Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice or any relations.

Chapter 1 :

One Year

In which the story begins a year later; some things have changed, some have stayed the same, while other things have become simple in a complicated way.

It's been one year.

Wally knows. He counts. He remembers. And he counts again. With his fingers spread wide in front of his face, his toes curling and uncurling, and the tip of his tongue tapping against the back of his teeth, Wally counts and recounts, backwards then forwards. And while he counts he remembers.

He remembers Dick's laugh and not his creepy little cackle that wasn't so creepy like but more it's-creepy-in-a-cute-way – and Wally really shouldn't be thinking like that, no not anymore because it's been a year and that should be enough. It really should. But still, he finds his mind wandering, back to when...

He remembers the way Dick's hair would fall gently in front of his eyes. His raven locks that looked and felt so silky soft that framed nice sun-kissed skin that held a pair of vivid blue eyes that left Wally speechless. He remembers Dick's warmth, and his gentle touches, and his lips, and his...

He tries to remember. He tries. But it's hard. Because it's been a year – a year since he wrapped his arms around Dick, a year since Wally's touched that skin or raked his fingers through his hair, a year since he's watched those eyes dance, a year since he fell asleep while listening to Dick's heartbeat and his easy breaths, a year since Wally's felt so much tender love and a vicious wanting that grabbed at his gut and pounded away at his heart.

A year, Wally realizes, can be as short and sweet as it is bitter and long.

He rolls onto his stomach and reaches for his cell phone that lies haphazardly on the edge of his bed. He begins composing a short message before he reads it over – once, twice – and he sends it away. He worries for a brief second if maybe the message was too long because Wally had a way to strangle words together in a huge mush making everything complicated and unnecessary. He hoped the message was simple and that nothing and none of the words would be taken into retrospect.

A really brief second because his phone went from a fading dark to abrupt light, illuminated a painful bright glow. Wally ignored the way it made his head pound as he instantly opened the new message that popped into his inbox and scanned it over – once, twice – and he gave a short laugh before rolling onto his back and closing his eyes with a small smile on his face.

No matter what, Wally knew his best friend would always be there for him. He didn't bother to stifle his yawn and pulled on his red comforter with the Flash insignia till it reached his chin.

Simple was best, after all.

In one year many things had changed. Dick was older and wiser. He was taller too, not as tall as Wally or Roy or Kaldur or Supey...Dick was taller but he wouldn't mind being taller. Especially with Wally taunting and teasing about his short height and occasionally calling him 'shorty' which occasionally sent Dick's fist directed at his face, not that he ever managed an impact as Wally tumbled away laughing.

Dick was different. He liked to think he was mature. He liked to think he could handle anything that was thrown at him. He liked that when he couldn't, he had his friends and family to watch his back. He liked that whether he was grown up or not, his friends and family would still occasionally pamper him. Pampering was different from treating him like a child, which Dick did not like. Pampering meant hugs and cookies and smiles and laughs and just complete trust as Dick fell asleep on one of their laps, not capable of keeping his eyes open after nights and nights of unrest. And when he woke up they'd still be there, raking a comforting hand through his hair, and his sunglasses would still be perched on his nose or where he left them in his utility belt or on the coffee table in the living room, untouched, undisturbed.

Because some things didn't change and some thing's did but that didn't mean there was any less trust.

Kaldur still flitted from one place to another – land to water – but now there was no more hesitation. When he was in the surface world his thoughts were on the team, on their previous missions and their future ones, on being a leader, on deciding whether he should be the one to tell Artemis that Wally was the one who broke her arrow – by accident, but still, sparks were about to fly.

M'gann and Conner were officially dating now with the full acknowledgement of the team. Whether that was good or bad depended on who's opinion it was. Artemis didn't seem to mind as she was currently out looking for her own Superboy after the first five didn't work out. Kaldur, as the oldest and wisest, was happy for them but didn't care to involve himself too much into their relationship. Wally didn't care. Dick didn't care. They were happy for the couple – the only couple on the team.

Artemis was a whirlwind. She was a hurricane. She picked up one guy and threw him away faster them some could blink, already on to the next one. Arty was not a whore, nor a slut, so don't call her one unless you want to end up like Wally after he taunted her that one time. One time – because that's all it took before she had her arrows knocked, aimed and fired. Because Arty didn't put out but her independent, head strong characteristics kept bringing the boys to the yard like bees to honey. And damn if someone – anyone – would call her undetermined. Because Artemis had the perfect guy in her mind's eye – the one – and trust her when she says she will find him, maybe not in Gotham, definitely not on the team, but somewhere was her ideal man.

Everyone had changed. Kaldur, M'gann, Conner, and Artemis – the relationship of the team had changed. The way the team interacted with one another, the way they were able to read each other's moves and feel a familiar security, and strong bond based off of trust on the battle field. Wally had changed. Dick had changed.

And as the more things change, the more things stay the same.

For better or for worse.

Dick was tired and grumpy. Recently he always was. Because recently he came down with a bad cold that got Robin suspended and left his body feeling sore and aching. The cold was stupid. It could have been avoided. Yes, he had taken the safety measures but no; it didn't work, because Robin had been defeated by something as idiotic as the common cold that was going around. Plus his weakened immune system due to the long efforts braving the cold every night plus coming home only to be woken up four hours later equalled one Dick Grayson with his ass handed to him on a nice tinted platter.

Outside was dark. Dick wanted to see the stars, to count them, to travel along the constellations, but the smog that constantly clung to Gotham City like a leech was all he could see in the vast night sky. So instead he looked to the ceiling. Then he looked at the floor. To the walls and from there back to the closed window.

Wally had stopped texting him an hour ago. Dick knows. He counted, slowly and patiently. He shouldn't have, he shouldn't have been remembering and wondering and thinking and waiting and remembering all over again. Everything was a cycle lately. It was annoying. It was uncomfortable.

Dick hated how things were. It was irritating and got him frustrated. He didn't like that Wally still had that affect on him, to pull out all his emotions and open him like cracking open a book and reading all the words. They were supposed to be friends. That was it. No exceptions. They both agreed, though not aloud, that the last two years never happened. They would stop thinking about it. It was common sense that they shouldn't be thinking about each other in any way that was not simple, easy friendship.

But it was hard.

Because today was their anniversary.

The day that Dick decided he had enough of being stripped naked with those emerald eyes and decided to do something about it. The day that Wally stopped ogling and wanting long enough to fluster out a confession. That was the first time they kissed and Wally saw Dick's eyes, finding something new to stare and gaze at.

A year later it became the anniversary of the first time that Wally wanted so much more and Dick gave his consent. They were at Mount Justice and for the first time in a long time it was only the two of them. Wally took Dick back to his bedroom where Dick didn't hold in any of his moans or cries or screams of lust while Wally listened to the beautiful sounds coming from those beautiful lips that belonged to the beautiful boy under him. Because Dick was unconditionally beautiful. It was undeniably simple. Others didn't see what Wally saw – the way Dick moved, spoke, and laughed behind closed doors with his mask off, just being himself for once. And afterwards, while Dick lay sleeping in Wally's arms, his head nuzzled into the crook of Wally's neck, Wally realized that he was in love. He really was. And so was Dick.

Then things took a bad turn because when you're at the top the only logical possibility for you to go is down. Wally didn't think so. He denied it, because he thought that there was no limit that their love couldn't breach. Once, Dick thought so too, but not anymore.

Because Dick couldn't listen to Wally flirt, girl after girl, whether they were on a date or just spending time together, alone or with friends. Because Dick couldn't pretend that he wasn't broken inside and that sometimes he cried. Because Dick hated how Wally made him feel so jealous and needy and clingy. Constantly he found himself denying that Wally really did love him and hated himself for never hesitating when Wally said his name with those sweet lips. He wondered why Wally chose to flirt with all those girls, what made them so undeniable, what made Dick so unattractive and unwanted in Wally's eyes.

Because Dick found himself believing that he wasn't good enough and he never would be. With Batman, Robin could train harder and work harder and study until he was at the top of his class. For Wally he would do anything but that just didn't seem to be enough to hold the speedsters attention anymore. With Wally he started to feel relentlessly alone as if it was just him and it was only his love holding their shattering relationship from falling apart.

Dick became tired.

He couldn't do it anymore.

He couldn't take it anymore.

He was just too tired.

Things took a bad turn.

On their two year anniversary Dick broke it off. Wally stayed silent through the entire ordeal. He didn't argue or fight. He just watched as his world came crumbling down. As Dick broke down.

It was a mistake; a miscalculation. It would be a chapter in his life that Dick never wanted to read again. It was a mistake. And that's how Dick came to think of it.

Just a mistake, from one year ago.

A/N : I know what's going to happen at the beginning and at the end of this story, but in between is a blur of ihavenoideawhati'mdoing, so I guess this will be an adventure in a toilet for all of us. Enjoy!