Wally West resents having to walk his aunt's dog. It's not even hers, she was just looking after it for some reason. But he's stuck with the lazy lump now, and he can't get the damned thing to go above a mild trot.

So he's stuck walking around the park while strollers whoosh past him. Not cool.

The dog squats down in a way that suggested it was about to poop, so Wally started digging in his pockets for the poop bags. Strangely, they weren't in his hoodie. They weren't in the front pockets of his jeans either. The dog barked and Wally muttered "yeah I'm getting there," when he found them in his back pocket. So on the bright side he remembered the bags. But he didn't have his wallet.

Pulling one out of the bundle, he examined the ground for the doggy doo only to see the dog and some blonde jogger chick crouched down and petting it.

He took a step towards them only to trip over the leash (sabotaged by the dog, he assumed) and the girl turned to look at him.

Oh no, he thought with horror, she's gorgeous.

A smirk crept up her face as she observed him, stunned and still on the ground.

"Wall-man, huh? Well I haven't had a guy actually fall for me since high school."

An angry flush on his cheeks he pushed himself up and fixed his hoodie, belatedly realizing it was his old Keystone High jersey with the nickname printed on the back. "Who are you and what are you doing with my dog!" He demanded as said dog rolled over for her to rub his belly.

"This is your dog?" She stared down at the white mutt whose tongue lolled out, obviously pleased to have her attention.

"Yes he is, c'mon boy, let's go," Wally ordered, even though the dog clearly had no plans to move away from the person petting him.

"Too bad, he seems so sweet. What's his name?" Wally froze. Again. "Well I better go." She pressed a kiss to the mutts brow and stood, revealing her sports-running-bra-thing and tight jogging pants under her cropped jacket. "Bye sweetie," she called to the dog, who barked after her.

Shoulders slumped, Wally dragged the dog home.

The next day Wally Did Not stop by his aunt and uncles house, and he Did Not volunteer to walk the dog and he certainly Did Not go to the park and look for that jogger.

Because Wally West Does Not Chase Girls. Not even ones with Asian features and inexplicably blonde hair tied into a smooth ponytail that catches in the hood of her jacket. And abs.

And he Did Not waste an hour waiting for a girl like that to come jogging up to him with a quirk of her lips.

"Hey," is all she says before the dog jumps her slobbering excitedly on her pants. They have racing stripes. Red ones.

"Uh," comes out of his mouth but it doesn't matter what he says. She's not even looking. Clearing his throat, he tries again with the more elegant, "hi".

She looked up from rubbing the dog's belly and smiled pleasantly.

Wally tried clearing his throat again. "So i was thinking, it's kinda late, and maybe we could, y'know, go for brunch?"

She stops petting the dog.

"Not, not as a date or anything, because that would be weird, obviously, but I'm hungry and maybe you are too so uh yeah. Brunch?"

His stomach growls then and the dog sits up and barks excitedly.

"Oh, I guess we could go for brunch," getting up she checked her phone, "just not today. Bye Sweetie!" Blowing a kiss she jogged off.

Wally scratched his head. "Well boy, do you think I have a chance?"

The dog farts.

One day, Wally will have a secret that will stay secret. Forever. And no one else would ever find it. Forever. Or maybe it would be easier to find a new best friend because his was obviously defective.

Dick slurped his shake and Wally could see the tiny evil cogs whirring behind those dark shades. Somehow, between greetings and ordering he'd figured out exactly what was going on in Wally's life (not much but hey, vacation) and was currently musing on who would be so intriguing as to have Wally willingly walk a dog he didn't really like everyday for a week.

Wally had made a point not to mention anything about her.

"So you don't even have her name?" Dick sighed, deflating all over his side of the booth. "Still you have much to learn, grasshopper."

Making a possibly rude gesture with his straw, Wally ignored him as best he could. Unsurprisingly, that never worked.

"If you tell me about her, maybe I could find something out?" Yeah, like letting his snoop of a best friend find everything was going to go down well. Pointedly looking at the menu above the counter, Wally frowned at the waitress adding to the chalkboard specials. "What, it's not like you're getting anywhere."

Poking at the ice in his drink, Wally responded, "I'm going slow this time. It's no big deal." Dick raised both eyebrows behind his sunglasses but was prevented from answering by the waft of french fries from their order. Dragging his eyes up from his drink, along the beige uniform of the employee, he came face to face with the jogger from the park.

Wordlessly gaping, he crammed a handful of hot, unsalted fries into his mouth to stop Dick from noticing anything. Dick shot her a charming grin and she squinted uncertainly at him before walking off. "So," and Wally wished he had a different best friend, "the new waitress here seems nice," he tilted his sun glasses at Wally and smiled like he knew all the secrets in the world.

Iris sat Wally down the next morning and asked him if he wanted to name the mutt. Frowning, Wally listened to the dog snoring and tried to come up with something.

"Uh guh?" Iris laughed and rested a hand on the dog's back.

"We're only fostering him, but he's an adult pit bull and there might not be a family who wants him. We might as well name him since he could be here for a while." She smiled fondly at the dog. Wally stared at the furry thing. "Well, there's plenty of time to come up with a good one," she stood and ruffled Wally's hair before shooing him out the door with the dog dozing in his arms.

"Okay. I guess we're going for a walk." For all his efforts, Wally gets a sleepy wag of the tail before the dog starts snoring again.

"Hey, what's your name?" He turned his head from cloud gazing to see her incredulous expression before dropping it down to the dog curled in her lap.

The grass beneath his palms and legs has started to tickle ominously before she answers. "It took you this long to ask?"

Lying back, he takes the time to brush grass from his hands before replying, "maybe I'm shy."

"Maybe I've known you for three weeks and you've only just asked," but he thinks she might be smiling, "Artemis."

"Oh, cool. Well, Artemis, I'm-"

"Wallace, probably. Am I wrong?"

Wally lifts his head up just to let it fall, "no... just call me Wally." He listened to the grass rustle until a giggle escapes her and he rolls on his side to see her laughing into her hand.

Noticing him looking, her hand drops to rest on the dogs back, "your name's really Wally?"

Wally sighed, "what else would I go by?"

There's laughter in her smile as she shakes her head, "I dunno, but you could have lied."

In response, Wally flopped face first on the ground and groaned. She pats him on the back a little but her hand shakes so he peeks up and she's still laughing. Then the dog comes and starts licking his ears so he'll blame that for the burning feeling in them.

Iris and Barry both give him a look when he stops by to pick up the dog the next day.

"You don't seem very fond of him," Artemis said while teasing the dog with a long blade of grass.

Wally knocked his knee against hers and she pushed him lightly. "Well he doesn't seem very fond of me."

"Well you still haven't named him. Didn't you pick a name before you bought him?"

Reaching out to tap the dog's nose her hand bumped into his. "My aunt's fostering him. She's letting me pick a name but I dunno."

"Huh, I always wanted a dog. In a few years I was going to get one just like this guy."

"Your dream dog? What was his name?" Artemis turned to him and tilted her head until her hair tumbled over one shoulder, bright gold in the sun.

"I haven't decided yet."

"Well I was thinking of something really cool, like Anakin or Wookie." He winked at her, "maybe Artemis."

She laughs a little, and it sinks into his skin warm as sunlight, "you're such a geek." The dog clambers into her lap with a whine and she smiles down at him. Wally can't stop the grin that grows at the sight.

Has Wally mentioned that he needs not-evil friends? Because Dick Grayson is certified evil. Why else would he need sun glasses indoors.

A chuckle escapes Dick and Wally, already on the other side of the table, tries very hard not to move further away. "Hey that waitress is eyeing us up."

"Which one?"

"The one that's trying not to notice us."

"Well that's super helpful."

"Oh look, she's coming."

Wally quickly ducked behind his laminated menu, trying not to give anything away.

"So what can I get you?" And he can't help the tingle of disappointment that runs through him at the waitress' voice.

Dick snags the menu out of his hand and gives him a measured look before ordering. And then. "Last week our friend started working here; blonde?"

"Oh Artemis? She's just about to go on break, are you friends of hers?"

Dick smiled bold and bright at the waitress, ignoring Wally's near silent attempts to shut him up, "yep, could you ask her to join us?"

"Oh, of course," and the starstruck waitress wandered off.

Out of the corner of his eye, Wally watched Artemis approach. He quickly ran a hand through his hair and shifted further into the booth so she could sit down. Which she didn't, instead standing beside the table and giving them both a suspicious glare.

"Hey Artemis, why don't you take a seat?" Dick sat back, charm on full blast, hands spread to indicate the one next to Wally. She shot a furtive look around before sinking down, hands burying themselves into her uniform. Dick grinned at them both, tucking his hands under his chin. "You know my friend Wally here."

Wally ducked his head and rearranged the salt and pepper shakers, his ears probably blistering they were so hot. Dick kept smiling. And then he opened his mouth.

"You're gorgeous, people must tell you this all the time but you are truly stunning. Do you have a boyfriend?"

Artemis hesitated, then "I guess it depends who's asking?"

"That's classified," Dick tilted his head coyly and winked over his sunglasses, "But I might be convinced"

Artemis gave him a look which could almost be described as flirtatious. Wally sighed, shifted closer to her and she didn't even glance at him. "Wow Richard, since when were you this nice?" Immediately he shut his mouth but they both ignored his comment.

One brow raised, Artemis looked between them, "Richard?"

"That's my name, but you can call me Dick. I'd be happy to show you why." And he flashed her a blinding grin.

Wally watched her frown, processing Dick's words, then he stage whispered, "don't be fooled it's because of his personality." And Dick let out his deranged cackle.

Artemis raised the other brow, then stood, "I need to get back to work."

Dick's grin never faltered even when she dismissed his farewell with a flip of her ponytail.

Wally gaped until Dick kicked his shin. "See you tomorrow?" blurted out. She distractedly waved a hand behind her. Turning to Dick, Wally whispered, "was it bad?"

"Do you want to see the video footage?"

Wally groaned, flopping back in the booth.

He hadn't expected her to show up the next day, to be honest. Really, he figured Dick had weirded her out enough to pick another park and he'd never see her for the rest of vacation. So seeing her at a drinking fountain on the dog's usual walk gave his stomach a lurch. Or maybe that was the dog, straining at the leash towards her.

"Hey," he smoothed down his hoodie and hair while she was occupied with the dog slobbering on her leg.

"Hey," she shoved her hands into her jacket pockets and tilted her head curiously.

"So, sorry about my weird friend yesterday… he's um yeah..." Wally shrugged, just a little too nervous to look her in the eye.

Artemis was silent for a long moment, her sneakers shifting on the ground. The dog whined, nudging her leg. With a sigh, she rested one hand on her hip, "look do you want to see a movie or something?"

Wally looked up and she gave him a wry twist of her lips. "I have weird friends too, so stop looking like a kicked puppy."

The dog barked. Wally closed his mouth, and swallowed the squeak that threatened to escape.

She shook her head, a smirk flashing across her features. "Uh, there's this place doing a, um, Bruce Lee, er, thing. This, this weekend?" The dog had started barking part way through, drowning out his shaky question. Nudging it quiet with his foot, he started again, "there's this place doing a Bruce Lee weekend, wanna go?" This time when the dog started barking he was sure she'd actually heard him. Still.

"What is it boy, you want to come too?" she stroked the dog's head, crouching down to it's level. His tongue lolled out, eyes closing at her touch.

Wally squatted down as well, "Hey, maybe he wants to be called Brucely," he joked, jumping back when the dog barked.

"Brucely?" The dog barked again, tail whipping against the ground. Artemis moved a few feet away and called "Brucely, come here boy!" Obediently the dog trotted towards her, plopping down at her feet.

Wally jogged a decent way away and called out "Brucely, come here boy!" The dog hesitated, then ran towards him. "It worked! Good boy, Brucely!"

Artemis jogged towards them laughing, a faint beeping trailing behind her. She dropped a kiss on Brucely's head, "I have to go now Brucely." Wally frowned when she hesitated before jogging off. Quickly, she kissed his cheek, "see you tomorrow."

And she was gone.

Wally quickly pulled his laptop onto his lap, mouth dry, reread the email to make sure he hadn't misunderstood. "Hey Babe, that internship you were doing, back when we met, was it with Star Labs in Central?"

"Yeah why?" Artemis moved off the floor where she'd been playing with Brucely, settling into Wally's side. "Still mad I got the internship and you didn't?" she kissed his cheek but he could still feel the teasing curve of her lips.

Wally frowned, tucking one leg under both of hers. She shifted them into a familiar position on his pyjama pants, his hand resting on her bare knee. "I still can't believe you won it freshman year. That internship takes mostly seniors. And grads."

"Aw, you're cute," Artemis caught his face and kissed him properly, "The only requirement was to be a college student pursuing a science degree. You applied, remember?"

He felt the corners of his mouth reluctantly turn up. "And lost to you, but that's not the point. I haven't gone for it since, and look." Artemis read the email, her mouth slowly opening. "Babe?"

"You got it?" Wally nodded, putting his laptop on their coffee table and moved his hand from her knee to around her back. Artemis covered her mouth with one hand, the other soothing Brucely who had come to find out what was wrong.

Wally took her hand from her mouth and pressed it to his own, "I know it throws off all our graduation plans, we can't visit grad schools together or..."

Artemis pulled away slowly, and Wally moved his hand back to her knee. "Wally, I'm glad you got it, it's an amazing opportunity. We just have save up and fly to our top picks, really think about where we want to go, it's not a big deal."

Wally tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and smiled, "I guess Brucely will have to spend weekends with Aunt Iris and Uncle Barry, just like old times."

Brucely whined and Artemis went back to fussing over him. Watching them, Wally's smile grew into a full grin and he shook his head, trying to shake the image of the future in his head so he could concentrate on this moment.

Artemis poked him in the cheek, slipping her arms around his neck when he focused on her. "I think we should celebrate tonight."

Wally stood, scooping her up as well, "It's like you read my mind, beautiful."

Spooky Halloween stuff, right? Nah I don't do Halloween, but this needed to be done for YJAM day 3: college AU.

Questions, comments, concerns?