Archive of Our Own ^beta

Mack was sipping at his drink, plastic straw trapped between his teeth as fizzy soda graced his tongue, when Lane popped the question that made him splutter. “So Mack, when are you gonna get a boyfriend?” Drops of ice-cold coke spewed from Mack’s mouth and he coughed weakly before he grumbled.

“Why the hell does that matter?” Mack asked. He wiped at the damp front of his hoodie with a sleeve before he gave up with a sigh, instead choosing to shuck the entire thing off. He was left in a figure-hugging tee, and Connor wolf whistled at him. Mack shot him a playful glare, lips curling up into a smile before he could stop them.

“Well… I’ve heard some people sayin’ they think you’re straight and just trynna hide that you have a girlfriend. But if you showed up to our end of the year party with a boyfriend, maybe it’d get ‘em to shut up,” Lane said. Mack glared at him, and Lane raised his hands in surrender. “For what’s it worth, I trust that you know your own sexuality.”

“Yeah, well, I have a boyfriend, so.”

“You do?” Connor asked. When Mack looked over, Connor was staring at him with an incredulous look on his face, lips quirked up to one side. Mack widened his eyes at him for all of two seconds before he was turning back to staring at the muted television. He knew Connor would understand from that look alone.

“Yeah. I do,” Mack said. He slumped down further in his seat and kicked his feet up, resting the heels of his sneakers against the lip of the coffee table. Connor tutted at him and leant over to smack at his ankles, but Mack merely responded with an eye-closing smile before turning his attention back towards Lane.

“Well… what’s he like? You won’t tell us his name, I know that much, but I want as many details as possible thanks,” Lane said. He fixed Mack with a smile that suggested he was entirely too pleased with himself.

“As many details about what?” Mack’s gaze snapped over to the doorway where Collin stood, Sam and Eky hot on his heels. Mack groaned and threw his head back. He did not want to be discussing the topic of his totally real boyfriend with all of his frat brothers, but it seemed like that was what was going to happen.

“Mack’s boyfriend. Did you guys know he has a boyfriend?” Lane said, perking up. Collin, Sam and Eky traded looks before they all shrugged and shook their heads.

“Is that a bad thing?” Sam asked and Mack snorted with laughter. No, but yes, but no, but yes. That was about the clearest answer Mack could give, and he didn’t plan on giving it. Collin sunk onto the couch next to Mack, Sam and Eky on his other side.

“Nah, he just doesn’t want us to know who it is,” Lane said. Connor had been silent since Mack had shot him the look that all but screamed ‘I’m bullshitting, play along’, so when Mack looked at him again, he wasn’t at all surprised to receive a reassuring, encouraging smile.

“Tell us about him. Maybe we will meet him soon?” Eky asked. Mack sighed and dropped his head to the back of the couch. The interior boning smacked against his skull, and he let out a soft ‘ow’ before he righted his head.

“If I give you details and promise to at least invite him to the party, will you all leave me alone?” Mack said. He hoped they said no, hoped they pestered and pleaded until Mack lost his patience and swore to never let anything slip again. If that happened, Mack wouldn’t find himself scrabbling for details about a boyfriend who didn’t exist.

“We promise,” Collin said, his hand gently patting Mack’s thigh twice before his touch disappeared. Mack swallowed down his disappointment and tried to think about what to say. Almost at once, a figure formed in his head, someone Mack knew very well but had never bothered to introduce to his frat (apart from Connor, who somehow figured out everything Mack didn’t tell him).

The figure in his head was Will, of course. A friend from Boston College, and someone that Mack desired in far more ways than he deemed friendly. He’d zoned out more often than not around Will, imagining their lips meeting, tongues tangling, hands fisting in each other’s hair. He’d imagined all the sounds Will would make when Mack got his hands on him, and all of the sounds he’d make himself when Will returned the favour.

“Dude, stop fantasising about him, and tell us already!” Lane shouted. Mack jolted out of his thoughts, and he blinked owlishly for a few seconds before he ducked his head down. Heat suffused across his face and he giggled out a quick apology before he sighed and melted into the couch cushions.

Sorry Will, he thought before he opened his mouth to speak, ready to make things worse. “He’s um, god, he’s great. He’s very loveable, you know? Like… I don’t know, he draws people in. Moth to a flame type of personality,” Mack said.

“Oh yeah? What’s he like with you, though?” Collin asked. Mack smiled as memories washed over him, small snatches of them, but enough for Mack to recall each and every one in almost precise detail if he wanted to.

“Clingy. But I’m the same,” Mack giggled. Him and Will were just friends, but that was the truth. They were almost always touching in some way when they were together. As he thought about it, Mack purposefully tried not to let his memories drift towards the many times he’d woken up in the night to Will’s arms around his waist and Will’s face in his armpit, soft sleeping breaths greeting his skin.

“Hah, we already knew that. Give us something better,” Lane said. Mack huffed. He was getting there. It wasn’t his fault he’d got caught up in his head, thinking about Will and their many cuddle sessions.

“He worries about me a lot. When we drink at our parties, I usually wake up the next morning to a bunch of concerned texts that I failed to notice the night before,” Mack said. And that was true. But Will didn’t mean it in a concerned boyfriend way. He was just being a good friend, really.

“Aww, that’s kinda cute,” Sam said. Mack giggled, cheeks warming under his fingertips as he covered his mouth. He should’ve felt guilty, and there was definitely a bite of it brewing in his gut, but he was far too wrapped up in the joy of pretending he was dating Will to focus on it too much.

“What does he look like?” Connor asked, and Mack’s joy melted like ice cream on hot tarmac. If he responded truthfully, Connor would know. He’d immediately be on Mack’s case, demanding to know why Mack hadn’t already asked Will out. After all, he’d already told Mack to make a move multiple times, and Mack hadn’t. Couldn’t.

But unfortunately, Mack’s useless gay brain decided to finally blow its last gasket in that moment, and he couldn’t imagine literally anyone else. It was either he described Connor, who he was currently looking at, or he described Will. Mack took a deep breath.

“He’s got blonde hair and blue eyes. Proper American wet dream, y’know?” Mack couldn’t stop the term slipping from his lips. It was one he’d adopted after overheating one of Will’s friends call him it.

“Makes sense. You’ve always had a thing for blondes,” Lane said. Mack giggled shyly and let the floppy brown strands of his hair dip into his eyes. He definitely did, but he wasn’t sure it mattered that much. Even if he didn’t, he was sure he’d still be head over heels for Will.

“Is he taller or shorter than you? I’m just saying, but you shouldn’t date someone shorter or smaller than you. You’d eclipse them,” Collin said. Mack turned to him and flipped him off before he huffed out an amused puff of laughter.

“He’s about the same height as me. I think I’m a bit bigger than him though,” Mack said. He’d never thought too much about it before. Sure, him and Will cuddled a lot, but that was usually during movie nights, when Mack buried his face in Will’s stomach because Will thought it was funny to put horror movies on.

Those nights always ended with them cuddling each other to sleep.

“Does he let you watch your cheesy romcoms?” Connor teased. It was like he’d read Mack’s thoughts, and Mack grumbled softly, sinking even further into the couch. The coffee table screeched along the floor and Mack quickly plucked his feet away, a grimace on his lips. “I told you not to put your feet on the table.”

“Yeah, well, suck it,” Mack responded before he sighed wistfully. “And yes, he does let me watch my romcoms. Usually after he’s made me endure a horror movie, but I don’t mind when it’s him.”

“You two are going to make me be sick, and I’ve not even met him yet,” Eky said. Mack glared at him.

“You’re one of the people who pushed me to talk about him!” Mack responded. Eky laughed bright and vibrant, and everyone else joined in, leaving Mack to grumble on the centre couch of their frat house living room. “I hate all of you.”

❅❅❅

Mack’s phone vibrated against the bed, abandoned wherever he’d thrown it earlier, and he huffed, reaching around for it with no success. “It’s Lane calling. You wanna answer it?” Will said, holding the device in front of Mack’s face so he could see. Mack shook his head.

“No, just silence it,” Mack muttered. Will dismissed the call and handed Mack his phone before he returned to sifting his fingers through Mack’s tangled strands of hair. Mack relaxed even further, face nuzzling against the material of Will’s thin t-shirt. “Mm… feels nice.”

“Yeah? I’m glad. You seemed stressed when you got here today,” Will said, voice soft in a way that only helped coax Mack further into the arms of sleep. Mack hummed and nuzzled further into Will’s stomach. The gory movie had long since ended, but Mack was comfortable and he didn’t want to move.

“’M okay,” Mack mumbled. He went to clarify further when his phone started vibrating again. Mack whined and picked up the device. It was Lane calling him once more and he knew it’d keep going until he answered it. “Lane,” Mack said as he held the device to his ear.

“There you are. Fucking finally, dude.”

“You literally called me once before this, but okay. What do you want?”

“Where are you? We need to talk,” Lane said. It didn’t sound serious, so Mack didn’t let his mind run haywire. It was probably something simple that Lane needed help solving, but Mack was kind of busy and wanted to go back to the source of said busyness as soon as he could.

“I’m out, kinda busy. What do you want?” Mack said.

“Oh? Are you with your boyfriend?” Lane all but purred and Mack could hear the dirty smirk on his face through the phone. Heat blossomed across his cheeks at the word ‘boyfriend’, but he ignored it in favour of rolling his eyes and huffing. He shot a quick apologetic smile up at Will when he shivered before returning his attention back to the call.

“Yes. Now what is it?” Mack said. Lane laughed down the phone. Mack was honestly seconds away from ending the phone call and temporarily blocking Lane so he could get some peace and quiet. But he knew that it’d be easier to just wait for Lane to calm down and spit out what he wanted to say.

“Invite him to the party right now. I want to hear his answer myself,” Lane said. Mack’s eyes widened and he sat up, one hand braced against Will’s thigh as he shifted into a sitting position between Will’s legs. Will mouth a quick ‘you okay’ at him, eyebrows furrowed in concern, and Mack held up a finger. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place, a trap of his own making.

“Give me a minute, I gotta go find him,” Mack said. He pulled the phone away from his ear and muted his microphone before he cursed and dropped his head, shaking it like an angry dog. He’d been so stupid, giving in and letting Lane think he actually had a boyfriend.

And it wasn’t just Lane either. Connor had cornered him that morning, demanding to know why Mack was passing Will off as his boyfriend when Connor knew damn well Mack hadn’t asked him out properly. Collin had teased him a few times, and he’d even caught Eky trying to read his texts over his shoulder once. It was a mess. One he’d made in a moment of pitiful desperation.

“Okay. So. I may or may not have lied to my frat brothers and told them I have a boyfriend, and now Lane wants my boyfriend to answer the phone and more specifically answer the invite to our end of year frat party,” Mack said. Will hummed softly, pushing up from the headboard of his bed to instead circle his arms around Mack’s waist.

“Do you need me to pretend to be your boyfriend? I don’t mind going to the party with you,” Will said. Mack looked up at him, eyes wide. Will smiled softly in a way that made Mack’s insides all gooey, melted marshmallow sweet.

“Would you mind?” Mack asked. Will shook his head, smile never once shifting. Mack sighed and melted into Will’s hold, head finding its way to the crook of Will’s neck. It was warm and Mack didn’t want to move. “Thank you so much.”

“Anytime, babe. Now give me the phone whenever you’re ready,” Will said. Mack giggled at the petname, ignoring the flicker of want-laced pain it lanced through his head, and unmuted himself.

“Okay, I’ve found him,” Mack said. Lane perked up on the other end of the line, the sound he made muffled by something in his mouth. He heard Lane swallow, nose wrinkling at the sound, before he prepared himself to lie to one of his best friends.

“Give him the phone,” Lane said. Mack sighed and handed the device to Will.

“Be nice,” he whispered. Will winked at him before pressing the phone to his ear. Mack gnawed on his lower lip as he waited for Will to speak. He could faintly hear the tinny rattle of Lane’s voice through the speakers, but he couldn’t decipher the words he was saying.

“Yeah, that’s me,” Will said. His eyes widened when Lane started talking again and Mack knew that Lane was probably overwhelming him with all sorts of questions, things irrelevant to why he’d originally called Mack.

Rolling his eyes, Mack leant in towards the speaker. “Just fucking ask him already, will you?” Mack drawled. He could hear the annoyed huff Lane let out before he pulled back, muffling his giggles into his sleeve. Will was smiling too, and that was the best reward, really.

Will pulled the phone away from his ear and hit speaker before holding the phone between the two of them. Mack shot him an appreciative smile before he focused on Lane’s words. “Will you come to our end of year frat party as Mack’s plus one?” Will and Mack exchanged a look before Will leant towards the speaker.

“Yeah.”

“Brilliant! Okay, now give the phone to Mack again,” Lane demanded. Mack just about managed to hold back his splutter of laughter as Will said goodbye and mimed handing the phone over to him. He didn’t let Mack take it however, fingers still curled around the baby pink case as he held it steady between them.

“Hi,” Mack said. Will angled the bottom of the phone up more, allowing Mack to speak into it. Mack shot him another quick, appreciative smile. “Are you happy now? Satisfied?”

“More than! See you and your boyfriend soon, bye!” Lane chirped before he hung up the phone. Mack blinked at it for a few seconds before he spluttered and snatched the phone from Will’s hands.

“He’s so fucking annoying!” Mack said. Will laughed softly and shuffled backwards, giving Mack space that Mack immediately worked to undo. He laid down again, chin resting atop Will’s stomach once more. “Can I?” Mack asked with a big grin. Will huffed and rolled his eyes.

“You’re already doing it,” Will said and Mack couldn’t but giggle. Will, thankfully, laughed along and barely any time passed before his hand was stroking through Mack’s hair again, coaxing Mack to sleep.

As he drifted off, Mack realised one very big issue – he didn’t know how to act like a couple with Will.

❅❅❅

“You gotta help me,” Mack said, barging his way into Connor’s bedroom without a second thought. Connor looked up from his laptop, a totally relaxed expression on his face. Mack knew he’d done it a bunch of times before, but he hadn’t quite anticipated Connor being so used to it. It stumped him, leaving him half-frozen in the doorway until the oak door fell back into his hip. “Ow.”

“Yes? Can I help you?” Connor said. Mack sighed and sped over to Connor’s desk. He hefted himself up onto the sturdy surface before he sighed again. “You already have my attention, you can quit sighing.”

“I don’t know how to act like a couple with Will,” Mack blurted out, eyes unfocused as he gnawed on his lower lip. Connor’s face froze in a confused expression for a few seconds before he sighed and shook his head.

“From what you’ve told me about how you two are when you’re alone, and from what I’ve witnessed on facetime, I think you both will be just fine if you act the way you do normally,” Connor said. His attention was already back on his laptop, fingers flying over the keyboard.

Mack made a strangled noise in the back of his throat. “What does that mean?” He questioned. Connor looked up at him with one eyebrow raised as if to say ‘really?’ and Mack blushed, ducking his head. “It’s a genuine question.”

“I think if anyone looked over my shoulder at any time whilst I was facetiming you two, they’d ask if you were a couple,” Connor deadpanned. Mack whined and lightly knocked at Connor’s shoulder, hoping it’d change his mind. Connor merely stared at him.

“Is it really tha–”

“Yes.”

Mack sighed and swung his legs lightly. That was news to him. No one had told him that him and Will acted like a couple. Wait. His legs stopped. Did Will know they were acting like a couple? Did Will think they were a couple?

No, no, that made no sense. Will had agreed to be his fake boyfriend. If he thought they were dating already, why would he agree to play pretend? Surely, he’d just confront Mack, right?

“I can hear you thinking,” Connor said. He was trying to read something on his screen, but when Mack shifted his gaze over towards him, he looked up without moving his head. Mack sighed and muttered a quick apology that Connor dismissed with a wave of his hand. “It’s fine. You’re stressing out, and I’m not exactly being helpful, am I?”

“More helpful than my brain, so don’t worry,” Mack muttered.

“What’s it saying?” Connor said. He pushed his laptop further up the desk before he rested his elbows on the surface, eyes fixed on Mack’s face. Mack sighed and looked down at his hands instead, breaking the eye contact.

“That this is a stupid idea and I should call the whole thing off,” Mack said. It was the truth, as much as it hurt him to admit it. He hated feeling unsure no matter what the topic was, and with Will getting involved too… it made it so much worse. Mack didn’t want to hurt him, after all.

“Then do it. Call it off. Tell Lane the truth,” Connor said. Mack made a wounded noise and shook his head. “Figured that’d be your reaction. You need to talk to Will. Tell him how you really feel.”

“I can’t do that either,” Mack whispered. He looked up at Connor, staring at him through the mist of tears that covered his eyes. “He won’t feel the same, Connor, you have to understand.”

“How are you so sure? Genuinely. He checks in with you when you’re drinking, he soothes your hair because he knows it helps you sleep, he buys you strawberries and keeps them in his fridge even though he’s told you he hates the taste,” Connor said. Each word from his mouth made Mack blush harder until he had enough and he clamped his hand down over Connor’s mouth.

“You’ve made your point,” Mack said. Connor shook his head and Mack sighed, reluctantly uncovering his mouth. “What is it?”

“He agreed to be your fake boyfriend,” Connor said. Mack huffed at that.

“Exactly. He’s doing that because he’s a good friend and he doesn’t actually see me as a potential boyfriend,” Mack pouted. Connor groaned and dragged a hand through his hair, strands parting with ease around his fingers.

“Have you ever considered that maybe, just maybe, he thinks the same way? That you don’t see him as a potential boyfriend, and you just got yourself into a sticky situation that he could help with?” Connor asked. Mack hummed as he thought about that idea before he shook his head.

“No. It’s not.”

“How do you know? Mack, you haven’t asked him,” Connor said, stressing his words where necessary. Mack whined and he slipped off the desk to instead wrap his arms around Connor’s shoulders. Connor responded with a hand on his back, soothing up and down over his hoodie.

“I’m sorry I’m such a mess,” Mack muttered. Connor chuckled fondly but didn’t shift or pull away. Just stayed in Mack’s arms, hand on his back.

“Trust me, if I was really bothered, I wouldn’t be here.”

❅❅❅

The night of the party descended upon Mack before he could really process it. He hadn’t really discussed anything with Will, just assured him that discussing their friendship in a slightly more romantic fashion would work perfectly.

Mack was starting to regret that the longer he listened to Will speak. He tuned into him, a squeak nearly falling from his lips as Will spoke about how they met. It was the exact story of how they’d met, nearly perfectly detailed, but Will was adding embellishments about his feelings that Mack knew were fake.

“Love at first sight?” Connor questioned, eyes flicking over to meet Mack’s. A blush shot across Mack’s cheeks and he ducked his head. It had been love at first sight for him, he knew that much. And then Will had spoken to him, and it was like a slide at that point. He wasn’t getting off until it was over.

“Yeah. I mean… can you blame me?” Will giggled. He tugged Mack into his side and nosed at his cheek, lips brushing his jaw. Mack shivered and leant into it. He shouldn’t have, knowing it’d only ruin things between them even more when this whole schtick came to an end, but Mack was going to take advantage whilst he could.

“Ew, gross! Get a room or something,” Lane called. Mack huffed and flipped him off, nuzzling further into Will’s arms. Will slowly retreated from the chattering group, guiding them over to a private corner. His arms never once let Mack’s waist.

“You getting overwhelmed, babe?” Will muttered. Want flared thickly in Mack’s gut, and he lifted his head softly, meeting Will’s gaze with hazy, half-lidded eyes. He heard Will’s breathing hitch as he shuffled closer before he was pressing their lips together. Will kissed him back for all of three seconds before he was pulling away, eyes skittering back and forth. “You’re drunk.”

“No, I’m not. I haven’t had anything to drink tonight, you’ve been with me the entire time,” Mack whined. Tears pricked in his eyes, and he knew exactly what he’d feared was coming true. Will didn’t want him in the same way. He pulled back and rubbed at his face. “I… I need some air.”

“Wait, Mack!” Will called, but Mack was already gone, the soles of his sneakers pounding against the floor as he darted out into the garden. A few people were on the patio, but Mack ignored them all, continuing to run towards the benches at the bottom of the garden.

Mack had called them stupid when he’d first discovered their presence, but now he was deeply grateful for them. They provided him with cover yet also a good view, allowing him to see if anyone was approaching.

No one was.

Tears welled up thick and fast in his eyes, and Mack couldn’t stop himself from sniffling, hands repeatedly balling the fabric of his jeans up in his hands. The denim scraped unpleasantly along his skin, but Mack didn’t care.

His phone vibrated in his pocket and he jolted, a choked off sob tumbling from his mouth. He hastily jammed his hand into his pocket and procured the device. It was Connor, and Mack whimpered, immediately answering the call and cradling the phone up to his ear with both hands.

“Mack? Where’d you go? Will said you two had a fight and you ran off,” Connor said. The thumping bass of the music silhouetted his voice and Mack whined. He felt awful. He blamed himself for everything. If he could rewind time and stop himself from kissing Will, he’d do it in a heartbeat.

(But deep down, he knew he’d kiss Will every single time. Like clockwork, like fate.)

“O-outside. You know those stupid benches?” Mack said, chuckling wetly when Connor snorted with laughter. “Just… please come alone. I don’t think I can handle seeing Will right now.”

“Of course. Be right there,” Connor said before the call ended. Mack sniffled and wiped his snotty nose on the sleeve of his hoodie before he flipped his phone back and forth between his hands. He kept his gaze fixed downwards until he heard leaves crunching underfoot.

Mack looked up and sighed in relief when he saw that it was only Connor. He was on his feet and rushing into Connor’s arms before he could stop himself. “I kissed him,” he admitted. Connor tensed briefly before he sighed.

“I’m sorry. I’m guessing he didn’t take it well.”

“He thought I was drunk,” Mack whispered. Connor tried to pull back but Mack whined. He needed the contact more than anything, even though he knew Connor wasn’t the biggest fan of prolonged touches. “’M sorry, I’ll let go in a minute.”

“It’s okay. But really… I think he’s just as scared as you, Mack. We let him into your room and Lane is almost positive he’s gonna pace a hole in your carpet,” Connor said. Mack finally pulled back at that and sniffled, wiping at his damp face.

“He better not. I like that carpet,” Mack said. Connor laughed again and shook his head before he rested his hands on Mack’s shoulders. It was a gentle touch until he tightened his grip and shook Mack back and forth. Mack whined and tried to break free, nearly stumbling and toppling over in the process.

“Go and talk to him. Please.”

“Do I have to? I don’t… I’m afraid of what he’s going to say, of what he’s going to do. My brain isn’t in the right place, and all my crying has drained me. What if we argue again? I don’t wanna say something I’ll regret,” Mack said, sniffling softly. He ran a hand through his hair, mucking up the gelled styling.

“You really should go and talk to him. I just want you to be happy, and I don’t think avoiding Will is going to make that true,” Connor chuckled. Mack huffed playfully at him before he tugged Connor into another quick hug. “Go get your mans already.”

“On it,” Mack said with a wet giggle. He pulled away from Connor’s arms before he dashed across the grass, crumpling random patches of flowers in the process.

❅❅❅

Mack took the stairs two at a time. He’d been delayed by Lane and Collin demanding to know what was going on and it took Mack biting out that he was trying to fix his relationship before they finally let him leave.

The worst thing about Mack’s room in his frat house was that the door handle stuck sometimes, requiring a second push to unstick it. Of course, it stuck in that moment, and Mack had to manically wiggle at the handle until he finally broke through.

Will startled and turned towards him, sneakers scuffing along the carpet. He frowned when he saw Mack and immediately started speaking, cutting Mack off before he could really even start. “Mack, I’m so sorry. I feel like shit, but I really… I couldn’t kiss you.”

“I… god, I don’t know how to do this,” Mack muttered. He scratched at the back of his neck before he whined and crossed the room. He looped his arms around Will’s waist and buried his face in Will’s neck, sighing unhappily. “I don’t want to go to bed mad at you, but I’m not sure I can handle you rejecting me right now.”

“Rejecting you? What?” Will questioned. Mack pulled back, meeting Will’s concerned gaze. “Why on earth would I ever reject you? I thought you were going to reject me. I felt like I couldn’t kiss you because you just saw this as fake, and I wanted… fuck, Mack, I’ve always wanted more than friendship from you.”

“Really?” Mack whispered. Will nodded and sniffled softly, eyes misting over. It made Mack’s heart clench something wicked and he whined again. “Please don’t cry, otherwise I might have to kiss you better.”

“What? I thought…”

“It’s always been you for me as well. When,” Mack sighed, “when Lane asked me to describe my boyfriend, everything that came out of my mouth was about you. Your physical appearance, the way you let me watch romcoms, but also how you make me watch horror movies first sometimes. The way you drew me in when we first met, and how we’re always clinging to each other. I couldn’t picture anyone else. I tried.”

“Mack…”

“The fake dating bit wasn’t a joke, I promise. I really did need you to pretend to date me, but my feelings… fuck, Will, my feelings were real and genuine. And I didn’t think I’d be saying this tonight – didn’t think I’d be talking to you at all after the kiss – but I did and I am and please kiss me again,” Mack begged weakly. It was like something in Will snapped. He didn’t hold back. He cupped Mack’s face in his hands and melded their lips together. Mack whined and pressed closer, desperate, needy, wanting more and more and more. He wanted every last scrap of Will he could have, and even then, he wasn’t sure he’d be satisfied.

“Should’ve done this a lot sooner,” Will whispered when they briefly parted for air. Mack giggled and shifted his head, mapping out a path of kisses along Will’s jaw and down to his neck. He lightly bit down before pulling back and laving his tongue over the sting.

“Definitely. Now do it again,” Mack commanded. Will groaned but did as he was told, tongue prodding at the seam of Mack’s mouth within seconds. Mack opened with ease and soon they were panting into each other’s mouths again, hands fisting in each other’s shirts.

It was like everything Mack had ever wanted, yet he still craved more.

❅❅❅

Will was still fast asleep, splayed out on his stomach, golden blonde hair haloing his head, when Mack woke up and slipped out from under the sheets. He tugged on a pair of shorts and Will’s hoodie from the night before, then slowly made his way down the stairs.

His hips and thighs ached, and he knew if he had looked whilst changing, he would’ve found bruises in the shape of Will’s fingertips on his skin. They were probably still just about visible underneath the hem, but Mack was already entering the kitchen at that point and couldn’t be bothered to check.

“Morning, loverboy,” Connor teased. He was making coffee for the three hungover losers that surrounded the table, plus Collin who was already hard at work on his laptop doing something. “D’ya have fun last night?”

Mack felt heat flood his face and he nodded softly, lower lip getting trapped between his teeth. Before he could respond verbally, however, Lane was groaning and lifting his head from the table. “I can tell he did. Can see the bruises on his thighs from here,” he grumbled.

“Shut up. Just because you’re jealous,” Mack retorted. Lane glared at him playfully, and Mack stuck his tongue out in response. They could’ve continued on like that for ages, but Connor broke Mack’s line of sight.

“Go upstairs and wake Will. If you’re quick enough, you might get to enjoy breakfast with us,” Connor said. Mack squinted his eyes at Connor. To say Connor couldn’t cook would be an understatement. The only thing close to a cooking success that Connor had ever achieved was when he’d nearly cooked the kitchen by leaving the oven on overnight. “Collin’s doing it, not me.”

“Oh good,” Mack said, perking up almost immediately. “I’ll go get Will then.” He went to turn and leave when he remembered something. He skittered back to Connor’s side and pulled him in, stepping up onto his tiptoes to whisper into his ear. “You were right. He did assume I was just using him for a fake date.”

When he pulled away, Connor was smirking and Mack could only groan. He knew exactly what sentence was about to fall from Connor’s lips and he started mocking him at the perfect time, their voices overlapping.

“I told you.”