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“What’s this?” Mack asks, holding up the small gift wrapped box that Robert had just set on the table in front of him. It’s too small to be a watch like the one that Mack had gotten for Aaron, but too big to be a ring like the one that Mack knows Aaron’s keeping hidden away in his bedside table.
He looks up at Robert just in time for Aaron to sidle up beside his boyfriend, snaking an arm around his waist and pressing a quick kiss to the top of his shoulder. Aaron nods at the box in Mack’s hands.
“Just open it, Mackenzie,” Aaron says with a chuckle while taking a pull of the half drunk pint in his free hand.
Robert smiles but remains silent, only giving Mack a small nod of encouragement as he settles back into Aaron’s arm.
Mack looks between the two of them and their overly joyous smiles, before he ultimately gives into his own curiosity and pulls on the two ends of ribbon making up the bow on top. The ribbon unfurls and he pushes it aside, picking at the two pieces of tape on either side of the box. He unfolds the colorful paper to reveal a black box with a small clasp at the front.
It’s not heavy and when he holds it up to his ear and gives it a shake, he hears only minimal jingling from inside. He quirks an eyebrow at the two men standing in front of him but their smiles only widen.
With a playful sigh, Mack lifts the clasp and opens the lid, his eyes landing instantly on the two keys attached to a keychain in the shape of a smiley face. He’s frozen for a moment, confused and unsure if it’s the three pints he’s already downed that has him unable to think about what he’s seeing.
“Happy Christmas, mate,” Aaron says while he and Robert take up the other seats around the table.
Mack lets out a huff of laughter and looks up at the couple. “Sorry, mate, I’m a bit lost. What uh, what are these for exactly?”
“Well, we know you’ve been crashing up at the farm since you uh—”
“Since I found out my wife slept with her ex, got knocked up, and lied to both of us?” Mack interrupts, downing the last of his beer and setting the glass back on the table with more force than necessary.
Robert clears his throat awkwardly. “Anyways, we just signed the lease on that cottage we liked and we happen to have a spare room. So, we thought that maybe you could stay with us for a bit while you figure out what your next step is.”
Mack sits back in his chair and eyes the two of them carefully. “You’re askin’ me to move in with ya?”
“Until you get things sorted,” Aaron’s quick to clarify. “Only if ya want though. Just wanted to offer.”
He considers their offer, picking up the keys and turning them over in his palm. It definitely wasn’t what he was expecting but he’s also not that shocked. The Mill had been the first place he’d gone after finding out about Charity’s fling with Ross, knocking furiously and storming in the second the door was opened to him. Aaron and Robert both had just stood there silently while Mack had huffed and puffed, telling them as much as he could before Aaron stepped forward and placed a heavy hand on his shoulder.
Mack felt himself break in that moment, his heart clenching, jaw tensing, and before he knew it, he was being pulled into Aaron’s arms and burying his face in the crook of Aaron’s neck.
Robert had made them food and for the rest of the night, they’d all sat together on the sofa watching whatever horrible action movie Aaron had picked out. He ended up staying the night and then staying for the rest of the week before ultimately deciding on crashing with Moira. He hadn’t wanted to, not really, but he already felt like he was putting them out and didn’t want to risk overstaying his welcome.
He runs his fingers over the etchings on the keys and part of him is starting to think that maybe, just maybe, they didn’t really want him to leave either.
“You’re sure you don’t mind?” he asks because there is still a part of him that’s unsure about the whole situation.
Aaron rolls his eyes. “We wouldn’t be askin’ otherwise now would we, Mackenzie?”
“So, what’d’ya say?” Robert asks and Mack is sure he sees a light flush across the blonde’s cheeks. “Wanna come home with us?
Mack chuckles, takes a deep breath and nods. “Alright. Why not?”
The responding grins that spread across both men’s faces warm him down to his toes and he settles back in his chair while Robert starts off on his plans for the future decoration of their new cottage. Mack curls his fingers tightly around his new set of keys and pockets them for safe keeping, his lips curling into a smile as he listens on fondly.