... People act really stupid when they care about each other.
[ It's clipped and it's quiet and he swerves a little too sharply on his heel when he turns to go look out over the ledge again. He needs a second. Just one second.
He's so tired of navigating this thing between the two of them. What does he get out of it, if they make up? It's all for them. It's always been for them. They make up and they get more stupid trips Wally doesn't tell him about and more stupid texting and more stupid friendship and — he'd probably take her to the beach. Artemis wouldn't have gone with him if she could go with Wally. Why would she? Wally's open and honest and warm, and all the things that had gotten Dick to shed his mask, all that time ago. She doesn't even know his name.
God, Wally likes her so much that the intensity of it is actually painful. He hadn't been kidding around, when he'd told Artemis he was jealous of that. It's unfair and it's petty and he doesn't even want to know what they'd think if he told them the truth: that he doesn't know who he is if he's not someone's best, someone's favorite, someone's something. If anyone's selfish, if anyone's scared, it's him.
... He takes a breath. All right. He's team leader. Kaldur would— Kaldur would do the whole noble self-sacrifice thing. Kaldur's the best of them. Robin will never be, but he can try in his stead. Just a second, and he'll be okay.
When he turns back to Wally, his face is impassive. No anger, no terror, no envy. Of all the things that Batman ever taught him, he might be the most grateful for that. ]
Just because you trust someone doesn't mean you trust them to like you.
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... People act really stupid when they care about each other.
[ It's clipped and it's quiet and he swerves a little too sharply on his heel when he turns to go look out over the ledge again. He needs a second. Just one second.
He's so tired of navigating this thing between the two of them. What does he get out of it, if they make up? It's all for them. It's always been for them. They make up and they get more stupid trips Wally doesn't tell him about and more stupid texting and more stupid friendship and — he'd probably take her to the beach. Artemis wouldn't have gone with him if she could go with Wally. Why would she? Wally's open and honest and warm, and all the things that had gotten Dick to shed his mask, all that time ago. She doesn't even know his name.
God, Wally likes her so much that the intensity of it is actually painful. He hadn't been kidding around, when he'd told Artemis he was jealous of that. It's unfair and it's petty and he doesn't even want to know what they'd think if he told them the truth: that he doesn't know who he is if he's not someone's best, someone's favorite, someone's something. If anyone's selfish, if anyone's scared, it's him.
... He takes a breath. All right. He's team leader. Kaldur would— Kaldur would do the whole noble self-sacrifice thing. Kaldur's the best of them. Robin will never be, but he can try in his stead. Just a second, and he'll be okay.
When he turns back to Wally, his face is impassive. No anger, no terror, no envy. Of all the things that Batman ever taught him, he might be the most grateful for that. ]
Just because you trust someone doesn't mean you trust them to like you.