A/N: Look what story's finally dooone! Sorry it took a hundred years. :( In my defense, I moved out last month and I haven't had Internet- but I'm upgrading to a bigger apartment with a good friend of mine, and I can afford it now!

So to celebrate, I painstakingly wrote this chapter for youuu.

Wally strode down the hall with determination, gaze focused on the kitchen ahead where the rest of the team was gathered for lunch. A certain boy wonder would keep the clone away from him, he just had to make it there without-

"Wally?"

With an inward scream of frustration, he faltered and glanced over his shoulder, forcing his expression into one of pleasant surprise. Only it wasn't really a surprise to see Conner standing behind him, because Conner kept finding him in the precious few moments of the day when he was by himself.

And Wally just couldn't bring himself to face him yet, so he hid behind a smile and a wave.

"Supey! Hey, didn't see you there bro, what, are you skulking in corners too now? Hanging around with Bats too much, I think, we need to find you a less creepy role model- "

Conner advanced, blue eyes round and uncertain. "Wally- "

Wally backed up a step involuntarily and could've punched himself for it, but played it off with a playful lean to the side, hands folded behind his back. "Man I'm hungry, wonder what Miss M's cooked up, race you there!"

And he sped away, breezing into the kitchen a second later and hopping up onto the counter next to Robin with an easy grin at Kaldur when the Atlantian sighed good-humoredly at his unecessarily speedy entrance.

When Superboy came in a minute or two later, Robin casually leaned over to show Wally something on his Gameboy screen, effectively monopolizing the speedster's attention; and Wally felt really bad when Conner hesitated next to them, looking for a second like he'd interrupt but deciding against it and moving on to stand next to Megan and her latest casserole disaster.

Wally smacked himself in the forehead, face screwed up for just a moment in self-loathing.

I have to get over it. This isn't fair to Conner, I haven't even let him apologize.

But he didn't want to hear an apology. He didn't know what he wanted. And it only took a split second for his mind to rewind everything and take him back to that instant, when his face hurt so badly and he wanted to cry right there in the Cave in front of the guy he liked.

Robin's hand was on his shoulder, and Wally took a breath. Smile.

He opened his eyes and put on a show, and his friends' laughter eased the tension in his shoulders just enough. Conner left halfway though an animated retelling of a soccer game in P.E., and Wally tried really hard not to care.

"Kaaal," Wally whined, trying to keep unadulterated panic out of his voice as he did. "Why can't you pair me up with Rob? Me and Rob make a k-rad team, you know that- "

"Wally, please," Kaldur said, placating and stern. "Complaining isn't going to change my mind. We need team-building within the whole team, not just our best friends. So this time the pairs are different from usual, different for all of us. I'm not just picking on you two."

Wally pouted at him because he couldn't think of a counter-argument to that, and Kaldur smiled, reaching over to ruffle his hair. "You'll be fine, Kid. Teach Conner a thing or two, you've been at this much longer than he has. I'm counting on you."

Asdfghjkl. "Fine."

Conner was pretty fast- Wally had to check himself every so often to make sure he didn't accidentally outrun him, but the clone could keep up with him at speeds Robin couldn't match. The speedster was braced for the clone's next attempt at apology, but it never came, and the silence stretched between the two as they sprinted through the city.

Okay, Wally thought uneasily. I guess this is okay.

He hummed to himself to make up for the uncharacteristic lack of conversation on his part, and maybe if Conner or anyone else brought it up, he could claim he was lost in thought- all he'd have to do is bring up the whole time-runs-differently-for-speedsters thing and they'd be sold.

The two of them did a few laps around the city perimeter and then delved inside, taking to the streets. Wally slowed up considerably, the last thing he needed was to run over a stray kid, and headed towards the park. Conner followed, matching his pace, and when Wally risked a glance at him, his eyes were downcast, and he looked-

really sad.

Wally hit the breaks, because no.

"Yo, Con-man," he said brightly, "have you ever been to this park before? Lemme tell ya, it's gone some crazy awesome merry-go-round action, and kids love it when you push 'em super fast. Wanna give it a whirl?"

The clone blinked up slightly to meet his gaze and after a second, nodded. Wally turned into the park and led the way, gliding at an almost human speed. And the park was- well it was the park, it was full of kids and laughter and fun, so Wally relaxed without meaning to and jumped fluidly over a park bench just to feel the breeze through his hair.

And the second he landed, he spotted trouble.

"One second Con," he said, not noticing the way the clone's eyes were glued to him, and he jogged over to where a little girl was crying in the dirt. "Hey, sweetie," he said, crouching and resting his hands on his knees. "What's wrong?"

She glanced up at him, big brown eyes watery, and hiccupped. "T- Tommy- Tommy pushed me down."

Wally made a commiserating noise and knelt next to her. He saw a woman approaching who had to be her mother and waved at her with a grin. The Flash symbol was Universal, because when she saw what junior hero was with her daughter, the woman relaxed and nodded with a smile, giving Wally permission to continue, and sitting down on a bench close by.

And he liked to have permission; just because most parents were okay with superheroes around their kids, not all of them were- strangers were strangers, even if they could fly. But getting scolded by your mom was one thing; having Superman kneel in front of you and explain gravely that you should hold her hand when you cross the street would blow your five-year-old mind.

"What's your name, honey?"

"S-Sarah." She was wiping at her eyes with tiny fists and Wally reached into the snack compartment of his uniform and drew out a napkin, handing it to her. Sarah took it with a murmured thank you.

Wally glanced over next to the swings, where a little blond boy was lingering guiltily, fixated on the two of them. Hi Tommy. "Sarah, why on Earth would he push you down?"

"Because he's a m-meanie!"

Wally folded his arms and nodded, posing thoughtful. "Maybe you're right."

And sure enough Tommy came forward, looking ready to explode with his cry of, "No I'm not! Kid Flash, I'm not!"

Bonus points for getting the name right, for sure.

Tommy was a little older, and he was wearing Green Lantern sneakers that lit up when he walked- more points for awesome taste in hero. He stopped, closer to Kid than to Sarah, and couldn't even look straight at her, he was so shame-faced.

Wally loved kids, they were so cute. "So you must be Tommy. It sure sounds like you're a meanie, if you pushed poor Sarah down."

"I didn't mean to! We were playing tag and I- I didn't mean to push you down," he told her, worrying his hands together. "I promise I didn't."

She was still sniffling, but calming down considerably, looking up at Tommy with huge eyes. And little Tommy must have had a crush, because he stood up as tall and grown-up as he could. "I'm sorry, Sarah."

She blinked at him, and then finally a pretty smile bloomed on her face and she stood, dusting off her pants. She looked at Wally and announced with all the authority of a toddler, "Tommy is not a meanie."

Wally smiled at her and nodded. "I think you're right. Meanies don't apologize, do they?" She shook her head very seriously. "So you forgive him, right Sarah?"

Sarah smiled even bigger, and took Tommy's hand. "Yes."

Wally stood and nodded. "Good. Now you two have fun, okay? No more playing rough."

Tommy nodded, and his eyes were bright. "Okay, Kid Flash! Sarah, let's go play in the sandbox!"

That was cute, the speedster thought, amused, as they ran off together. He caught Sarah's mom's eye and waved, getting a delighted wave back. Then he spun on his heel, whistling cheerfully, and ran straight into a wall of solid muscle- which brought him back to the moment, back to the mission, back to Conner and the easy cheer washed away like watercolor.

Don't break character.

"Wally," the clone said, voice low and shiver-inducing, "we need to talk."

And after all his skirting away and dancing around, Wally was pinned, forcefully and hopelessly, by two bright blue eyes.

Don't break character.

"S... sure, Supes."

The Cave was empty and every step they took echoed. Wally was almost shivering with nerves, darting glances at the clone ahead of him.

He could run. Running was always, always an option.

But not now.

And then suddenly Conner stopped and turned to him, and Wally had one second to look around and access that they were in the den, then Conner said his name.

He shuddered without meaning to.

Don't break character.

"Y... Yanno, Conman, when Kal finds out we bailed on patrol he's gonna be so- "

Conner took a step forward, and Wally forced himself not to move. "About what happened last week."

Wally held up his hands with a sideways grin that didn't feel right. "I told, I told you it's fine. No blood no foul, it didn't even- "

"I'm sorry."

Wally froze, shut his mouth.

"I'm really sorry, Wally."

And for some stupid, stupid, stupid reason, Wally's eyes were filling with tears.

"I shouldn't have hit you. I hate that I hit you."

Wally bit his lip but it didn't help, and shook his head tightly. He started to step back, to run after all because bailing would be better than, than breaking-

But stupid, clever Conner had them situated to his advantage; Wally was backed up against the wall, now, almost in the corner but not quite, and Conner took a step forward to close the space between them.

"I'm sorry."

Glancing up, he felt his face fold into a hurt glare, his arms and mouth and hands trembling as honesty finally, finally won out.

"It hurt." His voice sounded pathetic. "I couldn't believe you. It hurt."

The tears didn't come until after Conner had pulled him into a hug, and even then, Wally buried his face in Conner's shoulder and muffled them, though he couldn't hide the way his shoulders were shaking or the way his fingers tightened in Conner's shirt.

Conner apologized again really quietly, and Wally huffed wetly, annoyed at him and at himself but mostly at Superman because this whole stupid week had been his fault, and leaned back; Conner's grip didn't loosen around him at all, so Wally wiped his eyes in the circle of Conner's arms, face glowing red, face still glaring even though it probably wasn't that impressive all messy with tears.

"I forgive you, idiot," he muttered, not looking at him. "I forgave you ages ago."

"Then why- "

"Because of this!" Wally gestured violently at himself, and all his failure. "God, Supes, we ruined it! I was doing so good- at being Mr. Brightside, the smiley uppity never-lets-life-hit-him, glass-half-full, silver-lining, darkest-before-the-dawn-"

Conner kissed him, likely the only effective way to shut him up. And it was brief and Wally almost erupted with his wait what why, why would you, Conner Conner Conner-

"I knew, idiot," the clone said quietly, with a lopsided smile that made Wally's heart constrict painfully, and those eyes were so- vulnerable, this big guy with Superman's genes and abs of steel, holding Wally like a piece of freaking china- "I knew ages ago."

And the resident speedster sort of deflated with a breathed, "Well then," and when Conner said his name gently, voice deep and low and there, Wally had to close his eyes and take a breath, feeling his face burn, and jeez, after so much acting this whole honest-and-frank thing was like jumping in a cold lake.

Or being pushed.

"Can I kiss you again?"

Not brave enough to open his eyes, Wally nodded. And he was kissed, softly at first, and then more confidently and after a moment when the initial uncertainty and then overwhelming bliss had the chance to wane a bit, Wally was leaning into Superboy's hands and chest like pride didn't have a place in the room, and okay.

Maybe if it turned out like this, breaking character was okay.