Author's note: Prompt about Barry and Caitlin meeting at a college party their friends dragged them to. Enjoy. Xxx
Caitlin sighed as she took a long drag of her cigarette, holding in the smoke in her lungs for a few moments before tilting her head to the side and exhaling the smoke in a cloud. She, for the life of her, couldn't figure out why she was at the stupid party to begin with. It was something her roommate, Felicity, had insisted she come to. Caitlin wasn't a social person, much preferring to be at a quiet coffee shop, sipping coffee all day long while reading (or, writing), poetry. Then, if she wasn't doing that, she was meeting up with a woman she interned for. She was a photographer who was fairly well known, and Caitlin had lucked out to be able to intern for her during her second semester at school.
Caitlin took another drag of her cigarette, thinking over the night. She had opted to stay sober for the night, knowing Felicity would need a ride back to their apartment. Felicity. What an interesting person. Caitlin and Felicity were polar opposites, which, was perhaps why they worked so well as friends and roommates. Where Caitlin was quiet and reserved, Felicity was outgoing and personable; she made friends wherever she went. Caitlin didn't envy her friend for that, though. After all, Felicity was the one who came up to Caitlin, demanding that they be friends at freshman orientation
Just then, the woman in thought stepped out onto the balcony with someone in tow. She was giggling and Caitlin knew she was a little more than tipsy. Sighing, Caitlin ashed her cigarette before looking at her friend.
"You alright, Liciity?" Caitlin asked, and Felicity bobbed her head, blonde ponytail flying around.
"Oh, mhm!" Felicity laughed, and Caitlin was tempted to take the red, plastic cup out of her friend's grip. Instead, she took another drag of her cigarette, something Felicity picked up on. Nose scrunching, Felicity waggled her finger at Caitlin.
"You're smoking, missy," Felicity accused.
"I'm also drinking, missy. You know those two go hand in hand for me," Caitlin replied.
"Yeah, drinking diet coke," Felicity huffed out but Caitlin shrugged a nonchalant shoulder. Caitlin then took notice of the guy who had come out onto the balcony with Felicity. Following her friend's gaze, Felicity clapped her hands together excitedly.
"Oh, Caitlin! This is my good friend Barry Allen!" Felicity squealed. Caitlin quirked an eyebrow at him, noting that this was the first time she was meeting a "good friend" of her roommate's. Shrugging his shoulder, Barry rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
"We met five minutes ago and she declared me as her best friend," he chuckled.
"Thanks very much, Licity," Caitlin deadpanned.
"You're welcome," the blonde replied, eyebrows knitted together in confusion, like she didn't know what she was being thanked for. She glanced back and forth between Barry and Caitlin, clapping her hands together again.
"I've got to go find Oliver. You two kids have fun," she grinned, turning on her heel and striding away from them. She paused when she was a couple of inches away from the door, hand hovering over the knob. Looking back over her shoulder, she smirked.
"But, not too much fun," she added. Then, she was gone, back inside the apartment the party was at, and Caitlin was left with Barry standing next to her.
Caitlin glanced at Barry briefly before going back to her cigarette and diet coke.
"You smoke cigarettes a lot?" Barry asked, and Caitlin blinked, looking up at him in surprise.
"Uh, no, not really. Only when forced to go to social gatherings. Helps suppress the nerves," she muttered, ashing again. Barry chuckled.
"I don't like being thrusted into social gatherings, either," he admitted.
"Hmm," Caitlin hummed disinterestedly. She didn't particularly fancy a conversation with a complete stranger at a quarter to midnight. No, what she really wanted was a nice, long hot shower, a cup of tea, and her book. Barry fell silent then and she was appreciative. It gave her ample opportunities to think of all the ways she was going to get even with her roommate for making her come to this stupid party in the first place.
"What's your major?" Barry asked, pulling Caitlin out of her thoughts.
"What?" Caitlin asked, not quite sure what the original question posed was.
"Your major? What is it?" Barry repeated, and she took a sip of her diet coke before stubbing out her cigarette. She wasn't in any rush to light another one, so she leaned back against the brick wall of the balcony, facing opposite of Barry who was watching her.
"Political Science, with a minor in languages," she said, and Barry whistled lowly.
"Beauty and brains?" Barry ask and Caitlin quirked an eyebrow at him.
"Does that line actually work on other girls who you try to pick up?" Caitlin asked, smirk toying at her lips.
Barry winced. "To be honest, chatting with women isn't really my forte. My best friend, who's a girl, tries to give me pointers but I'm a lost cause."
"If a guy and girl are best friends, don't they usually end up together?" Caitlin asked, and Barry shrugged.
"Life isn't like the movies, Caitlin," Barry laughed. Caitlin's lips turned upward.
"Thank God. Life would be boring if that were the case," she commented.
They fell silent again, and Caitlin looked out into the night. From this particular balcony, Caitlin could see part of the campus. It was stunning at night. Turning back to Barry, she repeated his question to him.
"What about you, Barry Allen? What's your major?" Caitlin asked.
"Criminology," he replied, and she looked at him in surprise.
"Criminology?" Caitlin asked, and he nodded once.
"Like, a detective or something?" Caitlin asked, curious about his major. She hadn't met anyone outside of her close-knit group of friends that majored in things other than languages and Political Science. Barry shook his head.
"No, I'm actually studying to become a forensic scientist. My dad was one," he replied.
"Was?" Caitlin asked, feeling somewhat out of place for digging into his business.
"He died when I was fifteen," Barry said quietly, and Caitlin nodded, not quite sure what to say to that. Sure, she knew what it was like to lose someone you loved, but to hear another person talk about it was unfamiliar territory.
"I'm sorry," she murmured, and she was.
"Not exactly party conversation, huh?" Barry asked, and Caitlin laughed. He peered into her now empty diet coke cup.
"Can I get you a refill, Caitlin?" Barry asked. She had been about to light another cigarette and count down the minutes until she could go home, but, instead found herself nodding.
"That sounds great," she replied. The walked back into the apartment, where music was blaring and headed to the kitchen.
Caitlin leaned against the kitchen cabinet as Barry got another diet cook out of the cooler.
"How'd you end up here?" Caitlin asked curiously. "Parties don't really seem like your thing."
Barry laughed. "That would be a correct statement. Iris dragged me here so I could play bodyguard for the latest guy she's interested in."
"And, how's that working out for you?" Caitlin asked, accepting the cup of soda Barry pressed into her hands.
"Well, she went off with him somewhere about an hour ago and I haven't heard from her since," he replied.
"Your Iris sounds like my Felicity," she hummed.
"Felicity?" Barry asked in confusion.
"Your new best friend," she reminded him and he laughed.
"Ah, yes. Or, Oliver Queen's girlfriend," he replied. Caitlin nodded. While she hadn't been enthusiastic about the pair at first, Oliver had proved himself to be a good guy and she fully supported them. Plus, the way he doted on Felicity was rather adorable. Not that she'd ever admit that.
She took a sip of her soda.
"Tell me another fact about yourself," Barry encouraged, and Caitlin looked at him, thinking about his question.
"I intern for Lacey Chamberlain," she said.
"The photographer?" Barry asked in surprise.
"That's the one," she acknowledged.
"But, you're not majoring or minoring in anything that has to do with photography," Barry commented, and Caitlin shrugged. It was the general response she got.
"You can thank my mom for that," she muttered. Cisco had been the one to push her to do something to enjoy for herself, not her mother. That's why she had gone after the internship in the first place.
"Controlling parents?" Barry asked, and Caitlin took another sip of her soda.
"You could say that," she shrugged.
Perhaps he could sense the fact that she didn't want to talk about her family, because he changed the topic.
"Favorite book?"
"The Bell Jar."
"Ah, Sylvia Plath is a good one," he agreed, and she nodded.
"Favorite movie?" Barry asked.
"Dead Poets Society," she replied instantaneously. He looked at her.
"You've seen that?" Barry asked.
"Too many times," she murmured. It had been her father's favorite movie.
"What's your favorite hobby?" Barry quizzed.
"Drawing or photography," she said, lips tugging upwards.
"Favorite flower?"
She laughed. "Is this twenty questions?"
He shrugged. "You're roughly the only sober person I've come across at this party and you seem interesting. I'm curious about you."
She accepted that answer for what it was worth. "Pink daisies."
"Do you like to work out?"
"Does sunrise yoga count?" Caitlin asked.
"You do sunrise yoga?" Barry asked incredulously.
"Yeah, it's nice to be able to get calm before the day starts," she replied. Barry thought that through, before nodding.
"Makes sense that way. Favorite season?"
"Fall," Caitlin murmured, cheeks hurting from smiling so much.
"With fall comes Halloween, so what was your favorite costume?" Barry asked, mirroring her smile.
"I was a ballerina from the Nutcracker when I was five," she replied, thinking fondly of the outfit her mom had sewn for her. Barry continued to ask her questions, and Caitlin continued to answer. By the time Felicity bounced back into the kitchen, she was laughing.
"Bye, Ollie!" Felicity shouted, and Caitlin winced.
"Caity, hi!" Felicity grinned, throwing her arms around her in a hug; Caitlin supported her. She looked at Barry.
"It was nice meeting you Barry, but it looks like I need to get her home," she commented quietly. Barry bit his lip.
"Give me your phone," he said, hand outstretched. Caitlin looked at him in surprise, before handing it over and he typed something in it.
"There. Now you have my number. Feel free to call me," he grinned. Her grin matched his and she guided Felicity out of the apartment and towards her car, sighing happily. Perhaps a college party wasn't a horrible thing to go to. She made a mental note to thank Felicity in the morning. And, to give her Tylenol.
Fin.
Author's note: Prompts accepted in the comments. Have some to get to. Bare-with me! Enjoy! Xxx