Chapter Text
Mark was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of hot coffee steaming next to him, his chin in his hands. The letter was spread out before him, the words almost mocking him in their cheerful little font.
Dear Mark Fischbach, aka Markiplier. Congratulations! You’re our second lets-player to be selected for our Lucky Charms Challenge!
The letter went on much the same way Jack’s had: it gave an obscure address and absolutely no indication as to what Mark would have to endure once he got there. Inside the box there had also been a snorkeling mask with his emblem on the side. He shuddered to imagine what that meant.
Mark had mentioned in at least one video that he was terrified of sharks and open ocean. Why the hell had he said that?! Jesus, how had they even found it?! Did Lucky Charms employees have nothing better to do than comb through every video he’d ever made to see if he’d ever mentioned something he was afraid of?
Jack walked into the kitchen, yawning. “Mornin’,” he said casually, going straight for the coffeepot and pouring himself some. It was black with two sugars; Mark knew it without even looking up.
“Morning,” Mark deadpanned, still staring at the letter. Jack sat next to him and blew on his cup.
“How long have you been awake? You look dead.”
“Eh, I got up before the sun, I don’t know when exactly.”
“That’s insane.” Mark and Jack rarely rose before eleven in the morning. “Is everything okay?”
Mark shrugged, gesturing noncommittally at the letter before him. Jack sighed.
“Babe…you gotta stop agonizin’ over this. It’ll drive you mad.”
Mark smirked cynically. “It’s a little late for that.”
“You seemed cool with it when you emailed them back.” Jack took a sip of his coffee and winced. “Ugh, still too hot.”
“Yeah, I was cool with it then,” Mark replied anxiously, “but now I’m supposed to show up at this place tomorrow, and I don’t know…now I’m having second thoughts.”
“We don’t even know what they’re gonna make you do yet,” Jack reminded him, covering one of Mark’s hands with his own and squeezing reassuringly. “Besides, you’ll get to donate 72,000 dollars to charity. That’s pretty badass if you ask me.”
Mark snorted. “Yeah, but at what cost? They made us skydive last time.”
“Ugh, don’t remind me.” Jack looked away, now slightly pale.
“See? This is what I mean! I’m scared, okay? I’m a big pussy, and I don’t know if I wanna go through with whatever nightmare they’ve set up for me.” Mark gulped at the thought of treading water in the middle of the ocean, with no land anywhere in sight. The thought was enough to make his stomach churn.
Jack stood up and hugged Mark from behind, his chin burying into his boyfriend’s shoulder. “Hey, it’ll be fine,” he murmured in the most soothing way he could. “You’re the bravest person I know; and c’mon, this is Lucky Charms we’re talkin’ about. If they so much as scratched you they know they’d have to deal with some kind of investigation on their company.”
Mark chuckled. It certainly did help that Lucky Charms was terrified of bad press. “You’re right, I’m sorry,” he sighed. He forced himself to fold up the letter and put it in his pocket. “Jeez, it’s too late now anyway, I need to just go there and get it the hell over with.”
Jack snorted. “Yeah, that’s the spirit,” he said sarcastically, straightening up. “You hungry? Have you eaten yet?”
“Nah, not yet.” His stomach growled to prove his point, and Jack laughed.
“Here, I have an idea. Why not eat our favorite cereal?” He pulled Mark’s customized Lucky Charms box out of the cupboard, and Mark couldn’t help laughing at the Photoshopped picture of himself (dressed as Wilford Warfstache) making possibly the ugliest derp face in the world at the leprechaun on the opposite corner of the box.
“Why do they choose the worst pictures of us for these stupid things?!” Mark chortled. He stood up and took the bowl Jack handed him. “Thanks, babe.”
“No problem.” Jack leaned over the counter and kissed him on the cheek, and Mark couldn’t help blushing. “Now sack up, eat your breakfast, and let’s just enjoy our last day before we go fight whatever hell beast they designed for you.”
Mark rolled his eyes. “Your motivational speeches are so inspiring.”