Archive of Our Own

There are things that Hunk has always turned to for comfort. Usually these are things that keep his hands and mind busy. Tinkering with machines or attempting to work his way through some coding were his first choices. He liked to read when he had the time. And there was cooking, of course.

His moms had taught him the importance of a healthy, well prepared meal. He always liked the rhythm, learning the different techniques, and the cultures behind different styles of cooking. There was a science to cooking as well, a precision that he found comforting.

But the most important part of anything he did was the end product, and being able to taste or use something that he worked hard to design and create.

---

Hunk sighed, staring at his pile of spare parts and half made machines sitting on the shelves in the workroom. He really couldn't find the motivation to design anything today, and had instead sat in the room staring at the walls for most of the day. Coran had asked him to make a device to scan different layers of soil types without having to dig first, which was definitely an intriguing project to work on, but today was not the day for it.

Dinner was coming up fast and nerves began brewing in his gut. He would be cooking tonight, as always, which meant he would have to taste his food.

Hunk was aware that he had always been prone to what he called his “sad spells,” but right now they were different. He was sleeping more, but this left him feeling even more tired. Sometimes everything would go a bit foggy for a while, until hours and days started blurring together, making it hard for him to focus.

None of the others noticed though. He made sure that he at least had control over that.

But one thing that had been making things hard is that food stopped having a taste to him anymore. It just felt like ash in his mouth, a bland lump.

Hunk was not stupid or naive, he’d heard about depression and he was aware that his symptoms seemed to be matching up. But what was he going to do about it? Go to a space therapist? How would he even begin? Well, it all started when I became a defender of the universe…

No. He would have to take care of himself, and figure it out. It was just like figuring out a robot’s mechanics or a long differential equation. The brain was no different from a computer, he just had to figure out where the coding was off. Easy.

He sucked in a deep breath. Tonight he had decided he was going to make what Lance and Pidge had dubbed Space Pizza, something he made a few times before. It was the best choice, he knew the flavor combinations by heart and he was positive everyone loved it. There was nothing to mess up.

He made his way to the kitchen, taking his time to think to himself. He tried to ignore the nerves brewing in his gut, instead thinking of the ratios in his mind again.

He passed into the kitchen doors, taking in the smells of the room. He set to rolling up his sleeves, tying his bandana a little tighter and throwing on his apron. This felt better, going through all these familiar motions helped a lot. The base was something he had made from a wheat-like plant found on Olkarion. He also filled a pot full of purple fruits that reminded him of tomatoes, with different mixes of spices. He left them to simmer and reduce down into a marinara that he would blend down later. From a space deli shop, he actually had some meat that tasted really similar to pepperoni, even if it was a slightly pink color with bright yellow peppercorn-like spices throughout. The cheese from Kaltenecker had been the hardest to learn how to make. Making mozzarella was an art on its own, but they had found ingredients that worked to give it the right consistency. There was plenty in the fridge right now and the team agreed they got it right after numerous attempts.

Hunk let out a soft laugh at the memory. Keith had been there when Lance and Pidge tried all the different attempts at mozzarella cheeses, pretending to not be as interested. He was still with the Blade at the time, home at the Castle only for a short visit. But Hunk had noticed a curious glimmer in his eyes.

“Why don’t you try some, Keith?” he had asked, offering a slice to him.

“Oh, uh, no thanks Hunk,” he had said.

“There’s plenty to go around,” Hunk had said enticingly, waving the tray of cheese slices back and forth to demonstrate.

“Quit moving the tray, Hunk,” Pidge had tried to complain, but her mouth was so full of cheese that he could hardly understand her.

“This is the best space cheese I’ve ever had,” Lance had said, his voice tinged with awe. “Dude, Keith, you have to try it. It tastes like home.”

Keith’s eyes had widened, and he’d looked back over to Hunk, his face filled with discomfort. “I really can’t. I’m… lactose intolerant.”

There had been a pause, before Lance and Pidge erupted into laughter. Hunk had given them a hard glare, an expression he didn’t normally use, but this wasn’t the time to laugh. They had tried to calm themselves quickly, Pidge even tried to pretend her laughs were actually an unconvincing cough.

“Sorry, sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh,” Lance had said hurriedly.

But Keith had actually smiled, and it was the first time Hunk had seen it since he left to join the Blade. “No, no, it’s alright. It is kinda ironic, right? The only source of Earth food we have is a cow. Just my luck.”

Hunk looked at the pizza he was currently putting together, making sure to leave half of a pizza free of cheese, a smile breaking out as he did so. Keith was going to be there tonight, this was only the third night since he left the Blade to join the Paladins again, so Hunk wanted to be sure to keep making him feel like he never left.

It was strange. Hunk was happier now that Keith was back, but still this sad spell was persisting. Usually he could shake it off when he had a reason to be happy. He couldn’t really figure that part out this time.

Hunk blended the cooked space tomatoes and tasted the sauce, but still, it only felt like a hot liquid in his mouth, with maybe only a hint of savory flavor. The texture was right though. He crossed his fingers, hoping that he got his spice mix down.

His arms were full of two of the pizza trays, the third one still in the kitchen--he had learned the first time that two pizzas were not enough for them, especially if Lance was involved--and he made his way into the dining hall.

Lance and Pidge were locked in a heated discussion about Killbot Phantasm 1. Shiro was sitting still, smiling nervously as Allura commanded the mice to braid his long lock of white hair, though it was only a few turns before it was done, sticking out ridiculously. Keith was telling Coran about the last raid he went on with the Blade, talking with his hands in a way that Hunk loved to watch. Keith was only in his black t-shirt tonight, and the wiry muscles in his arms stood out as he gestured.

He blinked a few times to keep himself from staring. “Hey guys!” he announced as he came over to the table. “Pizza is ready.”

Lance and Pidge immediately began to chant, “Space pizza, space pizza, space pizza!” while the others at the table made a more reserved show of getting excited for dinner.

“It smells delicious, Hunk,” Allura said, her eyes glowing.

He set down the two pizzas he had carried in, Lance and Pidge grabbing four slices before they had even touched the table. “Okay, and I’ll just go grab the other pizza and be right back,” Hunk said, mostly to himself.

“I’ll go grab it for you,” Keith offered, and was up and out of the room before Hunk could even say thanks.

Hunk set up his plate and took a few slices. He took a few bites, enjoying the warmth from the oven and the stretchiness of the cheese. But still not really getting any flavor. Was it already getting cold, too? He tried to hide his discomfort.

Keith was back, carrying the pizza in. “Is this one only half-cheese because of me?” Keith asked Hunk, smiling shyly.

And there went Hunk’s chest, filled with a weird fluttering feeling. “Well, yeah, I wanted you to be able to have some and not get sick. Plus, I think Coran is still not over the shock of what milk actually is.”

“That’s true,” Coran chimed in. “Thanks, Hunk.”

“Really, thank you, Hunk, that was really thoughtful,” Keith agreed.

Hunk felt his cheeks warm just a little, and ran a hand through his hair. “No worries, guys,” he said, trying to brush off their gratitude.

He noticed Lance and Pidge had slowed in their mad race to stuff their faces. He looked at them with concern. They only had a few slices, usually the two of them put away at least an entire pizza by themselves.

Lance was studying his slice closely, and Pidge was sniffing at hers.

It doesn’t taste right, they can tell, Hunk realized with a flash of fear and guilt.

“Hey, Hunk, did you do something different this time?” Pidge asked him, flicking her eyes up to meet his.

He tried to control his expression, but he was already chewing nervously on his lip. “No, nothing, why?”

Pidge brightened and gave him a big smile. “It tastes perfect!”

“Seriously, I think I’m in heaven,” Lance agreed quickly, finishing off his pizza in a record amount of bites.

Hunk felt himself relax, not realizing how tense he had been. “Oh, well, good,” he laughed. “I think I got the spice mix figured out.” He felt eyes on him, and glanced at Keith, who quickly looked away from him.

“I think you have the answer to life figured out,” Lance admired.

Hunk laughed, and brushed away the worries nagging his mind. With compliments out of the way, they continued talking about video games and upcoming battle plans. There was still a lot of work to figure out the new Paladin roles again and their strategies, but it was hard to stay focused when Allura had a bite of cheese so stringy it stretched out as she pulled the pizza back in surprise, making everyone laugh.

Hunk decided he’d figure out his sad spell later. He was going to focus on his friends tonight.

---
The next couple days, Hunk was a bit of a mess.

He wasn’t sleeping very well, to start. Which was nothing new, but it was really taking a toll on him right now. He was a ball of nerves and numbness at the same time, keeping him on edge and unable to focus. He was really confused and not sure what to do.

So, he just stuck to his routine. He followed it as closely as he could, hoping the others wouldn’t notice that he wasn’t completely fine.

He wasn’t kidding himself. He was sure they would notice he was a little off, but he would always answer, “Just tired,” and they would drop it. He would be lying if he said he never noticed when any of the others were feeling down over the past few years they’d gotten to know each other.

When Lance thought too much about Earth and home, he usually would have to take the rest of the day off, claiming something like a stomach ache. If Pidge began to feel scared for her mom, she would be in a terribly grumpy mood, and snap at everyone until they stayed away from her for a few hours. Shiro would have really bad headaches after a particularly rough night, and it was best to talk quietly and keep the lights dim around him. When Allura pushed them harder during training, it was usually because her worries had been gnawing on her gut all morning. Coran would get more somber sometimes, and Hunk had no idea what would set him off. But when Coran hugs Lance and calls him “my boy,” they all know he’s having a hard time.

Keith was the hardest to read, seeming to always be walled off and in a bad mood. But Hunk has gotten pretty good at learning his tells. When Keith’s eyes were dark and cloudy, Hunk tried to do his best to make him smile and laugh. Sometimes it helped, sometimes Keith would say, “Not now, Hunk,” and would go train.

But since he’s been back, Keith seems to actually be smiling more often, and his expression is a little lighter, with his hair often tied back to show off his face a little more. He told the team about his mom, and had actually teared up a little with happiness. There were many hugs after that, too.

Hunk shook himself and got back to trying to work.

The food he cooked over the next few days was getting harder to make. He tried doing everything by memory and patterns and rhythms, but he could tell everything he was making was just...off. His friends were ignoring it, though, continuing to praise his cooking instead.

Last night at dinner, Keith had looked at him with concern. He tried to probe Hunk a little, asking him about his day. He was talking low, and the others weren’t even paying attention. Hunk just shook his head and shrugged. He told Keith he was tired, so he hadn’t gotten as much done today as he wanted. Keith told him he shouldn’t be so hard on himself.

Hunk sighed, wishing it was that simple.

---

One night, Hunk made pasta. As usual, he walked in the room with a chorus of, “Space Spaghetti!” from Pidge and Lance. They dug in quickly, and Hunk let his mind wander.

He was lost in thought, twirling his space spaghetti on his spork, when suddenly Keith stood up from the table and stormed out of the room.

All the idle chatter at the table stopped. Hunk looked to Lance. “What was that?” he asked.

“I have no idea. Shiro?” Lance asked.

Shiro shrugged helplessly. “Maybe he remembered something that he needed to take care of?”

“He seemed upset,” Hunk said quietly, nerves tightening his gut. “I’ll go check on him.”

He quickly moved out of the dining hall, to find Keith standing right outside the doorway, arms crossed and expression leaning towards furious.

“Keith! What’s the matter?” Hunk asked.

Keith looked at him sharply, his dark eyes intense. “What’s the matter with me? What’s the matter with you!”

Hunk recoiled a little at his harsh tone. “Keith,” he said, biting his lip. “I’m sorry, I don’t--”

Keith sighed, putting a hand to his forehead. He took a deep breath, and spoke much softer. “I’m sorry for yelling. I’m just very frustrated right now.”

“Why? What’s wrong?” Hunk asked, trying to keep his voice from sounding desperate. He hated seeing Keith upset.

“You,” he said sharply. “You’re what’s wrong.”

“Oh, c’mon, that’s mean, even for you Keith,” Hunk said quickly, a flash of hurt in his chest. “I’m just doing my best here. I don’t even know why you’re yelling at me!”

Keith took another deep breath. “I’m sorry, I’m bad at this,” he tried again. “I mean, you’re upset, and you won’t tell me why. I am frustrated at you because I am worried.”

Hunk blinked, and couldn’t figure out what to say for a minute. Keith was worried about him?
“What do you mean?” he asked.

“I mean, you’ve been off for the last few days that I’ve been here, and maybe even longer than that. Lance told me you haven’t hung out with him and Pidge in weeks. Coran said you haven’t finished any of the projects he gave you, even when he asked you to make stuff he knew you’d like. And also…” Keith took another breath. “Now it feels like you don’t even care about food either. It doesn’t taste like you like it to taste.”

Wow. Keith nailed it, every single thing Hunk had been trying to gloss over and hide for the past few weeks. He felt awful. “Keith, I’m sorry. I know I’m letting everyone down, I’m trying not to--”

Keith let out a noise of frustration. “No! Hunk--” he put a hand to his forehead again. “Hunk, that’s not the problem, I’m sorry for making it sound that way.” He looked into his eyes again. “Hunk, something is wrong. What is it? We’re here for you. I’m here for you,” he added quietly. “Tell me what’s the matter.”

Hunk took in a quick gasp of air. Keith was worried about him. Somehow that small gesture was enough to let out all of the emotions that Hunk had been bottling up for weeks. He felt tears fill his eyes immediately. “I’m sorry,” he said, his voice thick, turning his face away so Keith wouldn’t see.

“Hunk,” Keith said in one of the softest tones he’d ever heard. “It’s okay. Can I… can I--”

Small arms circled around his waist then as Keith gave him a hug.

“Sorry, I don’t really hug often,” Keith said, “but I want you to know I’m here for you.”

This was the sweetest thing Keith had ever done for him, and Hunk was a mess. He tried to pull himself together to return the hug. A few sobs escaped him, but he was mostly able to keep the worst at bay. “Thank you, Keith,” he finally managed. “I’ve been having a bit of a rough time lately.”

“Oh really? Does it have something to do with the intergalactic war we’re in? Or maybe that we’re light years away from home?” Keith asked, pulling back from the hug to give him a rueful smile.

Hunk laughed despite himself. “Yeah, maybe, that might have something to do with it.” Hunk wiped his face. “I kinda, sometimes have these sad spells. I just get a bit depressed for a while. Usually it goes away after a few weeks, but this time it’s a little worse. I…”

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” Keith said quickly.

“No, it’s okay,” Hunk said. “It’s just, right now, for whatever reason… food doesn’t really have a taste for me, it tastes like ash in my mouth. I can’t get any of my projects done because I can’t focus. It’s just… been rough.”

Keith hummed thoughtfully. “Maybe take the rest of the night off? And maybe tomorrow too? You’ve been working nonstop for weeks. Maybe you just need a little break.”

It was a helpful suggestion, but Hunk was loath to rest while his friends worked hard. “But--”

“Okay, nope, you’re taking the night off and relaxing,” Keith said, his tone making it final. Hunk tried to protest, but Keith put his hands against Hunk’s side, pushing him in the direction of his bedroom. “I’ll tell the team you’re not feeling well. You know they’ll understand, we always do.”

Keith really wasn’t getting anywhere with trying to push Hunk, no matter how strong he was now, but Hunk humored him and made his feet move anyway. He shrugged helplessly. “You’re right, I know. But still I--”

“Stop worrying,” Keith said firmly. They were finally outside of Hunk’s door. “There. Now go rest. Relax.”

Hunk sighed. “Thanks, Keith. I’ll try.”

Keith pointed a finger at him. “You better,” he said. For some reason this made Hunk laugh, maybe because it seemed like Keith had the strangest way of caring for friends.

“Okay, goodnight. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Hunk said.

Keith turned to walk away. “Only if you’re in your pajamas and relaxing!”

Hunk laughed and waved an arm as Keith disappeared around the corner. He entered his room and instantly deflated. It was dark and messy, he hadn’t been feeling up to keeping it tidy lately. For all the help Keith had given him just now, it still wasn’t enough to chase away the nagging feelings in the back of his mind.

He decided to simply take Keith’s advice and get ready for bed. He would make a list in the morning, and try to complete a few tasks around his room. Since he wasn’t doing very well in the kitchen, he wasn’t going to try to cook any time soon.

His thoughts kept straying to Keith as he lied in bed. He wondered for the millionth time about how he actually felt about Hunk. Sometimes he thought he and Keith were close, but then other times he had no idea. But at least tonight it definitely seemed like Keith cared about him.

***

The next day, Hunk woke up feeling even worse than before. He didn’t even want to get out of bed, he felt so worthless. A nagging voice in the back of his mind told him that Keith had only told him to rest because he was failing and getting in the way of everyone. They hated that he insisted on even trying to cook for everyone, and this was their way of keeping him away.

Tears began to prick at his eyes, and he covered his face with his hands. His big, useless, hands, that can’t even fix anything, cook anything, he should just--

A knock sounded on his door. “Hunk?” a voice called tentatively.

He sniffled, trying to pull himself together. He cleared his throat, but it was still rough when he spoke. “Keith?”

“Morning. I brought you some breakfast. Can I come in?”

He brought Hunk breakfast? Hunk hurried to the door. “You brought me breakfast?” he asked.

Keith smiled at him, and if Hunk hadn’t known better, he would have said it looked like Keith was blushing. “Well, I figured going into the kitchen might make you sad, and I also wanted to make sure you were taking it easy today. So, yeah. Um. I made this for you.”

Hunk looked down at the tray in his hands. Keith had toasted some of the bread Hunk had made a while back, and smoothed some berry jam on top. There were a few of the Castle’s standard nutritional bars that were basically a drier, crunchy version of the food goo, but Keith had crumbled them together in a bowl with fresh fruits they’d gathered a few planets back. It was very simple, but Hunk was absolutely floored.

“You did all of this for me? Where did you get the jam?”

Keith looked at the floor. “I made it last night. I, uh, made lots of preserves and dried meats and stuff when I lived alone.”

Hunk’s jaw was on the ground. He practically had to pick it back up to continue talking. “Really? Why didn’t you say anything?”

Keith shrugged, his cheeks pink. “In an intergalactic war, jam making didn’t seem very relevant.”

Hunk laughed. “I guess that’s true.” He paused, curiosity filling him. “Is there any way you think you could teach me those things?”

Keith blinked. “Yeah, sure. I could do that.”

“It might be hard with me not being able to taste anything,” Hunk began, already shrinking in on himself a little.

“Hey, don’t get nervous,” Keith said quickly. “Most of the stuff I know how to make, taste isn’t even a factor. I don’t really pay a lot of attention to flavor, really.”

“What do you mean?” Hunk asked.

“I mean, I usually try to eat based more on texture.” Keith finally set down the tray of food in Hunk’s room, almost as if he’d forgotten how long he’d been carrying it. “Back on Earth, people thought I was a really picky eater. And I guess I am. But I have this thing about textures of foods…” He trailed off.

“What do you mean?” Hunk repeated. “Like, you like crunchy stuff?”

“Yeah, and other things,” Keith said, brightening a little. “I’m lactose intolerant, so that rules out those foods. But I love soups full of hot broth and noodles. Oh, and certain chewy things that have a good bite. I hate stuff that’s smooth with hard lumps in it.” He made a grimace and a little shiver of disgust.

Hunk ran a hand through his hair, astonished. “How did I never know this about you?”

Keith gave a shy laugh. “Well, you always make so much food when you cook that there’s always a part of it that I can eat. I never had to say anything.”

“Keith,” Hunk said, “can you teach me those texture tricks? I bet that if I focus on the texture more, the flavor won’t matter as much to me.”

“Would that help you feel better?” Keith asked. “I’m not a good cook, but I can try if you think it’ll work.”

“Yes, please, I think it sounds perfect,” Hunk said. Hope swelled in his chest, as well as his excitement at the thought of learning more about Keith.

Keith paused for a minute, thinking. “Okay,” he said finally.

Hunk scooped him up into a hug. “Thank you, Keith.”

He gave a breathy laugh in response. “No problem, Hunk,” he wheezed. “You’re crushing me.”

Hunk dropped him back onto his own feet. “Oops, sorry. But seriously though, thank you, Keith. This is the sweetest.”

“You have to relax today, okay? That’s the only requirement,” Keith said, giving him a level look.

“I will, I will, I promise,” Hunk assured.

“Alright, I’m going to go train. I’ll tell the team you’re resting today.”

“Okay. See you around, Keith.”

He gave a shy little wave. “See you.”

He left, and Hunk felt lighter than he had in weeks. He sat down on his bed and began to dig into his breakfast. It was awesome. The bread was nice and crunchy with the smooth jam on top. The fresh fruits were juicy and had a really nice pop to their bite, and were pleasant to eat with the chewy chunks of bar mixed in. Hunk ate it all in a few minutes, wishing he could taste how sweet the fruits were.

With the thought of learning more about Keith in the back of his mind, Hunk hurried to shower and feel clean. The hot water was soothing, and he tried to take nice, deep breaths.

After he was freshly showered, he laid back down in bed, feeling much better. He let himself take a small nap, dozing through the morning.

He sought out Keith when he woke up. His body was surprisingly achy, and he didn’t know if he slept wrong or if it was just another part of how the sad spell effected his body. He went towards the training room, where he assumed Keith would still be.

His assumptions were right. Keith was training, but in a way that Hunk had never seen before. He was wearing his Blade of Marmora suit. He used his body as much as his weapon, agile and quick, slipping through the gladiator robots and using their momentum against them. His motions were fluid and elegant, like water flowing over rock.

Hunk was completely struck. Or maybe stuck. He couldn’t move, that’s for sure. He was frozen in place, watching.

Finally, the robots were in piles on the ground and Keith was panting hard. He wiped at the sweat on his forehead, and turned to see Hunk standing in the doorway.

Keith gave him a little smile. “I learned a lot when I trained with the Blade,” he explained.

Hunk’s frozen expression gave way to astonishment. “That was crazy. I wish I could do that.” He said without thinking, and then laughed at the image.

“I can teach you?” Keith offered hesitantly.

Hunk burst out with more laughter, and Keith joined after a few seconds. “There’s no way in a million years I could do that, but thank you Keith. Let’s stick with learning food textures, okay?”

Keith took a few gulps of water, wiping at his forehead again. “Okay. Did you want to do that now?”

Hunk looked him over as discreetly as possible. “You can shower first, and only if you’re free I mean. And--and still willing.”

Keith gave him an expression that was one step away from an eye roll. “Hunk please don’t worry so much. I’m free today and willing, obviously, or I wouldn’t have offered. If this is going to help you feel better then I want to start as soon as possible. No point in waiting.”

Hunk flushed, embarrassed that Keith could see right through his worries. “Okay. I’ll go wait in the kitchen then. And Keith?” at Hunk’s tone, Keith paused in collecting his water bottle, “...Thanks.”

Keith gave him a smile and nodded, leaving for the showers. Hunk left for the kitchen.

In the hallway, Hunk nearly collided with Lance, who gave a little yelp of surprise. “Hunk! Hey big guy, how are you--are you still in your pajamas?”

“Yeah, um.” Hunk rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m taking it easy today. I haven’t been feeling too well.”

Lance tried to look surprised by the news. “What? Really?”

“It’s okay, I know you and Pidge can tell. Keith told me.”

A sigh escaped Lance. “I’m sorry. We were just really worried about you. You’ve been… off lately. More than I’ve ever seen before.”

“Yeah,” Hunk agreed, nodding slowly. “Yeah, I have.”

Lance bit his lip. “You going to the kitchen?”

“Actually yeah, I know I haven’t been cooking very well lately,” Hunk began, pausing as Lance winced.

“You’ve been cooking amazingly, dude,” Lance immediately hurried to reassure.

“No, Lance, food...hasn’t been very flavorful to me these past few weeks. I know it hasn’t been very good. Keith told me that you guys have all noticed.”

“Is it another sad spell?” Lance asked carefully.

Lance had been his roomate at the Garrison, and was the only other person on the Castleship that knew about these low moods Hunk could be prone to. Now Keith also knew. “Yeah, it is. So, um, Keith is going to help me cook.”

Lance blinked, not registering for a few minutes. Then, “Keith?”

“I know, right? I had no idea either!” Hunk said before launching into an explanation, “So, right now I’m not able to taste any of the food I’ve been making.”

Lance winced at the reminder, knowing how much his friend loved the taste of food, before nodding for Hunk to continue.

“Well, Keith apparently cooks and eats food based on textures. So he’s going to show me how to make some food that you don’t have to taste strongly to enjoy. I guess.”

Lance made a thoughtful hum. “I guess that works. I had no idea Keith knew how to do anything other than fly or flight.”

“I think there’s a lot about him that we don’t know,” Hunk agreed.

***

A short time later, Keith joined Hunk in the kitchen, freshly showered. He tried to think of any other time he had hung out with Keith before like this, and came up empty. This was definitely a first.

“Well,” Hunk began nervously. “What did you have in mind for the first lesson?”

Keith put a finger to his lips to think. “How about we start with a cup of tea? I like drinking one after I train anyway.”

“Tea? Okay,” Hunk said, surprised.

They dug out some herbs that they had traded for on a planet recently that the locals claimed made the best infusion in the galaxy. Keith set a teapot-like pot on the coils of the Altean stovetop to boil.

“Tea and hot drinks are really nice, I think,” Keith said after a few minutes of silence. “You don’t need a lot to feel warm and cozy.”

“I never thought of you as the warm and cozy type, Keith,” Hunk said without thinking, and then bit his lip in embarrassment at his bluntness.

But Keith just shrugged easily. “I know, I guess I haven’t really told you guys a lot about me. But yeah. I like hot tea.”

Once the water was warm enough, they put the herbs in little infusers and poured out the teapot over them. Holding the little mug carefully, Hunk let it cool a little before trying to take a sip, enjoying the warmth in his hands.

Keith took a few swigs, letting his expression soften just a little as the warmth soothed him. “Good, right?” he asked.

Hunk blew on the top of his drink before sipping it a little. He’d had tea before, obviously, but never really while thinking solely about the heat and comfort it provided. Taste had always been first and foremost in his mind. But now… “It’s so nice,” he said, awestruck.

“Do we still have those corn-like grains from Olkarion?” Keith asked suddenly.

“I think we have a bunch, actually,” Hunk said, thinking. “Why?”

“Let’s make nachos tonight,” Keith said suddenly, lighting up.

“Nachos?”

“I know how to make tortilla chips. I love crunchy things. We can make a cheese sauce maybe--oh!--and cook some meat, it’ll be perfect.” Keith’s eyes were shining.

Hunk would do anything to keep up Keith’s enthusiasm. “Okay, let’s try it,” he said, and Keith smiled.

***

Hunk wasn’t cured. He knew that objectively. But as they made nachos, making a mess of mashed corn in the process, trying to learn how to fry in the strange Altean fryers, Hunk could hardly keep the smile from his face.

Keith was a really nice teacher, even if he wasn’t constantly instructing Hunk on what to do. He taught by example, showing and then letting Hunk try. And Hunk had made chips before, back on Earth, but not completely from scratch, not with strange alien corn. It was definitely a new experience.

Finally, they had the chips ready. They browned some meat, and Hunk kept it simple with just salt and alien pepper. He melted some cheese to make a sauce. Keith cut some of the tomato-like fruit they had used for the pizza sauce.

“I usually pick off the tomatoes, or--uh, whatever these are,” Keith said idly. “I don’t like their textures at all. But I think Lance and Pidge like them. And you, too, obviously.”

Hunk sighed. “Normally I do, yeah.”

Keith winced. “Oh yeah, sorry. I think I completely forgot why we were doing this.”

For some reason that was really sweet to Hunk. He'd been having a really fun time and was touched that Keith was too, and didn't see him as a burden.

“This has been really fun, I'm glad we're doing this,” Hunk said. “Let's go get the others.”

***

“Nachos?” Allura asked, as if testing the word in her mouth.

“Nachos,” Lance agreed reverently, his eyes filled with awe. Pidge nodded silently beside him.

“Keith showed me how to make them,” Hunk said.

Everyone's eyebrows rose higher. Only Shiro gave Keith and Hunk a knowing smile. “That's really nice of you, Keith, they're your favorite, right?”

Keith seemed to stiffen at Shiro's gaze, and Hunk wondered what kind of silent communication was passing between the two of them. He just nodded in response, his lips tight.

“Well, let's dig in,” Hunk said, ready to try the chips.

They had several dishes piled high in the middle of the dining table that everyone was grabbing from. Lance kept teasing Pidge by scooping toppings off of her chips or reaching past her with his long arms. Shiro answered all of Allura’s questions about nachos and Earth cultures. Coran dug in to his and Keith's dish that was free from any cheese sauce.

Keith sat next to Hunk and ate as fast as he could move his arm. He always ate fast like he was starving, and he trained so much that he probably was. Hunk wondered if these chips tasted like he wanted them to, or if Keith was just hungry.

“Hunk,” Keith said between mouthfuls, “you better start eating and stop overthinking.”

That’s exactly what he’d been doing. He gave Keith an embarrassed smile, and then grabbed a chip. He tried to do what he had earlier with the tea, and just think about the texture and feeling.

The crunch was fantastic. The chips had fried with pockets of air throughout them. The texture even held up to the meat and cheese on top, which added more of a bite overall. Hunk felt like the flavors must be good, and he could even get a nice hint of salt.

“Keith, these turned out great,” Hunk said.

“I'm glad you think so.” Keith smiled at him and took another bite, the crunch loudly punctuating his sentence.

“Thanks for showing me how to do this,” Hunk said. Though they were speaking at a normal volume, it felt like everyone at the table was absorbed in their own conversations, leaving just the two of them.

“Thanks for asking me to,” Keith said. He looked like he might have been blushing.

***

Over the next few days, Keith and Hunk cooked in the kitchen when they had time. Keith showed him how to make the jams he had made for his breakfast before. They made dinner when they felt like it, but if Hunk wasn’t up for so much work, Keith would tell him to relax and let them just eat food goo for a night.

When they weren’t cooking, Hunk was getting back into the swing of chores. He was working on some of the projects that had been gathering dust on his shelves. Unfortunately, when he completed tasks, he just felt exhausted rather than more productive. But he did feel satisfied, so he tried to stay positive.

Keith was encouraging, and slowly the others were too. It wasn’t because they didn’t support Hunk, but they hadn’t known how bad he’d been.

The first night Hunk didn’t feel up for cooking a dinner, Pidge had complained loudly about the goo before Lance elbowed her. Hunk flushed an embarrassed red, but Allura gave Pidge a pointed look.

“I’m sorry, Hunk, I just love your cooking, I didn’t mean to complain,” Pidge said.

“That’s okay, I don’t like the goo either,” Hunk said, trying to dispel the tension.

But it looked like Keith didn’t want to let it slide. “If Hunk wants to take his time with dinners from now on, let him. It’ll make it more special when he does cook.”

“More special?” Lance gasped. “I don’t think my heart or my stomach will survive. I’ll go into a permanent food coma, big guy.”

Hunk laughed, and thankfully that was the last of the awkwardness.

Afterward, Pidge had actually sought Hunk out to give him a more earnest apology.

“I’m really sorry, Hunk. Lance told me you weren’t doing so well lately. I’ve been a bad friend, I didn’t really notice,” she said, her voice low and full of shame.

“No, it’s okay, I’ve been trying to hide it,” Hunk said quickly. “I didn’t do a very good job, but I didn’t hang out with you guys as much so it makes sense that you didn’t notice.”

“I guess that’s true.” Pidge pushed up her glasses. “But please, if there’s anything I can do to help, let me know, okay? I’m here for you, man.”

Hunk gave her a watery smile and pulled her into a hug. “Thanks, Pidge.”

From then on, the rest of the team was as reassuring as possible to Hunk. They didn’t talk down to him or make him feel like a burden, and he was so grateful for that. The sad spell was still persisting, but it wasn’t nearly holding him back as much anymore. He had his team helping him through it.

***

“Today’s food is going to be the ultimate comfort food,” Keith said. “The ultimate of ultimate foods. This, big guy, is noodle soup.”

In the kitchen, there were piles of veggies organized around the cutting boards. The tub of flour had been dragged out and was waiting to be kneaded. There were some alien fish on the countertop, their scales sparkling.

And Keith was grinning, his eyes shining with excitement as he pulled Hunk into the middle of the room. “You’re going to love this one. You can add whatever you want to it! Any vegetables that work together, so we can make it no matter what system we’re in. You can use whatever protein you want, or no protein at all! You can add spices, you can keep it simple. It’s the best dish because you really can’t mess it up.

“The key,” Keith added, holding up a finger and closing his eyes like an old teacher, “is the proper noodle technique.”

Hunk had been turning red with the effort of holding in his laughs, but he finally let go, and Keith joined in. This was his favorite kind of Keith, when they had no missions or worries, and he was just excited and showing Hunk parts of him they never got to see. He had an amazing laugh.

“Okay, okay,” Keith giggled, still breathless and wiping a tear from his eye. “But seriously. I’m so excited for this. Let’s cook.”

“Okay, please show me, O wise teacher,” Hunk said, leaving them both to dissolve into laughter for a few more seconds.

“On Earth, I usually just used parts of the fish I got really cheap at a market to make a stock for the broth,” Keith said once he caught his breath. He and Hunk started cleaning and preparing the fish. “Bones and heads and stuff. But since we have plenty of money and planets of options for seafood, we can splurge and make it the main ingredient star.”

They tossed those parts of the fish in a pot with water to let it simmer. “Next it the noodles. This… I’m probably still not a master of this. But this has taken me a lot of trial and error to get right. My dad had shown me a few times when I was young, but I mostly taught myself after that.”

He dumped out an amount of flour onto the clean countertop and formed a mound. He made a hole in the top, and began adding water. With his hands, he mixed everything together until it was a big lump, and then he began to knead. He showed Hunk the technique--knead, turn, knead, flip--and then let him take over.

“I’ll cut the veggies while you do that.” Keith stood beside him and used the other cutting board to start slicing onion-like bulbs. “These are called the aromatics right?”

“Yeah, onions, celery, and carrots are the holy trinity of aromatics,” Hunk confirmed. “They’re the best foundation.”

“Well, space aromatics work too, right?” Keith said with a smile.

“I thought so. It’s really nice that there are so many similar vegetables out here,” Hunk said.

“How’s the flavor tasting going?” Keith finally asked. “Any luck?”

Hunk sighed. “I--I’m not sure. I haven’t really been focusing on it.”

Keith hummed thoughtfully. “That’s alright. Don’t worry about it. This will be amazing either way.”

When the dough was ready to rest and firm up, they set it aside. Hunk helped cut more veggies. They continued talking, occasionally making each other crack up again and have to pause in their preparations to wheeze.

They focused their attention on the fish now, and started to prepare it. Keith liked it simple, seared on a pan and lightly seasoned with salt and pepper. Hunk also soft boiled some tiny eggs, the yolks a beautiful blue color. They added the veggies to the pot with the fishy parts and let those boil together.

The dough was ready, and Keith kneaded it some more to warm it slightly. Then he began to pull it into shape, working the dough into long strips. “This part is probably not the perfect way to do this,” Keith added, “but it’s the best I could figure.”

He continued working the noodles out into long strips and twisting it back on itself, adding flour as he went to keep everything from sticking. Finally, long tangles of noodles began to take shape. After a few more pulls and loops, Keith cut the ends, and then the noodles into more manageable lengths. Hunk watched with awe, unable to take his eyes off him as he worked.

They got another big pot out to boil water for the noodles. Once it was hot enough, they gently dropped the pasta in. It didn’t take long at all before they took them out.

They got out enough bowls for everyone and Keith showed Hunk how to gently set the noodles in. Then they scooped out some vegetables for each bowl, and drowned it all in the broth. They arranged the meat and soft-boiled eggs on top. Hunk sprinkled fresh green herbs on the top of each.

The end dish was beautiful, like a painting. For a second, they just admired the end result.

“Oh, god, the kitchen,” Hunk said after a minute. It was a mess, the food in front of them the calm in the storm.

Keith laughed. “Okay, let’s go get everyone and eat first, we’ll clean later. I’m starving.”

Hunk couldn’t help but agree, his stomach growling loudly. They sought out the team and gathered everyone up in the dining hall.

“I’m so excited for the surprise, it’s going to be awesome, I can feel it,” Lance said when he sat down.

“Hunk cooks like a snaggle-toothed wilinger, and I can’t wait,” Coran agreed.

“Thanks?” Hunk guessed. “Okay, Keith and I are grabbing the food.”

The two of them hurried to the kitchen and grabbed as many bowls as they could carry. For Hunk that was only two, but Keith agily managed four with magics that escaped him.

When they set down the bowls, Pidge gasped. “Is this--?”

“Ramen!” Lance exclaimed, grabbing for his spork and shoveling hot broth into his mouth. He yelped at the temperature, fanning his mouth. “Hot hot hot!”

“It’s hot, Lance,” Shiro warned wrly, earning him a hurt look from Lance.

“I’ll go get the last bowl,” Hunk said. But when he turned, Keith was already carrying it back from the kitchen. “Do you have magical powers? I didn’t even see you,” Hunk teased.

“Please, lesson one with the Blade: How to Sneak to Grab Ramen Bowls,” Keith quipped back. “Here.” He handed Hunk the warm bowl.

He accepted it gladly, finally taking is seat at the table. The others had already begun slurping down noodles and gulping the broth. Shiro was laughing as Allura dropped her noodles in the broth, splashing her face. Coran miraculously managed to produce a random set of his own chopsticks and was eating like a master, much to everyone’s confusion and amazement. He offered an explanation, but it was of such garbled alien terminology that it was still a mystery, even to Allura, who simply shrugged.

Keith slurped down his noodles and laughed and explained how he and Hunk had made everything. Hunk couldn’t add anything, he was too caught up in watching him talk and the wonderful noodles. They were delicious, and maybe even flavorful, though Hunk tried not to focus too much.

Something made Keith laugh so hard one of his arms reached out for Hunk’s shoulder, gripping him as he struggled to take a breath.

Hunk was struggling to breathe, but for an entirely different reason. As Keith’s hand gently let go, he wished it would stay. It was then that he realized what he hadn’t let himself think about since Keith’s return from the Blade.

Keith was beautiful.

Hunk was hopelessly in love with him.

The realization left him panicked for a heartbeat, stunned at the thought. But Keith laughed again, and repeated the same touch as before, grazing his chest this time. And Hunk decided that he was going to simply do everything he could to hear Keith laugh again, to make an amazing noodle dish that had everyone giggling and slurping.

After the dinner was done, Keith and Hunk had to contend with the disaster that was the kitchen. They cried out in dismay at the sight, but were both too buoyed with happiness to let it get them down for long. They scrubbed and soaked, wiping down the dishes to be put in the dishwasher and cleaning the countertops. It was a bit of work, but they continued to talk throughout, and laughing made it less of a chore.

Hunk realized he couldn’t keep himself from touching Keith whenever he got the chance. A soft brush of their hands, and playful bump of his hips that sent Keith flying, anything he could do. The realization of his feelings had left him curious, and their light mood made him bold.

Keith didn’t seem to mind, and something like hope fluttered in Hunk’s chest.

They walked together to the bedrooms and spent several long minutes at the end of the hallway, stalling their parting to their own rooms. They laughed and talked about other dishes to make and things to do, said goodnight a few times before a “Oh, but wait, and also…” would have them start over again.

Finally, they managed to slip away into their own rooms. Hunk couldn’t stop himself from smiling, even though his face was starting to hurt. He got ready for bed, stopping to cover his face in his hands every time he thought of Keith’s laugh.

***

It wasn’t until a few days went by that Hunk realized he could taste again. It happened slowly, and he only realized it when he ate some of Keith’s jam on toast for breakfast and felt the shock of sweetness.

He was in shock. It was something that he’d thought would’ve been more obvious, but in truth it happened without his knowing. And instead of excitement and relief, he felt a flash of fear.

Would Keith want to spend time with him anymore?

He obviously couldn’t lie because Keith had been working so hard to help him. It would be wrong to take advantage of his time. Besides, he was really a terrible liar in general.

Instead, he would need to tell Keith he can taste again. He would have to set aside his selfish desires to spend time with Keith. He could hope that maybe Keith felt the same as he did, though the thought twisted his stomach in knots.

No matter what, after all that Hunk would thank him, in the nicest way he knew how.

He headed to the kitchen.

***

Hunk knew the recipe by heart. This was a favorite, one of the first ones he’d mastered on his own as a child. His mom had made sure he knew how to make a delicious cookie, and he was thankful for her lessons. Being in space, he’d had to improvise a few steps.

He made the batter and started the oven and added the alien chocolate chips. Even though the ingredients had once been unfamiliar, he’d made this a hundred times with Lance and Pidge as strict judges until they deemed it perfect.

He took a deep breath. He was getting nervous again. He tried to relax.

The cookies were baking nicely. Hunk was pacing, trying to decide how he should go about getting Keith. Should he say, ”Hey, let’s go cook?” and surprise him with the cookies instead? Should he take the cookies to his room? Should he go--

“Hunk? What smells amazing in here?”

With a startled yelp, Hunk jumped and turned around. Keith was in the doorway, sniffing at the air and giving Hunk a wide smile.

“Are you making cookies again?”

Everything Hunk was trying to think of saying before was gone, erased by one look of Keith’s intense eyes. He could only nod, and mumble, “Yeah, um, space chocolate chip.”

“Does that mean you’re feeling better?”

Keith was closer now, and a mixture excitement and caution. One of his hands gently reached out, almost as if to touch Hunk’s arm.

It was too much. “I can taste again. I noticed this morning at breakfast.”

And now, the hand that had been outstretched grabbed his arm. “That’s amazing, Hunk! I’m so happy for you.”

“So,” Hunk said, biting his lip, “I just wanted to make you some cookies and say thanks. For everything.”

Keith paused, looking at Hunk with surprise. Then something like a flash of nervousness appeared on his face, though he hid it well. “Are you--so you don’t need me to help you with textures anymore?”

“No--I mean--I couldn’t ask you to, anymore, you know, if you don’t want to, but I would love--I mean, spending time with you--I--”

His words were a mess, his thoughts tangled up in too many different conversations he’d planned to say before that spilled out into an incoherent sentence. His heart pounded in his ears. His face reddened with embarrassment, but Keith looked at him with a fondness that made him stop talking.

“Can we keep spending time together then?” Keith asked carefully. His hand was still on Hunk’s arm.

“I would really like to. I love--your style of cooking and your thoughts and being around you,” Hunk said quietly.

Keith kept his hand on Hunk’s arm.“I would like that a lot. You’re a really great person to be around, Hunk.”

The little timer for the oven chimed, startling them both. Keith gave a soft laugh, stepping back from Hunk. He hadn’t even noticed how close they’d been. To give himself a moment to breath and clear his head, he hurried to take the cookies out.

“They smell really nice,” Keith said conversationally.

“Family recipe, modified for space ingredients,” Hunk said.

A pause stretched out in the room.

At the same time, Hunk began, “Keith--” and Keith said, “Hunk--” and they both broke off their sentences to laugh.

“You first,” Hunk insisted.

“Okay,” Keith said. “Hunk, I’ve really enjoyed hanging out with you these past few weeks. I really hope you’ve been feeling better.”

Hunk smiled at him. “I think I really am.” He handed Keith a warm cookie.

He blew on it and took a nibble. His eyes shined as he said, “Hunk, you are so talented. These are amazing. Seriously, they’re the sweetest.”

Every doubt and worry in him peaked in an agonizing rush as Keith froze. But as Keith’s face blushed deeply and his mouth quirked into a grin, Hunk felt hope through everything else. That look filled him with something fluttering and hopeful. He remembered the light touch on his arm.

“This has been…” Keith mumbled, trailing off. His eyes were locked onto Hunk’s before he rolled them upwards and shook his head as if deciding something.

And then Keith’s lips were on his.

They only kissed for a brief second, but it felt like minutes. Hunk blinked as they both slowly pulled away, and his lips curled into a grin. "You're wrong, Keith. Those cookies aren't the sweetest. You are."

Keith's face was already tinged pink, but now was darkened to a bright red. "Hunk!" he sputtered. "You can't just say things like that."

"You're the one who just kissed me! Besides, it's true." Hunk held onto both of Keith's hands, the rest slipping out of his mouth before he could think. "Thank you for helping me these past few weeks. You're so sweet and I think I have a crush on you."

"I think I have a crush on you too, Hunk," Keith finally managed after a pause. He gave Hunk a nervous smile, and Hunk melted just a little.

"Can we eat more cookies now?" Hunk asked. Keith laughed that wonderful laugh.

"Yes, Hunk, please, they're delicious."

Hunk and Keith sat in the kitchen and ate cookies together, laughing and occasionally pausing to kiss again. Hunk could barely keep his smile off his face. He would never have thought that such a long sad spell would lead to anything this amazing.