United [A Superhero AU] - Book Two

Chapter Eighteen - Nightmare: Revised

For some reason, Jack can't sleep.  Since he's been spending the night at the hero base, he's been falling asleep easily.  Tonight, however, is different.  Mark is beside him and yet Jack stares at the ceiling, too many thoughts running around his mind for him to fall asleep.  After the meeting, Mark had been so worn down.  He only smiled when he knew Jack was looking.  His eyes were dull and he seemed so sad whenever he thought nobody was watching.

    His pondering is interrupted by a light whimper from beside him.  Startled, he glances over to see Mark shifting uncomfortably, his eyes scrunching up in his sleep.  Another whimper rises from his throat and he grows closer to Jack, pressing his face into the Irishman's chest.  Jack tenses instinctively for a moment before running a hand around Mark's waist, rubbing his thumb back and forth over a small section of exposed skin.

    "Mark, it's okay," he murmurs.  Is he having... a nightmare?

    The hero doesn't seem to hear him, tears starting to stream down his face as he burrows closer to Jack.  His breathing grows more and more panicked as he presses his nose into the villain's shirt.  His pained whines become soft cries as he flinches from the images in his head.

    "Don't... don't hurt... they didn't... Help..." Mark murmurs in his sleep, clenching Jack's super-suit in his tense fingers.

    Jack blinks a few times, rubbing continuous circles onto Mark's back as he watches the hero.  He's never been on the receiving end of someone's nightmare.  It's usually him screaming and someone else coming in to comfort him.  Mark isn't even screaming, he's just... whimpering like a kicked puppy.  It makes Jack's heart clench uncomfortably.

    "Mark, wake up," he pleads, shaking his shoulder.  The hero doesn't listen, still trapped in his nighttime hell.  His cries grow more intense, the sound harsh and afraid. "Mark, please..."

    Jack gives his shoulder another shake, more firmly this time, and the American's eyes snap open.  Time seems to freeze, and a second later Mark is sitting upright in bed, startling Jack and causing him to nearly fall off the bed.  The hero looks around in a panic, as though he's scrambling for an exit, as tears still pour down his face in waves.

    Jack feels the world slow down, and a second later it's back to normal.  The time fluctuates a few more times before Jack manages to reach out and grab Mark's hands, his gaze never straying from the hero.  Mark's eyes dart around the room for a moment more before landing on Jack and staying there.

    "Focus on me," the villain says softly.  "It's okay, I'm here."

    "Jack..." Mark whispers.  "I... uh... that... you're..."

    "Shh, just breathe..."

    The American watches his eyes, his breathing slowly returning to normal.  Jack rubs circles onto the backs of his hands, breathing with him and feeling a rush of relief when the panic finally drains from Mark's eyes.  His hands still shake, but even that's less frantic than it was before.

    "It wasn't real," Jack says.  "You're okay.  I'm not going to leave you."

    Mark watches him for a second longer before burrowing against his chest, inhaling the villain's scent.  Jack wraps his arms around him, resting his chin on the hero's fluffy red hair.

    "Oh God, Jack..." Mark mumbles through his tears.  "I keep seeing them die.  The other heroes, you, over and over again..."

    "Mark..." Jack whispers, his heart breaking.

    "I can feel myself getting shot, but the pain never ends and I never die.  I just lie there, unable to breathe."

    Jack opens and closes his mouth a couple times, his entire chest aching.  What does he say?  How can he even help?  "Hear my heartbeat?  I'm alive, Mark.  You're alive.  Focus on that."

    Mark nods a little, pressing his ear to Jack's chest.  Gradually his hands, which had been tightly clenched on a handful of the villain's suit, relax.  Jack runs his fingers through Mark's hair, holding him as close as possible.

    "How frequently do you have nightmares?" the Irishman asks softly.

    "Um... They're bad when I have them, but I haven't been having them in a while because I haven't been sleeping..." Mark murmurs in response.

    "That's why you were so tired, isn't it? How much have you gotten each night?"

    "Like... an hour...?"

    "Mark... When—?"

    "They started after Marzia died."  Mark's voice breaks and he buries his face deeper into the Irishman's chest.  "They haven't really gotten better..." 

    Jack feels tears choking his voice but he forces it back.  "Why didn't you tell me?"

    "I... I didn't want to burden you...  You have so much on your plate already."

    "Oh, Mark..." Jack hugs him tighter, trailing his fingers through his hair.

    "I usually just stayed awake and waited for you to have a nightmare because it helped me ignore mine," the hero tries to explain.

    "You can lean on me as much as I lean on you, Mark.  We weren't going to hide anything from each other.  That was our agreement."

    "I know.  God, I'm sorry, Jack.  I'm so sorry."  The hero takes a deep breath, his eyes welling with tears.  "No more hiding.  No more."

    Jack exhales shakily, trying to force back his own emotions as his heart clenches uncomfortably.  He's been relying so heavily on Mark to keep his nightmares away that he never even considered the possibility that Mark could be dealing with the same thing.  Or, rather, not dealing with it by simply staying awake every night.

    "Mark, we're both going to sleep and I'm going to help you fight through it when you need.  We're going to get better together, okay?" Jack says, kissing the top of his head.  "If there's anything else you need to tell me, we'll discuss it in the morning."

    "Okay."  Mark exhales heavily, shifting so he can look up at Jack.  "It's better when you're here.  It really is."

    "That's good. Now, let's try to get some sleep, okay?  Actual sleep."

    Mark nods lazily and the two settle into the bed.  The hero rests his head on the villain's chest, their fingers intertwined as they try to fall asleep.