Taste

The flavors settle across my tongue in shapes and colors. ~Philip Kazan

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The gustatory system or sense of taste is the sensory system that is partially responsible for the perception of taste (flavor). Taste is the perception produced or stimulated when a substance in the mouth reacts chemically with taste receptor cells located on taste buds in the oral cavity, mostly on the tongue.

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The rattle of the weights as Eliot set the bar back on its rest grabbed Hardison's attention. With a shake of his head he refocused on his last set. Two more reps and he'd be done. Hardison had worked out with Eliot for years and by the end of his twenties and into the start of his thirties he'd figured he'd been in about the best physical shape he'd ever be in, but now that he was a werewolf he was playing on a whole different level. Eliot had insisted on longer harder workouts now to help him keep control of his wolf but at this point in the workout when he was tired and hungry he really didn't feel like he had much control.

Raw meat. He imagined that his eyes had gone yellow at the scent. His mouth watered in anticipation. Following on the heels of anticipation was nausea. He'd always hated undercooked meat. It didn't look good. It didn't taste good. How could someone eat something that wasn't fit for human consumption?

With a shudder he grabbed a towel and blotted at his face before draping it over his neck on the way out of the gym. He turned and headed for the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Eliot asked without turning away from the refrigerator.

"Gonna catch a shower."

"Eat your meat first."

Hardison stopped at the stairs. Turning he saw Eliot looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

"You need the protein and the calories."

"Couldn't we cook it first?"

"Is that the hang up?" Eliot snorted. "Com'ere. Let's do an experiment."

"I'm not a guinea pig. Just 'cause Parker likes using me to test out her new rigs doesn't mean yall get to try things out on me whenever."

"Dammit Hardison!" Eliot crossed his arms and scowled. "Just sit down. I ain't the one throwing you offa buildings."

"Recently." He enunciated. "You haven't thrown me off a building recently."

"Whatever." Eliot tied his apron strings and pulled his bandana into place. He took the plate of raw meat and set it next to the stove. "Have you thought about what we're going to do on the next full moon?"

"Not especially." Hardison lied.

"You know I can smell that lie."

"Fine." Hardison picked at a spot on the counter. "That first hunt, I was so nervous and excited. I knew from what you'd said that we'd hunt something and I was so scared I'd get it wrong. But I hadn't really put much thought into what would happen if we did catch something. Then Parker took off and the whole night went sideways and it didn't matter." He shrugged.

"I've met a couple wolves that don't care for the hunt, but that's not the norm. And it certainly isn't going to be normal for you."

"'Cause you aren't going to have a sissy pack that doesn't hunt?"

Eliot huffed a near silent chuckle. "No. If I was worried about that I wouldn't hang around here for movies on moon nights." Eliot took another package of meat out of the fridge and started warming it in the oven. "On your very first change on your first day as a wolf you weren't in your wolf form for ten minutes before you wanted to hunt. It was just a squirrel but it was obvious you wanted to catch it. And I guarantee in your wolf form you wouldn't have tried to make it your little friend. You would have eaten it."

Hardison watched as Eliot cooked half the meat from the plate in nothing but a little oil and then set it to the side. The second half was added to the skillet along with a number of herbs and spices.

"So you're still planning on a hunt for the next moon?" Hardison didn't know whether he was excited about that or not.

"Yes." Eliot tossed the contents in his skillet. With a sigh he looked at Hardison. "Feelings and emotions and all that are more Sophie's territory than mine, but we share a pack bond now so what I'm feeling should be obvious to you. I'm not manipulating the bonds 'cause I don't think that's fair or useful." He put the contents of his skillet into a bowl while he gathered his thoughts. "I've dreamt of hunting with my own pack since I became a wolf. I've hunted with Nati and her pack and one or two others but it's not the same. If you, if your wolf, had no interest in hunting then that would be that. I wouldn't force it. But since it seems like something your wolf would enjoy, yes, I want us to hunt together."

"Will I have to eat whatever we catch?"

"No, but I think you'll want to. We'll see." Eliot checked on the meat he had warming in the oven. "Alright. Close your eyes." Eliot pushed his authority into the words.

"Seriously? A full on order?"

"You cheat." Eliot moved the plates and bowl onto the counter. He placed a fork in Hardison's hand and guided him to the first one. "I want you to try a bite from each one and tell me which you like best."

"I feel like I'm on the try outs for that show Hungry. You know the one where the contestants are blindfolded before they taste things."

"Just try one." Eliot grumped.

Hardison lifted the first bite and sniffed it before he put the bite in his mouth. "Is that rosemary or basil that you seasoned this with?"

"Seriously? You can't tell the difference between rosemary and basil?" There was no hiding Eliot's disgust.

Hardison moved on to the next two bites in much the same fashion. "Okay." He tapped at a plate. "This one."

"Take a look."

Hardison opened his eyes and frowned. His fork was resting on the plate of raw meat. "You've gotta be kidding."

"Close your eyes again." Eliot didn't make it an order this time. "Try again. But don't smell the food before you taste it." Eliot slid the dishes around until they were in a different order. "Exhale and take a bite."

Hardison moved through all three dishes. "Okay. This one I can still taste the rosemary or whatever it is but it kinda covers up the flavor of the meat. I mean it's good. Your cooking's never not good. But still…" On the second bite he thought for a moment. "This is plainer than the last bite put it tastes… I don't know… a little odd." Hardison went for the third bite and smiled as he chewed it. "The flavor and the texture was better on that bite. Something about it was… I don't know, just better." He opened his eyes and saw his fork on the plate of raw meat again.

Eliot felt Hardison's enjoyment turn into surprise and then confusion. "Your senses have changed. There will be plenty of times when the spices and the seasonings will be the whole point of the meal and you'll enjoy cooked meat because of the flavors that have been added. But when it comes to enjoying meat; raw is almost always best."

"I really wanna argue with you but now I guess I can't." Hardison looked chagrined.

"There are so many things that you'll be able to enjoy more because of your heightened senses. You just have to give them a chance."

"I'll try to be more open minded." Hardison made it half way up the stairs before he turned back. "I am looking forward to the hunt on the next moon night."

"Me too."

Hardison hurried up the last few stairs. As he got closer to his room he could of course smell Parker but the scent was strong so he knew that she was there or had just been there. He could hear the shower running before he'd reached the door so it wasn't a surprise that she wasn't in the bedroom. As he closed the door to their room he noticed a light sweet smell. The scent seemed to go straight to his tongue and he could taste the lightest essence of honey. He followed the scent to a small black jar.

"Honey dust?"

He could feel a sense of anticipation come through his mate bond that wasn't present in his pack bond to Parker. "Babe? What do you have planned?"

"I know you've been dealing with somethings you don't like about your heightened senses but I thought maybe we could find some things you enjoy about them too."

Hardison couldn't have helped noticing how nervous Parker seemed even if he hadn't had bonds to her. He knew Parker loved him but sometimes saying it or demonstrating it were still hard for her. He knew the honey dust was way outside her usual comfort zone because it was such a blatant invitation.

"Parker," He pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head. "you are already all of the best things. Granted I'm not going to turn down the honey dust 'cause, damn if it don't give me shivers just thinkin' about it. But I love you already with or without honey dust."

"Good." She held him a little tighter. "Go take your shower." She pushed up on her toes to kiss him.

"I think I probably like the taste of your kisses even better than honey dust."

"We'll find out."