The party had gone well, for the most part. Spada and Chen made great effort to keep a distance between them, only getting close when it was time to cut the cake. Everyone enjoyed the cake, as Spada had hoped, and he liked being able to mingle with the other members of EXO Planet’s Legends. They were all kind, with their own personalities that made them entertaining to chat with. Though Spada mainly stayed near the refreshments, serving snacks and drinks to everyone, he had a fondness for watching everyone interact. It was a chef’s privilege to watch others delight in whatever food they ate, and it meant that he could observe everyone outside of just their enjoyment of what they were eating.

This allowed him an opportunity to also observe Chen, who flitted about from guest to guest, making light conversation with everyone. He was incredibly outgoing, and Spada could see how his playful charm could win over anyone he met. His catlike smile that Spada had read as dangerous now read as infectiously joyous. What he had seen flash as a devilish curl at the ends of his mouth were now filled with mirth as the man chatted up everyone he met.

Chen’s words still echoed in the back of Spada’s mind, though.

Their echo was so deafening that once the party had ended and everything was cleaned up, he found himself before Chen’s quarters in a daze. The door was shut and no sounds were heard from inside. Spada had tapped his knuckles against the door thrice as he heard Chen’s voice like a song say he was coming. The man’s shock at Spada’s visage read evident on his face for but a flash before his catlike smile returned to his lips and he drew himself to sit on the edge of his bed, watching Spada stand awkwardly in the doorway.

Light from twin moons filtered into the dimly-lit room, leaving the man seated on the bed in a strange glow. There was a single lamp on the nightstand giving a warm hue to the room while a small computer whirred quietly on a nearby desk. Despite the lack of lighting, the details of the room could be seen fairly well. The walls had posters and pictures clinging to them, a calendar hanging on the wall above the desk, clothes had been hastily gathered into a single corner of the room, and propped up against the wall by the door was an armoire and a cabinet filled with weaponry. It was the organized mess of a young warrior, and that young warrior was staring gently at Spada in the warm glow of the lamp.

“I didn’t expect you to actually come,” Chen laughed, waving the handsome chef over and patting a spot next to him on the bed.

“I wasn’t expecting to actually come, either,” Spada murmured, hesitating before he walked further into the room after shutting the door behind him.

Chen hummed as Spada nervously sat next to him, keeping a large space between their bodies. From this angle, the cake Spada had gifted Chen could be clearly seen sitting on the desk waiting to be devoured as a late night snack. Spada smiled as his eyes on that cake, remembering how vulnerable Chen had become from its taste. It was not his place to pry, though he did wonder just what memories the cake had conjured for Chen.

“You didn’t have to come,” Chen said quietly. “I was joking earlier... though I realize now that it was in bad taste. I’m sorry about making things awkward between us. I really do like you.”

Spada raised his eyebrows, “Do you mean as a friend or as a love interest?”

Chen laughed lightly, “As a person in general. Kissing you without permission was wrong, but I didn’t know how else to convey my thanks to you. I mean... you saw it...”

“Your enjoyment was thanks enough,” Spada said with a sigh. “Seeing someone enjoy their food so honestly is the greatest reward I can get.”

“But you don’t even know what I was thinking at the time.”

“I don’t need to know,” Spada insisted. “Everything I needed to know was in that moment. You remembered something so blissful from your past that it hurt to remember it. That mournful ache for a joyful time long ago is nostalgia.”

Silence fell over Chen as he looked down at his feet. His shoes had long been discarded as he relaxed in his room, staring at the cake on his desk as the event in the kitchen repeated in his mind. Why did he do that? Why did he say that? Was it all truly a joke? He pondered this before Spada’s arrival interrupted him. Whatever emotions he felt would be part of that mournful ache. The Kyurangers would be leaving in a few days and Chen would be left with those questions forever etched in his heart.

“I was thinking of my mom,” Chen said quietly as the silence was becoming unbearable.

Spada made a knowing sound, nodding, “She used to make cakes just like that, right?”

“Yeah,” Chen confirmed. “And beyond that, it reminded me of the family I lost due to the war. My mom was one of the casualties... my wife and daughter, too. This base and our ship are my home now that I have no place else to return to. All of my family and everyone in my homeland... they were wiped out completely... The other EXO Legends are the only family I have now.”

Instinctively, Spada placed a hand on Chen’s knee, hoping to send a bit of reassurance to him. “All of us understand loss,” he said quietly, looking Chen in the eyes. “For you, it was the Red Force, while for us it’s Jark Matter, but the loss is still the same. If I could give you just a small bit of comfort through food, then I’m glad that I could help even in such a minor way.”

Chen’s eyes had filled with tears again, but this time he did not stop their fall. They spilled onto his cheeks before he completely broke down, curling over where he sat. Spada moved his hand to rub against Chen’s back as the man wept, wondering how long Chen had been putting on a brave face to crumple like this before a stranger. Or perhaps it was because they knew each other so little that Chen felt no restraint in exposing this vulnerability to him. Spada could only speculate as Chen wept, the sound of it wounding him with each sharp inhale Chen took between his sobbing.

Soon Chen’s weeping slowed, his breathing calming again. Spada had moved closer to Chen in that span of time, offering gentle touches of reassurance. Chen slowly uncurled from his hunched position, his face and eyes red from the exhaustion of it. A warm smile was offered by Spada and it was returned with a smaller, apologetic smile from Chen.

With a gentle touch, Spada wiped away Chen’s tears with his hand, cupping the man’s cheek to feel the heat of his flushed face against his cool palm. The Kyuranger’s eyes fell from Chen’s eyes to his lips. They were dry from the moisture having moved to his eyes, yet he found them appealing somehow.

“Kiss me,” Chen whispered, his voice hoarse from crying.

Spada’s face dipped lower only to draw away quickly, shaking his head, “No... You’re married and... this is inappropriate...”

A rasping laugh left Chen’s lips, lifting a hand to flick his fingers against Spada’s forehead. Spada flinched, quickly putting a hand to his forehead where the wound was inflicted while Chen laughed a little longer.

“Why did you do that?” Spada asked.

“To ruin the atmosphere,” Chen said with a catlike smirk. “I meant what I said before, though. I really do like you.”

“As a person in general,” Spada said quietly.

“As a person in general,” Chen confirmed, “though also as I person I’d like to kiss again sometime, if you ever decide to be open to it.”

Nodding, Spada decided to stand up from the bed, seeing it as a good time to take his leave. He had no idea what compelled him to visit Chen’s room so late at night, and he still had no idea as to why he had come at all. He felt that he knew the Legend a little better now, yet further questions had been revealed along the way. The only thing he was somewhat certain about was that Chen was lonely.

Chen had watched as Spada lifted off the bed and straightened his clothes. After fixing his hat on his head, Chen opened his mouth, making a noise before shaking his head. He wanted to ask Spada to stay, but he knew that was impossible. Spada would leave and Chen would have to live with the knowledge that he will likely never see the man again. Holding out false hope would only hurt him more than he already was. Meeting Spada had damaged his heart and was going to leave a nasty scar on it, adding to the collection of wounds there that would never fully heal.

“Once Jark Matter is defeated,” Spada said slowly, bending down a little to make even eye contact with Chen, “I plan on opening a restaurant. You’re welcome to come and enjoy my food again any time. I’ll give you a discount and maybe a kiss on the side, if you still want me to.”

Chen’s expression softened in a way that Spada had never imagined, and quick as lightning the Legend had darted from the bed, wrapping his arms around Spada’s body in a firm, desperate embrace.

Confirmation of Chen’s loneliness was felt acutely in that embrace as the man buried his face in Spada’s shoulder. Spada reciprocated gently, rubbing his hands against Chen’s back until he was freed from the hug. Chen patted Spada on the shoulder before pulling back entirely, grinning ear to ear.

“Maybe by then I won’t need that kiss anymore,” Chen hummed before letting out a short laugh.

That laugh ended abruptly as lips touched lightly against Chen’s forehead.

Shock filled Chen’s expression as he looked into Spada’s eyes, finding genuine warmth and kindness radiating from him.

“Think of that kiss as an appetizer,” Spada chuckled as he turned away and walked towards the door.

Chen made a sound in protest, but Spada was already through the door before words could leave his mouth. Chen’s legs propelled him to the door, finding Spada’s back as he walked down the hallway towards the main sections of the base. Jumbled thoughts were keeping him from being able to say anything coherent, though he did manage to yell out Spada’s name. Spada paused, looking back at Chen with a smirk, holding a finger over his lips before turning away and disappearing into the blackness of the empty corridor.

The door to Chen’s room squeaked shut as he returned to the bed, flopping onto his back as his fingers touched the spot on his forehead where Spada had kissed him. His eyes drifted to his desk, the partially eaten cake sitting there, waiting to be finished. With a long exhale of breath, Chen sat up and reached out for the cake. He stared at it for a long moment, its scent reminding him not just of his destroyed homeland but also of the intriguing man who baked it.

He imagined Spada in the near future, dressed as a master chef as he set before him this exact same cake in celebration of the galaxy being free from the evil of Jark Matter. He imagined them both eating it and remembering their short time together on EXO Planet. What he could not imagine was them kissing again. If their lips met in his mind, then he would be disappointed if the real thing did not match his expectations. Instead, he imagined Spada’s smile. He had only seen the man wear a genuine smile briefly, and Chen adored that smile completely.

Twin moons shined beneath twinkling stars as Chen ate his cake and thought of Spada.