Sheriff Marcus x Reader

Thirty-Six

Wordless, you and Marcus walked side by side. The silence was so tense that one could have cut it.

His expression was grim, more grim than usual.

But in a way, it was also fitting.

His expression looked the way you felt.

He walked past you, bumping into your shoulder demonstratively. Maybe he wanted to provoke a fight, because it was easier to yell at you than to have to live with silence.

But you ignored it, letting yourself fall further back to put more distance between the two of you.

Absorbed in thoughts and fears of what had gone wrong, your eyes lowered to the floor. Stones hit your feet, splinters of wood and the remains of the tools the workers had left behind. You paid so little attention to what was happening in front of you that you didn't notice Marcus suddenly stop.

With a surprised gasp, you stumbled into his back.
Annoyed, Marcus groaned.

"Fantastic.", he growled, turning to face you. "None of this would have happened if you had listened to me for once!"

Sour but unwilling to argue with him again, you pushed past him to see what the problem was.

Your feet stopped at the edge of a huge hole. It looked like a shaft, so high and so deep that you could see neither the beginning nor the end. Your eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Looking for a ladder then.", you glanced over your shoulder at him. "This is nothing that can't be solved."

His nose wrinkled.

"We're stuck down here. Because of you!"

You rolled your eyes. So slowly it was starting to get on your nerves that he was so easily angered.

Looking for a way up, you turned away.

But when you tried to walk past him to look around, he suddenly grabbed you by the wrist. His grip was so strong that a sharp pain stung your bones. His gaze darkened.

"How can you always take everything lightly?!", he asked, growling. "You act like this is the least of our problems, but the truth is, this isn't working. We can't work together anymore. And you need to stop riding me into some shit!"

"Hell, since when did you become such an asshole, Marcus?", you asked, pushing him away.

With a grim expression he stumbled back. His breathing became heavier. He had to fight back the anger. He didn't want to yell at you again, but he felt so helpless, didn't know what else to do.

"Don't take me there.", he warned.

But you couldn't help but go for it.

Gritting your teeth, you approached him, grabbed him by the collar of his uniform and dragged him down to you.

"But I will!", you hissed in his face. "I will let you go, you can hate me for the rest of your fucking life but before I do that you have to give me a reason. One single fucking reason. You owe me that at least."

Taking a sharp breath, he stared at you.

The warm brown of his eyes kissed the sparkling (E/C) of yours.

"You want a reason?", he suddenly asked in an icy calm voice and leaned forward so that the tip of his nose touched yours.

But you did not give him the satisfaction to retreat. You looked at him with a steady gaze.

"I beg of you."

"All right, I will give you a reason. The Marcus you knew, the small, weak boy, died with you that day. Instead, a boy who felt more alone than he thought possible was left. My best friend left me, only to save me from the consequences of my own mistakes. I never wanted you to sacrifice yourself!"

"But I did it because I loved you! Should I have just let my best friend die?!"

"You should have lived! With me! By my side. Instead, you played the hero! But that's not what I needed, I needed my friend escape with me!"

Faltering in your rage, you looked at him. The pain in his voice felt like a knife in your flesh. Trying to keep calm, you squeezed your eyes shut and took a deep breath.

"Marcus...", your hands rested on his cheeks.

With a pained expression on his face, he tried to back away. His hands grabbed yours.

"(Y/N)...", his voice trembled. "I- all I wanted was to always be with you..."

Trembling, you pressed your forehead against his.

"I promised you that I would always be by your side.", you whispered. "And now I'm here."

With a jerk he freed himself. All at once the moment of weakness was over and anger returned to his eyes. But this time it seemed milder, less aggressive.

"I don't care.", he said in a voice that sounded as if he was regretting all of this. "Your promises hold no value anymore. Back then you had promised me everything and nothing turned out to be real. Nothing you said had any worth to you. You were able to drop everything for one decision. You turned your back on me. You left me, making me feel empty and the loneliest I've ever been. That day, a part of me died too."

A whimper escaped you. Carefully, your fingers caressed his cheeks. The soft hair of his sideburns tickled your skin.

"Then- then tell me how I can fix this...", you begged, close to tears. "I want this to work out!"

But he just shook his head, eyes watery.

"I- I don't know what. I'm trying but every time there is this little voice in the back my mind that whispers to me how everything is a lie. And I never want to feel like this again! I- I cannot go through this pain a second time. I can't... lose you again. I would rather die."

"You won't have to!"

His face pulled together in pain.

"Why do you keep holding onto it? It's too late...", he could barely speak.

"It will be fine again. I promise."

"Why won't you listen to me?!"

"I did. But you're still my little grumpy. I won't let you go. I- I can't..."

"How can I ever believe you again? What can prove those promises?"

"Marcus. I'm here to stay. For you."

Without thinking, you leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his lips.