p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US"Hal awoke the next morning to Barry's head buried in his shoulder, the speedster happily snoozing away with light snores emanating from his frame. Both of them curled up on Hal's ancient couch (somehow; it was more a loveseat than a couch), their forms were twisted together in a way that made Hal's heart skip a beat or three. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US""Morning babe…" mumbled Barry, yawning as he awoke with a stretch, causing Hal's heart to fill with joy. "How was your sleep, Iris?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US""Uhm…it's Hal, not Iris. And it was uhh…cozy." he added with a smirk to try and hide the hurt he felt at Barry's mention of Iris. He felt a pang of jealousy in his stomach at the mention of Iris, wishing desperately that it was him instead of her in the speedster's life, caring for him and being there for him at all times. Sure, they were close in terms of work and outside of work, but Barry and Iris were married. Hal wanted to be with Barry. Romantically. Sexuall- yep that train of thought needed to stop, he thought to himself, before he said something to fuck up their friendship or something. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US""Oh…sorry Hal. I mean, honey buns." joked Barry, extricating himself from the couch. "Thanks for letting me crash at yours. I really appreciate it, man." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US""I'd say anytime, but I don't think my back's gonna agree with you to be frank." said Hal with a wince as he too stretched and with great difficulty, left the couch, the aged couch's springs creaking as he did so. "That thing's ancient." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US""Like you." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US""Shut up, I'm only thirty." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US""Only." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US"Sigh. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US"A quiet moment passed before Barry piped up from the kitchen. "Hey Hal, you want pancakes?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US""Since when do I have pancake mix?" demanded the lantern, striding over to the kitchenette, as Barry put on his 'kiss the cook' apron that Carol had gotten him when they were together back in the day. Their relationship had been fun, but only fun, nothing lasting, more like friends with benefits than anything else. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US""You don't, but you have the ingredients for Barry's homemade pancakes!" Barry exclaimed, flourishing the spatula which he had somehow procured from Hal's bachelor kitchen set. "Which, may I add, kick Betty Crocker's ass." /span/p
div style="mso-element: para-border-div; border: none; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .75pt; padding: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm;"
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .75pt; padding: 0cm; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm;"span lang="EN-US""Put your money where your mouth is, Allen, and get cooking. I'm a slut for pancakes." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .75pt; padding: 0cm; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm;"span lang="EN-US" /span/p
/div
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US"Thirty minutes later, both the speedster and the lantern were collapsed back onto Hal's couch, in what one would refer to as a 'food coma'. It turned out that speedsters' abilities weren't limited to defeating villains; they also made chocolate chip pancakes at superspeed. And boy, did they kick Betty Crocker's pancake mix's ass, Hal thought to himself as he rubbed his stomach, up to the throat in pancake. Total. Wife. Material. He loved the times he got to just be all domestic with Barry, pretend like they were their own little family, albeit a crime-fighting one, but a family nonetheless. He got to see the softer side of the man, which made him fall more and more in love with him with every passing day. But he couldn't ruin what he had with Barry now; no, it wasn't worth it, he thought to himself. He couldn't lose the speedster. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US""You were right," he mused, more to himself than to Barry, verbalizing his reverie…but about pancakes instead of unrequited feelings. "You did kick Betty Crocker's ass. Hard." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US""Thank you, I try."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US""I appreciate." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US""Mm." They settled into a comfortable silence, before Barry yawned and leaned his head on Hal's shoulder. "Hey Hal?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US""Yeah?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US""Love you, buddy." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US""Love you too, Barry." said Hal, another pang echoing in his chest. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US""Morning babe…" mumbled Barry, yawning as he awoke with a stretch, causing Hal's heart to fill with joy. "How was your sleep, Iris?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US""Uhm…it's Hal, not Iris. And it was uhh…cozy." he added with a smirk to try and hide the hurt he felt at Barry's mention of Iris. He felt a pang of jealousy in his stomach at the mention of Iris, wishing desperately that it was him instead of her in the speedster's life, caring for him and being there for him at all times. Sure, they were close in terms of work and outside of work, but Barry and Iris were married. Hal wanted to be with Barry. Romantically. Sexuall- yep that train of thought needed to stop, he thought to himself, before he said something to fuck up their friendship or something. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US""Oh…sorry Hal. I mean, honey buns." joked Barry, extricating himself from the couch. "Thanks for letting me crash at yours. I really appreciate it, man." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US""I'd say anytime, but I don't think my back's gonna agree with you to be frank." said Hal with a wince as he too stretched and with great difficulty, left the couch, the aged couch's springs creaking as he did so. "That thing's ancient." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US""Like you." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US""Shut up, I'm only thirty." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US""Only." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US"Sigh. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US"A quiet moment passed before Barry piped up from the kitchen. "Hey Hal, you want pancakes?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US""Since when do I have pancake mix?" demanded the lantern, striding over to the kitchenette, as Barry put on his 'kiss the cook' apron that Carol had gotten him when they were together back in the day. Their relationship had been fun, but only fun, nothing lasting, more like friends with benefits than anything else. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US""You don't, but you have the ingredients for Barry's homemade pancakes!" Barry exclaimed, flourishing the spatula which he had somehow procured from Hal's bachelor kitchen set. "Which, may I add, kick Betty Crocker's ass." /span/p
div style="mso-element: para-border-div; border: none; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .75pt; padding: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm;"
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .75pt; padding: 0cm; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm;"span lang="EN-US""Put your money where your mouth is, Allen, and get cooking. I'm a slut for pancakes." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .75pt; padding: 0cm; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm;"span lang="EN-US" /span/p
/div
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US"Thirty minutes later, both the speedster and the lantern were collapsed back onto Hal's couch, in what one would refer to as a 'food coma'. It turned out that speedsters' abilities weren't limited to defeating villains; they also made chocolate chip pancakes at superspeed. And boy, did they kick Betty Crocker's pancake mix's ass, Hal thought to himself as he rubbed his stomach, up to the throat in pancake. Total. Wife. Material. He loved the times he got to just be all domestic with Barry, pretend like they were their own little family, albeit a crime-fighting one, but a family nonetheless. He got to see the softer side of the man, which made him fall more and more in love with him with every passing day. But he couldn't ruin what he had with Barry now; no, it wasn't worth it, he thought to himself. He couldn't lose the speedster. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US""You were right," he mused, more to himself than to Barry, verbalizing his reverie…but about pancakes instead of unrequited feelings. "You did kick Betty Crocker's ass. Hard." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US""Thank you, I try."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US""I appreciate." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US""Mm." They settled into a comfortable silence, before Barry yawned and leaned his head on Hal's shoulder. "Hey Hal?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US""Yeah?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US""Love you, buddy." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 132.85pt;"span lang="EN-US""Love you too, Barry." said Hal, another pang echoing in his chest. /span/p