Six ways to sunday.
Idiom
Meaning: Thoroughly or completely; in every possible way; from every conceivable angle.
Six Ways to Sunday
Chapter Nine- Six ways to Sunday
Riley wakes and stretches only to grunt from the soreness of her muscles. She's spent and then some after last night. Flashes of their night together race back to her even as she feels his fingers dance on her bare back. She turns around he's wide awake, propped up on his arm.
"How long have you been awake?" she said.
"About an hour."
He's slumped comfortably on her now uneven bed after last night's tryst. "You broke me bed." she said, though the words are hard to get out with a straight face. It had been the least of their problems last night. She remembers sweaty bodies and breathy moans and then an awful squeak as the hinge from one corner broke off the bed.
She hears the low rumble of his laugh and can't help but join him.
"We broke your bed. It was a team effort." he said.
"That's not how I remember it." Riley said. Though she snuggles up to him and presses her naked body to his. It's a feeling she can get used to all too quickly. She feels his rough hand on her back and it lights a fire in her again. Her mind is ready to go another round but she's not her body is up for the challenge.
She feels his warm lips against her bare shoulder blade and hums contently. "I can fix it." Mac said. "Even reinforce it,"
"Well, with that kind of confidence, we should just break it some more." She moves to straddle him and the white sheet slips from her around her torso to pool at her pelvis.
Mac takes her with an appreciative gaze and runs his fingers down her spine. She shivers at the sensation and is powerless to quell the desire rippling through her. Has she ever wanted anyone like this?
She scrapes her nails against his chest and watches his eyes darken with desire. She leans down and leaves wet kisses across the path her nails had just taken. Mac clamps his arms around her and flips them, he covers her mouth and swallows her surprise gasps.
Being with Mac feels dangerous to Riley, but in the best way possible. She loses all her senses and ration.
A raw groan tumbles from his lips as he slides into her wet folds. She hisses at the sensation and feels herself sinking into him as they become one. He moves inside her with a rhythm that has her legs shaking and her head thrashing around like a wild-mad-woman. Her senses fade away one by one. The last to go is the sound of the hinge coming loose.
They take separate cars to work though neither knows why. It's likely Matty knew. Though Russ is the one they needed to be careful around. Mac never knows what kind of reaction they'd get from him.
Flirting over coms hadn't been subtle and knows they will have to stop. Silencing Bozer would be the next task. Bozer is excited for them and Mac hopes that excitement doesn't cost them their privacy. But first…
Matty had asked to meet with Riley and Mac and they brace themselves for the worst-case scenario. Mac is ready to fight for his relationship, it doesn't matter if Matty has a problem with it or not. Though he knows why she might have some reservations after him and Desi.
He cringes thinking about it now. He can't believe how far removed he feels from that relationship when so little time had passed.
He enters the war room first and Riley follows a minute or two later. Matty doesn't speak, just stares at them with that all-consuming death glare. It unnerves them because she unreadable and they're not sure who's supposed to speak first.
Mac could hardly take it. He opens his mouth to speak when Matty cuts off.
"I already know." she said in an even tone. Mac still can't tell how she feels about it. "But for future reference you might want to ease off the googly eyes at work."
"Does Russ know?" Riley said.
Matty shakes her head. "He doesn't need to know right now." she said. Mac is relieved. Despite what Russ thinks—Matty is still his boss.
"I need you guys to understand that this can't affect you in the field. As far as I'm concerned when you enter the building, you're two agents not young and in love. Got it?"
Mac said, "We're on the same page."
"One hundred percent." Riley said.
"Good, have either of you spoken to Desi?" Matty said.
They both shake their heads. Mac had messaged her once to make sure Evan was okay after his hospital checkup. She had assured him he would be okay and they hadn't had any interaction since then.
Mac had neglected to think about what it would be like when she returns to the team.
"She gets back next week." Matty said. "That's all." She waves them out of the room and they leave together.
"That should be fun," Riley said. They're on their way to Bozer in the lab and he feels her nervous energy.
"Nervous?" he said.
She shakes her head, "I don't want to come off like some…I don't know hussy? Nefarious homewrecker?"
"Riles you can't be serious. You didn't wreck anything. You saw us, we were issues before the Mexico City catastrophe."
"I don't know if I can see us being friends again after this. Co workers yes, friends? I think that's asking for too much."
Mac wants to kiss her worries away but they had literally just promised Matty to keep it professional at work a minute ago.
"I'll be you friend if you like," he said and she pushes his shoulder playfully in response.
Bozer is playing with some prosthetic gelatin when she and Mac enter the lab.
When he looks up and sees them his ace breaks into the biggest smile. Riley watches him open his mouth to say something inappropriate in slow motion. Mac has the same idea and runs towards him to cover his mouth before he can get any words out.
"What are you doing?" Muffles out through the cracks in Mac's hand.
Mac drops his hand and wipes his palm against his shirt.
"We're trying to keep things…quiet." Mac said.
"I'm great with secrets." Bozer said, making Mac narrow his eyes at him.
Riley exchanges incredulous looks with Mac before she nods hesitantly.
"Would you be extra careful, for us? Please?" she said.
"Scouts honor." Bozer said. He's still grinning like the inappropriate words are still on the tip of his tongue. He looks around the lab checking to see if the coast is clear but a lab tech enters the room just then and his face drops.
"Don't even think about it." Mac said on his way out. Riley watches him leave and turns to Bozer with his mischievous grin.
"I never thanked you Bozer." Riley said.
"Did I do something?" he said.
She nods, "You did everything. You've really been there for me during this whole thing. I don't think I would have made it through if I didn't have you." she said.
"Ahh it's nothing. I knew you crazy kids would figure it out eventually. I'm happy for you two. Seriously." Bozer said.
Riley hugs him and feels some of her anxiety slip away.
"Wanna runaway this weekend," Mac said that night when they're spooned up on his couch.
"To?"
He shrugs, "I was thinking Germany."
She twists her face at him. "Haha,"
"If you think you'll fall for me all over again...we don't have to go. I don't want to overwhelm you."
"Shut up." She laughs.
"What about you? When did you start having feelings for me?" she said.
Mac thinks back. When indeed. It had always been in the back of his head, somewhere lingering under the surface. He remembers always pushing it away and denying what he was actually feeling. He remembers feeling strangely when he met her, finding her cute in her orange jumpsuit. But that was just an initial attraction. He remembers surges of his feelings for her flaring up when they were undercover at codex. When he held her after her break up Billy. He had spent days on end wondering how anyone could purposely hurt or want anyone but her for that matter.
"I can't tell you. Maybe I've always had them." A memory surfaces, one he had forgotten altogether. The team was over at his house after his stint in prison to bag El Noche. Bozer was on the grill and Riley was doing something illegal on her phone judging by the cute concentration face she was making. He found himself staring a little too long. She had been so worried about him going undercover. It was hard to ignore the way her eyes softened when they stood outside the prison. He looked away only to be caught by Jack. His face was expressive and bright red.
"You were checking out Riley, you little ..."
"I wasn't. I was staring at the horizon that she happens to be standing in front of."
"Ahhh liar. I could see little hearts in your eyes. You got a little crush on Riley. That's so cute."
Mac rolled his eyes but couldn't stop the flush on his cheeks. He didn't know what he was feelings yet but leave it to Jack to blow it out of proportion.
"You're really into her huh, six ways to Sunday."
Mac shook his head. "Would you knock it off?"
"I have a sense for these kinds of things—a sixth sense if you will." Jack said and Mac rolled his eyes. "Mark my words you two are gonna get together. If not now…then later."
"You're crazy. She's way out of my league." Mac said.
"Something we can agree on," Jack said.
Mac frowned. "But if there was anyone slightly worthy of her, it would be you. Look Whatever happens just promise you'll always take care of her."
"I will."
"Good, now as Riley's father what are you going to offer me for her.
"And you ruined it..."
Back in the moment with Riley he realizes he's been staring off into space for the last minute or so.
"Welcome back to earth." She grins and his heart swells. Should he tell her? Will bringing up Jack make her upset? He didn't want to ruin her evening.
"Spit it out Angus," she threatened, using his first name for emphasis.
"Come here," he opened his arms and she crawled toward him on the couch. He okayed with her hair as she snuggled into his chest.
"I think Jack knew it along. Somehow he knew it."
"Knew?"
"About us. I don't know if he was joking at the time or not but—he mentioned it me once." She's quiet and he regrets bringing up Jack.
After a moment she said quietly, "I miss him."
"Me too." Mac said. He holds her tighter hopes Jack knew that he'd always keep his promise and take care of Riley.