#but Barry's on the line and Cisco's lost enough friends that he's not going to lose another without a fight

[clean-bands-dirty-stories]

Man Down ~ B.A.

A/n: I haven’t watched the show in a long enough time that I forgot all the crisis events and I don’t want to go back and watch any of them soooo I just made it Savitar era centered. Hints of Savitar x reader like. Everywhere. Sorry about that lol

Request: “...Barry x male reader, reader gets hurt trying to protect Barry during a crisis event?” By anon

Word Count: 5200+

MASTERLIST

When Caitlyn sat down next to me, we both knew it was too late, but I admired her for trying anyway. Even before she spoke, I knew what she was going to say. I could tell in the way her lips curved into a frown and her wide eyes begged, but her words had no energy to them, that she knew it too. That she recognized the way I was acting. That she saw through my calm and comforting and reassurance. My hopelessness underneath, mourning so much more than Iris West’s death.

Mourning my own.

It had been months of fighting back Savitar. So long trying to save Iris’ life. To change the future. They’d made some progress here and there, but…. Ultimately not enough. It was obvious that Barry wouldn’t be able to stop it. Wouldn’t be able to save her. And Barry Allen couldn’t live without Iris West.

What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t do everything in my power to keep them together?

A different back and forth had been happening, other than the battle of wills between Barry and his time duplicate. A battle of love. For years, I’d longed for Barry to stop looking at his best friend and to pay attention to me. To level those adoring eyes and loving gazed onto me instead of her. He never did. Sometimes I thought he might, almost like he was considering it. Just like the days that Iris almost paid attention to Barry. Almost saw him as something other than a brother, as she had decided he was. Almost.

Almost only counted in horseshoes and hand grenades, as the song goes. So I’d decided that if it came down to it - me or her - Barry would chose her. He already had, and he would again. He would be mad at me for doing this. He would be so, so angry. But he’d get over it eventually. He’d move on and reconcile. They’d fall in love one day. There was a newspaper by line proving it. He would be happy with her. One day his almost would turn into an absolute. He might not forget his friend, who had once been, but he would be happier in the end if this was me instead of her.

So I would die instead.

“Please don’t do it.”

I smiled when Caitlyn finally spoke. It was a lie when I smiled, when I looked at her with confusion. “Do what?”

Her gaze bore into mine. “I don’t know.” There was already mourning in her tone. Oh Caitlyn… poor Caitlyn. How much had she lost? How many? My one regret - I could t spare my other friends from my loss. “I don’t know what you’re planning, but you’ve been acting different. And it’s worrying me.”

I looked away, face scrunched as I worked on the design Cisco had asked me to work on. He had a new suit idea for the future, and being more gifted with a needle than him, I was usually the one he went to. I hoped to finish it before it was too late. Now it was an easy thing to focus on. To play casual with. “You worry too much Caitlyn.” A boldfaced lie. We all knew she worried exactly as much as she should. All her friends were suicidally wreckless. “I have no plans.” Another lie. I looked up at her, smiling again. “I’m worried about Iris too, but I know Barry will pull through. He always does.” I winked, nudging her. Too many lied for what was probably our last person to person conversation. “I promise, okay?”

She didn’t respond to that. She looked at the suit I was making. Like it was proof. And it was, in a way. Hadn’t I not been working on it this whole time? Hadn’t I said it would take me a while? Hadn’t I told Cisco it would be a while, with the little details I had to work out and all the stress around us? Too much stress, too much to do, not enough time to handle it all.

The fact that I was making time for this - I might have yelled it was my final act at the top of my lungs. Not that I had to, for the people that could see the unspoken words in the way I said goodbye and the words I didn’t say and the things I did or didn’t do. Not for people like Caitlyn. She would have always ended up here, unable to stop me but desperate to try, knowing I would do anything to save Barry from the agony he was facing. Knowing that I loved him enough to destroy myself.

Her best of all, who had seen it in her fiancé’s face the day he had promised to see her again, knowing he was doomed to die. Of Caitlyn. Poor, brilliant, amazing, wonderful Caitlyn. If only I could spare you from reliving this again…

I looked away, back toward my sewing. She didn’t believe me, we both knew it. But there was nothing else to be said. So we didn’t speak again, sitting in the last silence we’d get together. Too few days now until Iris was supposed to die. Until I would take her place instead.

-

“You know, it’s weird.” I looked up when Savatar spoke to me, no longer startled at the way he simply appeared in my room. He had been doing this since the day he had been exposed for who he was. The first time it had been terrifying, but it had soon become clear as to why he did it anyway, and over time I had gotten used to it.

“What’s weird?” I asked calmly, returning to my sewing. “The fact that you keep breaking into your future partner’s bedroom before even meeting in your own proper timeline, or the fact that I’m seeing a suit you don’t recognize?”

Savitar fought a smile. He was doom and gloom unless he was around me. Apparently in the future we fell in love or whatever. I couldn’t imagine knowing what I know now, and still falling in love with him. Knowing what he would do. Who he would become. How he would destroy the man I love now. Apparently, the future was a wild place. Or… would have been. How it’ll never have happened. Not for me and not for hun.

Perhaps we were soulmates after all.

“I knew I shouldn’t have reacted to that suit you’re making. Spoilers.”

I snorted, unable to handle the hilarity in a time duplicate coming backward in time to kill someone just to ensure his own existence, using Barry’s memories to put himself on top the whole time. He was a walking spoiler. His backstory alone was the most raw look into what was supposed to happen yet.

“So not the suit then,” I decided on, looping back to his original comment. “What’s weird?” I looked up at him briefly before returning to my work. I couldn’t help the tender spot I had for him. He was a darker, sadder Barry. All the same memories and expressions and body language but with more pain than even my Barry had. It was in my very blood and bones to want to cheer him up. To want to make it better. That I did understand. I knew that a future me would have carried that softness and kindness toward him. He had mention that was how he had fallen in love with me - the one who treated him like a person, who recognized and cared for him.

Perhaps that was how I managed to fall in love with him as well. The way that he was Barry enough to count, but different enough that it wasn’t bitter. Wasn’t overwhelming. Different enough that he wasn’t obsessed with Iris. We probably would have been happy.

Savitar watched me, as if studying me. “I love watching your mind work. All the things you never say that simply click together in your mind.” He swallowed, and I knew he was thinking about how much he missed me. Future me, who loved him without guilt. I wonder if he visited the older me when he wasn’t actively spending time taunting Barry and making plans to kill Iris. I wonder if future me knew where he was, what he was doing.

I sighed. He was right, I really did have too many thoughts to speak them out loud so rarely. He really did know me like no one else did. It was jarring. “You didn’t answer my question. What’s weird?”

His smile finally won out. It edged on a smirk, but was a little too soft around the edges while he looked at me. He looked so much less intimidating like this. So much more like Barry. “To see it happen like this. To see the seeds planted of our future even before we existed in the same way. To know you so deeply, when you don’t know me at all, knowing that later you’ll know me as deeply and I will be the one who’s surprised by it.” He sat down at the table across from me, studying my face. “I always wondered what it was like to go into a relationship knowing someone, hearing stories, being aware of the steps even before they happen. When I opened my eyes the first time and you smiled at me. When I realized that you were different, and I found out that you knew me all this time ago. I wondered if you started falling in love with me before I was created. I wondered if my coming back in time was an influence for you, as you being so familiar and comfortable with me so quickly was an influence for me. I had this idea in my mind that we were this never ending cycle. That we ended up together simply because we already knew we would end up together.”

My smile grew dry. “Time travel is a weird one,” I agreed. “And I can imagine what you mean. But… no. I don’t know when my future self fell in love with you, but it wasn’t now. It isn’t now for me at least. Maybe now that the future has changed it’ll be different.” I shrugged, not looking up. Thinking about how I would die, driven by my love for Barry. About how I would never get the chance to fall in love with Savitar to begin with.

His eyes narrowed. He leaned forward, catching my wrist. I looked up at him - and I saw it in his eyes. I saw the understanding and the accusation. I saw the rage there, as I’d seen it in Caitlyn. The mourning turning quickly to denial. To refusal. He saw my resolve, my plan, even though he couldn’t understand what it was or how I had come up with it. Why I had.

“What are you planning?” He demanded.

I met his eyes evenly, deflating a bit. It was harder to lie to this man. Not just because of his face, or his voice. Not just because he was so like Barry that he had a hold on me from day one. Now he was his own man, esperare from Barry, and he still had a hold on me. A part of me perhaps already did care for him. Perhaps that was the part that would have loved him one day. If we’d had the chance.

“I don’t have a plan.” My voice was even and unrelenting. His eyes flared with anger for a moment, and it seemed that he might lash out. But I was special to him. He didn’t know Iris, and he specifically hated Barry. Everyone else was lost to him. Strangers who estranged themselves. Who shut him out first. But me? I was supposed to be the love of his life. He couldn’t be the monster he became so easily around the others. The violence he didn’t struggle to harness for them was impossible with me. We both knew it. He melted, slowly at first but then very suddenly all at once. He fell from his chair, moving around the table at super speed to kneel in front of me. He turned my chair so that he could move close to me. His hands rested on my wrists, and he held my gaze. There was a deep desperation there. Pleading. Very like the look that Caitlyn had given me. “I don’t have your memories. I don’t remember what you did, or do, or how you change through time. I… I can only beg. I will do anything for you, just please let it happen.”

My frown twisted into almost a snarl. Almost. I couldn’t quite bring true bitterness to use against him either, as he could not summon violence against me. We were trapped in our love for each other. In our softness, at the very least. “Why would I do anything you asked me to?”

He searched my eyes, and then sighed with relief when he found it. Found the part of me still fighting to survive. He recognized that I hadn’t completely given up. Completely committed myself to death. What sentient creature didn’t have survival reflexes that fought to extend those last moments? Who didn’t cling to life, even when death was inevitable?

He saw that part of me that fought and he sought to encourage it. “You find love after him. You’re so happy with me. We get married in the place from your dream board. Every dream you had comes true. You have a whole life, Y/n. You have eternity. It feels like eternity for us. It feels like forever. Where I’m from, it’s only been a few years, but I’ve been to the future. I’m a hero because of you. I take Barry’s place. That horrible world that he created for a while, when he leaves everyone behind - I fill it. You help me. We become the new team Flash. It’s… it’s different,” and it’s a plea when he says it. A desperate sell to get me to see the future he does. To want it. To believe in it. To fight for it. Or, more accurately, to not fight because of it. To give up and let it all happen. “But it’s ours. He never loves you. He never will. But I will. I see what he doesn’t. What he won’t. And we’re so much happier than they ever could have been. We’re worth it. We’re worth this.”

I can’t help myself. Even for Savatar, who I want to hate, who I’m going to destroy, I can’t bring myself not to want to reassure him. As I reassured Caitlyn last time, and have reassured Harry and Cisco and Barry and Iris and even Joe. I lean close, and I press a kiss to his forehead. His eyes flutter close and he leans into me, hands loosening their death grip as he melts into the affection. The first time I have showed it to him, as I am. A sign that I am capable of becoming the person who loves him. A beacon of hope I’m sure. I kiss him and I hold him when he leans into me and I close my eyes and, worst of all, I lie to him. “I won’t do it. I won’t do anything. I want that future with you. I want to be happy. I want to be loved. I want to be with you.” And it isn’t a complete lie. There are truths there that ring in my voice, making it warmer and filling it with light and hope and joy.

Half lies are so much easier to believe.

And he does believe them.

Savitar leans away from me, a hand rising to push hair behind my ear as he looks into my gaze and sees tears. “Can I kiss you?” He asked this question only once, always seeking out how much affection he’s allowed to show me. Until now, I couldn’t face something like that. The betrayal to Barry that it would be. We barely got to hugging until tonight.

But tonight… I’m going to die for Barry. I’m going to give him the ultimate sacrifice for his happiness. I can be a little selfish. Take a small betrayal for myself.

“Yes,” I whisper. Savitar doesn’t wait to be told again - he just kisses me. He has been waiting for this and I can tell. I’ve been waiting for it too, and that takes me by surprise. This weird in between, where kissing him is the daydream of kissing Barry that I have king craved, but also something completely new and separate and not about Barry at all. The part of me that will always love Barry meets the part of me that finds it easier and easier to love Savitar and I finally understand. They are the same part. I never moved on from Barry to love Savitar. It was new and also the same. Me getting everything I ever wanted and also something completely different. Me holding onto what I’ve been holding onto since day one, but also letting it go too. I didn’t move on from Barry - it was like dating his brother or his best friend. It was unfair to Savitar and even more unfair to me.

This darker me with these far more selfish desires…. It was sickening to think about. How could I have done this?

Now it was clearer than ever that I was going to go with the plan I’d picked. I was sure. I wouldn’t become the person Savitar knew me as. I wouldn’t let that version of me win. Not this time. Not ever.

-

The device wrapped around my wrist, disguised as a bracelet, had a wire attached that ran underneath my long sleeve, up my arm to the power source on my chest. The full body machine had been beautifully effective in making me not only look like Iris West, but being one hundred convincing in proving that I was her. I could smell her perfume, reach up and almost feel the curl on her hair. I would die as Iris West and no one would have time to recognize me, let alone stop me. They’d only have time to mourn me. And with Savatar’s defeat following so close after my own, I doubted they’d have the capacity to do anything other than celebrate.

Just as they always did. Take a moment and then let it go. Continue to be happy and successful, as the friends we’d lost along the way would want. And that was true, I did want them to be happy. I only wished I could have seen it.

Savatar had me in his grip, and I flinched as he gripped me a little too tightly. There was no softness now. No tenderness spared for the person he loved. I was Iris to him now. He wouldn’t realize he had killed the person most precious to him until it was too late.

I felt bad for him. It felt terrible that I was making him do this. That he was choosing to do it. That, perhaps, the forces of the universes drove him to be in such a position that we were all partially guilty. For treating him poorly. For having to kill Iris to survive. To choose between the woman he loved once, and the person he would come to love after. To chose between the man he had once been and the man he was made into after he wasn’t that man anymore. After he stopped being Barry and everyone turned on him.

My eyes closed when his fingers wrapped around my throat, my head tilting back as I felt the sun on my face for the last time.

Barry screamed.

Someone else screamed even louder.

My eyes flew open, recognizing Iris’s voice. She had her blazer opened, revealing the device on her chest. The one I had out there to turn her into me. To make her look like me so that she could hide until it was all over. So she could live.

What in the holy hell was she doing now?

Whatever it was, whatever play she had been trying to make at the last moment to save my life, it had been too late. Savatar flicked his wrist, gripping hard as he began to speed up, letting the speed force take him. He soon slammed to a halt as he processed that Iris was standing so far from him when she was supposed to be in his grip. That she was in two places at once.

Unfortunately for me, he had moved, and in shock he had loosened his grip. Barry didn’t have super strength, neither did Savatar. I ripped from him, going flying as my body rag dolled. I slammed into something solid. A tree? A wall? I couldn’t quite tell, my vision was blurry and spotted and for a second I couldn’t breathe. Everything spun and I was stunned - frozen in a moment of free fall and terror. Iris was supposed to have been zipped away, neck snapped and eyes dead to the world. Everything had gone wrong…

And then it went even worse.

The pain came all at once as my moment frozen in time ended. The agony of my burning body as I groaned while trying to scream. I realized immediately that my leg was broken and there was something wrong with my chest. Maybe a rib broken as well? Definitely a concussion. I blinked my eyes and saw blood around my face. Oh… I had hit something very hard indeed. Several broken things and a head wound. I was horribly injured, but perhaps not mortally.

Savitar was above me, tears streaming down his face. “Why?” He was asking, over and over again. Trying to understand. Failing to do so. I realized that in the process of my injury, the machine hiding who I was had broken. I was exposed as myself now, and all his softness was back. No betrayal. No anger. Just loss. Only mourning.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered. And I realized that I had said it every single time he had asked me. A mantra of my own to match his.

He had lost the chance to kill Iris. In running to my side, the time had passed and as he looked down at me we both knew it. Love had won out in the end. But not our love. His love for me maybe, but my love for Barry. Barry’s love for Iris. A cycle of unrequited, unreturned devotion. An unending string of broken hearts.

As the pain took over and I went unconscious, I saw his skin begin to fade away, turning into waves of light and energy. He unwound and spun off into the breeze, and he cried for me and I cried for him and we watched the other fade away as our friends watched the two of us, unsure if or even how to help.

The last thing I saw was him, still asking why, me still answering in echoing apologies, and my friends still watching in horror.

-

I woke up in the infirmary bed that Barry had laid in, in a coma a few years ago now. I woke up to see him sitting in a chair next to me, as I’d sat in a chair next to him. I had been apart of the team building the particle accelerator. I had been a designer. An engineer. I put metal and fabric together with the same fingers, the same methods. Back then I hadn’t been here for the day it all went wrong. I’d moved onto another project, one I’d be kicked from when my name got dragged through the mud and my credibility was demolished. Caitlyn, Wells, and Cisco had welcomed me back with open arms, and though I couldn’t do much in studying Barry, I was a good comfort. Even with him unconscious I’d found myself falling for him in the stories that were told and the things people shared with him while unconscious to get him to respond. To get him to come back. I admired hun through their eyes, and felt their love until he one day was awake and had become my friend and I got to love him in a way that was all my own.

Now it was a bit startling to see him next to me, hand holding mine and completely unconscious. Just as he had found me the first day he had woken up. Dutiful and beside him like a guardian. A watcher, waiting for him to wake him as he waited for me now.

“Barry?” I went to pull my hand away and he stirred immediately, desperately holding onto me as he lifted his head, blinking bleary eyes heavy with sleep. He looked around the room, obviously not expecting the interruption to have come from me. How many times had the others had to drag him from this room? Oh god why did that make my heart do somersaults?

When he realized I was awake he light up. Still tired but far more alert, as it super charged by seeing me awake and seemingly better. I hurt but I could muster a smile and that seemed to be enough. He whispered my name, pressing his lips to my knuckles. “You’re awake,” he mumbled dreamily. Like it was the most important news he had ever gotten.

I couldn’t help it. I blushed. “Yes. I am.”

He chuckled and I watched him as he wiped sleep from his eyes. “Sorry,” he apologized. “Didn’t mean to fall asleep. I’ve been doing that a lot, here, in this chair. Gotta be bad for my back.” He tilted his head in an attempt to pop his neck, but didn’t let go of my hand.

“Barry,” I began slowly, eyes narrowing as I tried to make sense of what was happening in front of me. “I’m lost.”

He smiled, as if I had done something rather adorable. These were one of those almost-maybe moments where I thought he might have loved me if things were different. It took me by surprise now, lasting longer than it usually did. His tender admiration didn’t fade or switch out or get embarrassed or distracted and flee. He turned his full attention toward me without hesitation. “I can imagine how… disorienting it would be. To almost die trying to save Iris for me, only to wake up and… it’s all different now.”

I quirked an eyebrow. “Different how?”

He grew quiet for a moment, holding my hand and letting his thumb run back and forth across my skin. When he spoke, I found that I hadn’t been breathing the whole time. It was too much but I didn’t dare stop him. I didn’t dare stop him. “When I realized it had been you the whole time. That all this time, I had been watching you die. Not Iris. Or, maybe Iris, but that this time it was you. That somewhere maybe it changed. I saw something else too. I saw her guilt, and found out how long she’d known what you were doing. She didn’t even come that day - Harry did. Disguised as Iris to save you, willing to sacrifice his life for yours. Both of you so brave and amazing. And… I can’t imagine what it would be like to know you were going to die and then seeing an alternative. But, I understood you more than I did her after that. You get me in a way she never will. I sacrifice myself for people too. That’s what being a hero is about. And I am a hero to some people. I try to be a hero as much as I can be. I want to be a person who stands with pride. Not with guilt. And… it made me love you even more. It made me realize that I’ve had these feelings for you for a while.”

I blinked. “That’s impossible.”

Barry laughed, once, startled by my reaction. “You’d have thought. I was sick over Iris…” he shook his head. “But I realized, it was obsession more than love. I was fixated on her. I couldn’t have any other relationships, couldn’t even entertain them. I was trapped by this idea of destiny. The newspaper and Earth 2 and Eobard Thawne and Eddie dying. It was like we had this great destiny. Like I had to be with her. I was expected to be. It was all leading to this. And I realized that a part of it was that it felt useless to try anything else. My future had already been decided. And part of it was that it felt like a prize. For being a hero, and for being patient. For waiting for her. It felt like a reward.” He scowled. “And I realized that’s a super toxic mentality to have. Iris isn’t s prize, or a reward - she’s a person. And I kept treating her like she was only going to be happy if she was with me. That we were two halves of a whole. But she’s a whole person by herself, and she’s capable and worthy of happiness on her own.” He shrugged. “Between that and my love for you, surging in this moment… I just felt like an idiot. I’d spent so much time wasted on a relationship I’d already failed by feeling like I was owed something. I’m not, and it’s different with you. Freer. This happened naturally, and despite everything else. Against all odds. It was given to me, I worked for it. No destiny, no predetermination. Just you and me. No god or fate involved. And I like it better this way.”

My heart surged, and my eyes went wide. “Barry Allen, did you just say you’re in love with me?”

He laughed, this time for a while, and he kissed my hand again. “That was.. a lot, all at once.” He sighed, grabbing my hands between both of his. “I’m sorry, let’s start with something more simple. How are you feeling?”

I couldn’t help but grin. “Wonderful.”

He beamed back. “Perfect. Can I kiss you?”

It felt like a dream as I whispered, “Yes.” He kissed me and I thought about when I had kissed Savitar. We had both dodged relationships that were bad for us. He had been obsessed with Iris his entire life, eternally pining and blinded, treating her like so much less than a person. And I had done the same with Savitar. Iris had been an idea to him, as Savitar was a missed opportunity I had seized in a new and different way.

How much better that we lived in the timeline where s’more genuine love won out. That we chose each other and got to be our best selves, instead of pushing for relationships that we wanted no matter the cost. No matter protest or person. This… this was freer. More innocent. Kinder.

“I love you,” I whispered, and I felt no guilt. Only joy. I imagine that the other me must have felt a lot of guilt. But not this me. Not this time. Finally I was free of that.

“I love you too,” he whispered back, and I heard it in his voice too. The freedom. The joy. The love.

How wonderful was that?

-

Male Readers: @ravenpuff-oli @sortzz @fadedver

[icedteaandoldlace]

NEXT and POV for the no excuses ask game?

So sorry it's taken me forever to answer this, I got carried away on the second prompt—but I think you'll enjoy it!

NEXT — the next line. meaning i will finish the sentence I’m on and write a new one, which you’ll get.

Well this is more than one sentence, but I've been meaning to write this part for a while. 😅

Caitlin frowned, her brow creasing with concern. “Kamilla, why don’t you take a break?” she suggested. “You’ve been working nonstop since I got here.”

But Kamilla shook her head, waving her off. “I’m fine,” she replied. “Cisco needs the rest right now more than I do.”

“Well—true,” Caitlin allowed. “But you still—”

“Besides, it’s probably gonna take a little while before he feels up to getting things back in order himself, and the stuff that needs done is just gonna keep piling up in the meantime. It’s fine. I’ve got this.”

It's not the work itself that has Caitlin concerned, but rather why Kamilla insists on doing so much right now. And it absolutely has to do with her feelings about what's just happened to Cisco...

POV — something that’s already happened, retold from another character’s perspective

This turned into a full-blown oneshot. 😅 I considered a few different fics for this, but I decided to go with the one freshest in my mind, since I'd already been toying with the idea of an alternate POV on this anyway.

Fair warning to anyone who hasn't read This Can't Be How It Ends, this won't make much sense unless you read that one first. Also, shit's about to get dark.

Link for AO3.

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You Cannot Predict Emotion

Barry had seen a lot of horrible things in his life. He had seen his mother’s stabbed, pale body lying on the floor of his old living room, her unseeing eyes staring vacantly into nothing. He had seen a fist protruding from his father’s chest, and watched the life leave his eyes as he fell to the ground in that same room several years later. He had seen numerous others—some of his friends among them—in their final moments, and caught the looks of pain, fear, and futility on their faces at the end, and he had known that he had failed them. All these things he had seen, and while one might think he would get used to all the violence and death over time, he still was not prepared for the sight of Trajectory snapping Cisco’s neck, and the instantaneous emptiness that took over his friend’s features as all emotion and personality and life was ripped away from them.

Time froze for Barry on the moment Cisco’s eyes went blank, and for once his speed had nothing to do with it. It was purely shock and horror holding things still now, refusing to let Barry process what he was seeing. He could hear the echo of his own voice carrying Cisco’s name as far as his lungs could cast it, though he hadn’t felt his mouth move or made the conscious effort to say anything. It was like he had lost all control and was functioning solely on autopilot.

And then Cisco was falling, toppling limply to the side as Trajectory carelessly let him drop, and Barry snapped into action. He darted forward at once, skidding to a halt at Cisco’s side just in time to catch him before he could hit the ground. He felt the sting of carpet burn on his knees—which at the moment he couldn’t be less bothered by, but the sensation of it was enough to ground him in the moment, shaking him out of his daze and making him all too aware that what he was experiencing right now was real.

Cisco’s hair had fallen over his face, and Barry gently brushed it back, and seeing the emptiness in his face up close made his heart clench. The body in his arms wasn’t Cisco anymore. Cisco was gone. All that was left was an empty shell with a crooked neck, both hands still callously restrained behind his back, and the tears that he had been holding back in life now leaking out in death.

“Cisco,” Barry breathed, his own eyes filling fast with tears that soon began to trail down his face. He had never wanted to see him like this, all stiff and broken like the bodies from any of the numerous crime scenes he had processed over the years. This wasn’t supposed to be possible for him. Cisco wasn’t supposed to die.

But he had. And it was all Barry’s fault.

With a despairing sob, Barry held Cisco’s body closer to him, letting his forehead fall against his chest as his tears fell faster and heavier. He found himself having to take his breaths in heaves, and the effort to breathe normally soon made his chest ache.

“I’m sorry,” he choked out between sobs. “I’m so sorry. Please—please, Cisco, c’mon, please. Don’t—” he squeezed his eyes shut as his whole body shook uncontrollably. “I can’t do this without you,” he managed to get out feebly. “Just please come back, Cisco. I need you.”

“Should’ve listened when you had the chance, Flash,” Trajectory taunted, reminding Barry of her presence and making his blood run cold. “So now that I’ve called your bluff, and now that you know that I don’t bluff, are you finally gonna give me what I want? Or are you just gonna, y’know, wallow all night and make me have to really fight dirty?”

Barry didn’t look up at her, because he knew that if he saw the look on her face now, it would fill him with too much rage to function. He just remained where he was, doing his best to keep his breathing even. He couldn’t fight her like this; he needed a minute to clear his head, or else he was going to do something he was sure to regret.

But he didn’t have a minute—she wouldn’t wait very long for him to answer, he knew, and there was no telling who else she might hurt or kill in the meantime.

And he didn’t want to answer her, either. He didn’t want to fight or chase or negotiate with her any longer. What he wanted was to send her back to where she belonged. She wasn’t even supposed to be alive right now.

Barry hesitantly opened his eyes, pulling back just a little to take a look at Cisco again, hoping it might anchor him and convince him to make the right decision. It took love to overpower hate, right? So he kept his focus on Cisco, gingerly sweeping his thumb across the teardrops under his eyes as he worked to get a hold of himself.

He knew what Cisco would tell him if he were here—to stop, breathe, think the problem through, and solve it the right way, instead of doing something rash and irresponsible. He should think about how Cisco would handle this—how Cisco would want him to handle it—and let that be his guide for how to deal with Trajectory now.

Instead, looking at Cisco’s too-still face and thinking about his caring and rational sense of humanity just made his death hurt even more, and it made Barry even angrier that Trajectory had taken him from him. Nothing about this was fair. Cisco was the one who was supposed to be alive right now, not her. He had done nothing to her, and never would have, except as a mode of defense. And she was supposed to have run herself to death ages ago and not be their problem anymore.

It would be so easy just to give her what she wanted—to teach her how to time travel, let her run until her body couldn’t take it anymore, and reduce herself to a cloud of dust. On that note, if he ran her back to before she had even gotten here, then she wouldn’t be alive to kill Cisco in the first place. The timeline would be disrupted again, but at least two of the changes Flashpoint had caused now would be restored. That had to count for something, right?

Barry shook his head swiftly. He had to get off this train of thought. Letting himself go there, even just in his mind, was the total opposite of what he was supposed to do. He wasn’t supposed to think like a villain. He wasn’t supposed to play God. And undoing a death he couldn’t accept was what had gotten him into this whole mess in the first place. He knew that no one could run from grief forever, and that people everywhere healed and continued to grow and thrive through their bereavements all the time.

He’d experienced enough loss himself to know the drill: Feel what you need to feel. Let it out when you need to let it out. Take the proper time to process. Lean on the people you need most when you’re struggling. Learn how to start moving forward again. Accept that everything has changed forever. Get used to your life without him in it.

He knew the healthy way to deal with the death of a loved one, and he knew that the kind of hero he was resolved to be didn’t lust for revenge or obsess over mistakes and try to erase them, but rather learned from them and then continued forward.

Trajectory clicked her tongue. “I’m waaaaitiiiiing.”

With a shuddery breath, Barry looked up, and saw the smug and remorseless expression he’d known she would be looking down on him with, and it did fill him with rage. Even so, he knew there was a way to deal with her that didn’t end in more death. He knew he could phase the power cuffs off Cisco’s wrists and snap them onto her in the blink of an eye, if he could just misdirect her attention long enough. He knew he shouldn’t give in to the temptation to hit undo and give her what she deserved, and create yet another timeline in the process. He knew what he needed to do. He couldn’t just throw away everything that he stood for and everything he was trying to be because someone that he loved was dead.

But it was Cisco.

-

Barry felt a little sick when he got back to the apartment, if he was being honest. He tried not to think too hard about the decisions he’d made tonight, because if he did, then he would think about the words Harry had said to him the first time Trajectory had come around; about how he would lose parts of his humanity every time he compromised his values. He might ask himself questions he didn’t want to answer, like why could he justify what he’d just done, but going back for Dante still felt like too big a risk? And had he only done what any good friend or hero would do, or was he simply selfish and a hypocrite? What kind of person was he really, and had Zoom been right about him all along? Was there even a point in drawing ethical lines if he was capable of plowing across them to save his friend? Just how much further would he be willing to go if he was pushed hard enough?

Barry made it to the bedroom, and he opted to phase through the door rather than open it so as to make less sound. When he arrived on the other side, all the questions and doubts he’d been wrestling with melted away as he caught sight of Cisco, fast asleep in his bed. His eyes may have been closed, but this time it was different—this time there was something behind them. He was still breathing, still living, and that was all the justification Barry needed for breaking the rules. After everything Cisco had gone through because of him, Barry owed, at the very least, to give him his life back, consequences be damned.

Still, though, he knew it would be best if Cisco didn’t find out what had transpired tonight. Because while there was still a chance that he might one day forgive him for Flashpoint, no way would he forgive him for altering time now—not when he already knew better. Even though it was the last time he would alter the timeline (but for real this time), he knew trying to defend his actions would not go over well.

Barry fought back the intrusive, belligerent little voice inside, telling him that Cisco couldn’t be mad at him for saving his life. Because yes, he most certainly could. If anyone was levelheaded enough to be angry with Barry for doing something reckless and morally dubious, even to his own benefit, it was Cisco, because he was the kind of person to always look for the solution where no one had to get hurt. He was the kind of hero the world needed—the kind of hero Barry needed. And though Barry felt certain that saving Cisco could never be the wrong choice, he also knew that Cisco had been burned the worst by time travel, so he had license to stay mad at him for the rest of his life. Especially now that he’d loused up the timeline again because he’d gotten Cisco killed.

All of a sudden, Cisco jerked awake with a gasp, his whole body tense and shaking. He continued to breathe heavily as he stared blankly ahead, a disoriented yet terrified look on his face, and Barry’s heart sank when he saw him reach up to feel his neck.

Oh crap, he vibed it, Barry realized, and he rushed to Cisco’s side at once, taking him gently by the shoulders. “Hey—hey, hey, hey,” he said softly. “It’s alright. You’re okay.”

Cisco blinked, taking a moment to let his eyes focus on Barry, and then he began looking all around him in a panic. “H-how am I—where did she—?”

“It’s okay, Trajectory’s not here,” Barry soothed. Then without missing a beat, he added, “It was just a dream. You’re okay. You’re safe.”

Cisco deflated with relief, and the visual confirmation that he believed him made Barry relax a little, too. The last thing Cisco needed was another murder in another timeline to haunt him the way the first one had. If he really believed that this one was just a dream, maybe it wouldn’t traumatize him quite so much.

Exhaling a heavy sigh, Cisco dropped his head into his hands, and he began to tremble even harder. It was all Barry could do not to throw his arms around him and hold on tight, but he settled for continuing to hold on to his shoulders, and lightly massaging them with his thumbs. He wanted so badly to make him feel safe and comfortable again, and make the memory of being leveraged and discarded so thoughtlessly fade away into nothing.

Moments later, when it seemed like Cisco was finally starting to calm down, he suddenly wrenched himself out of Barry’s grasp and slid away from him, much to Barry’s confusion.

“Cisco?” Barry said softly.

Cisco ignored him, hugging his arms to his chest and turning away from him.

“Hey, man—” Barry reached out a hand to touch Cisco’s shoulder again, but Cisco promptly shrugged it off.

“Can you please just leave me alone?” Cisco said in a shaky, fragile voice.

At first Barry didn’t answer. Of course his first instinct was to stay by his side and make sure he was okay. But he could tell when his presence wasn’t wanted, and lately Cisco had been avoiding him more and more; it was only natural that he wouldn’t want Barry to be the one to comfort him now. His second instinct was to tell Cisco how sorry he was for everything he’d done to hurt him and to break his trust, desecrating their friendship. But he had already tried to apologize once, and Cisco hadn’t wanted to hear it. And honestly, Barry couldn’t blame him. But that made it so incredibly difficult to know how he was supposed to act around him now. He’d screwed up big time and he knew he needed to make up for it, but it was so hard trying to figure out how to be a good friend to someone who didn’t even want him for a friend at all anymore.

With a twinge of defeat, Barry sighed softly. Some things you break can’t be put back together.

“Yeah, alright,” he said finally, and he retreated to the far end of the room. There was nothing to do except let Cisco have his space. Anything else he could try was sure to only make things worse.

Upon reaching his side of the room, Barry settled down onto the couch that had been his bed for the last few weeks, and he tried to shake the image of Cisco’s dead body from his mind. He didn’t know how he would ever sleep peacefully again after seeing that.

Oddly though, the thought of having to contend with nightmares when he fell asleep was unexpectedly comforting right now. If bad dreams plagued him all night, maybe by morning he could convince himself that that was all this awful catastrophe had been.

[kitkatt0430]

So I’ve been kind of thinking about Cisco in the first half of season 6.  About his thoughts and feelings and motivations throughout the Bloodwork arc as the Crisis looms ever closer.

Cisco finds out one of his best friends is supposed to die before Christmas and... all things considered he actually takes the news really well.  I mean, yes, he steals alien medicine that only might be able to prevent death by antimatter and does so against Barry’s express wishes, but... considering this in context with the last six years of his life, it’s pretty understandable why he reacted like that.

The show began with Cisco carrying some pretty massive survivor’s guilt.  He blames himself for Ronnie’s death because he’s the one who closed the door to the pipeline, sealing Ronnie in with the explosion.  It’s in this state of mind that Cisco is introduced to the then comatose Barry Allen and Cisco maybe goes a little overboard trying to make STAR Labs into an environment that might entice Barry to wake up, even going so far as to check out Barry’s social media pages in order to play his favorite music. 

Because if Cisco focuses on Barry, he can ignore the ghost of Ronnie in the pipeline.  The specter in the hallways that Cisco half expects to see, but then he looks up and Ronnie isn’t there.  Because Cisco closed the door.  And he can’t talk about this with Caitlin because he’s more than half-convinced she’ll hate him.

And then Barry wakes up and he connects with Cisco pretty much instantly.  They’re both geeks and nerds and love the same fandoms and they click.  Suddenly Barry is Cisco’s new best friend.

The superhero thing is fun, but Barry keeps getting hurt.  He heals fast, which makes it feel less real sometimes.  But Barry nearly dies from inhaling a meta who turns into a toxin.  Bette shows up and Cisco gets a crush on her and she does die, her death a testament to the existence of people who would exploit metas - exploit Barry - if given even half a chance.  The device Cisco made in case Barry turned out to be too good to be true after all is stolen and used to commit murder, to hurt Barry.  And then the Reverse Flash shows up to prove all of Cisco’s fears about a speedster gone wrong were far from unfounded.

Cracks start showing up in the untouchable facade of Harrison Wells.  Hartley Rathaway forces them to acknowledge the truth that Wells was aware that the accelerator might (would) fail.  Cisco’s nightmares about Wells killing him.  The discovery of the real Wells’ body hidden on the highway to Starling city.

And Ronnie turns out to be alive and Cisco and Barry help save him.  But Ronnie never talks to Cisco about what happened when the accelerator overloaded.  They don’t talk about how, if not for the creation of FIRESTORM, Ronnie would have died.  Should have died.  Cisco never gets that conversation with him, never gets the absolution he needs to know Ronnie didn’t blame him or hate him for doing as asked and shutting the door.  And then Ronnie dies.  Again.  Permanently this time.

And both Barry and Caitlin shut Cisco out.

So he’s left grieving on his own again.  This time worse, because he’s grieving for the loss of Harrison Wells, a convoluted mess of feelings because how do you miss someone you never actually knew?  Was anything Eobard Thawne said to him real or was it all an act?  Can Cisco allow himself to grieve for a mentor who cared about him when that person was a murderer and a sham?

Cisco reconnects with Barry and Caitlin and latches on to Jay, because a friendly mentor is what they need and it fills a hole in Cisco’s life, which he also tries to fill with Harry.  And Cisco has to watch as his best friend is nearly murdered in front of him by Zoom.  Cisco is the one who shoots Zoom.  And so much about Cisco’s decision to become Vibe in season three comes from this moment.  Because when Cisco’s friends are hurting, he’s willing to do whatever it takes to protect them.  But he’s also shown, before he can even develop his powers, how monstrous those abilities could make him if he ever misused them.  

Jay dies.  Cisco mourns a friend’s death, again.  And, again, he has to use his powers to prove that friend was a fraud.

He starts reconnecting with his brother, only for Dante to die and its too much for him to take and he lashes out at his best friend.  Probably in part because Barry has lost so much too, so how can he get back up?  How does he keep going?  Keep putting on that suit Cisco made for him and keep getting hurt - keep losing people he loves - and not give up?  Flashpoint hurts as much because Barry did for himself what he wouldn’t do for Cisco as it does because it proves sometimes Barry can’t get back up.  Sometimes Barry does give up.  Cisco had to realize that Barry wasn’t a hero first and foremost and its a hard lesson to learn.

At the same time, here comes HR.  HR who isn’t the brilliant scientist he pretends to be and who, despite being badly betrayed by his dearest friend, still finds it in himself to be happy and cheerful and wants to spread that joyfulness to others.  And who, for reasons that make no sense to Cisco, wants to impress Cisco more than anyone else on their team.  And it’s hard for Cisco to have this dynamic reversed.  It takes him a while to adjust, to stop being upset by this weird change.  To see HR as his own person and not just another extension of the monolithic Harrison Wells across the multiverse.

And HR dies right as he’s finally starting to let Cisco see beyond the cheerful mask to the vulnerable person underneath, the person afraid that he’s never enough and that his contributions are worthless.  And Cisco is left feeling like he massively let HR down.

Caitlin doesn’t trust him with her fears about her powers.  He has to confront her at every turn, stage interventions, beg her to let him help.  And then she’s injured and dies and what comes back is Frost.  All their fears made real.  And he doesn’t know how to separate out his friend from this person wearing her body, but he does it.  He gives her the choice to become Caitlin again.  And Frost both does, and doesn’t take it.  Caitlin’s love outweighs Frost’s fear and Cisco’s trust gives them the starting point to eventually find common ground.  But she still leaves him behind.

Barry goes into the speed force.  He probably intended for Cisco to take over Team Flash even then.  But Cisco is too depressed for that and Iris needs to feel like there’s something she can control, so she takes the lead and Cisco throws himself into his research and being a super hero.  Being Vibe suddenly means having to live up to Barry’s legacy and even with Wally’s help and Iris running the comms, its hard.  He’s not getting the support he needs to make this work.

And then Cisco brings Barry back, only for Barry to be lost in his own head and it probably doesn’t feel like success.  It feels like he took too long and he let Barry down.  And then to learn he was manipulated into bringing his friend back to further the plans of a villain?

Caitlin comes back, but so does Frost.  Their dynamic is changed and trust has to be rebuilt between them all.  It’s not easy.  (It takes until the end of season five to get all three of them there, not just Cisco and Caitlin, and Frost is well aware of the significance of Cisco making her a suit.  And its tailored for Frost’s aesthetics, not Caitlin’s.)

Barry’s framed for murder and Cisco can’t save him.  He befriends Ralph against his better judgment and Ralph dies, his body stolen by DeVoe.  What good are his powers to him if he can’t save his friends?  His powers can’t even fix the strain of a long distance relationship with his girlfriend and he has to learn to accept that sometimes love isn’t enough to hold a relationship together. 

Ralph survives after all but DeVoe’s plan creates a serial killer even in his failure.  And Cisco is tired.  Tired of fighting.  Tired of taking hits and being knocked down and having to get back up.

When is it going to stop?  It isn’t.  The hits are going to just keep coming and there is too much on his plate.

So Cisco resolves to take one thing off his plate.  Being Vibe is that one thing that has to go.  He can handle his stress with that one gone, surely?

He becomes an uncle to a time traveler who hasn’t been born yet.  And she’s his best friend all over again, with her smiles and her cheerfulness and her penchant for bouncing back to her feet when life is so hard on her that her back literally breaks from the pressure.  She’s Barry’s kid in the worst ways, so self sacrificing that she runs straight towards her death, her own non-existence, because she feels its the right thing to do.

Cisco keeps losing people he cares about.  Over and over and over...  even when they come back, he loses them again.

So when Barry tells Cisco that all that time they thought they had to prepare for the events in the newspaper clipping that Gideon’s been holding over their head since season one is gone and that Barry isn’t going to fight to find another way to survive... its no wonder Cisco cares more about saving his best friend, then some person he barely knows.

[ducky-moo]

I’ve Got You

A/N This totally sucks ass so I’m probably gonna re-write it at some point but its literally 7 in the morning and I’ve been writing this since like 4 am so ??? I’m done w it for now lol

       “Barry!!” You yelled as the speedster was knocked to the ground. The two of you had been fighting a shapeshifting meta-human, and it was honestly kicking the crap out of the both of you. Warm light filled the room as you blasted the meta with starlight, leaving the tips of your fingers tingling.

       You couldn’t figure out for the life of you what you and Barry were doing wrong. This meta was always a step ahead, but why? As you continued to blast it, it fought its way towards you, throwing objects at you as it went. Once it was close enough, it used its telekinesis to throw you back against a wall. Your head cracked against it, and you could feel warm blood dripping down your head. A groan passed your lips as you tried to focus on the meta in front of you. 

       “You...Psychoshine...” The meta’s voice came out in a low growl. You heard static in your ears.

       “Y/n!! Y/n! Stay with us!” Cisco sounded panicked as he shouted at you through your comms, and you winced.

       “You will always lose, Psychoshine.” You tried to fight your way out of the meta’s powers, but his hold on you was too strong as he approached. You let out a yell of pain as he tightened the grip on you. “You always lose, don’t you? You could never win...no matter how hard you tried.” Slowly, he started shifting before your eyes, into someone familiar.

       “You could never win their love...even though you did everything in your power to try...you were never enough...never good enough...” He had shifted into your parents, and you felt a pit rising from your stomach, until it became a knot in your throat. You struggled again, only to be greeted with a hand to your neck.

       “Y/n!! Y/N!! Barry, get up!! Come on Barry, he’s going to kill her!”

       “Failure after failure after failure...you couldn’t take it, could you? You almost lost to yourself that night...Oh the tragic irony...” 

       “H-how-” you choked out. Suddenly, he was in your head. In every memory, standing in the corner, watching. He was there. It all made sense now, why you couldn’t beat him. He, like you and Cisco, had mental powers. He knew both yours and Barry’s weaknesses before you even had the chance to land a hit.

       “Barry!”

       “Running is a coward’s choice...” Suddenly, you felt a jolt of electricity, and the meta was on the ground twenty feet away. You fell to the floor, gasping for breath as you watched Barry continue to fight the meta. 

       “Y/n! Are you okay?”

       Shame, guilt, and panic filled your chest instead of the air you were trying so desperately to draw in. You could hear Cisco panicking on the other end of the comms, but you just couldn’t face him right now. 

       “Y/n?!”

       You reached up to your ears and disconnected the comm, and then your tracker along with it. As soon as you could get to your feet, you were out of the building, running somewhere far from there. Anywhere but there.

       “Y/n?!” Cisco’s voice was panicked as he tried to talk to you through the comms. You had just taken a dire hit, and from what he could tell, the meta attacking you was playing mind games. He couldn’t believe he didn’t figure it out sooner. He was pissed that he had to find out at your expense, that the reason they could never catch this meta was because he was inside their heads. Inside your head. All at once, the line went dead and your tracker disconnected. Cisco’s eyes widened in fear. He no longer had eyes on you, he couldn’t contact you. He was completely in the dark.

       “Caitlin! Caitlin she’s gone! She disconnected everything, I don’t know where she went!”

 “We have to find her, she got hit hard. She could have a concussion, or worse,” Caitlin replied as she ran over to Cisco’s computer. “Cisco, you have to find her.”

       “Ok, ok, um her- her boots! I put a-a tracker in them when we were testing them in case she got stuck somewhere.” Cisco was typing furiously on his computer, trying to pull up the tracking on your boots. As soon as he had it, he sent the information to his phone. “Let’s go!” He was grabbing his jacket and already halfway out the door before Caitlin had time to respond.

       You were in some back alley somewhere. You didn’t know where- you lost track of where you were going about ten blocks ago. Now, you were schlumped up against the brick wall of the building behind you. You were covered in blood, and drifting in and out of focus. What’s worse was that the meta had reopened old wounds as well. Ones you had long since thought had scarred over and healed. All it took was one look at the faces of your parents to cause them to reopen and pour out blood again. All the years of feeling inadequate and unloved came flooding back into the forefront of your mind. And that same was leaking in too. “Running is a coward’s choice” It was bouncing off the walls of your brain. He was right. You could never win, so when you failed, you ran. You were always running from something. Here, you thought you were safe. With your new friends on this new Earth. You thought you could have a fresh start. But you were wrong. 

       You were fighting to stay awake when you heard the screeching of car tires. Doors slamming and running footsteps soon followed. Soon enough, Cisco was crouched in front of you, clearly panicked as he and Caitlin assessed the state you were in.

       “Y/n, thank God. We found you.” He reached out and wiped sticky blood off of your face, his dark eyes filled with both relief and worry. All at once, everything, all your emotions, came pouring out of you, and you began to sob.

       “C-Cisco. I’m sorry. I-I ran. I ran.”  You squeezed your eyes tight so that you wouldn’t see the disappointment on his face. Of course, instead of disappointment, the man’s face was filled with worry.

       “You did. But we found you...we found you.”

       An hour later, you were sat on the exam table in Caitlin’s office in S.T.A.R. Labs. Caitlin had to staple your scalp back together from where it cracked against the wall, and you had been under her careful watch since she had deemed you concussed. Barry had returned a little while ago, and informed the lab that the meta had gotten away, and was still coming after you. You didn’t understand what he wanted from you, but now that it was in your head, you didn’t think you could face him at all. Knowing what he knew...

       “How are you feeling?” Caitlin asked as she walked back in. You looked up at her from where you had been staring at the floor, your eyes wide with panic and fear. “No, don’t worry right now. You guys gave him a run for his money today, he’ll need time to heal before he comes after you again. You’re safe for now.” Her voice was reassuring, but didn’t do to settle your nerves.

       “He’s in my head, Caitlin. He was in my head. In all of my memories.” Tears pricked at your eyes again, painfully this time. You had only stopped crying twenty minutes ago, and you were trying your best not to start again. Caitlin looked unsettled by this news. You had told them that the meta was playing mind games, but you didn’t really say much more than that. “I can’t- I can’t go home knowing he’s still out there, please, I don’t want to be alone.” And you were crying again.

       “I don’t feel comfortable with you being alone either, Y/n.”

       “You can come home with me.” Cisco had appeared in the doorway, looking still rather concerned. You looked at your best friend through tear-filled eyes, so you could really only see the vague shape of him. “I can take care of her. For as long as she needs.” He strode across the room and squeezed your knee. “As long as you need.” He said to you, his voice a little quieter as he wiped fresh tears from your face. “Is that good with you Dr. Snow?” He asked with a grin as he turned to Caitlin. She nodded.

       “That sounds perfect, Cisco.”

       “Hey, how we doin’ in here?” Barry was now in the doorway, looking at you with concern.

       “Well, we’ve definitely been better,” Cisco remarked as he went back to his desk. You looked at Barry and couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming shame again. More tears.

       “Barry, I’m so-”

       “Hey, it’s okay. I get it. Everyone’s okay, and that’s what matters.” You nodded, and he smiled at you. “Just worry about getting better, okay? You don’t have my super speed to fix you up fast.” You giggled, and he nodded at you before walking back out to talk to Wells and Joe.

       “Are you sure you don’t want me to carry you?” Cisco asked you as you got down off the exam table. You were about to go home, but you were insistent on walking to the car yourself.

       “I’m fine, Cisco.” You wobbled a little before righting yourself. He gave you a doubting look, then looked over at Caitlin, asking her with his eyes what he should do.

       “You really should let him help you.” She countered as you began walking towards the door. You let out a groan and looked back at Cisco.

       “Fine. You can assist me. Don’t pick me up.” You weren’t very big, but you were self-conscious about your weight. Who isn’t? Cisco grinned and nodded, then came and wrapped his arm around your waist.

       “Do you want to get some stuff from home? I don’t know how long you plan on staying, so I don’t know if you want to pick up some clothes or whatnot,” he asked as you got to his car.

       “Tomorrow, maybe. I don’t think I can tonight.” You winced as another wave of pain rocked through your head.

       “Yeah, okay, sure. You can just borrow some of my clothes to sleep in.” He helped you into the car and then went and climbed in. You let out a heavy sigh as he started driving, and closed your eyes, leaning your head back against the seat. Bad idea. You groaned in pain and picked your head up again. “Hey,” Cisco’s hand reached out and rested on your knee, “you good?” Concern was evident in his voice, causing you to smile the tiniest bit. Your stomach had jumped from his touch on your knee, and you glanced over at him.

       “I’m okay.” You reassured him.  He nodded, but his hand stayed on your knee. You glanced at it, then turned to look out the window, smiling to yourself. It stayed there the whole rest of the drive, occasionally drifting absently up towards your thigh and then back down again.        "Let me help you out." He had parked and turned off the car, and was now rushing over to your door. You laughed a little as he opened it and held out his hand to help you out. "What?" He asked, amused, as you stepped out of the car.        "Nothing, don't worry about it."        "Well now I'm gonna worry about it." You laughed again, then promptly winced as another wave of pain hit. This one sent your vision spinning, and all you could see was stars in your eyes.        "Woah." You grabbed onto Cisco's arm as you wobbled dangerously, trying desperately to blink the stars away.        "Hey, you're okay. I've got you." His arm wrapped around your waist and steadied you. He watched you, concerned, until your vision came back. "All good?" He asked as you let out a sigh.        "Yeah, all good."        "Okay." He led you into his apartment, and set his stuff down on the table. "Let me run you a bath." You gripped his arm.        "No, don't-"        "Let me rephrase. I'm going to run you a bath." He brought you into his room, and you sat down on his unmade bed, sighing as he disappeared into the bathroom. It was a few minutes before he came back out, towel in hand. "Here," he handed it to you, then placed his hands on your shoulders, sliding them gently down your arms. "Come on," he said quietly, helping you up. "You all good in here by yourself?"        "God, Cisco, I'm concussed, not paralyzed. I'll be fine."        "If you say so." You rolled your eyes and shut the bathroom door. You winced with almost every movement as you undressed, then sank slowly into the warm water of the bathtub, and sighed as you closed your eyes. You could feel the water leeching away the pain from the day as you sat there and soaked. After a while, you washed your hair, getting any of the leftover blood and dirt out of it, and got out. As you were drying off, you realized you hadn't grabbed any clothes to change into. Sighing, you wrapped yourself in the towel, and opened the bathroom door.        "Cis?"        "Yea- whoa." Cisco responded, looking towards you and then immediately looking away. You rolled your eyes, though even that made you wince. "What's up?"        "You forgot to give me clothes," you replied as you walked over to his closet.        "My bad." You pulled out an extra big graphic tee and slipped it on over your towel-clad body, then let your towel fall. You held the towel in your hands.        "You're good to look now, dummy," you chuckled. Cisco looked back over at you, and you saw something in his face shift. "What?" He didn't say anything, but you felt your heart start racing as he got up and crossed the room to you. "Cisco..."        "You know," his placed his hands on your waist and your heart skipped a beat, "you're really beautiful." He whispered, letting his hands slide down to rest on your hips. Your face flushed bright red, and you hid it in the towel.        "Stop." Your voice was muffled.        "Come here." You could hear the smile in his voice as he walked over to his bed and sat down. You walked over and stood between his legs, your face still partly hidden by the towel. "Put that down." He took the towel from your hands and tossed it onto the bed, then let his hands rest on the backs of your thighs. "How are you feeling?" he asked as he looked up at you. You folded your arms across your chest, feeling so many emotions at once. You knew he was genuinely concerned but...was Cisco flirting with you? You had kept yourself so locked away that you didn't even realize it was a possibility that he could like you. The years of trauma and neglect made it difficult for you to believe anyone could like you...no matter how much you liked them.        Trauma. The events of the day flashed through your mind, and you closed your eyes. The feelings from earlier began to rise again, and you started to feel panicky. You brought your hands to your face and pressed the heels of your hands into your eyes, then let out a yelp of pain as the headache began to pound again.        "Hey, hey, it's okay. What's wrong?" Cisco asked, his voice thick with worry. "Is it your head?" You nodded, and he stood up. "Sit down, I'll get you some medicine." Without arguing, you crawled into his bed and sat down, pulling a blanket around yourself. After a few minutes, he came back with tylenol and a steaming cup of tea. "Here, this should help. I'm gonna shower really fast. Like, really really fast, and I'll be right back." He handed you the tylenol and tea, then grabbed a towel and disappeared into the bathroom. 5 minutes later, he emerged, his hair dripping wet and his towel wrapped around his waist. You blinked slowly at him, then blushed and turned away as he walked over to his closet. "Caught you lookin, huh?" He teased as he pulled on a t-shirt and boxers.        "No," you muttered. He laughed and came and climbed into bed with you. He shifted himself so that he was situated behind you, then pulled you back into his chest. "Comfortable?" You chuckled. A chill went down your spine as you felt him push your hair over your shoulder.        "I should be the one asking you that, shouldn't I?" You didn't realize how tense you were until you felt his warm hands start kneading your shoulders. You let out a heavy sigh as he massaged your neck and shoulders, sipping occasionally from your tea. "Hey...about earlier, with the meta...what was that about?" You tensed up again, and his hands paused briefly. "He really got to you, didn't he?" He asked. There was a moment of silence before you felt Cisco's lips on your shoulder. Your heart started to beat faster again, and you closed your eyes.        "He just...he got in my head. He was in my memories. He- he knew everything about me...about my past, my family. I let him get in my head and he used it all against me." Thinking about it all, your body began to curl in on itself, as if to shield you from any further harm.        "Y/n, hey, stop." Cisco pulled you out of the fetal position and wrapped his arms around you. "I don't know everything about what's going on, but I can tell you one thing. You're not a loser. I'm a loser. You're like, the farthest thing from a loser. You're a literal superhero." You chuckled a little. "And you know what else? ...You don't have to fight for my love." Tears started to fill your eyes, and you looked down towards the bed.        "Cis-" You groaned as your head pounded.        "I've got you." He moved from behind you, and rested his hand behind your head as he lowered you down onto the pillow. You looked up into his eyes as he hovered over you. "Do you need anything?" He used his free hand to push your damp hair out of your face.        "Yeah..." You reached up and grabbed the back of his neck, tangling your fingers in his hair as you pulled him down into a kiss. He immediately sunk into it, resting his hand on your cheek as he kissed you slowly. It was a solid minute before the two of you pulled away, lightly gasping for breath. A wide, goofy smile grew on Cisco's face as he looked down at you. "What?" You giggled.        "I could kiss you like that all night...if you wanted."        "Maybe not all night, but...I do want."        "As you wish, madam." A chuckle escaped his lips before he leaned down and kissed you with a soft, yet intense longing. As you reached up and tangled your other hand in his hair, he pulled back and placed a soft kiss on the corner of your jaw. "I'm supposed to be taking care of you."        "You are taking care of me," you pouted in protest of him stopping.        "Not like this...How's your head, baby?" Your heart fluttered at the nickname, and you smiled.        "Better...I think." You winced as another wave of pain washed over you. The boy sighed and planted a kiss on your forehead before rolling over.        "I'll get the light," he said as he rose from the bed and crossed the room to the light switch. Darkness flooded the room, and briefly, you panicked.        "Cisco?"        "I'm right here, Y/n. Are you...afraid of the dark?" He asked as he climbed back in bed, his voice sounding amused.        "Pfft. No. I'm afraid of the things in the dark." You admitted sheepishly. He let out a hearty laugh and wrapped his arms around you.        "Don't worry, I'll protect you," he mumbled into your hair. You smiled and cuddled up to him, nestling your face in the crook of his neck. "I've got you."

[austarus]

Harrison Wells (Eobard Thawne) Integrated Revelations (3/3)

**A/N: The picture/edit/gif does not belong to me.

**Hey guys, enjoy the final installment! Meanwhile, I’m going to go cry about physics because our physics department is shit and I’d rather much learn from Eo or Harry physics since they’ll actually teach me. Please don’t forget to comment, like, and reblog. It means a lot to content creators of all kinds! 

Part 1   Part 2

Word Count: 5770

“Right here,” future Barry responded calmly as he entered the Cortex. Both versions made eye contact before future Barry sighed to himself. He knew he royally screwed up big time. The speedster was supposed to be in and out with the speed equation. I didn’t intend to get them all tangled with- with that Time Wraith… What’s done is done, but at least I know Thawne and I are in the same boat. Barry took a glimpse at you. Not that it’ll matter anyway. He won’t deny the immense hole that would dig itself in your chest a year from now. Stoic and devoid of any of the warm emotions you normally bring to the labs. It… is what it is. Eddie made his choice that day, ‘there are no such things as coincidences’.

“Okay,” Cisco stepped out of the small lab with Caitlin following behind. “Not how I expected today to turn out.” You gave Eobard a look as if to say, you trained him. Eobard ignored the meaning behind your glance while you both remained in the side lab, observing the interaction between these four.

“Yeah,” Future Barry agreed quietly to himself.

“Okay, so I'm-who are... who are you?” Present Barry stumbled over his words, his mind trying to catch up with what his eyes were seeing.

“Who is he? Who are you?” Caitlin chimed in with an arched brow, eyes moving between the two Barry’s

Present Barry frowned at the biological genius. “What do you- I'm Barry. I'm Barry. Your Barry. He's-”

“-Your doppelganger.” You face-palmed at Cisco’s revelation, whispering an ‘oh my god’ to yourself while directed your gaze up to the ceiling. Eobard started to wheel out of the small side lab, where you and held be at the back of the standing group.

“No, not yet.” Eobard gave Future Barry a subtle incredulous look as he continued to talk. He clenched a fist tightly, resting an arm on the armrest of his wheelchair You mouthed, ‘Bro, just shut up!’ and even made hand gestures to your mouth. “I am you, Barry. Just… different.” Present Barry nodded in awe.

Cisco looked between the two, an urge to know which Barry’s a fraud or not, and if any of this is actually real, “Wait a second, how do we know which one's the real Barry?”

A hurt look crossed Present Barry’s puppy-like expression, “Dude, okay, I've watched ‘Wrath of Khan’ with you like five times.”

“Imposter!” Cisco pointed an accusatory finger at Future Barry. You know, the one that’s been running around this entire time after the comms incident and insistence on a speed equation.

Eobard just shook his head at the nonsense between the two Barry’s and Cisco, trying to somehow keep it together before he popped a blood vessel. “Yeah, and every time at the end, you turn to me and you say, ‘I have been and always shall be your friend’."

“Haha! You, imposter!” Cisco cried out in frustration, both arms directed at the two different Barry’s. Caitlin just narrowed her eyes to a squint at Present Barry. “What is going on here?” You were just baffled at this point and 1000% done with Bartholomew Henry Allen aka the best person to run his mouth and reveal everything.

“Okay, guys, I'm sorry. This was not supposed to happen. The tranq dart that Caitlin made,” Eobard started gesturing for Future Barry to not mention anything, “was supposed to last a lot longer.”

“I did not give him a tranq dart,” Caitlin defended herself, arms up as an act of innocence.

“Okay, no, yes, not you, the you from the time that I am from.” You were now just screaming on the inside because Future Barry just kept talking, revealing things he shouldn’t be and exactly what he did to knock his past self out. Eobard just gave up sending visual signs and mouth words to stop talking like any sensible person. You just gave Eobard an a ‘I don’t know what to do with this one anymore’ look, and you’re pretty sure he was have the same thoughts. You sighed inaudibly when Eobard just shook his head in defeat and shrugged his shoulders at you.

“The time that you are from?” Present Barry asked with a high level of disbelief, the words sounding foreign on his tongue.

“I think what he's trying to say is he's from the future,” Eobard finally stepped in (not literally, just figuratively), wheeling himself forward. His eyes hadn’t left Barry’s, maintaining a sort of placid look, but the emotion behind his eyes were far from stoic. Of course, now he was dealing with two ridiculous speedsters of his archnemesis. You saw Eobard run his thumb over the tips of his fingers on one hand while the other remained on the control panel of the wheelchair.

“The future?”

“Yeah.”

“The future?”

“Yes.”

“Wait, the future,” Present Barry was cut off the third time he asked.

“Yes,” replied for the third time in a flat tone, Eobard’s mind already launched into various ways to keep Present Barry from learning the truth of his identity and intentions. More importantly, all the ways the yellow speedster can keep you safe and out of the scarlet speedster’s grasp for any sort of leverage against himself.

“Are we saying I can time-travel?” Present Barry finally questioned his future self.

Future Barry chuckled lightly, nodding gently, “One day.”

“Oh, that explains the white on the symbol.” Cisco piped up once more, ideas whirling through his mind already. You saw your other best friend’s excitement rise at the possible time theories. “Well, wait a second. Suppose we now change your emblem. Will it be because we got the idea from this? Or, I mean, that would mean-”

“Stop talking.” Eobard shut Cisco up before rounding his heated gaze to Future Barry with a pointed finger. “You stop talking too, all right? More you say, the more the timeline is disrupted. Now I'm going to assume that your presence here is the reason that thing is attacking us. Hm?” Eobard tried a 3rd time to signal Barry to play along without giving any more information of the future to his past self and the others. The tone change should have been a clear indicator too.

“What? What thing?” Present Barry’s face contorted in confusion at Dr. Wells.

He legit looks like a lost puppy.

“Have you ever seen ‘The Frighteners’?” Cisco asked his present time buddy, who nodded at the reference. “It's sort of like that, but scarier and faster and it's after you-after him.” The mechanical genius corrected himself, pointed at the future version of his best friend.

“Yeah, it's been chasing me ever since I got here,” Future Barry confessed.

“Okay, so how do we stop it?” Present Barry looked to everyone for some kind of answer.

“We don't know.” You responded with Eobard, glancing at one another before running a hand through your hair tiredly. You wanted to just go home and lie down on a bed with a fluffy blanket with your boyfriend beside you, threading a hand through your hair while you give him teasing kisses just to hear that deep chuckle. Three Barry’s is too much in one day, if I’m going to be honest.

“Then what are we gonna do?” Present Barry raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“The one thing we can.” You and the others watched Eobard roll away, he had a plan or came up with some sort of reasonable plan. Both Barry’s glanced at each other once more, but this time a look of awe and a wave of thrill definitely rushed through both. Possibly infecting Cisco along with them. But they knew better, knew that this Time Wraith creature could hurt anyone and that the Team needed leveled heads to eradicate it.

***

“What-What are we doing here?” Future Barry questioned, entering the Time Vault with you and Eo. His green eyes couldn’t help but glance over the yellow suit with Dr. McGee’s Tachyon device attached to it. The staged night mulled through his mind rapidly thanks to his speedster abilities. How they were all tricked into essentially handing it over to the Reverse Flash. Either way it seemed that Thawne was going to get it. Charging it up for the next time Eobard would need it. Pressing your lips to a thin line, you immediately drew up the necessary schematics and scans for the city on your tablet.

“We're here for the answer to your speed equation...” Eobard held up an odd flash drive as he stepped over to the plinth, popping it in. The villainous speedster turned back to you and Barry. “The reason that you traveled back to this time, and the key to running faster. Tachyon enhancement.”

“The tachyons should give you just enough speed to time travel back to your time without getting caught by the Time Wraith.” You added in, not really knowing if this Barry has actually used Tachyons before or not. “If anything, you just need to time things right to get through the breach and have someone on the other side destroy the Time Wraith. Either way once you start using your speed it’ll find you.”

“I know what it does, I just don’t see why you’re needed here when you can be helping the others out there,” Barry scowled at you, to which you rolled your eyes with lips pressed into a thin line. You’re already done with this shit attitude since he’s been here, but the frostiness in his demeanor honestly did hurt in some part of your heart. The corner of Eobard’s mouth twitched with the amount of disrespect that he’s been showing you since this version of Barry Allen had traveled here.

“That’s it, if you keep talking to her like that then there’s going to be more hell to pay for it. You won’t be just dealing with the Time Wraith, Allen.”

“Is that a threat?”

“It’s a warning,” Eobard looked at Barry with dangerously feral eyes. “You have a problem; you deal with me. Don’t you dare think of involving her in this feud.”

Barry kept his mouth shut for a moment, “This was not the deal.” He gestured to the plinth.

Eobard retracted the flash drive from the white column plinth once everything had been correctly copied to it. “If you think that I'm gonna hold your hand this entire way, you're sadly mistaken. Everything you need is on this drive. You follow its instructions; you will enhance the Speed Force in your system and run faster...” He dropped it in Barry’s open palm, “than you ever thought possible.”

“If this doesn't work, I'm coming back.”

Yeah, please don’t. I’m content without dealing with another Barry-time incident.

Cisco’s voice erupted from the comms set up all over the labs. “Dr. Wells, we need you.”

Eobard gave Barry one last look, whether it was a warning or a threat, you couldn’t tell. “Time to go home, Flash,” he responded sardonically.

***

The futuristic speedster exhaled through his nostrils, rubbing his face harshly as we stepped up from his wheelchair. The labs were vacant at the moment. His mind reeled through all the events that happened today. Tropical waters blue eyes flickered to the windows, he noticed that the sun was still in the air from the amount filtering into the Cortex. Eobard shifted his focus to the computer monitor, a thought whirling in his mind ever since both versions of this present time’s Barry had showed up. Words, phrases, hints. Everything that both had said to him about his future. I can’t trust either. With furrowed eyebrow’s, the dark-haired Wells impersonator ran a finger over the knuckles of his opposite hand. Not with my life on the line and her heart caught in the crossfire of it all. Guilt welled up in his chest, causing his stomach to churn uncomfortably.

A few seconds passed, he pulled out his phone to check the time. That was the excuse he gave himself because Eobard Tiberius Thawne knew exactly what time it was, there were clocks almost on every monitor screen in the cortex. But really, he was checking his lock screen picture. It was a picture of you on the beach of Coast City, gazing out onto the shoreline with the sun setting behind you. The fluffy clouds were dusted with velvety pinks and fiery oranges while the sun dipped to meet the cool blue waters. A candid picture, if you will. The sight of you allowed his tensed muscles to relax slightly. Eobard remembered how his heart had forcibly stopped, urging him to take a picture. How you added even more beauty to nature’s elegant scenery. How the waves gently glided with each, only to cascade onto the beach. You had coaxed Eobard to finally get out of the labs for once, to just take a trip somewhere for the evening. He had some speed after all. Just some time for you and him, that Barry and the others can handle one evening without him for guidance. “They’re adults Eo, let them handle a meta situation by themselves.” His heart ached if he were to… pass, leaving you here to face the others… alone.

His thoughts flickered back to the current situation at hand. He didn’t- He didn’t want to go down that trail of somber thoughts. Eobard had finally managed to convince you to go home for the day, he saw the exhaustion on your tensed shoulders, and he worried. He had allowed Barry to speed you home, that way you’d have arrived safely. The speedster knew what you would exactly do once you got home. Change into that new set of pajamas she recently bought, make some food while singing at the top of her lungs. Probably scare off a few birds and squirrels in the process. It’s sushi night, tonight. That’ll be interesting to see her make. Reluctantly, Eobard had to push thoughts of tonight off to the back of his ind.

“Alright.” A long sigh left his lips as he plopped down on a chair, adjusting his dark-clear glasses and recording remote in hand. Eobard slipped off his glasses, pressing his lips together tightly while avoiding the gaze of the camera. He needed to record some kind of will in case… Finally, looking up, he saw the determination in his own eyes, the realization of how his words could also be a possibility of occurring. “Hello, Barry. If you're watching this, that means something has gone horribly wrong.” While Eobard gathered his thoughts, he paused as an image of you popped into his head, he looked away. He swallowed thickly, “I'm dead and the last 15 years have been for nothing. Bummer.” He quirked an eyebrow ironically as his eyes meet the camera once more.

***

You pouted slightly, staring down at the bottle of painkillers on the granite-top island before your eyes glanced to your boyfriend’s alcohol cabinet. The headache would just not go away! With socked feet, you stood in the chilly kitchen in a new oversized sweatshirt and cotton running shorts. Your hair was in a loose, messy bun with the hood up over your head because the bum look is the most comfortable look, if we’re being honest. Do I want to make good choices tonight? You swallowed a bit and tapped a finger to your chin with your eyes flickering between the two once more. Your left arm crossed over your chest with your right elbow resting in your left palm, clenching and unclenching your right hand. Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, you chanted in your head as a pointed finger went back and forth between the Ibuprofen and alcohol cabinet. Halfway through the nursery rhyme, you found your gaze lingering more and more to Eobard’s tempting stash. Bad choices it is. With that you push the pills further away on the island and stomp over to the cabinet.

Why the fuck is bourbon the only thing here? You tilted your head with a raised eyebrow at the two fancy glass bottles. I swear this is the only thing he drinks when he needs to let loose a bit. Fancy bastard. Puffing out a breath, you grabbed the weighty glass bottle and shut the cabinet. I should get him to try a margarita or something. Pouring yourself half a cup of the amber-ish liquid, adding in a few ice cubes as you had seen Eobard do. You sealed the alcohol and put it away. You took a small sip, mentally knowing whether it tasted good or bad, you’d finish it. The liquid burned the back of your throat, allowing you to cough a bit before really tasting the drink. You shrugged looking at the cup. Not bad… I can see why he’s addicted to it. Though I still prefer my fruity drinks to hard liquor.

You saw a torrent of red lighting flash past the front door and to the direction of your shared bedroom. Someone’s home early. Shutting your eyes for a moment, you leaned back against the opposing counter to the island close to the fridge.

After a few moments, your speedster boy toy (yes, you use that phrase to describe Eobard mentally, ignoring its actually meaning because well… he’s your man and… he vibrates. Like a toy. You’re welcome.) strides through his home and to the kitchen, a towel hanging around his shoulders as he uses one hand to dry his hair. Eobard shot you a concerned look after seeing the bourbon and painkillers out.

“Don’t worry, I decided to make bad decisions with only alcohol.” You stand with one leg crossed in front of the other, handing him the cup so he can take a sip. He wouldn’t ever refuse his bourbon. “What happened to conserving your speed?”

“Couldn’t miss out on sushi night, also I wanted to wash up from all the... You know. I had too many Barry’s around me and I needed to scrub that off.” He shrugged at you, sipping the whiskey drink. You giggled, shaking your head at his dramatics about ‘Barry germs’. Eobard smiled to himself at your giggle, the sound of it made his speedster heart do multiple flips. He threw the towel in an empty bin by the laundry room.

“Sushi is located on the bottom shelf of the fridge.”

Eobard set the cup down and slightly narrowed his eyes at you. “Oh, you’re evil.”

“Learned from the best,” you winked at him, taking back your cup and downing the alcohol. Payback’s a bitch for all the times you purposefully put my things on the highest top shelf.

Slipping out the plate of sushi, there were six rolls left because obviously you ate some while you waited for him to come home. To be fair, you would have devoured the rest if he decided to stay in late at the labs. He took a roll and ate it while you poured yourself another drink with a second cup for him as well. “Mm, these are actually good. Nicely done, kitten.” He teased when he fully indulged in its taste and texture with that boyish smirk of his. You couldn’t help but play along.

“Are you insinuating that I’m not a good cook?”

“You’re just questionable at times, depends on the recipe.” Eobard continued eating, savoring every delectable sushi roll.

“At least I didn’t burn the pasta last time.”

“That was one time and I had to deal with Cisco and Barry on the phone!”

“Excuses, excuses,” you replied with a satisfied hum, pushing his glass to him.

“What about the time you added sugar instead of salt to the Königsberger Klopse?”

“They look the exact same and they were beside each other! It was an accident and you know it.”

“Excuses, excuses,” he mocked you with a cheeky grin, picking you up and setting you to sit on top of the cool granite island top. He leaned down to plant a kiss to your lips, a hand trailing to up your thigh. You shivered at his touch.

“You know, I didn’t notice it until today, but Barry’s a bit taller than you.”

“Your point?”

“Think it’s kinda ironic though. You’re shorter than he is, and you don’t have all your speed right now.”

“…”

“Is that also another reason why you hate him?”

“He’s like an inch taller than me, hardly anything to compete with him about. And my speed exceeds his own, especially in the past and with experience.” Eobard growled lowly, “Less thinking about him, more focus on kissing me.”

A cheery noise left your lips when he leaned once more for another kiss. This time hungrier with a hint of possessiveness. You knew how to push his buttons. Wrapping your arms around him, you pulled the speedster closer to you which allowed him to slot between your open legs. He smirked against your lips, feeling himself press against you. You played with the little hairs at the back of his neck as he began to nip at your lips. A little gasp left you which allowed his tongue to enter, exploring your mouth as you made a little satisfactory noise. His lips devoured your own. Your body moved on its own, pressing closer to him, his hands roughly wrapped your legs around his waist. The air felt hot and sticky, his speedster body warming up significantly at your every touch. Your hood fell off your head from the passionate kiss, loose strands of hair falling out from your messy bun. It felt exhilarating! Pulling away with one slow and sensual kiss, Eobard rested his forehead against yours as a heavy breath left him. His half-lidded eyes glossed over yourself- cheeks tinted red, breathing raggedly from the intensity of the kiss, and lips wonderfully swollen.

You both shared a small breath, feeling the world spin and spin, but the moment was just intoxicating. Neither of you wanted the moment to end. Letting out a yawn, you covered your mouth and Eo just chuckled lowly. Your hands now rested against his chest, feeling the pounding of his pulse underneath your palm. Eobard licked his lips at you, kissing your neck and nibbling lightly on your collarbone. You sucked in a breath, one hand running through his dark locks. His ears perked at the sound of his name leaving your pouty lips. Kneeling down for a moment, Eobard kissed the inside of your thigh before glancing up at you. You had your bottom lip between your teeth, gently gnawing at it as you observed him. The speedster only winked at you, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively before giving you a few more kisses and nibbles. He stood up once more to tower over you, kissing your temple as another yawn fell from you.

You’re too cute, my precious queen.

Eobard sped you to the bedroom with fiery red eyes and a coy smirk on his face, plopping you on the plush king-sized bed. A bed you had to continually badgered him to get with the promise that ‘rolling around in it’ would be much more fun than just with a queen-sized bed. He had already propped you up against the large pillows and under the comfort of the blankets. Eobard took the spot beside you, carding a hand through his now wild tresses. The speedster noticed your pained expression when you reached for your forehead, his insides churned at the sight. He reached out a cool hand to gently massage your temples. A little hum of relief escaped your lips, shutting your eyes at his cold fingers. The scientist assumed your alcohol consumption tonight was to lessen any pain from your head.

“That feels nice,” You mused to your boyfriend, curling up beside him. He curled his arms around you, your head resting on his sturdy chest. “The Barry that traveled with his daughter, I saw a few things when they talked.”

“I figured, have… you seen anything else?”

You shook your head ‘no’. “Only Savitar and Cicada, just the general foresight of their appearance,” you fiddled with the necklace he had given you, looking away. Eobard’s eyes caught the shift in your mood.

“What’s wrong, kitten?”

“Hm, nothing.”

“You only ever play with your necklace when something’s bothering you.” Eobard ran his teeth of his lower lip before taking one of your hands in his. “I swore to you that I would tell you whatever’s on my mind, especially when prompted by you. We both promised to be honest with each other, especially when it’s about our feelings.” His thumb rubbed soothing circles on your skin. The dark-haired man’s other hand hooked a finger under your chin, tilting your head to look at his softened gaze. He waited patiently for you.

You pulled away from him, “I just-I don’t know which Barry to trust. You… what if your plan to go home still fails? Even after they’d assured you’d go home when you help them? Both versions!” Your headache started to form once more, but not from your psychic powers. There was something else you weren’t entirely sure of either…

“…” Eobard exhaled through his nose soundlessly. He hadn’t wanted you to pick up on those clues… It broke him that you did. “I can only do what I can to go back. Failure isn’t an option. Not anymore, especially with how far I’ve gone.” The murdering, lying, stealing, scheming, and masquerading. All of it. “Do you trust me?”

“Always.”

“Then trust my plan… I’m doing everything I can with the least amount of collateral damage being caused in this time period.” You just nodded at his words, but that didn’t alleviate the certain weight you now secretly carried in your heart. Sighing to yourself, you decided to push it aside for the night.

“I hate how you can read me like an open book.”

“I hate that that beautiful mind of yours doubts yourself.” Eobard ran a hand over his face. I like that I can read you because then I can understand you. Especially if it’s when I can be doing better when it comes to us. I’m harder to read because… I’ve never really had someone quite like you in my life. Someone I can trust with no doubt in mind that you’re using me or going to backstab me. I’ll do better, I promise. For you, I’ll be good.

Pressing your lips into a thin line, you shift away from him on the bed to sit up with a serious look in your eyes. “I-I need you to be honest with me.”

“Always.”

“No lies. No shading the truth. None of that.”

The dark-haired speedster nods, returning your seriousness by adjusting himself. He wouldn’t dream of lying to you, ever. When he came clean to you and swore to you, Eobard intended to keep his word. You were the one thing that… that he wouldn’t mind spending the rest of his life with. Someone as precious as you that had grown so close to his crooked heart. His love that he could confide in all his fears and doubts and thoughts. You’re his special person.

“Eobard,” you started, “What do you think of me? Like, when you look at me?”

He remained quiet for a moment, looking past you before refocusing his eyes onto your locked gaze. A smile twitched at the corners of his lips. “I think of a cheeky and persistent person that can be a real pain in my ass sometimes.” You raised an eyebrow at him and crossed your arms as he continued. “But a spectacle, nonetheless, put together with strong willpower and fierce determination to achieve whatever she puts her mind to. I think of that kind heart of yours and… how it accepted a flawed and corrupt man as myself. I see a queen that keeps me grounded, a person that encourages me to grow and achieve my goals. I think of home.” You had unfurled your arms, your gaze softening as your heart ached at his words. “A home that I can return to at the end of the day with no shame. I can just be a man with none of my baggage or sins. I-I can love you with no guilt or shame or doubt. All your imperfections and quirks, they’re mine to cherish.” The scientist had traced the side of your face as his piercing gaze held you down, hypnotizing you.

“Eo,” you trailed off as he took a hold of your hand, softly kissing each knuckle. Leaning forward, you place a chaste kiss on his forehead before reaching for his lips. The kiss was soft, heartwarming, pure. All the things that the Reverse Flash was not because of his atrocious deeds in this time period and hunger for revenge against Barry Allen in whatever way possible, yet… Another thought flickered through your mind as your lips parted his. “Is Gideon able to tell you what happens to your future?”

Eobard simply shook his head, tucking a stray strand of hair behind your ear. “It only reveals the article about Barry, my supposed final battle with The Flash before he disappears.” After a Crisis, but which one would come first?

“But then what happens to you?”

“I don’t know.”

You sucked a breath in before opening your mouth once more, “I don’t want to be without you.” Is that selfish?

Eobard’s eyes widened a fraction, his stomach fluttering.He licked his lips slowly, eyeing your desperate gaze. “If I wasn’t a selfish man, I would have stayed away. But I am selfish and just the way you look, even then, it fuels my desire to be by your side. At every moment. Until death do us part.”

Your breath hitched; you should have been scared- terrified- repulsed- by his words. Red flags that would have gone off in any person’s mind, but- “I’m selfish too,” you whispered the words that came from the heart. Eobard watched you with electric blue eyes, a feral flash of red flickered behind his irises. You trailed a hand over his chest and over his heart. “Your mind, your heart,” You glanced at him under your eyelashes, “are mine. I don’t want them to belong to anyone else.”

“I’m not a good man. I can’t be what you want me to be.” I will never be good for you.

“…” You pressed your lips into a thin line. “You’re not good man, Eobard, but you’re more than enough for me.”

“You should have run the first time you found out.”

“I should have, but I don’t regret choosing you… I don’t want anyone else but you, Eo.”

“I am yours, and you are mine.” The speedster was truly smitten by you, gingerly he cupped your face with a firm hand as his azure eyes met yours. “I would do everything in my power to come back home to you.” He craned his head down to reconnect your lips together. There were no limits to how far Eobard Tiberias Thawne would go for him to remain by your side.

Even if it meant killing another person.

***

Barry and Nora ran through the speed-force, memories and events weaving past them as the sped through to return to their present time. “Back in Time,” by Huey Lewis still played in the background right as the touched the concrete ground of the Cortex.

“Did you even go?” Ralph asked with a terrified-ish look on his face.

Caitlin and Cisco just chuckled at their friend. Cisco shut of the music, “Told you time travel was weird.”

You had stopped in the corridor, overhearing the team in the hallway. Frozen in place as things started to set in your mind. A headache washed over you, but you had gotten used to them by now. You had to after Flashpoint. But you knew things had gone south, and by south, they had to take a detour. You were digesting the immediate revelations, all of it integrating together as things in the past now made sense. Both versions of Barry Allen knew the outcome. Yet Nora and her father revealed more than they should have to Eobard. After all, your psychic abilities allowed you to see what happens if the timeline that you’re involved in. Especially when it had to do with one handsomely intelligent and driven speedster by the name of Eobard Tiberias Thawne.

But did things really change? I’m still here. And Eobard…

You ran a hand over your face, pinching the bridge of your nose. Your feet carried you to the Time Vault while the others prepared for tonight. Pressing a hand to the wall, you unlocked the futuristic door into the neutral-colored room. A chill ran down your spine as you approached the plinth. Waving a hand over the circular center, you activated Gideon. The AI appeared in all its holographic form.

“Yes, Ms. (Y/N)?”

“Gideon,” your fingers ran over the chain of your necklace, “I need your help with something.”

“I am at your service.”

“I need you to…” you ran your tongue over your lips. Heart pounding in your chest as you chose your next words carefully. “I need you to tell me where Eobard is?”

“I’m sorry Ms. (Y/N), but I am unable to process your request right now.”

“Why?” Your voice rose, red was now seeping into your vision.

“It is not within my programming capabilities.”

“Is Eobard alive?”

“I’m sorry, but that is also out of my-”

“Then what good are you for?” You yelled in pure frustration, a fist slamming harshly onto the white column. A tear had left your eyes. Your body trembled as your voice shook when you spoke up again, “Gideon please, anything. Any news about Eobard is all I need. Any sign that he is alive. I can’t-”

Until death do us part.

“…” The AI was silent for a moment while you collected yourself miserably. “There is a hidden message for you that Dr. Wells wished for you to receive. Would you like to read the message?”

“A-a message, what-” You ran both hand through your locks, glassy eyes searching the placid look on the AI. The stone of doubt was slowly eroding away from your heart. “I-I, yes! Please!” The AI pulled up a screen, three simple words were configured in medium-sized black lettering. Your heart stopped for a moment as your hands tingled. Blinking a few times, you reread the words over and over and over- as it stared back at you.

Wait for me.

[mosylufanfic]

“If we’re going to keep ending up in life-or-death situations, trust that I will save you every single time.” killervibe

I know how much you HATE angst, my friend, but . . . ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Also Caitlin has a house now. Because I say so.

Promise Kept

The rain pattered on her umbrella. Caitlin focused on the sound, which was not at all like the rain option on the white-noise machine in her bedroom. She wished she were there, listening to her white-noise machine, wrapped in her blankets, alone in the dark.

Not here, at the cemetery, listening to the last words of the funeral service.

The rain started coming down harder, and she focused on the water running off the polished wooden surface of the casket as it waited to be lowered into the ground. She remembered standing like this at another funeral, the wind cutting cold through her thin dress coat, Cisco's warm bulk next to her under the umbrella.

Now she was alone under the umbrella, and Cisco was in the casket. Which was now being lowered into the ground. She found her breath strangled in her throat. Cisco would hate that. Hate being buried, where he couldn't move, couldn't breathe . . .

Someone nudged her. She focused with a jolt, and Iris held out a rose, dripping rainwater.

Right.

Right. They were supposed to . . . 

She took it and a thorn that the florist had missed jabbed her thumb, a bright spark of pain in the middle of the grey numbness. She almost dropped it, but managed to fling it instead, vaguely in the direction of the casket. It hit the edge of the open grave and tumbled onto the wooden top with a splat. 

She let out a breath that was almost a sob. She wanted the flower back. She wanted to do it over again. Better.

She wanted to do so many things over again, better.

People were starting to leave. The funeral was done, and they were turning and leaving Cisco there, in the casket, in the soggy ground, alone.

**

If the funeral had been bad, the reception afterward was worse. Caitlin sat on a hard chair in the corner of the room, holding a sandwich and a cookie for the sake of having something to do with her hands. She wasn't hungry. She hadn't been hungry since -

"How did it happen?"

"Some kind of accident. Nobody's really clear."

"God, how awful. He was so young."

"His whole life ahead of him."

"His poor mother. She had two healthy sons and lost them both."

Caitlin looked up, across the room. Cisco's mom was weeping again, another woman holding her. A sister, maybe. One of Cisco's aunts. 

She lurched up from her chair and grabbed her coat. She couldn't stay here, listening to people speculating on what had happened, when she knew it was all her fault.

She was out the door and heading to her car when someone called out, "Caitlin, wait."

She stopped and turned. Cecile came up to her, eyes kind. "Are you going?"

She nodded jerkily. 

The other woman took her shoulders and looked into her eyes. "Nobody blames you."

She twisted out of her comforting grasp. "They should." 

**

He'd told her once, “If we’re going to keep ending up in life-or-death situations, trust that I will save you every single time.”

SHe couldn't remember the occasion. It had been a couple of years ago after they started helping Barry with the Flash, and she'd gotten into some kind of danger, and Cisco had gotten her out of it.

She remembered his expression, though, smiling but serious. A promise.

At the time, she'd smiled back and hugged him. She should have stopped him. Should have told him, If rescuing me would mean your death, don't do it. Promise me. Don't ever do it. 

But she hadn't, and he had, and now . . .

She went through the motions of getting showered and changed for bed as if she were a robot. The rain still drummed on the roof, occasionally punctuated by a sulky roll of thunder. Huddled under her blankets, she shivered. She'd been cold since the cemetery, although she rarely got cold anymore. 

She picked up a book and tried to read herself to sleep, but the words slid and twisted out of her mind. After three attempts at the same page of a book she'd read at least ten times before, she gave up and switched off the light.

After Ronnie had died, all she'd wanted to do was sleep. But now, the comfort of unconsciousness eluded her. She lay curled under her weighted blanket, staring into the dark, grief throbbing inside her like a broken tooth.

The rain was coming down harder now. She focused on the storm, on counting the seconds between the flickers of brightness and the roll of thunder. They were getting closer. The teeth of the storm must be right over - 

KER-CRASH

For an instant, her whole bedroom lit up white and simultaneously, a crack of thunder rattled her bones.

In the next instant, light and noise were both gone and she was lying in the dark again, listening to the rain, eyes wide.

Then a huge creaking crash just outside her window brought her upright.  "What - " she said aloud, reaching for her reading lamp. But the room remained dark, even when she twisted the switch again and then a third time.

Dammit. She must have lost power.

She fumbled around for her phone, unhooking it from the dead charger, and kicked her blankets aside. Making her way to the window, she leaned on the glass and squinted out into the storm. 

"Dammit," she said aloud. She couldn't make out anything clearly through the rain.

She stuffed her bare feet into a pair of rain boots and grabbed her raincoat from its hook by the side door. Taking the strong flashlight that Cisco had given her when she'd moved in, she opened the back door and peered out, squinting through the rain. 

Oh, no, it was the whole tree.

The lightning had split it down the middle, both sides tipping away from each other, a small fire among its leaves getting rapidly doused by the rain. She swore for the third time and started to step off the porch to get a closer look. 

A hand clamped around her upper arm and a voice shouted in her ear Stop!

She dropped the flashlight and froze. Had she heard -

No. 

It wasn't possible. 

Somehow, her flashlight hadn't gone out when she dropped it, and the beam of light speared across the yard, rain glinting as it fell through.

It rested cockeyed on the steps at her feet, but as she watched, it rolled. Just a little. Just enough to make the beam sweep slowly across her yard, finally coming to rest in the branches of the tree - 

And the thick, broken power line tangled in them, deadly as a black mamba.

She stared at it for ten seconds, heart beating in her throat. She looked down at the flashlight. 

No. Too much of it was metal, and her fingers might brush the ground when she picked it up. Best not to risk it. 

Very, very carefully, she shuffled backward into her house, calculating the distance from her door to the downed power line. Thirty feet? Maybe forty? She shuffled backward a few more steps just to be safe and collapsed into a kitchen chair.

She reached in the pockets of her raincoat and fumbled out her phone, looking up a number on the internet before dialing. 

"Central City Gas and Power,"  said the voice on the other end. "How can I help you tonight?"

"Hello," she said, her voice very level. "My name is Caitlin Snow, I live at 648 Bonneville Way, and one of my trees was struck by lightning about five minutes ago. When it went down, it took a power line with it."

"Did you touch it, ma'am?"

"No. No, I didn't."

"Okay. Is the tree or the power line in the road?"

"I don't - I'm not sure. Mostly in my yard, I think. My power is out, though."

"Yes, I'm seeing an outage in that whole area. Do you have children or pets?"

"No."

"Okay. Due to safety regulations, we won't be able to get somebody out there until this storm passes. Might be tomorrow morning. Are you going to be okay overnight?"

"Yes. I have emergency candles."

"Stay at least thirty-five feet away from the power line and the tree. in fact, I'd stay out of your yard completely. Even seemingly dead power lines can deliver lethal doses of electricity, and you don't even have to be touching it."

"Yes, yes. I know. I have - I had a friend who worked with electricity a lot and he always made sure I knew all that. I'll stay inside." 

She hung up and texted her neighbors about the tree. Then she set her phone face down on the table and stared into the darkness.

Without all the various lights and indicators, and no street lights beaming in from outside, the dark was velvety and all-encompassing. But after a few moments, her eyes adjusted enough to register variations in the depth that resolved into washed-out shades of her kitchen. The white of her microwave, the paleness of her counter, the darkness of the other chairs around the table. 

She registered motion out of the corner of her eye, but when she turned her head, it was just the curtains at her kitchen window. Fluttering.

But the air conditioning had gone out with the rest of the power.

She breathed in and out. "Who's there?"

Frost shifted under her skin, but for some reason, she pushed her powered side down. There had been something about that hand, that voice . . . 

She swallowed twice and on the second time, managed to say, "Who's there? Why did you stop me?"

For a moment, the dappled shadows by the kitchen window could have been a human form. An achingly familiar human form . . . 

I made a promise, remember?

FINIS

[sophisticatedloserchick]

Fanfic - Eggnog Confessions - 1/1

Summary: On Christmas Eve Barry and Iris share a bottle of Grandma Esther's famous Eggnog which leads to secret feelings being confessed. Alternate take on Season 1.

Rating: PG

Word Count: 1355

A/N: Finishing up some Christmas prompts! Hope everyone enjoys ;)

Barry felt dead tired when he got home after a night patrolling the city.

The cold winter nights slowed him down and being relatively new to having powers Barry struggled to navigate the changing weather. In one night alone he had slipped several times on icy patches and at one point lost control that had him careening through a group of carollers. He found it difficult to get the criminal underworld of Central City to take him seriously lately. He talked to Cisco about getting snow boots or a thermal lined suit but Cisco gave him a look of disgust and disappointment at the idea of adjusting his suit that Barry decided to suffer in silence this winter rather than bring it up again..

Back at his apartment Barry shed out of his suit into more comfortable sweatpants and faded CCU shirt. He went into the kitchen debating on making a frozen pizza or boxed macaroni to eat while he binged watched a documentary series of prehistoric insects. A typical single bachelor's night for him.

Going for the pizza because it was easier Barry popped it into the oven. While he waited his thoughts wandered back to a couple of days ago when he exchanged Christmas gifts with Iris. He allowed himself to submerge into the memories of how her dark brown eyes lit up when she saw the replication of her mother's ring. The smile that spread across her lips had made it all worth it. He loved nothing more than making Iris happy.

Their moment then apruptly ended by the appearance of Eddie.

After that Barry kept his distance for the next couple of days. Barry might be in love with Iris and wanted her to be with him, but he didn't exactly want to be a homewrecker. Though he couldn't deny giving Iris that ring had him dangerously close to crossing a line. Eddie's barely concealed look of disapproval when he interrupted then confirmed it.

Barry resolved that he needed to take a step back. He couldn't be making any moves with Iris while she dated Eddie. He needed to push those feelings down until the time was right to tell Iris how he felt. And he couldn't risk causing anymore rifts in their friendship.

At the same time his oven pinged letting him know the pizza had finished Barry heard a knock at the door.

Barry frowned in confusion since normally no one visited him at his apartment. Joe and Iris usually invited him to the West family home to see them. And he hadn't known Cisco and Caitlin long enough to have them over to his place.

Quickly taking the pizza out Barry sped over to the door to see who it could be.

“Hey Barry,” Iris greeted him when he opened the door.

Seeing her at his doorstep, right in front of him, made his heart ache. Her beauty not for the first time overwhelming him. Her dark brown eyes, and the sweet curve of her lips lifted in a smile when she saw him, snowflakes scattered across her black hair like stars in the night sky.

“Iris?” Barry stood there taken aback, “What are you doing here? Its nearly midnight.”

Iris bit down on her lower lip anxiously and he could see her brown eyes start to mist with emotion. You didn't have to be her best friend to see that something had upset her. Seeing her this way pulled at his heart and suddenly he didn't care how late was. All that mattered is that she came to here to see him.

“Come on in,” Barry opened the door wide to let her in. “I just made pizza if you want any.”

Iris gave him a grateful look as she entered his apartment. He noticed that she carried a small bag with her as she walked in.

“Whats that?” He nodded towards the bag.

With a sly smile Iris reached in to pull out a large glass bottle filled with a creamy white liquid.

“Grandma Ester's special eggnog. I was hoping we could have a bit of a drinking night?”

In no time the two of them had squeezed together on Barry's small couch. Alternating between eating slices of pizza and taking long swigs of Grandma Esther's thick and spicy eggnog. Barry found himself grateful for his healing powers because he'd forgotten the amount of rum in the recipe. Before his powers Barry would get smashed after drinking one mugful. With his powers he could enjoy the warmth that spread through his body without the fear of passing out drunk.

Iris on the other hand definetely became affected. He cheeks darken with a flush and her eyes became bright and glassy. She also struggled to keep sitting upright and in no time had to lean heavily into Barry's side. A different kind of heat spread through Barry's body at the feel of her soft curves pressed against him.

To distract himself from his increasingly naughty thoughts and stop him from embarrassing himself, Barry turned on the TV settling on a black and white version of 'A Christmas Carol'.

“This is nice,” Iris sighed happily as she snuggled in closer to Barry. “I really needed this.”

“Everything okay?” Barry allowed himself to rest his cheek on top of her head.

Iris went quiet for a long time after that. Barry worried she had fallen asleep and he'd be left struggling to figure out how to untangle himself from her.

“Eddie and I broke up,” Iris said quietly.

Barry's heart stopped at those words. Caught between feeling elation at having a chance with the girl he loved and sadness at her potentially having her heart broken.

“What happened?” Barry wrapped a arm around her shoulder to comfort her.

“He wanted me to move in with him,” Iris words slightly slurred the eggnog clearly having taken full affect, “But I couldn't...”

“Why not?” Barry asked feeling something twist in chest at her words.

Iris gave a half shrug before saying, “Because of you maybe. We got into a fight and he said you had feelings for me.”

Barry glanced down to see Iris's fingers were twisting around the thin gold chain of her necklace and touching the ring Barry had given her for Christmas.

“Oh...Really?” Barry tried to sound casual and unaffected but in reality his heart jack hammering in his chest. “That's crazy.”

“And it made me wonder,” Iris continued her words thick and sleepy. “Maybe he's right about your feelings...and my feelings for you too?”

Barry felt as though the whole world came to sudden stop at those words. Since he was twelve years old he hoped and imagined for the moment when Iris could confess her feelings for him. Though he had to admit he never thought it would happen after they had ate an entire pizza and drank far too much alcoholic eggnog while watching a Christmas movie on his cramped and nearly falling apart couch.

“Your feelings for me?” Barry finally choked out. “Iris what do you mean?”

When she didn't answer Barry turned slightly to look at her. Hoping to find some sort of answer in the expression of her face. To his great disappointment he found her fast asleep on his shoulder.

Just his rotten luck. Barry thought to himself, the girl of my dreams confessed her love to him then fell asleep.

But his bitterness over the situation didn't last long. They should probably talk things over when they were both sober. He rather Iris remember confessing her love for him. He resolved he wouldn't make the same mistake again. He wouldn't keep his feelings for Iris to himself and silently watch from the sidelines her date someone else.

But he'd still appreciate this moment as a small Christmas miracle given to him by Grandma Esther's eggnog. Barry glanced outside his window to see snow falling blanketing the city but inside his small apartment he felt nothing but warmth. Snuggled in close to Iris's side watching old Christmas movies had to be the best way to spend Christmas eve. And he had a feeling tomorrow's Christmas would be one to remember.

[keep-it-i-resign]

Fic Writer Asks

tagged by the lovely @vampcoffeegyrl23 I am soooo sorry this has taken over a week! I promise I was just busy away from my computer and using mobile is not the way to go about answering these! 😅

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

6 on AO3 and 6 on ffn.net. I haven't used the ffn.net account in years, i.e 2013 (and therefore my user name isn't even the same) so those 6 stories are different from my AO3 ones. I don't post most of what I write and now that I'm in my mid-20s with a few published papers behind me - I'm much more confident in my ability to write a cohesive and interesting story so expect more posted!

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

17,425 words which isn't bad for only 6 fics with two of those stories having additional chapters coming soon.

3. How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

On AO3? Just 1, which is The Flash and by extension Stargate SG-1 for the crossover I did for Snowells Week this year. Counting ffn.net that's 3 more with Castle, Doctor Who, and Firefly. Over my lifetime of writing fic for myself? I think only 7 more. Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, Sanctuary, Harry Potter, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: TNG, and Left 4 Dead. Left 4 Dead isn't much of a fanfic but I did use the zombie types as place holders in an original story until I developed my own.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

I'll Be Waiting (The Flash - Caitlin/Harry)

Well... This is Awkward (The Flash - Caitlin/Harry, Frost/Nash, Caitlin/Nash, and Frost/Harry)

Rewind Time (The Flash - Caitlin/Harry)

Through the Gate (The Flash/Stargate SG-1 - Caitlin/Eowells)

Harvest Season (The Flash - Caitlin/Harry)

5. What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

I don't write angst much and I haven't posted many stories yet but of the ones posted I guess "I'll Be Waiting" is the angstiest.

6. What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

"Well...This is Awkward" has a pretty happy ending with everyone alive and together. Or maybe "Twilight of the Gods" because ReverseSnow/ReverseFrost happens and there is hope of bringing everything lost back and balance the universe again. I guess it depends on your definition of what constitutes as a happy ending. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

7. Do you write crossovers? If so, what is the craziest one you've written?

I've only written one - The Flash/Stargate SG-1 crossover. I don't normally think about crossovers just because the shows I watch are so vastly different they can't really work or they are already in the same universe with the canon crossovers. I'm also not always a fan of reading them because they can get chaotic quick and characterization takes a dive in order to fit characters into other universes/situations. I admire anyone who can write it well though!

As a side note: I did have a thought about a Snowells into the Arkham universe fic just because I have been replaying the Batman Arkham video games which I might give a shot at.

8. Do you write smut? If so what kind?

👀I wrote one smutty story years ago and it's terrible because I was young and naïve. I haven't tried recently but I'm not opposed to giving it a shot now. I have a few ideas on a prompt list I have for Snowells already so it's really a matter of when will I get to it!

9. Do you respond to comments. why or why not?

I do when I can! I like to get feedback from my readers and having an open dialogue of what they liked or disliked is important for me! I want to know what my audience enjoyed and what to improve on! Responding to them also shows them I saw that they said and appreciate what they had to say! 🥰

10. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Surprisingly - no, even on my old and terribly written stuff. I'm perfectly open to criticism but hate? If you don't like it, you don't like it but others might. Why spend the time spreading negativity when the world has enough of it?

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

As far as I know - no.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No but given enough time I could probably translate mine. It would be grammatically atrocious because I rarely translate from English into any of the languages I know. It's normally the other way around! I'd definitely need a Beta who is fluent to correct my mistakes.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No but it's definitely something I'd try! I co-wrote an original story with a few friends of mine years ago in high school and enjoyed it. I like the idea of getting to talk and bounce ideas off of someone who enjoys the same fandoms and character as me! I haven't really done that since I grew apart from one of my friends from high school who I did that with.

14. What's your all time favorite ship?

What kind of question is this? Do people actually have an ultimate ship? Is that even possible? I have ships from several fandoms and sometimes multiple ships within a fandom. Most of the time I have a main ship from a fandom but that doesn't mean I discount any of the other ones that I or others enjoy as well. I'll throw out a few that I still got out and read for in order of what I read most often (either new stuff or re-reads) to what I read occasionally, at least according to my AO3 favorite tags.

Snowells (all variations) - The Flash

Jack O'Neill/Sam Carter - Stargate SG-1

Helen Magnus/Nikola Tesla - Sanctuary

Harry/Hermione - Harry Potter

William Murdoch/Julia Ogden - Murdoch Mysteries

Phil/ Melinda - Agents of SHIELD

Kathryn Janeway/Tom Paris - Star Trek: Voyager

Kate Fleming/Steve Arnott - Line of Duty

I will occasionally go check what kind of fics the fandom writes when I start a show just out of curiosity. Sometimes you can tell if there is fandom hate between ships by doing so and I know to steer clear, especially if I ship a lesser ship/non-canon ship. Also - the number of canon-divergence or rewrites will tell you if the shows writers start being ridiculous *cough* The Flash *cough* and whether it's worth getting attached at all.

15. What's a WIP that you want to finish but don't think you ever will?

Hoo boy. I have a drive full of them. Most of which aren't even close to being posted. My biggest one right now is a complete re-write of The Flash dealing with a what if scenario of Earth-1 Tess Morgan being pregnant the night that Thawne kills them both and he chooses to birth the kid rather than let it die with her. It's set a few years earlier (so 18/19 years stuck in the past rather than the original 15 that the show has it) so the kid isn't Jesse but it changes how season 1 plays out and definitely how season 2 plays out when Harry finds out about the kid while dealing with the Jesse/Zoom issue. Plus it's Snowells too and I want to deal with Barry's mistakes and the consequences of them better than the show did since the show just kind of brushes them off? For some reason? I wanted things to have a little more consequence because some of the mistakes made are egregious and then they acted like it never happened which bothers me. It's a beast of a project and I'm - unfortunately- a perfectionist and a completionist. I'm thinking an episode per chapter rewrite but right now it's in bits and pieces and a lot of notes on how episodes would play out differently with an added character and dynamic.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue and scene positioning. I can write out the dialogue for a story quickly with the bare bones of the scene and movements playing out. After that, it takes me ages to expand the scene and fill in the bits between speaking lines because I can see the piece play out in my head and putting that to paper accurately and engagingly without being overwhelming is a multi-layered process.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Some of this is normal, you know, like grammar and spelling. My brain moves faster than I type so words or bit of phrases end up missing and I later have to fix it. I'm also a Southerner who grew up watching a ton of British shows so a lot of the way I phrase things isn't commonly used anywhere. I have to spend a lot of time double checking things like that. I think my biggest one is not knowing how to end stories satisfactorily. I haven't posted many fics because it's hard to post them when you don't know how to wrap everything up.

18. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

It depends on whether it's an established part of a character or story and whether or not I'm comfortable with the language. Like with Sherloque - it's established he'll say something in French and then repeat it in English. I took 3 years of French so I'm comfortable writing it and it fits the character and situation. But take Cisco, we know he speaks Spanish, but it's never really shown in the show. So fics that I've read where he breaks into Spanish can be distracting as we've never seen him do it - even in dire circumstances. I also never took Spanish in school and I only know rudimentary pieces (I took Mandarin and Latin instead), so I'm unlikely to use it in any fic I write unless the circumstances warrant it (say - Cisco is talking to a grandparent or a meta struggling with English).

But again, it depends on the situation, what we know of the character, and how comfortable I am with the language enough to get it correct and in character. Any fic writer who can get the situation and character down while using a secondary language, and not make it distracting deserves applause!

19. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Hit me with a hard one why don't you? 🤣 I think it was Stargate SG-1 or maybe it was Stargate Atlantis. You're asking me to think back over a decade and a half ago to when I started reading and writing fic at the tender age of 7 or 8. I'm fairly certain it was one of those two fandoms and it might've been a crossover. I do remember writing part of it on an old Gateway computer running Windows '98 with a glass monitor that was mine and my sisters. The other half was written on an electric type-writer that I owned because this was before laptops were widely available and affordable.

20. What's your favorite fic you've written?

It's a tie between "Twilight of the Gods" and "I'll Be Waiting". "Twilight of the Gods" because I got to show off a few of my degrees (History and Classics, I couldn't shoehorn in my others but they are science related and that doesn't quite fit that story). "I'll Be Waiting" is a favorite because it's a big middle finger to whoever / collective group wrote The Flash season 7. I'm still pissed off at how the Wells plotline was dealt with and let's not get started on the whole Chillblaine/Kramer/Forces as kids of WA plots (ewwwwwww 🤢). I'd need a whole new post to talk about how tired I am of the WA kids showing up (because screw how that'll effect the timeline, right?) and the reliance on the future to drive what decisions are made (because, again, screw how bad that would be for the timeline - it's not like we have seen how much that effects things before right?) 😒

Phew.....That was longer than I expected, honestly, but a lot of fun!

Tagging whoever wants to talk about their works because you are all wonderful people who should get a chance to share!

[darlingpetao3]

Miss Independent (Nash Wells x Reader)

Rating: T

Summary: You’re a tough and independent and oftentimes stubborn member of Team Flash, almost to the point of self-sabotage. But when Nash Wells pops onto the scene and beats you in a fight, you refuse to accept any form of help from him in the latest Team Flash mission.

Tag List: @fandomdancer​ @bluesclues-1234​ @blogforhoes​

You’ve always been a do-it-herself kind of girl.

In school, when you carried your books to class, sometimes boys would ask to carry them for you.

“No thanks, I’m good.”

And there’s always that one item at the store that’s on the top shelf, just out of reach. A fellow customer or a stock-boy will check to see if you need assistance in reaching the pesky missing piece of your grocery list.

“Oh, that’s fine, I got it,” you’d say, and proceed to scale the shelves and channel the essence of your stretchy teammate and friend to reach it.

You may even reach a new level of stubbornness when you decline to accept help to carry said groceries up and into your downtown Central City apartment.

“I’m nearly there, thanks though!”

And you by no means need a man to save you.

Since the infamous Particle Accelerator explosion of 2015, and subsequently gaining your new-found abilities, you can do it all yourself. You can take care of yourself. Team Flash has lovingly dubbed you Miss “Indy” Independent.

Of course, one night of working your second-job as a vigilante for smaller crimes (muggings, corner store thefts, that kind of thing), you come face to face with a man who will turn your life upside down.

As if it hadn’t been turned upside down already.

***

You’re patrolling a different section of the city than usual tonight, near the Ivo Labs building, when you spot a figure in the alleyway at the side door to the premises. You press your fingers to your domino mask to make sure your identity is secure for this upcoming bust.

“Hey, you!” you shout. “Get away from there!”

Fully expecting the tall shadowy figure to flee, you are surprised to find the opposite. In fact, they step out into the dim light of the street lamps. It’s a man. It’s…

Oh hell, it’s another one.

You catch him stash something into one of his pockets. So this Wells is a thief. Huh… that’s different.

You’re still not going to take it easy on him.

“Whatever that is,” you call out, making careful advancements toward him, “you better hand it over.”

“Let me guess, ‘or else?’” This new, apparently cocky Wells replies. You laugh.

“You better believe it.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

“Then you’re in for a world of hurt.”

You break into a run, effectively charging Wells the Thief. Only, what you didn’t expect was for the man to shoot a grappling hook at a fire escape up above. He uses the propelling motions to fly over your body and land on the other side of you.

“Neat trick,” you say with a growing annoyance. But why don’t you fight me for what you took like a real man?” To emphasize the figurative throwing down of your gauntlet, you get into fighting stance and put up your dukes.

Wells walks back towards you, not even attempting to leave the situation. You can already tell this one loves a good fight. Hell, maybe they all do. This ought to be good.

You throw the first punch - pulling back tightly like a master archer - and letting it fly. What should have been his face, your knuckles meet his palm as he catches it.

How-?

“Gotta do better than that,” he says. You continue to throw a flurry of punches, all of which this Wells manages to block. And then, on your last one, disarms you and renders both your hands incapable of moving.

“You have beautiful eyes,” Wells remarks. “Are you married to that mask, or…?”

“Shut up.”

By hooking a leg around his you get him to stumble down to his knees, but he lunges at your middle and knocks you both down to the ground. Luckily, your head didn’t hit the pavement, but the crash is still not at all pleasant on the ol’ tush.

You take your chance and attempt to rifle a hand into the pocket you saw Wells stash the mysterious stolen object. Only…

“Call me old fashioned,” Wells says with a sideways smile, “but I’d rather you buy me dinner first, my dear.”

After being momentarily confused, you realize what you are rooting around for in his pocket is not, in fact, the thing he stole.

“Give it to me, now!” you demand before you’re forced to use resort to using your special abilities on this crook. This Wells’ eyes twinkle with mischief.

“Sorry Beautiful, I’m not that kind of guy.” The pair of you scramble to get up and just as you lift your hands to power up your energy blasts, Wells flashes the item he stole at you. He shoots you a wink. “Rain check?”

Suddenly, there’s a loud noise, followed by a dense fog of smoke. You run into the haze, hoping that didn’t just happen - that a thief didn’t get away from you. You’ve fought big bad metas! How could you lose against a cocky, ability-less, cat-burglar with second rate magician’s tricks?

Still stunned at your failure, you head home for the night while replaying everything about the fight in your head until it nearly drives you mad. You can’t believe you lost. You never lose! Consider yourself clocking out of this night shift. You hope you see that bastard again because when you do, you’ll be ready. 

And he’ll regret the day he messed with you.

***

“(Y/N), meet Nash.”

You can’t believe it.

You cannot believe Barry is introducing you to him.

“You.” Your voice seethes with disdain. Of course this Nash, the Wells from that night that shall not be referenced, lights up like the sun at seeing you. He points in your direction.

“I’d know those eyes anywhere,” he says smoothly. “How’ve you been?”

“You two already know each other?” Cisco asks, scanning you both on opposite sides of the main monitor desk. You give a flat “no” the very second Nash says “we sure do.”

“‘Know’ is such a strong word,” you explain vaguely. “You know he’s a thief, right?”

“Yeah, he kind of helped us with our own heist…” Cisco says.

Great, so now we’re thieves?

“Anyway,” Barry continues hastily, “we’ve come up with a plan to catch Pinstripe at last. But there is a catch…”

“Let me guess. I serve as a distraction?” It would only seem fitting. You happened to have had a brief relationship with Pinstripe, one of Central City’s biggest gangsters. To be fair, though, this was before he ‘made it big,’ so to speak. You had no idea so long ago that your boyfriend at the time would become a heinous villain.

“Actually…” Barry scratches the back of his neck. Oh, great. “You’d be the bait.”

Welp, this might as well happen.

“Okay,” the word comes out as a sigh. “He’s been trying to track me down for years anyway. Just let me know the when and where and I’ll get it done. I’ll bring him down.”

“We’re going to send Nash in with you,” Barry tells you, “to keep you safe. Meanwhile, Frost and I will-”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” you interrupt your friend. “I don’t need anyone, let alone him to keep me safe.”

“I can help,” Nash steps in, “I have experience in-”

“-No, thanks. I got this all on my own. I don’t need your help.”

The Wells doppelganger holds his hands up in surrender. Barry and Cisco’s cringing expressions don’t go unnoticed as they exit, leaving you with Nash. As if to dissolve the extremely palpable tension, Nash leans against the wall.

“So, how about that dinner?”

***

You should have figured your ex-boyfriend would have shot you.

Really, the blast from his top of the line energy rifle nicked your shoulder, but it still hurt like hell. Part of the sleeve of your jacket has a singed hole. You could probably see the smoke coming off of it if you weren’t booking it up the stairwell of this office building. Pinstripe must have seen you dart inside…

“You won’t get away from me this time, (Y/N)!” the gangster calls up to you.

You press a finger to the comms in your ear. “You guys, I’m leading him to the rooftop.” There’s no reply. “Guys?” Well, shit.

Pushing through the exit door on the uppermost level, you keep running until you reach the ledge. You need to think fast. Maybe you have enough energy stored up for a good blast at Pinstripe? You have to try.

Pinstripe, with his suit that matches his Cisco-given villain name and slicked-back hair, he finally swaggers through the door. He’s no longer in a rush to capture you. There’s nowhere to run for you and still no sign of Barry or Frost.

“So, it’s come to this?” Pinstripe asks with a gross smirk. “Running away from our love again?”

“You’re a bastard. And I don’t love you.”

“Tell you what? You get away from that ledge, come home with me, and I won’t shoot you?”

“As if.”

You thrust your hands forward to let loose one of your energy blasts from your hands, but nothing happens. You have no stored energy left…

Pinstripe raises his rifle and aims. “I gave you a chance.”

Just then, your comms short-circuits in your ear, taking you by surprise and causing you to stumble back and hurtle over the edge. But an exhilarated shout grows louder, and before you know what’s happening, something catches you mid-fall. And now you’re… swinging through the air?

“Aw, (Y/N), are you falling for me?”

Looking up, you find yourself in the firm grasp of Nash Wells. The man smiles at you, but you are still in shock. You’re finding it hard to breathe.

When the pair of you finally touch ground again, Nash makes sure to set you down gently.

“Are you alright?” he asks you.

You do a quick self-check. “Yeah, yeah I think so.”

“Indy, are you safe?” Barry’s voice chimes in your ear. The comms are back online, it would seem. “We’ve captured Pinstripe. I’m taking him to Iron Heights.”

“I’m safe,” you confirm. “...Thanks to Nash.” The Wells beside you smiles at the recognition. “Seriously, thank you. I’d be pancake if you hadn’t…”

“Don’t worry about it.”

A wave of guilt and realization washes over you. “Listen, I’m sorry for biting your head off before. I was just bitter at having lost to you that night. See, I never lose. Apparently I’m on a downward streak.”

Nash simply nods, letting you get everything out.

“I was blind before, but now I know it’s okay to have help from others. Especially when you’re about to die!” You laugh awkwardly. “I don’t know why it took me so long to see it. I’m on a team, and I haven’t been acting like it.” Now you’re talking more to yourself. You proffer a hand to your saviour. “Welcome to Team Flash, Nash.”

“Thank you.”

You know, now that I think about it, this guy’s not half-bad looking...

“So,” you start, “how about that dinner?”

~

Requested by @emilyfandoms​: So the readers personality is more of a do it herself type of girl. She doesn't need a man outlook on life because she can do it herself. She is a strong meta and knows how to handle herself even without her powers. So on first meeting Nash maybe they get into an actual fight and she ends up loosing which she gets super salty about it and can't stand Nash after that with his cocky personality and all. So once he finally( flirty with her) joined the team they have to use her as bait to catch a villain who is specifically after her. She ends up getting hurt and Nash saved her literally sweeping her off her feet afterward. So she falls for him then because she never had a man actually save her and yeah she wanting some Nash booty after if ya get what I mean. 🍑 👀 😏

[thefightingbull]

Meeting A New Rogue

Barry didn’t know what to do with the little boy he’d found at a crime scene. Truth be told, he was infuriated with Captain Cold and Heatwave. True, the men hadn’t broken their deal, but really? Using a pup to help them steal and then leaving him behind? He’d always know Leonard Snart was cold, but that’s not what this was.

This was cruel.

“Gotten anything out of him?” Cisco asked as he walked in, sucking down his slushy drink.

They were in Star Labs because Barry was afraid of going to the police. Not for any other reason than that he didn’t want this kid winding up in the system. Maybe the pup had been at the wrong place, at the wrong time. Maybe what Barry suspected was in fact a complete misunderstanding.

“He won’t talk,” Barry frowned.

They both looked at him. The little boy with cute black curls and lightly freckled face stared up at them both with the brightest teal eyes Barry had ever seen. He looked so precious and innocent. Barry’s alpha instincts told him that even though the kid wasn’t of his pack, it was his duty to make sure nothing terrible happened to him. Even if he did smell strongly of Heatwave and Captain Cold.

“He smells like the Rogues, Barry,” Cisco frowned. “Maybe you should just call Snart.”

The small boy looked up at the mention of Snart’s name. If that wasn’t a sign, Barry didn’t know what was.

“Do you know Leonard Snart?” Barry asked softly.

Immediately the boy nodded his head. “He’s my dad, now.”

He and Cisco traded a concerned look.

Either Captain Cold was a scumbag who’d endangered and or lied to a boy in his charge or Barry had accidentally kidnapped the pup. Maybe the pup wasn’t supposed to be at the crime scene? The more Barry though it over, the less likely it seemed that Leonard Snart would drag a child along on a job.

“I am so fucked,” Barry cursed as he placed his hands over his face.

“Dude, you gotta call him. Make sure he knows you were just trying to keep him safe and out of the police’s hands,” Cisco panicked.

He nodded. “Keep an eye on him.”

As soon as he was out of earshot, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed Leonard Snart’s personal number. He took a deep breath before he hit send and then waited the three rings that the thief always allowed.

“Kinda busy, Scarlet,” Leonard snapped irritably.

“What’s going on?” Barry asked, pretty sure he knew what the answer would be.

“Someone seems to have lost track of one of my most valuable packmates!” Leonard hissed toward someone not on the phone. “So, while I’d love to go over this morning’s heist, I have more important things to do, Flash.”

He knew he was going to be hung up on so he blurted out the words without caution or care. “I have your pup.”

Icy silence filled the line and Barry almost cringed as it took Leonard exactly seven seconds to respond.

“You what?”

Barry released the breath he’d been holding. “While I was gathering evidence after the heist this morning I came upon a pup. Black hair, blue-green eyes, freckles? He’s wearing a bright red hoodie, jeans and black converse sneakers.”

“I know what my son is wearing, I’m the one that dressed him,” Leonard snarled. “He better be at the lab when I arrive Flash, or I promise, I’ll lose my cool.”

Barry cringed when the signal cut off abruptly. Still, it was confirmed and someone amongst the Rogues was in big trouble for losing track of their leader’s son. But that was something he was adjusting to as well. Since when did Len and Mick have a kid?

As soon as he stepped into the lab, his heart came to a sudden and painful stop. “Cisco! Where’s the kid?”

Cisco grimaced. “I swear I only turned my back for two seconds to get him my PSP! When I turned around, he was gone!”

“Cisco! You were supposed to be watching him!”

“I was! I told you, it was just for a few seconds,” Cisco said in frustration. “Besides, he couldn’t have gotten far.”

“The pup is Leonard Snart’s, Cisco. He’s on his way to get him now.” Barry frowned. “When did you notice he was missing.”

“Literally just now,” his friend promised. “He’s gotta be here somewhere!”

Barry nodded and flashed all over the place while he sought out the boy. It didn’t actually take all that long to find him. The pup was standing calmly in the center of their main emergency room thing. What was it Cisco called it? The Command Room? It was where Cisco and Caitlin helped Barry perform as the Flash.

The room was filled with large screens, the mannequin that held his Flash suit, and lots of other things that the boy didn’t really need to see or be around. It of course didn’t stop the child from looking all around him in awe.

“This must be what the bat-cave looks like,” the pup whispered.

Barry wasn’t sure if he was talking to him or himself.

“Bat-cave?” He asked as he calmly walked over to him.

He nodded. “He’s a hero, like you.”

Barry didn’t know what to say to that, but it answered a few questions about where he’d been all these years. Was he actually Leonard’s son? He smelled like Mick and Len and even Lisa, but it was a superficial smell. Meaning he wasn’t really blood and that he was new enough that their scents hadn’t really seeped in.

“Your dad’s on his way to pick you up.”

“He’s not a hero. He’s a bad guy, right?”

Again Barry was at a loss. It wasn’t his place to tell this child who his family was. It wasn’t his place to teach the kid right from wrong. That was Len’s place. Something he wasn’t pleased about, but what else could Barry do? Take the kid away?

But then, he’d have to if he suspected that Snart was using the pup for anything nefarious. Leonard always got his score and he’d use anyone he could to do it. He’d made that clear through out their history. Leonard and Mick were as selfish as most thieves and he feared that this kid was just a newly acquired tool in Leonard’s bag.

“He is,” Barry nodded.

“My other dad was, too,” the boy responded. “But my new dads, they’re much better than him.”

“You feel safe with them?” Barry asked.

“Yes,” the pup said immediately. “They don’t smack me around none, and Aunt Lisa takes me out shopping and Dad’s learning to cook. They try to take care of me. I have my own room, too!”

“Jason?”

Barry looked away from the boy at the sound of Leonard’s voice calling for the pup. He looked down and Jason was already running toward the voice. Barry moved with the kid, wanting to be sure that nothing bad happened. He knew that Leonard hated his father for the abuse, but that didn’t mean Leonard was incapable of that same violence. Often times victims became abusers.

As they rounded the corner, Captain Cold dropped to a knee and pulled the child that had run to him into his arms. The sight was almost touching as Captain Cold nuzzled Jason and held him on his hip like one would a toddler.

It was as jarring a sight as it was sweet.

“How did you get here, Jason?” Captain Cold demanded in a rushed, terrified voice.

“Flash brought me.”

“Yes, I figured that part out, Son,” Leonard sighed, paying Barry absolutely no mind. “How did you get to the museum?”

The kid ducked his head and hid his face in Leonard’s neck and whimpered.

“Nice try, Pup,” Leonard frowned as he dropped down to his knee again, pulling Jason away from him so that he could look him in the eyes. “Now, answer my question. How did you get to the museum?”

Barry almost laughed when the boy dropped his head back as if he were annoyed. He definitely had a bit of attitude and wasn’t nearly as afraid of Leonard as most kids would be. It was kind of amusing to see Leonard being a father.

“I snuck in Pied Piper’s van when he wasn’t looking,” Jason pouted.

“Teaching him young, eh Cold?” Cisco snorted as he stepped up beside Barry.

“Watch it, Cisco,” Leonard growled before redirecting his ire onto his son. “We’ll be having a chat about this when we get home, Jason.”

There was shift in Jason’s mood that Barry was sure that even Cisco picked up on. The child started to cry. “You won’t make me leave, will you?”

Barry had to reign in his own instinctive urge to calm the frightened pup.

Apparently, Leonard had no such restraint as he immediately pulled the kid into a tight embrace. “Nothing you do, Pup, nothing will ever make me, or Mick abandon you. Understand?” Len didn’t move or speak until Jason finally nodded. “Let’s get you home, Pup.”

“Is Pop mad?” Jason asked.

“Yes, but not at you,” Leonard assured him.

He got to his feet one last time, carrying Jason on his hip again. It looked uncomfortable with the heavy fur-lined blue coat, but it didn’t seem to be a bother. Barry followed him out of the building and to a blue four door sedan. Captain Cold offered him a smirk once the kid was strapped into a booster seat.

“Thanks for keeping an eye on my boy, Scarlet,” he said.

He nodded and watched as they drove away.

When Barry returned to the Command Center, he saw Cisco frantically searching for something. He tilted his head and approached his best friend.

“What’s missing?”

“I still can’t find my PSP.” His best friend looked up at him. “You don’t think…?”

Barry’s eyes widened as he laughed. “No! Cisco, of course not! Leonard looked genuinely relieved when he saw Jason and he sounded just as freaked when he thought the pup was missing.”

“Even if it wasn’t a plan, doesn’t mean the kid didn’t do it,” Cisco pointed out with a pout.

“I highly doubt Jason and Leonard planned for him to show up here and steal a handheld game system.”

“I’m gonna check inventory, make sure nothing else went missing while that shady little kid was here.” Cisco grumbled.

                                          ********                  ********

“Thank God,” Jason blushed as he was passed from Len to Mick, who was now holding on to him as if he believed Jason would just cease to exist if he let go. “Where were you, Pup?”

“Apparently he hitched a ride with Rathaway,” Leonard frowned. “And before you go setting our youngest Rogue aflame, no. Rathaway didn’t have a clue that Jason snuck aboard.”

“Bull shit,” Mick snarled. “Rathaway’s deaf. His sense of smell should be phenomenal for a beta.”

“He’s still a beta, Mick. He can’t tell the difference between our stuff and our son.”

Mick glared at him. “Don’t you do that to me or your dad again, Pup, understand?”

“Okay, Pops,” Jason nodded. “I just wanted to help.”

“You’re still too young,” Leonard insisted. “You gotta learn to walk before you start running, Son.”

Jason reached into his large pockets and pulled two access badges, three different keys and a thumb drive. “But look at what I found!”

“Nice haul,” Mick beamed and kissed Jason’s cheek.

“Anything else?” Leonard asked.

He nodded and pulled something called a PSP from his other pocket. “It was that long-haired kid’s.”

“You’ve got a bright future ahead of you, Son,” Leonard grinned and reached up to ruffle his hair.

[myrandomfandomramblings]

Arrowverse Science Fair AU

~2004 National Highschool (Gr. 8-12) Science Fair

Projects:

Felicity Smoak (Gr. 9) – Computer software to detect card counters. She may or may not have hacked into online card games to test it (this wasn’t included in/on her project.)

Cisco Ramon (Gr. 8 or 9) – Piano playing robot. He thought it played better than Dante. His parents didn’t agree.

Caitlin Snow (Gr. 9) – Analysis of physiological response to various stimuli. She wanted to find stimuli that would help kids cope with traumatic experiences (say crashing their bike or losing their father.) If she was able to find something that made her mom show some/any emotion that would be a bonus.

Barry Allen (Gr. 9) – Growing crystals (lots of different and cool ones). His project started out as an attempt to make something special for Iris for her birthday but turned into an elaborate project. It ended up being a good choice because 1) it reminded Barry of his parents (the first science experiment they did together was grow Borax crystals on pipecleaner and 2) it followed Joe’s ‘your science fair project must make, not destroy things’ rule instated after Barry’s Gr. 6 project.

Alex (Gr. 9) and Kara (Gr. 8) Danvers – Birds in my Backyard. Eliza had insisted on Alex getting Kara involved in her science fair project this year. Alex was excited to show Kara the science fair experience she enjoyed but wanted to pick a topic she knew more about that Kara (her knowledge of math and science was intimidating enough without the superpowers). Seeing Kara’s interest in birds they decided to study birds in their backyard. With Alex’s design and Kara’s powers they built tall post’s and attached bird houses and feeders with differing properties. They then monitored which kinds of birds built nests and ate from where (with some help from Kara’s flight and X-ray vision). Alex also picked 5 nests from different species to chronicle the embryo and chick development. Kara enjoyed doing the project and learning about birds from Alex. The actual science fairs, not so much but those were Alex’s favourite part. Note: Streaky was locked in the house for the duration of the project so he wouldn’t eat any of the birds.

Winn Schott (Gr. 11) – Pop-up room/ room in a suitcase. Being in the foster system for the last couple years inspired Winn to design a room that collapsed to the size of a suitcase for easy transport but could expand in less than a minute into a nice-sized, fully-furnished, sound-proof room, so no matter how many times a foster kid was moved around they always had their own space and stuff. Also good for camping, travel and special short-term events (like waiting in line at conventions).

Lena Luthor (Gr. 5) – Oxygen absorbing/releasing crystal that could allow breathing underwater. After her Mum drown when Lena was four, she was determined to develop a simple way for people to breath under water. She was able to do just that by synthesizing a substance that absorbed and stored large amounts of oxygen then released it slowly (so if someone held in in their mouth, they could breathe underwater). She was happy and excited that her mom and older brother were interested in her project but a little frustrated and concerned that they were so focused on its ability to absorb all the oxygen from a room (in a big enough amount). Although she supposed it could be used in that capacity to control/extinguish fires. Note: although in elementary school, Lena got to compete against the high schoolers since her project was so advanced for her age.

Sara Lance (Gr. 11) – The Biomechanics of Dance and Martial Arts. As punishment for skipping classes, then sassing her teacher and principal when they tried to discipline her for skipping classes, Sara had to complete a science fair project. To make the best of it Sara chose something that interested her. In hindsight she wished she hadn’t. Her project was so good she was chosen to represent her school at the state and national science fair.

Ronnie Raymond (Gr. 9-12?)- Structural design to minimize Superman related damage in Metropolis. Ronnie was proud of his project and had enjoyed analyzing the powers of Metropolis’ hero, but he lost any chance he had at winning when he decided to leave his project to go flirt with Caitlin. At least Kara, whose project was next to his, seemed interested.

Hartley Rathaway – something to do with sound waves

Lily Stein (Gr. 11) – designing and comparing different miniaturized forms of renewable energy sources. She had some help from her dad.

Patty Spivot – Recreation of crime scene evidence using food models. A bunch of her friends (her whole cabin actually) from her summer camp for those interested in law enforcement came to support her.

-       Maggie Sawyer – seemed really interested in the bird project

-       Ralph Dibny – found every project that said it was OK to touch. His favourite was slime. To Patty’s surprise he didn’t break anything.

-       Dinah Drake – hung out with Patty most of the time. Talked to Hartley, beside her, about his project on sound waves for a bit (seemed kinda interested). Patty joined her when she got into a conversation with Sara, across the way, and Laurel about the implications of her biomechanics project in fighting and self-defence. The rest of the time they talked about that Vince guy from camp Dinah thought was cute.

-       Eddie Thawne – he hung out with Patty most of the time too but did do a lap of the fair with Iris, who was there supporting Barry, when she accepted his offer to buy her something at the concession.

Notable events:

- Clark came to see Alex and Kara’s project and brought James and Lois with him. Kara and Clark (very subtly) tested the models on the project beside them that had been abandoned and were said to be superman proof/resistant. They were very impressed to discover the models did indeed stand-up to heat vison, freeze breath and super-strength leading Clark to believe the student had a bright future. James spent most of his time talking to Winn about his pop-up room project because, “Don’t you think these would be way better than cubicles, the Daily Planet should definitely purchase some.”

- Cat Grant, a young reporter from the National City Tribune pushing a stroller, came around and interviewed all the contestants because, “What better place to find the next world changing innovator or innovation” as she put it when she stopped to talk to Clark (more like flirt Kara thought). Alex used Clark distracting Cat as an opportunity to play with the baby in the stroller. This was the only time during the entire science fair Alex was distracted, except maybe when Maggie had come, but they mainly talked about the project like Alex did with everyone, which left Alex wondering why it felt different. During their entire interview Cat called Kara Kira, much to her annoyance. At least the baby seemed to like her. This interview sparked a conversation between Kara, Lois and Clark about journalism which Iris overhead while she was visiting Barry and joined in.

- Graduate students Ray Palmer and Curtis Holt were volunteer judges and ticket takers. Curtis wore a varsity jacket over his shirt and tie which covered his name tag, but at every project he judged he would describe every aspect as terrific, so the contestants started calling him Mr. Terrific. While judging Barry’s project they began a discussion about their favourite elements/minerals/gems. Barry couldn’t decide so joked he liked Barium. Ray shared his love for dwarf star alloy with a ‘quick’ lecture about its rumoured properties and potential uses. Curtis listed at least 10 compounds essential for modern tech as he flip-flopped back and forth trying to decide a favourite and Lex Luthor who was visiting his sister’s project beside them interjected that he favoured kryptonite. While taking tickets Curtis witnessed the following interaction. He asked Damian Darhk, who was carrying baby Nora, what brought him to the science fair. He responded with “These are the brightest young minds in the country and being young means they are malleable. So, there is nowhere better to recruit future talent for my enterprise.” Malcolm Merlyn, who was behind, him added “I know exactly what you mean with what the world’s coming to we’re going to need a bright mind to save it.” This led Tommy, who was accompanying him, to say “I thought we were just here to support the Queen’s.” Then one of the other judges, Dr. Harrison Wells aka Eobard Thawne in disguise, added “No your Dad is right. This world’s next HERO could be in this very room. I’ve already made a list of students to keep my eye on.” He pulled out a small piece of paper from his pocket. On it Curtis saw four names: Hartley Rathaway, Cisco Ramon, Caitlin Snow and Ronnie Raymond. This led to a long conversation between the three men about numerous threats to society, the country and the world and the possible drastic solutions that would need to be employed to stop them. When they left Curtis turned to Ray and asked, “Was it just me or were those Doomsday Dudes really creepy?” “What” Ray replied his attention clearly being pulled from elsewhere. But before Curtis could answer a voice behind him said “Doomsday Dudes is a terrible nickname you should call them the Legion of Doom.” Curtis turned to find Cisco. “Just saying,” he continued, “anyway I heard there’s free Big Belly Burger for the contestants. When’s that coming?” Ray had missed the entire conversation Curtis was asking about because he had been making funny faces at baby Nora the whole time hoping to make her smile or laugh but she had just stared at him with her big blue eyes.

- Queen consolidated gave out a $1500 scholarship and a summer internship at the applied sciences division. This year Moira and Robert had made Oliver come and brought 9-year-old Thea. Oliver was tasked with watching Thea who ran around the entire science fair wanting to look at and touch all the projects even the ones with big ‘Do Not Touch’ signs on them. She spent at least an hour trying to get everybody around the robot pianist to sing and dance with her. Most people ignored her although she was able to get Cisco, Winn, Stein, Joe, Kara (who kept trying to get Alex to join) and to Oliver’s surprise Malcolm Merlyn all to sing with her and they were all surprisingly good. She also got many people to dance including the Lance girls. She even convinced Cisco to make the robot play some of her favourite songs from Disney movies. Barry was very happy that he was able to convince Iris to dance with him for a couple songs with just a little encouragement from Thea and despite Kara’s constant encouragement Alex only agreed to dance when Maggie asked. Oliver had to present his family’s award which went to Felicity. When her name was announced Donna yelled “Woohoo, that’s my daughter! Way to go sweetie!” which earned a whispered “Mom, ssshh” and accompanied eye roll from Felicity as she headed to the stage with her head down and cheeks flushed. When she got onstage Oliver presented her with her award and Felicity began to babble, “Thanks. This is so cool. I’m such a big fan of yours… well not yours… your company… your family’s company. But uh you seem cool too. I could be a fan of yours, but not like a creepy stalker fan just like a normal supportive fan, ya know. I’m sorry, I’m rambling, it’s just, I don’t know what to say. Your very handsome… and I just said that out loud. I’m so sorry.” She stops and whispers “come on Smoak, pull yourself together,” then takes a deep breath before addressing Oliver again, “Thank-you again for the award and I look forward to working with you, or for you. I’m just gonna go now.” Oliver couldn’t help smiling as she left and thinking that just maybe if she had been around when Thea was partnering everyone up to dance he may have just participated.

- Kara quickly got bored of standing by her project and started wandering around to talk to the other contestants. She spent a good chunk of time talking to Barry. Tried to join in on a heated debate between Felicity, Cisco and Winn about the best language to code in but quickly left when she had no idea what they were talking about. She ended up spending most of her time with Lena. They talked about their projects, their lives and interests and about dealing with new and scary situations especially when you feel different from everyone else and learnt that they were both adopted. However, the whole time they were talking Lena’s eyes kept scanning the room as if waiting for something to jump out and scare her. Kara learnt why when a woman Kara thought must be Lena’s mother showed up and menacingly questioned why she was distracting her daughter.

- J’onn came in disguise to check out the Danvers sister’s project

[thefastarrow]

Everyone was at home, or at least, that’s what you assumed. It was late into the night, the lab clouded in darkness with that far too familiar glow of LED lights keeping you company as you made your way down to the breach room, filled with excitement.

It wasn’t easy keeping things a secret in team flash, but with a rather lesser crew, since Barry had gone into the speed force, it was at least easier to sneak about. Of course, the fact that you were sneaking about and not simply telling your teammates, and friends, the truth had caused its own level of anxious guilt to take over you from time to time, but now was not the time for regret. He was almost here, and you were practically jumping with excitement.

You hadn’t bothered to dump your stuff in the cortex, making straight for the breach room where you could get to him as quickly as possible. It had almost become second nature by now, sneaking him back onto Earth-Two in the dead of the night so you could both spend some time together without the team or his daughter getting suspicious, and while, at first, it had been thrilling, you couldn’t help but wonder if this was how it would always be. Would you always be a secret he kept from the only person he truly loved? Would you always be hiding the fact that amongst all the pain and heartache the team had endured over the years, you had found someone you truly cared about? How long would it even last?

It was so easy to get lost in those thoughts, to lose yourself to what-ifs and thoughts of a future without him by your side.

But a bright explosion of light before you never ceased to bring a smile to your lips as you eagerly awaited his arrival. Blinding blues and whites seemed to take over the entire room, and your chest seemed too small to contain your beating heart. But just before he was visible, something you did not expect happened.

“Breach!” A far too familiar voice called from behind you, panic-ridden and clearly attempting to gain the attention of others.  Your beaming smile was stolen from you with that single word, and you didn’t have to look around to see who had joined you. Cisco clearly had not left for the night.

A protective hand grabbed you, pulling you behind him as he readied the pulse gun in a manner you might have considered ironic were you not suddenly filled with fear of what might happen.

“Cisco, no!” you called out, attempting to grasp at the gun in an attempt to keep him from firing.

But it wasn’t your pull that caught his attention, but rather your very presence. With a quizzical gaze, Cisco seemed to finally take you in, dressed in a form-fitting dress that was far from your usual day attire, with hair and makeup done to perfection, he seemed lost to not only your appearance but the fact you were even there.

“Y/N?” he paused. If his tone hadn’t given away his confusion, his furrowed brows and the slight tilt of his head certainly did.

But you didn’t get a chance to answer or explain, the lights behind him were shining all the brighter and you knew you were done for.

A resounding footstep drew the scientist’s attention from you as he half raised the rifle once more before stopping in shock. This was your chance, your small reprieve where you could explain why Harry was there, why you were dressed as you were, to make up some wonderful lie that might stop him from instantly spreading rumours amongst the rest of the team. But as you took in the sight of the man stepping out into your world, all words were far from your mind.

He was in black, that much was a norm, but what was not was the perfectly tailored suit, the crisp shirt that seemed to accentuate the sharp lines of his features, and if that hadn’t been enough, the bouquet of roses he held in his hand had certainly stolen your words away.

“Happy V-” he stopped suddenly, his sights narrowing in on Cisco. To the untrained eye, he may have seemed furious, and while you were certain that there was some level of fury within him at Cisco’s being there, you could tell there were far more emotions at play. The slight glance between you and Cisco, the fear and insecurity in his gaze, the way he chewed ever so slightly on his bottom lip and moved his weight from foot to foot gave him away. But he was never one to show his fears or anxieties, not when he could shelter them away with a well-practised mask of anger.

“Ramon,” he cleared his throat, attempting, and rather failing, at hiding the flowers from view. “I didn’t expect you to be here.”

“Well, what did you- Oh ho ho!” Cisco cheered as realisation dawned upon him. Taking a few steps until he was right in the middle of the two of you, he turned from one to another as if watching a thrilling game of tennis, his grin growing with every movement. “Oh, now it all makes sense! You’re here to see Y/N! Oh man, I can’t wait to tell Iris and Wally this, they are going to flip!”

Your eyes widened almost comically as you finally caught Harry’s gaze, a mirror of your own fear. Panic pushed you both forwards, Harry easily gliding towards Cisco as you attempted to do the same, only to get your heel caught in one of the completely unnecessary tactile indicators that lined the floor. With an undignified yelp, you stumbled forwards, only to be caught by those familiar hands grasping your forearms to help right you.

“You alright?” Harry asked, with a level of concern few had ever been privy to. With a reassuring smile and nod, you huffed out a breath as you fixed yourself. But the moment was short-lived as Cisco’s laughter filled the air once more.

“Oh, this is going to be amazing!” Cisco clapped his hands in front of him, the pulse rifle hanging uselessly once more as he practically sauntered away from you, already halfway to the door. “Harry and Y/N secretly dating, Harry turning up with flowers on Valentine’s Day, a dramatic swoon before he catches her in a daring show of romance… Oh yeah, this is going to be fun!”

You were half ready to throw your shoes off and chase after him when his distant singing reached your ears. “Y/N and Harry sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-”

“Oh yeah, I’m going to kill him,” Harry sighed, drawing your attention away from your own murderous thoughts towards the man who still held onto you. But his gaze was not on you, nor on the doorway your so-called friend had just left through, but rather the somewhat demolished bouquet of flowers that littered the floor behind him.

“You brought flowers?” it was hardly the most pressing thought you had had in the past few moments, and yet, for some unknown reason, it was the only thought your brain could provide.

A heavy sigh fell from the scientist’s lips as he finally let go of you to pick up the fallen mess of flowers, half of which were mere stems as the petals had given way on their less than gracious fall to earth. With a particularly dejected frown taking over his features, Harry looked over the once pristine roses with utter disapproval. “I know Valentine’s Day is important on this Earth, I thought flowers would be nice.”

A soft smile graced your lips as you made your way towards him, pushing away the occasional petal on your way. “They’re still nice, just messy, I can do messy.”

A huff of laughter was all his reply as he handed you the disgraced bouquet with a somewhat sheepish smile. “So much for a perfect Valentine’s Day, huh?”

Humming gently in response, you gave him a smile of your own, one that you wished held the confidence you needed to encourage him. “Well, once we kill Cisco, or torture him into silence, we can get back to a perfect Valentine’s Day, what do you say?”

But there was no response. No words came from the usually verbose scientist. As the silence raged on, you grew uneasy, until you couldn’t help but meet his searching gaze. You had expected laughter, or at the very least that it would pull him out of his mind enough that you might find Cisco before he told everyone of your secret relationship. What you had not expected to see was a look of wonderment, as if Harry was trying to figure out a complex equation in your gaze.

A heavy blush was heating your cheeks and you desperately wanted to look away, but that was the thing about those gorgeous blue eyes, they were magnetic. Once he caught your gaze there was no power on heaven or earth that could pull you away. After a long moment, you couldn’t stand it any longer, you had to know what he was thinking that had him so very lost before you. “Harry?” his name came out quieter than you had intended, almost shyly, but it seemed to be enough to break him from his thoughts.

With a dry swallow, he took a moment, his gaze never leaving yours. “What if we didn’t?”

An anxious array of thoughts flooded your mind at those words; fearful thoughts of this being the end, of him deciding he had had enough of you, that the risk wasn’t worth the reward, that at the very least, your date night had been truly ruined before it could even begin.

“Didn’t what?” you asked with a dry throat, terrified to know the answer, but curious beyond anything else.

“What if we didn’t stop him? What if we just left? Just went on our way, had dinner, enjoyed Valentine’s Day and let him tell the others?” he spoke so quickly you weren’t certain you had heard him right. Were it not for the way his chest had puffed out subconsciously in a defensive manner, ready to fight for his opinion, you may have easily thought you had misheard him.

“You want them to know?” you asked in a small voice, insecurity and uncertainty plaguing your mind as you desperately tried to figure out what he meant.

“Do you?” he threw the question back at you almost instantly.

Of course you wanted them to know, you didn’t want to keep sneaking into the lab to meet with him in secret in the middle of the night, or breaching over to his earth only when Jesse wouldn’t notice, but that didn’t mean he wanted the same. You had been keeping quiet for so long now, and it had been for him, hadn’t it? Had he really thought this through? Was it even possible he truly wanted the secret to be out?

But then, if there was one thing you knew for certain, one thing anyone who had ever so much as come across him could tell, it was that Harrison Wells never did anything without thinking it through almost obsessively. If he was suggesting this, he meant it with full sincerity.

A beaming smile took over you once more, and you couldn’t help but duck your head in embarrassment as you felt it pull at your features. But for the second time that evening, words wouldn’t come to you. You were, quite literally, speechless.

You had to answer, had to give him some kind of clue as to what you were thinking, after all, Harrison Wells could handle a lot of things, but not knowing something was not one of them. So you did the only thing you could think of. Pushing yourself forward onto the toes of your precarious high heels, you pressed your lips against his in a gentle kiss.

“Let’s go have dinner.”

[backtothestart02bts]

Hot to the Touch - Ch.5 Preview

A/N: Just had to post! Hoping to finish the chap in the next day or two!

...

Three weeks passed, and all was as it should be according to the rules Iris had set out regarding her fling with Barry. They came by every night for a couple hours to that bookstore and fucked their hearts out. During the day it was as if they didn’t even know each other, and likewise, they didn’t discuss their secret affair to their closest friends anymore either. It was just between them, like a delicious dirty little secret.

Barry, who had been so concerned about how he would deal with not being official with Iris West, found himself quite happy with the way things had turned out. Iris couldn’t be more thrilled that he wasn’t bringing a relationship up anymore either. It was complete bliss between them. As far as they were concerned, this arrangement could go on indefinitely.

The naivety.

“So, how was your day?” he mumbled between kisses as they started to undress.

“Pretty good.” A kiss, and then another. “Yours?”

“Oh, you know, classes, Cisco, food, a goat-”

“Mine was the same but with Linda, obviously. Wait.” She pulled back, her arms still wrapped around him and asked, “Did I hear you say a goat?”

“Do you know anyone looking for one?” he asked hopefully, a grin on his face showcasing the dimples evident even in the dark.

Iris burst out laughing. “No, I do not.” She shook her head, giddy now.

“Too bad. Because Cisco has been searching for the owner for-”

She grabbed his face and kissed him before pulling back again.

“Enough about Cisco and goats. How about you make love to me instead?”

His eyes sparkled in the darkness. “Gladly.”

She’d been doing that a lot, Barry thought not for the first time. Saying ‘making love’ instead of ‘having sex’ or ‘fucking’ or any other rendition of the act in which they would very soon be participating in.

The first time she’d done it, he’d nearly fallen over himself. He tried to hide his reaction, but his happy yet confused blush was evident even in the dark.

“Don’t overthink it,” she’d said, and he’d shook his head.

“Mm-mm. Not.”

She’d laughed then and pulled him close for a passionate kiss.

“You’re lucky you’re cute.”

He’d been so shocked by the way she let it go so easily that he made a point to accept it as another turn of phrase going forward. It didn’t mean anything, least of all that she was in love with him. After all, they didn’t even know each other. They knew each other’s bodies, that was for damn sure. But each other’s souls? Barry felt like he knew her, but he didn’t really. How could he? She wouldn’t let him.

But that was a thought he buried. He buried it as he fucked, had sex, made love to this beautiful woman in front of him. He’d been doing it for nearly three weeks, and he was completely capable of continuing to do it for as long as she asked it of him.

“Barry,” she whined, her hands spreading down his slick back, the sweat intermingling between them.

They were between aisles now, instead of in the middle of the room. They were far from windows and the aisles made it easier to hide if some owner or management decided to walk in on them in the middle of the night. Besides, Barry liked thrusting up into her against the bookcase. And she loved it. It was a scenario that took place in many of her books. And when Barry brought her books to life, she was especially turned on. He was not unaware to that fact.

He held her ass in his hands, squeezing, burying his face in her neck and drawing his teeth lightly across her skin. Iris moaned louder and Barry moved her hips in sync with his thrusts, driving him mad with the feel of it.

“On the floor, Barry,” she ordered, and within seconds he was flat on the floor letting her ride him, watching her unhook her bra and place his hands on her breasts, squeeze them now.

“Oh, my God,” she moaned in ecstasy, going faster and faster still. “This is so…” He thrust up into her hard. “God.” She shrieked.

He groaned as her pussy ground against his cock but managed to chuckle as he rose up to kiss her and gripped her ass again.

“Shh,” he shushed. “Let’s not let the neighbors come running.”

She managed to laugh in return.

“Stop fucking me so good then, Barry Allen.”

Abruptly he stopped, and she urged him onward.

“I wasn’t serious!”

He laughed and turned them over on their sides. He spread Iris’ legs wide and held the upper one above and alongside his opening legs. Then he thrust her into again, and could almost feel her eyes rolling back into her head the moment her gasp released.

“Barry,” she moaned, and he got downright cocky then.

“Say it again,” he murmured into her ear, as he continued to fuck her.

“Huh?” she asked, dazed as she came closer and closer to her climax.

He pressed his lips to her ear.

“Say my name.”

She shuddered, and he moved faster, harder, until even her heavy breathing could not be heard over the loud smacking that echoed off of every wall in the bookstore.

She screamed. “Barry!” And went limp.

He moved for a while inside her, needing a few extra strokes to cross the finish line, but then all movement subsided and he just lay still, breathing softly on her neck. His fingers padded gently over her shoulder and down between her breasts. And she took his hand and kissed and nibbled on his fingers.

He wanted to say something. She usually did. But for the first time in maybe their entire time together these past weeks, they lay in silence, and dare either of them say it – cuddled?

Sometime later Iris released him.

“We should probably get back.”

“Right,” he said, taking the words as incentive to pull out of her.

They scrambled to their feet and started to dress.

“Iris,” he began, and then lost his breath at the sight of her.

“What?” she asked, looking puzzled.

He walked over to her and kissed her passionately, inhaling her gasp and lingering when he slowly broke away. He made a note not to nuzzle her, but it was extremely difficult.

“Nothing,” he said, kissing the back of her hand and then letting it fall to her side. “Let’s go.”

[crimsondomingo]

Whumptober Day 22: Hallucination

Thank you again to @a-redharlequin for help on this one.

-----

Barry had dealt with death and mourning so many times, some people might think he’d be used to it by now—hardened, cold. But it never got easier, and for whatever reason, Leonard Snart’s death had hit him harder than any other.

Even his mom. His dad.

Not for ‘whatever reason’. He knew the reason. Because at least he’d been there and tried to save both his parents, tried to do everything he could, despite still failing them. But with Snart, it had all been his fault, his influence, and he hadn’t even been present to witness Snart’s heroic end.

Quite the opposite. After stealing Snart out of time to have him help with Savitar, Barry put him right back into the line of fire without warning him that he was going to die.

“Barry? What did he hit you with? Your brainwaves drastically altered. Are you conscious?”

Barry shook his head, coughing through the gas the baddie of the week had just exploded in his face. “I…I’m fine,” he wheezed back at Caitlin.

But when the cloud dissipated, the walls of the museum were melting with everything shifting into technicolor.

“Shit…”

“Barry?” Cisco asked next.

“I…” He spotted the baddie down a hallway with his spoils, though right now to Barry, the guy looked like he was running up the wall instead of across the floor.

“Hardly a challenge for you, Flash.”

“Huh?” Barry spun in a circle, because that voice hadn’t seemed like it was coming from his cowl.

And oh, spinning was a bad idea.

“Barry, are you okay?” Cisco asked more urgently.

The way everything was vibrating and shifting like a Salvador Dali painting should have made Barry nauseous, but this wasn’t like Rosa Dillon’s vertigo, more… unsettling.

“I’ll be fine. I can still get him,” Barry said, turning forward and keeping his sights on the bad guy, who, head start or not, couldn’t outrun The Flash.

“Better not trust your eyes, kid,” the other voice came again, nearly causing Barry to false-start into a faceplant.

He must be hearing things too, some other side effect of the gas, because no one was with him, yet when he started running to give chase, he kept seeing these shimmers next to him, keeping right in step with him somehow, as a haze of navy-black.

Barry slammed into a glass door closed in his face by the perp and went tumbling through the shattered shards, which looked like slow-motion glitter falling on him, only it hurt. He hadn’t seen the door. It had just looked wibbly to him, and everything was wibbly.

Coughing again and blinking up at the clear night sky above, Barry didn’t see only stars, but planets moving and comets soaring past.

“Defeated by a puff of smoke. You’re losing your touch.”

The haze of navy came into Barry’s vision, more distinct now, though it was wibbly too.

Until it wasn’t.

And Leonard Snart hunched over him, eerily reminiscent of the pipeline transfer when Snart betrayed him.

“Guys, I… I lost the perp. And… I’m hallucinating…”

“Stay there, Barry,” Caitlin said. “We’ll come get you.”

“You see me?” Snart asked, so crystal clear in Barry’s otherwise swimming vision that it stung.

“You’re not real. You’re dead.” Barry clenched his eyes shut to stop the spinning of the parking lot. “I killed you…”

“What are you seeing?” Cisco asked in alarm.

“Not the way I remember it, Flash,” Snart spoke over him.

The voices both sounded so real, but Barry knew Snart was a figment of the gas.

He tried to ignore it, to not choke on the sobs that clawed up his throat at seeing Snart and being reminded of his failure.

“Just… get here quick guys, okay?” He didn’t dare move. He didn’t want to open his eyes either.

“I’m not dead, Barry. Just lost. Trapped. You’re hearing and seeing me right now.”

Barry pressed his hand to his cowl to turn off his mic so Caitlin and Cisco wouldn’t keep overhearing. “That gas he hit me with is causing this. You’re not real.”

“And what if I am?”

Too morbidly curious to fight the hope that stirred in him, Barry peeked open his eyes. Snart’s outfit was simple compared to his old parka, but it suited him. He didn’t have his gun, nothing on him at all, just a raised eyebrow and that familiar smirk.

When everything else was melting, why did he look so clear?

“You’re trapped? In the Timestream?”

“Somewhere.” Snart shrugged, looking around like he could see more than their obvious surroundings. “Sometimes I’m here, sometimes the Waverider, other decades in history, other places. If you can see me, maybe you can find me, the real me, and end this. Bring me home.”

Barry reached up, but his hand passed right through Snart. “No… you’re a hallucination, just my guilt manifesting because of the gas.”

“Guilt?” Snart frowned. “For what? Not wanting to stop me after that heist we shared from choosing to save our friends? You didn’t kill me, Barry. It was my choice. You think you owe me, then find me.”

“…how?”

“I don’t know.”

Barry tried to sit up, but the parking lot of the museum looked even more like Alice in Wonderland as the minutes passed. There were flashing lights and sirens now too. He had to get somewhere safer before the police pulled up.

“Come on, kid. You can see me clearly? Then follow me.”

Barry turned toward Snart, and he was indeed the only clear thing in his vision.

Scrambling to his feet, Barry managed to follow Snart into what he assumed was an alley, sinking back down to await Cisco and Caitlin once Snart nodded that it was safe.

Snart sat beside him, close enough that they would have brushed shoulders if he was solid. “How long?”

“Since the Oculus? Three years.”

“Feels longer. Suppose you’re Mr. West-Allen now?”

“Oh um… no.”

“Savitar got her?”

“We defeated Savitar. She’s alive, it just… didn’t work out.”

“Mm,” Snart hummed in a way that didn’t betray how he felt about that.

Barry looked at him. His face, the dark colors of his outfit, all stood out from the vibrant, almost painful colors of everything else. “You’re really real?”

Snart looked back at him. “Does it matter?”

The sobs Barry had been holding back surfaced again, and his shoulders shook as he tried to speak past how much he started to choke. “I’m… so sorry, Snart.”

For a brief, impossible moment, Snart didn’t try to hide his emotions but looked as sorrowful and pained as Barry. “Me too.”

Cisco and Caitlin eventually found him. He didn’t tell them about Snart. He didn’t know how to explain. But once they’d flushed his system of the gas, that clear image of Snart that had grounded him faded away with everything else.

“Be seeing you, kid.”

It was a hallucination. It had to be.

Right…?

Barry stayed up all night thinking about it, about Snart, and in the morning, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he had to do something.

He needed to get his hands on that gas.

[cyclone-rachel]

@peskyburgers I couldn’t finish it before midnight, and honestly that is my own fault (I’m going to finish the chapter probably later tonight or early tomorrow I promise) but here’s the first part (around 3,569 words) of the musical crossover chapter in Pay the Asking Price!

Querl, Alex, and J’onn stepped through the portal, finding themselves under what looked like a spotlight, on a sort of raised platform in a room that perhaps could’ve been part of the DEO- there were monitors towards the back of the room, chairs- it looked like a room that saw frequent use. But it had a slightly different aesthetic, and there was no question that this was the home of the “Fastest man alive”, who, based on Kara��s description of him and Querl’s own knowledge of heroes of this century, was Barry Allen.

And, appropriately, he was there to greet them, alongside an audience of three others.

“Kara.” Barry said softly, as the three of them approached. “What happened to her?”

“We don’t know.” J’onn said. “But whoever did it has come to this world.”

“Yes.” Querl continued. “And he is looking for you.”

~

Once they had all been introduced to each other (and Querl had confirmed that the others with Barry were Cisco Ramon, Harrison “H.R.” Wells, and Wally West, as he’d thought) J’onn took Kara to the STAR Labs medbay, where Kara was placed on a bed, still lost in her own mind.

“Her vitals are low. How long has she been like this?” Caitlin asked.

“A few hours.” Alex answered.

“Right.” Querl said. “And as I mentioned, the same person who did this to Kara… said that he was going to be looking for the “fastest man alive”- who, as I understand it in your time, is you- Barry Allen. So keeping you safe is our priority, along with finding a way to reverse whatever spell he put on Kara.”

“Who are you, exactly?” Barry asked. “And what do you mean by “your time”?”

Well, the line between what time is my own and what isn’t is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish. It’s a matter of emotional attachments as much as it is of chronology…

 “How much do you know about the future?”

Barry stared.

“I definitely know that there used to be a guy who wanted me dead who was from the future, and got stuck here. Ended up being why I got my powers- called himself the Reverse-Flash.” He said. “How far in the future are we talking, exactly?”

“The thirty-first century.” Querl stated. “Specifically, the year three thousand and six.”

“And you’re from that year.”

“Indeed. I am Brainiac 5- Half-computer, half-organic lifeform, all Coluan, and, not to brag, but a 12th-level intellect. My name is Querl Dox, but the Legionnaires just call me Brainy.”

“The Legionnaires?”

“My friends- like the team you have here.” Querl continued, deactivating his image inducer and showing the team his ring. “I’m a member of a group called the Legion of Super-Heroes, dedicated to promoting peace across the galaxy by bringing together representatives from all over the United Planets and defending it from those who might oppose that peace. We were inspired by Supergirl, as well as Superman, her cousin- and I was one of the first members, before I… got myself stuck on Earth, in the twenty-first century.”

Funny, how easy it was to tell my story to a stranger, he thought. I could have said so to Kara all along, that I did not land here by accident… but now I must only make up for my mistake, and prove that I am truly sorry.

“Hey, I’ve seen that ring before.” Barry said, looking at it closely. “While I was traveling to another Earth myself, last year… guess it was from yours and Kara’s Earth all along.”

“A logical assumption.” Querl answered. “Also, while I have stayed here… Kara and I were in a relationship. But it ended shortly before this happened.”

“Oh!” Caitlin said. “She never mentioned she had a boyfriend.”

“It was a recent development.”

“I tell you what, I know enough not to mention the break-up between Barry and, uh…”

“H.R.”

“Sorry.”

H.R. cleared his throat, and Querl continued.

“Regardless of what is going on with the status of Kara and myself, I do not wish to leave her in this state.” He said. “I will help as much as possible in finding a way to help her return to consciousness.”

Alex laid a gentle hand on his shoulder, as did Caitlin.

“We will get her back, I promise.” Barry said. “And I’m sure we can find a place where you could help.”

The last thing Querl wanted was to lose himself.

He could not afford to imagine a worst-case scenario, a world where Kara’s future did not continue beyond this point, where she was trapped in a mind-prison of someone else’s design and subject to unknown horrors, forced into a coma with no way from him or anyone else other than her captor to bring her back. He did not want to go back to National City, and tell the world that Supergirl was dead to them, tell others that Kara Danvers was gone and never coming back. He did not want to return to the future and inform the Legionnaires of something that was quickly setting in, in history- that their heroine would have a much shorter legacy than she originally had, something that could hardly be considered a legacy at all.

And it would be his fault. He would go down in history as the twelfth-level intellect who let Supergirl fall under the sway of someone who was much more powerful than he looked- someone, perhaps, who had fifth-dimensional powers, or something close to them.

That was something he would have to investigate- if he saw him again, before that being found Barry Allen.

“So, what happened to her?” Iris asked.

“An alien prisoner escaped our custody, he… did something to her, put her in some kind of a coma.” J’onn explained.

“Then he disappeared, we tracked him here and followed.” Alex said.

“Okay, but why would he come to this Earth?”

“As Brainy said before, he’s looking for you.” J’onn said, to Barry. “We don’t know why.”

“Okay, well clearly we’re talking about a breacher here.” Cisco said. Querl admired his confidence, how relaxed he looked now in familiar territory- much like himself, before he traveled to the past. Even with Supergirl in a coma, he knew that if both of them worked together, things were going to be okay, and she would come back to them, and their common enemy would fall at her and Barry’s hands.

It was just up to her, to come back in the first place.

“And if there’s one thing I can do; it’s find breachers.”

It may not be so easy. He seemed to be more than just someone who travels between Earths…

But I should tell him that in person.

So Querl left the room, following Cisco, and as he left J’onn placed a gentle hand on Querl’s back.

Querl got the message, the conflicted feeling that had churned inside him slowly subsiding as he turned away from Kara’s unconscious body and left to get to work.

But the others joined he and Cisco as well, as they entered a room much like the DEO’s command center, with just about as many monitors that Querl could connect to.

“So what else can you tell us about this guy?” Barry asked.

“Not much. It's like he just materialized out of thin air.” J’onn said, and though Querl was not a telepath himself, he had worked with one enough to know that even this man, someone experienced in leadership and used to knowing everything about what he went up against, was unnerved by this threat- as innocent as said threat may have looked- and he could relate.

“You mean, like this clown just did?” Cisco asked, gesturing towards one monitor, that indeed showed the man who had arrived in the DEO earlier that day, near a place that Querl didn’t recognize.

Barry clearly did, and before anyone could remind him that he was supposed to keep himself safe, he was out.

“I’m gonna go.” He said, and J’onn followed.

~

If she wasn’t completely unaware of how she got there, or how she ended up in this dress, at this club, seemingly in an entirely different time period, singing Moon River… Kara would’ve thought she might be living out her dreams.

The only flaw was that, if she could’ve decided, she would’ve wanted her friends and family there to see her sing, and for them to sing with her, or sing their own songs- or whatever else they wanted. But she seemed to be singing to a crowd of strangers.

That is, until she located one familiar face- and at an appropriate time, too.

But she had to finish her song, and she did so, before she got the chance to go backstage again and greet her multiverse-traveling, very fast friend.

~

Once she did return backstage, though, Barry wasted no time, and they met each other in a tight hug.

“Barry!”

“Hey!”

“Barry, it’s you! Thank Rao!”

The tomato sauce?

But he didn’t have time to think about that, before Kara pulled back and asked him, “Wait, it’s really you, right?”

“Yeah. Yeah, this is me, yeah.” Barry said.

“Good.”

“What is- where the hell are we? What's going on?” Barry asked.

“I was hoping you could tell me.” Kara said. “Or maybe explain to me why I just pulled an Audrey Hepburn and sang in a nightclub.”

You were really good. And you look great, in that dress.

She did- it was black and kind of sparkly, and she wore black gloves, with her hair curled perfectly, and multiple earrings… but still, nobody could compare to Iris, for him.

“Maybe we're dreaming?”

“The same dream?”

“Yeah, that's- What's the last thing you remember before you got here?” he asked her.

“I was at the D.E.O.” Kara said, starting to pace around. “They had just brought in an alien prisoner. He got loose, and it was really weird. He had this, um, red-“

“Pocket handkerchief?” Barry guessed.

“Yes!”

“I saw you on my Earth. You were in a coma. Your boyfriend brought you to us.”

Kara stared.

“Brainy?” she asked. “He’s… not my boyfriend, anymore.”

“Then what is he?”

“Complicated. Um… I’m still trying to figure that out. Nothing, right now.”

“Okay then.” Barry said. “Whoever he is said that this guy whammied you- not his exact words- and then he escaped to my Earth, he showed up at Star Labs, I went after him to try and get him to wake you up-“

“And then you got whammied.”

“Yeah.”

“So, where are we?”

“I don’t know. I mean, it could be a parallel dimension, or maybe some elaborate illusion, we just need to figure a way out.”

“I guess I could… click my heels together three times.” Kara said, not entirely seriously.

Barry, meanwhile, looked at her like it could work.

“…Yeah!”

“I was kidding.”

“Okay, all right, well- Come on. Let's-“ Barry started, as they made their way out of the backstage area.

“You're a really good singer, by the way.” He continued.

“Hey, thanks. My sister says I put the "Kara" in "karaoke.””

“Oh yeah, your sister! She brought you here, too.”

“That’s good.” Kara said, heart aching for Alex. She wondered how she was doing now that Kara seemed to be in yet another illusion- just like the Black Mercy, with Kara in a coma that she couldn’t escape from, while Alex was forced to deal with another problem. Kara hoped she was okay, and that she wouldn’t see Alex in this reality, having been “whammied” herself.

But before they could get too deep into any conversation, they ran into someone Barry seemed to recognize.

He kind of reminded Kara of Jack Harkness, in who he looked like, except dressed in a white suit and far more serious.

Whoever he really was, though, he sounded like he knew them too.

“There you are!”

“Merlyn-“

“Who?” Kara asked, at the same time as the mystery man.

“Who?”

“Malcolm Merlyn. Former head of the League of Assassins.” Barry whispered.

“The what of the what?”

“What the hell you talking about, kid? My name's Cutter Moran, I own this club, and both of you work for me.” He said, apparently having heard Barry.

“We what now?”

“I pay you to sing, not pepper me with questions.” Cutter said. “And I hope you got something better in your songbook than what you were belting out up there, blondie.”

“Hey! Don't call me blondie.” Kara protested.

“Hey, look, I don't know who you are-“ Barry started. But he was quickly silenced, as Cutter pulled out a knife and held it dangerously close to his face.

“-Obviously you're someone who's quick with a knife.” He continued.

“You have to excuse my friend. He doesn't think before he talks.”

“Yeah, I had a cousin like that. I had to slit his throat too.” Cutter said, still waving the knife around in a way Kara wasn’t comfortable with, for Barry’s sake.

“Oh.”

“Grady!” Cutter called. “Get these two set up. And nothing I've heard before. I want something original.”

“Barry, I don't have my powers.” Kara whispered. She hadn’t been able to admit it to herself before, but she knew it was true- she felt the same way in this world as she had when she’d stepped onto Slaver’s Moon a few months previous.

“Me neither.” Barry said, as they both waited for whoever this Grady guy was. If he was working for Cutter Moran, though…

It was safe to say that they were each equally cautious.

But thankfully, the person who came up to them was a much more familiar face for Kara, and the tenseness she was feeling almost instantly eased away.

“Winn! Winn, you're here too?” Kara asked, almost giving him a hug, but he put his hands up before she could get close enough to do so.

“Ah! Who's Winn? The name is Grady. I tickle the keys around here.” He said. “Say, you realize how he got the nickname "Cutter," don't you?”

“No.”

“Because he likes to cut people.”

Grady chuckled.

“You ask me; I think he's all talk.” Said another familiar face.

“Cisco!” Barry said, before realizing again that this wasn’t his world, and these really weren’t his and Kara’s friends and enemies by association. “…not Cisco. Hello.”

I pray that, one day, you do not find out how very, very wrong you are, Pablo. Now go do your job.” Grady said.

“All right.” Pablo answered, before Grady left and he turned to Barry and Kara.

“You see, Grady doesn't know this, but one day, I'm gonna be somebody. I'm gonna be somebody, and it's gonna happen right there on that stage. You'll see. I just need my one shot.” He said.

“It's just curiouser and curiouser.” Barry muttered, as Pablo left too.

“Yeah, yeah, it's like "The Wizard of Oz.” Kara said, knowing that they were talking about two completely different stories but going with her own comparison nonetheless.

“Yeah.”

“And you were there, - and you were there-“ Kara continued.

“- Except, it's not really them. They're all playing characters in a-“

“Musical.” Barry and Kara realized at the same time.

Devious, and brilliant.

“Barry, where are we?” she asked, as the two of them stared at each other.

“I don't know.”

The lights came on brighter, suddenly, and Kara and Barry turned to face the guy who’d whammied both of them. He was still wearing his fancy suit, and now standing on the stage, illuminated by the spotlight.

“Well, you know what they say.” He said. “The show must go on!”

“Ah!”

“-The show must go on! Ah, Supergirl, I loved your rendition of "Moon River," such a beautiful song. You were a little flat in places, but I'm willing to let it slide just because you're so cute.”

“Hold on. What did you do to us?

“Oh, nothing much. Just put a little song in your heart.”

Barry scoffed.

“Put a little-Why did you bring us here?”

“I didn't bring you anywhere. We're inside your heads. You created this world. And we got lucky because it could have been a war movie or a a space opera, but thanks to your love of musicals, with the countless times you watched, um, "Wizard of Oz" - with your adoptive parents –“ he said, looking at Kara.

“How did you know that?” Kara asked, even though she had the feeling she wouldn’t find out, as he then turned to Barry.

“And, you, all those rainy nights watching Fred Astaire and Frank Sinatra with Mom. Well, where else would we be?”

“All right, all right.” Kara said, before attempting to punch him.

He disappeared before her fist could connect with any part of him, only for him to reappear right after she pulled her hand back.

“Ooh! Swing and a miss.” He said. “I didn't tell you. I'm not really here. See, I'm out there in the real world. Central City's mine for the taking.”

“Ah. We're gonna stop you.” Barry answered, even if Kara didn’t think he sounded that confident.

“Yeah!”

“You're welcome to try that. If you can get out of here.”

“How do we get out of here?”

“You're in a movie musical. So all you have to do is just follow the-“

“The Yellow Brick Road?” Kara interjected.

“No, the- the script.”

“Oh, yeah. Script.”

“Reach the end of the plot, and, presto chango, you get to go home. One little detail, though, I should mention if you die in here, you die out there.”

“Lovely.” Barry said.

“I've reached my limit with magical creeps.” Kara added, unable to shake the impression that he might be a new incarnation of Mxyzptlk, messing with her life yet again.

“In the meantime, I hope you're both ready to get the rust off those pipes of yours.”

“We're not singing for you!” Kara answered immediately.

“No. Uh, any anymore, I mean.” Barry said.

“Come on, now, maybe just one little - fun opening number just to-“

He took his jacket off, and threw it away, seemingly for no reason.

“Leave your jacket on.” Barry continued, but was ignored.

“-kick things off!”

“Where did it go?”

“Think of your fellow man-“

“Stop that.” Kara said, at the same time Barry said, “It's not happening.”

“Lend him a helping hand-“

“It's not gonna work.”

“We're not singing!”

“Put a little love in your heart…”

The man walked around behind the piano, and as if compelled by magic, Grady began to play, singing along with him- and eventually, Pablo and Cutter joined in, until the whole thing became a full-scale musical number, as Kara and Barry could only watch.

 When it was over, he’d disappeared, and Kara and Barry went to look for him, deciding to follow the script- which happened to involve running into some more gangsters, and Barry getting knocked out.

~

Barry came to with Kara by his side, as they both seemed to be stuck in what looked like a warehouse.

“Barry, are you okay?”

“Oh, please stop yelling.”

“I'm not yelling.” Kara whispered.

“Wait, where are we?”

“I don't know.”

“All right, well, I'm sure everybody at S.T.A.R. Labs is working on getting us out of this.”

“Yeah, I'm glad they brought me to your Earth.”

Kara exhaled.

“Brainy seems like he really cares about you.”

She scoffed, as Barry stared at her.

“Brainy… only cares about himself.” She said. “And keeping his secrets. He lied to me about how he really ended up here- for nine months. And I know it was noble, that he was trying to protect his friends and all by sacrificing his safety for theirs… but I still wish we could’ve been prepared for what he brought with him.”

“Hmm.”

“I can't shake it. I thought it was gonna be something special like what you have with Iris.”

“That is… off track.”

“I'm sorry.” Kara said.

“I asked her to marry me.”

“You did? That's great.” Kara answered, then upon seeing Barry’s face, changed her answer to, “Did she not say yes?”

“Oh, she said yes, but I guess I did it for the wrong reason, and, I mean, I love her, but I was trying to change the future. Then I pushed her away so I could focus on saving her, and it's just a mess now.”

Kara looked up at the ceiling, contemplating her own relationship problems.

“Everything's so simple when I'm running.”

“Or flying.”

“Shut up! Both of you.” Said the man watching them, leaning against a desk with his arms folded.

The man turned out to not be someone Barry knew named Stein, but instead another gangster, who happened to be partners with someone named not Joe West, but rather Digsy Foss. And Kara and Barry, being the heroes that they were- even though in this reality they were only singers for Cutter Moran- ended up agreeing to help find Digsy’s daughter, Millie. Who happened to look a lot like Iris, and had last been seen in Cutter’s place.

After all, there was nothing they could do other than follow the script, and both Kara and Barry agreed that this was where they were going.

That, and it was, as their captors had promised, a matter of life and death.

Specifically, theirs.

~

Pablo ended up taking them to Apartment 4-B, where Millie was staying.

[raywritesthings]

Secret Superhero

My Writing Fandom: Arrow, The Flash Characters: Laurel Lance, Oliver Queen, Barry Allen, Iris West, Team Arrow, Team Flash Pairings: Laurel Lance/Oliver Queen, Barry Allen/Iris West (secondary) Summary: When Oliver and Laurel are unknowingly assigned each other in a joint Team Arrow/Team Flash holiday gift exchange, feelings long-held secret rise to the surface. Notes: This is set in an AU timeline where Laurel was never stabbed, Felicity remained off the team and Oliver never learned Laurel still had feelings for him. The story takes place sometime between the season 6/season 4 crossover event and midseason finales. *Can also be read on my AO3 or FFN, links are in my bio*

Like most years, the holiday season caught Laurel unaware. She’d spent so many years ignoring it that it was something of a habit now. It didn’t help that between her busy schedule and the majority of her friends and family having gone without it, too, she had little reason to bother remembering it. It was always something that occurred to her as she walked down streets lined with lights and wreaths in store windows, and even then it was more of an afterthought.

Except this year, when something entirely unexpected happened.

Their meeting in the base that evening before heading out was interrupted when a streak of lightning entered the room, announcing Barry’s presence. “Hey, guys!”

He wasn’t alone, as he set down the brand-new Mrs. West-Allen. Iris was beaming from ear to ear and wearing a Santa hat. “Sorry if we’re interrupting.”

“That’s okay,” Oliver assured them. “Was there some kind of emergency?”

Laurel hoped not. The last one at Barry and Iris’ first attempt at a wedding had been uncomfortable to say the least, without even getting into the loss of Dr. Stein.

“No, no. Everything’s fine. Actually, Iris and I were talking and we sort of wanted to run an idea by you. For the holidays, kind of the pick up people’s spirits, you know?”

Laurel shared a curious look with Thea before her friend asked, “Sure, what’s the idea?”

“A Secret Superhero. Like a non-denominational Secret Santa,” Iris explained. “We pick names, get each other gifts. It’s a fun way to get to know everyone a little bit better.”

Laurel didn’t see anything wrong with it. Thea was smiling and John was also nodding along.

“It sounds fun,” Curtis, their tech support ever since Felicity had departed the team over a year and a half ago.

“I was thinking just a little get-together at the old farmhouse,” Barry said to Oliver. “Nothing big, we don’t have to make a big deal out of it—”

“Oh, make as big a deal as you want. Ollie loves Christmas,” Laurel said.

“Wait, really?” Barry and Iris looked both stunned and delighted by this information. “I never would have guessed!”

“I- it’s a nice time for friends and family,” Oliver said, his shoulders hunched at the attention he was receiving. Laurel bit her lip. She hadn’t meant to embarrass him. “How do you want to do this, Barry?”

“We figured we’d have you all pick first, then take the remaining names back with us for the team at STAR Labs.” Iris took out a little baggie of paper slips and removed her Santa hat with her other. She dumped the paper into the hat and shook it around, then stepped forward.

“Who would like to go first?”

Thea naturally did, and the hat was passed around in a semicircle from there. Laurel withdrew her own slip and felt her heart give a funny jump when she read the name.

Oliver.

God, she couldn’t even remember the last time she’d gotten him a gift… actually she could, and the memory of standing there on the dock with love bubbling up in her and his kiss on her lips, it nearly stole her breath.

“Okay, Bear, your turn,” Iris said, her voice drawing Laurel out off the reverie. She gave a little shake of the head.

Barry drew his name and Iris drew hers. The couple exchanged a smile before each tucked their slips of paper away.

“Okay, so we’ll be in touch. We’re thinking maybe about two weeks from now?”

Oliver looked up from his paper and nodded. “That’s fine.”

“Okay, great. We’ll see you then!” With that, the West-Allens left the base as quickly as they came.

“Okay! Maybe an early night so people can get started shopping?” Curtis asked after a brief silence.

“We’ve got two weeks, Curtis,” Oliver reminded him.

“Right. Yeah, of course.”

Laurel almost wished they had taken an early night, because her mind just wasn’t in it the rest of that time. She knew that wasn’t good, but she couldn’t help worrying about the gift exchange.

Oliver wasn’t a material kind of guy, at least not since the island. He appreciated gifts that had utility or that had some sort of sentimental value. But what kind of sentiment could she express that didn’t give everything away?

She’d nearly confessed her still-present feelings so many times. The closer they seemed to get the harder it was to keep silent. Reminding herself that all it would do was drag up long-buried history Oliver had decisively buried. No matter what kind of signals she thought she might have been picking up. It was all in her head, or better yet, her heart.

Still she wanted to give him something that had meaning nonetheless. It was what he deserved after all they had been through together.

But what to get for the man who’d had and lost everything? And who meant everything to her?

---

Oliver was well-practiced at hiding his emotions, which allowed him to keep anyone from guessing whose name he might have drawn. On the inside, however? He was a mess.

Laurel, the paper read. Of course.

He still hadn’t told her. Still hadn’t said anything in over a year, had sworn Thea, John, Sara and Ray all to secrecy over the matter. The dream.

His dream. His dream of the life they could have had before the Gambit, before all this, if he hadn’t pushed her away like a fool.

Laurel remained in his life as a friend. She was far too kind to him to even allow that. And now he had been handed the chance, by literal chance, to show just some of the appreciation he felt for her continued presence every day.

If he were truly brave enough, bold enough, he might even show her how he felt. But could he?

It was now or never. If he let this opportunity pass him by… but maybe he should. What would be the point after all these years?

He watched her over the next week. Her gentle smiles, soft touch and compassion never wavered. Neither did her fierce sense of herself and of what was right. Oliver tried to imagine it — that version of Laurel, not just the one in his head, still in love with him. Was it something that could be reality or truly just a dream?

There was one thing that had been in the dream. Something he’d given her. Something he wished he really had given her in their actual lives. So Oliver set to work, all the while knowing he might be setting himself on a collision course with disaster.

The night of the party arrived and their team came into Central on a high-speed train, meeting Barry and others out at the farmhouse. Oliver paced the ground floor as everyone stood around chatting in small groups. He noticed Barry watching him with concern while Iris perched on his lap, but Oliver waved him off. Better that Barry not keep troubling himself with Oliver’s romantic failures; he’d gotten his happy ending.

“Hey, Ollie, I think we’re gonna start,” his sister called to him when he’d been out on the porch for several minutes alone.

“Okay.” He touched the small box in his pocket and squared his shoulders before marching inside.

Laurel sat on the arm of the couch, taking up very little space so as to accommodate the others, he noticed. Her present, a large rectangle — in another life, he might have teased her about bringing a book — rested on her lap. She kept smoothing the wrapping paper down nervously, unconsciously. Oliver wondered who it was for.

“Okay, everyone,” Iris said, walking into the middle of the room. “We’re gonna try to do this in a chain. You get your present, you give your person their present and so on. As the hostess of the festivities, I’ll start us off.” She took a couple steps forward to John who stood up against a wall. “John, this is for you.”

His friend smiled in thanks and unwrapped his gift. It was a toolkit for maintenance and cleaning of guns.

“Oh, this had to be too much.”

“Nope,” Iris informed him with a wide smile. “Dad knows how to get the best deals. I figured you could always use more even if you have your own supply.”

“Well, thank you.” John se this present aside and then picked up the wrapped gift he’d brought. He turned, and for a moment when his eyes met Oliver’s, Oliver thought — “This is for you, Caitlin.”

Oliver breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn’t going yet. He knew he would have to, eventually. But maybe if he just steeled his nerves, he’d be ready.

His in attention caused him to miss a couple exchanges, and so he refocused, wanting to be prepared. Cisco had Thea, Thea had Barry and Barry had Curtis. A new custom-made quiver, a Flash-themed Christmas sweater and some new kind of gadget were all exchanged. On and on things went, the list of people and gifts dwindling. Oliver waited for someone to call his name, to turn to him. It didn’t happen.

“I had Iris,” Wally West said, standing up to hand his sister the package in his hands. She unwrapped a set of fountain pens that wouldn’t have been out of place on Oliver’s mother’s desk and reached out to give her brother a tight hug.

Wally grinned for a moment before looking around. “So what happens now?”

“Who didn’t go?” Asked Cisco.

“Uh, I didn’t,” said Laurel, and it suddenly clicked.

“Neither did I.”

The room seemed to hush as they met eyes across the room. Laurel’s displayed surprise, then happiness and then strangest of all nerves.

“I guess we had each other.”

“I guess so,” said Oliver, his voice needlessly quiet. He cleared his throat. “So, uh—”

“Right.” Laurel stood, and he met her halfway. Oliver nearly dropped the box as he took it from his pocket, but managed to pass it to Laurel without incident. The package she handed him felt like book, but somehow heavier.

“Ooh, open them at the same time!” Caitlin suggested.

Laurel inclined her head as she looked at him, as if asking how he felt about that idea. Oliver nodded, and she turned her attention to peeling back the wrapping paper.

He watched her instead. He couldn’t help himself.

“Looks like jewelry?” He thought he heard Curtis mutter to someone else as the velvet box was revealed.

Laurel opened the jewelry box, her eyes going wide. “Oh.”

“What is it?” This time it was Iris who asked.

“A bird necklace,” Laurel said, turning it around to show the room. It got a couple of appreciative “oohs” from Iris and Caitlin while some of the guys looked at him with raised eyebrows.

“It’s a canary,” Oliver told her. “Cause, you know.” He somehow lost any semblance of a train of thought as she looked up at him with a brilliant smile.

Behind him, there was a gasp as Thea caught sight of the necklace. She came up to his side. “How did you find it?”

So she recognized it. There had always been the chance. The knowing look John was wearing across the room said she wasn’t the only one. Oliver ducked his head. “I, uh, made it.”

“From memory?”

“Wait, sorry, what are we talking about?” Laurel asked.

Beside him, Thea wore a panicked look. “I, um, I meant — maybe you should open your present, Ollie.”

“Yeah,” he agreed quickly, ripping back the wrapping paper with far less care than Laurel had displayed. He realized right away why it had held the shape of a book while feeling heavier. It was a leather-bound photo album.

“I figured in all the moves you’ve had to make, you probably haven’t been able to hold onto many pictures,” Laurel explained. “So I looked through what I had and I asked around.”

Oliver opened the cover and saw his own old baby photo under a plastic covering. Thea’s baby photo was beside it, and two underneath of his mother holding first him as an infant and then the other of his mother holding Thea with him standing by her shoulder. The edge of that one looked slightly singed.

“The fire at the Manor,” Laurel said, seeming to read his confused look. He nodded. Allowing himself one last look at the long-forgotten images, he shut the album.

“Thank you, Laurel.”

“And thank you for this,” she said, taking the necklace out of the box and holding it up in the light. She made to put it on, seeming to have some trouble finding the clasp without being able to see it.

“Here.” He moved behind her, setting his new album on a table for a moment in order to move Laurel’s hair aside to fasten the clasp of the necklace. As his fingers brushed her neck, he thought he saw her shoulders jump and heard a sharp intake of breath. It was agony to force himself to step back, to take his hands away from her. He took the photo album back up between both hands instead. Laurel looked over her shoulder at him, her eyes wide and lips slightly parted.

“Wait, we’re not passing around Oliver’s baby photos?” Cisco asked, earning a round of laughs from the room and breaking the moment of tension between them.

“Nope,” he managed to reply, glancing back once at Laurel before making his retreat. Had he imagined her cheeks turning red or had it simply been a trick of the light?

As the party picked back up he found refuge on the porch swing outside. He hadn’t said what he wanted to, even when Thea had unintentionally given him the opening. Why was he such a coward?

Alone, Oliver opened the album to random pages. His family at the beach house in Coast City. Him and his father, working on an old boat engine. His first day of school, and then a second photo from the first day of the next year. Him and Tommy standing in front of the car in their uniforms with tiny backpacks on their shoulders. There was his senior photo, but not his senior prom. A Christmas photo with his family, too, even when he knew he’d also taken a photo with Laurel that year as their first Christmas together as a couple.

Had those photos just been lost in the fire? But then when another photo surfaced of him and Tommy on the slopes at Aspen from the trip he knew Laurel had come with them on just as he knew what she’d spent her nights there doing with him, he thought he was starting to sense a pattern.

Then he flipped a page and was faced with Thea holding a bow and arrow. He squinted at it, because that couldn’t be right. Thea’s hair was long the way she’d worn it as a teenager and she looked decidedly that age as well.

“Some of those are from your time away.”

Oliver looked up. Laurel had wrapped herself up in a blanket and stood watching him on the porch swing. Wordlessly, he scooted over and she joined him.

She turned the page and pointed to a photo he had never seen before of his mother in a cream-colored dress looking radiantly happy. “Like, um, this was your mother on her and Walter’s wedding day. He was able to find me it in his things.”

She flipped another page and his old friend was smiling up at him with an arm around a young woman probably none of them knew the name of.

“That was Tommy’s twenty-fifth birthday,” Laurel told him.

“Looks like a typical Tommy birthday.”

They both smiled, fond and sad. They'd sat like this going through old photos once before, and he’d kissed her. He hadn’t known then it would be the last time.

Laurel dropped her gaze. “Yeah. There’s, um, one more I wanted to show you myself because, it’s a bit of a story. Samantha gave me a photo to pass along to my dad in case we’d needed to put out a missing poster.”

Oliver felt a lump rise in his throat as Laurel went past several pages with glimpses of John, Roy and even Felicity to reveal a photo of William dressed in his baseball uniform. He hadn’t seen his son since that terrible time on the island. Thank God Laurel and Thea had pulled Samantha back to avoid her getting hurt or something worse, but she had been even more adamant after that that his world and William’s world were never to collide. And he hadn’t blamed her.

Having this now, though, it brought the love and longing he felt for his son back to the surface. Oliver put a hand to his mouth, his shoulders trembling slightly.

“Ollie, I’m sorry.” Laurel’s hand rested on his arm. “I didn’t know if it would be too much, I just—”

“It’s not. I don’t — I didn’t have anything of him. I love it. I do.” He turned and hugged her. In her arms, he finally found the strength to add, “It’s just, there’s something missing.”

Laurel paused, her hand stilling where it had begun rubbing his back. “What’s that?”

“You.”

She pulled back and looked at him. “Well, um, most of the photos I have with us are from when we…”

“I know.”

Laurel searched his face, then touched the canary pendant hanging from her neck. “Ollie, what was Thea talking about earlier?”

He licked his lips and said, “You know when a few of us were captured in that Dominator ship? While we were there, they put us into some kind of illusion. It all looked and felt so real, but it wasn’t. It was… I guess in a way it was all our greatest temptations come to life.”

He looked down at the photo album and flipped back a few pages to a photo of his family. “Mom and dad were alive, Ray was happily engaged, the island had never happened. And you were there, too.”

“Well, what was special about that?”

Oliver hesitated a single moment, then looked up and met her eyes. “We were getting married.”

Laurel clutched the pendant, her eyes wide with shock. Oliver nodded at it.

“That necklace was an engagement present I’d given you. I’m not trying to say it means that here. I know that — one of the hardest parts about leaving that world was coming back and seeing the real you and knowing that could never be us.”

Laurel flinched back. “It can’t?”

Oliver froze, then slowly set the album aside on the bench. He angled himself more towards her. “I didn’t think you could remember being in love with me.”

Laurel’s lips pressed tight together, clearly knowing exactly what he was talking about. Then she said in a voice, carefully light in that way where she was trying to hold back tears, “I thought you were done running after me.”

He closed his eyes. Of all the things he had ever said in anger, perhaps that conversation was one he wished he could take back the most.

“It wasn’t true.”

“It wasn’t true,” she echoed, and he knew she was referring to her own previous declaration of no longer having feelings. Falsehoods they had told each other and perhaps told to themselves to try and keep apart.

He looked at her again. Laurel’s eyes were shining bright in the porch light and her lips were twisted in a funny sort of way as if to hold everything inside. Oliver reached out, but faltered before he made it there.

“In the dream, I told you I didn’t deserve you. I still don’t.”

Her fingers brushed his cheek, guiding him back to face her. She gave a slow shake of the head. “It’s never been about that, Ollie.”

Then she leaned in, her lips soft against his own. Their breath mingled and turned to puffs of steam in the winter night air. The swing rocked as he pulled her closer, deepening the kiss.

She was warm, almost hot to the touch under the blanket, and Oliver couldn’t help grinning when she shivered at the touch of his cold hands. But Laurel determinedly pressed herself to him, one leg sliding over his knee. He seized her around the waist, lifting her onto his lap—

“Hey, we’re taking a picture! Oh,” Barry added in the doorway as they both turned their faces to look at him. “Uh, my bad.”

“That’s okay, Barry,” Laurel spoke for them, which was probably good since Oliver was inclined towards growling in annoyance at the moment. “We’ll be inside in a minute.”

“Yeah, sure. Take your time.” The speedster didn’t tap into his powers to leave, but he suspected it was a near thing.

Oliver sighed and prepared to get up, only for Laurel to turn back around in his lap and kiss him again soundly. “What? He said take our time.”

The photo of their joint teams was a crowded affair, but it was easiest to pick out him and Laurel. His jacket collar was rumpled, her hair a little mussed, and both of them had their arms around each other with wide smiles while the light glinted off her canary necklace.

It was the first of many new additions to his album.