#mine would probably be several very boring ones like “hey hey” and “gotcha”

[mactiir]

forget online personality tests, what would your character select soundbites be if you were a character in a CRPG

[stardustincarnate]

CONFESSION // Mello x Reader

word count : 4016 genre : fluff a/n : i haven’t gotten over my writer’s block, so yes -- here i am, once again posting old fics from my wattpad account. 

Today is the day.

After contemplating about it for a couple of weeks and confiding it to his best pal, Matt, Mello has finally decided to confess his feelings for you tonight, exploiting the situation where you two will normally go riding on the city streets during Friday midnights such as this one.

To say the least, he isn't the best in this kind of thing— love, that is. Before, all he could think about was one thing which was proving that he's better than Near, and besides, no one really piqued his interest. But then the enigma that you are came.

You can be cunningly evil at times if you want to. You'll often say to the ones you've fooled or to the other mafia members, "It's nothing personal, it's just business." You also have a harsh mouth as he would like to describe. Anything that comes out of it may sound derisive or blatant, but it's basically the truth. You don't sugarcoat things— you don't even try to. Although sometimes you seem to make the truth more cruel than it really is, which makes you look too intimidating for the others. They're only thankful that you don't talk very often and only will if you have something conducive to say.

But that's not all that you are. Mello could feel it, so he grew curious of you. Just a mere speck of curiosity, but then it grew. He wanted to talk to you, but then he asked himself what's the point of doing so, thus he disregarded the idea. That's why you developed a friendship with Matt, who you think is really fun to be with, first. Then as your friendship grew, he thought of introducing you to Mello, and that's when it began. To be frank the beginning of your friendship wasn't easy, and to think that friendship only started growing not until you celebrated a year and a half of being with the mafia.

It was a long process, but in the end, it was worth the wait. Day by day he started lowering the walls he barricaded himself with, and same as you. He became really outgoing and deep down truly caring as your friend, like he is with Matt, because after all you two are the only family he has. And— let's not forget his strange addiction with chocolates! And, well, you like it.

You like him.

Mello knows this as well. He knows that his feelings are reciprocated and he's happy with that. But the question is, who's going to make the first move? Certainly not you. Between fighting the devil and confessing your feelings for someone, you'd probably choose the former. You don't seem like the kind of person who will make the first move. He as well is like that.

And that leads us to his acquiescence of doing it instead. Did he have a choice? Well, maybe, if one considers you doing it instead, but that will definitely take several months, or even years, from now. And he can't wait that long! What if you suddenly start to develop feelings for another person? He can't lose you, you that is just in front of his eyes, one step away from him. He needs to grab the opportunity while it still is there.

Because with you, he feels happy and contented. And for the first time he finally feels like he is number one.

And he really is, in your heart.

"Wooh!"

Matt exclaims after slamming the door, causing Mello to jolt upwards from his reverie. "You know I almost got caught by another mem!"

"Is it done?"

"Of course."

"Hm. You sure this suggestion is for the better? You know how scary that woman can be when she's mad. Especially after finding out that her tires have been flattened."

"Didn't you say you wanted something more romantic tonight? So, I thought of flattening her tires so she can't use her own scooter, that way she can ride with you."

"Uh-uh... Is it romantic though?"

"You two will be close enough. And—no perverted thoughts—she gets to wrap her arms around you while riding. If that's not romantic, I literally don't know what is."

"I'm having qualms about this one."

"What? I'm just as clueless as you are when it comes to romance. I'm doing my best here to help you ya know?"

"I know, I know. Sorry."

"It's your fault you fell in love with her." Matt jests, chuckling. But he immediately behaves himself when he sees that deadly glare of his friend. "Hey! I was only kidding! Don't look at me like that, Mels. You're creeping me out."

"Hah. But I guess you're right. My fault. And great— now I'm having more doubts than before and feeling.. tentative."

"The almighty Mello is nervous? Wow. I never thought I'd live to see this day!"

"Say one more word and I'll make sure it's the last you'll ever emit."

"HE-HE-HEY! Now you're just being belligerent. Don't worry. I'm sure you two will come back here as a couple. Swear it on my life. So stop doubting yourself. And just.. don't act awkward and dorky when confessing towards your little devil."

"Just how am I supposed to do that?"

"I don't know. Just don't."

Mello heaves a sigh. "Sometimes I do wonder if you're really the smart Matt they used to talk about back in the orphanage."

Matt only grins. He's about to reply, but then they both hear footsteps—angry footsteps—coming closer.

"Oh, speaking of the devil. Here she comes. In three.. two.. one.."

With that, you kick the door open and look around. You look like you're about to whip someone's ass and the men can almost laugh at your reaction knowing the reason behind it. You give them a steely look when they unknowingly start to curve their lips to a grin. They quickly change their reaction.

"This has gotta be one of the worse days of my life!" You exclaim as you slump on the sofa beside Mello. "I can't go with you. I've got a flat tire, and I have no idea why. Someone must've done it.."

"Who would do such a terrible thing? Especially to you, the devil no one else even bothers to approach?" Mello momentarily glances at Matt before taking a bite of his chocolate, which you then steals from his grip. "But don't worry, I gotcha. You can ride me... with me I mean! You can ride with me, NOT RIDE ME—good Lord I'm sorry."

'Aha, and there goes Matt's reminder that I shouldn't act awkward.' He looks away with a blush.

"I think [Y/N] is okay with either of that—"

You raise an eyebrow at Matt. "Oh, you mean you Mathematics. You can ride him all you want so don't be shy and put my name in your shoes."

"That's not—!"

"—ANYWAYS, Willy Wonka, you sure you okay with me riding with you? You won't mind?"

"Jesus, stop calling me that! And yes. You're my friend so I won't mind."

"Thanks mate!" To his surprise, you hug him from the side. And you are hugging him a little too much. "You know I've always wanted to ride your motor. It looks cooler than mine."

"Ah.. well— you're squeezing me a bit too much.. don't you think?"

You pull away and snicker. "Sorry. You're like a marshmallow that I just want to squeeze sometimes."

"EHEM. Pardon me, will you? I need to go to the restroom."

Matt stands up, thinking that his job here as cupid is done—or not quite yet. He has one last plan in mind. And even he isn't sure that that plan is going to make things better or worse.

"Enjoy taking another dump!" You shout as he leaves the room, making sure to lock it. Now you and Mello are completely alone, facing one another in utter silence. And it's too silent that you can hear some of the other mafia members arguing in a distant room. You can even hear someone moaning. Mello can hear it too.

You both give each other a look that only you two can understand.

"Oof. Must be nice. Err, so anyways," you start. "The usual place tonight?" And by that you mean stopping by to go atop a dilapidated building in a forsaken road to stargaze with him for ten minutes. You two make sure to always include going there to find tranquility in the stars and with each other. It temporarily removes all the problems and worries you have.

With Mello ruefully shaking his head, you frown. He puts an arm over your shoulder and nods reassuringly instead. You hide a smile.

"We can do that next week or earlier if we're not too preoccupied so don't be so glum. I'll be taking you somewhere new. I'm sure you'll like it."

"I hope so. Otherwise I'm gonna kick your ass."

"You'll be the one getting your ass kicked it if you don't give me back my chocolate right now."

"But I need chocolate too! Chocolate makes you happy. So I need it, 'kay?!"

"As far as I know that chocolate is mine and not yours???"

"But I'm your friend aren't I? You still have a lot of stock in there I'm sure."

"I'm running out of chocolates so give it back you little demon."

He hastily maneuvers before you can even stand up and try running away. He seizes your wrists and places your arms behind your back to prevent you from moving. Since you two are facing each other instead of him being behind you, the position is rather awkward. The proximity of your faces makes both of you blush and in an instance he backs away. You cackle in triumph as to his dismay of not getting his chocolate back.

You look at your wristwatch before taking a bite of the sweet. "Well Marsh-Mello, what are we waiting for? Let's hit the road! I'm already bored." You hold his hand the moment he stands up and you two run outside.

Mello throws the helmet to you which almost hit your face, earning an irked look from you. He then starts the engine as you wear your helmet.

When he starts to move just before you can take a seat, you panic. Of course he only wants to toy with you. He stops at a corner and waits for you, who's running and ready to smash his face. You pant as you finally reach him.

"You little bastard! Why'd you have to make me suffer?"

"Why shouldn't I?"

"You groan and then sit behind him, wrapping your arms around his waist. The closeness of your bodies make you both blush. He makes sure you're all set before once again driving in a high speed that made you hug him tighter. You've always known that he drives this fast, but to experience it yourself? It feels like your skin is being blown away and seperated from your bones.

"W-Would you mind slowing down, just a bit?"

"Come on [Y/N], that's not fun."

"So you call this fun? You're gonna kill us both. I'm too beautiful to die right now!"

"Tsk. You're no fun." You're about to make a rebuttal but he slows down reluctantly and matches the speed you will normally drive at. You sigh in relief and absently rests your chin on his right shoulder, looking at the stores, buildings, and a few people walking on the sidewalk which you are hastily passing by. On your left you see numbered vehicles and a few more buildings.

You're enjoying the ride, however, you hear the tire from behind pop. That is already bad, and worse comes when the front one pops too. He goes to the side before halting.

"Shit! Just our luck!"

"Haha seems like you and I share the same fate, huh? Goals."

Mello sighs as a realization dawns him.

'Matt.. you little shit.'

"Whadda we do now?" You worriedly ask.

"We're still halfway to the place I'm taking you and this happens.. I suppose I can just park this somewhere. You wouldn't mind walking, would you?"

"Sounds fine with me then."

He nods and parks the motor beside a bicycle and a car in front of a store, placing a tracker in it just in case it gets stolen. But if it ever does, he can just get another one. Legally or not. Doesn't matter.

In silence, you and Mello start walking side by side. Arriving upon a city bridge you can't help but stare at the river. The limit to what you can see on its side is a lively city despite the hour, with skyscrapers and billboard signs lit up. You can hear the occasional, distant sounds of car engines.

You avert your gaze back in the front, meeting chatty people on your way who are walking opposite to you and Mello. You realize that they're mostly couples who are matching clothes and openly talking, not caring if they're to be heard by others. Mello also notices, and not only that but the way you two undeniably look like one. Without any intentions, your clothes match. Not that it's a big deal since everyday you two wear black, but because of your surroundings, he might as well seize the opportunity.

Beaming from ear to ear, he holds your hand and intertwines your fingers together. You're confused, but at the same time liking it, a blush creeping on your face.

"Don't mind if I do. We don't wanna look like a couple who can't bear with each other after some kind of quarrel, do we?"

"But we're not a couple."

"No, not yet."

You stop and raise an eyebrow.

"Oop. Did I say that out loud? My bad."

He cheekily grins. It's only a joke, you think, but at the same time you wish that he's not joking—which he really isn't.

"Hey, how long are we going to walk?"

"Why? Are your feet giving up already? Want a piggyback?"

You completely turn red. He smiles at that.

"Nah.. I—"

"Don't waste the opportunity. I might change my mind later."

"I don't care. This is enough."

You squeeze his hand tightly—too tight that he swears he feel his phalanges breaking—but unexpectedly, he just moans. And people look at the two of you.

"The fuck was that?!? I didn't know you were some kind of masochist!"

"DID YOU REALLY HAVE TO SAY IT OUT LOUD?"

"AHA so you do admit being a masochist!!"

"WHAT? NO! I'M NOT!"

"Why so defensive now?"

"Because people are hearing you???"

"Let them! HAHAHAHA! MY BOYFRIEND IS A MASOCHIST! ISN'T THAT CUTE??"

But after realizing what you just said, you stop and gnaw your lower lip.

"Oh earth swallow me right now.. Sorry! God I'm embarrassed. You're not my boyfriend—"

"Didn't I tell you? Not yet."

You punch his shoulder playfully. "Stop joking around! I might actually believe you ya know?"

"Who said I was joking?"

"..Of course you are—"

"—OH, here we are!"

He diverts the topic, leaving you to slightly pout to yourself as he turns left to an unoccupied and dark area, pulling you to the railing where you two halt and see the perfect angle to view the city and the river from. The water and its light ripples glimmer under the moonlight as the brisk wind hits your skin, making you slightly shiver. Mello notices this and takes off his jacket, insisting you should wear it instead. You don't argue.

"Mello, this is.. magnificent. And a nice spot to stargaze as well! It's pretty wherever I lay my eyes on."

"Except behind us, maybe. You don't like trees that much."

You cackle. "They give me the creeps, especially during night. But at least we don't have to face that way, do we?"

He shakes his head as he laughs, inclining himself closer to you. He places his hands just beside yours on the railing, looking up and then looking at you, who's still busy admiring the sky.

He can't help but smile admiring you in your adorable placidity.

"The stars are pretty tonight." You say as you notice him looking at you in your peripheral vision.

"You always say that. They're always pretty. Sparkly."

"Mesmerizing to look at." You add. He nods, still staring at you.

"That's why I love the stars.."

"Uh huh. And chocolate." You grin.

"And you."

You stand flabbergasted, daring not to look at him directly. Your heart feels like it's about to jolt out of your chest. Your fingers begin to tremble on their own as you feel something intangible whirling inside your stomach. You know what it is—and he's making your heart flutter. But you can't trust this feeling as you aren't even sure if he's joking or not. And if he is, you kinda hate it. You want it to be real.

"Aye, don't flirt with me. That's so not you." You snap, rolling your eyes.

It doesn't take him too long to perceive what's on your mind. He taps your shoulder before sitting on the railing, inviting you to join him. You're a little hesitant for the fear of falling to the water. And when it comes to this kind of thing, you don't trust Mello. You're sure he'll eventually push you. The number of times he had done this to you in some places before is something you can't even count anymore.

"C'mon [Y/N]. Don't be scared. I won't push you. Or if I do, you're free to drag me as well."

"Tch. So you do intend to push me." Nevertheless, you sit beside him and grip the bars tightly with your clammy palms. Luckily the concrete extends six inches after the railing.

Mello feels like you two aren't physically close enough, and he thinks it's not 'romantic' enough, so he slides even closer to you until his palm is already above your hand and your shoulders bump.

"Oh, no. You keep your distance, Mr. Wonka."

"It's not like we're having social distancing here you know?"

"You're too close."

"And I'm going to get even closer.."

He whispers, his hot breath tickling the side of your neck. You sigh and face him, and your noses bump. You urgently back away and you almost slip if not for him.

"What's gotten into your system for you to act so flirty all of a sudden?"

"You."

"MELLO!! I'm damn serious. Like, all the jests can wait but for now, just.. don't flirt with me. I'm in no mood."

"Aww, trying to shoo me away huh? After stealing my heart and my chocolates, here you are suddenly breaking my poor, poor heart."

"One more attempt and I'm going to drown you."

"Heeeeeeey. Don't be so vicious now." He softly bumps your shoulder with his. You only click your tongue in annoyance.

"Seriously. Stop messing with me. I hate you."

"No you don't. I'm not messing with you. I'm serious—"

"Tch. Serious my ass."

"..You don't have one—"

"See? You little fucktard. You keep on messing with me. So just stop flirting with me. I swear I'll kill you if you continue."

"Whaaat? Seriously, I'm not messing with you. You gotta—"

"Mels, no, no, no. You can poke fun of me, push me off right now or anything but just don't flirt with me. You're a bastard for torturing my feelings. That's not cool at all. Damn it," you spat. He keep his silence, his mouth starting to gape.

"Don't make me assume things because I really, really, really like you!"

The words pour out unbidden. Your voice resonates and immediately you shut up and look down with a furious blush.

'That's it, congratulations for possibly ruining your friendship.' You think as you bite your lower lip.

Your blush vanishes as the fluttering feeling in your chest does, being replaced with instant regret, as if your heart has dropped to your stomach.

The look of surprise in his face turns to a cheeky grin. With much glee, he chuckles.

"I've always known this devil is a pure softie inside..."

"M-Mello.."

You are about to tear up, but then he says, "Do you know what you just did? You ruined my plans, [Y/N]! But I suppose I can forgive you for that."

"What?? Plan?? Damn you, damn you, damn you! I knew you were up to no good! Damn it, Mello! Pretend this night never existed. I'm outta here—"

"No no, it's not what you think. 'I like you' was supposed to be my line, not yours!" He can't help but burst out laughing, leaving you momentarily dazed, but then when you realize what he possibly meant by that, it's as if your heart has come back to life. Your face turns red.

"I was going to confess to you tonight, but it looks like the tables had turned. You are a.. partypooper! Do you know how many times I've practice saying that in front of Matt, just to end up with you saying it instead of me? Unbelievable!"

He wheezes, catches his breath, then looks at you. "And look, I'm not complaining, alright? Haha.. but the way things turn out to be in the end is just so.. whimsical. But I'm gonna say it anyway: I like you. I like you a lot."

You scrutinize his facial expression just to be sure that he's serious, and you confirm he truly is. He's absently smiling, and just from staring at you is the reason. Rapture dances in his eyes. He looks genuinely happy and candid at the moment. And here you are left speechless, only staring at him as a sheepish smile slowly invades your face.

You almost lose your grip on the railing when he briefly kisses your cheek. And again, nothing comes out of your mouth.

"Do I also need to say that I wanna be your boyfriend? Because, isn't it obvious?"

"Mello..."

"No pressure, [Y/N]. If we both like each other but you're not yet ready for a relationship, I understand and I can wait."

"Well.." You hide your face on his shoulder because you feel like the longer you stare at him, the more probable it is that you'll faint. "Uhm.. Err... Have you ever been.. in a relationship?"

"No, not really. You will be my first one. If you accept."

You smile. "Well, same as you here."

"Really? I thought you already had a partner or two before."

"I had no time to be in love. Add that some of the people I was acquainted with sucked, and the kind ones.. well, let's just say that they seemed to be missing something.. something that, I suppose, only you have. And.. it will really make me happy if you are to be my first," you lift your head up to meet his eyes. "So I accept."

"You serious?? Right here?? Right now??"

"Need I repeat myself, partner-in-crime?"

"Haha! Course not!"

You peck his cheek as your warm smile broadens. You then rest your head on his shoulder, your eyes never leaving the distant city as he wraps an arm around your waist, meticulous so that you two wouldn't slip from the railing and fall down.

"I think it's safe to assume now that you're the one behind flattening my tires. And just so I can ride with you. You're a cunning man, so I suppose you also did something with your own scooter just so we could walk together, like couples in movies. Haha I never thought you'd think something like that!"

"It was Matt's idea. Swear. He thought it was more romantic that way. And he's probably the one who rigged my scooter. He really can be a huge pain in the ass sometimes."

"Like you are."

"Aw come on. Take that back you little demon!"

"Noooopeeeee! Pfahahaha— AAAA SHIT!"

And with that, you both plunge into the frigid water with a loud splash.

[do-your-socks-have-holes-in-them]

Til the End of the Night / Ch4: In which Virgil and large crowds of people do not get along

Previous / Masterpost / Next 

Summary:  Patton and Virgil explore the town of Deercross. It goes mostly as planned, until it doesn't.

Warnings: sensory overload, panic kinda, allusion to deceit, and Sword Threats

A/N: is that a sleep cameo? yes. yes it is

Read on AO3

Patton pulled Virgil outside and into a bright, sunny morning.  They had to take a minute to adjust after the low lighting of the inn.  Well, Virgil did, at least- Patton just bounced on his toes and looked around, eyes constantly darting from one thing to another as he waited for Virgil to stop shading his eyes with his free hand and glaring through it in the general direction of the sun.  Patton wanted to see everything, so he didn’t particularly mind starting with the café that Virgil, as soon as he could see again, announced that they were going into right now, because he was going to murder someone if he didn’t get some caffeine in his system.  That statement did not help with the weird looks he felt like he was getting, but hey, if people were scared of him they at least might not question his appearance out loud.

Virgil wanted to grab them a table and let Patton handle the talking alone, but they were both at the counter before he could actually say so. He settled for definitely-not-hiding behind his more outgoing friend and letting him order first.  If only he would make a freakin’ decision.

“Virgil Virgil Virgil look!”

“I’m looking.  It’s basically just the Starbucks menu, are you gonna pick something or not?”

“No no, look here!” He pointed to a section at the bottom that Virgil hadn’t previously noticed.  “They have magic drinks!  Should I get one?  I’m gonna get one.”

“If you want.  They look kinda gross, but I won’t stop you.”  Virgil thought it was too early in the morning for this much enthusiasm, or any, actually, but he did live with both Patton and Roman on a day-to-day basis, so it was at least a familiar sort of headache.  And, he would admit, a somewhat endearing one.

“Okay, okay, so-” Patton stood on his toes and leaned his hands on the counter as if the extra inch of height would let him read the signs on the wall better.  “I want that one, y’know, the sparkly thing with all the colors?”

“Gotcha,” the barista responded, not bothering to correct him on what it was called.  Life was too short to care about the names of imaginary coffees.  “That’s a very popular one.  We get the ingredients from the Fae Forest, you know,” he said conversationally as he made the drink.  It was, indeed, very colorful and sparkly.  It was also glowing.

“Really?  What’s that?”

The barista looked surprised, which Patton should have considered an accomplishment.  “Are you serious?  The road out of town runs right by the edge of the forest, how have you not seen it?”

Patton shrugged.  “We came from the other direction.”

“Oh.”  He knew there was no road in the other direction, but again, life was too short to care.  “Well, if you really don’t know, it’s a huge forest full of magical creatures.  I’ve heard about a lot of weird stuff happening in there, especially at night.  Seen some of it, too.”  He slid Patton’s magical coffee across the counter to him.  “Nothing too dangerous, but if you decide to give it a look I’d recommend staying on the path. Now, what do you want, or are you just gonna stand there looking shady?”

Virgil was caught off-guard too severely to register that he should be offended.  “Oh, uh- just a black coffee.”  He couldn’t stand the taste of black coffee, which was exactly why he drank it to wake up.

“Boring.”

Virgil made a face.  “Your mom is boring.”

“Virgil,” Patton chided.  The barista waited until he was distracted by the menu again to turn and stick his tongue out in response.

Something here seemed weird to Virgil, but then again, something always seemed weird to Virgil.  He brushed it off and dug out a handful of coins.  “Tell me which of these to give you, ‘cause somebody explained it yesterday and yet I still have no idea.”

“...Um.”  The barista gave the coins a “yikes” sort of look and awkwardly touched his face in a way reminiscent of what Logan did when he forgot he didn’t have his glasses on. “You know what, on the house this time,” he said quickly, pushing Virgil’s hand away.

“Oh, thank you so much!”  Patton scooped up his drink with a bright smile.  Virgil was going to ask some more questions, like do you actually know how this money works any more than I do and why does a modern coffeeshop even exist in this fantasy world, but they were out the door again before he could do more than shoot the guy a suspicious look.

“Patton, for- how am I supposed to drink this if you won’t let me stand still for two seconds?”

“Oh!  Sorry.” Patton slowed, and Virgil took a long sip of his terrible gross drink, trying not to make a face.  “Forgot yours doesn’t have a straw.  Honestly, I know you don’t even like that, do you want some of mine?”

Virgil eyed it suspiciously and shook his head.  “It looks radioactive, I’m not putting that in my body.  I’m just gonna…”  He downed as much of his coffee as he could at once, grimaced, and threw the rest away. “Yeah, I think I’m awake now. Where are we going?”

Where they were going, evidently, was into every shop on the street.  They ended up with pastries for breakfast, a few cute little trinkets each on Patton’s insistence, and some extra supplies they might eventually need on Virgil’s. And of course, Patton had to talk to everyone.  It was admittedly helpful- they knew now that they would, as they’d suspected, need to go through the mysterious forest to get to Roman- but jeez, all the talking, Virgil was about ready to hide in a dark room for the rest of his life.  One person wouldn’t let him in because he looked suspicious or whatever, which, honestly, he was surprised it only happened once.  Between all that and the fact that he couldn’t seem to avoid constantly bumping into people on the busier streets even though Patton was doing just fine, and they seemed to think he was doing it on purpose, he was getting close to his limit.

But then they went around a corner and found the market. It was an entire double-wide street lined with vendor’s carts of all kinds- bustling with people, of course. Patton’s eyes lit up immediately, while Virgil’s instinct was to cringe.

“Okay so I know you’re tired, so if you don’t wanna do this that’s okay, you can wait here and I’ll just go by myself and--”

“Nope.”  Virgil pushed himself off the wall he was leaning on.  There was no possible future where he watched Patton disappear into that mess and didn’t panic.  “I’ll come, just- this has to be the last thing we do, okay?”  He was pretty sure he could make it through one last crowded area as long as he knew they were going back for a nap immediately afterward.

“Okay!”  Patton grinned, clearly glad he’d decided to go along, and tugged him into the chaos of the market.

Virgil quickly realized he’d made a mistake.  Several mistakes, actually.  He should not have gotten Patton a coffee earlier, because his best friend was not a man who needed any more energy than he already had. He should not have gotten himself a coffee earlier, because the caffeine only ever made him more jittery and nervous and he knew this and yet he always ended up drinking it anyway.  And he absolutely should not have agreed to come and check out the market.

He had never- no, nobody on earth had ever had this bad of a headache before, probably.  There were so many people yelling so many different things over each other, and basically every kind of loud noise in existence, and the sun was really bright still, and if he thought the regular streets were hard to navigate, well, he probably should have taken that as a sign not to go into an even busier one.  With all the widely varied food vendors, even his sense of smell was being assaulted.  If one more person brushed up against him he was gonna snap. Yeah, no, he needed to get out of here right now, it was stupid that he’d ever assumed he would be good for it.

Patton took the first tug on his hand as just Virgil having trouble navigating the crowd again, and slowed down a little to make it easier for him to keep up.  Normally he would look back to check on him, but if he did that now he’d run right into somebody for sure!  The next one, though, was hard enough to make him stop and turn around, letting the flow of people part on either side of him.  Virgil wasn’t quite looking at him so much as just to the left of his head.  He seemed really tense.  The hand that wasn’t in Patton’s was clenched in his pocket, the hood of his jacket was up, and his jaw was tight.

“Virgil?  You, uh, you okay, kiddo?”

Virgil shook his head and jerked his hand away so he could cross his arms, tapping his fingers on his elbow in agitation.  “This is- too much,” he managed.  Patton strained to hear him over the noise of the market. “Just- loud and bright and- people,” he explained with a slightly disgusted tone.

“If you don’t wanna be here anymore we can leave,” Patton assured him.  He went to squeeze Virgil’s shoulder before remembering that would probably just make things worse right now.  “Just keep close behind me if you can’t deal with my hand, okay?  Wouldn’t want either of us getting lost!”

Virgil nodded impatiently, taking a small step toward him so as to demonstrate that he would stay close.  Patton made another aborted move to touch him and grabbed his own wrist to make himself stop doing that.  Personal space hadn’t really been in his vocabulary before he started spending more time with Virgil, okay, this was actually progress.  He offered a sympathetic look instead, then turned and started forging a path through the chaos in the direction of the nearest side street, keeping up a constant stream of “sorry!” and “excuse me!” under his breath.

People were annoyed with Patton for pushing through against the flow of traffic, but he was at least apologizing, and anyway, he had the kind of face that made everyone who saw him think he was probably fundamentally incapable of ill intent.  Virgil, following in his wake and knocking people even further off balance, had none of that going for him.  He was just trying to make it to a quieter street without shutting down entirely, he did not have the mental energy to make sure no one was upset with him for briefly inconveniencing them.  If he was lucky, no one would care enough to make a scene.  Unfortunately for everyone involved, luck was not on his side.

Just as he was wondering if people were going to get mad at him, and debating the pros and cons of trying to get actual human words to come out of his mouth to keep that from happening, he knocked shoulders fairly hard with some guy trying to buy tomatoes.  The guy dropped everything he was holding and swore, turning to glare at the inconsiderate moron who jolted him.  Virgil didn’t look remorseful enough to keep him from getting pissed, apparently.  “Watch it, jerkface,” tomato guy snapped, and gave him a shove in retaliation before starting to gather his fallen produce.

Virgil wasn’t caught off guard exactly, but he didn’t have much room to move, so the push sent him stumbling to the side and almost knocking over a few more people.  “Sorry,” he forced out, even though that time was not his fault.  He wasn’t sure anyone heard him either way.  He got his footing back and looked around wildly. “Patton?  Where’d you-?  Patton, PATTON!”

Oh, no, no, no. Not the demonic voice thing, not now.  Everyone was staring at him.  The only silver lining was that one, people were at least giving him some space now, and two, Patton definitely heard that if he hadn’t very recently gone deaf.  He slapped a hand over his mouth- voluntarily, for once- hoping to mitigate the damage.  Everyone around was still watching him, just watching, and further back in the crowd there were whispers he couldn’t make out, but knew were about him.  He didn’t dare speak again, even to defend himself.  He was frozen in place by the thought that any move he made could be taken as a threat and get him killed.  He could have cried from relief when he heard a familiar voice and caught a glimpse of blue moving his way.

“Excuse me, coming through, sorry, it’s- look I really am sorry for pushing okay but this is a little more important!  Virgil! Virge, I’m so sorry I lost you, are you--”  Patton shouldered past the circle of onlookers and gasped.

His soft, but stressed shadowling was covered in actual shadows.  Scraps of darkness were flitting frantically around Virgil, concentrated at his feet and around his hands and arms.  He didn’t seem to notice them.  A few darted briefly in Patton’s direction before returning to the swarm, and he tried not to flinch.  He took a cautious step forward, and saw people at the edge of his vision looking at him like he’d lost his mind.

“Virge, sweetie, I need you to stay calm…”  He caught a panicked version of that twist Virgil’s mouth did when he was amused.  “Oh, you know what I mean.  Just, focus on me, okay, ignore everything else, that’s it…”  Slowly, he advanced another step, holding his hands up in front of him like he was trying to calm a spooked horse.  It even seemed to be working.  Virgil’s posture was starting to open up ever so slightly.  He felt good about the odds of no one getting hurt here, as long as nothing else went…

“Oi!  You, in the black, don’t move!  Don’t you know dark magic is forbidden in Deercross?!”

...wrong.  Both their heads snapped toward the sound of town guards approaching with swords drawn and a lot of bluster.  Patton couldn’t help feeling a pang of empathy for them- they must not get much trouble around here, they were probably scared and trying to hide it. He was much more worried, though, about Virgil, who was desperately looking for an escape route, shadows swirling faster than ever.  There were no gaps in the crowd, though, not even for someone his size, he was trapped, and they were drawing closer as the desire to watch what happened next overpowered their fear.  The jerky movements and darting eyes that should have clearly showed he was as scared as they were, if not more so, only fueled the people’s mutters, now loud enough for Patton to make out.

Dark magic.

Some sort of villain, no doubt.

Shouldn’t let his kind into town.

Evil.

Patton ran to try and intercept the three guards- this didn’t have to turn bad, he could still salvage the situation.  “Wait, please!” he shouted over the noise.  The guards didn’t seem to hear him, so he raised his voice a little more.  “Let me explain, he wasn’t trying to hurt anybody, he would never, this is all a, a big misunderstanding--”  They didn’t even acknowledge him, not even when he was right next to them.  He grabbed one’s arm only to be shaken off. Desperately, he ducked under it and stood between them and Virgil, arms spread.  “Would you just listen!” he screamed, tears pricking his eyes.  “He’s not a villain, he’s my friend!”

“Stand aside,” one of the guards said to him, not unkindly. “I don’t know how this wizard managed to gain your trust, but I can tell you he is not truly your friend.  Now, please, step aside, we don’t need innocents getting hurt.”

“No! I won’t--”

“Do it, Patton,” Virgil ground out.  He couldn’t let Patton get hurt trying to protect him, that would be a whole new level of sucking at his job.  Patton had no intention of obeying, yet found himself doing so anyway.  That voice was scary, alright?  Wait, no, he wasn’t scared of Virgil, that was ridiculous.  Compelling, that was the word.  His brain didn’t catch up with his body until he was standing at the edge of the circle.

He spun around and let out an involuntary sharp cry. Virgil was hunched in on himself, practically at the center of a dark vortex, his eyes wild and a hand pressed to his mouth.  The guards were advancing on him cautiously, they still had swords out, they were going to hurt him oh god-

Several things happened at once.

Patton yelled incoherently and threw himself, yet again, at the nearest guard.  The furthest guard from him made a grab for Virgil. Last and most importantly, there was a loud crackle of electricity.  Everyone standing nearby was thrown forcefully back as a sphere six feet in diameter, made of something resembling black lightning, expanded out from Virgil in a fraction of a second.

Patton narrowly avoided cracking his head on the ground when he fell.  “Oh, shoot,” he said with feeling.  He pushed himself to his feet and ran up to the sphere, ignoring everything else.  “Virgil!” He tried to bang on the forcefield with his palm, but it shocked him and he pulled back with a yelp.  “Are you- can you hear me in there, kiddo? Virge?”  An edge of panic was creeping into his voice.  “What- what did you do?  What is this?”

“Funny,” said a voice behind him, “I was going to ask you that question.”  He turned around.  Only one guard was standing, the other two having not yet recovered from the blast. That one, though, was plenty to worry about, because he had his sword pointed shakily at Patton’s chest.

Patton backed up until a warning static-like tingle told him he was about to bump into the sphere.  “Okay, this, uh, this isn’t as bad as it might look,” he insisted, holding his hands up placatingly.  “I- I can explain!”

The guard got his nerves under control and brought the sword up until the tip was no more than a few inches from Patton’s throat, holding it steady.  “I certainly hope you can.”

[myinfernalship-blog]

Ten Months pt 3

Ten months earlier

Mick grabbed the two six packs of beer from the fridge and stomped out of the safe house. He was seriously thinking of taking a vow of celibacy at this point. He trekked through the alley and across the train tracks to the small park and found a bench, sitting down to open the first beer.

“Rory?”

Mick groaned and dropped his head down, recognizing the voice. “Don’t even try it, Flash,” he warned angrily. “I ain’t in the mood to fight and I ain’t getting arrested tonight.” Not hearing a reply he looked up and stilled. A few feet away stood a young man. A very pretty young man. A very nervous, very pretty, young man.

Mick’s eyes slowly swept over him, taking in every detail. Dark brown hair with a little bit of a wave to it, those incredible green eyes and red lips. Swan-like neck. A dark green dress shirt and black slacks did nothing to hid the runner’s body underneath. Why hadn’t he ever noticed how delicate the Flash’s hands were?

“Damn,” he muttered. “Fucking gorgeous.” A blush flooded the kid’s face immediately and he looked flustered.

The hero slowly inched closer until he reached the bench and sat down on the other end. He clasped his hands in his lap and cleared his throat. “Um, bad night?” he asked warily.

Up close Mick could see he had freckles and couple of moles. His cologne was something spicy and did wicked things to his pulse rate. Needing a distraction he turned back to the beers and popped another open, holding it out to the Flash.

“Fucking blind date,” he grumbled. “Only, I didn’t know it was a blind date. Was with the Legends. Sara and Len decided to spring it on me. Said I needed to get laid so I’d mellow out.” Mick turned to look at the hero again, eyes narrowed in annoyance. “A goddamn bodybuilder. Can you believe that shit? They thought I’d be interested in a guy who’s only thought in his head was what kinda protein shake he should drink.”

The kid snorted. “Gotcha beat. Caitlin set me up with her accountant. During tax season. As far as I know, he’s still at the restaurant explaining how to deduct my bus pass as a business expense.”

“Craig asked how many squats I can do.”

“Larry spent twelve minutes explaining the difference between tax evasion and tax fraud.”

“Craig offered to let me feel his muscles.”

“Larry wanted to see my W2s.”

Both of them were silent for a couple of seconds. Then the kid started to giggle softly. A heartbeat later Mick chuckled. Then they both burst out into loud laughter. By the time they regained control, they were leaning against one another for support. The kid wiped at his eyes and took a deep breath.

“Barry Allen.”

Mick was stunned. “You’re telling me your name?”

Barry shrugged and sipped his beer. “Surprised Snart never told you.” Barry paused for a second and glanced at him shyly. “I always thought you two were a couple.”

Mick grunted and gulped his beer. “Get that a lot. Len and me could never hook up. Too snarky for me and I’m too gruff for him. Mostly, we got the same taste in people. We both like ‘em pretty and smart.” Mick leaned back against the bench and smirked. “I think he’s got a thing for Sara, to be honest. I’m looking forward to him screwing up and her kicking his ass.”

Barry giggled again and shook his head. “It’ll be a pun.” Mick looked over at him and Barry’s grin grew. “He’ll use one too many and she’ll kill him.”

Mick chuckled and nodded. “Probably. He can’t seem to help himself.”

They sat there in silence for a few minutes before Mick glanced at Barry hesitantly. “You know, I kinda thought you and Len had something going on a few times.”

The kid choked and looked up with wide eyes. “Why?!”

Mick gave a shrug and looked at his beer bottle. “The teasing when you fight. Me, Lisa and Rathaway thought maybe you two were hooking up on the side.”

Barry’s jaw dropped and he turned a bright red. After several seconds he grimaced and looked away. “You aren’t the only ones,” he admitted. “I’ve gotten so many lectures from my team and family about how bad it is to sleep with the enemy. No matter how many times I tell them it’s never happened, they don’t believe me.”

Barry ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “I mean, it’s fun facing off with Snart. And the rest of you, too. I get his humor and I know you guys aren’t trying to actually kill me. I think of it more as practice runs than actual fights. But Snart and me? No way. Never, ever repeat what I’m about to say, but he’s cool. I like him. I actually kind of think of him as a friend. You know, without the hanging out or actual friend stuff. But as a boyfriend? No way. I couldn’t handle him calling me ‘Kid’ while we were in bed.”

Barry tilted his head as he continued, looking thoughtful. “To be honest, I like all of you. Lisa’s sweet and nice under the sarcasm. Hartley’s really smart. I even think Mardon’s a stand up guy when he isn’t trying to kill me or my family. And you? You’re awesome.”

Mick’s jaw dropped as he stared at Barry. “You think I’m awesome?”

Barry blushed again and looked down. “Well, yeah,” he said softly. “It’s nice talking to you. And you’re smarter than you pretend. And you’re pretty handsome,” he finished in a whisper.

Mick swallowed nervously and leaned a bit closer. “You know, that’s the second time you’ve said I’m handsome,” he pointed out softly.

Barry caught his bottom lip between his teeth and bit down. He looked up and took a deep breath. “Well,” he mumbled, “you are.”

Mick reached out and placed his hand on the back of Barry’s neck, turning his body sideways so he was facing Barry. “Come here,” he demanded gruffly.

Barry’s eyes dilated slightly and he leaned closer. Mick took a second to appreciate the view before gently kissing the younger man. Feeling Barry relax into him and return the kiss made his blood heat up. One minute they were kissing softly. The next, he was pulling Barry across his lap, their arms winding around one another tightly as things heated up.

Mick rolled his eyes as he poured himself a cup of coffee. He pointedly ignored the others in the room as Lisa continued to prod him. “Look,” he growled, “I went for a walk. Drank some beers. Came home.” Made out with the Flash and liked it, he thought to himself.

Sara snorted around the rim of her coffee cup. “And those hickies just magically appeared out of nowhere?”

Mick bit back a grin and shrugged as he plopped down on the recliner. He could feel Len’s eyes on his neck, knew that his long-time friend loved solving a mystery. He was going to have to be extra careful if he wanted to keep this relationship a secret. No one would understand. Not the Rogues, not Team Flash, not the Legends.

And yet, Barry wanted to see him again. A proper date. Dinner at the kid’s apartment, followed by a movie of Mick’s choice. Nothing too fancy or awkward, just a casual evening to get to know one another better. Maybe even some more great kissing.

“Admit it,” Lisa teased. “You and Craig hit it off better than you want us to think. Don’t think for one minute we didn’t notice he left right after you, last night. You two aren’t as sneaky as you think.”

Mick snorted and drank half his coffee in one gulp. “Whatever,” he grumbled. He was perfectly fine with them thinking it was the muscle bound ape. Perfect cover for who he was really seeing. Len was still watching him a little too closely, the wheels in his head obviously spinning. Mick was going to have to keep an eye out for Len. He was too nosy.

“Bartholomew Henry Allen!” Caitlin hissed.

Barry jumped six inches off the treadmill and went crashing back into the cardboard boxes. Cisco and Harry came over to help him up as he rubbed the back of his head. When he was steady he looked at Caitlin with alarm. “What?”

She glared at him fiercely, hands on her hips. “Where were you last night?”

“I had a date,” he reminded her. “Your friend, the accountant.”

Caitlin stood straight, shaking her head. “Larry said you left early.”

Barry blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, yeah,” he admitted.

“You ditched him!” she accused.

Barry groaned. “He was boring!”

“Who was boring?” asked Iris as she walked into the room with a travel carrier full of coffee cups from Jitters.

“Barry’s date,” Cisco answered, grabbing the cup with his name scrawled across it.

Iris tensed and looked at Barry. “You had a date?”

Caitlin nodded, frowning at Barry. “With a friend of mine. Barry ditched him halfway through.”

“He wanted to do my taxes,” Barry pointed out.

“I, um, didn’t realize you were dating,” Iris mumbled.

Barry shifted awkwardly and shrugged. “It was a blind date,” he said. “It didn’t work out.”

Caitlin sniffled with annoyance. “Larry’s a sweet guy.”

“Boring guy,” Barry muttered under his breath. Caitlin shot him a glare before spinning on her heels and walking out of the room.

Iris forced a smile on her face. “Hey, why not come over tonight and we’ll watch cheesy movies and eat ice cream. You can tell me all about it.”

Barry shook his head quickly. “Um, can’t. I’ve got plans.” Everyone looked at him curiously and he scrambled to find an alibi that didn’t involve the words ‘date’ and ‘Mick Rory’. “I’m...running to Star,” he said weakly. “To see Felicity. And Oliver. Cause, you know, I haven’t done that recently. Yep. Just going to visit Team Arrow.” Barry backed out of the room with as bright of a grin as he could muster. “Sooo, um, better get moving. To Star. To see my friends.”

Barry raced home in seconds and quickly grabbed his laptop, sending a Skype request to Felicity. Luckily she answered within minutes.

“Hi, Barry!” she said brightly.

Barry sat down and gave her a pleading look. “If anyone asks, I’m visiting you and Ollie tonight!” he said quickly.

A second later Oliver appeared on the screen behind his girlfriend. “And we’re lying why?” he asked sternly.

Barry pinched the bridge of his nose and sucked in a shaky breath. “Please don’t kill me,” he whined. He opened his eyes and looked at them both. “I have a date tonight and I don’t want anyone here knowing who it’s with. Not yet, anyway. So I told Iris and the others that I was visiting you guys tonight.”

Ollie’s expression hardened. “Barry,” he said in a warning voice.

Barry’s shoulders slumped. He had never been able to hold out against Ollie’s ‘Arrow’ voice. “Mick Rory,” he whispered. “I’m having dinner with Mick Rory.” He swallowed quickly. “I know he’s a Rogue, and a thief, but he’s also with the Legends now, and we’ve talked a few times, just casual stuff, and last night we ran into one another after really, and I mean REALLY, bad blind dates and got to talking and he’s actually a pretty nice guy and he kisses so good and I like him and I think he likes me too and I really want to see if this is a thing but I know that no one will understand and pleasedontkillmeorhim.”

Felicity and Ollie stared at Barry for a full minute before Ollie rolled his eyes and moved away from the camera. “Fine,” he growled.

Felicity smiled widely and giggled. “Your secret is safe with us,” she promised.

Barry’s jaw dropped. “Y-you aren’t mad?” he asked with wonder.

Off screen he heard Ollie. “You’re a good judge of character, Barry. As long as he doesn’t hurt you, we’re good.”

Felicity gave him her fiercest frown, which just looked more like a constipated puppy than anything scary. “But if he does, I’m sending Ollie and Thea after him,” she warned.

Barry grinned back at her. “Thanks, guys. You don’t even know how much I appreciate this!”

“If it works out, we expect to officially meet him,” Ollie called out.

“Deal!” Barry laughed before signing off. He took a moment to calm down before heading to the shower. He needed to get dinner ready and then get dressed. Mick would be there in two hours.

It was actually a lot easier to spend time together than they thought it would be. At least once a week they had dinner together at Barry’s apartment, unless Mick was gone with the Legends. They talked every day, even aboard the Waverider, thanks to the Waverider’s Gideon being linked to the version Barry had smuggled out of STAR Labs.

Len and Lisa were still suspicious of Mick’s frequent excursions, but Mick simply said he was with a prostitute. NO ONE wanted details. Iris stopped hinting around that she was interested in dating and just straight forward asked Barry out. Barry told him all about the incredibly awkward talk they had. Having Barry reject her, no matter how gently, made Iris pull away. Barry said he had seen very little of her since then. He was a bit saddened by this, since she had been his best friend for so long, but it was also a bit of a relief not to be in that situation anymore.

Mick would like to say they took things slowly and eased into a relationship, but that’s not what happened. They didn’t even finish their lasagna that first night before they were kissing. Halfway through their first date they were in Barry’s bed. They ate the dessert for breakfast.

Mick had never had such a gentle relationship. Normally it took a long time for someone to relax enough for them to become emotionally intimate with him. Even then, most of the people he attracted were rough and tumble types. Not Barry. He was passionate but attentive. Slow kisses, caring touches, and tender words were exchanged. He made Mick feel desirable. Even during their more ‘vigorous’ nights, he never doubted that Barry treasured him. Mick had fallen hard for his boyfriend. Even better, he knew, without a doubt, that Barry loved him, too, because Barry had said so just four months into the relationship.

They had just left Oliver and Felicity at their hotel after dinner and were walking through the same park they first kissed in when Barry suddenly stopped walking and looked at Mick shyly.

“What’s wrong?” he had asked.

Barry braced himself and took Mick’s hands in his. “I love you,” he said softly.

Mick had been shocked for all of five seconds before pulling Barry into his arms tightly. “I love you, too,” he had whispered fervently.

Of course, they should have expected things to blow up in their faces. They had gotten too comfortable. To relaxed. Which is why they were now standing in the middle of the lab, surrounded by angry friends and family. Oh, and Joe West had a gun pointed at Barry. Why Barry? Because he was currently shielding Mick from the detective.

One Hour Earlier

Mick had been on the time ship, helping to fix a time aberration in 1918. When they finally headed back to 2017, they discovered a problem with the ship’s shields and Sara thought it would be a good idea to ask Cisco to help Jax fix it. They usually tried to return to as near the same time that they left as they could, but with the ship damaged, it wasn’t possible this time.

It had been over a month since they had been together. It was risky and stupid, but they hadn’t been apart for that long since they started dating. Needless to say, as soon as they possibly could, he and Barry snuck away to one of the lower storage rooms.

Within seconds of the door shutting Barry had them both undressed. Mick loved it when he used his speed. The rush of air, the spike of adrenaline, even the slight burn of friction all combined to set his blood on fire. He had Barry pinned to the wall, those long legs wrapped tight around his waist and their mouths sealed together when the door opened and Ray, Cisco and Sara spotted them.

So, now they were standing in the cortex, most of their friends and family shouting at them, or each other. Mick slid his hands around Barry’s waist and pulled his back against his chest. Barry immediately relaxed into his embrace. Suddenly there was a loud whirl as the cold gun powered up and everyone shut up.

Len stepped into the center of the room and snatched the gun from West almost as fast as Barry could have. “Everyone chill out!” he demanded.

West made a grab for his gun, but Barry zipped forward, grabbed Len and zipped back into Mick’s arms. West’s jaw dropped as he stared at his foster son. “Barry!”

Barry released Len, moving him to stand beside Mick. “Okay,” he said in a strained voice. “So, Mick and I are dating.”

“Are you crazy?!” Iris demanded. “HIM?”

“Hey!” Mick growled.

Barry reached down and linked his hands with Mick’s. “Stop it, everyone,” the speedster said calmly. “I’m in love with Mick. And he loves me.”

“How?” demanded Caitlin, eyeing Mick with suspicion. “Barry, he’s a villain!”

“No, he’s a legend,” Barry argued. “Just like Len or Ray or Sara or Professor Stein.” Len snorted and Barry shot him a glare. “Not helping,” he mumbled.

Mick huffed and looked out at the group. “It ain’t nobody’s business.”

“Of course it is!” West snapped. “You’re not good enough for him!”

“Joe, please,” Barry pleaded. “Don’t do this.”

“Barry, this is crazy!” Iris yelled. “He’s using you!”

Barry shook his head. “Mick wouldn’t do that. Iris, we’ve been together almost a year. If he was going to use me, he would have done it a long time ago.”

“A year?” Len asked with narrowed eyes. “I’m guessing more like ten months.”

“Too damn smart for your own good,” Mick chuckled. “Ten months and four days.”

“So, Barry’s a hooker, huh?” Len teased.

Barry rolled his eyes and gave Len a grin. “Kept you from asking for details, didn’t it?”

Len gave a surprised laugh. “Don’t think I won’t be asking for them now, Scarlet.”

“Excuse me!” Iris said shrilly. “This isn’t a laughing matter!”

“You can’t date a criminal!” Joe said loudly.

Sara stepped forward, arms crossed as she studied Mick and Barry. “How did this happen?” she asked.

Barry sighed, but it was Mick who answered. “We got to talking one night. Nothing special. Just two guys commiserating over being lonely. Ran into each other a few more times. Then, one night we both had bad blind dates and sort of bumped into one another again. Got to talking. Then kissing. Had dinner the next night. Been together ever since.”

Barry looked around the room. “We didn’t tell any of you because we knew you’d react like this.”

“How serious can it be if you kept it a secret from everyone?” demanded Caitlin.

“Not everyone,” Barry admitted. “Ollie and Felicity know.”

“So does Hartley,” Mick said. “I asked him to pull some strings and get us tickets to a play a few months back.”

“Rathaway knew before me?” Len grumbled.

“He doesn’t pun,” Barry smirked.

“Heathen,” Len teased.

“I can’t believe this!” Joe shouted.

Barry took a deep breath and stepped out of the shelter of Mick’s arms. “Okay,” he said firmly. “Here’s the deal. Mick and I are dating. We’re a couple. That’s not going to change just because some of you object.” Cisco started to open his mouth but Barry hurried on. “And I swear to god, if anyone questions us, argues with us or even makes a snide comment, I will go into explicit detail about every single thing we’ve ever done together.” Barry pointed a finger at the group and narrowed his eyes. “EXPLICIT DETAIL! With lots of adjectives! And maybe hand puppets.”

Mick leaned in close to Len, gripped his partner’s shoulder and whispered. “He vibrates.”

Len made a choking sound, his eyes sweeping over Barry quickly. Barry rolled his eyes and grabbed Mick’s hand. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, I haven’t seen my boyfriend in way too long.”

Seconds later Mick found himself in Barry’s apartment. Barry turned to hug him, but jumped in surprise to find Len slumped over gasping for breath, Mick’s hand still gripping his shoulder. Barry rubbed the back of his head. “Um, sorry?”

Len tried to glare, but it was a weak effort. “I hate that.”

Mick chuckled. “I love it.”

“You would,” Len sneered. He finally got his stomach to settle and stood up straight. He looked around the apartment before glancing at Barry. “I hope this wasn’t an invitation. You’re cute, Scarlet, but I have no interest in seeing Mick’s ass.”

Barry smirked and waved toward the door. “Well, I do, so go away.”

Len chuckled and opened the door. He paused before stepping outside, turning to face them. “Just so you know, I’m glad for you both. Doesn’t mean I’m gonna go easy on you, Scarlet, but I don’t object either.”

Mick locked the door after Len stepped into the hallway. He turned and pulled Barry to him gently. “So, how bad’s it gonna get, you think?”

Barry wrapped his arms around Mick’s neck and sighed. “They’ll eventually settle down. Until then, we’ll just have to deal with whatever happens. As long as we’re together, nothing else matters.”

Mick smiled and kissed Barry softly. “I’ve missed you,” he whispered.

Barry grinned into the kiss. “Let’s go to bed, Mick.”

Mick picked him up and walked down the hall toward the bedroom. “Love you, Barry.”

“Love you, too, Mick.”