5 People Will Dated and the 1 That Stayed

Chapter Three: Michael The Green Lantern

...

"It's green."

"It brings out your pretty hazel eyes," the bartender deadpanned, amused at Will's horrified expression over the drink. The handsome bartend with the nearly fluorescent pink mohawk jabbed a thumb to the other side of the bar, "Courtesy of that stud muffin over there."

Looking across the bar, past the flirtatious bartender who coyly slipped his number under Will's beer the first time he arrived, ignoring the twink dancing on top of the bar to an appreciative crowd, and Will couldn't stop the grin emerging on his face.

Unbeknownst to Will, his enthusiastic reaction caused the bartender to huff and a disappointment groan amongst the less than subtle crowd of men around him, checking out his ass.

Lifting a drink that matched Will's affinity for red and blue, Michael winked at Will. Will ducked his head, blushing at his drink before coyly lifting his head to look at Michael. He brought up his drink, Michael doing the same as they toasted one another for a job well done.

Taking a sip, Will was surprised to find his drink tasted like figs. He took another sip, and then another until he felt his body tingle with a pleasant hum.

"Good, huh?"

"It's interesting," Will murmured against the rim of his partially empty glass. He leaned against the firm chest suddenly pressed against his backside. "The color is a little disconcerting."

Michal wrapped an arm around his middle, lightly pressing a kiss to the patch of skin underneath his collar. His voice, moist and husky, spoke of promises for later in the evening. "I thought you liked the color green."

Will placed his drink back on the counter, ignoring the bartender blatantly staring at them, and turned around. He pressed an open-mouthed kiss against an equally eager mouth. He tasted like honeydew and rasberries. Sucking on Michael's tongue like a lollipop, Will pulled away much to Michael's displeasure. The Green Lantern made sure to grab his ass that much harder.

"I like green." Will leaned forward, licking his swollen bottom lip slowly as he leaned forward toward Michael. His lips brushed against the other's every time he spoke, "Only when I can take it off of you."

"You miss me."

"Just because he has a similar color palate to you doesn't mean-"

"You totally miss me."

"Layla."

"Are you sure you're not at least somewhat bisexual?"

"LAYLA!"

The static, granular resolution on the screen due to the poor Internet connection in Africa did nothing to dim Layla's smug grin.

Will pressed his forehead against his desk with an inexplicable desire to thump his head repeatedly against it. It was a bad idea, but the thought helped.

The last time he did that, it caused the wood to splinter.

Warren was not pleased. Apparently, when your friend makes a wooden table from scratch for you, it's rude to break it nearly in half.

"What does Warren say about the guy?" Layla tapped against the touch screen to gain Will's attention as he sulked.

"He hasn't been around as much…"

She rolled her eyes, rubbing her temples as she slumped forward toward the monitor until Will could see the whites of her eyes. "You guys live next door to one another!"

"Across the hall," Will clarified. Layla huffed. Will placed his chin against his forearms as he answered. "Inferno has gotten more calls lately."

Layla brightened.

"I know," Will looked down at the keyboard, grinning softly. "I'm glad Warren's getting out of his father's shadow too."

"Buuuut…" Layla sing-songed.

"We don't see each other," Will jerked his head toward the direction of Warren's apartment. "We live literally right next to one another, but I don't see him."

"Well, you do have a new boyfriend."

"Who's out saving the world and occasionally the galaxy."

"You could join him."

Will shrugged, "When you're out saving the galaxy or the multiverse, you sometimes forget the little people. I want to be a hero for Maxville and Earth." He wagged a finger at Layla through the screen, "Kinda like you with the whole planting trees and saving the rainforests thing."

"Are you sure you won't make an exception on the gay thing?"

"Layla!"

"Worth a try."

"It's futile."

"Futile? You've been listening to villain monologues a little too long."

"One of the consequences of the job."

"If you use the word dastardly, I'm going make you take a vacation in Africa."

"To see you."

"Of course me."

"I'm gay."

"Hey, I just want you to plant trees with me," Layla batted her eyelashes.

"That better not be a euphemism."

"It's soothing."

Will sighed.

"Good talking to you Layla."

"Always!"

He just wanted a cold shower and a hot meal.

Unfortunately, at this late at night, all he might get was the shower.

A knock on the door.

Warren sighed. He shucked off his uniform for a pair of baggy sweatpants.

Probably Mrs. Burblunski and her sleepwalking. She would probably pat his firm stomach, tell him he looked like her late husband (he didn't), and meander back to her apartment.

"Mrs. Burblunsk-"

Warren stopped.

"I think this would qualify as…'brinner' by now," Will stammered, his eyes firmly planted on Warren's face as he motioned toward the casserole pan in his hands. "Breakfast slash dinner: 'brinner', but you can call it 'delicious'."

"It's 3am, Stronghold."

"And you're just getting back from two states over and are probably in need of food," Will replied, ducking underneath Warren's arm and into his apartment.

"Were you stalking my apartment?"

"I had some paperwork for my latest client to finish up. They're protesting that their house is on an Indian burial ground or whatever. I was watching the news and saw that Inferno just finished his stint in Star City." Will was going for casual as he kept his back to Warren while he fiddled around in the flame head's kitchen. However, it was mostly to keep the blush on his cheeks from Warren's inquisitive gaze. When was the last time he saw the other shirtless? Hopefully, Warren would accept the answer and go shower and give Will enough time to stop himself from hyperventilating like a fourteen-year old fangirl. "I had some casserole leftover and thought you'd like some."

To be honest, Will had been awake. Although he would never admit it was to make the casserole for Warren while using the pretense of tidying up some paperwork for an overly suspicious client.

"You were probably creeping around those Inferno stalker-sites," Warren muttered as he followed after Will, veering off for a long awaited shower.

The door closed shut and the roar of a shower started.

"Yeah, that too," Will whispered to Warren's stovetop.

Brinner ended up being a quiet affair.

Not the peaceful dinner between friends who really didn't need to say much, like at the Paper Lantern.

Warren, despite being ravenous, ate his food slowly. His hair already dry and carefully tied up in a high ponytail. Although that only served as another distraction for Will.

Face determinedly faced downward at the casserole, his fork delicately poking holes in the noodles. Will knew it was rude not to look up, b-but. Warren's first appearance out of the shower, towel drying his hair, a pair of sweats loosely hanging from his hips, and Will nearly slammed the other into the nearest wall. He was pretty sure offering a blowjob to his best male friend when the other just came back into town was frowned upon.

There should be a manual for having straight male friends.

Luckily for both, the silence was interrupted when Warren pushed his third helping of casserole toward the middle of the table.

"So…"

"Good, huh?" Will weakly chuckled, biting his bottom lip.

"Weren't you supposed to be on a date with Michael?" The way Warren stated 'Michael', if Will didn't know any better, almost sounded like a sneer.

"We broke up…" Will carefully separated the chicken from the noodle. He should've baked it longer.

Will could smell something smoldering. Looking up, Will was a little more than surprised to note that Warren's fork was melted and dripping onto the tabletop. He hadn't melted silverware in years, not since the summer before their freshman year of college due to Romaine and a minor breakdown that left Will huddled in his lofted dorm bed for days.

"When?" Warren nearly growled.

"Last week," Will motioned toward the melted fork. Warren dropped it uncaringly on the floor.

"You didn't tell me."

An accusation.

"You were somewhere in Midwest America fighting a corn monster," Will stated. He figured a utensil-melting conversation would ensue. Gingerly, he placed a replacement fork by Warren's plate.

While Will's hand was outreached, Warren grabbed Will's wrist. His hand was just hot enough to be uncomfortable him. "You should have told me."

"Corn. Monster."

"Cell. Phone." Warren tightened his grip.

Huh, Will could feel bruising occur around his wrist.

Obviously, Warren was working out while Will wasn't around.

"You have…your own issues," Will pulled free, sending Warren an exasperated look. He stood up from the table, ready to put his still full dish into the sink, but Warren rounded the small breakfast table and stood in his way.

"My issues are pretty much always going to be on the backburner," Warren rolled his eyes. "We're best friends and…" Warren growled lowly as he ran a hand through his banks. Unbeknownst to him, he was jutting out his bottom lip temptingly and Will was thankful for deciding to wear his large college sweatshirt, "You should have told me!"

"I always tell you," Will retorted. "You have Amy, I-"

"I. Don't. Care," Warren stated. "I've been dragged to enough sappy movies by you and your merry gang of color coordinated sidekicks during high school to know friends are allowed to blab out their innermost thoughts and feelings. If you haven't figured," he pointed finger toward himself and then Will," that we're friends, then you're making me reconsider the fact that you may be slow, Stronghold.

The silence after Warren's speech seemed like it stretched out for miles. Warren's heavy breathing, his brow knit together in dissatisfaction. His brown eyes radiating anger, but beneath it all, it was Warren. That same guy who brought knocked on Will's window the night that Layla broke up with him. That guy who Will knew had his back, as both the Guardian and just plain old Will. The guy who needed Will as much as he, himself, needed the other because as much as Warren never said it, Will knew he was that one single constant in his life when life often threw him sideways.

Shaking his head, Will a cautious step forward. A smile lingered on his lips as he slowly leaned his forehead against Warren's stiff shoulder. "Thank you…"

Warren sighed. "Idiot."

Slowly, Warren lifted his arms and wrapped them tentatively around Will.

Will sighed. He was jealous of Amy -Permafrost with her pretty blonde hair, her feminine, childbearing hips, and just so happened to be a woman- who was often the sole recipient of Warren's hugs. They were like a hot water bottle, warm and comforting. Warren surprisingly didn't break free after the obligatory three second hug rule passed. "Why'd you break up?"

"He's always away," Will almost-whined.

"Tch, I told you about long-distance relationships."

"He wasn't necessarily far away."

"He was in a different galaxy for a month."

"He was so nice though," Will muttered. He sighed, using it as a cover to burrow further into Warren's shoulder. He missed Warren's smoky scent, like chili peppers and freshly burning wood.

"Pick someone closer."

Will whimpered, huddling closer to Warren.

A sigh in his ear, and Will had to use every ounce of his willpower not to shiver.

"Movie and beer?"

"And moping?"

"It's been a week!"

"You weren't there." Will tried for joking, but that obviously failed according to the tightening of Warren's arms around him.

Warren sighed, "You better bring the good beer."

"Only if you bring the Chinese."


SS: I'm so stoked to upload my next chapter. It's about Will and his dating experiences with Kryptonians. It's mostly crack though! haha Tell me what y'all thought of this chapter! I hope I didn't make any of the characters seem out of character or if the scene changes weren't too abrupt or unnatural.