[closed] a welcome reprieve from emotional agony

[performance]

WHO: DICK GRAYSON (codename birdbrain) and WALLY WEST (codename kidiot)
WHERE: Maurtia Falls, PA
WHEN: July 31st, NIGHTTIME
WHAT: Crimefighting and shenanigans.
WARNINGS: Nerds.

[ July had been a mess, but at least it's almost over. To celebrate that fact (and his newly-healed leg, and his friends' safe return home, and hopefully the end of everything awful for at least a little while) Robin had invited-slash-dragged Kid Flash out on patrol, just the two of them, somewhere far away from Heropa.

Huge, dark clouds hang heavy in the sky. There's no storm yet, but the air feels like lightning. Or maybe it's just the two of them— ]

Check it out!

[ Robin whoops as he leaps the gap between buildings, executing a neat (if completely pointless) midair somersault. ]

Comments

[performance]

The other guy.

[ Robin leans back in the booth, feet swinging back and forth slowly. ]

[runningstart]

Really? [It shouldn't be as surprising to Wally as it is. Maybe because he doesn't often get to hang out with Robin when he's playing Dick.] Yeah. I guess- yeah, that's gonna be hard to hide.

[Wally shrugs.] Don't worry about it then dude. It's no big, really.

[performance]

[ But Wally looks so sad. It's like Robin just cancelled Christmas and his birthday and Thanksgiving all at once. It's not fair, and it's actually kind of annoying, but that doesn't make the awful squirming in Robin's stomach go away. Why does he have to like this dork so much? ]

I said I'd make it work, didn't I? If— if you wanna live with them and they wanna live with you or us or whatever, then— I'll figure something out.

[ He bumps his foot into Wally's shin, a little harder this time. Ugh. Be happy. ]

[runningstart]

Look, you don't have to adjust for me or- for crying out loud, I can run around the world in a day. I don't need us all to live together. [Wally kicks Robin under the table a little, scowling at him.]

[performance]

Dude, I'm trying to be nice here, don't— gah!

[ Robin kicks right back. MATURE. ]

[runningstart]

Hey- stop it! [Wally slouches down in the booth to kick at Robin beneath the table.]

[performance]

You stop it first!

[ DOUBLE LEG KICKING ]

[runningstart]

[Wally squawks and grabs Robin's ankle, yanking him down beneath the table. The waitress hovers nearby, torn between breaking them up and just steering clear of what is very clearly two powered imPort teenagers squabbling in her booth.

Finally the owner seems to take enough offense to stick his head out of the kitchen and yell at the both of them to knock it off or get kicked out, so Wally straightens up, scowling in Robin's direction.]

I don't need you to baby me, jerk. If we can't do it then we can't do it. I'm fine with it.

[performance]

[ Robin sniffs, all affronted on behalf of his dignity as he crawls back up onto the seat. He sits up straight and adjusts his hair, the tips of his ears going faintly pink as he tries to pretend that didn't just happen. (It was cool until they got yelled at by a stranger.) ]

... Fine. So do you wanna try and get an apartment or what?

[ Like it's no big deal or anything, obviously. He wonders if he knows anyone who would sign a lease for them. ]

[runningstart]

What, and pay for it? Why not just stick with the military housing? I think there's one near where Starktech is. [Pause.] Unless. [He glances around before leaning forward and whispering.] Unless you wanna Unregister.

[performance]

[ His eyes go wide, and he looks off toward the rest of the almost-empty restaurant before turning back to Wally, and just as quietly: ]

Dude, no. I just figured you didn't like the whole roommate thing, so—

[ wait. ]

Do you?

[runningstart]

[Wally dumps syrup onto his second plate of pancakes, tapping his fork against his napkin, agitated. He keeps his voice low.]

There's a reason we don't get involved in political issues back home, right? And I don't trust these people. I don't like working for them even in name, dude. It...feels wrong. For me.

[performance]

[ Robin's quiet for a moment, tracing aimless patterns in the syrup with the tine of his fork. ]

... I won't stop you.

[ No judgment. He gets it. ]

[runningstart]

I'd still follow you guys on missions. [Wally grins crookedly.] Not getting rid of me that easy. I'll just have to dodge officers so I don't get busted. But...I can't do it, dude. I don't do the spy thing anyway, I'd just be in your way.

[performance]

[ Now it's Robin's turn to look dejected. ]

You're never in the way, dude. I know I complain a lot, but you're not.

[runningstart]

Dude, I know, I'm not saying I am, I just- Ugh. [Wally stabs at a pancake.] I'll still go with you on missions. And we'll still be living together. I'll just have a different word on my wrist, that's all.

[performance]

Okay. Okay.

[ He lifts his chin. NOT POUTING. This is a mature superhero discussion for mature superheroes.

Robin shoots Wally a tight but genuine smile. ]

Anyway. I get it. I'll keep doing the upstanding all-American hero thing and get intel for us. You just do what you gotta do. Follow your heart. Various other cliches.

[runningstart]

It's just important to me, dude. [Wally rests his chin in his hand, eating with a little less gusto.] I kinda wish you'd unregister with me, but that'd probably be a stupid move. [It also wouldn't be a Robin move, and it definitely wouldn't be a Batman move. Nope, this is 100% pure Kid Flash stupid.]

[performance]

I wish I could, KF.

[ And he means that. There's a reason he'd waited to register until it became clear that he was missing out on information if he didn't.

Robin bumps Wally's ankle again. ]

Just think of it as deep cover.

[runningstart]

[There's the glaring difference between them, huh? Robin waits to see if it's safe to register, then sticks with it. Wally registers on a whim because something plucks his heartstrings, then changes his mind because he doesn't like the way it stinks. Yeah, it's a damn good thing KF isn't the leader here.]

Be careful, okay? They could force you into something really shady. [Wally rolls up a pancake and dips it into his syrup pool.] And that's why I'll always go with you.

[performance]

Hah! When have I ever done anything I don't want to do?

[ The concern's somewhere between touching and patronizing, but Robin realizes he doesn't really mind, just this once. ]

[runningstart]

You seriously want an answer to that? 'Cause you do stuff you don't wanna do all the time. [Like whenever Bruce/Batman tells him to do stuff.

...now that he thinks about it,] So how did this go, anyway? [He nudges against Robin's no-longer-broken leg.]

[performance]

... You're being a real buzzkill right now.

[ Robin jabs a forkful of pancake in Wally's direction. ]

[runningstart]

I can pose the question in a more entertaining way. [Wally leans forward and bites the pancake off of Robin's fork. Yum.]

[performance]

[ Robin blinks, startled, and his insides do that quivery thing that he's really starting to get sick of. He'd think Wally was doing this on purpose, he really would, except for the fact that he's Wally. ]