Summary- Life goes on, even out here. Unfortunately that also meant all the more inconvenient aspects.
Warnings- None
"Hand me that socket wrench?"
You weren't entirely sure why he asked for your help on this. Mark was more than capable of the usual maintenance a ship this size demanded by himself. Aside from his… quirks his work was impeccable. Hell, you could probably find half a dozen other things that needed your attention more than handing him tools. You didn't mention it.
"This one?" You held one out to him, low enough that he could see it with the mass of machinery he was under.
"That'll work."
As he reaches out to grab it, his fingers skim along your palm. It's just for a second, hardly any contact at all. Still you startle, accidentally jerking the wrench back a bit.
"Sorry," you hurried to push it back into his hand, feeling ridiculous.
Your only response is a quick thanks, Mark quickly going back to his work. Mentally you slapped yourself. It was ridiculous to be this jumpy around one of your crew. You were their captain for crying out loud, this wasn't even appropriate. Why did you even say yes to this?
Apparently, Mark had been banned from using the power tools. For what reason you couldn't actually get out of him but the padlock on the storage cabinet they were kept in was enough of an answer. So, much to Mark's annoyance, he was forced to use exclusively manual tools. He'd grabbed you on your way to the bridge, pushing the old toolbox into your hands. The head engineer wouldn't hear any arguments. True, it wasn't technically your shift on the bridge but still.
Mark called your name, insistent. With a start you realized he had been for a while now.
"Sorry what?"
"I said this one's too big, can you hand me the half inch?" Then after a beat, "Are you okay? You seem… distracted."
"I'm fine," you focus on finding the tool he needs, ignoring how the man has his head at such an awkward angle to try and look your way. "Just thinking."
"About?"
"… everything," you said, keeping it vague. Unhelpful.
There were way too many ways that he could interpret that. The journey, the colony you were supposed to be leading, the loops. Plenty of actual, real world issues that could be occupying your mind. Certainly not your childish crush on the man. Really, it wasn't out of the blue that you found yourself getting closer to him. The adventure, the tears, the whole thing lead to an easy camaraderie you treasured. Or at least you'd thought it was just that. This, now? This didn't feel easy.
As you dig around in the tool box there's a dull thud, a muttered curse, and then the sound of fabric against metal as Mark worked his way out from under the machinery. You felt your face burn. While you were handy enough to fix some basic software issues you weren't familiar with the hardware. At all.
"Sorry," you apologize, scowling at the tool box like it was at fault, "can't find the right-"
"Tell me what's really wrong."
Your head shoots up and suddenly Mark was much closer than you realized. Were you that obvious? He was crouched down right next to you, brows furrowed and tapping his fingers against his knee.
"Nothing is-"
"Cut the shit, captain, I can read you like a book. Hell, you're a picture book." He ignores your insulted scoff. "You're distracted, you're fidgety as hell, and you're avoiding me like the plague."
"What?" You couldn't keep the surprise out of your voice and Mark's expression sours. "I haven't been avoiding you, I have a whole ship to run, Mark."
"Uh huh," the engineer seemed less than convinced. "And I'm sure you've got a good reason for assigning completely opposite shifts for us? I'm a night owl but this is a little ridiculous."
"The ship's been through it!" You said. Even you were able to pick up how defensive you sounded but it wasn't like that! "Just the small stuff will take a week or so not to mention trying to get the Invincible ready for planet fall-"
"Captain you haven't even been eating lunch with everyone," Mark cuts in, words quick and snappy, "and I remember coming in for breakfast and seeing you running right out. At the same time."
"Mark it isn't like that-"
"Well what is it like?" He throws his hands up. "Just tell me! This whole thing is just because you," he pokes you, none too gently at that, "haven't said anything and you clearly have a problem with me. So spill it."
On some level, you knew he was just frustrated. Probably due in part to the odd shifts you'd been putting him on and the resulting lack of sleep. But still something inside you wrankled at his words. It tugged at things that shouldn't be. Or maybe it was just the fact that the last time he blamed you for something…
"My only problem with you right now is that you're being an asshole, Mark. Just drop it!"
Blinded by the dizzying sting of what was going through your head, you don't pay attention as you stand up. Your foot lands on the wrench, that wrong sized one you hadn't put back into the box. It slipped with a rough clatter. Suddenly your feet weren't underneath you. You see Mark's eyes go wide, trying to catch you. From his half crouched position, he doesn't have the leverage to actually pull you up. So he goes down with you.
The two of you crash into the floor. Hard. You can feel the pattern in the middle digging into your back. Your elbows stung, you knew you were gonna bruise where your shin caught the machinery. The weight on top of you was solid and heavy for a moment, just a moment, before Mark was scrambling up and off of you. You're left on the floor, staring up at him. The view was one you'd experienced only one other time.
But this time he offered you a hand. It was a quick thing, almost like he'd forgotten in the midst of the embarrassment. Probably embarrassment right? His face did seem a little red.
"You okay?" He asks, louder than he intended apparently as he follows with a quieter, "Sorry. For- yeah…"
All you could muster was a shake of the head. Not only was that whole thing almost straight out of a rom-com, you were uncomfortably reminded of what happened in the warp core. Your brain hadn't decided how you felt about all that still.
"Right, well…" Mark said, slowly letting go of your hand. You hadn't realized he was still holding it. "Sure you have something better to do than acting as assistant."
You open your mouth to deny it on reflex but Mark was already turning back to his work. Whatever it was, it had passed. Another beat of hesitation. You could tell him. The warp core and afterwards, how you hadn't meant to avoid him, how you were just trying to figure things out.
But you didn't.
Swallowing those poisonous apologies, you bid him a quick and stilted goodbye before retreating. The what ifs were too many. It could go over well but on the other hand… You tried to ignore how loudly your footsteps echoed off the metal floor. They beat at your ears in condemnation as you decided to leave things where they were.
The next shift you actually worked on, you made sure the power tools were ready and available for him.
So basically I looked up love tropes and I'm gonna be writting the egos that I think fit into them :)
Rivals:
I'm thinking like Actor Mark after the events of WKM and like you guys go for each others throats but you were in love with him before WKM and you still kinda are.
Maybe also Dark but not so much in my brain.
God x worshiper:
Obviously god of night. He is literally a god and you are his worshiper. Do I even need to say more??
Has a dark side × loves them anaway:
Obviously Dark. Like you were there for WKM and after the events you always find a way to go back to him because you love him but he thinks you shouldnt cause hes evil and you're like "stfu"
Dumbasses in love:
Wilford x reader%
I think this one fits it perfectly. There is not much else to write about it. Just when I think of this trope that is exactly what I think about.
Sunshine x sunshine protecter:
Yancy x reader and probably Dark x reader.
I feel like for Yancy it could go either you being the sunshine or him being the sunshine I think it works both ways.
For dark he is definitely the sunshine protector. I can just imagine you're talking to someone and hes just standing behind you giving them a death glare.
Super cocky × tried not to fall for them but did anyways:
Illinois x reader. Man is so cocky. Like Imagine you are trying so hard not to think about him and his stupid smile or about how much you would love for him to hold you that you try to avoid him during adventures. He catches on to why its happening and then one day he just like kisses you or something idk. Idk about you guys but if that happened to me I'd just about die.
Friends to lovers:
Yancy x reader, Damien x reader, Head engineer x reader. I think this fits so many egos but these are my top three. Like when you first meet them you guys get along really well and become best friends but eventually you both catch yourselves falling for the other. Then you guys get together and you are the happiest ever.
Second chance:
Tbh I love this idea with Dark. Like Imagine you and Damien you're together or married if you would. But then everything goes down in WKM and you lose him. A while later you run into Dark and you instantly see Damien in him. At first Dark is against starting anything with you but he has Damiens heart and his heart calls for you so you start dating Dark and maybe get married again, if you will.
Fake Dating:
Damien x reader. This is before WKM. Imagine he is sick and tired of people trying to hook him up with their daughters or whatever at parties and one day he says he has a wife. Many people are shocked and they start bugging him about it. They ask for his wife's name and he says your name by mistake. They say that next party he has to bring you so now hes trying to explain what happened to you. You agree to be his fake wife for the night. You both have an amazing night and at the end of the night as he is bringing you home he starts confessing and stuff and then you kiss him.
Flirt x oblivious:
Illinois x reader. He is very flirty but you are kinda dumb and just don't pick up on it. He literally would say he loves you and you're just like "I love you too!" But he can tell that you mean it in a platonic way. Eventually when you confess to him this is how it goes.
"Look, I've liked you for so long but I was scared that you didnt feel the same way"
"I LITERALLY HAVE BEEN FLIRTING WITH YOU FOR MONTHS"
"Friends do that"
"I SAID I LOVED YOU"
"Friends do that"
"what about that one time when we were walking through a narrow path and we almost kissed while you were pressed against me?"
"Okay maybe friends dont do that..."
Overthinker x never thinks:
Head engineer Mark x reader. Let's be honest. There is not a single thought going on in Head engineer Mark's head. With the captain on the other hand thinks to much. There is not a single second that they aren't thinking about something. Especially when they think about something going wrong with the ship. Luckily for Mark the captain is there to think for the both of them.
"You do realize that it's not supposed to be like that?"
"What do you mean? Was it not always like that??"
Talks x listens:
Head engineer Mark x reader. Kinda goes back to the last one. I feel like there are many times that the captain and Mark are together and he will just be rambling.
"Oh, I'm sorrry captain, I dont mean to be a bother with my rambling."
"No, I want to know why you hope the new plant has a beautiful sky."
Long distance:
Yancy x reader. I'm thinking like during iswm. Reader is up in space doing Captain stuff and they miss Yancy so much. They told him that they were going to space camp cause they didnt want to explain what was actually going on. In case he started to worry. But they found a way to still keep in contact and write letters. It was tough not getting to see him in person but they knew when they got home Yancy would be able to come with them.
Temporarily one sided:
I feel like this one could fit many egos but I like Yacny x reader the most.
So you stayed in the prison with him and you guys were really close. You shared a cell and spent all day with each other. You had fallen for Yancy. It was easy too. He was clingy in a good way and always made you feel heard and comfortable. You didnt know how to tell him. He didn't realize you're feelings and he didn't recognize his at first. He didn't think it was love. He didnt really know what love was cause he had been starved of it for so long. Tiny helped him figure out and after awhile he told you.
Fell first x fell harder:
This but with Damien.
You and Damien were very close. He was you childhood best friend and now you worked by his side. His crush on you definitely started around you guy's teen years. Mark and William definitely teased him for it and Celine tried to convince him to tell you. But he never did. Around the time you guys graduated high school, you started to fall for him. You were completely smitten by him. Confused by how you went this long without noticing. It was hard to keep it in, so you told Celine.
"Omg finally. Tell him. He is in love with you and has been for years!"
After you did and you guys got together it was easy to tell that you were completely in love with him. You're guy's friends (Will and Mark) teased you by saying you were worse then Damien. It was true. You fell so hard for that man. (We all did. He's so pretty)
Workaholic x clingy:
I think this one fits Damien x reader and head engineer Mark x reader.
For Damien he is the workaholic and you are clingy. Like he'll come home from work and be like "I have work to do."
"Is it due tomorrow?"
"No."
"Then we can take a nap first."
And if the work is do tomorrow you'll but wrap up in his lap while he gets it done. Usually you fall asleep while he's working and he'll carry you to bed after.
For head engineer Mark you are the workaholic and he is clingy. You can not get work done around him. Especially if it's late at night. He will beg you to go to bed with him or pay attention to him and if that doesnt work he will pick you up and carry you to bed or away from your work.
That is all of them. I plan on writting actual stories for some of them so expect that. If there is any that you just want me to write let me know and I probably will if I wasn't already planning on doing it. Also I found the best photo of Damien earlier and I want to share it with you.
ISN'T HE BEAUTIFUL!!!!! I WANT TO GIVE THIS MAN THE BIGGEST SMOOCH!! God I love him so much.
a/n: I decided to write this specifically as you coming out to them after you've already been dating for a while so it'd be different enough from the Aro hcs thing I already did. We cool with that? Alright.
WILFORD WARFSTACHE
Like I've already said, he doesn't care what your sexuality/gender is, he's immediately accepting of you and your identity.
That really doesn't change if you're dating.
Boundaries can take a lot of getting used to for him; he's a very physically affectionate kind of person.
He tries his best tho and always apologizes if he realizes he's touching you in a way that you've said makes you uncomfortable.
There's really not much else to it, things just continue as normal.
DARKIPLIER
Doesn't care. (supportive)
It really doesn't affect your relationship at all.
He doesn't usually like people touching him apart from specific circumstances with those he trusts, so boundaries aren't really an issue.
Again, not much left to say.
GOOGLEPLIER
He'd probably recite the definition of asexual except it's like the one for reproduction.
He's not being a dick for once though, he's just genuinely confused.
After explaining it to him, he finds the right definition and is kinda just like: "...Oh yeah, me too."
BINGIPLIER
"...Like a plant?"
Yeah, he doesn't get it at first either.
"Ooohhhhh! Same, brah. Same."
ACTOR
I can't not see him as a little aphobic before the events of wkm, but considering he's now lived for over like a hundred years or something, he outta be a little less ignorant now.
I mean, he might not fully get it at first still, but he'd try his best to for you.
He'd never force you into something you're uncomfortable with like that anyway. If you really don't wanna have sex, he's not gonna throw a hissy fit over it. (even tho that does feel like a very actor mark thing to do)
Just remember to assure him that it has nothing to do with him specifically or it's gonna make him insecure. He's a narcissist, the love of his life not finding him attractive is gonna make an impact.
Very respectful about your boundaries despite being a touchy kinda person. If you're not okay with certain kinds of touches, just let him know.
Overall, it might take a bit for him to adapt, but his effort is at least endearing.
YANCY
As previously mentioned, he'll most likely already be familiar with it due to his very inclusive friend group.
He's at least knowledgeable enough to know that asexuality is a spectrum, so he'd probably ask you to explain what flavor of it you happen to be.
Very supportive!
He's never really felt like he needs sex in a relationship anyway.
He's honestly just happy you gave him enough of a shot to wanna be friends let alone date him.
Would stab an aphobe for you<3
ILLINOIS
Honestly surprised at first, he had no idea that was even a thing.
He's totally okay with it of course! He just didn't know you could have a relationship where sex isn't like...mandatory.
Similarly relieved as I've described before when you explain it to him. It's a welcomed change to be sure.
He'll hold back on flirtatious comments if they make you uncomfortable.
Tries his best to respect your boundaries. He feels lonely if you don't cuddle him at night tho.
Sexual intimacy has become something he dreads with meaningful relationships. He likes getting to focus more of his time on you as a person, making sure you feel loved, and just treasuring your time together.
Overall really supportive.
HEAD ENGINEER
A little awkward around the topic of sex I imagine.
Mostly cus you're still the captain so power dynamics and all that.
You're already risking a lot just by being together romantically, that kind of workplace relationship could definitely get you both in some hot water. No matter how temptingly scandalous it can seem.
This was basically the stuff that first came to mind once you told him and he almost felt relieved because of it. I mean, that's certainly a headache you shouldn't have to risk dealing with now.
Outside of logistic nonsense, he's very supportive all around.
Like I've said, he can sometimes overcompensate when it comes to boundaries, so assurance helps if that's not something that bothers you.
He came up with this like dorky way of quantifying things where basically he says any energy he'd put into sex he instead puts into cuddling you twice as much and- just- yeah-
MURDOCK
Very calm and reassuring if he sees you were anxious while telling him.
Even if you weren't he's pretty chill about it.
Every action of his is typically very calculated no matter the situation, even if in more of a purposely sporadic kind of way. So needless to say, he's pretty good about boundaries.
I mean, if you're in the middle of making a quick get away and end up having to get uncomfortably close to hide or something, that can't really be helped, but yk. (he'd make it up to you later anyway, probably something dinner related)
Headcanons of space!mark crushing over a sweet captain y/n.
His only duty is to make sure you're satisfied and proud of him whenever he risks everything to please you, he'd literally die for you if it means you'll give him a medal or a compliment once the loop restarts.
The first time you met he may not have thrown himself at your arms almost immediately like the other crew members, but he noticed the warmth on his cheeks rising and his heartbeat going faster. You're very attractive after all.
His love language is acts of service for sure I mean he'd literally risk everything just to help you, but if you ever did anything for him he'd be pretty thankful since he's used to helping and to him your help is like a way to say you love him too or at least he hopes so.
He's always trailing behind you until he has a task to fulfill and during all that time he can't help but praise you, and your amazing job as a captain even if you are a bit harder on him sometimes but he doesn't mind.
Everytime you've done the hard jobs just to make sure he leaves unharmed, his heart melted yet he couldn't help but grab your wrist gently to stop you since he doesn't want you to get hurt either. He might get scared sometimes but he'd be brave for your safety.
The first time you gave him a medal of honour for his hard work he literally had heart eyes, the simple feeling of your hands on his chest flustered him and your proud gaze for him had him blushing. He even let out an enamoured sigh for you.
Before he even got the opportunity to almost get frozen to death, you stopped mark and helped him put on a warm fluffy coat. You then saluted him saying words he always repeats in his head to get motivation.
“Good luck, Mark. Make sure you fix everything and don't take off your coat, I don't want my favourite crew member to be cold”
May I have headcanons on space mark being jealous everytime captain y/n praises or listens to somebody else but him?(like him having a bit of a crush on the captain and wanting to be their favourite crew member)
At first, Mark gave you the benefit of the doubt.
You were just being a great captain, being inspiring and kind to your whole crew. If you didn't have those qualities, why have such a position?
But he couldn’t help but notice how anything he did or said was merely brushed aside, while you praised everyone else.
Shit, you were even praising the Computer who he swears hated him.
“Computer can you-”
“No.”
“..cOMPUTER I DIDN’T EVEN GIVE YOU A COMMAND!!!”
“Computer, can you sweep for any approaching asteroids.”
“Sweeping.....sweep complete. No asteroids detected. Our course is clear, Captain.”
“Thanks, you’re awesome.”
“No u <3”
Mark just wants to s c r e a m even the goddamn Computer was getting more attention than him.
He’d punch the walls but doesn’t wanna risk a hull breach.
Honestly the only reason he’s this upset is because of his crush on you.
Of course, who wouldn’t fall for the charismatic gray Captain with beautiful gray eyes and gray hair?
Still, he feels like you look down on him as the engineer who’s gotta do all the dirty jobs you don’t wanna do.
But when he’s about to fix a coolant issue in cryo (and get himself nearly frozen to death), you stop him and put one of the coats around him in such a tender way.
“Can’t let my trusty head engineer freeze to death, can I?”
Lord, help this man. He’s swooning already.
He just grins and fixes the issues no problem, all giddy and shit.
'Finally.' He monologues. 'I'm their favorite crew member for sure!'
Summary: The Captain (you) has had enough of this god-forsaken loop. And it's about time that they told someone.
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Fluff???
Word count: 4k+
Paring: (Sort of) Head Engineer Mark / [Gender Neutral]Captain, written platonic but it's up to your interpretation :D
A/N: Bolded and Italicized words are thoughts, I wasn’t sure how else to show that since using the same tag started to feel a little repetitive. Got a little carried away, but its whatever. Also my first time posting one of my self indulgent fics, so let me know if you want more and if there's anything I should work on.
All you wanted to do was to get the colonists and your crew to your new home as quickly and as safely as possible. It all sounded so easy. But not one of your previous missions or any of your training could have prepared you for this.
Everyone was gone.
You woke up in your cryo pod, alone. Disturbed and very worried, you had searched across the entire ship, checking every cryo pod aboard the Invincible 2. Yet you couldn’t find a single person. You were completely and utterly alone, drifting in the middle of space. The warp core had malfunctioned, and the ship's power failed days ago. The silence that surrounded you felt suffocating, the only sounds you did hear were the groaning of the ship's hull, and the echoing of their screams. Their cries and pleas for you still rang in your ears.
After countless deaths, and a seemingly never-ending repeat of the same days, you wanted nothing more than for it all to stop. That this time, after you fell asleep, you wouldn’t wake back up. The ship's oxygen was running low. Finally giving in you let your back slide down the cold hull of the Invincible. Your mind, foggy and tired, slipped into sweet unconsciousness.
“Good morning Captain. Coffee’s on route. Ship’s status is, nominal.”
You woke up, right back in your cryo pod. You slid to the floor, you brought your knees to act as a platform for your head. Your hands ran through your hair, while it was previously greasy with dust, blood, and sweat, it felt soft and clean between your fingers. Nothing had happened here, not yet at least. Your hands held onto the back of your neck, pressing your head further into your knees. That cursed announcement. Its false hope had tricked you to keep moving forward, and you debated staying put. A shaky breath escaped your lungs, sounding more like a frustrated sigh.
“Captain?” You lessened the grip on your neck upon hearing his voice. That’s right, of course he’d be okay.
“I’m not sure if you’re awake yet, but it looks like we’re rapidly approaching our destination! Still a way out but-” he paused, listening to the rustling of a stiff uniform coming from inside the pod, “-no time like the present for a fresh cup of coffee! And we might as well run a ship-wide station check since we’re up.”
The joints in your knees and back felt stiff as you fought with them to stand. The aftermath of running and being thrashed around from violent explosions and shakes still lingered in your body. Every inch of you begged for real sleep, a true moment of rest. However, you would tell yourself “Not yet, Mark’s out there. I want to see my crew alive first.”
The cryo pod door opened with a hiss, your boots created a gentle thud against the ship's linoleum floor. While you tried your best to hide the look of general disdain and exhaustion, Mark, your head engineer, couldn’t ignore how tired you looked. “Captain? You alright-”
“Yes, thank you, Mark.” His eyes lit up, he was surprised, very very surprised.
Across the many events and meetings, you were a part of, your reputation stood strong. Very few had ever heard you speak, aside from your “great” speeches, it was known that you had kept to yourself over the years. Referred to as “the silent one” all throughout your years of schooling and training. You led successfully with very few words, since, unless it was an emergency, words were never truly required for your job.
“I- I um, uh” he fumbled. Clearing his throat he continued, “the ship is due for some, um, routine maintenance.” His initial concern for you fled as quickly as it had formed. With a firm pat on his shoulder and an agreeing nod, he took to the main terminal, typing in various commands to wake up the remaining crew.
You flinched as he approached the terminal, expecting it to combust as he touched it. You reminded yourself that those events had no effect on this current loop, if the terminal were to set fire it would have done so sooner, like it had in previous attempts.
After a moment, you followed the flustered engineer, monitoring his actions over his shoulder, as a captain would. He, while being close to your height, seemingly shrank quite a few inches. You let out a hearty laugh as you patted his mid-back, somewhat forcing him to stand straight. Smiling at him, you allowed yourself to push the unpleasant memories as far away as you physically could. “No use for those now, they won’t help you.” He straightened his posture, confidence returning to his face.
You weren't entirely sure why, but most people took a liking to you rather quickly. While you were fairly oblivious when it came to romantic advances, the fact that a large majority of your crew seemed in awe when you were first introduced gave you enough of a hint. Considering more than one tried to throw themselves into your arms was evidence enough.
One would think that being practically silent would make someone seem unreliable and secretive. However it seemed to have had the exact opposite effect on you, as even in your younger years, you were trusted with a leader's role. It was exhausting, but you couldn’t deny that it felt good to be so trusted.
After a while of calling the Invincible’s crew to the control room, they began to trickle in. Most were groggy or disoriented, as was a common symptom of cryo sleep. As they stood together on the makeshift stage in front of the window. You had to physically stop yourself from sealing the blockhead, preventing them from getting sucked through the glass into the vastness of space. “No, don't. Everything is FINE.” Once everyone had finally gathered in front of you, waiting for Mark to begin the announcement, you took the opportunity to speak first.
“Good ‘morning’ everyone! I know that it is a little early to be waking up, but considering our distance from our final destination, I wanted to be absolutely sure that everything is in proper working order before we get any closer. That being said, I also wanted to personally thank and congratulate each and every one of you.”
You held back a laugh at the reactions of your crew at your impromptu speech. While the reactions were the same at every speech you gave, you couldn’t help but find it funny each time.
You cleared your throat before continuing,
“Space, in and of itself, is a treacherous and unforgiving front. One wrong choice and it’s game over. I have had the responsibility of leading an immense amount of missions in space, and I have become painfully aware of the risks. And while knowing this can cause a reasonable amount of doubt in any person, I have the greatest pleasure to be leading such a remarkable crew.”
You take a few steps forward, smiling at them. “And honestly I could not have asked for a better group of people. Your determination and love for this mission has shone through at every uncertainty. Now, I would also like to acknowledge the crew leads, as they have the responsibility of managing their sector as well as having to work alongside you all.-” You look from Burt, to Gunther, to Celci, and finally to Mark. You take a deep breath before you continue, you throat beginning to burn from the effort of talking,
“-I couldn’t be prouder of the work you’ve all put into this mission. That being said, I would like for each section to run a full inspection. We won’t know our landing conditions until we get there, so let's make sure that we’re prepared for whatever may come our way. Once your areas are finished and I’ve checked in, take a moment to eat some real food, and then head back to your pods. The next time you’ll hear from me, we will be landing on our planet. So, go get some real food and get let’s this mission finished!”
It takes your crew a moment before they fill the small room with excited cheers and chants. While the shock was still present on their faces, your speech definitely boosted the crews' confidence.
As they passed you, heading back to their respective stations, many of them exchanged salutes or high-fives as they exited. The last to leave were the crew leads. Their faces reflected their trust and admiration for you. They were happy to hear the promised speech that was interrupted before they entered the wormhole.
You turned back to them, a grin present on your face. You were rapidly running out of energy, speaking, let alone a full speech, was an exhausting thing on in and of itself, but along with everything else that you've gone through, you weren't entirely sure how you were still standing straight.
They would want to speak with you personally before leaving. You couldn’t fault them for that, you were their Captain after all. Still, part of you had hoped that they would have left by now.
Their shoulders instinctively rolled back, hands placed either by their sides or at the small of their backs, standing at attention. Walking forward, your hands rest on Mark’s and Celci’s upper arms. You cleared your throat quietly, “I mean it when I said that I was proud. Just please stop fighting with each other-” Everyone chuckled other than Celci and Mark, embarrassment evident as they looked away from each other, grumbling to themselves. “-this was- no is a team effort, it takes everyone to run the ship, and it’ll take a strong team to successfully set up and run a colony. I expect you all to be a part of that when the time comes, but for now though, go join your groups. I’ll come in and check shortly.” They break away, exchanging their gratitude with you as they exit through the control room door.
The room became so much quieter as the door shut, separating the rest of the ship from yourself and Mark. Your hand ran over your throat, messaging it slightly, as if trying to rub away the ever-growing ache.
It had been a long while since you had spoken at all, during the last few loops there wasn’t time to stop and talk between the constant emergencies, not like there was much to talk about anyway. To say that you were out of practice was an understatement, and “waking up” from cryo did not help.
“Captain, that was- that was amazing! I haven’t heard one of your speeches in years! And for one of them to happen on my, sorry, our ship, is truly exciting! Did you see-” He continued to ramble and rant, pacing back and forth in front of the window. His enthusiasm was endearing, not quite cute, but it was sweet to see how one of your speeches had an effect on someone close to you.
Without warning, a wave of dizziness swept over you, a loud ringing present in your ears. You reached for the terminal to stop yourself from falling. “No no no nonono, come on breath.” Your vision was going dark, your heartbeat rang in your head.
He turned back to you, slowly ending his rant. He was so caught up in his own excitement that he hadn't noticed you gripping on to the terminal, leaning the majority of your weight against it. Your knuckles had gone white as you held onto the edge, just barely able to hold yourself upright. Your body was being pulled under by an ocean of exhaustion and stress.
“Oh god why now? I just need to make it a little more. Just perform a routine check. That’s all there is, you’ve done them a thousand times before.” You were in your own world at this point. “Just check in and then you can sleep. Please let it be this time. Please let me finish this loop this time-”
“Captain?”
Your mind snapped out of whatever trance it was in. As you regained focus, you felt Mark's hand against your shoulder. He was looking down at you. Knowing him over many years, and after meeting at a conference going over the details of this very mission, going to bars and meetings, you had never seen your friend so worried before.
“Hey, Cap. What's going on? You look, eh, not well.”
“I-” Your voice broke, struggling to repress a sob “-I’m fine- Mark, really tired, is’all.”
You tried to push him away from you, but in doing so you noticed that the support from his hand was keeping your upper body stable. You staggered as he spoke,
“I don’t think I believe that. You know that you can talk to me.”
Before you could argue a crew member opened the door. You quickly stood straight, or as close to straight as possible. “Hey Captain! All stations are ready when you are!”
Swallowing hard you nodded at them. “Just a little more”.
Following behind them, Mark tugged back on your uniform. “Captain please.”
You were stopped as his other hand held your wrist. “Talk to me.”
His eyes pleaded with you. You mustered together a smile, “After.”
He hesitated, fully aware that he couldn’t stop you. You were stubborn, and he knew that. He looked over your face again. Now getting a better look at your expression he could tell that your smile was pained. You were faking it for the crew. Before he let go of you he looked you in the eyes as said a simple, “Okay.” He gave you a small smile before you turned to leave.
You left the room, followed directly by Mark.
As you made your way from room to room he watched your every movement. He was always standing either directly behind or at arms length away from you, prepared to catch you if you needed it. Whatever was eating away at you, you obviously didn’t want the crew to notice it. So, he didn’t pry. You would tell him like you said you would, he figured that you just needed time. He tried not to do anything but listen, but he began to step in when your crew mates decided that they wanted to hear more from their captain. Unknowingly to you, he shot subtle glares at those who tried to push at you.
You fell into a routine of only reaffirming his responses with nods. You didn’t want to disappoint your crew, but then again, Mark had taken it into his own hands to keep you from talking.
During the walk back to the control room, he noticed that you held onto the back of his uniform. Whether or not you knew that you were holding onto him was up for debate, but he refrained from mentioning it. Perhaps you just needed to remind yourself that he was actually there.
Once the two of you reached the control room door he turned to face you. “I’m going to meet with the crew leads before they head back into their pods. I’ll meet you inside okay?”
You nodded, stepping inside. You slid down against the lockers, taking deep breaths trying to calm yourself. Your eyes clamped shut, just trying to focus on breathing. After an unknown amount of time passed, the sound of the door opening grounded you back to reality. You didn’t open your eyes to look as you heard Mark close the door behind him.
“Hey…” he said softly, kneeling down next to you. While you hated it, small tears pricked at your eyelids as you opened them.
“Hey, hey. What's wrong? And you can't say that there's nothing wrong, because there definitely is something. In all of our time together I've never seen you so upset.”
You turned your head away from him, not wanting him to see how pathetic you felt. You knew that you owed him an answer, but you weren't sure if he’d believe you. In the past loops he would sometimes remember, others not so much, but he’d shown no signs of it this round. You didn’t want to look like a crazy fool, especially not when everything seemed to be going so well.
He grabbed your hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I’m really worried about you.”
The damn you so carefully constructed broke, bringing up the other hand to desperately trying to cover your face as you wept. Your chest and shoulders shook with your shallow, uneven breaths.
“F-fuck -I, I’m sor-sorry. I t-tried so so hard to keep it, it together. I did-didn’t want any of you t-to see your Captain a mess like t-this.”
He was shocked, not sure what to do except just listening to you.
When you eventually let him, he brought you in close to him so he could hold you. During your friendship on earth, he often showed his appreciation and encouragement through touch, not that it bothered you, but you had missed it during your times away from each other.
His arms wrapped around you as you spoke of terrifying events. He rested his forehead against the back of your head as you recounted every time that you saw either him or one of the others die in front of you. He, occasionally, would shush you, like a mother would to a distressed child, reminding you that “it was okay now” and to “breathe”.
How long had you gone without talking to someone, how long had you felt the need to bundle all of this pain and distress up inside of you. As you started to calm back down he let you hold on to him tighter. You managed to get a full breath in. Muffled in his uniform he heard you finally say, “I can't lose everyone again. I can’t lose you again. I only ever wanted to get everyone to our new home, now I’m trapped in a never ending loop, watching the people I care about get killed over and over again, dying over and over again.” After a pause you said even quieter, “I don’t want to be left alone again.”
He was confused at first, he didn’t remember any of that. Why would he have left you alone? According to his memories, he had practically glued himself to your side once you boarded the Invincible. But, as if a flashbang went off in his head, he recalled everything. He remembered getting thrown out of the ship's window. He remembered getting shot, surprisingly, more than once and by different things. He remembered dying, over and over and over again, even by his own choice. He remembered you, throwing yourself out of the airlock in a desperate attempt to fix things.
He remembered all of it.
And at the center of it all was you. His dear friend, the one that he trusted above even himself, trembling and pleading for whatever was causing this to stop.
“God, please don’t disappear again, don’t die again, please don’t go. I never wanted you to see this, I wanted to prove that I could take it, that I deserved to be in charge, that I could fix this. But I don’t know if I can.”
Looking back down at you, he saw someone so brave and determined that they felt that they could fix everything on their own. He saw someone so stunning and confident enough to woo and impress anyone that they wanted. He saw his most beloved Captain, who trusted him in setting up this mission. He saw his closest friend, who had been broken and beaten way too many times. “I won’t. I actually don’t think I can leave your side.”
“What if, when I get back in that pod, and I close my eyes, you’re gone again. What if I wake up and we’re back at the beginning of this god forsaken mess? Or if everyone is already dead? My sole purpose is to keep people safe and to lead them to safety, and even that seems impossible now. I feel that I’ve failed everyone.”
He leaned back so that he could look you in the eyes. Compassion and love radiated from the look he gave you.
“Now you listen to me Cap’. In no possible way have you failed anybody, Sure, we’ve both made some, questionable, decisions, those were the cards dealt to us. Y’a can’t blame yourself for having a bad deck.” He wiped away some of the tears that remained on your cheek with his gloved hand. “I could tell you for hours of what you’ve done for us and how incredible of a person that you are. Like, ok so we don’t have hours but I’ll keep this quick, you buried all of this pain and guilt deep down in your gut, just so we would get excited about our progress. You encouraged us to keep doing well with praise and with your speech, when it physically hurt you to do so. And while I wish you had confided in me earlier, I understand why you felt the need to keep your head high. But please understand that letting all of those feelings out doesn't make you ‘pathetic’, especially not in my eyes. I’m your head engineer after all! I trust you and your judgment, even more so than my own!” The two of you shared a light chuckle, “And even if it was to all restart, I’d still be there for you. I’m here for you, both as your head engineer and as your friend. You won’t ever be alone like that again, okay?” He smiled, lifting your chin up slightly so you would look at him.
While hesitantly, you smiled back. After a moment, he laid your head back against his chest as he lifted you both up. “Okay Captain, there we go-” He lets you hold on to him as you regain your balance on your feet. “-I think it’s time for us to return to our pods.” He was stopped from turning away as you still held his arm against your body.
Looking you up and down, he playfully sighed, “But, if you’re still worried about me leaving you, once again I would never, I think that there's room enough for us both. Celci said something about them having to be big enough for people to sit comfortably if need be, so be sure to thank her.” He had a smug look on his face after suggesting that one of her ideas was “good”, but he pushed past it. “I don’t mind sharing a pod, but only if you’re okay with it of course.”
Nodding, he walks you over to your pod.
He steps into it first, making sure to leave you enough room to get comfortable. While theoretically yes, there was enough room for the two of you, there was an awkward space as you stood slightly apart from him. You folded your arms in front of your chest, he huffs, bringing you into a tight hug. Eventually you relax into his embrace, letting your own arms unfold and wrap around his body.
The cryo pod hums to life, as the warmth from your companion and the pods chill gently begins to lull you to sleep. As you feel your mind fill with fog, you feel Mark hold onto you a little tighter, he whispers something into the crown of your head. Barely able to hear it, you make out a quiet, “I’ve got you, Cap. I’ve got you.”
With that, your mind slipped into sweet unconsciousness.
And when you did eventually wake up, he was still holding on to you.
Just like he promised.
Unlike every other time you woke up in that pod, this time you heard his voice replacing the computers.
Hello! So i have this idea for iswm and i would love to request it!
Ok like its canon that the captain is attractive, right? Then how about a fic where one of the crew members have a camera, and so like they have this secret competition for pictures with the captain? And the picture where the captain does something most attractive wins. Maybe there is a picture where the captain folds their arms in a cool way or maybe a picture where the captain puts an arm around a crew's shoulder which made them freak out the rest of the week and that picture wins. The captain is not aware of the competition, but the captain is aware that they are seen as attractive, so they didn't mind when people wanted to take pictures with them. In the end, the captain finds out about the competition, they're like "oh.. so that's what this is about?" And they just laugh it off, playing along and saying flirty stuff like "you're really swooning over me doing that, huh? I could've done more, but i don't think you're all ready for that"
Oof im sorry if this is too long or too detailed. I had this idea for a while and think it would be pretty cute haha
Capture the moment ( ISWM Mark X Captain)
+Main 3 crew simping for the captain
Summary- Mark, Gunther, CC, and Burt have a competition to see who can get the best photo of the captain looking good. The captain knows they are taking pictures of them, but not why. When the captain finds out Mark gets more than winning the competition.
TW's- LONG ( about 3,000 words), pictures being taken of captain but they don't mind, being caught kissing, very slight sexual innuendo if you squint, flirty captain, the crew simping for the captain, just fluff.
Masterlist
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Thank you so much for requesting, I had so much fun with this (maybe too much it is kinda long). I've been obsessed with ISWM rn and I've been itching to write for him. I was so excited to get this request! I mostly followed it, just kept it to the main crew ( Mostly) and it's mostly pictures of just the captain but you can imagine there were a few with the crew! I'm super happy with this and hope you enjoy it. Also, Mark Isn't written as Actor in this, but you can read it however you want!
Thanks for requesting anon <3
Everyone on the Invincible II knew your name. You are the kind and strong captain, who knows what they're doing, everyone respects you. Though their respect for you was not why they would (on occasion literally) throw themselves at you. You were very aware that the crew found you very attractive, it was no secret. So when the crew started to take photos of you, you didn’t give it too much thought. If it made them happy, you didn’t mind at all.
What you didn’t know was that there was a competition going on.
About a week ago Burt, Gunther, CC and Mark were working on the computer, while you went around the ship to check in with the rest of the crew. For some reason the computer started to glitch and it affected all of the areas of the ship, so Mark had them come in and help reset part of the system.
While Mark and Gunther were reprogramming the computer, CC and Burt talked. Burt was certainly a well spoken man ( At times ) and it seemed today he was going on about the beauty of space. CC didn’t mind listening at all, and quite enjoyed it. She (too often) had to deal with Mark and Gunthers yelling and Burts tangents were a nice change of pace.
Burt moved from his place by CC to in front of the window, outlooking the stars. CC followed and as she took her place next to him he said
“ Space is home to my lonely heart. When times are rough and I wonder if it was worth it to come to space I think of a poem my Grandmother would tell me,” He paused, a soft smile on his face, “On foot,I had to cross the solar system. before I found the first thread of my red dress. I sense myself already. Somewhere in space hangs my heart, shaking in the void, from it stream sparks,into other intemperate hearts.” CC placed a hand over her heart after hearing the beautiful poem.
“ A beautiful poem by Edith Sodergan.” he continued, “ Space is truly a beautiful wonder.” As he finished he pulled out a small camera from his pocket and snapped a photo.
This initially got the attention of Mark and Gunther to CC’s disappointment. Mark snapped his head up and to no one's surprise hit his head on the underside of the monitor.
Gunther after laughing at Mark, turned to Burt asking,
“ Burt, How long have ya had that camera?” He slid a cigar into his mouth and lit it. Burt shrugged his shoulder, “ The whole time, I don’t know how you havent noticed I wasn’t exactly hiding it. “
CC shook her head and answered, “ It's because these two knuckle heads were too focused on trying to blow things up.” Mark of course was offended, but before he could make a comeback Gunther put a hand over his mouth.
“ Ya think we could see the photos that you have on there, eh Burt.” He asked, seeing it was a digital camera. Burt nodded and put the picture up on a small tablet that was in the room.
Most of them were of the crew or parts of the reactor, but one stood out to all of them.
It was a picture of you, their captain, with a soft smile on your face on the bridge looking out onto space. The light of a nearby moon illuminated your features with a soft glow. Almost immediately they were asking Burt if he had any more pictures of the captain. He did not, but he said he could take more.
“ Well what If we want to take a picture of Captain, I’m sure I could get an amazing candid being their second hand and always being around them.” Mark stated, hands on his hips. CC shook her head,
“ Yeah we’d let you take pictures if we wanted blurry unfocused shots. You know nothing about cameras, Mark.” She argued, “ I, on the other hand, have experience with cameras, considering I set up the security cameras in each of the cryo pods.” Gunther let out a hefty laugh at this.
“ Like you’d be able to hold the camera steady. Obviously I'd be the best for the job, I’m great at targeting and holding things steady. “ Gunther said waving a gun, “ I also have quite the experience in “shooting””. Everyone let out a groan at the bad pun. CC offered a solution,
“ Well, How about this? Everyday someone gets to have the camera and we can all try to get good photos of the captain. “ Burt shrugged and pointed out, “ Not like that would be hard, They are quite stunning.” The others shook their heads in agreement.
Mark’s face then lit up, and he said “ What if we made it a competition? Whoever gets the best picture of the captain they win. “ Gunther shook his head,
“Burt would obviously win, it's his camera, he knows it best.” Gunther agured, and Burt shook his head and offered,
“ What if it’s whoever captures the captain's beauty/ and or handsomeness best?” Burt offered.
Everyone one else murmured agreements.
Mark clapped his hands together, “ Then It’s settled whoever has the best picture of the captain wins.”
On the first day CC had the camera. The majority of her pictures were of you working. Her favorite picture was of you looking over the colonist being illuminated by the cool lighting of the room as you placed a gloved hand on the window fog around your body. She had been pretty confident she was going to win this.
The next day was Gunther. He spent the whole day making you laugh and smile, mostly illuminated by the light of the ADS system. He was scheduled to show you how well the ADS was working and this meant you and him watching a bunch of asteroids get blown up by big ass lazers.
The smile on your face when he handed you the control and let you shoot a few asteroids down was amazing and a close second to his favorite. You had put down the control and smirked as you looked at the destroyed steroids with your arms crossed. You looked like you came straight out of an action movie that for some reason would always cast the most attractive people to be the main character. Gunther had to take a picture.
You knew they were taking pictures of you, it was obvious. You didn't mind though, you would love to have pictures to remember the time in space. (Not like you would forget but still).You didn’t try to pose though, You had important work as captain and couldn't be posing all day as much fun as that would be.
As the next day came it was finally Mark’s turn, to say he was excited was an understatement. He was practically bouncing off of the walls and this put you in a good mood. Mark was always positive but seeing him excited made you happy. It reminded you of how amazing it was that you were both here in space.
As the day went on Mark took pictures everywhere and of everything you did. He had a picture of you sleepy and drinking your coffee, but he also had a picture of you giving out orders with a kind but determined look on your face. He wasn’t lying when he said he would take candids of you. He had one of you sipping your coffee and looking at him from the mug, one of you giving finger guns to Gunther. He was so proud of them all, but then the best picture came.
You were walking to Life support, a small hobby of yours was tending to the plants in there when you had free time. Though as you opened the door you saw Burt’s second hand Tyler. Much like Burt he was calmer and more kept to himself, so you were surprised to see him there. It was after what was considered the “Work” day for them, which is why you were wearing a simple black shirt and your normal black pants. Mark usually hung around you after the work day had ended, not that you minded at all.
“ Oh Hello Tyler, what brings you here?” you asked picking up a watering can, Tyler rubbed the back of his neck standing in front of an area that held plants.
“ Well Captain, while Burt and I were collecting samples from passing planets we found something that I thought you might enjoy.” Tyler blushed a bit , “ This is just a gift from Burt and I thank you for being a good captain. “
Tyler stepped to the side and it was revealed he had planted a glowing white flower, shaped similarly to your favorite flower. You placed a hand over your heart, as you walked over to the plant.
“ We did scans and we are a hundred precent sure it is safe to have aboard.” he said as you gently ran your fingers over a petal, the petal turning your favorite color. ( Mark did take a picture of this of course).
You stood up with a soft smile, you wrapped an arm around his shoulder in kind of a side hug and said, “Thank you, this means alot to me Tyler.” Your kind eyes sparkled, colors from different plants lit your face, but the most noticeable was the glow of the new flower. Mark quickly took a picture, and then for the first time that day put the camera away and watched with a smile. He thought you deserve so much more than you're willing to accept, so it’s nice seeing this. A soft smile covered his face as he looked at your beaming smile, no picture could ever do you justice. There was no way to capture the feeling of the moment with a camera.
You released Tyler to get a closer look at the flower and Mark had to stifle a laugh. Tyler stood there face red, mouth slightly agape, and his body as stiff as a board. Mark put a hand on his shoulder. Tyler turned to him and quietly but quickly said,
“ I’ve gotta go.” Tyler rushed out of the room, Mark shrugged and turned back to you.
The rest of the night was you two talking about plants in the life support room.
The next day it was Burt's turn. He mostly took pictures of you interacting with the crew. Though he did get a nice photo of you looking at the reactor, which he personally loved. He wasn’t able to take many pictures as it was a busy day, though it was worth it to have the next day “off”.
As the next day rolled around it was finally time to look at the pictures of you and it was fair to say everyone was excited. You had no idea what was going on as of the moment. They had all decided to meet in the cafeteria and go through the photos.
The whole time they were commenting about how amazing you looked, and how it was crazy how you looked this good all of the time. Light blushes on each of their cheeks as they went through the photos. That was until they landed on Mark’s photo of you on life support.
Everyone's jaws dropped as they looked at the photo. Everything was amazing, your smile, slight blush, your casual clothes, and the lights dancing in your eyes.
As if on cue you walked into the cafeteria and saw the group of people. You walked over and placed a hand on Mark’s shoulder,
“ Hey, what’s going on….” Your voice drifted off as you saw what they were all looking at. You blushed a bit and motioned for Mark to move so you could sit next to him, which he did.
“ Wow, I didn't think I could look that good.” you commented. You then asked Burt,
“ Do you think I could look at them?” You were aware Burt had a camera and would occasionally take pictures, but considering the amount of time you saw that camera the last week you were curious.
They handed you the camera and you started to go through the photos, they were all of you? A surprised look appeared on your face,
“ Not that I mind much, but is there a reason why there are so many pictures of me?” you asked light heartedly, before continuing “ If you wanted to get a close look you all could’ve just asked.” you let a small smirk fall on your face, as the rest of them blushed.
“ Uh, well, Captain, we all had a competition to see who could get the best picture of you.” CC said, and Gunther interrupted with,
“ We all thought we could get the hottest picture of you and so we had a competition is what she really means cap’n”
You let out a little laugh, “ Oh, so that's what this is about huh?” They nodded their heads yes, and your smirk turned into a smile.
“ Well I must say, I am flattered you all.” you then looked down at the picture of you that Gunther took with your arms crossed,
“ So you find me doing my job hot , huh? ” you teased Gunther and for the first time he went speechless.You let out a small laugh,
Though you found yourself looking at a picture Mark took of just you looking at the plants..
“ I was just looking at plants.” You turned to mark with a smirk, “ you're really swooning over me looking at plants, huh? I could've done more than look at plants with you Mark, but I don't think you're ready for that yet, head engineer" You winked and slung an arm around his shoulders. Mark turned red, the other laughed a bit. Though the conversation quickly changed to possibly taking some pictures of other crew members and printing out the picture they took.As the conversation went on you eventually removed your arm from Mark’s shoulders. Though Mark couldn’t hear any of the conversation.
His senses were overwhelmed by you, your stunning smile, eyes shining brighter than any star, and your calming voice that sounded like heaven to him. He could smell the body mist you wore everyday, the one he got you as a gift. As if he wasn’t yearning for you enough, you turned to him and gave him a soft smile. He took a deep breath as you placed your hand over his, moving to sit closer to him. All he could feel was your leg pressed against his and your hand on his. Your ungloved hand holding his. He honestly thought he was going to explode, the one coherent thought he was able to form was,
“ I think I love them.”
Eventually the others left to enjoy their day off. Not that Mark noticed, all he noticed was you turning to him.
“ You okay Mark? You were unusually silent.” you asked, he gulped and spoke
“ Yeah, um, yeah I’m doing great captain.” you blushed a bit before saying,
“ Uh, I wanted to say this sooner but I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable earlier with my flirting. “ A sheep smile on your face. Mark’s eyes wided before he shook his head and exclaimed,
“ No, No, No I was absolutely comfortable with it, captain. It was amazing, You're amazing.” his face turned red as he registered what he said. Before he could say anything you looked at him in surprise, before quickly taking his hand and leading him to the life support room. You needed to be alone with him for this.
“ I’m sorry I didn-” marked started before you cut him off,
“ Did you mean it?” you asked,
“ Mean what?” he questioned
“ Do you …think I'm amazing?” you clarified and gently took his hand standing in front of him. Mark took a deep breathe before answering,
“ I do, you're the most amazing person I know. You're kind, strong, funny, smart and loyal. You're the best captain, but you're also the best person I know.” He gently raised the hand that was holding his and pressed a kiss to your knuckles.
“ You are so stunning in so many ways. You have no idea what you mean to me (y/n).” he stated, using your real name for the first time in a long time.
Your voice went soft as you said, “ Mark, I- “ you paused stepping closer.
“ Tell me if this is crossing a line, but I think I love-” before you could finish your sentence Mark pulled you into him and kissed you. He placed a hand on your lower back and one on your face cradling your cheek. Your arms wrapped around his body as you both shared a gentle but passionate kiss. You leaned into him, trying to be impossibly close to him. He did the same as he moved his hand to the back of your neck and tilted your head gently making the kiss more passionate than gentle. He started to back you up when-
“CLICK”
You and Mark pulled back to see Burt and the others standing there. Mark let an annoyed look cross his face , as a blush covered your face. Gunther chuckled then said,
“ Oh don't mind us Cap’n, we're just capturing the moment. “ You then provided to hide your face in Mark’s chest. Mark shook his head before grabbing your hand and leading you out of the room and to your private office. ( Which you didn’t use very much).
You let out a groan and say,
“ Oh stars Mark, that was so embarrassing, what are they going to think of me?” you then shook your head, “ I mean I’m not ashamed to be with you or anything it’s just we got walked in on.”
You let out another groan of embarrassment as Mark laughed lightly and pressed a kiss to your head.
“ It’s a little embarrassing, but at least now we can’t be interrupted.” He said as he leaned in for another kiss, you happily met him in the middle.
We can all agree that Engineer Mark radiates golden retriever energy right? Cool. Imagine your working on a new assessment on the new colony.
You made this particularly impulsive decision as the captain. You hoped it would be a good involvement. You didn’t think too hard on it, and instead you gave it the all clear.
Which may have lead to a few minor disastors
You felt horrible and apologized profusely to the crew and colonies. They’re all supportive, because you didn’t actively intend it on purpose. Just talk with them next time and everything’s good.
While the crew had been more forgiving Mark decided it wasn’t enough. The head engineer pulls you aside to one of the main work buildings.
He’s giving you a strict lecture on the impact of how your choices effected the people around both of you.
Understood. Given the situations the both of you endured together. It wasn’t surprising that Mark had gained a slightly more cautious side.
But the thing is…
Marks usual impulsive making decisions and concerning amounts of optimism still showed through. He hadn’t changed a bit after everything settled, which you’re happy about.
It just constrasted greatly with his narrowed eyes pointed at you. His voice was deeper as he lectured to talk down to you, making sure you learned your lesson on the duties you hold.
You should be listening right now. You really should. But you Just. Can’t. Concentrate.
Your heart is racing now. Because all his usual mannerisms have switched completely like a flip of the coin. You can’t process a single thing he’s saying.
You end up staring longer than you wanted to.
Mark noticed you spacing out and waves a hand in front of your face. He rumbles out an annoyed “Captain.” And the sound vibrates through your chest. You blink out of your haze and eye his expression for a moment.
It’s stern. Marks brow is curved downwards and the muscles on his face are tight. It’s not a bad look on him.
You can’t tell if your visibly red or not. But if you don’t leave right now your sure your going to implode.
So you do. You nod your head, mumble out a half apology, and quickly take your leave.
Marks anger diminished to confused now. You looked different this time. But he could at least tell you were listening a little bit. Satisfied with his conclusion he walks out, completely unaware of the way he just made you feel. It’s probably for the best.
Completely unrelated but soon after you start turning red at his morning voice too. Weird. But it’ll stop eventually.
