Summary: Barry's done this rodeo before. The timeline changes and his new memories slowly filter back in. The old memories remain, but the new memories become the strongest. Which is probably for the best, considering how lost he is during the interim.

But it can be a little weird getting bits and bursts of new memories before it all settles. Like the sudden, sharp memory of kissing Eddie by the pier.

Notes: For Flash Rarepair Bingo O1 - Crisis

Missed Opportunities and Second Chances

Barry wasn't a stranger to timeline changes. Which was, perhaps, not actually a good thing. But at this point he knew the routine. Timeline changed, over the next few months he'd have the jarringly unfun experience of his new memories filtering in to settle atop the old ones. Not replacing his memories of previous timelines - which did make keeping his facts straight difficult sometimes - but certainly becoming... brighter and stronger in his mind, as it were.

Unfortunately in the interim, Barry has to navigate his life without any idea what the big differences between this timeline and the last are. Which was one of many reasons why Barry had started keeping a planner. Just in case. It had helped, somewhat, after Flashpoint and again after he and Nora took their ill advised sprint back in time. So, hopefully, this timeline's version of him had been doing the same. Now that the Crisis was over and done, Barry just needed to go home and check.

Well, actually, his first stop was the STAR Labs locker room. After months in the suit, time getting away from him in the Speed Force, the exertion from rewriting time in order to defeat the Anti-Monitor and reboot the multi-verse all in one fell swoop... Barry was exhausted and he stank. Absolutely reeked. And in no fit state to see... anyone without breaking down in tears. He honestly had no idea how he was going to handle Oliver's funeral in a few days. Though he absolutely intended on attending.

So Barry used his emergency stash of power bars in the locker room, took a cold shower in hopes that'd shock his senses awake again, and then dressed in his normal clothes for the run home. Though he checked his wallet, first. Making sure the address on his driver's license - which he kept up with just in case - matched what he remembered. It did, thankfully, and Barry let his feet basically steer him home.

The loft looked different than Barry remembered. Slightly more cluttered. There'd clearly been a remodel of the kitchen at some point because it was a little bigger and there was a smaller freezer unit plugged in off to one side for extra storage. Maybe Barry cooked ahead more often in this timeline? Certainly wouldn't be a bad habit to fall into.

Since his own home is visibly different, Barry wanders around a bit more before heading into the back office room, where Iris worked from home and Barry kept his day planner.

There were pictures all over the place. Some which Barry remembered and others... there were a lot of pictures of Barry with not just Iris, but Eddie too. Barry picked up one of those pictures - a bright sunny day at the pier, all of them smooshed together with big grins on their faces while some invisible fourth party took the picture for them. Iris is in the middle and the Barry in the photograph has this... ridiculously in love expression on his face. Except it's not aimed at Iris, but at Eddie.

Eddie who was still alive in this timeline, if these pictures were any indication.

"It's the perfect day, Bar," Eddie said, laughing as he slid an arm around Barry's waist. "Just the three of us, beautiful blue skies... we should go to the pier."

Barry shivered at the half-remembered echo. He was settling in faster this time. Usually it took a few days before he noticed snippets of memory settling in. Or maybe it was just different every time.

He set down the photograph, but took a moment to carefully trace the outline of Eddie's face, feeling tears on his cheeks. He'd realized too late that he'd loved Eddie too. Not that Eddie would have ever reciprocated. But maybe here they got their second chance at friendship in this timeline after all. Of course, with Eddie alive that begged the question of if Barry was married to Iris in this timeline? Or was she Mrs. West-Thawne here? Either way, it seemed Barry hadn't screwed up his friendship with Eddie. They were clearly all so close here.

Despite how late it was getting, when Barry closed his eyes for a moment and wiped at his face, he could swear he felt sunlight on his cheeks.

Iris kissed Barry's cheek and then pecked Eddie on the mouth. "There'll be pretzels waiting for me when I get back, right?"

"Promise. I'll try not to eat them all," Barry teased, grinning impishly.

"Better not. You watch him, Eddie. He's tricky." Iris stuck her tongue out at Barry and then joined Caitlin, Cisco, and... Hartley in line for a roller coaster.

There was a pop up carnival at the pier and Barry was certainly enjoying all the food though he, maybe, shouldn't have finished the last of the funnel cake earlier when Iris had called dibs. She'd given him a look that promised trouble later. Maybe if he got her another funnel cake too...

"I'll keep my eyes on him," Eddie promised with a laugh. Putting an arm around Barry's shoulders, he teased, "can't believe you're scared of rollercoasters. That one is even named after you."

"Yeah, well... I..." Barry blushed. "I went on one as a kid and it went really fast and really high and I... I had a panic attack, okay?"

Eddie leaned over and kissed Barry gently. "Sorry for teasing," he muttered, pressing their foreheads together for a moment before stepping back a bit. "Was that, uh... was that okay?"

Public displays of affection was something the three of them were still negotiating. Public acceptance and reactions weren't exactly great for polycules. But... the kiss was nice.

Barry reached out, grabbing Eddie's hand and smiling warmly. "That was perfect. Pretzels?"

"I guess we'd better get in line."

"And, Eddie, thanks for staying on the ground with me."

Barry stumbled back a step, suddenly breathing hard and feeling a little flustered. Eddie kissed him...

His fingers brushed across his lips. Eddie was alive and well and kissed Barry. Was kissing with Eddie a regular thing? Barry and Eddie and Iris...

The bedroom turned office behind the kitchen was Barry's next stop. He froze, staring at the picture collage on the far wall. Iris in her wedding dress, standing on the beach with Barry and Eddie. The three of them at the alter together. Feeding each other cake at the reception afterwards...

They were married. Probably not legally. Not in the eyes of the law anyway. Well, maybe two of the three of them were legally married. But the legality of it didn't matter. Because they were in love and committed to each other.

There were tears running down Barry's face as he grabbed his day planner. A different one than he remembered buying, but everything was in there. His work schedule, a reminder to have lunch with... his dad and Tina McGee tomorrow...

His dad...

Barry sat down with a breathless little sob. He texted Iris and Eddie. Come home early. Please.

"Barry?" Eddie called as he came inside the loft.

"I'm over here," Barry responded from where he sat on the couch, having migrated from the office so that he could stare out the windows.

"What's wrong, Bar?" Eddie settled beside Barry, sliding their left hands together so that their wedding bands brushed together.

"It's uh... have we been preparing for a sort of multi-verse crisis?" Barry asked, leaning into Eddie's touch.

"Yeah." Eddie's voice went a little rough. "We're not going to lose you, Bar."

"No, you're not. But I lost everyone. The crisis... it's over, Eddie. The multiverse died, Eddie. There were only a handful of us who survived at the vanishing point. And everyone was..."

"Oh, god, Bar." Eddie wrapped his arms around Barry, tucking him against his chest. "Then how are we all still here?"

"We sort of... rebooted the universe. Altered the timeline. Again." Barry curled into Eddie's embrace.

"Hey, babe," Iris called as she walked into the loft. "What's going on?" When she saw the two of them curled on the couch together, she came to join them, sitting on the other side of Barry and rubbing his back gently.

"The crisis we've been waiting for?" Eddie said, clearly sensing Barry couldn't say it again. "It happened already. Apparently the timeline had to be reset so that the whole multiverse wouldn't be destroyed."

"Oh, Barry," Iris breathed, pressing against his back and kissing his cheek. "Oh sweetheart."

"My dad's still alive here," Barry breathed. He didn't mention Eddie. Not yet. He would, eventually, but... he didn't want to freak Eddie out about his death in the previous timeline just yet. Or freak himself out because talking about Eddie's death would be a great way to do that.

Eddie and Iris held him closer as he started to cry again. He'd been alone for so long... but he had his father back. He had Iris and Eddie. He had his friends... he had so many people that he loved in his life.

This was everything he'd fought for and more.