Darkness Returns (sequel to: The Darkness Inside)

Return

Finally Mark gathers his thoughts and climbs out of the shower, slipping on a pair of gray sweat pants and a black t-shirt. Leaving his hair a wet, disheveled mess.

As he walks downstairs once again, laughter echoes from the kitchen, mixed with jumbled words of whatever conversation the three in the kitchen had. The red haired man walks in hesitantly, the feeling of eyes on him, their laughter halting slightly though the three smiled.

"Hey Mark, you feeling better today?"

Jack questions breaking the silence as Mark sits down, rubbing his temples as thoughts of the past threatened his mind again. Mark nods his head and plasters on a smile looking into the blue eyes of his love, who seemed to see right through his fake smile.

"Much better."

Mark responds, his brown eyes studying the Irish man's face, a hint of worry glinted in his eyes, but other than that he was his usual happy self.

"Mark can I talk to you..."

Jack suddenly says after a long silence had stretched out across the room. Mark raises an eyebrow and nods, standing up and following Jack out of the kitchen and upstairs to their bedroom. Leaving Felix and Ken in the kitchen to talk among themselves. Once in the bedroom Mark sits on the bed, exhausted mentally and physically from the past few days.

"What's up with you?"

Jack asks sitting next to the man, his movements still slightly hesitant, as though he waited for Mark to snap once again. The half Korean man sucks in a small breath, pushing his wet red hair from his face, unsure how to answer.

"Just... tired..."

Mark mutters under his breath, the green haired man seeing straight through his lies. Jack says nothing and reaches over, his hand intertwining with the red haired man's. Mark grabs his hand back and looks down at them, Jack had reached over with his once injured hand, the scars, though faded, sat still visible. Mark traces them softly with his thumb.

"Mark... I hate it when you lie to me... Please just talk to me... I'm worried about you."

Jack replies softly, his accented voice dripping with worry. Mark lifts his eyes from their intertwined hands and looks into the man's soft, ocean blue eyes, glinting slightly in the light.

"Sean... I just... I've just been seeing things.... And hearing things..."

Mark finally admits with a soft sigh, his gruff voice strained, as though the words pained him. Jack gives his hand a soft squeeze, silently urging him to continue, to explain everything.

"I saw... I saw Felix and Ken's eyes change... to... Their eyes..."

Mark says softly, not naming who 'They' were, but Jack knew instantly who he meant.

"And... Felix spoke to me this morning.... But his voice sounded..."

Mark continues, his hand squeezing Jack's tightly, as though he was afraid letting go meant he would never see him again.

"Sounded like what Mark...?"

Jack asks quietly after a minute of silence past, his blue eyes boring into the man's brown ones, which soon looked down, tracing the scars across his hand once again.

"It sounded dark... sinister.... It sounded like... Anti..."

Mark finishes finally, even just saying the name seeming to pain him greatly. Jack's hand tightens slightly around the red haired man's, his blue eyes looking down, the sadness that showed across his face made Mark's heart feel like it shattered in to pieces.