Chapter 21

Macklin's door swung open before I even had the chance to knock properly.

"Took you long enough," he teased jokingly, stepping aside.

I rolled my eyes as I walked in. "Yeah, yeah. Sorry for being, like, three minutes late."

He smirked but didn't argue, instead shutting the door behind me while failing to hide a smile.

"Still not over how nice your kitchen is," I said, setting my bag down.

Macklin raised a brow. "What, expecting a disaster zone?"

I shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe a hockey stick lying around? A rogue protein shake?"

He laughed. "I do clean, you know."

"I see that now," I said smiling.

Before he could respond, he grabbed something off the counter and held it out.. a handwritten list.

I took it, curiosity piqued.

"The ultimate movie marathon," he announced.

"You're kidding," I said, reading over it.

It had everything: my favorite cheesy romances (Anyone But You, She's the Man), action picks (The Maze Runner, Transformers), and comedies (Grown Ups, White Chicks).

"You really went all out," I said, genuinely impressed.

Macklin shrugged, like it was no big deal. "You like variety."

"I mentioned The Maze Runner one time."

"Yeah," he smirked, "and I remembered."

I rolled my eyes but couldn't hide my smile. "Okay, this is actually really sweet."

His smirk softened a little. "Gotta make sure you have the best movie night experience possible."

I pretended to think. "Hmm. We'll see if it lives up to the hype."

He chuckled, then clapped his hands together. "Alright before watching the movies.. snacks. We're making brownies."

He pulled out a box of brownie mix, setting it on the counter with a confident look. "Alright. Time to make the best brownies of all time."

I raised an eyebrow. "You bake?"

He smirked. "I can follow directions."

"That's debatable."

He ignored me while smiling then grabbed a mixing bowl and tossing me a whisk. "C'mon, team effort."

I rolled my eyes but opened the box while he cracked the eggs, one-handed. He looked far too pleased with himself.

"Very impressive," I said.

He grinned. "Thank you for noticing."

I poured in the oil and water while he measured out the mix, dumping it in. I reached for the whisk, but Macklin got to it first, stirring in lazy circles.

I crossed my arms. "You're way too slow."

He shot me a look. "Brownies take precision."

I huffed and took the whisk from him, working faster. The batter thickened, and before I knew it, Macklin stepped behind me, his hands slipping around my waist.

"Here, let me watch," he murmured, peeking over my shoulder while his chin rests in the crook of my neck.

His hands were warm, and he smelled so annoyingly good, his cologne is seriously addictive.

I exhaled. "You're just trying to get out of mixing, aren't you?"

He chuckled, fingers squeezing slightly before he let go. "Maybe."

I shook my head, pouring the batter into the pan while Macklin turned on the oven. He slid the pan in, dusted his hands off, and grinned. "Alright. Popcorn time."

"Stovetop popcorn, right?" I asked immediately.

Macklin hesitated. "Do we have to?"

I gasped. "Microwave popcorn is a crime."

He snorted. "You're dramatic."

"Excuse me."

He smirked but grabbed a pot, poured in some oil and kernels, and turned on the heat. I stood next to him, bouncing slightly on my feet.

Macklin glanced down at me, amused. "You good?"

I grinned. "I love the sound."

"What sound?"

"The popping."

He shook his head with a smile. "You're so easily entertained."

"Excuse me for appreciating the little things."

Then, as if on cue, the first pop echoed in the pot, and I lit up instantly. More followed, fast and loud, making the lid rattle slightly.

Macklin chuckled, shaking the pot. "Okay, I'll admit, this is kinda fun."

I shot him a smug look. "Told you."

Once the popping slowed, he removed the pot and dumped the popcorn into a big bowl. I immediately reached for a handful, tossing pieces into my mouth with zero shame.

"Alright," Macklin said, pulling out two mugs from the cabinet. "Final touch, hot chocolate."

"With whipped cream?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

He smirked at me. "Of course."

As he poured the hot chocolate into the mugs, I reached for the can of whipped cream, but before I could spray any, Macklin snatched it out of my hands.

"Hey!" I protested, narrowing my eyes.

He shook the can and grinned. "How about a little challenge before we get to the whipped cream?"

I raised an eyebrow. "A challenge?"

Macklin nodded. "Yeah. We each get a dollop on the back of our hand, and then we try to slap our arm and launch it into our mouths."

I smirked, already knowing where this was going. "I've seen this on TikTok before. Think you can handle it?"

Macklin gave me a playful, confident grin. "Oh, I can handle it."

We both squirted a generous amount of whipped cream onto the back of our hands, and Macklin stepped back, eyes glinting with excitement.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Born ready," I shot back, giving him a challenging look.

Macklin slapped his arm with a force that made the whipped cream fly into the air. It didn't quite land in his mouth, but he came close, which made me laugh.

"Not bad," I said, smirking. "But let me show you how it's done."

I took a deep breath, positioning myself, and then slapped my arm with all my might. The whipped cream flew up, and in one smooth motion, I caught it in my mouth.

"Boom," I said, leaning back with a grin.

Macklin's eyes widened. "Okay, that was impressive."

He shook his head, clearly impressed but not ready to give up. "Alright, my turn."

We went back and forth, trying to one-up each other, the whipped cream flying in all directions as we laughed and tried to perfect our aim. I couldn't help but tease him a little when he missed.

"You're getting there, but not quite," I teased, flicking a bit of whipped cream off my hand.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll get you next time," Macklin shot back, clearly determined.

After a few more attempts, we both collapsed onto the couch, out of breath from laughing so hard. My face was covered in whipped cream, and I was pretty sure Macklin's was too.

"Okay, okay," I said, wiping some of the whipped cream off my cheek. "I think you owe me a drink now."

He raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Oh, really?"

"Yeah," I said, holding up my mug of hot chocolate. "Now that the challenge is over, how about we actually enjoy our drinks?"

Macklin chuckled, grabbed the two mugs, and handed me one. "You're lucky I'm a good sport." he nodded toward the living room. "Alright. Time to start this marathon."

We started off with White Chicks because, well, what could be better than a classic comedy to kick off the night? We laughed through every scene, definitely one of my all time favorites and it felt like the perfect start.

When we finished White Chicks, we jumped into Anyone But You, another of my guilty pleasures. The kind of rom-com that always had some predictability, but also made you melt no matter how many times you watched it. We both settled in, ready for the love story ahead.

I could tell Macklin wasn't a rom-com kind of guy, but for some reason, he was fully engaged in this one, possibly because of how humorous it was. I kept throwing him quick glances, noticing how he'd glance over at me every now and then.  The two leads were laughing together after they got home from falling off the boat, flirting amidst the chaos, then finally they kissed.

Then, right as the characters on-screen shared that kiss, Macklin moved closer. I barely had time to process what was happening before I found myself turning toward him.

He looked at me for a long moment, his gaze steady, almost like he was trying to figure something out. Then, in a voice that was barely above a whisper, he asked, "Can I kiss you?"

I didn't even think. I just nodded, my heart racing in a way I hadn't expected. His lips met mine gently, like he was testing the waters. But it wasn't a light kiss. It was soft, sincere, and the kind of kiss that made my pulse pick up instantly.

Macklin moved his hands to my waist, pulling me closer until I was in his lap, a gesture so natural that it didn't feel awkward, just... right. The warmth from the blanket and the connection between us making the rest of the world disappear.

But then, suddenly, my head cleared, and I pulled away slightly. "Macklin... wait," I said, my voice barely steady.

He pulled away just enough to look at me, confusion and concern flickering in his eyes. "What's wrong?"

My mind was spinning. "We—we should finish the marathon. You promised an ultimate movie marathon, remember?"

Macklin's grin was easy and understanding, like he'd been caught up in the moment just as much as I had and was not awkward about it. "Yeah, I guess I did."

I shifted slightly, but realized I was still comfortably sprawled across his lap, the blanket keeping us cozy. I didn't really want to move, honestly. It felt... too nice. The warmth of him beneath me, the soft glow of the TV, and the sense of ease.

"Hey, is it okay if I stay like this?" I asked, my voice quieter than I meant it to be. "It's... it's really comfortable."

Macklin chuckled, his hands resting gently on my back as he adjusted slightly, making sure I was still okay. "Yeah, I mean, it's not like I mind," he said, his tone teasing but warm. "You can stay as long as you want."

I smiled, sinking back into him, feeling a sense of peace. "Good, because this is honestly perfect."

And just like that, we settled back into the rhythm of the movie marathon.

We jumped into the next movie which is The Maze Runner. It was a nice change of pace, action-packed, full of suspense, and exactly what we needed after the emotional rollercoaster of the romance flick, Anyone But You. As the movie went on, I found myself burying my head deeper into his chest comfortably, our hands brushing every so often. It was the perfect balance of comfortable and exciting.

But by the time the last scene of Maze Runner rolled around, I noticed we were both starting to get a little... hungry. All the popcorn, brownies, and hot chocolate had been great, but I was ready for something more substantial.

"I could really go for some actual food," I admitted, stretching my arms over my head.

Macklin nodded, stretching out too. "Same. Movie marathons make me hungry."

He glanced over at me with a grin. "Want to order something?"

"What are we thinking?" I say

He raised an eyebrow and grinned. "How about Taco Bell?"

I laughed, rolling my eyes. "Taco Bell? At midnight? Really?"

Macklin just shrugged, totally unfazed. "What can I say? It's the perfect movie snack. Plus, Baja Blast."

I stared at him, pretending to think it over. "You really know how to live on the edge, huh?"

"Hey, you can't beat the classics," he said, totally serious, but I could tell he was joking.

I pulled out my phone and placed the order. "Fine. Taco Bell it is."

A few minutes later, Macklin was back with the bags of food. He handed me a bag with a smile like he'd just won the lottery.

"Your feast is served," he said, dramatically. "And I may have grabbed extra cinnamon twists."

I raised an eyebrow. "Extra cinnamon twists, huh? You're trying to win me over."

"Not trying. I'm succeeding," he said with a grin.

I pulled out a Crunchwrap Supreme, unwrapping it carefully. "Alright, I admit it. You've earned some brownie points for that."

"Brownie points, huh? I'll take it." He grabbed a taco and sat next to me.

We both started eating, the movie continuing quietly in the background. After a few bites, I glanced at Macklin.

"You really talked me into Taco Bell at 1 AM," I said, playfully accusing him.

He glanced over at me and gave me a half-smirk. "What can I say? Taco Bell makes everything better."

I chuckled, taking a bite of my food. "You've got a point. It's kind of like the perfect movie night fuel."

"Exactly." He leaned back, looking more relaxed than ever. "Good food, good company, what more do you need?"

I smiled, feeling a little warmer than before. "Yeah, you're not wrong. This is pretty great."

Macklin looked over at me, his smile softening a bit. "I'm glad. Honestly, I think this is the best movie night ever."

I grinned, teasing, "Well, the Taco Bell definitely helps."

"Of course," he said with a wink. "But I'm pretty sure I'm the best part of this night."

I gave him a playful look. "Oh, really? You're that confident?" I laughed, shaking my head. "I'm not sure you can claim 'best part' status yet. You've got some competition from the crunchwraps."

"Fine," he said, shrugging dramatically. "But I'm working on it."

-=+=-

Chapter based on tryna establish their connection— guys trustttt the upcoming chapters will be better lemme cook.After Friday, I'll be on spring break, somebody will have to pry my hands off my phone and away from this app.. if anyone dares to try. 🤭