Work Text:
Ray left. No —Ray had to leave . Nate knew Ray never would’ve decided to quit the team if he didn’t have to.
And if The Monitor coming to you with a story about your faith as the Paragon of Truth wasn’t a good enough reason to make the call, Nate didn’t know what was.
The more days passed, the heavier it was Ray’s absence in the ship.
“You know I’ve always sucked at goodbyes,” Nate sighed, chin pressed to Ray’s shoulder.
Ray tightened the hug. “Dude, this isn’t goodbye!”
Unless it was.
They texted as much as they could, but it wasn’t the same.
How could they make up for the looks they gave each other to communicate during missions, or the many jokes they shared when they were together?
Occasionally texting didn’t make up for that. Not even team videocalls, nor individual ones —although those were special. Ray could focus his attention only on Nate and vice versa.
So what if Ray had to leave the Legends, maybe forever, and so what if Nate still couldn’t figure out why he couldn't handle it like everyone else.
Nate rolled in his bed, pulled out his phone.
Nate: hey, bro
His phone chimed in no time.
Ray: Nate! Why are you up? On a mission? Need my help?
Always so helpful, damn it.
Nate: I just missed you and your cheerful smile
No, he couldn’t send that.
Nate: I just missed my friend
That was way better.
Ray: Aww, bro! I miss you too
Nate: Can I ask you something? Kinda weird I think
Ray: Shoot
Nate: We were like a thing, right?
Now that was a message he definitely couldn’t send. Backspace .
Nate: Do you think we were more than friends?
Slightly better. Not assuming. Still improvable.
Backspace.
Ray: I’m all eyes, bro. What’s up? Are you okay?
Nate: Are we just friends? Or like special friends?
Send.
Ray: Can I call you?
Nate froze.
Nate: Can I go over there?
Ray: Yes.
Nate grabbed his time courier, the portal slid open in front of him, and he walked into Ray’s laboratory in Star City. Always working late.
Ray looked up from his very crowded desk. His eyes were bright, even when slightly puffy. He was tired and it was evident.
“That was fast,” he greeted, standing up, going to Nate.
“Yeah,” Nate said, wrapping his arms around Ray.
He stepped back when the hug was over. Ray started:
“Listen-”
“No, you listen-”
“Why were you asking-”
“I just asked-”
“I think we have-”
“Maybe you and I have-”
“A thing.”
“A thing.”
Nate frowned. “What did you just say?”
Ray stared back. “No, what did you just say?”
“Dude, we have a thing, right?” He pointed between the two of them. “Some sort of thing? A more-than-friends thing? A I-should-stop-talking-‘cause-I’m-freaking-you-out thing or what?”
“Yes. No. I mean, you’re not freaking me out. We did have a thing. We just never mentioned it. But yeah, I mean, c’mon, Nate, you and I share everything and I miss you-”
“Fuck, me too! And it’s so great to say it.”
“In the thing sort of way.”
“In the thing sort of way,” Nate repeated, nodding. They both stayed quiet for a moment, avoiding eye contact. They were a couple of feet apart by then, and the mood wasn’t tense. Just... exciting. “So can I give you a peck?” Nate asked, shrugging casually. “Does our thing admit pecks?”
“Hm?”
“Yes?”
Ray nodded nervously. “Sure.”
Nate gave him a quick peck on the lips. It was equally brief and wonderful.
Nate stepped back, pointed with his thumb to the place where he came walking from.
“So now I’m leaving and we officially have a thing.”
“ Are a thing?” Ray asked.
“Yes, we’re a thing and have a kind of long-distance thing.”
“Time travel, weird, asynchronous, maybe atemporal thing?”
“Definitely.”
Ray grinned. Nate clicked a button and doors to the Waverider slid open again.
“Hey, before you go-” Ray pulled him by his wrist and they ended up standing nose to nose.
Ray put a hand on Nate’s lower back and leaned his head to his right. Before he had second thoughts about it, he kissed Nate way more thoughtfully than before. Nate kissed back eagerly and giggles a little bit at the end of the kiss.
“We get to do that, right?” Ray asked. “Like, often.”
“100%, dude.”
“Can we quit the ‘dude’?”
“Yeah. We’ll work on that… Ray.”
Ray pinched Nate’s nose.
“Have a good night, alright?”
“You too.”
Nate left Star City and plumped back on his bed.
Hell, why hadn’t they gone over that sooner?