You'd always been lean and tall, which was fine when you were a little kid. As you aged and hit puberty, though, and you didn't develop... anything... anywhere... you started to feel self-conscious about your body. Seeing your ribs and spine sticking out against your skin was alarming, and you got called into the counselor's office more than once in school with concerns that you were suffering from some sort of eating disorder. Anyone who knew you knew you had no such problems: you easily consumed twice as many calories than average for your size and still gained nothing.
You identified as genderfluid, so the androgyny was nice, but a little bit of squish wouldn't have gone amiss, either. You were already in your early twenties and you were still shopping in the teen section. Adult clothes had to be altered to fit properly, and you just couldn't be bothered to do it.
You'd never once considered yourself attractive, and even wondered if there was something wrong with you. Dozens of doctors had examined you over the years, and the only thing they'd ever diagnosed you with was hypoglycemia. Apparently, you just had an extremely active metabolism, but there was no underlying cause. It's how your body was built. Frustratingly.
The thing you hated more than anything was when people told you that you shouldn't be complaining, that plenty of people would love to have that sort of problem, and that it wasn't a big deal. It was all you could do to not snap their heads off whenever they dismissed your concerns.
After years of just trying to gain weight, you started to wonder, what about building muscle? Could you do that? You could try, but you didn't know how. The internet had a ton of information, but a lot of it was conflicting and you didn't know which way would work best for you.
"Why don't you hire a personal trainer?" Your friend, Keisha, asked one day at lunch. You had been talking to her about your desire to bulk up.
"Personal trainer?" You echoed, eating your normal mountain of food. "You mean go to a gym? No thanks."
"No, no, there are some that come to your house," She said. "That's how I lost the baby weight for my wedding. I can refer you to someone, if you'd like. I think I still have a card for the studio I used."
You hummed uncertainly. "I don't know if I'm any more comfortable with that, either."
"I could come to your first session, if you like, for security purposes," Keisha said, rummaging through her purse. "Ah, here." She handed you a business card. "I actually had two. Keith was the first one, but he changed jobs halfway through my training, so he referred me to Lantern."
"That's a strange name," You said, looking the card over.
"I said the same thing when I met him," She said. "He's a tabaxi. They have really specific naming customs. His full name is Light of the Lantern, he's the muscle building specialist and a certified nutritionist. Super pretty, lovely eyes. You'd probably like him a lot. I don't know if he's single, though."
You snorted. "Are you trying to hook me up with your personal trainer?"
"Maybe," She said, scrunching her nose at you playfully. "Give it a shot. You might like it; the worst that can happen is you don't decide to continue. Hell, I'll even pay for the first session. Think of it as an early birthday present."
You sighed. "Alright, fine. I guess one session couldn't hurt."
"That's the spirit," She said. "Let me know your schedule and I'll set an appointment."
"Yeah, yeah. Are you going to eat your bacon?"
A week later, you were waiting anxiously with Keisha in your apartment, wearing some simple work-out clothes that weren't too constricting.
"Are you sure I don't need anything? Should I have bought weights?" You asked her.
"No, and will you stop pacing? It's making me antsy," Keisha said, glaring at you. "This is just an assessment. He'll give you some advice and maybe a diet plan, and you can decide to continue after it's over. Completely casual and low-stress. Stop being so jittery."
"I can't help it," You said. "I'm a jittery person."
Keisha opened her mouth to retort, but a knock at the door interrupted her.
"Oh, he's early," She said, going to open the door.
You wiped your sweaty hands on your sweatpants and hoped you weren't noticeably flushed. You'd looked Lantern up online prior to this meeting, and Keisha had been right: he was gorgeous. His fur was shiny white with grey-black rings, the interior of which had silvery spots. He was fuzzy enough to almost hide the fact that he was seven feet of solid muscle. He had large blue eyes ringed in green and gold, a cute, quizzical face hiding sharp teeth behind his lips, and a prim pink nose. He was totally your type and you were so nervous about meeting him, worried you'd embarrass yourself to death.
He came into the room, smiling and chatting casually with Keisha, and you were struck by how graceful he was. His movements were so fluid and smooth that it was almost as if liquid was shifting around beneath his skin.
"Ah, is this my new student?" He asked, smiling. His voice was husky with a little bit of gravelly roughness, and it made your spine melt.
"Hi," You said, reaching out a hand to shake and telling him your name. He repeated it as if committing it to memory.
"Nice to meet you," He replied. "Keisha was telling me you have issues with your weight and muscle tone, is that right?" He had a strange accent: it sounded like a typical south-western accent, except he rolled his R's slightly and seemed to pronounce "TH" sounds as D's.
"Yeah," You said, twisting your fingers together. "I've always been kind of a bean pole. I'm not hoping for a miracle, but some kind of tone would be nice."
"It's not a problem," He said with a smile. "Let's start with your diet. What does a normal day look like for you?"
You laid out your normal food consumption routine, when you ate and the most common foods you preferred, and he listened without interrupting.
"So, I would recommend increasing the amount of protein you consume a day," He said when you'd finished speaking. "So fish, eggs, nuts and nut butters, legumes, poultry, white meats, stuff like that, things that have a lot of nutrients and are also calorie dense. Red meat is okay in moderation, but it has the potential to raise your cholesterol levels, so it's a sometimes food. Decrease starchy foods and fruit, but don't cut them out completely, because the natural sugars in starch and fruit are the preferred source of fuel, especially if you're very active. Carbs are necessary for a healthy body, regardless of what you read in health and beauty magazines."
"Okay."
"I'd also recommend four to six medium-size meals a day rather than three large meals, not including snacks. Snack whenever you want, as long as the snacks are high in protein, and you can have as much leafy greens as you can stomach, since they have very few calories but a ton of nutrients. Ordinarily, we'd recommend quality over quantity, but since your metabolism is working so quickly to the point of causing hypoglycemia, quantity is also important. Don't worry about overeating at the moment, because your body is going to need those extra calories when we're getting started. Just don't eat to the point of making yourself sick."
"Got it," You said, listening intently.
"What about exercise? Do you have a regular routine?" He asked.
"I jog in the morning and in the evening, and I have small weights that I use a couple of times a week."
"How attached are you to jogging?"
"Not very, I mostly do it because it's convenient."
"If that's the case, I would suggest cutting out any type of cardio and focusing solely on weight training. Doing cardio is going to burn the calories you need to build muscle, so it's actually detrimental to your desired progress."
"Okay," You said, nodding as he spoke.
"Do you have a gym membership?"
"No, I don't feel comfortable working out in front of people I don't know."
"He nodded. "Understandable, a lot of folks feel like that. If that's the case, though I'd recommend getting some stretch bands if you don't plan on utilizing a gym. The bands can give you some good resistance to start with, and then you can build up to heavier weight levels as you progress. Don't go too hard too fast, hoping to see quick progress. That's an easy way to irreparably destroy your body."
You nodded, noting everything he was saying mentally. He was telling you a lot of what you'd already read, though it felt different hearing it from a professional.
"So, we're going to start with some basic warm-ups," He said. "You'll want to focus on working as many muscle groups as possible during each exercise."
He had you and Keisha lie down and do some twisting sit ups, a twenty count and a rest, and then another, and another. After one hundred sit ups, you drank some water, and he had you do leg lifts with the same pattern. It was enough that you felt the muscles burning, but not so much that you felt exhausted or in pain. Then he had you do some squats, and then some push-ups.
At the end of the session, he gave you a lemon pound cake protein bar that actually tastes pretty good and said, "Good work. I'm pleased with how consistent your energy levels are; you're not depleting too quickly, which is great. Be sure to do these exercises for at least thirty minutes every day and prioritize muscle building over general exercise or cardio."
You smiled brightly, pleased that he thought you'd done well. You really enjoyed working with him. He was patient and funny and made working out fun. You didn't think you'd enjoy working out alone as much.
"So, what about future sessions?" You asked. "I usually have Tuesdays and Wednesdays off."
Keisha, who was behind Lantern and out of his field of vision, winked at you and grinned. You had to stop yourself from glaring at her.
"Wednesday would be good for me, I have a few open slots on that day," He said, checking the calendar on his phone. "What about ten a.m.? It's a good time between meals; you won't be too full or too hungry."
"Sounds good to me," You said, smiling. You felt strangely giddy and hoped you didn't look crazy to him. "Thanks so much for your help."
"Not a problem. It's my job, after all," He said, smiling widely, flashing his sharp, white teeth at you. Your heart slammed against your ribcage and you felt your face flush. That smile was criminal. What would those teeth feel like on your neck...?
Hoo... You needed to get a handle on yourself before you jumped the man. That would probably be bad for your professional relationship.
He wrote down his email, bending over your table and his tail swishing behind him. You tried not to follow his butt with your eyes, but that was a losing battle. You didn't know how much longer you could watch him bent over like that, or how long you could go watching Keisha's smug smirk before wanting to smack it off her.
He handed you his business card with the email written on it. "I'll email you an exercise plan and a diet plan, and you can revise it to suit your needs."
"Thanks, that's great," You said.
"Well, I should get going. It was very nice to meet you, and good to see you again, Keisha," He said, smiling at your friend. "Take care, you two."
"Yeah, you too," You halfway stuttered as he left. As the door snapped shut, you hid your face in your hands. "Oh, god, I hope he doesn't think I'm an idiot. I couldn't stop grinning at him like a crazy person."
"I'm sure he doesn't think that. He must be used to his clients drooling over him."
"That's not encouraging, Keisha," You said sardonically, sighing. "If that's the case, I've got no chance."
"Don't say that," She said. "Maybe you're his type."
"I'm not anyone's type."
"Don't be so hard on yourself." Keisha put her arms around your thin, bony shoulders. "There's nothing wrong with you. You're a very attractive person. I know you don't believe me, and you think I'm lying to you to spare your feelings, but it's the truth. I think you're very good-looking."
You gave her a strained smile and averted your gaze. She was right: you did think she was lying to make you feel better, and while you appreciated the thought, you wished she wouldn't.
The following Wednesday, Lantern arrived right on time and brought a few weights with him. Nothing big, just two, five, and ten pounds.
"Have you been keeping up with the exercises I showed you?" He asked.
"Yep," You replied. "The first couple of days were hard, but after that, it wasn't so bad."
He smiled. "Muscle memory kicks in pretty quick, especially if you're consistent," He said, glancing over your physique. "Your tone is already better than last week. Now, it's important to remember that no exercise is a quick fix. There aren't any magic pills or overnight diets that's going to earn you guaranteed success. If you want to build and maintain your muscles, this is a permanent lifestyle change. Are you okay with that?"
You nodded fervently while snickering. "It sounds fine to me if it means I can bulk up, but you sound like every YouTube advert about weight loss that I can't skip when I'm just trying to watch cat compilations."
He grinned and shrugged. "Some truths are universal." He clapped his hands and then rubbed them together. "Alright, to business. Let's get to our warm-ups."
Lantern helped guide you into your positions with his paws, and it was all you could do to focus on the lesson and not the warmth of his grip, wishing that his fingers would go just a bit higher, or ever so slightly lower. When his palms grazed your hipbones, you had to bite your lip in an effort to prevent a moan from escaping. You could feel his warm breath on the bare skin between your sports top and yoga pants, and it gave you goosebumps and a hot prickling sensation in your private places.
"Good," He said finally as warm-ups concluded, by which time your entire body was tingling. "Now, let's start on some basic muscle building positions. Grab those two pounders. You're going to be sore after these next ones, so be ready. If it's too much, tell me right away and we'll take a break and adjust."
You nodded with determination as he led you through the next set of exercises. He was right, by the time he called the end of the session, you were aching all over. You'd stopped focusing on him altogether because you needed all your concentration to complete the exercises without falling over.
"Woof," You said, blowing your breath out when you'd done the last set. "That was tougher than I was expecting."
"Not too bad? Are you hurting too much, other than typical soreness?"
You shook your head. "No, just... It was definitely challenging."
"Challenging is good, debilitating is bad. We're aiming for a mildly uncomfortable, temporary ache; we aren't trying to put you out of commission. If the post-workout pain is anything more than a slight soreness, tell me right away."
"I will," You promised.
"Here," He said, taking out a card from his pocket. It was more crumpled than the first business card he'd given you with his name and email, and had a number hand written on it rather than printed. "This is my cell number. Text me tomorrow and let me know how you're doing. If you're having trouble tomorrow, I'll adjust your routine."
"Okay, thanks," You told him. "I appreciate this."
"So, how are you feeling otherwise? About the sessions, I mean. Anything you're uncomfortable with or you'd like to change? Are you displeased with anything?"
You considered the question. His touching made you a little anxious, but not because you disliked it. Honestly, you really wanted him to touch you more... intimately. Not that you could tell him that, of course.
"No, I'm pleased with the sessions. I feel wiped out, but it's a good kind of tired, you know? I feel like I've accomplished something."
"Excellent, I'm glad. Well, let's wind down and grab some water and a snack. Hydration and protein is the best cure for sore muscles."
He gave you a bag of protein-rich trail mix and a bottle of water from his bag, and ate a meat stick himself.
"I do really like that you always bring snacks," You said, throwing back a handful of the trail mix.
He laughed sharply. "I've noticed that people don't tend to keep small nutrient-dense snacks around the house, so it's just easier to buy them and bring them with me than to try and remind them to eat well after working out. And I don't mess around when it comes to food security."
"Why's that?"
He shrugged. "I grew up kind of poor, so I mostly ate whatever was available, which wasn't always good for me. And we lived in a food desert, so getting fresh, healthy foods was difficult."
"Food desert?" You repeated, confused.
"It's a place in inner cities where fresh fruit, vegetables, and meat are either difficult to get, rarely in stock, or they're too expensive for poorer families to buy because of the limited availability. That pretty much left dried or canned food, cheap meat, and starches that were just empty calories. Now that I'm making good money and food is something I can control, I tend to buy high-quality food in bulk. As in, hundreds of potions in one go. I can't possibly eat everything I buy, so I either take it with me on the job or donate what I can't use to food banks."
"Do you think you have a complex when it comes to food?"
He snorted softly. "Probably. But as long as I'm eating well, not squandering my money, and I can help other people, I don't see it as a problem."
"Hmm," You said, downing your water. "Makes sense. Goodness knows I forget to eat healthy all the time. I need to be smarter when I do my grocery shopping."
"I can text you a list of good things I like and you can pick from that. Or, I can bring a selection of stuff I've got and we can do a taste test."
"Really? That'd be awesome! I'm always hesitant to buy new foods if I don't know what they taste like, so that would really help me out."
"No, prob!" He said, pulling out his phone and pulling up a notepad app. "I've got some chickpea chips that are really tasty, protein bars that don't taste like mud, and some protein powder that is really silky. I'll make a list of stuff and throw a package together for you."
"Dope, I can't wait," You said.
The next day, you woke up to a text from Lantern asking how you were faring. You smiled and texted back that you were fine, thanks to him.
>That's good to hear. I've finished putting together your taste test package. If you've got free time this evening, I can come by and drop it off.
>That sounds great. I'll be free around dinnertime, if that's cool with you? 7 o'clock?
>I'll be there. Take care until I see you, okay?
You couldn't help but grin. He was so damn sweet. Whether or not it was intentionally flirtatious didn't matter, it was just nice to feel like someone cared.
Around six-thirty that evening, as you were wondering if you should make a portion of your dinner for Lantern, too, a knock on your door startled you. When you opened the door, Keisha was standing there.
"Sorry for coming over unannounced," She said, looking harried. "Do you still have that air fryer I lent you? I promised Ben I'd make him that roast duck he likes, but I can't find my fryer."
"That's because you gave that one to Chris," You said. "Remember? You said you wouldn't need that stuff since you had no intention of cooking after you had the baby."
Keisha groaned. "Of course I did. I'm an idiot."
You snorted. "Come on, I'll help you dig the fryer out of the storage closet. I don't know why you gave me that thing, I don't even know how to use it."
Keisha sighed. "Baby brain is definitely a thing."
There was a knock at the door, and Keisha looked at you quizzically.
"Are you expecting company?"
You blushed and avoided her eye. "Lantern is dropping off some healthy snacks for me to try."
"Ohhhh," She said slowly, a grin splitting her face.
"Don't be weird, please," You said as you went to open the door.
She snorted. "Child, you know that's too much to ask from me."
You rolled your eyes and went to open the door. Lantern was standing there with a large basket of snacks, wearing dressy black slacks and a white button-up shirt, looking much different from his work-out attire, but no less sexy. His shirt was clinging to his body in a way that suggested he might bust the buttons if he flexed too hard.
"Whoa," You said before you could stop yourself. He looked down at himself and grinned shyly.
"I just left a wedding," He mumbled.
"Oh! Well, you didn't have to come all the way here, if you were busy," You insisted.
No, no, it's no trouble," He said. "You were on my way home and I went at the last minute. I didn't know I was invited until a day ago, so I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off. This is a nice detour, honestly."
Keisha rounded the corner with her air fryer in her hands. She skidded to a stop when she saw Lantern in his semi-formal clothes and wolf-whistled, making him laugh self-consciously.
"Ooh, boy, you look delish," She commented.
He snorted at her. "Thanks, I think."
"He was at a wedding," You told her.
"Hopefully you weren't the groom," Keisha said.
He cocked his head and smiled at her shrewdly. "What makes you say that?"
"Because I was hoping you were single."
He laughed again. "Oh, sorry, Keisha, I'm actually dating someone right now," Lantern said with a regretful smile. "Wait, didn't you just get married a few months ago? Why are you asking about my love life, you minx?"
"I was asking for a friend, silly!" Keisha said, carefully avoiding eye contact with you.
"Would you like to come in, Lantern?" You asked.
"Oh, sure, if I'm not imposing," He replied.
"Not at all," You said, stepping aside to let him in, and he headed toward the kitchen to set the basket down. When Lantern turned the corner and was out of direct line of sight, Keisha mouthed Sorry! to you. You gave her a smile and a shrug. You'd have been disappointed if you hadn't expected it: Lantern was gorgeous, so there was no way he wasn't in a relationship already.
"I'm gonna get going," Keisha said, kissing your cheek. "See you, Lantern!"
"Be safe going home!" He called back.
She winked at you and made her exit.
You went back into the kitchen to find Lantern looking into the stewpot, where your dinner was bubbling.
"Leek and onion stew?" He remarked. "It smells really nice."
"Thanks," You said with a smile. "I've got turkey breasts roasting in the oven, too, and some whole wheat bread bowls."
"Whoa," He replied, smiling. "Do you cook like this often?"
"No, not often," You said, stirring the stew. "Don't be too impressed, the soup is a mix. Honestly, there's only one or two things I can cook well, and most of it is stuff that can be put in the oven and forgotten about. I typically eat meals that can be thrown together quickly, like sandwiches. I cook like this once in a blue moon when the mood strikes me."
"What's the occasion today?" He asked.
You shrugged, trying to keep your face neutral. "No particular reason," You replied. "But I did make too much by accident, as per usual. Would you like some? It's almost done."
"I can't say no to that," He said with a grin. "Thanks, I appreciate it. To be honest, the portions at the reception were tiny, and I'm absolutely starving. Oh, wait, is the soup non-dairy? Lactose intolerant."
You checked the package. "Uh... yep! Dairy-free."
"Sweet. I'd be happy to eat the extras, then. Thanks."
"No prob," You said. "Oh, but will the person you're dating be okay with you eating here?"
He looked at you, confused. "Who?"
"You told Keisha you were dating someone."
"Oh," He said with a laugh. "I'm not actually dating anyone."
Your head rocked back and you made a face at him, and he sighed a little, smiling apologetically.
"I don't encourage it, but I do tend to get hit on a lot. I typically say that I'm in a relationship whenever clients flirt with me to get them to back off. If that doesn't work, I'll stop training with them. It's fine if they are attracted to me as long as they don't act on it or get pushy. It doesn't matter how much they pay me, I'm not going to stay in a situation that makes me uncomfortable."
"Why does it make you uncomfortable?"
He clicked his tongue. "I don't like the idea of dating clients. I've seen it happen with other trainers and it ends badly nine times out of ten. There's either jealousy or cheating, or both. Or the client expects a refund or discount on their sessions. Trainer-client relationships tend to ruin the trainer's home life or work reputation. In any business where you work one-on-one with people, it's better to keep your professional and personal lives separate."
"I get that," You said. You reached up to pull down some dishware. "Still, I'm surprised that you're single."
"Why's that?"
"Because you're sweet and attractive," You said before you could stop yourself. You tried not to act like you said something strange and plated the food instead. "And your fur looks like it would be super soft to cuddle with."
"Aw, thanks! That's nice to hear," He said, a laugh in his voice. "The truth is that I keep a pretty strict work-out schedule and a lot of people find it excessive, and I guess my ex-partners didn't want to put up with it. But I'm training for amateur weightlifting competitions, so the schedule is necessary, and I don't feel like I should have to abandon it just to date, you know?"
"Yeah, I understand. That's really cool, though," You said, setting a plate and bowl in front of him. You'd also whipped up a simple salad to go with the turkey and gave him a heaping portion.
"Thank you, this looks amazing," He said.
"Have you done any competitions yet?"
"I've done a couple, but they were more exhibitions that competitions."
"Still, I think that's really neat," You told him, taking down two glasses. "Iced tea or water?"
"Water, please," He replied. You poured some ice cold water from the filter pitcher and set the glass in front of him.
"I'd love to compete in something one day," You said. "I always liked sports when I was a kid, but I never made any of the teams because of how thin I was. The coaches were worried about my stamina and recommended I take up ballet." You snorted. "Can you imagine me in tights? It'd look like I was smuggling dowel rods."
He laughed and stuffed a forkful of salad into his mouth. "I think you'd look just fine in tights. You'd look fine in anything." He sat back suddenly and sort of looked you up and down for a second.
"What?" You asked, feeling self-conscious.
"Have you ever thought about competing? Athletically, I mean. You still need a lot of training, but there's no reason you couldn't enter some competitions when you're at that level, if you'd like to get to that level. I could help you."
"Really?" You said enthusiastically. "I'd love to! That would be amazing! Do you really think I could?"
"Yeah, there's no reason you couldn't, once you've done the right training. I mean, you're months away from that, possibly a year, but you could totally do it. You've got drive and determination; you just need someone who'll give you a shot."
"I'm super excited about the prospect of competing. I always wanted to be that person who brought home trophies to put on a shelf, but I was never able to join a team." You sighed. "Well, I could have done basketball with my physique, but my highschool had soccer and baseball teams, and I didn't go to a sports college, so that was a no go."
"I'd be happy to work with you during our sessions with a specific focus on weight-lifting."
"That's awesome, thank you so much."
The two of you had a long, pleasant talk about training methods and competition rules, and once he'd finished eating, he excused himself with a smile and a wave. As you were closing the door after him, you had a sudden perturbing thought:
If he tells clients he's dating someone so they won't hit on him, why did he tell me the truth?
About a week later, Lantern got together with you to start once-weekly cooking lessons in addition to your home training sessions. It turned out he was a pretty good cook and had offered to show you how to cook meals that would be better for your new muscle building routine.
"I know it's time consuming, but meal prep really helps with portion control and cuts down on cooking time," He told you at the start of the lesson. "It's way easier to defrost or thaw a pre-measured packet of meat and vegetables than it is to defrost an entire pack of the same thing and having to refreeze it over and over again. If you can do it once a week, it'll be really beneficial, and if you use reusable containers, it's both cost effective and cuts down on plastic waste. We can take care of some of the pre-packaging tonight as we're cooking, if that's cool with you."
"Yeah, of course."
"Certain things can be thawed and refrozen several times, like starches, potatoes and stuff like that," He continued. "But things like meat and vegetables should only be thawed and refrozen once or twice at most. Fruit should only be frozen and thawed once, and soft veggies, like tomatoes, shouldn't be frozen at all, as thawing them will turn them into mush. Which is fine if you're going to use it for sauce, but if you're planning on using it for stuff like sandwiches, it's practically inedible. I can leave you a chart for what can and can't be frozen, and how many times it can be thawed before it becomes unusable."
"Okay, cool,"
"So we're going to start with some steak recipes," Lantern said, opening a pack of chuck steaks. "You can use cheaper cuts of meat for these recipes, so you're not spending a ton of money on your meats. Steak is a great protein for muscle building because it's slow to digest, so it keeps protein synthesis levels up for hours after ingesting."
"Nice," You said. "But you also said red meat is a sometimes food because of cholesterol."
"Good memory!" Lantern said, and you could hear a purring sound threaded through his voice. "So, it's definitely not something you want to eat every day, maybe two or three times a week, and you want to limit it to four ounces per serving, although with your high metabolism, I'd suggest upping portion size to six ounces." He took a very sharp knife and began carefully carving the steak from the bone and filleting them into strips. "Try and trim off as much fat as you possibly can. Beef fat tends to stick to you for quite a while."
"Okay," You said. "What are we making with it?"
"A couple of things," He replied. "Steak and potatoes are always a good way to go, but that can get boring, so we're going to try some other things. We got peppered steak and potatoes with onions and mushrooms. We're going to do some steak burritos with beans and a low fat beef and broccoli with cauliflower rice."
"Nice, that sounds really good," You said with a long, hungry sigh, already salivating. "Potatoes are okay to eat?"
"Oh, yeah, of course. Carbs are the body's preferred fuel source, it's just a matter of portion control. You want a way higher protein-to-carbs ratio." He patted a box he'd brought with him. "I brought my own vegetable ricer and mandoline, but I'd recommend buying your own. It's much quicker and more efficient that chopping with a knife." He laughed a little, shrugging sheepishly. "But that's also just personal preference, honestly."
"Ah, gotcha." You smiled.
"Okay, so," He began, putting a pan on the eye. "First thing is sauteing the meat with onions and garlic, salt and pepper, which is basically called for in all of the recipes, and then we'll separate it into three portions. I'm going to let you do that."
"Me?"
"Yep," He said with a grin. "Best way to learn is by doing."
"Meaning you don't want to do it," You said in a jokingly snide tone.
His grin widened. "Get on with it, I'm hungry."
You snorted and started up the stove while he began slicing up the mushrooms and peppers, dancing a little as he used his cutting devices. He certainly did enjoy using those things. It was cute how enthusiastic he was.
The cooking lesson was a blast and Lantern was an amazing cook. While eating the spread the two of you had created, you had a pleasant conversation with him. He was so easy to talk to that you just lost time when in conversation. It was almost nine p.m. before you realized that the two of you had been talking for over four hours.
"God, I didn't realize how late it had gotten," He said, standing up. "I completely lost track of time. I've got an early morning, so I'd better go. This was great, I think we got a lot accomplished. Would you like to add regular cooking classes to your training sessions?"
"Oh, well..." You said reluctantly. "I would genuinely love that, but we're already doing two sessions a week, so I don't know if I can afford a third class on top of it."
"I'll just add it to your current plan, no charge," Lantern said. "Think of it as a reward for doing so well and sticking to the program."
"What, really? Thanks!" You said, elated. "That's amazing! You won't get into trouble for this, will you? We've only been training together for less than a month."
"No, not at all," He said. "We're allowed to give rewards to customers who are both loyal and keep to their training plans at our own discretion. I'm already pleased with your progress and dedication, and you're fully committed to competing as well, so offering you a reward early isn't a risk since I'll be your trainer."
"I really appreciate it!" You said, bouncing up and down on your heels a little. You were going to get to spend more time with Lantern every week! It was exactly what you wanted. You were a little sad that it was in a professional capacity, but even still... you'd take it.
"Awesome. We're going to be moving up to ten pound weights, but don't buy any; I'll bring them with me. You'll be moving steadily up weights, buying new ones when you can just borrow mine would be a waste of money."
"I appreciate you looking out," You said, grinning.
He grinned back. "You've still got my number, right?"
"Yep!"
"Good. Text me if you have any questions. Well, I'll see you next Wednesday, okay?"
"You got it," You replied. "Be safe going home."
"Bye!" He waved and smiled brightly at you as he walked out of the door, and in the back of your head, you thought again, Why do I even have his number? But you were too nervous to ask, worried he would think you were assuming things or making a big deal out of nothing.
Several weeks later, he arrived for your regular bi-weekly training session looking more somber than you'd ever seen. For Lantern, who was always cheerful and upbeat, not having a smile on his face was enough to cause concern.
"Whoa, are you alright?" You asked as soon as he came in, setting his bag down with a tired huff. "What happened?"
"Oh, it's nothing, honestly," He said, trying and failing at putting a reassuring smile on his face. "Let's get you warmed up."
"Uh, no sir," You said, pulling him toward your couch. "Sit down and tell me what's going on."
He sighed resignedly but allowed himself to be steered toward the couch and sat down heavily.
"Remember me telling you I was thinking about applying for the amateur heavyweight lifting competition that was happening one town over?"
"Oh, yeah, you seemed really excited about it."
"I didn't qualify."
Your jaw dropped. "You didn't? How is that possible? Do you even need to qualify for an amateur competition?"
"Not helping," He said, rubbing his face with his paws. "It's amateur, yes, but it was being sponsored by the local branch of the official weightlifting league. That elevates it to a higher standard."
"Oh," You said slowly. "What do you have to do to qualify?"
"Well, ordinarily it's a basic show of strength, but for this one, apparently you need to have won at least a single competition, and I didn't know that beforehand. It was embarrassing to be turned away like that."
"Oh, god, I can imagine," You replied sympathetically.
"There aren't any local competitions besides the one I went to. If I were to compete, I'd have to travel one state over, at least, and that would be an overnight trip."
"Isn't that your plan for competitions, though?"
"Well, at some point, yeah, but I have a job. I can't just drop my clients to go pursue personal projects like that. Not now, at least. If I could rearrange my schedule to allow certain days off, that'd be more conducive to competing, but it could take ages for enough people to switch or enough slots to open up that would allow me to do so."
"How many slots would you need?"
"At least a full day's worth, and each slot is an hour. I start at seven in the morning, take eleven to one off for lunch, and then work from two to six. Eight sessions, eight hours. Plus I'm the only trainer at my facility that does in-home sessions on Saturdays, and that day is always booked solid. The only full day off I have is Sunday."
"How many free slots do you have currently that you could move people to?"
"Um," He took his phone out and opened his calendar. "From what it looks like, I have three open slots, two on Tuesday and the third is Monday."
"Okay, so you need an additional five open slots to be able to work in a second day off to use for training and travel, right?"
"Right," He replied, concentrating.
"Then drop my sessions," You told him.
He spun around and gaped at you. "What? You're quitting?"
"Hell no, I'm not quitting!" You told him. "My day off is Tuesday, and you've got two open slots then, right? I'll work out with you, as a friend instead of a client. That way I can keep up with the program and you get a spotter and someone to encourage you. I don't mind helping you work out. Besides, you'd still be helping me at the same time, especially if I'm going to be competing eventually, right?" You suddenly began to feel anxious. "I mean, if that's cool with you?"
"Yeah!" He replied instantly. "That would be awesome! Are you sure you're okay with that? We'd be training in my home gym, so I don't want you to feel weird about that."
"No way, dude, I've already been using your equipment since day one, I'll just be seeing where it all lives."
He had a big, sincere grin on his face. "Yeah. Yeah, that works out great! Would it be cool to have you come over on other days, even if it's not your off day? We can continue having the cooking lessons, too. Free of charge, of course. Friends and family discount."
You laughed. "That would be amazing."
The two of you spend the next hour of your training session working on how to rearrange his schedule to allow another full day off so that he could train and go to competitions. He decided that he would work Sundays as well so that he could take Monday and Tuesdays off together. You even called your boss and asked if you could change one of your days off to Monday instead of Wednesday, fully preparing to beg, but you were surprised that he agreed, saying that he didn't need the extra help on Mondays. As a result, both you and Lantern managed to get Mondays and Tuesdays off. He left in much higher spirits, and you felt pretty good, too.
Now that you were his friend and no longer his client, you weren't as shy about texting him as you had been. The two of you had such amazing conversations that it made you feel like talking to him all the time. The three hours a week at most you'd been limited to had just not been enough.
>I was thinking eggs could be a good protein to work with in our next cooking lesson, You wrote to him the next day while laying in bed.
>That sounds great! There's a ton of different stuff you can do with eggs. Fritattas are the best, you can put almost anything in them and it'll taste great.
>Haha, how many do you think I'll need?
>A dozen should be fine. If we need more, the corner store near my apartment is open 24 hours.
>For all those late night training sessions. lol
>It happens more often than you'd think.
You snorted. >I bet.
>It might happen while we're working out. You never know. Time always flies when we're together.
It was hard not to take that to mean what you wanted it to mean, but you really wanted it to mean he was flirting with you. Should you test the waters a little? You were a little afraid of fucking things up with him, but you also really wanted to get closer.
>True. But that just means we're enjoying each other's company, right?
Your palms were clammy while waiting for his response.
>Absolutely, He replied, and you sighed in relief. >I mean, it's pretty rare I make friends with clients. You know how I feel about keeping work and personal lives separate.
>I do, You said. >And it totally makes sense. I feel honored that you broke your rule for me.
>Bent, not broke. We became friends after you dropped my services. Still within the rules.
You laughed and shook your head. >Whatever makes you happy, bro. I'm going to sleep. See you for the class tomorrow?
>You know it. Sleep well. Do some reps in your dreams.
I'll be doing you in my dreams, you wanted to text, but you cringed at yourself and refrained.
The following Monday, you arrived at his apartment in an upper scale neighborhood where the streets were lined with wisteria trees. The apartment building itself was actually a large red-brick house that had been split into four single-floor apartments, and was one of five identical buildings one the block arranged in a circle surrounding a courtyard with a burbling fountain. It was beautiful.
"Hey! Welcome! Come on in!" He said when he opened the door, stepping inside to let you in. "I made some small quiches we can snack on before getting started.
His apartment was sparsely furnished and lightly decorated, but everything was stylish and sophisticated. The place smelled like sandalwood with a slightly musky undertone, but it wasn't unpleasant at all; it kind of reminded you of an herb market. It was extremely masculine in a clean, approachable way, and you were actually really digging it.
"Your place is really nice!" You told him.
"Thanks," He said, laughing a little self consciously. "After growing up poor, managing to earn enough to afford a place like this is sort of a dream of mine. My mom loves it here; she visits every chance she gets."
"Where does your mom live?"
"Arizona," He replied, plating a quiche for you and setting it on the bar. "Tucson, specifically."
"The heat must have been difficult, with your fur," You said, digging into your quiche. It was heavenly.
"Oh, god, it was a nightmare," He said, shaking his head. "Dad was a migrant worker, so we moved where the work was. Getting stuck in the desert was torture."
"Is that why you moved up here? It never gets above eighty degrees in this town."
"It's definitely a plus, that's for sure," He said, chuckling as he took a bite. "No, I liked the vibe here when I passed through ages ago. There's a really good health and fitness community here, which is something I'd always been interested in. I applied at the state university in town, not believing I'd actually get in. Color me surprised when I got my acceptance letter."
"Do you enjoy college?" You asked.
"Oh, I loved it," He said with a smile of reminiscence. "I know everyone says this, but it was literally the best years of my life. First girlfriend, first heartbreak, first party, first time getting drunk, first time... well, nevermind."
You snorted. "I didn't have as great a time in college, but I definitely wouldn't trade the experience."
The two of you finished eating, and he took your plate to wash it. You offered to dry. It was pleasant.
"In here," He said, leading you into a spare bedroom that he had converted into a home gym. It was clear that this is where his money went. Everything was state of the art and in pristine condition, as if they'd never been touched. Some of the displays even had the plastic covering over them.
"Is all this new?" You asked, a little nervous to actually approach any of it.
"Most of it, yeah," He said proudly. "Everything except the weights. I saved up to buy new equipment, and I had enough last week to get all the machines I've been wanting.. I've only ever had second-hand machines before, but I bought all of this last week. I kinda wanted to impress you."
"Aww, that's... really sweet," You said, not daring to read more into his statement. "I am sufficiently impressed. Are you sure it's okay for me to break any of this stuff in? You should have the first crack at them."
"No, no!" He said insistently. "Please, go ahead! I actually bought the rowing machine with you in mind. It's perfect for lightweight training."
Your head rocked back slightly. "You... bought a machine for me?"
"Well... yeah, kinda," He said slowly, looking shy. "Is that cool?"
"I... yeah. Yeah, it's totally cool," You said, laughing nervously. "It's probably the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me. It must have been a fortune, though."
"Well, it's not like you'll be the only one using it, after all. Sit, try it out," He said, smiling delightedly. "You're on twenty pound weights now, so we'll set it to those settings. Let me know how it feels."
You sat in the seat as he adjusted the resistance. The seat felt like sitting on a cloud, and the grips for the rowers were silky silicone rubber that caressed the hand. You were halfway to marrying this thing.
It was then that you suddenly felt a stabbing pain in your abdomen. It wasn't severe, and was more like a twinge of twisting something, so you ignored it.
"Alright, go ahead," He said, standing back with his hands on his hips, observing. His tail swished behind him the way it did when he was excited or anticipating something.
The row was completely smooth despite the resistance. It was very comfortable; you could have done it all day long.
"It feels like butter, dude," You said, pleased. "It's so smooth that it feels like I could go up ten pounds with no problems."
He laughed. "Well, even still, let's keep you at twenty for another week or so," He said. "I'm going to start on the pulleys. Want some music?"
"Hell yeah," You said. You'd learned recently while texting that you and he had similar taste in music. He'd actually introduced you to some new stuff that you loved.
"Let me know if you need water or anything," He said, sitting down at a cable-and-pulley machine. "We'll do a solid thirty minutes, if that's good with you."
"Aye, aye, captain," You said. He laughed and started doing arm curls. You started rowing, managing to keep a good rhythm, despite random twinges in your stomach. You'd had weird stomach pains frequently in the past, but the doctors always seemed unconcerned since the tests always came back negative, so you never really worried about it.
However, after an hour and a half, you were starting to get shaky and weak, and not in a post-workout way. The stomach pain had sharpened intensely and was now accompanied by waves of nausea. You were forced to stop and bent over your stomach, groaning.
"Hey, are you okay?" He asked in a worried tone. "You're really pale."
"Um..." You said. "I, um... I don't... feel... too good," You said stiltedly, having trouble focusing. Your vision was tunneling out and the sound in your ears was like a rushing that was slowly being tuned out, like on an old radio. Suddenly, you felt yourself fall, and everything went dark.