Chapter 5
The next morning Mack was glad it was Sunday and he wouldn’t have to immediately face Fitz in the garage. He still pottered around, working on a few cars, but allowed himself a much easier schedule. He’d had a few messages from Bobbi trying to find out how things had gone with Fitz, she meant well but after last night they just made him feel nauseous.
He needed to stop thinking about how right Fitz felt in his arms and work out how to play things on Monday. They were probably too old to pretend it didn’t happen, he would just apologise and let Fitz know it couldn’t happen again, it wasn’t fair on Jemma. He pictured her smiling face and the way she had tears in her eyes when she hugged Fitz goodbye and felt awful. He was a terrible person.
Monday came around all too quickly. Mack was early but Fitz was in even earlier. He was almost fully inside the large machine he was working on, just his legs sticking out. Best to get this over and done with Mack thought. He walked over to Fitz and coughed to get his attention.
Fitz pulled his head out and turned to face Mack. He looked scared almost, he must be regretting everything. Maybe he was afraid Mack would tell Jemma.
‘Hey Turbo,’ said Mack, ‘I just wanted to clear the air, after-after the other night.’
Fitz nodded so Mack carried on.
‘I mean, you’re great and all but it just can’t happen. You know, if things were different with you, then maybe, but as it is…’
Fitz nodded again and looked down at his feet. ‘Y-yes, I understand.’ He looked like he was going to cry so Mack backed off to give him some space.
‘Friends?’ he said.
‘Sure Mack,’ said Fitz, ‘always.’
Mack was glad that conversation was over. He wished he hadn’t got a taste of what he couldn’t have, but at least he was out of the picture and Fitz could keep his mind on Jemma.
It took a few days for things to start to really return to normal, but they’d always got on well and it just sort of clicked back into place. Maybe they were a little more careful about being in each other’s personal space but other than that, they were friends again.
They were playing Xbox after work a week or two later, they sat close but these days their knees didn’t touch, when Hunter came in. ‘Mind if I join you? Or am I interrupting something?’ and Hunter gave a theatrical wink. Fitz blushed and Mack frowned at Hunter.
‘Don’t worry Mack, I won’t stay and play third wheel for long. I just came to see what time Jemma’s flight lands tomorrow.’
Mack felt awkward hearing her name, but Fitz didn’t seem bothered at all. ‘She lands at ten, so if you drop her off here, I can walk her over to my place.’
Hunter nodded, ‘bet you can’t wait to see her.’
Fitz nodded, ‘yeah, it’s the longest we’ve ever been apart, just a few days to catch up before she goes again but it will be worth it.’
Mack pushed back the guilty feelings he had and focused on being happy for Fitz. Ten years was a long time, they had practically grown up together. What Fitz and Jemma had was special.
Mack was on edge the next day, he knew it was stupid, but he felt like Jemma would look at him and just know everything. That they kissed, but also that Mack still had strong feelings for Fitz. When he heard the car pull up, he didn’t look up from the truck he was working on.
Jemma came running in and pulled Fitz into a big hug. ‘Oh my god Fitz, I missed you!’ and she held his face with both hands and kissed him hard on the cheek. Fitz let himself be crushed by the hug and kiss and gave her a grin. ‘Hunter has just dropped my bag at yours.’
Mack gave them a few moments to catch up then thought it would be rude not to say hello for any longer. Nervously walking across the garage Jemma turned before he reached them and gave him a cold look.
‘Mr Mackenzie.’
‘Er, hi Jemma,’ Mack replied, ‘how is your trip going?’
‘Fine thank you for asking.’ She was being cool and formal, and Mack was taken by surprise.
‘You look good, getting a bit of a tan there,’ Mack smiled.
Jemma did not smile back.
‘Come on Fitz, let’s go to the flat and really catch up. Goodbye Mack,’ and she grabbed Fitz’s arm and almost dragged him away.
Hunter walked in and caught Mack’s bemused expression. Mack had not been expecting that at all. Sure, he had kissed her boyfriend and he understood that was crossing a line, but did this mean Fitz had told her about it? Maybe they were the kind of couple that told each other everything. Shit, no wonder she hated him. She clearly blamed Mack for taking advantage as she was not giving the cold shoulder to Fitz.
‘Penny for them,’ said Hunter. Mack shook his head.
‘Come on Mack, I know that look, you have something on your mind.’
Mack walked over to the sofa and sat holding his head in his hands. ‘I screwed up Hunter,’ he said. ‘I think I’ve ruined everything. Jemma hates me, I don’t even know what Fitz thinks about anything, and I’m here stuck in the middle feeling like crap.’
‘Wait, Jemma hates you?’ asked Hunter, ‘that woman doesn’t hate anybody.’ He thought for a moment, ‘okay well maybe one person, but you know, he did nearly kill them, so that’s understandable.’
Mack looked up confused. ‘Sorry,’ Hunter carried on, ‘what on earth could you have done to make her hate you?’
Mack took a deep breath, and then one another for luck. ‘I kissed Fitz.’
Whatever Mack was expecting, it wasn’t the almost girl-like shriek of excitement that came from Hunter.
‘Hunter, don’t you see? I’ve ruined everything.’
‘Aw mate no way, he’s so into you. Bobbi and I noticed it when you came round, he could barely take his eyes of you all night.’
‘But Jemma.’ What more was there to say thought Mack?
‘I must admit I’m surprised,’ said Hunter, ‘I thought she’d be happy for Fitz, he deserves something good in his life. Maybe she’s being the overprotective best friend?’
What? This didn’t make any sense now. ‘Why would she be happy? I mean, isn’t she-, aren’t they, you know, together?’
Hunter laughed. ‘Oh my god Mack! Please tell me you didn’t think that!’
Mack sat with his mouth hanging open, this was unbelievable. ‘So, Fitz and Jemma, they aren’t, you know, boyfriend and girlfriend? I just assumed...’
‘Mack, you sweet dirty minded man. Sometimes, a man and a woman can just be friends. Well, best friends in this case. Does anyone else find it weird when they say that?’
‘Shit.’ Mack had messed up royally. ‘I told him I couldn’t be with him.’
‘What exactly did you tell him?’ asked Hunter.
‘I said something like we couldn’t be together, and he knew why. Wait, what did he think I meant?’
‘Only one way to find out,’ said Hunter, ‘you’re going to have to ask him. On the bright side, at least you know little Fitzy was interested.’
Mack spent the rest of the day in a bit of a haze. He was happy that Fitz was single but mortified he’d got the wrong end of the stick so badly. He kept replaying the moments again and again. First, when he pushed Fitz away after their kiss, and the sad look on his face. Then he would remember telling Fitz they couldn’t be together, and Fitz’s face as it looked like he held back a tear.
Fitz didn’t come back in that day, so Mack didn’t get his chance to bring it up directly, but Jemma did.
She came back at the end of the day with Skye who was finally dropping off her precious van to be fixed. The two women were clearly very close, he’d seen that at Jemma’s leaving meal. Skye was her usual happy self, but Jemma was still holding back.
‘Here are the keys, please be good to her Mack,’ Skye said, tossing the keys to Mack. Jemma huffed at that and folded her arms. Skye looked confused.
‘What’s up Jemma, don’t you think she will be okay?’ she whispered but loud enough for Mack to easily hear, ‘isn’t Mack a good mechanic?’
‘He is,’ Jemma replied in her normal voice, ‘Mack is a great mechanic, although I think he prefers things that don’t have any history, things with no past issues.’
Mack and Skye both looked confused now, Mack was glad it wasn’t only him this time. ‘Jemma,’ Mack said, ‘I don’t know where this is coming from. Have I done something to upset you?’
‘Me?’ said Jemma, ‘I’m perfectly fine. I don’t lead people on and, I don’t kiss people and then tell them they’re too, too d-different,’ and she broke out into tears.
Skye ran to her side and hugged her. ‘Jemma what’s wrong? What do you mean?’
Jemma looked up, her eyes red and black make up smudged underneath them. ‘Mack. He told Fitz he couldn’t be with him because he was too different.’
Skye turned to look at Mark with a dark look on her face. ‘Hey buddy, I will have you know that Leopold James Fitz is worth a hundred of anybody.’
Mack stood still with his mouth shaping an o, feeling minutes behind everyone else. His mouth finally caught up with his brain, ‘No, I never said that. I like Fitz. Is that what he thinks? 'Wait, his name isn't Fitz?'
‘He thinks you think he is too different Mack, because it is what you told him,’ said Jemma.
‘No, you’ve got it wrong. It was a misunderstanding. I do like Fitz, in fact I want to be with Fitz. I just thought, I thought you were his girlfriend.’
This stopped both angry women for a moment before Jemma gave a sniffled giggle, then Skye joined in and they were both laughing.
‘Mack, I can assure you I am really not Fitz’s type. Oh, poor Fitz, he’s been so upset about this. He thinks you rejected him because of his injury.’
Mack felt terrible, Fitz been going around thinking that he wasn’t good enough. Fitz was always so hard on himself. Mack needed to fix this. ‘Jemma, where is Fitz now? I have to see him.’
‘He’s at his place. Look, please be careful with him Mack. He’s gone through so much. Please don’t hurt him.’
‘I couldn’t,’ said Mack, and he was out of the door and running down the street before he knew it. The door to Fitz’s building was open and he bounded up the steps until he reached his door. He knocked before he gave himself a chance to over think things. After a moment the door opened. Fitz stood there, clearly not expecting an out of breath Mack to turn up on his doorstep.
Mack meant to be romantic, to make a pretty speech, but all he was capable of was pulling Fitz into his arms and kissing him. After a moment Fitz kissed him back and Mack tightened his embrace. When they finally pulled apart both panting, Fitz pushed Mack away and said, ‘not that that wasn’t nice Mack, but what the hell is going on?’
Mack took Fitz’s hand in his and looked him straight in the eye. ‘I am so sorry Turbo, I messed up. I don’t think you are different or damaged or whatever you thought I meant. You are just right to me. I only held back because I thought you were with Jemma.’
Fitz’s eyes widened, he frowned and then he laughed. ‘Mack, why would I have kissed you?’
Mack kissed Fitz’s hand, ‘I know, I know, I am a fool. Please let me make it up to you?’
Fitz smiled, ‘okay.’
Mack felt relief wash through his body. He could fix this, it was going to be alright. ‘How about dinner? Saturday night?’
Fitz nodded.
Feeling ridiculously happy Mack leaned in for a soft kiss, ‘okay, it’s a date.’
Mack left feeling better than he had in a long time. Fitz liked him. He liked Fitz. Jemma didn’t hate him. Life really was good. He had a date to plan for.