Archive of Our Own ^beta

Loving Oliver was unbearable.

And it wasn't fair.

It was so, so unfair that it made you want to pull your hair out and scream so loud that your throat would crack and your voice would go hoarse.

Hal loved him. He still loves him with all his heart and soul, and he's willing to endure anything in this damn world just to be close to his friend, whom he never understood how he fell in love with so much that he felt like he was everything that mattered in the world, putting everyone and everything else on the back burner just to have Ollie by his side.

And he doesn't know what to do. Truly. Completely not understanding how it happened and why.

They are friends, they were and remained the closest people to each other for many years of their acquaintance, having experienced more than was supposed to people. There were always Hal and Ollie, Ollie and Hal, there was no question about it, something refused to accept all the others, looking at them as if through the film of an old cassette that had lost its value long ago and it did not frighten him. He didn't need anyone else. Just him.

But sometimes... Hal wished they'd never met.

When the man opens his eyes, and his brain is still wrapped in the cotton of a long-awaited dream, the first thing he feels is how numb his arm is, and how his back is aching terribly in the lower back, making him want to fall back asleep and sleep for at least three more days. Unfortunately, the universe doesn't seem to like Hal very much, and it's possible that he has done something to offend it, making it impossible for him to get up.

The weight on his arm moved and made a slurping sound, and his body gave out even more, like a child hugging their stuffed animal in their sleep.

Looking up at the ceiling with sleepy eyes, Hal wonders why he's so unlucky.

-Ollie, get up, I need to use the bathroom.

There was a loud snore in response, causing the man to sigh in frustration.

Well, it was to be expected, after all, he knew what he was getting into when he fell asleep again in Oliver's huge, soft, and clean bed after a long night of drinking and gossiping with the world. It was always like this. Even if Ollie has a room for him in his house, Hal continues to fall asleep with the billionaire at his side a shameful number of times, knowing what it will turn out to be for him, going through this stage over and over again.

He really is a jerk.

The man looks at his friend's face and snorts, seeing how he's opened his mouth and is drooling on his shirt, leaving a wet spot.

-Are you going to let me out or not? Who's going to feed Roy?

The answer is no, and he's squeezed tighter and his leg is moved higher on his stomach, making Oliver look like a monkey climbing a tree in the jungle. His beard tickles Hal's skin, making him want to use his ring to create a hair clipper and shave it off.

He snored again and buried his nose in Hal's neck, mumbling in his sleep, his hot breath sending shivers down Hal's spine.

Okay, either he's going to piss his pants because this asshole is putting pressure on his bladder, or he's going to have to listen to an unwashed adult child whining about not getting enough sleep.

The choice is clear.

With a sudden jerk, Hal's entire body rises, causing Oliver to fall off and groan loudly from the sudden awakening, blinking his equally sleepy eyes in displeasure, trying to understand what was happening.

-Hal, what the...

-There's no time, I need to use the bathroom.

-Fuck you mother

Under the cursing and grunting, the man jumped up and rushed to his faithful friend, the toilet, which beckoned him all the minutes of his awakening. Yes, this was what he needed, to relieve himself after all the cola he had drunk that evening.

He would blame Roy for this later, but it was the kid's idea to watch weird movies with lots of greasy food and Coca-Cola. It wasn't how he imagined a weekend after a two-week mission in space, but it was fun, and at least he didn't get drunk at a bar or sleep with someone, or just sleep through the entire two days in his bed in a dingy apartment.

Okay, he wouldn't blame the kid for that, but he wouldn't choose those movies again, Hal's eyes were almost swollen from unshed tears from those Indian movies. Or were they Arabic movies? Whatever, Roy and Ollie had too similar tastes in those soap operas, and the man knew what he was getting into, especially after they watched the entire Magnificent Century in one sitting.

It was a nightmare.

But Hal chuckled at the memory, after all, it was a fun time of shouting, arguing, and loud complaints from everyone.

-Why are you smiling like a fool while you're peeing? Are you stupid?

Oliver walks over to the sink and looks at his beard, idly scratching it with his fingers and running his tongue over his teeth, as if that would help him improve the nightmare-like appearance in front of him.

-Ollie, the light of my eyes, my destiny, the lover of the gods, please don't mumble all morning.

He just laughs and shoves Hal's shoulder with his own, causing him to stumble slightly.

-It's my bathroom, I can do whatever I want.

And like an important person with a nose up in the air, he approaches the toilet, pulling off his shorts and underwear, and begins to do the same thing as Hal, completely unconcerned about anything in this world.

-Can you hide the gun? Go to the sink.
-You'll be lonely, what kind of friend am I that I won't support my best friend in all his troubles?

Oliver wraps his free arm around his waist and pulls him closer, causing their hips to touch.

-My trouble is you.

-Shh, you'll be lonely without me.

-Oh yeah, I'm really lonely pissing without you Ollie, thank you so much .

-You're welcome, baby.

And like a real jerk, Oliver winks at him and grins, making Hal laugh and punch the other guy's shoulder in return.

God, they're both 26 years old, Ollie's two years older than him, and sometimes it feels like when they're together, their brains are atrophied and they only have one working cell between them, trying to work, but unfortunately, it's unsuccessful. It's relaxing to feel like this, without any obstacles.

That's why he loves Oliver.

When they leave the bathroom, Hal doesn't even bother to change out of his sleep clothes, but instead walks down the familiar hallways of the house, heading straight for the kitchen, knowing that his friend is trailing behind, scratching his beard and yawning into his hand.

There was a mess on the countertop and in the kitchen sink, but neither of them had the energy or desire to deal with it, so as the responsible adults in the house, they simply pushed everything aside and started cooking a late breakfast, which consisted of fried eggs and sausage.

Hal stands at the stove with a spatula, lost in his quiet thoughts about how this place reminds him of a home he could never give up. Here, with Oliver, in the quietness and away from the noise of the big city, it feels like it will always be this way, no matter how many years pass. These dreams come too often for his own good, but he can't help himself, not when so much of his life on earth is spent within these familiar walls and the embrace he longs for.
He's expected here.
Always.

No matter how long he was away on Green Lantern business, no matter how many days, weeks, or months he missed while in space, Oliver always greeted him as if he had been waiting for every minute, counting down to Hal's arrival, and it made his heart feel so warm that he wanted to drown in the embrace and the joy of seeing that cheeky face with its sly smile and kind, loving eyes, looking right at him and no one else.

And Hal can't do anything about the fluttering of his heart, which wants to burst out of his chest from loving someone he didn't want to love.

It would be easier if he still loved Carol.

Suddenly, strong arms wrap around his waist and squeeze him tightly, pressing his chest against his back and tickling the back of his neck with his beard again, but this time on purpose.

-If I start burning things now, you'll be eating embers.

Oliver mumbles into the skin, completely ignoring what was said, and only pressing Hal to himself more tightly, forcing him to rest his hips on the countertop next to the stove and hold their weight with one hand that didn't have a spatula.

--I'll sue you for harassment.

-Yeah, whatever you say, Mr. Space Cop, I'm scared and trembling.

And as befits the main asshole of the Justice League, Oliver bites the back of his neck with restrained force, sinking his teeth into the soft, sensitive skin of Hal's neck, causing his legs to buckle in a treacherous manner. The sensation sends a wave of goosebumps down his spine, forcing him to brace himself against the hard edge of the table and resist the urge to arch his back in pleasure.

Sometimes he wants to kill Oliver so he'll forget what Hal told him in confidence about his neck and how damn sensitive it is.

It took all his willpower to hold back a deep, sharp gasp at the sensation, and he wouldn't give this asshole the satisfaction of mocking him for the rest of his short vacation, God knows.

-You... asshole.

Oliver pulls away and laughs right at the bite, blowing hot air onto it and supporting Hal's squirming body so he doesn't hit him or move away.

-You're the one who woke me up so early.

The hands that wrapped around his waist loosened their grip a little, and just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he felt his chest being grabbed and squeezed, and then the hands began to move again, sliding under his wrinkled T-shirt and touching his hot skin with their cold hands.
The touch caused his body to tingle, and his heart began to beat a little faster. No matter how many times Oliver did this to him, his reaction was always the same, and they both knew it, because after a couple of years of friendship, they had learned all the body movements too well, without even realizing it.

Hal knows what's about to happen, and he's as ready for it as he is for a war on another planet or an attack by villains at any time of day. They've done this too often not to know what's what.

The man is turned over, his body manipulated like a ragdoll, and he's pressed against the countertop, forcing Hal to hold on with one hand while the other wraps around his front and dips under his shirt, tracing the ridges of his spine with lazy movements.

--Did I tell you you're an asshole, Ollie?

He smiles with a sly squint, like a fox, and touches Hal's lips with a light touch, almost immediately pulling away to tease him.

-And what are you, then? A jerk?

Hal reaches out, closing the small distance between them, and presses himself against Oliver, tilting his head slightly for convenience.

Their lips don't part. They never do. It seemed like an unspoken rule between them, no matter how much Hal hated him with all his heart in those moments. He wanted more. He wanted to feel that tongue in his mouth, tracing his teeth, his palate, and sucking on his lip until it was swollen and numb.

All he had to do was open his mouth.
It was just a simple movement.

But he couldn't do it, no matter how much he wanted to. This transparent, thin line between them will always stand in his way, and Hal can't cross it, knowing that Oliver doesn't look at him the way he wants.
He can handle it.

It's just that sometimes it's harder to restrain himself than it was the previous times, especially when their bodies are so close and those strong hands are touching his back, pressing on the points that send a current through his body, making Hal pray that he won't get a hard-on from these touches.

He wraps his free arm around Oliver's neck and presses him a little harder against his body, their lips still sealed.

-Your balls are burning, old man.

Hal's eyes pop open at the unexpected voice and he immediately pushes a similarly surprised Ollie away from him and looks at the smoking frying pan.

-Fuck my mother !

The blonde lets go of him completely at the same moment the man turns around and turns off the gas, looking at the charred edges of the fried eggs and the slight black smoke that drifts towards the включенной вытяжке.

Fuck.

The three of them stand in silence, and Hal feels a knot in his stomach and a treacherous pounding in his heart as he realizes that Roy has just seen them. Yes, he's a big boy, and he sees and understands a lot, especially when Ollie and Hal are fooling around, which is definitely not the kind of traditional friendship he's used to. It's just that he hasn't seen... this before. For some reason, jokes about fags in the military or his father's friends from his childhood come to mind. Hal wasn't gay, no, not in any way, no matter what anyone might think or joke about it. The situation with Ollie was different. He's the first man he's ever felt something so strong for, and at first it was a bit of a strain. But Hal's a fearless man, and it didn't take long for him to accept that he'd fallen in love with a man, especially his best friend.

He smiles and turns to Roy, who's standing with his arms crossed, his eyes twinkling with a sly grin. God, he looks just like Oliver, and they're not even related!

-Ollie....

-Hal.....Come on bro, I'll order takeout, it's only like twenty minutes, right? Roy, tell him it's not me.

The boy walks closer to them and looks at what was supposed to be breakfast, and chuckles.

-You're fucked.

-Hey! Which side are you on!?

Hal immediately hugs Roy, pulling him into his chest like a mother would a naughty child, and starts stroking his head, sticking out his tongue and middle finger at the other man.

-This is my son, my little boy, my little son, always on my side, right?

He makes a fake face and squeaks in a high-pitched voice, while Roy continues to laugh and wraps his arms around his waist, sticking out his tongue in the same way that Hal Oliver did just now.

-You can order us some food, we'll wait. And it's good for you to eat charcoal for your stomach, by the way.

-Roy!

Hal chuckles as he ushers Roy out of his adoptive father's small rebellion in the kitchen and into the spacious living room, where he plops his double weight onto an unmade sofa with a pile of pillows and blankets left over from their movie marathon the night before.

His bones ached pleasantly, and his neck tingled in places he tried not to think about in the presence of a child, as he massaged his back and spine, remembering how Oliver had held him close and bit him just a minute ago, touching him almost everywhere.

He sighs softly and looks at the TV screen, where a strange jackal is chasing a fast bird, but it crashes into a wall while the bird makes funny horn sounds.

Yes, he loves this kind of morning, even if he can't fly right now, as long as Oliver is here, Hal can endure spending time on the ground instead of in the sky.

-Hey, Hal.

Roy looks at him with curiosity in his eyes, but his voice shows that he's hesitant to speak. Hal knows what he's going to ask.

-Are you fucking Oliver?

The boy cringes and grimaces at his own words.

-Ugh, no, wait, I don't mind if you're gay or something like that, everyone has their own tastes and all that, and it's easier to accept that now...God, Hal, why Oliver? He's a jerk and an asshole, and I love him, but you know what I mean!

Roy's sincerity makes Hal smile, trying to suppress the uneasy feeling in his stomach at the thought of something that will never happen between them. He acquires Roy, placing him at his side, so that the boy cannot see his eyes or the sad look he is trying to hide.

-No Roy, I'm not sleeping with Oliver. We're just best friends.

Yes.

Just friends.

★★★

Everything is different in space, weeks on earth. Over time, you get used to it and don't pay attention to anything specific, just admiring the beauty that the vast cosmos could offer its inhabitants.

Hal loves space. Not as much as he loves the sky and flying, but it's the second most important thing in his life, and he truly enjoys observing it during his flights and missions in various parts of the universe.

It's captivating, the unknown that is so vastly different from everything he's used to on Earth, making him feel like he's going crazy and his head is spinning.

Time, sunsets, sunrises, nature, oceans and seas, inhabitants, animals, respect, even the sky, Hal had seen so much that the earth seemed like a piece of stone with water and people compared to all the beautiful things he had seen, and he had the right to compare because his eyes had seen so much.

But no matter how beautiful the cosmos was to him during those long hours of flying through the milky ways and stars, he always returned to earth.

Not to the sky. Not to the place where he felt free and soaring in a multi-ton death machine that carried his pathetic life at great speed, pushing the clouds so fast that his heart was racing with adrenaline.

Hal loved the sky more than space, it would never change and no one could take away his love for it, he would stream up, even if his legs gave out, cut off along with his arms, eyes and tongue, he would still fly with the roar of the engine, it was never otherwise. His mother hated him for it, Jack hated him too, but he did not know if it was because of his crazed love for the sky or if it was about Hal himself.

But now, as he watches the huge flakes of snow fall straight down on him, as he looks up at the gray winter sky and listens to the muffled screams in his ears, he feels like he's found something more than just the sky and the rush of adrenaline here on earth, no matter how much he longs to return.

The sky is overshadowed by a familiar face with a nasty but cute smile playing on his lips, which were moving as he tried to convey something to him, but the man couldn't hear anything, only watch and see the snowflakes stuck in his messy, wet blonde hair and the way his beard twitched comically with every movement, as well as the small mustache above his lips.

The green eyes looked at him with such amusement and tenderness that Hal felt a lump in his throat when he looked at them so closely.

They don't look like the sky at all.

But for some reason, every time he looks at them, he wants to stay on the ground a little longer just to watch them for a little bit longer.

In the distance, you can hear the shouts and squeals of Roy and Wally as they run around the area, trying to dodge Barry's throws, but to no avail.

They're all here, together, having fun and playing like they're still children, just like the two teenagers, full of energy and enthusiasm.

It's still snowing, and in the back of his mind, Hal remembers that Oliver was the first to show him snow, when he realized that he had never seen it in its full glory, as he had never experienced snow in Coast City, a city with a bright sun where snow was rarely seen. It was Ollie who introduced him to snow, all pompous and important, just beginning to grow his trademark beard, and brought him to his home for the first time during their friendship.

It was the first time Hal had seen so much snow, the first time he had set foot in a strange, large house.

-Hey Ollie

His breath is still heavy, and it's difficult to breathe because the man is completely on top of him, pressing him into the ground and not intending to get up.

He chuckles and, still smiling, raises one eyebrow. The blonde's breathing is just as rapid and tired, and Hal can see the redness of his ears, cheeks, and nose from the cold.

A snowflake falls on his hair.

His heart is pounding, and a knot of uncertainty is forming in his stomach as adrenaline rushes through his body, including his brain.

-"I love you.

Oliver smiles at him sincerely, a little childishly, and leans in to kiss him on the lips, touching them to his own, and Hal feels them crack and peel from the cold, touching his chapped flesh.

The green eyes look at him so tenderly that he wants to drip himself into them and die.
He can't look at the sky, not when Oliver is looking at him like this.

Their hands intertwine, forming a strong lock from their frozen fingers. Despite the cold, he feels as if the part of his body that Ollie is touching is burning, almost painful.
If love were a star, Hal wouldn't have made it to thirty, completely consumed by those eyes.

--I love you too, Hal, you're my friend.

And he kisses him again.

★★★

Sometimes he sleeps with women whose names he can't remember, either before or after he quietly leaves in the dead of night or the early hours of morning. He doesn't feel ashamed about it. He's confident that those women don't remember his name any more than he remembers theirs. They're just people who were looking for a way to distract themselves, nothing more. To relieve the stress of long, painful days and simply relax with a stranger who behaves like a narcissistic asshole and a sycophant, but gets what he wants.

Hal knows that he's an asshole by the standards of those who don't know him even half as well as he does. He accepts it because he never feels obligated to people, and he doesn't expect the same in return. It's easier to live that way than to wait for something that might not happen.

It was easier to draw the line with the aliens than with the humans. He realized this when his knees hit the cold, rocky floor of an alien bar's bathroom near the planet's intersection. There were no words exchanged, no attempts to talk, even though Hal could have understood them with the help of his ring, they still didn't.

It was easier that way.

It's easier when strong, slippery hands with three fingers squeeze him, and his mouth opens, and a hot tongue slips into his throat, preventing him from taking a full breath before it slips back out.

It's easier when it's not a man bending him over the sink without any preparation, but something alien with the same genitals that vaguely resemble the cock of a monster from a hentai he once watched. It's easier for Hal to close his eyes and endure the pain down there, as it wraps itself around him and continues to kiss, kiss, and kiss, reaching deep into his guts and turning everything upside down with each thrust, causing white stars to shimmer before his eyes, bright and dazzling, causing him to shiver.

If his father were still alive, he would have disowned him the moment he found out what Hal was doing.

«Faggots don't last long in the army, son, and it's better to keep people like that locked away so they don't go on raping children»

Ha.

Ha-ha.

If Martin Jordan had known that his beloved, untouchable middle son was being fucked in a bar by a huge alien while the same son was introducing his best friend, he would have shot Hal first and then shot himself out of shame or hanged himself in a fighter jet.

No, Hal's father was not a bad man, he was kind, easy-going, strict but in moderation and loved discipline but did not forget that all yours were just children and they had to learn from their mistakes on their own. Yes, he raised his hand on him, but it was only in extreme cases and Hal did not blame him for it, after all, he was a difficult child and even his mother's nerves gave out with her holy patience.

Even if the first time he was hit, Hal just painted his nails with his mother's green nail polish.

It's strange to think about my parents and father, especially in a situation where he's being bent over so much that his hands are pressed against the wall, trying to keep his body from being completely crushed by the wall. However, with each passing second, the coolness of the blue stone in front of him beckons him, as his body is burning from the inside out, as if he's been thrown into the heart of a volcano.

The alien doesn't look like Ollie at all. It's hard to even call it a human, except for the eight pairs of eyes and the hands.

It's easier when it's someone he'll never see, even if the memories remain.

Heavy breathing on his neck and strong, sharp teeth sinking into his tender skin, causing his knees to buckle, but a third hand grabs and holds him, for which he could be grateful if Hal were even a little more in his right mind.

He doesn't know his name, and he doesn't know who Hal is, either. Maybe he's just another green light in a sea of them. The man realizes that it's wrong to shout someone else's name with a ragged breath when his lungs are running out of air. He knows that he shouldn't close his eyes and imagine the strong arms of an archer with calluses on his palms, or the teeth that are biting into him right now.

He didn't want to think about Oliver, but Hal was weak, so weak that when the orgasm came so intensely and quickly, he couldn't stop murmuring the name that had been on his lips all this time.

A hand covered his mouth as he came. Hal felt his eyes water, but he held back even as the slippery thing slid out of his ass with a wet slurp, deliberately dragging the head along the walls. The creature lets go of him, but doesn't let him fall completely, and just a second later, Hal would have kissed the ground if the creature hadn't grabbed him and held him up.

The alien grunts something and sits the man down on something that looks like an alien toilet, with his back against the wall. Hal blinks slowly and watches as one of the hands takes a towel or something and rinses it under the tap, then returns to him and carefully spreads his legs, wiping away the remaining purple and clear liquid that still manages to drip out of the hole.

Yes, his first time is something else.

Hal wants to stop the alien, tell him to get the fuck out of here and leave him alone, he can handle this on his own. But for some reason, he doesn't. He just watches the steady movements and feels a throbbing sensation in his lower back and stomach, causing him to unconsciously place his hand on it.

-You didn't have to do that.

He winces at his hoarse voice, which he must have damaged during the sex.

The alien looked at him and blinked all its eyes, and then it smiled that terrible, fanged smile and continued to clean Hal, purring in its language.

-It's the least I can do after the time I've spent with you.

Pfft, it sounds ridiculous, but he's glad he decided to stay and help with all this, no matter how much Hal disliked helping people he didn't know.

Maybe he won't get up tomorrow.

And the day after tomorrow, too, the man can already feel how much it will hurt, he may have to go to a doctor on Oa, he won't go to a regular hospital, no way, he doesn't want to explain why his anus is torn and there's still some suspicious slime, and Hal is sure it will stay for a long time and deep inside, because this big guy was fucking him like his stomach and ass were made of rubber and his organs didn't exist.

He sighs softly and rubs his face, trying to find the strength to get up after all this.

-Tell me.... Who is the creature you were calling?

The question made Hal laugh, which he immediately regretted when his throat hurt and he felt like he'd been struck by the Flash's lightning.

The alien was frowning, or at least Hal thought he was frowning, as it was difficult to tell from his expression.

-It doesn't really matter.

He didn't want to talk about Oliver with someone who had just fucked him in the bathroom. Even if the alien looked like he was willing to listen to Hal's problems.

There was another huge difference between aliens and humans, the former always didn't care what gender their partner was, after all, many creatures in the galaxy didn't even have one at all.

- I thought you loved him, human.

Hal chuckles at the word "human" coming from the mouth of a huge alien, a race he didn't even know, and he won't ask the ring for the sake of principle.

-Yes, I like him. Very much. So much that it hurts.

Hal closed his eyes, and the alien carefully wiped his crotch, probably thinking about what he had just been told.

The silence was pleasant, and even if Hal didn't want to tell anyone about his crush, it felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, a small weight, but one that mattered. If he were in his right mind, he would never have told anyone about it on his own. But here? This was space, and they wouldn't see each other again, and even if they did, it would be a long time before he knew what Oliver Queen looked like.

-Then why aren't you with your lover, if you love him so much?

It's not a reproach, if it were anyone else, Hal would have no qualms about punching the asshole in the face and spitting on him. But the alien sounds confused, almost innocent, like Roy when he asks something he's not sure he understands correctly.

It made him smile.

-I'm just a friend to him, and he likes girls.

-Oh...

The alien was upset, and the man couldn't understand why. It was Hal's problem, not his, but for some reason, someone else was more upset than he was about the whole situation. If you looked closely, the alien looked like a sad mix of a bat and a spider, with the appearance of a beaten puppy.

-I...I understand you, human.

Why did Hal feel the need to start a conversation with someone he had just slept with a few minutes ago? All his asshole rules were thrown out the window.

But still, he can't help but talk to someone who seems to be in the same boat as him.

-Ueo'la'n is very beautiful, like a stone from our deep waters.... she was my friend, the most beautiful I have ever seen in this galaxy.

He paused for a moment, then reached for the fur on his chest. Hal had to stretch a bit to see the two pairs of earrings that sparkled even in the dim light of the room.

-I wanted to make her my companion, and I even forged jewelry as a symbol of my loyalty and love for her, hoping that our feelings would be mutual. We had a strong connection, and I believed that she felt the same way.

It's not hard to guess what happened next .

-She loves another. I don't have feminine features, and I don't attract her; I'm just a friend to her, and she will never see me as anything more.

Damn it.....

Hal sighs quietly and throws his head back, thinking about everything he's said. It's so damn similar to his situation that it makes him feel hurt and disappointed for this alien and for himself. He doesn't know how fate brought them together, but this conversation has truly made him feel a little better, even if they're both suffering from a love that they can't reach no matter how hard they try.

It seems that they both found solace in one-night stands in a dive bar, imagining each other as someone they didn't have the right to have.

Sometimes life is a joke, and fortune laughs at some people more than others.

The man looks at the earrings in his three-fingered hands again and chuckles painfully.

-If she turned you down, then she's a fool. And my friend is a fool too, because he doesn't see what he's missing.

The alien chuckles as he puts Hal's slightly worn-out underwear and torn jeans back on him, which were definitely not like this when he entered the bar.

-Yeah... I guess you're right. Thank you for spending the night with me.

-Don't worry, I'm glad it was you and not some asshole who tried to kill me. You're lucky, a guy like me doesn't give his ass to just anyone.

The man doesn't mention that this is his first time doing this.

Both of them smile, and when Hal creates his lantern costume again, which makes it much easier for his ailing body to move than trying to take even a single step, a hand stops him, and he's about to ask what's wrong when he feels something jingling and metallic being placed in his hand.

When he opens it, he sees familiar long green earrings and a gold ring.

-Hey, no, I can't take these...

But there's no one there.

-...accept...

Sometimes Hal wishes he smoked, he really wants to smoke and think now.

His eyes fall on the earrings in his hand again.

At least, he always wanted to get his ears pierced. Oliver had once suggested it to him when they were drunk, but the man had declined, claiming that it would make him easier to identify. He had lied, as the effects of his homophobic army and father had been more profound than he initially realized, but something told Hal that Ollie had seen through his easily fabricated lies, and he decided not to push the issue, as he often did when it came to matters of the heart.

Squeezing the piece of jewelry, Hal rushed out of the noisy bar, ignoring the stares of the other patrons, who had likely heard what they had been doing all this time through the music.

Yes, the earrings would definitely fit him.

★★★

-Oh my God, Hal, did you get your ears pierced?

Roy was standing in front of him, examining the long, dangling green earrings in his ears with an excitement that was far too intense for a fifteen-year-old. He sees the familiar sparkle in the boy's eyes, and Hal makes a note to talk to Oliver about suggesting that Roy get a piercing, as the boy's eyes were burning with excitement.

-Yeah, had a very successful drink in the alien bar.

Hal leaned over, giving a closer look at the decoration, in passing catching a satisfied look from Oliver, who smiled so much that it seemed that his cheeks were about to burst.

While Roy turned away in order to find a phone for a photo, the blond man's hand slipped around Hal's waist and slightly squeezed it. Ollie kisses him on the cheek and quickly pulls away, still smiling contently.

-They look great on you, especially the color, which is just like my eyes. I'm flattered.

-Ugh, no, save your gay games for bed, let me take a proper photo, and then you can cuddle when I'm gone.

Roy grimaces, and Ollie slaps the brim of his cap, causing it to slide slightly over his eyes, and he grumbles in annoyance.

-We'll cuddle wherever I want, even on the couch right now.

-No, you're disgusting old people.

Hal just smiles, unconsciously reaching for his earring and twisting it a little, feeling a pleasant sensation as his fingertips touched something cosmic.

He smiles, and then he also hits Roy on the cap when he straightens it.

-We're not old, you little brat, and I'm still in my prime.

Oliver and Roy start arguing, and Hal watches Mini, trying not to smile.

He's made the right decision. Ollie will support him, no matter what happens or who he is. This has always been the case, and it always will be, even if Hal is stubborn as a mule and thinks too much, his friend is willing to wait as long as it takes to make him happy. Sometimes a man thinks that he is not worthy of such friendship, taking more than giving, but looking at Oliver's smile with a squint in his eyes, it seems to Hal that everything is fine, that all his thoughts are just nonsense of his head and many years spent among people who never really allowed him to be himself in to the fullest extent, always cutting off dreams and thoughts about anything, forcing you to follow standards.

Maybe it's time to buy nail polish again. Not necessarily green. But it will be a start.

★★★

They met the Canary on one of the league's missions. Her name was Dinah Lance, and her scream could shatter glass and send villains flying meters away, bursting their eardrums as she moved gracefully like a predatory panther in her own jungle.

She captivated with her presence in a way that other heroes could only dream of. Hal could see it, and it stirred his blood. As he watched her, he thought about how cool she was, and how much training and effort she had put into her precise, steel-like movements.

Ollie is also looking at her, he can see it even through the mask with the lenses and he can't take his eyes off her so much that he almost misses. Almost. The archer is too good to miss because of a glance away, but Hal notices it and his heart sinks, hoping that he is fine, fearing that any miss will cost him his life.

After a long, exhausting battle, Oliver approaches her and flirts in his own way, trying to get her attention, and it makes him laugh a little.

Ollie is Ollie, even when he's dressed as the Green Arrow.

Hal decided to keep up with him and, in spite of his beloved friend, also hit on her, watching as she laughed at them and probably already considered them to be fools. Barry blushed for both of them and made such an apologetic expression that it became even more amusing to watch him trying to smooth out their first impression.

Oh, how much he loved his friends, even if they didn't always get along with each other, it was enough for a man.

- Honey, would you like to go out for a drink with us? I promise, we don't bite.

Dina laughs and brushes a golden curl out of her face, pretending to consider it before smiling?

-Of course, why not?

And so there were four of them.

At first Hal couldn't get used to the fact that in their male company of him, Barry and Oliver was added a girl, but all of them found common ground almost immediately, from which it became impossible to imagine what would have been without Dina, which on a par with Barry served as what kind of voice of reason in their company, although she herself often became the instigator of their adventures.

Dina was incredible, they all realized that, and when she joined the League, it was more fun than ever, because the four of them made so much noise, it was like a real kindergarten.

It was fun to watch Ollie flirt with her, trying to impress her, even though they both knew what he was really saying.

Hal didn't mind it, after all, he did it himself sometimes, making fun of her and asking her out almost every month, and then the two of them would turn it into a real joke, teasing Oliver when he expressed his confusion.

No matter how beautiful and strong she was, Dinah wasn't the first, and she wouldn't be the last, girl that Ollie had tried to pursue, and he knew it. Maybe it was just his vanity, but none of his whims had turned into true love, and Hal just turned a blind eye to his friend's latest fling, because it was the same as before.

Ollie was still hugging him.

His lips found him just as they had before, when they were alone, and they still slept in the same bed, even though Hal had his own room in the blond man's house.

Nothing had changed, and that was all Hal needed to keep from feeling jealous. He was just a friend, after all, but even so, what was happening between them, something beyond the ordinary, was something that only they could share.

No one could touch Oliver like he did, no one could see him the way he did, and that was all he wanted right now.

Dina was his friend, and she had become so dear to his heart that there was no point in being jealous, because he saw how she turned everything into a joke and brushed off his advances like bullets.

Sometimes he caught her looking at him, but he didn't see any desire or anything like that, as he usually felt when other girls and sometimes guys looked at him. When she looked at him, he could see a hint of sadness, but he couldn't figure out why. Maybe he didn't want to, because she was a psychiatrist after all, and she had been able to identify various traumas within him, which were so numerous that Hal preferred to ignore them, just as he did with the looks he received, continuing to exist as he always had around Oliver.

It's almost summer, and he's sure he'll have a little vacation soon, which Hal will spend in his arms.

★★★

Hal feels his heart beating so loudly that it hurts his ears. The roar of the fighter jet is so familiar to him that he feels like his cockpit is a cradle, and he's a baby being gently laid down by his mother in a place that belongs only to him.

He missed the sky to the point of disgusted happiness and a rush of adrenaline that hits his body like nothing else in this world. He's hot and cold at the same time, and it's such a pleasant feeling that he feels like laughing right now, despite all the people who will hear him and scold him for his disrespectful behavior, especially Carol, whose gaze sends chills down his spine. If Hal had a mirror, he'd bet all his remaining money that his pupils were dilated like a heroin addict's, and even though his hands weren't shaking right now, they would definitely start trembling after landing due to all the emotions he was experiencing right now and nowhere else.

Yes, he flies like a Green Lantern at high speeds and across space almost every week, fighting aliens and villains to the death. But even that feels different from flying when Hal, a pilot without impenetrable green armor or a ring on his finger, cuts the sky in half, performing all sorts of stunts and pushing the limits of his fighter jet.

He knew he shouldn't be doing this. He knew Carol wouldn't be happy with him, but his antics were bringing in big bucks from the aircraft sales, and everyone knew that Hal was one of the best pilots they had, and they couldn't find anyone else as reckless and crazy as him.

Barry said it was an adrenaline addiction, and that one day it would lead him to a bad end. The Ghost gave him a lecture on the ethics of heroes and how he should behave in battle, noting his "eccentric" behavior on the field.

If he listened to Barry, he definitely didn't listen to Bruce. This was his life, the real one, where he could breathe freely and feel truly alive, not just surviving.

They couldn't understand him. They didn't exist to live in the air.

Hal was willing to do anything to feel this forever.

The man feels himself being pulled forcefully into the chair by strong ropes with each trembling meter of height, and it's so, so amazing that he feels like he can't stop.

But he has to do it. The fighter has shown all the possibilities it was capable of and even more thanks to his recklessness and lack of self-preservation instinct. Hal knows that he needs to land it, he knows that there are people waiting for him below, full of admiration in their eyes, who have been watching him continuously for these two hours, which seem like just a moment to him.

The speed is decreasing, as is the altitude, and his heart is still beating wildly in his chest, as the ground gets closer and closer, and he is already being greeted on the runway.

If he could just not brake, but fly at full speed into this concrete, Hal wouldn't know if he felt fear or genuine happiness.

The body shakes as he unbuckles his seat belt and steps out of his abode with his head held high and a proud look, watching as people immediately rush to him without delay with their questions, wishes, and pure admiration for his skills, which sometimes did impossible things.

Carol, being Carol, is practically responsible for him. His best friend knows him too well to allow him to respond to anything, knowing full well what state Hal is in right now.

His ears are filled with cotton, and all he can hear is his heart and the shaking of his hands from the memories of what he just experienced. And no matter what anyone might say about the fear he felt, Hal knew that the feelings that overwhelmed him every time he was in the cockpit of a fighter jet were a thrill and an intoxication of the danger that awaited him in the smallest, unfinished piece of the death machine.

Suddenly, his gaze catches a whirlwind of blond hair and a familiar, loud shout of his name.

-Hal!!! Fuck, that was amazing!!!

Oliver immediately wraps his arms around him and lifts him up, so that his toes, still in his army boots, are suspended in the air. He must have lost weight.

His friend looks at him with such
admiration and delight that Hal feels a deep sense of joy and pride spread through his body like a lake. He can't help himself, as Ollie's praise always has a profound effect on him and his self-esteem, as seeing him like this is the most beautiful sight a man could ever witness.

-Ha, what did you expect? I was born to fly!

Laughter escapes his lips, but he doesn't care that it sounds almost hysterical, on the verge of madness in its own adrenaline form, which Oliver knew as well as Hal himself.

He doesn't want to let go, but there are a lot of people watching, and he can feel their eyes on the back of his neck. As Ollie lets go, he doesn't remove his hand from Ollie's shoulder and continues to smile like a complete idiot. Roy runs over to us, and Hal reacts quickly to catch the fifteen-year-old and prevent them from falling to the ground in disgrace.

-That was fucking awesome Hal! Damn, how do you do that? How did you manage to flip over at that speed? Are you feeling sick? You should have seen the looks on those people's faces when you were doing all that in the sky! They were literally gaping at you. Hal, you have to teach me how to do that, please!

Roy continued to talk at a rapid pace, with such enthusiasm and energy that Hal could only envy.

He managed to get the kid off of him and ruffled his red hair, unable to suppress a proud smile. As soon as the man opened his mouth to say something, a second teenager jumped on him.

-HAL!!!

Wally jumped on him with such force that Hal almost spun around on his axis to stay on his feet and not drop the boy. Wally laughed loudly and wrapped his arms around Hal's neck, burying his nose in the collar of Hal's flight jacket.

-Wally! It's been a long time since I've seen you! You've grown up a lot.

-You saw each other last week, Hal, don't exaggerate.

Barry smiled sweetly and couldn't help but share the same happy expression as everyone around him. When Wally climbs off him with a happy expression on his mother's face, Hal ruffles his hair just like he did with Roy, and then hugs Barry.

-I didn't expect to see all of you. What's the occasion? Has someone died? Has someone given birth? Have I missed another celebration?

Everyone laughed at him, which meant nothing bad, and what could have happened in the last few hours if he had been on earth for two days? It was unusual to see Ollie with Barry, and with Roy and Wally as well, especially at his work, which none of them had ever visited in all these years, as far as he could remember.

So don't make fun of his suspicious behavior, even though he's really happy to see them all.

-We came to see you fly!

Wally is practically vibrating but he's trying to hold it in so he doesn't give himself away.

-Yes! It was so cool! It's not like it is on TV.

Roy is just bouncing a little and his cap is slightly askew from all the running and jumping on him.

Hal can't help himself and he hugs the two little shits again, pulling them closer to him as they shout in outrage and beg him to let go because they think he smells like a skunk.

He knows that the children can hear his heart beating fast and his voice breaking and shaking, and they can see that his hands are shaking, so he has to clench them and dig his nails into his skin to calm himself down a little and get the rest of the adrenaline out of his system so that he can think more clearly.

Barry laughs and takes the children in his arms, and he doesn't even try to hide a suspicious, pleased smile, as if he knows something that Hal doesn't know.

-Well, well, let's give Hal some air, especially since he's probably choking a little.

-What do you mean? Barry?

Roy and Wally chuckle, covering their mouths with their hands like real gremlins about to pull something nasty.

Hal doesn't understand what's going on, and when he turns to Oliver for help, he freezes, his eyes wide open, his words cut short by a gasp.

Ollie stands with the most important and satisfied look, holding a large bouquet of fresh lilies and lotuses, tied with a green ribbon. The man completely does not know what to say. Looking at the bouquet and then at his friend, he sincerely does not understand what is happening at all and what he is doing while everyone is looking at them.

- What, Hal, did you think that I would not do it? I said that I would meet you from the cabin right with flowers in my hands, and I never refuse from my words.

And he fucking winks at him, stepping closer and placing a sweet-smelling, beautiful bouquet in his hands, smiling so smugly and brightly that Hal restrains himself from giving in to his whim and kissing him in front of everyone, even a fleeting touch of their lips was simply impossible with all those eyes fixed on them.

But he can't.

Not here.

Not now.

Hal smiles, feeling his spine ache a little, but he chooses to ignore it, just as he ignores everyone around him except for the people he cares about, who are standing in front of him, smiling like a pack of hyenas.

-I thought you were joking. You shouldn't have, Ollie, really.

-Don't be silly, I told you I gave you a bouquet after your fiftieth flight this year, and I kept my promise, see? We all voted.

Roy puts his hands in his pockets and looks away shyly, as if he had nothing to do with it, and Wallie hides a smile by tilting his head slightly, as if Hal couldn't see their embarrassed faces.

Barry takes his phone out of his bag and speaks while trying to suppress his laughter.

-Yes, and Oliver also scared the whole flower shop with his appearance and "urgent life-or-death order" which made everyone so nervous that they were closed for an hour and a half while they decided which flowers would be the best.

The kids groan in embarrassment, probably remembering all the horror they had to go through because of Ollie's dramatic entrance at the flower shop, and they're probably already thinking about changing their appearance just to avoid being on the news.

Oh, there's going to be a lot of gossip after Oliver's antics among all those old people who love to gossip. After all, they're not just seeing an ordinary man with flowers for a pilot, but Oliver Queen himself.

God, Jim and Jack are going to eat him alive when they find out, and maybe the second one will delete him from the family chat again...for the seventy-eighth time in all these years. Oh well, Jim will probably help him...probably. What the hell is wrong with his family? You can't even rely on yourself, let alone your own brothers.

-Okay, we're all standing next to our pilot, and we're looking directly at the camera. Don't blink, please. Hal, this is also for you, so stand up straight.

Roy and Wally stood on either side of him, and with the most proud smiles, they grabbed his sides, making a peace sign, while Hal embraced the two of them, smiling genuinely, still skillfully holding the bouquet in front of him.

He feels like a bride at a wedding, seriously.
Then Oliver walks up to him and smiles, winking at him again, which would have embarrassed the man if he were ten or even fifteen years younger.

Hands wrap around his waist from behind and the bouquet is right in the middle between them, flaunting itself in the foreground as the brightest spot. Hal listens to his own heart and can't calm it down, even though it has already noticeably slowed down its drumbeat.

A warm breath tickled his ear, causing him to shudder and turn towards the blonde, who was looking at him affectionately and whispering softly.

-I'm happy for you, Hal. I love you.

He smiles, rolling his eyes playfully, but feels the grip on his waist tighten slightly.

-And I love you, Ollie, thank you.

After that, they break up, and a second blond man takes the place of the first. Barry smirks at him and wiggles his eyebrows while Oliver sets up the camera, making him want to punch him in the shoulder to shut him up, because the speedster's facial expression speaks volumes.

-Are you two making out?

Well, Hal punches him lightly, but Barry feigns an oomph and pretends to be offended, although his smile never fades.
-Get lost, envy silently.

And both of them chuckled at this, knowing perfectly well that there was nothing to envy, it remains only to cry.

In the end, the five of them take a selfie with Hal in the middle, and after saying goodbye to Carol with her raised eyebrow and alternating looks at him and Ollie, she wishes him a good time and a rest, because at the moment, he looks like a living corpse. Well, maybe she's right, after all, this lady takes care of him in her usual manner, which Hal knows as well as she does.

They all walk to the car together, and when they're about to leave, Barry, who has a chicken-like memory for certain things, suddenly stops and says that he forgot to stop at a regular grocery store to buy dinner for them.

-I'll be quick, just one trip.

-We're coming with you!

Roy almost jumps out of his seat in the car and slams the door so loudly and forcefully that it looks like it's going to crack for a moment. Wally also jumps out like a shot and runs after them, leaving Hal and Oliver sitting in silence for almost a minute, staring at each other in confusion, trying to process what just happened.

Then it dawns on Hal, and he bursts into laughter, leaning back in his seat. God, those little hyenas left them alone on purpose. He's sure it was Roy's plan, and he'll talk to him about it later.

In the meantime.

-Why are you laughing? Hal, what the hell...

Before Oliver can finish his sentence, his lips are covered by Oliver's own, and he can't help but smile.

He's been wanting to do this since he saw Ollie in the crowd. Hal wraps his arms around Oliver's neck and pulls him closer, showering him with kisses and making it difficult for Oliver to escape his grip, even though he doesn't really try.

Hal's hand rests on Oliver's lower back, and he uses his fingers to massage Oliver's skin, causing it to tingle.

Hal knows what will happen to him after the adrenaline from the flight wears off. Barry and Ollie know this too, but they still want to spend the evening with him, despite what awaits them. Perhaps Roy will understand what is happening and be able to explain to Ollie why he is experiencing such a sudden change in mood and why his apathy is hitting him with an unbearable force that Hal cannot escape, despite his strong will. It is inevitable. Barry warned him that it would happen more and more often, but Hal is a jerk and always dives headfirst into the cold water until it bites him.

Adrenaline addiction is a bitch.

Hal knows this. Oliver knows this. But neither of them has spoken about it. Not in the way that it needs to be spoken about. It's a realization that hangs like a noose between them, a noose that he has created for himself in pursuit of this feeling, but one that he has always managed to avoid, despite the fact that each of his actions could be his last. Hal remains silent. Ollie remains silent, but the silence feels like the highest form of trust for a man. They didn't need to talk about it, Hal was alive, and that was all that mattered, even if his actions were catastrophically dangerous and many other people were afraid of him. But not him. Never Ollie, who knows all too well what was going on with him and just quietly accepting it, turning a blind eye to all his flaws. It's not indifference, but trust that he can never break, no matter how bad things get.

-Hal, are you with me?

Oliver looks at him with a hint of concern, and when the man wanted to respond, he realized that he couldn't utter a single word to reassure him that everything was fine.

The hand is still on him, but this time it moves to his spine, running its fingertips over the vertebrae like they were strings, a soothing motion.

He sighs softly and just kisses Ollie on the lips again, quietly forcing the words out so the blonde can understand and hear him.

"I'm fine now."

★★★

After that, he tries to ignore the strange looks from other people and the pilots. Tom was acting just like Carol, and he didn't need to think much about it.

Even when he heard a soft whisper behind him every time he passed other pilots or mechanics.
"Faggot."

★★★

The night is unbearably hot, and Hal feels like he's about to suffocate with every new breath he takes, trying to catch his breath. Maybe he's exaggerating, but right now, he feels like the ceiling is about to collapse on him, and even an open window or air conditioning won't save his burning body.

He swears he'll blame Oliver for the rest of his life. That blond bastard thought it would be too cold for them to sleep, so he turned on the heaters in the middle of the night, wrapping their bodies in a thick duvet. And that's not even considering the five beers each of them drank the night before, as well as all the unhealthy food they ate at the nearby restaurant.

And now they're both breathing heavily, like dogs, drenched in sweat, and Hal feels like he's going down to the basement just to breathe some cool air.

- Let's turn on the heating, Hal, we're freezing, look at this warm blanket, it'll keep us warm, we'll sleep like babies, Hal, trust me.

The man deliberately distorted his friend's voice, watching as he groaned loudly in displeasure and threw the "warm, comfortable, and simply magnificent" blanket on the floor, as if it were responsible for the current heat.

- You're the only one who listens to me! And I've turned everything off, so just wait, and it won't be so hot.

-Yes, you said that thirty minutes ago, Ollie, and I'm still sweating like a pig on a grill!

- Stop being dramatic, if you're hot, just take off your clothes like I did and leave.

- It's amazing, he did something stupid, and I need to calm down. Ollie, I swear I'll strangle you.

After these words, he hit the archer over the head with a soft pillow and stood up to take off the sweat-soaked T-shirt and throw it into the corner of the large room, where it would be added to the pile of other clothes that both men would eventually put in the washing machine. Alternatively, they could ask Roy, who he was certain was peacefully sleeping in his cool room under a comfortable blanket, having consumed five liters of Coca-Cola and eaten a large amount of sushi and oysters. These were growing bodies.

And damn, when he undresses, leaving only his underwear on, Hal feels a cool breeze from the window on his back and barely restrains himself from moaning in pleasure. However, it is impossible to hide the pleased expression on his face, and Oliver laughs at him, removing the pillow from his head and embracing Hal with his legs wrapped around him.

Hal was honestly trying not to look at the completely naked body in front of him. No matter how many times he saw the blonde in front of him completely naked, whether it was in the bathtub, in the Jacuzzi, or at any other time when they were both looking at each other, it was difficult not to stare and not to want to see her body in front of him.

- Do you want me to cook completely?

His voice was no longer as angry and irritated, taking on a familiar playful and lazy tone.

-Oh, no, dear, how could you think such a thing about me?

He smiles, and Hal rolls his eyes and bites his shoulder, just to make him uncomfortable.

Oliver giggles and runs his hand down Hal's back, digging his fingers into the small of his back, making Hal twitch and squirm uncontrollably, pressing his groin harder against Oliver's thigh, which, as usual, was right between his legs and twitching just to tease him, even though Ollie assured him that it would be more comfortable for him that way.

Yes.

Sure.

So he believed those sly green fox eyes and that sly smile on their first night together in a bed, which was so long ago that Hal couldn't remember the reason they were lying in each other's arms on a small bed and doing things that no friend in their right mind would do, and it would have far-reaching consequences for a man's sexuality and his infatuation.

Well, he was in trouble, and Hal knew it as well as he knew aerodynamics, which wasn't helping.

Sometimes it's easier, sometimes it's harder to keep all your feelings inside and the opportunity to do more than what they had now, and it drove him crazy to the point where every thought at night when he held his cock in his hands led to fantasies about what would happen if Hal went further instead of holding back, and allowed him to do whatever he wanted without any restrictions.

But these are just dreams, and he can't ask for anything more than what he already has. Not then, not now.

The hand on his back moves lower, resting on his thigh, and squeezes a little harder than necessary, but the man doesn't stop him, continuing to gaze into those beautiful green eyes, which are fixed on him with a tenderness that makes his heart race.

Hal uses his fingertips to brush a strand of hair away from the man's face, and the man allows him to do so. He allows himself to run his thumb across her cheek, placing his hand on her face and pulling her closer, so that their noses meet and rest against each other.

Oliver grins and blows in his face, making him squint for a second and hold back the laughter that's stuck in his chest.

- You're thinking too much, stop it.

And, God, he's cursed with an unstoppable smile. How can he not think about him almost every minute since they met? It's impossible, even unbearable to some extent, for him not to imagine the happy face with the funny beard that greets him after every space mission over the years. Hal doesn't know what it's like not to think about Oliver, and he can't imagine what his life was like before that, or if he even had a life.

It's such a crazy thought that it turns him on.

- Are you afraid that my thoughts aren't about you?

-How dare you?! You're only allowed to think about the beautiful Oliver Queen and his delightful beard.

-Understood, Your Majesty.

Hal pulls him closer and kisses him, but pulls away almost immediately, watching as a smug smile spreads across his lips.
What a jerk.

Kissing Oliver is like kissing a star, so warm and gentle that it makes a man want to melt into him, give anything for another kiss.

And he can achieve this by kissing those lips, over and over again, pressing them harder and harder with each kiss, but unable to make a single move to open them.

His hands rest on the other man's chest, and he runs his palms over it before moving down to the waist and back up again, repeating the same movements over and over, feeling the other man's body completely relax as his hand on Hal's thigh slides sinfully down to the inside, stroking another sensitive area. He used his fingertips to caress the area, and Hal could only pray that he wouldn't get hard, although it was almost impossible every time they went as far as Ollie allowed.

Their lips meet with a loud sound, and his nose touches her cheek. He immediately understands what she wants, and without further explanation, he tilts her head back slightly, giving her complete control over his neck. He feels the gentle touch of her kisses as they glide over her skin inch by inch, and she stealthily bites the skin near the keyhole, where she knows she will leave bruises and teeth marks in the morning, At which Roy will make a face.

But Hal can't help it, he just wraps his arms around the archer's chest and runs his fingers along his broad back, closing his eyes and surrendering to the caresses and touches of his skilled fingers, lips, and hands.

-Damn it, Hal, you're melting like ice cream.

His breath tickles Hal's neck, and he chuckles, giving the archer a playful kick in the calf, although it doesn't seem to make much of a difference.

-What can I say, I'm a sugar-sweet girl.

And both of them laugh at that, coloring their bodies and pressing a little bit harder against each other, until their bare chests meet each other, their sweaty, hot skin touching. The sensation makes Hal's head spin a little, and he misses the soft sigh that escapes his lips, accompanied by a stronger bite in the hollow between his shoulder and neck.

He doesn't need to see the cheeky grin that spreads across Ollie's face when the sound reaches his ears. The cheeky bastard, sometimes Hal wonders if his friend's purpose in life is to push him to the brink and watch him fall, all for the sake of laughing and jumping in after him.

The man feels someone else's penis rubbing against his leg, as the person in front of him has chosen to undress completely, allowing him to clearly feel the other man's genitals. In a bid for revenge, the man moves his leg more than necessary, feeling the other man's penis move in response, causing Oliver to twitch slightly. However, this is enough for Hal, who knows Oliver too well to miss such a small detail. He smiles widely, reaching out to twine his fingers through Oliver's blonde hair and gently squeeze it.

-What were you saying?

-Asshole.

-You're one yourself.

Hal closes his eyes again and pulls Oliver down a little with a light pressure on the back of his head. Oliver doesn't put up much resistance and even willingly resumes his task, kissing, biting, and sucking on his skin without shame or conscience, while the man himself suffers the most unbearable torment to keep from breaking down.

What are they doing?

Neither of them knew the answer to this question, even as it hung in the air like a huge shadow, but Hal and Oliver just continued to ignore it, as if it didn't matter what was happening between them. If he hadn't paid attention to the overwhelming sense of confusion before, it was now tightening its grip around his neck, pulling him deeper into the thoughts of why their relationship was less than love and more than just friendship. Maybe in a previous life, he did something so irreparable that he is now destined to suffer and love Oliver.

Hal flinches again at another bite right on his chest and clamps his lips shut to keep from moaning, feeling the skin being sucked and licked with such force that he'll have a red hickey in the morning. He should be glad it's not his neck, but the thought of the mark Oliver's leaving on display makes his lower belly ache pleasantly and tingle, which doesn't bode well for him.
But he doesn't stop him.

No angle, a new bite follows the previous one, or when his own hand slides so low and makes circular motions on the inside of someone's thigh, almost imperceptibly touching the other man's penis during his caresses, causing the blond man to moan and arch his back slightly. Two could play this game. Hal knows the body pressed against him as well as his friend knows the man's body, as if it were his own.
How he missed this.

Even though he's been staying with Ollie for almost a week, practically living with him and spending his free time with him and Roy, Hal can't help but think about how the blonde often looked at her phone and smiled at the messages she received, and then left, promising to return for dinner, but only returned in the early morning with the happiest expression on her face, which was always directed only at him.

Now, things are different. The man knows that Oliver goes to meet with Dina, but he just dismisses the idea. The blonde often spent the night with a different girl, coming back satisfied and bragging about how hot and amazing she was in bed, still hugging and clinging to him like a lifeline. Hal listened to him, laughing at his adventures and telling him about his own, and then they both fell asleep tangled together, and in the morning they forgot about all the conversations, because they were never important enough for a man to feel even a little jealous.

But still, he was a fool. For all this week, he had been waiting for Ollie, counting the hours he had spent without him, wondering if his friend would return by the promised time, or if he would stay with the girl again, spending those nights with her instead of him. Sometimes he caught Roy's sad gaze, who would wake up late to grab a bite to eat or a drink of water, telling him to just go back to sleep, even though they both knew that Hal wouldn't be able to do that. On rare occasions, the boy would sit next to him, and they'd watch old TV shows together, wrapped in a blanket, waiting for something that never happened.

He's grateful that Roy didn't tell Ollie about those sleepless nights when Hal waited like a dog for his return, just to see him and hug him. He doesn't know how he would have explained his behavior, even if he tried, because there were no words that could describe it. Those nights were the longest and most painful for Hal, especially now that his friend was leaving and returning, almost flying on the wings of something so amazing that it made his stomach turn just thinking about it.

Barry told him that it wouldn't end well for him. He didn't specify what exactly, but the words were spoken as Hal's gaze was fixed on his best friend's dancing body as he enjoyed himself with Dina on the dance floor. Hal laughed and pretended not to understand what Barry was referring to. All he earned was a long, sad look filled with understanding that haunted him for days in space.

The sadness in his loved ones' eyes weighed heavily on his heart.

But what could Hal do? Everything about Oliver was poison to him, poisoning his body, and he couldn't escape it no matter how hard he tried. He was too weak to even think about stopping to love him, and sooner or later it would kill him.

Hal sighs in short bursts, feeling Oliver lift himself up and turn him over, laying him on his back, spreading his legs and settling between them, exposing his shameful erection to the view of that insolent, domineering, and pleased expression. His eyes slide over him, admiring his work, while Hal struggles to find the right rhythm to breathe deeply and evenly. But he can't, because Ollie is pressing against him again, their lips touching, and Ollie's cock is almost pressing against his erection, creating a bulge in his underwear and a small wet spot from the pre-cum.

All he can do is wrap his arms around his neck and try to get as close as possible, his hips twitching treacherously in an attempt to find some semblance of satisfaction.

Fuck, if they don't stop now, Hal doesn't know if he can hold back and not come, even though he's not even touched, just from what Ollie's doing to his body, allowing him to rub and touch.

The man shudders all over when the blond man deliberately squirms between his legs, creating a pleasant tension that forces him to shamelessly wrap his thighs around the man's waist and practically pull him down onto himself, pressing against him, feeling the immense weight and burning touch that makes his body tremble and ache in a way that no one has ever done before.

Fuck.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

This is the first time it's come this close to the edge, usually they stop, laugh with after embracing or taking the spoon position fall asleep completely oblivious to Hal's hard on, which he never cared about, falling asleep with a smug smile.

But now? He doesn't know what to do. The brains turn to mush and he knows, feels that a little more and something completely irreparable will happen.

Hal pulls away from his lips and moans treacherously, trying to push Oliver away a little, to make it clear that the line he's drawn will be crossed and they need to stop for his own good.

-Ollie....stop I'm about to....ah

A new moan escapes his lips, and it's immediately silenced by a rough kiss, so much so that their teeth clack together, and Hal twitches, gripping Oliver's back harder in an attempt to hold on and not fall apart right here and now.

He won't stop. The thought comes to him almost instantly, as his eyes close on their own and he feels a strong jolt of electricity run down his spine, and the knot of arousal in his stomach unravels slowly, sticky, releasing all the tension in his body with a spreading bliss from everything that just happened.

His head spins a little as his eyes open again, just as Oliver pulls away from his lips with a wet sound, but still close enough to face him that he can clearly see even the smallest beads of sweat and facial expressions.

Even now, looking into those green, grassy eyes, he couldn't see a single trace of the desire he'd always longed for.

-Hal....

He breathes in slowly, trying to catch his breath, but he manages to force out a quiet mumble to indicate that he's listening.

Oliver looks at him with genuine concern, but there's something in his gaze that makes Hal's insides tighten and vibrate like a string.

-I think I'm in love with Dina ....

Something inside him is breaking.
............
............
............
Hahaha

Yes, Hal was the biggest jerk in the world.

He smiles at Oliver, and he stands up and hugs him, patting his torn back, nuzzling his nose into the dimple next to his shoulder and taking a deep, quiet breath.

His eyes burned with treachery.

-I'm happy for you Oliver, I think you'll make a perfect couple.

-Do you really think so?

Hearing this genuine joy in his voice was painful, but he couldn't do anything else.

-Yes. I'm sure she loves you as much as you love her.

As Hal whispers these words into her bare, wet skin, he realizes that his ears are ringing and his chest is aching with every breath, making it difficult for him to breathe.

Without saying a word, the man gets out of bed and nods to the blond man in the direction of the door, letting him know that he will be gone for a while. Hal closes the door behind him, and after the click, he can no longer hear anything but the sound of his blood rushing under his skin.

He doesn't remember how he got out onto the back porch of the house. He doesn't remember how he sat down on the steps and how long he sat there, staring into space, oblivious to the cold summer wind blowing over his half-naked body and ruffling his hair.

It didn't matter anymore.

Oliver said he loved her.

Her.

Not him.

-haha

His hand tangles in his hair and his fingers pull at the strands with force, but Hal feels nothing but burning eyes and an unfamiliar sensation on his cheeks. He feels like his face is numb, like his entire body is numb, but there's nothing he can do about it.

He doesn't pay attention to the footsteps or the quiet click of the door. He doesn't even turn around when a small, red-haired figure kneels next to him, her face troubled and her sleepy eyes filled with confusion and fear. Hal doesn't see it. He doesn't want to. He doesn't know what to do now. Not after what happened between them. Not after Oliver's confession at the very moment when the invisible the line between them has been erased.

How can he even understand what happened between them?

Hal doesn't know.

God, what an idiot he is, to give himself hope for something that could never be.

Oliver will never look at him the same way he looks at Dinah. She is beautiful. She is .... she is the one he has fallen in love with and has chosen to give his heart to wholeheartedly and not some pitiful part of it like a man he has never seen a relationship with.

A familiar voice sounded in his head.

“You know Hal, if you were a girl, I would definitely love you”

Haha

Hal covers his face with his hands and for the first time in many years quietly asking

-Roy...give me a cigarette...

And after the first puff, he can't stop crying.

★★★

-Hal, she's the best thing that ever happened to me! I love her so much it makes my heart break.

*Cracks*

He smiles

-I'm happy for you Ollie, I hope you two have a great time.

★★★

-Hal, Dina is amazing, I want her to move in with me. Do you think she'll agree?

*Crack*

-Yes Ollie, who wouldn't want to live in such a beautiful house with such a wonderful man?

-You're right as always, man! Thanks, I needed that.

They embrace.

Hal feels a little nauseous.

★★★

-You know, since Dina's now living with me, I think you'll have to give me a little notice when you're coming over. You know, Hal? I'm not making any suggestions, but you don't mind, do you?

*Click*

-Of course Ollie, I understand. After all, she's your girlfriend, and I don't want to accidentally see you two getting it on in this bed. Ugh.

-Thank you, I knew you'd understand.

He kisses him on the cheek.

The mark stayed for a week, and Hal couldn't scrub it off no matter how hard he tried.

★★★

-....you know....I'm thinking about proposing to Dina. I love her more than life itself, and I want her to know that.

*Crack*

-It's amazing. How can she refuse? She loves you as much as you love her Ollie, don't worry, you're Oliver Queen, don't delay and go get your happiness.

-Do you think so?

-Of course.

Hal smiles.

-Wouldn't I be happy with you?
-Thank you, Hal, I don't know what I'd do without you.
-.... I don't either....

★★★

Everything is so bright.

Hal feels like he can't hear or feel anything right now. Someone is talking to him, but he can't hear the voice or the sound, and his lips are moving, but he can't make out the words. He remembers laughing, even though he can't understand what was said.

Everything is white. So much so that it hurts his eyes and makes them swim. Flowers. Tables. Food. A huge cake and all he can see are faces, blurred and faceless to him. There are red spots, black spots, and yellow spots nearby. People were talking to him and he was talking back, but what was he saying?

Why was he here?

Why was he still looking and not seeing?

Why was everything so bright and loud?

His head felt like it was about to explode.

Hal realizes that he's squeezing his hand, but he can't remember why. His nails are embedded in his skin, and the crescents are burning, but his skin feels cold, as if his heart isn't receiving enough blood to function properly. It's stopped. It's not beating.

Ollie smiles. So brightly. So painfully happy, worried about how it would go.

He squeezes his hand and says something to him. But what? What exactly did he say at that moment? And the embrace burns and Hal hurts. He hurts so much. Why now? Why not before? Ollie needs him here. To calm him down. To encourage him.

To hold him.

-It's all right Ollie.

It's all right.

The fog makes it hard for him to remember the rest of the day.

There's just an inaudible noise, conversations, music, and laughter. He's laughing again, but he doesn't know why.

Dina looks beautiful in a white dress. So much so that it blinds everything around her and it hurts Hal to look at her, as if he could be blinded just by looking at her.

The vows are being said.

There are loud applauses. Is he applauding?

Hal doesn't understand why his eyes are burning. Is he crying again?

The green eyes are so happy, but when they look at him, there's a hint of concern that makes his fingertips go cold.

The hand pulls him up, but Hal doesn't understand why or where.

Oliver looks at him, and it's the only face the man can make out through the haze of strangers.

His lips move, forming words of concern, but all Hal can think about is how beautiful he looks in this dark room, away from all the noise and light.

-Hal, are you okay?

Is he okay?

He doesn't know.

-Are you crying, Hal?

Oh.

Yes.

He'd forgotten about that.

Is Hal still crying?

God, he's pathetic.

-....It's okay, Ollie....Really.

-Like I can believe that! Hal, please don't do this and just say it. I hate you when you're like this. Please.

Ollie....Hates him?

No.

Hal doesn't want this.

Anything but this.

-I'm just... Ollie.... I'm so happy for you.... you're getting married now and.... it's the best thing I could have wished for you.

Oliver's face smooths out. The worry goes away, leaving only the expression of love. He pulls him in and hugs him tightly, just like he always does.

Everything is swaying. The floor is about to give way beneath his feet.

-Oh, Hal... thank you

His face is buried in his shoulder. The smell of expensive cologne fills his nostrils, and his beard tickles his cold skin.
His heart starts beating too loudly.
Hal realizes that he is in pain.

-I love you

The words are quiet, but he knows the archer can hear them clearly, because a smile blooms on his lips, and when they pull away a little, Hal can see it.

-Oh, Hal, I love you too. You're my best friend.

His lips are still soft. Oliver kisses him, pulling him closer, and strokes his back in a soothing motion.

It's like before, but different.

Hal can't hear anything.

He doesn't hear the door closing and opening, and he doesn't hear what they say to him afterward.

His hands are no longer on him, and only then does he realize that he's alone.

His eyes close.

Something inside him cracks.

"Why not me?"