“Zhoumi turn it down!” Hangeng shouted over the sound of the rice frying much faster than it should have. Zhoumi stood at the stove, one hand clutching the frying pan and the other hand turning the various dials and knobs on the front of the stove to turn the flame down.

“You have to keep it at a lower heat. It takes longer to cook but it tastes much better.” Hangeng said as he pushed the rice around the pan, making sure it wasn't burnt.

“This is hard gege! How can you do this so easily?” Zhoumi said as he watched Hangeng chopping some vegetables.

Hangeng laughed as he looked to Zhoumi. “I've just had a lot of practice. Don't get discouraged Mimi, this time it is turning out much better than your last few attempts. . .” Hangeng's sentence trailed off as both Chinese men looked to the sink where six frying pans were stacked up with unidentifiable black goo caked in them. Zhoumi laughed nervously and returned his attention to the pan in front of him.

He and Henry's anniversary was coming up. They had been dating for a full year already and Zhoumi wanted to make it super special. Henry had said he didn't want to do anything very fancy because he might feel bad if Zhoumi's gift was ten times more expensive than his own gift. So they both agreed to just spend the day together doing whatever they felt like doing. Zhoumi was perfectly fine with doing that, but since Henry was so special to him he wanted to do something to show his puffy cheeked lover how much he loved being with him. After much deliberation and witnessing Henry shovel three bowl fulls of Hangeng's fried rice into his mouth, Zhoumi decided he would cook for his precious Mochi.

And that was how he ended up in the kitchen with Hangeng, cooking pan after pan of rice under the older man's skilled teaching. Zhoumi was not good at working with his hands. He was a lousy artist and even worse at playing instruments. His talents were in fashion and singing, neither of which involved extensive use of your hands. So when Hangeng stood at the door of he and Heechul's shared bedroom with Zhoumi asking to teach him to cook he had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing. After the miserable experience of listening to Zhoumi attempt to play Henry's violin, Hangeng couldn't imagine what kinds of horrible things could go down in Ryewook and Sungmin's precious kitchen.

“Gege am I doing alright?” Zhoumi asked and tossed the rice in the pain as Hangeng told him to do. The older Chinese man took a spoon and lifted some of it to his mouth before he smiled and nodded.

“Tastes good. Its better to not add a lot of spices so that the rice can be seasoned to the taste of the person who is eating it.” Hangeng commented as he turned off the stove and pat Zhoumi on the back. “Good job Mimi. If you make the rice tomorrow the way you made it just now Henry will be very happy.”

Zhoumi beamed as Hangeng praised his work. He was so glad he didn't have to buy something to show his affection. Making something by hand for Henry made his whole body feel floaty. He wasn't able to paint him a picture or draw him a card, and he couldn't play the piano or guitar or anything so he was glad he could finally make something for Henry with his own hands.

“Henly I love you~” Zhoumi said as he leaned over and smiled at the pan of rice. Hangeng had said for it to taste good he had to put all his love for the other person into the rice. He smiled and took a deep breath before belting out 'saranghae Henly' in his beautiful singing voice. When the notes faded away he stood and put the rice into the tupper container, humming as he labeled it with a sticky note that said 'ZhouRy Anniversary – Do Not Eat!'. He closed the refrigerator and turned to leave the kitchen when the goo covered frying pans caught his eye. Zhoumi sighed and went to the sink where he spent the next three ours scrubbing the blackened goo that used to be rice from the bottom of the pans.

-~-~-~-~

“Hannie. . .” Heechul whined as he stumbled inside the door of he and Hangeng's shared bedroom. Hangeng looked up from the book he was reading, his glasses sliding down his nose from the movement.

“Rella!” Hangeng smiled and set the book down. He opened his arms as Heechul climbed into his lap and cuddled up to his chest. “How was the filming?”

“Long. . .And I didn't get to see you all day so it made it worse. . .” Heechul said sleepily as Hangeng kissed his forehead and nose. “Did Zhoumi do well under your guidance today?”

Hangeng sighed and shook his head. “It tastes absolutely horrible. But I told him it tastes good so go along with it ok?”

Heechul laughed and looked up at his younger lover. “Why did you tell him that?”

“Have you ever heard that saying about cooking Chullie?” Heechul shook his head at Hangeng's question. “Cooking is love made visible.” Hangeng said to fill Heechul in before he continued. “It isn't my place to tell him that he is the worst cook on the planet when he is trying to do his best for Henry with something he is completely unfamiliar with. You should have seen him working with a smile on his face, I couldn't just break his spirits by saying something so cold when he is so happy to do this for Henry.”

Heechul leaned up and placed a soft kiss to the corner of Hangeng's lips. “My Hannie, you are always so sweet. That's one of the reasons I love you so much.” Heechul admitted as he settled against Hangeng's body, too tired to even crawl to his side of the bed.

Hangeng laughed and hugged Heechul as he laid between his legs and leaned his back into his chest. He could feel Heechul's breathing even out as the older man slowly fell asleep. “I love you too Rella.”

“I have to wonder. . .what Henry will say when he eats the food Zhoumi made. . .” Heechul murmured before he submitted to his subconscious and let sleep take over.

Hangeng sighed as he wondered the same thing. Even though Henry loved Zhoumi, he wasn't sure if Henry could say the same about the cooking.

“Aish it will be fine. . .” Hangeng assured himself as he turned off the lamp and followed his princess into dream land.

-~-~-~-~-~

Henry stared at the spread of food before him. He and Zhoumi's one year anniversary had finally arrived. He thought they had agreed not to spend a bunch of money on each other, since he wrote the older man a song that he would play on his violin. But seeing the amount of food sitting on the table made him wonder if Zhoumi had broken their agreement.

“Mimi. . .?” He asked as he looked to the Chinese man who stood proudly next to him in front of the table.

“I know what you are thinking and no I didn't spend any money at all. Well, except on ingredients. . . But I cooked this all myself!” Zhoumi said happily while he pulled out Henry's chair. Henry sat down with an amazed look on his face.

“Mimi you did all this?!” Henry asked again as he his lips. It all looked so delicious he didn't know what to do with himself.

“Try some Henly!” Zhoumi smiled and put some of the rice and chicken on Henry's plate.

Henry nodded and scooped up a huge spoonful of the rice before sticking it in his mouth. Almost immediately the burnt taste filled his mouth and he swallowed quickly. The food left a strange burnt flavored aftertaste in his mouth as he looked to Zhoumi who was waiting to see Henry's reaction to the food with a look of pure excitement and happiness. The older man looked like an adorable little puppy that needed attention and Henry felt that if he told Zhoumi that the food tasted bad he would be kicking said puppy.

“Does it taste good Henly?” Zhoumi asked as he leaned towards Henry. Henry quickly nodded and smiled as lovingly as he possibly could.

“It tastes incredible Mimi. Did you practice a lot? When you tried to cook before you burned everything but now it tastes so good!” Henry said as he shoved more food into his mouth and downed some water right after to avoid the burnt taste from lingering on his tongue.

Zhoumi smiled so big Henry thought his heart would burst with happiness. This man loved him enough to practice cooking and even got to the point where it looked like food and not burnt goo. Zhoumi loved him enough to put his all into the cooking just to see Henry smile. Just thinking about it made Henry smile and he pulled Zhoumi closer to kiss his lips.

“Thank you Mimi. I love you so much!” Henry said after their lips had parted. Zhoumi smiled back at him, his eyes lighting up as Henry spoke.

“I love you too Henly. Happy anniversary!”

Hangeng smiled as he stood in the hallway with Heechul, out of sight from the happy couple in the dining room but still within earshot. After a few minutes the sound of a happy violin tune floated to their ears and Hangeng pulled Heechul back to their room to give the couple some privacy.

“They love each other a lot don't they Hannie?” Heechul smiled as he laid next to Hangeng.

“I think they do. Only someone who truly loves Zhoumi can say that his cooking is incredible and then proceed to eat everything on the table.” Hangeng said as he felt deep respect well up in his heart for Henry. Even he didn't have enough courage to eat more than one bite. Heechul smiled and leaned up to kiss Hangeng. The younger of the two nodded and put his arm around Heechul as the elder spoke.

“Happy Anniversary you two. I wish you happiness, just as Hangeng and I have.” Hangeng smiled at Heechul and kissed his lips. “If you have as much happiness as Rella and I have, you will surely be happy forever.”

The sounds that drifted from down the hallway as Henry's bow danced over the violin strings calmed Hangeng and Heechul while they wished the best for their dongsaengs. Love grows much stronger over time. There would be bumps along the way but as long as Henry continued to play his violin and Zhoumi continued to cook, Hangeng was sure that they would last forever.