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Kyle shouldered his way into the small apartment, his arms full of grocery bags. He intended to only get a few items, the necessities, but he just couldn’t help himself. He kicked the door closed with his foot. He heard the vacuum running in another room.
“It’s just me, mom!” Kyle called out, louder than usual to be heard over the humming of the sweeper. He had a key to her apartment. He actually was never asked to return it even after moving out. Or even when he was living in New York. That small thought made his heart swell.
“Oh, mo leanbh! My baby!” Maura exclaimed and began to wrap her arms around him.
Kyle laughed out. “Mom, come on… wait until I put the groceries down.” She was always so excited to see him, he shouldn’t complain.
She had agreed, blinded by her own love probably, and took a bag from his arms. “What’s all this?”
“It’s just a few groceries for the apartment, I know how you get busy and sometimes can’t make it,” he muttered the words and sat the rest of the bags down on the counter. “Don’t make a big fuss over it?”
“Well, you know, the mother is supposed to take care of the child, not the other way around.” She placed her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow playfully at him. She was this beautiful woman, blonde hair and green eyes. Irish to the core. Kyle had often found himself wondering why his father would ever leave his mother whenever he was a kid.
“I’m not taking care of you. You had to feed me when I was going through growth spurts, so it’s just me repaying you back.” Kyle smiled at her and held his arms out for her to get her hug.
Maura sighed out playfully and pulled her son into her arms, hugging him tightly and placing a few kisses on his head. “Oh, Kyle. You always were such a sweet boy.”
Kyle rolled his eyes and gave her a squeeze. “Happy Mother’s Day, mom.”
“Is breá liom tú,” she muttered the words softly before letting go. “Thank you, dear.”
“Yeah, I love you too.” Kyle smiled and turned back to the groceries. “What’s new?”
“Oh, nothing,” she answered, helping Kyle as well and tutting here and there whenever she looked at the name brand products. “What’s new with you? You’ve got anything to tell me?”
Kyle shook his head. It was a lie, and he knew better than to lie to his mother. Not because it was wrong… okay yes, it was wrong, but nothing got past his mom.
“Oh come on, spit it out. It’s written all over your face.” She gave him a sly smile.
Kyle laughed out, his face probably blooming into shades of red. “I don’t wanna talk about me, it’s your day.”
“Yeah? Well, I wanna know who’s got my son all flustered.”
Agh. Kyle fully believed in mothers intuition. She guessed right off the bat that he was Green Lantern before he could even get the words out.
“His name is Hal,” Kyle muttered, defeated. “It's nothing too serious yet, we’re just seeing each other.” Yeah. If you counted seeing each other as in very dirty activities he shouldn’t be thinking of right in front of his mother. Oh great, now his face was even more red. This might be torture.
“Oh Kyle, you’re so oblivious sometimes,” his mother sighed wistfully before laughing and putting the milk in the fridge.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” He had to remind himself not to strangle the bread to death.
Maura gently grabbed the bread from his hands and smiled. “Being in love is nothing to be ashamed about.”
“L-love?! Mom!” Kyle sputtered out the words and he felt like he was about to pass out. Him? In love with Hal? No way, they were just fucking. That’s literally all it was. Of course he couldn’t tell him mom that but. Jesus! “I am not in love with him.”
“Lying is not good for you,” Maura chided softly and put away a the snacks Kyle got, humming approvingly at her favorites.
“Can we talk about something else now, please?” He felt like he practically begged the words.
“I’m not trying to embarrass you, my love. You just got that sparkle in your eye again when you said his name.” She shrugged as she paused. “There is no shame in falling in love.”
Kyle pressed his fingertips into the his warm cheeks, trying to calm himself down.
“You moved back to California after you started seeing him, no?”
Kyle swallowed harshly and cursed in his head. “Yeah, I suppose so, but that was just because of—”
“Yes, work, I know. I know…” she laughed out and playfully rolled her eyes. “It wasn’t to be closer to your aging mother you love so much, it was to be closer to him.”
He suddenly found the egg carton super interesting. “Mom, it’s Mother's Day, let’s talk about you now.”
“Is he spending time with his mother? Have you met her yet?”
“W-what? No! She’s um… she passed away whenever he was younger,” Kyle explained.
“Ah. Well, if this was as casual as you said it was, then how would you know that?”
“It’s just. Something that came up…”
“I would love to have him over for dinner some day. Any man that brings back that beautiful sparkle in your eyes is welcome into my home any day.” Maura smiled at Kyle and suddenly his heart was drumming in his chest at the thought of Hal meeting his mom. Well. Shit. He might have accidentally fallen in love with the old man, after all…
He sucked in a deep breath and rolled his eyes as he gathered the empty bags. “Yeah, whatever, I'll mention it to him…” Kyle muttered in defeat. Maura just smiled yet again and pinched her son’s cheek gently.
“Mother’s always right, sweetie.”
Kyle laughed out and gently knocked his shoulder into her own. “I still don’t know how you do it… it’s gotta be a super power.”
“I think I’ll leave all the superhero stuff to you. Don't you know I created you? I know you.” She teased softly and ruffled his hair. “Besides, who wouldn’t fall in love with such a handsome young man?”
Kyle groaned and dipped his head back. “Gross…” He complained and wrinkled his nose. “Come on, we’ve gotta get started on that stew you like so much if you don’t wanna eat McDonald’s for dinner.”
Now it was Maura’s turn to wrinkle her nose. “Absolutely not! You’re right, let’s get started on it, shall we?”
Kyle nodded and moved to pull out a pot. They worked in unison and even if his mother did embarrass him to hell and back, he wouldn’t trade her for the world. He would move mountains for his mother.
████████
Kyle sighed as he stood in front of a different apartment door, staring down at his key chain. He had spent the rest of the day helping his mother cook the stew and eating it. She gossiped to him about her coworkers and they even got in a few episodes of some random TV show that was playing. It was a much needed day with his mom, as much as he would probably never admit that out loud.
He unlocked the door and pushed it open, his face erupting into a smile. He couldn’t help it. Not when Hal Jordan was standing there against the archway that led into their small living room. Yeah, yeah. His mom was right. They had moved in together a few weeks back. At first it really was more about saving money. With them being in space all the time at least they’d only have one past due rent instead of two. But then the kisses got deeper and the couch got uncomfortable, so Hal found his way into Kyle’s bed more times than not and well... It blossomed into something more. Something that equally terrified and excited him at the same time.
“How was your mom’s?” Hal spoke first.
Kyle placed his keys into the key bowl on the small table that stood beside their door. “It was good,” he replied softly. “How was your day?”
Hal sucked in a breath and raised his eyebrows before grabbing Kyle’s hand and leading him to the couch. “Well, y’know, as good as it could be.”
Kyle frowned, but nodded. He did understand, unfortunately. Instead of replying and twisting the knife deeper into the wound, he just allowed himself to be drug to the couch and plopped down beside Hal once they reached it. He leaned his head back as a smile spread on his face.
“What?” Hal asked, a smile growing on his. He supposed it was contagious.
“Nothing.” Kyle snorted and looked up at the ceiling.
Hal huffed out a small laugh. “Tell me.”
Kyle hummed and lifted his head back up. “My mom pretty much guessed that I was seeing someone and…” he paused, biting his lip as he chose his next words carefully. “Well, she would like it if you joined me in eating dinner at her place next Sunday?”
Hal froze for a few seconds. At first, Kyle thought he short-circuited the man. Broke him into even more pieces and he regretted even saying anything. “Well, I mean, you obviously don’t have to. Of course. I mean, that… psh.. my mom’s just—”
“—Kyle, I’d love to.”
Kyle blinked in surprise and he reminded himself to close his agape mouth. Hal’s mouth twitched before it spread into one of those charming smiles he knew his mother was just going to eat right up. “Yeah? Okay, sweet. I mean, cool. Yeah…” Kyle returned the smile. It felt like the wind was knocked out of his lungs. This whole dating again thing was so nerve wracking.
Hal leaned in and placed a small kiss on Kyle’s cheek, which heated up at the small brush of Hal’s lips. Hal didn't know it yet, but on this Mother’s Day, as he accepted Maura’s invitation, he gained a mother who would love him unconditionally no matter what. And Kyle couldn’t wait to show him what that felt like.