[There's a long draw of silence between them again as Mick contemplates the words he'd being told. It's a strange thing, to have anyone believe he's half way competent at anything that isn't stealing and hitting things. He found the idea of himself suddenly being useful peculiar and potentially fake, in all honesty. After all, Mick didn't think he could really ever be that useful and this could be some strange pep talk Rip was trying out.

It was surprisingly sincere but he didn't didn't trust it. Rip isn't really a pep talky kind of guy, maybe that's why it felt so strange. Just the whole concept in general threw him a little. It takes a moment to process everything.]

Touching. [Mick hums slightly, it tapers off as a sort of growl in the end. Not a threatening one or an angry one, just a harmless sound of thought.] Careful, you might start sounding like you like me.

[And neither of them wanted that. Mick didn't do friends, feeling or liking and Rip was... well, British. They were always weird about everything. Repressed and awkward. Probably didn't make for a great friendship. He didn't want to deal with that, it'd be a headache.

Still, knowing he isn't a total fuck up? Not bad. At least he knows he's going to do something right.]

Of course he did. He must have known, somehow, someway. Sneaky bastard. He never does anything without planning, he would have known he was going out.

[And Mick was certain, even then, Leonard didn't tell future-Mick a thing.]