Wally was freezing and he knew he had to hurry if he wanted to survive this.
The wind blew strong against him and made him feel even colder. The snow was deep and slowed him down significantly. And on top of that he could barely see where he was going due to the snow storm surrounding him.
But stopping wouldn't help him either. He had to get somewhere save, somewhere warm. Fast.
The com.-link didn't work and he couldn't feel a mind link to Megan or anyone else. Wally was all on his own out here.
Well almost. He was carrying his best friend on his back. But said friend was out cold – literally.
He just hoped Robin would be fine. Just as the rest of their team.
They had been on a mission. Sneaking in, getting the information and sneaking out – sounded easy enough. Well, they got caught when they were about to leave.
They split up and wanted to meet again at the bio-ship. They were still according to plan B. Too bad he and Robin never made it to the ship.
There had been a big explosion – he saw the others getting away from it, but it separated them. Robin just quickly looked up an alternate route on his wrist computer. Still everything looked fine.
On their detour to meet up with the rest of their team they got chased. Wally pulled his friend onto his back to get them away faster but they lost contact to the others. Robin's computer got hit by something – most likely a bullet –and stopped working. They tried to find their way anyway but, well, now he was here. Carrying an unconscious Robin around. In the middle of nowhere.
The speedster hoped they were still kind of nearby to the others, but still. It felt like he was out here for hours already. He could be miles of into the arctic.
He could barely feel his feet and hands by now. His face burned from the cold and he could only keep his eyes open thanks to his goggles.
Actually, said goggles where what lead him right now.
Robin had just recently installed a new heat vision feature for him and Wally couldn't appreciate it any more than right now. He was following a rather small heat signal, but the closer he got the bigger and the warmer it looked.
Wally really hoped it was some house or shed or at least a cave. Anything they could hide in and warm up a little. It was his only hope right now.
He tightened his grip on Robin's legs whispering against the storm that they were almost there.
Getting closer and closer to the mysterious heat signal he pushed his way on through the knee-deep snow. When he was sure he was only a few feet away he pushed up his goggles. All he saw was a dark shadow in the snowy storm, but it encouraged him to move on. With every step closer it took more of a proper shape until he could make out the stone cottage.
He saw windows, closed with heavy wooden lids. As he rounded the building to the left, there were still only locked windows. He went on to the next corner and finally, finally there was a door.
Carefully he let go of one of Robins legs, leaning forward to still hold him up. His hand was shaking so bad he had to try a few times to knock properly at the door. He didn't expect someone to be out here, but you never know.
And the last he needed now was the person owning this cottage being angry at him and not letting them enter.
There was no one opening the door though. He pulled the handle, but – as he predicted – it was locked.
Cursing under his breath he grabbed for Robins hand. He knew the guy had some kind of lock pick in his glove and Dick had shown him how to activate it once. But he couldn't quite remember.
"Robin? Rob?" He spoke up as loud as he could and luckily his friend stirred slightly.
"R-Rob, lock pick," his teeth were clattering. He was shaking so badly by now it was quite possible that's what woke Dick up in the first place.
Nevertheless he must have heard him. He moved his index finger to the lock and almost instantly it clicked open. Wally hadn't even seen the pick appear on the glove, but he couldn't care less.
He pulled the handle again, pushed the door open and kicked it close with his feet as soon as they were inside.
The room was small and there wasn't much furniture but it would do.
He sat his friend down next to the fireplace and tried to light it up with shaking hands. It wouldn't work though.
"L-let me d-do that," Robin's hands were shaking just as bad, but Wally had a feeling he still would be more successful.
He nodded and moved to the only cabinet in the room. He needed food - quickly. There were some old jars with pickles and peach, crisp bread and an old box with cereals. Not his first choices but better than nothing.
Out of the corner of his eyes he saw that Dick indeed had lightened the fire and was taking of his gloves to warm his hands.
Wally grabbed the pickles and crisp bread for now and moved back to the fireplace. He needed to warm up too. It was already a lot better to be inside and everything, but still he could barely feel his feet or hands.
Clumsily he pulled off his own cloves and started eating.
Dick was still shivering quite badly or maybe even more than before. The fact he was unconscious out in the cold most likely didn't do him any good. Wally wasn't even sure what had happened in the first place to knock him out. All he knew was that his affords of keeping Robin awake weren't working before. And even now he looked like almost dropping over again.
Wally didn't like that. If anything he got even more worried.
He started pulling of his boots, thinking hard about what was best to do now.
Keep warm. Keep hydrated. Keep fed. Keep warm! Blanket. No wet clothes…
"Take of your clothes," he instructed his friend not looking at him. He was still pulling on one of his own shoes. As Robin didn't move he added: "They are all wet and cold. You'll freeze to death like that."
Somehow his voice wasn't shaking as much as he thought it would. Being a speedster probably helped a lot with recovering from the cold. He wiggled his toes carefully. He started to feel them again, finally.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Robin nodding and starting to take of his cape and then the utility belt.
Wally focused on peeling of his own uniform. It was awkwardly relieving to get naked – not that he intended to get fully nude. But as he was finally down to his boxers and stretched his hands out to the fire he felt way warmer than before, with all the clothing on. He grabbed a few pieces of firewood that were piled next to the fireplace and carefully threw them onto the burning logs.
Robin was still fumbling with his own uniform but it felt way too awkward to offer help. So Wally got up instead and went for the only bed in the room. He grabbed the thick duvet and dropped it next to his friend – who finally got his clothes unbuttoned and shed out of them.
Wally went back to the cabinet and took the tin pot that was sitting on top of it. He went for the door and – using his powers – quickly filled it with snow from outside.
They would need something to drink sooner or later and there was no water in here. He better started to melt some snow right away.
When he had the pot hanging over the fire he turned for his friend again. Robin had curled himself in the blanket, bare hands and feet stretched out to the warming fire. He was looking up to Wally who just now noticed that the mask was missing too. There were red marks on his face from where the mask was previously attached and his lips were still sickly blue.
Wally smiled comfortingly and sat down next to him. He pushed the half finished jar of pickles in Robin's direction but the other just snorted and shook his head – finally smiling a bit too nevertheless.
"H-how did we end up l-like this again?" he asked with still clattering teeth. Wally just shrugged his shoulders.
"How did you end up unconscious again?" he asked back instead. Dick didn't reply. He pulled his hands back instead, spread his left arm – a corner of the duvet clenched tightly in his fist – over Wally's shoulder and moved closer.
Wally couldn't help a blush spreading across his face and tried to hide it by facing away.
He took the offered blanket with a small 'thanks' nonetheless and circled it around himself a bit further. It wasn't that big of a blanket and sharing it hadn't really occurred to him. But he really appreciated the warmth and…
"Why are you still that cold?" he asked quite concerned. He could feel Robin's cold arm and upper torso toughing his own. It shouldn't be possible to be that cold as a living being.
"W-why are you already so w-warm again?" Dick asked back and gulped significantly before moving closer – clearly appreciating Wally's body heat.
Wally's blush only deepened, if possible. But he tried to ignore it and moved to sit face to face with his friend before pulling him in a proper hug. It felt awkward - to tell the least – because they were both half naked. But Robin needed the warmth and they both knew it.
Said boy moved even closer and now sat directly between Wally's legs - almost straddling him – his own legs circling Wally. It made both of them blush equally. Dick was now holding both corners of the duvet again and pulled it even closer around them while he uncertainly placed is head on the others shoulder.
"We never - never – gonna talk about this to anyone," he stated and Wally instantly nodded in agreement.
Robin finally faded into shivering less and warmed up. He still tightened his grip around Wally slightly.
After a few minutes Wally slowly started to get used to their position and placed his own head on Robin's shoulder.
Even long after Robin stopped shaking they both held tight onto each other, simply enjoying the moment, quietly talking to each other.
I wrote this like...2 months ago but I was really unsure about publishing it. I'm still not so sure this story is worth publishing but...well xD
Maybe some of you liked reading it anyway? :3 I really hope so!
And dang, I wish it would be really snowy outside! ;_;