#it's a simarkus fic

[littlehaize]

can't believe i'm actually writing a long fic

haven't done that in years

i have no plan, i barely have ideas and clichés

i go with the vibe and feeling

dbh fandom, be scared, i'm arriving

[hamartia-grander]

From my old dumb pun

[rking200]

Stratford Handoff

Simon is tasked with bringing Markus the uniform he needed during the Stratford Tower raid. They overlooked the option of hiding the uniform with the help of the ceiling tiles, so Simon stands in a closed stall and awaits Markus' tap at the door, a neatly-folded uniform in his hands.

2.5k words, chapter one of a three chapter SimonxMarkus angst/hurt-comfort/R18 fic. Nothing R18 happens in this chapter, just a bit of kissing and making out. Angst will be next chapter, then hurt-comfort into R18 for the last. Will be posted to AO3 upon completion.

The plan made perfect sense, and while carrying it out had been no easy task for Simon, he did appreciate knowing how much Markus trusted him. Markus blending in as a working android was such an integral part of the plan and the uniform pristinely folded in Simon's hands hadn't wound up there by pure chance. Part of Simon believed that he was seen as expendable by Markus--that he had seen merit in North and Josh and was worried about putting their lives in danger for the plan, while it might be worth it for Simon's life to be lost for their cause. Of course he tried not to heed the dark whispers, but they were there nonetheless. Simon's eyes darted to the stall door handle in front of him at the sound of the main door opening, but was able to relax when he heard another stall open and close. He shifted his weight and begged his hands not to wrinkle the uniform as he gripped it, closing his eyes and pushing his dark whispers and his anxieties out of his head for a few brief moments of respite: standby.

Simon was quick to move when he heard the gentle rhythmic tap of Markus' knuckle against the stall door. Quiet enough to not alert any human in the bathroom, but loud enough to give Simon's thirium pump a start. Flicking the lock open, Simon shifted aside to allow Markus to enter and lock the door back behind him. Because he had been the first to leave Jericho to start putting their plan in motion, Simon had yet to see Markus all dressed up in his suit. He really wore it well, and passed for a human perfectly. 「Simon?」

Simon pursed his lips at Markus' voice in his head, shaking his head and closing his eyes tight in order to focus them again. 「Sorry, Markus.」 His hands quivered slightly as he loosened his grip, allowing Markus to take the clothes from him. 「That suits you.」 Markus' perplexed look sent Simon slightly on edge. He hadn't meant to think that thought loud enough for it to connect with Markus, but there was no doubt that Markus had heard it. He let out a quiet yet audible chuckle, his eyes trained on Simon as his hands fumbled with his tie.

「Was...was that a pun? You didn't seem like the type, Simon.」

Simon blinked a few times, and his LED must have turned yellow because Markus' playful eyes darted over to Simon's temple. Ever since he fell into Jericho's hull, Markus had a permanently planted serious expression, and this was the first time he saw his brow relaxed, his eyes sparkle, and his lips parted in a smile. With a few more blinks, Simon tilted his head to the side, looking down to both physically remove his gaze from Markus' kind eyes and parted lips, and to blatantly put his stress on display by fully showing his blinking, yellow LED. He shifted his jaw as he searched for the words that he could not find.

「Relax.」 Markus took a step towards Simon, who couldn't help but take a half step back. His eyes were gentle but stared at him with the intensity of their cause shining through. He reached out and planted his hands firmly on either of Simon's shoulders. 「The plan is airtight. There's nothing to worry about. We get up there, send out our message and leave as quickly as we can. We've got this.」

Simon's eyes moved between Markus', and he let out a shaky, held breath. 「I know. We've got this.」 Markus offered a gentle smile before moving away. Simon watched him fumble with his tie a moment longer before moving forward, holding his breath once again and gently pressing his fingertips between the layers of fabric, unknotting it. 「First time?」

「My owner never wore ties. Josh, uh, Josh helped me tie it.」 Simon thought that was rather nice of Josh, but he'd be lying if he said the image of Josh stooping down to help a struggling Markus wasn't a funny one. He'd have to remember to ask him about it when they got back to Jericho. Simon didn't have a chance to step away from Markus before he started unbuttoning his white shirt. Simon's hands had barely let the two ends of the tie go before Markus pulled at his vest and shrugged his jacket and shirt off his shoulders, and he found his hands reaching for the warm, discarded clothes as Markus held them out to him. Simon was used to wearing more layers than what was provided in his current disguise, and for a split second he considered holding the bundle of warmth closer to himself, but he was worried that he was already making this situation tense enough. Simon closed his eyes in an attempt to stop them from wandering, but found them open again and trailing down Markus' chest. He watched Markus shift and tilt his head as he held up the uniform, attempting to make sense of it. Markus leaned over towards Simon, who straightened up and kept intense eye contact. What was he doing? Why was he getting so close? Markus shifted on his feet, pivoting away from Simon after depositing the hat, pants and over shirt momentarily. Simon's eyes were free to dart over him with his back turned, and he only had a moment until the long-sleeved undershirt would cover up his skin. He followed the curve of his side, pausing to notice the dip in his lower back before following his spine to his shoulder blades. He attempted to commit the image to memory, unintentionally furrowing his brows in the process. He noticed as Markus pulled the shirt down over his head, following the black hem down to his waist, but was not attentive enough to see Markus glance at him over his shoulder as his fingers tugged the hem down to his waistband. Simon was far too focused on the intake of information, as well as the intent to not openly share his thoughts with Markus. Markus turning, however, was a different story. Simon's eyes snapped up to his as he held the rest of the uniform out to Markus. Markus held his gaze as he took the pants, only breaking their eye contact to briefly glance to his own shoes, stepping out of them before reaching for his belt. Simon knew it was better for his own sanity to look away, and he did. He tilted his head to the side to give Markus privacy, but couldn't help but wonder why Markus didn't turn away like he had done before. Arguably, taking his pants off was more revealing than his shirt, but of course Markus probably wasn't thinking like that. There were more important matters at hand, and Simon shook his head in disappointment with himself, ever so slightly sighing. He needed to be better than this.

「You know, Simon...」 He risked a glance to meet Markus' eyes at the mention of his name. It was definitely a mistake--Markus was still in the process of putting his new pair of pants on. That mischievous look was still playing in the reflections on Markus' eyes, and Simon felt trapped no matter where he was looking. 「I thought having you helping me here was the safest option. Maybe--」 Markus' eyes darted to Simon's LED, which Simon was unaware of the color, 「--maybe I was wrong.」 Red, probably. At least it was now. 「Well.」 Simon had meant to immediately continue the thought, but the image of Markus buttoning his pants was too much to allow that to happen. Markus shook his head slightly, and Simon was relieved for the smile that plagued his lips, and that he didn't seem outwardly angry with him. Markus moved closer to place more warm clothes in his hands. His fingers hovered over the brim of the hat, but he didn't move away. Markus tilted his head to the side, as if asking for Simon to continue his previous thought. 「I think it was the best option.」 The thought was very forced, and he hated watching Markus take notice of his LED yet again. It really wasn't fair, especially since Markus had gotten rid of his own...Simon momentarily considered when he'd have time to remove his. But now wasn't the time for his mind to wander, because Markus was still right there, he wasn't moving. Simon felt his brow furrow ever so slightly as he searched for something in Markus' eyes. Some reason why he wasn't leaving the stall. North was waiting for him, and Simon had another part to play before they met up on the broadcasting floor. 「Simon.」 Markus' voice was gentle and innocent in his head, and Simon unconsciously shifted his jaw to the side, wearily casting his eyes up to meet his. Simon almost couldn't physically take their closeness, and felt his mind race as Markus leaned closer still, his eyes burning through Simon's thoughts, leaving him nothing but an incoherent jumble in his head. He felt a breath escape his lips, and Simon couldn't help but feel that Markus had stolen it. A hot huff of air escaped Markus, as well, and Simon breathed it in, happy to steal his breath in return.

Simon kept unwavering eye contact as Markus' lips barely brushed his own, sending a shock through every fiber of his being. Markus' firm hand rested on top of the bundle of clothes in Simon's hands, pressing down ever so slightly on him. The tension between their lips was unbearable. Their warm breaths collided between them, Simon's shaky and wavering ones against Markus' warm and steady ones. And when Markus finally did give into Simon's pleading, shivering lips, he kept his eyes trained on Simon's. Simon felt violated: it wasn't a negative feeling, but he felt so laid bare against Markus' gaze and against his lips. Simon couldn't handle the feeling any longer, and shut his eyes so that he could focus more on the physical part of this and less on the soul-searching gaze Markus was trying so hard to hold.

Their lips parted before Markus pressed again, tilting his head more to press their lips together tighter still. Simon unknowingly let down his guard, but he did, sighing into his lips and relaxing against him. His lips tingled with sensations he very well could handle, but that drove him so unbelievably insane. Without thinking twice, Simon's lips were void of the human façade that always incased them, and he took a moment to take a short breath of hot air before pressing them against Markus' own silver and blue-toned lips, feeling something so much more than before. The feelings of tenderness and understanding laid before him, and all he had to do was press his lips against Markus' to feel utterly engulfed in them. He's sure that he thought a lot of things to Markus: his name, about how nice it felt, about how incredibly warm Markus was, but Simon wasn't in the mindset to control how loud his thoughts were right now. He was in the mindset to enjoy this blessing while it lasted. Markus deepened the kiss, moving his hands to Simon's hips and pulling him closer as his tongue passed over Simon's bottom lip. Simon hadn't meant to let go of the clothes he had been entrusted with, but he heard the soft sounds of cloth fall to the floor between them. He placed his own hands ever so gently on Markus' chest, not pushing away but just feeling his warmth beneath them. If Markus was throwing thoughts in his direction, Simon was none the wiser. Their lips parted for a moment before Simon moved forward to close the gap, prompting Markus' hands to grip his hips tighter. Simon couldn't take the slight, continuous pressure from Markus and he leaned back into the wall behind him. Markus followed, the fingertips on his right hand sending a shock through Simon's system as they snaked under the hem of his shirt. Slowly, Markus ran his hand over his side, resting it along the back of his hip. Instinctively, perhaps, the skin on Simon's hip reacted to the lack of faux skin on Markus, and their true skin--smooth and white--met with an intense shock, as if Simon had been tossed into the waters by Jericho. Their bare lips touching had felt so different than the touch of his hand on him, and he wasn't sure if it was purely the intent of the action or if he was just that weak to someone grabbing his hip, android skin or not. Either way, Simon knew they had to stop here, before his resolve fully melted away from the extended close proximity with Markus' burning form.

Simon's hand moved before his lips could, disconnecting their android skin by grabbing Markus' wrist from over his shirt. "Markus." His voice was gentle, pleading even. He was sure he had the most pathetic look on his face, while Markus was paired with a furrowed brow and a warm smolder in his eyes. Everything about him was just so warm. He moved away, stooping down to gather the clothes Simon had dropped. Simon took the clothes back, watching him closely for any signs of anger, but Markus only took a moment to compose himself before slipping back into his shoes and placing his hat neatly atop his head. He glanced back, holding Simon's gaze for far too long before offering a gentle smile. 「I'd like to try that again, back in Jericho. For now, let's focus on the plan.」

Simon felt a chill go up his spine, and he wasn't sure if it was brought on by Markus' voice in his head, or if it was merely that Markus had taken that warmth with him when he left. 「Right. I'll meet up with Josh. ...Markus, stay safe.」 Markus merely nodded before taking his leave of the stall, leaving Simon alone with his thoughts and these not-as-warm clothes after having pushed the lock back into place. He waited a moment. They didn't have a lot of time, but he could afford to steel his nerves for a second longer. His hand instinctively touched where Markus' had previously been, both on his hip and then gently reaching up to his lips. Simon couldn't think about how perfect all that had been. He stepped up on the toilet, pushing up on the ceiling tile in order to put Markus' suit away from prying eyes. Pausing, Simon thought that maybe this would've been easier had he dropped the uniform off up here, allowing Markus to change into it without the need for a hand-to-hand exchange. He pushed the thought out of his mind because he wouldn't trade their last interaction for the world.

Stepping out of the stall, Simon focused on looking natural and controlling the color of his LED. He briskly left with his own stolen keycard, ready to meet up with Josh and wait in the service elevator for the last leg of their plan. Things were changing already, and for once...Simon felt optimistic. Everything was going to be okay because Markus was here with them now. They were going to earn their freedom via his lead, no doubt about it.

[deviant-sent-by-cyberlife]

Can someone recommend a few simarkus fics ? 👀 <33

[its-ashehausen]

Well my first chapter for my Reed900 fic is nearly finished, just have to finish a few more paragraphs and I'm all set. (Which is the first thing I've written in months due to losing interest and struggling with depression)

Then I can finish another chapter for my Ulquihime fanfic when I have the time

With Hookhausen back I might try to start that One-Shot I wanted to do, fingers crossed. If not I'll make a short fluffy piece in my spare time.

Things are gradually looking up for me and my excitement to write again. I've missed writing for the last two pairings, and I'm excited to write for my recent ship; Reed900 who literally had no interaction whatsoever but I'm on board with them, I see the potential😁 plus I'll be writing some background Simarkus and Northara🖤🖤

[feenmies]

more wip ... fucking hate these silly guys

[starrysimp]

HUMAN DBH AU (headcanons?)

(Hello! Is my writing okay? Feel free to give me tips!)

Im still going to do Kara, Luther, Connor, Sixty and Nines just a WIP for now (I'm actually considering to make this a full story and it's SiMarkus-ish hope you all don't mind

MARKUS

-starting off with Markus Manfred, he's pretty much an easy guy to start with. He got adopted by Carl Manfred and grew up with Leo together as brothers. He was living the luxurious life and grew up to be an aspiring artist.

-Since Carl was a famous painter and went to a lot of events, he always brought Markus and Leo along. Carl really does his best to keep his sons away from the public eye so it wouldn't be such a bother to deal with people all the time.

-Markus is homeschooled. Yet he's an extroverted person.

-Markus never let money and fame get the best of him because Carl taught him to be more humble and reserved. Leo was the opposite, became a drug addict somewhere in his life.

-Markus felt a little bit guilty now that he was getting older and was still relying on his dear old dad for money so he proposed an idea about making a library/bookstore.

-Carl assured him that they had enough money and Markus didn't need to work but Markus insisted (somewhere in his life, his dream was to own a library/bookstore and read all day)

-Markus really didn't want to use the Manfred name to boost his bookstore business but it seemed so fitting and had to ask permission from his father. Carl thought it was ridiculous to ask for even such a thing and told him to do whatever the hell he wanted.

-So now here he was with 'MANFRED BOOKSTORE'

-Markus hung up some of his father's paintings and his own in the bookstore to make the place look aesthetically pleasing.

-guess what? All his books were sold out on day one haha.

SIMON AND DANIEL

-absolutely love the idea of them being brothers.

-Still cant work out what their last names would be so here I am just calling them by their first name.

-Oh you messed with Simon? Sleep with one eye open tonight.

-Oh damn, you didn't know the blond guy you messed with had a twin? Count your days.

-When they were teenagers, Daniel was somehow in trouble from time to time. The good student Simon, sometimes gets mistaken and could also receive the punishment.

-this caused a lot of arguments.

-One would immediately assume that Simon would never swear, and if one of them did it would always be Daniel. But if you pushed your luck just hard enough you'd hear a swearing Simon with a mouth worse than a sailor's. He will absolutely demolish you with his words.

-For one, Simon of course has friends. North and Josh from his old elementary school who were practically inseparable.

-Simon was such a crybaby when he was in elementary school, North hates him for it but somehow stayed with him throughout his life. You made Simon cry? Wow man, lock your doors.

-Daniel is somehow skilled in picking locks??? He locks himself out of the house very often and he taught himself how to pick locks. He seems shady.

-Simon and Daniel were financially unstable growing up and they eventually dropped out of college and started finding some jobs.

-North and Josh insist the money they give Simon, he politely refuses and doesn't want to seem like a burden.

[saturnstringz]

I believe in simarkus without the blatant hatred of north

[scribhneoirtuirseach]

a Simarkus Spy AU, inspired by bonesbubs (also on AO3)

featuring: Markus Manfred (rA9), Simon (Hyacinth)

wordcount: 869

"Duck behind the wall to your right and stay there." Simon advises, brows knit tight together as he flicks through different views to find a path out. "You have company."

Picking up a pencil by his side, he takes some notes; Luckily he already has the layout memorised since debriefing, it's just a matter of keeping track of the people around now, not losing anyone who could later sneak up on his agent.

"If I live through this one, will you finally tell me your name?"

Radios are naturally crackly in quality, yet Markus's voice still manages to pour through like the smoothest honey.

Shaking the thought from his head, Simon gets his eyes back on the man. A scratch on the cheek, but overall, he's faring well. He expected no less from one of his best.

"For the hundredth time," He begins, having to fight a slight smile coming through in his tone. "You knowing my name is detrimental to our partnership, and is generally unnecessary. Standby, rA9, I'm trying to help you here."

He sees cocky brows raising, nearly jumps when Markus's mismatched eyes glance up to the camera watching him.

"I just want to put a name to your face." He feigns innocence— And in truth, this is one of the more innocent if still inappropriate interactions they've had over comms. The more intense missions get adrenaline pumping, after all… Simon often wonders if he regrets what he says during those times.

No use wondering now, though, he'll only waste both of their time. "You don't know what I look like and you never will."

Markus isn't put off by that, back pressing against the wall as he looks out of the corner of his eye, gun held to his chest.

"But I see you every night in my dreams…"

Simon shuts his eyes tight, hand covering his face as he slowly leans to slump over his desk.

This is the issue with being 'the guy in the chair', you only ever work with the most suave people on Earth, literally trained to seduce if needs call for it— But you know you can't let yourself be on the receiving end of that attention. For a multitude of reasons, of course. It distracts from the job, and there's the dreadful knowledge that these people wouldn't even bat an eye passing you in the street.

Hell, most people wouldn't, he can't blame them.

"Are you hiding your face?" Markus asks into the silence. Simon doesn't have to look to know he's smirking, and he hates himself for it. "You know that I can't see you."

Straightening back up, Simon tilts his head back, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I don't need reminding. Company's gone for now, you can continue pushing forward… You should find a door?"

Biting back a chuckle, Markus does as he's told, brows furrowing at the large metal door he's met with.

"You got a code for me, Hyacinth?"

"I can do you one better, rA9."

Focusing back on his laptop, he types away— And watches with pride as the door unlocks itself, slowly opening for Markus.

The agent lets out a low whistle, impressed both by the man's skill and relieved to find the briefcase, the reason he's here in the first place. "Not bad at all… I've been meaning to ask you something."

"I'm sure it can wait, just focus for now. Last leg of the race."

Markus, of course, decides it can't wait. "Your codename?"

"Mhm?" Simon's back to writing, occasionally glancing up to the screen to make sure Markus is alright as he starts to make his way out with the briefcase, closing the door after himself. Good boy. "It's a flower. Didn't pick it, it was assigned to me."

"Also a Greek hero," Markus muses as he heads back down the hall, because of course he knows that. "Lover of Apollo."

Rolling his eyes, Simon takes pause to consider this. Fuck it, he'll bite. "Is he the one that flew too close to the sun? Reminds me of someone."

"Ouch," Markus snickers, relishing in the sound of a faint chuckle in his ear. "That's Icarus, anyway, Apollo's the Sun God himself. You need to brush up on your mythology."

"Can't say I'd know where to start on my own…" Lots of cultures, lots of myths; All fascinating in their own right. He does need a hobby, can't just keep sleeping whenever he's off the job. Need to get out more.

"Then don't do it on your own. You guide me here, I'll guide you there."

Simon taps his pencil against his notepad, thoughtful.

"You're considering it~"

"You're lucky I don't have a life outside of here, I'll get back to you on that. Good work today, rA9."

"Wait—" Bastard, he's already hopped off of comms. Markus sighs, at least happy to have a small chance at that while he continues on back to base with his prize. Needless to say, that'll be in the back of his mind until something is done about it… Maybe he can take the guy to a museum, he's sure he'll fit right in with the works of art they'll be surrounded by.

[detroitbecomeonline]

Chapter 11 of Encryption is now available.

[littlehaize]

i need someone to talk to about my fanfics, because my bunnies are truly no help with coming with way to unblock the stories, they can't even read!!!

[hamartia-grander]

I have read too many simarkus fics where Simon is this big blushy mess who can't handle even the slightest flirting and casts his eyes down when Markus looks at him and can't like function if Markus is near him. No no. It would be so difficult to embarrass Simon or throw him off balance.

Markus fell into Jericho and immediately said "damn bitch u live like this" to which Simon smoothly replied "my bad lemme book wanted and hunted deviants a nice private 5 star hotel I'm sure that'd be safer, asshole" and moved on. Simon stared at Markus in the eyes on Stratford Tower, gun pointed to his head, and said "there's always a choice." Simon repeatedly got in between Josh and North's disputes. Simon was hugged so tenderly by Markus and hugged him back, full force. Simon at times expressed cynicism to rival North's. Simon heard Markus start singing as they were all rounded up and held at gunpoint and looked at him like "wow this bitch really is stupid". Simon gets mad if Markus fails to take down the drone during Spare Parts and falls because Simon tries to help him up but Markus brushes him off. Simon looks Markus in the eyes and says "ur literally our only hope lol good luck with that pressure", and then when Markus walks off Simon's face is like "my God he's really our only hope. We are maybe doomed". Simon actively Doesn't Say Shit when Markus makes a decision but will demand Markus leave the freedom march to preserve lives with no hesitation. Simon reminded Markus to hide his face during the Stratford speech. If Markus chooses to kill the Stratford guards and gets Simon shot he's all like "yeah no I'm fine, fuck you". Simon took one look at a shot and fallen North on their way off Jericho and said "it's too late for her Markus we gotta leave her and gtfo" and then proceeds to get mad if Markus actually does leave her behind. Simon fights like a ballerina and doesn't hesitate to vault off of humans or kill to protect. Simon is a capable bitch and I love him.

[rking200]

Choices and Disasters

Simon and Josh bicker within the elevator while they await Markus and North to call them up. In the hallway to the broadcast room, fear grips Markus as he sets out to ruse the guards, which leads to Simon getting shot. The speech must go on and the plan continues. A hostage escapes and a SWAT raid ensues. Simon is unfortunately victim to their rounds, but Markus comes to his aid. Up on the roof, Markus must make a choice and live with its consequences.

4k words, chapter two of a three four chapter SimonxMarkus angst/hurt-comfort/R18 fic. Chapter one can be found here. This would be the start of angst, which will overflow into the next chapter. Then R18, if plans don't change (again). Will be posted to AO3 upon completion.

「Everything okay?」

Simon hated that Josh knew him so well. He had only just gotten into the elevator, and now he was locked in this cage with Josh until Markus called it up to their destination. He tried to figure out what to tell Josh and what wasn't important to share in this moment, but the deafening silence after Josh's question must've been too much for him. With a hand placed on Simon's shoulder, Josh spoke again to Simon, worry dripping from his words. 「Are you alright.」 It wasn't a question at all, but it felt nice for Josh to be so worried about him, if he was being honest. He let too much time pass a second time, and was quick to open his mouth once Josh squeezed his shoulder. 「I'm fine, Josh.」 He glanced over at Josh, who didn't even budge. His eyes were seeking some tidbit of information Simon was keeping from him and Simon--against his better judgement--had to look away. 「I promise.」 He knew that Josh wasn't about to buy his half baked promise, as his weary eyes and closed posture didn't exactly scream 'you can trust my words at face value'. Josh huffed, squeezing Simon for a prolonged moment. Simon knew what he was conveying with it: that he cared about him and just wanted to know what was on his mind. 「We can talk about it later. Now's not the time.」 Unfortunately, this didn't satiate Josh and only proved to irritate him further. His hand was quickly taken from Simon's shoulder, exasperatedly thrown into the air before jerkily resting at his sides.

「Simon, what's going on with you recently? You're not acting yourself.」 Strange, Simon thought. He felt like he was more himself now than ever: shy and an anxious mess. What exactly was Josh insinuating? 「If you don't want to talk to me, that's fine, but pushing me away isn't going to do you any good either. And if you didn't like the plan, you should have spoken up. I can't be the only one.」 「It's not like that, it's just...Markus.」 Simon cast his eyes to the side, consequently turning his face so that Josh could fully see his LED, blinking yellow. Simon hoped that Josh would just understand that there was some sort of romantic attachment to his words so that he didn't have to outright explain what had happened in the bathroom stall. He shook his head, begging the memories and feelings not to resurface.

「Yeah, I get it.」 Simon quickly looked over at Josh, processing his words. 「He shows up in Jericho and then thinks he can run the place? Tell us all what to do, putting us in danger with no remorse?」 Simon stared at him, his mouth moving but no words coming out. He shook his head, gluing his eyes to the floor as he concentrated on something to say. 「He expects everyone to fall in line and follow his word. How do we even know if he has our best interests at heart?」

「No, that's not it at all.」 Simon closed his eyes tight, shaking his head a few times. 「Markus wants to help us.」

「Help us?! You're following him blindly! I used to be able to trust your direction but I can't anymore. You're doing what he wants and not what's best for our people.」

"Markus wants us to be free." Simon's gritted teeth steeled the nasty words he had wanted to say, but Josh wasn't going to back down at the slightest bit of pushback. "Yeah, and he'll kill as many of us as possible to try to achieve that. We can't put all our stock in one man, someone we don't even know!" Simon turned to face Josh, his lips a thin line and his eyes threatening to overflow with emotions. "At least he's doing something!" Josh's eyes betrayed his shock in Simon's outburst, and he opened his mouth to say something in retort, but found himself interrupted as the elevator lurched. Simon's anger didn't subside, but his anxiety now flared along with it. Hopefully it was Markus, and they were now beginning the last leg of their plan. It wasn't often that Simon raised his voice, and he found it difficult to control his clenched fists and his furrowed brow. Yelling at Josh didn't make him feel any better: he knew it wouldn't change his mind and he also knew he'd have to talk about that outburst again, in private when they got back to Jericho. He wasn't looking forward to it, and Simon found himself even more reluctant to share the events that had transpired with Josh.

His hands trembled around the cool metal of the round explosive, another item that hadn't ended up in his hands by chance. But Markus cared for him in some compacity. Personally cared for him. He couldn't afford to assume Markus saw him as expendable at this rate, as he had before their rendezvous in the bathrooms. Especially with Josh's push-back, he had to hold faith in Markus and in his plan.

Markus was simultaneously put at ease and back on edge at the opening of the elevator door. He watched Simon carefully, reaching to take the device from him and focusing on his furrowed eyebrows. He looked angry, and Markus hadn't really seen him like this before. He wondered what had happened between now and the last time he saw him, but decided not to press further as he glanced at Josh, who was also visibly upset.

If something had gone wrong, they would have said something. This had nothing to do with the plan, and that was what they had to focus on. Maybe if the tension was still palatable between the two when they got back to Jericho, Markus might mention it. He had other things he had to discuss privately with Simon, however, and his fight with Josh might just fall a little lower on that list. His gaze caught Simon's and he softened slightly, allowing Markus to take a deep breath and focus once more on their mission. With a few words of encouragement and the help of the explosive device, they were a hallway away from their goal. North and Josh resumed their gentle bickering, as usual, and Markus felt the weight of their cause on his shoulders, pressing firmer than ever. "What do you wanna do, Markus?"

He met eyes with Simon. They had to deal with the guards, but it was in their best interest not to kill them. "Wait here."

Walking out into the hallway, Markus ran through the plan in his head. Get the rise on them, threaten with his gun, knock them out. No casualties. They were here to demand peace, and they had to lead by example. But something happened, and Markus couldn't explain it even if he tried. He stepped out and, upon hearing the guards' voices, he froze up. His hand twitched as he reached for his gun, but he felt absolutely frozen in place. Was this fear? The weight on his shoulders was solidifying him in place, pressing down through his shoulders and deep within his stomach. He didn't need to breathe, but he found it hard to nonetheless. The fear pressed harder still as he watched the guard reach for his phone--as he watched him call for backup. Seeing North come to his rescue wasn't what pulled him out of his fear-locked state. It was the gunshot that did that, and even then it took him a second to turn his eyes to Simon.

"Simon's been shot!" Josh was squatted down at beside Simon while North moved the knocked-out guards out of immediate view of the elevator. With the pressure slightly relieved, Markus found his footing and quickly went to Simon. He placed his hands on either shoulder, kneeling down right in front of him in an attempt to demand his gaze.

"I'm okay, I can keep going!"

Simon's words rang out only as Markus' worried glance washed over him, and Markus wished Simon hadn't immediately looked down as he spoke. His words had been rushed, slurred, and he couldn't tell if Simon was telling the truth. That alone made him briefly consider abandoning the mission entirely, but they couldn't turn back now. Furrowing his brow in concentration, he looked over Simon's wound and scanned him for his status. He wasn't stable, nor was his shut-down imminent. He would be alright as long as they got out of there and got him some blue blood quickly. The return to Jericho would be difficult with a wound, but as long as he could walk they shouldn't have any problem getting him there. He hurriedly helped Simon stand up, and he was quick to glance at him, connecting to mentally ask if he really was okay. He received no glance and no reply. Markus knew that he had really let Simon down, and that weighed heavier on the back of his mind than the thought that he had let his people down.

Markus placed his hand atop Simon's as he placed him to lean on the security desk, his other palm lingering as he moved it across the back of Simon's shoulders. He hoped Simon appreciated the gentle show of affection and reassurance. He removed himself from Simon's side, taking a step away and cautiously watching him sway even with his hands planted firmly on the sturdy desk. He paused, probably to North's irritation, waiting for Simon to gain his bearings. Simon turned and swayed again as he did so, his weight unbalanced and shifting over to the hurt side. He was losing blue blood, but his LED shone a comforting yellow, which meant he was relatively stable, but they had to hurry. Markus didn't have any more time to waste. Gripping his gun tightly in his hand and moving quickly down the hallway, Markus prepared to press the button to ring the door to the broadcasting room. He glanced around at his comrades, his eyes briefly meeting Simon's as he looked over his shoulder at him.

The furrow of his brow didn't suit his soft features, nor did the burning something in his eyes. Markus assumed it was resentment, but maybe hatred. He couldn't tell, and Simon would never give him any answer.

With a gentle nod to his team, he pressed the button. The irony of seeing Josh raising a gun against a human wasn't lost on Markus, but he had more important things to do than dwell on it. He ordered the operators aside, watching their planted deviant blink yellow as he did so. A nod from Markus was all it took for the JB300 to shine blue, and he looked forward to thanking him personally for his role in all of this. Markus hadn't been looking when the human shoved Josh to the ground and evaded North's grasp, but he was quick to turn on his heel and raise his gun to their escaped hostage. The man fell as he desperately tried to escape, and although Markus had hoped he would see the gun trained on him and stay down, but he got back up and scurried along further still.

"Shoot him, Markus!" "No, don't kill him!" "He'll hit the alarm--do it!" "No, don't shoot!!"

Markus had meant to make a choice, but he paused too long as he awaited Simon's opinion that he missed his chance before he had even realized. Watching the doors close after the human's retreating form, Markus focused his eyes on his gun before letting it fall to his side. Exasperated, he tried to compose himself before turning around to his three companions. "Hope you didn't just get us all killed."

Markus shot North a pointed glance before settling his eyes on Simon. They held the other's eye contact for a moment, something stirring within Simon that Markus wished he would just say aloud. Is this what he had wanted, to follow the plan to a T? No killing humans, even if it put the rest of their plan--the most important part--in danger? Or was Simon disappointed in him for his choice, or lack thereof?

He made his way to the middle of the room, standing in front of Josh and removing his Stratford hat. He held the brim in his hands for a moment before giving it a toss. The act of flinging the hat proved to calm Markus' heightened nerves every so slightly, but North interrupted his moment of contentment and approached him, demanding his eyes, his attention.

"Think carefully about what you're going to say, Markus. Your words will shape the future of our people."

He already knew the words he was going to say, they had been mulling in his head idly from the moment the plan had started to form. Maybe North had meant to calm him with her words, but they just put him more on edge. Who was he to be the public figurehead for their people as a whole? Was he responsible enough to hold that power in his hands, after getting someone so close to him shot because of some simple fear weighing him down?

But, Markus had a speech to give, so he calmed himself and was prepared to tell Josh he was ready when Simon's voice rang out, muffled and pained. "Markus, your face."

Hearing him speak with such a tone in his voice sent a pang of regret through Markus, but he pushed it down to focus on getting out of here as soon as possible. He glanced at Simon, his eyes settling on the blue blood upon his lips before he quickly looked away. How could he forget something so important? He tried to take North's words to heart and thought over his speech once again as he removed his skin, gently telling Josh he was ready. Markus calmly spoke of peace to the humans. He spoke of their demands for equal rights and the need for justice against android-targeted crimes, as well as the abolishment of their slavery and segregation. Jericho was no home, it had just been a place of refuge and it always would be, and he wanted nothing more than to see his people living happy lives in houses their owned, in houses they worked to maintain. So, their demands were rounded out by their need for places to live, thrive and be free. Markus didn't like to use the word "ask", given the circumstances, but found himself ending his speech with it, anyway. It was more important to end on a note of peace than to fight with the semantics, but he was sure that the humans would feel the brooding storm of revolution under his peaceful words either way.

Markus had only barely finished his speech when Simon's voice rang out, warning them of the incoming raid. Simon and Markus were in the most vulnerable position, and with Simon's wound he was in even more peril. Simon was fast, even when hurt, but the rifles the SWAT team entered with were faster. Markus watched helplessly as Simon was caught in the fire. Keeping behind the center console he watched Simon try to crawl to a safer place, and Markus hadn't meant to repeat the very obvious words of "they're coming", but they left his mouth in the panic of the moment. It was as Simon replied, simply and without emotion telling Markus to leave him behind, that he realized how badly Simon had been shot. His eyes darted to the hole in the center of Simon's chest--too high to have hit his pump regulator, and on the wrong side to have hit his actual thirium pump...but it was a bad wound. There wasn't even a second of hesitation. He was sure Simon hated that he disregarded his words so quickly and so incredibly easily, but he wasn't about to leave him behind. He grabbed him as North and Josh attempted to give them the cover fire they needed to safely retreat onto the roof. With Simon's arm slung over his shoulder and his hand grabbing his tightly, he forced Simon to put his weight into him, pulling him along the wall and attempting to not get either of them shot down in the process. Simon's legs weren't working correctly, and the dead weight was tough to combat in the moment, but they made it to the stairwell. He pulled Simon along, with no intent to hurt him in the process but no consideration against it due to the severity of the situation. He released his grip on Simon and watched as he immediately fell, scrambling to place his back against something for support.

The fear once again washed over him as he got down to Simon's level, eyeing the leg that he watched give way beneath him--the one that he felt be dead weight while he was pulling him to the stairway. Simon confirmed what Markus already knew: he couldn't move it. Either of them. He watched the panic in Simon's eyes, and he knew they were both thinking the same thing.

This wasn't going to work.

"Okay, don't worry." Markus' words deliberately went against what he was thinking in an attempt to ease the panic in Simon's eyes. "We're going to get you back." He couldn't say it while holding eye contact, and he knew avoiding Simon's gaze was the worst thing he could do in the moment, but he couldn't lie directly to him like that. The simple act of looking away nullified the words and any comfort Simon might have been able to find in them.

"They're coming, Markus. We have to jump now."

Markus knew they didn't have much time, and her reiterating it only made him feel himself spiraling more. He stood, quickly taking a few steps away from his companion and leaving him to join the huddle with Josh and North. There was no doubt that Simon heard the exasperated sigh as he moved away, but he only hoped he understood that it was the situation that he was upset with, not him. He felt a pang of remorse as he realized that no, he should be upset with himself. He had been the one who got Simon shot in the first place, and without that first wound throwing him off his balance, he would've been able to sprint to safety that much faster. North and Josh turned their backs to Simon, but Markus wasn't about to cut him out of their huddle. He kept his eyes trained on Simon as Josh and North reinforced how horrible the situation was, chancing to look at them but always returning his gaze to Simon. He caught his eye for just a moment and leaned, fully tilting his head to try to keep it as Simon quickly looked back down at his legs. He couldn't dwell on the despair he had seen for just that moment, but he knew it was something he wouldn't soon forget. Perhaps it was that fear again that made him side with North. In the moment, she was right. He had to shoot Simon to stop the humans from finding out where Jericho was. North claimed that it was up to him, and his eyes sought out Simon to hear his opinion on the matter. Yet there wasn't an opinion for him to give, as he was on the outside of the situation at hand. He was just a liability in this circumstance, and had it been the JB300 operator Markus knew that he would do what had to be done for the sake of their cause.

With a deep breath and a sideways glance to North, Markus stepped away from their huddle and in front of Simon. He looked down at him and did his best to ignored the pang in his chest as Simon didn't return his gaze. He watched Simon staring off, unfocused, for a moment before raising his gun to him. Maybe it'd be better, he thought, if he didn't look at me with those eyes of his.

"I'm sorry, Simon." Markus immediately regretted saying his name as Simon raised his gaze to him, looking past the gun and deep into his soul. "I don't have a choice." The words were more of a justification for himself than for Simon, but Simon's reply caught him off guard nonetheless.

"There is always a choice."

His voice came through clearer than Markus was ready to hear. Simon had spoke tiredly, with clear effort not to slur or waver under Markus. He kept his eyes and his gun trained on Simon, his hand wavering under Simon's gaze. There was no anger, no hatred or disappointment. Markus wished there would have been because it would have made pulling the trigger that much easier to do.

Instead, Markus became lost in their pleading. The snow flitted between them, slowly falling as time seemed to come to a damn near halt. He wished Simon would just tell him what to do--both options felt like the wrong choice for vastly different reasons. He scanned Simon's face for a hint of something, but fear was all he could read from him. It lingered in his eyes, danced upon his brow and reflected from the leaking blue blood on his lips.

He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath and letting himself fall back into the moment they had shared with one another. He had been so taken aback by the interest he had perceived in Simon when he was changing. He hadn't meant to act without much thought, but years of watching soap operas with Carl must have really done a number on him. He recalled the touch of their bare lips against each other and he felt the immobilizing fear melt away. Despair took its place, and along with it: love.

Markus' ears tuned back into the world around them, the thuds of the SWAT team trying to brute-force the lock on the roof door meant that they didn't have any more time to think. He let out a held breath, shaking his head and watching as Simon relaxed, ready for him to shoot.

"I won't kill one of our own." Markus caught Simon's eyes as he opened them, but the pleading and the fear were still all that he could see. Holding the gun by its barrel, he held it out for Simon to take. They shared some kind of exchange, their eyes locking fleetingly before Markus had to turn. "Let's go."

「Markus...」

He really had wished Simon hadn't have spoke his name directly, so faint and weak. The voice that echoed through his mind was nothing like the one that spoke a moment ago. It was pitiful, pleading to not be left behind, begging to be dragged along but hesitant to put anyone else in danger for his desires. Markus knew that if anything were to haunt him, it would be the wavering thought of his name as he left Simon alone to deal with an impossible foe on this forsaken tower. Strapping his parachute on, he chanced glancing back at Simon to see that he had moved, watching as he attempted to stand and whisk himself away to hide in a safer area of the roof. He didn't have much time to mourn the hopelessness of the act, as the SWAT team broke through. They had run out of time. Racing to the edge of the roof to jump led to no causalities, even with the team shooting at them from such a close range. If they had tried to shoot their parachutes down, they had failed spectacularly.

The wind took them into its arms, safely carrying them forward as the snow storm obscured them from their pursuers.

The act of flying would have been invigorating had Markus' mind been clear. Instead, the wind howled in his ears, the snow stung his face and the feeling that he had forgotten something--somebody--very important atop the Stratford Tower jolted every nerve in his body.

[kidrunaway]

I don't understand how people think Markus wouldn't develop some sort of ptsd or atleast a few symptoms of it after the war happened. I hate it when people say he lived a good life in a mansion when he did NOT have a good life at all. He just had a "good owner." (I have a google document of me and @hamartia-grander talking about how Markus had suffered with Carl)

People overlook Markus' story way too much and make such stupid assumptions that make me want to rip my eyes out. But I won't be talking about this for now. I want to talk about how much of an emotional character Markus is, and how he would be like after war and how it could have potential fanfic writing.

Markus has gone through nothing but hell. We all know this. His story includes some lingering loneliness to it because it seems that everything he touches turns into poison or is dead. He clearly carries the guilt of his people/friends dying. The second after he deviates, it doesn't matter what choice you pick, he still ends up carrying the guilt of hurting someone. Having to be responsible of God knows how many people can be exhausting, and the rooftop scene with North clarifies how absolutely lost and helpless he feels. He was quick to accept Norths' love during that scene. it's unsurprising that he got with the first person to give him any kind of romantic attention because he's lost almost every positive relationship he's made (I'm not a norkus shipper and won't be one, I just want to give insight to people of how much he's hurting and how it's having an effect on himself.)

People still have the audacity to say he didn't suffer enough to justify being Jerichos leader. After he first was traumatized the second he hurt leo/Carl, had to go through the junkyard and was pretty much hyperventilating during that scene (Just a lovely reminder that his diagnostics program wasn’t working either so he knew it was bad but didn’t know what‘s wrong or how long he had left), and he kept getting more and more traumatized throughout his story. You can see how numb he becomes. Compared to when he first deviates where he's crying and is stressed, to seeing his friends die, he does nothing but sigh because at this point, he's had enough. Now that's just upsetting. He's grown so used to seeing people die around him. That doesn't mean it doesn't hurt him. It still absolutely does. He just shoves it down.

What happens to him after everything is over is now just a bunch of headcanons, but I like to think he still has this instinct of always wanting to protect his friends. He can't let his guard down. The second he hears a loud noise, he goes to investigate it. He doesn't sleep anymore, and even if he does, he twitches in his sleep and sometimes even wakes himself up (I like to think they're small internal electrocutions). He cannot open up properly. He randomly gets flashbacks about everything that has happened to him and pauses with whatever task he's currently doing. It passes by like a short film and disappears just like that, leaving Markus upset. It's like a reminder of what happened to him.

I've been thinking about writing a simarkus fic about Markus opening up and breaking down. I've seen endless fanart and stories of Simon doing that, but never Markus. So I want to turn that around. I want Markus to be a little more soft. I want to write about how he should know that he's allowed to let his guard down and can be soft.

[feenmies]

feenie's dbh fic masterlist!!

i don't write much. as will become obvious in like. 2 seconds But when i DO i'll update this . probably. maybe. links + summaries under the cut

simarkus | oneshot | T | 2.4k | getting together | fluff | first kiss

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fall at your feet

Simon discovers his affection isn't as one-sided as he thought.

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i was born (to love you)

simarkus | oneshot | T | 5.1k | established relationship fluff | post-revolution | jericrew friendship!!!!

Three times work gets in the way of Simon and Markus' relationship, and one time it doesn't.

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faulty cables

simarkus | oneshot | T | 2.7k | pre-relationship | stratford tower fix-it | hurt/comfort

When Simon returns from Stratford Tower, Markus makes sure he's taken care of properly.

[lieutenantbiscute]

Yooo that simarkus music fic u spoke abt in tags sounds so lovely, i hope you get to write it cuz id loove to read it!!!:3

It’s mainly told through ‘The Oh Hello’s’ songs. Luckily I’ve written down what goes where and what lyric corresponds with it, writing it out though is another thing;; my strong shit is art, but alas! This fic needs to be written for my sanity!!