Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Author Note: Set after episode 2x09 'Running To Stand Still.' I was entirely inspired to write this because lokistribble's Cisco/Leonard fics are wonderful and I adore this pairing so much.

A PROMISE MADE

Cisco got back to his apartment late and alone. It wasn't that surprising, the Wests had had a visitor that had made Joe and Iris both look a mix of freaked out and tentatively happy and eventually, Barry's eyebrows had given the signal for everyone else to exit. Anyway, Caitlin and Jay had finally kissed – mistletoe for the forever win, clichés worked for a reason – so were probably off continuing that tradition somewhere else. As were Barry and Patty probably. And Cisco was home again. Home alone. Appropriate for the holidays, right?

Or maybe not. Because when he started turning on lights, there was a noise from the kitchen and Leonard Snart was leaning against the countertop, eating his way through Cisco's stash of mini marshmallows.

Cisco's gasp was really loud in the supposed silence and his kicked-up heartbeat felt just as loud because holy crap, there was a Rogue in his kitchen and Snart's eyes were as piercing as Cisco remembered and Snart had his cold gun ready because he wasn't an idiot, really far from it.

Cisco stayed stock still, unable to stop staring back at Snart because Snart was still unfairly gorgeous and Cisco was still so not blind to that fact, even when faced with Captain Cold raiding his kitchen cupboards. In all the dreams Cisco had had, this scenario had never come up.

Snart was smirking, of course he was. He didn't stop eating the mini marshmallows either.

"It's the little things that make the holidays," Snart commented between bites, his focus on Cisco unwavering.

Cisco shook his head, trying to clear it, because this was crazy. His heart was hammering really fast and loud and Leonard Snart was still standing there, in his kitchen.

"Are you insane? You're a fugitive. I am literally harboring a fugitive right now!"

Snart's expression didn't change but somehow he seemed even more amused, "I could take you hostage if it'd make you feel better."

Cisco did not voice any of the images he was suddenly bombarded with. Thanks for the memories, really.

"Think I'll pass on that gift. Seriously, haven't you done enough home invading this week already? Please tell me you're not here to ruin Christmas."

"There's no capital in it. I've repaid my debt to Allen, now I'm repaying one to you."

"By cleaning out my kitchen?" Cisco paused, his brow wrinkling. "Wait, repaying what now?"

Snart shoved the marshmallows into his coat pocket – he just couldn't resist a theft, could he? – his expression growing stiller and sharper. Cisco tensed a little, Snart was incredibly dangerous and smart and he was armed in Cisco's apartment. Barry believed that Snart had honor in him, whether Snart believed it or not. Well, he had been a lot less black hat lately, call it a sliding scale.

"You got the bomb out of Lisa's head."

Snart's tone was very even but Cisco could see the tension in Snart's body language. Yeah, that hadn't been a happy day, not until the end. Of course Snart's dad was now dead at Snart's hand but frankly, okay, Cisco was against cold-blooded murder (heh) but there were some people...some people it was really hard to feel bad for.

Cisco nodded slightly, his thoughts suddenly racing off because was Lisa why Snart was here? "She's okay, right?"

Snart nodded and, "Thank you."

"…You're welcome."

Cisco felt like his statement almost should have been a question . He rocked back on his heels slightly, like that was going to stop a cold gun. Snart reached and smoothly pushed a full mug over the countertop towards Cisco.

"Drink up."

Cisco peered down at the mug, touching it gingerly. It smelled good – like cocoa, but peppermint and chocolate? Still, he wasn't going to drink it outright. A drink from a Rogue, what could possibly go wrong, right?

"Yeah, you're going to have to give me more than that."

Suddenly Snart was very much in his personal space. Cisco could smell his breath – peppermint and chocolate, huh, and okay, the intensity of Snart's gaze up close, very...intimidating obviously, only Cisco's heart was gone again and maybe he was flushing a bit too. Intimidation would do that, as would finding Leonard Snart extremely hot (ha) and currently extremely close. That wasn't a subjective opinion and Cisco was very smart and Snart really was close enough to...to cause Cisco's thoughts to messily explode backward.

"Is this about mistletoe?" he suddenly asked in a wavering rush, clutching at strange futile straws - Caitlin and Jay had had suddenly convenient mistletoe, was there mistletoe here? Cisco didn't remember hanging any.

"Why, you like poison?" Snart murmured, right before he swooped down and his mouth got all over Cisco's.

Cisco spluttered out surprise which Snart apparently took as encouragement because his tongue traced firmly across Cisco's lips. Cisco held onto Snart's coat, for balance, his mind flying, and because he wanted to see how his dreams measured up.

Snart's body was firm and responsive; he really liked it when Cisco splayed greedy fingers across his skin. His mouth tasted sweet, unsurprisingly, and his whole presence was hot, molten, it felt like. Irony. Cisco would probably remember that later.

Snart had a good grip on Cisco's hips but Cisco wasn't even trying to get away. Once the kiss ended, he stayed right where he was, breathless and stunned and struggling out of silence in a way that was not really his thing. Snart was staying close as well and he was, he was eating marshmallows again.

Cisco's hands stayed tucked under Snart's coat. Snart's skin was warm.

"I feel like someone should be making a having dessert joke but weirdly I can't quite...get that," Cisco finally managed.

Snart was smirking. It wasn't that attractive (it totally was). He sort of leaned closer, somehow, and his mouth tasted Cisco's lips again, so briefly it might not have actually happened. Then he was away, almost out the door before pausing, his glance fleeting but so freaking piercing, it made Cisco shiver, just a little. A good shiver, which Snart clearly knew because his smirk was definitely more pronounced.

Cisco already felt chilled without that line of heat up against him.

"Stock up."

Snart's gaze definitely lingered and Cisco felt warm all over again, too distracted to ask questions until after Snart had vanished out of the door at speed (more irony), leaving behind an empty marshmallow packet. Cisco stared for, well it definitely wasn't that long. Then his feet started working and finally his mouth caught up.

"What the hell?!"

He grabbed his phone because newsflash for Barry, Captain Cold was not as gone as they'd all assumed. Cisco stared at the still-steaming mug on the countertop, all innocent like it wasn't smirking at him like Snart always did.

Cisco texted briefly with one hand – not mentioning the kiss or the gifts, just that Snart had blown by to say thanks and that he was gone again, no destination specified. Seriously, was this Snart's thing now? Breaking and entering and winter drinks? And stealing kisses when it was Cisco apparently. Well stealing-ish, as in not at all.

When Cisco tucked his phone away, his fingers encountered something completely unexpected – was that a…? He pulled it free of his pocket – a candy cane. It smelled like peppermint. Somewhere Snart was smirking, again. Cisco glared at the candy, though his mouth might have twisted sideways too. Because candy, because Snart's kiss was still there on Cisco's lips, because this was all relatively normal for Central City and super weird at the same time. Because Snart had said something that made Cisco think that if Snart actually did leave town now, he wasn't going to be gone all that long.

Well, better the Rogue they knew, right? And Barry wanted to focus on Snart's honor, direct him down a better path.

Cisco stirred the mug's contents with the candy cane. His heart was still hammering pretty fast, the Snart-induced heat ebbing away so he was starting to feel chilled all over again. He scooped the empty marshmallow packet up off the floor. Stock up.

His mouth twisted again. Yeah, okay. But he was still going to change the locks.

-the end