Chapter Text
“No.”
“What no? You don't know what I was going to say”
Carol sighed, annoyed to see Hal in front of the door to her apartment with a bunch of red roses.
“Don't make me laugh Hal, we played this on and off joke for how long, 5 years now? You are going to say that you are sorry for starting a fight and breaking up again, and now you want to try it again?
How many times do you still want to do this theater?”
The pilot looked puzzled for a second at how harsh Carol's words are this time but he collected himself fastly and smiled.
“Would you at least let me in?”
The woman rolled her eyes and made some space for him to get in.
After she closed the door, she turned to Hal with an annoyed face, her arms crossed, waiting for him to speak.
“Look Carol, yes you are right, I came to apologize, I know being in a relationship with me isn't easy, but we always went through it, and we
will make it again“
“And again, and again, no Hal, I'm tired of it, we didn't make any progress, I'm 30 now, I want a stable relationship, with a man by my side, marry him, have children, but…”
She shook her head.
A surprised look spread over the lantern's face.
“...you never mentioned…”
“YOU didn’t mention either HAL!!! Have you ever thought of proposing to me?
When she noticed that Hal didn't come up with an answer, it was enough confirmation for her.
She sighed, closed her eyes and breathed.
“Hal, I know you, you are the kind of man who loves to be independent, living for the moment, do whatever he wants to, and your lantern duty is the next challenge, I don't blame you for being you, but agree with me when I say we don't match, and the first reason I mentioned was the main reason, this on-off thing hits a wall over and over, I don't want this anymore I want to move forward and live the life I want.”
Carol saw how Hal tried to say something, but everytime he opened his mouth, he closed it, and to be honest, there isn't much to say anymore. Everything is clear.
“Hal, instead of being here trying to hold on to our toxic relationship, you should open your eyes for the real thing.”
Hal frowns and shakes his head lightly.
“What do you mean?”
Carol sighed, the conversation became exhausting now
“Just wanna say that love is the opposite of choice and I'm definitely the choice….!
Hal still didn't understand, but what he understood is the fact that this is a break up forever.
Now it's his turn to sigh, he lowers the flowers and accepts his defeat, although he always hated to lose a fight.
“So it's over then?”
Carol nods in silence and Hal mimicked her and looked suddenly tired.
“This is perfect, coming back to earth losing everything, no money, no flat no…”
“Your flat in Coast still exists Hal”
The man looked confused.
“What? Can't be after being off world for almost a year? I don't have money or even an active bank account”
“Barry managed everything for you”, Carol answered.
Now the green lantern's eyes widened in surprise.
“Barry did what?”
“Yeah, it was his idea, he kept in touch with me to send you money monthly while Barry watched over your apartment, paid the rent, cleaned it, he even opened a new bank account to organize all the costs for the most important things.
Hal looks like he had seen a ghost.
“Why are you looking like that Hal? Barry is your closest friend, he always cared for you even though I noticed it.”
“Sometimes I hated him for how good he knows you and how close he is to you, not even I managed to reach this closeness to you, but whenever I saw you two together, it looked like you were in a relationship, and not the two of us.”
Hal suddenly waved with his hand “Really Carol? You did see Barry as a rival? Come on, you know he is just my best friend, maybe we share something like a bromance, but nothing more. Okay no, Ollie and I share a bromance but Barry is really just my friend!”
After hearing those words Carol grinned, Hal really had to open his eyes.
“I don't care how close he is to you, I just saw how he influences you, in a good way, you two are in your own world and nobody can reach you. Believe a woman and her ability to read the signs, we have the better empathy for it than you guys will ever have”
“And PLEASE cut that shit with bromance, that word is so stupid, like situationship, this is all the new youth talk.”
“I didn't want to say it Hal, but my sentence ‘love is the opposite of choice’ has its meaning and again I'm the choice here.”
You didn't know, but Iris West, Barry's ex girlfriend, I talked a lot with her…”.
Hearing that, Hal interrupted her, “Okay stop!!!”
The brown haired man raised a hand, signaling Carol to pause.
“What did you say?? Ex girlfriend? Iris?
Carol nodded, “Yes, Barry broke up with her after a month you left earth”
“Bartholomew Henry Allen, the nerd, care bear number one, broke up the long term relationship with Iris?
Are….you…freaking….kidding…me?”
“Do I look like I'm joking when it comes to that topic? I couldn't believe it too, but if you don't believe me, ask him! I think you both have to talk anyway.”
Hal frowned, he had a problem realizing everything now he got to know in that short time on earth now, he was exhausted, and still didn't feel at home.
The year in space took its toll.
He looked into his former girlfriend’s eyes, with a sad smile, “Okay I will, but I really need real food and a bed first, so, crashing on your's isn't an option anymore?“
With that he earned a grunt from Carol “Absolutely not and now go home, you really look like shit, and to be honest, a shower would do good on you too.”
“Always the charming one” Hal grinned and before he left the apartment he turned to Carol one last time.
“I hope you find the man you wish for, you deserve to be happy Carol.”
She smiled and nodded, “So are you Hal…”, with that Hal left the apartment.