Doppio X Reader - My Darling

Alright, you tell me, I'll finish the drawing. Which iplier ego is kissing (Y/n)?

First time drawing Wilford but I think I did well. Dark will always be my favorite of the Iplier egos though.

You can count on me, Captain.

This is my mood right now

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Mom: You're old enough to serve yourself *proceeds to put salad on my plate*

Me: 😀 say that to me again

I've been trying out some digital art recently

Bill Cipher x reader (2)- Creator and Demon

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~(Y/n)'s POV~

As Uncle Stanley led us through the house, I couldn't help but look around at the weird stuff. It was clearly a very used living space, well worn by many years. And decorated by many curiosities. It was rather unnerving to be honest.

"Well kids, this is where you'll be staying for the summer. By the way, you can call me Grunkle Stan." Said our relative, leading us up a flight of stairs to some rooms. "This room will be for the twins," he said, pointing to a room with a large triangle shaped window and two beds. "And this room," said Grunkle Stan opening a door to a room with only one bed and a rectangle shaped window, "will be yours, uhhh..." he look at me guiltily. "Sorry, I guess I didnt get your names."

"It's fine," I said nonchalantly, "I'm (Y/n), and these are my younger siblings, Dipper and Mable Pines." Grunkle Stan smiled and nodded, "Alright then, (Y/n), this will be your room. I assumed since you're older you'd want a room to yourself." I couldn't help but smile at his generosity, "Thanks."

After separating to our different rooms and getting unpacked I suggested the idea of getting familiar with the town. Mable was all for it and Dipper shrugged. "Sure. Why not." Grunkle Stan agreed to go with us because he needed groceries anyway.

I would be lying if I said I didn't like the town. I really didn't get attached to the place all at once and with good reason. The people there were really nice but they gave me the willies. Just something about this town and its citizens was off. Like there was something huge I was missing

I would be lying if I said I didn't like the town. I really didn't get attached to the place all at once and with good reason. The people there were really nice but they gave me the willies. Just something about this town and its citizens was off. Like there was something huge I was missing... but what?

When Grunkle Stan was finally done, we headed back to the Mystery Shack. As days flew by, we learned a little bit more about our new residence. The mystery shack was a Self-Made tourist trap made by Grunkle Stan and guess who needed to earn their keep around the place. That's right, Us.

I grew increasingly bored with the same old pattern of stocking shelves, sweeping the floors, and keeping Mable away from all the boys her age that came into the shack. Dipper also was worked really hard, and Mable? Not so much. She seemed to have all the free time in the world. That's what you get for acting positive and cute all the time.

"Mable," said Dipper as he washed a jar of (hopefully) fake eyeballs, "I know you're going through your whole Boy-Crazy phase, but I think you're overdoing it with the crazy part." Mable looked away from the boy she was watching. "What?? Naww. Come on Dipper, this is our first summer away from home! It's my big chance at an epic summer romance." Dipper and I looked at her like she was crazy. "But do you HAVE to flirt with every guy you meet?" I shivered at the memories.

"Mock all you want guys," she said, shaking a finger, "but I've got a good feeling about this summer. I wouldn't be surprised if the man of my dreams walked through that door right now." As she pointed toward the door she spoke of, Grunkle Stan walked through carrying some wooden signs and let out a loud belch.

A disappointed and disgusted Mable let out a groan as Dipper and I laughed. "Aright look alive people," said Grunkle Stan, "I need someone to go and hammer these signs around the spooky part of the forest." One by one, Mable, Dipper, and I said "Not it." The handyman in the back said, "Uh, also not it" as well. "Nobody asked you Soos." Said the old man, as Soos looked up from his work. "I know, and I'm comfortable with that." He took a happy bite from his chocolate bar.

Bill Cipher x reader (5) - Creator and Demon

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Hearing giggles from outside, Dipper and I turned around, looking through the triangle window. There we saw Norman walking toward Mable just like a zombie. "OH NO! MABLE!!" Exclaimed Dipper, hand pressed firmly against the glass.

Mable's boyfriend grabbed her shoulders and I felt my panic rise. Did I actually just let a zombie with my little sister?? My right eye started burning from underneath my eyepatch. 'Aw hecc no.' I was about to go running downstairs to stop what ever was about to happen when Norman suddenly let go, and now displayed proudly was a necklace made of flowers.

Mable was shocked and smiled at him. "Daisies? Awww you scallywag~" I let out a relieved sigh and the burning stopped. Dipper slid off the window seat and mumbled quietly, "Is my sister really dating a zombie or am I going nuts?" I was about to add a quote but both of us were startled by Soos's voice entering the conversation. "It's a dilemma to be sure."

Dipper jumped back in shock and we saw Soos replacing a lightbulb on the ceiling. 'How did nobody hear or see him come in???' "I couldn't help but overhear you talking to yourselves in this big empty room." I almost laughed at how nonchalant he was about this. "Soos, you've met Mable's boyfriend. You think he might be a zombie, right?" He asked this hopefully and I felt pity for the young lad.

"Hmm. How many brains did you se the guy eat?" I smirked at Soos's logic. "Zero." Dipper and I said at the same time. "Look dude, I believe you. I'm noticing weird stuff in this town all the time. Like, the mailman, pretty sure that dude's a werewolf." He looked like he was having a flashback then continued, "but you gotta have evidence. Otherwise people are gonna think you're a major league cookoo clock."

"Yea Soos, you're right..." Dipper said dejectedly and the handyman nodded. "My knowledge is both a blessing and a curse." He said solemnly as Grunkle Stan shouted up from wherever he was, "Soos! Get down here! The portable toilets are clogged again!" I blinked and looked toward the stairwell. "The WHAT?" Soos secured his hat, "I am needed elsewhere." Then walked backward out of the room like a friggin secret agent.

"Welp. That just happened. Back to Mable and Norman though. If we want to figure out exactly what or who Norman actually is, we need to start gathering evidence." I said, turning to a dazed Dipper. He closed the journal and nodded.

And so, for the next few hours, Dipper and I followed the new couple on their "date" and began our little adventure.

During frisbee, Mable tossed the toy to Norman where it hit his head. He fell down like he had either fainted or died. Dipper looked away from where he was recording. "Omgosh did he just die?" I asked in confusion and slight panic. Fortunately he got back up.

Entering "The Greasy Diner", Norman broke the window so he could reach the doorknob and open the door for Mable. Dipper and I were seated nearby, hiding ourselves with the menus, and holy hecc, Norman could not walk normally for the life of him.

Finally, Mable and he were running around in the Cemetery when he suddenly fell into an open grave. He came put in the same manner that a zombie would in a movie, both of them laughing it off like it was on purpose.

After that, Dipper and I headed home. I felt hot and tired, and my eyepatch was bothering me, but I couldn't take it off in the presence of other people. No one wanted to see what was under it. Dipper and I barged into Mable's room where she was brushing her long brown hair.

"Mable, we need to talk." Dipper and I said in unison. Mable turned to us and smiled. "Is it about Norman? Isn't he the best? Look at this smooch mark he gave me!" She showed us a large red spot on her cheek and I gasped. 'Please tell me he didn't bite her or anything like that.'

Mable began laughing. "Haha! Gullible! It was actually from an accident with the leaf blower. That was fun." She never lost her smile and I was more worried about her mental sanity more than physical at this point.

"Mable, listen, we're trying to tell you that Norman is not what he seems." He pulled the journal from under his jacket and Mable gasped. "Do you think he might be a vampire??" Mable seemed almost excited about that and I sighed thinking about those romantic vampire stories she sometimes read.

"Guess again sister. SHABAM!" Dipper said, opening the book to a specific page. Mable looked at it and gasped. I looked at it and laughed. It was the gnome page. Dipper saw it and flipped the page mumbling about it being the wrong page. "SHABAM!" He said, again showing the book. Mable now looked confused. "A zombie? Really? That's not funny you guys."

"No Mable! I'm serious! It all adds up! The bleeding, the limp, he never blinks!! Have you noticed that???" That was true, but some people are just able to do that. "Maybe he's just blinking when you're blinking." Mable suggested and I shrugged when she looked at me.

"Mable, do you remember what the journal said about Gravity Falls? Trust no one!"

"But what about me? You can trust me!" She made robot sounds when she put on two star earrings. "MABLE LISTEN TO ME HE IS GOING TO EAT YOUR BRAIN!!" said Dipper, asking him and I pushed the two apart. He was going a little too far and Mable looked pissed.

"Dipper, listen to me. Norman and I are going on a date at 5:00 and I am going to look adorable! And he's going with me, and it will not be ruined by one of your stupid conspiracies!" She said angrily, shoving him out of the room. She turned to me. "What about you, anything you wanna say?" She still looked like she was gonna kick my butt if I said something wrong.

I sighed, "Enjoy your date Mable. I'm happy you have someone who makes you happy too, just be careful alright, Shooting Star? I really don't trust him." I walked out of the room before she could reply and closed the door gently behind me.

Dipper was sitting down against the wall looking panicked. Just then, the door bell rang and Mable rushed out of the room and downstairs to the door in a new sweater. 'How in the world?' I could hear her voice greeting her boyfriend and asking how she looked. There came a rough "Shiny." From Norman and Mable giggled. "You always know what to say." Before I came downstairs and watched them walk away together.

Dipper sighed and sat on the old recliner. "Soos is right. I don't have any proof. He began running through his recordings of Mable and Norman's previous date and we stopped on a recording of them cuddling. "Norman's hand fell off in that recording. Why aren't we talking about that?" I said, pointing out. "Now that I mention it, why didn't we notice it when we were recording it?" Dipper snapped out of his depressed trance and let out a shocked yelp. Indeed, in that recording, Norman's hand fell off and he put it back on, looking around to see if anyone was watching.

Dipper knocked over the recliner in panic and I stepped back before it hit my foot. Dipper was repeating "omgosh I was right I was right I was right!" As he rushed out the door. I followed right behind him after putting the chair back up. He began calling for Grunkle Stan who was giving on of his tourist trap tours.

Dipper tried to explain what was happening, but didn't get very far with him. Then, looking to the side of the house, there was... WENDY!!! Both of us ran to her. "Wendy! I need to borrow the golf car so I can save my sister from a zombie!!" Wendy looked at me and I nodded. She handed me the keys and gave me a finger gun. "Try not to hit any pedestrians!"

We were stopped by Soos almost immediately as we headed off, him giving us a shovel for the zombies and a baseball bat in case we saw a piñata. We quickly thanked him and then with the roar of the engine, we sped off to find our sister.

I went back through the Markiplier choose your own adventure series starting with Who Killed Markiplier all the way to In Space with Markiplier.

So naturally, I had this cute entity stuck in my head and had to draw him. I had honestly forgotten how much I loved him 🖤

Amazing Art done by lightsintheskye! Just saying though, does anyone else get ‘Stranger Things’ vibes by looking at this?

Day 1: Monstrous.

Markiplier x Teen!Adopted!Daughter!Reader - I'm Right Here

(Part 2 of “Take Your Time”)

Requested by: daysgobyinhereyes

-------- (Y/n)’s POV)

Looking around, everything was blurry and white. I couldn’t understand where I was or what was happening. Sirens sounded from far away and blue and red colored lights started to appear in the distance. Concerned and muffled voices spoke outside of the white wall that obscured my vision. 

I couldn’t understand them, but I could tell they were just as afraid as I was, though I didn’t know why.

Three blurry figures rose beside me, their voices concerned but inaudible to me. They turned to me, seemingly wondering what I thought of the situation. I didn’t reply and only stared at them, wondering who they were. They were small childlike beings with no discernible traits other than different sizes of hair that blended in with their figures. From what I could somewhat see, I assumed there were two boys and one girl in this place with me.

The white wall suddenly opened, the sound of a zipper present as a new figure appeared in my sight. “We need to go.” The figure spoke, her voice echoey and muffled. I was finally able to recognize her as female. She motioned for us to follow her, and we all got up and left the room, now revealed to be a tent. The blurry woman urged us forward and I struggled to keep up with her and the others. 

I heard shouts behind us and I looked back in time to see a blinding light overwhelm my eyesight. I tripped over something in front of me and I was quickly grabbed by someone who ran behind me. Upon hearing my cry of alarm, the blurry woman halted, and her eyes widened, seemingly not knowing what to do. Then with a soft, “I’m sorry”, she disappeared into the woods with the other three. I cried out for her with my own inaudible voice before I was quickly dragged backward, the light once again overtaking my vision. 

I awoke with a start, a small yelp of alarm escaping my mouth. I was back in my room at Mark’s house. I put a hand over my racing heart but was shocked to see it shaking. ‘A nightmare..’ I thought, my breathing slowing down to an appropriate pace. ‘I can’t accurately remember the last time I had one of those.’ 

I heard footsteps coming down the hallway and my door opened to reveal a panicked Markiplier standing in the entrance. “(Y/n), are you okay? I heard you yell.” I blushed in embarrassment. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just.. had a nightmare, that’s all.” Mark came closer and sat on the edge of my bed. “Do you want to talk about it, kiddo?” 

I looked at him, the dark circles under his eyes noticeable even in the dark room we were in. “If I’m being honest, I’m not entirely sure what it was about, so talking about it probably wouldn’t help. Sorry..”  As I said this, I looked over at the clock. I frowned, realizing it read one in the morning.

Mark nodded, covering his mouth as he yawned, “Alright. Remember that I’m here if you want to talk.” I nodded and he leaned over, giving me a warm hug. I returned the gesture after a moment of hesitation and he left the room, closing the door behind him.

I looked down again, the guilt of bothering him sending an uncomfortable chill down my spine. Mark had been so busy these past few days, and I felt awful that I just seemed to be another problem interrupting his work. That new interactive adventure he was working on, as exciting as the concept was, it took a toll on him, whether he acknowledged it or not. Laying down and closing my eyes once more, I prayed that there wouldn’t be any more nightmares waiting for me in the dreamscape.

(Time skip a few weeks later)

There hadn’t been any nightmares since that night, but the memory still remained. I tried not to let it bother me, but the unanswered questions in my mind were driving me nuts. Who were those other people? Why did the police show up? What grabbed me in the darkness? Why did the woman leave? Why did they look familiar? Unfortunately, I didn’t have and could find the answers to any of these queries. 

Mark, by this point, had finally finished the script for “In Space With Markiplier” and was able to focus on regaining a normal sleep schedule and making up for lost time with Chica and I. It was fun to see him outside of his office after such a long time, but even so, I felt bad about all the times I had interrupted him during the writing process of his big project. He probably would’ve been out quicker if it wasn’t for me. 

I shook my head, trying to get those kinds of words out. “Stop being so stupid, you don’t know what would or wouldn’t have happened so stop blaming yourself.” I thought, my eyes rolling in annoyance at the sheer (Y/n)-ness my thoughts had turned into for a second. Mark had told me before that he didn’t mind taking small breaks, even if it was to check up on me. He had even said that if I hadn’t woken up from the nightmare, he might’ve pulled an all-nighter and forgotten to sleep at all. It turns out that he had realized how tired he was and had gone to bed soon after making sure I was okay.

Chica walked over to me, her tail wagging happily as I gently scratched behind her floppy ear. “I know that you missed dad too, didn’t you, Chica-Beeka? Aren’t you glad he’s done writing that long video script?” I said in a goofy voice and as I knelt down, she started to lick my face in reply. “Ack! No!! Stop!! Back you foul beast!!” Chica knocked me over as she continued her merciless assault. I played dead but instead of just stopping or finding Mark, she just plopped down on top of me with a tired huff. 

Mark, who had just entered the room, got to witness this interaction and started laughing his butt off. “FATHER!!” I cried, my voice muffled from underneath the floof. “HELP ME!” 

“What?”

“HELP ME!”

“Sorry, I can’t understand you. What?”

“I said, help me!”

“Stinky feet? You dare insult our dearest Chica by saying that she has stinky feet? For shame, (Y/n). For shame. As punishment you shall have to stay under your furry prison until it decides to move.” 

“TRAITOR!!!”

“Fare thee well, daughter. I goeth to play the things known as “Video Games”.” Mark said dramatically and I managed to get my head out from underneath Chica, watching him start to leave the room. “Beeka? You want a treat?” The golden retriever stood up immediately and bounded off toward the kitchen. Mark looked back at me with a playful pout. “You’re no fun.” 

“You’re the one who left me to die.” I said with an equally playful yet sassy tone. “That’s it, young lady, you’re in trouble now.” said my dad, who ran toward me as I tried to follow our dog. “NOOOOO!!!” He caught me in his arms and we tumbled to the floor as he started ferociously tickling me. I could hardly breathe as I laughed, and his own goofy laughter only added to the hilarity. 

When Mark finally stopped, I started to catch my breath and I looked up at him, seeing his smiling face. “I am so glad I adopted you.” He murmured softly, helping me up and giving me a warm hug. Chica came back from the kitchen, curious about the commotion and bothered by her lack of treats. Upon seeing the family cuddles, she jumped in between us, wagging her tail and effectively hitting Mark and I in the face a bunch of times. 

“Agh no! She’s too good! Chica! You’re too good!” Mark cried out, coughing to get rid of the stray dog hairs that had invaded his mouth. I had begun laughing again, my mind blissfully distracted for a bit as I watched Chica begin her lick assault on my father. Quickly getting up from my position on the floor, I entered the kitchen and retrieved a dog treat. Chica, upon hearing the container open, came running to receive the long awaited goods. 

Mark followed a few seconds after, first looking over at his dog munching away at the treat then at the stove top clock. “Ahh that was fun. Too bad It’s getting late. You ought to get to bed.” He commented, shifting his gaze back over to me. I nodded, recognizing that he was right. He gave me a hug and a pat on the back. “Sleep well, kiddo. You’ve got a big day tomorrow.” With that, I retired to my room. 

- Start of Dream -

I once again opened my eyes to a blurry scene. It was slightly dark, but I could make out some shapes nearby. They were the same figures from before! They were gathered around what looked like a table, with me at the head. I heard two voices coming closer, singing a familiar tune. I looked over to see a slightly blurry cake with what looked like five candles being brought in by the two blurry adults. 

“Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday, Dear (Y/n)! Happy Birthday to you!” They all sang, placing the cake in front of me. I had begun to smile, their faces becoming a bit clearer once I blew out the candles and some lights flipped on. The woman had black hair and pretty (e/c), the same eye color as mine. The man had tanish-gray hair and looked a bit older than the woman. He had bluish-gray eyes.

The younger figures were a bit closer so I looked at them next. The tallest looked to potentially be the oldest with dark brown hair and brown eyes. The second tallest had strawberry blonde hair and had a lot of freckles. His eyes were the same color as the woman’s. The last of the figures was quite a few inches smaller than the previous one. He had tanish-brown hair and the man’s blue-gray eyes which seemed to have a glow of mischief in them. But before I could fully process their faces, a loud noise sounded and I woke up. 

- End of Dream -

I looked around my room, wondering what the cause of the disturbance was. Looking over toward my dresser, I noticed that a picture frame that had admittedly been in an unstable position had fallen over, thus making the loud noise. With an annoyed sigh, I looked over at my alarm clock, checking the time. “12:04 AM.” I thought, turning away from the device and closing my eyes.

“Happy Birthday to me..”

- timeskip - 

It was in fact a big day and I had a blast. Mark, Amy, Ethan, Tyler, and I went to an amusement park and went to my favorite restaurant for dinner. When we got home, Mark and Amy surprised me with a delicious looking cake with the number 15 on it via two big number candles. They sang so nicely and I watched the flames on the candles burn. As they finished the song, I hesitantly blew out the candles as my vision suddenly went blurry. Mark placed a hand on my shoulder.

“Hey, are you okay? Why are you crying? Do you not like it?” 

Tears? Is that what was obscuring my vision? I wiped them away but more kept coming. “I don’t understand.. I’m so happy, so why am I crying?” 

The Happy Birthday song rang in my ears, the voices of the people in my dream singing along. I let out a small laugh. How silly of me to get so emotional over a little thing like this. “Thank you both so much for this. I can’t even begin to tell you how much it means to me.” I didn’t lie. I didn’t know how to tell them, and I didn’t even understand why.

Mark and Amy gave me a big hug and I relished in the affection. I don’t know if they knew this, but it was exactly what I needed at that moment. I already saw Amy as my mother-figure and Mark was my dad, so in that moment it was like we were a real family. “I love you guys..” I murmured softly and they smiled, Amy wiping away one of my stray tears. “We love you too.” 

Later that night, Amy had gone home and Mark came to check up on me when I was already in bed. “Hey, kiddo. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.” I nodded and smiled at him, sitting up in bed. “Yeah, I’m fine.” He frowned slightly. “Are you sure? I mean, it’s not that I don’t believe you, it’s just that I’m a bit worried because you started crying earlier.” I realized what was bothering him and I climbed out of bed and quickly hugged him. 

“Dad! I promise I’m okay! I just got a bit emotional. That’s all.” Mark nodded and hugged me back. “D-do you want to talk about it?” I frowned a little and I looked down, but knew that it might help to talk it out. It usually does. “I.. have been having dreams lately..” Mark led me to my bed and sat next to me. “What are they about?” 

“I keep dreaming of some family I don’t think I’ve ever met before..” Mark’s eyes widened slightly and he looked at me. His eyes looked a bit worried though his face looked curious. “What.. What do you dream about them?” I frowned and looked down. “The first time, it was them being chased down by the police and I got taken away from them.. The next time, this morning actually, they were celebrating my birthday and singing to me. I don’t know if that’s why I got emotional when you and Amy sang, but.. It’s what happened..” Mark hugged me close and I could hear his heartbeat. It was faster than normal. “I’m so sorry. Do these dreams bother you at all?” I nodded slightly. “A little bit.. I don’t remember these people at all, but they feel so familiar to me. I don’t know how to feel when I have one of these dreams.” Mark gently rubbed my back and his voice was slightly hesitant as he spoke. “Is it possible.. Um.. is it possible these dreams aren’t actually dreams?”

I looked up at him, “What?” Mark looked away, almost seeming nervous. “I’ve read, and have heard, that sometimes dreams can actually be suppressed memories.. So.. that family..” My eyes widened, “They might be, like, my biological family?” Mark nodded, but his eyes looked sad. “Yeah.” He looked at me again. “Do you remember anything before you were put in the orphanage? Any people or events?” I shook my head. “No.. I don’t really remember much if anything from before my time as an orphan. I don’t even know how I got there.” 

Mark nodded and took a deep breath. “If.. if it wouldn’t bother you, could you tell me about that first dream of yours? The one about the police?” I frowned and looked away and he panicked. “It’s okay if you don’t want to! I don’t want to force you into anything!” I shook my head and smiled at him reassuringly. “No no! It’s not that. I do want to tell you, it’s just that.. It was a weird dream and I’m still processing this theory of ours.” 

Mark nodded and I took a deep breath before starting to talk again. “We were in a forest. It was night time and I assume we were in a tent. There were three other kids in the tent with me. Red and Blue lights came and all of us kids were forced to run into the woods with a woman. I tripped and the woman left me behind, taking the other three with her while I was suddenly dragged backwards. That’s when I woke up.”

Mark was silent for a minute as he processed the information I had given him. He then frowned. “I think, if that was actually a memory of yours, that was how you were taken away from your parents. I suspect that’s also why you start panicking when you think you’ve been left behind. You were traumatized by that woman, your mother, abandoning you when you were younger.” I blinked. He was right. There was no other real explanation for my fear that made sense for me. I looked at Mark. “But then why did she abandon me? I assume the red and blue lights were police lights, but if that was the case, why did she run? Was she a criminal or something?” 

Both of us said nothing before he spoke up. “I.. don’t have a solid answer for you. I’d hate to think that was the real reason police would show up to a campsite like that, but.. It’s a possibility.” I sighed softly but then smiled at him. “Well then, I guess I got an upgrade parental wise.” Mark couldn’t help but smile and he hugged me. “I love you, kiddo.” 

“I love you too.” I murmured, hugging him back with a smile. Mark looked at the clock and sighed. “Alright. As much as I love talking to you, it’s gotten a bit late and I don’t know about you, but I’m a bit tired from all the fun we had today.” Right on cue, I yawned and Mark laughed. “I knew it!” I couldn’t help but giggle when he said that. “Alright.. Do you feel better now?” 

I nodded and he gave my hand three squeezes. I Love You.

I squeezed back four times. I Love You Too.

Smiling, he got up off of the bed. “Alright then. Have a good night. Sleep well, (Y/n).” I smiled up at him. “You too, dad.” She smiled and nodded, walking out of the room with a final look back, speaking once more before leaving. “Happy Birthday.” When he was finally gone I frowned and looked down. The conversation we just had weighed slightly on my mind. What Mark said made sense, but it was a little difficult for me to wrap my head around. The logic was there, but I wanted more answers. I didn’t want “what ifs”, I’d prefer to have the entire story. 

But I couldn’t.

I didn’t know where my biological family was. I didn’t know why they left nor why the police were there. It shouldn’t concern me as much as it was, but I understood that maybe there were some things that would have to remain unknown. With a sigh, I tucked myself in and closed my eyes, falling into a dreamless sleep.

(timeskip)

It had been three months since my birthday, and that was the last time I had one of those dreams. Life had been very good, and the concepts Mark and I talked about that night didn’t really bother me anymore. Right now, I was laughing with him about the stupidity that ensued during his latest charity live-stream. He and the other guys had made a ton of meals that were to be donated to a charity food pantry. We were there now, dropping it off. 

“I got so worried when Ethan almost dropped that whole bowl of dough, but did you see the way it flipped??” I laughed as Mark recounted a hilarious moment when Ethan ended up flipping a bowl of pasta dough and catching it after he almost dropped it to the floor. “I know right? The chat was going crazy!” We continued talking as we finished placing the food in the pantry and my laughter died down as I looked to my side and I spotted a man and a woman receiving some food from the pantry workers.

No.. It couldn’t be. Could it?

It was them, albeit a bit older, but I’d recognize them anywhere. They were the man and woman from my dream memories. Mark noticed my distractedness and followed my gaze, his eyes found the man and woman and he looked back at me. “Do you know them?” I frowned but didn’t take my eyes off of them. “From my dream.. It’s them.” Mark’s eyes widened and he looked back at the man and woman. 

The woman suddenly looked in our direction and her eyes widened. I nervously looked away, fearing that I had creeped her out. Mark asked if I wanted to talk to her and I wasn’t sure what to say. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder and when I looked in it’s direction, I saw the woman. “Excuse me,” she spoke, her voice tender and gentle, as if talking to a child, which in a way, she was. “What’s your name?” 

I took a shaky breath and looked toward Mark who just nodded and looked away. He wouldn’t look at me. “I’m.. My name is (Y/n). What’s yours?” The woman’s eyes widened again and they began to brim with tears. “It’s you.. It’s really you, isn’t it?” I felt myself getting emotional as well, but tried to hide it. “Do I know you? I feel as though I do, but I’m not entirely sure.” 

“(F/n), come here! She’s here! We’ve found our (Y/n)!” The man came over and his eyes widened. “My dear, are you sure?” I looked back over at Mark to see him busy himself on his phone, his foot tapping against the ground slightly. I didn’t know what to do. “I’ve been having dreams.. About you two and three other kids. Or at least, people who looked like you.” The man and woman smiled kindly. “Your brothers and sister. Yes.. they are real.”

I looked down, not sure where to begin. The woman, my mother, moved to hug me but I instinctively took a step back. “H-hold on a second. Then if those dreams were actually memories, then I have questions that need answered.” The woman stopped and the man put his arm around her, nodding. I took a deep breath and began.

“I-In the forest.. We were in a tent, and the police showed up. Why? Are you two..” I trailed off for a moment, worried about continuing this train of thought. “Criminals?” My father looked away and frowned and my mother shook her head. “No. We weren’t… not really.” She trailed off looking a bit guilty. “Then why were the police showing up at the campsite?”

“We were.. Behind on a lot of payments and we had already gotten a notice.. We struggled to get enough money to pay our debt off, but it wasn’t enough and the IRS sent the police after us. They were sent to bring you and your siblings to the orphanage that you no doubt were sent to after you were taken.” My father spoke up and I frowned. “Which brings up another question. Why was I the only one left behind to be taken away?” 

My mother looked incredibly sad as she voiced the reason. “You tripped and fell. If I stopped to pick you up, then your brothers and sister would be taken too. I couldn’t risk it so, regretfully, I had to leave you behind. I didn’t want to, I promise you that. My heart broke when the officer caught you and I was forced to run.” My eyes filled with tears and I nodded in understanding. As much as it hurt to know the truth that I had to be “sacrificed” for the good of the majority, I also was glad it happened. After all, if I wasn’t taken away, I likely wouldn’t have met Mark.

“As much as I hate that it happened that way, mainly because it gave me some.. issues, I’m happy to know the full story. I’m glad I finally got to meet you two.” The smiles that graced their faces brought an amazing amount of joy to my heart and I couldn’t help but smile back. I didn’t lie either. I really was happy to meet my biological parents. Then their next words made my smile vanish and my heart nearly stop. 

“Do you.. Want to live with us again?” My eyes went wide. “W-what?” My father spoke up. “We’re better off now. We’re not the most wealthy people out there, but we’re able to stand on our own two feet so that’s good enough. We can finally support our family and we’d like you to join us.” My head was spinning with the force of this question. They looked so hopeful that I would say yes. I looked back at Mark, wondering how he was reacting to this. He was still on his phone, but I could see that something was wrong with him. 

He was upset, but was trying not to show it.

I turned back to my parents and spoke up. “Listen.. You both are so sweet and I’m happy to have met you, but..” I looked away, trailing off. My mother looked a little upset by my answer but smiled in understanding. “That man over there.. He’s your guardian, isn’t he?” She guessed correctly and I smiled a little, nodding. “I only just met you two.. I can’t just abandon him for people who are essentially strangers to me.” I could hear a slight gasp from behind me and I knew that Mark heard me. “But hey,” I continued, taking out my phone. “Let’s keep in touch.”

That brought a smile to my mother’s face and we exchanged numbers. “I’ll see you both around, right?” They nodded and upon seeing their anxious looks, I gave them both hugs. “Until we meet again.” I murmured, smiling at them before turning and quickly going to Mark’s side. “Are you ready to go?” He nodded and as we started walking back to the car, he spoke up again. 

“Are.. are you sure about your decision? I mean, they’re your real family.” His eyes were slightly filled with tears as I looked at him and I wrapped my arm around his torso in a side hug, smiling up at him. “What are you talking about? Yeah, they were my first family, but you’re my new family. You saved me from the orphanage and you helped me overcome a lot of my social anxieties. Do you hear me right now? I don’t stutter now. I can talk to people normally, and that’s thanks to you. You’re my dad, Mark, and I love you.” 

Mark couldn’t stop the tears from falling as he hugged me and I hugged him back. “I love you too.. So much.. Is it selfish to say that I was scared that you would go with them?” I shook my head and grinned at him. “No, not at all. But you don’t need to worry anymore.” I gently squeezed his hand three times. “I’m right here.” Mark smiles, tears rolling down his cheeks as I led him to the car, both of us finally ready to go home, together.