Disclaimer: I do not own The Flash or anything other DC properties. Though I do have a Flash hoodie and a matching shirt... This chapter is made up of two prompts. One being We know Caitlin isn't good at Operation and Barry can play it while multitasking. So how about they find a different board game where the reverse is true: Barry sucks at it and Caitlin rules? From geodude96 from tumblr and Caitlin and Oliver discuss loss and new love while staring at their happy friends, Barry and Felicity from Airsay here on fanfiction.
The doorbell rang, alerting the group that the last member had arrived. The front door opened and Barry Allen found Dr. Caitlin Snow standing on his doorstep.
"Hey Caitlin." Barry dragging out the hey, smiling a his friends appearance. Caitlin had taken his suggestion and come in comfortable clothing. Her beauty not diminished by the tattered jeans or oversized hoodie Caitlin had stolen from him a few weeks ago.
"Hey Barry." She responded, laughing at his awkward but adorable greeting. Caitlin knew that he was nervous and that brand of hey was a result.
Barry moved to the side and let her in, closing the door behind them. Caitlin already could her the sound of laughter and pleasant conversation echoing throughout the house, its source being the living room. Caitlin noticed that in the three seconds that she was inside the home of Barry and Joe, her bag and jacket had been hung up.
"Barry." She sighed, moving to join in on the fun in the other room.
The sound of dice hitting the table and Caitlin laughing as she moved the silver top hat were what currently filled the make shift game room. The group consisted of Barry, Caitlin Cisco, Joe, Iris and Eddie, gathered together for the West/Allen family game night. Barry insisted that his new friends attend, having informed them both that they were now a part of the family.
Caitlin smirked and told Barry. "Your Turn."
It seemed that unlike Operation, in which Caitlin had little luck or skill, she was great monopoly player. While Barry on the other hand, had no luck in the board game. For him, the game was so slow that he couldn't focus on it. Caitlin had already gotten three hundred fake dollars from him, and it seemed as though his luck was not changing anytime soon.
"Shut it Snow." He let out, rolling the dice. The number that resulted was a four and a two, letting Barry move six spaces altogether. When he counted the movement, he let out a low groan. He had landed on another of Caitlin's properties.
Caitlin looked at him and held her hand out. "Pay up."
Barry handed her the money and stood up so that he could walk to the kitchen. Caitlin noticed the slump of his shoulders and followed behind him, planning on rubbing in her winning streak just a bit more.
"Barry why'd you walk off?" Caitlin asked the host of the game night, as he reached into the fridge.
"Because I just needed a little air. It's weird. Everyone here laughing and everything. But the Man in Yellow is out running free. I should be training or trying to catch him." Barry's breath was labored and whit knuckles were white from gripping the bottle of soda in his hands.
"Barry you can't just push everyone and everything else away. We're here for you. That's never going to change. But you can't spend your whole life running in a race with this man. You'll tire out way too early and then one day Barry Allen, you'll come to realize you've left all of us behind." A quiet evening of games had turned heavy at the confession made by Barry. Caitlin knew that the darkness that he had inside, the one that Roy G. Bivolo had unleashed was still festering in the speedster. But Caitlin knew that the power emotions were not towards her or their friends. What she didn't know was if they would find themselves in the cross fire.
"Then what do I do Caitlin? How do I let that man just continue on? I can't stop him now, but you say I can't focus on stopping him either." Barry's breathing had grown faster, but more erratic. "Please, Caitlin just tell me what I'm supposed to do?"
Caitlin could feel her heart shatter to see Barry like this. Someone so strong and so kind, seemed to be losing himself. Caitlin moved towards him and pulled Barry into what seemed like the deepest hug either had ever experienced.
"You run Barry. But you don't let the anger and hate drive you forward. It needs to be the love you have, the warm memories of your mom, of the happiness you've found. That needs to be the reason that you run. I know that you understand this, because deep down you know the people that you love are the ones who give you strength."
The two stood for what seemed like an eternity together, neither wanting the embrace to end. For both scientists the hug was for them both. Both who had lost so much. Barry who felt as though the weight of the world was on his shoulders. Caitlin who though happiness was always going to be too far from her grasp.
"Caitlin, thank you." Barry whispered, the warmth of his breath tickling Caitlin's ear. "I needed to hear that. Especially from you."
"No problem. But why me?"
"Because the one thing I can count on, Dr. Snow, is that you're always right."
"You know it Mr. Allen."
The group had agreed that once a month, everyone would gather together and have the game night. It was because everyone though there needed to be rest from meta-humans and saving the city. And so in this fashion it had become a tradition of the make shift fashion. It was two weeks later that Oliver and Felicity had been able to make the trip to Central City and join them.
"So Felicity what kind of games do you want to play?" Barry asked Starling City's resident computer genius as they walked to the living room.
Caitlin and Oliver sat and watched as the two interacted, both with sad smiles on their faces.
"Why don't you say anything?" Caitlin asked trying to ease the tension between her and Oliver.
"Because she deserves to be happy. And with the life that I lead, I can't provide the security of a happy life." Oliver explained with a deep sigh.
"No offense but that sounds like a lie you're telling yourself. If I was you, I'd be scarred to let someone else in, given your track record." Caitlin felt as though she was overstepping a boundary but even noticing the wince that Oliver had, she continued. " But you need to let someone in. If not, you'll never be able to open up to her or anyone else. Then you'll loose her for good. I know what I'm talking about. I told Barry this not too long ago."
"Oh that's what you think?" Oliver began, a bit of snark to his voice. "Why haven't you talked to our favorite meta-human over there? And before you ask, for someone like me, it's not hard to notice."
"Because Barry still loves Iris. I think he needs to move on, but that hope is still there, and I don't think it'd be right to crush it." Caitlin tried to avoid look at Barry and continued. "And with the whole Reverse Flash situation, Barry wants to focus on training, not dating.
"It's funny Caitlin." Oliver stated.
"What?"
"That such amazing people who see the absolute best in us seem so far way and unobtainable."
"That it seems." Caitlin agreed, avoiding making eye contact Barry. "Do you think things will ever really change?"
"For you and Barry? Yes I do. Just go over there and kiss the idiot right now. But for me, that's not the life I've chosen. I can't put Felicity Smoak in danger." Oliver's gaze was out of focus and Caitlin noticed that he carried himself as though he had the same burden on his shoulders as Barry did.
"How about this Oliver? We promise that a year from now, we arrange a huge get together of everyone. Teams Arrow and Flash, Lyla and Sara, Laurel, Thea, Eddie, Joe and Iris. And by then we will have told Barry and Felicity how we feel." Caitlin hoped that Oliver would accept the deal she proposed.
"Sure Caitlin. Sounds like a deal." The two shook on it and laughed.
"Caitlin! Oliver! Come on, the next game is starting. It's monopoly, your favorite Caitlin!" Barry called, the humor evident in her voice.
The two stood up and headed to the other room, the smiles plastered on their faces not so fake this time.
Author's Note: I know this is late. Like really late and I am sorry. I just got a huge case of writers block on this story multiple times. Plus school and the new 3ds I just bought hasn't helped my case. But I seem to have gotten the spark back and after I get through my series of one-shot prompts, I am going to starting writing that SnowBarry AU. Until then, Please read and Review as always. You know that they make my day.
