[Fanfic]
Title: Smile Kid
Characters: Barry, Wally
Necessary Warnings: some mentions of child abuse
So loads of avid flash fans like myself will get this but for those of you who probably didn't read any of the old stuff this is a rewrite of that one scene where Barry and Wally meet at the party his parents throws after his dad yells at him and he runs off crying. So ya I wrote this with my slash goggles on so it kinda came out a little Barry/Wally instead of Barry and Wally but I promise you this is mostly still gen.
Barry frowns thoroughly displeased with the way 'that man' (because honestly Barry can't even think about his name without wanting to hurt him) talks to Wally. The kid's only nine and he made a mistake that didn't give him the right to yell at Wally like that. He doesn't say anything of course he doesn't have the right but he does give Rudolph a dirty look before he discretely sneaks into the house to go find Wally who ran off a few seconds ago.
It doesn't take long he can hear the sniffling and stiffed sobs coming from the end of the hallway and he frowns again because this just wasn't right, Wally was a good kid. He lets himself in quietly and sits at the edge of Wally's bed, the crying boy doesn't turn to look at him he stays facing the wall.
"Hey," Barry says gently softly and Wally makes no indication that he's heard Barry or even that he knows Barry is there, "You're dad's an idiot, for yelling at you." he says lamely, it's not like he's had to deal with crying children before but the look on the kid's face, he couldn't just ignore that.
"That's not why I'm crying," Wally sniffles softly "my dad yells at me all the time." a shrug like it wasn't a big deal and Barry frowns again, he's been doing that a lot lately.
"Then what's wrong?" Barry figures that's a little safer to ask then to say all of the horrible things he was thinking about the boy's father.
"I embarrassed myself in front of my Aunt's new boyfriend." Wally whines and Barry smiles because yeah that was cute. "I mean he's a little weird and dorky and kinda boring but I dunno I like him." Barry narrows his eyes softly at that dorky?
"I don't think he'll care." Barry says flippantly with a shrug that Wally can't see.
"Yes he will, and now he's gonna think I'm worthless just like my dad." Wally whines louder and Barry frowns again.
"I think he likes you."
"How can you be so sure?" Wally sniffs and he sounds so small it hurts to hear.
Another shrug "Call it a hunch, I can read people pretty well y'know." Barry says conversationally and he grins when Wally giggles.
"You can't read people, they're not books." Wally says and Barry's grin widens because Wally sounds happy now and that's a pretty decent start.
"And you know what else?" he asks lowering his voice like he's about the tell a really big secret.
"What?" Wally whispers turning around to look up at him caught up in the mystery Barry creates with the lowering of his voice and the way he leans forward slightly.
"I think the Flash would really like you too." he whispers taking much pleasure out of watching Wally's face light up and the bright smile take over half of his young face.
"You think so?" Wally gushes and Barry nods.
"I know so." he says
And Wally, so excited and happy he can't even think, jumps into Barry's lap arms wrapped tight around the speedster's neck.
"Thanks Uncle Barry." Wally mumbles softly into the fabric of his uncle's shirt.
"Anytime kid."
