"Torn Between Worlds"- A Markiplier and Jacksepticeye AU

A Loss, A Mourning, A Gain

*Y/N's POV*

Ethan longingly chased after Jack, leaving me and Mark in an awkward position. When Ethan shut the door to Jack's room, Mark walked over to the couch and sat down, putting his head in his hands.

"I knew it couldn't have been that easy..." I heard him mumble to himself. I felt uncomfortable sitting by myself at the table, so I walked over and joined Mark. I gave him a sympathetic look.

"It's not your fault, Mark. He's just in shock."

I have absolutely no idea what it is at all.

Mark shook his head, which was still propped up in his palms.

"No, I know that look in his eyes. He gets that look when he feels alone, when he's lost something or someone he can count on. He almost looks as hurt as he was the day..." He trailed off, as if to catch himself from saying something he shouldn't.

"What was it?" He finally brought his head up, but only stared straight ahead.

"The day his girlfriend got taken away." I couldn't speak. I couldn't think. I sat there in stunned silence for what seemed like minutes.

"Why... Why did she get taken away?" He finally looked over and made eye contact with me.

"Because she was a Void. The segregation in this world is obscene. They were just walking along, minding their own business. They tried to enter a restaurant that night. The new law was just put into action then:that every public building and management would be required to have ability scanners on the rims of their entrances and exits. Jack and his girlfriend stepped one foot inside the building and set off the alarm. The bouncers had to pry Jack away to take her." He broke eye contact with me and stared at the ground. "Man, they were kicking and screaming, they were crying out for each other, making a scene. But society's grown cold. After they got the idea of what was happening, they just went back to what they were doing and acted as if some innocent civilian wasn't being hauled away from her loved one against her will because she was different." Mark's fiery red hair was actually glowing orange with rage. His voice remained low, though, which was what scared me. "She couldn't help it- thousands of people can't help the fact that they were born different than everyone else here- and they have to suffer for it, like they're some kind of defect. I swear-"

"Mark-" I tried to place my hand on his shoulder to calm him, but it had burned up. It was hot like a lightbulb that's been on for way too long. The temperature shocked me, and I gave a small yelp before quickly retracting my hand away. He looked at me again, and his face shifted from anger to guilt. His hair returned to its usual red as he recomposed himself, and I could feel the room cool down a couple degrees.

"I'm sorry. It just irritates me how insensitive people are nowadays... But I know you're not like them. You have one thing the world needs more of: empathy. People seriously need to be more like you."

"Thank you." I felt myself blush for a second before bringing back the subject. "How do you know all of that happened?"

"I was one of the pedestrians walking by as the whole thing went down. After they chloroformed Signe to take her away, the crowd receded, and Jack started to have a panic attack right there in public."

*Flashback*

Mark didn't bother looking both ways before sprinting across the street to Jack's aid. Jack was sitting on the pavement, gasping for air. Mark propped him up, swung his right arm around Jack, and took his left arm and loosely put it over his shoulders. "Are you ok?" The red-haired stranger had asked. Jack shook his head back and forth, but his heartbroken, glazed-over gaze remained fixated on the nothingness in front of him. Mark looked up and around for somewhere to take him. He sighted an alleyway not too far to the left of them, and Mark carefully, yet quickly, hoisted Jack on his feet and made their way to the quiet area, away from the judging gazes of the ignorant public civilians. He gently set down the suffering victim against the cool brick building walls. "Are you ok?" Mark had asked again. "They... they... her..." Jack was trying to speak between the harsh breaths brought on by anxiety. "They...?" "They.. took... her." He said again, slower and more clearly than the first time. Mark was at a loss for words. Say, 'It'll be fine.'? No, that would be a lie. 'Everything will be ok'? Too soon for that one. 'We'll get her back, I promise.' What good is a false promise? Two people versus the government? Absolutely insane and unheard of in any world one could think up. "I know." was all Mark could say. "I know." "I.. I have to... have to.. get her back." Jack gave a valiant effort to try to get on his feet, but inevitably failed, and fell forward onto his hands and knees. "Woah, woah, take it easy there, man." Mark tried to calm the stranger. Jack stared forward with his eyes widened. His breathing deepened, and he started shaking his head uncontrollably. "No, no.. no no, no... Signe." He tried once more to stand, but Mark stopped him again, putting his hand on his shoulder and attempting to force Jack down. "What's her name, what's her name again?" Mark asked. "Sig-Signe." Jack turned his face slightly towards Mark, but his eyes didn't follow. "How old is she?" Jack was silent for a moment. "She.. she's eight.. eighteen years old..." Jack's breathing shallowed slightly, and his head slowed its shaking. "That's right, good... good." Mark assured. "What does she look like?" Mark changed the subject again, trying to distract Jack from his attack and calm him down. "She's... she's beautiful. Eyes like... like the sky... Golden hair... Smooth skin... Her voice.. her... voice..." He shut his eyes and turned his head down. "Her voice was an angel's..." He broke down sobbing. "She was an angel... AND NOW SHE'S GONE!" Mark knelt down and hugged Jack tight, and Jack hugged back twice as hard. After minutes and minutes of emotional turmoil and adrenaline receding from the spur of the moment, a drop of liquid fell from Mark's eyes. Right then and there, amongst the sobs, among the loss... Mark cried for the first time in almost twenty years.

*Mark's POV*

I paused for a second to catch my breath from all of the storytelling. "And that... was the story of how Jack and I met." I paused for a second. "After that, I asked him where he lived and went home with him for the day. We exchanged information, and we've been each other's go-to ever since." I finally looked up from the floor to meet Y/N's eyes, which were drowning in a flood of her own silent tears. I sat up in my seat, and her eyes didn't break contact with mine for a moment. She snapped out of her trance, wiped her eyes with her hands, wiped them on her shirt, and looked back up at me again.

"That was... wow." She gave a heavy sigh out of the exhaustion of listening and empathizing with my story. "I... never would have guessed that was how y'all met."

"Yeah. It was just coincidence that we met. If I had stayed home that day... I don't even want to think about where either one of us would be right now."

"Me neither, me neither." Y/N agreed. There was awkward silence for a moment. "So that's why Jack was concerned for me when we first met..."

"Geez, when did it get so hot in here?" I grabbed the collar of my shirt and fanned myself when I felt the aftermath of my outburst from earlier.

"Since you went spicy-cheeto a while ago." I scoffed playfully at her.

"Oh boy, is that gonna be my nickname from now on?"

"Sure is." Y/N Sarcastically responded. I nodded in acceptance.

We got a drink of water and sat down at the table until Jack and Ethan's conversation was adjourned.

~~~

a/n. hi. So, how'd you hold up? 🙃