performance | IC CONTACT - MASK OR MENACE

Okay, okay. So I'm being paranoid.

[ And not least of all because with Wally living with him, showing off his superpowers in plain sight, it's not much of a stretch at all to tie Dick to Robin. If he were smart, he'd distance himself, but— no. No, he cuts that though off before it can begin. ]

It's fine dude, nobody cares. Not like I'm gonna use them all the time, just y'know, when I need to. [Like for completely mundane tasks, such as fetching his wallet.

...yeah Dick should probably talk to him about it.]

[ eyyyyerolllll. ] You didn't need to. [ And not least because Wally could have wrangled a Slurpee out of him anyway. ]

I so did, we were already a block down the street. [wally] Anyway, it's not like everybody here doesn't have powers. It's not that weird.

It's not on its own. [ lowering his voice, because someone can be stealthy, even if there's no one else out this afternoon. ] But it is a little weird that Wally West, ginger speedster, and Kid Flash, ginger speedster happen to have the exact same superpower.

[Pause.] Yeah, okay. But I mean, look at this. [Wally waves his tattooed wrist in Robin's direction.] Not exactly easy to hide. Unless I should start bringing sweatbands back into fashion.

Sexy, but no. And no, everyone knows you're an ImPort. You can't hide that. [ why is he even arguing this with Wally ]

[Yeah Wally's not sure why he's arguing it either.] Is this really about me, dude?

What? I just— [ He struggles for a moment, thrown off by the question. ] I-I don't want you getting in trouble. That's all.

I'm always running around back home without a costume, dude. Outside school, running home, to zeta tubes... [Wally folds his arms and stops. Bugs buzz in the background as the heat swells around them. Sweat dampens the back of Wally's tank between his shoulders.] So is it 'cause I'm with you that it's a problem?

[ Wally isn't the problem, but it's awfully hard to make it sound that way. He clenches and unclenches his fists a few times, eyes slipping down to Wally's bare, freckled shoulders (he's gonna get a sunburn, Dick thinks idly) before he looks down at the concrete of the sidewalk, feeling vaguely ashamed. Called out. ]

I guess... it's an added risk.

[Wally looks down and scuffs a sneaker against the sidewalk. He looks up at Dick uneasily, then away.] I can't separate it like you can, dude. I can't be Wally or KF.

I know. I like that about you.

So...what do you wanna do about this?

Honestly? I have no idea.

[ But he feels strange having this conversation standing in the middle of the sidewalk, so he keeps walking, urging Wally to follow his lead. ]

... But, I probably don't have to be too worried about it. You're right about that part. I know I'm a little bit famous back home, but probably no one here knows who Dick Grayson is, right? I mean, aside from— aside from the people who do. [ Gotham rogues have to ruin everything. ]

[Wally follows Dick, even lowers his voice and leans in close so Dick can hear him. He's not careful with his own ID, but Dick's?] If Bats shows up though...

[ Does Wally mean that it puts Batman's ID at risk? Or— that he'll have to find out that Wally knows who Robin is? Either way, it's... it's not good, and it's not the first time he's thought about it. But it isn't Wally's place to worry. It's Dick's choice. Dick's mistake. ]

That's between me and him. [ And he doesn't like thinking about how Bruce will handle things when — when, not if — he finds out, whether he'll be angry or hurt that Dick broke his trust on behalf of Wally, or think that Robin was careless with his ID when he hasn't been, he's tried so hard... ]

I've got this. I've been doing it for years. And... it's not like I'm the only short kid with black hair around, right? You can be friends with two of those.

[ He hopes. ]

[Something sours in his stomach at the idea, and Wally doesn't want to suggest it -really doesn't- but if being on a team for a few months has taught him anything, it's that communication is key. ...not that Wally's ever had a particularly hard time with airing his grievances.]

...would it be better if I moved out?

No!

[ Dick grabs Wally's wrist — an impulsive, unconscious gesture — and he feels his cheeks heat up a little at how childish that must have looked. Still, his hand lingers there for a moment before he draws it back, thrown off balance by the thought of Wally leaving him behind again. ]

Please don't. You being here — it's been awesome. [ a hopefully-reassuring smile] Unbelievably awesome. If you wanna find another place, that's fine, but— but if you're going, I'm going.

[Dick's reaction is extreme and by the look on his face, he knows it. Wally doesn't often see Dick's composure crack -though it happens more often when he's not actively wearing his 'Robin' persona- and he knows, after a second, what brought it on. It's not about Wally moving out, or not entirely.]

I'm not going anywhere, Dick. [It's an unfair promise to make because apparently he did go somewhere, and something happened to him and he forgot, but he makes it anyway. That's kind of what Flashes do.]

Don't move out.

[ Dick repeats it like it's final, like it's his decision, drawing his shoulders back and trying to recompose himself. He knows it's not a promise Wally can make, but he wants so badly to believe it. ]

I won't. [It's immediate, not because Robin ordered it but because Wally didn't want to anyway. He watches Dick pull his shoulders back and smiles to himself, reaching over to mess up his hair and shove him a little.] Geez. Make a guy feel like a captive, why don't you?

[ He ducks his head away from Wally's hand and laughs, his carefully combed-back hair going astray, and he shoves back gently. ]

So the Stockholm Syndrome hasn't kicked in yet?

[lookin' a little robin-y there, dick]

I've had that for years. It just lies dormant and then flares back up whenever somebody kidnaps me, like arthritis.

action

action

action

action

action

action

action

action

action

action

action

action

action

action

action

action

action

action

1/2

action

action

action

action

action

action