A/N The happy ending (the one that's the real one in my brain)

Starts where chap. 4 - Bloom left off.

Wally sat on Dick's sofa, mulling over the day and thinking about how Dick was faring. Whatever idiot rejected Dick is exactly that: an idiot. Whoever gets Dick Grayson should consider themselves the luckiest person on the planet, because Dick was a goddamn gift. Dick's been a staple in Wally's life for so long, Wally honestly didn't think he could function without him. Every time, his first response to any situation remotely interesting was to tell Dick. He always went back to Dick Grayson.

The Kid Flash doll sat next to him and Wally picked it up thoughtfully. Something wasn't really adding up here. Wally was missing something. Something crucial-

"He had a shitting Kid Flash plush he keeps in his room 'cause you're not there!"

The fabric was worn down on the back of the doll. Wally's mind supplied the idea that it was probably where Dick rubbed it over the years. Right where Wally's soulmark was.

"I'll get Jay or Tim to help me later with my shirt!"

Why couldn't Wally help? They're bros, Dick seen Wally shirtless countless times throughout the years. A thought stuck Wally; he's never seen Dick shirtless. Not once. Wally has seen Dick's Robin suit torn and that boy had some nice abs- but not the problem here, Wally.

"But in all seriousness, it's to hide my soulmark."

Dick's soulmark wasn't in the front, Wally has seen enough torn uniforms to confirm that. That or it's tiny. Who knows. Maybe it's on Dick's back like Wally's.

"You didn't care then! You wouldn't care now!"

Why wouldn't Wally care now? Wally cared then! But the main problem was that Dick's soulmate needed to care, which had nothing to do with Wally, right? Dick just never said anything-

"Thunderbird."

Wally called Dick his lightning rod. Dick said thunderbird. Wally's soulmark.

No no no no no no nonononono- Wally's heart dropped to his feet.

Wally was shooting to the Batcave at over his maximum speed.

"Five years."

Wally didn't even know he could go this fast. He just needed to see Dick as soon as possible. Nothing else mattered.

"They tell the dorkiest jokes."

Wally's eyes burned. 'Dick Grayson, you better not had been in love with me for five fucking years and never said anything, helped me get together with Artemis because you're a fucking idiot-'

"They're crazy smart as well, like genius-level smarts."

No, Wally was stupid. The dumbest person on the planet. No, not the planet, the entire universe. He had the most perfect person by his side and never turned and took a good look. He never realized the most amazing person had been by his side the entire time. Suffering.

It's Wally's fault that Dick was dying.

"It's my soulmate."

Wally reached Dick's room without setting off a single alarm with his speed. (Plus he had authorization.) Dick was asleep, without a shirt, rolled over in his bed with his back facing the doorway. Wally, even in the dark, could clearly see the shape of the bird stretching across Dick's back. Wally could also see the cascade of bloody chrysanthemums adoring Dick's pillow.

"I love them."

Wally latched himself onto the end of the medbay bed in desperation, an overwhelming need to be close to his soulmate taking over.

Dicked stirred and blinked blearily up at Wally, "Walls?"

"Dick," Wally breathed. He never really noticed how beautiful Dick's blue eyes were, holy shit.

"Am I hallucinating again?"

Wally frowned, but ignored that comment, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"What?"

"Why didn't you tell me that we're soulmates?"

Suddenly all traces of sleep left Dick's eyes as he stared openly at Wally. Oh god, how did Wally survive before? How did Wally miss how freaking hot DIck Grayson was?

"Wally?" His name never sounded so right before, why has he never noticed? Wally grasped Dick's hand and buried his face there.

"Dick, why, oh god, I've been hurting you for five years. It's been five years. Why do you do this to yourself?"

Dick stared wistfully off into the distance, "You were happy. I was okay if you were happy."

Wally's heart stopped for a second at those words.

Then Wally was crying. This was someone he could've been with if he had stopped to look. Someone so selfless and caring. Someone who truly loved him as who he is. Fucking Dick and his self sacrificing tendencies, even in romance. Wally clutched onto the sheets, balling his hands into fists as he cried next to Dick's hand.

"I don't deserve you. You're amazing, you're smart, you're talented, charming, smooth and so much more," Wally choked out into the bed, "And I'm just. Me."

"Wally."

"I'm an idiot who didn't notice the most beautiful and caring person by my side. Who went and tricked myself into a failing relationship and left my best friend, my fucking soulmate, dying. I hurt you so much-"

"Wally, look at me."

"You should be angry with me, you should hate me. And yet, here you are, dying because you love me? Because for some reason, I'm worth throwing your life away for? You're so much more than-"

"Wally! Please, look at me!"

Wally looked up. Dick was frowning at him, but his blue -the most beautiful blue- eyes were soft and loving and caring and everything Wally ever wanted someone to look at him with. Dick looked at Wally as if the redhead had hung the sun, moon, and stars into the sky.

"You're worth it. You're always worth it. I would do it a thousand times over."

Dick's eyes widened as Wally surged forwards and planted a kiss right onto the boy wonder's moving lips. It was a simple kiss, just on the lips and Dick smiled into the gesture as Wally clung to him like if Wally let go, Dick would disappear.

~

Wally had been losing things in his life since forever. He lost his parents to their distant relationships. They just talked less and less until one day Wally realized they were no better than strangers. He lost his first friend in school because it was a bet. He lost his team and his powers when the speed force began hurting him. He lost his relationship with Artemis. He couldn't lose this one.

No, he was not going to lose Dick Grayson.

~

Bruce found them the next morning, always being the first to check up in Dick at ungodly hours in the mornings. A quick scan showed that Dick's condition leveled out and the plants in his lungs hadn't grown. They had even receded a little. Bruce looked at his first son sleeping peacefully for the first time in days and a weight lifted itself from his chest. Bruce probably wouldn't survive if he had to go through the death of another son. The man quickly rearranged the blankets so that it covered the two boys snoring away on the medbay bed and walked out to finish his morning routine.

"Alfred, cancel the appointment with Dr. Leslie."

"Right away, sir," The relief and smile were clear in Alfred's intonation.

~

Dick woke up to a dark room. Nothing unusual since there were no windows in a cave and that no one turned on the lights until Dick was awake. What was unusual, however, was the figure that was using Dick like a giant teddy bear. Dick's bare back was pressed to a shirted chest and pale freckled arms were wrapped tightly around his waist. Dick twisted slowly until red hair was in his line of sight and last night came rushing back to him.

Dick had honestly thought he was hallucinating last night. That he was dreaming or something, but the way Wally had Dick in a death hug and the lessing pain in DIck's chest told him otherwise. The change of pattern in Wally's breathing also told Dick that the other boy was awake.

"You're so warm," Dick murmured, burying himself more into the blanket and Wally's embrace. Wally's hug tightened.

"All the benefits of dating a speedster!" The redhead joked sleepily opening his eyes to the image of his own soulmark. Wally tugged a hand out of his embrace and traced the bird on Dick's back in wonder. He's never noticed how detailed it was; after all, the only way for Wally to look at it before was through mirrors and photos. Wally's own soulmark heated at the contact and Wally suppressed a hysterical laugh. Because, god, Dick was perfect for him and how did he miss it for five years? They could've been here five years ago!

"You're my lightning bird," Wally chose to whisper to Dick, pressing the soulmark back into his chest.

Dick smiled as the root in his lung unwound a bit more. "And you're my thunderbird."

It's a start. Of course, love doesn't happen overnight, despite what people like to think or how much both sides like each other. It's a slow process of figuring out your lives together, a wild adventure. But it's okay because at least now, Dick had someone to fly with.

~

Nightwing was on his usual patrol of Bludhaven, a common site to the nightlife of the city. What wasn't common, however, was the lightning emitting red streak that followed the vigilante on his course.

Occasionally stopping to talk, the red blur, known as Flash, flagged down Nightwing at the roof of the building where the bird had taken a perch. "What do you want for dinner? I'm feeling Tex-Mex, ooh, maybe Japanese, wait what about Italian?"

Nightwing laughed fondly. "Flash, it's nearly two in the morning. That hardly counts as dinner."

"Yeah..." Flash agreed slowly, "But! It's our anniversary today so I was thinking of taking you out?"

"Oh my god," Nightwing snickered into his wrist at his utter dork of a boyfriend.

Flash flailed his arms. "Dude, stop! I'm serious! I'm going to romance you so hard, you're going to be falling for me!"

"Sorry, but you're too slow, I've already fallen for you. Hard. You're about seven years too late," Nightwing replied cheekily. Before Flash could utter another word, however, Nightwing had pulled the redhead into for a kiss.

They pulled away breathless, Flash, eyes hooded, whispered, "We're finishing this at your apartment later, okay?"

"Of course," Nightwing smirked, "But let's finish patrol first."

"Aye aye, captain!"

Together, they jumped off the building.

A/N Then they went on to adopt a genius young girl who pulled a Wally and gives herself speedy powers and they live happily ever after as a crime-fighting family. The end. (Oh, and her superhero name is Peregrine, the fastest bird (and animal) alive.)

Hopefully, this makes up for the angst from the last chapter?