A/N: Blibbity bloop!

Disclaimer: No, I still don't own it. Please stop rubbing it in.

"He's here, right?" Excited words tumbled out of Wally's mouth, uncontrollable. He was psyched that he finally got to have his best friend pretty much living with him! Well, living with his uncle, but what was the difference? His dad was an ass so he spent most of his time with Uncle Barry anyways. And now, he got Rob- Richard. Dick. Whatever his name was. He got his best friend! That was what mattered!

"He's hanging around somewhere." Barry shrugged while flipping casually through television channels. He knew the kid was capable of taking care of himself so why hover over him like an overprotective parent? Dick was a nice boy. Barry didn't worry about him getting himself into any kind of trouble. "Might be in the kitchen with Iris or something."

About halfway through the word "kitchen", Wally had pelted off with the speed of a bullet to arrive at his aunt's side. "Have you seen Ro-Dick?"

"Rodick? No." She got an irritated face from her nephew but brushed it off. Wally was like that most of the time. He was just naturally irritating for almost anyone who knew him well enough. "But Richard's around here somewhere."

A groaning sigh erupted from Wally as he then proceeded to race to the spare room, the only room where Ro-Richard would be staying. Unless they shoved him into a closet somewhere… But that was cruel and unusual punishment. His mind knew it wasn't going to happen, but some part of him still thought it a plausible idea. "Dude, you in here?" called Wally, pushing open the slightly ajar door. He poked his head in.

Within the shadows of the dark room lay a little blue-eyed child, on the floor, gaze following the rotating blades of the ceiling fan. The boy had his hands folded under his head as he watched it go round and round like the circle of life repeating itself. He'd heard the redhead's voice, but none of his words had really registered. Dick was just intent on his thinking and on the spinning fan. His thoughts were engulfing his senses, reliving all the times he and Batman had put the Joker back in Arkham, all the times Alfred had made cookies at four in the morning, all the times Bruce would make his ward dress up in a suit so they could go out to a lame party that neither wanted to be at…

"Dude?" Wally was half tempted to say his friend's name, but it was still uncomfortable for him to think that Robin had another name. One that wasn't, well, Robin.

A little sigh and then the response of "I'm here." Dick pushed his torso off the floor and propped himself up on his elbows. Blue eyes shone out of the darkness like beacons. "What's up?" His voice was a bit distant, but it was quickly brushed away.

"Tour time!" Pushing the door wide open and letting himself in, Wally reached a hand down to his best friend. "Come on. We've got places to go, things to do, people to see!" A grin was spread across his face. "That, and the park closes at dark. It's gonna get dark real soon so I wanna get moving quick, quick, quick!"

A slight smile appeared on Dick's face. "I still don't know how you guys show up late everywhere." He reached up his hand and took Wally's; the older boy pulled up the smaller. "If you're antsy right now, I can only imagine what goes on in your head when more important things show up." He felt his feet on solid ground again, scarcely a comfort.

"Yeah, just come on!" And Wally bolted, leaving Dick standing there a little confused. How was he supposed to keep up with the speedster? His only ability that was faster than running was swinging from wires on the skyscrapers of Gotham. There weren't any skyscrapers in Central City. So he couldn't keep up with his friend even if he tried. Kid Flash was just too fast. So Richard walked out of the room with a calm demeanor and headed out the front door, figuring Wally would find him eventually.

"He left without you?" asked Barry from the couch as he heard the footsteps of Grayson behind him. The blonde watched as the small orphan walked past him. After seeing the poor boy nod, Allen continued. "Typical Wally. He doesn't usually hang out with anyone outside of school except for you guys. He's not used to having to run with slow people on his home turf. He's usually only with me." Barry turned back to the tv, but continued to listen to Richard as he padded across the room towards the front door. "Sorry that he's… like that." There was really no excuse for Wally being Wally. "It's a habit."

Richard shrugged and shoved his hands into the pockets of his over-sized sweatshirt. He just felt more comfortable in clothes that were too big. Anything too tight made him feel like he should have a mask on to go with it. "I figured." He shouldered open the door and stepped out into the warm air of Central City.

The setting sun lay on the horizon as the young boy perched himself on the top step of the porch. Orange painted the sky. It quickly faded to a shade of blood red that seemed to stain the clouds and the air. Then a hue of purple took over and then the familiar black of darkness. It was only then that Wally came back. "Dude, where were you?"

"Never left." Dick gave a little shrug. His eyes looked over his friend who was carrying four paper bags, two in each hand. "Where did you go?"

"Everywhere. China. Brought you back some tacos from Mexico. Cookies are from Europe. Well, over there they're called biscuits, but whatever." The redhead held out a pair of bags to his friend. "Ready for the tour now?"

"I thought that's what we were doing in the first place," said the small dark-haired boy with an arched brow and a questioning stare at the ginger. He traced patterns on his knuckles to keep his fingers busy. It was soothing, something calming. Instinctively, as night fell upon Central like the wings of a bat, he felt the urge to don his mask and cape to patrol the city.

"No way! I had to get some chow first." Wally was already whipping out his own tacos and shoving them in his mouth with his head tilted sideways. Whilst chomping on his Mexican cuisine, he continued to say, "We can head out as soon as I'm finished with this. I can't do much without food." In a caveman sort of voice he added, "Wally need food."

Another tiny smile from Dick. He took the two bags that had been offered out to him. Then the redhead plopped down on the top step beside the younger boy. "I know you need food, Wally. That's why you keep a stash on your wrist, remember?" The little bird unfolded the top of the bag and procured his cookies before proceeding to munch on them. "Anyways, where we headed first?"

"Well, I wanted to go to the park 'cause I love the park, but it's getting dark, so that won't happen. So instead, we can go to the bank and to the mall and to my house 'cause my house is awesome. Then I'll have to take you back to Uncle Barry's, boring, and show you the park tomorrow. So yay, fun day! Eat your tacos."

Dick smiled a little bit while eating his cookie a little faster. Or, biscuit technically. Whatever. They almost reminded him of Alfred's cookies…

"Isn't Central awesome?"

"Less crime, no Joker, no gym in my house, and there's no cape in sight." He gave a little shrug while watching the sun make its final descent. "Generally, I would say it's boring."

"Yeah, we Flashes don't wear capes. Sorry." Wally downed one tacos before working on the next one. "I think Jay tried one once and it went over badly, so we kind of stopped that whole thing…" His second taco was gone in a gulp and he was working on a third. "And we don't really have a Joker. We've got a Mirror Master though. And some other cool guys! That you're… not allowed to… fight."

A nod from Richard as the last remnants of his cookie vanished. "So I've heard."

"But you want to get back into the business?" asked Wally as he finished off his fourth and final taco. His eyes watched the house across the street from his uncle's place as the lights flickered on and the night was once more flooded in golden light. "Back to being… Robin?"

Uncertainty flashed through the young boy's mind. He could see a few flames flickering in his eyes and that horror of remembering how his father had… But then, he'd helped all those people who had needed him. He'd saved kids like him, kids who wouldn't have parents anymore if it hadn't been for his good work as Robin. He continued to trace patterns on his knuckles; it was relaxing. A reminder that his skin was that of a human. That these emotions were normal. "I… I want to help because I know I can, but…"

Silence hung in the air, not awkward, not comfortable, but just there. The raven-haired child had to pick his words carefully. He knew what he felt, but he wasn't sure how to put it into words. His fear. His anger. His helplessness. His insecurities. There just wasn't a way to express that.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," assured Wally with a soft voice. He unrolled the top of his bag, the one that had his cookie in it. "I won't press." The redhead reached in and held out the cookie to his best friend in a comforting way, like the cookie would make all his problems vanish. Kid Flash knew better than to think that, but he could still hope.

Dick traded his tacos for the cookie. He missed having cookies every day after he got home from school. He missed Alfred. He missed school. He missed his cookies.

He missed Bruce.

"I'm just… I'm afraid that if I try to team up with anyone else again… that…" The boy took a deep breath. Why were words suddenly so hard for him? This was such a disaster… His whole life was going topsy-turvy again, the same way it had before when… "I don't want to fail anyone else. I failed Bruce and I don't want it to happen again." He took a little bite of his cookie. "I can't lose anyone else. My parents… Bruce…" His gaze watched the stars as they twinkled out of the darkness. "I don't know if I'll be able to handle it again."

In a moment of brotherly love, Wallace Rudolph West reached over and ruffled the hair of his small companion. The redhead leaned over a little bit and bumped his shoulder against that of Richard John Grayson. "You've always got me and everyone else. We're your friends and we'll be here for you." A little grin turned the corners of Wally's lips upwards. "Don't forget that."

He was reassured. At least for the moment. "I won't."

A/N: Sorry for the length. But I liked how it turned out. Some bonding for the guys. That was all I really needed. Reviews are great. Leave one. Thanks!

~Sky

P.S. And no, I don't know if Jay actually tried a cape or not. Just a fun little detail for the story, ya know?