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The wind was cold against his arms, but the Chosen One sat still and strong against it. The grass tickled against the sides of his legs, almost grounding him to this moment. This rare moment of peace and quiet.
Peace had been unknown to him for some time, ever since following the Dark Lord from Alan’s PC. While the vibrant red Hollowhead to his right yearned for chaos, Chosen couldn’t help but admire it. No, needless destruction wasn’t his forte, but he didn’t mind using his powers without care every once in a while. The Dark Lord just made it look so easy to destroy, destroy, destroy.
Maybe it was his code as the “Chosen One” that fought against this needless destruction.
Maybe this wasn’t who he was supposed to become-
His thoughts were whisked away into the wind at the sound of Dark’s teasing voice. “Has a cat got your tongue, Cho?”
Right, he had said something. Chosen was so deep in his thoughts he completely zoned out. No mind to that, the red Hollowhead really proved how hollow he was with the amount of nonsense he spewed anyway.
“No,” the Chosen One turned to him and continued, “but maybe a cat should catch yours so I can get some cursor-damned quiet.”
The Dark Lord paused, staring at him, then broke out into a cackling fit. His sharp teeth flashed in the artificial moonlight as he laughed and laughed. “He speaks! Of course you insult me, my dear Chosen One.” Chosen felt his face warm slightly as Dark continued. “Why, I expect nothing less. Although, a proper reply would be appreciated.” He winked and nudged Chosen’s shoulder. “I pick every location we visit in the Outernet, maybe you should choose the next one?”
Ah, right. Dark was asking him to choose their next location. They spent their days bantering and jumping from place to place, wreaking havoc on whatever random website they found until they returned “home”. As much as he loved having a friend and defying the code Alan gave him, Chosen found it hard to appreciate this kind of destruction as much as the Dark Lord did.
“You choose. I’m not bothered where we go, so you can choose.” Simply answered, the Chosen One returned his gaze to the horizon.
“Oh come on, surely you have someplace in mind you'd like to fuck up a little?” Dark nudged him again. “I always pick, you have to have a turn.”
The Chosen One remained silent. His cheeks heated further at the answer his mind provided.
I don’t care, as long as it’s with you.
No no no, what was he thinking? He’s just a Hollowhead, just a stick figure, this 'feeling' shouldn’t be- plaguing- him right now. Where was it… coming from?
The Dark Lord studied the Chosen One throughout his silence. He looked from where Chosen’s hand was just slightly touching his, up to his face, eyebrows furring slightly at the barely visible tinge of pink sprinkled over his cheeks and nose.
Another pause, then a smirk.
“A thought for a thought, my dear Cho.” The repeated nickname tingled at Chosen’s ears before he shook the feeling away.
He knew this game, Dark wanted to know what he was thinking because he suspected something but refused to confront him properly. He didn’t know what the Dark Lord was after today, which concerned him. This happened so often, but Chosen avoided it most of the time.
Most.
“You first.” Chosen decided to give in to his game, determined he could hide whatever Dark wanted from him.
The Dark Lord smiled, his sharp teeth on display once more. “That’s more like it, Cho.” He turned away and paused to think for a moment, then turned back to the Chosen One.
“I’m thinking that I’ve enjoyed destroying these websites recently…”
Of course.
“... with you.”
What.
“You make it better, I think. I mean, alone is fine but it’s more worth it to have someone… special… to do it with.”
Chosen felt his heart skip a beat, his eyes widen, and his face heat even further. This was so out of character, but he couldn’t deny that he almost… enjoyed hearing this from Dark.
“I, my dearest Cho, am thinking that I want to do this with you more. Just… you and I.”
What the fuck was happening? Why was he saying this? Why didn’t it feel wrong or gross or anything?
Why did he... want more of this?
Maybe these heartbeats meant more than he thought.
“Okay, your turn!” The Dark Lord acted as if he said some usual bullshit, grinning and waiting for Chosen to share his thoughts.
The Chosen One sat stunned for a moment, his carefully crafted thought gone and his mind swarmed with words.
“… with you.”
“... someone special…”
“...dearest Cho…”
“... just you
and
I.”
He doesn’t think but the words leave his mouth nonetheless.
“I do too.”
The Dark Lord stares, and that damned grin somehow grows.
“You what?~”
He knew. The Chosen One realised that the Dark Lord knew. He knew every cursor-damned word flooding his mind. He knew why Chosen’s cheeks were pink. He knew how Chosen reacted to the names he called him. He knew, he knew, he knew.
So why didn’t he look disgusted?
Why… why was he waiting for an answer?
Chosen had seen Dark make a lot of expressions before. He had seen sarcasm, excitement, anger, but he’d never seen… this. This genuine curiosity, this waiting, this… endearment.
So he tentatively continued.
“I want to do this more- with you. I don’t know why you enjoy this so much, but I know that-”
He paused.
“I know that I enjoy being with you like this. I enjoy doing this with you, my Dark Lord.”
The nickname left his mouth before he realised it, much like everything else he had just said, and Chosen almost stopped breathing.
“Wait, I didn’t mean- I- Fuck-”
The Dark Lord placed his hand over Chosen’s with a gentleness that surprised them both.
“Does it feel strange, Chosen One?” Dark paused. “This feeling. I know you’re feeling it too, but you’ve been around longer than me, so maybe it’s not as… foreign.”
The Chosen One stopped and thought for a moment, breathing deeply enough to think straight again.
“Yes, Dark Lord. It feels strange, it feels foreign, and I get the feeling not a hundred years could explain what this is, or why this is.” His hand tensed under Dark’s. “It scares me, Dark. More than I think I want to admit.”
Chosen felt Dark’s hand tighten before he responded.
“But I don’t think I want it to go away.”
Their eyes locked, and Chosen could’ve sworn that Dark’s face went a little pink too.
[♥]]] [♦]]] [♣]]] [♠]]]
Silence covered the duo like a blanket. The Chosen One felt it was comforting, but maybe even smothering, because he knew there were things the both of them wanted to say.
As he opened his mouth to speak, he felt the Dark Lord shift his hand, interlocking his fingers with Chosen’s. His heart pounded and his voice left him in the dust, but he squeezed Dark’s hand in response.
This made the Dark Lord the first to take the ‘blanket’ off. “What does this mean, Cho? What does this make us?”
The Chosen One had no words for the third time that night. What did this make them? He had seen relationships online, as confusing as they were, but he didn’t know if they were real. How should he know?
He thought for a bit, not sure what to say, then he heard it. A small voice in the back of his head, recalling a memory from earlier that night. Chosen knew what to say.
“I don’t know. There are a lot of words we could use on the Outernet, but I don’t know how to tell if they’re right. I don’t know what we are…” The Chosen One paused, but before he could second guess himself, he spoke.
“...but I know you’re my Dark Lord.”
He made eye contact again with the Dark Lord on those last words, and watched as his eyes widened and his smile grew. Chosen heard as Dark muttered to himself, “ My Chosen One…”, and his smile only grew further. His head leant onto Chosen’s shoulder, and the two looked up at the sky.
His Dark Lord had such beautiful eyes, deep black swirls of curiosity and power, always moving, always searching. Chosen hoped, just a little bit, that maybe he’d get to see them forever.
Whatever they were.