Wally always thought that Dick was one of the happiest people on the planet. He always had a smile on his face, and he always had that infectious laugh. Even when they were alone, Dick was smiling. Why wouldn't he be the happiest?
Wally always assumed that, until he walked into Dick's room to see him crying. It looked more like a panic attack than just crying, and Wally immediately leapt into action. He pulled Dick to his chest, one hand in his hair and the other holding his wrists. "Shh, it's okay, Dickie. I've got you, I've got you." He whispered, worried. What got Dick in this state?
Dick pressed into Wally, sobbing like the world was ending. Wally didn't know what to do. Dick needed help, help that Wally didn't know if he could give. He went with the only option he had.
"Alfred! Bruce! Something's wrong with Dick!" He called, trying to hold Dick still. He could only hope they heard him and knew what to do. He was getting scared, and he didn't know how to calm down.
The door burst open, Bruce running through. He sat on the bed and took Dick into his lap, telling Wally to find Alfred. Wally rushed off, hearing Bruce whisper something to Dick.
Alfred was in the garden, pulling tiny weeds from the soil. "Alfred! Something's wrong with Dick. I came into his room, and I think he was going into a panic attack. Bruce is with him, but he told me to get you." Wally sounded close to crying himself. Dick was his best friend, and something wasn't right.
Alfred followed Wally to Dick's room, where he was still crying. Bruce was holding onto him tightly, trying to keep him from hurting himself. Dick seemed to be fighting against Bruce, trying to free himself.
Alfred pulled a syringe out from his pocket, pulling the cap off and injecting it into Dick's neck. Dick slowly stilled, his crying becoming quieter. He eventually stopped, limp against Bruce's chest.
"What happened?" Wally asked shakily. He felt like he could collapse. "A panic attack. Dick has them, and they can be extremely bad. We caught it early." "Early? That was early!? That was terrifying!" Wally exclaimed, running his fingers through his hair.
Bruce tucked Dick into the bed, looking at the speedster. "His are extremely dangerous. If we don't catch it early, there's a chance the stress on his heart would cause him to go into a heart attack, and he could die. Dinah isn't sure why they're so bad, but she thinks it has something to do with Dick's school. These only started happening once Dick started attending.
Wally held onto his arms tightly, his vision blurring with tears. Dick had never been like that in front of Wally before, and he didn't know what to do. Bruce recognized that and hugged Wally, gently shushing him. It pushed Wally over the edge, and he was crying.
Bruce knew Wally wouldn't take it well. Dick had expressed his concerns of Wally seeing him have a panic attack before. They were so close, and seeing Dick in that condition would scare anyone. Bruce knew Wally needed the hug.
When Wally stopped crying, he sat up and wiped his eyes. "Sorry, I just-" "It's alright. I understand. Just relax a little. He should wake up in about an hour, if the sedative we have him works correctly. And it always has, before you ask." Wally was about to ask that very question.
Ever since Wally figured out that Dick had panic attacks, he did what he could to prevent them. If Dick began to look uncomfortable, Wally would change something until he felt better. If Dick did end up having one, he was rushed to a medbay, and Leslie or Bruce sedated him. Wally carried snacks he knew Dick liked, for the after panic attacks stage.
When they started dating, very little changed. Wally still adjusted himself when Dick wasn't comfortable, and he always asked before doing something. The only change he could think of was how intimate they were. They'd held hands, and had kissed once. Wally was too scared to take it much farther. Of what, you ask? Dick's panic attacks, and being killed by the big bad Bat.
When Dick left the Manor, Wally immediately decided Dick could live with him. At least while he was looking for somewhere to stay, if he wanted to live alone. After getting invited to stay, Wally moved in with Dick. He was given the opportunity, and he took it.
Now that they lived together, Wally saw how bad Dick was. He cried at least once a week, and was constantly apologizing for things he didn't do. Wally was always quick to help him, telling him it wasn't just fault, to make him feel loved.
It wasn't like Dick wasn't trying to get better. He'd been seeing Dinah ever since this started, and he'd been trying to do everything she said. Wally would always be waiting outside the door for Dick, sitting patiently. How he did it, neither knew. Wally said it was because of how much he loved Dick.
There were days Dick didn't want to get out of bed, too mentally exhausted. Wally called Dick's workplace and the League, telling them Dick was taking a day off. He then proceeded to stay with Dick all day, using what Dick had told him to take care of him.
When they got Pongo, Dick improved. He went from crying once a week to crying every two weeks, and Pongo was always there to cuddle with him. Dick was just happier in general. Wally was glad, knowing that he felt better.
Wally had found the scars from self harm a long time ago. When he'd first seen them, Dick had nearly gone into a panic attack. Thankfully, Dick hadn't cut since he was thirteen. Dick had been clean for eleven years.
Wally had quickly learned that Dick wore a mask around the team. He pretended nothing was wrong, and he pushed his panic attacks down until he was in private. Wally had been taught to recognize when Dick was having a panic attack, and usually came up with an excuse for Dick to leave. That labeled him as the late, forgetful speedster, but he was willing to endure the titles if Dick's mental health got better.
After years of work, Dick got better. He wasn't perfect, but nobody was. He rarely cried anymore, and panic attacks were rare. He never doubted that Wally loved him, and he had graduated, meaning he got away from some of his bullies. Wally had celebrated by bringing Dick to the fair. Seeing Dick's shining eyes as they enjoyed their night? Completely worth all the work. Forget the fair, seeing Dick happy was Wally's prize. He hoped he could keep Dick the happiest person on the planet, just like he had imagined all those years ago.
