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The One Where it's Really Happening

Caitlin had never hurried to Star Labs as fast as she had that morning. She knew she could have called or texted Barry and talked to him that way, but after what he'd done for her that just felt so impersonal. So she'd arrived at work as quickly as she could.

But when she'd got to the Cortex Cisco informed her that Barry had been called to a crime scene and they were on standby for a potential meta alert, as apparently there had been something funky about the crime scene – Cisco's words, not hers or Barry's she was sure. Caitlin had quickly hid her disappointed face, and then hurriedly hid her chocolates. Cisco was bad around her usual snacks but if he saw she had confectionary…

As selfish as it was she was not sharing these chocolates. Well, except for with Barry. Barry Allen was turning out to be the exception to most of her rules; don't let your work become personal, don't put your life on the line for a patient, don't fall for a hero-type (although in his case he was less of the type and more of the real thing)…

Caitlin distracted herself with the work she hadn't finished last night, and when that was finished she did a stock take on the med bay, and when that was done she did inventory on all the food supplies (Barry was bad enough and he needed to eat what he did, but she was going to have to have a talk with Cisco one of these days). When she realised she'd managed to whittle most of the day away without seeing or speaking to anyone or even taking a break for that matter she headed back to the Cortex.

Cisco was spinning idly in his chair, sucking on a lollipop and staring at a monitor.

"Cisco? Everything alright?"

"Yeah," he replied in a monotone. "Just nothing's happening today."

"That's a good thing Cisco," Caitlin said as she sat down on the chair next to him.

"I know. Just feels weird after the last week. Not sure I trust it."

"That's understandable. Where is everyone?"

Cisco shrugged. "Don't know really. Iris is probably at home writing, as since there's no meta or anything even remotely Flash-worthy happening today she can actually be at her own place. Barry was called to that crime scene this morning so he and Joe have been busy with that. Not sure about anyone else."

"What are you doing then?"

"Just listening to the scanners, monitoring news reports. The usual crime fighting base actions."

"It's ok for us to have a quiet period Cisco," Caitlin said softly. "You could go work on one of your projects. You'd hear if anything happens, you've got all the alerts hooked up."

"I know. It's just…"

"You don't trust the quiet," Caitlin finished for him and couldn't help smiling at her friend. "And you'd rather be fighting the bad guys."

Cisco grimaced-grinned at her, a facial expression only he could pull off. "Will I jinx us if I agree with you?" he whispered.

They both turned to look at the monitoring screens but they remained the same.

"Guess not," Cisco said. "I could do with some time down in the mechanics lab." He straightened up and slid Caitlin a glance. "There is something that could really cheer me up though."

"What?" Caitlin asked, immediately suspicious.

"This is my last lollipop…" Cisco whined. "Something else sweet might really make me feel better about this no-Flash day. And someone might have some chocolate somewhere…"

Caitlin's mind immediately sprang to her little wooden box. How did he know? And how was she going to explain it? Both her answer of no – she was definitely not sharing them – and how she'd been given them in the first place. Cisco would read way too much into what Barry was doing and ask lots of questions. As she hadn't really thought of why Barry was doing this herself, she wasn't ready for that mental conversation with herself let alone anyone else, she didn't want to discuss it with Cisco and have to form answers.

"If I promise just to have one?" Cisco wheedled. "I know you just did the stock take but then you only have to minus one number…"

Stock take? Ohh. Cisco meant from her bought supply of chocolates for the Lab. Not secret present-given chocolate. And it wasn't that it had to stay a secret, not necessarily, just that she wanted to talk to Barry about it all first. Even if it was something special she wanted to keep all to herself.

"It's ok Cisco," she answered. "You can have some of the stash in the break room."

"But that's not the good stuff. How about the smallest bar from the little left cabinet in the med-"

Caitlin narrowed her eyes. "How do you know about that?"

"Um, ah well, I didn't…. err, until you just confirmed it?" Cisco tried.

"Chocolate for you is in the break room," Caitlin said.

"Fine," Cisco huffed and trudged out of the room.

Caitlin shook her head at his antics and mentally started to think where she could hide her 'good stuff' now Cisco knew its current hiding spot.

A blast of air rushed through the Cortex and blew her hair backwards. No sooner had it settled then Caitlin was turned around and grinning at the cause.

"Hey," Barry said.

"Hi," she said breathlessly, feeling inexplicably nervous.

"The crime scene this morning took way longer than I thought," he said. "And I still haven't processed it all but the report's pending so I thought I could just nip over here and well, see how everyone's day has been."

Caitlin pushed her hair back behind her ear and smiled. "Cisco is bored. He's actually liked how busy we've been lately."

"He's probably the only one."

"That sums him up in a lot of ways."

"Yeah," Barry grinned, leaning slightly closer to her. "And how about you? How's your day been? Anything special about it?"

"Pretty average," she answered coyly. "Just reports and stock takes. Usual hum-drum necessities. Although…"

"Although?" Barry asked after a moment, a smile pulling at his lips.

"I had an amazing morning," Caitlin whispered. "It happened just as I opened my front door."

"You don't say."

"There was this surprise box."

"Uh-huh."

"And there was this present inside."

"Yeah?"

"It was incredibly thoughtful."

"Well-" Barry started but his phone chimed, then chimed again as he reached for it. Letting out a sigh of frustration he read the messages before looking up at her with apology written all over his face. "I gotta go. The results are back and Singh wants a face-to-face report in fifteen minutes."

Caitlin felt disappointment but it couldn't dim the smile on her face. Bar a meta attack and Barry being seriously injured she didn't think anything would today.

"Ok, well I'll catch you later?" she asked.

"Hopefully. But the Captain's already warned everyone it might be a late one tonight," Barry said. "I'm supposed to be off tomorrow so at least I'll see you then though." He grinned as he moved backwards. "Maybe you'll have another amazing surprise you want to talk about."

"I didn't say it was amazing Mr Allen," Caitlin teased.

"You didn't have to Dr Snow."

Barry turned to leave with a grin that was just too smug on his face and if Caitlin hadn't been totally aware he had earned every bit of it she would have wanted to wipe it off somehow.

"Wait!" she suddenly called out.

Barry stopped and turned around, his face turning puzzled as Caitlin quickly ran away from him to her bag.

"Here," she said, holding out a chocolate for him when she got back.

He shook his head. "They're yours."

"The rest are mine," Caitlin answered. "This one I want you to have."

Barry took it and shared such a tender look with her that Caitlin felt herself melt a little. As if she were a chocolate too close to a fire.

Barry opened his mouth to say something but his phone chimed again. He shook his head and started to walk backwards towards the door, not even bothering to check it. He didn't let go of Caitlin's gaze until he physically had to.

Caitlin smiled to herself and kept the smile on her face the rest of the day.

Singh's warning must have been more of a subtle demand as Barry didn't make it back to Star Labs that day and they heard from Cecile that Joe had been caught up at the precinct beyond hours as well. But as much as Caitlin wanted to talk to Barry she knew it could wait. And actually, maybe they shouldn't talk about it at work where anybody could walk in on them.

When Caitlin got home that evening she ate dinner and went straight to bed. There was nothing she wanted to stay up for. She wanted morning to come as quickly as possible.

When she next opened her eyes, nearly a full hour before her alarm was due to go off she couldn't bemoan the lack of sleep. She was up out of her bed and practically running to her front door still in her pyjamas.

And waiting for her was another little wooden box, a red and gold number 2 etched onto its lid.

She took it inside and biting her lip, she gently opened it up.

Nestled in strips of tissue paper was a mug filled with single packets of her favourite coffee. And engraved on the mug in silver script was: Some people are morning people… that makes them special.

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