The bridge went silent when Len entered. They had landed in 1998 about thirty minutes prior and Len and Axel were sent to change. Axel's clothes were normal, nothing to write home about. Len's, however, were astonishing. His clothes were tight and hugged his frame. His dark jeans rode low on his hips and his black shirt was short enough to let some of the milky skin of his midriff show. He wore a fitted, thin, leather jacket that ended about an inch lower than his shirt. On his feet were black, heeled boots with chunky soles that made him slightly taller. All in all, he was quite the vision to behold. Len was glaring, a slight pink color dusting his cheeks.
"I feel ridiculous." Feeling a familiar stare, Len turned, meeting Mick's eyes. There seemed to be a heat behind them that Len had never seen before. His cheeks got a little pinker and he looked at the ground before looking back to Rip. "Do I have to do this?" he asked. There was definitely no whine to his voice, not at all. At least, that's what he told himself.
"Yes, you do. Think of the mission. Now, you and Axel are going to the club. Mr. Palmer, you shrink down and wait in the alley outside the club. The rest of you will wait on the ship. We're close enough to the club that you can get from here to there before the attack goes down. Mr. Snart," Rip picked up a pair of black glasses and handed them to Len. "these glasses have a small, hidden camera in them. We will be able to see and hear what you do. This will help us to help you spot Savage quickly." He then picked up the small in-ear radios and proceeded to hand them out to the team. "Everybody, keep in contact at all times. If something happens, let us know. Good luck."
~x~x~x~
They could hear the thrumming music before they even entered the club. Once inside, Axel grabbed Len's hand and led them to the bar. The sat on a side of the bar where they could see most of the patrons. They ordered a drink, so as to avoid suspicion, and slowly drank as they surveyed the club. After a while of silence between the two, Axel began to speak.
"So, what's the story with you and the hot-head?" he asked. Len looked at him out of the corner of his eye. He weighed his options. He could just ignore the man. It was getting pretty boring just sitting here silently, though. Finally, he answered.
"He saved my life." he said, a slight, fond smile lifting the corner of his mouth. Axel studied Len's face closely before reaching over and cutting the sound from the glasses and their earpieces. Len looked startled at the action and eyed Axel closely.
"Are you in love with him?" he asked, bluntly. Len's eyes widened in shock and his mouth dropped open.
"Wh-wh-" he tried, but couldn't seem to form coherent words. Axel's gaze softened.
"I've seen the way you look at him, look after him. He would probably be sitting in jail right now if it weren't for you." Len looked at the bar top and scowled, his face turning pink.
"The hell do you know?" he growled. Looking back up, he glared at Axel, daring him to continue. Either the man knew what he was doing or he was stupid because he didn't hesitate in continuing.
"A lot, actually. Quite a bit can be learned by watching someone and I've been watching you. Why don't you say something to him?" Len deflated on that last question. He looked into his drink for a moment before laughing mirthlessly.
"Are you serious? He would probably set me on fire."
"I don't believe that. From what I've seen these past couple of days, he's just as loyal to you as you are to him."
"Loyalty is a long way from love."
"So why do you continue to pine for him? Be content to be his friend and let yourself move on." After that, they sat in silence for a moment before Rip's voice came over their earpieces.
"There's something wrong with your sound. We can't hear anything." Axel shared a look with Len and reached over, turning the sound of all the devices back on.
"Sorry about that. Something must have happened." Looking back at Len, Axel held out his hand. "Let's dance. It will allow us to see from different angles." Not able to come up with a reason not to, Len took his hand and they stood. By the time they reached the dance floor, a slow song had come over the speakers. Len rolled his eyes, but allowed himself to be pulled against Axel's chest. It was a...strong, muscled chest. Not unlike how Len imagined Mick's chest might feel. Closing his eyes, he laid his head against Axel's broad shoulder. The only thing that was missing was the smell of smoke that was always associated with his partner. After a moment of indulgence, Len opened his eyes. They were supposed to be looking for Savage, not daydreaming. As the song came to an end, Axel shrugged a shoulder to get Len's attention. Looking up, Len was shocked to find a pair of lips on his. His first instinct was to fight, but, remembering Axel's prior words about moving on, he quelled it in favor of allowing the kiss to continue. They only broke apart after hearing a throat clear in their ears.
"You are aware we can see you, correct?"
~x~x~x~
Mick was pacing the bridge. He had a bad feeling about tonight and it didn't help that they could no longer hear Len and Axel. When the audio finally came on, he thought he could calm down a bit. That was until he saw what was happening. He saw Len look down at Axel's hand and then take it, allowing himself to be led to the dance floor. He watched in abject horror as they began to dance, Len with his head on Axel's shoulder. He started pacing again, agitated beyond belief. It was when he saw them kiss that he let out a growl of anger. The others looked at him warily and backed away slightly. It was Martin who approached the feral-looking man and attempted to calm him down.
"Why don't you just tell him how you feel?" he asked gently. Mick growled again and replied in a hostile manner.
"Back off old man!" Rip sighed in frustration at Mick and the scene on the screen and cleared his throat before he spoke into his communicator.
"You are aware we can see you, correct?"
"Sorry." came Axel's voice. Rip was about to continue when Rip and Len both alerted the others to a familiar face in the crowd.
"I found Savage." Len whispered.
"I see him as well. Keep close, but not too close." Rip then turned to the others. "Get ready. The attack could be any moment now." He then approached Mick and looked directly into the man's eyes. "Get your head together. I can't have you messing this up. People's lives are at stake, including those of Mr. Snart and Axel. Mick breathed heavy through his nose, attempting to calm down. The last thing he wanted to do was risk Len's life.