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"You know what sucks? Telling you how I feel and getting no reply, Ben I'm in love with you too, or oh thanks for the nice gesture, even that's great but I don't feel the same way. All of those would've been perfectly acceptable responses to what I said but instead, you just said see you tomorrow." Ben lets it all out as soon as he opens the door after Mackie knocks. "Also screw you I take it all back, I'm not in love with you and I don't care if you take me back" he walks away angry.

"You're upset" Mackie walks in shutting the door

"Upset?" Ben turns "I'm pissed! You keep doing nice things to make me love you just so you can keep dissing me, so that's it! I don't need you or your nice gestures!" He storms away grabbing his bag

"Ben-"

"No! Get in your dumb old car and go to school."

"What about you?"

"I'll walk!" Ben leaves Mackie in his house

Getting in his car Mackie drives slowly next to Ben who's on the sidewalk still very angry, "Ben?" Mackie rolls down the window "can you get in the car please?"

"No!" He continues

"Ben come on"

"You come on! You treat me like a joke" he stops and turns to Mackie's car who also stops. "It's one thing to be mad about a stupid kiss, but to be nice to me on top of it just so you can laugh in my face when I express my feelings, that's just evil."

"I'm not laughing Ben." Realizing he's not going to get very far with the conversation Ben keeps walking away, Mackie stops getting out of the car.

"Get back in your car Mackie,"

"Stop" he rushes in front of Ben blocking him, "hey" he holds Ben from trying to walk past him. Stopping Ben stands in front of him still too mad to make eye contact, "look at me" Mackie asks and after a few seconds Ben does. "You are wildly beautiful" Mackie starts "you're assertive, you know who you are and what you want. From the moment you showed up to my house the night you broke up with your ex and kissed me I knew all of those things, but you know what else I realized?" Ben's demeanor changes listening to Mackie's every word, "I'll probably never be enough for you. I'm not your type, I've been to jail, other people will never accept me, and it'll only be a matter of time before you realize what a mistake you've made. So, that's why I didn't say it back last night, I didn't believe you." Standing on the sidewalk very early morning, Mackie is pouring his heart out to Ben "I want to believe you, Ben."

"I'm so sorry" Ben lets his guard down after listening to Mackie, "even though I wasn't lying I understand why you don't believe me. My track record hasn't been that great, but I was telling the truth. I've never said those words to anyone before, only you, but I know I'm going to have to earn it from you and that's totally ok. None of that can happen though if you don't forgive me"

"Okay" Mackie smiles

"Okay?"

"I'm sorry too, for making you think that the things you say don't matter to me because they do, you do. I forgive you for kissing Jeremy" he moves closer to Ben wrapping his arms around the boy hugging him, "now can we go to school?"

"Actually I'm really not in the mood today, what do you say we go back to your place instead?"

"Yeah sounds good" driving Ben to his place Mackie parks and they walk to the door, "I want to make you breakfast," Mackie says as he's unlocking the door.

Chuckling "why?"

"Because it's early and breakfast is important," walking in Mackie drops his bag and jacket by the door.

"You know what I don't get?" Ben starts walking in and looking around "how you guys keep this place so clean."

Mackie shrugs "Maeve doesn't really have any friends, so she's always home which means she cleans every fucking thing," he explains "even my room."

"Really?" Ben turns to Mackie, "she's in your room a lot?"

Looking at Ben, Mackie smiles "are you jealous?"

"No" he looks away "it was just a question."

"There's no need to be jealous Benjamin Quinn," Mackie walks to him stopping when there's no more space between them. Resting his hand on the jealous boy's neck Mackie moves his face closer till their noses are touching. Parting his lips Ben takes Mackie's lips between his, their kisses are soft "about breakfast?" Mackie whispers lips still touching Ben's

"Mm-hmm?" Ben doesn't bother opening his eyes or stop kissing Mackie, he's too into the moment.

"Eggs or Pancakes?"

"Pancakes" Ben pulls away "definitely pancakes."

Smiling "ok." The boys get comfortable and Ben sits on the kitchen counter watching Mackie as he mixes the batter, Mackie notices a smile on Ben's face as he watches him cook. "Why are you smiling?" He asks

"Just can't believe you cook, is there anything you're not good at?"

"Juggling" Mackie jokes and they laugh, "and cracking eggs" he holds the eggs out "I always get the shells everywhere."

"So you're gonna make the handicapable do it?"

"You're right" Mackie puts the eggs down, "we don't have to eat, who needs breakfast?" He stands in front of Ben pulling him close by the legs

"I don't" Ben grins leaning close, running his fingers through Mackie's hair as Mackie holds him, the boys start to kiss each other. Feeling a vibration as they're kissing, "is that your phone or are you happy to see me?"

Laughing at his cheesy flirting, Mackie replies "I'm always happy to see you, but I think that's your phone."

"Oh" Ben pulls his hand away taking the phone from his pocket, "hey" he answers Ali and Mackie moves from between his legs.

"Where are you, dummy? You're missing everything!"

"What? What's happening?"

"Your boyfriend's brother is here looking for him," she explains and Ben gasps getting off the kitchen counter.

Confused Ben looks at Mackie "Ali says Harley's at school looking for you,"

"What? Why?"

"Is he still there?" Ben asks Ali

"Yeah, Brooke and I spoke to him, says he's not moving until Denver talks to him."

"He wants to talk to you" Ben answers Mackie

"Harley's just looking for attention tell them to ignore him."

"Mackie says ignore him."

"Whatever, anyway where are you guys?"

"None of your business, love you bye" he hangs up.

Mackie sighs turning to the fridge grabbing a beer, Ben watches as he grabs an opener and pops the cap off. He chugs it "he won't leave me alone"

"What do you mean?"

"I didn't want to freak you out but Harley calls me all the fucking time, and won't leave my friends alone always asking them where I live. He comes by the shop but thank god my mom's there."

"Oh my god" Ben walks over stroking Mackie's face trying to lessen his stress, "I'm sorry your brother's an asshole but you're so much better than him, so don't let him get to you."

"I wish that was true"

"What?"

Mackie wants to tell Ben everything, all the bad things he and his brother has done but he doesn't want to scare Ben off, "nothing." He drinks his beer then puts the bottle down "I don't want to talk about Harley anymore."

Feeling bad for his boyfriend Ben watches Mackie walk to the couch dropping on it, figuring out how he can help Ben follows him to the couch and stands in front of him. "We don't have to talk then," reaching around Ben detaches his sling dropping his arm, he immediately winces in pain "fuck that hurt more than I thought it would" he frowns.

Smiling Mackie gets up grabbing his arm, "what are you doing?"

"I'm trying to be sexy to cheer you up" Ben replies "is taking my sling off not sexy?"

"Yeah watching you in pain is plenty sexy" Mackie helps him put his sling back on, "this is too much sexy to handle at once, why don't we just watch some tv instead?"

"Ok" sitting down together Ben leans on Mackie and the 2 flip through channels until agreeing on something to watch.

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