Katsudon

     A rhythmic hum emanated from Camry’s throat as he stood before the stove, his hips swaying in tune with the beat blasting from the speaker he had stationed atop the kitchen table. His left hand grasped the handle of a frying pan while his right held the hilt of a spatula, which he used to slip beneath one of the pork chops sizzling in the pan and flip it onto its other side. He repeated the action on the second piece, watching as the seasoned breading cooked to a golden-brown shade. On the counter sat a rice cooker, steam pouring from the ventilation in the lid as it slowly heated its contents.

         Camry spun on his heel, cocking his hip in time with a drum beat that vibrated against the kitchen table. He softly murmured the words to the pop song permeating the air, twisting about as he crossed the small kitchen in the direction of the fridge. Opening the door, he dropped into a squat in a manner that, had his boyfriend been home to witness it, would have earned him a whistle. He reached for the vegetable drawer, hooking two slender fingers under the lip and pulling it open before shoving his hand inside and catching a plastic bag full of green onions between his knuckles. He withdrew it from its confinement, pushed the drawer back into place with his foot, and stepped away from the fridge to let the door swing closed. His socked feet shuffled softly across the linoleum as he approached the cutting board that sat on the counter beside the rice cooker. Setting the onions down with one hand, his other reached towards the wall where the knife block stood, and wrapped around the hilt of a smaller knife. He pulled it from its place and set it on the counter, removing the onions from their plastic prison and tossing the plastic bag aside. He made quick work of chopping the long vegetables into tiny rings, setting them aside in order to remove the pork chops from the pan and set them on a second cutting board.

         As Camry moved the large frying pan that had cooked the meat to the side, he brought forth a smaller pan, clean and ready to assist him. Setting it on the front burner, he poured in generous amounts of soy sauce, katsu, hoisin, and rice vinegar, stirring them together before switching on the heat. In a bowl, he cracked one egg, discarding the shell before sprinkling it with salt, pepper, and garlic and dropping in a handful of green onion slices. He whisked everything together as the sauces began to cook, and once the pan was sufficiently heated, he poured in the egg. As it blended together, he picked up his previously forgotten knife and sliced both of the pork chops into even strips. Dancing on his toes, he crossed the kitchen once more to reach the cupboard above the sink, fetching two bowls from within. Padding back towards the stove, he stopped at the counter, switching off the rice cooker and removing the lid. He shoved a rice spoon inside and evenly divided the cooked rice between the two bowls before carrying them to the stove.

         The scent that wafted through the air and into Keegan’s nostrils upon entering his apartment was heavenly. He exhaled a sigh mingled with a whine as he closed and locked the door behind him, tiredly sauntering into the building and following his nose all the way to the kitchen. Jacket still lazily acquired and backpack barely hanging onto his shoulder, he lingered in the doorway, a smirk dancing across his lips as his eyes appreciated the sight that greeted him. Camry had yet to notice his arrival, too busy swaying and wiggling to the beat of his playlist. The kitchen table was set with a new tablecloth (Keegan had accidentally burned a hole in the old one thinking that it could handle the heat of a pot freshly removed from the stove), two wine glasses, silverware, and an assortment of votive candles in mismatching holders. That brought a laugh bubbling in Keegan’s throat – he and Camry often received candles as gifts during the holidays, some with holders, some without. They never minded the mixed scents or multiple colors, claiming that it added character to their apartment.

         Camry spun on his heel with a gasp on his lips, having heard a noise behind him. “Babe! You scared me! I didn’t hear you come in.”

         “That’s because your music is so loud,” Keegan teased, crossing the threshold into the kitchen and dropping his backpack on the floor. “What’s with the setup?”

         Camry lifted a hand, silently telling his boyfriend to wait a moment as he carried two bowls, now complete with rice, egg, sauce, and pork, to the table, setting one down beside each empty glass. He then opened the fridge and withdrew a bottle of sparkling cider, setting it on the table as well. He gestured for Keegan to sit down, and the latter happily complied, dropping into a chair and watching Camry delicately slide into his own.

         “You’ve been working extra shifts lately,” Camry stated, shyly brushing his fluffy blond bangs from his eyes. “Since I’m between jobs, making sure you come home to a nice dinner and a clean apartment is the least I can do.”

         “Aw, babe,” Keegan grinned, leaning forward to capture his boyfriend’s lips in a chaste kiss. “You know you don’t have to do all of this. I love it – don’t get me wrong. But I don’t expect you to be a housewife.” He paused. “Er, househusband.”

         The blond giggled softly. “I know. But we can’t go out tonight because of all our bills and we agreed not to buy presents this year, so I made your favorite dinner and set the table all pretty instead. I figured after you shower, we could binge some Netflix and sleep in tomorrow since it’s your day off.”

         “All of that sounds perfect,” Keegan melted, gazing into Camry’s eyes. His heart twisted with the love and adoration he felt for the boy sitting across from him. “You’re the best. Really. You know how much I love your cooking.”

         Camry brightened at the compliment. “I know you do. Now eat up. There’s cheesecake setting in the fridge – I thought we could just take the pan to bed with us and eat it while we’re watching Netflix.”

         Keegan moaned softly as he shoved a forkful of dinner into his mouth. “You are the literal best.” He chewed and swallowed before offering his boyfriend a suggestive eyebrow waggle. “You’re going to join me in the shower, right?”

         The soft blush that dusted the blond’s cheeks was worth nearly choking on his food. “Of course, I am.”

         With a grin, Keegan returned to his food. The gel he’d applied to his raven hair earlier that morning was still holding up, keeping his spikes perfectly in place as he animatedly told his boyfriend about his day. When they finished their dinner and cider, Camry gathered up the dishes in the sink. Keegan stood behind him, strong arms wrapped around a thin waist, pressing butterfly kisses to the underside of the blond’s jaw.

         “Babe, let me clean the kitchen,” Camry insisted, attempting to duck his head away from his boyfriend’s lips.

         “You’re supposed to shower with me,” Keegan reminded him, tightening his hold. “Leave the dishes just this once. I promise I’ll help you clean tomorrow.”

         Turning to face his boyfriend, Camry crossed his arms over his chest and exhaled a huff. “Fine. Just this once.”

         Keegan grinned triumphantly and dipped his head to steal a longing kiss from Camry’s mouth. “Happy anniversary, babe.”

         Camry rolled his eyes, but smiled into the kiss nonetheless. “Happy anniversary, love.”