He Ain't Heavy - Mick/Leonard - returned AU

[bringstheheat]

".. so what are you telling me?"

Nate's voice is bright with excitement, the same earnest delight when he's uncovered another unknown facet of history. "You asked me to look into Lincoln, so I did. I started with the bigger stuff, you know, arrested for the murder of the Vice President's brother, later exonerated--"

"I know all that. I got that from Gideon. You said you had something new?"

"Just wait, hang on." There's a shuffling of papers before he pulls out the right information. "Here. Lincoln was adopted by Aldo Burrows when he was young. The adoption happened in Keystone." A pause. Nothing? Okay. "Mick, Lincoln was adopted when his family burned to death in a fire. The old Rory farm."

"What're you saying?"

"Mick. The reason Lincoln looked so much like you, like identical, is because he was your brother. Aldo Burrows adopted him out of Keystone right after the fire killed your family. Not everyone died in the fire."

Brother.
All these years and Mick never even knew.

As he stumbles out of the library, intent on a drink or ten, he doesn't notice if anyone might have been standing nearby.

He had a brother.
His brother had looked out for Leonard and then went off and died for him without even knowing how they were tied together.

Jesusfuck.

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[bringstheheat]

Mick's arm snakes a little tighter around his partner as he listens. His brother had been a good man, taken care of his partner and given him his life back. Damnit Lincoln.

"Good. I'm glad you found him Lenny."

He's just as glad that Lincoln found him, took good care of him. "Sounds like he did good on the ship."

[mypriority]

"Me, too." He mumbles quietly, pillowing his head against Mick's shoulder. "He saved me...in a lotta ways." It sounds stupid, and worse still weak to admit, but it's true all the same.

He nods a little, "He did. He liked it...said he found purpose here." Which now, has a whole different meaning than it did at the time that Lincoln had said it to him.

[bringstheheat]

Mick shifts to catch him in a kiss because when it's just them, when they're alone, it's okay to admit things like that and he's glad his brother had been there for him.

A swallow as he listens. "Good. If he found a purpose here, maybe I can too. Be better. Like him."

[mypriority]

He kisses him back easily, soft and gentle. Maybe it's okay to admit, but it doesn't make it feel any better to.

"You will." That much, at least, he's certain of. Because if he can't, then...maybe they'll just go be somewhere else, just the two of them, figure something else out. Leonard isn't sure, but whatever happens, Mick doesn't get to go where Leonard can't follow this time.

[bringstheheat]

He's always going to revel in moments like this, when he can kiss Leonard, draw him close and there's no snark, no argument. Especially moments like this when Mick so desperately needs the comfort.

"I'm gonna try Lenny. I swear I'm gonna try." Whatever it takes, he wants to do right by his brother and by his partner.