#iswm fic

[buc-eebarnes]

confessions when one character thinks the other is sleeping prompt pls omgggg

cheezy homie i always see u in my notifs and of COURSE i had to go all out on this !!!! sorry if it's late jfsdkljfsdkj jet lag got me conked out as soon as i landed but here it be! (unbeta'd tho 🥲 also trying out a different format 👀)

conversations with myself (about you)

pairing: head engineer mark x the captain

tags: confessions, sleeping, fluff and angst

rated G || 1469 words || read on ao3!

You huff out a sigh of relief. You'd been trying to chase Mark down all day, but his assistants kept telling you that he was in different parts of the base.

You should've known to check his office.

But there he was, slumped over the table with his head resting on top of folded arms. He must've tired himself out from all the projects he was micromanaging. You squint at the laptop to see what he was trying to work on.

It's a progress report. Multiple, actually. You stifle a sigh and look down at his sleeping figure. "Oh Mark, what are we gonna do with you?"

He doesn't stir at your words, which is a testament to how tired he is. You keep your voice low regardless.

There's a folded blanket on the couch, and it smells of him, a weird mixture of pine, oil, and the soap rations they brought from Earth. The couch must be where Mark crashes all the time, which pulls a frown on your lips.

You drape the blanket over him, securing the folds over his shoulders. He's gonna have a crick in his neck in the morning, but he'll thank you later, probably.

He looks so peaceful, sleeping. 

You observe him for a while. The constant furrow between his eyebrows is gone. He doesn't frown in his sleep, but his lips are parted, and you can hear the soft puffs of breath he releases. His hair is a bit of a mess, as if he'd run his hands through it multiple times throughout the day, and you find yourself wanting to do the same.

"When was the last time you knocked out like this?" you mutter. Your hand touches a strand that's fallen in front of his eyes before you could stop it.

Reflexes kick in and you jerk back, but he doesn't stir. The only thing that changes is that his brow furrows slightly, but his breaths remain constant, and you relax your arm. You hesitantly take off a glove, and, before you can chicken out, reach forward to tuck the strand of hair behind his ear.

That then motivates you to run your fingers through his thick black locks, and it's as soft as you imagined.

You chuckle lightly, amazed. "Whaddaya know."

You continue the motions, and eventually, the wrinkles between his brows disappear, his features peaceful once more.

You drink your fill admiring him. Wide nose. Strong jaw. Big ears that stick out. Beard's getting to the point where it would break regulation but you're the highest official on this base and what Earth doesn't know won't hurt them, anyway. You look down at the fold of his arms, contoured by muscles. His hands, his fingers, that are so deft, made to create and fix what's destroyed. Why does everyone put you on a pedestal about looks when Mark is literally right here, sleeping soundly and looking sculpted by the gods himself?

"Everyone's blind," you mumble. "I don't hold a candle to you."

The urge to hold his hand is incredibly strong. You could do it—thread your fingers with his until he wakes, blinking blearily up at you with trusting eyes and whispering "Captain?" in a sleepy voice, and you suddenly feel small and unworthy about every single time he followed your lead without question.

And you feel the weight of infinite universes on your shoulders. Not once did you initiate anything more than friendship with Mark with all of the chances you've been given. He was always the ballsier one, more impulsive, more outspoken. As someone who has taken the mantle of a captain of a spaceship, you are an incredibly timid person.

"I wish I had your courage. Your tenacity. Your ability to take charge." You let out a humorless chuckle, and your fingers twitch against his scalp. "Countless universes, countless timelines, and we end up right back here. If only I wasn't a coward. Maybe I could finally ask you out on that date, y’know? To not worry about being a captain. Just someone going on a date with the person they like."

He doesn't respond, but you think you could see his breathing stop for a moment. It's a minute thing, barely there, but it's enough for you to cease running your fingers through his hair.

Did he hear you? Panic wells up in your throat. Oh god. "Mark?"

He doesn't answer.

"Are you awake?" you whisper.

He still doesn't answer. His breathing resumes again, slower this time.

You bite your lip, waiting for ten very long seconds, and you slowly pull your hand away.

You swallow down whatever feelings bubbled up to the surface and leave his office, quiet as a mouse. You lean against the door and close your eyes for a moment, wondering if you'd fucked up a friendship you'd spent these past few months trying to mend.

The trek back to your quarters is long. You get ready for bed and end up staring at the ceiling for the rest of the night.

Was he awake? Did he hear everything? If he heard everything, then he definitely felt you with your hand in his hair.

Sleep takes you, eventually, but the sun is starting to rise when it does.

-

"—and that concludes today's meeting. Please consult Summers for the minutes if there's an item you have a question about. I'll see you all next week. Dismissed."

The morning following the whole did-Mark-hear-did-he-not-hear dilemma is strangely anticlimactic. Mark greets you with the same gusto he does every other time he sees you, which is, to say the least, minimal. He doesn't give an indication that he heard you last night, or that he was disgusted by any of your actions. Frankly, it seems like he's avoiding talking to you, which is already the norm for your relationship these past few months. You chalk it up to your paranoia and gather up your datapad, shutting off the holographic projection on the table when he says, out of the blue, "I don't think you're a coward."

You jump nearly three feet in the air. The room had mostly cleared out, and any stragglers were busy talking amongst themselves, oblivious to the sheer terror running through their captain's veins.

"Jesus Christ, Mark! You scared me."

He raises an eyebrow. "How? I've been right here this whole time."

"It was unexpected, alright?" you huff, clutching your heart. "Give a person a warning, would ya?"

There's a fond smile on his lips, one that rounds his cheeks and narrows his eyes in a good way. That's when what he said hits you.

"Wait. What did you just say?"

"I said I've been right here—"

"No, no. The first thing."

"What, about me not thinking you were a coward?"

Your jaw drops, and every single cell in your body is screaming to run. He fucking heard you last night. He knows. He knows.

"I don't think you are. I never thought you were. I still stand by my opinion of you from the first time I met you."

You don't know what to do. He tilts his head down so that he can look you in the eye, and strangely enough, you find yourself unable to pull away.

“Captain, I’m going to be very presumptuous for a moment.”

Your mouth mimics that of a goldfish. “E-excuse me?”

“And I will go ahead and repeat myself again. You’re the bravest person I know. I don’t think you’re a coward. And even if you were, I wouldn’t think any less of you.”

You maintain eye contact, but you find yourself at a loss for words.

He steps closer, and there’s no malice or anger on his face. All you see is your head engineer, smiling at you like he always has, but there’s something clearer about it. Open fondness, affection, adoration. He tentatively takes your hand, interlocks your fingers together.

“I think you shouldn’t worry too much about being a captain. And I should probably take my own advice and not worry too much about being a head engineer. It’s a hard thing to adjust to when it’s the only thing you’ve known for so long.” He swallows, looks down at your hands. “But I’d still like to see what it’s like to not do that. Just someone going on a date with the person they like.”

It finally hits you.

You close your mouth, and you feel your features morph into something incredibly hopeful.

“I think I’d like to see that too,” you beam. Then, “Would you like to go on a date with me, Mark?”

The answering grin he gives you is blinding, and your chest is aflutter.

“Yes,” he squeezes your hand, saying your name. It sounds wonderful coming from his lips. “Yes, I would love that.”

buy me a coffee!

#cheezylueezy #head engineer mark x the captain #in space with markiplier x reader #iswm x reader #iswm captain #head engineer mark #iswm fic #iswm fanfiction #head engineer mark x reader #head engineer mark x captain #the captain (iswm) #iswm #in space with markiplier #my fic #captaineer #engineer mark x reader #engineer mark x captain #engineer mark x y/n

[obsidiancreates]

Good Morning, Captain

They remember.

None of them remember as much as The Captain, they're sure. And... possibly Mark. But they're not thinking about him when they wake up.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I tried to mutiny, Gunther thinks before his cryopod opens. It's fuzzy and distant, like trying to remember a dream, but he's also more sure that it happened than he's sure of his own body temp as he unthaws.

He mutinied. He'd thought it was best, but there's more fuzzy, barely-there memories, and he has his doubts now. Glimpses of The Captain desperately running around, trying their best...

He's on the bridge before they wake up, and once Mark gives them their coffee Gunther walks right up to them. "Mornin', Cap."

He's meant to protect the ship, the crew, and the colonists, and that's important to him, even if he sometimes loses sight of that in the adrenaline. It's why he mutinied before, he's pretty sure.

Now, it's why he wants to reassure them before anything else.

"I'll be heading down with the advance team. If there's any horrible aliens down there, I'll take care of them."

I'll take care of you.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I did my best, Celci thinks before her cryopod opens.

She really did. She couldn't solve the loop. Once she became aware of it, she could barely solve anything. It was so... endless. A purgatory. And the poor Captain...

She'd seen glimpses. And the memories are all foggy now, like trying to read a book through murky water, but they're there. Lingering. Some suggest The Captain gave up and went into the pod, some suggest they tried again. She doesn't know which ones she wants to believe, but some part of her says it doesn't matter because they're all the truth.

The Captain... tried. When they went into the pod, they were so tired and worn-down, she could tell just based on their body language. When they decided to keep going they were somehow even more haggard, even while determined. That remains clear in her mind. The exhaustion they held.

When she gets aboard the bridge Gunther is saying something about taking care of aliens. "Not everything can be solved with explosions," she reminds him.

"Eh, not in my experience. I'll see you on the ground, Cap."

"You and Mark are one and the same." She can see Mark out of the corner of her eye, checking some system or another. Not the time to bicker with him, though.

"Captain, all colonists are safe, healthy, and accounted for." She sees relief loosen their shoulders, a tension bleeding out, just like she'd hoped for. "But I'll keep my eye on them as they wake up."

She almost steps away with that, not wanting to overwhelm. But the foggy memories of The Captain trying so hard, through so much, and knowing there were things she never saw...

"Thank you, for getting us here safe."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Didn't make a black hole, Burt thinks as he wakes up.

That's that. he remembers putting himself in a computer. It's a strange memory, like one so warped by the passage of time it's hard to tell if it's being misremembered or not. But he knows it happened.

He knows The Captain showed up when he was about to do it, too.

He went a little too far, probably. Sort of hard to remember his thought process there.

The Captain. They didn't want him doing it. Tried two ways to stop him, he thinks. No, he knows. Tried to stop him, because they care. A lot. He even remembers them taking some idea of his when everyone else shut it down. Because they care.

He steps out of the pod and gets to work. He lets Gunther and Celci say their pieces. And then he steps down.

"Captain, you are a child of the universe. No less than a tree or a star, you deserve to be here."

The Captain looks up at him, and he knows they've seen more than he could ever imagine.

"And whether or not it's clear to you, no doubt the universe is playing out... as it should."

Thanks to them. Fixing something. Maybe no-one will ever know what. Maybe it's better that way. But they fixed something.

Because they care.

He feels a little lump in his throat and he looks away, sniffing once. They care. They're tired. And he's got a job to do.

He hefts his wrench onto his shoulder and looks at them one more time, and calls them something he thinks holds more value than any hero or savior title anyone could ever give them.

"Captain."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They remember.

None of them remember as much as The Captain, they're sure.

But that doesn't matter.

They remember.

And they're thankful.

#markiplier #in space with markiplier #in space with markiplier part 2 #iswm #iswm 2 #iswm fanfiction #iswm fic #celcionna f kelvina #iswm celci #celci f kelvina #iswm burt #iswm gunther #gunther b gunnerson #my attempts at fanfic #fanfic

[ciara-clycone]

'Paradoxial' Virus: Ch.2 -Weariness.

Ao3: link

Summary:

Strange things are going on in the Invicinble 2. Electronics are acting up. Eerie sightings are happening on the ship. No one knows why this is going on. They try to act like it's nothing serious.

But it's having a strange toll on the captain...

Pairings: Captaineer

Warnings for this chapter: None.

Length: 861 words.

As Mark was walking down the hall, he heard Tyler and the other crew member talking. He was planning on ignoring them and continuing on his way when he heard them mention the captain. Immediately, his interest was piqued.

He walked over to them. “What’s this about the captain acting weird?” He asked.

“The captain nearly took of my head with their Alexa,” said the guy, holding out the offending machine, “They just threw it right at me. I nearly got clocked.”

“Really? That doesn’t sound like the Captain.Are you ok? They're pretty strong."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Captain came and checked up on me afterwards. They were sorry about it too. But still, the fact they threw it at me shook me up.”

I gotta find out what what’s going on with them, thought Mark.

“Can I have that?” Mark asks, motioning to the Alexa. The guy hands it to Mark, and he leaves them for the Captain’s quarters. Coming upon the captain’s door, he knocked. “Captain?”

“Just a second….” Came the captain’s response. They sounded tired. A few seconds passed.

What are they doing? Mark wondered as he struggled to hear what is going on in the other room. He only heard shuffling and footsteps.

“Alright, come in.” Called the captain.

Mark walked in and saw the Captain at their desk. Papers were strewn across their table.

“Mark,” the captains said, nodding at him. “What brings you here?”

“A little birdie told me you were having trouble with Alexa?” Mark grinned as he held the Alexa out. “I think you might be missing this?”

“Bird’s the word…” the captain mumbled. They shake their head and blink as if they were trying to wake up.

Mark arched an eyebrow at them. “Captain? Are you feeling ok?”

Blinking again, the captain looked up at Mark and then the Alexa, and growled at the bot. “I thought I tossed that thing out.” They murmured.

“You did. One of the crew had it. Said you hit them with it?”

“An accident!” The captain exclaimed. They looked stricken that it had hit someone. “He said he was ok though? I went and apologized to him and checked on him.”

“Yeah, he’s ok. Just still surprised by it.”

“I didn’t know anyone was coming in when I tossed it,” the captain said. “I just wanted to get rid of the dang thing.”

“Why though? This thing is handy.”

The captain shook their head. “It’s cursed, is what it is.”

Mark chuckled. “Why do you say that?”

“Blasted thing keeps telling me where the nearest graveyard is. Like it wants me to go there or something.” The captain glared at it.

“What?” Mark asked,giving the Alexa a perplexed look, “That’s not normal. Not at all… I can check into it for you, if you want?”

“That’d be great, thanks…”

The tiredness in the captain’s voice caught Mark’s attention. “Hey, Captain? You seem more tired than usual.Is anything wrong? I mean beside this weird Alexa stuff.”

The captain let out a sigh and slowly shook their head. “Just feeling tired…. Didn’t sleep well last night.” They shrug it off.

“Why not?” Mark asked.

“Just didn’t.” The captain didn’t really want to tell Mark they were having nightmares.

And that the nightmares weren’t just last night. But every night. That’d make them sound whiny. And gah they were the captain! They were supposed to be the fount of strength and stability on the ship. That would all crumble to nothing if people found out how shaky they got from nightmares. And there was no reason for them to react that way too, or so they figured.. It’s not like nightmares and unpleasant dreams were unusual or anything.

“Hmm… ok…” Mark said, skeptically. He picked up the Alexa. “Well, I’ll take this little rascal out to the lab and see what’s going on with it.”

“Sounds good. Thanks….” The captain said, nodding. They returned to their work, or at least acted like they were working. In truth, they were still out of it but wanted to look like they were ok. At least while Mark was there.

Goodness! The last thing they wanted to do was fall apart in front of him. It was why when he knocked on the door, they scrambled off from the floor and made it look like they were hard at work on projects or something.

Marl hesitated a moment, watching the captain. He felt something was seriously off with them but he couldn’t place it. And it seemed like something more than just tiredness.

The captain paused in what they were doing and looked up. They raised an eyebrow. “Is there something else?” The question wasn’t sharp sounding, more just stated quietly.

Mark paused a moment. Should he come out and say that he suspected something was going on with them? He wasn’t sure what it was, but he felt it in his bones that there was something wrong.

“Well….”

“Engineering paging Mark. There’s something up with one of the engines. We need you to come down and check it out.”

“Oh uh nevermind…” Mark sighed. Guess asking the captain will have to wait.

#iswm fanfiction #iswm fanfic #captaineer #iswm fic #engineer mark #iswm captain #iswm au #Paradoxial virus

[ironwoman359]

The Secret History of the Invincible II

Chapter 1: Seams Pull Apart

Summary: “How much do you remember?” he asked suddenly. “About…you know.”

“About the wormhole,” you said, because one of you had to say it, and it may as well be you.

It's been months since the Invincible safely landed on a new planet to build humanity's first colony among the stars, and the Captain has been working very hard to ensure that the colony has everything it needs. But now that everyone's getting settled, it's time to sit down with the colony's official historian and give a report to send back to earth about the Invincible's voyage...and the Captain must choose how much to reveal about what really happened

Ships: Platonic the Captain and everyone, with an emphasis on the Captain & Mark.

Content Warnings: Just a lot of discussion of everything that went on in ISWM itself, and hurt/comfort as the characters try to process that and work through it. And guilt. SOOOOO much guilt. Fun!

Word Count: 2,857

A/N: I've had this idea in my head for a long time, of how the Captain and Mark would move on with their lives after everything they went through in the wormhole, and I'm excited to finally start posting it. Enjoy!

*If you like to read on AO3, check the notes for a link!

--- --- ---

With a sucking whoosh and a swirl of blue energy, you suddenly found yourself back in your cryopod. You looked around, heart sinking as the pod’s interface whirred to life in a painstakingly familiar sequence.  

*Software update complete*  

“Good morning, Captain! We are currently *error* years into our journey. Coffee is en route. Current ship status is absolutely catastrophic. In-in-initializing emergency wakey-wakey protocol.”  

The cryopod spat you out and you crumpled your hands and knees on the deck of the bridge. The alarm lights flashed an incessant red and the ship’s emergency klaxons blared in your ears, but you couldn’t bring yourself to care. You couldn’t even bring yourself to stand up. It wasn’t over. It would never be over. You’d thought that maybe this time, you’d actually done it, but who were you kidding? This would go on forever. 

“Reviving head engineer.”  

“Captain?”  

You looked up at Mark, who was stepping out of his pod with a frown on his face.  

“Does this feel-”  

The air warped around him and his form glitched between different versions of himself, settling briefly on one with a tattered uniform, skin marred by burns and his neck twisted at an unnatural angle. 

“You let us die, Captain,” he said, his voice low and distorted, before he glitched back into his normal self.  

“-familiar to you?”  

“Mark-” you staggered to your feet, but before you could speak, he glitched again, and Celci stood in his place. 

“It never ends, Captain,” she said, her face covered in frost and her goggles glowing blue. “No matter what you try, nothing can save us from this nightmare, and it’s your fault.”   

“Celci-”  

Her body warped and it was Burt now, digital rain running down his face.  

“I'll tell you what I know,” he said. “Storm clouds are gathering... the wind is gonna blow... the race of man is suffering .” 

“This is why we shouldn’t have trusted you,” Gunther’s voice said from behind, but when you turned, it was the alien from the Universal Stability Agency standing there, her clothes torn and blood pouring from her mangled eye socket.  

“It all comes down to bad leadership ,” the alien said in Gunther’s voice, then they continued in their own.  “All those worlds...all those people...gone. Because of you.”  

“Seeing things, Captain?” 

The voice was low in your ear and you whirled around, just in time for the bridge’s main control console to burst into flames. 

“Fire on the bridge! *Error* Life support systems failing. *Error* Automatic fire suppression system offline. *Error* Failsafes offline.”  

Instinctively, you turned towards the fire extinguisher, but found yourself stuck to the floor and unable to move, ice slowly creeping up your legs.  

“*Error* Captain offline.”   

A wall of fire and shrapnel barreled towards you as the console exploded, engulfing the bridge in flames. As the heat swarmed around you, you felt a deep despair settle in your heart, like a physical weight. It didn’t matter that the explosion would kill you. Nothing mattered anymore.  

Not even death could save you from your fate.  

--- --- ---

Your eyes flew open and you gasped, lurching upright to find yourself in your bedroom, safe and sound. Cool night air filled your lungs, a stark contrast to the blazing fumes from your dream.  

Dream? Or memory?  

You pushed the thought away and swung your legs over the side of the bed. You knew from an unfortunate amount of experience that there was no point in trying to get back to sleep after one of these dreams. You slid your feet into your slippers and made your way into the kitchen, overriding your coffee machine’s programmed start time to brew a pot right away.  

“Coffee always helps,” you muttered to yourself as you grabbed a mug from your cupboard.  

And it really did.  

True, coffee couldn’t keep the nightmares (or the memories) from rising up and plaguing your mind, but the strong scent and bitter taste was grounding, as was the gentle *drip drip drip* of the machine in the quiet hours of the morning. The caffeine boost didn’t hurt either, and throwing yourself into the next day’s work was typically enough to silence any lingering thoughts floating inside your head.  

Tonight, however, was anything but typical. 

Normally, you’d instruct your computer to read out tomorrow’s schedule for you, but there was no need; you already knew what it would say.  

*Senior Crew Meeting with Colony Historian – All Day* 

You cupped your mug in your hands, letting the warmth seep into your palms as you leaned against the counter.  

The historian had been nothing but cordial, assuring you that while they’d blocked out the full day for the interviews, it would most likely only take a few hours out of the morning, if that. You hadn’t argued the point, unsure of how to even explain why it might take longer to chronicle the Invincible’s journey than the historian expected. That was if you even decided to give the full, true account of what had happened.  

If, indeed, it had even happened at all.  

You shook yourself and rubbed your eyes. Suddenly, stuck within the confines of your apartment walls was the last place you wanted to be while you waited until it was socially acceptable to be out and about. Still holding your coffee in one hand, you grabbed a jacket from where you’d draped it over the back of a chair the day before and slipped out your front door.  

Your apartment building was one of the first permanent residences that had been built after the initial groundwork of the colony was laid. It stood near the center of the settlement and housed most of the Invincible’s crew, including her entire senior staff. As Captain, you’d been given a large unit on the top floor, which conveniently meant that you were only one flight of stairs away from the roof. 

The rooftop was little more than a barren expanse of concrete and loose gravel, though eventually there were plans to plant a garden, and you could see why. You’d only come here once or twice before, but the view of the colony below and the sweeping landscape of your new planet stretching out beyond it made it the perfect spot to create a cozy little gathering space. For now, though, it would be a decent enough place to wait out the rest of the night alone. 

Or at least, alone in theory. 

Illuminated by the dim glow of the streetlights below, a single figure sat on the edge of the rooftop, their legs dangling over the edge of the building. 

“Mark?” 

He turned, surprise written on his face.

“Captain? What are you doing up here?” 

“I could ask you the same thing,” you said as you approached. “It’s nearly four in the morning.”

“Is it?” He asked, and you nodded. “Huh. Didn’t realize it’d gotten that late. Or, early, I guess.” 

“How long have you been out here?” 

“Oh...who’s to say? It’s easy to lose track of time with a view like this.” He gestured, but not down at the colony or the dense woods surrounding it. His eyes were fixed upward, and when you followed his gaze it was easy to see why. 

Thousands upon thousands of stars dotted the night sky, with nary a cloud in sight to obstruct them from view. The largest of the planet’s three moons was also fully visible, and one of its smaller sisters was just beginning to poke over the horizon. 

“Wow,” you whispered. “They’re so much brighter here than on Earth.”

“No major cities here yet,” Mark responded. “No light pollution to obstruct our view. And it’s gonna stay that way, if I have anything to say about it. What’s the point of a new planet if we treat it just like the old one?” 

You hummed in agreement, before folding your legs beneath you and sitting beside him.

“Yeah...it would be a shame to waste this second chance,” you said quietly. 

Mark glanced over at you for a moment, something unreadable flashing in his eyes before he looked away again.

“You never did say what you were doing here, Captain.”

“You didn’t either,” you countered, and he pressed his lips together in a firm line. 

You were both quiet for a moment, one beat of silence that threatened to stretch on into infinity with barely an acknowledgement before Mark sighed, running a hand through his hair. 

“Couldn’t sleep,” he said with a shrug. “That’s all.”  He looked over at you again, and this time he let his gaze linger. “...could you?”

“Not really,” you admitted. “Too many…thoughts in my head, I suppose.” 

“Yeah, I know the feeling,” he said with a nod. “Have you…” he hesitated, then seemed to steel himself. “Have you been having that problem often, since we…since our voyage?” 

The unspoken question hung heavy in the air between you, and you swallowed down your nerves.

“Fairly often,” you said quietly. “You?” 

“Yeah,” Mark said, sighing again. “Same here.” 

You fidgeted beside him, unsure of how to proceed. It wasn’t like the two of you had been avoiding each other since you landed, you worked together nearly every day of course. But aside from Mark’s quiet “ thank you” when you’d first arrived here months ago, neither of you had even remotely acknowledged what had happened between you in the warp core. You weren’t even sure how much he remembered, and aside from that brief moment on the bridge, Mark had seemed completely fine, throwing himself fully into building the colony without a single sign of discomfort. 

Though maybe , you thought now as you took in the tension in his shoulders and the tightness at the corners of his eyes, he was just very good at hiding it. 

You knew you should say something, you needed to say something; not only were you Mark’s captain and therefore responsible for his well-being as a member of your crew, but you were his friend. Or at least, you hoped that after everything, you were still friends. 

“Mark, I-”

“How much do you remember?” he asked suddenly. “About…you know.” 

“About the wormhole,” you said, because one of you had to say it, and it may as well be you. Mark winced, and you took that as a sign to continue. “Everything.” 

“ Everything everything?” Mark asked, and you nodded. “So…you remember what I did then,” he said, pulling his legs up and leaning his arms on his knees. 

“What you did?” you repeated, and he rolled his eyes. 

“If you’re trying to spare my feelings then I appreciate it, but you don’t have to bother. We both know that I...I caused all of it.”

"Mark, it wasn't-"

"Don't you dare say that it wasn't my fault," he interrupted, shooting you a glare. " I went back in time, I sabotaged both ships, I built the warp core. It was my fault." He laughed, hollow and empty, and for a moment you were back on the Invincible II , watching him fall apart in front of you all over again.

"You were just doing what you thought was right," you said slowly. "That's all any of us were doing. You had no way of knowing-"

"I did though," he insisted. "You told me, remember? You told me not to use the warp core, not to go back. But did I listen? No. I lost faith in you, trusted the word of that alien lady over yours, and I nearly destroyed everything."

It’s not like I gave you a good reason to have faith in me in the first place, you wanted to say, but you thought better of it. As much as you wanted to stew in your own guilt, trying to shift the blame onto yourself wouldn’t help Mark feel any better about his part in it all. 

"Do you know why I told you not to go back?" you asked instead. "How I knew that you would even try? You told me not to let you. You said that you lost hope, but you never stopped trying to fix your mistakes, right up until the very end."

Mark opened his mouth to speak, but he froze, confusion written across his face.

"I...I told you?" he looked down at his hands and nodded carefully. "I…I did tell you."

"Mark…” You frowned. “How much do you remember?"

“Um…everything,” he said slowly. “Or at least, I assume it’s everything. It’s strange…sometimes I can’t pin the memories down quite right. Almost like I’m trying to remember a dream.” 

“I almost thought it was a dream,” you said, leaning back to look up at the sky. “When no one acknowledged it when we landed, I thought maybe it was some side effect of the cryosleep. I asked Celci though, and she said that the brain doesn’t enter REM in cryo. So I just figured I was the only one who remembered.” 

“That’s what I thought too,” Mark admitted. “And it’s not like I could tell someone about it without them thinking I was crazy.” 

“It’s not the easiest thing to explain,” you agreed. 

“ Right? ” he said, so loudly and suddenly that you jumped a little. “How would you even do that, like, ‘oh, guess what, I was transported through a wormhole across space and time and can remember living and dying over and over and have the memories from a dozen different universes all jacked up in my brain! Take me to the looney bin!’” 

He grew more and more animated as he spoke, arms waving around before he finally let them fall back to his sides with a huff, and you swallowed. 

“Mark…you’re not crazy. You know that, right?” 

He hesitated, for just a bit too long for your liking before he answered. 

“I know. It just…it feels crazy. I don’t even know how to begin sorting through everything in my head.”

“I understand,” you said quietly. “Believe me, I do. I’ve been trying not to think about it, but lately I can’t help but wonder…” you trailed off, your gaze slipping from Mark’s face down to the mug of coffee cooling in your hands. 

“Yes?” he prompted, and you sighed. 

“The historian interviews are tomorrow,” you said bluntly. “And I’m not sure whether to tell them the truth.” 

Mark let out a breath, and you glanced over at him just in time to see him rest his chin on his fist. 

“I’ve been wondering the same thing,” he admitted. “Until tonight, I wasn’t sure that it was worth the risk. I didn’t want to lose everything I’d worked so hard to build…not again.” 

You opened your mouth to reassure him that he wouldn’t, but you couldn’t quite make the words come out. After all, how many times had the two of you lost the ship, the crew, the colony? How many times had you lost each other? 

“But you know what I think now?” Mark continued, looking over at you. “I think that that’s exactly why we need to tell them what really happened. To try and stop it from happening again, to somebody else.” 

“To somebody else?” you asked.

“As far as command back on Earth is concerned, this mission has been one hundred percent successful,” he explained. “I mean, it sure looks like it on the outside. Everyone is alive and healthy, the ship made it here safely, the colony is thriving. And the Invincible herself was a prototype...if she was successful then there were plans to fully reverse engineer the warp core for other ships, other missions…” he trailed off as your eyes widened, the full impact of his words settling over your shoulders. 

“We can’t let that happen,” you whispered, and he nodded.

“We have to tell them. We can’t…. I can’t let my mistakes be repeated. No matter the consequences.” 

He wrapped his arms around his legs, shrinking in on himself, and you swallowed. Slowly, you reached out a hand and placed it on his shoulder. 

“Our mistakes,” you corrected quietly. Mark shot you a small smile, and you returned it as best as you could. “I’ll be there to back you up, one hundred percent,” you continued. “And…”

You paused, unsure if you should complete your thought, but Mark made the choice for you, reaching out to return your gesture, taking your arm in a steady grip. 

“And I’ll do the same for you,” he said. “I’m behind you all the way, Captain.” 

You looked at him, his face illuminated by starlight, and for a moment all you could think of was all the times you’d failed him, all the times he’d suffered because of you. But his gaze held none of that anger, that resentment that you’d seen from him before. And if you could trust him, after everything, was it really so inconceivable that he could still have faith in you? 

“We got into this mess together,” you finally said, squeezing his arm. “And we’re going to get through it the same way.” 

Mark nodded as the first rays of sunlight began to peek over the planet’s new horizon. 

“Together.” 

--- --- ---

Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed, please consider reblogging, it means a lot to me <3

#in space with markiplier #iswm #iswm fic #iswm fanfic #markiplier fic #markiplier fanfic #engineer mark #iswm captain #iswm mark #iswm head engineer #iswm y/n #my writing

[matter-of-the-universe]

Guys i am losing my fucking mind what is the name of that one iswm fic that was going around after part 2 came out I started reading it and then forgot about it and now I can’t find it

#screams into the void #markiplier #iswm #in space with markiplier #iswm fic #iswm fanfic

[grabtherain]

Captain, you have nice hands (GN Captain x Engineer Mark)

Summary: You and Mark are the only ones awake on the ship- and after keeping Mark from disappearing into space, fixing life support and surviving fricken death beams, you two sit down to talk. What will the rest of this mission look like? Why is Mark staring at your hands so much?

CW: In Space With Markiplier spoilers, Blood, Fire, a Man in need of a hand hold

"Current ship status is absolutely CATASTROPHIC." No matter how hard you banged on the glass, most likely expensive technology- it wouldn't shut the hell up. Wait a second- are you flying through the air?

"Motherfuc-" you grumbled out as your knees hit the solid metal floors of the Invincible....II. Slowly standing up with a concerning amount of groans coming from your bones- you looked around as you tried to access your situation. Your suit still read the bold print of 'Captain', your gloves however, seemed to have received a huge tear in both hands. "These were my favorite pair." You whispered to yourself as you solemnly peeled the bloody leather off of your worn hands- a sudden ringing meeting your ears.

"Reviving head engineer." A calming voice stated- though you could only believe it was calm because of the computers programming. If the machine knew the absolute danger it was in- you were sure it would be screaming and running around. Similar to what you felt like doing. The voice set off something in you, your eyes tracing over to Mark's pod- the same one you had seen him step into as you did yours. Your feet carried you, seemingly with intention, over to his pod and your hands worked to open it quickly- not allowing your head engineer to fly out as you had done. Images of Mark flying and hitting the glass of the space ship clouded your mind, the sickening crack of the glass hitting your precious engineer's bones. Then, the swooshing of your head engineer being lost in space. You could never let that happen. Especially as his captain. It would be unforgivable.

"Captain?" A soft, petrified voice cut through your thoughts causing you to quickly glance down at the man you held seemingly too tightly to your chest. At the realization of your proximity, you stepped apart from Mark- good timing because the huge console in the middle of your pods caught fire. The same calm voice calling over head that life support was in need of help. You and Mark paused in your positions for a second, eyes meeting, before springing in to action. "I'll go fix O2, Captain!" Mark sputtered out as he ran off- you following him to the door before stopping short so you could grab the fire extinguisher. You sat there for a couple seconds, letting the compacted air hit the fire, you sure as hell had no actual clue how these things worked. However, this was taking too long. What if you blew up? Was Mark okay? Fixing life support should also fix the oxygen levels what if- Oh, it's done. You let out a soft sigh of relief as the fire was completely extinguished- that voice coming online to explain the success in life support. If you had a mirror, you would be sure soot covered your beautifully handsome features. You sure could feel the soot sink into the wounds on your ungloved hands- suddenly becoming self conscious. You never let anyone see your hands- not because they were ugly or anything, but you feared they didn't match you. "Captain!" A voice called out for you, causing you to turn around to meet Mark running down the hallway. "I fixed O2 easily- however, we've got a bigger problem going on in-"

Your head engineer Mark was rudely interrupted by that stupid voice, "Asteroid Defense System is....Fine." Not only did the voice interrupt Mark, but it was glitching out and being totally suspicious? Wow, what nerve this thing had. Mark seemed to be feeling the same way because his face contorted into annoyance at the voice.

"Yeah sure, sure. Trying to gaslight me or something? I almost died just walking past it!" Mark yelled out to seemingly no one, but the intercom answered. You watched in amusement as your head engineer and his own creation bickered like a married couple, your hands coming up to pick up your hat and fix your hair in exhaustion. Mark's eyes fleeted from the roof he spoke so passionately to, concentrating on you now instead. "Sorry Captain but issues in Asteroid Defense." He said in almost an empathetic tone- most likely noting the blood that streaked your forehead as you adjusted your cap but not drawing too much attention on it. You didn't need to speak to get your point across, and soon the both of you were running to Asteroid Defense room. It took one disguise, a couple of bloody wounds, and an awesome head engineer to step in before the beams of death were deterred from its creator. Mark would come out seemingly unscathed, you'd say he looked even better than when he had went in. However, your hands continued to bleed and grow increasingly sore as the two of you slid down the metal wall that was riddled with bullet holes. "Captain, what do we do now?" Mark asked you, however- you never truly knew what you were getting into when you arrived on this ship. You had a resume filled with experience and references that spoke highly of every step you took- but the invincible was like nothing you had ever tackled. You turned your heavy head to face Mark, your eyes meeting the chocolate ones you had grown to trust more and more in through out your time on this ship. Even if they had a burn of mischief in them at all times.

"We get this ship back on track. Save the colonists." Your voice croaked painfully, the soot that covered your hands and face- seemingly covering your lungs. "Most importantly we save you...and our staff." You coughed out, using your bloody hand to cover anything that came out. This mission was never about you or what your title meant as a Captain. You truly just wanted everyone that had made this ship possible- to finish their goals as researchers, staff, and engineers. Maybe you cared about one person's goal a little too much. Under the surprised eyes of Mark, struck with the sound of your voice, you realized that you would take a bullet for not only this man but the images his mind created. The storylines and people he brought into your life. Something about him felt new every time you saw him- yet familiar. "Don't look at me like that Kid." You spoke out, a puffy chuckle leaving your lips as your hooded eyelids trailed over Mark's worried features. First you had thought he was worried about your voice- however, you could see his eyes trained on your dirty, wounded hands. "Mark?" You questioned as you instinctively clenched your hands slightly- pushing them together in your lap.

Mark's head shook- a powerful notion to seemingly get him out of whatever daydream he had pushed himself into. "Sorry Captain, you have nice hands." Mark's own partially gloved hands came up to his lips. "I mean I would hold them." Mark's face contorted in what only could be labeled as embarrassment as you watched his eyes dilate for some new words. You simply watched in amusement as you watched your engineer glitch out. "You've just never had them uncovered. They look nice. I mean, solid. Well that's weird. I mean-" You couldn't say that you were necessarily getting tired of listening to Mark dig a bigger whole for himself. In fact, you relished in every second he seemed to spill more and more thoughts that had crossed his mind. However, you had to admit that you didn't want to see him implode upon himself- knowing you needed him to go through this mission with you. You did the only thing you could think to do- while still giving the man you appreciated so much, what he wanted. You slipped your hand into Mark's, entangling your fingers tightly before squeezing as a sign of comfort. Though you knew Mark couldn't feel the blood directly, you felt soft electricity run across the tops of your hand as his uncovered fingertips trailed the veins. His leather covered palm pressed comfortably into your moist, red one.

"Sorry, you looked as though your head was going to blow." Your eyes finally went back up to Mark's face- them widening as you felt as though you had only made the situation worse. At least as Mark spoke about your hands- his face only contorted and looked pained, but with your hand in his own, his cheeks had turned a bright pink that covered his nose as well. You went to move your hand away, but Mark's hand firmly pulled you back in- or you were never trying to leave his grasp anyway.

"Please, let's stay like this for a moment, Captain." Mark's voice was sincere. His face held what could only be labeled as true content with the situation at hand. Or with hands. How could you deny your most hard working staff member from pure bliss? You couldn't. So in that regard, you two stayed hand in hand, your head falling upon Mark's shoulder before his head fell onto your own. Nothing about this situation felt familiar. No images of other scenarios played in your mind. You didn't know whether you should feel worried about this, as your job as Captain was to predict the unpredictable- but this, was never in your books.

Your eyes began to feel heavier by the second, Mark's soft snores of sleep already beginning to lull you into a similar state of rest. Mid blink, something shimmery caught your eyes in front of you. Opening your eyes as wide as you could, there before you was a text box- image showing a preview of what could occur if chosen. The hand that grasped Mark's became tighter, somehow an unknown feeling filling you- your body trying to find anything it could ground itself to. "Go towards the light." You read the text inside of your head. You couldn't fully comprehend what was going on. You knew you didn't want to leave Mark, especially if he would wake up all alone- not knowing if you were alive or not. What would he do without you? He needed you like you needed him. Didn't he? You slowly moved your head out from under Mark's, using your other hand to gently set his head on your shoulder so he didn't wake. Your eyes focused on his features- the ones you found comfort in, the ones you had took note on as soon as you got there, you also looked down at your hands- tightly clenched together. Something told you that you didn't have a decision whether you left or not. Or else there would be another little box wouldn't there? With salty tears in your eyes, you squeezed his hand one more time- whispering something no one would ever truly know. You don't even know if you would remember what you said after this. Either way, you reached out with your free hand to reach into the box of glowing light- feeling the light pull you forward and the weight of Mark evaporating.

"Current ship status is absolutely CATASTROPHIC."

#markiplier #in space with markiplier #in space with markipler spoilers #iswm part 2 #iswm lore #head engineer mark #iswm fanfiction #iswm part two #iswm theory #head engineer mark x captain #iswm captain #engineer mark #iswm fic #iswm part 1 #gender neutral fanfic #hand holding #markiplier fluff #soft markiplier #markiplier egos #markiplier fanfiction #gender neutral reader #fluff and angst #beautiful hands

[shyshywritesstuff]

My ISWM fixation came back again, and I love me some angst that ends in fluff, so here we go.

Head Engineer!Mark x reader

The Captain is feeling insecure about their Captaining skills and are struggling to see that they did a good job in saving the universe. Oh, and they're also sleep deprived, good thing the Captain isn't alone in feeling this way.

------------------------------------------------------

You were tired. So very tired.

Sure, the ship status was normal, the colonists were safe and they were even thriving on their new planet now, but you restless. You've been like this for days.

Night after night, you got little sleep because what if something were to happen while you were asleep? The colonists could suddenly be in danger. Again. The ship can go kablooey. Again. Your entire crew can betray you. Again. And it would all be your fault because you're the captain and it's the Captain's job to look out for their crew. No matter what. You couldn't let them down again. These thoughts consumed your brain and prevented you from getting much sleep. And even when you did sleep, most of the time you had nightmares. Every mistake you made came back to haunt you.

The most frequent nightmare consisted of your beloved head engineer hitting you with a fire extinguisher, and then later screaming at you for destroying the Warp Core. Deep down, you knew very well that he didn't mean any of the hurtful things he said. However when you pair that with what Gunther, Burt, Celci, and even what Mack and Lady said at one point, it made you wonder: Are you actually a good Captain?

You could tell that your crew was proud of you for getting the colonists to the planet you were all on now, but did they truly mean it? I mean, How good of a captain can you be if you can't even get a full night's rest? And what kind of captain sits alone on a couch in the dining hall at 2:44 am, drinking tea instead of sleeping? The rest of the crew is sleeping soundly. Why can't you? Why can't you just get over it and see what what's happened happened. Mark did. He's over it. Mark went through the same shit you did and he's-

"Can't sleep Captain? Yeah.. me either." Your thoughts were interrupted by none other than Mark. Him speaking suddenly cause you to jump slightly, which he noticed and apologized for immediately.

"Sorry Captain, didn't mean to scare ya. But may I ask what you're doing up?" He asked, looking at you. You just shrugged. "I'm just not feeling super tired tonight I guess" You said, lying and looking down at your now super interesting mug. '#1 Captain' it said. You didn't even notice Mark sitting down besides you until he spoke again. "Well, I'm glad you're here." You were confused on why he would suddenly say that, but you weren't going to question it. You rarely ever questioned anything Mark did. You just trust him that much.

It was quiet for a moment. Just you, Mark, and a quiet ship ambience.

"Captain, are you doing okay?"

"Yeah. I'm okay."

Another moment of quietness passed. You realized you were done with your tea and placed your mug on the table.

"Captain, I've known you long enough to know that that's bullshit." You looked at him and before you could protest he continued on, placing a hand on your shoulder. "You can talk to me. You know that, right Captain?" You nodded, avoiding eye contact because you knew If you made eye contact you would start crying. However, you were going to start crying anyways because now Mark was hugging you.

"You're not alone Captain. Why else do you think I'm awake with you right now? It hasn't been easy for me either." He told you honestly, doing his best to comfort you. He knew you needed this hug and he did too.

After hugging for a little while and letting all of your tears out, Mark let go. "Thank you, Mark. I mean it. I really do."

"There's no need to thank me, Captain. You know I'm here for you whenever you need me." You nodded. "You know you're the best Head Engineer I could ever ask for, right?"

He scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Well obviously, just look at this ship it's perfect." He played it off like he knew he was the best Head Engineer, but in reality he was doubting it. At least you told him exactly what he needed to hear. Now's the time he should probably do the same for you.

"but you know... this ship wouldn't be the way it is now without it's #1 Captain." He continued, causing you to smile at him slightly, exhaustion very clear on your face. "but you need sleep, Captain- We both do."

"I don't know how though. I get so worried about literally everything that I can't sleep"

"Talk to me about it. Tell me everything." He insisted.

And you did. You told him just about everything that you went through while the ship was in the wormhole. Mark did the same.

You didn't realize how much pain you caused him by 'fixing it from the outside'. He watched you die over and over again and then he had to try to run the ship while you were gone and every single time, the ship didn't make it. You had no idea. How could you have known? You were just trying to save your people.

Mark didn't realize how much pain you were in either. You were blamed for everything that happened. Because you were the captain. You were in charge. But it was Marks fault. He built the Warp Core that destroyed everything. He had no idea. How could he have known? He was just trying to save everyone.

Both of you tried so hard. So very hard to fix things. You did eventually of course, but just cause the ship was okay, doesn't mean you either of you were. That's why you had each other though. You both were beginning to finally process everything that happened.

Talking to each other must have helped because you both ended up falling asleep right there in the dining hall, and for the first time since the ship got out of that wormhole, you slept all night. And half the day.

When you woke up, you saw Mark with a pair of glasses drawn out in sharpie. You could only imagine that your face had something similar on it. But hey, That's what you get for falling asleep somewhere other than your room while also having a very immature A.D.S lead whose love language is shooting away your problems and pulling pranks on the entire crew.

You'll get him back though, especially now that you're well rested for once.

#in space with markiplier #iswm #iswm fic #iswm x reader #head engineer mark #head engineer mark x reader #markiplier x reader

[puppeteered-poetry]

Unauthorized appearance.

Hey so what if Darkiplier in space, lol. Adaptation of an rp between @blood-falling and @stagenameouroborus

------------------------------------------

Another loop. Another loop in a long line of loops, another round and fall from the mortal coil. Trying in vain to make it right, to change anything.

   Another loop, another universe, another death, another sacrifice, another set of blood covering your hands, another futile attempt at making everything right again. Your options laid out before you like every single time before, and there is a tiredness in the very centre of your being. 

    Fix it from the outside. You think. You could at least get a moment’s solace among the stars. 

    You hurry forward, barely acknowledging your surroundings or the announcement the Engineer is revived. Off to the airlock again. Running away from the problem, justified by some vague sense it will move things forward.

    But it never does.

    You turn towards the bridge door, halted only by the meek, hopeless voice of the only companion who knows.

     “... Captain…?” He called behind you. The joy, the enthusiasm, everything that made your Head Engineer him has been gone a long time. Replaced by clinging dread, and deep eye bags that are the only thing to persist, anymore. You half wonder if you’re the same story.

    He was looking at his beret, scratching at the applique’s stitching. “... The airlock’s compromised. Your say is final, of course, but… Could you… Could you maybe go with me?” 

     He doesn’t like being alone. Never did, but especially not now. He depends on you.

     You halt in place, exhaustion barely manifesting into concern. He’s trapped in this loop, too. Along for the ride. You can’t just leave him alone.

      You place your hand on his shoulder, before wrapping your arm around both. Of course you will. 

      Besides, it’s something different. A part of you feels guilt for the excitement being much more than the worry for Mark.

      Mark sighed in relief, like you lifted a large weight off his shoulders. “Great, right- Okay! Let’s do this!” He tries to mimic his normal excitement. “Captain and Mark, the best duo to ever live forever and ever in a hell of our own making!”

     You walk down the hall together, the atmosphere… Changing. The lights are dimmer, and there's fog, like Cryo. That wasn’t normal.

     Mark laughed, trying to force himself to make a sound. “Hey, that’s weird, who turned up the… A… C…” 

     He trailed off from his attempt at a joke, looking down. You followed his gaze to find a clump of snow on the floor.

    You hesitate, reaching out to grab Mark by the back of his jumpsuit and gently pull him a little closer. This was new. This was different. This was better wake up Captain, before you forget how to. You look around, trying to see if there was anything to do with Cryo around, maybe a burst coolant pipe or even Celci wandering around. The snow... felt familiar in a way you couldn't quite fathom. Somewhere some part of you knows, but it’s not the you in this room, at this moment.

    Slowly, you edge towards it, poking at it with your boot.

    Wrong choice, Captain.

    As soon as you touch the snow, Mark nearly doubles over, recoiling and covering his ears. The lights flickered, dimming and humming, sparking in some places. You try to ask what’s wrong, when you hear it too.

    Your ears are ringing.

    "U-uh... Captain? I don't... I don't mean to worry you, but something about this seems... Weird... W-we should hurry up and fix the airlock, I think." Mark tried to push forward, to continue despite the pain. But he was shivering, from fear and from the cold.

    The ringing must be dampened by your helmet, because it’s not as seemingly painful to you. You can still walk, it’s just like a bad case of tinnitus. You’re much more worried about the hairline fractures in the visor of your helmet.

   You can’t abandon him to worry about it though, so you follow Mark closer to the airlock. Was the Airlock’s corridor always this long?

    Mark pressed his hand to the scanner, jumping in. He didn’t notice what you notice, an odd, looming shadow in the corner. The long, needle-like claws grasping his shoulder. You try to get his attention as he pops open the maintenance panel, but he notices the long, deliberate rip in his uniform from the claws first.

    He looks to you in dead silence.

    “Run. Shut the airlock and run.”

    The hand pulls at him, but you’re pulling too. You’re not abandoning him anymore. Not again. He shakes his head, smiling.

    “I’ll come back, I promise. Just run. I’ll buy you time.” He gripped the doorway, both of the shadow’s hands pulling now. He doesn’t even look scared. That gives you a special kind of hurt.

     “I love you, Captain.”

     He… Mark shut the door on himself, your hands retract instinctively. You couldn’t even say it back. You couldn’t speak at all.

     The lights in the airlock broke, and all you could hear were his screams.

 ��   You do as you were told, and you run. You run, but why? Why not die and loop again, Captain? Why are you crying, when death has no meaning, now?

      You’re so… Passive. So… Hopeless. Though… You really had no choice back there. The story is continuing, and you are audience to it. You take a backseat in your own story.

     And you just found a new way to kill your best friend.

       Or… You thought you did, when Mark called after you.

       “Captain! Captain!!” He hurried after you, looking fresh out of the cryo pod. He wrapped his arms around you in a tight hug. “You made it… Good.”

       Your stomach sinks as you return the hug, relief only temporary as dread and questions return. Your loops were normally synchronized. Both had to die to get a new start, but… He was back. You squished, pinched and prodded his face to make sure it was him.

      “O-ow! Captain, Captain it’s me!” He pouted, swatting at your hands, before laughing. “Oh… I’m just glad to see you again so soon.”

     You hug him tighter now. Your tinnitus faintly hums still. You try to think about what this could mean for you both, when he beats you to it.

     “Do you know what this means? Freedom from the loop! As long as one of us lives, we can keep going!” He grinned… Maybe it’s just the lights, but his uniform looks more desaturated than usual. 

     Why does that make you afraid?

     “Now if we can just fix the ship and get to the warp core without us both dying, we can fix this! We should head to the bridge, run some diagnostics.” You start to see choices, when he shakes them away. “No, no time to think for thirty seconds just standing there, bridge now!” 

      He pulls you forward, and you want to feel relieved, but you just can’t. Something feels wrong.

      “Computer, run diagnostics.” He puts his hands on his hips proudly, and for once the computer actually listens.

      “Asteroid Defense System is Online. Cryogenics System is Online. Reactor Core is Online. Airlock is.. Ü̸͔̤͕͖̹̬̒̄̿̓̽̊̇̏̈n̸̢͍͔̣̻̖̯̪̳̘̙̣͈͔̤͆̇̆̾̓͗̇͐͛͒͂̍͜d̷̡̞̲̻̣̼̱̞̖̥̝͙̣̣̱̳̪͋̿̅͒̆͘̚ẽ̷̦̗̹̯͈̘̯̰̔̿͆͛̈͌̾͌̎̆̕͘ẗ̸́̽̃̊̀̇̋̃͆̽̉̂́̽͘͜͠ḝ̴̛̳̙̟̪̝̦̬̓̓̎̓̾́͑̾͜ç̸̳̤͍̼͕͖̟̻̙̪͎̒t̶̢͍̲̯͓͈̟̹̣͂̋̄̏e̷̢̮̼͎̺̙̰͓̮͖̙̯̞̮͖͗̐̓̒̓̉̅̽̋̐̎̌̑͜d̷̫͛̑͗́̈͌̌͐̽̉͘͝.̵̡̧̢͓̹͇͉̫̹͍͖̘̪́ Online. Ship status is optimal.”

      “Oh! Well… That was easy.”Mark turned towards you with a smile. 

      Without thinking, without knowing how, without having it before, you present two bowls of ice cream. Chocolate… And… Vanilla. You look at Mark with confusion.

      “Oh! Ice cream? Don’t mind if I do!” His silly finger wiggling and laugh feels forced. He seems happy, but his eyes are so dark.

      …. Dark…

      S̶͚̺͕̏ẗ̷̘̦͝a̷͛̀͜r̸͖̃t̸͕̹̥͌̆ĩ̵̱̮̪̋͝n̴̽̑̉͜ǵ̴̙̼ ̶̡͓̥̊t̶̝̺̪̉̀o̶͕̼͐̚ ̷͎͚̰̌͂r̸̻̰͛̈͗ͅe̸̻͆̀̍m̸͇̩͍̃͝e̴͇͆ṃ̵͉̼̀̇͌b̸̟͇̀̀ḛ̷̻̤͂̇r̵̡̐̚͜ ̸̙̯͗ṡ̸͍͖o̷̮͛̈͠m̸̨̻̿͐ḙ̶̣͍̋́̚t̷̰̪̥͆h̴͍̳̿̐̒ͅi̴̙͝ͅṉ̵̾ǵ̶͖̹̗̽͠,̸̯͊͋ ̴̢͔̇̒̚C̶̟̭͆̒ͅạ̵̹͂́͊p̷̤̅̑̉t̷͍̐͐̚a̵̮͓̿̂͝î̴̤́͠n̵̞̓͐͊?̶̣̮̃̔

      He takes the bowl of vanilla, leaving you with chocolate. You stare down at the bowl, confused. Your ears start to hurt from the ringing. You look up, and drop your bowl.

      Dark. Dark sits on the ship console, eating the vanilla ice cream. They wear the same uniform, only entirely gray, with the chest tag reading backwards, and a few new pins. A red and cyan skull, and a pink mustache.

      “Did you miss me, Captain?” They smile, one that doesn’t reach their eyes. The Bridge is dark, bathed in red and blue light from solitary, opposite corners.

      “I was beginning to think you wouldn’t notice, but here you are, our little monster, back to the games.” They sneer. “And did you have fun? Were you able to forget?”

      They flickered, appearing next on their feet.

      “I thought Dorene would be enough, but maybe you just clung too hard. You don’t want to wake up from the pretty dreams he weaves you, anymore.” They cracked their neck.

      “I’m glad you don’t really talk, these days. I don’t want to hear your excuses.” They stood still, but flashes of them enraged kept appearing around them.

      You turn to try and open the bridge door, but the hand scanner is broken.

      “You’re bold, I will admit. Thinking I wouldn’t block you off from means of escape is a new low. Really. I’m honestly insulted.” You’re pulled away from the door, and smashed back into it, one, two, three times. You slump to the ground, they’re still at the console. They haven’t laid a finger on you.

       “As I was saying. You wouldn’t wake up, so I took away the only piece of the puzzle you pay attention to, anymore.”

       Dark unfurls their hand, a marionette of the engineer dangling on strings revealed.

       “Don’t worry. He’s safe… For now. He’s in his dressing room, rehearsing his lines and sipping his coffee. He’ll return soon, and I will depart.” They looked at their watch. “But first… You have something of mine.”

     They walk towards you, kneeling down. You weakly reach out to them, and they snatch your hand, their claws wrenching the warp crystal from your palm. You bleed black, your vision blurring.

     The void and the ringing of your ears are all that remain, before you enter the next loop.

#The Author Writes. #iswm #iswm au #engineer mark #y/n #darkiplier #captain y/n #head engineer mark #in space with markiplier #iswm fic

[whitesuitdarkiplier]

Dark prompt here for you:

Like AHWM, dark finds out how to get to the reader in ISWM, and tries to convince them that mark is no good. Maybe its a jump through a wormhole that turns black and white and has the blue and red hues? Idk lol

I was so emotional writing this gah 😩 but I love it. I hope you enjoy it!

With a sucking whoosh the Captain finds themselves once again inside the paradoxical power of the wormhole, plunging towards another universe, another story, another chance to choose their fate and the fate of the Invincible II. One can only imagine the wild wacky worlds that await them on the other—

The Narrator’s voice ceases, and you can’t help but be grateful. You were getting tired of having another voice in your head. You are hurling towards two portals, both impossible choices. How could you possibly know which one was correct? It was all left to random chance! It was unfair, it was rigged!

But before you can make this choice, the two portals converge before your eyes. You don’t have enough time to react as you are involuntarily pulled in. The normal electric blue and white spirals of the wormhole change. Swirls of red and cerulean mingle all around you, time itself glitches, and a loud ringing surrounds you, piercing your ears. What was happening? This was unlike anything you’d experienced yet in this never ending nightmare, which as both terrifying and relieving.

You crash into a void, black as space and just as cold, but you’re not spinning to your death as you had in other timelines. You could stand and breathe, looking around you for any sign of life.

“I couldn’t give you a choice this time.”

A form glitches into existence. A man in a white suit. Mark? He looks so much like him, but there’s something deadly in his eyes. He’s poised like a predator ready to strike.

And yet…he’s familiar. A spark of recognition alights old, dusty memories. You can’t piece them together yet, but you know, somehow, you and this man have met before.

“I almost didn’t break through,” he said, “He has constructed quite the story this time and put you through the ringer. Right, Captain?”

His words were strange and confusing, not mixing well with the remaining vertigo. He must have noticed this because you see his mouth tighten and jaw set.

“How many times have I repeated myself?” He says, taking a step closer. You backpedal, but you know there’s no where for you to go.

“How many times have we met,” his anger grew, the glitching around him increasing, the ringing behind his words pierced your ears. Your vision was blurry. There were several of him surrounding you voices coalescing, and then they vanished. It was as if his barely maintained shell was cracking.

“How many times have I ripped this facade apart for you?!”

A red flashing after image of him screaming, his hands curled like talons, eyes black appeared next to him. The next moment he’s right in front of you, shaking with rage.

“And yet every time you are as clueless as before about this game he’s playing!”

As suddenly as it happened, the violent glitching and ringing disappeared. He’s standing where he was again, straightening his tie, his wrath stuffed back into his shell. Your fear wakes you up.

Dark. You’re friend, your enemy. The villain of the story.

“Sometimes I wonder if you’ve simply given in. If your lost memory is a choice you make to keep living this lie.”

Emotions stir inside you. Joy and confusion and anger mixing and intoxicating you. You tremble, fists clenched at your sides. It all hits you at once like an unforgiving tidal wave. Words explode from you, tears stinging your eyes.

“You left me!”

He stares at you, his face solemn.

“I thought it best for your protection.”

“Bullshit!” You scream, “You said we were in this together. You promised!”

“I didn’t know how much control he had! I thought I could leave you safe in the mirror, safe from him until I could end him myself,” he glitches again, “I was coming back for you! Don’t you see how he’s using you?!”

“At least he’s been with me all these years!” You cry, “All these endless cycles…and all you could manage was interrupting the plot before he dragged me back!”

Dark scowls, closing his eyes and turning his head from you. Tears freely roll down your cheeks. You wanted to hate him. You wanted to be angrier. But no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t. You loved him. And he loved you. He had to, or he wouldn’t have tried reaching you over and over again.

“I’m…I’m sorry,” he says softly.

You want to run to him. You forgive him. You’d forgive him a thousand times over.

“We played into his hands,” you say, defeated, “He got a sidekick and a villain.” You walk closer to him, staring sadly into his eyes, “I know you’re not Damien anymore. And I know you never will be again.”

His face twists, whether in anger or pain you don’t know.

“But you are still my friend. And I don’t care whether that’s wise or not.”

He doesn’t say anything at first, but there’s a hint of emotion. Something of your best friend still lingering. You almost reach out to touch him, but you hear the unmistakable forming of a new wormhole behind you, feeling it’s irresistible pull. Time is up. Dark glares at the wormhole, a sign that Mark is calling you back to him, calling you back to the adventure at hand.

You manage a soft but sad smile as you and Dark are pulled farther and farther apart. And just before the wormhole closes, and you can still see him, you say:

“I’ll see you later, old friend.”

#darkiplier #in space with markiplier #who killed markiplier #iswm part 2 #a date with markiplier #a heist with markiplier #iswm #wkm fanfic #wkm darkiplier #iswm darkiplier #ahwm darkiplier #darkiplier fanfiction #darkiplier x reader #iswm fic #iswm fanfiction #iswm captain

[buc-eebarnes]

fake/pretend relationship. captaineer. 675 words. might finish later on, depends. server likely saw it first.

“A marriage alliance?”

“Yes,” the Councilor repeated for the third time. He was starting to get impatient, and—good lord. You had to come up with an alternative real quick.

“As much as I would love to be allied through marriage, I’m afraid that I will have to decline.”

The Councilor raised an eyebrow. “And why is that, Captain?”

Now or never. “I’m married.”

There was a collective gasp around the bridge, which was to be expected. What you didn’t expect was Mark going rigid next to you, fingers stilling on top of his datapad.

The Councilor narrowed his eyes through the holographic display, and you did your best to act cool. It wasn’t the first time you had to stretch the truth like this. You were pretty sure that somewhere, in the multiverse, you were happily married and doing things only a married person does. You sort of wished the wormhole was back so that you could pull that version of you into this situation right now.

“I…see.” The Councilor frowned. “May I ask why this was not in the briefing when your delegation visited us?”

You put a hand on your chin thoughtfully. “I didn’t think it was relevant, Councilor. I’m a very private person, and I prefer to keep my personal affairs to myself. I apologize for any offense regarding my actions.”

“Well,” he said haughtily, “may I ask who you are married to?”

All eyes were on you. You didn’t blink or miss a beat when you gestured and said, confidently, “My head engineer, Mark.”

The collective gasp returned.

You felt Mark’s incredulous stare burning a hole in the side of your head, and you had to fight to maintain eye contact with the Councilor, whose eyes shifted between you and your head engineer.

“Our Earth’s Space Force doesn’t even know, as well as the crew members of this ship,” you continued, gaze downcast, “but we wanted to make things work, and we certainly knew that if we had revealed that we were married, they would have assigned us on different stations. We wanted to avoid that as much as possible, so…” you spread your hands. “Here we are.”

The Councilor was silent, taking in this information. You didn’t turn your head or try to shush the restless crew—you needed to get out of this scrape, preferably alive and with your ship still intact.

“Such a shame,” the Councilor ended up saying. “I truly believe a marriage alliance would have made matters much better. But alas,” he tipped his head at you, “you are currently in wedlock. Unless you engage in polygamy?”

Your eyes widened a fraction. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Councilor, but polygamy is not for me. It’s just Mark. He’s the one, and he’ll be the only one.”

The Councilor digested this, shifting his gaze between you and Mark. “Such a shame,” he repeated. “But I must respect your wishes. We will figure out a way around this marriage alliance, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Yes we will,” you nodded, and the Councilor made a motion off-screen to cut the call.

As soon as the hologram dropped, you let out a shaky breath, briefly closing your eyes.

The tension was palpable, and no one said anything for a long while.

Someone cleared their throat. “Well,” and your eyelashes fluttered open, glancing sideways at the source. It was Gunther, puffing on his cigar. “That happened.”

Burt whistled lowly.

“Captain,” Celci hedged, “what did you just do?”

What did you just do? You didn’t know what kind of expression you had right now. You also didn’t want to turn to face Mark, but…

You eventually twist around to his stiff figure, straightening your posture. He was staring at you with something inscrutable, but you couldn’t deny that you saw the rage and hurt simmering beneath the surface.

Swallowing, you pleaded, “Mark—”

He turned heel and left, punching the sensor for the bridge door to slide open. No one said a word when it closed, the clanging echo ringing in your ears.

“Shit,” you muttered.

#captaineer #head engineer mark x the captain #head engineer x captain #head engineer mark x captain #head engineer mark x reader #iswm mark x reader #iswm x reader #iswm fic #my fic #mpcu

[projectwkm]

HUMMINGBIRD; an iswm fic

Mark lives and dies infinitely in the twitch of a hummingbird’s wing.

(In which the Captain sees one thousand iterations of their Head Engineer, but he only ever sees of them… including the one life they never talk about.)

(Or, the Head Engineer isn’t the Actor, but his Captain sure is the District Attorney.)

chapters: 1/1 (2.5k words), oneshot character study !! ^_^

#wkm #iswm #in space with markiplier #in space part 2 #markiplier #head engineer mark #actor mark #who killed markiplier #engineer mark #space mark #wkm fic #iswm fic #in space with markiplier fic

[obsidiancreates]

No Context AU (No-One Is Actor and No-One Is Each Other)

"What would you know about it?" Space hisses, jabbing his finger into Heist's chest. "Do you remember dying? Over and over and over again?"

"No." Heist stands his ground though, smirking. "Because I'm not a whiny bitch who got caught in a wormhole."

"But... you are." Illinois gestures from where he leans on the wall. "Yancy's got the proof on his arm."

"We're here because we all got caught in a wormhole," Date pipes up, sitting cross-legged on the floor. "I don't remember mine either. I'm not bragging about it."

Space grabs Heist by the vest. "Do you know how many lives I've lived? Do you want to meet some of the people I've been? Because I would gladly introduce you to the time I was a serial murderer." His form spasms, and for a he's wearing burgundy and a necklace and sunglasses and there's a knife against Heist's throat-

And then it's gone.

"I'm not scared of you," Heist scoffs. "I've faced way worse certain death! What was the one thing, Yancy? In the uhhh... zombie, thing?"

Yancy looks at his right arm. "Youse got shot in the chest?"

"Yeah! And I survived that, didn't I?"

"Big deal. So did I."

"Yeah, and then your Captain abandoned you, do I have that right?"

"They came back."

"Oh, goodie for you, yours comes back for you. I may not be able to remember much from the other timelines, but I remember someone a lot more eager to move on. Didn't even mourn."

"That's a complete self-burn, you know." Date picks at the petals of a rose. "Mine liked spending time with me. They had to get tricked in order to leave me behind."

"You mean shoot you?"

"Same difference. They had to be tricked to get me out of their life."

"Didn't you say they rejected your proposal once?"

"I just moved a little too fast for them! They still said yes to a second date!"

"Youse guys is doin' real good at rememberin' now. Wonder why."

"Because it's all we talk about?" Illinois kicks the wall with the back of his boot. "Y/N this, Captain that, my date this, we did this together, this happened to us... sometimes you just have to let people go. Everyone dies gruesome deaths, and that's okay. No need to try and save them. At least, no need to try very hard."

Space lets go of Heist, looking at Indy with all the shock his face can possibly express. "You don't value your Captain?"

"Not my Captain. And they're fine. But they're one of many, you know. Handsome and/or beautiful as any artifact, but just another in a long line of people who fall in love with me and end up dying or just not making the cut."

"Why'd you even come after them then?!"

"I didn't, really. I just jump through every portal I see. Usually leads to ancient gods and golden cities, not... tiny inescapable rooms full of assholes."

"Hey!" Date gestures to himself. "How am I the asshole?!"

"Youse made 'em pay for dinner," Yancy says. "And youse got 'em kidnapped if they didn't."

"That-! ... Is a fair point."

Space looks around. "They- they're The Captain! They're... they held on!"

"Got sucked away when I tried showin' 'em my new number," Yancy grumbles, accepting a rose to pick at then Date offers it. "They didn't mean too, I knows it! But it stung. Ow, like this stupid thorn!"

"Wait, I thought Yancy said I was the one with the hold on or let go options?"

"Youse both got 'em. But his turns out better." Yancy pats his left arm this time. "Like his more, honestly."

"Didn't you come from my universe?!"

"Youse showed up in his too."

"He did?"

"I did?"

Yancy peers at his arm, and taps one of the boxes. "Right heres, for a minute. Maybe less."

"Oh, great. I get a cameo in your shitfest."

Date throws down his rose. "Why are you such a dick?"

"Oh please, didn't you throw the rose away instead of giving it to yours?"

"That's not as bad as telling them I won't come back for them if they get caught during a heist!"

"At least I didn't wear sneakers with my suit! Or propose!"

"You wanted to go on a date too!"

"It's not the same!"

Space sits down next to Yancy, closing his eyes. "How am I more tired now than when I was undying in a timeloop for so long the universe ended?"

Yancy shrugs. "Youse is all pretty similar. Can be tiring."

"... Yeah. No kidding."

#markiplier #in space with markipler spoilers #in space with markiplier part 2 spoilers #in space with markiplier spoilers #in space with markiplier #iswm 2 spoilers #iswm spoilers #iswm 2 #iswm #iswm part 2 #in space with markiplier part 2 #iswm fanfiction #iswm fic #fanfic #my attempts at fanfic #Descendants of the Trio AU #Bastard Children AU

[ciara-clycone]

'Paradoxial' Virus: Ch.1 - Nightmares.

Ao3: link

Summary:

Strange things are going on in the Invicinble 2. Electronics are acting up. Eerie sightings are happening on the ship. No one knows why this is going on. They try to act like it's nothing serious.

But it's having a strange toll on the captain...

Pairings: Captaineer

Warnings for this chapter: None.

Length: Around 500ish.

-----------------------------------------------

A light mist swirled around the captain as they looked around the dark expanse that surrounded them. 

Where am I? The captain wondered. How did I get here? I was on the ship and then… I don’t remember.. Something happened and I ended up here…

They looked around again, and saw a few strange objects in the distance. What are they?

They advanced toward the objects, and when they got close enough to recognize them they stopped in their tracks.

They were gravestones.

“You’rrrre in daaaannnggeeer….” A distorted voice echoed in the darkness.It reminded the captain of when voice recorders were running low on batteries, and they would have laughed at it if they weren’t in a creepy enough place as it was.

“Graveyard nearby, please hurry toward destination.”

A computerized voice said.

As this was being said, a strange ghostly apparition formed above one of the gravestones. It motioned toward the captain, beckoning them to come closer as if to join them.

Nope! The captain thought, turning to run away from the ghost.

The ghost raised its hand toward the fleeing captain, and shot out some strange energy toward them.

Pain seared their left arm. They bit back a cry of pain, and continued running onward.

The ghost continued started to chase them. A dark deep booming sound floated in the air as it got closer to them.

Voices echoed around the captain, some whispery and helpful {”Don’t give up…”} while others were odd sounding and confused the captain by their meaning. {”Paradox detected…”} And then the captain heard one particular voice that they dreaded the most. {”Software update complete…”}

They jolted awake. They found themselves on the floor of their captain’s cabin, sprawled out. They laid there, taking deep breaths and trying to calm down from their dream.

Their arm ached. They sat up and rubbed at it. The warp core crystal still glistening in their palm.

The Alexa on their desk, started to babble.

"Area Graveyard planets nearby. Listing locations...."

Picking it up, they glared daggers at it. Then threw it at the door.

Just then the door to their cabin opened up.

“Hey, Captain, I’ve got some documents-” First mate Tyler said, and then yelped as he dodged the alexa.

The Alexa whizzed by him and hit a passing crew member who was carrying a small boombox playing some music that sounded familiar. It took the captain a moment to recognize it. It was the same spooky music from the dream.

The captain's eyes widened in alarm as they saw what they did.

"Darn it!" they hissed, running over to the two crewmates. "I'm so sorry, I wasn't expecting the door to open. Are you two ok?"

The two nodded, and that was when the captain noticed the paperwork in Tyler's hands.

"Oh the paperwork that was supposed to come in today, right. Thank you, First Mate Tyler." The captain said, taking the papers from him. Their arms felt shakey. Why? It wasn't like they hadn't ever had a nightmare before? Still, they didn't want to look weak in front of their crew. "You two have a good day, then." They hurried into their quaters, and the door closed behind them.

The captain put the papers down on the desk and then sat down in their chair. They should do their work, they should but still... They felt on edge... Their hands were still shaking...

Slumping down in their chair, they groaned.

Today was going to be a rough day, they just knew it.

#captaineer #engineer mark x captain #head engineer mark x the captain #iswm fanfiction #head engineer mark x reader #iswm fic #iswm captain #paradoxial virus

[ironwoman359]

trick or treat!

Have a sneak peek at the second chapter of The Secret History of the Invincible II, my ISWM post-canon fic!

Invincible crew interviews, session 1 - Recorded by Dr. Mariette Bennett. [Dr. Bennett sits in a meeting room at an oval conference table. Six officers of the Invincible’s crew sit around the table, each with a lav microphone clipped to their uniform.]  Dr. Bennett: Let’s start at the very beginning, shall we? Describe for me the process of getting the Invincible ready for her voyage across the stars!  [The crew members look around at each other, and Mark shifts his weight in his chair.] Mark: Well…if you want to start at the very beginning, it’d make more sense to start with the construction of the Invincible herself. Dr. Bennet: Ah, of course! You were the lead engineer and designer for the project, can you tell us a little bit about how the Invincible came to be? Mark: Well, her design is something I’d tinkered with on and off for most of my career. The idea of a human colony on another planet…that was always a dream of mine. But it was a dream that logistically was made very difficult by the sheer vastness of space.  Celci: Even with the advancements made in cryo technology that made journeying into deep space viable for humans, the closest habitable planet was still much too far for any ship to travel before running out of fuel.  Burt: The world is large, when its weary leagues two loving hearts divide.  Mark: For a long time, my designs for the Invincible were purely theoretical. Without faster than light travel, colonizing the stars was nothing more than a dream. But that all changed when…when we… Captain: When we discovered the warp core. 

trick or treat

#asks and answers #ask game #iswm #in space with markiplier #iswm fic #my writing

[oswinunknown]

retirement

notes: idk how these work but aye heres a fic of old man mark and the elderly captain post iswm

mainly fluff

sat at the entrance seat, the captain laces up their shoes slowly yet tenderly. their eyes shining with the warm yellow light of a summer morning shining through the quaint cottage windows of their home. wooden chestnut floors shone the sunlight up and around the house like it always had. the odd sock or bolt lying strewn on the floor making the living room feel lived in. 

the captain finishes tying their shoelaces and leans backwards and into the wall with a deep yet muted sigh. eyes closing to take in the many noises around them

they could hear their colony's ambient noise in their old ears. the odd sound of a modern car humming along on the street, the few people already up and about, the smell of freshly cut grass. it all became background noise that holds a melodic tune to anyone who became used to it. it was the type of noise that you missed when met with total silence. the gentle backing track to the many lives within the colony.

the captain opens their eyes and turns to see their head engineer walking down the stairs in similar looking attire, body hunched over as he hobbles down humming a small tune underneath his breath. the light hitting his grayed hair like a frame to his picture perfect face. each strand was like silver under the light and added a nostalgic age to his wrinkled smile.

"ready to go captain?" he asks, eyes glimmering with an energy they grew to know well.

the captain airily laughs. "you know i haven't been a captain for years now, mark."

"you may not be a captain now," he extends a hand out to them. "but you will always be my captain."

the captain beams, taking his hand and lifting themself up before giving him a small peck on the cheek. "and you will always be my head engineer."

mark flushes, giving a content smile before making his way to the door, his hand holding the captain's. "alright, lets save this fluff for later. we got a busy day ahead of us!"

"lead the way dear."

-------------------

the day flew by relatively easily.

the captain and mark took a long stroll around the colony, visiting crewmates and colonists alike. even seeing the odd few children who would hide behind their parent's legs in awe of the renowned captain and their engineer.

at noon they were at the park, having brunch with the other crew leads on the invincible and catching up on their lives. burt barely aged a day. the only sign of age shown in grayed hairs and raspy voices. celci still looked more spry than the other three crew leads. her blue hair even more frosty as strands of gray littered across her hair. gunther aged pretty well. face adorned with scars and wrinkles as his circular framed glasses caught the sunlight and made him look like the same gunslinger they knew all those years ago.

by the afternoon, the two found themselves at a local diner opened nearby their home. the night sky shining with its many wonders as the string lights illuminated down onto their table and around the patio. plates of food polished off and eaten.

the captain wipes their mouth of any remains of food, placing the tissue next to their plate as they notice mark's focus on eating his chocolate ice cream.

the captain closes their eyes again. their ears being met with the same melodic ambience within their colony. the faint howling of the wind bringing a slight chill to their face as they take in the communal warmth of their community.

"what are you doing captain?" mark calls, the captain's eyes still shut.

"im just," they pause

"im just listening to my home."

the captain hears a faint noise of understanding before they hear a clicking of a spoon against a bowl.

they continue like this for some time. mark quietly ate his ice cream while the captain listened to the sounds of life around them. nothing but the soft chime of a faint speaker playing songs of old.

"care for a dance cap'?" 

opening their eyes, the captain sees mark absent from his seat. turning their head they find their puppy eyed engineer looking down at them with an extended hand.

they take the offer with a grin. standing up to meet mark.

mark gently pulls on their arm and leads them into the center of the patio. the speakers directly above their hunched bodies as mark places his left hand on their shoulder, his right holding onto their left. the captain swiftly mimics his position before they start slowly swaying to the rhythm.

the captain sighs, head against mark's chest as they sway left and right. 

mark yelps suddenly, his foot stepped on.

the captain looks at him guiltily, "sorry dear!"

"im fine." mark looks up at them, sharply inhaling. "i can take it."

"but still." the captain takes mark's hand. caressing it gently and gently rubbing their thumb across its back. "i suppose i'm not as much of a dancer as before."

mark tilts his head inquisitively. "what do you mean?"

they chuckle, "look at me mark, i'm not the same young and spry captain that stepped foot on the invincible. ready for whatever came their way."

it was mark's turn to take the captain's hand. 

"its funny."

"what is?"

"you remember when i told you 'distance and time are the same thing from different perspectives'?"

the captain nods. eyes looking down at the pavement.

"well. the captain you see is a whole lot different to the captain i see."

mark lifts the captain's head up to meet his gaze. 

he smiles. "and you look like the same captain i fell in love with."

the captain's eyes shone as their heart pounds against their chest.

looking up at him felt like the captain was back on the ship again. arms wrapped around his waist as they held each other tight. young bodies, aged minds, tired eyes. they could see the young engineer that welcomed them aboard, the same engineer who sat with them at the galactic diner, the same engineer who said i do at their wedding.

the captain leans in swiftly for a kiss. the feeling of his lips on theirs holding the same comfort it always had, yet it felt just as exciting as the first. 

breaking apart, the captain and mark gaze into each other's eyes. no words spoken yet holding the same message within. a silent "i love you".

the two would continue to dance under the moonlight. nothing but the noise of life and their hearts to accompany them. 

a captain and their engineer. forever intertwined.

#iswm #captaineer #iswm fic #captain y/n #head engineer mark #ficswin

[faeriescorpio]

Thinking about that one fic I should be working on but I’m drawing future plans for it instead of writing it 😭

#uhhh go into the dark I think it’s name is #iswm #in space with markiplier #iswm Captain #iswm mark #iswm head engineer #iswm fic #codi don't look #go into the dark #yeah that’s it’s name on ao3 at least #I am working on it inoublished ch 2 yesterday