If anyone ever asked Art what the worst part of his training regiment was, he'd say the early mornings. His routine of getting up several hours before the sun even thought of rising, pushing himself to the brink of collapse all before 8 am with a lingering ache in his bones that never went away.

But if he were to answer truthfully— like he was pulling a response from the darkest depths of his heart— Art would say none of that even comes remotely close to the diet he's had to maintain since his days at the Mark Rebellato Tennis Academy.

God, that damn diet of his. You'd think with some of the best nutritionists on his team that his meals would be bearable, but they're the complete opposite. He'd kissed the thought of food having flavor goodbye a long time ago, but sometimes there are days when he just can't stomach a dish that looks and tastes like cardboard or the bitter green juice he washes it down with.

But anything to keep himself fit, right? There's a reason Art's a household name in the tennis world, and he can't maintain that on a diet with little to no nutritional value. However, that doesn't mean there aren't days when he sneaks a few fries from Lily's Happy Meal, or a cookie or two that you and her baked while he ran laps around the tennis court in the backyard, or even a handful of candy included with one of the many PR packages he's meant to promote on his social media.

Besides, Art knows how serious you are that he stays committed to his regimen, but the gift basket with the chocolate-covered fruit and wine sent to you by some brand you'd partnered with had just been too tempting. Art's caught with his hand in the cookie jar— not literally, this time— but his expression's a mixture of sheepishness, amusement, and guilt as he finishes chewing a strawberry covered in chocolate drizzle.

"You did leave them out in the open," he sighs, managing a tight chuckle as he approaches you and curls his arms around your midsection. "It was either me or Lily, and she doesn't need all that sugar."