Markiplier x Reader | The Promised Land

Chapter 12: Nothing but the Truth

Mark easily found [Y/n]. They were lying in the grass about a half hour's walk north from the building they both had stayed in the last two nights. He watched from a distance, trying to figure out if they were actually hurt, or if they were just resting. After deciding it was the latter, he sat down in the shadows of the porch of a rather destroyed house and waited.

[Y/n] stirred after a moment and began to simply pet [P/n]. They looked completely worn out, no surprise to Mark however. He just hoped they were smarter than to keep moving when they were in their current state. [P/n] didn't look any better either, it was easy to say they both looked half dead.

[Y/n] sat there for what felt like hours, staring into the grey sky. They didn't appear to be moving anytime soon, so Mark stood up and approached, Chica close to his side. They didn't acknowledge him at all, and just laid there staring.

He sat down in the grass next to them and [P/n] looked up at him and her eyes glimmered. He smiled and gently stroked her fur, and then he looked back to [Y/n].

*     *     *

You knew Mark was there, but you chose to ignore him. Sure it was probably mean, but you didn't have the energy to deal with him at the moment. You were tired, and you were sure he was tired too.

You knew he was watching you, searching your face for some sort of expression, but you refused. After a moment of silence, you asked in a quiet voice, "Who are you?"

You heard him sigh. When he didn't answer you propped yourself up on your good arm's elbow. You tried a different question, "Why are you helping me?"

He started to give you the same answer as the first time you asked so you stopped him, "No. Tell me the truth, Mark. I told you the truth about myself and now it's your turn."

Mark looked down as he fiddled with the grass in front of him. He didn't look like he wanted to answer, but you knew that something different was coming this time.

You were right, because after a long moment, he spoke up, "I'm... I'm helping because of various reasons." He frowned, trying to avoid eye contact with you. You couldn't read his face.

"What are the reasons Mark?" you asked when he didn't continue.

He sighed once again and he looked up, directly into your [e/c] eyes, "Do you see my pin?"

You blinked, "Yeah that guy Sean has an identical one-"

"There's a reason we share pins [Y/n]," he continued, still looking at you intently, "we are part of a group. A group that spends its days looking after those who are lost, weak, need help, or simply have nowhere to go. When we find someone, we do everything in our power to get them to a place of safety, even if we have to strap them to our backs and carry them, or give our own lives trying."

You slumped over. That was a completely different answer than you expected, but for some odd reason, you believed him. You turned away from his gaze to look at [P/n], who was lazily pawing at Chica's nose. After a moment you looked back at him, searching, pleading. Your face changed and you could no longer hide your emotions, "Why?"

Mark looked at you for a long while before responding, "Why what?"

"Why me?" you could feel your eyes stinging with tears again. Dammit why did you have to feel so helpless around him?

Mark leaned over, crossing his arms, "I... I was told to patrol in that area for anyone who looked... out of the norm and well, Chica spotted a blood trail and the rest is history."

"This doesn't help me understand you at all," you complained.

A frown formed on your face as tears started streaming down. You couldn't stop them this time. You sat up and tried to wipe the tears from your eyes, trying to dry them with your sleeve. It was something you may never forget. Those lifeless eyes, full of anger and shock and deceit when the body fell before you.

Mark let you cry silently for a few moments before asking in a gentle voice, "Was it your first?"

When you nodded, sniffling, you suddenly found yourself wrapped in a warm embrace. Instead of flinching away however, you pressed your head into Mark's shoulder, closed your eyes, and stared into the black empty space behind your eyelids.

"I'm sorry you had to do that," he whispered to you, "I remember the first time I had taken a life and... it wasn't easy. I understand how you must feel."

The embrace ended and you both leaned back simultaneously. Immediately, you both felt very awkward from the strange and sudden intimacy between you both. You couldn't look at each other in the face. You fiddled with some of the fur on your pet's back to distract yourself.

As your thoughts began to overtake your head, you suddenly blurted out, "I didn't mean to leave I just didn't want to make you-"

"Say no more [Y/n]," Mark interrupted, "I don't blame you for trying to leave when I hadn't even tried to give you a chance and-"

"No it's not that Mark!" you looked back to him, all previous awkward feelings towards him gone, "It's just that, I don't want to just- sit by and watch you sacrifice everything you have for me -a complete stranger!- and I gave you nothing in return but- but-"

Mark held up a hand to silence you, just as you had done to silence Sean and his rambling just three days ago. You looked away for a moment, realizing how much you had said to him, "Look, I didn't ask you to help me but..." you hesitated for a moment, and then finished, looking back at him, "thank you."