It’s time for another ColdWave week! This time around we’ll be paying homage to our favorite criminal husbands with a winter holiday twist.
Please tag your works with #coldwavewinterwonderland within the first five tags to have your fic, art, manip, etc. reblogged! We encourage participants to post their fanworks on the relevant day, but we will absolutely reblog any posts all week long :)
If you post your work on AO3, add it to the collection here!
SUNDAY 12/18: roasting on an open fire
❄ anything to do with heat/fire
MONDAY 12/19: outside the snow is falling
❄ anything to do with cold/snow/ice
TUESDAY 12/20: naughty or nice
❄ good guys, bad guys, or any combination thereof
WEDNESDAY 12/21: happy holidays
❄ celebrating the season
THURSDAY 12/22: we all will be together
❄ polyamory in any form
FRIDAY 12/23: since we’ve no place to go
❄ trapped (in a snowstorm or otherwise)
SATURDAY 12/24: mistletoe hung where you can see
❄ obligatory mistletoe prompt
ALTERNATE: don we now our gay apparel
❄ go nuts (heheh)
Mick woke up to the sound of a baby crying. He was confused for about five seconds before the he remembered.
His kid.
Right.
He yawned as he got out of bed and made his way over to the bassinet. The baby’s tiny face was red and scrunched up. Mick thought it looked almost painful.
“Shhhh.” He reached into the bassinet and patted the baby’s stomach, his movements slow and gentle. “It's okay, little girl. Go back to sleep.”
Summary: Len’s Timer is blank. Not a series of zeroes like those of a Missed Match. Just eight dashes where numbers should be. Then he joins a team of Legends and everything changes.
A/N: ColdWave Week 2016 - Day 6: Soulmates
~
Len’s Timer had always read --:--:--:--. When he first got the Mark at five years old the matchmaker had been subjected to a formal investigation. Three subsequent Matchmakers did the ceremony over the next two weeks and the mark remained unchanged. He never developed the typical zeroes that indicated a Missed Match. No, just dashes where numbers should be and a team of very confused doctors.
He wore a cuff at all times, one that his mother helped him pick out, but it didn’t matter. The teachers knew and the kids overheard and Len only got two days of peace before the taunts began.
He learned quickly that a kid couldn’t tease you if their face was pressed into the dirt.
Over the years his reputation followed him. There were always rumors, but nobody dared to ask him about his Timer or anything else.
Notes: In which I continue to have unorthodox interpretations of these prompts. My apologies to @believesinponds and the general Coldwave community
It would have been useful if, in the middle of all the lessons on murder, R’as al Ghul had devoted an afternoon or two to teaching his assassins how to give effective romantic advice. At least Sarah was trying her best.
“What’ll happen when I meet him in the next life and he asks why I didn’t wait for him?”
“Maybe Carter will understand? You’ve got needs now, right? You’ve got a while until you die. Ideally.”
In the opposite corner of the room, Len had gotten Gideon to run a holographic game of cards against him, and was flicking his finger through the air to keep a hand or trade up for a better one. He was occasionally rolling his eyes.
Kendra twisted her fingers around the escrima stick she’d been using to spar with Sarah until combat to remove stress turned into just discussing the stress. “How’s that going to make Ray feel, if he thinks he’s just something I’m using to pass time until my real boyfriend reincarnates again?”
“I…y’know, I feel like that’s a tough call…”
The light tones of Gideon came on over the PA. “Sarah? Captain Hunter requests your presence in the command room.”
Sarah bolted so fast the Flash would probably get jealous. Kendra sat down on the floor, legs curled, and pulled her mace into her lap sullenly like a favored stuffed toy.
“Sorry for making you sit through girl talk, Len.”
Len didn’t bother glancing at her. The hologram set off a brief flare of fireworks as Len won the round, and then reset itself to begin the game again. “Well, men never have romantic interests, so it couldn’t possibly be anything I’d understand. Really, it’s amazing that our species reproduces at all.” Flick, flick, poke of the air. “Personal question, Kendra. Did you actually like anything about Carter?”
“I…he was my soulmate. We’ve been reincarnated for--”
“So that’s a no.”
Kendra squirmed, muttering something about opening her up to an entirely new realm of possibilities, which Len shot down again by repeating the question. The second time she had no answer at all.
“So you’re saying that you’re worried about choosing between a rich, intelligent, puppy-hearted, attractive man with a suit of power armor, and a guy you only stayed with because some outside force keeps making you bump into each other. You’re basing your major life choices off a magical space rock. Is that how this soulmate thing goes?”
“It’s more complicated than that.”
“Mmmmmmhm.” Len returned to his card game, seemingly losing interest in her.
Kendra sat down on the floor next to him, one knee up. At least Len she could trust to be blunt, if not ‘honest’. He was not a man interested in sparing feelings. “What would you do, in my place?”
“Bang Ray like a storm door in a hurricane, then take all his money.”
Kendra rolled her eyes. “Right. Criminal. Almost forgot there. Look, Len, have you ever been in love?”
There was no delay on Len’s answer. “Yeah. At least four or five times.”
“No, I mean really in love. Like, she was the one.”
“Oh, that.” Len shrugged, and the fireworks went off again. “Three, then.”
“Three—Len, if she’s the one you can’t have three of them.”
“At the time, they were the one.” People kept forgetting he was heading for his mid-forties; the Snart genes aged gracefully. “Look, Kendra, I really don’t give a damn who you hook up with as long as it doesn’t become my problem. But if you spend your entire life fixed on the idea that the big prize is hiding out there somewhere and settling for anyone else means you’re doomed to misery, you’re gonna have a pretty boring life. And be a lousy thief.
“Look, I’ll think about it, okay? I just. It’s complicated.”
“Only as complicated as you want it to be, <i>priestess</i>.”
“So…do you have anyone—I’m not asking for me! Just curious. About that third person you were in love with.”
Len turned and stared at her, twisting slowly as a moving glacier. The look was long and unnerving. “…we’re not really on good terms anymore.” There was something sharp under all that ice, something he was hiding. Kendra found herself scrambling to get to the next station of her train of thought, anything to abort that gaze.
“You know, I think Sarah might be…y’know. I mean, you two seem close.”
Len’s wrist snapped out, smearing the holographic lights and then shutting the entire game down. “Might keep it in mind,” he said, drawing out his vowels through clenched teeth as he rose to leave. “But I’d feel a tad gauche not waiting until the body’s had time to thaw.”
For the rest of the day Kendra assumed it was yet another ice-related turn of phrase, because if there was one obvious soulmate for Len it was cold puns. Eight hours later a sleeping Ray, sprawled out next to her naked and slightly scuffed in ways he found pleasing, found himself launched out of bed by a Waverider-shattering “OH”.
Title: You Restore My Soul
Fandom: DC TV
Rating: PG-13, for some child abuse and homophobia
Word Count: 4863
In Responds to: ColdWave 2016: Parents
Characters: Mick, Len, Lisa
Summary: Modern AU. Who said nothing good came from unexpected one night stands?
Len hadn't gone into the bar expecting a hook-up. He hadn't even gone expecting to ogle anyone, he'd just finished up his electrical engineering term paper and was looking to unwind in a glass or two of whiskey. He ended up unwinding with a wall of solid muscle and calloused hands. Len gasped as he was lifted off his feet, back hitting the seat of his ratty old couch. "Oh fuck," his fingers dug into broad shoulders. The man- a firefighter, there was a Keystone City Fire Department tattoo with a stylized shield and flames on his chest that Len was dying to taste -felt like he was burning under Len's hands.
"Certainly want to," the man said between the wet kisses he trailed down Len's chest. He rolled his hips, straining erection to straining erection, and made both of them gasp. "God, you're absolutely beautiful."
"Flattery will get you everywhere." Len fumbled with his belt, hands getting clumsier the closer that hot mouth went down his body. He looked down and caught the man's eye.
Fingers hooked over the elastic of Len's briefs, pulling everything of his hips until Len's cock popped out, bumping against rough stubble. The man admired the length, rumbling deep in his chest. "Wanna hear you say my name, Beautiful." Then he took Len deep in his mouth.
"Fuck- Mick!"
~*~*~*~
A door slamming startled Mick awake. It was followed in quick succession by, "Lenny, I'm here!", a terse, "Shit!" and being rudely shoved to the floor.
"Ow, what fu- oof!" One of the cushions from the back of the couch hit him in the stomach.
"For godsake, cover up!"
Securing the cushion over his crotch, Mick twisted in order to snarl, "What the hell- oh."
A wide eyed, open mouthed little girl stood at the end of the couch. With Len currently trying to pretend he didn't exist behind his hand and own cushion, Mick decided it was up to him to be hospitable. "Um, hi?"
The girl's jaw clicked shut and she pointed off to the side. "Imma go wait in the kitchen." Then went off to presumably do just that.
Len, peeking out between his fingers to ensure she wasn't looking, surged to his feet, picking up the discarded clothes scattered over the floor. Then, when Mick was slow to get on his feet, started herding him down the hall. "Sorry, just- dress, shower if you want. You have to go."
With cool bathroom tiles under his feet, Mick turned to ask- half to be a brat and half because he'd been looking forward to it, "Does that mean no morning sex?"
Len slammed the door shut.
~*~*~*~
It wasn't the first time Lewis had dropped Lisa off without warning though in the middle of the week was rare. Len had been crafting what he was going to say while in the shower, explaining to Lisa what she'd seen and that it didn't mean anything- even if he'd really been hoping to get Mick's number before he left -and that their dad could never, ever know.
He didn't expect Mick to be hanging around. Doubly so for cooking in the kitchen. Lisa was on the counter nearby, kicking her legs as she watched Mick flip a pancake. "Hey," the man said, catching Len staring from the corner of his eye. "I know you said I had to go but apparently your sister hadn't eaten today. And also something about your dad being outside?"
Shit. In his panic, Len had forgotten Lewis sometimes liked hanging out in front, waiting to see if his boy would actually confront him on his plethora of failings for once. If he made the connection between Len and Mick leaving...
Another thought caught him and he shot a look at Lisa who merely shrugged. "I've heard the stuff dad says about guys that like guys. I'm not gonna tell him."
"So you not out to your folks or not out period?" Though Mick's expression and tone were neutral, it was how deliberately neutral they were that made Len get a little defensive.
"There's only one person I'm trying to hide this from. Asides from that, it's no one's business but mine."
Mick held up one hand, the other sliding the finished pancake onto the pile. "Chill. If you're in the closet, I should probably know before I inadvertently screw you over." He paused. "More than I already have."
Len very loudly and roughly cleared his throat, nodding to Lisa when Mick looked at him. Lisa sighed, "I live with Dad, Lenny. I've heard worse. Can we eat? I'm starving!"
Any worry Len might've had about awkwardness of eating breakfast with someone his baby sister had caught him naked with was quick to evaporate as Lisa was more than happy to pepper Mick with questions. The man spent five years in Keystone's fire department up until a year ago when he'd been transferred to Central where he drove one of the engines. He dabbled in mechanics though mainly because he just liked working with his hands- and that made Len shift in his seat because Mick was damn good with those hands -and the most exciting things he did on his off days, in his words, was go to farmers markets.
"Work eats up a lot of my time," Mick said wryly, "so I'm kinda boring."
"No wonder you get along with Lenny. He's boring, too."
The two men exchanged glances, the heat in Mick's eyes made Len's stomach flutter. "I don't think he's boring at all."
"So does that mean you're gonna see him more?"
They both blinked. "What?" Did she just entrap him?
Lucky for Mick, he was saved by the bell. Or rather his phone. The alarm started ringing and Mick switched off with a flick of his thumb. "Damn, didn't realize the time. I gotta get to work."
Len stood and followed as Mick grabbed his coat and headed towards the door. He bit his lip when Mick bent over to pull his boots on, admiring the way his shirt stretched over his shoulders when he laced them up. When the man stood, Len cleared his throat and said, "Thanks for breakfast. And being understanding. And," a grin quirked his lips at the memory, "everything about last night."
Mick's own lips split in a grin. "I could definitely go for a repeat performance."
"Same."
"Mick! Here!" They both startled as Lisa suddenly zipped up next to them, stuffing a piece of paper into Mick's hand. "You should hang out with us!"
Len couldn't see the entirety of the paper's contents when Mick looked at it, but he definitely saw the last four of his number. Mick's grin turned a bit... hungrier when he looked at Len again. "Sure thing." Giving Lisa a friendly pat on the shoulder- and a final, lingering look to Len -he finally left.
Len looked down at his little sister and drawled out, "As much as I appreciate it, you don't need to be my wingman."
Lisa just smiled brightly. "I like him. He makes good pancakes."
~*~*~*~
Over the weekends Len always had Lisa so their next date didn't end in sex. The third did and Len regretted having gone through life having never been fucked against a wall before. But it wasn't just amazing sex that had Len eager to see Mick, it was the surprising contrast between his obvious power and careful touch, the way he was both aggressive and attentive and the fact he obviously adored Lisa and she adored him.
"Hey," Mick nudged his nose against Len's cheek who was still trying to piece his brain back together from another mind-blowing orgasm, "one of those Disney on Ice shows are in town. You think Lisa'll wanna go?"
"If you get her even the crappiest seat in the house, you'll be her new best friend. She loves any kind of ice skating."
"What about you?"
He huffed, stretching out luxuriously. "If I get bored, hopefully there'll be a handsome firefighter I can play footsie with."
"You're trying to make me jealous?"
"Is it working?" They exchanged grins and kisses. Len's face turned more serious, "You don't have to keep including Lisa in our dates if you don't want to." They'd already had a discussion about Mick paying for most everything on said dates but he just shot back that between Len being up to his ears in student loans and Mick rarely spending much on himself anyway, he may as well spoil the people he cared about.
"You kidding? I love Lisa, she's great. Plus you get the dopiest little grin whenever she gets excited."
Len snorted, letting his hand fall against Mick's chest with a thud. "Dopiest, huh?"
"Yeah, but I love it." He rolled over so he could whisper against Len's lips, "I love seeing you smile."
God- how could he not melt around this man?
~*~*~*~
The phone shrilled and Mick nearly knocked it off his desk reaching for it. "Rory," he mumbled, face still smooshed against his pillow. After a long stretch of silence he tried again, "'llo?"
"/Didn't mean to wake you, Mick./"
It took his sleep-addled brain a moment to place the soft, hesitant voice. "Lise?"
"/Yeah./"
"Is something wrong?" He struggled out of his tangled sheets, catching sight of the time and cursing. He'd just gotten off shift having spent most of the night going from one call to the next. He hadn't even been asleep two hours.
"/I'm at Lenny's right now,/" her voice was getting smaller and smaller on the phone. "/He's in class but I just... don't wanna be alone and you're the only one I could think to call./" For a moment it sounded like she was on the verge of crying. "/Never mind. It's dumb. Sorry I woke you./"
"No, it's fine. I can come over." He nearly tripped over a pair of pants. "Gimme a bit. Do you need me to pick up breakfast?"
"/I already ate some of Len's cereal/" She sniffled. "/Thanks, Mick./"
Given the time of day it didn't take long to drive to Len's apartment and after triple-checking that Lisa wasn't hurt or sick or in need of anything, exhaustion came crashing back down on Mick. Lisa took him by the hand and laid him out on the couch. "Sleep," she told him. "I feel better just having you here."
Mick wanted to argue but being horizontal sounded like a really, really good idea to him right then.
"Is it okay if I watch something?" He just grunted, sinking into the cushions. Lisa sat on the floor in front of him, taking the arm he flopped over the side and draping it over her shoulder. The tv was soothing background noise and just as he drifted off to sleep, Mick could've sworn he heard Lisa say, "I wish I could stay with you and Len all the time."
When he woke up the tv was off and the sky was dark outside. Mick would've bolted upright but for the hand resting on his chest. "Easy, baby." Mick tilted his head up, realizing he had his head in Len's lap. The younger man smiled though his eyes were still on the textbook he had propped open on the arm of the couch. "Evening, Sleeping Beauty."
"Shit, how long was I asleep? Where's Lisa?"
"Our dad picked her up already." Len's hand ran idle, soothing circles over Mick's chest. "Sorry she bothered you."
"How many times I gotta tell you two? You're not a bother. I like helping you guys out because I like you." Suddenly Len leaned down to place a sweet, slow kiss on Mick's lips. "Not complaining, but what was that for?"
Len smiled rare and warm. "For being wonderful."
~*~*~*~
Len got the call in the middle of his sociology class which meant he didn't get a chance to listen to it until after. Then he tore through the school to his car because, even if the staff said it wasn't a big deal, Lisa's school was on fucking fire.
"Lisa!" He saw her in the group of other kids, all crowded around a fire engine. One of the firefighters was talking to them, pointing out different things on the vehicle as everyone else took care of what was apparently a miniscule blaze.
She turned at her name, "Hey, Lenny!" She rolled her eyes when he grabbed her shoulders, checking her over.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah," she looked at him like he was being a freak. "Mick's here."
"What?" He looked up and the firefighter the kids had been listening to was, indeed, Mick. Even with the bulky jacket, the gear and ridiculous helmet, the way Mick leaned against the engine and smirked made Len's heart trip up. "Um, hey Mick. Didn't expect to see you here."
"I do put out fires."
Len shot him a look- Mick's occupation had interrupted more than one date in the last few months seeing each other. "I didn't expect to see you at this particular fire." He paused and added, "I didn't expect Lisa's school to catch fire at all."
"It's not that spectacular," Mick said. "From what I've been told, someone tossed a lit cigarette in a bathroom trashcan. Fire didn't get too big, but since it's the end of the day, staff's letting kids go home early." He waved at the group around them. "Trying to keep them from getting too bored 'til they get picked up."
Given early release, Len could've taken Lisa and gone home but instead they stayed, listening to Mick's demonstration. Though, if he were honest, Len would admit he was admiring Mick more than anything. His explanations were simple and easy to follow, he answered any questions the kids had and, every time he did something to aid his coworkers he talked his way through the process. Though most of the kids left as they were collected, a few asked their parents to stay a little longer.
When the school finished smoldering and the hose was shut off, the last of the kids left with a cheery wave and bright, "Thank you!" and Mick finally turned to the siblings with a bemused look. "You didn't have to stay, you know. I know most people don't find this stuff interesting."
"I never got to see you work before!" Lisa piped up. She and Len had taken to sitting on one of the steps.
"Really didn't see me do much work."
"Still, it was very educational," Len told him. He'd been trying to keep from fantasizing about Mick in his work get-up but now that he was confronted with it, the thoughts wouldn't leave him alone.
Judging from the heat in Mick's eyes, Len wasn't doing a good job of hiding that fact. "No fair looking at me like that, Beautiful. I'm on the clock."
"And I'm counting down hours until you're not."
Lisa made a face, "Gag."
"So you're the cold front that tamed our heat wave, huh?"
They all looked up to see a young man half hanging out of the engine cab's window, grinning widely.
"What?" Len asked at the same time Mick growled, "Walker..."
"No, man, seriously- you're famous. You've got, like, the entire station wanting to buy you coffee or a drink or whatever. Sure, the mother henning can get a bit much at times but it's loads better than having to keep an eye on the hothead all the time."
Mick punched the door- not hard, but sharp enough the sound made the siblings jump. Walker just cackled but ducked out of sight. Mick looked away, expression more ashamed than mad. Lisa grabbed his hand. "You okay, Mickey?"
"Yeah, just..." he looked at the two, gauging them before admitting, "I didn't get transferred here by choice. It's... over the years, I dunno. Things got intense or something and I started getting distracted on the job. I'd get caught up just watching the fire. Nearly got trapped inside a building once because of it," Mick off-handedly grabbed his shoulder where Len remembered running his tongue over burn scars, "and got sent for a psych eval. Keystone's a bit rougher than Central, so they suggested I come here, be a driver, stay out of buildings. Hated it at first. Thought about quitting for months."
Len's hands flexed on Lisa's shoulders. "Why didn't you?"
"I met you two." He gave them a tentative smile, almost bordering on shy. "Got me thinking. Instead of focusing so much on fire, I started focusing on taking care of my rig and the people on it. After a while, with all the things that needed my attention, fire started being less of a temptation."
"'Cause there's only one thing tempting you now, right, Rory?"
"Oh, what the hell, guys?" They looked up to see Walker had returned, this time with three men and a woman grinning down at them.
"What?" Walker spread his hands out, "When I told Mardon the Miracle Man was here, he wanted to see! And Piper and Jesse had a bet if he even existed and Kane's just nosy, so..."
The woman reached over to pinch Walker's neck while one of the men said, "Now Hart owes me dinner- I'm glad your boyfriend is real, Rory!"
At Mick's continued glare, Kane said, "We were given the okay to go. Everything's packed up, we're just waiting on you."
"Oh." Heat flushed up Mick's cheeks. Which darkened as a couple of the guys cheered, "Kiss 'im goodbye!"
Unable to resist temptation, Len stepped up and placed a kiss on the corner of Mick's mouth. "Call me when you're off shift." There was nothing but promise in his tone, leaving Mick stuttering an affirmative as Len all but sashayed away.
~*~*~*~
It wasn't that Mick wasn't aware of the fact Lewis Snart was a shit parent. He's had suspicions during the eight months dating Len but had never seen any concrete evidence of anything more than Lewis being supremely disrespectful.
Then one day Lisa came in with a bruised face.
She froze when she saw Mick. Not afraid of him but afraid because he'd seen something he wasn't supposed to. Tears welled in her eyes and she shrank back against the front door like she wanted to hide. He knelt in front of her and reached out carefully, not quite touching the bruise, measuring it against his own hand. Not much smaller. Definitely an adult. Mick had done stints in Rescue Companies before, had responded to several domestic violence disputes over the years. He never saw red until then.
When he stood, Lisa grabbed his hand. "No, Mick. Don't. Please, don't go out there!"
Very carefully he brushed her aside. "I'll take care of it, Lise."
"Mick, please, Mick!" Then, just as the door shut behind him, "Lenny!"
He took the stairs two at a time, moving quickly but deliberately, hands fisted to keep from shaking with rage. When he exited the building he saw Lewis's car- Mick had gotten peeks of it over the months before Len called him from the window -and an older man leaning against it. Arms crossed, face twisted in a sneer like he was expecting a confrontation and was both disappointed and satisfied it wasn't coming.
Mick was gonna give him a confrontation alright. "Hey," he barked out, "you Snart?"
The old man, idiot that he was, actually said, "Yeah. What's it to you?"
It just took one swing to knock him to the ground. "Next time you wanna hit someone, try someone that can hit back!"
Lewis growled, pushing himself to his feet, fingering his split lip. Then he charged. He was much scrappier than Mick had anticipated but Mick also had size, strength and reach on him leaving the fight firmly in his favor. And then Lewis pulled out a knife.
He only managed one swing at Mick before he got knocked down. Mick dimly heard Len cry from somewhere, "Lisa!"
"You leave Mick alone!" She had one arm wrapped around her father's waist, trying to hit him with a fist but lacking the leverage to do anything. Lewis's expression went livid, lips pulled back and hand tightening on the knife-
He cried out as Len stomped on his hand one, twice, thrice. "Don't you dare," he hissed. "Don't you dare hurt Lisa again!"
Lewis's hand cracked and he screamed. Mick hoisted Lisa to her feet and dragged Len off his father. "Lenny, babe- don't. He's not worth it." There was absolute murder in Len's eyes and Mick would've been lying if he said it didn't scare him. He'd also be lying if he said he didn't get it and he only had the barest notion of the story.
"You faggy little shit," Lewis croaked from the ground, cradling his crumpled hand to his chest.
"For fuck's sake, asshole," Mick snapped, Len going stiff in his arm. "Do you want to get your jaw broken?"
Lewis wasn't paying attention to him, he was sneering at Len. Contempt was not a strong enough word for the way he spat out, "That the kind of life my whore of a son wants to expose his sister to? Showing her how much you like choking on cock?"
Len's expression clouded over, ripping out of Mick's arm with more strength than Mick expected. He stalked toward his father until he could press the heel of his boot against Lewis's throat. "So what if I do?" He growled, grinding down just enough to make Lewis gag. "I'm still a better person than you'd ever hope to be."
Lights were flashing and the sound of wailing sirens drew closer. Mick wrapped an arm around Len's waist, "C'mon, baby. Step back." He said low in his ear. "Cops're here."
Len was trembling in his arms, breathing going ragged. Lisa hugged her brother tight, face pressed against his stomach and when Len turned to hide against Mick's neck, he elbowed the older man in the side, making him gasp. Len's eyes went wide. "Mick, you're bleeding!" Lisa lifted her head with a, "What?" and Len pulled her off by the shoulders. "Lise, go inside and get the first aid kit. Hurry!"
As she ran off to do that, Len tugged at Mick's shirt, trying to get a look at the damage. But his hands were shaking too badly and tears started clouding his eyes, frustration making his scattered thoughts all the more elusive. "Hey, hey," Mick grabbed his hands, "it's not that bad. Just a nick. All I'll need is some stitches and disinfectant and I'll be fine." He kissed Len's knuckles. "I've gotten worse on the job."
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. This is my fault."
"No, it's not. Baby, look at me." He took Len's face in his hands, forcing his head up. "It's your dad's fault. You don't deserve anything he's done to you, just like your sister never deserved it. He's a piss stain, but you?" He wiped away a tear that managed to trickle down Len's cheek. "You're amazing. You're smart and focused and you don't let anything stop you. You care so damn much and work yourself to the bone to get things done. You inspire me, Lenny, because of how good a person you are. You're better than him. Even at your absolute worse, you will always, always be better than him."
"Hate to interrupt the Lifetime movie, Rory." An officer approached them- looking far too old to be a beat cop -while two more were helping Lewis off the ground. Another was talking to the neighbors neither of them had realized had come out.
"Hey, Chyre. Didn't expect to see you here."
"Jackam's on maternity leave so I'm picking up her shifts." The officer looked at Len who Mick had tucked securely against his side. "This the boyfriend?"
"Yup."
Chyre snorted, holding his hand out to Len. "Glad to meet the guy that did the impossible: turned Rory from a wild card to someone respectable."
He took it with a hesitant smile. "I didn't do anything really."
"You managed to get his head on straight. Man was a disciplinary hearing waiting to happen before you." He took out a notebook and flipped it open. "Gonna have to run you through the paces, though."
The entire thing took somewhat longer than expected- exacerbated by Chyre's partner having to fish out the knife Lewis tossed down a storm drain and Lisa spilling every memory she had of him raising a hand to either her or Len. Including showing off a vicious looking scar on her shoulder Mick hadn't seen before. Coupled with the homophobic vitriol he was spewing from the back of the squad car, Chyre suggested Len get a restraining order in the system and offered to get custody papers started for him. Mick, from where he was getting stitched up by an EMT and with Lisa holding his hand, grinned when Len agreed.
After all that, going back to Len's tiny apartment felt like being smothered by silence. The three of them sat on the couch at a loss. Eventually Lisa asked, "Does this mean I'm moving in with Lenny?"
The two men exchanged glances. "I guess so," her brother said slowly before quickly warming to the idea. "Sure, I've been wanting to get you out of there forever anyway. I know the apartment isn't great and it's further from your school but-" and as fast as it came, the good mood left. "I can't afford it. I'm barely getting by as it is, I can't-"
"You can both stay with me," Mick blurted out, heart racing at the fact he was actually asking Len to move in with him. "It'll be a tight fit with the three of us, but some of the guys from my station live in the same building. They'll keep a watch out for lurkers if I tell 'em the situation. We helped Piper when his own folks were giving him grief, so he'd definitely help out and Mardon's big on keeping family safe. Plus Shawna- she's a med student so if anyone gets hurt, she's available to help out. Uh, just try not to get hurt during finals. She gets kinda cranky then."
In the midst of all his babbling, Mick noticed Len was openly staring at him while Lisa had the biggest damn grin on her face. "What?"
"Sure!" Lisa chirped. That reanimated Len who swiveled his head at her.
"Lisa!"
"What? He's asking you to move in and you've been completely in love with him since, like, day one, so why not?"
The blunt reveal caused both men to flush. Mick coughed and rubbed a hand over his neck. "Uh, I've been... kinda the same way."
Len blinked owlishly at him. Mick wondered how short-circuited his brain was because he apparently didn't seem to have connected the dots.
"In love with you."
"Oh." Len ducked his head and put a hand to his face. Didn't stop Mick from seeing the big, glowing smile on his face. After seeing that there was no way Mick could stop himself from dragging Len to his chest. "Okay."
"What okay?"
"I love you. I'll move in with you. Take your pick."
Mick turned his head to place a soft kiss against Len's head. "How 'bout all of the above?"
He felt a smile stretching against the side of his neck. "All of the above."
~*~*~*~
It took three years of budgeting and scrounging but they'd finally saved up enough for a home. A sprawling, three bedroom apartment in the heart of the city with a view that went on for miles and a doorman at the front. Mick put the last box down before going to sprawl against the couch, shoulders burning. Having finished going through the checklist for the last time, Len perched on the arm, leaning over to place a kiss against Mick's head. "We could've hired movers."
"Could've," Mick agreed between breathes, "but I know how much you like watching me sweat."
"True, but even I have my limits." He kissed Mick again, proving that whatever those limits may be, they haven't hit it yet. "Also we could've bribed your co-workers with beer and pizza."
"But then they'd never leave and I wouldn't be able to kiss you whenever I want," he tilted his head back, pulling Len's head down to do just that.
Len chuckled. "Remind me to send Detective West something nice for letting Lisa stay at his place for a week." His hand slid over Mick's chest, down his stomach. "We're free to do whatever we want."
"Like start unpacking boxes?" Mick teased.
"Shall we start in the bedroom?" Len's grin was decidedly... sultry. "We'll need a place to sleep, after all."
"See, that's why you're the brains in this partnership." He held his arm out with the biggest, cheesiest grin. "Shall we, Mr. Rory?"
Len couldn't help chuckling, hooking his hand around Mick's elbow and pulled him to his feet, brand new wedding band momentarily catching the light. "Of course, Mr. Rory."
What an amazing week! We had such a fantastic turnout and it was exciting to see this lovely community come together to celebrate our favorite criminals :)
We will continue to monitor the #coldwaveweek2016 tag, so don’t worry if you are a little behind. (I still have two fics that will be posted over the next couple days.)
Thank you to everyone who participated, whether by creating, partaking, or both. Y’all are awesome and I can’t wait to do this again!
Kinda went with @fyeahhipsterdoctor‘s idea with their chests lighting up inspired by that one comic. I just went with their hearts. Also put the original up there since making GIFs out of big pieces wrecks the quality.
But yeah, something like this would totally happen while in juvie. And it would happen during that moment where Len’s getting his ass kicked by the other kids and Mick sweeps in and rescues him.
