Chapter 2

Cisco Ramon fell back onto his bed, exhausted after a long day. Teaching third grade was tiring, but rewarding.

In more ways than one.

Pulling out his phone, he called his best friend and old college roommate, Barry Allen.

He heard Barry speak up. "Allen."

Cisco put a hand through his hair. "Hey, dude, it's me."

"Hey, Cisco!" There were more sounds from the other end of the line. Barry couldn't sit down without jostling or knocking over his stool at work. The latter happened half the time. "What's up?"

Cisco smiled a bit. "I met a girl," he told him.

Barry, seemingly, could not resist this opening. "Dude, I've told you before. You might like the height differential, but all those girls are a little young for you." Cisco routinely had at least one girl in his class who had a crush on him, every year. This year it was Kendra, and as always, he did his best to not encourage it.

Cisco laughed. "Shut up." Barry chuckled over the phone. "No, I'm serious. My juvenile delinquent finally got in trouble today, so I had to call in his sister."

Barry made a noise of commiseration. "Lasted a whole six weeks. Must be some kind of record."

Cisco had his own theories on that, but they could wait. "She's beautiful."

"The sister? What's she look like?"

Cisco thought back on the dream woman he found outside his classroom. "Thick, wavy brown hair. Big blue eyes. Curves for days." He sighed, happily. "Good to her brother. Responsible. Warm and loving."

"Real honest of you to start with what you noticed first." That made Cisco laugh. "How old is she?"

"About our age." Cisco told him. This time, his sigh was less happy. "There's a problem, though."

"Boyfriend?" Barry asked. "Girlfriend?"

Cisco chuckled at the second question. He supposed it was fair, in this day and age. But, "No, neither of those."

"Just not interested?" Barry sounded sympathetic.

"That I could deal with better," Cisco said. He was used to rejection. He was 'adorable', but 'adorable' wasn't going to secure him too many dates. "No, she just doesn't date, period."

He heard a thud, which told him that Barry had set the stool back on all four feet. "At all?"

Cisco shook his head, even though his friend couldn't see him. "Says it feels more like a job interview, because of Leonard."

"Aaaah," said Barry understandingly. He knew a little something about that.

When Barry's now wife, Iris, had been in her sophomore year of college, she'd lost her father, Joe, to a heart attack. Her mother, Francine, had died a few years earlier, giving birth to a late-in-life baby Joe named Wally. That left Iris to care for her four-year-old brother by herself.

While Barry had been raised with Iris from the age of 11, he'd never been formally adopted, so there has been no legal way for him to help her gain custody. Not that, with his own father (wrongfully) in prison for murdering his mother, it would have helped. He'd offered to marry her then, anyway, to make things look better for Child Protective Services, but she'd refused. A marriage born out of desperation wasn't something she wanted for herself, or Wally.

Fortunately, she'd gotten a hold of the trust her parents had put in her name when she was young the minute she turned 21 and was able to gain custody of her brother through sheer force of will, it seemed. This cost her a lot, time, energy and a number of her friends who hadn't known how to deal with her new role as mother to a young boy. Some stayed, but as Iris once put it, she wouldn't force anyone to help with her new responsibility. It wouldn't have been fair to any of them.

It had also curbed any new romances she might have had. Very few men were willing to be an insta-dad, and that was precisely what they'd be doing with Iris. Though it was admittedly more grief over Joe's death that had caused his partner, Eddie Thawne, to transfer to another branch than any fear of parenthood. He eventually wound up marrying someone else, and Iris took Wally to the wedding. There were no hard feelings, there. (Barry, himself, had shown up alone, though he'd had fun showing Wally how the chocolate fountain worked.)

Barry had to be patient for a while, but he eventually got Iris to agree to go out with him, and they'd married after Wally turned 6. It had taken that long to convince her it wasn't just because he wanted to help with Wally, but because he genuinely loved her, and had since the day they met. Iris was now heavily pregnant with a set of twins, a boy and a girl. Nicknamed the Tornado Twins because they kept bouncing around inside of her almost constantly.

Barry bemoaned what this meant when they actually arrived, but Cisco could tell his friend was in heaven. Not only was he married to the woman of his dreams, but she was having his children, and they were already raising a family together. It was all Barry had ever wanted.

Cisco wondered if he could do what Barry had done. It was a lot to take on, but if it was for the right girl? He could see himself doing it.

Now, if only the girl was inclined to let him try.

"Yeah," he said. "Nothing sucks more than to be rejected because of frustration with the process."

"I'm sorry, man," Barry told him. "I mean, at least Iris wasn't against dating, period. I had something of an 'in'. Though it didn't always feel that way," he admitted with a laugh.

"As to that," Cisco said, "I don't think it's entirely hopeless."

"Oh?" asked his friend, curiosity obviously piqued.

"I think her brother is trying to play Cupid," Cisco told him, playing with his tie.

"...whaaat do you mean by that?" Now Barry sounded confused. "The way you've talk about him... I mean, no offense to the kid, but he doesn't seem like the type to be doing things like that. And how?"

Cisco chuckled. "Oh, I think Leonard would surprise you. He's not a bad kid, he's just been dealt a bad hand. I think, given the right opportunity, he could better himself. It's just his friendship with Mick Rory that's keeping him from moving forward. Mick's the only kid in class who'll stick up for him," he explained, "so he doesn't want to leave him behind."

Barry made a sound of understanding. "That makes sense. So what makes you think he's playing Cupid?"

Cisco folded an arm behind his head. "I think he got in trouble on purpose today."

A beat. Then, "Really?" The forensic pathologist sounded intrigued. "Go on."

"Well," Cisco sat up, starting to gesticulate as if his friend could see him, "Leonard's been doing really good all year, right? I mean, all six weeks so far. And I know he's put up with a lot. I've had to defuse some situations, but all in all, he's been doing really good. But today, when my back was turned, I heard a cry behind me, and the next thing I knew, he and Mick were in a brawl with three other boys. I had to wade through a few other kids to go break it up."

"All right," said Barry, seeming to follow along. "So why was that significant?"

"Leonard's not a loud kid," Cisco told him. "At most, when I talk to him, he'll grunt and maybe I'll get a few words. Occasionally, he'll get really excited and actually expound on what got his attention." Like earlier, he reflected, when he told his sister all about Captain Cold. "If he'd really wanted to stay out of trouble, he would have made sure to keep it on the DL."

"You're sure about that?" There was a bit of doubt in his friend's voice.

"Positive," Cisco asserted. "The cry I heard was him. Pretty sure he wanted to get my attention." He paused. "I thought it was nothing at the time, but when I was pulling him away from Hartley Rathaway, he seemed... almost pleased. The look was gone a moment later, so I thought maybe I'd imagined it."

"That does sound fishy," Barry conceded. Sounds came from the other side of the phone that told Cisco his friend was getting back to work. "Anything else?"

Cisco grinned. This part was the best part. His most vindicating evidence. "When I was talking to him about the fight, he seemed to be reciting his answers. As if he was following a script. Mick less so, but I don't think he was in on the plan. Leonard's been in trouble often enough, though, that I think he knew what I was going to say, and he tailored his responses so that it would net him the result he wanted."

"His sister in your classroom," Barry mused, and a machine turned on in the background. "Sounds plausible. What do you plan to do with this information?"

Cisco looked at his calendar. "Well, it's October. My annual classroom Halloween party is coming up."

"Mmm-hmm," Barry murmured, as if he'd been expecting it. "You want us to help with the cookies again?" When Cisco had started teaching, he soon realized he needed to have goodies for his class, and had enlisted the help of his friends in getting everything he needed. It was a fun time for all, and in the days pre-wedding, it had been a way to guarantee Barry had time with Iris and Wally without making it too obvious what they were doing. She was friends with Cisco, too. These sessions had also included Caitlin and Ronnie Raymond, another couple. Late night baking sessions were now a tradition.

"You know it," he said with a chuckle. "And you're welcome to come, you know that." He and Ronnie, who taught 5th grade, shared the cookies between them, and Caitlin, the school nurse, made sure to visit both rooms in costume for the kids. Since a certain Disney movie had come out, she'd started dressing up as Elsa. Ronnie had the right build as Klaus, and Barry and Iris always helped in his room when they could, though it might not happen this year, with Iris so far along. "I'd understand if it might be a bit much for Iris."

Barry snorted. "Yeah, I'd like to see you suggest that to her face." Both men laughed. Iris, even at her current size, didn't let anything slow her down. "I teased her about taking your place as Olaf this year, and her look said it all." Cisco hooted. "Never doing that again."

"Wise idea," Cisco told him. "But I was thinking, you know, when I make the announcement we need parents to volunteer to help us with the party... I could make sure to emphasize that all help was welcome."

"Thinking to nudge the kid?" Barry said. "Oh, dude, I'd pay to see that happen. But are you sure encouraging him is a good idea?" They spent so many nights in college talking about the ways teachers could get themselves in trouble, and a number of them had to do with the parents or legal guardians. "I mean, what if something goes wrong? I know it's not just the sister you like."

Cisco sighed. He knew his plan might end badly and damage his relationship with Leonard. He wanted so much for that boy to succeed. He was so smart, and talented. All he really needed was an outlet for his emotions, and while Cisco did the best he could, Leonard just didn't make it easy. He wasn't into music or art, and would only participate in class if a gun was put his head. When he was working with him one-on-one, that was when Cisco was most aware of his potential. That was when he saw what Leonard Snart could do with his mind and his drive... which made it all the more frustrating when he reverted back to the moody child he normally was later.

He knew why he did it. That didn't mean he had to like it.

"I know," he said on a sigh, falling back on his bed again. "Just... if I had some other choice, I'd take it, you know? If there were some other way to get to her. But while she works at a diner, she only works during the day, so she can be home with her brother at night." He and Leonard had talked about her before. "So this may be my only avenue."

"Sucks," Barry acknowledged, and a squeak told Cisco he was back on two legs with his stool.

"Tell me about it," Cisco told him, reaching down to take off his shoes, finally. He let them thump on the floor. Peeling off his socks, he said, "It's kinda demoralizing to think that the first chance I've had at a real date in a year or two lies with a 10-year-old. Who may or may not cooperate if he figures out what I'm doing." Which he might. The boy was, after all, a genius.

"I... thought he was all for you dating his sister," Barry pointed out, a sound indicating that he had once again set the stool down on all four feet.

"I never try to predict what Leonard might do," Cisco told him. "He might not be so cooperative once he knows I'm onto him and where will that leave me?"

"Good point," said his friend, and the whirring in the background stopped. The test he was running must have finished. "Well, I'll leave you to mull that over while I get back to work."

"Gotcha, bud," he said, sitting up to take off his vest. "See you guys the weekend before for cookies?"

"It's a date," came the response. "Good luck." Barry hung up.

Cisco got in early the next morning and replenished the dry ice in Captain Cold before getting the room ready for the day. He left a folder with Leonard's name on the tab on his desk, and headed off to the copy room to run off enough for the class to announce his need for adult volunteers.

When he came back, he found Leonard waiting. He was often early, and today was even earlier. Probably something to do with the hours his sister had to keep.

He was staring at the folder, looking like he wanted to grab it but didn't want to be too eager.

Cisco smiled. Same old Leonard.

"Good morning," he said, coming around his desk.

The boy's hand had been inching toward the folder, but he snatched it back when Cisco spoke.

He looked up at him, then back down. "Hey."

Cisco inwardly sighed, hoping he could build some trust, there. He'd never hurt Leonard.

Picking up the folder, he handed it to the young boy. "Here." He waited as his student took it, then opened it. "That's the next assignment, and a few you never got from earlier in the year. You can have until Friday to have them done." It was Tuesday.

Leonard nodded, looking over the documents as Cisco put down the copies he'd just made and rummaged around his desk for a clip to keep them together until he was ready to pass them out.

Unaccustomed to hearing Leonard speak without being spoken to, he jumped a little when he was asked suddenly, "What're those?"

Cisco looked up and saw that he was looking at the handouts. "I'm looking for parents to volunteer to help out at the end of the month," he explained, keeping it as casual as possible. "We're having a Halloween party."

He saw a small light in the boy's eyes, which said boy quickly tamped down. It wasn't cool to show enthusiasm for a classroom party, after all. "Oh. Cool."

Cisco reached into one of his deeper drawers for his Tupperware container full of markers for the white board, and out of the corner of his eye, he watched the younger Snart.

Lenny was looking at the handouts through his hair, unzipping his bag.

Cisco watched with baited breath as he positioned the folder to go into his bag.

It was the longest minute of his life.

Then, slowly, making as little noise as possible, the boy reached out when he thought his teacher wasn't looking and took one, sliding it into the folder without opening it fully and sliding it into his bag as sounds came from the hall, voices of other kids coming in from the buses to take their seats.

Cisco didn't let out the breath he was holding until Leonard had turned his back.

No need to tip him off now that the handout was safely in his bag.

Waited for the boy to move.

Now it was safe.

Cisco took the container with him and moved to the front of the room. The kids liked to play with them, and as a result, he spent far too much money on dry-erase markers. So, he kept them in his desk.

He watched out of the corner of his eye as Leonard took a seat in back only after Mick had walked in, leaving a seat for his friend to sit next to him. They weren't technically separate from the rest of the class, but they might as well have been, with the way classroom politics had been working this year.

He did his best to keep from inwardly sighing. It wouldn't do him any good.

The rest of the class filed in. The boys who'd picked on Lenny, including Hartley, had been moved to separate seats throughout the room, in strategic spots that made it difficult for them to collude, even from afar. It didn't prevent all the problems he could have, but it kept them down to a number he could easily handle.

Hartley couldn't resist glaring back at Leonard and Mick before sitting down.

He was one of the more privileged students. Name-brand clothes, fancy backpack, the whole works. He had been in the advanced group, but his inability to work with a group caused Cisco to remove him early on. The boy hated him, but he'd been told that if he could prove he could behave, he'd be allowed back in. Grudgingly, Cisco admitted he was close to making that goal.

Much to the chagrin of all involved.

He watched as Kendra Saunders took her own seat, straightening what he presumed to be a carefully chosen outfit. He hoped to steer her toward a boy her age, and lucky for him, there was one in the class who already had a crush on her.

That boy was merely a few seats away, and Kendra definitely had his attention. Carter Hall was new to the school that year, and had a habit of following Kendra with his eyes. He'd talked to her a few times, but her preoccupation with Cisco meant she didn't pay the poor boy any mind.

Cisco hoped to change that for him by Christmas.

He wasn't normally in the habit of playing Cupid with his students, but if it made it easier for him to pursue something with Lisa, he'd do it.

Maybe he would have a present for himself by the holidays, as well.