CH3 Love

The next week, in a fit of nostalgia, he filed the registration to incorporate the Scientific and Technological Advanced Research Laboratories also known as S.T.A.R. Laboratories as a business headquartered in National City. He'd mused about how to best honor Cisco, Ray, and Caitlin with their inventions. It was evident that Cisco meant for Barry to capitalize on the contents of the flash drives. He couldn't send money with his friend, so he sent him with a way to make money. With bittersweet laughter, they celebrated over a bottle of red wine and a few gallons of pasta.

Barry had just told the story of one of Cisco's innumerable villain naming efforts. This one resulted in "King Shark" of all things. After their laughter died away, Barry reached across the table to take up her hand. Sitting in warm, comfortable silence, they regarded each other. In a moment, things changed and he recognized in Kara what he saw the day that he'd skipped back to his own dimension. It resonated in him strongly. So strongly that he didn't even register rising from his seat, and gently pulling her into his arms. She's stopped wearing the faux glasses in the apartment long ago, so he had unfettered access to her eyes. Wrapping his right arm about her waist, he pulled her close.

As he caressed her cheek with his left hand, Kara's arms wrapped about his waist, pulling his hips to hers. "This is fast," he barely whispered.

"It is," she replied without looking away from him.

"But it is so right."

"Oh, yes, it is," she agreed.

After a heartbeat, he leaned forward to kiss her gently.

As first kisses go, it was pretty spectacular. He had the stereotypical fireworks exploding behind his eyelids while his body revved into overdrive. Deepening the kiss, he threaded his free hand into her blonde tresses. Her groan of enjoyment nearly drove him crazy.

Breaking the kiss incrementally, he followed it up with nipping kisses on her lips and then her neck. The subsequent moan from her sealed the deal. He was a goner.

Her firm grip in his hair pulled him to her lips, where she commenced to re-explore his mouth. Nearly losing control, he did the same. Neither realized that they'd moved to the couch until she began pulling his shirt over his head.

Her sweater was long gone and her blouse unbuttoned.

"Oh, God," he murmured while pulling away. Her addled gaze met his until he smiled. They calmed and she returned his smile. She curled into his arms, as they reveled in their togetherness. Words were puerile in their moment. They were Barry and Kara and everything else was self-evident.

He'd been sleeping on her sofa bed, but tonight as he made to toss the cushions on the floor, she tugged his hand. "Stay in my bed tonight."

His eyebrows rose. While he desperately wanted Kara in every way, Barry was a bit surprised by her request.

Her blush was beet red as she saw his expression and realized what he was thinking. "Ah. Well I don't mean to do that tonight. I really liked sleeping together the first night you were here and…well, I want to wake up with you again."

Grinning like an idiot, he replied, "Ok." He didn't make the connection for years regarding her use of the word, "Again." Apparently, she'd been awake when he slipped out of her grasp on the couch.

They spent the night together, holding each other for comfort and with affection. They had embarked upon the beginning of an epic love that would last the ages.

.oOo.

In the morning, she leaned over, placing a kiss on his sleeping lips. "Be right back." Two seconds later, she was in her suit, doing a patrol of the city. They'd been fortunate, the past week had been slow for major crime in the city, and the DEO had been quiet as well. Kara felt the need to get out, to see what was going on her city. It raised an interesting idea. She thought what it would be like to be taking care of a situation with a lightning wreathed boyfriend working alongside her. The thought made her pause and she wasn't sure if it was the idea of permanently partnering with Barry or the idea of him being her boyfriend at some point in the very near future.

Or really it was more like he was already her boyfriend and they just needed to have a talk to confirm their new status. They had been making out like teenagers the night before and then shared a bed, even if only platonically. The thought made her grin before it fell away suddenly. Pulling up in flight, she hovered over the warehouse district. Barry had been through extremely traumatic events not only two weeks before. Was she going too fast? Was she a rebound for him from the destruction of his world? They'd both implied that while they were moving fast, it felt right to both of them. But what if that wasn't the case? Her heart fell into her feet hoping that this wasn't an emotional mirage, for she was falling fast and hard for the Scarlet Speedster.

Remembering a saying of Eliza's, Kara flew on with determination. Finishing her patrol in short order, Kara stopped an empty runaway train car at the switchyards and not much else. She saw that the window in her apartment was still open so she accelerated, as was her norm, so as to not been seen when flying home. Her heels clicked on the hardwood floor.

"Hey," he greeted her from the bedroom doorway. He stood there in his boxers and no shirt, leaning on the door frame, and his hair a tousled mess.

Turning, she beamed. Just being around him made her day better. Shirtless Barry was just a plus.

He moved to her, wrapping his arms about her waist. "We didn't talk about this last night," then leaned in and kissed her soundly. The heady feeling returned as their tongues dueled. When they parted, he murmured, "But I'm very serious about us."

The relief she felt was palpable. Running her hands up his arms, she sighed, "Good, because I'm serious about us, too." She paused, remembering Eliza's advice to talk often and honestly, then pressed on, "I just have to ask. Everything was just crazy for you. Terrible. I'm probably the only person on the planet who really understands what you went through." He nodded seriously, focused on her with all of his attention. In a rush, she asked, "Are you sure you're ready?"

He smirked while giving a half-laugh. "Kara, I fell in love with you when I was first here, I just wouldn't let myself think about it."

Her eyes got very big.

"Everything that I've seen and felt over the past few weeks has only reinforced all that."

"Omigod. You love me."

Now he laughed. "Yeah. Sorry. But not going slow here."

"No kidding Mr. Allen."

He smiled, wrapping her in his arms once again. She melted into him. "Oh, Rao, Barry. I love you too. We'll make this work."

"We will."

.oOo.

Breakfast was supposed to be a huge pile of waffles. He was partial to waffles and bacon so they cooked together. He made the batter and kept re-loading the iron while she cooked a package of bacon. She laughed when he whipped the batter in a second before pouring it and then pouting. "No super speed on the cooking part. Annoying, isn't it?"

"Yes," he grumped. "I'm hungry and your waffle iron is too small."

"Poor baby," she plated another bit of bacon. "Here, eat this while that cooks." She refilled the bacon on the skillet. "Have you thought about putting the uniform back on?" She tried to be offhand and low key, but wasn't sure how well she pulled it off.

She felt rather than heard his sigh. Turning, she saw that he'd folded in on himself. Wrapping him in her embrace, she told him, "There's no rush to decide right now. But I know you Barry Allen, you're a hero. Someone will be in need and you'll be on the way to help before most people have a chance to think about it."

The front door opened, and Alex called out, "Kara?"

The two superheroes' eyes met. He was still clad only in his boxers while Kara was wearing a long t-shirt and not much else. "Can you get your clothes on without the lightning thing?" she hissed. He nodded and between blinks, was gone. She turned the heat down on the bacon, muttering, "That is so hot when he does that."

"Hey there," Alex greeted as she rounded into the kitchen. "I haven't seen you in a while. Everything Ok?"

Pushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear, Kara furrowed her brow as she contemplated the question. "Yes and no." Looking at her now frowning foster sister, she explained, "Barry is back."

Her eyebrows lifted in surprise, "The universe skipping Flash you told me about?"

She nodded, "Things went pretty badly on his Earth. He's back to stay." The details of the Zoom War were Barry's to tell, should he ever feel the need.

Now Alex frowned. "That's convenient."

Kara's frown matched her sister's. "What does that mean?"

"Well, you only have his word as to why he's here. He isn't even necessarily the same guy who was here last time. What if he's here to hatch some plan?"

Turning back to the stove so as to not focus her anger on her foster sister, Kara scoffed while turning the heat back up, "Hatch his plan? Who do you think he is, Snidely Whiplash?"

"Don't treat this lightly Kara. This could be really bad."

Rolling her eyes, Kara turned back to her sister, "You're being stupid. I know Barry. He's the best person I've ever known." Angry now, she waved the greasy spatula at her sister, "You weren't even here the last time he was here. You've never met him and you're being all stupid and overprotective." Shaking her head in frustration, she turned back to the stove and flipped the bacon over. "Gah! Why are you here? Just to piss me off?"

Alex stilled. Looking around the room, she turned back to the living room. "He's here, isn't he?"

A blink later had a fully clothed Barry Allen standing next to Kara, a neutral expression on his face. Extending his hand, he introduced himself. "Hi, I'm Barry Allen."

Kara turned back to her sister, an annoyed expression on her face with the unspoken warning, Be nice to him.

Alex eyed the man. Shaking his hand, she replied, "Alex Danvers."

"And I'm not a supervillain here to hurt your sister."

A mix of embarrassment and anger filled Alex's expression, "Heard that, did you?"

He shrugged. "Kind of hard not to."

"Wait, where have you been this entire time?"

Barry looked to Kara as they traded questioning expressions. He gave her a nod, so she turned to her sister, "He was in the bedroom getting dressed."

Alex's eyes widened in shock. Finally, she shouted, "And he got here when?"

"Over two weeks ago."

Turning away from her sister, Alex ran her hands through her hair, "I can't believe you. I never thought that you would be so irresponsible." Wheeling about she scowled at Barry, "And I suppose you're having sex with my sister?"

Barry was quiet, but a bored expression settled on his face as he moved to the stove to take over the bacon. Kara stalked to her sister after handing off the spatula, "What I do or who I do it with is my business, Alex. Barry and I are together and you are being rude to me and my boyfriend."

"Nothing to say there, Barry?" Alex snarked over Kara's shoulder.

Not even looking up from the pan, he replied, "Nope. Kara doesn't need me to fight her fights. She's more than capable." He flipped the bacon.

"And that's one of the reasons why I love him," Kara declared forcefully to her sister. Pointing at her boyfriend who was putting some of the cooked bacon on some old newspaper to drain, she added, "He respects me and treats me like an adult." Her eyes narrowed and for a moment, flashed red. "Unlike you."

Alex stilled as if the wind left her sails. "I see." Looking away from her furious foster sister, she said, "I have to go to work. I'll see you later."

A host of sirens sounded across city, causing the three to pause in their impromptu confrontation. Before Alex could get her bearings, the oven was off and both superheroes were gone in a rush of wind and an open window. Grabbing her phone from her pocket, she ran for the door. When the call was picked up, she barked, "What is going on?"

.oOo.

A/N

1. I own nothing. Recommendation for this fic is Worlds Apart by Maroon Smoke