When Kid Flash and Robin met, that's all they were. They were kids, really, and their mentors were with them. And even if they weren't, secret identities are important – especially for the bats – so that night the only people who met were Kid Flash and Robin.

That didn't stop them from becoming best friends, of course. It happened so fast and so naturally that not knowing each other's real names didn't seem like a problem at all in their relationship.

Still, one day they're goofing around on a rooftop in Gotham, and Wally realizes that while Robin has a thousand different reasons to not tell him his ID – Batman being reasons one to nine hundred – he doesn't, really. And he doesn't care that his friend won't tell him his in return, he just really wants him to know.

"Hey, Rob?" He asks as the younger one is typing away in his wrist computer.

"Yeah?"

"My real name is Wally West."

Robin stops his fingers at the point and looks at him, surprised. "Why are you telling me this?"

Wally shrugs. "Don't know. It's what friends do, I guess."

Robin looks highly uncomfortable at that and shifts a little. "KF… Wally… you know I can't-"

"No, dude!" He stops Robin and looks at him to show him he's being sincere. "You don't need to tell me. I just wanted you to know."

There's a moment of silence and then Robin smiles. "Thanks, dude."

Wally shrugs and they go back to silence.

It's a good night.

The first time that Robin tells him his name, that's all he tells, his name. They're training together and Robin is obviously kicking his ass – I have superspeed, dude, you have to be cheating – and Wally and the floor have become quite friends in the last couple of hours.

"Please leave me here to die, I can't feel my body anymore." He says as he dramatically throws himself on the floor and lamely pretends to be dead.

"Stop whining, KF. I won fare and square. All eleven times. Now get up, you owe me a milkshake."

Wally sits up offended at that. "I'm not paying you a milkshake, you're rich!"

"Yeah, but I won. So I'll be a little richer by drinking a milkshake that you'll pay."

"Dick."

Robin stops dead and Wally is confused for a second before the boy wonder composes himself like nothing had happened. He considers asking what happened, but then Robin gives him this look and before he knows it, his friend is saying:

"That's… that's my name. Dick. Well, it's not really my name, but it's my nickname."

Wally stares at him wide eyed still sat on the floor. "Bro, why are you-"

"It's what friends do, right?"

Wally buys him the milkshake.

Dick secretly puts the money back on his wallet when he isn't looking.

It's a while after that when Dick finally tells him who he is and not only his name. Wally has a broken arm that will be broken for three whole days how am I ever gonna survive it and Robin is trying to amuse him with tricks he hadn't done since he was a little kid, he says.

"You're not trying to amuse me, you're showing off." Wally says on the bench he's in, but he's smiling.

"Maybe. But you are amused." Dick grins as he lands on his feet after a somersault.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Wally rolls his eyes at him, but keeps smiling. "Where did you learn to do all of this, anyway? Not that your ego needs it, but you're like, a pro. Batman can't have thought you this. Or did he? Oh my god, is he an acrobat too? That would be so weird!"

"No, Batman isn't an acrobat." It's his turn to roll his eyes, but he seems a little tense as he moves to sit by his friend. "I… learned when I was a kid. In the circus."

Wally seems to realize what his friend is doing, because his eyes grow wide and he starts stammering. "Rob, don't-"

"My name is Dick Grayson. I'm… the last of the Flying Graysons. You can probably find the whole story on google."

Wally is quiet for a long time and Dick waits for his reaction apprehensively. It's not like Wally can or will do anything bad, he's just never told anyone both parts of his personality and it's weird.

He's heard stories of how you find your Soulmate by hearing their name. Technically you're only supposed to learn that when you turn eighteen, but Dick is a detective. So he thought that saying his name would only ever be a huge deal when said in those circumstances.

It seems so much bigger now, though. He's about to say something when Wally hugs him.

It's completely out of the blue and Dick doesn't know how to react for a bit, but eventually he hugs back.

They don't say it, but it's clear.

That's what friends do.

Dick thinks about how he told Wally his name for days. He isn't worried that Wally will do anything or even that Bruce might do something. He's just considering what happened and how he somehow thought of the soulmates tale as it happened.

Dick has always seen the world the same way. He knows he sees it darkened because he sees married people and a few grown-ups squint hardly at the sun in summer days, like the sun is hurting their eyes because it's so bright, and he can look at it just fine. He sees it's shining, but it's barely different from, say, a bulb light. He wonders how it feels to see the world so full of light. He wonders if it hurts.

He doesn't plan on it, just hears the word coming out of his mouth as he asks Wally. "Hey, KF, how is your vision?"

His redheaired friend looks at him like he has two heads. "What?"

"How do you see the world? Like… is it dark? Or is it light? Does it shine?"

Wally keeps looking at him like he's just gone mad, but when he notices Dick is serious, he shrugs a bit. "I don't know… it's normal?"

Dick sighs heavily. "I mean… when you look at the sun, does it hurt?"

"What? No! Why would it?"

"Nothing. Never mind."

"Uh… okay." Wally gives him one last weird look and goes back to watching TV.

Dick looks at the TV again and tries not to think about how what he's feeling seems a lot like relief.

Dick knows who Wally is. Wally knows who he is. They have known this for ages. They've visited each other's house thousands of times and met each other's families and really, Dick is convinced no one in the world knows him better than Wally.

He knows Wally entire name. And Wally knows his.

They've never said it out loud, though.

Dick wonders if that's why thing never changed. Because they should have. It's stupid and it's ridiculous because Wally's Soulmate surely has to be a girl, but he can't help but feel that there's no one in the world that could be his Soulmate if not Wally.

He knows as much as he can about the soulmates thing based only on private internet searches, so he's not sure how exactly it works. But Wally should be his. Wally has to be his.

And still, most times it feels like it isn't. Because Wally doesn't like him. Not like that. And they know each other's names.

These feeling more often than not eat him alive. Sometimes he can't really focus on Wally's words because he can't stop thinking of how much he'd like to just kiss him. He has no idea where these feelings came from – they were kids who were best friends and then suddenly he's a teenager with a major crush on his best friend, how did that happen?

Sometimes he hates the Soulmates deal. Hates that his fate is already set and not his to make.

But all of this changes one afternoon when he walks into the cave and hears the last bit of what he's sure is an unnecessary Wally's speech.

"… so, yeah, my name's Wallace Rudolph West and I'm not embarrassed about it! But please just call me Wally."

Dick doesn't know what hurts more, his lungs from lack of air or his eyes from the light that suddenly is everywhere. He stumbles a bit, unsure of how to proceed, and everyone notices him and starts fussing. His eyes lock with Wally's and he can finally see how shiny and green they are and he can't breathe all over again.

Before anyone can make a move, he runs to his bedroom and locks the door, the lights out.

The world is bright. The world is bright because Wally sais his full name aloud. The world is bright because Wally West is his Soulmate.

He's wanted that for a long time, but now it seems too much.

He closes his eyes and just wishes for all to be like it was before.

It's the middle of the night when Wally finds him. He's sitting on the couch, staring at the bright TV and marveling at the details he's never been able to see before. It's all still too new and too scary – and he can't stop thinking about how he shouldn't know what Soulmates are because he's underage and how it would have freaked him out if he didn't know and this happened – but he's been raised by the Batman so he's forcing himself to face it.

"Dick?" Wally asks by the back of the couch, but Dick doesn't jump because he heard him entering. He just hoped he wouldn't bother him.

"Hey." He says for lack of anything better. He knows everyone must be worried for his stunt earlier, but he doesn't know if he can confront Wally about it yet. He wants more than anything to tell him his name, but something is holding him back.

"Are you ok? We were very worried about you. I tried calling on your phone like a dozen times when you ignored the knocks on your door." He sits by his side, too close, and Dick can't focus.

"I'm fine. Just… just got a headache."

Wally snorts and moves to face him. Dick can practically feel his breath and he really can't focus.

"Come on, man, don't lie to me. What happened?"

Dick looks at him and despite his light tone he can see Wally is worried. He searches for more, though, and doesn't find it.

That's what scared him. He's seen in his research lots of cases of people whose Soulmate isn't reciprocated. It's rare, but it happens. And he can't be Wally's, can he?

He thinks about telling Wally about the Soulmate's thing for a few moments. But it's too much. He knows Wally will never hurt him, even if he isn't his Soulmate, even if he doesn't feel the same. But he doesn't know if he can't face that kind of rejection now. And it scares him to think that he might never be with Wally the way he wants to. So, he does the absolute unthinkable.

He kisses him.

He can feel Wally's eyes widening a bit as it happens, and he almost moves away, but then Wally's lips start moving against his and it's everything he hoped for and more.

His lips are soft, but they press hard against his. They move just the right way and he doesn't know when but his left hand is on his neck, pulling him closer.

Wally doesn't know what or how it happened, but he can't really think about anything else but the boy whose mouth is on his. Their hands are wandering off to every reachable place and at some point their bodies pressed together, Dick's back arching on the sofa arm.

Wally finds out that he can make some noises he never thought he could as Dick's hand finds its way under his shirt. These noises seem to fuel Dick's energy as well, as the boy uses his other hand to bring him even closer – somehow still possible – and his tongue starts to act as well.

Some part of his brain is yelling at him that he's currently on top of his best friend heavily making out with him at two in the morning, but the way Dick shiver at every place his hand touches his skin erases anything from his mind. This is all that matters, he, his best friend, and the way his mouth is currently leaving his to trail kisses and bites alongside his neck.

They're both panting as they fight a little to be in charge; Dick eventually manages to sit them both up again, their legs tangled and breaths and bodies hot.

Eventually they slow down, both with fuzzy heads, still high from the hormones. When they part one last time, they look at each other's eyes for a few seconds, and that's when they finally consciously realize what happened.

They both run in different directions.

The next day neither of them shows up for training, intending on avoiding the other at all costs. That doesn't go as planned, though, because they both receive messages on a new urgent mission.

They reach the cave as the team is about to leave, so there's no time for anything but debrief. It seems simple enough and it'll give them both time to not speak to each other, so it's good.

Wally couldn't sleep all night thinking about what happened. Everything about the whole situation confuses him, but the worst one by far is why Dick would kiss him. Did… did he notice anything? Wally could swear he'd been hiding very well. Someone would have approached him if it was noticeable right?

But even if Dick had noticed, why would he kiss him? Was it out of pity? The thought turns Wally's stomach as he tries to fight one of the bad guys. What would be of their friendship now? Oh god, oh god. He can't lose Dick. Even if he can't have him as he wants, he needs Dick to be there, he needs the same level of intimacy.

All of this thoughts make Wally's head hurt and that's not a very good thing to happen during a battle – neither is getting distracted by feelings, but he can't help it.

The guy he's fighting with finally crumbles and so he looks around to see if any of them needs help.

Of course Dick is the target of one of the goons.

He runs before he can stop himself, although he wouldn't even then, and last thing he knows, his head is throbbing like it's being ripped apart and his name is coming out in a strangled cry from Dick's throat.

He passes out.

He has the weirdest dreams in the moments – minutes, hours, days? – that come after that. He hears voices saying things he doesn't understand, cries he can't point from who they come. It's all a blur of sounds and feelings and he's terribly lost.

He wakes up to the feeling of a very warm hand holding his. It's a known hand, but he can't quite figure it out whose is it. The person, whoever it is, is saying something, but he's still too dazed to understand anything from those sounds.

It takes several minutes for his head to clear enough for him to catch some parts of what is being said.

"And I should've told you… please wake up…we can both look it up… complicated, I know… definitely my soulmate…"It's all very confusing and he really can't make any sense out of this, but he now knows this is Dick. He recognizes his tone and now that he knows, he realizes the touch is his familiar one too. And he sounds worried and terrified and Wally just wants to tell him that it's okay, that he's fine, but maybe he isn't because he can't really move.

He tries to open his eyes, but it's too much work. He tries to move his hand, and it switches a little, startling Dick.

"Wally?" His voice is clearer now, like he's closer, and Wally makes his biggest effort to pay attention to all he says. "Wally, please open your eyes. Just for a second."

And he tries. He tries really hard because Dick is asking him. And he manages to open them and blink a few times before closing it again.

"Ok. Good." Dick sounds anxious and preoccupied and a lot of things that Wally wants to help him not be. "Wally, I need to tell you something, ok? You need to listen to me very carefully. Can you do that? Move your hand if you can, please." He sounds almost desperate, so Wally tries to squeeze his hand. "My name is Richard John Grayson."

Wally is very confused at that, because he knows it. He tries to ask about it, but he can't quite use his voice yet. He thinks his eyebrows are raised, but he once again can't be sure.

"Now I need you to open your eyes again, ok? Just for a second."

And Wally hears in his voice that it's important, even though he doesn't understand. So he does.

He closes them almost immediately because how the fuck did it all get so bright? His eyes sting a bit and get a little wet because of the light and that must have been what Dick wanted, because he makes a noise that is half a sob and half a laugh and one and a half of relief, and it's so wonderful that it somehow made Dick happy that he can't even worry about why.

"Hey, Wally. I just have another thing to tell you, ok?" And Wally squeezes his hand because he finds out his neck is fixed and he can't move it. "I love you."

And that's when Wally finds out that he can also smile, because he does. He wants more than anything to say it back, but he can't force his mouth to work. So he holds Dick's hand tighter and forces his eye to open and stay open and he knows that Dick understands.

Dick kisses him on the lips, and even though they can't turn it into a proper kiss just yet, he kisses back and grins against his lips.

He sees Dick's blue eyes shining more than they ever could have before whatever the hell was that and he knows right then and there that Dick is his Soulmate, because he couldn't possibly love anyone as much as he loves him.

When he gets out of the hospital the next day and Dick tells him about the soulmates tales and the brighter vision and everything and that they are each other's, it seems as natural a conclusion as any.

He kisses him just because he can when he stops talking, and when Dick asks what was that for Wally doesn't blink.

"it's what soulmates do."