Chapter Text
Wally sat down next to Bart as class started the next day. The boy had his tongue squeezed between his teeth as he drew something on his page. Wally leaned over to look at it. It looks like the image of a damsel in distress being held by a tentacled monster as a flying boy flew in to save her. Bart was working on the glasses the flying boy was wearing, drawing them in precise detail.
I“Wow, you’re really good,” Wally remarked and Bart slammed his hand down on the paper, blushing.
“Thanks,” he muttered, and then flipped it over.
Wally narrowed his eyes. Was there something he wasn’t supposed to see? It looked like a panel from one of those comic books Barry used to read with him when he was a kid, nothing weird or pornographic in it. Still, Bart was red in the face and looked as embarrassed as a child whose parents had just found their stash of nudes.
Wally looked away, not wanting to freak the kid out any more than he’d already had.
He’d told Dick about him the night before. He’d asked him if he knew how to help Bart get adopted. Dick had admitted if Bart was presented he was more likely to grow out of the foster program than end up in a family, and it hurt Wally’s heart. Dick made sure that he knew that being an orphan was not as bad with the vampires as it had been for Barry, and that Bart would be given money and support as he aged out to help further his life.
Wally knew that. He just wished that Bart didn’t have to be so alone. He looked lonely and sad, and it hurt his heart. The kid also intrigued him. He’d admitted to Dick he had a desire to bundle him up and take care of him and Dick had told him if he wanted to adopt him, he could.
“You know I support your choices, right?” Dick reminded him, brushing his hair back and kissing his head. “If you want that pup to be our pup, I can have the paperwork filed tonight.”
Wally didn’t say yes, but he also didn’t say no.
Barry and Hal took the upstairs bedroom in the ambassador’s house, and Iris took the downstairs one. She laid in the bed, staring up at the ceiling, thinking about what she and Hal had talked about. She could make this work. She and Barry could get back together. She just needed to show that she could treat an omega the right way.
The next morning, when Barry and Hal came downstairs, Iris had made a spread of different breakfast foods. She smiled when they walked in, walking up to Barry and handing him a bouquet of flowers. “I made you breakfast and got you flowers.”
“W… what?”
Hal rubbed his back gently. Barry looked between him and Iris in clear confusion.
“While I look to reform central, I would also like to reform our relationship. I still love you Barry. Me and Hal talked and… if you’re willing to give us a second chance, Hal and I are too.”
Barry blinked, stunned. “Really?”
“Yes.”
He pulled the bouquet against his chest and smiled at her. “Okay.” He walked over to the table and she pulled out his chair and helped him into it, placing him in front of a large pile of sweet-smelling foods, which Barry began to steadily devour with a large grin on his face.
“That was very good,” Hal told Iris, whispering against her neck. She felt a shiver go down her spine at the cold breath, and glanced over at him.
“Oh, that’s not all I got,” she held something up in her hand, and confused Hal reached over and picked it up. It was a small pendant on a chain. In the centre of it was a picture of Barry, one Iris had taken the day before on her phone while they were settling in and Hal had said was beautiful.
“Is this for me?”
She smiled. “I don’t think Barry is the only one who deserves good things, do you?”
He watched her walk off, but a thin smirk spread across his face.
Days turned into weeks, and Wally and Bart worked together on all of their projects. Slowly, Wally got the kid to open up to him more and more. Bart shared about his friends, and his hobbies. Wally bought him the newest game in the series he was playing, as well as a few boxes of those cookies he loved so much, but made with blood. Bart loved them, and he ate almost the entire box when it was put in front of him.
Wally also gained the habit of kissing the boy’s forehead when he said good bye, and of rubbing a little bit of scent on his pup when he left him. Dick said he seemed jittery and nervous at home, and Wally told him it was probably his heat coming, but he was never sure. Dick seemed worried, Wally was confused.
He knew Dick supported him in anything he wanted to do, but they’d talked about having kids so many times he didn’t want to disappoint his alpha by bringing home a pup that wasn’t his before he ever let him breed him. Still, every time he was away from Bart he felt his omega stressing about his pup, wondering where he was and if he was okay.
Still thinking about that drawing, and wondering what Bart wasn’t telling him.
Dick was more and more worried about him, and more and more Wally tried to brush it off. He said it was his heat, or stress from classes, or anything else. Each time Dick told him, when you’re ready, baby please tell me, I want to know.
Wally wasn’t fooling anyone.
But his heat was coming soon. He convinced himself that when it came things would be fine. He could get pregnant with Dick’s puppy and then he could adopt Bart and he wouldn’t feel bad about it. That’s all he had to do was wait until after his heat.
That’s what he promised himself, after week three, when his heat was due to start any day.
Iris didn’t always make breakfast, but on the days she didn’t she made lunch and dinner. It was always for her and Barry, but Hal didn’t mind, he was content to sit at the table and talk with them about their days. He was content to smile at Iris and thank her for what she’d done for them when he knew she was busy reforming Central.
Things went a little deeper than dinner the day Hal found her collapsed over a law-book and carried her into bed. After that he always made sure she went to sleep at a reasonable time. Except he’d still hear her pacing all over her room and get upset about it. So he told her to sleep with them.
Barry wasn’t ready for sex yet, but he was more than fine with cuddles.
And so they would squeeze all three of them into the bed. They alternated who was in the middle, but most of the time it was Barry. Barry would go through his days smelling like both of them.
Iris also took time to help care for Donnie. She couldn’t feed him, but she changed his diaper, gave him baths, and carried him on her hip so that he wouldn’t cry when Barry needed a break. Watching her do work with Hal’s son on her hip was so domestic it made him smile.
She cooed to the pup and kissed his little face and made him giggle. He loved her, and sometimes when Hal, Barry, and Donnie were alone Donnie would ask for “Ie Ie” and they always knew he meant Iris.
Days to weeks and it had almost been a month. They’d barely made any progress with reform, but Iris had made progress with Barry’s heart, and Hal could see it in his eyes. She had also, somehow, made progress with him. He chuckled to himself, both surprised and not that he’d been persuaded to fall so easily.
Wally groaned and grabbed his head as he sat down for class. He’d felt dizzy that morning, and had almost not gone, but the idea of not seeing Bart had been physically painful. He needed to know his pup was alright. Every weekend was torture when he didn’t know where his baby was.
Bart walked into the room with a grin and sat down next to Wally. He smiled at him until he saw the pain on his face.
“Are you okay?”
Wally reached over to him and pulled him into his arms, nuzzling against his neck. “You’re okay,” he whispered.
“Yeah I’m not upset you’re the one who–” Bart began trying to wiggle out of his arms but Wally tightened his grip, dropping off his chair so he could kneel on the floor and hold Bart against his chest.
“I’ve got you puppy,” he murmured against Bart’s hair, softly scenting him.
As Wally held his son close he thought that the only thing he needed now was his husband and his nest. He nuzzled Bart’s hair and held him against his chest. It took a minute, but eventually the boy sunk into him, nuzzling back as Wally purred into his hair.
“Wallace,” the teacher’s voice said.
Wally flicked his eyes up toward her and growled deep in his throat, showing his teeth. There was no way she was going anywhere near his puppy. No hurting his Bart. No taking him from him.”
“Oh,” she exclaimed and then left them alone.
Wally could hear the brushing of chairs and voices, but he didn’t move to see what was going on. All that mattered was holding his puppy against his chest and making sure he was safe. He didn’t want him out of his site again. He couldn’t stand it if his puppy got hurt. It would kill him.
He didn’t know how long he’d been sitting there when he heard footsteps heading toward them once more. Instead of the teacher, however, the figure that bent down toward him was in a familiar black coat and looked like the most beautiful being on the planet.
“Somebody told me a certain omega went to school in heat,” Dick teased him softly. “So how about you let go of your classmate and we head home?” He reached out toward Bart’s shoulder and Wally tugged him away from him, snapping at Dick, before realising what he’d down and cowering, letting out a whine.
Dick sighed. “Alright, okay.” He turned to Bart. “Are you okay with coming with us? It’s clear Wally’s not going to let you go anytime soon.”
“I–” he was just staring in shock at Dick. “You’re the crown prince.”
Dick laughed. “Look, baby he’s better at recognising me that you were.”
Wally nuzzled Bart’s head and kissed his hair. “Good pup,” he praised softly.
Dick sighed. “Baby, how many times did I tell you if you wanted to adopt him we could submit the paperwork? God. I can only imagine how rough your instincts got if you went to school in heat because he wanted your pup.”
“What are you talking about?” Bart asked. “Do you know Wally?”
Dick smiled at him. “Yes, Bart. Wally is my wife.”
“... Wally is high omega?” he sounded shocks and a little nervous.
“Yeah, and right now you’re his new pup and he’s not letting you go until you’re back in his nest. And I need to detangle you so that I can make sure he doesn’t have a breakdown after this heat like he did the last one. So are you willing to come back with us?”
“I… I guess?”
Dick frowned. “No, no I guess . This is a big decision and I know you’re making it on the spo–”
“I mean it’s just to go back until Wally let’s go of me it’s not that big of a deal,” Bart rebuttled.
“Oh… no . No. I’m asking you if you want to come back home and be our pup.”
“I’m fourteen.”
Dick shrugged. “I don’t mind having a kid less than half my age if that’s what Wally wants.”
“You’re… . serious ? You’re going to adopt me?”
Tears started filling Bart’s golden eyes and Wally tucked his head under his chin and started rocking back and forth to soothe his new pup’s anxieties. He purred softly to him until he calmed down.
“Yes, can we?”
“Yes, please ,” Bart agreed, voice shaking. “Please, alpha. Please…. Dad…” his voice shook on the word, but when Dick heard it he felt his heart expand in his chest.
“Of course, Pup. You’re coming home and you’re going to be taken good care of with us.”
Dick helped Wally and Bart to their feet and Bart nuzzled into the alpha’s chest as Dick held them both against him. Once Dick rubbed something dad-scent on Bart Wally’s panic settled, and he actually let him go enough he could now walk. Dick brought them both out of the school, past the crowd of onlookers, and into his limo.
Bart’s eyes widened as he saw it. He couldn’t believe what was happening to him.
Barry was outside with Donnie looking at butterflies, when Hal headed into the kitchen to see Iris at work trying to make dinner. She looked tired. She was also making something more simple than usual– just spaghetti and meatballs– which really showed it.
He wrapped his arms around her waist. She froze.
“I–”
“You need to rest,” Hal told her, nuzzling against the other alpha’s neck. “Go outside and sit with our omega and puppy. I can finish up our meal.”
“No I can share responsibilities I’m not a ba–”
“You’re doing so much work, Iris. We know you care. We know you’re changing for the better. But now you need to realise that it’s not either one extreme or the other. Don’t wear yourself out trying to be good enough.”
“I–”
He turned her around and wrapped his hand around her face. “This month you’ve more than proved to me you’re a good woman. You needed care and guidance and love, something you haven’t really experienced before Barry or after. And that’s where I messed up. It’s not all your fault, and you don’t have to fix it. Let us help you. Go sit with our omega, rest, I can make dinner.”
“I can–”
“Rest.”
Hal rubbed his hand over her cheek, before tilting her head back just enough that he could lean down and press a kiss to her lips. She tangled her hands in his hair and kissed him back. He closed his eyes and leaned into the press of her lips and her body, sucking in the warm scent around her including the sweetness of her blood.
“You’ve done enough. You belong here. We love you.”
She smiled up at him, placing her hand against his. “Thank you.”
He let go of her and she removed her apron to head out and find Barry. He leaned on the counter as he watched her go, happiness settling into him. This was better than he could have ever hoped it could be.