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3:10 PM
On a Thursday
Philadelphia, PA
It should go without saying that the Golden Geese are winning.
Dennis and Dee are on Level 2: Body, comfortably ahead of Mac, Charlie and Frank, who’ve teamed up again because Frank hated playing by himself. Plus it helps them keep an eye on him after the last time they played and he basically tried to kill everyone...
Anyway. It’s Dennis’s turn to draw a card. He plucks it from the box with grace and poise like only Dennis Reynolds can.
He takes a quick little peek, draws out the others' anticipation. It’s a Physical Challenge. Pfft easy .
Dennis reads the words aloud for his captive audience, “Pick a player to kiss from any team. Other players will decide for how long. Ten seconds minimum. MUST USE TONGUE.”
He frowns.
Dee giggles next to him--they’re winning, but regardless she’s pretty wine drunk from the last round.
“That’s ridiculous. I’m not doing that.”
Oh but if he refuses, Mac, Charlie, and Frank get the card and automatically advance to the next round. So it’s not really an option, Dee reminds him.
The set the timer. He has 30 seconds to make a choice. Who’s it going to be?
Well, not Dee. Obviously.
Frank’s also a big No. Even though they’re not technically related, Dennis spent half his life thinking they were. Also, Frank’s just...gross.
So, it’s down to Charlie and Mac.
He’s already kissed Charlie and if he’s being honest it’s not something he’s keen on doing again. It took Dennis hours to get the taste of cheese out of his mouth and who knows what Charlie’s been eating today? (He thinks he saw an egg shell in the garbage before. It was not from a chicken’s egg...)
So really, that just leaves Mac as the only viable, not gross option.
Mac must realize it too. He hasn’t looked at Dennis since he read the card.
“Ten seconds!” Dee squawks in his ear. “C’mon dum-dum--do you want to lose?!”
And no, he doesn’t want to give up their 18+ game winning streak but...
“Five!”
He doesn’t have a choice. Mac would probably do the same thing...
“Three...two...”
“Alright fine-Mac! I pick Mac.”
A rare silence falls over Paddy’s as Dennis slides off his stool and walks to the neutral space between the two teams in front of the bar. He glares expectantly at Mac until he does the same. He still hasn’t made eye contact.
“’Kay bozos,” Dee swivels around to face them and checks her watch. “You have to kiss for 30 seconds starting--”
“Too long,” Dennis cuts her off.
“Okay twenty--”
“Nope.”
“Jesus okay--FIFTEEN seconds.” She waits for Dennis to object but he finally concedes with a grumbly “Fine.”
Frank and Charlie also agree to the terms. Mac finally nods too, after Charlie swats him in the arm.
Dee’s being way too smug. She’s not even trying to hide the fact that she’s enjoying this. “Alright on the count of three, you two ding-a-lings need to makeout for fifteen seconds. And we’d better see some tongue action otherwise it doesn’t count.”
If she wasn’t on his team, Dennis would murder her right then and there. He still might.
“One...”
Dennis takes a step forward into the remaining space between him and Mac.
“Two...”
He swallows the lump in his throat and Mac finally looks up at him. Dennis can see his ears turning red.
“Three!”
Dennis grabs Mac’s face and yanks him forward, smashing their mouths together. Mac nearly loses his balance, arms flailing out to the side before he catches himself on Dennis’s hips.
Mac’s sharp intake of breath affords Dennis the opportunity to shove his tongue past Mac’s lips. It’s sloppy and kind of gross, not gentle or sexy by any means but Mac lets him do it. In fact, it seems to spur him on, and Mac’s actually kissing him back.
Mac tastes sweet and fruity, like the Riesling he’s been knocking back all of Level One. It’s...well it’s kind of super intoxicating and Dennis thinks he could get addicted to the way Mac’s scruff feels scraping against his skin. He moves a hand to grip the back of Mac’s neck and pulls him closer, needing to feel as much of him as he possibly can.
He’s not sure how much time has passed at this point. Dennis didn’t even hear Dee start counting. As soon as his lips touched Mac’s, it was like he ceased to exist within time and space as we know it.
Suddenly something cold and wet sends him crashing back to reality. Dennis yelps and leaps away from Mac. And...great. He’s soaked and reeks of beer. Who the fuck--
“What the hell Deandra?!”
“Are you kidding me?” She shrieks back. “You guys were going at it for like, two full minutes.”
“That’s cheating! Cheater!” Mac butts in, emphatically shoving his finger in Dee’s face. “You’re not allowed to interfere in another player’s Physical Challenge!”
Dee looks between the two of them, absolutely dumbfounded. “You--are you--the challenge was over. You guys just kept going at it?!”
Dennis is so completely over this. He doesn’t have to explain himself to these idiots. He grabs Mac’s wrist and starts stalking towards the door.
“C’mon Mac. I’m done with this.”
“Wait--where are you going?” Charlie calls after them. “We need to finish the game!”
“Game’s over, morons.” Dennis throws over his shoulder. He turns to Mac, sharing a heated look with him before leaving the bar.
“Dennis--are you serious? Dennis get back here!” Dee continues to screech, even though they’re already gone. “You can’t just leave in the middle of--oh GOD. DAMMIT.”