.
.
.
Great Possibilities
D-2
Despite having a restful sleep, he woke up with a queasy stomach. He wasn't feeling too well today. He was so glad that his mom gave him the day off. Slowly he started to open his eyes adjusting to the sunlight. He turned slightly to the right and was met with familiar hazel eyes, who were studying him.
"Good mor—"
He felt Caitlin's cold hand on his forehead, "You have a fever,"
"I'm fine," he tried to smile.
"Are you feeling ill? Are you hurting anywhere?" She was on doctor-mode right now and quickly scanned him with her eyes.
Barry gently removed Caitlin's hand, "I'm fine, really," he didn't want to worry her any more than necessary, his queasiness would surely go away soon. "I'm hungry though," a queasy stomach didn't take away the hunger.
And at that moment his stomach made a grumbling noise in agreement.
"Hunger confirmed," Caitlin got up from the bed and headed for the door, "Your parents went to run some errands, so I'll make you breakfast,"
"What an honor," he teased, knowing full well that if the woman could avoid the kitchen she would.
She rolled her eyes at him, "I won't burn anything this time. Jeez, burn toast once and you can't do anything right anymore," she muttered at the end.
{-}
"Good morning," Eddie said lovingly as he kissed his future wife from behind.
Iris turned around and hugged the detective, "'Morning," it was an amazing feeling waking up next to the person you loved.
"So, what do you have planned for today? I'm at your service," he gave her a teasing smile.
"Oh, don't tempt me,"
He smirked and kissed her forehead, "Anything for you love,"
"You're so lucky everything is done, Nora, Barry, and Caitlin, were amazing these last few days," Iris kissed her fiancé one last time before getting out of the bed and heading for the bathroom to brush her teeth, she had this thing about morning breath.
Eddie ignored the excitement that laced Iris voice when she mentioned Barry's name. He didn't hate the guy, he really didn't. But he didn't like him all that much either. When he met Iris in New York, Barry was all she would talk about. A lot had to do with the fact that he was her first boyfriend and they had a long history of friendship before they became a couple. Boy was Eddie familiar with the gory details. Even then he knew, real fast, that the beautiful journalist was the woman for him. She had strength, wit, and beauty to a fault and she looked at him like he was her world. Now all he wanted was to finally tie the knot with the one and live his happily ever after with the one and only Iris West –future Mrs. Iris West-Thawne.
What he hadn't counted on was Iris' particular twinkle when she was with Barry. He saw something in her eyes the other night when the two were dancing and couldn't quite define what it was. Was it reciprocal? He certainly hoped it wasn't. Besides the CSI already had a woman that looked at him as if he was her world.
"What do you say we go out for breakfast and take the day off?"
Iris' voice pulled him away from his thoughts. "That sounds like a plan," he didn't have time to worry right now. His main concern was to make the woman in front of him happy.
{-}
"Barry are you sure you're okay?" Caitlin asked with skepticism.
Barry rolled his eyes again, "I told you I'm fine. Stop worrying about me Cait,"
"You don't look like yourself,"
"I know you're a doctor, but not all of us are your patients," he teased. "Touch my forehead and confirm that I don't have a fever anymore Dr. Snow,"
The young doctor narrowed her eyes at her friend, "Okay," she got closer and placed her palm on his forehead. His fever wasn't gone, but it wasn't as strong as it had been earlier when they woke up. However, that didn't ease her worry, her doctor senses were tingling.
"See, what did I tell you," his voice softened and that familiar pull between them began.
"I still do—" but before she was able to get lost in his emerald eyes a voice from behind called them.
"Hey!" A familiar voice came from the front entrance. It was Iris with her perfect smile and a mildly annoyed Eddie behind her. "I hope we're not interrupting anything,"
Caitlin and Barry took a step away from each other.
"Eddie and I were wondering if you wanted to join us on a double date," she asked with bright eyes.
Barry looked at Caitlin and she gave him the smallest nod. "Sure Iris, we'd love to," he responded with a patented Allen grin.
The doctor had seen Eddie's mildly annoyed face, as if the last thing he wanted to do was to share his girlfriend and future wife on his day off. She could understand why Eddie felt the way he did, but her loyalties were to Barry and whatever made him happy.
Eddie suppressed the need to roll his eyes as everyone began to get into his truck. Why did Iris have this bright idea of a double date now? He would be the happiest man if they'd just hung out at home, but it was not to be. While Iris sat next to him and talked excitedly about her plans for the day he briefly glanced at the rear-view mirror to see Barry be almost as enthusiastic as Iris, but what surprised him were a pair of hazel eyes looking at him with an undecipherable face. It was as if the doctor wanted to tell him something.
Lucky for him it wouldn't take long to know exactly what Dr. Snow wanted to tell him.
{-}
"Okay, by popular vote we will be going to Central City's Extravaganza!"
The Extravaganza was a fair of sorts where business owners would put up games and contests for the community. It was meant to serve as a fundraiser for various charities and it was one of the best forms of entertainment for everyone in the city.
"Let's hope it's fun," Eddie said with a grin. He wasn't from Central City so this would be a new experience for the detective.
"Oh it is!" Barry said, "There's a bunch of games, challenges, and contests," then he turned to Caitlin, "no food contests for you please," he teased.
A few years ago, when Caitlin came to the fair, Cisco had challenged her to participate in a hot dog eating contest, she took the bait, won the challenge, and then had the great idea of getting on a rollercoaster. That was a sad day for Barry's sneakers...they didn't make it.
"Scout's honor," she said as she drew an X across her heart.
"Sounds like a story I would want to hear," the journalist said with curiosity.
Caitlin shook her head, "Believe me it's not as exciting,"
"Yeah, let's not relive that memory," Barry still mourned his favorite red sneakers.
"Well I'm ready to explore this place," Eddie took Iris' hand as they walked ahead leaving behind the fake couple.
Barry looked on and didn't want to be outdone so he did the same and took Caitlin's hand, he could be sweet too.
"What are you doing?" Caitlin asked him. She wasn't opposed to handholding, but it wasn't too comfortable for her to look around, and it wasn't something she and Barry did often.
"We gotta play the part," Barry winked at her. He still hadn't been feeling too well, there was nausea here and there and at times he would get a little dizzy, but he wouldn't let go of any opportunities to be close to Iris.
"Okay," Caitlin could do that. She laced their fingers together. She had seen that in too many movies and now felt appropriate. They were playing a part after all.
Barry briefly glanced at her, and felt a light warmth spread on his cheeks, this was far more intimate than simple hand holding in his opinion, but it didn't feel unnatural, quite the opposite actually. Things with Cait had always been easy and natural. She never made him feel like he had to be more to impress her, he was just Barry Allen and to her that was enough. With a last smile in her direction he closed his fingers and encased her slender hand.
When they finally caught up to Eddie and Iris, Caitlin noted that Eddie was now seated in front of a game. The journalist pulled Barry away and placed him next to Eddie for their first match. Iris had this amazing idea of having the two compete for fun, she was hyper competitive, and Eddie wasn't far behind.
"Okay Eddie," Iris said with determination, "I expect you to win this game," she had full faith in her fiancé on this one, it was a shooting game where they shot moving characters and the person that shot the most down won the price.
"So do I," Caitlin said.
Both Iris and Eddie failed at hiding their chuckle, but they tried.
"Caitlin! You're supposed to be on my side," Barry whined, he was not a happy camper right now.
"Oh," the doctor was very objective when it came to these matters, "but you're not that good at shooting games Barry," she'd seen him play first shooter games many times before, and she would always beat him.
"It doesn't matter," he said through gritted teeth. Wasn't there some unspoken rule that girlfriends needed to support their boyfriends every time, no matter what the circumstances were? Even if they were pretending right now, the point was that they were technically a couple.
Caitlin sighed internally, and this was why she would be a terrible girlfriend to anyone. "Okay, I'm rooting for you Barry, don't make me regret it," she gave him a thumbs up in support.
Barry just rolled his eyes and focused on the moving targets.
As predicted Barry lost to Eddie's flawless shooting skills.
I knew it, Caitlin thought to herself.
"Woohoo!" Iris high fived her man, "Point to West-Thawne!"
Eddie grinned, "And that is how it's done. Better luck next time Barry," he said as he patted the other man's shoulder condescendingly.
Barry frowned. The detective was lucky he wasn't feeling well, he could've totally won that game with his eyes closed.
"It's okay," Caitlin said reassuringly.
"Better luck next time fella," the man handling the game said with a chuckle, "at least take this for your lady," he gave him a small keychain in the form of a snowflake.
"Thanks," Barry mumbled. Not long after he felt Caitlin pat his back.
"It's alright, there are many more games to play,"
"I guess," he said to himself. "Here," he took her hand and carefully deposited the keychain he had won, "it's nothing big like Iris' big stuffed -"
"I love it," Caitlin said and immediately put it on her apartment keys. "Thank you,"
"Oh, okay, you're welcome," he didn't think she would like it that much, but the fact that she did made him smile.
The next game was much more to Barry's liking. You had to use a water gun to shoot water to a hole a few feet away. Whoever made their character make it to the top first would win.
"This is it Barry, time to redeem yourself," Caitlin was very competitive despite her calm and reserved nature. She started massaging his shoulders, just as coaches would to their fighters. It was her way of supporting her champion.
The CSI resisted the urge to gulp, he couldn't fail her now. "Okay,"
Meanwhile Iris gave Eddie a quick peck on the lips, "Let's make it two for two,"
This time it was Barry's win. As soon as his emoji made it to the top the lights and music went off announcing him the winner.
"Yeah! One point for team Snow-Barry!" He cheered and shared a hug with his best friend on this victory.
"Lucky shot," Eddie muttered under his breath.
"Snow...Barry?" Iris questioned. "Why not Snow-Allen?"
Barry and Caitlin looked at each other and shrugged, "We thought Snowbarry sounded cuter," the doctor answered. That's the team name they came up with whenever they took Cisco on during their video game time.
"Oh-kay,"
The next game was a wild card for both men. It was a ring toss game and they had to get 5 tiny rings into 5 necks of the glass bottles. Sadly, none of them were skilled enough for the challenge and out of 150 rings tossed none of them made it in.
"That game is rigged," Eddie glared at it.
"Ditto," Barry nodded emphatically. There was no way he was that bad at it.
"Why don't you and I try it Caitlin?" Iris suggested.
She eyed Barry from her periphery, he was still sulking because of his loss, "Sure, why not,"
"Winner takes all," Iris' competitive spirit was starting to make its appearance.
Caitlin raised a skeptical eyebrow, "I don't recall betting anything?"
"What are we talking about here, Iris?" Barry asked intrigued.
"The winning team gets to choose the next game is all," the journalist already had in mind which game she would have everyone go in next. One that was not a fan favorite.
"That's not so bad," Barry told Caitlin, "you can do this I trust you,"
One look into his eyes and she knew she would comply, "Alright,"
Eddie looked ahead with fire in his eyes, they had to win this! The prize didn't matter, it was all about winning.
Ready. Set. Go!
Iris was throwing rings a mile a minute she knew that eventually she would land them in.
Caitlin had yet to make a move. She was much more analytical and was calculating the best trajectory for her rings.
Eddie thrusted his fist in the air after Iris made two rings land correctly on the bottles and Barry began to get nervous. He'd never seen Caitlin play this game before, but her lack of movements was unnerving.
"Any time today Cait," he urged after the third enemy ring went in.
"Patience young Padawan," she said in a Cisco-esque fashion.
"Come on babe you almost have them," Eddie encouraged his fiancé.
After another twenty rings, the fourth one went in and Iris smirked in anticipation.
Barry could almost smell the defeat.
.
.
.
"We have a winner!" the woman at the booth said. "That was pretty impressive young lady,"
"Thank you," the doctor said with a small nod. Caitlin had managed to toss the rings in a manner that each one fell successfully on a bottle. She only needed five rings to win the game.
Eddie, Iris, and Barry gawked at her in disbelief.
"You can choose anything from the third row,"
"Is there something you like Barry?" she turned to her fake fiancé waiting for his reply.
"No...no, you can choose," Wow, that'll teach him to never underestimate her again.
"Okay," Caitlin eyed all the goodies and settled on a gigantic Superman plushie, once the lady handed her the prize she quickly turned to Barry and handed it to him.
Barry opened his eyes in surprise and extreme gratefulness, "Thanks Cait you're the best!" This was perfect for his Superman collection. She never ceased to amaze him, he grinned happily at the doctor and she responded in kind.
"Wow, I didn't know you were that good," Iris said, still recovering from her earlier shock.
"Yeah Caitlin, that was amazing," it was not easy for Eddie to be impressed, this was a rare occasion.
"It's not that hard," she said as a matter of fact, "you just need to calculate the trajectory of the ring, taking into consideration wind speed, the mass of the rings, the distance of the bottles and-"
"Uh, Cait, you're sounding a lot like Cisco right now," not that it was a bad thing, but Eddie and Iris were starting to get that glazed look.
"Yeah, well, maybe next time you can teach us," Iris got lost since the word trajectory, "so what do you want to do now?"
Caitlin pointed to a new game at the Extravaganza, it was a maze paired with a treasure hunt.
"That's a new game this year and I'd love to try it,"
"Great!" Iris had in mind the House of Horrors to torture the boys (who she knew were big scared-y cats), but this would be just as fun.
"However, I'd like to…" she looked at Barry briefly and then back at Iris, "have Eddie as my partner, if you don't mind,"
Iris opened her eyes wide surprised at the suggestion, "I don't really mind but...is there a particular reason why?"
Eddie didn't nearly get along with the doctor to begin with. He'd barely met her two days ago!
Barry didn't really like the idea. Why would Caitlin prefer to go with Eddie than with him? That really made his stomach churn. Wait a minute...unless she was trying to set him up with Iris again?
"No particular reason, I'd just like to see how the skills of a detective and a doctor would work on this game," she really couldn't tell her that she was creating an opportunity for her and Barry to talk.
Iris was still a little skeptical, "Research purposes. Okay. You don't mind, right Eddie?" she turned to her fiancé with her big brown eyes.
"No, not at all," what else could he say?
"Okay then it's settled. I'll go with Barry, and you'll go with Eddie," she dragged the CSI with her. Now that she thought about it, it wasn't such a bad idea. She could finally spend some quality time with her friend. No wedding arrangements or significant others involved.
"Ready detective?" Caitlin called a few steps away.
"Ready Dr. Snow,"
{-}
It had been fifteen minutes since Iris and Barry stepped into the maze and they were already lost.
"I told you it's this way Bar," Iris pointed to the left.
"No, it's this way Iris," Barry pointed to the right.
"Can we just try my way first?"
"Okay," there was no use arguing with her at times.
They started walking and somehow their hands brushed but neither pulled back and they just kept walking. The second time it happened Iris took the opportunity to hold onto his pinky and Barry hid a smile.
After another five minutes they went back to their starting point.
"What did I tell you?" Barry bragged.
Iris just rolled her eyes, "I guess you were right,"
"Exactly, so let's go to the right," he took the opportunity to fully take her hand and begin their journey in the right direction.
Barry walked ahead with determination not fully aware of what he had done. He was focused on getting out of this maze and show Caitlin he would've been the better choice.
Meanwhile Iris suppressed the urge to blush. Holding hands was something that friends could do, right? There was nothing wrong, it was an innocent gesture.
Then way was her heart contrived?
"Alright, we found the first item," it was a kaleidoscope.
She was so lost in thought that she didn't realize when he had stopped holding her hand to get
the item.
"One down, nine more to go," he said with a childlike grin.
Iris nodded but her mind was a thousand miles away. Was she getting cold feet? Why was her heart so confused? She didn't question her love for Eddie, how could she? He was the man for her, but then why did she miss Barry's warmth sometimes?
"Come on Iris, we need to win this,"
Iris ran to his side and took his hand once more. She wanted to stay like that a little longer.
{-}
They were ten minutes in and Caitlin and Eddie had already found three items on the list.
"I'm still not sure why you would choose me over your boyfriend," Eddie said as he eyed other couples in the challenge who were clearly involved romantically.
"We haven't really had a chance to talk and I wanted to know you better," she said as she focused intently on the map of the maze.
"Oh," Why would she want to know him better?
As if reading his thoughts, the doctor continued, "Barry and Iris have been friends for a long time and we will probably be involved in each other's' lives,"
Okay, that made a little more sense. Talking about Barry and Iris, reminded him of something, "Hey Caitlin,"
The woman stopped her search and turned to him, "Yes?"
"I don't want to be out of line, but I wanted to ask you something,"
"Go ahead,"
"Do you not feel weird when Iris and Barry are together?" There was no easy way of getting that out, he really didn't want to be the only paranoid person out there.
"You mean jealous?" She looked right at him.
No point on denying it now, "Well, yeah,"
"Do you?" She asked with a small tilt of her head.
"No, no, of course not!" He waved his hands in front of her in denial.
"I know they share a long history together and they are very important for each other," Caitlin said, which was absolutely true.
"I know, I know. They've been friends since they were kids," he let out a frustrated sigh, "and they were together for five years, and it's been eight years since, but lately I just feel…"
"What do you feel?" She inquired.
"What if they are just settling? What if they want to be together but they settled for us?" This was so out of character for him. He was nothing like this. He was assertive, confident, and strong. He didn't doubt Iris's love for him, he could tell that she loved him very much. Yet sometimes her eyes would linger on the CSI a little too long, or when she talked about him there was this joy that was apparent in her voice, and how Barry looked at her too sometimes…
Caitlin read his face as if he was an open book. It was now or never, "If Iris told you right now that she loved Barry and couldn't marry you, what would you do?"
Eddie blinked at her surprised, "I...I would let her go," there was no hesitation in his voice, just a tad of surprise at her sudden question. It would be painful, but he would do it, no doubt.
The doctor gave him a warm smile and Eddie was momentarily stunned. He finally understood what made the doctor so charming to the CSI. She was a woman wise beyond her years and carried herself with maturity and innocence. Her expression made him feel as if she truly understood him and what he was feeling right now. Her empathy was limitless.
"And you?" He turned the question around, "If Barry told you right now that he wanted to be with Iris?"
"I would do the same," she said with certainty and if he didn't know any better there was a bit of melancholy there.
Eddie gave her a half smile. She loved the man with as much intensity as he loved his favorite journalist.
Caitlin worried for the detective, he didn't deserve this, he deserved his happy ending with the woman he loved. She slowly stepped towards the detective and placed one supporting hand on his shoulder, "For the record," she gave him a light squeeze, "I don't think they settled. If Iris said yes to your proposal it's because she loves you more than she can express," Eddie looked at her intently, "trust her."
He nodded slowly. As he looked into her warm and caring hazel eyes, his worries went away.
{-}
They were only missing one item now.
"This brings back old memories, huh?" Barry said fondly as he remembered his adventures with Iris when they were kids. Despite not feeling his best, it was great having this time with a good friend.
"Yeah," they had so much fun and did almost everything together when they were little.
"Remember that one time I got stuck in a gate?" They were playing hide and seek when they were ten and Barry's foot got stuck in a gate.
Iris laughed, "Yes, I remember you pulled your foot so much that ended up pulling your shoe off,"
Barry chuckled. This turned out to be a great experience after all. He hadn't had this type of conversation with Iris in a long, long time. "Remember that time that I asked you out?"
"Oh my goodness yes! You stuttered for a whole ten minutes,"
He was very shy back then and Iris had become so popular when they were high school that he wasn't even sure she would want to hang out with him anymore.
"That was so embarrassing,"
"It was cute," Iris said with a big grin. Those days were so easygoing. "Remember our first kiss?" She said with a hint of longing.
Barry started to laugh, "We were both wearing braces at the time and got stuck!" it wasn't funny back then, but now…
"Ugh, I know! That was embarrassing," They were fifteen and had gone to their first high school dance together. The whole school never let them forget that incident for the rest of the year.
"Those were good times," Barry said with a nostalgic smile. Those were great memories for him.
Iris looked at him with that twinkle in her eyes, "They were,"
They stared at each other for a while, not sure what to say next. Until they heard someone behind them say…
"Now that's what I call a power couple," one teen said with a sigh.
"They just look so cute together!" Exclaimed another.
Barry followed their line of sight and immediately wanted to throw up.
"Is that Eddie and Caitlin over there?" Iris asked in surprise and something very similar to jealousy.
Just a couple of feet away were Eddie and Caitlin grinning at one another and sharing a side hug. While one of the facilitators of the game took a picture of the champions.
Barry knitted his eyebrows together, no more than an hour ago those two barely spoke to each other and now they were besties? No way. He was Caitlin's best friend. Actually, for all intents and purposes he was Caitlin's fiancé right now. Eddie had no business holding Caitlin that closely.
Iris and Barry walked ahead towards the so-called power couple with frowning faces.
"I guess a detective and a doctor do work well together," Eddie said with a perfect grin.
Caitlin nodded, "Now we know,"
"Caitlin," Barry called from a few feet away and was coming closer, "what's going on that you two are so chummy with each other?" he said with a wide -fake- grin.
"Yeah, just before we left you, you guys barely spoke to each other," Iris said with a big -fake- smile of her own, her left eyebrow twitched as well.
Eddie and Caitlin shared a look and slowly went to their respective fiancés, "We were celebrating our victory,"
"Yes, we found everything about fifteen minutes ago," Caitlin said with a hint of pride.
Barry resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Why was he so bothered by Caitlin spending time with Eddie? If anything, this gave him the chance to spend time with Iris. No, no, he wasn't bothered. He was grateful to Caitlin, she was doing well in distracting Eddie. It was all Eddie's fault for hugging her close and smiling at her with his perfect prince charming smile. Yeah, he was upset at Eddie for being so darn perfect. Yeah, that's right. Caitlin had nothing to do with it. She didn't. She was the innocent party here.
"Barry, are you okay?" Caitlin asked with a concerned look. The CSI was starting to get pale.
"Bar, you're not looking so good right now?" Actually, he hadn't been looking terrific all day, but she didn't think it was that bad.
"I'm fi—"
Eddie took two steps back and pulled Iris with him. Caitlin stood in place and just closed her eyes slowly, she should've listened to her gut earlier.
Barry threw up next to the doctor.
"I guess this is payback for that time I threw up on you," she said softly.
If he wasn't holding on to her for dear life, he would have died of embarrassment just about now.
"We should take him to the hospital," Iris urged.
"I'll get the truck ready," Eddie turned around almost ready to sprint away.
"Wa...wait," Barry called with difficulty. He wanted to be left alone, this was turning out to be a horrible day. He was embarrassed and felt nauseous. He shouldn't have pushed himself the whole day.
Caitlin gave Barry a sympathetic look, she knew him so well. "I'll take care of him. You guys go enjoy yourselves," she called one of the helpers for the maze and they came with supplies to clean up the area.
"We don't mind going with you," Iris said quickly.
Caitlin shook her head. She had to defend Barry's honor, "It's okay, in my opinion, this is a stomach virus," she cleaned herself as best as she could and gratefully took the sandals the helper brought her. The doctor used one clean cloth to help clean Barry. "It's not as severe as it looks, so don't worry. I'll make sure he gets a good rest at home and is ready for tomorrow. Fortunately, these viruses tend to last twenty-four hours, with proper care,"
"Okay," Iris said with concern. She was very worried for Barry, he had held it in so well, that had he not thrown up right now she would've been none the wiser to his condition.
Caitlin was supporting Barry as they walked away towards a taxi that the Extravaganza staff had called in for them. Poor Barry, it broke her heart seeing him ill. He shouldn't have pushed himself this much. She shouldn't have let him.
"I guess, this is the part where you say 'I told you so,'" he said with a self-deprecating chuckle. The universe was probably against him, because Caitlin was always there to witness the worst moments of his life.
"Of course not," she said calmly.
They carefully entered the taxi and gave the driver instructions before relaxing in the back. Well Barry relaxed. Caitlin on the other hand started checking his pulse and temperature. She was mildly upset at herself for leaving her stethoscope at home.
"Your fever is coming back," she said with concern.
Barry tried to give her a reassuring smile, "I'll be fine,"
Caitlin raised a skeptical eyebrow, that's what he had said before.
"With proper care from my lovable doctor," he added with a boyish smile and took advantage of the situation to rest his head on her lap.
Caitlin briefly tensed up but took a deep breath and realized she didn't have to. Barry and her were friends, and science soulmates. Besides, her main concern now was to restore him back to full health. She looked down and saw him rest peacefully on her lap. They had about twenty minutes of travel time left so she decided to let him rest. In the meantime, she would entertain herself by patting him soothingly.
The taxi driver would occasionally glance at his rearview mirror and smile to himself.
The beauty of young love...
{-}
Once they arrived home, Caitlin immediately walked Barry to their room. His parents weren't home yet, and both were glad for that –they didn't want to worry them any more than necessary.
"Sorry," Barry mumbled.
Caitlin smiled fondly, "Why? It could happen to anyone," she stepped closer to him and slowly started to unbutton his shirt.
Barry became very self-aware despite his weakened state and held her hand weakly in an attempt to stop her. She looked up at him slightly confused, "Is there something wrong?" She wondered if he was feeling ill anywhere else.
He stared directly into her hazel eyes not really sure what to say next. Why should he be self-aware? This was Caitlin, his best friend. The woman that he trusted with his life. The woman that's taken care of him since the moment they met. The most caring and wonderful woman was in front of him, there was no reason for him to feel uncomfortable around her. None at all, because she was the woman he trusted most and her nonjudgmental, yet deeply caring eyes were everything to him.
He slowly released her hand and gave her a pitiful excuse of a smile.
"Thanks,"
Caitlin also stared back and momentarily got lost in his deep green eyes. This wasn't the first time that she looked at him and wished to tell him more, but she didn't know what to say to him. All she knew was that Barry is, was, and will forever be someone very special to her. He was the most charming, gentlemanly, caring, and funny man she'd ever met. And she was very fortunate to have him as her friend. When she thought she was alone, it was Barry that was by her side. "Any time," and in times like this, it was her turn to be beside him and become his strength. She continued unbuttoning his shirt and slowly slid it off of him. "Here let's put this one on," she brought him a loose Superman shirt and he happily complied with her request.
"Cait," he said softly as he pulled his shirt.
"Yes Barry?" she held in a smile at how cute he looked with his hair ruffled.
"Sorry about your shoes,"
She chuckled a little, "They're just shoes,"
"Still. It was kinda gross, wasn't it?" he asked with a pink tint to his cheeks. He knew that it wasn't from his fever, but rather his embarrassment.
Oh, so that's what was worrying him. She took a seat next to him by the bed, "Barry, it's okay. No big deal," she said with a warm smile. "I'm a doctor, I see all kinds of things,"
"But it's different. We know each other," she could see all she wanted at the ER, but it was different when it was people you knew -it was worse.
She took his hand and caressed it softly, "Last time I did the same to you,"
"Yeah but-"
"Actually, you did say it was gross," now that she thought about it, he yelled a big fat EW! When she threw up on him that one time. "Just see it as another memory in our long friendship," she shrugged.
"I guess we're really even now, huh?"
Caitlin nodded, "That's right," she stood up and give him a small peck on his forehead. "Now finish getting changed and I'll be back with my Special Caitlin blend," she handed him a pair of pajama pants and stepped outside towards the kitchen.
In the meantime, Barry changed and laid on his bed. The day hadn't ended like he expected, but it was a great day nonetheless. He had a great time at the Extravaganza. He had spent time with Iris, where he could finally just be himself with no hidden agenda, no need to pretend and everything was fine in the world. Well mostly everything, he was still having a hard time adjusting to Caitlin and Eddie's budding friendship…
His thoughts were interrupted as Caitlin walked in with a tray full of crackers, Pepto, and her Special Caitlin blend. He smiled to himself as the woman with the most beautiful hazel eyes started to give him instructions on how to take care of this virus and the need for him to take every single item she brought him. He only nodded when appropriate and kept staring at her, admiring her eloquence, intelligence, but more than anything else the way she would look at him. Throughout her whole explanation and since the moment he held onto her earlier, she looked at him with a worried face, yes, but more importantly she looked at him as if he was the most precious thing she had in the world and she needed to protect him.
"What is it?" she asked, as Barry kept staring at her even after her she was done talking.
Barry shook his head softly, "Nothing,"
"If you need anything, just let me know," she encouraged him.
"Well…"
"Go on, you can ask for anything,"
"No, it's nothing," he wasn't even sure what he wanted to ask or how to even formulate the question. He got up and attempted to walk towards the restroom but got dizzy and almost tumbled back on the bed. Thankfully, Caitlin was quickly by his side and held him up.
"You could've told me you needed help," she said with a smile.
She helped him for only a few steps, but that still warmed Barry's heart, "That wasn't really what I wanted to ask you," he said as he went inside the restroom to wash his face and brush his teeth.
His words left Caitlin wondering what exactly he wanted from her. In the meantime, she left to change into more comfortable clothing.
When she came back, Barry had already taken everything as she had instructed and was brushing his teeth for the third time. He felt like he couldn't get rid of the smell fast enough. He was even tempted to take a shower right now, but Caitlin advised him to do that first thing in the morning tomorrow –doctor's orders.
"You'll be as good as new tomorrow, I promise," she reassured him.
Barry smiled and nodded, "Thank you," he looked at her and his smile grew wider, "I love your shirt,"
Caitlin looked down at herself, "I love it too. My best friend gave it to me," Barry had given her that shirt for their first superhero movie marathon.
"Great guy, I'm sure," he said casually.
"The best," she grinned.
They smiled at each other for a few seconds and then Caitlin remembered.
"What did you want to ask me earlier?" The curiosity was killing her.
Barry looked away and started to fiddle with the bed sheets, "Nothing really. It's silly," he wasn't even sure why he thought about that in the first place.
"Nothing you tell me could ever be silly Barry," she sat next him.
"It's just…"
"Barry," Caitlin used her serious tone on him.
Barry looked up and gazed at her intently. His request was childish and silly. Surely, no grown man would even ask for that. Really, it was dumb...but as he looked at her and saw those unquestioning and trusting hazel eyes. He couldn't find a reason not to be himself around her. As per usual, he didn't feel like he had to be a different man for her. He didn't have to keep up appearances, he didn't have to follow expected behaviors, he could just be Barry Allen. And right now what he wanted was:
"Could you hold my hand until I fall asleep?" he said not missing a beat, with no hint of embarrassment or hesitation.
Caitlin blinked twice and then her face melted into a warm grin. "Absolutely,"
They settled into the bed and because Barry was already warm they didn't really bother with the covers. Both were glad for the lights being turned off. On the one hand, Barry could always say that he looked flushed because of his fever. On the other, Caitlin didn't have the same excuse, her cheeks were warm for an entirely different reason.
"You know Barry," Caitlin said in the darkness.
"Hm?"
"You didn't even have to ask," she gave his hand a little squeeze.
{-}
Henry and Nora were running errands for the parties tomorrow, but also made time for a little date and a nice dinner. When they walked inside the house it was late, and everything was dark. For a minute they thought no one was home, but then Henry noticed the guest room door was slightly ajar.
Nora gave Henry a mischievous look and they both started to tip toe towards the room. When they opened the door fully. Henry and Nora smiled at each other.
"Aren't they adorable?" Nora whispered to her husband.
Henry nodded, "They are," he couldn't be happier for his son.
Barry was laying in bed with fluffy hair, a slightly flushed face, and his favorite Superman shirt. Next to him was Caitlin, with messy auburn curls, and an oversized shirt with the Superman crest on it. They were holding each other's hands and breathing in sync, softly and peacefully.
Since they slept over the covers, Nora left the room to get them a blanket and Henry helped cover them both.
"Sweet dreams," Nora whispered before walking out of the room with her lovable doctor behind her.
"You think they've realized it yet?" Henry asked as he walked with his wife towards their room.
Nora sighed, "Not yet, but they will...eventually,"
Matters of the heart were all about timing.
{-}
Through the Looking Glass
She'd seen him before around campus but didn't think much of it. In fact, she would often see him by the dorms, so she assumed that he either lived in the dorm building next to hers (which was for men) or he knew someone that lived at the dorms. He was talking to a girl she didn't recognize. Perhaps his girlfriend? Well it wasn't any of her business, all she wanted was to go to her room enjoy some junk food and watch some movies to celebrate the semester being over.
Caitlin started to fish for her keys and was ready to walk away until...
"It's not you Bar. I'm the one that wants to go to New York and live my dreams,"
"But Iris, I thought -"
"I have to go. My flight is about to leave and I won't make it if I don't leave now. Let's stay in touch, okay?"
Caitlin was only able to see the back of the girl in front of him and she walked away without looking back. The guy hung his head low and walked towards a bench nearby letting out a deep sigh. She looked a little longer, not sure why she even cared. People broke up with each other all the time, this wasn't the end of the world. She should just walk around the big oak tree and avoid him. Surely, he would want to be left alone.
That's exactly what she would do. Just walk away and to her dorm. Yep. Easy.
Her eyes went to him one last time and her decision was made.
She adjusted her thick glasses and walked towards him, taking a seat next to him without saying a word. She noticed he glanced at her and practically sent a glare in her direction but said nothing. She took the initiative of pulling something out of her plastic bag, just coming back from the grocery store came in handy. She finally found what she was looking for and handed him a bag of chips. They say comfort food was helpful when you were having a bad day, so she truly hoped this would help. She saw him hesitate before taking the bag while eyeing her with suspicious eyes.
Since he took the bag, she hoped he didn't see her as a threat. He probably needed to let it all out, maybe once he talked about it, he would feel a lot better.
"Women suck," she heard him say, and she couldn't really disagree, some women were pretty mean. She slowly nodded and pulled out a bag of chips for herself. It seemed that he was getting ready to talk and it might take some time.
The guy next to her got a handful of chips in his mouth, "I mean, we had our whole lives ahead of us, and she leaves me,"
His last words were a little high pitched and she wondered if maybe he would...well, she was prepared anyway. She pulled out a tissue box, opened it, and handed it to him. He would need it soon.
He opened his eyes in surprise and let out a high pitched... "What!? It's not like I'm going to cry over a girl, am I right?"
She knew better.
"She can do whatever she wants! So will I!" He yelled almost at the top of his lungs.
Poor guy, he must've loved her that much. She continued eating some chips and eyed him from her periphery. He wasn't going to last long.
"I mean…" she heard his voice started to break, "It's not like she's the only girl out there,"
Any second now.
"Okay, yeah, sure she was my first girlfriend and I had this life plan for us, but come on!"
By the end he was already sobbing. She resisted the urge to pat him, he looked like a wounded puppy, poor guy. The stranger continued to cry and cry, he would complain about Iris (the girl that dumped him), life (why was it so difficult for him?) and proclaimed to hate all the women (with his mother being a big exception). Although, she found him a little dramatic, she couldn't help but feel really bad for him. He seemed like a really nice guy.
Caitlin nodded slowly as she listened to him. He needed a shoulder to cry on and she wanted to be that support for him. She knew from first hand experience how lonely it was to cry without anyone to support you through the difficult times.
After a while the crying stopped.
"Thanks man, I needed that,"
Perfect. He felt better. Her job was done.
One last courtesy nod and she was ready to leave. She got up and was about to take her first step until she felt him pull at her hands and she ended up dropping her bags. That hadn't been nice. She saw him bend down to pick up something.
Her feminine pads of all things.
"You...you're...a girl!"
She picked up the rest of her things and took the pads from his hands, "I never said that I wasn't," did she really look like a guy? Well she was wearing very loose clothing and her hair was covered, but she didn't think she looked that masculine. Maybe nowadays it was harder to tell the difference?
"You didn't say anything!" He said flustered.
That was true. Then again, she didn't think she needed to do the talking here. "I figured you were the one that needed to talk," she said sincerely. At the end of the day it had been him who got his heart broken. She was only walking back to her dorm.
His face was getting redder by the second and her instincts kicked in. She raised her hand to his forehead and then his cheek.
"You're really warm,"
He was stunned by her action and didn't know what to do so he only kept looking at her.
"Here," she gave him a cold drink she'd bought earlier. It wasn't as cold as before, but it would help for now. "It's okay to have someone to lean on sometimes,"
He took the drink and pressed it to his cheek.
Caitlin began walking towards the dorm now that everything had been said. She was a few feet away until she felt the guy make his way next to her.
"Thank you," he said.
She shrugged, "No big deal, the drink was only a dollar,"
He shook his head and smiled, "No. I mean, thank you for what you did back there,"
"Oh," she really hadn't done anything.
"Here, let me help," even though the bags weren't heavy he took one from her hand and looked ahead at the dorms, "I'm guessing you live there," he pointed at the A-Tower.
She nodded.
"I live in the B-Tower, small world, huh?"
She supposed he was right. "It is,"
They started walking side by side towards her building. She eyed him briefly and determined she was right about him, he was a nice person.
"My name is Barry, by the way," he said as they stopped in front of her building entrance.
"I'm Caitlin," she extended her hand to him.
Who knew? Maybe they would see each other around.
{-}
Would it be right to say hi to him? He was at the park again today, but didn't look as bad as yesterday. Maybe she should leave him alone, he looked busy jogging anyway. Instead, she dug her headphones from her bag and put them on, listening to music was a great way to start the day. She walked a few steps and was busy looking at her phone for the right song.
Sadly, her efforts were interrupted.
"I'm so sorry!" A flustered Barry had bumped into her and she dropped her phone and bag in the process. "I wasn't paying attention, I was just dozing off, and…" he continued his apology and helped her pick her things.
"It's okay Barry," she said as she dusted off her bag.
"You know me?" he said a little surprised.
She raised an eyebrow at him, "Yes. I met you yesterday,"
"Caitlin?" he said a little unsure.
"Well, of course," who else would she be?
He squinted his eyes, "Oh, you look different,"
Ah, that made sense. Yesterday she was ready to go to bed. Today she was wearing comfortable jeans and a CCU T-shirt, not her oversized get up. In Felicity's words, she actually looked decent.
"Your hair...it's long,"
There was that too. Last night she had all her hair hidden under her beanie. Okay, but why was he still standing there? For some strange reason he wasn't going away…
"I was heading to the library," she said after an awkward silence.
"That's cool! Libraries are great," he said, though she noted that he cringed a little at the end.
Her next words were very out of character for her, but she sensed that maybe Barry didn't want to be alone.
"Do you want to come?" she tried. Yes the semester was over, but she had nowhere else to be and she enjoyed reading and learning, maybe Barry did too?
His eyes shined at her question.
"Yes!" He told her with a wide grin. Caitlin thought that was a good look on him.
He probably liked the library just as much as she did.
"Wait. It might not be a good idea to go like this," he motioned at his running get up. "I probably stink right now,"
She stepped closer to him and got close to his neck, "You smell fine to me,"
"Oh...O-okay," he said a little flushed.
As they walked towards the library Caitlin couldn't help but think that Barry was a little strange.
But his company felt... nice.
{-}
When Barry introduced her to Cisco, she wasn't sure what to do. She always thought that meeting new people was too tiresome -Barry being her first exception to the rule. But this Cisco guy was very funny and he never made her feel out of place, in fact, Cisco would include her in everything and explain as best he could all his movie and superhero references. He was a great guy and she had a lot of fun with those two.
"So, I say that today at the Extravaganza we do something daring," Cisco said while rubbing his hands like an evil fly.
"Daring?" Caitlin asked, not sure what that would imply.
"Yeah, you need to be more out there Caitlin, like that time you did a one-eighty on Karaoke night,"
Caitlin quickly sent Cisco a cold stare, "Can we not talk about that night?"
Barry chuckled, "Yeah, Cisco. You've scarred Caitlin for life," the girl refused alcohol and any other Cisco invention ever since.
"Whatever, you both are a bunch of sticklers," Cisco shrugged and popped a lollipop into his mouth.
"We're not!" Barry and Caitlin said in unison.
Cisco smirked in satisfaction, "Prove it,"
That night when they went to the Extravaganza, all three dared each other to do something outside their comfort zone.
"Okay, so I'll go to the Back Breaker," it was one of the biggest roller coasters and Cisco wasn't too fond of them.
"Very well," Caitlin nodded.
"Barry will go to the Haunted House,"
"Yep," Barry said a little unsure, he hated everything scary.
Caitlin looked at the future CSI, "Barry if you don't want to you really don't have to go,"
"No, no, it's fine," he said with a big grin, "those things are for kids anyway,"
He wasn't really fooling anyone.
"As for you missy," Cisco started as he eyed the games around them, "what about that one?"
"The Kissing Booth?" Caitlin asked a little surprised.
"Ye-"
"He meant the hot dog eating contest!" Barry said quickly, shooting Cisco a glare. What was he thinking? Poor Caitlin shouldn't go through something as childish and unhygienic as a kissing booth.
Cisco resisted the urge to snicker, "That's exactly what I meant," he'd known Barry for over two years now and Caitlin for one, but it seemed there was something lurking with those two. He didn't know for sure though, since Barry would still bring up his ex-girlfriend at times. But he still suspected that maybe...those two had some spark there.
Sadly, the night didn't end too clean for the trio.
"I'm not feeling too good," Caitlin said growing paler by the second.
Cisco and Barry looked at each other and Barry got to her side to serve as her support. "Let's go home for today,"
"O—"
Cisco practically jumped back, the crowd around him stared, and Caitlin spilled a whole lot of hot dogs out.
"EW! That's gross!" Barry couldn't help from saying. His favorite sneakers were ruined.
"I saw that one coming," Cisco said as he handed them a towel and got a staff member to help.
"Sorry," she said with shiny eyes and a wobbly voice.
Barry let out a deep sigh, "It's okay," he helped clean her up and carefully asked, "is that, uhm, all?" he really hope she didn't throw up anymore. He'd already disposed of his sneakers and folded his jeans up.
She nodded, "I think that's all,"
Barry nodded relieved at the news, "Okay, let's head back home," he knelt before her in a familiar gesture and she climbed on his back ready for the piggy back ride, she was beat.
As the three walked back towards Cisco's car, the engineer couldn't help but look from behind and find that those two definitely had something going on. Maybe he was reading too much into things, but Barry wasn't nearly this considerate of other women around him, and Caitlin would avoid physical contact with others like the plague.
All Caitlin knew at the time was that Barry's back was so warm and comforting.
{-}
"So…" Felicity said as she applied a wine-colored lipstick.
"So?" Caitlin responded as she put Felicity's hairpiece on.
The bride cleared her throat and then turned to Caitlin, "I hear you and Barry finally," she really emphasized that 'finally', "got together,"
Caitlin shook her head, "Not in the way that you think,"
"What do you mean!? You guys are head over heels for each other," Felicity said with a pout. Those two would be the death of her. They were too cute for words and they still said they were just friends. She was ecstatic when she heard Ollie tell Diggle about his cousin's crush, Caitlin, already being taken.
The doctor raised a brow to her friend, "Head over heels? Felicity you know we're not like that," how many times had she told Felicity that they were just friends?
"But don't you want to be?" Felicity was almost at the edge of her seat.
Caitlin looked up and thought about it. Being together with Barry...was it such a bad thing? It wasn't, he was a wonderful person. But she wasn't sure she was what Barry needed. Besides, his heart was already taken.
"Look, Barry loves Iris,"
Felicity rolled her eyes, she'd heard the 'Barry loves Iris' speech about a million times now. "Yeah, yeah, he is madly in love with a girl that already has a boyfriend and he calls occasionally,"
"You know she means a lot to him," she said as a matter of fact.
"It doesn't mean that you don't," Felicity retorted, "can you just tell me why you don't tell Barry that you want to be with him?"
"We're friends, and I'm happy with the way things are," she shrugged. If it wasn't broke, why fix it? It was true that she loved Barry, but not in the way that Felicity implied. She didn't want to mess up what they had, he was far too important for her.
Felicity took a calming breath, "Okay, what if Barry asked you to be more?" She changed strategies, "What if he was the one that wanted more from your friendship?"
That got Caitlin to think momentarily about the possibility. Would Barry ever….? No, of course not. They knew each other too well and have been through too much together. If he wanted her that way he would've told her. Right?
Besides, Caitlin didn't want to fall in love with anyone. As much a romantic as she was, she didn't want to go through the heartbreak. Not that she would admit to it, but she was terrified of relationships, of getting too attached and reaching the point of depending on one person alone too much...she would never do that. She would never be like her mother in that regard. She wouldn't lose her will to live for love, that was foolish.
Later that night, Felicity left her to greet other guests and but she wasn't alone for long –her all-time best friend quickly found her. If she didn't know any better, he looked a little paranoid and stuck to her like glue –she didn't mind.
"You know Barry, it's been a lot of fun," she said as she took a sip of her champagne. She'd already verified that Cisco had not tampered with the alcohol.
Barry nodded in agreement, "Yes, I couldn't agree more," he would still look around as if he was waiting for someone to show up.
Caitlin wondered who it might be, "If you want to go mingle, you know I don't mind right?" he was going on and on about meeting people from Queen Industries and Palmer Tech earlier today that she wondered why he wasn't networking.
That got Barry's attention and he turned to her, "The only person I want to mingle with is right here," he told her with a grin. "How about we dance Dr. Snow?" he took her glass of champagne and set it on a nearby table.
"I don't think it's a good idea," Caitlin and dancing didn't mesh well.
Barry still pulled her to a small corner of the dance floor, "I think it's a great idea," he said as he lowered his hands to her waist.
She looked down and then back at him, "Okay," she trusted him. She laced her hands behind his neck and noticed a pink tint on his cheeks. It probably had been a while since he danced and was embarrassed.
"Just follow my lead," he said softly as he tried to move them to the side, but she ended up stepping on his toes.
"Sorry," Ugh, she was terrible at this.
The CSI only shook his head and smiled encouragingly, despite having been stepped on three times in a row, "It's okay,"
After a few more minutes of fumbling, Caitlin stopped. "This isn't working," she felt terrible for torturing him. She was waiting for him to let go so she could go sit down or simply avoid the crowd, but Barry didn't give in.
"Let's try something different then," he bent down and whispered in her ear, "place your feet on top of mine, no one will know,"
Caitlin felt a shiver go down her spine. She nodded to his request but took off her shoes in an effort to avoid hurting him further. "Dancing is not my forte,"
Barry only smiled at her, "It doesn't have to be,"
He began swaying them to the sound of the music and Caitlin looked at him with adoring eyes. Not for the first time, she thought about how amazing the man in front of her was. It didn't matter what anyone else said or saw. She was content with her relationship with Barry. He was her very best friend, her beacon of hope, and the man that couldn't fail her.
She didn't know what the future held for them, all she hoped was that she would forever have a place by his side.
{x}
This has been the longest chapter yet and believe me it's been revised more times than I can count, and still I feel like I could've added more…In any case, thank you so much for your incredible support and patience. I'd love to hear your thoughts and theories of what comes next.
As a gift of appreciation, I wanted to share a little snippet of the next chapter, it's not done, but it is in progress:
Suddenly, she felt Barry's body tense up and he pulled away just enough to stare at her with wide green eyes.
"Barry?"
"This isn't a dream, is it?" he said as his face started to gain color.
"No," she said waiting for the inevitable freak out.
Barry nodded slowly and released her gently. "What a night, huh?"
A special thanks to: PurpleYin, Various Guests, Awesomeness2502, thed4rksavior, Jmwatson504, ShanouNash, Maya, Shadow9841, Shyesplease, Jdcocoagirl, Fashiongirl23, Raquel, Amelia, and Augusthippie1993!
Your words warm my heart, I've read all your reviews and they help me keep going, thank you once again!