He thinks we're partners, Mick. But not partners the way we're partners. [Len turns and looks up at the other man, fingers still entwined with Mick's. He's not smiling, though there is a twist to his lips.] He thinks we're married.
[Oh. Maybe he should have seen that coming. It was true that one of the questions he'd been asked was if he was seeing anyone, and as soon as Mick had mentioned his partner, those questions had stopped and 'when are you bringing him to meet me' had started.
...which, now that he thinks about it. Hm.
Mick's face has always been more expressive than Len's, and now he looks uncertain, a little off-balance.]
...should I tell him we're...it's not like that? Can go back up, if you...
[Okay, maybe it was cruel, but Len had really wanted to see how Mick reacted. It was easier to gauge his partner's reactions and decide how he should pretend to feel, then to show his own emotions and hope that they synced with Mick. Maybe he was more sensitive and uncertain of his footing with Mick than before, or maybe he had always been this uncertain, and only now there was more to worry about.
As he Mick offers to go back upstairs, obviously thrown off and almost hesitant, Len allowed himself to smile and catches the other man's arm with his free hand, as if he'd been about to rush off]
Nah...don't bother. It doesn't matter what he thinks, right?
[He hadn't quite been pulling away to go back upstairs, but he'd been thinking about it. It's been a very long few months, and he's gone back and forth between hating Len and...well, something else. Nothing like hating him at all.
He can feel the edge of Len's ring pressing into his finger, not uncomfortably, and for a moment he wants to know what his partner thinks. But he doesn't know what kind of answer he'll get, and he isn't quite ready to find out.]
[It seems neither of them are ready to find out how the other really feels. But that's fine. Len doesn't need to know. So long as things run smoothly, there's no need to talk about it.
[There had never been time before. Now they almost have too much time, stretching in front of them until some unspecified completion point, and given that neither of them has ever been good at talking about that kind of thing, it still might not be enough time.
Mick turns the kiss deeper for a moment, almost fierce, but only for a moment. He's still leaning close when he speaks again.]
[He has to know what that tone does to Mick. What it's always done, for years now. Mick's other hand snakes around Len's waist and pulls him closer for a long moment, and he leans down to press a bare-toothed grin against Len's neck, but then loosens his grip.]
C'mon.
[They'll avoid the second floor, Len's seen most of that already anyway, and head right to the third floor so he can assess the state of the apartments for himself, decide how much needs to be done before they can move. Practical things.]
[Len rather loves the reaction Mick shows to that tone. He hums with pleasure and presses in close, then steps back slowly when the grip loosens, his gaze somewhat heated as he looks up at Mick.
But he doesn't complain as he follows Mick up the stairs to the third floor. There are four apartments upstairs, and Len pokes his way through them thoughtfully, already considering which one he wants.]
Hm. See what I can do. [There will be places to get building material outside the system here, a city doesn't exist that doesn't have cash-only under the table businesses.
But that's enough to have him grinning again, a speculative look in his eyes as he watches Len walk through the apartments. He always has the patience to watch his partner casing anywhere. He's thorough, and there's something satisfying in it, even for the observer.]
[Len leans over to look out a window and decides he likes this particular room. There's a fire escape nearby and a good view of the approaches both up and down the street.]
If my sister's sleeping next door? Definitely. Neither of us much wants to listen to the other doing the horizontal tango.
[He laughs, quiet and sharp, folding his arms and leaning against the wall of the room Len has picked for his own.]
Could trade off on giving 'em the shovel talk, like we did before. [When Mick wasn't in prison, he'd occasionally stepped in to talk someone questionable out of dating his best friend's sister. It had always worked. And it had been fun. He still isn't sure Lisa knows about that.]
[Len laughs and turns around, folding his arms and leaning on the windowsill]
We will. But I don't want to cramp her style so long as she's enjoying herself. She's my baby sister, but she's a grown woman now. And she's here to cuddle and fuck, just like we are. I don't know what she's here for, but if it's important to her, I don't want to stop her from getting it.
[Mick accepts that with an easy nod. It isn't like back home, when Lisa had been just a kid, and attracting the wrong element. She can handle the wrong element all on her own these days. Sometimes just for something to do.
He hasn't asked about her incentive. Too risky. Means Mick might need to talk about his own, and he isn't ready to tell Lisa about Len dying.]
[Funny. Len has the same reason for not asking Lisa about her incentive.
He shifts up, walks towards Mick]
No shovels, unless we need to. She's still my sister, and I'll still protect her no matter what. But there's no reason why all three of us can't have fun so long as it's safe.
[He curls a finger in Mick's collar and tugs him down a few inches, mischief in his eyes] What do you think, hubby? Can you see us living here for a while?
[Mick looks impassive as he's tugged forward, and impassive as he gets asked the question, and impassive as he retaliates by calmly reaching out, wrapping one hand around his wrist, and putting his partner in a mild headlock.]
Yeah. Sounds good. Hubby.
[Neither of them should be saying that word while sober. But the headlock lasts only for as long as it takes for Len to start struggling, then he'll let him go again. But they've been mushy enough for one day without some kind of a punch getting thrown.]
[Len yelps as Mick puts him in an unexpected headlock, and squirms, but before he can punch him in the gut to get him to let him go, he's released. He's grinning, though, as he straightens up, recognizing the joke and teasing for what it is.
He backs casually out of arm's reach, and then starts moving towards the door before tossing his next salvo.]
Careful. If I know it gets your goat, I'll start calling you even cuter names.
[That's sure not true. Len would dare almost anything if he could. He's fearless.
Mick follows, heading back down to the bar, taking another look around with a satisfied little hmm. It'll take time to convince himself that it's theirs—they're not exactly roots people—but...it'll be good.]
[Mick finishes examining a scar on the long bar—he'll have to get a couple stories about this place out of the old man before he up and disappears—and swings around, tipping his head, curious.]
[He really hadn't expected to sort out their premises that fast. He'd assumed they'd both look around for a while longer, disagree on a few places, lose out on a deal, that's how this kind of thing was supposed to go, right? So he'd figured celebrating was a long way off.]
...pour us a couple'a drinks and I'll think about it.
[Len had expected the same thing, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Maybe it was fate, or maybe they just got lucky. Or maybe they'd just made a big mistake, but he didn't think so. It was a good deal, a perfect little place, and he was confident they had found the right one.
He grinned and hopped over the bar, then hunted through the bottles, then he picked up one in particular]
[Or he'd just spent the last couple dozen years around him and knew just what he liked. Either way, it brought out a grin as Mick settled on one of the stools, arms loosely folded as he leaned against the bar. They'd be doing this for a while now, wouldn't they? Better get used to the view.]
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...which, now that he thinks about it. Hm.
Mick's face has always been more expressive than Len's, and now he looks uncertain, a little off-balance.]
...should I tell him we're...it's not like that? Can go back up, if you...
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As he Mick offers to go back upstairs, obviously thrown off and almost hesitant, Len allowed himself to smile and catches the other man's arm with his free hand, as if he'd been about to rush off]
Nah...don't bother. It doesn't matter what he thinks, right?
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He can feel the edge of Len's ring pressing into his finger, not uncomfortably, and for a moment he wants to know what his partner thinks. But he doesn't know what kind of answer he'll get, and he isn't quite ready to find out.]
Fine. Leave it, easier that way.
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He does lean up and give Mick a kiss, though.]
Right. Easier.
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Mick turns the kiss deeper for a moment, almost fierce, but only for a moment. He's still leaning close when he speaks again.]
Want the tour?
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C'mon.
[They'll avoid the second floor, Len's seen most of that already anyway, and head right to the third floor so he can assess the state of the apartments for himself, decide how much needs to be done before they can move. Practical things.]
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But he doesn't complain as he follows Mick up the stairs to the third floor. There are four apartments upstairs, and Len pokes his way through them thoughtfully, already considering which one he wants.]
We'll need soundproofing.
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But that's enough to have him grinning again, a speculative look in his eyes as he watches Len walk through the apartments. He always has the patience to watch his partner casing anywhere. He's thorough, and there's something satisfying in it, even for the observer.]
Expecting noise complaints, Snart?
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If my sister's sleeping next door? Definitely. Neither of us much wants to listen to the other doing the horizontal tango.
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Could trade off on giving 'em the shovel talk, like we did before. [When Mick wasn't in prison, he'd occasionally stepped in to talk someone questionable out of dating his best friend's sister. It had always worked. And it had been fun. He still isn't sure Lisa knows about that.]
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We will. But I don't want to cramp her style so long as she's enjoying herself. She's my baby sister, but she's a grown woman now. And she's here to cuddle and fuck, just like we are. I don't know what she's here for, but if it's important to her, I don't want to stop her from getting it.
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He hasn't asked about her incentive. Too risky. Means Mick might need to talk about his own, and he isn't ready to tell Lisa about Len dying.]
Fine. No shovels. Unless we need to.
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He shifts up, walks towards Mick]
No shovels, unless we need to. She's still my sister, and I'll still protect her no matter what. But there's no reason why all three of us can't have fun so long as it's safe.
[He curls a finger in Mick's collar and tugs him down a few inches, mischief in his eyes] What do you think, hubby? Can you see us living here for a while?
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Yeah. Sounds good. Hubby.
[Neither of them should be saying that word while sober. But the headlock lasts only for as long as it takes for Len to start struggling, then he'll let him go again. But they've been mushy enough for one day without some kind of a punch getting thrown.]
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He backs casually out of arm's reach, and then starts moving towards the door before tossing his next salvo.]
Careful. If I know it gets your goat, I'll start calling you even cuter names.
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[That's sure not true. Len would dare almost anything if he could. He's fearless.
Mick follows, heading back down to the bar, taking another look around with a satisfied little hmm. It'll take time to convince himself that it's theirs—they're not exactly roots people—but...it'll be good.]
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There he pauses and sees Mick looking around. He smiles, watching his friend. It's nice to see Mick this happy]
I think we ought to celebrate.
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Maybe so. What'd you have in mind?
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Hey, you found this place, Mick. I think this is your party. What would you like to do?
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...pour us a couple'a drinks and I'll think about it.
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He grinned and hopped over the bar, then hunted through the bottles, then he picked up one in particular]
Fireball whiskey?
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[Or he'd just spent the last couple dozen years around him and knew just what he liked. Either way, it brought out a grin as Mick settled on one of the stools, arms loosely folded as he leaned against the bar. They'd be doing this for a while now, wouldn't they? Better get used to the view.]