Best Friends

a/n Kate Wicker requested something with Young Justice angst and fluff. This is the result. *proud smirk*

Wally hadn't been this excited in years. And he knew it was stupid and juvenile and all, but who cared? He was going to the circus and he was bringing his best friend along!

And, yeah, Rob had reacted to his announcement kinda weird, but maybe it was just that Robin had a tendency to act super mature for his age.

So it was with a light heart and a quick (but not super speed, since it was a civilian day) step that the redhead strolled happily into the fairgrounds, the Boy Wonder quietly following him.

It took some time, and Wally still didn't get why his bff was so out of it, but in the end he got Rob laughing, and trying to win the different games, and going on all the vomit-inducing rides, and eating tons of crappy, overpriced food. In fact, things were going great, and it felt like they were just two stupid best friends playing around in a world full of excitement and the unusual.

Yup, everything was great. Right up until it was time for the Big Top show.

As the announcement played over the loud speakers, Wally grabbed Rob's wrist and dragged him with not-quite super speed to the tent. "Dude, we are so getting the best seats in the house!"

People piled in to the dark space, and the smell of sweat and candy and sawdust that filled the air left Wally blinking.

Then the spotlight came on, aimed straight at the center of the ring. Standing proudly, a man in the classic brilliant red jacket and shiny black top hat began the show.

"Welcome, one and all to the Rhys Family Circus Extravaganza!"

First came the clowns, bumbling around, running into one another and dragging audience members from the front rows into their pranks. Then there was a strong man who lifted enough to probably give Batman a run for his money. Next out was a blind knife thrower and his hot assistant. Even without eyes, the dude managed to create an exact outline of the girls using knives to circle her form. It was impressive. Sure, Robin could do it just as well, if not better, but this was just some regular guy. Not someone who had been training with Batman since he was nine-years-old.

There was a couple who worked with lions, and more clowns, and some kind of crazy balance act with 12 brothers and a bunch of random furniture, like chairs and sidetables.

And then came what the Ringleader described as the "piece dé resistance": a family, mom and dad and fraternal twin teenagers, who would be doing the tight rope routine.

"But first-!" the man announced, booming voice echoing through the tent. "We need a volunteer! Who is brave enough to come up and help the Smithers Family Acrobats?"

"Oooooooh!" Wally was on his feet, jumping up and down, hand waving in the air, all the while shouting, "Mememememememememe!"

The Ringleader smiled at the redhead and motioned him to come down. With a skip, Wally started to move, when a hand reached out and clutched at his sleeve like a drowning man clutches at driftwood. Confused, Wally turned to face his best friend.

Who was dead white, clenching his jaw, shaking like a leaf, and looked like he was about two seconds from a full blown panic attack. "P-please. Don-n-n't." The words were barely a whisper, trembling and terrified.

Wally stared at Robin, the Boy Wonder, the most experienced hero partner in the business, who was never phased by anything, and never seemed worried or scared or surprised, and could barely recognize his best friend in the frightened kid sitting beside him.

Turning back to the front, Wally watched the Ringleader wave at him again. But the boy just shook his head, grabbed his friend's hand and dragged him out of the tent.

As soon as they emerged into the sunlight and open air, all of Robin's strength left him, and he collapsed helplessly onto the dirt.

Slowly, using all the care he would take with a wounded animal, Wally crouched down beside the black-haired boy. In a soft voice, he asked, "Rob? Are you okay?"

The only answer he got was the smaller hero grabbing the front of Wally's shirt and sobbing helplessly.

Dropping to sit beside his friend, he pulled Robin closer and hugged him tightly, rocking slowly while whispering the stupidest things he could think of, like the square root of pi and the atomic signs for different elements of the periodic table.

For twenty minutes, the two just sat there, Rob having his meltdown and Wally doing his best to comfort him through it. Eventually, the heaving gasps and endless tears started to lag, until subsiding altogether. For several more minutes, Wally kept holding his best friend, as though scared the 13-year-old would break if he let go.

He really, really wanted to ask what had just set Rob off, and he could tell that Robin knew Wally wanted to ask.

Which was probably why he didn't. They were best friends. It didn't matter what the heck had just happened, so long as he was around to take care of Rob. Just like Robin didn't need to know everything about the whole Doctor Fate shtick, but he still had the speedster's back.

Finally pulling back, Wally reached down and ruffled that mess of black hair, then bounced back onto his feet like nothing had happened. "Come on, man. There's still a ton of stuff to do." Turning to walk backwards, Wally held out a beckoning hand to Robin and teased, "I'll buy you some cotton candy."

Robin stood and stretched, then took a moment to brush himself off. Even behind the glasses, Wally could tell the younger boy had rolled his eyes. But as he muttered, "Shove it, jerk," the little smile that stayed on Robin's face let Wally know that everything was going to be okay.

fin.