Hey! I wrote this for @rumblesnore for @yjficexchange‘s Operation: Valentine!
It wasn’t like they were actually dating. Yet. Wally knew this, and had still gone out and bought a gift for his best friend. It wasn’t much, just one of those cheesy teddy bears that held a heart reading “Be Mine,” of all things, but he hoped Dick would like it.
Chill, West. If you keep this up, you’re gonna give your crush away. Wally thought to himself, fiddling with the leg of the teddy bear as he climbed the few stairs that lead to the door of Wayne Manor.
Before he had a chance to knock on the large door, it swung half open, revealing his short friend.
“How’d you know I was here?” Wally asked, allowing the first thought that came to his mind to escape his lips.
Dick shrugged, eyes falling onto the teddy bear Wally was holding. “I was waiting at the window. Alfred asked me to keep an eye on the mail.”
Wally nodded in understanding, shifting a little nervously under Dick’s gaze. Extending his arms slowly, he held the teddy bear out. “This...uh... This is for you. Happy Valentine’s Day, bro.”
Dick took the bear from him gently, his free hand patting at the light brown fabric that was supposed to resemble fur. He inspected the red heart that the bear was holding for a moment, before holding the bear to his chest, almost in a hug, and returning his gaze to Wally.
“This is kinda gay, dude,” he said, the smile tugging at his lips feeling like a genuine one, allowing a sense of relief to wash over Wally. “But, you do know teddy bears are really kidish, right?”
“Hey, it was that, or the Robin teddy bear that had a ‘be my sidekick’ heart,” Wally shrugged, letting out a laugh.
“You didn’t have to get me anything, you know,” Dick said, motioning for the redhead to follow him inside the manor.
Wally found himself shrugging again. “Yeah, but you’re my best friend, so I wanted to get you something cheesy.”
“If cheesy is what you were going for, you nailed it, dude,” Dick laughed, leading him up the stairs. He held the bear close, but slightly out of Wally’s field of vision. “And if you like cheesy, I think you’re gonna appreciate what I got for you.“
“Now look who’s going out and getting things they didn’t have to.“
“You said it already. I wanted to get something cheesy for my best friend.”
The remainder of the walk to Dick’s room was mostly silent, with a few comments here and there from Wally as they passed new pieces of art hanging in the hallways that he hadn’t seen the last time he visited.
“You’re gonna need to close your eyes real quick,” Dick informed Wally as they finally walked into the room. “It’s supposed to be a surprise.”
“Whatever you say, dude,” Wally agreed, covering his eyes with one hand.
He heard Dick walking around the room, pulling what could only be his closet door open, and then walking around a bit more.
“Keep them closed,” he reminded Wally.
The comment awarded him a whine of “They are closed!” from the other teen.
“Okay, you can open them,” Dick said after a moment, sounding really close.
Wally opened his eyes, blinking a few times, before his eyes focused on the items Dick was holding out to him.
“I figured I couldn’t go wrong with chocolate,” Dick said with a shrug, a sheepish smile gracing his lips. What caught Wally’s attention more, however, was the small heart shaped pillow Dick was holding.
Wally took the red heart pillow to examine it closer, gently tracing the letters that spelled out the word “proud,” stitched carefully into the fabric.
“Wha...” He was not able to form a full word.
“Oh, I...uh... I made that...” Dick explained. “I wanted to tell you how proud I am of you. Y’know, for sticking by the team, and sticking by me this whole time, and of how far you’ve come both as a hero and a person.”
It was a moment before Wally found himself able to speak, wiping away the tear he felt prickling at his eye.
“Dude, and you said the teddy bear I got you was kinda gay,” he said, incapable of keeping a smile from his face. “But you made me a pillow to show how proud of me you are. That’s gay.”
“Okay, yeah,” Dick agreed, his own smile making a reappearance. “It’s kinda gay. Or really gay. Whatever, dude.”
“We still marathoning shitty horror movies like we planned to?” Wally asked suddenly, as if he had just remembered it.
Dick nodded. “Yeah, that’s still a thing.”
Returning to the living room, Wally and Dick adopted the position they usually held for movie watching. Wally was laying across the couch, with Dick leaning against him, curled up in the perfect position for cuddling.
It was about halfway through the third movie that Wally realized Dick had fallen asleep on him, still clutching the teddy bear close to his chest. Wally didn’t think he could have thought of a better way to spend Valentine’s Day.
