Title: Vanilla Twilight
Fandom: Legends of Tomorrow
Characters: Mick Rory, Sara Lance, Nyssa al Ghul, Leonard Snart (mentioned)
Pairings: Sara Lance/Nyssa al Ghul
Rating: T
Length: 486
Content Notes: Ableism. Grief. Takes place in the same timeline as Painful Memories and Hopeful Futures after 2x04 - Abominations
Author Notes: Title from Vanilla Twilight by Owl City. Written for Challenge 240: Feed at fan_flashworks as well as 1000 Words or Less Fest: Vanilla at allbingo
Summary: Mick is looking to drown his feelings but gets a lifeline thrown to them instead.


Mick aimlessly stumbled around in the dark, mind thick with fog, until a faint light caught his attention. As he got closer, a hunger started growing in his stomach. It felt like he hadn’t eaten in a long time. The light led him to his parents’ bedroom, where they were sleeping. Suddenly, the hunger became too much. The need to feed overwhelmed him and Mick was powerless to stop himself from feasting on his parents’ prone bodies.

When Mick ran out of food, he looked up and found he was no longer in his childhood home. Instead, he was in a cage surrounded by familiar faces: His father, old classmates and teachers, inmates from juvie and other prisons, Rip Hunter, and Stein. They were all laughing at him, calling him slow and retarded. A particular voice with a British accent told him he had an IQ of a piece of meat. He growled at them, but that only encouraged them.

Mick woke up as he was pelted with stones. He knew he had become a zombie for a while, but he didn’t remember it. The last thing he remembered after being told he was infected was Ray about to inject him with the cure. The next thing he knew he was on top of Stein. He was very glad to be back to himself. After all, there was a reason he didn’t want to be one of those things.

After pulling on some clothes, Mick headed to the galley. He needed a drink. However, what he saw when he got there made him freeze. Blondie and her girlfriend were drinking milkshakes. Snart had one every time he had a burger. “It’s just as good as a beer. You’re missing out, Mick,” he would respond when Mick told him he should be drinking something stronger. Leonard was the first person who didn’t look down on him for the way his mind works. He made sure their partnership promoted his strengths.

“Hey, Mick.” Sara’s voice brought him back to the present. “You want one?”

MIck tried to say no, but his mouth wouldn’t cooperate.

“I can make a plain vanilla for you.”

That was Leonard’s favorite. She knew that. He grunted. Mick sat down as Sara made him his milkshake.

“Do you want to talk?” Sara asked as she gave him his drink and sat back down.

Mick didn’t look at her, because if he did, he might say something emotional. Instead, he looked at some point on the wall behind her.

No. It came out as a growl.

“That’s okay. If you ever want to though, you can always come to Nyssa and I.”

Mick started drinking his milkshake, silently appreciating his captain’s responsiveness. She had made it really cold, just the way Leonard liked it. The last thought that crossed Mick’s mind before it froze was Leonard was right. Milkshakes are just as good as beer.