Chapter 28

"That's creepy," Barry remarked.

Eobard yanked his eyes from the tense form, the half-bare muscles. The Flash had a towel on his waist, but nothing else. Deja vu, Eobard thought. The speedster must've been in the process of his morning routine, and Eobard hadn't even realized he was staring until the other had looked his way and spoken those words, hadn't realized that he was leaning in the doorway of the living area, hadn't realized that he'd forgotten what he was even doing here.

Sorry, almost slipped out of his mouth at the look the other speedster was giving him, but he stopped it in time, in the process saving himself some mortification. Apologize? Seriously? For what? "I'm not allowed to admire your form?" He asked instead. "Seeing as we're now...ugh, dating…" He was trying to recall when exactly he'd let himself be so humiliated for one simple goal - a goal that was most likely not going to be worth the amount trouble required to obtain it.

And yet...that feeling of being against the Flash, lips on his, electricity sparking through his being as rain dripped around them...

Was there really any price too hefty for that feeling?

What?

Whatever. He'd come this far. Backing out now would leave him with nothing, and he couldn't stand the thought, because he'd already given the Flash something in in advance.

A damned dinner date.

"Eobard," Barry's voice dragged him to the moment. "There's admiring...and then there's that creepy-stalker-staring-thing you occasionally do."

"I've always been your stalker, Flash," Eobard replied. "It's my nature." He looked to his hands, but they were empty. He'd been expecting a mug of coffee there, but even that had slipped his mind, it seemed. "I'm obsessed with you, apparently. No matter what form it takes," he muttered, annoyed at himself. He looked back up at the unreadable expression.

He concentrated on the Flash's vibrations, but as usual, they were just as unreadable as ever lately.

"Yeah," Barry said, "that really did nothing to dull the creepiness. I think it enhanced it." He sped into his work clothes.

Eobard felt a bit of regret at the addition of clothing. Subtraction would have been nice, though unrealistic. "Admit it," he said, "you enjoy the attention."

"As if…"

"The Flash basks in attention. He loves being admired."

The Flash crossed the room, making for the door. Eobard intercepted him. "What?"

He leaned forward and kissed him. Barry grunted, eyes closing, reciprocating. Thawne put his arms around Barry, pressing against the fresh scent of someone who has just prepared themselves for another day in life. He lay his hand on the other's neck, bracing it. He pressed forward and deepened the kiss.

If only life could wait a bit longer.

Barry pulled back first, gasping. There was a healthy flush in his cheeks.

Eobard exhaled, a little placated by admiring this effect he had on the other. "I wish you'd just fuck with me already. I'll still date you or whatever. Give and take, right?"

"Greedy and impatient," Barry said like he were commenting on the weather, his unrelenting composure belying the added redness in his face, the increase in his respiration. "You're going to make me late for work." He ran a hand through his still-damp hair.

He tried to move again, but Eobard locked an arm around his waist. "What if I beg? Is that what you want from me, Flash?"

Barry turned his gaze on him, eyes narrowed. "What I want, is to go to work... Don't worry, though, Reverse. You'll get your prize."

Eobard released him and watched the other burst away with superspeed. He wasn't sure why a sensation of negativity rose in him, as if he'd said something wrong.

Ridiculous. Where had his head gone this morning?

Right. Coffee. That's what he needed.


Eobard navigated down the projected page when his message box popped up in the corner of the holographic screen.

Hey, it said.

He read the name on it. Bartholomew Allen.

He read it again. It still said Bartholome Allen. Insane. How did you get this account address? Eobard typed at the name with stiff fingers, hoping the words came across as accusatory over the virtual world as they would have in person.

I found it on the console at your family's house.

Eobard frowned. Wasn't very nice of you to snoop.

Sorry. It was a bit of an accident when I was trying to pull up that song. I did find some baby photos, by the way. ;-) Adorable.

Eobard shifted, struggling to contain the annoyance rising in his gut. If you send another emoticon, Bartholomew Allen, I'm cutting off this chat… And quite possibly your head later on.

Too twenty-first century for you?

Yeah. And you finding those pictures...well, I'm very tempted to kill you again... Why are you messaging me?

Because I promised the captain I wouldn't leave early today, and I've finished all my work.

Why'd you promise that?

Well, we have a new-hire. I'm staying right until seven to be a "good example." I'm still head of the department, after all.

I see. Eobard began to write on the digital board, pulling the messaging over to his holoblock projection. He dropped the device on the table nearby. He wrote the equation from his mind onto the board. He took a moment from his writing to type, I think I have an idea for what to do with S.T.A.R. Labs.

Really? It's about time. I was starting to wonder if you were just going to keep free-loading forever.

Forever. Barry probably was just exaggerating for humorous effect, and yet, the notion...of staying here - of being here beyond what Time Demon required him to - it was a bit mind-boggling, really. And yet... He pushed those thought away, and began writing again. I took the liberty of snooping through your files, too, Barry, so I suppose we're actually even. I saw you're rough idea of quantum devices. I think we should look into that. Putting our heads together - note, my brilliant mind with your slightly less brilliant one - and we'll outpace the competition in that field in less than a year. And don't forget A.I.

What, you mean we should build a super-intelligent robot army to take over the world?

Yeah, something like that. Plus, I have some other tech that I liberated from that other you - we can check into it on the side.

And if we have a bunch of workers running about, how am I going to use Star Labs for...you know, it's current purpose?

Barry, you barely use 2% of this place. You can move the essentials to another location easily.

What other location? Housing's not cheap.

I'm sure you can think of something...

Well, at least you'll be doing something with your free time besides sitting on your ass .

Eobard didn't reply. He scribbled at the board in silence for a few minutes. Another message popped up. For some reason, he hesitated before letting his eyes be drawn to it.

Movie tonight?

Eobard froze - literally froze in place. He stared at the question as if it were a potential threat. He took a deep breath and then forced his hands to move. Do you mean sit down together and watch a movie? He read the sentence a few times before sending it, ensuring it didn't sound too wary. With no voice speaking it, it was likely just an innocent demand for clarification. He hoped.

Oh God. He hoped to the stars that Allen wasn't about to demand him to curl up on a couch and watch some cheesy romance. That would not go over well. Not at all. No wa-

Yeah. There's this zombie movie I thought I'd grab after work. They say it feels like the zombies are in the room with you, even without using one of the virtual reality visors.

Eobard sagged in relief. Zombies was good. Anything besides love and drama and- This is your idea of romance? Eobard hoped his reply was as dry as his words would have been speaking them out loud.

I thought you hated being romantic. No, 'fun' is the word I would use.

Eobard sighed. Fine.

"Great," Barry said behind him, blasting into the room at the same time.

Eobard jumped, twisting around, the marker clattering to the floor. "Really?" He asked as he stooped to retrieve it.

"Really."

"What was the point of that?"

"Thought I would save myself the trouble of more typing."

"Did you leave early, anyway?" He looked at the time on his holoblock. "Oh, that went faster than I expected." He closed out the projection and pocketed the device.

"Yep." Barry raised his hand, holding his own holoblock. "I got the movie downloaded, too."

"Great," Eobard said. "You know, of everything I ever thought I'd do with you, watching a movie about unbelievably terrible sci-fi and horror was something I never anticipated."

"It's good to do things you don't anticipate," Barry replied. "Gives you more perspective. Besides, the sci-fi might not be that bad in it. You never know." He shrugged. "Let's watch it in the old presentation room."


"That wasn't even remotely realistic," Eobard criticized when the movie was over. "Why did they let themselves get surrounded, anyway? They shouldn't have gone to the aviation port. Of course all the shuttles are going to be down in the wake of an Earth-devastating sun flare. Complete idiots. This is why modern movies are so boring. There's no intelligence or realism."

"I don't know," Barry said with a small smile. "It must have been a little realistic. Those jump-scares sure got you."

"Barely."

"Still."

"They got you too."

"I think more got you, than me."

"I suppose we should have kept score. Besides, jump-scares don't cause actual fear. Jump-scares are a sudden visual and auditory spike which causes an instinctual, reflexive, physical response and a release of adrenaline in the brain, which is completely different than being frightened. It's like how a person blinks when you snap your fingers in front of their eyes. There is no added realism with jump-scares."

Barry laughed. "Thawne, you are taking this way too seriously."

Eobard realized he was right. "Yeah, probably..." He raised an eyebrow, a nagging curiosity biting at him. "So, this makes you feel better about us? Dinner, dancing, and awful movies?"

Barry dropped his head back, giving an annoyed huff. "Why can't we do this without you bringing that up?"

"I'm curious, that's why."

Barry locked onto his gaze. "Have you ever dated anybody, Thawne?"

"Not since college... I don't see how that's relevant?"

"Well, to refresh your memory, when two people are together, they do things together for the purpose of fun. Tell me you didn't have fun tonight? Or last night, when we danced? That's why I'm doing this, for fun."

Eobard said nothing for a moment, then, "I'm not actually dating you, Mr. Allen."

"Yes, you are. You said you would let me do this."

"I told you I would...do these activities with you, not that we were dating."

"Oh, okay, well this is what people do when they date. A rose by any other name..."

"But you- The deal we have..." Eobard trailed off and exhaled. "You are impossible." He leaned back in his own seat, too.

"You know, I don't remember my last date," Barry said out of nowhere, voice distant with thoughts. "I don't even really know if I've had any since..."

"Since Iris died?" Eobard guessed.

There was a pause. "Yeah… If I've had any other dates, they were forgettable, I guess."

"So...no one at all?"

Barry looked up to the presentation platform. "No one special. I've worked with hundreds of people over the years, some for longer periods of time than others. I distinctly remember that there were some people who...developed feelings for me. Some even asked for more than to pine from afar, but I just...never reciprocated those feelings."

"Until now." It wasn't a question because Eobard already knew the answer.

"Until now…" Barry abruptly settled forward, elbows on the armrests of his seat. "But..it's...so weird. It didn't occur to me until recently, but...I've always felt drawn to you - even before all of this…"

"What?" Eobard asked now, struggling to register that statement.

"Not like that," Barry said quickly. "It wasn't lust or a crush. And I'm also not talking about admiration or respect or trust. It was more. When I first met you... I got this feeling in my gut, like I'd always known you... Familiarity… And every time I met you since, whether it be in battle or not. Whether you were Harrison Wells...or you… Even though I hated you so much... I've always felt this strange...comfort. The kind that only comes with stability. Everything in my life...it always eventually moved on. But you never did. You always came running back to me... And you always will... And that feeling it leaves me with - I still have no idea what I'd even begin to call it. It doesn't matter how long I live...I know you'll always be a part of me, whatever form that takes - obsessed fanboy, caring mentor, creepy stalker, mortal enemy, or enemy-with-benefits..." He exhaled. "And maybe even eventually...one day - a lover." He stiffened. "I mean - I didn't mean to say that last part. It just...slipped out... I wasn't trying...to...say... Sorry." He shrugged hard, staring dead ahead as though he couldn't bring himself to meet Eobard's gaze, to meet the response that would be in his eyes.

Reverse Flash stared at the back of his head from where he leaned, mind blanking out for several long moments. He couldn't form a single response.

Barry had...imagined them as...lovers?

Absurd.

Ridiculous.

Insane.

And a million other words that could describe that.

Several long minutes passed.

He should say something. Anything. Anything to disperse this aura of awkwardness, but nothing came to him.

"So, um, yeah," Barry broke the tension, "you're the first person I've agreed to pursue any intimacy with since my wife, is basically what I'm saying." His foot scuffed at the carpet.

Eobard's thoughts unfroze. "That has been quite a long time... How do you know you're dating correctly, anyway?"

"Because I'm enjoying it. That's how I know."

Eobard wasn't sure why he felt a sudden wash of warmth in his chest at those words.

"What about you?" Barry asked, finally turning to meet his gaze. "Who was the last person you dated? I mean, I figured if you already know so much about my love life, I may as well know about yours."

Eobard shifted, shoving away unwanted thoughts that question dredged up. "Dating...is a childish thing to me, Barry. My last date was almost thirty years ago if you want to include my time in the twenty-first century."

"You haven't been with anybody since?"

"Let me rephrase that. I haven't dated anyone. Doesn't mean that I didn't have intimacy in my life."

"Ah," Barry said with a knowing nod, "Lust without love, right? You have no interest in the mess that comes with caring about someone, do you?"

"Considering that the last time I bothered to care in that way, and it didn't end so well, then yeah - I suppose that's true."

"So you're last attempt to love someone intimately got you betrayed."

"Yeah," Eobard responded, focusing on the ceiling with sudden interest. "After that...concepts of love became...too pricey for me. Why let yourself become that vulnerable? I wondered. Why give someone that level of power over you. You can never truly trust anyone, Barry. We all live for ourselves first and foremost."

"That's not true," responded Allen with stubbornness. "Some of us live for others."

"What? Like you?" Eobard snorted. "And what happens when that person is gone? Because everyone leaves at some point, maybe they die, or someone better comes along, or they just lose interest..."

"You carry on," Barry murmured, "keep going, and hope you find someone else to live for, to be crazy about." He tilted his head. "Speaking of moving on… You never moved on from me, did you? You never forgave me. You let hatred consume you for what my other self did to you."

"The war will end, Barry," Eobard said, mouth feeling dry, "And when it does, I'll finally be able to move on. It may not be soon, but it will happen. All things change."

Barry shifted back, but said nothing.

A new thought occurred to Eobard. He finally looked at Barry. "How do you plan on...?" He hesitated.

"On what?"

"Telling Cisco, about this. About...us..." A million ideas of how the metahuman would respond to that knowledge ran through his mind, and none of them were pleasant.

"I don't."

"Come on, Barry, he's almost as smart as I am. He'll figure it out sooner or later, especially considering he can literally vibe everything."

"Well, I don't plan on telling him about us… This thing between us won't last, so there's no reason to piss him off over it… And if he finds out… Well, he'll just have to forgive me in his own time. It's not like he's never been pissed off at a decision I've made."

Eobard replied, "he did threaten to move back to Central City."

"He does that every time," Barry laughed. Then, the amusement faded. "I think the history we've had here is too much for him... Too painful. I don't think he ever fully came to terms with all the people we lost."

Eobard looked away, feeling a stab of sympathy for Cisco. "But you did?"

"Yeah… Eventually, anyway…"

Another pause. "So, Eobard, what do you like to do in your free time?"

"I've been getting on the internet often - and looking into bringing this place back up to how it should be, too."

"I meant, before us. Before you were forced to help me. What did you do in your free time besides be the Reverse Flash? How did you have fun?"

"Well," Eobard replied, thinking hard, trying to recall that life. "I used to have a job...but in my free time, which wasn't much, I read, I listened to music. Played games on the net like chess… I worked on riddles, ectera…" He frowned, sudden uncertainty washing over him. "Why do you want to know?"

"I want you to decide what we do on our next date."

Eobard held in the sigh that threatened to escape. "I was going to say no...but I'm not getting out of deciding on this, am I?"

"Nope."

"Fine. Let me think about it. I'll tell you tomorrow."

"Fair enough."


Eobard erased at the board furiously, wiping out an equation that apparently did not hold the answer he was looking for. He paused, realizing he wasn't sure what he'd even written. He looked to the other scrawled series of letters and numbers, a sigh escaping him. After a moment, he wrote again. This, however, did not hold an answer. Not to the problem here, or to...the other problem…

Barry.

With the nagging thought of the other speedster, he lowered the marker. He turned, reluctant, but knowing he could no longer ignore these thoughts coming back to him. "You got me thinking last night."

"About?" the hero replied, leaning back in his chair.

"About...what I used to do, before I became obsessed with our...little war."

"And what was that?"

"Basically, I think I know a place we can go to...if I must choose. One place, anyway. It's nothing...major... But it may hold the appeal you're looking for."

"Alright. Are you going to tell me, or is this a surprise?"

"It's...a surprise. I'll just take you there later tonight."

"Sounds good." Barry stood, moved around the table and crossed over to the board. "I see you've been looking into those files you mentioned."

"Yeah." He shrugged. "I'm mostly treading water until I get some replies from those people I contacted. Let's see if after all these years, we can get some scientists back in here. That'll be nice."

"So what job did you have before?" Barry asked, looking over the equations.

Eobard half-wondered if any of them made sense. From Barry's expression, he wasn't convinced.

He forced his attention back to the conversation at hand. "I worked at a few different places. Last job was at a laboratory not unlike this one...but I got laid off when the company took a hit during the most recent depression. Gave up on a solid career after that. Being the Reverse Flash became more important to me, anyway. It was how it was. I spent years at college and wound up with nothing...but becoming a speedster...that was something." Eobard wrote something on the board, trying to ignore Barry's gaze following his writing.

He started to open his mouth to retort at him, agitated by the other's close attention to his work.

There was a ping.

He stopped.

"Hmm." Eobard turned and moved over to the terminal, flipping up the projection. The sudden rush of pride he felt was unexpected. "Look at that - success. I told you I could do it, Flash. Two interviews booked for this week."

"And if we don't defeat the Time Demon, those potential new-hires might lose their boss before their first day of work," Barry pointed out.

Eobard shot him a look. "That thing won't defeat us, together, with Cisco's gun. It won't stand a chance."

"That's a lot of bravado, even for you, Thawne."

"My philosophy, Barry, is that as long as I'm breathing in this moment, I will continue living my life as if I will keep breathing."

The other shrugged. "I'll leave it up to you, then."

Eobard exhaled, becoming more solemn as he stared at the projection. "I do suppose...that I am feeling a little good today... Maybe a bit unrealistically so... Well, I should probably change the interview dates to the week after...just to be sure..." He moved back to the terminal, typing on it.

Barry started, "that's-"

The crime-in-progress alarm went off. Barry supersped to his table, looking at one of the screens there. "Looks like a robbery. Gotta go." He vanished in a burst of Speed Force.

Eobard confirmed the interview dates for the week after the nexus, nodding to himself at the decision. He returned to the board, his head a little more clearer without the Flash scrutinizing his work. Still, there was a certain eagerness in his gut that could not be ignored. As much as he hated admitting it, even in to himself, he was looking forward to tonight.