[ perhaps that was it. that, despite their bickering and fights and everything else, things slid into place. not that jason was a stranger to loss before. kyle knew his story, even if he never knew every detail. and this plea, he feels it down in his very bones. I can't, I can't, I can't keep doing this. and you want that to make everything okay, to answer the cry with the same magnitude. to rearrange the world that way.

and he could. he could. he feels that power within him, a starheart. jenny's starheart. it would be so tempting. but kyle knew fear. that's what made him unique among the lanterns. giving jason a promise won't magically change that fear. or stop what could come.

kyle takes jason's hand. a hand made for bruises. kyle always takes care of his own hands, too afraid of losing his talent, his art. they both amount to the same thing. ]

Jason, making that promise . . . I want to. I've always wanted to. For every single person I loved. For the people I lost.

But I can't. I can promise to fight. I can promise my power, my rage, my steadfastness. I can promise in this universe, I'll always be.

And if you go to any others, I'll find you.

[ he squeezes their knuckles together. ]

I'll find you.