An hour later and Mackenzie found herself in a quiet corner of Central Park sat on a picnic blanket with Will extremely close to her, enjoying a smoked salmon bagel and sipping a glass of Champagne. They had strolled the few short blocks from her apartment to the entrance of the park and Mac could have sworn her heart almost stopped beating as Will had reached for her hand the moment they left the building.
As close as they had become lately and as much as they had talked and talked late into the night Mac couldn't quite figure out what Will wanted from them still. Sitting here felt awkward for Mac – he'd said they were on a date but was the date a one-time thing for him – to merely test the waters - or was it the beginning of what Mackenzie hoped and prayed would be a re-conciliation for them. Her usual confidence and high spirits with Will was quickly fading away the longer they sat in awkward silence – the conversation had been slow at times since they'd arrived and Mac was starting to fret that maybe dating him would always be this awkward now. Mac sighed at the thought which obviously caught Will's attention as he looked across at her but he soon turned his mind back to the tennis final he had set up on his iPad – desperately trying to recreate the perfect afternoon they'd spent in the garden of Mac's parent's house seven years ago.
Mac stole a look at Will and marvelled at the racing heart she still felt at times like this when they were so close. She knew what she wanted to happen but any step forward now had to come from Will – she had caused all this stupid mess in the first place and she knew that she had to play this game at his speed – let him be ready and if he needed to take it slow – to test the waters – then so be it.
"Thanks for this Will," Mac whispered as Will leant forward and topped up her glass, "I haven't had a breakfast treat like this in ages."
Mac felt herself blush as she uttered the words as both Will and Mac knew that neither of them had had a romantic breakfast in the park for many years – probably not since the last time Will had planned a breakfast for her like this on their second anniversary.
"Worth being woken up early for?" Will replied, winking at her, lightening up the conversation slightly. His wink always had had a way of hitting her straight in the heart and this occasion was no different.
"Hmmm – just about – even if this is the most one-sided match ever!"
"Well at least there's an American guy in the final Mac! How far did your English guy get? Round three?"
"He was injured!" Mac replied trying to stick up for her Parents' homeland's lack of tennis playing talent.
"Mind you, I suppose that's one round further than any Englishman in 2005!"
"Oh, here we go already… Leave the poor old English alone Billy - they can't help it if they're not very good at sports!"
"Hey, you never did pay up on that bet Mackenzie!" Will said with a cheeky glint in his eye.
As long ago as it might have been though Mac knew what he was referring to straight away.
"I bloody did!" she replied, plonking her glass of champagne on the grass and sitting up straight.
"I think – if I remember rightly Miss McHale – you started to and then stopped rather abruptly!"
Will chuckled as he watched the blush returning to her cheeks straight away at the memory of that night.
"Oh yeah," Mac giggled remembering immediately what had made her stop, "Well it's not my fault that my parents chose that exact moment to come home early… It's hardly the thing a girl can do when her Father's in the next room!"
"I agree with you there – I think your Dad might have thrown me out the house if you carried on one second longer that night! But… you still owe me Mac – a bet's a bet and you lost!"
Mac laughed and pulled her cardigan around her a little tighter. She knew Will had told her to dress warm but she also knew how much he liked her in a simple summer dresses and she so wanted to look her best for him (plus it might be a good excuse for him to slip a warm arm around her later Mac had thought).
"I can't believe you even remember that Will."
"Remember it? I'm never gonna forget a bet like that – you bet that you'd…"
"I know exactly what I betted thank you," Mac interrupted and nudged his leg with her foot to shut him up.
"Care to pay up now?" Will answered and immediately took a large gulp of his champagne to try to hide his embarrassment.
"In the park Billy?" Mac murmured thoughtfully, "Hmmm. I don't think Charlie or Leona would be too pleased at the photos that might appear on page six tomorrow."
Will chuckled and let his head rest back against the thick tree he was leant against and tried his hardest to tear his eyes away from her long, slender legs - legs that she was making no attempt to hide from him.
"So Mister, how come you can remember that bet seven years ago but you can't remember what was on the voicemail a couple of months back?" Mac asked, her bottom lip slipping between her teeth and her eyebrows arcing up in a teasing manner. For a moment Will was stumped until he saw the half smile on her face letting him know she was playing with him again. They'd had this conversation more times than they'd had hot food over the past six weeks and yet Will still wouldn't reveal the content of that damn voicemail message.
"I'm ignoring that last comment and going back to the bet Mac."
"Oh, what a surprise," Mac joked dropping him a little wink to let him know she was kidding.
"You do realise it's your fault for making such a stupid bet with such bad English players!" Will said, watching her shake her head.
"Why is it with Tennis that you always revert back to calling me English? I'm American and you're usually fiercely protective of that Billy, until it comes to tennis!"
"Because the English are so bloody bad at it even though it's so very English – playing tennis on the lawn" Will mocked in a dreadfully bad English accent… "Plus, you're so easy to tease Mac – it cheers me up no end!"
"Oh God – your English accent hasn't improved over the years!" Mac giggled as she dug him in the ribs with her hand, pleased that the awkwardness was slipping away and their usual light hearted banter seemed to be returning.
Will pretended to be hurt for a second but he didn't care really – it was so very enchanting to see her smile and laugh – it was almost like old times listening to that giggle and sitting so close together.
"My English accent is better than your American accent Kenz, admit it!"
For a moment Mac's breath caught in her throat as she heard the nick name that hadn't left his lips in years. Will hadn't seemed to notice though and he carried on not knowing just how much he had made her day with such a simple slip of the tongue.
"I mean, lawn tennis whilst sipping Pimms and nibbling on Strawberries and cream? Really how can your great homeland not produce a single winner in all these years?" Will carried on in his mock accent.
"We have Andy Murray now you know – he's English!"
"Scottish I think you'll find," Will corrected.
"Well British then! Dad says he's British when he's winning and Scottish when he's losing!"
"That sounds like your old man!" Will chuckled, "awkward old sod that he is."
Mac giggled and shivered a little as the wind picked up again.
"You cold?"
"A little," Mac replied shrugging her shoulders and taking a sip of her drink.
Will hesitated for a moment and snuck a quick look up to the sky above. The early morning sunshine was quickly disappearing and being replaced by some rather large grey clouds. "Come here," he whispered quietly, holding out his arm for Mac to sit next to him. Will may have hesitated a moment ago but Mac didn't. She scooted across and into his arms before Will had even realised what he'd offered.
He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her as closely to his body as he could, all the time rubbing her arm up and down trying desperately to warm her up a little.
"It was a bit warmer than this in 2005!" Mac whispered, loving the feeling that flooded her entire body as she bravely hooked her leg over his and rested her head on his shoulder in an attempt to get even closer.
"A bit warmer is a bit of an understatement. It was nearly a hundred degrees – I never knew London was capable of that kind of heat wave!" Will said chuckling and ignoring the fact that Mac had completely cuddled herself into his side. He leant down and pressed the softest of kisses into her hair and rested his head atop of hers, the tennis on the iPad completely forgotten now that he had Mac in his arms.
For a few moments neither said a word and just simply enjoyed the closeness of each other. Will had his eyes closed and was remembering those hot summer nights in London – how they'd strolled through London's parks late at night holding hands and both wishing the nights would never end. They really hadn't had a care in the world whilst they were away and Will had even considered moving there for good – he'd asked Mac if she wanted to on their day trip to the seaside one day but Mackenzie hadn't seemed so sure. If life was that good in England Will would have gladly given up the promising career as a News Anchor and married Mackenzie on the spot if she'd agreed to it. She hadn't though – she loved New York – possibly more than he did and had pointed out to him, quite rightly, that they should never make decisions like that whilst they were on vacation.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Mac whispered, resting her arm lazily across his stomach.
Will lifted his head from hers and sighed – he was falling deeper and deeper in love with her with every passing second – he was desperate to kiss her, to tell her he loved her, that he wanted only her but he was also petrified – petrified of ever feeling as hurt as he did when she left last time. He knew that Habib would give him grief for thinking that way but he knew he simply wouldn't survive another broken heart.
"You okay?" Mac asked, suddenly worried by the distant look on his face.
"Just remembering back to Brighton," Will murmured, not wanting to admit quite how he was feeling and wondering whether there was always going to be this feeling when he was close to Mackenzie.
"What? Trying to push me in to the sea?!"
Will suddenly laughed out loud – he had completely forgotten about that. "Well, you needed to cool down Kenz – it was over a hundred degrees and you attempting to sing 'We're having a heat wave' was driving me slowly insane."
"I'll get you back for that one day Will – revenge is a dish best eaten cold."
"Oh yeah?" Will drooled as he tightened his grip around her shoulders.
"Yeah – remember that as we walk past the pond later."
"Er Mac – you pushed me first don't forget."
"Only because I wanted a paddle and you wouldn't come with me." Mac whined.
"You were in two inches of water Mackenzie – you didn't need rescuing - there were no jelly fish in sight!"
"Yes, but there might have been - that was what I was trying to tell you," Mac replied defensively as if this conversation had taken place only yesterday rather than seven years earlier. "I've told you before – they're not natural Will – I don't understand how you can casually mock me about this. They're awful and it's perfectly natural to be afraid of them… they are the work of the devil Billy and I've told you before all forms should be hunted down and killed – all of them – every last one of them."
Will couldn't help himself as he collapsed with laughing from the look on her face and the indignation and exasperation in her voice, "I'm sorry darling," he laughed when he saw the pouting on her face.
"It's not funny," Mac moaned which only made Will laugh even harder.
"Stop making me laugh," Will said holding his stomach from all the laughter.
"It's not fair to laugh at someone's fears Billy," Mad admonished, beginning to laugh herself and falling even further into his arms causing him to laugh even more.
What happened next wasn't planned and sometimes the most amazing things can just happen so very naturally.
Both Will & Mac caught each other's gaze at the same time and in an instant the laughing stopped and all the hurt and pain of the previous five years seemed to simply fly up and disappear away. Will was the first to lean into Mackenzie and ever so slowly he pressed his lips against hers in the slowest, softest, sweetest kiss either of them could ever remember.
Mac didn't move – she knew he would probably come to his senses and pull away when he realised what was happening but for now she was just determined to remember this moment - to make the most of it and pray with all her might that it lasted.
Eventually, Will did pull back slightly but not very far. He rested his forehead against hers for a second or two and then pulled away a little more and gazed deep into Mackenzie's eyes. Seeing more love than he'd ever seen before shining back at him he slowly raised his hand and pushed a lock of hair behind her ear before his hand slipped down her cheek and gently cupped her face in his hand.
"Oh Kenz," he whispered as Mackenzie leant her head into his hand while her own hands slipped around his waist… "I've missed you so much darling… missed us like this... together… happy..."
The sincerity and the vulnerability that shone from his eyes at that moment was too much for Mac – she couldn't hold back the words she'd wanted to say for months now if she tried.
"I love you Billy," she whispered her eyes filling with tears all of a sudden, "I know it's probably too soon for me to say something like that to you but I do… I love you so much… I truly do."
For a moment time stood still – just for a tiny moment before Will leaned forward and latched his lips onto hers again – this time not so gently but still filled with so much love and desire. The small moan that escaped from the back of her throat did nothing to calm Will down – suddenly the kiss intensified tenfold and Will found his hands tangled in her hair pulling her as close to him as he could, his lips devouring hers over and over again.
It wasn't lack of air that finally forced them to separate their lips some minutes later, it wasn't fear, or worry or thoughts of what the hell was happening between them but it was the loudest clap of thunder both had ever heard. Mac screamed out loud and in an instant pulled herself even further into Will's safe and loving arms.
Trying to remain positive and not take that clap of thunder as a bad sign Will quickly pulled the iPad and all the picnic things into his bag as the heavens opened. He shuffled himself and the blanket up as close to the thick tree trunk as he could and then pulled Mackenzie onto his lap and held her safe, his lips once again immediately finding hers.
A/N - Thank you so much to those of you who have reviewed this - the comments made my day! :)
I have been so filled with writers block lately that it's lovely to hear you're enjoying it - it certainly makes me pull my finger out and get on with the next chapter.
One more chapter to go after this... :)
