“Of course I knew,” he soothed, quietly and calmly.
A hand appeared on his chest, pushing up his shirt. Mack ducked back out of view and kissed the bare skin that was exposed, continuing to push his shirt up his chest, even though he could have easily undone the buttons. Levi sighed as a mouth closed over his left nipple and gently teased. He was mad as hell at Mack for being so confusing, but couldn't think up an adequate argument to make right now.
Instead, he brought his hand to the back of Mack's head and held him there, while he enjoyed the contact. “I never knew how hot it was to be with a guy, until you kissed me. I'm beginning to wonder if I should have experimented with Tam before,” he admitted, laughing to himself almost absently.
Mack pulled away and sat back on his heels, raising an eyebrow at him. “I swear to God, if you mention any other person tonight, I'll never kiss you again.”
“Sorry?” Levi couldn't help but laugh, not sure what was wrong.
“You know what, shove the condoms. We won't be needing them,” he said, throwing them over his shoulder onto the floor, before moving to lie down next to him.
He was disappointed to hear that, but couldn't understand where these mood swings were coming from. Mack had never been likethisbefore and it made no sense. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Wrong withme?” Mack asked, letting out a frustrated laugh. “That's rich. You've insulted me a dozen times tonight, just since we got to the club, and you wonder what's wrong with me. If this is the type of boyfriend you're going to be, then forget it,” he said, shaking his head and folding his arms over his chest.
He looked furious and sad as well, but Levi didn't understand. “How have I insulted you? You've been the one going off, flirting with anything in a skirt. Making out with that guy right in front of me,” he argued, determined to get this out in the open.
Mack snorted. “I kissed him, Levi. In fact, other than him sticking his tongue in my mouth, the most I did was touch his lips. And I was being nice to those girls. I wasn't flirting, but I guess you wouldn't know the difference with that little skank's hands all over you,” he complained, as if he was the one who had cause to be jealous.
Levi was getting all turned around and couldn't make sense of anything. If he was hearing things right, then Mack was jealous. And he hadn't been flirting with those girls. And he hadn't technically kissed that guy. But why? Why go to those lengths? “Why didn't you kiss him?” he asked, wondering if there was something in his answer that would start putting the pieces together.
Mack groaned in frustration and slammed his fists on the bed. Then he got up and pulled on his jeans again. “You know, I thought that eventually you would step out of whatever daydream you were in and come to me,” he explained, aggravated and trying to fasten his jeans; he wasn't doing a very good job. “I thought maybe, since you hadn't made a move, that kissing you when that bitch was all over you would snap you out of it and you would see sense. That you'd see it's been driving me nuts to stay away from you,” he said, making his heart pound faster.
Levi could barely believe what he was hearing, but he didn't want to interrupt. He needed to hear it, because he had a feeling Mack felt what he felt.
“But no. You have to get bitchy with me and call me your fucking wing man,” he complained, groaning when his third attempt to loop his button into the hole failed. “I could have ripped your fucking head off, Levi. But I didn't. Because I've come to realise that I like you. Hell, I could fucking love you, but I don't know because all I get are these ridiculous mixed signals.”
Levi had to argue.Hewas the one getting mixed signals.
“So I waited and waited, hoping that you would see what I see. Still no. Still you have to act like this is some game, where you can test drive dating me whenever you feel like it, without it affecting me.” He stopped and threw his hands up, finally looking up at him. That was when Levi noticed Mack's hands were shaking and he looked close to crying. “Does it look like it's not affecting me? I can't even do up my own fucking jeans!”
Levi wanted to cry, sitting there watching him; Mack was as close to falling apart as he was and he hadn't even noticed.
“You might find this hard to believe, but I didn't kiss that weirdo, because he's not you. Because I haven't wanted to kiss anyone but you in years!” he said, turning away from him. “And call me crazy, but I thought you felt the same,” he continued, much quieter than before. Then, as if he brushed it all off, he turned his attention back to the button on his jeans. Two more attempts to make it fasten failed, and he dropped both pieces of fabric with a sigh. “Fuck it,” he decided, raking his hand through his hair. “Goodnight, Levi. Have a fan-fucking-tastic life without me,” he said, on his way to the door.
