New Love?

The following days were like living a dream for him. She took the rest of the week off as he became oriented to his new home. Dinner over cheesy musicals while they ate their weight in Chinese takeaway. Days in the park, enjoying the summer while talking about everything. Nights walking the riverfront. It was on one of these walks that he reached out and took her hand in his. It was she who threaded her fingers though his. Together, they walked closer until she laid her head on his shoulder.

They talked about their childhoods. His frustration with his father's incarceration and subsequent distancing when released from prison. Her continuing sense of loss and disassociation of a sense of belonging anywhere. How she resented Kal-El for not taking her in when she arrived to Earth. His initial rejection of and subsequent acceptance of Joe as a surrogate father. Her unease at Eliza's attempts to act as her mother. His crush on Iris that was really him looking for someone he cared about to put him first in their life…. And so on.

They sat on a small hillock close enough so that their shoulders touched, watching the sun set over the western hills. Tossing a rock into the pond nearby, he told her, "After one of my battles with Zoom, I was pretty beat up. I was so mad that I'd lost again and then Cisco told me that Zoom had killed my dad." Shrugging, he added, "I suppose he didn't want to put off the bad news. Anyway, I was so mad, I just started to vibrate." Turning to her, seeing her complete attention, he explained, "You know how when you're so emotional you just start to shake?" At her nod, he continued, "Well, I was shaking so much I hit this unique vibration and my wounds, broken bones, and internal injuries just…healed."

"Wow," she breathed.

"Yeah, that's about what I said, too. Later, Caitlin," there was only a small hiccup in his words at the mention of his long dead friend, "She did some studies on a skin sample of mine. She freaked. Then she drew blood and freaked again. Apparently, the stochastic degradation of my cells that causes aging had stopped for me."

"Double wow," Kara echoed.

"That's not quite what I said. If I remember right, I didn't say anything at all. Caitlin wasn't sure why the degradation stopped, but she postulated that the Speed Force had infused me to the point where it had arrested all degradation or was nearly instantaneously reversing it. She wasn't sure; as they couldn't measure the Speed Force in me, just observe it."

She chuckled as he shook his head in amused nostalgia. Wrapping her arm in his she leaned on him.

"Kal-El and I, well, we used to talk on and off. Now, we text some, but that's about it. Anyway, one time we were talking about how the sun powers us." Her eyes met his as he looked to her, "If he and I stay under a yellow sun, we won't age past our full maturity."

The implications of their combined state hit them both like a bomb. There wasn't much more to say on the topic, as both were too unsure of where they stood with the other to discuss the implications.

.oOo.

"No!" he screamed, shooting out of bed at speed. Before he could make it to the door, she was there.

"Barry, it's a dream. It's just a dream," she cooed while she held him tight. "He's dead. He can't hurt anyone. I'm here, Barry. I'll fight with you."

Shaking in her arms, he cried. "I'm so fucking tired of crying," he spat between sobs.

Kissing the top of his head, she held him as he eventually settled. Together, they moved to the sofa bed. She was nearly carrying him, as he was more than half-asleep already. Resettling him under the sheet and blanket, she smoothed his hair, wiping away the last vestiges of the nightmare. Without thinking about it, she climbed into the other side of the bed, holding him in her arms protectively.

His nightmares of late had focused on a few themes. Remembering the past; the deaths of his family and loved ones and the helplessness he'd felt. The other variety had to do with Zoom killing, threatening, or otherwise hurting herself. He didn't really explain his feelings about those dreams. Usually, he just blushed as he told her the facts of the dream. Kara couldn't help but have her heart secretly rejoice at that – in a weird twisted way. Shoving aside her feelings once again, she held him as she whispered reassurances to him. The one that settled him the most was when she repeated, "You'll never be alone again, Barry." After a bit, they both drifted to sleep.

They both slept soundly wrapped up in each other.

.oOo.

Kara was puttering about the apartment doing the general cleaning and other things she'd been putting off since Barry returned. He was out running. Every once in a while, he just needed to get out of the city and really open up his speed to just Run. It took all her will power to refrain from following him or watching with her enhanced vision. He'd be back and he would be Ok. She trusted him.

As a surprise for him, she was baking a cake. Her cooking and baking skills were adequate. Barely. They were good enough to make a sheet cake but not good enough to decorate with both of their symbols as she wanted. Instead, she just decided upon a blue frosting with a yellow border. In the middle, she was in the middle of putting the shield shape of the house of El surrounded by the circle of his symbol, both in red frosting.

She nodded as she finished. The shield was a little lopsided, but they'd eat it all tonight after dinner. No leftovers meant no evidence.

The knock on her door was unexpected. She'd not heard from Alex for a while, but since the craziness surrounding the attempted prosecution of J'onn had all been resolved, maybe it was she stopping by. She'd left her foster sister a voicemail that 'her friend Barry was back in town'. They'd never met, but they had texted about him during Barry's first visit. She hoped that Alex wouldn't be all overprotective. She hated that.

Opening the door, she was surprised to see James Olsen standing there instead of Alex. "James! How are you? Come on in, I'm just finishing up a cake," she welcomed as turned back to the kitchen.

The click of the door preceded his heavy footfalls into the kitchen. She picked up the yellow baggie she had filled with the yellow frosting. "What's going on?" she asked as she began to edge the cake.

"I was just wondering if you were ok," he told her in a confused voice. Looking up, she saw him looking at the cake as if he was trying to figure out what he was seeing.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. Barry is back."

"Oh," he replied. Looking about, James asked, "So, where is he?"

"He's out for a run," she replied distractedly, concentrating on the piping. "There. All done."

Picking up the detritus from her baking, she moved to the sink, "I'm just taking some time off to help him get used to this universe."

"You make it sound like he's staying."

Kara frowned; this was Barry's tale to tell if he wanted. The bare outline wouldn't be a betrayal, she decided. "Things went very badly in his universe. There was a significant time differential when he went back. Barry was home for over a year before he returned."

"And he came back here?" James asked.

She looked up from the sink to see him wearing a not very nice expression. His tone had been sarcastic and…jealous? "Yes," she replied. Kara really didn't want to get into this with James. He was a friend, sure, but he'd no claim on what she did or didn't do.

"And he's staying here?"

Now she was annoyed. Frowning at her friend, she crossed her arms before replying, "Yes," tersely. There was no room for conversation here.

He gestured at the cake and the interlocking symbols, "And you two are…?"

Really annoyed, Kara replied, "That's something I'm not comfortable discussing with you."

"Oh." Looking about for a new topic, James seemed to sense far too late that he'd pissed off his Kryptonian friend. Evidently giving up, he gave a half wave, "Well, I'm glad you're doing Ok. I'll see you back at work soon?"

She continued standing there in her arms crossed posture, "Maybe next week. I have a lot of unused vacation so I may take next week off too."

He gave a fake smile, "Well…good. I'll see you when you get back."

He turned and stopped short at seeing Barry standing there still in his Flash uniform, the cowl pushed back. The speedster's expression was far from friendly. "James," he greeted neutrally.

"Oh, hey Barry. Kara was just telling me that you were back."

"I heard."

"Oh. Well, I'm off. Good to see you both again."

"Later, dude," Barry said. Kara just waved.

After the door clicked shut again, Barry turned back to her. Gesturing over his shoulder with his thumb, he asked, "Was it just me or was he getting all…?" he didn't finish before the sight of the cake interrupted him. "Ooo, cake."

Kara's heart bloomed to see Barry's scowl at James' behavior melt into a happy smile at the cake. A very small part of her mind processed that Barry being all territorial with another guy over her was very hot and she liked it. Again, shoving that aside, she asked, "You like the cake?"

He came around to her side of the table to admire it right side up. "Fantastic. I really like the decorations."

"I thought it was fitting." She didn't explain why it was fitting, but his expression when he turned to her told her that she didn't need to explain. Nor did his simple response.

"I agree."

.oOo.

A/N

1. I own nothing.