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cafeacademia · 3 years

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Guardian | Chapter One

Draco Malfoy x Muggleborn!Reader Soulmate AU

Chapter Summary: As you navigate your fifth year at Hogwarts, you reflect on the things that have led you this far and you begin to wonder if your complicated friendship with Draco holds more meaning than you originally anticipated.

Warnings: A little bit of angst, some friendly teasing, mentions of Umbridge’s punishments, description of harm to a student, comfort, fluff.

Word count: Approx 4000 (oopsies)

Masterlist

A/N: Hi loves, here’s the first full part of the series! Please check out the Prologue if you’re new to the series, it gives some general setting up for the story and explains how this soulmate AU works. Enjoy! 💖

Flashbacks are separated using *** and use of the soulmate book is highlighted in italics

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(Gif is my own)

Sitting in the library, Neville was not far from the desk you were sat at as he scoured the shelves for a copy of a book about rare magical properties in plants while you were trying to work on your final Potions essay for the term. “This feels impossible.” You yawned, slouching over your four parchment rolls of completed essay. All you really had to do now was make a conclusion, but your brain was wandering after a few hours of working on your homework and it just wasn’t happening. “That’s incredible.” Neville whispered to himself and you couldn’t help but breathe out a short laugh, looking over your shoulder to see that he was fully engrossed in the book he had pulled off the shelf.

Putting your quill down, you looked down at your hand, eyes trailing over the little bandage wrap you wore over the mark left from the detention you had served the previous evening with Umbridge. It was still sore and it felt very tender, but you tried your best to keep it hidden under the bandage and the sleeve of your school jumper. Slowly, your mind wandered towards what Draco might be up to. You hadn’t spoken to him in months since you had started in your fifth year and you’d had less of desire to do so now that he was in the Inquisitorial Squad. And your thoughts paced back to your fourth year when you had started to share a bit of a friendship with him.

***

“You’re fraternizing with the enemy, you are.” Ron scoffed. “I am not.” You frowned at him. “Oi, shove off would you? I know you don’t like the little git, but he seems to like our girl, isn’t that right George?” Fred asked, looking over your head to his twin who was standing on the other side of you. “That’s right Fred, maybe he’s got a crush on you.” He chuckled, nudging you in the side. “Ah, young love.” Fred sighed, garnering a multitude of reactions between Ron sounding utterly disgusted to Ginny’s amused laughter. “Draco is just being friendly.” You rolled your eyes. “Oh Draco is it now? Not Malfoy anymore eh?” Fred teased.

“He’s such a git, Malfoy’s not worth your time anyway, he’s probably just using you or something.” Ron argued and for once, Hermione gave Ron an agreeing nod. “Besides, since when is Malfoy nice to anyone?” Hermione asked, Fred and George giving each other a look, they were a little more accepting than the others, but with the question raised even the twins wondered if there wasn’t another motivation there.

Sighing, you leaned back against the wall of the quad and glanced over at Neville, who had just been quietly listening to the conversation without saying a word, but the look on his face told you that he felt the same as the rest of your friends. The problem was, while you really, truly valued their opinion and you understood that they were trying to look out for you, albeit with a little tough love on Ron’s end, you knew there was something there between you and Draco but you just couldn’t seem to find the words to describe it.

Was it friendship? Was it some kind of connection deeper than that? Whatever it was, Draco seemed to become a different person around you. He was more genuine, more open, more himself and oddly, you were starting to feel like he really valued your attention and your opinion.

“You shouldn’t be giving him the satisfaction.” Ron went on, Harry now wandering over to join the group and you heaved out a sigh because you knew as soon as he joined in, the two of them would be going on about how much of ‘bloody git’ Draco was. “Give who the satisfaction?” Harry asked. “Malfoy.” Ron replied in a disgruntled tone. “Fine,” You gritted out. “Then I won’t give either of you the satisfaction, Ronald.” You suddenly burst out, everyone looking at you as if you had grown a second head from your sudden outburst. “What’s that ‘sposed to mean?” He asked, a little bewildered.

But as the days passed, your friends started to realise what you had meant by that statement. Your little chats with Draco seemed to have halted entirely, and you didn’t speak a word about your budding friendship with the Slytherin. It was as if you had completely forgotten it had ever happened and your friends were starting to wonder if you were sneaking off to talk to him without any prying eyes, but of course there was no way they could prove it.

You valued their concern, you appreciated it in fact, but stupid or not you couldn’t deny that you felt a pull towards Draco. So you removed all indication that there was any interaction with Draco at all and it became quickly apparent to you, that maybe it was safer to just have a friendship with Draco in secret, especially as you weren’t too fond of the attention that being around the Slytherin Prince brought you.

You couldn’t deny, the secret meetings with Draco felt a little wrong, purely because you knew you’d get an absolute earful from Ron if he ever found out. But you still loved spending time with Draco, because out of everyone you had ever spent time with, Draco seemed to really value your company, be it quiet or more talkative. He seemed to understand when there were days that you just didn’t want to say a lot or you were more shy than usual and he understood that it was okay to enjoy silent company, but he also enjoyed it when you had energetic days and you wanted to chat about whatever came to mind.

***

“Are you listening?” Neville asked, leaning over your chair. “Hm?” You suddenly looked up at him, a little bit startled from being pulled away from your thoughts. “If we don’t hurry up, we’re going to be late for Defence Against the Dark Arts.” Neville warned and you pulled a face of worry before you hurried to pack away your things.

“Thank Merlin.” Neville mumbled as you both practically ran up the stairs to your classroom, seeing that there was a line of students waiting outside of the room, telling you that either you were just on time or Umbridge was late, though you thought the latter to be unlikely when she liked to go on about punctuality so often.

As you joined the line, Draco Malfoy made his way up the stairs, stopping when he reached you and pushed his way into the queue, though he was careful not to push you. And while Neville was busy catching up with Susan Bones who was standing on the other side of him, Draco leaned in and whispered to you.

“Meet me after class?” He asked. “Promise no funny business, just you and me.” He murmured and you tentatively glanced up at him. “This isn’t about you know what, is it?” You asked quietly. Draco knew what you were referring to. He knew you would be worried that he might try and pry some information out of you about the DA. Checking from side to side with a quick look, he held up his hand in front of you and pointed his ring finger at you. “I promise, it’s just like our old chats.” He whispered, glancing down to see you smiling, realising he was attempting a pinky promise. “Alright, but you’re using the wrong finger.” You had to refrain from giggling and instead, you shyly hid your smile as best as you could. Hesitantly you raised your hand, almost too shy to even touch him, but you pulled his little finger free and linked it with your own. “Sorry, I always forget which finger it is, muggle promises are strange.” Draco mumbled.

It wasn’t long before Umbridge finally poked her head out of the classroom and invited everyone in.

Draco sighed as he slouched down in his chair with his arms crossed in the drier than normal Defence Against the Dark Arts class. Umbridge was particularly boring to listen to as she droned on about a test you’d all be taking soon.

Instead, his focus was trained on the notebook that peeked out of the top of his bag that sat under his desk. He wished he could pick the book up and leaf through the pages, idly reading your handwriting, take in your thoughts and feelings and remind himself of days before now. Sometimes Draco wished that he could outright approach you and tell you that it was him, that he was your soulmate, but really that would be quite a bad move.

Draco wasn’t even sure if he’d be able to actually tell you, perhaps there was something that would prevent him from doing so or some sort of consequence and he was especially wary of this since his fourth year at Hogwarts when Pansy Parkinson had involved herself.

***

“What is that tatty old thing anyway? And why do you always brandish it about like a... a trophy or something?” She had asked with a judgemental edge to her tone, stealing it right out of Draco’s lap. The boy had nearly thrown himself across the common room at her as she hurried off with it. “I bet it’s a diary.” She giggled to herself. “Yeah, or he keeps secrets in there.” Crabbe added as he joined her. “That’s what a diary is, you dolt.”

“You wouldn’t understand.” Draco stormed towards the pair of them, his heart racing with fear as he watched Pansy teasingly open the cover of the book. However, much to Pansy’s surprise and even more so to Draco’s, there wasn’t a single word, not a single drop of ink, no markings, nothing. The book was completely empty. “You really carry around an empty book?” Pansy questioned, sceptical with her upper lip curled in disappointment. “What did you expect, my heartfelt feelings?” Draco scoffed, his tone cold and sarcastic as he snatched the book back from her, trying not to appear too hurt that his book had been handled roughly. “I’m to keep it safe. Father sent it to me.” Draco lied through his teeth, but thankfully, his lies were hard to detect, even for someone who knew Draco’s tactics to uphold his image and Pansy just pulled an expression that told him that she thought it was weird.

***

But now, as he sat in class, Draco could still see the small dent in the leather cover that Pansy had caused when she’d roughly stolen it from his grasp. He was still angry about it even a year later, perhaps it was irrational to be so annoyed about damage to a book, but this was special and he remembered how very upset he had felt that someone other than him had held the book. It was precious, vulnerable and he treasured it.

But it wasn’t just the book that he treasured. No, what he considered to be more important, more precious and something truly wonderful in every aspect was you. Which was why he had started to slowly distance himself from you. But as Draco looked up to see you sitting a few rows ahead of him in the middle of the classroom, the thing that reminded him of why he wanted to see you peeked out from under your jumper sleeve. Your hand was bandaged and Draco was quite angry with himself, because the night before when you had unknowingly written to him in your book and told him that a teacher had hurt you during detention, Draco had immediately known what it meant and he was livid.

“Attention, mister Malfoy.” Umbridge practically shrieked across the classroom, slamming her hand down onto the front desk, disturbing the Friday afternoon gloom and making everyone in the room jump at her sudden raised voice before she gave him a forced smile. Draco lazily sat up in his seat, eyes flitting to you every time Umbridge turned away to write or point at something on the blackboard as his mind wandered throughout the rest of the lesson.

When the class finally came to an end and Professor Umbridge excused you all to enjoy the rest of your Friday evening, Draco left the classroom and leaned against the wall outside until the very last person left the room.

Draco gave you a subtle smile before he very quickly peeked around the doorframe to see that Umbridge was climbing the stairs to her office before he turned to look at you and give you a proper smile. “I’m so sorry it’s been months, it’s bloody difficult with her around, it’s like she’s everywhere.” Draco sighed, rolling his eyes as he pushed away from the wall and shoved his hands into his pockets. “I understand, everyone is on high alert at the moment.” You replied in a quiet tone, almost too afraid to speak up as Draco began to walk you down the stairs, having avoided the eyes of all of your classmates and hopefully any spying caretakers too.

You were anxious to be spending time with Draco after all of this time. Especially as now he was part of the Inquisitorial Squad and part of you was afraid that your friends had been right last year. What if he did try to use you? But Draco had not yet betrayed your trust and you firmly believed in giving him the benefit of the doubt, you just hoped you weren’t doing it at your own expense.

“Come, we can talk in here.” Draco stepped into a hidden little alcove that was behind a statue at the side of the staircase. It was unlikely anyone would stop long enough to be able to hear you both talking and no one could see you hidden around the corner either.

“Was she hard on you yesterday?” Draco whispered his eyes softening as he watched you give him a little nod. “Yeah, a little.” You replied. “How did you know?” You queried, shyly looking up at him. “Pansy told me she caught you and Neville yesterday.” He explained and you just gave him a little nod. It wasn’t an outright lie, Pansy had told him she’d caught some students, but she never said who, it was only until you confided in your soulmate that it had happened that he knew you must have been in the group that Parkinson had caught. He watched as you slowly lifted your hand and pulled up your jumper sleeve to show him the bandage.

“Can I see?” Draco asked softly, gently taking your hand into both of his, holding you so softly like he was afraid he could hurt you with just his tender touch. You nodded, Draco leaning down to catch the way your eyes seemed to be filled with shame and you glanced at him, only for a second with a watery gaze.

Slowly and as carefully as he could, Draco unwrapped your bandage, reading the words that had been carved into your hand. “Oh love, I’m sorry, I should have been there to stop it from happening.” Draco sounded like he was scolding himself as he apologised, the emotions reaching his eyes as they swam deep in worry.

“It’s alright, I knew I’d end up in detention with her eventually.” You sighed, watching as Draco gently held your hand in his. He couldn’t lie and say it didn’t make his stomach turn horribly. It sickened him to no end and part of the reason he had joined the Inquisitorial Squad in the first place was with the hopes that he might be able to protect you better from that position. Not that he would let on to that, though.

“Does it hurt still?” He asked. “It still stings a bit and it’s sore.” You told him, your eyes saddened as you looked down at the writing you had tried so hard to conceal all day, not just because you were ashamed of what Umbridge had done, but because you simply could not bear to look at it. Would it always be there? You wondered if it would serve as a constant reminder and you hoped that with time that it would fade, but you couldn’t help the worry that sat deep in your stomach that the mark would remain long after healing and you hoped at the very least, that it would not make your stomach turn every time you looked at it.

“I’m so sorry.” Draco sighed, leaning down to press a gentle kiss to the back of your hand, his eyes looking up to meet yours as you let a shy, watery smile take over. You hoped not to cry, but Umbridge and her punishment was still very fresh in your mind and you felt a horrible chill roll through you whenever you thought of it. Merlin only knew how you had managed to make it through your lesson with her without it affecting you terribly.

“I’m so sorry I haven’t been here, but I’m here now.” Draco whispered it so quietly as he pulled you against his side. He hated that he couldn’t promise it wouldn’t happen again. Draco hated that he couldn’t stop Umbridge from hurting you and part of him hated himself for how weak he was for you. Did you find it strange that he was so apologetic? That he was almost loving towards you? But the worry seemed to slip from his mind when he felt you lean against him. It was moments like this that made Draco question himself. He questioned if he should continue to create distance between you, or if keeping you close was easier to keep you safe. And he questioned things like if he should find a way to help you realise that he was your soulmate like he had worked out two years ago. But he was afraid. Draco was starting to feel like that was beginning to be all too common for him to feel these days as things became more intense. The pressure from his father to do increasingly worse things that simply did not align with Draco’s morals was enough to twist his mind and now with working under Umbridge, he hoped it did not skew his true alignment and morality. It was this that he was fighting so hard to keep, because it was the one thing he could control when everyone else was insistent on pushing him into the directions they wanted him to go in.

What you didn’t know though, was that your friendship, his connection with you was more than just that to Draco. When he was around you, he didn’t feel like he had to cling on to who he was and put a mask on. He could just be himself and it relieved some of the tension and the fear.

But the question begged itself again. Am I too close to her?

“You know, Draco.” You broke the silence, the Slytherin humming in response, prompting you to continue. “Sometimes I feel like I’ve known you for years.” You told him. And while it was somewhat true, you had known him since you both had started Hogwarts, you never really knew him until recently. Without even knowing what lay deeper in your connection to Draco, you could feel something there, you felt drawn to him.

That’s because you have, he thought. “I know what you mean. I’ve felt the same too.” Draco replied with a soft smile, only he really did know what you meant, more than you did and he wished he could tell you.

“We should go.” Draco spoke, almost in a regretful tone as he carefully and gently bandaged your hand back up. He hated that he had so little time with you, but he was thankful at least, that you were not against spending time with him. Stepping forwards, Draco checked the stairwell. “There’s no one around.” He reassured you. “See you soon.” Draco smiled sweetly at you. “I hope so.” You nodded, mirroring his smile before you stepped out of the alcove and made your way down the stairs quickly, Draco waiting several minutes before leaving, just in case.

The end of term was on it’s final stretch with one last exam to sit the following Monday for Defence Against the Dark Arts. But as the weekend came, you decided to spend at least some of it with the person you’d not been able to see nearly all year.

“Can I ask you something?” You broke the silence, Draco glancing over at you from his spot on the grass. You were both sat down by the lake, hidden by a bit of overgrown foliage and rocks. It was a part near the shore of the lake that not many people went to and it was perfect for spending a private moment with someone. “What is it?” He asked as he reached up to push his hair to the side.

“You’ll think it’s ridiculous.” You sighed, fiddling with the book that sat closed in your lap. “Nothing you say is ever ridiculous.” Draco said, looking over at you with a sweet smile and you felt yourself warm at his words. “Well in that case,” You paused, looking out over the horizon of the lake. “Do you believe in soulmates?” You posed the question as if you were terrified he’d tell you it was utter rubbish, but when you heard him give you a little hum as he thought about it, Draco leaned over a little, resting his hand on your arm to get your attention.

Meeting his gaze, his blue eyes softened when he saw how nervous you looked and he wondered if someone had told you that it was all an old wives tale.

You seemed to become more shy under his touch and Draco smiled to himself, feeling that it was sweet that you seemed to get so flustered whenever he touched you, even though it had very rarely happened.

“I do, I believe in soulmates.” He reassured you. Draco wanted, with every fibre of his being to show you his book, to tell you everything. But he didn’t. “Did someone tell you it was...” He trailed off. “Stupid? Yeah.” You huffed out. “Do you think there’s someone out there for us?” You asked, relaxing a little as Draco leaned down to gently grip your hand.

“I know there is.” Draco smiled softly.

Sometimes I wonder if I already know you, you wrote. Perhaps we do know each other, but we won’t know until we reach the end of this book, he wrote only moments later. The trundle of the train rolling over the tracks began to lull you into a sleepy state as you sat in a mostly empty carriage on the Hogwarts Express. It was the end of term and while too much had really happened for you to fully compartmentalize and process it all yet, you took solace in knowing that you could figuratively lean on your soulmate for comfort.

You told him everything you felt, almost like a journal and in turn he did the same. He detailed his thoughts, his feelings and he came to you when his day had been too much, but neither of you were too specific. You wished you knew who he was so that you could give him physical comfort, so you could both lean on each other and you wished for this even more so now that you started to wonder if you already knew him.

I promise I’ll write to you as often as I can. You scribbled it down into the book. But there came no answer. And days after you had arrived in London and returned home for the holidays, there was still no response.

If only Draco could tell you what had happened. If only he could write to you and explain it all from beginning to end. But he had no idea if he could, because his only way of communicating with you was no longer in his possession.

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nakunakunomi · 4 years

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Hi sweetheart, here I am again OwO Congrats on all the followers you’re getting, you deserve them! I took some inspiration from the list, could I request “Just get out. Get out and leave me alone” with Judal? Judal and his s/o get into (another) fight and his s/o just wants to be left alone for now. Maybe some comfort at the end to not hurt my heart too badly? ;) A scenario would be cool, but if all spots are already taken a headcanon is perfectly fine! Good luck with writing! X OwO

Judal is a bit of an ass, so this works perfectly for him and all his annoyingnes lmao. Hope you enjoy OwO-chan!

An actual apology - Judal x Reader

You can’t choose who you fall in love with. That was something you had learned the hard way when you had fallen for the magi of the Kou empire. He was selfish, he was childish, did whatever he pleased, and never took no for an answer. He waltzed into your life like it was his own personal playground and just stole your heart, much to your own dismay.

When the relationship started, all was good. He had his softer moments, where he was almost cute. And you did believe that he truly loved you because even though you were absolutely smitten, you would never start a relationship on something so one-sided.

But there were so many bad moments. Where he had ‘forgotten’ a date. Where he had used your presence just to get out of duties he was expected to fulfill. When he said things that made you embarrassed, or even slightly uncomfortable around other people. Countless times you had discussions, sometimes even full-on arguments, and he would either walk out, engage just to rile you up even more, or ignore all your points and then smooth it out with some physical affection, giving your brain all the endorphins it needed to hold on to just a little longer.

But now you had reached a breaking point. You had an extremely bad day, everything and everyone seemed to be annoying you and the last thing you needed was your boyfriend adding fuel onto the fire. Too bad he didn’t get that memo as he just burst into your room where you were just laying in bed, eyes closed, trying to find the energy and motivation to get up and get some food in a bit, but for now just enjoying peace, quiet and no company. Until the door slammed open that is.

“y/n why is there no dinner yet?”

You tried to ignore him, maybe he would go away if you didn’t pay him attention. Wrong decision. He plopped down on the bed, poking your face repeatedly with one slender finger, talking non-stop, and further bugging you about dinner and hundreds of other small things that you did not want to talk about at all.

“Judal, just shut up for a second will you?”

You pushed his hand away and turned away from him, one arm covering your face as you hoped that, in combination with your very agitated tone, was enough of a warning for him that today was not the day to mess with you. Again, futile hope as he just now poked your shoulder, not even stopping his childlike annoying to hear you tell him to shut up. Annoyed, you sat up.

“Judal” “so can’t you just do that instead of lazing around he-” “JUDAL!”

He blinked a couple of times at your sudden outburst, you were usually pretty soft-spoken, and you had never ever yelled at him before. “What?” after the initial confusion and shock washed over - which happened really fast- he seemed annoyed by your reaction. “I want five minutes of peace and quiet. Five minutes” You took a deep breath, quickly and softly adding a “please” to the end of that sentence. You were so tired. So done.

“Why? It’s not like you didn’t have a break today. Besides I don’t have a lot of time to spend with you to-” You sat up, staring at him with a fury in your eyes he had never seen before. It was enough to shut him up. You pinched the bridge of your nose, counting to ten in your mind, but it was all for nothing. Something had snapped the moment he walked in and nothing he would say could make up for it now. Your head was spinning, overtaken by anger. You realized how he had been the cause for some of this week’s incidents, how he was never comforting. All the moments he had annoyed you the past few days played off in your head and they were overwhelmingly more frequent than the moments where he had offered you comfort, physical affection or just had been a decent boyfriend at all. It made you even more angry and you snapped.

“Get out.” your voice insanely steady, laced with animosity, the fire still present in your eyes. “What?” He seemed honestly confused. “Just get out. Get out and leave me alone” you were shaking with anger now, and Judal, however annoying he could be, was not stupid. He rolled his eyes and turned on his heels and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

You let out a shaky breath and felt the tension leave your body. You didn’t even realize just how much you were tensed up until he had left the room. Then it sunk in. You had bickered with Judal before, and you had discussions on the daily, but never like this. Never had you been so angry, and never had he actually gotten up and left. You were not sure how to feel other than a little relieved and ready to enjoy your peace and quiet, enough so that you could ignore the nagging voice in the back of your head: ‘what if he walked out just to never come back again?’

You fell asleep not long after, exhaustion taking over. You didn’t wake up in time for dinner, the darkness outside when you finally got up signaling that it was well into the night. You stretched, feeling a whole lot better, albeit a little peckish, and made your way over to the kitchens to grab something so you could go back to sleep without your stomach rumbling.

In the kitchen, you automatically went to the fresh fruits and before you knew it you had grabbed a peach. Even with your body on auto-pilot, your first instincts were to care for Judal more than yourself and you felt another burst of anger flare up, this time mixed with a little bit of guilt for being so harsh. You pushed the guilt away. He had it coming, he deserved everything you said. And yet. You grabbed something to drink, an extra peach, and got back to your room.

You opened the door, and a dark shadow was sitting on your bed. You nearly screamed and dropped everything you were carrying, but just in time, you realized it was Judal. “Really?” you hissed, not wanting to yell as there were undoubtedly people sleeping that would not appreciate a shouting match at whatever time it was. He did not instantly reply, and you impatiently tapped your foot, if you were not carrying peaches and water you would have crossed your arms.

He didn’t say anything but didn’t move either. So you just walked over to the bed, putting the peaches down and looking at him with raised eyebrows, waiting for him to start talking. He glanced over at the fruit and a hint of a grin appeared on his face for a fraction of a second before disappearing and making way for his serious expression again. You had rarely seen him like that. He mumbled something, but because he was looking away, and the fact that you had not expected him to speak up as silently as that, made you completely miss what he said.

“I’m sorry what?” “I said,” he repeated, already a little annoyed, “I am sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you and should know when to stop.”

Now it was your turn to blink in surprise. This was unheard of. Judal, actually apologizing, nog making a joke out of it?

“I do care y’know? But I guess even you have enough of me sometimes”. He stood up from the bed, leaving you sitting down facing him, and now you had to look up. “Anyway,” he continued, the seriousness slowly disappearing and making way for his usual playful tone, “don’t think I’m going to just stop bothering you now. You chose me. So you’re stuck with me.” He leaned in, and you closed your eyes, too confused by what was happening and just letting instincts take over, and your instincts were anticipating a kiss to make up and seal his apology. Instead, he brushed past you to grab one of the peaches you had brought with you as your dinner. Your eyes fluttered open when you notice his presence getting away and he was standing before you, just happily nomming your peach.

“So I guess this is the part where I say that I do love you,” he continued, voice muffled and words a little unclear as he was now speaking with his mouth full, probably because he didn’t want to have this conversation properly, Judal was never one for anything sappy. “and then you say you love me too and then we forget about it. Mkay?”

“After you just stole half of my dinner?” “You can’t just bring me peaches and then expect me not to eat them” “They were not for you” “Oh love, they always are”

And before you could protest in any way, he patted the top of your head with the one hand that was clean and free from peach juice before walking out the door. Not in the mood to let the serious conversation or the blooming discussion last any longer.

“Goodnight y/n”

#Judal x reader #judar x reader #judal #judar #magi x reader #magi the kingdom of magic #magi the labyrinth of magic #reader insert #angsty with hazel #500 followers event #Anonymous

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starr-fall-knight-rise · 5 years

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Humans are Weird “It Honestly Depends”

@insertunoriginalusername gave me he prompt for this idea, I pretty much sat with it as I was working, so they should honestly get most of the credit for this one. Sorry if this one doesn't seem up to scratch, I got really used to writing the exciting Out of Warp Arc in my novel style, and now I have to get used to writing some of the older ones again. Hope you like it anyway :)

“Alright everyone, Quiet down…… I SAID QUIET! Down….” That’s better.

The large semicircular auditorium grew quiet as the assembled students finally ceased their chatter and took their seats, hundreds of legs clattered against the floor, carapace shifted, and mandibles tapped as the students leaned forward in anticipation.

There were hundreds of them with thousands of eyes all staring forward expectantly in anticipation of what was to come. The, small Tesraki professor stood at the front of the room and adjusted his translating device with a thin hand, “Were you all able to purchase the required packet for this moths lessons.”

The room shifted around them with a murmur.

They had, this was a book they actually wanted to read, information they were interested in learning.

“Good.” The professor said, looking around at the assembled students with a critical eye. Most of these students had been previously trained in universities and programs across the cosmos. Some of them had been educated in the old ways of their planets, but as the Galactic Assembly grew larger, and more accessible, more and more students were turning their attention to knowledge gained off world. However, settings like the current one they were in right now, was designed specifically for a high turnover of information. It was up to the students to do with it as they could.

Generally speaking, they would need to be diligent and quick in their studies to complete this course and go into the ensuing fields. Many of them wished to be diplomats, politicians, and cultural scientists, studying other races across the cosmos. This meant learning as much as they could about all existing races and their culture before being allowed into the field.

This week, they were learning about the humans…. Everyone wanted to learn about humans. And, of course, with this species, it wasn’t enough to learn just about their culture. Without the context of the human homeworld, there was no freezable way to understand the human’s culture. Unlike other unites, this unit included, biology, geography, chemistry, and neuroscience, all in order to explain human behavior and cultural customs.

The packet they had been ordered to purchase was an extension of the current texts, and was supposed to contain all the primary research and information currently possessed about humans. Despite more than a few years of involvement with the Galactic Assembly, primary resources on humans and their cultural customs were few and far between. That meant, in short, that the field was open to whoever was willing to take advantage of it. This generation would have an entirely new species open to them, they were to become the primary experts on these strange creatures, the newest diplomats, and some of the greatest historians. Of course, as peace talks with the Drev continued, there would be discussion about them in the future, but with even less information the future was less than certain.

The reading had been more than interesting, but the person who wrote it was clearly not a social scientist or a historian. He was simply a bystander, and most of his observations held clear bias, misunderstanding, and great amounts of confusion. He was a surgeon after all, and not a social scientist. He was also a Vrul, and they weren’t known for their great ability to understand others and their motivation.

Trauma Surgeon Krill of the Vrul had been a member aboard a human ship for more than a year at this point, and his papers were making waves in the scientific community. There was no group of scientists, no discipline that wasn’t interested in what he had to say, even if the information was inaccurate.

Furthermore, the Captain aboard his ship represented the primary source of what they understood about humans. His biological map was the standard for textbooks, academia, diagrams and medical biology. Most of the images they had for their medical information came from that same human, though Krill had included some more images in with his primary sources, and these included estimations on possible human color pallets which was honestly more fascinating than it should have been.

The professor waved to quiet them one more time before continuing, “I know, I know, you are all very excited about today’s speaker, but I must ask you to remain calm and remember to take your turns when asking questions, we cannot have this devolve into pandemonium.” No one said a word, wishing their teacher would just shut up and introduce their speaker already. The teacher looked around at the faces of his students and then sighed, he knew they weren’t going to be able to pay attention until then so, “Alright, since you all seem so eager, let me go ahead introduce today’s speaker.” The teacher shuffled around at the podium for a moment before beginning, “A galaxy renowned trauma surgeon, Dr Krill of the Vrul has spent the most documented tie with a human crew in the known galaxy immersing himself completely in their culture and their habits without returning to his own species for more than a few days at a time. At this current moment, he is the galaxy’s leading researcher on humans, and the author of your packets, if you did not make the connection, so please, help me give a warm welcome to Dr. Krill.”

The room burst into an amalgamation of applause, or the alien equivalent, as a small, many legged form scuttled up to the podium. At the front of the auditorium, a few students couldn’t help but notice the way that the Dr. Moved, in quick short bursts dispersed through long luxurious and stalking movements, unusual for his particular body type. The Vrul didn’t behave like that.

He stopped at the podium two front appendages resting against the lectern with a thoughtful expression, “I am very flattered to have been brought here today to speak with you, but I am afraid my opinions and knowledge will tend to be rather biased in this area of research. You see, when I joined the human crew I had no intention of being this important to the scientific community, and much of the reports that I have written stem from my own understanding and baser knowledge. I think it is important for you all to understand that I do not have all the answers, and am a Surgeon and not a social scientist. Take whatever I say with a grain of salt as is only logical.”

He shifted his body weight from one set of feet to the other, “The first think you must be aware of…. They spend about 10% of their time doing dumb shit, and then they spend the other 90% of their time doing even dumber shit.” He held up a hand to the crowd, “yeah, I know, sounds biased right, but you must hear me out. I have this evolutionary theory, that humans are crazy and have no sense of self preservation, so they evolved to be as indestructible as they are because that was the only way nature could keep their dumbasses alive. I saw this with all the affection in my soul of course, I…. have grown rather fond of the humans.” He stepped away from the podium and began walking up and down the front of the room.

“Humans aren’t known to be good at any one thing. Your species, whatever it may be, has at least one advantage over humans, yet I can tell you that humans will find a way to be better somehow, by cheating. Take for instance, my own species. The Vrul are known for their absolute and completely infallible logic. Well, humans don’t need logic, they defy it with absolutely everything they do. And when logic says that only logic will lead to the correct answer, you end up at that answer only to find a human has already reached it through some completely incomprehensible roundabout thinking. They build the most amazing technology simply because they have no comprehension of what is and is not possible. Everyone in the galaxy knows that Rundi cannot be outrun, and at short distances, this is even true for a human, but at long distances they can not only outrun a Rundi, but they can probably, set up tea and biscuits for him at the finish line and iron most of his laundry while he is waiting. Humans have no sense of when something is enough, they don’t understand when to stop. For instance the Rundi never developed a way to move faster, why would they need to? Well, the humans don’t get this, they are always trying to go faster and for longer distances at a time, using the least amount of work possible. I am going to tell you something you aren’t going to like…...”

The class leaned forward in their curiosity, “You are never going to understand the humans. No matter what you do, you will think you know, and then something will happen and you will realize everything you thought you knew was a lie. So I have decided, that I cannot finish this lecture.” There was an immediate murmur around the room as the students protested angrily to his words. They had been looking forward to this. Instead, the Vrul held up a hand to stop them, in such a decisive manner that they were still into thir seats, “I think you will appreciate what I have for you much better. I brought with me a real expert on human culture.”

That must have been a cue as there was a sudden shuffling of footsteps, and the entire room turned to see…. A human, walking down the isle of the room. They all gasped and shifted in their seats in excitement, they knew this human, they knew this human. He paused at the front of the class next to Dr. Krill and leaned himself again the lectern nonchalantly his predatory eyes sweeping across the room in small jerking movements…. The human eye did not move particularly smoothly.

“So, what do you want to know?” The room shifted uncomfortably wondering if the human had heard what the doctor had said about him earlier.

“He’s overreacting you know, Humans don’t do stupid stuff just out of nowhere, well, not generally…. Not all the time anyway…. I mean sometimes we do, but usually we’re drunk, or well… sometimes we aren’t…. … you know what, never mind He’s right, we do a lot of stupid shit, but I think he’s mostly been biased by me. There are plenty of humans that don’t do stupid stuff. I do, all the time, not going to deny that. Questions?”

The room was quiet for a moment and then a student raised a hand, “How do humans greet each other?”

“Oh, that’s easy, you say hi…. Or hello I suppose.” The human tapped his chin, “Well you know, it honestly depends. You can hug someone, or wave at them, or salute, or tip your hat (that one is sort of weird though, or you can high five or fist bump or tackle them or pat them on the back, or a variation or a secret handshake, oh yeah or a regular handshake…. Or there are other greetings, most of them we don’t use, but you can use them and people will understand Yo what’s up, and its variations. I suppose you can also just nod to them though it depends on who they are you use an upward nod if you respect them or a lower nod if you are a little unsure…..” He paused looking around the room at the slack faces and wide eyes, “Um, you know what, disregard that. Say Hello, and offer a hand for a handshake, that will do for pretty much any human.”

There was another moment of quiet before another one of the students raised their hand, “How does one avoid upsetting a human, or insulting them I guess.”

The human sat back against the lectern and frowned, “Um, well that is a massive ass can of worms isn’t it. Well first things first, don’t openly insult or call them names, unless you are friends with them, and then the more vicious the names you call them the better, don’t insult family members, generally most humans are more upset with you insulting people they like. Don’t insult things they like, I suppose unless you are teasing and you have developed a report and they trust you enough to know that you aren’t being a jerk. Um, here don’t talk about income, religion, race, sexuality, political beliefs, money, raising children, the UNSC, the economy. In certain places you need to make sure your shoes are off before you enter a house, don’t point your feet at anyone, and don’t give anyone a rude gesture, so no middle fingers, and sometimes a thumbs up isn’t a good idea.” Again the entire room had gone slack jawed, those who had been taking notes had stopped taking notes, “The captain sighed, why are your questions so damn hard…. Um ok, hard and fast rule is not to talk about religion, politics, or money, don’t openly insult someone to their face, and don’t insult their family. Otherwise you just need to gage a person based on how they are personally, if they are a decent person they will forgive you the first time around because you didn’t know. If they get offended even though you couldn’t have known then they are trash and avoid them."

To the side of the room Dr. Krill had his arms crossed, and a surprisingly human expression crossing his face. No one in the room would have known, but it was likely the expression of someone very, very smug. Now he wasn’t the only one who had to deal with the absolute stupidity of humans and their annoyingness.

The room shifted, hands came up and then went back down, Captain Vir watched in rather sheepish amusement as the students struggled trying to find the easiest question they could think of, and then finally there was a hand.

“How do you know if a human likes you?”

The captain tapped his fingers on his arms, “Hmm, I suppose you won’t.” The class stared on, “I mean sometimes you will and sometimes you won’t. Humans pretend to like each other all the time and then talk behind each other’s backs. I suppose if someone saves your life that’s a good bet that they like you, but then again that may not be true, some people are really moral and will save people they dislike. Perhaps if the human comes to hang out with you, but also if you are in a group they may not like you and they just tolerate you being there for the other people. Some people are better at faking than others. If you are talking to a human and they give you very short curt answers and they don’t make eye contact or stop what they are doing, than maybe they don’t like you, but if they seek YOU out to hang out and seem to do it often, than they probably like you. Oh, you know what, a good indicator is if the human tells you something secret or personal about themselves, they wouldn’t do that for someone they distrust or dislike. Although, don’t feel bad if someone you think you like doesn’t do this, some people are just really private, shy and have problems trusting others completely.”…. “Honestly, now that I think about it, this one isn’t such an easy answer either, you sort of have to gage it person to person.

Around the auditorium, the entire room gave a deep sigh and rested back into their chairs, this was going to be a long evening. Honestly, did they REALLY want to go into this field?

Humans were so complicated after all.

#earth is space australia #humans are weird #humans are space oddities #humans are space orcs #humans are space australians

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cee693 · 4 years

Text

Give us bread, Give us salt, Give us wine.

Cee693

@allaboutmybucks: Barry and Iris spending time together before impending Crisis. I think I'll make this request a two-parter with the next one being a tiny bit less angsty.

In the end, the true state of their feelings wouldn’t be found in in the grand gestures. It wasn't in the breakfasts that had started overflowing with his favorite foods since he’d returned from Earth-3. It wasn't in the luxurious trips around the world. Trips that had them both ignoring the fact that most of the places they went to were from a list they’d compiled two years ago as an Anniversary Bucket List.

It wasn't in the proclamations and declarations of undying love.

It was in the little things.

It was in the touches, the hand holding that was a bit too tight. A goodbye kiss that was a second too long. It was in Barry’s breath catching when some budget forms arrived on his desk at work. He was supposed to fill in his request for the next fiscal year. Which began December 10th, 2019.

It was in Iris hitting ‘unsubscribe’ after receiving her routine alert from her pharmacy to go in for her next three-month supply of birth control pills.

It was in Barry getting into the habit of putting on their record player and getting Iris to dance around the kitchen with him while he cooked them dinner.

It wasn’t something he normally did. They’d danced around their kitchen more times than they could count, but it was usually after dinner or in a spontaneous burst in the day.

Mostly, because Barry was mindful of keeping his wife away from any open flames or boiling pots.

Iris’s track record in the kitchen was… not great. That’s why Barry tried to always have dinner ready to go after work so there was no chance of her getting involved.

But, that week, Iris had come home from work and greeted Barry over the blare of the upbeat record spinning and he hurried to kiss her before twirling her in his arms and sliding her into his work space.

The first time it happened they'd laughed so hard and danced for so long, Iris had to tag in and help him finish cooking so that they could eat before midnight.

The following night, Iris came home to the same sight: Barry happy and singing to music. This time with a bottle of wine chilled and ready for her. Iris kissed him soundly because that glass was exactly what she needed after the day she had.

Unfortunately, their bottle opener was mysteriously vanished so Barry asked her season and baste the roast he had in the oven while he ran out and got a new one.

By the time he returned (suspiciously long for a speedster), dinner was finished and ready to be served.

The next few days were the same and the two of them settled into a nice little routine of cooking and dancing.

Iris didn’t know what brought on Barry’s sudden good mood, but she didn’t question it. She loved seeing Barry like this: all care-free and happy.

Since his trip to Earth-3, Barry took care to carve out time, just the two of them, but she really appreciated that this last week there was no sense of dread in their time together only joy.

And the fact that he was like this with an apron on, sleeves rolled up his forearms as he snuck her bites of food was also incredibly sexy.

She couldn’t resist one night pressing up against him and kissing him sensually. She meant for it to be a quick kiss, but Barry had her up on the counter in seconds.

“Wait,” she pulled back after several minutes of being carried away. “The food's gonna burn.”

Barry shook his head and kissed her again. “Chicken's still marinating. Trick is to add baking soda and let it sit. It tenderizes the meat." Of course he said that last part with extreme innuendo as he kissed the side of her neck.

She liked it when he talked food. As much as she called him a nerd, anytime he flexed his intelligence, it was a huge turn-on for her.

She said as much another night when he swayed them in time to Nat King Cole right in front of the oven. Iris mentioned that the warmth coming from it was divine and Barry whispered that the 375° was just about the perfect temperature for anything.

To Barry’s credit, it took her almost two weeks to realize what he was doing.

And at first it stopped her in her tracks and knocked the air from her lungs.

She’d gotten home from work early and had just texted Barry to let him know when the lightbulb just randomly went off.

She went over the last two weeks of dinnertime in her head and when her suspicion was confirmed she locked herself in her office and cried until the sun went down.

By the time Barry came home, she pulled herself together and dried her eyes, but she resolved to not step foot out her office until tonight’s meal was on the table ready to be eaten.

Iris heard the front door open and close, then the shower run for a few seconds before she heard him back in the kitchen rumbling around.

When Billie Holiday began wafting through the loft, Iris correctly anticipated Barry coming to her.

He knocked on her door and she sluggishly got up to let him in.

"Hey," Barry greeted happily as he entered her office. He leaned down and kissed her sweetly. "How was your day."

"It was fine," Iris responded delicately. "How was yours?"

“Eh. Long. I missed you. I picked up some chicken and shrimp for alfredo? That sound okay?”

“Sure. That's great thank you.”

"Want to come out?” He asked.

"No."

"We could pop open that bottle of red we got from the Uco Valley. Best in the world."

"No. Sorry, I'm busy,” Iris responded, half-heartedly holding up the first magazine she touched.

Barry deflated a little. “Iris. I haven't seen you all day.”

She sighed and felt a bit bad. "I guess I can work at the dining table."

Iris grabbed her laptop and a notebook and followed Barry out to the living room. She settled at the dining table and let him get to work in the kitchen.

Of course tonight, though, Barry seemed to be having a bit of trouble in the kitchen.

"Damn it," he muttered a third time. Pots clanked and there was a definite sound of something spilling on the floor.

Still, Iris resisted the urge to take pity on him and ask him what was wrong. She knew in reality it was nothing at all.

Barry was a terrible liar, but he always gave valiant performances.

"Hey, I'm sorry,” he called out to her minutes later. “I know you're busy but could you help me grab the cream in the fridge? My hands are full."

If she wasn’t so angry, Iris would have been a little disappointed that that was the best he could come up with. She thinks for that lie to be believable she's supposed to pretend that he's not the fastest man alive.

She sighed and stood up. "How much cream?"

Barry nodded to the ipad on the counter. "Recipe's over there."

Iris scowled a bit and peeked at the tablet before she went to the fridge and checked. "We're all out."

"Oh really?" Barry exclaimed, voice higher than normal. “Darn.”

Iris stifled an eye-roll at the bad acting.

"Well, we could make a substitute for cream. Could you grab some milk and some butter? Just measure out a fourth of butter and three-

Iris huffed in frustration and slammed the fridge door.

"-I know what you're doing, so just stop it," she demanded.

Barry blinked and halted his chopping. "What?"

"I know what you've been doing, Barry," she repeated. "Putting out music and wine and finding any way to pull me into the kitchen. Pretending that you can't literally do all of this by yourself in seconds. Whispering off little culinary facts in passing."

"You've been teaching me how to cook," she accused.

"What? No, I haven't!" Barry exclaimed. He tried to sound confused and offended, but he was turning really red.

"Yes, you have!" she fumed.

Tears pricked her eyes. "Why though? Do you want to make sure I don't burn the loft down when you're not around to cook anymore?"

Her voice broke and she looked down, trying hard not to break again. "Is this your way of trying to prepare me for a life of dinners alone?"

Barry put down his knife and turned off the stove. He sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"I just … I'm sorry. I just wanted to give you some pointers that I knew you would remember," he admitted guiltily.

Iris's chin quivered. "You manipulated me."

"I'm sorry," he said again sincerely.

"I knew you wouldn't want to learn if I told you why."

"Yeah, well you're right about that," Iris sniffed, upset. She went to the dining table to pack up her stuff.

"Iris, wait. Please. I just don't know what to do anymore," he told her desperately. "I'm just at a dead end."

Iris whipped around and glared at him for his very poor choice of words.

Barry sighed, frustrated with himself. He tried again "I'm sorry. I am. I know that this wasn't really fair to you. I just want… I need to know that you'll be okay after Crisis. And part of that is making sure you eat."

Iris turned back around to the table.

"That's not something you can control though is it?" she asked weakly, unwilling to face the look in his eyes. Unable to face the words he was saying.

She didn't want this.

She didn't want to talk about this or think about it and she was angry this was in fact what the last few nights have been about.

Happy memories now tainted by their morbid ulterior motive. Everything in their lives touched by this death sentence.

"I don't know what else I'm supposed to do," Barry whispered tearfully. "I… I can't think of you here alone not eating, or only getting by on takeout or tv dinners for one."

Nausea flooded her stomach at the thought. But, he wasn't wrong.

That was her future.

That's what life would be without her husband. Without a child.

Just her. Here alone. No one to break bread with. No one to come home to after a long day. No one with a glass of wine or a tray of brownies waiting for her.

Just solitude.

A sob ripped through her and Barry was at her side in an instant, pulling her close and profusely apologizing.

“I'm sorry, please don't cry,” he begged. “I made a mistake.”

Iris wrestled free from him. "As much as you feel that it's not a choice to die, when you do things like this it seems like it is. It seems calculated and thought-out and it feels like a choice you're making every day.”

“I didn’t want to do this. And it’s not fair that you planned this,” she said, upset. “It's out of your hands. You've accepted what the Monitor said and you’re leaving, but please, don’t try to tie up the loose ends Crisis is leaving behind into a nice little bow.”

“Iris, that’s not-”

She swallowed nausea and just left her stuff where they were. “-I’m going to bed. You should take your time cleaning up before you come upstairs.”

Barry took the hint to give her space and he let her go.

Iris took a long hot shower before she climbed into bed completely exhausted.

It was quiet now.

Ms. Holiday’s voice had ceased.

Iris heard the vague sound of a good bit of glass crashing somewhere downstairs and she was almost grateful for the sound of Barry’s anger.

After weeks of subdued acceptance, it was refreshing to hear signs of emotion in her husband.

And then it was quiet again.

She figured it was over an hour before Barry finally trudged up the stairs and into their bedroom. He creeped by her to the bathroom and she heard him brush his teeth and change for bed.

When he slid in beside her, Iris was still clearly wide awake.

She didn't turn around and Barry didn't expect her to.

He didn’t try to talk to her and Iris didn’t expect him to.

But, his arm slid around her waist at the exact moment she reached behind her to pull him close.

Because, regardless of if they had a choice or not, these were their last days together. And they would spend every one of them side by side.

Iris rocked back and forth in her chair at the Citizen berating herself again and again.

She felt like the biggest hypocrite. She was filled with so much anger and there was no one to be blamed for it. None of this was fair.

Her husband was selfless and good. Everything he did, he did with her in mind.

Barry had done nothing wrong two nights ago.

He certainly hadn't done anything she hadn't done in the past.

She had tried that a few times. Tried to get her affairs in order. Tried to leave instructions for Barry that she knew he would need after Savitar killed her.

After Kadabra's offer went unaccepted and Barry's trip to the future came up short, Iris had bought a label maker and went to town around the apartment, putting up little reminders and facts for her fiancé. Like the Wi-Fi password he could never remember and the best times to go to the farmer's market for the sweetest peaches.

And, though she kept it tucked under her side of the mattress, she'd even began keeping a notebook marking down which of her things should be donated to which charities.

She thought she'd done a good thing.

Thought she was making the future easier for him. Until she came home from work and found all her labels torn off and ripped up and the label maker and her secret notebook dumped in the trash.

When she confronted Barry about why he'd done that, she saw that he was very, very upset, but was trying hard to reel it in.

His voice was shaking when he told her that all of that wasn't necessary. If he needed the Wi-Fi password he would just ask her. And that they'd agreed to never let him go to the farmer's market alone again after the Peony Debacle.

He didn't even acknowledge the notebook. Just demanded that she never do anything like this again. And then he left the house and only returned several hours later.

Iris never wanted to look back on those dark, dark months leading up to her supposed murder. She never wanted to revisit the fucked up headspaces she and Barry were forced into for five months. Least of all with a twisted sense of longing. But, that's where she was now.

What happened three years ago and what was happening now are two sides of the same coin, but the way they were being handled couldn't be more different.

Back then there was fire.

There was anger.

There were slammed doors and passionate declarations of resistance.

There was unwavering belief in defiance and blood oaths of protection.

No matter what loop they were thrown, Barry never lost faith that she would somehow survive. Not one single moment. Not once in five long, grueling months.

And when Iris wavered, when she wasn't so sure herself, Barry shouldered her pain and he found faith enough for the both of them.

But, that was then.

Back when there were flames. Back when there was fight.

Now? Now it's just quiet.

Just unceasingly quiet.

It had only taken Barry two days to lose all hope. To accept complete defeat. To accept death.

Two. Days.

And she was pushed to do the same.

Well, the truth was that she didn't. She didn't accept his death. She never would.

But she couldn't fight fate. So where did that leave her?

In silence.

That's all there was now.

Barry's silence was submission, but hers was seething. It was storming. With no hope for an outlet. Because the hero had already accepted demise.

The silence was deafening. It was demoralizing. And now it was made even thicker by their argument.

Iris scoffed and sat up. If she couldn’t fight the world than she would put her energy into something she could control. There were victories still to be found in the everyday. And if that’s all she could have, she’d fight like hell to claim them.

Barry sighed miserably as he cleaned up and locked down his lab for the night.

As far as he knew, there were no pressing Flash duties at Star Labs so he could just go home. But, he didn't know if he should just yet. There was a chance Iris was still at work and he didn't want to hang around the quiet apartment without her there.

And if she was home already, he was hesitant to do the awkward dance they'd been doing the last few days.

It was a blend of having stilted conversation and clinging to each other.

It was exhausting. And it wouldn't sustain them much longer, but he couldn't find their way out.

Crisis was inevitable. It was coming.

And the two of them would never agree on what needed to be done.

No matter how much she bit her tongue, Barry knew how Iris truly felt about him accepting his destiny. That's why he knew he had to lie to try and prepare her for a small part of life without him there.

And she had every right to feel the way she did.

He was in her shoes not long ago. He'd never forget the feeling of that sucking hole in your chest when you're facing the death of your soulmate.

Barry rubbed his eyes roughly. He’d go home. There was no sense in avoiding Iris. No matter what storm they were facing, it would be together.

He locked the door to his lab just as his phone vibrated. He pulled it out and saw a message from Iris.

Meet me at Jitters when you’re off..

He was out CCPD and outside of the coffeehouse in seconds.

It was late. Jitters was already closed for the night and there was no one inside. Which made him apprehensive.

Why had Iris called him here? Was something wrong? Was she alright?

He phased through the doors and looked around.

It was pitch black, save for a dim light coming from the back. “Iris? Are you in here?”

Hurried steps came from the kitchen and he sighed in relief when he saw his wife come around to the front counter.

“Oh! Hey, I wasn’t expecting you so quickly. I thought you were still at work.”

“I packed up early,” he explained coming closer. “What’s up? Everything alright?”

She looked calm and in one piece. She was drying her hands on a small towel and when he got close enough he saw that she was wearing an apron.

“What are you doing?”

“Everything’s fine,” Iris assured. “I just thought these industrial grade stoves and fire system would be a safer bet than our kitchen.”

“Safer for what?” he wondered uneasily.

“I made us dinner,” she told him simply.

“You cooked? Dinner?” Barry repeated, dumbfounded. He didn’t know what he thought this meeting was about but it definitely wasn’t that.

Now that his attention was there, though, he did smell savory richness coming from the kitchens.

Iris nodded. “Yeah.”

Barry could see that she was still somewhat- not defensive, but on guard. Cautious.

He didn’t want to question if that meant she understood where he was coming from last week just in case that wasn’t the case.

“Wow. That’s- that’s really great! I’m sure it’s great. Thank you,” he smiled softly.

Iris gestured for him to grab a seat at the counter. “I didn’t think you’d be out of work so early, so there’s still a few minutes left until the food’s ready.”

“That’s no problem at all.”

Iris studied his face before she sighed and looked down.

She reached over and grabbed the bottle of wine she’d chilled and poured them each a tall glass.

It was the bottle of red they’d gotten from Argentina. It tasted like heaven. And, though it wouldn’t have a huge effect on Barry, it helped ease the tension in both of their shoulders.

“This is perfect,” Iris moaned as the hints of berry and clove slid down her throat.

“Good choice,” Barry agreed, impressed.

“Oh!” Iris suddenly remembered. “I almost forgot.”

She hurried to the back and returned with a large platter. “Some hors d'oeuvres. I made broiled oysters.”

Barry's brows shot up. “Did you really?”

Iris shrugged. "I think I was being spiteful making something so dramatic," she admitted. "The main course isn't nearly as fancy though."

She came around the counter with the large platter and set it down between them.

Barry lifted the lid and saw that she had in fact made oysters. And they smelled and looked amazing.

"This looks incredible," he complimented with wonder.

"Try one," Iris told him.

Barry only hesitated briefly (as great as it looked, he had been on the receiving end of the adventurous side of Iris's cooking many times before) before he slid a shell off the plate and downed it.

"Holy shit, that's amazing," he exclaimed in disbelief. He looked at her excitedly. "Iris, this is amazing!"

Iris's was still a bit standoffish, but as he thanked her and tried two more oysters, her shoulders loosened and the smile on her face widened.

"Thanks," she said genuinely as she shrugged. "It was no big deal, I just followed a recipe."

By the time the oven timer went off, Iris had settled into the seat beside him and the two of them took turns polishing off the seafood.

She spent a few minutes in the kitchen this time and when she came back she was holding a very large pot. "Okay. Full disclosure, this took a few tries but I eventually got the hang of it."

She carefully put down the sizzling pan and uncovered it dramatically.

Barry was hit with the mouthwatering sight of chicken and shrimp Alfredo.

Barry grinned widely. “That’s my girl.”

“And I used butter and milk cause, funnily enough, somehow a coffeehouse was completely out of cream,” she teased.

Barry chuckled heartily and Iris joined in and soon they were laughing hard at such a simple joke, letting the tension of the week melt away.

Eventually, they gathered themselves and Barry helped Iris dish out the pasta.

She waited with bated breath as he took his first bite and smiled with relief when he told her with complete and utter seriousness that it was the best bite of food he’s ever had in his entire life.

And Barry was sure all was forgiven when she took his fork and fed him the rest of his plate, sneaking bites herself and catching up with him on her day.

By the time they took their last bites, Barry felt warm and stuffed. “That was the best meal I’ve ever had,” he said contently. “Thank you.”

“Glad you liked it,” she smiled. “I guess I can tuck that recipe away for future use.”

The mood sobered up some at the reminder of the future. Iris sighed painfully and sipped the last of her wine.

Barry gently cupped her cheek and turned her back to him. “I’m really sorry about before. You know I was just trying to help. Right?”

“I know,” Iris promised. “It’s just that this is all really hard. It’s more than it just being food, Barry.”

Tears pricked her eyes. “I know I can't cook very well. I know that. And when it was just me I really didn’t care too much to learn. But, I’ve always liked trying. For you.”

He knew that was true. Iris always cooked for them at Joe’s more out of a sense of duty to pull her weight and ease the stress on her working, single father.

She never cooked for Eddie. Never once felt the desire to. She dated him for over a year. She'd lived with him for five months. But, she only ever tried to cook for him once. He'd gotten run down with the flu and after a few days she thought maybe she ought to make him chicken noodle soup. She got as far as almost slicing her thumb clean off chopping up some carrots before she threw everything out and grabbed a takeout menu.

But, after she and Barry started dating and then especially after they got married, Iris loved cooking all sorts of meals for him. They never ended well, but Barry was an expert at making Iris think otherwise.

Barry Allen was the only man who could ever make Iris West want to spend hours huddled over a hot stove or a skillet and read over complex recipes until her eyes crossed.

“After all we’ve been through. After this life we’ve only just started together, it’s just supposed to go back to it just being me at the table?” Iris cried. “I’m just supposed to do normal, mundane things like this as if half of me isn’t gone? You’ll be gone, Barry. Who cares if the I’m living off pork rinds and gum. What the hell difference does it make?”

Barry wiped her tears before wiping his own. “You have to care, Iris. Because if you don’t it will be that much easier to lose the purpose in everything. Food will seem pointless, but then so will washing your face and pretty soon getting out of bed will be too much of a hassle. And who needs to go into work when you’re the boss? I know, I know exactly what my life would’ve been like if you weren’t there after I lost my parents. I saw what my life was like in the future after Savitar. That can’t be your life.”

He shook his head and put his hand right over her heart. “Everything I have. Everything I love is right here. The choice to keep this beating is mine. But, I won’t be here to protect it anymore. To take care of it. That’s only your choice. It’s a choice you have to make. And choosing to keep going in spite of all the pain that’s coming will be the hardest decision you’ll make. It will hurt like hell, but you have to do it. And if something as tiny as making yourself a plate of food after a harsh day is what keeps you going so you don’t collapse or shut down, then you have to do that too. You will have to take care of yourself even when it’s the last thing you’ll want to do. Especially then. I just wanted to try to find a way to help you do that.”

Iris closed her eyes, tears fell harder.

She was wrong. She was wrong before. Barry’s acceptance was full of fight.

Her husband was still full of fire.

Iris nodded. “I will. I’ll try to take care of myself. And I’ll try to stay on top of my meals. I promise.”

Iris felt the desperation ease from his grip. Felt the tension melt away in his exhale.

“Three times a day?” he asked when they separated. He hoped for a positive answer, but had no expectations.

After all this time neither of them had any illusions about the cost of grief. She knew the reality of what she could offer him.

“Once per day is going to be pretty lucky I think,” Iris told him, smiling sadly.

Barry swallowed despair at that. It was the truth. Still he tried to bargain up. “Two times.”

Iris sighed.

“One full meal and a snack,” he amended.

“One full meal and a snack,” she compromised.

He kissed her then, sealing the accord in love.

“I love you,” he said softly when they pulled away.

“I love you,” Iris responded.

She rested her head on his shoulder and Barry wrapped his arms around her tight pulling her as close to him as their bodies would allow.

The feel of her heart beating against his side lulled him. It was always the thing that would keep him breathing.

Several minutes later, something caught his eye on one of the counters. “Did you make those?”

He pointed to a pile of cookies sitting high on an ornate glass plate. They didn’t look like anything Jitters sold.

“Oh wow, yeah. I forgot about dessert,” Iris chuckled.

Barry sped over and grabbed them, sliding back into his seat before Iris could notice. “Let’s try some then.”

“Ooh, baby I would not eat those cookies if I were you,” Iris warned seriously. “I don't think they turned out right.”

Barry waved off her doubts. "All of this was perfect. I'm sure they're fine."

He smelled the cookie then took a big bite to show her he wasn’t worried. But, as soon as the dessert touched his tongue, he regretted it.

His eyes reflexively bulged and he stopped chewing for a second before his sense kicked in and he made his usual sounds of content. "Mmm see?! Delicious!"

The cookies were burnt to a crisp on the underside, but somehow chewy in the middle. And he was certain Iris had mixed up her salt and sugar again, but he powered through and finished the whole thing.

He subtly tried to gasp for breath to clear the taste of ash from the back of his throat. He knew reaching for a drink would give him away so he smiled down at her instead and smacked his lips.

“Wow, gr-great stuff,” he prayed his eye didn’t twitched from the bitterness.

Fortunately it didn’t.

Unfortunately, Iris looked so pleased with his enjoyment that she offered him three more cookies, picking out the biggest ones she could find.

Barry ate them each with a smile, washing down the rancid taste with the joy on his wife’s face.

“Maybe I can do the cooking for the rest of the week,” Iris suggested as they walked home a few hours later.

Before dessert, from the delicious meal she’d prepared he would’ve readily agreed. This was what he had wanted in the first place.

But, the thought of those god-awful cookies made his stomach roll. Depending on what she decided to cook, he might very well not even make it to Crisis.

Still, he thought as he squeezed her hand and took in her eager smile, if that was how he went- at home eating his warm meal across from this woman who he loved more than life itself- it would be the greatest honor.

He grinned and nodded his head in agreement at the offer.

“That would be wonderful,” he said sincerely.

#Westallen #The Flash #Barry Allen #Iris West-Allen #Crisis on Infinite Earths

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taylorroger-s · 5 years

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ten things [2] // borhap!roger taylor x reader

a/n umm?? holy fuck the first one got way more love than i expected it to. thank you for all the kind words, it’s really motivating. this one is pretty fluffy, but no romance just yet ;) if y’all wanna request stuff (headcanons, one shots, and the like) you need only ask. just, no lemons. i trust y’all know what that means.

oh, and if any of you want to be added to the taglist, you need only ask

enjoy :)

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and the way you cut your hair

“i swear meddows, you need a haircut.” you shook your head at the drummer, flopping back on the low couch after hours of listening to the boys record. it had been three weeks since freddie's party, and you had been spending more and more time with the band.

john was highly witty, played guitar in addition to bass, and was always doing a little dance while he played his instrument. he loved throwing peanuts in brian's wild mane, especially since he could barely feel them. you two would laugh while brian struggled to find out why you kept on avoiding eye contact with him and giggling like maniacs.

brian, in your opinion, was a total genius in both guitar and astrophysics. while it wasn't his turn to play, he would answer all of your questions about the cosmos, almost always launching into some in depth tangent about how stars are formed or a similar topic. you learned more from him in a few weeks than what you'd studied during all of primary school. it was truly satisfying to see someone who found their calling in life.

freddie of course was completely indescribable. he had a strong sense of self and wouldn't let any naysayers compromise his confidence or attack the band. you often said he had the voice of an angel who learned to walk on earth. you were enamored by his groundbreaking ideas that only made the band more recognizable. it was clear to see why mary loved him.

roger turned out to be less of a wanker than you assumed. you both had a chuckle once you realized that he too studied biology at east london polytechnic. he wouldn't let anyone fiddle with his drum set, nor did he let anyone drive his car. his ability to hit ridiculously high notes while still drums perfectly was considerably impressive. he always knew what to say to induce the most laughter, leaving the whole gang in stitches once everyone started cracking jokes at each other. once you found out his middle name was “meddows”, that was your permanent nickname for him. but that didn’t mean you didn’t hate him.

that day was just like any other. brian spun idly in his chair, curly head of hair bouncing with the beat of deaky's newest bass riff. freddie was fast asleep on the couch, head resting in mary’s lap. you were next to her listening to deaky play, flipping through a thick novel you had borrowed from brian on how moons are formed.

the air smelled faintly of cigarettes and cheap perfume, thanks to roger smoking with his arm around another lanky woman. she had his blond locks wrapped around her finger, other hand resting on his knee. it seemed like he had a different girl by his side each time you saw him. in the back of your mind, you couldn't help but wonder why he never stuck to just one.

mary was fast asleep at your side, head cradled in your lap. she looked so peaceful, letting out little puffs of air in a steady rhythm. they had been working late into the night, you and mary there to keep them company like usual. truthfully, you all did more goofing off then recording. whenever someone was behind the glass, the ones waiting would make ridiculous faces in hopes they would crack and have to restart the recording.

but the long day had taken a toll. freddie had gone with miami to pick the gang up some food, drastically lowering the energy that shook through the room in his presence. without his vibrant spirit, the world felt like it was moving slowly through molasses. after meeting him, your world would never be the same.

the comfortably silent atmosphere was broken by an abrupt ringing coming from a phone mounted in the wall. you all glanced up in unison, brian about to pick up the receiver before roger’s current plaything hopped to her feet and held out a hand to stop him.

“i’ll get it!” she announced, nearly skipping her way to the far wall. Brian slowly sat back down, glancing over to you with a quizzical look in his eyes. You shrugged back, yet you kept a keen eye on her back, suspicious as to why she rushed to pick up the call. she must have expected it, and told whoever was on the other line to call her at the studio. strange. you didn’t think much more of it, just wanting to return to your book and be a pillow for your dearest older sister.

but the latter ended due to your sister being a painfully light sleeper. her face contorted as she tried to go back to sleep, but the groupie’s incessant chatter made sure that did not happen. deaky and roger seemed to be the only ones without a significant reaction to the girl. roger readjusted in his seat, taking another long drag from his cigarette.

mary soon sat up, stretching arms high with a deep sigh escaping her lips. a patterned quilt was thrown across her shoulders, brought by you from home in anticipation of situations like that. “‘morning m, slept well?” she stuck her tongue out at you and leaned back on to your lap.

“could have used a little more. how do these boys manage to live with little sleep and still manage to play like that?” you couldn’t help but giggle at the dazed look on her face, blonde hair tangled on one side of her head. after planting a quick kiss on her forehead, you opened your book and flipped to where you had left off. A beat passed before roger’s plaything hung up the phone, striding over to him with her hip swaying gently. she slid onto his lap, interrupting his subconscious air drumming along with deaky’s riff. he shifted uncomfortably from the sudden intrusion, but didn’t hesitate to wrap his arm around her waist and whisper playfully in her ear. she giggled lightly and pressed her lips to his, before pushing herself back off the chair and brushing off her skirt.

“i’m gonna head, catch ya later rog.” she announced, throwing a wink in the drummer’s direction. he gave her one back, baby blue eyes following her until the door to the recording studio swung shut. mary’s sleepy gaze switched between roger and the door, brows furrowed slightly.

“who was that? christ, how long have i been asleep?” she shifted and curled up against your side, chin resting in the crook of your elbow. her eyes struggled to stay open as she waited for an answer, goofy smile fixed on her lips.

“that is meddow’s newest plaything, no clue her name. it’s been an hour. give or take.” mary groaned and placed her head back in your lap. “why do girls fawn over him constantly,” mary mumbled into a blanket, trying in vain to fall back asleep. roger raised his eyebrow at the two of you, cigarette barely an inch from burning all up. he took another puff, blowing the light gray smoke out through his nose before reaching over and sticking it in the ashtray. brian and deaky had wandered into the recording space, experimenting with ways they could change the sounds of their instruments. muffled laughter could be heard through the thick soundproofing, only sound besides mary’s even breaths since she had fallen back asleep, and the infrequent turn of a page from you.

“it’s totally the hair.” the sound of his voice startled you, still laced with a cocksure tone. he grinned at your bewildered expression, still surprised that he decided to answer you. That soon wore off and you rolled your eyes.

“definitely not. it’s so long. and shaggy. And always so messy.” roger laughed, getting up to sit next to you and mary on the couch. he smelled of cigarette smoke mixed with a lemony sort of cologne. or was it shampoo?

why am i thinking about how he smells? freaking new-girl-every-night meddows.

“pfft yeah right, y/n. you’re just jealous because my hair is prettier than yours.” he flipped his blond locks over his shoulder, grinning at you with a sideways smile. you narrowed your eyes at him, turning back to you.

“in your dreams .” you muttered absentmindedly, one hand brushing the hair covering the face of your sister. a small sneeze came from her sleeping form, not disturbing her slumber in the slightest. you loved your sister more than anything in the world, she had been there for you through thick and thin. from learning to ride the underground to rushing university applications, she had been by your side every step of the way. at that moment, you were sure you would never love anyone as much as you loved her, and that no one would love you as much as she did.

the band did make you feel a great deal more loved than you had with just mary by your side, even after just a few weeks. vivacious freddie always had a kind word or sincere encouragement to give. sweet deaky had biting sarcasm and self deprecating humor that never failed to cheer you up. brian would listen to your rants for hours, and you two would argue over the validity of astrology between songs.

as for meddows, you hated him. you hated his cocky demeanor, promiscuous rockstar attitude, and nonchalant ignorance. he had no sense of commitment, the only people who he was loyal to being the band and no one else. all he did was break hearts and chain smoke. you could not imagine a redeeming trait existing under all that muck.

“it adds to the vibe. i like it long.” he lit his second cigarette, blowing a small puff of tobacco smoke in your face. you scrunched up your face, shooting him a dark scowl. roger just laughed at your angered expression, taking another drag from his cigarette.

“i swear meddows, you need a haircut.” you shook your head, turning away from the long haired drummer boy. freddie finally burst through the door, breaking the brief silence that had fallen over your side of the studio. him and miami had pizza boxes in hand, jackets slick with rain from the outside.

“hello children, sustenance has arrived! where is my love mary?” you waved freddie over, pointing at the sleeping woman on your lap. he knelt at her left, pressing a soft kiss to her temple. she was slowly starting to wake once freddie had re entered, smiling sleepily at him by her side. brian and deaky came through the recording space door, laughing at the stupid was deaky had arranged brian’s hair. roger stood, joining deaky in poking fun at brian's multiple pigtails tied by loose rubber bands. mary had moved to sit by your side, freddie’s arm wrapped around her. you strode up to miami, striking up a conversation while the rest of the group had their own fun.

munching on some pizza, you smiled at the scene in front of you. everyone was so relaxed and happy. your heart swelled. you knew, deep in your heart, that you had found your family.

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like i said, pure fluff. but plot is coming in the next part. should be up saturday or sunday.

taglist!!

@afirstclassloser @isabella-bby @guiltyissues @emothrash @moveimbi @thatgeekspeak @ilikecoffeecupsmorethancoffee @maiauniversetime @allieburakovsky @70srogertaylor @therealwatermelon @rogersfalsettos @cosmiclunas @anamcg317 @dreamer821 @bibahbubah @sabbrriiinnaa

#queen #roger taylor #bohemian rhapsody #ben hardy #benhardy!roger #roger taylor x reader #roger taylor imagine #bohemianrhapsody #ben hardy x reader #ben hardy imagine #benhardy #rogertaylor #borhap #bohemian rhapsody movie #fanfiction #fanfic #ten things

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talabib · 3 years

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How To Give Your Life A Positive Charge

In our efforts to be happier and more successful in life, we tend to shoot for the moon. We often want to completely rethink the way we live – the problem is, that never works!

There are plenty of reasons why you don’t have to completely transform your life in order to feel more charged, to feel those bursts of energy and happiness that we all seek. For example, instead of thinking about how our lives can be happier, we should be thinking about how our lives can be more meaningful. As you’ll see, once you have found meaning, happiness will follow.

Taken together, we’ll show you simple ways in which you can use three keys – energy, interactions and meaning – to get fully charged in your professional and personal life.

Stop pursuing happiness, start pursing meaning.

We all want to be happy. In fact, we want it so badly that we’re willing to chase happiness for our whole lives. But few of us realize that the pursuit of happiness is in fact our greatest obstacle to it. The truth is that happiness isn’t something you can achieve by seeking it; rather, happiness is a by-product of living a meaningful life.

So where can we find meaning? Though we’ve been taught to find fulfillment and satisfaction in our careers and wages, these don’t have the power to make you happy. US-wide surveys showed that even a sudden doubling of income produced only a nine percent increase in life satisfaction.

Money and success are external motivations, and are not sustainable sources of meaning or happiness in the long run. Internal motivations, on the other hand, give us a powerful way to experience meaning in every action we do.

Think about it: most jobs were created because they help other people, create progress, improve efficiency or produce something people need. You don’t need to be the head of an international NGO to change lives – you can find meaning and internal motivation in any situation. If you work in a call center and use your warmth and understanding to help a stranger out in even the smallest way, you’ll give both them and yourself a positive charge.

You’ll also double the charge if you can combine your strengths and interests with what others around you need. Remember: meaning does not happen to you, you create it.

Exchange passive reacting for active initiating.

Be honest: how much of your day do you spend proactively pursuing your own well-being? Probably not a lot. In fact, you’re likely spending far more time responding to external stimuli, such as your smartphone notifications and other distractions. Lapsing into this state of passive reacting can be dangerous.

A study of smartphone users has shown that phones are unlocked an average of 110 times per day, and nine times an hour during peak evening hours. But this is just a fact of modern life, right? Well, this constant activity is more damaging than you might think: a 2015 study discovered that the pressure people feel to respond immediately to a smartphone notification is associated with worse sleep quality, more sick days and a higher probability of mental and physical burnout.

If you want to manage these passive reactions, there are techniques that can help: switch off automatic notifications, and set specific times for checking your emails and social media accounts throughout the day. Not being disturbed by notification alerts, even for short periods of time, will make a massive difference for your productivity.

If you’re still having trouble overcoming distraction, try taking a minute to write down the things that seem to waste your time most often, like that new game you downloaded on your phone.

Now that you’ve eliminated your passive reactions, it’s time to start initiating! But be careful – we often tend to mistake certain activities for progress, even when they’re not productive at all. If you find yourself keeping busy all day without actually getting anything done, this applies to you!

Spending all day responding to emails might feel like you’re getting stuff done, but you’re not actually proactively initiating anything yourself! To avoid disguising passivity as productivity, you have to remind yourself that instead of considering yourself “busy,” you simply needs to manage your time better.

If you feel stuck and unable to begin initiating, start with simple things: try striking up a conversation with somebody new. In fact, even short interactions with those around you have great benefits for your well-being.

Keep thinking positively and spreading positive energy.

Exchanges with people around you, no matter how brief, can give your day a positive or a negative charge. So how can you keep your day on the positive side? Always assume people have positive intentions.

Let’s say somebody bumps into you and spills your coffee without apologizing. Instead of getting angry, consider whether the person has a serious problem on his mind and didn’t even notice bumping into you. It’s rare for people to actually have bad intentions!

If you assume people have negative intentions toward you, it’ll only make you angry and will give you a negative charge for the next minutes, hours or days. Instead, assume that people only mean the best, and you’ll be doing the best for your well-being too!

Another good way to boost your daily positivity levels is by paying attention to how your conversations unfold. A great rule is to keep 80 percent of your conversation positive. You can do this simply by using positive words. Did you know that every negative comment needs four positive ones to make a person feel neutral?

People are more likely to listen and be receptive when most of the conversation is positive. If you’re flooding a conversation with negative words, others will most likely shut off. You might think that yelling criticism at somebody will get his attention, but chances are he’ll just stop listening.

We can see our own performance improve exponentially when our self-confidence increases, so why not give the gift of encouragement to others! Remember to praise and recognize your peers, focusing on their hard work and successes and helping build their self-confidence.

But not all compliments are made equal; the most lasting comments are sincere and specific. This will help others see what they do best and believe it. So instead of merely saying “good job” after a coworker’s presentation, tell them that they explained it in a sophisticated and engaging way. After all, that’s the kind of compliment you’d like to hear yourself!

Invest in relationships.

Another secret to feeling fully charged is to spend time on the right experiences with the right people. Relationships are not only a key to making you happy – they can also boost your creativity and motivation.

It’s important to choose your friends wisely, but why exactly? Well, those who you spend time with will influence your habits, choices and therefore your well-being, whether you like it or not. So if you want to grow into a better person, it’s definitely worth investing your time in those who care about your development.

Often when we find ourselves swamped with work, it’s hard to even consider dedicating time to our social life without feeling guilty. But giving time to your friendships really takes no time at all! You can show your appreciation for those who support you by taking strolls together, or sharing a nice dinner. You’ll be surprised at just how much better you’ll feel afterwards, as these positive experiences have the power to put your problems into perspective.

Positive experiences also have a lasting value, and this is largely because we remember these kinds of experiences with others even better than we expect to. One study asked participants to estimate how happy they’d be after an experiential purchase, such as a concert, a trip or dinner at a restaurant. Two weeks after the purchase, they were 106 percent happier than they’d expected they would be.

As well as enjoying positive experiences long after they happen, you can also use them to lift your mood in the weeks leading up to them. When planning an activity, share it with others rather than keeping it a surprise; anticipation significantly enhances the experience. Research shows that looking forward to holidays increases well-being for weeks or even months.

Eat right to give your body the positive charge it needs.

You make a decision with every bite you eat. Food is fuel, and it’ll give you the charge you need if you eat right. But with all the bizarre fad diets out there, how can you know which one will actually lift your energy levels?

In the end, it’s not all that complicated, nor does it require a total dietary makeover. You can start by adjusting and swapping the core elements of your diet. Avoid fried food, products with processed sugar and carbohydrates. Instead, gradually start building your meals around veggies and whole fruits. Swap your sugary energy drinks for water, tea or coffee.

Large-scale studies show that even a slight increase in protein intake alongside a decrease in carbohydrates has positive effects on your health. An easy shortcut can help you with every day shopping decisions: try to avoid food that has a carbs to proteins ratio higher than five to one.

Next time you’re at the supermarket, check the nutritional values to ensure you avoid these foods. A study done by the University of Missouri confirmed that a protein-rich breakfast increases the level of the brain chemical dopamine, which reduces cravings for sweets. So if you want to eat less sweets, start eating more protein: eggs, nuts, seeds, salmon or lean meat.

Finally, prepare healthy choices in advance to avoid any tempting last-minute decisions. Plan your shopping beforehand and avoid the sections with unhealthy food. Reorganize your kitchen so the healthy food is more visible and easily accessible, keeping it at your eye level or stored in visible places. And don’t forget to bring small bags of fruits, veggies or nuts with you when you leave home, in case you feel like snacking.

Customize your workday to get your body moving more.

Nowadays, people spend more time sitting than sleeping. In the long term, this can have damaging effects on our health. When sitting, the electrical activity in our leg muscles shuts off, calorie consumption drops to one per minute, enzymes breaking down fat decrease by 90 percent and good cholesterol drops by approximately ten percent per hour of sitting.

Sounds pretty frightening! But these negative impacts are easy to avoid. Simply stretching and standing up a few times an hour can make a huge difference. During exercise, our blood pressure and blood flow increase; this drives oxygen to our brain and allows us to think more effectively. In this way, just moving around can boost your concentration and mood for hours.

A surprising research study discovered that just a 20-minute, moderate intensity workout can improve your mood for up to 12 hours after the exercise. Even walking increases energy levels by 150 percent. The benefits of moving around are clear, so how can you start making it a bigger part of your day?

Study your surroundings for ways to increase your activity. One easy way to do this is by rearranging your home and office to encourage movement instead of convenience. Let’s say you often print documents in your office – make sure the printer is not within your reach so you need to stand up every time you fetch your printed papers.

Measuring your activity also motivates you to move more. During one experiment, people who were assigned to track their activity moved 27 percent more, simply as a by-product of measuring their movement. Use a health-tracking device – like an app or a pedometer – to track and set your activity levels.

According to research, 10,000 steps per day is a good target to set. So, for those of you who say you’ve got no time to exercise, no more excuses! If you want to be more efficient, add exercise to your schedule and start saving time in the long run.

If you want to get more things done in less time, invest in your sleep.

In today’s business world, we perceive a proper eight-hour sleep as an unnecessary luxury or a sign of laziness. But don’t be fooled! One less hour of sleep doesn’t equal one extra hour of achievement or experience.

Insufficient sleep decreases your well-being, ability to think and your productivity, and also harms your health.

Research show that elite professionals sleep an average of eight hours and 36 minutes per night. The same study also indicates that frequent resting improves performance, as it helps prevent exhaustion and promotes full recovery. Harvard Medical School even found that sleep insufficiencies cost the American economy $63 billion a year due to lost productivity.

Your sleep quality is itself influenced by your activity during the 90 minutes before you go to sleep. A 2014 study found that late-night smartphone usage has a significant impact on sleep quality. That’s right, your pre-sleep scroll of social media feeds is enough to make you fatigued and less engaged at your workplace the next day.

To ensure stress-free and quality sleep, avoid using electronic devices at least an hour before going to bed – being exposed to bright lights before bedtime also decreases your sleep quality.

Sacrificing sleep has diminishing returns, and won’t give you the charge you deserve. So, if you have a lot of work to do, sleep more, sleep well and take regular breaks to keep your performance and efficiency at their highest levels.

Despite what you’ve been told, prioritizing your well-being and relationships won’t take a toll on your work performance. Instead, you’ll become more effective, organized and productive. Learning to start living meaningfully and actively is what will help you live happily in the long run.

#How To Give Your Life A Positive Charge

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talabib · 7 years

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How To Give Your Life A Positive Charge

In our efforts to be happier and more successful in life, we tend to shoot for the moon. We often want to completely rethink the way we live – the problem is, that never works!

Taken together, we’ll show you simple ways in which you can use three keys – energy, interactions and meaning – to get fully charged in your professional and personal life.

Stop pursuing happiness, start pursing meaning.

You’ll also double the charge if you can combine your strengths and interests with what others around you need. Remember: meaning does not happen to you, you create it.

Exchange passive reacting for active initiating.

If you’re still having trouble overcoming distraction, try taking a minute to write down the things that seem to waste your time most often, like that new game you downloaded on your phone.

Keep thinking positively and spreading positive energy.

Invest in relationships.

Eat right to give your body the positive charge it needs.

Customize your workday to get your body moving more.

If you want to get more things done in less time, invest in your sleep.

Insufficient sleep decreases your well-being, ability to think and your productivity, and also harms your health.

To ensure stress-free and quality sleep, avoid using electronic devices at least an hour before going to bed – being exposed to bright lights before bedtime also decreases your sleep quality.

#How To Give Your Life A Positive Charge

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