5 People Will Dated and the 1 That Stayed

Chapter Six: Warren

A/N: I had to change the rating. It's not really explicit, but yeeeah, it's there.

...

Warren had a problem in his hands.

For the past twenty-nine years of life, ever since kissing Sarah Jennings by the bright yellow swings during recess in kindergarten when he was six, he had known he liked girls.

Now…now he liked…no, loved Will?

Who just so happened to be a man.

Will and Layla made the whole finding out you're in love (albeit, initially one-sided) with your best friend thing so much easier than it looked.

First things first.

"You called?" A sultry voice murmured behind him. He turned around, and yup, thousands of years of evolution and instinct dictated that he as a man, check her out.

He definitely appreciated what he saw.

Standing behind him on the rooftop was Fire, a descendent of the first Fire of the original Justice League, and his senior in this generation's JL.

In contrast to the dim yellow lights of the streetlamps and fading sun in the distance overshadowed by the high rising buildings, Fire's natural, vibrant green hair was the most distinct feature of her entire being -a thing of envy on Magenta's part- but when his gaze flitted downward, the view just got better. Her hands were folded neatly in front of her, her attempt at a coy gesture, which inadvertently pressed her full breasts together, emphasizing her exposed cleavage. Most heroines wore form-fitting costumes for easier maneuverability (eye candy, Layla bristled during one particular rant about the injustices of the hero/heroine wardrobe dynamics) but Fire took it to a different level with her costume. She left little to the imagination and gave no apologies for it.

'Why wear more clothes than necessary when I'm going to turn my whole body into a green flame?' she included in her introduction, due to Warren's slack-jawed expression, while shaking his lax hand. She had taken a step back, placed her hands on her hips, her fingers slowly trailing the sliver of tan skin that separated her top from her shorts. There was a smirk on her lips as she continued, 'If you want to see what 'inappropriate clothing choices' are, visit me in Brazil. I'll show you my swimsuit.'

Suffice it to say, Fire left a lasting impression. They first met through an assigned joint operation through the Justice League to thwart Cold Tracker's attempt to turn Australia into the next Antarctica. This was early in Warren's superhero career during his time as a lone superhero with no group affiliation. That quickly ended through to Will's insistent pleading that they would do more good with the combined resources of the Justice League. The Justice League contacted Inferno due to a lack of fire-users close to Earth. A tropical planet, several light years away from Earth, was under siege by a cold-faring nomadic space tribe. The majority of the available fire-using heroes were commissioned away, leaving only him (a non-JL member) and Fire, who just finished her assignment and still on Earth, free to effectively battle Cold Tracker.

Warren begrudgingly accepted the call to help, mostly due to the need to get away. Due to several issues involving Amy and her need for 'space', at that time during that crisis, Warren considered himself a single man. He had heard about the super heroine Fire, but he had been with Amy at the time and never looked further into her file other than the fact that she was also controlled, albeit green, fire and her skill set indicated that she wouldn't be a hindrance to the mission. Her picture was an afterthought. Attempting to forget about his and Amy's temporary 'break', he'd taken any assignment that allowed him momentary reprieve from his mulling- although Will called it wallowing.

If it meant he had to save a continent/country, then so be it.

If his partner was really nice to look at, then hey, another benefit of the job.

Suffice it to say, her mischievous grin and no nonsense personality won him over. Better yet, to say Fire was right regarding her choice of clothing was an understatement when she winked at him and in that moment, green flames erupted from her body. She literally transformed her into a living green torch; her clothing disappearing with the appearance of her flames. The only recognizable feature about her, other than her tendency for green, was the smirk on her face at Warren's stunned expression before she turned around to an equally preoccupied Cold Freeze before she effectively melted his equipment.

Warren remembered after the battle Fire standing next to him, situated brazenly on an outcropped rock several few feet above him, surveying the unfrozen landscape of the Australian coastline like an emerald goddess against the setting sun. She was still in her powered up state, the roaring flames of her mystical green fire tactically covering up the important bits of her anatomy, which did everything to enhance the knowing smirk on her face when she turned to face him. He reminisced with a wry smile that he had been openly staring at her, unable to avert his eyes, which apparently seemed to be the norm. When finally given the opportunity to see the beautiful Brazilian up close without a super-villain nearby to hinder his viewing time, he definitely took it.

'Men have that whole intimidation factor,' she murmured against his lips later that evening as they relaxed along the Australian coastline, her emerald eyes dazzling and playful, 'With the whole muscle, deep voice, shtick, and whatnot.' Her fingers pressed against his broad shoulders and trailed downward to his firm chest. She tapped her index finger against his firm abdomen for emphasis before pressing a kiss against his lips. Her voice was softer and huskier, leaning closer to him –like that was possible- as if telling him a well-kept secret for his ears only. "But women…we have to gain their attention in a different way. If saving citizens and winning the battle means a villain has to check out my ass first, then so be it."

His stint with Fire was one of the more fun partnerships.

"I heard you were stateside. I wanted to see if you would grab a drink," Warren replied, opening his arms with mock resignation as Fire squealed and ran toward him for an embrace.

She felt small, and delicate, and completely wrong in his arms in a way that felt surprising to Warren. In an earlier state of mind, he would have been enthralled hugging her; she was a fantastic hugger. She hugged liked she honestly meant it. With his recent revelation regarding Will, he didn't realize he was always subconsciously comparing hugs from different people with the ones he shared with the other man.

Now that he thought about it, for men, they hugged a ridiculous amount of times. For Warren, the feeling of Will's warm body against his own, his strong arms wrapped around him in an almost crushing hug. Except, Will never once, not even when drunk and rambling which involved I'm so glad we're buddies, Warren and Wow, the ground is spinning in circles and I wonder if I should fly before the ground eats me up, did his grip ever tighten to a level of discomfort despite knowing Warren had an inhuman level of endurance.

Warren never turned down those hugs. Instead, Will would just have to appear in the immediate vicinity, whether it be while Warren was reading in his study or right after a breakup (from either him or Will). He would simply close the distance between them, and easily slide underneath his arm, curling into that space with a grin.

Like he belonged there.

Fire released him from her grasp, and cocked her head inquisitively at him before she planted a sound kiss on his cheek, "For my favorite flame head, a drink is always a call away."

She winked at him, "We pyros have to stick together after all."

Fire hummed lightly before she took another step back. Suddenly, her superhero costume burst into a green flame, surrounding her in a vibrant light and morphing her outfit into a short, strapless, form-fitting emerald green dress. The hem barely reached mid-thigh, showing off her shapely tanned legs incased in height-defying stilettos. Her lips, a vibrant green always upturned with a hint of mirth, smiled sweetly at him and yeah, Warren definitely still liked women.

Although that smile, the same one that would have send shivers down his back, brought about feelings similar to what he had for Layla, although with the distinct lack of staring on his part.

He knew that she knew that he contacted her for other reasons than booze.

The evening's drink at the bar had inadvertently turned into more drinks in his apartment. He was warm, buzzed, and the little scalp massage from Fire –who happened to be lounging in his lap- definitely helped ease the nervousness he felt earlier that day. Warren lost count about the number of drinks in his system around his eighth beer. God, he didn't even know how many drinks she had partaken that evening but the woman could drink. She was Latin, it was part of her genes, but Warren was nonetheless impressed.

She had an equally pleased expression on her face as she ran her hands gently through his ebony hair.

"So tell me, darling," she murmured against his ear, her lips -soft and teasing- brushed against the delicate curve of his lobe every time she spoke, "Why did you want to see me today? And don't say because you missed me."

His fingers splayed against her hip, gently tightened around her form, and he opened his mouth to speak when-

"Hey Warren, can I borrow-oooh…"

Will was already halfway into Warren's apartment when he froze like a deer in the headlight. His eyes surveyed the scene; Warren relaxing on his couch, Fire in his lap, bottles of liquor surrounding them on the coffee table, and for a moment, it looked as if he was looking at the sight of ground zero instead of his best friend relaxing with a companion.

"Hello, darling!" Fire stated brightly, ignoring the stifling atmosphere. She waved her hand at a stunned Will, her bubbly nature intact even during awkward situations.

Will blinked, the hamster wheel in his mind finally restarting, before shooting her a small smile. He was earnestly pleased at her presence. They worked together several times since Will –due to his unofficial partnership with Warren/Inferno- conditioned him to work his best with fire-powered superheroes. He genuinely adored Fire, he had just to ignore the fact she was sprawled on top of Warren. He politely averted his gaze downward to Warren's hardwood floors afterward, as he returned her greeting, "Hey Fire, it's been a while."

"It has," she cooed, "You look well. The Guardian is making a name for himself, congratulations against the giant Gila monster!"

"Thanks," Will blushed, the red on his cheeks traveling down his neck. Warren absently wanted to follow the trail of that blush.

With his tongue.

Will looked up again briefly to smile weakly at Fire as he slowly walked backwards toward the door, his hand behind him to grasp blindly for the door. "I-um, I'm sorry about the disruption."

Before Warren could get two brain cells to rub together, Will was already gone, the door closed quietly behind him. His chest seized, his heart pounding in his chest like a hummingbird on crack. The crushed and hurt look on Will's face was probably more painful than the time a four hundred ton robot nearly crushed him underneath its foot. The pain of a broken rib was nothing compared to his heart feeling as if someone was wringing it out like a sponge and playing tennis with it.

"Hmm," Fire hummed after a few seconds of silence after Will closed the door. She glanced at her hip; Warren's grip tight, almost crushing. She gently touched his hand. Immediately, he relaxed, withdrawing his hand if not for her hand on top of his. She squeezed it comfortingly, as she said, "I hope you got your answer."

"Yeah," Warren choked, "I did."

…

"You're trespassing."

"I used a key this time."

"I don't remember giving you a key."

"You got tired of me melting your doorknob when you actually locked the door to keep me out."

"Then the key is to use in case of emergency," Will countered, finally uncurling himself from his makeshift cocoon. "This is not an emergency."

Will blinked owlishly at the sudden appearance of light and even more so with the appearance of Inferno, directly from his patrol of Maxville.

"I think it is," Warren calmly stated from the doorway. "You've been avoiding me."

"I saw you yesterday," Will retorted.

"That doesn't count. It was on a mission"

"I saw you though," Will insisted, "We even bantered."

Warren sighed, running a hand down his masked face. "Stronghold."

Will made a huffing noise, his fingers delicately playing with the neat, straight lines of the hatching marks stitched on his comforter. "I'm having a midlife crisis."

"You're twenty-eight."

"A quarter-life crisis, then."

"You're not making sense," Warren said.

"No one loves me," Will whined into his blanket.

Warren gaped at him. "Are you are stupid? Your parents, friends, you even have a statue in the works with the town, and a fanclub that stalks your every move! They even made a twitter stalking account for you! You were a twitter trend for a week! Who doesn't love you! Even little, fluffy animals that have never met you lov-"

"And you?"

"Obviously I love y-," Warren stated, waving a hand absently in the air before he froze.

Will was hiding behind his comforter, staring at him with large, watery eyes.

"I love you," Warren repeated slowly, an incredulous expression across his face, thankfully covered by his mask. He often said the phrase in his mind after the conversation (intervention, Magenta stated) with the group, even after Fire left and he was left with an empty apartment and the weight of his actions bearing down on his shoulders. He even said it to Will's closed apartment door every few times he passed by. However, he never had the nerve to say it out loud. He hadn't even told Amy those three words. The phrase, essentially three simple, one syllable, words, was a foreign taste on his tongue. A little odd, but surprisingly, it felt right.

He glanced up at Will, slowly repeating the words, "I do love you."

Will slowly shook his head, several tears falling down his cheeks and staining his comforter.

Warren pulled the hood of Inferno's mask off his head, his hair falling down in messy waves on the sides of his face as he walked over to Will's bed. The hood was dropped carelessly onto the floor, forgotten.

He taught the subtle intricacies of rhetoric and language in his English class. Every Tuesday and Thursday at ten o' clock in the morning, he lectured to over a dozen young adults about authors, long dead, who still spoke volumes to generation after their death about the nuances of language, the undercurrent of a sentence and the intentions of the author, the interpretations by the reader, and-and-

And, he couldn't even convey what he wanted to say to Will until now.

Will must have seen something on Warren's face because he suddenly whispered, "You're my straight best friend. You and Fire…"

"You weren't supposed to see that," Warren retorted and winced. He sounded like an adulterous husband.

Will blinked at him before delving back into his bed, stubbornly covering his body with his comforter. "This is a nightmare, I know it is."

"Yeah," Warren growled, running a hand through his hair, "That was a bad answer on my part."

The lump that was Will did not respond.

"Will, listen to me," Warren took a step threateningly closer to Will's bed, his fingers inches from Warren's comforter. "I swear I will burn whatever you hide behind until you listen to me and the entirety of what I have to say."

The cost-risk analysis Will quickly did in his mind indicated that listening to Warren and effectively punching him out depending on the answer was a better choice than allowed Warren to burn down the apartment and potentially the apartment building. With a huff, he got up from his bed and threw the comforter back. Sitting cross-legged in his bed, disregarding his rumpled look, he looked up at Warren expectantly.

Warren stared back.

"I'm not gay," Warren started. Will's expression did not change. "I just want you."

"…" Will maintained his look of passiveness and Warren really wanted to punch a wall.

"I love you," he repeated softly, desperately. An unfamiliar anguish blossomed in his chest when Will's expression changed into that of sorrow.

"This isn't fair," Will murmured, still looking right at Warren despite the pain flickering across his face. He shook his head, his eyes were glistening and his cheeks covered in tear stains. He was beautiful. "It doesn't work like that."

"You and I were never supposed 'to work' from the start," Warren replied, impatience brewing in the pit of his stomach before he leaned down, his hands on either side of Will.

Will stared at him with wide likes like a deer in the headlight, his mouth slightly parted in surprise. This was an invitation for Warren to close the gap between them, pressing his lips against the other man's. It was initially meant to be chaste, but when Will instinctively opened his mouth further, allowing Warren's probing tongue to reach the moist recesses of his mouth, he lost all inhibition.

He pulled Will onto his lap, holding him close, as he tasted Will for the first time. This was different from kissing a woman. The mechanisms were the same, but the fierce way Will kissed him back, aggressive instead of melting against his body, his hard body pressed firmly against Warren's, it left little room for question of his intentions as he gripped his back. Warren's fingers skimmed the other's sides until he reached the hem of his old, frayed t-shirt that Will adorned –he was wondering where that particular t-shirt went- and slid his hand underneath the intrusive article of clothing so that his heated fingers could splay against the pale strip of skin right above Will's boxer shorts.

Will's body was firm, unlike the soft, cushion-y skin of all the other women he had taken to bed before. However, with the way Will eagerly rocked against his lap, his fingers enthusiastically running through his hair and those little, teasing nips against his lips, Warren knew nothing compared to this.

As he pressed Will further against him, he knew that everything and everyone else was incomparable. They were the footholds that lead to this.

The need for oxygen became apparent sooner than either wished and they eventually pulled apart, their hot breaths intermingling with one another. Warren was not willing to wait to catch his breath. Immediately, he swooped down, his mouth laving kisses down Will's neck, savoring the strangely addictive salty taste of Will's skin. His hands were equally as busy with one splayed against the soft skin of Will's back as he arched up against to rub himself against Warren while. His other hand was tightly intertwined with Will's and pressed against the bedspread.

"Wa-wa…Warren-mphh," Will gasped when Warren tightened his hold around Will, pushing him up and turned them both over so that he was lying on top of Will against the bed. Warren was like a living hot box as he settled his body between Will's legs, his upper body resting on top of Will. He was still occupied with Will's neck, and when he reached the tender patch of skin that connected his shoulder to his neck, furiously bit down.

Will whimpered.

That would undoubtedly bruise later.

"I was jealous," Warren stated conversationally as he tenderly kissed it. "The day you came back to the apartment after your visit with Romaine. The day where you officially broke up."

Will gently tugging on Warren's hair urging him to continue speaking but also to continue with his pleasure ministrations against his over-sensitized skin. "W-why?"

"He was the one who was allowed to do this," Warren stated as he pressed his lips against his bite mark and sucked. Will howled, half wincing and moaning in ecstasy as he thrust his pelvis against Warren's chest and grinded upward. Warren's fingers moved from his back and onto his hips to keep him pressed against his bed. His thumb roughly pressed against the indents on his hips, "I was jealous when he left those marks here too."

Will groaned. He could have easily removed Warren's hands from his hips –he had super strength- but his mind was not necessarily in the right place to use it.

"I thought I was mad," Warren continued easily, as if he wasn't currently placing hickies around Will's neck and shoulders and possibly chatting while watching TV or making a sandwich. His breath was heavy and labored against Will's skin, his fingers trembling slightly against Will's back, "But now that I think about it, I was mad ad at myself for letting someone put those marks on you.

"Then you better make up for it," Will replied softly, sliding his hand against the nape of Warren's neck, forcing him to lean up and kiss him again.

…

Will sighed. He was warm and relaxed and sore in a good way like he had just got a really good fuc-

Fuck.

Oh.

Oh fuck.

Will snapped his eyes open, his body seizing up and his heart beating rapidly against his chest like a drum. He slowly scanned his immediate vicinity and realized yes, he was still in his bed, and um-that blanket he thought was wrapped him was not exactly the goose down blanket he got in Germany last year, but a human.

Specifically, a super-powered human named Warren Peace.

He looked up from his makeshift pillow (Warren's chest, his mind screamed) and cautiously allowed his eyes to trail up from his strong chest and neck –he also bore a few marks too, Will absently noted with a smirk - until he met a familiar amused expression.

"Hi," Will said weakly.

"Hey," Warren replied.

Will tentatively moved up, wincing when his lower back screamed at him. He hadn't slept with anyone since Solock and that was a one time thing and even worse, months ago.

And Warren was ridiculously enthusiastic despite the fact that this was his first time with a male.

Suffice it to say, if Will didn't have super strength and thus a large capacity for pain, he would probably not be able to sit, let alone stand on his own for the next few days.

"Did I hurt you?" Warren eyes widening slightly when he noticed Will's grimace.

"Part of the problem with gay sex. Good during the beginning, awesome during the middle, sucks when you wake up," Will shrugged as he tenderly shifted so that most of his weight was settled mostly on his side. "Especially when you realize you basically had a hot poker pushed into your ass."

He smiled, gently squeezing Warren's hand, their fingers still intertwined. He hadn't let go of it at all during the evening.

Warren returned the smile, concern still tinged in his eyes.

"Seriously," Will sighed as he pressed a chaste kiss against Warren's strong, freckled shoulder, "I'll be fine. It's been a while."

Warren blinked, his brow furrowed. "W-what about…?"

"Solock was the last person I…did it with," Will blushed. It was several months since he last saw the Vulcan in person, "I was dating but n-no…"

Warren sighed, his shoulders sloping in relief before he leaned forward closer to Will, wanting to wipe Will's lips of Solock's name.

"He told me…" Will stated, moving away slightly –Warren kept a firm grip around his shoulders, hindering his movement0 his eyes still hazy from the less than innocent kiss. "That you had…romantic intentions toward me. I-I was waiting for you to say something or…b-but…"

"Layla and everyone else had to spell it out to me," Warren stated wryly, his thumb comfortingly tracing Will's wrist, feeling his pulse quicken at the gesture. "And I wanted to confirm if I-" Warren sighed, "If I was gay or the very least bisexual, but it was just you."

"We're not in a romantic comedy," Will stated suddenly. He frowned, attempting to pull away from Warren. This couldn't work. This was a nightmare and he was sure to wake up in the morning, alone in his bed and Warren peacefully sleeping across the hall.

Warren growled, his hand firmly grasping Will's hand. He pulled the smaller man into his arms, causing them both to tumble back onto the bed. Lying on his back with Will sprawled against his solid chest. Warren held Will's trembling form closely, burying his face into Will's hair. His heart felt like it would explode from his chest as he answered, "I'll be damned if we're going to be a Grecian tragedy."

He slid a hand under Will's chin, forcing him to look at Warren. The other's eyes were still sleepy, his eyes looking solely at Warren as if he was the only one in the multi-verse. His lips were still red and swollen via Warren. His skin was soft from sleep and his skin, due to Warren's attention from earlier, was already fading into a shade of green-blue.

Warren wanted to see Will like this everyday.

"I love you," he murmured again. He really didn't think he could grow tired of saying it to Will. "I do, I really do."

"This isn't a dream?" Will whispered.

"If it is," Warren stated, sliding his hand upward to press the palm of hand against Will's cheek, his thump idly tracing Will's soft, plump lips, "Then I'll make sure to barge into your room the next day and the next until it isn't."

Will tilted his head, a small smile on his face as he gazed up at Warren. "Layla said if you break my heart, she'll poison you and let you die a slow death in the Sahara desert."

"I'll counter that with Amy saying she'll freeze you into a popsicle and drop you into the Antarctic Ocean," Warren retorted, leaning in for another kiss which was happily returned.

Will shivered despite the unbelievable heat that Warren gave off when they finally broke free from one another. He pressed his cheek against the other's shoulder, murmuring casually, "The fangirls will be happy."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, a lot of them write The Guardian and Inferno fan fiction."

"I'm almost afraid to ask, but-"

"Fictional stories about The Guardian and Inferno in different scenarios. A lot of stories are about Inferno's untamed lust for The Guardian are prevalent in the fandom," Will murmured, lifting his head to look at Warren. His lips lightly brushed against Warren's as he spoke, "According to fans, the Guardian is insatiable in bed."

Warren tugged Will closer, crashing their lips together and plunging his tongue into Will's eager mouth. He rolled them over onto the bed so that Will was sprawled on bedspread –relaxed, loose, and his- with his legs wrapped stubbornly around Warren's waist as he held them close. Warren was just as relentless, his fingers eagerly skimming down Will's nude skin.

"Fuck," Warren gasped when Will tightened his grip around Warren's hips, allowing him to sway rhythmically against Warren pelvis.

"Yeah," Will murmured sweetly against Warren's lips as he turned them over, suggestively straddling the brunette's hips. "We do that a lot too."

SS: I'M DONE, I'M DONE, I'M DONE. It's been an awesome month! Thank you so much for reading if you've read this far. To my reviewers, thank you so much for reviewing. I mean it when I say that your reviews definitely made me update as fast as I did. Seriously, the fact I finished is because of your enthusiastic responses!