Title: Under My Skin

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I am possession-less.

AN: I am updating before my midterm. Wish me luck!

Mac and Dick liked to play a little game of 'Lets see how long we can avoid each other until other people throw us together.' It was the end of school and Mac was in her old room at home, only it didn't feel that way. To be honest it didn't feel like home since she discovered she wasn't a real Mackenzie. It was almost two years that she had found out, and she still didn't think that her parents knew she knew their secret.

Veronica had done her duty as distracter for Mac. They had gone to every movie that had come out, gone to a couple of art shows in L.A and San Diego, and they had spent days upon days talking. Logan and Veronica had broken up. Logan had called Mac to make sure that she takes care of Veronica until he figures out how to fix it. So for the moment, Mac was trying to load Veronica up with things to do that didn't remind her of her heart ache.

Mac hadn't managed to bump into Dick since the 'kiss' happened. He had called her a few times and knocked on her door, but she had pretended she didn't hear it or she was so busy that she couldn't possibly make time for him. She was freaking out here. She may just end up liking Dick, and then her life would be so incredibly different.

Mac was the kind of girl who relished being different. She never felt the need to fit in, to be blonde and perky and love everything that was pink. Dick was the kind of guy you expected to be with some bimbo blonde named Mitzy. She couldn't honestly see Dick with someone like her. Someone with Technicolor hair and wore biker boots. Who listened to the clash and My Chemical Romance, and who could hack her way into any website.

But what should happen and what actually happens are two different things, and Mac was lulled into a sense of security by the lack of sightings. After the first couple of unanswered phone calls, Dick stopped trying to contact her. Instead he started dating someone from her own floor and Mac tried to ignore how much that hurt.

That was until Christmas Day. Her family chose to forgo the camping trip this year. Mac had told her parents that she was so tired from the semester that she just wanted to lie around and try not to think about the upcoming new semester with equally hard courses and assignments. Sometimes it was hard being so gifted.

Someone knocked on her family door in the mid afternoon. Her dad was at the store and her mom was off decorating someone else's house and who knew where her brother was, and she begrudgingly got up since she was the only one home. When she opened her door, there stood Dick looking very Christmassy… and unfortunately, just as hot as ever.

He grinned at her and held some mistletoe over their heads. 'Dude, Merry Christmas!' He said and leaned in and kissed her quickly on the mouth. Mac was still shocked at seeing him here. She didn't even know that Dick knew where any house was outside his precious 090909 area code.

'Dick?' Mac managed to get out and he brushed past her and looked around. 'Awesome décor GW, I am liking the use of tinsel.' Dick says and she narrows her eyes at him, checking to make sure he didn't insult anything. 'Why do I always run into you around doors?' Mac said out loud.

He grinned. 'Dunno dude, but I am not complaining' Dick says and sits down on the couch and bounces around. 'This would totally rule sleeping on.' He says and she just looks at him oddly. It was weird for him to be there in her house. Cassidy had never been in her house, and there he was, Mister Unpredictability was getting comfortable on her couch.

Dick looked around and chuckled as he saw an almost naked picture of Mac and he wagged his eyebrows at her. 'Is that a naked Mackie I see?' He says and Mac pushes him down as he tries to get a better look. 'You mock or tell anyone, and I will make you disappear. Even worse, I'll make your trust fund disappear.' She says and he gulps and sits back down. 'I don't see anything at all.' He says sheepishly and she settles back down.

He picks up the book she was reading (some embarrassing relationship self help book, hoping to get some answers to her puzzling dilemma) and smirks. 'Dr Phil-ing it I see?' Dick says and Mac grabs the book out of his hands and throws it clear across the room.

'My mom is trying to get me to open up to more people.' Mac says and shrugs and Dick just shrugs and puts his arm around Mac and she shifts uncomfortably. 'So you are totally into me. Am I in your diary with lots of wishes and hopes and some hearts?' Dick says and she snorts.

'Hardly, more like full of blatant insults towards you.' Mac says and she grins at him, since she managed to hold her own in quips. It was much harder to do it with Dick, since she always felt like a part of her wanted to just give up and avoid talking to him. Talking to Dick was emotionally and physically exhausting.

Dick and Mac sat there in silence for awhile. She was pretty much shocked that this happened, since she didn't think Dick had it in him to be that quiet for so long and not try something. She kept on expecting to hear him brag about his mad skills in the art of taking off a bra or something.

Finally the silence got to her and she was the one who had to say something. 'So we uh…. kissed.' Mac says awkwardly, and Dick smirked at her and brushed a stray hair out of her eyes. 'We did, and it was fricking awesome.' Dick says and he jumps up.

'Hey wanna go somewhere with me?' Dick says and before she can answer he pulls her up so quickly, and she only has time to slip on her chucks and grab her bag before she is out of the door. Dick opens the door to his brand spanking new SUV, that he must of got recently, and she jumps in. (she is short, and you can't get into these monster cars delicately)

He turns on the car and she hears the sounds of the new My Chemical Romance album. Her favorite track is on and she narrows her eyes at him as he guides the beast out of her small neighborhood. Dick was quiet during the ride and she was occupied too, with trying to figure out what it all meant.

She remembered what Veronica had said after one conversation she had with her about her sudden relationship with Logan so soon after the roof incident. 'Mac, in the moment when I thought that everything was over, he was there. It didn't matter the year that we wasted, he was there. I hope you can let someone be there.' And at the time, she had almost resented the tone that Veronica took, and now she understood.

Dick pulled to a empty parking spot and he looked at her. 'So we're here.' He turns off the car and gets out and Mac follows him dumbly. She looks around and for one torturous second, she thinks that this is all an elaborate way to get back at her for whatever she did that pissed him off. That this is some frat ritual, or other completely paranoid things that would make anyone else laugh.

She recognized this near Dog Beach, a favorite place of Veronicas. One night, a couple of days after Cassidy's funeral and the news breaking about his real role in the bus crash massacre as the CNN had called it, Veronica had brought her here. 'This is where I came to think after Lily, and everything. It's soothing.' And Mac guessed that maybe she wasn't the only one who was introduced to the soothing spot.

'It's an awesome spot Mackie.' Dick says and takes her hand and grins down at her and she tries to look like she had a clue about what's going on. People double take when they see Former Ass with no clue and Mac, the weird computer chick.

He leads her to a deserted spot where the waves crashed against the shore harshly, and the sky looked almost angry all the time. Even in the best day that Neptune had to offer. It was kinda emo, and she was shocked that Dick would like this spot.

'It's very… peaceful?' She said and Dick just chuckled. 'No dude, its everything I was for a long time. Cass.. he uh ruined a lot of people's lives, and this kind of helped me.' Dick says and he looks so sheepish. Kinda how Cassidy looked the entire time they were dating, and she wanted to get angry at him, but instead she felt her heart thaw out completely.

'I'm sorry Dick.' She said and he shrugged. 'I know that I didn't make his life easier, if I had known about what that monster did to him I would…' Dick stops speaking and she can see that he was close to tears. 'Hey Dick, race you to the water?' Mac says and for a moment, Mac fears she took too much of a leap, that it was too fast. All she had wanted to do was ease the tension, try to make him feel better.

'Eat my dust Mackiekins.' Dick said and they both ran towards the water. They spent almost two hours chasing each other, and both were soaked. It wasn't until later did she realize that her light blue t-shirt was pretty much see through, or that she didn't care.

Dick bought her a hot dog and grinned at her as she tried to hide the fact that anyone could see her bra through the wet fabric of her shirt. Dick had made some lewd comments that almost made her smile, and certainly made her blush.

Hours later, after a lot of fun and some serious flirting, Dick and Mac were back in his car, and he was taking her out for dinner. There was no music this time and he kept on trying to make her laugh at his impressions of Logan when he was trying to lure Veronica into the room that they seemed to share. According to Dick anyway.

Dick was about to lean in and kiss her when Mac stopped him. 'I'm sorry, but I'm not comfortable.' Mac says sheepishly. Dick looks troubled for about a second and then grins. 'That's cool. I'm too much of babe anyhoo.' He says and grins and concentrates on the road. When they reached the valet, he hops out and Mac gets out awkwardly, not knowing that much about valet parking.

They ate in silence, and Mac looked around, trying to see how other people were reacting to them together, but no one seemed to care or notice them at all. Finally Dick started telling her about how his cool chick TA who was totally checking him out. 'And she's hot so what do I care? Should I feel insulted?' Dick says and Mac all of a sudden feels she needs to explain why.

'Dick, I don't like anyone touching me at all. Not since… that night. Its not you.' She says suddenly and she feels ashamed and her face goes bright red and she gets up suddenly and goes to the bathroom. When she gets back, Dick is chatting on his cell phone.

'Ronnie, I promise you I have been showing Mac a good time.' He rolls his eyes at whatever she said. 'Please, I can be a gentleman; I didn't say anything when I walked in on you in the shower.' Dick chuckles. 'Oh Ronnie, how you turn me on, with your threats. Later Dude, Mackie is back.' Without letting Veronica say anything back he snaps his phone close with flourish and puts it down on the table.

'You ok?' Dick asks and Mac tries to smile at him like he must have been imagining things. Dick looked sad for a moment. He pays for the meal and they walk out of the restaurant. It's dark outside, and she should get back to her house. Her parents will be home, and she didn't want them to know that she had been out. She didn't have the energy or inclination to explain to them why she was out with her murderous ex boyfriend brother that gave her the worst case of butterflies she has ever had.

'It's been fun dude. This is like the best date I've ever had.' Dick says as he pulls back into her neighborhood. Mac is surprised that Dick is admitting that this was a date or anything else than something unexplainable. 'yeah' Mac says weakly and Dick pulls in front of her house. Dick turns off the car and he turns to look at Mac.

'I'm sorry for whatever my brother did to you. You didn't deserve it at all.' Dick says and Mac just smiles at him. 'I appreciate that.' She is about to leave when Dick opens the door. 'Dude, a real man walks his girl to the door.' Dick says and he takes Mac arm in his and he grins at her.

They get to the door, and she sees her parents are home and she gulps at the mere thought of trying to explain why she was near a Casablanca's again. Dick looked at how nervous Mac was, so he just leaned in and kissed her. She didn't have time to react, and this time, it just wasn't some peck.

They kissed for awhile, until Mac had to breathe, and Dick just laughed. 'Man, you weird chicks have the right stuff.' He bows to her gallantly, and turns to leave. 'See you later GW, I bid you Adieu.' Dick winks at her and he walks calmly to his car, and she watches until he is out of sight before opening the door.

Her dad is there and he spies her (with ocean hair, and Dicks sweater over her, instead of the t-shirt she had on earlier) and he comes over to lecture her. 'Daddy, Isn't it beautiful out?' Mac says and she escapes to her room, as he is trying to stop gaping at the change in his daughter.

TBC