A/N: This is canon-divergent after S2, so no Flashpoint, Savitar, or frosty powers for Caitlin. Jesse and Wally, however, are still speedsters. This one kind of ran away from me in length, but it turned out mostly how I wanted. Lyrics are from Bonnie Tyler's "Holding Out For A Hero" and Corinne Bailey Rae's "Breathless." Enjoy!

Something by his head was beeping softly. Groaning, Harry forced his eyes open. He took a moment to blink away the blurriness and glanced around. The source of said beep turned out to be a heart rate monitor, which could only mean…

"Harry, you're up!"

The sounds of a chair rolling across tile preceded one Caitlin Snow entering his field of vision. Blue eyes traced over the worried furrow in her brow, and Harry longed to smooth it out with his thumb. He managed to push down the urge and refocus. "Snow. What happened?" Grimacing at the way the words grated against his throat, he swallowed – trying to relieve the sensation.

Caitlin noted his discomfort and pushed a cup of water towards him. "There was a meta attack. A wave of dark matter hit you. Do you remember anything from before you lost consciousness?"

"Cisco and I were working on a project when the meta alert went off," he recalled, falling into memories. "We all met in the cortex. The alert showed a group of metas attacking downtown, so Barry and Cisco left to stop them while we handled comms." He struggled to remember past that point. "I think the alarms in the cortex went off?"

"They did," Caitlin confirmed. "Can you recall anything that happened after?"

"I remember us running through the halls…someone was chasing us, and the others couldn't get back because they were in the middle of their own fight."

"That's correct. Anything else?"

Harry tried, but the images wouldn't form. "No," he said, shaking his head. "That's where everything goes blank." His gaze dropped to where Caitlin was biting her lip. "Why? Is it bad?" He glanced down at himself and relaxed upon noticing the lack of bandages.

"Not being able to recall? No, the incident happened soon after, and it's normal to forget those moments before." Caitlin sat in the chair by the bed and rested a hand on his forearm. "As for your injuries, there isn't really anything to mention other than a few bruises." She took a breath. "However, when we were running, the meta – Kyle Nimbus AKA The Mist – decided to release dark matter in STAR Labs. He thought you were him, and wanted revenge for when we stopped him and put him in a cell."

Harry didn't have to ask to whom she referred, but that thought line derailed as another took the forefront. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm perfectly fine," Caitlin stated, a wry smile pulling at her lips. "You saw to that, actually." Off his curious look, she elaborated. "We made it to the time vault, but there wasn't a lot of time before the wave of dark matter would hit. You didn't think we'd both make it in with the door sealed shut, so you locked the door behind me. When I could finally get it back open, you were unconscious, and Barry and Cisco had captured Nimbus."

Unbidden, a memory of dark matter approaching while Caitlin demanded he unlock the door and join her came to the front of his mind. The echo of her distress lingered, and Harry saw it reflected still in her chocolate eyes. Gently, he moved his right hand to rest over hers. "Whatever happens – we'll get through it together. We're a team, right?" The side of his mouth tugged upwards.

"Right," she echoed, flipping her hand over and lacing their fingers together. She gave a warning squeeze. "Never do something like that again, though. You're not expendable, Harry."

Harry fought the sudden lump forming in his throat and coughed to clear it. "Of course." Before he could say another word, two voices chimed in from the doorway.

"Hey, he's up!"

"Dad!"

Scarcely had he started to move his head when two arms wound around his neck, and Caitlin released his hand. He smiled into his daughter's hair even as a pang of disappointment flowed through him. "Hey," he whispered, resting his cheek against the top of Jesse's head, "it's okay. I'm fine."

Jesse untangled herself from his hold to step back and smack his shoulder. "Yeah, but you might not have been! There was enough time for you both to get to safety!"

Harry blinked a moment, and then shifted his gaze from the distraught eyes of Jesse to Caitlin, who clearly agreed with that assessment, and, finally, to Cisco.

"Hey, I'm with her." Cisco stepped back and raised his hands.

Rolling his eyes, Harry returned his attention to his daughter and sent her a reassuring smile. "You don't have to worry about me doing that again." His gaze drifted back to Caitlin, and the smile became amused. "Snow made me promise, and I've been told it's wise to follow doctor's orders."

"It is," Caitlin affirmed, the corners of her lips pulling upwards. "Speaking of which, now that you're up, I need to run some tests on you. I already took care of blood work – all came back normal, and some general monitoring, but we need to figure out how the dark matter impacted you. It might not have done anything, though."

"Test away." Harry flourished a hand in invitation.

Caitlin didn't even have to look at Cisco before he pushed away from the door.

"I'll see you guys later." With a farewell salute, he headed back to the cortex.

Jesse lingered a moment longer. "I'm sorry I wasn't around. If I hadn't been on Earth 2 with Wally, we could've helped the others, and the fight wouldn't have taken as long. Then maybe none of this would have happened."

"Hey, none of this is your fault." Harry sat up on the bed, so he could draw his daughter into a hug. "Yes, you have powers now, but not every fight is your responsibility. You're still eighteen and in college. You should get to be carefree and spend time with your boyfriend." The last word was spoken after a slight pause and came out slightly strangled. Pulling back to look into Jesse's watery eyes, Harry lifted a thumb to wipe away the tear trailing down her cheek. "Plus, I'm the parent. I'm supposed to be the one worrying about and protecting you; not the other way around."

"But still - !"

"But nothing. I feel fine, and am perfectly safe in Dr. Snow's extremely capable hands. Don't drive yourself crazy with the what-ifs. I'm not going anywhere, and you're not getting rid of me that easily." Harry cradled her face and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Now, go help Cisco upgrade security. He needs all the help he can get."

Jesse couldn't help but return her father's smirk. Wiping the back of her right hand over her eyes and sniffing, she nodded. "I'll go do that." Humor drowned out the awful fear that had consumed her. "See you later, Dad!"

"Bye, sweetie." Blue eyes tracked Jesse's departure from the medical lab before settling on the woman wheeling an overbed table next to him. Harry eyed the medical instruments warily. "None of these tests are invasive, are they?"

Caitlin snorted and shook her head. "No. You can relax." Her brown eyes gleamed. "It'll be more thorough than when I verified who you were when you arrived, but a little less thorough than a typical physical. I trust you'll tell me if you notice anything off in a more private area. That means any unusual rashes, bumps, pains – anything."

"I'll be sure to inform you," Harry promised, the lines in his shoulders loosening. The answering smile from Caitlin put him further at ease, and the corners of his mouth pulled up.

"Good. Let's get started."

The battery of tests took a half hour, and everything came back normal.

"Okay, I didn't notice any changes, and nothing stood out as unusual," Caitlin reported, glancing at his medical chart on her monitor. "I could do some scans – well, more scans as I used the handheld X-Ray to check bone and muscle structure. All was well there." She turned away from the screen and swiveled in her chair to face Harry. "I'm sure you're tired. We can handle those later, or not at all if everything feels fine internally."

Harry took a moment to assess himself and then shook his head. "As I told Jesse, I feel fine." He thought another moment and amended, "I mean, I'm tired, but that's a usual side effect of dark matter exposure – that and things have been busy."

"Not to mention bouncing between two Earths," Caitlin added, grinning. "I think that covers everything. Just get some rest, Harry."

"Will do, Dr. Snow."

True to his word, Harry headed straight to his room at Earth 1 STAR Labs – his daughter having long since claimed her own for the sake of privacy. He took a quick shower, changed into his pajamas, and brushed his teeth before collapsing in his bed and letting sleep overtake him.

He continued to feel fine the next morning. He felt fine eating his breakfast, tinkering on a personal project, during a team meeting, adding to the security upgrades, while eating lunch, on a coffee run with Caitlin, working on tech to stop one of the meta criminals on the loose, watching a movie with Jesse, grabbing a meal from Big Belly Burger, taking cover when one of the wanted meta criminals showed up to take hostages, and hitting the alert button for Team Flash.

An upbeat musical intro came out of nowhere, and Harry lifted his head. The rest of the Big Belly Burger customers stood from their tables and the employees came out from behind the register. Incredulous, Harry opened his mouth to question what they were doing, but then closed it when he saw the meta ignore their movements.

'How is he not seeing this?'

Harry didn't have a chance to ponder the matter further before, as a group, all but himself and the meta began to sing and dance.

Where have all the good men gone and where are all the gods?

Where's the street-wise Hercules to fight the rising odds?

Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed?

Late at night I toss and I turn, and I dream of what I need.

I need a hero!

'What the fu - ?!'

Moving sideways when one of the ensemble ventured too close, Harry glanced at the meta again. He still didn't react. Harry cautiously moved from his crouch and got a better look at the scene. By some unspoken power, everyone danced to the same choreography and kept in sync to the song.

Harry took a half-step back and shook his head vigorously. "I'm either going crazy, or I have the most useless superpower ever. Seemingly everyone I know gets superspeed amongst other things or visions and the ability to create portals." His face fell in dismay. "I get covers of 80s ballads and a show."

He waited as the performance played out and returned to his crouch – not sure if it was all in his mind and he was inadvertently putting his own life in danger, or, if real, what would happen once it ended.

Once the song finished, everyone returned to their places as abruptly as they'd left them and carried from earlier as if no time had passed at all. A moment later, streaks of yellow sped in, and the meta was in cuffs. The Flash stopped a moment to accept thanks from the grateful patrons and staff before speeding of with his prisoner.

Harry, unable to finish his meal with his mind whirling, quickly put his uneaten food back in the bag and folded it at the top to save for later. He left the restaurant and started his short journey back to the lab. On his walk, he considered telling the members of Team Flash what happened, but quickly disregarded it. He easily imagined what kind of reaction the others – especially Cisco – would have, and, as it had only happened the one time, it could have simply been stress and sleep deprivation catching up to him.

Decision firmly made, Harry entered STAR Labs, took the elevator up to the correct floor, and joined the rest of the team in the cortex. He set his food down on the main console and removed his baseball cap.

"You're really attracting danger recently, aren't you, Harry?" Cisco asked, right corner of his mouth pulling in a smirk. "Do we need to keep you secured in the time vault?"

Harry's eyes rolled towards the ceiling, and, ignoring his irritating friend, he placed his hat next to the fast food bag. "That was one of the metas who escaped last night, right?"

The question was directed at Barry, who answered.

"Yes, there are just two to go, and, since there haven't been any other sightings or signs of those two, I say we call it a day." A spark appeared in Barry's eyes, and he rocked forward onto his toes. "Besides, Iris and I have a date tonight."

"Oh, for real? I'm meeting someone, too!" Cisco exclaimed, forgetting all about mocking Harry in his excitement.

Jesse laughed and gestured between herself and Wally. "Us, too."

"Weren't you two just on a date yesterday?" Harry turned to his daughter – face a perfect mirror to the disbelief in his tone.

"We like spending time together."

Wally beamed at Jesse in clear agreement.

Cisco butted in before the side conversation could continue. "Anyone else got a date?"

"I do." Joe lifted a finger and smiled. "Cecile and I are going to a late night movie showing."

"Caitlin?"

Speaking for the first time since Harry arrived, Caitlin replied, "No, I'm just going to work on a project and then restock some of the medical supplies."

Cisco booed, and, smirking, faced Harry. "I don't even have to ask you." He pushed himself out of his chair and stepped over to the entryway. "Good luck on your dates, everyone but Caitlin and Harry." Cisco's grin stretched wider at Harry's glare and Caitlin's facepalm. "Later!" With a cheery wave, he strolled out of the cortex.

Huffing, Harry grabbed his food bag and headed towards the break room. He paused next to Jesse and gave her a side hug. "Don't stay out too late."

Jesse fixed her dad with an exasperated but fond look. "Dad, I'm an adult now. I don't have a bedtime."

"Didn't say you did, but, if you wake up grumpy from a lack of sleep and have trouble with your tests because of it, I don't want to hear it."

"I could pass those tests in my sleep."

Harry's mouth twitched. "If anyone could, it would be you, my Jesse Quick."

Father and daughter shared a smile before he continued his way to the break room. By the time he returned, the cortex was empty save for Caitlin. He crossed the distance and took the seat next to her.

"Which project are you working on?"

Caitlin glanced up and smiled at Harry. "You know how speedsters have accelerated healing?" At his nod, she continued. "Well, earlier, I got Barry's permission to study his blood and tissue samples more closely to see if there'd be a way to utilize that to help regular people in ways outside of The Flash." Her brown eyes glowed as she spoke with more enthusiasm. "Imagine it: what if more good could come from the particle accelerator explosion? What if the secret to curing previously incurable diseases and chronic conditions is right at our fingertips? We could help so many people."

Picking up on her train of thought and feeling the same excitement buzz in his veins, Harry spoke up. "It would just be a matter of isolating what triggers Barry's healing, studying it in action, and finding a way to make that work for non-metas." He rolled his chair closer to hers. "I'm no biology expert, but I'm no slouch either. Do you mind if I look over your notes?"

"Please. I'd love a second pair of eyes." Caitlin tilted her monitor, so Harry could read the notes she'd already taken. "I was actually going to ask Jesse if she wanted to work on the project, but, since she's on a date…"

Still listening even as his eyes flitted over the words, Harry gave a light scoff. "Yes, a date."

Caitlin bumped her shoulder into Harry's. "Come on, Wally's not bad, and I know you actually like him and think he's good for Jesse."

"Maybe," he conceded, "but that makes it a different kind of problem."

Caitlin's face scrunched up. "And what kind of a problem is that?"

Finally, Harry took his eyes off the screen and stared into Caitlin's brown ones. "It means, Snow, that I can see how this plays out." At her arched eyebrow, he sighed. "Marriage, Snow. They're already halfway in love, and it's going to be difficult on them both when they're fully there. Wally's family is here, and things are still new there – he won't want to leave them. I don't know if Jesse will want to permanently move here, and, if she does, how will that work? My face is still linked to a murderer's, and, even if things were explained so I didn't have that over both our heads, there's no way the real Harrison Wells of this Earth would have had a child."

Caitlin rested her hand against his shoulder and broke in. "Harry, you're getting ahead of yourself. Take a breath." She watched as he followed her instruction and rubbed a soothing pattern against the black fabric. "Better?"

"A little." Pink dusted his cheeks. "Thanks."

"Any time." She held his gaze and smiled. "It's probably worth mentioning that we know some pretty skilled hackers, billionaires, and lawyers. If you and Jesse wanted to move here permanently, we'd make it work." Her breath caught as his eyes bored into hers. "Do you want to? Move here permanently, that is."

"I…" Harry pushed back from the table – project long since forgotten, and braced his elbows on his knees. "Other than Jesse completing college there, there isn't much left for me there. My lab runs itself almost, and I hired only the best – a few outliers should not be counted. I don't think I'm really needed there anymore. More importantly, I think Jesse views Earth 1 as her home now." His words halted, and then he forged ahead. "I know I do." Blue eyes rose to lock onto brown. "Earth 2 doesn't have anyone left that I truly care about, and, when I'm there, I can only think about coming back here."

"Oh."

Self-consciously, Harry straightened in his seat and scratched the back of his neck. He opened his mouth to brush past his admission and dispel the sudden intimacy before Caitlin could glimpse something he hadn't meant to give away. Before he could get a word out, the pluck of guitar strings sounded. He glanced down at the monitor and didn't see a music player open. Thinking it might be a farewell prank by Cisco, he switched his attention to squint up at the cortex's speakers. Movement in his peripheral caught his attention, and he watched Caitlin stand up.

"Do you hear that, too?"

She didn't answer, but a wistful expression settled on her face. A weight settled in Harry's gut.

'This cannot be happening. Not again.'

No sooner had the thought flashed thought his mind before Caitlin rounded the table and began singing.

Seems like everyone else has a love just for them.

I don't mind. We have such a good time, my best friend.

She moved down the table and trailed a hand over the railing before ducking her head to peer at him from behind a monitor.

But, sometimes, well, I wish we could be more than friends.

His heart thudded against his ribcage as his jaw dropped. She actually returned his feelings? Caitlin pushed away from the table and sauntered backwards.

Tell me, do you know?

Tell me, do you know?

Oh

She lifted her arms in the air and extended them towards Harry. Her hands fisted, and she dropped to her knees.

I get so breathless when you call my name.

I've often wondered, do you feel the same?

Crawling towards Harry, Caitlin moved under the main console until she was right in front of him. She placed her hands on the arm rests at either side of him and leaned in.

There's a chemistry, energy, a synchronicity when we're all alone,

So don't tell me you can't see what I'm thinking of.

Harry held his breath and found himself lost in her eyes. As surely as the lyrics stated, there was no doubting what she felt for him. Feeling heat creep up his neck, he attempted to move his chair backwards, but her hold stopped him.

I can understand that you don't want to cross the line,

Caitlin walked two of her fingers over Harry's chest, and then dropped the contact.

And you know I can't promise you things will turn out fine.

She leaned back and shrugged – a helpless smile playing at her lips.

But I have to be honest: I want you to be mine.

She pushed off of his chair and stood back up.

Tell me, do you know?

Tell me, do you know?

Oh

Hips swaying to the music, she tangled her hands in the locks of her hair.

I get so breathless when you call my name.

I've often wondered, do you feel the same?

Her hands dropped back to her sides, and she circled Harry's seat.

There's a chemistry, energy, a synchronicity when we're all alone,

Caitlin rested her palms against Harry's shoulders, and she dipped down to drag them down his arms.

So don't tell me you can't see.

Oh!

She suddenly moved back and paced a few steps away before abruptly turning around. Her arms reached out.

'Cause I've tried to do this right in your own time.

She brought her hand to her chest and stepped closer – keeping with the beat. Harry stood from his seat and pressed back against the console. He gripped its edge.

I've been telling you with my eyes my heart's on fire; why don't you realize?

Caitlin moved one of her hands to place it against his cheek.

Tell me, do you know?

Tell me, do you know?

She looped her arms around his neck, and her hips pressed against his. Harry gasped, and his hands automatically sought her hips and settled there.

I get so breathless when you call my name.

She turned in his arms and swayed to the music. Her knees bent, so she slid down his front until she was in a crouch. Then she slid back up and spun – her right leg kicking out to hook around Harry's waist. He valiantly tried to push down the fire the action ignited in him, but felt his blood run south.

I've often wondered, do you feel the same?

She steadied herself against his chest.

There's a chemistry, energy, a synchronicity when we're all alone,

Her hands trailed up his chest and into his hair.

So don't tell me you can't see what I'm thinking of.

Caitlin playfully shook her head at him, and her leg released him.

I get so breathless when you call my name.

I've often wondered, do you feel the same?

Her hands caressed the sides of his face on the way down from his hair until she cradled his jaw. Her thumbs brushed against his cheekbones and traced his dimples.

There's a chemistry, energy, a synchronicity when we're all alone,

She danced in place – pulling him into her sway and pressing closer.

So don't tell me you can't see what I'm thinking of.

Caitlin's face inched closer to his on the last line of the song until their lips nearly brushed. Harry felt the puffs of her breath and longed to close the distance, but held himself back. As the music faded out, she disentangled herself from him and slowly retuned to her seat.

Remembering what happened at Big Belly Burger, Harry awkwardly limped to his seat and pulled himself to the console until his lower half was firmly under the table, so Caitlin wouldn't notice the obvious bulge. He'd just try to talk his reaction down in the meantime.

The moment Caitlin returned to reality and out of whatever musical time warp was apparent from the way her expression cleared and returned to the soft wonder and warmth caused by his confession. She didn't seem to notice Harry's change in position, and he was extremely grateful for that.

"Snow…" Harry breathed heavily, now hoping his unusual power to be real rather than a psychic break. "I think the dark matter impacted me more than we thought. Can you scan my brain?"

Caitlin's eyes focused and a concern frown formed on her face. "Yes, we can do that." Her shoulders pulled back as she leaned forward to assess him. "Are you having memory problems, vision changes, or…?" She trailed off – waiting for him to fill in his symptoms.

"None of that," he assured her, dropping his gaze to the table's surface before reestablishing eye contact. "It's not exactly a common occurrence – at least, I don't think." He steadied himself with a breath, debated just coming out with it, and hesitated. "Look, I'll tell you everything once I'm sure this is something real that the dark matter caused. Short story: if it's not, I'm losing my mind."

Slowly blinking, Caitlin processed that cryptic answer and then nodded. "I'll set up the MRI room. Just remove any metal from your person and get dressed in one of the medical gowns I have in the med lab. Once you're finished, join me."

"Okay." Harry's breath left him in a whoosh and nerves danced in his stomach. In not too long, he'd have his answer: either he went crazy, or his feelings weren't unrequited (plus an absurd power). Either way, his life had changed, and he certainly knew which outcome he'd prefer.

Caitlin placed a hand on Harry's shoulder and pulled him out of his internal deliberation. "We'll figure this out, Harry, and, whatever the outcome, I'm going to help you. You're going to be okay."

Despite his attempt to focus on her words and not the memory of her actions during the song, Harry felt his body respond and undo his previous work to get his erection under control. "I appreciate that, and trust you, Snow." He forced a smile and prayed she'd move back a little, so he could clear his head.

Thankfully, Caitlin pushed back from the table and stood. She switched off her monitor. "It should be set up in about ten minutes, but take your time." With one last nod from him and a reassuring smile from her, Caitlin's heels clicked on the tile as she made her way out of the cortex.

No sooner had she left – taking the charged atmosphere with her – than did Cisco wander in and pull up at the sight of Harry. His arrival instantly solved the other man's problem.

"Oh, hey, I thought you'd be in your workroom by now. I just forgot my keys and somehow missed that fact until I was already at the exit." The younger man rolled his eyes at himself. "Can't exactly go on a date if I can't get there, right?"

Snorting, Harry asked, "Are you sure that wouldn't be more preferable for your date?"

"Okay, rude!" Cisco placed his hands on his hips and scowled. "But maybe not undeserved," he continued, expression smoothing out. "So, what are your plans this evening?" A smile of victory lit his face as he located and grabbed his missing keys.

Regardless of his gratitude, Harry refused to share that piece of information until he absolutely had to and only with the rest of the team present. "I'm just working on a project with Snow," he replied, figuring it was an honest enough answer. His gaze sharpened at the gleam that appeared in the Latino's eyes.

"Oh, a project," he repeated, tone falsely casual. "You two do that often?"

Harry rolled his chair back from the desk and crossed his arms. "Sometimes – when our skill sets complement each other and we can help the other out. She's less irritating than some people I've had to work with."

Cisco feigned confusion. "Now who could those people be?" He snapped his fingers and nodded. "Barry. Love the guy, but he can be an overgrown golden retriever."

"Yes, I was talking about Barry – certainly not anyone currently in this room." Harry's eyes rolled toward the ceiling.

Laughing, Cisco smiled before his expression sobered. "Seriously, though, I'm glad you two are working together. She had a rough time after everything with Zolomon and what came before, and, for some reason, she loves working with you." A faint smirk broke through. "Plus, you've been less of a pain than usual since you both started spending more time together."

"I don't need your approval, Ramon." Harry ignored the barely veiled insinuation in the other's tone and gaze. "Now, since you have your keys…" He gestured towards the exit.

"Yeah, okay. Have fun working on your project!" Cisco went back the direction he came – annoyingly tapping his keys against the wall on his way out.

Harry took a moment to savor his solitude, and then stood from his chair. He tugged off his watch, pulled out his wallet, emptied his pockets of change, and stepped out of his shoes. He left his items on or under the console and headed over to the med lab. It only took a few moments to locate a gown in his size and a minute to strip out of his clothes, so he could pull it on and tie the string in the back.

Caitlin was finished setting up the machine by the time he walked into the room. She quickly directed him to lie back on the table as she went into the adjoining room to watch the monitor and activate the machine. Harry did as instructed and braced himself once the table moved into the machine.

Staring up at the ceiling and making himself stay still, he jumped when a loud curse came from the speaker a few moments later.

"Harry, I don't know what this is, but there's a part of your brain that's lit up! The pattern's a bit similar to the one Cisco has, but different!" A few more incredulous noises came down the line. "Only one thing's for sure: you're not crazy, Harry."

Heart constricting in both relief he wasn't losing his mind and joy that there was a good chance he had a chance with the woman never far from his mind, Harry beamed up at the ceiling. "That's good to know." The smile stayed on his face even as the table returned to its starting position and he sat up. It remained when Caitlin joined him and tentatively smiled back.

"So, what have you been experiencing?"

Harry huffed out a laugh and shook his head. "It's going to sound crazy. It's why I thought I might be going crazy, but…I've been hearing people sing."

"You've been…hearing people sing?" Caitlin's brow furrowed.

Realizing how confusing that was and how it didn't cover the important stuff, Harry continued. "People have been singing and dancing – like a musical. It takes place outside of real time, and I'm the only one to experience it. The songs so far have reflected the mindset of those singing them. At Big Belly Burger, the rest of the hostages were singing that Bonnie Tyler song about needing a hero." He drew himself up and gripped the sides of the exam table. "And, earlier – just in the cortex a bit ago, you sang a song to me."

Caitlin blanched and glanced away. "What, um, what song did I sing?"

"The song doesn't matter. It's the feeling." Harry stood and approached her. Gently, he took her hand in his and brought their clasped hands to rest over his heart. He waited until her nervous brown eyes met his warm blues. "Do you want to be more than friends, Caitlin?"

Her hand gripped his tighter as a soft gasp fell from her lips. "Harry?"

He shook his head at the tremble in her voice. "It's okay. Just tell me." The right corner of his mouth jumped up. "Besides, I need to know how accurate these powers are right?"

The humorous tone had Caitlin's shoulders relax back in place, and she drew strength from the encouraging look in Harry's eyes. "Yes, Harry. I have feelings for you." The confession took with it the air for her lungs, and she awaited his response.

A smile lit up his face. "Well, that'd good because I wanted to ask you on a date. It would have been kind of awkward if my powers were wrong."

Caitlin couldn't help her shaky laugh as relief coursed through her system. "Yeah, that would have been awkward," she agreed. Her eyes dropped to his mouth.

Following the movement, Harry leaned closer and muttered, "Very awkward."

He closed the distance between their lips. A spark traveled from his lips and down his spine at the contact, and he reveled in the pleased sound issued from Caitlin's throat. The kiss deepened, and he dropped her hand, so he could pull her flush against his chest. Her hands ran over his chest to his shoulders where they anchored – fingers gripping the thin material of his gown. Lips parted and a teasing lick to his bottom lip deepened the kiss further. A few moments later, both pulled back – flushed and panting. Neither stepped away from each other.

"You know what, Harry?"

"What?"

A shiver zipped down Caitlin's spine at the roughened voice and the clear desire for her reflected in Harry's eyes. "I think we should take the night off. My project can wait, and you have a date to take me on after all." Her hands moved to tease the hair at the nape of his neck.

"I do believe you're right." A smirk slid onto his face, and his arms tightened their hold.

"I usually am."

Having no argument for that proclamation, Harry leaned in to claim another kiss – this one lasting longer than the first. They stood together a while and whispered confessions over when their feelings started and what held them back. Where uncertainty and longing had resided for so long now only housed happiness and peace.

As they later walked out of STAR Labs hand-in-hand to head off to their first date, only one thought broke through all the ones Harry had about Caitlin and the beginning of their relationship.

'Maybe these powers aren't so bad.'

A/N: Feedback is always appreciated. :)