Always Sunny: Mac Finds Love

The Gang's Love Triangle (or Square, or Whatever)

12:03 PM...Tuesday...Philadelphia, PA

Mac walked into Paddy's Pub with a newfound determination. He'd spent the morning pacing around his apartment, rehearsing lines in front of the mirror, and finally settled on a plan. Today, he was going to ask Kira out on a date. As soon as Mac walked in, Dennis was already there, meticulously adjusting his hair in the bar's grimy mirror. "Hey, Dennis, can I borrow you for a sec?" Mac asked, trying to sound casual. "Depends," Dennis replied, eyeing him with an air of superiority. "Is this about the existential crisis you're having or the fact that you've been wearing that same pair of jeans for a week?" "Neither," Mac said, rolling his eyes. "I need your opinion on something." He took a deep breath, steeling himself. "I'm thinking of asking Kira out to the coffee shop. Just to hang out. What do you think?" Dennis's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You want to go out with Kira? Really? What's this, some sort of charity case for the less fortunate?" "No!" Mac said, defensive. "I just think she's cool, and I thought it would be nice. You know, get to know her better." "Sure, Mac," Dennis said, smirking. "I'm sure that's what you're aiming for. And how do you plan on getting this date to happen?" Mac looked sheepish. "Well, I was thinking of asking her to go to the coffee shop tomorrow. If you can keep your mouth shut about it, I'll go over and ask her this afternoon." Dennis's eyes glinted with mischief. "Sure, Mac. Whatever you say. I'll be right here, pretending I'm interested." The next day dawned with the promise of complications. Dennis, ever the opportunist, had decided to involve himself in Mac's budding romance. As fate would have it, Kira came into the bar that afternoon, looking as lovely as ever.

"Hey, Kira!" Dennis greeted her with his most charming smile. "How's it going?" "Hey, Dennis," Kira replied, seemingly not in the mood for small talk. "Just needed a break from work." Dennis, ever the schemer, seized the moment. "You know, I heard Mac was really looking forward to asking you out to the coffee shop today. But, um, he's feeling pretty under the weather. Sad to say, he won't be able to make it." Kira's expression shifted from casual to concerned. "Oh no, that's too bad. I was actually looking forward to catching up with him." "Yeah, I guess that's life," Dennis said, with a touch of sympathy that was almost convincing. "But since you're already here, why don't we grab that coffee together instead? I'm free, and it might be a nice distraction." Kira hesitated for a moment, but the idea of having a coffee and some company was appealing. "You know what, sure. Why not? Let's do it." Dennis grinned, secretly thrilled by his own cunning. "Great! I'll just let Mac know you're in good hands. He'll be relieved to know you're not spending your time alone." An hour later, Dennis and Kira walked into the coffee shop. Dennis had put on his best "date" face, complete with a dash of charm and a sprinkle of charisma. But Kira was a bit distracted, her mind still drifting back to the prospect of spending time with Mac. At that precise moment, Mac had miraculously recovered from his non-existent illness and arrived at the coffee shop, only to find Dennis seated at a table with Kira, sharing a laugh over their drinks. Mac's heart sank as he saw them together. As he approached, Dennis looked up and gave him a victorious smirk. "Oh, hey Mac! Didn't expect to see you here. Feeling better, I see."

Mac's face twisted in confusion and frustration. "Uh, yeah, I'm... I'm feeling fine. But, uh, what's going on here?" Kira looked up at Mac with a mixture of surprise and awkwardness. "Dennis said you were sick and that he'd come instead. I was just here for a coffee, but..." Mac's frustration boiled over. "Yeah, I guess I'm not sick after all. But what's the deal with Dennis taking my spot?" Dennis feigned innocence. "Oh, Mac, I didn't think you'd be up for it. Just thought I'd step in so she wouldn't be left hanging."  Mac's face darkened with frustration. "Seriously, Dennis? You're gonna pull this? I was actually looking forward to spending time with Kira, and you swooped in like some sort of... I don't even know what." Dennis raised an eyebrow, adopting a faux-innocent expression. "Oh, come on, Mac. It's not like I did it out of malice. I just thought it would be a nice gesture. I didn't expect you to get all bent out of shape over it." Mac's fists clenched as he tried to control his anger. "You didn't expect me to get bent out of shape? Maybe you should have considered that it's not exactly cool to sabotage someone's plans for your own amusement." Kira looked between the two men, clearly uncomfortable. "Guys, maybe we should just—" "No, Kira, this is something I need to clear up with Dennis," Mac said, cutting her off. "This is more than just a mix-up. This is about respect." Dennis leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms with a smirk.

"Respect? Please, Mac. We're talking about a date here, not a life-or-death situation. I just wanted to make sure she wasn't alone." Mac's eyes narrowed. "That's not the point, Dennis. You made it about yourself. You lied to Kira about me being sick just so you could swoop in and play hero. It's manipulative and selfish." Dennis's smirk faltered slightly. "I was just trying to help, Mac. You were too scared to make a move, and I thought you'd appreciate someone stepping in."
 "Scared?" Mac exploded. "I wasn't scared; I was trying to be considerate. But of course, you had to come in and turn it into a drama. Maybe you like creating chaos because it makes you feel important." Dennis stood up, his posture defensive. "That's rich coming from you. It's not like you're some saint. You spend half your time trying to act like you're the big guy with your karate moves and your 'tough guy' routine." "Whoa, whoa, guys," Kira interjected, her voice tinged with concern. "Can we just calm down and talk this through?" Mac ignored her, focusing solely on Dennis. "You know what? Maybe you're right. Maybe I do try too hard sometimes. But at least I'm not going around screwing up other people's lives to make myself look good." Dennis's face turned red. "And maybe I'm just trying to make things interesting. You think you're the only one with problems and feelings? Get over yourself, Mac." Mac's face hardened. "This isn't just about feelings, Dennis. It's about respect and honesty. And clearly, you don't have much of either." Kira, feeling the tension escalate, stood up as well. "Look, I don't want this to turn into a shouting match. Dennis, maybe you didn't realize how much your actions would affect things. And Mac, maybe you should understand that Dennis often thinks he's helping, even if it's not in the way you'd want."

Dennis snorted, turning to leave. "You know what? Maybe I'll just stay out of your drama from now on. Seems like everything I do just makes things worse." Mac, fuming, shot back, "Good idea. Maybe it's better if you just stay out of everyone's business." As Dennis stormed out of the coffee shop, Mac stood there, his anger still simmering. Kira looked at him sympathetically. "I'm sorry about this, Mac. I didn't mean for things to get so out of hand." Mac took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "Yeah, me neither. I guess I just didn't expect Dennis to push my buttons like that." Kira gave him a reassuring smile. "It's okay. At least we got to talk, and I think we had a good time despite the chaos." Mac nodded, appreciating her attempt to salvage the situation. "Yeah, I enjoyed our time together. Thanks for being understanding."