Archive of Our Own

“Wait, wait, wait.” Jax is lifting a finger, his eyes downcast as he tries to reign in his emotions. The way his brow is furrowed down and his bottom lip is jutted out, he’s clearly not happy. He refuses to look at Rip as he talks. “You mean to tell me where stuck here until the Waverider is fixed?”

“I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, Jax, but yes. Understandably so. The Waverider took immense damage in our last getaway.” Rip answers rigidly, trying his best not to turn his tone sour. “It’s the 1980s and we’re in Montana. Things cannot grow more boring than this. We should all be thankful for a boring atmosphere.”

Jax inhales roughly, rolling his eyes. He steps away from the center console where the rest of the team is lingering as well. Stein doesn’t look pleased as well, but he also looks annoyed with Jefferson. He must really be receiving a lot of Jax’s anger.

Sara turns her blue eyes on Rip, gaze narrowed. The way her foot taps against the Waverider’s floor really tells she’s trying to be patient as well. “So how long are we going to be stuck here for?” Her voice is tight, as if she’s talking through gritted teeth.

“A week. Max. Perhaps sooner if Mr. Palmer here would agree to help me with the repairs.” Rip turns his eyes on Ray, his blonde hair dipping in front of his eyes momentarily. He’s trying not to look too hopeful, but by the lilt in his brows, he clearly is open to help.

Ray blinks as he soaks that in, but he quickly nods when he finds the rest of the team staring at him expectantly. Of course they’d all expect him to jump on the opportunity. Anything to get them out quicker… “Yeah-Yes. Of course.” He agrees, swallowing as he messes up his words.

Rip nods thankfully, giving Ray a smile. When he turns back to the rest of the team, the smile has diminished. He lifts his brows in an offhand manner, waving his hands in the air loosely. “And do what you guys always do. Go mess up time or whatever.”

Sara blanches at the words, confusion settling in at Rip’s words. Mick steps away from the console without another word, having now gotten permission. Snart hovers a little, shocked at the loose policy Rip has now given them. Jax and Stein head towards the door together, both conversing about whether they should grab some food first or visit the nearest historical sight.

It’s Kendra who shakes her head, curls bouncing around her face. “Wait.” She states, loud and clear. That causes the rest of the team to turn to her. Carter remains at her side, his eyes downcast. He seems to already know what she’s going to ask. “Then are we meeting back here in a week?”

Rip’s eyes scale the roof of the Waverider as he thinks. He finally sighs, turning back to the center console. “Gideon, please pull up the map of our current location.”

“Yes, Captain Hunter.”

Before them, a blue map with heavy white lines pops up. There’s a darker blue dot pulsing, representing their location. Rip points to that location.

“We’ve managed to land here.” He turns to everyone, making sure they’re understanding. He then drags his finger north, barely half a mile. It looks like his finger is trailing a driveway. “Ray and I will be remaining here. We’ll be working on the Waverider for the duration of our stay. A week from today, which comes to next Friday, meet us here. If we’re finished early then we’ll…” Rip looks amongst the faces all looking back at him. His bottom lip is captured by his teeth, looking away from the others almost disappointingly. “We’ll find you.”

Rip then pushes off the console, turning to Ray with a grin. “Care to join me in gathering the tools?”

Ray shrugs, a playful grin growing on his own face. “Sure thing.”

The two then depart as the rest of the team starts to file out the main door. There’s no strange thought from anyone else. Jefferson and Stein are the first to head to the clothing machine, both agreeing that a meal was the better first stop. Carter and Kendra left next, the two actually smiling at the idea of having some alone time. Mick, Sara, and Leonard break apart in their own group. Mick leading the front while Sara and Leonard flank his sides.

They all leave wearing a lot of corduroy, flared pants, and striped clothes.

Sara and Leonard glimpse at one another in unison, both wearing matching expressions of puzzlement. Sara finally lifts her brows with her shoulders so Len grows a devilish grin. Sara grins back as their feet finally hits the earth.

-

It’s only the first day and Rip and Ray have been at the Waverider for nearly seven hours. Neither are exactly ready to give up, they know what they have to do and they’re not willing to stop until they’re absolutely drained. They’ve got the tools laid out behind them on a blanket that the Waverider happily provided them.

Both of their hair has grown limp from the hotter weather and the constant exertion. Ray’s got a comical curl of hair hanging over his forehead while rip brushes all of his to the left side of his face. Each have a matching sheen of sweat on their foreheads that they have to brush away every few minutes.

They’ve taken off most of the layers they were previously wearing. Rip’s coat, all of his gun holsters, and his over shirt have all been abandoned inside the Waverider. Now he only stands in a light gray t-shirt that’s quickly dampening with his sweat.

Ray had broken a lot quicker than Rip had. Ray never was one for being hot. He’d torn the deep purple sweater he was wearing right off and threw it somewhere within the ship. That left him in a similar white t-shirt and pants.

The day was growing older and the sun was hovering right over their backs. It was probably nearing four o’clock. They’d started around nine.

Ray’s putting the wrench down, reaching for a faded red rag to wipe his greasy fingers on. He turns to Rip, flashing him a smile. “Only one day but we’ve made a heck of dent.”

Rip nods humbly, shrugging. “I think that’s fair to say. Wouldn’t mind a drink right about now.”

Ray sighs in agreement. “I thinkyou just read my mind.” He looks around them, only finding the rolling fields around. He squints against the yellow sun. “So where do we head for that?”

Rip finally sets his tool down as well, now turning to share some excitement with Ray. It’s a nice change. “I think it’s fine if we take a quick break. I actually wanted to show you this place. I’ve been here quite often whenever I had to lay low.”

Rip turns and heads over, up the small hill, waving for Ray to follow him.

Ray abandons the rag and the ship out of curiosity, now falling into step beside Rip. He turns to him with his brows scrunched. “What is it?”

Rip smirks at Ray’s impatience. “It’s a beautiful ranch home that I frequent. I know the owners. Almost like my own parents.” His voice is fond, and the smile he has as he thinks about these people elicits a smile out of Ray as well. “They’re not here at the moment. They visit during the winter, shockingly. They love the way the snow looks out here.”

Ray listens happily as they reach the crest of the hill. It’s a dull hill, so it’s not tiring, but when Rip stops to open his arms to the scenery, Ray realizes that the hill had been hiding something beautiful from them.

It’s a ranch home with a barn in the background. The home itself is a dark wood with the oldest of fences circling the property. A little further back are fields with a few cattle, and to the right is a field with horses. Ray can’t help but laugh whimsically at the scene. He’d grown up in the city, sights like these were rare.

“Wow. This is absolutely beautiful.” He breathes his thoughts, now turning to Rip to find him grinning equally as wide.

“I know. If I could pick any point in time to live, to whither away into old age, this would be it. And it’d be right here. This is my own personal serenity.” Rip shares, now sliding his hands in his pockets. He turns to capture Ray’s brown eyes almost shyly. He gives him a small nod before continuing on down the hill.

Ray falls into step beside him, eyes turning back to roam hungrily over the landscape. “Rip… I don’t know what to say. Thank you for sharing this with me.”

“Well,  Mr. Palmer”-

“You know you can start calling me Ray.” Ray interjects kindly.

“Ray,” Rip says softly, chuckling. “Formalities are an annoying habit. Anyway, everyone has different ideals of peace. But I thought if anyone were to share mine, it’d be you.” They’re getting closer to the home now. Rip pulls open the door to walk inside. He peers at Ray over his shoulder. “Imagine this as a small thanks for always helping me patch things up after a battle. I know it can’t be fun to be part of the cleaning crew.”

Ray’s eyes grow wide as his eyes scan the ranch. The ceilings are high with a beautiful chandelier in the center. It’s stereotypical, being made out of antlers, but it fits the tone just right and Ray loves it. He scrunches his mouth shut but his smile shines through. “I think this makes it pretty worth it.”

Rip laughs as he steps towards the kitchen. He walks in as if he’s done this a hundreds of times, and Ray’s sure he has. Ray pictures Rip living out here for months, either alone or with a friend. Something to show Rip’s constant camaraderie. He’s reaching into a fridge that’s shockingly stocked.

“So, as for that drink. What’ll it be?” He turns, flashing Ray another smile.

-

The lights in the bar are low, casting a soft orange glow among the patrons. The neon signs from around the bar cause greens, blues, and reds all to be thrown across their faces as well. The most interesting affect the light has is on the smoke. Those with burning cigarettes, which there are a lot of smokers in the eighties, let their smoke curl up towards the ceiling to meld with the array of colors.

Mick, Leonard, and Sara all sit in the back around a round table, beers out in front of them. Mick’s got a deck of cards all laid out, starting a silent game. Len’s the first to play along by pulling a card. Mick turns towards Sara expectantly so she pulls a card as well.

Sara groans as she stares at the two of hearts she has in her hands. “A whole week of this. I don’t know if I’ll be able to take it.”

“It would’ve been better if Rip could have crash landed us back in the twenty-first century.” Snart sneers as he pulls another card.

“I’m not bitchin’. I don’t have to fix the ship and he’s not up our asses for once.” Mick grumbles back as he pulls a card as well. He takes a look at his hand, eyes narrowing slowly. He finally shrugs and continues on.

Sara shrugs at that as she takes a card as well. “I feel bad about that. Shouldn’t we be there helping them?”

“If he wanted our help he would have asked. Instead he wanted Boy Scout’s help.” Leonard’s voice comes out harsher than anyone would have expected. He feels their eyes on him so his own snap up to glare at them all. “What?” He snaps.

“Look, all I’m saying is I think Rip was acting weird. Maybe we’re being too hard on him.” Sara suggests as she tilts her beer to her lips.

“Not hard enough.” Leonard shoots back.

“That’s because you’re an asshole. Especially to Ray.” Sara states blatantly. Leonard’s eyes land on her, as if he’s pressuring her to take it back but she only lifts her brows defiantly.

Leonard then turns his eyes to Mick as if he’s awaiting a response.

Mick shrugs, his eyes never moving from his cards. “You are a dick to Haircut. Probably more than you are to anyone on the ship. He’s not that bad of a guy. Definitely annoying though.”

“See?” Leonard replies blandly, his attention focusing on the last portion of Mick’s answer. “Annoying.”

Sara’s head lolls to the side, giving Leonard a look of disbelief. “What’s your big deal with him?”

Snart reaches out to pick a fry out of the basket they had ordered earlier. He chews with his nose curled up at Sara’s question. He only answers when he’s done chewing. “I don’t have a problem with him.”

Sara rolls her eyes in response as she takes a card. “Sure, Len.”

“What?” Leonard presses again. “It’s not like he can’t take the teasing. He’s a billionaire. He can buy something to make him happy.”

“So you don’t like him because he has money?” Sara questions.

Leonard’s head lolls back on his shoulders, leaning far back in his stool. His legs are crossed and his hands are over his lap thoughtfully, preventing anyone from peeking at his cards. He finally lifts his gaze to stare at Sara coolly. “I don’t care that he has money.”

“Well,” Sara starts, reaching out for a fry. He takes a small bite as she grins. “Then the only logical answer is that you like him. You just like to pull his pigtails.” Sara’s eyes flash back to him, staring at him under her dark lashes.

Len stares back unwaveringly, the sense of a challenge in her eyes. The two stay like that for a few seconds, glaring back as if they’re waiting for the other to snap. Instead it’s Rory who snaps, throwing his cards down on the table with a growl.

“You two are really going to make this week boring for me.” Mick leans forward to push all the cards back together. He starts to shuffle them again.

-

It’s day two and the morning has just started. Both Rip and Ray had started the second there was light outside. They’ve got no time to waste, and there’s definitely incentive to linger with such a beautiful place, but protecting the world has stronger reign.

Rip had taken a flannel from their current abode, a mix of green and grays. He wore that with a pair of pale jeans that fit him perfectly which makes Ray positive that Rip had stashed some clothes for himself in the house. Ray would bet Rip has a whole wardrobe.

Ray had gone back to the Waverider and decided against creating any new clothing. He found himself a plain navy t-shirt and jeans to wear. The morning is chilly but he’s positive it’ll warm up extremely soon. Besides, he likes the way the cool prickles up his arms.

They’ve moved further down the Waverider, adjusting each piece of mechanics that they can. While they’ve got such a patient world around them, they’ll do more than patch her up. They’ll soup her up while they’re at it.

While Ray’s twisting his wrench, a small winding noise coming from the tool, he turns to Rip. The other has his head dipped within a panel, eyes narrowed as he focuses on a valve. He’s welding up a crack with a small flame emitting from one of his more advanced tools.

Ray grins at his back, chuckling. “You’re what they call a real country bumpkin, aren’t you? You loved the Old West and here you are with a hideout in the middle of nowhere. Rip, the country boy. I should have guessed.”

Rip can’t help but laugh himself as he pulls back. He doesn’t top working though, and neither does Ray. “I guess you could say that. I just prefer the atmosphere. This freedom… all this free space is rare in the future. Although my grandfather did own his own portion of land very similar to this… well, the England version of this. I was lucky enough to spend a lot of summers there.” He pauses as he pulls hard on his wrench. He pulls the bolt as tight as he can and then sighs. He turns to Ray, smirking. “I guess if that means I’m a country bumpkin that makes you a city slicker.”

Ray chuckles as he puts his hands up guiltily. “I wouldn’t deny it. But, as much as Snart teases me, I really was a boy scout. Loved the outdoors but never got to experience if for more than a week or two at a time. Then it was right back to the city.”

“I suggest we soak it all in while we can.” Rip flashes him a friendly wink. He then points behind Ray at the tools. “Would you mind handing that over?”

-

Sara’s waking up with a mild headache, just another reason to be annoyed. Her, Snart, and Mick managed to find a place to stay. A small apartment above the bar that the owner agreed they could stay in for fifty bucks. There were two small beds and a green couch. Somehow, Mick and Sara had gotten the beds without much of a fight.

Len had succumbed to sleeping on the couch after two rounds from Mick. He threw himself face down on the cushions the night prior and was snoring within seconds. Mick and Sara had ended up giggling about it until they fell asleep as well.

Sara peers over to find Leonard now laying on his back, one booted foot hanging off the arm of the couch and the other foot, missing a boot, draped over the back of the couch. His eyes are closed softly and there’s the small sound of his breathing working with each lift of his chest.

She then peers over to her right to find Mick face down on the mattress, his shirt abandoned in between their mattresses. His boots are tossed lazily right next to them. She’s glad to not find any pants, meaning he’s hopefully still wearing his.

She kicks her feet out from under the covers to swing them down from the bed. She stays there for a few seconds, allowing her eyes to adjust to the room and her head to stop pounding. She really hadn’t thought she had that much to drink. She’ll just blame it on the poor alcohol in the eighties.

She slips her feet in her boots only to pad quietly across the hardwood floor. She stops in front of the large mirror, pulling back her unruly blonde hair. She wraps her fingers around her hair, sliding a hair tie around to create a loose ponytail. With one last look at herself, she heads out the door, shutting it quietly behind her.

She’s quiet as she descends the stairs, careful of every creak that follows with her steps. She has to hold back a groan of relief when she reaches the door at the end of the stairs. She pushes her way out and into the morning sun.

The air isn’t as toasty as it was yesterday so she slides her hands inside her lined coat pockets. She looks left and then right, making sure the road is clear. Then she steps onto the asphalt, taking her time as she crosses the street to the cozy diner she spotted yesterday.

Her fingers wrap around the cool metal, pulling the door open. The typical sign stating they’re open swivels as she steps in and lets the door fall shut behind her.

There’s a small area towards the front where someone might be ready with menus but today there’s only a black sign with small white letters that instructs people to seat themselves. Sara shrugs to herself as she looks for an open seat.

The diner isn’t crazily busy but it isn’t deserted either. She decides to look to the left of the diner in hopes of a more open area, somewhere no one will stare at her weirdly if she decides to sit alone. Her eyes grazes over the selections until she finds Kendra sitting at a booth near the back corner, eyes downcast.

Sara smirks as she heads over in Kendra’s direction. She weaves between the chairs until she reaches the proper booth, and Kendra looks up just in time to smile at her.

“Oh, Sara! Hey!” Kendra greets fondly, motioning towards the open booth. “Sit down. Carter and I were just grabbing breakfast.”

Sara takes her offer and sits in the opposite bench. She smiles across the table at Kendra, unable to ignore the glow that’s radiating off of her. Her eyes are alight with excitement, which really brings attention to the freckles across her nose. She looks gorgeous.

“Hmm, looks like you and Carter took advantage of your alone time,” Sara says smoothly, brows wiggling to add an emphasis to her underlying meaning.

Kendra rolls her eyes but her smirk is still evident. There’s a blush rising to her cheeks as well. She pushes one curl behind her ear nervously. “We had a very nice evening. We went up through the mountains actually.” She says pointedly, turning to give Sara a playful look.

Sara snickers at that, her nose curling up kindly. “I think what you’re saying is you guys got it on. Finally.”

Kendra’s head tilts to the side, about to scold Sara good-naturedly just when there’s a presence over Sara’s shoulder. Kendra’s eyes dart up to meet that presence, another blush reaching her cheeks. Sara doesn’t have to turn around to know who it is, but she does anyway.

“Hey, Carter.” Sara greets kindly, smiling up at him. “I was just dropping by to say hello.” She moves to slide out of the bench but Kendra and Carter are quick to stop her.

“Stay awhile,” Carter says politely. Kendra’s immediately sliding in towards the window so Carter happily takes a seat beside her. “Having breakfast together would be nice.”

Sara smiles at them, feeling a small sense of happiness at their invitation. “I really should let Mick and Len know where I’m at. We crashed in one of the apartments above the bar.  I was just going to stop over here for some coffees.”

Kendra’s eyes dance out the window, smiling as her gaze settles on something. “No need. They’re headed over here now.” She lifts her hand, waving out the window.

Sara and Carter glimpse over as well. Len’s the one who notices Kendra’s waving so he waves back minutely. Mick on the other hand is oblivious, but by the looks of it he wouldn’t care anyway. He looks quite hung-over.

They’re then walking into the diner, the worn cowbell clinking to signify another customer. They weave between the same maze Sara had earlier, finally reaching their table.

“Hey, guys. Join us for breakfast.” Kendra offers.

Mick nods at them all, not saying a word as he slides into the booth next to Sara. Their shoulders bump together so Sara slides further to the window.

Leonard reaches behind them, grabbing onto an abandoned chair. He flips it around the right way, placing it at the end of the table. He sits down, taking in a deep breath.

“I hope they have a lot of coffee.” Leonard says groggily.

“Endless,” Carter answers with a laugh in his voice. “Breakfast is on me anyway so get whatever.”

Sara smiles at him thankfully while Mick lets out a noise of victory.

“Thanks, birdman.” Mick grumbles as he rubs at the bridge of his nose. “I owe you one.”

Leonard props one foot up on the bar under his hair, grinning at Mick’s words. He peers over at Carter. “I think you’re going to learn to never offer to buy Mick a meal again. Especially while he’s hung-over.”

-

After breakfast, Kendra and Carter had broken apart from the group. They had announced they were going to keep up sightseeing, and left hand in hand.

Mick, Sara, and Len were headed into town, just prepared to look around and get a feel for the place. Along the street, they ran into Jax and Stein, who somehow managed to convince Mick to tag along with them to go view the historic museum of their small city. They mentioned something about the constant forest fires and Mick’s attention was dragged away.

That left Sara and Len, who had already walked down the main street. That didn’t leave much for the rest of the town.

“So,” Sara starts as they reach the end of town. Behind them are the small shops holding most of he necessities while ahead of them stretches on a long road leading up through the mountains. “Carter and Kendra said they went through the mountains. Want to go?”

Leonard takes in a deep breath, eyes settling on the afternoon sun. By the looks of it, they probably still have a good five hours before sunset. He shrugs, turning to Sara with his usual pinched expression. “What else are we going to do?”

Sara chuckles as she moves to turn back into town. “Let’s go find us a car then.”

-

The sun over Rip’s and Ray’s shoulders is growing yellower as the day grows on. That tells the both of them that the night sky will be quick to appear next. They’d been working endlessly all day, even skipping the lunch hour to work through.

Ray steps back from the Waverider, taking his balled up t-shirt and wiping it over his forehead. He takes in a deep breath, trying to gather himself from their hard work. He can’t help but crack a smile as he looks at their success so far.

“We’ve done pretty darn good.” Ray says happily, his hands falling down to his hips. His fingers half land on his belt, half land on his naked torso.

Rip’s abandoned his shirt as well, now sporting a slight burn from their exposure to the sun. He’s turns to grin at Ray, now placing his tool down as well.

“I’d certainly agree with that.” Rip chuckles as wipes his hand across his forehead. He’s already got a few grease stains on his skin, just like Ray. It’s hard to stay clean while they’re elbow deep in the mechanics of a time ship.

“What do you think the others are doing?” Ray questions curiously, head turning towards Rip.

The blond shrugs in response, eyes downcast to his stained hands. “Probably wrecking havoc, I’m sure.” He lifts his gaze to the ship, his face scrunched in displeasure.

Ray’s confused by the response, his head shaking as he tries to understand. “Rip, you know the others like you… right?”

Rip laughs dryly at that.

Ray’s eyes widen in disbelief at that, lifting his hand out as he talks. “No, really. I know they all have a really weird way of showing it, but when you look at our team that’s not too much of a shock.”

“It’s quite alright if they don’t like me. The rest of the team works marvelously well together.” Rip answers genuinely as he reaches for the rag in his back pocket.

Ray crosses his arms over his chest, muscles flexing as he answers. “They’re all brutes that think if they show some feeling they won’t be as tough as they are. I think we can exclude Kendra… probably Carter too. The rest are a lost cause.” Ray jokes, turning to share a smile with Rip.

Rip chuckles to himself, suddenly feeling better at Ray’s words. He thinks it’s kind that Ray cares enough to let him know this. He turns to face Ray, his blue eyes landing on Ray’s brown ones. “Thanks, Ray.”

Ray reaches out, patting his shoulder consoling. “You bet, Captain.”

Before either of the two can say anything more, Ray’s stomach growls loudly, causing all eyes to dip down to his abdomen. Ray’s eyes snap forward, blushing. “I might be a little hungry.”

Rip chuckles as he straightens up, motioning back to the home. “Let’s go eat then.”

-

It’s hours later and the sun has finally fallen behind the mountains. That leaves the glow of the stars above them, the colors swirling to reveal the Milky Way. Both Rip and Ray had left the kitchen clean after their meal and decided to have a nice fire in the back yard. Now they’ve got their heads tilted back in their chairs, watching the embers dance up to the sky in hopes of being as bright as the stars.

Rip lifts his beer, taking a sip thoughtfully.

Ray’s got his own can in hand, taking a few swallows here and there. He’s got a nice buzz going, and he cannot picture a more perfect moment. He loved the Old West, but this peace is a whole new level of wonderful for him.

“This might be one of the most romantic things I can think of.” Ray says whimsically, taking in a breath after his words. He exhales, his tone soft.

“Don’t go all Broke Back Mountain on me, Palmer.” Rip’s words are teasing and slightly slurring together from his alcohol.

Ray can’t help but perk up at the mention, turning to Rip with a gleam in his eye. “I wish I knew how to quit you.”

Rip snorts happily, rolling his eyes at Ray’s ridiculousness. “Oh, sometimes I wonder if my life will remain this sad. Do I seem like the type that will remain single forever?”

Ray narrows his eyes as he entertains the thought. Eventually, he finds himself shrugging. “You kind of do seem like the brooding pirate type. But I think someone’s going to crack that shell of yours soon enough.”

Rip snorts again, this time in a scoffing manner. “Right. Who will crack open the lifeless, rock heart belonging to Rip Hunter?”

Ray grins to himself, eyes crinkling. “I think I can think of someone.”

Rip lifts his beer, taking a long drag. “I don’t even want to know who you’re thinking of.”

“Rip and Sara, sitting in a tree”-

“I believe I’m finally understanding why some of the others may find you annoying, Ray.” Rip jokes, lifting his head to meet Ray’s eyes over the fire.

Ray only laughs good-naturedly, head lolling back to stare up at the stars. “Look, we might be the only company we all have for a long time. Our job doesn’t really give us time for socializing. What’s it going to hurt?”

“Could compromise the team. Cause issues during missions. Enemies using our feelings against us”-

“Dang, okay. I get the idea…” Ray trails off, smile faltering. His mouth scrunches up as he gives in. “But why should we let that hold us back? If you think about it, anything can cause any of those issues.”

“Heartbreak is a terrible thing.” Rip says after a pause, his beer back to his lips.

Ray says in agreement, now lifting his own drink. “I can drink to that.”

-

Sara’s parking the car at the highest point, even turning the headlights off to give them a better view in the night. Leonard’s door shuts next and the other is walking around the car to join her.

They stand side by side, staring down at the city below them. The only indicator of it being inhabited would be the sparkling lights. But it’s segregated. There’s only darkness around the small town with the few exceptions of small lights coming from surrounding ranches.

Sara inhales, taking in the smell of nature around them. The smell of the damp leaves and the dirt below their feet. She lets herself fall down on the hood, propping one leg up on the bumper of her vehicle.

Leonard takes a seat next to her, much slower. Even he’s lost his guarded expression at the sight of the city.

“It’s gorgeous up here.” Sara comments lightly, voice soft as she breaks the silence.

“I guess the Hawks weren’t wrong.” Leonard agrees, hands now hidden inside his coat pockets.

“I think this town isn’t too bad. It’s just…” Sara trails off, nose scrunching as she tries to think of the right words.

Leonard turns his head in her direction, chuckling. “Boring.”

Sara nods in agreement, laughing under her breath. “Boring is correct. But what happens when this is all over with? I’m going to have to settle for a boring place like this.”

Leonard shrugs at her words, the corner of his mouth quirking up. “I think we both could get used to boring.”

“Maybe if the right person came along,” Sara says, words trailing off with another meaning. She turns to Len, finding him pointedly looking out over the horizon. She stares a little bit harder so he finally turns to her with a smile he tries to hide.

“Hmm,” Len hums sarcastically. “I wonder where you’re going to take this conversation.”

“Look, all I’m saying is that I notice you flirting with Ray. And while he’s almost completely oblivious, I can tell he flirts back. I think you should go for it.” Sara talks as if the topic is as casual as the weather. She shrugs her shoulders to turn back to the night sky. She now leans back on the car, putting her hands at her sides to keep herself propped up.

Leonard tries to retreat further into his jacket, the cool night air causing his skin to prickle. “I'll start to think about asking Boy Scout out when you realize Rip has a thing for you.”

Sara perks up at that, her eyes shining with a challenge. Her leg bobs beside her, eyes only narrowing further as Len’s brows wiggle. Finally, she scoffs submissively. “Whatever you say, Snart.”

“He does, you know. He’s got a thing for you. I see you have a thing for him too but I know you. You’re pushing those feelings way down.” Leonard’s voice is light, but holds no tone of teasing. He’s being genuine.

Sara takes in a deep breath, trying to figure out if that’s something she wants to face tonight. Finally, with a laugh, she bumps her knee against Len’s. “I thought we were supposed to be badasses. Why are we talking about our feelings?”

Len’s looking down at his feet, smirking. “Badasses can talk about their feelings sometimes.”

Sara hums in agreement as she lays back on the hood. She’s got her back propped up against the windshield, hair curled around her shoulders. She stares up at the stars in silence, hoping to get some sort of answer. Anything to shine clarity on their confusing lives.

Leonard slides back on the hood, crossing one leg over the other has he lays back next to her. They sit like that for an hour or so, just staring up at the unbelievably clear sky above them.

The stars weren’t a common view in their cities.

-

It’s day three and Leonard, Mick, and Sara are out and about far earlier than any of them planned. It’s nearing eight in the morning, and the three had decided to try and search for the others. They hadn’t heard of any word from Rip or Ray but there’s a good chance the others might have.

Kendra and Carter are the first ones they run into. They’d been coming from the opposite direction, and by the relief that shows on their faces when they see the three, they were clearly looking for the rest of their team as well.

“Have you guys heard anything from Rip or Ray?” Kendra asks immediately, hand dangling close to Carter’s.

“Not a thing. Guessing you two haven’t either?” Sara shoots back tiredly. Her mouth stretches open as a yawn over takes her.

“Not a thing. And while this town is nice, I think we’re attracting the attention of the locals.” As he answerss, Carter’s eyes carry over their shoulders. Everyone turns just in time to watch three elderly ladies walk past, all with sour expressions. The way they look at the team is scornful.

Mick narrows his eyes at the ladies, taking one step forward with a curled upper lip. Immediately, the ladies cling tighter to one another. They avert their gazes forward and their steps quicken to get away. Their voices are low as they whisper about his threatening demeanor.

“Mr. Rory, it might be in our best interests not to frighten the locals.” Stein’s voice drifts through the air to everyone’s ears. They turn to their sides, finding Stein and Jefferson crossing the street to them.

“I’m guessing no one else has heard from Rip and Ray?” Jefferson asks as he brings his hands up to rub at his eyes. He looks equally exhausted.

Everyone shakes their heads no.

“Well, perhaps we should go check on them and make sure things are in order.” Stein says sensibly. He appears to have the most energy out of the group, and even that isn’t much. By the smell wafting off of him, everyone knows he’s had a few cups of coffee.

“And get them to hurry the hell up.” Mick says with a grumble. “This town is boring.”

“You must mean the crime rate is too low and there'snot enough havoc for you to wreck.” Stein snips as he walks along the sidewalk. The others start to follow.

Jax sighs as he finds Mick’s nostrils flex from his exhale. He really doesn’t want to watch the two argue again. “Maybe if we all go out to help we can head out today.”

“Fine. We’re taking the car up and checking on them right now.” Sara says decisively, pulling the rental keys from her pocket. She breaks through the group to find the driver’s side of the Ford Bronco she’d managed to rent. It entailed a lot of sweet talking and a little extra cash for the old guy to hand the keys over considering she didn’t have a valid license… or any identification.

“Shot gun.” Leonard strongly voices, moving over to the only other door. That leaves the rest of the group groaning in response.

“Can you squeeze me up front? I really don’t want to be in the back with all of them.” Jefferson asks quietly as he passes Leonard.

“Sorry, kid. Not a bench seat.” Leonard answers with a smirk, now climbing in.

Jefferson pouts but follows the rest to the back of the truck. Kendra and Carter slide in first, taking the corners. Jefferson and Stein fit in next, but then there’s no room left for Mick. With one grumble, Carter’s moving to sit in Kendra’s lap. Mick manages to get in further, but he’s still hanging out of the back. Stein sighs but slides closer to Jefferson. Jefferson swings his legs over Stein’s, now leaving enough room for Mick to close the back hatch.

“Buckle yourselves in, kids. We’re in for a ride.” Sara calls playfully as she puts the Bronco into drive.

Sara reverses onto the road, getting the vehicle straight towards the last area they left the Waverider. With a hard pull on the gear shifter, she puts the vehicle into drive and heads on down the road. There’s a small groan from the back as the car starts moving, but Sara only chuckles.

Once they’re on the outskirts of town, she accelerates to a more acceptable speed.

Leonard watches the land roll by, bringing his elbow up to rest on the window. He props his head in his hand, watching the mountains grow and shrink as they drive. Within minutes they’ve exited the city, leaving only fields and fields of cattle and crops.

Sara has the radio playing softly to break apart the silence, but that doesn’t mute the arguing from the back.

“Mick, move your foot. I already have Stein up my ass.” Jefferson grumbles.

There’s a growl from Mick but no other words so Leonard assumes he listened.

They’re getting closer and closer, finally growing comfortable with the ride. They’re about fifteen minutes in just when they see the upturned dirt. That would be where the Waverider landed, although it’s surely cloaked from anybody approaching.

To anyone who wasn’t familiar with the Waverider, it would just like any off-road vehicle dug up the earth. To the team, it’s a bold signature of the ship.

Sara’s pulling off the road, following an already worn path down to the Waverider. She leans closer to look over the hood, making sure she doesn’t lead the car into any hidden holes or bottomless puddles. The ground is more uneven, causing the others in the back to be jostled around.

Leonard can’t help but turn around with a huge grin to watch the show. Kendra’s gripping onto the side of the truck while Carter has his hands splayed on the windows of the bed casing. The two keep their heads ducked forward, trying to prevent their heads from banging against the windows.

Jefferson’s got his back pressed tightly against the back of the bed, very close to Leonard. He’s pressing his legs down on top of Stein’s trying his best to help the older man stay where he’s sitting. Stein’s struggling, a look of pain crossing his features, but then Mick’s arm reaches out to bar across Stein’s chest. He holds the other as rigidly as he can to prevent any bouncing around for the professor. With his other hand, Mick holds onto the hatch for leverage.

“Remind me to get her back for this!” Mick calls to the others.

Leonard chuckles under his breath, turning back to find Sara mirroring his grin. She glimpses into the rearview mirror at the others, shaking her head fondly.

Sara then takes a left, hopefully flanking the Waverider as close as she can. She steps on the breaks carefully, easing them to a full stop. She then shifts the truck into park. The sigh of relief from the back is noisy.

“Whatever, I’m a great driver.” Sara calls to them as she exits the truck.

Leonard jumps out as well, walking around the back to attend to the hatch. He pulls the lever forward and the door lifts open.

Mick’s the first to jump out, shaking his head as if he’s been rattled by the ride.

“Next time I’m driving.” Mick grumbles to Leonard as they walk around the cloaked Waverider. They join Sara on the other side, now able to see the other side of the Waverider. Gideon must have it cloaked to the road, but visible for Rip and Ray to work on.

There’s only one panel open, close to the very end. There’s tools lying on some of the mechanics while there are a few littered on a brown wool blanket on the ground. But there’s no Rip or Ray.

Kendra’s the first to the door of the Waverider. It falls open once she nears it, so she steps inside. She hangs off the side, calling out to innards.

“Rip? Ray? Are you guys in here?” She calls. Everyone grows silent, awaiting a reply. Kendra turns back to the team after a few more seconds, frowning. She shakes her head slowly. “I don’t hear anything inside. They’re not there.”

Sara and Leonard peer at one another, holding one another’s gaze. The fact that the two are missing is unsettling.

“Uh, should we be worried they’re missing?” Jefferson voices their exact thoughts in that moment.

“Perhaps they were in town trying to locate us.” Stein says, surprisingly optimistic for his usual attitude.

Sara opens her mouth, prepared to answer just as there’s a ruckus behind them. Their heads snap in that direction, finding nothing but a hill. They all share another look, as if they’re questioning whether they should head in that direction, but it doesn’t take long for them to come to a logical answer.

Sara and Leonard are the first to head in that direction, taking hurried steps up the hill. Their teammates are close on their heels.

They reach the crest of the hill, everyone’s faces growing soft as they find a ranch settling on the other side. Surrounding the beautiful ranch home are fenced fields, animals roaming the land. There’s a collection of cows and a few sheep in one pen. On the other side of the ranch are two horses galloping side by side. The team discovers that the commotion was the horses whinnies.

“Looks like the pretty boys kept themselves pampered.” Mick grunts, crossing his arms over his chest as he glares off at the beautiful land. “I bet they’ve barely been working on the ship.”

“If they’re in there with their feet up, I swear I’ll-” Jax starts.

“Hold on, guys. I think we all need to give them the benefit of the doubt here.” Kendra argues, turning to narrow here eyes at Mick and Jefferson.

“Well it certainly doesn’t look like they’re working on the ship.” Stein adds dryly.

Sara and Leonard capture each other’s eyes again. Leonard takes in a deep breath, just about to add his own words when there’s another noise. The interruption causes all eyes to peer to their rights.

There’s a thicket of woods, but two figures come barreling out of the brush, both on the backs of two striking horses. Both men are shirtless, riding on the backs of the steeds with practiced ease. At first, it’s impossible to tell who is who, what with being yards away and the large cowboy hats the two are sporting.

But then as they get closer, Ray comes into focus, followed by Ray. The two are ridiculously sweaty, but by the grins on their faces they’re not exhausted. Rip’s carrying something in his hand that they both seem happy to have.

At first, they don’t recognize their team standing on the hill. Neither of their eyes catch the figures, both captured in their own worlds. But when they’re closer to the Waverider, they turn to focus on their ship. But now they find their teammates waiting for them at the top of the hill.

The two are caught off guard, clearly shocked before they’re pleased. Ray’s beaming when things start to make sense. Rip’s more hesitant, but even he manages a small smile as they direct their horses to the front of the team.

Sara and Leonard take a step back as the horses come to a stop in front of them.

Ray smiles down at them, lifting the hat off his head to run his hand through his hair. “What are you guys doing here?” He says breathlessly, never losing the gleam in his eye.

“We were going to see if you two needed any help working on the ship.” Mick bites out. “But by the looks of it, you both are too busy playing cowboys.”

“Actually, Mr. Rory,” Rip starts as he slides off the horse. He takes his hat off as well, propping it on the saddle. He shakes the large metal piece in his hand. “We lost a part while landing and Ray and I were able to retrieve it. After we install this we should be ready to continue on with our travels.”

Carter’s eyebrows shoot up to his hairline, clearly impressed. “With only three days of work? That’s something.”

“Yeah!” Ray says excitedly, now peering down at his chest. He wipes at a grease stain on his pectoral but it only ends up spreading. He turns back to Carter to focus. “We’ve been working long days. But it’s definitely worth it. We’ve been able to modify a few things that should help the ship deal with future attacks.”

Leonard’s eyes go distant now that he’s in such close proximity to Ray. His eyes drop down the other’s chest, the glistening sweat overly inviting. The fact that Ray’s hands are dirtied by grease is adding to a few fantasies Leonard had previously buried. He finds Ray turning to him, obviously feeling the pressure of Leonard’s gaze on him. So Leonard tries to recover by pointedly glaring at him.

Rip takes the horse by the reigns, leading the animal down to the Waverider. He’s passing Sara as he goes, but she won’t let him go that easily. She doesn’t move out of the way, instead she lets a smirk flower on her face as she looks down his frame.

“Well, Mr. Hunter. I’d say the cowboy look suits you, but you already knew that.” She flashes her gaze upwards, blue eyes meeting his.

Rip seems shocked by the compliment, but he’s quick to recover. “I do enjoy the clothing, yes.” He pauses, now looking down at his naked torso. “Or lack thereof.” He then pauses as he turns back to the ranch, now that everyone has their eyes on the property. He motions towards the home kindly. “There’s food inside, even cable if you’d all like to venture in.”

The team seems interested in the offer so they break apart, leaving Sara and Leonard lingering.

Rip turns towards Ray, holding the item out. “Ray, would you mind installing the device? I’ll return the horses to the barn.”

Ray smirks happily, taking it from him. “Thanks, Rip”

Rip nods, smiling just as kindly. He takes both of the horses, prepared to walk them back to the stables when Sara interjects.

“I’d be glad to ride one back.” She offers lightly, reaching out to pat at the horse. She brushes its mane out of its eyes gingerly.

Rip nods, now turning the horse over to her. He steps into the lapel of the saddle of his own horse, swinging his leg over and up. He turns to look back at Sara with a challenge sparkling in his gaze. “Very well. Perhaps we can figure out who the best rider is with a race.” Then, with a calm wink, he nudges the horse’s sides and heads off in a gallop.

“Hey, that’s not fair!” Sara chuckles as she quickly mounts the horse. She taps the horse with her heels, rushing off after Rip.

By now, the rest of the team has entered the ranch, no doubt rummaging through the cabinets and fridge for anything. They’ve all left Leonard with Ray.

Ray’s turning to Leonard, his happiness radiating off of him. “Looks like you’re stuck with me, Snart.”

“Lucky me,” Leonard drawls, his head lolling in Ray’s direction.

Ray chuckles as he steps away, bringing his free hand up to run through his hair again. Leonard can’t help the sigh that leaves him as he follows after the other, shaking his head in disbelief. It’s really not fair how handsome Ray is, especially covered in dirt and sweat.

“So this is technically a propulsion guard. It’s something that’ll help the ship go quicker while preventing the ship from losing all other controls. We didn’t even know we lost it until we got to the last panel here.” Ray’s throwing his hand inside the open panel to show where the item was supposed to be. “All I have to do is connect it back and the ship will be in tip top shape.”

“Wonderful,” Leonard adds, now leaning against the ship. “And you and Rip have been at this for the last three days?”

“Yeah,” Ray says, now leaning inside the panel. He sets the item haphazardly on top of the other gears. He narrows his gaze as he slides it into place, focusing. “Nonstop really. Only to eat and sleep. We thought it’d be best to get out of here as quick as possible.”

“The small town life isn’t really appealing to the others.” Leonard adds, eyes flitting up from Ray’s stained hands to his concentrated face.

“Really?” Ray questions as he leans further in, his back muscles flexing. Leonard swallows. “I have to admit, I really enjoy it here. I think this is somewhere I’ll want to be…”

Leonard finds himself nodding, letting his eyes drop to his crossed ankles. “You don’t think it’s boring?”

Ray shrugs at that, now dropping into a crouched position to work. His dark eyes dart over to Leonard’s and Leonard has no power against those eyes. He holds Ray’s, awaiting his answer. “Yeah,” Ray agrees, “but I think I could get used to boring… one day.”

Leonard closes his mouth, lips forming a thin line. The words were matching his from the night before, and the flutter his heart does in his chest is frightening. He finds himself nodding. “When the right person comes along.” He repeats Sara’s words from the night before since nothing else seems fitting.

The crack of Ray’s smile causes Len to take a slow intake of breath through his nose. Ray nods in understanding. “Yeah.”

Leonard swallows as he tears his eyes away from Ray’s, now looking out across the mountains. He doesn’t say anything else, only keeping his back pressed against the Waverider as Ray works. He likes it this way. The quietness isn’t bad; he doesn’t feel pressured to say anything.

A few minutes go by before Ray breaks the silence. “Hey, Leonard, do you think you could pass me the wrench over there?” He tilts his head over his shoulder where the tools lay on the blanket.

Snart smirks as he pushes himself off the Waverider. “Sure thing, Raymond.” He walks calmly over to the tools, his eyes scanning over all of the possible options. He finds the simplest wrench he could, because if Ray needed something different he definitely would’ve said so in his not-so-elegant words.

He turns back around, the wrench out at arms length. He stands above Ray, waiting for the other to take it but he only gets a shake of the head in response.

“I won’t be able to do it myself. I have to hold it in place. Would you mind doing it?” Ray questions, now that he’s got both of his hands on to propulsion guard.

Leonard sighs but flips the wrench around in his hand properly. “I suppose,” he answers as he gets closer to Ray’s side. He drops down to his knees as well, since it’s the best angle he’ll be able to get. He crosses one arm over Ray’s as he slides the wrench around the bolts and starts to twist.

He tightens everything within an acceptable amount of time, but his arms are getting tired and he’s sure Ray’s are too. He gives the last bolt one good tug before he finally releases it. He pulls his arms back to himself, so Ray does the same, slowly.

The propulsion guard remains in place.

Ray laughs excitedly, turning to Leonard to share that happiness. Leonard turns to the scientist as well, unable to hold back his smiles. This is when he realizes they’re nose to nose, only a few centimeters keeping them separated.

Ray’s the one who softens, his eyes darting between Len’s fondly. “We did it.”

“Are you kidding me? You and Rip did it.” Leonard shoots back.

Ray shrugs at Leonard’s words, his eyes darting to his lips and back to his eyes flirtatiously. “The help was needed. We did it.”

Leonard’s holding back the urge to roll his eyes, but he can’t seem to do much now that he’s in such close proximity to Ray. He only finds his eyes dipping again, bashfully. “Fine. I guess we did.”

Ray’s now beaming, and neither of the two are moving from their spot. In actuality, neither of the two know how long they’d stay there for, neither know if anything more would come out of the moment, but they do know it doesn’t last long because Sara and Rip are now coming over the hill, pushing at one another playfully.

As soon as the two hear their teammates, both slide away from one another until they’ve got an acceptable amount of space between them. Rip and Sara turn to them just in time, grinning.

“Did you already get the propulsion guard on?” Rip says almost breathlessly, clearly impressed.

“Yes, but I couldn’t do it without the help of Leonard.” Ray says proudly.

“Ah,” Rip says happily, turning to smile at Leonard, “well, thank you very much for your help Mr. Snart.”

Leonard captures Sara’s gaze over Rip’s shoulder, finding her grinning unbelievably smugly at him. He tears his eyes away to stare up at Rip with his usual sarcasm. He bounces the wrench in his hand as he replies. “Anything I could do to help…”

“In that case, perhaps we should all have one last meal before we head out. There’s an amazing selection of food inside and it’s been far too long since any of us have had an actual meal.” Rip’s motioning for the rest to follow him.

Sara falls into step beside him, the two carrying on their question from before.

Ray and Leonard stand to their full height, now throwing their tools back onto the blanket. Together, they walk side by side, regarding one another silently. While their moment was interrupted earlier, Leonard’s positive they’re going to get endless opportunities soon.