Chapter Text
At Cookie Run Private Academy, a rumor has always circulated about one of the teachers, Dark Cacao Cookie: and that is whether that cookie was in the army.
And it is not only due to his serious and stoic attitude, but also because he has shown himself to be very regal and strict with his students. This began to plant a doubt that no one has been able to answer... But could it be true?
Well, to find out, we must go back in time six years, when this bitter history teacher enjoyed the childhood of his young son, Dark Choco Cookie, alongside his partner and caregiver, Pure Vanilla Cookie, who was his colleague along with their two friends, Hollyberry Cookie and Golden Cheese Cookie, at the private academy.
However, happiness did not last long as he had been called to serve in the army, thus leaving his small family.
He wanted to refuse; having to leave his baby and his beloved, whom he cared for since he could not see, but service was mandatory and he could not postpone it, so with bitterness, he said goodbye, promising he would return.
.
.
.
The first days were heartbreaking for him; it pained him to have to leave his poor son and his blind boyfriend alone. He felt the days were eternal and at night he could not stop thinking, remembering the tearful eyes of his beloved and the heartbreaking cry of his little one.
However, he had to be strong; he could not let himself collapse in the situation he was in. If he wanted to return, he had to give his all for them.
Time passed and Dark Cacao pushed himself; being one of the best in his platoon, he rose in rank, becoming a sergeant.
He was allowed small phone calls, managing to see how his little one grew every day. Apparently, Vanilla took good care of him with the help of White Lily and his other two friends.
The downside was that his dear son was already starting his rebellious stage, and he learned that he was having conflicts at school. It was hard and it weighed on him, but he could not allow himself to fall; he knew that one day it would all end and he could be with his family again.
And four years later, he was finally discharged, able to taste the flavor of freedom and civilization once more. Breathing deeply, he packed all his things and left with a smile.
He arrived at the exit where a strong scent of white lilies and a sweet aroma of holly awaited him; his dear friends were in front of a pink car.
He smiled at them and hugged them one by one, feeling the strong and burly arms of the pink-haired cookie patting his back, and the tears of the albino cookie were present as she mentioned how much she missed him. After pulling apart, he gave them a smile.
"Well, old friend, it's time to go," the black-haired man nodded and they got into the car.
During the drive, the three of them caught up; in fact, they brought up the subject of Dark Choco cutting his own hair. This made the violet-eyed man more anxious, wishing to see his son. He had a suspicion that he was no longer a child.
They arrived at their destination at ten in the morning with some gifts they had picked up at previous stops. His friends planned to surprise his beloved and his son during working hours, using Hollyberry's absence for family matters as an excuse.
Their accomplice, Golden Cheese, was waiting for them at the academy entrance. Although she wanted to appear indifferent, the poor thing was nervous through her entire dough, fearing being discovered. It wasn't until she spotted her colleague's car, seeing her friends, and when she saw Cacao step out of the car, she could no longer contain herself and ran like a little girl, throwing herself at him.
"You're back, man, you're alive!" she said as she hugged him and let herself be carried. The other two took a bouquet of flowers out of the car that they had ordered for the occasion, a silver balloon with the message "Welcome Home," and a box with a gift for Choco.
When they separated, the art teacher's eyes were still shedding tears, but she smiled while looking at him closely.
"Hey, you're bulkier, man," she commented while wiping her tears and rubbing her nose. Then she told the three of them that the coast was clear and they could go without anyone seeing them.
Dark Cacao felt a strange but cozy sensation crossing those doors and entering the place where his greatest stresses originated; however, he was moved to be teaching again and preferred to grab his rustic ruler than a loaded rifle.
Finally, they stopped in front of the teachers' lounge where Golden Cheese opened the door, revealing the desks of each of the teachers, and on the history teacher's desk, there was a photo of him next to a small purple pot with star candy flowers.
In the room, only Latte Cookie was at her desk and Mint Choco Cookie was next to Pure Vanilla; the two were apparently talking about the itinerary. But the instant Latte saw the girls, she almost let out a scream, but Golden and Holly signaled her, making her cover her mouth.
The four cookies entered the room, catching the attention of Mint Choco, who also covered his mouth, making the blonde man suspicious.
"Mint, did something happen?" Pure turned toward him, and he responded that it was nothing.
Pure understood as he walked carefully to his desk to leave some papers, using his right hand as a guide until, upon arriving, he felt a hand on top of his.
At first, he felt a shiver from the uncertainty, but then he thought it was a joke by his friend Golden; however, what seemed strangest to him was that he didn't quite recognize that hand, yet at the same time, it felt familiar.
The hand was too large to be Golden's and seemed to have some cracks and scars. He stroked it, trying to recognize who it came from until he noticed a scent he hadn't smelled in years, and suddenly an idea came to mind.
"Dark Cacao?" his voice was soft but hesitant; however, he received no answer.
The hand he was touching was static, and there was an overwhelming silence around him that tormented him. Gently, he moved his hand up to feel a rustic fabric hiding well-formed muscles. Then he dropped the papers and continued moving his hands up his arms until he felt a face; someone was in front of him and he was tall. He also felt some smooth locks, but what impacted him most was that as he passed his delicate hands over the stranger's face, he no longer doubted it.
"Dark Cacao? Is it you?" He felt his blurry eyes fill with tears while his hands rested on the cheeks of the supposed cookie. And suddenly, that face moved.
"Yes, it's me," he answered, noticing how the other let go of his face, covering his mouth as his eyes widened.
"W... wait," he intervened with a trembling voice and moved away, asking someone for help to put in his eye drops.
Lily approached him to help while the rest waited with a smile; even Cacao himself was patient and did not rush his beloved. Vanilla put in some special drops that allowed him to see clearly for a certain time; he didn't use them much, but this time he wanted to see him.
When he finished applying them, he turned around and could see him perfectly. Dark Cacao was in front of him in a camouflage patterned suit and his long black hair with its white streak was neatly tied in his characteristic ponytail; his hands were behind his back and he had a beautiful smile.
Pure's eyes filled with tears as he hunched over, rubbed his nose, and with hurried steps approached him and hugged him with all the strength his arms could allow; he hugged him as tightly as if fate wanted to take him away again. Feeling his beloved's body, Cacao hugged him and lowered his head to kiss the shorter one's head.
He felt the jacket of his uniform being dampened by his tears and mucus; with one free hand, he stroked his soft yellow icing while his other arm encircled his waist. He knelt down, allowing Pure's trembling legs to rest from so much commotion.
"Shh shh, I'm here now, my dove. I'm here now," he repeated in sweet whispers while small tears escaped his tired eyes.
He wasn't usually very affectionate at work—in fact, he kept his relationship discreet—but this time he allowed himself to be more caring with his beloved Vanilla, pulling back a little and lifting his head to plant a kiss on his characteristic star mark and finally joining their lips in a delicate but much-needed kiss.
Pure accepted the affection and reciprocated while closing his eyes which were still flowing with tears, deepening the kiss; a kiss that showed how much they missed each other and that put an end to their long wait.
Meanwhile, everyone present appreciated the scene with tenderness. Latte and Mint were happy while the three cookies hugged each other and let out the tears they thought they had already calmed.
"Dark Choco Cookie, to the teachers' lounge," Professor Espresso announced, leaving the classroom in silence.
Everyone looked at the mentioned boy, who was also in shock by his teacher's order. With nothing else to do, the boy walked out along with his two companions, Red Velvet Cookie and Licorice Cookie.
"Now what did you do?" the hooded cookie demanded, receiving a cold and protesting look in response.
"It's probably what I didn't do. You guys are the ones who get into the most trouble," he complained while adjusting his bag on his shoulder.
"Mm, it must just be Professor Pure Vanilla wanting to give you your lunch," the reddish cookie argued, trying to calm the mood.
The black-haired boy in the white vest let out a sigh, hoping it was only that. This past week he had stayed away from conflict, although he suspected a certain envious cookie was involved; regardless, they were going to find out soon.
They stopped in front of the door. Choco was about to open it until a voice set his nerves on edge.
"Hi Choco," he turned quickly to see Milk Cookie near him with a folder in hand. He felt his own hands start to sweat and his heart tremble. "What are you doing here?"
"Choco got into a mess and now they sent him here," Licorice commented, receiving a threatening look from Choco.
"Really!?" the albino boy worried, making the dark-haired one wave his hands in denial.
"Licorice is just exaggerating. But it's true that Professor Espresso sent him here," Red Velvet clarified, thus calming Milk's nerves.
"Though, do you think it's because of the conflict that happened with Purple?" hearing that, Licorice was the one judging him with a look but with a smile. Choco just rolled his eyes and let out another sigh.
"Whatever it is, we're going to find out now," with that, he grabbed the door handle and pushed it, making it creak. "Hello, I was sent here to..."
His dry voice stopped, and he stood frozen; he couldn't believe what he was seeing in front of him. His father, whom he vaguely remembered, whom he always saw in photos or calls, was there, with camouflage pants and a short-sleeved green shirt.
Cacao heard the door open and immediately recognized his son's voice; he was just as surprised as he was. Maintaining the same pose as he had with Pure, he analyzed with his gaze the current appearance of his son, who was no longer a little ten-year-old boy.
His face was that of someone about to go through puberty. His voice was deeper, his face was forming, he even seemed to be taller than Pure Vanilla; though what he noticed most was the scar he had on his left eye caused by a fight. He regretted it fiercely, wishing he had been there to prevent that misfortune, but he knows that time cannot be turned back.
The two companions peeked in curiously to see their frozen friend, and when they saw the former teacher, they were in shock. Neither Licorice nor Red Velvet knew Choco's father, but they realized it was him because of the immense resemblance the two shared.
Choco took a few steps forward, processing everything. He shifted his gaze to see his dad, Pure, who was holding a bouquet of vanilla orchids, white lilies, and star candies wrapped in a purple bag, and his bicolored eyes were swollen.
"Dark Choco, my son," the dark cookie mentioned with euphoria, making him pay attention.
The young man approached in silence; his steps were slow and being face to face, he still believed he was in some kind of dream or that it was a joke.
"It's you... Uh... You're here." He didn't know what to say; he felt a lump in his throat and his mind was clouded.
"My little Choco, how much you've grown." The elder remained static, wanting his son to take the first step, but even so, his face reflected the excitement and happiness of finally having him in front of him.
"You... I thought..." The red-eyed boy lowered his head, feeling his legs tremble, and unable to bear it, he collapsed.
He hunched down, feeling his father's arms grab him and help him kneel on the floor. This confirmed to him that it was real, that he was there. At that, he could take no more and hugged him, finally letting go of the sea of tears he had been holding back. Cacao held him tightly and hearing his sobs, he tightened the embrace, stroking his back.
"You're here, you're really here."
"Of course I'm here, your father is here now, Choco." Both Cacao's and Choco's voices were breaking, but they didn't care, now that father and son had finally reunited.
Pure Vanilla's vision was starting to fail, but it made him happy to see how his beloved and his son were reuniting, drawing a small tear that he tried to dry.
The other teachers along with Lily watched the scene with euphoria, while Golden recorded everything for the future.
"Phew, did I make it in time?" Espresso commented, tired from running through the halls. Then he looked at the scene and smiled, knowing the plan worked.
Despite not understanding the situation, Choco's two companions were moved by the beautiful scene and tried to dry their tears with some cloths that the licorice cookie pulled from who-knows-where.
Meanwhile, from behind, Milk looked at his friend happily, since he could finally fulfill the long-awaited dream of seeing his father again.
The purple-eyed man pulled away from his son, signaling Hollyberry to pass him the gift, but his son rejected it, worrying the elder.
"Having you here is more than enough." Cacao smiled and hugged him again, letting out a laugh.
Pure Vanilla approached with the help of White Lily and Mint Choco to join the embrace. Cacao received him and very carefully drew him close to the two of them; now they could finally be a united family and nothing could stop them.
And so three years passed where everything returned to normal. Well, sometimes Dark Cacao and Dark Choco had their differences, but they always remembered with joy the moment when fate finally allowed them to see each other again.
The End~