A/N: Written for FemFeb this year. I'm not especially a fan of Bea's animated portrayal, but at least her limited screen time and Shayera's Brazilian joke leave the door wide open for interpretation. I was hesitant about this one, being from a man's perspective and all, but this is the idea that stuck out to me and this is the perspective that felt most right for it.
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Things had seemed to be going good with Fire– with Bea. They were far enough along that he could call her that, just like he'd given her leave to call him Wally. It was a bold new step and, being who he was, he was keen to follow it closely with another one.
"Date?" Bea blinked. She reared back off the fist she'd propped her chin on and Wally would swear he heard her smile hit the table when it fell.
"Yeah, uh– just, y'know, maybe lunch or something?" Wally clung to his own smile by the skin of his teeth even as he leaned back in his seat to give her some extra space. It sounded weak to him too when he joked, "Nothing too fast."
Apparently he hadn't given her enough space, because her arms were off the table and across her chest. She was giving him a look he didn't understand, bewildered and embarrassed. He was beginning to wonder if maybe it was some Brazilian thing when her attention jumped over his shoulder and the look on her face took on an edge of guilt.
Ice must've been pretty close already when Bea noticed her, because she was at Wally's shoulder when he followed Bea's gaze. He looked back around in plenty of time to see Bea rise half out of her seat and lean forward. Even for him, he felt like what happened next went in slow motion. Ice leaned past him, steadying herself with one hand on the tabletop and the other on Bea's shoulder. The kiss was just a peck– familiar, casual intimacy– but he could've believed in that moment that he was watching it happen forever. He couldn't have repeated if asked what they said to each other then.
He sat back with his jaw loose and almost missed his cue to say goodbye to Ice. She gave him an odd look, then glanced at Bea– who winced so quickly that he was probably the only one who noticed, before making a gesture that easily translated to later. Ice nodded and went on her way, not without a look back.
"You, uh…" Wally said, jerking his thumb after Ice's retreating back, watching Bea with what had to be comically rounded eyes.
"I'm so sorry," said Bea. A touch of color showed high on her cheeks. "I really thought you knew…"
"Hey, no, it's fine," he said, deciding as he heard the words that they were true. He managed to wrangle a grin up out of somewhere and added, "Nice catch!"
"She really is," said Bea, a softer smile than any he'd seen from her touching her lips as her gaze drifted after Ice. She wasn't exactly relaxed when her attention came back to him, but her elbows were back on the table.
He leaned in, too, rolling one hand in the universal sign for go on. She was more relaxed– more happy– the longer she gushed and, yeah. It was more than fine.
