"I left my lighter in the basement -- no, wait, I left the lighter fluid out... on the floor, it must have spilt. I went upstairs, realised I forgot my lighter cause I sleep with it under my pillow and my whole living room was on fire." Mick recalled slowly because it was taking effort and he couldn't get it out properly, he had to keep pausing to think and the pauses stretched out. Just when the cops thought he'd stopped, he started up again. "I ran outside and the knob burnt my hand -- I watched it and I didn't do anything. They screamed and--"
Mick didn't know what to say to that, he just stared blankly ahead. Shit. What did he even do to explain this whole mess.
"You were in shock," Leonard supplemented, wishing he could just be anywhere but here, with Mick. "It was an accident." He had no idea whether mentioning that Mick had issues with fire would help or hinder, so he decided to keep that to himself. "He didn't mean to."
"I'm sure he didn't," one of the cops said, exchanging a look with his partner.
"We're going to have to take you to the station, take your statement. How old are you, son?"
Shit. He forgot his own age. Mick hummed a little and then frowned. "Seventeen. I just turned it." They had a party - him, Lisa and Leonard. Then he came home and his mom had left cake mix in a bowl and passed out on the floor. It had been a good one actually, lugging his mom up the stairs aside. He wished he could go back in time. "Shit." Mick cursed as he closed his eyes and bit back any more emotion. "Shit, I'm sorry. I thought I put the lighter away!"
"Yes," Leonard said without hesitation, even knowing that Mick didn't. They would figure that part out, "We got a place." He would figure out that part too.
"You're his roommate then?"
"Sure." Why not? "Does he have to go to the station?"
There was a lot of silent debating and Mick clenched his fists, fingers digging into the burn. He hissed hard but the pain was keeping his grounded and he needed that right now.
"He should really get that treated."
"Nah,, it's fine, doesn't hurt." Mick needed it right now. He didn't want to go to the hospital, it'd be more people and more red tape. He couldn't deal.
"We're gonna go talk to the captain, stay here." Mick nodded his head and looked at Leonard. Could they just run?
"Nah, Mick. Just stay calm. I think we can get outta this. My dad's got a safehouse he never really uses, I'll take you there. Ain't that far. I'll treat your hand, yeah?" First they had to get through this. They would, they had to. "It's gonna be fine, Mick. We'll be just us soon. You and me. Just a bit longer."
While the cops talked among themselves and gave Mick funny looks, Mick tried to focus on what Leonard was saying. "You should be at home. Lewis shouldn't be alone with Lisa." Mick mumbled because that should be Leonard's top priority. Lisa first, he screw up idiot boyfriend later.
"It's fine, he's passed out. Drank way too much, he ain't waking up before the morning. Don't worry about Lewis. We'll get you taken care of. I'll make a plan. We'll get a place for you, me, Lisa, whenever we can get away from Lewis, whenever we need to get away from him. Somewhere we can hang out." A place just them sounded pretty magical, he just had to figure out how to best finance it. But he would figure that out. "Don't worry about it, Mick."
"We'll give you the night, kid, then you gotta come in tomorrow at nine am sharp. If you're late or you don't show, it's going to mean harsh consequences."
Mick nodded his head and leaned in closer to Leonard, it definitely earned them a funny look. "I'll be there tomorrow. Nine. See you then."
"He won't be." Leonard pulled away from Mick to start walking, checking his watch. He made sure that Mick walked with him, really wanting to be alone with him as soon as he possibly could. "We're gonna go to my car. I gotta go inside, check on Lis and Lewis, get the keys to the safe house and we're off. I wanna stay with you tonight, okay? I just gotta leave before nine, I have to take care of Lis."
"Go home, just drop me off and I'll sleep. I won't do nothing. You gotta be there for Lisa, you can't leave a kid that age home alone and you can't leave them with a bastard like that." Lisa needed her big brother, Mick just needed to clear his head and relax. He needed to get some sleep in and pray that everything worked out. He approached the car slowly, keeping in step with Leonard. "Gotta keep my little princess safe, she matters the most."
"...please, let me be with you." Leonard was, as often, as always, between a rock and hard place, but he could figure this out. He always did. He wasn't leaving Mick alone before he had to. "Wait right here, yeah?"
That said he headed into the house, returning just a few minutes later with a bag of food and the keys in his pocket. He got into the driver's seat and waited for Mick to get in on the other side, handing him the bag.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Mick didn't know what to say to that, he just stared blankly ahead. Shit. What did he even do to explain this whole mess.
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"I'm sure he didn't," one of the cops said, exchanging a look with his partner.
"We're going to have to take you to the station, take your statement. How old are you, son?"
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Shit. He forgot his own age. Mick hummed a little and then frowned. "Seventeen. I just turned it." They had a party - him, Lisa and Leonard. Then he came home and his mom had left cake mix in a bowl and passed out on the floor. It had been a good one actually, lugging his mom up the stairs aside. He wished he could go back in time. "Shit." Mick cursed as he closed his eyes and bit back any more emotion. "Shit, I'm sorry. I thought I put the lighter away!"
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"Yes," Leonard said without hesitation, even knowing that Mick didn't. They would figure that part out, "We got a place." He would figure out that part too.
"You're his roommate then?"
"Sure." Why not? "Does he have to go to the station?"
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"He should really get that treated."
"Nah,, it's fine, doesn't hurt." Mick needed it right now. He didn't want to go to the hospital, it'd be more people and more red tape. He couldn't deal.
"We're gonna go talk to the captain, stay here." Mick nodded his head and looked at Leonard. Could they just run?
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Mick nodded his head and leaned in closer to Leonard, it definitely earned them a funny look. "I'll be there tomorrow. Nine. See you then."
"Don't be late. We mean it."
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That said he headed into the house, returning just a few minutes later with a bag of food and the keys in his pocket. He got into the driver's seat and waited for Mick to get in on the other side, handing him the bag.
"Ready?"