This Delicate Thing We've Made

by spacemonkey766

Barry never expected to find love again, certainly not with Leonard Snart. But falling for each other turned out to be the easy part. But was it sustainable, was it destined to burn out as quickly as it began, or were they in for something that would end up being the thing in this world that made each man both feel more at home than they'd ever been in their lives? [ColdFlash]

11. Bloodstained Heart

This Delicate Thing We've Made

genre: Romance

rated: M

---

Chapter 11: Bloodstained Heart

"In the gutter
Where you're starless and blind to dreams
We can dream each other
To a new day
Where the good guys always win
And heaven still means something
You hit me like a subway train
And I will never be the same
And darling I'll follow you down to the ground
Even when you fall apart
I'll pick up your bloodstained heart
And darling I'll follow you down to the ground"

---

It was a shift in the energy of the bedroom that began to rouse Len from his sleep. He had a hypersensitivity to a change in the surrounding atmosphere, whether it was someone entering the room unannounced, a threat approaching, or something not feeling quite right. It was a skill he began to craft as a child growing up in a house that felt unsafe and something he cultivated as he began to exist in a world that made him feel like he had to kill or be killed. He never slept too soundly, a habit that was a result of his self-learned skill of being constantly on the defense, which made him a light sleeper.

The disruption in the quiet peace of two a.m. felt like a static charge in the air that upon first impression he would describe as a threat, soft pained moans beside him instead of steady breathing. Len's eyes flew open, his right hand reaching for the pistol he kept secured behind the nightstand and his left checking for the body beside him. He felt the handle of the gun as his hand slid in the space between the wall and the nightstand. What he didn't feel was the body that had been sprawled across his side when they had fallen asleep.

Raising up slightly from where he lay on his back, Len looked to his left and saw that Barry was as far away from him as the bed would allow, back to him and facing the other direction, curled within himself, body shaking.

When they first began sleeping together, Barry would sleep beside him, but on his back. It was a stance that Len recognized immediately for he too slept on his back. It made it easier to spring into action if there was a threat but Len suspected for Barry it was more about being able to throw himself in front of the person beside him rather than self-preservation like it was for Len. Then as they grew closer so did Barry's sleeping position. As they slept beside each other more and more, Barry's body positioning shifted, laying on his back with his head on Len's shoulder or even sharing his pillow. Then that changed to Barry pressed against his side, or on his stomach with an arm wrapped Len's body. Len wasn't sure if this was the normal progression for the other man when he had a bed partner or if it was his defenses loosening as they became more involved, feeling safe in Len's arms.

There were nights Len would wake up at three a.m. because he was overheating in a tangle of limbs as the speedster, who gave off so much body heat, clenched tightly around him, softly snoring in his ear. Len had now taken to sleeping only in boxers, leaving a shirt or pair of pants nearby but knowing it would be far too warm in the bed fully dressed as well as fully embraced. But there were also nights where Len would wake up at three a.m. because the heat wasn't there, Barry having rolled in the night or gotten up early, sometimes because he required less sleep and sometimes because an alert on his phone told him the city needed the Flash.

But even though Barry was like a personal heater with the Speed Force purring through his body as he slept, his heartbeat thrumming away quickly even in slumber as his chest pressed against Len's, the reformed thief felt a sense of peace and dare he say, contentment, with being allowed to hold the man so close. Len would happily wake up in a sweat with limbs numb from being trapped underneath his lover every day for the rest of his life if it meant waking up to a chaste morning-breath kiss before his partner fell back asleep in his arms, a dopey sleepy smile greeting him good morning, or a kiss sometimes leading to where they had left off the night before.

Never, though, had Len woken up to Barry so distant from him, so pulled away. When he heard the soft and broken cry of 'no, please', Len knew it wasn't him that had caused Barry to retreat, it was Barry's own mind.

Len pulled the hand away from where it latched onto the gun and turned on his side to face his boyfriend. He could see a fine sheen of sweat across the speedster's pale skin, the thin gray sheet barely draped over his boxer-clad hips. Len sat up in bed and scooted closer to Barry's side, pushing the sheet back as he leaned over the man's body. Placing a firm but gentle hand on Barry's shoulder, he pulled slightly to roll him over on his back. The sleeping man offered no resistance, but the furrowed brow, sweat-dampened hair, and rapid shallow breathing told Len that it was because Barry was deep in the throes of a nightmare.

"No, don't," Barry sobbed quietly, his head tossing back and forth against the pillow, hands clenching the fitted sheet beneath him in tight fists. "Don't hurt him, please."

"Damnit, Barry," Len sighed, his heartbreaking a little. Even in sleep Barry still felt responsible for everyone's safety. He shook the shoulder beneath him. Len couldn't bear to listen to the broken pleas, the anguish in his voice as he suffered in slumber. He firmly shook the shoulder beneath his hand as he called out, "Barry, wake up!"

With a gasp Barry sprang up, heart pounding, panting as his chest moved shallow and rapid with the short heavy breaths, skin slick with sweat. Len was quick to brace a hand behind his shoulders, the other resting on his heaving chest, feeling the rapidly beating heart as if it was trying to beat through Barry's bare skin.

"It's okay, you're okay," Len pressed his hand against Barry's chest to let him know he was here, trying to ground him and keep him from getting lost in the haze of the after-nightmare. Barry reached his own hand up to clasp the one Len had resting over his heart while the other lifted to rub at his eyes as he tried to calm his breathing.
Barry clenched his eyes shut, fingers pinching painfully at the bridge of his nose. He swallowed rapidly, not even trying to fight the tears he knew were spilling down his cheeks, his hand gripping the one over his heart like a lifeline.

"I'm sorry," Barry whispered, voice hoarse and deep with sleep and despair.

"Don't apologize," Len shook his head, shifting his hand against Barry's chest to grasp his lover's hand in his, bringing it to his lips, pressing a kiss against the knuckles.

Barry leaned into his touch for a moment before pulling away, hastily wiping at his face trying to brush away the tears as if it would somehow erase the dreams that plagued him.

"I need to go for a run," Barry's voice was raw, quiet, as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed.

"Barry," Len called out as the other man pulled on a pair of gray CCPD sweatpants out of his drawer in the dresser on the far side of the wall. The notion of Len thinking about it being 'Barry's' drawer was ludicrous. Len found Barry's clothes in his closet, underwear and clothes mixed in his own drawers, sneakers piled by the door. Not to mention the number of times Barry had returned wearing pilfered sweaters or jackets, Len realizing he wasn't the only thief in this relationship. Barry invaded everything, a physical manifestation of the way he'd invaded Len's soul and heart.

Len wasn't sure what else he should say. That he understood about nightmares, that he didn't have to deal with it alone, that all Len wanted to do was hold him.

"I'm fine, Len," Barry insisted, pulling the zipper up on his black hoodie before leaning over to quickly kiss Len on the lips. "Go back to sleep. I'll be back soon."

And without the lingering hovering that Barry so often did when he kissed him, Barry couldn't leave fast enough, even for the Flash, as his lightning briefly lit up the room before leaving Len alone in the dark.

"Fuck," Len sighed, scrubbing his hands through his buzzed hair. He knew it wasn't about him, that Barry just needed to process whatever had disturbed him, but Len wasn't sure how to navigate this. Maybe it was because they'd only just defined this, jumped feet first into something that escalated and spiraled into the greatest thing Len could ever say was his. Not something he stole, but something he was given.

Love.

And that's what it was. He loved Barry Allen. And he was pretty damn sure, although he couldn't figure out why, that the kid loved him back. Seeing Barry clearly hurting, choosing to deal alone, made Len's heartache. Not for being left behind, but because he couldn't be there for Barry like he wanted to be. And for the second time since he'd come back to life, he wasn't sure how to live it. Like his mind coming back to him after being rescued from the time stream, Len was at a loss at what came next and where to go from here.

He got up out of the bed, moving to the nearby chair in the corner to grab the simple navy heather T-shirt he had pulled off earlier before returning back to sit on the bed. He reached over to the nightstand, fumbling in the drawer as he sought the communicator device Raymond had given him before he left the Legends to return to Central City. Somehow it let him video chat with the Waverider no matter where or when they were. Len knew there was only one person he was interested in talking to, someone who had given him the advice he needed to start over before, someone he trusted to tell him what he needed to hear, someone who knew what it was like to love someone they didn't think they deserved.

A press of a few buttons and a long pause as the device buzzed and hummed, suddenly the palm-sized device lit up and the face of Sara Lance appeared on the screen.

"Hey!" Sara smirked, adjusting her tablet as she settled back against one of the chairs in what Len recognized was the bridge of the time ship.

"Captain Lance," Len smirked back, leaning back against the headboard, crossing his ankles as he stretched his legs atop the sheets. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"Nah, all's quiet right now," Sara said, looking around before leaning back in the chair. "Everyone's off relaxing after a rather absurd outing involving a magical creature that kind of resembled a mermaid. Mick was disappointed to find out they looked more like manatees than a hot chick in a seashell bra but whattaya gonna do."

"He does love his mystical mistresses," Len nodded, smiling to himself fondly. The quiet lingered for a moment as Sara studied his face.

"What's wrong with you?" She teased, her slight frown indicating her mocking tone was laced with real concern. Len sighed, carefully thinking about the words to say and what exactly it was he was looking to get from Sara before he replied.

"How did you know for sure that you wanted to give a shot at something real with Ava? That you," Len paused, gathering the courage to finish his question, "were in love with her?"

"Leonard Snart," Sara smiled, leaning in towards the video display. "Are you telling me you did it? You actually started something with Barry freakin' Allen?!"

"What do you mean 'actually'?" Len scoffed. There was no use denying it, he'd already spent a drunken night with her on the ship that started with all the things he wanted to do now that he was back alive and ended up with him confessing his attraction to the speedster. "We spent a whole night over cards with you prattling on about all the reasons why I should."

"You mean you spent all night losing at cards prattling on about all the reasons you shouldn't," Sara replied with a smile that could only be described as condescending. "Not only did you lose at gin that night but you also lost that argument because it was obvious you were wrong and I was right."

"Would you just answer the question and spare me the clearly misguided memory of our conversation," Len rolled his eyes.

"I knew what I felt was real the minute she kissed me," Sara said, pushing her long blond hair back as she thought of the memory. "But I knew for sure after the death totem incident when I broke up with her to protect her from me."

"A truly romantic story," Len couldn't help but smirk.

"Hey, I'm not the one calling a friend in the middle of the night because he just realized he was in love with a hero," Sara flipped him off before smirking satisfyingly at the screen.

"I'm not the sentimental type," Len defended, almost a reflex.

"The more you say something doesn't make it true," Sara replied, no pretense of sarcasm, filled with genuine regret as if she knew the feeling.

"What if I'm holding him back, keeping him from a life and a person he deserves?" Len admitted, voice quiet, open and honest like that night where they almost froze to death, where he learned he could trust Sara. She knew what it was like to have life push you onto a certain path, a dark one, to fully embrace it only to learn later on that the light inside still existed. And after hearing about her relationship with Ava, it had given Len hope that he too could have a life with someone who brought their light forward just by believing in them.

"Look, Leonard, you and I both know we don't deserve people like Ava and Barry. They're as good as good guys get, in and out of heroic duties. And you and I, well we're us," Sara spoke, melancholic contentment on her face. "All we can do is try to match their goodness with our love for them. It makes us better people. And if they think we're deserving of their love, the best we can do is try to prove them right every chance we can."

Len thought about her words, taking them in for a moment before cracking a joke about wisdom coming with the title of captain. Sara put out the standing invitation to come for a ride along with his boyfriend anytime before they disconnected the call. Putting away the communication device, he caught sight of the clock on the bedside table.

It'd been thirty minutes or so since he'd woken Barry from his nightmare. Len thought about turning over and trying to go back to sleep but he couldn't rest, not while Barry was in turmoil. Instead, he got up from the bed and headed toward the kitchen to make coffee. There was no chance of resting now and he had no idea how long it would be before the speedster returned.

As he moved about the kitchen and set about putting on a fresh pot, Len found himself on autopilot, unable to focus on the task as his mind drifted. He thought about his life, how he'd gotten here, how he'd fallen in love.

People would think he was emotionally repressed but that was by design. If you don't get attached, there's less to lose, less for people to take advantage of. But the truth was he felt his emotions just like everyone else. Except he did it privately. Barry though, he usually was as open as a book. Hell, the man was a library. So open for all to see, so honest with his emotions, so willing to lay it all on the line. Which was why Len found Barry leaving after the nightmare so disturbing. The few times he didn't open up, Barry often began to spiral. Like the night he found the blueprints, his pushed down guilt about Len's death finally culminating in a fight between them that had Barry practically vibrating in anger. But once they talked it out, as well as other things, they came out the other end stronger. And Len found that to be true with every bit of himself he shared with Barry. Every time he said what he was feeling out loud, allowed himself to feel these things wholly, he became stronger. It also brought him closer to Barry.

He never believed that these things actually happened, the sleeping better with someone beside you, the comforting domesticity and the burning desire coexisting, the feeling of completeness in a way you didn't know you were incomplete, especially happening as fast as it did. Len wondered if he had known that these things happened, would they have happened with Barry? If he'd have known how deep he'd fall, would he have taken the leap? Coming back after his sacrifice, his time with the legends, having a taste of a better way of life, that gave him the strength and courage to act on those feelings and ideas that Barry Allen had been bringing out in him since day one.

He didn't regret what he'd done in his past because it brought him here, practically every night sharing a bed with a man in his arms he didn't deserve. Barry had told him he'd forgiven him for his past actions, that in order to move forward you have to be willing to let go. It didn't make it all right but it made it healed, didn't tie him to those moments and mistakes. What mattered was now, what he did with his present as they moved toward a future, together. A future that was informed by their past rather than dictated by it was what Barry had deemed it. So no, maybe he wouldn't have taken the leap if he hadn't chosen the path he did when he joined the Legends. And maybe Barry would still be happily married to Iris if they hadn't lost their daughter. But those things did happen, for better or for worse, and despite it all, they'd managed to find happiness in finding love with each other.

Suddenly a spark of lightning rushed through the apartment, the brief sound of the shower down the hall, and just a moment later emerged Barry Allen, clad only in a pair of gym shorts that hung loose on his hips, body still slightly damp, running a towel through his wet hair one-handed as he made his way towards where Len was reaching into the cabinet for a mug. Barry gave him a one-sided, half-hearted smile. Len held out the mug in a silent question to which Barry shook his head, and Len closed the cabinet with the single mug in hand.

As Barry finished toweling his hair, throwing the hand towel over his shoulder he came to stand beside where Len was pouring the coffee.

"I'm sorry I left," Barry said quietly, hesitantly.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to apologize for things that you shouldn't apologize for?" Len responded, looking up at the man, unable to stop the chuckle as he saw the tufts of damp hair sticking out in all directions. When Barry woke up or after a shower, his hair without product, Len always thought it looked as if he licked a lightning bolt. Len couldn't help but reach out and ruffle the hair, his hand then traveling to the back of Barry's neck as he pulled him towards him.

Barry followed without hesitation, their foreheads meeting, looking at each other nearly cross-eyed.

"You're okay?" Len whispered the question.

"Not really," Barry whispered back. "But I will be."

Barry pulled away then, Len dropping his hands to reach for the steaming mug of coffee. They both turned to lean back against the counter, side by side. Len nursed the mug between two hands, holding it up to his face while Barry braced one arm behind him as he futzed with his hair.

"I get nightmares sometimes," Barry finally spoke, closing his eyes as he tried to tame the damp hair, threading his fingers through it and pulling it this way and that. "Not like I did when I was a kid but enough. I usually wake up before I wake up the person next to me but sometimes..."

"You don't have to worry about waking me up," Len said, looking at Barry even though Barry wouldn't look at him. "And you don't have to hide them from me. Or talk about them if you don't want to."

Barry nodded, finally looking up at Len to meet his sincere gaze, ice blue eyes radiating honesty. Len could tell Barry was struggling with whether or not to open up about what he had dreamed, could see the conflict, and Len suspected it had less to do with Len and more to do with Barry's own personal demons that made him feel like a burden.

"How was your run?" Len asked suddenly, shifting the conversation, watching Barry blink away the apprehensiveness and relief take over his features.

"I did a couple of laps, needed to clear my head," Barry shrugged, reaching for the mug in Len's hands, bringing it to his lips with Len's hands still wrapped around it and taking a sip of the coffee. Typical, Len thought. Time and time again, Barry would decline a cup of coffee but still end up drinking at least half of Len's.

"Around the city?"

"Around the country," Barry half-smiled, Len whistling in amazement. Barry took another sip before moving away from where he leaned back against the counter. He let Len take one last sip of his coffee before taking the cup from Len's hand and placing it down on the surface.

He gently grabbed Len's arms and moved them to wrap around his waist before bringing his own hands up to cup Len's face between them, letting them rest upon his cheeks, his thumbs gently gliding across the skin, tracing his cheekbones.

"Thank you for letting me in, letting me be a part of your new life. And thank you for letting me open up to you in my own time," Barry spoke, voice no more than a whisper. "There's a lot I want to tell you, things I want to say, but there's also a lot I need to figure out. Just know that spending this time with you, being with you, has let me feel freer than I have in a long, long time."

Len didn't know what to say. All he could do was lean into Barry's hands as they held his face, kissing the left palm lightly before bringing his hands to meets Barry's. Entwining their hands he guided them away from his face and leaned in to kiss him deeply, slowly, the taste of coffee dancing on their tongues and that ever-present bit of spark from Barry's lips. He let Barry's mouth lead the way, allowing himself to get lost for a bit before reluctantly pulling away, knowing there was something he needed to say before he got too deep and forgot.

"You don't have to thank me, and you don't have to tell me anything you don't want to," Len whispered back, that sincere gaze locking Barry's eyes with his again. "But you also don't have to run. You can let me be there for you."

Len watched the water well in Barry's eyes before he leaned in to kiss him once more, his hands squeezing Len's in his before pulling away.

"Can we go back to bed? I don't care if we sleep or stay there all day, I just," Barry swallowed, blinking the tears away before they could spill over, "I just want you to hold me."

And Len did just that. He guided them to the bedroom, Barry spooned up on his left side, Len behind him. Nothing was said, just their bodies pressed tightly together. Barry picked up the older man's hand that had wrapped around him and examined it, his fingers tracing the back of the hand. By now, he had explored all of Len's body; the hands fascinated him the most. Len's hands looked so strong yet when they were together like this, they were so gentle. Such a contrast, much like the man himself. Self-confessedly ruthless but he always touched Barry with a delicate reverence.

After Barry was done exploring the hand with his own, he pulled the arm tighter around him and clutched Len's hand to his chest; he closed his eyes, content. He wasn't incomplete before Len, but being with him added an extra dimension to his life that Barry didn't know he needed but knew he didn't want to be without, not ever again.

Len could feel the man's breathing even out as his lungs expanded slowly, feeling it through Barry's back and against his own chest. Glancing at the alarm clock over his shoulder he saw it was nearly four a.m. now but cared very little for the time. He'd stay here as long as Barry needed him to because if he was being honest, he needed it too. He'd stay here forever if he could.

---

"Hey, Barry!" Caitlin Snow greeted as she entered the Cortex. It was about eight a.m., her usual arrival time, as coming in early allowed her the opportunity to get a little work done on her own before Cisco rolled in at nine and Ralph around lunchtime. She used to have Iris here in the morning as well but with the Central City Citizen taking off, Iris was spending less and less time at S.T.A.R. Labs. Caitlin missed the company of her friend but she'd much rather see Iris thriving in her own passion. The person she was least expecting to see at this time, however, was Barry Allen. Considering he had a full-time job at CCPD, he usually stopped by throughout the day but rarely this early and in the past few months he'd been spending less and less of his downtime just hanging around as he'd done in the past.

"Mornin' Cait," Barry greeted, spinning in the chair at the main console to greet his friend, outstretched hand offering her a to-go Jitters cup.

"Thank you! You should come by this early more often," she smiled, accepting the offered beverage.

"Yeah, sorry I haven't been around as much," Barry apologized, rubbing the back of his neck.

"You're here plenty. The city is finally without a big bad for the first time in a long time, you don't have to apologize, Barry. You've got a job and a life in addition to being the Flash, no one expects you to give up all of your time to be here," Caitlin said genuinely, reaching a hand out to pat Barry's shoulder before heading towards the medbay, hearing Barry follow behind her. "And not that I'm complaining, but what brings you here so early anyway?"

Barry didn't want to tell her it was because he'd been waking up early from nightmares every other night for the past week or so, thankfully only waking up his bedmate the one time as far as he knew, but disturbing enough that he was currently avoiding his boyfriend. He also didn't want to tell her the reason he hadn't been around as much was that he now had a boyfriend. It wasn't that he was keeping Len from his friends and family per se, it was just that he wasn't quite sure how to share it. There was a jaded past between them all and he couldn't expect everyone to be as at ease with the notion as Iris had been. But he also didn't want to lie to one of his best friends so he'd been carefully navigating his answers that weren't necessary lies by omission, just more life half-truths.

"I don't have to go to CCPD today so I thought I'd put in a full day here," he responded instead rather lamely as he followed Caitlin inside the Medbay, leaning against one of the workbenches as Caitlin started up the monitors. It wasn't the whole truth but at least it wasn't a lie.

"Barry, you do know you're allowed to take a break right?" Caitlin sighed, turning to face her friend. Barry's self-inflicted guilt was something Caitlin never understood. The man did and gave more than any person could, had lost more than most people would in a lifetime, and had been put through more trials and tribulations than any human could not only survive, let alone thrive like he had. Yet for Barry, it was never enough. There was always something more he should have done, something else he could have tried, or something extra he had to give.

"I'm fine, Cait," Barry half smiled back at her.

"I know you are," she said, raising a hand in surrender. She took a sip of her coffee before placing it down on the desk behind her, bracing herself for the conversation about to be had, a conversation she'd been waiting for the right time to broach. "All I'm saying is you're allowed to spend your free time on yourself. Whether that's getting away, having a stay-cation, or even spending time with someone special."

He nearly choked on his coffee then and Caitlin bit back the satisfied smile that fought to spread across her face. He quickly wiped at his mouth with the back of his sweatshirt clad arm, eyeing her up and down.

"I don't..." he stammered, biting his bottom lip before continuing, "I mean, what do you mean?"

"I mean you're not as subtle as you think you are," Caitlin finally let the satisfied smile crack, watching Barry twitch nervously, tossing away the empty coffee cup in the nearby trash bin before beginning to pace towards her, arms folded across his chest in his classic self-defense posture.

"I'm almost afraid to ask," he winced.

"A few months ago the Flash answered a call to a break-in at a jewelry store," Caitlin stated, leaning back against the workbench as Barry looked at her confused. "You left straight from your apartment so you didn't realize anyone was still at S.T.A.R. Labs."

"Oh god," Barry put his head in his hands, sitting down on the edge of the cot in the center of the room as Caitlin moved to stand next to him.

"Yeah, you forgot your comms were on." It was Caitlin's turn to wince.

"How much did you hear?" He groaned, his voice muffled by the hands still covering his face, unable to look at her.

"Um, enough to know it was time to turn the comms off from here," she chuckled as he groaned again in response. She watched him shake his head before finally pulling his hands away from his face, his expression a pathetic and adorable grimace. "Barry, it's okay!"

"How is that okay?! How are you okay with this?!" He laughed, incredulously, at how everyone was so damn calm about the fact that he was with Leonard Snart. "Cait, it's Captain freaking Cold. He kidnapped you, he kidnapped Cisco, he tried to kill me! How are you okay with this?"

"Because you are," Caitlin answered quickly, throwing her hands out at him. "Barry, I trust your judgment and besides-"

She stopped suddenly, looking up as if she was thinking before looking back at Barry.

"Okay, Frost wants to take this one," she stated before her eyes flashed ice blue, her hair frosting over and lips taking on that deep sapphire tint. The voice echoed as the entire demeanor of the gentle and controlled Caitlin Snow transformed into sarcastic and aloof Killer Frost. "My turn."

"Ok, let me have it," Barry said, hands motioning towards himself before he hung his head in defeat.

"Who cares if you're dating Snart?" Frost shrugged. "I mean other than the fact that it's friggin' hilarious."

"You're serious?" Barry's head shot up.

"I'm sorry, who here in this room has kidnapped a member of Team Flash?" Frost announced to no one, looking around the room as she raised her hand. "Who in this room has stabbed the Flash not once but twice? Threatened the life of their friends or loved ones? Aligned themselves with someone trying to kill everyone on the team? Anyone? No? Just me?"

Barry rolled his eyes, slouching with an amused chuckle, hands meeting in his lap as Frost continued to keep her hand raised, addressing a room void of anyone but the two of them.

"Okay, okay, I get it," Barry sighed with a smile.

"My point is you guys forgave me, welcomed me and Caity back with open arms," Frost said, crossing her arms over her chest. Barry had become more accustomed to the shift between Caitlin and Frost, had taken to trusting both of them almost equally, and took what Frost said as speaking for Caitlin as well, and visa versa. So when she talked, he listened. "Look, being bad is fun, trust me, but people change. And if you've got that someone good who keeps you honest, who trusts you, how bad can you really be? I've got Caity, maybe you're exactly what Snart needs to keep him in the light."

"Thanks, Frost," Barry nodded at her.

"Don't mention it. Besides, feel free to leave the comms on anytime you and Snart want to get a little frisky. Super hot," Frost winked before she faded away and Caitlin reemerged only to find Barry bringing his hands to cover his face and falling back against the cot with a groan. She couldn't help the blush spread on her cheeks as she addressed her horrified friend, "Okay, other than that last bit, she's right."

Anything else on the matter was interrupted as the alarms went blaring in the facility, Barry shooting up from the bed as he and Caitlin ran into the Cortex. Just as they entered the room, Cisco came running in from the hall, dropping his backpack off his shoulder to the floor as he beat them to the console.

He tapped a few keys on the keyboard and the screens sprang to life with the news feed.

"Reports of a bomb threat have come in from the Central City Museum of Modern Art. Witnesses fleeing the scene reported seeing an unidentified female and male duo carrying large duffle bags and brandishing what appeared to be trigger devices before announcing to the museum visitors, including at least two different elementary school field trip groups, of their intentions. A small explosion inside the building near the front entrance went off just as visitors were fleeing. CCPD is creating a perimeter of the surrounding area, no word yet on if anyone has been hurt."

As the news anchor continued his reporting, Barry apparently had all the information he needed before the familiar gush of wind and spark of lightning appeared, leaving Cisco and Caitlin in the Cortex. Both took their positions at the console, waiting for Barry to arrive on the scene and ready to be the support in his ear should he need help.

---

Len hadn't seen Barry in thirty-six hours. It was strange to think about how for the last few months, he and Barry had become two people who spent most of their time together. If they didn't see each other they would talk on the phone at least once. And throughout the day whether they saw each other or not they would text. Their conversations would range from deep and introspective to mindlessly trivial. But it didn't matter what it was, the point was that they were together an absurd amount of time considering the only part of their lives the other was involved with was when they were together. So almost two days without seeing him, with little contact, and Len felt as far away from Barry as he could only get if he was back on the Waverider centuries away.

Three days ago Barry had woken from another nightmare that Len pretended not to hear but the truth was he heard them all. He heard the pleas, the distressing way he had called out Len's name. He heard every hitched breath and whimper and it took everything in him to not wake him up, to not reach out to him and pull him close. But Barry wasn't ready to share and he didn't want to force him into it before he was ready, didn't want to feel like he was intruding on something that was deeply private to the other man. So Len would pretend to be asleep, would fold around Barry when he felt the man press himself as close as he could to Len's side after waking himself up.

The morning after that night they had kissed each other softly and tenderly before Barry left for the day, leaving Len to prepare for his next pseudo-break in after the head of Concordance Research recommenced his services to Dayton Aeronautics. They'd texted during the day and when Len asked if he wanted to come over for dinner, Barry responded with he had a lot going on the next few days and would be best if he didn't stay the night. And that was the last they'd spoken, with Len telling him 'no pressure' and Barry texting back 'thank you.' Len didn't know which one of them was more responsible for the silence between them, Barry needing his space or Len more than willing to give it to him.

But now it'd been almost two days and Len was beginning to realize after getting little to no sleep without the warm body pressed against him, with no contact of the skin he so desperately craved to touch, with no stolen moments from the person he had a hard time picturing his life without now, Len had to admit that he had gone soft. The cold, hard villain had fallen head over heels in love with the fastest man alive.

God, how could he have allowed things to get complicated? Love was a luxury, one Len never sought to steal, unlike money, diamonds, priceless trinkets. Love was a liability; a distraction, pulling focus, and keeping you from being sharp. Love was an anchor, pinning to you one place, keeping you from running when it was time to go. Love was complicated.

But if he was being honest, the only thing complicated was the concept. Since starting this thing with Barry, it had been anything but complicated. Their dynamic was effortless, their chemistry was explosive, their connection was strong, and their time together was simple. It wasn't easy, but it felt more natural than anything else. With Barry, love felt obtainable, not a luxury, like Barry's love was something that belonged to him rather than something he stole. With Barry, love was inspiring not a liability; he felt safer, stronger, better than he ever had felt before. With Barry, love did feel like an anchor not in the way that made Len feel trapped but in a way that for the first time he felt like there was a place for him that he belonged.

So no, maybe complicated wasn't the word. Impossible? A challenge?

Impossible was just another Tuesday if you asked Barry. And a challenge was never anything Leonard Snart backed away from. But since day one, even when they were battling or reluctantly teaming up and even more since they became friends into something more, they never had to work hard to relate to each other. They just understood each other, neither having to think about it; it just happened. And in their newfound relationship, it became even more natural, no longer fighting each other or fighting the pull they felt towards the other.

With a determined step, Len headed towards his destination. The goggles and cold gun stowed in the holster beneath his utility jacket, leaving the more conspicuous parka behind but still having needed at least some of his uniform for where he had just left. He had a meeting with a former fence of his trying to track something down and to meet out of his persona was impractical, even though there was nothing illegal about what he was trying to obtain. Now that he was done, he decided to head to S.T.A.R. Labs and request a moment of his absent lover's time to tell him how he felt, to put out there what they've been skirting for a while now.

But as he passed the store windows, the sight of the Central City Picture News feed displayed on one of the tv's behind the glass of the electronics repair shop had Len stopping in his tracks.

"Vicki, what's going on down there?"

"Well, Mike, the Flash has just appeared on the scene. As he approached the entrance of the museum, it appears that the duo inside is more sophisticated than the hero could have anticipated. As the Flash tried to enter the museum an explosion erupted throwing him back at least thirty yards into the police barricade. An officer on the scene informed us he believes the explosive was designed to be triggered specifically by the Flash, the criminal duo having come prepared for the Scarlet Speedster's arrival."

"And the Flash, is he alright?"

"He was thrown fairly violently back from the force of the explosion onto the windshield of a police cruiser, officers scrambling to help him, but Central City's hero does appear to have shaken it off as he regroups with police on how to stop whatever the criminal duo are engaged in inside the museum."

Len couldn't help but reach for his cold gun reflexively. The museum was a few blocks away. Looking around the street, his eyes settling on a motorcycle leaning against the electrical pole outside the shop, Len made the decision without much thought. Barry wouldn't approve of him "borrowing" the bike, but desperate times and all that.

As he hot-wired the bike, Len knew being seen helping the Flash would change the way the city saw Captain Cold, could change the narrative the city associated with Leonard Snart. It was a calculated risk, being seen helping the Flash would easily tarnish his reputation. He could see the headlines now, "Captain Cold Helps the Flash, Warms Up to the Idea of Being a Hero" or something equally as annoying. Even more, his criminal colleagues, the Rogues, would say he'd gone soft. But there was no use denying it, especially if it meant helping the man he loved. Time for Captain Cold to make his reappearance in Central City.

Len rode the bike at a speed that would make a speedster jealous. It took him just minutes to get to his destination, uncaring as the bike fell to the pavement as he dismounted. Reaching into his pocket to pull on his gloves, the goggles resting atop his head as he strode through the crowded masses, hand gripping the handle of the cold gun holstered against his hip beneath his jacket until he saw the red uniform, the hero politely pushing aside the EMT who attempted to help. Len could see the charred left side of the suit as he walked towards the museum, a hand to the lightning bolt at the ear of his cowl.

"Flash!" Len called out, maneuvering around the blockade and uniformed officers to stand in front of the hero. Barry whipped his head around as Snart approached him, the officers behind him too shocked at his appearance to even consider doing anything.

"Le-" Barry stopped, correcting himself as he remembered where they were, "Captain Cold, what the hell are you doing here?!"

"I was in the neighborhood," he drawled, enunciating the vowels in the way he did at peak Captain Cold performance. His actions may appear out of character to the crowded masses of Central City as he was about to lend a hand, but he may as well maintain the carefully crafted persona if nothing else. "You need help. What does the nerd squad say?"

"The components the explosives are made of," Barry sighed, an arm moving to rub at what Len assumed were cracked ribs already healing, "Caitlin said it's too risky to phase through. When I tried, instead of exciting the atoms it destabilized them and caused it to explode."

"Exciting," Len couldn't help it and got the exasperated eye roll it deserved. "So these guys have the place wired so you can't get in and stop whatever nefarious scheme they have?"

"Apparently," Barry said, turning to look towards the museum. "But I'll find a way."

"That's the whole plan?" Len mocked, crossing his arms over the chest.

"Save it, Cold," Barry snapped, not looking as he grabbed two pairs of meta cuffs from the nearest officer and attached them to the belt on his costume. He wasn't sure if the criminals were metas but he wasn't taking the risk. "Save it. I already know what you're gonna say."

"Oh yeah? And what's that?" Cold demanded, following him as the Flash walked towards the entrance of the museum. Barry was hesitant to run towards it, afraid of triggering another trap.

"That going in there is reckless and half-assed without thinking it through and its gonna get my stupid hero ass killed," Barry replied as he continued to walk towards the building, not stopping to turn to look at Len till the last word.

Len just stared at him, his face void of expression with the exception of a judgmental lift of his eyebrow.

"Look, Len, it's too risky to send the bomb squad in there," Barry sighed, far away enough from the police to drop the character and try to appeal to the man. "They won't stand a chance and we don't know all that these guys are capable of. Explosives could be the least of our worries."

"Scarlet," Len said finally, his voice lower this time. He sought comfort in the fact that their dynamic as their costumed alter egos hadn't changed even though their relationship had; still banter, still standing toe to toe with the other, but this time instead of fighting with each other, they'd be fighting alongside each other. It reminded him of when they'd taken on A.R.G.U.S, still elements of Captain Cold and the Flash even though they were out of costume, except this time it was elements of Leonard Snart and Barry Allen leaking through their masked personas. It gave Len confidence that they could do this, they could do all of it.

"Was the whole 'reckless half-ass' thing at least close to what you were gonna say?" It was Barry's turn to cross his arms over his chest now as he smirked at Len.

"Maybe those thoughts crossed my mind," Len replied, powering up his cold gun. "But what I was gonna say was you're not doing this alone."

"No, no, no, no, no, I'm not putting you at risk. You shouldn't even be here," Barry said quickly, shaking his head, pushing Len away from him before heading again towards the entrance to the building.

"You just got thrown back ninety feet into a squad car. It got my attention. Do you always get hurt during your daily heroics or is this just your idea of flirting?

"Snart-"

"Seriously, how have you even managed without me these last few years?" Len called out, striding after him, dropping the teasing and switching to deadly serious. "Flash, you're not doing this alone!"

"The hell I'm not," Barry turned to face him, walking backward. "Now if you really wanna help you can go to S.T.A.R. Labs, get on the comms, and talk me through the schematics of the building."

"I'm coming with you," Len said, continuing to follow the other man.

"Nope," Barry called back, turning back towards the building as he continued to walk. Len ran up to him, grabbing him by the forearm, stopping him.

"It's non-negotiable," Snart shouted.

"Damnit, no!" Barry yelled back, trying to pull his arm from his grasp, but Len wouldn't budge. "You've already died once before from an explosion. I'm not going to let that happen again!"

Len stopped and stared, taken back by the anguish in Barry's voice.

"Scarlet, that was different," Len's voice was quiet now. And suddenly the Flash and Captain Cold game melted away, softening now that they were out of earshot of the cops and crowd. From the bystander, it would like they were continuing their banter, none the wiser of the intimacy between them.

"So? I still lost you! Before I could even..." Barry's anguish trailed off and he took a deep breath. "I'm not doing it a second time."

"Oh, so you're allowed to risk your ass but not me?"

"Yes. Now let go." Barry pulled again, this time Len released his hold and he started to head towards the building again.

"What about all the times you've almost bit it? Those don't count?" Len called after him, unholstering his weapon as he followed.

"Different circumstances. Never bombs," Barry shouted over his shoulder, not turning around.

"Fuck that, Flash," Cold called back, the edge of their sparring emerging at the hypocritical dismissiveness of Barry, chasing after him. "You think I don't know about your close calls?! I saw with my own eyes you run up into that giant hole in the sky all those years ago. I saw the CCPN footage of Zoom holding you by the neck, broken and bloody. You are not doing this alone, I won't allow it. We go in together or not at all."

"Len," Barry finally stopped.

"You don't want me going back to my villainous ways but you also don't want me partaking in heroics," Len instantly replied, voice soft but firm. "You can't have it both ways."

Barry stared up at him, saying nothing before letting out a sigh. He rolled his eyes, jerking his head towards the building and indicated for Len to follow him. Barry jogged ahead and Len trailed behind him.

By the time Len made it to the wall of debris that used to be the front entrance, he heard Barry speaking to what appeared to be himself, but Len knew it was his team on the other end helping where they could. Barry turned to him as he came to stand beside him.

"Cisco thinks if you freeze the blockade, it should stop the atoms in the trip wires from destabilizing for me to phase myself through."

"You mean phase us through," Snart corrected, waiting for the reluctant nod from Barry before blasting the gun in his hands, coating a thick layer of ice over a six-foot-wide, seven-foot-high section of the concrete rubble in front of them.

The Flash wrapped one gloved hand around Len's bicep, ready to grab him and run at the first inkling of destabilization of the wall in front of them. Raising his right hand up, Len watched as it vibrated in the air for a moment, hesitantly making contact with the wall of iced-over debris before his hand disappeared up to his elbow. He looked up at Len with a satisfied grin and in an instant, they were on the other side.

Len let out a shaky breath. Traveling at super speed was one thing, phasing through an object while also traveling at super speed by far took the cake at weird body sensations. He felt Barry's hand rub up and down his arm reassuringly before pulling away, walking deeper into the museum.

"Barry, we've tapped into the security cameras," Cisco said over the comms.

"Do you have eyes on them?" Barry raised a hand to the lightning bolt on the side of his cowl, scanning the room.

"One of them is on the third floor in the Asian Art Gallery, I don't have eyes on her partner yet," Cisco replied, the tapping of the keyboard heard through the speakers as he paused. "All the entrances are wired with more explosives so be careful not to phase or vibrate as you make you way through."

"This is sloppy work," Len hissed as he looked around at the entrance, seeing the destruction left behind by their explosives. "The blatant disregard for the art here is just criminal."

"Is he kidding?" Cisco asked over the comm just as Barry turned to him.

"For real?"

"Yes for real," Len replied, genuine shock at the accusation. "I may steal the art but I have always treated it with the reverence it deserves."

"You're unbelievable," Barry couldn't help the smile before pointing in the direction of the stairs. "Shall we?"

"Thank goodness I didn't eat before deciding to come to the rescue," Len grumbled before Barry grabbed hold and flashed them through the museum.

He set Len down as the Rogue blinked disorientedly and poked his head around the corner to the entrance of the Asian Art Gallery, eyes scanning the section looking for one half of the duo. They watched for a moment as the female half of the criminal pair moved around the room. She danced on the edge of the reflecting pool that featured a large Japanese stone pagoda on each end, eight feet deep with a mosaic glass bottom so that from the floor below in the Abstract Art section you could look up to see the mosaic glass as a portion of the ceiling. She would stop to touch the exhibits just for a moment before what looked like rigging the room in preparation to blow it all to hell.

"I know her," Len whispered to Barry. "That's Mara Thana, or Miss Fortune as she's dubbed herself, which means the other half of this duo is her brother Seth, or Sir Endipty,"

Barry tried not to groan as he heard Cisco mumbling in his ear about the bad guys who name themselves always having the lamest names.

"Never heard of them," Barry whispered back. "Metas?"

"No, just idiots. Third rate thieves, never get caught because they never can finish a job. Something always goes wrong and they have to bail before the cops even get to the scene," Len said, the obvious disgust and snobbery in his voice making Barry smile slightly. "Couldn't cut it in Metropolis so they came to Central about a five years ago. She likes blowing shit up and he's got no sense of what things are worth. Looks like they're trying to up their game, make themselves known."

A loud bang and a quake in the building shook them where they stood and they ducked behind the wall just in time as Mara turned to look over her shoulder before she giggled and went back to her work.

"Okay more exposition later," Barry tensed before turning to Len. "Looks like she's wiring the place to blow while her brother is already making a mess. I'm gonna go search the museum for Seth."

He actually rolled his eyes this time when both Len next to him and Cisco in his ear simultaneously corrected him with 'Sir Endipty.'

"Can you handle her?" Barry asked. It wasn't a question of Len's competence, Len knew that. It was of concern. Len wanted to kiss the worry off his face but knew that this wasn't the time or the place.

"I gave you a run for your money if I can recall," he smirked, "I can handle a C-class villain of the week."

The smirk was exactly the response he wanted before Barry flashed away. He pushed the swell of fondness down and put the Captain Cold facade to action. Len peered around the entrance and saw Mara with her back to him, facing one of the art pieces, realizing she wasn't admiring it but instead drawing on the face of the statue with lipstick.

"I don't think that counts as art restoration," Len announced as he rounded the corner, cold gun pointed and ready. Miss Fortune spun on her heel, the lipstick dropping, raising her hands in the air as she saw the gun. Len was not amused when the immediate reaction of fear transformed as she cocked her hip, snapped her gum, and smirked at him.

"Captain Cold?!" She all but squealed, her voice high pitched and thick with an east coast accent. "What the fuck are you doing here? Haven't seen you around Central in ages."

Her voice was just as shrill as Len remembered and he didn't even try to fight the eye roll.

"Haven't you heard? There's no place like home," Len drawled, conveying the notion that he was already bored with the conversation. "Now scram witch before the cops drop a house on you."

"Cute," she snapped her gum again and Len had to resist the urge to give her a little blast with the cold gun just for the lack of respect for a criminal legend like himself. Kids these days. "Ya know my brother and I are big fans. We considered tryin' to get in your little Rogues crew."

"Sorry, not much of a position available for unskilled, uncreative brats," Len feigned a frown, powering up the cold gun.

"Wow, you're as big of an asshole as they say you are," Mara sneered.

"You have no idea, sweetheart," Len smiled condescendingly. "Now you're making a mess of my second favorite museum in the city so if you could just turn yourself in now and save me the trouble of having to call the boys and girls in blue outside and risk them putting bullet holes in the 'Eight Famous Chinese Views' by Sosuke."

"You're a snitch now? You're workin' with the cops?! We're criminals, we're supposed to be on the same team!" As she shouted Len noticed the twitch in of one of her hands, something hidden in her fist.

"I don't really do teams. I see myself more as a pinch hitter. Now, don't make me ask twice."

Len barely had time to finish the threat before the sound of an explosion from the other side of the museum distracted him enough to skew his focus, throwing off his aim for Miss Fortune. She dodged his blast and watched her push the button on the trigger that he now saw clearly in her hand. He barely had time to worry about the source of the other blast, wonder if Barry was okay, or to curse himself for allowing himself to be distracted. A blast from the corner of the room knocked him over, diving to the side as the small contained explosion packed enough force to propel him over the edge of the large reflecting pool in the center of the room.

His disorientation from the blast made him lose a few seconds, just a moment in midair, and then suddenly the water closed over his head, thousands of air bubbles obscuring his view while he felt a weight heavier than the water push him down deeper into the pool. He tried to push it off of him, tried to push away from it when he realized it was a six-foot stone pagoda sculpture sinking atop multicolored glass floor of the reflecting pool met his back as he tried to twist away from the descending monstrosity, a muffled sound comparable to thunder drowned out everything as the statue struck the bottom, a sharp pain in Len's ankle accompanying it.

Len kept his mouth tightly clamped against the instinct to yell at the pain, turning and wiggling in the finite space between the floor of the pool and the curvatures of the sculpture that lay atop his right ankle. Thankfully it did not come down directly onto his leg but instead trapped it between the shape of the piece of art. He pulled and pulled when his leg refused to come free, teeth-gritting in pain, pushing against it with his other leg for leverage, griping at the stone desperately trying to find some purchase to no avail.

His panic was interrupted suddenly with the sound of something breaking through the surface of the water above him, head jerking up as he saw the Flash swimming towards him. He must have recognized the predicament Len was in because he dove straight for the statue, arm strokes guiding him to bottom of the pool by Len's trapped ankle. Barry immediately planted his feet at the floor of the pool and pulled upwards at the stone sculpture, Len immediately trying to twist from its trap. But the Flash didn't possess super strength and this thing was damn heavy.

Len's lungs began to burn and he couldn't fight the panic as Barry pushed off the bottom of the pool and made his way towards the surface. He was only gone a few seconds but felt like an eternity to Len whose vision was dancing with black spots. But Barry dove right towards him, grabbed his head between two red gloved hands and the mask-clad face covered his lips with his own in a tight seal and exhaled heavily. Len shocked at first realized he was getting a deep flow of air with the kiss as Barry closed his lips against his for a few moments before pulling away. Then Barry was gone again, kicking up towards the surface before immediately turning again, finding his way back down to Len. Barry was providing fresh air to his lungs, buying more time to try and get Len free.

Len released the old air through his nose just before Barry's lips pressed tightly against Len's once more, Len reaching out this time to cup Barry's face between his hands as his lungs absorbed the stream of air Barry's kiss provided. When Barry pulled away this time he squeezed Len's hand once before returning to the surface.

On his third time up, taking a long deep breath of air, Barry came down but instead of trying to supply air to Len so he wouldn't pass out, Barry went back towards where the sculpture trapped his ankle, braced his hands flush against the stone, and Len watched with tunneling vision and aching lungs as the hands vibrated, a task not easy underwater, to the point it weakened the structure of the rock before it shattered, breaking off into chunks and floating around them.

Len couldn't stop the involuntary yell this time as his leg was freed, a wave of pain radiating up the limb. Barry swam to him, hooking his arms around him and pushed up, carrying him to the surface which felt so far away until suddenly their heads broke the surface, both gasping in tandem.

Len could only try to pull in as much air as possible, offering no help at all as Barry let long arm strokes guide them towards the edge of the pool. Enough awareness returned to Len then to pull himself up and out of the water, rolling onto his back onto the floor. He heard Barry say something but couldn't make out the words as he tried to shake away the spots from his vision. He felt the gust of wind and spark of lightning as Barry quickly dashed away.

The Flash had managed to cuff Seth before he heard the explosion, leaving him for the cops. Mara had nearly gotten away while Len was submerged. Saving Len was his first priority but Barry rushed to cuff her while Len caught his breath. He returned a few moments later and was helping him sit up, Len's lungs began to slow down in their desperation for air.

"Are you okay?" He could hear Barry ask when he returned as a hand rubbed up and down his spine.

"That was one heck of a kiss, kid," Len nodded, reaching up a hand to squeeze the back of Barry's neck.

"Kind of reminds me of our first kiss," Barry smiled, shy amusement flickered across his features as his attempt at levity tried to quell the anxiety he had felt. Len gave him a funny look before realizing what Barry was implying.

"That is what you count as our first kiss? The bank. You not breathing and me having to revive you!" Len couldn't stop himself from moving the hand that gripped the back of Barry's neck to lightly slap the other man up the side of the head. Barry laughed as he tried to duck the blow.

"I like to think of it as less like I stopped breathing and more like you took my breath away," Barry smiled, the relief combining with adrenaline to create a playful tone.

"You're such a dork," Len leaned in to plant a quick kiss on the Flash's lips, both forgetting momentarily where they were, who they were supposed to be, and the fact that there was an entire team listening to their conversation over the comms in Barry's suit.

"Come on, let's get you to S.T.A.R. Labs and get your ankle checked out," Barry said, hooking his shoulder underneath Len's right arm and raising them gently to their feet.

"I'm fine," Len ground through his teeth as he inadvertently put pressure on his right leg. "Finish up here and-"

"Len, please," Barry interrupted him gently. Len looked at his eyes, saw the request was shrouded in concern, a need to know that he was okay, and Len just couldn't say no. Not after what just happened, not after being apart for a couple of days, not after Barry's distressing nightmares calling out for Len to be saved.

Len inhaled deeply, a wonderful sensation after this whole experience, and hesitated for a moment before nodding his acquiescence. The grateful smile from his partner told him he'd made the right call in the long run, even though team building at the clubhouse after nearly drowning was not what he had planned when he decided to crash S.T.A.R. Labs to get Barry's attention earlier this morning.

---

Foot braced on the edge of the bed where he sat, Len gently slid the sock over his wrapped ankle, mindful of the bandages that Caitlin Snow had been so gracious to provide.

"It's not broken, but you'll need to keep pressure off it for a week or so. Try to avoid doing anything too strenuous," she had warned, not a trace of the cold contempt he would expect from someone he had once kidnapped.

"I can't believe this," Cisco had said, his voice housing that bitterness that Len had fully expected. They had been gathered in the medbay, Len sitting on the edge at the head of the gurney as Caitlin wrapped his ankle. Ralph sat at the desk against the wall while Iris stood beside him. Barry sat at the foot of the hospital bed, having changed into his gray sweatpants and navy S.T.A.R. Labs sweatshirt, just an arm's length from Len but his arms were wrapped around himself in a self hug instead, indicating to Len that he was uncomfortable and he either wanted to be far away from where he was now or trying to keep himself from running into Len's arms instead. Cisco stood in front of him, arms crossed.

"Cisco, I can explain," Barry started only to be cut off.

"Just-" Cisco held up his hand, halting Barry's explanation, although Len would have been curious as to what Barry had been about to say. "Just, let me get this straight. You and Snart are...together?"

"Well, there's nothing straight about it," Len couldn't help the quick retort as he smirked. He heard Iris snort in amusement and saw Caitlin's eyes widen in shock trying not to smile. Barry was less amused as he whipped his head to glare at him.

"Not helping," he scolded through clenched teeth before turning back to face his team. "Yes, Len and I are together."

"Len?!" Cisco scoffed.

"Easy Ramon, that name is reserved for my boyfriend only," Len just couldn't stop himself, not even bother trying to hide the teasing tone or the pleasure he was getting from the shock. It wasn't a word he used often, but Cisco's reaction was exactly what he was aiming for.

"Boyfriend?!" Cisco exclaimed, looking around the room trying to understand why no one else was chiming in but based on the expressions on everyone's face he was the only one who was reacting to the news.

"Yes, Cisco, boyfriend," Barry sighed. Len would be lying to himself if he didn't take a bit of relief that Barry didn't try to downplay their relationship.

"I can't believe this," Cisco braced his hands at the top of his head. "How long has this been going on?"

"About five months?" Barry winced apologetically.

"Five months, two weeks, three days, and eleven hours," Len added automatically. He looked up from his watch in time to see Barry whip his head towards his direction again, but this time it wasn't a scolding look on his face but beaming adoration. The notion that Len had the time they started this thing between them down to the hour was just so him, that Barry knew he could cite it down to the second if asked. His fondness was interrupted by another outburst from Cisco.

"How have you managed to keep this from us for five months?" When Cisco looked around the room and saw the awkward expressions on everyone's face, the hands raised looking for backup to his outrage dropped to his sides in resignation. "You haven't kept it from us. Just me."

"Well, technically, I guessed," Iris raised her hand.

"And I kinda overheard something I shouldn't," Caitlin winced, shaking her head as Len tilted his in question.

"And I followed Barry one day when they met up for lunch," Ralph added, all of the heads snapping in his direction. "Hey, I'm a detective and Barry was acting squirrelly. I was...concerned."

Barry just glared at Ralph, clearly not amused and the awkward moment stretched on for a moment before Len excused himself. Caitlin handed him a crutch to help keep pressure off his injured ankle and Barry had followed him into the hall, begging to let him take him home. Len gave him a kiss on the cheek, told him to take his time to make sure everything was good with his friends and to meet him back at the apartment when he was finished.

Barry returned to the Medbay reluctantly and Len was just about to pull out his phone to summon a Lyft when Iris West-Allen came jogging up behind him.

"I'll take you home," she offered with a smile. Len declined as politely as he could without scoffing at her. She just stared at him, amused, as she walked alongside him. "Oh that wasn't an offer, it was a declaration."

So Len limped alongside her as they made their way to the parking garage and into her Prius, too tired to argue and more intrigued at the idea of Barry's ex-wife wanting to give him a ride and what her intentions were.

They rode in semi-comfortable silence initially as they headed towards the apartment, Len not even bothering to give a decoy address nearby like instincts encouraged because no doubt Barry had already blabbed to his best friend where he was spending his nights.

"I'm not going to give you a shovel talk if that's what you're waiting for," Iris finally spoke up, eyes on the road as she idly turned down the radio till it was barely audible. "I mean, I think you're well aware of the army of people behind Barry that care about him who could destroy you in any way you could imagine if you hurt him, from Metas to cops to hackers to the Green Arrow."

"Yes, I'm well aware, thank you," Len replied, rolling his eyes at the mention of the Green Arrow. He'd heard plenty of stories of Oliver Queen, told in tones of reverence by Barry and amusement from Sarah. He wasn't impressed by they playboy turned vigilante, thought he was a questionable influence on his speedster, and managed to not dwell on absurd that sentiment was.

"Right, but I also don't think I need to give it to you," Iris spared him a glance, their eyes meeting for a moment in understanding before she continued her focus on the drive. "I know you won't hurt him."

"What makes you so sure?" Len couldn't help but ask.

"Because there's nothing in it for you. You've known his identity for a while now and did nothing with it. You're not a ruthless villain anymore and you gain nothing by falling in love with him and breaking his heart. Instead, you have everything to lose," Iris said with the conviction of a journalist with a slam dunk expose. Len didn't respond, just slowly nodded as she spoke. "Because you know what he's worth and you're clearly in love with him."

"You're very observant, Miss West," Len responded, tilting his head to look at her, eye-catching the sparkly ring on her right-hand index finger as she gripped the steering wheel, the ring he'd once seen before on her left hand. "Or is it still West-Allen?"

"You know our story," Iris stated after a moment's pause. At Len's confirming nod she continued. "I'm not a threat to you. Our story has changed and Barry and I can't go back, not after what happened."

"I am sorry for your loss," Len said in a quiet sincerity. Iris gave him a small smile in gratitude.

"I'd be lying to you if I didn't wish what happened to us hadn't happened. Being with Barry, nothing made more sense in my life than that. But losing Nora, losing the chance to have her in our life again, it broke us. Not the love between us, that's constant, but that desire, that longing, that feeling of all in, we lost that when we lost her," Iris paused only long enough to swipe at her left cheek, ridding herself of a tear that Len couldn't see from where he sat but could definitely hear in her voice as she spoke of the daughter she mourned. "We tried to get it back, tried to heal it, but it was just...gone. And it felt like another death, the grief of losing that type of love between us was devastating. But we had reached the point where we knew we couldn't go on like that, ignore it, and let it turn in to unhappiness, resentment, or guilt that would tear us apart from each other. And that's something I could never bear to lose, his friendship. He means more to me than being with him. And he felt the same way. We're a part of each other, but we couldn't in that way anymore. I'd be lying if I said there weren't days that I would give anything to be that with him again. There is nothing quite like loving and being loved by Barry Allen as I'm sure you've become well aware. But that's not what the future holds for us anymore. Our love has been defined and redefined time and time again. This new definition, this works for us. We're happier now."

Len stayed silent as she talked, captivated by her speech, nodding when appropriate, uncomfortable by her honesty yet so very grateful for it at the same time. Knowing her side of this, that it matched completely with Barry's, it told him he didn't have to worry about losing Barry to Iris, that she wouldn't try to steal him away if she suddenly changed her mind about them. Despite the grief and pain of losing their daughter, losing their marriage, both Barry and Iris seemed to find peace with that loss rather than regret. It was clear she still loved Barry but the way Iris looked at him told Len what he needed to know, so different than the way Len had seen her look at Barry when he'd agreed to help save her those few years ago. He saw in her eyes and heard in her words adoration, not longing, love not lust, contentment not regret.

"I just want him to be happy and I haven't seen him this relaxed, this kind of happy, I think ever," Iris continued, a soft smile gracing her face and Len was inclined to believe her words. "We were happy, don't get me wrong. But this is a different, a kind of lightness I think he gets from being with someone who understands him in the way you do, someone who he doesn't feel like he has to hide things from to keep them safe."

"Is that your blessing I heard in between those lines?" Len teased, desperate to add the levity to the conversation, allowing the slight drawl of Captain Cold to creep into his voice.

"Consider yourself lucky. My dad's won't be so easy to get when he finally finds out," Iris teased right back. "But know I'm on your side and if you need any friendly advice or help with the enigma that is Barry Allen, I'm happy to help if it benefits my friend."

Len thought for a moment, pondering the offer. She was right when she said there was nothing like loving and being loved by Barry. In this whole world, she was probably the only other person who knew what Len experienced by being Barry Allen's partner. She'd be a strong ally to have on his side, dare even he say a friend.

"There is something that I could use your...intimate knowledge on, let's say," Len hesitated, not sure if he was crossing a line by asking but the nagging need to inquire was too persistent. "Has Barry always had nightmares?"

Iris sighed, a knowing sigh that spoke volumes to Len that he'd tapped into the right resource. She pulled up to the curb in front of the apartment, throwing the car in park and turning in her seat to face Len.

"Always. Growing up they were very frequent but as he got older they became not as common but just as traumatic," Iris answered, an empathy in her tone that he could feel clearly. "Sometimes they're out of nowhere and sometimes something will trigger it; a date, an event, a smell even. He's been through a lot, before and after becoming the Flash."

Len hesitated, not sure how much he should share about his experience with them but this was a unique opportunity to pick the brain of someone with first-hand knowledge of the inner workings of his boyfriend, and Len was nothing if not opportunistic.

"I wasn't sure if being with me triggered them," he admitted, meeting her eyes. "Like subconsciously he doesn't feel as safe as he thinks he does, you know, based on our beginnings."

"What does he do when he wakes?" Iris asked.

"When I wake up with him, he won't talk about it but he'll let me hold him. When he wakes up on his own, I'll hear him take some deep breaths, sometimes pace or go for a run, and then he'll press himself as close as he can to my side until he falls back asleep."

Len watched as Iris smiled, a relaxed relief washed over her expression.

"Then I promise you, he feels safe with you. If he's letting you hold him in his pain, then it's because he trusts you to make him feel whole again," Iris reached out a hand to gently squeeze Len's knee. "He'll eventually share what's haunting him, but he has a habit of feeling like his issues are a burden. If he's letting you ease that grief that means he trusts you to see the broken parts he fights so hard to hide behind that smile."

Len nodded along, not in agreement but in understanding, thankful for the words and reassurance. If anyone knew Barry Allen, it was Iris West. She'd spent a lifetime with him and understood him in a way that Len never could. And she spoke about Barry with the same reverence he did of her, that unconditional love concept that Barry was so fond of. Why she still wore the ring, why Barry would wear their bands on a necklace; that even though they were no longer together, no longer felt that way about each other, their love escaped definition, transformed and transcended in so many ways, that even separated, they were still there for each other, through everything and anything.

And here she was, helping Len love a man that she once loved like that. Here she was reaching out a hand to a former enemy, trusting the person she had once loved most in this world in Len's hands. Len could see why Barry had been so enamored by her. She was a strong, intelligent, beautiful women, empathetic in a way where she was not jealous or spiteful that Len was in love with her ex-husband, but seemed genuinely happy and supportive. He was glad Barry still had her in his life, that tiny feeling of underlying jealousy he didn't know he harbored towards the woman suddenly evaporating as he saw, from both sides now, that even though they still held on and treasured the time they shared, Barry and Iris' time as a couple was truly behind them.

"Any other pro tips?" Len smiled, trying to lighten the heavy feeling lingering in the air from the heart to heart.

"Don't ever call him 'crazy' or 'insane' or anything like that, even if he's acting irrationally. He got that a lot as a kid and its the quickest way to hurt him. You can call him out on it but just find other words to express the sentiment," Iris offered immediately, pausing briefly before continuing with the new thought. She didn't want to give Barry's secrets away but there were some things that were important for a partner of Barry's to know, some key things that could save some hurt feelings or painful misunderstandings. "Barry's a tactile person. He lost his mom without being able to say goodbye, was trying to reach out to her before he was flashed away from the house. And then he spent most of his life being separated from his father by a piece of glass, unable to touch or hug him. When he first came to live with us he was so withdrawn but my dad and I are huggers and we kind of pulled him out of that. Seeking comfort, knowing you're there; he's not clingy, he just wants to be close to you."

Len nodded at that, knowing it to be true and learning it very early. The open affection and willingness to be close was foreign to him but felt natural with Barry. Having Iris confirm what he suspected already, that for Barry touch was how he expressed his affection, how he grounded himself when scared or nervous, that he took comfort in having him close, it reassured Len that he did indeed understand the man as well as he believed he did. The fact that this was something she thought he needed to know instilled just how important it was so Len took the tip to heart.

Suddenly a thought struck Iris and she reached for her purse in the back seat. She rummaged for a moment before pulling out two cellophane-wrapped bars.

"Always carry at least one of these with you. They're high-calorie protein bars that boost his speedster metabolism. He's had these powers for six years now and he still sometimes doesn't eat enough for the amount of speed he uses and he'll go hypoglycemic. Put them in your bag or coat pocket or whatever. We all always have at least one on us at any given time, even Cecile. But don't tell him, he'll just look at you like a kicked puppy if he thinks we all doubt his ability to take care of himself."

Len took the offered protein bars and thanked her for her kindness, leaving the car with a release of tension from his body he didn't realize he was holding since Barry's first nightmare and the comfort in knowing he'd just made a strong ally in Iris.

An hour later had him freshly showered and changed into a pair of sweatpants and a well-worn Henley that now smelled of Barry. From the sheets on his side of the bed to the clothe's he'd steal of Len's, so much of his apartment had taken to adopting the lingering scent that was distinctly Barry Allen; vanilla and cinnamon from his pomade, freshly brewed coffee and a sweet-burned chemical scent from the lightning he created.

There he sat on the side of the bed, rewrapping his sprained ankle and gingerly pulling on his sock when Barry casually strolled into the room, leaning against the door frame.

"How'd it go?" Len asked, looking up as he gently lowered his foot to the floor.

"Turns out Cisco was just mad he was the last to know. Also that he owes Iris twenty bucks from some bet they made," Barry chuckled, absently picking at a spot on the door frame that had caught his attention. "I explained to him that technically Joe was the last to know. Thank god he wasn't there otherwise he'd probably lock me in the pipeline till I came to my senses."

"Until you come to your senses, huh?" Len said, leaning forward, clasping his hands to hang between his knees. "And how long would that be?"

Barry pushed away from the door frame and walked towards Len on the bed.

"I'd be in there forever," he smiled, coming to stand right in front of where Len sat. He reached his arms out to brace them on top of Len's shoulders, rubbing slowly as his smile dropped, as did his voice. "I was worried, scared today when I realized you were in that pool trapped."

"I was worried when I realized that you considered our first kiss to be me giving you mouth to mouth while you bled out at the bank," Len teased, reaching up to wrap his arms around Barry's waist.

"I'm being serious," Barry chuckled slightly as Len tugged him closer. He could see Barry relax instantly at Len's touch, Iris' words about Barry being tactile ringing loudly and Len vowed to himself right then and there to never spare the man of what he needed from him or take for granted the privilege of being the one allowed to hold him.

"I know," Len replied, pulling Barry closer to him, pressing his head to Barry's stomach, arms wrapping around his back as Barry wrapped one arm behind Len's neck and the other around the back of his head, pulling their bodies in as close an embrace as they could with one standing and one sitting. They stayed like that for a moment, just holding each other.

"I'm sorry I scared you," Len said finally, pulling away, looking up at Barry. "I know your concern for my safety has been...haunting you."

Barry sighed, indicating with a nod of his head for Len to make room for him on the bed. Len scooted back, swinging his legs up onto the mattress as he stretched out, back propped up against the headboard.

"I guess I've been talking in my sleep," Barry crawled in next to him before flopping down beside him. Len stretched his body and wrapped his left arm around Barry's shoulder. Barry came to rest against his side, reaching up to wind his fingers through the ones on his shoulder and tucked his head under Len's chin.

"A bit," Len rested his head atop the tuft of hair. Len could tell Barry was close to being ready to talk about it but was still hesitant. He didn't want to ruin the moment between them by pushing him before he was ready. "So what was the bet?"

"Apparently after the whole Christmas thing with Mardon, she and Cisco got chatting and saw some..oh god," as Barry paused, Len could almost picture the blush spreading across his cheeks but he dare not lift from where his head rest atop Barry's. "They both saw some unresolved sexual tension between us."

"And the bet?' Len chuckled to which Barry just sighed.

"Cisco said we'd at least kiss before the end of that year, Iris bet it would take us years, based apparently on her own experience with of how long it took me to confess my feelings to her."

"I'm glad you didn't repeat that judgment call," Len replied in jest but three years of flirting with the Scarlet Speedster before even trying to court him was long enough. He couldn't imagine waiting fifteen years to confess his love to him. Which reminded him..."So it would take you forever to come to your senses in the pipeline about us?"

He felt Barry's body shake in quiet laughter.

"Forever works for me," Len said suddenly and he felt the body stiffen in his arms before Barry pushed himself up against Len to hover over him slightly.

"For real?" He asked quietly, looking expectantly at Len. Len gazed up at him silently for a moment, brushing Barry's hair back, his hand lingering on the side of his head. "I thought you didn't do forever."

"Well, much like with everything else, you've changed how I see things," Len replied softly. "I love you, Scarlet."

And then Barry looked at him like he hung the moon and the stars, a look Len knew he didn't deserve. Just like he didn't deserve to feel this happy, or this man in his arms, or the words that were about to come out of Barry's mouth.

"I love you," Barry smiled before leaning in to kiss him, bringing Len back to the moment in the pool where Barry had literally saved him with his kiss. If he was being honest, Barry had been saving him slowly since the day they first met.

Barry pushed himself to his hands and knees, hovering over his partner as the kiss deepened. Len reached both hands up to cup the sides of Barry's neck, desperate and clinging to Barry as if he was back in the pool, needing oxygen, needing the life that Barry was providing. His hand slid up to curl around the back of Barry's head, jaw tilting to the right as he slipped his tongue between his lips.

Barry pulled away suddenly, sitting back on his heels over Len's lap as he pulled his sweatshirt up over his head.

"Careful. My doctor said not to do anything too strenuous," Len smiled through lust-hooded eyes. The impish smirk Barry gave him, the glint of mischief in his eyes, sent a flutter straight to Len's heart and deep into his body with an insatiable hunger for more of the man.

"Don't worry," Barry winked, leaning in, hovering just an inch over Len's lips. "I'll try to go easy on you."

---

It was a shift in the energy of the room that woke Len. He rolled over drowsily, an arm reaching automatically for the body that had been pressed against him when they dozed off after making love.

But Barry was sitting up, knees drawn to his chest, head bowed with hands threaded through the back of his skull tangled in his hair. The stream of light from the drawn curtains reflected the fine sheen of sweat across Barry's exposed flesh. Len pushed himself onto his elbow and reached a hand to grab for Barry's in his hair, gently prying the fingers from their hold in the broken strands and lacing them between his.

Barry turned his head to look at Len as he entwined their hands and Len could now see the evening light entering the room reflecting the tears as well.

"It was Savitar," Barry whispered. Len just squeezed the hand in his.

"Come here," he replied.

Barry let him pull him down to him as Len shifted till their bodies met halfway in the middle of the bed. He placed his right hand on Barry's hip as he gently tugged the smaller man so that he was pressed up against his chest. His left arm slid between the mattress and up Barry's back as Barry wrapped his own long arms around Len, burrowing his head into the crook between Len's neck and the pillow. Len curled his hand back into Barry's hair, tucking him under his chin, while the other ran soothingly up and down his spine with a light touch as he felt Barry's fingers dig into his shoulder blades, clinging in desperation just short of being painful.

He heard the hitch in Barry's breath and knew the younger man was crying. But Len didn't shush him, didn't whisper words that meant nothing or false sentiments of things being okay. He just held him, hands rubbing small circles against his back and delicate scratches with fingertips into his scalp.

He wasn't sure how much time passed, the alarm clock on his nightstand currently behind him. But the breathing evened out, the tears he no longer felt against his collarbone, and the soft sounds of distress quieted. But he knew the man well enough now to know he hadn't fallen asleep.

"These nightmares are the reason you've been avoiding me these last couple of days?" Len asked softly. A moment passed before he felt Barry nod his head 'yes' against his chest with a small movement, the soft tuft of hair beneath Len's chin brushing against the skin of his cheek.

"I should have told you," the voice, quiet and thick with exhaustion and from crying, spoke from his shoulder.

"It's okay," Len replied. And he meant it. Barry didn't owe him anything, least of all to share his demons. He wanted him to, but more than that he wanted Barry to want to when he was ready.

And Barry was ready. He pulled back from the embrace until they were laying on their sides facing each other, arms entwined, eyes locked. He told him who Savitar was, how he'd come to be. Len always saw the darkness that lay dormant inside of Barry but never thought he would be capable of the things Barry described to him that an evil time remnant from the future had done. But knowing Barry's past, Thawne, Zoom, betrayals and pain, and then to lose everyone he loved and held dear, he could see it pushing anyone to a breaking limit. Especially Barry Allen, a man who felt everything so deeply, who loved and trusted so wholly. It would destroy him.

"I keep seeing you, dying, being killed," Barry said, voice small.

"They're just dreams," Len rubbed his hand up and down Barry's arm.

"They're not though," he heard the voice crack, Barry moving back to press himself against Len's chest. Len wanted to pull away and look at him but couldn't bear to loosen the embrace that Barry seemed to need, arms impossibly tight around him. "They all happened. The Reverse Flash killed my mom in our home. And then Zoom killed my dad and threatened to kill Joe...and then Savitar almost killed Iris. This all happened but in my dreams it's happening to you."

Len ran his fingers through his hair soothingly as Barry talked. Len could feel the long eyelashes brush against the skin of his neck as Barry cried, the small warm breaths as Barry sobbed and talked against his chest, shoulders shaking under Len's arms.

"I know now that the future me didn't push everyone away because he didn't want to be near them, he pushed them away because he couldn't bear to lose anyone else after losing Iris," Barry pulled in a stuttering breath. "But not me. I still keep them close, still put them in danger by loving them. And now I've fallen in love with you and put you in danger too."

And there was the trigger. Barry realizing he'd fallen in love with Len brought these nightmares out, memories of every terrible thing Barry had witnessed at the hands of others in his life being twisted into visions of the man he loved dying. If Len didn't know any better, he'd think the lightning bolt not only gave him super speed but super guilt.

Len wanted to tell him that he wasn't responsible for everyone. He wanted to tell him he was being ridiculous, that none of those deaths was his fault. But he knew what Barry was saying. Loving someone was a liability, something Len himself had sworn off because liabilities made you weak. Until he died. Until he realized he wasn't living for anything. Until he realized what he wanted to live for.

He lifted his head from where it rest upon Barry's, moving his hand from his hair and gently grabbing Barry's chin, tilting his head up so he could look in his eyes.

"Listen to me," Len said softly, gaze unflinching, willing Barry to not just hear his words but feel them. "If anything happens to me, know it was worth it. These past few months, being with you, call me sentimental but its made everything I've been through in my life worth it. Every pain, every struggle, my father, prison, dying, its all worth it because it led me here to you."

The hold Barry had on him loosened slightly as he pulled away just enough to look up at Len fully. Len however barely unfolded around Barry, wanting to reassure the man that he was safe in his arms, that he wasn't going anywhere. Ever.

"You don't understand how special you are, how truly amazing you are. I told you once your goodness is your strength. It's not your powers that makes you a hero, it's your heart. You're like the goddamn sun, Scarlet, and I didn't realize I was living in the shadows. Being with you, being a part of your life, its worth every damn thing that happens."

"That sounds a lot like unconditional love," Barry sniffed and Len sighed at the smile that cracked through Barry's features. He knew what Barry was referring to, a conversation in the kitchen before becoming entangled in each other's arms where Barry professed an unyielding belief in the concept of unconditional love that Len tried to refute. But looking into these green eyes, feeling the warmth of the body in his arms and spreading throughout his own body as if his heart pumped blood through his veins only for that sole purpose, Len could no longer disavow the idea of unconditional love. And he knew now that love wasn't a liability, a weakness, because he'd never felt stronger in his life than he did with this man beside him.

"Well, you're a terrible influence," Len replied softly, his thumb stroking the chin still in his grasp. "As I said, you've changed everything."

"You said forever earlier, right before you said-"

"I love you," Len finished, echoing his earlier words.

"I've pushed people I care about away before out of fear for their safety, told lies to protect them," Barry spoke, bracing his hands against Len's chest, feeling Len's heart beating beneath his palm as his eyes looked unblinkingly at Len's. "I don't want to do that with you. I won't. And even though Iris and decided it between the two of us it was for the best after Nora...it still broke my heart, and I can't go through that again. I love you too much and I need to know...I need to know that when things get difficult we'll keep fighting and not with each other, when everyone says no we'll say yes. Either we're both in this together, all the way, or we're not in this at all."

Len let his hands travel, fingers tracing along his jawline, "I'm in this for as long as you'll have me."

"I'm in this forever, Len."

"Forever works for me, Scarlet."

And before Len could say anything else Barry pressed his lips against his. It was tentative at first, as if Barry was afraid that Len would suddenly change his mind, but Len couldn't stop this even if he wanted to.

He had meant it when he said that everything in his life felt like it had led him to this. They were inevitable, like this was always where they were headed. Ever since the forest where Barry had peeled off his mask and Len told him he knew his name, mouth curled in an easy smile that had taken his breath away. And now, with every kiss, it was giving him breath, feeding him life, creating a purpose. He didn't know love could exist in his world, but it felt like throughout all the chaos they'd each gone through, it was designed to lead them here, in this bed, tangled together.