Mick wraps steady arms around him as the sobs shake his frame, a hand moving in sure and slow circles along his back until the tears have abated and he's just resting quietly against him.
No one will ever touch him without permission again. Ever. Mick will make damn sure of that. His smile is quiet as he kisses his hair. "Yeah Lenny. It does. And I won't ever let anyone touch you without your ok. Not ever." Mick Rory will stand between Leonard and the world and nothing will get past him.
"And I'll be better. I will." He'll try his damndest. Learn to telegraph his movements and not argue when he pulls away. He can do that for him.
"Okay," is all he can manage; it comes out quiet, and tired, but it's not really dismissive. He trusts that promise, more than just about anything. Mick has never been one to break a promise he's made to a Snart.
"I know you will," he sighs softly and pillows his head against Mick's chest. He hasn't slept like this is years, but right now he feels like he could fall out pretty fast.
"Did you sleep last night?" he asks quietly, already fairly certain of the answer before he even asks the question.
Mick misses moments like this, being able to just hold him. This time he wishes the moment had been because of something good. But he keeps his hand moving, keeps stroking along his back because for now Leonard will allow it and Mick will offer whatever comfort he needs.
A weary chuckle, "Naw. Couldn't sleep."
"Let's go back to bed. I'll make a big ass breakfast later."
He smiles, soft and reverent, when Mick confirms what he already assumed. "Me either," there's a half-hearted chuckle to match the smile attached to the words, making them a little more breathy than if they'd just been spoken. Somehow, it's not surprising at all that neither of them slept. Leonard, for certain, always sleeps better when Mick is beside him.
He lets himself sink heavily against Mick, soaking up the comfort he finds in him, and it isn't long before he falls into probably the most relaxed sleep he's had in awhile.
Lisa smiles, she's been awake too since leaving Mick. It's pretty safe to say that none of them slept that night but she is glad to know they are finally okay. Well...okay enough to sleep anyway. She hadn't listened in to all of their conversation, just the end bit....and once she knew they were asleep she creeps silently into the room and snaps a few pictures. Proof. Blackmail perhaps if need be, but mostly just photo evidence for herself that they are a family...that they love each other.
She smiles again and leaves for her own room to get some sleep. She'll get up when Mick makes breakfast.
It's pretty late in the day before Leonard wakes up again. Over a day with no sleep to really speak of makes for a very tired thief. But Mick making breakfast--no, the time of day nor the food actually involved matters, if it's the first time he's eaten all day, it's breakfast, thanks--will pretty much always do the trick. Things are considerably lighter than they were the night before, even if there's still a sticky feeling in the background that they're all still trying to shake.
Once that's over, he takes to his corner in the couch, legs curled to one side next to him, back firmly in the corner of the couch, flipping channels on the tv. He doesn't plan on doing anything today that can't fall into the 'take it easy' category, if he can help it. He can't function on that much emotional upheaval in a twenty-four hour span.
Lisa joins the boys for breakfast then disappears for a while to do some dreaded laundry and other domestic chores that she despises with a passion. It's a couple minutes after Lenny gets comfortable on the couch that she comes back into the living room.
"Can I join you?" She asks slightly hesitantly and gestures to the empty side of the couch. She knows sometimes after events like yesterday he'd rather have a little time to himself to rebuild his walls. They're similar like that.
He sees her approach before she speaks, catching movement in the periphery of his vision, but he only looks up when she asks that question. A small, careful smile on his lips, "'Course." he motions, vaguely, to the seat next to him. Lisa was never really denied much, where it came to Leonard; he just couldn't do it, most of the time.
There's still an edge of awkward tension coating the air between them. He needs to have a talk with her, too, but he doesn't even know how or where to begin. "What's up?" He sounds a lot more quietly casual than he feels.
"If you're up for it, I think maybe we should talk about yesterday. If you're not then maybe you could listen while I talked a little bit..." She trails off giving him a chance to interrupt her. She hates this weird tension...they don't typically have moments like this. Neither of them are terribly emotional people but she likes to think she's better with them then he is...for obvious reasons.
She hesitates slightly, bringing her legs up and wrapping her arms around them, resting her chin on her knees and turning her head slightly to look at him.
"I told Mick some stuff I probably didn't have any right to tell him, but I wanted to help him understand the things you couldn't say. It....it hurts when you two are hurting...."
The good thing is that even with Leonard being at such a loss, Lisa usually can find a way to start the conversations when they're really necessary. Like this, now.
"Yeah, um.." he nods a little, folding his hands in his lap. "we should." And it should be a legitimate talk, not just a lot of Lisa talking and him listening.
He looks up at her as she continues into a not-quite an apology of saying the things she did to Mick. Maybe it wasn't hers to tell, but she's not really in the wrong, all things considered, and he knows she only spoke up about it from a good place, intending to help. And she did, actually, more than she probably even realizes yet.
"I'm not mad," he starts, shaking his head a little. "it helped. A lot. I-- probably never would have managed to tell him, if you hadn't, honestly. It...it would have just kept getting worse and I don't know if we would survived it, in the end." A harsh truth he doesn't even want to look at, but feels like it's necessary to acknowledge in this moment.
His gaze drops down to his hands in his lap again, fingers twisting together in something of a nervous habit. "I didn't know...that you knew about...what happened. And...I'm sorry, you shouldn't have had to carry that around, I..." He presses his lips together, it was just...hard. The whole situation was hard to admit, hard to hold, hard to look at. And the fact that she'd had something like that pushed on her, however indirectly, at such a young age just made him sick.
Lisa watches him, lets him get things out without interrupting him. She knows it's hard for him to say, it's hard for her to hear. The knowledge that she did in fact help though does ease the ache of possibly betraying his trust a bit. She's glad that he's not mad with her for telling Mick...it was actually something she was pretty worried about.
She's also glad that from what he's saying, that him and Mick have talked and hopefully reached an understanding. She really hopes so. Lenny has so little in his life and it breaks her to think he might lose such an important part of it...someone she would actually bet holds more of Lenny's heart than even she does.
"I didn't understand really...not at first. Not until my junior year in high school.....then I understood what really happened." She didn't elaborate...Lenny didn't know what happened to her and she wasn't of mind to tell him. She didn't need to make this about her...and she really didn't want to deal with angry Lenny on top of sad/depressed Lenny.
"And then well...it had been almost five years and I didn't know how to mention it or say anything without making things a million times worse. I figured you'd be okay...but then...all of this..." She waves her hand around at the room indicating the tension and the fights he and Mick had been having. "I just didn't want you to lose him...."
A frown creases deeply across his forehead when she mentions, so casually, some kind of incident from her junior year. "Wait, Lise- what...what happened in your junior year?" He stares up at her, concerned about what she was eluding to.
"I don't want that, either. I'm terrified of it," he admits, in a rare moment of unbridled honesty. "Kind of became a cycle that fed into itself, you know?" He manages the smallest of smiles up at her, "If not for you, I might have eventually found out what Mick's limit for bullshit is and then where would I be?" An attempt, however weak and borderline gallows humor it may be, at levity.
Lisa didn't elaborate, He'll have to ask again if he really wants to know. Instead she meets his tentative smile with one of her own. "Well I'm glad I'm here to help you two understand what the other is trying to say. And if you two split. Homeless, Lenny. We'd be homeless." She deadpans with her own gallows humor because they really wouldn't be...but with the three of them here...it is home. Not just a safe house. A safe home.
"Yeah, me too." he admits, chuckling a little at her own joke. Sometimes, he's not so sure he and Mick would have made it this far without Lisa. This is hardly new; she's been fixing their arguments for awhile now.
But he can't just let that other part drop, either. Maybe this wasn't about her, but... he can't help be curious about that admission. "Lise...?" He bites his lip, canting his head up at her. "what did you mean? What happened, when you were in high school?"
Lisa heaves a heavy sigh and her gaze falls to her own lap, her brow furrowing slightly. "I got tipsy at a party, some guys took advantage of it." She said softly. "And...dads 'friends' also started to notice....I looked 'more grown up'...and 'like a proper pretty lady.' Lewis didn't exactly tell them no when they would grope me or make me sit in their lap. Even though I did say no. I fought back once...I learned my 'lesson'..." She hid her face in her knees for a moment.
"It's fine though...well..not fine...but I know it wasn't my fault now. Some of those counselors in college...they know what they're talking about...."
The story makes his stomach twist harshly. He never knew, but somehow, none of it really surprises him, particularly the bits about Lewis' "friends". "God, Lise..." He can't help it, she breaks every personal boundary rule he has; he shifts and tilts her chin up, pressing their foreheads together and cupping the back of her head with his hand. "I'm so sorry...that I didn't get you out of there sooner."
She doesn't cry...maybe she should be worried that her eyes don't even get misty but she's through crying over that part of her life. She's safe now. No man will ever touch her again without her approval or he will be missing limbs...if he remains breathing at all. She lets Len hold her, their foreheads touching, relaxed, drawing strength from each other. She doesn't know what to say because "It's okay" is not appropriate. It's not okay, none of it is, but she understands things now. She knows Len did what he could...knows he tried his hardest. She doesn't blame him for any of it nor does she think he could have done anything better or differently. It is..simply what it is. Shitty. But they survived.
"Love you," he mumbles quietly against her skin as he presses a kiss to her forehead before pulling away. She's more than welcome to follow, cling, curl against him, whatever she may want or need just then. But there's really nothing left to say, so he doesn't say anything else at all, rather he just stares at the tv, not really seeing what's there, just at a loss of where else to go from here.
Lisa follows, she doesn't want him to pull away and she doesn't want to lose the contact. Len is warm...comfortable. They don't do this often but if he's going to allow it shes going to do it. She wraps her arms around his waist and buries her head in his chest, curling up beside him. "I love you too." She replies, slightly muffled by his shirt. She doesn't know what to say or do either...what is there to say or do when you each find out for 100% certainty that the other was hurt like that...when you know without a doubt that you've both survived an absolutely horrible situation...
She's going to sit here beside him like this for as long as he allows...and maybe...she might even fight for longer if she thinks she needs it. Nothing can hurt her with him there, nothing at all can get to her with him beside her keeping her safe.
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Date: 2018-03-21 02:18 pm (UTC)No one will ever touch him without permission again. Ever. Mick will make damn sure of that. His smile is quiet as he kisses his hair. "Yeah Lenny. It does. And I won't ever let anyone touch you without your ok. Not ever." Mick Rory will stand between Leonard and the world and nothing will get past him.
"And I'll be better. I will." He'll try his damndest. Learn to telegraph his movements and not argue when he pulls away. He can do that for him.
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Date: 2018-03-22 12:04 am (UTC)"I know you will," he sighs softly and pillows his head against Mick's chest. He hasn't slept like this is years, but right now he feels like he could fall out pretty fast.
"Did you sleep last night?" he asks quietly, already fairly certain of the answer before he even asks the question.
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Date: 2018-03-22 01:06 pm (UTC)This time he wishes the moment had been because of something good. But he keeps his hand moving, keeps stroking along his back because for now Leonard will allow it and Mick will offer whatever comfort he needs.
A weary chuckle, "Naw. Couldn't sleep."
"Let's go back to bed. I'll make a big ass breakfast later."
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Date: 2018-03-23 01:13 am (UTC)He lets himself sink heavily against Mick, soaking up the comfort he finds in him, and it isn't long before he falls into probably the most relaxed sleep he's had in awhile.
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Date: 2018-03-23 02:16 am (UTC)She smiles again and leaves for her own room to get some sleep. She'll get up when Mick makes breakfast.
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Date: 2018-03-23 03:03 am (UTC)Once that's over, he takes to his corner in the couch, legs curled to one side next to him, back firmly in the corner of the couch, flipping channels on the tv. He doesn't plan on doing anything today that can't fall into the 'take it easy' category, if he can help it. He can't function on that much emotional upheaval in a twenty-four hour span.
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Date: 2018-03-23 01:46 pm (UTC)"Can I join you?" She asks slightly hesitantly and gestures to the empty side of the couch. She knows sometimes after events like yesterday he'd rather have a little time to himself to rebuild his walls. They're similar like that.
ahhh I thought I tagged thiiiiis earlierrrr <3
Date: 2018-03-27 04:09 am (UTC)There's still an edge of awkward tension coating the air between them. He needs to have a talk with her, too, but he doesn't even know how or where to begin. "What's up?" He sounds a lot more quietly casual than he feels.
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Date: 2018-03-27 12:33 pm (UTC)She hesitates slightly, bringing her legs up and wrapping her arms around them, resting her chin on her knees and turning her head slightly to look at him.
"I told Mick some stuff I probably didn't have any right to tell him, but I wanted to help him understand the things you couldn't say. It....it hurts when you two are hurting...."
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Date: 2018-03-27 01:29 pm (UTC)"Yeah, um.." he nods a little, folding his hands in his lap. "we should." And it should be a legitimate talk, not just a lot of Lisa talking and him listening.
He looks up at her as she continues into a not-quite an apology of saying the things she did to Mick. Maybe it wasn't hers to tell, but she's not really in the wrong, all things considered, and he knows she only spoke up about it from a good place, intending to help. And she did, actually, more than she probably even realizes yet.
"I'm not mad," he starts, shaking his head a little. "it helped. A lot. I-- probably never would have managed to tell him, if you hadn't, honestly. It...it would have just kept getting worse and I don't know if we would survived it, in the end." A harsh truth he doesn't even want to look at, but feels like it's necessary to acknowledge in this moment.
His gaze drops down to his hands in his lap again, fingers twisting together in something of a nervous habit. "I didn't know...that you knew about...what happened. And...I'm sorry, you shouldn't have had to carry that around, I..." He presses his lips together, it was just...hard. The whole situation was hard to admit, hard to hold, hard to look at. And the fact that she'd had something like that pushed on her, however indirectly, at such a young age just made him sick.
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Date: 2018-03-27 01:46 pm (UTC)She's also glad that from what he's saying, that him and Mick have talked and hopefully reached an understanding. She really hopes so. Lenny has so little in his life and it breaks her to think he might lose such an important part of it...someone she would actually bet holds more of Lenny's heart than even she does.
"I didn't understand really...not at first. Not until my junior year in high school.....then I understood what really happened." She didn't elaborate...Lenny didn't know what happened to her and she wasn't of mind to tell him. She didn't need to make this about her...and she really didn't want to deal with angry Lenny on top of sad/depressed Lenny.
"And then well...it had been almost five years and I didn't know how to mention it or say anything without making things a million times worse. I figured you'd be okay...but then...all of this..." She waves her hand around at the room indicating the tension and the fights he and Mick had been having. "I just didn't want you to lose him...."
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Date: 2018-03-27 02:20 pm (UTC)"I don't want that, either. I'm terrified of it," he admits, in a rare moment of unbridled honesty. "Kind of became a cycle that fed into itself, you know?" He manages the smallest of smiles up at her, "If not for you, I might have eventually found out what Mick's limit for bullshit is and then where would I be?" An attempt, however weak and borderline gallows humor it may be, at levity.
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Date: 2018-03-27 02:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-03-27 03:05 pm (UTC)But he can't just let that other part drop, either. Maybe this wasn't about her, but... he can't help be curious about that admission. "Lise...?" He bites his lip, canting his head up at her. "what did you mean? What happened, when you were in high school?"
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Date: 2018-03-27 03:12 pm (UTC)"It's fine though...well..not fine...but I know it wasn't my fault now. Some of those counselors in college...they know what they're talking about...."
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Date: 2018-03-27 03:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-03-27 03:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-03-27 04:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-03-27 04:20 pm (UTC)She's going to sit here beside him like this for as long as he allows...and maybe...she might even fight for longer if she thinks she needs it. Nothing can hurt her with him there, nothing at all can get to her with him beside her keeping her safe.