Glad You're Here

Chapter 1: Traveling

I watched Los Angeles, California become smaller and smaller from my seat next to the plane's window as the third flight of the day took off. I yawned, partly to relieve the pressure in my ears and partly because I was exhausted. I glanced at the black digital watch I practically never took off and read 4:35 AM, which somehow made me even more tired.

"You ok, Caitlyn?" asked the baritone voice coming from my boyfriend in the seat next to me. I exhaled slowly, leaning my head back against the seat, and looked over at him, drinking in his appearance. God, I could never get sick of looking at him. His coffee brown eyes, his perfect smile, his wavy black hair that was slightly messy from the early wake up call but still perfect somehow, the slight shadow of a mustache and beard, everything about him made my heart melt.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Just tired, I guess."

"Well, we'll be in Cincinnati in a few hours, so that's plenty of time to get some shut-eye before we land. I mean, you're beautiful now, but you look even better after a good night's sleep."

"Just to point it out, my super late bedtime is your fault." I teased, punching him playfully in the shoulder.

"Hey, when the viewers call, I answer," my boyfriend smiled before adopting a superior look and a ridiculous fake accent. "Wilford Wharfstache does not need sleep."

"Ah," I replied, adopting a similar, if not completely perfect, voice. There was only one person in the world that could properly portray Mr. Wharfstache. "But Markiplier does, you see? And, since last night you, you were Markiplier, you have absolutely no excuse for interrupting my beauty sleep." Mark smiled and dropped the character.

"Too be fair, it was actually Wade's fault for keeping you up so late, as he insisted on playing Soccer Physics until, like, four in the morning."

"Yes, but you were the one yelling and raging."

"That....is a very good point," He said, sighing in defeat before taking one of my hands in both of his and bowing his head like a knight bowing to a queen. "Will you forgive me, oh great Caitlyn, for the horrible wrong I have committed?"

"Indeed, I shall forgive you, Mr. Mark Fischbach. But you should be careful in the future, as I can be very vicious when deprived of sleep." I said in a serious tone, which was difficult as I was trying very hard not to laugh. Mark chuckled and sat up again, although he didn't let go of my hand.

"I can't picture you vicious in any way," He said, then he kissed my forehead gently. Still holding my hand with one of his, he reached his left arm around me and pulled me into him. I let my head rest on his shoulder, happy to be with him. "But, better safe than sorry, I suppose, so you'd better get some sleep." I sighed, my mind empty of all cares, and I fell asleep against Mark's shoulder.

I woke up at 7:28 AM, according to my watch, and noticed that Mark was still asleep, his head back against the seat, his mouth just slightly open. He looked like a kid when he was sleeping and it made me smile. I pulled away from him carefully so as not to wake him and, once back in my own seat, I pulled a compact mirror out of my purse, flipping it open. I observed my light blue eyes and slightly longer than shoulder-length hair that used to be brown but was so bleached by the sun that it appeared almost blonde. There was a little red spot on my (oddly light, considering I lived in California) cheek from Mark's shoulder. I quickly brushed through my hair with a mini brush from my purse, put on a bit of make-up, and grabbed a couple of breath mints, which I sucked on as I snapped the mirror closed and set my purse back down again.