Dark Cacao Cookie/Pure Vanilla Cookie (Cookie Run), Dark Cacao Cookie & Pure Vanilla Cookie (Cookie Run), Dark Cacao Cookie (Cookie Run), Pure Vanilla Cookie (Cookie Run), Hollyberry Cookie (Cookie Run), set post chapter 14, except i havent finished chapter 14 yet so if i got things wrong im sorry, look i saw cute ship art and i had to write something, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, no beta we die like me on 14-10, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, First Kiss, Blind Pure Vanilla Cookie (Cookie Run), Spoilers
Dark Cacao had often heard the rumors of Pure Vanilla’s miraculous survival. Some said that he hid in the city during the attack, and had been biding his time there since. Others claimed that he survived the fall but was permanently injured. The most outlandish of them even claimed that Dark Enchantress turned him into a mindless puppet. Dark Cacao never bothered with those rumors, despite how much he longed for them to be true. But no matter how deeply he wished for a way to bring Pure Vanilla back, for a chance to see his warm smile once more, it was impossible. After all, Dark Cacao had been there when Pure Vanilla shielded them from Dark Enchantress’ attack. Dark Cacao had seen with his own eyes what Pure Vanilla’s fate was.
He had been dead before he hit the ground.
Dark Cacao remembered with a terrible clarity what had happened that day. The Vanilla Kingdom in ruins around them. The bloodied corpses of servants and nobles who couldn't escape in time. The walls of the castle crumbling around them as they fought Dark Enchantress.
The look of tranquility on Pure Vanilla’s face as he accepted his fate.
How his face fell slack as Dark Enchantress’ magic speared through him.
Dark Cacao was no stranger to bloodshed. He knew what death looked like. But he couldn’t believe that his friend, the one who had been a shining ray of hope in his grim life, was dead. All of them had been through so much together. This couldn’t be the end.
He couldn’t let it be.
Without thinking, Dark Cacao rushed forward, but only made it a few steps before a strong arm stopped him. He didn’t move his eyes from Pure Vanilla’s still body, but he was dimly aware that the person holding him back must have been Hollyberry, no one else was strong enough.
He tried to struggle from her grip, but she only gripped him tighter. “This room’s about to collapse, we need to get out!” Hollyberry shouted as she began trying to drag Dark Cacao backwards. He didn’t budge.
“Come on!” she called again. “Don’t let his sacrifice be in vain!”
That got Dark Cacao’s attention. Like a bucket of freezing water poured over his head, he realized Hollyberry was right. Pure Vanilla had sacrificed his life to protect them. Nothing Dark Cacao did could change that.
Nothing he did could bring him back.
He felt himself being pulled backwards as the floor where Pure Vanilla lay cracked. It broke and Pure Vanilla plummeted with it to the ground below. Dark Cacao kept his eyes fixed on that spot of air until it was out of sight.
After that, he stared blankly, not really seeing any of the carnage around him. Hollyberry was still dragging him. At some point his feet started moving as well. An explosion sounded behind them. Turning back, Dark Cacao saw the tower that held the throne room snap and fall, crushing one of the smaller towers to the side. He turned back. The damage caused here didn’t matter anymore. There was no one left to live here, no one left to rebuild.
Dark Cacao shook his head, as if that would help clear his dark thoughts. In his hand was the letter given to him by that group of adventurers. He hadn’t believed them when they first explained their purpose. Why would he? He witnessed his friend’s death with his own eyes. But everything about the letter was familiar, the paper, the envelope, the loopy handwriting, the faint smell of vanilla that still clung to the paper.
He had read through the letter. Many times. Far more times than he needed, but it was the only tangible connection he had to Pure Vanilla at the moment, so he refused to let it go. In the letter, Pure Vanilla said he wished he could visit in person, but he would not leave until the Vanilla Kingdom was habitable again. If all went well, he should be able to visit within the next few weeks. Given the state his own kingdom had been in, Dark Cacao had no idea when this letter had been sent or when Pure Vanilla had intended it to arrive. For now, all he could do was wait and hope.
~ ~ ~
Three and a half weeks had never seemed so long.
Dark Cacao was exhausted, everyone was. After near constant work the wall that had been broken during the licorice monster attack was nearly rebuilt. Dark Cacao was careful to structure the shifts to give his soldiers as much time off as he could. After how hard he had been pushing everyone before, they certainly deserved it. But this was a kindness he did not extend to himself. He had to keep constant watch in case of another attack so he could defend his people.
Most of his sleep came from the times sitting at his desk when he could not hold his eyes open any longer, despite his best efforts. He had even fallen asleep on the throne once or twice. The whole court knew of their king's exhaustion, but a mix of things kept them silent. The first was that he had finally begun to take into account his soldier’s wellbeing and stopped burning through the treasury, and the other was that his paranoia about an attack from the sea had been proven right.
Dark Cacao was in his office when a messenger informed him of Pure Vanilla’s arrival. In a moment, Dark Cacao snapped awake. He got up to greet his friend at the gates, but before he had fully risen, the door to his office opened once more and Pure Vanilla stepped in. The servant bowed and left, leaving them alone.
“Dark Cacao, it’s good to see you again, old friend.”
Dark Cacao stared back, stunned. It had been one thing reading his letter and knowing he was alive, seeing him in person was another. “You’re alive,” he said softly, his voice still laced with disbelief.
Pure Vanilla smiled sadly. “Indeed. I’m sorry that I could not see you sooner. Until recently, I had none of my memories, so I’m afraid I won’t be able to answer any of your questions either.”
Dark Cacao shook his head. At one point he had questions, but now that Pure Vanilla was standing in front of him, none of them mattered anymore. Taking a closer look at Pure Vanilla, Dark Cacao noticed dark circles under his closed eyes. Even the eye of his staff drooped in exhaustion. It was likely they were both overworking themselves. “How are things in the Vanilla Kingdom?”
“Things have improved quite a bit. Since no one has been living there for the past few decades, it was in a similar state to the end of the war, perhaps even worse.”
They both grew quiet at the mention of the Dark Flour War—it dragged up many poor memories for both of them. After a few moments of silence, Pure Vanilla spoke up once more, “I heard about the attack on the way here, have you been taking care of yourself?”
It was a rhetorical question. They both knew that he hadn’t.
“The safety of the kingdom is more important. I must be ready if the monsters attack again.”
“You're clearly in no state to fight, you’ll be of more use to your kingdom when you’re well rested. Besides, I’m sure they will wake you immediately if there is an attack.”
“But then it might be too late, I need–”
“Dark Cacao,” Pure Vanilla said in the commanding tone he used whenever someone tried to go against his healing instructions, “you need sleep.”
“But you just arrived, it would be rude of me to sleep now.”
“Then it’s a good thing that I also wish to rest after my long journey, isn’t it?
“Let me at least show you around the new sections of the citadel.”
“You can show me anything you want tomorrow, after you get some rest.” Pure Vanilla thought for a moment, then added on, “In a bed.”
Dark Cacao huffed, his lips barely turning upward. He hadn’t changed. “Fine.”
They began to walk in the direction of Dark Cacao’s chambers. Like his office, it was located in the center of the citadel, allowing him to quickly reach anywhere that may be under attack.
“Is my room still in the same spot?” Pure Vanilla asked. Usually, guests did not get their own designated rooms, but Pure Vanilla visited so often that he gave him one of the spare rooms close to Dark Cacao’s own. He also took special care to ensure the servants didn’t move anything in the room around while cleaning it. Dark Cacao should have had it cleaned out after Pure Vanilla’s death, but he could never bear it. He went in there, more often than he would ever admit, to clean it. Whenever he had a spare few minutes he would go there to ensure the dust wouldn’t collect.
“It is.”
Pure Vanilla smiled at Dark Cacao’s sentimentality, but said nothing. Once they reached Dark Cacao’s room, the two parted ways. Pure Vanilla had visited the citadel so many times that he had its layout memorized. Since parts of it had changed, Dark Cacao had wanted to show him which parts were different. But since the path to Pure Vanilla’s room was unchanged, he let it go for the moment.
~ ~ ~
Cacao woke slowly, something he had not done in as long as he could remember. Seeing Pure Vanilla again had let part of him he hadn’t even realized was tense relax. A decades-long weight was finally lifted from him. No one had come from him in the night, nothing had fallen apart while he was away.
For the first time in far too long, Dark Cacao took a deep breath and allowed himself to relax. Even though he knew when he opened his eyes and got out of bed, all of the issues he must deal with would come rushing back—for now he could close his eyes and shut them away.
Dark Cacao didn’t know how long he laid there for, but eventually a knock sounded at his door and he silently berated himself for allowing his guard to lower. But the knock was not a hurried know from a servant with urgent news, it was quiet and slow, almost tentative. The voice on the other side of the door was equally as quiet. “Dark Cacao?” Pure Vanilla asked. “Are you awake yet?”
“Mmm, ‘Nilla?” Dark Cacao sleepily asked
“May I come in?”
Dark Cacao made a noise of assent and he heard the door open and shut.
“I’m glad you were able to sleep well, you must have really needed it.”
Dark Cacao rolled over to face Pure Vanilla. He was wearing simple clothes and didn't have his ornamental robe or staff with him. It was probably for the best, Dark Cacao had no idea what he looked like, but he must have been a mess after just waking up. “You knew that I did.”
Pure Vanilla smiled at that, “It is my job, after all.”
Dark Cacao rubbed his remaining drowsiness from his eyes and sat up. “If you give me a few minutes I can show you around the sections of the citadel that have changed since the last time you came,” he said.
“I would love that.” Pure Vanilla moved to sit at the foot of Dark Cacao’s bed. Despite the fact he knew his friend could not see, Dark Cacao had felt it was strange for Pure Vanilla to be there while he was changing. But after so many visits it had happened enough times for Dark Cacao to no longer think twice about it. Dark Cacao shed his bedclothes quickly and began to put on his armor when Pure Vanilla spoke up. “Do you need to wear all that armor for a tour?”
Dark Cacao bit back his immediate response about being prepared for an attack. Pure Vanilla knew he was high strung, especially when it came to safety. Normally, he wouldn’t go anywhere without his armor, but then he looked back at his friend. Pure Vanilla would be with him, and there was no better healer than him. Dark Cacao sighed, thinking back to the relaxed state he woke up in. Maybe he could let his guard down—even if only a tiny bit—so long as Pure Vanilla was around. “Alright,” he agreed and watched as Pure Vanilla’s face lit up.
In the end, he settled for wearing the padded underlayer of his armor with a large fur cloak overtop. He glanced back at Pure Vanilla. Not only were his clothes far thinner, but he had never been able to adjust to the cold of the Cacao Kingdom. Dark Cacao knew this tour would take them outside, so he grabbed an extra cloak and laid it atop Pure Vanilla’s shoulders. He looked surprised by the sudden weight, but after recognizing it, he pulled it tighter around himself, despite the warmth of Dark Cacao’s chambers.
“Thank you.”
“Would you like to get your staff before we start?” Dark Cacao knew that it was easier for Pure Vanilla to memorize the Cacao Citadel’s halls if he could see them at least once. Pure Vanilla agreed, and so they stopped by his room before setting off.
Most of the citadel was the same as the last time Pure Vanilla had visited, but a few wings had been added and the section that was destroyed in the attack was rebuilt. Dark Cacao walked through each new area slowly, explaining what each room was used for as well as when the additions had been built. In the times walking between the new areas, Dark Cacao caught Pure Vanilla up on what had happened while he was gone. Pure Vanilla also shared what his life was like without his memories. Dark Cacao couldn't help but smile at the fact that despite not remembering a single thing about who he was, Pure Vanilla had found a way to help people.
The final stop on the tour was the garden. It was hardly a garden by normal standards, more like a courtyard filled with trees, bushes, and a few patches of star lilies. Still, compared to the rest of the Cacao Kingdom, there were a large number of plants in one spot. Dark Cacao had it constructed after Pure Vanilla’s death as a memoriam of sorts. It was another place he had often gone in spare moments to feel closer to his lost friend. To be here with the man he had built it for, it felt strange.
Right, but strange.
Pure Vanilla paused at the entrance to take in. “This is beautiful,” he whispered. He walked slowly through the garden, stopping to admire each plant as he walked by before stopping to kneel in front of the star lilies, bringing the eye of his staff closer to inspect them. “Incredible. They seem so fragile, and yet they are able to survive in such severe conditions,” Pure Vanilla mumbled to himself. Dark Cacao listened avidly to his observations anyway.
Once Pure Vanilla inspected each plant, noting the unique attributes of each, they sat down beneath one of the trees and continued their earlier conversation, Pure Vanilla’s staff lying with its eye closed in the snow beside them. Eventually it died out, and they fell into a comfortable silence.
Wrapped in his fur cloak, sitting with his closest friend, Dark Cacao felt the exhaustion he had been pushing off for weeks begin to creep up on him once more.
~ ~ ~
He didn’t know when he fell asleep, but he woke to a soft hand running through his hair. Dark Cacao’s head was also resting on something soft and warm. Only half-awake, Dark Cacao didn’t realize he had somehow ended up on Pure Vanilla’s lap until the other man spoke, “Enjoy your nap?”
Dark Cacao began to get up, already stammering out an apology for his behavior, but the hand carding through his hair stilled, preventing him from getting up. “It’s alright, I really don’t mind. You can use me as a pillow anyway you like if it will help you sleep.
Dark Cacao’s tired mind came to a screeching halt. “...Any way?” he asked tentatively. Pure Vanilla nodded. Before Dark Cacao had the time to second guess his choice, or even think about it at all, he had grabbed Pure Vanilla’s arms and pulled him over Dark Cacao, rolling so they ended up with Pure Vanilla laying in the snow and Dark Cacao laying half on top of him.
Pure Vanilla had let out a yelp of surprise when Dark Cacao flipped them over. Now his eyes were wide open—blue and yellow with pupils blown wide—staring into nothing. “Cacao?” he asked, an odd tone in his voice.
Dark Cacao’s brain finally caught up with his actions and he metally kicked himself. Still, instead of moving he asked, “Is this okay?”
“Yes.” Pure Vanilla’s answer sounded slightly breathless. Dark Cacao looked up to his face, Pure Vanilla’s eyes were closed once again, but his face was noticeably redder. Dark Cacao shifted upward until their lips were barely an inch apart and they could feel each other’s hot breaths on their skin. “And would this be okay?” he breathed into the small space between them.
“Yes.” It sounded almost pleading this time, and that was all Dark Cacao needed to close the gap between them. Dark Cacao melted into the feeling of their lips pressed together as he felt Pure Vanilla’s arms move to wrap around him. He moved his own hand up to cup Pure Vanilla’s jaw.
When they finally broke apart, Dark Cacao refused to move farther away, instead leaning his forehead against Pure Vanilla’s. Pure Vanilla had an almost dazed look on his face and a giant grin. Dark Cacao imagined he looked much the same. They stayed like that for a while, until Dark Cacao once again could not fight off his exhaustion. He moved just far enough down to rest his head underneath Pure Vanilla’s chin. They fell asleep like that, their world only consisting of the two of them.