We'll Always Have Metropolis - Commentary - Part Two

[shankie]

Continued from part one...


- The First Year -

The night Kyle left... was bad.

He wept, and sobbed, and drank himself into a mess on the floor, banging his fists against the carpet.

Damn that stupid bastard, anyway. He sniffled, regained some composure, and got up, splashing cold water on his face in the bathroom sink, but he was weeping again before he could even finish drying off with a towel, and pressed it against his face, feeling his tears bleeding into it, hot and wet.

Another bottle, and another, as his metabolism burned it away he raced with drunkenness to distract himself, but only sometimes.

He cried until he didn't have any tears left, and he didn't cry over him again.

I didn’t bring in Wally’s perspective until this, because his strong emotions coming out here just underline how hard this is so well, seeing it here for the first time. This was written the day after I’d had a drunken mess episode, so I had that to work with, too…

The Flash still smiled through greeting passers-by on his runs, and he was looking forward to a final year of college before he could finally start working. It burned up all his time and energy, and before he knew it, winter came and went.

That spring, he met a girl named Alice, who worked in a bookstore downtown. Curly blonde hair, twinkling eyes, always flirting. They spent the summer in sidewalk coffee shops and working through her library of sex books; the Kama Sutra alone was turning into quite a project. She was always willing, came off as experienced though he never asked, and Alice became a light in the dark. Even if they never really… talked.

I wanted to have this all very much set and paced as if it could be happening in the background of Justice League and JLU; which meant long separations, and both of them having lives outside of each other. They’re still two guys that were hooking up; regardless of the feelings that were happening, they’re pre-programmed for that not to ‘count’ and neither of them are emotional basketcases. They move on, because they have to.

He began working in the crime lab when an opening came up; Barry Allen's name on his resume ensured that, but Wally felt like he'd earned enough of what he had, even with Barry's help. His own apartment, adulation in the press, and he was even thinking about letting Alice in on his secret. He had everything he could possibly want.

Wally kept telling himself that, even after Alice broke up with him and cold weather was setting in again. Some of Barry's old foes were resurfacing again, causing the Flash trouble. Especially Captain Cold; he loved winter, and picked the coldest days to cause havoc until Wally finally subdued him.

A year had come and gone, and Kyle hadn't returned, or even sent a letter. Wally assumed that meant he wasn't coming back for a very long time, if ever. He accepted that, but couldn't help but long for him, desperately sometimes. But he moved on with his life, just the same. Occasionally, he worked with the replacement GL, but never asked him about Kyle. He wouldn't send a message that way, anyway.

Kyle's trip to Oa had taken better than a day, spent mostly of Arisia giving him an idea of what life was like there; Lantern barracks, more or less, comfortable but all designed for duty.

Duty would be a word that Kyle heard again and again here.

He'd already learned the basics of using his ring on his own, but Kilowog and Katma Tui were taskmasters, putting their students through paces he didn't even know he could march yet. The constant testing of will was draining, and he never had the energy to really mind that his bunk was tiny and spartan, with a distinct lack of cable.

Most of Oa I had to make up from what little I know from recent issues of Green Lantern Corps and related books; I was never into the Lanterns much until a few months ago, so I had to do what I could to get that massive world into something like what it is for this.

The important part was what Kyle was going through, living on an alien world, with aliens, after his simple life on Earth.

Got used to not seeing human faces, or even hearing human language; Kilowog and Kat spoke English sometimes, but that was it.

Kyle didn't try to be a pain in the ass, but sometimes, he just got frustrated. Maybe all these aliens were fine with being constantly worked and separated from everything they knew, but he had stress. And sometimes, it got the best of him.

Even so, he was pronounced ready for permanent assignment, and promptly informed that by no means ensured he'd get one. Or even a chance to visit Earth. That he'd start out assisting on missions, and just... wait. That it would likely be several years of such duty before he received a post, even more if he held out for 2814.

I have to admit, I styled a lot of the Guardian’s rigid governance on what I know about Earth military institutions. Specifically, frustrations that my Army buddies have had.

He got better living quarters, rather spacious even if it was still barren.

Kyle sat down, and sat back. There was another ring he still kept, safely under his mattress.

"Ring, could you create a telephone connection to Earth from here?"

"Yes."

He rubbed it thoughtfully, then got up to grab dinner, go surround himself with his new alien pals. By now, Wally would have forgotten all about him. There was no sense bothering him about something he couldn't change, it would only make things harder.

Kyle’s denial has given out to an acceptance of the way things are; and self-esteem issues. Both Wally and Kyle have them, which makes things that much more tangled at times.

Arisia, on the other hand, always lit up when he walked into the room. She'd been a Lantern since she was a teenager, self-confidant as she was beautiful.

Arisia I picked because she was on-screen as a member of the DCAU Corps, and that she was once Hal Jordan’s lover, bringing back the Hal part of this version of Kyle. Their relationship, stripped down of a lot of the stuff that happened in the comics, is kinda similar to this; she’s interested first, and he eventually is too, but it doesn’t work out in the end.

It wasn't home, but maybe he could be happy here.


- The Third Year -

Wally was still a little surprised he'd been asked to join the Justice League; after all, these were big guns up here on the Bat's fancy rig. He'd even started to think of John as the GL instead of a GL... but it was still all overwhelming. He sagged over a railing, staring out at the stars. Wondering if Hawkgirl was single, or if she'd hit him with that big mace if he asked.

He still felt lonely a lot, even if he'd become a master of hiding it. Trying to find someone had become something of an obsession, throwing himself out there, keeping in mind what Kyle had once said about his costume.

Wally sighed. He didn't like thinking about Kyle, he just got angry at nothing.

After three years of not hearing a peep out of him, Wally’s still longing after him, and vice-versa… there’s just so much damnedly tragic romance about this thing.

Kyle thought about Wally a lot. Part of his training included taking emotional memories, channeling it into the will to push past self-induced limitations. He'd taken it to heart, and despite not thinking about him the rest of the time... when he was in a fight, and the chips were down, or he even just needed a push over the edge, he would remember the beauty of him, grit his teeth, and get the job done.

The Guardians refused his requests to be posted to Earth, until they finally ordered him not to bring it up again until the posting for Sector 2814 came up for review. So when they contacted him, he could have kissed Kilowog for the news, fairly skipping to the council chamber.

"Kyle Rayner, you have made repeated requests to return to your home planet for a tour of duty. While at this time, we are happy with the placement of our forces, we've been informed that John Stewart has joined an organization of super-powered beings on Earth. We trust his judgment, but such a shift in the balance of power can be a delicate thing, and we would like your report on the situation."

Kyle left right away; a week, that was all they said he could be spared for, and it was work... but he was going home, the ring sending him through the stars faster than it ever had before.

"Ring, what can you tell me about this organization?"

He listened to the list of members, and smiled to himself in the darkness of space. Kyle had planned on announcing himself before he got there, but John must have been informed a Lantern would be coming.

Earth came into view, and he hated to make their base his first stop; but it was possible they'd detected his presence in the system already, and would think it was some kind of attack if he just went for the surface. He missed things he never thought he would, like panhandlers and his crappy job, but a job was exactly what he was here to do.

Kyle hailed the satellite base with his ring, a deep unfamiliar voice answering him.

"This is J'onn J'onzz, representative of the Justice League, please identify yourself."

"This is Kyle Rayner, Green Lantern Corps representative of the Guardians," he said with gusto, and added, "I think I'm expected."

"Of course, opening up airlock one. Welcome back to Earth, Mister Rayner."

"Thank you very much Mister J'onzz, lovely to be here."

He had, indeed, been expected, if the reception was any indication; Superman, a knockout brunette he'd been told was Wonder Woman, and he recognized the redhead as Hawkgirl, all waiting on the other side of the airlock.

Kyle pointed at the fourth figure, shaking his finger. "I could have sworn you were an urban legend. Batman, right?”

My, how the world has changed in his absence… the Batman thing was just to point it out, that at the time he’d left, the Bat was an urban legend, Diana hadn’t left the island yet, etc. Doing my best to keep the passage of time in the fore with this pacing.

Batman just loomed a little, and Kyle decided to give him some... space.

He was given a rather blasé tour of the Watchtower, but try as he could... he wasn't really in it for some report to the Lanterns. If something was fishy, he'd find out. So far, there was nothing more aquatic than a goldfish in the kitchen. They finally got to the bridge, where he met the last Martian, which was unbearably cool.

And then, there he was. The center of his dreams, his strength, so long distant now that he'd been cast into the strange shapes memories can take when time goes by. He could feel every cell longing for him.

Kyle grinned as the Flash walked into the room, and they bumped fists. Wally still looked a little stunned, but he recovered quickly.

I very intentionally made a huge contrast between what happened in Kyle’s head at seeing Wally, being his passionate artist self, and how he greets him, them being two dudes who, to the knowledge of the other people in the room, just worked together a few times.

"What's up, I see you've found yourself a pretty nice gig."

"Says the illustrious representative of the Guardians."

"Heard that, huh?"

"With the speeches I hear around this place, that's nothing, trust me."

"Listen, Supes," Wally said, zipping around the group, "me and the GL have some catching up to do, I'll play host for a while."

They all murmured about what duties they had to attend to, and Wally began leading him back through the maze of metal hallways until they fell into what had to be personal quarters... but that's all he noticed.

The door slid closed, and they fell onto each other savagely, whining in longing as much as they moaned in satisfaction. He wanted to paint again, wanted to be back in Metropolis drawing her lines at sunrise, poorly capturing the light of it in watercolors. It was as if the three years had been some crazy dream, and they were back making love on a bed of canvas and the occasional pizza box.

That paragraph gets me teary-eyed, too. ::wipes away tear::

The one thing, the only thing he couldn't give to have this always, and it was the only thing he would have to. Duty could be a four-letter word.

Kyle poured his gratitude at having this moment into Wally's body, desperate, fumbling sex just like the first time, but so totally different. Mad with desire, struggling until Wally finally threw him down on the bed, thrusting in viciously, and they squeezed tight together, slamming against the metal wall and making guttural sounds like a pair of wild animals.

I’ve got a thing about writing oh-god-I-missed-you sex.

When their quiet afterglow finally came, he couldn't remember being so happy.

He spent his week revisiting his home and family, recounting tales of aliens out in space. And spent a lot of time with the other Lantern; a good man, and he'd done a lot of good since returning home. Kyle couldn't fault him for that.

They'd provided him a room on the Watchtower, but he never once saw the inside.

Every spare second, and all through the night, they were together, tangled up in each other in lust or the simple company. Kyle talked about being on Oa, but it was different with Wally; he could try to impress him, but that would just turn into a pissing contest. He talked about Arisia, moving up the Lantern food chain, how different galactic liberty enforcement was from mopping up super villains on Earth almost like he was just thinking to himself. Wally talked about graduating from college, being a real grown-up and being with the ranks of real heroes.

On their last night together, they didn't sleep until they were both raw and exhausted, and Wally was gone when Kyle woke up to leave.

He didn't send him off, and Kyle returned to Oa already feeling the familiar ache in his chest.

Wally didn't know how to say goodbye; instead, he ran, until he burnt up every ounce of energy and stumbled drunkenly into his apartment, somehow making it up the stairs and onto his couch before he passed out. Something about Kyle had changed, some determination that had been fleeting, but now was a constant spark in his eyes. Magnificent by the service that had taken him away from Earth.

It wasn't fair.

And I think it was here that, for the longest time, this story just… stopped.

I was talking about it to wachey, who was kind enough to read it for me. That’s what re-started the process, and I could finally keep going, with a vengeance, and finished the rest relatively quickly. But this story was just so emotinally touchy I couldn't be objective enough to see it was decent. ::laughs:: Once I did finish it for all but a little spit and polish, ilyena_sylph also read it for me, for much the same reason... I was very insecure about this.



- The Fifth Year -

“Yeah, I don’t get back home much.” Kilowog let out a breath full of pride, as they stood overlooking the central battery, glowing ethereal in a sky full of newly familiar stars. “Earth, though, is a nice place. Pretty crazy, but everyone seems pretty happy.”

This takes place right after Hearts & Minds, and I thought it was a good place to Kyle actually talk about Earth on Oa; or, more correctly, continue not really talking about Earth, just more obviously.

“Ever been there before this?”

“Oh yeah, couple times. You know, it’s a shame you never get back there, might be a long haul, or never, just waiting on the post.”

Kyle shrugged. “Not like I’ve got much free time.”

“Ain’t it the truth.”

“So, um, how’s everyone doing there?”

“Good as always, you humans are a plucky bunch.”

“Only three of them are actually human. I think.”

“Hey!” Kilowog slapped him on the back, “you know, that Flash kid invited me back to his place, maybe you should come with.”

“I’ll think about it.”

He seriously considered refusing, but all the same, he freed up two days in advance, hell to pay on catch-up when he got back, but… it had been a long time. The only reason the Guardians approved a brief leave from Oa at all, that and Kilowog putting in a good word. His influence went a long way.

Kyle does really want to go home, but he’s: a) nervous about seeing Wally, b) knows it just makes it harder to leave again from his other visit.

They arrived at Wally’s apartment building, landing on the roof, where he’d set out plastic folding chairs and a radio, dancing along as he grilled. Wally didn’t notice his visitors until they landed, dropping the metal spatula and appearing around Kyle in a tight hug they held on to, then bashfully let go.

“Big guy, so glad you could make it.” Wally gestured around at what there was to eat; quite a bit, which was good, knowing what those two could put away.

Wally kept fidgeting with the loose threads on his cutoffs, throwing him sly glances as they settled down.

“So Wally, what do you do to keep busy these days?” Kyle bit into a kielbasa, trying and failing to not make a mess of it on his shirt.

“Well, still living here, so it can’t be that great.” He grinned, and got up to grab the mustard, taking longer than he usually did to do anything as he had his back to his visitors, spreading it on a set of hot dogs. “I uh, started seeing this chick from Kansas City.”

Kyle grinned, at once both glad to hear it and hit with pangs of regret. “Fox?”

“Killer.”

Kyle wants Wally to be happy, and vice versa; thus, they don’t like their having other relationships, but their own is such that they both know it’s very possible they might never be able to be together. I also avoided the complications of fidelity issues by having them both, without saying a word, not be with each other when they’re committed to someone else. For those same reasons.

“What does killing little furry critters have to do with anything?” Kilowog asked honestly, and the other two laughed.

“It’s just some of our quaint backwater lingo,” Kyle said. “We are a simple people, with figures of speech that make no logical sense at all.”

Wally held up his bottle to Kyle with flair, breaking into a smile just like his memories. “To meaningless human affectations.”

Wally’s ever so bitter about this situation, hence the comment. He’s being bitterly sarcastic.

Neither of them was smiling when they drank. On the way home, Kilowog asked him what Wally had meant by that, but he wasn’t quite sure he knew.

He went straight to Arisia’s quarters when they got back, and she answered fully dressed in uniform, late as it was.

“Kyle. Back from Earth?”

“Either that, or I’m having an out-of-body experience.”

She smirked and leaned against the arched doorway sultrily, with all the same offers she’d been making for some time now, and this time, he reached out and stroked the curve of her hips with the brush of a finger. He returned her sultry gaze, and closed the door behind him.

Kyle goes to Arisia for a few reasons; but mostly, he’s insanely jealous that someone else has Wally. But he’s still got enough denial kicking that he’s not quite interpreting properly. He’s worked up, and frustrated, and this chick’s been basically throwing herself at him. In a way, he wants to almost get back at Wally by giving in.



- The Sixth Year -

Somehow, Kyle was managing to impress the higher-ups, but to Kyle? It was just… fun. The Corps had become his great passion, he lived and breathed every second of it, still annoying the hell out of the other Lanterns with his sound effects during a fight... but so what? He was having the time of his life out here.

When again was informed he was due for another visit to Earth, it stopped his whirlwind life in its tracks; Superman was dead. The Guardians immediately organized those wishing to go pay their respects and they were sent off with their own regrets at the tragic loss.

The journey home was quiet, the Lanterns all in ceremonial garb, only speaking in their green vessel to occasionally recall some memory of the Earth's greatest hero. Kyle talked about how he'd first been given the ring, how Supes had been there, risking his life for a stranger, not asking for anything in return.

Being on Oa had made him used to everyone being in Lantern uniforms, but when they landed, he felt conspicuous in the robes they all wore, like some cult unable to break from their orderly marching together amongst the splashes of bright color and loose groups of everyone else. He decided against wearing his own, feeling more comfortable, self-conscious to be back amongst his own people.

As I mentioned, I went back and watched all the episodes with Kyle in it, even without speaking roles, before I worked on this. And I couldn’t help but notice he was the only one not wearing one of their long green coats over the uniform.

The cathedral was vast, and J'onn's heartfelt words echoed to his tearful audience, still resonating as the assembled fell into a funeral procession through the center of the city both Kyle and Clark had once called home.

Kyle wondered if he would ever return here for anything more than a visit, or his own funeral someday.

The dark city felt both intimately familiar and locked away from him, and he sighed over things lost to duty and responsibility. To power, if he was going to be completely honest, and it seemed like the wrong time to be lying to himself. It was easier just to stay away from home, than to be constantly reminded that it wasn’t home anymore.

This was the point where Kyle’s been only briefly visiting Earth for long enough that his perceptions of it are going to be changing in a big way. He still doesn’t know if he’ll ever live here again, and the reminder is painful.

The Flash had been with the other members of the League the entire time, now helping to carry the casket as the Corps members walked beside them. Despite circumstances, Kyle felt a few butterflies fluttering through the heaviness in his gut.

Sometimes, he had to remind himself that Wally was a real person, not just some dream that got mixed up with memory.

Their relationship came out of no-where, just before he left his life behind; and ever since then, the one time they’ve been able to really be together since then was overwhelming. He’s been thinking of Wally as a stylized, beautiful thing, rendering him like a painting in his mind.

I also had a moment like this, when several years had gone by since I’d last seen someone I’d really loved; I’d kept the good things so close, let the bad things be lost to the fading of memory over time, and thusly, their memory began to feel like a dream. Hazy and too perfect to be real.

He saw Jimmy and Lois there, of course, and it was good to see them both doing alright, even with their loss. Over and over, he heard the same feeling from people; that everyone, even those who never got to know Superman, were taking it just as personally as if they had.

Kyle sniffled as more words were spoken at the memorial, and the crowd fell into clusters, the League swamped with attention and the Lanterns mostly keeping to themselves, as they tended to. Kilowog patted his back reassuringly with his big hand, but they were subdued, and didn’t have a lot left to say. Kat had done what Kyle had, edging her way to see glimpses of the League, and they both waited together for the crowds to clear, wordlessly deciding on their moment of opportunity, the other Lanterns behind them as they finally approached the somber heroes.

Both Kat and Kyle want to see their loved ones; as much to see them in a rare opportunity as to see if they’re alright. Superman dying is no small blow to everyone that knew him.

“The Guardians wish to express their sorrow at this loss… even on Oa, Superman meant a great deal,” Kat said, taking Wonder Woman’s hands into her own to share a moment.

Batman, unsurprisingly, wasn’t there, but the rest were, and they shared more condolences and handshakes… and Kyle edged away, catching Wally’s eye before he walked off on his own, to the outside of the mourners and just behind a concrete wall, still just in sight of the top of the memorial, but relatively private.

Wally appeared in front of him, looking around, so close he could feel the heat running off his body. He looked unsure as he leaned closer, then kissed him tenderly, his hands hesitantly touching Kyle’s sides, his lips warm and sweet.

Only a moment, trying to commit each sensation to memory and steal each other’s grief hugging against the wall. Kyle breathed in the smell of electricity, orange-scented shampoo, and him, clinging until their time was up, and he regretfully pressed his cheek to Wally’s.

“I know you keep getting this crap, but I know you guys were close in the end. I’m sorry,” Kyle whispered.

I’m crying again, excuse me…

“It’s funny, I miss him but… I keep thinking he was lucky. To go down fighting the good fight.”

“Yeah.”

Kyle let his mask fade away, feeling trapped by it, and he sniffed again, rubbing a single tear off his cheek with his arm.

By the time he’d pulled himself together, it was already time to leave; and again, they didn’t say goodbye.

The Lanterns returned to Oa straight away, and Kyle was back investing himself in tracking a pirate through Sector 2763, finally bagging the bugger once his ring caught up to the small ship’s engines.

It was all he could talk about, gloating to Arisia about how the little purple rat had squealed when he broke through the hull and took him into custody.

“Rayner, you’re impossible.”

“What?”

“Even now, all you can think about is yourself, isn’t it?”

She adjusted her green miniskirt down over her golden thighs and looked perfectly furious with him as she took off, slamming the door on her way out. He knew she’d be back.

Kyle and Arisia are not so much in a relationship as friends with benefits…

The next morning, the cafeteria was buzzing with the latest; Superman wasn’t dead, after all.

Kyle was dizzy with relief.


- The Seventh Year -

Wally's apartment had been destroyed in a riot during the Thanagarian invasion; it had been fierce, and the buildings had been knocked down on the protesting crowds as an example.

Aside from Shayera’s leaving, how the Invasion personally effected the League members didn’t come up much; but that was no small event. I threw this in because of that.

There wasn't much left, but he looked for what he could find, digging through rubble after dark with night-vision goggles he borrowed from the Bat. Bruce Wayne. Who knew. Now that they were all on a first-name basis, he wasn't exactly more friendly... more approachable, maybe. It turned out to be almost a half-hours work, taking the big slabs of broken concrete into account. What the fire didn't get, the destruction itself had.

The invasion also changed League dynamics; now, those with secret identities in the six that are left not only know them, but they were all pushed together in a particularly stressful event that was very close to having failed. If the fight with Ro had taken any longer, or if Shayera hadn’t given them the data…

Everything except a fire-proof safe he'd kept in his closet. A stroke of precautionary genius; after he'd seen so much destroyed violently, it seemed like a good idea. He went to John's for some clothes, carrying almost all his worldly possessions in his hand back to Central City and his girlfriend's house.

Cassie had a pretty big place in a ritzy neighborhood, being a model and all. She answered the door with her long, blonde hair a bed-mussed mane around an angry-looking heart-shaped face.

Wally used to sleep with/kinda date a blonde model in the comics; this is her. He always cared about her way more than she cared about him…

"Oh, look who shows up finally. I've been worried sick, you haven't even called in a week, and its 3am? What the hell is wrong with you?”

"Listen, I have a perfectly good explanation, I'll tell you everything, I just need..."

"You need to get off my porch is what you need! That's enough Wally, I'm so sick and tired of you running off for days on end, sometimes in the middle of the night? For no reason! Or never one you'll ever tell me. Do you really expect me to believe any of your lame excuses anymore, and now you want something?"

"But... the invasion..."

"Has made me think about a lot of things." She looked away and crossed her arms over her chest, and Wally slumped his shoulders. "Specifically, what's really important in my life. And that's just not you anymore. Get out."

She slammed the door in his face, and he just stood there for a minute.

Wally went to his mom's house and his old room, not bothering to wake her. He'd make breakfast as a surprise; it wasn't the first time he'd been stuck and come here in the middle of the night.

He stared at his picture of Barry on the desk, hugging his pillow. It was a little dusty, but he squeezed it to his chest and fought off his demons with gritted teeth, until most of them finally left him alone, and he could sleep.


- The Ninth Year -

He never thought it would take this long for another trip to Earth; or that it would be as part of a Lantern horde set on revenge for the unthinkable, the unfathomable; the center of the universe was gone. The angry charge after Amazo had been doused with the return of Oa, safe and sound, but he wouldn't say relieved; they would have to be able to grasp the idea of Oa being gone first, and that never happened. At least not for Kyle.

And he found himself back in Metropolis. The others were set to return to duty, but he begged off, saying he'd take any heat for coming back later, but in the chaos they didn't think much of it, other things on their minds. Kyle watched them fly off in a green glow and vanish into the sky.

Of all the things he could visit, all the people he could see, he set off west.

West, get it? XD

Kyle didn't know where to look, but he had to be here somewhere. He flew up and decided on the direct approach; a giant green Flash symbol in the sky, waiting on top of City Hall.

"John, if you wanted to get my..." Wally appeared on the roof, and trailed off, leaving his mouth hanging open as he almost tripped over a loose tile.

"Hi."

"Hi."

They just kind of stared at each other with dopey grins, then Kyle hit the roof, getting his wind back around Wally's demanding lips. They were thrown into a frenzy so scattered neither managed to get undressed, grabbing and roughly grinding their cocks together through their uniforms, growling breathily until Wally rolled off him.

They’re so insanely wanting each other they just dry-hump on a roof. ::laughs:: I couldn’t make it more desperately needful than that.

He lay there catching his breath long enough for Kyle to begin sitting up, then sent them on a dizzying super-speed rollercoaster right onto a bed. Probably his bed, but Kyle didn't really care just then.

Kyle willed away his uniform and Wally's vanished, landing on the floor after Wally was already kissing him again, pushing his tongue into his mouth, biting his nipples, sucking him off, seemingly all at once. All he could see was a hazy blur through heavy-lidded eyes, and he was everywhere. Kyle arched up hard then lunged forward and tackled him down, panting as he licked the soft skin of Wally's hips, gripping his hard thighs in his hands.

I’d never played with Wally using speed for sex; and he totally could. So it was fun as hell to throw it in.

"Put the boots back on." Wally laughed but quickly complied, appearing in front of him on his hands and knees, lifting up his calves and pointing his toes. He waggled his sculpted ass a little and winked. An image Kyle decided to make sure not to forget.

Wally wearing nothing but his Flash boots is a nice image, indeed. I loved it once it wiggled it’s way into my head.

They made with their playful fucking for hours, sometimes launching into pillow-fights, and one round of arm-wrestling on the floor.

It had been a very long day, and he was in Heaven, tangled in a curtain that had been torn down when Kyle had tripped backwards and sent them sprawling. They'd landed, and just stayed there, Wally laid up between his knees and his head on Kyle's chest. They lazily stroked each other's skin in a long moment.

"Stay," Wally broke the silence softly.

It took Kyle a moment to bring himself to meet his gaze, pleading that dug sharply through his chest, and he looked away again, lifting his chin up. "You know I can't."

Wally forced him to look at him, swallowing a few times before he could continue emphatically, "there has to be a way, you're like, a big guy with the Corps, right? The blue dudes won't listen to you?" Kyle shook loose and got up, willing himself dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, and he leaned in the doorway, looking out at the rest of Wally's apartment, sparsely furnished and cluttered with wrappers. Wally wrapped his arms around Kyle's waist from behind and pressed his face against his shoulder. "I can't live like this forever.”

::sniffles::

"I never said anything about your chicks, just like you never asked about mine.”

Kyle says this because he’s defensive about being suddenly emotionally vulnerable, does the guy thing of trying to deflect it about something else than it really is.

"It's not even about that, damn you. I just... when you're gone..." He squeezed him tighter, like it would make him more real. "It's like some horrible tease, you just show up and... God, I miss you so bad." Wally's moods could shift as quickly as he moved, and he was suddenly in a fit of rage, slamming his fist through the wall and smashing a glass vase against the wall before Kyle could stop him. "Fuck this, just, fuck it! How can I let you do this to me? WhyshouldIevencare!?"

"I'm sorry."

"It isn't your fault," he said matter-of-factly against the wall, already calming down again. Wally put on a pair of red shorts and composed himself, and they both noticed they were tired.

They curled up close and dozed contently, and Kyle stopped thinking about anything for a while.

In the morning, they got up and brushing each other's teeth, splashing each other in the sink and swapping toothpaste-kisses. Kyle reacquainted himself with cooking scrambled eggs and bacon while Wally ran down the street for coffee and donuts, then all over the place for fruit and thick cream he brought back in a mason jar.

Reflecting the day that Kyle left Earth, as they’re now accepting this thing they’ve got going on is more than just sex. They both really get that now, and want to have what they can.

Kyle ended up eating himself almost sick off all it, especially the tangy strawberries and cream off Wally's fingers, but the morning couldn't last forever.

This time, Kyle grabbed Wally for a kiss goodbye, deep and slow to end, their lips still hovering over each other for a few more stolen brushes before he ringed into his uniform and flew away. Every time, it was so much harder to leave.

Kyle could no more part with his ring now than Wally could stop running. But part of him wished he could.

Continue to Part Three (and the end!)