trembled— not with Taemin looking at me for a translation. Not in this plane full of co-workers. Or maybe my chest was aching because the lyrics reminded me of—

“This is definitely my favorite,” Taemin decided with a smile that seemed to lessen the song’s sting until he started it again. And then again. And then again. 

And I thought that maybe I could predict the lyrics that would come next, and then they would lose their effect. I thought that maybe the words wouldn’t cut so deep this time or the next. I thought that maybe I could have eventually caught my breath until Taemin’s arm brushed against mine as he said, “This part— ‘Still, what could have been is better than what could never be at all’— is the best part.”

He was right. That was the part that cut the deepest. 

I was so eager to escape that song— so eager to stop the bleeding— that I walked off the plane wearing Taemin’s jacket.

Even though the song wasn’t playing through my ears, it was playing in my head, so my chest was still tightening. I must have looked unwell even in the hotel because Taemin sat on the foot of my of my bed, hair tied in a small blonde puff atop his head. 

The toothbrush dangling out of his mouth muffled his voice. “Are you okay?” 

I was going to have to get myself together if I wanted that question to end any time soon. 

“I’m just tired from the flight.” My answer wasn’t technically a lie, so why couldn’t I face Taemin? Why did I cast my gaze down to my hands pressed flat against my yellow striped pajama bottoms? 

“I’m sorry if I’m not the best roommate. I’ve never had to share a room with anyone before, and—” He kept moving closer, so I stuttered, “don’t you think you’re sitting too close?” 

“Hm?” Taemin hummed before walking into the bathroom to spit out his mouth of toothpaste. When he returned, he sat on his own bed, blushing. “Sorry. You were just talking so quietly, and—” his voice fell to a sheepish whisper— “after last night, I didn’t think you would mind being close.” 

Oh. So things were different now. It wasn’t just in my head. 

“I don’t mind.” I still couldn’t look at him. “Just warn me next time before you get so close, okay?” 

His soft laughter encouraged me to look at him. Nodding, he promised, “Okay.” 

My heart dropped with a heavy breath when he tugged the tie out of his hair and slid under his blankets. I never would have admitted it to myself, but I must have been hoping that he would sit with me again before the night ended. I must have been disappointed when he asked for permission to turn the light off from his side of the room. 

Suddenly it didn’t matter that I had spent the entire day by his side. Now that we were separated by only a few feet, I was crushed by the weight of the things I hadn’t said. All the things that would have to wait until tomorrow or the next day or sometime in the distant future when I could speak comfortably again. 

Taemin’s voice cut through the darkness. “You don’t have to worry about being a good roommate— whatever that means. You don’t have to worry about anything right now. It’s just us. Every night that we’re together can be like last night in the garden.” 

Oh. So he was still thinking about last night too. Why didn’t that make me smile? Why could I only think of the rose withering on my vanity and cry? 

“But you don’t have to talk if you don’t want to or if you just don’t have anything to say to me. I don’t mind. I just really like being around you.” 

Whatever instinct kept me from saying everything I thought and felt— Taemin didn’t have it. It was almost embarrassing to talk to somebody that honest. I wasn’t a liar or anything— except maybe I was. To become what my label wanted, I had to learn what parts of myself to omit. I had to learn what to keep to myself. I had to learn what the public wouldn’t like or appreciate. 

To talk to Taemin, it seemed like I would have to unlearn those lessons. 

Shivering under my blanket, I confessed, “I want to talk to you. I just don’t know what to say. I’m sorry.” 

Had I been brave enough to search for his face— had I been able to find him in the dark— what would he have looked like? I still wonder. 

“It’s okay. You don’t have to apologize. You can say anything you want. Even if it’s like the things you said in the garden—” 

He wanted me to talk like that? Wheezing my insecurities between sobs? I didn’t think I could do that every night and smile for the cameras by day. I knew I couldn’t. 

“I don’t— there shouldn’t be any distance between us.” 

“Why?” I choked, drawing the blankets tighter around myself. “Because you’re wearing my ribbon?”

Silence. 

Then, Taemin offered, “I’ll take it off—”

And before he could even finish the statement, I blurted, “No.” A desperate plea that resulted in more silence. I swallowed the tear-inducing lump in my throat, but it remained, “Please don’t take it off.” 

Maybe I didn’t believe in soulmates, but I wanted to believe. Maybe I didn’t think Taemin could declare himself mine just by marking himself with my ribbon, but I wanted to think he could. 

I really hoped that counted for something. I hoped Taemin could hear that desire in my voice because I didn’t know how to express it plainly with words yet. I didn’t know if I could ever learn to be honest like him. 

“Okay,” he promised, “I won’t.” 

Even though I wanted to, I couldn’t wear his jacket everywhere, so I promised, “I’ll wear your jacket when I can,” and hoped that he smiled even if I couldn’t see it. 

His jackets and the withering rose— those were my only symbols of a bond I couldn’t understand but cherished nonetheless. 

Again, we talked for so long that I can’t remember all the words I swore I could never forget. All I remember in echoing color is that when I told him that I kept imagining his flower dying in my room, Taemin said, “Then I’ll give you more roses, Lei,” as if that were the obvious solution. 

Knowing that he meant well, I frowned. “But that won’t replace the first. I barely even got to admire it before we had to leave.” 

Taemin argued, if you can really call it arguing when his voice was such a delicate whisper, “I would never try to replace the first. That’s impossible. And it’s not the point. I just— I want to give you beautiful things even if they're not mine to give. And before you ask why—” 

I reddened because that was exactly the question on the tip of my tongue. 

“— I don’t know why. I don’t think it matters why. I think— I know that I’m drawn to you, and you shouldn’t be afraid if you’re drawn to me too.” 

I didn’t want to be afraid. I wanted to be comforted by Taemin’s voice as I had been consoled by his embrace in the garden. But I was so afraid— trembling from the fear and the coldness encapsulating the room— that once I watched the sun rise, I tiptoed past Taemin’s snoring form to find Lucas, as if he could change the fact that I was falling face first in love— the kind of love no one ever recovers from— with Taemin.

[unholyhelbig]

Hizzie Summertime AU. Beach+smut? And feel free to do whatever you want with that because I trust you completely since you are amazing!!

Read on AO3 | Send me more Legacies Prompts 

Title: Braving the Storm 

Ship: Hope Mikaelson/ Lizzie Saltzman 

[a/n: aight’ go easy on me please, I haven’t written smut in over a year and I’m BAD at it] 

The Rain had begun to fall sideways; the type of downpour that stung against raw skin and soaked through every inch of fabric until it felt like the very bones inside of her body was encased in a block of cloudy ice.

Hope Mikaelson had made a lot of terrible choices in her life. When she was fourteen she played spin the bottle on Tommy Hart’s deck and ended up with a drool-coated make-out session that left her until face red and raw. In 9th grade she tried to outdo all the other boys in her gym class by climbing the rock wall without a harness- she was fine, of course, but still ended up with a month’s detention for her stunt.

And right now; as she stood in the center of an impending hurricane, she knew she had made another terrible choice. Because the waves had gotten twice her height and she had stupidly believed that the brawn of the storm wouldn’t touch upon the shore until later. Hope had either last track of time or had horribly misjudged the large rolling clouds that rumbled towards the small beach town.

A hurricane had the clearance to empty an entire tourist-filled boardwalk. People rushed towards grocery stores and panic-bought anything that was there. Bread and water always left the shelves first, and then milk- which Hope never really understood because power didn’t last long with winds like this. Then the snack food would dwindle and so would the alcohol because everyone needed something to do when they were trapped inside of their houses.

Hope had successfully loaded up her surfboard on the roof of an old blue jeep, her hands numb from the cold onslaught of water that rinsed away whatever salt had brined her skin. Another crack of lightning washed across the sky in an intricate pattern before rumbling thunder followed. And her keys- she couldn't find her keys.

The palm trees started to hiss under the pressure thrown at them and Hope pushed falling drops away from her eyes as a beach umbrella, not tied down fully by its owner, folded like a piece of notebook paper barely scribbled on. Her skin felt numb, and so did her mind. There was no way she could get home in this.

She scanned the stretch of novelty shops, their lights all dimmed if not shut off entirely. There was a pizza place that had used slats of wood to cover up the vulnerable glass- and a shop that sold customized air-brush t-shirts. Each and everyone looked desolate and abandoned long ago. The news vans had scared everyone away and Hope suddenly wished they had done the same for her too.

Another gust of wind pressed rain deeper into her skin and a nearby palm tree, already bent under the current, finally snapped with a shattering crack, louder than any thunder had been. She smelt smoke and saw the red and orange sparks as bark sizzled against now-damaged power lines.

Hope doesn’t know if she screamed or not, couldn’t register it against her own fear, or the fact that the waves had gotten up to the docks and were tearing them apart from the threshold. She struggled to find her keys and her own breath against the hollowed wind.

The world blurred and her eyesight became fuzzy, and Hope wasn’t exactly sure if it was because of the storm, or her fear, or the pure way that her heart was pounding- but the taste of rain and the stinging feeling of hot sand against her skin was the last thing she could remember before everything faded to black.

Hope awoke without warning. Her throat was raw and tasted thickly of salt and dirt. She didn’t want to admit that her entire body ached, because that wasn’t in her nature- not in the slightest. But a sharp wave of pain disregarded her entirely.

She blinked away the drowsiness and took in her surroundings; the wind howled like a wronged spirit just past the four walls that she was situated in. There were shelves lined with shirts, and a few bubble wrapped snow globes that were settled with snow. She was strung across a ratty old sofa that smelled like it had been soaked in air freshener and her wet suit was hung across the edge of a bookcase.

Her hands moved against her mostly nude body in a fit of panic and then pain. She was wearing a large t-shirt that stretched past her knees and had a printed hermit crab and obnoxious blue writing that read “Shell Yeah, Beaches”. Thankfully her underwear was spared as well.

Hope scoffed and pulled herself onto her elbows. The rain still roared outside and a pair of foggy storm doors were held shut with a couple of sandbags against the bottom of the panes. Green light shaded everything in the back stock room. Her head was throbbing.

“I didn’t want to wake you,” Hope moved her eyes across the room to another door, a wooden one that leads to a large windowed store that she couldn’t distinguish from the rest of them on the boulevard. “You got hit in the head pretty hard, though. I was starting to get worried.”

A girl, a beautiful girl shrouded in the emerald light of the storm stood with a bottle of unopened water. Her blonde hair was pulled into a loose bun and a t-shirt, branded with a fancy crest and the words Myrtle Beach, stood at attention. Her eyes were what stuck with Hope the most, reflecting such raw concern.

“What happened?” Her voice was scratchy and foreign to her ears.

“Well, if I’m reading the situation correctly. You ignored every single warning on television, and by the national guard, and by whatever higher power created the hurricane in the first place by going out to catch some waves.” The girl closed the space between them and uncapped the water before shoving it Hope’s way.

Hope remembered that part just fine. “I lost my car keys.”

“And you got knocked out by an Umbrella. Drink all of that.”

She eyed the water warily but took a few sips before the cold numbed her throat and she lowered the bottle. The stranger seemed to be satisfied enough, she took it back before setting it to the side. Hope moved until she was situated at the end of the sofa.

“Thank you,” Her voice was slight and whispered. “I was being stupid and I could have died and… thank you, it’s not often you meet a kind stranger. Not here.”

She nodded and Hope would like to think that she understood. Would like to think that she would rush out into the storm to save someone she didn’t know too- but some part of her knew that with conditions like this in a city like this, she probably wouldn’t.

“I’m Lizzie,” The girl finally said.

“Hope,”

“Well, Hope, it looks like we might be here for a while. Garden City flooded completely.” She looked around the stock room, taking in the escape routes in case the water decided to rise too far and push against the inside of the store. “I’ve been listening to an old radio but that’s about to go out too.”

Hope let out a small groan and moved her head around. Her neck was stiff and there was a ringing in her right ear. She wondered if she had the imprint of a beach umbrella on the side of her face, and she wondered even more how Lizzie got her out of that wet suit. Her cheeks were suddenly red and eyes dark.

“Wait- did you see me naked?”

Lizzie lifted a perfectly sculpted eyebrow and plopped down on the couch next to Hope. A healthy amount of dust pooled into the air. “You were going to catch your death if you stayed in that thing- and I swear up and down that I didn’t look intentionally.”

Hope chuckled and the sound was soft. “Did you at least like what you saw?”

The near-stranger stopped mumbling through her sentences and drew in a sharp breath. Those deep eyes bore into her own and Hope felt a chill rush through her. She knew how to outlast a hurricane- everyone who lived in this city did. And the lack of alcohol, and in this case, power, sparked something odd into her.

“I mean, did you, I’m not trying to. Isn’t it an intrusion to?” Lizzie took a deep breath to still her words. “You’re very beautiful.”

“Mm,” Hope hummed and ran a hand through her hair. “I don’t know if I got a concussion or not, but this whole knight in shining armor thing is very alluring.”

“Is it?” Lizzie had a bit of an edge to her voice and even in the greyish green light, they grew deeper in color.

Hope found herself leaning closer, over the middle cushion of the sofa. Because this was irrefutably her worst idea yet. For once, someone else had saved her, even if it was from a rainbow-colored beach umbrella. She considered it a win. She also considered the way Lizzie smelled light of lavender and rustic like the rain that had dried against her clothes.

Lizzie closed the distance between the two of them, her fingers soft against the edge of Hope’s chin. She tasted fresh, and her touch was gentle but rushed. Lizzie wicked her other hand through damp hair and bit down against her bottom lip, coaxing a moan from Hope’s chest.

Lizzie’s hand was moving, sliding evenly across her neck before resting close to her collarbone and she moved closer. In one fluid motion, Hope was suddenly being straddled, legs on either side of her as they pushed into the cushions of the couch.

Hope bucked forward under the weight and Lizzie pulled back slightly, “Let’s not get too excited-“She instructed and Hope nodded, feeling a pang at the loss of warmth that now hung between them.

The blonde went back to work, this time moving her lips to the nave of Hope’s neck, biting and nipping lightly at her pulse point as the shorter girl growled in anticipation, leaning her head against the back of the couch. This girl was a tease- a skilled, but strong mannered tease.

She hadn’t noticed the way Lizzie’s hand moved across the contours of her skin, and the hot molten trails that each finger left behind as she neared the edge of her underwear. The fabric was cold and slightly damp from the wet suit, but even Hope could tell that that was nothing more than an excuse.

“God Lizzie, Please-“Hope mumbled, breathy and barely audible.

Her cheeks flushed to a different shade of red, she had never been one to beg. But as Lizzie's touch dropped between her legs she couldn’t help but squirm. Fingers traced evenly against her folds and a jolt of excitement moved through her like blood.

“What was that?” Lizzie snarled.

“I need you,” Hope panted out.

“Need me to what?”

She was starting to get frustrated, wanting to lift her hips, finally getting the sensation that she craved. But the patient look on Lizzie’s face was enough for her to struggle in steadying her breath, her words were still ragged “I need you to fuck me.”

The grin against Lizzie’s lips was animalistic and dark as she smiled into a biting kiss, she expertly pressed into Hope with a flowing motion akin to relief, two fingers working inside of her in a steady tempo that seemed to match up with her increasing heart rate.

Hope whimpered into Lizzie’s mouth, the sensation vibrating through her in the same rush that this morning had; that same edge of danger and content that standing at the edge of the ocean while storm clouds subtly rolled in and black waves towered over her.

“Fuck,” Hope snarled, dragging both of her hands down Lizzie’s back, not caring how the fabric of the shirt felt under her nails. The taller woman increased her tempo, and Hope took to arching her back throat tight with the rhythm of a snare drum. “Please…”

“Please what, Hope?”

She glowered at the woman straddling her; because Lizzie had all the power. Had every inch of it. She was cocky and snide and Hope thought that if they met under other circumstances she wouldn’t be the one pinned down.  “Let me cum”

Lizzie gave her a pointed look and slowed her movements.

“Please,” She repeated, this time softer, with less anger.

Lizzie seemed satisfied enough and worked her fingers harder than she had before, pressing inside of her until Hope felt like she couldn’t quite breathe right, and the stars in her eyes began to circle like a constellation. She pulled herself forward, nose pressed against the side of Lizzie’s neck as she stifled a moan against her hair.

Hope tightened around Lizzie’s fingers and breathed in that same alluring scent of sweet and rain-soaked bliss. She resisted the urge to bit down on something and instead pulled Lizzie closer as she let out a sigh of content, but just as quickly began to ache as the abundance of touch was pulled away.

“That was one hell of an introduction,” Hope panted, swallowing back the taste in her mouth as Lizzie smirked like a wolf. Devious but ever so captivating. Both of her hands were on Hope’s shoulders before she reached to the side and grabbed the half-empty bottle.

“Drink the rest of this,” She commanded and Hope rolled her eyes, “I’m serious, you might have a concussion and-“

Hope shook her head and grasped the collar of Lizzie’s shirt, pulling her close, breath hot on the side of her cheek. “I’m fine.” She rumbled pushing Lizzie away from her gently until the taller woman was laying on her back, despite the musty sofa and the cold rain the poured outside. She ignored the headache and straddled the girl's stomach.

“I think it’s your turn, Lizzie. On one condition.”

Hope traced her fingers against Lizzie’s collarbone, her breath picking up and eyes darting frantically in an attempt to read the misty expression on her face. “And what’s that?”

“I hope you remember how to beg,”  

[nutrishop1-blog]

undefined

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Nutrishop

7100 Fairway Dr #56, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418

305-833-9475

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[enlightenedlivingmedicine]

Live Longer and Have Better Sex

Although everyone recognizes that women go through the change of life called menopause, it has taken many decades for doctors to recognize that males go through hormonal changes as well. This change is called “andropause” or “manopause.” In women, it’s fairly easy to recognize menopause because of irregular periods, hot flashes, weight gain, and other signs. But in men, the signs are more subtle. As andropause kicks in, testosterone falls off without much warning. In men, this typically triggers a decline in libido and weight gain. There's also a decline in HGH and DHEA, both of which have an enormous effect on a man’s health, from muscle loss to increased risk of heart disease and premature aging. Fortunately, andropause can be managed and youthful vigor can be restored.  Come hear more as I discuss my book, The Rejuvenation Solution, on January 15th @ Barnes & Noble Palm Beach Garden Location. source https://www.elmedicine.com/post/live-longer-and-have-better-sex

[jimabernethy]

Image by @jim_abernethy //Hummingbirds have always attracted my curiosity whereever I go because of so many interesting facts about them! This ruby throated hummer was from my back yard in Palm Beach County, Florida. Did you know that they must consume 1/2 of its weight in nector daily? Its wings beat between 50 and 200 beats per second? Its heart beats at 1,200 beats per minute while flying? Average weight of a ruby throated hummer is 3 grams? A nickel weighs 4.5 grams. Life span is 3 to 12 years? The threats to hummingbirds include loss of habitat, pesticides, window collisions, toxic hummer feeders! Here are some things we can all do to help these magnificent creatures. Plant native flowering plants for garden. Choose organic pesticides and avoid spraying near flowers and feeders. Properly maintain feeders in your yard. As humans we have negatively altered all wildlife on this planet! It is time to help the wildlife we still have on this amazing planet, our only home...Earth! With the recent news of immense avian losses I posted recently please also consider getting a wide variety of bird feeders and food to help all species of our avian friends! @jim_abernethy @wildlifevoiceinc @sealegacy #TurningTheTide@#hummer #birdsinflight #hummingbird #bird #ilovehummingbirds #saveearth #ilovebirds #protectwhatyoulove #savenature #savebirds #beautiful #Bethechangetheworldneeds (at North Palm Beach, Florida) https://www.instagram.com/p/B29jZbaJn-w/?igshid=f2flo0k3jxc4

[brandtcooper9-blog]

Create Your Web site Favored By These Search Engine Optimization Recommendations

If you would like get into search engine optimisation but aren't confident how then your search is over. Realizing what you ought to do and properly educating yourself within a topic like search engine optimization can be a important in the direction of hitting the goals you want to achieve. So look over this short article and find out what information applies to you. Even preserved photos and video files on the hosting server can present a chance to increase in the rankings, so make certain that you're constantly protecting records with keywords and phrases. By way of example: When you have a graphic on your own web site working with weight-loss, similar to a just before-and-soon after photograph, be sure to incorporate a related key word inside the title whenever you preserve the image. Keep an eye on and examine your seo initiatives routinely. Should you don't try this you will possess not a way of understanding which Search engine optimization techniques will work. The easiest method to path and analyze SEO jobs are to sign up for online resources that will reveal how search engines like yahoo index your site, the origin of the website's website traffic along with your website's backlinks. You should totally make you to ultimately Search engine optimisation for the long term, if you would like achieve any great results. Internet search engine algorithms happen to be in frequent modify and what could have worked well a day, could no longer be accurate the subsequent. Get ready with assorted strategies so that you are able to rapidly solve any issues, with out crash. Give your site a style, and then use it consequently. Offering all of your categories a theme that may be relevant to your general improves you readership, which in turn can raise you up on look for details. Ensure your style continues to be inside the trend of anything you work with, if not it could possess the complete opposite effect. When you make a web page redirect utilize the 301 web server redirect in contrast to 302 or meta refreshes. A 301 redirect is revealing search engines like google that this can be a long term transform and that they need to update their indexes on the new web page. Other types are being used often by spammers so steer clear of them except when they are necessary. Understand the basics. Search engine optimisation can include some challenging descriptions and appear extremely time-eating, but always keep at it. Once you understand a couple of tricks of the trade, you may be far less intimidated by other elements engaged. Equipping yourself with expertise in the tasks can put you heads previously mentioned others who have yet to learn the basics. Be sure that you add more viral facts to your web site if you wish to boost your sitting on the totem pole for search engines like google. These can involve different factors for instance a reviews area, comments, or reviews. Boosting this part of your blog may also aid in increasing enterprise and awareness. To further improve your rating in search final results, you have to have lots of back links to your site. Generate relationships with many other internet sites: post the link to their content and make them link to your own. Post links to your web page on popular social network sites sites or in remarks to popular blog posts. It is actually a error to attempt to understand and put into practice every area of Search engine optimisation that exists. New tactics are cropping up every single day, but mastering even you will significantly boost the prosperity of your articles. To increase your Search engine marketing potential, be sure you publish not just to your human market, but in addition for the major search engines. That means such as things like key phrase abundant titles and description fields and headers which are formatted as h1 and h2. Also make your information interesting and entertaining to enhance far more social bookmarking of your content material. Once you begin an search engine optimization plan, make sure you improve the web pages of your respective site for mankind and spiders. Should SEO marketing Palm Beach Gardens makes no feeling to guests, your Search engine optimisation initiatives will likely be pointless as no one will want to continue to your internet site for too long or buy any of your services or products. Produce a website link tire to improve your SEO. A hyperlink tire consists of creating 10 articles about the key phrases you want to affiliate together with your back links. In every article, position a hyperlink to your web page plus a backlink to among the other content. Afterwards you submit each of all those content to an alternative write-up listing. This way, each and every report as well as every write-up website directory backlinks directly aimed at your website, in addition to, to one another. If you would like more visitors in your internet site, making use of seo is the ideal solution. As a result your blog site or website more available and obvious to people who might prefer to read through it. Recall the tips on this page to actually acquire more website visitors who use search engines.

[stargatesandgarage]

5 Safety Tips For Overhead Garage Doors

Alignment

The first thing that you need to check to ensure safety is the alignment. Overhead garage doors are not only the biggest entrance to your home, they are also used constantly and that means that they can easily come off alignment. If it is not well aligned, then there is a risk that it will fall down and shut itself without a warning. If you or your vehicle are nearby then the falling door can cause damage or injury.

Mechanism

It is important to understand the mechanism of overhead garage doors. Because they are rather heavy a lot of power is actually used in order to make it go up and down. The door is opened and closed through the use of a track system. In order for the door to work safely you need to ensure that the tracks are not blocked by a person or an object. If a person puts their hands on the track it can easily mean loss of fingers.

Size

The size of overhead garage doors is also very important for the safety. You need to make sure that you are matching the weight and the size of the door with the mechanism that you have. If you are not using the right mechanism the door may become too much for it to handle and therefore causing possible injuries. The wrong match could also lead to many problems with the components in your new garage door.

Sensors

Sensors are very important to overhead garage doors and in fact they need to be installed by law. The sensors work to detect any possible blocks on the closing path. It is important to make sure that the sensors are always working so that if something is on the way of the garage door, then the door will not close. If your home has an older model and it does not have a sensor then it is important to change it.

Springs

The springs are the most important and the most dangerous component of your garage door. They hold all the tension from the door so you need to make sure that you handle them with extreme care. When handled incorrectly the springs can fly off the mount. Another item that can be dangerous is the cables as they are the ones that help lift the door. Handling these components with care will ensure the safety of the door at all times.

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I sit down with Ben from Revive Health & Wellness in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. We go in-depth on the benefits of Regenerative Medicine AKA Stems cells, Hormone Optimization also known as HRT Hormone Replacement Therapy, IV Infusion Therapy For Hangover, Glamour, Energy, Stress, Muscle, Brain, and Weight Loss to name a few.

[stargategaragenewyork]

The Benefits of Insulated Garage Doors

You may not think of it when you have a garage, but you need to make sure that your garage door is insulated. There are numerous benefits to this, and most people take it for granted. One of the benefits of having an insulated garage door is that if you have a garage that has a room above it, or a door to the interior of the house, it can prevent cold drafts from coming into the garage. Even if your door is sealed well against the elements, not having insulation in between the door panels can make the inside of the door quite cold, contributing to greater heat loss in the garage itself.

If you are a hobbyist, and have a shop of some kind inside your garage, or need to work on your vehicle, an insulated garage door can lower the need to have an extra heater inside the garage on cold Winter days. Sometimes the garage, even with the doors closed can be almost as chilly as the temperature outside, and if you are always wondering why your garage feels like a Popsicle, the answer could be that your garage door isn't insulated, or insulated with the right materials.

Even if you check and see that there is some Styrofoam granules inside the door, this isn't good insulation. While Styrofoam is all right at dampening sound, granules don't make a good insulator for your garage door. If this is the case, or there is nothing inside at all, then you need to get some Polyurethane foam instead. This attaches directly to the inside of the door panels, and has no gaps. In addition to being a better insulator, it fills up the space, making the doors stronger and more secure.

When you are checking to make sure you have an insulated garage door, you should also check the seals at the top and bottom of the door, as well as between the door panels. They shouldn't be hard and brittle, but nice and flexible, if you find they are hard and starting to crumble, then it is time to replace them as well. Now there are a few options when it comes to insulating your garage doors. You can buy DIY kits, and while this may be a cheaper option, unless you know what you are doing, and have the tools to do the job right, you should let a professional come in and do it for you. A professional is also a good idea, because after your door is insulated, this is going to add extra weight to the door itself, and the opener may need to be readjusted. Readjusting the springs is just too dangerous for an amateur.

While you may think it isn't worth the money, if you have an attached garage, or a room above it, and always wonder why your heating bill is always so high in the Winter time, now you know. Not having an insulated garage door is like leaving a window open all through the cold part of the year. If you want to keep your heating bill down, and be able to enjoy your garage space better, then you need to make sure that your garage doors are insulated.

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 Find Garage Door Services in Palm Beach County:

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Garage Door repair belle glade

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