[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.
I'm so lucky. [He's teasing but he also kind of thinks that's true. He lucked out here. What would he do without Barry? At this point, he can't even imagine]
Jack just likes feeling superior to people. You're always gonna be my favorite person, even if he thinks you're a dirty cheater. We both know that's not true.
You are. [Barry says, leaning in to steal a kiss, nipping at his bottom lip playfully when they pull away.]
Aw. [He doesn't like the thought that Jack still thinks he cheated, even though... well, there isn't much else he could think. What he does like, though, is hearing that he's Hal's favorite person. His smile goes all warm and fuzzy.] You're my favorite person too. Even if I have to deal with your family.
Hey, on the bright side, I'm bound to do something to annoy Jack in the next couple months and he'll forget all about you! [He's lived with Jack's disapproval for years now. He doesn't mind] Besides, you've been through a few holidays now dealing with my family. There's no way a wedding could be any worse than Hanukkah with Jack.
If that's true, why didn't it work the last seven times you did something to piss your brother off? [But Barry just sounds amused. He's used to all of this, and he wouldn't change a thing.]
Maybe it'll be better. It's half my wedding, after all. Can't pick on the groom on their wedding day, right?
[Barry just laughs, leaning against Hal again, not wanting to pull away too far with the elation of their engagement still bubbling over in his chest.]
Yeah, I know. Even if he does get tetchy at the wedding, it's not going to ruin the day. I don't think anything could, short of the world ending.
[Barry will be happy no matter what, barring world-ending disasters.]
[Barry grins when Hal suggests they get Jay and Joan to take Dawn overnight. Honestly, he'd already planned on that, even if it's just for one night.]
I'm pretty sure they'll go along with that. If we're lucky, we might be able to get two or three nights as a honeymoon. [He loves their daughter, but he won't feel bad about being a little excited by the idea of a proper honeymoon. Dawn loves staying over with her grandparents anyway.]
I like the way you think. [Hal loves Dawn but he also doesn't feel bad about taking advantage of whatever childfree time they can get. It doesn't happen very often] That part sounds like fun. It might just make planning a whole wedding worth it.
[Barry laughs at that. It's kind of true, the honeymoon will absolutely make dealing with the wedding worth it.] Let's ask Jay and Joan for a week of babysitting as a wedding present. Shoot for the stars, right?
[He can't imagine they'd say no, but also that's a lot of time to have someone else's kid, so he'd really settle for a few days.]
They'd say yes, but like you'd actually be able to handle an entire week away from Dawn. [It's a nice thought, but Hal doubts either of them actually wants to spend an entire week away from their daughter. A few days would be nice, though. Hal leans in for another kiss, giving Barry's hips a little squeeze]
But either way, that means we get to give Dawn cake and then give her to her grandparents. It'll be nice to be on the other side of that one for once, too.
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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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Jack just likes feeling superior to people. You're always gonna be my favorite person, even if he thinks you're a dirty cheater. We both know that's not true.
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Aw. [He doesn't like the thought that Jack still thinks he cheated, even though... well, there isn't much else he could think. What he does like, though, is hearing that he's Hal's favorite person. His smile goes all warm and fuzzy.] You're my favorite person too. Even if I have to deal with your family.
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Maybe it'll be better. It's half my wedding, after all. Can't pick on the groom on their wedding day, right?
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[Luckily, Jack's opinion on their relationship matters very little. He doesn't know anything]
Maybe. But even if he does? It doesn't matter. He doesn't actually know anything about us anyway.
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Yeah, I know. Even if he does get tetchy at the wedding, it's not going to ruin the day. I don't think anything could, short of the world ending.
[Barry will be happy no matter what, barring world-ending disasters.]
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[Because wouldn't that just be their luck? Hal leans in for another kiss, this time nipping gently at Barry's lip]
Also, if we have to do all this wedding stuff now? We're getting Jay and Joan to take Dawn overnight after the wedding.
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I'm pretty sure they'll go along with that. If we're lucky, we might be able to get two or three nights as a honeymoon. [He loves their daughter, but he won't feel bad about being a little excited by the idea of a proper honeymoon. Dawn loves staying over with her grandparents anyway.]
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[He can't imagine they'd say no, but also that's a lot of time to have someone else's kid, so he'd really settle for a few days.]
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But either way, that means we get to give Dawn cake and then give her to her grandparents. It'll be nice to be on the other side of that one for once, too.
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