Caught Red-Handed (Danger Days Oneshot - Frerard)

Caught Red-Handed

Fun Ghoul had given up hope of meeting his soulmate long ago. The lack of writing on his arms had a lot to do with that. Writing and drawing on your skin was strictly forbidden in Battery City. They don't believe in love - or emotions at all for that matter. As for Zonerunners, they barely have enough supplies to eat, let alone draw or write, and they have more important things on their minds than finding soulmates.

He told himself it was better this way. After all, he was a Killjoy. He could be ghosted at any moment. Worse, connection with him could put his soulmate in danger, and he couldn't risk that. They were safer as strangers.

It was an ordinary day in the Zones when it happened. Jet and Kobra were raiding Bat' City on a supply run, and Party was checking his gun after yesterday's firefight. Ghoul was making his way to the abandoned diner they called home when he noticed it.

He hadn't felt anything, so he wasn't sure how long it had been going on for; he only realised when he raised his hand to open the door.
His heart stopped. As he looked down, he found his hands, wrists, and a good deal of his arms were stained a bright red. The scream escaped his lips before he could stop it as he realised what the marks meant. They obviously weren't from him, so something must have happened to his soulmate.

Panicked and unsure of what to do, Ghoul resorted to what he always does when he has a problem.
Asked Party.

He made his was hurriedly around the back of the diner to the Killjoys' makeshift storeroom and knocked on the door.
"It's open," called the familiar voice from inside. Ghoul opened the door and was instantly taken aback by the sight that met him.

Party's hair was not its usual black, but dyed a bright, fiery red. The dye had stained his face, t-shirt, and much of his arms.
"Do you like it‽" Party asked, beaming, but Ghoul found he couldn't say anything.
"What's up?" He asked when he received no reply. Still speechless, Ghoul held out his hands, revealing the marks identical to the stains on Party's skin.

The pair stood in stunned silence for an indeterminable amount of time before Party burst out laughing.
"After all this time," he said, "and you were right here all along."
And then Ghoul started laughing too, because he was overwhelmed. It had taken him years to come to terms with the fact he would never know his soulmate, and it turned out it was his best friend the whole time. And when he thought about it - when he thought about the man who had ran away from the City with him; who had fought by his side in countless firefights and Scarecrow confrontations; who reassured him when life in the Zones wore him down; and who he knew would stand by him through anything, as he would in return - Ghoul realised there was no-one he would rather be with.