@ravenfan1242â I had been meaning to write your WallyRae - this is finally done! I never wrote an AU like this or for Kid Flash/Raven. I hope you enjoy! Thank you so much for the lovely Valentineâs Day WallyRae fanart!!!
@ravenfan1242â WallyRae FanartÂ
A disembodied arm sprang open an office, and stole the living wits straight out of the occupant, who until that moment, was lunching alone. A plastic spoon hovering within range of an agape mouth. âI thought I smelled something delicious.â Her shocked cobalt blue examined the intruder who then asked, âwhatâs on the gourmet today?â
âUmâŠsoup.â Raven said to the bowl tightly. âJust soup.â
âI like soup.â The redhead remarked, holding the door frame above and angling his body towards the desk. âDid you make it?â
Sprinkles slid off the spoonful steadily. âMicrowaved it.â
âClose enough, right?â He grinned. The kindness of his blue-green eyes shone even in the sparsely lit room, its single window covered in slats.
âRightâŠâ She mumbled. A limp noodle nose-dived off the cutlery and plopped back into the lukewarm pool. âCooking adjacent.â Which was as close to the act as Raven was willing to stand.
A wide breadth was generally best.
âExactly what I always say.â He agreed. âAlthough⊠it certainly smells homemade, Raven.â Why was she blushing? Why was his mention of her viscous broth - located somewhere on the borderline between piss and dishwater - making her forget how to think straight? The lull was disturbed when freckled fingers rapped on her door in a rapid staccato. âIâll see you later?â
She nodded weakly. âLater.â With that, he went whistling on his way.
With bright smiles and even brighter hair, Wally was unreal. Whether he stopped by her office unexpectedly, saw her in the kitchen, or spotted her in passing, he had this tendency or - compulsion - to talk to her. Even if it meant he had to race over to her and abandon someone mid-sentence, he would find his way to her side. Though he only started weeks ago, he had a presence that elicited eagerness, instead of her general indifference.
The day they met, something strange happened - she forgot to bring in her thermos of tea to work. She stopped in the kitchen on each floor, before she went up a total of five flights - to the sole coffee machine in operation. The machine beeped scarlet - angry accusations; it demanded to be cleaned before servicing anyone else. A not-so-office-friendly phrase threatened to slide from her lips at the sight of a hand swiping the final steaming cup of liquid - the proverbial straw.
âJust my luck.â She sighed to herself. An office building without a working coffee machine was one with cruel working conditions.
The new owner of the wax paper cup turned to her. âIâm sorry, did you need coffee?â Perhaps he was sympathetic, but likely he heard the desperation in her voice, the sheer panic of taking on Tuesday without a cuppa.
âNoâŠtea.â Raven corrected the redhead. âCoffee doesnât do it for me.â
âWhat a coincidence!âÂ
Apparently, he already had a superabundance of energy. A voice that was less jarring, explained. âCoffee makes a bit hyperactive - or more so.â His lips turned up cheekily. âWould you like mine? Itâs herbal. Mint.â
âReally, I couldnât.â But the man didnât hear of it, he grabbed another paper cup and unloaded an even amount.
âWeâll share - you can make it up to me by telling me your name and departmentâŠâ He could see she was befuddled. âIâm Wally West - Iâm new.â His skin radiated charges through the handshake, it lingered on the cup he passed to her.
âRaven Roth⊠Human Resources.â On a typical day, she had few direct interactions with others, but she wanted to interact with him.
That week, they spoke every day. She tried to put her finger to the pulse of it, but couldnât surmise.
It was easy to attribute her attraction to the dashes of freckles, flaming tresses, and feistiness, but it was more than that. There was a gravitational pull drawing her to the western hemisphere. It was saturated with sun. It was offbeat and unique, andâŠfun. With that chance encounter, work life changed for the better. So even though Raven hardly ever did herself, the days of routine nine to five took their own, well-deserved time-off.
Office parties and happy hours. These were social situations that had persisted through time, even though cocktails and coworkers were not meant to commingle.
And it was why, Raven didnât know why she was attending this one. Frankly, she would much rather be in her own company than that of her tipsy boss and drunk coworkers, and other wasted strangers in the lowly lit bar. It was the most awkward thing in the world to witness their behavior while they bummed booze off the company dime.
The true reason she was here - it was mandatory. AÂ mandatory, holiday party, the intention of which was to spend time socializing with coworkers in a low-stress environment. The aim was to avoid getting sloppy. Working in HR, she was aware. Though, others seemed to forget, they tended to get rowdy. Especially before their vacations.
âMan, youâre usually faster.â Pre-party rum was affecting speech patterns of the recent arrivals. âHappy hour awaits!â
âI know, weâre already so late.â That was definitely pre-party rum from someoneâs cubicle closet.
There were other divisions here. Teams that were not as straight-laced as her own.
âWally, you need to relax and get a drink - or two.â
He tipped his head, as spotted her by the bar. His steps were clumsy, eyes watery from the alcohol. At last, freckled cheeks, with their rosy halo freckled, wiggled out a hazy smile. The orange and blue bulbs above had gone paces past ambient lighting, to delve deep into clubbing territory. They were outside of work and outside the standard, watts of fluorescence she had grown accustomed to seeing him under. The palpitating in her chest appeared to agree. Raven didnât know whether it was the drink she had been nursing, the thumping bass of played-out pop, or him in his gray button-down, with its rolled up cuffs showing forearms, tanned and strong.
âI hoped - you⊠to - night -â The shock of red bobbed, invitingly. Raven squinted and motioned to her ear. Oh - right! Wally mouthed. He pointed to a stool, Raven shrugged. She sipped quickly to hide her smile as he plunked down at her right.
At least five songs had gone, but Wally hadnât left her side. Their bodies were tilted towards one another in the backless seats. He had given up shouting over the music to whisper directly into her ear canal. Each syllable was slow and slightly slurred - deep and deliberate.
âYou look very nice.â Wally was referring to her black sheath dress. Though work-appropriate, it was tight and clingy. An unintended positive of the unseasonably warm weather, Raven had foregone tights. And Wally West clearly noticed.
âYou know Iâm in HR - that could be misconstrued as flirting,â She jabbed him with her straw. âBut, youâre alright with me, Wallace.â When they were alone here with alcohol in the air she felt emboldened. To call him Wallace and scoot closer in her seat - to flirt about whether or not they were allowed to flirt.
âMisconstruedâŠ?â His grinned went lopsided with nausea for a moment. âOh - boy that booze.â
For a second, she placed a hand on his shoulder in a gesture that hopefully was innocent to any onlookers. âWally, are you alright?â
âYeah.â He swallowed, shakily. âI just⊠donât drink - like ever.â
âReally - not ever?â The ink eyebrows shot up. âWhy not?â Her upturned nose twitched.
âEver run hungover?â Run? A pale handâs push slid their glasses out of sight. âI run - marathons⊠Oneâs coming up next weekend, so Iâm in the middle of training for it.â Wally chuckled pathetically or painfully.
She fingered her ebony tresses thoughtfully. Then she whispered, while leaning forward so her mouth brushed the pink, freckly orifice. âSo then whyâŠdid you drink?â
Wally spoke near her cheek, the sharp, spiced-sugar whisked Ravenâs nose. âBecause I wanted a little liquid courage.â His queasiness had dissipated. âIâŠÂ want to dance - will you dance with me?â He asked, as though it had only occurred to him moments ago.
Suddenly, she glanced at her surroundings. âUm, IâŠâ They were alone, but not truly. And even if they were, this was still a work party. She sneaked a peek behind them. The darkened room was thinned out, over half the people had left. Those that remained were drunker and louder than the last. Could it be that it was safe after all?
âRaven?â Wally was following her line of sight. âAre youâŠlooking for an out?â
âNo,â She promised and placed her palm in his. âLetâs do it.â
âDo it?!â Wally gasped. âWhy, Raven, Iâm appalled!â
âDonât you dareâŠâ Her voice had suddenly gone dry.
âI thought you were in HR.â Wally continued. âCan I report someone in HR -Â to HR?â
She sighed into her smile. âYour jokes are still decent when youâre wasted.â
Right or wrong, it was best to be cautious. Raven felt more at ease when he took her to a secluded corner in the back. Her and Wally danced restlessly, waiting, with their bodies a ways apart. Unspoken, until they were the last ones left.
Turning in aimless circles, with her arms draped on his neck and his hands tight to her waist, they drew closer. With the party over, it was harmless. She and Wally had morphed into two individuals out on a Friday at the bar.
The bar where booze laden blood overheated their bodies. Ravenâs cardigan was torn off and the first three buttons on Wallyâs shirt had come undone.
One song melded into another and another and another. Until one that played for their ears alone - it was one where rules of Human Resources, policies, and holiday parties could fall away like layers fallen between them.
Raven clicked open another email. One day was unending lull only for the one that succeeded to be filled with a billion urgent emails that all required her attention.
Today was one of those days.
That was it. No subject. No greeting. No signature. And it was from one Wally West.
An involuntary smile began to slide across her skin as she clicked, wondering what this could possibly be about.
WW:Â 30 minutes. Me and you.
RR:Â Iâm busy. What is this about?
WW:Â Youâll see. Iâm signing off - so you canât say no.
Wally appeared in her doorway no less than five minutes later. âRaven -Â up!â He commanded.
She shook her head violently. âI have a ton of work to do today. I canât -â
Wally persisted. âUp. Up. Up!â He went around to pull her out of the chair. It made her remember their dances. She had to breathe carefully to calm herself. âYou can squeeze in an hour for lunch.â Raven opened her mouth. âMicrowaved leftovers or calcified bags of nuts from your desk drawer are not lunch.â
âWally, pleaseâŠâ Raven she begged. She had to at least attempt a last ditch effort. âI should get this done.â
His red hair flopped over his face. When he straightened back up, he gave her a soft smile. âTrust me, itâs only an hour, and youâll love it.â
âOkay.â She couldnât say no to that - or to him.
He chatted with her animatedly for all five blocks until they arrived at a little bistro Raven had never been to, despite it being so close.
âTwo tomato soups and two grilled cheeses, please.â
Simple, but classic, it was her favorite comfort food. When the waiter disappeared, Raven playfully shoved him. Wally grinned, appreciating how well he knew her.
True to his word, it was the best lunch at work she had ever had.
And after, they ran, with full-stomachs sprinted, arm and arm in their pea-coats. The uncooperative weather wafted their condensed breath out into the ether. The chill snapped their cheeks and noses, outlining them in pink as they raced on. He had vowed to get Raven to her office before an hour elapsed. But before they rounded the corner to the building, he stopped.
âWally, come on.â Raven panted. âWe have to get back - before -â
The experienced runner was hardly winded. His voice didnât waver when he told her, âRaven, I donât⊠Have to get back.â
âNo. We all have an hour.â She exhaled, glancing at her watch for the time. âThatâs the rule.â Her tone dropped a decibel, she conspired, pinching her forefinger and thumb. âI mean Iâm supposed to say that, but you can push it a littleâŠâ
âRaven, Iâm an independent contractor.â
Faintly, she wondered why he needed to mention that. âMeaning? You have a stricter deadline than I do -â He brushed a raven lock, tenderly gazing at her as he did so. âWallyâŠ! What if someone sees youâŠâ
âTodayâs my last day, Raven.â
âWhat?â The pale girl ripped away, violently. âNo." She bit out. Raven tried to slow and soften the harshness. "I⊠donât understand.â
âMy contract ended.â Wally explained. âAnd they decided not to extend it.â
âBut,â She argued, knowing it was futile. âSurely thereâs something we can do, or I can do.â
After all, what was the point of working in her department all these years? What was the point if she couldnât help a friend?
âRaven, donât worry about me.â He slid closer. âItâs alright, Iâm needed elsewhere.â
âSo thatâs it.â Raven lifted her head.
âIâll be packing up tonightâŠâ Wally continued in a normal register. She wished he wouldnât. âIf you wanted to helpâŠâ
The wind picked up, night colored tendrils blew back in frigidity. The ice in the air surrounding her body was as cold as the ice overcoming her heart. It was painful enough that he was going. Leaving her. Helping to carry out the process would be cruel. âI donât think I can do that, Wally.â
âI understand⊠But now, I can do this...â He eyed her closely. His bluish-green eyes memorized her face, at last, her lips. With enough films and sappy television in her repertoire, she knew what was next.
Two parted pillowy lips advanced, angling downward. Raven stood on her tiptoes, stretching her body to sun. His warmth drew her nearer to his atmosphere. This was it. The moment she had only dreamed of⊠She shut her heavy lids, just as his mouth, stung by the chill, veeredâŠinto her forehead.
âLetâs go back⊠to the office.â
The cool wind whistled and Raven was stung.
âIâll - meet you up there.â She stepped back. âI need a moment.â
As soon as he had disappeared out of sight, Raven started to walk. The other way. To the train. To go home. She felt sick after all.
A half day only seemed appropriate.