Chapter Text
Leonard didn’t know how long he had been floating through the space between the temporal zone and the timeline, he was watching and trying to find a point soon after the incident at the Oculus to try and pull himself out. He didn’t know for sure that he would be able to, he didn’t even know how he was still thinking and he felt almost like a ghost watching the lives of the people he loved the way he was. He nearly pulled himself out once, he saw Mick falling back into his old self-destructive ways and managed to focus on his desire to make sure his partner didn’t wind up getting himself dead; he hadn’t been able to do more than flash in and out to talk some sense into him though.
By the time Mick got help from Stein? Len was so exhausted from trying to get through to him that he seemed to have blacked out, which was why he wasn’t sure how long it had been for them since the Oculus and the fight with the Time Masters. All he knew was that there seemed to be new faces on the bridge as he focused on his strongest connection on the ship, reaching towards the image of Mick on the bridge that seemed to be getting clearer and clearer. Finally, he felt solid footing under his feet unlike the shifting sand feeling that had been there when he’d managed to make himself visible to Mick, he almost laughed but it came out as more of a breathy vaguely smug chuckle with a slight smirk on his clearly exhausted face.
“Can’t be rid of me that easily, Partner.” He said to Mick’s shocked face, ignoring the stunned silence of the people around him. His smugness only lasted for a few more seconds though before he stumbled forward, he nearly got his footing before everything around him went black; the last thing he remembered before unconsciousness was the feeling of familiar arms stopping his fall and a call of “Len!” from Mick as he lifted him, his last thought was how long it had been since he called him something other than ‘Snart’.
He’d been asleep too long, even without being fully awake Leonard could feel it. It had almost been a whole day since he’d appeared on the Waverider, at the thought a flash of panic went through him as he wondered if he’d actually managed to pull himself out of the space between the Time Stream and Temporal Zone and he shot up into a sitting position and swiveled his head around. He noticed that the only other person in the room was a young man who seemed to be in his 30′s and immediately composed himself, he didn’t like people he cared about seeing him in a panicked state-let alone a total stranger.
“Hey, you're fine. Just in the medbay, after you appeared Mick brought you here and made Gideon do a whole run down to make sure you were fine. I’m Nate by the way.” The man in front of Leonard had an inviting smile on his face, but he could also tell that he didn’t quite know what to make of him yet. Leonard was just fine with that, ignoring the man's name and not bothering to give his own. He instead pulled the medical bracelet off his wrist and swung his feet off the side of the bed and went to try and stand up, regretting it immediately when he stumbled on his second step and nearly face-planted. He would have face-planted if it wasn’t for Nate catching him. “You really should stay sitting, you’ve been out for nearly a full day. I don’t think your one hundred percent just yet."
Leonard just narrowed his eyes into a glare at Nate, pushing himself away from him and backward so that he was leaning against what they so graciously referred to as the bed’s in the medbay. “Where Mick?” It was phrased as a question, but his annoyance at being touched by someone he didn’t know was clear. Even if he was glad he hadn’t face-planted into the floor? That didn’t mean he had to be okay with being touched by a stranger, even if he did vaguely remember seeing him aboard the ship when he was watching and trying to reach out from where he had been.
Luckily Nate took the hint, going back a couple of steps once Leonard was steadily propped standing against the bed. “Sara was making Ray bring him to go get some food, after he carried you here he wouldn’t leave. It was kind of weird, I’ve never seen Mick worried enough that he doesn’t eat.”
Leonard let his head roll backward in exasperation at what he was told before saying. “Gideon, since I can’t seem to walk could you let Mick know I’m awake.” “I’ve already told Mr. Rory that you are awake and that you nearly fell trying to get out of bed to come and find him, Mr. Snart.” “Great, thanks.” The sarcastic drawl in his tone was entirely because he had not wanted that last part mentioned, Mick had already thought he died; he didn’t need to make him think he was going to fall and accidentally kill himself now that he was back. He turned his head towards the doors when they slid open for Mick, pushing himself up so he wasn’t leaning against the bed but not taking the risk of trying to walk. At least this Nate guy seemed to not be a complete idiot, he moved when it was clear Mick was making a beeline for Leonard and then seemed to awkwardly shuffle out of the room when he hugged him. Leonard wasn’t fully paying attention, but the doors were closing and no one else was in the room when he wrapped his arms around Mick and looked over his shoulder.
He felt Mick pull away from him a bit well not letting go of him, and knowing what he was doing pulled away slightly himself and turned his head towards the other; when Mick’s lips hit his? It didn’t escape him that he used just a bit too much force and squeezed his arms around him a little too tight. But Leonard would let it slide, he had after all thought he was dead. After a minute Leonard pulled away to catch his breath, silently cursing how exhausted he was after standing up for only a few minutes. "I take it that they know?" Leonard was only guessing, before his incident? No one on the team had known he and Mick were married, they had been together on and off since their 20's but only made it official in August of 2004; having made it a point to go to Massachusetts solely for that reason after it was made legal.
Mick didn't kiss him again, probably because he could tell with the way Leonard was leaning his weight into him that he was still exhausted despite having slept so long. But he didn't let go either, shifting his arms so that he could comfortably tuck his chin onto his shoulder as he basically grunted out a reply. "Don't know, who cares." His response elicited a roll of the eyes from Leonard, he honestly didn't care all that much. The only reason they kept it a closely guarded secret was at first because of habit due to the nature of their...line of work; and then because it wasn't exactly much of a marriage after they found him as Chronos. The only reason he had asked was because of the fact that Mick had come charging into the med bay and immediately grabbed him and started making out when someone else was initially still in the room.
"Well, they probably know now." All he got in response was a grunt of acknowledgment from Mick, he was quiet for a few minutes and let his eyes half close before speaking again. "As nice as this is? I could use a snack and would like to lay down somewhere that isn't a glorified chair." Leonard felt Mick's chest vibrate with a groan of annoyance before his arms mostly untangled from him, leaving one arm under his and reaching down to sweep the other under his knees as Leonard quickly locked his arms together behind Mick's neck. "Mick." His tone showed clear annoyance, but it was obvious that was being ignored. He didn't like being carried and Mick knew it, but then again he didn't think he could walk on his own without falling right now.
"Gideon! Tell Haircut to bring the food I left to my room." When they got to the room Mick put Leonard down on the edge of his bed, he immediately slipped off his shoes when he did and lifted his legs to scoot himself into the bed. Honestly? He didn't even really want the snack now, even though he'd just woken up? He was already back to being exhausted now that the adrenalin rush he'd gotten when he woke up in a panic was fading, and he was ready to go back to sleep. Mick looked like he was about to get into the bed next to him but then there was a knock on the door and he went over to open it, he took a plate with a few sandwiches and brownies on it from Ray and Nate. Leonard ignored their conversation and the fact that Nate was peaking around Ray and Mick to look at Leonard and just rolled over and pulled Mick's covers over himself and shut his eyes.
He was sure he didn't lay there alone for long, but he must have slipped into sleep for at least a minute or two because what felt like just a second later he felt warmth envelop him as Mick's arms wrapped around his waist and his nose press into the back of the crook of his neck. Sometimes how hot Mick ran bothered Leonard and he'd insist he sleep in his own bed or Mick rollover, but it had been so long? That it felt nice as he slipped back into unconsciousness.