Procrastinating from my work that I was supposed to be taking a break from wattpad to do? Pfftt noooo

Btw requests will be out shortly this and the next story was halfway done so I just finished them off, I promise I'm working hard on your stuff too 

EDIT: TW BLOOD

"Well that was a shit show," Dick stated in exasperation. He and Wally had just returned to their patrol of Bludhaven. Normally, things worked in the favour save for a few hostage situations where one had to rescue the other but nothing too horribly scarring. They had a tally for it in the kitchen on a chalkboard. Dick was winning but that was beside the point. Tonight had indeed been a shit show. A whole crowd of people was hospitalized from exposure to fear gas which somehow found its way into the hands of everyday criminals just robbing a bank. It was overkill at its finest. Wally had been on the other side of town when it happened, stopping a mugging, whilst Dick had been close to the blast. He wasn't close enough to bear the brunt of the initial impact of the gas but that certainly didn't mean he was in the clear. Over the years he found that even a small amount of the gas would cause the most terrifying nightmares once he got home and thought it was all alright. He knew tonight he was going to experience that and it couldn't have come at the worst moment. Sleeping was never his strong suit and he hadn't slept well for the last few days so he was at his sleepiest point. He didn't want to fall asleep. The gas would be out of his system by midday tomorrow. If he could just last long enough without sleep, he'd be fine. "Could've been worse. We both could've got the worse of it," Wally assured him, draping his arms over his lover's shoulders. He kissed the younger on the cheek, sensing his worry. "What were they even doing with fear gas? That stuff is under Scarecrow's lock and key," Dick ranted, taking to pacing to help his thinking. 

"Babe, you're focusing on the wrong things," the ginger interjected.

"Oh you're right, I should focus on the massive group of people who are experiencing the effects of fear gas," he snapped back. Wally sighed, avoiding Dick's gaze. He realized his mistake and followed Wally's gaze, closing the gap between them. "Sorry, I didn't mean to snap."

"I get it, you're worried, but we both did some good today. You've just gotta focus on the good rather than the bad sometimes." Dick nodded to himself then received a light kiss on the forehead. "Let's get some sleep, hey?"

"I'd rather not," he replied. Wally quirked his eyebrow at the younger.

"But you've slept like four hours in three days. You must be tired."

"Tired, yeah, but I'd rather do without the nightmares." Wally gave him a sympathetic look and wrapped his arms around the others wait as he thought of an idea that would let him get some rest. "How about you at least try to get some sleep and I'll stay up to make sure you're alright?" he suggested. "You're tired too, I can't ask you to do that."

"Good thing you're not asking then." Dick shook his head with a small laugh.

"I'll make it up to you once it's out of my system," he replied, giving the taller a mischievous smirk. "You know how to treat a man. Now go get a shower, you're sweating buckets."

"Thanks, it's the growing sense of dread."

After taking an almost concerning long shower, Dick joined Wally in the bedroom. His pupils were slightly dilated from the feeling of fear slowly taking over. He brushed back his wet hair and slid into a pair of pajama bottoms. Wally watched him carefully, just in case the fear toxin kicked in suddenly and he needed help. Luckily there was no need for a speedy rescue and Dick was able to slide under the covers unaided. "Your hair is still soaking wet," Wally complained when Dick leaned against his chest. "Couldn't be bothered," he mumbled glumly. His lover didn't miss the flatness in his tone. He frowned at it and wrapped his arms around the smaller. They sat in quiet for a while, the only noise coming from whatever show was playing on TV and the cars driving outside. "Do you promise not to leave me tonight?" Dick asked cautiously, glancing at the TV instead of Wally. He didn't fancy seeing that sympathetic look that he always got when he was more vulnerable than usual. Wally obviously didn't mean anything bad by doing the look, he doubted that the ginger even knew he was doing it, and it was meant to comfort him. That didn't stop the pathetic feeling he got when he received the look, however. "I promise. I'll be here when you fall asleep and here when you wake up," Wally promised. He kissed Dick on the forehead to assure him. A small smile spread across their lips at the small act of affection. "You're so good to me," Dick said. If his pupils could turn into hearts, they would at that moment. Though, his sparkling blue eyes would be enough for Wally. He feared the moment they dulled and relished at the moment they twinkled. Hopefully, he wouldn't see them dull tonight but he doubted he'd be that lucky. They never had such good luck. "You should get some sleep. Maybe you'll sleep through without a hitch?" Dick chuckled and snuggled up closer to the ginger. His hair was still wet but Wally didn't mind all that much. His hair smelt like flowers and fruits. Probably because Dick bought shampoo and conditioner that had been targeted towards women. When he pointed this out to his raven-haired boyfriend, he simply replied with "and?" He loved him so much.

Two hours passed and Dick was sound asleep. There had been a few moments in his sleeping where his breath hitched slightly and Wally got ready to help but it was only a false alarm. His breathing would soon return to normal and his sleep would continue peacefully. The speedster, therefore, assumed that the fear gas hadn't taken much effect on Dick and it had only caused some feeling of anxiety within him. Upon this assumption, he assumed that he was alright to just sneak away for a few minutes and no longer. His stomach was growling angrily at him for skipping snack time and he didn't want it to wake Dick up. It wasn't like Dick would notice either. He was fast asleep, probably dreaming about prancing from rooftop to rooftop or swinging through the streets with the help of apartment buildings. There would be no harm in leaving for a few minutes. Slowly, he slipped out from under Dick and replaced his body with an especially fluffy pillow. For a moment, he thought the shorter had been stirred awake but he soon settled back down. Wally smiled to himself and softly kissed him on the forehead. After that, he crept into the kitchen and began to make himself something to eat. Bread, ham, cheese. Oh, maybe some mayonnaise. Then again, if he forgot to wipe any off his face, it would make Dick rather curious as to what it was. Yeah, stick with butter. Classic. As he compiled the ingredients together, his ears strained for any sort of new noise.

A whine. That's odd. Maybe Dick was just settling down from tossing over.

A small call of someone. He couldn't quite hear the name but it was for sure Dick was calling for someone. He gave Dick a minute whilst he ate his sandwich. As he did, he decided to double-check the apartment was locked up. No food was allowed in the bedroom, apart from whipped cream from time to time, ever since he ate a box of breadsticks and the bed was covered in crumbs. He swore he could still feel some of them even though they had long since hoovered the bed and changed the sheets.

Screaming caught his attention immediately and he zipped back to the bedroom. He dropped his sandwich in the process but he wasn't above going back to eat it even if it had been on the floor. Five-minute rule after all. Or maybe it was five seconds? He got to the bedroom door and found Dick clutching at the sheets to cover his chest. His back was pressed up against the headboard as panicked eyes darted around the room, following an invisible figure. Wally felt guilt hit him like a tonne of bricks but he didn't have time to dwell on it. "Dick, babe, it's me," he greeted, sitting on the end of the bed. Even when scared senseless, Dick could easily throw him out the window on impulse or break his arm in two without thinking twice about who it was. Cautious and slow was his best approach. "Leave me alone, please! I-I can't take it anymore! I would've helped if I could!" Dick screamed. His eyes weren't focused on the ginger but on something in the darkness. Thinking it would help, Wally turned the light on and waited. Dick blinked several times and came to terms with his real surroundings. "You left me didn't you?" he shouted, cowering against the bed. His body was crumpled up in a ball giving him a pathetic look. Wally opened his mouth to reply but closed it, opting to nod instead. "You promised you'd stay," Dick said tearfully. His blue eyes had dulled to a light grey, showing his genuine sorrow and fear. 

"I'm so sorry. I was getting hungry and just had to step out," Wally reasoned after finding his voice. 

"You left me over food?" Dick exclaimed. A guilty nod was his reply.

At first, Wally thought Dick was crying or sobbing. Then he recognized a high pitched giggle escape the other's mouth. He was laughing? He was laughing! "Walls, what am I going to do with you?" the smaller pondered aloud. He gave Wally a smile to show his forgiveness and tempted the ginger back to bed. 

"I thought you were mad at me for a second," Wally said as he returned to his place in the bed. 

"Oh, I am. Very much so but I need someone to hug and you're all I've got around." They shared a chuckle, knowing the anger was only light-hearted. He wrapped Dick up in his arms and held him close, attacking his face and neck with kisses, gaining soft giggles in the process. "Are you going to try to sleep again?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"I don't wanna see them again," came the solemn reply. "Not like that." Wally didn't need to hear any more to know who he was talking about. The memory of his parent's death haunted him and he didn't doubt that it would haunt him till the day he died. "It's alright Dickie, I'm here," he assured him once he felt something wet his chest. 

"What if you're not here? I can't deal with everything if you're not here."

"I-I," Wally struggled to think. There hadn't been much of a backup plan if one of them died. Not even after his own premature 'death.' It just hadn't crossed their minds. What happened was just thrown behind them but in times like these, it was bound to resurface. Noticing his partner's discomfort, Dick sat up quickly and wiped his tears away. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring it up." Regret was clear in his voice which hurt Wally's heart more than anything. Although he appreciated the sentiment, it wasn't the time for Dick to be looking after someone else. "It's alright, you're just feeling extra anxious tonight. I honestly don't know what would happen if I wasn't here but someone will help. Someone always does." He put his hand on the younger's cheek and Dick leaned into it, drawing all the comfort he could from it. 

"Someone always does," Dick repeated the words to himself. Just so they sat in and committed to memory. 

"I love you, Dickie. Always have, always will."

"I love you too. Do you mind if we keep the lights on?" Wally shook his head and they returned to cuddling. The TV was still on so they decided to half pay attention to it. It was better than acknowledging the obvious elephant in the room. What would happen if one of them died?

An hour later and the fear gas was at its peak. They hadn't noticed the slow ascent into pure unadulterated fear. It crept upon them like a silent predator and just as Dick began to drift off, it struck. He jumped up from where he was happily snuggled against Wally's chest and began mumbling about something. Wally sat up with him, giving him a nervous smirk. "Dick?" he called, not getting a reply. Suddenly, Dick scrambled off the bed and began batting at his arms. He shouted that he was on fire. That phase ended and melted into a phase of him punching at the air as though he was fighting someone. He tripped over his Nightwing suit and screamed someone was trying to kill him. Thank God they soundproofed the apartment after their first experience with fear gas or else the neighbours would've called the police. Dick was screaming at the top of his lungs which made Wally cringe. "Dickie, stop! Everything's okay!" he proclaimed as he got out of bed. He tried to help the fellow hero up but was kicked in the stomach, causing him to double over. "Jesus dude," he wheezed out. Dick didn't hear him. He began to claw at his own face, claiming it felt like something was under his skin. From the looks of it, he was determined to dig whatever it was under his skin. Wally regained his breath and pulled Dick's hands away. He hissed under his breath at the damage his boyfriend had done. His nails had drawn blood and caused cuts that looked already irritated by his tears. "Dickie, c' mon, I'm here. You need to calm down for me," Wally told him, keeping his voice low so he sounded more calming. Dick still couldn't hear him. It was like he was wearing headphones to block him out. He pulled away from the ginger and crawled across the floor into the living room before jumping to his feet. Luckily, his boyfriend was a speedster and caught up with him faster than a blink of an eye. He once again grabbed the other's arms then held him in place. "Dickie, please, you've gotta listen. I'm right here. Wally's got you." Dick's eyes flickered over his face without focusing on him. "C' mon, it's me. Your boyfriend which you hopefully won't hurt again?" Tears sprung up and trickled down Dick's face as he desperately tried to focus. "You're getting there Dickie. I know you can do it. Fight through the nightmare for me, alright?"

After a few more scans over Wally's features, Dick's eyes finally came into focus but he was in no way out of the worst of it. His breath was still too fast for comfort and his pupils were too dilated. "Where am I?" he asked, his voice shaking like a leaf in a hurricane.

"Our apartment Dickie. Remember, we came back from work and we went to bed? My sandwich is still on the floor from when I snuck out to get something and you started screaming," Wally reminded him. He pointed to the discarded snack on the floor to drill in his point. He should probably pick that up at some point. "Oh, yeah, yeah I remember that." He gulped and held onto Wally tighter. He kept whipping his head around to see things that Wally couldn't as his anxiety grew. The darkness of the apartment was terrifying. "Let's go back to bed-"

"Someone is in here! I saw them! They're- they're gonna kill me! I know it!" Dick interrupted.

"No one is here babe. It's just us, I promise," he insisted. Dick shook his head. He was determined someone was lurking in the shadow. They'd be waiting for the perfect moment to strike and he'd be dead. He didn't want to die. He really didn't want to die. He wanted to grow old with Wally. He wanted to be a hero until his last days. "Dick, I love you but I'm gonna need you to work with me here. Concentrate on me and you'll get through this."

"I'm scared," Dick blurted out, beginning to cry.

"I know and I'm going to help you, you've just got to concentrate on me. You can do that right?" It took a second but Dick nodded. He kept his eyes on Wally's, taking in how they shone slightly thanks to the light filtering in from the bedroom. He always liked the colour green. At least, the green that Wally's eyes were. They were such a pretty green. "Good. Now I'm going to pick you up, is that alright?" Dick nodded and he was picked up without a struggle. His arms wrapped around the ginger's neck as he kept his eyes trained on those emerald orbs. They were beautiful. "This is the hardest part and you're doing amazing. You're my brave hero," Wally complimented as they walked back to the bedroom. 

"You sure there is nothing in there?"

"I'm sure."

He set Dick down and pulled the covers over him, peppering him with short pecks. "My face hurts," Dick stated. His breathing was getting better so the worst was over. Wally was thankful for that since he really didn't have the energy to get him back to bed. "You scratched at it before. It'll be sore for a while," he replied, running his fingers through Dick's raven locks. It was still slightly damp from their shower. His fingers trailed down to Dick's face, careful not to touch the scratches. "Oh," Dick hummed. "The things fear gas makes you do, huh?"

"You certainly put me to work," Wally joked. The smaller frowned at the revelation and hugged him. "But I'm sure I'll be putting you to work when I get my reward for being an awesome boyfriend." Dick scoffed and rolled his eyes, trying to play off his bright blush.

"I don't doubt it. I-I think the worst is over now," he replied.

"So I can turn the lights off and have you not freak out?" Dick nodded. Once the lights were out, he took a shaky breath but soon became more comfortable when he felt the gingers arms around him. He melted into them and held the other tightly. "Feeling better?" Wally asked.

"Yeah. You make me feel safe," he answered.

"Glad I could be of service. Love you."

"Love you too."

Sun greeted Wally the next morning, making him groan and whine. He wasn't a morning person but who would after spending the whole night trying to look after your terrified boyfriend and trying to stop him from screaming bloody murder. There was something that wasn't right when he woke up, however. Something felt different. Like a weight was no longer there. He glanced down and found that Dick was no longer clinging onto him like a koala to a tree. Wally leaped from the bed. Had Dick sleepwalked out the room? If so, he hoped he locked the doors to the balcony. "Wally, you alright?" Dick's voice rang through his ears. He whipped around to see Dick standing in the doorway with a tray of food and a glass of orange juice. The smirk on his face wasn't quite back to normal yet but it was a big improvement. "I didn't know where you were," Wally responded, relieved. 

"I was making breakfast for you. My treat for dealing with me all night," he replied. "Get back in bed." Wally did as he was told and the tray was placed over him with a kiss on the forehead. 

"How're you feeling?" he asked as Dick sat on the edge of the bed. He could spot small sweat droplets on the other's forehead that probably weren't from cooking. 

"Still weird but that's to be expected. Give me a few hours and I'll be back to normal," Dick answered. "Apart from these," he added, gesturing to the now scabbed over scratches on his face.

"Sorry I couldn't stop you before you did that. Took me a second to realize what was going on," Wally said guiltily. 

"It's alright, I would've done worse if I was on my own. You did a great job," he assured his lover. He held his hand to further drive home his point. "And because you did a great job, this won't be the only thing you'll be getting today," he added, whispering it into Wally's ear. An excited shiver traveled down the ginger's spine. 

"You're the best boyfriend in the world." 

totally not avoiding my three essays rn