This ended up with a lot more Iris in it than anticipated, but it made for a better semblance of storyline and I went with it. Set in a slight AU where Iris figured that Flash shit out real quick - she's shallow and selfish, but Joe didn't raise no dummy. I took some liberties with the timeline as well...Barry told Iris how he felt very early on, the lightning spark experience happened very shortly after, and Barry and Joe are just beginning to investigate Harrison Wells when this starts.

I don't own the Flash or the songs Feeling Good or Everybody Talks. Consider yourselves disclaimed.

"An assistant? I don't...? Why do I need an assistant?" Barry Allen's voice was confused as he spoke to his foster father, Detective Joe West.

"I'm pretty sure Singh thinks having responsibility for a subordinate will keep you better on time," Joe chuckled as he walked with Barry to the young CSI's lab. "Or, more likely, he hired someone he thinks will make you stay on time."

"I mean, it's not that I mind, it'll actually be a huge help, giving me an extra pair of hands to make up for when the Flash is busy. I just don't know how I feel about being somebody's supervisor. I'm not exactly boss material, Joe."

"Last I checked, Bar, you were a superhero leading a group of quasi-mad scientists on daily excursions to eliminate crime in Central City. Not boss material? Really?"

Barry was blushing at this point, stopped just outside the closed door to his lab. "Well, I mean, when you put it that way..."

"I did put it that way. So come on, Boss. Let's meet this assistant." Joe was opening the door now. "I think he said the name was Parks?"

"That he did. Cal Parks, it's nice to meet you!" At first all they could see was a mass of red curls, as the girl (woman?) was crouched by the desk, head bent over to search through her bag. "Aha!" She stood, slipping a pair of turquoise glasses onto her nose before holding out her hand to shake. "You must be Barry Allen," she said to the younger man. "I'm glad to be working under someone who understands what it's like to be so young in our field, I hope you don't mind having a shadow."

"Uh, no, not at all!" Barry said as he shook her hand. She was about his age, with blazing green eyes to go with her blazing red hair. She was dressed comfortably and only semi-professionally, dark skinny jeans under a white button down and grey vest, green Chuck Taylors on her feet. "It's, uh, it's nice to meet you too. This is, Detective Joe West. We work closely with him and Detective Thawne."

"Welcome to the team, Parks," Joe smiled as he shook her hand. Cal smiled in return.

"Thank you, Detective. I'm brand new in Central City, so this is all an adventure for me, I look forward to learning the ropes."

"Well, I'll leave you guys to it. I'm sure we'll see each other soon, Parks." Joe left with a wave, leaving them alone as the door swung shut.

"Alright, so," Barry started. "The tour. Right here is the centrifuge, as you can see..."

"Is this...ELO?"

Barry had stopped in the door to his lab, coffees in hand, baffled at the music playing from Cal's open laptop. They had been working together for just under a month and had found themselves to be fast friends and efficient coworkers. Cal hadn't questioned his sudden comings and goings, only providing him with finished results and reports when he showed back up. He noticed the occasional look from her, though, as though she were considering him very closely, but she never said anything and he never asked.

"Yeah!" she called brightly from underneath his work table. "I can turn it off in a second, I hope it doesn't bother you."

"No, it doesn't bother me, I actually love ELO," Barry said, setting their coffees down and heading over to the laptop to inspect the playlist. "You don't have to turn it off, I don't mind listening while we work. What are you doing down there?"

"Dropped some results," she answered as she pulled back and stood up, sheet of paper in hand. "Blood work from that home invasion the other day, fresh off the printer. The suspect in custody is our man, no question. I just sent the email to - ooh is one of those for me?"

"Plenty of cream, plenty of sugar, and a touch of coffee to go with," Barry grinned. "You know, your music library is..."

"Eclectic?"

"I mean, is this Bobby Darin, Jason Derulo, and Sublime all on the same playlist?"

"Well yeah. They all make me smile. Why shouldn't they all be on a playlist called Smile?"

"There's even a smiley face emoji."

"It seemed appropriate. I warn you, I sing along. If that's not okay turn the music off now because there's no stopping me."

Barry laughed as the song changed over to a ballad from the 50s. "Just don't expect me to serenade you back."

"Ooh, can you sing?"

Iris strolled through the police department towards the desks of her father and boyfriend, the latter of which was the only one in sight. "Hey Eddie!"

Eddie's head came up and a grin split his face. "Hey babe," he said as she leaned down for a kiss. "What are you doing here?"

"Just came to visit all my favorite boys. Where are the other two?" Iris looked around but her father and foster-brother were nowhere to be seen. Eddie gathered the papers he had just finished working on and rose from his chair, offering her his arm.

"Well you have perfect timing, I was just heading down to the Jukebox myself, they should be there."

"The Jukebox?"

"I forget how busy you've been lately, this is the first time you've been to the station in what, three months? You haven't met Barry's assistant Callie yet, she's been here about that long."

Iris heard the music before they reached the bottom of the stairs. "What on Earth...?"

Eddie grinned over at her. "Everyone at the station has started calling the lab the Jukebox because of Callie. She plays different music every day and she never stops singing. Sometimes Barry even joins in."

"Barry only sings under duress, and that's from almost 20 years of experience."

"Well, he's really good."

The door to the lab was open and a light female voice was singing along to Nina Simone's Feeling Good.

"It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life for me..."

Joe spotted them immediately when they entered the lab, gathering his daughter into his arms for a hug. "Hey sweetie, haven't seen you here in a while."

"Just wanted to visit. I haven't met Barry's new assistant, either."

Only then did the singing stop and a head of thick curls poked out from behind a cabinet. "Oh, you must be Iris! I've heard great things!" Barry's head poked out from the other side of the cabinet, smiling wide.

"Oh hey Iris! What are you doing here?"

"Just stopping to say hey. Nice to meet you, Callie."

"You too! And Cal will do just beautifully, if you don't mind," Cal said, ducking back behind the cabinet even as Barry stood and brushed himself off.

"We can finish the cords after lunch, Cal, I'm starving." He grabbed both of her hands in his own and hauled her to her feet.

"Fine by me! You brought breakfast, I've got lunch."

"You know you always regret that."

"We're having all you can eat Chinese buffet. Eat away, Hollow Leg Man. Do you guys want to come? My treat?" Cal was bent over her computer now, turning off the music, but she looked up at the others.

"Thanks Cal, but Eddie and I have some things to do around here," Joe answered.

"What about you, Iris?" Cal asked, pulling her hair into a knot at the base of her skull.

"Uh, no thank you, I need to get back to the paper. I've got a deadline tomorrow."

"Maybe next time." Cal smiled at her before turning to Barry. "Ready?"

"Yeah." Barry slung his jacket over his arm and waved as he and Cal left their lab.

"I like her," Eddie grinned at Joe and Iris. "I think Barry really likes her."

"What?" Iris exclaimed. "No way. She's not even his type."

"A funny, pretty scientist with a voice like a songbird?" Joe raised an eyebrow. "What part of that isn't Barry's type?"

"He would have told me if he liked someone."

"Maybe you shouldn't be so sure of that," her father said as he left the room, signaling Eddie to join him. Iris missed the tightening around the younger detective's eyes as he kissed her cheek before following, leaving her to the now-empty lab.

What Iris hadn't missed was the way Barry grabbed Cal with both hands to help her stand, holding on to make sure she was steady. Or how one of those hands was at the small of her back as they left the lab. She didn't have a deadline at the paper, but the thought of going to lunch with the two of them made her stomach lurch in ways she didn't understand.

She had told Barry all those months ago that she didn't think about him as anything other than a friend, but that was before she knew he was the Flash. She would never admit out loud her crush on the Flash - he was brave, heroic, and literally dashing - everything a woman could dream of. She had been so confused when she felt that spark, the spark that told her the Flash's true identity, and had tried to deny it initially. It was Absolutely Not Possible for Barry - her awkward, bumbling, full nerd Barry - to be the Flash. Absolutely. Not. Possible. She could not reconcile her crush with her foster brother, and denied it all outright.

So she had stayed with Eddie. And she was happy, she really was. But there was a part of her that liked knowing Barry would be there should anything happen. This sudden burst of jealousy was unexpected and unwelcome, but Iris knew it must come from somewhere. Something was off about Cal, and Iris knew she couldn't be the right person for Barry. That's why she was so upset by his apparent attraction.

Iris was almost glad for the constant stream of metahumans for the following two weeks, as it kept Barry out of his forensic lab and, consequently, away from Cal. She spent as much time at S.T.A.R. Labs as she could, claiming Barry's evenings for dinners with Joe, coffee with Eddie, and karaoke bars with Cisco and Caitlin where Barry adamantly refused to sing.

Now everyone was gathered for Joe's birthday at his home, and Barry was the last to arrive as usual, though Iris only perked up for a moment as the door opened and it wasn't Barry's voice she heard first.

"Peter Capaldi is the epitome of everything the Doctor should be!"

"If it weren't for David Tennant the show wouldn't have been nearly as successful and Peter Capaldi may not even be the Doctor."

"People who haven't watched Classic Who shouldn't be allowed to have an opinion," Cal groused as she followed Barry through the front door. Joe was the first to reach them, hugging Barry and then, to Iris's surprise, Cal.

"Happy Birthday Joe! Thank you so much for inviting me, my first present is throwing Barry under the bus for taking so long at the lab he made us late."

"Oh thank you, I love it!"

Barry sputtered next to her. "And it had nothing to do with the 20 minutes I spent on your couch while you 'changed clothes real fast'?"

"I'm a girl, Barry, you should really learn to account for things like that."

While Cal had met everyone in passing, at the very least, this was the first time she'd spent time with them outside of her lab. She was dressed in her casual attire, a long sleeved blue cotton dress that fluttered at her knees and short brown boots, comfortable for a warm late spring day. She added her wrapped gift to the table, greeting everyone as she passed, stopping to shake Dr. Wells's hand.

"Hey Iris! Sorry I rushed out after we met the other day," she said, taking a seat next to Iris on the couch. "I get pretty hangry, I've learned not to put off meal times. It probably wouldn't have been the best first impression."

"Oh I feel you there," Cisco said seriously from Iris's other side.

"That's fine," Iris said before rising from the couch and moving across the room to where her father spoke to Barry. Cal furrowed her brow and looked at Cisco.

"Did I say something wrong?"

Cisco shrugged. "Sounded fine to me."

Caitlin was sitting next to him on the arm of the couch, and leaned into the conversation. She had noticed Iris's bizarre behavior over the past two weeks and it hadn't been a struggle to figure her out. "They've been best friends since they were kids, I'm sure you know Joe raised him after he was 11. They went through a...rough patch not too long ago and I don't think things are quite back to normal." She chose her next words carefully, wanting to be honest without telling anyone else's secrets. "I think she might be scared of losing her place in his life to you."

Cal only raised one eyebrow, seemingly unimpressed. "If they're that close she shouldn't have any reason to worry about that - giving me the cold shoulder doesn't do anybody any favors, and is quite frankly childish."

Both Cisco and Caitlin opened their mouths, then shut them, shrugging. She had a point.

Cal shrugged as well, having a suspicion about the situation and choosing to let the woman's attitude roll off. "Her problem, not mine."

"Hey, Iris," Barry said, hugging her when she reached his side.

"Hey Bar," she said back. "I didn't know you were bringing Cal today."

"I invited her," Joe said. "She moved here alone and doesn't really know anybody else, and besides, she's a good kid and I like her. Any friend of Barry's is always welcome here," he nodded at his foster son, who grinned in return.

"Yeah, she's going to the karaoke bar with us later too," Barry said. "Her sister's been in town for the past two weeks so she wasn't able to go out before, but she's excited to get to know everyone."

"Oh, that's great," Iris said with what she hoped was sincerity. That's just great.

The bar was pleasantly full and everyone but Barry was pleasantly buzzed. He looked to his right, where Cal sat. Everyone else was either in the bathroom or grabbing more drinks. "What are you drinking? I've never seen you drunk before."

Cal grinned. "You probably never will, this is just sweet tea. I don't drink."

Barry perked up. He didn't know that, and he hadn't noticed she wasn't drinking. "Really? Why?"

"I just don't really like the way it makes me feel. It's definitely not worth the puking if I overdo it."

"Fair enough," Barry shrugged. "Why'd you come to the bar, then?"

"I just like spending time with friends, it doesn't matter where. Thanks for inviting me, by the way. This time and all the times I couldn't go."

"You're always welcome to come out with me. Us. I mean...me."

Cal gazed at him for just a second before grinning slowly. "Noted."

"Okay so don't be mad," Caitlin said abruptly, dropping into the seat next to Barry as she returned with Cisco with more drinks.

"About what?" Barry asked. At that moment, Barry's name appeared on the screen on stage, indicating he was the next person signed up. He narrowed his eyes at Caitlin.

" I signed you up to sing," she said, embarrassed.

"Caitlin! Why?"

"Because I don't believe that you can!" Cisco said, pointing at Barry in accusation.

"Don't believe Barry can what?" Eddie asked as he returned with Iris from what was supposed to be the restroom, but judging from the tightly controlled calm on both their faces was more likely a fight outside.

"Sing. No way." Cisco insisted.

"He totally can," Cal grinned, resting her chin on her palms.

"Don't believe you."

"I can actually confirm that he can," Eddie said, letting himself grin, trying to enjoy the evening.

"I'm not singing," Barry said firmly, crossing his arms for emphasis.

"Oh, come on Bar," Iris cajoled, ignoring the way Eddie looked away from her at her tone. "Please? You hardly ever sing for anyone, I haven't heard you in years."

But he wasn't moved. "Not gonna happen."

"You sang with me on that very stage!" Caitlin said. "A showtune, no less!"

"You were incredibly drunk and needed the rescue!"

"You sing in the lab all the time," Cal smirked. Iris tried not to bristle at what had to be an exaggeration.

"That's in the privacy of my lab with my very good friend."

"What if I go up there with you?" the redhead offered.

To Iris's dismay, Barry appeared to be seriously considering it. "What song?"

"I'll pick one that suits you, promise."

"...alright fine. Let's get this over with."

Cal whooped with glee, grabbing him by the hand and pulling him towards the stage. She found a song she approved of quickly and selected it before Barry had a chance to tell her no. He glared at her for it, and when Cal spoke the microphones were turned on.

"Whaaat? You're good, you should show off a little."

When the song started, most of the group was surprised at the selection.

"Aah, aah, ahh

Hey baby, won't you look my way, I could be your new addiction

Hey baby, whatcha gotta say, all you're givin' me is fiction"

Cal forced Barry to take the lead, only joining in for harmony and backup parts. When it was over Barry wasted no time getting back to his seat at their table, with Cal following behind him in giggles.

"Oh calm down, Barry, you sounded great! You always do! Some of those officers that swing by our lab for no reason are ladies, you know."

"Please stop," Barry begged, red-faced. The group at large laughed at him, aside from Cisco, who wore an expression that clearly said his mind had been blown.

"Well. I stand corrected."

The night went on uneventfully, before the group dispersed shortly before midnight.

"Do you want a ride back to my dad's, Barry?" Iris asked after both Eddie and Cal stopped by the restroom before they left. She knew Barry didn't need the ride, but she was still compelled to ask.

"Oh, no thanks," he said, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I'm gonna walk Cal home. I can get home on my own. Hey, Iris, can I ask you something?"

"Of course, Barry."

"Why don't you like Cal?"

Iris froze for a moment. "Why do you think I don't like her?" she asked instead of answering.

"You wouldn't look at her or speak to her all night, and she told me you brushed her off when we got to your dad's party earlier."

"She said that?" Iris bristled. She went running to Barry?

"Yeah, she wanted to make sure she hadn't done anything to offend you, but she also thought it may be more than that. I told her I was sure everything was fine, but after seeing how you were acting all night I don't think that's the case."

"Everything is fine, Barry. Cal's great."

Barry stared at her for a moment, and for the first time she noticed he was angry with her. "I'm sorry, Iris, but I don't believe you."

"Look, you're my best friend, Barry. I'm protective of you, and I'm just not sure she's someone you should be hanging out with."

"Why, Iris, because she's not you?"

"E-excuse me?"

"First I was too late with you. Then Linda's not the right one for me. Now Cal's not someone I should be hanging out with. Why, Iris? Because I'm not pining after you anymore?" This was the closest he had ever come to yelling at her, and Iris could hardly think how to react.

"No, Barry, why would you say that?"

"Because you chose Eddie, not me. I told you how I felt and you made your decision. I am finally - finally - moving on and making something that makes me happy and my best friend can't even support me because she wants to keep my affections on a shelf for her to take down and use when she needs them!"

Iris could only stare, blinking through sudden tears. "Barry, that's...that's not true..."

"The hell it's not, Iris." He only sounded defeated now, and disappointed. In her. "I told you once that it seemed that even though you didn't want me, you didn't want anyone else to have me either. It seems like that hasn't changed. I like Cal, a lot. I think she might like me too, and I won't let you mess that up for me."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I think we shouldn't see each other for a while." Barry looked honestly regretful, but not apologetic. "You need to start being honest with yourself, Iris. Please tell me when you're ready to be my best friend again."

As if on cue the restaurant door opened and Eddie and Cal spilled out, laughing.

"You should have seen Eddie stare down this drunk that hit on me coming out of the bathroom," Cal giggled. "I thought he was gonna wet his pants when I called you 'Detective'!"

"You can tell me all about it while I walk you home," Barry said, taking her by the hand and pulling her away from Iris and Eddie, leaving a confused Cal to call her goodbyes to the couple over her shoulder.

Iris stared after them until Eddie spoke. "I don't know what he said to you, but I think you should probably listen to him." She met his eyes long enough to see his hurt expression before he turned away to their car.

"So, I'm guessing you talked to her about her Mean Girl routine?" Cal asked as Barry walked her home. She had been delighted that the karaoke bar was only a mile from her apartment, and admittedly was glad to have a moment to talk with Barry alone after a confusing evening. She hesitated a moment, then rearranged her hand in his so their fingers entwined.

"Yeah, I did. It was...not good."

"You don't have to talk about it."

"I want to tell you. I'm not gonna be hanging out with her for a while. She treated you like you weren't even there, you can't just do that to a person."

"Why is she jealous of me? She's with Eddie, though things didn't exactly seem peachy keen between them this evening."

"Look, Cal, I..." Barry stopped, pulling her to a halt as well. "I fell in love with Iris when we were 7 years old and only fell further as we got older. I told her, not long after I woke up from my coma, and she chose Eddie. I accepted that, I tried to move on, but she didn't exactly make it easy with how she treated the girls I was interested in. And now that she's trying to do the same thing to you, when I think I'm finally really ready for something new, it's just...I can't be her backup guy. I won't. I deserve better."

"You absolutely do, Barry," Cal agreed softly, taking a step closer to him. "Things will work out in time. Fighting with your best friend is really hard, I'm sorry it's putting so much pressure on you. I'm sorry it has to do with me."

"Thanks," he smiled down at her. "But it's not your fault, this is between me and Iris. Come on, let's get you home." He tugged once on her hand and they were moving again, though both were content to keep their hands connected.

The song playing today was instrumental, though Cal's humming could still be heard from the open door of the lab.

"Um, hey, Cal. Can we talk?" Iris had been both thrilled and horrified that she had caught the young scientist alone in the lab for once, but she had just seen Barry speaking with her father and wanted to take the opportunity to try and clear the air. A month of practically no contact with Barry, along with the many difficult conversations she'd had with Eddie, were wearing on her and she was ready to put this behind her.

"Are you sure you don't just want to ignore me some more?" There was no heat in the other woman's words, but the tone and the fact that she hadn't bothered to pull away from her microscope clearly said she wasn't going to accept any bullshit. Iris winced, but took a deep breath. She deserved that.

"I want to talk. Really...talk." Cal sat up from her microscope, turning off the music and taking a deep breath before turning on her stool to face her.

"Alright. Let's talk. Maybe you can actually get to know me as a human being with feelings before you write me off."

Iris winced again. Again, deserved.

"You're right. And I'm sorry."

Cal took another deep breath and let it out in a long sigh. "Apology accepted. And I'm sorry too, for biting your head off just now. Like I said at your dad's birthday, the hangry struggle is real. Can I start by asking you a question?" At the other woman's nod, she asked, "Why? I mean, I get that on some level you're as in love with Barry as you are with Eddie, but you made a choice to stay with Eddie. You had a choice between two incredible guys, it was impossible not to hurt one of them. But that kind of pain can heal. What I don't get is, why do you insist on continuing to hurt both of them?"

There was still no heat in her voice, just genuine, honest disbelief. Iris shook her head.

"I don't get some kind of sadistic pleasure out of it, if that's what you're implying. I just...Barry's always been there for me. From failed math tests to failed relationships and everything in between. And vice versa. Knowing he loved me, even if it wasn't fully reciprocated and I chose another man, somehow solidified that to me - oh he loves me. He will never not be there for me, for sure. But what about when he's with someone else and she needs him to be there for her? Where's my Barry then?"

Cal watched Iris intently for several moments as she gathered herself. She handed her a box of tissues before saying very, very gently. "But he's not your Barry, Iris. You made your choice. Now you have to honor it. Forgive my bluntness but you don't get to be top priority anymore - I won't even say you have to share, because you know you don't even get that much. You have to let him go. He needs his best friend back."

Iris felt appropriately shamed, and couldn't find it in herself to be upset with the other woman for her harsh words. She needed to hear them, and knowing the woman Barry was interested in cared enough to take on his best friend brought surprising relief to her frayed emotions. She could only nod, not meeting Cal's eyes, and was surprised when red curls suddenly filled her vision and she was wrapped in thin, strong arms.

"I want to be friends, Iris, and not just for Barry's sake. Trust me when I say I understand how boys make us do crazy things." Iris hugged her back.

"I'd like that too."

Barry was already talking as he came through the lab door. "Hey Cal, Joe needs us to - uh...what's...going on here?"

The two women pulled apart, both smiling, and turned to Barry. "Girls hug it out, Barry," Cal said matter-of-factly. "It's practically written into our genetic makeup."

"I'll leave you guys to it," Iris said, moving towards the door, stopping in front of Barry. She hesitated for a moment, then rested her hand on his shoulder. "We should talk soon. If that's okay."

Barry furrowed his brow at her. "Ooo...kay."

"Good. See you later." And she slipped out the door and up the stairs. Barry pointed after her, head cocked in confusion.

"What just happened?"

"Girls also don't snitch Barry, jeez. Have you not read the manual?" Cal breezed past him, both their cases in hand. "Let's go, Allen, chop chop!"

He shook his head and followed. "Wait, is there actually a manual?"

"Oh. Oh yuck."

"Tell me about it," Barry murmured, breathing shallowly through his mouth to minimize the smell. They were in a back alley behind a shoe store, and the midday heat in a relatively enclosed space was doing nothing to help.

"I am so glad I didn't eat before we came. What is that, sulfur?"

"Yup. Joe said the body looked strange, he told everyone not to touch it until we got here."

"Strange in Central City, you don't say. Here." She nudged his arm, holding out a small bottle. "Peppermint oil, just a touch under your nose will help with the smell."

"Oh, hey, thanks." He dabbed some on his finger and rubbed it under his nose as instructed, and it helped immensely. "Great idea."

"Yeah, my sister's one of those hippy dippy massage therapists, she sends me this kind of stuff all the time." Barry could almost hear her eyes rolling, though he knew from Lia's past visit they were close. "At least it's good for something." She passed the bottle off to the first greenfaced cop she saw with instructions to use it and pass it around, and the relief from the responding officers was palpable.

Cal stopped short of the cordoned off area. "What...what is that?"

"I'm pretty sure it's fertilizer," Joe said from the other side of the...body? It was body-shaped at least, wearing clothes and glasses. But it was definitely not flesh and bone.

"Fertilizer? He turned into fertilizer?"

Barry and Joe exchanged looks. "Central City, right?" Barry said, laughing awkwardly. "Um, let's get some samples and get back to the lab for some tests."

"Tests? Tests for what?! It's not like this is decomp, he's been turned into actual freaking fertilizer! God Barry, I know you have secrets, I respect them, but shit! What is happening in this town?" To Cal's credit, the fear in her voice was almost nonexistant as she crossed her arms and stared down both Barry and Joe.

"Nothing!" they said in unison, though they regretted it immediately when her brow furrowed and her eyes darkened.

"Get your samples, Barry. I'll meet you back at the lab." She turned on her heel and was gone before either of them could react.

"I thought you were supposed to be her supervisor?" Joe said after a moment.

"Really Joe? Really?" Barry rolled his eyes and finished his assessment of the scene, gathering the needless samples he had insisted upon - no way this wasn't a metahuman.

He took a deep breath and steeled himself before heading back to the lab. He wasn't sure what to expect when he got there.

Whatever he expected, it was not Cal standing in front of his boards on Harrison Wells and his mother's murder.

He stopped at the door to the lab, before shutting it firmly behind him. "How did you find that?"

"You're terrible at keeping secrets. You left it out one night a few weeks ago, I found it when I got here early the next day. I put it away and didn't say anything because I figured you had your reasons. It was the only thing you were clearly keeping from me and I can't begrudge a man his secrets. But now that's not the only thing you're keeping from me, Barry. There are things happening in this town, strange things. People are being hurt and killed and there's a superhero running around doing his damnedest to keep people safe, and you know all about it, Barry. So tell me - how are these two secrets connected?"

Barry sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Cal was clever, he knew that from the very beginning, but he had really been hoping it would take her longer to start putting the pieces together. "The particle accelerator explosion last year...long story short, it gave people superpowers. A man that can turn into poison gas. A woman who can teleport. Someone who can turn people into fertilizer, apparently."

"A man with super speed?"

"Y-yeah, exactly. A lot of those people, these metahumans, are...bad. Like, really bad. Hence the hurting and the killing. It's getting harder and harder to keep it hidden. Honestly I'm glad you know now. I don't have to try and hide the weird test results from you anymore."

Cal was pacing now, having shoved her glasses up onto her head, a habit Barry recognized to mean she was processing and accepting. "I can get on board with that. But what does this have to do with your mother's murder, 14 years before the explosion?"

"Because Wells went back in time to murder my mother."

Cal stopped her pacing. "Oh Barry. I'm so sorry." She approached him quickly now, both hands on his shoulders. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I wanted to keep you safe from it, if I could. That part of my life is...hard. People get hurt."

"Barry Allen, you don't get to make that decision for me. I decide what's worth getting hurt for, and you are worth more than anyone I've ever met."

Feeling as though the green of her eyes was drawing him in, Barry brought his hands up to cover hers, which were now fisted in his shirt. She seemed to only notice at that moment and moved to loosen her grip and take a step back, but he held her there. After a long moment he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.

Cal responded in kind, releasing his shirt from her grasp and wrapping her arms around his torso while one of his hands came down to her waist as the other curled in the hair at the back of her head. She opened to him gladly at the soft brush of his tongue, shivering as he kissed her sweetly and gently.

The sound of an explosion in the distance startled them from their kiss even as Barry pulled her closer instinctively. Looking out the large window at the back of the lab, they could see smoke billowing in the distance.

"Oh my God. Barry, you have to get over there, now!"

"What? Me, what do you mean?"

"Did we not just establish that you are terrible at keeping secrets? I know you're the Flash, Barry!"

It felt like the world stopped turning. "What...did you just say?"

Cal honest to God smiled at him, brushing her fingers against his cheek. "Oh, honey, I'm not mad, I swear I'm not. What I am is observant. How's that joke go? I'm not saying I'm Batman, but you've never seen Batman and I in the same room, have you? Barry disappears, Flash appears. Flash disappears, Barry's back. All the ridiculous excuses, analyzing crime scenes like you were there? Easy math. But seriously, people could be trapped and hurt, you have to run!"

He gaped at her for a few more moments, then took her face none-too-gently in his hands and kissed her again, hard this time, before taking a step back and taking off, sending papers and red curls flying. Cal's breath whooshed out of her lungs as she fisted both hands in her hair.

"Oh for the love of all that is good in this world, please come back to me."

It was after dark by the time Barry returned to the lab. He wasn't sure how he knew she'd be there, but there she sat gazing through the window, crosslegged on his workdesk and wearing the cardigan he'd left draped over his chair. He decided he liked that.

"So what's a guy gotta do to get you to wear his sweaters more often?" he said quietly from the door. She whirled around at his voice, then scrambled down from the desk before all but flinging herself into his arms. He let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, relishing in the feel of her against him, solid and real.

"Holy crap I was scared."

"I'm sorry. Next time I'll take you to S.T.A.R. Labs so you'll know what's going on." He pressed a kiss to her forehead before tucking her head under his chin.

"Don't be sorry. Is everything alright?"

"Yeah. Our metahuman was a hardcore anarchist, practically had the cookbook memorized."

"Ah...that explains the fertilizer. I tried listening to the news but it was all chaos, what did he bomb?"

"Just some empty warehouses - it was actually an accident, he was still in the beginning stages. He was planning an attack that would have wiped out Central City."

"I'm glad you got him. I'm proud of you." She pulled back from his embrace enough to kiss him again, slowly and softly. "I really wanna keep doing that. Like, a lot. Somewhere that's not where we work."

Barry laughed, resting his forehead against hers as she smiled up at him. "So do I. Where to?"

"My place? Classic Who and ice cream?"

"And more kissing?" He took her mouth again gently with his own.

"Maybe more than kissing?"

Barry grinned in a way that could only be described as wolfish. "Definitely more than kissing, I think," he whispered against her lips before turning them towards the door, tucking Cal securely under his arm as he guided them out of the lab. "I've been instructed to take the day off tomorrow - zero responsibilities, unless the Flash is needed. What do you think I should do all day?"

"Oh I'm sure I can think something, Mr. Allen."

So there's that. I seriously debated about the apology scene with Iris, but ultimately decided to leave it in, as I have a pathological desire to make sure everything works out in the end. There may or may not be some one shots or snippets added to this or posted separately, as I had a few ideas for scenes that didn't manifest in this little nugget of a story.

Ultimately not my best work, but something I enjoyed writing. I hope you enjoyed reading :)