Hal remembered feeling angry, it was something that Superman had said that set him off. Something about Hal needing to go off world for a mission for the JLA; anger bubbled up, he had just got back to Earth from an absence of nearly two months.
But the reaction didn't set off until he went back to Earth from the watchtower, his best friend and partner Barry unlocked the door leading into his home. Their home. It was only meant to be until Hal got back on his feet, but he and Barry became closer than ever, and Barry let Hal stay.
"He'll get another Lantern to help, Hal." Barry began, locking the door behind them then turning to Hal. "I know you want some time here."
"Do you know how it feels to be off world and away from home for months on end?" His fists were now clenched, face turning red and eyes narrowed. Barry had ended up with his back against the wooden door at some point. Not even his fast mind and reflexes would have been quick enough to move across to the stairs nearby, not to get out of the way when a punch landed to the door beside his face. Hal was in Barry's face, his eyes downcast to the floor; his knuckles had cracked upon impact with the wood and blood began to pool by their feet.
Hal never really remembered much after the first punch, he never understood why he got so angry, not why he never remembered anything after. Everyone else remembered, though. Carol, the JLA… Barry. Barry always remembered everything, and in more clarity he remembered everything he wanted to forget.
He remembered every punch to his body, every terrible word that was said (that held no meaning, he knew), and hated every scar that was on his body. Hal was the reason for all of it, but Barry still had him stay, still loved him more than anyone. Even when he he curled up in a ball, covering his ears with his hands or a pillow as he tried not to cry; he attempted to block the noise of Hal smashing and throwing breakable objects from downstairs.
The routine was almost the same, be pissed after getting home, beating someone close to him (unfortunately it was usually Barry), and then calming down. That usually meant going up to Barry and collapsing on the bed beside him, holding him close till one of them fell asleep. Hal was always the first to get any shut eye.
Barry would lay in bed, wide awake thinking how he allowed himself to be tortured by the awful mood swings his partner was so inclined to take out on him. No, that wasn't fair! Hal had been made at everyone in the JLA, but had he ever been so brutal with any one of them?
When Hal was in a good mood, he was never happier, he could never be brought down from his good mood. But when a bad day came (and more had been happening) nothing went right for either of the pair. They would end up in the same position, lying on their shared bed, with a mess to be cleaned up the next morning by Barry (Hal would never be in a good mood if there was a mess left from him).
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Hal cried in his sleep every single time after he was angry. He cried, and Barry wiped the tears as quickly as they fell; it was a routine that Barry was used to. The speedster knew he shouldn't be, but he locked that nagging somewhere deep inside his head, so deep he barely heard it.
"Shhhhh," Barry hummed softly, moving up to have his hand rest in Hal's hair and his thumb stroke his forehead. Hal mumbled something incoherent, before settling down with a tiny smile on his face.
Like almost every other night before when the same situation happened, Barry slid out of their bed and quickly ran downstairs, his speed also made his feet light on the ground, so even the creaking step he hated never made a sound from his super speed. He took inventory on the damage around the house.
Three glass bowls, six teacups, a vase (Barry didn't feel sorry for that item as he hated the damn look of the thing), two game controllers (luckily Barry brought spares for occasions like this), the microwave, a dinner plate and the dishwasher handle. Barry gathered up shards of glass and began straightening everything that was out of place. The two biggest items that would be needed immediately were the microwave and handle of their dishwasher, which a repairman's business card was sticking up on the fridge for this very situation. Neither man was very good at fixing anything.
The house looked relatively clean, almost like nothing had happened if the microwave and dishwasher weren't seen. It was nearly seven in the morning, Hal would be getting up soon.
Being careful where he stepped, Barry put a pot of coffee on, running a hand through his shortish blonde hair as he walked carefully into the lounge room. Before he could even sit down on the couch, a low knock sounded from the front door. Barry guessed it was low enough so only he could hear it.
No one was at the door, but on the 'Welcome' mat there was a hand written letter, nearly a full page. Barry knew that writing too well; Iris had stopped by to help him. Even after their divorce, he still loved her, and she him; but their relationship remained as friends, nothing more.
'Bear,
I know exactly how this is going to go down, and it isn't pretty. I want you to come and stay with me for a while, get away from Hal for a bit and have some space.
You don't deserve to be hurt in any way, trust me, I've seen how it's affected you personally and I carry that with me everyday of my life. I can't take back what I did, but I can help you now.
Hal isn't mentally stable enough to be with you, or even be around you. Much less the JLA or even around his work (which my sources say he was fired from)! Please, stay with me for a few days, come around and see the twins, they miss you Barry.
Make up some excuse to leave for a few days, maybe one of the JLA members can cover for you, but please, I don't want you around him while he's like this.
I don't want him chipping away at the man you are, he'll make you hollowed out till you're nothing anymore.
You deserve the world, Barry. Sometimes I wish I had have seen that when we were married.'
Several lines had been crossed out, scribbled over, ink blotches were on the page too (Iris had a tendency to hit pens across a desk when she was angry and make ink go everywhere), but the last legible sentence she had written that wasn't crossed out was:
'I love you, Bear, and I hate that he's hurt you so much that you're okay with it.'
Barry nearly cried at the last part, he shoved the letter into the jeans he hadn't changed out of and slid to the ground, leaning on the closed door.
Was Iris right? Did he actually become one of those people he had to write reports about because their spouse or partner had beaten them so bad they ended up in hospital one way or another? Why did he stick around when he knew Hal would physically and mentally hurt him?
He knew Hal could be a good person, but the thought of the situation going too far was also a real possibility, despite how quickly Barry healed, he knew there were some light bruises still healing and a cracked rib or two from the night before. Barry scurried to his feet, fumbling around the downstairs area of the house until he found his phone and wrote a very quick note to Hal, a corner of the page was likely to be singed from his fast writing.
Iris' small townhouse home came into view two minutes later, where Barry halted to a stop across the road and whipped out his phone from his pocket. He paced up and down the street to stop his shoes from smoking and hoped people just mistaken him for someone who was in a hurry. Diana answered her phone within two rings, and the Amazon princess already knew what Barry was going to say, but her patience dictated her to remain silent until Barry was done.
"Please, just cover for me if he asks?" Barry asked softly, he voice strained from whatever emotions he was trying to reign in.
"Of course, Barry. I always do." Diana hung up, the words decided to stay in Barry's head.
He was beginning to piece together how much of the situation really was a routine for the couple. They'd fight (well, Hal would do the fighting), Barry would be upset and end up somewhere else the next morning, usually at work or with Iris to see his two children. This was never what Barry wanted.
"Bear!" Barry heard his pet name being called, his head shot up on instinct to see Iris wearing a saddened smile on her face as their two children stood at the front door from inside of the home. He crossed the road and almost immediately felt Iris' embrace make him feel whole again.
"I shouldn't have to keep coming here like this," he mumbled into her hair. Her arms gripped his back in a strong hold. Both didn't want to let go, but their children calling Barry's attention made him smile.
"Daddy!" Iris had let Barry inside and both children jumped into his arms, he swung them both in the air before letting them down on their feet.
"I missed you two," Barry placed kisses on both of his children's foreheads before they ran off to their rooms, probably to fish out something to show their father. Iris handed Barry a mug filled with coffee, exactly how he liked it.
"I didn't get a chance to have my coffee yet," Barry reflected, almost musing on the thought. Iris didn't look happy.
"I never should have hurt you," Barry moved his gaze to his ex wife and frowned at her. "You wouldn't be going through this if it wasn't for me."
"Maybe it was meant to happen." He grasped one of Iris' smaller hands into his own. "Reminds me of what my mother told me as a kid."
Iris and Barry sat in the same position for several minutes, only being broken out of their statue like positions when their children ran back in screaming for Barry to look at everything they had done for him. Drawings, paintings, his son had attempted to draw him as Flash which made Barry smile. When Iris ushered them to go watch cartoons for the morning, they ran off loudly; Iris never was a big fan of letting their kids watch television, but it got them out of the way to speak with Barry.
"I still love you, you know?" Barry questioned, causing Iris top spin on her heel to watch his face. He was serious.
"I love you too, Bear." She shuffled over to him and plopped down onto the couch, her leg and hip touching Barry's. "I was an idiot to let myself cheat on you."
Barry had his left arm around her shoulders, his right hand rested on her knees. He knew what had really happened, Iris had been forced into a kiss by some sleaze she worked with at the Central City TV News Room, and she blamed herself everyday. Barry blamed her for a while to, then the divorce happened. And Hal picked up the pieces and was great for a while, before he showed who he was behind closed doors. It was how Carol was really heartbroken.
Barry and Iris moved closer like it was nothing, lips meeting in the middle like it was second nature, but Barry felt like he was kissing Iris for the first time again. The spark was there again. Iris grazed her fingertips across his cheeks before she pulled away and opened her eyes slowly. She always loved his blue eyes.
A knock came from the front door (Barry groaned silently at hearing that same noise twice in one morning not even half an hour apart) and Barry answered before Iris could blink.
Hal stood at the door. Looking like he hadn't gone off the deep end the night before and had the best life ever.
"Bear, I thought you might be here!" Hal walked in past Barry and pulled Iris into a tight hug. "Missed you Iris!"
"What are you doing here?" Iris stepped back from his embrace to glare at the Green Lantern. "Barry never said you could come in, and I don't want you here."
Barry, who had since shut the door, moved to shield Iris from Hal, standing in front of her as he glared at his partner.
"Daddy?" Barry turned his head to look over his shoulder, his daughter was near the kitchen and living room walkway holding onto her twin brother's hand. They both looked scared.
"Go back and watch cartoons, honey. We won't be long." The children didn't moved, their eyes followed past their parents to Hal.
"You've hurt Daddy," the son now spoke, and Hal looked terrified. Who knew two tiny four year olds could look so intimidating? Barry knew Iris never spoke of how Barry was with Hal, these children were just very smart. Iris used to joke about how they got Barry's brains, now she knew they had.
"Go, Hal." Commanded Barry, pointing to the door Hal had only entered in a minute before. "We can talk later."
"I want you to come home," Hal still smiled, and looked at Iris. "Don't want you to get any ideas."
Barry darted forward, his hand wrapped around both of Hal's as he held them behind his back and Hal's body crashed up against the wall. The Green Lantern ring wasn't on his finger, and not in any of Hal's pockets.
"I don't want you to even look at my children on Iris again," frustration was beginning to build, everything Hal had done, every injury and night Barry spent crying bubbled to the surface. Iris held Barry's gaze when he looked back at her, she was trying to shield the kids from seeing what was happening. "Get out of our home!"
Hal remembered this moment, and the anger that went through him afterwards. He had gone back to the home he and Barry shared, and ruined everything he could; the oven, TV, the table, chairs, bookcase, telephones, part of the banister for the stairs, almost everything in their bedroom, and a sink in the bathroom that a joined their bedroom.
He surveyed the damage that evening, nearly twelve hours after the rampage; he didn't have the money to fix it, didn't have Barry to hold him anymore. He didn't remember calling anyone, but when Bruce had come around and offered to replace everything he also had mentioned something else.
"You did this to yourself, Hal." Bruce's deep voice sounded colder than normal. "Now it's time you fix it."
Bruce had already talked to several physiologists in Gotham and Central City, several wanted to talk with Hal, more wanted to speak with Barry. Hal didn't remember most of his bad times, Barry remembered all of them. Violence wasn't great for either party, but Barry was the top priority to help him as a victim.
At least he had Iris and his children. The JLA wouldn't look at Hal the same way, and he was still being reprimanded for some of his questionable choices in the Corps by the Guardians. Hal had pushed everyone away; and had almost no one when he needed them.
A.N. Don't know why I got this idea, but hey, this happened. If you are in this situation or know someone who is, please go talk to a professional; they are there to help you, and no one (not an aggressor or the victim) deserves to end up in this situation.
In the end I decided to have Barry end up with Iris due to the fact that I do think they belong together (she has always been his lightning rod) and she supported him in this.
Not much of an author's note, but I didn't just finish this after first waking up, so I'm tired!