I knocked on the door of his apartment, hoping he would answer. It was the middle of the night and I knew it was a long shot... but I had to try. Thankfully, after a few minutes of my hesitant tapping, the porch light flicked on and the door opened to reveal a half-naked Wally West. He rubbed his eyes and addressed me groggily.

"Shay?"

I knew by the sleep still in his voice that I had woken him up, so I felt the need to apologize.

"Sorry I woke you..." I said quietly, studying the toes of my boots. "I just didn't have anywhere else to go."

It was then that he came to and realized why I was here. His face softened a bit as he addressed me.

"It's freezing out here, Shay. And you're soaking wet. C'mon... Let's get you inside." He said, putting an arm around my shoulder and pulling me out of the rain.

-{brief time lapse}-

"Ouch! That hurt!" I complained.

"Sorry! Sorry.."

He worked in silence, concentrating so that his tongue stuck out the corner of his mouth. He started with my bloody knuckles, bandaging them gently. Then he moves on to cleaning the 2 inch gash on my forehead. There isn't much he can do about the bruising along my cheekbone or the cut lip... I wrap the blanket he gave me tighter around my shoulders and take this time to admire my would-be savior. His fiery red hair is tousled and falling in his blue eyes, which, surprisingly seem to burn even brighter in his dim kitchen and the freckles that sometimes make him seem 17 instead of 26 are barely noticeable. His full lips are now pursed as he ties the finishing knot in my bandages. I save his middle for last... He's still wearing the gray pajama pants he answered the door in, leaving his muscular chest completely bare, but that isn't what I'm looking at. I'm looking at his scars. The deep lines ripping across his back and sides that his father bestowed upon him when he was just a little boy... not many people know about Wally's childhood. I'm one of the few that does...

"So... you want to tell me what happened?" I look up and blink a few times, clearing my head.

"What?" I ask, a little dazed. His mouth barely turns up into a smile, but I also see his eyebrows knit together. He's worried...I take a deep breath and contemplate lying... but I know he'll see right through it. He knows me too well...

"I was taking night watch for Bruce back at the Tower... I started thinking about... things... all of a sudden, I just wanted to hit something. So, I came here to Central City... I walked straight into a bar downtown... and punched some guy as a hard as I could." I mumble, looking down at my bandaged hand.

"You... started a bar fight...?"

Then the laughter starts. I stare at him like he's crazy and he finally calms down enough to explain.

"Yup. Sounds like my girl." He says, catching his breath and I feel my chest loosen up a little bit.

"You're such an idiot!" I smile, placing my hand on his chest and shoving him backwards, then sigh.

"I should probably let you get back to sleep..."

He runs his fingers through his sleep-tousled hair and tries unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn, stretching his arms behind him.

I rise from my chair and I see him do the same. He smiles the crooked smile that I love and I feel a boldness course through my body. I hesitantly step forward and wrap my arms around his bare stomach, resting my head against his chest and inhaling his smell - aftershave and something else all his own.

"Thank you." I murmur against his warm skin.

I feel him release a deep breath I wasn't entirely aware he was holding and respond with an almost inaudible "You're welcome..."

I pull away and take a slight step back so that I can look at his face, standing over half a foot above mine.

"Goodnight, Wally." I turn on my heel and head towards the door, forcing myself not to turn around.

Without warning, I feel a warm hand on my back, spinning me around and pressing me lightly, but firmly against the wall, his lean body inches only inches away. His soft lips are swiftly against mine, his long fingers tangling themselves in my auburn tresses. I let out a slight moan and, standing on my toes, wrap my arms around his broad shoulders. His teeth sink into my bottom lip and I gasp slightly, giving him the opportunity to gain entrance to my mouth. I kiss him feverishly, breathing him in like he is my life line. I feel my pulse accelerate further as his hands grab the back of my thighs and lift me up effortlessly, slamming me back against the wall and pinning me there with his body. He then traces up my thighs and over my jean-clad ass to the skin on my lower back that my t-shirt fails to cover. The warmth radiates from his body, setting me on fire in the process.

He pulls back with a slight groan and, eyes closed, rests his forehead against mine.

"Shayera..." He whispers my name like a prayer. "Stay with me..?"

I open my eyes and look into his own, trying to find a hidden expectation there, but there is none. He doesn't require anything from me past staying the night. Wally has never been the one-night-stand kind of person and I know he won't start now. When he asks a question like that, I know he means it in the most gentlemanly way possible and I also know that if I say yes, we will spend the night together, enjoying each others' company in sleep. So I agree... and am rewarded with a smile that sends the seemingly-nonexistent butterflies in my stomach fluttering wildly.

He adjusts me so that he is carrying me bridal-style to his room. Setting me down on the plush carpet, he gestures to the bathroom amd instructs me to "Make myself at home."

***Flash's POV***

As I pull the blankets to my bed back, I can't help but think to myself, "Can this really be happening?"

From the moment Shayera set foot in the Watchtower, I was mesmerized. The way she moved and spoke and, occasionally, laughed made my chest ache from her beauty. I have dreamed of her ever since... for years, I have kept the way I feel about her a secret, refusing to let her or any others see just how much she affects me... but now, here she is. Standing in my apartment in the middle of the night with all of her usual pretenses gone... trusting me completely with herself. Something that I know she does not take lightly and, therefore, neither do I.

Suddenly, I'm stolen from my thoughts by my Shayera... standing in the doorway of my room with an air of shyness about her. Taking this moment to drink her in, I notice that her hair is down, slightly brushed through, leaving elegant waves in its wake. Her face is free of her mask, making her wide emerald eyes even more prominent against her creamy pale skin. Then I notice what she's wearing... it's a simple navy blue t-shirt... one of mine... that reads "Central City Crime Lab" in plain white letters across the front. She tugs it down a little to disguise the fact that she's not wearing any pants... only a pair of simple white lace boyshorts. Her pearly grey colored wings are folded gracefully behind her. Even in her simple attire, she is the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen... I see her forehead crease almost imperceptibly. She's nervous that I'll change my mind about her staying...

I smile at her encouragingly and open my arms, inviting her to come lay down with me. She creeps forward slowly and climbs under the sheets, curling up next to me and burying her head into my chest. I gently run my fingers through her hair, down her spine and over her hips, admiring her curves. I hear her sigh softly as her body melts in my arms. I pull her face up to meet mine and I once again feel her warm lips. I have to fight the fire that courses through my veins. Pulling away reluctantly, I kiss her lightly on her forehead and pull her even closer to me.

"Goodnight, Shayera." I half-whisper.

"Goodnight, Wally..." I hear her reply in a matching tone.

We don't have to say anything else... we both know what the other is thinking. I close my eyes and breathe deeply. I've waited years to have Shayera in my arms and now that she is... I'm going to do everything in my power to keep her there.