Work Text:
Hal Jordan was an idiot. That much wasn’t a secret. Kyle knew it whenever he got himself into dating the world’s biggest asshole— Okay. He sucked in a breath to steady himself. He was just very mad at his boyfriend right now, he didn’t really mean that.
But gah! Hal really knew how to piss him off just right and then act like he didn’t do shit.
“I don’t understand the issue, Kyle,” Hal sounded out.
They were in uniform (minus their masks), standing on the roof of their apartment building. Kyle was about to head out on a mission that they’d received word of from the guardians. But, of course, Hal had “thoughts.”
“You don’t understand how you’re treating me like a child right now?”
Hal sighed out, he pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes as he gathered himself. Hal didn’t yell, not really. His voice usually got a little higher pitched with attitude, but that was the extent. Kyle knew that Hal wanted to fly away, to not talk about this and well, that was just too damn bad.
“I’m just… I’m just trying to protect you,” Hal replied.
That just made it worse, honestly. “Protect me? Protect me? Hal! I was the one who had to face you whenever you were evil! I did that! And you think I can’t face this stupid monster in space by myself?”
“It’s not just a monster, Ky. It’s— I don’t know what it is exactly, I just know that it’s born from the emotional spectrum and is highly dangerous!”
Kyle squinted his eyes, glaring at Hal. “Oh, because I can’t handle the entire emotional spectrum?” The question was rhetorical. Hal knew that Kyle could control the entire spectrum, hence White Lantern.
“I—”
“What? I won’t measure up to the great Hal Jordan? Or are you scared that I’m already there?”
“That's not, no… I just care about you, and I don’t want you getting hurt.”
“Hal!” Kyle scoffed and had to reign back in his emotions. He sucked in another deep breath. “I care about you too. God, I love you so much that it physically hurts me. I don’t want you getting hurt either, but that doesn’t make me stop you from doing all the dumb shit that you do.”
Hal was silent, probably stunned because anytime he heard that someone loved him or cared about him, it like temporarily paralyzed him. It hurt Kyle whenever he realized that Hal didn’t think he deserved being loved and cared for.
“You go into those jets all the time and I…” Kyle paused, averting his gaze elsewhere before continuing, “…I hold my breath until your feet are safe on the ground. I know we fly all the time with the rings, but… they're much more safe than the giant hunk of metal you’re trapped in.”
There were hands on his shoulders, and Kyle looked back to Hal. He wanted to be mad. To be so angry he turned into a Red Lantern, but he couldn’t. Because a part of him did believe he wasn’t good enough. That he had too much fear. That loving Hal made him weaker. And then there were those stupid big, brown, puppy eyes.
Kyle worried his bottom lip between his teeth.
“You really feel that way, Rayner?” Hal’s hands were now sliding down Kyle’s arms, his hands entwining with his own. Hal’s palms and fingers were calloused and big and strong and Kyle just held onto them tighter.
“Yes, you big idiot!” Kyle laughed out. It was a puff of air followed by a small chuckle, but one nonetheless. He hated fighting with Hal.
Hal pulled Kyle against his body by his hands before letting go and wrapping his arms around Kyle’s shoulders. Kyle responded by wrapping his arms around the mid-section of his boyfriend’s torso, his hands splayed out against his back.
“I suppose that I… that I spoke before I could really think,” Hal’s voice rumbled against Kyle’s cheek. He closed his eyes and hummed out an agreeance.
“I’m…” Hal paused. “Okay, yeah, I get it. It was selfish.”
Kyle rolled his eyes after reopening them. “If you say the words ‘I’m sorry, you were right Kyle’ do you burst into flames?”
Hal laughed, which caused Kyle to blush. They might have been together for a couple years now, but getting Hal to laugh at his jokes still filled him with pride.
“Yes, I do, actually. I’m so happy you finally get it.”
Kyle pinched Hal’s side and pulled away from him. “I’m sorry for fighting, but you’re seriously a huge idiot sometimes.”
Hal squirmed away a little from the pinch and smirked. “Yeah, I know.” He sucked a deep breath before placing a palm against the back of his neck. “I’m… sorry. Too. For fighting. And… being stupid. And selfish.”
Kyle raised a brow. “Please stop, it’s actually paining me to watch you do this,” he laughed out. A real one this time.
Hal laughed and released a breath. Probably one of relief, the guy seriously looked like he was about to have an aneurysm. Besides, it was enough for Kyle that Hal recognized how he was acting. It was also endearing that Hal attempted to give an apology, he could tease him about it later.
For now, he held out his hand to Hal and smiled. “Okay. So, can we go save the world now? Or do you wanna fight again?”
Hal snorted and grabbed Kyle’s hand, lacing their fingers together. He leaned in and placed a soft kiss against Kyle’s cheek before their masks materialized onto their faces. “Let’s go save the world together.”