-Mark's POV-
"Hello everybody. My name is Markiplier, and welcome to another "Try Not to Laugh Challenge." Now I know what you're thinking out there. That I'm a giggly little bitch who can't get past even the first clip without falling into muscle spasms of laughter."
I paused, and looked at the camera, pretending to be hurt.
"Well, first of all, ouch," I continued, "my pride is severely wounded. And secondly...you're probably right but I'm still going to try. I have spent the last four hours watching sad movies on the Lifetime channel and I am emotional drained. No happiness exists in my body now. I am a walking blanket of misery and pain."
A snort of laughter rang out from the corner of the room, and I rolled my eyes.
"Sorry, Fish," Hunter said, his face slightly pink from trying not to laugh again. "I ruined your take, didn't I?"
I sighed and chuckled. "Luckily it was right after I finished my last line, so I can edit out the laugh."
"I wasn't prepared for you to be so funny and charming," he said, walking over to my desk. "This is really your fault."
"Yes, of course," I said rolling my eyes again.
He smiled, his green eyes sparkled as the mid day sun hit his face. "Mind if I ask a few questions before you start recording again?"
"Sure," I said, as I made a small adjustment to my camera. "What would you like to know?"
He picked up his chair and sat down next to me. His cologne tickled my nostrils as he got closer. "Tell me about how you edit your best takes. Do you just go with what looks the most technically good,or is it a more..."
He looked into my eyes, and I felt my heart beating faster. "More of a 'go with your gut' type of thing?"
His eyes. His lips. His dimples. Those were just there's of the reasons why I tried not to be sitting too close to him. Even back then it was what made my body tingle. He could make the world stand still, and only you and him would remain in movement. Breathing in and out while the rest of the world held their breath.
I felt a warm hand on my knees.
"Fish?" I heard from someplace far away. "Hello?"
I blinked and his hand was pulling away with my knee. "You seriously must be part wizard. Your eyes...they put people in a trance."
He laughed, and gave me a wink. "Well what a nice thing to say, but I doubt that I'm a wizard. That's more of a Harry Potter type of thing, and I'm Australian, if you recall."
I smiled, and turned back to the monitor. "I don't do a huge amount of editing anymore," I said. "Usually Katherine or Ethan helps with that, but in general I tell them to use the take that they find the most engaging."
He nodded and wrote a few notes. "Is your editing software pretty easy to use?"
"I can show you. Here, slide over a bit closer."
He inched over to me so that he could see the monitors more clearly. I clicked my mouse onto the editing software and answered some questions that he had about the process. Hunter asked some very good questions and seemed genuinely interested in what Jack and I did.
It was times like this that I realized again why Hunter were such good friends back in college. Hunter was incredibly smart, along with being handsome and charming. I missed him as a friend again. I really did.
"Say, I know that this is really short notice, but what would you say to coming over for dinner with Jack and a few other friends on Friday?"
Hunter looked slightly surprised by my question, and rubbed the back of his neck as he took a moment to think.
"Yeah, I think that I can do that. Sure, that would be nice, actually."
"Great. It will just be a few of us. Ethan and Tyler, and Felix will be there. I'm sure you've heard of Pewdiepie, right?"
Hunter scrunched up his nose in mock thought. "Big YouTuber? Bigger ego? Yeah, I think I recall the name."
I laughed. "I've already made him promise to be on his best behavior."
Hunter gave a dazzling smile. "Best behavior? Fish, seriously what's the fun in that?"
I raised an eyebrow. "Maybe it's Felix that I need to warn about you."
"Perhaps. What time is this get together going to be?"
"Sometime in the early evening. I'll text you the time once I know everyone's schedule."