~SkepHalo Oneshots~

Comforting Color

Premise: Everyone has a black mark where their soulmate will touch them for the first time; upon the first touch, the mark bursts into color.

Addition: Any time soulmates touch each others' marks, it gives them a feeling of warmth and safety.

Zak emerged from the airport, a grin on his face. His flight had landed earlier than expected, so he decided to head to Darryl's house and surprise him. A quick map check showed that the walk there was fairly short, so he decided not to bother with an Uber. He needed the exercise, anyway.

He ended up having to slow his pace after a while, due to his increased body heat making him tired. The fact that his black mark was absorbing sun didn't help. That was one reason he hoped to find his soulmate soon; he would be less hot.

He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and panted for a minute before tugging at his hoodie. He certainly didn't think things through when he decided to walk. "Maybe I should call an Uber..." he muttered, pulling out his phone.

He shrieked and dropped it on the sidewalk as his arm was grabbed and he was pulled into the alley next to him.

——

Darryl slowly walked down the pathway, trying to hold back tears. He'd waited at the airport for a long time and found no sign of Zak. He'd tried texting him repeatedly, but Zak hadn't even seen the messages. Eventually, Darryl had given up and decided to go for a walk to clear his head.

He stared down at the sidewalk, studying the bits of debris here and there in order to give himself something to focus on.

He stopped. What kind of debris was that shade of blue?

Darryl crouched down and picked up the phone. He recognized the cover from Zak's merch store. Maybe it belonged to a fan?

He turned it over. A spiderweb-shaped crack covered most of the black screen. He pressed the home button, not really expecting anything to happen. To his surprise, the phone did turn on, the screen lighting up with a fanart of him and Zak. He smiled at the artwork before looking around, hoping the owner of the phone was nearby. If not, he had no idea how he was going to return it to them.

Darryl gasped in horror as he spotted someone's legs from behind the dumpster. He slid the phone into his pocket and stepped into the alley, praying that whoever they were, they weren't dead.

"No..." he whispered upon recognizing the figure. He crouched down and pulled Zak into his arms, tears spilling down his face. "Please, Skeppy, please wake up, please be okay," he mumbled, trying to listen for Zak's breathing.

Darryl almost melted with relief at the sound of a sigh from the boy in his arms. Still clutching Zak to his chest, he pulled out his phone and shakily dialed 911. He didn't move until the ambulance arrived and took the injured boy away to the emergency room.

It wasn't until Darryl was seated in the waiting room that he realized the black mark that had previously covered his chest and arms was now brightly colored. He frowned, trying to figure out when that happened. It certainly didn't change before he went for his walk; he would have noticed. The fingers of one of the paramedics might've brushed him as they took Zak, but that certainly wouldn't cover his body as much as the mark did. His mark was more like a hug, and the only person he hugged had been...

A smile broke out on his face, followed by disappointment as he remembered that Zak was currently injured. If he didn't heal, the fact that they were soulmates wouldn't mean anything. Zak might not ever even know.

"Mr. Noveschosch?"

Darryl looked up at the nurse who had spoken. "Is it about Zak?"

The nurse nodded. "There doesn't seem to be any internal damage, luckily. He should recover fairly smoothly."

Darryl sighed. His relief was immeasurable. "Can I see him?" he asked.

The nurse nodded. "He should be waking up any minute now." She gestured for him to follow.

Zak, who had been staring at his own chest with a very confused look, glanced up as the door opened. Darryl rushed over to him and threw his arms around the other boy.

"Oh my goodness, Skeppy, I was so scared, don't you ever do that again, you muffin," Darryl said into Zak's shoulder.

All of Zak's confusion and anxiety rushed out of his body as Darryl held him. He exhaled and leaned into Darryl. "Are you my soulmate, or just really good at hugs?" he mumbled

Darryl laughed softly. "Your soulmate," he answered.

Zak smiled. "I'd hoped you were."