#i am not normally a big birthday celebrator but c'mon man. it's the big three-oh

[openphrase123]

chat i have five hours left of my twenties what do i do with it. nevermind i need to finish tomorrow's four eyes chapter that's what i'm doing

[k-kizkhalifa]

It’s A Big Deal

A/n: You already know. It's the bae's birthday - how else could I celebrate?Warnings: None. It's a birthday fic! Word Count: 3690

Draco stirred from his peaceful dream waking to find that not only was he alone, which wasn't all too unusual but still a bit of a let down but that there was a card floating above his head. He looked up seeing the cause of his waking, the card suspended above his head tapping his forehead, reaching up he picked it from the air and opened it, Happy Birthday Draco!

It wasn't signed and that alone made Draco a little nervous in the fact that it was just there, holding it to his chest he stood up from the bed with a small stretch and headed to the bathroom and yet another thing out of place. A card was stuck to the mirror, he paused looking at it before pulling it off and opening it to read, Happy Birthday Draco! scrawled across the otherwise blank card. On the front just like the other was a cake this cake had two candles. Other than that no difference.

He stared in shock laying the both of them on the counter before starting his morning ritual; stripping, using the bathroom, brushing his teeth, washing his face and then it was time for the shower. He pulled the curtain back and gasped. There plastered to the black shower tile of the wall was another card. A cake on the front with three candles, and inside? Happy Birthday Draco! was scrawled.

Now he was alarmed, who the fuck? He looked around slowly and walked out of the bathroom with the cards in one hand and his wand, which he grabbed from the bedside table, in the other at the ready. On top of the dresser was a card propped open with four candles, the same message inside. Then another was in front of his half opened closet on the ground which he bent down and picked up slowly - five candles on the front. He hurried through the bedroom door checking the hallway before hurrying down the stairs no card in sight but as he stepped into the kitchen on the counter next to the coffee maker was a card with six candles, Happy Birthday Draco! scrawled across the blank inside.

What the fuck... He thought carrying all six cards in his hand, pausing a moment to think back to last night. He had gone out for drinks with Pansy and Blaise after work. He had an extremely stressful case and was looking to unwind but he could remember all of last night, he wasn't drunk nor had anyone come home with him he was a little old for one nights stands, anyway. Probably Pansy. He decided with a sigh, and sat the cards down on the island before hurrying up the stairs to finish getting ready.

Upon leaving his house he walked the short distance to his favorite cafe, he went there every morning and got a muffin. A cinnamon crumble muffin, with a tall hot tea.

"Good morning, Mr. Malfoy!" He was greeted, as he was every morning, except this time his order was already being collected and handed to him, "already paid for." The girl behind the counter explained, "and here is this." She smiled a wide smiling passing him a card with nine candles on it, he had found seven tucked into his robes and eight on top of his brief case. "Happy Birthday, Mr. Malfoy," she smiled as he stared blankly at her taking the card.

"Uh... Camille, who was it?"

"I can't say Mr. Malfoy," she grinned widely and turned to help another customer as Draco opened the card.

Happy Birthday Draco! was scrawled but below it was another message, leave the poor girl alone.

He sighed in annoyance, he didn't even recognize the hand writing but he didn't have time to dwell he was running a bit behind schedule having been thrown off by the strange morning and hurried to leave, apparating to the Ministry. He had a feeling he knew how many cards there was going to be and he had a feeling he didn't want that many cards. He was turning 37 and at the rate this was going there was going to be 37 of them.

Sure enough as soon as he appeared, walking through the doors the girls at directory waved to him excitedly calling out a "Happy Birthday!" and one ran up with a card, ten candles.

Draco sighed, "thank you." It's going to be a long day.

He wasn't really excited about turning 37 after all, who would be? He was getting older, granted he didn't really look it he might have been starting to feel it. He married his job, had no time for close friends and was not in a relationship. He hadn't been in one since Astoria and him tried dating and he realized it wasn't for him. So here he was 37 with no child, no marriage and if he was being honest, no interest. Or at least partially honest, but the one in question was on the rocks with their own relationship and it just wouldn't work. They weren't meant to be together.

He collected five more cards by the time he made it to his desk. Card 11 was on the lift to 2nd floor, card 12 from the front desk secretary of Magical Law Enforcement, 13 his own secretary, 14 on the the coat rack he hung his robes and 15 placed neatly on his desk when he sat down.

A knock on his door pulled him from his thoughts and he looked up to see Pansy peeking her head in, "Drakey! Oh, happy birthday!" She called excitedly as she shut the door behind her and leaned forward kissing him once she got to his side.

"Pansy," he greeted crossing his legs, "did you happen to set up a birthday card thing?"

"No," she chuckled, "but since you asked..." She paused and handed him a card with 16 candles, "and before you ask, no I am not telling you who it is."

Draco groaned, "there is going to be 37 aren't there?"

Pansy smiled and sat across from him with her breakfast, "c'mon breakfast time."

But Draco wasn't really hungry this morning, part of him felt a little bit of excitement as it grew and he kinda just wanted to get out of the office and start looking for more cards. He couldn't remember the last time anyone made a big deal about his birthday. Well, he could actually he was 14. After 5th Year it all went kinda down hill, but he refrained from looking and realized it was for the best because Blaise had 17 when he stopped in to say Happy Birthday before going on to his department and Greg had 18 when he stopped in.

18 cards before 10AM and Draco knew he had the whole day to look forward to this. His annoyance was quickly changing to excitement almost expectancy each time someone walked into his office he expected them to turn around and give him a card and small smile.

He was working on finishing his report from last night when he got card 19, the Minister herself was ducking into his office with a small smile, "Draco, happy birthday." She started with a smile, "and a card." She added stepping forward to give it to him. "I would stay to chat but I have to get on, I wanted to stop by and give you that. I'll see you tonight at dinner." She added before leaving in just as much as a hurry as she entered in.

Dinner? Oh yeah... He forgot Blaise and Greg had made plans with the whole Auror department and a few others through out the Ministry for tonight, a birthday dinner. So, this isn't related to that...? He thought curiously but quickly set back to his reporting wanting to finish it before lunch.

When it was time for lunch the man was hungry, since he hadn't ate much of his breakfast and headed out with the report in hand just a little earlier than his normal time, only a few minutes or so, and he ran into Ron at the door. "Oi! Malfoy!" The red-head smiled, "happy birthday, it looks like I caught you just in time!" He said excitedly smiling at the blonde, who blinked and stepped back.

"I was going to drop this report off to Potter," he explained, "then to lunch."

"I was just coming by to grab you for lunch," Ron smiled, "I'll walk with you."

Draco shrugged, and the two headed down the hallway to Harry's office. Draco was listening to Ron talk about the case they had gone on last night, the aftermath of it at least. He hadn't stuck around after he was finished with his stuff because he was tired but it sounded as if Ron had. The two worked a lot of cases together ever since Harry had been awarded the promotion and had soon been able to tolerate each other.

Where Ron saw that Draco had in fact changed and was a better person, Draco had saw that Ron wasn't the worst type of person ever. Close to the best and he was happy to call the man - at the least - a work friend. They hadn't ever gone out alone for drinks or anything but they also hadn't spewed hateful words at each other for years.

Now at Harry's office Draco handed the report to his secretary who smiled and handed him a card with 20 candles and Happy Birthday Draco! scrawled across the card.

"Thanks," he muttered putting it in his pocket then looked at Ron, "lunch, then?"

"Sure," Ron nodded leading the way down to the cafeteria and in the cafeteria was greeted with more cards.

21 was on top of a salad box, Draco always got salad, 22 was wrapped around a bottle of Draco's favorite fizz drink and 23 tucked behind a bag of his favorite candies and 24? Came from the cashier who explained it was paid for and to have a happy birthday!

Draco sighed quietly, "it's never ending."

Ron laughed, his face a bit red, "I have 25."

"I figured as much," Draco admitted and took the card from Rom who was laughing now.

"You're too predictable, made the job semi-easy for them."

"Who is it?"

"Mum's the word!" Ron shook his head, and took a drink the two settling into their lunch now soon to be joined by Blaise and Pansy and Draco forgot about the cards for at least a short moment as they planned the after dinner activities.

"Guys, honestly, I'm just turning 37. Okay?" He sighed shaking his head, "I'll want to go home and go to bed."

"Not dead yet are ya Malfoy?" Harry's voice drifted from behind and Draco turned around quickly trying to ignore the way his cheeks flushed. Harry was grinning and reached out pulling up a chair to sit next to him, joining the others with his own lunch.

"Still here to bother you, Potter." Draco started, "if you think I'm going before you, you're mistaken."

Harry laughed, his head falling back slightly with the laughter, "well.. better hold on then. 37 isn't old, we'll go dancing or something."

"Dancing?" Draco wouldn't admit he liked the idea but he did, he liked it very much, "I didn't know you could dance, Potter."

"Oh, I'm shit at it," Harry smiled, "but... well, I'll get drunk." He winked and Draco chuckled trying to disguise the noise he made when Harry winked at him, glancing away.

"So, dancing then?" Blaise asked, interrupting their awkward conversation.

"Dancing," Harry nodded and opened his lunch taking a bite of the pizza.

"Hermione will love that," Ron chimed in, "she always wants to go dancing."

"There," Pansy grinned, "we'll have fun, I'll let everyone know."

"Who all is everyone?" Draco pipped up, the only thing he knew for sure was the dinner (and now dancing) the rest had been kept quiet.

"You'll just have to see, won't you?" Pansy's grin grew and then she stood, "anyway I got to go, got people to Obliviate or whatever it is I even do in there."

Draco rolled his eyes as she flounced away, "why does she pretend we all don't know what goes in the Department on Mysteries?"

"Probably habit," Blaise shrugged.

"We all work at the Ministry!" Draco laughed, "she's just dramatic."

"That is true," Blaise agreed before standing as well, "well, I'm off to finalize a few trades or... whatever it is I do in Magical Cooperation!" He called in a falsetto voice and left much the same way Pansy.

Draco rolled his eyes picking up his uneaten lunch, "I hate today," he growled before stalking away from the other two.

He found card 27 before 26 but neither had a pressing message besides, Happy Birthday Draco! One was stuck to the inside of his file cabinet and the other to the inside of his drawer that he put his candy in. And while taking his afternoon walk, stretching his legs he found 28 in the 3rd floor bathroom, 29 on the 6th floor - it was given to him when he walked by the Portkey Office stopping to say hello to a friend he had made there and to make sure they knew about dinner, he wasn't sure if Blaise and Greg knew all of his friends. But they did, it seemed.

When he got back to his office he was sent on a small case with one of the juniors, to train him only when they got back that junior had a card as well. Putting him at 30.

7 more. Draco thought, his excitement had curbed and he was ready to just go home. The more cards he got the more he realized he was getting older and on top of that no one would tell him anything. He didn't like being out of the loop. He liked knowing things, and this Draco did not know. He wanted to know.

31 was delivered by a delivery man with a set of flowers from his mother, oh great, she's in on this too? He thought, a little bit shocked, and 32 was given to him by Teddy when his cousin came for a surprise visit showing off his, now, long time girlfriend Victoria who smiled and hugged him giving him 33.

"Figured it out yet?" Teddy asked as they stood to leave, their visit had been longer than the rest because they weren't able to make it to dinner.

"No, I haven't." Draco sighed, "but only four more, dinner and I think I'll be able to get out of dancing."

Victoria laughed quietly, "aw, Draco, they just want to let you know you're appreciated."

"I guess," he shrugged, "I just don't want to go out is all, I'd rather have had my closest friends come over for a quiet night in is all."

Teddy smiled, "you always do stuff like that, they wanted to change it up. Happy birthday, either way Draco and try to enjoy yourself tonight."

"Thank you," Draco showed them out stopping on his way back up to get a coffee who, to no surprise, also had a card and stating the coffee had already been paid for. "How did they know?"

The man serving him shrugged, "said you were predictable, a man of habit. You always get a coffee between 3 and 3:30."

Draco chuckled, "well, touche." He opened the card, shocked to see it said more than the others, Happy Birthday Draco! Predictability isn't a bad thing, it means you're reliable.

He couldn't help but smile and tucked the card into his pocket, he only a had a few more hours and a few more hours meant the day was almost over. Taking his time to enjoy his coffee and no one handing him cards saying, "Happy birthday Draco!" he relaxed in the middle of the food court, before being called on to a case which was the rest of his day. Pretty uneventful just a few minor cases he went on with Ron and after their third case it was time to go.

"I'm gonna take a shower," Draco told Ron as he passed by the Auror changing room, "then I'll meet you all."

"Alright," Ron nodded, "I'll let them know, don't be too long."

"I'll try," he smirked and hurried in. It would have been an understatement to say he was shocked to find card 34 tucked into his shower caddie when he reached for his shampoo. He opened it with wet fingers and read, Happy Birthday Draco! I know you too well. Laughing quietly he put it back in the shower caddie and finished up, while changing he found card 35 tucked into change of clothing that was in his locker.

I'll kiss whoever is doing this, he thought suddenly when he pulled it open. He had no idea anyone could know him so well, he had no idea someone like that existed. At least for him, and it made his heart flutter at the thought of it. He meant it, when he thought that, he realized as he read card 35, Happy Birthday Draco! Hurry now, we're waiting.

He changed and did just that, hurried, not even bothering to finish drying his hair before he walked through the Ministry to get outside so he could apparate to the restaurant they would be dinning at.

No one was waiting for him, which he found was intended because the hostess had a card for him as well. 36 dancing candles on top of the cake almost filling it, save the one at the very top. "Mr. Malfoy, I presume?" She asked with a raised eyebrow when he approached.

"Yes."

"Happy birthday, Mr. Malfoy, they're waiting," she added once she passed him the card and he followed not opening it to read it because he didn't want to keep them waiting any longer. He was escorted to the back of the place, to a room that he soon would find housed many more guest then he had thought.

Friends he had made from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons, the ones he had kept in contact with and some of his friends he had studied potions with in France before he decided to become an Auror. And all of his friends from the Ministry. They were all there, smiling at him when he stepped in looking at him from the larger than life table.

No one made a move to come forward to confess it was them who had planned the whole thing, and Draco had soon forgotten about trying to figure out who it was as he caught up with everyone. Some of the people he hadn't seen in such a long time, like his school friends and had only shared correspondence with them over the years. His excitement was growing, he was losing his attitude from earlier that day and was laughing, joking, enjoying a few glasses of champagne with everyone all through dinner.

He hadn't even realized Harry had moved to his right until it was time for dessert and the man called everyone to attention, "alright everyone! We have a larger than life cake that is about to come through those doors, so make sure you eat as much as you'd like," he was started, "it is Draco's favorite cake, so if you don't like it piss off." He was saying and all Draco could really focus on was the fact Harry called him Draco.

It was like it all clicked.

Who else would do something like this? For a guy like him? No one, not a single person besides Harry James Potter. The man who forgave everyone, the man who was good to everyone, the man who was... who was Harry Potter. He felt a set of tears come over him and fought to hold them back, he couldn't believe it.

No one made a big deal about his birthday and when he told Harry about that last year while the two were out on a mission crammed behind a warehouse full of crates he didn't think anything about it. They were talking about the fact Harry's birthday was fast approaching and Draco mentioned that no one had even noticed his birthday the month before. He didn't mean it hatefully, it was just a fact. But Harry took it to heart, took it hard and here he was making up for 37 years of it it seemed.

Draco stood abruptly look at the other man, "it was you?"

Harry's grin grew, "Happy Birthday Draco." He spoke softly, quietly and made a turn to the doors as they were opened to show a white cake covered in lemon icing coming towards them, Draco looked at it a moment then back to Harry who was now holding a card out.

But instead of taking the card, he grabbed Harry. Pushing their lips together in a quick kiss and clinging to the man tightly, who only wrapped his arms around him as well.

Happy Birthday Draco! You deserve it all. ~

A/n: I won't lie it isn't my favorite work but I wanted to get it out tonight. I had to work all day - so sorry for the lack of the story. But I thought it was cute. Silly 'ole, sweet Harry Potter. Happy birthday Draco. ;)

~kiz

[hopefullybarry]

Alphabet Game

This is very long so click the read more!!

A— Arguments:

When Barry's angry he tends to shut everyone around him out. After a squabble with you, he'd storm out to clear his mind, allowing both of you a good amount of time to calm down before he returns and you two can actually talk things through.

We all also know that Barry is a crier so it's highly possible that he would break down into tears when either he or you try to apologize. But the night would definitely end with some I'm sorry cuddles or some makeup sex.

B— Birthdays!:

For his birthday, he wouldn't want to do much besides maybe celebrate with you, Cisco, Cait, Iris and Joe but you'd make sure to fit some alone time in at some point, whether that be in the morning:

"C'mon, Barry, wake up." You gently shook him awake but he tended to be grumpy in the morning so he wasn't willing to wake up just yet. "It's your birthday, baby!"

"If it's my birthday then let me sleep for another half hour," Lightning fast, he had you pinned under his arm as his head rested on your chest. "We can do whatever you want to celebrate today just let me sleep a lil' longer..."

Or at night:

He's usually a bit more worn out from his day at night but you'll usually still be able to wiggle some time in there with him—and it normally wouldn't take too much to convince him of this.

"So tired," he sighed as he plopped down on the couch. His eyes fluttered shut but you weren't going to let him escape that easily.

You were quick to sit down beside him, tugging the blanket off the back the back of the couch and covering you both with it.

"Well you've got one more gift before you can go to bed." You smiled, cuddling next to him.

"Oh yeah?" He cracked an eye open to peer at you with a smirk on his face. "What's my final gift then?"

"You gotta guess, Barry. I can't make it that easy for you..."

C— Cooking:

Keep Barry out of the kitchen at all costs. There's a good reason why his main source of nutrition comes from Big Belly Burger and pizza. Barry and cooking do not mix since he tends to over think things, causing him to start another task and eventually forgot about the previous one. You've lost count of how many times the fire alarm has gone off at three a.m. when Barry wanted to make a midnight snack (though it was closer to a full blown meal than a snack but he blames that on his metabolism).

"Sit," You stated, threatening him with the wave of your spatula in an attempt to keep him away. "I am making dinner and if you want to help then you can sit right there and look pretty for me."

With a huff, Barry complies and sits down at the counter, eyeing the ingredients in front of him and pondering if you'd notice if he snagged a few of them here and there.

"Y'know, I'm feeling pretty objectified right now..." he mutters.

D— Duets:

Barry liked to sing. Sure, he would never sing in front of people without reason, but if he was alone and felt the need to sing then there was no holding him back.

And, admit it, everyone knows he has a beautiful singing voice so there might have been a few times here and there where you nearly bullied him into singing for you.

In this case, though, the stars must have aligned in your favor.

It was your day off so you decided to visit Barry at work (Captain Singh loved you so he really wouldn't mind if you popped in to visit Barry quickly).

The elevator dinged once it reached the top floor and you gripped the box of pizza you had kindly brought for his lunch. Then the sound echoed down the hallway and made you come to a halt.

Was that...? No, it couldn't be. Barry didn't seem like the type to love a Disney Channel Original movie.

That theory was quickly disproved when you heard his voice.

"Livin' in my own world," You peeked around the corner to see Barry analyzing some sort of evidence while on his laptop played the Start of Something New from High School Musical. "Didn't understand. That anything could happen," His voice was smooth and relatively quiet though it reverberated off the walls of his lab. "When you take a chance."

A part of you wished to stay silent and listen to him sing while the other part urged you to speak up and sing Gabriella's part since this was a duet song after all. In the end, the latter won and you stepped into his lab.

"I never believed in," Barry's head snapped up at your entrance, eyes wide and cheeks blushing upon being caught. "What I couldn't see."

A smile instantly etched its way onto Barry's face which was apparently contagious seeing as it spread to you.

So the song went on. Each of you singing your parts until the song came to an end.

Barry let out a quiet laugh. "Well that was definitely quite the entrance there."

E— Envy/Jealousy:

God, was he jealous. He hadn't yet found to courage to ask you out but he already felt so fond of you so he couldn't help the jealousy bubbling up inside of him. Besides, he was definitely planning to ask you out soon and that had to count for something.

Cisco suggested that everyone (meaning himself, Barry, Caitlin, Iris, Wally and even Jesse) go to the nightclub to unwind but he didn't warn Barry that the other regulars here were so pushy.

Within ten minutes of arriving, before everyone parted their ways, you and Caitlin had already received free drinks from men (who Barry swore looked like they were old enough to be your fathers) attempting to hit on you.

What's worse was the fact that you two were actually humoring them by talking to them.

He could feel his stomach twist at the mere sight of you talking with him. Maybe he was overanalyzing the way you were staring that the tall, blond man. There was no way you'd fall for someone like that man.

"You okay, man?" Cisco nudged Barry's shoulder to grab his attention.

Barry snapped back to reality with a frown etched onto his face. "Yeah... yeah I'm good."

In his mind, Barry was comparing himself with this mystery man. Barry easily had a few inches on him, and he was slightly broader in comparison. All in all, Barry thought he beat this man in nearly every category. But there was one thing that this man had that Barry didn't: you staring at him with the stars in your eyes, your attention focused on him and nothing else.

F— Family:

Your family adored Barry. Your mother in particular would always pester you to bring him over for dinner.

Barry had nearly your whole family smitten with him right from the start but the only ones he had to work on were your father and older brother.

They were both nervous because this was the first boy you'd introduced to them. And after Barry's awkwardness faded away a bit, then they were able to see that he's a total sweetheart and their acceptance slowly formed.

His family, Iris, Joe and Wally, on the other hand took a total different approach.

While your family adored Barry, Barry's family instantly made you apart of theirs. Iris specifically cherished you.

She was constantly surrounded by boys so it was nice to be able to steal you away from Barry for a day here and there.

Barry sped to the door after hearing it ring. He was slightly shocked to see you standing on the other side patiently waiting.

"Hey doll..." He trailed off, wondering if you two had planned a date that he had forgotten. "Not that I'm upset that you're here or anything but did we...?"

"Y/n!" The exclamation echoed down the stairs, followed by the click of heels. "You're early!"

It took a moment for it too click for Barry but he wouldn't deny that he was relieved to find out he hadn't forgotten anything important. Though he was a bit disappointed that he wouldn't be able to enjoy your company now.

"Yeah," you chirped, grinning at Barry's confused reaction as Iris snuck past him. "Thought I could spend a few minutes with Barry while you finished getting ready."

"Well it's a good thing I was done early then so you don't have to wait and spend time with that loser." She smiled as she grabbed your hand and dragged you back down the steps and towards your car.

"See you later, Barry!" You called out while he could still hear you before Iris dragged you out of earshot.

G— Growing Up Together:

You, Barry and Iris were like the golden trio. Always together no matter where you went. It was rare if you were even seen without at least one of them by your side.

That is until you were forced to move away freshman year due to your father's job transfer.

No one would have ever thought the three of you would fall out of touch but, low and behold, it could happen.

Returning back to Central City after college, you weren't expecting much. But you were instantly bombarded with the nostalgia that being back home gave you. But something was missing.

Never before had you walked these streets alone. And everything felt slightly off.

"No way," Barry muttered as he changed back to his normal apparel in a dimly lit alleyway. He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw this girl across the street kicking rocks as she walked. "Y/n?" He instantly shouted, carelessly crossing the road without checking for oncoming traffic.

And if the call of your name didn't capture your attention, the multiple car horns as well as Barry apologizing definitely did.

"This is like seeing a ghost," Barry joked.

You paused to take in his appearance. You couldn't believe how tall your Barry had become. Especially since you would relentlessly tease him for the 2 1/2 inches you had on him. Now it seemed like he had nearly 5 inches on you.

He grew up so nicely and you couldn't help but note just how attractive he had become. Had anyone else noticed this?

"What brings you back to Central City? Thought National City had swallowed you up," he asked.

"Don't really have a reason in particular for my return. Just missed it here I guess..."

Barry smiled at you. He was already planning to monopolize all your time and catch you up with absolutely everything that had happened.

"Well then it's a good thing that we've missed you here then..."

H— Heroic Downsides:

Dating a superhero seemed like a fantasy within itself. But, within that fantasy, the countless struggles you would face because of it were never mentioned.

It made it seem like it was all sunshine and daisies but it was really much stormier than that.

There was the constant worrying that took hold of you anytime he zoomed off to face danger head on. There was the fear that someone may try to kidnap you and use you as leverage to get Barry to surrender (luckily you hadn't become a victim of this yet). As well as the little voice in the back of your mind that never failed to whisper to you everything Barry ran off that "There's a chance he might never come back and you'll never see him again."

Both Caitlin and Cisco have been victimized because of their association with The Flash which partially the reason you were so nervous about a relationship with Barry.

Sure, he was a sweet guy but you were aware of his "secret" identity prior to your relationship but you had to weigh all the products that a relationship would result in first. It was always a concern of both of yours that somehow you would get tangled up in his job but Barry was quick to reassure you that he wouldn't let it get that far.

Another downside would be the unpredictable schedule. You want to nap together? Nope, there's a bank robbery that needs The Flash. Dinner at a fancy restaurant for two may end up being dinner for one while Barry stops a meta interfering at the train station. Night out? More like night inside with Netflix since Barry's in Star City tracking a new case.

But, in the end, all of these are trivial as long as Barry's still yours at the end of the day and both of you are safe and well.

I— Ignorance is Bliss:

The fact that you two had been dating for nearly four months and Barry was still hiding his identity for you was beginning to eat him alive.

What kind of relationship left out a key part of their life and succeeded? None of them.

He had to tell you. He knew this but he just didn't know how to.

"I just need to know if telling her is the right decision." Barry said to Caitlin, hoping to get a woman's perspective on this whole affair.

"Honestly," Caitlin started. "I think she deserves to know, Bare. All she's ever done is support and love you and if you're worried she'll take this badly than I think you're way off. Sure, she might be upset you kept this from her for so long but there's no way she'd hold it against you forever."

Silence filled the room as Barry contemplated everything Cait had said. She was relatively close to you even before you started to date Barry so he believed everything she said.

"She loves you so much, Barry, and she deserves to know what you're doing in your free time."

J— Jokes:

"Oh I got one!"

You sighed and buried your head deeper into Barry's neck, wishing more than anything that he would just go back to bed on this rainy Sunday morning.

"A neutron walked into a bar and asked, 'How much for a drink?' The bartender replied, 'For you, no charge.' He giggled at his own joke while you repressed a smile at his stupid sense of humor.

Minutes passed and you nearly assumed he fell back asleep. That is until he spoke up again. "Hey, y/n, did you hear about the man who got cooled to absolute zero? Don't worry though. He's 0K now."

What a dork.

K— Kids:

While you and Barry never specifically talked about kids, he knew he definitely wanted them. He treasured the thought of little ones running around the place. Mini versions of you and him tended to cloud his memory from time to time, more specifically those times late at night when he couldn't sleep well, the future tended to drift to the forefront of his mind.

He knew that there was a large possibility that those children would end up being speedsters but he appreciated that he had experience with it so that he'd be able to train them to become even better than he is.

Just the thought of one or preferably more children running around the house and causing a ruckus will always lighten Barry's mood, no matter what events had taken place that day.

He had also long ago decided that he wanted those kids to be with you rather than anyone else. It had to be you because then there was no doubt that those kids would be the best kids in the world.

What he really needed to know was your thoughts on the topic.

L— Little Things:

Barry wasn't necessarily the most romantic person in the world but there were little things that he repeatedly did that would warm your heart.

On days where he would leave before you woke up, he'd leave a scribbled post it notes for you to find.

It's usually an inspirational quote he probably found on Pinterest such as You make the world a brighter place, or, You're stronger than you think, and finally, Don't just fly, soar.

Other times it was notes of his affection towards you. Such as, I love you a latte (with a poorly drawn cup of coffee above it), or, I'll be thinking about you all day long...

He was a giant nerd but he was definitely a cute, thoughtful nerd.

M— Mistakes:

Flashpoint seemed great in theory. Barry had his parents—both of his parents together happy and healthy. Everything seemed so perfect.

The unexpected factor in all of this was you. He never expected that this Barry would have a girlfriend (especially one who was as drop dead gorgeous).

At first, he was uncomfortable with the fact that this girl whom Barry didn't know anything about was so close and comfortable with him. But after a week or so it was clear to him why this world's Barry was so in love with you.

At the start, he was convinced that he felt the effects of the previous Barry's feelings for you since how could he possibly be so fond of a girl he knew nothing about?

However, within months Barry felt like he was on cloud nine. He had his parents and his dream girl. That is until Kid Flash and The Rival started and Barry's new world flipped upside down.

He had to change the timeline back. Without even the opportunity to say goodbye to both his parents and you, he was off.

Upon returning to the previous timeline, Barry spent the first week searching for you. But with every new lead, he met a dead end. This however wouldn't last long seeing as he stumbled upon you in the most unlikely place.

Barry was talking with Joe at his office desk when the elevator dinged. Normally he wouldn't pay it any mind but it was the shout of his name from the women who exited the elevator that really captured his attention.

"Barry!"

His head whipped around and he saw her. He saw you. There you were clutching a got bag from Big Belly Burger as you came to him with a grin on his face.

"Can you bring this up to Julian? I promised I'd bring him lunch but there was such a long line I don't have time to bring it to him let alone share it with him. You can have my portion, I can't eat it anyways." You handed the bag of greasy, fast food to Barry with a big grin on your face.

And Barry couldn't be more confused.

He had found you. Well, actually, you had found him. And you were asking for Julian?

"Allen," Julian's voice resounded through the station as he descended the stairs. "I'd appreciate it if you could go check the results of the blood samples I collected from the crime scene while I enjoy my break with y/n." His voice was very monotonous as he wrapped his arm around your shoulder.

Barry didn't realize that he was glaring at Julian as he held you like you were his own. What did he think he was doing with you?

"I can't, babe," you sighed. "I've gotta get back to the office. I'll make it up to you later, I swear." You playfully pouted, giggling when Julian leaned down to kiss that pout away.

Barry stood there like a deer in headlights as he swore he felt his heart break at the sight of you two together.

"Alright, off ya go before I change my mind and keep you here to myself." Julian ordered, pecking your lips once more before he released you.

"Okay," You smiled at the two of them. "Play nice, boys."

What had Barry done?

N— Nicknames:

"C'mon, bunny," Barry says, supporting your weight in your inebriated state. "Gotta get you home before another dance off starts." He tried his best to convince you to escape from the loud crowded room but it was clear that you had had one too many drinks and were nowhere near ready to return home.

"Bare," You whined, digging your feet into the carpet to stop this surprisingly strong speedster from pulling you along behind him. "Don't bunny me because you wanna sweeten me up. You promised me a night out so you're not gonna cop out early. You're not about t'soften me up with your cute nicknames."

"Oh yeah?" He inquired. "Think you're gonna be the one to win this battle, sweetheart?"

"Oh shut up, Allen. M'not fallin' for you and your dirty tricks." You managed to escape his grasp while he was distracted and he had to jog to catch up with you and keep you in his line of vision before he lost you entirely (only to find you later on in being the center of attention in a dance battle—it's happened nearly every time you two went out and Barry wasn't there to keep you in check).

Barry should've known it would take more than that to win a battle with drunk you.

"C'mon, doll," he said, grasping your hand to pull you to a halt before he lost you in the sea of people. "If we go home now then I promise we can cuddle with Marshmallow and watch the newest season of Top Chef." He definitely knew all the right things to say to get his way. Especially by adding cuddles with your white, fluffy cat into the mix. "You know you want to, angel."

He was right. You'd been bugging him for weeks to watch the newest season with you and now here he was offering it up. "Fine," You huffed, nearly jumping into his arms. "Take me home, loser!"

O— One More:

"Don't go," Barry mumbled, clutching onto you tighter so you couldn't escape from his kisses.

"Bare," you sighed, weak to the scattered kisses his was showering you with. "I should really leave before everyone wakes up. I really don't need Joe to catch me doing the walk of shame."

"Ten more minutes." Barry ignored your plea, a boyish grin on his face as he pressed his lips to yours.

You shook your head, determined not to fall into his charming trap again (since one of those traps is the whole reason you were now facing the walk of shame). It took quite some effort but you had somehow managed to pry a clingy Barry Allen off of you and begin your search for clothes.

"I'm not leaving this bed 'til you give me a kiss." He pouted, his shirtless figure in clear view since he had pushed the comforter down a bit. "And 'm also not gonna let you go anywhere either," he added.

"Really?" You implored, silently wondering if you'd be able to resist him if you gave into him now. He seemed to have this effect of you that always managed to bend you to his will and make you do whatever he wanted.

"Yep, until your get your butt over here and kiss me, I'm not allowing you to go anywhere. So you might wanna hurry up if you plan on sneaking out before anyone catches you."

It was clear that once this speedster set his mind to anything, that's the way it went. So there was no way you were going to escape his bedroom without giving into him. You huffed loudly as you climbed onto him, straddling his lap.

"Much better," he smiled, leaning forward to press his lips hungrily against yours.

This activity probably continued for a good ten minutes before you heard the shower turn on and that was enough to burst your little bubble and alert you that someone else was awake in the house.

As you regretfully pulled away, Barry obviously was too keen on the loss of connection. He leaned forward to follow you as you leaned back to try and sever your connection, completely defeating the purpose.

"Just one more," He mumbled against your neck, peppering you with small kisses here and there. "One more and I'll take you home..."

P— Parties:

Barry's not the best person at parties. He'd never willingly go to one because he just doesn't know what to do when he gets there. It's only gotten worst since he acquired his powers and became immune to alcohol.

And let's be honest, what was a party without alcohol? Taking that away left him with a clear mind which allowed him to be painfully aware of just how badly this party sucked.

Everyone else was drunk or at the very least tipsy and all Barry did was observe their antics. He honestly couldn't believe that alcohol could change one's perspective on something. Besides, what's so attractive or enjoyable about sweaty grinding with a stranger to overwhelmingly loud music? Sober Barry couldn't find any answer to this question.

So there he was, awkwardly sat on the couch, fiddling with his phone in an attempt to look busy when he felt the couch dip down beside him. At first he assumed it to be Iris, finally ready to return home, but he was surprised to see a stranger sitting beside him. This stranger appeared to be doing the same as Barry and wishing more than anything that she wasn't here either.

She was playing Tetris on her phone, her foot tapping gently to the beat of the music. Barry tried to hide his staring. Thankfully, you didn't notice him seeing as you were too focused on your game.

All in all, Barry wouldn't say that was the worst party, after all he did get to meet you there.

Q— Quickies*

Ironically enough, the fastest man alive hated quickies.

Barry felt like it took the romance out of something so intimate and left it much more based of primal needs. He hated to be in a rush when all he wanted was to take his time and treasure you.

You, on the other hand, didn't mind them. Though sometimes it was a much more convenient option due to your flimsy, every changing schedule. And it never took you too long to convince Barry of it either.

However there were certain instances that Barry would be the one to initiate them:

"Bare," you sighed. "Stop. We can't be late to dinner with Joe and Iris' new boy."

"We don't have to," he paused kissing your neck only to bite down softly. "They won't miss us..."

"You're the one who insisted we have a family dinner to celebrate our recent successes. We already bailed on them last time because of your 'situation'." His hands traveled down your hips, pulling you closer to him.

Slowly sliding his arms around your back, he had successfully trapped you against him.

"We'll be quick. People say I'm pretty fast at everything."

"Oh yeah? You must disappoint the ladies if you do everything fast." You withheld a quiet groan as Barry indelicately unzipped your dress and allowed it to drop to the floor. Eyes blatantly scanning your figure before he leaned down to respond.

"Is this your way of trying to tell me that I disappoint you?" He sassed, raising an eyebrow in question.

"Interpret that however you may, Barry Allen. It's your ego in question, not mine."

His was one hundred percent willing to accept this challenge. Tugging you back towards to bedroom, you sighed at this speedster's overactive sex drive.

By the time you reached the double bed, you stood in only your heels (Barry would never outright admit that they were a turn on but it was clear to you) and panties. Barry on the other hand was only rid of his shirt.

Laying you down on the blankets, Barry was quick to climb on top of you and lock his lips with yours.

But that's when the guilt for ditching his family came back to mind. They were all waiting for you and here you two were, acting like hormones crazy teenagers with only one thing on your minds: sex.

"We should at least tell them we'll be late to dinner!" You huffed, catching your breath as you pulled at from this kiss.

Barry, on the other hand, was unwilling to break this kiss but occupied himself with trailing kisses from your neck to breasts. "To hell with dinner. I've already got a great meal in front of me."

"Bare, Wally took off work for this dinner and Joe will be so disappointed if we don't show up again."

"Stop talking about other men when I'm trying to seduce you!"

R— Resting days:

While heroes aren't necessarily able to take days off, Barry will always attempt to—though it may get interrupted by an inconsiderate meta who doesn't understand the mean of a day off.

Those days include mainly lounging around the house being lazy and just enjoying each other's company. As well as the playful bickering that was the foundation of your relationship.

"We should watch Thor next," You suggested as you cuddled up with Barry while sprawled out on the couch. Captain America: The First Avenger had just finished but you weren't quite ready to return to reality yet to jumping right into another Marvel movie sounded exquisite.

"Another?" Barry yawned. It was only 8:30 p.m. but neither of you fully woke up today due to your lack of activity all day. "Am I not enough for you that you need to ogle these other heroes?" His tone was playful and you were quick to reply.

"Maybe I just have a thing for blond superheroes." You suggested, letting out a squeal when Barry teasingly pinched your hip.

"Heeeyy," He dragged out. "That's not fair. I feel personally targeted right now."

"Good, now let's start Thor because he's way better than The Flash anyways. After all, he is a God and The Flash is just a metahuman."

"I am really feeling the love, y/n."

S— Secrets:

You weren't at your best when you were drunk. But then again, who was? You were what they were classified as an Honest Drunk™. Alcohol allowed you to let go of all your inhibitions and, in turn, impaired your filter.

Tragically (or at least what Barry considered to be tragic) you also tended to forget the events of the night the morning after all the fun went down.

And in this instance, it would cause multiple issues on Barry's part.

"Should probably take ya home, yeah," Barry asked, holding your arm to steady you movements.

You were still pumped up and the alcohol wasn't willing to fade away. "Don't wanna go home yet, feels like we just got here."

Barry chuckled. "Actually, we've been here for hours and all the rest of our friends have left. I just volunteered to stay here and keep an eye on you."

You sighed dramatically, resting your head on his shoulder as he squeezed your hip to begin to lead you towards the exit. Once coerced outside, Barry quickly swept you up into his arms, ready to speed off until you stopped him.  "If you try to speed me off anywhere there's a 100% chance that I'll throw up," You warned and Barry got the obvious hint and set you back down on your feet.

Barry began the journey of  walking you home—since you never know what could happen in the Central City streets at night. He listened to you hum quietly as you scuttled along the sidewalk before you came to an abrupt halt, pulling Barry to a stop as well since you were holding onto his hand.

Barry gave you a quizzical look as you toed off your nude high heels. Losing nearly two inches without them, you bent down to pick them up and handed them over to Barry. "Much better."

Barry followed you into your apartment, instantly adverting his eyes as you shamelessly stripped out of your dress and tugged on an oversized t-shirt to sleep in.

"You're honestly the sweetest boy I've met, Barry Allen." You flopped down on your bed, the fluffy comforter splayed out around you while you stared at him dreamily. "'I just can't believe that you're single. I wish I could steal you for my own, y'know?"

Barry's face instantly reddened at your words since he was never used to receiving compliments, especially ones like those. "Go to bed, y/n. You don't know what you're talking about."  Gently, he pulled your blanket over you, ready to head home now that he knew you were home safe.

"Know exactly what m'talkin' about," You mumbled under your breath, though Barry was still able to hear you since you obviously weren't being as quiet as you thought you were being. "You just could never take any hints."

T— Tragic Endings:

"Y/n!" The Flash yelled, appearing instantly by your side as he tried to apply pressure to the wound on your stomach in hopes to slow the bleeding. But, truthfully, he knew this was a lost cause.

Reverse Flash was bound and determined to take everything away from Barry and it seemed like you were his last target.

"I'm so sorry," he muttered,

You reached up and tugged his mask off, wanting to see your Barry rather than Central City's Flash. "Don't ever blame yourself for this, Bare." You wheezed. "It–It isn't your f-fault."

Barry violently shook his head as tears streamed down his rosy cheeks. Too many times has he held a dying loved one in his arms. "It is. I'm so sorry. I can't—I can't stop the bleeding! Cisco please hurry up." The final statement was directed towards the man listening in through Barry's earpiece, in hopes of saving you. But that wouldn't be enough to change the fate's design.

"It's okay. It doesn't hurt. Don't—please don't cry for me. My death isn't on your hands. I... love you so much, Bare. I don't even feel pain anymore."

Fuck, that was a bad sign. And seconds later your eyes fluttered shut.

"Cisco!" Barry gave one final cry for help but the moments were fleeting too fast. He wasn't fast enough. "Y/n, please don't go..."

U— Unrequited Love:

Barry knew all too well about unrequited love. Hell, it seemed like that was all he was destined to have. Sure he'd had a fling here and there but all of them were really just distractions to his love for Iris.

Finally, Barry thought he'd had an epiphany when he snapped out of that trance. But he was also the type of person who loved love. He loved having someone to fawn over and spoil and just goof around with. So it wasn't really a surprise for him when he found himself wanting to be around you all the time.

He originally had interpreted this as a weird form of friendship since he hadn't had a romantic like thoughts.

But those thoughts came upon him slowly and before he knew it he had the sudden realization that he'd managed to fall back into the pit of unrequited love.

Containing no doubt as to the fact that you had absolutely no romantic feelings for him, he did not even bother at attempting to make any move on you. And his heart ached. All he wanted was for someone he could call him own but fate didn't seem to be on his side.

If Barry hadn't known it before, he could definitely saw that unrequited love was a bitch.

(If only he'd had actually asked you about your feelings rather than just assuming they weren't requited because he might have been surprised.)

V— Videos:

"Again?" You sighed, noticing Barry clearly filming you while you unpacked another box.

"C'mon!" He exclaimed. He was supposed to be painting the living room but soon became restless since you had insisted he couldn't speed through it because it would mess up the paint. "This is a big moment! When we're eighty and we look back at this you'll be so grateful to have this."

"You think I plan on sticking with you for sixty years?"

He clutched his heart in mock pain before flipping his phone around to face him. "I sure hope she's nice to you than she is to present-me, future-me."

"If you keep filming me instead of painting then I'll make sure that I'm not nice to future-you."

Barry sensed your honestly and reluctantly ended the video, turning back on Spotify to fill the room with music while he continued his painting adventure.

The sun eventually set but you two were still working away, hoping to accomplish as much as possible in the fleeting day.

Barry was getting restless painting and there was only one lamp lighting the dim room, making it even hard to see what he had done already and what he had not. Out of the corner of his ear, he saw you stoop over on the box, releasing a tired sigh and that's when he decided that tomorrow was another day and today had reached its end.

"C'mon, babe," Barry said the very moment that he finished the final layer of paint. "Know we haven't got much furniture yet but we have the pull out bed from the couch."

"M'not tired," You mumbled, stifling a slight yawn since you didn't want Barry to be aware of how tired you actually are.

"Oh well," He responded, already working on pulling out the bed before rummaging through the box you said contained the blankets. "I am and I can't sleep without you so get your cute little butt over here and snuggle with me."

Obeying, you stood up from the floor brushing all the dust of your pajamas before you plopped down besides the one and only Barry Allen. One would assume a pull out mattress to be lumpy and uncomfortable but, after your seemingly endless day of moving and unpacking, it felt like a cloud. Sure you were pushed closer to Barry then normal since it was just a twin size bed after all but nothing would ruin your good night sleep tonight.

Barry's arms were wrapped around you tightly, making sure you didn't attempt to turn over and end up tumbling off the bed. The room was silent and slightly cold but Barry carefully tugged the blanket up to make sure you were warm enough.

"Was lyin' you know," you responded, your voice barely above a whisper while you reveled in the feeling of Barry's fingers running through your hair.

"Huh?" He wasn't following the conversation since he had thought you were already asleep.

"Would love to spend my years with ya. Hope you stick with me too."

Barry smiled, wondering just how long that sarcastic remark, that he indeed knew was playful, was eating away at you. "I know. You're stuck with me know. Got both our names on the lease for this place—basically like a marriage license. For better or for worse and all that."

Needless to say a picture of you asleep on his shoulder ended up on Instagram the next morning.

W— Wishes:

"Happy Birthday dear, Scarlet. Happy birthday to you."

The party let out loud cheers and the six year old blew the flickering candles out with all of her might, shooting a toothless grin to her father while he clapped for her.

"What'd you wish for?" Cisco said to his self-proclaimed niece, ruffling her unruly hair just to annoy her.

"Can't tell you! It won't come true!" She said it as if it was common knowledge and was astounded by the fact that Cisco was unaware of it.

"Could you tell me?" Barry piped up, curious as to what his little girl wanted because he would go to hell and back to get her whatever she wanted. She debated his question for a moment before she deemed him worth of knowing and he quickly scooped her up to allow her to whisper in his ear.

"I wished for mommy to come back. S'been months and I miss her more than anything."

Barry felt a chill spread through his body at the mention of you. That was probably the only thing he was unable to get Scarlet yet when she could wish for absolutely anything in the world she chooses you. And he couldn't at all blame her because he yearned for you just as much, if not more than your daughter did. "

"I know, baby," he sighed, squeezing her tightly in a hug. "I know."

X— (E)xes:

Barry didn't have many exes. And the few that he did he was still on good terms with. (Except for Sabrina Yates from ninth grade... We don't talk about that one.)

You, on the other hand, had several more exes than Barry and that seemed to bring out his insecurities. He was nothing like those blonde, well-built hipsters that you'd previously dated. So why him? Sure, he worked nearly two months trying to charm you and win you over to go on a date with him.

But, really, what did he have that made him better than the other guys? Why did he have any right to your heart? Sure he was a super hero but that had its downsides as well. He didn't tend to usually dwell on the thoughts of you with your past boyfriends for obvious reasons.

You assured him time and time again that he was all you wanted. Your exes were your exes for various reasons. What matters now is that he is your future and they are all in your past.

Y— Yours truly

Dear Barry,

I don't really expect you to understand why I did what I did. I might not always have the right answers but then again who does? But I strongly believe that my choice was the right answer and I hope you'll be able to forgive me for it. It was always meant to be you and Iris. I was never supposed to be a part of this picture and if you hadn't saved my from that car crash two years ago then I wouldn't be. But now isn't the time for me to be getting in the way of your future and we both know that Iris marries you–not me. It's better to go now before I make you screw up the future more than it already it. I hope you understand that I don't want to go but instead I have to go. I wish things were different, Barry Allen—that maybe on some other Earth there's some version of you and I who make each other the happiest they can be. A part of me wishes that maybe we've been wrong and that this Earth is our happy ending but I think we both know that isn't true. I love you, Barry Allen.

Yours truly, Y/n

Z— Zzzzz:

Barry was a menace to sleep with. He sometimes snored. He always hogged the blanket. There was no sense of personal space on his end so it was highly likely you'd wake up with him practically on top of you. And if he was exhausted then there was no moving him off of you.

He also loved to cuddle so if he's in a cuddling mood then look out because once he gets a hold of you there will be no escape.

All and all, beware of a sleeping Barry Allen.

(A/n: i haven't finished reading through all of this so feel free to comment on any spelling mistakes or anything. Thanks)