Chase (Track Star) x Green Lantern!reader
Summary: Post Dispatch canon. Second Chance Romance.
Reader was in their back shimmying into a comfortable position. Their bandaged hand rested across their stomach. They let their eyes flutter shut as they listened to the low hum of the tv. Then a loud knock on the front door rang out.
“Ah shit.”
They pushed themself up with another groan. They ran a hand down their face as she opened the door, “You better not be a fuckin’ solicitor-“
“Reader,” the man at the door spoke. He was older with a yellow sweater. His eyes were a bit red, but they were vaguely familiar-
“Chase?”
“It’s so good to see you-“ Chase’s arms wrapped around them, “You’re alive.”
“Chase?” They asked again. They hugged him back in shock, “What are you doing here?”
”I- I got a call,” Chase’s hands fisted into their shirt, “I- they said you were dead. And then you- you’re back. I had to see you.”
”Chase-“
”I missed you so much-“ Chase pressed his face into their shoulder, “You’re alive-“
”I’m alright- I’m alright,” they guided him inside, “Come on- take a breath.”
They guided him to sit down on the couch. He hesitated before letting their shirt go.
”Di, I missed you- I thought I’d never see you again,” Chase huffed sliding his glasses off to dab his eyes.
”Yeah- it’s been a uh- a busy couple years-“
”They said you were fuckin’ dead,” he scoffed sliding his glasses on.
“It’s a long story-“
”Well you better get fuckin’ on it-“
”How about you talk about why you’re like 80 years old?”
”I look better than that-“
“Chase,” they interrupted.
”My uh- my powers age me about as fast as I fuckin’ run,” Chase huffed, “Your turn.”
They gave him a dirty look before sighing. They held up their bandaged hand, “My ring exploded.”
”Holy fuck- yeah, we’re gonna need you to expand on that,” Chase huffed.
“Chase, it’s been a long story- I don’t even know where to start-“
”Well, we got all the fuckin’ time in the fuckin’ world and I think you should fuckin’ start with why last year I got a fuckin’ call sayin’ you fuckin’ croaked on a mission.”
”It didn’t say I ‘croaked’. Just that I was MIA-“
”Yeah, cuz that’s so much fuckin’ better.”
”I uh- fuck, do you remember that guy, Sinestro, I told you about?”
”The piss yellow fear fucker? Yeah.”
”Yeah, well, he awakened this fear demon parasite that attached itself to me until like last week?”
”…Why can’t we ever have normal people problems?”
”Technically it’s not a problem-“
”It for sure is a fuckin’ problem. You were possessed for the better part of a year. And we’re still not to the hand thing.”
”The parasite exploded my ring when it attached. It’s been a stub a while.”
”…So no more ring? Like for real?”
”Nope, ‘m retired or whatever. Fully on earth. No more space cop babe.”
”…I- for what it’s worth, I’m sorry. I know what it’s like to lose your powers for stupid reasons.”
”I- thank you, Chase. Really.”
”Don’t mention it.”
”I- I mean it- I know we uh- I know we didn’t leave on the best of terms. For either of our sakes,” they started, “But thank you. For being here.”
Chase paused. He slowly set down his beer but couldn’t bring himself to speak.
“I- it’s been so long since I’ve been planetside for more than a mission,” she continued. Her hand toyed with the seam of the couch, “Only person ‘round I’ve known is the guy who runs the bodega by our old place- remember it? Yeah, he still makes a mean salami and rye.”
Chase remained silent.
“I begged and begged to not be discharged- even though I knew I didn’t have much of a choice,” she murmured, “I ain’t been anythin’ but a Lantern in so long. Almost forgot how. So it’s… nice. Seeing a familiar face. Even if we didn’t end on great terms.”
”…I’m sorry.”
”What?”
”I’m sorry,” Chase repeated, “I- every time I think back to how we- how I ended it, I feel like shit. You didn’t deserve that. And I’ve spent the last year thinking- thinking about how I’d never see you again. How you were gone. Permanently. And feeling guilty that I practically threw our relationship away. Threw any time we could have had away.”
“Chase-“
”I regret it every day. I regretted it the moment I said I wanted to end it.”
”Baby-“
”I just- I told myself I was doing you a favor,” he murmured, “That you’d grow sick of me. Of my aging body. I thought I’d end it before you did.”
He ran a hand down his face. He turned to face her directly, “I’m so sorry. I’d take it back in a heartbeat. I’d do so many things different-“
”Then what are you gonna do now?”
”…what?”
”You can’t go back in time- you can’t change what you did,” she said shifting forward, “So what are you gonna do now?”
”I don’t wanna hurt you again,” he murmured.
”That’s not what I asked.”
”I want you back, baby.”
”Chase-“
”If it’s too late- if it’s too late, I get it,” he huffed, “But- but I’d kick myself if I didn’t ask- didn’t try. After all this time. Not when you’re back from the dead.”
”Its- it’s not too late- I mean, if you really meant it-“
”I mean it- I mean it more than you’ll ever know,” he took her hand in both of his.
“Fuck it- I’m yours, Chase,” they squeezed his hand gently, “Hell, ‘ve been yours since- well for a damn long time.”
Chase’s breath hitch but a wide grin spread across his face. He squeezed their hand gently. He brought it up to kiss their hand, “Baby…”
”Stay the night,” they murmured moving closer.
”I- I can’t do much anymore,” he began to pull back in instinct, “My powers-“
”What? No,” they inched towards him again, “I wasn’t meaning sex- no, I just- I just don’t think I can stand another night without you holding me.”
”…fuck- I love you so much.”
”I love you too, Chase,” they murmured kissing his forehead gently before cradling him close, “I love you too.”
