september softies | 6. Mark Meachum
A/N: Countdown is a fun show! I’m taking a chance at writing for this character + my first time ever writing for Jensen (and one more upcoming character) since I’m usually drawn to reckless sarcastic big-mouthed characters so that’s also why I’m here! And where is our season two confirmation? That cliff hanger? Unacceptable!
PROMPT IS FROM HERE & I’m using: 13. “I always notice when you're not around."
WARNINGS: language, injured!reader, protective!Mark, & fling to co-workers?
<- prev. anthology menu item here.
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“C’mon, I always notice when you’re not around.” He said to you, much later when you allowed him into your home.
You tried your best to keep a low profile but you knew it was only a matter of time before someone came knocking.
That someone just had to be Mark Meachum.
You’re seated on your couch, yanking your multi-colored crochet blanket from the top of it to curl yourself into. Mark lets his eyes trail all over your living space, window behind the couch was left open, brushing the beige curtains back, allowing the in-between fresh breeze of September breathe, there’s no tv, stacks of books outside of the built in shelves in a tower on the side of the couch—which had to be a fire hazard since it was closest to, yes you guessed it, a fireplace, on a side table to the right of you held a half empty glass of iced coffee? It was probably chai, Mark guessed, that sat on a weird looking coaster towards the edge of the table and a file was left open on the coffee table with scattered papers and pens.
He sat in a living chair across from you, hands smoothing out against his jeans, before he settled his green hues on you.
“So…are you gonna continue to insult me by making me guess what happened?” Mark questioned, feeling his fingers flex the longer he stared at what happened to your face.
Your under eye was swollen black and blue, just looked like it ached, your brow definitely had been split and put back together with stitches and a butterfly bandaid.
Letting out a sigh you rest back against the pillows, closing your eyes, “I already told you. I was looking after my brother’s boa constrictor, Draco.”
Mark hummed, “Oh-kay, you want me to believe that a snake named—what did you say it was?”
“Draco. Like the character from Harry Potter? My brother is somehow in the slytherin house, so that was his little inspo.”
Mark blinks, “I don’t…think I know what that entirely means but your brother sounds like a nerd and I haven’t even met him yet.”
Funny how he was so sure he would.
“Hey, don’t be an asshole. That’s my brother so I’m the only one that gets to make fun of him, got it?”
Mark raises his hands in surrender along with his brows, “Alright, sorry. Enough of this deflecting! Your district, you know the one both you and Finau work at? He said the district has been swimming in cases involving gangs assaulting people outside of many establishments closer to closing time, all while leaving their product behind like party favors.” His eyes narrow, “Know anything about that?”
Your eyes peek open but stay on the ceiling as you respond, “…What I know is that I’m nobody’s victim. And I don’t need Lu sending his work boyfriend over here to throw me a pity party.”
Mark snorts, “Finau wishes.”
Which earned him a nice roll of the eyes.
“Look,” Mark tries a gentler approach, “You had to have known that it was going to get back to me at some point right? You’re part of our team and you’ve been MIA for days.”
Your head turns to him now, “So you missed me?”
Mark tilts his head to the side, pushing his lips out, “…Nope,” He pops the P before getting up to make his way over to the couch, lifting your ankles to sit beside you on the couch, “I’m just tired of seeing your bestie Lucas mope without you around.”
That made a small smile appear on your face for two reasons: you and Lucas were long time friends, his kids basically called you their auntie, plus you hung out with his wife Amina all the time without him, and his concern any other time would be sweet but right now? You had a smidge of beef with him for sending Mark here. Your reports were meant to be private, you made sure the photographer didn’t get your full face, kept your name as: Jane Doe but you also should have known that a sergeant would figure it out.
And not just any sergeant…
Also if Mark didn’t miss you then he wouldn’t be here with your feet in his lap.
Scoffing to yourself you say, “He’ll be okay. You on the other hand? Won’t be once I press charges for trespassing. How did you even find out where I live? I’ve only been to your place.”
A night well spent and addressed once you both realized you had to work on a task force together. To make it less awkward of course!
Mark gives you a look that’s smug with something softer underneath, “A good detective never reveals their secrets, cupcake.”
You quirk up a brow, “Oh my god, I’m dealing with a fucking stalker.”
“Shut up,” Mark scowls while you laugh a little to yourself, leaving him time to stare at you and really be in this space with you.
He feels your leg start to get restless, lightly shaking against his hold. He noticed it the morning after, actually woke him up out of his sleep but he didn’t say anything then, just like you didn’t when he flinched at certain lights.
Mark lets out a sigh, tapping his finger against your ankle, which got you to subside the unconscious shake a little as your eyes reconnected, “How are you feeling…really?”
You sharply inhaled, letting a crooked smile appear on the corner of your lips, “Embarrassed. If I didn’t go out to have a little bit of fun with my girls, drooling over David Corenswet, then my guard wouldn’t have been down. I would have least had a better chance.”
He’s not sure who the hell this David guy was but he was also certain he could figure it out and didn’t need to hear anything else about him this evening.
“Stop,” Mark shakes his head, “Don’t sell yourself short. I’ve seen you go toe to toe against Finau and that’s no easy task. That guy is like a fucken boulder! You didn’t get outsmarted by some mastermind; you got jumped by a pack of losers while they were high. It’s not your fault.”
You watch while his jaw clenched, probably picturing how it went down.
You were meant to be out having fun with some friends that probably knew about Mark. He hoped they did. Heading out to the parking garage as a collective group just for you specifically to get the most harmed.
They were even dumb enough to take your gun.
Mark was just glad they didn’t use it on any of you.
His fingers are firm against your ankle, his voice drops, and his tone already had the power to make your toes curl—when he wasn’t on your nerves that is—but what he said next made a chill go down your spine, “And when we catch those bastards, because we will, they’re gonna be sorry. I’ll make sure of it.”
Your breath gets caught in your throat because this kind of protection, that you never asked for, was not the norm when it came to men you had relations with.
You pretty much knew and learned how to do that all on your own so this was new.
Mark leans back against the couch, smirk tugging at his mouth but not quite reaching his eyes. It was the persistence in him you’d like to think and his noisiness when it came to your well-being…might just be enough to wreck him for good.
“So yeah…no pity parties. Just payback.”
Your head dips in agreement, you shift your body so that your shoulder leans against the cushion of the couch, giving you more leverage to reach out to touch his jaw, his facial hair prickling your fingertips.
“…what’re we?” You whisper, making his cheek almost lean against your fingers.
Wondering how he should play this or even at all.
Then he sees that little glint in your eye and you’re slowly grinning at him, making him roll his eyes now, shaking his head as he pinched at the bridge of his nose.
“Has anyone ever told you? Something might be wrong with you?”
You shrug, “My therapist on Wednesday’s.”
A snicker leaves his lips and he shakes a finger at you, at your honesty. “I hear self-awareness is the first step to moving forward in life.”
You rest your head against the cushion, rolling your eyes back to Mark, “Is that what they say?”
“You roll ‘em some more…I might give you a real reason to.” His voice lowers even more, his own head lolling towards yours.
Holding his heated stare, you smirk almost pulling your face closer to his, “After we catch those sons of bitches.”
“…really?” He raises a brow, “I thought this,” He motions between the two of you, “Was just a one and done?”
The both of you knew what it was then and didn’t expect to see each other months later working for Nathan Blythe. Working together all this time definitely gave you both the chance to get to know each other better…mostly in a professional sense but this all didn’t feel like nothing.
“I think that all of this is telling us something different.”
His hand kept a hold on you.
And Mark would be lying to himself if he said you weren’t plucking at his heart strings.
He smirks, eyes locked on yours, spark in his own now, “Careful…you keep saying things like that, I might think you actually like me.”
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get your servings of September softies…