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Two months.
It had been two months since Wally had... died. And every day, Dick kept expecting him to be there. To be hanging around, snacking. To call him out on ridiculous plans. To keep him from being a massive jerk to the younger members of the team, when he actually interacted with them. But he was never there, because he was gone.
Dick had never even gotten a chance to apologize.
That was the worst part. There had always been the possibility that one of them could die. That was the unspoken truth about being a hero. Death was a constant. It was inevitable. This was awful because the two of them had been on bad terms. And they'd still been fighting when Wally died.
Dick's apartment felt particularly cold.
He sat against the wall and laid his head on his knees. Two months. Dick had been going nonstop for two months, running himself ragged, because if he'd just been a better leader, a better friend -
His thoughts cut off as a sob escaped his throat. Tears leaked out from behind his domino mask.
He missed him.
Dick buried his head between his legs and cried.
Two hours later, Dick's alarm clock went off. He was supposed to go to the manor for breakfast that morning. Bruce had been trying to make more of an effort to reach out to him, and that effort was resulting in family dinners and breakfasts. Dick went through the motions and got ready in a haze, but found himself at the Bludhaven zeta tube instead of his car, the coordinates for Wally's memorial keyed inside.
Dick hesitated. His hand faltered over the panel.
He should go to breakfast. But his heart pounded, and for once, Dick found himself listening to it instead of his head.
He stepped out of the zeta beam, the computer quietly announcing his arrival. The memorial was empty. Empty, except for the young speedster kneeling next to his cousin's hologram. Bart looked up as Dick walked over.
He scrubbed at red eyes. "Nightwing! What- uh, what brings you here?"
His voice was quiet, none of his usual excitement or enthusiasm poking through. Dick tried to smile, sinking cross-legged to the ground beside him.
"Just... paying a visit. It's pretty early, what're you doing here?"
Dick tried to keep his tone light, but Bart looked away, focusing rather intently on the ground in front of the memorial. He wasn't even fidgeting. Just sitting completely still. Had Wally's death affected Bart more than they'd realized? Dick worried, because he hadn't thought the two of them had known each other that well. If Bart wasn't doing well, no one had noticed. And that wasn't good.
Finally, Bart spoke up, turning back to face Dick.
"I'm... confused," he said, his expression shifting. He was talking much slower than normal. Dick wasn't sure if it was for his benefit or because of something else. "I came back to change the future. I... I guess I changed more than I thought."
Dick's first thought was holy shit . Bart never talked about the future to anyone. Except Jaime, but Dick was pretty sure he didn't even have the full story. Then Bart's words caught up. He frowned, and voiced his second thought out loud.
"What changed?"
A war went on in Bart's mind. His expressions shifted fast in a way that only a speedster's could. His hands clenched and unclenched on the ground. Finally, he settled on something neutral, his eyes hard as he looked right into Dick's.
"I wasn't the best history student," he said, "but I'm pretty sure Wally West didn't die in 2016."
And Dick's world shattered.
Bart was refusing to talk to him. But Dick was nothing if not persistent. He refused to let the teenager get away.
"No!" Bart finally shouted, whirling around to face Dick. Dick let him shout. It was clearly a conversation he wanted to have, seeing as he'd not once gone any faster than a slow, normal jog while trying to get away. "I've already told you too much. I didn't even mean to tell you that much! You caught me off guard. And I'm not going to give you false hope for something I probably changed."
Dick reached out and put his hand on Bart's shoulder. "Bart," he said slowly. "All your information about the future has been right so far. Why would this be any different?"
Bart shoved his hand away. "All my information was about a future we changed . Even if Wally lived back then, that doesn't mean he did now."
And man, didn't that just about split Dick's heart in two. He shoved his emotions aside, keeping his eyes right on Bart's.
"If there's even a chance, don't you think we should look?"
"Do you remember how to make a time machine?"
From beside him, Bart shook his head, a calculating look on his face. "It doesn't matter, a time machine wouldn't work. We'd need to know exactly when to go."
Dick cursed. He tossed his pencil down on the table, rubbing at his eyes. He hated to admit it, but he was tired. It was the third day of his and Bart's partnership, and they were still no closer to having any semblance of a plan or an idea. They were stuck.
"We could check the arctic readings again?" Bart suggested. Dick shook his head.
"No point. There wouldn't be anything new."
Bart slumped back, a frown on his face. Dick sighed. He drummed his pencil on his leg, ever so slightly tapping into his superspeed to switch back and forth between his hands. Dick listened to the drumming, wishing they had any sort of clue. Wishing they hadn't ever had to go to the arctic in the first place and that Wally had just been faster...
Faster.
Wally had been running when he died. He hadn't ever stopped.
Dick sat up, furrowing his eyebrows.
What if he was still running?
A long time ago, Barry Allen had had an experience with something he called "the speedforce". Dick had probably been about eleven, and had snuck onto the Batcomputer to read the files. He hadn't understood them, and had quickly gotten distracted by Bruce coming in for patrol.
But now, he scrambled for his phone to access the digital casefiles, ignoring Bart's confused look.
The files were old, but he found them quickly. Perks of being a Bat. It helped that it was the only incident of its type. Dick downloaded the file and gave it a quick scan. He wrinkled his nose.
"Bart?" he asked. "Do you know anything about the speedforce?"
Bart blinked. "A little," he said. "Not a lot. Barry would know more. Why? Do you think-"
He stopped, realizing Dick's train of thought. His mouth dropped open. His eyes went huge.
Dick nodded. "I don't think we should tell Barry until we're sure."
"The Flash museum in Central City would have more information," Bart said, nodding. He hesitated. "But, uh- what're we considering? Exactly?"
He sounded hopeful. Surprisingly, Dick was feeling that way too.
"I think Wally's trapped in the speedforce. And we're going to get him out."
Despite being friends with Wally for a long time, Dick had never actually been to the Flash Museum. Bart, meanwhile, walked in like he owned the place, even as a civilian.
It was relatively empty for the middle of the day. Which meant Dick felt kinda stupid in his sunglasses and baseball cap- look, he hadn't wanted people to question what Dick Grayson was doing in Central City and have it get back to Bruce when he was already dodging the man's calls- so he folded the sunglasses up and tucked them in his pocket. He let the excitable teenager take the lead, shoving his hands in his hoodie pocket.
Bart was very good at avoiding the few people that were around, and even better at quickly scanning the plaques and tables for relevant information, so Dick just let him do his thing. He looked around, eyes lingering on a replica Kid Flash suit. He wondered what it would’ve been like to come here for the first time with Wally. He probably would have explained the full stories behind all the newspaper clippings that hung up along the walls, complete with sound effects and exaggerated actions. Dick would have laughed, and shoved his shoulder. Would have told him to quiet down or someone would see, Kid Mouth. They would have circled the whole museum twice over, and Dick still wouldn’t have been tired of Wally’s voice.
His hands were holding onto the railing way too tightly. Dick took a deep breath and forced himself to let go.
He’d come back here, when they found Wally. And Wally would come with him, and they’d take way too much satisfaction in destroying the little model of his public funeral that was sitting by the door. Dick couldn’t believe that had ever been approved. He wanted to stomp on it.
“Dick!”
Bart dashed over. Dick grabbed his shoulders, physically holding him in place. “Are you crazy?” he hissed. “We’re in the middle of the Flash Museum . You can’t use your powers here!”
Bart nodded, not looking like he was paying a bit of attention. “I found something. I think I know what we need to do!”
Dick let him go. “What?”
He’d thought they’d find a clue, yes, but he hadn’t thought that Bart would know what to do immediately. He thought they were going to have to do a lot more research. This pushed the time frame up by a lot. Wally would be back sooner than he’d ever imagined.
Yeah, he’ll be back. And then he’ll go back to Artemis, and his life , a nasty voice in the back of his head pointed out. Back to his life, without you in it.
But he’d be back, Dick argued back. He’d be alive.
There wasn’t anything the voice had to say to that.
“Yes! Let’s go!”
“Bart, wait-”
Bart did not wait. Luckily, he kept his speed to a human run, bursting out the doors of the museum and probably looking like a crazy person. Dick followed him, slower but still much quicker than what was socially acceptable for public- apologizing to the security guards and tour guides he saw on his way.
Someone really needed to have a talk with that kid.
“You’re sure about this.”
Bart scoffed. “Nightwing. I’ve explained it, like, seventy times. If I didn’t know what I was doing I wouldn’t be doing it.”
He pulled his goggles down, securing them over his eyes. Dick bit his lip.
“I just- I can’t lose you too.”
Bart softened. He turned and smiled at Dick.
“You won’t,” he said confidently. “You’ll be getting me and Wally back. And then the two of you can kiss or whatever.”
Dick spluttered. Kiss? Wally? “He’s dating Artemis,” he said, rather than trying to piece through whatever puzzle had just been dropped into his mind. The idea of kissing Wally… Wasn’t the most horrible thing he had ever heard.
Fuck.
Did Dick want to kiss his best friend?
Bart looked at him pityingly. “ Artemis isn’t the one who’s been nonstop planning an impossible plan to get him back.” He pulled on his gloves, snapping them one at a time against his wrists. “For what it’s worth, I think Wally likes you back. He just wasn’t ready to admit it.”
Bart disappeared in a blur, vibrating through Dick’s apartment door. Dick couldn’t even call out after him.
He sat down heavily on the couch.
He tried to imagine it in his mind. Kissing Wally. His best friend. It should have been hard. But the images rose up in his mind almost eagerly. Dick could feel the red hot blush building up under his cheeks.
It made sense, even if he didn’t want to admit it. Wally had always been… special to him. They’d practically been attached at the hip as kids. It was only when Wally and Artemis had gotten together that Dick had started to drift. And even when Dick hated dated girls, he’d always been more worried about Wally…
Fuck.
Dick didn’t just want to kiss his best friend.
Dick was in love with his best friend.
He groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. Now was really not the time. Why couldn’t he have had this realization years ago? Hell, why couldn’t he have had it when Wally died ? Of course he had to have a sexuality crisis about his best friend right before said best friend was about to come back. That was just Dick’s luck.
He was so screwed. How was ever going to be able to look at Artemis again, knowing what he thought about her boyfriend? How was he ever going to be able to look at Wally again?
Dick wished he could go back to ten minutes ago, before all this shit.
He took a deep breath. Then another. Imagined a door forming in his mind, leading to a tiny, concrete room, lead-lined and air-tight, so nothing could get in or out. Then, he gathered up all the thoughts and shoved them in there, closing the door after them.
There. If there was one thing he had learned from Bruce, it was pushing back his emotional thoughts.
He bit his lip. Bart hadn’t been sure how long this part of the plan would take. If it took longer than three days, he was supposed to go to Barry and tell him anything.
It had only been thirty minutes.
Dick had no idea how he was supposed to wait this long.
Maybe hanging out with Bart so much had affected his mentality. Dick felt jittery, restless. He wanted a cup of coffee. But he wanted to leave his couch even less, since this was where Bart was going to be bringing Wally once he found him and got him out.
He just had to wait. And not think about how much he wanted to kiss his best friend.
He was already failing at both objectives.
Great.
Dick was dozing off when the door slammed open. He jerked upright, nearly falling off his sofa. “Bart?” he asked, his mouth hot and dry. “Wha’ happened?”
There was a laugh. Low and more of a snort, but present.
And very familiar.
Dick’s eyes jerked up. Wally West looked down at him, a soft smile on his face. “Hey Rob.”
Dick sobbed, and leaped into his best friend’s arms.
Wally was different.
There were the physical differences. He was taller, and thinner. He had a small scar on his chin. Whatever injury that had done that must have been bad, to leave a permanent mark on a speedster. His hair was longer, reaching down past his ears. And it was curly. Wally had never let his hair grow out much, and Dick could see why. It was a bit of a mess. Dick drank it all in, unable to take his eyes off his best friend for even a second.
Wally also carried himself differently. He was more confident. He stood up straighter, showing off the new height he had gained. His eyes darted around more, like he was cataloging Dick’s apartment. Itt was a move he expected from himself or one of the other bats, not from Wally.
But the most surprising thing was that he was tapping .
Barry and Bart had always had too much speed, even for a speedster. The two of them were always moving some part of their body in order to get that excess energy out. Most often, it was tapping their fingers or their toes. Wally had never done that. He was slower than the other speedsters, and his excess energy tended to go straight to his stomach, burning through food and making him eat even more than they did.
But now Wally was tapping his fingers against his thighs as he sat on the couch, blurring them together as he moved faster than he ever had before. Somehow, in the time that he was gone, Wally had gotten faster.
“I’m sorry we couldn’t get you out faster,” Dick said softly. They were the first words that he had spoken since their hug had ended, though he wasn’t sure if he could count his sobbed muttering as real words. Wally’s fingers stilled, and he looked at Dick. Dick wasn’t prepared for the absolutely devastated look on his face.
“You can’t blame yourself,” he said. “You can’t. Not if Barry didn’t figure anything out. Not if Bart didn’t. You did. You’re the reason I was able to get out at all Dick, I don’t care how long it took.”
Dick frowned. “Bart did-”
Wally shook his head, cutting him off. “Bart told me everything. You were the one who came up with the Speedforce theory in the first place.”
Dick flushed. Wally reached out and grabbed his hand, locking their fingers together. It was a move they hadn’t made since they were children, a comforting action that Dick had thought they’d left behind. Maybe Wally was feeling nostalgic.
Even though it made his heart pound, Dick couldn’t bring himself to pull away.
Bart was knocked out in Dick’s guest room. The trip had taken a lot out of him, and the two of them hadn’t exactly been sleeping well anyway, too focused on their research. Dick was glad he was getting the rest he needed, but it left him alone with Wally. And Dick was feeling really awkward trying not to stare at the other man’s lips.
“So, what’s the plan now?” he said quickly, turning his gaze down to the couch cushion. His and Wally’s interlocked hand rested there between them. Bad plan. He stared at his legs instead, hoping his face wasn’t burning as red as he felt. “Are you going to go see Artemis?”
Wally’s breath hitched. Dick closed his eyes, waiting for him to pull his hand away, but nothing happened.
“I think I’m going to break up with Artemis.”
Dick’s eyes snapped open. “What?”
Wally nodded. “I was thinking about it even before the arctic,” he admitted. “I… don’t think I’ve liked her the same way for a while. I just didn’t know how to tell her.”
“Oh.” Dick’s heart pounded in his ears. He willed his brain to shut up. Wally breaking up with his girlfriend did not mean that he was interested in Dick. He’d just gone through a traumatic experience. He probably wasn’t interested in a relationship at all!
“Yeah. I think I like someone else.”
Oh.
He looked over at Wally. Wally was looking right back at him, his eyes on Dick’s lips. They flicked up, and their eyes locked, a silent question in both pairs.
A tiny nod.
And then they connected, Wally cupping Dick’s face in his hands and Dick’s hand on the back of Wally’s neck. The kiss wasn’t perfect. Dick’s mouth was dry, and Wally’s lips moved fast, a side effect of his new speed. But it was still perfect.
They were perfect.
Dick broke away first. He leaned his cheek into Wally’s palm.
“We should probably tell people you’re alive,” he murmured. Wally’s hands were warm. He felt so comfortable.
Wally leaned forward again. “We have time.”
Their second kiss was just as perfect.