Robin one shot part 3!

It's always been you

"Artemis can't know about this," Wally said immediately. The acrobat's smile dropped and he tilted his head in confusion. They shared the same mark! Only one person, unless you had multiple which Dick didn't feel like he had, was out there with the same mark and they were already together this whole time. No wonder they were such good friends. They were meant to be together. 

"What do you mean? We're soulmates."

"We're friends," the ginger clarified. "I like Artemis. I don't want to be with you." Those words felt like a dagger through the heart and he was frozen in place. His soulmate was standing in front of him saying that he didn't want to be with him. The one person in the world who was supposed to want him didn't. "What's going to happen is you're going to grab the foundation you use to cover your bruises and put it over those dots. Not a word of this gets out, got that?" 

"You're going to take that tone with me, really? I'm your soulmate."

"And I don't care about that!"

"Clearly not," Dick responded. He couldn't go out there after having this conversation. He was amazing at hiding his feelings but this was life-changing. He'd have to spend his whole life knowing his soulmate was a person that didn't want him and there wasn't another person out there, he knew that. 

"I don't want to upset you."

"You can't have your cake and eat it too. I'm going to be upset when the only person who's supposed to love me doesn't love me."

"But you'll keep this quiet, right?" Wally didn't even attempt to correct his statement. The universe truly was cruel to him. Maybe he simply wasn't meant to be loved and this was his sign. He didn't have the energy to argue or kick up a fuss about how unfair it all was.

"Stays between us," he answered reluctantly. This was it. Resigned to the sidelines as anyone of Wally's choosing got to take his place. 

"Thanks, dude. No hard feelings right? You're like my best friend and I'd hate to ruin that." 

"You're unbelievable," he tutted. "You're supposed to love me and you don't. You want to go chase someone else's soulmate when I'm standing in front of you and we've been friends for years." The ginger looked away and the fight that Dick had regained died. There was no point. If his soulmate wanted to chase a girl then that's what was happening. "You have no respect for me and you've made that clear. Tell the team whatever story you want but I'm out of here."

"Off the team out of here?"

"Not going to the beach out of here. I'm a Bat, I can hide my emotion but I need a minute. You can give me that at least." Wally nodded and if the acrobat cared to consider the expression on his face, he would've seen the guilt. He didn't have to though so he didn't. "Have fun wooing Arty with the wrong fucking soul mark."

That conversation stayed between them for years. No one knew why for a whole month they wouldn't spend any time together without being in a bigger group or being forced to. Everyone knew something had happened but no one had the guts to bring it up or push the subject past the regular emotional check-ins. Dick hated that he was missing Wally and he hated even more that he decided to forgive the guy for what he did. As much as he wished to cut the ginger out of his life, that stupid ginger was his soulmate. There was no separating them so their relationship somehow got back to the point before that dreaded beach day. 

He really did try to date other people since he didn't want to sit around like a lovesick teenager in some terrible teen romance. Barbara was wonderful. She was a childhood friend that was happy to be with him on the term that if either of their soulmates wanted them then they'd break up. Dick knew that would never happen for him but when she found her soulmate she, rightfully, left him. He missed their midnight chats and how she always understood him. He hoped her soulmate appreciated those too.