Different [A Superhero AU] - Book One

Chapter Forty - Never Forget This

Multiple times, Mark has to wipe the stupid smile off his face. It starts with Jack falling asleep with his head against his chest, his breathing falling into pace with the hero's as Mark reclines against the sofa pillows.  Then, it's the darkness and stillness of the room with the only sound being the gentle tap of the rain on the roof. All thoughts of Marzia, of the grief he shares with the other heroes; it disappears when he's with Jack.

Mark runs his fingers through the Irishman's shock of green hair, causing the soft strands to stick up in places. He doesn't even try to wipe away the smile. Finally, finally, he can be with Jack without worrying about getting caught. He can lie there as long as he wants and enjoy these moments. At the thought, he feels his heart swell.

He lowers his arm to Jack's side, his hand slipping under the fabric of his sweater slightly. As his fingers brush against his skin, the Irishman stretches and yawns, his arm draping over Mark's chest. In the process, his hoodie lifts some more and reveals a nasty set of scars.

The hero frowns and observes the markings, the twist in his gut increasing the more he sees. Did Jack get those for his sake? He lowers the cloth again and presses a quick kiss to the villain's forehead before retuning his hand to his side.

About twenty minutes later, Jack's eyes open slowly. He rubs his visible eye and yawns, blinking the sleep away.

"How long was I asleep?" he mumbles, never lifting his head from Mark's chest.

"About half an hour," the hero replies.

"Wow. Sorry about that."

"Don't worry."  Mark grins.  "You're cute when you're asleep. I mean, you're cute all the time, but your cuteness increases when you're sleeping."

Jack blushes profusely and attempts to hide it by burying his face in Mark's shoulder. The hero laughs and wraps his arms around the villain, pulling him closer as he does.

"Agh, I'm not supposed to love you. Stop making me love you!" he exclaims.

Jack only blushes redder, hugging back but refusing to lift his head. "I don't deserve you."

"Hush now, my little Irishman," Mark replies. "You deserve something good in your life for once."

Jack snorts. "I can't tell whether that was a compliment to me or yourself."

"Let's say both and be done with it." When the villain laughs, Mark smiles widely. "God, I love your laugh."

"Stop, you're making me blush!" Jack replies, covering his incredibly red face.

"It might be puppy love right now, but I think you're the prince I was waiting for," Mark replies.

Jack laughs. "You're so cheesy."

"You love it."

"Yeah, that's the problem. I love it a lot."

Mark's fakes a pout. "Stop making me want to kiss you. It's not fair."

Jack looks up at him and grins mischievously. "Is that a challenge?"

"It could be..."

"Well, in that case, I love your cheesy humour, your smile, your laugh, your fluffy hair, your voice, your dedication-"

Mark shuts him up with a kiss to the lips. This time, Jack kisses back with a pounding heart.

"Did I win?" the Irishman asks.

"I think so," Mark replies, grinning. He pauses for a moment, his eyes widening. "We've spent this whole time cuddling and I haven't even shown you around my house!"

"I see no problems," Jack replies. Mark pries himself out of the villain's grip, causing Jack to whine. "No, come back..."

"Come on, let me show you around!" the hero exclaims. He reaches down and takes Jack's hand, pulling the Irishman off the couch. With him in tow, Mark shows Jack around his house with Chica on their heels. The villain finds himself smiling, happy just to be holding Mark's hand and listening to him talk.

"Do you want anything to eat?" the hero asks when the tour is over.

Jack shrugs. "Sure."

Mark grins and practically bounces to the kitchen while the Irishman follows. Whistling as he goes, the hero digs around in the fridge for ingredients and starts cooking. Jack sits down at the breakfast bar, leaning on one hand and observing the man with a light smile on his face.

"I didn't know you could cook," Jack comments.

"I have to do something to fill up all the time I spend alone," Mark replies with a sideways glance.

He hands a plate of food to the Irishman and sits down beside him with his own meal. The two dig in, the scraping of cutlery ringing through the room.  They talk about the little things as they eat, like their favourite seasons and the things they do when they're bored and off work.  Eventually, the mood shifts to a more solemn one, the hero's face falling a little. 

"When do you have to leave?" Mark asks softly.

Jack bites his lip. "Too soon."

"I figured."

"We probably have an hour until the boss starts noticing I'm gone."

Mark turns towards the Irishman, taking Jack's hand in his. Without a word, he leads him away from the breakfast bar and towards the couch. The two sit down, the hero pulling the villain into his arms.

"Just stay with me for as long as you can," Mark mumbles. "I don't want to be alone."

Jack rests his head against the hero's shoulder, the simple gesture making Mark's heart clench. He wants it to be like this every day, but he knows it can never happen. Jack is held back by the restraints that his boss and his institute have attached to him, while Mark is stopped by responsibility. Hero and villain, black and white, night and day. The world has separated them in more ways than one.

His mind wanders to the wall surrounding San Francisco, to the pieces of the Golden Gate Bridge that now float at the bottom of the Golden Gate Strait, to the chaos that is sure to rampage the city in the coming days. Him and Jack are on opposite sides of this battle, the heads and tails of a coin.

He tightens his hold on the Irishman, his fingers travelling to Jack's soft green hair. No matter what happens, he never wants to forget this.