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5bi5 · 4 years

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Sometimes it pains me to see people being so confident that their gay ships will become canon and being like “Anyone who denies that this is going to be canon is either blind or homophobic!”

Like, people really thought Johnlock was going to be canon back in the day, too, or Destiel – and not in the wishy washy way that it was “made canon” by Cas saying “I love you” because that’s not the same as them being in a relationship, it’s not even technically explicitly romantic. Trobed, MacDennis, Turk/JD, Spangel, Sterek, Stucky, Poe/Finn – there are gay ships for every show, and how much people actually believed they were going to be canon varied, but writers and creators have certainly been aware of this for at least a decade or two.

And it’s not like any of this was completely random or unfounded. There’s this list of points for any gay ship: A) If this were a man and a women instead of two men or two women, everyone would read their story as romantic, and it would definitely be canon. B) The show acknowledges the ship by having other characters, or even the shipped characters themselves, joke about how they’re “basically gay” or “basically dating”. C) The show will often even explicitly compare them to a couple by pairing them with another couple, having them be mistaken for a couple, or having them play out couple-specific tropes, and all of these things, when done with a m/f pairing, are usually used to set them up as the obvious couple of the show. D) The experiences that these characters go through on screen directly mirror the experiences and struggles of many queer people, and if the relationship was canonized, it would help tell an important story.

And people would analyze things, of course, and try and come up with evidence. It’s easy enough to say, “Oh, well Troy being in the closer about dancing is an allegory for him being in the closet about liking men,” or “Mac is the only one who gave Dennis a real Valentine’s Day present because they’re the only pairing with any real romantic chemistry” or “John and Sherlock basically operate as a couple to the point where everyone around them thinks they’re a couple, why would they do that if they didn’t have some feelings for each other?”, and often this will be bolstered by the actors going “Oh yeah, this character absolutely could be gay, I was actually playing them like they were in love”, and then people would believe that their ships had a chance of being real.

But here’s the thing that’s tough to stomach: Cishet people don’t necessarily think about queerness the way that queer people think about queerness. Even if they’re not consciously homophobic, even if they’re actively trying to be allies, queerness will always be an inherent “other” to them, and because of the way that most people were brought up to talk about it, it will most likely always be a joke, even if it’s unintentional. Where you, as a queer person, look at a character and go “Oh, they’re facing the exact same things I did, I relate to them so much, this is a common experience of queer people, this character should be queer,”, a cishet person doesn’t have that experience to draw from. Where you look at a moment between two male characters that’s a pastiche of a romance and go “Well, this is set up like a romance, so therefore it’s probably romantic,”, the creators of that scene might not interpret it that way because to them queer romance isn’t automatically an option. It’s a joke; it’s set up like a romance, but it’s two straight guys, so it’s obviously not a romance. For a queer person, queerness is an inherent part of how they view the world; for a cishet person, it may be something they actively have to think about or be clued into before they can see it.

So when people say things like “Oh, x ship probably isn’t going to become canon,” it’s not because they don’t see the chemistry, or they’re homophobic, or they’re trying to knock you for having ships, or there’s some piece of evidence you haven’t provided them. It’s just that once you’ve seen three or five or ten gay ships get teased for years but only ever as a joke, you stop believing that new characters on new shows are going to have the ending you think they should have. It gets tiring, watching your identity be constantly thrown aside. It’s hard to keep investing yourself in things and being hopeful that, oh, maybe this time, they’ll get it right.

#gay #queer #community #trobed #iasip #Macdennis #Sherlock #supernatural #scrubs #teen wolf #btvs #buffy the vampire slayer

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rackhamjack · 6 years

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OKAY so i have a sudden macdennis thot yet again

sunny's ‘anti-sitcom' concept usually doesn’t allow its main characters to show raw emotions of sadness or grief. like yeah, Cricket, for example, or Bill Ponderosa are allowed to be sad and broken, but MAIN 5 usually has like no genuine emotions of sadness or pain going on on screen. sure they can laugh and have fun in general or constantly screaming at each other, but when shit goes down their only reactions are usually either anger and panic or frustration and confusion. no tears, no sad eyes or grief-driven meltdowns.

like for example, when it’s hinted that Mac's parents don't love him, Mac usually looks like he's in complete denial or is just generally confused by it. but he's 100% sad and we as the audience are aware of that. but Mac's sadness is unseen and is happening not on the screen but somewhere deep down in his heart. just like with Dee (she’s always angry instead of being sad or whenever she’s sad it’s always for the comedy’s sake (’the gang broke Dee’), Charlie (even when he should feel broken he’s just ‘well ok lol’) and Dennis (he’s... you know). in sunny we just don't see the process of the main characters' sadness or its (traditional for the other pieces of media) outcome. sure, Charlie cried once when The Waitress called him out but... Charlie/The Waitress is just aint it and we all know this relationship is fucked up and was doomed to fail from the start because of the obvious reasons. i mean macdennis is fucked up too but The Waitress/Charlie thing is just on another level of fucked up. ANYWAYS

the only exception i can think of is Dennis' breakdown in ‘tends bar’ and ya'll remember how SUDDEN and out of place (yet it felt really really fucking organic) it was for the fanbase because sunny in general is just not like That.

back to the point. usually we don't see Mac's genuine reaction to Dennis' rejection ('it's never gonna happen' thing, 'you're my inspiration' moment in ‘flowers for charlie’, rejected kiss in ‘the gang recycles their trash’, ‘ptsdee’s thing, the WHOLE thing in ‘DDL’, etc.) Mac's usually like 'yeah... ok' or like 'oh' or has like no reaction to it at all. in ‘suburbs’ his sadness is viewed more as a frustration and is played for the comical effect. same with ‘dines out’ when Mac's hurt by Dennis' overall coldness. oh, and let's not forget the cute moment in ‘being frank’ when Mac's sad because he thinks Dennis hates him. but at the end of the day all three of these moments were there for us to laugh, laugh at closeted Mac's dependence on his best friend with whom he’s clearly in love but has no idea yet because he’s... well... closeted.

but with Mac being out and openly in love with Dennis... you know, at this point there is only two possible ways for rcg to handle the situation: Mac's emotions from the constant rejection have to be either 1) finally spilled out on screen or 2) just buried deep down just like it happens every time in sunny til the show ends. and yes, the second scenario = rip canon macdennis. and i was pretty positive that it would stay the second way until this:

(while the gang’s loling (as usual) mac’s like... he’s genuinely fucking... confused and sad. look at HIM)

(the contrast of the gang being like ‘lmao’ and mac being really really SAD. I MEAN look at the fucker right there. this man is in real fucking PAIN. these are raw emotions, visible feelings of a sad man who is in pain because of the unfortunate love and admiration he has for his idiot best friend. ALSO his ‘sad’ voice isn’t comically exaggerated this time which is also important! and notice how there’s no music playing in the background. the whole scene (even tho it’s short and kinda subtle) was supposed to be genuinely emotional.

*Dee's voice* MY GOD

so my point is: no matter what y’all think, rcg treat Mac's feelings for Dennis seriously and not just as a joke because: 1) we’ve actually started to SEE outed Mac's emotions of sadness/pain towards Dennis’ specific actions and words (while the rest of the gang’s inner issues are not being visible for the audience (practically) at all) and 2) this whole ‘aggressively hating on my best friend who is in love with me’ gag is not funny anymore with Mac being out. and as we all know rcg invented gay rights and they will never do us gays dirty.

in conclusion: macdennis is gonna happen.

#iasip #iasip meta #macdennis #it's always sunny in philadelphia #take a shot every time you see the word 'sad'#sophia speaks

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borderlinedennisr · 7 years

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macdennis, it’s summer. the a/c is broken. den has strep/tonsillitis and is uncomfy and whiny

(what up my friends i was cursed with a nasty bout of tonsillitis last june and it has returned!!!! so naturally, i’m transferring my pain onto dennis)

It’s absurdly hot in Philly for early June. It’s upwards of ninety degrees and the humidity is a solid forty percent. The bar would be the perfect cool, dry sanctuary, but unfortunately a burst pipe has flooded the place. A crew is currently draining the water, and then a second crew is coming to assess damage and future protection.

After the pool fiasco of 2010, as well as the 2016 bloodbath at the water park, Dennis has been turned off of any public or private pool. Instead, he’s elected to stay inside the apartment. And that would be all fine and dandy if their A/C hadn’t just completely shit on them. Mac is god knows where with Charlie, and Dennis has called him five times now. When he is once again greeted with Mac’s voicemail, Dennis calmly sets down his phone and then screams at the top of his lungs.

The effort strains his throat and he coughs a little. The pain makes him whimper and he rubs at his throat gingerly. Last night he swallowed one of his pills weird and it’s been sore ever since. He told Mac something was wrong, and the jerk hadn’t believed him. Well, when Mac finally answers his goddamned phone and comes back home, Dennis is gonna make him check and make sure the pill hadn’t lodged somewhere and damaged something.

Growling, Dennis picks up his phone and dials Mac’s number again. Thankfully, the line is picked up, but all Dennis can hear is crackling. He pulls the phone from his ear, checks the screen, and then puts it back.

“Mac?”

A loud clicking noise comes through the line. Mac’s voice comes next, unclear and far away. “Dennis?”

Dennis plugs his unoccupied ear with his finger. “Dude, what the hell? Where are you?”

“Oh. Well, Charlie and I were gonna hit up Macy’s just so we could try out the beds and shit, right? But when we get there - ”

“Nevermind,” Dennis says impatiently. “Look, the air conditioning broke, and I need you to come home and help me fix it.”

“Aww, dude, really? Because Charlie and I - ”

“I don’t care, Mac,” Dennis snaps. “Look, just help me fix it and you can go right back out with Charlie. You fixed it last time, just - I’m sure it’s the same thing.”

There’s another loud clicking noise. “Alright, dude,” Mac says. “I’ll be home in a sec.”

Dennis hangs up and it takes a minute for his irritation to subside. When he can finally breathe slowly again, he gets up from the couch and heads into the kitchen for a glass of water. This heat is brutal. After filling a glass with ice, Dennis takes a solid amount of time to shove his face into the freezer. When it’s no longer soothing he closes the door shut sadly and runs the tap. The water is good for the feeling of being trapped in a toaster oven, but swallowing hurts.

“Fuck,” Dennis mutters. What the hell did he do to his throat? The pills aren’t that goddamn big.

He’s halfway to the bathroom to inspect the problem when Mac enters the apartment. Wet.

“Dude,” Dennis says.

Mac grins. “We jumped into the fountain at the park.”

Dennis closes his eyes, burning with impatience. “Whatever. Just help me with the air conditioning, okay?”

Mac nods, but meets Dennis’ eyes with a frown. “Dude, you alright? You sound stuffed up.”

Dennis blinks. Now that Mac mentions it, he realizes there is in fact a pressure in his sinuses. He can’t really breathe through his nose, which is why he’s been breathing through his mouth, no doubt irritating his throat more. Dennis’ sniffs, but nothing budges. He is really fucking stuffed up. Weird.

“Aww,” Mac coos. “Why didn’t you tell me you were sick, bro?”

Dennis clears his throat, which is hurting more by the minute. “I was so focused on the heat and the air conditioning, I didn’t notice. I mean, my throat hurt but I thought it was because I swallowed that pill weird last night.”

Mac approaches him carefully. He presses one hand against Dennis’ neck and the other on his forehead. He frowns. “I can’t tell if you’re warm from the heat or if you’ve got a fever.”

Dennis shrugs him off. “It doesn’t matter. I’m okay. Let’s just fix the air conditioning and deal with this later.”

“I’m fixing the air conditioning, and then I’m putting your ass to bed,” Mac promises as he follows Dennis to the wall unit.

Dennis rolls his eyes, but secretly he’s glad to have Mac back home. He might actually be sick, and he’d rather have Mac around than be miserable alone. If he’s being honest, he usually craves Mac’s company desperately when he’s sick anyway.

“Alright, what’s the problem?” Mac asks, surveying the unit.

“I don’t know,” Dennis admits. “I’ll push all the buttons or twist a dial, but the air doesn’t come out. Maybe it’s blocked up?”

Mac nods, but Dennis gets the distinct feeling that he’s not really listening. “Right,” he says. “Do we have a screwdriver?”

“For what?” Dennis asks.

Mac taps the front of the A/C unit. “So I can pop this front part off.”

Dennis grinds his teeth together. “Mac, it just pops off and on. Get your nail in there.”

“Where?”

“Oh for Christ’s sake!” Dennis bulldozes in front of him and pulls the front off. He sets it down on the floor and steps out of the way.

Mac squares up against the exposed unit, looking at intently. He pokes around a bit, humming to himself. After a moment he steps back and says, “Just as I thought.”

“What?” Dennis asks.

“I have no idea what the fuck’s wrong with it,” Mac says.

Dennis throws his head back, feeling entirely overwhelmed. The room feels ten times hotter and hits throat seems to pulsate with pain. He lets out a small whimper and grabs the front of his neck.

“Den?” Mac asks. “What’s wrong?” He approaches Dennis carefully and lays a gentle hand on Dennis’ shoulder. “Talk to me, Den.”

“It’s so hot,” Dennis whines. “And I feel gross. And I think you’re right about me being sick.” He coughs in an attempt to lessen pain. “My throat hurts so bad.”

Mac’s hand moves up to cup Dennis’ face. Dennis leans into the touch unabashedly.

“We have some box fans,” Mac says. “Let me get them out and we can set them up. Why don’t you go change into some pajamas. Do you want me to make up a bed on the couch for you?”

Dennis nods. He’s frowning, and Mac is struck with the urge to kiss it away. He lets his hand drop from Dennis’ face instead and walks away.

There are two box fans in the bedroom that Mac has set up as ‘the gym.’ He hauls both of them out and sets them in the living room, facing the couch. He turns them up to the highest RPM they’ll go and lets them be.

Dennis is already changed when Mac enters their room. Together, they carry all the pillows and the comforter out to the living room. Mac fluffs up the pillows before Dennis lays down, and then covers him carefully with the comforter. He fidgets around at first, unsatisfied until he shoots one foot out from under the blanket.

“’S'hot,” he mutters.

Mac pouts. “Do you need anything right now, man?”

Dennis squints up at him. “Tylenol?”

“Got it,” Mac says, and he disappears into the kitchen. He grabs the Tylenol from the cupboard and fills up a glass with ice water. When he returns, he finds Dennis with his eyes closed, expression pinched. “Den?”

He opens his eyes slowly. “This really fucking hurts,” he says, and is interrupted by several dry coughs. “What the fuck.”

Mac sets the bottle of pills and glass of water on the table. He gives Dennis a little nudge and settles himself at Dennis’ side on the couch. Without warning, he presses his fingers on either side of Dennis’ neck, feeling his glands. They’re super swollen.

“Dude, your lymph nodes feel like rocks. How did you not notice this?”

Dennis moans. “I’m noticing it now.” He coughs again, and it sounds painful.

“Will you let me look at your throat?” Mac asks.

“Go for it,” Dennis mumbles.

Mac pulls out his phone and turns the flashlight on. “Open up.” Dennis does, and Mac leans down to get a closer look. He has to move his phone around until he gets good enough light, and when he sees the state of Dennis’ throat he winces. “Jesus, are those your tonsils?”

Dennis’ eyes go wide. “What?” he asks, but it comes out like, “Aaaagh?”

“They’re fucking huge, Dennis. And they’re covered in white shit. Dude, doesn’t that mean you have strep? Shit, we gotta get you to a doctor.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Dennis says. “Calm down, Mac. Listen - ” He breaks off to cough, and the fit hits him hard. “Nevermind,” he croaks. “Yeah. Doctor sounds good.”

He tries to get up, but Mac puts a hand on his chest. “Take it easy for a second. I’m gonna get us a ride so we don’t have to crowd onto the bus in this heat.” He dials Dee’s number.

“What do you want, Mac?” Dee huffs as soon as she answers.

“Dennis and I need a ride to the clinic. He’s sick, and I’m pretty sure it’s strep.”

“Hell, no,” Dee says without missing a beat.

Mac swears under his breath. “I don’t want to have to do this, Dee, but - I know you and Charlie have been fucking. If you give us a ride, then I won’t tell Frank and Dennis.”

“Oh, goddamnit,” Dee mutters over the line. “Fine. I’ll be there in a minute.”

Mac hangs up, smiling maniacally.

“Charlie and Dee are fucking?” Dennis asks, coughing weakly.

Mac nods. “Don’t say anything.”

Dennis grins. “Of course not.”

Dee arrives, and Dennis lumbers downstairs in his plaid pajama pants and Adidas sneakers. That’s how Mac knows he’s really not feeling well. Healthy Dennis would never be caught dead in public in ratty pajama pants. He works too hard to maintain his low-brow, yet tasteful fashion sense.

Mac joins Dennis in the backseat, which of course elicits a snide remark from Dee about how gay they are. Mac claps back with, “I’ve been out for months now, Dee. This is not news.” Dennis doesn’t even bat an eyelash.

Thankfully, the clinic isn’t too busy. Just a few people, no doubt trying to recover from heatstroke. Dennis sits under the air conditioning and shivers. After Mac checks them in, he waltzes over to Dennis with a frown. He grabs Dennis’ face again and presses the back of his hand to Dennis’ cheek, then forehead, then his other check.

“Yeah, so now I can tell you definitely have a fever.”

“No shit,” Dennis mumbles. “It’s fucking freezing in here.”

“I’d offer you a sweatshirt if I were wearing one,” Mac says as he settles in the seat next to Dennis. “But we’re in the middle of a heat wave, so you’re SOL.”

Dennis scowls at him and wraps his arms around himself.

They end up waiting a really fucking long time, which Dennis supposes is irony at its finest. He wanted to get out of the heat so badly, and now he is, but he’s cold as shit. This fever is really kicking his ass. Some time after the first twenty minutes, Dennis leans his head on Mac’s shoulder. Mac lets him be for a moment, but eventually he’s shuffling Dennis awake.

“’S going on?” Dennis slurs.

“We’re still waiting, but we’re like - we’re on a bench thingy dude.” It’s true, it’s kind of like three chairs stuffed together without armrests in the middle of them. Dennis wonders if they’re only manufactured for waiting rooms. “If you wanna lay your head in my lap and get comfortable, go ahead.”

With zero hesitation, Dennis lowers himself down, resting his head in Mac’s lap and curling up his body so he fits on the other two seats. Mac’s fingers brush across his hot forehead and he lets out a soft, involuntary noise. He drifts off again as Mac plays with his hair.

Roughly an hour after they arrive, Dennis is finally escorted back to an empty room. Mac helps him clim on top of the bed where he sits, bleary and impatient. The nurse asks him about his symptoms and he mutters something like, “Sore throat. Fucking hurts. And I’m cold,” before Mac takes over.

“I looked at his throat back home, and excuse my language, but it was fucking nasty. Look for yourself. Also, he’s real stuffed up, and he’s running a fever.”

The nurse nods before confirming all the knowledge herself. With a swipe of her fancy thermometer she confirms that Dennis has a high-grade fever. She checks his glands too, clicking her tongue when she feels how swollen they are.

“Right?” Mac says. “They feel like rocks.”

Finally, she shines a light down his throat. She squints, and then makes another noise of disapproval. “Certainly looks like something bacterial. Although it’s concentrated in his tonsils, so likely tonsillitis. I’ll administer a strep test.”

She leaves the room for a second and Mac stands up. He positions himself in front of Dennis, who looks absolutely miserable. As soon as Mac’s close enough, Dennis buries his face in Mac’s chest and moans. Mac pouts and rests a hand on Dennis’ bicep.

“How you holding up, dude?”

“This sucks,” Dennis says, voice muffled by Mac’s shirt. “I feel like absolute shit. It all hit me in the last hour.”

“Aww, it’s alright, Den,” Mac soothes. “We’ll get out of here soon and then you can sleep in our hot, humid apartment.”

“Fuck off,” Dennis mutters. He’s quiet for a moment and then he asks, “Do we at least have ice cream?”

Mac laughs. “I don’t think so, man. Life fucking sucks for you right now, doesn’t it?”

Dennis groans again, but it sounds more like a growl. “Ow,” he says afterward, quiet, face still smushed into Mac’s pecs. “My throat hurts, Mac.”

“I know, Den. I know.”

The door clicks open and the nurse enters with supplies. Mac steps back, but keeps a hand on Dennis’ upper arm.

“Have you received a strep test before?” The nurse asks. Dennis nods. “Alright, then I won’t give you the whole spiel. Just open up for me.”

Dennis opens his mouth calmly, but his hand comes up to grab Mac’s. Mac squeezes his hand in reassurance. The test is over in a second, and Dennis is left coughing. They sound deep and sharp, and Mac winces. Without even thinking about it, he press his hand to Dennis’ back. Dennis waves a hand at him, which Mac catches and holds.

“I’m fine,” Dennis insists. Although he lets out a few more nasty coughs before he’s finished.

“Alright,” the nurse says. “This test will be ready in ten minutes. I’ll be back shortly with the proper diagnosis and treatment.”

“Thank you,” Mac says with a nod as she leaves the room again.

Dennis sags tremendously, sniffling. His breath is a little ragged as he recovers from the coughing fit, and his jaw is clenched tightly. Mac knows he must really be in pain. He rubs a few circles in Dennis’ back.

“Why don’t you lay down?” he suggests.

Dennis nods feebly before shifting his body around and curling up on the sterile bed. Mac grabs a chair and sits down in front of him. He reaches a hand up, and with his elbow resting on the mattress, begins stroking Dennis’ forehead. His hair is damp with sweat, and Mac brushes a few curls out of the way. Dennis breathes a small noise of contentment.

“You know,” Mac says. “I’m thinking that it was probably a good thing the A/C broke, or I wouldn’t have been home to drag your sick ass to the clinic.”

“Shut up,” Dennis croaks, and his eyelids flutter shut.

They wait longer than ten minutes for the test, of course. It’s more like twenty minutes before the nurse is back with the results and a prescription.

“So it’s definitely a strep strand,” she reports. “Centralized in the tonsils. I’m prescribing a full round of antibiotics, and obviously, get some rest, drink plenty of fluids.” She hands the piece of paper to Mac.

He tucks it in his back pocket before coaxing Dennis down from the bed.

“Come on, Den. The broken A/C awaits.”

“Nooo,” Dennis moans, half-asleep.

As they walk out of the clinic, Mac dials Dee again. “Where are you at? We need to get to a pharmacy. You’re not busy with Charlie, are you?”

“I’m on my way,” Dee growls.

Dennis is pretty much out while they wait for her, drooling on Mac’s cargo shorts. Mac decides not to say anything later. Dennis would probably be really embarrassed about it. When Dee rolls up to the curb, Mac shakes him gently awake.

“Alright, bud. We’re heading to the pharmacy, and then back home.”

Dennis grumbles something incoherent as he struggles upward. Mac keeps a hand on the small of his back to steady him as they walk to her car. Even in the sun, Dennis is practically radiating heat. They’ve gotta get some Tylenol in him.

Inside the car, Dennis rests his head against the window and coughs. Dee’s air conditioning blasts him in the face and he moans in response. He’s really starting to feel the effects of the fever - his skin, hot and irritated; his muscles and joints ache something tremendous; the chills rack his body, making him exhausted. Wordlessly, he reaches out a hand for Mac, who grasps it.

“You okay, Den?”

Dennis shakes his head. “Don’t feel good.”

Mac runs his thumb over the top of Dennis’ hand. His other hand comes up to rest against Dennis’ cheek.

“Your fever’s pretty high. Probably why you feel like shit.”

Dennis hums and drops his head the opposite direction, onto Mac’s shoulder, like it’s second nature. Mac keeps his hand firmly in Dennis’, occasionally stroking his thumb back and forth. Dennis drifts off again with the feeling of Mac around him.

When he wakes up next, Mac is sliding back into the car, a plastic bag in his hand. Groggily, Dennis opens his eyes and repositions himself.

“That my meds?” he asks.

“Yup,” Mac confirms. “And also - “ He reaches into the bag and pulls a carton of ice cream out.

Dennis smiles lazily, sleep already pulling him back under. “Mmmm. Ice cream. Love you, Mac.”

He can hear Mac laugh. “Fever must be making you pretty delirious, Den.”

Dennis doesn’t have the energy to reply; he just snuggles back into Mac’s side as Dee says something about “why don’t they just get married?”

#mac mcdonald #dennis reynolds #macdennis #fic #sickfic

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caroline-in-hr · 8 years

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in one of the trailers for this season you can see dee,mac,charlie and frank in the bar looking rather pissed at someone off screen. i think it's dennis and he just told them he's leaving/whatever plot twist we might not know about, and after that they'll decide to blow up his car as revenge (they are wearing the same clothes in those scenes, so i guess this would make the most sense, but hey, who knows :P)

after much consult with the prophets, sunny forensic analysts have concluded, thanks to an extensive study of related wardrobes, that the still in question is probably most likely from the finale (which - 50:50 shot right now, and i think cricket’s tale is gonna string together all of his sporadic appearances in certain episodes to give us ~timeline funkery~, and you don’t need new shirts in the past i guess)

i think the going theories are that dennis has just said he’s leaving, or he revealed the existence of a kid, or desert trash has reappeared - idk something like that

but it’s bothering me that mac’s the one who blows up dennis’ car, especially in light of all the canonical macdennis-flavored content. i still can’t buy the macdennis conspiracy because of it (unless rcg are planning on seriously going over the rainbow with this one, and picking at it further in s13+, but holy shit i can’t just trust showrunners like that, theseWhiteMenAreDangerous.jpg)

with zero context, i can’t think of a reason for mac to be on board with a plan to blow up the car - it’s his primary mode of transportation, too! adding in episode context, i keep running into walls with theories:

dennis has already left for north dakota, gifting the car to mac, and mac blows up the RR because how dare dennis leave (but it’s impractical to blow up a car you could, y’know, use)

dennis has not left for ND, and mac actively sabotages his efforts to leave by blowing up the RR (but dennis could just… fly out?)

this theory holds a little more water if you fold in the fake-dating plotline the following way: they try it, dennis gets Too Close to his feelings, commits to ND, and mac decides that’s not happening on his watch and boom goes the dynamiteworking with our two post-gay!mac episodes, we’ve seen dennis shut the door in mac’s face after dancing at him (acknowledging mac’s interest, still shutting him out), and we now officially know that dennis has Big Feelings and, when it comes to mac, is the absolute worst at handling them (it took every bit of glennrietta’s juilliard training to keep those dennis feelings for mac down, rewatch that scene again). my own characterization puts him at his most impulsive and resistant when he’s closest to the truth, or when he’s too close to an intimate reality and he literally cannot handle that. i can maybe buy this theory the most, because mac “YOU’RE EATING THE DOG” mcdonald definitely could pull a stunt like this, but i want to give dennis credit here (especially if he is taking his bpd meds this season) and see him not consider running away to ND! not that i think he’ll leave permanently (practically-speaking, why would glennis leave his creation with at least two more seasons left), and at this point i’m not even sure he can leave. but, should this pan out, it sets up s13 in an extremely interesting manner - almost a reversal of the usual dynamic, in which mac is now like ‘FINE BINCH I DON’T FUCK WITH YOU’ and dennis is the one trying to keep a lid on it. (which 1 2 3 SUNNY FIC 3 CALLS SHOTGUN RCG I CALLED IT FIRST SO THERE)on the other hand if this happens i am officially requesting a writer’s credit for the episode, because guess what mcfucking happened in sunny fic 1 (on a smaller scale bUT STILL)

dee is revealed to be sick with something and, as part of her bucket list, requests to destroy dennis’ car (except… wouldn’t she want to do the honors??)

the gang plans to make dennis look like he’s dead to get him out of having to pay child support for 18 years (i’m sure there are easier ways to do this, mac and charlie’s plan wasn’t half-bad)

at any rate, it still stands that, despite all the great macdennis content we’re getting canonized left and right like a catholic saints’ fire sale, mac blows up the range rover, and i can’t think of a reason for it that wouldn’t end with dennis holding a pillow over mac’s face in his sleep.

you guys, i want the macdennis conspiracy, i want their relationship to be an actual real thing, i want to just see it become a part of their characters instead of a wild theory making the rounds on tumblr. i’ve wanted to see anything but cisheteronormative relationships since willow and tara met in s4 of buffy. but between the ‘sounds too good to be true’ fake-dating plotline and the casual reality of mac destroying the range rover with a rocket-propelled grenade he bought for dennis, let’s just say, i am mentally writing fix-it fic already

#iasip #iasip spoilers #iasip s12 spoilers #sunny spoilers #macdennis #Anonymous #replies

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emberphantom · 4 years

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At some point, Dennis needs to try his whole thing that he does again, where he makes a point of leaving in hope that Mac will make him stay. (North Dakota, the plane, and he clearly wants Mac to be more authoritative.) But this time needs to be different, and there’s a look of hopelessness in Dennis’s eyes that unnerves Mac, and despite whatever ugly words Dennis throws at him, lashing out, Mac won’t let him leave. And when Dennis later asks why, Mac needs to just go “‘Cos I know you, man.”

AKSKDJGJKS okay so yes this hit me right in the feels like yes ty.

I can totally see this starting as like Not That Serious. Like Dennis just testing Mac with small things at first just to see what his reaction would be. If he panics or pitches a fit or anything. Also kinda feel like it's a little of a MacDennis hive mind thing too? Like we've talked about this before.

Dennis going to run to the store by himself. Mac's sitting on the couch watching something dumb on the TV, not paying attention. Dennis slides his keys off the table and hovers by the door.

"I, uh--I'm going to the Wawa, Mac. I don't know how long it'll take so-"

Mac doesn't even take his eyes off the screen. "Oh sweet dude. Could you grab me some more protein powder while you're there?"

And Dennis is like yeah whatever.

The next time he makes more of a show of it. Mac's in the kitchen this time which means he's closer to the door. Perfect.

Dennis makes more of a show of getting ready to leave. He jingles his keys extra loud and even puts on a jacket.

He lingers again but Mac... Mac doesn't say anything.

"I'm going to Starbucks." Dennis declares. It's almost 8:30 at night, Dennis can't have caffeine this late. That at least should raise a red flag or two in Mac's tiny brain.

But Mac, in all his infinite dumbassery, just goes "Can you grab me a frappuccino?"

And then, off Dennis's utterly dumbfounded look, adds, "What? It's my cheat day."

Over the next few weeks, Dennis's attempts at rousing any sort of fight or desperation in Mac somehow get more elaborate and far-fetched, yet vague at the same time.

He tries everything. He's come up with the shittiest, most transparent excuses for his sudden departures. He says things with a bag or two in his hand. Throwing any sign he can at Mac. He waits for something, anything like that time on the plane over North Dakota. "Dennis, wait. Don't go...."

But instead Mac just skips right to the part where he draws a number on his forehead with Sharpie before sending him on his way. Mac always just tells him to "Have fun!" Or "See you later dude!" Or "I was gonna meet up with the guys at the Rainbow any way. I'm glad you have plans too so you won't be here by yourself!"

Dennis is forced to accept what he always knew deep down: Mac doesn't care if he leaves. He refused to believe it when Mac let him get off that plane. And he should've known when Mac didn't come charging through the airport like some kind of cookie cutter, rom-com protagonist to stop him from leaving Philly for what he thought would be forever.

Fine. If that's how Mac wants to be, then maybe he will leave. For good this time.

Dennis packs a bag. He doesn't know where he's even going, just that there's no point in staying. This time when he grabs his keys and his jacket, he doesn't even try to offer a half cocked excuse.

His hand is on the door knob, poised to yank it open when

"Den, what are you doing?"

Mac's voice is uncharacteristically small behind him.

Dennis tightens his grip on the knob. He doesn't turn around. "I'm leaving."

"Oh." He can practically hear the head tilt in Mac's voice. "Where you going?"

"Out." Dennis grits out, knuckles turning white against the dark brass.

There's a long, drawn out pause. Dennis can hear the wheels turning in Mac's head. He thinks, this is it. This is when Mac finally puts his foot down. Tells him to put the bag down, that he's not going anywhere.

Except.

"Alright well...are you gonna be back before we have to go to Paddy's? I can probably get a ride from Dee but I just wanna give her a heads up. So she doesn't bitch at me like last--"

"Goddammit, Mac!" Dennis whips around in a fury. "You pea-brained, little goblin--don't you get it?! I'm. Leaving."

He rattles the duffle bag he's clinging to by its straps, a last attempt to shake something loose in Mac's skull.

"So...." Mac's mouth holds on to the 'o', pausing before forming the next word. "You won't be back in time for work?"

"Oh Christ," Dennis scrubs his free hand down his face. "You really don't care, do you?"

"Dennis, what are you-"

"I could walk right out this door at any time and you wouldn't give two shits if I never came back."

"Dude-I," Mac's dumbfounded. He looks like he doesn't know where to begin.

Dennis keeps going. Keeps ripping into him. And Mac just takes it. Doesn't say a word until Dennis pauses to catch his breath.

"Den," He says, his voice too soft. Too calm. "I don't--I know what you want me to do here? If you want to leave-"

"Goddammit Mac, I don't *want* to leave." The words are ripped from his chest before he can stop them. Crashing down around him like a tidal wave. "I want you to stop me!"

The water recede and Mac's still standing there. He takes a step forward, and then another until he's so close...

"Maybe the reason why I never stopped you," Mac wraps his fingers around the nylon straps of the duffle bag, and tugs. "Is because I always knew you would come back."

Dennis lets go.

Mac tosses the bag off to the side, his eyes never leaving Dennis's.

"Mac-"

"Stay."

Mac kisses him. And Dennis doesn't know why he ever wanted to be anywhere else.

Later, when they're leaving the bar, Dennis will turn to Mac and ask him "How?"

And Mac will just look at him and smile.

"Cuz I know you, man."

And it's enough.

#sunny asks #MacDennis #iasip #uhm hi i didnt like mean to run away with this but uh oops?#it happened and I'm not sorry #sometimes minifics just happen and there's nothing anyone can do about it #long post #i just needed to riff #can i riff?!#you unzipped me doc

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