Jack had been convinced that he had been the cause of Mark's downfall. He had opened his eyes and seen the hero's limp body being carried off by Phil. For three months, he cried himself to sleep and woke up in the middle of the night screaming. He ached to see, feel, and hold Mark again, and thoroughly believed he never would. But, after three months of the worst heartache Jack had ever felt, his hero appeared at the end of the road like a ghost and shook him to the core.
Jack reaches Mark and throws his arms around him, burying his face in his shoulder and sobbing harder than he ever has in his entire life. His knees go weak, but his hero is there to hold him up. He's here, his body warm and strong against Jack's. He's not an illusion in the Irishman's mind. He shudders when he feels the vibrations of Mark's sob into his shoulder, his arms tight around Jack.
"I'm alive," Mark whispers, his voice choked with emotion. "I'm okay."
Jack grips the American's suit in his hands, refusing to let go. He didn't die. Mark is alive. This isn't a cruel dream that he'll wake up from.
"Mark," the Irishman breathes. "I killed you, for Christ's sake. How-"
"I wasn't going down that easily." Mark laughs shakily and presses his face into Jack's shoulder. "I was ready to die if it meant I could cure you."
"My God, never die again."
The hero smiles despite the tears in his eyes and takes Jack's chin in his hand, pressing a kiss to the Irishman's lips. Without a moment of hesitation, the villain kisses back. He clings to Mark like the hero is oxygen in a suffocating atmosphere. He feels the part of his heart, the one that lay cold and empty for so many months, get filled to the brim.
"Come with me," Mark murmurs when they finally break apart.
Jack willingly follows him as the hero leads him into the nearest abandoned building. The city is quiet and dangerous but the villain doesn't notice. Mark's hand is clenched in his and for once, everything is going right.
Mark closes the door behind them and immediately, Jack's arms are wrapped around the hero's neck again. He breathes him in, soaking in his presence as he tries to stop crying.
"What do you need?" Mark whispers as they sink to the ground.
"Hold me until I wake up," Jack mumbles through his tears. "I don't wanna wake up..."
The hero cups his face in his hands, staring into the ocean blue eyes that make his heart pound out of his chest. "It's not a dream, Jack."
"H-how? I thought I killed you."
"Phil got to me in time. It was close, though. A couple seconds more and I would've died." The hero smiles lightly, the simple gesturing warming up Jack's entire chest. "Don't talk about it. Just, tell me what you need and I'll do it."
"Tell me you love me," the villain pleads, intertwining their fingers. "Promise me you won't leave again."
Mark smiles, running his free hand through Jack's hair. "I love you, my little prince, and I promise I won't leave again."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
Jack leans up and kisses him again, craving Mark's touch. He had imagined that he would never get this again, but he's so glad he was wrong. The hero is with him, strong and sturdy in a world that feels so fragile. Jack nestles into his warmth and takes a deep breath, realizing that maybe, he'll be okay.