Chapter Text
Hal Jordan couldn’t remember when he first started drinking. He thought it had back when his grandpa died, or even his father. It was probably the former. Don’t get him wrong, he cared for his father just as any child would for theirs. It’s in nature that every child loves their parent, even if said parent couldn’t care less. But Hal just held his grandpa higher, the one person that actually cared if he scraped his knee and didn’t yell at him to “Suck it up.”
What Hal did remember was when he decided to stop drinking for good. Or at least to stop drinking whenever he got low or just because he could. It was soon after he had obtained his Green Lantern ring and returned to earth after his first Green Lantern Corp training that Hal realized that he had more in life then just rotting in his small apartment and finishing bottle after bottle. He was aware of the responsibilities that being Green Lantern carried and being an alcoholic wasn't one of them. It had felt like hell of course, to just get rid of his alcohol problems but he eventually pulled through.
He still had the occasional drink with friends though. Like now with his two closest friends, Barry Allen and Oliver queen. All three men were in Hal’s (still) small apartment sprawled out on his couch with a bottle of some cheap booze and sitting in relaxed silence. Of course that silence didn't last long. Barry spoke up.
“Guys, I never thought of this before but…. Is red really my colour? Be honest with me, I can take it,” Barry asked with a tone that said he was being completely serious.
Oliver looked deep in though at the question before answering.
“It’s going to have to be. Everyone else already has a certain colour. For example; You with red, Clark with red and blue, same with Diana but they make it work, Arthur with orange, J’onn with red and green, and then me with just green,” Oliver spoke whilst using hand gestures to get to his point, accidentally getting some drops of booze on Hal’s already stained couch from the movement,
“But… Hal is also green.”
“He copied me.”
…
By this time, Hal would have already made a comment back by saying something like “The Green Lantern corps have owned the colour green long before you,” or “Fuck off.” But Hal didn’t even say anything. He was too focused on the cool bottle in his palm to answer.
Despite getting over his past alcohol problems, that didn’t prevent him from feeling like shit whenever he drank. It just led him deep in his thoughts, somewhere he preferred not to go. It made him think of how much he drank, how often he did it after work and how his coworkers encouraged it, and what he lost because of it.
Oh god, Carol. She was perfect, far too perfect for Hal. His relationship with her was on and off before she realized it wasn't going anywhere and ended it for good. Hal couldn’t blame her. But still, he loved her. Sometimes he felt he still did and wanted to fix everything with her. It was too late now of course, she was married. It was another thing he just had to screw up, right? No, think about something else, he thought. Anything else.
The Green Lantern Corps! Yes, very important.
…
When was his last Corp mission? Must have been a couple weeks ago. No wonder he felt so restless. He’d have to check that out, mentally setting a reminder for later.
Think about something else, something that didn’t revolve around him being a screw up or useless.
The most recent Justice League mission. Right. He felt proud of himself at the thought of it. It was just yesterday when an alien invasion had happened where Hal had saved a whole lot of people from being crushed by a falling building. Granted, he had to leave his post.. But that's another life saved, many lives. That’s what the whole Justice League is for, saving the helpless.
That reminded him, there was a JL meeting in a few days for the very same mission. He couldn’t wait to report on the people he saved. Maybe it would convince the Bat to yell at him less. Or maybe it’ll make him feel jealous because he doesn't have any powers to be more helpful. Hal didn’t know which he wanted to happen more.
Thinking of the brooding fury had made Hal's mood drop a little when he thought about it more. The man couldn’t seem to get off his back! I mean come on, what has Hal ever done to him? Annoy him at the least but to come at Hal just for existing?
He was sick of it. He was sick of Batman and the way he always found a mistake in what he did, the way he always put him on clean up duty for a mission when he is literally a Green Lantern and could do so much more. He was sick of the way Batman made him feel small whenever he yelled at him, argued with him, the way his voice got more harsh and low, so low it sent shivers down Hal’s spine.
His stupid chiseled, perfect jawline, his stupid full, soft looking lips, the way his hard muscles strain against his costume like it was ready to rip from the pressure any second. God, Batman must think he's so perfect. Hal hated it.
“Why is Batman such a dick?” Hal blurted out, breaking the silence that had fallen over the room when he didn't say anything earlier.
Barry and Oliver share a look. Hal took this as a chance to keep talking.
“What is his problem, really? He thinks he's always right and is so self-centered. It makes me want to punch him in his stupid face,” Hal says.
“He isn’t that bad when you think about it,” Oliver speaks up, “In fact, he reminds me of somebody,” He gives Hal a look.
Hal ignores the look and points a finger at Oliver with his eyes narrowed.
“How would you know? Last time I checked, Spooky doesnt let anybody close. Both physically and mentally.”
“I bet you’re really upset about that,” Barry coughed into his hand.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Oliver cleared his throat. “Listen Hal, everytime we hangout, you bring up Batman one way or another,”
“No I don’t–”
“Let me finish,” Oliver waved his hand at Hal dismissively, making him cross his arms. Oliver was wrong, he thought with annoyance, he didn't always bring Spooky up.
“You're coming off as a little… Obsessed,” Oliver said, Barry nodding along.
Hal’s eye twitched. He was going to kill Oliver, he decided. And Barry for agreeing.
“Me? Obsessed? With him?” Hal laughed. Oliver and Barry sunk into the couch, knowing this was about to turn into another one of Hal’s rants that they have been victim to before.
“It’d be him who’s obsessed! He always yells at me for everything and that means he’s probably watching me all the time like a creep. So no, I am not obsessed with Batman, he’s obsessed with me!” Hal argued, getting riled up.
Oliver nodded and put his hand on Hal’s shoulder. “We believe you, buddy, don’t worry,” He said but the way he said it made it clear he was teasing Hal. The blonde grabbed another bottle of booze and pressed it into Hal’s palm. Hal lets him.
Oliver didn’t know what he was saying. Hal wasn’t obsessed with Batman, of all people. Would he even count as a person anyway? Not likely, not to Hal. Oliver was wrong and Hal was right, he just has to be.
ᯓ★
The meeting was just as boring and slow like any other JL meeting. It had Hal feeling tired and unfocused. So he did what he does best, he used his ring to help. He conjured a little fidget toy and was playing with it under the table as he listened to Clark go over the report and everything that happened, along with the aftermath. No one seemed to have a problem with what Hal was doing. Plus, It helped him focus on what was being said. In fact, it helped him focus more than usual. He’d have to buy some real fidget toys in the future.
The meeting was close to over when he took notice of the unsettling feeling in his stomach, like he was being watched. He took a quick glance around the table to see that everyone was either watching Clark or looking so bored they were about to fall asleep. Then his eyes caught onto Batman whose head snapped in a different direction the second Hal looked at him. A little odd but..
Nah, he was probably not focusing as well as he thought. But the moment his eyes went back to Clark, that feeling came back. Now he definitely wasn't imagining it. Batman was watching him.
What did he do now? Spooky was likely trying to find something to yell at Hal about. What, did he do his hair wrong? Does he have something on his face? Hal felt the familiar annoyed feeling whenever Batman was around.
Just spit it out already, he thought, his eyes narrowing at Clark since he refused to look at Batman.
“--said he has some things to report. Batman?” Clark says and nods at Batman whilst taking his spot at the head of the table.
What? When did Clark finish? Hal felt annoyance boiling under his skin that was ready to burst any second. Of course, Batman had distracted him. That was probably what he wanted to accomplish with his creepy, unnerving stare to make him feel stupid for not listening!
Speaking of the devil, Batman stood up from his seat that was placed directly across from Hal’s own.
“I’ve gathered information from the mission and found areas where we could do better. Starting with,” Batman turned to Hal, “Lantern.”
The room visibly tensed. Hal felt like he was going to lose his mind. Clark looked like he was going to cry, Diana looked unimpressed, Arthur actually rolled his eyes, Barry put his head down on the table, Oliver and Dinah shared a look, and Nightwing, the newest member, was hiding his grin behind his palm. Was Batman really about to rip him a new one in front of the new member?
“You were reckless and could have gotten a lot of people killed when you left your post.”
What. The. Fuck.
Hal wanted to both cry and laugh on the fact Batman was the only person to read his report and acknowledge what he did. He was going to lose it.
“If you read my report properly, you would've seen I stopped a building from falling on a whole bunch of people! What, losing your vision, old man?” Hal said through gritted teeth. Truth be told, he didn’t even know how old Batman was. Nobody did. Batman was the only one in the League who refused to reveal their identity, besides Nightwing but he doesn’t count since he just joined. Anyway, Hal thought it wasn’t fair for Batman to not even give a hint on who he was. He wanted so badly to see who was under the cowl and who the ‘Batman’ is.
Batman scowled in response to Hal. “I had it covered.”
“What, were you going to use your grappling hook to stop it?”
“You’re so childish, it’s a wonder you even made it to being on the team.”
“What do you know about being on the ‘team’ anyway? It's a wonder you’re still on!”
“You should do us all a favor and stop talking so we don’t have to be reminded of how you’re only here because you have the Green Lantern ring.”
“Why don’t you just shut me up yourself? Pussy.”
Both men were up out of their chairs and glaring daggers at each other, looking ready to strangle the other. The sound of someone clearing their throat made both Hal and Batman snap their heads in the direction of the noise, yelling “What?!” at the same time.
“Um,.. Meetings over.. Just letting yall know,” said Clark, standing at the door of the meeting room awkwardly. When did he get there?
Hal looked around the room to find it empty. Not even Barry stayed to listen to the screaming match, and he was the most nosey person in the league. Hal balled his hands into fists, the fidget toy he had earlier long gone.
“It’s not my fault that he had to start something!--” Hal said and turned away from Clark to point a finger at Batman, only to find that he was gone. Yup, Hal was going to lose it.
Clark looked at Hal with.. Pity? Sympathy? Either way, he didn't want it. Hal groaned and threw his hands up in annoyance.
Oliver definitely didn't know what he was talking about when he said Hal was obsessed with Batman. All he did was make Hal’s life harder. Hal hated Batman.