Flashbacks and Hot Chocolate

When Jinx opened her eyes, she found herself face to face with Wally. She sat up in surprise and realized she was on the couch. She thought back to last night.

After Wally kissed her on the cheek, he made hot chocolate and brought blankets to her and they just sat on the couch talking. They talked for hours and hours until finally, they both fell asleep.

Last night flashback

"How's your hot chocolate?" Wally asked, having changed out of his Kid Flash costume. Jinx nodded.

"Did you add in cinnamon or something? It tastes different," She asked, taking another sip. Wally nodded brightly.

"It's my secret ingredient," He said, winking at her. She smiled and took another sip.

"I haven't had hot chocolate in a while. The H.I.V.E Five never makes hot chocolate," She said, almost wistfully. Wally looked at her.

"Do you miss them?" He asked cautiously. Jinx looked down at her hot chocolate.

"I miss the idea of a family with them," She said, finally. "I felt like I belonged with them,"

Wally looked down. Jinx gently took his hand.

"But," She said, "You've made me feel more at home in two days then the two years I've spent with them,"

Wally smiled at her, comforted.

"So, when did you join the H.I.V.E?" Wally asked, finishing his hot chocolate.

"Uhm. I was recruited when I was 10. I joined when I was 13. Two years ago. It was an academy then," Jinx recalled.

"Oh yeah, I heard about the academy. The Headmaster was Brother Blood or something like that," Wally said dismissively, setting his cup on the floor.

"Yeah," Jinx said, a little uncomfortable. The academy brought back bad memories.

"I don't like talking about the Academy. It's not exactly what I want to remember," She said, answering the questioning look in Wally's eyes.

"No offense, but didn't your parents have a say in this? I mean, my aunt and uncle would never send me to an academy like that," Wally said, watching Jinx's expression. It remained blank.

"I don't know my parents," She said and wouldn't explain anymore. Wally immediately changed the subject.

"Where did you live before the H.I.V.E?" He asked.

"Anywhere I could. Basements, abandoned buildings, caves," She gestured to the ground. "The earth was my home," Jinx could tell Wally wanted to say something but was grateful he held back.

"Which is why I took up stealing," She explained. "The Academy just taught me to do it better. I was always a thief," She added bitterly.

"No, Jinx," Wally said, his bright blue eyes looking into her own pink eyes. "You were young and confused,"

"I hope," He continued, "I hope you'll tell me more. You don't have to tell me now, but I hope you'll tell me more so I can understand,"

Jinx could feel her eyes fill up with tears. Why did the guy have to be so… sincere? Why did he have to be so nice?

He leaned over and lightly bumped his forehead to her forehead.

"Regardless of what you think of yourself, I think you're wonderful," He said finally, opening his eyes and looking at her.

Jinx didn't have to doubt him. She could see it in his eyes.

End flashback.

Jinx had learned a lot about Wally last night. She learned that he had an aunt and an uncle, that his first girlfriend made fun of him and moved, and that he hated English muffins. She couldn't remember the last time she talked so long. It amazed her that Wally listened to every word, even when she was so sleepy, she was babbling.

"Nobody in the H.I.V.E Five ever listened. I wonder what they're doing now," Jinx couldn't help but wonder. She pushed the blankets away and walked toward the kitchen. She opened the fridge. She raised an eyebrow. It was impressively filled. It was crowded with different types of food. Jinx took an apple and started munching.

When she was done, she quickly showered and brushed her hair down. "Wally's right, I should keep my hair down more often," She thought. She changed hurriedly; she suddenly wanted to get out of the apartment. She wanted to visit her favorite place. She searched for a scrap piece of paper and scribbled out a note. She brushed her teeth and washed her face and left.

When Wally woke up, he found that Jinx was gone. "Where could she have gone?" He thought. He got up and searched the apartment and found a note.

Wally,

Had to go and think for a bit. I'll be back soon!

Jinx

Wally frowned. Thinking back to last night, they had so much fun. They drank hot chocolate and just talked, getting to know each other.

Last night flashback

"So," Jinx said. "How old are you?"

"Sixteen," Wally answered, chest puffing up in pride. She chuckled.

"Does it ever bother you that you don't get to have fun like normal teens?" Jinx asked. Wally wondered about it.

"Well, I never thought much of it," He answered honestly. "My uncle always told me that I was born with a gift most people would kill to have. Maybe I didn't get to enjoy the real thrills of high school, but who cares? I got to experience the real world. I get to be a hero," He said, "In the end, I realized that it's possible to be responsible and have fun at the same time,"

"What about you? What made you decide to be a villain?" Wally asked. Jinx rolled her eyes.

"Well, for one thing, I was a pretty crappy villain. I had a team that didn't know what they were doing, I was disorganized, and I got caught like every other week. The H.I.V.E Five isn't exactly something to fear," She said, lightly.

"But," She began and stared at her cup, "Ever since I was young, being respected and having power was just so… tantalizing to me. It felt like the only people having fun with it were super villains. They played by their own rules, and they just didn't care. For a little girl who had nothing but an awful power… I don't know. The idea was just so appealing to me," She stared into the distance, seeing something that wasn't there.

"You have to understand," She said, snapping out of her own funk, "The H.I.V.E Five is harmless. They're cowards. They're not villains. They just look out for themselves. Kind of like anti-heroes. It was only me that wanted to be a super villain. I pushed them," She sighed.

"Those idiots probably haven't even noticed I'm gone," She mumbled. Wally moved closer to her.

"You wanna know why I was so interested in you, Jinx?" He asked suddenly. Jinx just looked at him.

"When I saw you, I could already tell that you commanded respect," He began, "But I could also tell that you longed for change. Even I could see that those losers weren't going to change. You looked like you were in a rut. I knew you could do better than those guys. But you didn't realize it yet. So I just wanted to help you out there. Plus, it also helped by the fact that you were drop dead gorgeous," He gave her a rather rogue-ish wink. Jinx scoffed, but smiled.

"Well, thanks for looking out for me anyways. After all I did to you, you still believed in me," She said gratefully. She sighed and closed her eyes.

"I don't get you, Wally. You distract me from my life when I think of you. You make my heart pound when you look at me. You even make me dream about you at night. But sometimes, I end up laying awake all night thinking about you, because I caught you staring at me, too," She admitted.

End flashback.

After Jinx said that, Wally held her in his arms and they just cuddled like that for a while. He was touched by what this girl said. Jinx wasn't really an emotional person, yet she felt all that for him.

Wally learned a lot about Jinx that night. He learned that one of her boyfriends gave her a turtle for a pet, and that she was afraid of spiders and that she loved the smell of burning firewood, and that she could play the piano. There was a lot more to the girl than Wally thought.

"Well, time to find Jinx," He thought and dashed off.