Yin and Yang [A Superhero AU] - Book Three

Chapter Fifteen - Mark

When morning rolls around, Phil seriously considers skipping work. Him and Dan are a tangle of limbs, wrapped up in blankets and breathing the same air, and Phil can't help but press a kiss to Dan's collarbone. The villain stirs slightly and his chocolate brown eyes crack open, causing Phil's breath to hitch in his throat. He doesn't think he'll ever get tired of Dan's eyes.

They don't speak and just enjoy each other's company, and the villain slowly falls asleep again. Phil plays with his hair, the little curls making him way too happy. It's what he could easily call the best morning ever, and he's NOT a morning person.

Phil glances at the clock on his side table and exhales, gently extracting himself from Dan's grip. The villain shifts and stays asleep, and more than anything Phil wants to hop back into bed. Sometimes, he really hates having a job. With a sigh, he gets dressed and heads to the kitchen.

As he's getting his breakfast ready, Dan shuffles into the kitchen with a yawn. His hair is ruffled and his pyjama pants are a bit too big, causing them to ride low on his hips. That mixed with his bare chest and Phil has to physically stop himself from staring.

"Morning," he mumbles, rubbing his eye with a closed fist absentmindedly.

"Morning," Phil squeaks in response. "How'd you sleep?"

"Good. Really good. Better than I think I ever have." Dan's small smile fades. "After the nightmare, that is. Um, I'm sorry about that. It's just... I can't really..."

"Dan." Phil steps forward and cups his face in his hands, his thumbs ghosting over his ears. "It's okay. We already talked about this last night. It's totally fine if I have to help you through a nightmare. You shouldn't feel guilty for something you can't control."

The villain watches him for a moment before exhaling and nodding.  He leans forward, pressing a quick kiss to Phil's lips. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Phil steps away and moves back to the stove, serving breakfast for both of them. They sit at the table, talking about everything and nothing, before Phil finally checks his watch and stands.

"Work?" Dan asks, although he already knows the answer.  Sometimes, it feels like Phil never gets a day off work. 

"Yeah. You can stay here as long as you want or can, just make sure you lock the door when you go," Phil replies. He puts his dishes in the kitchen and grabs his bag before bending over to pull his shoes on. Dan pushes his own chair back, and when Phil straightens up he wraps his arms around his waist from the back and presses a kiss to the side of his neck.

"Have a good day at work," he says, his voice soft.

Phil turns bright red and nods. "I will."

The day turns out to be fairly uneventful. Mark, Felix, and Ken are sent out to break up some street fights and Phil spends his day looking over and signing medical records. Mark tells them that he has a bad headache and goes home early, and the others stick around to do their respective, menial tasks.

"Has anyone heard anything from Mark? He said he would text us about how he was feeling, but I haven't heard anything. He hasn't even read my message," Felix says, his phone in his hand.

"I haven't heard anything either," Matthias adds.

"If he had a headache, he probably fell asleep. There's no need to worry," Marzia insists.

Felix purses his lips slightly. "It's been a few hours, though. It seems strange that he wouldn't even tell us he was planning on having a nap."

Phil shrugs. "Maybe he just didn't think about it."

The group goes quiet, returning to their tasks with a limited amount of focus.  The tension is thick in the air, each person thinking about one hero in particular.  Then, about twenty minutes later, Ken barges into the room with wide eyes.

"It's Mark. Hurry."

The group springs to their feet and rushes into the Curatrix entrance, where Mark is being led in by a police officer. The other heroes surround him, speaking nervously amongst themselves, and Phil pushes through so he can check for injuries. There's a massive bruise on his head, a sure sign that someone knocked him out, and he uses water to heal it. He can see the signs of Mark's stress level rising, most likely from everyone being too close, and he steps back. Mark's hands shake at his sides as he brushes the other heroes away, saying nothing.  His eyes are wide and his entire body is tensed, which makes Phil even more worried. 

"What happened?" Felix asks.

"Who kidnapped you?" Ken demands. "You aren't even terribly injured."

Mark just shakes his head and brushes past them, barely giving them another glance as he heads in the direction of the medical ward. Phil watches him go, nervousness welling in his heart. Most likely, the villains are the ones that kidnapped him. Who else would it be after everything that's happened?

"Where did you find him?" Matthias asks the officer who brought him in.

"Just on the sidewalk outside," he replies. "Unconscious, too."

"Did you see anyone drop him off?"

"No, just a lot of bystanders. I'd guess it's those damn villains again."

"I'm guessing that too," Matthias says, pursing his lips. "Thank you, officer."

"No problem, sir."

Phil watches the officer leave before turning on his heel, heading to the medical ward with his lip between his teeth.