fic: CH-CH-CHANGES
CH-CH-CHANGES
the newsroom, mackenzie mchale/brian brenner; pg-13.
“you’re a creature of habit, mchale.”
1.
“How did you get my address?”
He grins, taps his nose. “You’re a creature of habit, McHale.”
His lips land on hers before she can scoff.
2.
Summer in New York is a terrible, terrible thing. Her office faces the sun, and her thighs stick together with sweat.
He sidles in, knuckles so light across the door she barely hears him enter.
“You.” She says. Her surprise is well hidden, she’ll flatter herself later. All the same - he’s still him.
His head ducks. “Me.” He acquiesces when her head flicks up. He’s lost weight since the last time she saw him, seems a touch sallower for it. He’s grown the shadow of a beard too, stubble where once he was clean shaven. There are new wrinkles around his eyes too, marking laughter and sorrow she never got to see.
She catches herself appraising him and turns back to her work. “Can I do something for you?” She says levelly.
She’s phrased it carefully, but he still snorts. “Ask not what American can do for you -”
“- shut up.”
“OK.”
He sits down, now, positioning himself so that his torso is tipped towards her. His glasses slide down his nose a fraction.
Mackenzie swallows. “Leave me alone.”
“I’m here to observe.” He replies lightly, “I am observing.” He says. She knows that he knows that she’s uncomfortable right now - it’s hot and it’s Friday and it’s him. Basically, it’s everything she doesn’t want right now.
“Get out of my office,” she says.
3.
The funny thing about New York is that, for such a big city, it’s impossible to hide in.
Mackenzie avoids Hang Chew’s so she can avoid him, and she’s pretty certain that Brian’s done the same when they wind up in the same downtown wine bar. “What a happy coincidence,” he says when he places his glass beside hers.
She picks up her glass immediately. “Happy?”
He considers this for a moment, eyeing her sideways. “It’s Friday,” he finally settles on, “You can’t drink alone on a Friday.”
She bristles, “What makes you think I’m alone.”
“You’re sitting by yourself.”
“I could be waiting for someone.” She retorts immediately. Wade, or Sloan, or maybe even Will.
This raises a chuckle. “You’re not.”
“How can you tell?”
He leans in close, and she finds herself wondering where he’s been and who he’s been with before coming here. “Because you’re still in love with me.”
She recoils immediately, tries to sigh and look melancholy. “Brian. I - I was never in love with you.”
4.
It’s true: Mackenzie was never in love with Brian. She fucked him for a while, and then he traded her in for an intern, then came crawling back and she was fool enough to take him.
She didn’t take him back for love, though, let her make this clear.
No, she took him back for fear.
5.
She’s almost laughing when she stumbles out of the bar, her heels catching in the cracks in the pavement.
He runs after her - “Mackenzie!” He yells, “Wait!”
She wheels around to face him, almost losing her balance in the process. “Wait for what?”
The distance between them closes quickly, and his lips are warm and wine-soaked on her own. She kisses him back, with an urgency that surprises even him and he has to take a step back. She follows his lead, the way she always has and his chuckle is soft through the embrace. He doesn’t stop kissing her, though, holding onto her like she’s falling, A bunch of kids wolf-whistle in the distance, but he’s raking his fingers through her hair and she barely registers the sound.
“Yours,” she breathes when he finally surfaces for air.
His voice comes raspy when he hails a cab and gives her address in place of his own.
She frowns, succeeds only in looking petulant.
“You’re a creature of habit, McHale.”
end.
the newsroom, mackenzie mchale/brian brenner; pg-13.
“you’re a creature of habit, mchale.”
1.
“How did you get my address?”
He grins, taps his nose. “You’re a creature of habit, McHale.”
His lips land on hers before she can scoff.
2.
Summer in New York is a terrible, terrible thing. Her office faces the sun, and her thighs stick together with sweat.
He sidles in, knuckles so light across the door she barely hears him enter.
“You.” She says. Her surprise is well hidden, she’ll flatter herself later. All the same - he’s still him.
His head ducks. “Me.” He acquiesces when her head flicks up. He’s lost weight since the last time she saw him, seems a touch sallower for it. He’s grown the shadow of a beard too, stubble where once he was clean shaven. There are new wrinkles around his eyes too, marking laughter and sorrow she never got to see.
She catches herself appraising him and turns back to her work. “Can I do something for you?” She says levelly.
She’s phrased it carefully, but he still snorts. “Ask not what American can do for you -”
“- shut up.”
“OK.”
He sits down, now, positioning himself so that his torso is tipped towards her. His glasses slide down his nose a fraction.
Mackenzie swallows. “Leave me alone.”
“I’m here to observe.” He replies lightly, “I am observing.” He says. She knows that he knows that she’s uncomfortable right now - it’s hot and it’s Friday and it’s him. Basically, it’s everything she doesn’t want right now.
“Get out of my office,” she says.
3.
The funny thing about New York is that, for such a big city, it’s impossible to hide in.
Mackenzie avoids Hang Chew’s so she can avoid him, and she’s pretty certain that Brian’s done the same when they wind up in the same downtown wine bar. “What a happy coincidence,” he says when he places his glass beside hers.
She picks up her glass immediately. “Happy?”
He considers this for a moment, eyeing her sideways. “It’s Friday,” he finally settles on, “You can’t drink alone on a Friday.”
She bristles, “What makes you think I’m alone.”
“You’re sitting by yourself.”
“I could be waiting for someone.” She retorts immediately. Wade, or Sloan, or maybe even Will.
This raises a chuckle. “You’re not.”
“How can you tell?”
He leans in close, and she finds herself wondering where he’s been and who he’s been with before coming here. “Because you’re still in love with me.”
She recoils immediately, tries to sigh and look melancholy. “Brian. I - I was never in love with you.”
4.
It’s true: Mackenzie was never in love with Brian. She fucked him for a while, and then he traded her in for an intern, then came crawling back and she was fool enough to take him.
She didn’t take him back for love, though, let her make this clear.
No, she took him back for fear.
5.
She’s almost laughing when she stumbles out of the bar, her heels catching in the cracks in the pavement.
He runs after her - “Mackenzie!” He yells, “Wait!”
She wheels around to face him, almost losing her balance in the process. “Wait for what?”
The distance between them closes quickly, and his lips are warm and wine-soaked on her own. She kisses him back, with an urgency that surprises even him and he has to take a step back. She follows his lead, the way she always has and his chuckle is soft through the embrace. He doesn’t stop kissing her, though, holding onto her like she’s falling, A bunch of kids wolf-whistle in the distance, but he’s raking his fingers through her hair and she barely registers the sound.
“Yours,” she breathes when he finally surfaces for air.
His voice comes raspy when he hails a cab and gives her address in place of his own.
She frowns, succeeds only in looking petulant.
“You’re a creature of habit, McHale.”
end.