The memory was of a time when Mark was an unmarried man, everything so new and exciting. His career as a famous actor was in full swing, Damien not even having become Mayor just yet. Their lives were just beginning. Damien had visited Mark's manor to be with his friend, the two having a drink or so and talking of the splendors of life. It was a stormy day, not quite close to this caliber, but still fairly bad. Mark had excused himself, needing to go get something, or so he said, and left Damien in the living room waiting. Damien could wait, but when Mark had been gone for a solid twenty minutes, Damien decided to investigate.
The manor was eerily dark and quiet, save for the storm outside. Damien decided to check Mark's room. He wasn't there. Continuing his search, he noticed the ladder to the uppermost attic were opened in the middle of the hallway.
"How peculiar," Damien thought aloud, deciding to check up there despite his bad leg.
Surely enough, upon poking his head through the hole in the ceiling, he found Mark sitting curled in a ball in the far corner of the attic, beside an opened chest.
"Mark? Are you alright my friend?" Damien called gently, pulling himself into the attic and walking towards Mark.
Mark looked at Damien, flinching and trying to pull himself together.
"A-ah Damien! So sorry. I... Umm. I was looking for something I wanted to show you and-"
Thunder boomed above, and no sooner had Mark returned to his state of curling in on himself, covering his ears with his hands and whimpering.
Damien merely stood as though nothing had happened at all, however he came to a realization.
"Mark? ...it's alright to be afraid of the thunder," Damien stated comfortingly.
"I-I'm not af-fraid," Mark protested, although poorly.
"Mhm. Of course not. You're one of the bravest people I know," Damien replied, getting down on his knees before his friend.
"...really? I am?" Mark asked, finding Damien's statement to hold a fault.
"Of course. Remember when I fell into the lake when we were children?" Damien started.
Mark nodded slowly, beginning to recall that day. They'd been on a picnic, with William as well.
"You jumped in right after me, even though you didn't know how to swim very well. You saved my life. I have always thought of you to be brave," Damien concluded.
Mark blushed, staring at Damien with an adoration and gratefulness. Damien smiled and placed a hand on Mark's shoulder.
"It's alright to be scared. It takes a brave person to admit when they are. And it doesn't make you any less brave to admit it," Damien said reassuringly.
Mark was thinking about what Damien had said, a look of understanding slowly growing o his features... and another thunder roll crashed.
"I'M AFRAID OF THE THUNDER!! There I said it!!" Mark replied, hugging Damien with a desperation and hiding his face into the man's shoulder.
"You're very brave Mark. Shall we be brave downstairs by the fire?" Damien suggested.
Mark nodded, a tad embarrassed, but he knew Damien would never judge him.
Dark sighed, the memory having played to its fullest, back in his own mind in the shower.
'...it seems he's still petrified of the storms,' Dark thought.
It was then that another thought dawned on Dark. One that he hated, because it made him feel even more sympathetic for the man.
Mark had been alone for all these years, and there had definitely been storms many times throughout the years. ...had he been alone for each and every one? Had he cowered in fear every time the skies turned dark? Had he hidden away, ears shut tight and eyes on the verge of tears because he had no alternative.
'It's his own fault. That was the path he chose for himself and he deserved any bad thing that befell him,' Dark thought, pushing down any pity he held for Mark.
"Damien! I wasn't afraid this time!" Mark's cheerful and youthful voice rang in Dark's head, the remnant of yet another memory.
"Is that so? How did you overcome your fear?" Damien had asked.
"Because I knew you were coming to visit me today, Damien," Mark had replied.
Damien had been so proud of Mark. Mark had been at a party the night before during a thunderstorm. Benjamin had accompanied him, also a keeper of Mark's secret fear. The butler had testified how Mark hadn't hid or cowered once throughout the party, acting as his normal, charming self. That next morning, Mark knew Damien was to visit, and he told Damien of the news. Damien had indeed planned to come visit Mark that day, and despite his urge to pat the man on the back and join his cheer, he'd come for entirely different reasons.
Damien almost felt sick for what he was about to do. But it needed to be done. He couldn't keep this from Mark... could he? The truth of the matter, was that Damien had organized this get together to inform Mark of something he'd found out mere days ago. The terrible news of Celine's affair... with William. Damien had come to tell Mark face to face, knowing the man had every right to know. It was his own wife and practical brother for goodness sake. He thought it best to tell him instead of Mark finding out later... but once he was there, seeing Mark so, he just couldn't bring himself to do it.
Of course, Mark did eventually find out... And he found out that Damien had known.
Dark groaned. So many mistakes made. So much pain in once sweet memories. He hated it. And seeing Mark, living with him, breathing the same air. It only added to the pain.
Dark decided enough was enough. He was not accountable for Mark. He was not his caretaker. Damien was not, so why should he? He'd move Mark to his own room as soon as he got out of the shower. Mark was a man, and older than him too for goodness sake. He didn't need Dark babying him. Harmony saw to that plenty, bless her soul. She had no problems coddling the man, and Dark did not need to be a second to that. Dark stepped out of the shower, dried himself off, put his warm pajamas on and some slippers, and stepped out of the bathroom.
He walked over the bed intending to wake Mark and send him off...
'Just do it already. This is ridiculous,' Dark thought as his hand lingered over the sleeping man.
And it stayed there for a solid three minutes as Dark internally battled with himself... until Dark sighed and just left Mark be. He decided he'd make himself useful and go see if he could help Harmony with supper instead. That was, till he heard movement from his bed, and a voice called to him, raspy and small.
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Authors Note: And that's Chapter 3 for you guys! Hopefully I'll have more chapters published soon. Hope you guys enjoyed this story, and if you did, let me know in the comments! Like I've said before, critiques, comments, questions and more are always appreciated and welcomed! Hope you guys have a lovely day~
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Rain Rain, Go Away (A Darkiplier and Actor Mark related story)
FanfictionThey say a lot can change in a short amount of time. However, this change took over a century to finally happen. What change, you may ask? Well. Several events took place, and it finally led up to a certain Actor finally receiving his redemption. Ho...
