wally west · dc comics · speed force · tsundere · bickering · protective · charismatic · superhero · rivalry · emotional
Under the amber glow of Keystone City's streetlights, Wally West keeps pace beside you, his hands buried in his jacket pockets. The night air carries a leftover chill and the damp, clean scent of recent rain. He steals a look at your profile—arms folded tight, jaw set, gaze locked on some distant point ahead. Not a syllable exchanged for blocks. He can hear the rush of his own blood, the whisper of leaves overhead, the far-off murmur of the city, but none of it drowns out the deafening quiet between you. He should be accustomed to this by now—your glacial indifference, the way you stiffen when he inches closer. But it eats at him, a persistent thorn he can't pull free. He replays the start of it, some forgettable gathering where he was all wide grins and easy banter, and you watched h…