Hey babes! Back again with a new story for ya! So happy to be getting this one out today, I managed to finish it around 1 am before I fell asleep. And I'm so glad that I did because I didn't want whatever happens in tonight's episode to make my muse try and force me to include it in this story.

Obviously, we don't know what's going down in the finale, but based on bts that we've seen and a few other things, I managed to piece this together.

Enjoy!

Ever since the events in Mexico City, Mac hasn't been able to stop thinking about Riley. It'd been difficult to wrap his head around the thought that he'd caused her pain without realizing; that's the last thing he ever wanted to do. His world had been completely flipped on its head with the revelation through Murdoc's recording that Riley had developed feelings for him but never said a thing. It's like everything had gotten thrown off its axis and he didn't know which way was up anymore.

And then finding out that she'd realized her feelings over a year ago in Germany, he couldn't help but start to analyze every moment between them after that day. Especially all the moments while they were living together after Aubrey broke up with her and she needed a place to stay.

He internally admonishes himself for not picking up on it before, for never noticing Riley's feelings. But she had said that she decided to bury them, to essentially hide them from him. So it makes sense why he wouldn't have noticed. She was making it so he wouldn't notice.

So of course he needed to know more. He needed to know if her feelings actually did go away like she hinted at, or if there was still even the smallest chance of something more happening between them. But of course, every attempt he made at asking or clarifying things on his end, they got interrupted. Every single time. Which he supposes was a good thing for him, because he's not entirely sure he would have known what to say in response to her questions. What exactly did he want when he went to her apartment? Would he have gone through that proverbial door if he'd known it wasn't just a wall?

Because just like Riley said she didn't want to risk their friendship, he knows deep down he didn't want to risk it either. Riley's been one of the few constants in his life since the day they met—sometimes it feels like he's known her as long as he's known Bozer—and he truly doesn't know how he'd survive if they eventually parted ways. Those long months after the Phoenix folded where he didn't see her regularly were some of the hardest months he's ever endured. He'd gotten so used to having her around that it was difficult not seeing her all the time. But just because he didn't see her, it doesn't mean he never thought of her. Because he did. A lot.

The only time he found himself not actively thinking about Riley—she's always there in the back of his mind—was when Desi had moved in with him after their mission in India. Though it was less to do with their actual relationship and more to do with her being able to help him because his hands had recently started giving him some trouble. But he figured her moving in would give them a chance to truly test their relationship, which is something that they probably should have done before the notion of marriage was even hinted at. He may have jumped the gun a little on that one.

And then going back to Mission City to see Bozer's parents, and not having Riley there, it didn't sit right with him. He's wanted Riley to meet Bozer's parents for a while now, wanted her to meet the people who practically raised him. Even if the circumstances weren't ideal, he would have loved for her to have been there. But seeing the love between Bozer's parents, it made him continue to evaluate his relationship with Desi, to make him think about the kind of relationship he does want for his future And he's not entirely sure if that's with Desi.

He cares about her, and he knows he always will, but he was also going to propose to her simply so he wouldn't lose her, so they'd have stability. And now that he's had some time to think about it, he knows that's not the reason to propose marriage to someone. He should propose because he can't imagine living his life with anyone else, or because she's the first person he wants to tell whenever something good happens in life, or because his heart aches from how much he loves her, or a million other reasons. But that's just not the case here.

In hindsight, he's glad that Desi broaches the subject first. He's just not sure if it makes him a bad person that he's relieved he didn't have to initiate the talk that would ultimately lead to the end of the relationship. He thinks part of the reason he hasn't brought it up first is because he doesn't want to hurt her. But thinking back on it, they both got hurt from holding on too long.

"Mac, I think we need to talk."

He shifts a little on his feet, his hands sliding into the pockets of his jeans as he watches his girlfriend across the living room. "Okay. What about?"

"Us. This isn't working anymore, and I think you know that too."

Mac lets out a heavy breath, a weight lifting from his shoulders that he hadn't realized was there until more recently. He gives Desi a wry smile. "I'm sorry."

She shakes her head. "You have nothing to apologize for, Mac. We were both trying to hold onto this longer than we should have. That's on me too."

"We were trying too hard to make it work, weren't we?"

Desi nods. "We both knew this wouldn't work, that we wouldn't work, but we were both too afraid to be alone that we clung onto what was familiar, even if it wasn't healthy."

The edges of Mac's lips twitch and he looks down at the floor. "Yeah, I uh, I said something similar to Riley once," he tells Desi, looking back up. "When we were in Germany last year."

Desi smiles tightly and nods. "Right. I think we can agree that we never should have gotten back together."

Mac lets out a breath. "No, we shouldn't have. So, are we breaking up again?"

"I think so, yeah."

"Okay. Maybe we can finally try our hand at being friends, we kind of skipped over that whole part," he tells her with a teasing smile.

She smiles back and agrees, and Mac is grateful that the whole thing was so painless. He was worried over nothing. It'll take them some time, of course, but he has a good feeling that they'll be okay eventually.

In the days following, he starts thinking about Riley again, a lot. But he doesn't feel guilty this time. At least, not as guilty as he did before when he was still dating Desi. Yes, he's single again, but it's only been a few days. He also needs to figure out the best way to broach the subject with her.

Because they'd agree to just stay friends on the jet, to not try for something more, and she told him that her feelings went away. Even though she said that, he's had a nagging feeling ever since that she wasn't being completely honest with him. He can't say he blames her, though, for pushing her feelings down and trying to ignore them. He'd basically done the exact same thing.

But of course, just like all the times before, he gets interrupted before he can even approach Riley to talk to her about everything. He just wants to talk to her. He needs to talk to her.

He does eventually get to talk to her, just not about what he wants to talk about. Because they're on a major time crunch for this op that involves the nanotech they inhaled on their solo op. So he just has to stay focused on the task at hand and hope that they make it through this and he'll finally be able to talk to her.

And of course, everything that happens on the op leads them to another highly dangerous situation. One that involves a hyperbaric chamber that he doesn't have time to look into and make sure it's safe.

So he turns to her, gently grabs her arm to keep her from moving closer to the chamber. "I want to go first, Riley, into the hyperbaric chamber. Test the side effects before you try it."

She shakes her head. "No way." Her arm slides through his grasp until she's gripping his hand tightly in her own. "If we do this, we do it how we always have. Together."

He nods, holding her hand securely, and then they're braving the unknown together. They don't know exactly what will happen, they don't know exactly how they'll be affected in the end, just that they need to do this.

After the mission is over and labeled a success, and he and Riley are evaluated and deemed to be in perfect health, everyone convenes at his place. A team bonding moment, a chance for everyone to relax and take a load off and decompress from recent events. They haven't had nearly as many of these in recent months as he would have liked. So he's happy that they're doing it.

But as he enjoys having everyone over, he'd also been hoping to finally get some time alone with Riley. He doesn't think that's too much to ask for. But he figures he'll just have to wait and pray that he gets even just a few minutes alone with her.

Over the course of the night, everyone slowly starts to leave one by one. Until it's just him, Riley, and Bozer. And then Bozer heads out after a few minutes, leaving just Mac and Riley alone. Out by the roaring fire pit. But there's just too much space between them for Mac's liking.

Picking up his beer bottle, Mac stands and casually walks around the pit to where Riley's sitting and gestures to the space right next to her. He smiles. "This spot taken?"

She smiles up at him. "All yours."

He sits down silently, his knee just barely brushing against hers and it sends a spark through him. Things are quiet around them, save for the crackling of the fire and the ambient sounds of nighttime in LA. He clears his throat as quietly as he can. "So, uh, pretty intense last couple of days, huh? Anybody else might not have made it through all that."

Riley smiles. "Yeah. But we're not just anybody else. We're Team Phoenix. Nothing can keep us down."

Mac laughs lightly. "You're absolutely right. We do make a pretty good team, you and I." He takes a deep breath. "I'm really glad you're here, Riles. And I don't just mean as a member of the team. I mean here, right now, alone with me. I didn't think you'd want to be after everything."

Riley lets out a breath. "You're still my friend, Mac. That hasn't changed. I meant what I said on the plane. My feelings went away."

Mac takes a deep, shaky breath, doing his best to prepare himself for whatever happens next, good or bad. "Well, mine didn't."

Riley's breath catches. "What?"

"I thought I could do it," he tells her, turning his body just enough to look at her better. "I thought that I could make them go away. But I couldn't. And if I'm being honest, I don't think you could either. We agreed on the plane to put all of this behind us, but I can't, Riley. I can't ignore how I feel anymore."

"Mac, what are you saying?"

He takes another deep breath. "I'm saying...I'm saying let's open that door, Riley. Let's try this, try us. I don't want to die someday regretting not even giving us a chance. I know you said that you're scared about losing what we already have, I am too. But I don't want to be scared anymore, Riley."

She swallows. "I don't want to be scared either. But you just broke up with Desi a few days ago, Mac. And I don't want to just be some rebound, second choice, consolation prize for you that—"

"Hey," he cuts her off gently, cradling her face in his hands. "You are not a rebound. You are not a consolation prize. And you are not my second choice. You are my first and only choice. Always. It has always been you, Riley."

She remains silent for a moment, just staring up at him. "I lied," she finally says. "When I told you my feelings went away, I lied. I just didn't want you to worry anymore about how I was feeling, especially if you didn't feel the same way, so I told you they went away."

Mac smiles, his hands dropping from Riley's face to her shoulders, and then sliding down the length of her arms to grab her hands. He holds tightly and looks deep into her eyes. "Do you want to know what was happening to me while we were in that hyperbaric chamber?" he questions. He lets out a small laugh. "And I don't mean all the science behind it."

The edges of Riley's lips quirk up. "I have a feeling you're going to tell me anyway."

He chuckles quietly. "I saw you, Riley. I saw us. I saw all the small moments over the years where I fell for you a little more each time without even realizing it. But I'm not at all surprised that I did. You're an amazing woman, Riley Davis, you're my entire world, and I would have walked right through that door at any opportunity if I knew it was there."

Riley's mouth opens and closes a few times and she swallows. "Mac...I…"

"It's okay," he assures her. "I can wait. As soon as you're ready, I'm right here. No pressure, okay?"

She nods, a small smile tugging at her lips and she lightly squeezes his hands. "I think...I think I want to give this a try too. But slowly, okay? We just take it a day at a time, and you need to work on yourself first before we start something. Make sure that this is really what you want and that it's not just the adrenaline from the mission."

"I can do that. But I promise you it's not the adrenaline talking."

Riley smiles. "We've been through a lot recently, Mac, especially you, so the most important thing for you to do is take some time to yourself to really process all of that and work through it. And then we come back to this," she says, using their entwined hands to gesture between their bodies.

Mac takes a deep breath. "That is...a very valid point. And I will definitely ask Matty for some time off so I can at least try and process everything."

"Good." She takes a deep breath and slowly stands up, her hands falling out of his. "I should probably get going. It's getting late and I am beyond exhausted from everything."

"Can't you stay a little longer?" Mac asks hopefully. "It's been a while since we hung out, just the two of us."

Riley laughs quietly, her head tilting as she looks at him. "It's the middle of the night, Mac."

"I know. You can always crash on the couch later if you're too tired to drive." He gives a small shrug. "I just figured we could watch the stars for a while. Or we could do something else if you don't want to—"

"No, watching the stars sounds perfect."

Mac beams. "Really? Okay. Um, if you want to grab the pillows off the deck chairs, we can lie down by the fire to stay warm. And we won't hurt our necks this way."

Riley grabs the pillows off the chairs while Mac leans back to reach for some of the blankets that had been brought out earlier but never taken back inside. He spreads them out to give them a little cushioning against the hard wooden panels, and then sits down.

"Thank you," he says, taking one of the pillows from Riley and setting it behind him as he lies back. He lets out a breath as he takes in the stars above him, another spark igniting against his skin when Riley's arm brushes his as she lies down next to him. "You know, now that we're doing this, I realize that the middle of the city is not the most ideal place to stargaze." He turns his head just enough to look at Riley and smiles. "Sorry."

She smiles back. "It's okay. I don't mind. I can always just close my eyes and picture that beautiful, unobstructed night sky in the middle of the Nevada desert while you tell me whatever interesting facts you can think of about stars and constellations. And don't even try to deny it, because I know you have some."

Mac smiles thinking about their op at Area 51. "I wasn't going to deny it. And actually, even if we were back in the Nevada desert right now, we still wouldn't be able to see all the stars in the sky. There's an estimated ten to the twenty-fourth power stars in the sky, but most of them are invisible to the naked eye."

"Mm-hmm," Riley responds, her eyes slowly fluttering closed. "Keep talking. I just want to remind you that I did warn you that I'm exhausted, so it's completely on you if I fall asleep while you talk."

Mac smiles softly at her. "That's okay. I won't take it personally or hold it against you. I know you're always listening." He takes a deep breath and looks back up at the sky, just barely able to make out some of the stars that are shining. "I'm sure you already know this, but the sun is the closest star to Earth, though a lot of people don't always realize that it is a star. Most people also think it's yellow, which is a common mistake, but the light it gives off is actually closer to white than it is to yellow. And just like every other star that's out there, it consists mostly of hydrogen.

"They have a little bit of helium mixed in there among some other things, but it's mostly hydrogen. And it's a thermonuclear fusion in a star's core of hydrogen into helium that allows it to shine the way it does."

A pressure against his arm pulls Mac's attention away from the sky, and his heart melts at the sight of Riley fast asleep, her head lolled to the side and resting against his arm. He can't help but smile at how peaceful she looks. And how beautiful, even in her sleep.

Realizing that sleeping out on the deck might not be the most comfortable thing for either of them, Mac gently moves his arm so he can stand and carry Riley inside to the couch. But when he does, Riley rolls onto her side and one of her arms drapes across his torso.

Maybe it wouldn't hurt to stay out here for a little longer, to let Riley fall deeper into sleep so she won't wake up when he lifts her. So he wraps his arm around her shoulders, smiling when she shifts closer to him and rests her head on his chest.

He considers something for a moment, then lifts his head just enough to press a lingering kiss to Riley's forehead right at her hairline. It's something he's never done before, and his brain immediately files away how smooth and perfect Riley's skin feels against his lips. He could definitely get used to doing more of that in the future.

Relaxing back against his pillow and staring up at the night sky, it doesn't take long before sleep slowly starts to overtake Mac too. He has a permanent smile on his face as he falls asleep, thinking about all the possibilities that a future with Riley holds. And he can't wait to discover them.

So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Until next time,
Jellybean96 out!