Title: Stupidly Brave
Author: LaueHime
Rating: PG.
Genre/pairing: Hurt/Comfort, Family. Gen with hints of WestAllen friendship, but it can be more if you want to read it like that.
Characters: Barry Allen, Wally West, Joe West and Iris West.
Word count: 4,3k+
Warnings: Spoilers for season 2, more specifically for episode 2x15.
Summary: Tag to episode 2x15; King Shark. Wally West learns the hard way that Barry Allen is many things, but a coward isn't one of them.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Flash or intend to make any profit out of this.
A/N: Hey guys! So I had this idea after watching this week's episode because I was shocked when Wally called Barry a coward. I know it's all part of the fun, but I couldn't help but to think that, Wally, if only you knew…
And then this idea came to me and I just had to write it. I hope it's enjoyable!
I was also shocked to see that there is no episode for a whole month! I don't know what I'm going to do until then. Well, this is something to support you guys in the long wait!
Feedback is love! Enjoy!
In his plan to get Barry and Wally closer, Joe had decided that a men's afternoon out at Jitters was an inescapable plan for the three of them.
It was already a start when Joe had explained to his biological son the story of his foster son. If he'd known that much about Barry, maybe Wally would've had a different opinion of the guy.
Knowing all too well how it felt to lose a parent, he could relate. Or, at least, partly.
But his feelings toward the guy were hard to put aside. He could see Joe and Iris' eyes sparkle with pride when they talked about Barry. Even with Joe's speech, it still was kind of a downer whenever that shimmer was directed at his dad's foster son... his other son… whatever…
He could see that Barry was trying too. He was just… clumsy, maybe?
Like when he had asked for his help on his turbine project and Barry had instead done the project for him. Yes, the guy did want to help. And yes, he was the genius after all… But it made him feel like Barry didn't deem him capable of doing something by himself. That's what bugged him.
When it came to using his brain, Barry would flash his wits at any opportunity.
But when a giant shark dug a hole twice its size in the roof of the West house, Mr. Allen was the first one to disappear and the last to come back down to pick up the pieces…
So yeah, despite Joe's efforts, Wally West wasn't too keen on the idea of giving Barry Allen a big place in his heart. If Joe wasn't around, he would give him of piece of his mind instead.
"Isn't it great to be here? The three of us, I mean," Joe noted with a salesman's smile.
Only, both his sons didn't seem to be buying it.
Wally forced a smile that felt fake even to him. It was still better – at least that's what he comforted himself with – than Barry's distant passing looks between the other customers and the exit door.
At least he was trying. For Joe.
What was Barry doing?
"At least some of us pretend to care," Wally muttered under his breath.
Joe shot him a warning glance. Wally shrugged sheepishly, torn between not wanting to hurt his father and being unable to not point at the elephant in the room.
Because yes, Barry was that subtle…
"Barry?" Joe asked on a soft but firm tone when he too failed to ignore his foster son's distractibility.
Barry hummed in response while snapping his head back toward them.
He didn't even seem to be aware of what he was doing. Or not doing, in that case.
"Something on your mind?" Joe asked with concerned eyes.
Barry was going to respond when he seemed to acknowledge Wally's presence for the first time. Whatever word he was going to say, it died in his mouth before he could complete it.
If Wally wanted to look closer into it, he would say Barry looked careworn. The fact that the guy always seemed to have another place to be only added to the general cumbersome feeling that he appeared to be dragging everywhere with him.
"No… well, yeah, but… it's family time, right…" He stretched his lips into a tentative smile.
Barry took a sip of his coffee and the look that crossed his face spoke volumes about the temperature of the beverage.
If he hadn't spent so much time god knows where inside his head, maybe he could have had an ounce of hot coffee…
"Please, don't do us a favor here. Whatever it is that you have to do…" Wally started, but Joe's glare made him swallow what was left of his sarcasm.
Barry almost looked shameful. Wally must have seen mistaken it for something else.
"Look. I'm sorry. I'd like to be able to try more than that… I just… I don't know what to say. I've got things on my mind, right now."
For a second, the comprehensive look that crossed Joe's eyes led Wally to think that his father actually knew what Barry was referring to. So, maybe he was the one that was being left out…
It made one more argument to actually push the issue. He didn't understand and soon, he would be ready to believe that, maybe, he had something to do with it.
"We all do, man. But we're all here, right now. What's so important anyway?"
Barry pursed his lips and remained silent.
Of course, he wouldn't say. Plus, he had a strong feeling that Joe was in on this, so he really was the only one in the dark.
"It's alright. I get it. Don't bother."
Wally was up in a flash, grabbing his backpack and throwing it over his shoulder. He was already walking away when Joe sighed while massaging the bridge of his nose.
"Bar…" was all he said with desperate, pleading eyes.
Barry hung his head in shame. He thought about Joe and about how his father figure must be feeling about them having a hard time connecting. Despite their history and Joe loving Barry like his own son, he would never choose between them. Barry would never ask him to either.
He just knew, deep down, that if he could get along with Wally, Joe would probably be the happiest man alive. It was most likely Joe's dream to see it play out some day.
Barry let out a noncommittal noise.
He knew what Joe was expecting of him, but he had no idea how he was going to make it happen.
But he had to try. Finally rolling his eyes, he picked himself up and followed in the direction Wally had taken.
He had just made it outside when he spotted him. Wally was heading away.
Barry jogged up to him.
"Wally, wait."
The latter spun around and frowned when he saw that Barry was the one to have stopped him.
"What is it, Barry?"
Barry studied Wally while he picked his words carefully. "Look. It's not you. I don't know what to tell you because I don't know you, but it's not you. I'm just… I think I'm not good at this…"
"No shit," Wally snapped right back. He didn't mean it in a harsh way, but Barry's dejected look made it obvious that he had received it that way.
"I'm sorry."
Wally inhaled loudly. "Then act like it! I'm not here to steal your family, man. I can see how much they care about you and I'm not gonna try to take that away. I just wanna be a part of it. But while you're scared that I'm gonna take your place, you ain't givin' me any."
To that, Barry swallowed audibly. His eyes misted and he nervously tapped his fingers together.
Wally went on. "Maybe you don't trust me. 'm not sure I trust you entirely, either. But Iris and Joe have been good to me, so you're stuck with me."
With a lack of better words to use, Wally assumed his position with his whole body. Barry could either get on board with it or propose something else.
The latter actually didn't display much of a reaction aside from staring at Wally, as if to try to read his intentions.
Wally was waiting for an answer when someone grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him into an alley.
Barry was quicker to react to this new incident than he was to discuss about his family.
The man who had grabbed Wally had to be in his late twenties. His clothes were obviously too big for him, not that they looked new anyway, according to the stains and holes in them. He looked street-made.
"Let him go!" Barry ordered as the guy grabbed Wally above his shoulders and around his neck. That's when Barry noticed the knife in the guy's hand. The latter snickered with cruel pleasure.
"Look. Whatever you want, just let him go and we'll talk," Barry offered.
He chanced a look at Wally. The kid had fear painted all over his eyes. He too had noticed the tip of the blade that was just too close to his neck for comfort.
"What are you gonna do, uh?" the guy asked with a roughness to his voice.
Barry took his wallet out from his back pocket. "You want money? Take it! Take it all, but spare him."
He grew more and more desperate as the guy didn't seem to have any interest in his offer. He quickly came to the conclusion that he would have to do something. Only, his possibilities were limited if he was to keep his secret a secret. Running in superspeed-mode would give it away.
He had no choice. Barry Allen needed to do something.
He turned to Wally and tried his hardest to convey that they needed to do something at that moment.
Wally frowned at first, but he seemed to eventually get the gist.
When Barry nodded, Wally didn't think. He shoved his elbow into the guy's face. The latter was caught off guard and loosened his grip for a few seconds. It was enough for Barry to reach out to Wally and to pull him away from the guy's grip.
Only, in doing so, he put himself in the line of fire. As soon as the guy regained his balance, he lunged for Barry.
For a CSI, Wally thought Barry had a couple of good moves. He managed to dodge a few punches before one of them hit him square in the jaw.
Wally jumped back into the action, but Barry put a hand out to him.
"Don't! Go get Joe. I can handle him!"
Wally's eyes widened. Barry was a gangling geek; was he honestly expecting to pull that one off on his own?
"Sure you can. I'm not leaving you."
Barry was about to retort something when he took a knee to his midsection. The blow left him breathless.
At the first sign that Wally was going to join them again, Barry managed to get the upper hand. He twisted the guy's wrist, making him drop his knife. With a well-placed kick to the guy's knees, the man was on the ground. Barry went behind him for the finale.
He pushed the guy down, so that he lay flat on his stomach, and pressed a knee to his back.
Barry looked back up to find Wally staring down at them.
"Get somewhere safe…! I'll be fine," Barry panted as he pushed more weight into the guy's back.
Wally rolled his eyes.
In the fraction of a second that it took for Barry to acknowledge the gesture, he lessened his hold just enough for the guy to grab his knife in a swift motion and to slash blindly at the air behind him. He hit something solid and heard a grunt before his wrist was twisted again, forcing his fingers to part and the weapon to fall to the ground.
Barry grabbed the knife and threw it out of their reach. He wrapped his fingers tightly around the man's forearms, crossing them behind his back and weighing them against it.
"Man, you messed with the wrong guy," Barry huffed breathlessly while pushing his knee deeper between the man's shoulder blades.
Their racket had finally gotten people's attention. A small crowd was forming behind Wally, who stood there and observed the scene.
The man was pinned down for good. Barry might be a CSI, but he was surely capable of manhandling someone.
Wally was debating over the choice of his next move. He could get away and get Joe or he could stay close to Barry, who had most likely just saved his life. People behind him were shouting for someone to call 9-1-1. At least, reinforcements would be there soon.
That was one priority to move down the list.
Wally's decision came clear to him as he crouched next to Barry and the other guy.
"Anything I can do?"
As he got a closer view of Barry's face, he couldn't ignore the sheen of sweat that glistened on his forehead or the way he seemed to have a hard time catching his breath.
"No I…" Barry started, but Wally cut him short.
"I'll smack you if you say you're fine. It's the least I can do. Please. Let me."
The sincerity in his eyes wasn't lost to Barry. He could recognize it in Wally's eyes; something that he knew well. It was the desperation to do anything that he could to lend a hand. That feeling wasn't foreign to Barry.
Some of the tension in his body loosened as he finally relinquished his need to be the only one in charge.
"Put your knee here and hold his arm like that. Right, that's it," he noted as Wally settled himself in the same position Barry had taken on the other side.
They were both pining the guy down at this point. The latter was done for.
Wally shot a sideways glance toward Barry, not missing the way he pursed his lips as if trying to bite back on physical pain.
"You okay?" he inquired with genuine concern.
Barry's lack of response in favor of keeping a straight face was another alarming warning that things weren't as fine as they appeared.
"Don't worry about it," Barry finally replied in one breath, his eyes blinking rapidly.
A police car stopped on the side of the street closest to the alley they were in. The two CCPD officers didn't lose time in getting to them.
"What happened?" they asked as they knelt around them.
"Allen! You wanna finish that?" one of the officers said when he recognized Barry and handed him a pair of handcuffs.
Barry nodded and slipped the man's wrists into the cuffs.
"I'm not sure if this was a mugging. Guy didn't seem to want anything. He had a knife. I threw it over there," the CSI explained as he pointed at a space behind stacks of rubbish and trashcans.
"I guess we'll know more after we question him. You guys okay?"
Barry nodded quickly and closed his eyes when he thought nobody was looking. Wally had seen it, though. He didn't voice it aloud, but he knew something was up.
"Can we go, now?" Barry asked suddenly.
The officer in front of him frowned. He thought that the young CSI would know better than anyone that witnesses had to be questioned in order to get their deposition.
"This isn't protocol. You of all people should know that."
A look of desperate impatience crossed Barry's eyes.
"I'm a little shaken, right now. I think I need a moment. Besides, you guys know where to find me," Barry pushed with a forced casual smile.
The officer stood there in shock, but Barry wasn't bending. He finally had to give in.
He turned to Wally and shot him a questioning look.
At realizing what the officer was expecting of him, Wally unconsciously leaned toward Barry. "I'll stay with him. Make sure he's okay."
Barry sent him a quizzical look.
"You okay, Allen?"
Barry snapped surprised eyes back to the officer. He managed his most convincing nod.
Having other things on his hands, the officer finally dismissed them.
Wally didn't miss the hiss that whistled its way past Barry's lips when he stood up, or the way he seemed off balance for a couple of seconds before he regained his equilibrium.
As soon as they had gone, the other officer joined his partner with a bloodied knife.
"I found this…"
They exchanged a worried look.
"Allen?" the one officer who had retrieved the knife asked.
"He just left."
"Shit," the guy said, well-aware that they had a man to arrest and to drive to the precinct. They would have to check on Barry Allen later.
Wally and Barry had walked back toward the coffee shop when Barry halted and leaned heavily against the brick wall. His face had paled considerably.
"Barry?"
"Get Joe."
Wally was about to object when Barry wrapped his arm around his midsection. His hand came back bloodied. Wally's eyes widened as comprehension dawned upon him.
"The guy stabbed you, didn't he? You need an ambulance."
Barry closed his eyes in exhaustion. Wally had all the answers he needed.
"I need Joe… please get him for me…"
Wally wasn't convinced, but Barry didn't look well and if he said he needed Joe, he was going to get him.
When he came back out of Jitters with a panic-stricken Joe on his tail, Barry wasn't where Wally had left him.
"Barry?" Joe called.
"Over here," the voice replied from the quietest side of the establishment. They ran toward his voice.
Barry was crouched into an awkward position on the ground, with his back pressed tightly against the wall.
Joe was instantly on alert as he dropped to his knees in front of his kid and grabbed a hold of his shoulders.
"Bar? What happened?"
Barry's eyes were fluttering. "S.T.A.R. Labs" he mumbled quietly.
Joe understood right away. Wally was puzzled at their unspoken communication.
"Wally! Keep an eye on him while I get the car," Joe commanded as he was already on his feet.
Wally nodded and did as he was told. The idea of questioning them was behind him at this point. He didn't understand why they didn't want an ambulance, but Joe seemed to know what he was doing so he trusted him.
He knelt in front of Barry, where his father had been seconds ago. For all his wit and quick retorts, he found that, for the first time, he really didn't know what to say.
"Why did you do that?" he finally asked.
Barry was breathing heavily, but still looked up at him when the question was asked.
"…do what?"
Wally shrugged. "You took a beating for me…" he finally voiced aloud.
One corner of Barry's lips turned up.
"What? You think it's funny? The guy could've killed you!" Wally insisted while keeping for himself that Barry's heroism was a downright stupid idea. For a genius, that really was a dumb move…
"Hey," Barry started, getting Wally's full attention. "Don't worry. You're stuck with me."
It took a few seconds for Wally to react. It was enough for Joe to reach them with the car.
Watching them was like watching a learned and rehearsed choreography. They didn't need to speak, yet everything was so astonishingly fluid.
Joe grabbed a hand towel from the trunk and threw it at Barry. "You put pressure on that!"
While Barry obliged, Joe opened the passenger door and left it open.
Then he moved to Barry's side.
"Can you get up?"
By the amount of wincing coming off of Barry when he tried to move, Joe didn't need the answer. He lent a supportive hand into getting his foster son up.
Barry had to be in a world of pain. Still, despite the groaning and grimacing, he was awfully quiet for someone who had been stabbed in the gut. Wally caught himself thinking that the guy wasn't as much of a cry-baby as he had pegged him to be.
They moved with surprising grace; Joe always there to compensate with strength wherever Barry needed it.
"What about me?" Wally asked suddenly when he realized that he wasn't part of that dance.
"I'll keep you posted," Joe replied before disappearing through the driver's door.
Wally watched the car pull away and caught himself praying for Barry Allen to be okay.
He later received a call from Iris. She had just found out about Barry and she had asked Wally if he wanted to come over. He honestly didn't feel like being alone so he joined her.
Joe texted them with news regarding Barry's status. It had been touch and go at first, but Barry eventually stabilized and started getting better after that.
Knowing Barry, Iris had a feeling that he would be famished when he got home. She decided to make mac n' cheese, the way he liked it. To her surprise, Wally offered his help.
It wasn't until later that evening that the front door opened on a tired but very alive Barry Allen. Iris ran toward him and wrapped him up in a tight hug.
Barry felt like the air had been squeezed out of him. He might have recovered – he healed quickly after all – but he still felt wrecked and physically drained.
He couldn't repress a pained groan and Iris' face fell immediately.
"Sorry." She pulled away from Barry, suddenly scared of breaking him.
Barry had an instinctive reaction of reaching for his stitched side.
"Don't worry. It's okay. I'm just all little sore," he assured, wincing to prove his point when he moved a little too quickly for his body's liking.
She offered him a teary smile. It wasn't her first time seeing Barry hurt. She'd seen him through situations way worse than this one. Still, it never got any easier.
"Thank God!" she replied quietly, wrapping him in a softer embrace. Barry welcomed her heat against his body.
Joe was behind him, watching the scene with a heartfelt smile. He put a hand on Barry's shoulder before going around him and into the kitchen.
Wally was there, holding his hands behind his back. He almost looked nervous. Joe sent him a questioning look.
"She was worried so I wanted to give them their moment," he explained to justify his standing behind.
Joe shook his head lightly.
"Go ahead. I'm sure you two have some catching up to do."
Wally nodded and finally allowed himself to walk into the living room where Iris was helping Barry settle into a comfortable position on the couch. She sat on the edge of the cushions with her back near his midsection.
"Can I get you anything?"
Barry shook his head and softly grabbed her arm.
"No, I'm okay. Just… stay with me, okay?"
She pressed a hand onto his forehead and moved it to caress his cheek. "Sure," she said with a smile at which he smiled back.
Barry then noticed Wally trailing his feet in the background.
"Wally."
Wally nodded at Barry's greeting. Iris turned to him as well and invited him to move closer.
Wally sat in the arm chair across from the couch. He looked somewhat nervous.
"You okay, man?" Barry asked.
The kid was shocked. "I should be the one asking you that..."
Barry shrugged. "That guy had you too."
Yeah, but he didn't stab me, Wally thought as he looked at Barry in a disbelieving fashion.
"Thanks to you I got away, uh…" Wally looked down as his voice died down.
Barry had a hard time reading Wally's emotions. He couldn't tell if the kid was angry with him. Still, he felt the need to apologize.
"Look, I'm sorry I did it again. You wanted to help and I didn't let you. I see that I have a tendency to take charge and I'm sorry I did, but when I saw him point that knife at you, I had to do something!"
Wally nodded. "I know…" he started, but Barry cut him off.
"You have the right to be mad at me. I understand…"
It was Wally's turn to cut Barry off. "I'm not. I think you just saved my life."
Barry's breath caught in his throat. His eyes widened with surprise. Iris also looked at Wally with increasing interest.
"Thank you. Even though what you did was incredibly stupid for a guy that's supposed to be so smart, my ass is safe because of it."
Iris nodded and smacked Barry's shoulder while turning to him. When Barry stared up at her with a hurtful look in his eyes, she glared back at him. "He does have a point!" she exclaimed, justifying her action.
"I'm sorry," Barry replied sheepishly.
"You should be," Iris snapped back before allowing her features to soften. "We care about you," she added, which earned her a tearful smile from her best friend.
"Oh and, Barry?"
Barry turned back to Wally as the guy was about to continue on with something. The former invited him to proceed with an attentive nod.
"I'm sorry I called you a coward."
An unexpected wave of emotions swelled inside Barry's chest. Its warmth spread into his veins like growing vines. The smile he offered was most likely the most genuine one Wally had received from him since the first time they had met.
Feeling an unexpected warmth himself, Wally stood awkwardly under the weight of it. "I'll see if Joe needs help in the kitchen."
As he left, Iris turned back to Barry with eyes full of love and concern.
"We made mac n' cheese just the way you love it," she announced proudly.
Barry's smile reached his eyes. "You're the best, you know that?"
She giggled with pride. "I do, actually."
Without thinking, she leaned forward and pressed a kiss on Barry's forehead. As she did, one of the things that Barry had told them about Earth-2 came back to her. They were married over there.
The thought of it made her smile. Whatever happened on their earth, she would always be deeply fond of her best friend. She couldn't imagine her life without Barry Allen in it.
"You ready to eat?" she asked with a large smile. Barry nodded.
Iris helped him up and they reached the kitchen. The table was all set and Joe and Wally were working on the service. Barry smiled and sat into a chair with Iris' help.
It was the first time that the four of them were together in such a light and playful atmosphere; sharing stories and laughing as they ate.
Maybe Joe would get what he wished for, after all.
THE END
This is the end of a story that was quite fun to write! I hope you enjoyed it! Please, do let me hear your thoughts. Also, as I was writing this, I hesitated a lot about writing the whole Barry whumping scene in S.T.A.R. Labs. I finally decided against it, because I thought this story was mostly in Wally's POV. I could write a companion piece though, if some of you are Barry-whump fans. Just let me know if you're interested! Thank you for reading and take care, guys!