Charcoal Heart - ChoDark One-Shot

Charcoal Heart is a ChoDark One-Shot by SpacedOut925 (Spacey, They/Them), requested by BadGrammarCat (BGCat, They/Them)

Details:

Set after the showdown

Word count: 1109

Character details:

TCO (Chosen, Cho) - He/They, 23

TDL (Dark) - He/Him, 22

TSC (Second) - They/Them, 14

Red - He/Him, 14

SHIP WARNING! IF YOU DO NOT LIKE TDL X TCO, YOU DON'T HAVE TO READ!

Yes, this IS a gay ship.

And, Without further ado...

*Charcoal Heart*

By SpacedOut925 (Spacey, They/Them)

Chosen stared out at the bay, watching as raindrops sent ripples through the water. The cold window fogged up with his breath, and, too lazy to wipe it down, he sat back into his armchair, nabbing his headphones off the coffee table. He queued up his playlist of hyperpop and tried to relax.

Outside, rain was pouring down, the bay flooding. Cho tried hard not to think about how just a couple months ago, his best friend, his closest friend, his partner in crime tried to kill him.

They shoved the thought out of their mind and let the world dissolve around them. Dark wasn’t like that anymore. Whatever that orange kid did, it cured him.

After the orange kid and their friends were gone, Chosen had rushed over to the crater where dark had been blasted. They carried him back to their house and there they talked. Dark explained it.

When Alan, the creator of both of them, had made Dark, he was trying to destroy Chosen. And so he added a command to Dark’s programming, to destroy The Chosen One. The code remained after they escaped and destroyed Alan’s PC, and worked like a virus, poisoning Dark when he didn’t work toward that goal.

But when that strange orange kid blasted Dark with that green ray, it destroyed the code, and let him start anew.

Chosen let out a sigh. He was happy that Dark was finally okay, but he still couldn’t completely forget. He couldn’t forget the guilt of watching those other stick figures die. He couldn’t forget Dark’s fanged smile as he destroyed websites. He couldn’t forget the feeling of the Virablade through his chest, the suffocating pain, the burn of being erased, his heart cracking with betrayal-

Chosen opened his eyes as he heard a muffled shout from the door. He tossed his headphones off. “Chosen? I forgot my keys, can you let me in?” Dark called from outside. “Come on, It’s cooold!”

They jumped from the chair and rushed toward the door, slamming it open to see a soaked Dark carrying a paper bag of groceries. “Sorry,” He exclaimed to his dripping partner. “I had my headphones on!”

Dark laughed his beautiful, broad laugh and stepped inside, setting the groceries down in the kitchen. “It’s fine, I know how you get when you’re in the zone.” His cheeks were a gentle pink, and Chosen couldn’t tell if it was from the rain or… something else. *He wasn’t sure which he wanted it to be.*

Dark looked at Chosen’s slight smile, then, glancing from side to side and taking a deep breath, spoke. “Hey, can I… talk to you about something?”

As they next to each other on the couch, their knees barely touching, Dark breathed deeply. He had decided to do this while at the store. He had been waiting months, and now it was time to go through with it..

“I know…” He started. Chosen looked at him with his bright red eyes. He seemed confused, but curious. Dark swallowed his fear. “I know that… you have a hard time trusting me, since… I know that you’re mad at me.”

Chosen looked away with an expression that Dark guessed was guilt. *So he was right.* Well, no turning back. “But, I need you to know. I- I really care about you, and I never, *ever* want something like *that* to happen again.”

“Dark, I-” Chosen interjected.

“Shh.” Dark stopped him in his tracks. “I’m sorry for everything I’ve ever done to hurt you. I’m no better than Alan was to you, but I’m working, and-” There was a stirring in his heart. His chest felt light, his face hot. “There’s something I need to say.”

Chosen felt a similar strange feeling in his chest. He was scared. What came next could change everything. But what if they needed a change? “What… is it?”

Dark breathed deeply. “I- I…”

Chosen smiled at him encouragingly.

Dark shook his hands out. “Come on.” He grabbed Chosen’s arm and rushed toward the door.

“Wha-! Dark, it’s pouring out!” Chosen called from behind him.

Dark pulled him outside and looked him in the eye. “I think better in open spaces.” The rain pattered on their faces, and the cold made them blush. The wind was swirling, but Dark didn’t care. “Chosen, I…”

Taking one last breath, Dark said it.

Three words.

Three words that could change their lives forever.

“I love you.”

Chosen’s heart was filled with an incomprehensible feeling at that moment.

Ever since that strange day, his heart was stale. He had forgotten how to love, poisoned with a broken heart. Dark had been with him forever, how could he betray him like that? But now…

He knew the truth. He knew why he had done it, and now he knew how Dark felt for him.

Dark was biting his lip, surely nervous over how Chosen would react. Their hearts beat in perfect synchronicity, and suddenly-

Chosen tossed his arms over Dark’s shoulders and pulled him in close. Chosen pressed his lips to the other’s. Dark felt the blood rush to his face. The couple stood there for one perfect moment. Clouds parted, revealing the sun as the rain soaked their head and clothes, but their hearts kept them warm.

Receding, Chosen looked bashfully at Dark and smiled.

“W-wow.” Dark whispered. The feeling was better than he could have ever imagined.

“I, uhh. Love you, too.” Chosen stuttered.

Dark rushed forward at Chosen, sweeping him up into a hug. Tears were in his eyes. “T-thank you…” He sobbed gently. *For everything.*

“Dark, are you crying?” Laughed Chosen as he hugged back.

“Uh- NO! It’s just the rain!” Dark shoved him playfully. His cheeks were the same color as his skin.

“Wow, the great Dark Lord, crying for little old me? Ha!”

“I’m not crying! You are!”

“Oh, definitely.”

The sun shone down on the couple, and for the first time in months, Chosen’s heart felt whole.

***BONUS ENDING!***

Second and Red stared at the embracing couple in shock from around the corner of their house.. “... I don’t think we should interrupt…” Second whispered. The two had come to borrow some pillows for a sleepover, and they had stumbled across Dark confessing in the process.

“Shhh, lemme get a picture, otherwise the gang will never believe us!" Red grinned.

Second sighed as Red raised his camera. “That’s not fair to Dark and Chosen…” They muttered.

“Oh, come on, let me fanboy in peace.” Red turned around and placed his hand on his hip with a sly smile. “I ship.”

Second slapped their palm to their face.

***Bonus ending over!***

Phew, One of my favorite ships! I love the little gays. Thank you so much to BadGrammarCat for the idea!