catchacold | Drop Out

"Call me!" One of the girls called out to him when they all moved on, which Leonard was pretty sure was a joke, given he'd barely talked and they certainly hadn't exchanged numbers, but whatever. He had Mick to focus on. Leonard smirked at him, glad to see they were closer to the same height still now that he was finally growing. No longer the smallest kid.

"I just missed you," he told Mick, offering him a stick of gum. "What?"

"You told me you wanted to trade numbers to keep in touch and then you barely talk to me and now you're here. Cause you miss me? God damn, you little weirdo." Mock mocked but he was clearly teasing, there was very nearly a smile there. Which was rare when it came to Mick. He wasn't much of a smiler in general. Shaking his head at the offer of gum, he reached out and punched Leonard's lightly on the arm before he started walking away.

"You coming or what? We're late. Don't wanna be late on your first day."

"There's only so many things to say in reply to videos of you burning stuff, Mick." Leonard fell into step next to Mick, hands in his pocket. "Of course not. I care about my education." Obviously. He looked around the hallway as they headed to their class, glad this plan had worked so smoothly. "You missed me too. This is a favour to you, really."

"I'm trying to improve my techique. Besides, you ignored me anyway. I was just keeping you posted." Because Mick had an exciting life of burning shit outside and recording it. Sometimes he'd burn shit inside. That was how varied his interests were these days. "I didn't miss you. I had better things to do than miss you." Mick grunted in dismissal as he moved ahead, pushing the door open to homeroom and heading to his seat, ignoring the teacher as he told them off for being tardy.

Mick approached his desk and looked at the kid sitting opposite it. "Move." Mick snarled dangerously and the poor kid nearly fell over himself moving to the nearest empty desk. Mick gestured at the now empty seat he'd made for Leonard. There. Friendship done right.

Leonard sat down in his new seat, not sparing a glance at the kid that had been chased off. He did nod Mick's way, just acknowledging the gesture. The teacher did call out his name and asked him a few questions so he had to introduce himself, but luckily that was over quickly enough. School didn't overly excite him, but he had discovered that anything was better with Mick. "So. You got any friends here?" Didn't look like it, but who knew.

"I don't do friends." Mick hadn't had friends since he was very young, grade school was probably the last time. Mick was known for being dangerous, he was always in trouble, always in fights, his family was a disaster and most people looked down on him. For being poor, for being a mess, for drinking and smoking. Some girls thought it was hot but mostly, nah, people avoided him. He didn't look at Leonard, he settled inside for stabbing at his desk with a protractor, ignoring the teacher entirely.

Aww shit, what if Leonard started doing the same? Started to snub him. Maybe this was not the best move. "Why did you even come here?"

"You do me." No, Leonard wouldn't be dissuaded so easily. He'd spent a lot of time with Mick, he knew him. He was friends with him and vice versa and he understood Mick's issues quite well. "I came here cause you're my friend." Simple enough. Leonard thought it was self-explanatory, although there was something he ought to add, lowering his voice as he did so. "You're my partner, Mick. Forgot that already?"

"Nah, just been a while, didn't think you were gonna move school just to hang." Mick grunted as he looked up and half smiled at Leonard. He was an odd one but he always came through for him. Mick couldn't knock him. "You're a crazy little punk, ain't you?" With an amused snort, he took his head and returned to stabbing his desk. And just judging from the state of it, this was something he did every day. The damn thing was a mess. "You wanna skip out after this?"

"Sure. I'm free until I gotta pick up my girl." Given that school clearly wasn't a priority. Leonard didn't really plan on graduating, so he was mostly passing time. Passing it all the more amicably in Mick's company. "You can show me what's there to do around here." He had a few ideas of his own - he always had - but Mick was the one who knew the area.

"Nothing." Mick informed Leonard bluntly and he tried his best not to get too curious over the girl comment. Leonard had a girlfriend? Huh. Seemed fake. Though if he did and she was cute, maybe he could have a little bit of fun admiring her. Once they were done taking attendance, Mick turned his head to Leonard and gave him a slight smirk. "You can either go to the arcade if you got some cash or the junk yard if you don't. Nothing much there but plenty of shit to smash, burn and steal." Yes, that was how Mick passed his spare time. Not inspiring but he liked it plenty.

"We could get some cash." That wasn't really an issue. Leonard was fairly sure he had enough cash for an arcade visit just walking to school today. There was something to be said for sticky fingers. Made for nice snacks whenever need be, at least, which he already knew was key to making Mick happy and keeping him that way. "All not so bad with me around. Cheer up, Mick. I always show you a good time."

"Then get us some. We can get pizza and booze, hang out at the arcade." Yes, that was Mick's idea of fun and besides, he liked the idea of having someone to dick around with. He was never going to graduate, he was a complete idiot so why even try? And even if he wasn't, like he'd actually turn up and study? Pfft. He had better things to do. Like play street fighter and get the high score. "As soon as this class is out, let's go."

"There's a plan." Leonard didn't say anything else, instead he secretly focused on his phone until the class finally let out and he could get up. He just smiled at Mick briefly and then hung back, not too eager to go out when everyone else did. Not enough regard for personal space. Luckily it didn't take too long until they could take off and since Mick knew all the ways out, it also wasn't long before they were outside. Leonard checked his phone to see if Lisa had sent a picture - she couldn't write yet, so pictures of various things were the only form of communication unless so called - but there was nothing, so he slipped his phone into his pocket and brushed Mick's shoulder as they walked.

"Where's the best pizza around here?"

Mick waited for the class to die down before slowly, he got to his feet and hurried along after Leonard with his hands in his pockets, snarling and growling at anyone who stared at Leonard too long or got too close. Mick was like a protective guard dog really in many ways, he didn't like people touching what was his. And yes, he deemed Leonard his.

"I know a few places, the one inside the arcade ain't bad either. Now you just gotta get the cash."

Leonard held out a wad of cash without comment, smiling before putting it back into his pocket. He shrugged and decided to say something after all. "Before I had you taking care of that, there were some people that couldn't read body language. Might as well make a profit of that."

It wasn't as if he didn't recognise the signs of Mick getting possessive, it was that there really wasn't a reason to mind it. Worked for him, worked quite excellently even. "Is that what you do all day? Fun times."

"Nah, usually I don't show up and when I do, it's only for lunch." Mick got free food, that wasn't half bad but otherwise, he didn't have much going on, he wasn't going to lie. Perhaps that explained the attraction to the flames, he liked to play around with the fire and it made him forget everything else in this boring nothing of a town. "It's boring here." Mick informed Leonard with a shrug before turning his head to look at Leonard.

Leonard, proudly waving his wad of cash, that devilish smile on his face. Well then. "Maybe it ain't gonna be so boring now."

"Glad you showed up today." Leonard had both his hands back in his pocket, but he smiled at Mick anyway. He tended to smile around Mick, more than he ever did usually. Something he hadn't realised until later and all the more reason to change to his school. "Life's never boring with me, you gotta know that."

If not, he'd get the reminder soon enough. "I got a few ideas for outside school activities too, if you're interested." He always had ideas.

"I'm always interested." If Mick had things to do, he got a lot less destructive but as it stood, no one knew how to pull in his interests and make him care. Leonard did. Even in juvie, he was a positive influence. He made Mick more subtle about his wrong doings and get into less fights, he wasn't entirely 'good' for Mick but he was good at keeping a handle on him. "You always have ideas too. If there's one thing I know, it's that Leonard Snart is never short of ideas."

"This is why we work well together." In some ways it might have started out as brains and brawn, but not only was Leonard far from weak himself, he also knew by now that Mick was a lot smarter than he let people see and than he saw himself. They worked together because they complemented each other in the right ways. "I got until twelve today, then I'll go get my girl. But I'm free tomorrow afternoon, if things pan out as I think they will."

"Good, I won't be in school tomorrow so text me and we'll meet up." Tomorrow was the healthy option at lunch. If the school wasn't going to draw him in with good food then he wasn't going to give a shit. Simple as. Leonard could still have his attention, he could always make time for that. "Shit, I almost forgot. You got a sis, don't you?" The one he and Mick had their first proper fight over. All because he asked if she was cute.

Fortunately he'd learned his lesson now.

"Yeah, Lisa. They got a children's group down at the youth center near my place almost every day, so I get her there most mornings." Not as if he'd risk leaving her alone at home. "She's three now." Still so tiny. Still needing him. Fragile and he was so sure he would mess up, because all she had was him and what could he really do? What could he offer her? Leonard pushed the thoughts away and checked his phone. "I got her a phone, so sometimes she sends pictures. Usually I have no idea what of."

"You still with your dad?" Mick knew that guy was bad news and he was kind of hoping that the two had come here to get away. Poor Lisa, she had a rough deal. Snart was old enough to handle himself but from what he heard of the kid, she was pretty young and kids that age felt things pretty hard. Nothing made sense and everything hurt. "That's pretty cute. I guess three year olds ain't the best at texting, especially when they can't read or write."

"Yeah, still with him. But he's active over in Starling a lot right now, gotta wait for heat to die down here." So that helped. Now if only he could get arrested over in Starling too, but he could only hope. Leonard pulled his phone out again just to check on the pictures, pulling out the ones Lisa had taken some days ago. Which mostly showed that she liked to eat cake with her hands and a lot. "Reminds me of you."

"Great. If that dick give you hassle, just tell me. I'll come help." As much as a teenage boy could help in a situation like that but hey, he could always try. He tilted his head to the side and looked at the picture, frowning before he rolled his eyes and playfully shoved Leonard. "Oh piss off." Like he was going to eat cake that badly... again. Okay so he did it once in juvie but he had a lot of bootleg wine that night and coordinating food to mouth was awkward. "You're such a dick."

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