[Barry really would prefer not to let it get out of hand. He's excited for their small wedding, for marrying his best friend, so he won't let it turn into a whole ordeal like Ollie's and Dinah's wedding.
They hang up with Wally, and Barry hands Hal the phone, kissing his cheek.]
I have some news, like this isn't about both of us.
[The way Wally and Kyle interact doesn't make sense to Hal, either. Not any more than the way Kyle and Ollie talk to each other makes sense. But at this point, he's given up questioning any of it]
We're getting married.
[This time, there's only a very brief pause before Kyle responds. Kyle didn't know Hal when he was younger, has only ever seen him with Barry, so he isn't quite as surprised as the other people they've called so far]
Married? But I thought you guys didn't want that?
Yeah, well, turns out that it's hard to adopt someone else's kid if you're not. There's less hoops to jump through if you marry the kid's biological parent first. So.
It's our news, but you get to tell your side of the family. [Barry teases, squeezing his hand. He's having a bit of fun with this actually, getting to tell people they care about that they're actually getting married.]
Ha, his first proposal was lackluster, but he got it right the second time. [Will he ever not give Kyle some ammunition to make fun of Hal with? No. Kyle is baby, and he deserves this.]
I bet it was. Hal Jordan and genuine emotion don't really go together, in my experience. [Honestly, one perk of being the baby is that he can make fun of Hal and get away with it. So Kyle appreciates the ammunition whenever it is given]
Don't be a dick, Kyle. It's not a good look for you. And you. [He gives Barry the lightest of shoves] I can still take that proposal back.
Everyone here knows you're not taking that proposal back, Hal. Empty threat. [Everyone who knows Hal knows how ridiculously in love he is with Barry. Now that marriage has been put on the table, it's happening]
Whose side are you on here?
There are sides? Then Barry's. Definitely.
You're a shitty little brother. Zero loyalty.
[Kyle laughs again, clearly having fun with this. Hal isn't even actually annoyed by the teasing because he knows that Kyle's just happy for them]
You'd be surprised, actually. Hal can be very genuine. [This comes out more warm and fond than teasing, and will probably just make Kyle laugh, but Barry is still riding that 'we're getting married' high, so he thinks he can be forgiven.
Their bickering makes him laugh, and he leans his forehead against Hal's shoulder, smiling.]
Thanks, Kyle. I think you're a great little brother, by the way. Don't listen to Hal.
Thank you! I happen to think I'm a great little brother, too. And I'm pretty used to not listening to Hal. By the way, did you call Alan yet, Hal?
Yeah, he was the second one we called. He's also half of the reason we're having an actual wedding and not just getting this over with at city hall. He and Jay guilted us into it.
[Kyle laughs again. His next question was about to be about a wedding so two birds with one stone]
Not surprised. On the bright side? You know Alan is gonna offer wedding money. So there's that.
[Alan also put away a substantial amount of money in an account for them when Dawn came into their lives. He has the money and he's never been shy about using it to help the people he cares about. So there is that]
Speaking of the wedding, don't tell anyone. We're trying to keep it small, okay? Not invite half the League.
Good luck with that. I won't tell anyone, though, don't worry. [A beat] Except Connor. I'm telling Connor. I'm really bad at keeping secrets from him.
Hopefully he doesn't offer too much. We're tentatively planning on just a backyard wedding and a potluck reception, something easy and kid-friendly. [They don't need to go to all the trouble of finding a venue and picking colors and flowers and all that mess. The most they'll probably spend is on food, because feeding Barry's family isn't cheap.
But he laughs when Kyle says he's telling Connor, the way Hal rolled his eyes at Wally saying he'd tell Linda.]
Connor is invited too. That's fine. We just don't want to make it a whole massive... thing. Like we'll probably only invite Clark and Diana from the League.
I wish you guys so much luck keeping it small. You're gonna need it.
[Things tend to spiral out of control in this community. See: Ollie and Dinah's wedding. But that one was really on them for inviting so many people in the first place. And also for making it a superhero affair and not a civilian one. Kyle also doesn't question the absence of Bruce. Of course Bruce isn't invited. He and Hal haven't had the best relationship since Hal came back]
We'll be fine. [Maybe] You just focus on not being a dick to Wally at the wedding.
Hey! He starts it! Besides, it's fine. Connor's gonna be there and he won't let me be a dick. And neither will Alan, actually. I'll be good.
Best I'm getting, I guess. Do me a favor, also? Tell Guy and John for me. I don't feel like contacting them on Oa right now.
What am I, your messenger boy?
Yes. Do it.
Fine. Fine. I will. This is why I'm on Barry's side, though.
Ha, thank you Kyle. [He really does like the youngest Earth Lantern. Kyle is good for Hal, and Connor is a good egg. It'll be nice to have them and everyone else they're closest to at their wedding, even if it gets a little out of hand.
After they've said their goodbyes to Kyle and hung up, Barry laughs, leaning against Hal's shoulder.]
Let's just get invitations sent out to tell everyone else.
[Hal can only laugh too, a little helplessly. This is already turning into such an ordeal. Why did he decide to do this? Oh right, he's hopelessly in love with Barry. Makes sense]
Can we please? I'm starting to hate everyone we know.
[It'll all be worth it, Barry thinks. They'll be married, which is definitely not a thought he hates, and Hal will finally be able to legally adopt Dawn. Still it seems ridiculous that he'd need to, but that's just the way the legal system works. It will still give Barry some peace of mind.]
No you're not. [He laughs, kissing Hal's cheek.] How about a date three months from now? It'll give us some time to plan, but not so much that anyone can expect a big affair.
[It will be worth it. Hal's trying to remind himself of that and also that this was his idea. Can't really be upset about his own idea, right?]
You don't know that. [He doesn't. Hal is the type of person who can't stop caring once he starts caring about someone. That's probably why he and Ollie are still friends, for example] Yeah, okay. That'll work. We should probably decide who all we're inviting, while we're at it.
That won't be too hard. Make a list of the people you want there, I'll make a list of who I want there, and then we'll have it. I mean, 80% of those lists are going to overlap, so that's easy. [They can at least count on each other to not put Bruce on their list. Barry expects 0 arguing about the guest list thing.]
[They know all the same people, basically. And neither one of them really talks to anyone that the other doesn't like. ...Except Guy]
Oh yeah? Well, in that case... [Hal wraps both his arms around Barry's waist and tugs him close to kiss him. He's happy about all this, too. Even if he's still slightly dreading the massive pain in the ass planning a wedding is probably going to be]
[It's convenient when your social circles are more of a circle than a venn diagram. Guy and Ollie are maybe the only ones Barry groans at having to interact with, but he wouldn't deny Hal having them at their wedding, so there won't be any trouble there.
He's about to say something else, but forgets what quickly when Hal tugs him in for a kiss. Barry returns it around the shape of his own smile, bringing a hand up to thread through Hal's hair.
When they finally part, Barry grins, tipping their foreheads together and saying lowly, teasingly,] Fiance.
[Just wait until Hal inevitably has to mention that Ollie's gonna be his best man. He hasn't yet purely because he doesn't want to ruin the mood]
I really need to stop doing things to encourage you. Sappy asshole. [He says that but he's finding that he doesn't hate any of this. He leans in to steal another kiss] There won't be any stopping you soon.
[He's definitely going to make a face at that. He won't deny Hal his choice of best man, but he will make so many faces.]
Mm. The sappy asshole you're marrying. [Barry replies, grin almost smug. He returns that kiss, bringing a hand up to smooth back some of Hal's hair.] Oh, I'm never stopping. We're already there.
[Hal sighs dramatically, as if he is suffering greatly. He's not. Actually, he's very happy right now. He might feel differently once the actual wedding planning starts but, for now, he's content]
And the worst part is, I did this to myself. What was I thinking?
That you love me and you love our daughter. [Barry will never stop being smug about this. He's delighted, actually - the more he thinks on it, the more he loves the idea of marrying his best friend.]
Also that you hate paperwork. I'm not naive enough to think that wasn't a factor.
Definitely that I love her. You, though? Depends on the day. [It's fine. Hal is more than willing to let Barry be smug about this]
I do hate paperwork. That's true. Marrying you is a worthwhile sacrifice to make to skip some forms. [He's clearly teasing about the "sacrifice" part because he leans in to steal another kiss] Even when you consider that now I have to tell my brothers and Jack's gonna have opinions. He still thinks you cheated on me, you know.
Oh, ouch. That's no way to talk about your fiance. [Barry teases with a grin, not hurt at all by the comments.
He pinches his hip for the sacrifice comment, but he's still smiling - probably will be for hours to come. It makes kissing hard, but he manages. The only thing that dulls it, is the reminder that Hal's brothers still think Barry cheated on him and saddled him with an affair baby.]
I know. Don't remind me. Jack is probably the only person who will seriously ask you if you're sure about this.
I'll talk about my fiance however I please, thanks. Pain in the ass. [Now he's just encouraging Barry on purpose]
Yeah, probably. [Hal tries to give Jack the benefit of the doubt as his older brother. He's just trying to protect Hal, which is both weird and something Hal understands completely. But the constant side-eyeing of Hal's relationship with Barry gets old sometimes. He's absolutely going to have things to say when he finds out] And you know what I'm gonna tell him when he does? That I've never been more sure about anything in my entire life, actually.
Pain in the ass you're gonna marry. [Yeah he knows Hal is doing it on purpose, and he's more than happy to play along. He's just happy in general.
And it doesn't help that bubbly feeling when Hal says that he's never been more sure of anything in his life. Barry laughs quietly and loops his arms around his waist, pulling him in even closer, finding that even thinking about what Jack is going to say about all this can't bring him down.]
I'm glad. I'm pretty sure about you too. Even though your family's about to give me hell.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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They hang up with Wally, and Barry hands Hal the phone, kissing his cheek.]
Go ahead and call Kyle next.
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He should be on planet. Hopefully.
[He takes the phone and calls Kyle, putting it on speaker. It takes a few more rings than the other calls had but Kyle eventually does pick up]
Hi, Hal.
Hey. Barry's here, too. You're on speaker.
Oh, you're both calling? Hi, Barry. Whatever Wally says I did, he's lying.
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Ha. I'll keep that in mind. Hi, Kyle. [Their rivalry will never make sense to Barry, but he just goes with it.]
Hal had some news he wanted to share.
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[The way Wally and Kyle interact doesn't make sense to Hal, either. Not any more than the way Kyle and Ollie talk to each other makes sense. But at this point, he's given up questioning any of it]
We're getting married.
[This time, there's only a very brief pause before Kyle responds. Kyle didn't know Hal when he was younger, has only ever seen him with Barry, so he isn't quite as surprised as the other people they've called so far]
Married? But I thought you guys didn't want that?
Yeah, well, turns out that it's hard to adopt someone else's kid if you're not. There's less hoops to jump through if you marry the kid's biological parent first. So.
[On the other end of the line, Kyle laughs]
Wow, Hal, that's so romantic.
Shut up, Kyle.
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Ha, his first proposal was lackluster, but he got it right the second time. [Will he ever not give Kyle some ammunition to make fun of Hal with? No. Kyle is baby, and he deserves this.]
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Don't be a dick, Kyle. It's not a good look for you. And you. [He gives Barry the lightest of shoves] I can still take that proposal back.
Everyone here knows you're not taking that proposal back, Hal. Empty threat. [Everyone who knows Hal knows how ridiculously in love he is with Barry. Now that marriage has been put on the table, it's happening]
Whose side are you on here?
There are sides? Then Barry's. Definitely.
You're a shitty little brother. Zero loyalty.
[Kyle laughs again, clearly having fun with this. Hal isn't even actually annoyed by the teasing because he knows that Kyle's just happy for them]
Seriously, though, congrats guys. Happy for you.
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Their bickering makes him laugh, and he leans his forehead against Hal's shoulder, smiling.]
Thanks, Kyle. I think you're a great little brother, by the way. Don't listen to Hal.
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Yeah, he was the second one we called. He's also half of the reason we're having an actual wedding and not just getting this over with at city hall. He and Jay guilted us into it.
[Kyle laughs again. His next question was about to be about a wedding so two birds with one stone]
Not surprised. On the bright side? You know Alan is gonna offer wedding money. So there's that.
[Alan also put away a substantial amount of money in an account for them when Dawn came into their lives. He has the money and he's never been shy about using it to help the people he cares about. So there is that]
Speaking of the wedding, don't tell anyone. We're trying to keep it small, okay? Not invite half the League.
Good luck with that. I won't tell anyone, though, don't worry. [A beat] Except Connor. I'm telling Connor. I'm really bad at keeping secrets from him.
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But he laughs when Kyle says he's telling Connor, the way Hal rolled his eyes at Wally saying he'd tell Linda.]
Connor is invited too. That's fine. We just don't want to make it a whole massive... thing. Like we'll probably only invite Clark and Diana from the League.
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[Things tend to spiral out of control in this community. See: Ollie and Dinah's wedding. But that one was really on them for inviting so many people in the first place. And also for making it a superhero affair and not a civilian one. Kyle also doesn't question the absence of Bruce. Of course Bruce isn't invited. He and Hal haven't had the best relationship since Hal came back]
We'll be fine. [Maybe] You just focus on not being a dick to Wally at the wedding.
Hey! He starts it! Besides, it's fine. Connor's gonna be there and he won't let me be a dick. And neither will Alan, actually. I'll be good.
Best I'm getting, I guess. Do me a favor, also? Tell Guy and John for me. I don't feel like contacting them on Oa right now.
What am I, your messenger boy?
Yes. Do it.
Fine. Fine. I will. This is why I'm on Barry's side, though.
Shut up, Kyle.
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After they've said their goodbyes to Kyle and hung up, Barry laughs, leaning against Hal's shoulder.]
Let's just get invitations sent out to tell everyone else.
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Can we please? I'm starting to hate everyone we know.
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No you're not. [He laughs, kissing Hal's cheek.] How about a date three months from now? It'll give us some time to plan, but not so much that anyone can expect a big affair.
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You don't know that. [He doesn't. Hal is the type of person who can't stop caring once he starts caring about someone. That's probably why he and Ollie are still friends, for example] Yeah, okay. That'll work. We should probably decide who all we're inviting, while we're at it.
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And we don't have to do all this today.
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[They know all the same people, basically. And neither one of them really talks to anyone that the other doesn't like. ...Except Guy]
Oh yeah? Well, in that case... [Hal wraps both his arms around Barry's waist and tugs him close to kiss him. He's happy about all this, too. Even if he's still slightly dreading the massive pain in the ass planning a wedding is probably going to be]
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He's about to say something else, but forgets what quickly when Hal tugs him in for a kiss. Barry returns it around the shape of his own smile, bringing a hand up to thread through Hal's hair.
When they finally part, Barry grins, tipping their foreheads together and saying lowly, teasingly,] Fiance.
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I really need to stop doing things to encourage you. Sappy asshole. [He says that but he's finding that he doesn't hate any of this. He leans in to steal another kiss] There won't be any stopping you soon.
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Mm. The sappy asshole you're marrying. [Barry replies, grin almost smug. He returns that kiss, bringing a hand up to smooth back some of Hal's hair.] Oh, I'm never stopping. We're already there.
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And the worst part is, I did this to myself. What was I thinking?
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Also that you hate paperwork. I'm not naive enough to think that wasn't a factor.
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I do hate paperwork. That's true. Marrying you is a worthwhile sacrifice to make to skip some forms. [He's clearly teasing about the "sacrifice" part because he leans in to steal another kiss] Even when you consider that now I have to tell my brothers and Jack's gonna have opinions. He still thinks you cheated on me, you know.
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He pinches his hip for the sacrifice comment, but he's still smiling - probably will be for hours to come. It makes kissing hard, but he manages. The only thing that dulls it, is the reminder that Hal's brothers still think Barry cheated on him and saddled him with an affair baby.]
I know. Don't remind me. Jack is probably the only person who will seriously ask you if you're sure about this.
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Yeah, probably. [Hal tries to give Jack the benefit of the doubt as his older brother. He's just trying to protect Hal, which is both weird and something Hal understands completely. But the constant side-eyeing of Hal's relationship with Barry gets old sometimes. He's absolutely going to have things to say when he finds out] And you know what I'm gonna tell him when he does? That I've never been more sure about anything in my entire life, actually.
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And it doesn't help that bubbly feeling when Hal says that he's never been more sure of anything in his life. Barry laughs quietly and loops his arms around his waist, pulling him in even closer, finding that even thinking about what Jack is going to say about all this can't bring him down.]
I'm glad. I'm pretty sure about you too. Even though your family's about to give me hell.
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