Work Text:
The sky is beautiful this time of the morning. Colourful streaks of orange and pink painted across the sky, clouds coloured and floating serenely. Ethan feels bad for those who won't see it, or those who only see it when they're older or when they're younger and they don't understand the weight of what they're seeing. Ethan witnessed it when he was 18 years old, after watching a Markiplier video on his computer screen.
The colours had exploded into existence the moment Ethan had looked into Markiplier's eyes.
He had been ecstatic, because who wouldn't want such a handsome and successful man to be their soulmate?
Ethan should've known the Markiplier could never be destined for him.
He had run up during that panel, so excited to see if Mark would react to looking in his eyes for the very first time. He had imagined many scenarios, where Mark would gasp and yell and kiss him, right in front of hundreds of people.
Mark had simply smiled at him, and told him he was happy he could help.
Then he got the call from Mark to move out to LA, and he found himself imagining even more scenarios where Mark would finally tell him he was his soulmate. That Ethan had given him the gift of colour.
That never happened.
He was Mark's employee. Then he was his friend. Eventually, he was one of his best friends.
They never became more.
In the beginning, Ethan had wondered if he was Mark's soulmate, but Mark just didn't want Ethan.
He had wondered if Mark didn't agree with destiny.
Ethan had debated on telling Mark many times, about Mark being his soulmate.
He could never bring himself to be that selfish. Because if destiny had made a mistake, and Ethan wasn't Mark's soulmate, then Mark would just leave him when he eventually did meet the one.
That's exactly what happened, four years after Ethan found out Mark was his soulmate. He had arrived at Mark's for filming, and found himself looking at the biggest smile on Mark's face.
"I found her."
"I can see colour, Eth."
"The sky is so beautiful."
Ethan could agree with that.
Ethan cried himself to sleep that night. And the night after that, and the night after that.
He had screamed, and cried, and begged the gods or the stars to give him the reason he was destined to never find love.
He begged for the reason why they had made a mistake.
For months, Ethan hadn't known if he would ever feel okay again. He had felt himself chipping away, each time Mark had mentioned her name, or gushed over the colours in the sky, or the trees or the flowers.
He knew he had to let Mark go, but he only found himself clenching his fists more and more.
He was a ghost of his former self, barely existing.
It was a year after Mark had met her, and he was planning to propose.
Ethan knew he was never going to get to have Mark.
He finally released his clenched hands, and felt his heart shatter into a million pieces.
He had smiled though, and went with Mark ring shopping, then to suit fitting, then to cake testing.
He tried not to think about how it could've been for their wedding.
Now here he sits, the day of their wedding. The day he was going to lose Mark forever.
Ethan breathes deeply, and watches the sunrise, smiling into the sky as the orange and pink fades to a beautiful blue.
Destiny made a mistake, but maybe Ethan can make his own.