Accidental Soulmate (H2O) [VeeMark]

15~

Some of the dialogue and internal monologue in this chapter is built on a couple of psychological/philosophical ideas, as well as paraphrased quotes from a few selected sources etc. If anyone is interested, I'll add a couple of links at the end of this chapter,

Also, there will be one last epilogue-like chapter to round a few things off. I truly wanted to post everything together but it just got too overwhelming to edit. And honestly, this story has affected me more than I actually expected 🥲 And! I kind of wanted to give space and meaning to the events in this chapter before lapsing into a romcom-y vibe.

Thanks for going on this roller coaster of emotions together with me! 🙏✨

In which Mark finds his soulmate and finally gets his happy end.
~~~

It takes way too long to find a first-aid kit. Vee even begins to worry that Mark might fall asleep by the time he returns. Although he doesn't want to be away from Mark longer than necessary, this does give him a rare moment to gather his scattered thoughts. There's just something troubling about Mark tonight, Vee thinks. He's too fragile, on the cusp of breaking. And it scares Vee more than he wants to admit, leaving an uncomfortable feeling slithering down the back of his neck.

Initially, Vee thought he'd just ask the housekeeper for help but as he scurries through the dark hallways of the ground floor, poking his head through numerous doorways, he catches the sight of a boxy structure through one of the floor-to-ceiling windows. Vee stalls and peers curiously outside through the glass, where he sees a stone-laden pathway leading though the backyard to a small building, much like a beach house standing on the outskirts of the property, cast in total darkness beneath the leafy vegetation. Vee assumes that it must be the housekeeper's quarters, discreetly separated from the main family home and quickly decides that it's perhaps better after all, that the woman doesn't know about Mark's injuries.

So, Vee searches for the medical supplies on his own, finally stumbling upon a thin cabinet that's filled with medications and other hygiene products deep inside the house in a corner, between what seems to be a staff kitchen and a pantry. He goes for sterile roller gauze, antibiotic wipes and box of painkillers, along with some other items he thinks might be useful. He makes sure to grab a bottle of water from the kitchen too, before going all the way back, sprinting up the curving stairs two at a time to reach the second floor quicker.

Nonetheless, the bedroom is empty when Vee finally comes back. There are Mark's discarded clothes from earlier and a pair of overturned slippers, but no Mark. All of Vee's senses instantly go haywire, thorny vines taking root in his lower stomach, twisting and squeezing painfully at his insides. It's no good. He has a bad premonition about this.

"Mark-? Where are you?" Vee calls out confusedly, as he splits away from the doorway and strides further into the empty room.

There's a drawer that's been pulled out and left open in a built-in closet in the far wall but at a glance, as Vee comes closer, nothing seems to be amiss there. The clothes are neatly folded and stacked on top of each other.

"Come on, let's not play games right now. It's late," Vee tries again, his usually boisterous voice trembling faintly, eyes worried.

Keeping his cool despite sort of wanting to keel over at the resounding silence, Vee unceremoniously deposits of everything in his hands onto the bed. The white gauze bounces against the mattress once and then falls to the floor, before rolling in under the bed. Vee makes a feeble attempt to crouch down and look for it, sardonically wondering whether Mark might be under the bed too. No such luck. Rising back upright, Vee swiftly glances around, searching eyes darting across the room, wondering if Mark might've somehow crawled under the writing desk or even hidden in the closet — no matter how redundant these ideas might be.