[ Mick would be lying if he said that the idea of something happening to Lita because of him leaves him feeling like ice water is dripping down his back. The dread of it sinks its claws in and leaves him with the sort of anxiety he hasn't hasn't felt since those early days in lockup.
He brings his gloved hands up to fidget with one of the thumbs. Normally he's more still than this, but the whole thing is affecting him more than he'd really like to admit. ]
Well I'm not raising her to turn her back on her friends, either. She's going to be better than who I used to be.
[ The times he'd pushed back too hard on Leonard's faith in him, the times he'd turned on the Legends for objectively no good reason at all. That's not who Mick Rory is anymore and it sure as hell isn't who he wants Lita to be. ]
[ This here is why he runs. Why he leaves naught but empty rooms and fake names on ledgers. Because this is what any kind of future with or around him amounts to. Waiting for the other shoe to drop.
The anger, never fully given cause to rise again, smolders uncomfortably inside; not quite snuffed yet. ]
Don't then. But teach her to know what's worth the cost. Who is. Raise her to know the difference between who's good for her and who isn't.
[ Like him. He goes past, resisting the impulse to offer a hand and help Mick up, even though it's there. Instead, he picks up the nearest sketch that had been thrown out of his grip from the brief tussle, mouth twisting as he tries to smooth out the paper. ]
[ Mick almost smiles at that. He remembers the way he'd felt when John had told him that he's not the monster. He's still not sure if he really believes it, but then that's the real reason they're two peas in a pod, isn't it? ]
Nah. Then she won't want anything to do with me. I'm too selfish for that.
[ He kicks out his foot towards John's, just a thump and nothing meant to trip him up. ]
[ John meant what he'd said then. He's known loads of people in his time, ones that deserved whatever was coming to them after living through the motions and those that didn't. Those still that slipped between the cracks of it all, stuck in the grey or paying the price for someone else's screw-ups.
Despite his better judgement, the comment and the thump to his foot earns a soft snort, fight leeching out of him. ]
So, uh, heh---[ He looks away, around the mussed living room and then back to the man on the floor. ]---I'll try not to be too much of a bastard when I get to say I told you so, when you're wrong, yeah?
[ He pushes himself up to his feet if no one's going to help him up and as he shifts around, a little possum snout peaks out of Mick's leather jacket. ]
Aw look who finally woke up.
[ Pulling off a glove, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a raisin for her. ]
So you comin' home or what? It's cold in here. Some asshole knocked your door off.
[ The big man is right to call him out on that comment. If things go south one way or another as they inevitably will, John will be insufferable about it. As usual. The spellwork having dispelled the bulk of the leftover intoxication leaves him aching all over, a hangover likely both from drink and magic alike.
Bloody hell. He's rubbing the back of his neck when he looks up and sees Slash being fussed over, immediately squashing down the feeling of regret that tries to crawl up. He'd tossed them both like that and could've hurt that one. Good job, John.
Another shake of his head, exhausted though it is. ]
Suppose the only other option is to freeze my bollocks off in here. Could do out of spite.
[ But oh, look, he's shuffling to start gathering the rest of the papers that scattered and nods a little. Saying it out loud seems too much like an admission of some kind of failure or that he's acknowledging how much of an utter arse he's been. ]
[ Well, he might be, but Mick will challenge him on it, because he's not going to beg the guy to come home, but he knows the request is floating between them already. He's told him to come back a few times now, but even Mick has some level of dignity to maintain here. ]
Probably.
[ He pets Slash and tucks her back into his jacket before following after John to help him gather up the drawings. They must mean something to him, so they can gather them and bring them back to their place. ]
[ He offers with a slow shrug. All that fussing aside, he's not convinced this is the best course of action. That going back will help or change anything. But he knows pride and he's pushed at the big man enough to know when there should be a little give on his own side of things. ]
Good thing you've never had to try and reason with my younger self. Best hope he doesn't make a reappearance. Never have shut of him.
[ And definitely not talk him into going anywhere he didn't first decide he wanted to go. The final push, he reckons, comes in the form of Mick helping him gather things. He doesn't say anything else about them as he grabs the portfolio and opens it so the other man can set them inside with the rest. ]
[ He might be joking, but he probably isn't. It's not like Snart hadn't done it to him a few times. There are moments where cold-cocking a person you care about is the right thing. That's the lesson there, right? ]
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He brings his gloved hands up to fidget with one of the thumbs. Normally he's more still than this, but the whole thing is affecting him more than he'd really like to admit. ]
Well I'm not raising her to turn her back on her friends, either. She's going to be better than who I used to be.
[ The times he'd pushed back too hard on Leonard's faith in him, the times he'd turned on the Legends for objectively no good reason at all. That's not who Mick Rory is anymore and it sure as hell isn't who he wants Lita to be. ]
no subject
The anger, never fully given cause to rise again, smolders uncomfortably inside; not quite snuffed yet. ]
Don't then. But teach her to know what's worth the cost. Who is. Raise her to know the difference between who's good for her and who isn't.
[ Like him. He goes past, resisting the impulse to offer a hand and help Mick up, even though it's there. Instead, he picks up the nearest sketch that had been thrown out of his grip from the brief tussle, mouth twisting as he tries to smooth out the paper. ]
no subject
Nah. Then she won't want anything to do with me. I'm too selfish for that.
[ He kicks out his foot towards John's, just a thump and nothing meant to trip him up. ]
You're an idiot, but you're worth it.
no subject
Despite his better judgement, the comment and the thump to his foot earns a soft snort, fight leeching out of him. ]
So, uh, heh---[ He looks away, around the mussed living room and then back to the man on the floor. ]---I'll try not to be too much of a bastard when I get to say I told you so, when you're wrong, yeah?
no subject
[ He pushes himself up to his feet if no one's going to help him up and as he shifts around, a little possum snout peaks out of Mick's leather jacket. ]
Aw look who finally woke up.
[ Pulling off a glove, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a raisin for her. ]
So you comin' home or what? It's cold in here. Some asshole knocked your door off.
[ The tiniest hint of a grin. ]
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Bloody hell. He's rubbing the back of his neck when he looks up and sees Slash being fussed over, immediately squashing down the feeling of regret that tries to crawl up. He'd tossed them both like that and could've hurt that one. Good job, John.
Another shake of his head, exhausted though it is. ]
Suppose the only other option is to freeze my bollocks off in here. Could do out of spite.
[ But oh, look, he's shuffling to start gathering the rest of the papers that scattered and nods a little. Saying it out loud seems too much like an admission of some kind of failure or that he's acknowledging how much of an utter arse he's been. ]
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[ Well, he might be, but Mick will challenge him on it, because he's not going to beg the guy to come home, but he knows the request is floating between them already. He's told him to come back a few times now, but even Mick has some level of dignity to maintain here. ]
Probably.
[ He pets Slash and tucks her back into his jacket before following after John to help him gather up the drawings. They must mean something to him, so they can gather them and bring them back to their place. ]
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[ He offers with a slow shrug. All that fussing aside, he's not convinced this is the best course of action. That going back will help or change anything. But he knows pride and he's pushed at the big man enough to know when there should be a little give on his own side of things. ]
Good thing you've never had to try and reason with my younger self. Best hope he doesn't make a reappearance. Never have shut of him.
[ And definitely not talk him into going anywhere he didn't first decide he wanted to go. The final push, he reckons, comes in the form of Mick helping him gather things. He doesn't say anything else about them as he grabs the portfolio and opens it so the other man can set them inside with the rest. ]
no subject
[ He might be joking, but he probably isn't. It's not like Snart hadn't done it to him a few times. There are moments where cold-cocking a person you care about is the right thing. That's the lesson there, right? ]
I bet you were even scrawnier then.