#HOW DC EVER THOUGHT THEY WERE FOOLING ANYONE BY CLAIMING THESE TWO WERE ONLY FRIENDS IS BEYOND ME | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

wardencommanderrodimiss · 5 years

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Last night I got to thinking, for no real reason, about how the AA6 portion of the Bullshit Defense AU doesn’t have a climactic plot. Like, the AA1 segment doesn’t either - there’s no equivalent to Turnabout Goodbyes, of course - but it’s just really funny after the AA4 and AA5 bits, where they expose Kristoph as the bastard he is, and catch the Phantom, that after all that, the only mildly interesting thing that happens is Trucy gets arrested for murder and Nahyuta has to prosecute his brother’s half-sister and Thalassa calls Retinz a bitch in front of the entire courtroom.

Like the revolution happened ~14 years ago, Amara’s been back on the throne since, Nahyuta and Apollo have spent half their lives as royalty and Rayfa has never known anything but growing up in the palace a princess with two older brothers and Amara and Dhurke as her parents.

Except then I was like “wait, what if I can figure out drama to happen in Khura’in anyway?” and of course that’s exactly what I’ve done. And it’s too detailed in some parts and broad-strokes in others because, yknow, I worked through it last night and have other fic to write even though I spent all day so far on this uhhh 3.6k “summary”.

Ga’ran was not a popular queen for the ~9 or so years of her rule. Really, she’d be outright hated if she wasn’t playing the “my sister was assassinated” card for sympathy. Her criminal justice ““reforms”” are swift and brutal and not only send every defense attorney underground into the rebellion, but also some prosecutors as well, the ones who have concerns beyond simply winning. Among the prosecutors that stay, it’s a free-for-all of making shit up, calling retrials when things don’t go their way, etc etc - hey, if Ga’ran did it in her trial with Dhurke, then they can too!

Plus, Dhurke was quite popular in his own right, not just “Amara was a well-loved queen so people liked her husband as well.” He successfully defended himself from the charges that he was Amara’s assassin - it was Ga’ran calling a retrial, claiming that he forged evidence, that sent him running. And while Ga’ran tried to claim that Dhurke’s disappearance was suspicious, that if he was truly innocent he’d have nothing to fear from a retrial, and while some people accepted that, there were others who thought that Dhurke’s disappearance was actually Ga’ran disappearing him, and her claims that he was still out there leading a resistance were entirely fabricated to justify Ga’ran claiming extra power and cracking down on all defense attorneys and everything else. Which I mean, Dhurke is still out there, but point being, lots and lots of people aren’t buying Ga’ran’s story.

Plus, Inga is embezzling millions of the people’s tax dollars, and that’s not helping this new regime be popular, either.

This is all background to say, when Amara announced that she was alive, that Ga’ran framed Dhurke for the fire, that the people of Khura’in welcomed her back to the throne with open arms, even if she was no longer a goddess in their eyes, having admitted that she had been fooled, that she had been wrong, and that she made a terrible mistake in trusting her sister and not just her family had suffered for it, but the whole of the country had.

As part of their legal reforms, to clean up the mess that Ga’ran made of the courts and the country, Amara eliminated the death penalty. After Inga signing off on every execution warrant without caring, after Ga’ran wielding death sentences to defendants as a weapon against defense attorneys who she saw as threats to her political power - how could she continue to allow it, no matter the crime, no matter how clear the evidence and proof, when her people, because of the cruelty experienced within their living memory, will always be wondering, fearing, that their queen allowed the execution of an innocent?

Which means that Ga’ran was not executed. Some of people of Khura’in were understandably crying out for Ga’ran’s blood, and treason is a capital crime, but Amara’s kind heart never wanted to see her sister dead at her word. And outlawing such a punishment, no exceptions, means that she could point to that and say - “I am not allowing my sister to escape justice. What I am doing is not adhering to her kind of justice that so ruined this country and so many lives. No more of that, ever.”

(Amara knows, of course, that Ga’ran was not trying to murder her; because Amara knows that Ga’ran cannot channel spirits. And Amara knows, of course, that if Ga’ran was capable of channeling, Amara would have burned to death in that blaze. Ga’ran kept her alive because she needed her. It wasn’t love. It was necessity. But in Amara’s heart of hearts, down in the core that still hurts no matter how many years have passed, she still loves her sister. Her own sister. Her little sister. How could she sentence her to death? How could she see that through?)

And this is all not to say also, that there weren’t a handful of people who had preferred Ga’ran’s rule. They were corrupt and power-hungry prosecutors, or grifters also involved in embezzling tax dollars, or so on and forth. That kind of people. And while Amara and Dhurke and Datz try their hardest to root out those people, get them properly punished, return what they’ve stolen from the country, they’re also busy with, like, everything else, fixing and reforming the justice system, reinvestigating every case Ga’ran oversaw to exonerate every innocent convicted under her rule, making reparations to the families of any innocents executed. Some of the people who were profiting most from Ga’ran’s rule slip through the cracks because of what Amara prioritizes. And they aren’t exactly happy at all about Amara being queen again.

But it’s pretty hard to get anyone else on your side when the country is just relieved that they’re not going to be convicted of a crime after a sham of a trial where they have no defense and the prosecution is making up evidence, so life in Khura’in goes along well and peacefully for more than a decade, with only the briefest, barest whispers of discontent from the sort of people who honestly deserve to be discontent because they’re greedy assholes.

Trouble begins to kick in after Rayfa’s fourteenth birthday. (This is, by the way, her worst birthday ever because Apollo always comes home for her birthday and Nahyuta is always around, except Apollo got blown up a week before, and his best friend is in the hospital in a coma from being stabbed, and Nahyuta ran off to LA after him to make sure he’s alive, and they’re still there, Nahyuta trying to help Apollo and friends wrap their heads around the absolute catastrophe that began with the Space Center bombing and is still happening.)

She’s been doing the Divination Seances for over a year, though rather sparsely and only on trials where either Nahyuta and/or Dhurke is there. But now she’s performing them more frequently, and also Nahyuta isn’t around because he’s planning to spend the short long-term in LA. (“Everything Apollo has told you about how fucked up the American legal system is true, and then some,” Nahyuta says. “They need all the help I can give and also a lot more.”)

Rayfa becoming more of a public figure, though, is something of a catalyst. It’s been so long that most of Ga’ran’s supporters have either left the country for somewhere they can be corrupt without the Queen’s right-hand man personally showing up in their houses to casually threaten them with a knife, or just given up. Except Ga’ran, languishing in prison, certainly has not given up, and her first real plan in fourteen years is to begin undermining her sister’s rule simply with rumors. Put some cracks in the foundation. Ga’ran is good at getting into people’s heads, and she hasn’t really managed to sway some of her guards to her side, but she has instilled some doubt in Amara in them, and she can work with that. She’ll create more doubt about Amara’s capacities as queen.

Whispers start going around the capital, and then out of it, that Rayfa isn’t actually Amara and Dhurke’s daughter, that Dhurke is a blight on the bloodline and no daughter of his could channel, and Rayfa is Ga’ran’s daughter, stolen from her when Amara reclaimed the throne. Critically, Ga’ran was never exposed as not being able to channel spirits; she was already guilty of arson, prosecutorial misconduct, and high treason, and that’s just from the time of the fire to when she was crowned, not even getting into everything she did as queen. She’d done enough to rot in prison for life without Amara announcing that she’s also an illegitimate queen. She was an illegitimate queen enough because Amara was still alive and the crown belongs to the eldest sister. Amara, at times too kindhearted, keeps her little sister’s secret.

So Ga’ran’s still in contention for the throne, technically, kinda, if she can pin the fire and Jove’s death on someone else again, if she can throw someone under the bus for her decisions as queen with the DC Act - ah! Inga! You’re still alive, too, rotting in a different prison! You’re a good scapegoat! There, another step of the plan figured out.

Ga’ran’s not planning on asking anyone to assassinate Amara, not yet. She wants to get her hands on the Founder’s Orb first, get that spiritual power, and then she can take out Amara, secure in the knowledge that she can prove herself a valid queen.

For now, she’s just testing the waters by claiming that Amara is a daughter-stealing whore who’s been taken in by Dhurke’s wily defense attorney lies just like the rest of the country. And probably other, increasingly outlandish rumors, that no matter how ridiculous they are, are enough to set Amara on the defensive and make people start to wonder about the functionality of the royal family. That she had Nahyuta exiled for [insert any number of stupid reasons here] and the “he went to America to visit his brother” is a cover story so that nobody realizes how much turmoil there is in the palace. That Apollo isn’t an adopted orphan but is Amara’s illegitimate son with Datz and that’s why he so rarely comes back from abroad, because Dhurke doesn’t want him around.

(“Listen,” Dhurke says, and everyone knows whatever he’s about to say is gonna be stupid as hell. “If Amara wanted to cheat on me with Datz that’s her prerogative because I’m pretty sure I’ve probably cheated on her with Datz?”)

(Amara sighs. Datz starts laughing and nearly chokes on a bite of apple.)

Then they find out that the Founder’s Orb has been stolen, and this crop of sudden, weird rumors comes into perfect clarity. Certainly they have an idea that Ga’ran was behind it in some way, especially given the claim about Rayfa, but they couldn’t figure out why beyond her being bored. Now they know what they’re seeing. Death by a thousand lashes, or a thousand little rumors adding up with this very big Founder’s Orb matter to paint a picture of Amara being an idiot and a fool and untrustworthy and a backstabber, and her rule as ineffective, if Khura’in’s greatest treasure went missing under her. And they know what they say about the Founder’s Orb, its ability to grant spiritual power to anyone, and they know that yes, yes, this is Ga’ran having bided her time, finally striking back.

But they don’t know how she’s getting word to her people - they don’t know who “her people” are - they don’t know where the Founder’s Orb is. They have nothing to tie back to Ga’ran, nothing but their very logical suspicions, but they don’t know what to do with that. They can’t make another case against her just on that, not without being hypocritical to the ideals and principles they’ve reformed their legal system on. And Datz would go and personally guard Ga’ran himself and put her in solitary where he’s her only contact to the outside, to know for sure no one can talk with her, but that would mean leaving Rayfa and Amara, and he also doesn’t trust anyone besides himself to properly bodyguard them, now, so it’s just a fucking mess.

Helping them investigate the stolen Orb are Maya and Misty - Maya, who’s been back for a few months after going home when the courthouse bombing happened, and Misty who came to visit her daughter what felt like 10 seconds before this shit started. Maya can play the bumbling tourist really well, and she understands Khura’inese much better than she speaks it, while Misty feigns not being able to understand or speak anything - she’s rusty, certainly, since it’s been so long since she herself visited Khura’in for her training, but she knows much more than she lets on.

Then Beh’leeb Inmee, who in her free time was looking into the Founder’s Orb matter along with her husband, is accused of murdering a monk, and everything really starts spiraling to shit. Beh’leeb, with investigation assistance from Maya and Dhurke, successfully proves that it was self-defense, and her attacker was someone else who’s been caught up in this Founder’s Orb theft and what’s looking more and more like it’s gonna be an attempted coup. And probably sooner rather than later.

Misty returns to LA, with Rayfa who is using a forged American passport - Datz has a fuckton of contingency plans, let no one ever say he’s only an idiot - under a fake name with the surname “Fey”, posing as Misty’s niece. With the situation in Khura’in becoming more dangerous for the royal family and their closest friends, Amara and Dhurke and Datz decide the best thing to do is get Rayfa the hell out. She doesn’t want to go, which is why Misty goes too - both to make sure she does in fact leave, and to protect her if it comes to it. Maya absolutely refuses to leave, though; come hell or high water she wants to help her distant cousins sort this out, and Misty can’t physically drag her away. So Maya stays.

Apollo and Nahyuta, meanwhile, know that it’s getting to be a mess back home, but they don’t realize how much of one until Rayfa shows up on the doorstep, jet-lagged and exhausted but still absolutely livid that she’s been dragged all this way. She wanted to visit LA but not like this, dammit!

Meanwhile, back in Khura’in, two very important things happen. Ga’ran escapes from jail. And Datz finds out where the Founder’s Orb went: to Kurain Village. Maya immediately tells Mia, who tells Apollo and Nahyuta and Rayfa, and when Misty tries to stop them Mia’s like “hey Mom remember the time that instead of talking to me you nearly got yourself killed for Maya’s sake? Yeah you aren’t allowed to tell us what’s good or safe for me or them. We’re going up to the village to get that Orb, see you later.”

So Mia, Apollo, Nahyuta, and Rayfa go on a family bonding train ride up to Kurain Village. There, they find the same canonical situation - the Orb hidden and Dr Buff dead. Nahyuta and Apollo go spelunking and nearly drown again; Rayfa hangs out with Pearl and gets more quality bonding time with another of her distant cousins; and when the boys get back thoroughly waterlogged but with the Orb, Atishon shows up to tell them that they’ll see him in court for the Orb - they’ll see him and his attorney. Mia.

The royal siblings understandably demand to know why Mia has turned on them. Atishon says it’s because she’s seen the light and knows what’s best for both her village and their kingdom. Mia doesn’t look them in the eyes. Rayfa curses out Atishon in Khura’inese, and watching his reaction, Apollo realizes: he doesn’t understand a word of it. He tries to catch Mia’s eye, tries to indicate in some, any, way, and then he asks her again, “Why?”

And she answers, with a very broken pronunciation and accent, but still understandable Khura’inese: “My sister.”

“What did you say?” Atishon demands, and Mia lies, “I told them to fuck off, since they aren’t getting the mesage in English.”

They know Maya; Apollo least, but Nahyuta got to know her pretty well on their trip to LA from Khura’in back in December, and Rayfa was, just a week or two ago, seeing her investigate the missing Orb, and vehemently protest returning to LA when she could help find the Orb and help her family, the ones here with the crown, being undermined by a sister. (It hits close to home for Maya, still.) They know Maya is on their side. They know something’s damn wrong. They call Datz and ask him to find Maya because something’s happened.

In court the next day, it’s Apollo and Nahyuta, with Rayfa in the gallery behind them sometimes shouting at them, up against Mia and Diego. Someone casually observing could be forgiven for thinking Diego doesn’t have a clue what’s happening and is accidentally undermining Mia’s case. He actually does know what’s happening and is actively undermining Mia’s case, per her request, because he can play the idiot better than she can, drag this out longer without Atishon getting suspicious, give a little more time for Maya to be rescued. And they don’t hear back about Maya, but they do prove that the Orb needs a spirit medium, and Rayfa knows Ga’ran’s secret, that she can’t channel. Amara’s the only other medium in the country; Maya’s got to be safe.

Atishon gets arrested for murder, and Apollo, Nahyuta, Rayfa, Mia, Diego, and Misty rush off on a plane Franziska gets for them to Khura’in. Mia is biting her tongue the whole time trying not to make a jab about what happened the last time Diego and Misty banded together to save Maya. (She’s really, really trying.

“What’s the plan? Get stabbed and stranded on top of a mountain again?”

Fuck, she was trying.

Instead of answering, Diego takes out his phone and starts sending a message. “Lana and I bet on how long it would take you to say something.”

“I’m going to break your fucking neck, Diego.”

“Not hers?”

“She’s not the one who stabbed my mother on a snowy mountaintop and spent 36 hours feeding my little cousin snow and cold gravy.”

“That’s because she was in prison at the time!!”

“Why is every family I’m part of so fucked up?” asks Apollo, who neither knows this story nor wants to know.)

And honestly I don’t have details that worked out of what goes down when they get back to Khura’in. Maya is rescued. Ga’ran tries some bullshit, but in this universe the only thing she really has going for her is charisma and a handful of supporters. She doesn’t have the throne, she doesn’t have murders to frame Dhurke and Amara for. (Unless she had one of her people murder Inga in jail and tried to blame it on Datz. Ooh, actually that could be a fun plot.) She’s been proven to have committed murder (Jove). If she can be queen, it’s only as a tyrant, having killed everyone in her way, but she’s still got a handful of people who are willing to kill for her. They can put her back in jail, as they should, but she’ll still have her people. They have to get rid of that factor, soundly ruin her so that no one would ever believe her whispers of temptation for power and riches.

So Apollo and Mia realize that the way to take her down is still with the Founder’s Orb. She can’t channel. If they just announce that fact, her supporters aren’t going to believe them. If Amara announces it, same thing. But what they can do is bait her with the Orb and the Holy Mother’s face, forcing her to completely humiliate herself in front of the whole country, proving once again that she has absolutely nothing to offer anyone.

(Also side note, this would be the first time that Apollo and Nahyuta and Rayfa have ever met their aunt, and it’s to find that yeah, she’s as awful as all of Datz’s stories that Amara claimed were slightly exaggerated.)

The Orb goes back where it belongs; Ga’ran also goes back to where she belongs, which is jail, along with everyone who was willing to do murder for her and break her out of jail. The rumors about how the royal family is actually a dysfunctional shitshow are soundly quashed by seeing Apollo and Nahyuta and Rayfa return with the Orb to support their mother and stop their aunt. (Actually the stupid rumor about Apollo being Datz and Amara’s kid doesn’t quite die, but the fact that they’re no longer under siege and struggling to plug the holes and expose Ga’ran’s plotting means that it’s honestly kinda funny now, to most of them. Apollo’s mortified and wishes that Dhurke and Datz would stop joking about it. They will not.)

Anyway after that, everything calms down in Khura’in again and Pearl and Trucy and Thalassa fly out to Khura’in so that they can all meet the rest of their family, and the biggest problem anyone has is Nahyuta has to decide whether he wants to stay home and help prosecute the people involved in this shitshow, or return to LA and help his new friends there with their perpetual shitshow.

#AND THUS GOES MY PROPOSAL FOR SOME BULLSHIT DEFENSE AU KHURA'INESE THRONE DRAMA #bullshit defense au

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dragonydreams · 7 years

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Playing With Fire - Mick/Sin

Title: Playing With Fire Fandom: DC's Legends of Tomorrow Rating: Teen Pairings/Characters: Mick Rory/Sin, Mick Rory & Sara Lance, mentions Sara Lance/Leonard Snart Summary: After Rip drops everyone back in Star City May 2016, Mick stays with Sara. After Sara can't find Laurel right away, but before she goes to the Bunker, she tells Mick she needs to check on one other person: Sin. Timeline: during 01x16 (Legendary) Word Count: 4,737 Disclaimer: I claim no ownership over these characters. I am merely borrowing them from Berlanti Productions, DC Entertainment, and Warner Bros. Television. Some dialog borrowed from episode. Betas: Thank you to angelskuuipo and shanachie for looking this over for me. Author's Note: Written for @mick-rory-appreciation-week Day 2: Favorite Relationship. I saw this as the perfect opportunity to indulge in my very rare pair, of which I am practically the only person to ship.

"You sure you don't have somewhere else you'd rather be?" Sara asked Mick as they approached Laurel's apartment building. "Isn't Central City your home?"

Mick hesitated before speaking, "Central is… That's Snart's city."

"I get it," Sara said.

"'Sides, if I went to Central, I'd have to find Lisa, and I'm not ready for that conversation. Yet," Mick admitted.

"Okay. Just don't be surprised if my sister goes for her baseball bat when she sees you. As a D.A. turned vigilante, she'll probably hit first and ask questions later if I show up with a known criminal."

"She knows you used to associate with assassins, doesn't she?" Mick asked.

"Yeah, but I'm her baby sister," Sara said, cheekily.

"Family's weird," Mick grumbled. "Think I'll just wait out here."

"You really don't have to wait for me," Sara insisted. "I don't know how long I'll be here. I mean, I'm planning on staying with Laurel, so if she's here, it's not like I'll be coming back out."

"Fine, then I'll come up," Mick said.

"Why'd you even want to come with me?" Sara asked as they made their way into the building. "It's not like I have a couch you can crash on since I'll be doing the sofa surfing thing myself. I'm sure if you call Ray he'd be more than happy to put you up."

"Put up with me's more like it," Mick countered.

"Hey, I'm not trying to get rid of you," Sara said, sincerely. "I just don't have my own place in Star City and I can't make offers on other people's behalf."

"Could say I'm your boyfriend," Mick suggested. "Then they'd have to take me."

Sara raised an eyebrow at that suggestion, until her face crumpled. "We both know why I can't do that." She paused, and then met his eyes. "You do know, don't you?"

"I do," Mick acknowledged, somberly. "I shouldn't have suggested it."

"Under different circumstances, I would have enjoyed seeing my family's reaction to that situation."

"Me, too, Blondie," Mick said. "Look, I'll call Haircut once I know you've found your couch to sleep on. Deal?"

"Deal," Sara said as they arrived at Laurel's door. She knocked, but there was silence on the other side of the door.

Sara pulled out her phone and tried calling Laurel's cell, but it went straight to voicemail. She shrugged and put her phone in the back pocket of her pants. "She's probably working late."

"You didn't call her before we came here?" Mick asked.

"I did, but it went to voicemail then, too," Sara said. "Figured I'd take a chance."

"So, what now? Off to Arrow Central?" he asked as they headed back to the elevator.

"Got one other stop to make first," Sara said. "Since I can't find my big sister, I want to check on my little one."

Mick frowned. "Thought you only had the one sister."

"One by blood," Sara confirmed. "Sin's my little sister by choice."

Mick smirked. "Sin, huh?"

"Don't you go getting any ideas," Sara said, poking him in the chest as they rode down in the elevator. "She's ten years younger than me."

"Snart was fifteen years older than you," Mick pointed out. "And I haven't even met her yet. What makes you think I'll even be interested?"

"Good point. You know, I don't think I've ever seen you show interest in anyone. Are you even interested in women? Or was Snart a partner in more than one sense of the word?" Sara asked as she led them out of the elevator and building and began to head towards the Glades.

"That's because it's been none of your business," Mick said. "But to set the record straight, when I fuck someone, it's a woman."

"Then my warning stands," Sara said.

"You planning on walking all over Star City?" Mick asked after a few minutes of scanning the parked cars they walked past.

"You afraid of a little exercise?" Sara teased.

"Yes," Mick answered, eyes landing on an old Ford pickup truck. "Come on, that one will be easy to steal."

Sara sighed, but all she said was, "Make it quick."

It only took Mick a couple of minutes to break into and hot wire the truck. Sara directed him to Sin's apartment and he found a parking spot near the entrance.

"You sure you're not bored following me around?" Sara asked before getting out of the truck.

"I haven't had this much fun following someone in a long time." Mick smirked.

Sara groaned. "Now you're starting to sound like him."

"Someone's gotta," Mick said with a shrug and opened the truck door. Sara did the same a moment later.

This time, when Sara knocked on the door it was opened by a young woman with short spikey dark hair. Mick had never seen an expression go from annoyed to delighted so quickly as the girl squealed, "You're alive," and pulled Sara into a fierce hug.

Mick stood back as the two women hugged, giving them a moment.

When they separated, Sin looked up and spotted Mick. "Who's he?"

Sara turned and gestured him forward. "This is my friend, Mick. He was on the mission with me. Mick, this is Sin."

Sin ran her eyes over him and said, "No offense, man, but you don't look like a hero."

"None taken," Mick rasped. "I'm no hero."

"Can we come in?" Sara asked, not wanting to have this conversation in the hallway.

"Yeah, of course," Sin said, holding the door open wide. "Do you want something to drink?"

"Beer," Mick immediately answered as he stepped inside and the door was closed behind them. "Are you even old enough to buy beer?"

"My ID says that I am," Sin answered with a wink as she went to grab three beers from the fridge. She called back, "Make yourselves comfortable."

"I like her," Mick said as he settled into a ratty arm chair while Sara took a seat on the old couch.

"Mick." Her voice held an edge of warning to it, which he ignored.

Sin returned with their beers and after handing them around, curled up close to Sara on the couch.

"So, where have you been?" Sin asked. "Five months ago you said you'd see me in a few days and then nothing. I thought you might have died again. Especially when you didn't show up for the funeral."

Sara pulled Sin closer, keeping an arm wrapped around her. "I know; I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be gone for so long." After a beat, Sara asked, "What funeral? Who died?"

Sin realized that Sara must not know about Laurel dying yet, and she didn't want to have to be the one to tell her. It was cowardly, but she didn't want to be the one to cause Sara that kind of pain.

"Oh, you know Star City, there's always funerals going on. Um, you said you were on a mission. Was it for the Green Arrow?" Sin asked.

Mick snorted, but otherwise remained silent and drank his beer.

Sara took a moment to glare at him, then returned her focus to Sin, wondering who had died but deciding not to press if Sin didn't want to talk about it right now.

"No, this was a different kind of mission. We were on a time traveling spaceship on a mission to stop an immortal wizard from destroying the future," Sara said.

Sin sat back so that she could properly look at Sara, her eyes wide. "You're shitting me."

"We shit you not," Mick said. "Time travel is real."

"Then why have you been gone for so long? Wouldn't you just come back to when you left?" Sin asked.

"An excellent question," Sara said. "One our captain did not care to share the answer to before he just left us here."

"I guess that explains it, though," Sin said.

"Explains what?" Sara asked.

"Why you're different. You seem older. Sadder," Sin commented.

"It's only been five months," Sara bristled, deciding not to mention the two years she spent in the 1950s. "Not that much older."

Sin shook her head. "Something happened to you on that mission. You can't fool your sister."

"We all changed," Mick agreed. "Some of us more than others."

"You, too?" Sin asked, looking at him. "How were you before? Talkative?"

Mick grunted. "Not quite talkative. Not entirely sane either."

"You saying you're sane now?" Sara asked.

"More than I was," Mick admitted. "Time Bastards did one thing right."

Sara choked back a sob at that.

"Sara?" Sin asked, her voice filled with concern.

Sara shook her head. "I'm fine."

"No, you're not," Sin stated.

"I had a partner," Mick explained when saw that Sara couldn't. "Snart and I were thieves together in Central City before we were recruited for this mission."

"Leonard Snart?" Sin interrupted. "You're Mick Rory!? Heatwave and Captain Cold?"

"Heard of us here, did you?" Mick sounded pleased.

"You're famous," Sin said. "Some of the guys I know would kill to meet you. Possibly literally. Wait a minute, where's Snart now?"

"Jumping ahead in the story, kid," Mick admonished her, impressed by her connecting the dots so quickly.

Sin glanced back at Sara and saw her friend trying to blink back tears.

"You were with him and he's not here. He died?" Sin asked.

"He died to save the world just a few days ago," Mick said, his voice thick. He finished off his beer in one go.

"We weren't together," Sara said, quietly. "We were heading that way, but we weren't when he died. I got to kiss him once. A kiss good-bye."

Mick nodded, having guessed something like that had happened; he'd known how Snart had felt about the assassin. Apparently, the feelings were mutual.

Sin wrapped her arms around Sara, pulling her into another hug.

"Need more beer," Mick grumbled as he stood, needing space from all these feelings being exposed. He made his way into the kitchen and helped himself to another beer, drinking down half the bottle in one long pull.

Sin entered the room a few minutes later, carrying hers and Sara's empties. "Sara's washing her face," she offered. "Were they in love?"

"Boss and I didn't talk about feelings," Mick started, "but if they weren't yet, they were getting there. Anyone who looked at them could tell."

"I'm sorry for your loss," Sin said, quietly.

Mick looked up at her, surprised.

"You lost him, too, right?" she asked. "After knowing him for how long?"

"Thirty years," Mick acknowledged.

"That's longer than I've been alive," Sin murmured in wonder. She took a step closer to Mick, causing him to straighten up from his slouch against a counter. "I'm going to hug you now," she warned him.

"You don't have to," Mick said, suddenly craving the human contact, but not wanting to hurt her.

"I know," Sin said as she finished closing the distance between them and wrapping her arms around Mick's torso. Mick lowered his arms so that they hung loosely around Sin, not really hugging her back, but not pushing her away, either.

That's how Sara found them.

"Am I interrupting anything?" she asked, amusement in her voice.

"No," Mick said, quickly, taking a step back.

"Not yet, anyway," Sin said. "Feel better?"

"A little, yeah," Sara said. "I think it's time for me to find Laurel. You coming, Mick?"

Mick looked down at Sin and raised an eyebrow, who shrugged in response. "You go on ahead, I think I'll stick around here for a bit."

Sara cocked her head to look at them. "Are you sure?"

"Like you said before, no reason for me to trail you around the city looking for your family," Mick said. "Besides, Sin has beer."

"You're okay with him sticking around?" Sara asked, surprised.

Sin ran her eyes over Mick in a way that had Mick's blood suddenly heat up. "Yeah, I'm sure," she answered.

"Mick, call to let me know where you land tonight."

"Sure thing, Bo--, um, Blondie," Mick stumbled, surprise on both their faces at what he'd almost called her.

"Walk me out," Sara said to Sin, her saccharine smile fooling no one.

Sin followed Sara to the door. "This the part where you tell me to watch myself around him?"

"He's way too old for you," Sara said. "And dangerous."

"I thought he was your friend," Sin said, frowning. "And he seems like he could really use someone right now."

Sara's expression softened. "When'd you get to be so smart?"

"Probably while you were dead," Sin half-joked. "We can joke about that now, right?"

"Yeah, we can. And I won't lecture you about Mick. Just, be careful. I don't know if this mission is going to pick back up again and if it does, I don't know how long we'll be gone for. I don't want you hurt if you get attached and he suddenly disappears."

"At least I'll know why ahead of time," Sin said. "And who said I'll get attached? Maybe I just want to take advantage of him." She winced and blushed faintly when she heard Mick snort in the kitchen, but what the hell, he was hot; she was going to own it.

"Stop, I beg you. I don't ever want that image in my head," Sara whined.

Sin laughed and pulled Sara into a quick hug. "Try to say good-bye next time, just in case."

"I promise," Sara said.

Sara stepped out into the hallway and Sin called after her, "If you're looking for Laurel, go talk to your dad."

"Okay, thanks," Sara said, looking at Sin curiously as she closed the door.

Mick was staring at the food delivery menus on the fridge when Sin returned to the kitchen.

"You know what I missed the most on that ship?" Mick asked, turning to face Sin.

"Sex?" Sin guessed.

"That, too," Mick agreed. "But I was thinking of Big Belly Burger."

Sin grinned at that. "C'mon, there's one just a couple blocks from here. We'll get some burgers, then see about the other thing."

Mick nearly choked on his last sip of beer. "Yeah?"

"If you play your cards right."

"Cards were really more Snart's thing," Mick said with a frown.

"And what do you play with?" Sin asked.

"Fire," Mick automatically responded.

"I have been told that I'm a little spitfire," Sin smoothly said.

Mick laughed, the sound foreign to his ears. "I just bet you have. Let's hurry up and get our food."

The walk was made mostly in silence. They found a booth and once they'd ordered, Mick asked, "So, Sara tell you not to get involved with me?"

"Pretty much," Sin confirmed. "Pretty sure you heard that, too. You?"

"Before I even met you," Mick agreed.

"She doesn't want us to get hurt," Sin tried to defend her friend.

"Not really up to her," Mick said. "Not that I'm out to hurt anyone."

"Me either," Sin agreed. "Just looking for a little fun. It's not like I expect you to stick around here."

"Just so we're clear," Mick agreed, wondering why that thought made his chest hurt just a little bit.

Their food arrived a few minutes later and Mick couldn't wait to pick his burger up and sink his teeth into it.

"You're not going to take those off to eat?" Sin asked, gesturing to his gloves.

"Don't take them off in public," Mick said around a mouthful of food.

"Why not, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Got caught in a fire a number of years back," Mick said, unashamed. "Got some pretty serious burns on my arms and back, including my hands."

"Do they hurt?" she asked, nibbling at a fry.

"Not anymore," Mick answered. "Hurry up before your burger gets cold."

Sin knew better than to press the topic any further and picked up her burger and began eating.

Mick polished off his burger in half a dozen bites, or less, licking his gloves clean. Settling back in the booth, he said, "If you were serious about your other offer, I should probably warn you that it's been awhile since I've been with anyone."

"Yeah, Sara said you were gone for five months," Sin said.

"Been a bit longer than that for me," Mick admitted. "See, while we were gone, the Time Masters got their hands on me. Brainwashed me into being their bounty hunter and assassin for a couple hundred of years."

Sin looked at him skeptically. "Now you're just pulling my leg. You are not a couple hundred of years old. You look like you're in your forties."

"Time Masters operated outside of time. Could live for hundreds of years in the span of one earth year," Mick said.

"And you were never with anyone during that time?" Sin asked.

Mick shook his head. "Didn't even occur to me. I was their loyal puppet, only did what I was told."

"That sounds terrible," Sin said, aghast.

"It was," Mick agreed. "Team got me back to myself. Mostly myself. One good thing they did was take away the need to burn everything. Don't get me wrong, I still like to burn shit up, but the need to burn isn't there anymore."

"Glad something good came out of it at least," Sin said. "And that you were reunited with your partner in the end."

"Yeah," Mick somberly agreed.

Sin wiped her mouth with a napkin and threw it down on her empty food basket. "Let's get out of here. I think we've been serious enough for one night."

"You still want me to come back to your place?" Mick asked, surprised. "Even knowing I was a bounty hunter, a killer?"

"Sara used to be an assassin, too," Sin reminded him. "You're not still a bounty hunter, right?" Mick shook his head. "Not a killer?"

"Not if I can help it."

"Then we're good."

"You're something else," Mick said in wonder.

"I've seen a lot of crazy shit in this city," Sin said. "Good people forced to do bad things and bad people suddenly doing the right thing in times of crisis. I've learned not to take everything at face value."

They kept the conversation light on the walk back to Sin's apartment and Sin led Mick straight to her bedroom when they arrived.

"You're not even trying to be coy," Mick said approvingly.

"What's the point in being coy?" Sin asked, pushing him lightly until he sat on the bed. She bent to kiss him, a light press of lips with a promise of more. "Scoot back against the wall," she murmured against his mouth.

Mick yanked off his boots and jacket before doing as requested. "Bossy little thing, aren't you?"

"Only if you want me to be," Sin said, slipping out of her own jacket and boots. She crawled up the bed and straddled Mick's lap. Mick's hands gripped her hips as she settled against him. "Hi," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck.

As Sin leaned in to kiss him again, Mick pulled back and swore. "Shit, sorry, before we do anything else, I gotta make a phone call."

"Seriously?" Sin pouted, rolling her hips. "You have to make a call right now?"

Mick groaned as he felt his body react to the movement. "I can either do it now or after we're done. Figured now would be better. I'll be quick," he said, pulling phone out of his pocket. Sin started to move to get off of him, but Mick reached out to hold her in place.

He quickly pulled up Sara's number, glad that she picked up after only one ring. "Hey, Sara, just wanted to let you know that I'm set for the night."

"Are you still with Sin?" Sara asked, her voice sounded strained.

"So what if I am?" he returned, his defenses rising.

"No, that's good. You should be around good people tonight," Sara said.

Mick held the phone away from his ear to see if he'd heard that right. "You okay there? You sound off."

"I'll talk to you tomorrow, Mick," Sara said, evading his question and ending the call.

Mick frowned as he set his phone on Sin's bedside table.

"Everything okay?" Sin asked, her fingers scratching lightly at his neck.

"I don't think so, but she didn't say what was up. I'll find out tomorrow," Mick said. He shook his head then leered at Sin, who was still on his lap. "Now, where were we?"

Sin grinned and met Mick in a heated kiss.

They didn't talk again for a very long time.

~~*~~

After a couple of very enthusiastic rounds of getting to know each other better, Mick fell asleep curled around Sin.

They woke the next morning in the same position.

Sin declared that breakfast at her favorite diner was in order. They were seated at a table for four and soon after they ordered, another person sat down at their table.

"Hey, Mick."

"Haircut," Mick said in greeting.

"Hi, I'm Ray," he said, holding a hand out to Sin.

"Sin." She looked at Mick as she perfunctorily shook Ray's hand. "Friend of yours?"

"He was on our mission," Mick reluctantly admitted.

"I-I thought we should talk," Ray said to Mick.

"How'd you find me?" Mick asked.

"I triangulated the signal on your phone," Ray said.

"I'm gonna go use the little girl's room," Sin said, excusing herself. Mick's eyes begged her not to go, but she rolled her eyes and left the two teammates alone.

"What do you want, Haircut?" Mick asked, sipping his coffee.

"To apologize, sort of. For Snart. I was the one who was supposed to die, and I can't help feeling that…"

Mick interrupted him. He didn't want to deal with all this feelings shit before breakfast, if ever. "It wasn't your fault. It was his. Son of a bitch never did anything without a plan."

"Maybe you're right," Ray said, a little too brightly. "Maybe he wanted this." He gestured between the two of them.

"What are you doing with your hand?" Mick asked, warily.

"Maybe he wanted us to, you know, be partners."

"Think I'm going to be sick," Mick said. He couldn't imagine being partners with anyone other than Snart.

Ray didn't seem to notice his reaction and continued. "I think Snart knew. He knew that I'd keep an eye out for you, and you'd keep an eye out for me."

"While doing what?" Mick found himself asking.

"What we haven't finished doing," Ray said, earnestly.

"The mission?" Sin asked, sliding back into her seat.

"You told her about it?" Ray asked in surprise.

"No, Sara did. She's Sara's friend." Then Mick quickly added, "Mine, too, now."

"So you're going back already?" Sin asked with a pout.

The server arrived with three plates of food. Sin and Mick looked surprised as an egg white omelet was set in front of Ray.

"I ordered at the counter and told them I was joining you," Ray explained.

"Is he for real?" Sin asked Mick.

"Unfortunately," Mick said.

"Hey!" Ray objected.

"You're the one to interrupt our morning after breakfast, buddy," Sin said. "If you wanted a welcome reception, you should have called first."

Ray had the decency to blush. "I guess you're right, I'm sorry. I didn't really think that Mick would have met someone so quickly."

"Apology not accepted," Mick said, biting into his bacon. "Besides, how're we supposed to finish the mission if Rip just left us here?"

"I think we can call him back," Ray said, then lifted something out of a bag on the floor. "With this."

Sin and Mick looked at the device, then at each other, then at Ray. "What's that?" they asked in unison.

"Quantum entangler." At the blank looks on his companions' faces, Ray continued, "The Waverider would have left a Quantum signature. We can use this to send a signal to the Waverider so Rip knows we want him to come back."

"Let me think about it," Mick said, looking over at Sin.

"We should really do this sooner rather than later, before the signature dissipates," Ray said.

"Let me eat my breakfast and then I'll give you my answer," Mick snapped.

"Yeah, sure, okay," Ray sputtered.

"And I think you should take your food to the counter," Mick added.

Glancing between Mick and Sin, Ray nodded his agreement. "Okay, sure. I'll just…" He put the Quantum entangler back in its bag and then took his food to an empty seat at the counter.

"You're going to go," Sin said as soon Ray was out of earshot.

"I know," Mick said. "Hasn't felt right leaving the mission incomplete. Doesn't mean that I want him to know I'm just as determined to see it out."

Sin giggled at the small smile tugging Mick's lips. "You're terrible."

"He makes it so easy," Mick said. "I'll call Sara on the way back to your place so she can come say good-bye."

"Thanks," Sin said, sincerely.

"Not letting her break her promise to you," Mick said.

"You sure you're not one of the heroes?" Sin teased him.

"Eat your pancakes," Mick huffed.

Ray was practically beaming when Mick told him that he'd be going with him and insisted on paying for their breakfast. They let him.

Ray drove them back to Sin's apartment, and Mick called Sara to let her know they were getting the Waverider to come back. She said she'd be at Sin's apartment in ten minutes.

Mick told Ray to wait with the car while he and Sin went upstairs, supposedly to get something Mick had left behind.

Really they just wanted to make out until Sara arrived.

Sara pounded on the door to announce her presence, startling them apart. Sin opened the door to admit a very pissed off Sara.

"What's wrong?" Sin asked her.

"You really think you can get Rip to come back?" Sara asked Mick.

"Haircut made some device last night that can get him back, yeah," Mick said. "You don't look okay."

"I'm not," Sara agreed. "But Rip can fix it."

Sin wondered if they would be able to go back in time and save Laurel.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you yesterday," Sin rushed to say. "I wanted to, but I thought it would be better coming from your dad. You know I'm no good with stuff like that."

Sara's eyes welled up with tears. "I figured that out. I'm not upset with you, but I can't talk about this right now."

Sin pulled Sara into a hug that the other woman gratefully accepted. "You just go do what you have to do." She met Mick's eyes as she said this. "Then you come back to me."

Mick smirked, but nodded.

Sara pulled back and wiped her eyes. "I'll miss you."

"Me, too," Sin said. "Now go save the future."

Sara went to the door and turned to wait for Mick.

"Go ahead, I'll be down in a minute," Mick said. Sara's eyes narrowed at him, but she went down to Ray's car.

"What was all that about? What's Rip gonna fix?" Mick asked.

"Her sister was killed about a month ago," Sin told him.

"Bastard knew it and brought us back late on purpose," Mick realized. "Looking forward to Sara ripping him a new one."

Stepping in close to Sin, Mick asked, "You mean what you said? You want me to come back to you? Or was that all just for Sara?"

"That was for both of you," Sin said. "I had a good time last night."

"So did I," Mick said. "Looking forward to next time."

"You just make sure there will be a next time," Sin said, pulling on Mick's jacket until he bent over to kiss her.

Mick's phone began to ring and without even looking at the caller ID he answered, "I'm coming."

"I'll see you soon," he growled, kissing Sin quickly one last time.

"You better," she licked her lips, "better hurry up before Sara comes back up here."

"Wouldn't want that," Mick agreed and took his leave.

A smile was teasing his lips as he slid into the passenger seat of Ray's car. Sara was already in back, playing with one of her knives.

"Let's go find Rip and end that crazy sonofabitch once and for all," Mick said.

The End

#mickroryaw2017 #mick rory/sin #mick rory #sin #sara lance #Fic: Playing With Fire #legends of tomorrow fic

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dragonydreams · 7 years

Text

Not the Obvious Choice - Foxfire

Title: Not the Obvious Choice Fandom: DC's Legends of Tomorrow Rating: Teen Pairings/Characters: Amaya Jiwe/Mick Rory Summary: Amaya seeks out Mick after the events of The Chicago Way. Timeline: Immediately after 2.08 (The Chicago Way) Word Count: 1,541 Disclaimer: I claim no ownership over these characters. I am merely borrowing them from Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, Andrew Kreisberg and Phil Klemmer. Betas: Thank you to @stillthewordgirl and shanachie_quill for looking this over for me. Author's Notes: Wishing a very happy birthday to @thoughtsandlife23!

Mick Rory had about as much in common with Rex Tyler as two things that were polar opposites could have. They might fight for similar things, but for very different reasons.

Rex had been all about the cause. He'd been a great leader and believed in the JSA with all his heart. He'd been a good man through and through. And that goodness had gotten him killed.

Maybe that was why Amaya was so drawn to Mick. He claimed that he was, first and foremost, a criminal. He spoke his mind and wasn't afraid of having his suggestions rebuffed (which they usually were), and he was almost always one of the first to jump into a fight. The fact that this was because he simply enjoyed fighting didn't matter when the fight was for a good cause.

Granted, she couldn't stand Mick when they first met, the fact that she had assumed he'd killed her beloved Rex aside. He was rude, crass, and acted like he didn't care about anyone but himself and maybe some of his teammates.

The more time that she spent around him, though, the more Amaya came to realize that it was, in fact, an act. Mick Rory might like to pretend that he didn't care about what he was doing, but he did. When the time came, he always did the right thing, no matter how much he grumbled about it before, during, and after.

Through her observations of the man in question, she also came to recognize that he must be very lonely.

The others on the ship, his teammates, kept their distance from him. She knew that if she were to ask Mick, he'd say that he preferred it that way, but few people like being alone most of the time. She suspected it was one of the reasons he drank as much as he did. It's harder to notice you're alone when you're not sober.

After she had overheard Mick and Ray talking about a former teammate named Leonard Snart, she'd gone to the library and asked Gideon about him. She'd been surprised to learn that this Snart, who had been Mick's long-term partner, had sacrificed himself for the team, as this was the first that she'd heard of him after being on board for over a month. Perhaps, like Mick, the others felt his absence too keenly to talk about him. She knew from experience that sometimes it was easier to keep your thoughts to yourself so that they didn't fade away, when memories were all that you had left.

Her empathy for Mick increased after this revelation. How does one recover after losing a partner of over thirty years?

She was going to have to tread carefully with Mick, she decided. At the same time, if she wanted more than friendship from him, which she was quickly realizing she did, she was going to have to pursue him. For as much as he liked to talk a big game, she'd noticed that he didn't seek out female companionship when the opportunities presented themselves.

This would be a unique challenge for her, as women did not do the pursuing in the time she came from. But she was no longer in her time period, and women could be much bolder in Mick's time than in hers. While she may not always approve of Sara's many bedroom conquests, she did envy that she felt the freedom to go after whomever she wanted. While on board the Waverider, why shouldn't Amaya go after the man she wanted?

Having laid the groundwork of a hug, a kiss on the cheek, and a gift of stolen goods, Amaya went in search of Mick in his room.

"So what does Prohibition-Era alcohol taste like?" she asked, standing just inside the door to Mick's bunk.

Mick didn't quite choke on the drink he'd just taken from the bottle in question, but he did sit up with a start and turned to fully face her.

"Strong and vile," he informed her. "Just like me."

"I think I'd like to be the judge of that myself," Amaya said, holding out an empty glass to him.

Mick stared at the glass for a minute before shrugging and pouring a healthy amount into it. "Your taste buds," he said.

Amaya raised the glass in thanks before taking a sip. Her eyes watered, causing her to blink, but she swallowed without choking.

Mick laughed, which made her feel like her discomfort was worth it.

"Told ya," he said.

"And you were right," she agreed, stepping fully into the room and closing the door.

Mick raised an eyebrow at that. Usually she left the door open when she visited him, and she could see that he was becoming suspicious.

"What do you want?" he slowly asked, sitting forward in his chair.

"Something that I'm not sure you're willing to accept," Amaya admitted, slipping between him and the table he was sitting at.

Mick frowned. "Not much of a fan of riddles. Talk straight."

"Or I could not talk at all," Amaya countered.

Before Mick could try to puzzle that out, Amaya leaned in to kiss him.

Mick reared back, knocking the chair over in his haste to put some distance between them. "What are you doing?" he asked, sounding nearly panicked.

"I rather thought that was obvious," Amaya said, sadly. "I'm sorry, I thought you were… I made a mistake."

This time her tears were not from the alcohol as she moved to exit his room.

Mick caught her arm before she managed to open the door and she turned watery eyes towards him.

"Why did you do that?" Mick demanded, not angrily, but sounding almost lost.

"Because I wanted to kiss you," Amaya said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Why me?" Mick pressed.

"Do you not deserve to be kissed?"

"According to most people, no, I don't," Mick said.

"Is it me that you object to kissing or kissing in general?" Amaya asked.

"I want to," Mick admitted. "You just caught me off guard. With the things he's been sayin', I wasn't sure what you were after."

"What who's been saying?" Amaya asked. She wasn't aware that Mick had been talking with anyone lately.

Mick blanched and suddenly looked nervous. "Forget it. Nobody said nothing."

Amaya reached out and tentatively set a hand on his arm. "Mick, you can tell me. If someone is saying things that upset you, I want to help."

"Help," Mick snorted out a laugh. "That's the problem. You'll think I'm nuts."

"Doubtful," Amaya promised. "Tell me?"

"Been seeing Snart the last few days. Ever since we landed in Chicago," Mick quietly admitted, his face turned away in embarrassment.

"Your friend who died?" Amaya questioned.

"Told you I was nuts," Mick said. "He's been telling me I've been a fool for staying with the team and trying to be a hero. I ain't no hero. Not like him. He told me I shouldn't let myself fall for you because nice girls like you get bad men like me dead tryin' to please them. Just look what he did to himself because he fell for Sara."

This was news to Amaya, as was anything concerning Snart, but she pushed it to the back of her mind for now.

"Is that what you fear?" she asked. "I assume he was just a manifestation of your subconscious trying to 'talk sense' to you. Do you truly not want to be a part of this team? Do you not want to be with me?"

"That's the problem," Mick growled. "I don't have anything else to do. Never was any good at pulling jobs without Snart and I don't much fancy going to jail again. I've done too much, been changed too much, to go back to that life. But still, I'm no hero. I have no desire to run around helping people all the damn time."

"You're good at it," Amaya said.

"I like burning things," Mick countered. "I like a good fight and I like burning things. That's why I stay."

"Those are the only reasons?" she pressed.

"And I might like you," he admitted. "You've been my only real friend since you stopped trying to kill me."

"Just a friend?" she asked, stepping closer.

"Don't want to hurt you," Mick said.

"I'm not afraid of your animal, or your fire," she insisted.

"You sure there's not something wrong with your head?" Mick asked. "I'm no one's choice."

"You're mine," Amaya said with such conviction that Mick was unable to object any longer.

He pulled her closer and slowly lowered his mouth to hers, gently brushing his lips against hers, as if expecting her to pull away.

Amaya reached up to pull his face closer, pressing a hard kiss to his lips in a silent promise that this was real. She was here and she wanted him.

As Mick responded to the kiss, she could have sworn she heard a faint voice drawl, "It's your funeral." Amaya would have thought she imagined it if she didn't feel Mick flip the voice off before pulling her body fully against his as he deepened the kiss.

The End

#foxfire #vixenwave #amaya jiwe/mick rory #legends of tomorrow fic

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