#sylvanheather

“Now what?” asked Mick. 

“The Waverider isn’t due back for another five hours. I say we hang out here until then,” said Sara. 

“I ain’t sitting in the dark the whole time,” muttered Mick, clinging to his lighter even tighter.

“If only Rip hadn’t decided to get all soft and take the jumpship to save that idiot kid we wouldn’t be stuck here,” muttered Leonard. But there was no bite to his words. He was glad the kid was saved instead of killed by the father. Those thoughts had him thinking of his own life and wishing someone would’ve come in to save him. 

“Whatever, there isn’t anything we can do now,” said Sara, picking a spot and sitting. The period attire was ridiculous and she was annoyed by the layers of skirts that was deemed appropriate by some wig-wearing old fart. 

Mick took a spot next to her on her right.

Leonard sat on her left. 

She raised a brow when Mick offered her a flask but she took it. 

When Mick’s flask emptied, Leonard took out his own. Sara was surprised he actually carried one. He wasn’t much of a drinker. When his was dry it was then she decided to take out the one she had between the layers of her skirts. Needless to say, the three of them came prepared. However, when the five hours passed and they tried hailing the Waverider, no response came. 

“Well crap,” muttered Sara. 

“This ain’t good, Boss,” said Mick to Leonard. 

“What do you think is holding them up?” asked Sara. 

“Any number of things I imagine,” answered Leonard. 

“I’m not going back in that cave,” argued Mick.

“Agreed,” said Leonard. “We need better digs if we’re going to be here a while.”

Of course, when it came to the three of them, luck never was on their side. Sure, when it came to heists and assassinations they were usually on their game. But when they wanted to be selfish and have something work out for them, it usually never did. It started raining. Not a soft rain, but a downpour that had them squinting through the sheets of water just to make sure they didn’t walk into a tree. Lightning and thunder crashed and the wind picked up. They were in the rain a good two hours before coming upon a small homestead. They did some recon. When they saw that the only person around was one old man well into his fifties they made their move. 

“Sorry,” said Leonard to the man who was bound and gagged and shoved into the closet courtesy of Mick. “We’ll let you out in the morning.”

“Mmmph!” shouted the man through his gag as Leonard closed the door. 

“I’d feel bad if he weren’t one of the assholes who called us witches,” said Sara, doing her best to warm up by the fire. 

“Screw him,” muttered Mick, slinging his wet shirt to the floor and working on his pants. 

“Remind me again why you’re naked?” asked Leonard with a quirked brow as Mick kicked off his remaining clothes to kneel by the fire. 

“Mick has a good point. These clothes are too wet. It’s too cold.” Sara started unbuttoning her dress. She swatted Mick on the shoulder when he started to leer at her. “One wrong look or move and I’m slicing your dick off.”

“If you did it would be the most action it’s seen since 2046.”

They all grew quiet after that. Mick because he missed that time. Leonard because he still felt guilty for taking Mick away from his dreamworld. Sara because she still worried that 2046 could be a future for Star City. Mick and Sara started to warm up quickly. Sara didn’t even say anything when his arm kept brushing up against her. She was too damn cold to care. When a blanket settled over her she sighed. She looked up to see Leonard still in his wet clothes. 

“Get those off.”

“I’m fine,” he said, making Mick scoff.

“Len gets shy around the girls,” teased Mick, earning an eyeroll. 

“We’re all friends here,” said Sara with a smirk. “Besides, you saw mine. Only fair I get to see yours.”

“Pass,” said Leonard with a slight shiver. “I’m going to go change into new clothes instead.”

“Suit yourself,” said Sara with a shrug. 

“It’s cause he doesn’t want you seein’ all his scars,” said Mick, wrapping the blanket around his waist before sitting fulling on his bottom. He kept his arms out though, to capture the heat the best he could. Sara looked to him and he had a real serious look on his face. “Some are from the jobs. Others from Juvie or prison. He doesn’t mind those. It’s the ones from his old man he doesn’t like people to see.”

“Oh,” said Sara softly, turning to look into the fire instead. Her own demons were rearing inside her head. She wanted to find Lewis Snart and tear him apart piece by piece. Leonard entered the room in a pair of pants that were too small and a shirt that was too big. He had other clothes that he dropped behind Sara and Mick. He settled next to Sara, stretching out his bare feet and hands to warm them. Sara thought about what Mick said and she sighed before tightening the blanket around her some more. She was the same with her scars. She acted like they didn’t bother her sometimes, but they did. She knew Leonard had seen them. The slashes at her back. 

“Storm is letting up,” said Leonard, a few minutes later. 

“Hopefully we’ll be out of here soon,” said Sara. 

“I’m gunna go get us some food,” muttered Mick. 

“Always hungry,” teased Sara, making Mick chuckle before venturing out into the makeshift kitchen in the next room. They all ignored the man kicking at the closet door. Sara instead turned her attention to Leonard. He was still shivering slightly. She sighed before shifting closer. He tensed slightly then relaxed. “Wanna share a blanket?”

Leonard smirked. “I’m touched that you care.”

“Maybe a little.”

“Keep it around you,” said Leonard. “Stay warm yourself.”

Sara still pushed. She leaned against him, head pressing against his arm. She sighed, suddenly tired, and she felt his arm go around her. She was aware of Mick coming back, the added warmth to her left welcoming. She opened her eyes when he offered her some jerky and water. She ate her small meal, drank the water, and once again the three sat in silence while watching the fire. The storm carried into the morning, but the rain was lighter. 

“We should go. Can’t stay here long.”

Sara and Mick dressed. Leonard let the man out of the closet, pushing him to sit with his feet still bound while cutting the ties to his hands. The three left quickly, moving on to the next best place. Sara had her hair bundled up under a hat, not wanting to be accused of being a witch while wearing pants. 

“These damn clothes itch,” muttered Mick. “Too bad we can’t get naked again.”

“Maybe later,” said Sara with a laugh. 

“Is that a promise?” 

It was in that moment that Leonard had to tell himself to not be jealous. Mick and Sara were open about their bodies. Their scars. Mick wasn’t ashamed of the ones he got from the flames. Nor Sara from the ones she got from a blade. He’d wanted so badly to share that blanket with her the other night and he wanted to kick himself for hesitating. 

“Sara...Mick... Come in...”

“Haircut is that you?” asked Mick as they crossed a creek. 

“Hey, Buddy! How... Doing?”

“Get us the hell outta here!” said Sara. 

“On... Way... Hour or so... Problems with... Drive... In Range...”

“Ray? Ray?! Dammit...” Sara kicked at a rock. “Comms are shot. Either of you get that?”

“No more than you. Something is broke. They need to fix it. Which means...”

“So who are we tying up tonight?” asked Mick. 

.

.

.

They snuck into town to find a room. Leonard stole some purses until they had enough coin for a meal and some new clothes that didn’t smell like a barn. The room was quaint. Those at the front desk found it odd that three men needed a room together but they said it was because they were miners passing through to California. The staff bought it, even drew three baths for them and delivered them to the room. Sara had eagerly stripped and sunk into the hot water, using a changing screen to hide from two slightly disappointed males. Leonard had hesitated for a moment but decided to do the same, disrobing at an angle that Sara and Mick couldn’t see unless they wanted to damage their necks. 

“This is nice.”

“Hmm... I agree,” said Mick. “The food was good, too.”

“I’m still ready to blow this popsicle stand. Won’t be long until word of three escaped witches hits this town.”

“Hm... True,” said Sara. She went under the water and scrubbed at her hair with the soap. She hid when the staff came to dispose of the tubs and water. Soon the three of them were tired and ready to sleep. “Get up here you two. Won’t make you sleep on the floor.”

“Won’t argue with that,” said Mick with a grin. 

Sara took the middle. Mick fell asleep first. Leonard watched as Mick’s arm snaked around Sara’s waist. She didn’t fight it, just hummed in her sleep. Leonard looked up at the ceiling with a frown. He was almost asleep when he felt a small hand settle into his. 

“Goodnight, Len...”

“Goodnight, Sara.”

.

.

.

Something changed between the three of them that night. They grew closer. They gravitated toward one another. They had each other’s backs, always. Everything between Mick and Leonard had been forgiven. Sara trusted them both more than anyone else on the team. Which was why it was so hard to leave Leonard behind at the Oculus. If she’d had it her way, she’d have gotten there sooner and left Ray behind to die. Now, she stood outside of Mick’s door, hand raised and ready to knock. She wanted the familiar heat she’d had the past month. She wanted that cramped feeling of two men on either side of her body. 

What they’d had, had never transitioned to sexual. 

Not until the moment she’d kissed Leonard goodbye. 

She put her hand down, changing her mind about knocking. Being with Mick and only Mick wouldn’t be the same. Perhaps it was time for her to move on. To move forward from the dependency she’d suddenly had for the klepto and pyro.

She placed her palm on the door, took a steadying breath, and then turned away: saying goodbye to the past and instead pushing on to the future.

           “What, exactly,” he drawled, narrowinghis eyes and crossing his arms, “is a dragon doing up here?”

           “What makes you think I’m a dragon?”Mick asked.

           A sharp grin appeared on thestranger’s face. “I’m insightful.”

           Mick narrowed his eyes. “Who areyou?”

           “You can call me Cold,” he said.

           “Your name is Cold?” Mick asked,disbelief clear in his voice.

           “I never said that.” Cold’s armsdropped to his sides and he smirked. “I said it was what you can call me.”

           And suddenly it came to him. “You’re oneof the Fae. Unseelie, I’m guessing.” Unseelie were usually associated withwinter and with a name like Cold, not to mention his personality, Mick would putgold on Cold being one of the Unseelie.

           Cold’s smirk slid in to a sly smile.“Hmmm. Once upon a time maybe. I’m more Solitary now.”

           A Solitary Fae. That was just Mick’sluck. They were some of the most unpredictable and add in that he started outUnseelie…hell. Still, the Fae were not known for just giving informationaway. “Why tell me?”

           “To get an answer to my question ofcourse.”

           “You haven’t asked me a question,”Mick pointed out.

           Cold’s eyes narrowed again. “Igreeted you with a question, dragon.Answer it.”

           Mick huffed out an annoyed breath,smoke appearing with that exhalation. “I ran in to trouble a few weeks ago.Thaymore. A few people set a fire and set me up for it. I’m just looking for aplace away from humans so I can settle.” Mick would love to tell Cold what hecould do with his demand for answers but telling him was definitely the saferoption. One didn’t anger the Fae if they could avoid it and Cold was already unhappywith his presence here.

           “Is that so? Then why don’t you movealong and find somewhere else,” Cold told him. “This place is off limits.”

           “That so?”

           “It is.” Cold took a step towardshim. “I imagine you thought that cave further up would be perfect. There’s ariver nearby and plenty of trees. But anyone who could bring trouble with themisn’t allowed anywhere near here. So you can move along, dragon.”

           Mick shifted and looked passed Cold,taking in the trees beyond him. The sun had begun to rise and with it came aclearer view of the grove that shouldn’t even exist so far up this mountain andso near a cave.

           He was protecting something. Even asMick came to that realization, something moved within the trees.

           Leonard saw the realization in thedragon’s eyes even as he sensed movement behind him and fought the urge to swear.He’d been able to sense that the sun was coming up and he’d known that meantSara would be waking soon so he’d pushed too hard and too fast and now thedragon knew he was protecting something. Someone.

           He had been Unseelie. He mostly still was—he liked going aftertravelers and messing with humans and pranking them. He liked lying to them andwatching them try to puzzle out what was real and what wasn’t. Occasionally, heliked hurting them when he sensed they’d be dangerous to Sara and the grove.

           He’d come to care for Sara when he’dmet the hamadryad over two centuries ago. She wasn’t quite as shy as hersisters and she’d boldly ventured out of her tree to meet him. It had intriguedhim and a friendship had blossomed between the two, slowly shifting to morethan that in the last 75 years. They’d already begun courting each other, muchto the amusement of many, when a few mortals had set fire to the grove whereshe and her sisters lived nearly 30 years ago.

           It had taken most of his magic totransport Sara’s tree away from there without damaging it in any way and createthis grove for her. By the time he had his strength back, most of her sisterswere dead. A few had somehow survived but they hadn’t wanted to leave wherethey were to join Sara in the new grove that Leonard had created. And as muchas Sara loved her sisters, she’d chosen to stay here, in the grove of oak treesLeonard had nearly died creating for her.

           The Unseelie Court had been furiousat his interference because while hamadryads were considered fae, they werealso left alone because they tended to fall under the purview of the gods andgoddesses (Artemis especially) and when he’d threatened anyone who tried toharm Sara—then followed through on said threat when someone had been stupidenough to actually try—he’d been kicked out of the Court. A Solitary Faebecause while he loved being part of the Unholy Court, he loved Sara more. TheSeelie Court had found it touching and had given him aid a few times when he’dbeen in need and suddenly Leonard was one of the few Fae with contacts in bothCourts (because banished or not, Lisa still loved him and liked to sneak awayto visit whenever she could).

           Now a dragon had found them. Adragon with fire in his veins who had already showed signs of the fire thatcould destroy Sara if he lost his temper. Leonard wouldn’t have it.

           He should have thrown the damndragon down the mountain.

           Toned and freckled arms wrappedaround his waist from behind and he let out a breath, his hand going to Sara’swhen the dragon focused on her arms in surprise. Clearly she’d managed to sneakup behind him without letting the dragon see her.

           “Χρυσή μου,” he said,squeezing her hand. He turned his head to look at her over his shoulder andallowed his eyes to soften since the dragon couldn’t see it.

           She squeezed back. “Ζωή μου,”Sara said quietly. Her gaze ticked towards the dragon and back. “He needs aid?”

           Leonard fought to keep his stancerelaxed. Sara was bolder than any other hamadryad he’d ever met and she lovedsparring as much as she did singing and dancing but she also had one of thebiggest hearts he’d ever known. She’d hear his story and want to help.

           Rather than groan, he let out a lowsigh. “The dragon is looking for a place to settle,” he told her, turning backto glare at said dragon.

           Sara leaned further to the side sothat she could see around him and raised an eyebrow at the dragon. “Why?”

           The dragon looked from Leonard toSara. “Got framed for setting a village on fire a few weeks ago. I left beforethey could make a move against me. Figured I’d settle away from humans.” Henodded towards the cave. “Found out about the cave up there a few days ago andthought I’d settle there.”

           Sara considered him for a moment. “Areyou the type of dragon that goes around setting fire to things when you getangry?” she asked.

           Leonard looked down at her. “Pleasetell me you’re not considering this,” he said.

           “Humans are dangerous. How could wedeny him sanctuary?” she asked.

           “Easily.” Leonard looked back at thedragon. “We don’t like fire around here. You can leave now.” He looked back atSara. “See?”

           “Cold,” she said, using the namethat he gave strangers. “We can at least offer temporary shelter.” Sara lookedback at the dragon. “You never told me what type of dragon you are.”

           The dragon gave her the first genuinesmile Leonard had seen since he arrived and he fought back a curse at thestirring of interest the expression caused. Sara tightened her arms around himand he felt her shake slightly with silent laughter though she managed to keepher expression serious.

           His nymph knew him well, damn it.

           “I’m the type of dragon that issimply looking for a place to keep his hoard. I only set fire to those thatcome after me.” The dragon bowed his head at her. “I would not harm you or yourtree.”

           Leonard looked down at Sara andraised an eyebrow. The dragon had figured out what she was it seemed and thatmeant that Leonard would be keeping an eye on him. But he had created the grovefor Sara and if she allowed the dragon to stay, then Leonard wouldn’t object.

           “You may use the cave,” Sara saidafter a few moments. Leonard’s lips quirked as he resigned himself to onlyhearing his name from Sara’s lips when the dragon wasn’t around to hear it. Offhis look, she moved so that the dragon could only see her arms and kissedLeonard’s shoulder. “Trust me,” she whispered. “I have a feeling about thisone, ζωή μου.”

           At that, Leonard relaxed. He was theone that could sense when something was going to go badly but Sara had alwaysbeen able to sense when something would be to their advantage.

           “Very well,” he said loudly enoughfor the dragon to hear. He looked back at the dragon. “But know this. If I seeso much as a spark near her or any of the trees, I will rip your head off andkick it down the mountain.”

           The dragon’s smile widened at thethreat. “Understood.”

           “Leonard,” Mick growled, his eyeslighting up as he stared down the path. “Humans are nearing.”

           Leonard’s eyes snapped towards thepath that would lead the humans to the grove and narrowed. “Well then, let’sgo greet them, Mick.” It had been 150 years since Mick had shown up, lookingfor a place to settle down away from the danger that humans presented andLeonard had long ago lost any reservations about the dragon who had become hisand Sara’s third.

           Sara had, as usual when it came tothings like this, been right.

           Sara pressed up against Leonard’sback and reached out to pull Mick against them. “Don’t be too long, μάτια μου.I have plans for the two of you,” she told Mick with a smile that had himwishing humans couldn’t even see their mountain, let alone walk the path to thegrove.

           “Best not to keep her waiting, αστέριμου,” Leonard said, using the name for Mick he’d chosen because, assappy as it was admit out loud, Mick burned so brightly. It was rare that heactually used the term of endearment but when he did, it promised to be a verygood night for Mick and Sara both. Leonard’s eyes glittered at the prospect ofmischief and he turned towards Sara, pressing a kiss to her neck then hermouth, humming in satisfaction when her hands slid up his chest. “You sure youdon’t want to come with us, χρυσή μου?”

           Sara shook her head. “Not today.”She looked towards the golden trinkets that Mick had added to his hoardrecently. “I’m going to explore.”

           Leonard and Mick exchanged an amusedlook. They had no doubt that they’d come back to find her decked out in gold orjewels and nothing else. She liked their reactions whenever she did that.

           Mick pulled her close for a kiss ofhis own before he and Leonard stood and headed out of the cave, leaving behindtheir tree nymph.

           He smirked when Leonard merelytouched his arm and transported them to the middle of the path, blocking thehumans in a way similar to the way he’d simply appeared before Mick all thoseyears ago.

           “Well,” Leonard drawled, “you seemto be a little lost.”

           The man in the lead scowled. “We’renot lost. We’re following the path,” he said in a tone that clearly calledLeonard’s intelligence in to question.

           “You’re in my territory, mortal,”Leonard replied. “Which means you’re lost. Unless you meant to come here andthen I can only assume you’re stupid.”

           Mick laughed and offered a smilethat promised plenty of pain when the group turned to look at him.

           Coming to this mountain had been thebest decision he’d ever made. He glanced at Leonard and thought of Sara back inthe cave.

           It had led him to his greatesttreasure after all.

Translations (all are Greek terms of endearment and found through people who live(d) in Greece and a linguist so blame them if these are wrong) :

Χρυσή μου / χρυσή μου: the feminine version of “my golden one”

Ζωή μου / ζωή μου: my life

μάτια μου: my eyes