Title: Grief Support
Fandom: Station 19/Legends of Tomorrow
Pairing: Travis/Mick, past Mick/Len, Travis/Michael
Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with DC or Station 19. Neither is my toy box and I'm merely playing.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Travis Montgomery and Mick Rory bond over food, not being widowers.
A/N: Pre-series for Station 19, between S1 and S2 for Legends of Tomorrow. Written for [community profile] fandomweekly challenge travel plans with the bonus round the clock. Also for [community profile] 100fandoms prompt history.


Grief Support:

Travis frowns at his menu, trying to decide if he should just order or go back to his apartment. He sits up slowly as a broad man drops into the seat across from him and asks, “Get stood up?”

Travis shrugs. “Guess he found something better to do.”

“Or got scared off by your wedding ring.”

Travis brushes his wedding band with his thumb as he frowns. He’s not ready to take it off. He twists it. “He knew I was a widower.”

“Sucks,” the man comments as he opens the menu. For a moment Travis thinks the man is going to ask him why he’s going out if he’s not ready. Instead he points at himself. “Mick.”

Travis shakes the offered hand and gives his name. Mick nods. When Mick gets his hand back he pulls a chain up out of his shirt so Travis can see the ring hanging on it then he tucks it back in.

Mick glances towards the door leading from the patio into the restaurant. “Don’t make me wait in that line. I’ll pay for myself. Maybe we’ll both get lucky.”

“Maybe,” Travis agrees.

Mick huffs, fingers tight on the menu. “How long?”

“Four months, five days,” Travis answers. “You?”

“Five months,” Mick answers before looking down at the menu. For one brief moment Travis is worried they’re going to compare shared history and open wounds. He knows he doesn’t have the energy for that. Not when his captain cited that he’s been working around the clock and is now making him take time off. He doesn’t want to go back to his empty apartment and wallow in how it used to be a home, but he doesn’t want to stay here and discuss it either. He eyes Mick wearily. Mick raises his eyebrows before shifting his chair back so he can slouch as he spreads the menu out and announces, “I’m getting a steak.”

“They’re supposed to be good here,” Travis comments. Can he manage small talk with a stranger? He hasn’t managed small talk unless it’s been part of his job for four months.

“That’s what Gideon said. Have you had it?”

“First time,” Travis admits. He wanted a place devoid of any memories he and Michael had ever made.

“Me too,” Mick agrees with a grin and Travis feels himself relax. Neither one of them are good at small talk right now, but neither of them are talking about loss. Travis wonders if he can set not talking about their widower status as a ground rule, then Mick asks about food, specifically what kind of steak Travis is thinking of getting which helps them both decide on orders by the time the waitress comes around. It also segues into Mick asking Travis about his favorite restaurants.

“This your first time in Seattle?” Travis eventually asks.

“I didn’t make the travel plans,” Mick shrugs.

“Gideon did?” Travis guesses.

This gets him a hint of a smile. “Might be better if she was in charge.”

Travis hesitates. If he asks about Mick’s job then Mick will ask him about his and he really doesn’t want to talk about being a firefighter right now.

“Bad subject change?” Mick asks.

Travis nods.

Mick steers them back to talking about food. He keeps the conversation light. It never actually feels like a date, just a good meal with easy conversation. When they’re settling the check Mick suggests, “Hotel room?”

“Yeah, that’d be good,” Travis agrees.

The sex is rough and yet slow, neither one of them ready to go back to their own thoughts. It’s good to feel something other than numbness and pain. Travis doesn’t ask about Mick’s serious burn scars.

Hours later, after he overhears Mick talking to someone about downtime being over and that he’ll head back, he’s relatively sure he’s never going to see the other man again and that that lingering kiss Mick gives him will be the last they share.

“Thanks, I needed that.”

Mick’s answer is a rueful grin before he runs his thumb over Travis’ lip. “So did I.”

Only after Mick’s gone does Travis realize he has Mick’s number in his phone. He hesitates over it a few times. One night stands when both people are grieving should stay that way, shouldn’t they?

Two weeks later he gets a picture of a steak dinner that doesn’t look half as good as the one they’d had. He tells Mick that much, then gets asked how he’s eating. His appetite is poor. He mostly eats to replace the calories he burns off. He can’t be weak on the job cause he’s not eating. Mick starts sending him pictures of food, with commentary.

“Boyfriend?” Miller asks when he catches Travis texting while eating a donut. He had to get a dozen to share on his way to work after Mick bombarded him with pictures of fancy pastries.

Travis shakes his head. “Grief support. Have a donut, let me take a picture to send him.”

“Should I take off my shirt too?” Miller teases.

“Really?” Bishop smirks.

“Hey, everyone should get to appreciate this hotness,” Miller answers. "I work hard for this!"

Travis laughs, he actually laughs. Bishop glances at him. Miller blinks, but grins, then strips out of his shirt and poses with a donut. Shaking his head Travis takes a picture and sends it to Mick.
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