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AN:

You guys are being so awesome with the reviews, I can't tell you how much they mean to me and how lovely it is that everyone is liking this story as much as I've loved writing it.

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The One Lost in Thoughts

Barry woke with a comfortable weight against his chest and the unconscious desire to never move again.

He moved his head and his chin brushed against soft hair, making him smile as he realised it was Caitlin pressed up against him. His hands tightened against her as he shifted so he could see her better. She let out a little mewl as they moved and the hands against his chest curled into fists, almost as if protesting any movement of any kind. Barry was with that, he'd like to stay here holding her, but he also wanted to see her.

He managed to move around so she was still clutched tight to his chest but also so he could see her face. His feet were precariously hovering over the edge of the couch at this angle but he didn't care.

Caitlin had always been pretty to him, almost like an objective thought, but recently he'd been caught out by her beauty. It was like you didn't notice how beautiful she really was until you looked twice. A small part of him was pained that it had taken him so long to look twice. But he wasn't going to dwell on that.

Last night had made him think that there could really be something between them. She'd wanted to be as close to him as he'd wanted to be to her, hadn't shied away from his deliberate touches and had even done a few of her own.

If Cisco hadn't shown up…

But he had and Barry was kind of grateful. As much as he was enjoying doing this advent for her and discovering what was between them it was a kind of intense situation between them, since no-one else knew. And Barry didn't want Caitlin to think he only felt this way because of what they were going through.

He knew her well enough to know she would rationalise it that way.

Barry wanted her to have no doubt of his or her feelings if they ever got to that point.

She looked so peaceful in sleep. Soft skin was smooth from lack of any thoughts, eyelashes were laid down and rosy lips were still. Caitlin had such an expressive face when she choose to not keep up her cold exterior, and her thoughts raced a mile a minute whenever she was trying to solve a challenge. Seeing her relaxed in sleep was intimate in a way he couldn't describe.

A chime from his phone had him cranking his head to see the clock. It was still early but Singh wanted an inventory of the lab today so Barry had decided to go in early so he hopefully wouldn't be stuck there till midnight. Which unfortunately meant he had to leave here. He mentally debated with himself of whether he could stay here longer with Cait and just work later but he still had something to do for her next gift so he might need the time later this evening.

Gently he moved around a little until he could hold Caitlin around the shoulders and waist and then he slowly rolled them so he was on top. She let out a stuttered sigh and arched her body up. Heat raced through Barry and his breath caught as her movement affected his body in a way he wasn't proud of.

He stilled above her for a moment, just looking down at her and feeling her body against his. All these feelings he had were so strong sometimes. It was like they'd always been there, like water under an ice plain, but now they were free and rushing along the surface, the ice melted in their wake.

His phone chimed again and reluctantly he pulled himself from her hold, settling another blanket over her when she fidgeted.

Barry looked down at her with a soft smile, capturing what he saw to memory, and went to her kitchen, scrawling a quick note on her memo pad there. He paused at the door, looking one last time at her and then he left.

That was the last peaceful moment he would have that day.

As soon as he got to the station chaos reigned. For a moment he thought a meta had attacked and done something to everyone but it turns out it was normal panic that was making everyone run round like their heads were about to fall off. Or explode in the case of Singh.

The commissioner and mayor were coming by that afternoon to do a publicity event and as he was there, the commissioner wanted a full report on the inventory Singh had ordered.

For pretty much the next twenty eight hours straight (excluding a few twenty-minute naps here and there) Barry worked non-stop. He was glad there had been no meta activity as he didn't know how he would have been able to leave without anyone noticing. Detectives and Officers were in and out of his lab every other minute. The publicity event was pushed back to midday on the 13th and at exactly one o'clock Barry managed to leave his lab and get to Star Labs.

Where he promptly collapsed in exhaustion.

Then remembered he was late for todays' advent, got up and flashed it into place and then went back to his collapse.

"Barry!"

He cracked an eye open as Caitlin rushed towards him, worry written all over her face.

"Just tired Cait," he muttered as he felt her hands quickly analyse him, one on his forehead to feel his temperature and the other grasping his wrist to take his pulse.

"What have you been doing to put yourself at this level of exhaustion?" She scolded lightly.

"Working."

She tutted but didn't say anything else, and her hands turned stroking instead of assessing.

"Caitlin! Have you seen this?" Cisco exclaimed excitedly as he hurried into the room. "Oh hey Barry."

"Hey," Barry replied distractedly, missing the warmth of Caitlin's hands. She'd moved away from him as Cisco had entered the Cortex.

"Do you know anything about this?"

Barry turned at Cisco's question and then jolted in his seat. Cisco was holding a rectangle box. A familiar rectangle box.

"Err…" Barry said, his mind a blank. How had Cisco found it? He was sure he put it in Caitlin's locker.

"I think it's a present," Cisco said excitedly. "There's a number 13 on it but no name. Should we open it?"

Barry was about to say something when he realised Caitlin was shaking. He quickly turned to look at her but she was fixedly staring away from him. Was she upset Cisco had found it? Did she hate him for putting her in this position?

"I'm gonna open it," Cisco said happily when neither he nor Caitlin responded.

Barry looked at Caitlin, worried about what she was feeling. Then he tried to say something, trying to think of something to say to stop Cisco and reassure her.

But then he could a glimpse of Caitlin's face as she took a deep breath and he realised she was laughing. She was finding this funny.

"Awww, look at that," Cisco cooed as he pulled out the photo frame from the box. He then held it up so Barry and Caitlin could see.

The picture of the three of them, after one of the first Flash missions stared back at them from a frame that looked like clear glass, until you noticed the snow-like glitter that was decorated inside, making it look like snow was falling across the picture inside.

"This is so awesome," Cisco said. "Especially after us three amigos hung out last night."

"It's perfect," Caitlin said and Barry looked at her quickly.

But she was beaming. A happy was smile covering her face and crinkling her eyes.

"Yeah," Barry breathed out on a relieved exhale. "It is."

"I think it should live right here," Cisco said and put it front and centre on the Cortex's main console table.

Caitlin moved so she was standing near it and Barry moved too so the three of them were stood staring down at their picture, taken so many years ago. Caitlin let out a happy sigh and hooked her arms around his and Cisco's. Together they stood and looked down at the picture of the three of them, each lost in their own thoughts.

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