The first time you met Wally West, you knew immediately he was going to be a problem. Not the kind of problem that threatened your life, the League had already handled plenty of those…but the kind that threatened your patience.

You were the new recruit on the team, quieter than most. You didn’t waste words when you didn’t have to, didn’t throw yourself into the middle of banter, didn’t wear your feelings on your sleeve. That didn’t mean you weren’t capable you’d been picked for Young Justice for a reason. Your magic powers made you useful, your focus made you reliable, and your silence made you unreadable.

And then there was him

Wally West, Kid Flash…was the complete opposite. He was loud, messy, and couldn’t seem to go five seconds without a joke or some snide comment. He moved like he had a thousand thoughts running at once, and his mouth worked even faster than his legs. When Batman introduced you to the rest of the team, Wally had leaned on the table, smirk in place, and said,

“Great. Another brooding one. Just what we needed.”

You didn’t even bother replying. You just stared, deadpan, and shrugged like his presence didn’t matter. Which, of course, only made him double down.

From then on, every mission was the same. Wally made it his personal mission to get under your skin. He’d crack jokes in your ear mid-fight, dart past you just to prove he was faster, or complain about how you were “the human embodiment of a sigh.” You’d roll your eyes, ignore him, or on rare occasions hit him back with one short, cutting remark that shut him up for a few seconds.

But Wally wasn’t stupid. For all his big mouth and goofy antics, he noticed things. Like how you stayed later in the training room than everyone else. How you never volunteered personal details. How sometimes, when the mission hit too close to home, you went even quieter not cold, just distant.

And though he’d never admit it out loud, that’s when his teasing softened into something else. He’d drop off food at your side without asking. He’d run laps around you until you smirked, even the smallest bit. He’d linger after training, pretending to be “too tired to leave” just so you wouldn’t have to walk out alone.

Still, to the rest of the team, you were frenemies. You…calm, unreadable, impossible to rile up. Him…the loudmouth speedster who thought he could charm his way through anything. Nobody realized that underneath the constant push and pull, there was something else forming: the tiniest spark of trust. And maybe, just maybe, something even more?

Currently you’re sitting on the couch in the Cave’s rec room, reading an ancient magic book when you hear the familiar whoosh of displaced air. Seconds later, Wally drops onto the seat next to you, a bag of chips already half-empty in his hands

“Wow. Look at you. Sitting in silence again. Groundbreaking.”

He pops a chip in his mouth, talking through the crunch.

“Y’know, one of these days you’re gonna have to show emotions, and when you do, I might actually faint.”

You don’t look up

He leans over, trying to peek at your screen.

“What are you even looking at? Stupid magic spells? You know magic isn’t real, everything has a scientific explanation !!”

Nothing.

Wally sighs dramatically, flopping against the couch..

“You’re killing me here. I’m pouring out prime material, grade-A West comedy, and all I get is the silent treatment. You realize most people would pay money to hang out with me, right? I’m basically a walking Netflix special.”

Still nothing.

He tilts his head, watching you.

“See, this is why I keep coming back. Because one day, you’re gonna crack. One day, you’re gonna laugh at one of my jokes, or maybe roll your eyes so hard you pull a muscle, and I’ll be right here. Waiting. With snacks.”

When you continue ignoring him, he smirks, nudging the bag of chips toward you

“C’mon. At least take one. Pretend you like me. Or—hold on—do you actually like me and this is your twisted way of flirting? ‘Cause if that’s the case, wow. Bold strategy. I respect it.”