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Title: Reality is a Crutch 4/7
All Parts: Part 1, Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7
Author: kat8cha
Pairing: Roy/Wally
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Roy hates asking for help and can only do so when he is not the one in need.
Warnings: Drug use, referenced prostitution
A/N: The first part of the story behind![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
roygoesdown and quickblows's AU. Roy leaves when Ollie kicks him out and Wally never met Barry and thus never gained powers. Also for H/C bingo's hookers prompt.
It was amazing how much space Hal could take up in a room with his displeasure. Roy had always been impressed how big Hal could look with his arms crossed and his mouth down turned in a frown. It was the look he gave evil doers after he'd thrashed them and left them on the ground. Roy'd had it directed at him more than once after he'd done something stupid and Hal didn't approve but Ollie didn't care. Of course, Ollie spent a lot of his time not caring what Roy did until too late, case in point, Roy's current situation. Wally huddled behind Roy on the bed and Roy could only imagine the pathetic sight the two of them made, Wally curled up with one arm wrapped protectively around Roy's waist and his eyes wide in his pale sweaty face, his stringy hair curled over his forehead while Roy leaned back against Wally for support, his knuckles white with the grip he had on the mattress. Neither of them was up facing down two superheroes, especially not two such disapproving ones.
Roy might have imagined that The Flash would vibrate with anger, but Barry Allen was too all-American to react that way. Instead he stood utterly still and radiated displeasure much like Hal, but at the same time different. Not colder, but maybe a little harder, and definitely more morally indignant. Barry didn't like the situation his wife's nephew was in, and he didn't like their dingy, cracked apartment, and he didn't seem to like Roy either from the way he kept glancing Roy's way. Roy was suddenly very glad that Wally hadn't had any contact with Barry before this; at least he'd never had to see that look in Wally's eyes.
"Roy, I can't leave the two of you here." Hal's eyebrows arched upward, it's a look Roy's generally only seen behind the mask, and it always caused the mask to turn into a very odd V shape. Without the mask it makes Hal's face turn into a very odd V shape. "Wally has pneumonia, he needs medical attention."
"That's why I called you!" Roy shouted and straightened his spine as he felt the anger boil in his stomach. "You were supposed to help!"
"I'm trying, Roy." Hal glanced at Barry who turned his disapproving look away from Roy to look supportively at Hal. Roy bit down on the urge to call him a douche. "Wally needs medication and he needs rest. The dry air here isn't doing him any good…"
"We'll get a humidifier!" Roy glanced at Wally who nodded his head supportively. "We can go to the free clinic for medication and he can rest here…" Roy curled up against Wally who curled around him. It was a change from their usual puppy pile where Roy was the one curling around Wally. He was taller, and Wally enjoyed the sense of protection more.
"Roy…" And Roy was getting really sick of Hal drifting off when talking to him. He'd done it close to ten times since Roy had welcomed the Green Lantern into his apartment. "I can't leave the two of you here, I don't know what you've been doing to pay for this place but…"
"It can't be legal." Barry scowled and Roy felt Wally shrink behind him.
"It's legal in Reno." Roy shot back, lamely, and only realized how stupid a thing it was to say after the words had left his mouth. He wasn't sure about Barry but Hal… Roy could see as Hal's brain processed Roy's statement and Roy tried to frantically back track. "I mean, that's not, we're not-"
"You're a prostitute?"
Roy winced, and Wally curled his arms tight around Roy's waist and hugged him tight. "At least I'm not stealing. Or dealing. Or something." Roy glanced away from Hal's face to the floor then back up to Hal's face then at Barry's face. Barry was not looking at Roy, at least, but he was looking at Wally.
"Did Roy put you up to this, Wally?"
And really, Roy felt pathetic enough already, he hadn't needed a member of the Justice League punching him in the gut like that.
"Roy protects me." And Roy winced again. How many prostitutes had he heard say that about their pimp? How many prostitutes with abusive pimps had he heard say that about their pimp? Too many, was the answer, and now here he was hearing it from Wally. Roy fought down a wave of nausea, there wasn't anything left in his stomach to vomit anyway, and found he could not lift his eyes from the floor. He'd never felt right about leading the kind of life he led with Wally. Not that he encouraged Wally to work solo jobs, in fact he'd made pretty vehement arguments against it, but he knew Wally did when he was too high and strung out to bring in any money. He knew Wally thought it was a secret, that Wally kept the money from those jobs tucked away 'for emergencies' or 'just in case'. He never brought these jobs up though because they made Wally feel like he was helping, even if he was hurting himself.
Prostitution hadn't been high on Roy's list of possible occupations either.
"It might seem like he's protecting you-" Barry started, then cut off. Roy turned to look over his shoulder and even he was impressed with Wally's glare.
"Roy's been there for me. If it wasn't for him I'd probably be dead in Central City right now. He saved me from myself, and from other people, and he's helped me. We're not stealing, and we do odd jobs when we can to earn money. It's not all prostitution. Prostitution's just…"
"It's easy." Roy muttered in the direction of the floor. He knew then that he was going to give in. In fact, Roy could probably say that from the minute he called Hal he had known how this confrontation would go. And maybe, maybe, it was a sign of how much Wally had helped him heal that he could admit he needed help, and he could ask for the help that he needed. "Alright, fine, we'll go with you-"
Everyone began to speak at once then, Wally voiced protests, Barry and Hal were both eager to put in their two cents. Roy held up a shaking hand and waited for everyone to quiet down. "Wally and I don't get separated, we go with one of you." Roy glanced from Barry to Hal at that statement. He could see that both men were unhappy with it, Barry more so than Hal. Hal mainly looked relieved that Roy wasn't fighting him. "Wally, you really need to get to a doctor." Roy gripped the bed with his other hand and attempted to ride out a powerful stomach cramp without curling into a ball. "And… you should at least talk to your aunt."
"I'm not Aunt Iris' problem…" Wally coughed into his hand. It sounded painful, like two sheets of sandpaper scratching against each other.
"Iris doesn't consider you a problem, Wally. She was incredibly worried when you first disappeared." Everyone in the room could hear the silent add-on that she would be more worried now that she had found out what Wally had been up to. "She'll want to see you. I could run you home right now."
"Not. Without. Roy." Wally's voice faded to a pained whisper on Roy's name and his fingers clenched in Roy's damp t-shirt.
"Barry," Hal turned to Barry and dropped his voice. Not quite so Roy couldn't hear him, but quiet enough that when Wally started coughing, which he did and Roy had to turn to pat him on the back and hand him the glass of water they'd set on the floor earlier, it was hard. "I think it would be best if the boys came home with me, for now."
Barry placed a hand on Hal's arm and leaned in close when he spoke. "Hal, you don't know what to do with kids, and you live in a one room apartment. It'd be better if I took them with me."
"I've got a fold out couch." Hal defended and he glanced at Roy and Wally. Roy quickly pretended like he hadn't been listening. "I've got a decent relationship with Roy, and he's the one I'd be worried about bolting." Roy couldn't quite suppress the wince. "Plus, no offense Barry, you're kind of heavy handed sometimes."
Wally pressed his face against Roy's shoulder to cover up a laugh.
Barry winced. "Fine, but I'm going to bring Iris over as soon as we get them settled. And I'll help you buy some food, there's no way you have enough to feed two growing boys, and I know you don't have any chicken soup."
Wally laughed again, though it devolved into a cough as well, and grinned up at Roy. "They kind of sound like us."
Roy brushed Wally's hair out of his face and smiled back. "They kind of do."
Part 5!
All Parts: Part 1, Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7
Author: kat8cha
Pairing: Roy/Wally
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Roy hates asking for help and can only do so when he is not the one in need.
Warnings: Drug use, referenced prostitution
A/N: The first part of the story behind
roygoesdown and quickblows's AU. Roy leaves when Ollie kicks him out and Wally never met Barry and thus never gained powers. Also for H/C bingo's hookers prompt.It was amazing how much space Hal could take up in a room with his displeasure. Roy had always been impressed how big Hal could look with his arms crossed and his mouth down turned in a frown. It was the look he gave evil doers after he'd thrashed them and left them on the ground. Roy'd had it directed at him more than once after he'd done something stupid and Hal didn't approve but Ollie didn't care. Of course, Ollie spent a lot of his time not caring what Roy did until too late, case in point, Roy's current situation. Wally huddled behind Roy on the bed and Roy could only imagine the pathetic sight the two of them made, Wally curled up with one arm wrapped protectively around Roy's waist and his eyes wide in his pale sweaty face, his stringy hair curled over his forehead while Roy leaned back against Wally for support, his knuckles white with the grip he had on the mattress. Neither of them was up facing down two superheroes, especially not two such disapproving ones.
Roy might have imagined that The Flash would vibrate with anger, but Barry Allen was too all-American to react that way. Instead he stood utterly still and radiated displeasure much like Hal, but at the same time different. Not colder, but maybe a little harder, and definitely more morally indignant. Barry didn't like the situation his wife's nephew was in, and he didn't like their dingy, cracked apartment, and he didn't seem to like Roy either from the way he kept glancing Roy's way. Roy was suddenly very glad that Wally hadn't had any contact with Barry before this; at least he'd never had to see that look in Wally's eyes.
"Roy, I can't leave the two of you here." Hal's eyebrows arched upward, it's a look Roy's generally only seen behind the mask, and it always caused the mask to turn into a very odd V shape. Without the mask it makes Hal's face turn into a very odd V shape. "Wally has pneumonia, he needs medical attention."
"That's why I called you!" Roy shouted and straightened his spine as he felt the anger boil in his stomach. "You were supposed to help!"
"I'm trying, Roy." Hal glanced at Barry who turned his disapproving look away from Roy to look supportively at Hal. Roy bit down on the urge to call him a douche. "Wally needs medication and he needs rest. The dry air here isn't doing him any good…"
"We'll get a humidifier!" Roy glanced at Wally who nodded his head supportively. "We can go to the free clinic for medication and he can rest here…" Roy curled up against Wally who curled around him. It was a change from their usual puppy pile where Roy was the one curling around Wally. He was taller, and Wally enjoyed the sense of protection more.
"Roy…" And Roy was getting really sick of Hal drifting off when talking to him. He'd done it close to ten times since Roy had welcomed the Green Lantern into his apartment. "I can't leave the two of you here, I don't know what you've been doing to pay for this place but…"
"It can't be legal." Barry scowled and Roy felt Wally shrink behind him.
"It's legal in Reno." Roy shot back, lamely, and only realized how stupid a thing it was to say after the words had left his mouth. He wasn't sure about Barry but Hal… Roy could see as Hal's brain processed Roy's statement and Roy tried to frantically back track. "I mean, that's not, we're not-"
"You're a prostitute?"
Roy winced, and Wally curled his arms tight around Roy's waist and hugged him tight. "At least I'm not stealing. Or dealing. Or something." Roy glanced away from Hal's face to the floor then back up to Hal's face then at Barry's face. Barry was not looking at Roy, at least, but he was looking at Wally.
"Did Roy put you up to this, Wally?"
And really, Roy felt pathetic enough already, he hadn't needed a member of the Justice League punching him in the gut like that.
"Roy protects me." And Roy winced again. How many prostitutes had he heard say that about their pimp? How many prostitutes with abusive pimps had he heard say that about their pimp? Too many, was the answer, and now here he was hearing it from Wally. Roy fought down a wave of nausea, there wasn't anything left in his stomach to vomit anyway, and found he could not lift his eyes from the floor. He'd never felt right about leading the kind of life he led with Wally. Not that he encouraged Wally to work solo jobs, in fact he'd made pretty vehement arguments against it, but he knew Wally did when he was too high and strung out to bring in any money. He knew Wally thought it was a secret, that Wally kept the money from those jobs tucked away 'for emergencies' or 'just in case'. He never brought these jobs up though because they made Wally feel like he was helping, even if he was hurting himself.
Prostitution hadn't been high on Roy's list of possible occupations either.
"It might seem like he's protecting you-" Barry started, then cut off. Roy turned to look over his shoulder and even he was impressed with Wally's glare.
"Roy's been there for me. If it wasn't for him I'd probably be dead in Central City right now. He saved me from myself, and from other people, and he's helped me. We're not stealing, and we do odd jobs when we can to earn money. It's not all prostitution. Prostitution's just…"
"It's easy." Roy muttered in the direction of the floor. He knew then that he was going to give in. In fact, Roy could probably say that from the minute he called Hal he had known how this confrontation would go. And maybe, maybe, it was a sign of how much Wally had helped him heal that he could admit he needed help, and he could ask for the help that he needed. "Alright, fine, we'll go with you-"
Everyone began to speak at once then, Wally voiced protests, Barry and Hal were both eager to put in their two cents. Roy held up a shaking hand and waited for everyone to quiet down. "Wally and I don't get separated, we go with one of you." Roy glanced from Barry to Hal at that statement. He could see that both men were unhappy with it, Barry more so than Hal. Hal mainly looked relieved that Roy wasn't fighting him. "Wally, you really need to get to a doctor." Roy gripped the bed with his other hand and attempted to ride out a powerful stomach cramp without curling into a ball. "And… you should at least talk to your aunt."
"I'm not Aunt Iris' problem…" Wally coughed into his hand. It sounded painful, like two sheets of sandpaper scratching against each other.
"Iris doesn't consider you a problem, Wally. She was incredibly worried when you first disappeared." Everyone in the room could hear the silent add-on that she would be more worried now that she had found out what Wally had been up to. "She'll want to see you. I could run you home right now."
"Not. Without. Roy." Wally's voice faded to a pained whisper on Roy's name and his fingers clenched in Roy's damp t-shirt.
"Barry," Hal turned to Barry and dropped his voice. Not quite so Roy couldn't hear him, but quiet enough that when Wally started coughing, which he did and Roy had to turn to pat him on the back and hand him the glass of water they'd set on the floor earlier, it was hard. "I think it would be best if the boys came home with me, for now."
Barry placed a hand on Hal's arm and leaned in close when he spoke. "Hal, you don't know what to do with kids, and you live in a one room apartment. It'd be better if I took them with me."
"I've got a fold out couch." Hal defended and he glanced at Roy and Wally. Roy quickly pretended like he hadn't been listening. "I've got a decent relationship with Roy, and he's the one I'd be worried about bolting." Roy couldn't quite suppress the wince. "Plus, no offense Barry, you're kind of heavy handed sometimes."
Wally pressed his face against Roy's shoulder to cover up a laugh.
Barry winced. "Fine, but I'm going to bring Iris over as soon as we get them settled. And I'll help you buy some food, there's no way you have enough to feed two growing boys, and I know you don't have any chicken soup."
Wally laughed again, though it devolved into a cough as well, and grinned up at Roy. "They kind of sound like us."
Roy brushed Wally's hair out of his face and smiled back. "They kind of do."
Part 5!