Who initiates duets? And who is the better singer?
Summary: Sara being the more outgoing of the two, tends to needle Len into singing, though he enjoys the more obscure artists. While her voice is good, his is a beautiful, strong baritone. It's a treat only a very few get to enjoy.
Leonard Snart wasn't one for mainstream...anything really. There was a reason he decided his best course of action was to become a supervillain the moment he found out superheroes were real. Yes, he'd become an anti-hero now, but the concept was still the same. He wasn't the little goody-goody that followed the rules oh so well. That went with his entertainment tastes as well. Oh, he loved art galleries and the big-name artists, but those were because of the price tag placed on them. For art he enjoyed and would keep for himself, he went to art program showings, bought works from amateur artists that honestly needed the encouragement. His movies were the more obscure works as well. Again, he loved the likes of Star Wars, and he'd watch nearly anything, but his favorites were the ones that most didn't get the references. He read anything he could get his hands on, another form of escape he would use to get away from his horrible real-life circumstances. Since he got away from his father and got out on his own, he dived deeply into works by amateur authors and newly published authors. His music taste was also like that. When he was a child, he loved watching things like Star Search and trying to find anything he could on the artists that were finalists. Before the introduction of the internet, that was easier said than done. Even the winners would fade into obscurity after gaining their small cash prize and supposed chance at stardom.
Presently, Leonard sat with Sara at the table in the library of the Waverider after Nate's aberration detector sounded an alert, both doing research for the mission it caused. It was a strange aberration; one that he was having a hard time wrapping his head around. They knew how things were supposed to go if they fixed the most recent problem; he just had no idea why the small concert was being targeted. He supposed the why wasn't as important as the fact that they had to protect someone there. Someone that was supposed to be in the audience was extremely important to the timeline, going on to invent some grand piece of equipment for military use that saved someone else important's life. It was always incredible to trace a person's actions and see how interconnected everyone was. It was also frightening to watch as their own actions fixed things that would allow for some of the most devastating things to happen to the world to occur just because it was supposed to. He'd tried to fix his own life once upon a time, but he came to the understanding that things could be very well set in stone. Besides, he got to hear one of his favorite obscure singers while he worked, so he counted that as a win, as odd as it was.
It was a short time later that Sara sighed, "Looks like it's time to go, crook." She kissed his jawline, "Try not to fanboy, babe."
He rolled his eyes, "I think that's a statement for Raymond and the kid."
She hummed an agreement because that was true. Ray had a tendency to go overboard sometimes, but he'd met quite a few celebrities over the years. It shouldn't be bad, neither one of them.
She was wrong. Ray was embarrassing, to say the least. Fortunately, the artist took everything in stride, laughing at the other man's antics.
Sara collapsed beside her boyfriend, chair nearly tipping over in the process. He looked over at her in mild interest as a sigh escaped her lips, "That could have gone better."
With a raised eyebrow, he studied her for a moment. "Isn't that the going theme with this crew? There's a reason I've developed the ability to be flexible with my plans: this team."
She huffed out a chuckle. He wasn't wrong, sadly. "I suppose I should just be happy no one important died."
He smirked at her before going back to his book and drink.
After a few moments of sitting in the quiet, Sara began to hum one of the songs she'd heard from the concert they'd attended. It was one of Len's favorite songs, so she knew it had been nice for him to hear it live, and she was extremely glad she got to experience it with him.
Len rolled his eyes as she began to murmur the words. He resolutely kept his eyes on his book, ignoring her as best he could. That is, until he felt her finger dig into his side. He looked to her with a look of feigned irritation, but she simply belted out the chorus with a wicked smile. He shook his head as he took a lazy sip of his drink, but it didn't stop her.
She was on a mission to hear his singing voice. It was always a chore, but one that had such a beautiful reward. She knew her own singing voice wasn't bad, quite the opposite she'd been told, but his was incredible. He had a very Frank Sinatra sound going for him, and it worked very well. So, she set to work, poking and prodding him until he finally gave in, softly singing along with her. He was awarded a bright smile.
When that song was over, he stared into her eyes intently. After a few moments of comfortable and slightly charged silence, Leonard began to softly sing another of his favorites from the artist, one he felt summed up their relationship, at least from his side of things, fairly well. "Can't believe where I am, when I think of where I've been. Lost in a world of a life that was lonely, without you then. Holding on til that time, begging it to arrive, hoping tomorrow would find us together kept me alive."
Sara's eyes widened as he sang the first verse. She could feel the emotions he held in that song as he sang it to her. And that was exactly what he was doing: singing the song specifically to her. Not for her because he knew she loved to hear his voice. No, he was telling her that through his time as a criminal, though he rarely had anyone at his side, he always hoped he would find someone that would be his equal in every aspect of his life. She couldn't help but continue to listen as he continued to sing to her, letting out his feelings and thoughts on everything they had together.
Len stared even deeper into Sara's eyes as he moved on to the chorus, "Cause I knew you were worth waiting for; we'd soon have more than all of my dreams. And you believed in this flame. The thought of your name, and all that's in store, was worth waiting for."
The breath caught in Sara's throat. He thought she was worth the sting of loneliness? Their relationship and love were worth the years they had to endure apart after the Oculus just because they got to finally be together and happy? This was why she loved this man so much. His resilience and means of finding ways and reasons to survive were extraordinary.
He smiled softly at the amazed look in his lover's eyes. Leonard knew she understood what he was saying through the song, through someone else's words. He knew she could read everything he was putting out there. "I don't care what it takes," he continued to sing into the next verse, "doesn't matter how far. From the moment I met you, I loved you; I need to be where you are. Cause I knew you were worth waiting for. We'd soon have more, than all of my dreams. And you believed in this flame." He paused to take a breath, reaching out to gently brush his fingers over her cheek, to tuck a few stray strands of blonde behind her ear before he continued. "The thought of your name," he sang reverently, "and all that's in store," he swallowed thickly, "was worth waiting for."
He went silent after that. There was an air of expectation and anticipation in the room. The eavesdropper quietly stepped away. He felt the strong need to give them privacy all of a sudden even as he distractedly backed his way towards the bedrooms.
Neither party in the room ever knew the younger man was there as they continued to give each other their undivided attention. Finally, Len gave a small breath before leaning forward and kissing Sara deeply and lovingly. When they separated, their eyes slowly opened, half-lidded.
Softly, gaze still adoring and gentle, Leonard spoke, "Will you marry me, Sara?" His voice was a rough, hushed whisper.
Her eyes widened but a small smile slipped across her lips. "Yes."
He slowly leaned forward for another kiss, followed by another and another, each increasing in passion before they pulled away from each other. She stood and took his hand, pulling him to standing. Silently, they walked to their shared bedroom, celebrating their engagement.
Jax stepped away from the doorway leading to the library as he heard the Sara and Leonard's voices slowly fade after their duet. He was in slight shock. He never expected Sara to be able to sing all that well, it just didn't seem to fit for some reason. But the thought of Leonard Snart being able to sing was even more shocking, especially with such a smooth, baritone voice. He could have a long career as a singer if he'd had the chance. Before he got very far, he bumped into the large form of Mick. He looked up at the older man, eyes wide.
The pyro raised an eyebrow at the expression, "What's with you, kid?"
Jax shook his head, coming back to his senses, "I just heard Snart singing with Sara. I didn't realize he could sing so well." His voice was full of awe.
Mick chuckled at the boy's reaction, "Yeah, it's how he used to keep Lisa calm when their dad was raging. He's had a lot of practice."
Jax stared at him for a moment, "Does he know he's good, or does he just think it was something to distract his sister?"
The large man shrugged, "Oh, he knows. He just doesn't like people finding out about it. It's something personal for him, so don't go around blabbing about it. Being like a little brother won't help you much then." He draped an arm along Jax's shoulders, tugging him away from the library and towards the bedrooms. "He's also more self-conscious about his voice than you would think. Lewis had some derogatory comments about Lenny singing."
The young man frowned before sighing and following, "I won't tell. He's had to share too much with this group as it is." He looked back down the hallway towards the door. He felt like there was something big going on back there, but he wouldn't stick around, not after what Mick shared with him. "After what he's done for us," Jax shook his head, "he deserves to have something for himself."
Mick grunted. The boy was right. Even the newbies knew of the torture Lenny lived with for most of his life from all sides, including the Oculus. There were obvious leftovers from that experience, especially with his powers. But Mick knew his best friend. Everything was going to work out just like it should. The other man wouldn't stand for anything less.
NOTES: The song that Len sings to Sara in this is called "Worth Waiting For" and it's by one of my favorite little-known artists: Vic Mignogna (yeah that guy that plays Edward Elric in the English dub of FullMetal Alchemist and Tamaki Suoh in the English dub of Ouran High School Host Club). Please look it up on Youtube. It's a beautiful song, and I really think it does fit Captain Canary pretty well.