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[ Dick feels distinctly un-smooth.

He isn't sure when things had changed between them. Maybe it was a gradual thing — like the way you can't pinpoint the exact moment when dawn turns into morning. Except that's way too poetic a metaphor, considering the awkward glances he keeps casting towards Wally's shelves of action figures, and the way his heart is hammering wildly in his ribcage at the thought of the two of them alone. ]

We can go raid the kitchen, if you want?

[ Wally's his best friend. Shouldn't that make this easier? Bruce had taught him a lot of things. He can navigate the rich and famous without batting an eye. And yet here he is, fidgeting with the zipper of his hoodie and wondering if Wally actually wants Cheetos or just an excuse to escape. This would have been a useful skill for a teenage boy, Bruce. ]

[bruce is not going to do a 'hand-eye coordination' training exercise with dick concerning his not-boyfriend ok]

Yeah, well, I mean. I can always eat. But we don't have to, if you... [Wally trails off before rubbing his face with an annoyed groan.] This is stupid, dude. I've known you for years. Why am I nervous?

[Wally couldn't help but think he might be less nervous if he were in uniform. Civvies always make him feel...less.]

Maybe it's because we've known each other for years.

[ Dick shrugs lamely. He picks up the plastic Flash toy on Wally's desk — of course he'd own one — and examines it so he doesn't have to make awkward eye contact. Which is one more thing that shouldn't be hard. ]

[he has like four more in a box under his bed. one is mint.

Wally just sighs and pushes himself up, pacing a little. He always feels better when he moves. ...that's an idea.]

Wanna go for a run?

[ Dick blinks, adjusting quickly to the sudden change in subject. He's used to it, with Wally. And he's okay with sidestepping the issue for the moment. ]

A regular run, or a KF run?

[Wally is a blur of movement before he's standing in front of Dick, suddenly in uniform.]

What do you think, dude? C'mon, just a short one. Won't even leave the state.

[ Dick can't help grinning, and the butterflies in his stomach are suddenly a little more familiar: it's the same giddy, anticipatory thrill he always used to get before they'd go out running together. The tone's a little different now, but he recognizes it all the same. ]

Yeah. Okay. It's a nice night for it.

[Wally leaves a note for his parents while Robin changes into uniform and fits his comm into his ear, though he leaves it on silent. He'll travel stealth so he doesn't attract too much attention. This isn't night patrol or a mission after all, it's just- relaxation. Solving an acute case of the nerves.

It's not until they're fifty miles away from his house, Robin's solid, warm weight against his back, his hands hooked under his friend's knees that Wally realizes he does feel better in uniform, or maybe he just feels better doing this. Being...whatever they are, that's something knew, but this? KF and Rob? Running as fast as he can with a passenger and barely even watching as the scenery blurs by, only paying enough attention to avoid sending them skidding across the pavement?

This is Wally. This is Dick. This is so much better.]

Dude, you keep putting on inches and pounds like you have been and you're gonna hafta start carrying me on your back, [Wally calls over the wind, grin evident in his voice.]

[ Dick laughs, the wind cold against his cheeks and whipping through his hair. ] Told you I'd get that growth spurt! Better catch up, or we'll have some transportation issues.

[ It's a joke, sure, but honestly? He doesn't want to think about outgrowing this. His arms tighten around Wally, hands hooked together over his heart, and it's not the first time he's noticed but it's the first time he thinks maybe Wally's noticing back. It makes his pulse do that crazy jackhammer thing again, but it still feels more natural than it did earlier — and before he can think twice, he's pressing his face against the juncture of Wally's neck and shoulder. It's warmer there, after all. ]

Naw man, they'd have to cut my arms off before I'd stop this.

[Wally tightens his grip a little, slows down enough to safely hike Robin up higher onto his back and throws back a cursory, "Hang on," before he drops forward and bolts, right on that edge of too fast for passengers, right at the part where he knows Robin starts whooping and clings to him for dear life. It's blisteringly fast, even if running next to his uncle makes this feel slow, and maybe that's why Wally loves running with Robin so much.

Robin makes him feel so much better than he really is.

He shows off a little, throws in some fancy footwork and jumps that make their stomachs drop now and then, runs alongside buildings so they're parallel to the ground before they hit countryside and he slows back down to a more sedate pace. His heart's thd-thd-thdding against Robin's fingers but this time in a good way, so fast it's almost like the rumble of a train, a tornado, and Wally can't help but think that it's not just the running that does it for him anymore.

They run alongside vast fields of corn and no matter how fast Wally goes, their shadows keep up alongside them, slapped onto the ground by the light of a full moon and a boatload of stars left unstrangled by lights of the city vanishing rapidly behind them.]

[ Dick calms down once they hit the countryside, but the grin never once fades from his face. It's exhilarating and oddly soothing all at once. When they get like this, way out in the middle of nowhere on a long run— he gets distant echoes, sometimes, of his face pressed up against cool glass, watching trees fly by outside the window of the circus train. For a few seconds at a time, it's a little like coming home again. ]

You never see stars like this in Gotham.

[ He's watching the sky, Wally's hair tickling where the wind blows it against his cheek. ]

[Robin's legs are tight around his waist, and Wally knows that even if he let go of his friend's knees he'd still be on there pretty securely, but he doesn't anyway. He likes the extra contact.]

Central's got a lot of stuff Gotham doesn't have. Stars. People who leave their doors unlocked all day. Moi.

[Wally slows down even more so the stars aren't so blurred, so Robin can just barely see the soft filmy band of the Milky Way at the edge of the black. He should get a telescope. Robin's probably got one -he's probably got ten- but Wally wants one in his room.]

One day we should zeta up to Alaska. I've always wanted to see Aurora Borealis. [Wally tilts his head back briefly to glance at the stars as well and his temple touches Robin's cheek, makes his heart thud even faster.] Imagine running to the middle of nowhere up there to watch 'em, it'd be awesome.

[ Dick huffs a soft laugh, warm against Wally's cheek. ] Watch the road, Twinkletoes.

[ Not that he thinks for even a second that Wally wouldn't. Dick squeezes his arms around him for a second in a gesture that's something like a hug. Kidding, it says. ]

Let's do it sometime. I still owe you a for-real, not just yards from the Cave camping trip, don't I?

[Wally's stomach does a couple flops at that laugh right there near his ear, and then a couple more when Robin squeezes him.]

Huh? -oh, yeah, you do! Minus the Bat surveillance, thank you very much. Do you know how traumatizing it is to wake up in the middle of the night to hear Batman going, "I can't believe you two didn't set up traps outside the tent." Answer: very traumatizing.

Pretty sure he doesn't have cameras allll the way up in Alaska, dude.

[ Which isn't supposed to sound like a blatant come-on, and he only realizes it after it comes out of his mouth. Wally can probably feel the way Dick tenses against his back a second later. Smooth. ]

Wha- [Yeah it's pretty easy to guess that Wally took it as a come-on because he stumbles and almost sends them face-first into the pavement. After some impressive windmilling he slows down and drops Dick back onto his feet to bend over, hands on his knees. Whoo. That was close.]

...sorry. There was a uh... a pothole. [Smooth.]

[ Dick is a little wobbly on his feet, getting used to the change in velocity. He runs a hand through his hair, his cheeks warming up now that they're out of the wind, and he's glad it's dark out now.

Okay, so Wally definitely noticed. He's kicking himself a little — they'd been doing so well. ]

Told you to watch the road.

[In Dick's defense, Wally was inviting Dick on dates like all night long. So it's not entirely his fault.

Wally rests a hand on his hip and rubs the back of his neck with the other, feeling uncomfortable again. Shit. Why did that have to come back? Why did he have to seize up whenever his best friend h-hit on him? Or even didn't hit on him?

Wally rubs his face and smacks his hands against his cheeks. Amazingly enough, that doesn't help their red tinge fade.] Okay. I'm just gonna throw this out there, say yes or no, whatever, but I think I'm on the right track.

Why don't we just- y'know, kiss [oh god oh god] and just get the first one out of the way? Because it's just that. It's pretty much just that.

[ That's blunt.

Dick doesn't know why he feels weird about it. Is he waiting for the perfect moment? Some kind of fairy tale romance thing? That's so not him. It's not them. But then again, he'd been calculating the trajectory between his lips and Wally's for weeks now, just waiting for the right moment. Whatever that meant. ]

It makes sense. Logically. [ But there's something he isn't saying. ]

Oh god, don't get all logical on me, Dick. [And calling him that while he's in costume is a taboo but it's just he and Dick out here, nobody for miles and miles, not even the pinpricks of headlights in the distance to signal approaching vehicles. It seems like the perfect time and place to hash this out, except Wally is still nervous and he can tell Dick doesn't like the idea for whatever reason.] Seriously, are we waiting for something? Because I dunno, if it's gonna be this weird all the time maybe we should just...

[He can't even say it because he doesn't want that (and he didn't even know how badly he didn't want to break up with Dick until now), but he doesn't want to walk on eggshells for the rest of his life either. Maybe just one brief, humiliating smooch is all they need to muscle past this and be familiar again.]

No, look, you're right, it's— it's not like it's a big deal or anything, I just...

[ He's uncharacteristically nervous again, and he hates that it's being around Wally of all people that makes him feel like this. So maybe they should just get it out of the way. Maybe...

He rocks from his heels to the balls of his feet and back, anxious, a light breeze tugging at the corner of his cape. He looks away, far off in the distance down the highway, and when he finally gets his words out they come out all in a rush, like he's trying to get that part over with, too. ]

I guess I was just waiting for something special. Like I'd know the right time when I saw it. And it's cheesy and kinda naive, I know, but if I was gonna do it, I wanted to do it right.

[For just one second Wally has to touch his cheeks to make sure they're not literally on fire. Wally might cut to the chase with Robin, but Dick doesn't exactly hold back either. Maybe if they were both this honest with everyone else in their lives, they wouldn't have such a hard time.]

Look. [Wally sighs and looks away. He can't. He can't look Dick in the eye- mask, whatever, while he says this.] I get you. I want it to be- ...want it to mean something too. If you wanna hold off, that's cool with me. I'm just tired of not being able to do stuff with you.

[...RED]

Like, friend-stuff. I used to be able to just punch you or- y'know, anything. I'm just tired of being worried about it.

[ It's seeing Wally stressed out and anxious about this that pushes him to do it. This might be the scariest thing he's done since he can't remember when, but Wally's always made him braver. They're already close, but he takes a step closer, resting a hand against Wally's forearm. He wants it to be casual, but he knows it can't be. Not when they're both so jittery. Which is one more reason, right? He wants to be able to punch Wally and kiss him. Still keep all the best friend perks, just... plus whatever.

Deep breath. ]

Couldn't ask for a better night. And... [ even the tips of his giant ears are red ] I really do wanna kiss you. Just— one rule, okay?

[ He flashes Wally a grin that's more confident than he feels. ]

Mask comes off first.

[Why would his mouth go dry at the most inopportune times? Stupid mouth.]

Cool with me.

[He slips his fingers underneath the lip of his cowl and shoves it back past his hair to hang back like the hood of a sweatshirt. His goggles get pushed up into his bangs and he does it all one-handed because the other one, the one that Dick's touching has for some reason decided to seek out the edge of Dick's cape to hold on gently, just pinched there between his fingers.

He sniffs, glances down the roads to make sure they're not about to be flattened by a truck any time soon and flashes Robin a grin.]

So, you really wanna kiss me, huh? [That's more like it, that's more familiar, and sure all his organs are jumping up into hyper speed, running on a high-octane formula but shit, what's that matter, why's that important when Dick is looking at him like that and peeling off his mask and holding onto his wrist?]

[ And then the mask comes off and gets tucked away in his belt, pink marks around the edges where the spirit gum tugged at his skin. Distantly, somewhere beyond the rush of his pulse in his ears, he thinks: it's not a bad moment for this, out here alone under the stars. But mostly he's on edge in the best way, feeling like he does right before he takes a death-defying leap, except it's only Wally. ]

Like you don't want a piece of this, too. [ But it comes out softer and sweeter than he means for it to, and his fingers twitch where they're holding onto Wally's arm. ]