runningstart | MASK OR MENACE IC INBOX

MASK OR MENACE IC INBOX

WALLY WEST
"You've reached the personal voice mail of the Wall-man. The honor is yours! Leave your deets, I'll holla back atcha."
[ BEEP. ]

KID FLASH
"This is the contact for Kid Flash. If it's an emergency, call Robin; he'll know where I am. Otherwise, leave your info and I'll get you back ASAP."
[ BEEP. ]

[ voice | text | email | action ]

( Please specify in tag subject line if the contact is for Wally West or Kid Flash! )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The other stuff was fine. But don't get on me like that again, that was uncool. If you've got a problem with the way I do something, don't lord it over my head like that. [Made him feel pretty kicked down and small, but maybe that's because Robin was in part correct in his assessment.]

... Yeah. I know. I got all full of myself. I couldn't stop. It wasn't—

[ He sighs, the sound of his head hitting the pillow muffled on the phone. ]

All those people who give you a hard time... I don't wanna be one of them.

Okay well don't "poor Wally" it up or anything, that's not what I'm getting at.

[Silence.]

Do I really sound like a dumb jock?

I didn't say dumb.

[ He's quiet for a moment, just the sound of his fingers tapping on the side of the comm. ]

You try too hard. And you come on way too strong. And you sound like— I dunno. Not you. It sounds like I'm trying to get on your case again, but I'm not. I'm just saying, you don't have to do that to get someone to like you. Just... be Wally.

[Ugh this is really hard to hear, but it's not the first time he's heard it. It's not even the second or third.]

I'm "just Wally" at school, dude. It doesn't work out well for me.

... Yeah, well. [ Clipped, a little too fast: ] Just Wally's pretty much my favorite person in this whole stupid multiverse. Dude, you know like eight different songs about the periodic table, and you collect nerdy stuff but all of it has sentimental value, and I've seen you fit an entire half a cheeseburger in your mouth, and you have that mancrush on Carl Sagan. And that's... I love that. All of that.

And if someone isn't into it — girls or jerks from school or whoever — they don't deserve you. So stop trying to hide all your weird stuff and look for someone who actually likes it.

[For a second, Wally kind of hates Robin a little bit. He hates him for telling him that thing at the hospital-

I like you

-and he hates himself for pushing him for it, and he hates that four months ago Robin could've said "I love that stuff about you" and it wouldn't have meant anything else but that.

But now it does. And his face is turning red even as he's sitting outside on SB's front porch, and his heart is hammering because of course it is, and he can't help but wonder does he mean he loves that loves that, or just loves that? Or just kinda likes, but sorta really likes, and-]

You sure know how to sell a guy. [His voice comes out choked, but he should probably be grateful it came out at all.]

I know. You should let me do all your PR.

...For your information, I would also marry Neil deGrasse Tyson if he asked.

[ Dick laughs like it's startled out of him, quick and high and happy. ]

Well, it's good to keep your options open.

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