Worth it (AO3)
Word count: 855
Summary: "So they parted ways with her and all—Team Flash, Leonard Snart, and Mick Rory, who were taking a break from their missions on the Waverider—gathered at STAR Labs to celebrate, catch up, and eat some food."
For @thevoiceofdragons, who wanted "Anything with that and Barry appreciating the heck out of [Mick's cooking] skills. (a la "I could kiss the cook"/"I would put out for this, real talk" etc)"
Thank you @wonderingtheblue for beta reading!! <3
Mission accomplished. Another week, another meta stopped. Luckily, this time that didn’t involve sending anyone to Iron Heights. Their wayward meta was just a woman that didn’t realize she had powers. They helped her learn control and even gave her a bracelet that could neutralize her powers if she decided she didn’t want them, just like Caitlin used before she got control over Killer Frost.
The meta couldn’t be persuaded to become a hero, but Barry wasn’t too surprised. What else could he expect from someone that was friends with Captain Cold and Heatwave.
She was a prostitute that they had realized needed help and had brought to Team Flash’s attention. Once they’d helped her with her powers, she had rejected any other help—to become a hero or to help her find a new job. She was happy with the life she had and didn't want their help changing it.
So they parted ways with her and all—Team Flash, Leonard Snart, and Mick Rory, who were taking a break from their missions on the Waverider—gathered at STAR Labs to celebrate, catch up, and eat some food.
As Barry finished piling two plates high with food from the buffet spread out for them and walked over to join the others, he realized that Cisco was still fixated on the woman they’d helped today and her chosen profession.
“I’m just saying,” Cisco said as Barry took a seat, “that I’d be really expensive. It’d take a lot of money for someone to buy this for a night.” He gestured to himself as though it were obvious just from looking at him that he was an expensive prize. “Or some really rare Star Trek collectibles,” Cisco added after a pause.
Barry laughed along with the others and was about to comment before he got distracted by the delicious food he’d just taken a bite of. He’d never tasted anything this good, and even though he’d just started, he was tempted to go grab one of the trays of food before the others could grab more. Did speedsters get dibs on the majority of the post-mission food? They should. He needed it more than the others. And seriously, it was melt in your mouth, finger licking, sell your soul, incredibly good.
Barry moaned around his mouthful, and after he swallowed, without thinking, said, “Forget collectibles. You could buy me with this food. It’s that good.” As soon as he was done speaking, he took another bite. It was just as good as the first.
“Is that so, Barry?” Snart said, and the way he drawled his name made Barry finally look up from his plate to see the amused smirk playing across the man’s face.
Not even a little ashamed, Barry said, “If I got this food every day, I’d put out every night.” The food was incredible. If Cisco could hypothetically sleep with someone for Star Trek merch, he could for food.
“Uhh Barry—“ Caitlin hesitantly tried to get his attention. She’d been one of the ones laughing at Cisco’s comment, was she really against him saying something similar about food?
Before Caitlin could continue or Barry could spare too long on that train of thought, Mick’s deep voice interrupted. “Deal, Red.”
“Uh what?” Barry asked, barely taking the time to stop chewing long enough to try and figure out what Mick was talking about.
“Mick’s the chef, kid,” Snart said, smirk growing into a full smile as he looked like he was trying not to laugh.
“Um well, it’s really good?” Barry asked more than said to the room before looking directly at Mick. “Thanks for cooking, Mick.” This was awkward. Was it awkward? Was he the only one that thought it was awkward? How was he supposed to know that the food had been made by the former criminal and not brought in from some 5-star restaurant that cost more than Barry’s paycheck. Clearly, Mick should have been a chef. He probably would have made more than he did with his heists.
“Come over to mine tomorrow night and I’ll cook for you again,” Mick interrupted Barry’s thoughts again, and was he seriously propositioning him? Barry had been joking…mostly.
At a loss for words, Barry looked around at the others. There were varying degrees of amusement, embarrassment, and incredulity in the faces of his friends and teammates. Barry was about to laugh the whole thing off when he took another bite and remembered exactly why he had made the claim in the first place. The food was incredible.
Turning to Cisco, Barry whispered—as though the others couldn’t hear him—“If I agree, are you all going to judge me?”
That seemed to be Cisco’s breaking point as he started laughing in earnest. “Definitely,” he said. “All the judgement, dude.”
Barry looked around again, at Iris and Snart’s amused faces, Caitlin’s facepalm, and Cisco and Wally’s outright laughter—thankfully Joe had gone back to the precinct—before turning to Mick, who looked like a combination of amused and hopeful.
Well, if he was serious…
Barry shrugged and said, “Worth it. Deal, Mick.”









