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Regardless of the weather outside, the delight Stacey felt when he visited Colorful never changed. The last time he had visited it had been bright and sunny, children excitedly running in and out as they picked out their favorite selections of treats from the shelves. It was much quieter today, with Stacey barely making it into the cafe before the rain started pouring. Now, he listened to the distant thunder while staring blankly at the white card that Yatsude had slipped him. The invitation itself was straightforward: Isao and Mitsuko Goshikida were being honored at a fundraising ball for their work in making multidimensional travel more accessible. The event was a week away. The event was invite only. These were things Stacey had found out weeks earlier during a brief conversation with Isao. What had rendered Stacey speechless was the note that had been slipped into the card.
Stacey –
Sorry that we keep missing each other! If you’re free, I’d love to see you! You’ll be my plus one!
Talk to you soon!
– Kaito
No matter how many times she read it, the note said the same. Kaito was inviting her to a fancy event as a plus one. Stacey closed her eyes after reading it for the tenth time, mind racing over those four short sentences. She’d never admit it outloud, but she missed the Zenkaigers. Especially Kaito. It had been a little under two years since the crew had decided to tour every different world and it was still weird to not see Kaito helping out around Colorful whenever she’d stop by. Kaito leaving made the offer of staying with Yatsude somehow less… appealing. She was being honest when she’d said that Colorful acted as a refuge away from everything else that was going on. However, Stacey would be lying if she said that Yatsude was the only person who lived there that she wanted to spend time with.
He and Kaito hadn’t seen each other in around five months, their paths straying from each other more and more as Kaito visited Zenkaitopia less and less. And it was alright, really, but it did sting a little that despite the excitement Kaito expressed every time he saw Stacey, he never tried to visit him in Kikaitopia. Additionally, this was the first time that Kaito had left a note for him. Obviously, there wasn’t anything that had stopped Stacey from leaving a note with Yatsude before now, but every time he’d considered doing so he chickened out at the last moment, crumpling up and tossing the note in the trash can right outside the cafe.
“Is everything alright, Stacey?” Yatsude asked, breaking through Stacey’s musings. Stacey gave a sharp exhale and opened their eyes as Yatsude sat down across the table from them. “You’ve been quiet for a while.” Wordlessly, Stacey gestured to the note. Yatsude’s eyes lit up. “Right, Kaito was really excited to invite you. Will you make it?”
“I’m not sure,” Stacey admitted. They knew that there was no ulterior motive behind the invitation. In fact, they were pretty sure Kaito didn’t know how to have an ulterior motive. But the longer they thought about it, the less certain they were about the intentions behind the invite. At first, it felt like Kaito was asking them out on a date. However, a date to a fancy gala? Them? There’s no way it was possible. And if this was simply a friendly thing to do, why didn’t Kaito invite someone else? Careful in choosing their words, they tried to come up with a good excuse. “I don’t think I’d know how to fit in. There’ll be a lot of humans in close quarters there, and I’m still not used to that.” There had been one afternoon in the past when Stacey had talked to Yatsude about how they’d spent most of their life in solitude. While that had been changing more and more each day, being around large groups of kikainoids was very different from being in large groups of other beings, human mother or not.
“Ah, I’m not sure if I’m going myself. The glitz and glamor, the mingling, all of it is a young person’s game.” Stacey held back a laugh as Yatsude leaned back dramatically. “My old, tired body wouldn’t be able to keep up with all the young people dancing around.”
“You’re not old at all,” Stacey said. “I’m sure you’ll keep up just fine.”
“And I’m sure that you’ll feel comfortable around your friends if you’re able to show up.”
“Friends?”
“Yes, friends.” Yatsude reached out to squeeze one of her hands. “No matter how much you pretend, we both know that all the Zenkaigers care about you.”
Stacey felt a sharp pang in her chest. So this was a friendly invitation, not a date. She didn’t know whether to feel relieved or disappointed. Nevertheless, she smiled at Yatsude. “I promise to think about it.”
Standing up, Yatsude patted Stacey’s shoulder. “Oh, this storm is getting worse. Stay for a bit. I’ll make soup.” Stacey nodded and picked up the note again, fiddling with it briefly before pocketing it. Honesty, the idea of the entire Goshikida family there made it less daunting, and he really had nothing else to do.
The swirling portal between worlds closed with a whoosh behind Stacey and she carefully made her way up the sidewalk towards the venue. There weren’t any laws about where portals could be open, but it was courteous to enter dimensions outside, giving people in occupied buildings some space and warning. Even though progress had been made in making portal stops, locations where people without personal technology would congregate before traveling, Stacey enjoyed being able to enter the world wherever she pleased. Her nerves about the entire affair had ramped up in the hours leading up to leaving Kikaitopia, so she hoped that a bit of walking would help calm her down.
Carefully, Stacey climbed up the stairs, making sure not to step on the hem of his gown with his black heels. He joined the flowing mass of individuals, quietly observing the other attendees as they chattered around him. He tightly held onto the invitation that he’d received, but his stomach plummeted when he realized that everyone else seemed to be holding tickets. The card he’d been given didn’t have a ticket – what was he supposed to do? Outwardly he remained cool and composed as he looked around to see if there was someone who could help him, and seconds later he heard his voice being called.
“Stacey!”
Stacey turned towards the sound of her name and locked eyes with a waving and grinning Kaito. He was standing next to a large, porcelain white fountain near the front entrance, face lit up with happiness. She couldn’t help but smile back as she moved towards Kaito, walking calmly so as to not betray her own delight. He stopped waving when Stacey was close, eyes going wide as he took her look in.
“Hi,” Stacey said.
“Stacey, you look… amazing.” They watched Kaito take his time looking at them, from their pinned up hair to their silver jewelry to their flowing, silky, dark-as-space purple gown. Stacey couldn’t help but let out a quiet huff, reflexively pushing a loose lock of hair behind their ear.
“You don’t look too bad yourself,” they replied. Kaito kept his standard motif, wearing a white suit with a striped rainbow tie and matching pocket square. He looked really good, in all honesty, and the way Kaito beamed at the slight compliment made Stacey’s own smile grow wider.
“Oh! Everyone else is inside! I was just waiting on you.” Kaito turned to the kikanoid at the entrance. “She’s with me.” With a grin, he grabbed Stacey’s hand to lead them into the event.
Stacey looked down at their joined hands as the two of them walked through the building. Kaito was always so casual with touch, and Stacey willed their heart to beat normally. Being touched tenderly was something they didn’t know if they’d ever get used to. It being given so freely without a second thought made them feel warm.
The venue was enormous. Photos from the Goshikidas travels were hung up on the wall behind a black podium. A dozen or so large white circular tables filled the main room, each set with matching silver and white dishware and cutlery. Bouquets full of pale roses, eucalyptus and lavender acted as centerpieces. Chandeliers that shimmered above provided glowing golden light, making the space feel cozy despite its size. The dance floor was visible from the table that Kaito and Stacey were making their way to. Stacey glanced to the side, taking in the way the light oak shone even at this distance.
Stacey took a deep breath as he and Kaito reached the table, centering himself before being led head first into the madness. “Stacey!” Isao said, voice slightly louder than the rest of the chorus saying his name. “We’re so glad you could make it.” The handshake given from across the table was strong and firm, a contrast to the warmth in his voice. Stacey smiled in response, sitting down on the chair that Kaito had pulled out for him. He sat in between Kaito and Vroom, the latter of whom immediately pulling him into conversation. Catching Yatsude’s twinkling eyes reaffirmed Stacey’s decision to come.
Stacey always forgot how much he enjoyed talking to Mitsuko until he actually had the opportunity to sit down with her. She was just as sweet and caring as the rest of the Goshikida family, and whenever Stacey was able to talk to her it was easy to see how Kaito had grown into such an understanding, compassionate person. As they talked about how surreal it was to be in the older parts of Radio World, where no screens were allowed whatsoever, she looked over his shoulder and smiled.
“You have company,” she said. Stacey bit back a groan and turned, knowing that Gaon was making his way back to the table. “It’ll be easier for you to give in at this point.”
“I didn’t think that anyone in the world could be as determined as Kaito,” they grumbled.
“Stacey!” Gaon yelled as he reached the table, grabbing a chair to sit next to Stacey. “It’s not as fun without you. Just one dance? Please?”
Stacey looked at the dance floor. It had been a while since people had finished eating, and at this point he was likely one of the only beings in the venue who hadn’t been out dancing. Even though the last two years had been full of making up for all the experiences he lost in childhood, dancing wasn’t something that he’d really engaged with. He remembered dancing with his mother in secret, clapping and spinning and jumping as she sang in their quarters, the absolute delight and joy in moving around with her. And he knew that if he gave it a chance, he might have fun on the dance floor with the Zenkaigers. Sitting away was simply safer.
“Just one dance,” Gaon repeated. “And then you can be boring and sit here again.”
Stacey looked back at Mitsuko. Her smile revealed her amusement, clearly used to the shenanigans and attitudes of the Zenkaiger collective. “Go, we can talk more later.”
With a long suffering sigh, Stacey stood up and let Gaon lead her to the dance floor. “I got Stacey,” Gaon yelled excitedly once they’d reached everyone else. Stacey couldn’t help but freeze as Kaito met her eyes but continued dancing with Juran. She was wildly out of her element. Awkwardly, Stacey moved next to a reservedly dancing Magine and tried to follow her movements.
“Oh!” Magine said. “I didn’t expect someone to come dance with me.”
Stacey nodded their head. “I promised Gaon one dance with everyone but I’m not sure about being in the middle of all of that.”
“Well, it’s safe here!” Magine’s voice was cheerful and comforting. As the song progressed, Stacey realized that he wasn’t actually uncomfortable on the dance floor. He still wasn’t fully confident in himself and his skills, but standing with Magine was nice. Her usual anxiety seemed to disappear as she moved, which made him feel less awkward and anxious in turn. When the first song ended, he looked back to where Mitsuko was sitting, watching her in conversation with a different group of people. She was right: there would be other chances to talk. He might as well be in the moment.
One song turned to two, turned to three. Her confidence grew with each song and as time went on, she and Magine moved closer and closer to where the rest of the team was gathered. For the first time all night, Stacey completely let her guard down, and when she felt herself being pulled into a spin, she went with the movement instead of immediately lashing out at. She froze at the end of the spin, breath catching as she looked up at Kaito. He didn’t let go of her hand. Instead, he took the moment to pull her closer to him.
“Stacey, hi.”
“Kaito.” Quickly, he pulled his hand out of Kaito’s grasp and took a step back, hand pushing against his heart. “You scared me.”
“I’m sorry,” he said with a grin, clearly not sorry enough. “I should’ve made my way to you immediately but I thought you and Magine looked really happy together.”
“She made me comfortable,” Stacey admitted. “I don’t really dance.”
“Well, you had nothing to worry about. Your dancing looked great.”
“...Thanks.” Kaito’s face was flushed from his movements, his eyes shimmering brightly and his mouth stretched into his customary smile. Stacey rolled her eyes as she moved with him in time with the music. “But seriously, you’re lucky that I didn’t bring my knife.”
“You walk around with a knife?”
“Easier than keeping the Geartozinger on hand.”
Kaito nodded. “Good point. I’ll keep that in mind.” After a few seconds, Kaito started singing along to the music, a pop song that Stacey vaguely remembered hearing in a Zenkaitopian park a few months ago. He went to the park rarely but sometimes there were groups of young individuals hanging out near the playground that they were all clearly too old for, blasting music and sitting on top of play structures. Kaito didn’t know all of the words, humming instead of singing several lines. It was endearing, honestly.
Juran gave Stacey a thumbs up when he and Gaon made their way back towards Kaito. “I told you that you’d have fun!” Gaon said cheerfully. Stacey scoffed, a direct contrast to the smile on their face. They were having fun.
Stacey lost track of time. Being on the dance floor was truly freeing. All worries that had risen about being perceived had melted away. It was the third time that the music shifted into a slower, lingering song when Kaito had moved back to be in front of him. Kaito spoke.
“Hey.”
"Hey."
A pause. Kaito extended one hand. “Would you dance with me?”
Stacey looked around. Most of the individuals left on the dance floor had partnered up, holding each other and swaying to the music. The normally hypervisible Zenkaiger crew were suddenly nowhere to be found on the floor. Stacey knew that Gaon had been standing next to her seconds before Kaito walked over. It was almost as startling as Kaito’s words. Stacey looked back at Kaito, who, for the first time all night, looked slightly uncertain.
“If not, that’s also ok–”
“Yes. Yes, let’s dance.”
Kaito's face split into a wide smile. He took a step forward and pulled Stacey close with one hand on his hip. Stacey leaned into the movement, carefully placing his left hand on Kaito’s shoulder and holding onto Kaito’s hand with his free one. A new song had begun, a low voice singing softly. It was easy to shift their movement to match the slow tempo. They kept eye contact as they swayed, silently gazing in a world separate from the other dancers.
“I wasn’t sure if you’d come,” Kaito said.
“Neither was I.”
Kaito’s smile had softened, the bright edges smoothed out into something gentle. It was welcoming in a different way, Stacey thought, earnest just like every other smile but less intense. Kaito had a tendency to look at her with such fierce cheer, something that was the bane of her existence back when they were rivals. Now, the intensity had shifted in his eyes. Stacey wanted to look away, wanted to stop Kaito from reading her the way she knew he could, wanted to hide how deep and complicated her feelings about him were. But she couldn’t.
Instead, she cleared her throat. “I’ve never been to something like this before. I didn’t know what to expect.”
“I think this is the third one I’ve gone to? They’ve been finding more and more excuses to honor my parents. It’s nice.” Kaito didn’t break eye contact as he spoke, a minute tilt to his head. “It’s the first time I’ve had someone to fully share the experience with.”
Stacey felt her mouth drop slightly open as her mind raced. Did that mean this invitation was special after all? She was flustered, unsure how to respond to such a bold sentence. Luckily for her, Kaito started talking again, finally breaking eye contact as he looked up in thought.
“There’s this world we went to where there’s a mandatory dance party every night.”
“Mandatory?”
“Well, it’s mandatory that the city throws one. We went all four nights.”
Stacey’s heart slowed as Kaito launched into his story, energetic despite being told quietly. It was really nice to stand and talk with no one around, even though they weren’t talking about anything deep or serious. Eventually there was a lull in the conversation. Stacey’s arm fell to gently hold Kaito’s upper arm and without thinking, Stacey leaned forward to rest his head against Kaito’s shoulder, eyes closing. The moment he did, Kaito stopped moving. Stacey froze. He prepared to pull away and apologize, but Kaito brought the hand that had been on Stacey’s hip up. Gently, he held Stacey’s head in place.
Bodies pressed against each other, still holding hands, they swayed.
It was late when the party eventually came to a close. Time had flown by as the evening had progressed and even though it was time to go home, Stacey still felt a buzz of energy around him. He wanted to stay with the group a little longer, but he didn’t know how to vocalize that want. Instead, he gave a short bow to the group. “It was nice seeing you all.”
Yatsude reached out to give him a hug. “See you soon,” she said; Stacey hugged back firmly. They smiled at each other as Mitsuko tapped Stacey on the shoulder.
“Thank you again so much for coming, it means a lot to us.”
Stacey nodded. “Congratulations on all your work and thank you for having me.”
“I’ll walk you to your stop,” Kaito offered. When she nodded, Kaito waved to everyone else. “I’ll see you all back at Colorful, alright?” After everyone responded in agreement, Kaito and Stacey turned to leave, Stacey glancing back as they exited. She had to admit, it was nice to see the Goshikidas and Zenkaigers together. Remembering that she had such a welcoming community that she could turn to if needed was something that she figured she might never get used to. It felt nice.
The night was still warm when they stepped outside. The fountain glowed with comforting light as they passed it. Most individuals had left at this point but there were still small groups here and there outside the venue. Stacey was only half paying attention to what Kaito was saying as they approached the nearest public portal stop. He knew that he should try to focus considering the fact that he didn't know when he'd see Kaito again, but the question that had been bothering him for months kept running in the back of his head.
"Stacey?"
"Hmm?"
"What's on your mind?"
Stacey bit his lip, weighing the pros and cons of voicing his thoughts. Worst case scenario, Kaito would shrug around the question and they wouldn't see each other for seven months. Best case scenario…
“Why don’t you ever visit?” She tried to keep her voice casual. “I never know when you’ll be in Zenkaitopia, but I’m usually in Kikaitopia. I assumed that the rest of your team would visit their homes every so often, but I’ve never seen you.”
Kaito slowed down a little. Stacey matched his pace and finally turned their head towards him. He looked pensive, as if he was trying to find the right words. For someone who ran head first into everything, it was odd to be in this type of silence. The pair was quickly reaching Stacey’s portal location as he continued to think, Stacey’s heart beating faster and faster the longer it took.
Kaito came to a complete stop. Stacey followed. A beat, then, Kaito moved so that he and Stacey were facing each other. “I want to visit you all the time.”
Stacey’s eyes widened.
“To be honest, I didn’t think you’d want to see me in your own space. In Kikaitopia.” Kaito turned his head to the sky, stretching his arms outward. “There are so many universes out there. I love exploring them all. Did I ever tell you about meeting myself before? It’s always surreal but exciting. Here’s the thing,” Kaito said, looking back at Stacey. “Almost every other version of me has you. And although I haven’t met the other Staceys, hearing the wonderful things the other Kaitos have had to say always makes me miss you more.”
Stacey’s breath caught. He had wondered if he could exist in another world, being half kikai and half human, but apparently everything in the multiverse was possible. Isao had talked about meeting himself and Mitsuko in other worlds, so Stacey assumed that Kaito would have done the same. Knowing that other Kaitos had their own Staceys made his chest fill with yearning.
“I’m so lucky,” Kaito continued, “to know you. I’m so lucky to have met you in my own world. I just didn’t know that you’d want me in yours.” He smiled. “Plus there’s no good way to schedule meetups. I have no clue where you even live!”
“I live by myself in a little house with a garden in the back. It’s near the Kore town square. I…” Stacey stopped themself as Kaito’s smile grew brighter and brighter. “I miss you too,” they confessed. It was Kaito’s turn to have his eyes widen. This was almost too good to be true, so much more than they’d allowed themself to expect. They’d assumed that Kaito would give an explanation about how busy he was or how he hadn’t even thought about it.
Instead, he wanted her in his life as much as she had secretly wanted him in hers all this time.
Stacey’s heart was trapped in his throat as he thought about what he’d just revealed. He had wanted to say it outloud the moment he made eye contact with Kaito across the plaza before the event had started. And now he had a second realization – he wanted to invite Kaito over for the night.
He wanted to feel cherished in his own space in the way Kaito often made him feel, wanted to be held, wanted to wake up in the arms of another person. He wanted Kaito to understand how deeply he felt, wanted to let Kaito know that he would do whatever he could to make him continue smiling, wanted to see Kaito’s sleepy smile next to him. The sudden thought made Stacey take a sharp inhale, breaking whatever peaceful moment had settled over the two of them.
A sudden burst of confidence rushed over Stacey. This time, she grabbed Kaito’s hands in hers. Kaito looked down at their joined hands and looked back up with a sparkle in his eyes. Right when she started speaking, Kaito opened his mouth.
“You should c–"
"Do you want t–"
They both stopped talking at the same time. Kaito let out a soft laugh. "You first."
"No, it doesn't matter that much," Stacey lied. "Go ahead."
“Do you want to travel with me?”
A pause. “What?”
“Travel with me.” Kaito laced their fingers together. “There’s so much that I haven’t seen in this world. I want to see everything that’s out there and I want you to see it with me.”
“Just us?”
“Just us.”
Stacey had imagined traveling with the Zenkaigers in the past. Sometimes it seemed like it could be an exciting adventure. Usually it seemed like something that would try every last nerve in his body. But this? The two of them together? It was something that he’d never considered.
“When?”
“When?” Kaito’s smile grew wider, lighting up the night. “As soon as we want.”
Stacey didn’t bother hiding their excitement this time around. “Tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow.” Kaito let go of Stacey’s hands to wrap him in a hug. “It’s a date.”