“Hey, Walls,” you called out, catching the attention of the speedster who’d been hovering around the kitchen. He stood to attention, coming towards where you’d asked for him, standing at the countertop. “Help me with the drinks?”

“Anything you want, beautiful,” he flashed you a smile, leaning heavily over you as you manoeuvred a bunch of cups into his hand, while you held two tall pitchers of ice tea. He took in your outfit, dressed in shorts and a tank top, your hair pushed away from your face to combat the heat.

You looked over your shoulder, bright smile on your face. “Coming?”

Snapping out of his daze, Wally sped up to join you, setting down the cups next to the pitchers and sliding into the seat next to you.

Before he could open his mouth, possibly shove his foot in there by letting out another flirtatious comment, you speak up.

“Hello, handsome.”

Wally blinks, once, slow. Did he hear you correctly? Was he finally out of—

“Hi there, gorgeous.”

Dick.

Of fucking course it was Dick Grayson. The boy had sidled himself next to you, leaning into your personal space, and worst of all, you’re letting him. Wally looked up, you were preening under the charming smile the raven haired boy had put on. Preening, and Dick had his chest puffed out like a fucking peacock, thanking you for taking care of the team.

“You’re so nice to me.”

Wally knew that voice, the fucking low and gravelly tone swaying any girl into one Dick Grayson’s arms. The very arms that were way too close to you while in nothing but a wifebeater, muscles fully on display. The ginger huffed.

“Of course, can’t have you fainting on me from the heat,” you patted Dick’s thigh heavily, and Wally swears if he could switch powers he’d steal Superman’s heat-vision eyes—or as Wally would prefer to put it: laser-beams-that-melt-off-hands eyes—the moment Dick placed his hand over yours.

He busied himself with pouring a glass of ice tea, all but shoving it in front of you. “Didn’t you say you were thirsty earlier, babe?”

You frowned, confused, but gratefully accepted the drink he was holding out. It was hot outside. You opened your mouth to speak and Wally was waiting for. . . something, maybe pretty boy at least if not handsome (clearly, that was reserved for Richard).

“Thanks, Walls.”

“Of course, beautiful, anytime.”

You grinned, once again turning to Dick who was telling you some story, hands waving animatedly as he stole every bit of your attention.

Walls.

Wally swore he could feel the ground swallowing him whole as you laughed loudly at the story he’d heard a million times before. Fucking Alfred and his infamous cookies that made everyone act like animals. Fuck Dick too while you’re at it, he grumbled under his breath, slumping into the couch.

.

Okay, so maybe he was overreacting.

You have always been flirty and Dick hasn’t been nothing if not a very willing recipient (and active participant) of someone beautiful hitting on him. Hell, Wally was sure Dick would flirt with anything breathing if they were actually interested. Which, looking at the Wayne heir, anyone would be. But did it have to be you?

Sighing, Wally moved through the tower in a breeze, reaching the training room in record time where you were going to spar with him, like always. “Sweetheart, sorry I’m late, was running low on fuel.”

“It’s alright, Walls,” you chuckled, wiping the chalk dust from your palms, the one that Dick used when he was doing his bendy gymnastics stuff. Since when had you decided to pick it up? Were you making a career switch to an acrobat?

“So, you er, you’re doing. . . gymnastics?”

Your lips pursed at the way his voice squeaked out at the end, confused before nodding softly. “Yeah, Dick’s been teaching me some stuff.”

Cool, just two teammates helping each other out. You were the best at hand to hand combat on the team, so maybe you just wanted to find someone new to learn something from, and apparently that someone is not Wally.

“You guys hang out now?”

“Uh, yeah? Figured I’d learn something new.” You chuckled, the two of you now circling around the mat. You crouched low, eyes locked on Wally in a smile so sinisterly cocky the speedster could feel his mind going fuzzy. God, you looked good.

Before Wally could even open his mouth, you’d pounced. The young speedster barely noticed you before zooming to the other side of the mat. You raised a brow and he smiled, sheepish, apologetic. Right, no powers.

Taking a deep breath, Wally blocked the hit you were aiming at his neck, forearm pushing you off, and then suddenly he can smell you, the scent deep and warm before he had his arm twisted behind his back.

“Stop zoning out Walls,” your voice was hot on the back of his neck. He could feel his face heating up, the red creeping around his freckled face up to the tips of his ears. You let go of him as he leaned his weight into your hold to signal for him to be let loose.

“Getting distracted—“

“—gets you killed.”

You smiled at Wally when he completed your statement. Gesturing, you took your position on the other side of the mat, Wally copying you.

This time, Wally went first. Instead of aiming high like you’d done, the speedster goes low, head tucked into his chin as he grabs you by the waist, using the momentum to swing the two of you on the ground. You let out a soft sound at the impact, but it sounded more like you were amused. When he looked up, he saw the taunting look in your eye, a lazy, smug look tugging at the corners of your mouth. Without even huffing at the effort, you pushed your hips up into his, making him lose balance as you flipped the two of you over, hands now pinning him down, arm stretched across his chest as you held him down on to the mat.

“Nice one,” you grinned, blowing your hair away from your face. You leaned in closer, chest pressed against his, and Wally could swear his heartbeat was the loudest soundtrack he could ever hear. “You almost got me there.”

“Next time,” he rasped out, puffing out a breath of air, hoping it didn’t smell of the Cheetos he’d eaten before training. The movement made the stubborn strand in front of your eyes sway. You smiled, a genuine one, and somehow his heartbeat just rang louder. “I’ll get you next time.”

“I’m counting on it.”

And then you got off of him, holding out your hand for him to stand up. Sucking in a lungful of air, Wally took it, pulled up to stand close enough where he could see every shade of colour in your eyes. They were endless pools of warmth he could fall into forever, and they were looking at him. Right at him. “Walls?”

Clearing his throat, the speedster stepped back, letting go of your hand to ruffle the hair at the top of his head. “Shall we go again?”

“You sure? You seem distracted today.”

“I’m fine, just don’t think my pre-sparring snack was the best one I’ve had.”

You laughed, the sound bright as you got back to the mat. Wally followed suit, the two of you once again circling each other. “Ready?”

You had that smile again, the low, dangerous look in your eyes, the one he saw out on the field. The one Dick held in his smile after he’d seen how it unnerved your opponents. Fucking Dick and his ability to charm everyone. Wally struck out, his body moving before he could catch up, hand coming straight for your face, and before he could even think about how foolishly impulsive the move was, he was face down on the mat, your knee pinning him down as you bent his arm back, not enough to hurt, but just enough to where he could feel a strain.

“Are you sure you’re alright?”

You’d let him go, pulling him to stand at his full height as you grabbed a water bottle, tossing it to the speedster, the shocking pink a contrast against the muted green of his tank. “Yeah I’m fine. Just. . . lost in thought I guess.”

“Penny for them?” you asked, now sitting next to him on the floor. Wally shrugged, handing you the bottle when you held your hand out for it, eyes watching your mouth as it used the sucker on the bottle (where Wally had his mouth moments before), tracing down the column of your throat as you drank greedily.

“I’m good.”

“Promise?” You held out your pinky, Wally smiling as he linked his to yours, the two of you kissing each of your hands as if to seal the pact.

“Promise,” he murmured, mouth hidden by his hand, but he could see you smile behind yours as you murmured a ‘good’ against it.

You pressed your lips one last time to your linked hands for good measure, letting the speedster copy you before the two of you sat up, hands still linked in the silence of the training room, catching your breaths.

God, you had no idea what you did to him.

.

Dick caught up with you as you left the training room, having just walked out of the showers attached next to it, the one Wally had gone into not too long ago. The former Batman sidekick had a towel slung low across his waist, water not yet fully wiped off of him. He smiled as he noticed you.

“Hi, beautiful.”

You grinned, standing up from where you’d been cleaning up after the sparring session between you and Wally. “Hey there, pretty boy. Took a long time in the showers I see.”

Dick fell in step with you, walking out of the training room as you slung a wet towel across your shoulders, water bottle in hand. “Well maybe I was waiting on you.”

“Is that so?” you looked up at him, brow raised. Dick just shrugged, eyes glinting with mischief. His lips were pulled into a cocky smile, tongue peeking out to wet his lower lips.

“Yeah.”

You hummed. “Is that why you’re following me around in just a towel?”

Dick blinked, slowing to a halt outside the door of your room. You watched his skin flush a deep rouge, the heat spreading across his chest and up his cheeks. “I uh, I’ll see you later, sweetheart.”

“Yeah, alright,” you laughed, watching as he stepped back a couple steps before spinning on his feet and heading a couple steps down towards his room. His hand rubbed at the back of his neck as he reached the door, turning around once to wink at you—despite the colour in his face, before shutting the door.

“Aren’t you something,” you murmured, eyes still on the spot he left.

“Who’re you talking to, weirdo?”

You jumped, startled as you stood up straight, leaning away from the doorframe. Wally was standing next to you, now smelling fresh and clean from his shower. “Nobody. Hey, you wanna watch a movie? I’ve got the new Fast and Furious.”

Wally nodded, eyes glancing once more at the door next to yours—where Dick stayed when he was at the Titans Tower—before following you into your door, the lock clicking softly as it shut behind him.

.

Wally swore Dick was everywhere.

The stupid bird themed superhero seemed to spawn around you whenever the speedster wanted to hang out, and he was seconds away from transporting his best friend to the South Pole to live with the penguins (not you, of course, he knew you hated the cold— the ex-sidekick to Gotham’s very own Batman, however. . . ).

The beach was empty as you guys had set up a blanket on the sand, the grains warm but soothing as you dug your toes under the piles. The team had decided to have a little sunset campfire and sing-a-long at the beach, simply to celebrate the hard work of a successful week of leading double lives (in yours, Dick’s and Wally’s cases), and also for being really good at your side job of beating up bad guys.

“I’ve got the drinks,” Roy cheered, plopping down with a six pack, and some other sodas and assortments of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages that were sloshing around in the portable cooler in his hand. “Here.”

He tossed a chill bottle of beer he’d pulled out of it, and Wally caught it. You grinned as Roy passed one to you as well, much nicer in his handling. “Thanks, speedy.”

“Don’t call me that.”

Roy narrowed his eyes playfully at you as Wally and you laughed next to each other. You giggled, leaning into your best friend as you moved the bottle to your mouth, digging your teeth under the metallic cap, and with a slight pressure, you heard the pop and fizz of it coming off.

You looked up, catching the ginger boy watching your every move, eyes tracking your mouth as if he’d zeroed in on something that deserved his attention. You.

You licked your lips, trying to calm the sudden dryness in your throat. Wally’s eyes seemed to darken even more, the flames dancing in them tantalisingly as he copied you. You could hear your heart beating irratically.

“Sweetheart, I need your help.”

Blinking, you turned to look at Dick, mind sluggish as it tried to clear from the haze you had found yourself in. Sitting close enough to the two of you that you could feel his warmth, Dick was holding out his own bottle of beer, making you roll your eyes.

“If you wanted me to watch me use my mouth for you, you could’ve just said so,” you repeated your actions, the pop! of the metal cap opening making Dick grin as he watched you.

“But that’s exactly what I’m doing.”

Wally cleared his throat, watching the two of you lean into each other, teasing smiles and eyes burning with a sort of emotion he’d never seen in you. Were you actually falling for Dick Grayson?

“I’m thinking of starting on the s’mores,” he gestured next to you guys where Kori, Donna and Roy had set up the fire, the flames curling in reckless abandon. The three of them had settled into the sand. You smiled, squeezing his hand as you grabbed it.

“We’ll come with.”

The three of you moved towards your friends, and as you sat down next to Donna, the two of you trying to tell Kori about some new music the two of you were obsessed with currently, he wondered when did you and Dick Grayson become a ‘we’. And why was he so bothered that he wasn’t a ‘we’ to you?

.

It was official.

Dick Grayson was at the top of his hit list.

Wally swore that he could find him everywhere, even in places where he didn’t think possible: like his fucking university campus.

“And then he was telling me how Tim changed every one of Bruce’s codes to. . .”

The two of you were walking through the hallways, and ever since summer, all you’d been gabbing to him was about your new best friend Richard Grayson. The first day back to school and apparently Dick had called you in the night to talk. Yeah, right, Wally thought to himself, everyone has a conversation at 11 in the night.

He caught himself before he could roll his eyes.

“Walls?” You were snapping your fingers in front of his face. When he jolted, you frowned, curious as to what was happening. “Dude, you alright? You went AWOL on me there.”

Wally coughed, nodding. “Yeah I’m fine, long night.”

“Really? With whom?”

You sounded off, somehow not as cheery as you did just moment’s prior when you told him about how Tim had hacked into the programming in the Batcave to play a prank of the Batman. Wally tilted his head towards you as you stopped swinging your joined arms, no longer moving him around while you rambled.

What was it about Dick that had you so drawn to him?

“Nothing, just couldn’t get sleep.”

You frowned, squeezing his hand. During the academic year, Wally would end up walking around with the worst dark circles known to man, all because of his tendency to not get any sleep at night, especially since the two of you didn’t go on patrol as often during the school year. You suspected it had something to do with his powers, his inability to actually stay still and his energy that’s always contagious, always overflowing with so much life that you can’t help but be drawn towards him. But this was early, even for Wally. Usually, it’d take at least a week for him to start complaining about it, and then showing up at your window in the night.

“You want to come over tonight?” You squeezed his hand again, smiling softly in a way that had Wally’s heart thump-thump-thumping hard against his chest.

“What about Dick?”

“What about him?”

The earnest confusion in your voice made him look at you, eyes searching your face. Your brows were furrowed and lips were pursed in an adorable pout that Wally could almost dream of pressing his mouth again and devouring, but what stood out most to him was one simple thing: you weren’t thinking about Dick.

“I just— nothing,” Wally rubbed the back of his neck, lips pulling into a smile when you squeezed his hand (that was still holding yours), “what time should I be there?”

“Come over right after patrol, I’ve got your sweats washed. Couldn’t get that stain out though.”

“It’s fine.”

Wally laughed, letting you drag him around to your next class before the bell rang (he had a free period in his schedule). You hated being late.

.

By the time the two of you fell onto the floor through your open bedroom window, Wally was spent. He’d starfished across the soft carpet, still in his Kid Flash costume, and you’d fallen right on top of him with an undignified oomph!

“Move your fat ass out of the way, Walls,” you poked him in his side where you knew he was ticklish, making him jerk at the sudden movement, as you got up.

“I’m good,” his voice was once again muffled, face down in the carpet, “I’ll just stay here.”

You laughed, pulling yourself up as Wally turned over to look at your grinning face staring down at him. “Do you plan on making yourself comfortable there or shall I keep space in bed for you?”

Wally could feel his heart in his throat as he nodded towards your bed. Swallowing harshly, he cleared his throat. “I can’t pass on that beauty.”

Chuckling, you headed towards the bathroom, calling out over your shoulder as you grabbed the door handle.

“Clothes are in the drawer and mom got extra snacks if you’re hungry. Just change first!”

And then Wally heard the lock click shut, the sound of the shower running beyond the wooden door. Sighing, he stood up, gravitating towards your closet to grab some spare clothes he could change into after a shower and setting them aside, somewhat of a proud smile on his face. At least Dick didn’t have an entire section in your closet for his clothes.

By the time you’d come back from your shower, Wally had sprawled himself once again on your fuzzy carpet, now filled with half the snacks in your pantry and a couple of cookies your father had baked earlier in the night.

“Hey, brought up some cookies, your parents have gone to bed.”

You grinned, bee-lining to the nightstand where Wally had left your treasure, while the redhead moved towards the shower. “What would I do without you, Wally?”

“Be boring and lonely— ow!”

Wally glared at you, trying hardest to be mad as he rubbed the spot where you’d punched him for his comment but he could feel his mouth fighting against him at your cheeky smile. Your eyes were shining with mischief and warmth and Wally couldn’t help but mirror your grin as you fell onto your mattress. “Save one for me.”

“You already ate so many!”

You looked up at him with bright eyes, and Wally could feel his heart soaring at how open and vulnerable you seemed. You were still smiling, even as he flicked you on the forehead before moving swiftly aside to dodge your counterattack.

“Yeah well, I’m your best friend. It’s in the rules: guests get more food.”

You sat up on your elbows, eyeing the boy who had a impish look on his face. “Please you stopped being a guest since you were six.”

You rolled your eyes as Wally mocked you, finally heading into the shower while you fell back on your bed, cheeks still warm from the smile on your face. That boy had no idea what he did to you.

.

Steam curled out of the bathroom as Wally stepped out, sweatpants loose on his hips and a towel he used to dry his hair. You were on your back now, reading a book as you waited on him.

“Here, saved you the last one.”

“I knew you loved me,” he grinned, snatching it up as you rolled your eyes at him, all fond and warm. You really did love him.

Wally plopped down gracelessly onto the bed next to you, laughing when you whacked him complaining about crumbs (he’d made sure to not let a single one fall, he knew you didn’t like eating in bed) and snuggled into his side of the bed.

You propped yourself up into his eyeline, watching him drink you in like he always did, like he was clawing for air only you could offer. He only hoped it wasn’t as obvious to you. “So, what d’ya wanna do?”

Wally hummed, hand coming back up to brush against the bruise on your cheek, the one that you’d gained earlier in the night during patrol after narrowly missing a fist aimed at your face. You’d managed to grab the hand before it swung into bone, but the brass knuckles that decorated it had left a blooming red score on your cheekbone. “Does it hurt?”

“Not even a little bit,” you murmured, head nuzzling into his palm like you wanted to burrow yourself in it.

Wally could see the way your eye twitched ever so slightly at the point closest to your eye when he brushed the purpling bruise, but other than that, you were still smiling down at him with such warmth he could feel himself sinking into comfort.

You turned your head to kiss his palm once, gently lacing your fingers through his to pry it off your face as you leaned over to press your lips to his cheek, and Wally’s eyes fluttered close at the contact without hesitation.

“Go to sleep, West. You look like a troll I dragged out from under my bed.”

Wally guffawed, eyes wide open as you chortled, falling onto him upon looking at the wide eyed offence on his face, your body wrecked with unabashed laughter as you shook in his grasp. “You think you’re so hilarious, don’t you?”

You nodded against him, the humour bubbling out of you seeping into him at the points where you were connected (his hands on your back, holding you close to where you’d pressed yourself into his chest), his chest rumbling with laughter under you.

“Fine, let’s call it a night, sleeping beauty.”

The two of you tucked yourself under your covers without moving, the little night light you left on your bedside table the only sign of life in the dead of the night as sleep overcame the two of you.

.

The tower was quiet when you stepped inside. You shouldered your way through the door of your bedroom in the building, finally sliding off the wet coat and shoes that had collected the rainwater from the impromptu shower that the heavens had unleashed upon you.

“Oh hey, sweetheart.”

Before you could even catch up on the reason the voice was so familiar, you’d swung around, clipping the man behind you with your wet coat, the metal of the zipper clinking hard against his face.

“Richard Grayson, don’t you know better than to sneak up on people like that.”

You glared at the cheeky smile he sported, still standing comfortably in the middle of your room as you dragged your jacket away from his face and the matching red mark you’d left on the right side of his cheekbone, mirroring the one you had on your left.

“Great you see you too, darling.”

You rolled your eyes, shimmying out of the oversized Central City University sweatshirt, now feeling overly warm in the blooming heat of the building. Your tank top stuck to your skin from the water as you let your hair fall down your back, limp and wet, droplets tracing rivulets down your spine.

“Did you need something?”

“You wound me,” the raven haired boy grabbed his chest as if you’d physically hurt him, even stumbling back to sell his theatrical pain. You shook your head at him, rainwater clinging onto his face from the close proximity as he chuckled. “I just came to check on you cause of the rain.”

“Well, sorry to disappoint but I didn’t drown.”

“Can’t have my girl drowning on me,” he grinned, pulling you into his side to warm you up, and you gratefully leaned towards the heat of his (entirely too expensive) wool jumper, wet head of hair tucked into his chin as you placed your cold hands on the back of his neck, making him yelp. “Get away from me you heathen!”

“I thought I was your girl?” you mocked him, head tilted to one side as he kept you close enough to warm your hands against his. It was no secret you hated the cold.

“Yeah you are, sweetheart.”

“Am I interrupting?”

You jumped away from Dick as if you’d been burned, the warmth of his body turning ice rigid in your veins as Wally stood at your open door, looking in at the two of you. You cleared your throat as Dick, ever the one to be able to bring in levity in pungent silence, spoke up.

“Not at all, she’s all yours.”

And then, squeezing your hands one last time (that had gone limp in his reach the moment his best friend had walked in), Dick glanced at you one last time, impish smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth as he moved to leave the room, patting Wally on the back while he did.

Wally watched as you glared at the broad shoulders that disappeared from the doorframe, before taking in your appearance. You shuffled, suddenly aware of not just how unkempt your hair was, but the fact that you’d been standing in front of Dick and now Wally, in a shirt thin enough to see your bra through. If only you’d had the foresight to wear a nicer one, maybe this wouldn’t be half as awkward.

“I erm. . . I got caught in the rain,” you supplied helplessly, tugging at the end of your cotton tank top, spinning around as you went to the drawer to grab dry clothes.

“I can see that.”

Wally still sounded far away: when you glanced over your shoulder after finding a dry shirt, you found him still standing in the doorway, his stance stilted and wound tight like he couldn’t decide whether he should enter or not.

”You’ve seen me in my bra before, just get in already,” you chuckled, waving him in, only noticing him hesitate for a second before nodding, following your instructions and shutting the door behind him. “Your group project finally got situated?”

Wally had stayed back at Central City University for some project he had for his Physics 301 class while you’d left earlier, having decided on working at the Tower instead. And lucky for him, he’d managed to get all the luck with the weather because it was finally sunny outside again.

Wally cleared his throat as you pulled your shirt over your head. “So, you and Dick. . .”

“What about Dick and I?”

Pulling your head through the neck hole of a dry shirt, to find him still hovering like he didn’t know how to exist in your space, a place he’d inhabited since the two of you were five and playing in the sandbox. You frowned, watching him glance around like he’d lost the right to be in there without you asking for him first.

“. . . Is everything alright?”

”Yeah, I just. . . I’m happy for Dick and you.”

You blinked, trying to figure out what exactly was happening. Did he seriously think that Dick was the one that had you losing all sense?

”I’m just going to—“ he pointed behind him, and before you could even stop him, he’d phased through the shut door. You rushed after him, trying to find the speedster as you pulled your door open with urgency.

”Wally—“

The hallway was empty.

.

It had always felt like breathing. At least, that’s how Wally thought about it.

Since the first time you’d met, Wally had found himself in tune with you, like a wavelength honing in on a frequency that it needed in order to function. You’d been giggly and had a chip in your front tooth from where you’d hit your face on while jumping off the swing and doing a flip you’d just learned in gymnastics. You’d never even cried about it, the grin of showing off to your new friend still plastered even as the corner of your lip started bleeding and your mother came rushing towards you. You’d simply grabbed Wally’s hand and told him you’d teach him how to do it too.

That was the first time he’d met you, and since then you’d been a stronghold in his life, someone he’d come to know inside out, maybe even better than he’d known himself. You’d been the first person he’d found after getting his powers, after he found out how his uncle was The Flash, the trials that came with having powers, you’d been standing beside him, always with a snack (apples crusted with peanut butter, to make sure he was both eating healthy but also had something to satiate his sweet tooth) and a smile that disarmed every bit of distaste he felt towards himself for not being good enough. You’d been there for the first ever time he’d had his heart broken, a girl he’d seen only a few months in high school, but you’d been there to cheer him up, mend the parts that he never knew could break.

Wally had known it’d only be a matter of time before Dick and you finally got together, it’d be stupid to think otherwise, but god he didn’t realise just how much it would sting being second place to Dick.

He’d learned early on that being Wally West meant being able to learn you and love you, and he’d made his peace with it. You’d were singular in every way and it wasn’t surprising that everyone around you noticed; you tended to do that, draw people into an orbit that made them feel like they were at home, because that’s what you did to him at age five with a toothy grin. He just needed to make peace with the fact that you’d found someone else.

“What’re you doing here?”

Blinking, Wally saw Roy walk up to him, the former Green Arrow sidekick dressed up as if he had somewhere to be.

“Where’re you off to?”

“Had a date,” Roy grinned, patting Wally on the shoulder as he vaulted over the couch, settling into the one that wasn’t occupied by the speedster. “Now why are you sulking? Trouble in paradise?”

Wally’s eyes narrowed. Roy, amongst other things, was a big gossip, especially when around Donna and you, the three of you always knee deep in random news you’d heard (four if K’ori wasn’t off-world). Half of it of course came from the type of vigilantes Roy and you happened to be, but the other half was simply pure curiosity. Wally had never met a man both so brilliant and downright ready to binge an entire season’s worth of reality television.

“What paradise? There’s no paradise.”

Roy simply looked at him, a stray strand of red hair falling over his forehead from his man bun—the only person Wally had seen ever pull off that style so well—and shook his head, a low chuckle emitting from his throat. “Yeah right, I’m not blind dude.”

“I’m being serious.”

“Uh huh, and we’re all just happy go lucky adults with no issues at all,” Roy nodded, and Wally could tell that the archer was taking the piss out of him, but god he couldn’t help it. “Seriously dude, just talk to her.”

“I can’t— I can’t just talk to her!”

“Yes you can, you just open your mouth and form words.”

Wally walloped him with a pillow as Roy laughed at his red face, tossing the decorative piece right back at the speedster, who simply grabbed it and placed it down next to him with more force than required.

“I can’t, she’s going out with Dick now.”

Roy raised a brow, now settled into the couch as he folded his arms across his chest. “Huh, I didn’t see that coming.”

“Tell me about it,” Wally slumped into the cushioning, hands running over his face.

He could feel Roy’s eyes burning into the side of his skull as he stayed hidden behind his fingers, trying to press them into his skull like it would press away the way he needed you into the back of his mind, to be left untouched and forgotten as time would pass by.

“My advice is you talk to her, what’s the worst that could happen?”

And with that, Wally could hear the sound of fading footsteps as Roy headed out towards his room, once again leaving the redhead to stew in his own feelings, the night sky greeting him as he stared out the window, trying to figure out just when he’d found himself so helpless to the way he loved you.

The crickets chirped faintly in the background as the hum of the city started falling asleep.

.

Wally had begun trying to find ways to avoid you. It’d started small, with not being free during the week to study together in the Central City University library like the two of you usually did. He’d been working everyday this week on some or the other assignment, or was hanging out with friends from his classes, who you had met barely in passing to actually know, which meant that you’d spent more time with his parents than him, feeling bad about only showing up on their doorstep to ask about their son. You played poker with his father as you waited, but Wally never returned home, only zooming by you on your interconnected patrol routes. Hell, it’d gotten to the point where you’d not trained together either. No matter what, Wally never missed sparring sessions with you.

You wondered what could’ve possibly happened for him to ignore you. Hooking your penknife into the latch of his window, you jiggled it around, trying to catch the grove that would help you unlock it, and after a few moments, you heard the sound of your success, the click of the mechanic registering as you slid open the window, toppling through gracefully and face first into wooden flooring.

“What are you doing?”

You stood up, brushing yourself off as Wally leaned against the doorway of his bathroom, eyeing you down with confusion. “You were ignoring me all week.”

“So you break into my room?”

”Obviously,” you chuckled, closing the gap between you as you moved into the room. You only stopped when he spoke up again.

”Why?”

Wally looked genuinely surprised, like he hadn’t expected you to fix whatever it was that had gone so wrong that he’d decided forgetting about you was better than talking with you.

You could feel your lips tug into a frown at the idea of never having access to Wally— selfishly, you needed him around, if nothing else then as your best friend. He’d been an extension of you since you’d first met him, trying (and succeeding) at impressing him enough to become your friend in the sandbox. Even at five years old, you could tell he was important, and not because he was the first boy you’d befriended. Wally had a way of making everything around you brighter, like you’d become Midas-touched gold, forever shining as long as he looked at you. He’d brought laughter out of you when your grandfather died; when you’d started crying over Marley and Me and he’d promised he’d find a way to make the dog the two of you got together live forever; when you had first killed a man on the job (an accident, and he was the bad guy, but that didn’t mean it didn’t flash behind your eyelids for over a month) but struggled to wash off the blood until Wally held your shaking hands to do it for you. . .

“Are we okay?”

The question came out quieter than you wanted it to, like punching it out of your lungs expelled all the fear you had about it, into the open where Wally could grab onto it, grab it and do whatever he pleased with the worry you held for him, for the two of you.

Wally shrugged, hands shoved into his sweatpants. He’d moved out of the bathroom now, the door clicking shut softly behind him. “Why wouldn’t we be?”

You swallowed the lump in your throat at the impassive callousness in his voice. Your tongue felt heavy, pinned down as you called out his name. “Wally. . .”

“Baby, ’m fine, you don’t have to worry about me.”

Baby, the word sunk heady into your heart, something you’d wished to hear from him, but not like this. Wally had his arms crossed over his chest, standing next to his bed now as he watched you watch him. You cursed as you could feel your eyes shine with watery tears that were beginning to form. Why did he think you didn’t care about him? All you ever did was worry about ways Wally could live a life that he was proud of, one that he wouldn’t have to hide in the future from whoever he was around (and in the most dangerous dreams you had about it, it was you by his side).

“Why wouldn’t I worry about you?” You scoffed, biting back the tears as you stared at the redhead who was watching you intently. “Do you think I don’t care?”

“No you— you do, I know that. . . but with Dick around now, you’ll—“

“What does Dick have to do with you not talking to me?”

Wally ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the tuff of it where it connected to his neck, feet moving as he began pacing. “Doesn’t everything lately have to do with him? I’m happy for you guys, truly. But I can’t be around you, not while I. . .”

“While you, what?” You asked, watching as Wally went still, eyes bugging wide when you repeated yourself. “While you what, Wallace?”

He winced when you used his actual name, not even Walls or Wally, instead shaking his head as he pointed at his window. “You should go.”

“Not until you tell me what’s going on,” you huffed, now your arms crossed as you stared down the boy you’d loved since the beginning of high school.

Wally sucked in a sharp breath like the idea of telling you the truth caused a physical wound in him, and you desperately needed to know it was something you could fix. Because you couldn’t stand the idea of not having Wally anywhere except next to you: it’s what you’d always known, the only thing you’d been sure of since you were a little girl.

When he opened his mouth, you could feel yourself slipping into that hope that finally you’d gotten through to him. “I’m sorry. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

You could feel the air expunge itself from your lungs as Wally turned to fidget with his bedding. He didn’t even look back as you whispered a goodnight Walls over his windowsill, body halfway out. Swallowing harshly, you balanced on the edge of the roof to the West house before dropping down, crouching low to the ground once you landed on the grass of their backyard.

In the quiet of the night, you walked yourself back to your apartment building (which was closer than the tower), eyes red by the time you found yourself in bed, tucked into the duvet that was still the same pastel green that you and Wally had picked together back when you were just children.

.

“Woah, you alright sweetheart?”

Dick and Donna came into your line of sight, the Wayne heir grinned good naturedly while Donna watched you curiously.

Huffing, you landed another hit on the sandbag, the chain swinging from the impact. Donna caught it as it neared her, “what’s going on?”

”Wally, he’s just. . . God, boys can be so frustrating!”

You punched the bag once again as Donna let it go, the Amazonian stepping aside right as the bag swung off the hook in the ceiling. Dick raised his hands in surrender as if he were the one in the line of fire.

“Do you want me to talk to him?”

You eyed Dick, who was still standing far enough to not get hit, and watching you with concern written into the crease of his brows and the corners of his mouth before shaking your head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, I’ll— I’ll talk to him. . . Besides, I don’t think you’ll get through him this time.”

Dick frowned, but nodded. And you understood why; Wally and Dick had been inseparable when the two of you joined the team back in the day, as children who still had hope and dreams of a world that seemed much nicer than it actually is. Wally had found a brother in Dick, and so did the former Robin, you knew that the idea of Wally not listening to Dick would hurt him, but you didn’t want whatever it was that had Wally hurting because of Dick be an issue, not until you could at least figure it out first.

Donna stepped forward, tying her hair back as she did. “Want to spar for a bit? Take your mind off of that idiot?”

“Sure,” you chuckled, shaking your head. Donna always knew how to make you feel better. If you couldn’t talk it out, you’d get out whatever it was with a fight. She’d been much the same way since she’d joined the team as well. “What would I do without you, my love?”

“Be moping,” Dick called out, now hanging off of one the beams, practicing his flips and tricks from a life he no longer had. You looked up and he was grinning from cheek to cheek. “Your emo teenage angst shit is filling this room.”

You rolled your eyes. “Dickhead.”

“That’s me,” he called, swinging his body through the maze of support beams and other bars that had been installed specifically for him.

You turned to Donna, who was grinning as well. “Well, shall we?”

“Why, of course.”

Donna crouched low, waiting on your move. You took the first step.

.

By the time you’d entered your room, it’d been past midnight. Patrol had been long, even longer when Wally wasn’t there to trade jokes with you, or attempt to guess what exactly you’d end up finding while on your rounds.

You’d barely shut your door, still in your suit as you flopped onto the bed when you could feel the familiar hum of frequency outside your door before a loud knock echoed against it.

“Get inside, Wally.”

“Can you. . . Can you open the door?”

Sighing, you dragged yourself up, pulling open the door to see Wally, still in his yellow and red costume, goggles tucked into his hair and freckles on display as the face piece to his suit was pushed back. The boy shuffled on his feet, as if surprised to see you standing in front of him. “Hi.”

“Can you not phase through shit anymore?” You asked, opening the door wider as he stepped in at your gesture for him to do so, stopping just beyond the threshold. You shut the door softly behind him.

“I’m sorry.”

And without meaning to, laughter spilled out of you, the sound more hollow and mean than Wally had ever heard out of you. “You’re sorry? That’s new. I thought you were too busy ignoring me.”

You strode towards your closet, wanting to change out of the suit that stuck to your skin, the suffocating feeling of having Wally so close to you after two weeks of him trying to erase himself from your life practically felt like you’d lose air the longer you were constricted in it. Wally grabbed your hand before you could move far away.

“I mean it, I was being a dick about well. . . Dick,” he winced, brows scrunching even further when you didn’t laugh even the slightest at the unintentional joke, something you always did. Sucking in a harsh breath, he carried on, “if you’re happy with him, I’ll make my peace with it. I just want my best friend back.”

“If I’m happy with whom, Walls?”

You looked genuinely confused, as if Wally hadn’t been there to see Dick and you fall for each other these past few months.

“Dick.”

“What?”

And to Wally’s surprise, you were laughing. You were bent over the waist, nearly falling into him at the image he’d given you. “What’s so funny?”

“Dick and I— there’s nothing. . . Oh my god, did you think I was going out with Dick?”

You had tears coming out of your eyes as you looked at him, as if the idea of anybody wanting to be with Dick Grayson was absurd. He knew the two of you were perfect together, and would look the part too in Gotham’s socialite papers and photographs.

“Please, Dick has his eye set on a redhead at all times,” you chuckled, wiping at the corner of your eyes, “he’s more likely to go for you.”

And at Wally’s shock, at his mouth that fell open, unable to find words, you’d found yourself laughing again. “Wait, so you and Dick aren’t—“

“We never were,” you shook your head, head tilting as if you’d found something out. Your eyes were swimming with curiosity, a sort of finality he’d only seen in you when you’d cracked a particularly difficult case. He’d seen it when you’d found the answer that had stumped you during your criminology courses, when you’d found out whatever Wally had hidden from you (like the surprise parties he tried throwing for your birthday, only for you to find him out five times in a row before he gave up). But now, they looked ever more sure, and Wally hoped he hadn’t been found out.

You took a step forward, now facing him as you closed the distance. “Hey, Walls?”

Wally hummed, eyes darting all over your face, close enough that he could see every shade and hue in your eyes, the way your mouth was pulled into a smile, something sly but that also said you wanted to know something, as your eyes fixed on his mouth.

“What up?”

“Don’t panic.”

“I— what? What do you mean—“

You’d grabbed him by the collar, lips slotting against his that were still sealed shut. The surprise of the impact had him opening his eyes, before reality caught up to him. You were kissing him. You were kissing him. Before he could fully return the fervour, you’d pulled back.

“That’s why.”

Wally was staring at you, eyes wide. “You kissed me.”

”I did,” you grinned, closing the gap to the point where Wally could feel your body pressed up against his, and instinct dictated that he steady you, his hands falling on your waist. “Now are you just going to stand there and gawk, or will you kiss me again?”

When Wally made no move to respond, still glued to the fact that you’d kissed him and it wasn’t a dream, you made to move out of his embrace. “Maybe I should go ask Dick if he wants to— mmph!”

”Shut up,” Wally murmured, pressing his lips to yours again, hands moving to circle around you as he pulled you closer to him, but he was grinning now. You couldn’t help mirror it as you pulled him closer to you, tugging on his hair as you did.

Wally let out a low sound, shuffling back as you hit the edge of your desk, his palms flash against your hips as he set you on top of it. The fireproof material of Wally’s suit bunching in your hands as you dragged him closer, his hands steadying you, still kissing you as if he couldn’t stop. He moved away when you hooked one leg to pull him closer.

”Wait— hold on, what does this mean?”

You blinked, the sluggish euphoria that had filled your veins, sparking a fire in your system slowed into a small flame as you finally realised what he was saying. You looked up into deep greens as they studied you, trying to figure you out, the way they always did.

”I don’t want to do this if it’s just something casual, I don’t— I can’t do that, not with you.”

You loosened your grip on his collar, smoothening it as you tried to figure out how to put it in a way that made him understand just how selfishly you needed him. “That’s the last thing I want with you.”

”Good, because I want this,” he was drawing circles into your waist, still close like he couldn’t bear to be any further from you, eyes scanning every inch of your face. “I want you, all of you.”

You smiled, heart thump-thump-thumping so wild you were sure he could feel it with how close the two of you were. “You have me.”

And Wally’s smile was blinding, the flame in your veins burning brighter just at the way he was looking at you.

“Yeah?” he asked, voice soft and wrecked with emotion.

”Yeah.”

Wally’s mouth slotted against yours against, messy and teeth clashing with how brightly he was smiling, tongue licking at your bottom lip as you dragged him into you, letting him take and take and take everything he wanted. His hands slid into your hair as he tilted your head back, lips moving across every inch of skin he could access, your legs hooking around his hips to sit flush with yours.

”I can’t wait to tell Dick you thought that I was in love with him when you’re here.”

Wally groaned against your pulse point, the spot behind your ear, the sound low and gravelly that had your eyes fluttering shut as you fought to keep your teasing for longer. He pulled away, just enough to speak.

”You won’t let me live that down, will you?”

”I can be convinced,” you teased, breath hitching as he already started tracing a path across your skin again, willing you to forget his stupidity, hands already latching onto the zipper in the front of your tactical suit. “Fuck, baby. . .”

”Say that again,” he hummed, mouthing at your collarbone and you had no choice but to acquiesce his demand.

”Wally, babe, don’t—fuck, don’t stop,” you whimpered as his hips pressed hard into yours again, the pressure only causing the fire curling low in your belly to burn harder as you met his actions and desire.

“God, you have no idea what you do to me, darlin’.”

The low drawl had you pulling him up, his eyes not only having a slither of green as they gazed up at you in hunger.

“I have an idea,” you mumbled, dragging him into you again, his body following yours with no resistance.

“Hey, Walls,” you called out, catching the attention of the speedster who’d been hovering around the kitchen. He stood to attention, coming towards where you’d asked for him, standing at the countertop. “Help me with the drinks?”

“Anything you want, beautiful,” he flashed you a smile, leaning heavily over you as you manoeuvred a bunch of cups into his hand, while you held two tall pitchers of ice tea. He took in your outfit, dressed in shorts and a tank top, your hair pushed away from your face to combat the heat.

You looked over your shoulder, bright smile on your face. “Coming?”

Snapping out of his daze, Wally sped up to join you, setting down the cups next to the pitchers and sliding into the seat next to you.

Before he could open his mouth, possibly shove his foot in there by letting out another flirtatious comment, you speak up.

“Hello, handsome.”

Wally blinks, once, slow. Did he hear you correctly? Was he finally out of—

“Hi there, gorgeous.”

Dick.

Of fucking course it was Dick Grayson. The boy had sidled himself next to you, leaning into your personal space, and worst of all, you’re letting him. Wally looked up, you were preening under the charming smile the raven haired boy had put on. Preening, and Dick had his chest puffed out like a fucking peacock, thanking you for taking care of the team.

“You’re so nice to me.”

Wally knew that voice, the fucking low and gravelly tone swaying any girl into one Dick Grayson’s arms. The very arms that were way too close to you while in nothing but a wifebeater, muscles fully on display. The ginger huffed.

“Of course, can’t have you fainting on me from the heat,” you patted Dick’s thigh heavily, and Wally swears if he could switch powers he’d steal Superman’s heat-vision eyes—or as Wally would prefer to put it: laser-beams-that-melt-off-hands eyes—the moment Dick placed his hand over yours.

He busied himself with pouring a glass of ice tea, all but shoving it in front of you. “Didn’t you say you were thirsty earlier, babe?”

You frowned, confused, but gratefully accepted the drink he was holding out. It was hot outside. You opened your mouth to speak and Wally was waiting for. . . something, maybe pretty boy at least if not handsome (clearly, that was reserved for Richard).

“Thanks, Walls.”

“Of course, beautiful, anytime.”

You grinned, once again turning to Dick who was telling you some story, hands waving animatedly as he stole every bit of your attention.

Walls.

Wally swore he could feel the ground swallowing him whole as you laughed loudly at the story he’d heard a million times before. Fucking Alfred and his infamous cookies that made everyone act like animals. Fuck Dick too while you’re at it, he grumbled under his breath, slumping into the couch.

.

Okay, so maybe he was overreacting.

You have always been flirty and Dick hasn’t been nothing if not a very willing recipient (and active participant) of someone beautiful hitting on him. Hell, Wally was sure Dick would flirt with anything breathing if they were actually interested. Which, looking at the Wayne heir, anyone would be. But did it have to be you?

Sighing, Wally moved through the tower in a breeze, reaching the training room in record time where you were going to spar with him, like always. “Sweetheart, sorry I’m late, was running low on fuel.”

“It’s alright, Walls,” you chuckled, wiping the chalk dust from your palms, the one that Dick used when he was doing his bendy gymnastics stuff. Since when had you decided to pick it up? Were you making a career switch to an acrobat?

“So, you er, you’re doing. . . gymnastics?”

Your lips pursed at the way his voice squeaked out at the end, confused before nodding softly. “Yeah, Dick’s been teaching me some stuff.”

Cool, just two teammates helping each other out. You were the best at hand to hand combat on the team, so maybe you just wanted to find someone new to learn something from, and apparently that someone is not Wally.

“You guys hang out now?”

“Uh, yeah? Figured I’d learn something new.” You chuckled, the two of you now circling around the mat. You crouched low, eyes locked on Wally in a smile so sinisterly cocky the speedster could feel his mind going fuzzy. God, you looked good.

Before Wally could even open his mouth, you’d pounced. The young speedster barely noticed you before zooming to the other side of the mat. You raised a brow and he smiled, sheepish, apologetic. Right, no powers.

Taking a deep breath, Wally blocked the hit you were aiming at his neck, forearm pushing you off, and then suddenly he can smell you, the scent deep and warm before he had his arm twisted behind his back.

“Stop zoning out Walls,” your voice was hot on the back of his neck. He could feel his face heating up, the red creeping around his freckled face up to the tips of his ears. You let go of him as he leaned his weight into your hold to signal for him to be let loose.

“Getting distracted—“

“—gets you killed.”

You smiled at Wally when he completed your statement. Gesturing, you took your position on the other side of the mat, Wally copying you.

This time, Wally went first. Instead of aiming high like you’d done, the speedster goes low, head tucked into his chin as he grabs you by the waist, using the momentum to swing the two of you on the ground. You let out a soft sound at the impact, but it sounded more like you were amused. When he looked up, he saw the taunting look in your eye, a lazy, smug look tugging at the corners of your mouth. Without even huffing at the effort, you pushed your hips up into his, making him lose balance as you flipped the two of you over, hands now pinning him down, arm stretched across his chest as you held him down on to the mat.

“Nice one,” you grinned, blowing your hair away from your face. You leaned in closer, chest pressed against his, and Wally could swear his heartbeat was the loudest soundtrack he could ever hear. “You almost got me there.”

“Next time,” he rasped out, puffing out a breath of air, hoping it didn’t smell of the Cheetos he’d eaten before training. The movement made the stubborn strand in front of your eyes sway. You smiled, a genuine one, and somehow his heartbeat just rang louder. “I’ll get you next time.”

“I’m counting on it.”

And then you got off of him, holding out your hand for him to stand up. Sucking in a lungful of air, Wally took it, pulled up to stand close enough where he could see every shade of colour in your eyes. They were endless pools of warmth he could fall into forever, and they were looking at him. Right at him. “Walls?”

Clearing his throat, the speedster stepped back, letting go of your hand to ruffle the hair at the top of his head. “Shall we go again?”

“You sure? You seem distracted today.”

“I’m fine, just don’t think my pre-sparring snack was the best one I’ve had.”

You laughed, the sound bright as you got back to the mat. Wally followed suit, the two of you once again circling each other. “Ready?”

You had that smile again, the low, dangerous look in your eyes, the one he saw out on the field. The one Dick held in his smile after he’d seen how it unnerved your opponents. Fucking Dick and his ability to charm everyone. Wally struck out, his body moving before he could catch up, hand coming straight for your face, and before he could even think about how foolishly impulsive the move was, he was face down on the mat, your knee pinning him down as you bent his arm back, not enough to hurt, but just enough to where he could feel a strain.

“Are you sure you’re alright?”

You’d let him go, pulling him to stand at his full height as you grabbed a water bottle, tossing it to the speedster, the shocking pink a contrast against the muted green of his tank. “Yeah I’m fine. Just. . . lost in thought I guess.”

“Penny for them?” you asked, now sitting next to him on the floor. Wally shrugged, handing you the bottle when you held your hand out for it, eyes watching your mouth as it used the sucker on the bottle (where Wally had his mouth moments before), tracing down the column of your throat as you drank greedily.

“I’m good.”

“Promise?” You held out your pinky, Wally smiling as he linked his to yours, the two of you kissing each of your hands as if to seal the pact.

“Promise,” he murmured, mouth hidden by his hand, but he could see you smile behind yours as you murmured a ‘good’ against it.

You pressed your lips one last time to your linked hands for good measure, letting the speedster copy you before the two of you sat up, hands still linked in the silence of the training room, catching your breaths.

God, you had no idea what you did to him.

.

Dick caught up with you as you left the training room, having just walked out of the showers attached next to it, the one Wally had gone into not too long ago. The former Batman sidekick had a towel slung low across his waist, water not yet fully wiped off of him. He smiled as he noticed you.

“Hi, beautiful.”

You grinned, standing up from where you’d been cleaning up after the sparring session between you and Wally. “Hey there, pretty boy. Took a long time in the showers I see.”

Dick fell in step with you, walking out of the training room as you slung a wet towel across your shoulders, water bottle in hand. “Well maybe I was waiting on you.”

“Is that so?” you looked up at him, brow raised. Dick just shrugged, eyes glinting with mischief. His lips were pulled into a cocky smile, tongue peeking out to wet his lower lips.

“Yeah.”

You hummed. “Is that why you’re following me around in just a towel?”

Dick blinked, slowing to a halt outside the door of your room. You watched his skin flush a deep rouge, the heat spreading across his chest and up his cheeks. “I uh, I’ll see you later, sweetheart.”

“Yeah, alright,” you laughed, watching as he stepped back a couple steps before spinning on his feet and heading a couple steps down towards his room. His hand rubbed at the back of his neck as he reached the door, turning around once to wink at you—despite the colour in his face, before shutting the door.

“Aren’t you something,” you murmured, eyes still on the spot he left.

“Who’re you talking to, weirdo?”

You jumped, startled as you stood up straight, leaning away from the doorframe. Wally was standing next to you, now smelling fresh and clean from his shower. “Nobody. Hey, you wanna watch a movie? I’ve got the new Fast and Furious.”

Wally nodded, eyes glancing once more at the door next to yours—where Dick stayed when he was at the Titans Tower—before following you into your door, the lock clicking softly as it shut behind him.

.

Wally swore Dick was everywhere.

The stupid bird themed superhero seemed to spawn around you whenever the speedster wanted to hang out, and he was seconds away from transporting his best friend to the South Pole to live with the penguins (not you, of course, he knew you hated the cold— the ex-sidekick to Gotham’s very own Batman, however. . . ).

The beach was empty as you guys had set up a blanket on the sand, the grains warm but soothing as you dug your toes under the piles. The team had decided to have a little sunset campfire and sing-a-long at the beach, simply to celebrate the hard work of a successful week of leading double lives (in yours, Dick’s and Wally’s cases), and also for being really good at your side job of beating up bad guys.

“I’ve got the drinks,” Roy cheered, plopping down with a six pack, and some other sodas and assortments of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages that were sloshing around in the portable cooler in his hand. “Here.”

He tossed a chill bottle of beer he’d pulled out of it, and Wally caught it. You grinned as Roy passed one to you as well, much nicer in his handling. “Thanks, speedy.”

“Don’t call me that.”

Roy narrowed his eyes playfully at you as Wally and you laughed next to each other. You giggled, leaning into your best friend as you moved the bottle to your mouth, digging your teeth under the metallic cap, and with a slight pressure, you heard the pop and fizz of it coming off.

You looked up, catching the ginger boy watching your every move, eyes tracking your mouth as if he’d zeroed in on something that deserved his attention. You.

You licked your lips, trying to calm the sudden dryness in your throat. Wally’s eyes seemed to darken even more, the flames dancing in them tantalisingly as he copied you. You could hear your heart beating irratically.

“Sweetheart, I need your help.”

Blinking, you turned to look at Dick, mind sluggish as it tried to clear from the haze you had found yourself in. Sitting close enough to the two of you that you could feel his warmth, Dick was holding out his own bottle of beer, making you roll your eyes.

“If you wanted me to watch me use my mouth for you, you could’ve just said so,” you repeated your actions, the pop! of the metal cap opening making Dick grin as he watched you.

“But that’s exactly what I’m doing.”

Wally cleared his throat, watching the two of you lean into each other, teasing smiles and eyes burning with a sort of emotion he’d never seen in you. Were you actually falling for Dick Grayson?

“I’m thinking of starting on the s’mores,” he gestured next to you guys where Kori, Donna and Roy had set up the fire, the flames curling in reckless abandon. The three of them had settled into the sand. You smiled, squeezing his hand as you grabbed it.

“We’ll come with.”

The three of you moved towards your friends, and as you sat down next to Donna, the two of you trying to tell Kori about some new music the two of you were obsessed with currently, he wondered when did you and Dick Grayson become a ‘we’. And why was he so bothered that he wasn’t a ‘we’ to you?

.

It was official.

Dick Grayson was at the top of his hit list.

Wally swore that he could find him everywhere, even in places where he didn’t think possible: like his fucking university campus.

“And then he was telling me how Tim changed every one of Bruce’s codes to. . .”

The two of you were walking through the hallways, and ever since summer, all you’d been gabbing to him was about your new best friend Richard Grayson. The first day back to school and apparently Dick had called you in the night to talk. Yeah, right, Wally thought to himself, everyone has a conversation at 11 in the night.

He caught himself before he could roll his eyes.

“Walls?” You were snapping your fingers in front of his face. When he jolted, you frowned, curious as to what was happening. “Dude, you alright? You went AWOL on me there.”

Wally coughed, nodding. “Yeah I’m fine, long night.”

“Really? With whom?”

You sounded off, somehow not as cheery as you did just moment’s prior when you told him about how Tim had hacked into the programming in the Batcave to play a prank of the Batman. Wally tilted his head towards you as you stopped swinging your joined arms, no longer moving him around while you rambled.

What was it about Dick that had you so drawn to him?

“Nothing, just couldn’t get sleep.”

You frowned, squeezing his hand. During the academic year, Wally would end up walking around with the worst dark circles known to man, all because of his tendency to not get any sleep at night, especially since the two of you didn’t go on patrol as often during the school year. You suspected it had something to do with his powers, his inability to actually stay still and his energy that’s always contagious, always overflowing with so much life that you can’t help but be drawn towards him. But this was early, even for Wally. Usually, it’d take at least a week for him to start complaining about it, and then showing up at your window in the night.

“You want to come over tonight?” You squeezed his hand again, smiling softly in a way that had Wally’s heart thump-thump-thumping hard against his chest.

“What about Dick?”

“What about him?”

The earnest confusion in your voice made him look at you, eyes searching your face. Your brows were furrowed and lips were pursed in an adorable pout that Wally could almost dream of pressing his mouth again and devouring, but what stood out most to him was one simple thing: you weren’t thinking about Dick.

“I just— nothing,” Wally rubbed the back of his neck, lips pulling into a smile when you squeezed his hand (that was still holding yours), “what time should I be there?”

“Come over right after patrol, I’ve got your sweats washed. Couldn’t get that stain out though.”

“It’s fine.”

Wally laughed, letting you drag him around to your next class before the bell rang (he had a free period in his schedule). You hated being late.

.

By the time the two of you fell onto the floor through your open bedroom window, Wally was spent. He’d starfished across the soft carpet, still in his Kid Flash costume, and you’d fallen right on top of him with an undignified oomph!

“Move your fat ass out of the way, Walls,” you poked him in his side where you knew he was ticklish, making him jerk at the sudden movement, as you got up.

“I’m good,” his voice was once again muffled, face down in the carpet, “I’ll just stay here.”

You laughed, pulling yourself up as Wally turned over to look at your grinning face staring down at him. “Do you plan on making yourself comfortable there or shall I keep space in bed for you?”

Wally could feel his heart in his throat as he nodded towards your bed. Swallowing harshly, he cleared his throat. “I can’t pass on that beauty.”

Chuckling, you headed towards the bathroom, calling out over your shoulder as you grabbed the door handle.

“Clothes are in the drawer and mom got extra snacks if you’re hungry. Just change first!”

And then Wally heard the lock click shut, the sound of the shower running beyond the wooden door. Sighing, he stood up, gravitating towards your closet to grab some spare clothes he could change into after a shower and setting them aside, somewhat of a proud smile on his face. At least Dick didn’t have an entire section in your closet for his clothes.

By the time you’d come back from your shower, Wally had sprawled himself once again on your fuzzy carpet, now filled with half the snacks in your pantry and a couple of cookies your father had baked earlier in the night.

“Hey, brought up some cookies, your parents have gone to bed.”

You grinned, bee-lining to the nightstand where Wally had left your treasure, while the redhead moved towards the shower. “What would I do without you, Wally?”

“Be boring and lonely— ow!”

Wally glared at you, trying hardest to be mad as he rubbed the spot where you’d punched him for his comment but he could feel his mouth fighting against him at your cheeky smile. Your eyes were shining with mischief and warmth and Wally couldn’t help but mirror your grin as you fell onto your mattress. “Save one for me.”

“You already ate so many!”

You looked up at him with bright eyes, and Wally could feel his heart soaring at how open and vulnerable you seemed. You were still smiling, even as he flicked you on the forehead before moving swiftly aside to dodge your counterattack.

“Yeah well, I’m your best friend. It’s in the rules: guests get more food.”

You sat up on your elbows, eyeing the boy who had a impish look on his face. “Please you stopped being a guest since you were six.”

You rolled your eyes as Wally mocked you, finally heading into the shower while you fell back on your bed, cheeks still warm from the smile on your face. That boy had no idea what he did to you.

.

Steam curled out of the bathroom as Wally stepped out, sweatpants loose on his hips and a towel he used to dry his hair. You were on your back now, reading a book as you waited on him.

“Here, saved you the last one.”

“I knew you loved me,” he grinned, snatching it up as you rolled your eyes at him, all fond and warm. You really did love him.

Wally plopped down gracelessly onto the bed next to you, laughing when you whacked him complaining about crumbs (he’d made sure to not let a single one fall, he knew you didn’t like eating in bed) and snuggled into his side of the bed.

You propped yourself up into his eyeline, watching him drink you in like he always did, like he was clawing for air only you could offer. He only hoped it wasn’t as obvious to you. “So, what d’ya wanna do?”

Wally hummed, hand coming back up to brush against the bruise on your cheek, the one that you’d gained earlier in the night during patrol after narrowly missing a fist aimed at your face. You’d managed to grab the hand before it swung into bone, but the brass knuckles that decorated it had left a blooming red score on your cheekbone. “Does it hurt?”

“Not even a little bit,” you murmured, head nuzzling into his palm like you wanted to burrow yourself in it.

Wally could see the way your eye twitched ever so slightly at the point closest to your eye when he brushed the purpling bruise, but other than that, you were still smiling down at him with such warmth he could feel himself sinking into comfort.

You turned your head to kiss his palm once, gently lacing your fingers through his to pry it off your face as you leaned over to press your lips to his cheek, and Wally’s eyes fluttered close at the contact without hesitation.

“Go to sleep, West. You look like a troll I dragged out from under my bed.”

Wally guffawed, eyes wide open as you chortled, falling onto him upon looking at the wide eyed offence on his face, your body wrecked with unabashed laughter as you shook in his grasp. “You think you’re so hilarious, don’t you?”

You nodded against him, the humour bubbling out of you seeping into him at the points where you were connected (his hands on your back, holding you close to where you’d pressed yourself into his chest), his chest rumbling with laughter under you.

“Fine, let’s call it a night, sleeping beauty.”

The two of you tucked yourself under your covers without moving, the little night light you left on your bedside table the only sign of life in the dead of the night as sleep overcame the two of you.

.

The tower was quiet when you stepped inside. You shouldered your way through the door of your bedroom in the building, finally sliding off the wet coat and shoes that had collected the rainwater from the impromptu shower that the heavens had unleashed upon you.

“Oh hey, sweetheart.”

Before you could even catch up on the reason the voice was so familiar, you’d swung around, clipping the man behind you with your wet coat, the metal of the zipper clinking hard against his face.

“Richard Grayson, don’t you know better than to sneak up on people like that.”

You glared at the cheeky smile he sported, still standing comfortably in the middle of your room as you dragged your jacket away from his face and the matching red mark you’d left on the right side of his cheekbone, mirroring the one you had on your left.

“Great you see you too, darling.”

You rolled your eyes, shimmying out of the oversized Central City University sweatshirt, now feeling overly warm in the blooming heat of the building. Your tank top stuck to your skin from the water as you let your hair fall down your back, limp and wet, droplets tracing rivulets down your spine.

“Did you need something?”

“You wound me,” the raven haired boy grabbed his chest as if you’d physically hurt him, even stumbling back to sell his theatrical pain. You shook your head at him, rainwater clinging onto his face from the close proximity as he chuckled. “I just came to check on you cause of the rain.”

“Well, sorry to disappoint but I didn’t drown.”

“Can’t have my girl drowning on me,” he grinned, pulling you into his side to warm you up, and you gratefully leaned towards the heat of his (entirely too expensive) wool jumper, wet head of hair tucked into his chin as you placed your cold hands on the back of his neck, making him yelp. “Get away from me you heathen!”

“I thought I was your girl?” you mocked him, head tilted to one side as he kept you close enough to warm your hands against his. It was no secret you hated the cold.

“Yeah you are, sweetheart.”

“Am I interrupting?”

You jumped away from Dick as if you’d been burned, the warmth of his body turning ice rigid in your veins as Wally stood at your open door, looking in at the two of you. You cleared your throat as Dick, ever the one to be able to bring in levity in pungent silence, spoke up.

“Not at all, she’s all yours.”

And then, squeezing your hands one last time (that had gone limp in his reach the moment his best friend had walked in), Dick glanced at you one last time, impish smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth as he moved to leave the room, patting Wally on the back while he did.

Wally watched as you glared at the broad shoulders that disappeared from the doorframe, before taking in your appearance. You shuffled, suddenly aware of not just how unkempt your hair was, but the fact that you’d been standing in front of Dick and now Wally, in a shirt thin enough to see your bra through. If only you’d had the foresight to wear a nicer one, maybe this wouldn’t be half as awkward.

“I erm. . . I got caught in the rain,” you supplied helplessly, tugging at the end of your cotton tank top, spinning around as you went to the drawer to grab dry clothes.

“I can see that.”

Wally still sounded far away: when you glanced over your shoulder after finding a dry shirt, you found him still standing in the doorway, his stance stilted and wound tight like he couldn’t decide whether he should enter or not.

”You’ve seen me in my bra before, just get in already,” you chuckled, waving him in, only noticing him hesitate for a second before nodding, following your instructions and shutting the door behind him. “Your group project finally got situated?”

Wally had stayed back at Central City University for some project he had for his Physics 301 class while you’d left earlier, having decided on working at the Tower instead. And lucky for him, he’d managed to get all the luck with the weather because it was finally sunny outside again.

Wally cleared his throat as you pulled your shirt over your head. “So, you and Dick. . .”

“What about Dick and I?”

Pulling your head through the neck hole of a dry shirt, to find him still hovering like he didn’t know how to exist in your space, a place he’d inhabited since the two of you were five and playing in the sandbox. You frowned, watching him glance around like he’d lost the right to be in there without you asking for him first.

“. . . Is everything alright?”

”Yeah, I just. . . I’m happy for Dick and you.”

You blinked, trying to figure out what exactly was happening. Did he seriously think that Dick was the one that had you losing all sense?

”I’m just going to—“ he pointed behind him, and before you could even stop him, he’d phased through the shut door. You rushed after him, trying to find the speedster as you pulled your door open with urgency.

”Wally—“

The hallway was empty.

.

It had always felt like breathing. At least, that’s how Wally thought about it.

Since the first time you’d met, Wally had found himself in tune with you, like a wavelength honing in on a frequency that it needed in order to function. You’d been giggly and had a chip in your front tooth from where you’d hit your face on while jumping off the swing and doing a flip you’d just learned in gymnastics. You’d never even cried about it, the grin of showing off to your new friend still plastered even as the corner of your lip started bleeding and your mother came rushing towards you. You’d simply grabbed Wally’s hand and told him you’d teach him how to do it too.

That was the first time he’d met you, and since then you’d been a stronghold in his life, someone he’d come to know inside out, maybe even better than he’d known himself. You’d been the first person he’d found after getting his powers, after he found out how his uncle was The Flash, the trials that came with having powers, you’d been standing beside him, always with a snack (apples crusted with peanut butter, to make sure he was both eating healthy but also had something to satiate his sweet tooth) and a smile that disarmed every bit of distaste he felt towards himself for not being good enough. You’d been there for the first ever time he’d had his heart broken, a girl he’d seen only a few months in high school, but you’d been there to cheer him up, mend the parts that he never knew could break.

Wally had known it’d only be a matter of time before Dick and you finally got together, it’d be stupid to think otherwise, but god he didn’t realise just how much it would sting being second place to Dick.

He’d learned early on that being Wally West meant being able to learn you and love you, and he’d made his peace with it. You’d were singular in every way and it wasn’t surprising that everyone around you noticed; you tended to do that, draw people into an orbit that made them feel like they were at home, because that’s what you did to him at age five with a toothy grin. He just needed to make peace with the fact that you’d found someone else.

“What’re you doing here?”

Blinking, Wally saw Roy walk up to him, the former Green Arrow sidekick dressed up as if he had somewhere to be.

“Where’re you off to?”

“Had a date,” Roy grinned, patting Wally on the shoulder as he vaulted over the couch, settling into the one that wasn’t occupied by the speedster. “Now why are you sulking? Trouble in paradise?”

Wally’s eyes narrowed. Roy, amongst other things, was a big gossip, especially when around Donna and you, the three of you always knee deep in random news you’d heard (four if K’ori wasn’t off-world). Half of it of course came from the type of vigilantes Roy and you happened to be, but the other half was simply pure curiosity. Wally had never met a man both so brilliant and downright ready to binge an entire season’s worth of reality television.

“What paradise? There’s no paradise.”

Roy simply looked at him, a stray strand of red hair falling over his forehead from his man bun—the only person Wally had seen ever pull off that style so well—and shook his head, a low chuckle emitting from his throat. “Yeah right, I’m not blind dude.”

“I’m being serious.”

“Uh huh, and we’re all just happy go lucky adults with no issues at all,” Roy nodded, and Wally could tell that the archer was taking the piss out of him, but god he couldn’t help it. “Seriously dude, just talk to her.”

“I can’t— I can’t just talk to her!”

“Yes you can, you just open your mouth and form words.”

Wally walloped him with a pillow as Roy laughed at his red face, tossing the decorative piece right back at the speedster, who simply grabbed it and placed it down next to him with more force than required.

“I can’t, she’s going out with Dick now.”

Roy raised a brow, now settled into the couch as he folded his arms across his chest. “Huh, I didn’t see that coming.”

“Tell me about it,” Wally slumped into the cushioning, hands running over his face.

He could feel Roy’s eyes burning into the side of his skull as he stayed hidden behind his fingers, trying to press them into his skull like it would press away the way he needed you into the back of his mind, to be left untouched and forgotten as time would pass by.

“My advice is you talk to her, what’s the worst that could happen?”

And with that, Wally could hear the sound of fading footsteps as Roy headed out towards his room, once again leaving the redhead to stew in his own feelings, the night sky greeting him as he stared out the window, trying to figure out just when he’d found himself so helpless to the way he loved you.

The crickets chirped faintly in the background as the hum of the city started falling asleep.

.

Wally had begun trying to find ways to avoid you. It’d started small, with not being free during the week to study together in the Central City University library like the two of you usually did. He’d been working everyday this week on some or the other assignment, or was hanging out with friends from his classes, who you had met barely in passing to actually know, which meant that you’d spent more time with his parents than him, feeling bad about only showing up on their doorstep to ask about their son. You played poker with his father as you waited, but Wally never returned home, only zooming by you on your interconnected patrol routes. Hell, it’d gotten to the point where you’d not trained together either. No matter what, Wally never missed sparring sessions with you.

You wondered what could’ve possibly happened for him to ignore you. Hooking your penknife into the latch of his window, you jiggled it around, trying to catch the grove that would help you unlock it, and after a few moments, you heard the sound of your success, the click of the mechanic registering as you slid open the window, toppling through gracefully and face first into wooden flooring.

“What are you doing?”

You stood up, brushing yourself off as Wally leaned against the doorway of his bathroom, eyeing you down with confusion. “You were ignoring me all week.”

“So you break into my room?”

”Obviously,” you chuckled, closing the gap between you as you moved into the room. You only stopped when he spoke up again.

”Why?”

Wally looked genuinely surprised, like he hadn’t expected you to fix whatever it was that had gone so wrong that he’d decided forgetting about you was better than talking with you.

You could feel your lips tug into a frown at the idea of never having access to Wally— selfishly, you needed him around, if nothing else then as your best friend. He’d been an extension of you since you’d first met him, trying (and succeeding) at impressing him enough to become your friend in the sandbox. Even at five years old, you could tell he was important, and not because he was the first boy you’d befriended. Wally had a way of making everything around you brighter, like you’d become Midas-touched gold, forever shining as long as he looked at you. He’d brought laughter out of you when your grandfather died; when you’d started crying over Marley and Me and he’d promised he’d find a way to make the dog the two of you got together live forever; when you had first killed a man on the job (an accident, and he was the bad guy, but that didn’t mean it didn’t flash behind your eyelids for over a month) but struggled to wash off the blood until Wally held your shaking hands to do it for you. . .

“Are we okay?”

The question came out quieter than you wanted it to, like punching it out of your lungs expelled all the fear you had about it, into the open where Wally could grab onto it, grab it and do whatever he pleased with the worry you held for him, for the two of you.

Wally shrugged, hands shoved into his sweatpants. He’d moved out of the bathroom now, the door clicking shut softly behind him. “Why wouldn’t we be?”

You swallowed the lump in your throat at the impassive callousness in his voice. Your tongue felt heavy, pinned down as you called out his name. “Wally. . .”

“Baby, ’m fine, you don’t have to worry about me.”

Baby, the word sunk heady into your heart, something you’d wished to hear from him, but not like this. Wally had his arms crossed over his chest, standing next to his bed now as he watched you watch him. You cursed as you could feel your eyes shine with watery tears that were beginning to form. Why did he think you didn’t care about him? All you ever did was worry about ways Wally could live a life that he was proud of, one that he wouldn’t have to hide in the future from whoever he was around (and in the most dangerous dreams you had about it, it was you by his side).

“Why wouldn’t I worry about you?” You scoffed, biting back the tears as you stared at the redhead who was watching you intently. “Do you think I don’t care?”

“No you— you do, I know that. . . but with Dick around now, you’ll—“

“What does Dick have to do with you not talking to me?”

Wally ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the tuff of it where it connected to his neck, feet moving as he began pacing. “Doesn’t everything lately have to do with him? I’m happy for you guys, truly. But I can’t be around you, not while I. . .”

“While you, what?” You asked, watching as Wally went still, eyes bugging wide when you repeated yourself. “While you what, Wallace?”

He winced when you used his actual name, not even Walls or Wally, instead shaking his head as he pointed at his window. “You should go.”

“Not until you tell me what’s going on,” you huffed, now your arms crossed as you stared down the boy you’d loved since the beginning of high school.

Wally sucked in a sharp breath like the idea of telling you the truth caused a physical wound in him, and you desperately needed to know it was something you could fix. Because you couldn’t stand the idea of not having Wally anywhere except next to you: it’s what you’d always known, the only thing you’d been sure of since you were a little girl.

When he opened his mouth, you could feel yourself slipping into that hope that finally you’d gotten through to him. “I’m sorry. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

You could feel the air expunge itself from your lungs as Wally turned to fidget with his bedding. He didn’t even look back as you whispered a goodnight Walls over his windowsill, body halfway out. Swallowing harshly, you balanced on the edge of the roof to the West house before dropping down, crouching low to the ground once you landed on the grass of their backyard.

In the quiet of the night, you walked yourself back to your apartment building (which was closer than the tower), eyes red by the time you found yourself in bed, tucked into the duvet that was still the same pastel green that you and Wally had picked together back when you were just children.

.

“Woah, you alright sweetheart?”

Dick and Donna came into your line of sight, the Wayne heir grinned good naturedly while Donna watched you curiously.

Huffing, you landed another hit on the sandbag, the chain swinging from the impact. Donna caught it as it neared her, “what’s going on?”

”Wally, he’s just. . . God, boys can be so frustrating!”

You punched the bag once again as Donna let it go, the Amazonian stepping aside right as the bag swung off the hook in the ceiling. Dick raised his hands in surrender as if he were the one in the line of fire.

“Do you want me to talk to him?”

You eyed Dick, who was still standing far enough to not get hit, and watching you with concern written into the crease of his brows and the corners of his mouth before shaking your head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, I’ll— I’ll talk to him. . . Besides, I don’t think you’ll get through him this time.”

Dick frowned, but nodded. And you understood why; Wally and Dick had been inseparable when the two of you joined the team back in the day, as children who still had hope and dreams of a world that seemed much nicer than it actually is. Wally had found a brother in Dick, and so did the former Robin, you knew that the idea of Wally not listening to Dick would hurt him, but you didn’t want whatever it was that had Wally hurting because of Dick be an issue, not until you could at least figure it out first.

Donna stepped forward, tying her hair back as she did. “Want to spar for a bit? Take your mind off of that idiot?”

“Sure,” you chuckled, shaking your head. Donna always knew how to make you feel better. If you couldn’t talk it out, you’d get out whatever it was with a fight. She’d been much the same way since she’d joined the team as well. “What would I do without you, my love?”

“Be moping,” Dick called out, now hanging off of one the beams, practicing his flips and tricks from a life he no longer had. You looked up and he was grinning from cheek to cheek. “Your emo teenage angst shit is filling this room.”

You rolled your eyes. “Dickhead.”

“That’s me,” he called, swinging his body through the maze of support beams and other bars that had been installed specifically for him.

You turned to Donna, who was grinning as well. “Well, shall we?”

“Why, of course.”

Donna crouched low, waiting on your move. You took the first step.

.

By the time you’d entered your room, it’d been past midnight. Patrol had been long, even longer when Wally wasn’t there to trade jokes with you, or attempt to guess what exactly you’d end up finding while on your rounds.

You’d barely shut your door, still in your suit as you flopped onto the bed when you could feel the familiar hum of frequency outside your door before a loud knock echoed against it.

“Get inside, Wally.”

“Can you. . . Can you open the door?”

Sighing, you dragged yourself up, pulling open the door to see Wally, still in his yellow and red costume, goggles tucked into his hair and freckles on display as the face piece to his suit was pushed back. The boy shuffled on his feet, as if surprised to see you standing in front of him. “Hi.”

“Can you not phase through shit anymore?” You asked, opening the door wider as he stepped in at your gesture for him to do so, stopping just beyond the threshold. You shut the door softly behind him.

“I’m sorry.”

And without meaning to, laughter spilled out of you, the sound more hollow and mean than Wally had ever heard out of you. “You’re sorry? That’s new. I thought you were too busy ignoring me.”

You strode towards your closet, wanting to change out of the suit that stuck to your skin, the suffocating feeling of having Wally so close to you after two weeks of him trying to erase himself from your life practically felt like you’d lose air the longer you were constricted in it. Wally grabbed your hand before you could move far away.

“I mean it, I was being a dick about well. . . Dick,” he winced, brows scrunching even further when you didn’t laugh even the slightest at the unintentional joke, something you always did. Sucking in a harsh breath, he carried on, “if you’re happy with him, I’ll make my peace with it. I just want my best friend back.”

“If I’m happy with whom, Walls?”

You looked genuinely confused, as if Wally hadn’t been there to see Dick and you fall for each other these past few months.

“Dick.”

“What?”

And to Wally’s surprise, you were laughing. You were bent over the waist, nearly falling into him at the image he’d given you. “What’s so funny?”

“Dick and I— there’s nothing. . . Oh my god, did you think I was going out with Dick?”

You had tears coming out of your eyes as you looked at him, as if the idea of anybody wanting to be with Dick Grayson was absurd. He knew the two of you were perfect together, and would look the part too in Gotham’s socialite papers and photographs.

“Please, Dick has his eye set on a redhead at all times,” you chuckled, wiping at the corner of your eyes, “he’s more likely to go for you.”

And at Wally’s shock, at his mouth that fell open, unable to find words, you’d found yourself laughing again. “Wait, so you and Dick aren’t—“

“We never were,” you shook your head, head tilting as if you’d found something out. Your eyes were swimming with curiosity, a sort of finality he’d only seen in you when you’d cracked a particularly difficult case. He’d seen it when you’d found the answer that had stumped you during your criminology courses, when you’d found out whatever Wally had hidden from you (like the surprise parties he tried throwing for your birthday, only for you to find him out five times in a row before he gave up). But now, they looked ever more sure, and Wally hoped he hadn’t been found out.

You took a step forward, now facing him as you closed the distance. “Hey, Walls?”

Wally hummed, eyes darting all over your face, close enough that he could see every shade and hue in your eyes, the way your mouth was pulled into a smile, something sly but that also said you wanted to know something, as your eyes fixed on his mouth.

“What up?”

“Don’t panic.”

“I— what? What do you mean—“

You’d grabbed him by the collar, lips slotting against his that were still sealed shut. The surprise of the impact had him opening his eyes, before reality caught up to him. You were kissing him. You were kissing him. Before he could fully return the fervour, you’d pulled back.

“That’s why.”

Wally was staring at you, eyes wide. “You kissed me.”

”I did,” you grinned, closing the gap to the point where Wally could feel your body pressed up against his, and instinct dictated that he steady you, his hands falling on your waist. “Now are you just going to stand there and gawk, or will you kiss me again?”

When Wally made no move to respond, still glued to the fact that you’d kissed him and it wasn’t a dream, you made to move out of his embrace. “Maybe I should go ask Dick if he wants to— mmph!”

”Shut up,” Wally murmured, pressing his lips to yours again, hands moving to circle around you as he pulled you closer to him, but he was grinning now. You couldn’t help mirror it as you pulled him closer to you, tugging on his hair as you did.

Wally let out a low sound, shuffling back as you hit the edge of your desk, his palms flash against your hips as he set you on top of it. The fireproof material of Wally’s suit bunching in your hands as you dragged him closer, his hands steadying you, still kissing you as if he couldn’t stop. He moved away when you hooked one leg to pull him closer.

”Wait— hold on, what does this mean?”

You blinked, the sluggish euphoria that had filled your veins, sparking a fire in your system slowed into a small flame as you finally realised what he was saying. You looked up into deep greens as they studied you, trying to figure you out, the way they always did.

”I don’t want to do this if it’s just something casual, I don’t— I can’t do that, not with you.”

You loosened your grip on his collar, smoothening it as you tried to figure out how to put it in a way that made him understand just how selfishly you needed him. “That’s the last thing I want with you.”

”Good, because I want this,” he was drawing circles into your waist, still close like he couldn’t bear to be any further from you, eyes scanning every inch of your face. “I want you, all of you.”

You smiled, heart thump-thump-thumping so wild you were sure he could feel it with how close the two of you were. “You have me.”

And Wally’s smile was blinding, the flame in your veins burning brighter just at the way he was looking at you.

“Yeah?” he asked, voice soft and wrecked with emotion.

”Yeah.”

Wally’s mouth slotted against yours against, messy and teeth clashing with how brightly he was smiling, tongue licking at your bottom lip as you dragged him into you, letting him take and take and take everything he wanted. His hands slid into your hair as he tilted your head back, lips moving across every inch of skin he could access, your legs hooking around his hips to sit flush with yours.

”I can’t wait to tell Dick you thought that I was in love with him when you’re here.”

Wally groaned against your pulse point, the spot behind your ear, the sound low and gravelly that had your eyes fluttering shut as you fought to keep your teasing for longer. He pulled away, just enough to speak.

”You won’t let me live that down, will you?”

”I can be convinced,” you teased, breath hitching as he already started tracing a path across your skin again, willing you to forget his stupidity, hands already latching onto the zipper in the front of your tactical suit. “Fuck, baby. . .”

”Say that again,” he hummed, mouthing at your collarbone and you had no choice but to acquiesce his demand.

”Wally, babe, don’t—fuck, don’t stop,” you whimpered as his hips pressed hard into yours again, the pressure only causing the fire curling low in your belly to burn harder as you met his actions and desire.

“God, you have no idea what you do to me, darlin’.”

The low drawl had you pulling him up, his eyes not only having a slither of green as they gazed up at you in hunger.

“I have an idea,” you mumbled, dragging him into you again, his body following yours with no resistance.

“Hey, Walls,” you called out, catching the attention of the speedster who’d been hovering around the kitchen. He stood to attention, coming towards where you’d asked for him, standing at the countertop. “Help me with the drinks?”

“Anything you want, beautiful,” he flashed you a smile, leaning heavily over you as you manoeuvred a bunch of cups into his hand, while you held two tall pitchers of ice tea. He took in your outfit, dressed in shorts and a tank top, your hair pushed away from your face to combat the heat.

You looked over your shoulder, bright smile on your face. “Coming?”

Snapping out of his daze, Wally sped up to join you, setting down the cups next to the pitchers and sliding into the seat next to you.

Before he could open his mouth, possibly shove his foot in there by letting out another flirtatious comment, you speak up.

“Hello, handsome.”

Wally blinks, once, slow. Did he hear you correctly? Was he finally out of—

“Hi there, gorgeous.”

Dick.

Of fucking course it was Dick Grayson. The boy had sidled himself next to you, leaning into your personal space, and worst of all, you’re letting him. Wally looked up, you were preening under the charming smile the raven haired boy had put on. Preening, and Dick had his chest puffed out like a fucking peacock, thanking you for taking care of the team.

“You’re so nice to me.”

Wally knew that voice, the fucking low and gravelly tone swaying any girl into one Dick Grayson’s arms. The very arms that were way too close to you while in nothing but a wifebeater, muscles fully on display. The ginger huffed.

“Of course, can’t have you fainting on me from the heat,” you patted Dick’s thigh heavily, and Wally swears if he could switch powers he’d steal Superman’s heat-vision eyes—or as Wally would prefer to put it: laser-beams-that-melt-off-hands eyes—the moment Dick placed his hand over yours.

He busied himself with pouring a glass of ice tea, all but shoving it in front of you. “Didn’t you say you were thirsty earlier, babe?”

You frowned, confused, but gratefully accepted the drink he was holding out. It was hot outside. You opened your mouth to speak and Wally was waiting for. . . something, maybe pretty boy at least if not handsome (clearly, that was reserved for Richard).

“Thanks, Walls.”

“Of course, beautiful, anytime.”

You grinned, once again turning to Dick who was telling you some story, hands waving animatedly as he stole every bit of your attention.

Walls.

Wally swore he could feel the ground swallowing him whole as you laughed loudly at the story he’d heard a million times before. Fucking Alfred and his infamous cookies that made everyone act like animals. Fuck Dick too while you’re at it, he grumbled under his breath, slumping into the couch.

.

Okay, so maybe he was overreacting.

You have always been flirty and Dick hasn’t been nothing if not a very willing recipient (and active participant) of someone beautiful hitting on him. Hell, Wally was sure Dick would flirt with anything breathing if they were actually interested. Which, looking at the Wayne heir, anyone would be. But did it have to be you?

Sighing, Wally moved through the tower in a breeze, reaching the training room in record time where you were going to spar with him, like always. “Sweetheart, sorry I’m late, was running low on fuel.”

“It’s alright, Walls,” you chuckled, wiping the chalk dust from your palms, the one that Dick used when he was doing his bendy gymnastics stuff. Since when had you decided to pick it up? Were you making a career switch to an acrobat?

“So, you er, you’re doing. . . gymnastics?”

Your lips pursed at the way his voice squeaked out at the end, confused before nodding softly. “Yeah, Dick’s been teaching me some stuff.”

Cool, just two teammates helping each other out. You were the best at hand to hand combat on the team, so maybe you just wanted to find someone new to learn something from, and apparently that someone is not Wally.

“You guys hang out now?”

“Uh, yeah? Figured I’d learn something new.” You chuckled, the two of you now circling around the mat. You crouched low, eyes locked on Wally in a smile so sinisterly cocky the speedster could feel his mind going fuzzy. God, you looked good.

Before Wally could even open his mouth, you’d pounced. The young speedster barely noticed you before zooming to the other side of the mat. You raised a brow and he smiled, sheepish, apologetic. Right, no powers.

Taking a deep breath, Wally blocked the hit you were aiming at his neck, forearm pushing you off, and then suddenly he can smell you, the scent deep and warm before he had his arm twisted behind his back.

“Stop zoning out Walls,” your voice was hot on the back of his neck. He could feel his face heating up, the red creeping around his freckled face up to the tips of his ears. You let go of him as he leaned his weight into your hold to signal for him to be let loose.

“Getting distracted—“

“—gets you killed.”

You smiled at Wally when he completed your statement. Gesturing, you took your position on the other side of the mat, Wally copying you.

This time, Wally went first. Instead of aiming high like you’d done, the speedster goes low, head tucked into his chin as he grabs you by the waist, using the momentum to swing the two of you on the ground. You let out a soft sound at the impact, but it sounded more like you were amused. When he looked up, he saw the taunting look in your eye, a lazy, smug look tugging at the corners of your mouth. Without even huffing at the effort, you pushed your hips up into his, making him lose balance as you flipped the two of you over, hands now pinning him down, arm stretched across his chest as you held him down on to the mat.

“Nice one,” you grinned, blowing your hair away from your face. You leaned in closer, chest pressed against his, and Wally could swear his heartbeat was the loudest soundtrack he could ever hear. “You almost got me there.”

“Next time,” he rasped out, puffing out a breath of air, hoping it didn’t smell of the Cheetos he’d eaten before training. The movement made the stubborn strand in front of your eyes sway. You smiled, a genuine one, and somehow his heartbeat just rang louder. “I’ll get you next time.”

“I’m counting on it.”

And then you got off of him, holding out your hand for him to stand up. Sucking in a lungful of air, Wally took it, pulled up to stand close enough where he could see every shade of colour in your eyes. They were endless pools of warmth he could fall into forever, and they were looking at him. Right at him. “Walls?”

Clearing his throat, the speedster stepped back, letting go of your hand to ruffle the hair at the top of his head. “Shall we go again?”

“You sure? You seem distracted today.”

“I’m fine, just don’t think my pre-sparring snack was the best one I’ve had.”

You laughed, the sound bright as you got back to the mat. Wally followed suit, the two of you once again circling each other. “Ready?”

You had that smile again, the low, dangerous look in your eyes, the one he saw out on the field. The one Dick held in his smile after he’d seen how it unnerved your opponents. Fucking Dick and his ability to charm everyone. Wally struck out, his body moving before he could catch up, hand coming straight for your face, and before he could even think about how foolishly impulsive the move was, he was face down on the mat, your knee pinning him down as you bent his arm back, not enough to hurt, but just enough to where he could feel a strain.

“Are you sure you’re alright?”

You’d let him go, pulling him to stand at his full height as you grabbed a water bottle, tossing it to the speedster, the shocking pink a contrast against the muted green of his tank. “Yeah I’m fine. Just. . . lost in thought I guess.”

“Penny for them?” you asked, now sitting next to him on the floor. Wally shrugged, handing you the bottle when you held your hand out for it, eyes watching your mouth as it used the sucker on the bottle (where Wally had his mouth moments before), tracing down the column of your throat as you drank greedily.

“I’m good.”

“Promise?” You held out your pinky, Wally smiling as he linked his to yours, the two of you kissing each of your hands as if to seal the pact.

“Promise,” he murmured, mouth hidden by his hand, but he could see you smile behind yours as you murmured a ‘good’ against it.

You pressed your lips one last time to your linked hands for good measure, letting the speedster copy you before the two of you sat up, hands still linked in the silence of the training room, catching your breaths.

God, you had no idea what you did to him.

.

Dick caught up with you as you left the training room, having just walked out of the showers attached next to it, the one Wally had gone into not too long ago. The former Batman sidekick had a towel slung low across his waist, water not yet fully wiped off of him. He smiled as he noticed you.

“Hi, beautiful.”

You grinned, standing up from where you’d been cleaning up after the sparring session between you and Wally. “Hey there, pretty boy. Took a long time in the showers I see.”

Dick fell in step with you, walking out of the training room as you slung a wet towel across your shoulders, water bottle in hand. “Well maybe I was waiting on you.”

“Is that so?” you looked up at him, brow raised. Dick just shrugged, eyes glinting with mischief. His lips were pulled into a cocky smile, tongue peeking out to wet his lower lips.

“Yeah.”

You hummed. “Is that why you’re following me around in just a towel?”

Dick blinked, slowing to a halt outside the door of your room. You watched his skin flush a deep rouge, the heat spreading across his chest and up his cheeks. “I uh, I’ll see you later, sweetheart.”

“Yeah, alright,” you laughed, watching as he stepped back a couple steps before spinning on his feet and heading a couple steps down towards his room. His hand rubbed at the back of his neck as he reached the door, turning around once to wink at you—despite the colour in his face, before shutting the door.

“Aren’t you something,” you murmured, eyes still on the spot he left.

“Who’re you talking to, weirdo?”

You jumped, startled as you stood up straight, leaning away from the doorframe. Wally was standing next to you, now smelling fresh and clean from his shower. “Nobody. Hey, you wanna watch a movie? I’ve got the new Fast and Furious.”

Wally nodded, eyes glancing once more at the door next to yours—where Dick stayed when he was at the Titans Tower—before following you into your door, the lock clicking softly as it shut behind him.

.

Wally swore Dick was everywhere.

The stupid bird themed superhero seemed to spawn around you whenever the speedster wanted to hang out, and he was seconds away from transporting his best friend to the South Pole to live with the penguins (not you, of course, he knew you hated the cold— the ex-sidekick to Gotham’s very own Batman, however. . . ).

The beach was empty as you guys had set up a blanket on the sand, the grains warm but soothing as you dug your toes under the piles. The team had decided to have a little sunset campfire and sing-a-long at the beach, simply to celebrate the hard work of a successful week of leading double lives (in yours, Dick’s and Wally’s cases), and also for being really good at your side job of beating up bad guys.

“I’ve got the drinks,” Roy cheered, plopping down with a six pack, and some other sodas and assortments of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages that were sloshing around in the portable cooler in his hand. “Here.”

He tossed a chill bottle of beer he’d pulled out of it, and Wally caught it. You grinned as Roy passed one to you as well, much nicer in his handling. “Thanks, speedy.”

“Don’t call me that.”

Roy narrowed his eyes playfully at you as Wally and you laughed next to each other. You giggled, leaning into your best friend as you moved the bottle to your mouth, digging your teeth under the metallic cap, and with a slight pressure, you heard the pop and fizz of it coming off.

You looked up, catching the ginger boy watching your every move, eyes tracking your mouth as if he’d zeroed in on something that deserved his attention. You.

You licked your lips, trying to calm the sudden dryness in your throat. Wally’s eyes seemed to darken even more, the flames dancing in them tantalisingly as he copied you. You could hear your heart beating irratically.

“Sweetheart, I need your help.”

Blinking, you turned to look at Dick, mind sluggish as it tried to clear from the haze you had found yourself in. Sitting close enough to the two of you that you could feel his warmth, Dick was holding out his own bottle of beer, making you roll your eyes.

“If you wanted me to watch me use my mouth for you, you could’ve just said so,” you repeated your actions, the pop! of the metal cap opening making Dick grin as he watched you.

“But that’s exactly what I’m doing.”

Wally cleared his throat, watching the two of you lean into each other, teasing smiles and eyes burning with a sort of emotion he’d never seen in you. Were you actually falling for Dick Grayson?

“I’m thinking of starting on the s’mores,” he gestured next to you guys where Kori, Donna and Roy had set up the fire, the flames curling in reckless abandon. The three of them had settled into the sand. You smiled, squeezing his hand as you grabbed it.

“We’ll come with.”

The three of you moved towards your friends, and as you sat down next to Donna, the two of you trying to tell Kori about some new music the two of you were obsessed with currently, he wondered when did you and Dick Grayson become a ‘we’. And why was he so bothered that he wasn’t a ‘we’ to you?

.

It was official.

Dick Grayson was at the top of his hit list.

Wally swore that he could find him everywhere, even in places where he didn’t think possible: like his fucking high school.

“And then he was telling me how Tim changed every one of Bruce’s codes to. . .”

The two of you were walking through the hallways, and ever since summer, all you’d been gabbing to him was about your new best friend Richard Grayson. The first day back to school and apparently Dick had called you in the night to talk. Yeah, right, Wally thought to himself, everyone has a conversation at 11 in the night.

He caught himself before he could roll his eyes.

“Walls?” You were snapping your fingers in front of his face. When he jolted, you frowned, curious as to what was happening. “Dude, you alright? You went AWOL on me there.”

Wally coughed, nodding. “Yeah I’m fine, long night.”

“Really? With whom?”

You sounded off, somehow not as cheery as you did just moment’s prior when you told him about how Tim had hacked into the programming in the Batcave to play a prank of the Batman. Wally tilted his head towards you as you stopped swinging your joined arms, no longer moving him around while you rambled.

What was it about Dick that had you so drawn to him?

“Nothing, just couldn’t get sleep.”

You frowned, squeezing his hand. During the academic year, Wally would end up walking around with the worst dark circles known to man, all because of his tendency to not get any sleep at night, especially since the two of you didn’t go on patrol as often during the school year. You suspected it had something to do with his powers, his inability to actually stay still and his energy that’s always contagious, always overflowing with so much life that you can’t help but be drawn towards him. But this was early, even for Wally. Usually, it’d take at least a week for him to start complaining about it, and then showing up at your window in the night.

“You want to come over tonight?” You squeezed his hand again, smiling softly in a way that had Wally’s heart thump-thump-thumping hard against his chest.

“What about Dick?”

“What about him?”

The earnest confusion in your voice made him look at you, eyes searching your face. Your brows were furrowed and lips were pursed in an adorable pout that Wally could almost dream of pressing his mouth again and devouring, but what stood out most to him was one simple thing: you weren’t thinking about Dick.

“I just— nothing,” Wally rubbed the back of his neck, lips pulling into a smile when you squeezed his hand (that was still holding yours), “what time should I be there?”

“Come over right after patrol, I’ve got your sweats washed. Couldn’t get that stain out though.”

“It’s fine.”

Wally laughed, letting you drag him around to your next class before the bell rang. You hated being late.

.

By the time the two of you fell onto the floor through your open bedroom window, Wally was spent. He’d starfished across the soft carpet, still in his Kid Flash costume, and you’d fallen right on top of him with an undignified oomph!

“Move your fat ass out of the way, Walls,” you poked him in his side where you knew he was ticklish, making him jerk at the sudden movement, as you got up.

“I’m good,” his voice was once again muffled, face down in the carpet, “I’ll just stay here.”

You laughed, pulling yourself up as Wally turned over to look at your grinning face staring down at him. “Do you plan on making yourself comfortable there or shall I keep space in bed for you?”

Wally could feel his heart in his throat as he nodded towards your bed. Swallowing harshly, he cleared his throat. “I can’t pass on that beauty.”

Chuckling, you headed towards the bathroom, calling out over your shoulder as you grabbed the door handle.

“Clothes are in the drawer and mom got extra snacks if you’re hungry. Just change first!”

And then Wally heard the lock click shut, the sound of the shower running beyond the wooden door. Sighing, he stood up, gravitating towards your closet to grab some spare clothes he could change into after a shower and setting them aside, somewhat of a proud smile on his face. At least Dick didn’t have an entire section in your closet for his clothes.

By the time you’d come back from your shower, Wally had sprawled himself once again on your fuzzy carpet, now filled with half the snacks in your pantry and a couple of cookies your father had baked earlier in the night.

“Hey, brought up some cookies, your parents have gone to bed.”

You grinned, bee-lining to the nightstand where Wally had left your treasure, while the redhead moved towards the shower. “What would I do without you, Wally?”

“Be boring and lonely— ow!”

Wally glared at you, trying hardest to be mad as he rubbed the spot where you’d punched him for his comment but he could feel his mouth fighting against him at your cheeky smile. Your eyes were shining with mischief and warmth and Wally couldn’t help but mirror your grin as you fell onto your mattress. “Save one for me.”

“You already ate so many!”

You looked up at him with bright eyes, and Wally could feel his heart soaring at how open and vulnerable you seemed. You were still smiling, even as he flicked you on the forehead before moving swiftly aside to dodge your counterattack.

“Yeah well, I’m your best friend. It’s in the rules: guests get more food.”

You sat up on your elbows, eyeing the boy who had a impish look on his face. “Please you stopped being a guest since you were six.”

You rolled your eyes as Wally mocked you, finally heading into the shower while you fell back on your bed, cheeks still warm from the smile on your face. That boy had no idea what he did to you.

.

Steam curled out of the bathroom as Wally stepped out, sweatpants loose on his hips and a towel he used to dry his hair. You were on your back now, reading a book as you waited on him.

“Here, saved you the last one.”

“I knew you loved me,” he grinned, snatching it up as you rolled your eyes at him, all fond and warm. You really did love him.

Wally plopped down gracelessly onto the bed next to you, laughing when you whacked him complaining about crumbs (he’d made sure to not let a single one fall, he knew you didn’t like eating in bed) and snuggled into his side of the bed.

You propped yourself up into his eyeline, watching him drink you in like he always did, like he was clawing for air only you could offer. He only hoped it wasn’t as obvious to you. “So, what d’ya wanna do?”

Wally hummed, hand coming back up to brush against the bruise on your cheek, the one that you’d gained earlier in the night during patrol after narrowly missing a fist aimed at your face. You’d managed to grab the hand before it swung into bone, but the brass knuckles that decorated it had left a blooming red score on your cheekbone. “Does it hurt?”

“Not even a little bit,” you murmured, head nuzzling into his palm like you wanted to burrow yourself in it.

Wally could see the way your eye twitched ever so slightly at the point closest to your eye when he brushed the purpling bruise, but other than that, you were still smiling down at him with such warmth he could feel himself sinking into comfort.

You turned your head to kiss his palm once, gently lacing your fingers through his to pry it off your face as you leaned over to press your lips to his cheek, and Wally’s eyes fluttered close at the contact without hesitation.

“Go to sleep, West. You look like a troll I dragged out from under my bed.”

Wally guffawed, eyes wide open as you chortled, falling onto him upon looking at the wide eyed offence on his face, your body wrecked with unabashed laughter as you shook in his grasp. “You think you’re so hilarious, don’t you?”

You nodded against him, the humour bubbling out of you seeping into him at the points where you were connected (his hands on your back, holding you close to where you’d pressed yourself into his chest), his chest rumbling with laughter under you.

“Fine, let’s call it a night, sleeping beauty.”

The two of you tucked yourself under your covers without moving, the little night light you left on your bedside table the only sign of life in the dead of the night as sleep overcame the two of you.

.

The tower was quiet when you stepped inside. You shouldered your way through the door of your bedroom in the building, finally sliding off the wet coat and shoes that had collected the rainwater from the impromptu shower that the heavens had unleashed upon you.

“Oh hey, sweetheart.”

Before you could even catch up on the reason the voice was so familiar, you’d swung around, clipping the man behind you with your wet coat, the metal of the zipper clinking hard against his face.

“Richard Grayson, don’t you know better than to sneak up on people like that.”

You glared at the cheeky smile he sported, still standing comfortably in the middle of your room as you dragged your jacket away from his face and the matching red mark you’d left on the right side of his cheekbone, mirroring the one you had on your left.

“Great you see you too, darling.”

You rolled your eyes, shimmying out of the oversized Central City University sweatshirt, now feeling overly warm in the blooming heat of the building. Your tank top stuck to your skin from the water as you let your hair fall down your back, limp and wet, droplets tracing rivulets down your spine.

“Did you need something?”

“You wound me,” the raven haired boy grabbed his chest as if you’d physically hurt him, even stumbling back to sell his theatrical pain. You shook your head at him, rainwater clinging onto his face from the close proximity as he chuckled. “I just came to check on you cause of the rain.”

“Well, sorry to disappoint but I didn’t drown.”

“Can’t have my girl drowning on me,” he grinned, pulling you into his side to warm you up, and you gratefully leaned towards the heat of his (entirely too expensive) wool jumper, wet head of hair tucked into his chin as you placed your cold hands on the back of his neck, making him yelp. “Get away from me you heathen!”

“I thought I was your girl?” you mocked him, head tilted to one side as he kept you close enough to warm your hands against his. It was no secret you hated the cold.

“Yeah you are, sweetheart.”

“Am I interrupting?”

You jumped away from Dick as if you’d been burned, the warmth of his body turning ice rigid in your veins as Wally stood at your open door, looking in at the two of you. You cleared your throat as Dick, ever the one to be able to bring in levity in pungent silence, spoke up.

“Not at all, she’s all yours.”

And then, squeezing your hands one last time (that had gone limp in his reach the moment his best friend had walked in), Dick glanced at you one last time, impish smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth as he moved to leave the room, patting Wally on the back while he did.

Wally watched as you glared at the broad shoulders that disappeared from the doorframe, before taking in your appearance. You shuffled, suddenly aware of not just how unkempt your hair was, but the fact that you’d been standing in front of Dick and now Wally, in a shirt thin enough to see your bra through. If only you’d had the foresight to wear a nicer one, maybe this wouldn’t be half as awkward.

“I erm. . . I got caught in the rain,” you supplied helplessly, tugging at the end of your cotton tank top, spinning around as you went to the drawer to grab dry clothes.

“I can see that.”

Wally still sounded far away: when you glanced over your shoulder after finding a dry shirt, you found him still standing in the doorway, his stance stilted and wound tight like he couldn’t decide whether he should enter or not.

”You’ve seen me in my bra before, just get in already,” you chuckled, waving him in, only noticing him hesitate for a second before nodding, following your instructions and shutting the door behind him. “Your group project finally got situated?”

Wally had stayed back at Central City University for some project he had for his Physics 101 class while you’d left earlier, having decided on working at the Tower instead. And lucky for him, he’d managed to get all the luck with the weather because it was finally sunny outside again.

Wally cleared his throat as you pulled your shirt over your head. “So, you and Dick. . .”

“What about Dick and I?”

Pulling your head through the neck hole of a dry shirt, to find him still hovering like he didn’t know how to exist in your space, a place he’d inhabited since the two of you were five and playing in the sandbox. You frowned, watching him glance around like he’d lost the right to be in there without you asking for him first.

“. . . Is everything alright?”

”Yeah, I just. . . I’m happy for Dick and you.”

You blinked, trying to figure out what exactly was happening. Did he seriously think that Dick was the one that had you losing all sense?

”I’m just going to—“ he pointed behind him, and before you could even stop him, he’d phased through the shut door. You rushed after him, trying to find the speedster as you pulled your door open with urgency.

”Wally—“

The hallway was empty.

.

It had always felt like breathing. At least, that’s how Wally thought about it.

Since the first time you’d met, Wally had found himself in tune with you, like a wavelength honing in on a frequency that it needed in order to function. You’d been giggly and had a chip in your front tooth from where you’d hit your face on while jumping off the swing and doing a flip you’d just learned in gymnastics. You’d never even cried about it, the grin of showing off to your new friend still plastered even as the corner of your lip started bleeding and your mother came rushing towards you. You’d simply grabbed Wally’s hand and told him you’d teach him how to do it too.

That was the first time he’d met you, and since then you’d been a stronghold in his life, someone he’d come to know inside out, maybe even better than he’d known himself. You’d been the first person he’d found after getting his powers, after he found out how his uncle was The Flash, the trials that came with having powers, you’d been standing beside him, always with a snack (apples crusted with peanut butter, to make sure he was both eating healthy but also had something to satiate his sweet tooth) and a smile that disarmed every bit of distaste he felt towards himself for not being good enough. You’d been there for the first ever time he’d had his heart broken, a girl he’d seen only a few months in high school, but you’d been there to cheer him up, mend the parts that he never knew could break.

Wally had known it’d only be a matter of time before Dick and you finally got together, it’d be stupid to think otherwise, but god he didn’t realise just how much it would sting being second place to Dick.

He’d learned early on that being Wally West meant being able to learn you and love you, and he’d made his peace with it. You’d were singular in every way and it wasn’t surprising that everyone around you noticed; you tended to do that, draw people into an orbit that made them feel like they were at home, because that’s what you did to him at age five with a toothy grin. He just needed to make peace with the fact that you’d found someone else.

“What’re you doing here?”

Blinking, Wally saw Roy walk up to him, the former Green Lantern sidekick dressed up as if he had somewhere to be.

“Where’re you off to?”

“Had a date,” Roy grinned, patting Wally on the shoulder as he vaulted over the couch, settling into the one that wasn’t occupied by the speedster. “Now why are you sulking? Trouble in paradise?”

Wally’s eyes narrowed. Roy, amongst other things, was a big gossip, especially when around Donna and you, the three of you always knee deep in random news you’d heard (four if K’ori wasn’t off-world). Half of it of course came from the type of vigilantes Roy and you happened to be, but the other half was simply pure curiosity. Wally had never met a man both so brilliant and downright ready to binge an entire season’s worth of reality television.

“What paradise? There’s no paradise.”

Roy simply looked at him, a stray strand of red hair falling over his forehead from his man bun—the only person Wally had seen ever pull off that style so well—and shook his head, a low chuckle emitting from his throat. “Yeah right, I’m not blind dude.”

“I’m being serious.”

“Uh huh, and we’re all just happy go lucky adults with no issues at all,” Roy nodded, and Wally could tell that the archer was taking the piss out of him, but god he couldn’t help it. “Seriously dude, just talk to her.”

“I can’t— I can’t just talk to her!”

“Yes you can, you just open your mouth and form words.”

Wally walloped him with a pillow as Roy laughed at his red face, tossing the decorative piece right back at the speedster, who simply grabbed it and placed it down next to him with more force than required.

“I can’t, she’s going out with Dick now.”

Roy raised a brow, now settled into the couch as he folded his arms across his chest. “Huh, I didn’t see that coming.”

“Tell me about it,” Wally slumped into the cushioning, hands running over his face.

He could feel Roy’s eyes burning into the side of his skull as he stayed hidden behind his fingers, trying to press them into his skull like it would press away the way he needed you into the back of his mind, to be left untouched and forgotten as time would pass by.

“My advice is you talk to her, what’s the worst that could happen?”

And with that, Wally could hear the sound of fading footsteps as Roy headed out towards his room, once again leaving the redhead to stew in his own feelings, the night sky greeting him as he stared out the window, trying to figure out just when he’d found himself so helpless to the way he loved you.

The crickets chirped faintly in the background as the hum of the city started falling asleep.

.

Wally had begun trying to find ways to avoid you. It’d started small, with not being free during the week to study together in the Central City University library like the two of you usually did. He’d been working everyday this week on some or the other assignment, or was hanging out with friends from his classes, who you had met barely in passing to actually know, which meant that you’d spent more time with his parents than him, feeling bad about only showing up on their doorstep to ask about their son. You played poker with his father as you waited, but Wally never returned home, only zooming by you on your interconnected patrol routes. Hell, it’d gotten to the point where you’d not trained together either. No matter what, Wally never missed sparring sessions with you.

You wondered what could’ve possibly happened for him to ignore you. Hooking your penknife into the latch of his window, you jiggled it around, trying to catch the grove that would help you unlock it, and after a few moments, you heard the sound of your success, the click of the mechanic registering as you slid open the window, toppling through gracefully and face first into wooden flooring.

“What are you doing?”

You stood up, brushing yourself off as Wally leaned against the doorway of his bathroom, eyeing you down with confusion. “You were ignoring me all week.”

“So you break into my room?”

”Obviously,” you chuckled, closing the gap between you as you moved into the room. You only stopped when he spoke up again.

”Why?”

Wally looked genuinely surprised, like he hadn’t expected you to fix whatever it was that had gone so wrong that he’d decided forgetting about you was better than talking with you.

You could feel your lips tug into a frown at the idea of never having access to Wally— selfishly, you needed him around, if nothing else then as your best friend. He’d been an extension of you since you’d first met him, trying (and succeeding) at impressing him enough to become your friend in the sandbox. Even at five years old, you could tell he was important, and not because he was the first boy you’d befriended. Wally had a way of making everything around you brighter, like you’d become Midas-touched gold, forever shining as long as he looked at you. He’d brought laughter out of you when your grandfather died; when you’d started crying over Marley and Me and he’d promised he’d find a way to make the dog the two of you got together live forever; when you had first killed a man on the job (an accident, and he was the bad guy, but that didn’t mean it didn’t flash behind your eyelids for over a month) but struggled to wash off the blood until Wally held your shaking hands to do it for you. . .

“Are we okay?”

The question came out quieter than you wanted it to, like punching it out of your lungs expelled all the fear you had about it, into the open where Wally could grab onto it, grab it and do whatever he pleased with the worry you held for him, for the two of you.

Wally shrugged, hands shoved into his sweatpants. He’d moved out of the bathroom now, the door clicking shut softly behind him. “Why wouldn’t we be?”

You swallowed the lump in your throat at the impassive callousness in his voice. Your tongue felt heavy, pinned down as you called out his name. “Wally. . .”

“Baby, ’m fine, you don’t have to worry about me.”

Baby, the word sunk heady into your heart, something you’d wished to hear from him, but not like this. Wally had his arms crossed over his chest, standing next to his bed now as he watched you watch him. You cursed as you could feel your eyes shine with watery tears that were beginning to form. Why did he think you didn’t care about him? All you ever did was worry about ways Wally could live a life that he was proud of, one that he wouldn’t have to hide in the future from whoever he was around (and in the most dangerous dreams you had about it, it was you by his side).

“Why wouldn’t I worry about you?” You scoffed, biting back the tears as you stared at the redhead who was watching you intently. “Do you think I don’t care?”

“No you— you do, I know that. . . but with Dick around now, you’ll—“

“What does Dick have to do with you not talking to me?”

Wally ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the tuff of it where it connected to his neck, feet moving as he began pacing. “Doesn’t everything have to do with him? I’m happy for you guys, truly. But I can’t be around you, not while I. . .”

“While you, what?” You asked, watching as Wally went still, eyes bugging wide when you repeated yourself. “While you what, Wallace?”

He winced when you used his actual name, not even Walls or Wally, instead shaking his head as he pointed at his window. “You should go.”

“Not until you tell me what’s going on,” you huffed, now your arms crossed as you stared down the boy you’d loved since the beginning of high school.

Wally sucked in a sharp breath like the idea of telling you the truth caused a physical wound in him, and you desperately needed to know it was something you could fix. Because you couldn’t stand the idea of not having Wally anywhere except next to you: it’s what you’d always known, the only thing you’d been sure of since you were a little girl.

When he opened his mouth, you could feel yourself slipping into that hope that finally you’d gotten through to him. “I’m sorry. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

You could feel the air expunge itself from your lungs as Wally turned to fidget with his bedding. He didn’t even look back as you whispered a goodnight Walls over his windowsill, body halfway out. Swallowing harshly, you balanced on the edge of the roof to the West house before dropping down, crouching low to the ground once you landed on the grass of their backyard.

In the quiet of the night, you walked yourself back to your apartment building (which was closer than the tower), eyes red by the time you found yourself in bed, tucked into the duvet that was still the same pastel green that you and Wally had picked together back when you were just children.

.

“Woah, you alright sweetheart?”

Dick and Donna came into your line of sight, the Wayne heir grinned good naturedly while Donna watched you curiously.

Huffing, you landed another hit on the sandbag, the chain swinging from the impact. Donna caught it as it neared her, “what’s going on?”

”Wally, he’s just. . . God, boys can be so frustrating!”

You punched the bag once again as Donna let it go, the Amazonian stepping aside right as the bag swung off the hook in the ceiling. Dick raised his hands in surrender as if he were the one in the line of fire.

“Do you want me to talk to him?”

You eyed Dick, who was still standing far enough to not get hit, and watching you with concern written into the crease of his brows and the corners of his mouth before shaking your head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, I’ll— I’ll talk to him. . . Besides, I don’t think you’ll get through him this time.”

Dick frowned, but nodded. And you understood why; Wally and Dick had been inseparable when the two of you joined the team back in the day, as children who still had hope and dreams of a world that seemed much nicer than it actually is. Wally had found a brother in Dick, and so did the former Robin, you knew that the idea of Wally not listening to Dick would hurt him, but you didn’t want whatever it was that had Wally hurting because of Dick be an issue, not until you could at least figure it out first.

Donna stepped forward, tying her hair back as she did. “Want to spar for a bit? Take your mind off of that idiot?”

“Sure,” you chuckled, shaking your head. Donna always knew how to make you feel better. If you couldn’t talk it out, you’d get out whatever it was with a fight. She’d been much the same way since she’d joined the team as well. “What would I do without you, my love?”

“Be moping,” Dick called out, now hanging off of one the beams, practicing his flips and tricks from a life he no longer had. You looked up and he was grinning from cheek to cheek. “Your emo teenage angst shit is filling this room.”

You rolled your eyes. “Dickhead.”

“That’s me,” he called, swinging his body through the maze of support beams and other bars that had been installed specifically for him.

You turned to Donna, who was grinning as well. “Well, shall we?”

“Why, of course.”

Donna crouched low, waiting on your move. You took the first step.

.

By the time you’d entered your room, it’d been past midnight. Patrol had been long, even longer when Wally wasn’t there to trade jokes with you, or attempt to guess what exactly you’d end up finding while on your rounds.

You’d barely shut your door, still in your suit as you flopped onto the bed when you could feel the familiar hum of frequency outside your door before a loud knock echoed against it.

“Get inside, Wally.”

“Can you. . . Can you open the door?”

Sighing, you dragged yourself up, pulling open the door to see Wally, still in his yellow and red costume, goggles tucked into his hair and freckles on display as the face piece to his suit was pushed back. The boy shuffled on his feet, as if surprised to see you standing in front of him. “Hi.”

“Can you not phase through shit anymore?” You asked, opening the door wider as he stepped in at your gesture for him to do so, stopping just beyond the threshold. You shut the door softly behind him.

“I’m sorry.”

And without meaning to, laughter spilled out of you, the sound more hollow and mean than Wally had ever heard out of you. “You’re sorry? That’s new. I thought you were too busy ignoring me.”

You strode towards your closet, wanting to change out of the suit that stuck to your skin, the suffocating feeling of having Wally so close to you after two weeks of him trying to erase himself from your life practically felt like you’d lose air the longer you were constricted in it. Wally grabbed your hand before you could move far away.

“I mean it, I was being a dick about well. . . Dick,” he winced, brows scrunching even further when you didn’t laugh even the slightest at the unintentional joke, something you always did. Sucking in a harsh breath, he carried on, “if you’re happy with him, I’ll make my peace with it. I just want my best friend back.”

“If I’m happy with whom, Walls?”

You looked genuinely confused, as if Wally hadn’t been there to see Dick and you fall for each other these past few months.

“Dick.”

“What?”

And to Wally’s surprise, you were laughing. You were bent over the waist, nearly falling into him at the image he’d given you. “What’s so funny?”

“Dick and I— there’s nothing. . . Oh my god, did you think I was going out with Dick?”

You had tears coming out of your eyes as you looked at him, as if the idea of anybody wanting to be with Dick Grayson was absurd. He knew the two of you were perfect together, and would look the part too in Gotham’s socialite papers and photographs.

“Please, Dick has his eye set on a redhead at all times,” you chuckled, wiping at the corner of your eyes, “he’s more likely to go for you.”

And at Wally’s shock, at his mouth that fell open, unable to find words, you’d found yourself laughing again. “Wait, so you and Dick aren’t—“

“We never were,” you shook your head, head tilting as if you’d found something out. Your eyes were swimming with curiosity, a sort of finality he’d only seen in you when you’d cracked a particularly difficult case. He’d seen it when you’d found the answer that had stumped you during your criminology courses, when you’d found out whatever Wally had hidden from you (like the surprise parties he tried throwing for your birthday, only for you to find him out five times in a row before he gave up). But now, they looked ever more sure, and Wally hoped he hadn’t been found out.

You took a step forward, now facing him as you closed the distance. “Hey, Walls?”

Wally hummed, eyes darting all over your face, close enough that he could see every shade and hue in your eyes, the way your mouth was pulled into a smile, something sly but that also said you wanted to know something, as your eyes fixed on his mouth.

“What up?”

“Don’t panic.”

“I— what? What do you mean—“

You’d grabbed him by the collar, lips slotting against his that were still sealed shut. The surprise of the impact had him opening his eyes, before reality caught up to him. You were kissing him. You were kissing him. Before he could fully return the fervour, you’d pulled back.

“That’s why.”

Wally was staring at you, eyes wide. “You kissed me.”

”I did,” you grinned, closing the gap to the point where Wally could feel your body pressed up against his, and instinct dictated that he steady you, his hands falling on your waist. “Now are you just going to stand there and gawk, or will you kiss me again?”

When Wally made no move to respond, still glued to the fact that you’d kissed him and it wasn’t a dream, you made to move out of his embrace. “Maybe I should go ask Dick if he wants to— mmph!”

”Shut up,” Wally murmured, pressing his lips to yours again, hands moving to circle around you as he pulled you closer to him, but he was grinning now. You couldn’t help mirror it as you pulled him closer to you, tugging on his hair as you did.

Wally let out a low sound, shuffling back as you hit the edge of your desk, his palms flash against your hips as he set you on top of it. The fireproof material of Wally’s suit bunching in your hands as you dragged him closer, his hands steadying you, still kissing you as if he couldn’t stop. He moved away when you hooked one leg to pull him closer.

”Wait— hold on, what does this mean?”

You blinked, the sluggish euphoria that had filled your veins, sparking a fire in your system slowed into a small flame as you finally realised what he was saying. You looked up into deep greens as they studied you, trying to figure you out, the way they always did.

”I don’t want to do this if it’s just something casual, I don’t— I can’t do that, not with you.”

You loosened your grip on his collar, smoothening it as you tried to figure out how to put it in a way that made him understand just how selfishly you needed him. “That’s the last thing I want with you.”

”Good, because I want this,” he was drawing circles into your waist, still close like he couldn’t bear to be any further from you, eyes scanning every inch of your face. “I want you, all of you.”

You smiled, heart thump-thump-thumping so wild you were sure he could feel it with how close the two of you were. “You have me.”

And Wally’s smile was blinding, the flame in your veins burning brighter just at the way he was looking at you.

“Yeah?” he asked, voice soft and wrecked with emotion.

”Yeah.”

Wally’s mouth slotted against yours against, messy and teeth clashing with how brightly he was smiling, tongue licking at your bottom lip as you dragged him into you, letting him take and take and take everything he wanted. His hands slid into your hair as he tilted your head back, lips moving across every inch of skin he could access, your legs hooking around his hips to sit flush with yours.

”I can’t wait to tell Dick you thought that I was in love with him when you’re here.”

Wally groaned against your pulse point, the spot behind your ear, the sound low and gravelly that had your eyes fluttering shut as you fought to keep your teasing for longer. He pulled away, just enough to speak.

”You won’t let me live that down, will you?”

”I can be convinced,” you teased, breath hitching as he already started tracing a path across your skin again, willing you to forget his stupidity, hands already latching onto the zipper in the front of your tactical suit. “Fuck, baby. . .”

”Say that again,” he hummed, mouthing at your collarbone and you had no choice but to acquiesce his demand.

”Wally, babe, don’t—fuck, don’t stop,” you whimpered as his hips pressed hard into yours again, the pressure only causing the fire curling low in your belly to burn harder as you met his actions and desire.

“God, you have no idea what you do to me, darlin’.”

The low drawl had you pulling him up, his eyes not only having a slither of green as they gazed up at you in hunger.

“I have an idea,” you mumbled, dragging him into you again, his body following yours with no resistance.

The Minotaur roars, the little boy stabbing the remnants of its own broken off horn into its ribs. It flails, clawing at its chest, before it begins to turn to ash. The beast crumbles, blowing away like sand.

The shrill ring of a countertop bell snaps you out of your book. You dog ear the page, the last four paragraphs of the chapter disappearing behind the cover.

You cast your gaze up, following the pasty hand that had rung the bell and taken you out of the—quite honestly well-written—children’s book you’d had your nose buried in.

The man flashes you a charming smile, dimples punctuating his freckled cheeks. “Hi.” 

He’s tall and lean, dressed in blue jeans and a t-shirt. A mess of red hair hangs over his forehead, and despite the way he pushes the strands away, they tumble back into his eyeline.

“How can I help you?”

“I’m looking for a book.”

A dry laugh falls from your lips. “Well, you’re in the right place. Just any book?”

“Yes—well, no. Not really.” He cards a hand through his hair, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. “I don’t know. Can you tell I don’t come here often?”

“Only a little,” you grin.

His cheeks warm, a pink hue creeping up his neck and into the tips of his ears. The man tilts his head at you, hair following suit.

“Wally,” he extends a hand.

You take his hand in yours, smiling and offering him your name in return.

“So, Wally,” you test it, the name easy on your tongue. “What brings you to the library for what I assume to be the first time ever?”

Your heart beats in your throat while you examine his face, looking for any sign of annoyance at the jab. Instead, he offers you a playful eyeroll.

“Third time, I’ll have you know.” He blows a harsh puff of air through his lips, “it’s for a challenge.”

“A challenge?”

“My friends don’t think I have enough patience to read,” he explains. “So I’m here to prove them wrong.”

You consider him. The over-abundance of energy he expends by shifting his weight to either leg, the slight ramblings that make talking to him a little easier. You could easily see why anyone would make that assumption.

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Let’s find you something to read,” you shuffle aside, pushing past the little gate that separates the counter from the rest of the library. “Are we thinking fiction, or non-fiction?”

There’s a weird sort of smile on his face. “Fiction, definitely.”

You lead him down the aisles of books, Wally following just a little behind you. He’s careful to keep his strides short, trying not to impose.

“What’s your poison?” You ask.

“Huh?”

“Romance, fantasy, horror,” you risk a glance over your shoulder, “what’re you interested in?”

“Scifi,” he says quickly. “Or fantasy. As long as it’s got a kickass plot.”

You snort, nodding at his suggestion. You lead him away from the counter, from the rows upon rows of nonfiction, and deep into the fiction section.

You duck into an aisle, rifling through a section of books until you find the one you’re looking for.

“Here.” 

You thrust the book into Wally’s arms, waiting patiently while he reads over the synopsis. His brows furrow, lips pursed while his finger traces over the lines.

“It might sound a little boring but I promise, once it gets into the action, you won’t want to put it down.”

He nods, tucking the novel under his arm. “Good enough for me.”

Wally follows you all the way back to the desk, talking enthusiastically about his friends and the challenge that led him here in the first place. 

“—and Kyle, the asshole, said if I could read 12 books this year, he’d give me 50 bucks.”

Of all the people you talk to in a day—children looking for new reads, seniors looking for someone to listen to them—Wally is by far the most interesting. He has a way of speaking that captivates you, leaving you hanging onto every word.

You set Wally up with a brand new library card, scanning through the book for him. “So,” you smile at him, “I guess if you’re on a reading kick, I’ll be seeing you often?”

His smile is like sunshine. “I’m about to be your new best friend.”

You try to hide your shock when Wally is back the next afternoon. He has the book clenched in his hands, waiting patiently behind the mom and her daughter that you’re currently helping.

You send them away with a stack of books and a smile, looking beyond them to the redheaded man swaying awkwardly. “Wally?”

His head perks up, that easy confident smile covering his face. “Hey.”

You glance at the book in his hands, the cover familiar. “Don’t tell me you hated it.”

“Huh?” He follows your gaze, green eyes widening, “what? No, no. I loved it. You were right.”

“You…finished it already?”

He nods.

“Well, you’re certainly giving your friends a run for their money.” You take the book from his hands, “that asshole Kyle isn’t gonna know what’s hit him.”

And something like sunlight falls across his face, not because you’re unintentionally making fun of Green Lantern, but because you remembered. You listened to his rambling.

“But—” You hold up the book for him to see, slipping through the gate behind the counter. “You don’t have to return these to me directly. We have a dropbox for books.”

You show him to the bookslots at the front door, slipping it inside. “See, then you don’t have to wait around for me to be free.”

“But what if I want to see you?”

You pause, hand stilling midair. A sudden heat rushes up your neck, butterflies drifting around the hollow space in your stomach. Your eyes meet his.

“Then I guess you’ll just have to keep reading.”

You help Wally find more books to check out, giving him a stack of three this time. Surely that will keep him company for at least a week.

You’re returning back to the main stretch of navy coloured carpet when Wally speaks up, walking side by side with you now.

“What’s your favorite genre?” 

“Hm?”

“Romance, fantasy, horror,” he grins cheekily, parroting your words from yesterday. “What are you interested in?”

“Oh well,” you say, suddenly too aware of how close he is, how much attention he’s paying to you. “I like a bit of everything.”

“So, what’s your favorite book then?”

Back at the counter, you slip away behind the desk and take his stack of books. “Finish these first, and then we’ll talk.”

“Deal.”

Four days later and Wally returns, slipping his stack of books into the dropbox and coming trotting up to the desk. It’s a rainy day, streaks of rain drops dripping down the windows and painting brilliant patterns.

“I see those slowed you down a bit.”

He feigns hurt, dramatically clamping a hand over his chest. “Slowed me down? You underestimate me.”

You raise your eyebrows in question.

“You weren’t here yesterday, or the day before.”

You blink. He waited two days to return the books just so he could see you?

“There are other librarians, you know.”

He leans against the counter, propped up on his elbows. “But then how could I thank you for your kickass recommendations?”

“You really are something.”

“You love it.”

Maybe you do, just a little bit.

You fall into a routine easily from here, Wally coming in every few days with an armful of books and a head full of thoughts. He tells you all about his latest reads while you browse the shelves, collecting him a new pile of books.

You’ve come to look forward to the days Wally comes, livening up the library that had begun to feel dull day after day. Your coworkers tease you about your ‘book boyfriend’, how they’ve seen him duck his head in from time to time to see if you’re working.

After the third or so time of him coming in only to frown at your absence, you slipped him a copy of your schedule, folded in the pages of one of his new books.

He works his way through all of your scifi recommendations, slowly drifting into fantasy. He was hesitant at first when you strayed away from his usual books of dragons and elves and barefooted people who lived in underground houses.

When you pulled the children’s book off the shelf and thrusted it into his arms, Wally had raised an eyebrow.

“This is for kids.” 

“This is what I was reading when we met,” you explained. “You’ll like it, I swear.”

He was skeptical, eyebrows drawn together in that way they always do when he’s considering something. Still, he’d taken the book from you in his pile and when he returned a few days later, there was an incredulous smile on his face.

He sits himself on the counter, watching as you sort through a cart of books. “You were right.”

“I always am.”

“He was so funny,” he talks with his hands, drawing abstract pictures in the air, “and the scene with the casino? Insane.”

You can only grin while he talks animatedly about the book he just read, filtering through the stack you have behind the counter. From what you’ve come to know about Wally, he’s not much different from the character from the book—funny, sarcastic, loyal to a fault.

You knew he would like it from the day you met him, it was just a matter of getting him to read it.

Finally, you finish sorting your book cart, interrupting his tangent. “Does this mean you’re ready to read the rest of the series?”

Six days. Wally doesn’t come back for six days. It’s the longest you’ve gone without seeing him since you met, the longest it’s ever taken him to read four books. Kids books, at that.

The days melt into one another, the spring rain hasn’t let up and the dreary weather along with Wally’s absence is getting to you.

The door opens, a yellow umbrella greeting your eyes and for a minute, you dare to hope. And then the umbrella gets tucked away and a handsome man with dark hair steps into the library, meticulously drying his shoes.

You freeze at the sight of him, at the stack of books in his hands. The ones you’d given to Wally almost a week ago. You watch as he dumps the pile of books into the dropbox.

As if sensing your gaze on him, he offers you a wave, sauntering up to the counter. “Hey, you’re Wally’s friend, right?”

His green eyes are warm, like soft grass in spring. He rests an arm on the counter, the gesture easy and fluid.

“Yeah, yeah.”

You take him in. The cut of his jaw, his muscular build, his slightly damp dark hair that somehow still looks perfect. He’s tall, only slightly shorter than Wally. You blink. What are they feeding these men?

“I’m Kyle.”

Your mouth falls open slightly. Kyle. This is asshole Kyle?

“Is…is Wally okay?”

“Yeah he’s just,” he cringes, nose crinkling, “out of town right now. He asked if I could return these for him.”

You try to hide your disappointment. “Oh, do you know when he’ll be back?” 

A flash of guilt behind those eyes and then, “hopefully soon.”

You nod, going quiet. Thoughts of the days before Wally showed up, days punctuated with mildewed pages and time passing like molasses. It’s as though your life has been cleaved in half—the half before you met Wally, and the half afterwards.

“Hey, so, do you think he’s actually reading these?”

“What?”

“These books, I mean you probably know better than anyone.” He flashes a smile, “Wally’s actually reading them?”

“He is.” You focus on the collar of his shirt, a stray thread hanging loose, “I think he’s definitely read more than twelve, too.”

He laughs. “So Wally told you about the bet?”

“50 bucks, Wally definitely got the better end of the deal.”

“Yeah, I think you’re right about that. He gets my money and gets to talk to his cute librarian.”

Your heart catches in your throat. Not because he called you cute, but because he said his cute librarian. Like a part of Wally belongs with you.

“Sorry,” he says. “Too much?”

“No,” you shake your head, unable to hide your smile. “No, it’s…it’s good. It’s really good.”

It’s five more days before you see Wally. It’s late by the time he stumbles in, dressed in track pants and a baggy sweatshirt, his brilliant eyes punctuated with undereye bags.

 You’re wiping down the counters, stopping in your tracks at the sight of him. “Wally?”

“Sorry, I—” He stops to keel over, resting his hands on his knees and taking deep breaths. “Sorry I’m late.”

He looks up, eyes meeting yours and the cloth falls from your hand. There’s a gash on his forehead, his lip is split and fading bruises paint his face in shades of purple and yellow.

“Jesus, Wally.”

You rush to his side without thinking, a hand rubbing a particularly dark bruise along his jaw. He relaxes into your touch, wincing when he tries to force a smile.

“What happened?”

He cringes. “Just had an accident at work.”

“Where do you work, a boxing ring?”

Wally laughs, a small stream of blood trickling from his nose. He tries to wipe it before you see but your eyes widen at the sight of the blood. You grab his sleeve and pull him over to the counter. You’re lucky it’s late, your coworkers having left you to close the library on your own. 

You duck away behind the counter, rooting through the drawer of emergency supplies you keep. “Should be around here somewhere,” you mumble to yourself.

“Seriously, don’t fuss over me.”

“It’s not fussing, it's—here!” You stand up, hoisting the small bag of bandages above your head triumphantly.

You get to work dabbing the wound on Wally’s forehead with an alcohol wipe. The man doesn’t even cringe at the pain, staying perfectly still. One of your hands rests on his cheek, steadying yourself against him.

You press a bandage over the wound on his forehead, smoothing it down softly. “There, that’s a little better.”

“You know, I heard it heals faster if you kiss it better.”

You’re not sure what prompts you to do it, if it’s the worry that burns in your chest or if it’s pent up energy from how much you’ve missed him. But you find yourself leaning in, lips brushing the surface of the bandaid.

Wally’s blushing. “Thanks,” he says quietly.

“Don’t mention it just—” You look at him seriously, “next time you disappear, warn me before you show up all mangled.”

He scoffs. “Mangled? You should see the other guy.”

You shoot him a look, Wally instinctively raising his hands in surrender. 

“Okay, okay. I’m sorry.”

“Whatever,” you tuck the bag away. “Let’s grab you some books, yeah?”

He nods, lips pressed together in a tight smile.

He’s quieter today, clinging closer to you as you make your way down the aisles. The library is beyond closed now, Wally having helped you lock the doors before following you to the books.

He holds out his arms and lets you dump book after book into them.

“So what is your job?” 

“I work in…security.”

“Security? That’s vague.”

“Trust me,” his eyes meet yours, “it’s better if it’s vague.”

You drop a final book into his arms before ushering him back to the counter, scanning through his stack as quickly as you can. 

You glance up at Wally. “I met Kyle, by the way.”

“Oh, so he did return the books.”

“Mhm, he seems sweet.”

“Sweet?” Wally takes a beat to calm himself down, jealousy roaring in his chest. “Yeah, I’m sure he gets that a lot.”

You clock the tension in his jaw, the thinly veiled hurt behind his eyes. Handing him his stack of books, you let your hand linger over his.

“Don’t worry, I prefer redheads.”

Your words linger in Wally’s mind for days. Every time he pauses his reading, they echo in his mind. Even when he’s running, trying to clear his mind and throw himself into his work, they bubble beneath the surface.

He feels your touch on his hand. Don’t worry, I prefer redheads.

He can’t even think of you without getting flustered, feeling like a dorky teenager all over again. He reads this stack of books the fastest, his body completely healing while he does.

He returns to you two days later, sunset just beginning to break outside the window. You’re facing away from him, the pink glow from the window casting an ethereal haze over you.

Wally swallows, dumping his books into the dropbox. You perk up at the noise, turning around and smiling at him. His heart flutters at the sight.

“Back so soon?” 

“What can I say?” He beams, “I missed you.”

Your eyes widen, unsure whether he’s being serious or if it’s that signature Wally flirtation you’ve grown so used to. 

“Missed me?”

He hums, coming up to lean against the counter the way he always does.

“That’s a new one.”

It’s silent for a beat, Wally’s gaze piercing into you. You look away, focused instead at the perfectly healed skin on his forehead.

“That healed quickly.”

“I said it would heal faster if you kissed it better.”

Your eyebrows raise.

He takes a deep breath and then, “go out with me? Please?”

You’re taken aback, blinking at him in disbelief. Weeks. It’s been weeks of going back and forth with Wally, sharing books and thoughts.

You smile. “I was beginning to think you’d never ask. Where are we going?”

“I recently came into some extra cash, so…anywhere you want?”

You lean across the counter to kiss his cheek, pink dusting the skin where your lips just were. Thank you, Kyle. 

dc masterlist | navigation

You pulled your phone away from your ear, looking at the time. It’d been an hour since you’d gotten your reservation. You could see the twenty something waitress watching from the corner, eyes sympathetic as she watched you leave yet another voicemail. “I’m leaving the restaurant. I’ll see you when you get home from wherever you are.”

You ended the call, signalling the waitress over. “Hey, could I get this to go? And the cheque?”

“Of course,” she smiled, eyes sorrowful for someone she didn’t even know as she walked away from your table.

Sighing, you eyed the rice and curry dish you’d ordered because you knew it was Dick’s favourite, only for it to go cold in your wait for him. He was supposed to be there an hour ago. Dick rarely was late for a date with you, except lately he’d been away from home more times than not.

By the time you’d made it home after paying for a meal you didn’t even eat properly, all you wanted to do was go to sleep. Haley greeted you at the door, tail wagging wildly.

“Hi sweetheart, I missed you too,” you crouched down, letting the three legged pup jump into your arms before standing up. Your neighbour, who you’d asked to dog sit, smiled up at you as she got up from the couch. “Thanks for looking after her. I hope everything was alright.”

“Of course, don’t worry about it,” Maggie waved you off, instead taking away the takeaway bag you’d set at the entry table and moving towards your kitchen. “Should I keep this in the fridge?”

“Yeah, thank you Mags,” you called out, scratching behind Haley’s ears as you set her down. “I think Richard might be holed up in a case today.”

“They really work them to the bone down at the police department, huh?”

“You’re telling me,” you laugh, leaning against the counter as Maggie turns towards you. She eyed you with some pity, she used to be your roommate back in college back in Metropolis, and somehow the two of you ended up living next to each other now in Blüdhaven, a few years later. “Thanks once again.”

“Please, I’d do anything for you.”

“You’re just saying that because you get my dog,” you narrowed your eyes playfully. Maggie chuckled, raising her hands up in surrender.

“Guilty.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” you asked, dropping the act as you followed your friend to your entryway. The two of you carpooled to work together.

“Bright and early, babes. Goodnight.” Maggie shut the front door behind her.

You sighed, making your way into the bedroom as you shut off all the lights, the sound of pattering paws following you. Once you’d settled into bed, Haley curled up by your side, body resting on the empty pillow where Dick usually slept. You checked your phone once again to see if you’d gotten a message from your boyfriend.

babe where are you? hello??? dick where tf are you??? read at 8:21 pm — i’ll see you at home dick. sent at 10:30pm

“Goodnight, baby.”

Haley simply nuzzled closer, soft snores escaping her mouth.

.

Warm sunlight creeped into the bedroom under the thick curtains, curling around you as you woke up. As if having a bodily clock attuned entirely to your sleeping habits, you could feel Haley shift in her sleep from where she’d curled up in your side during the night. Turning to your side, you reached over to find the bed empty, the covers still warm. Dick must have left some time ago.

Ignoring the dull acknowledgment at the back of your mind that Dick hadn’t even woken you up to tell you he was leaving (something he did every morning without fail if he had to run out the door), you made the rounds through your morning routine, trudging towards the kitchen where there was a plate of eggs and toast on the island counter. Next to it, sat a mug of warm coffee that had a sticky note on its body, a bright hot pink piece of paper that explained his absence.

Good morning sweetheart. I’m sorry for not waking you up, they need me down at the precinct. I’ll see you tonight. Love you babe! Dick.

He’d drawn a heart next to his name.

Before you could even think about it, you felt a cold nose nuzzle your leg. Haley was looking up at you with big eyes, ears dropped and a low whining noise like she’d never seen a lick of food in her life.

“Alright missy, let’s get you your food,” you laughed, busying yourself with breakfast for her, and heating up the breakfast that had cooled down on the countertop.

At 9 sharp, a loud knock echoed throughout the flat, and Haley at once sprinted to the door, barking in excitement. You chuckled, knowing Maggie would let herself in with the copy of your key. “Rise and shine sweetheart.”

“Hi honey,” you smiled, as both her and Haley walked into the kitchen where you’d been packing the leftovers from yesterday’s dinner for lunch. Maggie had clipped on the pup’s leash, and was straining to restrain the excitable Pitt bull. “Shall we?”

Maggie nodded, eyeing the food you packed with pursed lips. “Yeah, let’s go. Can’t have the children waiting.”

“No we can’t.”

.

Blüdhaven had a surprisingly well run and updated recreational center, especially since how close the city was to Gotham and its high crime rate. Maggie, Haley and you made your way towards the dance studios located further inside the building, both of you setting up in rooms opposite each other. Haley took some laps of the room, inspecting it while you set up the speaker and the barres for the incoming class.

While Maggie was a Pilates instructor, you were one of the few dance teachers that taught outside of the Gotham & Blüdhaven Dance Conservatory. Thanks to funding from Wayne Enterprises, you found yourself managing on your lifestyle easily enough in the city.

Before long, students began piling in, all talking about how their week was at school and weekend plans. You let them converse as you pulled out your phone when it buzzed, hopeful for a text from Dick, but it was just your mother checking in on the family group chat. Frowning, you texted him once, before setting your phone next to your bag.

Hey, what time will you be back tonight?

“Alright, girls and boys,” you clapped your hands together, calling their attention away from your pup who had happily rolled over in the center of the room for everyone to give her belly rubs. “Whoever does warm up flawlessly gets extra Haley time and doesn’t have to help me clean up.”

At once they all stood tall, while Haley, as if she could understand everything, trotted over to your side, watching with curiosity to see who would be the lucky person to shower her in attention and affection. At least teenagers paid attention to you.

.

Your post-lunch time was lighter for once. Since the Conservatory had yet to decide on a summer ballet, you had a moment’s reprieve before getting swept up in daily rehearsals along with your usual classes. You’d waved goodbye to Maggie, who’d finally gotten a date with the cute receptionist, instead walking back with Haley, who trotted along proudly with a large stick she’d found on the ground.

“We’ve got to drop it once we reach home, okay girl?”

Haley simply whined, moving faster. You chuckled, letting her bring the stick up with her as you entered your apartment building. You’d throw it out before Dick came home, besides, Haley would forget about it by the time she woke up from her nap later in the day.

“Come on, in we go.”

You pushed the front door open, letting the three legged pup in before following yourself. You’d just barely shut the door when—

“Hey.”

Startled, you turned around. Dick was in the living room, dressed in a simple pair of denim jeans and a t-shirt, smiling up at you from the couch.

“You’re home early.” You pointed out the obvious, moving to the kitchen instead. Setting in the dirty dishes from your lunch earlier, you spoke up again. “Did you finish the case?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, that went well.”

Haley followed in after Dick as he leaned next to you against the counter. He was watching you carefully. “Can we talk?”

You huffed, scrubbing the dishes harder than required. “What’s there to talk about?”

“Sweetheart—“

“Don’t ‘sweetheart’ me right now, Richard Grayson,” you looked at the man next you, setting the washed dishes aside. Straightening up, turned to face your boyfriend, who was fiddling with his fingers as he waited. “Where were you last night?”

Dick grinned sheepishly, the use of his full name causing him to panic. He rubbed at the skin at the nape of his neck, the hair there ruffling at the movement. “I. . . er— I was busy.”

You watched him carefully, studying his face. Ever since you’d known him, Dick had always been somewhat closed off. He’d grown up in the spotlight, something you knew that wasn’t always his favourite, at least when he couldn’t have full control over it. You understood, being the son of Bruce Wayne meant he had a lot to carry on, especially as the oldest of four. But never once had you been unable to understand Dick Grayson since you’d crossed paths with him.

“Can we not do this right now?”

“I’m sorry,” Dick called out your name, following you into the bedroom. You shook your head, moving towards the bathroom to take the shower you were looking forward to on the way home. “Let me just— baby, please.”

“Dick, what’s there to talk about?” You sighed, rubbing at the sore spot behind your eyes. “You weren’t there last night because you were too busy to come home from work, and now you want to give me some excuse for why you ditched me. Seriously, I don’t want to do this right now.”

“Sweetheart, please, let me just explain myself.”

You huffed out a breath, looking up into his eyes. His blue eyes were dark, shrouded in guilt for not being there, swimming with sorrow. “Am I going to get the truth?”

“I’m just— it’s complicated.”

“Well,” you made a sound that would’ve been a laugh in a lighter moment. It was more air than anything else. “Let me know when you uncomplicate it. I’ll talk to you later, Richard.”

You shut the door to the bathroom before he could hear your sharp breath, trying the best you could to not cry.

.

Rain petered down towards the city in soft caresses, kissing Blüdhaven’s skyline with joy. The summer heat no longer felt trapped against the city’s caged lungs as she breathed in the cool breeze.

Dick had left to go back to his place after you’d basically shut him out. Haley, who looked confused at the fact that her father was leaving so soon, stood scratching at the door as he did. In the time you’d been together, Dick had barely been back to his own flat, most of his stuff living in spaces you’d cleaned out for him, his own life morphing into your own. The most time he’d spent at his place was during long patrolling nights, where he didn’t want to wake you up.

He was perched on the rooftop across from your building, in the shadows of the night as he watched you and Haley playing in the living room, his pup wagging her tail with glee as she waited for you to throw the ball in your hand. Usually, Dick would be there too. On a regular night, dick had the privilege of holding you in his arms.

The rain slanted in cool spurts against his domino mask. He’d finished patrolling hours ago, but couldn’t face himself to go back to an empty house, now just a place to keep his belongings, to keep anything he didn’t care about. He wondered if the reason the two of you were still awake was because you were just as unnerved as he was at being away from you.

He watched you staring at the front door, as if willing Dick to walk through the door by sheer determination. You stood there for a moment longer, before rubbing at your eyes as you shut the lights off. He watched you curl into his side of the bed, Haley tucking herself into your side.

Nightwing could handle a couple more hours of patrol. Rain be damned.

.

Dick walked in as your students were filing out of class, a bouquet of flowers in his hands. The teenagers looked at him curiously, whispering amongst themselves. You knew they were going to bring this up as many times as they could next class. The thought brought a soft smile to your face.

“Hi, can we talk?”

You sighed, nodding. Dick smiled, taking tentative steps towards you and holding the bouquet out, lips pulling up slightly more as you took it from him. Camellias and white chrysanthemums were stuffed in between wisps of baby’s breath and other flora. He must’ve had this made personally for you.

“The flowers are pretty.”

“Thank you.” You could feel Dick’s eyes on you as you inspected the bouquet, feeling the softness of the petals. “I’m so sorry about forgetting dinner sweetheart. I really didn’t mean to, I was just occupied with the case—“

“Dick, seriously, am I going to ever get the truth?”

“What do you mean?”

“What I mean is this,” you gesture between the two of you, frowning. Dick’s brows furrowed, his lips parting to protest, or maybe to defend himself but you continued on, your emotions spilling out of you, everything finally overflowing. “You never tell me what’s going on with you, and you’re never home anymore. I don’t know what you’re doing but I can’t keep living with you like this.”

“No please,” Dick called out your name, voice full of everything he could never tell you. “I’m so sorry, I promise nothing is going on. I can’t— I can’t tell you.”

“Dick, what are you involved in? Whatever it is, I can help you out. . . We can go to your father, he can help.”

Dick’s eyes watched panic flit across your face, fear holding strong in your watery eyes as you scanned him over for any sign of something wrong, something hurt. It broke him to know that even through everything he put you through, somehow you were still more worried about Dick. “I love you, and I promise I’m alright. I need you to trust me.”

“How do you expect me to do that when I don’t know what’s going on, Dick?” you were trying your hardest to hold back your tears, your breath hitching at the effort. It felt Herculean, the weight against your ribs feeling stronger than your will to not break down but you pushed through it, somehow. You saw Dick trace the movement, his eyes now swimming in ocean blue sadness. “I can’t do this anymore. Not while you keep me in the dark.”

“So this is it?”

You could feel your lip wobbling, sucking in a sharp breath as you tried to steady your racing heart. You just wanted to be able to know what was going on with Dick, but all he seemed to do is shut you out. “I think you should leave. I’ll drop Haley off tonight.”

“I’m sorry,” he spoke softly, his voice thick with emotion as he called out your name. “I love you.”

“I know.”

The door shut softly behind him, your tears finally slipping past the threshold.

.

Dick took the long way home. He tracked a pebble with his foot till he reached his apartment building, the silence greeting him in a loud, resounding echo. Donning the suit felt more like a chore than something Dick did in order to protect his city. He hadn’t felt so empty since he was eighteen, since he had once lost a brother before he could’ve fully been saved. And even though Jason was back in his life now, he still can see the child that never got a chance to fully live.

Pulling out his phone, he saw your name show up on his notifications: you’d made a post about your role as Puck in the Conservatory’s summer ballet performance for A Midsummer Night’s Dream. He knew you’d do an amazing job, and he went to speak up on it before realising where he was. He shook his head, texting Barbara that he was moving out for the night.

“Nightwing, do you copy?”

Dick tapped once on the comms device in his ear, in order to check its snugness before speaking up. “I’m here Oracle. Moving out now.”

Eyes shaded by his domino mask, he fled out into the cover of night in Blüdhaven, making his local rounds in silence, only sparsely broken by Barbara giving him directions to the warehouse where one of the Scarecrow’s lower level goons held some of his new chemical ware. Bruce had tipped him off about them working out of the city, and instead of having his brother come here on Bruce’s behalf, Dick had volunteered himself for the job. And now, he was more than glad he’d decided to go that route.

“Alright, you’re almost there,” Barbara’s voice felt faraway despite the fact that she was speaking right into his ear. Dick hummed to acknowledge his presence, “keep in contact, Nightwing.”

“Yes.”

Dick scanned the warehouse, an old perfumery ad from the 1920s painted onto the outer walls in fading paint. Decades of grime and soot cover it, graffiti and random posters peeling off the name of the brand, covering its history.

Would you change your mind if you knew about his second life?

He eyed the number of guards, pulling out self imploding bat-discs, tossing them towards the corner of the entrance and waiting on the smoke to distract them before dropping down. By the time the fog lifted, Dick had disarmed the guards.

“I’m going in,” he muttered, sticking to the shadows, much like his training called of him. This was a simple in and out job, taking inventory and possibly getting rid of the evidence, as Red Hood would like to do it (minus any major property damage).

Sticking to the edges, Dick entered in through an open window, sticking to the beams as he scanned the area slowly so Oracle could see what he was seeing. The silence was loud as he waited on a response.

Would you still love him if you knew the truth?

“All clear, take the samples and that’s a job done,” Oracle’s voice snapped him out of his reverie. He couldn’t afford to get distracted now.

Landing on his feet, Dick moved silently, gathering the chemicals required that he could take to the manor tomorrow night during the monthly Wayne family dinners. The first one in a while you wouldn’t be attending with him.

Dick could feel his chest cave in, the sinking worry that you wouldn’t let him find you again.

“I’m done for the night, Nightwing out.”

The comms device crackled with Barabara’s voice again. “Copy that, see you tomorrow.”

And then silence greeted him, already feeling like an old friend.

.

You woke up to Dick on your couch. Haley had curled up on his chest, snoring in contentment. Despite yourself, you paused, taking in the man who’d cramped himself into a space not big enough for him. For the first time in a while, you got to trace the exhaustion in his face, the way it clung onto the space below his eyes, how it seemed to seep out of him in droves. What were you up to, babe?

Deciding to let him sleep longer, you took the spare blanket, draping it over the both of them before moving towards the kitchen to prepare breakfast for three, something you hadn’t done in a while.

Dick wandered in as you cleaned up after Haley, who already sat by the island counter where you’d laid out breakfast for the two of you, sitting pretty like she’d not just eaten food herself.

“Morning, sleep well?”

Dick yawned, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He’d come over after patrol last night, having changed at his place before coming over. He was meant to leave before you woke up, only wanting a way to be near you, at least until he learns to sit with the silence. “Sorry, you weren’t supposed to know I was here.”

“So, you’re breaking and entering now?” You chuckled, passing him a mug of steaming hot coffee, extremely sweet and exactly to his liking.

Dick winced, bringing the mug to his mouth.

“When you put it like that. . .”

“Baby, there’s not a single way I could put it where it would sound nice,” you shook your head, too busy with buttering your toast to notice the way Dick’s breath caught in his throat at the nickname that slipped past your lips. Baby. . . babybabybaby—

Sunlight hugged every corner of the open plan apartment, warming up all its corners as the two of you ate in silence. For once, Dick didn’t find it pressing in on him. It felt almost . . . comfortable, like skin he could slip back on, one he’d never learned to let go of. You were being bathed in it, the sun warming around you as if you were its source.

“So,” you began, dragging the word out, “what’re you doing here Dick? People don’t typically wake up with their significant others on the couch the night after breaking up.”

“I— I’m sorry, for everything. One day, I promise I’ll tell you everything.”

You nodded. Dick never once had not followed through on a promise he’d made, but yet lately, that’s all he’d seem to do. You didn’t know when everything changed. “I’m sure you will, Dick.”

“What can I do to make you believe me?”

You saw Dick’s hand come in your line of vision. When you looked up at him, he took hold of your hand gently, as if afraid you’d leave, or maybe even make him leave. He didn’t want to think about which one would hurt more.

He was watching you with eyes that had been more open than anything in the past month. You could see the guilt shadowing the baby blues, a month’s worth of promises he’d failed to keep showing up and fulfilling. You knew that he was genuine, Dick had never given you a reason to believe otherwise, but you couldn’t just rely on genuineness anymore, not when he was clearly not being fully himself with you. You needed to be able to understand why he was suddenly shutting you out.

You squeezed his hand softly, gently. “I just want you to trust me again. You’re always there for you, you’re my person. Let me be there for you.”

“I can’t. . . Trust me, I’d love to but I just— I love you too much to let anything happen to you.”

You frowned, “Dick, living in a place like Blüdhaven or Gotham means I’m always going to be in danger, you can’t stop that. I just need you to let me in.”

“I can’t.”

You sighed. Dick felt cold encase him when your hand went limp in his hold, his heart beating wildly. He placed both his hands over yours, cradling them.

“I’ll make it up to you, I promise. Give me a chance to.”

And maybe it was stupid of you to have hope about it, but this was Dick. He was your Dick, the same man who stayed up late with you while you spent hours perfecting each move before your performances, there for every time you’d stressed out and spiralled over your capabilities on stage, on every little place you’d messed up. Dick had been there through it all. You never knew how to truly be mad at him, and maybe that was your cross to bear, but you still had hope.

Dick was still the only person who’d managed to hold your heart without breaking it, it wasn’t fair of the circumstances to expect you to hope for anything else except what you’ve always had. You just hoped he still had faith in doing so himself.

You placed your hand on top of his, something like a smile tugging softly at your mouth. Dick could feel his heart slow down as you looked at him, eyes wide and telling. This was his last chance.

“Show me.”

You pulled your phone away from your ear, looking at the time. It’d been an hour since you’d gotten your reservation. You could see the twenty something waitress watching from the corner, eyes sympathetic as she watched you leave yet another voicemail. “I’m leaving the restaurant. I’ll see you when you get home from wherever you are.”

You ended the call, signalling the waitress over. “Hey, could I get this to go? And the cheque?”

“Of course,” she smiled, eyes sorrowful for someone she didn’t even know as she walked away from your table.

Sighing, you eyed the rice and curry dish you’d ordered because you knew it was Dick’s favourite, only for it to go cold in your wait for him. He was supposed to be there an hour ago. Dick rarely was late for a date with you, except lately he’d been away from home more times than not.

By the time you’d made it home after paying for a meal you didn’t even eat properly, all you wanted to do was go to sleep. Haley greeted you at the door, tail wagging wildly.

“Hi sweetheart, I missed you too,” you crouched down, letting the three legged pup jump into your arms before standing up. Your neighbour, who you’d asked to dog sit, smiled up at you as she got up from the couch. “Thanks for looking after her. I hope everything was alright.”

“Of course, don’t worry about it,” Maggie waved you off, instead taking away the takeaway bag you’d set at the entry table and moving towards your kitchen. “Should I keep this in the fridge?”

“Yeah, thank you Mags,” you called out, scratching behind Haley’s ears as you set her down. “I think Richard might be holed up in a case today.”

“They really work them to the bone down at the police department, huh?”

“You’re telling me,” you laugh, leaning against the counter as Maggie turns towards you. She eyed you with some pity, she used to be your roommate back in college back in Metropolis, and somehow the two of you ended up living next to each other now in Blüdhaven, a few years later. “Thanks once again.”

“Please, I’d do anything for you.”

“You’re just saying that because you get my dog,” you narrowed your eyes playfully. Maggie chuckled, raising her hands up in surrender.

“Guilty.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” you asked, dropping the act as you followed your friend to your entryway. The two of you carpooled to work together.

“Bright and early, babes. Goodnight.” Maggie shut the front door behind her.

You sighed, making your way into the bedroom as you shut off all the lights, the sound of pattering paws following you. Once you’d settled into bed, Haley curled up by your side, body resting on the empty pillow where Dick usually slept. You checked your phone once again to see if you’d gotten a message from your boyfriend.

babe where are you? hello??? dick where tf are you??? read at 8:21 pm — i’ll see you at home dick. sent at 10:30pm

“Goodnight, baby.”

Haley simply nuzzled closer, soft snores escaping her mouth.

.

Warm sunlight creeped into the bedroom under the thick curtains, curling around you as you woke up. As if having a bodily clock attuned entirely to your sleeping habits, you could feel Haley shift in her sleep from where she’d curled up in your side during the night. Turning to your side, you reached over to find the bed empty, the covers still warm. Dick must have left some time ago.

Ignoring the dull acknowledgment at the back of your mind that Dick hadn’t even woken you up to tell you he was leaving (something he did every morning without fail if he had to run out the door), you made the rounds through your morning routine, trudging towards the kitchen where there was a plate of eggs and toast on the island counter. Next to it, sat a mug of warm coffee that had a sticky note on its body, a bright hot pink piece of paper that explained his absence.

Good morning sweetheart. I’m sorry for not waking you up, they need me down at the precinct. I’ll see you tonight. Love you babe! Dick.

He’d drawn a heart next to his name.

Before you could even think about it, you felt a cold nose nuzzle your leg. Haley was looking up at you with big eyes, ears dropped and a low whining noise like she’d never seen a lick of food in her life.

“Alright missy, let’s get you your food,” you laughed, busying yourself with breakfast for her, and heating up the breakfast that had cooled down on the countertop.

At 9 sharp, a loud knock echoed throughout the flat, and Haley at once sprinted to the door, barking in excitement. You chuckled, knowing Maggie would let herself in with the copy of your key. “Rise and shine sweetheart.”

“Hi honey,” you smiled, as both her and Haley walked into the kitchen where you’d been packing the leftovers from yesterday’s dinner for lunch. Maggie had clipped on the pup’s leash, and was straining to restrain the excitable Pitt bull. “Shall we?”

Maggie nodded, eyeing the food you packed with pursed lips. “Yeah, let’s go. Can’t have the children waiting.”

“No we can’t.”

.

Blüdhaven had a surprisingly well run and updated recreational center, especially since how close the city was to Gotham and its high crime rate. Maggie, Haley and you made your way towards the dance studios located further inside the building, both of you setting up in rooms opposite each other. Haley took some laps of the room, inspecting it while you set up the speaker and the barres for the incoming class.

While Maggie was a Pilates instructor, you were one of the few dance teachers that taught outside of the Gotham & Blüdhaven Dance Conservatory. Thanks to funding from Wayne Enterprises, you found yourself managing on your lifestyle easily enough in the city.

Before long, students began piling in, all talking about how their week was at school and weekend plans. You let them converse as you pulled out your phone when it buzzed, hopeful for a text from Dick, but it was just your mother checking in on the family group chat. Frowning, you texted him once, before setting your phone next to your bag.

Hey, what time will you be back tonight?

“Alright, girls and boys,” you clapped your hands together, calling their attention away from your pup who had happily rolled over in the center of the room for everyone to give her belly rubs. “Whoever does warm up flawlessly gets extra Haley time and doesn’t have to help me clean up.”

At once they all stood tall, while Haley, as if she could understand everything, trotted over to your side, watching with curiosity to see who would be the lucky person to shower her in attention and affection. At least teenagers paid attention to you.

.

Your post-lunch time was lighter for once. Since the Conservatory had yet to decide on a summer ballet, you had a moment’s reprieve before getting swept up in daily rehearsals along with your usual classes. You’d waved goodbye to Maggie, who’d finally gotten a date with the cute receptionist, instead walking back with Haley, who trotted along proudly with a large stick she’d found on the ground.

“We’ve got to drop it once we reach home, okay girl?”

Haley simply whined, moving faster. You chuckled, letting her bring the stick up with her as you entered your apartment building. You’d throw it out before Dick came home, besides, Haley would forget about it by the time she woke up from her nap later in the day.

“Come on, in we go.”

You pushed the front door open, letting the three legged pup in before following yourself. You’d just barely shut the door when—

“Hey.”

Startled, you turned around. Dick was in the living room, dressed in a simple pair of denim jeans and a t-shirt, smiling up at you from the couch.

“You’re home early.” You pointed out the obvious, moving to the kitchen instead. Setting in the dirty dishes from your lunch earlier, you spoke up again. “Did you finish the case?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, that went well.”

Haley followed in after Dick as he leaned next to you against the counter. He was watching you carefully. “Can we talk?”

You huffed, scrubbing the dishes harder than required. “What’s there to talk about?”

“Sweetheart—“

“Don’t ‘sweetheart’ me right now, Richard Grayson,” you looked at the man next you, setting the washed dishes aside. Straightening up, turned to face your boyfriend, who was fiddling with his fingers as he waited. “Where were you last night?”

Dick grinned sheepishly, the use of his full name causing him to panic. He rubbed at the skin at the nape of his neck, the hair there ruffling at the movement. “I. . . er— I was busy.”

You watched him carefully, studying his face. Ever since you’d known him, Dick had always been somewhat closed off. He’d grown up in the spotlight, something you knew that wasn’t always his favourite, at least when he couldn’t have full control over it. You understood, being the son of Bruce Wayne meant he had a lot to carry on, especially as the oldest of four. But never once had you been unable to understand Dick Grayson since you’d crossed paths with him.

“Can we not do this right now?”

“I’m sorry,” Dick called out your name, following you into the bedroom. You shook your head, moving towards the bathroom to take the shower you were looking forward to on the way home. “Let me just— baby, please.”

“Dick, what’s there to talk about?” You sighed, rubbing at the sore spot behind your eyes. “You weren’t there last night because you were too busy to come home from work, and now you want to give me some excuse for why you ditched me. Seriously, I don’t want to do this right now.”

“Sweetheart, please, let me just explain myself.”

You huffed out a breath, looking up into his eyes. His blue eyes were dark, shrouded in guilt for not being there, swimming with sorrow. “Am I going to get the truth?”

“I’m just— it’s complicated.”

“Well,” you made a sound that would’ve been a laugh in a lighter moment. It was more air than anything else. “Let me know when you uncomplicate it. I’ll talk to you later, Richard.”

You shut the door to the bathroom before he could hear your sharp breath, trying the best you could to not cry.

.

Rain petered down towards the city in soft caresses, kissing Blüdhaven’s skyline with joy. The summer heat no longer felt trapped against the city’s caged lungs as she breathed in the cool breeze.

Dick had left to go back to his place after you’d basically shut him out. Haley, who looked confused at the fact that her father was leaving so soon, stood scratching at the door as he did. In the time you’d been together, Dick had barely been back to his own flat, most of his stuff living in spaces you’d cleaned out for him, his own life morphing into your own. The most time he’d spent at his place was during long patrolling nights, where he didn’t want to wake you up.

He was perched on the rooftop across from your building, in the shadows of the night as he watched you and Haley playing in the living room, his pup wagging her tail with glee as she waited for you to throw the ball in your hand. Usually, Dick would be there too. On a regular night, dick had the privilege of holding you in his arms.

The rain slanted in cool spurts against his domino mask. He’d finished patrolling hours ago, but couldn’t face himself to go back to an empty house, now just a place to keep his belongings, to keep anything he didn’t care about. He wondered if the reason the two of you were still awake was because you were just as unnerved as he was at being away from you.

He watched you staring at the front door, as if willing Dick to walk through the door by sheer determination. You stood there for a moment longer, before rubbing at your eyes as you shut the lights off. He watched you curl into his side of the bed, Haley tucking herself into your side.

Nightwing could handle a couple more hours of patrol. Rain be damned.

.

Dick walked in as your students were filing out of class, a bouquet of flowers in his hands. The teenagers looked at him curiously, whispering amongst themselves. You knew they were going to bring this up as many times as they could next class. The thought brought a soft smile to your face.

“Hi, can we talk?”

You sighed, nodding. Dick smiled, taking tentative steps towards you and holding the bouquet out, lips pulling up slightly more as you took it from him. Camellias and white chrysanthemums were stuffed in between wisps of baby’s breath and other flora. He must’ve had this made personally for you.

“The flowers are pretty.”

“Thank you.” You could feel Dick’s eyes on you as you inspected the bouquet, feeling the softness of the petals. “I’m so sorry about forgetting dinner sweetheart. I really didn’t mean to, I was just occupied with the case—“

“Dick, seriously, am I going to ever get the truth?”

“What do you mean?”

“What I mean is this,” you gesture between the two of you, frowning. Dick’s brows furrowed, his lips parting to protest, or maybe to defend himself but you continued on, your emotions spilling out of you, everything finally overflowing. “You never tell me what’s going on with you, and you’re never home anymore. I don’t know what you’re doing but I can’t keep living with you like this.”

“No please,” Dick called out your name, voice full of everything he could never tell you. “I’m so sorry, I promise nothing is going on. I can’t— I can’t tell you.”

“Dick, what are you involved in? Whatever it is, I can help you out. . . We can go to your father, he can help.”

Dick’s eyes watched panic flit across your face, fear holding strong in your watery eyes as you scanned him over for any sign of something wrong, something hurt. It broke him to know that even through everything he put you through, somehow you were still more worried about Dick. “I love you, and I promise I’m alright. I need you to trust me.”

“How do you expect me to do that when I don’t know what’s going on, Dick?” you were trying your hardest to hold back your tears, your breath hitching at the effort. It felt Herculean, the weight against your ribs feeling stronger than your will to not break down but you pushed through it, somehow. You saw Dick trace the movement, his eyes now swimming in ocean blue sadness. “I can’t do this anymore. Not while you keep me in the dark.”

“So this is it?”

You could feel your lip wobbling, sucking in a sharp breath as you tried to steady your racing heart. You just wanted to be able to know what was going on with Dick, but all he seemed to do is shut you out. “I think you should leave. I’ll drop Haley off tonight.”

“I’m sorry,” he spoke softly, his voice thick with emotion as he called out your name. “I love you.”

“I know.”

The door shut softly behind him, your tears finally slipping past the threshold.

.

Dick took the long way home. He tracked a pebble with his foot till he reached his apartment building, the silence greeting him in a loud, resounding echo. Donning the suit felt more like a chore than something Dick did in order to protect his city. He hadn’t felt so empty since he was eighteen, since he had once lost a brother before he could’ve fully been saved. And even though Jason was back in his life now, he still can see the child that never got a chance to fully live.

Pulling out his phone, he saw your name show up on his notifications: you’d made a post about your role as Puck in the Conservatory’s summer ballet performance for A Midsummer Night’s Dream. He knew you’d do an amazing job, and he went to speak up on it before realising where he was. He shook his head, texting Barbara that he was moving out for the night.

“Nightwing, do you copy?”

Dick tapped once on the comms device in his ear, in order to check its snugness before speaking up. “I’m here Oracle. Moving out now.”

Eyes shaded by his domino mask, he fled out into the cover of night in Blüdhaven, making his local rounds in silence, only sparsely broken by Barbara giving him directions to the warehouse where one of the Scarecrow’s lower level goons held some of his new chemical ware. Bruce had tipped him off about them working out of the city, and instead of having his brother come here on Bruce’s behalf, Dick had volunteered himself for the job. And now, he was more than glad he’d decided to go that route.

“Alright, you’re almost there,” Barbara’s voice felt faraway despite the fact that she was speaking right into his ear. Dick hummed to acknowledge his presence, “keep in contact, Nightwing.”

“Yes.”

Dick scanned the warehouse, an old perfumery ad from the 1920s painted onto the outer walls in fading paint. Decades of grime and soot cover it, graffiti and random posters peeling off the name of the brand, covering its history.

Would you change your mind if you knew about his second life?

He eyed the number of guards, pulling out self imploding bat-discs, tossing them towards the corner of the entrance and waiting on the smoke to distract them before dropping down. By the time the fog lifted, Dick had disarmed the guards.

“I’m going in,” he muttered, sticking to the shadows, much like his training called of him. This was a simple in and out job, taking inventory and possibly getting rid of the evidence, as Red Hood would like to do it (minus any major property damage).

Sticking to the edges, Dick entered in through an open window, sticking to the beams as he scanned the area slowly so Oracle could see what he was seeing. The silence was loud as he waited on a response.

Would you still love him if you knew the truth?

“All clear, take the samples and that’s a job done,” Oracle’s voice snapped him out of his reverie. He couldn’t afford to get distracted now.

Landing on his feet, Dick moved silently, gathering the chemicals required that he could take to the manor tomorrow night during the monthly Wayne family dinners. The first one in a while you wouldn’t be attending with him.

Dick could feel his chest cave in, the sinking worry that you wouldn’t let him find you again.

“I’m done for the night, Nightwing out.”

The comms device crackled with Barabara’s voice again. “Copy that, see you tomorrow.”

And then silence greeted him, already feeling like an old friend.

.

You woke up to Dick on your couch. Haley had curled up on his chest, snoring in contentment. Despite yourself, you paused, taking in the man who’d cramped himself into a space not big enough for him. For the first time in a while, you got to trace the exhaustion in his face, the way it clung onto the space below his eyes, how it seemed to seep out of him in droves. What were you up to, babe?

Deciding to let him sleep longer, you took the spare blanket, draping it over the both of them before moving towards the kitchen to prepare breakfast for three, something you hadn’t done in a while.

Dick wandered in as you cleaned up after Haley, who already sat by the island counter where you’d laid out breakfast for the two of you, sitting pretty like she’d not just eaten food herself.

“Morning, sleep well?”

Dick yawned, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He’d come over after patrol last night, having changed at his place before coming over. He was meant to leave before you woke up, only wanting a way to be near you, at least until he learns to sit with the silence. “Sorry, you weren’t supposed to know I was here.”

“So, you’re breaking and entering now?” You chuckled, passing him a mug of steaming hot coffee, extremely sweet and exactly to his liking.

Dick winced, bringing the mug to his mouth.

“When you put it like that. . .”

“Baby, there’s not a single way I could put it where it would sound nice,” you shook your head, too busy with buttering your toast to notice the way Dick’s breath caught in his throat at the nickname that slipped past your lips. Baby. . . babybabybaby—

Sunlight hugged every corner of the open plan apartment, warming up all its corners as the two of you ate in silence. For once, Dick didn’t find it pressing in on him. It felt almost . . . comfortable, like skin he could slip back on, one he’d never learned to let go of. You were being bathed in it, the sun warming around you as if you were its source.

“So,” you began, dragging the word out, “what’re you doing here Dick? People don’t typically wake up with their significant others on the couch the night after breaking up.”

“I— I’m sorry, for everything. One day, I promise I’ll tell you everything.”

You nodded. Dick never once had not followed through on a promise he’d made, but yet lately, that’s all he’d seem to do. You didn’t know when everything changed. “I’m sure you will, Dick.”

“What can I do to make you believe me?”

You saw Dick’s hand come in your line of vision. When you looked up at him, he took hold of your hand gently, as if afraid you’d leave, or maybe even make him leave. He didn’t want to think about which one would hurt more.

He was watching you with eyes that had been more open than anything in the past month. You could see the guilt shadowing the baby blues, a month’s worth of promises he’d failed to keep showing up and fulfilling. You knew that he was genuine, Dick had never given you a reason to believe otherwise, but you couldn’t just rely on genuineness anymore, not when he was clearly not being fully himself with you. You needed to be able to understand why he was suddenly shutting you out.

You squeezed his hand softly, gently. “I just want you to trust me again. You’re always there for you, you’re my person. Let me be there for you.”

“I can’t. . . Trust me, I’d love to but I just— I love you too much to let anything happen to you.”

You frowned, “Dick, living in a place like Blüdhaven or Gotham means I’m always going to be in danger, you can’t stop that. I just need you to let me in.”

“I can’t.”

You sighed. Dick felt cold encase him when your hand went limp in his hold, his heart beating wildly. He placed both his hands over yours, cradling them.

“I’ll make it up to you, I promise. Give me a chance to.”

And maybe it was stupid of you to have hope about it, but this was Dick. He was your Dick, the same man who stayed up late with you while you spent hours perfecting each move before your performances, there for every time you’d stressed out and spiralled over your capabilities on stage, on every little place you’d messed up. Dick had been there through it all. You never knew how to truly be mad at him, and maybe that was your cross to bear, but you still had hope.

Dick was still the only person who’d managed to hold your heart without breaking it, it wasn’t fair of the circumstances to expect you to hope for anything else except what you’ve always had. You just hoped he still had faith in doing so himself.

You placed your hand on top of his, something like a smile tugging softly at your mouth. Dick could feel his heart slow down as you looked at him, eyes wide and telling. This was his last chance.

“Show me.”