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#and I think Wally’s parents would be those people. if barry and iris ever got custody of him they would’ve done anything to help tho so
fastestloseralive · 3 years
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look I just don’t know if dc made Wally adhd on purpose or if they just happen to write their speedsters Like That but I’m taking scraps. not all adhd superheroes are speedsters but all speedsters are adhd
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myundeadgayson · 3 years
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DC Street Racing AU — Bart Allen’s Backstory
alright, i know practically nothing about cars. i’ve also never even seen a Fast and the Furious movie, but SOMEONE has gotta fill the void on lack of DC Street Racing AUs, and i’m gonna do it. (if there are some out there though, please let me know! i can barely find ANYTHING, and i’d love to see stuff for this kind of AU!)
so,,, i’m just saying,,, the Teen Titans and Young Justice Crews as Street Racers.
we’ll start off with the characters that sent me into this spiral in the first place: Bart Allen and Wally West.
again, i know practically nothing about this kind of stuff. i know nothing about street racing, or cars, but i’m just saying… i really love imagining Street Racer!Wally being Bart’s inspiration for wanting to race.
even though Iris was never approving of Wally’s racing (she’s supportive, but extremely concerned for his safety), Wally would occasionally bring Bart along to the races that he’d have with friends. sometimes Bart would sneak his way into going without Wally realizing, but either way, Bart would come along.
after years of growing up and watching Wally race, Bart decided he wanted to race too. (note: to save myself a headache since this is No Powers AU and Time Travel doesn’t take place, we’re just gonna pretend that Barry and Iris adopted Bart. i want to say that his parents were close family members of Iris and Wally. perhaps one of the parents was another cousin of theirs, but both Bart’s parents ended up dying in some sort of accident. since then, Bart’s been living with Barry, Iris, and their newly born twins.)
i have so much more to say about this AU, but i want to warn you because this is about to be a VERY long post. however, if you wanna know Bart Allen’s Street Racer AU backstory and more about Wally (and his racing group, The Titans), please read more!
      (TW: small car accident — completely non-graphic, no injuries involved, everything is okay, but it does happen)     Bart’s been interested in racing for YEARS. ever since he was a kid, he’s always craved to know what it’s like — to feel the wind in your hair, the rush of adrenaline in your veins, the feeling of your heart racing as you watch the speedometer go up and up and up. the exhilaration filling your lungs as some part of you realizes “this is dangerous”.
he wants those feelings. he wants that experience that makes Wally’s eyes light up like there’s pure lightening rushing through his veins.
he wants to go Fast.
when Bart was thirteen, Wally let him sit in the driver’s seat for the first time.
Wally didn’t let him drive it, of course. Bart wasn’t tall enough yet to reach the petals even if he wanted to, but he was excited nonetheless. Wally had laughed at him as he grinned, asking how to work everything.
the car wasn’t on — Wally wasn’t dumb enough to give him even the slightest chance of trying to start it. it was a good choice. Bart would be a liar to say that he wouldn’t have instantly tried to drive it. instead, Wally let Bart mess with the gears and pretend he was in a race of his own. he’d adjust the mirror to try to see himself. he was too short to fully be seen in it, but if he sat up tall enough he could see his eyes.
years later, Bart would do the same. he’d look into his reflection and see his eyes, sparkling with that same determination that he had all those years ago.
Wally had explained everything to him. Bart started off by eagerly pointing at things (like the gear, the numbers, and all the weird symbols he could see) and ask questions, and Wally would answer every one. Wally explained other things too, like what made Wally’s special car better for racing than some random car. Bart hung on every word, trying his best to imagine all the pieces, even if he didn’t know what some were at all. he tried to commemorate every bit of information to memory bc maybe one day, he could make himself a cool car too.
the first time Bart actually drove a car was a disaster.
he was barely fourteen. it was hardly even a few months after Wally had verbally explained to him how to work a car.
no one expected him to put that knowledge to use so quickly.
somehow he got ahold of Iris’ keys. he would never explain how he got him (they were RIGHT THERE on the counter. how was he supposed to say no when they made it so easy?), but somehow it happened.
his joyride didn’t last long enough. for a short moment though, he was beyond excited to be beyond the wheel. after lots of adjusting the seat and awkwardly shuffling to sit as close to the wheel as possible to be able to see over the hood, Bart started to drive.
he managed to get down the street. he was a little slow at first. the car wobbled in an unsteady line as it trudged down the road at barely 10mph. Bart’s eyes flickered constantly between the road and the mirror, his small hands gripping the wheel like a lifeline.
the anxiousness he felt subsided as he reached the end of the neighborhood. there was no sign of Iris in sight, and he managed to drive just fine. stunned laughter bubbled from his lips as his eyes flickered back down to the road ahead— he was doing it! he was really doing it! he was driving!
with a newfound confidence urging him on, he turned onto a connected street to keep going. he started pressing on the gas pedal more, trying to gain some speed. the car started going from a slow crawl to a decently safe speed. Bart started pressing down on it harder and harder, going faster and faster. he remembered laughing in delight. the windows were cracked halfway, allowing the air to rush in. it tousled his hair, and for a moment he felt like he was flying.
until he wasn’t.
he hadn’t really considered the thought of other cars. he hadn’t considered a lot of things actually, such as the fact it was the middle of the day and people would be driving.
he didn’t crash into anyone, but it was a close call. when he started getting closer to the main road and noticed the cars zooming across, he panicked.
he hit the brakes. he did what Wally said. he didn’t slam them, but he was still going too fast. the cars were getting closer! Bart pressed his foot door harder and finally, stomped on the brakes altogether.
he yanked the wheel away from the road, shutting his eyes tight.
the wheels spun. he went off the road into the grass, tire skidding rough tracks across the grass and dirt. he didn’t hit a car, but he did hit the stop sign at the end of the street.
it was a miracle he didn’t get hurt, or worse. he ended up a bit banged up hitting the wheel and the seatbelt yanking too tight, but he was overall fine. unfortunately, Iris definitely wasn’t happy.
Bart didn’t drive for a long while after that.
occasionally, Wally would still take him on drives though.
some of Bart’s best memories are riding in the passenger seat late at night. along barren backroads and empty highways, Wally would race through the streets. with the windows rolled down, the two of them would laugh, voices carried through the wind that whipped their hair like reckless flames.
under the passing lights, Bart would grin wide and holler his excitement into the night sky without a care in the world.
the world would need to try pretty hard to catch them.
Bart would also get to attend a few of Wally’s races. it isn’t as often as he used to with Iris and Barry watching him more closely, but he still got to go some times.
he’d only really watch Wally race against friends.
they called themselves the Titans. Wally said the name wasn’t planned, it just happened to stick. Bart assumed it was more because as time went on, they really did become like the titans to beat if you wanted to prove yourself as a racer.
it was who made up the team that once surprised him.
Dick Grayson, Wally’s best friend of many years and infamous son of Gotham’s Bruce Wayne, was the unofficial leader of the group. The Dick Grayson, with his car as dark as the night. the darkness of the car was only disrupted by a few brilliant blue decals. the most memorable one was always the striking blue silhouette of a bird on the hood. (“Nightwing,” Dick affectionately called the car.)
Koriand’r, an incredibly kind woman with hair that was almost more fiery than Bart’s own. her car was a vibrant purple with flames racing along the sides as if it’d caught fire. (“they call me Starfire”, she told him once when caught him fawning over the car, awed as ever. “i like to imagine that if i drive just fast enough, i can see flames.”)
Victor Stone, who indulged all his questions and answered every single one with the same enthusiasm. he’d lost an arm to an accident, but replaced it with an amazing cybernetic one. his designed his own car to have similar robotic style. incredibly futuristic and constantly updated with the best parts he could find. (“someone called me Cyborg,” Victor told him once while working on the car. he let Bart sit in the garage with him, occasionally offering whatever help he could. “i think it was an insult at first, but the name sort of stuck, kind of like with the Titans. so i made it my own.”)
and at last, Garfield Logan, the youngest of the group. with his dark green hair and toothy smile, Garfield was always quick to make him feel welcome and make him laugh with an endless amount of dumb jokes. his charisma and bright personality showed in his car. like his hair, it was a deep green. when he turned it on, the underneath glowed a neon green. black pawprints walked along the sides towards the end of the car. (“they’re actually tiger pawprints,” Gar corrected him once, looking excited as ever to explain. “there’s a few other animals too. i wanted it to look like the animals were really here, or like maybe i’m the animal? i dunno. i told everyone to call me Beast Boy, so i guess this would be my beast.”) they had another friend, Raven, that never raced with them. dressed in black with dark hair that he swore shone purple in certain lights, Raven was much more quiet and reserved than the rest of the group. Bart enjoyed her rare company, despite it being more of a companionable silence. he’d take it none the less. sometimes if Bart was able to hang out with Wally and the group outside of racing nights, he’d occasionally he’d bring along homework, a book, or a comic to read if Wally was meant to be busy at some point. he’d end up hanging out in one of their apartments while they were busy, and sometimes Raven would be there. they’d quietly read in each other’s company, never having to say a word. he’d asked Wally once why she didn’t race too. Wally had only laughed. (”we’re lucky that she doesn’t,” Wally told him, “if Raven raced, we’d all be doomed, trust me. you should never underestimate her.” Bart figured that meant that Raven was an undeniable part of the group too. he hoped he’d see her race one day.)
all of them were amazing, but Bart was a little stunned by each of them had their own unique style. they all had their own story and reason for being inspired to race. the one thing they all shared though was that same spark in their eyes Wally had.
needless to say, Bart would try to spend as much time with them as possible to try and learn from them.
his dream was to race, but his other dream was now to become just like them. he wanted to be a Titan.
he was too young at that time, but he would aim to prove that he could be good enough to join them one day. he would be a Titan.
or at least, he’d be close enough to being a Titan, he’d decide upon meeting a few other faces around his age, but that’s a story for another day.             ...and that’s all we have for now, folks!
if you’re wondering why i chose only those Teen Titans, i didn’t want to make the group too big. i originally considered the OG Young Justice group, but found that i really wanted to save Superboy (Conner Kent, my beloved) to be apart of Bart’s friend group later. (not to mention, i REALLY wanted to talk about Street Racer! Kori existing in this AU. Beast Boy’s another favorite that i just HAD to include, thus we have the animated Teen Titans team, just with Wally and Dick having the same kind of friendship as kids like in YJ.)
let me know if you want any more from his idea! i’d love to know what you guys think of all this so far. if you ever want me to talk about anyone in particular, please feel free to ask! i’d totally be up to come up with more ideas! i’d also love to know if anyone has any thoughts about other characters might be like from this AU!
i really just came up with all this on the fly, but i’m honestly becoming attached to this AU already, so i’d be more than excited to talk more about it!
thanks for reading!!
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backtothestart02 · 3 years
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The Dream That You Wish - 1/1 | RC - 7x15
A/N: Title inspired by the song lyrics from Cinderella. Not my best work, but I hope you still like it!
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Synopsis: Post 7x15 - Barry and Iris process the negative test result.
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Iris didn’t think she’d ever waited this long for a phone call. If she was feeling better, she would’ve insisted on Barry flashing her to the lab with him. They should be together for this. She knew they should. But Barry, what with him not trusting regular pregnancy stick tests from the store, had insisted on doing this in the most scientific way possible – in a lab. She supposed she couldn’t blame him. He wanted to be sure. And this way, when he came back with a big grin on his face announcing the result was positive, she could be sure it was too.
She couldn’t stop smiling just thinking about it. She stayed snuggled up on the couch, watching the front door for his arrival, be it phased through or normally unlocked and him walking in.
She had never really taken credence for dreams, but they had been trying to get pregnant for weeks now. If Barry believed Nora had somehow come from the future into his dream to tell them they were pregnant, who was she to argue? It would make for a very cute story when they told everyone, and when they told Nora when she was older too.
When a half hour passed and then forty-five minutes though…she started to worry.
Where was he? Why was it taking so long? Was there another interruption or explosion at the lab? What could be causing his delay?
And then, the sound of a key unlocking the front door pulled her from her thoughts. She gasped, excitedly, and got up from her spot on the couch. She approached the door, wanting to be right there with him when he told her the good news.
The sound of tinkering continued though, and she frowned, staring at the knob. It was the longest she could have ever imagined someone taking unlocking a door.
“Uh, Barry?” she finally called out. “Do you want me to jus-”
The door swung open, and there Barry stood, looking pathetic and miserable and just plain sad.
Her shoulders slumped.
“I’m not pregnant, am I?”
Barry lifted his eyes to her, suddenly aware that this was not going as planned, it seemed. He opened his mouth to contradict her, but she knew she was right. She sighed and pulled the door open further, stepping to the side.
“It’s alright, Barry, come inside.”
Reluctantly, he crossed the threshold, then closed the door and followed her into the living room where they sat down on the couch together.
“Iris, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gotten your hopes up. I was just so…so sure that it-”
“I know, Barry. I know. It’s okay. Maybe just…don’t take so much stock in your dreams in the future. It could’ve just been you wanting it so bad that-”
“Yeah, I know. I’m sorry,” he said again.
“You don’t need to keep apologizing. It’s okay, Barry.”
He nodded.
“This just means I’m just plain sick. No baby inside whatsoever.” Her bottom lip started to quiver without warning, and tears filled her eyes. “So, as soon as I’m better, we’ll get to work trying again, and we’ll just try and try and try…until we…until we can’t anymore.” She sniffled, the tears now running down her cheeks. She lifted her gaze to his. “Right?” Her voice squeaked.
“Oh, Iris.”
He closed the distance between them immediately, holding her close to his chest as she racked heavy sobs and clung to him tightly. He rubbed her back soothingly, hating that for all of Cecile’s efforts, he’d come home looking just as defeated as he felt when he first got the test results.
“We’ll get pregnant, Iris. We will. Some people it…it just takes longer with.”
She sniffled. “Who told you that?”
He hesitated, wondering now if it wasn’t the best time to admit that Cecile was all up in their pregnancy business because of her mind-reading, emotion-sensing abilities.
“I read it somewhere.”
She laugh-cried into his shirt.
“Probably one of those bajillion parenting books we got. That we might not even need!” She cried harder.
“Iris, we will.”
He cupped her face lovingly.
“I swear we will. After everything that happened with the forces…we just need to keep trying. We were meant to be parents.”
She choke-laughed.
“Who told you that? My dad?”
He shrugged innocently.
“Maybe? At some point? I don’t know. I just believe it.”
She sighed shakily, her tears fast dissipating into little sniffles. She snuggled into him again.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, rubbing her back soothingly again.
“Ugh. Better. I haven’t thrown up in hours. I don’t know why I didn’t notice. It was probably just that takeout food we had last night that didn’t sit right with me.” She sighed. “I just want it so bad, Bear.”
“I know.” He wiped away a remaining tear. “And we’ll get it. I know we will.”
“How?” she asked, needing to know. “How do you know? Besides your dream,” she said, looking away briefly.
His laugh was strained. His tilted her face back towards his gently.
“Because, while you were gone in the Mirrorverse, Wally came for a visit when the speed force was dying.”
“I remember,” she said, and his eyes widened in surprise. “Eva…” She swallowed hard. “Let me see it, when Wally came. I could see some things through the mirrors and windows over there. I saw…”
She felt him tense and knew she had to stop. They’d already talked about this, and Barry had felt so guilty when she first came back. She didn’t want to bring that on him again. Not after he was already feeling bad about the negative test result following his dream with Nora.
“Well, I saw when Wally came at STAR Labs.” She nibbled on her bottom lip. “Keep going,” she encouraged.
He was hesitant to delve into what she’d missed, but he could see there was no going back now.
“He’d experienced different things in the speed force before Crisis,” he explained. “Said he’d seen his future kids and Nora as speedsters, and all of them running together.”
Her eyes watered again, but this time they were happy tears.
“That sounds wonderful.”
“I know he hasn’t come to visit since, but with the speed force back…I’m sure he’s seen those same things again. Unless he has to run through the speed lab to get his speed back. I’m not really sure.” His brows furrowed together in confusion, and Iris thought he looked adorable.
“It’s okay, Barry. We’ll call Wally soon, tell him everything.” She took his hands in her own and held them tightly. “Maybe he can help with these Godspeed clones popping up everywhere.” She chuckled lightly, but she sighed shakily.
“Iris…”
“Hmm?”
“We will get pregnant.”
She fought to smile, but she did smile. Snuggling into him, she said,
“I know.”
“Movie tonight?” he asked, and she nodded.
“Yeah, I could use the distraction.”
“How about a romantic comedy?” He suggested, detaching from her so he could set up the movie.
“As long as they don’t get pregnant at the end.”
He winced and froze, looking back at her.
“Sorry,” she said.
“No need. The Notebook?”
It wasn’t really a comedy, but suddenly she wanted to watch nothing more.
“Yeah. We only see the adult kids in that one, and we’ve already experienced that.”
Barry wished he could do more, but since he knew he couldn’t, he fished out the remote and set up Netflix to find The Notebook.
“Can I get you some soup?” he asked, handing her the remote when it was all set up.
She smiled tentatively.
“Yeah, thanks. And popcorn.”
He raised his eyebrows.
“It’s a movie.”
He chuckled but nodded.
“Okay, soup and popcorn it is.”
Then he disappeared from sight.
Iris pressed play on the remote and the movie began to play. She leaned back on the couch to watch her husband cook and smiled. She had a good husband, and he did try so hard to please her. They would still have Nora. If they believed in it hard enough and just kept trying, it would happen.
She had to believe that. They both did.
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flashfuture · 3 years
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There are a lot of superheroes that would make good mothers and fathers, just not good wives and husbands, if you get me? Good partners and parents but not monogamous people ya feel?
Also I don’t know how much I agree on the idea Kyle wants to do Jesus stuff...cause he stop being human and I doubt he want that
They would like not everyone is meant for marriage cause like you know what the Queer Studies student in me almost popped out but yeah marriage isn’t for everyone and it’s a social system to control our labor
Next so so many heroes would be great parents and single parents are so valid. Nor do you have to be married to parent together. 
Ollie and Dinah for example are not marriage people. @rageagainstthedyingofthestars @thequiver and uh I think @bettkori was there too, we have talked about this endlessly because it’s just so against their characters for them to be married. None of it lines up to any of their already established characterizations because the writers are incapable of thinking that marriage isn’t the end game of every relationship. 
We also should get some more acknowledgment that Hal helped with the raising of Wally and Roy. OT3 or not he was there for those boys
Not every hero is Barry and Iris or Clark and Lois and they shouldn’t be. All sorts of diversity.
oh yeah ooo boy do I have thoughts on Kyle and you’re gonna get them anon sorry.
Kyle is so in love with love. His emotions, his humanity are so central to his character. Venditti grossly misunderstood this and Kyle’s journey as a white lantern was totally wiped out to prop up Hal. I don’t know how to tell the writers this but we know Hal is the best. It’s been shown to us repeatedly through his actions. We don’t need every character nerfed or it makes him look average
and also I knew Venditti was no good when he sent Guy off to the Red Lanterns cause he clearly didn’t know how to write him and that shit Barry. It was like he got Barry confused with Wally ngl
Okay so Kyle wants to help people however he can. But he would never ever give up his humanity. He’s worthy of these god powers because they’re the last thing he wants. 
So yeah the Jesus space thing was out of place and wrong. Just like a lot of things in that series were but it had some amazing moments so you know give and take I suppose 
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callmeelle22 · 3 years
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Blue Dream II
Paring: Iris West x Barry Allen
Rating: E
Chapter Word Count: 6, 097
Summary: A series of sporadic dates between Iris and Barry turn into something more, a story in its own making.
Chapter I: Primetime
Chapter II: It's Cool; Summary: His response is to tilt his head to the side and gaze down at her, eyes tracing the length of her legs and the curve of her hips and the dip of her waist. He lingers on her cleavage and this time, when he meets her eyes, she feels it, the sensation like she’s been put on simmer, like he’s warming her slowly, easing her into her own combustion, sparking like the lyrics to this song, and then you, came to save the day and I must say, you may have done some more. (Read below or on AO3 linked on the chapter title.)
Chapter III: Anything
Chapter IV: Comfortable
Chapter V: The Way
Chapter VI: Can't Take My Eyes Off of You
Chapter VII: I'm in Love with You
Chapter VIII: Blue Dream
It's Cool
My escape from everything
Please say you'll be my nothing
And I will give you everything
Man, you are really something else
On Friday nights, Iris spends time alone. She lives in a relatively small apartment near Central City U’s campus where she makes peanuts as a teaching assistant while she completes her journalism master’s. Her weeks are long and arduous, what with attending her own classes and all but teaching the ones she assists. Her evenings are often spent eating turkey sandwiches with one hand and completing assignments with the other. And when those are done, she logs into her blog, What a Life You’ve Lived, and types up the stories people send to her. That part doesn’t make her tired; no, she likes being able to tell others’ stories, likes that they trust a woman they’ve never seen to tell their lives in a way that they might not ever see.
But it’s still why, on Friday nights, she pours herself an overfull glass of wine, fills a pipe bowl with some of the marijuana she gets from the dispensary by Linda’s place, and orders Thai food while she watches something from her Netflix or Hulu queue or sometimes she listens to music. She’s already showered, wearing a pair of green silk shorts and a matching tank top, pretty cream piping along the top of the tank and the hem of the shorts—she doesn't always dress like this when she’s home alone; she just likes the feeling of the silk on her skin when she’s high—and her hair is already wrapped and tied with her scarf when the doorbell rings. She frowns at the door because she’s only just ordered her pad Thai noodles and those spring rolls she likes, and there’s no way the delivery is there yet because she always sets the order for when she’s sufficiently intoxicated.
She figures that it could be her brother Wally or even Linda because they’ve both been known to drop by without calling. A touch annoyed, she goes to the door and swings it open, ready to go off for interrupting what they know is her self-care night. But then she’s stopped short, the music still playing in the background—you caught me at an awful time; see i just lost my smile—because it’s him.
Iris’s liquor-soaked memories don’t do him much justice because there he is, live and solid. He is tall, even taller than she’d thought as she stands in her bare feet. He’s lean, the dark jeans hanging off his hips and his plain gray shirt showing off the corded muscles in his arms. There’s a tattoo sleeve on his right forearm, a complicated bouquet of flowers that doesn't take away from the masculine energy he exudes standing at her door, his hands stuffed in his pockets. She can tell now that his hair is brown and a little bit messy, as if he constantly runs his hands through it. She does a quick scan of the rest of him: dark moles dotting the skin of his throat, thin pink mouth, the hint of a 5 o’clock shadow covering the cut of his jaw. It’s still his eyes, though, that gets her. It’s not only the color of them—somehow blue with hints of moss and gold or maybe they’re like moss with hints of gold and gray—but it’s the way he’s looking at her too. Like they're always searching, and that is what you helped me find; hadn't seen it in a while, looking for what she won't reveal.
She knows that her night set only just covers the swell of her ass and dips down in her cleavage. She knows that she’s scrubbed head to toe in her rosewater body butter. But he, he looks at her like he knows it too. Like he sees all of the tawny brown skin she’s not showing, like he’s seeing something, something more than the wide set of her full mouth and the whiskey chocolate of her eyes.
“Hey,” he speaks, and there’s nothing particularly memorable about his voice, but the tone of it is low, and it sends an involuntary shiver through her.
“I know this is weird,” he continues, “and you can definitely tell me to leave. But I didn’t have your number or even your name, and I’ve been thinking about you all week and…” He tapers off, and Iris lets her eyes travel up the length of him once more.
“Wanna come in?”
She doesn’t know what possesses her to ask—okay, maybe that bit about thinking of her all week helped—but when he nods, a smile easing on his face, her heart starts doing that seizing thing again.
She steps aside to let him in.
He sees the shoes she’d worn to work sitting by the door so he toes off his own sneakers beside them and Iris has to stop herself from acknowledging what they look like next to hers. Instead, she watches as he takes a look around. She’s proud of what she’s been able to do with a consignment shop and limited funds. The focal point is an overstuffed sofa in a light gray and its matching armchair; a multicolored rug with bold hints of sage and orange lies under the dark circular coffee table which is the same color as the bookshelf against her wall, the six shelves teeming with books, as well as the TV stand. She’s got some early artwork by a few Black local artists on her wall, a couple of her favorite quotes printed and framed next to them.
The room feels smaller with him in it. While Iris is no nun, it’s been months since a man other than her brother or dad has been in her home and it feels...strange. The air seems denser somehow, heavy—heavy with the cloud of tension that hovers around them, heavy with the knowledge that the print of this man is still one that she can feel in her body when she falls asleep at night.
She notes that his eyes track the grinder and pipe in plain view on her coffee table and when she faces him again, his eyebrow is lifted.
“Do you partake?” she wonders.
He shrugs. “Sometimes.”
“Will you tonight?”
His response is to tilt his head to the side and gaze down at her, eyes tracing the length of her legs and the curve of her hips and the dip of her waist. He lingers on her cleavage and this time, when he meets her eyes, she feels it, the sensation like she’s been put on simmer, like he’s warming her slowly, easing her into her own combustion, sparking like the lyrics to this song, and then you, came to save the day and I must say, you may have done some more.
He licks his lips. “Yes.”
He tells her his name is Bartholomew Allen.
First, she goes into the kitchen to grab another of the long-stemmed wine glass that the professor she works for had given her as a housewarming gift. Then she eases down onto the sofa before she spreads her arm in an invitation for him to sit too. She pours from the bottle of wine and hands him the glass; he takes it from her, fingers grazing hers where they’re cupped around the bowl.
“My name is Bartholomew Allen,” he says, sort of abruptly.
She blinks over at him, a corner of her mouth lifting. “Your parents named you Bartholomew?”
“It’s a family name,” he adds, and though there’s no hint of embarrassment in his voice when he says it, Iris sees the way his cheeks flush red.
It makes her smile. All she has are the hazy images of him in her head: the way he’d boldly walked up to ask her to dance, how the kisses he’d pressed into her skin had been sure and all-encompassing. There had been no blush to his cheeks that first night when he’d been whispering into her ear; though Iris does recall how the rest of him had turned this same lovely shade of red, like a tinge of wine under his skin, when she had grabbed his ass to push him deeper into her.
In any case, Iris hadn’t thought of him like this, blushing at something as simple as his name and this dichotomy endears him to her.
“But you can call me Barry,” he says after taking a sip of his wine, almost like an afterthought.
“Well, Barry,” she says, “I’m Iris West.”
He looks at her over the rim of his glass. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Iris.”
It’s atypical of her, she knows, inviting this man back into her house like this. Her police captain father would warn her that this is the way that women die. Wally would tsk at her with only slight disapproval, more specifically concerned with the fact that she hadn’t bothered to learn his name before she’d let him climb into her bed. It isn’t a habit of hers, one-night stands (or two nights, she supposes, after tonight) with pale-skinned men from clubs she rarely frequents. But that day, last Saturday, she had gotten an email from the professor of her Feature Writing course with harsh feedback on one of her assignments, and Wally, only in his junior year of undergrad, had canceled their dinner, and she hadn’t updated her blog in what felt like weeks and…
And she’s been in such a space of discontent lately, with the rigid monotony of her days, the school and work and school and work, and she has spent more time than she realizes alone. Her best (and really, her only) friend is in the stages of a building relationship and her dad is too. She’s got people, she does, but they seem so tangential these days. So on Saturday, she’d put on a dress that had shown too much of her brown skin and shoes that had given her more legs than most men know what to do with. And she’d walked down along the aptly named Bar Street, past the uh, I won't love a ho, after we fuck she can't get near me, only bitch I give a conversation to is Siri and the so when are you gonna tell her, that we did that too? until she’d come to the door of something sultrier calling out to her, as seductive and enticing as a siren, and she had answered.
Then, somewhere between her third tequila and her ninth or tenth song, hope that's cool; ‘cause i'm really not trying to, impose but I suppose that, i'm supposed to be here, with you, Barry had come to dance with her, with the long line of his body following her rhythm and the pleasing smell of the lemongrass on his clothes and—for the first time in longer than she cares to admit—Iris had begun to feel.
It explains why she let him come home with her a week ago. It explains why he’s in her apartment now.
“Iris?” She hears Barry call her name, and by the look on his face, she knows it isn’t the first time he’s tried to get her attention. “Are you okay?”
“Yes,” she nods. “Sorry about that. I space out sometimes.” She points towards her table. “Shall we?”
He looks at her a little unsure, as if he wants to say more, but he eventually just nods in agreement. “Sure.”
She leans forward and grabs the grinder. The first time she smoked weed, she’d been a freshman in college. As cliche as it sounds, she’d had a roommate from Colorado who’d brought a stash with her and had offered a hit to Iris once at a house party. She’d liked it immediately, had liked how her brain had cleared, as if someone had wiped away all the writing on a chalkboard, erasing the mounting pressure of being the first university college kid in her family, of being the example for her brother who was ten times smarter and twice as reckless; had liked how much lighter her body had felt, as if she was floating, lying upon a cloud or somewhere even lighter, even higher.
She’s not a heavy smoker, the practice delegated to her Friday night routine and only in the couple years since it’s become legal recreationally in Central City. Still, she can’t help but feel a little nervous right now as Barry watches her pull the small canister towards her and open it. She makes quick work of pinching out a couple nuggets of the blue city diesel she prefers and grinding it up before packing the bowl of the pipe. It’s a pretty thing, made of glass in a dark green with blue and orange swirls. There is the flick of the lighter, and Iris brings the pipe to her lips and inhales.
She can all but feel the smoke flowing through her body, unbending her spine and relaxing her legs, curling in her lungs and moving to her head, making the thoughts there—the stress of classes, the constant sting of loneliness, and even the simmering tension she feels with Barry next to her—start to scatter until they’re no longer noticeable.
She passes the pipe over to Barry, who takes it from her gingerly, the tips of his long fingers brushing her again. She shivers, but she doesn’t acknowledge it, instead leaning back onto the couch, her legs crossed in the seat, as she watches him. He flicks the lighter a couple of times before it lights, and then he fires at the weed and takes a hit. His skin shades the faintest hint of pink and then he pulls the pipe away from his mouth and coughs, a deep cough that waters his eyes.
“You okay?” she questions. He nods as he passes it back. They do this, back and forth, until Barry breathes the smoke in easier and Iris falls even deeper into the couch. That’s when the doorbell rings.
“It’s the food,” she says and Barry is on his feet before she can even make sense of it. “Wait, I have money,” she tries, standing, because this is a mom-and-pop sort of pace and they still do their own delivery instead of going through the more expensive, albeit convenient, routes.
By the time Iris has grabbed her wallet from her purse, Barry is grabbing food and saying “Thanks, man” to Tony, the tall bearded college student who normally delivers it to her.
“Oh what’s up, Iris?” he says to her when she peeks around Barry’s shoulder.
“Hi, Tony. Do I owe you the same?”
“Oh, your boy already got it.” He smiles, a dimple winking at her in his bronze skin. “Y’all have a good night,” he adds and then he winks at her for real before disappearing back downstairs. She backs up to let Barry in the door.
“Barry, you didn’t have to do that.”
“I wanted to. I’m crashing your night and I’m smoking your weed. It’s the least I can do.”
Iris hums, looking up at him. He’s sort of pretty, she thinks absently, with his eyes like gems and his pink mouth, his expression soft and earnest.
“Come on.”
Iris always orders way too much food, usually with the intent to eat off the leftovers for a couple of meals. It’s a spread, with walnut shrimp, a green/ginger salad, pad thai, Bangkok chicken, and several Thai spring rolls, so it's definitely enough to share. She inhales several forkfuls of noodles while Barry attacks the Bangkok chicken. They eat in relative silence, the music still playing in the background, with eyes are sad, i smile, i think you'll find, you need me just like i need you, yeah; but it's cool, we ain't gotta be nothing, it's true, i'd actually prefer it, yeah; it's on you, it's on you, it's on you.
It’s when they’re done eating, when Iris has placed the containers in the refrigerator and they’re both snuggled deeper into the couch, wine glasses close by, that their night really begins. Iris has packed another bowl and takes another hit. And with a lungful of smoke, she asks,
“What sort of music do you like to listen to when you smoke?”
“I don’t think that I smoke enough to know.”
She hands him the bowl and grabs the remote to the smart tv, pulling up the playlist she’d made for nights like this. It gets longer every couple of days, songs that catch her fancy, songs with beats that sing as much as the artists, songs that seep in like the weed does, running through her like the blood in her vein does. The song plays—and i'm not even gonna front, at first i was just tryna fuck, but you have got me so in love, so deep in love, so please be love—and Iris closes her eyes, savoring the mellow sound of the music.
She takes pulls from her wine glass as Barry smokes and then the actions reverse. They take turns, back and forth, until Iris feels her lids drop, sees the slight haze that covers everything in her sight. Barry is sitting at the other end of the chair, but Iris swears that she can feel him, feel the solid heat of him, feel the touch of him like prickles on her skin. When she gazes over at him, positioning herself so that her back is against the arm of the chair and her painted toes just miss Barry’s thighs, she finds that he’s looking at her again.
“What?” she asks.
He shakes his head, indicating nothing, and the movement is slow, stilted. But then he asks,
“How do you feel, about my showing up here?”
She shrugs. “Surprised,” she tells him. “That you wanted to come; that you remembered where I lived.”
Barry chuckles, a low, gentle sound. “I only remembered because of the wreath, the sunflowers.”
She doesn’t add this, though a surprise, is not one she dislikes. She likes his company, even if she can’t name why.
“Barry,” she calls, to grab his attention again, and the way he tilts his head in acknowledgment makes her think more intently on the words of this song—and I'm not even gonna lie, i wouldn't mind if we just lie, together 'til the end of time, if that is fine with you, it's fine with me—and she shakes her head at the thought.
“Hmm?” he hums, eyes never wavering.
“What made you come here tonight?”
She’s sufficiently high now. She’d been careful not to overstuff herself with food and both the wine and diesel have done their job. She feels both languid and like she’s soaring, all at once. The music helps and she’s waiting in anticipation as she waits for his answer.
It’s slow coming, his answer. Before he responds, he touches gingerly at her bare ankles, fingers skimming along the bones of one and then the other. His fingers are warm and Iris feels the light callouses there, shocked at the sensation of the roughened skin on hers, how the touch sends sparks up the lines of her legs. He brings one of her feet up on his lap, and it seems so small in his hands. He presses his thumb into her instep, glides it down to the heel, and back up. Iris lets out a moan, the sound inaudible over the music—definitely love, definitive love—but the tiny uplift of the corner of his mouth suggests he’d heard it, and he grabs her other foot and repeats the action. Then he says,
“I wanted to know if it was as good as my memory.”
He trails his fingers up her left calf, still kneading her right foot. “I kept thinking of you,” he tells her, “about the taste of your mouth and the grip of your slick, and I had to know if I was only drunk and making it up.”
It’s the sensations that make her respond the way she does. It’s the easy purr of keyboards she hears behind Jhene’s dulcet voice; it’s his touch, how it seems to reverberate through her entire body; it the smell of him, of the room: the fainting smell of the smoke and the rosewater butter on her own skin and what she imagines it’ll smell like mixed with the scent of him that she remembers, the notes citrusy and bright.
“Me too,” she tells him. “I woke up on Sunday and I could still feel you. You were gone and much of you was a memory, but the feel of you was still there and…”
(and I wanted you to still be here, wanted to make a lasting memory, a real one, that would keep me warm when school and wavering friendships couldn’t)
But she doesn’t say any of that. Barry has all but mentioned he’s come over to sleep with her again and she can admit that the thought does have immense appeal, even if it’s not the only thing she thinks she wants from him.
She leans up and moves her ankle out of his grasp; he raises an eyebrow at the loss of contact, but then she widens her legs and reaches for him, grabbing at his shirt to pull him on top of her. He comes willingly, hovering above her, holding himself up with one arm on the top of the couch. All Iris can think about is the weight of him on top of her, how guarded it makes her feel, how secure.
“Is this okay?” he asks, voice quiet against the strain of the music from the television set, though she’d been the one to pull him in. He presses his body down, and her legs part automatically, craving him there again. She can tell that he’s high, in the red of his eyes and in the slow ways he’s talking, weighing every word before he lets it out.
“Yes,” she responds, just as quietly.
This seems like a moment here, one Iris can’t make sense of, not knowing what he’s here for. But he’s looking at her like she’s something, like he sees her, and it’s, it’s electrifying.
So when he leans down and kisses her, she leans up and gives it back, letting his mouth work her over. Barry is a good kisser. He starts out easy, slow, just his mouth moving against hers. His lips are soft and he tastes like wine and, somehow, the sex she knows they’re about to have, and the thought makes her close her eyes as she gives herself over to him. He licks at the seam of her lips, bites down her bottom one, and then licks at her again, demanding entry. She opens for him, eyes fluttering closed as he takes full control of her mouth. He sucks on her tongue, and then her lip again, and then he’s back to working her over with his mouth, the kiss wet and sloppy, increasingly erotic.
He is hard between her warm thighs, the solid long length of him, and she has to touch him. She rubs her hands down his back, over his cotton t-shirt, and then up under, along his spine. He shivers on top of her but doesn’t stop kissing her. She keeps one hand running up and down his back, loving the feel of him beneath her palm, and she fingers along his torso with the other, light touches that make his belly clench, that make his hips flex into her. He hums into her mouth, a sound more like a low growl, and it vibrates through her body, moving until it pulses between her legs. She moans in response, and it is that that breaks the kiss. Barry pulls back to look at her, and she likes that he looks a little bit wrecked. He stares down at her, drinking her in, and she knows what he must see: her thighs parted, with the hem of her silk shorts riding high; one strap of her top hanging off her shoulder, her breasts heaving as she tries to catch her breath; her full lips puffy and likely red from his bites; her eyes wide and blown, the dark of her pupils slowly overtaking the brown of her irises. Even her scarf has half-fallen off, and she should care that her hair will be unmanageable tomorrow. But when Barry tilts his head with a question, she lets him take it off and toss it onto her coffee table, and then he leans up, eyes never straying from hers.
“Barry?” she calls but pauses at the look in his eyes.
He fingers at the bottom of her top. “Take it off,” he tells her.
She responds to the slight command in his tone, clenching her stomach muscles as she leans up just enough to pull her tank over her head. He’s kneeling between her legs now, looking down at her breasts sitting heavy on her chest, nipples puckered under his gaze. He hasn’t even touched her yet, and she’s ready. It doesn’t make sense, how responsive she is to him, but she is, even when he’s just there staring.
“Barry?” she calls again, and she thrusts her hips, infinitesimally. It makes him look away from where he’s trying to memorize the weight of her breasts, the smooth tawny brown color of them, the darker areolas, and even darker nipples.
“What are you doing?” she asks, when he doesn’t respond to her.
“Looking at you,” is his too calm answer.
She nods, but huffs out a little breath in annoyance. “Okay, but can you…” fuck me, is the obvious response, but it doesn’t come out as that; instead, it’s another thrust of her hips, her constantly swelling sex rubbing his hard thigh. Barry licks his lips and looks down at her.
“Can I what, Iris?”
“You know,” she says, and squeezes him with her thighs.
“Hmmm,” Barry murmurs. “I don’t know that I do.”
This time, she catches his gaze, noting the glassy look of his eyes, the color grayer in this light. Iris wants to moan at the sight of him.
“Don’t play with me, Barry,” she grumbles, hoping that if she imbues a touch of menace to her words, he’d go ahead and put her out of her misery.
“No?” He lifts an eyebrow. “You don’t want me to play with you, Iris?”
She can’t answer, because then he’s reaching down and parting her thighs wider, enough that Barry can slide the wide leg of one side of her shorts over and expose her pussy to him. She clenches when the air hits her, and then again when Barry slides the tip of his middle finger down the middle of her slit.
She moans, her breath catching at the end of it when she looks down to watch his pale digit disappear inside of her. He dips in and out and in again, and Iris can’t stop watching it. She’s already wet, and his finger is glistening.
“You sure you don’t want me to play with you, Iris?” he asks her, dipping his finger all the way to the knuckle. He brings it back out, and then begins to rub her own wet over her lips. Down the side of her vulva, up the other side. Parting her lips with just that one finger. Sliding in again to gather more of her slick and start his trek over again.
Beneath him, Iris is...a mess. The one finger isn’t enough; she’s too wet for it and she keeps closing around nothing. But her breathing is only growing more labored and she can't. stop. watching. It should be embarrassing; her shorts are soaked through and Barry is still fully clothed, but she can’t be. The look of his long, rough-tipped fingers playing in the pink of her pussy so wholly arousing that she literally thinks that she can come like this.
“No, I,” she tells him, panting. She licks her lips, tries again. “This is…”
“This is what, Iris?” he asks, his cadence still heavy, and honestly, how the fuck does him just saying her name get her off like this. “Use your words, baby.”
“Fuck,” Iris moans.
Barry has the gall to smile. “That’s one.”
“Fuck you,” she moans again.
“Yeah?” Barry questions and he leans down, pulling his dirty little finger out of her and wrapping that same wet hand—wait, how is his whole hand wet—around her waist. He hovers over her, lips just a breath away from hers. “You ready for me to fuck you now?”
She huffs out a surprised laugh. “God, you’re a little bit of a dick.”
“And you’re ready for it now, aren’t you?”
She gives up on trying to be coy. “Yes,” she nods.
Barry has to stand to get out of his clothes, and Iris tries not to whimper at the loss. He pulls his shirt over his head, and Iris sees that his sleeve of flowers extends to his shoulders. He pulls his pants and boxers down, slipping out of his socks too, grabbing his wallet to pull a condom out before tossing it back down on top of his clothes. She watches as he rips open the wrapper and pulls the latex out, pinching its tip and sliding the condom down his length. He’s long and swollen, thicker, maybe, than she remembers, and she finds herself enamored as she watches him touch himself, fingers caressing the thick head and down his shaft.
“Take those off,” he tells her and she didn’t even realize she still has her shorts on. She peels them off, tossing them to the side, and then Barry is between her legs again. He grips her thighs and spreads them, one knee digging into the sofa close to her chest, the other planted high up on his hip.
He rubs himself along her once, making sure she’s still ready for him, and with a hand gripping her waist, he slides into her. She can feel herself opening for him, stretching to make room for him. He pulls out, just to the tip, and then he pushes back in, deeper, harder, and Iris gasps out a long “oohhh.” He rocks up into her, long strokes, slow strokes, like he’s got all the time in the world. She hears herself, she hears them, the wet sound of her pussy taking him in.
“Listen to you,” Barry whispers as he reaches down and thumbs at her clit. “You’re so wet, baby. God,” he groans. “Do you always get like this?” He fucks into her harder, still maddeningly slow, but fuck if it doesn’t make her swell a little more, gush a little more. “Or is it us? Is it me that gets you like this? Dripping out of that pretty little pussy like this?”
“Fuck, Barry, shit.”
He leans down again, until his chest is brushing her. The action plants him deeper, and he fucks into her, steady, persistent. He’s so close that Iris doesn’t know what to do with herself. He’s holding on to her waist, pinning her down on the sofa, and his pelvis brushes her clit with every downward stroke.
“Bar-Barryyyyyy.” Iris throws her head back, eyes clenched tight as she comes with a low, drawn-out moan, her hips bucking frantically as she squeezes wetly around Barry.
He pulls out of her and starts to move the sofa cushions from the back of the chair. It gives them more room and Barry sits down until he’s half laid out, back against the arm of the chair and legs spread on either side of her, one bracing on the floor.
“Lay on your stomach,” he tells her, “and then push your legs under mine.”
She does as he says, still a little sluggish from her unexpected orgasm. This move puts her ass in the air, and Barry grabs at her hips to bring her back to him. She looks back as he’s lining himself up with her again, and then he’s bringing her down on him, opening her up for him again. They both moan at the contact this time, Iris still sensitive from moments before. But he seems even harder now, even deeper when Iris leans forward to grab onto the other end of the couch. He guides her for a stroke, two, three, until she catches onto his rhythm, and begins to fuck herself back on him. He’s so deep she figures she could feel him hitting the bottom of his stomach if she focused hard enough. She bounces on him, keeping up his slow pace, and he gives her a hard squeeze around the waist for her efforts.
“That’s it, Iris,” he murmurs. “Ride me slow just like that.”
She’s always liked dirty talk; there’s something fully stimulating about a man making it known that he’s enjoying being with you. But this, this is different, and Iris can barely stand how much she’s turned on by him talking to her like this.
“You feel so good, Barry,” she tells him.
“Yeah?” He juts up into her, faltering a rhythm, making her fall even deeper into the sofa, making him fall even deeper into her. “Tell me what it feels like.”
She licks her lips, swallows. She’s never…
“It’s just me and you,” he says, sensing her hesitation. He stills her hips and straightens his torso, bringing her up as much as she can. He turns her head so that he can see her eyes. He moves away the hair that’s fallen into her face and gives her a quick peck on the mouth. “It’s just us, okay?”
She nods, and moves back into the comfortable position, back to grinding down on his dick, squeezing around his dick.
“Shit, Iris, that’s it.”
“You feel good,” she tells him again, firmly. “You’re so thick, so hard, I can’t even…” She falls forward again, and Barry gives her one hard slap down her ass cheek. “Barry!”
He soothes the sting with the palm of his hand, rubbing in small circles.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been so wet in my life,” she confesses, softly, truthfully. And that must have been what Barry was waiting for. He takes over, holding her hips in a death grip and he pounds into her. The slap-slap of his skin on hers is loud, the squelch of her wet, profane. She can feel her belly tighten again, the tell-tale sign that her orgasm is imminent. Barry’s is too, she can tell. His movements are more erratic, slow and then fast and then slow again until reaches out and presses a thumb to her puckered hole peeking back at him. That’s the end for them both. Iris screams out, her back arching deeply, just as Barry stills and empties into the condom, his dick throbbing against her walls as he does. She falls face forward into the sofa, still sitting on Barry, trying to catch her breath. It’s only then that she notices the music still playing from the television—infinite love, yeah; i've been wrong before, but this time I am for sure; it's you; something you did made me feel it deep in my core—and she asks for Alexa to turn the television off.
That throws the room into stark silence, except for the sound of their heavy breathing. She doesn’t know how long they lie there, but Iris thinks she could be almost asleep when Barry shifts up and out of her. She knows that she’s likely gonna have to deep clean the sofa tomorrow.
“Iris,” Barry calls moments later, and she turns her head to the side to see him standing beside her, his soft sex sitting on his thigh. He must have thrown the condom away already.
“Hmmm.”
He chuckles. “Come on, baby, let’s get you cleaned up and we can go to sleep.”
She nods slowly, and sits up, letting him take her hand to lead her into the bathroom. She tries, though she can’t say how much she succeeds, at telling herself that this, that this is nothing.
And it's cool
Think that we're up to something
But it's on you, it's on you, it's on you
It's on you, it's on you, it's on you
It's on you, it's on you, it's on you
It's on you, 'cause I'm cool with nothing, yeah
'Cause even nothing is something
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longitudinalwaveme · 3 years
Text
Playing With Fire
The Flash stars in: Playing with Fire  
Dramatis Personae
Wally West, the energetic and cheerful third Flash
Iris Allen, a charismatic reporter, the wife of Barry Allen, and the aunt of Wally
Heat Wave, alias Mick Rory, a dim witted and surprisingly friendly pyromaniac
The Pied Piper, alias Hartley Rathaway, a Robin Hood-esque thief
Mirror Master I, alias Sam Scudder, a melodramatic thief and talented inventor
Script
Act I
(Iris is onstage, writing. Enter Wally)
Wally: Hi, Aunt Iris!
Iris: (Looks up from her paper) Hi, Wally! What’s up?
Wally: I was just dropping by to see my favorite aunt.
Iris: Well, it’s nice to see you. How’s my favorite nephew?
Wally: Aunt Iris, I’m your only nephew.
Iris: So? Can’t you be both? (Wally nods)
Wally: I’m doing great! How are you?
Iris: Wonderful! You see, I’m writing this terrific exposé on corruption in the mayor’s office, and my editor really thinks it could win me an award-maybe even a Pulitzer!
Wally: Wow, Aunt Iris, that’s awesome! The award, I mean, not that there’s corruption in the mayor’s office. I always knew you’d be world-famous someday!
Iris: In speaking of world famous, is there anything new on the superhero front?
Wally: Surprisingly, no. I haven’t heard anything from any of the Rogues for more than a month. It’s kind of nice to have a break, honestly.
Iris: I’m sure Linda and the kids appreciate it, too.
Wally: Yeah, it’s been great! It’s always nice to have more time to spend with them, especially since, with my speed, we’ve been able to tour half of Europe’s museums.
Iris: I never thought of you as a culture buff.
Wally: You don’t know everything about me! I mean, part of my charm comes from my air of exotic mystery! (Iris laughs)
Iris: The tour was Linda’s idea.
Wally: (Sighs) Yeah, it was her idea. How did you know?
Iris: Because you’re a terrible liar. Seriously, “my air of exotic mystery”? The only thing remotely mysterious about you is how you thought that that would be a convincing story.
Wally: All right, you’ve got me there. (Pause) But museums are so boring! Nothing ever changes, and everyone moves so slowly! In the time it takes Linda to look at one statue, the kids and I could  speed through the museum a hundred times, but we aren’t allowed to! It’s like watching sports, only a thousand times worse! It’s just too slow!
Iris: Everything is too slow for you, Wally.
Wally: I can’t help it! I’m a speedster!
Iris: So are Barry and Jay, and I’ve never heard them complain about museums. I don’t think this is a speedster problem. I think this is a Wally problem.
Wally: Because I’m impatient?
Iris: Well, yes, but also because you got your speed much younger than Jay and Barry did. Your uncle thinks that because of that, your powers had a greater effect on your body and your mind than it did on theirs-and that your kids will probably be even more affected than you are because their powers are natural.
Wally: Oh, joy. I’ll never be able to deal with two mes on steroids for fifteen years!
Iris: Look, if I was able to deal with a ten-year-old you with no powers, you should definitely be able to deal with your kids. You’ll be fine.
Wally: If you say so, Aunt Iris.
Iris: I do. If you can save the world, you can do this.
Wally: I think saving the world is easier.
Iris: So, what are Linda and the kids up to now?
Wally: They’re at the library. Linda’s been taking Jai and Irey to Storytime for about a year now, and they seem to like it. The only complaint I’ve heard is that they enter and leave the library way too quickly, but given their powers, that might be unavoidable, at least for awhile.
Iris: I’m glad your kids like the library. Bart avoids it like everyone in it has the plague.
Wally: Even with all the great comic books there?
Iris: Yes. He just seems to hate books on principle. He says that he has trouble processing words because his eyes move too fast for him to fully comprehend what he’s seeing. Did you ever experience that?
Wally: All the time! It was lucky that I liked to read books before I got my powers, because otherwise I’d probably never have opened a book again. Speedster brains work so much faster than average that if we don’t focus, it’s basically impossible to read anything, and since he was in the Speed Force for such a long time, Bart probably never learned how to focus. If you want him to read more, you’ll have to teach him how to focus first.
Iris: Could I employ your help on that?
Wally: Of course! Who do you think taught my kids how to focus?
Iris: Thanks, Wally. Barry’s been trying to help him, but Barry loves to read, and, like I said, he got his powers in his twenties. His brain chemistry isn’t as altered by his powers as Bart’s brain chemistry is by his.
Wally: Hey, no problem. What else are favorite nephews for?
Iris: In your case? Comedic relief.
Wally: Thank you, thank you. I’ll be here all week!
Iris: (Laughs) Never change, Wally. Never change.
Wally: I’m not planning to, Aunt Iris. (Pause) Hey, are you hungry?
Iris: No, but I’d imagine that you are. Do you want to get a mid morning snack?
Wally: Aunt Iris, you read my mind. Let’s go eat!
(Exit Both)
Act II
(Pied Piper is onstage, playing an instrument. Enter Mirror Master and Heat Wave)
Heat Wave: (To Mirror Master) See, Scudder? I told you he’d be here!
Mirror Master: (To Heat Wave) How did you manage to find him? Even the Flash can’t find him when he doesn’t want to be found!
Heat Wave:  It ain’t really that hard, Sam. Our little buddy over there’s a bleeding heart, so when he ain’t with us and ain’t  in jail, he’s almost always on or near Baker Street.
Mirror Master: What does the Piper want with Skid Row?
Heat Wave: Where’s Skid Row? I just told you that this is Baker Street!
Mirror Master: (Sighs) It’s a figure of speech, Mick. “Skid Row” is just a term for a rundown, dirt-poor neighborhood like this one. Why would the Piper come here?
Heat Wave: Because it’s rundown and poor. Don’t you know that Piper gives everything he steals to poor people?
Mirror Master: Well, yeah, I know, but I didn’t think he lived with them.
Heat Wave: He lives with us , don’t he?
Mirror Master: We aren’t poor!
Heat Wave: Scudder, both of us are high school dropouts. Neither of us has ever had a legal job. We almost never get to spend the money we steal ‘cause the Flash busts us before we can. I grew up in a one-story, two-bedroom farmhouse, and you grew up….hey, you grew up here! In what world are we not poor?
Mirror Master: I had a Ferrari….
Heat Wave: That you stole. And that the Flash returned to its original owner after three days.
Mirror Master: Not the point! I’m the most skilled inventor on the planet! I invented solid holograms and teleportation and a weapons system more sophisticated than any army’s! I discovered another dimension, for Pete’s sake! I’m not poor! (Piper stops playing)
Heat Wave: You’ve never made money off of none of that, Sam. I know you’re real smart-I’m just saying that neither of us is real rich.  
Mirror Master: Okay, maybe not, but I’m not living in the slums.  
Heat Wave: Yeah, because prison is so much better.
Pied Piper: The two of you are aware that I can hear you, correct?
Mirror Master: HOW?
Pied Piper: My parents spent 20 million dollars on ‘curing’ my deafness with hearing aids, and they received their money’s worth. My hearing range goes up to 45,000 hertz, about the same as a dog’s, and is generally extremely acute. I hear everything, and even if I did not, you two were not exactly being quiet. (Pause) Why are you looking for me?
Mirror Master: Wait….your parents spent twenty million for one operation?
Pied Piper: My parents have a net worth of 55 billion dollars. They could have spent five times that amount and not even felt it. (Pause) But I digress. What brings you two here?
Mirror Master: You.
Pied Piper: My skills or my companionship?
Heat Wave: Both!
Pied Piper: I trust that one of you has a target in mind, then?
Mirror Master: Of course I do. You see, a certain Ms. Portia Storme, a famous actress and debutante, is coming to Central City to donate some of her jewelry to Central City’s History Museum at 2:30 PM but I think that those jewels would be a lot more useful to us than to any museum. I can get us into the museum, and then you can hypnotize Ms. Storme and the patrons long enough for us to steal the jewels and split. What do you think?
Pied Piper: And if one of the Flashes shows up?
Mirror Master: That’s what Heat Wave’s for. He’ll wait outside the museum and, if the Flash shows up, he’ll distract him long enough for us to make our escape. Once we’ve gotten back to my pad safely, I’ll pick him up via Mirror Realm.
Pied Piper: That sounds like a solid plan. I’m in!
Heat Wave: Great! The more the merrier!  
Mirror Master: Okay, now that that’s established, we can shoot the breeze for a bit. How have you been, Piper?
Pied Piper: Physically, I’m as fit as a fiddle. Otherwise….I’m homeless.
Mirror Master: Again? How’d it happen this time?
Pied Piper: Well, I actually bought a little apartment a couple of weeks ago, but then I ran into this couple who were raising their granddaughter because their daughter is addicted to heroin, and their apartment was falling apart, so I gave them mine, and I was going to get another one with money that I swiped from a movie star, but then I met this poor man who was suffering from some sort of mental illness, so I had to pay for him to go to a mental hospital, and then I gave the rest of the money to help pay for the cancer treatment of a young father with four little children.
Heat Wave: I’ve got some money saved up, buddy. Do you want me to give you some?
Pied Piper: No, but thank you. I’m young and quite robust. I’ll be fine.
Mirror Master: Yeah, until you freeze to death.
Pied Piper: It gets that cold here?
Mirror Master: We’re covered in snow for half the winter! Yeah, it gets that cold here! Have you never ended up homeless in the winter?
Pied Piper: Well, no. I was only evicted from the apartment I was renting with the money I took from my parents six months ago. My sporadic homelessness is a recent thing.
Mirror Master: Word of advice, then: don’t give any of the money from this heist away.
Pied Piper: What? Why?
Mirror Master: Because it’s already November, and if you don’t get a place to stay soon, you’re going to be out on the streets in the dead of winter.
Pied Piper: Better me than a child!
Mirror Master: Dude, your hypothetical child is ten times more street savvy than you are.
Pied Piper: And has none of the luxuries I was spoiled with as a child.
Mirror Master: So? They don’t know what they’re missing. I should know. I was one.
Pied Piper: And yet you now deny being poor so vehemently.
Mirror Master: (Pause, searching for response, but not finding one) Fine. Do whatever you want. But don’t blame me when you’re sleeping on the streets in that threadbare jacket in single degree weather!
Heat Wave: (Trying to change the subject) Hey, who wants lunch? After all, it’s never good to rob a  museum on an empty stomach.
Pied Piper: Well, now that you’ve mentioned it, I am a little hungry. Where were you thinking that we would go?
Heat Wave: Uh, whatever makes you guys happy, I guess.
Mirror Master: Hmm…. I’ll have to reflect on that.
Pied Piper: I didn’t really have anything in mind, either.
Heat Wave: Okay then. Um….how about that barbeque place that opened a couple weeks ago?
Mirror Master: Sure, why not?
Pied Piper: That works as well as the next place, I suppose.
Heat Wave: All right, then I guess it’s settled. We’re going to eat some barbeque!
(Exit all)
Act III
(Wally and Iris are onstage)
Wally: So, do you have anything else planned for today, Aunt Iris?
Iris: Yes, I do. Portia Storme, the famous actress, is donating some of her family heirlooms to Central City’s History Museum at 3 PM, and I found out this morning that Picture News is sending me to cover the story.
Wally: Portia Storme? As in the Portia Storme who starred in The Superhero who Loved Me ?
Iris: Yes, that Portia Storme.
Wally: Are you allowed to bring a guest? I'm her biggest fan!
Iris: No such luck. I’m attending for business, not pleasure.
Wally: Darn it! I’ve wanted to get her autograph since I was fifteen!
Iris: I wonder what Linda would think of that.
Wally: Aunt Iris! It’s not like that! I just think that she’s a talented actress!
Iris: And the fact that she’s widely considered to be extremely attractive has nothing to do with it, right?
Wally: Aunt Iris !
Iris: Don’t worry, Wally, I know you love Linda. I was just teasing you.
Wally: Oh. Okay. Then tell Portia hi for me.
Iris: I will. In  fact, I’ll even get her autograph if I can.
Wally: Thanks, Aunt Iris! You’re the best!
Iris: You’re welcome, Wally. (Pause) Oh, and would you mind telling your uncle where I am when he gets off work? I didn’t learn that I was covering the museum story until after he left for work.
Wally: Of course I’ll tell him!
Iris: Good. I don’t want a repeat of the “Flash Marathon” debacle.
Wally: The Flash Marathon debacle? What’s that?
Iris: You don’t remember that time that I was assigned to cover the Flash Marathon of 2010 at the last possible second and Barry didn’t know so he ran halfway around the world looking for me?
Wally: Oh, yeah, I remember that now! He took me out of Calculus to help find you!
Iris: Poor, dear, Barry. He was so embarrassed when he found out that I was fine.
Wally: He was embarrassed? I had to explain to my Calculus teacher that I had cut class to rescue someone who wasn’t in any danger and then I got detention!
Iris: That may have had something to do with the fact that you’d cut class the previous week to get Chinese food from China, Wally.
Wally: What can I say? I was-
Iris: Hungry. I know. (Wally vanishes and returns with food) Wally: Want some authentic fajitas? Or some escargots?
Iris: No, thank you.
Wally: Okay. More for me. (Eats food)
Iris: How does Linda keep up with your appetite?
Wally: Oh my gosh! Linda! I told her I’d pick her and the kids up from story time, and I completely forgot about it! I’ve gotta go get them! See you, Aunt Iris! Bye! (Exit Wally)
Iris: That’s my nephew. (Pulls out paper) Let’s see. Now, where was I? Oh, right! (Begins writing) “A careful examination of the city’s funds reveals that 20% of the city’s funds have been diverted to an undisclosed project which does not correspond to any known public works project that has been discussed by the city council. Detective Jared Morillo, who headed the investigation, stated that “We’re almost certain that at least one of the elected officials of the city has been misappropriating funds,” but declined to provide further details, so I did some digging of my own and uncovered a document that revealed that four members of the mayor’s cabinet have been funneling tax dollars into their own private accounts, and that one of them, Mr. Franklin Jones, failed to press charges of robbery on the Pied Piper out of fear that his own misdeeds would come under scrutiny.” This article is going to be great!
Act IV
(Enter Pied Piper, Heat Wave, and Mirror Master with a water bottle)
Mirror Master: (To Heat Wave) How did you manage to eat two buckets of that barbeque? My mouth felt like it was on fire after I ate one piece!
Heat Wave: You should try a ghost pepper sometime, buddy. If you thought that was hot, you haven’t seen nothing yet!
Mirror Master: I’ll pass. (Guzzles water) I’ve had enough eye-watering for a year.
Pied Piper: I’m so glad that I ordered the salad.
Heat Wave: You don’t know what you’re missing, little buddy.
Pied Piper: When I was seven years old, I had lunch with the President of India. That meal contained enough spice to put me off strong seasoning forever, so I am quite aware of what I’m missing.
Mirror Master: You’ve been to another country?
Pied Piper: (Embarrassed) Actually, I’ve been to twenty other countries, and to several more than once. My parents wanted to maintain their global connections, so the visits were a necessity.
Heat Wave: (To Mirror Master) His parents are stupid rich, remember?
Mirror Master: (Enviously) Right. (Pause) Well, if this heist goes right, by 5 PM tonight, we’ll be stupid rich too. Let’s get to the museum! Heat Wave, you’ll be alright by yourself?
Heat Wave: Of course I will, buddy.
Mirror Master: In that case, we’re set to go, Piper. It’s time to make some money!
(Cut to another room, where Iris is. Pied Piper and Mirror Master enter)
Mirror Master: (To Pied Piper) Where is everybody?
Pied Piper: (To Mirror Master) How should I know? This is your heist!
Mirror Master: (To Pied Piper) Captain Boomerang told me that Storme would be here at 2:30, so where is everybody?
Pied Piper: (To Mirror Master) Wait….you learned about this from Digger ?
Mirror Master: (To Pied Piper) Yeah. Why?
Pied Piper: (To Mirror Master; growing increasingly louder) Because he’s Digger! If he knew about a potential target and didn’t go after it himself, it could only be because he was drunk! He must have given you the wrong time!
Iris: Who’s there? The museum’s closed to visitors today! (Gasps) You!
Mirror Master: (To Pied Piper) Nice going. Now somebody knows we’re here! (To Iris) Hey, Mrs. Allen. Long time no see.
Iris: What are you two doing here? Pied Piper: Our intent was to steal Ms.Storme’s jewelry, but apparently we had some erroneous information and so we showed up before she did. What are you doing here?
Iris: I’m here to report on the donation of the jewels, and you two are under arrest.
Mirror Master: And you’re going to stop us from escaping how?
Iris: (Pulls out a gun) I’m licensed to carry a firearm, that’s how.
Mirror Master: YOU HAVE A GUN? (To Piper) This would be a good time to do some hypnotizing.
Pied Piper: (To Mirror Master) Before or after she shoots me? (To Iris) All right, we surrender. (Iris handcuffs them)
Iris: I’m so glad that Barry let me borrow those in case I ever needed to pull a citizen’s arrest.
Mirror Master (Aside) Beaten by a girl...this is so humiliating….
Iris: Really? That was way easier than I anticipated.
Pied Piper: Well, I didn’t want you to get hurt, Mrs. Allen. I really admire you. Your exposé on the plight of inner city schools was phenomenal!
Iris: You read my articles?
Pied Piper: Of course! Your crusades to better this city are worthy of the highest respect. You are quite as much of a hero as your husband, Mrs. Allen.
Iris: Why does a thief care about the betterment of anything? Pied Piper: Mrs. Allen, I only steal from those who can afford it, and, quite frankly, who deserve it, and only to give to those who need it. I may operate outside the normal legal parameters, but I only do it because working inside them will get me nowhere. The 1% control the system, so until the system is changed, I have to work outside it if people are going to get real help.
Iris: So why don’t you just help better  the system legally instead of breaking the law and getting yourself into trouble?
Pied Piper: Because someone has to help even the score in the interval, and, frankly, because it helps absolve me of my own guilt. I spent the first twenty-two years of my life living in scandalous luxury, without a thought for anyone but myself. My parents paid to cure me of deafness that would have been a permanent disability in anyone else, I had a closetful of clothes I never wore, I owned three cars before I could drive, and I had more toys than I could ever have used. My parents paid my tutors to ensure that I made high grades, and then they bribed my college to make sure that I was on the top of my class. If I’m on the streets and being thrown in jail now, it’s no more than what I deserve.
Iris: Do you mind if I record that? I always thought that there was something fishy about your family’s empire-other than you, I mean.
Pied Piper: You’d better not. My parents would pay through the nose to make sure that that story never got out, so there’d be no point.
Mirror Master: Uh, as much as Pied Piper’s daddy issues fascinate me, would you mind calling the police or the Flash already?
Iris: Oh, right. (Pulls out phone) Hey, Wally, I have some supervillains for you to pick up. (Pause) What, are you surprised? I didn’t become a famous reporter by being timid. (Pause) Yeah, I’m just fine. (Pause) No, no one else was in danger. Mmm-hmm. Uh-huh. (Pause) No, I’m not going to fight supervillains on a regular basis. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time and facing the right morons. (Pause) All right. See you soon. Buh-bye. (Puts phone away) Back to jail for you two.
Mirror Master: I’m thrilled . (To Piper) Let’s pretend this never happened, okay?
Pied Piper: That sounds good to me!
Act V
(Heat Wave is onstage. Enter Wally)
Heat Wave: Hey, Flash! Seeing you really burns me up! (Shoots fire plume in the air)
Wally: Heat Wave?
Heat Wave: Yeah, that’s me! I hope you aren’t going to fight me, because that would be-
Wally: Playing with fire. Yeah, I know. Heat Wave: (horrified) You stole my pun!
Wally: Hey, you know what they say: It takes a thief to catch a thief.
Heat Wave: But you’re not a thief!
Wally: Yeah, I am! I stole your pun!
Heat Wave: (Laughs) Hey, that’s pretty good. You should’ve been a comedian! (Shoots fire at Wally, who dodges)
Wally: That’s what my aunt tells me. So, what are you doing here?
Heat Wave: Making stuff burn.
Wally: Well, yeah, I can see that, but I know you can’t be operating alone, because where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and when there’s fire, there’s you, and when there’s you, there’s the other Rogues. What are you guys planning? (Dodges another blast from Heat Wave)
Heat Wave: Stay still! (Misses again)
Wally: Why, so I can move out of the frying pan and into the fire? No, thanks!
Heat Wave: Hey, stop taking all my puns before I can use them. I don’t have that many!
Wally: Aww, stop being such a hot-head, Heat Wave!
Heat Wave: I bet you think you’re so smart! Well, you won’t feel so smart when Mirror Master and Pied Piper escape with all the loot they stole because I distracted you!
Wally: Oh, so that’s why you’re here. Well, I hate to break it to you, but they’ve already been captured. (Takes Heat Wave’s gun)
Heat Wave: They’re captured? I gotta go rescue them!
Wally: Uh, you might find that difficult without this. (Waves gun)
Heat Wave: Hey, give that back!
Wally: Nope. Finders keepers. (Handcuffs Heat Wave, then brings out Pied Piper and Mirror Master) Here’s your pals. If it makes you feel any better, you get to go back to jail with them.
Heat Wave: Hi, guys!
Mirror Master: Hey, Mick. I guess you got caught, too?
Heat Wave: Yeah.
Mirror Master: Ugh, I don’t believe this! How did we get defeated again ?
Heat Wave: Don’t feel too bad, buddy. You know what they say: If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again! We’ll get lucky eventually.
Mirror Master: Shut up and let me mope.
Pied Piper: (To Wally) Tell your aunt to keep up the good work, won’t you? Wally: Um...sure. And just so you know, my offer still stands: serve your time and then help us help people the right way.
Piper: I’ll...I’ll keep that offer in mind.
Wally: Great! And we’re off! (Exits with them, re-enters alone. Enter Iris) Great work, Aunt Iris!
Iris: Aww, it was nothing...and hey, I’ve got a guaranteed front-page story! (They high-five)
Wally: You know what? All that fighting made me hungry! I’m gonna go eat! Love you, Aunt Iris!
Iris: I love you, too! (Exit Wally) Ooh, just wait until I tell Barry I defeated two supervillains!
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ofgoldenangel · 3 years
Text
Rocking Around the Christmas Tree
SUMMARY: Gabriel Meets Wally West at the Christmas Tree lighting and they spend a wonderful time together. With Snowball fights and Hot chocolate  TRIGGERS: None WRITTEN WITH: @fasterthanl1ght​
Gabriel: loved all these lights and happy kids faces he passed while walking through Rockefeller It was amazing to see how the humans celebrating the holiday season. He found a nice spot in front of the tree on a park bench smiling softly hearing the sounds of happy kids and movement of people. He felt eyes on him as he gave them a soft smile "Hello, Enjoying the Holiday fun?"
Wally:  Wally was having a blast. Christmas in Rockefeller. It didn't get much more iconic than that. He passed by a family making a snowman, some kids having a snowball fight, a couple taking a romantic walk. As he approached a park bench he got a look at the guy sitting on it and was slightly floored. Damn. He'd met some good looking folks in his time, like the Titans or the Justice League, but this guy was like on another level. It took him a second to realize he was staring and he turned away a bit just to avoid making it super obvious. "Hm me? Yeah man I love this time of year. It's my favorite!" Wow did he always sound like such a nerd? He coughed a bit feeling the need to clear his throat suddenly before turning the question on the other man. "What about you? Are you stoked for Christmas? Or you know, whatever you celebrate?"
Gabriel:  Gabe chuckled softly feeling eyes on him as he sat near the hub of all the activity, he'd briefly saw Sam and Charlie dancing feeling extreme happiness to see them enjoying themselves when he turned his attention to the boy with bright red hair something he'd yet to see in this new world. "Same, I love the idea of bring families closer and sending everyone good will." He mused looking at the other chuckling softly "I'm very stoked for it, this will be the first year in awhile I've got all my siblings close enough to spend time with them. We celebrate Christmas, well I suppose some of us do either way I'm super excited."
Wally: Family. It was a little hard to think of that with Barry gone and his parents...well he just didn't really want to think of them. Hell he hadn't even decided if he was going to visit Iris yet. He smiled lightly and decided to join the guy on the bench to look at the tree. "I was an only child but I can imagine it must be pretty great having your siblings around for Christmas. In any case Christmas is the best for sure."
Gabriel: Looked at the other wondering if he had someone to spend the holidays with, he'd learned that many people were sometimes without family which made his  heart hurt for those. "Really how interesting, I'm sure my youngest brother wishes he was an only child. But I rather like it, we sort of had a family falling out years ago this the first time we are all in the same city together. I'm sort of working up my courage to see how he is doing at the Lux club."
Wally: "Ah. Sibling rivalry. I've heard tales of it." The Titans were probably the closest thing to siblings he had and they had their tiffs for sure. Dick probably had the best examples of sibling rivalry of anyone he'd ever met. But that didn't mean the Bat Fam didn't have each other's backs when it counted. Mostly. He pat the other on the back in encouragement and grinned. "Hey man don't sweat it. I'm sure your brother will come around. If ever there was a time to patch things up and start again, this is it. That's what Christmas and New Years is all about right? Peace on Earth and goodwill and stuff."
Gabriel: He smiled nodding his head "it can be quite crazy but lucky I'm pretty close to the youngest group so I i admit its hard playing both sides." He mused looking at the other he was hoping to move forward with his fallen brothers, especially  Lucifer, he really missed his younger sibling and hopped maybe with everything happening they could get on better terms. "Thank you that's very kind of you to say, currently he is going through a rough patch and I want to be there for him but I don't want to come off overbearing. Its hard being the elder brother at times especially when once upon a time we were so close. I miss that closeness we used to share."
Wally: "That is a fine line to walk. Wanting to be closer but afraid to push them away at the same time." He'd done the same thing with his friends. It had taken him so long to decide to come back to them but he did and they welcomed him without question. He knew not everyone was so lucky but he had hope. "I think you'll be close again. You're his brother. That has to count for something." Wally was sometimes too optimistic for his own good but during Christmas he felt it was justified. His specialty was bringing some cheer to where it was needed most and as he watched the kids playing, some he even recognized from F.E.A.S.T. an idea came to him and he grinned. "You wanna join a snowball fight?" It was totally random but this guy sounded like he could use some good old fashioned winter fun right about now.
Gabriel: "You are right very fine line so far the last time we saw one another it was nice, we didn't beat each other up like before." He mused smiling softly he missed Lucifer and fighting with him in the Veil only made that feeling so much stronger if he was honest with himself.  "I love your optimistic not maybe people have that gift , I think you are right clear all the negative from my head and we should get close again. I never stopped caring about him I'll just have to show him." Gabe's smile returned almost tenfold when the other mention a snowball fight. "I'd love one! its actually be my first in a long time promise to take it easy on me? OH I'm Gabriel by the way, Gabe for short." He replied hopping off the bench holding out his hand.
Wally: Alright that just wasn't fair. No one should be allowed to look that good. The dude, Gabe's smile was practically blinding. Holy hell. Wally did his best to shake it off and laughed as he held out his hand to shake the others. "Wally West. Optimism is kind of my thing. There's always a bright side somewhere if you're willing to look." He grinned happily and started towards the kids calling to them. "Hey guys, this is my new friend Gabe! Mind if we join you?" They kids all looked at each other before agreeing excitedly and separated themselves into teams. Having a grown up on their side gave them a great advantage after all. Wally turned back to Gabe nearly buzzing with his own excitement. "Alright if this is your first snowball fight I'll try and go easy on you. The kids might not though so just, heads up. Basically there's two teams right. And you just run around pelting each other with snowballs until the other teams give up! Easy!" Ok so maybe those rules were oversimplified but that's how he used to play with the Titans. Only they used super powers. Which reminded him of one other thing Gabe should know. "Just remember when you're making a snowball don't pack it too tight. And make sure there's no rocks or ice in it. We don't want anyone getting hurt you know. This is strictly for fun. No tears allowed. Unless of course you feel the need to cry when my team wins. I promise I won't judge." Cute or not Gabe was so going down and Wally couldn't wait.
Gabriel: He was quite happy for the distraction in the form of Wally the male seemed to be just as fun as he was plus it gave him an excuse to not wonder into the Lux too early and set Lucifer off. He walked a rather thin line when it came to his youngest brother but he was still happy to be close to him once again. "Sounds like great advice to live by when one thinks about it" he mused letting the other talk giving the kids a slight wave of his hand. He looked at his teammates smiling before being pulled back to Wally. "That sounds amazing, I hope you wont cry if I get you a couple times then?" he teased nodding his head he'd seen the other making the snowballs enough to get the hang of it plus it will be fun either way I'm sure" he mused before nodding is head chuckling at the other "I promise no tears or pain, but try not to cry if If my team takes the win after all I could be some snow chap" he mused moving over to his team to help make some snowballs for the starting fight.
Wally: Wally was glad he could provide a distraction if nothing else. Christmas time was no time to be down when you could be getting that holiday cheer. He grinned a cheeky grin at the other's words, before switching his tone to one of mock sympathy. "Listen Gabe you're a cool guy and all, but you're not going to hit me. Not even once. But don't feel too bad though. I was the dodge ball king back in high school." Or he would have been if he'd been allowed to use his powers. He totally let those jerks pelt him back then.The kids had built up two snow barricades to act as bases for their teams and Wally went to the one closest to him to plot with the kids on his side. Once their strategy was set he picked up a snowball and made a show of stretching out in front of the enemy team and Gabe. "All right kiddos let me show you how a pro gets things done." With that he sent a snowball flying straight at Gabe. At normal speed of course. He didn't want to crush the poor guy on his first strike. Not in his first snowball fight ever. With the first ball in the air the game was on and with a yell it began. "ATTACK!" The kids behind him all screamed and let their own snowballs fly. Wally was smiling like a loon as he peppered the other team as best he could with going over board.
Gabriel: Gabe had to admit he was beyond glad that he could spend time with Wally he seemed like quite a fun person plus his bright red hair had captured Gabriel's attention almost immediately. He decided it was best to not go over using his strength and powers less the other feel he gave them an unfair advantage. "I bet I can hit you just once during this little snowball fight, Loser buys the Hot chocolate what do you say? We both come out a winner." He mused holding out his hand winking at Wally. He smiled watching the kids excitedly get ready for the fight, it was times like this he loved humanity, things were so simply to kids compare to adults. "Okay now we are going to not only win but have an amazing time okay?" He told the kids smiling at their cheers before he ducked to move away from the snowballs flying "Cheater!" he chuckled out loud throwing his snowballs "Let them have it."
Wally: "Alright hot stuff, you're on. I'll take that bet. That hot chocolate is going to taste so much sweeter when you buy it for me." Wally wasted no time and once the game started he was off like a rocket. No super speed yet but even his normal fast was crazy. He made snow balls in record time and his team now had an endless supply. When he joined the fray he targeted Gabe specifically. Mostly because he didn't want to go for the kids because that seemed kind of low but also because it was the best tactical option to take out the strongest asset first. He almost missed the snowball coming at him from the side but his speed kicked in just for a split second, lighting flashed across his eyes as he moved imperceptibly fast just enough to doge before time slowed again and he was going at the kids pace. Any normal human wouldn't have seen that be he was unaware of who the person was that he had actually challenged.
Gabriel: He couldn't help but chuckle at the other he could tell he was going to like Wally alot, they male had similar energy to him which made wanting to be friends with him quite easy. He wouldn't even mind paying for Hot chocolate if his team lost after all this fight was the most fun he'd had in ages. He didn't know Wally had powers of course had he been human maybe he wouldn't have noticed the sudden super speed. He couldn't help but smile using some of his strategy to up his aim a bit trying to get a snowball and hit the red haired male moving to dodge anything coming his way. "is that the best you've got Wally?"
Wally: The kids were dropping fast now as one by one they started to get tired or took one too many snow balls. Wally was laughing and running around making more snowballs and generally having a great time. He might as well have been a kid himself for all the fun he was having. There was a reason he got along so well with the kids from F.E.A.S.T. It was also why the Flash helped deliver presents on Christmas Eve. This was what the holidays were about and Wally loved it with his every fiber of his being. The challenge from Gabe only made him grin wider. "You wish. You haven't seen even half the things I can do." The battle was slowing down as the kids gradually began to sit on the side lines. Of course his energy reserves were doing just fine and he wasn't waning at all in his onslaught. He saw the snowball Gabe threw at him coming and caught it mid air with a smirk. He pulled his arm back and sent it flying right back at Gabe, certain that it was going to hit.
Gabriel: Gabe was enjoying himself itd been such a long time since he'd  be this free and happy. Lately he'd been feeling a tad off but after spending time with the kids and Wally he felt rejuvenate in a way he couldn't explain. The holidays while not all of his siblings favorite time still was great because they once again were all together.  He could tell the kids were getting tired with their snowball antics which was fine because his subject was Wally. He chuckled at the others reply looking back at this attempts he enjoyed the fun that came with fight. So when wally caught his snowball only to throw it back he let it hit him. " ahh I've been hit" he fell to the ground pretending to die " how cruel the world is did you see how vicious he was in his attack kids?" He chuckled making the kids laugh.
Wally: Wally laughed and did a victory lap as Gabe went down, moaning about his epic loss. "Woo! That's right! Team Wally for the win! Heck yeah!" The next moment he was gobsmacked as the kids proceeded to ignore him in favor of going to check up on Gabriel to make sure he was ok. His heart melted at the sight of them checking Gabe's forehead and trying to see if he was hurt. They were such good kids. He shook his head smiling lightly as he went over to help. He held out his hand to help the other up out of the snow. "Looks like victory is mine. These kids are shaming me pretty good in sportsmanship though so what do you say. Truce?"
Gabriel: Gabriel chuckled softly watching Wally do his victory lap before he had all the kids rush to him checking him over. This is why he loved kids so much, they were always so kind and loving before the world or people molded and changed them. “I’m okay I shall struggle with this loss” He teased the kids tickling a few before waving his hand “I will say though I have all these candy canes, and it's only fair to share them huh?” He mused handing each kid from both teams cane telling them how great they played as they ran off to their parents who were waiting. He smirked at the hand Wally held out to him taking it without any issue hiding a little bit of snow in his other patting through the others bright red hair. “Oops” he smirks laughing nodding his head “quite so, they are brilliant at sportsmanship and I do accept that Truce. How about that Hot Chocolate I promised?”
Wally: The scene was heart warming really. The kids obviously loved the candy canes and he loved seeing them so happy and carefree. However his own happiness was tinged with a little bitterness as he watched some return to their parents, and some to their chaperones from FEAST. It wasn't fair that those so young had to go through something as terrible as growing up without a home or family. But that was why he did what he did. If no one else would love them then he would. Just like Barry did for him. He was smiling as he helped Gabe up until something cold ran through his hair and down his back. "ha-ah! AH! COLD!" He jerked back and shook his hair out as best as he could but the damage was done and his usually bright red fluffy locks were now damp and limp as they hung down into his eyes. "Well that was cheap! So much for sportsmanship!" He shivered and made a show of shaking off the cold. It might have been a little exaggerated but that smirk of Gabe's left him even more flustered than the snow and he had to play that off. "You do realize this means I have to get you back at some point?" Despite his words he was still grinning like mad at the other. "But later. Right now I'm going to need something to warm up after all this cold."
Gabriel: He had greatly loved hanging out with the children and spending time playing a game he'd only seen from Heaven. He had fun, enjoying the laughter of child who seemed to wish him and Wally all good will before they left.  Gabe chuckled at how well he'd managed a sneak attack on Wally if anything Michael would be proud of how well he'd played things. "sorry Wally but you know its only fair I was cold now we both can be." He chuckled happily looking at the other before smiling " I suppose so but either way I planned to warm you up with some nice Hot Chocolate so maybe you'll find it in your heart to forgive me" He gave a rather cute pout before nodding his head pulling the other towards the Hot Chocolate tent "They have a couple kinds, Mellow Hot Chocolate, Mint Hot Chocolate or Regular what do you feel like?"
Wally: Ok. Saying something like 'i was planning to warm you up' should not have sounded sexy at all. And yet here he was, having those kinds of thoughts when clearer that was no the intention. Then Gabe hit him with a pout that should not have been as cute as it was and Wally was even more confused. He was freakin hopeless. He was also really good at being in denial so he just laughed and shook his head. "Your bribe is tempting, therefore I will forgive you. This time." He was grinning ear to ear as he followed the other into the tent, sighing as the warmth and scent of chocolate filled the air. "Mmm you know I think I'll go for the mint. I like switching things up."
Gabriel: Had to admit it was nice having Friends even if their was something quite new between them it felt nice to have someone to hang out with that wasn't his family. He chuckled softly "Yes I told you I can be quite convincing, plus I've just thought to share the snow with you since you shared with me" He teased the other before nodding his head "perfect I'll get a mellow one" He mused ordering their hot chocolate and paying for their stepping to the side to wait for it. "smells good doesn't it?"
Wally:  Wally had severely underestimated just how convincing his new friend could be. hell it's not like the guy was actually doing anything particularly convincing in the first place. Wally was just weak. That was it. He rolled his eyes still smiling. "How generous of you. We should get you a medal to commemorate your generosity." He stood beside Gabe as they waited for their drinks, the other people happily chatting and milling about around them. He took a deep breath and slowly released it, taking in the smell of chocolate hanging in the air. "Mm it does. Thank you. I know we tease and all but I do actually appreciate it. The drink and the snowball fight. People underestimate what a little fun can do you know." Wally may not have admitted it to himself or anyone else but he also had a lot on his mind this season and a snowball fight with a perfect stranger turned friend had been just the distraction he needed.
Gabriel:  Gabe smiled at the other he was quite glad to have run into someone new while hanging out by the tree, he'd known plenty of his siblings were off doing whatever made them happier so it was nice to have something of his own. "I wouldn't mind one, I bet I'd look very dashing with some medals" He chuckled softly looking around everything smelled heavenly and he could still hear the sounds of happiness filling the air. "You are very welcome Wally, I appreciate you hanging out with me after the game, its been quite along time since I've had this much fun" He replied honestly smiling when their drinks were done passing Wally's his. "So what other things do you like to do for fun? I'm curious"
Wally:  Dashing was definitely one way to put it but Gabe didn't need a medal to look good. He did that just fine with his stunning smile and those blue eyes and that curly hair and, oh wow. Wally really needed to stop. He was getting way too ahead of himself here. He chuckled and nodded. "Yes dashing. I'm sure you would. And you're welcome too. Though It's not like I was going out of my way or anything. I just like having fun. Especially this time of year." He was more than happy to spread the love and cheer with someone who needed it. The last question had him pondering for a second. "Well, I play video games and watch movies, jam out on my guitar or bass, go running, swimming, basketball, I volunteer a lot. That's actually how I knew those kids. Most of them were from F.E.A.S.T. I don't know if you've heard of it but it's a great place. They do a lot of good there and i'm happy to be a small part of that." Was he speed talking? He didn't think so but when he got to rambling it was harder for him to tell. Shockingly he wasn't used to talking about himself this much. Which meant it was time to switch subjects. "What about you? What sort of things do you do when you're not getting utterly destroyed in snow ball fights?"
Gabriel:  Had to admit this wasn't his first time being called dashing, there were entire artworks detailed to his face taking on his beauty unlike his brothers who looked more like a hot mess then anything real. Yet hearing it from wally made him smile a bit more chuckling "it's still was quite the first meeting, it's been awhile since I've had fun like that, things have been rather strange since moving here to New York. Much like everyone else its been a rather up and down year." He replied honestly he hadn't felt this happy since before he arrived here and learned the truth of his father's cruelty towards his siblings. "That sounds amazing, i mean not many people volunteer much here I've noticed and I have heard of F.E.A.S.T  I love their work and often working towards doing more for them. Sort of a pet project of mine, i have quite the soft spot for children." He mused enjoying all the new information he'd gotten from Wally he was quite a wonderful person. "Well not at completely exciting as everything you do,  I enjoy reading all types of books really you'll often find me with a book in my hand compared to gaming controller but I still can hold my own thanks to my elder brother.  I also love cooking and baking so i like finding and trying new food to create, spending time with my family is always a plus in my book. It never fails to make me smile finding activities that will make my siblings smile and laugh. " He mused honestly smiling softly as their drinks were given to them taking a sip. "Mhmm its soo good isn't it?"
Wally:  "Tell me about it. New York ain't like Kansas that's for sure. It's a whole other animal." New York City was probably three times the size of Keystone City and eve for a guy who could see it all in seconds, it was a lot. He listened, nodding along and smiling as Gabe explained his own interests. They had a lot in common but some differences as well. Wally for example, couldn't cook to save his life. It took WAY too long for a speedster. "A love of books we have in common and also a love of food. Though I am probably the worst cook you can imagine. Big ups to you for learning how to cook. I usually make due with fast food and hot pockets." He sipped his hot chocolate admiring the way he talked about his family. No wonder the guy was excited to see them this year. By the sound of it they seemed very important to him. He was about to answer Gabe's comment about the drink when he tipped it back and got nothing. "Huh. It was. Must have been better than I thought since I downed that in no time."
Gabriel:  "I take it you are from Kansas then? I've never been there I hear its a lot of farm land is that true?" Gabe questioned wondering about other places outside of New York.  He was beyond happy to be making friends with the other boy it wasn't as if he had plenty and enjoyed having people around after coming from so many siblings "Yeah? food is amazing and sometimes a good book is enough to keep me entertained all night, I've never had a hot pocket before does it taste good?" he asked wondering if the other wanted to grab some food later with him given that he seemed to like food as much as he did. "I enjoy cooking it does take some time though If i ever cook for you I can just invite you over when it's done, then you reap the reward of my cooking" he mused smiling as he sipped his drink till the end before looking at the other. "That's cute Wally, I'm glad you like it, you know we don't have to end our company if you'd like, maybe we could look around together and grab some more treats?"
Wally:  "Put it to you this way. If you like wheat, corn and cows...and nothing else, than Kansas is a great place for you." He wasn't joking either. Outside of the cities that was pretty much what Kansas had. "Oh and tornadoes. But you get used to it." They didn't mean anything to him but even for the rest of the Kansas populations it was a normal enough occurrence that it didn't faze them too much. Wally was a little taken aback by the offer to cook for him. Out of the blue. They'd barely met but Gabe seemed so, open. More so even than him and that was saying something. "Well, I mean sure I'd love to hang out some more. And I'd love to try your cooking and show you what a hot pocket tastes like, not that it's anything to write home about. But...I don't know I'm just not used to people liking me so quickly. Are you sure you really to want to do this? I'm asking now so you don't make a mistake you might regret later." Wally winked and laughed but there was an undertone of insecurity there that he couldn't mask if he tried. It was just a habit of his to make light of things that worried him or things that he was unsure of.
Gabriel:  "I have to admit I've never seen a Cow up close are they cool animals? though I have to wonder what place you like more New York or Kansas" Gabe asked curiously things about Wally keep getting more and more interesting as he chatted with the other. "Tornadoes quite the thing they are destruction and beauty if you believe the whole eye of the storm thing" He mused He smiled softly at the other "I love cooking for people....that offer was odd huh? sorry I'm quite new at this whole making friends thing.  I'd like to try a hot pocket especially if you give me tips. I like you Wally you are fun to hang out with...I'm sorry if I'm too strange" He mused running a hand through his hair, humans were so hard to understand but then again he did like Wally. "I want to hang out more with you and get to know you, if you'd be willing to get to know me?"
Wally:  "Oh Kansas for sure. Don't get me wrong, New York is great and all. But in the famous words of Dorothy Gale, there's just no place like home." Keystone would always be his city and even if he was currently stationed in New York City he still cleaned up the Keystones streets any chance he got. Central too if Barry was busy. "I've seen tornadoes and cows up close and personal so I can say for sure that cows are cute and that tornadoes are awesome. The destruction isn't, but nature is incredible in it's own right." As Gabriel began to apologize Wally was quick to ease his worries. "No no you're not odd at all. I'm the one who's odd. Frankly I was just surprised you hadn't gotten tired of me yet. I'm not exactly everyone's cup of tea you know." He chuckled a little at the quip and smiled. "Of course I'd be happy to hang out with you. And if you really REALLY want to, I'll even get you a hot pocket. Though as a cook you might want to brace yourself. They're not exactly five star quality haha." This whole meeting felt incredibly serendipitous. Almost like it was too good to be true. That didn't bother Wally at all. He'd always been of the mind set that you roll with the good times and the bad. He was going to enjoy this new friendship as long as it lasted.
Gabriel: “Sounds like a nice place, maybe one day I can go visit down there, at least see where you came from and how cool it sounds.” Gabe replied smiling softly it was nice to see other places and he thinks he might have seen Kansas once upon a time but he hardly remembered anymore. “Cows and cute and tornadoes are awesome just so long as the destruction is kept to a minimum, Got it” He mused chuckling. Gabriel wasn’t sure if he mis-stepped but he was grateful when Wally told him he hadn't and he didn’t want to ruin his friendship. “Oh good I’m so glad to hear that you don’t find me odd. I don’t think I could, you are very fun Wally, I mean what about you makes people tired?” he questioned curiously what about Wally made people upset he couldn’t understand at all. “I don’t mind, My other siblings are huge snack lovers, they might have even fed them to me and I don’t remember every new thing they like to show me in terms of food there is a lot. But I can get some good ideas from them about food related fun” He mused happily chuckling softly before wrapping his arm around Wally’s shoulder. “This is going to be the start of a great friendship just you wait Wally.”
Wally:  Gabe definitely made Kansas sound a lot cooler than it actually was. Obviously Wally liked it because that was where he grew up and that's where his home city was but most people didn't really care for it. Especially people who were used to huge metropolitan areas. But Gabe seemed really interested so, why not? "Maybe I'll take you sometime. Show you the sights." Even if there weren't too many sights to see. This whole whirlwind of a friendship was fast even for Wally but he didn't mind one bit. Gabe was kind and generous and easy on the eyes. Wally wasn't surprised they hit it off so well but he was surprised at how quick Gabe was to defend him when they had only just met. The insecure part of him knew it was probably only temporary and that one day Gabe would grow tired of him but the optimistic side didn't really care. If that was what happened then he'd cross that bridge when they got there. For now he was just happy to get to know the guy. He smiled hearing him talk more about his siblings so fondly. "You're family sounds like a great bunch. Complicated, but still great. I'm lucky to find people who can tolerate me." He felt a warmth that had nothing to do with the hot chocolate cover him as Gabriel put his arm around him. For a second he wanted nothing more than to just stay like that, warm and safe and happy. He didn't know how long this would last, whatever this was, but he intended to enjoy every moment of it. "I think so too Gabe." A great friendship indeed. Whatever came next Wally was going to embrace it for however long he could. /END
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nightwingshero · 3 years
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😊😱🤗💕 I'm throwing this right back at you for Blair, Amikel, Veronica, and Gabriel!! Love you!!
Thank you, love!!!! Love you too! 💓😘 Sorry it took me so long!!! Gabriel and Veronica really made me think...(actually a few of them did.)
😊 - something that makes your character smile?
Blair: Honestly, it’s rather easy to make her smile. Bringing her a fresh cup of coffee is a good way to go. She’s always up for one and those who know her, know her coffee order like the back of their hand. And it’s usually H.R. Wells, Cisco, or Caitlin that’s grabbing her some. Iris will when she’s around (or needs help on something she’s working on--bribes are sometimes legal, okay?), or Barry will be thoughtful and grab one if he knows he’s going to see her. Being around Leonard and Mick makes her smile too, she’s grown fond of those guys.
Amikel: Can you guess? Alcohol! That’s right, that girl smiles when yo bring her a good bottle or glass, because that means you’re trying to be in her good graces, and she can never say no to a free bottle of booze. Grogu doing shenanigans is also a thing that makes her smile, because it’s so damn amusing to her. She’s a bad influence. I’m not sure who makes Din sigh more.
Veronica: Music and stealing. There are a few things, but hanging out with friends is a go-to. She enjoys her time with Dick and Jason at the manor when she’s younger (and older, let’s be honest here). Alice also amuses the hell out of her, because she’s not at all like Harley, and it’s just...V can’t help but be mildly amused. Something that really did make her smile was helping Jason work on his bike in the Cave. Dick trying to make her smile with his light teasing will do it too, no matter how hard she fights it. 
Gabriel: Playing on his guitar or going for drives(either in his Mustang or on his bike.) He smiles slightly to himself when he does that, especially if he’s alone or thinks no one is looking. He does little light chuckle and small smirk thing, and then looks down at his feet when someone makes a joke or says something he just finds funny. But seeing other people smile usually does it, especially if he really cares about that person. 
😱 - something that makes your character afraid?
Blair: It terrifies the hell out of her when the people close to her are in immediate and serious danger, where their lives are very much in the balance. Her losing control of her powers scares her too, because she can become the very thing that hurts, or even kills, her friends. Both of those things have kept her up at night, mostly because she’s witnessed them firsthand. And let me just tell you, Blair doesn’t handle either of those things very well.
Amikel: At first, despite finding it a bit amusing, it’s Grogu’s gift or powers. It’s easy to assume Amikel is nothing but a washed up bounty hunter/assassin who drinks constantly...but she’s a smart person, calculating, and she doesn’t know what it is; she just knows that it’s got to be something bigger. And that terrifies her. Bigger means more trouble, and the last thing she wants is more trouble for herself, Din, or Grogu. Later of course, that fear only grows as they learn more.
Veronica: She will obviously say she’s not afraid of anything. But honestly, she’s scared that she won’t work past her anger or be any better than where she came from. She loves Selina dearly, and is thankful for everything she’s ever done. But she doesn’t want the Catwoman mantle when that time comes, she doesn’t want to be known as a Rogue, or to be a criminal. Is she an antihero? For most of her teen years and some of her young adult years, yes. But she almost kills Scarecrow...it shook her enough to realize that if she didn’t leave...she was doomed to be nothing but a criminal eventually. Veronica is terrified she won’t overcome that.
Gabriel: So...he’s afraid that all he’ll ever be good at is being a criminal, and once he gets his powers, he’s afraid that he’s also only meant to hurt people. There’s a lowkey belief that if he uses it, that it means that he’s meant for bad things because fire is so destructive...he’s seen that first hand. It’s all he’s good at. And add that to the fear of his sister never accepting him again: whether it’s because of the life of crime he had chosen or the meta powers he had gained. That bridge is burned severely (pun somewhat intended--its late, please don’t judge.) Gabriel worries that there’s no redemption for him (but we all know that Wally won’t let that happen, don’t we?)
🤗 - something that makes your character feel warm and fuzzy?
Blair: Literal fuzzy socks and warm sweaters...I’m not even kidding. You will find her (well, she surely hopes you won’t) in her underwear (pajama bottoms--shorts or pants alike) with a warm sweater and thick fuzzy socks. Most of the time with a cup of coffee or hot cocoa in her hands. But honestly, it’s when Leonard does things to show affection. He has a habit of uh...tapping her nose quickly with the tip of his finger. And that actually started out as something taunting, sarcastic, and somewhat patronizing, because Leonard is Leonard. But it grew to something he’ll do when she’s troubled or too focused on something and frustrated. It’s also words of affirmation. Especially from Leonard, Wells, Martin, Oliver, and Barry. Even Mick, if I’m being honest. It’s a nice reminder that she’s cared for and it always makes her feel good.
Amikel: The moments where Din is being a soft dad with Grogu or when Grogu is being absolutely adorable (when isn’t he, though?) She won’t admit it at all, and she might shoot you (or throw a bottle at your head) if you dare say a word about it. But Amikel hasn’t had family in a long time, that’s the closest thing she’s had and having her childhood friend back? They make her feel like she’s part of a family and is cared for. 
Veronica: There are moments that she gets with Dick when they’re younger where they would just hang out on the rooftops of buildings in Gotham. It was like they were in their own little world back then, it made her feel like she had a friend that understood at least some of what she went through. They would often sit on the edge and eat from one of their favorite pizza spots in Gotham, and every time she passes it, it makes her remember it fondly. So, usually going out for pizza is a go-to with her other friends when she’s older, and she will actually take some pizza and sit on a rooftop on her own, too, on a good night on patrol. 
Gabriel: His mother’s homemade meals and positive reinforcement. He’s definitely rough on the outside, but he’s soft on the inside and appreciates affection from the people close to him. Blair rustling his hair (which he moans about--but secretly likes it) or pulling him into a hug, Mick giving him a rare slap on the shoulder, or anything of that nature will make him feel a bit warm because that’s validation he wants. But celebrating his culture (with or without his family) is something that always makes him feel like a kid again, and if he’s not with his family, it makes it feel like he’s with them anyway. 
💞 - something that makes your character feel loved?
Blair: When people pay attention to the little things. Most people don’t really catch most of the things she rambles about when it comes to her work, sometimes it can be hard to understand, but when people remember little details (even if they don’t understand), it makes her feel they care about her and her passions. Like how Leonard throws in how he’s paying attention or when her parents were always supportive of her scientific endeavors. Even having her science nerd friends get on board and show interest in her work means a lot to her. Actions are a big thing too, because that girl is oblivious at times, but actions speak louder than words (so Leonard can be as smooth and sarcastic as he wants, what she notices is him saving her ass on missions.)
Amikel: It’s really hard to explain, so I hope this comes out making sense, but it’s a bit complicated with her, so bear with me. Obviously you have the moments with Grogu where his attachment to her is apparent--that’s the easy answer. With Din, it’s different, and I know this might sound weird, but its his trust in her and treats her like a partner. Amikel doesn’t have the best reputation, and honestly, she’s not a very trustworthy person with the line of work she usually does. She’s not one to be fully without honor, but she’s also...well, she’s had a bounty on her head once or twice herself. So his trust in her as a partner and to trust her with the kid? Yeah, that hits a certain way.
Veronica: It’s when someone makes her feel seen. Veronica is perceived as a lot of things, some true, some not so much. There’s more to her than that, though, and it’s overseen, or she hides it more often than not. So when someone sees her despite all of that? It makes her heart race. And let me tell you, Dick Grayson sees right through her and always has (listen, he’s a damn good detective, alright? Give the boy some credit.) It makes her feel vulnerable, but in a good way when it’s with someone she trusts and loves in return, bot from friends and significant others. Alice and others making it a thing where they
Gabriel: He’s a pretty affectionate person past the hard exterior, so kisses on his cheek or forehead, and hugs (any of these could be platonic or romantic) are something that really hits him in the feels. But it’s when you make him feel...like something more, and you show that you’re not ashamed of him. It makes him feel truly loved when people can look past the criminal piece (because boy is trying to turn a new leaf--to show he’s more than the self destructive nature he’s seen as) and see him as someone worth something. Someone that cares for him for who he is and doesn’t try to make him be something he’s not, and just being there for him and believing in him. As for the affectionate piece, he loves it when you show it openly, unafraid of expressing that you care about him, despite what others feel (he’s got a bit of a rep for you know...being a criminal: thief, arsonist, hired muscle, and he dabbles in illegal street racing...he has a resume apparently...)
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violetwolfraven · 4 years
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Legacy Heroes
After Nora and Joe showing up, Barry hadn’t really thought anything stranger could happen.
Long story short... he was wrong.
“Let me out,” the girl said sweetly, not seeming at all bothered by the fact that she was behind the glass of a meta containment cell.
The girl in question had been dubbed ‘Treble,’ despite her insistence that she already had a codename, but couldn’t tell it because she was from the future and it could jeopardize her past.
Treble had brown hair, dyed with streaks of purple, tan skin, and green eyes. She was maybe Nora and Joe’s age, and her nonchalance reminded Barry of someone. He just couldn’t remember who.
“She’s radiating tachyons,” Cisco mumbled to him, “Definitely a time traveler; must have followed your kids here.”
“Duh,” Treble said with a roll of her eyes, “Of course I did.”
Barry and Cisco both tried to hide their shock at the fact that she had even heard them. Then she pointed to her ears.
“Sensitive to sounds? That’s literally my whole thing.”
Cisco snorted, “Yeah, and leveling buildings with those sound frequencies.”
That was an exaggeration. The girl had whistled at a hotdog cart and sent it flying against a building, but she hadn’t caused lasting damage to anything except the hotdog cart.
She rolled her eyes, “That was just to get your attention. Truthfully, I was hoping for the Twin Tornado Terrors, but—“
“You mean the Tornado Twins,” Barry clarified, “My kids, who you conveniently borrowed the time sphere to follow here, but definitely aren’t an enemy to?”
Treble huffed in frustration, “You think I’m an enemy? You’re the one who sent me here! Well, technically it was your wife, but she sent me to bring those two home so they don’t mess up the past anymore than they already have!”
“You keep talking about the twins,” Cisco noted, “But you don’t actually say their names.”
“Fine,” Treble said, “Joe and Nora West-Allen. You’re Cisco Ramon and the Flash is Barry Allen, married to Iris West-Allen. Are you going to let me out, now?”
“You could have gotten that information as an enemy,” Barry said untrustingly, “I’m going to need more information than that. How’d you meet them?”
She sighed, “Fine, if it’s so important to you. Not too long from now, Team Flash and Team Arrow kind of merge into one with a bunch of other heroes to form the... the Super Friends. Fast forward a few decades, everybody’s got kids and all those kids grew up together. We’re basically cousins. Of course, some heroes never joined up or split over time, so some dating between the younger generation does happen, but...” Treble’s face reddened, “I’m getting off topic here. The point is, we call ourselves Legacies. Ask Joe or Nora and they’ll confirm it.”
Now that Barry was paying attention, the story made sense. Treble had a nervous tick belonging to Ray and a faraway look in her eye that reminded Barry of Caitlyn when she was concentrating. Her mostly calm mask was Sara’s and her relaxed-but-powerful stance was a mix of Rene’s and Kara’s. The more he looked, the more he saw his friends’ body language. Now that he thought about it, it was a thing Nora and Joe shared with her; as if they’d been raised together by a large group of heroes who’d have to pass the young kids off frequently leaving one person babysitting so the others could go on missions...
Joe and Nora were on a trip with Iris to meet Wally. Barry was hearing a vague hunch, and that wasn’t enough reason to call them back.
He shrugged, “Look, just tell us who your parents are and maybe we’ll believe your story.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“Because my parents aren’t together yet at this point in the timeline, and I kind of like existing.”
Cisco held up a glass from when they’d given her water earlier, “Well, we’ll know who you are soon enough.”
Treble’s face darkened, “You don’t want to do that.”
“Why not?”
“Because my parents have a very specific arc of enemies-to-friends-to-lovers and they’re only in the friends stage right now!”
“Don’t worry, kid,” Cisco said, “Finding out about you will probably just bring them closer together.”
Barry and Cisco were about to walk away when the brunette responded.
“Well, let me narrow down the search a little.”
The containment cell was set up to combat the frequencies they’d heard from Treble before.
It was not set up to contain a full sonic scream.
That definitely narrowed the search on Treble’s parents. It narrowed it to two known metas.
“I warned you,” Treble said simply as she took the glass from Cisco, “I’ll just go find those two speedy idiots now if you don’t mind.”
With one sharp note, she shattered the glass and ground the pieces into the floor with her shoe.
...
“So, Siren or Canary?” Cisco asked as they ran the DNA test, “My bet is on Laurel with that attitude, but she does kind of have Dinah’s coloring.”
Caitlyn shrugged, “Well, could be either depending on who they end up with. It’s a toss of the dice; this girl looks neutral enough that she could be either of theirs, or neither.”
Treble had cut herself when she broke the glass. She’d probably thought the blood sample was too small and too ground into the floor, but Barry had scraped some off for Caitlyn to run a paternity test on.
The test beeped and Caitlyn looked confused at the results.
“Wait, no. That can’t be right.”
“What can’t be right?” Barry asked.
“The test didn’t just come back with a match from the database of known metas and heroes,” Caitlyn said, strangely serious, “It came back with two.”
“Well, which was it, and who do they end up with?” Cisco asked impatiently.
Caitlyn shook her head, “No. You don’t understand. This girl isn’t just a match for Laurel Lance or Dinah Drake. Genetically... she’s a match for both of them.”
...
Dinah didn’t believe it, and she was staring at a computer screen that clearly linked her DNA and Laurel’s to the meta from the future Barry had captured.
Barry had gone to get a Laurel from Earth 2. Dinah wasn’t sure she wanted to face her.
“How is this possible?” She asked finally, “Two women can’t have a child.”
“Barry called Kara,” Caitlyn said, “It’s not possible for humans yet. But her people have a kind of tech that can create a baby from a sample of DNA as small as a strand of hair. It doesn’t matter what the parents’ genders are.”
“And this girl definitely acted like Laurel,” Cisco pointed out, “But her cry sounded like yours.”
Dinah stared at the security image of the kid. She had Dinah’s hair and Laurel’s facial structure. Dinah had to admit... she did look like the perfect combination of Siren and Canary.
“How sure are you?”
“Very sure,” Caitlyn said, “The match for both of you was 99.98%. If she somehow faked her DNA, she did a very good job.”
“What’s her name?”
Cisco shrugged, “We have no idea. She wouldn’t tell us anything. We called her Treble before, but... now I’m thinking we need to come up with something more avian for her.”
“What’s this I hear about a kid from the future who claims to be my—“ Laurel stopped as she rounded the corner, “Dinah.”
“I was going to wait to tell her,” Barry said, somewhat defensively as he came around the corner, “But she was very persuasive.”
“So apparently we have a kid,” Dinah said simply.”
“Naturally,” Laurel responded, “Barry said it was alien tech.”
“Yup.”
“You both are being surprisingly cool about this,” Cisco said.
“I come from a parallel universe where you were one of the most feared men on the planet,” Laurel pointed out, “Babies made with by two women via alien technology is not that far fetched.”
“First of all, ouch,” Cisco said, “Second, we wanted to wait until we had both of you here to try to find her, so any ideas how to do that?”
Laurel shrugged, “If she’s my daughter, you might be able to track her cry. Felicity did that once.”
“But then we won’t be able to find her until she uses it,” Caitlyn objected.
Dinah shrugged, “Well, I kind of doubt she’s going to hurt anyone, being our kid.”
“You never know,” Laurel muttered, “I wasn’t exactly an angel child when I was young.”
...
The brown-haired girl guessed she wasn’t that surprised when two birds landed behind her.
What would become the Justice League was too good not to.
“Hey, little girl,” the Siren said, “We heard you’ve been causing a lot of trouble.”
The girl didn’t respond.
“You got a name?” the Canary asked.
“Violet Canary.”
“How about your real name?” the Siren pressed.
Violet Canary finally turned around to face her mothers, “Quinn Olivia Drake.”
“You’re here to get Nora and Joe,” Dinah said.
“That’s right.”
“So,” Laurel said after a few seconds of awkward silence, “Which of us is ‘Mom’ and which is ‘Mama?’”
Quinn shrugged, “I don’t know. You both died before I was born.”
“What?” Dinah asked.
“What happened to not being able to tell anything about the future?” Laurel added.
“It’s different,” Quinn muttered, “I never knew you, but I spent my whole life missing you. I understand why Nora and Joe did what they did. I wish I could do it, too. But I know that I can’t make you survive the Crisis without possibly making something worse happen in response.”
“What could be the harm in spending a few days here?” Laurel asked, surprising both Quinn and Dinah, “If you never got to know us in your time?”
Quinn smiled sadly, “More than you think.”
“Whether you knew us or not, you’re our daughter,” Dinah said, “We want to know you.”
“I can teach you some tricks with your cry,” Laurel volunteered.
Quinn knew it would lead to more harm than good. She knew she could disrupt the very timeline she had come here to preserve.
But the chance to spend time with the mothers she never knew? To possibly prevent them from ever dying in the first place?
“Just for a couple days.”
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poisonmurderthot · 4 years
Text
BatFlash Week: Death
Hey guys I wrote another thing for my favorite rare pair! I hope everyone enjoys this!
The casket was too small. In his many years doing this he never saw a small casket before. It shook him to his core. Faces flitted in and out of his vision as he stared at the small casket. Jason was only 15. Bruce nodded as people offered him condolences, patting him on the shoulder as they left the funeral, hurrying away from the incoming rain. He was supposed to be putting dirt on the casket but… he couldn’t. The dirt was clenched in his hand, but his fist was shaking. Clark was the last one to linger as the rain began to fall. A few drops at first, but it didn’t matter. Alfred was ever his dutiful self and had brought an umbrella, opening it up at the first sounds of rain. Clark squeezed Bruce’s shoulder, making the man glare. How dare he treat him like a child? Clark opened his mouth to say something but stopped when Alfred shook his head at him. Clark sighed and wrapped an arm around Lois, listening for once and heading to his car. Dick and Barbara were behind Alfred, but frankly Bruce wished they would leave too.
“Alfred?” He rasped out, making the man startle.
“Yes, Master Bruce?”
“May I have some time alone?”
Alfred frowned but nodded anyways, “only if you take this umbrella.” Bruce gave a weak smile and nodded, taking the umbrella from him as the rain poured down even harder. Jason loved the rain. It was… had been an excuse to stay inside with Alfred all day to cook and read. The quiet splashing of his family retreating disappeared quickly in the sounds of the rain as the dirt fell from his hand. He wanted to say something, but he couldn’t. Bruce couldn’t bring himself to apologize to this broken coffin, it was wrong. He should be hugging Jason, holding him and telling him he was sorry. He should have gotten Jason the help he needed, taught him coping mechanisms, just… something.
“Bats?”
The familiarity of the nickname and the sudden voice made him jump, though of course he didn’t show it. Bruce turned around to face the speaker, finding Wally West standing there, soaked to the bone. His red curly hair was plastered to his forehead and was dripping water into his eyes even as he shook it out. “Wally? I didn’t know you were here…”
Wally smiled sadly and shrugged, “I’ve been taking more of a wallflower persona lately. It was something Jason taught me.”
“Why are you still here?”
Wally frowned and reached into his inner jacket pocket, pulling out something in a ziplock bag. “I’m glad I had the idea to put this in plastic before I left today. I wanted to give you this. I… uh well… I made it when I heard the news. I loved Jason; he was like a little brother to me. You probably never noticed but we hung out a lot.” He handed the small book to Bruce and rubbed the back of his neck. “I had a bunch of pictures from those times and thought you would want them. So, and I know this is silly okay? But I made you a small photo album with them. I hope it helps.” Bruce looked at the book with wide eyes then back up at Wally. Wally’s eyes were red, and his pale skin was flushed from the tears he had been trying to hide.
“I knew you two were close. I was so happy Jason had someone other than me or Alfred to talk to.” Bruce squeezed the album close and did the unthinkable. He dropped the umbrella and pulled Wally into a hug. “Thank you, Wally. For this and for being his friend.”
Wally chuckled thickly, the tears finally catching up to him. “Don’t thank me Bats, I’m just glad I get to share the memories with you. I’m sorry by the way. We were supposed to hang out the night it happened, I just thought something came up. You know how it is.”
Bruce let go of Wally and pushed him back, holding him so they were an arms length apart. “Don’t apologize, just think of the good, for me please.”
Wally sniffled, “okay I will.” He smiled and laughed, “hey. It’s not traditional funeral food, but do you think Alfred could help us whip up some chili dogs? Or is it bad that after all this talk of Jason is making me crave them?”
Bruce laughed with the redhead and shook his head, “I think chili dogs for today sound amazing”
$$
Wally’s hand shook as he adjusted his grip on his uncle’s (empty) casket. He was at the front, Hal Jordon was next to him, tears streaming his face. Wally kept his eyes trained on the doors ahead of him, he couldn’t stand to look at the people whose eyes were full of pity and shook their heads at him. Someone cleared their throat as he passed, making him turn. Alfred was there. He was sitting next to Dick and the ‘new’ Robin. Wally didn’t learn his name yet. Alfred smiled at him and he found himself offering a small smile in return. Alfred was the grandfather he never had. Wally turned his attention back to the front, his knees shaking with relief when he saw he was a few steps away from finishing this spectacle. He couldn’t handle the stares anymore. Poor little Wally West wasn’t wanted by his own parents, and then his uncle took him in and now he’s gone! What a sad life! They could suck it. He slid the casket into the hearse and stepped back, reaching out for his Aunt Iris’s hand which she grabbed gratefully. She gave it a squeeze as people began filtering out of the church. Barry had never been a religious man, but he did believe in God. Wally thought that was dumb. With everything they saw, and knowing the Greek gods were real, how could you still believe in religion?
“Wally? Are you ready?”
“Huh? What’s wrong?”
Wally turned to his aunt who smiled softly, “it’s time for the luncheon, no Allen-West funeral would be complete without food.”
“Oh right.” He wasn’t hungry. Even though he ran around the world three times today and hadn’t ate since yesterday. He guided Iris towards the little side door where the dining hall of the church was, then stood by the door and nodded at people as they walked in.
“I’m so sorry.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry for your loss.”
“I made you food.”
After then tenth ‘I’m sorry’ Wally became deaf. He just nodded to get through the line. He felt like he was going to explode. Iris looked at him sympathetically. She knew what was on his mind, they had been planning it ever since he became and adult. The public didn’t know the truth of what happened a week ago. They thought Kid Flash died, not the Flash. Wally wasn’t ready to take on the mantel but… he had to. Iris reached out between the crowd and grabbed his arm. He looked down at her in surprise as she squeezed his wrist and mouthed exactly what he needed. ‘Go. Run away, just come back to me when you’re done.’ His body sagged in relief when she let go and all it took was him to lower his head and walk away. No one stopped him as he went between the buildings and no one flinched when a black blue suddenly went by them. Within a second he was hopping in his aunt’s backyard, trying to stomp out the fire from his shoes.
“Shit!” He threw the shoes off quickly and placed them on the concrete where they smoldered. He walked in through the he back door into the kitchen and froze when he saw Alfred Pennyworth standing there. Alfred’s eyes grew wide as they stared at each other. “Uh… how did you get in here?”
“I have my ways. Why are you home so early?”
“Iris sent me home. What are you doing?”
Alfred looked down at the pots and pans and narrowed his eyes at him, “making you comfort food. Iris asked me for help because you haven’t been home in a few days. When was the last time you ate?”
Wally sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, “Uh…”
“That’s what I thought! Go get changed!”
“Okay! Geez!” Wally went to go upstairs but stopped when he saw Bruce Wayne standing in the hallway, looking at the pictures on the wall. “You’re here too huh, Bats?”
“Wally! You’re back early.” Bruce looked at him sheepishly and rubbed his shoulder, looking comical for a second as he struggled to find what he wanted to say. “I wanted to…”
“If you apologize or say something stupid, I’m leaving! Without eating! I’m so sick of people treating me like I’m broken! He’s gone! Just like Jason! There’s nothing we can do! HES GONE AND I… I DIDN’T DO ANYTHING!” Wally screamed as tears fell down his face. “God dammit! Dammit!” He pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes to stop the flow of tears, but it made it worse. “Fuck the universe Bruce! Fuck you and fuck everyone!” Wally fell to his knees as his legs gave out, “I’m not ready!”
Bruce frowned and got down on his knees as well, surprising himself as he wrapped his arms around Wally and let him sob into his shoulder. Wally grabbed onto him like a lifeline. “I know.”
“This is wrong!”
“I know Wally. You have every right to be mad. You have every right to cry. What do you need right now? I could leave if you want to be alone.”
Wally cling tighter, “n-no… just let me cry and maybe beat you up later okay? I’m still mad but if you leave right now, you’re gonna see a really ugly crying face and I’m not ready for that.”
Bruce chuckled despite himself, “okay. You can cry now, and later come to the bat cave and you can take some of your anger out on me in the sparring ring okay?”
“Okay.”
Wally buried his face in Bruce’s jacket, the wetness already sleeping through to his skin. “What is Alfred making?”
“I don’t know, would you like anything specific?”
Wally pulled away and wiped his nose, a small smile on his face. “Would it be bad to say chili dogs sound amazing right now?”
Bruce chuckled sadly and shook his head, “not at all.” He stood up and offered Wally his hand, who took it and clasped it gratefully as they headed into the kitchen.
$$
Beep……….. Beep………… Beep…………
Wally hated hospitals. The harsh lights gave him a headache and showed everyone’s ages in stark reality. Bruce’s gray hair was bright and glittering around his temples and the light showed he was now more salt than pepper at this point. It was time for another dye job. The oxygen mask hid some of his smile lines, but the wrinkles around the eyes and on the forehead looked deeper than they were in this light.
They had been married for ten glorious years. Bruce was pushing fifty, Wally was pushing forty. Nine years didn’t seem as big of a gap now as it did back then. He spun the ring on his finger as he stared at his husband lying on the bed. He had been out for five weeks. Wally visited every day. At first the whole family visited every day, but Mari and John were scared that Grandpa wasn’t waking up, Jason had a new baby, Tim and Barbara were having a baby, and Damian… well he was dealing with his grief. Some people had died, but no one who deserved to live in either of their opinions. Wally shifted on the hard chair, his hand reaching out and grasping Bruce’s cold one. There was a knock on the door before it creaked open. Wally glances up quickly before turning his attention back to Bruce with narrowed eyes.
“You have a lot of nerve coming here now. It’s been five fucking weeks.”
Clark cleared his throat nervously, “Wally I’m sorry, but- “
“No! You don’t get to be the good guy here!” Wally stood up so fast his chair was knocked over with a clatter. “He took a fucking bullet for you and what happened!? He gets attacked by Doomsday while you’re off doing who knows what!”
“I was saving civilians!”
Wally glared at him, “that’s not your job during those missions, and you know that. We’re the civilian team, you and Wonder Woman are the horrific monster beating team! Bruce knew what had to be done!”
“That’s not fair! I have a family Wally! I’m allowed to feel scared!”
Wally turned his glare to Clark. “When you’re wearing that symbol, you don’t have the right to be scared. And don’t you dare use the family argument! We have five kids and three grandkids! Plus, one on the way!” Wally set his chair upright again and sat down, grabbing Bruce’s hand. “Clark… you’re still my friend but I’m starting to see why Bruce always kept a close eye on you. You’re old now, you can’t do everything anymore. It’s time you stop acting like you can be in multiple places at once. If you had… maybe I wouldn’t be in this room right now, wondering if I’m going to have to pull the plug on my husband…”
Clark sighed, “I’m sorry Wally. You’re right I wasn’t thinking. We’re all getting so old now… it’s hard to realize that I can’t do some of the things I used to.”
“Clark. I don’t want to hear it. I’m so mad at you right now and I won’t be okay until Bruce wakes up.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
Wally fell silent before sighing and rubbing his eyes, “this will be the last you see of me in person. I won’t be able to handle being around you knowing you inadvertently killed him. I’m sorry Clark, but we have a family together and they will need me more than the League does.”
“So, you’re quitting?”
Wally sighed and nodded, “my ear-piece hasn’t been in in weeks. Just take me off the roster. I’ll come back if he does.” He lifted Bruce’s hand and gave it a kiss as he turned his back on Clark.
“Alright then. I’ll tell the League.” Clark set something down and reached for the door again. “For the record I am so sorry. I didn’t realize…”
“He’s almost fifty Clark. He’s only human.”
“Goodbye Wally.”
“Goodbye Clark.”
The door swung shut behind Clark and Wally felt tears drop from his eyes. They landed on the covers lightly, causing several wet circles to dot Bruce’s bed. Bruce didn’t move. Wally sighed and wiped his tears before standing up, it was time for him to go home. He walked to the head of the bed and pressed a kiss to Bruce’s forehead. “I love you Bruce. Hope you have an amazing night.” Wally squeezed Bruce’s hand one last time before heading back home to the manor where he could fight the urge to eat a giant plate of chili dogs.
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niiwa-angel · 5 years
Text
Coming Home
//This is a prequel to Late At Night, a Halbarry story I wrote and posted on both tumblr and ao3, you can find me on Tumblr under niiwa-angel or on a03 as Niiwasong for any requests. This story will contain mentions of violence, medical procedures, and mentions of underage nudity though nothing sexual, and pedos can gtfo. As well, I am not a doctor so im relly just making up procedures from what makes sense to my uneducated mind and what I saw on Grey's Anatomy. If i’m wrong just take it with a grain of salt. And don’t be scared to reblog and like. :p //
Hal collapsed on the sofa next to his boyfriend with a tired sigh, he stretched one arm around Barry’s shoulders and nestled the bowl of popcorn between them. Barry laughed and continued to scroll through netflix without sparing a glance at his partner.
“Look, this is the first movie night we’ve had in three very long months. I am not half assing our entertainment with some crappy half cooked comedy!” Barry exclaimed, drawing a theatrical moan from Hal.
“Babe, there was nothing wrong with Spaceballs! It’s a wonderful comedy, you like that movie!” he said, with a tone that suggested he had had this argument more than a few times. His partner paid him no mind, continuing his search for a perfect movie.
“Hey, we haven’t seen “Grown-ups” have we? It’s got good reviews.” the blonde exclaimed, finally looking at Hal, who just shrugged.
“Whatever babe, as long as you’re happy.” he said, pulling his lover closer into a kiss. Barry grinned against his mouth, moving one hand to the back of Hal’s head. Breaking apart, Barry quickly started the movie and dipped his hand into the popcorn bowl.
“Thanks for the snacks love.” he muttered, curling against the taller man and resting his head on his shoulder. Predictably, Hal wrapped his arm around him and squeezed his waist. Both turned from the T.V. as the intro was broken by Barry’s cell, Iris’s name and picture lit up the screen as Barry removed it from his pocket.
“You mind if I take this?” Barry asked, biting his bottom lip with an apologetic look at Hal, who just shrugged.
“Yeah dude, she’s your sister! You answer if she calls, I would never come between you and your family!” Hal said, nudging Barry up, and reclaiming the popcorn bowl. Barry laughed.
“And you’re scared of her!” He crowed, raising from the green soda and making his way towards the kitchen. Hal nodded sagely.
“Everyone in their right mind is scared of your sister. You know she threatened to cut my balls off if she ever found out I hurt you?” He joked, though he grimaced as he remembered the fiery red-head turning those intense emerald greens at him, a whispered threat if anything happened to her adopted brother. Barry chuckled.
“She did mention it. I’ll tell her you say ‘hi’. Don’t eat all the popcorn!” He smirked, hitting the answer button and stepping into the kitchen. Hal smiled and leaned back, turning the volume down on the movie and popping a piece of buttery popcorn in his mouth. He sat dead up, as Barry’s angered “What?” came from the kitchen.
Barry stormed out like a man possessed, his normally kind blue eyes were hard and he looked ready to murder. Hal could hear Iris’s muffled voice from the other end, she sounded like she was biting back tears, though he couldn’t make out what she was saying.
“Yeah we’re on our way, be there as soon as we can.” he snapped, a tone he would normally never be caught dead using with his sister, but clearly whatever had just been passed on violated any sense of normalcy they had. Hal stood as Barry turned his attention to him.
“What’s going on?” the short question carried more weight than it should have, Hal was mentally going through what could be wrong. Had Joe had an accident, was something wrong with Iris? The possibilities were horribly endless.
“Wally’s in the hospital, in critical condition. Iris said he might not make it and we need to be there to deal with the cops.” Barry was pulling on his coat while simultaneously trying to lace up his boots. Hal jumped up, slamming the remote and bowl onto the table, movie still playing in the background.
“I’ll drive, you shouldn’t be behind a wheel right now.” Hal said, racing towards the entrance and snatching the keys from Barry.
“Oh and you should be?” Barry snarled, reaching for them, only for his lover to hold them out of reach.
“I’m military, we’re trained to stay calm under stress. It would be safer if I drove and this is not a debate,” Hal’s voice dripped with authority, and Barry slightly deflated. “We will get to Wally, love. I’ll get us there as fast as I can.”
Barry nodded and the pair slipped out into the cold November air, movie still playing on the television, popcorn abandoned on the coffee table.
~~~~~~~At The Hospital~~~~~
Barry raced into the waiting room and straight into a pacing Iris, eyes wet with tears. Hal rushed in just in time to see the too hug, drawing small comfort from the other, Barry grabbed Iris’s shoulders and pushed her away, looking her directly in the eyes.
“What happened? Where’s Wally?”  He asked, bringing another round of tears from Iris. Hal gently placed an arm around both of their shoulders, guiding them to the hard plastic chairs near the wall. As soon as they were seated Iris told what she knew.
“I got a call from the police about half an hour ago. The neighbours heard Rudolf swearing and yelling and they called the police, then they called again when they heard crashing. Rudy was taken to the police station drunk, apparently they found Wally at the bottom of the basement stairs with his head bleeding really badly. He wasn’t breathing, they had to restart his heart in the basement, and twice more in the ambulance. As soon as they got here they took him to an operating room and nobody told me anything since!” She sobbed, wiping her face with her palm.
“Well that’s a good thing right?” Hal asked, receiving disgusted looked from his boyfriend and his sister. “Guys, if their operating, it means Wally’s alive, at least. It’s a start.” identical dawns of realization crossed the sibling’s faces and Hals brain marveled at how similar they were, despite not being biologically related.
“What about Mary?” Barry asked, breaking Hal’s unhelpful train of thought. Iris shook her head.
“I don’t know, I haven't seen her though and I imagine they wouldn't have called me if she were. I’m Wally’s emergency contact, they only call me if his parents are unavailable.” The redhead looked to the male pair.
“I can’t believe Rudy would do that to his own son.” She shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself.
“Wait, hold on! Are we sure Rudy is responsible for this? I mean I was never in this guy’s fan club but we’re talking what might be attempted murder.” Hal said, though his mind already knew what the answer was, kids didn’t do that kind of damage to themselves.
“From what the police told me, there were injuries that were…” She swallowed hard, like she was trying to keep the words from being said. “That had to have been done by another person, and Rudy was holding the weapon!” Her voice failed her as she trailed off into sobs yet again. Barry wrapped his arms around his sister and both of them clung to each other, the only sounds being muffled reassurances and choked sobs, Hal sat in silence, pointedly looking towards the hallway, giving the pair a sense of privacy. Iris took a deep breath, breaking away slightly, though still with her right hand grasping her brother’s forearm.
“I just can’t believe Rudy would do this! Bear, did you ever think that he would be capable of-” she broke off, green eyes taking a sudden interest in the tile floor. Hal snorted.
“Barry and I haven’t seen much of Rudy since we announced our relationship and Rudy told us in no short terms we weren’t welcome in his home. After that, he and Barry agreed on which holidays they got with the family and left it at that. That was around four years ago.” The trio collectively nodded. “Well Wally was only three then, and I never noticed any signs.” Barry muttered, trying to remember if anything in particular stood out to him but coming up with nothing.
“I think it may have started after Rudy lost his job. He started acting weird, I should have noticed something.” Iris sighed, her nephew should have been safe, and now here they were, three people who all cared deeply for a certain red haired child, sitting in an impersonal waiting room hoping to an inattentive god that their boy made it through the night.
~~~~~~~~~Hours Later~~~~~~~
Dr. Samanta strolled down the hallway from the operating theatre, most late night operations ended in crying relatives and having to call time of death, but tonight she got to tell a family that their loved one was able to live to see another day. Ducking into the waiting room, she instantly saw a trio occupying the corner of the waiting room, a red haired woman curled against a blonde man, with both of them tucked, sleeping, against a brunet who was gazing at her with a desperate look. She knew it well, it was a look many families gave her, as if silently pleading with her would change her news, like she wouldn’t keep all of them alive if she could. She knew who they were here for but she still called.
“Family of Walance West?” The blonde and red head jerked awake and the brunet straightened his back, waiting for the others to rise before standing himself. All three of them rushed to her, all with scared  expressions adjourning all of their faces.
“He suffered three broken ribs, one of which punctured his lung, a concussion, a bad sprain to his left wrist, multiple welts on his back are infected, and some mild internal bleeding. Because of the concussion, his brain started to swell but we were able to fix that. We patched his lungs up, though we do have him on oxygen for some time and in a medically induced coma, but he should make a full recovery.” She smiled as the trio started celebrate, the red head hugging her tightly, with a whispered, “Thank you for saving my nephew”
“Just doing my job. He’s still sleeping off the anesthesia and visiting hours are technically over, but if you all promise to be very quiet, you can sit with him for awhile-” she broke off as all three started on promises to be quiet and begging to see their family. She turned and gestured for them to follow her down the hall toward a small room in a corner, Wally lay in the middle of a cot that dwarfed him, making him look smaller than he was. A cobweb of wired and tubes disappeared into his gown and connected into his body, a pale turban of bandages covered his head, hiding his hair, while a tube connected to an oxygen mask rested over his mouth. The blonde put a hand over his mouth to cover a choked sound that came from his throat while he slipped closer.
“Wally?” he gasped, putting his other hand on the bed next to him, tears falling next to it, to quick for him to catch them all. The brunet crept next to him and put a comforting hand around his shoulder.
“You said he’s in a coma?” he whispered, turning those eyes on her. Dr. Samanta nodded. “A medically induced coma, just for a while. It should give his brain time to heal and for the swelling to go down, he’s young so the risk is small considering. You can talk to him, let him know you’re here.” The redhead nodded, slipping her hand into the childs. Dr. Samanta nodded, and turned, walking into the hallway, removing the surgical cap and replacing it with her Hijab.
“Doctor!” She turned to see the Brunet stalking towards her, freezing as he saw her head covering. She stood taller, bracing for a islamiphobic rant. Instead, he put his hand over his chest.
“I can not thank you enough for saving my nephew, my husband and I, and my sister in law are so grateful.” He nodded toward her head. “I was in Afghanistan, I met a lot of inspirational men and women there. If anyone gives you trouble for your faith, I will have some of my brothers in arms come talk to them.” She smiled.
“Thank you, Mr?”
“Jordan, Hal Jordan. Pleasure to meet you.”
“Wish I didn’t have to. I will keep you in mind, go take care of your boy. He’s had a rough time of it.” And with that, she turned down the hallway and disappeared around the corner. And there she finally allowed herself to truly smile.
~~~~~The Next Day~~~~~~
To say the atmosphere was tense would be an oversimplification. The police and social services had filled Iris, Barry and Hal in on what had happened and were trying to work out what came next.
“Listen, as much as we would love to place him in your care, the state requires married couples!” The social workers sighed, massaging his temples. “We can work out with a foster family to let you have visiting rights but right now none of you have the necessary requirements to house him. I agree it’s unfair, but there is nothing I can do.” With that, he stood, gathered his coat and hat, and left the room. Hal looked to Barry, who was quietly fuming in his seat.
“This is Bullshit! We know Wally, we love him, and we could care for him! But they want to put him with strangers because we aren’t married!” He hissed, blue eyes icy.
“We cannot let him disappear into the system!” Iris snarled, just the thought of strangers having unlimited access to her nephew was enough to make her sick. Hal nodded.
“He won’t be.” Getting out of his chair he pushed it away and knelt next to Barry, who startled.
“What are you doing?” He demanded, while Iris broke into a grin behind him. “Well they said we couldn’t take him because we aren’t married. We can fix that really easy.” Hal chuckled, putting his hands on Barry’s knees. The blonde smirked.
“I do believe you’re asking for my hand.” He joked.
“I am. Right now I’m just thinking a courthouse wedding, that way Wally’s safe but if you want a big ass, balls to the wall wedding, we can do that after we get settled. Hell, I’ll even wear the dress.” Barry smiled and threw his arms around his lover.
“Yes, I would love to marry you. We don’t need a huge service, we can have a small garden service in our yard, just some close friends and family. A small dinner, with cake.” He laughed, wiping his tears away happily. Hal nodded, touching their foreheads together.
‘Whatever you want love. But first, let’s make sure our boy is safe.”
~~~~~~A Week Later~~~~
Wally’s head hurt. His mind felt like he was thinking through a heavy fog, he was clumsy, his limbs never seeming to follow his thoughts.
“Useless” his father’s voice whispered in his head, causing him to stiffen up. His uncle noticed from where he was settled in the corner of the hospital room, getting up and coming towards him.
“Don’t hurt me! Please, i’ll be good! Pleasepleasepleaseplease!” He mentally pleaded as his Uncle Barry came closer, one hand slightly extended.
“Hey, you doing okay kiddo?” Barry whispered, though even that sounded too loud. The doctors had said that that was because of the concussion, he was already tired of it, the lights were too bright, the noises to loud, and he was jittery.
Wally nodded, though he still wouldn’t look Barry, who looked toward the door for Hal, who was finishing up paperwork.
“We’re really looking forward to having you live with us Wally. We have your room set up, just a bed and desk right now, but all your stuff from your parents house just needs to be unpacked, and ofcourse we can paint your room whatever colour you like.” Barry told him, desperately trying to engage his nephew, Wally was distant, barely speaking and flinching whenever Barry or Hal got to close. The oxygen was still required, though the face mask was replaced by a tube under his nose feeding it into his lungs when he breathed.
“Well, that’s the paperwork done! Ready to head home you two?” Hal asked, rushing into the room, a small mountain of paper under his arm. Both adults looked to Wally, who just shrugged. Barry looked to Hal, eyes sad as he went to get Wally into the wheelchair.
“I gotta pick you up kiddo, you okay?” He asked, getting another shrug. Barry settled the oxygen tank into Wally’s lap before slipping his arm under his legs and around his shoulders, carrying him bridal style across the room and placing him into a wheelchair. Hal put the papers into Barry’s satchel before taking up the handles of the chair and pushing him out into the hallway.
“The nurses have your last dose of painkillers at their station, though Barry and I will pick up your prescription later okay squirt?” Hal asked, when he received nothing he leaned closer and whispered.
“Personally, I think they just wanted to see you one last time before you left. I mean it’s not every day you get to spend time with THE Wally West.” The got a reaction, the adults noted, as Wally ducked his head, cheeks flushed a little.
“There’s my favourite redhead!” A man in nurse scrubs exclaimed, jogging up to the trio with a dixie cup and a ketchup cup. “I got your meds here little man.” Wally nodded, accepting the outstretched items and downing the pills.
“Now those should make you feel drowsy, so no driving. Other than that, you guys are good to go.” The nurse gently clapped Wally on the shoulder and Hal pushed him towards the exit. Leaving the wheelchair with the front dsk and carrying his nephew out to their car.
Wally vaguely felt Hal clip his seatbelt into place and shut the door, he leaned his head against the window as Barry crawled into the passenger seat, turning to face him.
“Do you mind if I put on some music, Wally? I promise to keep it quiet.” Wally shrugged.
“I don’t mind, Sir.” He muttered, listening as Barry pluged his phone into the USB and Hamilton started playing from the speakers.
“You guys like musicals?” He asked, noticing how Barry lit up as he asked the question, though it was Hal who answered.
“Oh yeah, we go see local productions all the time, and we choose one Broadway musical a year. How about you?” Hal didn’t stop trying to navigate them out of the busy hospital parking lot, but he did glance at Wally in the rear view mirror, Wally just nodded.
“Yeah, but Dad never let me listen to them, he said boys weren’t meant to like them.” Barry rolled his eyes hard, knowing his adopted brothers stance on musicals and other “soft” passions, but he didn’t voice his opinions.
“Well, we don’t mind and musicals are absolutely for boys to like!” Barry said, turning as much as the seat belt would allow to look at Wally. The young red head smiled, before his face spit into a yawn.
“You just rest kiddo, we have about an hour drive ahead of us. We’ll wake you when we get home.” Wally nodded at his uncles words and leaned his head against the window, the cool glass pulling him into sleep.
~~~~~~At the House~~~~
Barry and Hal quietly shut their car doors and Barry went to grab Wally. Hal threw their overnight bags over his shoulder and went to go unlock the door for his lover carrying their kid, Pushing his way inside, he waited while Barry carried a sleeping Wally over to the couch in the living room.
“Hey babe, can you go draw a bath in the upstairs bathroom?” Barry asked, eyes not leaving the sleeping child on his lap.
“Are you sure he’s up for a bath right now? Kid will barely talk to us.” He pointed out with a frown. Barry just shook his head.
“I’m not really concerned about that right now, he hasn’t had a proper bathe since before the hospital, his immune system is already weak and we don’t need any of his wounds getting more infected than they already are.” He said with a finality that made arguing pointless, though Hal had to agree with him, the poor kid was filthy.
“Alright, I’ll come get you when it’s ready, kay?” he asked, pressing a kiss to Barry’s head, before darting up the stairs to the rarely used main bathroom, Hal and Barry often used the adjoining bathroom to their bedroom so the main was often only for guests, which they didn’t get a lot of. Hal turned on the water and pushed the plug into the drain, watching as the tub filled to about half before shutting off the tap and heading back downstairs to his husband.
“Baths ready.” He muttered, watching as Barry stood up. Wally was a little more awake, though from the look on his face it was iffy, the kid looked like he could pass out at any given moment. The blonde carefully took the stairs and slipped into the bathroom, setting Wally on the closed toilet, before gently removing his clothing.
“W’er you doin?” Wally mumbled, squirming a little as Barry lifted him up again before transporting him into the bath.
“Just cleaning you up love, you’re okay.” Barry comforted, trying to simultaneously keep the child upright and clean the grime off him. Hal grimaced, he had seen Wally’s injuries but somehow, when they were all displayed, they seemed worse, it didn’t help that he was drugged and clearly on the verge of panic. Barry was getting stressed as well, trying to keep the boy’s head up with one hand and clean the dirt off with the other, when it got to be apparent that it wasn’t working, Hal placed his phone and wallet on the countertop before gently pushing Barry to the side.
“What are you- Hal!” Barry yelped, watching with sheer disbelief as his husband slipped into the water, cradling Wally against his chest.
“Helping you. Now he can sit up without you having to hold him.” Ha said, plainly as though he was discussing the weather. Barry looked at him, dumbstruck for a moment, before he burst out laughing.
“god, I married an idiot!” He exclaimed, before he put some soap on a washcloth and gently started washing the dirt off Wally’s skin, careful of his bruises and cuts. Hal just pressed a gentle kiss to Wally’s head, and hummed a tune under his breath. Wally started giggling.
“Uncle Hal, you’re gonna get your clothes wet.” His voice still had the slur brought on by heavy painkillers, but he seemed a little more aware of his surroundings. At least enough to take in the hilarity of the situation.
“Oh, I think he knows squirt.” Barry sighed, shaking his head at the nonsense. “He probably thought it would be funny. Hal, did you seriously not take your socks off!” Barry demanded, causing Hal and Wally to sit up slightly to examine Hals socked feet, now soaking wet.
“Well, what do you know?” Hal asked, his face a picture of innocence, “I guess I didn’t” He smiled at Barry, who snorted and muttered something under his breath, while Wally laughed again, harder this time.
“Well I’m glad you two find this funny, but we only brought one towel in, so Hal, you have to stay in the tub till you dry.” Barry scolded, unsuccessfully hiding his smile. “Okay squirt, all done.” He slipped his hands under Wally and lifted him from the water, wrapping him in an oversized, fluffy red towel, before carrying him out of the room.
“Whoa, hey, babe! Come on please, just bring me a towel.” Hal called, sitting upright as the pair left the room. Barry looked at Wally, tilting his head.
“You hear anything squirt?” He asked, laughing when Wally shook his head. “Me neither, come on let’s get you to bed.” Hal groaned as Barry left the room.
Five minutes later, Barry strode in carrying a green towel, offering it to his grumpy partner, who was now quite soggy, Hal took it and started to dry himself off.
“I don’t know why people say you’re the merciful League member, you have a wicked side.” Hal grumbled, walking towards the master bedroom, Barry chuckled.
“Only when my husband get into a bathtub fully clothed.”
“Well, jokes on you, because I got Wally to giggle!” Hal said, pulling Barry into a hug.
“Ah, you moron, you’re all wet!” Barry squawked, pushing away from the pilot, who pulled him closer. Barry rolled his eyes as Hal changed from wet clothes into clean pajama, settling down into bed.
“You know? I think we can pull this parenting thing off.” Hal whispered, hugging Barry close. The two fell asleep with their hands entwined, the house one member up, and a little bit happier.
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chaoticquips · 5 years
Text
Wrapped Up
A reminder that @linklyshow is a wonderful person! An angel, best boy.
Continuation to my Coraline AU, although this is more like the end of the movie whoops!
The door slams shut behind him. He’s too busy trying to catch his breath and slow down the mounting panic to really revel in the cold draft that washes over his back. 
It’s all normal again. No magic, no bugs, no sand filled needle creatures trying to grab at him-
It’s over.  
When he moves, there’s a slight sting to his thigh. Grazes left from their fingers-
He pulls off his- Robin’s -glove and tucks the door key inside with shaking fingers. A wave of relief comes in and settles in his stomach as nausea. Numbly, he slides down against the wall until he’s slumped against it.
He almost... died in there. In a little door in a little house in the middle of no where with no one to even realize he was gone. 
Shaky breath in. Shaky breath out. Repeat. He grips the glove tightly, feeling the outline of the key on his palm. It helps a little bit, reminding him of-
The front door opens. Wally scrambles to his feet in what can only be enthusiastic relief. 
“Mom! Dad! Oh my god, I missed you so much!” With tear-filled eyes, he barrels into them. Hugs them tightly and breaths in that wonderful, parental smell of home. They’re home. 
“Whoa! Slow down there, kiddo, you act like you haven’t seen us in ages!” 
That’s... that’s not... 
Eyes wide, he whips his head up to see none other than-
“Uncle Barry?!” 
“What am I, chopped liver?” Iris laughs at his side. She smooths a hand over his wild hair and Wally realizes what a mess he looks. 
And that he’s still clinging to them like a life line. 
He quickly lets go, sniffling. “S-Sorry! What are you guys doing here?”
“Well, your parents wanted us to come see the new place, get our opinion on it since, well...” Barry rubs the back of his head. 
“You seemed lonely, all by yourself.” Iris cuts in, giving him that soft smile of hers that makes his chest feel a little too tight. A little too loved. “Sometimes new environments can be hard to settle into, it’s easier to have some sort of familiarity around, right?”
“What better familiarity than family, right kiddo?” Barry ruffles his hair and Wally chokes back a laugh that almost shoots out of his mouth like a sob. 
“But it looks like you’ve been adjusting fine?” Iris says, shaking off her coat to hang on the rack next to the door. “Look at you, all dirtied up! What have you been up to today, Wally? Hopefully nothing too dangerous?” She shoots Barry that secret little look she sometimes does that makes him all nervous.
“What’s the look for, hun?”
“Oh, you know.” 
Wally feels the weight on his chest disappear. A laugh trickles out as he takes their- warm, soft, real -hands and leads them into the house. 
“There’s a garden outside, you wanna see it?”
“Sure! Let’s get you cleaned up first so your mother doesn’t have a fit.” 
“Iris, we’re heading outside, he’s going to get dirty anyway-”
“Barry. Need I remind you of the dog incident?”
“I’ll shut up now.” 
He can’t stop the smile on his face. 
“I’m sorry.”
“Gah!” At the sudden voice, Wally falls backwards and drops in the deep pit he had just climbed out of. 
“Oh, shi- shoot! I’m so sorry!” Hands suddenly pulling him up, too quickly too quickly, the world spinning as Wally rubs the winded feeling out of his chest. Taking a few deep breaths with his eyes closed, sitting up against the stone wall, he feels hands on his shoulders. 
When he opens his eyes, he glares. 
“Oh, you.”
“Uh, yeah. Me.” Robin says nervously. He’s wringing his hands together and actually looks a little... guilty? Wally sighs.
“Whaddya want now, gonna make fun of me again?” Wally moves to stand up but is swiftly pushed back down by Robin’s surprisingly firm hands. 
“No!” 
Rather than the firm, chunky feeling of Robin’s coat sleeves going over his palms, Wally realizes he’s looking for the soft feeling of gloves. He’s looking for warm, soft blue moonlight on a rooftop where he was taken off guard by someone surprisingly kind to him. 
His face tingles where the Other Robin had...kissed him.  
To push back the rising embarrassment and incoming blush, he immediately tries to focus on the stupidbutreallykindacute way this Robin styles his hair. 
God dammit. 
“I.. I wanted to apologize, for calling you weird.” Robin moves from a crouched position over Wally’s lap to sit with a hard thump on the ground in front of him. “I shouldn’t have said that, I really shouldn’t have. It’s just...” He sighs. 
“I dunno, I don’t really have a lot of friends.” Wally snorts.
“You don’t say?”
“Shut up.” He whines out, nudging at Wally with his foot. “Point is, I said some stupid stuff I shouldn’t have about you and I feel bad. I thought you were like the other kids.” He’s hunched over himself, taking off his glasses for once and rubbing at his eyes. 
Curiosity at what the weird kid who’s been harassing him all summer actually looks like strikes Wally like a harpoon. But he’s still kinda pissed, so he looks at Robin’s shoes instead before he sees anything.
... Jesus, those are some expensive shoes.
“What other kids?”
“The ones I go to school with. They... they say shit about me all the time and I didn’t realize you were just joking around. Defensive measures and all that.” He shrugs, voice muffled by his coat sleeves.
“Doesn’t make it all right though.” Wally says.
“Yeah, I know. It really doesn’t. Trust me, I’ve been beating myself up about this.” With a half hearted chuckle, Robin lifts up his left, bandaged hand away from his face, but stays hunched over. 
“Wha- literally? Dude, what-” 
“L-Like I said, I’m beating myself up about it and now I’m getting yelled at for doing that, so I’m apologizing.” Robin cuts in. A hot flash of sadness and anger rips through Wally. 
“... So you’re just apologizing to me so you wont be in trouble anymore? If that’s all, fine, you’re forgiven, now go-”
“God dammit, no! I don’t want-!” Robin’s voice cracks as he slams his bandaged fist on the ground. “I don’t- I didn’t mean! Look, I’m trying to apologize!”
“Yeah, and you’re really bad at it!” 
“I know!” He yells out. 
“I mean, most people would have the decency to look me in the face if they were going to apologize-”
“I know, but I-!” Suddenly he stops. Wally watches the anger flow out of his body and hears him take a deep breath. 
“You’re frustrating as hell, you know that right?” He says quietly to his expensive shoes. 
“Hey man,-”
“Let’s start over!” He yells, pouncing forward and covering Wally’s eyes with his hands before he sees his face.
“Wha- dude! What the hell!” Wally reaches up and grabs at his hands, pulling them off. Belatedly he remembers the other boy is stronger than he looks. He doesn’t get far until his head nearly hits the wall behind him with the force of the other boy’s hands returning to his face. 
“Let’s start over! First impressions are everything, right? We just got off on the wrong foot.” 
“A few dozen times.” Wally mumbles. 
“Just-!” Robin stops and sighs. “...Do you think we could be friends? If we actually tried this time? I wont call you weird, you don’t call me weird, no arguing unless it’s banter because it’s actually kinda fun with you.”
“Mm, I didn’t know friendships had rules.”  
“Less rules, more like guidelines. A, what do people call it? A bro-code?” It’s the most anyone has ever tried with Wally before. He honestly feels a little touched his creepy neighbor is trying so hard. 
“I... I think I can work with that. Y’know, considering how desperately you wanna be friends with me.” 
“Oh shut up!” He can’t help but laugh at Robin’s expense and he’s pleasantly surprised to find the other boy laughing too. 
“God, you’re a mess.” Robin laughs out.
“Me?!”
“Yes!” It takes them a second to calm down, but finally Robin’s hands pull off his face ever so slightly. 
“I...I’m gonna take my hands off, ok? Then we can start over.”
“Dude, why are you nervous? You’re not horribly disfigured or something like that, right? Like, I don’t care if you are, it’s totally fine, just-”
Robin takes his hands off Wally’s face and gives him a smile so blinding he can’t tell if it’s the sun or not. 
Wait, no, it’s definitely the sun. He had his eyes closed for too long. 
“...So?”
“So what? I can’t see anything man, gimmie a second.” He rubs at his eyes while Robin stays strangely quiet. Then he clears his throat. 
“Hi! You must be Wally West, right? I believe you’re renting one of the rooms in the Pink Palace, right? I’m the son of your landlord, Dick. It’s nice to meet you!” 
When Wally opens his eyes, he almost doesn’t believe what he’s seeing. 
Dick Grayson, acclaimed child prodigy and adopted son to billionaire Bruce Wayne, is sitting in front of him. 
Directly in the dirt he had dug up for the tulips he had been planting. 
When Wally just stares at Dick, his smile shrinks and he moves to pick at his bandages. He averts his eyes from Wally.
“I-I heard you were into science, right? That’s partially why you moved here, so you could go to the academy on scholarship? Or was it to take special summer classes? That’s pretty cool either way.” 
“You’re-”
“I’m more of a math guy myself, y’know? And, uh, acrobatics but you probably already knew that.” 
More silence. 
“...Would you like me to grab you water or something? You look kinda pale-”
“You’re telling me,” Wally cuts him off, “That the creepy little shit who kept waking me up in the middle of the night to knock on my bedroom window, who stalked me for most of the summer, and almost got me killed is none other than the Dick Grayson.” 
“Um. I resent the creepy part and... yes?” Wally takes a deep breath.
“Hoooooly shit.” Wally rubs his face with his hands because, wow. Didn’t see that one coming. 
“But you get now, why I had to-”
“Hide your identity and be a total weirdo? Yup. It’s all coming full circle.” He makes a little circle in the air with his finger and Dick punches him gently.
“Hey!” 
“Unbelievable. That’s... good God, I’m friends with a celebrity.”
“Don’t go telling the world, ok? Mostly because people are, y’know.”
“Nah man, my lips are sealed. Besides, you said it yourself, who would I tell?”
“...”
“...Too soon?” Dick gives him a half smile and helps him to his feet. 
“So, uh, what did you mean when you said I almost got you killed?” Wally snorts. 
“That is a long story that I’m 100% sure you’re not gonna believe.” Dick does his little half smile again and Wally decides that he thinks it’s fitting for the other boy. 
“Try me. We’re friends now, I’m legally obligated to believe everything you say.”
“Alright.” Wally looks the other boy up and down, hand on his chin. Dick rolls his eyes with a grin. 
“Your shoes are way too expensive for gardening.” In mock offense, Dick puts a hand on his own chest. 
“Oh yeah? Well your jeans look too new to be gardening in!” 
“My jeans?Take a look at your- dress pants? Really?”
“I might have taken a reaaaally long break from my ballroom dancing classes at the summer house. Don’t worry about it.” 
“I’m gonna, especially when your nanny yells at me for being a bad influence on a ‘high-class citizen’.” 
“Don’t be ridiculous, Alfred would never yell at you. He’ll just give you the scariest silent treatment and cook your favorite food slightly off so that there’s something funky about it, but you don’t know what.” When Wally gives him a strange look, Dick starts laughing about how Wally looks funny when he’s confused. 
Wally realizes rich people are fucking weird.
Wally also realizes he really wants to reach out and hold his hand. 
Then Wally realizes that without the glasses, Dick has really pretty eyes. 
He’s so screwed.
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backtothestart02 · 4 years
Text
Mixed Drink - 13/? | westallen fanfiction
A/N: Commissioned by @travelattwilight. I hope you all enjoy!
*Many thanks to @valeriemperez for beta’ing.
...
Chapter 13 -
The tension between the four of them could be cut with a knife. Iris stayed staring at her brother, and Jesse didn’t know which one to look at or which choice would be more dangerous in the end. Stacy stood her ground by Iris, ready to defend her if any more accusations came her way, but inevitably there were complaints from the customers behind Wally and Jesse in line, so she had to open another register and start taking orders.
“What are you doing here?” Iris asked finally, not accusatory, almost scared.
Wally raised his eyebrows, coldly amused.
“I mean…” Iris cleared her throat. “I haven’t seen you in Central City in years.”
Regrettably, Jesse blushed.
“That…would be on me.”
Iris switched her gaze to the pretty girl next to her brother, waiting for more of an explanation.
“It’s not your fault, Jesse,” Wally said, though he was barely looking at her. “You didn’t know. Hell, I didn’t know, or I would’ve suggested someplace else.”
Iris felt as if he’d kicked her in the gut. The fact that he would’ve gone to such lengths just to avoid seeing her hurt like nothing else. The last time they’d spoken he’d at least sympathized with her. But now it felt like he was on the verge of telling her to go to hell.
“Wally,” Jesse scolded, and Iris was grateful. She felt some hope rise within her.
Wally, to Iris’ great surprise, didn’t come back with anything. He actually looked down for a moment, as if embarrassed.
Iris wanted to talk to him one-on-one, see what had changed. But she couldn’t do that in the middle of a rush the first week back at her old job. Instead, she summoned all the courage she could muster and returned to a topic that she hoped was safer.
“Well, there’s no need to go anywhere else,” she said. “The least I can do is take your orders and give you a quality drink.”
She looked at Jesse who offered a smile and dared to tease Wally.
“Whatever else you think of me, you can’t say I don’t make one hell of a latte.”
Wally looked at her and nodded.
“Okay.”
Jesse looked at him and waited for him to say what he was going to order, but he didn’t so much as look at the menu and Iris was already pressing buttons on the register.
“Wally?”
He sighed and reluctantly said, “She knows what I like.”
Jesse gave him a curious look, but he said nothing more. After he’d paid, ignoring Iris’ slightly slumped shoulders when he pulled out cash and then changed to a credit card so he could avoid touching her, Jesse gave him a stern look that he purposefully ignored. Instead, he guided her to the far side of the counter where they’d await their drinks from the blonde standing next to her who had gone through the rest of the customers that had been standing in line.
After Wally and Jesse had left and the rush had calmed down some, Stacy came to stand beside Iris who was just barely holding it together.
“Hey, girl, how are you holding up?” she asked, wrapping an arm around her waist.
Iris sighed shakily. “Like I’m going to break if I think too hard or stop…being busy.”
“Maybe you need a break,” she suggested.
“Uh…did you not hear what I just said? A break will probably make me start crying, and…I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop.”
“What if you called Barry? Talk about it with him?”
“Oh, God, no.”
Stacy frowned. “Why not?”
“We just started dating, Stace. He doesn’t know the whole story, and I don’t want him to. Not yet.” She sighed again. “I’m just…going to have to get through this one on my own.”
“Not on your own.” She pulled her closer. “You’ve still got me.”
Iris forced a smile. “Thanks. I appreciate that, but…”
Stacy shook her head. “Why don’t you do refills. I’ll clean up back here, and by the time we’re both done, I’m sure there will be a heap of new customers here to make us lose our minds in how the hell we got so many menu items that are so different, and yet…so the same.”
Iris laughed, and Stacy smiled.
“That sounds absolutely wonderful.”
Stacy kissed the side of her forehead and released her.
“Go get ‘em, Babe.”
Iris ducked her head with a little smile and then grabbed the pitcher of coffee to start making the rounds.
They rounded the block for the third time. Just like every time before, whenever they passed Jitters, Wally made a point to only look straight ahead. He would not look inside to see if his sister was still there. He would not.
Jesse, however, was no idiot. And even if she had been slightly out of the loop, she figured out exactly what was going on when her boyfriend nearly crushed her hand in his grip whenever they went by the coffee shop. Not only that, but Wally’s jaw locked, and he ground his teeth. All of these things abruptly stopped when they turned the corner.
She hadn’t made a single comment about it, but enough was enough. They didn’t talk about his family much because she knew it was hard for him to talk about, and a lot of the time she was a distraction for him, so he didn’t have to think about it. She was glad she could be that for him, but there was a point when things had to be discussed. Plus, if she took one more walk around this particular block, she thought she might just go crazy.
“You know, if you want to go in and talk to her, I don’t think there are many customers right now.”
“Talk to who?” he asked, his grip growing tighter.
“Ow!”
He stopped and looked down at what he’d done to his girlfriend’s hand. Immediately, he released her.
“Oh, God, sorry, Jess. I didn’t mean to-”
“I know,” she said, immediately flexing her fingers. “Your body’s acting on its own involuntarily.” She massaged her hurting hand with the other. “It’s because you’re not dealing with your feelings, so your body is taking matters into its own hands.”
He took her hands into his and kissed each one.
“How’d you get so smart?”
“Psychology major, remember?”
“Ah, yeah, that’s right…and a genius father who hates my guts.”
She rolled her eyes. “My dad hates everyone. It’s in his DNA. You’re lucky all I got from him is his brain, or I’d probably be intolerable.”
He smirked and leaned in to kiss her. “Lucky me.”
She savored the kiss for a moment more, the heat ever-present between them before returning to the original topic.
“So, as I was saying, your body is-”
But he cut her off.
“I know something else my body could be doing right now,” he teased with a grin.
She barked a laugh and shook her head.
“That was a switch.”
He shrugged and looked at her with a boyish charm. She linked her arm through his and crossed the street with him when the walk sign lit up.
“Why are we crossing?” he asked, confused.
“Because we went around that block three times, Wally West. And if you refuse to admit you want to make things right with your sister, the least you can do is take me down another block.”
He smiled. “Yes, ma’am.”
It wasn’t the end to the conversation she’d wanted, but she knew she’d get no more out of him right now. He didn’t do well when pushed. Hell, neither did she. But the hurt look on Iris’ face was eating at her. She didn’t know the girl at all, but she doubted she was as bad as Wally let on. From the six months they’d been dating, Jesse had learned a few things about Wally West. One was that the things that made him the angriest, that he projected onto others, he usually at least partially blamed himself for.
That left two options on the table. Either Wally blamed himself for Iris’ actions or he blamed himself for the way the family had basically driven her away. And Jesse, well, as fond as she was of Wally, she wasn’t about to let him brood over this when it could be fixed. He’d thank her later.
At least, she hoped he would. Regardless, she needed the whole story.
Barry stared at his phone and wondered if there was something wrong with it.
He’d been trying to get a hold of Iris all day. While he missed her every day, today was particularly lonesome because he’d finished up his latest assignment and was free both today and tomorrow. His body was aching for her. His heart was aching for her. His mind was aching for her. His soul was aching for her. It was unlike anything he’d experienced since his parents died his first year in the military. Or, that’s what the organization called themselves.
Later down the line he’d have it drilled into him that he’d been taken advantage of, and he shouldn’t blame himself. He was living a better life now. But wasn’t he being taken advantage of by that person even now? Wasn’t he just being passed from one organization to the next, each one claiming to be the right one, the “good” people he should be “proud” to work for?
He’d heard it all before, and no matter what anyone said, he just knew his parents would be so ashamed of him. And beyond that, he knew if he’d been home, they wouldn’t have died. His martial arts skills would’ve stopped that robber in the night, and he’d have him pinned to the floor and arrested in seconds. Instead, the robber was never caught because there had been no witnesses and no real evidence in the aftermath.
It made Barry so angry inside, and for so long he’d used that anger to hurt nameless, faceless people. They had to be that way to him, or the guilt would build up even more. He shut down emotionally. He didn’t feel love and he didn’t feel pain. There was only the job.
It took Felicity a full year to break through that hard exterior, and even she hadn’t broken through the hardest parts. Yet somehow, despite lying to her occasionally, as most spies needed to for those in their families uninvolved with that part of their life, Iris had broken through all of it. She’d shattered that exterior, so all his soft parts glowed brilliantly and came alive. And damn, if it wasn’t the best feeling he’d felt in the longest time.
So, he didn’t give up.
He dialed her number again and waited.
This time she picked up.
“Hello?”
Her voice sounded off, sad maybe, or tired. But he couldn’t concentrate on that immediately, because all he knew was that she had answered.
“Iris!”
His excitement burst through the line, causing a genuine giggle out of her.
“Hi, Barry.”
“You picked up!” he informed her gleefully, but much to his disappointment that comment brought the return of her saddened/exhausted tone of voice.
“Yeah…I’m sorry about that, Barry. Today has been…well, it hasn’t been good.”
His face fell. “Tell me about it. What happened?”
She sighed. “I don’t…really want to talk about it.”
“Iris.”
“I know you want to help, Barry. I know. And I appreciate it. But this is just…this is family stuff.”
Barry felt as if he’d gotten a blow to the chest.
Family stuff.
She hadn’t meant to wound him, but she had. Unintentionally, of course.
Because he didn’t have a family anymore, and after her mere presence had revealed his softer side, he didn’t like being reminded of that fact.
But she was oblivious to his inner struggle.
“Can we just…talk about something else?” she asked on a sad sigh.
And he wanted so badly to give her what she wanted, but he couldn’t just…switch like that. Not when his walls had all fallen down, not when he’d just been thinking about the sad fate of his own family.
But still, he tried. For her.
“I understand,” he said, and he really tried to. “What would you like to talk about instead?”
She sighed. “I don’t know… Just, not that.”
He fought to think of something else. He didn’t want their conversation to be over, no matter how many feelings were buzzing through him right now. This is not what he wanted their one interaction today to be about.
“I love you, Iris.”
Static filled the line, and he wondered if she hadn’t heard him, and maybe he shouldn’t have said it over the phone an ocean away. But he missed her, and he wanted her, and he wanted to help her, to make everything better. And he was so sure now, positive, and he wanted her to know.
But maybe it was too soon.
The line cleared up.
“Barry? Are you there?”
She hadn’t heard.
“Uh, yeah? I’m here.”
“Did you hear the static?”
His head was spinning, but he forced himself to answer her question.
“Yeah. What’s the last thing you heard?”
“I think we were trying to come up with a topic?”
“Oh.” He paused. She hadn’t heard it. “Right.”
“You said something after that, but I couldn’t make it out. Can you say it again?”
He cleared his throat.
“Right. I…uh, just said that I miss you.”
She crumbled on the other end.
“Oh, Barry, I miss you too.”
...
*Also posted on AO3 and FFnet.
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zombiesbecrazy · 5 years
Text
It’s Okay (To Not Be Okay)
Summary: Dick has not been dealing with the past two years as well as he thinks he could have been.
AO3
Dick always forgot how bright the stars were outside of the city but from the balcony of M’Gann and Conner’s Happy Harbor house they seemed more impossibly endless than normal. So close and numerous, like he could almost reach out and touch them, but he knew that they were out of reach. They always were.
Just like most things in his life where these days.
He felt someone stand next to him, leaning on the balcony alongside him, but Dick kept his eyes glued to the night sky. He didn’t need to turn to know who it was. “You snapped at Forager.”
“I know.”
“He didn’t say anything wrong. He doesn’t know any different. He wouldn’t understand why you got mad.”
“I know.” And he did know, because it was the truth. Bart was Kid Flash now and he was the only Kid Flash that Forager had met. He had no way to know that there had been a Kid Flash before him. Dick groaned and dropped his head into his hands. It needed to stop; the way that Dick reacted when he heard the name, the way that the anger and the pain flared up at the sound of it. Or the way that he felt sick to his stomach every time he saw Bart in the uniform. He knew that he was just trying to honour his cousin, but whenever Dick saw Bart suited up all it did was twist the knife a little deeper, made it bleed a little more. It also didn’t help that every day he looked a little bit more like his older cousin.
Why couldn’t he have just stayed as Impulse? It would make it even just the tiniest bit easier.
Kid Flash wasn’t Bart. Kid Flash was
“You called Will by my name,” Dick’s thoughts were interrupted by Wally’s voice again, making him finally turn his head to look at his companion. Wally was mirroring Dick’s position against the railing, looking exactly as he had two years ago, wearing a faded Stanford hoodie, well worn blue jeans and bare feet. It was strange how he always wore different clothes whenever Dick saw him. Psychology dictated that he should always look the same whenever Dick saw him, but Wally wouldn’t dare to be so predictable. “Will wasn’t wrong in Star City. You can’t just use him as a replacement for me.”
“I know.”
Wally sighed beside him and leaned closer. Dick could almost feel his shoulder nudge his own. “You aren’t okay, Dick. You haven’t been okay since I died.”
“I know that too.” He had known it for a long time, ever since the Arctic. Seeing dead people wasn’t okay. It was something that Wally told him almost every time Dick saw him, which was more than a little ironic coming from a mental projection. It wasn’t healthy to see visions of his best friend popping up at all times, especially two years after his death. This hadn’t happened with his parents and it hadn’t happened with Jason. Something was holding him back, tethering him to the ghost of Wally, not letting him grieve and move on like he knew he had to. Everything he had tried just made him hold on tighter to the memory. “I’m really not.”
Of course he knew that he wasn’t okay. All signs pointed towards him being completely broken.
The stars twinkled above him as Dick talked to Wally about what had been happening, just like they had always done and as Dick had done for the past two years, because if he was already broken he might as well embrace the crazy. They talked about the meta human trafficking rings, the trip to Markovia, the team up with the Harpers, the League of Assassins. He then shifted to Bruce leading the coup against the League and from there it went into talking about Barbara and his precarious civilian life he was trying to build in Bludhaven. It felt good to talk to Wally, even though the rational part of him knew it wasn’t really happening. He knew that his best friend wasn’t really standing beside him but it helped him process everything to talk to him even if Dick knew that Ghost Wally existing at all was probably a bigger issue.
Wally was beginning to rant back about how much of a jerk Bruce was for blindsiding Kaldur when they were interrupted by the sliding door behind them opening and then the soft footsteps that followed. “Who are you talking to, Dick?” This voice was actually there and Dick forced a grin onto his face as he nodded his head at Conner. The apparition of Wally disappeared as Conner took his place leaning against the rail.
“No one. Just hanging out with Wolf.” He gestured to Wolf lying beside him. Despite him becoming more docile in his older age, Wolf seemed to like it when Dick came to visit; waking up and following him everywhere, even if only to fall asleep again by his feet. Dick bent down and scratched him behind his ears as if he had been doing it the whole time.
Conner glanced down at the wolf who wagged his tail at Dick’s touch as he dozed. “He’s not much of a talker.”
“That’s fine. I’m used to that. He listens well.”
Conner turned his gaze away from Dick, but instead of looking at the stars, Conner’s eyes were on the water, staring into the depths. Minutes passed in silence between them but it was comfortable because Conner never seemed to mind the quiet. An owl hooted in the distance, breaking the barrier between them. “You remember that I have super hearing, right?”
The actual words went unsaid, but the implication was clear; Conner had heard him talking to Wally and it probably wasn’t the first time. “I know,” Dick mumbled, not really surprised. He didn’t really hide it very well and it wasn’t the first time someone had found out. He had told Barbara when she had walked in on him mid argument with Ghost Wally and he had told Dinah during a therapy session, and he knew that Bruce suspected even though he hadn’t said the words out loud. Anyone who spent enough time with him knew that he was haunted by ghosts of his past, but only a very few knew how literal that was. It had only been a matter of time before Conner found out.
“Do you want to talk about it? With someone who can answer?”
“The mission? No. The other thing?” Dick shook his head. “Not really. Thanks though.” He was working through it with Dinah. He didn’t need that from Conner. He didn’t need his friend to start looking at him differently, to pity him and his delusions.
Pity wouldn’t help the problem.
“I know it’s not the same, but... you, Kaldur and Wally. I’ve known you guys literally my entire life.” Conner continued to stare out at the water. He hadn’t mentioned it to Dick, but it was clear that Cadmus had to have been on his mind since Markovia, after seeing those kids in the tubes. He had managed to keep his rage at bay, possibly because he knew that they couldn’t have two of them going off the deep end when Brion was already fueling that fire well enough for the both of them. “Wally’s voice was the first thing I heard when I woke up.”
“Conner, I…” Things like this just made Dick feel worse, when he was reminded that he wasn’t the only one who had lost Wally. Barry, Iris, Bart, Kaldur, Conner… Dick wasn’t the only one grieving, but he did seem to be the one having the hardest time letting go. Conner shook his head and turned away from the water to look at Dick straight on. “I’m not trying to diminish your pain. I’m just trying to remind you that you aren’t alone. We all miss him too.” He shrugged and looked a little uncomfortable talking about his feelings in such a straight forward manner. “Just because it looks like we’ve all moved on, it still hurts. You can lean on us when you need to.”
“I don’t do teams anymore. Or at least I didn’t.” That wasn’t him anymore. It couldn’t be. Things always fell apart in teams. He was just too broken and alone, even when he was surrounded by people. It was easier on his own, or with just Babs in his ear. He couldn’t bring anyone else down when he was alone.
“That isn’t being a team, Dick. That’s what families do. We depend on each other when we need to. Especially when things are rough. You guys taught me that.” Conner took a step towards him, and pulled Dick into a hug.
That was all it took for Dick’s seams to finally crack and for him to fall apart. It wasn’t just Wally; it never was. It was everything just compounding at once and it was just too much. Tears didn’t come, but he felt himself shaking in Conner’s arms, pulled tight and snug. He wasn’t sure how long they stood there, but Dick eventually felt another set of arms wrap around both of them. He didn’t open his eyes to check who it was. Again, he didn’t need to. “Wally’s hugging us.”
If Conner was surprised, he didn’t react. “Not shocking. The guy was a hugger.” A pause and then, "How often?"
“I see him all the time. He’s everywhere,” whispered Dick hoarsely, finally putting the words together that he had been hiding from his friend for so long. “I think I might be going crazy, Conner. It’s not normal.”
“Is it hurting you? Or anyone else?”
“No. It’s just… comforting, I guess. Seeing him. Hearing him. Talking to him.”
“Then you aren’t crazy. Don’t worry about it. If it helps somehow, do it. Just don’t forget about the rest of us who are here and want to look out for you too.” Conner pulled away from the hug so that he could look at Dick more closely. Had it really been seven years since they had met? They had all grown up so much, and yet they were still the same kids they had always been. “Are you okay?”
“No,” said Dick but he was starting to smile despite himself. This time Dick’s grin was smaller, but it was a little more genuine. He wasn’t alone in this, not matter how much he thought it was. He didn't have to forget Wally to let anyone else in. “But maybe I will be.”
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killervibeflash · 6 years
Text
5x01 “Nora” Review
Let me just start by saying that I really LOVE Nora! She is adorable and probably how I would react if my dad was the Flash and my mom was...Iris...lol
Speaking of Iris and Nora, like DAYUM. Nora is giving Iris a massive cold shoulder. I know that Barry wasn't around and Nora had like all the time in the world with Iris, but I don’t know. There was a fight, a disagreement, or something because Nora wouldn't be so awkward with her mom if she had a good relationship with her. I read somewhere a theory that Iris might have remarried and that ALMOST would make sense. However, Iris wrote the 25 years later article and she still goes by Iris West-Allen and I don't know if the writers would ever want to cheapen Iris and Barry’s marriage by making that a thing. I mean I wouldn't care, because I am all about a good story and if she did remarry that would be #drama. I don't know. 
Anyway, can someone PLEASE explain to me how Barry and Iris grew up literally in the same house since they were like 11 (idk) and she didn't get the Back to the Future reference???? I mean Back to the Future is iconic and Barry was SURPRISED, actually surprised she didn't get the reference. THEY’RE MARRIED, THEY GREW UP IN THE SAME HOUSE AND IRIS DOESN'T EVEN KNOW WHO MARTY MCFLY IS??? The timeline must be messed up or the writers are purposefully trying to harm Iris’s character. I feel like Iris has got to be more cultured than that, you know? 
Cisco drunk was everything. “Don’t Drink and Vibe” lol. I just loved how he was hungover this entire episode and him being drunk was just beautiful. 
Ralph and his “manyverse” discovery was pretty funny “Another earth where we’re all bad guys” *cuts to Barry’s face* and runner up “Or an earth where they never made that last Indiana Jones movie” lol good stuff. I 150% LOVED the reference to him dying in the particle accelerator explosion! If you don’t know I think in Season 1 maybe 2 but probably 1, Dr. Wells listed him as one of the people that had been killed in the explosion. It was great! 
Ralph and Caitlin MAY and I mean MAY in a very non-commital way be developing a pretty cute friendship. Do I ship it? No, God no. It has been confirmed that Caitlin will not have a love interest this season and once again I am happy yet slightly disappointed by that. I am HERE for BISEXUAL Cait/KF and I would love it if the Flash went there, but I guess probably not. I just kinda hope Amunet comes back, because I really really loved the subtle hints that were happening. 
DUDES, I am psyched about Caitlin storyline! I just honestly am ready to hear about her parents. I don't know if anyone remembers, but in Season 1 before the timeline was changed Caitlin made a joke about having to tell her “parents” that Ronnie was back from the dead or something along those lines, but she said “parents” as in both of them. Then come season 3 and her Mom is alive and her dad is dead. I think it was confirmed somewhere that the actress who played Caitlin’s mom in Season 3 will be reprising her role this season. I am super happy about that and honestly, I know some people (AKA: me) are wondering about “Charlie” and that was Earth-2 Killer Frost’s brother that died and if that character might come into play. I doubt it, but it would be an interesting call back. 
I JUST WANT ANSWERS. My bb KF is a hot mess of plot holes and it may have to do with the ever constantly changing timeline, but that is just so lazy to me! 
Imma miss Wally, but hopefully he comes back every once in a while. Cecile reading the baby's mind was great and Joe’s reaction to it was even greater! 
Okay, I don't mean to rag on Iris, but Barry and Nora literally left her in the dust. BARRY COULD HAVE TAKEN HER WITH THEM. IT WAS SO SAVAGE. Would it be bad if I said I thought that was slightly funny? Only cause Barry could easily have picked her up and taken her with them but I guess Barry and Nora now have this secret that I just don’t think will go over well with Iris. Honestly, I actually mostly felt bad for her. At the same time every girl deserves some quality father/daughter bonding time (I am so sorry to any of my followers who may not have had both parents growing up, I don’t mean any disrespect when I say that). This is Nora’s chance to be with her dad, but I do feel bad it makes Iris feel so insecure and left out. Like I genuinely do feel bad for her because I would be pretty hurt but mostly confused if I was her. 
Anywho, I thought overall it was a pretty decent episode. I wonder if they are gonna go back to Season 4′s therapist? lol please I hope not. I mean there were some comedic moments there, but Season 4 overall was a pretty big disappointment to me. In my opinion. This season is actually, genuinely looking good. I truly do like Nora (and not because she is icing Iris out, but that is interesting thing to watch), but because she is interesting and she knows things we don’t and I wanna see what her relationship is with everyone. We haven't really seen her interact with anyone but Barry and Iris and then a little with Joe and Wally who are her family. However, how well does she know Cisco, Caitlin, and Ralph? What are their futures like? Like I said in my last post, I feel like Nora was giving Caitlin the stink eye and I don’t know why! I wanna know why! Does she turn evil in the future? I don't know. I am not gonna lie to you guys. I sometimes prefer villain Killer Frost. She’s fun. Sassy Frost is fun too. I never want Killer Frost to go full softy, because that is Caitlin and I just love the dynamic of both characters/sides. 
I am excited for this season! 
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call-me-emma · 6 years
Text
First Introductions
Summary: Hey guys! I’m so excited to finally have this finished. It’s my first story with Emma. It takes place her 2nd year of high school. She moved to Central City a year ago and this is the story of how she meets a certain redhead. (And yes, I’ve done my research on where he’s originally from in the comics. I tried to stick as close to the canon i could find as possible.)
Word Count: 1492
Warnings: None
Note: Telepathy and ‘thought dialogue’ is marked in italics
Emma tugged at the strap of her backpack adjusting its position. She wondered how it got so heavy. Then she remembered she was carrying her books for Biology, AP European History, and American Lit.
“Ow! Dang it” she exclaimed as she walked straight into the glass doors to Central City High School.
She’d been distracted, as usual, flipping through her planner to see what she had forgotten for the day. Thankfully nobody seemed to have seen her; at least nobody seemed to be laughing. She didn’t feel anyone thinking how foolish she was either. She fumbled with the pages till she found the correct page. Emma wondered how she ever knew what day of the week it was. The only way she ever remembered was by what classes she had that day, or if she had tae kwon do lessons after school. She frowned slightly as looked at the page. Today was Student Ambassador day.
Emma had been excited about it when she signed up, but now she wasn’t so sure. Her teacher had recommended her, and she’d never been the one to say no to an authority figure. Besides which, she had been a bit too proud to admit she was nervous; that meeting new people wasn’t really her thing. She had pushed herself outside of her comfort zone far enough when she met her best girlfriend one year ago. It had been her first day of school in a new city. She had walked up to the only other table in the cafeteria anyone sitting alone and asked if she could sit there. The girl had been on her bus that morning. After that, Emma and the girl had become best friends.
It had been a year since Emma moved to Central City from Chicago. She had adjusted well to her new life in a quieter town. Chicago was The Big City.  Everything was noise and light and change and -LOUD. Always loud. Loud enough to drown out the the thoughts in her head. The rumble of the L-Train, sirens, a few birds, occasional gunshots, street vendors hawking their Chicago Dogs, people going about their day. Rushing to and fro; their heads all filled with thoughts.
Mostly about things she was too young or too naive to understand. Mortgages, business deals, politics. Sometimes she understood. Parents with sick kids, students worried about exams, couples fighting about money. Families of police officers and firefighters afraid their loved ones wouldn’t come home. These things she understood, as she worried about these same things. Sometimes it was all too much. Sensing so many thoughts of so many people at once left little room for her own thoughts.
The sounds of the city had helped with that and allowed her to block most of it out. Given her head space to focus on her own problems. Even though, when she did, she felt a twinge of guilt. The world was so big. And Emma Aiden Teague, and her problems, were so small. So insignificant.
At first moving to Central City had been a bit of a culture shock. Then it had been a relief, at least in some ways. It was so much quieter. There were fewer people, which meant fewer thoughts and emotions. And the people were quieter and more gentle with their thoughts.
Emma had looked forward to moving to a new place where she could start over. Back in Chicago, she’d always been the odd one out. Except in the dojang, where she had found a second family. Moving gave her a chance to start over. Nobody knew her, so she could remake herself into anyone. She could sculpt herself into the popular, outgoing girl she’d always wanted to be. More like her mother or her younger sister Jessica. It hadn’t worked as well as she’d hoped.
Now she was supposed to show the new kids around and make them feel welcome. She’d be giving them tips on how to survive- which teachers gave pop quizzes and which were good to ask for extra credit work, where the library was, those sorts of things. That part wasn’t a problem. But after all her efforts, she still never quite fit in with the right crowd. She wasn’t popular, she was still somewhat of the awkward girl. She wasn’t sure whether to pity the poor kid who got stuck with her, or dread getting laughed at. But she held onto the possibility that it would end up going well.
Shaking her slightly to clear it, Emma pulled herself out of her little reverie. She cursed as she looked at the clock in the hallway. She was almost late for first period! In her rush she nearly ran straight into one of the upper grade teachers. Please don't let me get detention! I'm already running late, I don't have time for that! she thought.
“It's ok. you've got time, I'm not giving you detention. Just slow down, and try to watch where you're going, Miss Teague.”
Emma managed to slide into her seat seconds before the bell rang, harried and out of breath.
Later that morning she was sitting next to the new boy she was assigned to as the student ambassador in the cafeteria. He had sunset orange hair and green eyes that seemed to buzz with electricity perfectly complimented by a smattering of freckles. He looked like the kind of boy who should be awkward but somehow wasn't. He had an air of confidence. She was suddenly very aware of the way her shoulder length brown hair hung straight and boring. Her eyebrows probably needed plucked, her lips were bleeding again from nervously picking them, and she surely had dark circles under her muddy brown eyes.
“Ok, Wally. Let’s see what classes you’ve got,” she said reaching for his schedule.
“Hey, call me Wallman” He finger gunned her as he handed over his schedule.
She rolled her eyes and chuckled at him. “Ok, Wallman”. Looking over his schedule she noticed they had several classes together and set hers down for comparison. “Here. We’ve got physics, American lit, and P.E. together. I can help you with American Lit if you need it, but physics isn’t exactly my strong suit. I’ve got French for my foreign language, and my Spanish is a little rusty. So i might not be able to help you much with that. But I’ve heard Senorita Blanco is good. Doesn’t give too much homework and she’s supposed to be fun.”
“Ah, bueno. Bueno.” Wally winked at her. “You speak the French, Mademoiselle? Perhaps you will teach the Wallman.”
Emma smiled slightly and shook her head at his attempt at a French accent. “I mean, I guess, if you want me to. I’m not that good though. I only know un peu.” She made her index finger and thumb into a ‘little bit’ gesture. “My friend Natalie is better.”
“Nah, babe. I’d rather you teach me”
She blushed slightly in spite of herself and looked at the table, wondering if he was flirting or if he was always like this. “Please don’t call me babe.”
Wally had the decency to look sorry as he put his hands up. “Oh. Ok. Sorry. I won’t, Emma”
“Thanks” She shoved her books back into her bag as the the warning bell for the next period rang. “Ok, this is one of the classes we have together. American Lit.You can sit by me if you want.”
“Yeah, sure ba..Sorry. Sure. Lead the way.” He paused for a moment. “Hey, Emma, my aunt and uncle are throwing us a welcome barbeque this evening. Want to come?”
“Sure, ok, I guess. Is this, um, like a big thing, or?”
“Nah. Not too big. Uncle Barry and Aunt Iris are pretty cool. It’ll be lots of fun. But it’d be better if you were there.” He looked at her with a smirk.
“Alright. I’ll come. I have to double check with my parents first, but sure. What time?”
“6:30ish.” As they approached the classroom door, Wally put his arm around her. “I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship.”
Emma chuckled again. She couldn’t pinpoint why, but her instincts told her he was right. She felt comfortable around him. Somehow she could sense that underneath the cockiness, he was a good guy. The kind who genuinely wanted to help people. Something just clicked. “Haha. I think so too, Wallman. Now let’s go before we’re late.”
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