What made you change your mind?
Finally the election show was over.
Will had been highly concentrated during the whole time despite being on an adrenalin high for the last hours.
He thought he had messed it up for good earlier that night – firing MacKenzie, telling her that the ring was a prank... But then she had said „Yes" to his proposal! Now he couldn't wait to get out of the building to be alone with her.
He went back to his office and had just started to take off his jacket to change when Mac entered the room. She smiled at him, looking a little insecure at the same time, but before she could say anything he looked at her. „Mac, let's get out of here. I can't go upstairs to the party now and do small talk; I think we need to be alone."
Mac's smile grew wider and she visibly relaxed. „I was thinking the exact same thing, I just wasn't sure if you might regret what happened earlier tonight... Let's go before Charlie comes down to get us." Will slipped back into his jacket, took her hand and quickly led her out of the office, just nodding left and right to everybody congratulating them on tonight's show.
Downstairs his car was already waiting and when they finally sat down in the back he just looked at Mac and sighed contently.
„First of all: I don't regret anything! But we can talk later, you are tired, come here" Will opened his arms and Mac slid over to lean against him, placing her arm around his waist. He lowered his face and deeply inhaled her scent - the perfume, the shampoo and... well... simply Mac, a mixture he knew so well. How he had missed it all these years and now he just wanted to cherish this moment.
He was just about to ask Mac where she wanted to go when he noticed she was drifting off to sleep already. No wonder, with all the long days and nights during the last weeks, he thought. Producing the daily show, preparing for the election coverage and then the Genoa disaster. Well, he'd rather not think about that right now... But he had been serious earlier that night when he had asked Mac if she was capable of getting through the night. He should have known that nothing could stop her from doing her job... Proudly smiling to himself he asked Dave, his driver, to take them to his place.
When they pulled up in front of his building he softly woke her up. „Hey, sleepyhead, we're here." It took her a second to put everything in place, then she sat up and smiled at him apologetically. „I'm sorry, I was really tired." Will caringly tucked her hair behind her ear. „Don't worry, I most definitely enjoyed the ride." He winked at her. „Thanks, Dave. Good night."
He opened the door, helped MacKenzie out of the car and led her to the elevators in his building. „You can lie down again when we get up." Mac laughed. „When I was embedded I survived on power naps, I'm right awake now..." She looked him straight into the eyes and he couldn't avert his, even while entering the cabin and riding up, neither one of them saying a word.
*Pling*
The elevator bell broke the spell that seemed to have come upon them and Will, taking Mac's hand, led her to his appartment. „Give me your coat, I'll take care of it. Just make yourself comfortable."
Mac entered the living room, looking around and again noticing, how impersonal, almost sterile his place was. No flowers, no family pictures, no books or magazines on the table, no blanket to snuggle under on the couch. It nearly felt like a show flat... Heck no, even those often had homy touches to help the realtor sell it!
She walked through the room to the window front, looking at the city but not really seeing it. She was lost in thought and didn't hear Will come up behind her.
„Hey" he said softly while coiling his arms around her waist.
„Mmmmh" Mac moaned, putting her hands over his and leaning her head back at his chest. This was feeling so right.
Will held her tight and nestled his cheek to hers, just enjoying the moment, but then he had to ask: „What are you thinking about?"
She hesitated for a second, but knew, they had to talk it out. „I was wondering... What made you change your mind? About me. About us."
He didn't reply at first, then he sighed. „I really was a massive bag of douche all these years. I'm sorry, Mac." She reflexively wanted to object, but he didn't let her interrupt him. „Shhh, let me finish... It was like you said: I loved you from the moment I saw you, and the longer I knew you the surer I was that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. But when you told me about Brian... I was so hurt and angry..."
Mac turned around in his arms and softly touched his cheek. „I'm sorry, Billy... I am so sorry..." Tears glistened in her eyes.
Will pulled her closer to him and kissed her on the forehead. „It's alright, Mac. You have apologized more than enough. These last years it was all me..."
For a moment they just stood there, holding each other, before he continued.
„You know, at first I was so mad at you and wanted to forget all about you and our time together, but I just couldn't. I kept asking myself what I did wrong. Again and again I read the emails you had written me during the time you were with Brian and before, searching for an explanation... Shhh, let me say this... I guess the only way for me to deal with this pain was to bury it deep inside and to never let anybody else get that close to me anymore, so that I would never get hurt like this again... Well, you've seen me in action on your first day at ACN... It must have been a real pleasure working for me." He gave Mac a sad, ironic attempt of a smile. „Poor Don, poor Maggie..."
He put his finger on Mac's lips, seeing that she wanted to say something. „I pretended to be alright all these years. Or at least I told myself that, but then you came back... Even more beautiful and saying and doing all the right things. I just wasn't ready to forgive you yet... But even worse, just to hurt you as you had hurt me I brought all these women to the newsroom and Brian and... Oh, Mac, I'm so sorry about the ring!"
Mac swallowed hard and her voice almost failed. „Well, I'm wearing it now." She winked at him, holding up her hand. But then she got serious again, tenderly touching his cheek . „I won't pretend it didn't hurt; in fact, it almost killed me. Knowing what could have been and that I had messed it up completely on my own... But it's okay now, Billy, it really is..."
He took her hand with the ring and stared at it intensely, stroking it with his thumb. Then he looked up, right into her gorgeous eyes. „I really thought I blew it tonight, Kenzie. I can't tell you how relieved I was when you said 'Yes'..." He gently kissed her hand. „Even if I didn't buy the ring years ago it was always clear to me that you are the one. The only one."
Now Mac didn't even try to keep back the tears and she pulled him in for a sweet, tender kiss which seemed to last an eternity, putting all her love into it. But Will wasn't finished yet and he reluctantly ended the kiss.
„Our talk tonight, in the hair & make-up room... Thinking about not seeing you again after tonight - For the first time I actually was prepared to listen and at least try to understand why you went back to him...
Before, all that anger was a safe zone for me and deep inside I didn't even really want to know after a while. That's why I never read the emails you sent me after I broke up with you... But then you came back, and with every day we spent together I realized more and more how much I still loved you... By then I knew perfectly well that it was time to let bygones be bygones here", he tapped at his forehead. „But it hadn't arrive here yet." His hand dropped to his heart.
Mac felt like she melted inside. She took his hand in both of hers and pressed her lips onto it. Then she looked up at him and smiled.
„Remember my first Valentine's Day at ACN? The Rudi re-enactment? When you you took me into your arms... It felt so right... At that moment I was sure we still had a chance and that I'd just have to give you time to work through it... I didn't expect it to take that long, though..."
She laughed quietly, but then she stopped and pulled him in for another soft kiss. Will responded immediately. He deepened the kiss and let his hands slide up and down her back, pressing her against him.
They were both out of breath when Mac finally ended the kiss, leaning back and giving him her typical sassy grin he loved so much. „So... Do you finally remember what that voicemail message said?"
Will chuckled, still caressing her back. „I think you darn well know what it said, Kenz."
„I think I do... I love you, Billy. I love you so much."
„And I love you, Kenzie. I always will."
Will looked deep into MacKenzie's eyes. Then, seeing nothing but encouragement, he took her hand and led her to his bedroom. Lit only by the lights of the city that never sleeps they faced each other, their hands unbuttoning their tops and their lips finding each other for a passionate kiss.
They were finally together, nothing else mattered at this moment.
The next morning Will woke up strangely content and relaxed, a feeling he hadn't known for a long time. Then he felt an unfamiliar weight on his chest and an arm across his waist and he remembered. Mac!
He opened his eyes and there she was, fast asleep, her head on his chest and her right leg placed over his. He just enjoyed looking at her for a while and feeling her warmth, lying completely still not to ruin this moment. But after a while he couldn't resist and gently started stroking strands of hair out of her face, treasuring this feeling of finally being able to touch her again. How much he had missed being so close to this amazing woman all these years.
Sure enough his soft strokes slowly woke his fiancée (!), her eyelids starting to flicker and her lips breaking into a dreamy smile. Next she opened her eyes, needing a second to realize where she was. But then she also remembered and tilted her head so she could look at him.
Her smile grew wider. „'Morning."
A good morning it is, sweetheart." He returned her smile and gently kissed her on the tip of her nose. Then he sighed. „I hate to do this but we have to get to work soon..."
„Actually, if I remember correctly, you fired me last night. So I guess I can sleep in today..." But instead of closing her eyes again Mac huddled up to Will even closer, kissing his chin and letting her hand explore his chest.
Will tried to hide his grin; he knew exactly what she was up to. „Well, you want your job back? If so, you better convince me..."
Her eyes sparkled, telling him exactly how she was going to do that. And sure enough she pulled his head towards her to meet his lips with a teasing kiss, which very soon became more passionate and made them forget everything else.
The newsroom would have to wait a while for them today.
Thanks for reading - I hope you enjoyed it!
Update: I ironed out some spelling and grammar errors (hope I got them all now) and polished some phrases I stumbled across after re-reading the story.