Coldflashwaveweek 2018 - Day 1 - In the Dark
Len wakes up and wonders why it is so dark even with his eyes open.
//Warnings for blindness and disability. It’s still a sweet drabble though.
When he opened his eyes, it was dark. He could tell he was lying in a bed, very likely his own, and that was strange. He never closed the blinds at night, and even if he did there would still be some light coming in. There was nothing over his eyes, either, he could feel it. It was just… completely dark.
There was a hand in his, he could feel, familiar thick fingers entwined with his own long and slender ones. He gave Mick‘s hand a squeeze and turned his head towards him, squinting as he tried to see. If only his head would not be hurting as much.
He could hear Mick shuffling beside him, as if he was turning towards him, and then his other hand was on his cheek, and his breath on his face, as if he was leaning very close.
„Len? Are you awake?“
His voice sounded concerned, and concerned was never a good sound on Mick. By now Len had figured out that something was obviously wrong, why else would he be lying in the dark, with his eyes open, and Mick holding his hand? Mick never held his hand. Or at least he pretended to never hold his hand.
„What happened?“ he asked, wincing a bit at the way his face started hurting when he spoke. Before he started speaking, Mick caressed the back of his hand, as if to soothe him, as if to brush his pain away.
„Cop got you in the face with a good punch. Knocked you right out. Hit your head pretty hard, falling face first on that table, and...“
Things were never good when Mick trailed off like that. He wasn‘t one for half measures, he‘d say things or he wouldn‘t even start in the first place.
Slowly, the previous events came back to him. Mick and him in a storage hall, the alarm going off, police. He remembered thinking of their first gig, and how that had gone tits up as well. Then cops, storming in, fists flying. Why they hadn‘t had their guns with him, he couldn‘t even recall at that moment. He must have hit his head pretty hard. And then a fist, flying towards him, ducking away, trying to twist, but another cop behind him, swinging his fist with a gun still in it, plastic and metal connecting harshly with his head. Pain exploding in his head, the table coming nearer, those precious little capsules that would release their acid upon being crushed on the tabletop. More pain on his face, his nose crunching, his eyes burning… then darkness.
„And?“ he prompted, hoping his voice sounded steadier than it sounded like inside his head.
„And the capsules worked.“
Blunt as that, just like he was, his beloved Mick. He nodded, squeezing Mick‘s hand again. It didn‘t need spelling out then, the rest. That things would never be like before. That he‘d be blind. That his face was likely covered in acid burns – or not, maybe it was mainly the eyes. He felt too numb to care, he didn‘t even feel pain anymore. Probably the shock. Or really good painkillers.
So this was to be it then. It made him sad to know that he‘d never see Mick again, or Barry.
Barry.
If Barry would even want him anymore. He wasn‘t really an asset to have then, anymore, blind, without use of his skills. Because what was a thief without his sight? How would he even be able to so much as point a gun at the correct spot, see if anyone was coming, drive a car… what did he have to offer to Barry if all he was was a crippled ex-criminal that couldn‘t so much as swipe Barry‘s pocket anymore to then go buy him a coffee from the money he just stole.
Mick would stay with him, he was sure of that. They had been through so much together. But Barry… what they had with Barry was still new, and Len… Len was never the sentimental type, but he had gotten attached to their speedster, and he didn‘t want to lose him.
„Where‘s Barry?“ he asked Mick, turning his head to give some semblance of looking at his partner, hoping it wouldn‘t make him cringe. Maybe Mick would prefer Len to not look at him… but then Mick had never minded battle scars.
„And where are we?“ After all, he thought, if that cop had knocked him out by all means he should be on his way to Iron Heights now. If not already there, tossed in a cell. Or maybe in the Hospital Wing first, if he was lucky. Chained to his bed, or something.
There were footsteps outside the room, suddenly – or at least they sounded like they were outside the room – but they stopped a little distance away. Maybe the doorway?
„You‘re in my house.“ A voice said, and Len knew that he knew that voice. Heard it before, plenty of times. But he couldn‘t place it straight away.
„Barry‘s house. Detective West‘s house“ Mick supplied, and Len tensed up. He knew that Barry hadn‘t told anyone yet, for fear of bad reactions, and he knew that his adoptive father would just love to see him in prison. Him and Mick both.
Mick was stroking the back of his hand again, as if to try and get him to relax, and Detective West cleared his throat.
„You know I‘d do anything for that kid, so… I vouched for you. For now. You‘ll stay here, no one comes after you, for now. Both of you.“ There was a pause, and Len could almost feel West‘s gaze on him.
„That being said. If I find something stolen from my house, you‘ll be on your way to Iron Heights posthaste. If you hurt my son, your eyes will not be the only thing you‘re missing. And I will not hesitate to take you apart.“
He didn‘t even wait for an answer, it seemed, but turned around straight away and walked away again. Just as well, because Len had no idea what he would have replied anyway. He had no intention of hurting Barry, and upsetting West would definitely hurt Barry, so stealing was out of the question as well. How could he even steal something if he couldn‘t see what it was anyway?
Mick sighed next to him and moved, gently pushing him over a bit. There was some jostling, and then the mattress next to him dipped with a heavy weight and Mick‘s arms came up around his waist. Len allowed himself a tiny smile and let his head roll on the side, resting on Mick‘s shoulder the way he always did when they were next to each other like this.
„Barry‘s bed“ Mick supplied after a while of silence. „Convinced West to let us stay here, since any hospital would‘ve turned you in. Snow‘s been looking after you.“
Another bit of silence, then „Barry‘s downstairs. Beating himself up ‘bout not being fast enough, catching you before you hit that table and all. Tried to talk him out of it but you know how he is.“ There was a deep sigh from Mick, and his head slumping to the side to rest against Len‘s.
„He‘s worried about you.“
So much like Mick, to say that, to not associate any feelings with himself. But he knew better, and Mick knew that he knew better, so it was okay. After all, the fact that Mick was here sitting vigil at his bed and not downstairs and trying to comfort Barry spoke volumes. He simply squeezed Mick‘s hand and leaned against him a bit more.
„That‘s our boy, always thinking it‘s his own fault“ he sighed, just as he heard another pair of footsteps coming towards them, these more light and very familiar. They, too stopped at what he supposed was the doorway, but then Barry continued on towards them, walking around to the other side of the bed. Len had never been in Barry‘s room before, but he supposed it must be a free standing bed, seeing as Barry could walk to the other side and sit down on the mattress.
„Len“ he whispered, and Len reached out for him, finding his hand encased in Barry‘s warm one and a kiss being dropped on the back of it.
„Joe told me you‘re awake.“
„It appears that I am“ he confirmed, only to elicit a wet sounding chuckle from Barry.
„Don‘t cry, Scarlet, you know you look much prettier when you laugh.“
You look much prettier when you laugh.
He would never again be able to see Barry laugh.
He turned his head away, wanting to hide his face in Mick‘s neck but also fearing encountering a world of pain after all if something were to touch his face. He could feel a sting somewhere behind his eyes, but he doubted he would actually be able to cry right now.
The mattress dipped on the other side of him as well, and then there was another set of arms around him and a face pressed against his neck as Barry sobbed into it.
He wanted to comfort him, but he didn‘t know how – he knew he was in shock, rationally, but he just feld numb and lost, really.
„Len, I‘m so sorry. I should-“
„Barry, no. This is not your fault, and you know it. It‘s not your fault. You are not responsible for this.“ He gently extracted his arm from where Barry had pinned it to the mattress and shuffled it up above his head only to wrap it around Barry in return.
„It‘s not the end of the world, you know. After all, I have the only two things that really matter right here with me.“
„And you will continue to have us.“ That was Mick‘s voice again, and he could feel both of his lovers‘ arms shifting on his stomach, likely to hold hands on top of it, like they did so often when Len was in the middle.
„Definitely. You‘re not getting rid of us this easily. We‘re here to stay, after all“ Barry told him, face still pressed against Len‘s neck, and Len could feel him smile.
It would be hell, but suddenly he was sure he would be able to adapt to his new life just fine after a while. He would just likely need to find another day job than robbing banks at night – but well, he could do that.
After all, as a kid he‘d always dreamed about being a mayor.
@coldflashwaveweeks

















