Written for a prompt I got on tumblr (btw I am Scarlett-Ice!): Barry, unable to use his speed (thus fast healing) for some reason, still needs to be out there as the flash. He gets stuck with Julian (and his gun) as back up but for all his whining and disapproval, Julian doesn't fail to save his life several times that day.
"Please inform me again why we can't just wait in Star Labs like sane people?" Julian drawls, wrinkling his nose at the stench of the rubbish in the alley he and Barry are hiding in.
"I can handle this," Barry determinedly replies, like the stubborn idiot he is.
"Just like you could handle it when you nearly got blasted by Detonate? Just like you could handle it when you were seconds away from being skewered by Neanderthal? Oh, wait a second, I seem to recall it was me who handled those situations by saving your arse. Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if I do it again now."
It was just their luck that the one meta who had to the ability to make other powers temporarily redundant had teamed up with a gang of other villainous metas. And of course, it had been Barry who'd been hit, leaving him without his speed and healing powers (something they'd been quick to discover when Barry's concussion didn't disappear within minutes.)
"We don't know when my powers will come back," Barry replies. It's the same argument he's been spouting for the past few days. "And I can't afford to just lie back and not help, especially when we're spread so thin already."
"Yes but what you seem to forget is that you're not indestructible right now Barry. You're not even that with your powers. And now it means I have to make sure you stay out of harm's way."
"I'm not your responsibility," Barry argues, practically pouting and he should not be allowed to look so infuriatingly adorable. "I can do this alone."
Julian silently prays for patience. Why his heart had to choose this moron of all people, he'll never know.
"Tough Allen, you're stuck with me until you do the sensible thing and wait safely inside until your powers return."
"Why are you-"
Barry shuts up when a hissing noise sounds. Of the three metas remaining of the group, Queen Cobra is the least dangerous but that doesn't make her an easy catch by any means. Since she'd been working in the reptile section of a zoo during the time of the particle explosion, her DNA had fused with theirs, along with getting some upgrades. Not only did she receive their scales and forked tongue but she had an exceptional sense of smell, extremely deadly poison that could be spit up to six feet and ridiculous strength.
"I can ssssmell you Flasssh. And your friend."
Julian sees the moment Barry decides to do something reckless and is, ironically, too slow to stop him. Barry reveals himself from their hiding place, going to meet Queen Cobra on the street.
"I don't want to fight you," Barry says, as if he could and the bluff would be a good plan if it weren't for the fact Glutton had told all his cronies about his victory over the Flash. Sadly, Queen Cobra hasn't forgotten.
"What could you do to me now Flasssh?" She asks mockingly.
Barry tries another tactic. "You don't need to do this, you can learn to live with your powers" he implores and Queen Cobra laughs.
"Looking like I do? Do you know how difficult life has been for me ssssince the explosssion? No, I tried being good and ended up homelessss. Thisss iss much more rewarding."
Julian hears the minute hitch in her breath, signaling she's preparing to launch her poison and he doesn't even think before flying out the alley and shooting out a bullet. "Barry, look out!"
Unfortunately, his shout also alerts Queen Cobra and at the last second, just as the bullet hits her thigh, she swivels and the vibrant purple poison is suddenly coming towards him, there's no way he can avoid. His last few thoughts are a jumbled mix. He said he'd save Barry, but he's going to die, he never got to tell him, he's going to die-
Julian had thought heaven might be a bit less painful, though the view of the clouds is nice.
"What a time for my powers to come back, huh?" Barry says breathlessly and oh, he's not dead then.
His brain tries to process what just happened, fails, and so he does the only thing that seems logical. He draws Barry down so he can kiss the idiot senseless. Though initially shocked, Barry soon gets in the swing of things himself and it's only at Queen Cobra's cry that they break apart so Barry can restrain her. He comes back instantly, offering Julian a hand up which Julian takes. He's pleased to note how delightfully plump and red Barry's lips are.
"So, are we even?" Barry teases, grinning and Julian smirks.
"Hardly." He steps forward so that he's only a few centimeters away from Barry's ear. "But I can certainly think of a few ways you can begin to pay me back," he whispers.
Now that his powers are back and he can take care of himself, Julian leaves a bright red Barry behind to go have some well-deserved tea.