Due to popular demand (more like a few ppl) have a second chapter! Thanks again for my Bruce to beta read!

Startled, Wally was suddenly awake and acutely aware of his own body. Confused and disoriented, he blearily opened his eyes to a dark room. For a moment he wasn't exactly sure where he was, except that it certainly wasn't his bedroom.

Until it came back to him. Right.

He was at Wayne Manor, in one of the guestrooms and their oversized beds.

God, why was he already awake? His head was slightly pounding, his muscles and bones heavy with exhaustion.

Wally had fallen into bed two hours ago, convinced that he would sleep for the rest of the week, after Alfred had provided him with one of the best meals in his entire life.

Shrugging to himself, Wally figured he might as well go to sleep again and turned around. He pulled the sheet up to his nose and took a deep breathe before closing his eyes again. His body sunk into the comfortable bed, his muscles aching from relief.

Maybe Bruce was back at the moment? Wally hadn't really seen him in the two days he had been here to recuperate. Not that Alfred wasn't great company, especially when Wally only ate and slept and listened to Alfred's voice.

Blinking his eyes open again, Wally could barely see the edge of the bed. His eyes felt tired too, as if he had watched too much television. Which hadn't happened in years, due to his fast healing.

And yet. Here they were, tired and dry and he wanted to close them and go back to sleep.

He closed them again and willed his mind to rest. It didn't matter where Bruce was. Not when Wally was needing and trying to sleep so badly and-

Wally's eyes snapped open again and he sat up. Great. Despite being tired, he was wide awake and unable to go back to sleep.

With a sigh, he threw the sheets on the other side of the bed and stood up. Might as well search for Alfred. Maybe some talking would make him tired enough again.

Shaking his head, Wally threw a shirt on and figured the boxers wouldn't scare Alfred too much.

Zipping through the mansion, Wally found Alfred in the place he least expected him in. The kitchen.

Confused, he entered it and inhaled deeply, the smell of food heavy and delicious in the air.

"Geez Alfred, why are you still...already? Cooking again?" Wally asked, walking up to the older man and trying to take a sneak peak on what he was cooking.

Alfred took a glance at him before turning back to his task. "Master Wallace, why are you awake? You have been barely away for a few hours."

"Yeah, but I woke up again and can't go back to sleep. Now you," Wally offered a sheepish grin and waited for the answer to his question.

Which he didn't get. Instead, Alfred gently grabbed his shoulder and pushed him to a seat at the table. Without much explanation, a plate with way too much food for its own good on it, was placed in front of him. Along with a glass of water and the needed cutlery.

"Uh...thanks," Wally smiled tiredly, and picked up the fork. He was immensely grateful for the other man to cook so much and provide him with food for the past two days but even Alfred needed to sleep. And as far as Wally was aware, Alfred had always been awake when he was awake.

Was Alfred a superhero who just hadn't come out yet?

"Alfred?" He looked up with his mouth full of food and waited for the other to acknowledge him.

"Yes, Master Wallace?"

"You aren't secretly a metahuman, whose power is to never sleep, right?"

Alfred paused, and both men stared at each other before a small smile appeared on Alfred's face and he placed a second glass, this time with some juice, on the table.

"You seem to require more sleep than we previously thought. Eat up."

Alfred turned away with that and started to clean the dirty dishes while Wally practically inhaled his food.

He was just about to offer his help when the next plate appeared in front of him. So Alfred really did have superpowers. He couldn't fool Wally.

Though, the other's secret was safe with him. Especially if the food kept being this delicious.

It was always hot and heavy, sometimes a bit too greasy, in the stomach. Exactly what a starving speedster like Wally needed.

The routine of being provided with a new plate went on for about five more until Alfred ran out of food and Wally started to feel bad for not cleaning it up. He knew Alfred would never let him do it as long as the butler remained in this kitchen.

That just meant Wally had to be sneaky about it later.

Just when he was sure to have come up with a plan, Alfred spoke up again.

"Even if you cannot go back to sleep, Master Wallace, try making use of that couch in the room across the hall. There you could wait for Master Bruce. He called earlier."

Wally let a beat pass, processing the other's words.

"Yeah..sure, why not?" Wally wasn't really sure why Alfred wanted him to wait for Bruce but didn't mind doing so. "Are you coming too?"

"I will be with you shortly," came the gentle reply while Alfred continued to clean the dishes.

Still feeling bad about letting Alfred do all the work, Wally fled to said room and immediately flopped down on the couch.

It was a nice, cozy, worn one. Definitely sat in, with the cushions giving slightly in.

Pushing his face between the seat and the back, Wally curled up to lie in it.

It smelled nice too, actually. In a calm and reassuring way. Like home was supposed to smell. Or so Wally thought it should smell.

He blinked a few times and listened to the faint sound of plates put on top of each other.

Wally was fast asleep before he knew it.

Putting the last plate to the side, there was no use putting it away when he was going to need it again in a few hours, Alfred made his way across the hallway, to the next room.

There he found the redhead sleeping on the couch.

He walked up to him and gently put a blanket over Wally, smiling faintly over the fact that Bruce also seemed to always fall asleep on this couch.

It baffled Bruce how Wally could've endured this for weeks. Two days of constantly reprimanding people wasn't his ideal idea of spending time.

Batman was needed in Gotham. Had his own city to protect and all he had been doing today was pulling up the roster of the League, telling people what their work was and to stop wasting his time - and the time of others, important to him.

He hadn't even closed it for the last two hours, despite the sudden break in calls.

Not that he would complain about it. Not when the silence could be disturbed any second now, Bruce was sure of it.

If only he would've listened to Wally when the younger had told him how overwhelmed he'd been. Then all of this wouldn't have escalated so much. But he hadn't and Bruce would make sure to make this right.

For a few minutes he let the sound of his fingers on the keyboard wash over him, slightly relaxing while he continued his research.

Only to tense his jaw enough until it hurt, when he heard the telltale sign of the comm unit activating in his ear.

"Hey Flash! How are you? Listen I was wondering if-"

"No." Bruce stated, cold and detached.

Silence grew between both of them until the voice on the other end continued. Bruce didn't even care anymore who it was he needed to tear a new one.

"I...uh...Batman? Did I-"

"No, you didn't. This is Flash's communicator but since he's out of commission I'm dealing with everything coming his way."

"Oh! That's...nice, I guess. I'll just-"

"You won't contact Flash again except for socializing or League emergencies. You currently have four other heroes at your side to help with the clean up and Flash would be one of them if we had intended for him to be there."

It was a reprimand he could recite in his sleep now. Of course the phrasing had always been different but the meaning remained the same.

No one would contact Wally for simple things that could've and should've been handled by each individual themselves, again.

The voice on the other end cleared his throat, clearly nervous about his sudden bad luck to interact with the Batman.

"Yes! Yes of course, I mean I didn't even mean to ask Flash about that because you see-"

"Why did you contact him?"

"W-well now in hindsight, I guess it was just-"

"Why." His patience was wearing thin, Bruce didn't want to hear anymore of this.

"..."

When he asked again he snarled more into the comm, noting down to give the other the more tedious tasks the League had to offer for the next few weeks.

"I wanted to ask if he could babysit my niece!" The voice on the other end pitched higher than usual.

Babysitting.

"Babysitting."

The guy wanted to ask Wally to babysit.

What in the-

"What exactly could Flash do faster in terms of babysitting, that you can't do?" His body was ready for a physical fight, Bruce's mind already formulating different ways to punch the other.

"I...I don't know! But...but he's good with kids and-"

"You're suspended from any missions for the next two months once you've finished your current task." Which meant one thing: administrative duties.

Bruce took the communicator out and placed it beside the keyboard. He had known that things had gotten out of control when someone wanted to ask Wally to bake a cake for a party but... babysitting? There was nothing Wally could've done faster than anyone else because time still went by at the same pace as usual. And just because Wally lived at a different speed didn't mean he was any faster in babysitting someone.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Bruce decided that it was time to go home. Someone else could have their eyes on Gotham or contact him if something dire showed up.

He closed every program, took Wally's comm unit with him and went to the teleporter.

Bruce stared at Wally who was sleeping on his couch.

When he came home, he had first taken a shower and had put on sweatpants and a shirt, with the intention to grab something to eat and rest for a bit.

Though it seemed that his favorite resting place was occupied at the moment.

Standing there like he was waiting for something, Bruce leaned down a bit and pulled the blanket a bit higher, Wally having it almost thrown on the floor.

His fingers brushed Wally's cheek for a moment and Bruce stared at the point of contact. Gently, he placed his whole hand on the other's face. It always surprised Bruce just how warm Wally really was.

Did Wally feel too cold in normal temperatures? Bruce sometimes mused about it until something else drew his attention away. But he had noticed Wally wearing warm clothing when it was actually quite warm outside.

Then again, he had also seen Wally way too comfortable with just a sweater during winter, so maybe he actually felt like it was too hot most of the time.

He ought to ask the Speedster sometime.

Bruce shook his head, left the room and walked into the kitchen.

"Why is it," Bruce started when he entered, "that Wally is sleeping on the couch when I have many more beds to offer? Does his current one not suffice?"

A chuckle left Alfred while he shook his head. "Master Wallace could not sleep, so he decided to keep me company. I suppose he fell asleep doing so."

"Wally couldn't sleep? Isn't he beyond exhausted?" How strange. Bruce remembered vividly how tired Wally had been. They had barely managed to get him to eat something before he had fallen asleep.

"Oh, he is quite exhausted. More so than we anticipated. Earlier he inquired whether or not I have secret powers."

At that, Bruce had to smile. That sounded like Wally, regardless of his state of exhaustion.

"I wouldn't blame him, considering having wondered that myself over the years."

The look Alfred gave him, told Bruce exactly what he thought about that before he proceeded to change the topic. "Hungry, Master Bruce?"

"A sandwich will do, thank you," Bruce nodded.

"Oh no. You are going to sit down and have a bowl of soup. Master Wallace has eaten quite much and I am quite sure he will not miss one bowl."

With that said, a bowl was prepared for him and placed on the table. "There."

Bruce couldn't really argue with Alfred, seeing how the other man always had the last word. Well, most of the time anyway. "Thank you, Alfred."

"You are welcome."

Alfred went back to preparing whatever meal he planned to cook next and Bruce enjoyed his bowl of soup.

And while he also enjoyed the familiar silence between them, Bruce felt the need to talk.

"Later I'll carry Wally into his room. He's not quite fitting on the couch and will likely wake with some cramps," Bruce mused between eating.

A thoughtful hum came from Alfred.

"As I recall, you've slept on this couch numerous times, despite having a perfectly functioning bed. And if my memory serves me well, Master Wallace also recovers fast. I am certain he will not mind the ache for the little while it lasts. At least he can sleep now."

"You're right," Bruce nodded and finished his soup. Wally probably really didn't mind the fact. After all, who knew how often he slept on his own couch, despite it being rather small.

He took the bowl and stood up in order to hand it to Alfred. "Good night Alfred. See to it that you take a break as well," he smiled slightly, at Alfred before leaving the kitchen.

"Good night, Master Bruce." Flowed calmly from the kitchen, as Alfred subtly ignored Bruce's second statement.

Bruce shook his head and stopped by the other room to take another look, Wally was still in the same position as before, and made his way to his own bedroom.

He crawled into his bed and pulled the covers up, promptly falling asleep.

Ten minutes later his own communicator signalled an incoming call and he tapped it softly without opening his eyes. It wasn't the first time he handled a call like that, just to see if it really was important or not.

"Batman."

"I know, I did call you...did I wake you up?" Of course that's what Clark was worried about. He was always worried about something.

"What is it?" Bruce wasn't even going to answer the question posed to him. They both knew the answer and they both knew it wouldn't be the last time Clark woke him.

"There's a rumor going around that you actually have Flash's comm unit and are suspending people from missions for calling said comm." Clark explained, slowly, and Bruce couldn't tell whether Clark sounded amused or put out by the matter.

Of course, the rest of the original seven knew about the situation and were aware of the fact that Bruce had Wally's communicator. Everyone had been for the idea.

Then again, Bruce hadn't really left room for argument, having simply delivered facts and stated his decision. There hadn't been objections.

"And do you have a problem with the way I am handling things?" Clark would want him to soften up, perhaps. Something Bruce wouldn't do. He listened to Clark but sometimes the Man of Steel was a little too gentle and Bruce effectively countered that.

A chuckle came from the other hero.

"No, not at all. I'm sure whatever that person did, did deserve it. No one is actually talking to me but I can hear them all around me." Clark never liked eavesdropping on others but it seemed that he couldn't help himself this time. "I just wanted to inform you about the current situation. Maybe it'll work in your favor and the calls will gradually decrease."

"Maybe. Maybe I need to write an official letter stating how everyone should be doing their own work." But that could backfire too. He knew that people liked to socialize and to share their work from time to time. Which, usually, was alright.

The problem was that socializing with Wally had gotten out of control.

"We'll work it out. We all know that this wasn't alright and stand behind you. But...give it time." Kind words. Then again, Bruce hadn't expected anything less from Clark.

"It shouldn't have gotten this bad in the first place," Bruce scowled, once more considering the call for babysitting.

"You're right but you can't beat yourself up about this forever."

Bruce didn't reply to that. As usual he had written a report about the situation and had been honest about it. Which meant he had included the part where he had sent Wally away.

But he hadn't talked to Clark about it in person.

"Bruce," Clark said in a hushed tone, quite aware how Bruce felt about real name calling over the com. "Anyone could've reacted like that. You had no idea. What matters is that you're making sure he has everything he needs to rest now. It's going to be alright."

At first he wanted to remain silent again but decided against it.

"Good night, Superman."

"Good night, Batman." As usual Clark didn't even sound put out, merely like someone who smiled and said good night.

The call ended and Bruce sighed, closing his eyes in an attempt to fall asleep once more.

Wally shoveled another slice of ham with eggs into his mouth when Bruce entered the kitchen. And despite the kind of messy plate and grease on his face, Wally grinned widely at Bruce.

"Good morning!" He was still tired but happy enough to see Bruce that he sounded excited.

What he received in response was a lifted eyebrow.

"It's 1pm, Wally."

"And yet we both just woke up. So good morning!" Wally beamed and then laughed, feeling a little silly. Maybe it was the sight of Batman in sweatpants.

Of course, he had seen Bruce in training attire before, but that was before the League allowed more heroes into it. Nowadays, he barely saw Bats outside the costume, and even then - mostly in the newspapers.

Though the whole thing would be silly, to feel silly simply because Bruce was wearing sweatpants and just woke up. The other man's hair was messy too and there were still sleep lines on his face.

Yet, somehow, Bruce still looked handsome. Wally found himself blushing with the thought.

He shoved a whole slice of bread into his mouth to cover it up.

Bruce didn't seem to notice and simply sat down while Alfred placed his meal in front of him. "You have grease on your face."

"So?" Wally asked, in between chews, and glanced at Bruce before placing another plate of ham and eggs in front of him. "Since I'll be eating two more of these, I don't really see the point in cleaning up... But if you mind that much..." With that, he wiped the grease off with his knuckles and licked it off, turning his gaze onto the next, full plate.

This time it was Bruce who stared, especially at the slip of his tongue and the sound of content the speedster made. Bruce paused for a minute, before clearing his throat and beginning to eat his own food.

"What are you going to do later?" Bruce asked, suddenly quite curious as to what Wally did around the mansion when he didn't eat or sleep.

"Probably go to sleep again," Wally mumbled around his last bite of his food and stretched before leaning back in the chair.

Bruce's head snapped up.

"Are you still that exhausted? You've been sleeping for 3 days now." He didn't like that at all.

Of course Wally was allowed to sleep and be exhausted but surely his exhaustion was slowly drawing back?

Wally just shrugged. "At the moment I'm still pretty tired... I think I just need to get my batteries charged again; don't worry. It's certainly easier here than being at home and balancing work.." Wally trailed off, and yawned.

Bruce still didn't like it. Sleep was important but the body got exhausted by too much sleep as well.

Before he could say anything, Wally spoke up.

"Though if you want we could hang out?"

One of Bruce's eyebrows went up at the other's question. "Are we not already doing that?"

"I meant watching a movie together or something! God, Bruce," Wally laughed, looking amused. "You just complained about me sleeping all the time. A movie will keep me up."

For a few seconds, there was no reply from the other man. Until a slight nod was offered.

"Alright. We could use the theater room, but I suppose we could watch a movie basically anywhere in the mansion."

"Uhhh..I like the couch I slept on. What about there?"

Bruce looked at Wally again instead of his plate. He knew the couch was comfortable but this comfortable? It wasn't the biggest he owned since he had quite a few where Wally could sleep actually quite comfortably on. Yet he seemed to prefer this small, old couch.

Maybe it was a bit like the one he had back in his flat.

"I suppose we could."

Wally's face lit up and Bruce just nodded again before he finished eating. He could spare some time to watch a movie with Wally. After that he would go back to managing the situation in the League.

When Bruce declared that he was done, Wally was up and out of his seat, already eagerly walking to the other room. "I know exactly what we're gonna watch. I bet you'll love it. Do you have like...a shitton of movies or do we have to buy it online?!"

Wally threw himself on the couch and wiggled around to sit comfortably on his side, while he looked at Bruce.

"I can make the purchase. There's a DVD selection somewhere but I doubt we have what you want to watch." Of course, there was a high possibility that Bruce actually owned what Wally wanted to watch but he didn't feel like searching for it. Besides, it wasn't like he was short on cash.

He handed the remote to Wally before taking a seat, letting Wally move through the menu and search for the movie.

"Ah, there it is, perfect!" Wally glanced at Bruce when the pin showed up, and Bruce told him without a pause, strangely making Wally feel at home - or something.

It didn't take Bruce long to connect the dots when he squinted at the screen. "Is this some kind of Superman parody? The opening felt a bit exaggerated but the rest seems like a...satire. Does Clark know about this-" Bruce turned to look at Wally, and then blinked when he saw the other fast asleep.

The movie momentarily forgotten, Bruce wondered why the other had already fallen asleep. Wally was either really exhausted or there was more to it. Something that Bruce hoped was just his usual paranoia rearing its head.

Bruce gently took hold of Wally's shoulder and pulled him slightly towards him. The position Wally had fallen asleep in would likely hurt the next time he woke up and Bruce would prefer to prevent such...inconvenience.

What he hadn't counted on was for Wally to immediately latch onto his arm, resting his head on Bruce's shoulder.

"Wally...if you let go then you can lie down."

Something like a "uhu" or "no" came back as Wally promptly fell asleep again, leaving Bruce trapped where he was.

With a sigh he leaned back again, resuming his relaxing position and figured it wouldn't hurt if he finished watching this movie.

Just in case Wally asked him about it when he woke up.