United [A Superhero AU] - Book Two

Chapter Fourteen - It's Over

Jack opens his eyes, blinking away a bit of the sleepiness and stretching. The nest around him is still warm, but Mark is nowhere to be seen. He glances around in a panic before realizing that the hero is sitting at the table, pouring over maps. He rubs his eyes and yawns, taking a swig from his coffee mug. Jack exhales a sigh of relief and flops back on the couch, ruffling his hair.

"Morning, sleeping beauty," Mark says, smiling lightly. He seems tired, but maybe it's just post-nap sleepiness.

Jack glances at the clock, which reads 9:00pm, and grins. With a grunt, he pulls himself off the couch and stretches out his back, earning pops and cracks from his spine and joints.

"I'm going to get those floor plans for you real soon. Matthew is helping me out a bit," he says, moving to Mark's side and leaning over his shoulder. "He's building me a little projector so it'll be easier for me to bring data files here and then show them to you."

"Ooh, that's cool," Mark replies, grinning up at the Irishman. "And handy. Very handy."

Jack smiles back and leans down, pressing a kiss to his cheek. His heart clenches uncomfortably, but he does his best to ignore it. The tension is so obvious between them, as much as they want to ignore it. Mark's bubbly nature is strained and Jack can barely maintain a smile for more than a few seconds. The hero knows it. It shows in his eyes every time he looks at the villain. Something isn't okay with Mark. Jack isn't the only damaged one here.

"I'm going to head to bed. I don't think the nap quite cut it," the Irishman says, smiling weakly. "You should join me soon."

"I will," Mark replies, catching Jack's chin between his fingers and pressing a quick kiss to his lips. "Get nice and comfy. I'll be there in a moment."

Jack nods and moves towards the room, his entire chest constricting as he goes. This is nothing like a panic attack, however. This is similar to the feeling he got every time he thought of Mark after his "death". It's a mixture of fear and gut-wrenching guilt with a sprinkle of impending separation. In Jack's mind, there's no doubt about it. The moment Mark sees his bruises, he'll realize that this love he has for Jack is fake and he'll leave. He'll realize that dealing with the villain's issues is too stressful and that it's just not worth it anymore. He'll realize that Jack is more of a burden than a blessing and be through.

The Irishman grips at his chest, the shortness of breath becoming worse. It may cause the worst pain he's ever felt, but he'd understand if Mark left. Nobody can deal with so much at once and stay sane. The hero is already pushing the limits of what Jack thought could be possible. The Irishman had always figured that the only people who would ever care about him would be the other villains, so why would that change with Mark?

He shuts his eyes momentarily, leaning against the closed bedroom door.

——

Mark watches Jack leave before ruffling his hair, leaning against the table with one arm. He exhales, exhaustion and heartache crashing into him all at once. The tension between him and the villain feels like too much to bear. At this point, he would be so grateful if they just put their issues on the table and worked through them together instead of just avoiding it.

Jack is afraid of something that he won't tell Mark about. That's all the hero knows. A weight settles on his chest and he buries his face in his hands, trying not to break down or throw up. He doesn't blame Jack for having secrets. He hasn't told the villain that he hasn't slept for more than an hour a night in what feels like ages. He hasn't told him about the nightmares that plague him every night whether Jack is there or not. At times, the emotional scarring feels hundreds of times worse than the actual physical markings that cover his torso and arms.

More than anything, Mark wants to be there for Jack no matter what. He wants his little prince to be okay, and he's more than willing to help him through anything. The villain has never been a burden. In fact, he's one of the reasons Mark is sane. Without him there, the hero would have succumbed to the darkness in his own mind long ago.

Mark exhales shakily and shoves his maps aside. Felix, Phil, and Matthias are probably asleep right now. Jack is probably lying in bed, waiting for the hero to show up. He was hoping to get a bit more of San Francisco laid out on the map while it's quiet like this, but that's not going to happen tonight. His brain is exhausted, his heart hurts, and he just wants to wrap Jack in his arms and pretend that everything is okay.

His chair squeaks against the floor as he shoves it backwards, running his fingers through his hair again before moving towards his bedroom.

——

Jack opens the dresser drawer, pulling out his pyjama shirt and tossing it onto the top of the furniture. He pulls his own shirt off, and the moment it's over his head he glances towards the door. A jolt of dread passes through his heart when he sees Mark's horrified expression.

His stomach flips and every scar and bruise seems to burn. It's over, isn't it?