Title: Hopefully Not Too Late
Author: Kuroi Neko-kun
Pairings: Mac/Don
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own them but I want them. Give me Danny. I'd take it.
Series: 1) Over
A/N: Ha! Finally figured out what's missing. Mac's feeling about the whole thing. By the way, Yellowcard's 'Only One' is my inspiration. I just love that song.
Summary: Mac finally realizes how he really feels about Flack. But is it too late?


***

It felt like nothing ever happened as everything reverted back to what it was. I sat in my office, thinking about Flack's –Don's- outburst the day before. It was surreal. I thought of all people, he would understand what no strings attached meant. When he told me that it was over, I just couldn't believe it. He'd end it because he wanted to stay away from me, to get over me… I think we did take things too far with this fling. I knew I needed him, like food and water. But when he asked me out for dinner, I freaked. I couldn't handle the fact that what we had could turn into much more. I refused and set him straight. But he confessed to me, a last resort for me to wake up, I just stood there still trying to comprehend his words but it was as clear as he could give it to me.

"I'm in love with you, Mac!" Those words resounded in my head. I closed my eyes, replaying the scene in my head. He said he was going but he stood there for five minutes before shrugging. He looked defeated, like he lost. I watched him walk away and I didn't realize that I was crying until I tasted my salty tears. Maybe that's why I stood there like a complete idiot. I didn't know what to do because it's been too long.

For two weeks now, I hadn't seen Flack. Usually, I was the first on his list to call when there was a DB but now most of them were other detectives, female detectives to be precise, that called me. When I asked them about Detective Flack, they usually answer the same thing.

"He's working with another CSI right now." That came with a name: Aiden, Danny, Stella or the swing shift team. But lately, it had been Danny, Danny, Danny… That switched on my alarm sirens. Flack had been working with Danny a lot more. Maybe Flack needed to be closer to his friend. I know Danny and Flack would shot hoops on Saturdays. Maybe all he needed was someone to talk to and Danny, though not my favorite, was a logical choice. I stuck with that angle and stubbornly refused to look at it any other way. That was until I reached the basement parking lot of the CSI building. It had been a long and tiring day and Stella had to bop me in the head (literally) to get me home. That usually meant she was already blowing her steam and I have to get home. I was walking to my car when I saw Danny's choice of vehicle still there despite the fact that the man had left three hours ago. Finding that strange, I decided to walk over to the car when I saw what was happening inside it. Danny was in the backseat with Flack on top of him and they were, to put it subtly, barely dressed. Their lips were glued and neither of them was relenting to breathe. I could imagine the look on my face as my eyes went wide. My heart wrenched so hard, I thought I would faint right there. I swallowed, though it threatened to fail miserably. I was about to turn away when the both of them saw me. Danny looked like a deer caught in the headlights and motioned to straighten up but Flack, pinning him down, didn't. He looked at me with a look that I couldn't comprehend but the message was clear. He wanted me to see this. I took a breath, fought the pain in my chest and walked away.

So instead of drowning in self-pity over the fact that Flack was moving on, guess what I decided to do? Return to my office and look over cold cases that I might find a lead on, just to occupy myself. I found it hard to concentrate because my head was playing back a loop of the scene I caught earlier. Maybe I should have done something like open the car door, grab Flack by the shoulders and drag him out. Then put Danny through transfer for night shift just for revenge. I sighed. That was probably what he wanted me to do. Frustrated, I tossed the file I was reading aside and slammed my head on the table, knowing that it would bruise. Why am I acting like this? Why does it hurt when I saw what I saw? I know that I'm probably not exclusive to Flack that time either… Was I? All in all, he was all I needed to rid of the loneliness. Maybe there was something more than just a night a week. Maybe I could get used to Flack –Don- being around me. But he's moving on… and there's nothing I can do about it.

Shift just started and I was nursing the bump on my head with an icepack when someone knocked at my door. Great… I don't need Stella hounding at me for not listening to her and go home. I already pushed anger buttons when she hit me on the head with a file just to get me home.

"I don't need a lecture, Stella, go away," I muttered.

"I'm not Stella, Mac," I heard a familiar male voice say," And I'm in no position to lecture you." I turned and looked at Danny who was giving me the guilty look. I placed the icepack down and stood up.

"What is it, Danny?" I said with some restraint in my voice.

"Um… About what you saw in my car… Um, me and Flack…" he was looking at the floor, obviously embarrassed about the whole situation. He probably doesn't know about my history with Don at all.

"What you do in your own time in none of my business, Danny," I said, giving him some reassurance. He looked relieved before smiling at me. I avoided his eyes, trying to look interested at a file. "But I suggest your bedroom next time because it's not really a nice sight to see my CSI and a New York detective performing automobile Karma Sutra." Oh who am I kidding? I'd probably do the same thing with Don. Danny appreciated the humor and gave me a 'thanks, Mac' before heading out. As soon as he left, I closed the door to my office and picked up my icepack. Five minutes later, the door opened and I turned, seeing Flack at my door.

"What happened to you?" he asked, frowning at the icepack.

"I hit my head on my table," I said truthfully. He gave me a look before coming into my office. I instinctively walked back to my desk, sitting on my chair and leaned back while still holding the pack on my head. He noticed that I was distancing myself from him and stood at the other end of the desk. His blue eyes fixed on me.

"How did that happen?" he asked casually. I tried to smile but it didn't quite make it. The image of him and Danny flashed in my head.

"I fell asleep while reading a case file," I offered as explanation.

"Well, you better put the pack properly or you'll worsen the swelling." As he said that, he came over to my side and grabbed the pack before gently placing it down on my head. I finally smiled.

"For a minute there I thought you'd slap it on my head," I said. He gave me a small smile before grabbing my hand and placed it on the pack.

"Just sit still for five minutes," he said," Can you do that, Mac?"

"Don't doubt me, Don," I said casually. And he stood here, completely stunned at what I said. I gave him a look and said, "What?"

"Did you just call me what I thought you called me?" Oh… Don. That's right. Only in my head I called him Don.

"Yeah, I called you Don."

"Why?"

"Because it's your name and I'd like to call you that from now on," I pointed out. He shrugged before looking out the window of my office.

"Sure," he mumbled. There was a small silence before I decided to bring something else up.

"So, you and Danny?" He turned to me and gave me the same look. "Congrats."

"Well, I'm not really in a relationship with him," he said. Those words made my heart leap. "But Danny's open for it." And my heart crashed onto the floor. I sighed.

"So are you into it?"

"A relationship, yeah… But not with Danny. And he knows it."

"Does he know about us?" He let out a sigh before scratching the back of his head.

"When I needed someone to talk to…" he trailed off. So Danny's just a release? Okay, now I get it. Maybe I should just ask him out or something. Before I could open my mouth, both our phones rang. He took out his and saw the message.

"Duty calls, Mac."

"Don," I called out. He stopped and looked at me. Say it, Mac. Say it.

"Yeah?"

"Take care," I finally said. He nodded before pointing to my pack.

"You too and no more table head banging," he said, smirking. I smiled.

"I won't Don." I sighed before mentally kicking myself.

I found Danny in the locker room when I was planning to end my day in the lab. I needed to talk to him. Maybe I could get some clues to what to do with this. He was packing up his bag when I came in.

"Hey Mac," he said.

"I need to talk to you, Danny," I said, giving him a look. He looked at me and sat down. I sat beside his bag.

"It's about Flack," he started.

"How did you know?"

"Flack's been talking to me and he's been… seeking comfort." Danny's voice faltered when he said the last two words. It was like he was disappointed.

"Danny, I'm sorry to put you in the middle," I said, pitying the young man. He gave me a small smile before shaking his head.

"It's hard on him, you know. He said he wants to get over it but he can't and he keeps on telling me he will… soon," Danny looked at me," He won't. But he's starting to get there."

"Get there? Over me?"

"Yeah, Mac. You better do something before its too late," he said gravely. Do something? How? I don't know Don like you do, Danny!

"Like what?"

"Go over his place, tell him how you really feel and wait for him to respond," he said, shrugging. He stopped for a moment and looked at me. "You do have feelings about him right?"

"I'm not completely sure," I said truthfully. Danny gave me a look.

"Be sure now," he said. I looked at Danny with the most bewildered look I could muster. It was in his eyes when I realized what he meant.

"Danny… Are you…?" Before I could even continue, he cut through my sentence.

"Look, Mac. I just want the best for him," he said," And sadly, it isn't me." Oh god, this was definitely something I didn't know. Danny's love for him was so great that he was willing to sacrifice for him… for me. Maybe I should get my head out of my ass and look ahead. I sighed before looking at him.

"For Don, for you," I said before murmuring," Hopefully, not too late."

I stood outside his apartment the very one I mauled him months ago and started this whole charade, and froze. I really don't understand why I was doing this but to me it made sense. What Danny said made sense. I sighed before knocking at his door and waited. After a few minutes, I knocked again. The door opened, revealing a half naked Don Flack looking like he wasn't planning on company.

"Mac? What are you doing here?" I strained to her for any noises in the house but I only heard the television.

"Is this a bad time?" I asked. He shook his head before inviting me in. I did and looked around. Don's apartment wasn't a mess but his clothes were strewn about in his living room. He smiled embarrassedly.

"Sorry, didn't have time…" He moved to pick up his clothes but I grabbed his arm, out of instinct.

"It's okay, Don," I said, letting go of his arm," I just need to talk to you for a minute."

"Okay, Mac…"

"I've never been fair on the situation I put you in," I started," And I came to realize that maybe I should have said something to you when you told me how you felt about me." Don was now looking at me like he didn't understand.

"Like what, Mac?"

"I love you too," I blurted out. I could hear his breath hitch for a second before he gave me a look of suspicion. Now I know how the guys interrogated by Don Flack felt like.

"Did Danny put you up to this?" he asked.

"No, he didn't. I had a talk with him but he didn't put me up to this." I knew I was strangely calm when my heart is beating fast. I took a breath and leaned over to kiss him. I pressed my lips against his before slowly breaking away.

"Don't leave me, Don," I whispered in his ear.

"Why?" he whispered back.

"Because I'm falling in love with you, Don," I finally said, pulling him closer into my arms. I held him, suddenly fearing to let him go. Because I feared he would slip away… Don might just shove me out the door. I felt a pair of arms embracing me.

"Mac?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you like to have dinner with me?" I looked at him and smiled.

"I was about to ask you the same thing, Don." He smiled back before softly kissing my lips.

"Thank you," he said.

"For what?" I looked at him confused.

"Giving me a chance."

"Don, I should be thanking you for being there for me when I needed you. Now, I need you more than anything in the world," I said. I felt him touching my face, wiping a tear that I didn't realize that had fallen. He brushed them away and kissed my lips again and I knew that I was in love with Don Flack. I thanked my stars that I wasn't too late.

Fin