[ Mick's not surprised to find his old partner brooding up in the rafters of the warehouse, in one of the makeshift workshops. The situation was such that he had to knuckle down and stay in his domain, but he'd still want isolation to put himself together. Usually, Mick might just drop off the meal and leave him to it, let him come around in his own time.
He sets the bowl of hot stew next to the younger man on the work bench, a looming presence standing over and looking down at him. There's a small length of silence where he reads Leonard's physical response to the move. ]
Starting to look a little paler than usual, Sidewinder.
[ There's no real heat in it, but Mick's not going to avoid the issue, either. Snart had delegated the task of telling him the truth to someone else. ]
[ Leonard's only immediate reaction to the bowl of stew is to sweep his pile of sensitive electronic junk away from it. He's screwing around with the components of the new gun batteries, their payment for playing Salvation Army with Ray.
The silence isn't heavy, or uncomfortable. Leonard isn't avoiding anything by not looking up at Mick, he just doesn't have to. He knew who was coming and why the moment Mick's boot hit the first step of the metal stairs.
He only pauses in his work when Mick speaks. Quick fingers stopping in the middle of reworking a small circuit board. One of his own making, less refined and complex compared to the surrounding pieces Ray has built, but that's why he's taking the time to compare the two. Learning. It keeps his brain busy, so he can't fixate on what he can't tear apart and put back together with his own two hands. ]
Skin's the least of your health problems. Lately it's been all bones and blood.
[ And Mick wasn't in any position to give him any lectures on it, not that he was planning to try. He'd been stirring up plenty of trouble with the locals on his own, little pockets of chaos - maybe too little, he was starting to think lately - to stave off the boredom. It wasn't just that their personalities weren't conducive to getting along with others; they liked the antagonism, though where they found the satisfaction in it might differ. Being told not to fight was among the last things Leonard could expect Mick to say. ]
And those are only gonna get worse if you don't eat something. So take a break.
...
Maybe give the bread another minute in there. Kid's best attempt might still chip a tooth.
[ He'd picked the best-looking piece out of Ray's least disastrous batch, but it couldn't hurt to let the soup soften and flavor it a moment longer. ]
Whaddya want, Mick? For me to play nice and go full-Raymond?
[ The stew smells good. Mick's a decent cook, all things considered. What isn't burnt is usually palatable. There's nothing like a plateful of bachelor chow and a cold bottle of beer at three in the morning after a successful heist.
He wipes his hands with a nearby rag and turns his attention to the bowl of stew, eyeing the brick of bread sticking out of the depths like one half of the Titanic. ]
Look at that plating. Gordon Ramsay would be proud.
You two should open a restaurant together.
[ Leonard might be talking smack, but he's already dipping a finger and giving it a taste. Meat, meat and more meat. Charred and simmered back to softness. Definitely a Mick Rory special.]
[ It's a few minutes before he replies. Leonard has to take a moment to admire the photo, and how disgustingly cute his partner in crime looks in it. ]
[ Cisco recognizes that name back on the network - it had only disappeared a week back, but he'd actually been sad about it. He still doesn't LIKE Leonard Snart, but knowing what he does now about what ended up happening to him... let's just say Cisco's not entirely upset to see that name come on the network again. ]
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