A/N: Hi my angels. Just wanted to thank you so much for reviews. I love reading them, makes me feel like I'm writing directly to you guys. SO about Mac's POV I see you and I hear you guys and I know you want to get his POV but I see this fic as Riley's story. BUT, I will for sure write something after MLT from Mac's POV to try and get into Mac's mind. Ooo also go follow my new fic IG thehurtyouwant
Disclaimer: I do not own MacGyver or these characters, just borrowing for free fun.
Moments Like This
Chapter Four-Flip of a Switch
The next three days are better, Riley begins to accept the new normal. The days blur together and it's just her and Mac trying to be there for one another the best they can. Desi isn't around much either, she's been playing it close to the chest with Matty and no one tries to pry the truth out of her lest they be on the receiving end of Matty's wrath.
Days like this, she lives for. Between missions, an off day. She intends to spend the day in bed, watching movies and eating junk food. Mac knocks on her door and enters her room in gym shorts and a loose tank top.
"Let's go for a hike," he says.
She turns over in bed, trying to hide her face from him. Instead of going away he jumps on the bed and tickles her into submission. Her entire body flushes under the weight of him. He invades her sense and can feel him all over as if he is on top, at the side and under her all at once.
"Ok..okay," She emerges from under her comforter and he gets off her bed wearing a triumphant smile.
She pleads her case, while she loves spending time with him, a hike isn't her thing. "It's our day off dude, how often does that happen?"
He takes her hand and playfully pulls at it, "exactly, we can do something fun,"
"Watching tv in bed is fun,"
"I'll make you a deal, you come hike with me and tonight we watch movies and eat all the junk you want. Deal?"
She has to think on it for a moment. She could picture them cuddling on the couch watching movies and while she knows that's not how the night will play out she's excited with the very possibility. On the flipside, she feels as though spending an entire day with him will set her 'be his friend' goal back by decades.
He drops her hand and looks like he's going to concede when he stretches and his tank top raises enough that his midriff is exposed and she's done for.
"Umm, you know what, a hike might be nice," She bites her bottom lip because she knows what she's getting herself into it. A day of torture.
He grins, straight up to his eyes, "get dressed, we leave in ten." He leaves her room with a smile, he looks so happy. And she did promise to be there for him. Of course, she could blame her sudden interest in hiking on being a good friend but she knows she's equally going to see Mac's sweaty biceps.
Half an hour later, she's in black shorts and a yellow t-shirt with a knapsack, going up an incline on the hiking trail. Mac is a few steps ahead, barely breaking a sweat, and she's lagging behind, go figure. She has the best view though, especially when he turns around with a smile to see how far behind she is.
"I thought I lost ya," he teases and she flips him the bird. He clutches his chest in fake pain.
Not even Mac's biceps could ail her burning lungs and her legs. She stops in her tracks and hunches over. Trying to fill her lungs, she hears, "You can do it, we're almost at the top."
Straightening, she gives him her best puppy dog look. If she were lucky, he would tell her they made it far enough and they could go home.
"Have some mercy will ya," she pleads. His face softens and he strolls down to where she stopped. He turns his back to her and stoops so she can get on.
"Hop on,"
She hesitant because she already wants to jump his bones and that's before she climbs unto him. With a deep breath and short prayer to which god that's listening, she jumps onto his back and he hoists her up. They finish the hike that way, her arms around his neck, his hands around her thighs and her cheek press to his neck. Best hike she's ever been on.
He's right, they're close to the top. With Mac doing all the heavy lifting, they make it up in five minutes. When they get to the view, he sets her down and she misses his back immediately.
They overlook L.A and it's breathtaking but she's not sure what's stealing her breath, the view or Mac.
He looks over at her, "Glad you came huh, it's a beautiful view, right?"
She looks at him she nods, "definitely,"
She digs in her bag for a flannel shirt and spreads it on the ground for them to sit. Mac sits comfortably but before Riley can sit a pretty blonde asks her to take a photo of her and her dog.
Mac chuckles as Riley reluctantly agrees. She can hear her phone ringing as the woman takes her first pose with her bull terrier.
"Could you get that," she says, snapping another five pictures.
"Riley's phone," She hears him say and she thinks it has a nice ring to it.
She can't hear anything after that all she knows is that mood his changes completely, flips in a moment. Without even another word he gets up and heads back down to the hiking trail. Her heart drops when she's his face. He looks devasted. She gives the woman back her phone and doesn't wait for her protest.
She scrambles after him, confuse and anxious.
When she catches up to him, she grips his shoulder, "Mac, what the hell?"
His face is set in a stern line, trying to mask emotions that are bleeding out anyway.
"Your realtor called, about the viewing. For the apartment."
Her mouth goes dry and she misses her chance to deny it before he turns around and continues the decent. She has to catch up to him again.
Riley's heart beats uncontrollably, she can't bear for him to look at her like that ever again. She presses on, ignoring her burning lungs as she catches up to him. She touches his shoulder and flips him around to talk to her.
"Could you let me explain, please,"
"Everyone is leaving me," he says before she has a chance to speak, "I have no family left, Matty is sending Desi on some secret assignment and now you're leaving me too,"
Before she can celebrate a Desi free environment, she grabs the sides of his face to force him to look at her.
"The truth is I was looking for a place but that was before we had that talk the other day. I meant to cancel the viewing I just never got around to do it. That's the truth." Though he looked convinced, she didn't move her hands from his face, and he didn't seem like he wanted her to.
"You're not leaving me?" he says in a quiet voice.
She shakes her head, "I'm not leaving you," They are really turning into the co-dependent pair Riley thought.
He shocks her, drops his head to hers and presses their foreheads together. In that moment she feels like she'll never know a more intimate moment.
Sitting on her bed after a warm shower, Riley didn't know if she and Mac were okay. She touches her forehead where his skin had just been and smiles. She's no expert but it felt a lot like love. The realization causes a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She worries about him, about what it means for them.
He didn't seem to be in a talking mood on the way back down the hike. Once they got home, they dispersed to their rooms for needed showers. She doesn't hear from him until well into the night. She hears him shuffling around outside and she wants to stay in her room and hide. When she walks out her room, for the first time, she's going to be in a room with the man she loves.
There's a knock on her door before he sticks his head in through the crack. She's taken aback by the sight of him, beautiful.
"Hey?" there's a smile on his stupid, handsome face.
"Hey," she breaks eye contact first and looks down at her feet in her bedroom slippers.
"Come with me," he nods his head to the living room. She eyes him suspiciously, with Mac, you never really know what he's up to.
When she gets to the living room, all the lights are turned off and Mac has converted a blank wall to a theatre screen with a projector. The coffee table is also littered with popcorn and snacks, Mad did nothing halfway.
"This is how I do movie night," he says and she can't keep an excited squeal in.
"Mac, this is amazing,"
He looks pleased, "you like it?"
"Are you kidding? This is so dope," she pushes at his shoulder playfully. They drop themselves on the couch, Riley reaching for the caramel popcorn and Mac for the buttered.
"Pizza on it's way," he says.
"I love it when you talk that way to me," she says. He laughs at her response and hits her with that smile that turns her insides to goo. It's perfect but she almost dies right there on the couch when he puts his arm around the back of the couch and nestles her into his chest. She breathes him in with one thought, this is not how you watch a movie with your friend.
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