"How'd it go?" Cisco asked Caitlin softly as she and Barry met him at their dorm. She locked eyes with Barry who nodded his head encouragingly.
"Well, I got put on medication for anxiety," Caitlin mumbled and Cisco squeezed her shoulder gently.
"That's alright," he murmured and she frowned.
"What if everyone judges me?" Caitlin whispered and Cisco squeezed her shoulder again.
"Listen to me Cait, the people who matter will not judge you and forget those who don't matter," he stated firmly and she looked at him.
"But my mother…"Caitlin trailed off with a sigh.
"Doesn't know you," Cisco replied simply and Barry nodded his head firmly.
"And I don't even know your mother but she doesn't sound very nice," Barry said gently.
"So why should her opinion matter?" Cisco added and Caitlin looked at the two of them before exhaling.
"You guys are right," she said softly and smiled as much as she could. She still wasn't sure how she felt about being put on medication but figured it couldn't hurt; especially if it ended up helping her combat her anxiety.
"What do you want to do now, sweetheart?" Barry asked softly and she didn't have to think twice.
"Coffee," she replied immediately and Cisco laughed.
"Shouldn't have even asked," Cisco rolled his eyes and Caitlin flashed him a grin.
"Are you coming with us?" Caitlin asked and Cisco nodded his head.
"Of course. Just because I don't drink coffee like its water, does not mean I don't need a cup every now and then. I also have Wells' assignment to finish tonight so I need the fuel," Cisco replied.
"Do you need any help with it?" Caitlin asked as they made their way out of the dorm and to the coffee shop. Cisco shook his head.
"No, I've got it. I'd also like for you to sleep some tonight, you're looking tired again," Cisco said softly and Caitlin sighed. She was feeling tired and she knew that she wouldn't be able to sneak off to the gym without Lisa noticing. She nodded her head.
"Alright," she murmured and locked her fingers with Barry's. He smiled at her as he ran his thumb against the back of her hand.
Once they made it to the coffee shop, Caitlin immediately felt warmth hit her and smiled. She made her way up to the counter and ordered a large coffee before catching Cisco looking at her pointedly.
"And a bagel," she added with a sigh. Cisco smiled happily.
Once they had their orders, they made their way back to a table and sat down. Caitlin tore off a small piece of bagel and popped into her mouth, where she chewed it for an immeasurable amount of time, feeling guilty for having it in the first place. After she finished with that small bite, she took a long sip of coffee to get the taste of the bagel out of her mouth. She spotted Hartley sitting a few tables away from them and dipped her head in his direction and he returned the greeting before getting up and making his way over.
"Hey guys," Hartley smiled at the group. Caitlin smiled back and then made introductions to Barry and Cisco.
"This is Hartley; he's in our class with Dr. Wells," Caitlin said and Barry and Cisco smiled.
"You sit in the back, yeah," Cisco replied as he recognized him.
"I'm Cisco and this is Barry," Cisco added and Barry nodded his head at him.
"Hey," Barry replied. Hartley stood for a moment, torn, before looking at them.
"Mind if my boyfriend and I join you guys?" Hartley asked and the three of them nodded their heads.
Hartley raised his hand and beckoned the guy who was sitting with him over to their table.
"Guys, this is Charles, my boyfriend," Hartley said and Charles smiled at them. They then introduced themselves and quickly made room for them at their table.
"So, are you feeling any better, Caitlin?" Hartley asked and she frowned at him.
"What do you mean?" Caitlin replied in confusion and Hartley shrugged.
"I mean from when you fainted in class the other day," he replied and Caitlin nodded her head.
"Oh, yes, I am. I had almost forgotten about that," Caitlin replied with a chuckle and Hartley mirrored her smile.
"Well, glad to hear you're feeling better," he said and left it at that; not bringing up the fact that Hartley and Caitlin had spent three hours in the library, studying, and then about another half hour talking about her health.
Barry draped his arm over her shoulder.
"She gave us all quite the scare but we're glad she's on the road to feeling better," Barry said softly and she rolled her eyes fondly while Cisco nodded his head.
"Yes, she is, aren't you?" Cisco looked at her pointedly and she raised an eyebrow. He simply stared her down.
"I am," she admitted with a huff and Cisco laughed.
"Victory!" Cisco fist pumped the air and Caitlin shook her head amusedly.
"You, my friend, are ridiculous," Caitlin said and Hartley watched the interaction with a smile on his face.
"Are they always like this?" Hartley asked Barry who just smiled warmly in response.
"More often than not," he agreed lightly and they all shared a collective laugh. Caitlin was feeling calm, sitting with these guys, and she could easily see herself becoming better friends with Hartley, and maybe his boyfriend, too.
Throwing caution to the wind, and deciding to be truthful, Caitlin looked at Charles.
"So, Charles, Hartley told me one time, when we were in the library together, that you know the on campus counselor, Drew?" Caitlin asked and Charles nodded his head.
"Yes, I've worked alongside him while completing some of my studies. Nicest guy you'll ever meet," Charles responded back and Caitlin nodded her head.
"I had an appointment with him today," she added quietly and Barry rubbed her shoulder. Hartley looked at her and smiled softly.
"You don't have to answer if you don't want to, but are you going back?" Charles asked and Caitlin looked at Barry and Cisco before nodding her head.
"I am," she replied and Charles smiled.
"Good. Drew's a good guy, really cares about the students here and making sure their college experience goes as smoothly as possible. He's not there to make you feel nervous or scared or whichever," Charles said and Caitlin nodded her head; that had helped some of her anxiety.
Hartley looked at her.
"I'm glad you made an appointment, Caitlin," he said and she smiled half a smile before looking at Barry and Cisco, not wanting them to feel out of the loop.
"Hartley and I met here one day and decided to go study for class together. It was him who originally suggested talking to an on campus counselor after we talked about my fainting episode," she said quietly and they both nodded their heads in understanding.
"Thank you, Hartley," Barry said sincerely.
"Yeah, thanks, man," Cisco added his own gratitude.
Hartley waved a hand as if to say it was nothing and the conversation was left there as the group finished their drinks, each absorbed in their own thoughts.
Author's note: Just a short one to bring Hartley back into it. I also sprained my ankle today and am in quite a bit of pain so really didn't have the energy to write more. I'm sorry! I'll get back to AOSIL soon!