[ well, that answer sure is unequivocal. which, you know, he was expecting. especially after what bruce told him. but -- well, he still has his own doubts. it would be easier if he could just think like clark. ]
yeah yeah, youre right
[ and he knows it's the right thing to do. he's just terrified of doing it. for a hero, he's not sure where his courage is. (maybe it's just because dick is his best friend. and the truth is scarier than any villain. he doesn't want dick to be disappointed. or upset. he'd rather spare him that pain. except won't that just cause more pain, in the long run?) he knows what he should do, what he needs to do -- he's just not sure he can. ]
[ it takes wally a while to formulate a response, if only because he's frustrated with himself, and he doesn't want to accidentally turn that on clark. he types well, i'm not you but immediately erases it. ]
its dick hes my best friend i dont want him to look at me differently i dont want to hurt him and hes already dealing with
[ bruce's death (and generally everything else involving bruce wayne), he doesn't say. he knows clark knows. ]
well, you know i dont want to add to that im supposed to be there for him to make things better not make them worse
i dont know i just i dont know i feel like i dont know him like i know the dick from my world i mean theyre the same but theyre different too it doesnt even directly concern him it wouldnt match up for him he still has a wally
idk both i guess dont you ever doubt if the truth is more painful than not saying anything? i mean if he asked i wouldnt lie to him but he doesnt have a reason to ask so i feel like whats the point of telling him? maybe im just talking in circles i've always been better at avoiding these kinds of problems
yeah..... thats a good point he does like poking ugh its like no one but bats are allowed to have secrets i mean i guess we've never really had secrets between us anyway but i wouldnt even know how to tell him about this its not something you just bring up in casual conversation
yeah.... ok thanks for talking it through with me probably not the conversation you were expecting to have but i promise not to be so serious next time
[ he's still gonna sit on it for a while, but... he will take bruce and clark's advice one way or the other. ]
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Otherwise, it'll poison everything else. It will hang over you every moment.
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yeah
yeah, youre right
[ and he knows it's the right thing to do. he's just terrified of doing it. for a hero, he's not sure where his courage is. (maybe it's just because dick is his best friend. and the truth is scarier than any villain. he doesn't want dick to be disappointed. or upset. he'd rather spare him that pain. except won't that just cause more pain, in the long run?) he knows what he should do, what he needs to do -- he's just not sure he can. ]
[ later, without really thinking, he adds: ]
what if i cant?
[ what if i'm a coward? ]
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its dick
hes my best friend
i dont want him to look at me differently
i dont want to hurt him
and hes already dealing with
[ bruce's death (and generally everything else involving bruce wayne), he doesn't say. he knows clark knows. ]
well, you know
i dont want to add to that
im supposed to be there for him to make things better
not make them worse
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How differently would he really look at you?
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i just
i dont know
i feel like i dont know him like i know the dick from my world
i mean theyre the same but theyre different too
it doesnt even directly concern him
it wouldnt match up for him
he still has a wally
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dont you ever doubt if the truth is more painful than not saying anything?
i mean if he asked i wouldnt lie to him but
he doesnt have a reason to ask so i feel like
whats the point of telling him?
maybe im just talking in circles
i've always been better at avoiding these kinds of problems
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And while Dick isn't the type to go snooping in quite the same way, to poke at things, he will add things up eventually.
Because it matters to you.
So the question isn't 'should he know or not' it's 'do you want to tell him or do you want to have to deal with it when he figures it out?'
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a good point
he does like poking
ugh its like no one but bats are allowed to have secrets
i mean i guess we've never really had secrets between us anyway but
i wouldnt even know how to tell him about this
its not something you just bring up in casual conversation
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But more importantly, trust HIM.
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nothing compared to full strength bruce wayne
his secrets have secrets
but i mean
i trust dick with everything
i think this might just hit too close to something else tho
for him, i mean
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thanks for talking it through with me
probably not the conversation you were expecting to have but
i promise not to be so serious next time
[ he's still gonna sit on it for a while, but... he will take bruce and clark's advice one way or the other. ]
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If you need to talk, or just a good meal, you know where to find me.
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you know me
food is the key to my happiness
i'll definitely keep the offer in mind
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Have a nice evening, Wally.