by Ratfink
Mac froze when he heard the female voice behind him. Vic, on the other hand,
didn't freeze. He stepped out of the embrace and looked straight into the eyes of
the intruder. Mac, who suddenly realized that Vic was standing in the line of
fire now, whirled around and took his place in front of Vic, seeing the girl's
face for the first time. Her eyes were trained on Vic, so Mac took the chance to
grab the gun. That drew her attention back to her original target, but instead of
trying to get her gun back, she looked at him in surprise kindly.
"Sorry, I thought you were someone else."
With those words she returned her attention to Vic, who stepped forward and,
still unable to say anything, hugged her and held her close. That was the moment
Mac totally lost track of what the hell was going on. The girl stepped out of the
embrace but only to kiss Vic on the cheek and examine him closely.
"You look great, Vic, much better than the last time I saw you. What have you
been doing since then? God, I missed you."
With those words she hugged him once again. Vic still hadn't regained the power
of speech, so he simply looked at her in his arms, smiling uncontrollably. Mac
finally decided that it was about time to remind them that he was still there, so
he was the one to speak up.
"Vic, sorry to disturb this little scene," he wasn't able to keep the venom out
of his voice, since he was experiencing the extreme urge to kick the girl out of
Vic's apartment. No one hugged his Vic but him! "but I would really like to know
what the hell is going on here!"
Before Vic was able to answer this question, the girl swung around to Mac and
laughed into his face. It was a kind laugh though, almost like the look she had
given him before. She silenced Vic with a wink and walked towards Mac, extending
her hand.
"Hi, I'm Leo, and you really don't need to worry at all. I won't steal your man.
I'm just a good friend of his." She looked back at Vic, who was grinning at her,
enjoying the show. Mac started to grin as well when he realized that he and Leo
were of the same opinion. It was clear to them both that Vic was his, so he took
her hand, introducing himself now.
"Nice to meet you, Leo. I am Mac and I work with Vic. I was just worried for a
sec there. Still, what exactly are you doing here, if you don't mind my asking?"
She didn't mind at all. She had come here because she had been scared as hell
that the letter her lawyer had written would hit Vic harder then she had thought
first. It
"It's okay, I think you should know...." that was the moment Vic interrupted her.
"Leo, don't. That's our business; I don't want others involved!" He didn't saw
Mac flinch when he said those words, but Leo did, so she took Vic aside, making
sure that Mac would not hear everything that was said.
"Vic, are you out of your mind?" she hissed at him, "Are you trying to destroy
your relationship?"
"What relationship? We're just friends. I don't want him to know about this. I
don't even know what I'll do yet."
"I don't care what you will do. I missed you. I was so sure that you would try to
go through it alone, and I was so relieved when I got here to find out that you
have someone to lean on. I know how you feel; I feel the same way, but you have a
friend, trust him. He loves you."
"What the hell are you talking about? You just met him two minutes ago;you have
no clue about us."
"That's right, I have no clue about your life anymore; I don't know him, but I
know jealousy when I see it, and he was jealous as hell when I hugged you. Vic, I
know this is hard for you; I didn't want to confront you with this, but I won't
be there to help you through when it goes wrong. I can't, but he can. Let him!"
That was it. She had the last word, as usual. He had missed that. When she was
sure about something, she would fight for it, and now she wanted to tell Mac why
she was here, and as much as he feared Mac's reaction, she would tell him. Maybe
it was for the best. He would need all the help he could get once Nep found out
about this.
Mac was watching them talk, and it was clear to him that they were talking about
him. He wanted to know what was going on, and he appreciated the fact that Leo
supported him. She wanted to tell him. The way Vic looked at her it was soon
obvious that she would do as she wanted. It was the loving look of a parent
realizing that there was nothing to say anymore when the child decided to play in
a band. Mac caught Vic's look for a second, and Vic smiled at him.
That gave Mac the reassurance he needed. Soon Leo had said what she had wanted to
say and turned to him.
"It's no big deal really. Vic and my brother Nep were lovers for quite some time,
and I am now suing my brother because he beat up on me once too often. I now need
Vic as a witness. He needs to tell them that Nep was aggressive. That's all. Nep
didn't know where Vic was until now, and I guess that was for the best. So it's
up to Vic if he will take the chance. If he will, Nep will find him, and in that
case Vic will need a friend besides me who knows what is going on. That's why I
wanted to tell you. The way I see you, I am quite sure that you will help him."
While listening to her, Mac practically fell on the couch behind him. Lover?
Quite some time? What the hell is going on here? Now he knew why Vic didn't
want him to know about this. That was a side of Vic neither he nor Li Ann had
ever known about. But that wasn't the problem. If this guy was so aggressive,
what did he do to Vic? He couldn't even think about this without freaking.
Why would Vic allow this? He is a strong man; he would never allow his lover to
beat up on his sister, unless.....No, don't go there, I am sure he just didn't
knew about it. Then he looked up at Vic. He caught how insecure Vic looked. He
was scared about the way Mac would react. Suddenly Mac could imagine a younger
Vic. He knew that Vic had left his parents' house at the age of 17. Where had
he gone? What had he gone through? He felt the silence and realized that both
of them were waiting for a reply. Vic had tensed up and was still standing where
Leo had left him to talk to Mac. Leo was now seated across from him, trying to
read his mind. He gave her a soft smile, a sign for her not to worry. He would
not hurt Vic. He stood up and walked across the room and stopped right in front
Vic. He used his index finger to tilt up Vic's chin, searching the older man's
eyes.
"Vic, if you need my help, you'll know where to find me. I'll give you two some
time to talk, and I'll come to see you tonight. Only if you want me to, of
course."
Vic couldn't answer. He knew that any more words now would lead to the tears he
tried to hold back. He had thought of himself as strong until now. He wasn't the
kid anymore that he had been when he had met Nep. He had fought for this strength
only to find out now that it had been unreal. He wasn't ready to face Nep, and
the same moment he felt his feelings for Mac grow. How could Mac know
that this display of affection was exactly what he had needed. He was scared that
he would start to depend on Mac, as he had depended on Nep. He couldn't stop
himself from falling though. For the second time that day, he let go of his
fears, and simply stepped closer to Mac, feeling his strong arms closing around
him. He was not ready for a realtion ship with another man, but he needed this
feeling of closeness. The embrace was short, a reassurance for both of the men
that they were still there for each other, and after giving Leo a short smile,
Mac left the apartment. Before he closed the door completely, he heard Leo say,
"He is gorgeous, where did you find him?"
So there was the ally he needed in persuading Vic that they were perfect for each
other.
When Mac came home, Li Ann was already waiting in his living room.
"I think I should get a better lock."
Li Ann only snorted at his remark. They both knew that there was nothing on the
market that could stop her. She had wondered about his behavior earlier and had
wanted to talk to him about it. Finding out that he was not at home had assured
her of what she had already suspected. He had visited Vic. Now she was here for
two reasons. One, she wanted to yell at him for not leaving Vic alone when he
needed it, and second, to find out what Vic had said. She was also worried. She
had broken her engagment to Vic, but she still liked him. He was her only friend
beside Mac, and both of the men's behavior made her feel left out. She wanted to
know what the hell was going on. She knew that she could get Mac to tell her
everything he knew. He was different than Vic. Even when she had been engaged to
Vic, he had kept his secrets. Mac would not keep something from her. She knew him
too well.
He didn't want to talk to her. He just wanted to think about what he had just
heard. He knew Li Ann, and she would try to get everything out of him. He knew,
though, that he would not tell her what he and Vic and Leo had talked about. That
was something between him and Vic. First he would have to figure out what was
going on, and then he would tell Li Ann.
"What do you want?" Even to his own ears he sounded a bit too defensive.
"I just came to find out what was going on with Vic. You were with him, weren't
you?" It was more a statement than a question.
"I don't know, Li Ann. He has an old friend visiting him; that's all I found out.
He'll be okay; I'll make sure of it."
"What is going on between you and Vic? I can remember how you told me a few
months ago that Vic was able to take care of himself. That he was strong enough.
What has changed your opinion?"
"Maybe we were wrong, Li Ann. Maybe we don't even know who Vic is and what demons
he's fighting. He's right now far more fragile than ever before." He stopped for
a while, wondering if he should really give her the answer she wanted most. She
didn't really care about Vic; she wanted to know what was going on between them.
He couldn't tell her, not yet.
"Mac, I want to know what he told you. I want to help. You are not the only one
who cares about Vic."
"I'm sorry, Li Ann, I can't tell you anything you don't already know. Vic has an
old friend visiting. I'm going over to his apartment tonight; why don't you join
me? I think he would like to know that we will be there for him."
He really was sorry that he had thought so badly of Li Ann. He knew she cared. He
wasn't sure if it was a good idea to take her with him tonight, but Vic should
know that they both would be there for him. He also had to admit to himself that
he was a bit scared about seeing Vic again tonight. There were so many things
left unsaid, and his inner voice told him that it was maybe better this way.
Domestic abuse was one thing when you heard about it. He had seen a lot of things
growing up, but it was another thing thinking about this happening to someone he
knew. To a friend, and yes, someone he loved. Maybe he was wrong. Leo hadn't
talked about Vic; she had talked about herself. Sure, Vic could be a victim as
well, but as long as he was not absolutely sure, he would not jump to
conclusions. If it ever turned out to be true, he would find this Nep though, and
he would kill him. That he was sure of. Now, he would first and foremost give Vic
the security of a friendship. Everything else would have to wait.
It was around 8 o'clock when Mac and Li Ann reached Vic's apartment. They had
spent the afternoon together, both avoiding talking about Vic. Mac, because he
didn't wanted to say too much and Li Ann, because she didn't want to irritate Mac
even more. She hoped to find out more soon. As soon as Mac knocked, a young girl
opened the door. Li Ann took in the smiling face, the long brown hair and the
almost boyish, small figure. She looked a bit surprised to see Li Ann, but when
her eyes fell on Mac, she greeted him with a short friendly hug.
"Hi Mac, great, you're here. Vic was already worried.."
"Was not!" came a shout from the kitchen.
"Were too! Okay, he is in a bad mood because he tried to cook, and it's just not
working."
"Oh, yeah, I know what you mean. I had to go through this once already."
"Hey!" came from the kitchen. All three of them had to smile at this. Li Ann
stepped forward, still a little bit startled by their easy camaraderie, but
willing to welcome this person. She was obviously a good friend of Vic's, and his
good friends were her good friends as well.
"Hi, I don't think we've met yet. I am Li Ann, Vic's ex-fiancée."
The moment she said it, she knew it had been a mistake. It's not a way of
introducing yourself to his friend. But it was out, and no way to get the words
back.
"Hi ex-fiancée. I am Leo. Short for Eleonora, and don't worry, I won't hold it
against you. I am just going to have a little bit of fun with your ex." With
those words she gave Li Ann a devilish grin and turned to face Mac. With a
conspiratorial wink she took both of his hands into hers, and turning around,
still not letting go of his hands that were now over her head, his arms crossed,
she lead him towards the kitchen. Li Ann followed them slowly, still not sure
about what was going on but terribly curious to find out. Mac couldn't hold back
a broad grin when they entered thus linked, and he took in the chaotic kitchen.
Vic in the middle looked to the world like an artist walking towards insanity. He
still wondered about Leo's plan, but before she unfolded it, she went over to
Vic, kissing him on the cheek. Mac, who had his arms now in front of her, his
hands still in hers, had rested his head on Leo's shoulder, and used the chance
to kiss Vic on the other cheek, that was now in front of his face. Vic smiled at
the soft touch, visibly luxuriating in the feeling of being loved and warm, and
before either one of them knew what happened, he gave Mac in return a quick kiss
hello on the lips.
It felt so natural to do just this. To greet him like this. No one noticed Li Ann
standing in the room. They just kept on talking, feeling, despite the terror that
had brought this on, happy. Mac caught Leo's eyes, realizing that she still had
something to say.
Suddenly, without any warning, she grabbed Vic, looking at him like madman and
finally saying, "You were engaged? To a woman? You had promised me that you would
marry me. How could you betray me like this? Tell me!" That was all she could
manage to say without starting to laugh. Vic looked at her first surprised, and
then relieved.
"You almost got me. For a minute I thought you meant it." Looking up, he saw Li
Ann for the first time.
"Hi, Li Ann, don't be shocked, it's an old bet between us. We always try to scare
each other. Okay, now that you all had fun on my expense, why don't you let me
finish here?"
"Want me to order some takeout?" Mac asked innocently. Vic just snorted at that
and shooed them out of the room. If anyone noticed that Mac took hold of Vic's
hand for a second, pressing it reassuringly, no one commented on it.
Li Ann was really puzzled now. She had seen the kiss between Mac and Vic, and she
noticed their body language more than anything else. They seemed like a couple.
Something was going on here that she would have to find out about. It couldn't be
that they were lovers. She was sure about that. They wouldn't have kept it from
her. There would have been no reason to do so. That was when there was a knock on
the door.
Mac went to open the door, since he was closest, and saw a good looking man
looking extremely nervous.
"Yes, can I help you?"
"I hope so, I am looking for Vic Mansfield, does he live here?"
Before Mac had a chance to answer, he heard Vic coming up behind him.
"Nep?"
An Attempt
I have attempted—while working—to try thinking of my work and not of you
And I am happy that the attempt did not succeed
(Erich Fried)
et go of him. NOW!"
