When Barry offered to take Hal to the baseball game, he was just expecting them to have a nice time in a nice place. Maybe have some snacks and talk a little about the game and what was going on in their daily lives.

He got so much more than he bargained for.

Barry had no idea how an asteroid the size of a baseball stadium had been on a clear path to Central City without any warnings issued whatsoever, but he couldn't have been more grateful that Hal was there. If he wasn't, so many lives would have been lost, most likely including Barry himself. That was the important part. He'd figure out the political stuff later.

The game ended in a win from Central City, but everyone was just glad to be alive. Barry noticed everyone being really friendly with each other, even among people they didn't know. Well, not everyone, but it was enough people to notice. It was nice to see, actually.

Barry and Hal left the stadium together, where they saw several crews from the local media reporting on the incident. Ah. Probably should have anticipated that. No matter. They could go around them.

One reporter spotted Barry and rushed over to him, cameraman in tow. "Excuse me! Excuse me. We've seen footage of you on the internet being carried by Green Lantern. Can you tell us about the experience? Anything you can share about the hero?"

Someone had probably filmed what happened on their phone and uploaded it to the internet. Also something he should have anticipated. Well, that was just great. He'd never hear the end of this at the police station the next time he reported to work.

Barry waved his hands, trying to avoid the camera. "Sorry, I really can't."

Suddenly, Hal spoke up loudly, pointing behind the reporter. "Whoa, is that the Flash?!"

The reporter and cameraman zipped around, eager to get footage of hero. "What? Flash is here?!"

While they were distracted, Hal grabbed Barry's hand and led him back into a massive crowd of people. They walked quickly, trying to dodge any other reporter that might recognize Barry. Barry followed his lead, unable to help but notice that Hal didn't let go of his hand until they were safe in an alley alone and far from the crowds.

Feeling his hand in his made his heart pound all over again. He'd noticed before that Hal's hands were strong, a fact he was noticing again now. His hands were also rough, but very warm. They fit with Barry's like a glove. He loved the way it felt.

When they reached the alley and were safe, Hal finally let him go as they stopped walking.

"Thanks…," Barry said, scratching the back of his head. "I try to keep a relatively low profile, working for the station and everything."

"Don't worry about it," Hal said. "Are you alright?"

Barry nodded. "Yeah, Hal, I'm not that out of shape."

"No, I don't mean that. That one lady said you fell on the field. What happened? We were nowhere near the field."

Oh. Barry sighed, averting his gaze. "The meteor was coming fast, so I was trying to tell people to get down and hide under their seats. I know it wouldn't have saved everyone, but I figured it might save a few. One guy got mad and pushed me over the fence onto the field. He was probably just scared."

Hal frowned, crossing his arms. "What were you going to do while everyone else got down?"

Barry shrugged. He really didn't want to answer these questions, especially with Hal being GL. "Hope for the best. Look, Hal, I'm a cop. It's cop instincts."

For a moment, he wondered if Hal was upset because Barry hadn't tried to look for him, but the look on Hal's face told him that wasn't the case. No, Hal was worried because Barry hadn't tried to protect himself.

Barry put a reassuring hand on Hal's shoulder. "Hey. I'm fine. Everyone's fine. Green Lantern came just in time. I'm still here. We're all still here."

Hal smiled a little. "That guy's pretty awesome."

Barry smiled. Hal was just...so adorable. God, he had to tell him. He really had to tell him. No matter how hard his heart was pounding, he really had to tell him.

"Hal, I wanna—"

Hal put his hands on Barry's shoulders, looking at him with a concerned gaze. "This whole thing really rattled you, didn't it? You look like you've seen a ghost. Your hands are shaking." His expression shifted into a grin. "I have an idea. Come with me. I want to show you something incredible."

Shit. Don't do this, Hal. Not when Barry had worked up the courage to say something, yet again. "Hal, we can go anywhere, I just—"

Hal placed a finger on his lips to silence him. He was still grinning at him. Barry knew he meant well and was probably assuming that Barry was having some serious anxiety and wanted to calm him down. He appreciated the sentiment, but he wished Hal would just listen.

But now, he was really curious about this thing Hal wanted to show him. Was it something to do with him being GL? Or was it something else?

Finally, he gave Hal a nod. "Okay. Lead the way." You win this round, Hal.

Hal led him back to a main street, where he hailed a taxi for them. He hadn't told Barry where they were going, so Barry only found out when Hal told the taxi driver where to go.

"Take us to Ferris Air."

….What? Ferris Air? Why?

The driver nodded and headed off. Barry looked at Hal, puzzled, as they sat in the backseat.

"Why are we going to Ferris?"

"You'll see when we get there," Hal said with a grin.

Barry was confused. "Hal…"

"Just trust me."

Barry bit his lip. Trust him. Well, he did trust him. With his life, in fact.

Alright…

They arrived at Ferris at near sunset. Hal paid the cab fare and led Barry to the gate of the facility, where a security guard was stationed.

"Jordan, what are you doing here this hour?" The guard asked. "Place is closed."

"Just coming here to check on something," Hal said casually. It was clearly a lie. What was he playing at?

The guard narrowed his eyes. "Who's your friend?"

Hal pulled a twenty dollar bill out of his pocket and held it up. "Don't worry, he's with me."

Barry felt like he should say something, but he didn't, deciding to trust Hal. He watched the guard look between him, Hal, and the twenty dollar bill while he thought this over. After a few tense seconds, the guard took the twenty and opened the gate.

"I haven't seen you, and you haven't seen me, Jordan."

Hal patted the guard's shoulder as he and Barry moved past the gate. "Thanks, pal."

The gate was closed behind them again, and Hal led Barry through a path that went to one of many aircraft hangars.

Once the guard was out of earshot, Barry turned to Hal. "You do remember that I'm a cop, right?"

Hal laughed. "Are you sure you wanna turn back?"

Barry didn't say anything.

"Look, don't worry about it. It's harmless. Used to do this with my dad all the time."

That comment caught Barry's attention. "Your dad?"

Hal nodded proudly, smiling. "My old man was a test pilot, just like I am now. Best of the best. I used to sneak out of school and watch him fly all the time." His face fell. "I was still just a kid when, one day, his plane went down, taking him with it. Saw the whole thing."

Barry frowned. Hal, in spite of seeing his dad's death in a plane crash, decided to follow in his footsteps. Suddenly, Hal's "no fear" philosophy made a lot of sense, and he was beginning to feel like he really understood Hal as a person.

"He must have been very brave," Barry said. He tried to avoid the usual platitudes people told him when it came to his dead mother. People always said they were sorry, or that she was in a better place, or things like that. He guessed that Hal was tired of hearing things like that too.

"He was," Hal said.

They arrived at an aircraft hangar and Hal input a code on a panel to open the door. The door rose up and inside was a small but sleek looking fighter jet. The setting sun reflected off of it as if it were begging for attention.

Barry's eyes widened. "Hal, is this—"

"The same plane I sent you a picture of? Yes, it is. Like I said earlier, it's not the strongest engine, but it's the smoothest ride. Since you've never done this before, it's what you'll likely be most comfortable in."

Barry could hardly believe what was happening. "Are you suggesting I'm flying in that thing?" That was probably against about a thousand regulations. If Barry's bosses knew he was here doing this, he was likely a dead man. Hal was risking his entire career doing something like this.

Hal opened up a cabinet inside the hangar that contained flight suits and helmets. "We are flying in that thing. I told you before, Bar. There's nothing like being in the sky. It separates you from everything you think you have to worry about and reminds you of what's really important. Your only friends up there are the plane, the wind, and me."

"I mean, sure I guess, but you act like I haven't been in a plane before."

Hal tossed Barry a flight suit. "You've never flown with me."

Barry caught the suit, looking between it and Hal for a moment. This was something that could get them both in a whole lot of trouble if anyone found out about it. But then he noticed the bright orange sky, illuminated by the sunset. It almost seemed to be calling out to him. To them.

He began putting on the flight suit. Hal was doing the same. Once that was done, Hal put on a helmet and gave one to Barry, too. Hal instructed him to adjust it to the appropriate size, because a proper fitting helmet was essential. For a guy who didn't seem to care about the rules, he was sure doing his best to make sure Barry was properly suited.

They got on the plane, Barry sitting behind Hal. Sure, Barry had been a plane before, but only commercial planes. This was entirely different. It was a lot smaller, more intimate. His life was truly in Hal's hands for the second time that day. It was a little intimidating, but his trust in Hal overshadowed everything else.

Hal made sure he was strapped in properly before strapping himself in, then he began to hit a bunch of buttons and adjust a bunch of knobs to get the plane started. It was a pretty complex system, one that took a particularly dedicated person to study. Hal may not seem like that type of person to most people he knew, but he certainly was that person. The plane slowly rolled forward out of the hangar. Barry's body was tense. What exactly was Hal going to do in the sky? Just a simple little joyride?

Hal looked back at him with a grin before turning his attention back to the controls. He didn't say anything as he pushed the plane off the ground and in the sky. Barry's heart began to pound as they climbed higher and higher, reminding him of a rollercoaster, only he somehow liked this a whole lot more.

Hal jerked the control wheel and the plane suddenly veered left, shooting through the sky at a high speed. The movement caused a rush of adrenaline to flood Barry's system and all at once, he wasn't afraid anymore. The fear was gone, and now he couldn't wait to see what happened next.

Hal didn't stay straight for long, pulling the wheel back to bring the plane flying upside down at the same speed they'd been going at. After that, the plane spun around in a couple of loops.

The excitement welled up in Barry so much that he felt something within him...let go. He felt free, more free than he'd ever felt. Day after day, he felt so many ties. Ties to this or that, reasons why he needed to keep it together for the sake of everyone else. Often, he was stretched thin, especially from his day job and his other job, and he never had time to think about what it was he wanted out of life or out of the world. It was never about what he wanted, it was always about helping others. He never had a chance to let go and just...be.

He heard himself cheering loudly, surprised that the sound had come from his own mouth but he didn't care. This whole thing was just so incredible, so amazing, and he had the biggest smile on his face as he watched the sky past Hal's head. The sun, the clouds, the ground all seemed to loop around them. Nothing could contain them. They were free. They were together.

Hal briefly looked back long enough to see the big smile on Barry's face before turning back to continue steering the plane. He pulled the wheel back, increasing their altitude. Once they were high enough, he flipped the plane upside down again. Barry looked up, able to see the entire Ferris Air facility and some of the surrounding areas through the window. They looked so incredibly far away. The facility, along with the rest of Central City, didn't mean anything to them up here. There were no obligations, no worries. Just each other and the sky.

It was one of the most incredible experiences Barry ever had in his life.

They continued like that for a little while. Barry had no idea how long they'd been up there because time seemed to have no meaning when you were several feet off the ground. He was too excited to care anyway. The whole experience was exhilarating and he couldn't believe Hal had taken him up there like this. He almost felt like a changed person just from being up there with him like that.

Eventually, Hal landed the plane on the runway, slowly steering it into the hangar. The moment they stopped, Barry pulled his helmet off and sat there. He hadn't realized it until then, but he was out of breath. He didn't care though, because every single part of him felt alive.

Hal took off his helmet, too, and unstrapped himself from his seat. Once he was free, he turned and unstrapped Barry, grinning at him again. Taking Barry's hand, he carefully led him out of the plane and back onto the ground.

Barry was still trying to catch his breath. His heart was pounding so loudly he could hear it in his ears. All he could think about was how incredible that experience was, and how incredible Hal was, and it was all just so much. So overwhelming in the absolute best possible way.

Barry had his back to the plane and Hal stood in front of him. They looked at each other, and Hal's eyes just looked so expressive. So warm, gentle yet so intense, and so inviting. Barry couldn't look away.

Hal placed a hand on the plane next to Barry's head, moving closer. Barry wanted to speak, but his words caught in his throat. There was so much he wanted to say and not enough words in the English language to properly communicate it all. Maybe that was a sign that he didn't need any words at all. Maybe Hal didn't either.

He felt it coming. Every part of him knew what was about to happen, and he wanted it more than anything. Hal placed his free hand under Barry's chin and just the touch of his fingertips on his skin made Barry shiver because of all the adrenaline pumping through him right now. He didn't move or resist. He didn't look away. He couldn't.

Hal's lips pressed against his own and Barry felt his heart soar. The pilot didn't hold back in the way he kissed him; every movement of his mouth was in pure passion. It was as exhilarating as being in the air with him, if not more. Barry responded to him, kissing him back with every little emotion he'd been holding back since he'd first laid eyes on him at the Mexican restaurant. This was it. This was how he felt about Hal, and he was admitting it to both Hal and himself at the same time.

They kissed for several minutes. Barry's head was spinning but he didn't want the moment to end. He wanted to slow down time and keep living this moment on and on and on.

And that was when he remembered. Hal. Green Lantern. The Flash. The dream, and everything he was afraid of. The truth had to come out. He couldn't do this and lie to Hal at the same time. He owed it to him to tell him the truth. No fear.

Their lips parted, but Hal was still so close. Hal's fingers were still on his chin and the pilot gazed at him, his expression soft. Barry reached for the zipper of Hal's flight suit, toying with it.

"Hal...I need to tell you something."

Hal's voice came out in a husky whisper that made Barry's insides do backflips. "Can it wait until we get back to my place?"

Oh, god. What was he about to say again? He couldn't think straight anymore. Head still spinning….

He nodded and whispered his answer. "Y-yeah…"

Hal took his hand off Barry's chin and reached for his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Then let's go."

Maybe going back to Hal's place was the best idea. It would give them a secure environment so, well, Barry could finally tell Hal everything. While he knew that definitely wasn't the reason Hal was inviting him over, he knew he had to take advantage of the opportunity. Hal had to know the truth about everything before this went any farther. He refused to deceive Hal just because he might be afraid. Hal deserved to know.

He trusted Hal, didn't he? Definitely. Trust wasn't the issue. At least, it wasn't the issue anymore. The issue was that he was afraid Hal would look at him differently and decide it wouldn't work. Then again, that was part of trusting Hal, wasn't it?

Either way, he was telling him. And heaven so help Hal if he tried to interrupt him again, because it was now or never, and Barry refused to be deflected again.

Hal let Barry into his apartment, following him in and shutting the door behind him. The first thing Barry noticed was that Hal had tidied up. At some point since he'd helped Hal home from the bar, Hal had cleaned up most of the mess that had been in the apartment before. Huh. That was interesting. It wasn't spotless, but it looked worlds better. Consider Barry impressed.

Hal took his shoes off at the door and Barry did the same. He had no idea how long he'd be here, but hopefully it was for awhile. There was no way to tell how this would go, but all he could do was tell Hal the truth and hope for the best.

Barry reached for Hal's hand, wrapping it within both of his own. Hal looked at him, that heat from earlier still in his eyes. It was clear what he wanted, but it would have to wait.

"I know why you brought me here," Barry said. "But I really need to talk to you."

Hal looked at him with a puzzled glance, but nodded. "Yeah, Bar. I'm all ears."

Barry offered him a small smile and lead him over to a small couch, where they both sat. Truthfully, Barry was nervous, but he ignored it as much as he could. No fear, right?

"I, uh. There's no easy way to say this, but you deserve to know."

Hal rose an eyebrow. "Did you start seeing someone else or something?"

Oh, god. Barry wanted to crawl under the coffee table. Never in a million years would he deceive Hal on something like that. He shook his head quickly, feeling embarrassed. "No, no, no. Good lord, no. Just listen to me for a minute, okay? It's really important."

Hal's brows furrowed, but he didn't take his eyes off Barry. "Okay, but you're really freaking me out right now."

Barry took in a deep breath. He had to stop beating around the bush. "Hal, I know you're the Green Lantern."

The lantern's brown eyes widened. He opened his mouth to speak, but Barry placed two fingers on his lips.

"Wait," the blond said. "Let me finish. Look, your disguise isn't great. That being said, it probably works on most people because most wouldn't expect the guy they know to be the same one that saved them. But the reason it's different for me is because I'm sorta in your shoes. What I mean is, I'm the Flash."

Hal looked like he might fall off the couch. "Are you shitting me?"

There was a whirlwind with some sparks and Barry vanished. Before Hal could even process that he was gone, he was right back in his seat, holding a bottle of water from Hal's fridge, offering it to him with a small smile. "It's good to have some water if you're in shock."

Hal's shocked expression turned into a very wide grin as he took the bottled water. "Holy shit! That's the coolest thing ever!"

Barry felt himself smiling. With that excited response, a massive weight was lifted from Barry's chest. He could hardly believe it. He'd spent days and days being afraid to tell him, but Hal was so excited to find out. What had he been so worried about?

Not to mention, his excited reaction was really, really adorable.

He couldn't help but laugh a little. "You have what is probably the most powerful weapon in the world— in the universe— and you think my speed is the coolest thing ever?"

"It's not that. Bar, it's cool because it's you."

Barry felt his cheeks warm. "Oh."

Hal was still smiling as he placed the bottled water aside in favor of taking both of Barry's hands. "I can't believe this. A glitch put Flash and Green Lantern together. How long have you known?"

"Since the first time I saw you as Green Lantern, when you helped me stop Captain Cold."

"Get out," Hal said, laughing. "You've known this whole time? Why didn't you say anything?"

Barry averted his gaze. He felt sort of silly about it now, but the way that Hal's thumbs rubbed circles onto his hands was, admittedly, calming him. "I didn't know how you'd react."

"Barry, don't you get it? You're the Flash. There's no other person I could trust more with my identity."

Well, that was probably a good point. Barry looked back at him again shyly. "So...this doesn't change anything?"

"If you're asking me if I still want to kiss you and all that, I do. But it does change things, just not in the way you think. What I mean is, this just got a whole lot more awesome."

If Barry didn't know any better, he'd wonder if Hal was taking all of this seriously. He didn't have to wonder that though, because he'd seen Hal in action enough to know that he did take his Green Lantern duties very seriously. Even when Hal was acting casual and reckless, he still had a strong sense of duty just like Barry had. Barry's demeanor wasn't quite the same, but these days he tried to enjoy being the Flash more. Maybe having Hal around would help him with that, especially since Hal knew the truth.

He had to admit, it would be really nice having something of a partner out there, both in the field and in his personal life. He knew that Hal had a whole space sector to protect, but his home was here in Central City now. Hal would always come back home. That was all Barry could ask for.

"You know, you're right," Barry said. "This did just get more awesome."

"Glad you agree," Hal said. He reached over, placing his hand over Barry's. His voice grew softer and quieter. "Look, I'm only just beginning to get to know you. There's a lot of things I don't understand yet. But what I do know is that you have a good heart, better than most people. I understand now why you were trying to help people in the stadium. It's not just cop instincts, Barry. It's more than that."

Barry wasn't so sure he agreed, but the way Hal said it sure as hell made him want to believe it was true. Even before Barry became Flash, he was going out of his way to help people, even going as far as answering calls in far away cities, fresh out of the police academy. Barry figured it just came with the cop territory, and yet Hal sounded so sure of himself that Barry had something special in his character that separated him from other officers.

"When I look at you...I don't know. I just see something I've never seen in anyone else before," Hal said quietly. "I saw it in the Mexican restaurant, and I've been thinking about it ever since."

Barry's heart was pounding. He never pegged Hal as the sentimental type. One thing was for sure, Hal kept finding new ways to surprise him at every turn. He had a feeling that would continue remaining true the longer he stayed with him.

Truthfully, Barry found the idea exciting.

He was sure he was blushing, but at this point, he didn't care. Although, it did make it harder to make eye contact with him. "I...I felt something back then, too," he whispered, intertwining his fingers with Hal's. "I didn't know what it was."

"But you know now."

Barry nodded. Hal moved closer, and Barry felt the anticipation well up in him again.

"I do too," the pilot said softly, leaning in to kiss him.

Barry accepted and returned his kiss eagerly. His arms found their way around Hal's middle, feeling a need to have him even closer. Hal's scent, which he was becoming familiar with, wrapped around his senses. They surrounded each other completely and Barry was beginning to feel like just being around Hal was an intense spiritual experience.

One of Hal's arms was wrapped around him, pulling Barry against his chest as their lips continued to mingle. The pilot's other hand caressed Barry's cheek, slowly moving upward until his tanned fingers were carding through soft, bright blond hair.

The world washed away for the second time that day. Hal had come into his life and pushed away everything that had made his hands shake. He'd walked into Barry's heart, sternly proclaiming that it was his and his alone, and anything that was hurting Barry wasn't welcome anymore. He'd cleaned house. Barry had never felt so refreshed as a person. He'd never felt so spiritually renewed.

He was falling, falling backwards onto the couch. He hardly paid any mind as his back hit the soft couch cushions. Hal fell with him, keeping Barry enveloped in his arms. They continued to kiss, each feeling more and more impossibly drawn to each other. The more they had, the more they wanted. The need became insatiable.

The room was getting dark. The sun had finally set since their little joyride at Ferris Air. When they'd arrived at the apartment, there was still some sunlight coming in and neither had turned on any lights. Now, it was getting difficult to see Hal's face as it was halfway obstructed by shadow.

Barry broke the kiss for a moment, but kept Hal close. "Hal...turn the lights on."

Hal reached over him for a lamp sitting on an end table beside the couch, switching it on. "Yeah. I wanna see you."

Yeah, that was better. Barry didn't want to do this in the dark. Hal was so incredibly handsome and Barry couldn't get enough of the loving expression in his eyes. Somehow, looking at him like that made him want to bear his heart in its entirety to him.

"People I love tend to get hurt, but I couldn't stay away from you."

Hal caressed his cheek again. "Don't worry. You won't have to. Not ever."

Barry believed him.

A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who's checked out this fic. It means a lot! I'm sad this story is over, but I'm really proud of how it turned out. I hope you enjoyed the final chapter!

If you're interested in following me, you can find me at tumblr: msgrayson or twitter: halhighball if you're up for a chat!