Cats and Dogs – Home Cooking
Kat stands at the stove in the superior officers' lounge. It's a nice break from the cafeteria, when generic tuna salad just won't do. So, she cooks some yellow tail in a frying pan with some garlic and a special sauce she doesn't describe to untrusted ears. The activity is calming for her. A humming/purring escapes her throat.`
"Enjoying the domesticity, Kat?" Cruger asks kindly from the door.
"Hey, Doggie," she greets sweetly in return. "Want some?"
"I always love your cooking," Cruger takes two plates and some cutlery from the kitchenette and sets them on the small table. "Yellow tail?—garlic—Kat sauce?"
"Your nose never fails."
They eat in amicable silence, savoring the food with minimal small talk between bites. Doggie makes satisfactory noises as he enjoys the meal—the only time he gets food not from the cafeteria is either when Kat cooks or brings him back a doggy bag (how he loathes that term) from eating out.
"Kat, that was delicious as always," Doggie compliments, licking his muzzle in satisfaction.
"Thank you, Doggie," Kat smiles shyly at the compliment. She stands and takes his plate from him.
"Let me take care of those, Kat," Cruger says as he stands to tower over her. When she's not in heeled boots in only serves to emphasize their height difference – discounting the height of his ears – and his impressive physique adds to the effect.
"Oh, no, Doggie, I've got it." Before Kat can protest he has taken the towel from her shoulder and positions himself at her left.
"You wash, I'll dry and put away."
The two develop a rhythm, working in comfortable silence with well developed synchronicity. Their presences serve to balance each other, making the air of the room a sweet, mellow aura. Kat smiles as she washes the dishes from the meal and its preparation. Doggie dries them swiftly and puts them away.
At one point he places a hand on her hip to still her, reaching behind and above her to put away his personal bowl on the top shelf. He notices Kat's rigidity and smiles to himself. When he leaves their closest proximity she resumes washing, but her movements betray her nerves. She hands him the last plate slowly, as if it will break this beautiful spell of calm. He takes it with the same care, in a way, showing that he also treasures this peace with her.
Kat moves to take the towel but before she can he is already drying her hands for her. The movements are so tender her heart melts and thuds at the same time. He keeps his eyes on her hands, feminine and delicate. When he's done drying them he continues to hold them in his paws for a second before rolling her lab coat sleeves down, one at a time. He brushes the wrinkles out of them and takes her hands again. The tip of his muzzle is perilously close to her lips. So close that she can't resist leaning forward. Her lips meet the slight lip curvature of his muzzle sweetly. When she leans back her heart pounds in her ears and her cheeks are dusted pink. As she pulls away he leans forward, kissing her just as gently, tentatively. They meet together for one final kiss, savoring each other as their lips part torturously. Once they part this moment will go unacknowledged as a whole. They will smile and remember, but now, it is the pure bliss and harmony of the moment that makes Kat smile with all her heart, and find Cruger doing the same.