Work Text:
Thrill seeking
by Schatten
Wally didn't think other people saw him as cold or distant, but he knew that some of the more observant could see he always wore a mask.
The mask wasn't meant to deceive or hide. Its purpose was to make people feel more comfortable around him, showing a happy, open, fun Wally that others could easily like.
And Wally was indeed happy, open and fun. But living in a world so slow took a lot of effort. He could think of something funny, mean to share it and by the time he got their attention, it wasn't so funny anymore. By the end of the joke, his mind was already somewhere else. So he smiled anyway, feeling like he had been smiling forever, until the smile was frozen into place.
Verbal communication was the stuff of nightmares. People talked and delved into topics in ways that were torture to him. Being on a team meant a lot of pretending, pretending to smile, to listen, to care for things a million years gone by, even if it was just last week's crisis.
Touch was another matter. It was well received; it lasted, lingered, and communicated things a lot faster than talking, even if it was slow. Wally was a man of action.
He craved stimuli like other people craved affection, money or power. All those things were fleeting and easily achieved with enough time. But stimuli were a finite thing; if he lived long enough he would find himself jaded and tired with everything in the world.
Therefore, he didn't mind that his lover couldn't provide him affection. He could give him many other things, and who knew for how long. His mind was mysteriously twisted; games were constantly played, keeping him on his toes with anticipation. Everything from playful petting to painfully delicious scenarios, experiments designed to please his body and entice his hyperactive mind.
There was a way to know every corner and get bored of Bruce's mind, but it would take time. It could be months; it could be years from now.
It could very well be tomorrow.