Chapter Text
Dee is alone getting ready to open for the day when the door to the bar suddenly whips open with a sharp crack. Behind the door is a very wet, and very solemn looking, Dennis. His eyes are rimmed red, and his mascara is all over the place. She can hear faint sniffles coming out his nose as he shuffles slowly through the door.
She must have been in a good mood, or just felt a great amount of pity for him or something. Because she ushers him in, pours him a glass of water, and sits with him to make sure he actually drinks it.
“What happened to you?” She asks softly, in a voice she hasn’t used with him, or anyone really, in almost twenty years.
“Mac.” Is all he manages to croak out before putting his head down again, so no one can recognize that the tears are returning to his face.
It’s about a half an hour and two more glasses of water later before Dennis is able to speak in longer sentences again. The bar hasn’t been busy, so he’s loosened up a bit in the comfort of only silence and his sister.
Frank and Charlie had come in just a few minutes ago, took one look at the situation in front of them and walked right out, not even bothering to come up with an excuse. It was probably for the best. No one was really well equipped to deal with Dennis in the best of times, let alone now.
“Are you going to tell me what happened, or are you just going to leave a puddle of tears over this table I just cleaned?” Her voice was still soft, as if she didn’t expect him to actually answer. Hell, if he wanted to just wallow here in his own self pity, she didn’t really care. It was Thursday, anyways, the bar was never that busy on Thursday.
Only, she did kind of care, even if she tried to tell herself she didn’t. So, she waited patiently while Dennis mumbled to himself something about Charlie and Frank lacking empathy for others. Dee refrained from cracking a joke at that one.
“I signed up for Grindr.” Dennis doesn’t mumble this time.
“Okay, sure, so?” Dee coaxes.
Dennis didn’t know what kind of reaction he was expecting from that, but it certainly wasn’t that. “Aren’t you, like, surprised?” Dennis asks.
Dee snorts. “Sorry, should I be?”
Dennis sits up straighter in his seat, as if hoping his sexuality will mimic his posture, and smooths out his shirt a bit.
“Yes, yes you should be very surprised because I’m definitely not gay!” Dee laughs.
“I know. I always thought you were bi. Or maybe Mac-sexual? You have been a little jealous of all his hookups lately.”
Dennis goes quiet at that. Dee takes over. “Why don’t you tell why you downloaded Grindr?"
So he does.
It started three weeks ago, when Mac, for not even the first time, blew Dennis off for their monthly dinner… event. Dennis refrains from calling it a date.
“You can’t just ditch me the day of our monthly dinner. What the hell else do you have going on?"
Mac just smiles. “Sal wants to take me out for pizza then back to his place.”
Dennis frowns. “Sal? Who the fuck is Sal?” It was supposed to come out like a demand, like “What the fuck do you think you’re doing ditching me to just to fuck a guy named SAL?” But instead, it comes out more like, “Wow… I can’t believe you're ditching me to go out with a guy named Sal…”
Mac says nothing about Dennis’ choice of tone. “Just a guy I met on Grindr. We hooked up a couple times."
“So, what now you’re ditching your best friend just for a good fuck?”
Mac puts his hand on Dennis’ shoulder, feeling as though Dennis won’t brush it away. He doesn’t. “Sorry, man. We’ll go tomorrow. It’s just… Sal’s going out of town for the next two weeks so he won’t be able to get together after tonight.”
And isn’t that just convenient for SAL, Dennis thinks.
“Tomorrow isn’t our day to go out. It’ll throw everything off. Just… forget it Mac, just go on your date. I’ll see you next month.”
Mac hesitates, but goes into his room for a few minutes to finish getting ready. He comes out, grabs his coat from the couch and start walking towards the door. Dennis turns away and starts absentmindedly playing with his phone so he doesn’t have to watch him leave. Mac pauses at the door and turns back to Dennis, ready with another apology.
“Hey!” Dennis exclaims. “I just sent out three whatareyoudoings and already got two responses. So, I guess we’re both gonna get laid tonight. Though I bet Megan and Laura are way hotter this Sal guy anyways.”
Mac gives a soft smile. “See, you’ll be fine. I knew you would.”
“Of course. I don’t give a fuck if you get laid. Just care about you blowing me off.”
“Tomorrow Dennis. I promise.” And with that Mac leaves.
Dennis slumps down on the couch. There’s no Megan or Laura, that was all made up. And worse, he’s pretty sure Mac knew it too.
Even worse than THAT, is Mac never comes home that night. He always comes from a hookup, even if it’s not until four in the morning. Not that Dennis was waiting for him, but he fell asleep on the couch watching Seinfeld, and woke up at half past eight in the morning only to realize there was no coffee ready, and no blanket on him. The rare times Dennis falls asleep on the couch these days, Mac always puts a blanket on him. Dennis would complain Mac was being overbearing, but their apartment had a shitty heating system, and honestly? Deep down, though he hated to admit it, he kind of liked feeling like someone gave half a fuck about him.
Yet, Mac has blew off their plans for what is now the third time, and didn’t come home after his hookup for the first time ever. Dennis had even sent Mac a text around 12 asking if he needed a ride and home and all Mac said was 'No 😊' 4 hours later.
Dennis tried to think about why that pissed him off so much. It’s not like he cared if Mac was getting laid. It’s just, Mac is HIS best friend, and there were certain things that had to get done around the apartment of course. Like making the coffee, or vacuuming or doing the laundry or… Dennis stopped when he realized he was pretty sure that was about it actually. Jesus shit, their apartment was pretty gross. Not as bad as Charlie and Frank’s, but shit still. Unless there was a bunch of other shit Mac did around the apartment that he wasn’t aware of, but all he ever saw Mac do was the coffee and the laundry and, on occasion, the vacuuming.
Sitting in the cool silence of their apartment – his and Mac’s, that is, by the way. Not Mac’s and Sal’s, or Mac’s and Ollie’s or whatever that asshole Mac went out with last week was called – Dennis had an idea. He pulled up his phone and took a deep breath.
You have successfully downloaded Grindr…