[FIC] The Art of Love and Cooking : Chapter One : Échauder : Part 2/2 - Puck/Kurt (ENG)

[sevenswells]

Title: The Art of Love and Cooking

Author: sevenswells

Beta: drgaellon 

Rating: R for language?

Fandom/Pairing: Glee, Puck/Kurt (and a little Top Chef season 2 too) (yeah, I know)

Warnings/Spoilers: None really, because it's an AU where glee club didn't happen. Also, food, food and talk about food.

Comments: Sorry about the dialogues with hyphens, it comes from French language punctuation indeed (I'm amazed how fast you guys figured out I spoke French as a first language! ^0^ ....oh god I suck ;____; ). I'll sort that out with my future beta(s?) as soon as I can (answering your comments even sooner, btw, thank you for volunteering, people), thanks for pointing that out to me anyway ^^ This still has dialogues with hyphens since I wanted to post it as soon as it was done, but I will definitely edit it afterwards.

Word Count : 4761 w. O_____o

Aaaaand here we go, here's Chapter One part 2 :

The young man sitting at the table with his hands primly folded in front of him lifted his head and directed a perfunctory grin at him. Years had passed but he had the same stunning blue eyes and boyish looks, only now he wore his darkened hair neatly combed back: it emphasized his cheekbones and made him look like the romantic lead of a classic Hollywood movie. His general style of clothing had been toned down a little to appear more contained, less juvenile, but it still held the same impeccable, classy, infuriating air it had in high school.

"Noah Puckerman," Kurt said, in the same high-pitched, breathy voice Puck remembered. "Ever a charmer. Please take a seat. Hello, Beatrix," he added with a smile so disarming it could tame lions.

Palpable tension filled the air. Puck took the place opposite Kurt, while Beatrix sat down at the far end of the table. Hesitation was not his style, even though he clearly felt off balance and confused. A thousand questions were popping, one after another inside his brain, but the only one that managed to get through his lips was, "Who's 'Evan J. Andrews'?"

Kurt gave the irritating little laugh he'd had years and years to refine.

"That's my stage name."

"Why?"

"What do you mean, why?"

"You never struck me as the type of guy who would hide, be it behind another name or costumes. So, why, Kurt?"

Kurt cocked his head to the side and let the silence stretch as he observed Puck thoughtfully, as if considering the right words to explain metaphysics to a five-year-old who had unknowingly asked an adult a delicate question. The crisp blue-gray shirt he wore flattered the color of his eyes and his pale skin, but also added to the Ice Queen impression. In Puck's memories, Kurt had never looked so cold and detached. He finally said, with deadly calm, "Does that imply you pretend to know what type of person I am?"

Puck had no way to reply to that. It was also the moment Kurt's fiancé chose to make his entrance. To say Aurélien Marlowe was good-looking in person was an understatement. With a well-built body with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, with flowing blonde locks that curled around his nape, with an aggressive jaw and a sensuous mouth, he looked every bit like the Prince Charming cliché, or, better, the male Barbie to Kurt's Ken, so much that Puck had to muster all of his willpower not to snicker at this vision. It didn't help that he was sporting a salmon pink polo shirt that emphasized the ridiculous children's book boy-and-girl image next to Kurt's blue shirt. Charming went straight to his fiancé, kissed him square on the lips and flopped down into the chair next to him. Then he acknowledged Puck's and Beatrix's presence by a short nod and a smile that maybe, in his mind spared him from actually voicing a greeting.

"Did I miss anything important, poussin," he asked Kurt, slipping an arm around his shoulder.

"Not at all, mon amour, we were waiting for you to begin the interview."

"Excellent." Charming finally looked Puck in the eye and asked, "So you two know each other, right? Kurt has been so insistant on bringing you here that I thought you might, but he wouldn't go into the details."

By instinct, Puck rolled back his shoulders in an attempt to relax. Kurt was still staring fixedly at him, keeping silent.

Okay. So this was a game of Chicken, then. Fine.

"Yes," Puck said tentatively. "We... used to go to the same school. McKinley High, in Ohio."

"Oh, so you were friends?"

"Far from that, Kurt spoke up, ice-cold eyes never leaving Puck's. "He used to bully me in high school."

Aurélien jumped a little at that and Beatrix's face visibly lost colour at the end of the table.

"Bully you?"

"Yes. He used to throw me into dumpsters, that sort of thing."

"And now you want to hire him for our wedding? Poussin, franchement..."

"When I was in high school," Kurt interrupted,  "I made a vow, in front of him and his jock buddies. And when I saw his name on the list of proposals for the caterers, I thought the opportunity was just too good to resist."

"What did you vow?" Aurélien asked.

"Oh, yes. What was it, Puck?"

Puck tried not to wince at the venomous use of his nickname in Kurt's mouth, and held his stare.

" 'One day, you will all work for me.'," he quoted.

"I see," Aurélien said after a small pause, now sounding amused as hell. "So this is payback. I like it."

He kissed Kurt on the lips again, with passion, breaking the exchange of stares between him and Puck. Puck considered he'd won the Chicken game by forfeit. A petty victory was still a victory, at this point. When the kiss ended, Kurt said with satisfaction, "Maybe someday I'll learn Dave Karofsky became a plumber and I'll finally get him to clean my septic tank." A chuckle. "Oh, wouldn't that be perfect.

"So that's the big plan, huh?" Puck said, unable to remain quiet anymore. "It's been, what, fifteen years, Kurt? You're ready to wreck your own wedding just so you can get your little revenge? What the fuck?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Kurt said dismissively, with a wave of his hand. "You're supposed to be the best amongst those who proposed their services, and from what I've gathered, traditional French cuisine holds no secrets for you. The revenge part just helped me make up my mind, that's all. I'm an artist and therefore, superstitious, I believe in luck, and destiny. What were the odds of this, seriously?" There was that laugh again. "Consider yourself our wedding's... let's say lucky charm, or mascot. Although don't think we won't expect the very best from you, as your employers. If the idea of wrecking everything on purpose ever crosses your mind, however..."

"I'm a professional," Puck interrupted abruptly. "Mr Hummel," he added, after taking a deep breath, then went on, his voice dropping a few octaves from contained anger. "I'm not childish enough to put my career on the line because of any disagreements you and I might've had during our damn high school years. It's been my understanding that I could very well be wasting my time here and sent back to L.A. empty-handed, but if you do decide to hire me, rest assured that I will treat this job just like any other: with all the responsibility and care it deserves." He concluded, glaring: "I'm not here to play games."

"Such a display of maturity now, Puck, I'm impressed. Good, then I guess I won't have to go through the trouble of threatening you with consequences you're already well aware of. By now, you've got to be conscious of the importance of the event, though. You must understand, then, why your trial period won't end with this interview."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Well, your reputation was enough to get you here, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating, isn't it? Our official engagement ceremony will be held next Saturday, in the evening. I will also offer a small recital to our guests, to mark the occasion. It will be more intimate than the wedding, though: only a hundred people, more or less. If you prove yourself capable of catering for the engagement party, then you'll be hired for the rest of the festivities, as the initial deal stipulated. If not..." Kurt shrugged. "So. What do you say, Puck? Are you feeling up to the job?"

Puck took all of three seconds to reflect on this. Bastard had him cornered. Marcel had been very clear on how much they needed this deal, how it would be an inestimable boost to their business. On the other hand... this was fucking humiliating. First that bullshit about revenge and destiny, and now the little fuck wanted to make Puck crawl as long as he had power over him, dangling Puck's reputation in front of his nose.

If Puck had been the only one involved in this, he might have said no, fuck you very much, and told Kurt Hummel to go fuck himself, and his freak fiancé from Shrek 2 with him. Hell, even if it was only him and Marcel, he might have still said no. But there was even more at stake than his pride or his partnership with Marcel. He sighed, his shoulders sagging.

"Okay," he said. "But I have conditions. First, you, and your fiancé, and everyone around here, are to call me Chef, or Chef Puckerman. No more of this 'Puck' business; only my friends call me that. I've worked hard to deserve my title, and I fucking own it. Second, I work with my crew. Whether we're hired afterwards or not, you guys are still paying to get my people here ASAP, if you want your engagement party to be a huge fucking success. Third, I'm the king in my kitchen. Once we've agreed on the menus and everything, nobody messes with me nor orders me around when I'm working. If that happens, it's an instant deal breaker, with no refunds. Am I clear?"

"Wow. Look at the nerve of you, for a guy who doesn't have a choice," Charming spoke up, still smiling and making Puck want to punch his teeth in. "But, you know, fine. We'll see if you're worthy of your reputation, anyway, won't we? A little challenge might even make you want to bring your A game, Chef."

Puck sized him up silently, not trusting himself to be polite to the douchebag, and he needed to be polite to the douchebag now. Brilliant. Fucking brilliant situation. Aurélien slumped back in his chair, his cocky expression lingering.

"So, it's settled. The caretaker houses are almost ready, but there is still a bit of work that need to be done there before you can move in. It shouldn't take more than a few days. In the mean time, you will have a bedroom in the main house, Beatrix will show it to you when we're through here. Our kitchen including everything in it is at your disposal, of course, so feel free to use it as you like. We won't be needing your services before the engagement party, so you're free to come and go, as long as you can get organized in time. Beatrix." He turned to the pitiful creature who now looked like she was a survivor from Rwanda."Please arrange the details of Chef Puckerman's crew's travel, payment and expenses with him, we need this sorted out quick as poss. Very well, then." He stood up, taking Kurt's hand. "We'll be taking our leave...

"Wait," Puck said.

"What now?"

Charming sounded and looked thoroughly annoyed, all of a sudden. Mood swings, much? Puck thought.

"I need first instructions. What you like, what you don't like... We can discuss the menu in more details another day, although I'd also like that sorted out 'quick as poss' too, but for now I really need to do the ground work on this."

"Fine."

Aurélien sat back, sulking, and then the cocky smile was suddenly back as he hugged Kurt closer to him again.

"It's simple. Just do anything Kurt wants. Nothing's too beautiful for my spouse-to-be. Tell him what you want, poussin."

Was it Puck or was Kurt a little embarrassed? There was something about Aurélien's attitude that Puck couldn't quite put his finger on. But then again he hadn't met a lot of spoiled brats like him in his career. He got his smart phone out to use it as a notebook, awaiting Kurt's instructions.

"I'm not particularly difficult," Kurt said, "but I insist on organic. And as sustainable as possible too, with fruits and vegetables of the season. Ah, and absolutely no foie gras."

"No foie gras."

Puck tried to keep his tone as flat as possible as he typed that blasphemy into his Notes app, but maybe his facial expression gave him away, because Kurt asked in a dry tone, "Is there a problem with that, Chef Puckerman?"

Even though Puck was thinking, let it slide, none of your business, shut the fuck up and keep your head down, his mouth was moving before he could catch it, "You ask for French cuisine, you want to celebrate, and yet... no foie gras. May I ask why?"

"I saw a YouTube video of how it was made and how those geese were tortured, so no, I won't tolerate anything on my plate, let alone in my mouth, that went through such a barbaric process."

Puck, who'd seen a lot of how the food industry worked, didn't want to point out that a lot of animal products sometimes were brought to their plates through even worse processes, because he'd be a fool if he induced any more restrictions in that tree-hugger's shiny little head. If he suddenly decided to go vegan on him, which could very well happen, Puck might kill him with his bare hands.

-"I told you," Aurélien said. "Just do what he says." He kissed Kurt again and Puck was getting sick of this already. "Very good. Are we done now? Can we go?"

Puck was surprised by how much of Coach Sylvester's inspirational speeches on the virtues of caning came back to him all of a sudden. He wished she was there with him to cane some sense into the spoiled motherfucker until he vomited from the pain.

Charming didn't wait for his answer and stood up with Kurt again, pink shirt and blue shirt going hand in hand, walking towards the door.

Puck stood in turn, and calmly called, "Kurt."

Kurt stopped and turned to look at him, while Aurélien scowled. Puck remained unimpressed.

"I won't pretend I ever knew who you were. And maybe you, on the other hand, knew very well who I was, since I must have been pretty easy to figure out, as a teenager. I guess you never saw me in my finest hours, back then. But, just so you know... I've changed."

Kurt took a few steps away from Aurélien's embrace and considered Puck's entire being for a few seconds, then, turning as he left with Aurélien, not looking back, said :

"Don't worry Puck. You're pretty much the same, except you've lost your mohawk."

There was so much contempt in his voice that Puck remained frozen on the spot, and only snapped out of his daze when Beatrix stepped in front of him, all stilettos clicking and her face set in a determined expression. She was no longer lost and had a plan figured out now. Puck didn't know what it was, but judging from her hard features, it had to be something terrifying.

"Please follow me."

She left him in front of his bedroom door and told him that one of the help would bring his luggage up soon. They agreed to discussing the money and general organization the following day, since he was exhausted and wanted recover a little.

Alone in his room, Puck decided he wasn't sleepy after all and had a couple of phone calls to make anyway. But when he got his phone out and saw the notebook application he had forgotten to close, with the mention "No foie gras" on it, he almost threw the device across the room. What the fuck was the  bitch's problem? Fifteen years had passed, so why would he bring up centuries-old stories that nobody cared about anymore, except him and his stupid ego? And if the little bitch hated Puck so much, why would he insist on having him near, catering for his oh-so-important weeding? What the fucking fuck?

He took a few breaths to calm down and decided to call Marcel first. His friend and partner was, predictably, thrilled to hear the news. Even if he might be smelling something fishy in the new arrangement about the hiring depending on the engagement party, he wasn't saying anything. Maybe what he heard in Puck's voice gave him the conviction he didn't want to know, on which he was right. If Puck assured him that everything was under control and that he would most certainly seal the deal, it was all he needed to know. They parted on Puck repeatedly saying "Who's your daddy now?" and Marcel calling him Wolfgang even though he knew how much it pissed his partner off.

Next, Puck called Gill.

"What are you wearing?" He asked as soon as she picked up.

"A Big Bird costume with a strap-on, what do you think? The stalker joke is getting old, Puck."

"Okay then, what are you cooking?"

"Ramen."

"Negi?"

"Damn straight."

Puck laughed, feeling better already.

"You are so not having sex tonight."

"Can it, wanker, last time I checked your sex life was more desolate than the plains of Mongolia. Plus, it's lunchtime here, the smell will be gone by the evening."

"Oh, so you are planning on a booty call, then?"

"Jealous, are we?"

"Of course. Plus, if you have regular sexual intercourse with the same person, you can catch marriage, and I wouldn't want that to happen to my sous-chef."

"Speaking of which, how did the job interview go?"

Puck dropped down on the bed and closed his eyes, rubbing the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger.

"Pretty awful, actually."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Imagine the worst fucked-up situation you can think of, and then add a little more fuck-up sauce with fuck-up sprinkles and a fuck-up cherry on the top. That's how bad it was."

"Ah."

Puck sighed, and thought he might as well spill it all.

"One of the clients. The Broadway singer. I... I know him."

A pause, then in rushed words, "Oh, my God, Puck, please tell me it's not someone you've..."

"No, it's not what you think, or if it is, you should seriously consider a career as a psychic, or a Hollywood writer. I know him from high school. I was a jock, and he was... I used to bully him."

"Oh. Oh wow. Okay."

"Well, yeah, I did some stupid shit when I was younger. At least it never really got violent. It was just... You know... I threw him into dumpsters, mostly."

"Oh God. How many times?"

"Huh. Try... every morning?"

Gill kept a horrified silence at the end of the line.

"Hey, it was a long time ago, and I'm not the same guy, now! Anyway. Fifteen years later, he's out for blood. And I think he has some plan to make me pay. But he still wants me to cater for his wedding, which kinda happens to be the wedding of the century, so it would be really bad if anything went wrong. Oh, and I'm still on trial for the job. I'm supposed to cater for a hundred people on the evening of his official engagement, so they can see if I'm fit for the actual wedding dinner and everything else. Does that even make sense to you? Because I really don't get it".

"Wow. Seriously, wow. That's fucked up alright. If there was an international competition of fucked-up stuff, I think this one would place number one easy, right up there with the fourth book of Twilight and all of Michael Jackson's private auction items."

"You bet. Oh, man. I wish this was happening to someone else."

"And I'm guessing the reason for the bullying was because he was..."

"...Gay, yes."

"Haha! What a hypocrite. And talk about cliché, too."

"Cut me some slack, Gill, it's been a long night and a long day, and I'm hurting, here."

"Well, serves you right. The Ghost of Gay Christmas Past has come around to haunt you, now suck it up and deal with it."

"Not so fast, my ginger friend, because I may not the only one affected by this shit fest."

"I'm not sure I want to know what you mean by that..."

"I can't possibly cater for a hundred people with the stakes so high without the help of you guys."

"Sweet tricycling baby Moses on a skateboard ramp, Puck, why couldn't you leave us out of this?"

"I'm the one who brought each one of you ungrateful bastards out of the gutter, you should show me some respect."

"Fuck you."

"And there's gratitude for you."

"Yeah, well, fuck you some more. Fine. I'll round up the others. You're lucky we all love you a lot, you know."

"I know. You also love the paychecks I write, and I can promise you I'll squeeze the maximum out of this one. I'll let you know about the travelling details as soon as I have them, okay?"

"Thank you, Chef. And, um, Puck?"

"Yeah?"

"Take care okay? We'll be there soon. Hold on until we arrive. You know you can count on us."

Puck felt a wave of tenderness for his sous-chef and his team, knowing she meant it with all the seriousness in the world.

"Yeah. I know. Thanks Gill. You too, take care."

After he hung up, Puck realized he still hadn't had the lunch he was hoping for. He was hesitant to go downstairs and raid the kitchen. He'd been granted permission to do just that, but he didn't want to bump into Kurt; he'd seen enough of him today. Then he thought, to hell with it, he was far too hungry to care anymore.

The kitchen was spacious, clean and quite modern, Beatrix hadn't lied. He rummaged through one of the cupboards and with a cry of victory, found a bag of potato chips. On his way out of the kitchen, he paused. He was a chef. What was he doing, contenting himself with chips? Hunger was not an excuse. His ego had been trampled far enough today, he needed to fix himself something, if only a sandwich, to get back in the race. Plus it might help him relax a bit.

He looked in the fridge, and saw a bunch of red radishes. He tasted one and relished the little peppery bite it left on his tongue, along with the sheer crunchy freshness of it. Perfect.
He also managed to find cottage cheese, cream, fresh chives, spring onions, parsley, and got sliced bread out of a cupboard. He didn't find the salted butter he wanted, though, but he didn't really need it; that was merely gluttony on his part. He put two slices of bread in the toaster and mixed the cheese, the cream and the chopped fresh herbs in a bowl, then added salt and pepper just as the toasts popped out. He cut the radishes into slices after rinsing them, and couldn't resist popping another one into his mouth whole, as he finished cutting the rest. He finally spread the cheese mixture on the cooling  toasts, then added a layer of radish slices on top. He groaned out loud with the first bite, before he even began chewing. God, that felt good. He resumed eating while covering the bowl of cheese with plastic film and putting it in the fridge, then he cleaned up after himself, before starting on the second toast. That was the most important lesson his first mentor ever taught him: nevermind the cliché of the artist let loose in a kitchen throwing food around and splashing sauces on plates like some cooking Jackson Pollock, a truly great chef never leaves a mess behind.

The house was quiet in the peaceful afternoon and since he was now satiated, he thought he might as well take a look around. As soon as his exploration started, it was rapidly aborted. As he was about to pass by a study with the door ajar, he heard Kurt's voice. Not that he was scared of the bastard, but he considered he took enough shit for the day. He began a slow and silent retreat when he heard Kurt pant, "Nn... no. Stop it, Aurélien."

Puck did not want to eavesdrop on that. He did not.
Then why was he hiding behind the door, back against the wall, between two ancestors' portraits that were looking down on him -- with reprobation, no doubt?

"I mean it, Aurélien, keep your hands to yourself. You're just trying to get me excited so that I can't say no to you tonight."

"And that's... a bad thing, is it?"

"We had an agreement."

"Oh, you were serious about that?"

"Weren't you? I told you, it's not because I'm gay that I don't want my wedding to be perfect in every single way. Including the fact that I want to give myself to you after we've pronounced our vows, not before. You know I want it to be special."

Puck had to cover the lower half of his face with both hands to muffle a snort. Oh, this was golden. Kurt Hummel wanted a white wedding. After all these years, he was still a virgin, with sappy ideas about sex. Pure gold. Puck had to get away before he burst out laughing.

"Is it really because of that?"

Aurélien's tone had lowered dangerously.

"What do you mean?"

Kurt's voice had shifted too, to a "Careful, I'm not taking any shit from you past this point" tone. From Puck's past experiences with diva bitches, there was the exact point where you had to start reading the signs and find a smart way out without too much damage. At least it wasn't a dead-end, maximum casualties question like, "Do you think I'm fat?"

"Nothing. Kiss me."

Not good enough, buddy, Puck thought, shaking his head, and indeed, Kurt wouldn't have any of that.

"Aurélien, is there something you want to tell me?"

"Nothing. It's just... I don't know. This guy. The chef."

"Puck?"

"Is it really just about revenge?"

"I thought I made myself quite clear back there."

"Yes, but..."

"Please, mon cœur. It's normal to have insecurities before your own wedding, but not when it's Noah Puckerman we're talking about, never. The satisfaction of getting him to work for me as his client is far from being sexual, believe me."

"What if something goes wrong? You know my father expect everything to be perfect. Gay marriage is a crucial point of his program, and this is a bold move for him, since it's his own son..."

"Don't worry, darling," Kurt interrupted. "I don't think he'll screw up the engagement party if his résumé speaks true, and there is far too much at stake for him. If he doesn't meet our expectations, well there are other chefs on the list that can be ready for our wedding at the snap of your father's fingers. I just want to prove to 'Chef' Puckerman that no matter what he does, no matter how far he might climb on the social ladder, he'll always be beneath me. Consider this my wedding gift, okay? I feel nothing but contempt for him, so no need to be jealous, mon ange. Trust me."

Puck realized they might be back to sucking face again, since he heard nothing more after that. He had heard enough, anyway. Back in his room, he saw his luggage had been placed by his bed. He took his guitar out of the case and he lay down on the bed as he started picking out chords. He played no melody in particular at first, simply improvising with his mind blank, but after a while, he recognized the guitar part of Septembre En Attendant he had been strumming without noticing. Softly, he started singing along.

Juste le temps de battre des cils
Un souffle, un éclat bleu,
Un instant, qui dit mieux?
L'équilibre est fragile.

Noir Désir had been Olivier's favourite band. Of course he would have to think about Olivier now. It had to be the association of homos and French cuisine, even hearing those words of endearment in French...

J'ai tout vu, je n'ai rien retenu

And those hypnotic blue eyes.

Et même si tes yeux dissolvent les comètes
Qui me passent une à une au travers de la tête

J'y pense encore
J'y pense
J'y pense encore... (*)

Abruptly, Puck stopped playing. So Kurt Hummel thought he hadn't changed. Thought Puck was the same Lima loser he had known in high school. Thought he was still better than him.

Then Puck knew all he had to do was to prove him wrong.


***********************************
Bonus : Septembre En Attendant, by Noir Désir on Deezer

(*) Here are the lyrics' translation :

Barely the time to flutter your eyelashes
A breath, a blue sparkle, a moment
Nothing gets any better than this
Balance is fragile

I've seen it all, I've learned nothing

And even though your eyes dissolve the blazing stars
Shooting one by one through the space of my head

I'm still thinking about it
I'm thinking about it
I'm still thinking about it

**************************

Chapter Two

Back to Chapter One part 1/2

Bonus to Chapter One : First amuse-bouche

Comments

[profoundrice.livejournal.com]

Cooking AND Puck/Kurt?? YOU ARE MY HERO. Seriously. ♥ Just read the first part, and then I saw you posted this, and ohhh this was awesome as well. I loved this.

[sevenswells.livejournal.com]

No! YOU're my hero! OMG thank you for coming on my journal and read this!! And thank you so much for your kind comment! <333

[berylia.livejournal.com]

Oh my sweet God ! I love how badass Puck is ! This is Chef Noah Fu***ing Puckerman !
Kurt is a wonderful Biaaaatch ! With a capital B !
"The Ghost of Gay Christmas Past has come around to haunt you, now suck it up and deal with it." I loled and yes, Puck, suck it up !
"mamour" ? Really ? How lame is this ? I just can't imagine this word in Kurt's pretty mouth.
OMG ! A mysterious french lover ! OMG !
I'm squeeling like mad and I love and hate you ! I don't care what you are doing now, you should write next chapter now !

[sevenswells.livejournal.com]

OMG! Mon icône fait du PuckxPuck avec ton icône!

OMG!!!!

PUCKxPUCK!!!

J'ADORE CE CONCEPT!

Tain oué, j'ai corrigé le "mamour" suite à ton commentaire. Je tiens à dire que c'est de votre faute, à Christelle et toi, vu que je l'entends uniquement chez vous, ce mot. Je m'étais dit de toute façon que ça pouvait sonner bien aux oreilles d'un anglophone, même s'il sait parler Français comme Kurt, supposément.
Bon, sinon je suis aussi nulle à trouver des petits noms d'amour, surtout des qui fassent pas complètement nunuche en Français, mais après j'ai réfléchi très fort, et je suis parvenue à trouver un compromis. Comme dirait Izma dans Kuzco : "Eh ben tu vois comme quoi!"

Pour le prochain chapitre, j'ai très envie de l'écrire parce qu'il y aura de très chouettes trucs qui vont se passer, mais j'ai deux-trois trucs à régler avant. Mais bon, ça vient, ça vient;

[recrudescence.livejournal.com]

Lol @ Puck getting called Wolfgang, the Ghost of Gay Christmas Past, and an appropriately evocative mention of baby Moses. Puck's snack-making skills make me feel like such a peasant by comparison, therefore he should totally swing by and cook for me. Oh, and I really want to watch some Top Chef now. I have a lot of fond memories from season two.

I honestly think the hypens-in-lieu-of-quotes are kind of interesting, as I didn't know that was the norm in French, so it's a little like stylistically breaking the fourth wall.

'm amused by Kurt being the Ken doll in the relationship...and still being his snooty self by holding onto high school memories that hard. Does this mean Burt's going to make an appearance, what with his kid getting married?

[sevenswells.livejournal.com]

MAJOR ICON LOVE! Nothing better than an appropriate icon for each occasion. You're awesome.

Puck's snack-making skills make me feel like such a peasant by comparison, therefore he should totally swing by and cook for me.

Tee-hee, that's one of my recipes, I couldn't resist putting it in there. It's so simple to make, too! I'm planning on making bonus posts for each chapter in the future, to explain about the recipes, food philosophy and great chefs mentionned in this fic - I did so much research for this fic and learned so much cool stuff that I can't not share, but I honestly don't know if somebody other than me will find that interesting.

I honestly think the hypens-in-lieu-of-quotes are kind of interesting, as I didn't know that was the norm in French, so it's a little like stylistically breaking the fourth wall.

You're really, really adorable for saying that, thank you! <3 ^3^

Does this mean Burt's going to make an appearance, what with his kid getting married?

A-HAAaaa! THAT is the question! :D

[puremorning2468.livejournal.com]

I love it, love it, love it. This fic is full of awesome. I want to strangle Prince Charming though. I hope Puck gets to hit him in the future. XD

[sevenswells.livejournal.com]

Thank you my dear! And yeah, by romantic comedy logic, Aurélien had to be a douche - more reason for Puck to rescue him from the big bad half-French male Barbie! Mouahaha!

[empath89.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I really liked this chapter. Can Puck cook for me? Because that sounded like an awesome meal.

[sevenswells.livejournal.com]

<333 Thank you!!

About what Puck prepared, it's one of my recipes actually, I couldn't resist putting it in the fic - and it's really good indeed! And so simple to prepare! I'm planning on making a bonus post about the recipes and stuff about food and cooking, so I'll post the whole recipe.You can make it at home, it's a great snack!

[eyesarmslove.livejournal.com]

This is total and utter win. WIN.
AH!

SO awesome. You've got them down perfectly. And your storytelling techniques guarantee a delicious and (HOT) satisfying conclusion.

CAN'T wait for the next chapter :DDD

[sevenswells.livejournal.com]

Thanks a lot! And yeah, if the conclusion turns out like how I planned, it's going to be EPIC, trust me! XDDD

I hope I can work on the next chapter as soon as I can, the only problem is that I have to struggle with RL for a bit. But I love this story too much to leave it alone for too long! XD

[scarecrowqueen.livejournal.com]

Plus, if you have regular sexual intercourse with the same person, you can catch marriage, and I wouldn't want that to happen to my sous-chef.

I loved this line! And the plots thickens... can't wait for more!

[sevenswells.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for reading and commenting! And, yes, next chapter will be dense, I think! XDD

[xfindyourlight.livejournal.com]

This is so intense. I love Puck's sass and Kurt's bitchiness. It's perfect. I can't wait for the next part.

[sevenswells.livejournal.com]

Thank you, a lot! Love that you love them, I really wanted their "voice" to come through, I'm so pleased! (,,,^-^,,,)

[entropynchaos.livejournal.com]

More awesomeness! \o/

Fantastic addition to the story - once again, I can't wait to read the next bit! ^_~

Is it just me, or does Aurélien seem like a bit of an arse? *ponders*

Can't wait for more ♥

[sevenswells.livejournal.com]

Wheeee! Thank you!! It's great that you like it!

And yeah, Aurélien will play the sad part of the romantic comedy villain! It's sad, really, because I really like his name, it's one of my favourites in French, it sounds really lyrical. ^^

See you next chapter then! :DDD

[likekazam.livejournal.com]

Hm. What exactly does "the pitiful creature that looked like a survivor from Rwanda even mean" ? It's kind of hard to use a survivor of a genocide for a simile since there isn't really a specific character that fits it. unless you mean while it happened. like a shit out of luck scared look. Idk

Anyways, I love a mature Chef Puck & Marcel from Top Chef working together, its so perfect!
Kurt can go eat his socks, haha, it'll be interesting to see how this will become a Purk/Kurt. Ah! I'm excited to see upcoming chapters :)

[sevenswells.livejournal.com]

Re: about the survivor from Rwanda

Um I dunno, it made sense to me as I wrote it, and I have to admit it still kind of does. I only knew one person from Rwanda who survived, and he always seemed to me a little, maybe that's harsh to say, broken, or generally weary about life. I can change it if the image is too offensive, though. ^^;;

Anyways, I love a mature Chef Puck & Marcel from Top Chef working together, its so perfect!

Yeah, it totally worked in my head! XD I don't know if Marcel would get along with an IRL Puck, mature or not - Marcel's so strange! I mean, the rap song on the rooftop, how random was that?

Thanks a lot for your comment!

Yes! This!!!

[docketgrrl.livejournal.com]

Oh my Lord, yes! Puck and Kurt AND food porn?? I love you, and I mean that. I do hope that this will be long and drawn out with LOTS of tension. I am loving it.

Re: Yes! This!!!

[sevenswells.livejournal.com]

OMG love you too for using the expression "food porn" to describe this, because it's EXACTLY what I'm trying to do!!! *so, so pleased*

And yeah, it's going to be a long fic - for me, anyway, I'm more of a one-shot type of ficcer usually, because I already do a creative job in RL that's taking a lot of space in my head. But I did research like crazy for this and filled a whole notebook with ideas and pieces of information about recipes, food philosophy and great chefs. I'm even planning on making a bonus post after each chapter to share it all with you guys, because I learned heaps of cool stuff as I wrote this fic and I really really want to blab about it.

Thank you so much for this kind comment!!

[abluegirl.livejournal.com]

I do hope you are planning on writing more! I loved this part, and the newly matured Puck is a wonderful thing.

And no foie gras! Quelle horreur! That made me laugh, but yeah, I have seen those videos, too and they are disturbing.

And I love foie gras. I do. Not going to lie. And thinking about how much I love it does make me feel guilty. :/

Still love this fic, though. ♥

[sevenswells.livejournal.com]

(*is doing PuckxPuck with icons and loving it* XD )

I think that's what's most fascinating about foie gras : it's so good, and so barbaric at the same time, and now people are very aware of how it's made, but they can't stop eating it.
I find extremely interesting the weird relationship to this delicacy it creates, like "no I shouldn't, but it's so good, yeah but it's wrong, and yet so right"... total food!kink in the stricter sense. I might talk about it in the bonus posts, thanks for the idea.
To me foie gras is food of the gods, I'd be very sad in a world where it doesn't exist, seriously. You can't eat it every day of course, but it's perfect celebration food, so I'm really empathetic here with Puck when he's mad about the foie gras restriction. XD

Thanks a lot for your comment and I hope you'll also like what's coming next! ^^

[slashastic.livejournal.com]

yaay update!

really enjoying reading this. kurt's fiance seems ok but i kinda want something to be you know, off about him.
i guess i have a thing for to the rescue!puck too. hehe ;)

[sevenswells.livejournal.com]

You mean more off, right? XD Because right now Aurélien is creeping even *me* out a little; but don't worry, in the next parts he'll be even more douchey, because that's romantic comedy villain to you - yay! :D

Also, can't agree more with rescue!puck, because, again, romantic comedy logic demands it, right?

Thank you for reading and commenting so kindly!

[lezi.livejournal.com]

Amazing, just as before! And it makes me want to suck it up and try foie gras.

"On his way out of the kitchen, he paused. He was a chef. What was he doing, contenting himself with chips? Hunger was not an excuse." PREACH! :P

Beautiful--can't wait for more. ♥

[sevenswells.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much!

And it makes me want to suck it up and try foie gras.

I don't know if everybody would like foie gras, but I know I love it so much! Not every day of course, but since in France we usually have it for celebrations, it really brings something special to the occasion! And I don't drink a lot of wine (it's sad, but I've never developped the taste of it, even though my dad is such a connoisseur. Alas, it's a major black spot on my record as a wannabe gourmet), but foie gras and Sauternes is an orgasmic combination. °ç°
It's food of the gods to me, and I think I might talk about it in the bonus post for chapter one.

Thank you for commenting in here, you have no idea how much it makes me pleased!

[laugh-at-fish.livejournal.com]

I loved this with the passion of a thousand fiery suns!!!!!

I will be glued to glee_slash from now, enraptured, awaiting future chapters of this fic.
YAY! ♥


--k

[sevenswells.livejournal.com]

Love YOU my dear, for your comments on this fic - it's so rewarding that you like it so much!

I hope you won't have to wait too long for the next chapter, but in the mean time there will be the bonus post to keep your appetite going! ^0^

[drgaellon]

I know you had at least one other offer to beta, but I'd like to offer as well. I'm an experienced beta in the Harry Potter, Supernatural and Kris/Adam fandoms, I know cooking, and I know Connecticut (if that matters).

[sevenswells.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! I was in the process of writing an e-mail to you right now. Indeed, empath89 has proposed to be my beta mostly to help me with my grammar, but I think having two betas would be even more helpful, if that's okay with you. I've had only one beta so far on a previous fic of mine, and she was a close friend to begin with, so I don't really know how general beta-ing process works. It really does matter that you know cooking and Connecticut, you have no idea how much I look forward to work with you! Also, your icon? Made of pure win! ^0^

I hope we'll get along! Thanks again for volunteering!

[(Anonymous)]

J'adore! Heureuse de lire -enfin- une histoire kurt/puck qui contient des mots de bon français!
By the way, I love the way they overly use their "pet name" (<=sorry, I'm sure I'm not as good in english as you in french! :S)!
...
Well, you catch my interest: this was fun, tense and endearing at the same time. I can't wait for the next chapter (but, oh! I will!).

Thanks!

[sevenswells.livejournal.com]

Thanks a lot for all the compliments!

I have absolutely no merit for the words in French, since French is my native language ^^ It's just with my English that I'm struggling a bit - but hey, I try, don't I?

I'm not sure: do you usually speak French or English? (enfin ma question c'est si tu es Français(e) ou pas, parce que sinon on peut se répondre français hein, pas de pb ^^)

[kirke-novak.livejournal.com]

I love it! Really! Love the bitchy!Kurt who finally decided to make the best of his promise and Puck's POV. Can't wait for more.

[sevenswells.livejournal.com]

Thank you for reading and for this adorable comment! I'm glad Kurt came across as bitchy as I wanted him to be! ^^
Working on chapter 2 right now, I hope I can post it as soon as I can, but right now I'm struggling a bit because there's a lot to think about ^^

[mattiezumi.livejournal.com]

OMG, you are an Evil Genius!!!!

Here I was thinking that these boys missing out on important character building experiences associated glee club, would be a bad thing. Silly me, I have seen the light! *cackling ensues* DRAMA!!!

The exchange between Puck and Kurt was so much hilarious with Puck's running mental commentary! If I were in Puck's position, I too would be like, fuck my life, but I can't help but commend Puck's maturity and attitude toward all this. I can see how humility would be a valuable asset in his line of work. In Kurt's, maybe not so much!

So much fun! I love the descriptions of Puck's meal, sounds magical! Unlike Puck though, I have no self control, especially when I'm hungry. I'm a complete beast. Anything and everything that is edible in the vicinity, goes right in my mouth, no preparation (and very minimal chewing!) whatsoever. But those radishes will haunt my dreams.

And Micheal Jackson's private auction items?! BAHAHAHA!!! Woman, you kill me!!!!

I'm so excited to see what comes next, especially Puck's crew, I adore your OC's, and I'm intrigued by Puck's mysterious Oliver.

And what a beautiful image to leave us with, oh Puck, I want to marry you!

[sevenswells.livejournal.com]

*glomps* Thank you my darling, I adore your comments!

I can see how humility would be a valuable asset in his line of work. In Kurt's, maybe not so much!

Spot on, as usual, I'm amazed! I won't develop this point here because it will be in the next chapter, but indeed, Puck's path and Kurt's are polar opposites too. In high school Puck was at the top of the hierarchy and Kurt constantly humbled, and after high school, it's, expectably, reversed. Puck is a character I really get - I mean, I understand simple people. Kurt to me is a little more complex. And here I realize that it was the exact same dynamics at work with Gackt and Miyavi as I wrote them... XD

I'm the same when I'm hungry! I'd eat anything, and sometimes people too, and not in a good way - I get terribly cranky, and if somebody gets between me and my food, they have to DIE. I could tear them to pieces. Like the proverbial incredible Hulk: you won't like me when I'm hungry.
But Puck's not the same as us, though, he's had cooking N1NJ4 TR41N1NG, and we all know how hard that is, so...
He finally had to learn discipline... *leers*

Love you bb, keep coming around I'm always happy to see you, and if you want Puckurt recs to get you started on the pairing, you just have to ask. ^___~

[raindance168.livejournal.com]

Ah, I haven't yet read a fic where Kurt follows through with his ultimatum for revenge! Chef!Puck is so incredibly sexy, hahahaha. And wow, the interactions between Kurt and Puck! You have their personalties down to a "T." I also love how you incorporated some French culture! I honestly didn't like how the song was sung (not used to the style, and it doesn't sound romantic in my opinion) but the lyrics are beautiful, very romantic, and fitting. Makes me want to experiment a bit with the English translation to see if I could come up with an appropriate melody I would be satisfied with. If I could pronounce the French correctly, I would probably experiment with the French, lol. (Stupid American accent and education system makes it difficult to learn languages properly. Though I did have the best accent in my class when I was in 5th grade, lol.) Ah, so nice to see Puck's soft, romantic side! Not to mention the whole romantic, French air of your fic (must have something to do with you being French? Ahahahaha).

Mmm, Aurelien is a beautiful name, as you mentioned to someone else. It's one of my favorites, too! He seems odd, and I can't wait to see how he will develop as our romantic comedy villain, hahaha. Please, write quickly! We all look forward to more of your wonderful story!

[sevenswells.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much!

I honestly didn't like how the song was sung (not used to the style, and it doesn't sound romantic in my opinion) but the lyrics are beautiful, very romantic, and fitting.

I get your point, yeah. Although, to be fair, I've stretched the interpretation of the song a little bit here: I'm not sure, but I think the song isn't meant to be romantic - Noir Désir is a very political band, and in the rest of the lyrics "massacres" are mentionned, so I could assume it wasn't really about love. I don't know what the song is really about though, but I loved those first sentences in the lyrics that are, as you said, beautiful and romantic, so I thought I might as well give a romantic meaning to the song in this fic ;P I have to say I also generally like the intensity with which Bertrand Cantat (the lead vocals) sings, there is something about him that I find very deep and sincere.
You're the first to tell me what you think of the song, thank you!!

Makes me want to experiment a bit with the English translation to see if I could come up with an appropriate melody I would be satisfied with.

OMG, I think I'd be very interested to hear that! Please let me know if you decide to give it a try!

I have prepared a few tricks up my sleeve for the character of Aurélien, indeed :D Love that you also love his name! ^^

Writing chapter 2 as we speak, I hope I won't be working on it for too long either, but it is a very dense chapter and there will be more things happening than in chapter 1. Writing fic is srs and exhausting bsns -0-;;

[lil-miss-choc.livejournal.com]

I've never heard of such delicious cheese on toast before - printing that out and trying it ASAP.

Loving this story so far, can't wait to see what happens next!