Fighter: a Markiplier fanfiction

.1.

It's been two years. I've been in love for two years, because two years ago was the worst night of my life.

It is still a struggle to think about, and it shocks me that I came so...close. I almost gave up.

But I didn't.

I turned to the Internet, and I remember vividly what I typed into the Pinterest search bar: 'reasons to stay alive'. It had worked before.

But I had...desensitized myself. The words I saw flashing across my screen any other night would have left me speechless and 'filled me with determination', but...not that night.

I knew that something was wrong. I couldn't feel anything but the pain and the numbness, and what I wouldn't have given for that to go away, I can't say.

I was losing my focus. I was losing hope.

But something I had never seen before came up, along with an unfamiliar face.

"I believe in you."

I broke. For some reason, that broke me. Four words, four simple words, but they hit me like a slap of icy wind.

It was three in the morning, but I was finally able to sleep.

******************

The next morning I had done a little digging and found the YouTube channel of the man in the picture that had saved my life.

It was odd. I liked it.

The guy cussed like a sailor and I quickly discovered that he could turn anything and everything into an innuendo, but I grew to love him and his faults.

The channel name had felt so alien on my lips the first time I said it, but today, the name rolls off my tongue in sync with him and it feels as though it is the most natural thing in the world.

Markiplier.

******************
"Aurora!"

"What?" I said as I was snapped out of my drowsy state by my boss.

"How late did you stay up?" she said.

"Good question," I grunted, but I tried to wake up for her sake.

"Gah, I can't believe I've put up with you so long."

"Yeah, 12 years, huh?"

My best friend smiled back at me from across the desk. "But seriously, how late?"

"I really can't say. I was watching Mark, he did a collaboration with Jack and the guys, and you know how long those videos go."

"About an hour. So...?"

"I must've started the video at like two."

"Aurora, we've talked about this!"

"Jenna, I know, but you know how hard it is for me to get to sleep, especially these days." I allowed the tiredness to creep into my voice, just to emphasize my point.

Jenna paused in her task of wiping down the counters. "I know, Aurora, but you really need this job, and I need you here, I don't have the money to just pay you–"

"I will not take charity. It's just difficult."

"I know, sweetie, I know, I wasn't really suggesting it. But I also can't afford to have you sleepwalking around the shop with customers here. Please, please, try to get better. I can give you a few extra hours and a raise so you can afford help, but I can't stand seeing you like this. It was bad enough when you didn't tell your parents and I had to watch you suffer through this for three and a half years! I couldn't do anything to help you, I didn't know how, but now I'm offering you help in getting help. Please."