A/N: Last chapter! Finally, right? C: Please enjoy~ It's terrible. xD I won't lie. Happy ending though, does that make up for it? OTL

Trying to yank your hand out of Superboy's grip was kind of like trying to yank your hand out of a sidewalk if it was encased in the concrete- you'd dislocate your shoulder faster than you'd get your arm free.

But that wouldn't stop Wally from trying.

"Supes, let- let go." He pried at the firm hand clasped around his wrist to absolutely no avail and tried not to sound desperate. "Supey, there are a bunch of people here, they probably think you're gonna beat me up."

Conner didn't answer, shouldering through the crowd and dragging Wally after him, ignoring anyone who reached out, whether to ask Wally questions, or congratulate him, or call him an idiot for what was definitely not safe for a kid his age, didn't matter, Conner shoved past like he had a personal vendetta against them. And thank god for people like Uncle Barry and Bats, because if Wally was getting mugged he'd be screwed, everyone just let them go.

His clothes were all wet and his hair was in his eyes; his goggles hung at his neck, and altogether he was pretty sure he looked like shit. He was sort of shivering, too, wondering where his jacket ended up, and Conner was dead quiet for several more blocks.

Conscious of that hand holding his arm, and the strength behind the stride that carried them through town so quickly and into a long, narrow alley, Wally felt his face heat up and started to paw at that hand again, though weakly because he knew it was no use. "Are you gonna beat me up?"

It should have come out with a laugh, but it came out quiet and small. He cringed when Conner stopped walking, and did his best to meet his gaze when the taller boy turned to stare at him.

"You think that?"

Wally opened his mouth to say something like "Yeah, bro, have you seen your face?" but Conner's blue eyes were soft and serious and what came out was, "I know you'd never."

The hand around his wrist tightened but in a different way, and Wally was aware very abruptly that the two of them were very alone but for the occasional passing car. Suddenly Conner was so big and so close, the way he leaned in.

"Then why do you run from me?"

Wally stood frozen, because blue had become the whole world. The clone pressed in closer and Wally struggled to find his voice. "I- what?"

Conner's eyes were burning. "You run ahead- every time- and leave me behind where I can't protect you. The robbery, the fire, the bridge- even when you had a concussion, you would rather run away from me than rest."

Wally's face was red, he knew it was, and he glanced away, finally, trying to look anywhere but at him, trying to tug his arm away again- because the conversation was getting really dangerous really fast and it was hopeless and he knew it but it would be so easy to believe if Conner messed up, said the right thing- the wrong thing-

Something he didn't mean, something that would hurt because it would be real- because Conner didn't lie- but it wouldn't the real Wally needed.

"You're trying to run now," Conner said quietly, and Wally shook his head, not trusting himself to speak- because Conner didn't understand, he didn't realize- "Why? Are- you afraid of me?"

Wally shook his head again, quickly, trapped and scared and his heart was breaking right now and it wasn't fair, because- because he was kidding himself when he thought he could lie to Conner, lie to those so, so blue eyes- he was just kidding himself. He did that a lot.

"Do you hate me?"

"Never." Wally said it too fast and closed his eyes, mortified. He was ruining this more and more. "I could never hate you, Supey. I'm sorry you thought that." He fished around for words. "I'm just- I've been weird, lately, uh. It's- it's not your fault, it's um. It's- "

"Should I kiss you?"

Wally whipped his head up so fast it took his eyes a second to catch up. He felt the air around him sort of slipstream the way it always did when he tensed up like that, because his body automatically started preparing itself for the failsafe- overdrive.

"What?"

Conner looked uncertain. "In Megan's television shows, the guy kisses the girl he likes. And I like you, but you're not a girl. Is it different?"

Wally was shaking his head slowly. "Don't- Conner, don't say that. You don't know what it- "

He was shoved against the dirty alley wall with just enough force to shut him up, and Conner was close, so close. "Don't tell me what I don't understand. The genomorphs taught me human behavior and I've been- awake- long enough to see it for myself. Don't start patronizing me now, Wally, not when I know what I want."

He stroked Wally's hair back out of his face and despite his tone, his hand was gentle.

"I would've gone after you yesterday," he continued, "but Robin stopped me and explained it." Robin? "If I kept chasing I'd never catch you- you're too fast." His smile was uncertain and sincere and Conner and it made Wally sort of sway. "So I just had to be waiting for you, where I knew you'd be."

He was trembling. "But you- but Megan- " It was hard to remember why it wasn't possible when Conner- who didn't lie- was telling him otherwise. "You- you love- "

And Conner, with the look of someone patiently giving in to ridiculous demands, leaned in and kissed him.

Wally had no idea where he learned how to do the things he was doing with his tongue, but thinking about that would come later because Conner was kissing him. He was kissing Conner.

They were making out in a dirty alley in broad daylight, Wally pressed up against a wall and Conner's arms keeping him there-

Which was good, because Wally didn't think he could stand on his own. Conner pulled away, licking his lips, and Wally was panting and clinging and no, dammit, he would not cry-

"Me?" he whispered it carefully, daringly.

"You," the clone said with a crooked grin that made Wally's heart do acrobatics that put Dick's to shame. "It took you long enough- for someone as fast as you are, you sure are slow."

He kissed Wally again, on the corner of his mouth- where the girl he'd rescued had. It was the last piece to the puzzle, and things came together so quickly he was thankful for the millionth time for the super-acceleration in his head, too.

Me. It's been- this whole time-

It was ridiculous and stupid and cringe-worthy and awesome and he would look back on this moment for years with a dorky smile because hot damn, Supes was in love with him!

He grinned, and Conner smiled back, and thank god they were in a somewhat private place because Wally was dragging Conner back down for another go and Conner's smile turned into a much more familiar smirk- because they had wasted enough time running and chasing and they had a lot to make up for.

Speedsters were quick at everything. Quick to speak, quick to move, quick to smile- quick to fall headfirst in love-

"Who are you calling slow?"

-and hit the ground running.