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Barry Allen was twenty-six when he joined the justice League, he was fresh out of college working a steady job, and he had had his powers for a year becoming a pretty well known hero in his city for his speed, heat, and smarts.
Sure he was a little immature, he finished college a year ago, he still had a light behind his eyes you don’t see in many heroes anymore, and for some reason he despite being a meta Central City welcomed him with open arms, and at the end of the year he was supposedly getting a museum as the city petition suggests.
Barry had never suspected that meta’s would be so well acclaimed that one of them could start a superhero force, and at the age of twenty-six Barry Allen has a doctorate in forensic science, he’s an uncle, and officially part of The Justice League or The JL for short.
He doesn’t question why it seems so small, Sups, and Wondy make up the team. The three of them are practically the holy trinity of claimed, and well liked meta heroes, and he doesn’t realize that there is a fourth hero in the league until a month into the whole gig(which is a surprise considering the media circus around the time of the members introduction).
The Green Lantern is the final League member Barry shakes his hand when he lands in front of him all cropped, curly, brown hair going gray, with a predominately black, green, and white color scheme.
Barry is thinking up a nickname at the speed of light when the Lantern finally speaks up for the first time.
“Hey, sups..!”
His voice is deep which is to be expected from the second oldest league member but it holds a childish lit to it one that Barry can relate to, he feels Lantern would have been a good frat buddy if they had been in college together, and he realizes he’s gotten caught up in his thoughts -
“You sure did pick a cute one”
The Lantern remarks staring down at Barry who knows his cheeks must be as red as his costume, and he rubs a hand over his lightly stubbled jaw looking over at Wonder-woman for some help here because how is he supposed to take that..?
“Green Lantern, you really need to stop flirting with every new league member”
Superman chides.
“Don’t tell me what to do kid, I keep it fun..! You have to admit it was funny watching Diana throw me around”
“Names..!”
Superman hisses, and Barry can feel the man’s eyes on him, the regard he throws at Barry like he will give away their secret identities on a moment's notice.
“What do you do for a job kid..?”
“Forensic science, I have a doctorate, It’s noted on my file”
He smiles, and Green Lantern nods.
“See, He’s not some reporter like someone I know”
The man chuckles at the indignant look Superman has on his face as he loops his arm around Barry’s shoulders.
“Feel like we are gonna get along just fine kid”
And that is how Barry ends up with a Green Lantern on his couch.
Barry had been working through some paperwork in the kitchen while Wally did his homework mostly so Barry could make sure he would focus but the knocking had disrupted the speedster.
He opens the door, his nephew gripping the back of his pant leg to see one Green Lantern being clutched close to the side of Martian Manhunter. Though they currently appear human, the alien brings the Lantern into his house without even starting conversation.
“Uncle Barry.., What's wrong with him..?”
“I dunno kiddo, go do your homework I'll figure this out”
He pushes Wally towards the kitchen, and approaches Martian Manhunter, and Green Lantern. The martian tries to rest Green Lantern on his couch disregarding the fact that G.L is bleeding, and if any blood gets on his couch -
“What's going on..?”
He stands off to the side not getting close to the Lantern, and the Leagues newest member, he knows how averse to touching Martian Manhunter is so he stays to the side maybe just a little panicky.
“He was shot, he needs medical assistance”
“So you brought him here instead of the base..?”
Barry stresses electricity sparking around his form in the state he’s in he will burn something on accident, it's not exactly warm outside, and finding a new house in the same suburbs would be hard -
He’s thinking too hard, and he's overthinking as well, he takes a calming breath turning around, and stepping through his own house avoiding shoes, and toys left about from Wally’s trip over to see him to his own shoes a few scattered items.
“Hey” He mutters nabbing something off a side table in the hall “I've been looking for that”
He shakes his head speed walking up the stairs to get to the bathroom he keeps all the medical supplies in, he pulls the small pouch free from under the sink propping many bottles of shampoo, and hair spray back up before shutting the cabinet, and standing and speed walking back down the stairs.
The urge to superspeed has always been something Barry has had to fight off, right now it's the worst it's been in a long time so he takes a deep breath again to calm his heart, and his need for speed to concentrate on the Lantern bleeding out on his couch.
“Here M.M I got it”
He steps near the couch, and the Martian backs away allowing Barry time to work.
“Hey G.L”
He greets the man’s eyes open the slightest bit before falling closed an exasperated breath released from his lips.
Barry carefully moves his hand up brushing the jacket away. The flight jacket that is untouched from blood slips over the man’s broad shoulders, and as he begins coaxing the fabric away from G.L's form his hand shoots up, and snap around his wrist like a cuff, and Barry feels the electricity under his veins surge up, and tingle through his fingertips.
“Lantern it’s just me”
He tries to soothe; he lets his hand fall limp, uncoiling his muscles; the man's eyes crack open again, falling on Barry’s face.
“Let me help you..,”
He pleads, and the hand around his wrist loses enough for Barry to feel comfortable lifting his other hand.
“I’m just taking your jacket off so no blood gets on it” Muscle tenses under his left hand clearly the jacket is precious to the lantern so he sloths his hand over the space “no one else will touch it” He promises, his voice holds reverence, and the man seems to believes him finally fully releasing Barry’s wrist so he pulls it free quickly before the lantern can change his mind.
“M.M”
He turns his head to address the Martian but the creature is gone, and Barry sighs a little frustration curling up in his gut he calls out for his nephew.
“Wally”
He would rather not keep the boy around something like this but he needs a little help.
“Uncle Barry..?”
He stands speaking around the doorframe as if he expects to not be allowed in the room, and Barry smiles pleasantly.
“Come here”
The kid does, standing by his shoulder to peek at G.L’s prone form on the couch.
“Wally this is a friend of mine, he’s hurt, and I need to take care of him but I might need some extra hands”
He informs Wally nods his head like a boy on a mission Barry offers the kid the flight jacket he holds in his hands.
“Fold this for me place it on the table, and then come back”
He requests. He feels bad for immediately breaking the promise he made to GL about nobody else touching it but his friends wound is more important and Wally wouldn't run the jacket ins the moments he will be putting it away. Wally works fast, snatching the jacket from Barry’s hands, and folding it while Barry turns his back to the boy, and begins carefully cutting away G.L’s shirt to get a better look at the wound.
Most of it is sutured shut, whatever shot him wasn’t a human device, and it makes more electricity thrum in his veins as he pulls the fabric away to make more room. He can feel Wally's body heat hovering over his shoulder, and the small boy hisses once he spots the wound.
“Grab me some paper towels, and a small bowl of water..?”
Wally runs off small feet padding against the floor Barry looks over, that will definitely scar, it spreads out marred, and brunt flesh tears when G.L’s chest expands.
“That's gonna hurt like a bitch when your more lucid”
Barry remarks carefully prodding around the flesh seeing the twitch, and tense of muscle under his finger.
Wally is back a little water sloshing out of the bowl, and Barry sighs taking a paper towel, and rubbing it over the open wound slowly, The blood stains the paper towel orange at first then a little more red as he switches out for another one, he’s working to wipe the blood away not rub it around.
“What happened to him”
“He got shot”
Barry says shortly. He feels fear, and anxiousness curl in his gut as he wipes more blood away, it doesn't look like he will have to sew the wound shut.
“Like when you get shot..?”
Barry feels guilt swirl in his gut, Wally is talking about the freeze gun that is often used to slow him down or the fire gun that keeps getting hotter to burn through his suits.
“Yeah kinda like that”
He mutters carefully as he wipes more of the blood away, soon he can see clean lush skin he should burn or suture the rest of the wound closed but he doesn’t want to wake G.L that way. He sighs carefully pulling some gauze, and bindings from the med kit at his side.
“We are all done here Wally, go do your homework, thanks bud”
He says offering a smile, though strained around the edges, Wally nods eyes watching over G.L for a second before running away to the kitchen. Barry releases a breath he didn’t realize he was holding as he hauls the bulk of his work friend up against his chest to behind pulling the bandages around the man’s torso keeping the gauze over the wound, if G.L wakes up he will offer hydrogen peroxide but for now the man should rest.
He relaxes as he leaves the man resting on the couch his black tattered shirt is taken with Barry into the kitchen he throws it away, he is cleaning up the med kit he brings it back upstairs- maybe with a little superspeed -then he places the flight jacket carefully onto G.L's chest, and finds himself back in the kitchen looking over Wally’s homework.
“Very good buddy”
He eases brushing a hand through the boy’s hair, Wally loosely swats at it before he grunts, and fully trunks his torso to really get at Barry’s arm, he retracts it out of the little helion's grip, laughing slightly.
“I think it’s time for dinner”
He says as Wally drums his fingers over the counter tilting his head.
“What's Mr. Jordan's name..?”
Barry pauses the casserole pan in hand he tilts his head towards Wally following through with the motion.
“Mr. Jordan..?”
“Yeah your work friend..!”
Wally says he smiles bright, and wide his little gaptooth makes Barry smile softly though he didn’t know G.L’s last name till now, their real names were kept off of their files.
“I’m not sure I have any guesses..?”
“No, it starts with an H though..,”
Wally says slumping against the table dejectedly like he is sad, and just his lower lip out into a pout.
“Maybe you can ask him when he wakes up”
Barry offers before he turns back to the task at hand pulling out spices, tomato sauce, chicken, pasta.
He cracks his knuckles, and sets to work, and once it’s in the oven he removes his stupid gift apron covered in pink checkers against a white background that says ‘ Kiss The Cook ’ in big red bold letters. It was a gift from Susan, and Patty at work.
He hangs it up in the cupboard, and pats Wally’s head as he peers at the stack of complete homework. Barry's waist leaned against the counter for the timer to be up.
“Can I grab something to read..?”
Wally asks, and Barry nods his head as the kid gets up todling off into the house as he lets out another drawn out sigh. The kitchen is a little bit of a mess, he is proud of his house despite how out of order it appears regardless.
The plants he has been steadily growing make the orange walls a little more brown looking, the clocks on the walls a little bit of an impulse buy it had given him serotonin, and he couldn’t get enough of it so now the black cat clock’s tail swings back, and forth while its eyes shift back, and forth smiling at him.
The amount of shelves on the wall covered in nautical decor, jars, and metals make it the right amount of cluttered, and messy to seem intentional, his keys hang from the hooks at the bottom of the shelf next to his work badge, and keys, Wally’s spare key, and an assortment of keychains.
He lances at the clock of the stove ‘0:04 ’ stares back at him, too slow, it's so hard to go slow when all he wants to do is go fast.
He rolls his shoulders, then his neck greeting the pop of his joints with a smile. He takes a deep breath releasing it makes him feel calm it definitely makes the thrum of electricity in his veins slow to a thrumming of his heartbeat.
He loves the controlled chaos of his home, something he can control when the outside world is so chaotic. The photos of himself, friends, family line the walls smooshed together almost unruly, and he finds comfort in the madness of it the clutter.
There is a shift in the doorway, beads, and fabric separate as G.L steps from the living room into the kitchen, and Barry tenses.
He stands at six foot’ four” he is all muscle like he isn't lenient on the gym. His bandage remain in tact across his abdomen despite the moving that has a light spotting of blood. His hair is messy though plastered to his head with sweat, the long white bits of salt, and pepper hair tickling his neck. He has draped his flight jacket over his shoulders as if to keep himself warm, and when Barry’s eyes slide up from the wound on his left side his bright green eyes meet Barry's seafoam blue.
“Where's..,”
“M.M left shortly after dumping you on my couch”
Barry says simply as he pushes off the counter checking the timer on his casserole with another glance ‘ 0:02 ’ too slow.
“I had to remove your jacket to check over your wound appropriately”
He turns his head away from the man in front of him grabbing the oven mitts from the drawer nearby as his oven chimes to let him know less than a minute is left on his casserole.
He catches it at one second before it can let out the annoying screech that would let him know it's done. He presses the off button, and opens the oven before slipping his hand in, and pulling the pan out placing it on the stove top, pulling his gloves away, and taking the tinfoil off from the top.
“Smells delicious..”
He is fishing for Barry’s name, and he might as well give it.
“Bartholomew Allen”
He greets, and G.L nods his head.
“Got a nickname ..? ”
“Yeah, I go by Barry”
He says simply, and the man nods a few stray locks of deep brown hair falling in front of his eyes causing him to shake his head to get them out of his eyes. He moves stiffly like the wound is aggravated, and Barry rushes to G.L’s side to pick him up and place him down.
G.L seems startled, gripping the back of his chair for dear life eyes wide, and falling on Barry who has already sped back to his casserole, he opens the window placing it on the sil to cool it.
“Any doubt in my mind that your Flash is officially gone”
He mutters under his breath tilting his head back, eyes screwed shut a pained look on his face.
“Is there any bacteria in space..? ”
“Wait don’t answer that obviously not, the vacuum would kill most of it”
He mutters, shaking his head out as he turns back to face G.L who stares wide eyed at the kid standing awkwardly in the doorway.
“Hey Wally”
He greets his nephew, and finally enters, stepping towards him choking up, and becoming shy now that G.L is awake.
“What's up bud”
He asks the kid to push himself up onto the counter near Barry tugging at the collar of his vest to get him to lean over.
“Ask him his name for me..?”
When Barry pulls back his eyes are wide, and begging like a puppy, and Barry laughs warmly ruffling the kids hair.
“Wally wants to know your name”
G.L looks taken aback his eyes crinkle softly crows feet becoming more apparent as his eyes turn to pleased crescents.
“I’m Hal, I’m a friend of your.., Uhm..,”
“Uncle”
Barry, and Wally answer simultaneously, and Barry laughs again Wally giggling at his side leaning into him Barry easily stands strong under the weight of his little nephew. G - Hal smiles at them before nodding his head.
“Sorry I uh.., crashed the party..?”
“You didn’t crash much, just home work, and work-work”
He says trying to ease Hal’s worries he steps away from the counter Wally goes top heavy for a second before catching himself, clearly he’s getting tired.
Barry pulls two plates from the cupboard.
“WIll you be eating with us Hal, I don’t think you should leave with..,”
His eyes fall to the wound before sliding back up the man’s chest to meet his eye.
“Yeah, uhm.., Yeah”
He nods his head a slight pink warming his cheeks which is probably a good sign. He plates enough for two people, and one speedster before sitting back down at the table.
He takes a bite of the meal he made, and smiles, he did a wonderful job, and he made it himself without a recipe, on the other end of the table Wally scarfs down his food like a madman - or in this case young growing boy.
Barry chuckles, reaching a hand out to steady the kid.
“Slowly fire cracker”
Hal’s eyes flit between the two of them before another layer of pink seems to overcome his cheeks, and Barry barely catches it. They eat in relative silence which is nice, and calming, and Barry has no issues with slowing Wally after his first warning by the time both of them are done Barry takes Wally’s dishes along with his own to the sink, and dumps them there to do after Wally’s in bed, and he can speed through them.
Wally yawns, and makes grabby hands at Barry who hefts the kid onto his hip without a second thought, and hauls him up the stairs Hal stays in the kitchen probably not wanting to intrude.
Barry tucks the kid in turning off the reading lamp on his bedside table, and leaves, for the door shutting it softly behind him.
Barry steps down the stairs down the hall, and into the kitchen yet again, and spots Hal eating a few bites of his meal.
“So.., Hal huh.., That's short for something..?”
“Howerd”
he says simply. He seems so calm in his stupid jacket sitting in Barry’s kitchen, and he smiles, this is nice.., having someone to feed, and talk to about superhero stuff not that they have done a lot of that.
“Where are you staying..? I can run you over there”
He offers. Hal chuckles, shaking his head out.
“What are you, a taxi service ..? ”
“Just offering”
He smiles softly, and turns to the dishes in a wiz of teal, they are done finding their places in the cupboard squeaky clean. He trunks back around where Hal has finished his food.
“I, uh, don’t really have a place to stay right now”
He smiles nervously.
“I’m not really on earth enough to keep a job or pay rent consistently so..,”
“You stay with the GLC.” He finishes, and nods his head. “That makes sense”
This is new, for him at least to have someone he knows so well yet so little about in his kitchen.
By the time Barry is tired Hal is beat, all of the energy his body is focusing on the wound in his side is beating him down, and with Barry's help he's able to make it to the couch without any problem.