One-Shot Book ✓

Even If It's Not to Be With Me

Hello, I am back with some Birdflash. I love this ship, but this one-shot isn't exactly a happy one and I apologize for that in advance. You'll see what I mean when you start to read it. This takes place in the Young Justice world a bit after Wally's death in season two. With that said, let's get into it.

Dick doesn't remember exactly when he fell in love with his best friend. It definitely wasn't the first time they met. The boy had appeared like a loose cannon to him at the time, but he had been able to make him smile unlike anyone else. It wasn't when Bruce and Barry had let the two hang out. The two had stayed up all night playing video games and shared secrets that Dick still keeps. It wasn't when the Team was first formed and the two began to spend more time with one another. He has no idea when his feelings began, but he remembers realizing them. It was when Dick saw Wally making heart eyes at Artemis. He knew his friend. He knew the second the red-head was smitten with the blonde archer. And when he had noticed, it had hurt. His heart had ached and Dick had no idea why. It was a puzzle that the boy couldn't solve. He should be happy for his best friend and help him out, but he felt the exact opposite. He wasn't happy at all. He was upset. He finally pieced it together when Wally said I love you. The speedster meant it in a friendly way and Dick knew that, but his heart still raced and his cheeks still turned pink. It was then that he knew that he had a crush on his best friend. That same day he had pledged for Wally to never find out his feelings. He would bury them and hide them from the entire world. No one would know. After all, Wally liked Artemis. He could never feel the same way about Dick. His plan didn't go accordingly. Even though he was a Bat, he seemed pretty bad at hiding his affections. Bruce noticed right away and had comforted him. He didn't do that bad, considering he is Batman. The first person on the Team who noticed was Zatanna. She had understood and was more than willing to help him out. That had stopped the rest of the Team from finding out for a while. They were all convinced that Dick had a thing for Zatanna. Dick was perfectly fine with them thinking this way. It kept his secret safe. The boy had hoped that over time his affections for his best friend would die out, but they hadn't. If anything they grew. In the end, Wally and Artemis kissed and the rest was history. The two became the resident couple and Dick became the silent piner. It was around then that others began to notice the hardened gaze Dick would have on his face after Wally and Artemis did anything affectionate. The boy had tried to hide his emotions, but it hurt him to see Wally flirting with Artemis and kissing her on the cheeks. It felt like knives were being jabbed into his heart. It was unlike any pain he had ever experienced. Because this pain wasn't physical, but it still cut wounds into him that wouldn't heal. Soon enough, everyone would flash Dick looks of pity, except for Artemis and Wally, who were so in love with one another that they didn't even notice that there was someone else wanting love. The pity pissed him off. Yes, he knows that it sucks that he's in love with this boy that is in love with another girl. Yes, he gets that he must look pathetic. But, he doesn't need people to look at him like he's going to shatter. He had hidden his feelings for long enough and he's been fine. They would probably go away any day now. They didn't. They never did. Dick vow didn't change. He still refused to let Wally know the truth. His best friend is happy. Happy with Artemis. What type of person would he be to not want to see the love of his life happy? But, since Wally was happy with Artemis, Dick rarely was. The only joy he got was from seeing Wally smile. It reminded him that his pain was worth it. Even if the speedster didn't return his affections, at least he had someone to make him joyful. That's all Dick wanted. For Wally to be happy. Even if it isn't with him. When Wally had left the Team with Artemis, the jealousy set in. It was partially the reason why he had asked Artemis to come back for the undercover mission. He ended up regretting it though. Wally's angry face and harsh, biting words were enough for Dick to hate himself for his actions. So, Dick pushed the jealousy down deep. It stayed locked in a cage alongside the love he has for the red-head speedster. His love for Wally could never stay hidden away though. It just grew and kept breaking free. His love for the boy never wavered and Dick couldn't understand why. He wished it would. He didn't want to suffer from a love that would never be returned, but his heart had a mind of his own. He loves Wally. It's a fact. He loves him, so much that he would do anything for him. Even give up his life for his. When Wally had died that day, Dick felt numb. He didn't know how to react or what to do. He felt like a shell. The man he loves died. He couldn't process it. He didn't want to. While the Team, League, and his family mourned his death, Dick searched for a way to bring him back. Wally needed to come back. He shouldn't have died. He deserves to live. When he had found out the way to bring him back, he wasn't surprised by the cost. It made sense and it is something that Dick is more than willing to give. "Why are you asking me?" Klarion asks.

Dick sighs, "No one else will do it. They'll never let me give up on my life. You don't care if I die or not. It has to be you."

"But, why?" Klarion huffs, stroking his cat, "Why trade your life for that silly speedster?"

"I love him," Dick answers simply.

Klarion's eyebrows raise, "Isn't he with that blondie?" Dick nods and Klarion starts to chuckle. "Ah, I get it," Klarion states, "You like him, but he doesn't like you. That's pretty pathetic. You really want to do this? Bring him back? Trade your life for a guy who'll never see you the same way..."

Dick nods, "Yes. It doesn't matter."

"You're real stupid human," Klarion states.

"I've spent a lot of time pining over my best friend. It tore me to pieces. I didn't understand why. Why couldn't he love me? Why didn't he see me the same way? Why do I just have to be his best friend? Why can't I just be happy for him and move on? I tried to make sense of it, but it's impossible to. Love doesn't make sense. Even an unrequited one," Dick says, "I've tried to stop loving him, but I can't. I think I'll love him until I die."

"Human emotions..." Klarion scoffs, "You really want this, don't you?"

Dick nods, "I don't care if I have to give up my life as long as he gets to live."

"What about the people that care for you?" Klarion asks, "Not that I feel bad for them or anything, I'm just curious..."

Dick frowns, "They'll understand. They know how much he means to me."

Klarion whistles and shakes his head, "You're crazy...how can you love him that much?"

"I just do," Dick says, "There's no reason for it. I'm doing this for him. Cause I love him. Cause he deserves to live. He has a life where he can be happy and loved. I'm more than okay with giving up my life, so he can live his. He can be in love and start a family with Artemis. He can smile in that way he only does for her. He can keep saving people and joking around and being him. That's more than enough for me."

Klarion picks at his fingernails, "Your family won't even know what happened to you. You'll be there once and disappear the next..."

Dick sighs, "If you're trying to convince me not to do this..."

"I could care less," Klarion says, "I just find you intriguing..."

"Just bring him back," Dick states.

Klarion sighs, "Fine, fine. Let's get this show on the road..."

———————————

Wally went home that next day. Not understanding what had happened. Artemis shed tears of joy. The Team celebrated for days. Wally had come back from the dead in some unexplainable way. By some grace from the Gods. Or by someone who loved Wally more than anyone else in the world. To his dying breath.

Do you see what I mean? It's a bit bittersweet. My next few one-shots are going to be like this. I just had this sudden surge of unrequited love AUs, so look forward to that. I hope that you enjoyed this one-shot although it was a tad bit tragic. If you liked it please comment, vote, follow me, add this story to your library, and check out my What is a Batman story. Thank you for reading and I'll see you when I update next. Au revoir!