Archive of Our Own ^beta

“Bro, I need a huge favor.”

Dennis is lounging on the sofa, a book in hand, feet propped up on the coffee table. He doesn’t bother looking up when Mac barges into the room, having been out all day. Instead, he casually adjusts his reading glasses and flips to the next page.

Until he feels the unexpected weight of Mac’s head on his left thigh.

Dennis freezes. Slowly, he lowers the book and glances down.

“Let me suck your dick,” Mac blurts out, his voice resolute but his eyes wide as he stares up at Dennis from where he’s kneeling on the floor, head resting on Dennis’ lap and hands folded in front of him like he’s begging for divine intervention.

Dennis’ brain short-circuits. “What the fuck is going on?” he asks, his tone teetering between confusion and panic as he jolts upright, shaking Mac off his thigh like he’s just been electrified. His face is burning—though he tells himself it’s from indignation and absurdity of this request.

“Please, bro!” Mac protests, sitting back on his heels, his hands now clutching at his own knees in desperation. “It’s not gay, I swear.”

“What?” Dennis splutters, tossing his book onto the coffee table. “What the shit are you even talking about?”

“You remember Carmen, right?” Mac says, but he makes no effort to stand, inching closer to Dennis again, his knees scraping the carpet.

“The tra—”

“Yeah, her,” Mac cuts him off, waving a hand dismissively. “I went to her place to apologize and we started talking again, and she told me it’s offensive to say that. Can you believe it? These liberals keep taking words away from us.” He rolls his eyes. “Anyways, we got back together, and we talked a lot. Like, a lot. She taught me a bunch of stuff, and then I realized she’s the love of my life, dude.”

Dennis arches a skeptical eyebrow, but gestures for him to continue. 

“So,” Mac says, scooting closer to Dennis’ lap again, his face lighting up like he’s cracked the code to eternal happiness. “I wanna surprise her showing how good I am at a blowjob, showing her that I accept her. That’s why I need to learn how to suck a dick, you know, to keep her in my life until she gets the surgery. Because once she does, we can get married and have babies and do the stuff God talks about in the Bible. Can you believe it, dude?! And since mouth and butt stuff don’t count, it’s basically a freeway to heaven, bro! Literally none of our sex will ever be sinful!” Mac finishes with a grin like this is the greatest scheme he has ever come up with.

Dennis blinks at him, utterly speechless. He’s pretty sure that’s not how biology or theology works, but he’s also too stunned to argue. What’s worse, Mac’s logic is teetering dangerously close to making sense in that peculiar way only Mac can achieve.

On the contrary of Mac, Dennis doesn’t need all these shenanigans to suck a dick. Or have his dick sucked, for that matter. Man, woman, everyone in between or outside it: as long as they are pretty, a head is a head.

He also knows his best friend is extremely sensitive to this topic, so he needs to be careful.

“And how is it not gay? Or cheating?” Dennis finally asks, his voice carefully neutral as he processes the barrage of insanity.

“Because we,” Mac gestures between the two of them with exaggerated clarity, “are bros. So, it doesn’t count. I could’ve asked Charlie, but I don’t trust his hygiene habits. And you,” he adds, pointing at Dennis with conviction, “use makeup like a chick anyway.”

“And cheating?” Dennis presses, ignoring the jab.

Mac sighs deeply, like this should have been obvious. “I already told you, bro. It’s not cheating because you’re helping me be better for my woman. Do you want me to be living here with you until I’m fifty, or do you want me to have a wife and a life and finally leave you alone?”

Dennis opens his mouth, then closes it, considering this. After a long pause, he shrugs. “Sure. Whatever. I’ll even show you some stuff I learned back at Penn.”

Mac blinks, clearly thrown. “What? What does that mean?”

“You know, college,” Dennis says with a casual wave of his hand. “You experiment, you try things out. It’s not a big deal.”

Dennis doesn’t mention the drunk hookups at college parties, or the nights when they were a gay bar.

“That,” Mac says, pointing a finger at him in accusation, “sounds pretty gay, Dennis.”

Dennis lets out a high-pitched squeak. “You just said that between bros it doesn’t count!”

Mac grimaces, tilting his head like he’s considering this. “Huh. I guess you’re right.”

“So, you wanna do this now or what?” Dennis speaks after a moment, gesturing with his chin, not really knowing how to proceed. Because the more he looks at Mac’s mouth, the more he is getting into it, his dick starting to twitch at the idea. But he doesn’t want to scare Mac off, even though it was his idea.

“Yeah, sure.” Mac nods, licking his lips as he adjusts himself between Dennis’ thighs. “Tell me if I do something wrong, okay? I just wanna do what is the best for yo—Carmen.”

Dennis hums as Mac starts to lift his sweater up with his fingers, kissing Dennis’ hipbones, his movements unsure. He moves to work on Dennis’ pants while kissing his V-line, making a comment on how Carmen also has it and how it is also hairless which Dennis chooses to ignore. Dennis lifts his hips to get his pants out of the way, but Mac doesn’t push his underwear down, choosing to mouth over the outline in his boxers, making them both moan slightly.

“Fuck, Mac,” Dennis moans, his hand gripping Mac’s hair and pushing his head down further, making Mac wrap his lips around the head through the fabric.

Mac pulls back, his pupils blown wide. “I don’t know dude, this is weird,” his voice is hoarse when he speaks, and he clears his throat before continuing, “how is it going for you?”

Dennis rolls his eyes, mad that Mac can kill the mood so easily with his goofy choice of words. But his eyes continue to stare at the line of Dennis’ cock, so Dennis takes this as a sign that Mac isn’t giving up.

“Mac, baby boy,” Dennis moves one hand to cup the side of Mac’s face, knowing the nickname will cause such an effect on a needy person like him, “this is for you and for her and, okay, now a little bit for me—”

He doesn’t conclude his thoughts because Mac moves to pull his boxers down, running his tongue up from the base to tip quickly like he might give up if he thinks too much. He probably would.

Dennis closes his eyes and tilts his head back against the sofa. Mac is giving him experimental licks, getting more confident as Dennis' moans increase. It is not the greatest, but it is also not terrible, and Mac seems to forget all the worries from before because now he is enthusiastically doing it, his mouth warm and wet along Dennis’ now full erection.

Dennis opens his eyes and looks down at Mac, who’s watching him from behind half-lidded eyes. Apparently, Mac waited for eye contact so he could wrap his mouth around the head and suck, hollowing his cheeks, making Dennis’ hips snap upwards.

“Oh, yes, fuck—"

Mac takes more of him into his mouth and hums, the vibrations sending Dennis to another dimension. “Do that again.” Mac sucks his cock, going from the head until the middle, not fully confident he can take it until the base where now he has a hand on to hold him, only to pull back, rinse, and repeat, picking up a rhythm that makes Dennis curls his toes.

“We both know I have a shitty gag reflex,” Mac says when he pulls out to breathe a little.

“Yeah, we will work on that. Good job so far,” Mac seals his lips around him keeping it tight and Dennis’ voice cracks, but he needs to give Mac feedback, remembering this is a lesson. All he wants is to lose control and fuck Mac’s mouth hard, but Mac has a steady hand on his hip, making it hard for him to thrust back. He is shaking and Mac isn’t stopping, his tongue licking at the slit, and he can feel the familiar tingle of a buildup coming up. “Mac, ah, I’m close—”

Mac pulls back, a string of saliva connecting his lips to the head of Dennis’ cock, his lips and cheeks pink, and the sight is almost enough to tip Dennis over the edge. Mac jerks him with the hand he had on the base, his eyebrows furrowed with concentration, his eyes never leaving Dennis’ dick. After a few strokes, Dennis comes with Mac’s name leaving his mouth like a mantra, making a mess all over his hands and clothes.

If he is also putting on a show of “Mac, Mac, Mac, oh fuck, God, Mac” so Mac can never listen to his name normally coming out of Dennis’ mouth after this, it is between him and himself.

He feels Mac sitting on his lap while he is still trying to catch his breath, only to meet his eyes and see him licking his own hand coated with Dennis’ cum. His pupils are dilated with eyes full of lust, but Mac breaks the eye contact to rest his head against Dennis’ shoulder. Without thinking too much, Dennis moves one hand to cup at Mac’s cock through his pants, and it doesn’t take many movements with the palm of his hand for Mac to come inside his briefs in a less dramatic way than Dennis, with small whimpers and kissing his neck dally.  

The silence stretches between them, heavy and awkward. Dennis shifts slightly, but he’s afraid to speak first, to say the wrong thing and trigger one of Mac’s infamous, over-the-top reactions.

Surprisingly, it’s Mac who moves first. He rises to his feet with a groan, brushing himself off and leaving Dennis’ lap empty. Dennis’ eyes flick down briefly and grimaces, his pants are a mess.

“Thanks, bro,” Mac says with a smirk on his face, stretching his arms over his head like he just finished a grueling workout. “I’ll be looking forward to the lessons.”

Mac doesn’t wait for an answer, turning on his heel and swaggering toward his room.

It becomes a problem.

Every time Dennis watches Mac wrap his lips around the neck of a beer bottle, he can’t help but remember the way those same lips feel on him—the heat of them, the pressure. His gaze inevitably drifts down the line of Mac’s throat, lingering on the subtle bob of his Adam’s apple as he swallows, and it’s maddening. The fact that he is molding Mac to his perfect standards doesn’t help, because now Mac knows exactly how to please Dennis.

They don’t kiss, but Mac’s mouth has become intimately familiar with his neck and collarbones. He spends hours there, lips pressing, sucking, and teasing, leaving marks that Dennis can’t reciprocate. There are moments when Dennis pulls Mac’s shirt off, expecting to see skin untouched but finding a mark that he knows isn’t his. It sends a bolt of rage through him, white-hot and irrational, and all he wants is to throw a fit, to claim Mac in the same way.

Carmen stops by Paddy’s to play pool with Mac almost every day, and Dennis can feel Dee’s eyes boring into him, silently daring him to react. He doesn’t, but he knows his mood shifts the moment Carmen walks through the door, her laugh echoing too loud, her presence too comfortable. She orders a beer that Mac never charges for, and Dennis’ jaw tightens as she casually takes over his bar and kisses his Mac.

They often leave together, Mac trailing behind her, and Dennis tells himself he doesn’t care when Mac doesn’t come home. When they don’t leave together, Dennis waits until Carmen’s gone, then pulls Mac into the back office under the pretense of “helping” him. He critiques every detail of their interaction—what Mac said, how he acted, why Carmen must not have wanted him to leave with her. “You probably did something wrong,” Dennis insists, his voice sharp but his touch just a little too lingering as he adjusts Mac’s posture or demonstrates how to lean in closer next time.

It’s not about jealousy, Dennis tells himself. It’s about teaching Mac how to keep a woman like Carmen around.

“Soooooo,” Dee starts, dragging out the word as Mac disappears out the door with Carmen, Dennis’ eyes practically boring a hole into the back of their heads. “Are we gonna talk about this? Or whatever that was?”

“There’s nothing to talk about, you stupid bird,” Dennis scoffs, grabbing a beer from behind the counter and sliding it to one of the barflies. His movements are sharp and irritated. “Can you believe Mac actually thinks they’re gonna get married someday?”

Dee raises an eyebrow, her smirk smug. “Can you?”

Dennis freezes for half a second before whirling on her. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing,” Dee says innocently, wiping the bar with exaggerated nonchalance. “I’m sure Mac is a real husband material.”

“He is,” Dennis snaps, his tone defensive. “Or he will be. As soon as I’m done teaching him how to power through this relationship.”

“What.”

“You wouldn’t get it, sis,” Dennis says, leaning on the counter. “You’ve got no friends who need your help because you can’t even help yourself.” He leaves out that most of the teaching is sexual.

“Hey, Dennis,” Charlie interrupts, emerging from the keg room with some unidentifiable gunk smeared across his nose. “Do you think you could also teach me how to win over the Waitress?”

Dennis looks him up and down, grimacing like Charlie just walked through a sewer. One of these days he might. “That’s different. You’re beyond salvation. You literally just pretended to have a disease to go out with her.”

“I don't recall doing that,” Charlie says with a puzzled expression.

“Oh, but you did, buddy.”

“I don't need your help anyways,” Charlie mutters, wandering off again after getting himself a beer.

Dee moves from looking at Charlie and narrows her eyes at Dennis, her smirk creeping back. “Right. Mac is also a lost cause, yet you’ve decided to dedicate yourself to making him husband material? Totally not weird at all, brother.”

Dennis doesn’t reply, instead busying himself by straightening the row of clean glasses on the bar.

He tells himself it’s just Mac’s stupidity that bothers him. The fact that Mac can’t seem to figure this stuff out on his own. That’s all it is. It has nothing to do with the way Mac lights up whenever Carmen laughs at his jokes, or the way he leans into her. It definitely has nothing to do with the dull ache Dennis feels whenever Mac walks out that door with her.

This has nothing to do with the teenage-fueled feelings Dennis buried long ago, now threatening to claw their way back to the surface. 

Mac has someone else. Someone who isn’t him. Someone who doesn’t just look at Mac but actually sees him. And that's fine. Really.

He scowls, gripping one of the glasses with more force than necessary. It’s not jealousy. It’s just annoying, that’s all. Mac doesn’t know what he’s doing, and Dennis hates watching him fumble through life without guidance. That’s what this is. He’s just being a good friend. A teacher. A mentor. And if Mac thinks Carmen is 'the one,' Dennis will make sure he’s ready for it. 

Dennis can feel Dee gearing up to say something else, her smirk widening in a way that makes his skin crawl. Before she gets the chance, he storms out, the door slamming behind him. 

Today is one of those days where Mac stays behind.

Carmen leaves, their goodbye stiff and awkward, and it is the perfect opportunity for Dennis to show Mac what he has done wrong.

“Mac,” Dennis calls, tilting his head toward the back office, locking the door behind them when Mac follows him.

“What was that?” Dennis demands, stepping forward until Mac is backed against the table, trapped between Dennis and the edge of the desk.

“What was what?”

“That!” Dennis gestures to the door. “You totally bombed out there today, bro, that’s why she didn’t want to leave with you.”

Mac arches an eyebrow, biting down on his lower lip. “I was bad?” he asks, his voice dipping slightly, shifting the mood. “Show me how to be good.” He grabs the hem of his shirt, twisting it between his fingers, the fabric pulling taut as he looks up at Dennis, his eyes drifting to different places on Dennis’ face and stopping at his lips.

Dennis closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, hating how the words have a certain effect on him. He opens his eyes as he turns Mac around, pressing his back against his chest with a deliberate motion, his hands firm on Mac’s hips.

“During the last round of pool, you should’ve put your hands on her lower back,” he says directly to Mac’s ear, doing the motions while talking, “leave it lingering for a bit and then drift it to her back pocket and grabbed her ass like this, but being subtle and small.” He hears Mac taking a sharp breath.

“Yeah?”

“Oh, yeah. And nothing of that disgusting talk that you like during pool about sticks, balls, and holes. That’s probably why she left, by the way. It is not sexy.” Dennis rolls his eyes.

“Okay, yeah.” Mac nods. 

“And when you are finally alone with her,” Dennis turns Mac around, eyes glancing at his already semi-hard bulge. “You apologize for all the dumb shit that you said, and you worship her. She has nice tits, Mac, I am sad that you haven’t shared a picture with me.”

“Oh, yeah, bro, they are like, super nice, I can totally show you a picture.” Mac puts his hand on his chest to simulate the volume, making bouncing movements. “Big cans. Bonkers.”

“Nice. Have you been treating them nicely, Mac? Have you shown them the appreciation they deserve?” Dennis’ finger traces a slow line across Mac’s chest on top of the fabric of his shirt.

"H-how?" Mac stammers, his wide eyes fixed on Dennis' hand.

“You can kiss her neck while cupping one, but not too hard, softly, delicate,” Dennis does as he says, planting his lips on Mac’s neck while his hand travels under his shirt to grab a pec. “Wait for her reaction, rub a finger across the nipple. You can also squeeze it, teasing.”

Mac shivers with every movement Dennis makes that matches his words. “See, exactly. Yours are hard already.” He rolls slowly Mac’s nipple between his fingertips, getting a strangled noise from him.

Dennis gets invested and forgets he is supposed to be guiding, just showing Mac what to do with his hands and mouth. He knows Mac can't take his eyes off him and he is a visual learner anyway and won’t retain any information that is given out loud. Also, the noises he is making surpass the volume of Dennis’ deep voice.

“Den—”

Dennis rucks his shirt further up and moves to start kissing Mac’s chest. He swirls one nipple with this tongue, while his fingers take care of the other, making Mac’s knees buckle, his grip on the desk making his knuckles white. He can’t leave hickeys, so he just spends a lot of time kissing them languidly, leaving wet traces with his mouth and tongue while making his way down, tasting Mac’s skin.

“By the time you get here, she should be a mess,” Dennis smirks, ghosting over Mac’s happy trail with his lips. “Just like you are.” His mouth is salivating at the sight of Mac’s erection. It is not like he is attracted to Mac—he isn’t—but the power he has over turning someone on turns him on. He needs people begging for him, just like they would beg for a God. Like Dennis is the only solution to their problem.

“Dennis, please—”

Dennis learned a lot in college. From psychological manipulation to chugging dick. And now he is Mac’s mentor.

He sinks on his knees and starts taking Mac’s pants off. When he looks up, Mac is playing with his own nipples, his whole body flushing. Mac is looking directly at him, mouth parted as small pleads come out.

Dennis starts kissing his thighs, teasing him without a care in the world, his lips pressed insistently against the soft skin. Mac is babbling, a needy mess, every movement near his crotch dragging a whimper out.

Dennis takes Mac’s cock, kissing along the shaft, holding the base with one hand. He licks and kisses it wet—he loves the sound. Mac cries out loud when Dennis takes him fully, building a rhythm until he is able to deep-throat him, swallowing around him.

“What the fuck, dude,” Mac chokes out, his voice wrecked. “You are so good at this, Den, fuck.”

Dennis closes his eyes and moans, sending vibrations through Mac’s body, making him shiver, and Dennis feels that Mac is close. Mac fucks his mouth and Dennis lets him, lets his hands make a mess of Dennis’ hair, every tug dragging new sounds of pleasure out of Dennis, hungry for Mac’s dick. He can’t tell who is more desperate; he loves feeling used, feeling useful, he is doing all this to Mac and the feeling is thrilling, and powerful. He moves one hand from Mac’s hip to adjust his own hard-on, and the moan he lets out around the tight grip his mouth has around Mac’s head with his hollowed cheeks is enough to make Mac tense before the release.

“Dennis!”

Mac is coming in his mouth, whole body shaking. Dennis opens his eyes and pulls out so Mac’s cum also splatters on his mouth, chin, and cheeks, looking up just to find Mac already looking back at him, his mouth parted as if he can’t believe the sight. Dennis knows he looks good right now, with cum on his face, his swollen wet lips and reddened eyes with tears. The throbbing pain in his pants makes Dennis break eye contact, shifting his gaze to his own hard-on.

“Yeah,” Dennis clears his throat after swallowing, his voice unrecognizable, cleaning his face with the back of his hand.

“Let me touch you. Please. Please. Please—” The desperation in Mac’s voice makes Dennis shiver.

“No, Mac,” Dennis stands up, cleaning up his jeans on the knee, but actually making them dirtier with saliva and cum. He grimaces. “As a lesson for your behavior, you will please her and then you’ll leave, showing that she is always the priority.”

Dennis strides toward the door, his steps deliberate and unrelenting. Mac looks like he’s on the verge of breaking because Dennis won’t let him touch him, his eyes glassy and his hands twitching at his sides. It's a really pathetic sight, considering his pants are still undone around his ankles. Dennis shuts the door firmly behind him, leaving Mac standing alone in the back office.

He goes to the Range Rover and finishes the job himself.

“I haven’t seen Carmen in a while,” Dee starts, casually wiping down the counter at Paddy’s. It’s just her, Dennis, and Charlie in the bar, the evening lull settling in. Mac has fucked off to do something for his mom—allegedly.

“She was coming almost every day,” Dee adds, her tone carefully casual but with just enough curiosity to make Dennis glance up from where he’s leaning against the bar, cigarette balanced between his fingers.

“Why would she?” Charlie asks, squinting at a mysterious stain near the pool table as he half-heartedly jabs at it with his mop.

“Because she and Mac are dating…?” Dennis replies, his voice sharp but not fully invested. He doesn’t particularly care that Carmen hasn’t shown up in over a week, because they’re still “training.” Mac’s been out some nights but he is still coming to him, still practically throwing himself at Dennis in the name of self-improvement or whatever.

Charlie furrows his brows, looking genuinely confused. “No, they aren’t.”

Dennis stiffens. “What do you mean, ‘they aren’t’?”

“They haven’t been dating for a while,” Charlie says, straightening up from his mop.

“They got back together after your thing,” Dennis gestures vaguely toward Charlie with his cigarette.

“What thing?” Charlie is looking at him like he grew suddenly a second head. Dennis and Dee exchange an exasperated look.

“You know. When we thought you had cancer.” Dee says slowly.

“Oh. That thing. Sure.” Charlie goes back to mopping. “But it lasted, like, two weeks. Then they broke up again.”

Dennis blinks, his grip on the cigarette faltering slightly. “No, they didn’t. They’re still together. I mean, Carmen’s been coming around—”

“She came around a few times after that as a friend,” Charlie cuts in, shrugging like it’s obvious, “but Mac’s an asshole and probably scared her off for good. I thought he told you guys.”

The words hit Dennis like a bucket of ice water. His mind stumbles over the timeline, trying to piece it together. If Charlie’s right, that would mean Mac’s been lying. For weeks. His so-called "improvement lessons" with Dennis, all those late nights together, they couldn’t have been for Carmen.

Dennis’ cigarette burns low in his hand as he calculates, doing the math. Five weeks since Mac showed up to their apartment, eager and excitable, and asked for pointers on how to be a "better husband." Five weeks of Dennis convincing himself it was normal, even noble, to help his best friend in this bizarre way. Five weeks.

Not that Dennis has been counting. Not that he actually felt something when Mac went out of his way to buy Dennis a slice of that vegan gluten-free cheesecake from his favorite bakery thirty minutes away last week. Which would count to four weeks since they started. Not that it matters. Or like it was a month, and it would mean celebrating something.

This means three weeks Carmen-free already. Three weeks of lying and whatever the fuck is going on in between.

Which could mean nothing.

“Oh, interesting,” Dee says, her smirk cutting through the air like a blade. She leans on the counter, watching him with knowing eyes. “Any thoughts on that, Dennis?”

Dennis’ mouth tightens. He flicks the ash from his cigarette a little too aggressively. “We’re eating McDonald’s tonight,” he says flatly, shoving off the bar and storming toward the door.

Dennis slams the apartment door behind him, the force rattling the shelf nearby. He’s not even sure what he is feeling—is he pissed? Definitely. Proud of Mac for manipulating him? Maybe. Turned on? Unfortunately. The only feeling he is certain about is that he is confused as fuck.

“Mac!” Dennis shouts, tossing his keys onto the counter with a sharp clatter. “You lying son of a bitch!”

The apartment is quiet, almost suspiciously so, and for a brief moment, Dennis wonders if Mac is really home, until he spots Mac’s stupid combat boots by the sofa.

His shoes stomp against the floor as he makes his way to Mac’s room, the door ajar. He pushes it open, his breath catching in his throat as he takes in the scene before him.

Candles, unlit, are arranged haphazardly on the dresser. Rose petals—so many rose petals—are scattered across the bed and floor, a sea of cheap red polyester that screams last-minute Google search for romance ideas. The whole thing is so absurdly tacky.

And then there’s Mac, standing by the bed, fussing with the sheets like he’s staging a damn honeymoon suite.

“What the fuck is going on?” Dennis blurts, startling Mac so badly he nearly trips over his own feet.

“Den—”

“I just discovered you’ve been lying to me,” Dennis cuts him off, his voice rising. “And now I come home to this?” He waves his hands wildly at the candles, the petals, the whole ridiculous setup, his anger barely masking his disbelief.

Mac stammers, his face flushing. “I—I’m gay,” he says firmly, the words leaving his mouth in a rush.

Dennis freezes, his brain stalling for a beat. “Yeah,” he says finally, gesturing at the room with a limp wrist, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “I can see that. Seriously, what is happening?”

Mac swallows hard, biting his lip, and takes a deep breath. “At first, I really thought I was doing the best thing for Carmen and for myself, you know? Like, if I could be perfect, she’d stay. The plan was really good, because I have a huge boss brain, as we both know. But then she broke up with me. Weeks ago,” he admits, his voice quieter now. “She said she thinks I am gay. And confused.”

“Okay,” Dennis says, his tone sharp, “and?”

“And?! I was figuring stuff out, Dennis! I didn’t exactly have time to say something, okay?” Mac protests, his hands gesturing helplessly at the room, at himself, at Dennis.

“Were you even planning on telling me? Or were you just gonna keep using me to ‘test’ yourself out?” Dennis snaps, his anger barely contained.

“I mean, obviously I was going to tell you!” Mac insists, his voice rising defensively, gesturing around. “And tell you that maybe I am gay for you as well, on top of everything else, and that I want to keep being gay with you.” He pauses and bites his lip again, his hands fiddling nervously with the hem of his shirt. “Are you… not pleased?”

“No,” Dennis says flatly, his arms crossed over his chest.

Mac exhales sharply, his frustration boiling over. “Well, of course you’re not pleased, because you just had to come home early and ruin everything before I could do my whole bit—”

Dennis shuts him up with a kiss.

It’s sudden and firm, Dennis’ hands gripping Mac’s face as he pulls him close, cutting off the rest of whatever idiotic thing Mac was about to say. Mac freezes for a second, his eyes wide with shock, but then he melts into it, his hands gripping Dennis’ arms like he’s afraid to let go. Dennis traces his fingers over the line of Mac’s jaw and parts his mouth, making his way softly with his tongue through Mac’s lips. Mac sucks on the tongue, drawing a whimper out of Dennis, their mouths hungry for each other.

Dennis pulls back after a while, just enough to smirk against Mac’s lips. “You’re a goddamn idiot,” he mutters.

Mac grins, his face flushed. “So… are you pleased now?”

“I’m not, actually,” Dennis replies, his words muffled as he presses another kiss to Mac’s lips, guiding him backward toward the rose-petal-covered bed. “But I’ll move past it—because it benefits me, so whatever. Just don’t keep anything from me again, got it?”

Mac snorts, laughing into Dennis’ mouth. “Oh, please. You keep stuff from me all the time. Experimenting in college? Fuck off.”

“Yeah, well, that’s my role, not yours,” Dennis shoots back, pushing Mac onto the bed with enough force to send the petals scattering. Mac lands with a soft thump, his back sinking into the mess of polyester and flowers.

“The flowers were a bad idea,” Mac admits, scrunching his nose at the sight of them, brushing some petals off his arm.

“Tacky as hell,” Dennis agrees, climbing onto the mattress to straddle him. “I’m just glad you didn’t pull this crap in my room.”

“And have you rejecting me on camera? No, thanks,” Mac quips, though his grin falters when Dennis’ lips find his earlobe, his breath hitching.

“I wouldn’t have rejected you,” Dennis murmurs, his voice dropping to something almost serious, almost tender. “Are you stupid?”

Mac blinks up at him, startled by the intensity in Dennis’ tone. “I—I couldn’t be sure. You showed no outward signs of being interested—”

Dennis pulls back just enough to stare at him incredulously. “I sucked your dick in the back office!”

“And I thank you for that!” Mac exclaims, his hands flying up in exasperation. “It was amazing, by the way. Fuck, you are good. Like, seriously, you’re crazy good.”

Dennis smirks, leaning back down to trail kisses from Mac’s jawline to his mouth, his lips brushing just enough to tease. “After passing all my knowledge onto you, you’re not so bad yourself,” he murmurs, his voice dripping with self-satisfaction.

Mac laughs, his hands gripping Dennis’ hips as he leans up to catch his lips in another kiss, the tension between them bubbling over into something heady and electric.

“Do you want me to show you what you taught me?” Mac says, eagerly.

“Nah,” Dennis grunts while he grinds his ass to meet Mac’s crotch, making suggestive eyes to Mac. “I think we can skip this class and jump to a more advanced one.”

“Yeah?”

“Oh, yeah.” Dennis purrs, biting his lip as his hands trace a deliberate path down Mac’s chest. “It's time for Fuck Me Hard 101 - Riding to the Stars. That's when I ride you until you see stars.”

“You can call me a car.” Mac wiggles his eyebrows, his grin suggestive.

Dennis freezes mid-motion, his hands stopping in their tracks. His face shifts into one of disbelief as he stares at Mac. “Seriously, how did you manage to get laid all these years with this shitty dirty talk?”

“I am hot.” Mac shrugs.

“Yeah, I guess you are.” Dennis makes a face, half annoyance, half reluctant acknowledgment. “We will work on that. But I’ve been waiting for this for a long time, and you won’t ruin this for me.”

“Have you?” Mac asks, his voice quieter now, his smile genuine with a soft expression on his face. “Dennis, that is so sweet.”

“Shut up,” Dennis’ face flushes, a warmth spreading from his cheeks down to his chest. “Maybe.”

Mac doesn’t push, sensing the edge of vulnerability in Dennis’ tone, and Dennis is thankful for that, closing the gap between them, capturing Mac’s lips in another heated kiss. Their earlier teasing fades, replaced by something more desperate and honest.

Mac fumbles with the buttons of Dennis’ shirt, his hands trembling slightly, the urgency of their kisses softening into something slower, sweeter.

They break apart and Dennis watches Mac for a moment, his lips slightly parted, before he reaches down to help, their fingers brushing as they undo the last button together. The shirt falls to the floor, forgotten, and for a beat, they just look at each other—flushed and breathless.

Dennis moves to take Mac’s shirt off, leaving open mouthed kisses where the skin is revealed. He feels like he is finally allowed to leave marks and doesn’t waste any time before biting and sucking everywhere his mouth could reach, Mac’s moans being the incentive he needed to proceed.

They tug at each other’s pants, their breathing heavy, their movements hurried but careful. “Off,” Mac says, his hand reaching Dennis’ zipper. Dennis gets up to take his pants off and Mac moves to do the same with his own.

“Should I grab lube in my room?” Dennis asks from where he is standing, taking the sight of Mac’s spread out on the bed, his skin almost as red as the sheets, hard cock wet with precome.

“No, I have some around here,” Mac answers, shuffling down his pillows to find it, sitting propped up against the headboard. “Are you clean?”

“I am always clean in both ways; I am always prepared for any type of situation.” Dennis squints his eyes. “Are you?”

“Yeah,” Mac replies as he passes a hand through his hair, taking a rose petal out. “I went to a few gay associations these past few weeks and one of them was doing free exams.”

“Nice,” Dennis proceeds to sit on Mac’s lap and straddle him, their erections brushing against each other, drawing moans from both. “And thoughtful.”

“The nurse was hot,” Mac shrugs, his hands finding their way to Dennis’ lower back, caressing him.

“Of course.” Dennis tries to keep a neutral voice. He moves to plant a soft kiss on Mac’s lips.

“Have you done this before?” Mac asks as he lifts one hand to brush his fingers through the short strands at the front of Dennis’ hair. “I’m kind of a professional in butt sex if I do say so myself.”

“Yeah, but it has been a minute,” Dennis admits, ignoring Mac’s remark.

“I will take care of you,” Mac says, the words making Dennis shiver.

Mac moves to uncap the lube bottle, and Dennis is watching his movements, his chest getting tighter, overwhelmed with emotions. He can’t remember a time when he was doing this and it felt so intimate, so right. He squeezes his throbbing dick to alleviate the pressure.

With a finger coated with lube, Mac makes his way to Dennis’ rim, the other hand on his waist. Dennis closes his eyes, relaxing so Mac can insert his digit inside him.

“Fuck,” they say in unison, making them both laugh at the realization. They are so in sync, and they match each other so well it is intoxicating.

After a few moments, Dennis asks for another one, and Mac happily obliges. He scissors Dennis’ open, getting open mouthed moans from the other one, his heart racing. Mac is really good at this, Dennis thinks, because he can tell when it is time to add a third one while dropping kisses on Dennis’ shoulders, making him shiver. Dennis grabs Mac’s jaw and meets his mouth hungrily as he finds the bundle of nerves that make Dennis’ toes curl.

“This is not me begging,” Dennis says against Mac’s lips after a few minutes, his voice trembling, “but please fuck me.”

“Anything for you, Den,” Mac gasps, taking the fingers out and using the hand to coat himself with lube, while Dennis adjusts himself, stroking his own hard-on, noticing he is not that far from coming.

Mac shuffles, laying against his pillows and holds his own cock so Dennis can seat onto his dick. They stay still for a while, catching their breath from the multitude of sensations, Dennis adjusting himself onto Mac’s dick, sinking down further.

“Are you alright?” Mac asks, his hand caressing Dennis’ hips, his voice faltering.

“Yeah,” Dennis says, his hands digging fingers into Mac’s chest. He starts moving, making the up and down movements match his fingers on Mac’s nipple.

Mac curses, making his hips grind harder, one hand going from Dennis’ hips to flick a hard nipple, getting an animalistic moan from him.

“Yeah babe,” Mac blurts, voice filled with arousal, “you look so good, Den, so perfect.”

“Fuck, Mac,” Dennis’ head is tilted back, looking at the ceiling, knowing that if he looks at Mac right now, he will burst.

Dennis shifts, making Mac’s dick brush against his prostate, his rhythm faltering, but Mac picks up on that, slamming his hips further. Dennis cries out and clenches around Mac, extracting a desperate moan from him.

“I’m close,” Mac cries out, and Dennis is determined to make him come first, looking down at him, picking up the pace. “Ah, ah, Dennis, I—”

“So hot, God,” Dennis breathes, “so good,” his hair sticking to his forehead with sweat.

“Please, please,” Mac babblers, doesn’t even know what he is begging for. Dennis adjusts so he can kiss Mac, biting and clashing teeth, sucking Mac’s velvet bottom lip into his mouth. It’s hot and desperate, and Dennis feels dizzy, one of Mac’s hands gripping his ass frenetically. Their hands meet on top of Mac’s pec, squeezing it, and it is enough to make Mac dissolve into pleasure, coming inside Dennis, moaning his name against his mouth, breaths heavy and hot.  

“Dennis, Den, oh, Dennis.”  Mac’s shockwaves still pulsing inside Dennis, as Mac moves to touch his dick, and the sight of Mac being so wrecked for him makes Dennis burst after a few seconds, splattering his come on Mac’s chest, sobbing Mac’s name out loud, adrenaline rushing through his body making his thighs tremble.

After a few moments of recovering their breaths they separate, Dennis wincing in discomfort as Mac pulls out. Mac kisses him apologetically and lets Dennis lie down as Mac gets up, his hair full of petals, a few clinging stubbornly to his back and ass. Dennis smiles at the view.

Mac comes back and starts cleaning them both with a wet cloth he got, kissing Dennis’ tights in aftercare as he takes care of his hole. He also cleans himself up before laying by Dennis’ side with a shy smile.

Dennis notices that the rose petals are a mess, scattered all over the bed and the floor as he is lying on his back, one arm folded behind his head, adjusting the other arm so it can be draped lazily over Mac’s shoulders. Mac rests his head on Dennis’ chest, one hand tracing random patterns over his stomach.

“I can’t believe you’re a cuddler,” Dennis mutters, staring at the ceiling.

“I’m not a cuddler,” Mac says defensively, though he doesn’t move. “This is just, like… resting. Recovery.”

Dennis snorts. “Right. ‘Recovery.’”

Mac lifts his head to glare at him, but the effect is ruined by one petal stuck to his forehead. “It is recovery. What, you don’t think I need to rest after that?”

Dennis smirks. “If you need to recover, that’s on you, bro. I was doing all the work.”

Mac scoffs, rolling onto his side so he’s half-leaning over Dennis now. “Oh, come on! I did plenty.”

“Plenty of what?” Dennis teases, his smirk widening. “Making noises and holding on for dear life?”

Mac’s face flushes, but he grins defiantly. “Yeah, well, you’re the one who likes it when I make noises.”

Dennis opens his mouth to retort but closes it just as quickly, his face heating. “Shut up.”

Mac laughs, settling back down and resting his chin on Dennis’ chest. “So, what now?”

Dennis frowns. “What do you mean, ‘what now?’”

“You know,” Mac says, waving a hand vaguely. “What do we do? Are we, like… doing this again? Or was this, like, a one-time ‘I just came out’ thing?”

Dennis stares at him for a beat, his expression unreadable. Then, he smirks. “Mac, you’ve been lying to me for weeks just to get me in bed. You think I’m gonna let you stop now?”

Mac blinks, then grins wide, looking annoyingly smug. “You’re saying you want to keep doing this?”

Dennis rolls his eyes. “Don’t make it weird, dude. I’m just saying, if you want more lessons—”

“Lessons?” Mac interrupts, his grin widening. “Oh, you mean, like a curriculum? Are there assignments? Tests?”

“You’re already failing the shut up and listen part,” Dennis mutters, though his smirk betrays him.

Mac snickers, resting his head back on Dennis’ chest. “Fine. But I don't know if I want to graduate at Dennis Reynolds University.”

Dennis sighs, carding a hand through Mac’s messy hair, dislodging another rose petal. “You’re such a moron.”

“Yeah,” Mac says softly, his voice almost shy now. 

The room falls quiet, the only sounds are the faint creak of the bed as they shift and the soft hum of traffic outside. Mac settles more comfortably, his hand resting against Dennis’ side. Dennis doesn’t say anything, but his fingers find their way back into Mac’s hair, smoothing it absentmindedly. 

“You’re not gonna hog the blanket, are you?” Dennis mutters after a moment, breaking the silence.

“Me? Dude, since we were teens you’re the one who always takes the whole thing,” Mac retorts, though his voice is slower now, heavier with exhaustion.

“Not true,” Dennis counters, but there’s no bite to his words. He adjusts his arm so it’s wrapped more comfortably around Mac, pulling him in a little closer.

Mac hums contentedly, his eyes already fluttering shut. “Night, dude,” he murmurs, his voice barely above a whisper.

Dennis doesn’t respond right away, his gaze fixed on the ceiling. After a beat, he lets out a quiet sigh, his lips quirking into a faint smirk.

“Night, Mac,” he says softly, his lips resting on Mac’s hair.

The next day, Dee is perched on a stool, flipping lazily through a magazine, while Charlie is squinting at the comic section of the newspaper. The bar is quiet—until Mac barges in, Dennis trailing behind with a look that suggests he’s already regretting this.

“Guys, guys, guys! I’ve got news,” Mac announces, his voice brimming with excitement. Neither Dee nor Charlie even flinch.

“I’m gay,” Mac declares dramatically. That gets their attention. Dee looks up from her magazine, raising an eyebrow, while Charlie tilts his head.

“Yeah,” Charlie says flatly.

“No shit,” Dee adds, turning back to her magazine.

Mac isn’t deterred. “Dennis is also gay!” he continues triumphantly. “And we’re gay for each other!”

“I’m not gay,” Dennis interrupts, his tone clipped. “I’m above all that label bullshit. But if you must, I’d say bisexual.”

“Ew. Really?” Mac grimaces, pulling a disgusted face. “Whatever, fine, I guess. But if you’re gonna bang a chick, I need to be watching.”

Dennis glares at him, his voice cutting. “I’m not going to bang a chick, Mac. You’re the cheater, not me.”

“It wasn’t cheating, dude! We talked about this,” Mac protests, his hands flailing defensively. “If I’m studying to take an exam, is it cheating to study beforehand? I don’t think so!” He pauses, Dennis’ words catching up to him. “Wait… are we dating?”

Dennis stares at him, exasperation etched into every inch of his face. “Are we—Jesus fucking Christ,” he mutters, throwing his hands up as he stalks toward the bar to grab a beer.

“Oh, this is gooooood,” Charlie chimes in, a grin spreading across his face as he watches the exchange like it’s the best entertainment he’s had in weeks.

Mac doesn’t even notice. “It’s fine, Dennis,” he says confidently as if the matter is already settled. “These past few weeks when I was at gay seminars, they said stuff about open relationships. We can try that stuff out.”

“Gay seminars,” Dennis repeats incredulously. 

“Good luck with that,” Dee cuts in, smirking over the rim of her bottle. “With his possessive ass? Not a chance.”

Mac furrows his brow, tilting his head as he processes Dee’s comment. “Dennis isn’t possessive,” he says, sounding genuinely confused. “We’re bros. We share everything. Including each other. Right, dude?”

Dennis, beer in hand, pauses mid-sip to give Mac a look that could melt steel. “Yeah, Mac. I’m just dying to share you with some random guy.”

Mac beams, missing the sarcasm entirely. “See? Open-minded. That’s why you are the real love of my life, dude. I’m a free spirit, you’re...whatever you are. It’s perfect.” Dennis freezes at Mac’s words, his heart pounding on his ears and he can’t dignify that with a response. He shoots a murderous glare in Dee's direction, who has her mouth open in shock.

Charlie pipes up, his head tilted curiously, a grin spreading across his face. “Hey, so… are you guys going to move things around in your apartment?”

Mac lights up instantly, turning to Dennis. “Oh yeah, that’s an important question!”

Dennis stops mid-sip of his beer, his eye twitching as he processes the sheer stupidity of the situation. “First of all, no. Second, are you out of your goddamn mind? You live there already, Mac. Where exactly do you think you’re going to move?”

“I dunno.” Mac shrugs. “Your bed?”

Dennis stares at him, jaw slightly slack. “My bed?”

“Yeah,” Mac says casually, completely unfazed. “You’ve got the better mattress anyway.”

Dennis pinches the bridge of his nose, muttering death threats under his breath before snapping, “Mac, you already spend enough time in my bed uninvited. You’re not moving in permanently.”

Dee snickers, setting her magazine down. “Oh, I love this. You two sound like an old married couple.”

Dennis’ glare shifts to Dee. “Shut up.”

“Yeah, shut up, Dee,” Mac echoes.

Charlie grins, clearly enjoying the chaos. “So, since you guys already live together now, before you’re married, when you do get married, do you move to separate places? Or how’s that supposed to work?”

“That's not how it works,” Mac replies.

“We’re not getting married!” Dennis turns to Charlie, his expression one of utter disbelief.

“Yeah, not yet,” Charlie says, nodding sagely. “But, like, give it a month. Two tops.”

“Oh, I give it three weeks before Dennis caves and lets Mac redecorate his room,” Dee says, her eyes gleaming with mischief.

“Dee, I will seal your mouth shut with the airplane glue Charlie likes to sniff, I swear,” Dennis growls, turning back to Mac. “And you—you’re staying in your room. End of discussion.”

“Hey! Don't waste my glue on her!” Charlie barks, jabbing a finger at Dennis.

Mac grins, completely unfazed by Dennis’ attempt to put his foot down. “Whatever you say, dude. But just so you know, if you ever change your mind…” He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively.

Dennis groans so loudly it echoes in the bar. “This is a goddamn nightmare.”

Dee smirks, gesturing toward Dennis with her rolled magazine. “Oh, come on, Dennis. What did you think was gonna happen when you banged Mac, of all people?”

“I didn’t think he’d plan our entire goddamn future!” Dennis shoots back.

Mac grins, completely unbothered. “Well, what can I say? I’m a man of vision.”

Dennis looks at him for a long moment, his mouth opening to argue—but then, inexplicably, he lets out a laugh, shaking his head. “You’re unbelievable,” he mutters, leaning for a kiss.

Dee leans toward Charlie, her grin widening. “I mean, Dennis is definitely the bride in this situation, right?”

“Oh, for sure,” Charlie says, nodding enthusiastically. “No way Dennis is letting Mac pick out the flowers.”

Dennis doesn’t bother responding, but the glare he shoots in their direction could burn holes in the walls and goes back to smiling at Mac, who's looking at him like he shines like the stars.

In the end, it takes ten weeks until Mac moves definitely to Dennis' room. And another ten years to the wedding.