#If this recipe makes the same as you buy premade

[unashamedly-enthusiastic]

Found a recipe that involves, among other things:

Beef suet

Diced onions

Currents

Glacé cherries

Sausage casings

Very excited to cook this

[olenvasynyt]

Elain and Feyre’s watercolor sugar cookies

For @elainarcheronweek ‘s Cookie Exhange

My mom is a baker with a specialty in cookies and cakes so I got so excited when I saw this little event! Here is a cool recipe we did recently! This technique is a bit like watercolor painting, but with frosting! I feel like Elain would bake the cookies and Feyre would help paint them. It’s such a cute activity!

Instructions below cut:

1. Bake the sugar cookies (I don’t feel like giving the recipe for that, it’s the easiest part of this lmao. Google it, ask your grandma, or buy premade if you’re lazy)

2. Prepare your royal icing. You can also use white fondant

Ingredients for icing: - 8 cups powdered sugar - ½ tsp cream tartar - 12 tbsp egg whitesl - 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Mix the cream of tartar and powdered sugar together. Add the egg whites, and mix by hand to moisten.

Then, with the whisk attachment, turn your mixer on low and beat for a minute. Turn the mixer up to high, and continue to beat for 2-3 minutes.

Add your vanilla, and mix to combine.

You will need two consistencies of your frosting: a thicker version for the border of the design, and a thinner version called the flood. use royal icing in outline consistency to create a border around the edge of your first cookie. Then, in the same color, use flooding consistency to quickly fill in the center of the cookie. Be careful around the edges. Tap your cookie onto your work surface a few times to help the icing settle. You can even use a toothpick or scribe tool to nudge some icing into any empty spaces or to create a crisper corner edge.

3. Wait until the frosting is completely dry to the touch. We usually let them dry overnight

4. Prepare colors for painting

Ingredients: - food coloring of your choice (water-based is better) - water or vanilla vodka - paintbrushes - a palette or bowls for your colors - paper towels for cleaning brushes

Mix a few drops of coloring to water or vodka (my mom likes the vodka better because it gives a nicer texture)

5. And paint onto your cookie. More food coloring will make for brighter colors, and water / vodka can be used for blending!

These are the cookies me and my mom made for an event this November 🍁

[bugbyte]

Recent discoveries from the land of Bug lives with a chronic illness and is tired all the time:

This is probably obvious to everyone but holy shit, crock pot. I used to use this thing mostly for a few very specific recipes because I feel like there’s something about the cooking method where things can tend to lose flavor or texture (might just be a me thing) but lately it’s been a lifesaver when I am hurting and exhausted, which has been a lot.

I’m trying to cut back on premade or processed stuff where I can because I don’t think it’s good for me personally or for our budget. (No judgement from me if that’s what’s easiest for you, we all gotta eat somehow.) Cooking has become a mega effort for me when I’m having a flare up and it’s been tough. I used to do all the cooking for us because I genuinely love to do it, but it’s gotten so hard for me recently and I’m trying new methods.

More chatter and recipes under the break~

This is all kind of a medium effort (unless you have someone to help, which I am lucky to have) so it might not work for everyone, because the ceramic piece of the cooker is kind of heavy to get out and clean if you’re prone to dropping things (I am) but it can go in the dishwasher. Also chopping things can be a pain; I have a little chopping thing that helps when I’m cooking alone, it looks like this:

Anyway, if you can get past those hurdles via tools or help or buying pre-chopped veggies, you’re halfway there. You can also prep veg when you’re having a good day and freeze it so you have it ready on a bad day.

Here are a few of my favorite recipes, all are kinda chicken-based and the method is basically the same but you can probably substitute another protein, this just works for my budget and dietary needs. The only thing I might not use is ground meat; something funny can happen with the texture of it, I think because you’re not necessarily stirring all the time. It can cook kinda weird if you’re not attentive, and we’re going for as hands off as possible here.

Today we chopped up a bunch of veggies and dumped them in with chicken breast, a bunch of seasoning (curry, garam masala, garlic, ginger, a little Trader Joe’s sriracha seasoning for a little heat, I mean, I don’t think you can really add too many spices here?? Add and measure with your heart, as they say), and a jar of tikka masala sauce. Then we just have to make rice later and it’s all set. 4-6 hours on high, 6-8 on low seems to be the standard and works for basically everything I’ve tried so far. Yeah, it’s kind of premade with the jar sauce, but having something hot with real veggies and chicken when you’re not feeling good is a real morale boost at the end of the day. Plus, a ton of leftovers.

Another easy one I love is chopping up an onion and a bell pepper or two, pour in either a jar of tomato pasta sauce or a big can of crushed tomatoes + whatever garlic/basil/etc seasonings you like, and throw a couple of chicken breasts on top with some seasoning on those too. Same timing as above. By the end the chicken just shreds apart by pinching it with tongs really easily (I have hand grip issues and I can do it) so shred that and stir it all together. This stuff is great on pasta, probably also would be an amazing sandwich on a bun with some mozzarella?? Last time we used a can of tomatoes so there was a ton of extra liquid and I just dumped in a package of farfalle at the end of cooking (or 30 minutes to the end, ish) and mixed it well, gave it 30 minutes to soak up the sauce, and it was really tasty. You really only have to pay attention at the end to make sure the pasta is the way you want it, not over or under done.

Lastly, tacos. Chicken, in whatever quantity you want. We are 2 people and 2 breasts is enough for a bunch of tacos and leftovers for lunch the next day. Add a little olive oil (just a dash to help stuff stick) and half a packet of any taco seasoning you like (save the rest for the end). Mix in one of those little cans of chopped green chilies plus about one tiny can of water or chicken broth if you’re feeling fancy. Cook either high or low (as above) but I find low on 6-8 hours actually does come out better on this one. When it’s done, shred the chicken like the tomato recipe. It should just fall apart with very little effort. Then add in the rest of the seasoning packet and mix; it helps thicken any liquid into sauce. If you still end up with too much liquid somehow, just scoop some out with a ladle. Then just put it on tortillas with whatever taco stuff you like. This one also works pretty well with a big chunk of pork, like pork shoulder. You may need some extra seasoning and stuff because it’s bigger, and I would also add some garlic to the pork version for better flavor. If you have the energy or assistance this stuff is also great shredded up and thrown under a broiler for a couple minutes for crispy edges, but that’s totally optional. Still tasty without it.

Anyway, just thought I’d share some of the easy stuff I’ve come across and liked because I love cooking and I hate how much trouble I’ve had making good food without running myself to exhaustion since I started having health problems. It’s a learning curve for sure.

[mcltiples]

HEADCANON ; how would my muse make your muse hot chocolate?

@countlessrealities (part two hehe)

As we know, Morty's cooking skills aren't great, but he won't settle for anything premade. Not for his counterpart. So, he'll buy one of those hot chocolate bombs. It would be a milk chocolate one, inside of it will have green and red sprinkles in the shape of snowflakes!

He would heat up some milk in one of his fancier tea pots. Serving the hot chocolate bomb into a teacup as well, then he'd pour the hot milk on top of it, watching it melt it until it becomes hot chocolate.

Though, he would make an effort to make it special by actually learning how to bake something. Which is marble pound cake, it was a bit hard and he might've messed up a little, but they might've come out decent!

Fuck reasoning for this because Rick Prime is going to use every and other excuse other than "I just felt like making it for you." He may even say it's not a big deal. However, he'll go all out with it. The biggest thing is that he'll assume that his counterpart has the same, secretive sweet tooth that he has. So he'll go with his own instincts on what he likes and just hope for the best.

It'd be a complicated recipe using several types of chocolate and melting it into a creamy consistency, as well as whipping the milk to make it a bit fluffier instead of liquid-y. Once all of it's done, he'll pour it into a glass. Serving it with a generous swirl of whipped cream on top, seasoning it with pumpkin spice. Along with drizzles of chocolate syrup and caramel syrup!

The same recipe will apply here because it's the only recipe that he likes and knows tastes well. The only difference is that he'd add more dark chocolate to give it a darker, bitter flavor rather than sweet.

He's never known for his kitten to like sweet things. At least, not from what he's seen. So, he won't dress it up too much in sugar. He'd serve it plain. Though, he may bring a plate of butter cookies along with it. If asked, he'll claim they're store bought, but he actually made them himself, but his kitten doesn't have to know that.

The only hot chocolate recipe he knows is very simple, using simple ingredients. Just two types of chocolate and milk. He would mix in some espresso within it, though, because not only it enhances the chocolate flavor, but he knows that his Master doesn't sleep well. So he'll figure the added caffeine would be beneficial for the other.

Dressing it up would be simple. A singular marshmallow, dark chocolate shavings and a cinnamon stick on the side. He would choose a heart shaped marshmallow because he thinks his Master would find amusement in that and it would also make himself appear cuter.

[talvin-muircastle]

Post from an old blog

From the days before Tumblr:

(Also, I don't go for stiff peaks anymore. I just get it well and truly frothed up and it does fine.)

Quiche Me, You Fool! The following is something I found while I was cleaning out my email boxes, in this case, my "Sent Mail" folder. It was funny then, it's still funny now.

Tonight I find out that my wife promised all her blind friends (we are talking several email lists worth, here) that I would share my recipe for Quiche.

Well, she promised, I had to deliver. So, I emailed it to her.

Dear Heart,

Here is how I make quiche.

Step 1) Select the main ingredients. I use cheddar cheese, either pre-shredded or a block that has been diced, along with one of the following:

A) Diced pre-cooked ham B) Strained ground beef or C) Cooked bacon that has been thoroughly crumbled. I usually cook it crisp, cram it in an old (clean) butter tub, and shake the heck out of it. Instant bacon bits.

There are lots of other possibilities, ask around or look online.

Step 2) Procure a crust. You want a deep one. You either:

A) Get the Jiffy Crust Mix, follow the directions, roll it out, lay it in the pie pan and trim the edges, OR

B) Buy a frozen premade crust, and lie and say I did it using the method found in A.

I run about 50/50 on these methods, you don't seem to notice the difference.

Step 3) Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. I don't know what that is in Celsius, I am an American, and my educational system teaches me just enough to know that if I visit another country the temperature will sound different, but really be the same. In any case, ovens vary, so use your best judgement.

Step 4) Throw the cat off the counter.

Step 5) Grab 6 eggs and a half pint of heavy whipping cream. Crack open the eggs into a mixing bowl, add the cream. Whip this mixture until it forms stiff peaks. If you cannot see and you don't know when it is at stiff peaks, just whip it good and hard and hope you broke up all the yolks. If you can see and you are not sure when you have reached stiff peaks, you must be me. Do as for cannot see and you'll survive.

Step 6) You are using eggs and cream, and probably there is cooked meat to be had. Yell at the cat, smack her on the rump, and toss her off the counter again. You surely feel better now.

Step 7) Place the main ingredient in the bottom of the crust. Add a layer of cheese. Pour the whipped mixture on top of that. About half the time, it will overflow some. Be prepared to deal with this.

Step 8 ) The cat is on the counter again. You know what to do.

Step 9) Carefully place the quiche on the middle rack of the oven. Set the timer for 30 minutes. With our oven, after 30 minutes, you have about a 60% chance of it being done, otherwise try it about 5 to 10 minutes more.

Step 10) Your quiche is done. Grab a knife or pizza cutter, resist the urge to use it on the cat, toss her off the counter, and serve. Careful, it's hot.

Step 11) If you are a man, never, ever, ever let the redneck with the pickup and pit bull down the street know you eat, never mind make, something called quiche. Yes, Real Men Eat Quiche, but opinions differ, and we need harmony in our lives.

Bon appetit.

Love, Talvin

[fantrollology]

🍳 for everyone that hasnt been asked yet. i need 2 know who will cook me a delicious meal

EVERYONE????? ok i will just go thru my select page + a few bonus ones

🍳 - cooking

button - she can make a mean lasagna. outside of that, she's pretty average. she typically likes to make big batch meals as meal prep and eat the same thing for a week. outside of her repertoire of recipes shes pretty useless in the kitchen. i think she could impress someone who didn't cook, though. if she ever cooked for people she might even get a "good lasgana, button!" but, uh, will that ever happen? :/

jc - he can make cereal :)

rilakk - rilakk is pretty good at cooking! they are very thoughtful about the food they intake because of the amount of time they spend asleep. theyre good at cooking very hearty, filling foods! i think their go-to is probably curry and stir-frys, cuz they're flexible but you can build a lot of flavor into them.

spyke - you know how it is with spaghetti

lauren - ehhhh he can get around a kitchen, but he never really cared enough to be really good at cooking. the sort of buy pre-marinated meat and throw it in the oven, but hes more likely to go out. he likes good food! i think hes probably tried to make some recipes at home, like if he found a cool planet-specific ingredient and looked something up, but quickly became demotivated because its never as good as just ordering it out, and lauren likes good food!

ceefor - its a good thing shes rich and people cook for her.

fledge - she could probably follow simple recipes, but not much outside of that. she grew up eating from Fleet cafeterias so she never had a reason to learn. shes picked up some skills since living with arunae but she still wouldnt feel super confident cooking alone.

leathy - he doesnt like cooking enough to do it for himself, but hes very capable of following a recipe. he could make a decent meal for someone if they asked, or if he thought they'd like it :)

gazijo - this man can COOK!!! he can break down fresh meat and make u fucking ANYYYTHINNNGG and it will be so so so so good. he prefers to cook for others rather than eat out or have people cook for him cuz he likes to know where his food comes from and what went into it. since he started hunting fauna less hes gotten more into vegetarian recipes too! catch him finding a cool edible mushroom and incorporating it into something for dinner. dont ask him to bake tho.

ionyll - i think her cooking ability starts and ends at box mac n cheese. anyone want chipotle?

pj - pretty decent! hes got a couple go-to dishes. generally prefers to dress up a bowl of ramen or premade tortellini n stuff like that. nothing super involved but he can develop a decent flavor profile.

alaise - her cooking is mid (can follow recipes). i think for herself, if shes not eating out, she'd default to sandwiches / salads / other raw foods. her baking is more where she shines!!! really likes making muffins and cupcakes in particular.

iggy - he has not touched his stove since he moved in. he is eating canned chickpeas plain. hes eating deli ham. maybe put some cheese in there if he's feeling fancy. if it doesnt come together prepared in a package then its not being eaten together. closet he gets to cooking is microwave meals

palaia - capable of following recipes! she never really needed to learn to cook, but she would prepare something for herself if what her sect was offering didnt interest her that way. she does prefer more raw foods, though. salads and the like.

alaska - capable of following more complex recipes, and has a few good ones memorized. capable of impressing people, honestly. he likes to cook himself nice things, though he does prefer to cook for others.

stasia - i dont think shes ever cooked.

trixis - she can cook!!! i think she prefers things that have some of the prep done but she'll make something if shes really in the mood for it. she prefers to make something simple and hearty at home rather than eat out.

aether - roasted vegetables + pasta my beloved. shes trying her best

mim - he can make a good smoothie :) it'd be easier if he had a blender, though...

m0g0 - she can follow a recipe to the letter. exactly. not beyond that. any kitchen common sense is lost on her.

[stephenandsparklesdokorea]

Seoul | Cooking Class

Our final activity of the day was a Korean cooking class that Josh and Alexis generously booked for us! We took yet another metro ride to the Mangwon station and met our hostess for the night, Jomin, outside the market. She runs a cooking class, cookoreanclass.com, out of her home and was excited to be back up and running after Covid lock down. 

It was already dark out and was pouring rain so it was shaping up to be a perfect night for some shopping, cooking, and eating comforting food. Jomin walked us through the market, purchasing fresh vegetables and cuts of meat we’d be cooking with tonight. She pointed out different types of Banchan at shops offering endless varieties of the same, showed us which dried fish made the best stock for soup we’d be cooking vs where to buy premade broth,  and did a great job accommodating a kosher meal with extra mushrooms or tofu in place of pork for Josh. The fried chicken and rice cake desserts at the market looked increasingly delicious, so it was time to get cooking before I got too ravenous. 

Jomin’s apartment was small but tidy and her large kitchen island had a hot plate for each member of the class, with pre portioned ingredients set out. Before we started actually cooking, we mixed together a marinade for pork we’d use in the last dish. While most of the ingredients you could find at a typical grocery store, the asian pear and a specific chili powder would be harder to find, especially the chili because it was difficult to translate what specific type it was to achieve the desired flavor and heat profile. The first dish we made was Kimchi Jigae, a simple soup with tofu, pork shoulder and kimchi. She taught us how to de-head, gut, then toast the dried anchovies to make the umami rich soup base. Japchae was next, a stir fry of glass noodles with pork and vegetables. SaeRam makes this frequently for celebratory gatherings, and I had tried cooking it once before but it was fun to get a third try at a recipe for it and it turned out great. Finally we put our marinated pork to work in Jeyuk Bokkeum, or spicy stir-fried pork where it mingled with cabbage and onions. I love taking cooking classes abroad, and this one was no exception. It was a great time learning some new skills, the food was delicious, and I love that it came with an easy to read cookbook to recreate recipes from this and her banchan, tofu, and kimchi making classes at home. It was fun seeing how similar or different each of our dishes turned out as we interpreted the same instructions differently, and the Makgeolli we tried with dinner was much better than the cable car hooch in Busan. After saying goodbye we  made the soggy trip back to the subway in the rain and took it back to Myeongdong before calling it a night.

[amu-brain-dump]

OOOH can we hear your favourite bubble tea orders? 👀 in as little or much detail as you like!!!

Hohoho I'm VERY passionate about bubble tea 😏

My favourite most amazing adored flavour is Wintermelon milk tea: it's smooth and balanced and milky and creamy and perfect. That is the best milk tea and I won't accept criticism over this.

Second favourite is Peach milk tea. This one can be a bit too sweet (coming from "sweet tooth incarnate") depending on the store's recipe but its overall a great choice when wWintermelon is not available.

Next is Japanese pop rice milk tea. This one is unfortunately only available in 1 of boba chains in the city and all the stores are far away from my house so I don't get to have it that often. It's roasty and smooth and tastes just like the pop rice snacks

Watermelon milk tea is surprisingly good and it's pink! And pink drinks are always cute hehe. Tried it once on a whim and it became a favourite, really refreshing.

Original milk tea is also really good. It's usually the same in any boba chain: black milk tea with "Thai flavouring" whatever that is... in places where bubble tea is mot really popular yet (my hometown) is literally the only viable option 🥲

Some honorable mentions are: Taro milk tea (very creamy, I was surprised), Honeydew melon milk tea, Brown sugar milk tea and Thai milk tea (that it's not the same as Original milk tea🤷🏾)

When it comes to trying new flavours I normally try to choose something that's very different from things I've tried in the past. I'd say most common flavours are good but I have had some fails in the past... very sad indeed. Hazelnut milk tea & Caramel milk tea are the worst I've ever had.

When talking about toppings popping boba is my favourite: any fruity flavour will work but I try to choose something that compliments the flavour of the drink. Tapioca pearls are a classic, pretty solid option and they look amazing with any color drink so there's that. Golden tapioca pearls are better cause they're a tiny bit sweeter and much softer. I don't really like the jelly and cheese doesn't belong on drinks so I never have those. I tried red beans once and was not a fan of the texture...

And that is for bubble tea from stores. When I make it myself at home I buy the strawberry popping ball in the asian grocery shop cause thats the only flavour they have and I rather make the tapioca pearls over buying the premade one but I'm also very lazy and they take so long so I never do 😅 so strawberry popping balls..

With flavour I have 2 syrups: watermelon & mi t and belgian waffle. The watermelon one I use when I make earl grey tea and the belgian waffle when using any other tea type. But I recently discovered another great combination 😳 pu'er tea with homemade peach syrup! Just out of this world amazing.

And that's the end of my rant, thanks for coming to my TedTalk and thank you for reading if you made it this far ☺️ you get some boba as a reward 🧋

[manaslittletent]

Chickpea-Oat-Waffles (Base recipe) & how to make Oat flour

~ 9 Waffles

60g Oat flour

60g Chickpea flour

30g protein powder (can be substituted with flour)

1 carrot

1 pinch of salt

200ml sparkling water

1/2 tsp baking powder

Combine all the dry components, grate the carrot and add to the mix. Heat up your waffle iron in the meanwhile.

Add the water last, let sit for 2-3 minutes.

Next bake your waffles, 2 tablespoons of batter per waffle! If needed spray your waffle iron with some non-stick-cooking spray before adding the batter.

You get 9 waffles out of the batter or 8 regular ones and two mini ones :)

Top with whatever you like! I had selfmade fruit compot (Elderberry, plum, ginger with raisins), soy yoghurt, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds and a bit of chocolate.

Variants: you can swap the types of flour around, or exchange the carrot for apple or zucchini. Don't add more vegetable the waffles will get too soft same if you use oat bran instead of oat flour.

About oat flour:

I know buying it can be quite expensive but you can make it on your own if you own a blender or smoothie maker even!

It's as easy as it looks like, just put the oats into the blender and ... blend them until they are fine enough for your liking!

This saved me a ton of money as the premade oat flour here is about 2-3€ per 300g and a pack of rolles oats (500g) is less than 70 cents (even the organic ones).

[thedisneychef]

Kitchen Blooper! Jack Skellington Sugar Cookies

Kitchen blooper! Jack Skellington sugar cookies is a fun and lighthearted take on a classic sugar cookie recipe. Inspired by the beloved character from Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas," these cookies are decorated with a whimsical and spooky design that is sure to delight both children and adults alike. The recipe is easy to follow and uses simple ingredients, making it a great option for home cooks of any skill level. While the process of decorating the cookies can be tricky, it is a fun and creative activity that can be enjoyed with friends and family. Whether you're hosting a Halloween party or simply looking for a fun baking project, Jack Skellington sugar cookies are sure to bring a smile to your face. In this context, we can explore the cultural significance of "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and how it has become a beloved holiday classic. We can also discuss the importance of embracing kitchen mishaps and mistakes as a part of the learning and creative process in baking. Finally, we can highlight the joy and fun that can be found in creating unique and playful desserts that bring a sense of whimsy to the kitchen. More Delicious Recipes You Will Love: - Chef Mickey Key Lime Pie Recipe: A Refreshing and Tangy Dessert - Mastering Jamaican Buns: Avoiding Kitchen Mishaps - Avoiding Kitchen Bloopers: Perfecting Kona Sweet Bread Halloween… One of my favorite holidays. You have an excuse to dress up, eat tons of candy, and celebrate the darker, spookier side of life. Being a lifelong fan of “Haunted Mansion” and lover of the weird and spooky, Halloween is my time of year. When I got the recipe for the Jack Skellington Sugar Cookies, I was over the moon. I love, love, love “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”  I love cookies. What a perfect match… It was like Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, like Madame Leota and Tarot Cards, like pumpkins and the headless horseman… It just seemed to belong so perfectly.  Add to that my recent trip to Disney and seeing these cookies absolutely everywhere, I figured this couldn’t be a cooler recipe. And then I made them. Yikes. The recipe I had?  Not good. They were bland, they were dry, they just weren’t that tasty. And the sugar frosting? It was really practically inedible. Even my son, who I think is in some way related to the Cookie Monster, took one bite and wanted no more. I can imagine no bigger sin in my son’s world then to refuse a cookie, and if this one was worth refusing… That says something. Now, to be fair, a lot of the recipes I get are authentic, but they’re done in such huge batches that they have to be scaled down by the chefs that give them to me. After all, I have no real need to do batches of 100 cookies.  Sometimes, when those conversions are made, while technically accurate by proportion, they don’t taste quite right. This recipe was an obvious victim of that phenomenon as, when I made them the second time, I had the very exact same issues: a bland, dry cookie with icing that was gross. Very un-Disney. But at least they looked great. That all being said, it’s not like this recipe is a total loss. The idea behind it still works… Just your favorite, trusted sugar cookie recipe (or buy some premade cookies, or premade cookie dough), ice it with white frosting or icing or chocolate, and using a small tipped bag of black decorator gel, and you have your own, edible, Jack Skellington cookies. But of course, I also made another discovery in this process… That I don’t have the patience to decorate that many cookies.  But that’s a problem for a different day. In addition to the delicious food and recipes, Disney World is also known for its unique dining experiences, such as character dining and themed restaurants. Whether you want to have breakfast with Mickey Mouse, dine in a replica of a sci-fi drive-in theater at Hollywood Studios, or enjoy a meal with an ocean view at the Coral Reef Restaurant in Epcot, there's something for everyone. And with the help of Recipes Today and the How to Make category, you can even recreate some of these magical dining experiences in your own home. So why not start planning your next Disney-inspired meal or dining experience today? Read the full article

[martinshep]

Fuck it here’s a recipe for the burgers I’m currently thinking of that I made a while ago

Ingredients:

Potato buns, regular buns have the exact same flavour but potato buns are more nutritious

Chicken schnitzel patty

Sliced gouda cheese

Roma tomatoes, I personally prefer roma because they’re less juicy, but if you don’t have those you can slice any tomato and add salt to either side of the slices

Spinach and cos lettuce, any greens will do though

Mayo

Garlic butter

Instructions

Butter your buns with the garlic butter (can be made just by mixing one part minced garlic and one part butter, garlic powder can work too but use half the amount) and set them on the grill. If you don’t have a grill you can fry them in a pan. Cook until golden brown.

If your buns are on the grill you can use the pan to fry your schnitzel now. I just buy premade schnitzel patties. Use more oil than you normally would for schnitzel, the crumbing means it’s raised from the surface of the pan and won’t absorb heat as well. When golden brown it’s probably done, but if you really want to be safe you can tear open the middle and see to make sure there’s no pink colour in it.

As soon as the schnitzel is done take it off the heat and place a place of cheese on each patty so it can melt into it, I promise it makes a big difference in the texture.

Assemble your burgers. In this order I usually add the patty with cheese, the tomatoes, then the greens on the bottom bun, then put sauce on the top bun, then close the burger, gently squishing it flat but making sure not to deform the bun.

Chicken schnitzel with gouda is actually so good you all need to try it if you can

[amethystsoda]

Cinnamon Butterscotch Pie

(inspired by the Requiem Cafe Undertale event picture and description, as seen below)

For the crust, buy a premade one (I got the Marie Callender’s deep dish pastry shells) and let thaw for 10 minutes, poke the crust with a fork to prevent air bubbles, then bake at 400 degrees F for 8-10 minutes (until slightly golden but not fully baked).

Let the crust cool while you make the filling.

The filling is inspired by the House of Nash Eats Indiana Sugar Cream Pie recipe (with mods to make it fit the Cinnamon Butterscotch flavor profile).

You will need:

-4 tablespoons salted butter, browned (I used a full stick, then measured out after browning with a tablespoon)

-1 cup light brown sugar (not packed down)

-4 tbsp cornstarch

-3 tbsp butterscotch sauce (you can make your own, but I’m trying to make this as easy as possible for people to follow. I bought the Graeter’s brand Butterscotch dessert sauce)

-1 tsp ground cinnamon

-2 cups heavy cream (aka one pint and the rest of the 2 cups measure filled with half and half or water)

-1 teaspoon (or as much as you eyeball pour) vanilla

Directions:

First, brown your butter on the stove over medium high heat. Keep an eye on it because it can burn very quickly!

Use a light tinted saucepan or a silver one to make the process easier—You’ll know it’s done when it’s a toasty golden brown color like a perfectly roasted marshmallow!

Remove the butter to cool while you finish the filling.

Place the brown sugar, cornstarch, and butterscotch sauce into a saucepan and combine with a whisk (I use a silicone one, as to not damage coated pans).

Add in your heavy cream and cinnamon, then cook over medium heat until the mixture boils, stirring frequently. Continue cooking for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly while the filling thickens.

Remove from heat after and stir in vanilla and browned butter, whisking until the mixture is homogeneous (all the same consistency).

Pour the filling into the pie crust and bake at 325 degrees F for 15 minutes. Check pie, turn if getting too browned on one side, then bake for another 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature before placing in fridge to cool (at least 4 hours, but can be overnight!)

For a lighter texture, serve around 3-4 hours of chilling, and for a denser, fully solid texture, serve after chilling overnight.

Serve cold with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top! Enjoy <3

^^ partially cooled texture vs fully cooled texture

(recipe created by amethystsoda, October 2022)

[somecunttookmyurl]

So a lot of people think cut/fresh flowers are really expensive or decadent, and that it’s not worth buying them when they’re at a reduced price because they’ll die within about a day and it’s still Too Expensive and like I just. I need to let you know that it isn’t true and unless it’s a super special occasion and you’re going to an actual florist for an actual special bouquet you don’t have to, nay shouldn’t, pay full price for flowers ever. I mean I can only really speak for the UK where you can get flowers in the grocery store which is naturally cheaper than a florist, and also where I always get mine, but the techniques apply to “anywhere one can obtain a bunch of flowers” If you take care of your cut flowers - which don’t worry isn’t hard - the slightly sad looking slightly wilty half price ones will STILL last you two weeks. Observe:

Everything in that vase except the dark red flowers and the ivory roses was purchased, half wilted, in the reduced bucket an ENTIRE WEEK ago. The dark reds and ivories? TWO WEEKS  (I don’t normally premade bouquets because they end up in the reduced less often and even when they do they’re still more expensive than getting a few bunches of different types of flowers) TWO. WEEKS. From a wilted half price “we are become death” state. Here’s what it looked like a whole entire week ago when I put the new flowers in:

(the big yellow bastard in the bottom left is also from the previous week) I mean they’ve still “hardly wilted” now and if I was so inclined I could leave it another couple of days, but this is normally the point at which I remove them and put new flowers in the gaps. Also, cut off the heads and keep them for a bath. You’ll feel So Fucking Fancy and it cost you nothing. So how do you revive sad looking cut flowers, cheat the system, and have a permanent display of vibrant colourful BUT ULTIMATELY CHEAP AS SHIT flowers in your home? 1. Remove the leaves. You can remove all of them if you like but the most important thing is removing leaves along the length of the stem which will be in water. If leaves are submerged they will begin to rot and just kill everything. You can keep the ones that poke out above the vase for bulk and Oooh Pretty Green if you want, or not. 2. Trim the stems with SHARP and CLEAN (preferably steralised by dunking in some boiling water) scissors or a SHARP and CLEAN knife. Do so at an angle. Chances are you need to shorten the stems so they fit in your vase properly anyway, but doing this allows for better uptake of water and nutrients. 3. Use a CLEAN container. If there’s a bit of grossness hanging around from previous flowers, scrub that shit out. 4. Give them cool water. I live in an area with very soft water so I don’t have to do anything, but if you don’t then either filtering it or letting it stand for a few hours first will help. 5. Use flower feed! Most bunches, at least over here, come with a wee sachet of flower food. If you DON’T get a sachet of feed you can MAKE YOUR OWN. It’s super easy. You need 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of regular white sugar and half a teaspoon of bleach (yes really) per 1 litre (quart) of water. You won’t need a whole litre, obviously, but you can keep it in the cupboard in a bottle or just scale down the recipe. Put a teaspoon (or two if you have a big pitcher style vase) in your water. Different flower types optimally need different levels of sugar and you can totally look up what that ratio is if you only have one kind (like all roses or something) but 1 tablespoon: 1 litre works well enough. Now that your flowers are back to life, you can keep them looking good for a decent long while 1. Remove dead/wilted heads either as and when you see them or just like once a week (I’m lazy, I just do it once a week) 2. Remove any leaves that are going the same way 3. Once a week, change out the water. Fish out any plant material that may have fallen in, rinse the container, put in new water and feed. 4. When you’re doing the water change, give the stems another small trim. Only 1cm (half an inch) or so, unless the bottom of the stem is going pale and a bit limp looking, in which case lop off as much of that part as you can whilst still being able to fit them in the vase properly. If they end up noticably shorter than the others, just keep those ones to the outside of the arrangement OR put them in the middle and use the other flowers to keep them propped up within the water so they appear the same height. 5. Replace removed dead flowers with ones from your next cut-price bunch. That way you’re a) keeping a perpetual but ever-changing bouquet and b) need to buy less flowers at once than just waiting for everything to die off and replacing the whole thing. Cut flowers make me happy. I’m sure having a nice beautiful bunch of colourful flowers in your room makes you happy too, and you absolutely don’t need to spend a fortune to make that happen.

[greyeyedmonster-18]

greyyyy can i have your tamale recipe? i remember you said you make them on christmas eve with babe and my mil does mexican food on christmas eve and i want to impress them this year. last year i made elotes and now i have to step up my game.

YES. we do (flashback to last year where my child to expedite this process made the thiccest tamal in all the land). also, love elotes, i love this so much.

SO there are a couple different types, but in my home we only do chicken x chile (red pork is more traditional but we are picky here) and pina tamals (sweet pineapple and they are honestly so good and everyone thinks I'm gross because THESE are the ones i eat for breakfast, with some avocado and egg but WHATEVER).

im like a fucking pintrest recipe the way i just told you my life story. but RECIPES below the cut!

chicken x cheese x chile tamals

(do this while corn husks are soaking) -so with the masa/base, you can do it two ways: make it from scratch, OR you can go to your latinx grocery store and they usually have bags of premade masa you can buy and it carves down the prep time SIGNIFICANTLY (also filling the husks is a great activity for kids).

-if you make it by scratch: masa (six ish cups, usually masa has ratio instructions on the back of how much liquid per cups) 1 teaspon baking powder water or chicken stock (follow ratio instructions on masa, depending on what brand you get etc) measure salt with your heart (sometimes i put in garlic powder/a little pepper in here, but we are a garlic fiend and its not necessary) mix mix mix mix mix until like fluffy (the texture/appearance should be a little bit like kinetic sand?). cover with wet towel and put in fridge until you're ready to use it.

-for filling, take cooked chicken x cotija and put into a bowl. use a hand mixture to mix it together (shreds the chicken AND combines it with the cheese. we love this).

-slice serrano (or jalepeno, or you can opt out entirely) into strips.

-GRAB YOUR CORN HUSKS. lay vertically, or hold it vertically (i usually just hold in my hand)

-corn husks have a rough side and a smooth side. put masa filling on the smooth side and spread it out (leave about 2 inches both ways). put one strip of pepper, and a little line of the chicken/cheese mixture.

-fold the together vertically, then fold the bottoms/tops in. some people tie them off in like bows/use toothpicks to hold together. but like, not necessary, unless you want to be fancy.

sweet tamals -i wish i knew measurements, but i just eyeball this? -put butter (like a shit ton. like 3 sticks maybe?) and sugar into a bowl, mix mix mix until fluffy -add in masa, baking powder (teaspoon), a little bit of cinnamon and salt. pineapple juice (either from the bottle or you can use the juice from the pineapple can, this is your liquid for the masa!) -your filling for this is diced pineapple (i think traditionally its supposed to have raisins/pecans in them, but we're allergic! so we don't!). you can use it from the can or. you can dice it yourself -follow the same process as the chicken ones re: laying masa on corn husk, and sealing.

idk if you have an instant pot? but if you do, the cooking part is super super easy and takes less time. put 1.5 cup water into the steam rack of instant pot. put tamals in pot vertically. seal and cook on high for 45. let it seam out for 15 minutes. GOOD TO GO.

if no instant pot, just get the biggest pot you have, put in steamer basket. bring like 1.5-2 cups water to boil and then reduce heat. put tamales in pot with the seam side down, cook for about an hour.

ENJOY!!!!!!

[floralseokjin]

⤑ made-up love song iii.

Your first encounter with Kim Seokjin doesn’t go so well, nor your second, or your third… and maybe that’s because it shouldn’t work on paper. You’re an elementary school teacher, never left the country despite hitting the third decade of your life not so long ago, and you’re unable to remember the last time you dated. He’s the dad of one of your students, nearly a decade older than you and divorced. Oh yes, and just another minor detail – he’s a multimillionaire. 

Your lives are lightyears apart, yet somehow, your paths having now crossed, things just seem to fall into place…

pairing; kim seokjin x reader  au/genre/warnings; strangers to lovers, romance, eventual smut, eventual angst, single dad! seokjin, ceo! seokjin, elementary school teacher! oc, age gap (oc is 30, seokjin is 37), seokjin is a dilf, lots of lasagne talk, flirting, kissing, fluff 🥰 words; 9,340

↪︎ chapter index

chapters; i • ii • iii • iv • v • vi • vii • viii • ix • x • epilogue (+ drabbles)

After you had time to calm down, of course you ended up telling Soojung about what happened on the date. You kept some things to yourself, mainly about how giddy you had felt throughout the whole thing, but you were sure she could see that for herself – she kept looking at you knowingly, and for once she kept the teasing down to a minimum. You ended up staying awake quite late, Soojung opening a bottle of wine. You were still excited from the date and the thought of what was to come next, but somewhere along the line, you and your best friend started getting into your feelings. (Was it really a Saturday night until you and Soojung ended it with slightly drunk sappy heart to hearts and hugs? Obviously not…) 

For the first time in a while you felt comfortable enough to open up about your love life (or lack of one) and felt it easy to talk about the past and to even bring up Donghae. He was a forbidden topic for the most part, no matter how much you were over him, but tonight had changed something. You didn’t know how to explain it, and no, it wasn’t because Seokjin was somehow the man of your dreams who had magically made things better with just one date. That was dumb and only happened in cliché Hallmark movies. 

No, it was because tonight had shown you that life goes on. No matter what rock bottom you hit, or how long it took you to get over it, no hurt was forever. You’d been single for a long time, and happy at that – after you’d gotten over the heartbreak of Donghae cheating on you – but tonight you’d had fun. You’d enjoyed yourself, enjoyed Seokjin’s company. You didn’t know what would come of your second date, or if there would be a third, but you were okay with that. You were just living in the moment, and right now you really liked that infuriating-not-so-infuriating bastard. 

You were taking a chance, just like he was, and it was actually pretty exciting…

.

.

You woke up late the next morning, something you didn’t reprimand yourself for because it was summer break after all, but also, you had a raging wine headache that had needed all the shut eye it could get. Your head was still throbbing slightly as you reached for your phone on the bedside table but seeing a text from Seokjin waiting for you made it miraculously disappear. 

Seokjin (10:28am) Hi Y/N, Thank you for such a great time last night. I can’t wait until Saturday. Would it be alright with you if I kept in touch throughout the week?  Seokjin

You giggled to yourself at his insane formalities. Why was that so adorable? But most importantly how could he be both cute and sexy at the same time? He was hellbent on making you lose your mind. You thought about teasing him, asking him when he’d grown comfortable enough to drop the Regards from yesterday, but despite how well last night had gone, and despite how much you loved joking around with him in person, over the phone seemed different. You were still a little nervous – giddy nervous, but nervous, nevertheless. Your conversation from last night with Soojung came back to you, reminding you that this was all too real. You were potentially catching feelings for this man, and it was new, and exciting, but equal parts terrifying now that you’d woken up with a hangover. 

Everything you typed out in reply seemed way too stiff, so growing frustrated, you settled on an emoji to cut through the formalities. 

You (10:49am) I had such a lovely time too, Seokjin. Of course it’s fine to keep in touch. I’m looking forward to Saturday night! 😊

What did he mean exactly about keeping in touch?, you wondered as you got out of bed, padding your way down the stairs and into the kitchen for a much needed glass of ice cold water. A good morning text? A how are you? You knew he was busy with work all week, so you weren’t expecting too much, but just knowing he wanted to stay in contact until next Saturday made you smile to yourself as you waited for his response. 

You didn’t have to wait long. 

Seokjin (10:55am) Great! I’m so excited to try your World famous Italian lasagne 😁

Cute. He’d followed your lead, ditching the last of the formalities and even signing off with an emoji instead. You instantly felt more at ease, but – 

Oh no. 

Why did he have to bring that up and remind you of your humiliating blunder? You knew what would be taking up all of your time for the few days – you needed to perfect this goddamn dish. 

Soojung on the other hand was unbothered by your predicament. Mind in the gutter as always. “Do you think that’s a euphemism for something else?” She asked straight away once you’d shown her your messages a few hours later. 

“Soojung!” You exclaimed, feeling yourself get a little hot in the face. You wish she’d stop bringing up sex, it was stressing you out. You told her as much. 

“You’re the one who’s invited him to your house for a second date.” 

You stared at her, greatly unimpressed. “You know why I invited him here.” 

You’d told her last night. You’d been hit with a surge of confidence when you’d suggested it was your turn to decide on something. In truth though, you didn’t know the first thing about restaurants, you hardly ever ate out, and when you did it was either fast food or at the food court in the department store Soojung worked at. You knew he wouldn’t have minded any choice you’d made, but that didn’t stop the slight apprehension you felt. 

It was normal, given your difference in lifestyles, and whilst that seemed to be no issue thankfully, that difference was still there. However really, that’s why you’d chosen to cook for him. Seokjin had shown you something close to him last night – the restaurant he owned with his brother, and now you were to show him something close to your heart. Something that was you. You loved cooking and baking in your spare time and you wanted to share that with him however small. Granted it was things you were confident with, but lasagne couldn’t be that hard, right? A true perfectionist, you’d master it quickly enough…

Soojung rolled her eyes. “I’m sure you could suggest McDonald’s and Dilf would be insanely happy.” She nudged you, squealing like a kid. “He’s just so into you!”

You wouldn’t bite. She was making you nervous again. “Stop calling him Dilf, he has a name.”

“Geez, sorry.” She held up her hands in apology. “Didn’t mean to offend your man.” 

You pushed her shoulder, silently telling her to quit it.

For the next few days it became your life’s goal to master the art of lasagne. Sunday night was spent googling recipes, trying to find the most authentic one. There seemed to be a lot of fuss on the right type of pasta. Flat edged would be fine, but the wavy edge was best. You made note of that. Next was the sauce. Two types. The tomato based one and then the white one – which you learned was called Bechamel. That seemed pretty easy to cook up, but the former seemed a little daunting. Every time you’d had pasta sauce in the past it had been premade, starting from scratch was giving you anxiety. Seokjin thought this was your expertise so you had to make it believable. What if you made it too salty? Too bland?

…Possibly you were thinking way too hard about this. Soojung thought the same. 

“Just buy it in a jar, Y/N, for Christ’s sake. You’re taking this way too seriously. You don’t need to learn fluent Italian to make your little white lie believable. It’s a goddamn lasagne.” 

She had a point. 

“He’d be happy with a sandwich. He’s coming over for you, not the shitty lasagne.” 

“Don’t call my non-existent lasagne shitty, you’re setting me up for failure.” You grumbled, looking at the ten tabs you had up on your laptop screen, all claiming to be the best most authentic recipe around.  

On Monday you went shopping for ingredients. You knew a small world foods store that was just outside of town, you’d been there a couple of times when you’d been baking with the children for class. With help from signposted aisles, you found what you were looking for in no time at all, so that night, you and Soojung both tucked into your first (sort of) homemade lasagne. Only the Bechamel sauces was harder to master than you’d first thought. 

“I think you added too much flour.” Soojung’s nose wrinkled as she spoke. “It’s nice, don’t get me wrong, but the white stuff… I don’t know, maybe it’s supposed to taste like that?” 

Nope, she was definitely correct, too much flour, which was odd because you were pretty positive you’d followed the right measurements… 

Tuesday you had a day off from the sight, and even the word lasagne. You met for coffee with your mom but kept the date with Seokjin a secret. Not that she pressed about your love life anymore, she’d long given up on that topic. It was nice to catch up and you made plans for a trip soon. It was hard to find time to visit her when you were in work so you were always thankful for the summer and Christmas breaks. You were her only child, so it made your time together even more precious. She’d only remarried ten years ago, and while Jonathon had kids from his first marriage, they lived abroad. They were older than you and had families of their own. You weren’t particularly close for no other reason than the distance. You’d only met them a few times but they were lovely people. Your father had remarried while you were still in high school, having two more children (a son and daughter) with his wife. You were very close to them despite the age gap and saw them as regularly as you could. Your extended family had long been the norm and you wouldn’t change it for the world. 

Wednesday you were back on the lasagne. You purchased more pasta sauce and decided on the pre-made Bechamel sauce too, just to be safe. This time around everything went smoothly, Soojung had no complaints and neither did you, but you still invited Taehyung around on Thursday for a third go. He was way more enthusiastic than your best friend, singing your praises all night. 

“Y/N, that was amazing!” He exclaimed, leaning back in his chair to pat his belly. “Dilf dick – Uh, I mean, Seokjin, is going to love it.” 

“Guys, is that what you really call him when you’re alone together?” You whined. 

“Blame Soo,” Taehyung shrugged. “She’s rubbed off on me. But, I’m right,” he smirked. “He’s going to want to give you his DD once he tastes this, if you know what I mean.” 

Wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, you looked on unimpressed. Maybe if you gave them no reaction they’d stop? 

“Oooo. I wonder what his dick even looks like. I bet it’s as handsome as his face.” Soojung squealed, sat beside her boyfriend. 

“SOOJUNG!” He cried, mouth open in disbelief. 

“Can we just stop talking about his… y’know…” You sighed, unable to say the word aloud. “Imagine if it was the other way around and he was wondering about what I looked like naked.” Soojung wouldn’t be impressed, that was for sure. 

“Fine, you’re right,” your best friend sighed. “I’m just way too excited because you finally like someone!!” She was getting loud now, she always did when she was excited. “And I want it to work out because you deserve it!” 

You chuckled. “Soo, calm down.” But you had to admit her words were sweet. You reached for her hand across the tiny table, giving it a gentle squeeze of thanks. 

“What about Barman dick?” Taehyung asked randomly, totally oblivious that you and she were having a moment. “Huh? Soo? You want my Barman dick tonight?” He wiggled his eyebrows again, a playfulness to his voice as he nudged her. 

She giggled but wasn’t having any of it. “It doesn’t really have the same ring to it, babe.” 

Highly offended he pulled away, pursing his lips. “Whatever.”

“Okay guys, let’s not have a domestic at the dining table.” You laughed. Which was a mistake because now Taehyung’s attention was back on you. 

“So, Y/N, when are you going to invite Mr. Dilf to my bar?”

You sniggered. “How about never?”

“Hey, you ladies are being very mean tonight. I complimented your lasagne.” Hm. That was true, you guessed. “What’s wrong with my bar? I think he’d love it. What does he drink? I see him as a dark rum type of guy.” 

You shrugged. “He was drinking red wine on our date last week.” It still made you feel funny to say the word date. You’d gone on a date. You were dating. A flurry of excitement found its way to your stomach, your excitement for Saturday growing. 

“Interesting,” Taehyung mused.

Soojung stood up, starting to collect your plates. “Okay, I’m washing, who’s drying?”

“Not me,” you sang. “I’ve cooked nearly every night this week.” 

Soojung eyes were wide when you met them, as if she was silently begging you. For what? “Just please promise me there won’t be any lasagne waiting for me after work tomorrow night? I’m going to turn into one at this rate.” 

Saturday arrived soon enough. You woke up the same time your phone went Bing and you knew exactly who it was. Seokjin had been texting you Good morning every day since Monday. He was no longer signing them off with his name, which was progress, and he was even adding more emojis, so you guessed you had rubbed off on him. 

Sometimes he’d drop a meme with the greeting. They were mostly to do with early mornings and workloads to which you’d tease him about because it was your summer vacation after all, you didn’t need to worry about work. But you always sent a Hope today runs smoothly his way too. You didn’t want to rub it in too much. 

Yesterday’s meme had been about dating, something about the guy trying to flirt but being garbage at it and asking if she liked cheese. You didn’t agree that was like Seokjin though – you were gradually learning that he was incredibly modest – but it had made you laugh. Only Seokjin could send you lame memes and you’d find it adorable… You were possibly whipped. 

Seokjin (8:01am)  Good morning. [Image sent] 

Today the meme was about lasagne, which made you question whether he was googling these every morning because no way had a lasagne meme popped up on his social media – if he used any at all. The realisation that he was searching for memes every day was even more endearing and your heart got a little gooey. You read the text on top of the image of lasagne. Dude, is that your new white shirt? Lemme just hop off this fork for a closer look. You genuinely laughed at that one, still wrapped up in your bed sheets. So incredibly lame, but equal levels funny. 

Seokjin (8:01am)  I will not be wearing white… I can’t wait to see you later. Just a reminder that I hope you omitted the garlic for tonight’s meal. I don’t want to embarrass myself by itching all night 😅😂

Immediately the smile dropped from your face and you shot forward, horror washing over you. Oh no. He was allergic to garlic. With the stress of perfecting the world’s best lasagne you’d totally forgotten. What were you going to do? Find a plain tomato sauce? Where the hell were you going to find one? Was that even a thing? You needed to leave now. Jumping out of bed you almost forgot to message Seokjin back. Looking at your phone again the image of the lasagne mocked you… 

.

.

Two hours later you were back at home, in need of a sit down after you’d rushed around town looking for a pasta sauce that didn’t contain garlic (very hard, by the way.) The stress had aged you about ten years. Soojung of course found it highly hilarious. 

“You’d have been in ER before 9pm,” she chortled, still in her pyjamas on the couch. She’d been still asleep when you’d dashed off, a woman on a lasagne mission. 

You ignored her. It wouldn’t have been that bad, right? He said himself he’d only be itching… Clawing off his own skin was probably better than his throat closing up… maybe… 

“How did you manage to forget?” She was still laughing. “AND you said you’d make a lasagne. Italian food always uses garlic. He must think you’re trying to kill him.” At this point you could hardly understand her, words blurring into one as she lost her shit. 

“We went over this. I wasn’t in my right mind when I said I’d cook lasagne.”

She stopped her laugher immediately.  “No way, you’re not blaming me again.” 

“Ugh.” You sighed, suddenly remembering something. “I was going to make my homemade garlic bread.” Now that was a speciality of yours. This night was going to be a disaster.

“Skip the garlic,” Soojung suggested. 

“So, just bread then.” 

She tried her best not to laugh again, not wanting to make it worse. “Yum.” 

It didn’t help. 

What did help though, was making her clean the entirety of the downstairs of the house. As the day went on you started to get more and more nervous, which was silly, but you couldn’t help it. You realised that your place was a shoe box in comparison to his, what the hell were you thinking when you’d invited him here?! It needed to be spotless, to distract him from the fact you would be eating dinner in the same place you would be cooking it… 

You knew there was no need to worry, it was just like last week when you’d grown self-conscious only to be fine once you’d set eyes on Seokjin. No doubt tonight would be just the same, he didn’t give a crap about stuff like that, so why would you even think he would? He’d probably be hurt if he knew… You just couldn’t help those little bubbles of insecurities from floating around inside your brain. You were a law unto yourself, and the garlic-less lasagne wasn’t helping. You’d had no time to prep for it. What if it tasted like cardboard? 

“Lasagne is lasagne,” Soojung reassured you, in the kitchen as you got all the ingredients together. “It’s not going to taste gross just because there’s no garlic in it. Put it this way, at least you can kiss without needing to pop a mint.” 

You whined, shaking your head, you couldn’t even dare thinking about kissing him right now. You’d spontaneously combust from anxiety. 

“Should we clean your room too?” She asked, picking up the jar of pasta sauce absentmindedly. You’d already read the label approximately fifteen times, double checking it was indeed garlic-less. 

“What? No,” you told her, voice all high-pitched. There would be no going upstairs besides from bathroom usage. “But hey,” you exclaimed, rounding on her with the spoon you were holding in your hand. “My room is always clean, bitch.”

She was the messy one.

.

.

Soojung left for Taehyung’s place at half 6, ready for Seokjin’s arrival at 7pm, a hug for good luck before you waved her off. You’d calmed greatly now, nothing like some table laying to ease some nerves. The lasagne was prepped and ready to oven cook, you had a fresh key lime pie in the fridge and you were dressed and presentable with ten minutes to spare. Wonderful. 

The doorbell rung not long after you’d made your way downstairs and you were quickly finding out that Seokjin was a very punctual man. Opening the door to reveal him stood at the porch your heart instantly warmed, skipping a beat when he gave you a dazzling smile and a soft Hey. You felt a little weak at the knees. Nope, you were not ready for tonight. 

In your tiny entryway he offered you a silver gift bag. “I didn’t know what to bring, so.” He said with a shrug as you pulled out a bottle of red wine. 

“Oh, thank you, Seokjin.” You hadn’t been expecting him to bring anything at all. It was a lovely surprise. 

“You probably have some waiting already. I’m sorry.”

“No, no, it’s fine,” you reassured him. “We’ll use this one.” You were going to use a bottle of white wine you had laying around, nothing special at all. Red wine seemed better, fancier, maybe it would go better with the lasagne?

“Are you sure?” He asked. “I was gonna get you flowers but I didn’t want to freak you out or anything.”

You laughed. What was he going on about? “Why would that freak me out?”

His smile was crooked as he chuckled quietly. “I don’t know. I’m new to this, I thought they would’ve been too forward.” 

You gave a small shrug, voice barely there when you replied. “I like flowers.”

He gazed at you, warm eyes softening as he stepped forward. “Next time.” He smiled. “Next time I’ll get you flowers.” 

You swallowed fairly loudly, averting your gaze as you outstretched your arms. “Let me take you coat.” Was it hot in here? You felt a little stuffy. 

He shrugged off the beige wool blend, revealing the tight fitting black shirt he had on underneath. It stretched over his shoulders, accentuating how broad they were, how hard his chest was and how much his waist curved inwards. The pants he was wearing didn’t help matters too. He looked effortlessly gorgeous, hair parted to the side, a piece curled above his left eye, softening the blow of his exposed forehead. You moved to hook his coat on the rack, realising you could’ve been gawping. Not that you could help it, the man was trying to kill you.

As you turned to face him again, he smiled. “You look really nice.” His voice was soft which just made it even more dangerous. “I think this may be the first time I’ve seen you in pants.” 

“Really?” You wondered. You were partial to a dress in the summer, so he was probably right. You’d chosen a pair of black skinny jeans and a patterned chiffon blouse. Nothing too fancy, but he looked at you with awe-filled eyes. Unless you were imagining it. You cleared your throat. “You look good too.”

He stepped back, arms outstretched as he looked down at himself. “Thanks. No white.” He chuckled. 

You forced yourself to laugh too, nerves creeping back just because of your stupid damn lasagne. “No white.” 

Moving forward again he took your hand. It was warm and soft, just as you remembered from last week. Who cared about the lasagne when you were this close to him? When he was looking down at you with those brown, twinkly eyes? Not you anymore. 

“I’ve been looking forward to this all week, Y/N.” 

Oh.

.

.

You invited him inside the living room first, pouring him a small (and his only because he the car) glass of wine as you chit chatted for a few minutes. Sat next to him was RJ, who you’d taken from your bedroom to join you both for the night. He wanted to say Hi, had been your opening line and Seokjin had found it hilarious, cracking up instantly. Although his “I missed you buddy, how have you been?” went rudely ignored. Maybe the alpaca was nervous… 

Ever the gentleman, he complimented you on the house, noting the décor with a fond eye. That surprised you, maybe he had played a part with the interior of his home. Well, you’d only seen the cosy family room – but it suited him very well. You knew there had been no need to be nervous when it came to inviting him into your home. There wasn’t a judging bone in Seokjin’s body. 

You talked about your weeks, yours had been fine, but of course you left out all the stress over the lasagne. Seokjin’s week on the other hand had been quite demanding, but that was nothing new he told you with an accepting shake of his hand. He was used to it by now, but he had to admit tonight’s date had made it easier this time around. He was full of the charm, not that you were complaining…

Misook was babysitting Arin tonight, he told you when you asked how she was. It was his weekend this week, he and Nana took it in turns – when she didn’t cancel, he added as an afterthought – but he seemed a lot more relaxed talking about his ex-wife this time around seeing as last weekend she hadn’t broken any promises. He was happy if his daughter was happy, and that made you smile. You remembered Arin’s sorrowful face that day her mom had cancelled on her, so you were glad they’d found time to spend time together. You also remembered how irritated Seokjin had sounded when he was opening up to you on the bench at the school fate… You wondered just how often Nana cancelled plans, and couldn’t imagine how frustrating that was for both Arin and Seokjin… You hoped this marked the start of things being easier for them now. 

Soon after that, you served him your starter (“garlic – wait, no I mean, no-garlic bread.”), and you chatted some more over that and while the lasagne baked. It was surprising how little you’d touched the sides on your first date, so tonight you covered even more bases. Family mainly. You told him about your half and step siblings, your parents’ remarriages of course coming up too. He seemed interested in that, wondering about your views on it and if it had affected you as you grew up. As a divorcee you understood the relevance to him and because he was so easy to talk to you found yourself opening up freely. 

His parents were still married and Seokjin was the youngest out of their two sons, so it was quite unheard of for the second born to take over a family company. In fact, it was the first of its kind for his, which made it even harder for him. His older brother had been the rightful heir to LG Electronics but his passion had always been in culinary arts. His parents had been kind enough to let him follow his dreams, and thankfully, for Seokjin, that meant he could follow in his father’s footsteps. He’d been eager to prove himself but it had been hard in the beginning. His status as the youngest son meant that a lot of people set him up for failure, but with his family’s love and belief he’d managed to succeed and confirm himself as the rightful CEO. You didn’t doubt it. It seemed he’d worked hard to get where he was now. That was admirable. 

The influx of information was so interesting to you and it didn’t feel real. While you could imagine Seokjin taking charge, visualising him in that tailored houndstooth suit he’d worn when you’d first met him, it was strange to think the smiley and soft-spoken man sat in front of you was from a long line of power and wealth. He should be untouchable, yet here you were able to reach for his hand across the table. Able to feel his forefinger stroking delicate patterns into your palm as you opened up and got to know one another more and more… 

“So, if your family’s a big deal, what about things like arranged marriages? Are they still a thing?” You asked, maybe confusing fiction for fact. 

Seokjin laughed at your wording. “They used to be, not so much anymore. I met my ex-wife through a friend. They concentrate less on things like that these days.” He shrugged, adding as an afterthought, “As a divorced CEO I think I’m a great example of that.” 

That was true, you thought to yourself, wondering how the breakdown of his marriage had also played a part in the stress of his early years as CEO. 

“I know it all sounds pretty crazy, but I like to think my family is just like anyone else’s.” He continued, smiling bashfully when you met his gaze. “That I’m just like anyone else.” 

You wondered how many people had immediately judged him because of his status… You’d been one of them, right? Even if you hadn’t known any of the details, you’d written him off as some obnoxious, rich guy who flaunted his wealth… You felt guilty thinking back. He was the complete opposite.

You nodded in agreement before grinning. “I’d have liked to see what college Seokjin was like.” 

“A complete nerd, to tell you the truth.” 

He answered so seriously, you didn’t know how to react, and then he was laughing loudly, cracking up at himself. You couldn’t help but join in. That’s when your stove alarm went off, shrill and incessant, signalling the arrival of the dreaded lasagne…

It turned out he loved it though. 

“This is amazing,” Seokjin praised, mouth still half full as he chewed. You did have to admit it was good. It tasted just like the original, despite the lack of garlic. Seokjin quirked an eyebrow, smirking your way. “So, how lucky am I to be able to try this World famous Italian lasagne?” 

“Very lucky.” You kept your answer short. Hoping he’d just drop it. 

He didn’t. 

“How lucky?” He tried to pry from you. “How many people have tried it?” 

You gave him a small smile, hovering your fork over the plate. Technically he was the third, but you couldn’t tell him that, could you? “I can’t disclose that.” 

He emitted a short laugh. “What about the recipe? Care to share?” 

You brushed him off with a soft chuckle. “A chef never tells her secrets.”

“Not even me?” His bottom lip jutted out as he looked across at you. 

Your heart did a little dance. He was being unfair. “Don’t pout like that, it’s making me feel guilty.” 

Thankfully the lasagne topic fizzled out after a couple more minutes, your cold sweat having time to dissipate while you chatted and ate together comfortably. However a few minutes later you noticed Seokjin fidgeting slightly in his seat. You politely ignored it to begin with, unsure if you were just imagining it, but then he started itching the back of his neck. You put your fork down, a sick feeling washing over you. “Is anything wrong?” You asked, now watching him itch up his forearm. “Seokjin?”

He looked at you in mild confusion, eyebrows creasing together as he opened his mouth. “Are you sure there wasn’t any garlic in this?” 

You swallowed away the panic racing up your throat. “I’m sure.” You’d read the back of that jar and then read it some more. “I’m positive.” 

… Weren’t you? You watched him scoot his chair back, leaning down to start scratching the back of his calves. He made noises of discomfort as he did so. 

“Oh, no…” You were up before you could stop yourself, racing around him to start hunting in the recycling for the glass jar. 

“Wait, where are you going?” 

You could hear Seokjin’s voice behind you, sounding alarmed, but you were too panicked to really take it in. You needed to be sure. This was just your second date, you couldn’t ruin things already. Turning him into one giant itchy red blob had not been your intention.  

“I was only teasing you.” Still, his words didn’t sink in. That was until you felt a hand on your elbow, tugging gently for your attention. 

You spun around, worried eyes wide – even wider when you found him so close. He was on his feet too, bent a little to level with you, pretty much within kissing distance. His voice was soft when he spoke, you found yourself distracted by his mouth. “Y/N, I was just messing around.”

You blinked, not truly understanding with all those annoying distractions zooming around your mind, but slowly you pieced his words together. Oh. Despite the relief you felt, now you just felt silly. Plus, he was still so close to you… 

You took a step back, the small of your back pressing up against the counter. You needed a clear head. “Don’t freak me out like that.” You told him, but you still sighed in relief, hand against your chest. “I thought I’d poisoned you.” 

He looked a little concerned, but you could tell by his eyes he found your reaction amusing. “I’m sorry,” he apologised. “I just wanted to make you laugh.”

“Make me laugh? You nearly gave me heart failure.” However, you gave him what he wanted, a laugh that sounded weak and shaky, but it was something – you did see the funny side. 

He joined you, shoulders relaxing now that he knew you were okay. He looked behind you, eyes on the trashcan, a bemused smile on his face. “What were you looking for anyway?”

“The jar.” You answered, as if it wasn’t obvious. You turned, deciding to fish it out anyway. Holding it up to him, you were adamant. “See, no garlic. Check.” 

He chuckled. “I already said I was joking.” He took one look at your desperate expression and gave in, taking the jar from your hand. “But if it makes you feel better…” You watched him as he read the label, silently soaking in his handsome features. He looked softer tonight, the curve of his jaw rounding as he smiled. It took you a moment to realise he was done. He handed the jar back to you, and you prayed to God he hadn’t caught you staring at him all gooey-eyed. “It’s fine.” He confirmed. “I’ll be itch free tonight.” 

You smiled and plopped the glass back inside the can. “I looked around town for hour trying to find lasagne sauce sans garlic.” 

He looked guilty. “I’m sorry for being awkward.” Then he paused, eyes narrowing, the hint of a smirk itching at the corners of his mouth. “But… Y/N, are you a fraud?” Huh? What did he mean? You didn’t need to wait long for an explanation. “I thought a certified chef would cook up a batch of her own tomato sauce.”

Oh. You’d gone and put your foot in it, hadn’t you? It was probably time to explain yourself… “I have a confession,” you began, sounding wary. Seokjin looked interested albeit it mildly confused. “I… may have told a little white lie.”

He shook his head, a puff of laughter leaving him. “You’ve lost me.” 

You took a deep breath, knowing you were going to have to spell it out for him. “I’ve never made lasagne before. Ever. In my entire life.” 

He looked confused as silence spread out between you. He sounded it too when he spoke again. “Then why did you say it was your speciality?”

You groaned, dropping your face into your hands for one dramatic moment. “I panicked.” Peeking at him, you babbled on. “I know it sounds stupid but Soojung was curtain twitching and it was stressing me out and then you were asking me what I cooked and lasagne just popped into my head!”

Seokjin blinked, his mouth twitched and then he was laughing – loudly. 

“You find it funny?” You asked, relaxing a tad. 

“Very.” He laughed harder but seeing the look of bafflement on your face he tried is best to still it. 

“I’ve been practicing it like crazy,” you whined, happy you could finally tell him all about your lasagne struggles. “This is my fourth time eating it this week. Soojung nearly killed me.” You snorted at the memory. This started up Seokjin again. “And then I forgot you were allergic to garlic. Your text reminded me this morning and I had to rush out to the grocery store.” 

He was weak at the knees at that, and you were laughing just because he was. It was contagious. “Stop,” you wailed, attempting to get a hold of yourself. This week had actually been quite traumatic. “I’m glad you find it funny, I’ve been in constant stress ever since you drove off last week.” 

“I can’t help it.” He chuckled, although he did sound apologetic. “You’re just so adorable.” The air that settled around his effortless admission made your skin prickle. When he carried on, his tone was gentle. “You know I wouldn’t have minded if you changed the menu to something else, right?” 

You pouted ever so slightly. “But you were looking forward to it.” 

He gave a small shrug. “True, but… that was more so code for ‘I’m looking forward to seeing you again.’ The food was just a bonus. I’d be happy with a Big Mac.” 

You felt your cheeks burn and you tried to shake yourself out of it. “So embarrassing,” you murmured. You didn’t know what for… The lasagne mess or the fact he could have this much of an effect of you? You were inclined to go with the latter. 

“What about the no-garlic bread?” Seokjin asked, changing the subject a little. Maybe he’d sensed your embarrassment and didn’t want to make it worse. He was sweet. “Did you make that?”

“Yeah,” you nodded. “Well, I didn’t bake the bread. I just toasted it.” It was still a speciality of yours though. “It would’ve been much tastier with the garlic.” 

He gave you an apologetic smile. “Sorry about that. This body wants to turn me into a miserable old man.” 

Pfft. Old? Miserable? He was anything but. 

“Sit,” he prompted you, smiling as he motioned with his head to the table. “Finish your World famous Italian lasagne before it grows cold.” 

As you moved he delicately cupped his hand around the curve your waist, giving it a soft squeeze before he got to his chair first. Your stomach flipped, head dizzy as you sat and tucked your chair in. Last Saturday popped into your head, the way you’d loosely held hands outside and how you were sure he’d been leaning in to kiss you – properly. 

You knew one thing. You really wanted to kiss him tonight. 

Trying to get a hold of yourself, you glanced at him, catching his eyes. He was already tucking in again, and he grinned bashfully, as if embarrassed. “This really is great. All that practice paid off.” A pause. “You should show me how you cooked it sometime.” 

Your face lit up in surprise. “You cook?” In the back of your mind you were aware that he’d probably been hinting for a third date, but you were so shocked by the possibly of Seokjin cooking you couldn’t stop yourself from asking. 

He chuckled quietly. “I mean, when I have time and can be bothered. I like cooking but it’s just easier to go to a restaurant or get it delivered.” He looked sheepish before adding, “Or Misook does it for me.” 

There was no shame when it came to that. Seokjin probably worked all hours of the day, no one could expect him to tie on an apron when he got home and start pulling out pots and pans. 

“Do you cook a lot?” He asked. 

You nodded. “Soojung and I take it in turns.” 

“So what is your speciality?” He smiled. 

This time around you were in your right mind and able to answer properly. “Veggie tacos.” 

He raised his eyebrows, impressed. Then he tried again. “Can you make them for me sometime?”

He was persistent, you’d give him that. You shrugged, trying your best to sound impassive but the little smirk gave it away. “Maybe if you say please…” 

He laughed, leaning forward, a hand clasping yours as he tilted his head. The piece of curled hair falling into his left eye. “Please?”

Your heart did another little dance inside your chest. 

.

. 

After dessert you both made your way back to the living room, settling on your couch with two pomegranate mocktails Taehyung had prepared for you yesterday. All you had to do was add the pomegranate juice and lemonade to the ice cubes and crushed lime segments and mint before serving, easy-peasy. Seokjin was highly impressed, but of course you couldn’t take the credit. It was all down to your best friend’s very helpful barman boyfriend. 

You were glad Seokjin wanted to stay as you didn’t want the night to be over yet. It had flown by so fast and you’d had so much fun. You already felt like you knew him better, even after only two dates. It was strange to you, how you could feel so relaxed in a stranger’s company, but then again, you guessed he wasn’t a stranger anymore… Plus, he was so easy to talk to, so interesting to get to know…. Everything between you two came easy. 

Like opening up to him, being a bit more vulnerable… 

“I’ve been slightly nervous all week,” you admitted, clutching your drink to you before chuckling softly. “– and not just about the lasagne faux pas…” 

“There was no need to be nervous. I thought we left all that behind on the first date,” Seokjin reassured, smiling warmly your way. 

You were sat together, turned to face one another. It was intimate and cosy. He had one leg lifted, the ankle resting on the knee of the other leg, and where his pants had ridden up, you could see an inch or so of his calf before it met the black cotton of his sock. For some reason, you found that very, very sexy. Maybe you had been single for far too long. 

“We did,” you agreed, hesitating slightly. “It’s just… I haven’t done anything like this in so long.” 

You didn’t even think you’d ever invited someone around for dinner before. You were still quite young when you found yourself in a relationship with Donghae so your dates before him had been very basic. Your dates with him hadn’t really classed as such just because you became official fairly quickly, and your dates after him, well, it was already known that they had been few and far between. 

“You already know we’re in the same boat,” he smiled before chuckling bashfully. “No, but really, when I asked you for dinner that day at the fate I was expecting you to turn me down.” 

“How come?”

He looked down at his drink, lifting a shoulder. “I thought you’d think that I was crossing a line… or maybe the spark I was feeling was all in my head and in reality you just found me really annoying.” 

That was cute. He’d been doubting himself. Human after all. Not that you’d ever thought he wasn’t. You still didn’t miss the opportunity to joke around though. “I mean, both can exist simultaneously.” He taking a sip of his mocktail when you replied so he ended up snorting into his glass, amused by your wit. 

A moment or so passed and Seokjin gazed at you, smiling softly. If he kept this up, you’d be a puddle on your parquet flooring. “So, tell me,” he hummed. “How did I luck out so good?” You raised an eyebrow, wondering what he meant. “How come an amazing person like you isn’t married or in a relationship?”

He must’ve seen the slight shock on your face and panicked instantly. “Is that a weird thing to ask? I feel like it is. I apologise.”

“No,” you insisted, sitting up a little straighter. He followed. “No, it’s not.” You wanted to open up to him. You really did. You just didn’t know where to start. Although, it was pretty simple. “I’ve been single for a while.” 

“How long?” Seokjin was instantly focused, attentive, noticing the change in your body language. 

“Three years. My last relationship didn’t end very well.” You paused, wondering if you should continue. But then… It had been a massive part of your life. No matter how much time had passed and no matter how okay you were now, it had still happened. And Seokjin, he had trusted you enough to open up about his divorce – even before you’d gone on your first date. You wanted to talk about it. You really did. 

“I found out my fiancé was cheating on me.”  

Seokjin’s eyes widened, unable to cloak his surprise. He hadn’t been expecting that. “I’m sorry to hear that,” he said sincerely. 

“It’s fine,” you smiled. “It was rough getting over it. Took me a while, but it is what it is. It’s in the past now.” 

“Did it put you off dating?” 

You were pleasantly surprised to find it was actually easy to talk to Seokjin about this. Your mouth was opening before you had to think about it. “I mean, at first. I was still very much in love with him, even after he broke my heart. But I got over him and I started dating again – briefly – It just didn’t feel right.” You stopped to smile. “It’s been over a year and I can’t say I missed it… but you…” Nerves growing, you pushed them away. “You’ve changed that. I’m having fun.” 

Seokjin’s face lit up and he chuckled. “I did hit second date status after all.” 

“You did…” 

“So,” he leaned closer, a small smirk on his face. “You could say, hitting your car that day wasn’t actually my fault because it was supposed to happen.” 

You snorted as you laughed, head falling against the back of the couch. “I wouldn’t go that far.” 

He made a sound. “But we wouldn’t have met otherwise.” 

“We would!” You exclaimed. “The parent-teacher meeting.” 

He blinked, feeling dumb. “Oh, yeah.” 

It wouldn’t have had the same effect, granted, but you would have become acquainted with one another regardless. “Would you have still liked me?” You asked without thinking, surprising yourself. 

“Yes,” he replied immediately. “I was instantly attracted to you after all, it’s just…” Instantly attracted? Definitely a charmer... “There would’ve been no way for me to get to know you like I did.”

You narrowed your eyes. “You’re really adamant that you had to reverse into my car to make this work, huh.”

He shrugged casually. “It was the only way.” 

You laughed quietly, finishing the last of your drink. Time was getting on, it was pretty late, Seokjin had already finished his, you watched him sit up to lean forward and place the glass on your coffee table. His shirt tightened across his shoulder blades and you could see his back muscles as he stretched. Oh.  

Settling back into the same position, he looked over at you and grinned. His teeth were perfect. Did this man have zero flaws? Why were you so whipped? It was embarrassing. 

“I had fun tonight,” you told him, trying to keep a lid on whatever was going on with you right now. 

He seemed pleased with that, nodding his head. “I’m happy to hear that you think I’m a fun person.” 

You scoffed, body falling closer to his. Your shoulders brushed together. Seokjin didn’t take his eyes off you. “Hm. I don’t think I said that.” 

“Hey, don’t be so mean.” He murmured, one side of his mouth quirking up. 

Like you couldn’t stop yourself, your hand reached for the collar of shirt. He had the top two buttons loose and your pinkie finger brushed against his collarbone. Sparks flew, but you tried to ignore them. “I thought you liked it when I was mean.” You teased, voice low. 

Seokjin hummed, his eyes still twinkled like they always did but there was something else to them, a depth that made you feel funny. He sunk closer to you. So close you could study the thick curve of his eyelashes, notice that both his eyelids were different. He really did have beautiful eyes. You could stare at them forever. 

Preoccupied, you slowly realised that he was watching you too, studying your features in the golden glow of the floor lamp that hovered over the couch. His lips parted, you heard them rather than saw it, but then your attention was on them again. Just like it had been earlier on in the night. He was staring at yours too as he spoke. “I wanted to kiss you last week.” 

You heartbeat quickened but you tried to keep cool. “You did kiss me.” You laughed. 

He sighed. “On the cheek.”  

You lightly tugged his collar, fingertips now brushing the skin of his chest. “Isn’t that what you said you wanted to do?”

You could feel his own heartbeat against your forearm that was pressed into him. It was definitely running a little faster than it was supposed to – stronger. “Yes, but…” He glanced up to your eyes. “I was just being polite. I wanted to kiss your lips.”

It felt like you were holding your breath. Maybe you were, you just couldn’t think straight. Time seemed to stretch out, but you knew what you wanted. So you went after it. Giving him a small smile, you replied. “Maybe I wanted that too.” 

He swallowed, voice so low now it was barely a murmur. “Is that an invitation?” His eyes bounced to your lips again, then back to your eyes as he asked permission. “Can I kiss you?”

You ever so slightly dragged your bottom lip beneath your teeth as you nodded, breath catching in your throat as Seokjin leaned forward and closed the distance between you. The hand in between your bodies moved to delicately hold the wrist of your arm against his chest, holding you there as his other hand reached for your jaw, angling your face to press a kiss to your mouth. His eyes were already closed so you followed. 

He hummed at the contact, his lips soft and warm and you let yourself sink. His actions were light at first, faint as he kept constant pressure, as if he was familiarising himself with the sensation. You couldn’t even let yourself think about how this was the first kiss you’d shared with someone for a very long time. All that was going through your mind was how good it felt to be touched like this by him. 

He readjusted the hand on your face, tucking some hair behind your ear to cup your cheek. You liked that. You liked it when he touched you, and he eased from your mouth completely before coming back with a firmer pressure. It was your turn to make a sound; a tiny gasp as your lips began to move together ever so slowly. He liked that, a hum of satisfaction vibrating against the soft skin of your lips. You clutched at his shirt, gathering the crisp cotton in your fist, that would surely turn it creased, but he didn’t seem to mind. He was too preoccupied with reaching for the glass you’d forgotten was hugged to your body by your free hand. 

He unclasped it from your fingers and had no choice but to break away from your mouth to put it next to his on the coffee table. You whined, attempting to tug him back to you, and he chuckled, taking a hold of one of your hands. “I’ll be back,” he whispered, leaning forward to place the cocktail glass down. 

And he was. 

This time he used both of his hands to grasp your face and dive back in. He was more confident this time, moving in such a way his lips pried yours open. You reached for his shoulders, grasping them to hold him closer and this time you both made noises – sweet, quiet ones that worked beautiful together as your lips moulded with gradual urgency. 

When your hands found the nape of his neck, fingers through his hair, he had to drag the tip of his tongue across your bottom lip, seeking entry. You met it with yours, tasting hints of pomegranate and lime with each wash of tongue. A hand of his slipped down to your side, stroking up and down the curve as if he couldn’t help but to touch you. He settled at your hip after a moment, the other splayed against the side of your neck, his thumb rolling small circles under your cheekbone. 

This was getting addictive. You could tell by the way you moaned softly against each warm, wet curl of his tongue. This was everything you’d imagined and more – because you had imagined it. Late and secretly at night when you were trying to drift off to sleep and thoughts of lasagne were banished… You were glad your first kiss was here, inside, on your couch, because this wasn’t something for the open, your knees wouldn’t have been able to hold you up. 

You could have kissed him forever, you mean, you definitely didn’t want it to stop but you pretty much had to. Breathing was a necessity, right? If you couldn’t breathe you wouldn’t be able to ever kiss Seokjin again and that would be absolutely awful… 

You did it the right way though – gradually. Seokjin slowed it right down, only hints of his tongue left as he hummed indulgently, like he was savouring your taste before he had to inevitably pull away. It made your insides jump around like crazy, hearing him enjoying himself, and you tried your best to come to when he started easing the pressure of his lips, pressing small, chaste kisses to them instead as you ultimately (but slowly) broke apart. 

You opened your eyes, blinking up at him, hands falling from his hair, aware you had become one with your cushions. You struggled to free yourself as he sat back and you watched him smile fondly at you. His breath was shaky – so was yours, and you were sure his hands trembled slightly as one reached up to scratch the back of his neck. His neck that was blotched with red, flushed, travelling to his cheeks. They were rosier than you’d ever seen them before. Your gut stirred. 

“I’ve been dreaming of that,” he told you, before making a face at himself. “Too cringey?” 

You giggled – it sounded foreign. “Just a bit.” But didn’t deter the fact you loved it. 

You warmed when you felt him squeeze your hip, realising his hand was still there and you reached for it, tangling your fingers with his. He pulled them to his mouth, kissing your knuckles softly. His expression was thoughtful when he lowered your hands. “In all seriousness, thank you for giving me a chance, after well, you know, everything.”

You smiled, touched by his earnestness, but it was hard to keep a sane mind when his lips were as kiss bitten as they were – deep pink and glistening. You wanted to kiss his face off. 

“It’s no problem,” you quipped, as if you were doing him a favour. 

He chuckled tenderly, and luckily for you he was unable to stop himself from kissing you again. He reached forward, hooking a finger under your chin to press his mouth to yours softly. “I’d really love if we could keep on doing… this.” He murmured. 

“The dating or the kissing,” you grinned, stealing another kiss in the process. 

“Hm,” he contemplated. “Both preferably.” 

And then you were on one another again, eager once more. 

Although, you did manage to pull away briefly to tell him something, his mouth moving to the side of your face to kiss there instead as your hands dragged down his back. You were somehow able to get the words out – ones that made him laugh against your wet jaw. 

“I’m so glad you hit my car.” 

Written 2020 - 2021.  Please refrain from posting my work elsewhere. No translations allowed. © floralseokjin 2021