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blissful-independence · 2 years

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Party of Six {Zetaflash BartxEd}

WORD COUNT: 4.8k

A/N: Happy Zetaflash week! This is from my series on Ao3 called Every Reality that I'm building. Hope you all enjoy this!

WARNINGS: none but I hope ya like a slow burn

Central City

July 29, 19:04 CDT

Soft music played on the speakers of a small radio in Bart's bedroom to combat the quietness. The window was opened just ajar to let in the warm summer air of Missouri, where Bart sat beside the wooden desk created by Conner Kent. Brand new drawing pencils were spread across the surface as Bart scrunched his eyebrows in an intense concentration at his sketchpad. Something Bart learned about himself was the hidden talent of drawing after spending many days bored.

Today's drawing assignment consisted of brainstorming a new Kid Flash suit for himself with new gadgets and designs. Bart knew Wally would want him to customize Kid Flash into his own style once taking on the mantle. It only stung a little now that a month had passed. Apart from the drawing supplies, Bart's laptop was turned on beside him, waiting for something to happen. Finally, the echo of dings snapped Bart's attention away from his work, pushing it aside to center the laptop for the joint video call named Runaway Camp. When Jaime, Asami, Tye, and Virgil appeared on screen, Bart didn't necessarily react until Ed turned on his camera, causing him to smile. Ed waved at everyone with a happy smile on his lips.

“¿Qué pasa, amigos?” Said Ed.

"Hello everyone!" happily answered Asami with Tye beside her.

"Glad to see everyone was able to join our little meeting," said Jaime with a mischievous smile.

"Your text made it sound urgent even though Bart and I just saw you yesterday at training," muttered Virgil, leaning against his hand.

"Yeah, what gives, Jaime?" asked Bart.

"I have gathered us here to cordially invite you all to Tye's 17th birthday sleepover weekend at my house the 5th of August!"

Bart scrunched his eyebrows with a confused smile, spying the faces of the Runaways. Both Virgil and Ed seemed as excited as Jaime about the invitation to El Paso, causing Bart to hide his confusion from the teens. In Asami and Tye's camera window, Asami kissed Tye on the cheek, making the birthday boy blush.

"How could you not tell us it was almost your birthday, Tye?!" excitedly asked Virgil.

"Oh, I'm sorry, we were busy being menaces in Taos then decided to help save the world. We didn't have enough time to bond at the safehouse," Tye sarcastically smiled. Virgil gave Tye a particular finger that caused everyone to chuckle.

"Wait, so, we'd be in El Paso for the whole weekend from Friday to Sunday. How the hell did you two convince your parents to allow that?" asked Ed.

"I'm still riding that sympathy wave with my mom." smirked Tye.

"My parents love Tye and our house is huge enough to host the six of us all weekend. It'll be a full house."

Ed shrugged in delight. "Fair enough. What's the plan?"

"Be at my house around 6. My mom wants to make dinner at 7, so we can do whatever we want at night…." Bart turned everyone out as they all continued to make plans for that weekend. He was too busy questioning how and why he'd be an idea to a Runaway gathering. There was still somewhat of a disconnect between everyone for it to be considered a friendship. In Bart's eyes, he was only friends with Jaime and Ed even though Virgil was now on the team. The time Bart spent visiting the Runaways at the STARs lab was only far between before the Reach invasion turmoil.

"Uhm, I have a question," said Bart, "You're inviting me to your birthday, Tye?" Tye's smirk dropped to raise eyebrows in surprise, looking at Asami and then to Bart's window.

"Of course, dude, you're cool and we are friends. It makes sense to invite you."

"O-oh yeah, totally! The whole thing sounds crash. I just wanted to make sure," said Bart, pressing his lips together. Bart's eyes darted to Ed on the screen, who seemed focused on someone in particular.

"Besides, we haven't all been together in a good while, so I thought my birthday would be a great excuse to hang out."

"Awe, Tye loves us!" teased Virgil, causing Tye to roll his eyes. "Count me in. I could use a little weekend vacation."

"Me too. My dad thinks I need to be social now that I'm bored in Taos and waiting for school to start," said Ed.

"Well that's five of us. What about you, Bart?" asked Jaime.

"I'll have to ask the great-grandparents, but I'll let you guys know." Bart smiled stiffly at the screen. The conversation continued between everyone from Jaime's home address in El Paso to arguing with Tye about birthday presents. Bart would add his two cents every now and then to not worry any of the teens if he were silent. Oblivious to Bart; however, Ed kept a close eye on him for the entire video call. Everything was planned for next Friday with ideas of what to do and the kind of cake to have.

Before Bart had to say another thing skillfully, his name was called from downstairs as a saving grace to end the conversation. Bart said his goodbyes and darted downstairs to the kitchen, happy to smell the homemade marinara sauce in the air. Joan and Jay fixed the final preparations for dinner by plating the pasta and pouring the drinks. Bart did his job of setting the table in the dining room at average speed for once.

"How was training yesterday, Bart?" asked Jay before taking a bite of spaghetti.

Bart nodded as he swallowed a portion of food. "It was pretty crash! I had no idea Artemis was such a great instructor."

"If I remember correctly, she's studying to be a professor in English. She definitely has the heart for it," said Joan.

"I can see her doing that. Although I will admit, it is pretty weird not having Dick around at the Watchtower."

"The boy needs a break to process everything that's happened in the last month. I don't blame him one bit from stepping away from the hero job," said Jay.

"He might not want to come but we should invite him to dinner next Sunday. Dick is still family in this household," suggested Joan. Bart straightened his shoulders as he wiped away a bit of sauce on his lips and glanced at Joan and Jay. It was a simple question that every teenager had the chance to do with their friends. But for an unknown reason to Bart, he was too nervous to ask for permission.

"That's a good idea, Joan. I'm sure it'll help Richard know we're always here for him," replied Jay.

"Uhm, speaking of next weekend, I was wondering if it would be cool with you two if I can go to El Paso for the weekend?" asked Bart. Joan and Jay looked at each other with curious smiles and paused from their meals.

"And with whom would you be spending the weekend with?" asked Jay.

“Jaime, Virgil, Ed, Tye, and Asami. It's Tye's birthday on Friday, and Jaime's going to throw a sleepover party at his house."

"When will you be back?" asked Joan.

"Sunday and I promise I'll be home early for family dinner!" reassured Bart. Joan chuckled with kindness to Bart and laid a hand over his own.

"Don't worry, of course you can spend the weekend with your friends, Bart. I think it'll be good for you. Right, Jay?"

"I completely agree with you. Just make sure you let Barry know in case he wants to patrol over the weekend," Jay reminded Bart as the older couple resumed their dinner. Bart smiled at his plate once the arduous task of asking permission was over. One step closer to Tye's birthday weekend.

***

A sudden ring echoed throughout Bart's dimly lit room once again while Bart returned to his sketchbook for the evening. Bart glanced at the open laptop beside him to read an incoming call from Eduardo Dorado on a video call. Hesitantly, Bart accepted the ring with the device on his side to allow him to continue working. Ed appeared again as the New Mexico sun began to set with a glow into his room. Bart smiled at his friends as Ed smiled back with ease and a raised eyebrow.

"Well, how do you do?" asked Bart, leaning against his fist.

"I'm doing good. What about you?" Bart shrugged and continued to color in the details of the new Kid Flash suit. "Alright that's enough small talk for the both of us. Why were you acting weird during the video call?"

"I wasn't acting weird! I was just busy doing a little art project and thinking about that."

"Liar."

"I'm not lying. See." Bart grabbed the sketchbook to show Ed through the camera, "Busy."

"Wow. You're pretty great at drawing. Never knew that," complimented Ed with a smile. A soft warmth spread on Bart's cheeks, averting his eyes away from the screen.

"Thanks," mumbled Bart. "Was I really acting weird during the video call?"

"Not to everyone else, but to me, yes. What's up? You don't want to go to El Paso?"

Bart huffed. "It's not that. I know it'll be fun and I already got the okay from Joan and Jay. It just caught me off guard that Tye wanted me to go. That's all."

"You did get to know us when we were in a shitty situation out of the goodness of your heart. I think that would qualify you to be invited to a birthday party, Bart." reassured Ed.

"It sounds like a petty invite to me," Bart glared at Ed as he continued to color, "Maybe Jaime told Tye to invite me so I wouldn't feel left out."

"I doubt that's the case."

"I'm allowed to speculate. I've never done these kinds of things."

"What do you mean?"

"The whole sleepover thing and parties. I've never gotten to do something like this as if I was normal," explained Bart.

Ed pursed his lips in thought as he studied the deep scowl on Bart's face. A simple apology wasn't going to fix everything between Bart and him. Ed understood that. He and the Runaways were angry at everyone and everything a few short months ago. A few short months ago, Bart tried to be a good person to four teens who wanted to punch everyone in the face, specifically Ed. It was now Ed and Tye's turn to be good people as they navigated their new lives.

"How about this, Bart, if you're nervous about going, maybe we could go together," suggested Ed, biting the nail of his index finger in a nervous tick. A smile formed on Bart's lips no matter how hard he tried to restrain it, and he met Ed's eyes on the screen.

"Go together?" Bart raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. You meet me at the STARS Lab and we'll zeta to El Paso together instead of having to speed from Central alone. Sounds good to you?" Ed asked again with a timid smile.

Bart repeatedly nodded with the same smile. "Sounds like a perfect plan to me."

Taos

August 05, 18:15 MDT

Ed couldn't stop shaking his leg from nerves. In fact, Ed couldn't stop feeling the nerves run through him as today inched closer. The nervousness began yesterday night when Ed started to pack his duffle bag for the weekend. Bart had texted Ed that evening to reassure their plans and what time to arrive in Taos. Clammy hands and a rapid pulse would come and go as the day progressed until becoming permanent once Ed entered his father's office to wait for Bart. It was unbeknownst to Ed as to why he was nervous about a simple sleepover. Essentially, he lived with the Runaways for several months, and this would be a reunion for them. Maybe it was because Jaime was hosting the event even though Ed liked Jaime once getting to know him. That only left one person in the mix, and Ed wasn't about to ask those questions, especially when waiting for his arrival. So, Ed would rather listen to his father lecture on and on about manners.

"Remember to be appreciative towards Mr. and Mrs. Reyes when you enter their home, Eduardo," said Eduardo Sr.

"Si, papa."

"And don't waste all the money I gave you on junk food in case you all go to the mall."

"Okay, papa," nodded Ed, slumping further into the office chair.

"And what time are you supposed to be home?" Eduardo Sr. said to test his son.

"3 o' clock."

"Good. Now do you know if Bartholomew is already on his way?"

Ed chuckled at the sound of Bart's full name. "Papa, you can call him Bart. He texted me a while ago so he should be running in here any minute."

"He's really that fast huh?" chuckled Eduardo Sr. "It's nice to see you two getting along after everything that's happened. I was worried for a moment."

Ed scrunched his eyebrows together. "Worried about what?"

"That your friendship with Bartholomew had completely vanished," said Eduardo Sr with a sympathetic smile. Ed averted his gaze from his father and leaned against his knees to stop the shaking from his leg. "He's a good kid, mijo."

"Yeah I know," mumbled Ed.

By the grace of the gods, a repeated knock arrived at Eduardo Sr.'s door, making Ed jump from his seat in a hurry. Once Ed opened the door, he and Bart both lit up in excitement from seeing each other. The last time the two were together was in a moment of mourning when Bart needed Ed the most. It was a breath of fresh warm summer air to be in the place for something fun.

"I hope I'm not late for the zeta train to El Paso," joked Bart, fixing the strap of his duffle bag on his shoulder. Ed shook his head, walking back to the office chair to grab his belongings for the weekend. "Hi, Dr. Dorado, it's nice to see you again."

"It's good to see you too, Bartholomew. Let me walk you two to the zeta tube," said Eduardo Sr., fixing his lab coat once standing and placing a hand behind his son. As the three walked down the hall, Bart noticed Ed holding a different colored skateboard than the previous golden yellow one.

"You really do take that thing everywhere you go," said Bart, grabbing the board from Ed to analyze the solid dark red.

"Tye told me we were going to the skate park later tonight since we all ride boards."

"I don't."

"Have you ever even ridden a skateboard?" asked Ed with an 'annoyed' glare.

Bart shook his head and smiled as he passed the board back. "Why should I? I can just speed my way anywhere I want to be rather than ride something," said Bart, walking into STARS lab's zeta tube area. Ed only rolled his eyes amusingly with a scoff while the two waited for Eduardo Sr. to punch in the closet zeta tube coordinates to Jaime's house. Finally, Ed and Eduardo Sr. said their goodbyes as well did Bart. Then off they went to Texas.

El Paso

August 05, 18:25 MDT

Bark knocked on the heavy door of the hacienda-style home. Ed stared at the house in awe of its beauty; his eyes gazed at the decorative stones from the archway. The home appeared to be two stories with a short balcony in the front of the house. When Ed heard the door unlock, he straightened his shoulders and looked straight ahead, seeing a short girl open the door. Her face lit up when she saw Bart and ran towards him with open arms to hug him. Bart chuckled with the younger girl, wrapping an arm around her.

"Hey, Milagro, it's been a while!" exclaimed Bart. Milagro pulled away and looked at Ed with a raised eyebrow and curious smile. Ed waved at the younger girl timidly.

"You must be Eduardo," said Milagro.

"It's just Ed. It's nice to meet you, Milagro. You must be Jaime's little sister." Milagro kept curious as she narrowed her eyes at Ed and then to Bart.

“Yo no sabía que Bart tenía otro amigo además de Jaime.” Ed chuckled.

“Y yo no pensaba que la hermana de Jaime hablara mal de los amigos de Jaime. Especialmente en frente de ellos.” Ed raised his eyebrows, smirking at Milagro while she chuckled.

"I like you. Come on, the others are already here," said Milagro, ignoring Bart's confused face as she led the boys further into the house.

"What did you two say?" asked Bart.

"Don't worry about it," smiled Ed, seeing the photos hanging on the walls of the Reyes Family. Bart and Ed's stomachs growled in hunger once the smell of food hit their noses as they followed Milagro into the kitchen.

"Mama, papa, Bart's here with Eduardo." A short, dark-haired woman turned away from the stove, wiping her hands on a bright turquoise apron with a bright smile for Bart and Ed. Beside her stood a man as tall as Jaime, who had a dark goatee like Eduardo Sr. and followed his wife to the boys.

"Hola Bart! It's been so long!" exclaimed Mrs. Reyes, kissing Bart on the cheek with a hug and then turning to Ed. "Welcome, Eduardo. It's nice to finally meet you."

"Hello, Sr y Sra Reyes. Thank you for welcoming me into your home for the weekend," Ed politely said. Mr. Reyes chuckled at Ed's polite manners and patted him on the shoulder.

"Of course, Eduardo. Any friend of Jaime's is welcomed in our home. The kids are in the living room setting up the mattresses," said Mr. Reyes.

"Dinner should be ready in an hour," added Mrs. Reyes.

"Thanks, Mr. and Mrs. Reyes!" said Bart, tugging Ed by the sleeve, leaving the Reyes family in the kitchen. The boys followed the sound of chatter and entered the open space, catching sight of the living room turned into sleeping quarters. Four queen-sized air mattresses were spread out on the stone floor in a square against the sofas with vacant space in the middle.

"Finally, we're all here," said Jaime, fist-bumping Bart, and Ed to welcome them.

"Hello!" glimmered Asami, hugging the boys, who returned the hug happily.

"Happy birthday, hermano." said Ed, dropping his and Bart's bag with the others and bumping fists with Tye.

"Thanks, man. Good to have all of us together again," said Tye, bumping fists with Bart from the sofa.

"Happy birthday! I know you said no presents but it's a little something," said Bart, passing Tye a medium reflective sticker of an orange smoke figure similar to his long shadow. Tye smiled at the sticker and then at Bart.

"Where'd you get this, dude?" asked Tye, Sam peeking over his shoulder.

"I made it. I got bored and learned how to make stickers at home." Bart shrugged with a carefree smile.

"Damn I didn't know you could draw. I'll put it on my skateboard before we head out tonight," said Tye, showing Virgil and Jaime the sticker. Bart and Ed sat beside each other on the vacant loveseat as they made themselves at home.

"Did you guys come together?" asked Virgil, spread out on one of the mattresses. Bart and Ed glanced at each other to look for an answer.

"Yeah, Bart offered since I've never been to El Paso. He didn't want me getting lost," said Ed, patting Bart on the shoulder, smiling at everyone with Bart only nodding. No one bothered to question further and resumed their conversation about which movie to watch, from Jaime's horror suggestion to Virgil's comedy.

"Since I'm the birthday boy, I get to decide which means Virgil, try not to cry," teased Tye, grabbing the copy of Sinister from the tv stand to play it in the DVD player. Jaime snickered as he turned off the lights and closed the curtains to immerse the living room into darkness. Virgil groaned in fear, grabbing a throw pillow to hide behind as he sat beside Jaime on the sofa. Sam moved between Tye's legs on one of the air mattresses, cuddled with blankets.

"Do you like scary movies?" asked Ed.

"I've never seen one, but I doubt a fake movie can scare me," boasted Bart with a cocky smile. Ed chuckled as they relaxed on the loveseat together, their shoulders leaning against each other. Neither of them bothered to move, sinking further into each other's side once the movie progressed. Bart only had to move less than an inch to rest his head on Ed's shoulder, but he had some restraint. It wasn't until a loud jumpscare of the movie's creature popping on-screen did Bart grab onto Ed's arm, hiding his face in the other's shoulder. Ed also jumped from the scare, but his reflexes wanted to protect Bart, shielding him with his arm. Jaime's laugh snapped Bart and Ed back to reality, the boys darting away and adding space from each other once their eyes met so close together. Ed kept his eyes glued to the tv, as did Bart, both afraid to glance at the other. If the living room wasn't almost pitch black, Bart and Ed could see the blush that spread on their cheeks, but of course, that would be their secret.

***

The Runaway's laughter echoed into the summer night at the skatepark, riding with Jaime while Bart watched from the top of the bowl ramp. Virgil was the first to use his static powers to levitate his board which then influenced Ed to teleport off before every trick. Jaime, Tye, and Sam rode usually compared to the two boys by skating off railings and flipping their boards. Bart leaned back and enjoyed the show, shouting applause every time Ed nailed a trick. Ed then teleported beside Bart, out of breath from the multiple somersaults.

"You know you're really good at this. Maybe down the line you should do circus acts with your skateboard," complimented Bart. Ed chuckled with a sweet smile.

"Do you want to try to ride? Once you get the hang of balancing it's pretty easy," offered Ed.

"I told you, why would I ride something if my powers already feel like a ride?"

"Because you don't always have to use your powers in life. Sometimes it's okay to be slow." Ed elbowed Bart on his side, chuckling again as Bart squirmed. Bart pursed his lips before huffing a sigh of defeat, standing on his feet and stretching a hand for Ed, annoyed. Ed smiled mischievously as he took Bart's hand back on his feet, dropping the board between them. Bart knew how to balance on objects from training, but it was not his strong suit. One foot on board, Bart flew backward, falling right into a pair of arms with a short yelp. Ed laughed gleefully as he helped Bart stand up straight again and pulled the board back between them. Bart wasn't a quitter. He carefully got back on the board and stood perfectly still. Unfortunately, Bart was a creature of habit as he pushed his foot to move the board, unknowingly using his powers and falling once again into Ed's arms with solid force. Bart groaned, pushing himself away from Ed with an annoyed pout.

"Tranquilo, amigo. Let me help you," offered Ed, "Is it okay if I hold your hands?" Bart felt his brain buffer with a pulse of electricity dashing between his ears that caused him to stay quiet for a second too long. Finally, Bart snapped out of the haze before nodding. "Cool. Your balance was good, but it's better to start off with a little push to keep that balance." Ed softly grasped Bart's hand as the younger boy stepped on the board again, grabbing his other hand once both feet were balanced. Bart didn't know if his eyes should be looking at the board or Ed's hands holding his. Ed carefully tugged Bart around the board in a circle, concentrating on the board alone to not let Bart fall for the third time.

"Try to push off with your foot without using your powers, and I'll let go of one hand." In total concentration, Bart listened to Ed's teachings of pushing with his right foot and letting his left arm keep balance. Slowly, Ed let go of Bart's other hand but stayed beside him as Bart managed to ride a longer distance. Then, with confidence, Bart pushed the board one more time, cautiously turning back to Ed and circling around him.

"Bart's finally riding like us!" shouted Tye from the bottom of the bowl.

"See! You did it!" exclaimed Ed, high-fiving Bart.

"Okay, now I get why all of you guys ride these things." Bart smiled and pushed himself further, slowly extending his hand for balance with Ed trailing behind him. But, as Bart tried again, his foot skipped against the concrete, causing him to lose balance until Ed tightly clasped their hands together.

"You'll just need a little more practice," smiled Ed, tangling his fingers around Bart's, catching Bart with the same exact smile. Bart stayed on the board longer than anticipated until almost falling into the bowl ramp with Jaime and Virgil. Thankfully, Ed still held Bart's hand to pull him back, holding the board with his foot to let Bart off. When Ed looked down at their hands still held together, he quickly let go before Bart could notice. Pink spread through his cheek once sitting on the ground with Bart, but Ed tried to rub the warmth away. Asami and Tye skated on one board together, himself behind her with arms around her waist, carelessly riding. It wasn't until Asami yawned did Tye stop the board from getting off and kissed her on the cheek.

"I think we should call it a night. It's getting pretty late," said Tye, wrapping an arm around Asami's shoulders and bringing her into his side. Jaime and Virgil climbed out of the bowl ramp, sitting beside Bart and Ed as they two caught wind of Asami's yawn.

"We still haven't talked about the mattress situation. Who's sharing with who?" asked Jaime.

"Tye and I share one," said Asami, hugging Tye as he blushed. Ed's palms began to feel clammy, glancing between Jaime, Virgil, and Bart. In all honesty, Ed wasn't the closest with Jaime and Virgil, believing it could be awkward to share a mattress together. The only person Ed felt entirely comfortable with was Bart, but he still preserved some reservations. He swallowed away any nerves and straightened his shoulders.

"Bart and I can share an air mattress," said Ed, trying to keep his voice from cracking. "If that's okay with you, Bart?" A flutter appeared in Bart's stomach while his heart skipped a beat.

"Totally cool me, amigo." Bart's smile was to become permanent for the remainder of the evening.

"Well that settles it! Let's go home before I take a nap out here," said Virgil, rising to his feet again with everyone following his lead towards the park's archway. "Hey, whose birthday is coming up? Mine's in October."

"Asami's birthday passed while we were in STARs," said Tye.

"Same, mine was in May. Wasn't your birthday in March, Bart?" asked Jaime.

"Yep! Which just leaves us to one last person. Eduardo? When's your birthday?" Eduardo rolled his eyes with a tired smile.

"September 3rd." Ed admitted.

"Heck yeah! Sleepover at Ed's house next month!" shouted Bart, giggling

"Hell no. My apartment is too small to have all of us sleeping there!" Ed said to Bart, stabbing a finger to his chest.

"Fine. Fine. I'll plan you a birthday party then," said Bart, elbowing Ed in the ribs. Ed shook his head with a yawn, wandering behind everyone through the suburb, glancing at Bart.

"Hey," whispered Ed, "Enjoying your first sleepover?" Bart nodded, his smile softening from exhaustion.

"Thanks for understanding about… me being nervous." uttered Bart.

"No se preocupe. That's what friends are for." Ed squeezed Bart's shoulder in comfort.

Ed hid their smile for the remainder of the walk and maintained a gap between him and Bart. In the back of Ed's mind, a little voice returned that he hadn't heard since being in Argentina. No, since Ed had run away from STARs after Bart begged him to stay. He glanced at Bart as the voice continued to nag and felt his breath hitch in his chest, making Ed move one step away. Ed did what he would always do when the voice came back by suppressing it for as long as he could. It could be any other day when Ed had to face that voice, but tonight wasn't the moment. Tonight, Ed was with his friends, who didn't need to know about the little voice that made him nervous. No one needed to know about the voice that wanted to change Ed because even Ed didn't want to know.

#zetaflash #zetaflashweek2022 #bart allen #eduardo dorado jr #Young Justice #yj outsiders #HBO Max

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