From the very first time that Mac had visited Will's apartment, she had slipped into his room, donned his robe, and made herself comfortable. Naturally, being a gentleman, Will hadn't said anything. It helped, of course, that it was only autumn, and thus Will didn't feel the need to wear the robe himself. Gradually, this became a tradition – after each show, Mac would ride home with Will, glide into his apartment and slip into his robe as if it were her own. However, as the winter months dawned, he began to feel the absence of his robe – particularly when he woke to a especially chilly morning, only to find it wrapped so completely about Mac's person that he didn't have the heart to wake her for it. For their four-month relationship, he bore it in silence, convincing himself that it was a petty peeve – something he could easily forgive in light of her many positive qualities.
It was also the thing he had missed most about her when their relationship deteriorated.
The lingering smell of her on his robe had haunted him, and oftentimes he had simply discarded the robe in spite of the cold because it reminded him too much of her. In the vain attempt at forgetting about Mac, he had even gone to the extent of replacing his well-worn and well-loved robe with a silk abomination, but it hadn't worked. Eventually, he had returned to his old favourite, regardless of the fact that he couldn't quite get the smell of her to wash out.
That had been six years ago.
The first time that Mac slept over at Will's new apartment – the open-floor, swanky new pad that he had moved into when he made it big as an anchor – she had returned to her old routine as though nothing had changed. Slipping into his room, she had slid out of her shoes, donned a pair of his socks, and put on Will's robe as though it were second nature. Smiling to himself, Will chuckled and realised that he was finally at home in the place that he had called home for four years. All because Mac had decided once more that his robe was now hers.
Months after their engagement, Will decided to get Mac a housewarming present. Unfortunately, they had put off moving in together for quite a while, what with their busy schedules and the need to catch up being more persistent.
So, on the first night of their lives of co-habitation, Will decided to present his gift to Mac as she sat comfortably on his couch, swaddled in his blue-grey robe. Carrying it as though it was the holy-grail of gifts he placed it gently in Mac's lap, grinning like a child on Christmas morning.
"Open it," he prompted eagerly.
Mac smiled wryly, already having a fairly good idea of what her gift may be. Still, she did as he asked, and gently pried open the wrapping. Pulling it off carefully, she uncovered her gift: a navy blue terry-cloth robe, with the letters "M.M." embossed in red and gold stitching on the collar, breast and tail. Laughing gently, she raised a sardonic eyebrow and glanced at Will, asking teasingly, "Am I to understand it, then, that you no longer want me to wear your robe, Billy?"
"Oh, no," he replied sarcastically, "what would give you that idea? I merely wanted to show you my new robe. Isn't it lovely?"
"Absolutely," Mac agreed, "but I think you'd have to lose quite a lot of weight to fit in to it," she finished, teasing him affectionately.
Will laughed then, deeply and loudly. Then, he leaned towards her, gently kissing the tip of her nose. Smiling up at him, she slipped off his robe, and donned her new one – tailored exactly to fit Will's old raggedy robe. She looked down at it and, taking note of the various positions of her initials, chuckled.
"Did you think I'd forget my name, Billy?" she asked, indicating the largest of her initials, placed just above her breast.
"Not at all," he replied easily, "I was more concerned that you'd forget which robe was yours."
She swatted him lightly on the thigh then, laughing herself at the same time. Ensconced in her new robe, she settled against him, warm, comfortable, and completely at home.
Hey guys! So...I will be posting a new chapter of It's Quixotic? very,very soon - I've just been uber-busy. In the meantime, this oneshot came to me & wouldn't leave me alone, so I hope you enjoyed it! If you did, please leave a review!