Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Wally...liked being able to do things. Specifically, he liked being able to do things uninhibited. That was the benefit of being a beta. Sure he didn’t have the commanding presence that alphas did, nor the soothing one that omega’s had, but he also didn’t have to deal with their ungodly heats or ruts.

So when he hit fifteen with no sign of his first heat or rut, like most of his friends were, Wally just assumed that one wasn’t coming. Which Wally was totally fine with. Being a beta was chill. It was something he’d happily deal with.

Then he turned sixteen, and then seventeen, with nothing. He just got on with his life, content, even happy. 

Then, half a year before he turned eighteen, it happened. 

Wally woke up one day feeling odd. Not unpleasant (yet, as he would come to realize), but he definitely felt odd. He couldn’t put his finger on what exactly seemed off. However, since he didn’t see anything wrong, he got on with his day, without incident. While the feeling never went away, it didn’t get...worse.

Hence why, two days after the feeling started, he still went to the Titans Tower to spend the weekend with them. He got looks, a few of the Titans mentioned his scent smelled different, but all was well.

Until it wasn’t. The very next day, Wally woke up in his room, feeling like he was dying. He was hot, unbearably hot, and his insides felt like they were tearing themself apart inside him. Everything was fuzzy, and he…yearned. He was filled with such a yearning. He wanted to curl up, he wanted his family, and he wanted to be held. But moreover, he was confused. What was happening?

He couldn’t even get out of bed; it was so bad. He just curled up between his sheets as he rolled with the pain for what felt like hours, blurry faces and muffled voices entering his muddled senses here and there. 

By the time his head cleared, he could see the sun going down through his window, and his forehead was being dabbed with something cold.

“W-What? What happened?” Wally blearily looked at his surroundings, realizing that he was still in his bed, but with new sheets and surrounded by… a nest of different articles of clothing and personal belongings. “What’s going on?”

“Shh, Wally.” Donna’s voice floated into his ears. Wally turned his head to meet her gentle gaze, seeing that the omega was the one dabbing his forehead with a towel. “Take it easy, hun. You’re probably still coming down from it.”

“C-Coming down? What do you mean?” Wally looks around, confused and growing surprisingly hysteric. He couldn’t calm down. He didn’t know what was going on, he was in pain, and his fog-riddled mind just couldn’t let him let go of it. “What’s going on? How long was I out? Whereiseveryone?Whydoeseverythinghurt?Donnahelp-”

“Shh, Shh, Wally,” Donna pressed her wrist under his nose, flooding Wally’s nostrils with the soothing scent of sea salt and sandalwood. Wally’s anxiety melted as if by magic. Which he had no idea how that happened. He knew Donna’s scent could be soothing, but it never worked like that.

Still, Wally relaxed into the bed, and Donna resumed dabbing his forehead, periodically scenting him to keep him calm. 

Once Wally could feel the fog lifting, he turned back to Donna. “Donna...what’s happening? What’s going on?”

Donna looked at him, confused at first, then with growing understanding and...pity? “Wally...you’re in heat. Your first heat, from the looks of it.”

The words didn’t register, not at first. It just didn’t make sense. Wally was a beta. Beta’s didn’t have heats or any of that. It didn’t make sense. He couldn’t have a heat unless-

No...Nonono...He was nearly eighteen. It was way too late to be having this right now. He couldn’t-

Wally sobbed as another wave of pain rocked through him, which he now realized was his body reorganizing itself to make way for his new, matured second sexual characteristics. The burning was back and running through his veins, seeping into his skin, branding his body with its new identity. 

All of Donna’s work became undone when he started falling apart again. “Donna, Donna, no- I can’t-  I-I can’t- Donna, I’m a beta. I’m supposed to be a beta! I don’t have heats-”

Donna pushed him down. “Wally, breathe. Breathe. You know that heats and ruts can come late. I...It looks like you were a late bloomer.”

Wally keens. Curling into the ... other omega. He’s sniffling. Wally hates how he’s sniffling and needing physical comfort. He hates the hormones racing through his body that made him feel this way. He hates that this is going to be his new norm.

Donna held him and cooed, “Wally, it’s okay. I know it’s awful right now, but the worst of it will pass after a few days. I promise. You’re going to be okay, hun.”

Wally can’t help but shake his head feebly, but before he could reply, there was the creak of a bedroom door. The two of them look up to see Garth’s head poking in through the opening. 

“Donna,” The beta whispered, “Is he awake?”

Donna nods, cradling him to her chest. “He is. What’s up?”

“The others want to see him...especially Roy. It’s been tough to keep him calm after he found Wally like that.”

“You want to let in a bunch of alphas to see an omega during their first heat?” Donna asked, incredulous and irritated. 

Garth looked a tad sheepish and shrugged his shoulders apologetically. “Sorry, they’re just worried, and I thought, given the circumstances...It’s not like we’re strangers, Donna.”

Donna frowned but turned to Wally. “Wally, would you be okay with seeing the others?”

Wally’s frazzled mind barely managed to put together what she was talking about. “Roy...Dick and Kori? They’re here?”

“Yeah. Roy found you this morning, unconscious and with blood all over your clothes and sheets. It freaked him out.”

Wally felt himself wilt. Full-on wilt. He knew he felt bad, but hearing he scared Roy of all people sounded devastating to him right now. Not to mention the yearning was back and in full force. Wally whined at the mention of his teammates but nodded. “Yeah..let them in, please.”

He tried to hold back the desperation in his voice, and honestly, he didn’t know if he succeeded cause Donna just looked at him with worry before giving Garth an approving nod. He disappeared for a while before the sound of voices and feet filtered through the door. Then the door opened again, revealing the Garth as well as their alpha teammates. All of whom were hanging by the door until Donna permitted them to enter. 

Each of them approached the nest with caution, heads low, attempting to make themselves as non-threatening as possible. It was so odd. So out of place. Just last week, they had barged in to ambush him when he’d just gotten out of the shower, only in a towel. No care, no propriety. They didn’t even care that he was buck-ass naked beside the towel; they just wanted to spray him with shaving cream by any means necessary. Now they approached him like an injured animal.

He hated it. So much. And he hated how that seemed to be overridden by his newfound need to climb into their laps, bury his nose in their necks and take deep long breaths of their scents - God; he was a mess. 

Oh, and another thing to add to the list of things he hates; How they talk to him in those soft, alpha rumbly voices and how it made him want to melt.

“Hey Walls,” Roy croons (fucking croons, Roy never croons at him) “How are you feeling?”

Wally doesn’t say anything at first. His lip trembling against his will. He’s so happy they’re here; he hates how they’re seeing him like this. He hates that things will be different now. He hates that they already are. The alpha’s who used to chase him and threaten to beat him to a pulp for putting whoopie cushions under their chairs or hair dye in their shampoo were now kneeling at the foot of his bed like trained dogs. 

Wally knew that the churning in his stomach wasn’t just from the heat. No, it was also from the change his heat brought out in his friends, and he didn’t like it.

Instinct forced him to curl into Donna, whispering hoarsely, “I feel like shit.”

“Yeah, I know,” Dick murmurs, a familiar timber from his best friend, but missing the lighthearted joking tone that Wally was used to. Instead, he was the perfect image of soothing alpha. Something Dick had never had to be before, not with him. Not when they thought he was a beta. “Just try to relax, Wally. Donna’s gonna be here to work you through it. We all will.”

They all seemed so sincere. They probably were. They wanted to help. They wanted to help the new omega.

Wally closes his eyes, and, bitterly, lets instinct take over. His scent plumes out (Oranges and tangerines, that would take some getting used to), granting them entry. They climb in or around the nest, offering comfort, scenting, sweet nothings. Everything an omega going through their first heat would want. 

And if he had been getting this years ago, he might have been happy about it, or at the very least okay with it. Now he just found it to be just another change he wasn’t prepared for, and that he would now have to deal with.

Chapter Text

The weeks following Wally’s first heat were...an adjustment. Specifically, it was a bunch of small but significantly annoying changes. He had a whole array of new products he had to worry about, like pads, birth control, heat suppressants, those last two needing to be specially made by Barry because Wally’s metabolism would burn right through the ordinary ones. 

He needed to start tracking his heats now as well, so he could take time off and prepare. Oh, and preparing for heats, that was a whole thing. He needed to learn how to make a nest. He needed to account for when he was going into heat because he’d be too uncomfortable to go out a lot of the time. This, however, was complicated by the fact that his entire goddamn cycle was fucked with by his powers, so his heat was at risk for a tendency to strike randomly. 

What made it worse was that everyone and their mother were trying to sympathize. Telling him that they know it’s annoying and that they're sorry and that it will get better. 

Wally didn’t want it to get better. He wanted it to have never happened in the first place. He wanted to be a beta again.

At the very least, when he was a beta, people wouldn’t stare at him, their eyes following him as he walked down the halls. Their noses perking up when his scent wafted over them. Even worse, some of them wouldn’t come up to flirt with him.

“Hey, West.”

Wally’s stopped in the middle of putting his things into his locker. He can feel his teeth gritting together. “What do you want, Chad?”

“Hey, no need to bite. I just came over to talk.” The alpha boy chuckles, leaning against the lockers next to Wally’s. Wally’s nose crinkled when the waft of alpha pheromones hits him. Talk. Yeah, sure.

“What do you want to talk about? You flunking Chem again?”

“Well...yeah, but I was wondering if you could help by tutoring me. Maybe we could go back to my place...pick up some food on the way? Make a little thing out of it?”

“Really,” Wally side-eyed him, “A month ago, you would have tried to just bully me into doing your homework for you.”

“I- Well- But-” 

“But nothing, Chad. Go find someone else.”

“Hey!” The alpha barked as an arm slammed down in front of Wally’s face, blocking his escape. Wally’s jaw clenched, every muscle in his body going tense. Ah, that’s right, omega’s don’t take being yelled at by an aggressive alpha well.  

Chad calmed down, putting up a charming smile, and clearing his throat. “I mean- I want to apologize for my...poor behavior and hopefully make a new start.”

“...Did you fail biology too, Chad?”

“Huh?”

“Did you fail biology? Or did you somehow get it into your head that an omega’s first heat suddenly gives them amnesia? Do you think I’ve somehow forgotten what an ape-headed asshat you are? Go find some other floozy to drool over you, because I ain’t having it!” Wally jabbed his fist into the alpha’s armpit without another warning, which had been left open from Chad having his arm outstretched. The alpha yelped, springing away from the wall, clutching his arm. He stared at Wally in shock before his face warped into a snarl. 

“You bitch.”

Wally had already dropped his books and put his fists up when the alpha started to charge at him.

The drive home with Uncle Barry, now with the omega sporting a black eye and healing lip, was quiet. 

Barry might have raised hell in the principles office, where the principal initially tried to suspend him for ‘fighting’ with Chad, as per their no-tolerance policy, but here the older man wouldn’t say a word.

“... I didn’t start it.”

“I know you didn’t, but you know that oftentimes doesn’t matter to the schools.” Barry looked at him out of the corner of his eye. “Are you okay? How’s your eye?”

Wally tried to ignore the brief whiff of Barry’s scent. The air of ‘protective alpha’ that lingered from his tirade with the principal. The perfect image of an alpha defending his omega pup. Wally initially wanted to be angry because he could hold his own against his principal, but as much as he hated to admit it, he was comforted by Barry going to bat for him. He knows that not many would.

“It’s healing up just fine, Uncle Barry. By tomorrow it’ll be gone.” 

Barry nods and then gives a little smile. “Well, you’ll be doing much better than Chad, given the number you left on him.” 

Wally couldn’t help the ghost of a smile that came to his lips, thinking back to how the last time he’d seen Chad, the alpha couldn’t open one eye, and he had a broken nose. 

“Seriously though, are you okay? Do you want to talk about what happened?”

“...He was just being an ass. It’s nothing new for him.”

“Yeah, but there’s something else. I can tell. I’ve heard you complain about Chad before, and you’re usually able to handle it with more...finesse. So what happened this time?”

Wally was quiet for a moment, staring out the window. He bites his lip.

“...Wally? Are you okay?”

“...He started hitting on me.”

“He- He what?” 

Wally crossed his arms, his face scrunching up in a frown. “He just started hitting on me. I don’t know why.”

“He’s never done that before?”

“No, he didn’t...not when he thought I was a beta,” Wally added on that last bit with a tinge of bitterness in his voice. 

Something that Barry caught. He eyed the young omega, worry in his brow, before his gaze goes back to the road. It’s another couple of minutes before Barry pulls into a strip mall and parks in front of a fast-food joint.

“I thought you were taking me home?”

“I am. We’re just making a quick stop; you’re probably hungry.” Barry turned off the car, unbuckled his seatbelt, and turning to look square at Wally. “But before we do that, I wanna talk about something real quick.”

Wally mimicked his uncle’s actions, turning to face him. “Alright...what’s up?”

“How have things been? You know, since you presented?”

“...Things have been fine, Barry.”

“Are you sure? I know this was unexpected, not to mention late, Wally. It’s perfectly understandable if it's hard getting used to it all.”

“I’m fine, Uncle Barry. I promise. It’s just…” Wally trails off, not really being able to find the right words before he settles on, “Everythings just...been a little weird recently. It’s like no one knows how to interact with me, and…I don’t know how to react to that. So I’m just doing what I always do.”

Barry gives him a small smile. “Wally, what you’re feeling is normal, and you don’t have to change. Being an omega isn’t going to change you that drastically. There’s just going to be some extra stuff we got to worry about now. And about everyone else...don’t worry about it. They’re still learning, but soon enough, they’ll get the hang of it, and it’ll just be like it was before.”

Wally pauses, allowing that to sink in, before smiling back. “If you say so, Uncle Barry.”

“I know so. Now, come on, let’s go get some burgers.” 

“And some curly fries?”

Barry laughed, hopping out of the car. “Of course.”

Wally grinned, jumping out after him and racing him to the burger joint, at non-meta-appropriate speeds, of course.

Chapter Text

All things considered, Wally could not have been more excited for this weekend. The past three months have been one giant headache, but he and Dick were finally going to be able to hang out. Tonight was going to be nothing but junk food, bad movies, and bro time.

Wally could feel himself gathering speed as he got closer to Titans Tower, his grin a mile wide. Zapping through the front doors and zipping up the stairs to the entertainment room, where Dick was already waiting. A table full of drinks and popcorn and all sorts of sugary goodness laid out, the TV already up and running, and Dick standing by and flipping through channels to find something to watch.

Wally’s chest felt lighter than it has in weeks. It’s so normal. They’ve done this a hundred times since Wally was 12 and Dick was 10. Wally did not know he could love the sight of something he’s probably seen a hundred times any more than he did right now. 

He probably got a little too excited because, the next thing he knows, he’s nearly knocked Dick over when coming to hug him. 

“Woah!” Dick cried out as he was nearly bowled over. Wally managed to steady him, hardly trying to suppress his laughter.

“Hey, dude. Sorry if I startled you.”

Dick chuckled, shaking his head. “You didn’t startle me. I could hear you coming in. I just didn’t expect you to send me flying into the table.”

“Yeah, yeah, suuurreee.” Wally replied, his eyebrow cocked, smug. “So, what’s in store for us, Rob? Hilariously bad horror movies or scary good ones?”

Dick shrugged. “Eh, I was thinking a bit of both. Warm-up with the bad ones, then finish with the good ones when it’s super late and dark.”

“Aah, luring me in with a false sense of security and then hitting me with the real stuff when I’m weak from junk food and tired. You’re devious, Grayson.”

“Only in the ways a bat can be,” Dick says with a smirk, plopping down on the couch, remote in hand. Wally snatched up a soda and a bag of chips before joining him, legs crossed and throw pillow resting on his knees.

“Aww, need something to hold on to when the monsters come out. I’ll protect you from generic slasher #43.”

“Ha, you wish. Mark my words, Grayson, you will be begging me to protect *you* by the time this is over.”

Dick snickers, turning on the movie. “Given what I deal with daily in Gotham, I doubt it.”

Little known fact about Wally, or well-known fact depending on who you asked, he got really invested into horror movies. Like, way too invested in something that was probably going to give him nightmares later. Hence why he was currently hunched over on the couch, at 1 am, munching on popcorn with his eyes glued to the screen. 

“Dooonn’t go into the basement. Don’t go into the basement.” Wally repeatedly chanted as he watched the main protagonist peer into the dark abyss that was the forbidden subterranean room.

Dick looks over at Wally, eyes drowsy but smiling. “You know she can’t hear you, right?”

“I know! But that doesn’t mean I can’t hope that she won’t commit the ultimate sin of a horror movie. Seriously, this is in How Not To Die 101.”

“This is fiction. You do realize this. They’re not gonna act like they have common sense. Moreover, it’s not like they have the self-preservation skills hero’s do.”

Wally snorted, eyeing the dark-haired teen out of the corner of his eye. “Ah, all due respect, but your track record doesn’t exactly show off exemplary ‘self-preservation skills’. How many times did Bruce have to save you this week?”

“Fuck you; your track record is almost as bad as mine.”

“Almost, being the keyword in that sentence.”

Dick jumped up and shoved Wally over on the couch. “Oh, I’m gonna make you pay for that.”

Wally laughed, trying to push or roll Dick off of him, laughing. The two wrestled on the couch, movie forgotten for a time, before Dick collapsed on Wally, both breathless and panting. Wally laughs, wrapping his arms around the alpha boy’s shoulders, keeping him in a headlock. “Do you submit, Grayson?”

Dick grunts when he’s locked into a headlock, and he struggles briefly before he goes still and seems to relax into Wally’s hold. Wally could have sworn he’s imagined it, but the alpha purred and nuzzled into him as well.

“Dick?” Wally lets him go and looks him up and down when he catches a whiff of Dick’s scent. It’s rich and...and inviting. Wally’s senses are filled with the aroma of chocolate and pine and...and...when had Dick gotten so warm?

“Dick?”

Dick pushes himself up, his movements groggy and slow, and then he’s looking into Wally’s eyes. His gaze was hazy- when did his pupils get so dilated? Dick gave him an easy, warm smile, though his eyes looked a bit dazed. His scent was almost overwhelming, and it made Wally’s head swim, but it also made him relax. Which seemed normal, because everything about Dick made him relax.

But what Dick said next was far from typically normal. 

“Wally...you smell really good.” 

“H-Huh?” Wally felt his cheeks heat up, and his heart started to jump in his chest. Even still, as Dick starts to climb on top of him, Wally can feel himself melting. Especially once Dick started nosing at his neck. “Did you start wearing cologne? It’s nice. I didn’t notice it before. Oranges and...tangerines...peaches…”

The alphas dialogue started pittering off into mumbles as the alpha snuggled into his chest, burrowing his face into Wally’s neck. The omega was now hyper-aware of how close their bodies were, with Dick’s weight settling on top of him, his warmth surrounding him, his chest pressed against his, so close Wally could practically feel Dick’s heartbeat. 

Wally’s breathing starts to pick up and … and he’s melting underneath Dick. An urge to put his nose into Dick’s shoulder and breathe in more of that rich chocolate and pine crept up on him. Wally’s hands slowly encircle the alpha, pulling him closer, though he doesn’t really know why.

“D-Dick?” Wally whimpered, his head feeling fuzzy, and he started to cling to the alpha, which returned his hold by wrapping his arms around Wally’s waist. 

“Wally...you’re really warm…’nd soft.” Dick’s face moved, and Wally could feel the other boy’s lips ghost against his neck. A shot of pure heat poured into Wally’s body, his heart rate spiked. And he felt something...warm going on in his pants that was making him squirm. 

Wally’s breaths become more labored, and his fingers dig into the cloth of the back of Dick’s shirt. His warm, soft shirt. That’s drenched in Dick’s scent.

Wally whined. He finally gives in and buries his nose into Dick’s collar. Right before Dick pulls them apart again so he could stare at Wally with his clouded, blue eyes. Had they always been that blue? They looked like they were two missing pieces of the sky. So...pretty.

“Wally...can I kiss you?”

“W-What?”

Dick leans in closer, his nose practically bumping against Wally’s. “Can I kiss you?”

Wally’s a little dumbstruck. His head spinning, his heart pounding, and the only thing he could get himself to do was to look at Dick’s lips. Had...Had they always looked so soft? Dick’s smile was making his chest do funny things and … and…

Wally felt himself gravitating upwards, his head bobbing up and down in a shaky nod. It was then that he felt Dick’s lips on his, and wow Dick’s lips were soft and...could Wally taste peppermint on them? Did Dick use lip balm? It sure felt and tasted like he did. 

Wally lets Dick deepen the kiss, the action pulling a mewl out of him and making his pants feel really, really tight. 

*What was happening to him?*

Dick finally pulled away, leaving both of them panting, his eyes alight and grinning. “...You’re really pretty, Wally. You’re a good kisser too.”

Wally swallowed the heart that leaped into his throat and put it back down where it belonged, but that didn’t stop it from hammering at a hundred miles an hour. “Y-You think so?”

“Yeah,” Dick leans back in, burying his nose in Wally’s neck again. Though this time, Wally could feel little feather-light kisses being placed. “You’re beautiful.”

Wally’s head was spinning from all of this, but before he could formulate even one of his thoughts, he heard the familiar grumpy voice of Roy call out, “Oi! It’s too late for this crap. Could the two of you turn down your damn-!”

Wally looked up to meet Roy’s shocked gaze; the other redhead’s eyes were wide as he looked between Dick and Wally. “Uh…”

Wally opened his mouth to do...something, but a snarl cut him off from the teen on top of him. Dick curled around Wally protectively, pushing the omega’s face into his chest. “Piss off, Roy!”

Both redheads jump at the hostile tone, though Wally feels compelled to soothe the alpha. His hand coming up to rub circles in Dick’s chest in a soothing manner, much to his own confusion, but it seemed to work. Dick’s hackles dropped, even if he was still covering Wally’s body with his.

Roy took one more look between them before Wally heard him sniff the air. Then his eyes went wide, and he put his hands up, slowly backing out of the room. Dick watched him go, his eyes trained on him the entire time, all the way up until the older boy was out of sight. Then he was back on Wally, his lips pressing fervently against the omega’s in a deep, passionate kiss that left Wally trembling.

A moan pulls itself from Wally’s mouth. He can feel Dick’s lips smirk before he pulls away again.

The next couple of minutes were a blur of heat and confusion-filled kisses and gentle touches. Wally melted into a puddle under Dick while the alpha rested his head on his chest, purring.

Wally himself was in what he could only describe as a love-drunk haze. His mind little more than mush, and his breathing coming out in little pants.

Between the alpha’s purrs, Dick’s head begins to rise again. His scent wafts over Wally, still with the ghost of pine and chocolate, but this time it was laced with something else. Something that made Wally’s blood go hot and his skin tingle. 

Wally whimpered and tried to squeeze his eyes shut, his heart pounding so loud, he could feel the vibrations throbbing through the rest of his body.

“Wally...dude, open your eyes for a sec. Please?” Dick asked, so sweetly that Wally’s heart was doing little flips, and he couldn’t help but pry his eyes open, being met with those sky blues, soft and trained on him like he was the whole world. 

“Your eyes are always so pretty…” Dick murmured, his eyes softening. “I could stare at them for hours.”

Wally’s tongue seems swollen in his mouth, preventing him from saying anything while Dick leaned in to kiss at his neck again. The most he could let out was little, needy whimpers while he turned his head to the side so that Dick could have more room, clung to the alpha’s shoulders. 

“...I want you, Wally,” Dick breathed, light and airy, with the undertone of his rumbling purr, like he was musing to himself. His lips kept pressing themselves to the column of Wally’s neck, his clavicles, and his shoulder. “I wanna be with you. Do you wanna be with me?”

Wally didn’t have the brain capacity to formulate an answer. He just wanted Dick closer. He wanted his best friend in every conceivable way his hormone-drunk mind could think up. He wanted more of whatever Dick was making him feel, though he didn’t understand any of it. 

The high was short-lived, however. After that moment, the next few seconds were a whirlwind of actions. Firstly, Dick was hoisted off him by a tall, dark figure with a yelp, followed by a snarl until the figure grabbed him by his scruff, making the young alpha go limp. Wally, then, jumped up at the alpha’s absence and sounds of distress, a foreign keening sound pulling itself from his throat until he too was scooped up into a pair of arms clad in a bright red and familiar-looking costume. Finally, the scent of ozone, grassy fields, and sweet tea filled his nose, an alpha’s scent, his uncle's scent, and Wally’s body relaxed on its own, sinking into the strong arms.

After that, everything was a bit of a blur. He could hear harsh words being exchanged, tones tense, and then the world around him blurred, literally. Barry was running and carrying him, the world around them phasing from city, to suburb, to open fields and back again in a matter of seconds. Despite being used to this, Wally felt himself getting nauseous. He groaned, clinging to his uncle. 

“I know, buddy. I know. Just bear with it for a second, Wally. We’ll be home soon. Then we’ll get you fixed up and cleaned. It’s gonna be alright, Wally.”

Wally had a sinking feeling that Barry was wrong.

Chapter Text

Despite it being 3 months, Wally could still remember every unpleasant detail of his first heat. It was painful, gross, and unbearably hot. Like literal fire being injected into his veins. However, in comparison, normal heat was a whole different beast. To start, if the stars align and an alpha goes into rut right around the time you’re supposed to go into heat, it will trigger the heat prematurely. 

Which is exactly what had happened the night before. Barry had barely gotten Wally home and into his room before the bulk of the symptoms set in, but still, by that point, the poor boy’s pants were damp with slick, and an ungodly emptiness had sunk his nails into his insides.

Both Barry and Iris gave him everything they could so he would be prepared; ample nesting materials, a surplus of food and water, even some...items that would help with the arousal. After that, they gave him their comforting hugs and forehead kisses before giving him his privacy to do...whatever he needed to do.

At first, Wally staunchly refused to do anything but lay down and wait for all of his to be over. No matter what, his instincts screamed at him. 

Then the longing set in. The need. The need for comfort and relief and safety. All of which should have been satisfied because he was fucking Kid Flash, but no! No, no, no, he needed to take the soft sheets and clothes that smelled of his uncle and aunt and make it into something that resembled a nest. It was shabbily made and a little messy, but it functioned. Having it already put Wally’s senses at ease, much to his already simmering frustration. 

Frustration that was not helping the growing problem in his already pretty damp underwear. 

Wally tried. He tried so hard not to touch himself. To ignore it. The burning in his skin spread, though, making his body simmer, more sensitive. Soon enough, the way his clothes were caressing and rubbing against his body was driving him crazy, and they had to go, leaving him curled up in his nest, nude.

But that wasn’t the end of it, oh no. 

Hours later, his thighs were soaked in slick, his cock at full attention, and his insides achingly empty. He’s already resorted to touching his tender and sensitive chest to take the edge off. Wally had never touched his chest before; he never saw the point. The sensation, though...it felt almost as good as when he’d stroke himself, or at least just as satisfied. 

It still wasn’t enough. None of it felt like enough, even when he broke and finally allowed himself to stroke his neglected cock; it just wasn’t scratching the itch. The burning was still there, and the emptiness still lingered. He was still missing something, something important.

Finally, as if by chance, he pressed his face into a pile of clothing, and his nose picked up a scent that sent all kinds of fire into his belly. He rummages through the pile of clothes till he found it—Dick’s favorite jumper.

He remembered. His team had donated some of their well-worn clothing to him after he had presented, as they had for the other alphas and omegas. Dick had...given him this.

...His scent was still so strong on it. It smelled so much like...like the way it did in the Tower...on their movie night. 

The emptiness grew worse. More demanding. Wally needed something inside him. He needed...he needed…

Wally gulped, moving to his hands and knees, with the jumper pressed under his cheek. With shaking, trembling fingers, he moves the hand up from his length to the wet slit just beyond it. He’d never touched himself there. He never wanted to, he didn’t know how it could feel good, but god he needed it right now.

Slipping two fingers himself, taking a deep breath of Dick’s scent, Wally moans, finally feeling some form of relief. Like something finally clicked into place. 

The smell, the feeling. Wally buried his nose into Dick’s shirt, finally allowing his mind to wander. 

Wally never really gave...too much thought to what Dick looked like. For the longest time, Dick was an alpha, and Wally was a beta. When Dick had the option of so many beautiful omegas and even other alphas, who would have easily said yes to dating him, Wally knew he had no hopes of ever getting to be with his best friend, so he put those thoughts away a long time ago. 

But there were those stolen glances, stolen moments. Like when they’d curl up next to each other in the pack nest or when they’re in the locker rooms changing. 

Wally had to admit, in the last couple of years, Dick really grew up. His shoulders broadened; he was gaining a lot of muscle from his training and his…

...Dick’s cock was pretty average sized when flaccid, but how big did to grow to-

Wally moaned, the heat in his blood reaching its boiling point at that thought. He wanted to stop. He wanted to avoid that slippery slope and *not* think about his best friend while doing this, but God it was working. His fingers started moving faster, dipping deeper inside the untouched cavity in his body. He was vaguely aware of the sopping wet sounds his moving fingers were making, and though his cheeks burned, his mind was occupied with the sound of Dick’s voice, the feelings from that night at the Tower, how Dick’s body felt pressed against his. 

What would Dick’s body feel like nude? How defined were his muscles? How tight would he hold Wally in those strong arms? 

How big would his knot feel inside him?

Wally cried out when his overstimulated body is finally pushed over the edge, his legs trembling as his body spasms from his orgasm. Something wet and sweet-smelling dampening the sheets below him. 

He collapses into the nest, panting, finally sated...for now. Wally knew it would be back. It would always come back. The need to be filled, to be fucked, to be held close and treasured. 

And there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that Wally was going to use the image of his best friend to get him through it when it returned.

A lump lodged itself in his throat, and his eyes grew wet. Guilt built up inside him. He curled up in his nest as little sobs made his shoulders shake. 

There is nothing that his new dynamic won’t take from. Nothing was sacred anymore.

A few days later, it all died down. Practically overnight. Wally felt hot, sweaty, and gross, but most of all, he felt drained. He needed a bath, probably desperately, but felt too tired to get up.

He was all set just to lay there when his door creaking open prompted him to pull one of the sheets over his naked body. 

“Wally? Son, are you feeling okay? Is it...is it over?”

“Yes, Uncle Barry.”

The door creaks open more, and Wally can see two figures stepping into his room. One was his Uncle; he could tell that much, but the other...oh. 

Iris sat down next to the nest. Her hand coming up to brush his matted oily hair. “How are you feeling, sweetie?”

“I feel gross.” Wally sniffs, wiping away the snot.

Iris sends him a sympathetic look and kisses his forehead. “I know, sweetie. It gets easier to deal with, I promise. Why don’t I go get a bath started, and after you’re done, we can eat.”

Wally says nothing, but he nods slowly. Prompting Iris to get up and get the bath ready. Barry, however, remains behind, taking Iris’ place. He ran his fingers through Wally’s red hair, a comforting touch, but it didn’t do much for the young omega.

“...Uncle Barry…”

“Yes, son?”

“You said...that being an omega wouldn’t change anything...right?”

“Of course. Your dynamic doesn’t change who you are, hun. You just get a few new instincts you have to grow into, nothing more.”

Wally fell quiet, or at least, Barry had thought he had. Then he saw Wally’s shoulders shaking, and he heard the sniffles. 

“Wally, son, what’s wrong?”

“Y-You said it wouldn’t c-change any-anything, but it *has*.” Wally sobbed, “People are weird around me; even the Titans are! I smell different, and it makes people look at me funny! A-And I’m…thinking things and doing things! I let Dick’s rut override my senses, and … and…” Wally’s cheeks went scarlet from shame and frustration. “I let him kiss me and...and I liked it. I liked kissing and making out with my best friend. I’ve never done that before, and Dick never wanted to do that with me before becoming an omega! And even worse, I can’t stop thinking about him! I hate this! I hate that becoming an omega has messed up everything!”

Barry looked shocked, and Iris came running back into the room at the sound of her nephew yelling. 

“Wally?” Iris took the free side of Wally’s nest, placing her hands on Wally’s shaking shoulders. “Wally, sweetie, what’s happening? What are you talking about?”

Wally curled himself into his aunt’s embrace, shaking, sobbing. “It’s different...It’s all different. I just wish it would go back to the way it was before.”

In the absence of getting a coherent thought out of Wally, Barry and Iris looked to each other, brows identically knit in concern as they began to worry significantly more for their blossoming charge.

Chapter Text

Wally was sullen after his heat was over. Barry and Iris tried their best to talk to him, but...he could not get it out. He couldn’t form the words. He just couldn’t stand what his new dynamic was doing to his life, even if everyone around him was insisting that it wouldn’t. That it wasn’t. But it was. 

His friends were acting weird, his classmates were acting weird, he was acting weird. Everything was gonna change and he was gonna become an omega that hung off the arm of some alpha and needed to be protected and was gonna pregnant all the time and...and…

Wally could feel his hand tighten around the strap of his backpack, his grip so hard his knuckles were turning white. He stared into his locker, having forgotten what he’d come here to do. He sighed grabbing one of his books before shutting his locker and deciding to head home. 

Iris and Barry want to put him in therapy. Wally didn’t want to stop them, they were just concerned and wanted to make sure he was okay, but that didn’t mean that he thought it would help. 

Nothing could fix this. Nothing could fix him. Nothing would make any of this right again.

Wally had just walked out of school, and was on his way home before, he noticed someone in his walk path. Someone with dark black hair and bright blue eyes. Wally’s whole body went cold.

“Hey, Wally.”

Wally couldn’t- wouldn’t look up. He couldn’t meet the teen’s eyes. Not after what he did. After what he had thought. 

Wally stopped dead in his tracks, choking the words out. “H-Hey, Dick. I- uh- I can’t hang around too long...gotta get home.”

“I figured. I just want to talk to you real fast. It won’t take long.” 

“Maybe some other time, Dick, I need to-”

“Wally, please.” Dick catches his arm, looking into his eyes, his own blue ones looking pleading and desperate. Wally jumped at the sudden contact. Dick’s hand is warm. His grip is firm as well, but it’s getting gentler, like the alpha boy realized his eagerness was causing him to overestimate. 

They’re left staring at each other for a moment, before Dick pleads, “Please, just...wait just a couple moments, so I can explain myself...and apologize.”

Apologize? What on earth does Dick have to apologize for?

“W-What?”

“I just wanted to say I’m sorry and...I hope you’re not mad at me.”

“Why would I be mad at you?!” Wally asked, incredulous, but also far too loud for the setting they were in. Students around them looked at them with various expressions of judgment or confusion. 

Both boys turned bright red and Dick grabbed his wrist and pulled him somewhere more private to talk. Namely around the corner of a building where no one could stare at them. “Look, I just wanted to apologize to you for...how I acted at the tower. I didn’t know my rut was coming, but that isn’t an excuse. I shouldn’t have done any of what I was doing.”

“Dick, dude...look, don’t worry about it. I’m not mad.”

“Well, even if you aren’t, I’m sure I made you really fucking uncomfortable-”

“Well, yeah, but still, it’s fine, don’t worry about it.” Wally rubbed the back of his neck. “Seriously, If I was really bothered, I could have pushed you off and could have run out of there faster than you could have blinked. It’s fine.”

“You … You weren’t bothered?” Dick asked, cautious.

Wally swallowed, his mind flashing back to how he melted under Dick like ice cream under the hot summer sun, or how his mind freely wandered to his best friend’s figure as he was riding out the throes of heat. His fists clenched as the wave of embarrassment crashed over him. “No...I wasn’t. So don’t worry. If you want, we can just forget-”

“No! I- I don’t want to forget about it!” Dick grabbed Wally’s wrist, keeping the omega from turning away from him. “I...I know, this wasn’t how I wanted to go about this, but...I...I can’t stop thinking about that night.”

Wally’s throat tightens up and his heart drops into his stomach. Dick was blushing, he couldn’t quite meet Wally’s eyes, and his lips were tugging upward in a small, shy smile. Wally felt his whole body go cold. No...No. It couldn’t take this. Not this.

“Wally...I don’t think I went about this the right way, but I was wondering. Would you be interested in maybe getting togeth-”

“No.” Wally roughly tugged his hand out of Dick’s grip, his whole body shaking.

Dick looked bewildered, even a little hurt when Wally broke away from him. “What? But...But Wally I thought you didn’t-”

“NO!” Wally sobbed, tears starting to stream down his face and he turned to run as fast as his feet would take him. He vaguely hears Dick’s voice shouting for him to stop, but it’s quickly drowned out by the rushing of the wind and the thundering of his own heartbeat. The town around him is blurring as he races through it, wanting to go home and hide till the sun explodes.

Dick tried to confess to him. To ask him out. His best friend tried to ask him out.  Dick wouldn’t have done that, not with him. Not if he was still a beta. Dick would never if Wally wasn’t an omega, and somewhere inside him, Wally could feel that fact breaking him.

The next thing he was aware of he was at his house and bolting inside, running up to his room and locked his door behind him. He was so irritated with himself when he curled up in his new nest, something he needed right now instead of just going for a run like he normally would. Then he cried. He curled up and cried, hating how weak and afraid and broken he felt.

Everything was ruined. Dick was attracted to his omega identity now. He saw him as a possible mate. Everything was falling apart and there wasn’t a damn thing Wally was going to be able to do to stop it.

Chapter Text

Wally did not know how long he had been lying there, curled up in his nest, crying. Time seemed irrelevant to him. It wouldn’t fix him. It wouldn’t fix his post-presented body and everything that came with it. Time could only march on, dragging him along with it, whether he was ready or not.

And one thing he was not ready for was his uncle, whom he could hear coming up the hall, shouting, “Wally! What the *hell* were you doing? Running home, in your civies!  Near the speed of sound and in broad daylight. Boy, are you out of your mind-“

Barry stops when he sees the teary eyes of his nephew, who curled up tighter in his little cocoon of blankets and clothes. The alpha stops, taking a moment to pinch the bridge of his nose and calm down, before taking a seat beside the nest. 

“Wally, what happened? Why on earth would you run home in your civilian clothes?”

Wally sniffled and rubbed his eyes. “...Dick confessed to me…”

“W-What?” Barry’s eyebrows raised in confusion. “What do you mean? Confessed what?”

“He told me he liked me! He told me he wanted to date me!”

Barry’s confusion only grew, only this time with the undertone of deep instinctual protective alpha nature. Barry climbed into the nest, pulling his distressed nephew into his lap. “Wally, I don’t understand. Is that bad? Do you not want Dick to like you?”

Wally sniffles and clings to Barry. “He only likes me because I’m an omega now! It’s because he’s an alpha and I’m an omega and we’re supposed to -”

“Woah, woah, woah! Where is all this coming from?” Barry can only ask, bewildered. All of what came out of Wally seemed...ridiculous. However, this did give some light to the sobbing, barely coherent call he had gotten from Dick not long before.

Wally flinches, sniffling into Barry’s shirt. Prompting the alpha to reach down and wipe away Wally’s tears. “I’m sorry if I sounded harsh, pup, but you’re not making any sense. What’s all this about?”

Wally rubbed his red eyes and tried to collect himself, his face a wet and grimy mess. His breathing was all over the place, going from near hyperventilating to relatively normal. Between sniffles and the hiccups, Wally explained, “E-Everything’s changing. People are acting w-weird around me and … it’s all because I’m an omega now. I’m this thing that they have to protect and coddle and I hate it!”

“...Wally, they’re not coddling you. They’re concerned. We all are. I know that this change hasn’t been easy for you and we’ve all been trying to be as gentle about this as we can.”

“See!” Wally exclaimed, his brain latching onto the word ‘gentle’. “That’s what I’m talking about! Everyone wants to be gentle with me and no one had to do that before. Not when they thought I was a beta!”

“Wally,” Barry said, firmly. His voice a low rumble, but his authority as an alpha shining through. “We were being gentle because you went through a late presentation, that would shake up anybody and it’s understandable. However, it was obvious to all of us that you weren’t handling this well. It didn’t have anything to do with you being an omega.”

All the steam that Wally had built up released. The frustration and embarrassment flushing out, leaving him barren. His gaze falls to the floor. “But...but…”

Wally curls up, sniffling again. “...but...omegas are supposed to be the gentler dynamic. They’re ...they’re the ones who have babies and need to be protected.”

“Wally, I want you to answer me honestly. Of all the omega’s you know, who actually follows that mindset? Donna? One of the most powerful members of your team? Or Iris, a woman who does not let me get away with *anything*, not even sneaking a taste of the food before she’d finished it?”

Wally’s mind goes lightning round as he tries to justify it only to come up with a null result. Literally, every omega he could think of were strong-willed and as independent as they come. They all have their own lives they live, plenty of them not revolving around kids or raising them.

Suddenly it feels like everything is slowing down, his breathing evening out, and instead of the terror and shame that filled him just moments before, he was now filled with garden variety embarrassment.

“But...but if it’s not the fact that I’m an omega now...why did Dick try to ask me out?”

Barry took a deep breath, both to lament him not encouraging Wally’s critical thinking, and to soothe his instinct as the head alpha to bare his teeth at the idea of another alpha courting an omega in his pack. “Wally...has it occurred to you that maybe Dick liked you before you presented, but was too scared to say anything?”

Wally goes still and he shakes his head. “No Dick...Dick didn’t...we just were friends. We...He never said he wanted to date betas.”

“Did you ever mention that you were open to dating an alpha?” Barry asks with a raised eyebrow. “Did you ever mention that maybe you were interested in him?”

Wally’s face turns bright red. “...How...how did you know?”

“Son, you do not look at someone the way I’ve seen you look at Robin more than a couple times.” Barry said with certainty, “And be honest with yourself, didn’t the idea seem more in reach once there wasn’t that barrier of cross-dynamic attraction in the way?”

Wally didn’t have any response to that. Any protest dies on his tongue and he just can’t...foil that. The young omega curls in on himself, feeling ashamed and...stupid. Why had all of this gotten out of control? All this seemed to be getting too big just a moment ago and Barry popped all of them with pure logic like they were nothing.

Barry, to his credit, gives Wally a moment to process and collect himself, before putting his hand on the boy’s shoulder and asking. “Now, Wally, where did all this come from? You’re a smart kid. One of the smartest I know. Where did you get it in your head that omegas were weak and just had babies and raised kids?”

Wally looks down, trying to think back to when it started, only to come up with nothing, at least at first. It wasn’t until he started comparing different phases in his life that he noticed certain rhetoric that had slowly been phased out of his life as his living situation changed. Wally bites his lip and his face falls, looking at the floor. 

“...I...I used to hear stuff like that from Da - Rudy a lot...but...I was a beta...so it wasn’t really directed at me.” Though Rudy’s opinions of betas weren’t all that great either. He mostly tolerated Wally cause ‘at least he could do something with his life.’ God only knows what he’d think of him if he knew…

Wally shook that thought off immediately because none of the ideas that came to mind were pleasant.

Barry had what Wally would consider a look of ‘irritated, but not surprised’. The man pinches the bridge of his nose again, muttering, “Of course it was Rudy.” before taking a deep breath and turning to Wally again. “Alright… now that we know where all this came from, whatever Rudy said to you, put it out of your mind. The man was wrong about a lot of things.”

“Wally, there are omega’s in the precinct I work in. There are omega firemen and women. There are literally dozens of omega in the JLA. They all do so much more than having babies and childcare. Rudy was a bigot and can’t handle not having control over someone he sees as weaker. He’s an insecure sham of an alpha.” Barry combs his fingers through Wally’s red hair. “And you’re stronger than he is, Wally. You’re stronger than a lot of people give kids like you credit for, and your dynamic has nothing to do with that.”

Wally doesn’t respond at first, sort of soaking in all the sentiment, ruminating on it. He’s never not trusted Barry on something before so...why start now? He eventually raises his gaze to meet Barry’s eyes and gives him a small smile. “T-Thanks Uncle Barry.”

“No problem kiddo...now you might want to call Dick. I got a call from him a bit ago and he seemed really freaked out.”

Wally looks confused before he seems to think about it and suddenly it clicks. He looks horrified and dashes off to got get his phone. “Oh, shit! Dick!”

“Language young man!”

Chapter Text

Wally’s hands were shaking when he picked up his phone and dialed Dick’s number. The young boy nervously pacing back and forth in the bathroom as the phone dialed. The anxiety is growing by the minute. He hoped Dick wasn’t mad, or worse, hurt by what happened. It hadn’t been his fault and Wally just…

Wally let out a deep sigh. He’d fucked up so bad. He’d basically ran off after Dick had tried to ask him out and must have felt so fucking ashamed and embarrassed.

The redhead bites his lip, listening to the phone ring and ring and…

Finally, the call was picked up. Wally held his breath, the silence lingering, besides the static coming over the receiver. At least, until he heard the dial end and Dick’s hesitant greeting filter through. “H-Hello…?”

“Dick? Dick is that you?”

“Yeah...Yeah, it’s me, Wally. Look...if...if I said something or did something...I...I’m really sorry, I didn’t know you didn’t want to-”

“No! Nononono.” Wally spat out as he plopped back on his bed, his leg bouncing as the nervous jitters worked his way through his body. Guilt filling his gut. Dick sounded so hurt. “I...Dick, you didn’t do anything wrong. You were just asking if I...but I know you weren’t trying to hurt me or anything. I...I just…” Wally gulped, looking at the floor. “...I...I haven’t been...handling my presentation well. Being an omega...I was afraid it was going to change everything...that it was going to change me. So when you suddenly came out of the blue and asked me if I wanted to...I really freaked out. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings, I just...I thought...that maybe you were only asking because I’m an omega now. And it seemed like it was changing what we have and...I liked what we have. If...If we change it, I don’t want it to be a ‘just because’ thing.”

“...Wally, god, I’m sorry, I had no idea. I didn't want...I don't want to do that. I didn't want to do it just-"

“Dude, it’s fine. It’s not...not your fault.” Wally dragged his hand down his face. “I’m just messed up right now, dude. I didn’t mean to take it out on you.”

“Speaking of…” Dick says, and Wally can hear the distinct gulp. “Where...where are we? I mean...after what I said? Is...is it too weird?”

“I...I don’t…” Wally’s cheeks flush, for which he was grateful that Dick couldn’t see, but he did know that he was leaving Dick hanging. “I don’t know. I’m not mad or anything, I just...I don’t know if I can do anything like that, not yet. I’m...I still got a lot of stuff I got to work out and I’m not...ready.”

“Okay. Okay, I get it, Wally. I didn’t mean to spring this on you when you were going through stuff. This has been...a mess.”

Wally laughed. It was a tired, slightly bitter laugh, but the humor was there and it wasn’t hostile towards Dick. “Yeah, it has, but that was mostly my fault. I let this shit stew and it just ended up becoming a crapstorm.”

A small chuckle came from Dick as well. “Dude, what’s with the poop metaphors?”

“I don’t know but it does encapsulate how I’m feeling after everything,” Wally says between a fit of giggles. “Seriously, though, we’re okay, I just...need to get myself in order. We’ll see where we go from there...okay?”

“Yeah, okay. I’ll see you later, Walls. Take care of yourself, alright?”

“I will. Later Dick.”

Wally sighs as he hangs up the call, flopping down onto the bed. At least Dick and he were still okay. Even if they were going to have to address...this, later. His hands come up to comb through his hair, he could feel a headache coming on. It’s not long before he can hear the slight creak from his bedroom door.

“Wally? Is everything okay in there?" Came the soft voice of his aunt.

“Yes, Auntie Iris. I’m just…tired.”

The weight shifts on the bed, and his aunt’s flowery scent wafts over him. The younger redhead’s arms fell away from his face and he looks up to her, feeling drained, but something deep inside him being very happy to see her. Something she seemed to pick up on as she smiled at him and held her arm out. Unable to deny himself the promise of much-needed comfort, he gets up and crawls into his Aunt’s waiting arms, burying his face in her neck. A low purr emanates from her chest that makes the young man melt.

They’re quiet for a bit, with Wally curling up in her lap, much like he did as a small child. Eventually, however, the conversation that needs to happen, happens.

“I talked to Barry.” Iris begins. Wally knows he should probably be feeling more exhausted, at least a little more after all of this. However, he couldn’t bring himself to care too much as he cuddles into his aunt and lets her talk. “I’m sorry this has been a trial, sweetie. Presentation as a whole is an ordeal, and late presentations are often so much worse.”

“It’s fine, auntie. I just...I didn’t expect it and couldn’t cope with the change.”

“No doubt aided by whatever nonsense Rudy put in your head,” Iris muttered, a very obvious tinge of resentment in her voice. Wally says nothing, but he does shift uncomfortably, causing his aunt to drop it with a sigh. “Sorry I just...I should have known. He tried to give me that nonsense after I presented, but I had your grandparents and my sister backing me up, so it wouldn’t stick.”

Wally laughs, the fond smile not leaving his face and his chest feeling lighter than it has felt in a while. “Not that you would have let him. You don’t let him get away with anything.”

“Nope, and you won’t either,” Iris assures him. Wally’s throat closes up and the doubt starts to creep in. The fear that makes him just want to run away and never see his father again. However, Iris does not let that fear linger, kissing his forehead. “You won’t, sweetie. You’re stronger than he is. You’re a better person too. I know that realizing and stepping up to that is hard, but I know that if that day comes, you can do it, and we’ll always have your back. Cause we love you, squirt.”

Wally smiles. Really smiles. He can feel his eyes even watering from how happy he is and his heart is soaring. It gets better when he feels another familiar warmth wrapped around both him and Iris. It makes the young man purr and cuddle into his aunt and uncle more.

“Come on,” Barry murmurs as he holds his wife and nephew. “I think a movie night sounds like a good idea. Especially after today.”

“...Can we have popcorn with extra butter?”

Iris chuckled, brushing his hair out of his face. “Sure, as long as you don’t spill.”

“...can we also cuddle in the blanket for your bed?”

“Yes, Wally.” Barry rumbles, kissing the top of his head. “Come on, I’ll race you to get it ready. First one to the couch gets to pick the first movie?”

“You’re on!” Wally takes on to race Barry to the bedroom, the older man not far behind. Wally laughing and grinning all the way.

Chapter Text

It had been nearly a year since then. Wally finally allowed himself to get some help with his omega identity. It took some time, but Wally, slowly, began getting more accustomed to it and finally felt incredibly comfortable in his skin. Even more so than when he thought he was a beta.

Heats went smoother, and he even began to...enjoy them. Even got to get excited for them every once in a while.

That was, at least likely in part, due to him and Dick getting closer. Much closer.

Once Wally had finally gotten himself figured out, and he and Dick had a lot of conversations, Dick asked Wally out again, properly this time. He even started to court Wally. Wally wasn’t sure how to feel about it at first. Before he presented, he always thought that courting was...dumb.  He didn’t get it, or at the very least, he didn’t see the appeal. It seemed like a dance of a bunch of random gifts and meaningless gestures, but Dick...didn’t do that. He got Wally his favorite food, or a bit of cool Flash merch he saw, or a dessert from a bakery. Sweet, personalized things that made Wally’s heart flutter.

Given their years of friendship, it wasn’t long before they were going steady. Dick was coming around his place a lot and he’d sometimes go over to the Manor. They also spent a lot of time together in the Tower, usually going to his room or Dick’s. Not that it mattered too much, as they were right next to each other.

Tonight, though, they were watching his Aunt and Uncle's house. They were going to be out late for an event at the precinct Barry worked at and, depending on what happened, they might not come back till morning. Wally was initially going to be alone, but he’d managed to persuade them to let him invite Dick over, for company.

He and Dick were now sitting on the couch, watching a movie, as Iris and Barry were finishing up getting ready. Iris had just finished her makeup when she went over to her nephew and kissed him on the top of his head. “We might be gone all night, so try to go to bed at a reasonable time, okay? There's leftovers in the fridge if either of you gets hungry.”

“Thanks, Auntie,” Wally replies, leaning into her touch. She smiles and ruffles his hair before heading out the door, Barry following right behind her. The man stopped in the doorway looking at the two of them with a slightly stern expression.

“No funny business you two. Keep it PG tonight.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Hear you loud and clear, Uncle Barry.”

Barry nodded and headed out the door, leaving the two of them alone. Wally smiled and cuddled into Dick, the alpha putting an arm around him as they both turned to the movie they’d put on. It wasn’t long, long enough to assure that Barry was not going to be zipping back into the house to surprise them, before Wally started to climb into Dick’s lap to cuddle.

“I thought we’re supposed to keep it PG, Walls?” Dick chuckled, but nonetheless wrapped his arms around Wally’s waist.

“What’s not PG about cuddling?” Wally asked innocently.

“Cuddling alone is PG, but it rarely stays that way.” Dick crooned into the redhead’s ear.

“Pervert. Get your head out of the gutter.” Wally poked his cheek, laughing a little. He nuzzles Dicks cheek, scenting him. The speedster had actually grown to like his own citrusy scent, even when the lingering aroma of ozone would peek through. It was something that was a unique, or more often, an acquired taste. One that Dick, thankfully, readily accepted.

Wally had grown to love Dick’s scent too. He loved to bury his nose in the alpha’s neck and breathe in the scent of chalk and chocolate and pine. It was something that always calmed him down and managed to ground him. He hoped his scent did the same for Dick.

Wally started to purr, cuddling and nuzzling with Dick, movie largely forgotten. Too focused on each other to pay attention. 

Eventually, their lips collide and they’re kissing. Their scents mingle together, making Wally feel warm and fuzzy. Much like they had that night in the Tower.

Wally hummed against Dick’s lips before pressing his forehead to the alpha’s. Dick looks up at him, absolutely lovesick. “Who knew you were such a cuddle bug.”

“Oh please, we used to cuddle all the time as kids, before you got all big and ‘alpha-y’.”

“No, it was before you got super weird and was all like, ‘that’s gay, bro’.”

Wally laughed, burying his face in Dick’s neck. “You make me sound like such a dude-bro.”

“That’s what you were acting like!” Dick said, laughing. “You were the one trying to get omega and beta girls to like you all throughout middle school. You only chilled out towards the end of high school after you had your first heat.”

Wally groaned, sinking into Dick. “Ugh, don’t remind me. I was such a dork.”

“Yeah, you were, but now you’re my dork.” Dick cooed, kissing his temple.

Wally feels warm. He hides a smile in Dick’s shirt. Things really had gotten better from the year before. He and Dick were joking around, making fun. It came as easy as breathing now. Loving and being loved. It was like before, but better. A whole new wonderful layer to their fun, loving relationship, like a cake! Or a parfait. Shit now he’s hungry.

Wally wiggled his way out of Dick’s arms, getting off the couch. “Hold on, I’m gonna get some food, I’m hungry.”

Dick laughed, shouting at him as he left. “Hungry? You just ate!”

“Your point?” Replied the speedster, incredulous, as if that was the most ridiculous question in the world.

He zipped into the kitchen and came back with the leftovers his Aunt mentioned. Plopping in his boyfriend’s lap and began digging in. Dick would cheekily take some of the food, earning a playful glare from the omega, but otherwise, they settled down for the night, watching the movie they’d put on.

It was a couple of hours before Dick spoke up again. “So...are you...still doing okay? Like...any lingering weirdness going on?”

“Huh?” Wally turned to him. “What do you mean?”

“Like...is everything okay? Are you still having issues coming to terms with being an omega?”

Wally’s eyes widen a bit before he relaxes, chewing on his lip. “I’m...okay. It’s an adjustment but Barry and Iris are helping. So are you and the others. If I’m honest...not much has really changed, which is what I was afraid of. I thought being an omega would...change everything. Change who I was, how people would interact with me.”

Wally smiled, turning to Dick. “But those didn’t happen. You guys got ...protective...” Wally says with a smidge of chagrin, but his good mood didn’t subside. “...but it backed off, once we all got used to it. Once I got used to it.”

Wally sighs, dragging his fingers through his hair. Dick smiles a little, leaning up to kiss Wally’s cheek. “Sorry about that. We were kinda worried. You kinda…”

“Freaked out?”

“Yeah,” Dick said with a small laugh. “And I know we got a little intense but...instincts are weird. We’re working on it.”

“Yeah, and they’ll mellow out as we get older,” Wally adds, curling into Dick’s lap, purring. Which Dick returns, his own purr deeper in his chest.

“...I still feel bad about running away from you that day.” Wally throws in, his cheeks a little red.

Dick just laughs. “Don’t worry about it. In hindsight, that was horrible timing.”

Wally bursts into laughter as well, taking Dick’s face into his hands. “But you were trying to be so sweet!”

“I wasn’t reading the damn room was what I was doing.”

Wally laughs again and leans in, kissing Dick gently. “Well, regardless, I’m glad you decided to wait for a bit, for me.”

“Hey, even before we started dating, you are my best friend. I’m not gonna just up and leave my bro.”

Wally’s shoulders shook from the force of his laughter, curling around Dick and hugging him tightly. “God you’re such a dumbass, I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Walls. Around the world and back.” Dick murmured, kissing his forehead.

The two of them would curl up and settle after that. When Barry and Iris came home later the next morning, they’d find the boys curled up on the couch, fast asleep. A sweet sight, one that brings them both a little peace, even if a protective urge flared up in Barry. Seeing their nephew so at peace with his friend and boyfriend, comfortable in his own skin, was a relief. One that they would set out to see flourish as their beloved nephew grows into his own.