Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Rating: PG-13 for now, will change later.

"So…this is your place."

It was just after six-o-clock in the evening, and Diana had arrived in Keystone with the Flash after an uneventful six-hour drive in a rental car. Surprisingly, Wally elected to drive instead of using his super-speed to get to his destination; "I'm off the job," was all he would say when Diana asked him why. The drive had been quiet, the silence broken only by the Korn CD that Wally had popped into the player. He then focused on the road, apparently lost in his own thoughts…

Diana felt uneasy. Would he be like this for the entire two weeks?

"Welcome to my shack." Diana looked up, distracted from her thoughts. Flash offered her a wry grin, then flipped on a switch, flooding the apartment with light. From the front door, Diana could see that they were in the entryway of a surprisingly roomy living room, decorated entirely in…black, white and red?

Flash caught her expression and cracked up. "Decorating scheme of an ex-girlfriend," he remarked. "It's strange, I know."

Diana moved forward cautiously. The wooden floor was covered with an intricately-patterned black, white and red rug, and sunlight streamed in form an enormous skylight.. A black leather couch took up the side of one pristine white wall, on which hung and enormous Keith Haring print in black, white and red. A white leather loveseat, red lacquered divan and black leather chair completed the furniture in the room.

"Strange," Diana agreed, balancing gingerly on the edge of the white loveseat. "It doesn't look like you at all, Flash." With him, she expected a comfortably messy loft. Rock posters, perhaps. A black plasma big-screen that took up an entire wall. This was too…funky artistic, too modern.

"Well, that's because she wasn't like me, at all." Flash's voice broke into her thoughts, and he tossed his duffel bag on the couch. He wasn't smiling anymore.

Diana's eyes fell on a picture sitting on a side table, framed in- what else? Black glass. It featured a grinning Wally West with his arms wrapped around a tiny, dark-haired woman with large, extraordinarily lashed eyes. They were on the beach, apparently- she was wrapped in an enormous beach towel, and Flash was wearing baggy swim trunks. "This her?"

Flash looked over sharply, then dashed over, looking embarrassed. "Oh. Yeah. I don't even know why that's still out- we broke up a while ago."

Wonder Woman knew she shouldn't pry, but she couldn't resist. "What was her name?"

"Jessica."

"She's pretty."

"That she is." He took the picture and tossed it into the drawer underneath the table. "She's in Cali now, trying to get into the movies."

"Wow. She…doesn't…I mean, she…"

"Doesn't seem like my type, right?" Flash grinned at her; his good humor seemed to be back. "Let me guess. You figured she'd be a leggy blonde with a silicone rack, right?"

Diana was taken aback. "I would never-" then she caught the look on his face. "Okay, I fold," she said, chuckling. "So…why did you two break up? I mean…if you want to answer," she added quickly. She didn't even know why she was so interested, except for the fact that she couldn't picture her happy-go-lucky teammate with a girlfriend, talk less of a steady one.

"No, it's okay." Flash's eyes came back to her face, and she caught a glimpse of what might be…pain, behind his eyes. "It was a long time ago. I-I had just joined the Justice League, and…" he shrugged. "It didn't work out."

"I'm sorry."

"It's cool. We would have been in Dutch anyway- we weren't that much alike to begin with."

"Wow."

The two stood in a slightly uncomfortable silence for a moment; then Flash clapped his hands together, abruptly. "So!" he said, a little bit too loudly. "I'll bet you're hungry…and come on, I'll show you where you'll sleep so that you can dump your luggage."

Flash led her through a hallway, indicating doors to his left and right as he went. "That's the bathroom, hall closet, and TV room," he said. "I'm gonna sleep in there. You get my room, since there's an actual bed in there." He opened a door at the end of the hall. "Let me warn you…I have no idea what it looks like in there. Haven't been back since…" his eyes grew distant. "Since I joined the League."

"What about Christmas?"

"I…stayed with someone else," he said evasively.

Wonder Woman kind of wondered whether that 'someone' was the elusive Jessica, but she had been nosy enough for one afternoon.

"Well, get settled!" Flash threw open the door with a flourish and raced off in the opposite direction.

"Where are you going?" yelled Wonder Woman.

"I need to pee!"

Diana shook her head and stepped into the doorway. The minute she saw the interior of the room, she began to laugh. "This looks a lot more like you," she said, walking in.

Flash's bedroom was small, especially compared to the rest of the apartment, but it looked comfortably lived in, despite its cleanliness. She walked in and dropped down on top of his Keystone Kings basketball comforter and stretched out her legs, kicking off her sneakers with a groan of relief. "Great Hera, that was a long drive," she muttered. "I must have been insane to agree to it."

In a second, Flash zipped into the room, stopping just in time. "It does look the same!" he glanced furtively at Diana, then ducked down to the floor and began to look under the bed.

She flopped onto her stomach and leaned over, trying to get a look at him. "What on earth are you doing?" all she could see of him were his Converses.

"Looking…for…something…"

"What, your two-year collection of Playboy magazines?" she teased, remembering his stash at the Watchtower.

"Ha ha." Flash emerged from under the bed, his hair and face dusty and rumpled. "Those are Maxim magazines, I'll have you know."

"Much classier." She narrowed her eyes, then widened them when she saw what he was holding. "Is that…"

"Candy corn!" Flash ripped open the dusty bag, spilling half the contents into his lap. "I knew I left this bag under here."

"But its months old!"

"So what? Sugar doesn't spoil." He said this through a mouthful of the candy. He held out the bag.

Diana backed away. "No, thanks," she said with a laugh. "So…"

"So?"

"What do you do for fun around this place?" she stood up and yanked her fleece pullover over her head.

Wally smiled, a bit wickedly. "Thought you'd never ask."

"Ye gods, I am about to burst."

Flash glared up at Wonder Woman. "Would serve you right if you did," he grumbled under his breath.

At dinnertime, they'd called the local Chinese food place and ordered, just for fun, all of the chicken items on the menu. ("Do you do this a lot?" Wonder Woman had asked when the food arrived.) There was a staggering amount of chicken, cooked in as many ways as there were on the menu- sesame chicken, General Tso's chicken, sweet and sour chicken, chicken with cashews, chicken with peanut sauce…then Flash had pulled out his X-Box, claiming that he was going to "school her" in the art of "being beat gracefully" at video games.

Diana laughed and stretched out her legs, finishing off her movement with a not-so-graceful burp. "Why, Wally, darling. Are you upset?"

Flash muttered something intelligible, rolling onto his stomach and buying his face in his arms.

Diana laughed again.

It was midnight, and she and Flash were sitting in the previously-immaculate den, which now looked as if a bomb had hit it with impunity. Chinese food containers were scattered about on the chairs, the floor, the coffee table- anywhere there was room. Flash's X-Box was on, and the ending stats of his NBA Live 2005 game was now frozen on the screen. A large college-dorm style multi-bulb lamp filled the room with light.

"Aw, Flashie, upset that I beat you?" Diana leaned forward until her lips were right next to his ear. "Eight times?"

Flash sat up, a frustrated scowl on his face. "You cheated!" he insisted. He still couldn't believe that Diana had beat him at all his best games- and multiple times, too! He took in her smirking face for a second, fuming. Then he grabbed a sofa cushion- and fired it at her face.

Taken by surprise, Diana actually tumbled off the couch and onto the floor. By the time she regained her composure, her assailant was standing over her, grinning, wielding a second pillow. His hair was standing on end- and he looked slightly crazy. She considered yelling at him- then she had a better idea. She lunged to her feet.

Flash, however, saw what was coming and took off, racing around the living room, laughing like an idiot. Diana took to the air and lifted another pillow. Got to time it…just…right…

She let the pillow fly.

Flash felt something slam into his chest, and then felt himself falling backwards. Next thing he knew, he was strung up to the ceiling fan by Diana's lasso. She stood at the bottom, smirking, hands on her slender hips.

"You win," groaned Flash.

"Well, what do you know…it does make people speak the truth!" still laughing, Diana untied him and lifted him down. He scowled at her and attempted to regain his lost dignity by brushing himself off, but saw the absurdity of the situation and began to laugh himself. "Come on, it's almost one in the morning. What do you say we do, clean up in here and crack open a carton of Breyers?"

"Ice cream in the middle of the night?"

"No better way to eat it, Princess."

Diana shrugged. Why not? She was beginning to be glad that she'd come with the Flash- she felt more relaxed than she had in…decades, really. "Do you have coffee-flavored ice cream?"

"I'll have to check." Wally stretched and grabbed the wastebasket from the side of the couch, tossing Chinese food cartons into it. Diana began closing the ones that still had food in them- thanks to Wally, there weren't many left. "That was fun," she said with a yawn. The long drive, video games and big dinner had all combined to make her feel very, very sleepy.

"Di?"

"Hunh?"

"You're leaning a little bit to the left." She could hear the amusement in her teammate's voice. "Skip the ice cream- you look like you need to sleep."

Wonder Woman considered protesting, but an enormous yawn nearly cracked her jaw. "Good idea…" she stumbled back into Flash's bedroom, twisting her hair up in a haphazard knot, not even bothering to change her clothes. She pushed back the covers impatiently and climbed in between the sheets, closing her eyes and waiting for sleep to come. She couldn't seem to drift off, though…the room was too unfamiliar. She inhaled loudly.

Seconds later, Wally's voice emerged from the darkness. "Diana?"

"Yes, Flash?"

"You sleeping?"

"Obviously not."

Silence. Then, "Are you… comfortable? I can get you more…pillows or whatever."

"Very." Wonder Woman felt bad for snapping at him. "Don't mind me, Flash. I'm just…" she rolled over. "Good night, Flash."

"Night."

Diana was woken from probably what was the best night of sleep she'd had in months by her ringing cell phone.

Bringggg!!!

She buried her face in her pillow, groaning and wondering if it would stop if she ignored it- and after four rings, it did stop. Not bothering to turn it off, she closed her eyes and let sleep drift over her once more.

Bringggg!!!

"Oh, Hades!" Frustrated now, she twisted in the other direction and reached for her nightstand, where the phone was. She snatched it up and opened it, catching a glimpse of the time as she did so. Seven-thirty? Oh, if this was Audery, she was going to get an earful. "Yes?" she snapped into the phone.

"Where are you?"

Taken aback by the sharp male voice at the other end of the line, Wonder Woman's eyebrows shot up into her hairline. "Excuse me?"

"This is Batman." From his tone it was clear that he'd expected her to recognize his voice right away. What conceit. She felt her face grow hot with anger, and…something else. Even over the phone, he had such a presence, such an effect on her…curse him! "Where are you?" he repeated.

"Is there an emergency?" she snapped, catching a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror hanging on the opposite wall. She looked positively rabid.

"No." Batman's tone clearly showed he thought she was being paranoid. "Why did you leave?"

"Did I need permission to do so?" she said tartly.

"Of course not. Don't be ridiculous."

"Oh, so I'm ridiculous now, is that it?" Her voice was as cool and collected as befitted an Amazon, but… "Look, Batman. Is there any point to this conversation?"

"You're acting like a child."

"I'm acting like a child?" Furious, Diana clicked the "off" key and took a huge breath. Seconds later, the phone rang again. She picked it up. "What?"

"Cooled down yet?"

"Why would I be hot?"

"You tell me."

Diana slammed the flip phone shut hard, hoping that she'd burst his eardrum. She waited- phone in hand- for him to call again, but he didn't. Grumbling, she reached for the nightstand and her charger. It was on the far end and she couldn't quite reach it. Maybe if she stretched…just a little more…

Her foot caught and tangled in her sheets. She attempted to kick them loose- then tumbled to the ground, landing with a resounding thud.

"Damn!" for one of the few times in her life, Diana indulged in an earthly expletive and rolled over, thankful for the rug. Still, her hip…she stared at the phone for a moment, daring it to ring. It didn't.

Still incensed, she glared at the phone for a couple more moments before heaving a deep sigh and getting up. Look at how you're overreacting, a little voice in the back oh her head nagged. You're acting completely unlike yourself. Don't you have any self-control?

You really care for him, Diana, another side of her consciousness replied. It's not just an…attraction thing. You've been drawn to him since the beginning…

Impossible! She argued back Princess Diana 'falls' for no mortal. None!

Wait. Why am I conversing with myself?

Irritated, Diana shook the thoughts from her head and started down the hall after a glance through the ajar door into the den. Flash wasn't on the couch, and his bedclothes were at the foot in a tangled heap. "Wally?" she moved forward. She could hear some rap music being played somewhere, very low. There was no answer.

Diana moved down the hall, pausing to glance at the empty bathroom, and walked into the kitchen. Her host was seated at the table, scowling at papers spread out in front of him. He was scribbling vigorously into a notebook, pausing at intervals to glance at an open book to his left. A radio in front of him was playing the music she's heard earlier. He seemed totally engrossed in…whatever it was that he was doing.

"Um, Flash?"

Flash jumped, nearly falling out of his chair. "Don't sneak up on people like that!"

Diana rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. "I was calling your name all the way up the hall! It's not my fault you're deaf," she added good-naturedly.

"You're an Amazon- the ground is supposed to shake when you walk," Flash retorted.

Diana considered docking him on the spot, and he knew it, judging from the mischievous look on his face- but she was too hungry to take his bait. "What do you have to eat in here?"

"I have to go shopping- there's nothing in this place," Flash said as she opened the fridge, only to find a six-pack of Budweiser, mustard and a bowl of baking soda.

"I think shopping's a good idea- although I was dying to eat mustard this morning…"

"Shut up." Flash pointed at a bag from on the otherwise-spotless counter. "Open it. I ordered from the deli."

"Zeus be praised!" Diana bounded over and reached for the bag. Inside it was a good-sized amount of lox, bagels, cream cheese, orange juice, yogurt, milk, donuts, coffee…

"What did you do, order everything on the menu?" Diana exclaimed.

"I didn't know what you liked," Flash said, sheepishly. He stood and came over to her. "I ate already, but…"

"Take whatever you want, Flash. I can't finish all this."

"You read my mind, woman." Flash picked up one of the plastic plates in the bag and loaded it up, then sat back down and proceeded to shove it all in at an alarming rate. By the time Diana had sat down, he was halfway though the pile, still reading. "What are you doing?" she asked.

Flash looked startled; then embarrassed. He slammed the book shut. "Just…pushing some papers around." He finished the rest of his breakfast and glanced at Diana's barely-touched plate. "Um, look…I need to go and shower, so…

Diana raised her eyebrows. She'd never seen him so jumpy before. "Are you…all right, Wally?"

"Fine." He was practically sweating, now. "I'm…I'll see you in a bit."

Diana shook her head, then sat down and continued to eat.

Are you insane, West? You're acting like a total freak!

The Flash was standing in his bedroom, already dressed in jeans, trying to find a shirt that didn't smell like the mothballs the housekeeper had packed them in before he'd left for the Watchtower earlier that year. Diana was in the shower. Lovely visual there, although it was totally wasted on him at the moment. He was thinking of other things.

"Get a hold on yourself, dude," he muttered to his half-naked reflection on the door mirror. If his totally warped state of mind wasn't enough, one of his senior teammates now probably thought he was certifiably insane…

He just couldn't stop thinking. And thinking wasn't a thing that the Flash did much. Not before the invasion, anyway. Before then- God, it seemed such a long time ago- he'd been the fun-loving, testosterone-crazed kid of the League- the one who'd never taken anything seriously, talk less of life. The invasion had changed all that- Flash was thinking now, all right. In fact, he couldn't stop. Life, love, betrayal…these were all things that had been foreign to him. Well, not foreign; just not…important.

Now, they were central to him.

"How could I have been so…" he muttered to himself before shaking his head. He needed to get back to normal- fast. He did have a houseguest, after all…he rummaged through another drawer, and finally found a shirt, still in its plastic wrap from the store. He held it up and surveyed it. It would have to do.

In the background, he could hear Diana emerging from the bathroom. She knocked on the door. "Flash?"

"Yeah. Coming." Walking over, he yanked it open and managed a smile of sorts. "It's all yours, Princess."

Diana, shrouded in one of his thick towels that covered her (thankfully) from chest to knees, frowned. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Sure." He shouldered his shirt and walked out, inwardly resolving to get back to normal- fast.

His teammate was already beginning to suspect something. He'd kind of…deflected her with the story about his ex-girlfriend; honestly, he'd forgotten about Jessica's redecorating until they'd walked through the door. His old personal life was so separate from the League- it had always been. Getting over an old girlfriend? Easy. Getting over Hawkgirl's betrayal? Not so easy- especially not when he was being watched so closely by his very shrewd teammate. Now standing in the hall, he took a deep, shaky breath.

You're the Flash, okay? Not Batman. Not the GL. Not J'onn. You get over it- you don't brood. That's not your style. You get over it fast, okay? Faster than light- that's your trademark.

He squared his shoulders. He;d managed to forget for a little while yesterday, when he and Diana were hanging out and eating Chinese, but night had brought the feeling back, full-force. He couldn't let it control him, though. Diana couldn't know that he couldn't handle…well, she couldn't know. Ever.

He had a certain Thangerian to get over- and a teammate to fool.

This was going to take work.

A lot of work.