Thunderbird (Birdflash soulmate AU; hanahaki)

Bloom

Suddenly, Wally found himself comparing Dick to Artemis. Artemis tended to insult his eating habits, and despite the jabs being friendly, it still sometimes made Wally insecure, while Dick encouraged Wally by constantly offering food, laughing with Wally instead of at Wally like Artemis tended to. Dick remembered all of the important dates to Wally and sent cards for each one, like the day Wally got his power, the day they met, Wally's birthday and more. Artemis hated his jokes, told him he's not funny while Dick laughed and looked at Wally like he was the funniest person ever. Artemis was constantly annoyed with Wally's ability to not show up on time and held it over Wally's head for the rest of the night while Dick would crack a joke, saying that he understood and let it slide.

And now Dick, his best friend, the person who knew him the best, better than even his own girlfriend, Wally realized, was laying in the other room, dying. Being in love with someone that didn't love him back. Did Dick's soulmate reject him? Did Dick fall in love with someone else?

Bruce then slid out of the room, sent Wally a look before leaving the door open and walking away without another word.

Wally took this as an invitation to enter Dick's room.

~

Bruce walked in and quickly shooed everyone else out.

"You didn't tell us it got worse."

Dick winced at Bruce's bluntness. "I didn't realize, actually."

"You need to tell Wally."

"Please, don't, it's not going to help!" Dick rebutted, grabbing Bruce's arm, "Forcing someone to love me or making them feel guilty about it isn't going to help anyone."

"Then I'm setting you up for the surgery," Bruce grumbled.

Dick raised an eyebrow. "Are you giving me an ultimatum?"

"Yes. You're not going to die."

Quietly, Dick murmured, "Surgery is worse than dying."

Bruce let out a long breath, all the fight flowing out of him and he rested a hand on Dick's arm. "Dick, I know I don't say this enough, but I love you. You're my son, I can't lose you too."

"I...okay. If everything goes south, I'll agree to surgery, just... a few more weeks?"

"Two."

"Okay, two. Thanks, B."

~

Wally sat back down on the chair next to Dick's bed, not knowing how to feel. Dick was looking at him with a soft, happy smile and Wally didn't deserve Dick.

"How long?" Wally whispered.

Dick frowned, "How long what?"

"How long have you been hiding having hanahaki from everyone?"

"Look, Wally, it doesn't matter-"

"How long."

"Five years." If Wally felt guilty before, he felt infinitely more so now. Five years? That was before he and Artemis got together. When he and DIck still constantly hung out. Was Wally that bad of a friend to not notice his best bud being in pain?

"Who?" Wally prodded.

Dick's eyes narrowed. "No one."

"Who hurt you, Dick?"

"It doesn't matter, okay? I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Bruce, forcing someone to love me or making them feel guilty about it isn't going to help anyone!"

"But-"

"There is no but, Wally! You didn't care then! You wouldn't care now!" Dick's eyes widened at his own outburst. "Sorry, I didn't mean-"

"No, no, you're right," Wally looked away, unable to look at the friend he'd failed, "I should be sorry, for not noticing, for not caring, and for pushing you just now."

Looking at Dick, Wally never before felt the image was so wrong as he did now. Dick who was full of life and love, who belonged free in the nightlights, flying like a bird now laid confined to a stark white bed, skin like porcelain, being killed by the very thing he gave out so freely. The blankets swallowed his lean body, making him look so small. His shirt clung to his frame, soaked with sweat from his consistent fever.

"You should change your shirt, it's not good for your fever."

"Um, it hurts to lift my arms like that."

"Well, I can help you?"

Panic overtook Dick's expression, "NO! I mean, no! I'll get Jay or Tim to help me later with my shirt!"

~

DIck had still been trying to convince Bruce to not let him get the surgery in the past few days. Wally had been visiting every day as well as taking care of Dick's apartment.

Everyone was trying to tell Dick that they need him and that he can't do that to them. That they loved him and even if he can't love them back, they would rather have that then a dead Dick.

Wally tried to talk to Dick about it, too.

"Dude, just agree to get the surgery."

"I'm going to refuse it until the day I die," Dick replied stubbornly, holding a pout until a cough rocked his entire body and a flower pushed past his lips. "Anyways, how have you been?"

"I've been okay. You?"

Dick shrugged. "Been better."

"You've always been like this, keeping your suffering all to yourself, bottling up your emotions. Dick, you can rely on us, you know? You just keep it all to yourself until it overflows and hurts us all, you can be selfish, you know?" Wally poked at the tea leaves that floated around the top of his cup from Alfred.

Dick was quiet for a second. "I guess habits die hard."

"Dude, don't agree with me! I'm practically insulting you!"

"You're not wrong and I don't want to argue with you?"

Wally leaned back into his chair with a long-suffering sigh, "What about us, Dick?"

"Well, it'll hurt for a while, but life will go on, I guess. You guys don't need me."

"We'll always need you!" Wally exclaimed, suddenly serious, and fixing Dick with an intense glare. "Your brothers need you. Bruce needs you. The team needs you! ...I need you."

Dick suddenly looked away, his smile dropping into a small frown.

"You're my lightning rod."

Dick bit his lip, close to crying again as his throat closed up more. Quietly the teen whispered, "Thunderbird."

"What?"

"Your soulmark," Dick clarified, "Nevermind."

After a few moments of silence, Wally leaned forward again. "Who is it?"

Dick glared, "This again?"

"Yes. I don't even want a name. Just a detail of this person. Or better, why you love them. I want to know more if you're going to lose it. I won't do anything, I swear."

Dick was visibly nervous, wringing his hands together over the blanket. "It's my soulmate."

Wally didn't know how to feel. Who in their right mind rejected Dick Grayson as their soulmate? Wally knew Dick has always been excited to meet his soulmate, Wally's heart wrenched for Dick.

"They're an amazing person," Dick said, closing his eyes as a fond smile flitted across his face, "They tell the dorkiest jokes. They're a bit of an idiot but in a charming way. They like to pretend to be cool but they just turn out a bit dorky and it's terribly cute. They're nice to everyone, outgoing and friendly. They're crazy smart as well, like genius-level smarts. Plus, they're hot. Really hot. And I love them."

"Wow. Dick, you've fallen deep."

A chuckle. "I know, Walls, I know."