His head snaps up when Mick touches him, while his emphatic denial touches Leonard in all of the squishy places he likes to pretend don't exist. He can't stop the smile that breaks across his face. "Okay. Good."
"I don't wanna put you in that situation. With Lewis." He bites his lip and considers it all for a moment, debating how much he should say about exactly how he feels. And then decides that's stupid because this is Mick and he shouldn't have to ever hide anything from him. "But I don't want you to stop coming around, either." It feels selfish to admit, and that's probably a bit of why he didn't want to admit it.
A small smile as he tips his forehead to Leonard's. Just a brief moment of closeness. By god he's going to stick to his promise of going slow even if it kills him.
And it probably will.
"Then I keep coming around. Hell with him." Because Leonard is what he needs, who he needs. Him and his baby sister. "Always Lenny." No matter what, Mick will stick close. He'll never leave him.
That smile finds its way back on his face when Mick leans forward to press their foreheads together. There's something weird and fluttery in his stomach when Mick does things like that. "Good."
His eyes drop for a second before leveling at Mick again, "So...that means we're good, right?" he slips one hand out of his pocket, fumbling and a little awkward as he reaches for Mick's, tangling their fingers together.
And the things Mick Rory will do to see that smile. The want to just close the distance and kiss him is damn near overwhelming, but Mick doesn't press for it. He simply pulls back a little with an easy smile of his own.
His heart might be trying to claw its way out of his chest when Leonard fumbles for his hand and he grips it easily, a quiet chuckle breaking free. "Yeah Lenny. You and me? We're always gonna be okay. Always."
Leonard doesn't want to think about what it would mean to lose that kind of promise. He wants to just hold onto it, and hope like hell that it never tarnishes or turns to something worse.
"I just... I need--" This. You. He worries his lip between his teeth again and drops his eyes to their fingers linked together like it's the most natural thing in the world and squeezes Mick's fingers in his own. Like that finishes the sentences he barely started.
"You got me." A promise. An unshakeable one as he follows Leonard's eyes down to where their hands are linked together. He'd all but admitted to Leonard that he was in love with him, that he'd always be in love with him and he hadn't run. Hadn't turned him away or been made uncomfortable by the idea.
So what the hell kind of friend would he be if he turned and ran just because Leonard's old man was a homophobic asshole?
"Good." He says, looking back up at him again. It's the sort of thing that he needed to hear in the ache of a week gone without even one ounce of contact when they'd gotten used to not going more than a handful of days.
"I gotta go get Lise soon," Reality always has a way of ruining moments like this. But. "We'll come by this weekend?" Unless something came up and Lewis ruined his plans like he was famous for doing. But he'd try anyway.
"You better." he teases lightly, and as he untangles his fingers from Mick's and prepares to leave there's this sudden, overwhelming urge to lean over and kiss him. He hesitates, and there's every bit of evidence that something is going on in his head, but he lets go of whatever it is in an instant and forces a smile that doesn't look forced at all, "So, this weekend, then." he reiterates with a nod before heading toward the door. Leaving it like this, so soon after he got here, is kind of the worst, but he had taken up too much of the day trying to talk himself into coming over in the first place. And at least he'd have something to look forward to this way.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2018-01-04 07:01 pm (UTC)"I don't wanna put you in that situation. With Lewis." He bites his lip and considers it all for a moment, debating how much he should say about exactly how he feels. And then decides that's stupid because this is Mick and he shouldn't have to ever hide anything from him. "But I don't want you to stop coming around, either." It feels selfish to admit, and that's probably a bit of why he didn't want to admit it.
no subject
Date: 2018-01-04 07:08 pm (UTC)And it probably will.
"Then I keep coming around. Hell with him." Because Leonard is what he needs, who he needs. Him and his baby sister. "Always Lenny." No matter what, Mick will stick close. He'll never leave him.
no subject
Date: 2018-01-04 08:49 pm (UTC)His eyes drop for a second before leveling at Mick again, "So...that means we're good, right?" he slips one hand out of his pocket, fumbling and a little awkward as he reaches for Mick's, tangling their fingers together.
no subject
Date: 2018-01-04 09:08 pm (UTC)The want to just close the distance and kiss him is damn near overwhelming, but Mick doesn't press for it. He simply pulls back a little with an easy smile of his own.
His heart might be trying to claw its way out of his chest when Leonard fumbles for his hand and he grips it easily, a quiet chuckle breaking free. "Yeah Lenny. You and me? We're always gonna be okay. Always."
no subject
Date: 2018-01-05 03:05 am (UTC)"I just... I need--" This. You. He worries his lip between his teeth again and drops his eyes to their fingers linked together like it's the most natural thing in the world and squeezes Mick's fingers in his own. Like that finishes the sentences he barely started.
no subject
Date: 2018-01-05 05:57 pm (UTC)So what the hell kind of friend would he be if he turned and ran just because Leonard's old man was a homophobic asshole?
"I ain't gonna run."
no subject
Date: 2018-01-05 06:24 pm (UTC)"I gotta go get Lise soon," Reality always has a way of ruining moments like this. But. "We'll come by this weekend?" Unless something came up and Lewis ruined his plans like he was famous for doing. But he'd try anyway.
no subject
Date: 2018-01-05 07:01 pm (UTC)His kitchen is all but fucking bare, but he'll find a way to scrape together a few bucks before then. "I'll be here Lenny."
no subject
Date: 2018-01-05 09:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-01-05 09:52 pm (UTC)But he doesn't.
So he gives him an easy smile. A nod. "This weekend Lenny."
Maybe it's a good thing the hot water heater is busted again. Because he's going to be taking a lot more cold showers if this keeps up.