Prompt: Summer Lovin' 16 - Day 2 - Lifeguards AU
Author's Note: Here's my second contribution to simplysnowbarry's "Summer Lovin' 16" challenge. It's a complete Snowbarry AU one-shot and I had a lot of fun writing it! Enjoy and feedback's really appreciated ;)
I don't own anything :)
The turning of the key in the ignition to stop her car – causing the music to suddenly die down in the process – felt like the definitive push to start off the summer. Caitlin checked herself in the rear-view mirror to see if everything was in place.
She hadn't put make-up on, as she new she would soon be diving into water and didn't trust her make-up to stick to her skin and lashes. Her hair was pulled up into a neat ponytail and her typical Snow-frown was reigning on her face. Catching it, she tried to soothe it away, without much success.
She knew she was one of those people with a resting bitch face – as they called it these days – and could be quickly perceived as a cold and unfriendly person. It didn't help that she was about to spend her whole summer working instead of enjoying her college-free time with Cisco. Her best friend was set to travel in South America during the summer break and she had first planned to go with him.
That was until her mother suddenly decided that Caitlin was old enough to pay college fees herself, telling her that if she wanted to go travel the world, she'd have to find the money by herself. And Caitlin really needed that money to finish her studies.
Reluctantly, Caitlin had declined Cisco's invitation to join him and had searched for a job that wouldn't be too much of a pain for her and that would allow her to still enjoy part of her summer – well at least that's what she hoped for.
So here she was, the 1st of July, about to start her summer job for the next two months.
Caitlin took a deep breath, grabbed her bag from the passenger seat, and got out of her small car before heading towards the rectangular building. She stepped inside and was immediately greeted by a young man behind the front desk. "Hey there, how can I help you?"
"Hello, I'm Caitlin Snow." She replied business-like, pushing her hand forward for him to shake it. "I'm here for the lifeguard summer position?"
"Ronnie Raymond. It's a pleasure to meet you." The young man replied with a huge grin. "You're early." He added as he glanced at his wristwatch.
"Yes, well I like to come prepared and be ready." Caitlin explained seriously, straightening up her blouse as if she had been offended by his comment.
Ronnie chuckled. "I wasn't reproaching you anything. Punctuality is actually something really valued here."
He winked at her and she felt her cheeks heat up a little bit. She didn't want to admit it, but that young man was kind of hot. Caitlin shook her head and tried to remind herself why she was here in the first place – which wasn't to flirt with the first hot guy she ran into.
She listened to him as he explained how everything functioned and where she could find precise things… He told her he was the cousin of the owner of this company. Ronnie was the manager of this lifeguard station but the whole company was actually composed by five different stations spread on the 20 miles long beach.
As a med student, Caitlin had all the required training and lifesaving skills to be a lifeguard. She had also taken part of an intensive swimming course just to be sure to be on point. Still, she hadn't expected the warm acceptance of her job application.
Ronnie was explaining how the different shifts would be divided when a tall young man entered the room while catching his breath. He stopped short as he spotted Ronnie and bowed down to rest his hands on his knees. He looked like he had just run a marathon. Caitlin had to roll her eyes.
"Barry, nice of you to finally join us." Ronnie greeted the stranger with a chuckle.
The other man lifted a finger as if to say '1 minute' before he finally straightened up a little. "Sorry, I'm late. Promise, it won't happen again." He said breathlessly.
Ronnie raised an eyebrow. "That's what you said last year, and I'm pretty sure you were late at least three times a week."
"Well, this year will be different." Barry grinned.
Caitlin witnessed the exchange without saying a word while examining the newcomer. He was tall and more on the skinny side, but she could see his defined muscles under his t-shirt. His hair was a mess and it seemed like he hadn't shaved in a couple of days, leaving some stubble run along his jaw. He had also a pair of piercing green eyes that made her think of the sea. He stood a bit awkwardly, as if he had yet to understand what to do with his adult body, and the thought made her smile.
"We'll see." Ronnie replied more seriously. "But you've got a free pass for today. You being late actually gave me the time to explain everything to our new recruit. Barry, this is Caitlin Snow." Ronnie gestured between the both of them and Barry winked at her in form of a greeting. She couldn't help a roll of her eyes and a shy smile. "Caitlin, this is Barry Allen. He's going to be your partner for the next two months."
Caitlin's smile instantly dropped down. Oh she hadn't seen that one coming. The last thing she wanted from a partner was someone being late almost all the time and trying to buy his way out of it with a cute smile. She didn't want some carefree college drop out that didn't even take time to brush his hair in the morning or to shave. She would've preferred being paired up with Ronnie, that was for sure.
This was going to be the longest summer of her life.
"So, Miss Snow, what do you do in life?"
Caitlin huffed in annoyance as she adjusted the strap of the bag on her shoulder. It was barely 10 a.m. and the heat was already killing her. She had shed her blouse, opting for the red lifeguard's t-shirt over her bikini and a pair of swimming shorts. Barry was also wearing the same company's outfit as her, with some sneakers and sunglasses. They were both walking side by side towards their designated supervision location.
"Listen, Barry," she stopped in the middle of the beach, "you seem like a really nice guy, but I'm not here to chitchat. I'm here to work. So if we could minimise the talking, I'd really appreciate it."
Barry turned to face her and lifted his hands in surrender. "Geez, put away those icicles, frosty, I was just being friendly."
"I'm sorry." She sighed, realising it wasn't just her resting face that was currently being a bitch. "I just had other things planned for my summer and I'm taking my frustration out on you."
"Well, why didn't you say so right away?" Barry shook his head. "That way I won't take offence at you snapping at me."
"Sorry." She mumbled as they resumed their walk. "And please, do not call me frosty, like ever again."
"That's okay. I prefer 'Snowy' anyway." He said with a shrug of his shoulders.
He winked at her when he heard her gasp, so she swatted him on the chest before rolling her eyes. But she still turned her face to hide away the small smile that had crept up on her lips. Lucky for her, they soon reached their little lifeguard tower where they would spend most of their time today and during the next few weeks.
She was already counting the hours until she would be free of him. He seemed kind of full of himself, knowing what his good looks could do to any girl and she would've bet his dorky and awkward behaviour was just an act to seem more reachable. She decided then that she didn't like him. That was probably more because she hated being the kind of girl who could fall for him, than him being actually dislikeable.
During the first week, Barry initiated her with the main duties and responsibilities they had as lifeguards. She knew most of them but hadn't yet put them to practice. She had to admit, her first impression of Barry was quickly being proven wrong. He was actually a very selfless person when it came to helping people out and he was quite a good teacher. At the end of the week, Caitlin knew all the main ropes of her job and felt more confident that she could do this and actually enjoy her summer.
She had also learned that Barry wasn't a college drop out, as she had thought when first seeing him. He was actually about to start his last year of studies before he could go work for the police forensic department. She had inquired about his choice of carrier path and he had kindly told her it was a story for some other time.
Gradually, as the end of the first week had approached, Caitlin had also begun to relax in his presence and share part of her story with him – dead father, cold mother, estranged brother, medicine student. After he heard about her choice of study, he had dropped the silly nicknames like 'Snowy' and had opted for the more formal 'Dr. Snow' to tease her – because obviously, she wasn't a doctor yet. He absolutely loved the way her cheeks would flush when he called her that way.
During their second week, they got really comfortable around each other, going swiftly through their duty shifts, making their rounds on the beach, supervising the crowded areas, doing some information sessions for kids, checking that everything was going as it should be…
Caitlin found herself really enjoying her time there. She got the opportunity to improve her people-skills, which Barry kept teasing her about, telling her she was a bit frosty for a future doctor. A couple of weeks ago, she would've been offended by his comment, but now she knew he was just trying to push her buttons to get her to loosen up a bit.
It was a breath of fresh air, considering the by-the-book person she had been for 22 years. Barry was bringing out a side of her she had thought buried a long time ago. When he teased her, she would tease right back and would even initiate it from time to time. She wondered if there wasn't a touch of flirting in it too.
At the end of the second week, Barry suggested for the first time for them to hang out after their shift. They weren't on beach duty that weekend and Caitlin hadn't really planned anything special, so she agreed. That night, she learned that Barry had been coming to that beach every summer since he was a kid, meaning that he knew a lot of people and had formed a group of friend he would be reunited with every year.
That night, as they joined a beach party that was taking place not far from their little lifeguard tower, she met Iris West, Barry's best friend. She instantly liked her, but couldn't help the small pang of jealousy she felt when she saw her interact with her partner.
Her partner? Caitlin had to shake her head at the thought and decided to drink some more to forget all about her twisted thoughts. She was here to gain money to pay for her studies, not to gawk at some handsome young man with a stupid gorgeous grin she wouldn't ever see again after the end of the summer.
"Hey there, Cait, don't you think you should slow down on the drinks?" Barry cheered as he came sit next to her on the sand.
It was probably the alcohol that made her heart flutter at the sound of her shortened name. She both hated and loved the way he almost always called her with some kind of nickname.
"Oh shush, I'm okay." She replied with a slightly slurred voice that made him chuckle. "So tell me, Mr. Allen, since when do you have a crush on your best friend?" Caitlin asked before she could stop herself. She had no idea why she would do this to herself, it was borderline masochistic.
Barry's smile dropped and his cheeks turned a bit red. "I do not!" He squealed, making sure Iris was far enough that she wouldn't hear their conversation. When Caitlin raised an unconvinced eyebrow at him, he had to explain himself. "Okay, there was a time when I thought I might be in love with her. But that was a long time ago, like beginning of high school."
"If you say so." Caitlin shrugged before raising her glass to take another gulp. Before she could actually drink, Barry took her glass away.
"I don't know if you've noticed, but there's a lot of water around us." He nodded to the agitated water a few meters away.
"Well, in case I drown, I know a very handsome lifeguard that could come and save me." Caitlin giggled and bumped against his shoulder.
It was a bit too dark and Caitlin wasn't paying enough attention or she would've seen the way Barry instantly blushed. It was very brief and as soon as he gathered his wits back, he replied with a flirty voice, "if you just want to be in my arms, you just have to ask."
The darkness didn't cover the wink he sent her way and she thought she was about to faint. She barely knew the guy – two weeks was far from enough to know someone – but he already made her feel things she had never felt before, things she had never allowed herself to feel. All she wanted to do was throw away all her worries and good manners and responsible behaviour, and just kiss him already. After all, they just had two months together and one quarter was already gone. What did she have to lose?
Okay, maybe the next six weeks would be really uncomfortable if he rejected her. But he had been flirting, right?
But before she could gather the courage to act on any of this, a familiar person approached them.
"You two are lucky you don't work tomorrow or I would've had to report this to my boss." Ronnie joked as a greeting.
Caitlin jumped up on her feet to hug the young man. To say she was surprised by her own behaviour would be an understatement. She loved hugs, but she was usually shyer about giving them away to anyone. She had seen Ronnie almost every day since the day she got here, as she always had to drop by the main building to take her daily equipment. He was a fun guy, always ready to help, very kind and quite hot. But he was still her supervisor. Sober, she would've never dreamed of hugging him like that in the middle of a beach party.
Surprisingly, he didn't seem to mind or think it was inappropriate. After pulling away, Barry had also stood up to greet him before stepping back and joining some of his other friends, leaving Caitlin and Ronnie alone. She did catch how Barry's smile wasn't reaching his eyes like a few minutes ago. But, again, she wasn't sober enough to really care.
For the next couple of hours, Caitlin really appreciated the attention Ronnie seemed to give her, though it didn't quite feel the same way as it did with Barry. She found herself missing the tall dorky dark haired lifeguard even though he was standing a few meters away.
She stopped drinking after the last glass Barry had taken away from her. She didn't want to end up drunk and with a nasty hangover the next day. She also didn't really get to speak to Barry again until the next Monday morning.
He was standing next to his locker in the main building, pulling his t-shirt off to put the lifeguard one instead. Caitlin entered the room just in time to see his naked chest and her breath got caught in her throat. She didn't get the occasion to see him in live action in the past two weeks since they hadn't had a real emergency – which was sign of a job well done since they had been taught that preventing any incident was much better than having to react after it already occurred.
So this was actually the first time she got to see what was hiding underneath his shirt. She wasn't disappointed and silently thanked the shared locker room.
Barry turned around as if he had felt her stare and smirked when he caught her eye and saw her turn red in a second. "Well, good morning Dr. Snow. Like what you're seeing?"
"Oh shut up." Caitlin rolled her eyes and made a beeline to her own locker to put her stuff away. She felt relieved when she glanced at him and saw that he had covered himself again with the red t-shirt – the letters 'Lifeguard At Your Service' printed in white on his back.
"So how was your weekend?" Barry asked without looking back at her.
Caitlin shrugged. "Okay, I guess. I didn't do much. I tried to study a bit."
He glanced at her over his shoulder with a frown. "You studied? Seriously? Do you know what holidays mean?"
She let out a small laugh escape. "Really funny, smart-ass. I just want to make sure I don't forget everything I learned this year."
Barry closed his locker and turned around to lean his back against it, looking at Caitlin as she was also swiftly changing t-shirts. His throat got dry for a moment, spotting the blue bikini she was wearing underneath.
He shook his head and swallowed hard. "So, no headaches on Saturday morning?" He asked to keep his mind from wandering anywhere near the inappropriate department.
"Nope," she shrugged casually, "you stopped me just in time. Thanks."
"Well, I'm just glad Ronnie didn't make you drink more." Barry pointed out.
It was Caitlin's turn to shut her locker and mirror his position against it. "Ronnie's a good guy, he wouldn't do that."
"Oh I know, that's why I left you with him." He explained with a nod. "I trust him to take care of you. Any other guy could have gone straight to hell."
Caitlin blushed at his words. "That's cute, thanks." She whispered, looking down at her hands.
They stayed silent for a moment before he decided to break it. "I think Ronnie has a thing for you."
"He does not!" She protested, her eyes flying up to meet his.
"Oh yeah he does." He smirked.
Caitlin rolled her eyes, a bit annoyed that he would insist on whether a guy liked her or not. She didn't care if Ronnie liked her. She wanted to know if Barry liked her. Apparently he didn't really see her that way. "Well if you say so, maybe I should give him a chance and ask him out."
His smile instantly disappeared from his face and his voice turned a bit strained. "If you think that's a good idea…" He trailed off.
Caitlin frowned at him. Maybe she had read the signs wrong and Barry hadn't been flirting with her in the past couple of weeks they had known each other. Maybe he hadn't been throwing small innuendos here and there. Maybe he felt protective of her just because he saw her as some sort of sister. Maybe he hadn't been jealous when he had seen her with Ronnie the way she had felt when she had seen him with Iris.
If he had been, why would he be pushing her in the arms of another guy?
The couple of days after their little conversation in the locker room were a bit more tense than usual. They would avoid any personal subjects and would just go through their day doing their job perfectly. I wasn't until Thursday came up that he heard from a friend that Caitlin had actually asked Ronnie out and they had gone to have dinner just the night before.
Barry was dying to know how it went but really didn't want to appear needy by asking her. When their workday came to its end, he saw her just waving goodbye at Ronnie before heading to her car parked in front of the main building. That's the moment when he decided it would be safe enough to ask her about it.
He ran to catch up with her as she was just opening the door of her car. "Cait, wait up!"
She turned to face him and raised an eyebrow. "Did you forget something?" She asked.
"How was your date with Ronnie?" Barry asked almost breathlessly and she had a flashback to the first day she had seen him. The guy could run for miles on the beach when he was bored on a slow day without losing a breath, and now the few step separating the building from her car got him panting like an out-of-shape man.
It made some kind of hope blossom in her chest at the thought that, maybe, she was the reason he lost his breath.
Her second eyebrow lifted itself to join the first one, surprised by his question. "Meh. It was okay." Caitlin shrugged.
"Okay?" Barry frowned as his breathing became normal again. "That doesn't sound really convincing."
Caitlin rested her elbow on the top of her car's door as she observed him, considering for a moment what she would say next. Was it possible that Barry was even more handsome than last week? He was a bit more tanned and his eyes seemed greener. She particularly enjoyed the days when he didn't shave, letting that stubble of his run free on his jaw, and all she wanted to do was to graze her fingers against it. And those eyes… She could practically see his soul through them. She could see him run towards a unsupervised little kid standing too close to the water, she could see him explain how his equipment worked to some curious teenage, she could see him reassuring some concerned mother about the beach's security.
Ronnie was a great guy and she genuinely liked him. He just wasn't the guy she wanted. Maybe Ronnie and her could've been a great couple in another timeline or universe; maybe they could've even been soulmates. But right now, she couldn't help feeling that he had come too late into her life to have that position. Well, not really too late. More like he hadn't tried to have a place in her life soon enough. Somebody else had taken the job.
She tucked a strand of hair behind her hair before finally speaking, looking straight into his green eyes. "Let's just say he wasn't really the guy I wanted to go on a date with." She whispered, her words loud with meanings.
Barry let the words fly to his ears and make his way to his brain. When he thought he actually understood their meaning, he realised Caitlin was gone and so was her car. He let a hand hit his forehead before running his fingers through his hair.
Sometimes he just couldn't take a hint.
Friday was weird.
There wasn't any other word to describe it.
It felt like a silent agreement had been made between Barry and Caitlin, but neither was sure of the conditions of said agreement. They both seemed to know that something more had the potential of developping itself between them, but at the same time, neither was sure how the other felt about it.
And they were too scared to voice it.
Barry perfectly knew the ball was in his court, but every scenario running in his brain ended up with him making a fool of himself. In the meantime, Caitlin just waited for him to say something. She had practically told him she wanted to go out with him, so what was he waiting for?
The end of the day, apparently.
She was changing back into the tank top she had been wearing that morning when he came into the locker room, throwing his bag to the side and slumping down on the bench between both lockers' rows, legs on either side of the seat.
Caitlin raised an eyebrow at him. "What's up with you?"
Barry sighed loudly before looking at her. "What did you mean yesterday?"
"Wha…"
"Because I've been racking my brain the whole night and the whole day trying to figure it out." He cut her off before she could even ask what he was talking about. "Just so you know, I'm not really good with subtlety and hidden meanings. But I'd like to think that I'm not a complete knucklehead and that you were actually giving me an opening to ask you out. But I also thought about how you were the one to ask Ronnie out, which means you like to be in charge." He explained his thoughts' process with words tumbling down his mouth so rapidly that she almost had a hard time to follow. "When you set your mind on something, you go and get it. So it means that if you wanted me, you would actually come and get me – which you didn't do, by the way." He pointed out as if the whole thing was a scientific demonstration.
"Barry…" She tried to speak.
"So that must mean you're not interested." He continued rambling without really paying attention to her. He barely realised when she closed her locker and straddled the bench like him to sit in front of him. "And now I feel so dumb because I kind of got my hopes up that there was something more between us. We could be great together, you know that?"
"Barry…" She tried again.
"I guess I just heard what I wanted to hear and here I am making a fool of myself." He shook his head in despair, not letting her speak. "And you're probably going to go see Ronnie and request a change of partner to avoid any awkwardness starting on Monday because I couldn't seem to shut up. And why are you smiling? There's absolutely nothing funny about this and…"
The press of Caitlin's lips on his stopped his monologue short. He hadn't even realised she was close enough to even touch him, let alone cupping his face between both hands, lips firmly kissing his. He had to gasp in surprise.
When his brain caught up with what was happening, Caitlin pulled back.
"What was that for?" Barry panted, looking curiously at her.
"Well, as you said, you couldn't seem to shut up." Caitlin shrugged with an innocent smile.
He looked away bashfully, but her hands guided his face back to hers.
"And…" she added when his eyes met hers again, "you were right. When I want something, I actually go and get it myself."
Barry's heart fluttered in his chest. "And what is it that you want, exactly?" He asked huskily.
Caitlin leaned slightly forward to rub her nose against his, never looking away from his eyes. "Ice cream." She finally whispered, her lips barely a breath away from his.
Barry tried to keep the smile away, but came out defeated from the battle. His face broke into a beaming smile and a twinkle appeared in his eyes.
"Well, then grab your stuff and let's go get some ice cream." He cheered before standing up.
He swiftly changed out of his lifeguard's shirt under the appreciative stare of Caitlin, before picking up his bag and heading towards the door.
"You coming?" He inquired when he realised she was still sitting on the bench where he had left her a couple of minutes ago.
Caitlin seemed to catch herself daydreaming and instantly jumped on her feet before taking her bag. As he was about to open the door, Caitlin hurried to block it. He frowned at her, not understanding what was happening. She didn't speak to explain her action. She just fisted his shirt and pulled him down so they could meet for a kiss. This time, Barry took less time to catch up with the situation and instantly circled her waist with his arms and deepened the kiss, probing her lips to gain full access to her mouth.
Soon, Caitlin found herself pressed between Barry and the locker room's door, one foot propped against it, Barry's hand caressing the skin of her leg that wasn't covered by her shorts, the other hand tangled in her hair, mouths fused together while Caitlin's hands were both travelling along Barry's back, under his shirt.
"Ice cream…" She mumbled when he pulled slightly away.
"Uh?" He groaned, as he was catching his breath, nuzzling her cheek.
"I still…" She gasped as he nipped at her jaw. "Want… ice cream." She managed to utter breathlessly.
A low chuckle shook his whole frame against her, making a new wave of shiver run along her spine. "My bad. I kind of got caught up in the moment." He whispered before pecking her lips one last time. "Let's go."
He pulled away and she couldn't help the little whimper that escaped her mouth at the lost of contact. She blushed furiously when she caught his raised eyebrow and knowing smirk.
Caitlin rolled her eyes and straightened up her outfit and picked up her bag she had let go of during their little make out session. It was crazy. She had absolutely never felt this way in her whole life. She had had a few boyfriends before, but it had never felt even close to this.
Without another word, they went to Barry's favourite ice-cream parlour and, hand in hand, they savoured the frozen sweet while walking along the beach, joking around and sharing a few stories about their lives. And from time to time, they would stop talking to simply kiss.
Maybe this was going to be the shortest summer of her life.
"I kind of hated you at the beginning, you know?"
Barry lifted his head from his bag, as he had been checking that nothing was missing from it. They were about to leave their little lifeguard cabin to make their surveillance round on the beach. He frowned at her but his face soon relaxed once he saw the smile on her lips.
"Liar." He shook his head with a chuckle. "You loved me instantly."
"Yeah right." Caitlin rolled her eyes at his smugness. She knew him now well enough to recognise him covering up his nervousness with fake self-confidence. "No but seriously, I mean it. I thought you were some careless smug college drop-out that would make my summer a living hell."
"For real?" He squealed, his eyebrows shooting up.
"Sorry…" Caitlin apologised while making a face.
His face turned serious, as he approached her dangerously, and she had to take a few steps back until she hit the wall behind her. He rested his hands on both sides of her shoulders and trapped her between him and the wall. "But I did change your mind, right?"
"Uh-huh." She nodded, her throat suddenly very dry, her eyes flitting from his eyes to his lips and to his eyes again.
"Not very convincing, Cait." He leaned forward to whisper huskily in her ear. "Want to try that again?"
The room became a few degrees too hot for her to think properly. Her heart was galloping in her chest and her breath was shallow.
It had been about ten days since the first time they had shared a kiss, and it was far from the last time. Knowing that they only had just a bit more than one month together, Barry and Caitlin had dived in pretty quickly in their current relationship. They spent almost every waking hour together and the nights they wouldn't share a bed were quite rare. And they were both on cloud nine. Everything felt brighter, happier and more beautiful.
It was what a summer romance was supposed to feel like, right?
"Cait…" He murmured again, as she didn't reply, and she had to close her eyes to savour the way her nickname rolled down his tongue. "Did I change your mind? Or do you still think I'm some careless smug college drop-out that makes your summer a living hell?"
His voice was deep and sexy and the only thing she could think about was how the hell he could construct long sentences when she could barely utter a single word. He let his nose trail along her jaw line from her ear to her chin and she had to let out a small whimper escape.
"Yes…" Caitlin managed to whisper, only wanting him to stop torturing her and kiss her already. "You're quite the opposite."
Barry lifted his head and her eyes fluttered open at the loss of contact. She was instantly met by his sea green eyes and she felt her legs buckle slightly. Her hand flew up to the back of his neck to keep herself from falling – not that she would have, considering the firm grip he now had on her waist.
"Good." He simply said before crushing his lips against hers.
In the past ten days, they had done sweet, soft and careful, but also heated, passionate and hard. They were making the most of the reduced time they had together. They wouldn't waste a single minute.
And right now wouldn't be an exception. Caitlin knew she was very close to ripping his shirt off and Barry had already lifted one of her legs to hook it on his hip. It didn't take a genius to guess where this would soon be heading.
"Barry…" She moaned against his lips, breaking the kiss. "We can't."
"Why the hell not?" He frowned, nuzzling her playfully, pushing her a bit more against the wall behind her. She was really, really, close to giving in.
"We're supposed to be on surveillance duty." Caitlin reminded him, trying to catch her breath.
He pulled away with a sigh and let his forehead rest against hers. "You're right. We should probably go."
As much as they both wanted to make out, and possibly more, they both knew they had important responsibilities to fulfil and that neither of them would ever forgive themselves if anything happened on their watch while they were too busy making out like horny teenagers.
"But we're finishing that conversation as soon as I get you to my place tonight." Barry warned her as they stepped out of their cabin.
"I'll make it worth your while." Caitlin whispered in his ear before winking and walking away from him.
He had to take a minute to catch his breath and swallow the lump in his throat. It didn't help that she added a little sway in her hips as she walked away, showing him that she perfectly knew he was checking her out.
He shook his head. That woman would be the death of him. But at least it would be an enjoyable way to go.
"I love you."
He hadn't wanted to say it, but it was now too late. It was out there and he couldn't take it back. He didn't want to take it back.
They were both standing on the sand next to their lifeguard's cabin on a Saturday evening. Their shift was over, but they stayed a little longer to admire the sunset. They had been silent for the past thirty minutes and she really hadn't been expecting those words to come out of his mouth. They had been together for the past three weeks and had known each other for about twice that period. And in two weeks, the summer would be over.
Caitlin's shiny round eyes met his and Barry was suddenly very nervous about her reaction to his words. They didn't really talk about where they were going, if this was just a summer fling or more. It sure felt like more.
She moved to face him completely, grabbed the fabric of his shirt and pulled him down to crush her lips against his. He instantly took hold of her waist to bring her closer to him, deepening the kiss as soon as she sighed, opening her lips to him. In the past three weeks, he had discovered every spot that would make her moan, every area that would make her hold onto him a little tighter, every different ways he could make her whisper his name.
And he loved knowing every single one of these things. He simply loved her.
"I love you too." Caitlin whispered breathlessly when they pulled apart.
It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders as he heard her utter those magnificent words. He let his head fall to the crook of her neck and let a shaky breath escape. "Thank god." He mumbled, making her giggle as she cradled his head closer to her.
They fit perfectly together and her heart fluttered every single time she thought about it.
"We'll see each other next summer, right?" She asked worriedly.
They were both standing next to her car, her travelling bags already in her trunk. Their two months were over, she was going back to her university and he would also leaving the next day. It had been the perfect summer for both of them, and neither wanted it to end. But like everything, it had to end someday.
Barry softly gathered her into his arms and hugged her tightly. They had been standing there for the past 40 minutes, trying to say goodbye. They had promised themselves they'd be back the next summer, resuming their lifeguard duty.
"I'll be there." Barry whispered when he pulled back, tracing her cheeks with the tips of his fingers.
"Me too." Caitlin nodded, biting her lower lip to keep herself from tearing up.
"Don't be a stranger, Dr. Snow." He winked at her to try and elate the atmosphere.
Caitlin just chuckled; still amused that he would call her that way even when she wasn't a doctor yet. "Well, the phone works both ways, Mr. Allen."
"Oh, you bet I'm going to call you." He groaned before pressing his lips against hers one last time before she got into her car. She opened her window as he softly knocked on it. "Don't forget about me, snowflake." He said before blowing her a kiss and taking a step back.
She didn't let the tears stream down her face until she was on the highway, Barry far behind her. There was absolutely no way she could be able to forget about him.
The turning of the key in the ignition to stop the car caused the music to suddenly die down. Caitlin smiled when she remembered that time, many years ago, when that same movement had felt like a death sentence for her summer, while now it felt like freeing her soul.
She glanced to the passenger side where her husband was starting to stir from his deep sleep. The road had been long and he had driven for most of it. As soon as they had changed position, he had fallen asleep. She took a look at the backseats from the rear-view mirror and spotted the three kids deep in slumber. She felt her heart soar in her chest at the sight of her family.
Her husband finally cracked an eye open to see why they weren't moving anymore, and especially why everything was so silent around him.
"Oh, we're here already." He croaked, glancing lovingly at Caitlin.
She let a hand run through his messy hair. "Yeah, you kind of died on me like three hours ago. Of course it was fast for you." She said with a wink.
"Sorry…" He mumbled sheepishly.
"Don't worry. You needed the sleep." She replied softly with a slight chuckle. "Besides, the little monsters have also been asleep for almost as long as you, so the road was pretty much enjoyable."
Her husband leaned over to drop a kiss on her lips. "I've missed this place." He said when he pulled back and took a look around. "Do you think the lifeguards are any good this year?" He asked with bouncing eyebrows.
"Let's just hope they spend more time doing their job than making out." Caitlin said innocently.
He lifted a teasing brow. "Are you speaking of experience, Dr. Snow-Allen?"
Caitlin beamed at Barry, not quite believing that the sound of her 'new' name still made her feel like her heart was about to burst out of her chest.
"Oh shush." She blushed, swatting him playfully in the chest.
"You started it." He pointed out while sending a wink at her. That same wink he had given her during their first meeting. She had to lean over to kiss him passionately.
"Come on," she whispered against his lips after breaking their kiss, "let's wake those little munchkins up and move the party to the house."
As promised, they kept in touch the whole year that followed their first summer together. They didn't manage to see each other, but they were constantly communicating. Distance didn't seem to be an obstacle they couldn't confront together.
They had both agreed that they wouldn't stop living their lives while waiting for the next summer and it was okay for the other to date someone else if the opportunity came up. And opportunities did come up, for the both of them. But neither grabbed them. They didn't want anyone else.
And when the 1st of July turned the corner, Caitlin couldn't wait to see that stupid grin of his and to throw herself into his arms. When they actually saw each other again, it was as if they had never been apart.
There were a few bumps along the road, as jealousy, distance and frustration became obstacles. But they always seemed to find a compromise and win the battle. They weren't ready to lose each other. They wouldn't give up.
And as years went by, they started seeing each other more and more even during the year. They would always spend the summer at the same beach, some times working as a lifeguard, some times just enjoying the holidays. And then the time came when Barry announced to her that he had applied to a position at the CCPD, as she had just gotten her acceptance letter from S.T.A.R. labs.
So they moved in together right away. It wasn't a risky move – they had been together for almost five years at that time. Sure they had never gotten the opportunity to see each other regularly except during the summer. But it felt right.
And it was right. They were made for each other and nothing would come between them.
What felt even more right, was buying a beach house near the place they had worked as lifeguards. It became their safe haven, where they would go at least once a year and where, later, their kids would learn all about swimming and water security and how their parents fell in love in their little lifeguard's cabin.
How their summer romance had turned into a whole lot more.
And how both Barry and Caitlin considered being a lifeguard that summer had saved their lives.
Fin.