Cisco

Unfortunately, my arm healed faster than Leah's ribs and collarbone. For the first two weeks, she continued to get pissed off when she found it difficult for her to do things on her own. The first time she started to get angry, Caitlin and I were discussing how the electricity was acting up in certain rooms while Leah was in the shower in the room next to us. Leah had been staying at STAR Labs since the accident so Caitlin could keep a close eye on her. I figured Caitlin could keep an eye on her outside of the Labs, but I didn't question it.

We heard a clatter and Leah hiss before it went silent again.

"Leah, are you alright?" Caitlin called out as we listened closely.

There was a sigh and more commotion before Leah replied, "Caitlin…" she whimpered, "I think I need help."

Caitlin quickly handed me her clipboard with a "hold on" before disappearing into the bathroom. I went back to observing Caitlin's data on the recent problems with our machines and lights, slightly concerned about Leah, but knowing there wasn't anything I could do. This was more of a girl's thing, right?

Besides, I've already kissed her, I'm sure she'd kill me if I walked in on her in the shower.

I set the clipboard down on the table in front of me and rubbed the bridge of my nose between my thumb and pointer finger as my face flushed painfully. Was I embarrassed to kiss her? No way. Was I embarrassed to say it was because I really wanted to kiss her even though I haven't even told her how I felt yet? Totally. What was worse was that neither of us were talking about it. I wasn't even sure how I would bring it up:

"So, about that kiss?" Wink at her… Give a sly smile… She would like that, wouldn't she?

Only problem was- I knew Leah, I knew her VERY well except I didn't know her romantically. I wasn't sure what she liked or didn't like and whether she was more into the cheesy romance or the "I'm-Super-Relaxed-Around-You" kind of relationship. I didn't even like to use that word. For all I knew, she only saw me as a friend. Or worse, she saw me as a brother…

With my eyes closed, I could still feel her lips on mine. It may have been fourteen days ago, but I would never forget that kiss. It was soft and sweet, like how I pictured our first kiss, not that the setting or situation was how I planned it, though… But she had kissed me back and it wasn't a short kiss. She tasted like sunshine, like the sun kissed her lips. She did kiss back…

I threw my head down on the desk and sighed. If I was smart and nothing short of brave, I would've asked her about it right after it happened. But instead, we had sat in silence, threading our fingers together and just listening to our uneven breathing. She had left me completely breathless, but by time I removed my forehead from hers, she was already half-asleep again. She gave me room to lay down beside her and I held her hand with my good one while she slept. I was planning on never leaving until she kicked me out, but then Caitlin had come back in to check her over again and told me I was in the way. I reluctantly climbed off the bed and left. It wasn't till I went to bed that night that I had fully realized what had happened and felt squeamish.

What if she didn't like it?

What if she didn't want me to kiss her?

She was on some strong medicine… What if she doesn't even remember?

So, the next day, we didn't talk about that. And the next day, we still didn't speak of it. Four days later, it still went untouched. Ten days later and I still blushed and looked away every time she bit her bottom lip. Now, fourteen days later and I'm still worried about it and hanging my head for not talking about it as soon as it happened.

"Do you have a headache?" I knew it was Wells voice before I even lifted my head. I hadn't even heard him move to be right beside me. He looked at me and it wasn't concern on his face, it was knowledge. He knew I didn't have a headache. Still, he added, "I'm sure Caitlin has medicine for a migraine."

"I-I'm fine," I lied, sitting up straight again and reaching for the clipboard. I pretended to be looking over it, knowing he was watching me- practically observing me.

"Cisco," I glanced at him from the corner of my eye but was afraid to fully look at him. That man was TOO smart, I was sure he could see right through me. "What happened between you and Leah?"

Figuring out I was right frightened me for some reason. How could he possibly know? Does he know I ruined things with her? Was he judging me for not being able to maintain a healthy relationship with anyone?! I mean, my family was a whole other story, obviously, but I was positive I had somehow managed to screw things up with Leah as well.

"We're fine," I lied again. "Why would you ask that?" My voice slowly rose higher in higher out of panic. "It's not like I did anything wrong, right? I mean, I was just worried about her! She was in so much pain and she wouldn't stop crying and I couldn't do anything to help, but she still looked amazing and we were sitting so close, so YES, I kissed her- is it really that big of a deal?!" I was out of breath after finishing my little rant, feeling a little better for getting it off my chest until I looked over at my boss. Right then, I immediately regretted it. He didn't even know, it was written all over his face.

"Oh…" He chuckled, "I was going to ask what happened in the car accident, since Leah won't talk about it, and Barry didn't see any other car around when he got there, but…" He took his glasses off, wiping the frames to make them clearer as he glanced up at me. Teasingly, he asked, "SO, you kissed her?"

"No."

"You just said you did."

"N-no, I didn't…"

"Why did you do it, Cisco?" But his smile widen at his question. He already knew why I had done it. Again, WAY TOO smart.

I began to laugh nervously, "Ha ha, ha ha ha, ha ha ha ha," and to make things worse, Caitlin and Leah walked into the room during my hysterical giggles. At the sight of Leah, my face flushed and I turned to Wells, laughing even louder and harder, unsure of why I couldn't stop and wishing the floor would just swallow me up whole and help me disappear.

Caitlin looked at Wells, seemingly concerned, as Leah just watched me. Her eyebrows were raised almost all the way up her forehead as I continued to laugh.

"What'd you do to him?" Caitlin asked Wells.

Leah answered with, "He broke Cisco."

Knowing I couldn't stop and feeling completely embarrassed, I turned on my heel and quickly headed out of the room. I could hear them talking behind me but honestly, I didn't want to know what they were saying.

Time Skip

Three weeks after the incident and Caitlin was being to act strange. I understood why she was nervous; we were going behind Barry, Wells, and Leah's back to find Ronnie. Caitlin had convinced me not long after the accident that she wanted to keep looking for Ronnie and she wanted to help him. I was completely against it- the guy wasn't really Ronnie, our Ronnie would never act like that- but then she told me it would make Leah happy. That was such a low blow.

But even so, she was also acting strange around me.

Sitting with her in the lab, I finally turned my office chair so that I could look at her. Her eyes went wide and she glanced at me a few times from across the room, looking very nervous. I crossed my arms over my chest and that's when she caved in.

With a sigh, she asked, "What? Why are you watching me?"

"You're hiding something," I quickly accused her.

"I am not."

"Caitlin, I started working here three years ago. I've known you long enough to know that you are. What is it?"

She looked away, tugging lightly at the bottom of her red hair. She bit her lip and I couldn't help but think about how Leah does that when she's nervous too. She finally turned at me, her eyes showed exactly how upset she was.

"I'm not sure how to tell you," she admitted.

"I'm your friend, I'd understand anything you had to tell me," I assured her. However, she continued to look antsy and kept avoiding my eyes. I leaned forward in my chair, "Caitlin, what aren't you telling me?"

"I-I ran some test on Leah…" she said in a quiet voice, I wouldn't have heard her if it hadn't been completely silent in the room.

I was confused to where her "confess" was going. "I already know that. You did test on me, too, to check my arm and all… Wait. What's wrong with Leah? Is it her ribs? Her foot?" My mind immediately thought up of all the things that could be wrong with her.

They were all logical and medical.

She shook her head, "Not… THOSE kind of test…"

I shook my head, my eyebrows still raised slightly up my forehead. "I don't understand what you're trying to say."

She took a deep breath, avoiding my eyes still, and let it out in a sigh. She finally turned to me, looking serious and I knew then that whatever she had to say was not funny. She wasn't about to prank me or pull a lame pun- not that I was expect her to, Leah was better at puns and movie references than she was. But whatever she had to say was serious, just like the look in her eyes.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, feeling a little worried and not sure I wanted to know anymore. I asked anyways, "Caitlin… What did you find out about Leah?"

Caitlin sighed again, her face relaxing but still looking slightly concerned.

"Cisco, I think she's a metahuman."