i wish i could write but writing is lowkey hard so here's this brain dump abt the toffolis and willmack instead:
it's early on in toff's time with the sharks that cat picks up on just how far gone will and mack are for each other. she doesn't think they know it themselves yet- but when she brings it up to toff before bed one night he just laughs because “yeah those two are something else, aren’t they?”
everything she learns about the pair only serves to endear her more. she pushes toff to sleepover after a game and is delighted to hear that they order literal milk and cookies. she invites them for dinner at her and toff’s place and laughs so hard that her stomach hurts. she and toff may have agreed to not meddle in whatever it is that’s going on between them but she can’t help but recommend nice restaurants for will to add to their dinner scrapbook (ones she deliberately knows will impress mack). she especially can’t help it when she’s had a front row seat to the way that will smiles at mack, all fond. or how mack relaxes in will’s presence - allowed to just be a teenager instead of the face of a budding franchise. they may be idiots. but they're her and tyler's idiots.
so when will's wisdom tooth gets infected and needs to be taken out asap, cat volunteers to go with him. after the surgery she wrestles all 6ft of a doped-up will into her car and tries her best to keep him from disturbing his stitches too much as he sings along (badly) to top-40 radio. she's pulling into the pharmacy to pick up his prescription when will finally puts her suspicions to words, muffled around the gauze packed into his mouth.
“no-” he argues, eyes suddenly brimming with tears, “no, i love him. like really love him.” he’s started crying in earnest now, shaky, loopy sniffles escaping around the bloodied gauze. cat puts a hand on his knee soothingly.
“it’s okay. i know you do, sweetheart.”
“toff knows?” will looks horrified, as if sobered at the thought, “oh my god.”
toff and mack get back from practice a while later, after she's settled a drowsy will on the couch. he's been dozing on and off for about an hour but promptly rouses at the sound of mack's voice. that soft smile once again appears on his face as he blinks slowly up at mack. (her and ty have privately dubbed it his 'mack smile’.)
"they've got you on the good stuff, eh smitty?"
will starts mumbling something unintelligible in response and mack settles down next to him to stop him from fussing with the gauze. cat and toff excuse themselves under the guise of making dinner (but mostly to give them privacy). when they peek back into the den a short while later, will's out like a light against mack's shoulder and mack's watching him sleep with such a tender expression that cat's heart nearly melts.
mack startles slightly when toff breaks the silence, letting him know there's a plate for him (and applesauce for will) in the kitchen when they're ready.
"let us know if you two need anything," cat adds, and she means it - she'd do absolutely anything for these two.