A Diamond with Scars

Under Your Scars

After dinner they walked Mark back to his room and said their goodbyes. He was really looking forward to getting out of a hospital setting. He missed his real bed more than anything.

Lisa was at the nurses station near his room and watched his parents leave before she hobbled her way over. "Can I talk to you?" she asked, not really giving him an option before she motioned for him to enter the room.

"What's up?" Mark asked in confusion. Something seemed a little off about her attitude this evening. "Is something wrong?"

"It's about Anya." Lisa pulled up a chair and sat down. Mark gave her a puzzled look. "Are you serious about her?"

"How did you...How does everyone know?!" Mark ran a hand through his hair and turned away from her. He needed a haircut. "Is it seriously that obvious?"

"You may as well walk around with a neon sign attached to you." Lisa smiled deviously. "Look. Anya..." she paused, thinking of the words she wanted to express, "Anya is special, and she requires someone who isn't going to go running away from her at the sight of...well things that have happened to her." She wasn't sure how she wanted to word what she was saying.

"Do you mean the scars on her back?" Mark looked back at her from the window. "She already told me the whole story."

"They don't bother you?" Lisa sounded astonished.

"Not in the slightest. I mean...damn I have one fucking leg and she doesn't look at me with pitty or...or shame." He growled the last word, mind lingering on Lori. "She treats me like a whole man."

"She likes you, you know." Lisa adjusted her glasses on her face. "A lot. And it scares her. Anya has been hurt badly by men in her life since her accident."

Mark felt his stomach turn at the thought that she felt the same way. That was good news, but he was also concerned that she was scared of her feelings. All because of her past relationships. "I would never hurt her."

Lisa gave him a look of worry. Anya was like a daughter to her, and while she would not reveal some of the more personal things about her to Mark they burned on her tongue as a warning. "She is innocent, kind, and a little naïve. But damnit is she strong."

"Lisa. I love her." Mark admitted. "I know I do. I thought I loved Lori, but it's clear it was just lust. With Anya, it feels so much different. Like this...primal need to protect her." He watched the look of worry disappear from Lisa's face and become replaced by a smirk.

"Just know Hell will rain down if you hurt her." She struggled to stand and then made her way out of the room. "Make sure you tell her soon. Time is running out."

Mark let out a shaky breath. How was he going to tell her? He stood in his room for several moments before he made a hasty escape, hoping she was still in her office. He noticed the smile on several of the nurses' faces as he went. He really needed to figure out a better poker face. It was a time like this when he wished he could run again. Maybe in due time. Going as quickly as his body would let him, he made his way up to Anya's office. Relief swept over him when he saw she was still there. He loved the way she almost looked mad when she was concentrating, how today she had her hair up in a long ponytail, how she was chewing her lip and tapping away at her keyboard. She was beautiful. "Anya." He knocked to announce his presence.

Anya jumped a bit, not expecting someone to come see her. Her expression softened when she saw who it was. "Mark." she breathed. There was something in the look he was giving her. "I was just finishing up some paperwork for your discharge." She stood and stepped around her chair. "Is there something I can help you with?" her hands fidgeted with the back part of the chair as she gazed up at him. There had been a small part of her that hoped he would come to see her before she left for the evening. Especially after the moment that had been interrupted by his mother. Another part of her brain began to panic if he did come to her and someone just happened to catch them. There was something there between them. She wanted to know what it was, and hoped it was real. Of course her paranoid brain just kept whispering it would just end up the same way as the others. And that hurt.

"As a matter of fact, there is." Mark closed the already small gap between them. Taking her face in his hands he kissed her.

A small squeak escaped her and her eyes widened. She had not expected that so quickly. It felt nice. Her eyes fluttered shut and she fell into the kiss, trying not to let her knees go completely weak. He was still learning to do things with his new leg. Anya was actually quite proud that she was able to even think with the way that kiss made her feel.

As she wrapped her arms around his neck, Mark deepened the kiss, allowing his tongue to dance with hers. She tasted sweet against his, like she had been eating fruit. Pushing her up against the back desk, Mark lifted her up and placed her on top. Anya gasped a little at the suddenness, and the fact that he lifted her with such ease.

He couldn't stop himself. They were soft and the gasp she gave allowed him to deepen the kiss.

Anya gave little protest in the first few seconds, but then pushed him away. "W-what are you doing?!" she panicked, looking around to ensure no one witnessed what had just transpired. "I-If someone saw me! I-I could lose my license!" Her heart rate was already elevated from the kiss, then went full throttle when she began to imagine what would happen if they had been spotted.

Mark stared down at her. He just jeopardized her job because he couldn't keep his hands to himself until it was the end. "Anya...I'm sorry...I just...I've fallen in love with you." He admitted.

The look of panic on her face changed quickly. He saw the look of shock and a small amount of longing in her eyes before it transitioned back to panic. "M-Mark...I'm your physical therapist...it...it's wrong..." She really wished her brain would stop switching from wanting him to kiss her and thinking of what would happen if they were found like this.

She hadn't actually denied him, and that gave him a small amount of hope. "What's so wrong about it? We're both consenting adults?" Mark honestly didn't see the issue. It wasn't like he was an invalid and she was taking advantage of him.

Anya bit her lip, trying to calm herself. "It...it's a moral and ethical guideline we must follow...to be intimate with a patient...it....it's frowned upon. I could get fired...or worse."

"Well...how long do I have to wait?" Mark questioned.

"Mark this...why?" Anya didn't know what else to say. She was almost speechless. He said he loved her. While it made her happy to hear he had feelings for her that gave her some hope, it also scared her to death. This job was her life. She wanted nothing to ever jeopardize it. This whole thing made her head spin.

Mark sighed and looked up, still keeping the distance between them small. If it weren't for her panic, he wanted people to see. "You are real." he shrugged, "I don't know how the Hell to explain it. You just...you just stir these feelings in me. I thought I was in love with Lori, but being with you made me realize I didn't love her." He paused. "Well...not like this."

"You are vulnerable...this is a hard time for you. I was nice...an-"

Mark cut her off by kissing her again. "Tell me you don't feel it too. I've seen you blush when you look at me." he let out a gruff, sexy purr.

The sound sent a shiver through her body. He saw right through her. The battle of emotions was crippling. She wanted to give in and be able to tell him she felt the same, but it seemed impossible. "Please...don't do this..." She felt a tear slip down her cheek. How could she choose between a man who showed her a genuine interest, knowing her past and her scars, and the place where she belonged.

"Anya!" A stern voice called behind them.

*~Sorry those who have read this part, I redid it...I wanted more drama~*