A/N: Just a little Quickwest fluff since Wally and Jesse are quickly becoming favorites of mine (no pun intended) :)
"Jesse?"
"Mhmm?"
"Not to ruin the moment or anything, but, I really think we should tell your dad about us. I'm afraid he might...blow his top, I guess, if he finds out we're dating and never told him."
Jesse lifted her head from where it was nestled into Wally's chest so she could see him. They had decided to go Alaska for their second date - granted, it wasn't the most romantic place in the world - but Jesse had wanted to see the northern lights. Besides, it only took them less than a minute to arrive there, them both being speedsters and all, and it actually was kind of romantic being cuddled up together, watching the earth's most spectacular light show play out before their eyes.
At the moment, though, Jesse's attention was diverted from the lights, since she was distracted by what Wally had just said to her.
"Tell my dad?" She bit her lip, trying to think. "I...I don't think that's a good idea," she finally responded.
Wally looked confused as he absentmindedly played with a lock of her auburn hair. "Why?"
Jesse finally diverted her eyes from his and sat up. "You don't know my dad like I do. He can be...very protective of me."
"Almost all dad's are protective of their daughters. I don't see how that would make him opposed to us dating." Wally suddenly paused, and his eyes grew wide as he said, "Unless...does your dad have some unspoken grudge against me? Did he forbid you from seeing me or something? I mean, I know your dad a bit, having worked with him for the past few months, but, what if I did something that made him hate me, or-"
"Wally!" Jesse exclaimed, interrupting his fearful rant, but then she started laughing, which made him look utterly confused.
"Did I say something funny?"
She shook her head. "No, sorry, it's just - it's funny to see you get all worked up. You're cute when you're worried." She blushed slightly at the last part, still not completely used to being so open about her feelings to Wally, but seeing his wide smile afterwards seemed to melt away any insecurities she had. This was Wally, after all. She knew she could tell him anything.
"So your dad doesn't hate me?" he asked, obviously still concerned, despite the playful smile on his face.
"No, I don't think my dad hates you," she assured him. "I just think he hates the idea of me dating. He once threatened to cage me inside an 'inescapable daughter cube' when I tried to ask him if I could go out with some friends. Friends! Can you imagine what he'll do when I tell him I'm going out with a boy?"
She closed her eyes, trying not to imagine what crazy thing her dad would come up with. Of course, she would find a way to get around whatever it was somehow, but it was the idea that her dad might actually try to make something like a daughter cube that made her internally cringe with dread. She opened her eyes to look at Wally again, only to find him trying to keep a straight face, but failing miserably. "An 'inescapable daughter cube'?" he repeated.
Jesse rolled her eyes and elbowed his ribs. "Yeah, my dad's a bit different, I know. But I'm serious about this Wally. My dad and I don't always get along, but I really want him to be okay with us together. And I'm afraid if we tell him..." She trailed off and looked back up towards the sky.
"You're afraid if we tell him, he won't approve, and that you'll lose his support in something that really matters to you," Wally finished for her, his voice soft with understanding. Jesse said nothing, her silence confirming his statement.
Wally shifted his position until he was right next to Jesse, and then wrapped his arms around her waist, hoping his embrace would comfort her. Jesse leaned into his touch, a content sigh escaping her lips before she spoke. "I mean, even if he said he didn't want me to date, it wouldn't stop me. Nothing could make me want to stop seeing you. But it's like you said, this really matters a lot to me, and I'm afraid he'll...disapprove. So, that's why if we don't tell him, he can't give his opinion, right?"
Wally thought about it, but the whole lying to everyone thing didn't settle with him. He always hated it when people lied to him, so why should he lie to everyone else? "Well," Wally rested his chin on top of Jesse's head. "I guess it kind of makes sense. But it'd probably be less likely for him to approve the fact of you dating if he finds out you've been doing it behind his back, you know? If we told him, he might actually be happy for us."
Jesse gave a sarcastic snort. "When boulders float."
Wally ignored the earth-2 expression and kept talking. "No, but really - maybe if we tell him right away, he'll get accustomed to the idea of us being together and actually accept it, like he did when you first got your powers and used them to help Barry."
"Yeah, but he only accepted that after a lot of arguments, a catastrophe that could've killed hundreds of people, and some soul searching on his part."
"But the point is he learned to let you have freedom, so maybe he'll let you have more freedom again. He wants you to be happy, right? He's always saying he wants the best for you. Do you really think he'd try and purposely make your life miserable by forbidding you from what you want?"
"But that's just the thing!" Jesse exclaimed, frustration evident on her face. "He thinks he's helping me by doing things like that, not realizing how much it hurts me or holds me back."
Wally was at a loss for what to say, so he just hugged her tighter and said, "I'm not an expert at giving advice, especially about father's, since I grew up without one until just recently. But, just try to trust him, and maybe he'll trust you too."
Jesse was quiet again, and Wally knew she was considering what he just said. "Plus," he added, voicing his earlier thoughts, "it would be really hard to try and keep a secret from the whole team. I mean, no one knows yet since we've technically only been together for a week, but later on, it's going to be terrible having to try and lie to everyone; even if just one person finds out, they'll eventually tell others until everyone knows, which then puts us in an awkward situation."
Jesse's lips quirked upward in a smirk. "It'd be especially bad if Barry found out - he can't lie to save his life."
Wally couldn't help but laugh at how much truth the statement held.
Jesse gently twisted herself in Wally's arms so that she was leaning against his chest again, and brought her hand to his and intertwined their fingers.
After a few minutes of comfortable silence in each other's embrace, Jesse said, "Wally, I think you should change your college major from engineering to psychology."
Wally started and made a face. "Why would I do that?"
"One: You're a lot wiser than people give you credit for, and two: you're good at helping people make decisions."
"I think I'll stick with engineering, but...thanks?"
Jesse's chuckle was muffled by his shirt. "What I'm trying to say, I guess, is that you're right - we should tell my dad. I just really hope he doesn't - how did you say it earlier? 'Blow his top'?"
"Something like that. And don't worry, we can do it. We've faced tons of metas before, what's the worst that can happen?" Wally said confidently, and planted a kiss in her hair.
Smiling at his small display of affection, she said, "Well, he might give you the Twig talk, but hopefully that's all."
Wally frowned, not sure if he heard her right. "Twig talk?"
"Yeah, you know, the talk that basically goes like, 'If you don't treat her right, I'll snap you like a twig.' You guys have something like that here?"
Wally laughed, never getting tired of all the strange similarities and differences between the two earths. "Yeah, only we call it the 'you're dead meat' talk."
Jesse wrinkled her nose. "Sounds lovely."
Their conversation then turned from discussing her father to talking about other random topics, ranging from molecular science to the speed force to different types of food.
Eventually, the sky began to grow lighter, signaling the start of a new day. Wally and Jesse barely even noticed that they had been there all night long, having been so invested in their various conversations and simply enjoying the other's company. Sighing, Wally stood up and held out a hand to help Jesse up. "We should probably get back before everyone notices we were gone."
Jesse nodded and took his hand, but didn't let go once she had stood up to face him. "So, should we tell my dad tonight?"
"I'd say so, but only if you think you're prepared."
Jesse gave him a sly smile. "Well, as long as you're with me, I think I'll be fine. Nothing can stop the unbreakable duo of Kid Flash and Jesse Quick, you know."
Wally groaned. "Not the Kid Flash thing again."
Jesse laughed at his exasperated expression, and then leaned forward to gently press her lips against his. The kiss was gentle and sweet, but still new enough for the both of them that when they broke away it left them feeling tingly and slightly light headed.
"Race you back to Star Labs?" Jesse challenged.
Wally gave her a competitive smirk. "You're on."
The two raced off, leaving nothing but bright streaks of light behind them, glowing just as brightly as the northern lights still shinning in the early morning sky.
