**Hi. So...yes. This is chapter two of Sleep Is For The Weak. How is it different? Well, it's no longer Matt and Ryan but instead Tyler and Ethan. There is no ageplay involved. And...a certain someone makes an appearance. Hm...**
**I hope you guys enjoy this added chapter! :D**
**Italics represent Mark's nightmare (: **
Mark hated bedtime. He hated it, which is why he usually always procrastinated. Usually it was by leaving his videos until late at night so he didn't have to go to bed until he was done them. Or he left the editing last minute when it was his turn to do it. Anything to get himself out of that bed for even a few extra minutes.
He was supposed to go to bed at around midnight. That had been the bedtime he had set for himself. But usually, he didn't find himself in bed until 2 or even 3 in the morning some days. He knew it was bad but ever since he had played Five Nights at Freddy's, well...he's been having trouble sleeping. He knew it was a stupid fear, since animatronics couldn't just come into his room out of the blue, but he couldn't help it. It was like his fear of mannequins or of sharks in the pool. But there was just something about those creepy...creatures that made him toss and turn in bed. And when he did eventually fall asleep, it usually ended with realistic nightmares that would leave him wide awake for the rest of the night anyways.
What made it even worse was that it wasn't just the animatronics sometimes. On particularly bad nights, he could hear laughter in the halls, instead of the usual noises of the robots moving around. The laughter was familiar to his ears, one he had heard too many times.
Because of hardly sleeping, Mark was starting to grow bags under his eyes. He was growing weaker, due to lack of sleep. He would be tired all the time, falling asleep in the middle of the day sometimes. It was starting to get bad, but luckily Matt and Ryan started to notice it.
Tonight was the same as always. Mark wasn't shooting his video yet, waiting until the last possible minute he could. Instead, the brown haired man was sitting in the living room watching some television. Ethan was working on some editing. Tyler was coming up with some new video ideas since he didn't have much else to do. Ethan and Tyler had both taken notice that Mark still hadn't shot his video though, and decided it was time to step in. They decided that Matt would step in first and try to talk to him, see what was going on. Hopefully talk some sense into him.
So Tyler got up off of his chair at his desk, taking his headphones off and setting them on the desk beside his keyboard. He glanced over at Ethan, who gave him a nod, before he made his way into the living room. "Mark? Shouldn't you be shooting your video soon? It's getting late." He commented, arms crossed over his chest. It was weird how...protective the two had been over Mark ever since they all moved in together.
"Yeah. I'll do it later." Mark mumbled out quietly, the tension in his shoulders obvious. "I know what I'm doing. Thanks Dad." He murmured out the name in a sarcastic sort of way, rolling his eyes a bit. He knew he was being a complete brat but he just...did not want to go to bed. He kept his eyes on the TV screen even as he heard Tyler's footsteps get closer to him. He only turned his head when he felt Tyler's presence directly beside him. "What?"
"What has gotten into you lately?" Tyler asked, having had enough of Mark's attitude. He knew that Mark was old enough to know better, even if it really didn't seem like it. "Are you just...do you not love your career anymore?" he asked, his voice completely serious. If that was the issue, then they were all going to have to have a serious chat.
Mark's eyes widened in an almost comical way, and Tyler would have laughed had the topic not been so serious. "What? No! No, oh my god. That's not it at all. I love doing Youtube." He replied, turning to look at the other with an almost too innocent look in his eyes. "It's not that at all. Why...why would you even think that, Ty?" He asked, the shock still in his facial features.
"You've been...putting it off. We've noticed Mark. It's not that hard to see. And it's taking a toll on you. You haven't been sleeping properly. Or eating properly for that matter." Tyler pointed out, an eyebrow raised. "Your fans will understand if you need to take another break or if you need to...quit youtube for-"
Mark cut him off, unable to listen to his words any longer. "It's not that. I promise you. I'm not ready to just...stop Youtube. I love it." He replied, still rather shocked that Tyler would even think that. He had been doing it for only a few years now, and he was nowhere near done. "I...I just haven't been sleeping properly lately. That's all." He commented, turning the television off as he got off the couch. "It's nothing to be worried about. I'm a big boy."
"Well you sure aren't acting like one." Tyler muttered under his breath, catching Mark off guard. "Why have you been pushing everything to the last minute then, hm? Is something going on? Do you need...help or something? You know Ethan and I can help you out." He informed the other.
"I told you. It's nothing you need to worry about." Mark insisted again, turning to look at Tyler so they were now face to face. He saw the look in Tyler's eyes though that said he wasn't buying it, which made Mark regret the lie. "F-fine. I've been having nightmares lately, okay? Happy?" He asked, trying to slip past the other male only to have his arm grabbed gently.
"No. I'm not happy. Why didn't you tell us sooner instead of just keeping it to yourself?" Tyler asked. Nightmares were normal. They happened to everyone. He himself had had some nasty nightmares in the past, and it was always better to open up about them rather than to keep them to oneself.
"Because I can handle it myself!" Mark snapped at the other, practically yanking his arm out of Tyler's grip. "Can't you just mind your own business? God. I don't need your help Tyler." He added, about to head up the stairs. The guilt in his stomach grew though at his overreacting, since he knew it was pretty rude of him. He could just blame it on being moody but he knew that wasn't the complete truth.
"Obviously you can't! You've been acting like such a jerk lately!" Tyler shot back at him, jaw clenched as he watched Mark start to head upstairs. "I hate to say it that way but I don't know how else to tell you. You've been so rude and just...moody. You need more sleep Mark." He tried to reason.
"Yeah, yeah. I get it. I'll go to bed, okay?" Mark shot back, heading up the stairs with another roll of his eyes. He didn't want to but he knew that Tyler and Ethan were just going to continue to pry. He was truly too tired to deal with the prying at the moment.
Mark decided to just listen to Tyler, not wanting to get into another argument anytime soon. He changed into his pajamas reluctantly, figuring he'll just have to record an extra video tomorrow. But he was used to that anyways.
After tugging on his pajamas, he went off to brush his teeth and wash his face, and then he crawled into his bed. He glanced over at his opened closet though, an anxious feeling creeping over him. He didn't know why, but whenever he saw his closet open, he felt as though he was being watched.
He let out a small huff, shaking his head. It was ridiculous that he felt this way. It was just a closet, dammit! But whenever he looked over there, into the darkness of the open closet, he swore he could see an outline of a figure standing there. Maybe it was just the lack of sleep getting to him.
He turned his eyes to look up towards the ceiling again, trying to ignore the nagging feeling of being watched. He was just paranoid, right? There was no one there. There couldn't be.
He eventually gave in and got out of his bed again, making his way, hesitantly, over to the closet. His hand reached out for the doorknob, though he was hesitant. It was as if he was scared about being grabbed by something. By...someone. He sucked in a breath before he quickly grabbed hold of the doorknob and tugged the closet door closed.
As he trudged back over to his bed, he grabbed his Tiny Box Tim plushie (as childish as it was). He tended to help him sleep some nights. Finally, he slipped back under the covers again as he cuddled up to the warm bed. He let out a small, soft yawn, his eyes slipping shut. It wasn't too long after that before he was falling asleep, face buried in his pillow.
Mark made his way down the familiar hallway, a sinking feeling in his gut. Everything about this place made him feel sick. His hands shook as he quickened his pace, hearing laughter and even footsteps from behind him. His heart was pounding in his chest, breathing hitched as he tried to stay as silent as possible.
He bit down on his bottom lip, swallowing thickly due to his throat growing dry from fear. He heard another noise, causing him to spin around in his spot. He hadn't actually expected anything to be there. He didn't want anyone to be there.
He was shocked to say the least when he came face to face with the familiar purple bunny that was better known as Bonnie. The large Bunny gave him a horrific smile, tilting his head to the side. Mark was frozen in shock for a few seconds, eyes growing wide. When he was finally able to react, he let out a scream and spun back around to begin running to the security office. He knew where that was at least. And it should be empty. He hoped.
He came to a stop when he was finally safely in the room, taking deep breaths as he tried to calm his beating heart. He continued to try and calm himself down as he rushed to hit the button to the door, watching it slide down. He then moved to hit the other button, watching the other door slide down as well.
He let out a small noise as he slid down the wall beside one of the doors. He was finally safe.
It lasted for about thirty seconds, when the sound of the doors opening again caused him to pause his movements. He looked up and realized the power had gone out, causing him to let out a soft gasp. He quickly pushed himself up off the dirt covered ground and tried to push the buttons to the doors again. He wasn't surprised when the door didn't budge, though the dread and fear filled him yet again.
His hand froze as he heard the familiar song flow through the room, causing him to turn away from the button. It was no use anyways. The music was coming from the other doorway, growing louder and louder as to signal Freddy's presence.
He tried to back out of the other doorway, but it was no use as he saw the face of Freddy light up, fear flowing through him again. There was nothing he could do.
He listened to the music, as it seemed to go on and on, Freddy slowly inching closer and closer. It was as if his eyes were unable to close. He couldn't even turn away. He tried to back up out of the doorway again but he ran into something...fluffy. It didn't take long for him to figure out it was either Bonnie or Chica. He didn't even want to look.
Before he could even make a sound, before he could even blink, Freddy was coming at him.
Mark awoke with a loud scream, sitting up as fast as he could in his bed. He looked around the dark room, hands shaking as he tried to spot the familiar faces from Five Nights at Freddy's. None were in his room, however, but that still didn't calm Mark's nerves.
His eyes drifted to his closet again, which seemed to have opened up again somehow. His eyebrows furrowed but before he could question it anymore, a figure made his presence known. He watched with wide eyes as someone that looked almost exactly like him stepped out of the closet.
He moved down his bed, until he felt the headboard pressed up against his sweaty back. His hands shook, and he felt paralyzed now, his mouth opening a bit but no sound coming out. Had no one heard his first scream? Where was Tyler and Ethan? Hell, he'd take anyone at this point, if it meant being saved from this figure.
He swallowed the lump in his throat as he took in the other's appearance. He took in the black shoes, the grey suit, the pale face, and finally, the black hair. He jumped a bit when he saw the other figure...glitch? How was that even possible? "W-Who are you?" He asked, his voice shaking in the slightest.
The unnamed figure had a smirk on his lips as he made his way closer to the bed, glitching again as he did so. He let out a soft tsking sound, almost as if he was taunting Mark. "My dear boy. You don't recognize me?" He asked, his voice deeper than Mark's own voice. "You...were the one that created me. You were the one that made me come to life." He explained, coming to a stop when he was at the end of the bed.
Mark couldn't get his brain to think. The dark figure looked familiar but his mind was just everywhere. His mind was racing. Maybe he was still dreaming. That had to be it. He didn't say anything, as he used his left hand to pinch at his leg. When pain shot through it, his eyes widened. "I-I..."
The dark figure let out a laugh, and Mark's eyes widened. It was the same laugh he would hear when he was home alone, or when he was talking about...Darkiplier. Something clicked in Mark's mind and now he understood. "D-Darkplier..."
"Ah. So you have figured it out." Darkiplier commented, his voice still deep. He glitched again as he made his way around the bed, inching closer and closer to Mark. "It took you long enough." He added, standing almost right beside the Youtuber now. "Why do you look so scared, hm? I'm only you. But darker." He smirked again, leaning into Mark's personal space. "You made me, with your fans help of course. And now...here I am."
Mark was ready to scream again, but when he opened his mouth, his voice failed him again. His shaking only got worse as Darkiplier inched closer and closer.
"If you thought your nightmares were bad, you have no idea what is about to come..." Darkiplier added on, glitching when he was nearly right in front of Mark's face. "I am your worst nightmare." He growled out, his face void of any emotions. When he saw the other pale in colour, he stood back. "Goodnight, Mark."
And with that, Mark watched as Darkiplier made his way into the closet again, and another scream finally slipped out of his mouth. He sucked in a breath as he heard footsteps running down the hall, and soon the door was being ripped open. His head whipped around, but he was glad to see Tyler and Ethan there.
"Woah, woah, woah. Mark, calm down. It's us." Ethan spoke up, making his way towards the bed with his hands up in a defensive sort of way. "We heard you scream and...we wanted to make sure you were okay." He added with his eyebrows furrowed in concern. "Do you want to tell us what...what happened?" He asked gently, coming to sit on the bed.
Mark blinked the tears back, though he knew some had already fallen, as he looked between the two of them. His breathing was still off, and he could still hear his heart beating in his ear, but he was trying to focus on calming himself down so the other two weren't as concerned. "N-No. It was just a nightmare." He murmured out, though it was a slight lie. Darkiplier was most certainly not a nightmare.
Tyler gave a glance Ethan's way before he let his eyes land on Mark again. "Mark..." he sighed out softly. He felt bad for him, but it was hard to help him out when Mark just kept pushing them away. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked, keeping his voice gentle.
Mark ran a hand down his face, glad that his nerves had seemed to calm down. It was better than nothing, he supposed. He cleared his throat as he gave a shake of his head, trying to swallow down his fears. "I'd rather n-not relive it." He murmured out, his eyes drifting towards the bed sheets again. The way his voice sounded so...broken and vulnerable made Tyler and Ethen feel even worse.
"How about...you sleep in my room for tonight, yeah? Think that'll help?" Tyler offered, moving to start rubbing Mark's shoulder gently. "I'll hopefully be able to fight off those bad nightmares." He added, hoping to break a bit of the tension. He felt relieved when he actually received a small chuckle from Mark. The two of them waited patiently for a response, nearly letting out a sigh of relief when Mark finally answered with a nod.
If only Tyler knew the truth.
"Y-Yeah. Okay. I'll b-be in there in a few minutes." Mark replied, rubbing at his eyes a bit again. "I just wanna calm down a bit f-first." He added, hoping to explain himself. In reality, he wanted to check and see if Darkiplier was still in his closet.
He watched the other two walk off, before he pushed himself off of the bed and closed the door behind them. He then turned the light on, thinking maybe that would help. But the dread was still in his chest. He slowly made his way over to the wooden door that had closed yet again. He didn't know if he wanted to do this, but he felt he had no choice. His heart hammered in his chest as he reached his hand out again.
The doorknob felt...different. It felt warm, in a weird sort of way. He swallowed thickly before he finally built up enough courage to open the door. He braced himself for what was about to happened...but was left with nothing but clothing hanging from the rack at the top.
He let out a small breath before he grabbed one of his Tiny Box Tim plushies again and headed down the hall to Tyler's room.
Mark gave a small knock on his door, before he let himself in, giving the other a small smile. "Thanks for letting me sleep with you." He murmured, a look of embarrassment slipping onto his face. He just felt so pathetic. He was scared that Tyler and Ethan were going to look at him differently now. He shuffled into the room, waiting for Tyler to invite him to get closer.
Tyler smiled a bit and moved over on the bed, patting the free spot next to him. "Not a problem. You should know that by now." He replied. "Now come on. There's plenty of room for you and Tim." He added, glad to gain another smile from Mark.
Mark slipped in next to Tyler under the covers, a yawn slipping past his lips. "I...I know. Just...thank you." He mumbled out tiredly, barely able to keep his eyes opened. It only took a few seconds of silence before Mark was drifting off again, his face pressed into one of Tyler's many pillows.
This time, however, his dreams were pleasant.
Ever since then, Mark sleeping in Tyler's bed had become a routine of some sorts. Mark wouldn't usually start out in Tyler's bed. Instead, whenever Mark was to have a 'bad dream', he would find himself heading down to Tyler's room after waking up.
He wasn't afraid to ask to sleep with Tyler. He usually got the best sleep that way, cuddled up next to someone in bed. It was the perfect comfort item. And it kept Darkiplier and his nightmares away from him. Which made it all even better.
Hopefully Tyler would be able to keep the 'nightmares' away for at least a few months.
**So...yeah. I wanted to give a shot at writing Darkiplier. How was it? I'd love to know what you liked and didn't like about my representation of Darkiplier, and whether or not I should do more involving the egos.**
**Reviews, and votes are always appreciated. Buh-bye for now!**
