United [A Superhero AU] - Book Two

Chapter Twenty - Morning Talks

The first sound Mark hears when he wakes up is the sound of Jack's heart beating, steady and even and calm. His chest rises and falls with each slow breath and his hand remains intertwined with Mark's, not an inkling of anxiety anywhere. The hero smiles sleepily. He loves him so much it's ridiculous.

Mark, thankfully, doesn't feel anxious either. He expected to be tense and worried about the talk that's bound to happen, but he isn't. He's perfectly content, and it's such a relief.

Jack shifts slightly and his eyes open, blinking lazily a few times as the hand not in Mark's runs through the hero's hair. Mark feels the villain's chest rise and fall with a yawn, and then a kiss is pressed to the top of his head. The hero closes his eyes, sleepy and content as Jack plays with his hair.

"We should make coffee and talk," he says, his accent thicker and deeper due to his morning voice.

"Yeah," Mark murmurs in response. "But you playing with my hair is making me fall asleep again."

"Should I stop?"

"No. It's wonderful."

Jack snorts and continues to run his fingers through Mark's hair, earning a satisfied sigh from the hero. The two lie there for a while longer, peaceful in the silence, before Jack finally shifts and pulls himself away from Mark.

"I'm going to make coffee, okay?"

Mark groans and flops onto his back, covering his eyes with the backs of his hands. "Yeah, okay."

The villain grins at him and quickly changes from his suit in favour of sweatpants and a t-shirt. After he's gone, Mark exhales and changes into something more comfortable as well before heading to the kitchen, where Jack starts the coffee maker and hums softly to himself as he pulls mugs from the cabinets. Mark watches him for a moment, unable to hide his smile. The villain is just too damn cute. Jack notices his gaze and turns red, a smile pulling at his lips.

"Why are you staring at me?"

"Cause you're cute," Mark replies, hugging him from the back and pressing a kiss to the shell of his ear.

The villain shakes his head a bit as he pours the two mugs and hands one over to Mark. The hero takes it and pulls himself away from Jack, the two moving to the kitchen table and sitting down.

"So... talking," Jack says, his smile falling away.

"Yeah..." Mark replies, biting his lip.

"We can't keep avoiding things, Mark. We're dancing around them, and it's wearing us both down." The villain sighs heavily and clutches his mug in tense fingers. "You had a nightmare last night. We've worked through that one, and you've agreed to try and sleep instead of staying awake. But... I need to tell you something. Something I've been avoiding for almost a year now."

Mark's heart rate picks up, but he does his best to push through it. "You can tell me, Jack."

"I know." The villain chews his bottom lip before setting his mug down and lifting the corner of his shirt. Almost immediately, scars are visible on his stomach and waist, scars that Mark has seen so often that they don't even jar him anymore.  "I never told you how I got these, and it was easier to avoid it as time went on." Jack exhales shakily and Mark nods, silently encouraging him to keep talking. "Do you remember when you were grabbed off the street and brought to the villain institute, and Anti told you that I didn't care about you?"

Mark's stomach churns violently. He had been knocked out, and when he regained consciousness he was face to face with the boss and Anti. Jack's entire chest had been bandaged when he got there, but he was never told how or why it happened. "Jack—"

"The boss was demanding your name. I didn't know why he wanted it, but I was scared he was going to hurt you if I gave it to him." Jack's breathing grows more shaky and he reaches out, grabbing at Mark's hand and holding it tightly. "I refused to tell him, and his cronies made sure I knew that was a mistake."

Mark can't do anything but stare. Jack did that for him? He risked his own wellbeing to protect the hero and Mark had still believed that Anti might have been telling the truth. He opens and closes his mouth a few times before finally managing to choke out a single word. "Jack..."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I'm just... afraid of breaking your heart."

Mark pulls him against his chest and holds him tightly, anger towards that horrible man boiling in his gut. "I'm gonna kill the boss so you never have to deal with him again." 

 Despite the determination in his voice, they both know his words are empty. He would have to get into the institute, get past the cronies, and then look a man in the eyes as he takes his life. That won't happen.

"Please don't. He would order your execution before you even managed to lay a finger on him," Jack replies softly.

"I know. I can dream though." Mark exhales heavily and buries his nose in the villain's hair. "I have something to tell you, too."  He hesitates for a split second before continuing.  "Felix and I had a fight yesterday before you came home."

Mark can feel the villain tense against him and presses on quickly. "I think he's just choosing fights because he's stressed, but still..."

"I was wondering why you were so blue yesterday," Jack says slowly. He rests his head on the hero's shoulder, his fingers tightening around Mark's.  It's like he can sense the reason for the fight without even hearing the words, and it makes the hero's heart clench.  "He doesn't want me here. That's obvious, Mark. If it's better for the others if I go, then I should—"

"No." Mark's answer is abrupt and escapes before he can catch himself, but he doesn't regret it in the slightest.  "Jack, they just need time. I can't go back to living without you. It sucked the first time and I'd rather not deal with that again."

Jack flinches, but doesn't move from his spot against Mark's chest. "I don't want to make them feel unsafe."

"I've told them so many times that Anti is gone and that he can't hurt anyone anymore. You just need to build trust."

Jack bites his lip, but nods nonetheless.  "I'll try, okay?"

"Thank you."

Jack frees one of his hands from Mark's grasp and takes his coffee mug, sipping slowly and letting his eyes fall shut. The hero pulls him into his lap before taking his own mug, the liquid warming his throat and the bitterness biting his tongue. It helps his brain stay alert when all his body wants to do is rest. At least they talked. They know about the tension and the scars and now, everything has a chance to be okay.

Now, they can heal together.