Summer of Surprises? ((Mack))

[Alexander Promise R7]

“Ok Micah listen, I’m gonna turn around, and walk to the coffee shop to meet Mackenzie, and once I’m a ways off go ahead and take the things home alright?” The small, Christmas colored house elf nodded enthusiastically and started picking up bags and boxes and caldrons and Alex shook his head. He turned to walk away from the elf and before he had taken two steps he heard the elf’s small voice behind him. “Goodbye Master Promise.” Alex spun around, shaking his head. “No no! Micah not yet wait till I’m…” Too late. With a loud crack the elf disappeared with all the bags and boxes and Alex was left looking extremely shaken up by the loud noise. He reached his hands up and rubbed his temples, groaning. “Micah, why? Why always so eager?” He shook his head and turned around, starting the walk up the road with a throbbing headache. Alex liked sounds but not loud obnoxious sounds, and the sound of an apparating house elf…or well…the sound of an aparating anyone hurt his ears. He hated it. Micah was always doing that, popping even when Alex told him not to. If the elf had a task to do, he was always far too eager to please. Alex couldn’t blame him, with the way Mrs. Promise was it was only expected that Micah tried to do things far too quickly. Oh well, he had better things to focus on now.

He’d spent the day shopping. Normally, at least one member of his family would have been with him, but today he had made other plans. He was too meet Mack now, at the entrance. She had spent the day in London with her sister and they’d agreed to get together once she was done and do some extra shopping just for fun. Alex chuckled to himself, together, the two of them had more money then any teenager should be left alone with. He though Mack might have mentioned something about new robes but he couldn’t quite remember. He suspected it was probably right before they had parted ways and well…Alex and Mack liked to kiss...and of course getting details between kisses like theirs was always foggy. Once again, Alex smiled to himself as he made his way down the busy street. No matter what time of day, Diagon Alley was always busy. He looked up and smiled seeing a flower vendor on the side of the rose. He reached a hand into his pocket, pulled out a sickle and looked over the various flowers. He had to take a step back when a particularly nasty looking spiky thing tried to bite his hand. He sighed when he couldn’t seem to find one he liked and then looked at the witch running the stand, confused. “Do you hear that?” he asked her. The witch sighed and nodded. “Singing daffodils…” She rolled her eyes and reached under her cart, pulling out a bucket that was overflowing with bright yellow flowers that all seemed too be buzzing a very obnoxious assortment of tunes. He looked them over, chuckling. “I’m guessing you don’t sell too many?” The woman looked at him seriously. “Do you know of anyone who wants a sunshine yellow flower that buzzes?” Alex shook his head and reached to the center of the bucket, pulling out a flower that seemed to stand out from the rest. “No, but I know a girl that I think might like a white one that hums.”

Alex paid for the flower and walked off down the street, sheltering the flower as best he could from the other shoppers. As he made his way up the street his mind swam back to his summer. He smiled to himself as the thought over it. The beginning had been miserable. He’d been stuck at home, on an island, without the girl of his dreams. But then, out of nowhere his summer had taken a surprising turn for the better. All in one night he’d gotten the greatest girlfriend a guy could wish for, and she ended up agreeing to stay with him all summer…well…she kind of didn’t have many other options, but still. He laughed lightly thinking about that first night. He’d had to practically beg to get her to stay in his room and now…well now it wasn’t near as hard. They had definitely grown closer, that was sure. He could still remember the look on Chrys’ face when he’d told her Mack had been staying in his room at nights, she had been utterly shocked. Oh well, she’d gotten over it. It’s not like it was that big of a deal. He was sixteen wasn’t he? In less then a year he’d been of age and then what? Well…then he’d probably still be living in his parents house. Maybe. Oh well, the fact remained that Mack and him had grown close. Really close. It was absolutely the most amazing relationship he had ever been in with someone. Sure, they still had ways to go but…the good thing was, they had gotten to know the more serious things about each other. They trusted each other more and more each day and every day Alex could feel himself falling for her more and more. He bit his lip, thinking. Was that it? Was he falling more and more for her? Well of course he was…but was that the right way to say it? I mean…the only way he wanted to say it, was to just admit that he was falling in… He looked up from his feet and smiled seeing Mack standing by the brick wall that functioned as the entrance. He walked up to her and leaned to kiss her softly, taking one of her hands and placing the humming daffodil in it before he stood back… “Hey there, love, how was your day?”…and smiled softly…almost…lovingly…at her.

[Mackenzie Holden]

“Dixie, you…don’t…UGH!” Mack raked her fingers through her blonde hair as she watched her sister lift her wand and rearrange the newly purchased furniture for the fiftieth time in the past 20 minutes. Usually, this wouldn’t have bothered Mack in the least. But it appeared that the past 3 times Dixie had gone to rearrange something, it happened to be the something Mack was sitting in. Therefore, Mack was suddenly placed into a game of musical chairs and she didn’t want to be. Before Dixie could decide on a new arrangement, Mack launched off the suede chair she was sitting in and at her sister – yanking her wand from her; “It’s FINE. Really!” Dixie eyed her younger sister a moment and then sighed, clearly exhausted anyway, and collapsed onto the suede couch that matched the suede chair Mack had previously been sitting in. Mack held onto Dixie’s want for the time being, not wanting to give her the opportunity to rearrange the furniture once again and then 50 more times afterward. She looked around her sister’s new flat. It was two bedrooms. One for her, and one for Mack. Two bathrooms, as well, so Dixie couldn’t complain about Mack hogging the bathroom. A nicely sized kitchen and living room and plenty of closet space; which was essential for Dixie Holden (and as much as she hated admitting it, for Mackenzie Holden as well).

Mack was kind of resentful toward this whole new apartment thing, anyway; Dixie had insisted that she buy a two bedroom flat. One bedroom for her and one for Mack. Of course, Mack had explained how she had been staying with Alex over the summer and that she was perfectly fine staying there the rest of the summer hols. Dixie had said that this was for every other holiday when she was home from Hogwarts. Home from Hogwarts for the holidays? Mack had never been home from Hogwarts. Hogwarts had always appeared better than home. How, or when was the more operative word, did home become better than Hogwarts? When Dixie bought this flat… Mack sighed to herself and looked around the flat as she returned to thinking about the earlier conversation. She had complained about wanting to stay at Hogwarts over the holidays, but Dixie wouldn’t have it. This new turn of events that had happened to Dixie Holden had made her a bit motherly. Mack hated it. So, now, Mack had a home. Most people might’ve rejoiced in knowing this, but Mack didn’t. She just sighed heavily and decided that she’d only go through with it for the sake of her sister. Still, that did not change the fact that she would have to be away from Alex.

Dixie looked up from the couch now and held out her hand expectantly, “I want that, please.” Mack eyed her sister a second and then gave her the wand. Dixie smiled brightly and tucked her wand away, leaving Mack to breathe a sigh of relief. She looked around the flat once more and then nodded; “I think you’re set. I’ll drop by before school starts to say good bye. Write to me and everything.” Dixie stood from the couch and wrapped her arms around Mack in a hug. Hugging was new for the Holden sisters. They had had their first hug when Dixie had been about to board her plane for Paris, and although this was probably the tenth hug they had shared – it was still awkward for both of them. Mack hugged Dixie back, nonetheless, and smiled softly. It was so odd hugging Dixie, not because it hadn’t ever happened before, but because Dixie was only an inch taller than Mack. Normally, Mack was hugging Alex, who was a little bit shorter than her if she was wearing heels but other than that, they were basically the same height. Regardless, they pulled away from the hug now and Dixie smiled at Mack again; “Next owl you get to tell me all about this boyfriend-who’s-not-Jack of yours.” Mack rolled her eyes and grabbed her purse, shoving it onto her shoulder before heading toward the door. She heard Dixie call out something that sounded a bit like; “Every detail, Kenzie.”

Half of her, Mack realized as she headed down the stairs to the lobby of the complex, was dreading the moment she told Dixie about Alex. Who he is and what he is like, that is. Because, the old Dixie Mack had known, would have torn him apart in a split second. Starting with his house. Dixie wasn’t as bad as she used to be, but Mack knew her sister still had firm beliefs about intrahouse dating. Or at least, Mack thought she knew. In all honesty, Mack didn’t know her sister all that well. Not nearly as well as she would have liked everyone to believe. She thought over this in her head as she walked the streets of London toward where the Leaky Cauldron was located. Once she had reached the pub, Mack had come to the conclusion that it didn’t matter what her sister thought of Alex. Mack really cared for him… that term just didn’t do the feeling she had for him justice. But she wouldn’t dare utter or even think the other term. Thinking of the other term was a jinx. Mack shoved her thoughts to the back of her mind as she entered the Leaky Cauldron and dodged drunken wizards enough to get to the back alley where the entrance to Diagon Alley was located. She took out her wand and tapped each according brick, waiting for the wall to dance open for her to step inside. It did so rather quickly, but perhaps not quickly enough for Mack, and she immediately was taken by surprise by Alex waiting for her. She smiled brightly and kissed him back when he kissed her, and then looked down at the daffodil in her hand. Eyeing the humming daffodil wearily, Mack answered his question off handedly; “It was fine, Dixie’s got this new flat. It’s okay, I suppose. What is this?” she looked up at her boyfriend, lifting the daffodil in her hand with a raised eyebrow.

[Alexander Promise R7]

Alex smiled and nodded as Mack told him Dixie got a new flat. He had been expecting that, I mean, how often do people go into town to look for a place to stay and not end up with one? Well…ok so that did happen sometimes but he had known that Dixie was probably going to find a place. He had to force the smile to remain on his face at that thought. He and Mack had talked about what that would mean for them, and although she would still be staying with him the rest of summer, the other holidays through the year wouldn’t be near as enjoyable. He’d grown accustomed to having Mackenzie in his bed at nights, eating at his table in the mornings, just, all around spending the day with her. He’d gotten comfortable with that to the degree that the thought of not having that was preposterous. He didn’t like the thought at all. It was unavoidable of course but it was still not something he wanted. Mack had definitely become a part of his life and he knew holidays wouldn’t be the same without her. He could honestly say he’d had day dreams of having her over for Christmas. Oh well, he was sure they’d work something out. Even if it meant a lot of traveling. Alex was sure he’d be willing to floo all over the country if he was required to. His mother would be mad of course, if he ended up skipping out on a holiday to be with Mack, but what was he supposed to do? He’d rather spend holidays with Mackenzie over his family any day. He didn’t like the thought of being away from her.

Alex looked down at the flower when she asked about it. “Um…a flower? I think? I thought you might think it was nifty…you don’t have to keep it if you don’t want to of course, I understand…it’s sort of silly.” He laughed lightly and looked up at Mack, smiling softly. Sure, he hoped she’d keep the flower, I mean…it wasn’t like it was totally important, it was just a flower after all, but yeah, it was a gift. And Alex, as a boyfriend, liked to dote on his girlfriend. He liked to buy her things and hoped that she’d like them, I mean, what guy didn’t want that? He wanted to buy her things and have her grin and throw her arms around him, praising him for his wit and charm. He was hopeless like that. Maybe flowers weren’t the way to go…maybe I should have gone with chocolates or something…they were selling chocolate galleons at that one stand… It wasn’t a totally obnoxious flower, it was one of the better ones. He looked at the flower. “On the other hand, I think I picked a keeper, it was the only one that wasn’t buzzing an annoying tune like jingle bells…” He smiled up at her again and shrugged before taking her free hand and turning to head off down the street with her. “It was that, a buzzing one, or the one that tried to snap off my fingers. I thought the humming one was the best choice.” He laughed as they made their way, dodging hurrying school shoppers. Promise always enjoyed the bustle right before school started. You always saw the most interesting people in Diagon Alley, but the added humor that came when you threw excited soon-to-be-first-years in as well was always great.

[Mackenzie Holden]

Mack smiled at his answer and reached for him with her free hand, pulling him into another kiss. It was becoming something they did. Answer things with a kiss, thank each other with a kiss, and then there was just…kissing in general. Mack really had become addicted to kissing Alex, but of course that was to be expected. “I love it,” she said after the kiss, her smile still on her face, “but… does it have an off button?” She lifted the daffodil to eyelevel and looked it over. Seriously looking for an off button. She knew that it was pointless to look for something so silly as an off button, but she couldn’t help it. Mack knew, although she loved the flower, the humming would get annoying after awhile. She smiled over at Alex after resigning her search for the off button, “I suppose I can put it in our room, hmm? What an amazing little alarm clock.” She smirked, “We’ll never get sleep. It’s the ultimate alarm clock!” Mack’s smirk stretched into a bright smile; “I think we should market these as stay awake flowers, Alex! We could be rich…er.” Okay, so perhaps her little business venture wasn’t the greatest idea in the world, but hey – Mack was a songwriter; not a business person.

Alex took her free hand and she linked their fingers as they began the walk to wherever they were going. Where were they going? Mack didn’t dwell on it for too long, because Alex was speaking again. This time about the choices he had been presented with. She laughed and balanced the flower on the palm of her hand as they walked through rushing first years and worrying mothers who were chasing the former; “I’m glad you picked this one. I rather like your fingers.” She wiggled her fingers that were interlocked in his and smiled at him, “I’m not sure how I’d feel about your fingers getting snapped off every time you go to water the plant.” Mack had no intention of playing good housekeeper with the plant. It would die if she was the one who had to water it. She remembered one time, Trevor had bought her a kitten – and Mack had nearly killed it three times the first day she had it. Trevor had called her a cruel human being and took the kitten away from her. Mack wondered where that kitten was now.

As they walked, Mack let her fingers encircle around the humming daffodil so it wouldn’t fall off the palm of her hand, and looked over at Alex with a small smile. It was getting harder and harder every day to look at him, walk with him, be with him in general when she knew that there was so much more to their relationship. Those three words that she daren’t utter to anyone or anyone daren’t utter to her. She looked away quickly when Alex caught her looking at him, and managed a small smile down at her feet. She quickly tried to take the subject off her obvious staring; “Where are we heading, anyway?” She looked up at the street now as they passed building after building after building.

[Alexander Promise R7]

Alex happily kissed Mack back, he never minded a kiss or two. He could still remember the first kiss they’d shared. She had kissed him shortly after he’d admitted to having feelings for her. That felt like so long ago but honestly it couldn’t have been more then a few weeks. They hadn’t really been together that long but they had had so much happen in that short time. Their relationship…had just…exploded. Everything happened so fast it left Alex’s head spinning and he loved the feeling. He couldn’t deny that he had never thought he’d be involved in a relationship that moved this fast, especially not with Mack. Alex hadn’t even really ever thought he’d end up dating her. Sure, he wanted it like crazy, but as far as actually ending up there? No, he hadn’t seen in coming. He hadn’t been planning on having a girlfriend living with him, and he really hadn’t been planning on holding her tight every night while she slept cuddling with him in his bed. In was so nice. He definitely did not regret a single thing he did with Mack. Everything just flowed. Their kisses, their touches, their every movement was just…perfect. As if everything was just meant to be. Meant to be fast, but definitely meant to be. Mack hadn’t expressed any problems with it either, so he was pretty sure it was good on her side too. Their whole relationship was perfect; it was perfect up until one point. Every time they said goodbye, or goodnight. There was always…something…missing. Alex would just stare at her and wonder how to say it, what to say, how to explain how he was feeling. She meant so much to him…he just…he…

Alex was pulled back from his thoughts as Mack linked his fingers and they began to walk. He always loved holding hands with her this way, ever since the very first time they had. The way she had linked their fingers on the train and told him she preferred holding hands like that. As kissy as their relationship was, there was a lot behind those kisses, and the kisses were not the only thing the couple did. They cuddled quite often, and held hands all the time. Neither of them could live without physical contact with the other, this whole afternoon Alex had been aching for her touch. Just he graze of her fingers against his cheek was enough to send him soaring. They had come so far from just holding hands though, the shakey, simple hand holding they had done on the train. Holding hands meant so much now, so much more then it had that day. Sure it had meant something then…but now? Now there was so much feeling behind it. So much lo- Alex laughed lightly when Mack wiggled her fingers. “Oh you like them eh? I’m quite fond of them myself.” He smiled brightly and lifted their hands so he could kiss the back of hers tenderly. He knew how much she liked that and he always wanted to make her happy. He chuckled when she sort of hinted that he’d be the one watering the flower. “I’ve been told I have a green thumb you know? But…” He lifted their hands once more and looked his thumb over carefully. “It doesn’t look too green to me. I don’t know, some people are crazy.” He shrugged nonchalantly, trying not to laugh but in the end he did. Alex had a habit of cracking himself up.

As he walked, Alex could feel Mack looking at him. It had just come to the point where he could just…know she was looking at him. He could feel her. And he knew she could feel him, often she would lay down on his chest at night and after some time she would mumble ‘I can feel you looking at me.’ He would laugh and kiss the top of her head. They were so comfortable together…they worked so well together. They just…fit together perfectly. After a while, he glanced over at her and he smiled softly when she looked away, pretending she hadn’t been looking. He squeezed her hand and looked around the street as they walked. Then she asked the fatal question. Where were they heading anyway? His heart stopped and his mind went ballistic. Where were they heading anyways? Where? What were they doing with themselves? How long were they supposed to go on just staying at the same level? Their bodies and hearts were moving so fast but their intentions were yet to catch up. Their minds were stalling. The one thing Alex wanted to say just wouldn’t be said. It was fear, he was afraid to say it. Not fear of the feeling itself, but afraid of giving in to the feeling and having it not be returned. It was a serious feeling. One that was a deciding factor. It meant a lot, so much more then most people tended to allow it to mean. People just grazed over the words as if they were nothing and Alex was forced to wonder did they have any idea what they meant? Do they know what it’s like? Do they feel like I feel? Alex had never felt this way; ever. Not ever. He knew this was it. He knew she was it. It had to be. She had to be. There was no other way to explain it this was THE WORD. THE WORD that kept couples in a stalemate for years. And this was the moment Alex broke out of that ditch. Where were they heading anyways? Alex stopped suddenly and turned to look at Mack. He looked her straight in the eyes, staring at her for a long while. Where were they heading anyways? He took a deep breath, he had no idea how this was going to go. This was what he wanted to say, but would she say it back? Did she feel like he did? Now he would find out. Where were they heading anyways?! “I think I’ve fallen in love with you Mackenzie.”

[Mackenzie Holden]

Mack smiled at Alex brightly when he spoke of his thumb being green and then laughed when he did before leaning to kiss his cheek. Alex was always making some clever remark here or there, something that was rather funny – and he always tried to keep the cool nonchalance that Mack was capable of keeping whilst being funny, but he almost always laughing, too. Mack’s humour was more of a darker, Slytherin like humour. She could say something funny and then just smirk as the other person laughed. It was the Slytherin side of her. She knew she was funny and she didn’t need to laugh to know it. She loved when Alex laughed at some funny remark he made about himself, though, because it showed he did have humour and not only that – but it helped her feel a bit better about laughing too. “Green thumbs don’t generally run in my family, so I suppose it’s a good thing you apparently have one; even though it doesn’t look too green to me either.” She smiled at him softly and looked down at her moving feet again. She chewed on her lip as she thought about the relationship she had crashed into with Alex. There was nothing bad about it, nothing she regretted. Nothing she didn’t love, but…she just felt like there was so much more to it than what either of them were allowing themselves to feel.

After she had asked where they were heading, he was silent as if he was pondering where they were actually going so she didn’t press. But after a bit, she grew a bit concerned that perhaps he was thinking something completely different and lifted her head to look at him with a slight frown on her face. It was rare to find Alex in thought about something and not telling her what it was he was thinking of. Mack wasn’t accustomed to it and she was certain she didn’t want to get accustomed to it. She liked knowing what he was thinking because in a sense it helped her understand him a bit more. Even though she already understood him to an amazing degree, Mack knew there was so much more about him that was still a mystery. She wanted to be able to finish his sentences for him, to know what he was thinking or feeling just by his actions or expressions. She was well on her way, she knew, but there were still things that really got Mack completely confused. This was one of those things. Alex had stopped walking by now and had turned to face her, he took a deep breath, and Mack felt a knot in her stomach form. She wasn’t sure what he was doing, but the deep breath couldn’t mean something good. Could it? Was he…going to break up with her? Oh, please, God, no. Mack watched Alex with frightened eyes and when he spoke…it wasn’t what she had been expecting.

He spoke and then there was silence. Mack couldn’t hear anything but her own heart and the silly humming daffodil in her hand. She stared at Alex for what seemed like eternity she was sure. No one had ever told her that before. No one had ever said anything to her with the word ‘love’ in it unless she was talking to a friend who was talking about their relationship with whomever, but never had the word been used toward her in the context he was using. Mack didn’t know what to say, she didn’t know how to feel. She had never been here before. What was she going to do? Alex was waiting…waiting for an answer and she was stumbling upon emotions. Of course she knew she’d fallen in love with him! But…just flat out telling him was not in Mack’s character. She didn’t want to feel hurt later on, she had been hurt far too many times. So perhaps the logical side of Mackenzie Holden made her look at Alex straight in the eye and ask; “Why? Or…or how? What… what reasons do…did you…” Mack realized she wasn’t making any sense so she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and started again; “Why have you fallen in love with me? What makes you so sure you have? How can you when I’m me?”

She knew they were all questions, even words, that Alex didn’t want to hear. He probably wanted to hear that she had fallen back, but…but Mack just couldn’t say them without strong belief that he wouldn’t hurt her. Oh, how Mack didn’t want to be hurt! Of course she felt the same, of course she did, how could she not? But she didn’t want to admit it…she wouldn’t admit it until she was absolutely positive that Alex had completely fallen in love with her. It was the length Mack had to go to make sure she wouldn’t get her heart broken. To try and ease his fears, if he was having any at that moment, Mack moved closer to him, squeezing the hand she held in hers. She wanted him to know that even though she was questioning him…she…did care for him. Once he told her reasons, for Mack needed reasons, she would tell him that she had in fact fallen in love with him.

[Alexander Promise R7]

Alex said all he had to say to Mack and had expected…well honestly he had no idea what he expected. He was starting to wonder why he’d done it. Mack was just standing there, staring at him as if he was some creature from outer space. Alex just…he had to say that. He knew that it needed to be said. All these nights when he lay in bed all he could think about was how much he hated just saying ‘good night’. It wasn’t want he wanted to say. He wanted to say ‘I love you’. He wanted to tell Mack how much she meant to him but at nearly two in the morning when the two of her were both completely exhausted just didn’t seem like the right time to spill his soul to her. However, standing in the middle of Diagon Alley wasn’t exactly the most romantic place either. Alex was happy however that no one was really paying them any attention. It was nerve wracking enough just himself and Mack, he didn’t need all of Diagon Alley turning and watching him like some sort of show. Alex, at this point, partly wished he’d gotten Mack a quieter flower. The humming daffodil was…well…still humming and whereas before it wasn’t that bad, now it seemed to be mocking Alex. He wanted to just tell it to shut up but he knew that would do no good. It was like it was trying to fill in the empty silence that had occurred between them. Alex didn’t like this silence. Not at all. Therefore, you can understand his initial happiness when Mack spoke.

Of course, things with Mack weren’t simple. Part of Alex was happy it wasn’t simple, he liked that their relationship was deep and thoughtful, but at this moment in time he wished it could be simple. ‘I love you – I love you too’ like that. Just quick and easy and yet so meaningful. But…would it be meaningful? Would it be meaningful if it was just quick and without much thought? Just done? No, no it wouldn’t, he had to admit it wouldn’t mean half as much if it was just something not thoughtful, if Mack just threw the words at him and then they went shopping again. No, he was…happy that it was more complex. Mack looked him in the eyes and words came out of her mouth, but Alex was lost. Why? How? Reasons…oh…reasons. Alex watched as Mack closed her eyes and took a deep breath. He didn’t know what to think. He wondered if she was upset about him saying it. Could she be upset? Yes, it was logical that someone might be upset if the person they were dating suddenly kicking things up a notch by adding in the love factor. But what was Alex supposed to do? He had fallen in love with her, there was no doubting that. He just had and he couldn’t keep it as just plain liking, no, it was love. When Mack opened her eyes again, Alex was prepared for the next words out of her mouth. He had partly anticipated them. Mack had every right to ask these questions, and Alex knew she deserved answers. He had answers right? Of course he had answers.

Alex worried for a moment that Mack asked these things in hopes she would be given a reason to turn him down, to say he was silly, to disregard him, but when she moved closer and squeezed his hand he knew that wasn’t the case. Mack cared about him; he knew it was true, he could feel it. He could feel it in everything they did together; he could see it in her eyes. Mack cared about him but…she needed to be sure. That was it, she wanted to be sure and so did Alex. He wanted to be sure he wasn’t just being a fool. He wasn’t. He wasn’t, he was sure. He wasn’t a fool. He loved her. Alex’s mind went spinning and when he opened his mouth he didn’t have time for more then a short breath before he just went at it. “Mackenzie Holden, you’ve changed my world. You’ve flipped me upside down and completely changed my way of thinking. You’ve become everything to me. You want reasons, Mackenzie? You want me to find reasons to explain how I know that I’m completely in love with you with every fiber of my being? I can’t give you one two three reasons Mackenzie. I can’t narrow it down like that. There are so many reasons I’d love to tell you; so many things I know that just…scream it at me. How about the way I feel when I have you in my arms? How about the feeling I get when we kiss? What about the way that you can make my heart pound and then stop suddenly with a touch or a kiss or a word? Or maybe I’ll tell you that sometimes at night I’ll wake up and then I’ll just lie awake all night trying to figure out what you dream about. How I wonder if you dream about me like I dream about you? Or maybe it’s my dreams. The way I have dreams of just being with you? How I have dreams about…about telling you that I am so in love with you Mackenzie Holden…and how I’ve never met a girl in my life that’s made me feel the way you do. I know I love you. Reasons? I can’t give you one two three reasons…but if you wanna give me the chance? I don’t doubt for a second that I could spend forever telling you reasons why I know I love you.”

[Mackenzie Holden]

Mack watched Alex intently as she waited for him to respond. She knew she could have made things so much easier for the both of them by simply telling him that she had fallen in love with him, too. And although it wasn’t a question of whether or not she loved him back it was just Mack needing to be sure that Alex wasn’t going to turn around and break her heart. She knew, deep down, that Alex wouldn’t do that at all. But Mack hated pain and the worst kind of pain was heartbreak. She had been so torn up over Jack and she hadn’t loved him at all. She could only have nightmares about how bad it would hurt if Alex broke her heart. But as said before, Mack knew he wouldn’t ever do that. There was still a part of her that was afraid. Could you blame her, though? It’s never easy to give someone your heart completely, because it’s so breakable – so easily shattered – and Mack wasn’t one for pain. She had had enough of it over the years. This was why Mack had asked Alex for reasons and was regretting doing it immensely. What if he got the wrong idea from her questions? What if he just decided he didn’t want to have to deal with it? Ugh, Mack couldn’t bear that thought. She was nothing without Alex Promise.

After she had taken a step closer to him, Mack didn’t loosen her hold on his hand. If she had a free hand, Mack would have been running her fingers through his hair comfortingly. She knew it took a lot of courage to tell her that he had fallen in love with her – and she wanted to show him that she wasn’t going to run from him. No, that was the last thing on her mind. Alex had started speaking and Mack kept her eyes locked on his. With each word he spoke, Mack’s heart sped up. It wasn’t a new feeling, because her heart never had a consistent beat when she was around Alex. She loved the feeling, though, and she knew she’d always get it when she was with him. She hung onto Alex’s every word as he continued to speak. When he was finished, Mack stared at him a moment. She knew he was probably growing anxious as he waited for a response; and she’d give him one – once her head stopped spinning. Finally, Mack’s world stopped flying around her and she started to speak in a small whisper; “Good answer…” and with that she leaned a bit to kiss him softly. It was a simple kiss, but like all their other kisses – it held so much behind it. Their lips always fit so perfectly together and Mack couldn’t ever get over it. Two halves of a whole.

Mack broke the kiss and looked at Alex, finally taking her hand from his – she ran it through his hair. It was something that she did often enough. She loved the feel of his hair in her hand, she loved to twirl it around her fingers. Mack just loved Alex’s hair. She had told him that often enough for him to know that she really did love to have her hands in his hair, “Do you think you’d have enough reasons to last forever, Alex?” her smile brightened as she rested her hand on his shoulder, “Because you being in love with me is reason enough to be with you forever. The fact that I’m completely head over heels in love with you, Alex, just makes it that much better.” She stared him in the eye- barely aware of the humming daffodil now and kept his gaze before continuing in a soft tone; “I’m so totally in love with you, Alexander Promise, and I’m euphoric that you feel the same way. I don’t want to say it’s felt like something’s been missing, but in a way it has…this….saying I love you – it’s what makes the difference between falling asleep with each other and falling asleep together. It’s the difference between saying goodbye and saying see you later. I love you, Alex, I have since the train ride.” Mack stepped even closer to him, going over her words in her head, and then laughed a bit; “I sound like a cliché muggle movie.” She told him with a smirk.

[Alexander Promise R7]

Promise finished talking and took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment. He was unbelievably light-headed; probably from not having oxygen for the entirety of his last…well…monologue. He had talked himself silly, gotten out every single bit of thought on the subject that his tongue would allow without getting all twisted up and causing him to stutter. He was surprised he didn’t stutter. Occasionally, when Promise got over excited about something, he had a tendency to stutter. If he was thinking too fast for his mouth it just…didn’t go over very well. He could remember a conversation with his sister he had had once (she had dragged him out of the room with Mack, and he was, obviously, eager to get back in it) ‘What do you want for dinner, Alex?’ Ummm…I want c...c…c….pizza. More often then not that’s how it went. The consonant that came out of his mouth had absolutely nothing to do with the word he was trying to say. His family got a hoot out of it; luckily, Mackenzie liked to tell him it was cute. Mack liked to tell him a lot of what he did was cute. When Alex opened his eyes again, it was because Mack had whispered to him and suddenly, the lips Alex knew so well were on his. Happily, he kissed her back. Kissing Mack was something he would never say no to. He absolutely loved it, and just a simple kiss could ease his shaking hands. For, his hands were shaking rather rapidly.

He opened his eyes again once the kiss was finished and smiled softly as he looked back at Mack. When her hand moved to his hair all his shaking ceased and he felt calm. Of course his heart was still pounding, but her kiss and her touch defiantly eased his shaking. He could now stand without feeling like his legs would give way under him. This was strange for Alex, seeing as he had never before been so nervous. No one could make him as nervous as Mackenzie Holden. No one on the face of the planet. She was the only one that meant that much, that mattered that much. The only one he cared about enough to let them get to him. To let them inside him to the point where he knew they could rip him apart if they felt like it. Mack though…no, she would never rip him apart. Never in a million years. He trusted her, he trusted her with every thing. He trusted her with his heart. As easy as it would be for him to break hers, it would be just as easy for her to break his. A heart was a heart, male or female. All hearts were the same and all were just as fragile. Alex would never break Mack’s, and he knew that she would never break his. He could feel it. Alex smiled softly at the next words out of Mack’s mouth and he felt his whole body warm up as her hand rested on her shoulder. He listened to her, not wanting to interrupt her as she went.

She loved him. There it was. The words he was looking for. She was so totally in love with him and she had been, she had been since the train. Alex smiled as she stepped closer to him and easily wrapped his now free arm around her waist, holding her tight to him. He laughed with her as she finished her thought and then shook his head just slightly, speaking softly. Alex liked to speak softly when he and Mack were together. It made things more private. It made him feel like it was just the two of them. Often times it was – he had a habit of whispering and speaking softly in bed at night. But now, surrounded by the busy street, he wanted to be quiet even more so then usual. “Mackenzie, you sound perfect. You sound like the girl of my dreams. And just so you know…” He smirked too. “I’ve seen, and enjoyed my fair share of cliché muggle movies. I’m quite a fan of chick flicks.” With that, he kissed her forehead and let his lips linger before kissing his way down onto her nose, and finally to her lips. When he pulled back, it was like starting a whole new day with the love of his life. For now, she was officially, the love of his life. “How about we go get you some ice cream, eh honey?” He smiled and moved to wrap his arms around her waist from behind, moving them through the crowd as he leaned over her shoulder and whispered in her ear the words he knew he would never tire of saying; “I love you, Mackenzie Holden.”