Chapter Text
If anyone noticed before the rest of them, it had to be John. At least, that’s what John told himself because, if he hadn’t noticed, then it would truly be a mystery. How four men could be the lucky, unlucky few to experience very human heartbreak in the cold vastness of space instead of being rooted on Earth.
Heartbreak and hard decisions, they all end up alone at the end of the day. Tora leaves Guy, Soranik brands Kyle’s chest, Sinestro is still a villain and Carol finally gives up on Hal, and Katma is still dead at the end of the day. John could never let himself forget that, even as he took a break for once, feeling Mogo’s grass between his toes and let himself breathe because there was so much to do but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
They’re alone but they’re not alone, not when the four of them have come together and broken apart, and John belatedly realized that he had kissed every single one of them. At the end of their hardest days, their coldest nights, they’ve been together in every combination besides all four of them.
It’s hard to look in any direction but forward for the Corps but John allowed himself a moment to breathe and hope because, above all else, he was Human John Stewart, before Green Lantern Stewart or Corps Leader Stewart. He let himself think about Kyle’s sweet look of adoration, about Guy’s bright, honest smile, and of Hal’s casual way of always finding a reason to touch any one of them.
So, he let himself hope for one moment that their agreement to meet at the bar that night would go somewhere more than just the four of them having a beer together as they’ve always done. Instead, John let himself think about what it could be between them, at least for just a moment.
He thought about Kyle on his lap, grinding against him. He thought about Guy behind him, kissing his neck and pushing his erection against his ass. He thought about Hal on his knees, shooting up that blinding grin before taking him in his mouth. The four of them, together, images of his friends in pairs, but the thought of three of them without the other was the only one that felt wrong
John grit his teeth, adjusting himself in his pants. Maybe it had been too long because he couldn't help the images from flooding his brain.