The Flavor of Gratitude

Showing the necessary emotions for appreciation wasn’t Yingjie’s strong suit. Most of her life was filled with manipulation, backstabbing, and constant planning. There was no time to think about a relationship, so when she found herself in one, it would provide somewhat of a challenge. No, it wasn’t maintaining or arguments that the woman had issues with, but it was simply trying to show her appreciation. Her partner never made an issue of that, nor did he complain, yet it made Yingjie feel an inkling of discontent with her lack of action. There was plenty that she had to gain from their partnership, but it was a loss for Charlie. The motivation behind his pursuit of her remains a big question.

He’d always give nonsensical answers. They were along the lines of,

“There’s something about you that brings me happiness.”

“Being around you relaxes me.”

“I just want to be with you.”

Yingjie could not find a single rational explanation for such replies. Human emotion was an odd thing, and it was even more eccentric when applied to her partner. Though, she didn’t hate it. Standing alone in their apartment, Yingjie would stare at a cookbook. The aged pages had a comforting familiarity to them. An uncontacted version of her family, and the only thing she’d keep of her past, to say the book was priceless would be an understatement. The very recipes that were written there had been exclusively by her ancestors. Not a single time did that book ever come out during her childhood, nor could she recall her parents mentioning it. From this knowledge alone, Yingjie could guess that it hadn’t been used in decades.

Oftentimes Charlie would cook for her. There were various cuisines from all around the world he’d make, sometimes even going back to their birthplace of Zhigouzhin. She knew that the blonde would be returning home later tonight, creating an ideal opportunity to make a meal for them. Her skills in the kitchen weren’t anything notable. Despite having many talents where they were needed, she’d never placed her mind on more domestic ones. Grabbing a couple of cooking utensils, the pink-haired female had already bought the ingredients for their dinner. She had already started a bit on the broth and began to work on the other dishes. It would be best to have the liquid sit for a second to let the flavor get drawn out, enhancing the dish. She wasn’t afraid of what her partner’s opinion would be of the food. There was always room for improvement, so it had not been a thing to be worried about.

The aroma of a slow-cooked meal started to fill the air as she continued to carefully prepare their dinner. Yingjie didn’t let emotions control her being, opting to approach situations more logically. Charlie was almost the exact opposite. He was a fighter, able to swiftly take action that would result in victory. Alas, he occasionally let his feelings take over. It was commonplace for the blonde to cry at her teasing, wiping his tears away shortly after. She was aware he preferred more outward affection and cues to gauge where they were at. Unfortunately, that option hadn’t been readily available. The shortcomings that Yingjie bore held no negativity to her partner. She’d consider him eccentric for turning a blind eye to these cons, especially when they should be affecting his views of her.

Truly, the Children of the Moth were strange cases. They held a non-human half to them yet still managed to hold so much love. Every single time Yingjie had encountered these beings, they held a fiery passion towards those close to them. Their way of speaking, their actions, and their praise pointed to absolute devotion. When a moth finds a light, it will often die alongside it. She’d been the flame that Charlie couldn’t help but indulge in. Luckily, Yingjie hadn’t been any normal flame. Having terms that come with their relationship, it was made incredibly clear what her boundaries were. So far, he’d pass with flying colors.

The least she could do was return the favor. Yingjie didn’t need to reread the recipe or the steps. Blessed with an extraordinary memory, she’d only need to briefly skim the pages once before remembering the entire thing. The movements felt like second-hand nature when finishing up her cooking. Timing each step to work with the temperatures of the foods had been no easy feat. Yingjie knew the other was to be accompanying her soon. Grabbing the plates, bowls, and dining utensils, she’d put the food in them and set the table as the door opened. Turning around, Yingjie came face to face with her other half. A smile worked its way onto her features, or that’s what she thought.

From an outside perspective, her expression appeared rather neutral.

“What do we have here? You’ve made dinner for us?!” His voice had been a sweet tone of adoration. Yingjie decided to have some fun with her partner. 

“No, only for myself. I wanted to test my cooking skills.” Keeping it simple, she’d sport an unreadable look.

“What a shame.” Crossing his arms, Charlie removed his shoes to the side and walked closer to the pink-haired female. His face shifted to a smug smile as he leaned in. “Well, I’ve certainly never seen someone eat a single meal with a table set for two.”

Scoffing sarcastically at the blonde, she shrugged. “I guess.” There wasn’t anything to hide. As she made her way to the dining area, Yingjie felt the taller’s arms wrap around her. Pulling her into a hug from behind, Charlie placed a kiss on the top of her head while his reflection placed one on Yingjie’s cheek. 

“Thank you for this fantastic meal, darling.”

“You can’t say that when you haven’t even tried it.” Escaping the blonde’s grasp, she sat down at the table.

Charlie chuckled at this, for he knew the taste of gratitude always made for a memorable meal.