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𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗽 (𝗶𝗳 𝗮𝗻𝘆): birdflash
𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁: 1560
𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆: pt 1
𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴: ^^
𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆: Jack9849
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"Jesus Christ, Dick," Wally hissed, cradling the sixteen-year-old close to his chest. "What the fuck were you thinking? You could've died!"
Dick blinked several more times, trying to make sure that this was real and he wasn't dead and in Heaven. Because, Lord knows, Dick's Heaven would be Wally West holding him just like he used to.
"Dick," Wally repeated, quickly speeding away from the forming crowd on the bridge to somewhere more quiet and deserted. The redhead set Dick down against some random tree and knelt down in front of him, "Dick, please talk to me. What the fuck were you doing there?"
Dick whimpered, bowing his head a bit. He hated Wally seeing him like this-- vulnerable, pathetic, childish. It make him feel inferior. Like he would always just be Wally's little thirteen-year-old best friend.
"I already called your family," Wally informed his ex with a furrowed brow. "They're on their way. So... you can either tell me or you can tell them but you're telling someone. This is serious, Dickie. What if I hadn't seen you outside my house? What if I hadn't followed you? You'd be dead right now, dude!"
"That's the point," Dick mumbled, hot tears streaming down his cheeks as he buried his head in his arms. He felt Wally place a hand on his trembling shoulder, making him feel even worse because, most likely, this was the closest Wally would ever get to holding him again.
"So you were trying to kill yourself?" Wally asked quietly. "Why, Dick? Why would you try to do that to yourself?"
Dick's head flew up, eyes wide with sadness and anger as he met his ex-boyfriend's concerned gaze. "Because I can't do this without you, Wally! You were- you were everything to me! And then you just- you left me without a second thought!"
"You did this... because of me?" Wally asked slowly, voice cracking a bit as sadness took over his expression. "Dickie, I- I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you..."
Dick scoffed, glancing up at the sky to keep Wally from seeing him cry. "Yeah, well, you did."
Wally reached out to the raven-haired boy, "Dick, I-"
"Dickie!" a loud voice and stomping footsteps interrupted the ginger. He turned back to see the batfam in full panic mode, running straight towards them. The previous shout had belonged to Tim, who was leading the pack followed by Bruce, Cass, Steph, Barbara, Jason, Damian, Duke, and even Alfred. It seems their youngest member being in danger brings them all out of the woodwork.
Within seconds, they were swarming the baby of the family, fussing over him like he was a toddler. Bruce had pulled the teen into his arms, scolding him to never do anything like that again; Damian was standing back a bit but you could see the concern for his youngest sibling in his eyes; Jason was in full mother-hen mode, searching every inch of Dick's body for an injury; Tim was asking a shitload of questions that would never be answered; Babs was fighting to get Dick from Bruce's arms so she could hold him herself; Duke was simply asking if Dick was okay; Steph was right there with Jason, making sure there were no injuries; and Cass stood back with Damian, watching her little brother with a very concerned and sad expression.
When the family finally deemed Dick clear to stand up and go home, he was pulled to his feet and promptly toss over Jason's shoulder. They all began to march back to their cars and cycles, but not before Dick spared one last look at Wally-- a look full of sadness, heartbreak, and despair-- leaving Wally to wonder just what the fuck he'd done and how he was going to fix it.
—— • ꧁꧂ • ——
"Ah, Wallace," Alfred opened the front door to see the ginger standing there with an antsy expression and an anxiously tapping foot. "How may I help you?"
"I'm here to see Dick," Wally replied, voice ridden with worry.
Alfred looked hesitant, glancing behind him as if making sure he was truly alone. "I'm not entirely sure that's a good idea, young sir. I'm afraid you've made more than one hit list in the house following last weeks events."
Wally sighed, looking down at the ground for a moment before meeting Alfred's gaze once again. "I don't care. I'd rather die a painful death than leave things how they are. I need to talk to him.
Alfred exhaled softly, but opened the door for the redhead to enter. "Very well, sir."
Wally didn't waste any time stepping inside and immediately super-sped up the stairs to the doorway he knew to be Dick's. He knocked softly, not the least bit surprised when four of Dick's siblings answered.
"What?" Damian growled, shooting Wally a death glare.
"I need to talk to Dick," Wally replied anxiously.
"You aren't welcome here," Jason narrowed his eyes at the ginger. "I suggest you leave before we lose our patience."
"Beat me up," Wally exhaled exasperatedly. "I don't care. I just really, really need to talk to Dick-- alone."
"Oh, fuck n-"
"Let him in," a voice echoed from inside the bedroom, making Damian, Jason, Cass, and Tim all exchange a hesitant look. Tim turned back to the owner of the voice.
"Are you sure, bud?"
"Yeah," the voice replied softly, making the siblings sigh but, ultimately, do as asked and leave. As soon as they were gone, Wally rushed into the room to see his favorite blue-eyed boy reading a book in the windowsill. Wally's heart just about beat out of his chest as those blue eyes turned to look at him. "Can I help you, Wally?"
"Uh-" Wally gulped and moved forward hesitantly. "I need to talk to you, Dickie. I need to try to fix things."
Dick looked nervous, but nodded, urging the redhead to go on.
"Okay..." Wally exhaled softly, taking a seat next to his ex in the window. "I want to explain things to you, Rob. That's... well, that's the least you deserve and I'm sorry I didn't take the time to do it the first go around." He took a moment to compose himself, "Dick, you mean a lot to me. You always have and always will. You're my best friend and, for a time, my boyfriend. I never have and never will regret being in that relationship. I think it shaped both of our lives for the better and I loved every second of it. But... I think somewhere along the line, I fell out of love with you. That doesn't mean I don't respect you or value you anymore. I just... I don't have those feelings for you like I used to and it's not fair to you or to me to keep a relationship like that going. I didn't want to hurt you, Dickie. I would never want to hurt you. You mean the world to me. I- I would give anything up for you-- which is why I couldn't date you anymore. Stringing you along is the worst thing I could ever do to you. But... I- I know I handled things wrong when I ended it. I was insensitive and rude and a dick and you deserve so much better than that. I'm really, really sorry, Dickie..."
Dick was dead silent for a moment. Wally even worried he wouldn't say anything. But, finally he spoke. "I know it's not your fault you fell out of love-- I know it's not. It just... it happened a lot sooner than I had hoped it would. I wasn't ready to say goodbye and apparently you were. I- I know you did the right thing. I'm glad you were honest instead of stringing me along. But-" his voice cracked as tears began to fall down his cheeks, "you- you really hurt me, Walls. I don't think I've ever been in this much pain in my entire life. I miss you-- so fucking much."
Wally felt his own tears began to form in his eyes as he pulled Dick into a tight embrace, running his fingers through the younger boy's raven curls. "I'm so sorry, Dickie. If I could take away your pain, you know I would. I just don't know how..."
Dick remained quiet, just sobbing into Wally's chest for the better part of twenty minutes. When his tears finally began to subside, he pulled away from the redhead and looked up into those green eyes that he so adored. "I don't want to lose you, Wally. Even if I can't have you as a boyfriend, I want you in my life. I can't- I can't lose you."
Wally immediately nodded, a warm smile spreading on his lips. "I don't wanna lose you either, Dickie. When you think you're ready to go back to being friends, I'll be here for you."
"I love you, Walls," Dick buried his face in Wally's jacket once again. Wally sighed softly, rubbing circles on the smaller boy's back.
"I love you too." And, unlike those last few weeks of dating, he actually meant it. He truly loved Dick, but as a friend. And that would never change.