#Char learned to bake and cook simultaneously

[absensia]

just now remembering how much Lessons in Chemistry resonated with Char while I was watching it, and for none of the actual narrative reasons that the show's drama followed along. it was, of course, the premise taking advantage of the clear but seldom romanticized intersection between cooking and chemistry; it was the details, such as: Elizabeth destroying her kitchen and renovating it to function as a chemistry lab and kitchen, her making coffee using lab - ware, her treating cooking like an experiment and her chemistry experiments like life-sustaining cuisine, it was her sometimes getting poor results despite doing everything "right" by the science protocol or recipe because sometimes chaos bubbles just out of our control.

[16ruedelaverrerie]

I have a question. How do you come up with ideas for dishes for Les Mignardises? Especially Gavin's ones? I can't get that fish from last chapter out of my head! I enjoy this fic a lot, you are a great writer.

What an actual goddamn DREAM of a question, I’m so happy to discuss this that I wonder if I hypnotized myself and sent in an anon ask just so that I could go on about it. But NO! I am very sad but I am not quite that sad in quite that way. And I am sorry for insinuating that you are a figment of my imagination, anon! That’s how much I appreciate this ask, thank you so much! HERE IS A REALLY LONG ANSWER THAT TUMBLR HAS KINDLY PLACED BEHIND A DASHBOARD CUT.

The salmon and steak tartare from the pop-up flashback has to pull a significant amount of weight since it’s what undergirds Nines’s relationship with Gavin -- the curiosity (what made me chase you) and the tenderness (what made me stay) both -- so it was very much a thing I had to think about a lot. In terms of the triaxial way that I like to conceptualize fics, it’s a dish that has to not only imbue the story with flavor, but address its core. Which means that the foremost consideration I have to keep in mind is:

This dish needs to echo its role in the narrative.

Here, the dish is what alerts Nines to the possibility that the things which most seem out of place may be able to contribute great value and beauty nonetheless; so this has to be a dish that chafes, in what it is and does. It has to sit uneasily with the occasion, the genteel safety of a pop-up showcase for chefs who don’t yet have the status or clout to be public contrarians.

Something that a lot of people still find distasteful is being confronted with where animal protein comes from. Because reminders of this often hinge around the use of odds-and-ends parts -- head, foot, organs -- at this stage, I’m pretty sure that the dish needs to include some part of some animal that a lot of (American, at least) diners would find to be aggressively visceral. Head, I decide, because the drama of it delights me.

This dish includes an animal head.

A pig’s head, maybe? A sheep’s head? At the same time, the dish is also Gavin’s general middle finger to the way that things are done, and an expression of how he sits uneasily within the tradition of fine dining. I want the dish to be angry at certain conventions within restaurant culture that Gavin might disagree with.

In its most conservative incarnations, “surf and turf” is a disgusting bourgeois display of food as symbol of wealth, as opposed to its myriad other potential purposes such as nourishment, community cohesion, artistic innovation, or cultural expression. You take two grossly overrated and overpriced cuts -- filet mignon and lobster tail -- and you plop them down on a plate next to each other because WHY? They don’t do anything FOR each other! It’s just a PLATTER OF TRASH FOR BANKERS TO IMPRESS EACH OTHER WITH. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

Anyway, I figure that this kind of surf and turf might infuriate a chef whose M.O. is to make the most out of the least, to leave nothing behind. Also that was a little unfair to lobster tail, which is a fine piece of protein, if overhyped at the expense of the rest of the lobster. But filet mignon as steak can go fuck itself.

This dish is a fuck-you to classic surf and turf.

Now I need to decide on an animal head that might belong in a hot take on surf and turf! Another factor at play in the pop-up flashback is that it’s being hosted by a Japanese chef at a Japanese restaurant, where Gavin has been working and learning for a while now. Is that because a huge part of what I know and enjoy about food is East Asian? YES! LET ME LIVE!

The benefit of going with salmon head for the surf portion of the dish -- as opposed to using a head for the turf -- is that salmon head is easier and cheaper to source (even though ones as huge as described in the story can only really come from some kinds of salmon). It’s also an ingredient that Zabuton is likely to use on a regular basis, since it’s an established part of Japanese cuisine, giving Gavin familiarity with it and a starting point for building his dish. Also also, it’s really fatty, and since Gavin in this story is the kind of chef who gravitates towards blisteringly high heat, I like the thought of what burning the shit out of that head would do.

This dish includes salmon head.

What do I do about the turf? If the surf element and the turf element of the dish are to interact with each other in mutually beneficial ways, the turf can’t be too assertive; it shouldn’t overpower the salmon. Like, grilled flank steak? Great, yes, please, but maybe not the right choice for this.

Fortunately, steak tartare simultaneously tastes subtle enough and looks brutal enough to be a good counterpoint. In a lot of ways, it’s a productive mirror image of the salmon; it’s raw whereas the salmon is charred, it’s lean whereas the salmon is fatty. Nice!

This dish includes steak tartare.

I also do know -- again, from East Asian cooking -- that raw beef works well with salmon roe. Ikura echoes the salmon head that’s in the dish already, so in it goes. Some egg yolk to bind the tartare might not go amiss, especially since I want it to be a scoop-and-eat party-platter dish.

There’s brininess in the ikura and salt throughout, but because it’s essentially an ANIMAL PROTEIN BOMB dish, it needs something sharp to cut all the richness. In addition, everything so far has also been pretty soft; let’s add some elements of acidity and textural interest. Tartare loves a little mustard! Toss in the crackle of a puffed grain (why not millet, rice feels too fragile), the fiber of the chives, and the crunch of rakkyo (doing double duty with its vinegar).

This dish includes ikura, egg yolk, pickled mustard seed, puffed millet, chives, and rakkyo.

For a while I thought that the scoop on the side would be shrimp senbei, because that’s what “chips, but Zabuton” made me think. But I didn’t really love how delicate the senbei would be in this particular dish. It felt like the tartare and salmon would turn the senbei into, like, a thick paste in your mouth?? I was looking for something thinner, a lateral move from a potato chip-- so I tried to think of other ingredients on the root-tuber-rhizome continuum. What can be sliced thin and baked brittle?

I liked lotus root as a choice because it has the right snap, it’s light -- visually as well, with all its perforations! -- and it has more of a pronounced earthy flavor than potatoes, which seemed like a fun way to mix in some plant quality to offset all the animal. Lotus root it is!

This dish includes lotus root chips.

THE END, STEAK TARTARE ON A BED OF CHARGRILLED SALMON HEAD, GARNISHED WITH EGGS TWO WAYS, SERVED WITH LOTUS ROOT CHIPS ON THE SIDE

lmao WHAT A SELF-INDULGENT POST THIS IS, thank you anon for allowing me to talk shop, you are too sweet and I hope you regret what you have done. Additional thanks to tumblr for read-more cuts. Anon I love you! I can’t believe I��ve rambled on at this length about THE PROCESS OF COMING UP WITH A FAKE DISH FOR A FIC but also, I mean, I can believe it, in the sense that it is something I would jump at the chance to do. Thanks for giving me the chance to do it anon! May the wind be ever at your back and the sun shine upon your path!

[graciebirdie]

It’s Christmas (almost) @thisdiscontentedwinter a gift for the amazing you! I hope you like Peter cooking! (also on ao3)

Peter didn’t consider it to be a character flaw that he was a man in his 30s who didn’t know how to cook. He had a few pretty good reasons why he’d never learned how before he’d reached his 30s after all.

Not the least of which being when he’d been a part of a pack he’d been regulated to hunter rather than chef. While usually hunter just meant he was the one who did most of the grocery shopping he did, occasionally, get to hunt down deer or rabbits for when they had special dinners. That was of course his favorite part of providing for the pack. One of the few times his propensity for violence was not only accepted but also praised.

Now he had been living by himself, surviving on take out and deli made meals.

This wouldn’t be a problem except he found he missed homemade meals with a ache he could physically feel behind his breast bone.

Now he only had two options on how to sooth this newest hurt: he could either ask one of his three pack members if they could cook a meal for him or he could learn to cook himself.

The answer was obvious without even calculating in the fact neither Cora nor Derek lived somewhere with a functioning oven.

So Peter bought a cookbook and figured since he wasn’t completely helpless he would be able to figure out one of the basics of adulthood.

It turned out Peter was terrible at cooking. He could make sandwiches or any kind of egg but anything more complicated than those he always managed to royally screw it up.

He didn’t even know what he was doing wrong that make his pot roast taste like char or his stir fry to be oily when he hadn’t even used oil.

After almost a month of failures he would have given up if it hadn’t started to turn into a point of pride. Stiles had brought roast beef sandwiches to one of the pack meets and he had proudly told everyone that he’d made the roast himself.

If Stiles, who oscillated between having the attention span of a gnat or hyper-focusing to the point of forgetting to breath, could make a truly delicious roast then so could Peter.

So he turned to his last resort: cooking blogs.

One google search for ‘how to actually cook and make it taste good’ later he’d gone through five different blog posts and only learned that for some reason bloggers really liked to talk about their kids and perfect lives. It would have been depressing if Peter actually cared.

After two hours of travelling through homebodies trying to convince him to make everything vegan he found a post titled “Recipes made easy for those who are lazy, have ADHD, no time or alternately too much time, know how to cook but want to learn new things, or people who think they can’t cook but are willing to give it a try.”

What a mouthful of a title that covered all the basics of people looking at cooking blogs.

The whole blog was written in run on sentences that somehow managed to be both amusing and informative, a very narrow line to walk.

Peter might have also fallen a little bit in love with the author who gave such informative tidbits as “Why spring for a colander when you could just slap the lid on a pot and up end it over the sink while praying you won’t drop it and/or burn yourself as you tilt the lid to strain out the water but not the noodles.” and “Seriously just toss all the shit into a crockpot and forget about it for 8 hours, except you probably won’t be able to because you’ll have to keep trying to remember if you actually turned the pot on or not. (I suggest setting up a live stream camera to be on the safe side.)”

Other than an obvious good sense of humor the writer didn’t give any personal information. No name or nickname. Even the profile picture was generic. Peter thought that little touch of mystery just added the the writer's personality.

The third time Peter made macaroni and cheese from scratch – “Just cook some plain old noodles and then toss in a bunch of different kinds of grated cheese and a couple of scoops of sour cream and a bit of crumbled bacon with a little pinch of salt and bake it in the oven for a bit and bam homemade mac and cheese that people will be amazed over.” – he was so proud of his creation he brought it to that night’s pack meeting.

He set the large casserole dish down on Derek’s ridiculous table that only Stiles ever actually used and pointedly ignored the stares everyone was giving him. He settled down in his chair – the one just off to the side of the stairs that faced the door and the whole of the open living room – and pulled out his phone to feigning nonchalance while he waited for the rest of the pack to ask what he thought he was doing.

Of course Stiles was the first one to speak up. “Oh!” he said, sounding excited. “Did you make a casserole?”

He leaned forward over the table to open the dish that had been, very conveniently, placed right in front of him.

Peter watched with a surprisingly strong sense of anticipation as he watched Stiles’ eyes widen and mouth drop open in surprise.

“Is this homemade macaroni and cheese?” he asked, excitement clear on his face.

Peter gave a vague hum of agreement. “I’m trying something new.”

Stiles sprung up away from the table and practically dashed into the kitchen. He came back out only a few seconds later with a paper plate in one hand a plastic fork in the other.

Peter supposed he should be grateful Stiles took out a portion instead of eating right out of his casserole dish.

Stiles scooped up a bite and managed to bring it all the way to his mouth before Scott stopped him with a strangled cry.

“Stiles! What are you doing?!” Scott yelled as he threw himself over the back of the couch he had been sitting on. He raced to Stiles and slapped the fork out of his before Stiles could get the bite into his mouth.

“What the fuck!” Stiles gasped, cradling his hand against his chest and staring at Scott in shock.

Peter found, much to his surprise, that he had both stood up and let his claws out without a thought. He took one long deep breath and slipped his claws away before sauntering over to the table.

He oh so casually leaned his against it, back to Stiles, crossed his arms over his chest and stared Scott down.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw the front door slide open to let in Boyd and Erica. The both of them slipped past Scott and behind Peter to, no doubt, stand next to Stiles.

Stiles spluttered and yelled again. “Scott! Peter's not going to bring in poisoned food when most of you guys don't trust him!”

Scott glared darkly at Peter. “Yeah we don’t trust him because poisoning is exactly something he would do.”

“Well yeah.” Stiles said. Peter could practically see him shrug. “Of course Peter would poison someone. But he’s not going to use food to poison the pack.”

Erica snorted loudly and said “Yeah Peter’s devious but he’s not stupid.” there was a pause before she added with her mouth obviously full “And if you paid attention to anything you’d known this mac and cheese is not only totally poison free but also delicious.”

“Hey...” Stiles said sulkily. “That’s my fork.”

Scott’s self righteous expression was replaced with sour resignation. Peter gave him his best fake smile before turning his back on him to look at Erica, who was eating right out of the dish.

Boyd had found another fork somewhere and had stolen Stiles’ plate.

Stiles was glaring at the both of them and Peter felt oddly annoyed.

“You going to share?” he asked Erica who seemed to almost hunch over the dish.

She just smirked at him and pulled the dish even closer to her, effectively blocking anyone else from taking some.

He stared her down intently while Stiles made indignity noises.

Boyd, smart and dependable Boyd, held out his half full plate and a second fork for Stiles who gasped and smiled brightly before scooping up his own bite.

The loud almost pornographic moan took Peter off guard and the sudden quick shot of arousal he felt was even more surprising.

He heard Erica choking on a laugh and sent her his best blank look that the pack had long learned meant he was fighting back the urge to murder one of them.

Boyd, wise and quiet Boyd, had completely given up his plate to Stiles and had instead decided to try and distract Erica with an impromptu fork fight.

Stiles seemed to be having a small spiritual moment. “Do you know what tastes weirdly good in mac and cheese?” he asked suddenly.

“What?” Peter asked gamely.

“Tuna and Peas.”

Peter stared at him while Boyd and Erica made simultaneous noises of disgust.

Stiles shrugged apologetically. “It’s strangely hearty.”

Peter hummed in thought. He was certainly petty enough to make something that only Stiles would want to eat. It’s what everyone else deserved for being rude about Peter’s cooking.

~*~

“Chicken alfredo is so easy. Just cook those wormy noodles for a few minutes and toss in some canned alfredo sauce with baked chicken and bam! Food! Or if you want to get fancy pan fry the chicken before adding milk and actual heavy cream. But who really has time for that? (I do. I apparently.) Here’s how to do it the fancy way if you’re into that kind of thing.”

It continued to amuse Peter how the writer could give easy alternatives and complicated instructions for the same recipe.

His first two batches turned out tasting fine. Not amazing but certainly edible. It was vast improvement from where he started.

He felt an oddly strong urge to both thank the writer of the blog and get to know them better. A combination of emotions he hadn’t felt in a very long time.

This might not have been a problem for him if he didn’t have an strong suspicion he knew who the writer was.

Tiny hints here and there had given it away. He just had to get confirmation.

~*~

After a month of bringing in different dishes to pack meetings Peter had gotten a pretty good handle on Stiles’ likes and dislikes. Considering one of Stiles’ constant likes was Peter’s cooking in general he was confident in his welcome at Stiles’ apartment so long as he came bearing food.

Peter showed up right in time for dinner and Stiles blinked at him before letting him with only a “I’m not going to turn down your cooking, even if it is surprise cooking.”

Peter smirked at him as he made himself at home in Stiles’ tiny kitchen. The size of it certainly explained the latest post “How the hell are you supposed to get anything done in a 3 by 3 space: a photo tutorial by me, not a professional photographer.”

Peter had recognized the kitchen in the pictures from when he had helped Stiles move his (un)surprisingly large collection of kitchen gadgets.

“So what’s the occasion?” Stiles asked as he poked at the wax wrapped loaf of cheesy bread.

Now that Peter had gotten a better grip on cooking in general he had decided to try his hand at baking. He wasn’t very good at it yet but Stiles appreciated bread of all kinds and wouldn’t mind that it was a bit darker in some spots.

“Oh nothing too special.” he said casually. “I just noticed that your newest post got a million hits. Sounds like something that should be acknowledged.”

Stiles jumped and stared at Peter in shock for a moment before he relaxed again. He rubbed the back of his neck and gave Peter a slightly embarrassed smile.

“Why am I not actually surprised you know about that.” he said with a little laugh.

He turned back to the bread, pulling off a piece and inspecting it before spinning back to stare at Peter with huge eyes.

“Oh my god, did you get all those recipes from me?” he asked loudly, excitement obvious on his face.

“Well your instructions are very comprehensive.” Peter said with a casual shrug.

Stiles grinned at him, obviously pleased about Peter complimenting him.

“That’s a really fucking nice thing to say.” Stiles said, grin turning into a softer smile.

Peter shrugged again and turned to start pulling dishes down from the cupboard. “It’s just a fact.” he said casually.

Stiles laughed. “Whatever you say. So what you make me?”

~*~

Stuffed full of the potato soup and cheesy bread Peter was slouched down on the couch and making grocery lists on his phone. Stiles was curled up next to him, half leaning against Peter’s shoulder while half watching Leverage, half reading one of the books Peter had given him.

“Holy shit!” Stiles suddenly yelled.

Peter turned to look at him in interest.

“Are you courting me, Peter Hale?” Stiles asked eyes and mouth wide open in shock.

Peter blinked at him in genuine surprise for a moment before past behavior clicked together in his brain. He couldn’t stop himself from face palming.

Stiles laughed uproariously and leaned harder against.

“This is the best thing ever.” Stiles said breathlessly.

“Which part?” Peter asked through narrowed eyes.

Stiles grinned even harder at him and didn’t answer, just leaned forward to give Peter a soft kiss on the check.

“I’m going to milk the shit out of this.” Stiles said in amusement. "I can't believe I didn't realize sooner! You get so pissy when Erica steals food from me that it should have been obvious."

Peter supposed he kind of deserved that respond if he’d gone around trying to give gestures of romance through food and not even realizing it.

Peter raised his arm and Stiles instantly cuddled himself deeper into Peter’s side, tucking his face against the side of Peter’s neck.

“It’ll be nice not to be the one cooking all the time.” Stiles said quietly.

Peter felt a rush of protectiveness and fought a sneer at the thought of Stiles always having to be the one to talk care of himself.

He turned his head slightly and gave Stiles a light kiss on the temple. “Not just the cooking.” he promised softly and Stiles shivered against him.

Stiles took a long shuddering breath before fully melting against Peter.  “Yeah, sounds good.” he whispered and curled his hand into Peter’s.

Peter wasn’t quite sure how he’d managed to get him and Stiles to this point but there was no way in hell he was going to complain when Stiles was being so shockingly soft with him.

Peter decided that it was immensely satisfying to be the one Stiles felt was providing for him and let himself feel as protective and possessive as he wanted, secure in the knowledge that he had to be doing something right to have earned Stiles’ trust.

[mensbodybuildingtips]

52 Ways To Lose Fat (1 For Every Week of the Year!)

We understand you're an over-achiever, so we put together a checklist of 52 weight loss suggestions in order to help you accomplish your objectives - continuing to be relatively lean during mass-building cycles, and going down body fat like a champ pre-contest or in warm weather.

Keep in mind that though these suggestions can be a pplied as soon as weekly throughout the year, if you even practice a section of these in some consistent combination, you'll have excellent success with weight loss and also getting lean.

1. Eat commonly - 5 or 6 dishes a day trigger the metabolic rate that a lot more typically than three squares, as well as avoids the storage of body fat from excess calories simultaneously sitting.

2. Plan dishes ahead for the day, so cravings does not surpass and also create grabs for arbitrary food as well as food portions.

3. Eliminate all sugar (consisting of white sugar, brownish sugar, honey, molasses, agave syrup) and also change with Stevia or Splenda

4. Eat protein at every meal - that suggests lean chicken, fish, steak and eggs, along with extra healthy protein shakes with few carbohydrates or sugar grams.

5. Do not eat carbohydrates after 2 p.m. unless you learn the late night. If exercises begin at 7 or 8 p.m., consume carbs up before 5 p.m.

6. Eat low-glycemic carbohydrates - those carbohydrates that do not increase the blood glucose quickly. Low glycemic index (LGI) facility carbohydrates consist of yams and also oatmeal, broccoli, asparagus and also cabbage.

7. Consume gradually as well as chew food entirely. Place the fork down in between bites and also food digestion will certainly be a lot more progressive and natural - much less calories will certainly be hoarded as well as kept as fat.

8. Don't avoid meals - ever before. Your body will certainly seem like it's starving.

9. Do not reduce calories seriously - reduce slowly by removing unnecessary foods. When you have actually cleared the diet of vacant calories, transformed percentages of macronutrients, and also added required healthy protein grams to improve metabolism, you will certainly lose the body fat.

10. Differ calorie matters daily. The body ends up being accustomed easily, as well as varying calories keeps the body guessing and the metabolic rate from slowing down during a diet.

11. Go with breast meat chicken, rather than dark.

12. Eliminate skin from poultry before cooking.

13. Eat fish - which keeps levels of the hormonal agent leptin (connected to sluggish metabolic rate as well as obesity) low. Eat white fish on reduced fat days, as well as pink-flesh fish, such as salmon (which has greater fat), on lower carb days - it's packed with Omega-3 and -6.

14. Clear out your kitchen or cabinets before starting a weight loss diet plan - biscuits and various other rewards will only call you and include in your carb count.

15. Reserve time to practice meditation as well as relax daily, listening to calming songs, taking a bath, reading or hing on the sunlight. Stress and anxiety generates cortisol which can stimulate the hunger as well as add to the production as well as storage space of abdominal fat.

16. Separate workouts into twice day-to-day journeys to the health club - either one to exercise and one to do cardio, or splitting body parts up with cardio following among the exercises. Little bursts of activity fire the metabolism.

17. Obtain beauty sleep (6 to 8 hrs) when attempting to lose fat, and also you'll maintain insulin and cortisol levels lower.

18. Cube lean harder cuts of meat and chicken in yogurt and also seasonings for 12-plus hrs to tenderize meat normally, after that grill as well as appreciate for much less fat and a delicious char.

19. Do cardio on a vacant stomach first thing in the morning to utilize on reduced blood glucose degrees as well as optimal fat-burning.

20. If you live within a half mile of the fitness center, walk there for exercises - a year of that might stimulate the loss of 10 added pounds.

21. Choose lean cuts of beef that are generally challenging, and also braise them for hours in liquids which contain no fat as well as few calories. Attempt non-alcoholic costs beers with soy and also flavors, or sugar-free root beer with beef broth. Fluids could be decreased as well as concentrated further for a tasty sauce that has no calories however leaves you feeling satisfied.

22. If you live within 2 miles of the health club, ride your bike there - a year of that could stimulate the loss of between 8 as well as 12 pounds.

23. Have sex a lot more frequently - those extra calories melted accumulate and, well, we don't need to encourage you or else, do we?

24. Treat more on raw environment-friendly vegetables, such as broccoli, eco-friendly pepper, cauliflower, cabbage and lettuce for fiber and also weight loss. The amount of energy it takes to crisis and digest them zeroes out calories and also you still feel full.

25. Chew sugar-free periodontal as opposed to tough candy.

26. Take 30 secs to one min much less rest in between collections - the rise in pace will boost heart price as well as metabolic process and burn even more calories throughout mass workouts.

27. Stay clear of monosodium glutamate and go with sea salt for less water retention.

28. Try to find fragrant non-caloric spices, such as turmeric extract, cinnamon, celebrity anise, as well as others that flavor food in low-calorie or non-calorie sauces with soy and Worcestershire sauce.

29. Have to have that item of deep-fried poultry? Bake chicken to within 5 minutes of being done, then layer with egg white and finely ground oatmeal, dip in fryer for 2 to 3 mins, and remove. The poultry flesh will not soak up oil once it's been cooked.

30. Throughout mass building cycles, make one exercise weekly a full-body exercise, and also train one body component each day after.

31. Throughout contest training, use supersets, giant sets, decline collections as well as work to failing in specific body component training, or do half-body or full-body workouts.

32. Block heavier carbs or cheats with carb-blocking supplements which contain white-bean and other ingredients that block the absorption of carbohydrates.

33. Take chromium 15 mins prior to eating dishes with intricate carbohydrates to avoid any kind of blood glucose spike and also fat storage.

34. Lower the fat in your diet regimen by eliminating milk products. Milk has both fat and carbohydrates, while lotion is sky-high in fat. Every gram of carbohydrate as well as fat count, and eliminating dairy is a wonderful method to eliminate excess calories and bloat.

35. Supplement with vital fatty acids (EFA). Flax seed oil is abundant in Omega-3 fats, which lower cholesterol and also figures in shedding fat.

36. Remove dressings from the diet - catsup, mayo, vinegar, as well as salt that are empty calories as well as do not add to nutrition, yet make you long for various other foods that push calories over the limit.

37. Remove white flour items - pasta, bread and also baked goods do not belong in a fat loss regimen.

38. Remove fruit from the diet during fat-loss cycles, to free the body of sugar that can be saved as fat.

39. Do not eat an hour before bed.

40. Have a rip off meal every a couple of weeks. Some select rip off dishes as frequently as once a week, but until you remain in an upkeep phase, however every two weeks allows you to have just what you want and assists your metabolic rate

41. If you stir up hungry in the middle of the evening, deal with a healthy protein shake with > 1 gram of carbohydrate.

42. Operating and cycling burn the many body fat - try getting outside the health club to do these in real life, but practice on the treadmill, elliptical machine and also fixed cycle indoors.

43. Protein is optimal between dishes and a 100-calorie shake with 20 grams of protein is excellent. Include a handful of almonds or pistachios for added power and also pack them with you in tiny packs to make sure that when you're running in between health club and home, you have some fuel as well as do not get to for rapid food.

44. High levels of caffeine is an efficient fat burner - make certain you have two mugs of black coffee in the early morning prior to noontime. Try one at 8 a.m. and also one at 10 a.m., then lay off.

45. Drink eco-friendly tea throughout the day

46. Supplement with Vitamin D, B, C, calcium, and also lots of iron - without enough iron, your body can not get enough oxygen to your cells, which decreases your metabolism.

47. Avoid alcohol, however if you must have some, consume alcohol a four ounce glass of merlot with dinner.

48. Choose workouts that service "waist heft" - Job with the conditioning ball, turning side to side while in a half-crunch on the decrease bench.

49. Consume 64 ounces of water daily, minimum. Water flushes out toxic substances as you removal with the fat burning process.

50. When training, focus on intensity, not period, in the gym.

51. Follow diet, workouts and also cardio exercise for recurring, long-lasting fat loss.

52. Be answerable to a buddy, or a diet regimen log. Every evening, you should account for specifically what you consumed - down to the last morsel.

[jastiss-blog]

Trial by Fire Chapter 4 (Ignis x OC)

Hello guys!  Decided to pick things up here as we are closing in on Episode Ignis (unfortunately?  Fortunately?  I’m not sure which).  

Chapter 4 - Hunger.  In which Ignis and Callie meal prep, get sassy in the kitchen together, and Ignis starts to have a crisis.

No warnings currently apply, SFW at this time.

[Previous Chapter]  [AO3]  (might have helped to have this the first time.  I was tired. lol

Tagging @hypaalicious and @gudetamazing

At home, Callie was freaking out.  Her apartment was in complete disarray, the stresses of training life not affording her much energy with which to clean.  Something about Ignis screamed "neat-freak" and thus, she decided she should take the time to pick up before six o'clock.  At further inspection, it would be a larger job than she initially thought.

Glancing at the clock, Callie noted that she had about three hours to get things situated before her visitor arrived.  Surely that would be enough time...

The piles of dirty laundry strewn about the room laughed mockingly.  Garbage from hastily eaten TV dinners and bags from fast food cackled.  Perhaps she really did need to get more sleep, but the message was clear: it would be tight.  Time to get to work.

Callie liked the apartment they had stationed her in.  It wasn’t too big, which pleased her, as she was alone.  The living room, dining room and kitchen were one large space, making it feel bigger than it was.  Callie lamented her lack of cooking skills due to how upscale the kitchen was with its sparkly black countertops and fancy faucet.  Oh well.  Perhaps she could learn some day.  Hell, if she and Ignis remained friends, maybe she could beg him to teach her.

Crownsguard initiate life left her with a large conundrum: even for a small apartment, her schedule left her with very little time to do anything beyond fall into bed each day.  There were days that the exhaustion had been so great, she didn’t even eat before falling onto her couch fully clothed, finding herself deep in slumber within mere moments.  Habits such as those led to her already trim physique to become borderline skeletal, a fact that Ignis apparently took great offense to, henceforth landing her in the position she was.

As such, she briefly stopped cleaning to put on an upbeat playlist on her phone for motivation before returning to flitting room to room, never tarrying long.  The thought came to mind that she should likely stick to one area at a time, however, the nervous energy witnin her demanded movement.  Life as a hunter had been singularly lonely, leaving her precious few she would deem a friend.  She worried that Ignis would find her accommodations lackluster.   What a funny thing to worry about, she chided herself.  Friends don’t suddenly stop being friends over your housing situation.  Yet, the worry remained, spurring her to clean faster.

With the restroom and living areas immaculate, Callie checked the clock and was startled to find it glaring 5:53 back at her.  Ignis was nothing if not punctual, and the kitchen (the most important room for their planned activity, no less) was still not up to par.  Rubbing her hand over her face in irritation, she cursed her lack of focus.

Six o'clock on the dot and there was a knock on her door.  A mere few pieces of trash remained. 

“Just a moment!” Callie called out.  She took a detour at the trash bin before turning down the music and making for the door. When she reached to open it, she lamented not taking a shower instead of simply changing her clothes.  It was too late to go back; she swung open the door with a smile.

She was briefly stunned into silence at the sight of the great tactician in the closest thing to casual clothing the suspected he ever wore: a simple white button up tucked into black slacks, sleeves rolled and cuffed at the elbows.  A grocery bag adorned his right arm, the muscles flexing to compensate for the weight.  Callie stared a moment longer than necessary, watching as Ignis gave her a self-conscious smile, prompting her to finally greet her guest.

“Ah, hi!  Welcome!” she hailed, stepping aside and gesturing for him to enter with a sweep of her right arm.  “Please, come in!”

“Good evening, Callie,” he answered, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.  “It’s been ages.”

At that, Callie loosed a hearty laugh.  She shut the door as he entered the living space, turning to face him with her hands planted on her hips.  

“Years, Ignis,” she mock complained.  “How could you?  Not even a letter.  Six save us.” The pair laughed freely, during which Callie noted Ignis’ easy mirth.  Though it was true that she bared her soul to him over her family and ambitions, he had always been reserved, humor always on the wry side.  Seeing him laugh prior to that moment was a true rarity. Ignis took a cursory glance about the space before making a beeline for the kitchen.  He hefted the bag on the counter with the most counter space and that time, Holly tried her test to not be as obvious in her observation of his rippling muscle.  It simply wasn’t polite to ogle a guest who had so graciously come to her home to assist her in getting her nutrition back on track.   Again, Ignis smiled and she suddenly became aware of why he held so many titles; absolutely nothing escaped his sharp gaze.  Sighing, she attempted to conceal her blush by rubbing her eyes, (mostly) feigning exhaustion.

“So, what’s on the menu tonight?” she asked, moving to join him in the kitchen. Though well-finished, the kitchen was petite, barely allowing space for the two of them to be present simultaneously.  Callie approached from behind, leaning around Ignis' left shoulder, steadying herself with her right hand at his waist and left at his bicep that she could peer into the sack of groceries.  His muscles contracted under her touch, a gentle gasp passed his lips and she drew back slightly, eyes apologetic.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to frighten you,” she laughed.

Ignis silently thanked the Astrals she assumed it was fear he felt.  In truth, her touch set his body aflame, and he simply hadn’t been prepared for his extreme reaction.  He was aware of his attraction to her, a bright pyre burning ever-present in the back of his mind, refusing to be dampened.  Try though he may to be vigilant, the char was licking at him, threatening to rend all to ash.

"No worries," he answered as casually as possible.  "I thought we might start simple: daggerquill breast and garulessa steak with saxham rice and vegetables.  You can prepare a large quantity and store it in the containers I've brought and simply heat up a serving when you arrive home.  If you’d like, I brought enough for us to enjoy together this evening, but I shan’t impose if you'd like to dine alone."

Callie rather enjoyed the implications behind "start,” and the offer to enjoy a meal together. "That... sounds amazing, actually.  Of course, you’re welcome to stay.  You’re going to all this trouble for me.  Let me grab a notebook so that I can write all this down."

Ignis chuckled as he retrieved a small notebook from his breast pocket and opened it to the first page.  "No need.  I've taken the liberty of starting a recipe book for you.  It has a few to start that shouldn't be too difficult, even considering your current level of skill."

"That's so sweet of you, thank you!" Callie gushed, gripping his arm and smiling happily up at him.  "Wow, I never realized how tall you are.  Then again, everyone's tall to me.  I think I'm all of five-foot-two."

The strategist paused in his task of laying out the required ingredients, throwing his coiffed head back in a hearty laugh.  "You are rather, ah, dainty for someone bearing the name Mortifera." They laughed easily for a few more moments before Ignis looked curiously around the space.

"I'll need a large baking sheet and quite a few spices.  Do you have them readily available?"

The raven-haired woman chewed her bottom lip and squinted her eye in thought.  She glanced quickly at the list of spices needed.  "The baking sheet, yes.  The spices, absolutely not.  I don't even know what some of these are.  If you need salt and pepper, I have you covered."

She couldn't help but laugh at the cringe Ignis gave at her confession.

"I suppose it's a good thing I had the foresight to purchase the requisite spices," he groused.  "I do wonder how you've managed to feed yourself before now."

"Hey, now," she fired back, poking him in the chest with her index finger.  "Frozen meals and takeout are perfectly acceptable-"

"Astrals, Callie, do not finish that sentence," Ingis interrupted, nose wrinkling.  "Please hand me the baking sheet."

As Callie turned to the wall behind Ignis, she attempted to recall the cabinet housing the baking sheet.  The upper cabinets were too small… she bypassed the stove, eventually finding them in her large lower cabinet near the corner.  When she turned to hand him her prize, they bumped into each other.

“Sorry!” Callie grunted as they collided.  “The perils of a narrow galley kitchen!”

Ignis blushing was a strange sight, indeed.  Though Callie had witnessed it a handful of times, it somehow never normalized for her; he oozed confidence in the training room and when discussing matters pertaining to Lucis.  To have him then stumble when presented with social interactions was an interesting juxtaposition.

“Quite alright,” he breathed, his hands straying on hers a moment when he retrieved the sheet from her.  It was then she noticed he still wore his gloves.

“Why don’t you take those off?” she asked, tugging at his index finger for emphasis.  She paused before laughing raucously.  “I’d make a joke about pulling fingers but I can see you’re a distinguished gentleman.”

Withdrawing his hand, Ignis smirked at her before turning to set the baking tray next to the vegetables and meats that were to be placed upon it.

“A distinguished gentleman that often travels with Gladio, Prompto and Noct,” he said, reaching for a blade to chop the vegetables with.  “I assure you, I’ve likely heard the very same joke countless times.  I may have laughed at it a time or two as well.  The world may never know.  Now, let’s get these vegetables chopped.”

“Just a man, after all,” Callie laughed.  She retrieved the knife from Ignis and began chopping them.  “Big, small, does it matter?  Also, I see you deftly ignored my suggestion to remove your gloves.  I promise I don’t have any diseases.” “To your preference,” he clarified.   In truth, he was avoiding removing his gloves for a handful of reasons.  There was no need; he frequently crafted meals with them on.  They offered a certain level of protection should his constantly buzzing mind lapse in judgment and by that point, his hands were ultra sensitive from being encased in leather more often than not.  Most importantly, Callie's touch was already overwhelming, so why push things further?

The woman in question glanced sideways at him while she chopped, watching as he regarded the cuts of meat they’d be using for the evening, questions hanging silently between them.  Deciding to throw caution to the wind, he paused his prep and began removing his gloves.

“Wow, so they do come off,” Callie jested, setting aside her knife as she finished her vegetables.  “There goes my theory of you being an android.”

“Indeed,” the strategist agreed, giving her a wry smile.  “I’m not entirely convinced you aren’t a vampire, yet.  Are you ready to tackle the protein?”

“Touché.  I am ready, master chef.”

As they worked to season the cuts and get them onto the baking sheets with the vegetables, Ignis preferred to guide that Callie could pick up the techniques required to prepare meals in the future.  From his vantage point at her side, he was able to watch her mannerisms: how she stuck her tongue between her right teeth and bit down when she was concentrating, how she raised her right eyebrow and deadpanned when things didn’t go her way.  It was, in a word, adorable, and he found himself smiling through it all.

“Look, rice is easy.  I can handle that part,” Callie proclaimed once the meat and vegetables were in the oven.  “You can go sit, if you like?”

Ignis nodded.  “I’ll be but a moment, if you’re sure.”

He took a few moments in the restroom to reign himself in, washing what felt like every single cell on his hands and splashing some cool water on his face.  Dealing with dignitaries was one thing: it was his duty and therefore, easy for him to separate himself from anxiety to do what was needed.  During council, he had no time for anxiety, nor were any particular social skills needed.  In the presence of someone he felt a connection outside of brotherhood with, he felt awkward and bumbling.  It was a singularly uncomfortable sensation.  

It was time to leave the restroom, lest his host become suspicious.  As he turned the handle, the sound of muttered curses reached Ignis' ears, followed by a peculiar smell.  His feet carried him automatically back to the kitchen, eyebrows drawn together in concern.

The sight that greeted him stop Ignis in his tracks, a dumbfounded expression painting his face.  Callie was frantically trying to stop the pot of rice from boiling over, waving her arms wildly at it as if it would have any stopping power.  She was cursing under her breath, but the tactician could just hear her…

“Gods damn it all, and I just told him I could manage… fucking hell, stop, stop, stop!” It didn’t stop.

The scene was too much to witness, causing Ignis to loose a great guffaw, pitching forward to brace himself on his knees as he laughed.  Callie whirled around in a panic, meeting his laughing form with steely eyes.

“Laugh it up, Scientia!” she drawled.  “When you’re finished, help me tame the monster that I’ve created, will you?  Damn it!”

As the laughter subsided, Ignis sidled over, pushed his glasses up his nose with his middle finger and clapped a hand on Callie's shoulder.  “I’ll handle this.”

All in all, when the pair sat down at Callie’s black dining table just big enough for two, the meal was delicious.   Ignis had managed to salvage the rice and both the meat and vegetables were baked to perfection.

“I can’t thank you enough for doing this for me,” Callie said, smiling.

“It's nothing, truly,” Ignis dismissed, embarrassed.  “I, ah, it is my duty to assure that... those in direct service to the king are in top form.”

Callie's quicksilver eyes twinkled, but if she saw through his bluff, she chose not to voice it.  When it came to dinner, however, she sang a different tune.

“Six, my compliments to the chef,” Callie all but moaned.  “How do you make something so simple taste so good?”

Though Ignis flushed at her tone, he grinned all the same at the praise.  “Proper preparation and seasoning.  It’s something that will come in time until you won’t need the recipe book at all… unless it’s to concoct your own.”

When Callie didn’t answer right away, he noticed how slowly her eyes were blinking, how her jaw seemed to give a great effort in chewing.  Exhausted though she clearly was, Ignis couldn’t help but briefly admire her beauty.

“Mortifera,” he scolded.  Her eyes slid to meet his, her lack of protest at her given name telling.  “If you needed to rest, you should have said so.  Ready yourself for sleep; I shall place these in containers for you and tidy up.”

Fire lit in her eyes then, albeit a dull spark compared to its usual roar.  “Ignis, no!  I can’t allow you to clean my apartment.  Look, I’m enjoying your company but… yeah, I guess I’m tired.  I’ll clean up.  You can go ahead and go.  Thank you again for coming today.”

She turned and took their plates to the kitchen and began cleaning up when a hand landed gently on her shoulder.  Callie looked up to see the royal adviser looking fondly down at her, a serene smile adorning his handsome face.

“Please,” he said simply.  “I insist.”

That she trudged off without complaint was a victory.  However, many minutes later she hadn’t returned or made a sound, prompting Ignis to investigate.  

“Callie?” he called, knocking on the door she disappeared behind.  “Are you alright?” No answer came.  After a minute, he knocked again.

“Callie?  Astrals, I hope you’re decent.  I’m going to open the door a touch to make certain you’re alright,” he warned.  When no answer came again, he turned the handle and pushed. He briefly took in the room: a large window opposite where he entered in the small room that housed a bed and a single dresser with naught else.  Two doors in the room lead to presumably a closet and perhaps an en suite restroom.  Minimalistic, like Callie.  Speaking of, his eyes cast around, searching for her.

The sight that met his worried emerald gaze was an endearing one.  Callie lay face-down on her bed, still clad in her day clothes.  Her feet dangled off the edge of the mattress, her mouth open and snoring softly.   “Goodness,” he breathed.   Contemplating a moment, he decided she looked rather uncomfortable and moved to tuck her in.  As he swung her legs around and nestled her head properly on her pillow, he tried not to notice how smooth her muscles were, how he enjoyed being in such close proximity with her.  When she was settled, he drew the comforter around her and clicked off her bedside lamp.  The moonlight streamed in through the window, highlighting her raven strands platinum, her pale skin ethereal, glowing.   As he turned to leave, a gentle smile touching his lips,  he paused.  Unable to resist her siren's call, Ignis returned to her side and pressed the softest of kisses to her forehead.  He hadn’t noticed his eyes fluttered shut until her hand grazed his cheek, causing them to fly open.  Ignis panicked, but it was simply Callie reaching out in her sleep. “So handsome,” she whispered.  Her long fingers traced his lips before her hand dropped back to her side and she resumed snoring.

It was then Ignis decided to take his leave.  Gathering his things, he turned off the lights as he went.  Finally, he locked the door and made for Noct's R8, reaching for a can of Ebony once inside.  After the day's events, he needed to unwind and thus set a course for the freeway; a long drive at high speeds never failed to help untangle the threads of his wayward thoughts.

As street lamps streaked past and caffeine rushed through his veins, Ignis considered his position: married to his duty to Noct, no time to dedicate to a potential partner.  It wasn't the first time he found himself wanting to pursue a relationship; it appeared his lack of experience with such emotions often led them to overwhelm him rather quickly.  This, however, felt different.

He sighed and decided to let things play out as naturally as possible.  At some point, as future king, Noct would need to take a bride and Ignis would finally be able to relinquish some of his duties to the future queen.  Until then, he would simply have to make do.

[finn-nelson-for-the-win]

After over a week, I'm back with another update!

Hello there, lovelies! Hopefully the anticipation wasn’t too bad...But alas! Here I am, back again with the next chapter. Admittedly, this chapter took much longer than anticipated for me to write and even though I knew exactly what was going to happen, I still struggled to find the right way to convey it for maximum impact...idk, I've also been finding it a little tricky to find time to write with all the random stuff I've had going on in real life lately. 😬

Anyways...I hope you enjoy this because I'm not sure when the next time I will post will be...and as always, I love hearing what you guys have to say and seeing all the love you guys show to my writing...it's a large reason as to why I even make an effort to post my writings anymore, so thanks! 😘 All my previous chapters can be found right here, if you wish to get caught up.

Making Up for Lost Time

I can’t believe I’m about the say this, but…I can’t wait to go to work tomorrow. 

It was Christmas day—the day in which families near and far gather to enjoy each other’s company and celebrate—and Rae could not be unhappier.

There surely must have been a time when Rae felt differently about Christmas. Perhaps when she was a child and was still basking in the naivety of youth; however, for the last few years Rae has found this holiday to feel like more of a burden and be emotionally draining to the point that she has lost the childlike sense of wonder that used to be synonymous with Christmas time when she was younger.

Rae had been awakened before the sun had even fully risen by loud crashing and the unmistakable scent of charred food that could only mean one thing: Rae’s mother was trying to cook. Trying, but certainly not succeeding.

“Wait! Stop what you’re doing, right now! Get the coffee started to brew and I’ll take over from here. Please mum, before you burn the house down, I beg of you!” Rae called from the room she had slept in to her mother in the kitchen as she tied her plush dressing gown around her waist and slid her feet into her favorite pair of slippers before rushing to the kitchen.

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic, Rachel! It isn’t that bad…” Rae’s mum took a glance at the disheveled stack of what appeared to be pancakes that were simultaneously burned on the outside and completely raw inside, “On second thought…perhaps I will just get the coffee started. Can you take over for me here?”

“By ‘take over’, you mean ‘start completely from scratch because these ones are inedible’, right?” Rae joked, gently nudging her mum with her hip as her mum grabbed the coffee from the cabinet above their stove.

The rest of the family awoke on their own accord and grabbed their breakfast before returning to their respective rooms to eat on their own, as even during the holidays, Rae’s family could not adhere to the formalities of spending time together as a family.

The rest of the day proceeded in much of the same fashion: Rae confined to the kitchen as she was the only member of the family who was willing and able to take the lead on cooking Christmas dinner, while the rest of her family came and went as they pleased.

By the end of the night when the gifts had been exchanged and opened, dinner had been eaten, and the dishes had been cleaned, everyone was ready to go to bed for the night; however, Rae still had to travel back to her apartment in the city, as she had work early the following morning.

And by the time Rae had returned to her apartment and was able to climb into the comforting warmth of her bed, it was already the early hours of morning, and as Rae tossed and turned trying to get some sleep, she could already see the earliest signs of the sunrise on the horizon.

***

The first three and a half hours of Rae’s shift at work were downright torturous. The café down the street from Rae’s work was closed for Christmas weekend, so Rae begrudgingly had to forego the cup of coffee she had been looking forward to getting on her way to work. When Rae arrived at work, she was looking forward to the warm, coziness of an office building with the heater running to help warm her up from her walk to work that morning; however, she quickly realized upon arriving at work that the heating system was not functioning correctly and there was no one available to fix the heating system until Tuesday, due to the holiday. 

Ugh, fucking Christmas ruins everything…

Mondays at work were generally pretty quiet and today was no exception. Most of Rae’s coworkers had taken off work today to spend another day with their families, but Rae was more than happy to return to the city for work opposed to spending any additional time with her family.

When Rae’s scheduled break time finally came, Rae was thankful for the fifteen minutes to walk around outside and warm up a bit, as the sun was shining and it felt warm on her skin through her clothes despite the chill in the air.

When Rae had a few minutes left in her break, she returned to the break room and purchased an energy drink from the vending machine. She took a few long drinks from the can before setting it into the office refrigerator for her to finish after she got off of work.

Rae sat back down in her desk chair when she returned from break and got back to work responding to customers when after a while she sensed—rather than saw—someone walk up and sit down in the seat beside her.

“Hey stranger,” she greeted with a smirk as she quickly finished typing the message she had started, sent it, and turned in her desk chair to meet the familiar, warm dark brown eyes of the person who had taken a seat at the empty desk beside her.

Note to self: “Hey stranger” as a greeting holds the same meaning and creates the same sexual tension as “make me” during a squabble…

“Rae…” Finn’s eyes lit up when he said her name and they locked eyes, derailing his train of thought and making him forget what else he intended to say to Rae in that moment.

“It’s been a really long time since I’ve seen you, Finnley! We really missed you…”

“I missed you, Mae…like a lot!” Finn chuckled and blushed lightly as he turned his head away to avoid making direct eye contact with Rae. 

I told him “we” missed him, but Finn just openly admitted to missing me in particular! No fucking way!

“So where have you been for the last couple weeks?” Rae asked as she picked up another customer conversation in an attempt at nonchalance.

“I was traveling a bit…with my band—”

Wait, did Finn just say...

“With your band? You’re in a band..?” Rae asked, her eyebrows furrowing as in confusion as she was fairly sure that she had misheard what Finn said. 

Fucking hell, as if this bloke needed to get any more attractive!

“Yeah, I’m in a punk band…” 

Of course you are.

“And I play the bass.”

“Of course you fucking do!” Rae rolled her eyes as she said this, which caused Finn to laugh and grin at Rae and she quickly realized that she had said her last thought aloud.

"What's that supposed to mean, Mae? What's wrong with me being in a band and playing bass?" 

Well…shit.

"It's just I always find myself...drawn to guys—I mean people—that are in bands...so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you're musically inclined as well"

"You say the weirdest things sometimes," Finn was still chuckling before he smiled at Rae and looked at her with his dark brown eyes full of sincerity, "but I love that about you. I like talking to you, and in case you haven't noticed, I don't really like talking to anyone."

"Well...I like talking to you too, and I'm very selective about who I talk to." Rae replied, her cheeks still tinged slightly pinker than they would usually be.

"So I guess I'm one lucky guy, huh?" Finn smirked and winked at Rae but did not turn his desk chair away from her even as she returned her eyes to her computer screen to continue assisting customers.

"I, uh...I really missed you Rae...like probably too much," Finn chuckled nervously before continuing. "How was your Christmas? What gifts did you get? Don't spare me the details! I haven’t been able to see ya or talk to ya in weeks and I want to know all about it, girl!”

"My Christmas was okay,” Rae began shifting nervously about being the center of attention as Finn remained focused on her, not even making an attempt to seem like he was actually working, “I spent the day with my family and I did a lot of cooking. And for presents I mostly just got some new clothes, some proper baking equipment so I can bake more often and work on my decorating skills, and a new record player.”

“That’s great, Rae! I’m so glad to hear that you got some nice gifts. And it’s so fucking cool that you got a record player! Did you get any records or do you already have some?” Finn asked, his eyes shining with a child-like happiness as he dove into yet another discussion about music with Rae that he has missed dearly in the weeks he has been gone.

“Yeah, I got a few records…Nirvana, Pearl Jam, The Offspring, and The Ramones…most of them are just the Greatest Hits compilations, but yeah…I’m really excited to give’em a spin!”

“That’s a great start to a collection, Rae! I have a few records of my own that I think you might like, so just let me know if you ever wanna borrow some or, erm, hang out and listen to music together or whatever…” Finn broke eye contact for the first time during their conversation and looked down at his lap as he bounced his left leg rapidly and began biting the skin around his thumb nail.

“I’d love that, Finn! Thank you!” Rae added in a reassuring tone that made Finn smile and eased some of his tension and concerns.

“And you said you also got some new baking equipment or something?”

“Uh, yeah! I got a standing mixer and some new baking pans and trays, and some interchangeable decorating tips and stencils. I only had the basics at my apartment before this, so I’m happy that now I can learn new techniques and hone my decorating skills some more.”

Finn smiled as he noticed the light that came into Rae’s eyes when she was talking about something that she loves and truly enjoys. She noticed him grinning at her and tilted her head to the side in confusion. 

What did I say to make Finn look at me like that?

“You really love cooking and baking, huh?” Finn asked with genuine curiosity.

“I suppose so. I think it’s fun and a good way to relax…and I’ve had a number of people tell me I’m quite good at it, so I might as well enjoy cooking, right?” Rae replied, trying to downplay her passion for cooking and come across as casual as possible.

“I know you can bake—fuck, as if I could ever forget the cupcakes you made—but you seem like you’re a really good cook just in general.” Rae shrugged and blushed a bit at his flattery, but Finn was not content with her humbly brushing off the compliment.

“I’m serious, Rae! You could totally compete in those cooking show competitions! You know, like Chopped or Iron Chef or something like that…You would most likely win too!”

“Okay Finnley, I think you’re giving me a little bit too much credit for someone who has only ever tasted one thing I’ve cooked…”

“Perhaps you’re right…maybe you should cook me a romantic dinner one of these days and then I can truly be the judge of your talents.” Finn wiggled his eyebrows and winked at Rae, which made her blush and chuckle nervously. 

Finn is just joking, surely. He can’t be seriously about us having dinner together, obviously…but why does the look in his eyes give the impression that he meant what he said..?

Finn noticed Rae’s silence as she over-analyzed what he had said and wrongly interpreted it, assuming that his attempt at flirting had made her uncomfortable, so he quickly tried to get the conversation back on track. 

“No, but seriously. I don’t think I’m giving you too much credit, Rae…that one cupcake was more than enough to convince me. I just…I-I know that you’re amazing at everything you set your mind to and I can see the passion in your eyes when you talk about cooking.” Finn looked at Rae and smiled when the intensity of his stare cause her to look away before he continued.

“So even if you don’t believe it yet yourself, I know you have the talent and passion and I look forward to the day that I see you on TV and can brag to everyone I know that I was lucky enough to taste your cupcakes. And I’m gonna be so proud of you, girl!”

Rae was at a loss for words and was not entirely sure how to react to the unwavering confidence and belief Finn has in her abilities as a chef.

She tuned slightly in her chair to say something but her train of thought was completely derailed when she saw that Finn was still smiling at her, but he was paying extra attention to her facial features to get a better reading of her reaction.

Holy shit…is it possible that Finn could have gotten MORE fit in the two weeks since I saw him last? He’s so hot I could probably forgo the oven and bake cookies directly on this beautiful bloke in front of me!

Rae chuckled, which caused Finn to quirk an eyebrow up in confusion, and she shook the humorous thought of baking cookies directly on Finn’s naked torso from her mind before finally responding.

“Thank you, Finn. I don’t think I’ve ever known someone with so much faith in me or my cooking abilities…so I really appreciate that,” Rae cleared her throat before continuing, “Anyways! Enough about me and my life these last few weeks…you were off traveling with your fucking punk band! That’s amazing! How was that? What all did you do? Don’t spare me the details either.”

“Yeah, it was pretty great…at first…the first few shows we did were really good and we had a good sized crowd that listened to us even though we were only the opening act. But after about a week, all of us were missing our girlfriends and the people we had waiting for us here at home…And you never really know how much of a twat some of your friends are until you travel and share hotels with them non-stop for a week!”

Rae laughed and turned slightly to face Finn more directly as he continued with his story.

“Our last show was supposed to be on Christmas Eve—so I wasn’t going to be back with my family for Christmas—but we had our van broken into and stolen from the parking lot of our hotel one night, so we had to cancel the rest of our shows because all our equipment and a lot of our stuff was inside the van that was taken…”

“Holy shit, Finn! Are you serious? I am so sorry to hear that.” Rae met Finn’s gaze and his grimace turned into some semblance of a genuine smile when he saw the sincerity and overwhelming sympathy in Rae’s eyes.

“Yeah…it was pretty shitty…but this meant we were able to head home four days early and spend Christmas with our loved ones, so that was a blessing in disguise, I suppose.” Finn replied as he shrugged his shoulders.

“That’s a good way to look at it Finn! What did you and your family do for Christmas?”

“Nothing too interesting. It were just me, my dad, my stepmom, and my two sisters. I got some new clothes as well, a really nice blanket, and a popcorn popper from my family…I just felt really guilty that I didn’t have gifts to give them in return.”

Rae tilted her head to one side and furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, waiting for Finn to go on. Finn proceeded to tell Rae that the day before their van was stolen, him and his band mates had spent their free day visiting the shops around the town they were in to get the last of their Christmas gifts for family, friends, and significant others.

“Well, ya see, all the gifts I gotten for people were in the back of the van that got stolen…” As the understanding sunk in, Rae gasped and gave Finn an apologetic look as he continued telling the story.

“I was gutted to see that everything I had was taken because some of the gifts had sentimental value and special meaning—they weren’t just bought from a store—so it’ll be nearly impossible for me to replace all the gifts, but I am gonna try. Do you think people will be upset that I couldn’t give them a gift?” Finn broke eye contact, shifting his gaze to examine his fingernails that he had bitten down significantly while coping with recent stressful events. 

“Finn, of course not!” Rae finished the message she was typing before reaching her left hand over to gently squeeze his hands where they rested on the desk beside her before continuing, “This wasn’t your fault at all, so anyone should be able to understand why you weren’t able to give them a gift. It means enough that you tried and that you are trying to make it up to them, I honestly don’t even think you should concern yourself with what other people will think. If you have the right people in your life, they will be more than understanding of the situation…”

Rae studied Finn’s face, which was now turned slightly away from her as he stared at the ground, and the panic began to set in as she began to second-guess what she had just said to him. Finn then looked up at Rae from under his thick eyebrows and a grin spread slowly across his face when their eyes met.

“I’m not sure how, but I had a feeling you’d say something like that, Rae,” Finn finally replied, chuckling nervously as he ran his fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck, “I like that mentality.”

Rae and Finn fell into a comfortable silence for the remaining hour of her shift, as she kept responding to customers and Finn began assisting the first customers of his shift despite being logged into his computer for a few hours.

When the clocks on the wall nearest to them chimed, signaling the new hour, Rae logged off of her computer and stood from her desk chair to leave.

“Okay, I’m leaving for the day. It was really nice to see ya today, Finn…” 

Don’t you say it, Rae…Don’t you dare fucking say it!

“I, uh…I really missed you while you were gone too, Finn.” 

Fuck…you said it.

Rae hurried out of the building, not willing to wait for Finn’s response to her admitting that she had missed him, as she was sure that his reaction would not be a good one.

***

As she walked along the perimeter of the building toward the seating area in which a number of shaded stone tables served as the designated “smoking area” near their office complex, Rae took a seat at one of the tables that was in direct sunlight in an attempt to recover some of the warmth she had been lacking inside the building for the last few hours.

Rae was sitting at this table for a few minutes, drinking the remainder of her energy drink and scrolling through her social media accounts when she noticed someone walking quickly towards the table she was sitting at.

“Fancy seeing you here! Why are you sitting out here alone?”

Rae looked up to see Finn standing in front of the table she was sitting at and she could clearly tell that he was debating if he should take a seat as well or not.

“Hiya Finn…I haven’t seen you in ages!” Rae joked before continuing, “I was really cold, so I wanted to warm up a bit before walking home so I’m sitting here in the sun…and I wanted to finish drinking my energy drink…”

“Well…I can think of a few things we could do that could warm ya up…” Finn replied with a smirk as he sat down at the opposite side of the table facing Rae, which caused her to blush a deep red color.

“So…uh…what are you doing out here, Finn?”

“I’m on my break. Normally I like to walk laps around the building to get my blood pumping a bit or I’ll go get some food or coffee, but while I was walking today I saw you sitting here and well…”

“Oh! I’m sorry I’m ruining your break time. I can leave if ya want—”

“No! I mean…you don’t have to leave on my account. I want to sit and talk to you for a bit while I’m on break, if that’s alright with you. We still have a lot of making up for lost time to do, girl!”

“Okay…so what do ya wanna talk about, Finnley?”

“Uhm…do you wanna hear about a couple of my New Year’s resolutions?” Rae nodded and took another sip of her energy drink, giving Finn an encouraging smile as she waited for him to speak.

“Well…I want to start going to the gym more often. To get a bit healthier and build some muscles, you know? And…uh…I really want to stop smoking.”

“That’s great Finn! I’m happy to hear you’re making some choices to put your health first in this upcoming year.”

“Yeah…I mean, I don’t like that I smoke and I know a lot of people that matter to me that don’t like when the people around them smoke, so I’m willing to make those changes for them and for myself.”

Rae took another drink of her energy drink and watched in curiosity as Finn rolled an acorn back and forth on top of the table before he looked up to meet her eyes.

“What about you, Rae? Do you have any New Year’s resolutions?”

“Uh, not really. I don’t think they’re very effective—for me at least—and I almost never accomplish them, so I rarely make resolutions…I do, however, like to assess what the year that is ending meant for me and what I want the next year to bring…in general terms, at least.”

“So what do you want the year 2017 to bring you?”

“Well in 2016, I experienced a lot of high highs and low lows…and…well, I don’t really know how to say this without ranting about the intricacies of my screwed up life, but…”

“Rae, I understand if you don’t wanna tell me, but I just want to let you know you can tell me anything. I won’t judge you and even if I can’t help, I can promise you that I will try my fucking best to help however I can….I want you to trust me, Rae.”

Rae was caught off-guard by his sincerity as she searched his eyes for any indication that he did not mean what he was saying.

“Okay…well, I’ve had a rough few years. And by that, I suppose I mean that the last six years of my life have been very difficult and almost always seemed to be getting worse with each passing year…but even just the small changes I’ve made in my life in the last few months I think are small steps towards where I want to be…So I want 2017 to help me realize who are my true friends and help me surround myself with people that genuinely care for me and want me to be happy. I also want to keep working towards loving myself and embracing who I am at this point in my life, and yeah…I guess my new year’s resolution for 2017 would just be to be happy.” 

She took a deep breath and before she could psych herself out of saying what was on the tip of her tongue, Rae added “And I'm not entirely sure why, but I do trust you Finn…” 

As soon as the words left her lips, she immediately looked down at her hands on top of the stone table and busied herself with examining her long, polished red fingernails. 

“Oh, Rae…I’m so glad you felt comfortable telling me that and you don't know how happy I am to hear that you trust me,” he paused briefly and stared at her with a gentle smile until she looked up to meet his eyes and he continued, “I want you to be happy, girl. I know that you especially deserve to be happy because you’re world-class…and no, Rae, I’m not just saying that to be nice. I mean it. And I want to do whatever I can as your coworker and close mate and…well, whatever you want me to be, to help you be happy.” 

How did I get lucky enough to know such a fit boy that also has a heart of gold? I must have won the lottery or stepped into a parallel universe because this sort of shit never happens to Rae Earl…

Rae and Finn kept talking about everything and anything, just enjoying the pleasantly warm afternoon weather and each other’s company when Finn happened to glance at his phone to check the time.

“Shit…my break ended a while ago. I should probably head back to work now…I suppose. So...what your plans for the rest of the day, Rae?” Finn asked as he begrudgingly stood from the table and gave Rae a shy smile.

“My plans…for the rest of today? Well I was just gonna go back to my apartment…but I think maybe I’ll go to the Secret Garden instead.”

“Wait…Did you say, uh, ‘secret garden’…?”

“Yeah! It’s this little garden on campus where I’ve been growing some plants and vegetables for the last couple months…it’s well-hidden and almost no one knows about it, so it’s my secret garden. I like going there to just relax, or listen to music and think from time to time…”

“Oh, that’s so cool, Rae! And that sounds like a lot of fun…I wish I could come along so you could show me around your secret garden and I can just keep hanging out with you…but instead I have to go back to work.” 

Wait a second! Did Finn just openly admit how much he wants to keep hanging out with me and have me show him around my garden?

Every sexual innuendo Rae's friends have been making for the last few month since Rae took this gardening class came to mind and she tried to contain the giggle and ignore the blush that was creeping into her cheeks at the memory of Chloe’s advice to try to find a nice bloke who wanted to explore Rae's “lady garden”. 

FOCUS RAE! Finn Nelson just told you how much he'd rather spend time with you than go back to work...and he's clearly interested in exploring your secret garden, which could be literal or figurative and mean something sexual...in either case, I'm not complaining, but you have to say something! And DON’T FUCK IT UP, RAE!

“Uhm...well, I wish we could keep chatting and hanging out too, but you've already missed two weeks of work and what kind of influence would I be on you if I was the reason you ditch work less than halfway through your first day back?”

“I don't care...being with you is worth getting in trouble for missing work…” Finn replied almost immediately.

“Well I'm flattered you think that, Finn, but I just couldn't do that in good conscience. But…” Rae paused for dramatic effect and to ensure that she had Finn’s undivided attention, “I'd be more than happy to give you a personal tour of my garden another time, okay? So just consider this a rain check yeah?”

“Yeah, okay! I just hope it's soon...I'm excited to see this ‘secret garden’ of yours and experience it first-hand…” Finn added with a wink and his signature crooked smirk. 

Yup...that’s most definitely a euphemism…

 “I look forward to seeing you again very soon, Rae!”

“Yeah, for sure. Enjoy the rest of your shift at work, Finnley!”

He was already walking away quickly as she said this, since his fifteen minute break was going on nearly thirty minutes now and he couldn't risk being any later than he already was, but he turned back to face Rae where she still sat at the stone table before sighing longingly and adding, “Without you there, girl? It's impossible for me to enjoy work anymore when you're not around me...take care, love!” And he quickly turned and kept walking until he was out of Rae's line of sight. 

Holy shit...I have so much new information and stories to share with the girls now that Finn is back in town and back in my life!

Rae sighed dreamily and as she walked to her Uni campus and into the secret garden to tend to her plants. 

This handsome dickhead gives me heart palpitations in the best ways possible…

And as she watered her bush of luscious red roses that were just beginning to bloom, she could not wipe the dopey lovesick grin from her face as her favorite cover of Can't Help Falling in Love crooned from her Bluetooth speakers.

@eveerez @tinakegg @hey1tskat1e @bitchesbecrazy89 @kneekeyta @milllott @protectfinnnelson @arathewallflower @jackiewalsh2013 @pink-royaute @i-dream-of-emus @lurkernolonger @bitchy-broken

A/N: Hey there! I'm back again lol. So I'm at a point where I can take this story in two very different directions, but I have not decided which just yet. I want to do right by you all, the readers, but I also want to stay true to myself and gain some form of catharsis because I have literally been detailing some of my most recent relationship drama under the guise of MMFD fanfic for like 10? chapters now...so we'll just have to wait and see where the story takes me...in the meantime: I'm always here to answer your questions, gossip about MMFD and other MMFD fanfics, and get to know you guys, so...let's be friends, yeah? 😘😁😁😘