day six; favorite underappreciated moment // Dennis sleepily reaching out for Mac in the U-Haul
âDennis,â Mac whispers. The U-Haul is pitch black, and there is still a lingering smell of smoke in the air. He knows Frank and Dee are asleep because Frank is snoring louder than anyone his size should be and Dee hasnât squawked in a while. âHey, Dennis. Are you sleeping?â
Dennis is lying next to him but Mac canât see whether or not he has his eyes open so he reaches out to slap Dennisâ shoulder gently. âHey, Dennis.â
âIâm trying to sleep, asshole,â Dennis groans and Mac allows himself to smile because he knows Dennis canât see it. They have this thing going on where they pretend to hate each other but every so often, theyâll let their guard down.
âSorry, I couldnât sleep,â Mac whispers and if it wasnât for Frank, he could actually believe that it was just him and Dennis. âIâm just so excited about going to Grand Canyon, man!â
âYeah,â Dennis agrees. âNot terribly excited about getting my car fucked up though. Or having Charlie and Dee tagging along,â he adds as an afterthought. âIt was supposed to be just the two of us.â
Mac lets himself hope that what he hears in Dennisâ voice is longing, a yearning for something that couldâve happened but never would.
âAnd Frank,â Mac corrects him and Dennis hums uncommittedly.
âYeah, but Frank would be easy to forget at a gas station or a rest stop,â Dennis says and even though he canât see him, Mac can almost hear the smirk in his voice. âThen, itâd be just you, me and the open road.â
Mac hates when Dennis talks like that. He hates that heâs itching for that kind of affection Dennis so rarely shows. He thinks this might be the I of the D.E.N.N.I.S. system; Inspire Hope. Mostly, Mac hates that he falls for it every single time.
âWeâd drive each other crazy,â Mac argues weakly, but he wants it. He wants the kind of closeness that would procure a road trip with Dennis, without the rest of the gangâs judgment, and scrutinizing looks and âtoxic co-dependencyâ speeches. He feels like if it were just him and Dennis, things might be different.
âNo way, dude,â Dennis says sleepily and he keeps his voice low to not disturb Frank and Dee sleeping. Thatâs the reason why Mac shifts closer to him, he tells himself. Itâs to hear Dennis better. âWeâd have the time of our life.â
âTell me,â Mac asks him and he canât be sure but he thinks he feels Dennis moving closer as well. Or maybe his mind is just playing tricks on him. Mac like the first option best.
âWeâre not bad people,â Dennis says and Mac nods because heâs right, theyâre not. âWe would drop Frank off somewhere just outside of Philly so he could find his way home pretty easily. Although, we would make sure to steal his credit card first.â
âSmart,â Mac comments.
âYeah, we are,â Dennis says and Mac smiles the way he always does when Dennis refers to them as a unit. Weâre the dynamic duo, he thinks.  âWeâd put on some sweet tunes, beginning with the masterpiece that is Steve Winwoodâs Back in the High Life. Then, maybe some of your Red Hot Chili Peppers, and afterward Rick Astley and thenâŚâ Dennis trails off, and Mac thinks he must be trying to come up with something for him.
âMy Creed mix?â he supplies and Dennis hums.
âYeah, sure. Your Creed mix. Weâd go back and forth like this, each picking a CD until Iâd get too tired to drive. Weâd stop at a resting area where weâd try to get some sleep but the range rover isnât the best option as far as sleeping goes. When weâd wake up, weâd drive to the closest little diner. You would probably get a huge plate of pancakes. Iâd simply order a horrible instant coffee.â
âNo way, man,â Mac interrupts him. âYou gotta eat too, youâll be driving all day. At least get a bowl of fruit or a peanut butter toast. Protein, bro.â
Dennis sighs, but itâs not impatient or infuriating. Itâs conceding and even if itâs just pretend, Mac counts it as a win. âAlright, Iâll eat some fruit and dry toast as well. Youâd read the map and weâd bicker about the best route to go, but weâd also enjoy the different sights on the way there. Weâd wonder what kind of scheme the gang would be planning back home. Mostly, weâd just be enjoying the trip.â
Mac thinks this sounds improbable. Theyâre too messed up to just enjoy a trip without ruining everything. He thinks there would be screaming and arguing. Mac would probably storm off at some point and Dennis would tell him to get his ass back in the car and then drive off when Mac refuses to. Heâd come back to get him of course. Theyâre no good without one another.
Mac likes Dennisâ version better though, so he tells him to go on.
âWeâd rent a sketchy motel room this time, tired of being holed up in the car. Weâd be happy to sleep in a bed again.â
Dennis doesnât specify him with the details of the room so Macâs brain fills in the blanks. Theyâd ask for a two queens of course but they would all be full so theyâd settle for a single room. Theyâd think they would get sick of each other after spending so much time together in the car but it would only make them crave more.
That night, Dennis would kiss Mac and Mac would be surprised, but not shocked. Most importantly, Mac would kiss him back. In between kisses and roaming hands, they would wonder why they never did that sooner. Theyâd fall asleep in each otherâs arms, content. Theyâd never want to get back to Philly.
Mac thinks he likes his version better now.
âThen weâd wake up really early,â Dennis says and his voice is comforting and Mac is starting to feel sleepy. He grabs his blanket and tucks it under his chin as he listens to Dennisâ imaginary road trip tale. âWeâd get to the Grand Canyon right before sunrise. We would be blown away by the sight.â
Mac closes his eyes and he sees it. Heâs with Dennis, and the sun is peeking out on the horizon. He turns to Dennis and kisses him softly and when he pulls away, heâs more enthralled by the look on Dennisâ face than by one of the seven wonders of the world.
âWeâd think âThis is it. We made it,ââ Dennis says and Mac isnât sure if itâs Dream Dennis or his Dennis. It doesnât really matter. Mac pretends itâs both.
(When they wake, Dennis will reach out for him and itâll feel so natural, Mac will wonder if heâs still dreaming.)