Always Sunny: Mac Finds Love

Reynolds' Regret

The air in Paddy's Pub felt thick with the weight of the conversation that had just unfolded. Everyone in the bar, except for the usual chaotic crew, had cleared out. No one wanted to stick around for the inevitable disaster that was about to ensue. Kira stood near the entrance, her arms crossed, her gaze hard as she stared at Dennis. Mac, still stunned, stood across from him, his fists clenched, ready to explode at any second. Dennis remained silent, his usual self-assured attitude nowhere to be found. Frank, as always, made himself comfortable by the bar, nonchalantly nursing his drink, though he wasn't immune to the tension in the air. Charlie hovered near the jukebox, awkwardly fiddling with the buttons, as though the music might drown out the impending confrontation. "So, what? This was all just some fun little romp for you, Dennis?" Mac finally exploded, his voice shaking with anger. "You didn't even care about Kira. You just... took her from me because you could. Is that what this was?" Dennis finally met Mac's eyes, but his usual smug expression was gone. In its place was something closer to remorse, though it wasn't something Dennis Reynolds ever liked to admit. "Mac, listen... I didn't mean for it to happen like this. It wasn't supposed to... I wasn't trying to hurt you."

"Oh, no," Mac shot back, throwing his hands up in disbelief. "You just wanted to play goddamn hero again, didn't you? You swooped in and made sure I was out of the picture for one night, and now look at us!" He turned to Kira, his face crumbling. "And now you... you just went along with it. How long was this going on, huh? Was this all part of your plan? To... screw me over?" Kira's eyes softened, but her voice was firm. "It wasn't like that, Mac. It wasn't a plan. Things just happened. And... and I didn't know how to handle it." She took a breath, her eyes shifting to Dennis, then back to Mac. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I care about you. But... it just happened." Mac stepped back, his face twisted in confusion. "So, you didn't... plan it, huh? You're telling me this just came out of nowhere? You didn't think about what I might feel? What I was going through?" Dennis, for the first time in the entire fiasco, looked uncomfortable. "Look, man, I get it. I do. But we... we weren't exactly together, okay? You and I—this... whatever this is between us—it's been... complicated. I didn't think—" "Exactly!" Mac interrupted, his voice rising, "You didn't think!" "Alright, alright, let's all just take a breath here," Frank interrupted, holding his hand up in the air as though he were trying to control traffic. "You're all missing the big picture here, alright? You know, I had a bad feeling about this whole thing from the start."

Charlie looked over at Frank, puzzled. "Wait, you did? You knew this was gonna happen?" Frank shook his head, slurring slightly from too many drinks. "No, I just knew this place was gonna get real messy. Dennis with a new chick? That's the recipe for disaster. Mac, you were too trusting. Kira—well, who knows what she's thinking? But it's all your fault, Dennis. You shouldn't have gone in all guns blazing. That's the Frank Reynolds method." Charlie groaned, his face scrunching with discomfort. "Okay, I get that this is all super complicated, but, uh, what does this mean for Kira and Alexis? Because, I mean, Kira's got a girlfriend... and I'm pretty sure Alexis is gonna have some words for all of us when she finds out." Dennis paled at the mention of Alexis. The whole situation had been so intense with Mac, Kira, and the mess he had created that he'd almost forgotten about Alexis. But he couldn't ignore the fact that Alexis, Kira's transgender girlfriend, would probably have a lot to say about his little impromptu love affair. "Shit," Dennis muttered under his breath. Kira rubbed her forehead in frustration. "I've got to go talk to Alexis."

Dennis shook his head immediately, his panic bubbling to the surface. "No. You don't need to do that. Kira, don't—" "I don't have a choice, Dennis," Kira snapped, cutting him off. "She's my girlfriend, and she deserves to know the truth. I didn't want any of this to happen, but now it's out in the open." Mac stepped forward. "Yeah, well, maybe you should've thought about that before, huh? Before you went and played around with Dennis. You've got someone else you're supposed to care about, and now it's all messed up." His voice cracked, and for the first time, Kira could see how much it hurt him. Frank, sensing the tension was at a peak, looked around the room and decided to throw in one more offbeat comment. "Hey, maybe we all need a vacation. You know? A few days to think this whole thing through. Maybe a trip to the mountains, away from all this... drama." Charlie gave him an incredulous look. "Frank, I don't think anyone here is in the mood for a vacation."

Before the conversation could escalate further, the door to the bar creaked open again, and Alexis walked in. She wasn't angry—at least, not at first. Her expression was a mix of confusion and quiet hurt. Her gaze moved across the room, taking in the group of people, finally landing on Kira. Kira's heart skipped a beat, and she felt the weight of the moment. She had been trying to avoid this confrontation, but here it was. Alexis was standing in front of her, and there was no turning back now. Alexis' eyes flicked over to Dennis, her expression hardening slightly. "Kira... I've been looking everywhere for you." Kira opened her mouth to speak, but Alexis held up a hand. "I heard. I heard everything. I know what happened." She glanced at Dennis, her voice tinged with hurt. "You were with him last night." Kira took a deep breath, stepping toward Alexis. "Alexis, I didn't want it to happen. It was... it was a mistake. It just happened, and I don't know how to fix it." "You think you can just walk in here and apologize like it's nothing?" Alexis' voice broke, and the cracks in her composure were becoming painfully visible. "You slept with him, Kira. Dennis of all people." Her eyes were filled with a sadness that made Kira's chest tighten. "How could you do that to me?" Dennis, realizing the gravity of the situation, stepped forward. "Look, Alexis, I didn't mean for this to happen either. It wasn't supposed to be like this."

Alexis turned on him, her gaze seething. "You're the last person I need to hear that from." Kira reached for Alexis, but she pulled away, her emotions overwhelming her. "You think this is a game? You've been lying to me. I've trusted you, Kira. And now you've gone behind my back." Frank, always the tactician, tried to lighten the mood, but no one was in the mood for his antics. "Hey, I got a great idea, let's all go to the bar and really talk about this. Like, full-on therapy style. You know, talking it out." But no one was in the mood to talk. They were all stuck in the aftermath of decisions made, and nothing was going to fix it. Kira stared at Alexis, her heart torn in two. "I'm sorry. I really am." But it felt like nothing would ever be enough.