Archive of Our Own

Awaking in warmth and softness was never something Dark Choco Cookie typically experienced. His bed in his own quarters was big enough for himself just barely, and it was anything but soft. It felt like a dream waking up, tucked under blankets and head under a soft pillow, breathing in the saccharine scent of Licorice’s flavor. It was odd, feeling so comfortable, not feeling like danger was around the corner. He could still feel the gnawing sensation in his chest of his blade’s hunger, he would have to satiate it soon. Cleaning Licorice’s bedroom helped ease his mind for a while. He left his sword in his room of course, he could never bring himself to take it somewhere so sacred, somewhere so safe. Even with the distance he could feel it call to him. His body felt weak and muscles sore, not from cleaning but from ignoring its beckoning. Dark Enchantress’ ‘punishments’ made him a bit more resilient to its effects but only so much could truly be done. He refused to feed it and as revenge it ate at him instead. It was a feeling he did not understand, let alone know how to describe, the feeling of his own soul being chipped away at, draining from his body and making him feel weaker. It would ease up of course, once it got what it wanted. Once he obeyed.

He swallowed thickly as he felt his hands start to tingle and shake slightly. Despite only being awake for a few minutes he was already feeling agitated, which made guilt bloom in tandem around his throat and despite being nowhere near the cursed blade he could sense it preening at his discomfort, at his misery. The sound of a chair being pushed back pulled him from his wallowing. He did not need to look to know who it was, hearing a bereft sigh slip from Licorice as his footsteps traveled down towards the other end of the room. Choco silently rolled onto his back, scooting up a bit so he was leaned against the pillows behind himself, eye following the others movements affectionately. He was rooting around his vanity, grumbling to himself no doubt about everything being in a different place than he left it. Choco had tried his best to keep everything somewhat unchanged, but his vanity was a challenge, Licorice seemed to have a habit of just throwing his clothes on the floor leaving the vanity mostly empty or filled with odds and ends. Choco bit back a smile as Licorice made a quiet sound of triumph as he found his robes, pulling one out and setting it on top of the vanity before moving his hands down to the hem of his shirt, starting to pull it up and off. Choco did not…intend to stare, but as each inch of skin was revealed he could not force himself to look away, his negative train of thought all but disappearing as he watched his lithe torso come into view. He enjoyed the sight, feeling a twinge of blush blooming in his face initially until his eye focused more intently.

Licorice was thin, almost sickly looking. His bones jutted out beneath the skin and Choco could make out the notches of his spine. It was a bit alarming. He knew Licorice was on the lean side of things but he hadn’t realized how severe it was. He shifted his gaze up his back to his locs, with his hood not obscuring them he could see the dark roots, only the ends having the purple ombre. It looked a bit faded and Choco toyed with the idea of offering to retouch them for the other…not that he knew a thing about how to do it but he was sure he could learn. He watched the necromancer’s face closely, a look of concentration in his expression as he looked down at the vanity, seemingly puzzled as he began searching for something again. He knew Licorice did not like the way he looked but Choco suspected his weight was not intentional, Licorice hated cooking and truthfully was not good at it, so he resorted to snacking or eating small simple meals, nothing nutritious from what Choco had seen. Perhaps he could cook for him? Choco was no chef but he could handle cooking meals on his own without almost starting a fire every time, as he had seen the other do on multiple occasions. His tender thoughts halted as he saw Licorice’s eyes briefly shift up to the mirror, initially looking at himself before spotting Choco’s reflection, spinning around and holding his robe to his chest.

“Choco!” He spat, his face flushed rather quickly. Choco remained in place, still looking at him. He couldn’t stop his staring even if he wanted to.

“Good morning.” Dark Choco murmured, voice even and calm which seemed to only bother Licorice further.

“How long have you been awake?! And stop staring at me!” He yelped, reaching back to grab his sleep shirt and throwing it at Choco, hitting him square in the face. While Choco was temporarily blinded he pulled on his robes swiftly, face still dusted with blush. Choco moved the shirt from his face, making a quiet sound of disappointment at the sight of the now fully clothed Necromancer.

“ There was no need to rush..” He mumbled, eyes still fixated on the other as he quickly put his jewelry on before stomping over to the bed, looming over Choco with his hands on his narrow hips.

“Uh, yes there is! The meeting is starting soon and if you don’t get moving we’ll both be late.” Licorice grumbled, eyebrows drawn together in frustration. “ I was nice enough to let you sleep in for so long, the least you can do is get up and go get ready.” Choco looked up at him, seeing Licorice visibly soften at his gaze. Choco sighed as he slowly sat up and scooted to the edge of the bed, rising to his feet. He was quickly pulled into a tight hug, it taking him a moment to reciprocate it. “Thank you for cleaning my room…you didn’t have to..” Licorice spoke quieter, softer, and it had Choco’s heart fluttering against his ribcage. The moment of simple affection was quickly torn from him as he felt his arms ache, like the tendons in his hands were straining to grasp nothing. It snapped him out of his softness, his makeshift smile fading as he broke off the hug. The gnawing grew harder to ignore as it latched onto him, onto his very bones.

“It was nothing. Do not let it get that bad again.” Choco’s voice came out cold and flat and he could see Licorice’s body become tense. He rolled his shoulders as he walked past Licorice towards the door, slipping on his boots and feeling his hand on the door knob when Licorice spoke.

“Fine! Be that way!” He snapped, Choco was quick to leave the room, closing the door behind himself as he descended the steps quickly. Guilt and disgust wracked his body and the discomfort had him slipping already, his fingers feeling numb. As he reached the bottom of the stairs he continued to his own room without hesitation. He could feel it burning under his dough as he got closer, his nerves fraying as traversed the narrow dark halls by memory alone. Once he reached his room he yanked the door open, the heavy lock clanking with the force of it. It served as a reminder. He may have confessed his feelings, they may have kissed and developed the closer bond that he desired but he had not changed. Choco was the same disgraced prince, the same traitor. The same monster. How could he lull Licorice into this false sense of comfort when he knew it was only a matter of time before he actually hurt him, not with his words but his hands around his throat or his sword impaled through his stomach.

His thoughts were vivid of course, he could smell the jam and practically feel its warmth on his hands. He could have sworn he saw it too, smeared down his arms and under his nails. His eye closed as he sunk to his knees, back against the door. It felt awful breathing, heavy gasps wracking his lungs and no matter how much he tried to inhale he could feel his chest aching. The cookie curled into himself, knees to his chest as he hyperventilated. He felt a tug, like invisible puppet strings around his wrists, his eye opening and landing on the heavy wooden armoire. Dread washed over his body as he forced himself to stand, ignoring the desire to rip the doors of the armoire off their hinges to reach for his blade, and instead began the process of putting his armor on. It was tedious, many layers to it of course. Padding, chain mail, more padding and then the heavy plates fastened with buckles. It felt like a second skin at this point, a tough metal carapace that left him void of touch and thought. He fastened his cloak and only then did he look back at the armoire. It felt quiet. There was no pull anymore, just a gentle connection between him and the cursed chunk of metal. It did not need to enthrall him, it knew he was obedient. Pathetic. Weak.

He held his breath as he opened the doors with a creak, aside from his small selection of clothing the sword leaned against the back, just barely fitting inside. It was a greatsword, a two handed weapon but sometimes, if it was desperate enough, he wielded it with one hand. This was not without consequence of course, his hands and wrists would ache terribly and his hands shook regularly from the strain of lifting something too heavy for his body. It felt deserved. The blood red gem embedded in the circular crossguard of the sword flickered as he looked down on it, like it was laughing. He watched it for a few moments, the gem glowing faintly. His arm moved on its own, at least it felt as though it did, hand wrapping around the grip easily and pulling the sword out. It was heavy in his hands but the sensation subsided quickly, his mind feeling faint as the familiar and metaphorical reins were taken from him. A faint droning buzzed in his ears but it was quickly tuned out, feeling his face fall expressionless.

The sound of his heavy boots echoed down the solemn halls, the glowing gem of his sword being the only sign he was there, the rest of him cloaked by shadow. As he entered the foyer he was able to sneak a glance at the stairwell up to the Necromancer’s room. He wanted to apologize for the way he acted, for the way he was. His thoughts were quickly twisted into notions of violence.

He could show Licorice how bad he really could be, how much of a monster he truly was.

He shook his head, having to repeat the motion several times to get it to leave him alone as he walked past the steps, not sparing them another glance. His distress was rewarded, feeling energized by his own disgust in some sick way. He was absent the rest of the way to the meeting hall, mindless and letting his body be piloted by whatever unseen power compelled it. He felt Licorice’s eyes on him immediately, burning into him as he took his seat at the table, Pomegranate’s voice feeling painful to him in this state.

“ Thank you for finally gracing us with your presence, Dark Choco Cookie.” She said coldly, glaring at him as well. Poison Mushroom Cookie was the only one in the room not giving him the cold shoulder, waving at him excitedly, albeit delayed. He gave the younger cookie a nod, ignoring the other two. “ Now.” Pomegranate Cookie spoke firmly. “ It is no surprise to anyone that Licorice, despite being given the tools to succeed, has failed our master miserably.” Dark Choco felt his body tense, glancing at the Necromancer once he felt his gaze leave him. His eyes were glued to the table, fidgeting. Choco desperately wanted to reach out, to comfort him, to protect him from the onslaught of Pomegranate’s impending verbal attack, but he knew better than to be so obvious.

“I-I..I, we got far.in..in the tri-” Licorice stuttered, flinching as the priestess glared at him, making him sink into his seat.

“You were not asked to speak! Enough of your pitiful claims of progress! You failed, and you continue to fail despite being coddled through what should have been a simple mission!” She snapped, Poison Mushroom Cookie wilting into their seat as well from the tension.

“It was my fault.” Choco spoke calmly, feeling the weight of the room shifting to rest atop his shoulders. Pomegranate stared at him with a raised eyebrow.

“Is that so?” She asked after what felt like an eternity of silence. Her eyes were cold as they locked with Choco’s indifferent gaze. “ Do tell.”

“I told you I did not wish to help him with the dance, so I did not.” He lied, letting his lips curl into a slight grin as her anger felt tangible, the air around them feeling charged with her hatred. He felt a twinge of enjoyment, unsure if it was truly himself or the sword leaned on against the table beside him savoring it. “After you came to my room I simply pretended to go upstairs. In reality I skipped out on the whole thing.” He lied easily, simply saying the things he knew would get under her skin the most.

“Licorice Cookie” Her voice was calm, gaze still locked on the warrior. “I figured you would be eager to express this to me, I know you are not dim enough to lie to me. Do you corroborate this story?” She questioned, Choco feeling nervousness rise in his chest.

“U-uhm…” Licorice’s voice was shaky. Pomegranate broke eye contact with Choco to instead stare at the Necromancer from the corners of her eyes. She was not glaring, but it still held an intensity Choco knew would crumble the other. He begged wordlessly, praying that Licorice would accept the out he was providing. “He..he never showed up...I lied because..I didn’t want to get him in trouble..” Licorice lied, trying to not tremble under Pomegranate’s gaze. There was a long break of silence as the priestess simply observed Licorice closely. Choco finally felt himself relax slightly when she finally spoke.

“A traitor will always be nothing more than a traitor. Licorice Cookie, do not feel the need to protect him from the punishment he deserves. His dedication rests with nobody but himself, let alone the Dark One.” She spoke almost sympathetically, at least as close to it as she probably could. “Seeing as the two of you cannot seem to work together without causing a mess, our Enchantress has given me the request to give the two of you some bonding time.” She spoke smugly, and Choco felt his body tense. “ Dark Choco Cookie, it seems you have not only been slacking on helping with the quest to retrieve the SoulJam from Hollyberry Cookie’s shield, or any of them for that matter, but also on your own tasks as well. Our mistress has instructed you to complete them immediately, Licorice Cookie will be accompanying you seeing as you cannot be trusted stay on task.” She spoke clearly and calmly, using a hand to lift her mirror to her face to hide her smug grin. “ Perhaps his devotion to our leader will remind you of your place…lest you need me to remind you again.”

Choco felt his heart sink, his hands shaking under the table. He had not done his tasks yet, truthfully finding them boring and crass. He was requested to clear out a colony of Black Sugar Scorpion’s that had taken up residence near the mountain ridge their defunct castle was located next to. Their presence was inconsequential when they were small, but seeing as it had been quite some time since he was given the task they had surely reproduced by now, the pests growing quickly. It was something he could handle alone, preferred to do alone, but he knew by the glimmer in Pomegranate Cookie’s eyes that there was more behind it. She was not dumb, and Choco had been aware of her taking notice of Licorice and his growing closeness despite how hard he tried to hide it. What better way to put a strain between them and to punish Dark Choco than by letting Licorice witness his wrath first hand?

“ That is not necessary.” Choco mumbled.

“You are not being given a choice.” Pomegranate stated firmly. Choco pressed on regardless.

“It would be quicker if I handled it by myself.” He tried to not seem desperate or frantic, using his energy to keep his tone even.

“Are you implying that Licorice Cookie would slow you down?” She questioned, her grin audible in her smug voice. Choco was of a chivalrous nature but goodness did he want to hurt the priestess. His blade fed the thoughts, biting the inside of his lip as he fought to control himself. He could feel Licorice wilt a bit next to him, and the guilt was excruciating, bouncing his leg idly to try and push the thoughts away.

“I’ll go. I will make sure he actually gets his work done, since he likes to run from it so bad.” Licorice said firmly, his nervousness absent and Choco could sense the agitation beneath his words. Pomegranate Cookie clapped her hands together, seemingly satisfied by the discord she placed between the pair.
“Delightful. You two shall leave at once, you are expected back in two days time. Fail this and the consequences for both of you will be dire.” She spoke firmly, and once she was done she rose to her feet, a nonverbal dismissal, collecting Poison Mushroom Cookie and soothing them gently. Dark Choco stood up, Licorice did as well. Despite Choco’s fast pace he could feel the other behind him as he shoved the heavy doors open and did not stop his pace as he walked towards the west wing exit.

“Goddamnit Choco if you don’t slow down I’m going to trip you again.” Licorice growled, struggling to keep up with him. He did not need to turn around to anticipate the large scythe swooping in front of his feet, and this time Choco knew to predict it, his sword swiftly smashing down in front of it and throwing it back behind himself with a rough swing, Choco following the momentum to turn his body to face the Necromancer. He expected to see fear in him, to have scared from his sword being drawn. Instead of fearful or upset, Licorice looked livid. “This hot and cold thing was cute at first, but it's really starting to get annoying.” He snapped, lifting his scythe and planting the end of it on the ground to lean against it a bit, posture less hunched as he held eye contact. Choco felt mildly intimidated, Licorice subverting his expectations. “ And put your damn sword away, drawing it on me like you weren’t just snuggled up in my arms last night. The audacity..” Licorice scolded him, planting a hand on his hip.

“You tried to trip me, it was a reasonable reaction.” Choco muttered, moving to stand with his blade in a rested position at his side, tucked away behind his cloak. “ This isn’t the time or place for this discussion, drop it.” He said more firmly. Licorice scoffed, looking bewildered.

“Oh give it a rest would you.” Licorice complained, not bothering to keep his voice down. He did not hesitate as he walked over to Choco, closing the distance between them enough to make Choco uneasy.

“You are being reckless.” Choco muttered, gaze still fixated on Licorice’s golden eyes. He was stunning like this, despite the dour situation. The burning passion in his eyes made Choco feel alive.

“Almost as reckless as you taking the blame in the middle of the meeting without so much as looking at me! Looks like we’re even.” Licorice matched his volume. Choco could feel the weight of his blade in his hand, it did not feel safe. “Do you remember what happened the last time she took her anger out on you? Are you trying to get yourself hurt?” He questioned in the same hushed tone.

“Licorice, I am in no mood to argue. Please just leave me.” Choco’s voice remained cold, taking a step back from the Necromancer.

“Well thanks to your little stunt, you don’t get to be left alone! Because instead of getting to study today, I get to follow you around and help you kill some bugs!” Licorice snapped. “ By the swan! You’re so frustrating sometimes, you know that right?! I don’t even know what I did to set you off this morning!” Licorice yelled, his hands gripping his scythe tightly enough to shake. His words stung, making Choco's shoulders draw together, his posture tense.

“I do not know where you get the notion that you are entitled to me expressing every waking thought I have to you, but you don’t, I owe you nothing.” Choco said harshly. He expected his words to be enough to get Licorice to leave him alone but it only made him angrier.

“I became entitled to you talking to me the moment you threw yourself at me!” Licorice snapped back, raising his voice and leaning forward, invading Choco’s personal space.

“It was a mistake.” Choco whispered.

“It was a mistake.” Licorice mocked, making his voice crack. “Was it also a mistake when we kissed before I left, or last night when I got back, not even to mention coming home to you sleeping in my bed after cleaning my entire room for me unprompted.” Licorice spoke fast, lowering his voice. “Or when you comforted me, was it a mistake then too?”

The silence between them was agonizing. The bickering was pointless and they both knew it. Choco wished instead of forcing a wedge between them he could be honest, he could be strong enough to explain. But he was weak and afraid, and so he left. Turning on his heel he shoved the doors open and stalked off down a poorly kept cobblestone trail, overgrown around the edges with fauna and brambles. The only sign Licorice was following him was the occasional sniffle as he tried to hide his crying. They pressed on in silence, Choco fighting to stay present in his own body. He could not allow himself to slip up, not around Licorice and not while his sword was so desperate. It begged him to punish Licorice for his cruel words, to flay and consume him whole, to show how much he truly loved him by becoming one. Choco had to stop himself from gagging, hands shaking as he shook his head. He could feel Licorice watching him closely but not saying anything. It felt humiliating. After walking further they found a decent spot to rest and make camp. It was only the late afternoon, but Choco intended to get it done in one day. The pair made a makeshift campsite, Licorice helping where he could at least as he tried to avoid getting in Choco’s way. The realization that the sword's hunger…or his hunger was so close to being satiated was intense, his mind numbing itself before even getting near his targets. He felt himself slipping away and the last dredges of fear following suit as he felt himself losing control of his body.

“Stay here.” He said in a hollow voice, sword in hand and dragging behind him as he began making his way away from the camp, towards the edge of the mountains. His movements were not as precise as usual, stumbling a bit as he mindlessly wandered away.

Licorice said something to him, but Choco could not make out a word of it, the familiar droning easing his mind into giving up. It felt heavy and all encompassing. His vision was starting to change now, as it would when his weapon demanded care, sensing Licorice catching up and walking alongside the warrior before even having him come into his vision. He could feel the ground beneath him, his body unbearably heavy as he trudged on. Choco ignored him, not sparing him a glance as they made their way, following the previous tracks in the dirt until it led them to the Black Sugar Scorpion’s colony. Choco took place in front of Licorice, his blade readied as the Necromancer prepared his spells. The two had fought alongside each other before but never when he was this out of his own mind and body. It felt as though he was floating outside of himself, watching as Licorice reached out for him as his own body moved of its own accord, dashing into the fray and swinging his blade with inhuman precision. Licorice had to try and cast faster to keep up with him while not letting himself get overwhelmed.

He kicked one of the pests legs out from underneath itself, sending it off balance and onto the ground, limbs frantic and it struggled to get itself back standing, limbs bent oddly on the side he targeted. As the Strawberry Jam Sword was impaled down, breaking clean through the hard exoskeleton of the creatures back, its jam bubbling out and splattering onto the metal, a roaring began in his ears, starting low but becoming deafening as he ripped the blade out, his vision fading to silhouettes and heartbeats as he succumbed to his own insatiable need for carnage. He wanted to curl up and hide as he fell creature after creature, feeling his body flood with power at every life he took. His mind finally gave up, everything fading scarlet as his body burned, like currents of electricity under his flesh until he could not stand it anymore.

The roaring persisted, morphing into what felt like a thousand deafening screams, pleas and cries from those he slaughtered clawing at him, drowning him. It hurt, it hurt. Until it didn’t.

Silence

Absolute, delightful, dead silence.

He was rewarded for his obedience with quiet, eye closed as he stood in place, surrounded by too many crushed and mangled creatures to count. His body swayed in place as his chest heaved. It was absolutely intoxicating. His body was aching but soothed, no longer craving and wanting and instead content. Not happy, but not unhappy, he was simply nothing. He could hear muffled speaking, feeling as though his head was filled with cotton. His eye only opened when he felt something touch him, the pressure barely comprehensible. Once opened he was met with the sight of Licorice in front of him, scythe abandoned on the floor as his hands were preoccupied with holding Dark Choco’s shoulders, shaking him a bit. Around them he could see the remnants of his brutality, the usually sinking feeling he would get was absent in this state, his eye slowly scanning their surroundings. Dark charred ground was between some of the remnants, scorch marks that spread out for yards and branched out as it went, the smell of burning meat emanating from the remains of those caught in his wake. As his senses came to him slowly, one by one, he could gradually feel himself inhabit his body again, the swaying easing a bit as exhaustion set in. He was disgusted, feeling the sticky layers of drying jam covering his body and face, felt a warmth on his side that oozed down and down, seeping out and soaking into his layers of fabric padding. He watched with a blank expression as Licorice looked down, his vision doubling as he grew lightheaded.

Choco was unable to hear Licorice’s words still as he collapsed into his arms, the last thing he felt was his knees hitting the ground as he sank to the floor, unconscious in a matter of seconds.

The sound of logs crackling in a fire woke him up, unable to urge his eye to open. He could feel the warmth emanating off of the fire, licking against his skin comfortingly.

His skin…?

His breathing hitched as he felt cold fingertips against his abdomen, tightness around his waist as something was wrapped around him. A quiet sound of discomfort slipped from him as the tightness hurt, too tired to bother silencing himself. In return he heard someone hush him softly, fingertips morphing into a hand on his good side, thumb rubbing into his skin gently.

“Shh, you’re okay. It will stop hurting soon darling.” The voice was gentle, a small tremor of nervousness beneath it. The hand on his side left and more tightness was around his middle, bandages being tightly secured around his wound in an attempt to cease the bleeding. The throbbing eased, the pain slowly becoming less bothersome. With great effort he was able to open his eye, the brightness of the fire blinding him for a moment, making him wince and turn his head the other way. He was on the ground on his back, his cloak laid down beneath him so he was not on the dirt. He could see the light of the fire glint against his dark armor which was set aside by a tree. His shirt was off, the fire doing its best to warm him against the chilled night air around them. His eye was lost in the leaves above them when he heard Licorice speaking, trying his best to make out what he was saying but was largely unsuccessful. His eyelid slid closed again, feeling too tired to keep it open. A hand cupped his face and something shuffled next to him, feeling the soft fabric of Licorice’s large bell sleeves on his chest as he leaned over him. Choco flinched as he felt a cold wet rag against his face, gently and slowly cleaning off the layers of grime and jam that had dried. Once content, Licorice moved to his hands. He felt each wrist lifted carefully, his hands and fingers cleaned off as well as his forearms. He felt a touch more hesitantly on his hip, fingers gently pulling down his waistband just enough to clean his own blood off of his hip and side, moving the waistband back once he was finished.

“There, all clean…” Licorice’s voice was gentle but still clearly worried. “Choco?...Can you hear me?” He asked, Choco forcing his eye open again, his gaze slowly wandering its way to look up at the Necromancer, it taking a moment to register he was looking at him. “ Good, there’s that pretty eye of yours.” Licorice relaxed once he realized Choco was conscious. “I..tried to patch you up the best I could, I didn’t have much with me but you should be okay until we can get you back home.” He rambled, Choco simply looking up at him. The fire danced on Licorice’s face, highlighting the hollowness of his cheeks and the bags under his eyes, his eyeliner smudged. Choco wanted to take care of him, to feed him and make him rest, to take care of him like Licorice took care of him. Instead he laid there, exhausted and staring up at his partner dumbly. “Goodness, you are so out of it…” Licorice mumbled, moving away to tug his bag over into his lap as he sifted through it. “ You’re lucky I had this with me you know, otherwise I would have had to tear up my robes to make a bandage for you.” He spoke as he searched, finally pulling out a lavender satchel, working it open to reveal an assortment of snacks. “It’s been awhile since I’ve restocked this thing, sorry, Poison practically cleaned out all the good stuff on the way back home.”

Choco watched him, the best he could while laying down at least. He tried to sit up but was swiftly reminded he was injured, his side aching deeply as his breath was knocked out of him, sending him flopping back down onto the ground, his breath stuttering as he writhed a bit. He hated feeling this weak, let alone in front of Licorice, someone he wanted to protect.

“Hey! What did I just say! I don’t have spare bandages so if you get those messed up you’re done for!” Licorice scolded, pointing at him with a sandwich he was holding. Choco sighed quietly, turning his head to face the fire instead, eye closed. “You owe me a bottle of berry juice by the way, had to use most of the nice expensive one I stole to sterilize your wound.” He grumbled as he set aside some food, scooting back over to sit beside Choco’s head. “Lift.” He commanded, using a hand to guide Choco’s head up as Licorice scooted over once more, leaning Choco back down to lie his head in his lap.

“...Can feed myself..” Choco’s voice sounded rough, raw and pained as he felt his vocal chords strain to produce something audible and understandable. He noticed the brief look of worry on Licorice’s face as his hand moved to brush some stray strands of hair from his face.

“You can barely move, let alone feed yourself, now hush and let me take care of you.” Licorice said firmly. Choco groaned but relented, allowing Licorice to feed him a few pieces of bread. It was fluffy and a bit sweet, mentally taking a note to thank Licorice for remembering his preference in not overly sweet foods. “...Good..always so good for me.” Licorice cooed softly as Choco accepted another piece of bread. The sweetness of his words made his face burn, not used to praise, let alone for something as simple as eating. Choco was too exhausted to fight it, giving in and allowing himself to be taken care of. “ I had a bit of a salve in my bag, it wasn’t much but it should keep you from starting to bleed again…should help with the pain as well.” He spoke calmly.

There was a comfortable silence between them as Licorice finished feeding him the bread, offering him some water as well. It soothed his throat to some extent, the warmth from the fire relaxing his aching body.

“I..am sorry.” Choco whispered, turning his head to hide his face to his best ability, nestling his good side into Licorice’s lap.

“...I’m sorry too…I think we both said some nasty stuff that we didn’t really mean…truce?” Licorice asked, cupping Choco’s face gently to coax him into returning his gaze. He nodded in response, savoring the smile that broke on Licorice’s face. “...I’ve never seen you fight like that before..” He whispered. Choco felt like his chest had caved in, his body begging to sink into the ground and disappear. “It was like you weren’t even yourself, I stepped out of the fight because you almost got me a couple of times…one of the Sugar Scorpion’s snagged you on the side I think, cut clean through your chain mail or whatever and got you pretty good. You kept moving though…” He spoke calmly, Choco’s gaze shifting to look up at the leaves above them again, his hands shaking. Licorice leaned down, his lips pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead. “Enough talking for now…Rest my darling, you are in safe hands, I promise you.” His voice was gentle and warm, so unlike his pitchy and whiny register he would often use around others. He did not sound nervous, but instead steady. It soothed Choco, feeling safe enough to let his guard down, not that he could put up a fight in his current state anyways. Licorice tugged over Choco’s Jeogori, torn and stained with blood, using the least ruined portion to cover Choco up a bit, the warrior making a soft sound to show his appreciation. He fell asleep with his head in Licorice’s lap, listening to the sound of the crackling fire as his partner soothed him back to sleep anytime he stirred.

The morning came with birdsong, Choco groaning as he finally felt the extent of his exhaustion. His limbs ached, each and every muscle in his body feeling overworked and tender. He ignored the feeling of his body begging for rest, jaw clamped shut as he forced himself to sit upright. It was agonizing, his high pain tolerance being pushed to its limit. He was accustomed to this exhaustion and as he made himself sit up, he felt it ease. His body always became weaker after being overcome by his blade, the wound on his side not exactly helping the situation either.

“Good morning to you.” His eyes opened and shifted to Licorice, whom was awake and with a tome in his lap, not expressing an ounce of shame as his gaze lingered on Choco’s shirtless torso.

“Can I help you?” He grumbled, embarrassment twinging at his face from being looked at so closely.

“Mh...no, just enjoying the view. Consider it payback for you sneaking a peek yesterday morning.” He answered, seemingly unaffected by Dark Choco’s grumpy tone. “How are you feeling?” He asked more sincerely.

“I am fine.” Choco answered coldly, Licorice staring at him. It was less of admiring his physique and rather just observing him.

“Do you…feel out of sorts? Any foggy thoughts or trouble feeling like you can move your body?” Licorice questioned, Choco’s shoulders tensing as he gave him a puzzled look.

“...No?” He answered, Licorice’s eyes still fixated on him.

“...I don’t know how I couldn’t figure it out sooner…” Licorice mumbled, sighing quietly. “Maybe Pomegranate is right, I’m not as bright as I hoped..” He added a touch quieter. “ Or you're just good at hiding it, you’ve probably had years to figure out how to seem normal, huh?”

Choco stared at him, feeling uneasy. “I..do not believe I follow…” He spoke slowly, feeling discomfort with Licorice’s odd behavior, eye flicking to the side to glance at his sword. It was rested flat on the floor a ways behind Licorice, not where it was left last night.

“I know you don’t know much about magic, well you kind of do generally speaking, but when it comes to Dark Magic you don’t understand most of it, right?” Licorice asked, his eyes wide, almost excited. “Well, anyways, you wouldn’t know this but as a magic user I can sometimes sense other sources of magic around me.” Licorice explained, tossing his tome aside and scooting closer. “The catch though is that I can only sense magic that I can cast, so usually I can only feel Dark Magic if it's present around me, so think if Dark Enchantress was in the room or if something was imbued with Dark Magic.” Licorice explained, gesturing with his hands. Choco felt his blood run cold.

“Get to the point.” He said firmly.

“I have been losing my mind trying to figure you out, sometimes when I am around you I can feel Dark Magic radiating off of you, but it’s never consistent. I used to think you secretly knew how to use it but wouldn’t tell me because you didn’t like me, but as we got closer I realized that was less likely. Besides, if you were a user like me the feeling wouldn’t come and go. Some days when I’m with you it feels like nothing, sometimes a little hint of it as you walk past if I focus hard enough, and other days, like yesterday, it just emanates off of you, like it was baked into your dough itself.” Licorice explained animatedly. “But I understand it now, I don’t know how it took me so long to get it!” He scooted closer, grabbing Choco’s hands and holding them close to himself.

A brief wash of sadness revealed itself on Licorice’s face as their eyes met, Choco swallowing thickly.

“It’s not you at all…the reason you get so distant, why you keep pulling away from me…It’s your sword, isn’t it?” The words left Choco feeling vindicated, and he hadn’t realized he was crying until Licorice cupped his face and wiped his tears away with his thumbs. His body shook with it, his stoic front snapping in two as he fell into heaving sobs as Licorice held him. Having someone see it, having someone reinforce that it wasn’t him broke him. He was pulled into Licorice’s lap, held tightly, and even though his body ached and begged to remain unmoving, he allowed himself to be comforted, to be seen and heard and loved. It was painful and healing in one confusing knot that nestled firmly in his chest. Decades of unspoken agony clawed out of him and it was excruciating feeling so helpless. He was reduced to a blubbering mess with the simple acknowledgement that he was not a weapon, not a monster, that he was understood.

Licorice held him close, hands smoothing up Choco’s bare skin along his spine, fingertips grazing over every raised scar and reminder on his flesh. He only stopped crying after he fell breathless, Licorice having to soothe him and coax him into taking deep breaths. It felt odd, Choco usually having to do the same thing for Licorice in his moments of despair, Choco was used to hiding his sadness and letting it crush him in private. He thoughtlessly obeyed Licorice’s words, taking deep shaking breaths before exhaling, slowly calming himself. He was rewarded with a kiss on the cheek as the other leaned him back to look at his puffy tearstained face.

“Dark Choco…why? Why didn’t you tell me?” Licorice asked, voice shaking a bit, Choco only now realizing he was crying as well. “ You know I know about curses and things of that nature, why wouldn’t you come to me about this?”

“I..” Choco’s voice ached, a staccato breath slipping from him as he tried to compose himself. “I did not know how…I did not want to scare you, I was not even sure if it was my blade or me..I..yesterday.. I am so sorry, I almost hurt you.” Choco broke, his weak heart aching as he recalled Licorice saying he had to stay back. If he were worse off, if it had been longer since he satiated his blade Licorice would have been slaughtered. Even with how careful he tried to be, it was almost ruined from one misstep on his part and it ruined him.

“Oh hush, you wouldn’t have hurt me, I can handle myself.” Licorice tried to comfort him, wincing as Choco tucked his face away under his chin, hiding as he cried. “Look at me.” Licorice requested softly, moving Choco back and using his hands to tilt his head, making the warrior lock eyes with him. “...Let me study your sword…let me prove my devotion to you..my love for you.” His voice was quiet, his crying ceased as he seemingly shifted his focus on Choco’s wellbeing.

Love

Dark Choco hung on his every word, red eye scanning the others face in search of any sign of fabrication, or lies. All he could see was the way Licorice’s pale golden eyes shimmered in the morning light, how soft his usually nervous face looked in this moment.

“You love me?” Choco asked, voice smaller than he intended it to be. Vulnerable.

“Of course I do, you idiot!” Licorice cried loudly, his smile wide and breathtaking.

“...I love you too, Licorice…” Dark Choco replied, their arguing yesterday slipping into nothingness as he was swiftly pulled into a kiss, it was sincere and Choco melted in Licorice’s arms. They stayed together, Licorice eventually breaking the kiss to nip at Choco’s neck, soft laughter slipping from him as he tried to lean away, Licorice’s lithe arms wrapped around him tightly to stop his escape, being careful to avoid his bandaged waist.

“And you were so afraid, as if I’d let some chunk of metal scare me off.” Licorice mumbled playfully, leaning up to pepper Choco’s face with pecks.

“It is not that simple..” Choco murmured. Licorice humming as he pressed a kiss to his cheek.

“I know…” Licorice replied, Choco tilting his face into the Necromancer’s hand, savoring the touch.

“ I am afraid I will hurt you…” He whispered, raw and aching with his own remorse.

“We’ve had this conversation, what, three times now? Or is it four?” Licorice teased gently, chuckling as Choco shot him a glare. “...no matter what happens, I’m not going anywhere…you have my word, but I need your trust.” Licorice murmured. “I mean it too…no more hiding things, or avoiding me, please Choco…” Dark Choco’s eye closed, feeling the Necromancer’s lips soothing his nerves as they pressed kisses along his jaw back down to his neck, teeth tugging and biting his sensitive skin.

“ I will try…now that you know..it should be easier…please just..be patient with me.” He murmured in response, Licorice rewarding his agreement with kisses pressed against the places his teeth had once been.

“Of course.” Licorice promised.

They took their time, not leaving to return to the castle until the afternoon. They spent the day talking, at first just chatting about nonsense, but eventually shifting over to the Strawberry Jam Sword, as much as Dark Choco did not want to. Licorice asked some questions but ultimately decided Choco was in no shape to be quizzed about the cursed sword that had tethered itself to him. Licorice helped him get his armor back on, despite Choco’s protesting. He could do it himself…he just had to move a bit more slowly and carefully was all. He sighed as he inspected his padding and mail, absolutely shredded and soaked with his jam on the side he was wounded.

“So…do you..how do you get that fixed?” Licorice asked, peering around his shoulder, hunched over as he looked at it.

“Mmh..I have a spare set.” Choco mumbled, putting on his layers methodically. Under shirt, Jeogori, first layer of padding, mail, second layer of padding, thick outer layer over.

Licorice watched him get ready with wrapped attention, eyes wide as he followed his hands as he slipped on his chestplate, securing the buckles, and then moving onto his arms. Choco noticed his staring, pausing to give him a look, wordlessly questioning him.

“Is all armor this tedious to put on?” Licorice asked flatly.

“Depends on the type.” Choco murmured. “Leather is a bit easier, I wear plate armor so it is a lot more of fastening it into place and making sure it does not come loose with how much I am moving around.” He rambled, slipping on one of his gauntlets, turning his arm to fasten the buckles. “Everyone has their own preferences, some like their plate armor to have more full coverage, but I find it too constricting, I…am more mobile I suppose, so I prefer mixing it with the chainmail. It is less protection but I am typically not out of focus enough to get injured.” He continued prattling off about armor for several minutes as he finished getting ready, Licorice listening and nodding, although Choco could see a grin on his face. Embarrassment flushed through him as he paused fixing his cloak, staring at Licorice. “I apologize, I did not mean to take over the conversation.” He spoke a touch quieter, clasping his cloak and fixing his pauldrons.

“I enjoy it, usually its like pulling teeth to get you to talk about anything…It’s cute.” Licorice said calmly, Dark Choco taken a bit by surprise with his directness. Licorice tended to be nervous or shy most times, it was odd hearing him speak so freely, odd but not unwelcome in the slightest. He saw a glimmer in the Necromancer's golden eyes, seeming to be egged on by Choco’s surprise, opportunistic as always. “When we get back, after talking to Pomegranate Cookie, go wash up and meet me in my room. I can touch up your bandages and as a thank you for taking such good care of you, you can watch me practice some new spells.” It was not a question or a demand, merely just a request.

“..Fine.” Choco mumbled, not missing the smug grin on Licorice’s lips as he accepted. As they finished packing up, Choco hesitated for a moment before taking his sword in hand. He could feel his nerves ease, the ache and pain in his body melting. A reward for coming back to it, for feeding it. It was like a parasite, and Choco felt disgusted.

“Choco.” Licorice called, pulling him from his thoughts. He turned to face the Necromancer and was swiftly tugged down into a chaste kiss. Short and sweet, a simple reminder of affection that had his heart fluttering. “I love you.” Licorice whispered, a smile on his face as he nuzzled his nose to Choco’s. The warrior froze for a moment, not used to such affectionate words let alone being used towards him. He could feel his face burn mildly with dustings of blush, and he silently cursed himself for being so weak.

“...I love you too.” He spoke quietly, a clumsy return of affection that felt completely foreign. He was used to loving Licorice, he had been doing it for a considerable amount of time now, but verbalizing it, admitting it to his face, it felt a bit overwhelming. He was quickly soothed as another kiss was pressed to his lips, lingering a moment or two longer before they separated.

They followed the same trail as before, taking their time given Choco’s wound. Neither of them minded the slower pace, fingers intertwined comfortably as they kept pace beside each other. It was quiet as the afternoon sun began setting above them, tinting the sky and clouds hues of orange and pink as the vegetation around them gradually died off, being replaced with the dry cracked dirt of the badlands. Once the castle of chaos was in sight, their hands separated.

“Pomegranate Cookie suspects something.” Dark Choco stated.

“Already?...I suppose that makes sense…it was probably kind of obvious when we started spending time together more..” Licorice admitted, sighing. “We will be careful…even if anyone does find out, as long as it isn’t Pomegranate it should be fine right? I mean realistically who would rat us out?” He spoke confidently, but Choco could hear the slight shake of his words.

“I won’t tell if you don’t.” Choco mumbled in his usual flat tone, only a slight tilt in his voice indicating his words were unserious. Licorice snickered, punching his shoulder playfully, a slight grin forming on Choco’s face.

Entering the castle they managed to find Pomegranate in the halls of the foyer, Poison Mushroom Cookie beside her. The younger cookie took a moment to notice them approaching but when they did, they started shuffling over, arms extended towards Licorice.

“I just got back and you already want something?!” Licorice complained, still leaning down and scooping up the child to hold them. He shook Poison Mushroom around gently, making overdramatic noises to get the child giggling, little puffs of spores floating about from the movement. Pomegranate Cookie looked mildly disgusted as her eyes scanned over Dark Choco, pausing on his side.

“ Injured from clearing out a simple target, how weak of you, Dark Choco Cookie. Are you losing your edge so soon?” She asked coyly, the sleeve of her robes covering her smirk. Choco opened his mouth to answer but Licorice beat him to it.

“N..no…I convinced him to let me try out some new spells and…uh..” Licorice spoke meekly, Choco a bit surprised at how well he lied. Pomegranate’s gaze snapped to the Necromancer, chuckling.

“Hmph, I see.” She said coldly, moving and taking Poison Mushroom Cookie from Licorice and continuing to walk with them down the halls towards the opposite wing of the castle. “It is truly a miracle the two of you got anything done.” She called, back turned to them as she left. Choco rolled his eye, feeling Licorice let out a breath he had been holding in.

“You did not need to cover for me.” Choco said quietly, glancing down to the other.

“You had my back, I’ve got yours.” Licorice said firmly, that familiar shimmer in his eyes. “Now, go clean up, you smell like jam and I do not want that tracking into my sanctum.” He said, using a hand to shoo him away.

“Sanctum that I cleaned..” Choco mumbled as he turned to head down the hall to his quarters. He heard Licorice’s humorous sounds of frustration as he stomped up the steps, a distinct lack of anger between them. Choco had grown accustomed to their banter, adoring the playful back and forth they so often created. Despite the weight of his weapon in his hand, a slight smile curled at the corners of his lips as he traversed the narrow halls. Content, he felt content.