Mind drifting towards sleep, eyes closed, Wally lazed in the large bath, finding an inordinate amount of comfort in being surrounded by water even if it wasn't hot like a usual bath. In fact, he rather preferred it like this.

It was cool and almost dark in the bathroom now that all of the smaller candles that Alfred had so thoughtfully provided were burned down. Just the taller ones still retained their flickering lights. If he opened his eyes he'd be able to watch the orange specks dot the placid water.

He didn't open his eyes.

It was late which meant he really should consider getting out of the pool...bathtub... before he drowned himself in it. Problem was he frankly didn't feel like it.

If I drowned in my sleep would my speed not realize I'm dying and fail to react? If I let myself slide down could I slip away like a normal person?

The water suddenly changed from still to a soft lapping as it was disturbed by an outside force. Wally breathed deeply through his nose, but didn't otherwise bother to see who had joined him. Soft skin against his...sliding under then settling down around his buttocks and upper back, lifting upwards into a new position where he was in no danger of submerging even if he tried. Wally still didn't open his eyes, but he did give the ghost of a smile.

"You planning something naughty or just attempting some kind of Jujitsu Water Lap Dance hold?"

"Neither."

"Pity. I'd have liked to see any Rogue's face if you tried this on them. Repeat offenders would either cease or triple."

"It's not safe to fall asleep in a bathtub," Batman's voice chided attempting to sound terse. Wally wasn't fooled.

"I'm not asleep." He yawned, slowly, drowsily. His body always was rather contrary. It didn't help that Bruce's frame made a remarkably comfy lounge despite the bulging muscles. "So there."

"No," the voice teasingly agreed. "Your brain is obviously unhindered by the designs of Somnus and functioning. Do you mind if I make sure it stays that way by keeping you company until you're ready to get out?" the voice asked.

"That depends on how you plan to thwart Somnus, whoever that is," he smirked and finally opened his eyes...if only half way.

"J'onn."

The body supporting his shifted.

"Perhaps you actually are already asleep and dreaming?"

"If only." Wally captured the others mouth in his, kissing it hard. "Still think I'm asleep, Mr. J'onzz?"

'Bruce' let out a low groan. "How can you know I'm not Batman?"

"Just because you look like Bruce?" an amused Wally snorted while tracing a wet palm over scarred flesh. "Lavish as Bruce's place is this tub isn't as nice as your mental pool. Plus, since it isn't your mind I'm in my other senses aren't being filtered and I've kind of been acquainting myself lately with the unique aroma that is Martian. Speaking of which...I wasn't kidding when I said I like your natural form best. It's like your smell...unique and enticing." The rough human skin under his hands obligingly changed into smooth green. Wally's grin widened. "Alien is the new sexy."

"Curious...I was thinking the same thing." This time it was J'onn who initiated the kiss. Tentative, unsure. "Is this truly what you want, Wallace, or are you wishing comfort from me as Bruce?"

"I'm the Flash. I've already thought it through like a gazillion times?" The speedster grumbled, intentionally changing the subject. "Bats know you're in his house seducing his guest in his very own bedroom?"

"Guest bedroom and I trust that was a rhetorical question."

"Yeah...he probably has surveillance cameras even in here."

"Yes...but he has turned them off at my request." J'onn lifted Wally from the tub. Water cascaded down as he ascended, burden firmly in hand. Wally was disappointed that it didn't sound like music. "Still, I think you have been in here long enough."

"Cause my skin has more water wrinkles than a prune? Guess I'm not terribly sexy to look at in real life."

"No, because you are falling asleep in my embrace...which admittedly looks quite sexy."

Gingerly, Wally was laid onto the bed.

"I totally would, you know."

"What?" J'onn asked, tucking him in.

"Let you fuck me as J'onn Martian and not J'onn Bats."

J'onn froze. "Wallace..." he shook his head.

"Or I could top. Or do my Flashdance reenactment in your meditation pool. Just saying."

"You're overly tired. Go to sleep before you embarrass yourself."

"S'true."

"He does love you."

J'onn sighed, eyes never straying from the fast asleep human as he answered, "He's worn out. Doesn't know what he's saying. We are two different species."

"You are two lonely individuals unfit for living a solitary life." Bruce went on, keeping his own watch on J'onn. "He doesn't care what you look like. It may have been my image that initially gave him security when he was lost, but it was you he yearned for after that...your mind, your heart, your soul. Wally fell in love with you, J'onn."

"I know."

A/N screw this! (Kyer has had enough.)

With apologies to those who had been polite.

I wrote 6 a couple of days ago and despite 70 visitors to it received 0 comments. (Usual is around 40 I get a comment...used to be under 25 a year ago.) So I pulled the chapter and looked at it...didn't seem bad. Put it back up without realizing this would bump it up the list (sorry about that, really didn't think) then waited while starting 7. Another 45 hits...still 0 comments on 6.

Right...math doesn't lie.

Awful life right now is undoubtedly coloring my feelings but...100 hits and not one person could bother? I got used to the fact that global readers were silent..maybe one or two British Commonwealth people would speak up, but the US usually pulls through. I can only assume that either the chapter really did stink so bad that nobody dared comment or that it was fine but nobody could haul arse enough to click the review button and type a : and a ) together or even a : and a ( so...

I can't be bothered either. I have family crises that I've been ignoring far too much...important life decisions I've been putting off in favor of writing for increasingly apathetic takers.

Find Wally at DC.

Oh wait...you can't because DC stopped writing Wally so the only place to find him is in fanfic or old books.

This story is now marked Complete as is.

Edit: 10/2: I'm not going to apologize for my snit because that would be disingenuous. I meant what I said about how frustrating it is to be ignored.

1. Alerts are meant for the benefit of the reader. For the writer they simply meant that at least one particular chapter was liked...they give no clue to whether any further chapters were liked or disliked. The fact that the Alert has not been removed often simply means the reader has not bothered or figured out how to remove it yet. It was never created by FFN to act as a 'kudos' to the writer.

2. Afraid of offense: What is more offensive: the possibility of giving unwanted praise or critique...or total silence? If someone doesn't want reviews they would say so or at least turn off the Anonymous Review function so as to radically cut down on comments. You are far more likely to be correct in assuming a writer wants to know that their chapters are wanted rather than assuming they don't want to hear from you. In fact, I can barely remember ever reading a work where the author stated they didn't want reviews.

3. Okay, anyone who says they don't wince a bit at a negative or constructive review is lying to someone. They do hurt a bit, but sometimes that hurt is like iodine. I will never forget my first negative review where it was politely pointed out that I over used exclamation points. I took another look at my chapter and realized they were right...and have made an effort on clamping down on excessive punctuation. The world is not a rubber-matted place of safety nor should it be. A writer who is not willing to concede that they aren't godlike should put down that they don't want reviews.