Songbird in a Snowstorm [Yandere! Marble Hornets x Reader]

Earnest Convictions

You didn't know what you were expecting, but it sure as hell wasn't this. His wide eyes reflected your own horror and for a moment, it felt like you had a true connection with the person whose hand was still resting on the small of your back. It was something akin to the comradery of battle scarred soldiers, or a class of middle schoolers bonding over the shared trauma of their first sex Ed class.

In a flood of terrified clarity, the man let out a strangled yelp and shoved you away from him. You feel your back slam up against the wall, more startling than painful. Eyes framed by dark purple bags and filled with equal parts terror and accusation burn into your form. Even from where you're huddled on the bed, you can see his hands shake and tremble as he raises one to cover his mouth. His body is rigid as he stares you down. It takes a moment, but his eyes dart over to the door, only for a second before returning to you. One foot slides backwards, only to be stopped by the wall.

A muttered curse is accompanied by an almost unnoticeable flinch. Narrowed brown eyes scrutinize you from afar, lingering on your face before trailing down to the sheet still clutched to your chest. In an instant the suspicion in his eyes melts away, replaced by both horror and regret. He clasps a hand over his mouth, letting his eyes fall to the floor.

From across the room, a muffled voice reaches your ears, "What did I do?" He rasps, his voice wavering and threatening to crack. You wince at the sound, but not out of sympathy. The way he's holding himself, how you can see the tips of his hair tremble along with his body, the slight sway he's adopted in the past few seconds... it makes your hair stand on end. Something in the back of your mind tells you to run, while another part begs you to comfort the man in hopes of safety.

Swallowing thickly, you struggle to come up with something to placate the man. For some reason your mind keeps coming up blank, your thoughts scattering to the wind the moment you think of something to say. A loud slam snaps you out of your lack of thoughts, the man having shoved his back to a wall. Your eyes never left his trembling body as he slid down to the floor, hugging himself tightly and trying to rock in place.

Something stirred in your stomach, either suspicion or dread making itself known at the sight. Even when crumpled up in a corner, his stature still set off alarms in your head. Still someone to be on edge around, maybe ever more so than when he was looming over you in your sleep. The memory alone made you shiver.

A string of low whispers fell from his lips, rendered unintelligible by the distance. You couldn't see his expression as he had his face buried in his knees, but you didn't really need to. You let your eyes shoot over to the door. The handle's finish had long since been buffed away leaving only dull metal behind. Still, it beckons to you, though the sheet draped over your shoulders is a constant reminder of your situation. If you were to get out of this alive, you had to be smart about it.

Resolve formed in your chest, pushing aside the near blinding fear you felt at the idea of approaching the man. Still keeping the thin sheet secured to your chest, you stand and try to force your voice to work again. It's hard. A lot harder than you'd ever like to admit. Like your professor had just called you to the front of the room to give a presentation you didn't even know existed.

"Hey." You croak out, raising a hand in a half wave even though he can't see it. "I- uh, are you ok?" Real fucking smooth. His trembling stilled as he hesitantly lifted his gaze. Dark brown eyes stared up at you, glassy and sullen. His lips pursed as he eyed you, taking his eyes off of you for a moment to travel along the stained walls.

Once his eyes landed back on your own, he fixed you with a pained stare. Opening and closing his mouth a few times, he glances off to the side and lets his shoulders slump. From across the room, you hear a barely audible, "Did I hurt you?"