Markiplier x Reader | The Promised Land

Chapter 7: Understanding

This guy was really starting to piss you off, but deep down you knew that wasn't what he was trying to do. It only made you more upset that you didn't understand his motives. You tried your best to keep your mouth shut, but at the same time... you've never met a guy quite like him.

Honestly the only reason you weren't splitting was because he had your stuff and he had piqued your curiosity. But why? What was he trying to show by making you stay with him? You didn't want to think about that, otherwise you'd seriously start getting weirded out.

Another thing that made you upset was he had a way of making your emotions come out and grow unstable, and you had tried so hard already to keep them in check! Well... you knew it wasn't the healthiest way to go about things but no one had told you otherwise, so you kept at it. But now your walls were beginning to falter, and you were barely able to keep up with everything that was happening.

Every time this guy said something, it made you mad. Whereas that Sean guy or anyone else said anything, you felt nothing. You thought you had trained yourself to not feel anything anymore but this... Mark was finding every possible way to prove you wrong, even if he didn't mean it.

"Why are you doing this?" you blurted out after passing a few houses. You could see taller buildings in the distance.

"Doing what?" Mark asked innocently.

"Keeping me from just taking my stuff and leaving!" you snarled. Trying to get control of your anger, you took a deep breath, "Why won't you just let me live out the rest of my life even if it's a short one, in peace?"

Mark turned around and stared at you, his dark eyes flaring with intense emotions, "Maybe it's because I don't want to watch a stranger go and get themselves killed while I stand on the sidelines. That's why!" He refused to speak to you for a few more minutes, until he decided to make a stop.

The place he chose to stop at, of all places, was a really old, broken down building that was about ten or so stories high. It looked about ready to teeter over, which made you suddenly uncomfortable.

You felt the need to drop your voice, afraid that if you spoke too loudly the building would cave in, "Why are we stopping here?"

Mark had looked like he was about to give you some sort of smartass comeback, but he chose not to. Instead, he took a deep breath and responded in a soft, almost tender voice you didn't know he had, "Your pet needs those paws checked, not only am I concerned for her, but I'm also concerned about the blood trail she's leaving."

"You're not exactly blood-drip free either," you said, sitting down once you both found a place to settle inside. There was a big hole in the side of the building, but it wasn't terribly open, and it was dark inside. It was easy to look out from there but from the outside, it appeared to be nothing but dark shadows. This guy was smarter than you previously estimated.

"Yeah yeah," was all he said. He gently checked [P/n]'s paws and she whimpered. You hadn't realized just how bad her situation was, and the pain she was feeling. You grimaced, feeling for her. You pet her gently while Mark began to clean her paws up and tend to them.

"I'm sorry [P/n]..." you whispered, "I should've been more careful."

You didn't notice, but Mark was looking at you with curiosity and a hint of sympathy. However, he looked away shortly after, so you wouldn't see him staring.

"[P/n]?" Mark asked, staring intensely at one of [P/n]'s paws as he cleaned it.

"That's what I said didn't I?" you snapped at him.

He frowned, hesitating for a moment, before replying, "It fits her."

You narrowed your eyes at him. What was he up to now? Suddenly changing his approach with you to butter up? You swore this guy was up to something, but you just couldn't get any idea of what was going on inside that head of his. You crossed your arms slowly, to avoid hurting your shoulder more, and stared at him in complete silence. That is, until Mark had finished cleaning [P/n]'s wounds, and he turned to face you.

You simply shook your head, "Oh ho ho, no you don't. You are not touching my shoulder."

Mark shook his head back to you, "And I'm not risking you getting an infection, not while your under my care-"

"Under your care! Ha!" you dropped your voice suddenly, remembering you were underneath a very large, potentially unstable building, "Like I want you looking after me..."

Instead of fighting back, Mark just raised his eyebrows for a moment before sighing, "Said the wrong thing again didn't I? You're not exactly easy to get along with you know."

Well, that surprised you, now you were back to unknown territory. You persisted in the aggressive approach regardless.

"I am well aware I'm not easy to get along with," you hissed nastily, "I didn't ask to be taken into your care now did I?"

Mark sat back on his knees and stared at you. Not grumpily or angrily, but with bewildered wonder, "You are a mysterious individual [N/n]. Any normal person would've thanked me for saving their life."

"Stop calling me that! And besides, I'm not any 'normal' person," you said proudly, "I'm unique."

Mark stood up suddenly, frustration clear on his face. You watched as he turned and left. He had your things, "Hey! Come back, you got my stuff-"

"You won't need it when you're dead," Mark said over his shoulder as he stepped out of the building.

Thoroughly frustrated yourself, you rubbed a hand vigorously down your face. As he continued walking and Chica began leaving too, you called out, "Okay okay! Hey! Wait stop. Stop!"

He stopped in his tracks and turned to look at you expectantly.

Trying not to growl or blow up from rage, you looked away, "Alright, alright! I get it okay? You're trying to be nice, trying to be a helpful stranger. I..." The next phrase came out through a clenched jaw and gritting teeth, "Thank you."

Upon saying this, Mark began slowly walking back to you, and for the first time you actually got a good look at him.

He really looked more rugged than you initially perceived. There were dark circles under his eyes, his hurt shoulder was slumped at an awkward angle, his arms were dripping with blood, there was the tiniest hint of a limp in his right leg, and there was a flash of something shiny on his jacket. It looked familiar... When he came closer you realized it was the same golden ring pin that Sean had on his own jacket. When you looked back up to his face, it was beaming.

He wasn't smiling, but it was indeed beaming. How? You had no idea, but you couldn't help but feel the corners of your mouth tug upwards ever so slightly when he came back, and you felt yourself relax a little.

Mark dropped everything with a heavy sigh and opened up your pack. He took the pistol, bat, and knife out, and then tossed the backpack to you. "There," he said as he stuck the knife in his boot with his own knife. He strapped the pistol around his waist and stuck your bat in his backpack, "I was getting tired of lugging your shit around anyways."