Departure

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BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

The shrill alarm jolted Wally awake. His brow furrowed in irritation as he glared at the watch on his wrist, the source of the incessant noise.

"Alfred, what's going on? Do you want me to disable you already?" he grumbled.

"My apologies, my liege, but you requested to be woken when the renovations were complete," Alfred replied in his usual composed tone.

Wally sighed deeply, swinging his legs off the bed and standing up. His room was a disaster zone—books scattered everywhere, papers strewn across the floor. Joe would definitely throw a fit if he saw this mess. Not that it mattered. Wally could tidy it all up in a blink, so it wasn't exactly a pressing issue.

As he stretched, the remnants of morning grogginess faded, only to be replaced by the flood of thoughts from the previous day. The conversation. Every expression, every word exchanged, came rushing back to him like a freight train. He remembered everything perfectly.

At first, he wanted to be mad. He had hoped she'd agree, that their shared feelings would be enough to push them through. But, in hindsight, maybe he was being selfish. They weren't ready. Not yet. It wasn't just about his feelings—it was about timing, about being in sync.

"My liege, is something the matter?" Alfred's voice broke through his thoughts, concern lacing his words.

Wally let out another sigh. "It's nothing, Alfred. Nothing at all," he replied, dismissing the AI's worry. With a quick burst of speed, his room was spotless in an instant, the chaos transformed into order.

As he glanced at the last of the books, something sparked in him—memories from the knowledge his clones had gathered. His expression softened, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Well, I guess it's time for the next phase," he murmured to himself. "West Tech development."

"But first, let me at least see Jesse off," Wally muttered, glancing at the watch on his wrist. Despite the result of their date, he couldn't leave without saying goodbye. The purpose of the date was for them to get closer, not farther.

In a flash, Wally cleaned up, lightning trailing behind him as he zipped through his room. He was dressed in the blink of an eye, stopping as he admired himself in the mirror.

Stepping out of his room, the place was eerily quiet. Joe had gone to work, and Iris had now moved in with Barry. With a sigh, he walked through the kitchen, grabbing some fruit before heading to S.T.A.R. Labs.

Jesse, having packed her belongings, hoped to at least see Wally off before she left. But, as she thought about how she hadn't agreed to his request, she irrationally thought he wouldn't come. Still, she hoped he would understand her. Now she sat at the entrance to the pipeline, lost in thought as her dad prepared their return journey.

"Jesse, are you okay?" Caitlin paused, noticing the situation. Her soft voice broke Jesse's thoughts. She had recognized Jesse's expression.

Jesse flinched slightly, turning toward Caitlin, who stood in the doorway with a curious expression. "Oh, hey, Cait," Jesse responded with a forced smile. "Just... thinking."

Caitlin walked in slowly, folding her arms. "About Wally?" she asked, her tone gentle but knowing. Jesse let out a small, humorless chuckle.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Only a little," Caitlin said with a smile. She moved closer, sitting beside Jesse, her eyes never leaving her. "Want to talk about it?"

Jesse hesitated, biting her lip. She had always liked Caitlin's calm, reassuring presence and appreciated that she didn't push too hard if she wasn't ready to open up.

"Wally asked me to move here... but I said no," Jesse admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "I couldn't stay. It's not that I don't care about him—I do. But everything is moving too fast."

Caitlin nodded, listening attentively. "That's understandable, Jesse. Relationships can be complicated, especially with everything going on around here."

Jesse looked down at her hands. "I wanted to be sure he understood that it wasn't about him, but more about me. I've got so much I'm still figuring out. Leaving Central City, Earth 2… it's part of that process. But I feel like I let him down."

Caitlin offered her a sympathetic look. "I think Wally will understand, even if it hurts right now. He's been through a lot too. You're both trying to find yourselves in the middle of all this craziness. It's not easy."

Jesse's eyes filled with uncertainty. "But I just can't help but think he won't understand. I mean, what if this ruins things between us? I don't want to push him away. I really want things to work between us."

Caitlin gently reached out and squeezed Jesse's arm. "It will. You two are strong, and real relationships aren't perfect. They have ups and downs, and right now, this is just a part of that journey."

Jesse exhaled, letting Caitlin's words sink in. Maybe she was right. Maybe it wasn't as bad as it felt.

Just then, there was a familiar rush of wind. Jesse immediately noticed Wally's appearance, her eyes tinging with expectation. Caitlin, on the other hand, knew it was her cue to leave.

She gave them a small nod and slipped out of the room, leaving them alone.

Jesse stood up and turned to face Wally, her heart pounding. "I thought you wouldn't be coming to see me off," Jesse muttered lightly, just enough for Wally to hear.

"I couldn't let you leave without saying goodbye. It wouldn't have felt right. No matter what happened, I care about you too much to just... not see you off."

"Wally, about what you said..." Jesse spoke, only to be suddenly interrupted by Wally.

"Don't... don't worry about that. We can talk about it when we next see each other. I won't lie; I don't fully understand why you won't stay, but it's best I respect it. Besides, I learned from someone that if you're in love with someone, you should always try to make things work."

Jesse immediately blushed at Wally's words, wondering if he was aware of the word he decided to use. Though they had feelings for each other, neither of them had ever admitted or said they loved one another. This was another big step.

"And I got you this necklace. I was planning to give it to you yesterday when I asked you to be my girlfriend," Wally said, feeling a mix of anxiety and nervousness. He had no experience in this field, whether previous or present.

Jesse's blush deepened as she carefully took the necklace from Wally's hand, her fingers trembling slightly. The pendant was beautiful—a small lightning bolt made of crystal. It was a personally cut diamond from Wally, though he wouldn't disclose it unless asked. She glanced up at him, eyes wide with surprise.

"You... you wanted to ask me to be your girlfriend?" she repeated softly, still processing his words. Her heart raced in her chest, her mind swirling with emotions. She hadn't expected this. Not so soon.

Wally scratched the back of his head, clearly uncomfortable but trying to stay confident. "Yeah, I mean... I didn't plan for it to come out like this, but..." He took a breath, looking straight at her. "I've had feelings for you for a while, Jesse. I wasn't sure if I should say anything, but I guess... I didn't want to lose my chance."

Jesse stared at him, speechless for a moment, before a soft smile spread across her face. "Well, if you didn't ask, I would have taken the lead eventually," she blushed as she said it.

Wally's expression softened, his nerves easing slightly. "So... does that mean...?"

Jesse smiled, looking down at the necklace in her hands. "I think it's time we stopped exploring. So yes, I'd like to be your girlfriend."

Relief flooded through Wally, and a grin spread across his face. "You have no idea how happy that makes me."

Jesse chuckled softly, stepping even closer until she was standing right in front of him. "Should I help you put this on?" Wally inquired.

She handed him the box, allowing him to take out the necklace. Taking out the necklace, he leaned over, carefully fastening it around her neck.

"It's perfect," she whispered.

Wally, feeling a bit more confident now, leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I'm glad you like it."

They stood there for a moment, close but comfortable in their silence. Wally had not yet leaned back, and it seemed that the two were now fully aware of their feelings for each other, ready to explore.

And so he leaned closer, and without Jesse refusing, she did the same, their lips inching closer.

"Jesse... Jesse!!!" Harry's voice suddenly came over as he turned around the corner.

Wally: -_-

Harry: "..."

Jesse: "...."

"Jesse, everything's ready. Let's go," he said, noticing what was about to happen, and instinctively, he couldn't help but smile internally, realizing he had once again foiled the boy's plan.

"Okay, Dad. I'll meet you at the breach room," Jesse said, the grin threatening to form on his face vanishing the next moment.

"Okay, Dad, I'll meet you at the breach room," Jesse said, the grin threatening to form on his face vanishing the next moment.

He suddenly stumbled, stammering and unable to put his words right.

"See you, Dad," she repeated, emphasizing his need to vacate the premises.

Wally, however, feeling the need to settle a score, suddenly closed the gap between him and Jesse. His hand immediately wrapped around her waist before his lips pressed onto hers, touching down without rejection.

Jesse didn't refute his advance despite her dad being present. Harry felt like he had been dealt a blow but, unwilling to continue with the display, quickly exited the room in defeat.

As their kiss continued, they explored a bit with their tongues before finally separating, his hands still resting on her waist.

"I'm really going to miss you," he said, staring into her eyes.

"I'll miss you too…"

.

.

.

After exchanging their final goodbyes, he finally escorted her to the breach room where Harry, Cisco, Caitlin, and HR were waiting.

She gave him a peck before finally turning to her dad, whose gaze trailed on Wally before he was abruptly pulled into the breach by Jesse at superspeed.