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[ The audience goes wild as Haly's Traveling Circus begins its three-ring opening act extravaganza. The performers swarm the floor in a choreographed riot of colors and music, and Dick just knows he's gonna get lost in the crowd.

When's Jack gonna give in and let him have his own aerial act? The accident was five years ago. He's ready. He's got a routine worked out and everything. All he needs is a chance.

Not that he's ever gonna get one as long as he's stuck doing boring old handsprings through boring old flaming hoops all the way over in the third ring. Total baby stuff. He could do this in his sleep. He catches two juggling clubs mid-double-backflip, spins once more in midair, sticks the landing, and the crowd goes nuts. Okay, that felt pretty cool, maybe it was more impressive than he'd —

... Or maybe the elephant's stealing the show. Aw, come on, Zitka... ]

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Yeah it is. We live pretty weird lives, huh?

Wouldn't trade it for anything, though.

Sap. [But KF's voice is warm. He wouldn't trade it for anything either.]

Listen. 'm gonna go to sleep. Can I call you t'morrow?

You can call me anytime you want.

Sweet dreams, KF. And stay warm, okay?

[Kid Flash stumbles over the nickname, EKG beeping more rapidly as he swallows hard against a cough. Don't ruin it, don't ruin it.] You too. [......WHY WOULD DICK NEED TO STAY WARM] I mean uh, the dreams. You have good dreams. ...dreaming.

[ohgod] Okay bye. [HANGING UP NOW.]

[ Dick doesn't stop grinning for the rest of the night.

They call each other every day until Kid Flash is well enough to get back on his feet. The circus is finishing its tour up north, and there's late fall frost on the ground by the time Kid Flash makes it up to visit, and Dick is so glad to finally see him again that he launches himself into a hug the first chance he gets. ]

Hey, [ he laughs, his arms around KF's shoulders, ] did I get a little taller while you were gone, or did you shrink in the deep freeze?

Hey hey. No mentioning cold-related shrinkage. [YES HE WENT THERE

KF wraps his arms around Dick again though, holding him tight and closing his eyes as he presses his cheek to his temple. He's missed this. He's really missed this.]

Mmh. You don't need to breathe, right? [SQUEEZING TIGHTER]

[ squeaking a little. who needs lung capacity? ] Ha! If I have to pick, I'll take this. Man, you're so warm. Want a part time job as my personal space heater?

[ Dick nuzzles into the crook of Kid Flash's neck, his nose bumping up against the divot of his collarbone. ]

[KF snickers and his shoulders jump a little, though he clasps his hands behind Dick's back again.] Tickles. [One of the stagehands starts making kissy noises behind them and KF pulls back a little, though he drags Dick along with him.] Wanna head inside? We're a bigger attraction than the lions like this.

And here I thought you liked the attention.

[ But he's blushing faintly as he drags Wally to his trailer, because yeah, some things are just better done in private. ]

[Good thing Dick does, because the second they're inside Wally pulls him up into a kiss that he's reluctant to break to even talk.] Mmmmmissed you.

Apparently...

[ He laughs softly, resting his fingertips on KF's jawline. When they finally break apart by inches: ]

You know I had to resort to kissing my Kid Flash poster good night?

That bastard, [KF mutters against his lips, pressing his cheek into Dick's palm.] I swear he gets more action than I do.

[ He can't help grinning against the kiss, stroking the pads of his thumbs along the seam of Wally's cowl where it meets his skin, just over his cheekbones. ]

Jealous?

[KF pauses.

He takes Dick's hands in his own and lowers them, just a little, before reaching up and pulling off his goggles. He tosses them onto the bed, then reaches for Dick's hands again and places his fingers back on the edge of the cowl, guiding him to help lift it up, over his face and hair to hang at the back of his neck.

His face won't give anything away; without the uniform, he's just some nobody kid from the midwest.] I can't tell you my name, but... [He scrapes his teeth over his lip and smiles, nervous and hopeful at the same time. Does Dick want to know more about him than just the uniform? Or is it the thrill of dating Kid Flash that keeps him around?]

[ At first, he doesn't understand. Then, even as the cowl drops and his fingers push through KF's red, red hair, he can't believe it's really happening. To him. Kid Flash trusts him. His eyes go wide, and he stares, dumbstruck, at Kid Flash like he's seeing him for the first time. There really is a normal kid under there.

The cowl may not have hid a lot, but seeing his face — his whole face — the faint pink marks on his cheeks where the fabric lay, the messy flyaway tufts at his hairline, the way his freckles crowd his cheeks like constellations...

... Dick thinks he might be a little bit in love. ]

KF... You're gorgeous.

Heh, [KF coughs, face burning a brilliant red, grin wide and pleased. His hands slide down to rest on Dick's sides.] Yeah, I get that a lot. [no he does not]

[ Dick leans up on tiptoes, pressing a kiss to one of KF's cheeks, then the other. There's nothing, nothing he can say that can convey how much this means to him, how much he wants to be worthy of this kind of trust, this impossible honor. So instead... ]

... I want to make a star map of your freckles. Why don't they show them in the photos?

They're not photogenic, [KF murmurs, closing his eyes as Dick tugs his face down to kiss his cheeks.] Can we do dumb stuff together? Like play video games or watch a movie or read in the same room or something? I can bring my homework and do it here, it'll be so boring and normal.

Yeah, [ he laughs. ] I wanna be boring and normal with you.

[ Warmth unfurls in Dick's chest. He pictures one of those time-lapse videos of a flower blooming or something equally over-the-top and too embarrassing to ever say out loud. ]

And I wanna hear about your classes, the ones you like and the ones you hate. Your college plans and what you watched on TV last week and if you have a cat. We can do whatever you want. Just don't say that not photogenic thing again.

Hey, I didn't say they're photogenic, that's just what I was told. I don't really care if they are or not. [Though he's warm and tingling at the thought that Dick thinks his freckles are gorgeous. Gorgeous, really? Geeeeeez.] What about you? Are you gonna go to college or stick with the circus thing? And what you do when you're bored and your favorite songs and- I don't even know your birthday yet. What's your birthday?

It's December first.

[ Because it's somewhere to start answering, at least. He takes KF's hand, leading him over to the bed, because cuddling sounds kind of the best right now. ]

Can I know yours? Or is that classified?

I like how you seem to think I'm cool enough to have tons of classified info. Makes me feel important. [He has some, sure, but not a lot. That's...not really an answer though, but KF climbs up onto the bed next to Dick and cuddles up to him.]

C'mon, you're the coolest, are you kidding? Would I date anyone less than completely cool?

[ He walks his fingers up KF's arm, grinning and biting his lip. The Kid Flash poster behind him seems to agree. ]

[KF verrrry sneakily slides a pillow in front of the poster so he doesn't have to look at it over Dick's shoulder while they make out. Get outta here, you voyeur, dayum.]

My birthday's November 11th, [he murmurs, and presses a kiss to Dick's cheek.] I'm gonna be seventeen.