A/N: I shipped Iris and Barry so much in season 1, but now Spillen (I don't know if that's their actual ship name, but I like it) is rapidly becoming my OTP. Sorry Iris, but BARRY AND PATTY. Awkward nerd love is the best (and blind Barry just killed me with cute).
Barry leaned against Patty, clutching her hand. "Don't let go of me – I might trip," he joked, but in reality, it felt right. As right as running.
Patty laughed, a musical sound that stirred butterflies in his stomach. "I won't, I promise. Two more steps."
"Missed one," Barry teased, just to keep her laughing.
Even after he was safely on flat ground, Patty didn't loosen her grip on his hand. "You know, it's funny how we skipped straight to the hand-holding part."
Barry's eyes flickered down. "Yes," he mumbled.
"We, uh, have arrived at my car," Patty announced, slowing and turning towards him.
Barry turned, looking at where he guessed her face was. "Ah, well, do you think we've reached the goodnight-kiss stage?" he broached.
She said nothing, and for a moment he thought he'd gone too far too fast. Then, she placed his hands on either side of her face. Her skin was soft, warm, her cheeks dimpled by a grin, her hair brushing against his hand with a feathery touch. Smiling, Barry leaned forward as she stretched up, and their lips met for the first time.
Sweet. Gentle. Passionate.
The kiss felt like a beam of sunlight, warming his entire being in a way he'd never thought possible, lighting up his world. It felt like soaring above everything, because nothing else mattered. It felt like electricity sparked through their lips, connecting them, and the purity of that connection held Barry in place, holding her close, almost stopping but going right back in.
He'd never felt anything like it. Anything so right, so perfect, so beautiful. Not even when he'd kissed Iris in the timeline he had then erased.
Unfortunately, the kiss ended. But it was literally eye-opening.
Barry reached out, opening her coat. "Um, this is… burgundy, by the way," he stated. And dang, Cisco had understated how she looked, because she was drop-dead gorgeous. "And you look great in it."
Patty laughed again. "Now you can see?" she exclaimed.
"Yeah, I can," he confirmed, drinking her in.
"That must have been some kiss," Patty murmured.
Barry met her gaze, taking a moment to realize how striking her baby blue eyes were. "I guess so," he agreed softly.
It was everything.
There was a time when Barry thought only Iris could make him whole… How wrong he'd been.
He leaned forward, eager for more.