Shu picked around his food, scowling at the steaming delicacies in front of him. Ange was an angel, her cooking was stuff of heaven but hell stole his appetite, probably. "Shuuuu," Valt waved his hands in front of his face, snapping him out of his reverie.

Shu blinked, "Yes?"

"Are you okay?" He asked, concerned. Shu gave him a reassuring smile, nodding. It was only them at the table. They were early. Quite surprising considering he's sitting with Valt. But for some reason Valt woke up screaming bloody murder in the morning, clutching to his bey and running around the dorm talking about an amazing move he wanted to try. And Shu decided to tag along. "You're zoning out, and you haven't eaten anything."

Shu forked some of the salad, "I am eating. You're just superhuman, eating that fast."

Valt frowned about retorting when Kristian and Free bickered their way into the room. The blonde looked annoyed and Kristian looked satisfied with himself. Shu ducked behind his food, his ears flushing as the last night's memories came flooding in. He called Free hot. He called that fucking Free De La Hoya hot.

"Hey!" Valt waved, gaining their attention to Shu's dismay. The albino stood with his barely eaten plate of food and decided to head to the counter. He could feel Free's eyes on him as he discarded the leftovers to the bin and washed off the tray. He told him everything last night, the dreams, how scared he was. He shouldn't have trusted his self-deprecating sleep deprived brain to hold a conversation at night.

"Shu!" Valt called him but before Free could say anything, he walked out. Heart thudding against his ears as their shoulders brushed in contact. Shu didn't risk a look at him, his expression. He dreaded it all.

Valt frowned, watching his friend's disappearing back. "What happened to him?"

Free tilted his head, "Did he eat at all?"

Valt shook his head, "Not really. He just pushed around his food."

Krisitian mussed his hair, groaning. "Gods, is that guy even human? How can someone survive without food?"

"Who?" Rickson asked, walking in with Kitt and Honey on his tow. The kids walked towards the kitchen counter as Ange appeared back from the kitchen. Her warm eyes scanned the crowd.

"Where is Shu?"

Kitt shrugged, "Don't know. Wasn't here when we came in."

Free could notice Ange's worry in her eyes. That's when he noticed it, in Valt's eyes, in everyone's eyes around him; confusion, worry. A mixture of emotions about the male. He folded his hands over the wooden table and dropped his chin over them. Did Shu even know the impact he has on others? "What does he like to eat?" Ange asked, handing Honey and Kitt their trays.

Valt shrugged, "There's no particular choice actually. He eats whatever is given to him. He never asks... for stuff. And I've never really thought about-" Valt's eyes sparkled with a newfound idea. "Chocolate chip cookies and strawberry desserts! He loves those."

Ange smiled, "That's not really a proper meal."

Free leaned forward, "Anything with strawberry?"

Valt nodded dutifully, "He loves strawberries."

"That's new," Rickson said, dragging back a chair and sitting. "He doesn't look like he has a sweet tooth."

"He definitely does!" Valt added, determined. "He's my best friend, of course he has a sweet tooth. It comes with the package."

"I mean," Kitt said through a mouthful, "He might've practically lived with you in the bakery."

"Exactly!"

Kristian chuckled, "Sweet tooth for such a grump guy? Ah, the irony."

"Shush you," Honey chastised. "You used to get scolded for stealing sweets all the time." Kristian flushed swatting at Honey, laughed and dodged. Free watched everything happen, a brand new idea forming in his mind.

Baking cannot be that hard, right?

---

"You want to bake?" Ange asked, just to be sure as she stared at Free. She had known him since he was a quiet child sitting by the front steps of BC Sol, waiting for parents that never came home. She had watched him draw into himself, except for the rare occasions of warmth. Free was like his own son to her and here he was, standing in the kitchen asking her to teach him to bake a strawberry tart.

Ah, Valt said Shu liked strawberry desserts, didn't he? Ange smiled, though the rest of the club seemed to be oblivious, Ange had noticed the changes, the shy smiles shared across the tables. "Well, put on that apron, then. We're baking a strawberry tart."

Free nodded, doing as he was told. Ange guided him through the process, it surprised her, his determination. She was quite sure Free had never stepped into a kitchen before. "Who's this for?" Ange asked as Free beat the butter and sugar together until it was a smooth batter.

"Shu," Free answered with zero hesitancy as he placed the wooden bowl on the countertop, as Ange mixed the eggs until it was combined. Then she asked Free to add flour.

"Ohh, you're such a good friend, you know that?"

Free hummed, not letting go of his concentration. They worked in perfect unison, Ange guiding him when he needed and soon they were decorating the tart with fresh strawberries; lucky for Free there was one box left, safe from Kitt and Honey's prying eyes. Free bent over the delicacy, eyebrows knitted in concentration as he arranged the strawberries. After the last one was placed, Ange brushed over with apricot jam for an extra touch. "There you go."

"Wow," Free blinked, "It looks pretty," He said, walking over to the sink to wash his hands.

"I've brought him!" Honey announced, startling Free. Ange clapped her hands together watching as Shu looked around in confusion before his eyes settled into Free then to the strawberry tart on the kitchen counter.

"What's happening?"

Free slipped off his apron, "We made something for you," The blonde said, as Honey waved at them before taking off to the stadiums where the others were. Free sliced off a neat piece and placed it on a dessert plate before sliding it to Shu with a fork. "Have a taste."

Shu looked down at the tart and back at Free. "You made this?"

Free nodded as Shu asked. "Why?"

"Because you never eat," Free said, tilting his head. "Valt said you like strawberry desserts. So, eat."

Shu flushed, baffled. He didn't know how Free could say all those things with a straight face, or maybe he didn't mean anything at all. Though in a wider context one can derive an ulterior motive from these caring actions with Free it seemed... normal. Ange slid another plate towards Free. "Why don't you two boys sit there and eat while I clean the rest?"

Free nodded her thanks and led the baffled Shu towards one of the tables. The cafeteria was silent save for the sound of water in the kitchen area. Shu sat across from the blonde and took a forkful of the desert. The taste burst in his mouth, the rich cream filling his taste buds. Shu swallowed. "This is really good," Shu muttered, surprised.

"You sound like you didn't expect it to be."

Shu took another bite, "You don't look like you're much of a baker."

"I'm not," Free answered, resting his chin on his palm as Shu sank to his chair, his cheeks puffed, cream smeared over his bottom lip. He smiled, this is how he liked to see him. Content, happy, enjoying. Free leaned over, and wordlessly ran his finger over his bottom lip. It was spontaneous, but enough to make the other freeze, his cheeks flushing deep scarlet. "Do you want more?" He asked, gesturing at his empty plate as if nothing happened.

Shu choked on his bite and reached for the glass of water, hacking. Regaining his composure, he wiped his lips from the back of his hand. "Don't do that again."

Free tilted his head, "Baking?"

"No," Shu said, accepting as Free slid his own plate over with the savoury tart resting over it. "The other thing-" He murmured.

Free frowned, confused but didn't speak as he watched Shu finishing his second piece. He gave his stomach a heart pat, sinking back with a sigh. "That was so good," he said, the initial embarrassment seemingly forgotten.

"Do you want more?"

Shu shook his head, "Do you want to make me a diabetic patient?"

"Are you full?"

"I am, thank you."

"I'll make strawberry shortcakes tomorrow then, you do like your desserts."

Shu blinked, "You don't have to," He said, playing with the fork. "It's not like I starve myself, I eat when I do have an appetite, it's just lately it's not been much."

Free looked down at the two empty dessert plates, "Is there anything else you like? Rather than you know?"

Shu smiled, "What about you?"

"Hot sauce," Free deadpanned.

Shu chuckled, "Anything else?"

"Anything that's spicy and edible, I'll eat."

"You're a really simple guy."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Cup ramen," Shu answered, shrugging. "For some reason I'm obsessed with them. It's easy to make and good. And anything that's not too spicy. Have you ever had them? Cup ramen?"

Free shook his head, frowning. "Isn't it noodles?"

"I'll buy you some one day. It's really good."

Free nodded, "Okay." His eyes roamed around his face. The dark circles, pronounced more than the night before. The perpetual exhaustion that never seemed to erase. "Did you ever consider staying?" Free asked out of the blue. It was a question he was meaning to ask. Why did he want to leave before the award ceremony? Didn't everyone wait to have their moment of glory? "You still owe me that date."

Shu pressed his lips together, "Ah, well. I think I'll leave. No reason. Just want to go home, that's all. And about the date-" He started. In that moment Free noticed the longing in his eyes. He wondered if he recognized that sense of loneliness. He lost his family, but he never lost this one. The one he made in BC Sol that never allowed him to feel lonely. He wondered if Shu was longing for someone, anyone to tell him to stay. Not a request, not a demand, just say the word.

"Stay." Free leaned in, holding his gaze. "Stay for the award ceremony."

Shu blinked, chuckling in hesitance. "Are you trying to look threatening? If you are, it's not really working-"

"No," Free leaned back on his chair. "I want you to have it. The moment. Trust me, it's worth it."

Shu averted his gaze to the table, unable to hold his hopeful dark gaze, did he want to? Yes. Of course he wanted to. But there was no reason to go on the stage and take that silver trophy when no one was cheering for him. He knew his parents would be too busy to come over. What's the point of catching a moment of glory if you're going to feel lonely in the end anyway?

"I'd like to see you taking the trophy," Free said.

Shu looked up at him with confusion. "Why?"

Free shrugged, "Just. I bet everyone will be cheering for you."

Shu gave him a half-a-smile, when Free said. "Please," He said, "You can't say no to a hot blonde, can you?"

Shu flushed, of course he had to say that. "Shut up!"

"Can you?"

"Stop. Don't bring my past demons to play. I hate you." Shu dropped his head to the table with a groan. "Okay fine. Only on one condition."

"What is it?"

"Last night never existed," He pointed an accusing finger at him. "I never called you hot guy and my nightmares-" Shu stopped. "Just forget about it all."

Free nodded, "All okay aside the nightmare part. One of these days I'm going to seduce you into seeing a therapist."

"Seduce...me?" Shu looked at the tarts and back at Free. "Was this your way of seducing me to eat?"

Free winked, "I looked damn hot wearing that apron, didn't I?"

Shu's cheeks painted a deep crimson as he abruptly stood, rattling the chair back as Free burst out laughing. "I'm leaving now. I'm booking a ticket to Japan." He said, storming off the room. The number of times he had stormed off the cafeteria should be illegal. Free grinned to himself, taking the dessert plates towards the kitchen counter with a smile at Ange. "Mission accomplished!"