milliways_bar | (no subject)

"Hey." If he was some other guy, Wally might be suspicious of a stranger; but heck, he grew up in Blue Valley, where nobody was ever suspicious, except for Adam Blooskey, who once upon a time was hiding a sheep in his back yard.

Besides, it's a bar at the end of the universe. What's the worst that could happen?

"Who're you?"

The voice is almost the same. Squeakier maybe.

"Kid Flash."

Wally blinks. Then stares. Then blinks again.

"But...Bart is Kid Flash..." He sounds confused.

Hoo. This will be decidedly unenjoyable. "I'm Iris West. I'm Kid Flash in the future."

Wally looks -so- confused. "But... that's my Aunt's name."

Huh. Iris didn't think her father could look confused.

"I was named for your aunt."

"And who named you that?" ...oh, don't tell him. -Don't tell him-. Was this...

No. No. Not possible at all.

Iris can't bring herself to tell Wally so instead she quite stupidly says. "My father."

"...don't tell me. He's the Flash." Wally has no idea how he'll feel if she says yes.

Except that this kind of really broke his brain. A lot.

Iris wrings her red gloved hands and debates "He's...one of them."

This is so very WRONG and necrotic.

Wally frowns, looking up at her and studying her. Finally, after a long moment of silence, he asks...

"Are you -my- daughter, then?"

"Um..."

Nervously. "I will be."

Cue the sound of a brain breaking. Because even if Wally had figured it out, he hadn't really expected anything other than to be told... well, that he was insane.

"No kidding?" He whispers.

Iris wishes she was for both of their sakes. And brains. She rubs her temples.

"No kidding."

"Am..." Wally swallows. "Am I a good dad?"

Hoo. Iris can think of so many ways to answer that but looking at this kid...

She tries to speak but it's hard. This boy's not her father and she might never see her father again.

She clears her throat.

"The best."

"R-really?"

Because... honestly, Wally doesn't know if he would ever be that good a father. He's heard that people that don't have good fathers don't know how to be one, and...

Well.

"Really. You always tell me you love me." Which is true. In holographic messages but that would be mean to add.

Gently but also curiously. "Why wouldn't you be?"

"Well." Wally stares at the ground. He can admit it to -her- anyway, right? If she was supposed to be his daughter. "'Cuz my dad wasn't the best."

Iris blinks. Hoo. Dad never told her that. Come to think of it, he never said much about his family.

She sits down and...awkwardly pats the boy-who-will-probably-be-her-father-someday's hand.

"I'm sorry."

Oh boy. Pity from his future daughter. Wasn't that the kicker? Wally smiles faintly. "Don't be sorry. Not -your- fault."

"Of course not but it must be hard to deal with."

Not that she would know. Nope. Not even a tiny bit.

"I'm just glad that you don't have to."

Oh ouch. Guilt.

"I don't have to." And she doesn't. She's bound to the bar.

Nervously. "What...can I ask what your family is like?"

"Which part?" Wally doesn't really want to describe this, but he feels like he owes it to her somehow.