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Chapter Text

Gary’s eyes flicked back and forth from Constantine to the seemingly endless pathway that paved the distance from his D&D group to his own townhouse, one paid for by the time bureau. Neither one said anything, barely moving except for John to drag on his cigarette. 

It was confusing for the both of them, to be this way. Confusing for John because he found conversation to flow as easily as he exorcised demons or drank whiskey. And for Gary, he was totally confounded in general by the way John seemed so relaxed (which, by the way, he wasn’t. He was just a good actor.) But nonetheless, Gary, who was ever in the dark about love, didn’t know how to react when John Constantine, the short, brooding, supposedly broken man had offered to walk him home after playing D&D. 

Gary searched for something to say, but once again found just an empty mind. He shot a last glance at John, only to find that John was staring back at him. Their eyes met, and he could see the flecks of amber and emerald in Constantine’s eyes. "Penny for your thoughts, Love?" John raised an eyebrow and took a long puff on his cigarette.

"Oh, um, nothing. Just...thinking." Thinking about John's rough hands scrambling through Gary's hair, his soft lips capturing Gary's in a gentle kiss. His heart thumped in his chest, worrying for no reason that John's demonology abilities gave him telepathy, although he knew it did not. "Yeah, sure. Whatever you say, Love."

"Can you maybe not call me Love? Just for like, two hot seconds."

"Whatever you say, darling."

"Darling? That's...worse."

"Sure."

They walked in silence once more, John's leather-gloved knuckles occasionally brushing against Gary's bare ones as they ambled leisurely home. Without anything to occupy him, Gary's mind began to wander, imagining all sorts of...scandalous scenes. One thing was constant in all of them, however. Constantine, to be specific. John was there in all of them, his hands, his mouth, his eyes, his-

"This is your place, isn't it, Love?"

"Oh! Yeah. Yep. Yes."

"O...kay. So, I guess I'll..."

"Yep."

"Goodbye, Love. I'll see you around, right?"

"If you keep working with the Legends, you'll see a lot more of me."

"I wouldn't mind seeing a lot more of you."

"Oh, my..."

"Kidding. Sorry, I've been told I'm a little too flirty. Sometimes."

"Maybe just a bit." John cracked a small grin. "Goodbye, Gary." He leaned down, brushing his lips gently across Gary's cheekbones, chuckling at Gary's wide eyes and open jaw. He gave a minute wave of his fingers and sauntered off, a plume of smoke trailing behind him like a chimney.

Gary's hand unconsciously reached up to brush the soft pink glow of his cheek. He'd nearly forgotten about earlier that day, when he'd helped Ava and John rescue Sara from Mallus, when he'd explained his idea based on his D&D campaign. John hadn't hesitated, he'd just reached up to cup both sides of Gary's face, popping up on his tiptoes to press his lips firmly to Gary's, his teeth gently scraping across Gary's lower lip as they separated.

Gary sighed, a shiver running up his spine as he unlocked his front door. He stared into the seemingly empty house, the light reflecting off the surfaces of his kitchen and living room. He hung his coat on the wall and turned around to the patter of tiny feet on the tiled floor. "Cece!" He squatted down to pick up a tiny beagle wearing a hot pink collar off the floor. "How's my best girl, huh?" He planted a kiss on top of her head and set her back on the floor, surveying the rest of the house. With the lights off, and nobody else inside, it looked almost...ghostly. Shaking the thought from his mind, his ascended the stairs. The day had been strange, but in Gary's experience, the best remedy for anything was sleep.

Feather-light kisses trailed down Gary's torso as rough tan hands undid the buttons on Gary's shirt, and Constantine's thick red hair brushed over his chest.

"Mm, Gary..." John caught his lips in another kiss, the taste of cigarettes and Captain Jiwe Rum lingering on Gary's lips. John tore off the last button, throwing the shirt to the floor and tossing off his own tie. His hands deftly unbuttoned his shirt with the elegance of someone who's done the same thing hundreds of times, and he gripped Gary's shoulders with a strength Gary didn't recognize, but certainly enjoyed. John's hands drifted lower and lower, until-

Gary sat up in bed, his chest heaving. He picked up his cell phone to check the time. 2:30 a.m. was too damn early for sex dreams about alcoholic exorcists. His pillows caught his fall as he relaxed back down into bed. It wasn't even just about the dream, or John. It was the fact that Gary Green had never, ever, ever, had a sex dream, about anyone. Up until the previous day, Gary didn't even think he liked men. He wasn't even sure he liked women. He hadn't had a date since he started at the Time Bureau, hadn't kissed anyone in God-only-knows how long, and hadn't had sex since his senior prom. Besides, John wasn't even close to Gary's usual type. Constantine was smart, but he was also a badass, and didn't care about what anyone thought, and flirted with every man and woman from New York to Timbuktu. And Gary, Gary was also smart, but he was also awkward, and hated being around people, and had no idea how to flirt with anyone. But his heart seemed to want to pull out of his chest. As he rolled over to go back to sleep, his phone began to ring. He picked up without bothering to check who it was. "Hello?" He asked groggily.

"Gary? Why do you sound so tired?" Ava Sharpe's voice boomed through the speakers.

"I don't know, Ava, maybe because it's not even three in the morning? Why are you up?"

"Oh, sorry. I forgot about time zones. It's seven o'clock here."

"Why would I be awake at seven?"

"Never mind, Gary. I need your help."

"Why, what's up?"

"The Legends and I have detected an anachronism in modern-day Central City . You'll see it soon enough. But we're headed there now, and I need to focus on the Bureau, so I need you to step in and help me with the Legends."

"Okay, sure."

"And you remember John Constantine?" Gary froze. Did Ava know? No, she couldn't know. Could she? No.

"Yeah, Ava. Why?"

"Would you be willing to recruit him to help? No offense to you, because you are my right hand man, but I think you're going to need a little help."

"Okay, but does it have to be Constantine?"

"What's your problem, Gary? Does this have to do with when he kissed you earlier, or what?"

"No. I mean, maybe. Kind of. Yeah."

"We'll talk when we arrive, Gary. Get some sleep."

"Sure." He tossed his phone aside and stared up at the ceiling. What had he gotten himself into?

The Waverider drifted lazily into view as Gary stood in the middle of an empty field in front of a warehouse. Ava and Sara jogged down the front steps first, greeting Gary with cool nods, followed by Nate, Ray, and Amaya, then Mick and Zari in the back, in the middle of some screaming match. "Hello, Gary. Thank you for meeting us. If you'll come with me, I can fill you in on the anachronism, and what exactly you need to do." Ava looked at him pointedly.

"Right! Yes. Let's, uh, let's walk this way. Everyone else." He waved awkwardly, falling step-in-step with Ava.

"So, Gary. Let's talk." Ava wiggled her eyebrows, making Gary chuckle.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Gary stared straight ahead.

"Oh, yes you do. John Constantine, huh?"

"What about him?"

"Well, you were being really weird on the phone when I asked you about him. So what's your deal? Are you...freaked out that he kissed you, or...oh my God. You like John Constantine?"

"Shut up, Ava."

"Hey, that's Director Sharpe now. So you do like him?"

"I guess so. I don't really know. You know I don't...date."

"Yeah, Gary, everyone knows that."

"You're hilarious. But I had...I had a...a sex dream. About Constantine."

"What?" Ava burst out laughing. "That's the funniest goddamn thing I've ever heard."

"I'm glad you so enjoy my pain."

"Oh, I do. So, what, you want to ask him out?"

"No! I mean, I don't think so."

"What do you want, then?"

"I don't know, Ava. But why do I have to ask him to help?"

"Uh, well now you have to. Gary, you need a date. And he'd be good for you. And you'd be good for him."

"I'm not going to ask him out, Ava."

"Oh, yes you are. You're going to ask him to come to dinner with you, and me, and Sara. It'll be like a..." Ava shuddered. "Double date."

"See, you clearly don't want to do this!"

"I'm willing to do it if it means you get a date."

"Why do you care so much, Ava?"

"Because, to my knowledge, Gary, I'm your only friend." Gary opened his mouth to interrupt. "Other than your dog." He closed it.

"So tell me about this anachronism, Ava."

"Right! Abe Lincoln is in Central City, 2018."

"Oh, damn."

"Oh, damn is right."

"So, will we still have time for dinner?"

"You're not getting out of this, Green."

"Wouldn't think of it."

Chapter Text

Meanwhile, back on the ranch (or in this particular case, the Waverider), Ray, Amaya, Nate, and Sara were on a recon mission, leaving Zari and Mick to fend for themselves. Zari found herself wandering the halls, searching for something, but not quite sure what. Eventually, she came across Mick in the office, a glass of scotch in one hand and a book in the other, one she couldn't quite see the name of. His glasses were perched on his nose, and his gun rested on the table to his right. "Mick." She nodded softly and reached for the decanter of scotch.

"What do you want?" Growled Rory, a sneer corrupting his strong features.

"A drink, Mick."

"There are drinks in the galley."

Zari ignored him and plopped into the armchair across from Mick. "Whatcha reading?"

Mick sighed and angled his book so that she could see the cover. "Firestarter. That's a little on the nose, even for you."

Zari's dark curls drifted into her face as she grabbed the nearest book, which happened to be Gone With The Wind. "What is with these metahuman-appropriate books?" She lazily turned the first page. "'Scarlett O'Hara was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it when caught by her charm as the Tarleton twins were.' Oh, God. Is this book just about some dumb girl falling in love with some dumb guy?"

"Depends. Are you going to keep asking dumb questions?"

She tossed the book aside. "This is boring as hell. Let's do something."

"Like what?"

"I don't know, but how often is it just us on the ship? We should take advantage of it."

"I am." Mick gestured with his book. "It's always too loud to read. Now, I have some peace and quiet. Well, had some piece and quiet."

"Fine, you be dumb and boring here, I'll go have a good time." Zari sauntered off, leaving Mick to ponder, and she began to think. Mick was so gruff and cold, but something gave her the idea that he was a real person under there. Besides, now that she thought about it, he wasn't unattractive. She shook herself out of it, cracking open a beer in the galley. It wasn't the time for thinking about things like that.

At the same time, across town, a blur of blue light popped into existence, and then disappeared once again, leaving behind the silhouette of a man and a girl holding a stone between them. Damien and Nora Darhk. Damien turned to his daughter. "Nora-doll! Isn't it wonderful to be back in our own time? No more stuffy disguises, no more using those old weapons that you have to reload every time you shoot?"

"Yeah, Dad, whatever. Let's just finish this." Nora turned to walk away, and Damien placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"Nora-doll, stop! Let's have a little fun with this, shall we? I mean, how often do you get the chance to meet a real-live former president?"

"With a time stone? Any time I want. Besides, don't you ever get bored of screwing up history? I mean, isn't there an easier way to release Mallus?"

"Not that we know of. But if you're really so bored, I suppose we can take a break for one night. One night, though. I'll be in Star City, pretending to be dead. Have fun." Damien waved quickly to his daughter and gripped the time stone, disappearing in a flash of light. Nora groaned.

"That's not what I meant." Gathering herself, she kept walking, pacing the sidewalks of Central City. The brisk air chilled her, but she had always been partial to cold weather. Not taking notice of her surroundings, she rounded a corner and almost immediately crashed headfirst into a stone wall of a human being.

"Nora?" Asked a familiar voice, steadying her by the shoulders before she could topple over.

"Ray?" She replied, glancing up to meet the eyes of the one and only A.T.O.M., AKA Ray Palmer.

"Nora, before you say anything, please don't try to stop us from fixing this anachronism, because if Abe Lincoln stays in modern-day Central City, then slavery will never have ended, and it's entirely possible time will solidify to make the US two separate countries, and-"

"Wait, what? Abraham Lincoln is the anachronism?"

"Uh, yeah. I assumed you knew that, but it doesn't matter. This is one we have to fix."

"I honestly couldn't care less right now. I'm just trying to have a normal evening."

"Really? You, Nora Darhk, normal?"

"Yeah, whatever, it's shocking. Let's just...move on. Forget we ever saw each other." She attempted to push past him, but Ray grabbed her hand, pulling her back towards him.

"Hold on," he said, a twinkle in his wide, brown, puppy-dog eyes. "You said you wanted to have a normal evening?"

"I did, but now I'm regretting it."

"Oh, why?"

"Because now I'm assuming you're going to make me do something with you?"

"You guessed correctly! Do you know what normal people do on a Saturday night?"

"Do I look like I know?" Nora raised a skeptical eyebrow at Ray.

"Point taken. But normal people go clubbing on Saturday nights. Which is exactly what we're going to do."

"Clubbing?"

"Oh, yeah. With the three D's: drinks, dancing, and DJs."

"Well, thank God that's what the three D's stand for. But you guys all hate me. It's literally your job description."

"I don't hate you, Nora." He stepped closer, and she could hear the sincerity in his voice. "I really think you're better than your actions. Besides, you're not going to lure me to the club and then kidnap me, right?"

"No, I suppose not." She could feel a hint of a smile pulling at the corners of her lips. "I'll see you tonight, Ray. Nine o'clock, right here?"

"It's a date." He looked shocked as he saw the brilliant blush creeping across her cheeks. "Or not. Not a date. Just two people hanging out. Not a date."

"Right." She nodded slowly and turned to walk away. Had Ray Palmer, the man she once kidnapped and tortured (under the influence of Mallus), just asked her out? "Oh, God," she said softly to herself. "What would my father say?"

The worry of Damien Darhk's response had faded into background noise as Nora prepared for her night on the town with Ray. Her father's credit card and an impeccable sense of style made for easy shopping, especially on the streets of downtown Central City. Nora took a deep breath, smoothing the linen fabric of her brand-new dress over her thighs. Her legs wobbled slightly as she found her balance in her new heels, but eventually she made it to the confident strut that characterized her walk. Finally, she made it to the corner where she'd bumped into Ray earlier, his firm abs like a solid wall.

"Nora!" She heard a voice calling out over the hustle and bustle of the city, and turned to see Ray, dressed down in a t-shirt, jeans, and a leather jacket, which, although not part of Ray's usual style, Nora found very attractive.

"Hello, Ray." She greeted him with a pleasant wave and watched with a sly grin as he took in her new look, starting with her snakeskin pumps, traveling up her smooth legs to her dress, a beautiful (not to mention short (;) number with a single strap that crossed from the right side to her left shoulder. His eyes continued to travel up her neck, which was bare for lack of a totem, to her face, which he personally found to be the single most gorgeous part of the ensemble. Her dark hair was swept back in a slick ponytail, the curls at the end bouncing as she walked.

"Wow..." Catching himself, he cleared his throat and smiled brilliantly. "I think I'm a little underdressed."

"You look..." 'He's the enemy,' she reminded herself. "Decent. You look decent. Acceptable."

"Great." He offered her his arm, which she ignored, and the two of them began to walk down the street, to where a long line of people stood outside of a building filled with flashing lights and loud music. "Hold on." He held up a finger and sidled up to the bouncer, whispering something indeterminable. At last, the bouncer held aside the rope, and Ray waved back to Nora, who rolled her eyes and followed him into the club.

Nora was immediately taken aback by the thumping bass from the DJ and the sheer number of people inside the club. "Come on, Ray. This place...I'm not even sure we could find a place we could stand straight up, much less sit down and have a drink."

"You just have to know what you're doing."

"And you do?"

"Well, it can't be too different from finding your way around at Comic-Con."

"Sure, Ray. Just get me a drink, and I'm happy."

"One drink, coming right up." Ray turned to Nora and offered her his hand, which she took, however reluctantly. Feeling her tiny palm in his large one, Nora granted Ray a modest smile, which he returned, a thousand times wider and brighter. He twisted around and pulled her hand, tugging her behind him in a beeline towards the bar. Watching Ray muscle people out of their way, Nora felt a giggle bubble up inside of her, releasing it with a snort, causing her to immediately cover her face in embarrassment. Reaching a gentle hand up to push it down, Ray smirked at her. "Don't. It's...humanizing."

"Pfft. Thanks." She stated sarcastically, shaking her head, but grinning nonetheless.

"So, what's your drink of choice?" Ray inquired, attempting to flag down the bartender, but failing miserably.

"I got this," Nora said, placing a hand on Ray's chest and pushing him backwards. "Hey, there." She tilted her head, letting her hair spill over her shoulder, and leaned forwards over the bar. Almost instinctively, the bartender turned towards her, ignoring every other customer. "I need two Old Fashioneds." The bartender nodded, mixed the drinks, then slid them back across the bar towards Nora, along with a cocktail napkin with a phone number printed on it. Nora dropped a few dollar bills on the bartop and rejoined Ray at the other end. "Cheers," she said, tapping her glass against his.

"That was...kinda magical." Ray stared at her, a mix of shock and admiration in his eyes.

"Ah, yes. It's my meta power. It's called 'being a hot girl'. Works like a charm."

"Well, I'm a big fan." He took a long sip of his drink.

"Alright, finish up." Nora downed the last of her glass and stood up. "We still have to dance." Ray's eyes widened as he poured back the drink and joined her.

"I thought you didn't even want to come out tonight."

"I didn't, but...now that I'm here, it's better than I expected."

"I'm so glad I could surpass your incredibly low expectations."

Nora led Ray towards the rest of the dancers, twirling herself under his arm. "Ooh. Nice moves, Darhk." Ray took her other hand and led her in a series of complicated steps.

"I could say the same to you, Palmer. Seriously."

"Yeah, well, that's what happens when you watch Singing In The Rain once a week every week since you were five."

"That's much better than being in a mental hospital." Ray's face fell.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I just-"

"It's all fine. What's done is done. And you guys tried to save me. So it's really not your fault."

"I know, but..."

"But nothing. I was fine then, I'll be fine now." Ray hesitated for a moment before nodding, his eyes warm and welcoming, a feeling Nora didn't know well.

Ray, who was watching Nora, noticed that her eyes were not their usual green, but instead dark circles spread out, covering everything. "Nora? Nora, are you alright?"

Nora threw back her head and laughed. "Nora's not here, Raymond Palmer," she growled, her voice not her own. Mallus.

"Nora, please, I know you're still in there. Please, you can fight this."

"No, she can't. She's gone, Ray. And soon, so will you be. When I am released, I will destroy you and everyone you love. Do not test me."

"Nora..." Ray held out his hand to brush her shoulder, but she gripped it with a strength he didn't know she possessed and twisted his wrist at an awkward angle, causing Ray to suck in a short breath.

"I am Mallus. I will crush you."

"No. You won't." Ray took a deep breath. "I believe in you, Nora. You are stronger than Mallus wants you to believe."

"No. She isn't." Nora contorted Ray's arm once again, and this time brought up a swift roundhouse kick, knocking the air out of him. She circled around him, bringing her arm across his chest, shoving Ray's upper body over it, flipping him onto the ground. As he struggled to stand back up, she delivered an elbow to his face, and Ray felt warm blood trickle down past his left eye.

"Goodbye, Ray. I suspect we shall see each other again very soon."

"What do you mean, 'goodb-'" Ray keeled backwards, knocked out cold, as Nora administered a kneecap to Ray's forehead. As the sight drained from his eyes, he caught a glimpse of Nora, her eyes returned to normal, a horrified expression on her face, overwhelmed by the realization of what she'd done. She dashed out of sight just as Ray's skull knocked against the floor.

Nora panted heavily as she raced out of the club and down the street, looking for somewhere to hide. She gasped as her stiletto heel caught in the sidewalk crack and snapped. "Dammit," she whispered, tears coating her cheeks as she tossed off her shoes and kept running. She had never meant to hurt Ray. Ray was the last person, in fact, that she wanted to hurt. She couldn't stop thinking about how when Mallus had left, she had seen Ray, on his knees, blood running down his forehead and out of his nose, bruises everywhere.

She hadn't felt heartbreak since her father had died. And while this wasn't quite that, it was certainly close.

Hm. Maybe there was more to Ray than she thought.

Chapter Text

"You aren't serious. Gary Green, the lamest Time Bureau agent ever, has a crush on John Constantine, the badass demon hunter?" Sara chuckled and shook her head as Ava sat on the edge of her bed, explaining the situation.

"Would I lie to you about such a thing?" Ava tossed up her hands.

"Okay, but a sex dream? I'm not saying that's totally unbelievable, but-" Sara caught Ava's eye. "I'm also not saying that I would, but that seems a little wild for Gary."

"Trust me, I've known Gary a long time, and it is. But I've also never seen him like this about anyone. I think he really does like Constantine."

"Just...wow. So your idea...your totally sane idea...is to ambush them with a double date?"

"Well, not ambush, per se. I already told Gary that we would double date sometime, and I told John we wanted to go out to dinner tonight with him, since we were in town. The only ambush is that it's tonight, and that they'll both be there." Ava shrugged. "It'll be fine."

"Probably better than our first date."

"Everything's better than our first date." Sara snorted.

"We should probably get ready, right?"

"Yeah. Hold on, let me call Gary."

Ava stepped out into the hall of the Waverider and dialed Gary.

"Director Sharpe? What's up?" Gary's voice crackled through the speaker.

"Gary! You remember that double date we had planned?"

She heard Gary sigh, and there was a brief pause before he responded. "...yeah, why?" He sounded resigned.

"We're doing it tonight. The Amora Grill, seven o'clock. Be there or be fired. Got it?"

"...got it, Director Sharpe."

"Great, Gary. I'll see you then." Ava hung up and reentered the room. Sara stood in front of the vanity, wearing nothing but a matching set of white lace underwear. She turned when she heard Ava come in, a devilish grin on her lips. "Like what you see?"

"You know I do, but we still have to get ready for dinner."

"We have time." Sara stalked closer to Ava, lifting one of Ava's hands up to rest on her bare back. Their lips met, and Ava's hand dug into Sara's flesh. "I think this blazer is getting in the way a little bit. And for that matter, so is this shirt."

"So why don't you do something about that?"

"Oh, trust me. I will." Sara smiled wickedly.

A little while later, Ava's head rested on Sara's chest, absentmindedly tracing shapes on her skin. "We really do have to get ready now."

Sara groaned. "You're right." She tossed off the sheets and stood, stretching. "What to wear, what to wear?" She asked softly to herself. Finally, she selected a brilliant red lace cocktail dress with a plunging neckline. "How about this?"

"You know you look good in everything." Ava planted a gentle kiss on Sara's cheek. "I should go back to my own place, now that we're back in CC. I'll see you at dinner." She wiggled her fingers in goodbye. "I'm going to marry that girl, aren't I?" Sara whispered under her breath.

"Did you say something?" Ava asked, poking her head back in the room.

"Oh! No, nothing."

"Okay, then. Bye."

Sara zipped herself into the dress and sat at the vanity, doing her makeup. At last, she relaxed into the chair, looking herself in the eye. "Sara Sharpe. Not too shabby."

At the same time, Gary found himself staring himself down in the mirror, a knot slowly growing in his stomach. Hands shaking, he tightened his forest green tie, steeling himself. "It's okay, Gary. You can do this. It's just dinner. Ava and Sara will be there. If you get too nervous, just go to the bathroom." He took a deep breath. "Oh, crap, I gotta puke." He raced to the bathroom and vomited violently. "This is a bad idea."

He went anyways, meeting Ava and Sara out side the restaurant.

"So, Gary, how're you feeling?" Sara smirked, watching Gary squirm. "Not great, I'm guessing. Well, that's too freakin' bad, because," Ava placed her hands on Gary's shoulders and spun him around, "the cavalry just arrived." He had indeed. Gary saw Constantine sauntering towards them, once again smoking like a chimney, his signature strawberry blonde mop falling into his eyes.

"Nice to see you again, Love." He nodded at Gary. "Sara. Director." He shook Ava's hand and clapped Gary's shoulder. Gary tried his hardest to keep a steady face as he felt John's hand linger just a moment too long, but he felt the corners of his mouth twitch upward, and he saw Ava and Sara share a look.

"Shall we?" Constantine asked, his dark eyebrows arched. Gary checked his Fitbit, watching his heart rate climb steadily. Sara sidled up next to him, and Ava fell back with Gary.

"So..." she trailed off, keeping her voice low. "Are you ready?"

"What do you think?' Gary glanced over at her, and she saw real panic in his eyes.

"Hey, Gary, you're going to be fine. He's going to love you. I believe in you." She gripped Gary's shoulders and stared into his eyes. "So let's get in there, and kick some double-date ass." Gary swallowed and nodded, pushing his shoulders back. "I can do this."

As a matter of fact, he could do it. For about five minutes. After those five minutes (which were mostly just getting seated) it was a whole other story. For instance, Ava and Sara immediately went to sit across from each other, resulting in Gary and Constantine across from each other. After that, it was a couple of minutes of awkward small talk, which Ava mostly initiated and John mostly ignored. A waitress approached them after what seemed to Gary like hours to take their drink orders.

"Double whiskey. Neat." Gary loosened his tie slightly, panicking.

"Excellent choice. I'll have the same." John swiveled in his chair to look at Gary. "I didn't peg you for a whiskey man."

"I'm not, usually. I just...wanted something a little stronger."

"And why would that be?"

Gary shot an agitated look at Ava, but she was deep in conversation with Sara. He was on his own. "I, uh...I'm just...freaking out about this anachronism situation. Abe Lincoln in Central City? That's pretty crazy."

"Abe Lincoln, you said?"

"Yeah, why?"

John leaned back in his seat. "He isn't still being pursued by John Wilkes Booth, is he?"

"Not that we know of, why?"

"Because I have it on good authority that John Wilkes Booth was, in fact, a warlock."

"You don't mean..."

"I do. Abraham Lincoln was killed using magic."

"That's...wow." Gary adjusted his glasses, grinning broadly in amazement.

"Glad to see there's still something that can surprise you after all you've seen." Constantine lowered his voice. "It's very attractive."

"Oh, I, uh..." Gary froze in place. He'd been wishing Constantine would say something like that all evening, but now that it happened, Gary couldn't get his mind off his dream. He kept going back to John's eyes, his hands, his lips all over Gary's body, drowning him in pure bliss. All Gary wanted to do at that moment was tangle his fingers in Constantine's golden mane and press his lips to John's in a fiery kiss. Luckily, because apparently God didn't have some vendetta against Gary, the waitress showed up at that exact minute to take their order, preventing him from doing just that.

"So, Constantine. There's another reason we asked you to meet us tonight." Ava turned back to him.

"Another? What was the first reason?" John sent a sly wink over at Gary, causing him to flush bright red.

"Not important. As I'm sure you know, Abe Lincoln is in town. We need your help because Sara told the Legends they could take a little time off now that we're home. Besides, you know that John Wilkes Booth was a warlock, and we need to be ready in case he shows up."

"Okay, can I just..." Gary raised his hand slowly. "Was I the only one that didn't know JWB was a warlock?"

"Yes," said Sara, not bothering to look at him.

"So, what, you just want me to... help you play hide and seek with a former president? Sorry, Love, not really my job description."

"We'll pay you. You're still living paycheck to paycheck, right?" Sara interjected.

"How much?"

"A thousand bucks."

"Make it two thousand."

"Deal." John and Sara shook.

"We should head out." Ava took Sara's hand. "You two are welcome to stay." She sent Gary a meaningful glance.

"We'll go with you." Gary stood up quickly.

"Um, yeah. Sure." John followed him, looking confused.

As they exited, Sara pulled Constantine aside. "John, we've know each other for a long time."

"Yeah, Sara. So?"

"So I know when you're...feeling something."

"I'm always feeling something. You'll have to be more specific, Love."

"I can tell when you like someone, Constantine. I know you're the paragon of the cynical alcoholic, but you really do wear your heart on your sleeve, whether you admit it or not. You've always been upfront about your feelings. And you like Gary."

"Gary? I mean, he's nice and all, but he's a little boring, no?"

"He is, but I think you want boring. I think you need boring. Everyone you've been with has been crazy or wild or led you on some crazy adventure. Myself included. But I've never seen you act with anyone the way you do with him. You actually...try. With everyone else, you're so cavalier. You just say what you want. But with him, you're careful. It's different. But good different."

"Maybe I do. But even if I did, there's no way he likes me. I mean, I'm an addict, I do black magic. You know how broken I am, Sara. I've been to hell and back, literally. I don't deserve someone like him. And he certainly doesn't deserve to be corrupted by me."

"Well first of all, you're wrong. So wrong. How can you not see the way he looks at you, John? He's clearly crazy about you. And besides, I think some adventure would be good for him. Plus, you're not as broken as you think you are. You deserve love, just like I somehow do. And you won't corrupt him. I promise."

"You're wrong, Sara. About everything. But thank you for saying it anyway."

"Not a problem."

Ava and Sara departed after a quick goodbye, and John and Gary were left alone.

"Can I walk you home? I just want to return the favor." Gary asked, his heart pounding like it hadn't in years. He studied John, praying he would say yes, because even just those ten minutes walking were a blessing on his boring existence.

"Why not?" The pair turned to walk silently in the direction of John's apartment/office. "I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable earlier. As I said before, I've been know to go a little over the top on flirting."

"I don't mind." Gary directed a thin smile back. "I'm just not used to being flirted with, that's all."

"Really? You seem like a nice guy." Gary's face fell. That hadn't been the response he'd hoped for.

"Maybe so, but I'm not particularly attractive, or smart, or really possessing any other unique qualities."

"You don't think it was incredibly smart of you to compare the fight against Mallus to your D&D campaign? A little geeky, perhaps. But very smart nonetheless. And as for your attractiveness..." Constantine bit his lip as his eyes traveled up and then back down Gary's body. "I'd say you've got that pretty much down. But maybe that's just me."

Gary let loose a high-pitched chuckle. "You really think so?"

"I do. And I promise, I'm being honest. I always am, Love."

Gary stopped for a minute, speechless. He and John stood barely a foot apart. He could feel the heat radiating off of Constantine's body, and he could see the slight part of his lips, the quick rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, and even the rippling muscles in his biceps. He took a hesitant step forward, and Constantine mirrored him. Six inches. Another step. Two inches. Gary's lips separated and he tilted his head downwards. He could feel the warmth of John's breath on his skin. He raised his hand to rest it on the small of Constantine's back, and John ran his hands over Gary's green tie, but as he turned his head to meet Constantine's lips, the clouds burst, and pouring rain seeped down onto the both of them, shocking Gary, who took a step backwards instinctively. He stared back at John, shock written in every line on his face. And on John's face, there was...something else. Disappointment, maybe? Or rejection? Whatever it was, Gary didn't know how to react. "I'm just going to..."

Constantine nodded, not meeting Gary's eyes. "Yeah," He said, his voice slightly hoarse. "I'll see you later, Agent Green." He turned, not waiting for a goodbye, and walked off, his cigarette (which had been put out by the rain) still hanging dejectedly from his fingers.

Gary pulled out his phone, too shocked to process what had just happened. "Ava? I need to talk to you!"

"Wh- Gary, what's going on?"

"I don't know, I mean...so after you two left, I offered to walk him home. You know, return the favor. And we started talking about why I never date, and we were just standing so close together, and-"

"Gary, you didn't kiss John Constantine, did you? Oh my god, you di-"

"No, Ava, I didn't! I was about to, I think, and I wanted to, but it started raining, and it was unexpected, and I just freaked out, and I jumped away, and when I saw him, he just looked so...disappointed. I think...I don't know. I think he might..."

"He totally likes you, Gary. Now leave me alone, so I can have sex."

"TMI, Ava, but thank you."

"No problem."

Gary swallowed hard and began his walk home, thinking about Constantine. Thinking about the look on his face. He couldn't imagine what kind of animal Constantine would be, but if he could have at that moment, it would be nothing other than a deeply saddened puppy. Constantine as a puppy was very strange to think about, because Constantine had the least puppy-esque demeanor of any person Gary could name, except maybe Ava.

But if Constantine had been any animal at that moment, it would have been a puppy.

Chapter Text

Mick could feel Zari's eyes on him as he returned to his book and she stalked into the galley, cracking open a beer. Sara had given everyone the day off, and they were the only two who had decided to stay on the ship. Mick, however, was a criminal who might or might not be arrested as soon as he stepped off the ship, and Zari, well, Zari just didn't want to be around people. People besides Mick, that is.

"Do you need something, Z?" Mick growled, setting his book back down in his lap.

"Who said you could call me Z? I told you Z was something only my friends call me."

"I know. I'm doing it to piss you off. Is it working?"

"No. You can try, but you will fail...Mickey."

"Do not call me that."

"Don't call me Z."

Mick hesitated for a brief second. "Touche."

"You know, this whole 'brooding alcoholic pyromaniac' act was all trope-y and funny at first, but now it's getting a little tired."

"The whole 'badass hacker with a tragic backstory' act isn't really amusing anymore either, so we're even." Zari sat down across the narrow table from Mick and took a long sip of her beer. "Touche."

For the first time, Mick stared directly into her cocoa-colored eyes, so dark they might have been black. In them, somehow, though, was a raging fire. And Mick liked nothing if not fire.

Simultaneously, they both kicked their chairs backwards out of the way and lunged for each other, their lips locking in a heated battle, hands swarming all over each other. As Zari lowered her head to press her lips to Mick's neck, he gripped the back of her legs and hoisted her against the wall. "Hold on," he said, clearing his throat. "This is hate sex, right?"

"Right," Zari said, her lipstick smudged all over her face. The two of them locked lips once more. Mick perched Zari precariously on the edge of the counter and swept out an arm, knocking all of the objects on it off and toppling onto the floor. "Let's do this," Mick rumbled, leaning Zari back on the counter.

Later, the two of them lay side-by-side, since moved to Zari's quarters. They both breathed heavily, and Zari angled her head to look at Mick. "Mick?"

"What?"

"That...that wasn't hate sex...was it?"

He sighed, and for the first time, she saw something that was real, not just angry. "No, Zari. I don't think it was."

Zari rolled backwards. "Crap."

Meanwhile, across town, Gary awoke once again to the ringing of his phone. This time, however, it was nearly 1 o'clock in the afternoon. "Ava?" Gary groaned as Ava replied, her voice as biting as ever. "Gary. Last night, I'm afraid I was too...preoccupied to give you better advice. But now I'm giving you my full attention. So you were about to kiss him, and then you pushed him away, correct?

"Yeah."

"Okay, so you made him feel like you didn't want him. Trust me, Sara and I were there at one point. All you have to do is show him that you do want him. You do like him. He feels like you played him. You didn't. Oh, and Gary?"

"Yep?"

"Get on a normal sleep schedule."

"But you-" Gary trailed off as Ava hung up. She was right, and he knew that. So he had to figure out what on earth he, Gary Green, could do to repair his relationship with Constantine. But it was going to take some work.

 Gary took a deep breath and steeled himself as he knocked on the door of Constantine's apartment. He heard shuffling footsteps from inside, a muffled "One minute!" and the deadbolt sliding out of the door frame. "How can I- Oh. Gary." John sucked in a short breath as he took in Gary, standing outside his apartment. "What do you want?"

"To apologize." As John began to slam the door, Gary caught it in one hand, wincing as a splinter found its way into his palm. "Ow. Anyways, I came to give you these." First, he held up a bouquet of daffodils with a forest-green ribbon that matched the tie Gary had worn the previous night. "And this." He held out a carefully wrapped box. "You don't have to open it yet. But I just wanted to say I'm sorry. And it wasn't you. It was the rain. It shocked me, and I freaked out. So..." Gary lifted his hand in goodbye and cringed as he felt the thick wooden splinter slicing open his palm.

"Oh, my God, you're hurt. Come in." Constantine pulled open the door and gestured for Gary to come in. "Sit down at the table. I'll grab the tweezers." As Gary sat, he took in his surroundings. Constantine's apartment was one part hoarder house, one part cult leader's home, one part Antiques Roadshow, and one part fire hazard. Every surface was covered in all manner of magical artifacts and documents, the walls painted with runes and symbols, and candles on every surface. He was interrupted as Constantine slid into the chair next to him. Gary noticed now that Constantine was wearing only pajama pants and a thin t-shirt. "Come on." He indicated for Gary to give him his hand. Gently, Gary set his hand in John's palm, and groaned as John dug into his palm with a little too much enthusiasm.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!" Gary pulled his hand back in pain.

"Oh! I'm-I'm so sorry..." John rubbed a hand over his stubble.

"No, it's...it's fine. I'm fine." Gary held his hand back out, and John began to pull out the splinter with a renewed gentleness. "Thank you."

"No problem." Finished, John tossed aside the tweezers. "So, what's in the box?"

"Oh, that? It's just a little something I got. For you. So you know...you know I care."

"Oh!" Constantine looked taken aback. "Um, thank you."

As John carefully unwrapped the package, Gary thought back to packaging it.

He had purchased the cell phone from a nearby Apple store, programming his number into it with a heart next to his name. He had also written a small note on a scrap of paper.

It read:

Dear John:

I am so sorry. No part of me ever wanted to make you feel unwanted. It wasn't you, it was the rain. Again, I'm sorry.

-Gary

and then, after a brief hesitation,

XOXO

Gary watched as John unwrapped the phone, turning it over in his hands. "The only number in there is mine. But I thought it would be easier for us to get in contact if you had a phone. And..." He trailed off as the note drifted out of the box and onto the floor. John bent over to pick it up, and Gary watched again, butterflies churning his stomach, as John read it. When he was done, he looked up at Gary, pondering.

"What are you...what are you thinking?" Gary bit his lip, worried.

"I...don't know. I need to think." Constantine stood, his muscles rippling under his t-shirt. "Thank you, Gary. I appreciate it." He stood and offered Gary a handshake. Gary stood up as well, but ignored his hand, pulling John into an embrace. Under John's t-shirt, Gary could feel every muscle in his body, taking deep breaths. John stiffened as Gary's arms wrapped around him, but he relaxed into the hug. As he pulled away, Gary's lips brushed across John's cheek. "I'll see you around, Constantine."

"See you around, Agent Green."

Ray had been looking for Nora since nearly midnight, when he'd woken up in the hospital covered in bruises. Signing himself out, he couldn't shake the image of a horrified Nora, standing over him as he fell backwards, the pounding in his head fading with the light. And yet, he had to look for her. He had to find her, to make sure she was okay. All he had managed to find so far, though, was her shoes, broken and discarded on the sidewalk outside the club. From there on, however, he was on his own. "Oh, Nora..." he whispered to himself.

"Did you say 'Nora?'" asked an unfortunately familiar voice. Damien Darhk.

"Look, Damien, I'm just trying to find her. She disappeared."

"I know that! How do you...oh. She was with you." Without waiting for a response, Damien waved his hand. "It doesn't matter. I just need to find her."

"Why? So she can help you exploit the anachronism and release Mallus?" Ray responded fiercely.

"Yes, but also because she's my daughter, Dr. Palmer. I love her."

"Of course. But I want to help."

"Help? Why would you help me?"

"I'm not helping you, I'm helping Nora. She deserves to be free of Mallus."

"Why are you so hell-bent on saving her?"

"Because you won't."

Damien went quiet for a moment, and then started walking in the direction Nora had run off. "Are you coming, or not, Dr. Palmer?"

"Oh! Yes." Ray ran to catch up with Darhk, and they searched alleyways and abandoned buildings in silence, before Ray finally broke the silence.

"Why did you let me help?" He asked softly, eyebrows furrowed in a puzzled appearance. "You didn't have to."

Darhk sighed, before finally replying. "If you must know, I...I think you're good for my daughter. I may not like you, but I want what's best for her, and whenever you're around, even when we kidnapped you, she's...I don't know...happier?"

"Huh. Really?" Ray was unable to hide the grin that crinkled the edges of his eyes, and when Damien saw it, he recoiled.

"Yes, really. Why would I lie to you about this? Don't answer that."

Satisfied, Ray continued to search high and low for Nora's whereabouts until, at last-

"Nora!" She was seated in the corner of a small abandoned warehouse approximately 2.5 miles from the club. When she looked up and saw Ray, he noticed the black streaks of mascara flooding down her face, and her dress, which was significantly dirtier and had a couple of notable tears in the thin fabric.

"Ray?" She glanced over at him, and he could once again see the fear in her eyes.

"Hey, hey, I'm fine. I'm fine." He knelt next to her. "It's okay, it wasn't your fault."

"No, it is. If I had just had more self-control, if I-"

"Please, Nora. It was Mallus."

"He's right, Honey." Damien appeared behind Ray.

"Dad?"

"Hi, Nora-doll."

"You were with Ray?"

"Just to look for you." Darhk reached down to hug his daughter. "I'm so glad we found you." He glanced between Nora and Ray briefly, and then nodded decisively. "Now that we have found you, I'd better head out. See you tomorrow, Nora-doll."

"See you tomorrow, Dad." As Damien left, Nora turned to Ray. "I'm so sorry, Ray. If something would have happened to you tonight, because of me, I just...I don't know...I would have..."

"It doesn't matter, Nora. Nothing happened. I'm fine. You're fine. We're fine." As he reached out gently for her hand, she flinched away.

"I know, but..." Nora refused to meet his eyes.

"But nothing." Ray tilted her chin up so that she was looking right at him, and at that moment, there was only one thought on his mind. He leaned down, his lips meeting hers, and his hand slid up her spine, making her shiver. He buried both hands in her hair, and her surprisingly strong arms wrapped around his neck, keeping him close to her. He could feel her breathing heavily beneath him, and as they broke apart, he wiped the remaining wetness from her eyes. "I'm fine, Nora. And you will be too."

Chapter Text

Gary stood once more outside of Constantine's apartment, his fist poised to knock. But as he went to lower his hand to the door, he reconsidered and pulled out his phone. "Ava?"

"Oh my God, Gary. What?"

"I'm at Constantine's place."

"What? Why?"

"I just wanted to check in, you know, see how much progress he's made."

"Or you just wanted to know if he likes you."

"What? No! Yeah. It's been three days, and no texts, calls, anything. I'm freaking out a little, Ava."

"I get that, Gary, but honestly, with something like this and someone as volatile as Constantine, you might want to wait until he reaches out to you." Ava sounded frustrated.

"Maybe so. But I need to know." Gary hung up and raised his fist to knock again. This time, when John opened the door, he looked even more haggard than he had three days ago. His stubble was halfway between a five o'clock shadow and a full-on lumberjack beard. The wrinkles in his face had deepened even further, and the bags under his eyes made him look...broken. As broken as John liked to say he was.

"Gary. What's going on?"

"Um, hi, John. I just wanted to see if you'd...thought any more about what I said." John snorted.

"Yes, Gary, I have. But no, I don't have any answers." He rolled his eyes. "Is that all?"

"Yes. I mean, no. I just...what's going on? It's been three days, and you haven't called, or texted, or reached out at all."

"No, I haven't, Gary. Just...come inside." He held open the door reluctantly. "You want to know why I didn't reach out, hm? Why I can't make a decision? Gary, you were going to kiss me."

Gary looked at Constantine, and for the second time, saw real hurt in his eyes.

"You were, don't lie to me. And truthfully..." John turned away for a split second. "I would have let you. You said you stepped away because of the rain, that it shocked you. But you and I both know that to be true, don't we?"

"John, I-"

"Please, just let me talk. I saw the look in your eyes when you jumped back. I saw...relief. This is why I don't...why I don't fall in love, Gary. Because at the first chance, somebody always balks. You gave up so easily. How do I know you won't do it again?"

"I didn't give up, John, I-"

"You did! Even if it was subconscious, you did! You would have kissed me, Gary!" Constantine was roaring now, his hand pounding into the dining room table. "You played me! Even if it was an accident, you made me like you, and then you gave up. So forgive me if I'm taking a little time to consider my own feelings. For once in my life." He gestured to the front door. "You can find your way out." Gary set his jaw and nodded, backing out the door. "Goodbye, John," he said with a weak smile. John gave no response.

"Ava?" Once again, Gary called Ava from the stairwell of John's apartment building. "Ava, I screwed up." He removed his glasses to wipe his watery eyes.

"Gary..." Ava's voice was sympathetic. "Gary, what's wrong?"

"I went to Constantine's place, and I think I made everything worse."

"How?"

"He was right. It wasn't just the rain that surprised me. I freaked out when I realized that I was about to kiss him, because, you know, he's John Constantine. And I..."

"You don't want your heart to get broken."

"I guess so, yeah."

"Hold on." Gary heard Ava put the phone down and call somebody in a different room.

"Gary?" He heard Sara's voice on the other line.

"Sara?"

"Gary, Constantine's a tough nut to crack. But, you might have made things worse for yourself."

"Gee, thanks."

"What I mean, Gary, is that John's not like most people. He doesn't fall in love easily, so if he really fell for you, you must have done something right. That's going to give you plenty of points in your favor. On the other hand, John's a weirdly fragile guy. Everyone he's ever loved, he's lost. And not too many people have loved him. So it's hard for him, because he simultaneously doesn't want to love you and doesn't want to lose you."

"So what do I do?"

"You leave it the hell alone and wait for him to come to you. If he really likes you, he'll come to you."

"And if he doesn't?"

"Then he'll fake his death and move to a different country."

"Encouraging."

"Glad I could help." Sara hung up.

Gary's mind was in complete disarray. How was it possible for him to feel this way about somebody who so clearly had such severe issues? He didn't know.

In the meantime, back on the Waverider, Zari sought out Mick. After they had not-so-hateful-hate-sex the previous day, Mick had disappeared into his room. Nobody had seen him since. "Mick?" She called into his room, banging on the door. "Mick, I'm not going away until you open the door!" She paused. Nothing.

"Mick, so help me God, I will play 'Never Gonna Give You Up' on repeat out here unless you-" He opened the door.

"What?" he snarled, his reading glasses perched halfway down the bridge of his nose.

"Working on your novel, I see." He rolled his eyes.

"Do you need something?"

"Yeah. Can I come in?" Mick begrudgingly opened the door a few more inches, and Zari slipped inside, taking in the mess around her. "Mick, I-"

"I'll stop you right there. It was a mistake. My bad. We don't need to talk about it again."

"But that's just it, Mick. I don't think it was a mistake. The way I feel about you, the way I think you feel about me..." She took a gentle step closer. "I don't think it was a mistake at all."

Mick stared at her, his jaw fixed, his eyes contemplative, before he finally spoke. "That's too bad, because I don't feel it. It was a...moment of weakness. Nothing more."

"Oh. I see." Zari could feel anger rising within her, but she managed to push it down.

"I think you should leave." Mick met her eyes, and she could see the determination within them. Silently, she nodded, and went out the way she came.

In another room of the Waverider, another couple was having a different struggle of an entirely adverse nature.

"A party? Right now, while we're in the middle of trying to fix an anachronism?" Ava threw up her hands, pacing across the floor of Sara's quarters.

"We're no closer to finding Lincoln than we were three days ago. And it's not just any party, it's a New Year's Eve party. It only happens once a year."

"Actually, since you guys are technically freed from the constraints of time, you could just come back and do the party after we find Lincoln."

"Aren't you the one always discouraging us from traveling back to events we participated in?"

Ava considered for a moment. "Touche. Fine, we'll have a party. On the Waverider."

"Sounds good to me. You cool if we invite the rest of the gang?"

"Who's the rest of the gang?"

"Team Flash, Team Arrow, Team Supergirl. The usual suspects."

"Right. I suppose there's no harm in having a little extra super-help if the need arises."

"But there's also the most important reason for this party."

"Oh? And what's that?"

"Gary and Constantine. If we don't do something, Gary's going to be alone forever and John will remain in this funk for God only knows how long."

"So your plan is to get them together tomorrow night."

"Exactly."

"And how do you plan on doing that?"

Sara leaned in close and whispered indistinctly in Ava's ear. "Oh, that's good. That's really good. You know, if you weren't the superhero captain of a time machine, I'd say you could be one hell of a matchmaker." Sara grinned widely and leaned in once again to press a kiss to Ava's lips.

"Only for my friends," she uttered.

The following evening, invitations had been sent out, ice buckets full of champagne covered every surface, and sparkling tinsel and hanging ornaments had turned the Waverider into a full-on New Year's extravaganza. "How are we looking, Gideon?" Sara called out, adjusting the last of the tablecloths.

"Excellent, Captain Lance. I also have the package that you ordered."

"Oh, yes, Gideon! This is going to be the best New Years in...I don't even know!"

"Good to hear, Captain Lance." Surveying the room one final time, Sara gave a satisfied nod and returned to her own quarters. Tonight, she had a plan. And part of that plan involved looking amazing.

Dress code for the evening, noted very specifically on the invitations, was black-tie, no exceptions. And in keeping with that theme, Sara believed she had outdone herself. She wore a long black silk dress that was (surprise!) actually a jumpsuit. Setting her shoulders back and putting on her best hostess smile, she ventured out into the bridge, greeting familiar faces left and right. To her left, she saw Amaya and Nate chatting with Barry and Iris; to her right were Cisco, Felicity, and Caitlin; in the office having a drink were Kara, Joe, Oliver, and Alex; and off to the sides were the remaining people: Mick and Zari, who were purposefully not making eye contact; Wally and Earth-2 Harry Wells, who were both staring forlornly into their beers; Gary, who appeared to believe that if he remained firmly pressed to the wall, he could escape; Ray and...Nora Darhk? Sara made a mental note to check on that situation later; and a most unlikely pair, deep in conversation: Ava and Constantine.

"Hello, darling. John." Sara planted a gentle kiss on Ava's cheek as she swept into their conversation. "You know, Constantine, I don't believe I've ever seen you wearing a bow tie before."

"No, I try my best not to. I think it makes it so I bear too much resemblance to that blasted doctor."

"Who?" asked Ava.

"Precisely."

"Anyways, you're looking sharp tonight." He really was. In a dashing navy tuxedo and grey silk bow tie, with a paisley-patterned burgundy pocket square, if not for the unruly mop of hair, John could have passed for the more colorful twin brother of James Bond.

"I could say the same to you, Ms. Lance. And to you, Director Sharpe." The two women glanced at each other and grinned. Ava twirled around, the skirt of her cap-sleeved pastel yellow dress flowing out around her. "I'm going to get a drink. Would either of you ladies care for anything?" They shook their heads no, and John pardoned himself, stepping away and towards the nearest bottle of champagne.

As he watched Constantine swagger towards the bar, Gary felt a pang of remorse. Perhaps if he hadn't visited John that day, perhaps if he had just given him time and space, John and Gary would have been at this party together. Knowing that he couldn't change the past didn't help as Gary downed the last of his champagne, hoping the bubbles would calm his nerves. Anxiously, he made a move towards the bar, ignoring the sinking feeling in his stomach that said something was about to go very, very wrong.

John noticed Gary, of course, but didn't want to give him the satisfaction of being the first to speak, so he sipped his champagne and thought about what Ava had said to him before Sara interrupted.

"Talk to Gary," she had said, pleading with him. "Let him give you his side of the story. I understand what you're feeling, but...if you just give him the chance, you'll see."

"Why should I? He was the one that tried to kiss me!"

"Yeah, John. And as a person who's known Gary for a long time, that's not something he does a lot. Or ever, that I know of. Just talk to him."

Now, as he felt Gary's eyes on him, he decided to take what Ava said to heart. "Gary," he said, his Welsh accent inflecting his voice so it sounded more like 'Gahry'. Even so, Gary would never tire of hearing John say his name.

"John. I didn't expect to see you here." Gary's eyebrows were furrowed in confusion as John offered him a fresh glass of champagne.

"Come with me for a second, Love." Constantine gestured for Gary to follow him, and he obliged.

They left the Waverider, strolling out onto a green field just outside of downtown. From there, they had a good view of both the Central City skyline and the harbor. Seemingly from out of nowhere, John pulled out a small blanket, which Gary somehow hadn't seen him grab, and laid it out, gently lowering himself down onto it with a soft "Oof!"

"Please, sit down." He scooched aside to make room for Gary, who sat down beside him, careful not to spill his champagne.

"I have to say, I didn't think you'd come." Gary glanced at Constantine, who appeared to be lost in thought. He pondered for a moment before responding.

"I didn't think I would either, but I realized...I realized that while I still don't think I was entirely wrong...I didn't listen to what you had to say. So please," he gestured loosely with his hands, "if you have something to get out, get on with it."

"Oh! Um..." Gary pushed his glasses up on his nose and thought. What could he possibly say? And then it dawned on him. "You were right. At least partially. I did use the rain as an excuse to give up. But that doesn't mean I didn't want to...you know? I just...I realized that I hadn't kissed somebody in..." he mumbled an indeterminable number, "years. And I've never..." The realization registered on John's face.

"You've never kissed a boy before, have you?" He tilted his head, scrunching his face in an ambiguous expression that worried Gary.

"No." Gary hung his head, slightly embarrassed. "You know, before we met, I didn't think I was...you know. Gay. You're the first man I ever...but I also didn't think I was really straight, either. I've only had one girlfriend, and that was back in high school. After that, I was just too busy. I went to college, and I was so focused on my classes I never dated, and then after that I got a job at the Time Bureau, and I just...forgot, I guess." He didn't look at Constantine, scared of his reaction. "So I think when I was about to kiss you, I just didn't think too much about it, right up until it hit me. When I jumped back, that didn't have to be the end of it. But I got scared."

"Scared? Why?"

Gary just raised an eyebrow at Constantine. "You're so...confident. Fearless. I wouldn't expect you to understand."

"Hey." John bumped his shoulder into Gary's. "Try me."

"I just thought...I haven't kissed anyone in a long time. And I thought if I did, something about it would be weird. And you wouldn't like me anymore."

"Wait, really?" Constantine grinned, a brilliant, wide, toothy grin. "Gary, you couldn't make me stop liking you if you tried."

"Ha. I did, though."

"No, you didn't. I was somewhat perplexed, sure. But I never stopped."

"Why do you like me? I mean, I'm a mess."

"So am I. So is Sara. So is everyone on that damn ship."

"Yeah, but, why me? There's so many people better than me, John. And, I mean, like I said before, I've never even kissed a guy."

"So you've never kissed a bloke. So what? That's easily changeable." Gary's head perked up, startled. He gasped and checked his watch, standing up quickly.

"Ten seconds 'til midnight." He offered John a hand up, which he gladly took, and they stood, facing each other, only about a foot apart. "Seven seconds." They both took a tiny step forward. Six inches. "Five seconds." Two inches. "3 seconds." Zero inches. Their chests were just about pressed together, and for the second time, Gary slid his hand across the small of Constantine's back. John, in turn, raised his hands, settling one on the back of Gary's neck, the other on his left collarbone. "One second." Gary murmured, taking a deep breath.

"Midnight." John grinned devilishly, tugging Gary down to meet his lips, a flurry of sparks erupting both metaphorically and literally as they kissed, fireworks exploding over the harbor. Gary's other hand found its way into Constantine's hair pulling him even closer as John's teeth softly grazed his lip.

On John's side, as he felt the warmth from Gary's body flowing over him, he noted the way he was feeling, a feeling that was unfamiliar, but not unpleasant. He felt one of his feet drift off the ground and his knees knocked with Gary's as he leaned even further into the kiss, his stubble grazing over Gary's cheeks.

After an ostensibly infinite amount of time, Gary pulled back, a glowing blush obvious on his face, even in the post-fireworks darkness. "W-wow," he stammered, blinking rapidly. "That was..."

"Not bad." John nodded his head from side to side as Gary glared at him. "Kidding. It was fantastic. Especially for your first time kissing a bloke." He balanced on his tiptoes to leave a brief peck on Gary's lips. "Just," he added, punctuating the sentence with another trio of kisses, "marvelous." Gary stepped back for a moment, staring down at John. "Something wrong, Love?" John's voice was worried.

"No, just..." Gary lowered his head to whisper into Constantine's ear. "You do look quite debonair in that tux, but I think you'd look even better without it."

Now it was John's turn to step back, surprised. "Agent Green, I am shocked. I never thought you were capable of such...indecent thoughts."

"You'd be surprised." Gary wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"In that case, allow me." Constantine offered Gary his arm, which he gladly took.

"You know, I just realized something." John turned to Gary, confused. "I haven't seen you with a cigarette all night." John chuckled, discarding his suit jacket and rolling up the sleeve of his shirt revealing a nicotine patch on his forearm.

"I've found that cigarette breath is not particularly attractive. And it's been such a big part of who I am for so long, but..." He shook his head, amused. "I don't mean to sound contrived, but...when I'm with you, I don't need it. You're all I need." His eyes softened, and for a moment, Gary saw him not just as Constantine, exorcist, demonologist, and master of the dark arts, but just as John. He still had the air of cockiness that usually surrounded him, but it was different now, more relaxed. But as he settled back into his usual self, the moment was lost, and Gary burst out laughing.

"Contrived doesn't even begin to cover it."

They continued to walk, the still silence of the evening occasionally punctuated by the thundering fireworks that continued to go off. John could see the brilliant colors reflected in the lenses of Gary's glasses, his wide brown eyes gazing up in wonder. "You like fireworks?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I guess. My dog is really scared of them, though."

"Your...dog?" Constantine looked shocked.

"Let me guess, you're more of a cat person."

"Well, yeah. But I suppose dogs are fine, too. Cats are better for magic, though."

"Yeah, that wasn't really involved in my decision."

"I thought you were a level 9 warlock."

"That's D&D, John."

"Well, D&D helped us find the Death Totem."

"And the Vikings adopted Beebo as their god of war. These are crazy times, John."

John stopped and placed a hand on Gary's shoulder. "That they are. But being with you...everything's a little less crazy." His lips brushed over Gary's.

"You're so cheesy."

"Ugh, I know. Isn't it awful?"

"I think it's great. But you know what's even better?"

"What's that?"

"We're here." Gary stopped abruptly, gesturing up at the green-painted front door of his townhouse. "Come on." He led Constantine by the hand up the short steps, unlocking the door with his other hand. "Home sweet home." He flicked on a light switch and waited patiently to hear the soft clicking of dog feet on the tiled floor. "Cece!" He called out as the little beagle trotted into the entryway, the tags on her collar jingling.

"Hi, doggy." John cautiously held out a hand for Cece to sniff. "Nice dog...?"

"He's okay, Cec. He's with me." Gary reached down to pat Cece's head, and picked her up, holding her out to John. "Would you care to hold her?"

"Oh, no, thank you. I'm..." Constantine trailed off as he sneezed. "Allergic."

"Oh, so it's not just that cats are better for magic?"

"No, I guess you got me. Anyway, got any antihistamines in this place?" He sneezed again.

"Oh! Yeah, hold on." Gary scrambled into the kitchen and threw open a cabinet, searching through bottles of vitamins until he found what he was looking for. "Here. I'm allergic to pollen, so I have a lot of these on hand. Let me grab you a glass of water." He opened his fridge and poured water from a filtering pitcher into a glass. "Here."

John took the glass and a pair of pills and downed them easily. "Thank you, Love."

"No problem. Let me just put Cece in the laundry room." As he wandered out of the room, John scanned over the room. He took account of the piles of books on the coffee table, the number of coffee mugs in the open cabinet but lack of coffee machine. He did see a tea kettle on the counter. No photos of family or anything. One framed picture of Gary and Cece, one of Gary and Ava at what looked like the Time Bureau Christmas party, and one of Gary, by himself, at his college graduation. In the corner was a box marked 'D&D CRAP'. The one thing that particularly caught John's eye as he surveyed the room, was a single yellow Post-It Note next to the landline. On it, in Gary's neatly scrawled handwriting was 'John's New Cell # 400-8089', followed by a sketch of a heart. His heart warmed as he pictured Gary, pencil in hand, scribbling furiously so as not to forget, hesitating slightly before adding a heart after his name.

"Hey." Gary shocked John as he appeared in the kitchen entryway behind him, his jacket shed somewhere along the way and his bow tie undone. "Want a beer?" He reached into the fridge and pulled out a couple of bottles.

"Sure." Constantine cracked open his beer and leaned against the counter. "This is a nice place. Pays to work at the Time Bureau."

"Yeah, well, I'm not actually here all that often. Me and most of the other agents are gone on missions so much that the Time Bureau pays for our housing." John whistled.

"Exorcisms don't pay all that well. As you probably guessed when you found me chasing a chicken around my office earlier."

"It's fun, though, isn't it? Working for yourself, being on the road, meeting interesting people."

"Depends on what you mean by fun. If your definition of fun is damning a nine-year-old girl to hell, then yes."

"Oh." Gary turned away, taking a long swig of his beer.

"Sorry, I'm not really up-to-date on what's typically considered 'good first date conversation topics', but I'm pretty sure talking about your most traumatic experiences doesn't quite fit the bill."

They chuckled together for a moment, before Gary met John's eyes, a sober expression on his face. "But, really, to ask a more personal question...actually, never mind."

"I'm an open book, Gary."

"Alright, then. Howver did you...how did you know you were, y'know. Bisexual." Constantine considered briefly before responding.

"It wasn't some big revelation or realization. It was more like...like I already knew, I just needed some prompting. I had met girls before, that I liked, and then I met a guy that I liked, and it was never a big deal. I've never understood why someone's gender can make them more or less attractive. But I don't think I've ever really referred to myself as 'bisexual'. I just like who I like, gender be damned. And maybe it's not like that for you. Maybe I'm the only guy you ever kiss. It doesn't matter. They're all just labels. Gay, straight, bi. Just like who you want to like, and if it bothers you, figure out the closest thing and go with that."

"Huh."

"Is that a good 'huh' or a bad 'huh'?"

"It's a...you're right kind of 'huh'. It doesn't matter what genders I like, because I like you."

"Now who's cheesy?" Constantine smirked and tilted his head down until his mouth was beside Gary's ear. "What do you say we take this conversation back there?" He inclined his head toward the back hallway.

"The bedroom's upstairs, John."

"'Course it is. In that case, let's take it up there." Gary stood and beckoned for Constantine to follow. "Taking charge. I love it."

They ventured up the stairs and into the first room off the hallway at the top of the stairwell. John paused to take it all in. Gary's interior design skills were apparently not limited to the downstairs. Three of the four walls were painted charcoal gray, the fourth wall being exposed brick. A small wooden bed was pushed off to one side, covered in a blue-and-brown plaid duvet. The door to the walk-in closet was open, giving John a glimpse into a well-lit space filled with blazers and trousers. The walls in the bedroom were covered in landscape paintings. There was a large wooden desk in the corner, decorated with tiny multicolored cacti. On the one empty wall of the room, however, was the most surprising thing. There was a sheet-covered table covered with jars of paint and brushes. The wall itself had a massive, unfinished painting of a massive rainbow tidal wave, at its base, a silhouette of a man, armed with only an umbrella to protect him.

"Wow, Gary, this is phenomenal! I didn't know you painted!" Gary shrugged.

"Nobody does. It's not something I really show to people."

"Why not? You're incredible."

"Not really. And it's more just for me, to relax. The thought of showing it to other people, it just..."

"You don't have to, but I just...it's amazing. Thank you for trusting me."

"Well, you've never given me any reason not to trust you."

"And now, looking back on everything, neither have you." John cupped Gary's face in both of his hands. "None of this was your fault. It's in the past."

"Oh, thank God. Because now that that's out of the way..." Gary leaned down, pressing his mouth to John's. John kissed him hungrily, his hands grasping at the fabric of Gary's shirt, untucking it.

"Bed. Now." John ordered. The two tumbled backward until Gary fell back onto the soft down comforter. John knelt over him, one leg on either side of Gary, and Gary had a flashback to the dream he had about John what seemed like weeks ago, although it was only about six days. Right now, they lay in the exact same position they had been in then. John left warm, tender kisses in his wake as his head and hands trailed down Gary's chest, unbuttoning his shirt. He didn't even bother with the last button, tearing the rest of the shirt off and tossing it over his shoulder. He removed his tie and shirt with the practiced grace of someone who has done the same thing hundreds of times, and launched it backward without a second glance. Gary took note of Constantine's one tattoo, an odd shape on his right shoulder. They were now bare chest to bare chest, and as John kissed Gary once more, he relaxed into the familiar taste of Captain Jiwe rum and Silk Cut cigarettes. His arms wrapped around Constantine's neck and back, breathing heavily as Constantine's hands drifted lower and lower, unbuttoning Gary's pants and sliding them off, before standing and dropping his own. He wore boxers, which Gary chuckled at slightly, for reasons not quite clear. John stretched his arms above his head, his ribs partially visible under his scarred skin. "You've never slept with a man before, have you, Gary?"

"I hadn't kissed one before tonight, so no, John."

John grinned wickedly, his dark eyes glinting in the light from the street outside. "Oh, yes," he said cheekily. "This is going to be fun."

Some time later, Gary awoke with a start, checking the clock on his bedside table, careful not to wake John, who was sound asleep with his arms wrapped around Gary's torso, one leg tangled with Gary's. 3:27 a.m. Gary glanced down at John, fast asleep in his arms, and smiled softly to himself. Never in the last decade and a half had Gary thought that he would be here, with a job he loved, actual friends, and a guy he really liked. He brushed a lock of John's strawberry blond hair off his face, and John settled into his chest, the corners of his mouth twitching up slightly. For the first time in a long time, Gary was really, actually content. Glancing down one last time, he smiled down at John and rested his head delicately on top of John's before drifting off to sleep.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! Gary's alarm went off, as it did every morning, at 8 o'clock sharp. He rolled over, expecting to see Constantine in the same place he'd been four and a half hours ago, but instead of seeing the exorcist/little spoon he anticipated, all he found was empty space and an indent in the blankets. He sat up and looked around the room. Constantine's clothes were gone. Sighing dejectedly, he rolled over, frustrated. He knew John was a player, but to leave before eight and not even leave a note? It was disappointing, to say the least. But as he curled up, ready to go back to sleep, a surprising aroma floated in through the open door. Gary quickly got up and searched for his sweatpants, but found them missing. Shrugging it off, he threw on his shirt from the night before and a pair of clean underwear before descending the steps into his living room. He followed his nose into the kitchen, where an unexpected sight awaited him.

John, in Gary's green sweatpants, hummed softly to himself as he flipped another pancake onto the stack he currently had piled almost a foot high, before scrambling (no pun intended) over to the other burner to pull bacon off the griddle. He assessed his handiwork just as the tea kettle began to whistle. John rushed to pour the tea into a pair of teacups, plunking an earl grey tea bag from a container on the counter into each one. Cece dashed around his legs, yipping.

"I didn't know you could cook." John jumped as Gary entered the kitchen.

"Yeah, it's, uh, it's not something I like getting out there. Ruins my 'apathetic badass' vibe." He leaned down to plant a kiss on Gary's forehead. "Good morning."

"Good morning. You're wearing my sweatpants."

"They are. I can take them off if you have a problem with that." John wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Thanks for the offer, John, but I wouldn't want to traumatize Cece like that."

"You know, I'm still not one hundred percent used to hearing so many people call me John. I usually just go by Constantine."

"Yeah, well, I feel like if I've seen your dick, I'm allowed to use your first name." John stared at Gary for a moment, then broke out grinning.

"You're funny, Gary."

"I know." Gary leaned down to kiss John once more. "Now, about that breakfast?" They each helped themselves to a stack of pancakes and bacon, and sat down at Gary's dining table. "So, last night..." Gary trailed off.

"Last night was pretty damn incredible, even for me."

"That's true, and I hate to ask, but...what now? Are we dating? Was this a one time thing?"

"Good lord, I hope not. I meant what I said, Gary. I like you. I'm all in."

"You are?"

"Well, usually I would just sleep with you and then pretend it never happened, but I made you breakfast, Love. I'm putting up with this furball." He nudged Cece with his foot. "I don't do that for just anyone."

"I believe it." Gary leaned across the table and took John's hand. "And I'm all in, too." As he raised Constantine's hand to press it to his lips, John rolled his eyes and groaned.

"Is this what's become of me? Hopelessly domestic?"

"Is that such a bad thing?"

"For you? Absolutely not."

Chapter Text

Earlier that evening, back on the Waverider, Zari shifted uncomfortably in her long black two-piece dress, her arms shuffling to cover her bare midriff. The ice in her scotch clinked against the side of the glass as she raised it to her lips. She was preparing to take a sip as she finally found what she was looking for. Or rather, who. "Mick!" she called out, lifting her skirt to dash after him as he exited the bridge. "Mick." She finally caught up to him, coming around to cut him off.

"What do you want?" he grumbled, trying to duck around her.

"Mick, we need to talk."

"What about?"

Zari bit her lip, thinking. How to say it?

"Mick, you're wrong. There's something here. I know you know."

"That's wear you're wrong. There's nothing." He stared Zari down. She tilted her head, scrutinizing him.

"I don't believe you," she said, and before he knew what was happening, she leaned up, pressing her lips to his in a gentle kiss. At first, he leaned into it. She was warm and inviting. And then he stopped.

"It doesn't matter whether or not you believe me. It's the truth." She stepped aside and he continued to make his way past her. All she could see was the determination etched in his face. She couldn't see the pain, the hesitation. She couldn't see the truth.

Everyone else was on the bridge. Midnight had come and gone, with little interference aside from a slightly drunk duet of 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun' by Felicity and Caitlin. Sara stood in her office, surveying the festivities like a queen from her castle. She was satisfied knowing that they had gotten one night off under their belts with no interruptions. She spoke too soon, however.

"Captain Lance," announced Gideon, silencing the rest of the partygoers. "With the help of Dr. Palmer, I have located the next whereabouts of Mr. Lincoln."

"That's great, Gideon."

"I'm afraid that's not all, though. I have just detected another rift in the timeline. It appears that John Wilkes Booth accompanied Mr. Lincoln through time, with some sort of delayed reaction."

"Dammit. Okay, Gideon, you said you had Lincoln's whereabouts?"

"I do. President Lincoln will be at the DeGeest Auditorium in downtown Central City for their evening showing of Hamilton tonight."

"Oh, so a dead president can get Hamilton tickets but I can't?" Ava muttered under her breath.

"So we have to stop him from getting shot at the theater so that he can get shot at the theater?"

"Precisely."

"Great. Wally, we need you to speed to the theater and grab him, bring him back, and we'll blast back to 1865. Barry, you grab JWB and take the Jumpship." Sara exhaled slowly. "Let's finish this."

Several hours later, the Legends suited up onboard the Waverider. "The rest of us are just a precaution. Since Wally and Barry are the only ones fast enough to get Lincoln and Booth back here, the rest of us will wait on the ship. If anything goes wrong, call us, and Amaya and I will come in. Everybody ready?" Sara addressed the crowd of her friends.

"Sara." Ava pulled her aside, her hair returned to its usual no-nonsense bun, her dress exchanged for a Time Bureau blazer. Gary and Constantine were nowhere to be found, which both worried and amused Sara, after she'd seen them lead the party together. "Sara, we have to get this right. So many of these anachronisms had loopholes that could be exploited to return history to its given state, but this one has to be done the right way." Sara grinned, the dimple in her chin deepening.

"It's going to be fine, Aves. Don't worry about it. The Legends have everything under control." Ava laughed, a rich, deep sound.

"You mean like literally any other time it's been 'under control' and it absolutely isn't?"

Sara returned to the bridge to meet Wally, her stomach twisting in knots. "Wally. Just get in and get out. And Barry, keep Booth as far away from Wally and Lincoln as possible." The speedsters nodded and pulled their masks down over their eyes.

"Let's do it." Wally and Barry performed an intricate handshake.

"See you back here, boys."

There was a blur of lightning as they took off running.

Wally barely felt the wind on his face as he sped through the streets, dodging cars and pedestrians, almost matching Barry's practiced grace. Everything was lost in the sea of color that washed past him. Finally, they stopped at the DeGeest Auditorium, where long lines of patrons stretched down the sidewalk.

"How're we going to find Lincoln?" Wally turned to Barry.

"He's tall and wearing a top hat. I think it won't be too hard. As for Booth, he won't be too far behind. But that's my job." Wally nodded and stood on his tiptoes, surveying the crowd for a top hat. He sped through the crowd, looking high and low until-

"President Lincoln!" Kid Flash skidded to a stop, a look of shock across his face. Lincoln stood in line, in his full Lincoln-esque regalia.

"Pardon me, do I know you?" Lincoln asked, his bushy brow furrowing in confusion.

"Nope. Come with me, if you would, Mr. President." Wally slid an arm around Lincoln and ushered him out of the crowd, hurrying down the sidewalk. He froze as an unfamiliar, yet obviously identifiable voice echoed out from behind him.

"Stop right there, Mr. President!" They whirled around and came face-to-face with John Wilkes Booth, gun leveled directly at Lincoln. "Goodbye, President Lincoln." Wally watched in slow motion as Booth pulled the trigger, a bullet spiraling straight towards him. Barry approached behind Booth, lunging out for Booth, knocking him over and the gun out of his hand. Kid Flash,in a moment of panic, wrapped an arm around Lincoln's shoulders and sped off. As he swiveled to run, he felt a sharp pain in his ribs, but he ignored it and kept running, running until he made it to the Waverider.

"I got him!" Wally cried, a wide grin on his face.

"And I got the other one!" Barry showed up seconds later, holding Booth by the collar, his wrists in handcuffs and his gun discarded. Sara nodded.

"Let's get him to the Jumpship." She and Barry walked off into the halls. Wally relaxed, and as he turned to take his mask off, he heard Ava and the others gasp loudly.

"What?" He noticed them looking at his abdomen, so he followed their eyes down to the wide red stain spreading across his side, and he suddenly became very dizzy. "Oh my God." He staggered backwards, catching himself on the nearest surface with a bloodied hand. "I've been shot."

"Yeah, Wally, we see!" Ava rushed to help Wally up. "Let's get you to the med bay."

"Actually, Ms. Sharpe, I'm afraid we have a problem," announced Gideon. "It appears we're running low on energy. At the moment, we only have enough energy to either save Wally, or to make the jump to 1865." Ava groaned.

"Great. Please notify Sara."

"Already done." As if on cue, Sara rushed into the bridge.

"We need to get Lincoln back." She gestured at the former president. "Ava, get Wally to the med bay. Then, you, Caitlin, Iris, and Felicity, see what you can do without Gideon. If we can just stop the bleeding for now, we'll find a better fix later."

She sat down in the captain's chair. "Gideon, fix us a course to 1865, Lincoln's assassination."

"My what?" Lincoln asked from the chair where he'd been strapped in.

"Don't worry about it!"

They sped off through the temporal zone.

Chapter Text

"Here we are, Mr. Lincoln." Sara groaned. "Mr. Booth."

"This- this is witchcraft! I demand to-"

"Shut it, Abe." Mick elbowed the former (or, technically, current president) in the side to shut him up. Booth had said nothing, only glared.

"Alright. Memory eraser?" Nate handed the blocky gun-like object to Sara, who pressed it to Lincoln's terrified forehead. She pulled the trigger, and with a flash of light, all memories of the 21st century were erased from his mind. He collapsed, unconscious, and Nate grabbed him, hoisting him easily over one shoulder.

"I'll get him back to the theater. Don't send Booth out for at least five more minutes." With that, they exited the cargo bay. Booth fidgeted uncomfortably in his restraints.

"If you don't mind me asking, what exactly is this...contraption? It's more advanced than anything I've ever seen." Sara regarded him with uneasiness, but then remembered the memory eraser in her hand and smiled easily at the assassin.

"It's called the Waverider. It transports us through time and space." Booth's eyes went wide, then snapped shut as he began to chortle loudly.

"That's very funny. I didn't ever think a woman could be that funny." As he turned to Ray to corroborate his sexist statement, Sara rolled her eyes.

"That's enough out of you." She pointed the memory eraser at his temple and pulled the trigger. "Time to go kill the president." She lugged Booth to his feet, wrapping an arm around his torso to support him. "This feels wrong." Ray shrugged.

"We can't screw up the timeline. That's the only thing you have to worry about. Now, if you'll excuse me, I should go check on Nora."

"Yeah, about that. Ray, what is she doing here?"

"She's not a bad person, Sara. I promise."

"I trust you, Ray, but be careful. Please." Ray nodded, and she could see he was pleased as he turned to leave, carrying himself a little higher.

 Back in 2018, Gary Green had just gotten off work, if he could call it that. He'd barely gotten anything done because he'd been thinking about John all damn day. Thankfully, he'd gotten a text an hour ago asking him to meet up. Then again, a meet up could mean one of about a million different things. It could mean John was about to tell him that he'd literally never had worse sex in his life. Who's to say, though?

Gary made his way to the park where John had asked to meet and found the warlock leaning against a bridge, pensively flipping a cigarette in his hand. When he saw Gary, his face lit up and he smirked.

"Hello, love." He draped an arm around Gary's shoulders. "Let's take a walk." Gary's heart raced. He'd had little experience in the relationship department, but he was fairly certain that this was not a good thing that was about to happen. They walked in silence in a small loop around the park until they found themselves paused in the middle of the bridge. The moon was reflected in the silvery river, which John stared down into. Gary waited for a little while, then cleared his throat.

"So...what did you want to talk about?"

"Oh...look, Gary, you're one of the nicest blokes I've ever met. You're sweet, and I don't know that I've ever had as much fun with another person as I have with you. But, look, I'm not good at relationships. Most of the people I love die or get possessed. I'm bad news, and I-"

"I get it, John. You're dumping me. It's fine."

"-what? No, that's not...I'm not dumping you, I'm doing the opposite."

"The...opposite?"

"I want to do...what we did last night. Again. But I also want to do what we did this morning. Just sitting. And talking. Together."

"Oh...my...god. John Constantine, are you asking me to be your boyfriend?" Gary's eyes went wide as a broad grin spread across his face.

"Jesus, I...look, is that a yes or a no?"

"That's a heck yes." The barest flash of a smile appeared on John's face. He grabbed Gary's lapels and tugged him down, meeting his lips.

"Christ, that's..."

"Magic."

"Huh. It kind of is, isn't it?" John wrapped an arm around Gary's waist, and Gary leaned his head on John's shoulder as they stared down into the river. John didn't refer to non-magical things as magical very often, but there was really no way to describe this moment besides that. Magic.