I was rummaging through my old stories I wrote when I was like fourteen for I N S P I R A T I O N and found this lil number. After consulting Discord (in my bio check it out) we agreed to put the story forward. Enjoy!

Edited 14/02/2024: format change, small additions and a note that my discord is very much dead :D

No one told Nightwing that Wally was out of retirement. Not even Wally. In hindsight, they should've at least hinted at it as when said hero saw Wally in a variation of a Flash suit, he almost had a heart attack. He thought it was a hallucination. Some drug must've gotten into his system during a patrol the night prior and was just kicking in as he entered the newly built Mountain. Once confirming that this certainly wasn't a hallucination, panic set in only harsher. 

"What are you doing in that suit?" he asked. His eyes were the size of saucers, causing half the young team to chuckle to themselves. The only other time they saw that expression was when Batgirl caught him in a logic loop. 

"Well I need a suit to go on the mission don't I?" Wally replied as though it was mind-numbingly obvious. He swiftly joined the lineup of young heroes and waited for Nightwing's debrief. Nightwing, however, was far more enthralled as to why he was out of retirement and why nobody thought to mention this. 

"You're going on a mission?" he inquired. He could feel a sick feeling churning his stomach. Why would he come out of retirement? Why would he risk everything again? They fought when he decided to retire, insisting that he was better as a vigilante but Wally had always stood firm that he didn't want to do it anymore so what changed his mind? It couldn't be his death because who on Earth died and then turned around practically begging the universe to do it again? 

"I think you broke him," Robin muttered to the ginger. His older brother was practically hysterical at the notion of Wally joining them. 

"But you can't come out of retirement," he argued.

"Why not? He was a good hero," Bart defended. Of course, he was a good hero. That wasn't the problem. 

"Because he just can't. He only just came back!"

What was once funny now became serious. His shocked and frantic attitude didn't seem so hilarious now. It was just sad. They were reminded of how he was during the grieving process. It was like he became a cutout of what he once was. He was there but flat and quiet. He only just about survived it by the time Wally returned with stories of alternate universes he travelled through. 

"Babe I can do this," Wally insisted yet Nightwing was stubborn.

"No, you're not coming with us. For one, I haven't planned for you to join so this changes the entire mission plan and group format and for two, you're supposed to be retired and I know for a fact you haven't been training since. I can't let you go out there green. The only place you're going is home," he responded. His voice gained some firmness, adding validity to his statement. Unfortunately, his boyfriend had long since been immune to it and pushed further.

"To hell I am. I'm going on this mission. I get we'll have to change some things but why not just put me with Bart? You already planned for one speedster, it can't be that hard to add another and I've still been working out."

"Doing push-ups in the gym is not the same as training for work. I control the mission and I say no!"

"I'm older by two years and I say yes!" 

The others nodded along as though he made an indisputable point. However, they felt awkward and downright uncomfortable when they could see how panicked Nightwing was becoming over the situation. He was cool and collected but they didn't blame him for losing it. A piece of him died when Wally disappeared and they weren't sure if it ever came back when he returned.

"Wally you're not going. End of."

"You don't control me, Richard." 

At the point of hearing his full name, most of the team decided to leave the room. Everyone knew that you only called him Richard if you meant business and if you were smart enough to not want to be caught in the crossfire, you left before you were noticed. Along with that, it felt so horrifically personal and if the couple weren't going to leave to speak in private they'd give them that privacy. Batgirl was among the few sticking around, enjoying the drama that could only be comparable to a Real Housewives episode. Since she was missing out on that for the mission, she deemed the fight a worthy replacement. If only she could live-tweet this.

"I'm not controlling you. I'm protecting you. You haven't been on any work-up missions or even a patrol since you came back, you're way too unprepared for this. You'll only get hurt or the mission will fail because I've not made sure everyone is ready," Nightwing reasoned. Wally crossed his arms and frowned. 

"I did the job just fine when I had zero experience. You're so overprotective."

"I am not!"

"You kinda are," Batgirl pitched in.

"Stay out of it!" they both snapped. She raised her hands in surrender and led the remnants of the team out to the commons room. She could just hook up a live feed in there and watch the fight in safety.

Once alone, the quarrel continued. Wally looked pissed and Nightwing was even more pissed with both only going to anger the other and unable to see each other's point of view. 

"I am the opposite of overprotective. I let you do almost everything you want! Including choosing last night's take out even though I knew it wouldn't be good."

"Okay so you were right about Dominoes being better than Pizza Hut but that's hardly comparable to this. We both know this isn't just about me not training because we both know I'm more than capable with experience alone and I've seen you change mission plans on a dime when needed so what is it?" Wally asked angrily. He'd meant for this to be a happy reunion. A show that things could go back to as they were and that he was still here to support both Dick and Nightwing but now the act had been soured. He needed the answer right now before he exploded and said something he'd regret. Nightwing stayed silent. "Silent treatment now, huh? Just tell me what it is. Am I not strong enough for you? Am I too weak now?"

"No, that's not it!"

"Then what is it? What could possibly make you-"

"I can't lose you again that's why!" Nightwing yelled. He tore off his mask revealing tear-filled blue eyes. He needed to be Dick Grayson right now. It was him that was causing the fear in his heart that made his knees quake and his heart clench. "I can't do that again," he said quietly. Wally untensed with a sigh and hugged him tightly knowing he needed it. "I'm the one that isn't strong enough. I can never be strong enough to go through losing you again. I brought you out of retirement last time and you know how that went. We fought and then you died and I never got to apologize or say goodbye so please, just go home." He was shushed gently by the taller as he sunk into the hug.

"When you started out, were you strong enough to defeat the Joker?" Wally asked. In confusion, he shook his head. "You had to train, get hurt, be tortured but you also had to have hope you'd be strong enough."

"Where are you going with this?" Nightwing asked, not following where Wally was heading. They pulled apart for a moment. 

"Missions are our training, I'll get hurt and that'll be your torture but we'll be stronger every time. You've just got to have hope." Nightwing cracked a smile. 

"Wow, that was an oddly good metaphor coming from you," he said in genuine surprise. 

"You underestimate me, sir." He laughed and let out a sigh.

"That I did. I'm guessing you're coming on the mission whether I like it or not?"

"Bold of you to think you could keep me off it."

The mission did go well and, for the sake of Nightwing's heart, Wally promised to inform him the next time he decided to join in. As much as Nightwing hated the thought of his lover being put back in the line of danger, he did enjoy the nostalgic feeling that came along with working together. That didn't stop him from banning him from the next few missions for causing him such distress.

Whilst working on this story my friend was trying to get a hold of me and the last thing she sent was "I know you have insomnia so you ain't asleep you fuck" I feel attacked

Upon finishing this, she was trying to spill some good tea so I forgive her