❥・tags: mark grayson blurb, mark is a stalker but in a cute way, childhood friends to lovers, but also lowkey not childhood friends, comic or show mark with season 1 mark in mind, gn!reader, no use of y/n, no dialogue
❥・word count: 434
Mark Grayson, who met you in kindergarten.
Mark Grayson, who chose to sit next to you in his unassigned assigned seat.
Mark Grayson, who would come home excitedly to tell his mom that you looked at him during class.
Mark Grayson, who would make sure your seat was open until you arrived every morning.
Mark Grayson, who made sure to pack extra valentines for you every year.
Mark Grayson, who scoped out his classrooms at the beginning of the school year to see if you were put in his class.
Mark Grayson, who came to every class period the minute before the bell to make sure everyone was in the classroom, to see if you were there.
Mark Grayson, who found the closest seats near you in the classes you had together.
Mark Grayson, who traded seats with the people next to you just to sit near you.
Mark Grayson, who was shocked to see a Seance Dog keychain on your bag.
Mark Grayson, who nervously asked if you read the comics.
Mark Grayson, who doesn't know how attractive he is.
Mark Grayson, who was confused as to why you wanted to go out with him.
Mark Grayson, who gives you free burgers when you visited him at work.
Mark Grayson, who told you about his powers the second he got them.
Mark Grayson, who gives you late-night flights when you text him that you can't sleep.
Mark Grayson, who tries so hard for you.
Mark Grayson, who forgets to tell you about his off-world missions.
Mark Grayson, who isn't perfect.
Mark Grayson, who vents to you about the GDA.
Mark Grayson, who enjoys your study sessions, your attempt to help him graduate.
Mark Grayson, who doesn't see the need for school, though he appreciates your efforts.
Mark Grayson, who needs any excuse to hang out with you, with his busy life.
Mark Grayson, who wants to spend every waking and sleeping moment with you.
Mark Grayson, who has too many impulsive sleepovers at your house.
Mark Grayson, who finally introduces you to his parents.
Mark Grayson, who's mom loves you.
Mark Grayson, who makes sure you're safe.
Mark Grayson, who vents to you about his father.
Mark Grayson, who, despite his father's actions, tries to give you the same experience dating him as his father gave his mother.
Mark Grayson, who insists you never visit him in the GDA hospitals.
Mark Grayson, who swears he'll keep you safe until his dying breath.
Mark Grayson, who loves you so much that he would take over the world for you (he won't, but he would).
❥・a/n: mark grayson is a shitty bf but in fanon hes not trust
Can I see Mark x femreader where she is needy for affection? Maybe is not usual to see her like this, but she is really affectionate in the moment and wants lots of hugs?
I promise next time I request smut 😜
“TO BE LOVED.”
in which, MARK GRAYSON from INVINCIBLE loves loudly.
‧₊˚✩彡
includes: mark grayson x fem!reader (can be read as gn!reader), fluff, angst -> hurt/comfort (if you squint), good boyfriend!mark, established relationship, 1.2k words
HE DIDN'T know exactly what he had done in a past life to deserve you, but mark grayson was certain it was nothing short of saving the universe.
you were completely enamoring to the boy. often times he felt as though you had him hypnotized; casting a spell upon his soul, whispering vehement chants against his skin, and drawing him in like a moth to a flame. mark was inexplicably allured in your entire being, every fibre of his mind encapsulated by the ways in which you lived.
and that was the thing: you were just living. going about your day, paying little to no mind to the way you curled your fingers around your chin when deep in thought. ignorant to your mundane little habits, like chewing on the strings of your (mark's) hoodie or the tiniest sounds that snuck past your pudgy lips after a stretch.
but mark noticed. god. he couldn't have ignored it if he tried. he was so in tune with your spirit, so wrapped up in the frequency of your being, he figured it'd be a punishment worse than death itself to be separated from you.
to lose the greatest blessing ever bestowed upon him would be a travesty-- mark willing to fight every single viltrumite within the galaxy in order to prevent.
there was zero apprehension in the way he loved you. zero hesitation in the way he caressed your cheek, swiping his thumb against your warmed skin soothingly. zero reluctance in the way he offered himself wholly to you, flaws and all.
regardless of the way your silence in reciprocation often floated between the both of you, an unnamed feeling gnawing at your conscience.
it wasn't that you didn't love mark. in fact, that couldn't have been further from the truth; the lengths in which you'd go for the boy far beyond even your own comprehension. no-- it was just... you.
where mark was less-than-subtle touches, squeezed arms, and pouty kisses, you were warm glances, thoughtful gifts, and affirming promises. his palms on your skin, though never unwelcome, was something you had to be warmed up to. whether a past experience had tainted your perception of physical connection or not, it hadn't matter to your boyfriend in the slightest. of course he respected your boundaries, keeping his wandering hands to himself when you wanted, but he'd never taken it personally.
(mark was good that way; good at understanding. good at listening, good at being your boyfriend completely-- with his mind, body, and soul.)
and mark was right; your aversion to physicality hadn't been a personal thing, and words couldn't describe how grateful you had been upon his compassionate response. it was just the way you were hardwired, a circuit board of quality time and acts of service.
the grayson, however, was like a corruption to your file. not in a destructive or toxic sense-- but in a way that melted the wires once so tightly wound up, causing them to inadvertently swallow up foreign code; for once, you were craving mark's touch.
you yearned for the way his hands felt splayed across the expanse of your back, fingertips dashing gently against beauty spots. a craving desperately in need of satiating: his lips innocently pressing against your face or his sturdy arms enveloping you against his chest.
there was a certain type of desire that had glazed over your eyes when you watched mark crawl through your bedroom window. it hadn't been lust, instead taking shape in the form of a pure, virtuous comfort.
"mark," you whispered, holding your knees to your chest from where you sat on your mattress. you had tilted your head to the side, a few strands of hair falling into your eyes.
he watched you silently for a moment, and dear god, was he ever in love with you. the corners of his eyes crinkled gently at the lift of his mouth, whispering your name back with just as much reverence.
"i missed you." the confession floated peacefully into the air, engraving itself into the deepest parts of mark's mind.
he barely shrugged a plain t-shirt over his head, dark locks ruffling against the fabric, before he crawled onto your mattress to meet you. the bedframe creaked gently under his weight. "yeah?"
your response came without any hesitation. "yeah." you blinked sleepily, staring longingly into his deep brown eyes. "c'mere," you curled your index finger at him, scooting yourself backwards until you met the headrest to your bed.
he followed you easily, laying down against your plush array of pillows. without speaking, you had laid your head to rest against his chest, barely waiting until he had been in a comfortable position. mark exhaled softly, against the crown of your scalp, before wrapping his big arms around you-- keeping you trapped against his frame. "you okay?" he questioned, planting a kiss to your hairline. "you're not usually this..." his voice trailed off, unsure of the word to use.
"touchy?" you offered.
"yeah." he sighed, letting his eyes flutter shut momentarily as your nails found the nape of his neck, giving a soothing scratch.
you hummed. "m'fine," a fine draft of air slithered into the room, causing the remnants of mark's cologne to coil beneath your nose. greed drove you to tilt your jaw upwards, closer to the skin of his throat. you inhaled deeply, finding yourself at the most ease you've been at in a while. "just missed you. s'that illegal?" one of your hands rested gently against his chest, and you smiled softly to yourself feeling his pulse quicken.
"course not," mark replied briskly, "you're always allowed to miss me."
"i don't want to be... needy," you mumbled, before feeling mark's lips pepper your hairline and forehead. one of his hands left the back of your head to guide your chin upwards-- just enough for you to see the light dust of pink across his cheeks and the seriousness in his eyes.
"you're never needy." he reassured. his words were sure, like they were scripture, though his voice remained delicate. "and even if you were, it'd never bother me. jus' means i get an excuse to hold you for longer." mark's smile was innocent, his cheeks dimpling kindly.
his smile was one of those types of smiles; contagious, unabashed fervor oozing from his soul like joy and love and kindness were the only things he could radiate.
"mark?" you breathed out, pressing your own lips to the corners of his mouth. you'd be a fool to fight off the smile you felt yourself forming, so you didn't-- grinning like a lovesick idiot against his mouth.
"mhm?"
mark grayson may have saved the universe in his past life-- his blessing hand-picked and sent to him, to be cherished and loved and adored unconditionally for the rest of his days-- but you were unquestionably the luckiest soul to have ever breathed. because mark did love and cherish and adore you unconditionally, like the heart pumping blood to his entire body would stop beating if he didn't. his devotion to you, with his mind and body and soul, was as eternal as the sun's love for the moon. and that is what kept you inexplicably enamored by him:
the way mark grayson loved.
because despite your differences, he never made you feel like you were less than-- just because you loved quieter.
but tonight you had decided, swallowing thickly, you would love just as loud as him; with your mind and your body and your soul.
"please don't let go of me."
PLUVOiA '25 ® - masterlist
loren's thots: tysm for the req!! the truth is, i wrote this a first time and it was completelyyy different and i felt as tho it was far too angsty for ur sweet little req so i rewrote it. i hope this one isnt too bittersweet for u :,,) im rly attached to the reader in this and made them "needy" in her own way, bc wanting to be held or cherished by ur significant other looks different for everyone n' i thot itd be an interesting topic to play w ! (reqs are open!!)
Hi!! would it be ok to ask for allen the alien / gender neutral or masc reader :3 maybe a comfort scenario or something sweet! i havent seen much for him which is so 💔 since he's my fave! thank u i hope ure having a good day ^_^
the ship lands softly on a quiet, cratered moon far away from earth. the surface sparkles faintly under the light of a nearby nebula, casting beautiful hues of violet and gold across the terrain. even illuminating the two of you in its beautiful colors. allen steps out first, almost twitching with excitement.
"this place has the best view in the quadrant," he says, holding out a hand to help you down.
he lays out a thick blanket- woven from some type of foreign fiber that's warm despite the coldness of space- and you both settle in, backs against a smooth rock. above, the stars stretch endlessly, very different from what they looked like on earth- damn light pollution.
allen points to the cluster of stars shaped like a spiral. "that one is called the guardian's path," he explains. "on my planet, it's said to guide those who feel lost."
you turn to him, a playful smirk playing on your face. "is that how you felt when you came to earth instead of-"
"that was one time!" he laughs. "and i wasn't lost- not with you anyways."
you glance at him, heart swelling. "do you ever feel lost? like truly?" only asking again to really hear what he just said.
he looks at you, serious now. "no, not with you."
you lean into his side, and he wraps an arm around your shoulders, pulling you close. his skin is cool, but his presence is grounding- more than the gravity on this moon ever could be.
he starts telling you stories from his homeworld- legends of brave explorers, different kind of deep space creatures, and oddly shaped constellations. you laugh, and he offers you an adoring grin, clearly proud of his storytelling skills.
eventually, you both fall into a comfortable silence, watching a slow-moving comet streak across the sky. allen leans his head against yours, a small gesture of affection that goes a long way.
“if you could have any powers in the world, what would you choose?” asking the random question while you and mark are laying in his backyard, just staring at the sparkling stars. you stretched an arm up, like you were trying to touch them. “i’d like to be like atom eve. her powers are almost god like, or just anything kinda mysterious slash magical. looks more fun than just brute strength.”
your free arm was pressed against mark’s chest, his fingers just mindlessly rubbing over skin and bone. “strength is good though, you know you’ll always be able to protect yourself and those close to you.” turning his head to the side, admiring you. someone he wants to keep safe and happy from this darkening world, but you don’t know that other side.
a smile spread across your lips, “with these new muscles you’ve suddenly developed i can see it.” now turning to rest on your side, hand propping up your head. “i’d definitely would have posters of your superhero persona on my walls. ‘oh he’s just so dreamy’.”
mark smiled shyly, “and you’d be a bombshell for anyone with eyes. but i’ll know that i’m the one you love, so i’m not bothered by some guys. but i’ll still protect you from creeps if you had the powers and i didn’t.”
his words made you feel mushy. leaning closer towards mark’s face, your puckered lips pressed into the cooling skin of his cheeks. dotting along his jaw leading to his nose, higher up leaving sweeping caresses on his eyelids. bits of your hair fanned over your profile, “wanna watch a movie? getting a bit cold and sleepy out here.” whispering to him.
he immediately moved from the ground, taking your outstretched arm and then effortlessly throwing you over his shoulders. you couldn’t help the loud surprised yelp leaving your mouth, “mark!” playfully hitting his back.
and mark retaliated by smacking your ass, the sting making a warmth grow in your stomach. “still wanna watch a movie?” he cockily remarked.
-
“look at you hottie! got a nice glow about you more these days.” william commented after you hugged him in greeting then sat across from him for your lunch hang.
digging your teeth in your bottom lip you had to withhold all the…intimate details from the night before. even if you do like having someone that also thinks your boyfriend is extremely sexy, but boundaries. “random mark related question, but do-do you think he’s gotten bulky lately? i swear he’s twice the size then he was about three months ago. not that i’m complaining though.” subconsciously thumbing over a blooming bruise on your thigh.
william shrugged, “he’s a straight guy with a girlfriend. probably just decided to really hit the gym one day, not that he was scrawny before, but you know.” and that ended mark related conversation for now. both of you just dived into work gossip or something either of you heard in the halls, trying to set up future plans with eve and amber also involved.
while you were laughing at a joke william made, you felt a sudden shaking. both of you went silent to tell if there was gonna be an after shock, but it was worse when someone was violently thrown into a building just across the street from the cafe. you and william ducked to the ground, legs turning to jelly at the sight of something so horrific just an arms length from you.
“we gotta go!” someone yelled in your ear followed with a yanking on your arms. your knees scraped the gravel as you tried to steady your self, barely taking a step before you were shoved to the floor causing an agonizing pain shooting through your muscles. “william!” calling for your friend who wasn’t in your sights.
what was in your sights was a mangled human, blood and spit dropping from their lips to the ground. a deep panting causing their chest to puff, huffs of thick air almost cartoonish from their nostrils. they reared their head then started rushing like a bull, it was like a horror scene where you want to run but just can’t take your eyes off the assailant. you thought this was the end, you just closed your eyes, waiting for any impact.
but it never came. your heart started pounding faster, eyes slowly fluttering open to see that monster straining against the resistance of invincible. you couldn’t see the hero’s full face due to the bright yellow mask disguising him, but you could see how his teeth were gritting together so hard they could crack. it was a tug of strength, invincible’s feet were planted firmly on the ground as he pushed most of his upper body forward.
“g-go! now!” he yelled out. he groaned due to the sudden distraction, grunting when the criminal tried pushing him off and he just pushed back. his jaw was flexed and you couldn’t help tilting your head to the side, a bit of curiosity seeping in.
“mark?” speaking your boyfriend’s name.
he looked down at you for a moment, “run!” then grabbed the monster’s head and rammed his knee into its face. he threw a fast punch into the chest causing him to create a bit of distance for the two of you. he gripped your upper arms, made sure your legs were okay, and gave a quick peck to your forehead. then he returned to the action.
watching a moment longer, fighting the conflict in your chest, turning on your heel you made your way towards the police barricade. looking over your shoulder you tried to catch sight of mark again, but two hands held your shoulders and turned you away from the destruction. “oh thank god,” william sighed as he pulled you in tight for a hug, your own arms taking a moment before wrapping around his waist and gripping his red shirt in your grasp.
“do you know about mark?” whispering into his ear. william jerked his head back, a furrow on his brow. “what about mark? did something happen?”
“mark and invincible in one sentence, what do you see?” trying for a different route. you took note of how his eyes kept darting, going from you to the conflict, and it was like you almost can see wheels turning in his brain.
“no, no there’s no way.” he stook his head, “you’re just stressed and there’s adrenaline running around. let’s get you home and we’ll call mark to check on him.” steering both of you further away, you sneaked a peek over your shoulder, barely a standing figure there invincible was. watching you walk away.
-
you just laid in your bed, eyes burning a hole in your ceiling while you rubbed your fingers over your elbows. small things were starting to piece together in your mind, new cuts and bruises popping up every other day, those dumb excuses of ‘oh forgot to grab my umbrella be right back’ when it was a sunny day. god the new build, how he’d somehow manages to find amazing authentic food in your boring town.
you were just blinded by mark. sure you never thought he was cheating or something like that, but sometimes yeah, you never really thought about his behavior. mark’s always been awkward.
a knock at your door filled the silent room. you didn’t bother responding since the door slowly creaked open, looking over just as mark meekly poked his head through the crack. those sad puppy eyes observing you, “can i come in?” his voice soft, patient.
“yeah,” a tiny crack on the a. mark moved slowly, trying not to startle a baby deer. he sat beside your hip, the bed dipping slightly from his added weight. a large hand hovering in the air before retreating back to his side, not sure what those turn of events caused.
“how’d you get home?” his first question. a deep sigh through your nose, “william drove me. funny how he parked further away cause there weren’t any spots.” barely a huff at the stupidity.
“do-do you want to talk about…invincible?” his second question. you stayed silent longer this time, out of anger or frustration or any other emotion you could be feeling at this moment. a laughed bubbled from your chest when you suddenly remembered yesterday’s conversation.
“what?” mark leaned in closer, inspecting you. tears gathered at your lash line, “we were freaking talking about if we had powers last night. that honestly could have been the best time to casually bring it up.” giving a half assed swat to his bicep.
the tension seemed to dissolve a bit since mark laid down behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist and tugging you back to fit snug against his toned chest. you easily intertwined your hands together over your stomach.
mark pressed a kiss to the base of your neck before setting his chin on your shoulder, “you know how it’s pretty common superhero’s don’t flaunt their identity, even to close family.” you hummed, already understanding why he wasn’t screaming this news from the rooftops.
“it would’ve been nice to at least know. it would be the same amount of anxiety without or with your powers, i get anxious when you disappear or-or just make terrible excuses.” barely sending a glance behind you, “you may be superhuman, but you still have a heart and brain, and those two organs are vital to your breathing. so if you just died one day out there i wouldn’t know or hear the real reason.”
your throat was getting choked up, it just hit you. he could die, every time he goes out there in that costume, he might not come home one day. “i can’t lose you this early, mark.” closing your eyes, wet tears kissing your cheeks in silent empathy.
“hey, hey.” there was a bit of shuffling then a hand to your face. “sweetheart, look at me please.” a scrunch of your features before fluttering your reddening eyes open to see mark peering at you. you brought your own hand to his left cheek, thumb rubbing under his eye and along his nose.
“i’ll always make it out a fight alive. will i look pretty? probably the complete opposite, but as long as i feel my heart beating and feel my chest moving, i’ll come crawling back to you.”
two pairs of eyes stared into the windows of their souls, simultaneously grieving all the unknown pain yet to come, all the joy that’ll make up just a fraction of your life. mark leaned in and pressed his lips to yours, you could feel a healing cut along his bottom lip. it caused a few more tears to spawn, but you chose to ignore them, you only wanted to focus on the now.
it’s weird going to a high school specifically meant for kids with superpowers, big or small, it makes the four years a little worse for tormenting. some kid got pants by a speedster, and when he tried to run his laces were tied together causing him to trip on the linoleum floor.
high school was hell.
you don’t even know why you go to the school, the ability to rearrange molecules causing them to phase shift wasn’t really great when you can only do small things. pretty sure there’s a rotting apple hiding in the science rooms walls.
at least you had close friends at the school. samantha wilkins, but she prefers her middle name eve more from peers. now that girl is a superhero, with the ability to see atoms and create limitless possibilities-such a badass. rex sloan was another…acquaintance if you could call him that. he causes explosions, big or small just by the touch of his fingers, number one trouble maker (he’s got his own seat in detention).
and then there’s mark grayson, son of omni-man. and he’s gifted with the ability to-to- no one is sure of that yet. for now he’s the only ‘normal’ kid attending the school due to his family status. and he happens to be your childhood best friend along with being neighbors, from séance dog role playing in his backyard to having him help you practice your powers at the age of seven. he was your biggest supporter.
“i feel this would make a killer magic act. maybe we could get into competitions!” mark bounced on his bed from excitement and you just smiled shyly, keeping your knees tucked close to your chest.
“i don’t know…it’s not really good if i can only do a paper clip. kinda lame power i have.” grumbling to yourself. your parents were veteran heros, always saving the world and stopping interglacial wars. you’d never raise to their level.
“hey,” mark poked a finger into your chubby cheek. you sided eyed him gently, no annoyance in your gaze just peering at him. “i think you’re cool.” you scuffed, “you’re just saying that cause your my friend. you’d understand if you had my powers compared to my parents.”
“you’re right, i’m saying that cause i’m your friend. but also i know what it’s like, comparing yourself to others. heck my dad is freaking omni-man! that’s the biggest comparison to date, but i don’t let it stop me. we’re still young, by high school things will be better.”
“hey killer.” blinking your eyes rapidly from a sudden memory, mark was walking into your space. the yellow collar of his shirt popping out to sit at the top of his dark blue striped sweater, one hand tucked into the pocket of his khaki pants. his hair was neatly combed with a bit of gel keeping it in place except for one stray hair that swayed in the wind, it made him look romantic.
“hi marky, ready for today?” talking in the courtyard as you waited for the bell to ring. today was a monthly powers assessment, there were two categories. hero and sidekick. eve and rex have been placed in hero specific classes while you and mark are sidekicks.
a crooked smile brightened mark’s pretty features, “i am actually. got a big surprise for everyone.” jumping his brows conspicuously. you didn’t have time to ask since the bell took its cue signaling the next period. you sighed, “let’s get this over with.”
-
“alright twerps! you know the drill by now. i’m gonna terrorize you and you best keep yourself intact cause i’m not calling the janitor for clean up duty. now first up…amanda johnson.”
everyone was silent, waiting to see the new meat. a young girl stepped through and onto the platform, she couldn’t be more than thirteen at least. coach just stared her down for a moment, “uh…how old are you?”
“seventeen but my powers cause my aging to turn backwards. now are we gonna do this or what?” you liked her. coach stedman just shrugged then blew his whistle loud, it was worse than a screaming cat.
a giant bus suddenly dropped from the ceiling and everyone gasped but then a cloud of smoke appeared and in amanda’s place was a giant green monster around eight feet maybe. murmurs went through the crowd at the mysterious creature, who set the dinged up vehicle to the side and turned back into the junior. she wiped her hands together, “anything else?”
coach stared wide-eyed, speechless for a moment before clearing his throat. “uh hero, but only do that when necessary. and instructed by your teachers.” and he waved her off calling up another girl.
she had short black hair and was wearing a tight purple top with a mini skirt. “katherine cha, how will you amaze us today?”
“actually i prefer kate and i duplicate.” her rhyme followed with a demonstration of five more exact replicas standing behind her, each one doing a different pose. “hero. now mark grayson, get your butt up here.”
you patted his shoulders, “be careful.” he just threw a smile over his shoulder as he walked onto the platform. coach crossed his arms followed with a deep sigh, “any new developments grayson, or are you still weaker than my eighty year old mother? at least she can lift ten pounds.” a small murmur and giggle spread through the crowd of on lookers while you just rolled your eyes at the comments.
all mark said was, “can she do this?” and started to hover off the ground then floated to the top of the gym ceiling before descending down. your jaw dropped, he got his powers, and didn’t tell you. coach stedman clapped slowly, “well well, nice show. anything else? super strength?” a mechanical dummy shot up and without a thought mark swung a fist causing the head to pop off and roll to the other side of the room.
it was silent then, “ladies and gentlemen, mark grayson, your new hero!”
-
“try grabbing a book through your locker. it’s not too thick a metal with a light object, just pretend it’s already open and there’s nothing in your way.” eve suggests while helping you practice your powers.
a deep exhale through your nose as you let the tips of your fingers rest against the cool light blue metal. you tried to make yourself feel weightless, just a simple breeze passing through the trees. you felt the spine of your book in your grasp, then quickly retracted your arm back to your side. a small paper back was your trophy.
“i-i did it. i did it!” thrilled at this achievement, small one, but one none the less for yourself. eve clapped beside you, “see just a little concentration goes a long way, in no time you’ll be joining me in hero classes.”
that got you to quiet down a bit, “apparently mark is getting that first.” a gasped followed, “no way! he finally got his powers?”
a nod, “yep. flying and strength, your typical hero package.” letting your fingers run against the aging paper, a baby frown staining your face.
eve hummed, “he didn’t tell you first did he? just gave everyone a big surprise.” understanding your sour mood.
“it’s not like he has to, but it would’ve been nice. i mean he was there when i accidentally fell through my bedroom floor thus causing me to sprain my ankle. why couldn’t he just hover outside my window?” pouting like a baby.
“why the hell did i just see grayson in my civilian protection class?” rex slides up beside you, casually throwing an arm over your shoulders. “did he finally hit powers puberty?”
eve rolled her eyes, “technically him and y/n are both biologically born with powers, while you and i have a bit of altered dna. it’s like growing plants, takes time and patience.”
“blah blah blah,” rex acting like his usual immature self.
…
a/n: just something i thought of. let me know if this is something yall would be interested in, just a more pg version of their world so more fluff less angst.
Platonic Cecil x gn!reader? Where Cecil is like father to reader and even tho he is not the best at feelings he tries to show how much he cares for reader and is genuinely concerned about their well being :33
wait you're cooking here.. i love this trope between them, mark lowkey needs a better father figure 😭 (scratch anything i said here i was sleep deprived bro 💔)
p.s i didn't forget about you twinnn i got your fic right hereeee
p.s (2) bro... i literally started writing this fic as a cecil x son!mark (PLATONIC) typa thing... lemme regather myself cause what is going onnnnnn
the fluorescent lights of the global defense agency buzzed overhead, a constant hum that had long since faded into the background of your consciousness. you sat at your desk, eyes bleary, fingers hovering over the keyboard but unmoving. reports stacked up like bricks around you— mission debriefs, threat assessments, personnel updates.
you hadn’t slept properly in days.
maybe weeks.
burnout wasn’t a sudden crash. it was like erosion. and you were crumbling, fast.
cecil noticed.
he always did, even if he didn’t say anything right away. you were one of the few people he trusted to handle sensitive intel, and over the years, he’d come to see you as more than just an operative. you were sharp, loyal, and stubborn in a way that reminded him of himself when he still had hair and a little less cynicism.
so when he walked into your office unannounced, hands in his coat pockets, you didn’t flinch.
you didn’t even bother to look up.
“report’s late,” he said, voice gravelly as ever.
you nodded slowly. “yeah, i know. i’ll finish it tonight.”
he didn’t respond immediately. just stood there, watching you with that unreadable expression. then, after a beat, he walked over and placed a steaming cup of coffee on your desk. not the sludge from the agency’s break room. real coffee.
from the place downtown you liked.
you blinked. “...you went out?”
“i have legs, don’t I?” he muttered. “figured you’d need it.”
you stared at the cup, then at him. “thanks.”
cecil leaned against the edge of your desk, arms crossed. “you look like hell.”
you softly laugh at his comment. “feel like it too.”
he sighed through his nose. “you’ve been pushing too hard. i get it—this job doesn’t exactly come with vacation days. but you’re no good to me half dead.”
you opened your mouth to protest, but he held up a hand.
“save it. i know what you’re gonna say. ‘i’m fine, cecil. just tired. i’ll bounce back.’” he mimicked your voice with a dry smirk. “you always say that. and then you don’t.”
you looked away, throat tight. “well i just don’t want to let you down.”
cecil’s expression softened, just barely. “kid… you couldn’t let me down if you tried.”
that hit harder than you expected. you swallowed, blinking fast.
"i’m not great at this emotional crap,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “but I care. about you. you’re family, whether you like it or not.”
you let out a shaky breath. “i don’t know how to stop. if I slow down, everything feels like it’ll fall apart.”
he nodded slowly. “that’s the curse of being competent. everyone leans on you until you collapse.”
then, in a rare moment of vulnerability, cecil reached out and placed a hand on your shoulder.
It was firm, grounding.
“you’re allowed to rest. hell, I’m ordering you to. take tomorrow off. absolutely no arguments.”
you stared at him as you seemingly held your breath. “you’re serious?”
“as a heart attack.”
you laughed weakly. “you’re really bad at pep talks.”
“yeah, well, i’m not your therapist. i’m your grumpy kinda dad who threatens world ending threats before breakfast.”
you smiled, the first real one in days.
cecil gave your shoulder a squeeze before pulling back. “go home. sleep. eat something that isn’t a protein bar. and if you need anything… you know where to find me.”
you nodded, heart lighter than it had been in weeks. “thanks, cecil.”
he grunted. “don’t make me say it again.”
as he walked out, you stared at the coffee, then at the door he’d just exited.
