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ajremixTitle: Better a Shot in the Gut
Fandom: DC TV
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1418
Characters: Mick, Len, Lisa
Summary: The worst part about being criminals were the times Lisa got caught in it.
Mick was considering going to bed out of boredom when his door was, literally, kicked in. He was on his feet, pulling out the gun he kept under the couch cushion when he recognized the intruder as Len. He was carrying Lisa, gangly limbs curled in until she was tiny ball, whimpering in pain. Her pajama leg was soaked through with blood.
"What the fuck?" Mick dropped his gun. It bounced off the couch and onto the floor. Belatedly he was glad he hadn't switched off the safety. As Len moved around the couch to gently place his sister on it, Mick dashed into the kitchen where he had one of two large medical kits stashed.
When Mick got back, Len was leaning a little awkwardly with Lisa's head cushioned on one of his thighs while he had a hand pressing on what Mick presumed to be the wound. Lisa was awake, eyes wet and wide with fear and pain. Both of her hands were tangled in Len's shirt.
Mick put the scissors to the bottom of Lisa's pant leg and told her, "I'll get you a new pair tomorrow." He snipped up, just enough to get at the wound: a bullet hole a couple inches above Lisa's knee. For a moment all Mick saw was red but then Lisa whimpered and Len whispered something soothing to her. With a deep breath, Mick shook the fury from his head and reached in the kit for a section of belt he kept in there for moments like this.
Seeing it, Len leaned back and took Lisa's hands into his. Mick folded the belt in half and then held it out for Lisa to bite down on. He took the time to brush some hair from her face before pulling back to focus on her leg. "You're doing great, baby girl. Scream and cry all you want. Pass out if you gotta. We'll take care of you."
Mick didn't really remember the process, body working on automatic and, for the first time, Mick was glad for all his experience patching up Len and himself. Otherwise his hands would've been shaking until he was useless at the idea of his partner's little sister getting hurt badly enough Len panicked and brought her to Mick instead of dealing with it himself.
By the time he'd finished up with the stitches, disinfecting and bandaging the area, Lisa was pale and sweaty, still holding Len's hands like a lifeline. Mick reached up to cup her cheek but stopped when he saw the blood on his hands. He leaned back and patted her other leg instead. "You did good. You're okay now, Lise. You're going to be okay."
She offered Mick a weak smile when he pulled the belt from her mouth. He bent to pick up the bullet he'd let drop to the floor, then went to wash his hands. He wrote down some things on a piece of paper to repair the door- Mick had more than enough to fix it at least temporarily but Len needed something to distract himself or he'd be fussing over Lisa all night, keeping her from sleep.
When he got back to the couch, Len was running a hand through Lisa's hair, his breathing still a little uneven and unable to tear his eyes away from Lisa's sallow complexion. Mick lightly slapped the list to Len's chest. "Need stuff for the door. I'll keep an eye on her."
For a moment Len just stared at him, not actually seeing Mick there. Eventually he took the list and nodded, making a detour to the kitchen when Mick reminded him to wash up first. Then he made his way to the door, pausing to look over Lisa one last time before he left. When Len finally realized the store would be closed and he didn't have anything to break in with, he'd be pissed but Mick was certain at least he'd be more clearheaded.
The moment the door closed, Lisa burst into tears. Mick clutched her hand in one of his while the other stroked her hair. "It's okay, baby girl. Just let it out."
Her free hand scrabbled along Mick's shoulders until he leaned down, wrapping his arms around the sobbing girl. She clung to him, soaking his shirt in snot and tears until all she could do was tremble. Lisa's grip loosened and Mick pulled back slowly. Her eyes were puffy and red and she looked so, so much younger than thirteen. "Am I gonna skate again?" She asked. Mick had never heard her sound so tiny and fragile in the years he'd known her. He hated it. He wanted to burn down the city just to make sure no one hurt her like that again. His hand twitched for his lighter but he gripped the couch cushion instead.
"Your season's over," Mick told her because there wasn't a point lying about something like this. "But if you take care of that wound, you should be doing your axle-piston-somersaults by next year."
She laughed despite herself, wet and thick. "Only one of those is a thing."
"And I'm sure you're gonna be quizing me on 'em while you heal up." Mick picked up the painkillers and glass of water he'd set out earlier, handing them both to Lisa. He helped hold her up slightly as she drank. "You think you can go to sleep?"
"I guess." She held onto Mick's arm. "Will you stay with me until I do?"
"Sure, brat." He patted her hand and shifted until he was leaning comfortably against the couch. "Rest up, alright? Tomorrow you get to have your big brother catering to your every need, so you best get the most out of that."
She laughed again, her arm looped lightly around Mick's neck. "Thanks, Mick."
"No problem, Lise."
It didn't take long for her to fall asleep though long enough that Len should've been back by now. Mick carefully extracted himself from Lisa's hold and crept to his front door. He peeked out, wondering if he should go looking for Len when he saw his partner curled up in a corner next to the door, faint street light glistening on his cheeks. "Aw, Lenny..."
"It's my fault," Len said, his voice choked as Mick crouched down before him. "They shot her because of me."
"Who did? Who shot her?"
He shook his head. "I don't know. I didn't see."
"Then how do you know it was 'cause of you?"
Len lifted his eyes up, as if just realizing Mick was there. "What do you mean?"
Mick huffed. It was most certainly the shock of his baby sister getting shot that rattled Len right out of his brain. "There's two people in your family that someone would wanna shoot. Or get collateral."
Clarity began to seep into Len's eyes again. "You think it was something Lewis did?"
"Maybe. Unless you can think who you pissed off enough to go after your sister. He ain't as careful as you."
Abruptly Len stood up, murder in his eyes. Mick stood too and grabbed Len's face an instant before Len could move away. Then Mick kissed him, tender and soft, like they'd never kissed before. "Don't," he said against Len's lips. "Not tonight. Lisa's gonna feel better if she sees you in the morning. And you're gonna be too busy worrying about her to think straight. Wait until tomorrow night, at least, after Lisa goes to sleep again, before you start chasing leads." He kissed Len again. "And when you find out who did it, you're bringing me with you."
Len sighed, sagging slightly in Mick's hands. "Yeah, partner. Okay."
The adrenaline had worn off, Len was swaying slightly on his feet. Mick put a hand to his shoulder, pulling him back toward the door. "C'mon. Let's go back inside."
Len frowned, "But what about the list-"
"'S nothing," Mick said, "I got plenty to work with already. Just wanted to give you something to do."
Len huffed in laughter, leaning against Mick until the other man was supporting most of his weight. Len was practically melted against Mick, exhaustion evident in every line of his body. "Love you, Mick." Len said into his shoulder.
Mick was sure Len hadn't realized he said it and hearing those words from him from the first time made Mick's heart seize momentarily. He held Len tighter and placed a kiss just behind his ear. "Love you, too."
Fandom: DC TV
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1418
Characters: Mick, Len, Lisa
Summary: The worst part about being criminals were the times Lisa got caught in it.
Mick was considering going to bed out of boredom when his door was, literally, kicked in. He was on his feet, pulling out the gun he kept under the couch cushion when he recognized the intruder as Len. He was carrying Lisa, gangly limbs curled in until she was tiny ball, whimpering in pain. Her pajama leg was soaked through with blood.
"What the fuck?" Mick dropped his gun. It bounced off the couch and onto the floor. Belatedly he was glad he hadn't switched off the safety. As Len moved around the couch to gently place his sister on it, Mick dashed into the kitchen where he had one of two large medical kits stashed.
When Mick got back, Len was leaning a little awkwardly with Lisa's head cushioned on one of his thighs while he had a hand pressing on what Mick presumed to be the wound. Lisa was awake, eyes wet and wide with fear and pain. Both of her hands were tangled in Len's shirt.
Mick put the scissors to the bottom of Lisa's pant leg and told her, "I'll get you a new pair tomorrow." He snipped up, just enough to get at the wound: a bullet hole a couple inches above Lisa's knee. For a moment all Mick saw was red but then Lisa whimpered and Len whispered something soothing to her. With a deep breath, Mick shook the fury from his head and reached in the kit for a section of belt he kept in there for moments like this.
Seeing it, Len leaned back and took Lisa's hands into his. Mick folded the belt in half and then held it out for Lisa to bite down on. He took the time to brush some hair from her face before pulling back to focus on her leg. "You're doing great, baby girl. Scream and cry all you want. Pass out if you gotta. We'll take care of you."
Mick didn't really remember the process, body working on automatic and, for the first time, Mick was glad for all his experience patching up Len and himself. Otherwise his hands would've been shaking until he was useless at the idea of his partner's little sister getting hurt badly enough Len panicked and brought her to Mick instead of dealing with it himself.
By the time he'd finished up with the stitches, disinfecting and bandaging the area, Lisa was pale and sweaty, still holding Len's hands like a lifeline. Mick reached up to cup her cheek but stopped when he saw the blood on his hands. He leaned back and patted her other leg instead. "You did good. You're okay now, Lise. You're going to be okay."
She offered Mick a weak smile when he pulled the belt from her mouth. He bent to pick up the bullet he'd let drop to the floor, then went to wash his hands. He wrote down some things on a piece of paper to repair the door- Mick had more than enough to fix it at least temporarily but Len needed something to distract himself or he'd be fussing over Lisa all night, keeping her from sleep.
When he got back to the couch, Len was running a hand through Lisa's hair, his breathing still a little uneven and unable to tear his eyes away from Lisa's sallow complexion. Mick lightly slapped the list to Len's chest. "Need stuff for the door. I'll keep an eye on her."
For a moment Len just stared at him, not actually seeing Mick there. Eventually he took the list and nodded, making a detour to the kitchen when Mick reminded him to wash up first. Then he made his way to the door, pausing to look over Lisa one last time before he left. When Len finally realized the store would be closed and he didn't have anything to break in with, he'd be pissed but Mick was certain at least he'd be more clearheaded.
The moment the door closed, Lisa burst into tears. Mick clutched her hand in one of his while the other stroked her hair. "It's okay, baby girl. Just let it out."
Her free hand scrabbled along Mick's shoulders until he leaned down, wrapping his arms around the sobbing girl. She clung to him, soaking his shirt in snot and tears until all she could do was tremble. Lisa's grip loosened and Mick pulled back slowly. Her eyes were puffy and red and she looked so, so much younger than thirteen. "Am I gonna skate again?" She asked. Mick had never heard her sound so tiny and fragile in the years he'd known her. He hated it. He wanted to burn down the city just to make sure no one hurt her like that again. His hand twitched for his lighter but he gripped the couch cushion instead.
"Your season's over," Mick told her because there wasn't a point lying about something like this. "But if you take care of that wound, you should be doing your axle-piston-somersaults by next year."
She laughed despite herself, wet and thick. "Only one of those is a thing."
"And I'm sure you're gonna be quizing me on 'em while you heal up." Mick picked up the painkillers and glass of water he'd set out earlier, handing them both to Lisa. He helped hold her up slightly as she drank. "You think you can go to sleep?"
"I guess." She held onto Mick's arm. "Will you stay with me until I do?"
"Sure, brat." He patted her hand and shifted until he was leaning comfortably against the couch. "Rest up, alright? Tomorrow you get to have your big brother catering to your every need, so you best get the most out of that."
She laughed again, her arm looped lightly around Mick's neck. "Thanks, Mick."
"No problem, Lise."
It didn't take long for her to fall asleep though long enough that Len should've been back by now. Mick carefully extracted himself from Lisa's hold and crept to his front door. He peeked out, wondering if he should go looking for Len when he saw his partner curled up in a corner next to the door, faint street light glistening on his cheeks. "Aw, Lenny..."
"It's my fault," Len said, his voice choked as Mick crouched down before him. "They shot her because of me."
"Who did? Who shot her?"
He shook his head. "I don't know. I didn't see."
"Then how do you know it was 'cause of you?"
Len lifted his eyes up, as if just realizing Mick was there. "What do you mean?"
Mick huffed. It was most certainly the shock of his baby sister getting shot that rattled Len right out of his brain. "There's two people in your family that someone would wanna shoot. Or get collateral."
Clarity began to seep into Len's eyes again. "You think it was something Lewis did?"
"Maybe. Unless you can think who you pissed off enough to go after your sister. He ain't as careful as you."
Abruptly Len stood up, murder in his eyes. Mick stood too and grabbed Len's face an instant before Len could move away. Then Mick kissed him, tender and soft, like they'd never kissed before. "Don't," he said against Len's lips. "Not tonight. Lisa's gonna feel better if she sees you in the morning. And you're gonna be too busy worrying about her to think straight. Wait until tomorrow night, at least, after Lisa goes to sleep again, before you start chasing leads." He kissed Len again. "And when you find out who did it, you're bringing me with you."
Len sighed, sagging slightly in Mick's hands. "Yeah, partner. Okay."
The adrenaline had worn off, Len was swaying slightly on his feet. Mick put a hand to his shoulder, pulling him back toward the door. "C'mon. Let's go back inside."
Len frowned, "But what about the list-"
"'S nothing," Mick said, "I got plenty to work with already. Just wanted to give you something to do."
Len huffed in laughter, leaning against Mick until the other man was supporting most of his weight. Len was practically melted against Mick, exhaustion evident in every line of his body. "Love you, Mick." Len said into his shoulder.
Mick was sure Len hadn't realized he said it and hearing those words from him from the first time made Mick's heart seize momentarily. He held Len tighter and placed a kiss just behind his ear. "Love you, too."
