A/N: Just got back. I literally am sitting on a bunch of prompts, so PM me if you want one. I have got about half the next chapter written, but it's a filler chapter, to be honest. I want to move to the puppy bit, like when they actually get it.

After the coffee thing, we go to our first real shop. It's a bookstore by the name of 'Orange Blossom'.

There's not many people in it. A man in what I guess to be his late forties stands behind the counter.

He sees us looking around. "What can I do for this lovely couple today?" He asks in broken English, with an accent originating somewhere from the Middle East or Asia. His nametag reads 'Benjamin'.

"Oh we're-" I start, but am cut off by Barry, who puts his arm around me and answers, "We're looking for Christmas presents." He shoots a weird look at me, that shuts me up while I try decipher the meaning of it.

"Oh, anything can I help? Come over counter." He gesticulates behind the book-laden counter in question.

"No, we'll be fine thanks," Barry says.

"What was that about?" I ask, once the man reverts to his original spot behind the counter, inspecting a book with a thick magnifying glass.

"Well, he didn't speak good English, so I didn't want to confuse the guy," Barry sort-of explains. It's a lame answer, really, but I take it at the look Barry gives me.

-A While Later-

"Do you think Dr Wells will like this?" Barry asks from the other side of the short shelf. We agreed that it's quicker if we split up to look for presents, rather than look for them together.

The book is a 'Scientifica', an encyclopaedia about science that I know he has. "Nope. He has it."

He tilts his head back and lets a joking moan escape.

"Ooh, come over here!" I half-yell excitedly.

He walks to me, looks down at my empty hands, and raises an eyebrow. I shake my head no, and point behind him, to a section reading 'Comics'.

"Cisco, here we come!" I mutter under my breath, meant to be a secret joke, but Barry laughs.

There are literally so many comic-related things here, that I predict it will take ages to find the perfect gift. I find a 'Hercules Busts Heads' thermos, and Barry says he'll put it up for consideration.

In the end, we find a book on Marvel superheroes, and one pullover and mug set of Superman. Its pretty cheap for what it is, only $20 each. We look around for about five minutes more, then decide it's futile, so we pay for our respective items, and then leave.

Next, Barry drags me to a clothing store. I quickly uncover a beautiful dress for Iris, and Barry already has a gift in mind.

Great, it's probably a ring asking him to be his girlfriend, I think, jealously, then push that thought aside.

I pay for it, and I get to pick the store next, so we go to a department store, called 'Infinity and Stuff' because, let's face it, I don't have anything in the way of Christmas decorations.

I pick a bunch of cheesy generic Christmas ornaments, the usual angel, but I add some reflective snowflakes and other pretty things like that at the suggestion of Barry, who has excused himself for a second. He's probably gone to the bathroom or something.

There's a tap at my shoulder, and I turn around to see Barry with an armful of a scarily big gingerbread village kit, and more lollies than I have ever eaten, let alone seen, in my entire life.

"No!" I tease with a big smile, and he retaliates with a pout and puppy dog eyes.

I relent, because I am a sucker for puppy dog eyes. Especially Barry's puppy-dog eyes. "Fine."

And he lets out a very unmanly squeal and gives me a quick peck on the cheek.

I blush, but go along with it.

We find a funny cop mug, and an equally funny plate set for Joe, and go pay for them.

Barry pulls me along again, to a pet shop. "Come on! We are going to find the perfect SnowBarry!"

I laugh. "I, in all honesty, did not think you were serious." And with that, he opens the door.

Wow. There are so many pets here. Rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, rats, mice, fish, snakes (I note that with disgust), kittens, and the largest collection of puppies I have ever seen in my life.

This time, I pull him along. "Look at that one!" I say about a tiny Dalmatian. "That one?" Barry tries a West Highland Terrier.

We banter back and forth till we find a trio of Golden Labrador crosses, then look at each other and say, "This one," simultaneously.

We laugh, and go to the counter. Barry talks to the cashier, while I look at pet things we'll need.

"She can deliver SnowBarry on Christmas!" He hugs me, and I hug him back.

Barry picks out a winter coat that the puppy gets to try on. It is apparently Barry's favourite colour, so I retaliate by buying a blue dish and leash.

We pick out a purple collar, and a bone-shaped tag. The engraving takes about 5 minutes, and we purchase the various amassed items, leaving the collar to be put on for delivery on Christmas.

We must look an odd sight, weighed down by so many shopping bags and yet still smiling and joking.

We go to a liquor store next, and buy some good wine for Dr Wells and Eddie.

Once those are purchased, we go to a jewellery store. It's mainly for Barry to pick up his gift for Iris, once again sparking jealousy in me.

The mysterious gift turns out to be an engraved bracelet, saying 'Friends Forever' on a single, star shaped charm.

"You know, I'd expected it to be overly dramatic, knowing you, and Iris." I say, as we sit on a bench, pretty much all shopped out.

"Not really, I don't love her anymore. I'll always love her as a sister and a friend, but I have someone else in mind when it comes to who I want to be with."

He gives me, yet another odd look. I feel jealous again. Then a question crosses my mind, and it gets out before I can stop it.

"You're not gay, are you? Because, it's just you don't know that many girls. And I think Oliver will kill you, and I know you are aware of it, if you have a crush on Felicity and-"

"Don't worry. I'm not gay, and I do not have a crush on Felicity. What about you?"

"Not gay, and I have a crush on someone that is most decidedly a guy that I know."

"I know this is an odd request, but can I take a picture with you?" Barry asks. I give him an okay, and he pulls me to my feet, and suddenly we are running to a photo booth. It's empty, and we put our shopping bags down against the wall that is most decidedly not the exit.

He pulls me closer, and slides some spare change he fished out of his pocket into the machine and presses a few buttons, then pulls me closer.

I can feel my heart racing as I put my head on his shoulder, while the console counts down from three.

We have 5 seconds before the next countdown, so he kisses my cheek, while I assume a shocked face. The camera clicks again, and then there is another five seconds. He puts his mouth close to my ear, while I put my hand over my mouth. Then the camera clicks and the final photo is counting down. I fling my arms around his neck, with my face above his shoulder, and we both make funny faces. The photo booth starts to print the photos out onto two strips.

We collect our bags, and he hands me one of the strips, which I put into my wallet. My favourite is the one where he kisses my cheek.

He puts his in his pocket, and I take off my coat and put it in one of the bags.

"Are you done shopping?" I ask. He nods, and we go outside to hail a cab. I see one coming around the corner, but Barry has other ideas.

He scoops me up, and I start to protest, but hang onto him anyway. "No-"

And we are in my apartment.

"Thank you for the ride," I mutter, as I detach myself from him. He chuckles, and takes my hand. "Let's go and decorate your sad tree."

I scratch my neck. "About that." He gives me a confused look. "I don't know which box it is in."

"It's okay. We'll go look."

In the end, after half an hour of fruitless searching, Barry finds it. I give him a hug, and go get the bag of purchased ornaments, to find it's not there. I have my suspicions though, and I go to the general living space, to find Barry is unpacking the ornaments.

He hands me three.

I hang them on with a critical eye, to which Barry says, "No, do it like this," and he goes behind me, taking my hands and placing an ornamental snowflake in it, then helps me to hang it on the tree. I blush madly as he explains his theory. "Don't think, just do."

I do better after that, and when we've exhausted the amount of ornaments I currently own, he proclaims it's time to have a decorate-off of the gingerbread houses.

It takes a surprisingly small amount of pleading to get me to participate.

He lays down the ground rules; we have 30 minutes, we have to be back to back so we can't see each other's work, and no talking.

So, thirty minutes, later, Barry's phone rings.

It turns out to be an alarm he set.

I see his one. It looks so amazing. There is so much detail involved. There are little gumdrops representing plants, and little snowmen made out of marshmallows.

Mine broke halfway through, so when I repaired it, I decided to go for the front and side decoration more than on the actual house. The result is a messily done roof, and little garden ornaments. I used a couple candy canes for a tree, and cut Twizzlers and a small block of Cadbury chocolate for a swing, gluing it together with sticky icing. There are little kids I made out of mini marshmallows and wine gums, and icing sugar was spread as snow. I also used little sprinkle pearls with a dusting of icing sugar and held together underneath by a drop of super-sticky icing for snowballs. I feel embarrassed by my lack of creativity.

"Wow," we say, at exactly the same time, and we let out a breathy laugh, and give each other a hug. We'd done it!

Barry turns on the radio to listen to some Christmas carols, while I turned on the kettle to make some tea, which I haven't drunk in awhile. Lately, it's been all, coffee, coffee, coffee.

A supposedly 'urgent' message comes on.

"Citizens of Central City are warned to stay inside while a freak storm of snow has erupted. If the snow has stopped tonight, the streets will be cleared by tomorrow. That's news." Then the Christmas carols resume.

My phone is in my hand before I am conscious of what I am doing. Dr Wells is on my speed dial, and I press his number.

"Hello Caitlin."

"Hi Dr Wells. Is this a meta-human?"

"No. This is literally a storm. It hit Starling City on the way over here, and will probably pass within the week."

"Thanks. I'll call Felicity. Bye."

So I call Felicity too. "Hey. Freak storm cleared yet?"

"Yep, streets are being cleared. Thank god we weren't at the foundry."

"That would have been a problem. Why weren't you?"

"Oliver died."

"WHAT? Are you sure? How did it happen? Do you-"

"I was kidding. We're kinda," Caitlin can almost hear her blushing, "dating, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone. We're keeping it under wraps."

"Well, Barry just heard you, so I'd talk to him about that. Right after you give me the details."

"Wait. Are Barry and you together?"

"No. But yes. I mean, he's in my apartment, but we're not," I fake a cough, "together."

"Ah. The joys of being uncomfortable."

"There is no joy to being uncomfortable. But he came with me to the mall, and we bought a puppy!"

"WHAT?" Felicity screams, and I pull my phone away from my ear, and hold it at arm's length for a couple of seconds, then press it back to my ear. "Are you guys going to Iris' for Christmas?"

"I have no idea. I don't think she's invited me."

"Well, make Barry bring the puppy then. What is it's name?"

"Snowbarry, and we arranged to have it delivered on Christmas."

"Lucky. I mean, I'd have called it Snowy, but Barry has his head in the right place."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. Can I talk to Barry now? Please?" I grudgingly hand the phone to Barry, who is sitting at the counter.

I drown out their conversation by focussing on the process of making tea. As I try remember, I scald myself on the kettle, and Barry is immediately by my side, pulling my hand under the cold tap.

"Maybe leave the tea-making to me." He says. I nod grimly in agreement.

So, five minutes later, we're sat down on the couch by the tree, complete with tea. There has been another update on the freak storm, and it says that it's likely that it will clear tomorrow morning, moving onto yet another city.

There is one problem. I only have one bed and one blanket and two pillows.

A-W-K-W-A-R-D.

"We forgot to buy wrapping paper!" I jump up from the couch, then sit back down once I realize there is nothing I can do about it for the moment.

Barry laughs. "Come on, let's watch a Christmas-y movie."

Thank god I plugged my TV in when I moved here. I actually needed Netflix, so I got that too. Sad rom-coms I could relate to.

He puts on 'A Christmas Carol'.

I give him a pointed look, and he raises his hands in a don't-shoot-me gesture.

Despite the caffeine in the tea, I suddenly feel really sleepy, so I lie on Barry's slouching stomach, and he plays with my hair. Within minutes, I am asleep.