100 Ways

87. I saved you a seat.

"Barry, you've got an incoming call from Eddie again," Cisco's voice said in his ear.

"Kinda busy at the moment," Barry growled as he raced in a circle around the girl with fire powers with the goal of extinguishing the flames.

"I know. Do you want me to play you the voicemail?"

"No, just—just give me a sec!" Barry watched as the girl staggered to her knees. The flames around her arms dwindled, and then her hands went to her throat as she gasped for air. Quickly, he broke the circle and slapped the power-dampening cuffs around her wrists.

She gasped with relief as the air returned to her lungs, and her eyes filled with tears as she glared up at him. "Screw you, Flash!"

"Yeah, yeah," he grumbled, helping her to her feet and walking her across the street to the waiting police car. He walked away from the officers. "Okay, Cisco, play me the voicemail."

"Which one?"

"Which one? H-How many are there?" Barry asked.

"Seven."

"Oh my god." Barry pinched the bridge of his nose as dread washed through him. Something must be wrong. "Play the most recent one."

"You got it."

Eddie's annoyed voice filtered through Barry's ear piece, hissing, "Barry, where the hell are you? I'm getting really worried. This isn't like you to skip out on commitments. The play's about to start and I saved you a seat, but will you please call me back? Bye."

"Oh shit," Barry mumbled, then raced back to S.T.A.R. Labs.

"What is it?" Caitlin asked in his ear.

"I forgot about the elementary school play tonight," Barry replied. "Gotta run, guys. Thanks for the help tonight."

"Bye Barry!"

"Good luck!"

He stripped off his suit and pulled on his normal clothes, then got to the elementary school as fast as he could. He found the auditorium and slipped through the doors, but it was too dark to find Eddie and he didn't want to distract from the show. One of the ushers offered him a chair, so he sat in the back and watched from there.

An hour later, the lights came up and audience members began filing down the rows and up the aisle to leave. Barry hung by the doors and searched the crowd for Eddie and the rest of the department. He found them quickly, a group of cajoling familiar faces, and one face in particular that wasn't so cajoling.

"Hey, babe," Barry said, sliding into the crowd next to Eddie as they stepped out into the lobby.

"Where were you?" Eddie asked, a frown creasing his face.

Barry was taken aback by Eddie's cold demeanor. "I was with Caitlin and Cisco doing some lab work, and we lost track of time."

"You've been losing track of time a lot lately," Eddie said, looking away as they pushed through the doors and out into the evening air.

"I know, I'm sorry."

Crime had taken a noticeable uptick lately, with a lot of break-ins at notable science labs and factories. Cisco had a theory that they were connected, and there had been some traces of a red lightning trail that stopped Barry's heart when he saw it. But regardless of the minutiae, the result was Barry was constantly running off or being late. Usually he was able to do it so Eddie didn't take notice, but it seemed impossible lately.

"You missed seeing Tanner before the show."

Barry winced, remembering the sweet kid from the Easter egg hunt they'd done at the Natural History Museum. "I—"

"See you tomorrow Thawne!" one of the officers called as the group split up.

"Hey Allen, nice of you to show up!" another yelled.

Barry waved an arm in acknowledgment as he followed Eddie to his car. The play was yet another way the mayor was trying to humanize the department in the eyes of the public. Tonight they did a meet and greet with the children who were in the local elementary school play, and then they stayed to watch.

"He was really disappointed," Eddie continued. "I told him you'd show up to the play and that he could see you after, but he and his parents had to leave immediately. He wanted to show you the dinosaur shirt his parents had bought him for his birthday."

"I'm sorry," Barry said.

"I thought something was really wrong, like you'd gotten hurt or something."

"Eddie, I don't know—"

"I just want you to show up, Bar," Eddie said, turning toward him. "I know you have a penchant for being late or barely on time, and usually it doesn't matter. But tonight mattered. It mattered to Tanner. I'm just worried about your priorities lately."

"I'll try to do better," Barry said.

Eddie nodded, then unlocked the car and got in. Barry slid into the passenger seat. Both doors closed, and there was a heavy silence. Then Eddie cleared his throat and started the car.

"So, what have you guys been working on lately?" Eddie asked, trying to sound light-hearted.

"Uh, it's actually a secret," Barry said.

"Of course it is."

Barry didn't know what to say to that, and it seemed like Eddie didn't either, because they were silent for the entire rest of the drive back to his apartment.

"I'm not cheating on you," Barry whispered when they'd parked.

"I didn't say you were."

"I feel like you're thinking it."

"Am I?"

"I don't know, Eddie, I'm not a mind reader!" Barry snapped, then put his face in his hands.

Eddie sighed, reaching over and putting a hand on Barry's knee. "I know you're not, Bar. I'm sorry. That was uncalled for. And I don't think you're cheating on me. I trust you on that front."

Barry removed his hands from his face and angled his torso to face him. "But?"

"But…" Eddie sighed again. "But I feel like you're keeping something from me. And not just top-secret-S.T.A.R.-Labs something, but something important. Something to do with you and why you've been so out of it lately. I just thought we said no more secrets."

"Ed—"

"Whatever it is, I understand if you really can't tell me. I just hope someday you will."

Barry's stomach was twisting into knots, and he felt like me might throw up. Eddie leaned over and kissed him quickly on the cheek.

"Come on, let's heat up some leftovers and watch Breaking Bad."

Barry got out of the car and followed him to the elevator, staring at the ground the whole time. For a while there, he'd thought he might go several years without having to tell Eddie he was the Flash. He'd been balancing it so well. He worried what Eddie might do when he found out, or how it might put Eddie in danger. But this was the sign he didn't know he'd been waiting for. He had to tell Eddie, and soon. He just didn't know how.