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“Connor, I just, I just don’t think it’s a good idea...”
“Evan. I know what I’m doing.”
“O-okay, but are you sure that-”
“Do you not trust me?”
“Oh yes! Yes, of, of course I trust you, I just don’t think that, an entire stick of butter in um, in one cake is very healthy?” Evan said from the counter. There he sat as he watched Connor bake. The young man claimed to be a baking genius and was more than happy to demonstrate at Evan’s request. So, both had set aside one Saturday afternoon to make a cake. They had gone shopping for any ingredients the day before, and now, they stood in the kitchen as Connor mixed together various food stuffs. As he dumped the soft yellow butter into the bowl, Evan cringed, he knew it would be all spread out, but just knowing that much fat would be going into it… He shuddered at the thought.
Connor seemed to notice as the chills ran down his spine. He tried to reassure him. “ Relax , babe. This is literally called a butter cake. It wouldn’t be complete without it.” As he said that, he proceeded to pour an entire box of powdered sugar into the mix without hesitation.
At that, Evan hopped off the counter to walk up next to him. “ Connor! What, what are you doing?!”
In response, he just rolled his eyes and sighed. There was some annoyance in his voice as he replied, “What does it look like? I’m putting in the powdered sugar obviously! I know what I'm doing!”
The statement did have much power though as he continued to drop in yet another whole package. This time it was cream cheese. Evan shrieked. This was an absolute outrage. Nothing was being proportioned. Everything was being dropped in without a single measurement. He was appalled. As a great fan of cooking shows himself, he appreciated baking and cooking as precise and carefully calculated edible art forms. There were timers, thermometers, measuring cups, scales. You didn’t just throw in entire boxes and packages of junk! Evan struggled to figure out how any of these would combine to make an edible object. In a desperate attempt to stop Connor, he snatched the bowl from the countertop and tried to carry it away. He didn’t get very far before his boyfriend’s stern voice had stopped him from going past the living room.
“ Evan! ” he snapped from the kitchen. His was glaring at him from over the breakfast bar, holding out to arms expectantly. Those arms were not a welcome for a tight hug or gentle embrace. It was an unspoken command to hand the fucking bowl over.
Then, like a guilty dog, Evan trudged back to the small island in the middle of the kitchen and wordlessly placed the bowl in his hands. Looking up to him with sorry eyes, he tried to mumble an apology.
Connor just stared for a moment before speaking. “Just leave me alone.”
With a nod, he made his way back to the living room where he sat and waited for him to finish, or at least put the batter in the oven. As he rest on the couch, he could hear the noises. He couldn’t find it within himself to actually watch after offending him, but he could at least tell where he was in the process by listening. The crack of egg shells, the turn of a whisk, the electric buzz of a mixer. A shifting as Connor rolled up his sleeves, and a clattering of utensils. A spray of Pam, and the scraping of a spatula. The oven creaked and clanged as it opened and closed, and the timer finally clicked to however much time it needed.
The last sound Evan heard was Connor stepping over from the tiled kitchen into the carpeted living room as he sat next to him. That was when he finally allowed himself to turn and look.
Again, he tried to apologize. “I um, I’m sorry for being so, so insensitive. I’m sure you-”
“Yeah. You’re fine. It’s fine. I was overreacting.” Connor’s arms were around his waist as his chin rested over his shoulder. Evan smiled softly as he stroked his boyfriend’s hair. He was pulled forward to lay on his chest as the two cuddled on the couch. Slowly, he felt his eyes grow heavy as he let himself nap.
Seemingly moments later, he was awoken by the sound of the timer going off. It was a single, very loud ding! that pulled him from his dreams.
He pulled himself off of Connor as he rose to retrieve the cake from the oven. Using some blue oven mitts, he carefully took out the golden brown concoction. Leaving it on the counter, he went back to the couch. Reminding Evan that they had to wait for it to cool, he set a timer on his phone as they took yet another nap. When the sounds of the iPhone ringtone Apex began to play, Connor excited hopped up and ran to cut a slice. As he prepared a single sliver for Evan on a plate, he smiled.
“Are you ready for the best slice of cake you’ve ever tasted?”