Mac opened one eye. He was working out silently. He did that when she took a nap. He still was not at full Neville strength, but he was getting better. Today was nice because there was no shirt. She listened and watched. When he faced her, she shut her eye. Mac made sure she kept her breathing even. It was getting a bit warm in the room though.

Neville tried to stay as quiet as he could as he did his sit ups. His muscles were getting stronger though, and that was worth the pain. He let out a breath as he finished his set and laid back against the cool floor, closing his eyes. The plan had been to attempt a few push ups, but his arms were still not strong enough. He could do around 5 before collapsing to the ground short of breath.

Deciding not to push it, Neville sat up again and stood, stretching out his back. He probably needed a shower. He looked back at Mac and checked to see if she was still asleep. She hadn't moved in over half an hour, and her breathing was even. He could probably get a quick shower in and get some food for them both before she woke. He quickly went into the bathroom and shut the door.

After removing his trousers, he groaned when he realized he left his clothes out in the room. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it loosely around his waist, just in case someone came in the room.

Mac had sat up when he left to shower. She couldn't help it - she sucked in air harshly at the sight of him in just a towel. Definitely warm in the room. Mac threw back the covers and slipped out of the bed. She was standing there in her usual sleep attire of a tee and knickers. Mac fidgeted slightly. She wanted to do something, but he was still maintaining they were friends. Sort of.

Neville's eyes widened and he gripped the towel tightly around his waist. "Weren't you asleep? In the bed?" His teeth clenched as his eyes traveled over her. "With more clothes?"

"I took m'trou off. They were hot," Mac replied, staring at his hand holding the towel. "Aye I was asleep. I woke. Isna tha' how it usually goes?"

"I... I'm..." Neville stuttered, trying to look anywhere but her legs and failing. "Clothes. I came to get clothes." He quickly grabbed the pile of clothes that had been thrown in the corner the night before, held them in front of him, and backed into the bathroom again, his face red.

"Wait," Mac shouted, stepping towards him. She was not quite ready to lose the view.

"What!"

"Um..."

She inched closer to him. Neville backed away.

"Yer lookin' much better, more... fit."

Just then her lips felt exceptionally dry, so she licked them.

Neville immediately turned around and peered in the mirror. "Really? You can tell?"

"Aye," Mac said, closing the distance quickly. She poked his abdomen with one finger. "Look at tha'. Much more firm. Ya canna tell?"

He nearly jumped a foot in the air when Mac started to feel around his stomach. She dipped dangerously low, close to the towel, and he quickly backed away and nearly fell into the bathtub.

"Right. I'm just going to take a shower and then... do something else."

"Are ya all right," Mac asked, reaching to put a hand on his arm.

Neville jumped away like his arse was on fire.

"What's the..."

He was flushed and looking at her legs. His grip on the towel around his waist was so tight, his knuckles were going white.

"Neville," she said slowly. "Did ya want help in th'shower?"

Neville looked at her like she was on fire. "I can take a shower by myself, thanks." Inside, he was dying to get away from Mac, and his breathing was becoming uneven. He was standing close to her in only his towel and she only in a shirt and knickers. If she didn't leave soon, he wouldn't be able to keep up the friends only deal they had.

Mac was preening a bit right now. He wanted her. She was very happy about that.

"Ya sure," she asked, closing in one last time and looking up at him through her lashes.

She was definitely breaking their rules soon and crawling into bed with him... naked. If she were naked right now, this would all be over. She knew she should not rush him, but it had been a while for her. And it was not as if he did not want it.

"So, this would be the part where you go into the room and I take my shower." Neville waited a few moments and still Mac didn't move. "Do I need to go to my own room to do this? I do. I'll just take a shower there and get dressed there because it's not here."

"No," Mac shouted. "I... I want you... here. I want you here. I'm sorry. I just... yer an attractive mon, Nev, and I recall what's under yer towel. Aye. And I havena... there hasna been... oh for fuck's sake!"

She stormed off and threw herself face-first on the bed and screamed in frustration into her pillow.

Neville immediately closed the door and turned the shower on, as cold as he dared. He felt the water, and it was ice cold. He tried to steady himself and took a deep breath, but he still shouted when the water hit his skin. This would have to be a quick shower, otherwise he was going to lose body parts.

His head fell forward against the tile and he sighed. Neville wanted to be here too, and even though Mac remembered what had been under the towel, he knew that he also remembered exactly what had been under the shirt and knickers she wore.

"Ya shouted," Mac called through the door. "What happened? Are ya all right?"

Neville jumped, startled, and nearly slipped. "I'm f-f-fine! It's j-just c-c-cold!"

"Well, make it hot. For fuck's sake! Scared me near to death wit yer shoutin'."

Neville shook his head, not even caring that she couldn't see. His shower was going to remain damned cold, because otherwise he was going to be shouting in the shower for an entirely different reason.

"D-d-don't worry! I'll b-be out in a s-second!"

If I don't die of hypothermia first.

"Yer stutterin', mon! Dinna make me come in there! We dinna make me better for ya to get sick!"

Mac pointed her wand at the fireplace and set it to blazing.

"Dinna be so noble! I wouldna stop ya, ya know!"

She started muttering under her breath about having to seduce a man who had already seen her naked dozens of times.

He forced himself to wash the sweat and grime off of his skin and quickly got out of the shower. After drying himself off, he put on his clothes hurriedly, so as to get more warmth around him. When he finally escaped from the bathroom, hot air assaulted him and Neville blinked, trying to catch his breath in a warmer air.

Neville smiled when he saw the fire. "Thanks Mac."

"Sit down and cover yerself up wit this blanket," she snapped. "Cold shower and it almost winter. Are ya mad? Is it really worth gettin' sick to keep some promise ya made tha' I dinna even really want ya to keep?"

He didn't protest as she forced a large blanket around him and sat him down close to the fire. Neville made a face as he stared into the burning logs. "Yes, it bloody well is," he mumbled.

Mac raised a brow before tucking the blanket so his arms were trapped and then sitting on his lap.

"Why? Why would it be so awful if ya gave into yer baser urges wit me? Ya have before."

"I'm not the same person, Mac. You keep forgetting that I can't be that person again." Neville wriggled around, but Mac had wrapped the blanket rather tight. Her sitting on his lap wasn't helping in the tightness area of his body under the blanket either. "I can't get close because I don't want to hurt you again. I'll always be watching my back now."

Mac made a face at him. "Tha's no kind of life. I coulda stand to see ya so cut away. I'll take my chances wit gettin' hurt. Ya dinna hurt me. HE did. It was no' you. Yer still tha' person I met, knew, love. Ya are. Dinna say yer no'. All the parts I love of ya are still there. They are. I wouldna still want ya so iffen they weren't."

She rest her head against his shoulder, frowning.

"I could help ya watch yer back."

Neville made a face when he tried to move his arms to wrap around her, but they were squashed against his middle.

"Can I be unwrapped a bit? I'm warmer now, but I'd like to move if that's all right with you."

Mac eyed him suspiciously. "Dinna try to run away. I'll catch ya."

She unwrapped his arms, but kept the blanket mostly around him, tucking it a bit more than necessary before taking up residence on his lap again. Mac just dared him to say something.

Neville tentatively wrapped an arm around Mac's back. "You're going to have to give me some space, you know? I still get a bit antsy sometimes." He sighed. "I learned the hard way that what I thought was best may have been good for me temporarily, but was bad for me and others in the long run. I'm taking your word for it on this."

"Iffen I give ya yer time for space, will ya give me the opposite of tha' sometime?"

He just didn't know how much better she felt when she was right like this. Just his hand on her. Willingly.

Neville eyed here for a few moments. "How opposite are we talking about here?"

Mac titled her head up to look at him. "As opposite as ya are willin'. Have ya missed where I am still attracted to ya? I were thinkin' I were pretty clear there. This is nice though. I like this. We can work up to other stuff. I canna promise no' to get frustrated and try to seduce ya though."

For the first time in a very long time, Neville felt relaxed enough to enjoy the moment and smile.

"I can't promise any kilt-sex, but I'll do my best."

Mac smiled.

She needed to get terribly ill, so he'd have to stay with her. She knew he was looking at renting a room here and Brody was hinting he should, not liking his wee sister alone with Neville all the time, but Mac was hoping he stayed right here. She was going to have to go back out into the world again soon. She wanted to know she could come back to him, that he'd be here.

More than that, she'd like him back out in the world with her standing next to him, but they had a ways to go before that happened.


{SUMMARY} Neville is still attracted to Mac, and she knows it.