[Hal groans at the threat because he's fully aware that Jay can and will call Alan. Having your sort-of father in law be best friends with your sort-of father is so inconvenient sometimes]
Trust me, I know you will. We'll call him next. [He huffs] And then Wally, because if we tell Kyle before Wally, that'll be a big superspeed temper tantrum.
[Barry winces sympathetically, shifting so he can tug him into his arms instead, letting Hal lean on him if he wants. He's fine to just stand here for a bit before they call Alan to give him the news.]
We don't have to have a wedding if you don't want that. We don't have to do what everyone else wants us to. [They don't always, anyway. Barry and Hal are both stubborn in their own ways.]
[Hal doesn't really need to be comforted or anything but he goes into Barry's arms all the same. It's not even that any of this really bothers him. He can just sense the ordeal it's about to become]
It'd just be easier if we could just go to the courthouse and get it done. We'll see if you're still saying that after we call everyone, though. Especially Wally. [Because that? Is going to be a whole phone call] It's fine. I'm calling Alan now.
[In typical Alan fashion, he picks up after two rings. Hal puts it on speaker so Barry can hear and talk too]
Are you dying? No, no, better question. Is Guy dying?
[That at least gets a little huff of laughter out of Hal]
No, last I checked Guy was on Oa. If we're lucky, though, he's dying somewhere in space as we speak.
Be nice, Hal.
That was me being nice. Say hi to Barry, by the way. You're on speaker.
[Alright, maybe it's for Barry too, to help him feel like he's not forcing his best friend into a wedding.] Okay. [He agrees, and kisses the side of Hal's head just for luck while he dials Alan.
Their exchange makes him laugh quietly too, tipping his forehead to rest against Hal's shoulder.]
Hi, Alan. We had some news. Hal and I decided to get married.
[Honestly Barry had about the same 'need to process' reaction as Alan, so fair. He does laugh, though, when Hal doesn't give him any information on why.]
It'll make it easier to have Hal legally adopt Dawn if we're married. Less paperwork. He says he's being blackmailed into it by the state of Missouri. We were thinking about just eloping at the courthouse on Monday.
You know, Jay said the same thing about having a wedding.
[Are they really surprised though? It makes sense that their father-figures might want to see them actually get married.]
It's not that important, really. If Hal doesn't want to have one, then I'm okay with that. [It's kind of subconscious, honestly, the way he accidentally implies that he wouldn't mind a wedding himself. He wouldn't mind one, but Hal is right - the courthouse will be easier.]
Jay and I have something in common here. We both want what's best for our boys.
We're fine, Alan. And we will continue to be fine, wedding or not.
I know that. And I know a wedding doesn't really matter. You two were basically made for each other, I know a wedding won't change that one way or the other. I don't know if I'd really say it wasn't important, though.
[Don't think he didn't catch onto that, Barry. And don't think Hal didn't either. He did]
The point is, boys, that you two can do whatever you please. No one's going to judge. But don't you both think there are people in your lives that care about you and would like to celebrate the two of you getting married?
[Alright, that makes Barry smile. He really loves Alan and Jay. He'd love to have his actual father here for this, if he's marrying his best friend, but Alan and Jay are the next best thing.]
Jay said most of that too. [He says with a chuckle, leaning slightly against Hal.] We're mainly doing this to make Dawn's paperwork easier, so there's no need to make a big deal out of it. [He won't admit he wants a wedding. Or, at least, he won't be the first one to admit he wants a wedding. Not while he's fairly convinced Hal doesn't want a wedding.]
If you wanted to come with us to the courthouse though, we'd be happy to have you there.
See? I knew I'd been friends with Jay all this time for a reason.
[The sad part is, Hal's pretty sure Alan has more interest in this than his actual father would. Since becoming a father himself, he's really had to admit that his own father was not the greatest]
If that's what you two ultimately decide to do, I'd be happy to be there. And Hal?
Yeah, Alan?
I'm proud of you, son. I had my doubts when you were younger but you've really matured.
[Hal makes a face. All this genuine emotion is painful. It's also not that he doesn't want a wedding it's just...honestly, he's never given it much thought. He doesn't know what he wants. Par for the course in his life, honestly]
Ugh, Alan.
What? I'm just glad things have worked out for you. Is that so wrong?
When you say it like that it is!
[Alan chuckles, clearly getting a kick out of making Hal cringe]
Fine, fine. God forbid. Listen, whatever you two decide to do is fine. I support you. But give the wedding at least a little consideration?
[Barry smiles warmly as he listens to Alan tell Hal that he's proud of him. Good, his best friend deserves that kind of fatherly pride, that kind of love. Hal doesn't accept it without an attempt at a groan, of course, but Barry knows it means something to him.
It's a nice moment to be present for.] We'll consider it. I already promised Jay we'd think about it. [Whether it winds up being a yes or no, they'll have to decide that for themselves. Probably should consider before they call anyone else, or they'll just get the same lecture about how they should at least think about having a real wedding.]
You'll be first to know what we decide on, unless Jay weasels it out of us first.
[It means a lot to Hal. He just still to this day isn't sure what to do with people caring about him]
We both know Jay's going to hear first. But I appreciate the sentiment, Barry. I'll talk to you boys later.
Bye, Alan.
[Hal ends the call, making a face down at his phone]
Shoulda put Alan in charge of telling Kyle, Guy and John for me. Then again, if I had tried that, he would've just told me it was my responsibility. So either way, I guess.
[Barry can only laugh at that, because it's probably true. No offense to Alan, of course, but- Jay is just a city away, and for a speedster, that means he's only seconds away if he wants to know anything about what they're doing.] Bye, Alan.
[The face Hal makes has Barry stifling a smile.] Maybe we should decide what we're doing before we make any more calls. Otherwise it's going to be the same conversation over and over.
What do you want to do? [This is becoming much more of an ordeal than Hal anticipated. He’s not sure how he feels about that. He’s finding that he doesn't regret bringing up getting married, though. It's just...so much]
And don't say some bullshit like you wanna do whatever I wanna do. That's not what I asked.
[Barry winces slightly when Hal clarifies his question in rigid terms, because yeah, he was going to say "whatever you want to do" and leave it up to his friend. Hal knows him too well. As he should, probably, since they're going to get married, and already have a child together, and have spent this many years together...]
Would you be mad if I said I thought maybe a small wedding would be nice? Just something for family and close friends, nothing big. [That's still... several people, but still. It'd be nothing like the scale Dinah and Ollie's wedding reached.]
[Hal is well versed by now in how Barry's mind works. And he got the distinct impression during their calls with Jay and Alan that he was thinking about something]
No, because I did ask what you wanted to do. So if that's what you want to do, you should be allowed to say it. [He sighs] You realize that, for us, "just family and friends" is still a lot of people, right?
Yeah, I know that. [He smiles sheepishly.] But we wouldn't have to do anything crazy. A small ceremony in the backyard and a BBQ after? Some photos?
[Which, now that it's out there, he should probably explain why he thinks it might be nice.]
I know you don't care much about your own parents' wedding pictures, but I still have my mom and dad's photo, and it's... comforting to look at sometimes, when I miss them. Maybe Dawn will feel like you do in the future, or maybe not. It might be nice to give her that.
[Now that Barry's put it like that...well, Hal can't deny that maybe he has a point. While he may not care about his parents' wedding photos (which he's fairly sure Jack has now), he has held onto his father's bomber jacket since he died. Kind of like a security blanket. So maybe he can see how having an actual wedding would be good for Dawn. How it would be nice for her to have something to look at and remember them years and years from now when she's grown up and they're gone. These are not things he's ever wanted for himself but...he can't see denying Barry a wedding now that he's expressed a desire to have one. And he can't see denying Dawn the chance to have that kind of memory of them. He sighs, folding his arms over his chest. It was never a fight or anything but Barry has definitely won this one]
Fine. Fine, okay. A small wedding. Small. I'm talking less than 100 people, here.
[Honestly, there's a reason he wasn't pulling this reasoning out when the question was first posed. He didn't want to come off as manipulative, using their daughter to get one answer or another out of Hal. Because Barry knows Hal - he knows he'd do anything for their little girl.
So he knows that Hal will eventually agree to a wedding, but he hopes he won't be upset about it. When he specifies less than a hundred people, Barry laughs, leaning in to hug him.]
Less than fifty, if we can manage it. Family and close friends only. I am not inviting half the League. [They probably won't get away with less than 50 people, but definitely can manage less than 100.]
[It's not manipulation so much as it is...helping Hal make a decision. There are times when he's not so sure what he wants and needs a little push to get there. This is one of those times. He's not opposed to a wedding, it just sounds like a lot of fuss. But if Barry wants one, then he'll deal]
Less than fifty people would be even better. And while we're at it? No one better be showing up in costume. This isn't gonna turn into a circus act like Ollie and Dinah's wedding did. [He has to bring it up because of what a nightmare it turned into] And if you even think of inviting Bruce I'm demanding a divorce before we're even married. Just saying.
Absolutely no costumes. [They're having a civilian wedding. As small a one as possible. That way it'll be way less of a target for possible supervillain attacks and other cape fuckery. He would like their tiny daughter to be able to attend safely, after all.] And we'll keep it as small and stress-free as possible.
[Barry smiles wryly at the threat of divorce.] No Bruce. I was just thinking Clark and Diana from the League, actually. [Both are decent friends, and not at all likely to start drama or arguments at a wedding.]
Guy is going to be rowdy enough without inviting anybody else that you're going to spend the whole wedding arguing with.
Imagine anything being stress-free in this community, Barry. [Nothing in the cape community is known for being easy. But one can hope]
Okay. I'm fine with Clark and Diana. [Honestly, his line with inviting the League is just "no Bruce". But Clark and Diana are the ones they both most consistently talk to. Besides, Clark loves weddings. Are either of them prepared for the puppy dog eyes they'd get if they didn't invite Clark to their wedding? No, they are not]
Who said we're inviting Guy? [He's kidding. Of course he's gonna invite Guy]
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Trust me, I know you will. We'll call him next. [He huffs] And then Wally, because if we tell Kyle before Wally, that'll be a big superspeed temper tantrum.
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I'll make sure we call everyone. I'll let you know what we plan to do, okay Jay? Give our love to Joan.
Will do. Good luck, fellas.
[Barry hangs up, and exhales a breath.] Well, I guess we're telling everyone that we're getting married.
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[Hal sighs too when Barry hangs up, covering his face with his hands]
Guess so. Should I call Alan now?
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We don't have to have a wedding if you don't want that. We don't have to do what everyone else wants us to. [They don't always, anyway. Barry and Hal are both stubborn in their own ways.]
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It'd just be easier if we could just go to the courthouse and get it done. We'll see if you're still saying that after we call everyone, though. Especially Wally. [Because that? Is going to be a whole phone call] It's fine. I'm calling Alan now.
[In typical Alan fashion, he picks up after two rings. Hal puts it on speaker so Barry can hear and talk too]
Are you dying? No, no, better question. Is Guy dying?
[That at least gets a little huff of laughter out of Hal]
No, last I checked Guy was on Oa. If we're lucky, though, he's dying somewhere in space as we speak.
Be nice, Hal.
That was me being nice. Say hi to Barry, by the way. You're on speaker.
Oh, hello, Barry. To what do I owe the call?
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Their exchange makes him laugh quietly too, tipping his forehead to rest against Hal's shoulder.]
Hi, Alan. We had some news. Hal and I decided to get married.
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That's what he said.
[There's silence on the other end, probably as Alan tries to process what he was just told. When he responds, he sounds amused]
So what happened to Mr. "I'm never getting married", then? Change of heart?
Don't start.
Not that it isn't good news, of course. Just surprising.
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It'll make it easier to have Hal legally adopt Dawn if we're married. Less paperwork. He says he's being blackmailed into it by the state of Missouri. We were thinking about just eloping at the courthouse on Monday.
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I am being blackmailed by the state of Missouri.
Ah, I see. That's smart. Maybe not the most romantic approach but it is practical. No wedding at all, though? Not even a small one?
Courthouse would be easier.
Maybe so. But don't you two think a wedding would be nice?
[And here we go again with the wedding guilt]
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[Are they really surprised though? It makes sense that their father-figures might want to see them actually get married.]
It's not that important, really. If Hal doesn't want to have one, then I'm okay with that. [It's kind of subconscious, honestly, the way he accidentally implies that he wouldn't mind a wedding himself. He wouldn't mind one, but Hal is right - the courthouse will be easier.]
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We're fine, Alan. And we will continue to be fine, wedding or not.
I know that. And I know a wedding doesn't really matter. You two were basically made for each other, I know a wedding won't change that one way or the other. I don't know if I'd really say it wasn't important, though.
[Don't think he didn't catch onto that, Barry. And don't think Hal didn't either. He did]
The point is, boys, that you two can do whatever you please. No one's going to judge. But don't you both think there are people in your lives that care about you and would like to celebrate the two of you getting married?
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Jay said most of that too. [He says with a chuckle, leaning slightly against Hal.] We're mainly doing this to make Dawn's paperwork easier, so there's no need to make a big deal out of it. [He won't admit he wants a wedding. Or, at least, he won't be the first one to admit he wants a wedding. Not while he's fairly convinced Hal doesn't want a wedding.]
If you wanted to come with us to the courthouse though, we'd be happy to have you there.
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[The sad part is, Hal's pretty sure Alan has more interest in this than his actual father would. Since becoming a father himself, he's really had to admit that his own father was not the greatest]
If that's what you two ultimately decide to do, I'd be happy to be there. And Hal?
Yeah, Alan?
I'm proud of you, son. I had my doubts when you were younger but you've really matured.
[Hal makes a face. All this genuine emotion is painful. It's also not that he doesn't want a wedding it's just...honestly, he's never given it much thought. He doesn't know what he wants. Par for the course in his life, honestly]
Ugh, Alan.
What? I'm just glad things have worked out for you. Is that so wrong?
When you say it like that it is!
[Alan chuckles, clearly getting a kick out of making Hal cringe]
Fine, fine. God forbid. Listen, whatever you two decide to do is fine. I support you. But give the wedding at least a little consideration?
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It's a nice moment to be present for.] We'll consider it. I already promised Jay we'd think about it. [Whether it winds up being a yes or no, they'll have to decide that for themselves. Probably should consider before they call anyone else, or they'll just get the same lecture about how they should at least think about having a real wedding.]
You'll be first to know what we decide on, unless Jay weasels it out of us first.
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We both know Jay's going to hear first. But I appreciate the sentiment, Barry. I'll talk to you boys later.
Bye, Alan.
[Hal ends the call, making a face down at his phone]
Shoulda put Alan in charge of telling Kyle, Guy and John for me. Then again, if I had tried that, he would've just told me it was my responsibility. So either way, I guess.
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[The face Hal makes has Barry stifling a smile.] Maybe we should decide what we're doing before we make any more calls. Otherwise it's going to be the same conversation over and over.
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And don't say some bullshit like you wanna do whatever I wanna do. That's not what I asked.
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Would you be mad if I said I thought maybe a small wedding would be nice? Just something for family and close friends, nothing big. [That's still... several people, but still. It'd be nothing like the scale Dinah and Ollie's wedding reached.]
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No, because I did ask what you wanted to do. So if that's what you want to do, you should be allowed to say it. [He sighs] You realize that, for us, "just family and friends" is still a lot of people, right?
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[Which, now that it's out there, he should probably explain why he thinks it might be nice.]
I know you don't care much about your own parents' wedding pictures, but I still have my mom and dad's photo, and it's... comforting to look at sometimes, when I miss them. Maybe Dawn will feel like you do in the future, or maybe not. It might be nice to give her that.
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Fine. Fine, okay. A small wedding. Small. I'm talking less than 100 people, here.
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So he knows that Hal will eventually agree to a wedding, but he hopes he won't be upset about it. When he specifies less than a hundred people, Barry laughs, leaning in to hug him.]
Less than fifty, if we can manage it. Family and close friends only. I am not inviting half the League. [They probably won't get away with less than 50 people, but definitely can manage less than 100.]
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Less than fifty people would be even better. And while we're at it? No one better be showing up in costume. This isn't gonna turn into a circus act like Ollie and Dinah's wedding did. [He has to bring it up because of what a nightmare it turned into] And if you even think of inviting Bruce I'm demanding a divorce before we're even married. Just saying.
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[Barry smiles wryly at the threat of divorce.] No Bruce. I was just thinking Clark and Diana from the League, actually. [Both are decent friends, and not at all likely to start drama or arguments at a wedding.]
Guy is going to be rowdy enough without inviting anybody else that you're going to spend the whole wedding arguing with.
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Okay. I'm fine with Clark and Diana. [Honestly, his line with inviting the League is just "no Bruce". But Clark and Diana are the ones they both most consistently talk to. Besides, Clark loves weddings. Are either of them prepared for the puppy dog eyes they'd get if they didn't invite Clark to their wedding? No, they are not]
Who said we're inviting Guy? [He's kidding. Of course he's gonna invite Guy]
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