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Charlie Kirk watched as the crowd cheered for the next contestants as they stepped onto the stage. He had just won his round a short while ago, at the expense of one of his closest friends. He hoped Candace would forgive him once they inevitably met each other in death, if there even was an afterlife. Charlie knew it wasn’t his fault–not his, not Candace’s, and not Tung Tung Tung Sahur’s. Charlie knew it wasn’t Triple T’s fault that he was paired against Erika Kirk, his own wife. Charlie also knew it wasn’t his fault that Charlie had fallen in love with him either.
Charlie, much to his own shame, had been secretly enamored with Tung Tung Tung Sahur for as long as they had both been involved in the Alien Stage competition. He had always been drawn to the other contestant; a seemingly irrational desire that lived inside of Charlie from the moment he locked eyes with the sentient piece of wood. His relationship with Erika was his attempt to distance himself from his feelings (a rather useless attempt that only ended up with him in a loveless marriage).
Watching Tung3 Sahur on the stage had his heart pounding in his chest, a heavy feeling he had never felt until this very moment. He knew the right thing would be to be worried about his wife, but he couldn’t keep lying to himself. He didn’t care about her. He cared about the being that had become his everything. His life. His universe. His God. He wanted Triple T to make it out of this so he could finally tell him everything. It was ironic how he finally accepted his feelings the moment he might lose the being responsible for them.
He watched as Erika began the song. She had a strong voice and really good stage presence. It seemed almost like she was made for the stage. He would have been unlucky to go against her. Unfortunately for her, Tung was just that much better. The beginning of his turn marked a shift in the atmosphere; the audience subconsciously felt drawn to his dominating talent, much like Charlie himself was. He could feel Erika grow more and anxious the more Tung kept his performance going.
To Charlie, it almost felt like the descent of a God. A being who nobody could compare to was on the stage, so far from his reach. He didn’t deserve to feel this way about something so perfect. He felt the same emptiness he always felt upon realizing he would never live up to what Tung Tung Tung Sahur deserved.
As the performance came to an end, the winner became blatantly obvious. Erika knew this, and she seemed to have accepted her fate at this point. Charlie could see her standing completely still on the stage. For a moment, she seemed to be looking right at him. He felt a small feeling of guilt, as irrational as it was.
The music ended, and the leaderboard illuminated with a single sentence:
TUNG TUNG TUNG SAHUR
WIN
Charlie let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding in, turning away as the aliens came in to get rid of the loser. Another small feeling of guilt at his inability to look at his wife in her final moments. He knew their relationship was one of convenience–a way for both of them to forget about others they knew they couldn’t have–but he felt guilt anyways. It was the only thing he allowed himself to feel in the moment, hoping to forget about who his next opponent would be.
Charlie knew he didn’t measure up to Tung Tung Tung Sahur’s brilliance on the stage; a small unimpressive speck in comparison to the brightest star. Even if he had believed he had a chance, he would never be able to let Tung die. He simply loved him too much to let that happen. He only hoped Tung would look at him one last time before he died.
As Charlie prepared himself for the stage, he felt an unmistakable presence near him. His one and only: Tung Tung Tung Sahur. He didn’t know why Tung was approaching him like this. They had never really talked before, and Charlie can’t imagine Tung ever feeling anything positive towards Charlie.
“Tung…shouldn’t you be getting ready for the show?” Charlie questioned.
“...” Tung Tung Tung Sahur just stared at Charlie in response. Typical. He never was a sentient wood plank of many words. In lieu of a response, Tung got closer to Charlie. Immediately, Charlie became nervous, choosing to walk backwards in order to escape whatever was happening between them.
Tung Tung Tung Sahur just kept a steady approach until Charlie had nowhere else to go. Finally, without anywhere for Charlie to go, Tung reached out with his wooden bat, slowly caressing Charlie’s cheek. He didn’t need to say anything–Charlie immediately understood that Tung had felt the same way.
A single tear fell from Charlie’s eyes as he realized how much time he had lost. Time he could have spent with his beloved, time he could have cherished before they had to inevitably say goodbye due to their cruel circumstances. Charlie can’t bring himself to do anything other than sob at the fact.
“I’m so sorry. I’m sorry, I should have known, I-” Charlie’s rambling is cut off as Tung Tung Tung Sahur brings his bat to Charlie’s mouth, effectively shutting him up. Charlie continues to silently sob as Tung continues to stare at him. They don’t need any words, the silence between them conveying everything they wanted to say and more. Their moment was interrupted by the alarm signaling the fast approaching start of their round. They both stared at each other for a few more seconds, taking in the moment before they became opponents.
Tung Tung Tung Sahur was the first to break away, dropping his bat from Charlie’s face before turning to walk back and get himself ready. Both of them knew that one of them wasn’t going to make it. Charlie knew it would be him. The round started with Charlie’s turn; the brightly colored lights along with his very expensive (and uncomfortable) suit made for an overstimulating environment, distracting him from starting the song properly. Charlie didn’t care much anyways, he knew he stood no chance.
“He stood unshaken, a voice in the storm,” Charlie began to sing, looking straight at Tung while he tried to put as much emotion into his voice as possible. “A man of conviction, a heart reborn.” Charlie tried to convey his feelings through the song. Years worth of supposed unrequited feelings for the other powering his performance, giving him the strength to sing one more time for his beloved. It was a performance for him and him only, nevermind the thousands in the audience watching. For him, this performance was a declaration of love.
“He spoke the truth when the cost was high. He lived for Jesus, unafraid to die,” Charlie continued, giving everything he had to this moment. Finally, Tung began to sing as well.
“We are Charlie Kirk, we carry the flame,” Tung Tung Tung Sahur’s voice was powerful as it projected towards the audience. All his emotions, his years of yearning and desire were felt throughout the audience. Every lingering gaze, every brief touch, and every second he spent thinking of the other was felt by those listening to his melancholy tone. There was no denying what they felt for each other.
As the performance went on, it felt less like a competition and more like a collaboration. Their voices blended perfectly together, as if the universe was mocking their fate. The performance closed off one final note, both contestants looking at each other. The audience was cheering loudly for them, unable to hold back their excitement at the performance they had just seen. Charlie and Tung remained in their own world, unable to pay attention to others. The only thing that mattered was each other.
“Counting or not counting gang violence,” Charlie whispered, entranced in the deep brown of the sentient wood plank’s eyes. Before Tung Tung Tung Sahur could respond, a loud shot rang out throughout the arena. Tung watched in horror as Charlie collapsed immediately, blood staining his face and body. He watched as Charlie smiled, content at having been the one to go and not having to watch his beloved die before him. It was a selfish feeling, but it was also all Charlie had ever wanted. Tung Tung Tung Sahur couldn’t process what had just happened. The bright lights of the arena blinded his eyes as he looked at his beloved one last time, the score board reading:
TUNG TUNG TUNG SAHUR
WIN