Title: stargazing into ceiling tiles
Characters: Guy Gardner, Soranik Natu
Rating: PG
Word Count: 565
Prompt(s): 10;P38 ritual // 21. You'll do.
Summary: (AU) If Kyle hadn't come back in Blackest Night, what might have happened after?
when you might die before you see another sunrise
After the last battle, Soranik ends up at Warrior's because there is simply nowhere left to go. There is a 'closed' sign in the window, but the door is unlocked. Hesitantly, she enters to find Guy slouched over the bar, steadily working his way through a mountain of beer.
There is a moment of silent consideration as both Lanterns stare at each other. Just as it's about to get awkward, Guy glances over out the corner of his eye and grunts. Thus welcomed, Soranik ends up collapsing onto a stool as Guy cracks open another beer can and offers it to her.
They drink together in silence for a very long time.
Some time later, Guy tips his head back, draining another can, then tosses it onto the pile with the others. Soranik reaches for another, then blinks dully at the empty bar.
"There's no more left."
"Shit." Guy stares blearily at the stack of empty six-pack rings, then sighs and rubs the bridge of his nose. "Just... shit."
Soranik hums in commiseration, swirling the rest of her beer around. Finally she knocks back the last of it and taps her can down on the counter.
"I miss him."
Guy reels like he's just been punched and runs a hand through his hair before leaning heavily on the counter. He stares at the grain of the wood beneath his fingers, then slowly lets out the breath he's been holding in.
"Yeah. Yeah, I do too."
The hollow feeling in the pit of Soranik's stomach rises and bursts into an ache that fills her chest. She clenches her fists and bites her lip to stave away the prickling at the corners of her eyes. She will not cry. She will not-
"Damnit." Angrily, Soranik scrubs at her eyes, trying to stop the tears. Crying is for small children, not full grown women. "Damnitdamnitdamnit."
Guy's hand wraps around her wrist, pulling it away from her face and suddenly Soranik finds herself wrapped up in a tight hug.
"Shh, it's okay. Just let it all out."
Guy rubs her back gently, as if he's afraid she might shatter under his touch. He's warm and solid and he smells like ozone and beer in the same way that Kyle used to after spending the night sketching at the bar at Warrior's. Soranik clings to him like he's the only thing keeping her grounded.
"I- I just..."
She lifts her head from where it's buried in Guy's shoulder and startles a little because his face is so close to hers. And maybe it's the beer and maybe it's the rush of being alive even though so many of their fellow Lanterns are dead and maybe it's just the fact that Guy is here and holding her in his arms so very carefully, but Soranik looks up at him through her eyelashes and murmurs, "I don't want to be alone right now."
Guy cups her cheek in his hand, gazing into her eyes and searching for some spark of reluctance. Finally, he leans in and breathes, "Me neither."
Their kiss isn't one that will make it into the history books. It's rough and muddled and full of desperation more than anything else. But it is a kiss and neither of them spends the night alone.
Somehow that's enough.
you learn to cherish the moon