Infinite (Eminem x reader)

Chapter 12

You stayed quiet, sensing he wasn't finished.

"Since I first had that stupid dream, there was only ever three faces." He spoke quietly. So quietly you could barely hear him over the crackling of the fire and the pounding of the storm. "Lily, my mom and my dad. I never really questioned it. At some point I cared about the relationship I had with the other two, I guess. And Lily.. she's constantly relying on me. But tonight.. I dreamed about four."

You listened to him carefully, squeezing his arm gently to show you were still listening, but careful not to interrupt. You could feel your heart pounding once more. This was the most he'd ever really invited you into his head.

"All these new things that are happening, these damn changes. It's.. it's exciting, but it's also.."

"Scary?" You offered softly.

He said nothing, finally looking away. You knew that at least for now, it might've been too much to admit he was actually scared.

"Maybe." He answered. "I just.. I know that I never want to be that late again. For Lily, or for you. I know that dreams are.. just dreams. But today made me realize that I can't stop every horrible thing from happening to the people that I care about. No matter how hard I try."

You felt a lump rise in your throat as you listened. "Marshall.." you said, placing your hand against his cheek and gently turning his head to face you. "You didn't deserve any of the bullshit your mom put you through. No one should ever feel like they're alone all of the time, especially because of the people that are supposed to protect you. But.. most importantly , you deserve to live comfortably knowing that the people you care about are safe." You reminded him, quietly brushing his hair with your fingers.

It had become a favorite of yours over the past few days, and the subtle touches seemed to relax him. "You already shoulder so much. You think four steps ahead just so that Lily can be a comfortable kid. You weren't too slow today. There are so many other things that could have happened if you hadn't gotten there when you did. Hair will grow back. Plus, you said that we can go give her dad a visit later today right? So.. she won't have to go back there again."

He nodded in quiet agreement, slowly taking in your words.

"It's safe here. You're safe here, I promise. And as for me, you don't have to worry about me. I've dealt with my own fair share of shitty situations. I won't fall over because circumstances asked me too."

"Good.." he murmured, and for the first time since you'd drilled it, he seemed to believe you. A comfortable silence settled between the two of you, and you could feel your mind hammering with thoughts. You stared ahead as you listened to them, working up the courage to open your mouth.

"Marshall?" You questioned, looking back down at him. You once again found yourself taking note of his rosy complexion and bruised cheeks. His eyes blinked open again, and he stared down at you questioningly.

"Hmm?"

The conversation that you'd had with Lily played in the back of your mind as you began. "I.. we hang out all the time. I've visited more parts around town with you these past couple of months than I have with some of my closest friends. Also, I don't exactly spend time wrapped in the arms of my closest friends either. Or.. necessarily enjoy it.." you could feel your face redden with every word, you couldn't look at him.

Marshall laughed for a moment, causing your face to burn even further. "Seriously? You're actually laughing?" You huffed, rolling away from him and towards the edge of the couch. You had always hated the enormous fancy white couch your mom had spent a fortune on, but now you were almost grateful for it as you all but rolled away. The action only seemed to make Marshall laugh harder as he held onto his stomach.

"Y/n, wait. It's just– your face. Seriously, you look as feverish as I do." He said, finally calming down. He sat up with a careful wince, reaching over to pull you closer to him. You huffed and looked away, crossing your arms as you kept your gaze on the fire. "I'm sorry y/n, don't throw a tantrum.." he teased, nudging you gently.

He scratched the side of his cheek, getting serious for a moment as he looked back at you. "I'm just not.. used to spellin' it out." He admitted. "I guess assuming you already knew I loved you was pretty stupid huh? Of course a face like your's would get used to hearing it out loud.."

You felt your face redden all over again, but this time a smile broke to follow. You kept your gaze on the fire though, not turning to face him as you tried to drop it.

"What?" He complained, moving so that he was now in front of you. You turned your head the other way, your lips quivering as you threatened to smile. "I said I was sorry for laughing didn't I? I couldn't help it though, your face was funny."

"It's not that." You said, eventually giving in as you chuckled quietly. "It's just– hearing it twice in one day. It almost feels unreal. I guess- I can't exactly blame you when I never said-"

Before you could finish your sentence, the sound of cracking glass split through the air. You were immediately on your feet, Marshall standing a few seconds behind you.

"The hell was that?!" You questioned, your gaze immediately locking on the stairwell. Both you and Marshall jolted as you heard a sharp, but shrill scream pierce the ear.

Matthew hissed in disdain moments later, his own loud screech adding to the mix. You then realized that the cat had slunk away sometime during you and Marshall's conversation.

"Shit-" you both hissed, unsure of what it is you were running towards.

All you could do was silently hope that it wasn't something terrible.

A/n: I went back and rewatched 8 mile for the first time in like 3 or4 years and it made me realize a few things. The first thing is, I started writing this fanfic when I was fifteen and I'm nineteen now. It doesn't even feel like it's been nearly that long. The second thing it made me realize is that I completely mixed Marshall and B rabbit (two sides of the same coin) together. For example, despite her being a shitty ass mom B- rabbit's mother was more neglectful than abusive. Versus Marshall's real mom who well, yk. But I think mixing the two worlds sets the story up for some unique differences in the future. Anyways, as always thank you so much for reading. Have a lovely day! Look forward to the next update