Cheer Me Up
By: Riley
Summary - Cadence tries, and fails, and succeeds in cheering Barry up on one of his hard days. It comes up suddenly, the reminder that his parents won't be at his wedding. Prompt from tumblr.
Barry sat on the windowsill, staring out into Central City. It was quiet that day, nothing that'd even have his muscles twitch in anticipation of what would send him careening down the streets at top speeds to stop whatever terror was falling over the cit. But the storm incoming storm seemed to send people running back into their homes if out, barricading the doors if already inside. The sky continued to cloud over as the seconds passed, light turning to darkness as he seconds passed, turning everything drab and gray.
It fit his mood that day. It didn't happen much, but it'd hit him out of nowhere, the memory that his parents were gone. Knowing he'd never see them again. They weren't going to see his future, what he'd eventually end up feeling, weren't going to be there for his wedding. Weren't going to be there for anything.
Barry took in a deep breath, let it out, dropped his head against the window. Watched as the rain started, fist soft and gentle, then hard as it battered against the windows. He watched the raindrops roll down the glass, suddenly flashed back to a just before he was struck by lightning. Just before his entire life changed for the second time. Blissfully unaware that the third would be coming less than two years later.
The house was quiet…except for the sound of pom-poms rubbing together that he'd been trying to ignore for the past ten minutes. Barry's eyes shifted to the side, taking in the tail end of a cheer that Cadence—impressively—still remembered, throwing herself down into a low split, hands on her hips with the biggest smile on her face. Barry reached up, resting his cheek in his palm.
"You know, for a cheerleader, you're not cheering me up very much," he commented.
The bright smile on her face immediately lessened when Cadence rolled her eyes. She stood up, removing herself from what would've been an otherwise painful maneuver by those not trained to do so, and walked to the window seat. She dropped down next to him, placing her pom-poms in her lap. "Well, if you'd just picture about fifteen other girls, synchronized movements, and a higher ceiling where I could be thrown into the air…" Cadence shook her head, reached out and nudged his knee with a pom-pom. "Come on, Tholly, I even put a bow in my hair!"
"It looks great," Barry replied with a half smile.
Cadence smiled a soft smile. Leaned back and studied her fiancé. Then she looked out the window, letting Barry wallow. He'd always been an emotional person—it was her favorite thing about him, but the times where he became reclusive was where she needed to silently support.
Lightning flashed, crackling through the sky. .Barry flinched and turned away. Reminded of seeing the same sort of light before it roped toward him, striking him in the chest and blasting him off his feet. It was as if he was brought back to the same night, could feel the heat of the lightning that seared through his chest and out the bottom of his foot. He counted slowly before the roll of thunder rolled afterwar it.
Cadence's eyes then lit up. She set her pom-poms aside and stood up, presenting her hand toward Barry. He looked at her curiously. A light giggle escaped her lips, she smiled. "May I have this dance?"" She asked, all but bowing toward him.
The heat of lightning was then replaced with the heat of admiration for her. He smiled. "We don't have any music." Not that he couldn't race to turn some on in seconds.
"Don't need it." Cadence grasped his hand and pulled Barry to his feet with little effort. He was sure she didn't even use her powers to do so, he went so willingly. Sparks flew through their fingers as they touched, a sign of their being in sync. Barry relaxed. He pulled her forward, wrapped his arms around her, lost herself in her heat and dancing through the storm that passed through.
They danced, spinning and turning through the living room to the silent music that only they could hear. Barry wrapped his arms around Cadence, tilted her head back and kissed her in thanks. Cadence smiled into it, kissed him back.
He rested his face against hers as they continued to sway to the music on they could hear, knowing they were both in the same situation—him with his parents both death, her with her father—and knowing they'd face it the same way they did everything else.
Together.
THE END