#actor!mark x reader

 The hours you put in today made filming feel like an absolute nightmare. Scene after scene, you and Mark pushed to put out your best acting for the camera. Maybe it was the late hours, but you strive even harder than normal to make sure you absolutely get it right the first shot. Pouring even more feelings and meaning behind all your movements. Despite all of Mark’s complaining and drained energy, you carried on. The show must go on.

Once more, you and Mark stood on the beautifully designed set. Filming again in the main deck of the Invincible II. The lighting to the set this time is dark, with hues of red and blue. And once more the director set the scene, ”Alright, so at this point we’re near the climax of the storyline. Mark, Y/N, for this scene I want you to go ahead and follow the script but feel free to improvise a bit. Go ahead and add in any extra bits you think will give this scene that extra raw emotion that’ll have the audience shaking and crying. Remember: You’ve gone around in circles. You’re starting to feel hopeless, but you’re still trying to remain strong for each other. Alright? Annnd ACTION.”

The lighting casted a shadow on your face while Mark’s was slightly visible from the consoles emitting a soft light. Letting the lighting set the mood, you then turned dramatically to Mark and brought your hands to your face and yelled in despair.

“I’m tired of this Mark! How many times do we have to keep doing this? Doesn’t it bother you? The amount of times we’ve been running around! The amount of times we’ve had to watch our crew risk their lives! This almost feels futile. Our colonists aren’t even aware of everything going on, about how many times I’ve failed them!” You brought your hands down to your sides, fist closing tightly, speaking slightly above a whisper “I don’t know if I can keep doing this.. The amount of times I’ve had to see you d-...” Your voice faltered, feigning tears, unable to finish your sentence. Before you managed to let the tears trail from your eyes Mark closed the gap between you, strong hands grasping your shoulders. His voice sounded so reassuring, unlike how you know him to normally speak, “Captain, I know. I know this isn’t ideal, but we have to keep trying! Please, we can’t just stop now. Not when our next jump into the wormhole could be the opportunity we’ve been needing!”

Out of your peripheral, you can see the production crew leaning forward in their chair. No one dared to make any kind of noise. We must really be selling this scene. 

Suddenly Mark inched closer to you, hands sliding up to hold your face delicately in his hands. His eyes looked deep into yours, it took all your might not to look away. He was awfully close to you. This was nothing different from the many other times you’ve shared scenes together and by no means was this your first romantic scene, but something about this moment felt different. Maybe it was the late hours but something was off, something had changed. His lips felt like they were only a few centimeters away and you could feel his breath. It warmed your lips and left a tingling sensation. You couldn’t recall your next line. Truth be told you were caught off guard, but the director did say to sell it however you wanted. You almost didn’t even realize he went ahead with his line. “We’ve got to try, Captain. Doesn’t matter how many times it takes, we will fix this or go crazy trying to.” There was a twinkle in his eye, it was gone in a second but you could tell it was something mischievous. “But maybe..just this once Captain.. Let’s try something different.. Let me try something different…” the last word trailed off, as he leaned closer and closer till your lips touched. You quickly reacted, grabbing the front of his jumpsuit pulling him in closer, making the kiss more passionate. His mouth moved effortlessly against yours as he leaned in, deepening the kiss. You opened your mouth to allow him to slip his tongue against yours and just as you were about to sweep your tongue against his- “CUT.”

Mark quickly pulled away, “Are you KIDDING me?! The scene was going so well!” You had briefly forgotten your surroundings. It’s like you were truly living in that moment. The director waved off Mark and shook his head “Look, I love it, I really do, you really are putting in that passion but this isn’t a goddamn romance novel! Remember: Your crews’ DIEING! You admire the Captain but that’s IT! We don’t got a spot in this storyline to add in this sudden romance!”  While Mark and the director argued, you simply stood there in disbelief at what happened. In all your years acting together, he’d never kissed you like that. Damn, he’s never actually kissed you at all. Even as improv. It was all for the camera though, right? 

“Alright! Let’s reset the scene!” 

Your costar grumbled over, taking his place in front of you while mumbling on about how they simply just didn’t see how great his direction would have been. “Hellooo, Y/N? You alright?” You nodded quickly but you just had to ask, “That was all for shows, right?” You didn’t dare let your eyes look up at him. There were always some one liners that you threw at each other, all in which you always told yourself was in a joking tone but you just had to make sure it wasn’t the long hours making you get in your feelings, “We’re still acting, right?” When your eyes finally met he gave an annoyed nod of his head. “Uh, yeah. C’mon focus, Y/N, this is the big leagues. I need you to be with me and give it 110%.” Before you could even make a response back he pulled you in once more, close enough so no one else could hear him and tapped a finger to your chest, “Now here’s the plan: I say we try that again and really go all out. Screw the director, they’re gonna see that I had the right idea all along!” 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

    “I know these kinds of things are usually a bore, but I really don’t want to deal with all those people alone and- “ Actor tries to convince you, but you interrupt him, smiling.

    “Sweetheart, of course I’ll go with you. Though I do warn you, I’m not um…I’ve never really…You know how I am around big groups of people, so I haven’t gone to many ‘social gatherings’ like this.” You try to explain to him, without making it seem sad, or that you hated the idea of parties. Your thoughts around the topic were complicated to say the least. You like people…sometimes, but you never really liked being at large gathering without sticking with at least one friend the entire time, and those kinds of chances didn’t arise too often, so you would usually find yourself staying home. You didn’t feel like you were missing too much, but sometimes you wondered what would’ve happened if you had gone, if maybe it wouldn’t have been all bad.

    “If it would make you uncomfortable, you really don’t have to-” he starts, but you interrupt him again, gently grabbing his hand,

    “No, seriously, it’s fine. As long as you're there, maybe it’ll even be fun?” This makes him squeeze your hand and mirror your smile.

    “I will not leave your side, darling.” he says before planting a soft kiss on the back of your hand. You roll your eyes, but giggle at his dramatics. That’s what you get for dating an actor, after all.

    “Yeah, yeah…But like, could you maybe tell me what you uh…do, at these kinds of parties?” He blinks in surprise and cocks his head to the side a bit. 

    “Do…do you mean to tell me you’ve never gone to a banquet?” You shake your head.

    “When would I have-  love, I didn’t even go to my high school prom!” You laugh out, a bit embarrassed, even though you don’t exactly know why. When you finally look at him, Actor’s mouth is agape.

    “You- How?! I would’ve thought you would’ve won prom royalty! With your good looks and charm, you cannot possibly be telling me you weren’t the most popular person at your high school.” Now it was your turn to looked shocked. Your cheeks heat up, and you laughed at him, shaking your head.

    “While that is incredibly sweet, no- not at all. I was pretty shy in high school, well I mean not all the time, but I wouldn’t call myself popular. Come on, you know I’m more of an introvert.” He frowns at first, hoping that he didn’t bring up any unhappy memories. But then, you can see his eyes light up as an idea forms in his mind. 

    “Alright then, It’s decided.” You give him a confused expression. “I will give you the full ‘prom’ treatment that you deserved all those years ago.” You chuckle and can’t help but smile at his giddy expression. His excitement was infectious. “Except it will be even better!”

    “I mean, you really don’t have to-” You stutter, but he waves a hand to dismiss your hesitation.

    “Nonsense, It’ll make this boring business gathering much more fun. We can go out and buy brand-new outfits, I’ll get you flowers, and of course we’ll need to rent a limo…” Actor lists off, already planning all the different aspects, as he pulls out his phone to shoot a few select texts. It only takes him a few moments before he spins his attention back to you. “And you-” He gently boops your nose with his finger, “don’t have to worry about a thing~ Other than enjoying yourself that is.” You stand there shocked, not really knowing how to respond. “Now, what color combination do you like the most, I always like a good red, but this color matches your hair more…”

The next few days are filled with preparations you were sure wasn’t necessary for just a business banquet, but Actor insisted the ‘before’ was just as fun as the actual party, if you made it to be. The both of you went shopping for new matching outfits that were tailored to fit you perfectly, Actor insisted that manicures were absolutely necessary, and as the day of the banquet rolled up, he hired a personal hair stylist and makeup artist. Mostly for himself, since you knew how to do your own hair, but he offered to pay for you as well, if you so wished.

Finally, you look at yourself in the mirror. Actor had helped you find an outfit that you absolutely adored, it felt so…so you. You never much cared about what you wore every day, but you stood proud, feeling like the most handsome and/or beautiful person in the world. If even for a moment. You laughed at the thought, wondering where this spike of confidence had come from. Maybe Actor's over-inflated ego was starting to rub off on you, but, a little self-confidence never hurt anyone. And right now, you looked fucking badass.

You step out of the room you were changing in, and head to the main hall to wait for Actor. He always took forever to get ready, the drama queen he was, so you sat down on the couch scrolling through your phone as you waited. 

After about half an hour, you finally hear footsteps come down the hall. You feel yourself get a bit nervous for some reason. You get up, fixing any piece of cloth or hair that had shifted from its place as you had been waiting. You unconsciously take a deep breath and hold it as Actor turns around the corner in a black and dark red tux. His hair was gelled back, and he was carrying a black cane that you knew he didn’t need. He just liked the aesthetic and dramatic effect of standing with it. A smile came to your face as you looked at him, he looked stunning.

Actor froze as soon as his eyes landed on you. He couldn’t help himself from scanning your entire form, taking in every ounce of your elegance. For a second, all he can do is gaze at you with a dreamy expression as he finally meets your eyes. “Wow.” Is all he can manage to say. You clear your throat.

“You look amazing, but, we really gotta get going. We’re going to be late with how long your prissy ass takes to get ready.” You chuckle, taking his arm and dragging him out the door before he can realize how red your face had gotten.

“It’s not my fault, you think it’s easy to look this good?” You roll your eyes at him as you open the door to the limo and hold it, gesturing for him to get in.

“Ladies first~” You joke, laughing at his offended expression.

“I’ll have you know that expression is very outdated.” He grumbles as he takes his seat.

“Yea, you right. But it is kinda funny.” And you close the door before he can object, making your way to the other side before getting in your self. You can see Actor checking himself in the rearview mirror, and giggle as he tries to adjust his hair. 

“What?” He asks, glancing at you. You smirk, and gently grab his chin to turn his face towards you. 

“Here,” is all you says as you fix the strand of hair that wasn’t cooperating, and while you were at it, fix his tie which he had gotten a bit loose. You finish by brushing off his shoulders as you look up at him again, seeing that his face had gotten even more red.

“You happy with yourself?” He asks, trying to regain his composure. Enjoying the way he was squirming in your arms, you hold on to his suit jacket and search his face, squinting. Finally, you meet his eyes, which are locked on you, half lidded. You smirk, then pull on his jacket to get him closer to you before kissing him. It's short, but gentle, and full of passion. When you pull away, the smirk on your lips just grows.

“Now I am~” You breathe. Actor smiles at you, eyes full of adoration. You don’t know how long the both of you are there, just staring at each other, but the car stopping for a red light finally snaps you to attention. You grab one of his hands, and look down at it, feeling some of your anxiousness about the whole ‘party’ thing finally seeping in.

“So…you never actually told me what we’re going to be, uh…doing, there?” Actor blinks at your question, a bit confused. But he pulls your hand into his lap, running his thumb over your hand in a comforting gesture as he looks back up at you.

“Some people will give some speeches, you have to give polite greetings and smiles to people you don’t even ever remember meeting, and then you just stuff yourself with food. There’s really nothing to it.” He brings one of his hands to your cheek. “All you really have to worry about, darling, is enjoying yourself~” You smile and giggle at him, batting his hand away, so he couldn’t feel the warmth in your cheeks.

You arrive at the party, the building it massive. Sure, it was nothing compared to the mansion, but the mansion was familiar, and this fucking castle was not. Plus, the mansion had style, this was just excessive. Large walls reach up higher than you could see, and two large fountains framed the grandiose entrance to the banquet hall. As the two of you step out of the car, you lean close to Actor to whisper in his ear. “I will never understand how people can afford shit like this.” Actor just shrugs, not at all impressed by the size of the building.

“Probably with blood money.” You start to laugh, but then notice the grim expression on his face, and go silent. 

“Oh…” You turn back to look at the entrance.

“Or by sleeping with the right person-” You put on a mock appalled expression, but laugh as you gently smack his shoulder. He chuckles as well, offering his arm, which you take. The both of you walk up to the entrance, arms linked, but you freeze when you get right up to the front doors.

“I-” You stutter, heart suddenly beating erratically. Actor looks at you reassuringly.

“Don’t worry, love, I’ve got you.” You take a deep breath, push open the door, and the two of you walk in.

.  .  .

The first hour goes by in a rush, you're introduced to more people than you could ever remember the names of, and are given compliments just as many times as you give them out. It is a bit overwhelming, but with Actor staying by your side, you find yourself genuinely smiling and laughing with some people. Of course there were the common assholes, and some idiots who actually tried to flirt with you, until Actor glared daggers into them, but they were far and few in between. Most of the people were actually rather lovely.

After a little while, Actor pulled the both of you away from the crowds to get some refreshments. As you scan the food table, you encounter many fancy little treats you’ve only ever had at a few weddings, and some you’ve never even seen before.

Looking at your astonished face, Actor chuckles and reaches out to grab the one your eyes landed on. He picks it up and holds it up to your face. Your face flushes red, and you look around, a bit embarrassed.

“Aw, come on, no one’s watching~ Even if they are-” He shrugs, “-who really cares.” You roll your eyes, but slowly open your mouth, taking a bite out of the cracker he was holding. It tasted amazing, and you couldn’t help but smile and snatch the rest of it out of his hands, grabbing a few more. 

…What? All this socializing was making you hungry.

Actor’s eyes widen, but he just chuckles at your actions, trying one of the snacks for himself. 

.  .  .

The rest of the evening is a flurry of suits and dresses. Nice, engaging, conversations and some that left your brain hurting. Words, stories, jokes, and a few drinks all mixed to create an experience you wouldn’t soon forget. The most important part though, and the part you enjoyed the most, was the fact you got to stay at Actor's side the whole night, he was your lifeline in all this and gave you the confidence to add your own two cents into conversations and poke jokes at these fancy rich people, and most of them even laughed. It was the most fun you’ve had at a party…well, ever.

Late into the night, though, you are once again reminded your social battery is not infinite, and you can feel your genuine smile start to feel extremely fake. You were much quieter, choosing rather to listen instead of talk, and were almost leaning onto Actor as your legs were starting to hurt from all the standing. Actor was quick to pick up on your signs of exhaustion, and politely excused the both of you out of the conversation, leading you to a quiet corner of the banquet hall that led to a small balcony. The constant noise of people chattering was still there, but muffled by the distance, and you could feel the light pounding in your head fade away a bit.

“You alright, my love?” Actor asks, holding one of your hands in both of his.

“Yeah,” you smile, “just getting a little tired.” Actor returns your smile.

“I’m not surprised, with how confident and charming you were all evening. I thought you said you never went to one of these things?” He laughed, a corner of his mouth turning up, teasing.

“I haven’t…but I’m not actually as bad at socializing as I thought I was. Probably only because you were here, though. I swear you were the only reason anyone else laughed at my jokes, it’s like they were literally waiting on your approval to laugh.” This makes him chuckle, it’s a deep sound that makes your heart melt a little every time you heard it. You loved to hear people laugh, especially if it was your intention to make them do so.

“I don’t know what  you're talking about, they all love you. If I hadn’t been at your side the entire evening, I think you’d have half of the bachelors and bachelorettes fighting over your attention.” You rolled your eyes, but your cheeks betrayed you, turning pink. 

“Oh shut up, as if they wouldn’t actually fist fight over their beloved Actor. The banquet was literally in your honor.” His cheeks flushed at this, and he turned away from you to instead look out at the beautiful view. You turned your head towards it as well, taking in the gorgeous night sky and the array of stars that were visible, twinkling brightly. 

After a little while of enjoying the comfortable silence, your voice gently breaks it. “Thank you…for all of this.” You look at him, and he turns to meet your gaze. “For everything, actually”

He smiles, his eyes sparkle in the starlight, and you realize you were leaning closer to him. You stop, still lost in a dreamy state, but suddenly too shy to continue. “There’s nothing to thank me for, you deserve every good thing in this world, and more.” One of his hands move to your cheek, gently caressing it. You can feel your heart beat speeding up, but you stand perfectly still. It's as if time itself has frozen. Slowly he starts leaning closer, and you follow his lead. His hand goes from your cheek into your hair, and one of your own hands rises up and finds itself on his chest.

Your lips are dangerously close, but Actor had stopped moving, his lips turning into a smirk. The fucking tease. But you knew what he wanted, and you gave it to him. You pressed your lips against his, all the confidence you had gained from the night filling you as you dominated the kiss, wrapping your arms around the back of his neck to press him closer to you. It felt amazing, having the love of your life in your arms, melting at your touch, as sparks flew through your mind in waves of happiness. 

You’d always treasure the memory of this night, and never really found yourself wondering about what you could’ve missed by not going out to all those parties when you were younger. Because the real thing you were missing was right in front of you now, and he wasn’t going anywhere.

Tilting his head, he spoke, “Well, it seems like that didn’t work out so good for us, eh, Captain? Oh, well. You can’t win them all.” He batted his fist against the control panel to emphasize his point. The Computer’s utterance rang across the ship.

“All problems solved. Well, not all problems. Not the problem of my broken heart, oh no. Some problems can’t be fixed with the swing of a fist, no matter how strong you are. When the love of your life tears you to pieces, well, that’s a wound that just won’t heal. The kind of wound that leads you down-” The Computer was cut off as Mark slammed his fist down against the panel again, harder this time, and the voice stopped. Your eyes ricocheted off of him, a twinge of amusement in your eyes as he smugly looked down at you. As if nothing had happened, he continued his soliloquy, this time out loud, seeking a response from you.

“The Captain looked right through me with those baby gray eyes, the kind of look that could kill, and the kind of looks that could kill to match.”

“Oh, hush,” You shyly chuckled as your hands fiddled around with one another and your eyes met the ground, desperate to find a distraction from the gorgeous ego in front of you. You heard his feet shuffle around the floor as your gaze remained glued to the floor.

“Come over here and make me,” Mark spoke. You could almost hear the smug smile in the inflection of his voice. His confidence made you doubt yourself a bit as you approached him slowly. You tilted your head upwards to glance at him, only to find him staring directly back at you, an endearing look in his eyes.

His lips curled upward in a sly smile as he took in your appearance. Your hands were clasped together, an attempt to ground yourself to reality as you were trying to stay present, in the moment, and not get lost in the eyes of the 1940s-esque man in front of you. A dark blush was spread across the back of your neck, at the tips of your ears, and along the structure of your face.

“How adorable,” You heard. Mark’s eyes widened for a moment, his thoughts being narrated by whatever universe you were in. Inhaling deeply, he became intently focused on the glass in his hand, trying to pass off his embarrassment. You stood in front of him, lips parted in a state of shock. Snapping out of your trance, you placed your glass down on a table nearby, taking Mark’s out of his hand as well.

He looked up in surprise as you approached him slowly, lessening the space between the two of you at gradual pace. One of your hands came up to gently caress his cheek as you breathed him in, the scent of vanilla, wine, and what you could only describe as him filling your senses. His hands came to rest on your waist as he drew you closer.

“Is this okay?” He questioned gently. You nodded towards him, taking all of him in, the way he felt under your hands, the way he was gazing into your eyes. Surprising both of you, you quickly dragged Mark’s head down to capture his lips. He hummed into your lips, a small chuckle escaping him. He pulled away for a moment, the loss of contact leaving you yearning for more, before swiftly bringing you into another series of gentle, sweet kisses.

The two of you gently pulled apart, your hands still grasping onto each other, fearing that you might lose each other if you let go. “Eager, are we?” You laughed at Mark as he pulled you into a tender embrace, the warmth from his body enveloping you in affection.

“God, I love you,” he whispered into your ear, squeezing you close to him. You tilted your head up, pressing light kisses to his neck.

“Do you really mean that?” You asked him, pulling away to look him in the eyes. He looked at you like you were the brightest star he’d ever seen.

“Of course I mean it,” He kissed you again.

“Well, I love you to the moon and back,” You said. A laugh bubbled out of his chest as he pressed chaste kisses to any part of your skin he could access, still holding you close, never wanting to let you go.

Marcus Iplier, the star of the silver screen.

The two of you met years ago when you were both just starting out on the road to fame. He’d been a friend amidst the chaos of casting calls, paparazzi, and backstage drama. The chemistry between you showed on and off the screen. Rarely did one of you fill a role without the other. ‘Hollywood’s golden couple’ the papers called you. It didn’t matter that you were both happily married, at least that’s how it seemed, to other people. If there was a big-screen movie with a couple as the starring role, you and Marc got the call.

It didn’t take long for your husband to get fed up with all the gossip and the tabloids saying the two of you were having a secret affair. No matter how many times you assured him there was nothing going on behind closed doors, he couldn’t believe you. He had said you looked at Marc in a way you’d never looked at him.

It wasn’t until after your divorce papers had been signed did you start to hear the rumors about an affair between Marc’s brother William and his wife Celine. You’d thought it was just gossip, but Marc’s reaction when you’d asked about it told you all you needed to know.

After that, his life began to spiral. Between trying to save his marriage and keep his career alive, Marc got lost. You could see it in his eyes, in the way his passion for acting slowly disappeared. It was no surprise to anyone when the news of his divorce started to spread. Not long after, Marc fired his manager and disappeared from the public eye for months. You tried to reach out, you left messages with his butler, but it was no use. Marcus Iplier seemed to just vanish.

And then one day he reappeared.

You’d heard the news that Marc had hosted a party with a handful of old friends, including his brother, and they had all hashed things out, agreeing to turn over a new leaf. It wasn’t long after that he reappeared in the limelight and started taking roles again. The first time you saw him, you hugged him tight and told him you were happy he was okay. He had smiled at you then, eyes still tired but there was a light there you hadn’t seen in a long time.

Now several months later, you’re sitting in the lounge of Marc’s new house, going over lines with the man of the hour. Filming starts in a week for the new movie, some romantic drama you hadn’t had any interest in until Marc had called you to let you know he’d be playing the leading man.

“Come on, I know the script is cheesy, but it won’t be any fun without you. Besides, it’s the first romance I’m doing since…everything and I’d feel a lot better if I was doing it with you.”

And how were you supposed to say no to that?

So here you are, sitting on the couch, one hand on Marc’s face and the other holding your script. He’s looking at you with those dark eyes and a sweet smile that sends your heart racing.

“My love, we were meant to be together,” Marc speaks softly, barely above a whisper, stroking his fingers over your cheek. “You don’t have to fight it anymore.”

“I…don’t know if I’m ready.”

“Is anyone ever truly ready?”

He closes his eyes, leaning in to press a tender kiss to-

“Stop!” You shriek and jump from the sofa, covering your mouth with a hand to fight back a laugh. “God, this script is terrible.”

Marc chuckles, running a hand through his hair. “It really is. I’m not sure why people watch this sort of thing. It’s so…dramatic.”

“Oh please, you love this kind of stuff. You’re the drama king!”

Pink colors his cheeks and he laughs. Marc stands and crosses the room to the bar in the corner, pouring himself a drink of something light and bubbly. You try not to let the concern show on your face but he’s always been able to see right through your facade.

“Oh relax.” He smiles lightly. “I said no more drinking and I meant it. It’s sparkling apple juice; I think I might like it more than champagne.”

“Always one for the finer things in life.”

“And don’t you forget it.”

Marc sits back down, gesturing you over. You take your place beside him, opening your script once again and flipping through the pages.

“Why did I agree to do this again?”

“Because this film is going to be the hit of the summer and it’s going to bring in a lot at the box office.”

You scrunch your nose. “I could care less about box office numbers.”

“Fine, fine. You agreed because you’re a good friend and I wouldn’t be able to do it without you.”

“Yes, and you’re going to take me to a very nice dinner once we’ve finished filming. Don’t forget about that part.”

“I would never forget something so important.”

“Yeah? What restaurant did I want to go to?”

“The…restaurant…with the food.”

“Your memory is impeccable, my dear. I’ve no idea how you remember all these lines.”

“It’s not about memorizing lines. If a script is done right, like this one clearly isn’t, you don’t need to memorize anything, you just fall into it, you feel it.”

You roll your eyes, shoving him playfully. “You’re such an old romantic.”

Marc purses his lips, eyes dropping to the floor. You sigh, reaching out to take one of his hands in yours.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to-”

“No, no, it’s alright, really.” He squeezes your hand. “It’s so funny. Back then, I thought I would feel the way I did forever. I couldn’t imagine life without her, without the ache. It felt like I was suffocating. Now…it hurts but it feels okay. It feels like I’m healing. I still find it hard not to be angry about what she did and I have a right to that anger, but I know she wasn’t happy with me and I don’t fault her for that.”

You nod. “Time and patience really do wonders for one’s self.”

“How’re you? I was in the thick of it when I heard about your divorce, I’ve never really gotten to ask how you feel about the whole thing.”

“I was sad at first. Not because of the divorce, but because he was so unhappy. There was nothing we could’ve done to work it out.”

“What happened?”

“He thought I was putting my career before him, and maybe I was, I don’t know. I don’t think we ever truly loved each other. He loved the person he thought I was and I loved having the company.”

Marc nods. “Well, you’re a wonderful person and a joy to be around. You’ll find someone that loves you for who you are.”

“Well if you keep dragging me into sappy romance movies, I’ll never have time for real love, will I?”

He grins. “Maybe that was the plan all along. If you fall in love and run off, who will star in all these sappy films with me?”

“It’s a heavy burden, but someone must carry it and I guess it has to be me.” You pick up your script. “Now where were we?”

“I believe I was convincing you to finally give in to your undying love for me while we kiss under the moonlight in Paris or somewhere equally as stereotypical.”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it. Let’s just get back to where we were.”

You take a deep breath and pull yourself back into character, cupping the side of his face once again. Mark looks down at you with the same moony expression as before but this time something is different, although you can’t quite pinpoint what. Have his eyes always been so dark and endless?

“My love, we were meant to be together.” He strokes the side of your face, his fingertips barely ghosting over your skin but it’s enough to send goosebumps flaring up all over you. “You don’t have to fight it anymore.”

“I…” You swallow dryly. He’s so close. You can feel his breath fanning out between the two of you. It would take barely anything to lean forward and close the distance. “I…don’t know if I’m ready.”

“I don’t think anyone is ever truly ready. Sometimes it just hits you out of nowhere and …sometimes it creeps up on you before you even realize it.”

“Mark, that…that’s not the line.”

“I know.”

You stare at each other, hesitant to look away in fear of breaking whatever spell has fallen over you. Marc leans in slowly until there’s only a hair’s breadth between you, the tips of your noses touching. This close, you can see flecks of gold in his dark, honey eyes. Your heart is pulsing frantically in your ears and you wonder if he can hear it.

God, he’s beautiful. This wonderful, dramatic, kind man who’s pulled himself back from the brink of despair and is doing everything in his power to be better.

You think you might love him.

With that thought comes a rush of emotions and suddenly everything makes sense. You’re not sure why you didn’t see it sooner.

“Marc,” You whisper, and you can feel his lips just barely brushing yours.

“Tell me to stop. Tell me to stop and we can pretend this never happened.”

You loop your arms around his neck. “Don’t you dare.”

Marc closes the distance between the two of you, pressing his lips against yours. He tastes like apple juice and you can’t help but laugh against him. You’ve kissed in a film before many times, but it was never like this. His hands slide from your shoulders and down your sides, stopping to rest at your waist, pulling you flush against him. He speaks your name like a prayer against your lips, pulling away to rest his forehead against yours.

“Is this okay?”

You nod, running your fingers through the short hair at the nape of his neck. “Very okay.”

“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought about this, about having you in my arms like this.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Marc.”

“Hm?”

“Kiss me again.”

Unlike the first kiss, which had been chaste and soft, this kiss was hungry. Your lips press together almost painful as his tongue traces over your bottom lip, asking for entry. When you oblige, his tongue slips into your mouth and twines with yours. You groan against his mouth, one of your hands getting a handful of his hair and the other white-knuckling the front of his shirt.

His hands pull you until you’re seated in his lap, knees bracketing his thighs. Through the layers of clothes, you can feel him half-hard beneath you and it starts a fire in the pit of your stomach.

“Marc,” you groan.

He pulls away from your lips, trailing open-mouthed kisses down the side of your neck, the tip of his tongue slipping out to tease over your skin. “What is it, darling? What do you need?”

“You. I need you.”

Marc straightens, looking down into your eyes. “Are you sure?”

You nod. “I want you. I think I’ve wanted you for a long time.”

“And now who’s the old romantic? I thought you didn’t like sappy romance.”

You laugh in disbelief and start climbing out of his lap. “Nevermind, I take it all back. You’re insufferable.”

“Oh come now, don’t be like that!”

“No, I’m going home. You can find someone else to star in this ridiculous movie with because I-”

He silences you with a quick press of his lips against yours. Marc pulls you back into his lap, running a hand through your hair.

“Better? I promise not to make fun of you again.”

You roll your eyes but there’s a goofy grin on your face. “Fine, fine.”

“I hope I haven’t spoiled the mood.”

With a smirk, you roll your hips down against his and he groans. “I don’t think you’ve spoiled it at all. But we are both very overdressed.”

You start undoing the buttons on his shirt and Marc returns to kissing down your neck and over your shoulder, being no help at all. A particularly harsh nip on your collarbones forces a moan from your lips and your fingers fumble over the task at hand. Finally, you get fed up with the whole thing and rip his shirt open, buttons flying every which way.

“Darling, was that really necessary?”

“Yes, absolutely.”

Marc helps you divest him of his shirt and then his hands settle on your thighs. He slides them up over your hips and to your waist, pulling your dress up and off as he goes, eventually leaving you in just your undergarments and a pair of silk stockings.

“God,” he throws his head back with a groan, “you look good enough to eat.”

You bite your lip, running your hands over his chest. “Hm, maybe next time. I’m far too impatient to wait that long.”

“Oh really?”

“Yes, really.”

You reach behind yourself and undo the clasps on your bra, letting it slip off your arms and fall to the ground. Marc reaches out slowly, hands cupping your breasts.

“Absolutely gorgeous.”

He leans forward and kisses a line down from your collarbone to your nipple, swirling his tongue around it slowly. He twists the other between his fingers gently, earning him a high-pitched moan.

“Oh darling, your little whimpers and moans sound downright sinful. I can’t wait to hear you sing for me.”

“God, Marc.” You dig your fingers into his shoulders, arching your back to press your breasts further into his touch.

“I love the way you say my name, sweetling.”

Marc pulls away, patting your thigh lightly and hooking a finger into the waistband of your underwear. “Go on, take these off for me.”

You smile, a dark look in your eyes and you stand, turning your back towards him. Bending over at the waist, you slip your panties over the curve of your ass and down your legs, stepping out of them.

“That’s not fair,” he groans, cupping himself through his pants.

“All’s fair in love and war, darling,” you wink at him over your shoulder before climbing back into his lap.

Reaching between you, you undo his belt and open his pants just enough to reach in and pull his cock out. He’s about average length but much thicker than anyone else you’ve seen before. You wrap your fingers around him, admiring the weight of him in your hands before you start to stroke up and down the shaft slowly. A bead of precum has started to drip from the tip and you smear it over the head of his cock with your thumb.

“Fuck!” Marc curls his hand into a fist and shoves a knuckle between his teeth, trying to keep quiet.

“None of that. I want you to sing for me,” You pull his hand down, mirroring his words from earlier.

He throws his head back against the couch, digging his fingers into the meat of your thighs. You take one of his hands and guide it down between your legs. Marc groans at how warm and wet you feel as his fingers slip between your folds until they stop at your clit, rubbing it in slow circles.

“Oh darling, you’re so ready for me already, aren’t you?”

“Fuck Marc, yes.”

Your hand speeds up on his cock and Marc slips two fingers inside you, curling them just so to send sparks shooting up your spine. There’s a knot forming in the pit of your stomach and you can feel it getting tighter and tighter. Your concentration falters as he starts working you open, scissoring his fingers while his thumb rubs over your clit.

“You’re so close, aren’t you?” Marc whispers, tracing his tongue over the shell of your ear. “Just give in, my sweet, cum for me.”

The knot pulls taut and finally, it snaps, sending a wave of white-hot heat rolling through you. You clamp down on his fingers, forcing a moan from both of you. Marc watches you fall apart with dark, hungry eyes.

As you come down, you take deep, steadying breaths, pressing your forehead to his shoulder. Marc strokes your back gently, pressing kisses to the crown of your head.

“That was beautiful, darling. How’re you feeling?”

“Great.”

“Think you can handle more?”

You nod enthusiastically and he laughs.

Marc takes a gentle hold of your hips, pulling you closer until you’re hovering over his cock. He strokes himself slowly, guiding the head to your entrance before pulling you down. You sink onto his cock slowly, whimpering as the tip seems to catch on every sensitive spot inside you.

Once you’re fully seated on him, hips flush against his, Marc strokes the side of your face tenderly.

“You feel so good, darling. Does it hurt at all?”

You shake your head, rolling your hips down, the base of his cock creating delicious friction against your clit.

“Oh,” Marc groans, “keep going.”

Slowly, you raise up onto your knees until just the head of his cock is still inside you and you drop back down, forcing a moan from both of you. You set a steady pace, rising up and sinking back down onto him, squeezing around his cock. One of Marc’s hands tangles into your hair while the other slips between your legs, rubbing over your clit. The room is filled with your moans and the sound of skin hitting skin.

“That’s it, baby. Make yourself feel good. Fuck yourself on my cock.”

You whine, burying your face in the crook of his neck.

“Oh, do you like it when I whisper obscene things into your ear, darling?” He doesn’t wait for an answer, pulling your head up so he can whisper in your ear. “You feel so good around me. I’ve thought about this so many times, how I would fuck you, how I would make you moan my name.”

“M-Marc.”

“Yes, just like that. You’ll cum again for me, won’t you? I want to feel the way you tighten and clench around my cock.”

A moan, high and desperate, leaves your lips as you feel his finger on your clit speed up, dragging you closer and closer to your second orgasm. Marc begins to thrust up into you, meeting every downward thrust of your hips with an upward thrust of his own. The friction has fireworks exploding behind your eyes and you’re right on the edge, so close.

“That’s it. I can feel how close you are. Cum for me, darling.”

That’s all it takes. The desperation in his voice sends you free-falling into your second orgasm, the pleasure almost drowning you as you tighten around him. Marc throws his head back with a groan, grabbing your hips and moving you up and down on his cock until he still, cumming inside you with a shout of your name.

The two of you stay frozen in place, fighting to catch your breath. Marc cradles your head against his chest and you can hear his heartbeat thumping beneath your ear.

“That was…” He sighs, pushing hair out of his face, “perfect.”

“I agree.” You smile up at him.

“I hope this wasn’t…a one-time thing?”

You take his face in your hands, tracing your thumbs back and forth over his cheeks, and kiss him softly, passionately. When you pull away, Marc is looking at you with a dreamy look in his eyes. “Does that answer your question?”

He laughs. “Yes, I suppose it does.”