Love
Thud!
Thud!
Thud!
Thud!
Thud!
Barry's fist hitting the punching bag echoed throughout the D.E.O. training room. Training with
Oliver had been much more therapeutic than Barry wanted to admit. Sure getting his ass kicked
in the beginning wasn't fun but eventually, he got the hang of it. Those training sessions helped
him get bigger physically. He was skinny before lightning struck, Then he got abs and got
slightly bigger as time went on but not by much. But he got bigger in the 6ish months since he
started training with Oliver. Not as big as Oliver, since all his running makes that impossible, but
it is big enough to be pretty noticeable through the Black short-sleeved shirt, with Star Labs
written on it, that he was wearing.
He kept going at the bag, all he was thinking about was what he saw the other day when the
monitor showed him the future. The images ironically flashed through his head, all the death
and destruction. Countless timelines, countless earths, countless friends and family, all dying.
Oliver, his punching got faster, Cisco and Caitlyn, faster, Joe, Faster, Kara…..
THUD!
He punched it at superspeed, causing the punching bag to go flying off the chain and across the
room.
He stopped, closed his eyes, and let out a sigh.
"Wow, I've never seen someone throw it that far"
Barry turned around to see Alex standing at the entrance to the training room.
"How long have been standing there," he asked panting
"Not long" She answered honestly
"But long enough to see you speed up out of nowhere." She looked at him worried
He sighed and looked down, hands on his hips.
"Are you ok?" she asked
"No." He answered, and Alex stepped towards him. "Alex, I'm gonna die in a few weeks, and I
don't know what to do with myself. If I sit down for a single moment I feel like I'm wasting the
time I have left, the only time I feel sane and able to forget I'm about to die is..."
"With Kara." Alex finished as she realized he wasn't going to say it himself. He looked up at her,
and she nodded, confirming she knew their feelings. "I've seen how you act around her, you
love her don't you?" Alex smiled softly. "Tell her, trust me she's crazy about you too." She said,
and Barry scoffed. "I'm serious, are you that oblivious?"
"Alright, ya I love her. It's one of the reasons Iris and I got divorced. I've felt this way for years,
but I can't tell her now Alex. She's been through too much already, and if I tell her now just to die
in a few weeks that'll be torture to her." He said in defeat.
"You speak in absolutes, but you don't know that Barry! The future isn't written, it's malleable.
Things can change at any moment." Alex said and Barry raised his gaze to look at her trying to
make her optimism his.
"You guys ok?"
They both turned to see Kara standing at the entrance.
"Ya, we're good," Alex replied with a smile
"Ok," Kara replied walking towards, eyes glued on Barry as he smiled weakly at her.
"You know what? I have an idea." Alex said with a bit of excitement in her voice
Both of them now looking at her
"And what's that?" They both said in unison.
She smirked mischievously.
…..
Alex circled Barry and Kara, taking a drink from her bottle as they each caught their breaths. "I
don't know, I don't think you or Barry could lay a hand on me without your powers," Alex smirked
smugly, setting her water bottle down. Kara and Barry looked at each other with amused eyes,
then back at Alex. "I'm sorry, but I think you two need your powers to do all the hard work. You
can try and prove me wrong if you want." She smirked mischievously.
"Oh, you're on Danvers!" Barry said. He and Kara readied themselves, and so began another
round of training. Alex had to admit, she was surprised Barry knew how to fight outside of his
speed, and Kara had gotten trained by her on defending herself if she ever was without super
abilities so there was no surprise there, but the two together were a very great team, and had
managed to knock Alex down to the mat, and now wore smug smirks of their own as they
kneeled over him.
"Alright, you got me," Alex said, putting her hands up in defeat.
"Where'd you learn to fight like that Barry?" Kara asked as Barry wiped the small amount of
sweat off of himself. He suddenly became very quiet as he set the towel down, eyes locked on
the floor of the training room.
"Oliver, I talked to him after and Iris got divorced. He suggested it as a way to get my mind off
things, and crime fighter surprisingly hasn't been a 24-hour thing. Plus I lose my speed way too
regularly anyway." He spoke with a forced smile before taking a drink out of his water bottle.
Alex offered a worried glance towards Kara, whose eyes were locked on the man. "Alright, I got
to get to work. The Director of the DEO can't train the day away, much as I'd like to." She
smiled. "See ya later" Barry waved her off with a genuine smile.
Alex went to the locker room and changed back into her uniform, all the while thinking about
Barry and Kara. It was obvious the two cared for each other beyond friendship. As she walked
past the gym, she caught sight of the two simply talking with each other. The conversation
seemed to be a light one, full of smiles, laughs, and blushes. Alex finds herself stopping and
watching the two with a smile.
She remembers what Kara had told her about Barry, and her smile lessens a bit. She wasn't
inclined to believe some cosmic douche, especially after all the odds they had beaten before. As
Alex looks on, she's reminded of a day she'll always remember, Barry's wedding day. There are
a myriad of reasons for that, and number one surprisingly wasn't the fact that Nazis had crashed
the wedding, it was what happened before.
Kara sang at Barry and Iris' wedding beautifully, and Alex watched with a proud smile, but was
also jealous of how great a voice her sister had. Moments before that though, Alex had been
searching for the Kryptonian, needing to tell her it was her time to sing when she found an
unexpected sight.
"Kara?" Alex spoke up with worry, rushing forward to comfort the woman. She was crying, eyes
red. Her short yet stunning dress was wrinkled and her makeup was ruined, staining her cheeks
alongside her tears. "Kara, what's wrong?"
She was torn apart on what to do. She loved Barry, and she wanted nothing more than to tell
him that, but she wasn't going to ruin his big day, the moment he had always been looking
forward to, and Alex remembers that moment so vividly. It was clear that Kara had never moved
on, or gotten over him, and Alex could see why.
The two were perfect for each other, and all they needed to do was take that extra step, but she
understood how hard that could be, especially with someone who understood you on a
fundamental level. Whatever it took though, Alex was determined to get those two together, but
for now, duty called.
…..
Kara crossed her arms, tilting her head as she watched Barry catch his breath. "So… Oliver,
huh?"
Barry let out a short chuckle, running the towel over his face. "Yeah. After everything that
happened, he suggested I start training more. Said it would help me focus, keep me grounded."
He shrugged. "I figured, why not? Turns out getting my ass kicked by him repeatedly was, uh…
weirdly effective."
Kara smirked, eyes briefly drifting over him before she caught herself and quickly looked away.
"Well, I can tell it paid off. You look… different."
Barry raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile forming on his lips. "Different how?"
Kara rolled her eyes, fighting the heat rising to her cheeks. "You know how."
Barry grinned, shaking his head as he grabbed his water bottle. "I don't, Kara. You'll have to
spell it out for me."
Kara huffed, but there was a lightness in her expression. "You got bigger, okay? I mean, you
were always in shape, but now it's… noticeable." She waved a hand vaguely at him before
quickly changing the subject. "So, uh, Oliver put you through the wringer, huh?"
Barry took a sip of his water, still smiling. "Oh, you have no idea. It was brutal at first, but I got
the hang of it eventually. Guess I kinda had to." His voice softened. "Losing my speed isn't
exactly rare, and I needed to know how to fight when that happens."
Kara nodded, her expression shifting to something more thoughtful. "That makes sense. I think
it's great, Barry. You didn't have to push yourself like that, but you did." Her voice grew quieter,
more sincere. "You always do."
Barry met her gaze, something unspoken lingering between them before he cleared his throat
and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, uh, you know me. Can't sit still for too long."
Kara smiled, shaking her head. "No, you really can't."
Before either of them could say anything else, the door opened, and Alex stepped back inside,
her smirk firmly in place. "Alright, lovebirds, as fun as it is watching you two dance around each
other, I have a better idea."
Barry and Kara exchanged quick, panicked glances. "We weren't—" they started in unison.
Alex held up a hand. "Save it. What I'm saying is, we should all go out for drinks tonight. You
know, unwind, have some fun for once." She raised an eyebrow. "Unless, of course, you two
would rather stay here and keep making heart eyes at each other."
Kara groaned. "Alex."
Barry coughed into his fist. "Uh, drinks sound great."
Alex grinned. "Good. See you two later, then." With that, she walked out, leaving Barry and Kara
standing there, both slightly flustered but smiling nonetheless.
…..
Arriving at the same time as Alex and Kelly, Barry took a moment to take in National City. It had
a different energy than what he was used to, bright, welcoming, and alive in a way that felt both
familiar and entirely new.
"So this must be Barry Allen," Kelly smirked as the two groups met up.
"I've heard a lot about you from Alex, from Kara," she added, shooting Kara a teasing glance.
"Good things, I hope," Barry said with a grin.
They all shuffled into the bar, pleasantly surprised to find it wasn't too crowded. The warm
lighting and cozy ambiance made it feel like the perfect place for a night out. A small stage in
the corner caught Barry's eye.
"Kara, you made it!" A new voice piped up as Nia and Brainy entered.
"And I see we have a visitor from… somewhere very far away," Nia added with an excited grin,
giving Barry an enthusiastic handshake. "You're as fast as they say, right?"
Barry chuckled. "I try to be."
"I would love to discuss the exact science behind your speed," Brainy interjected. "The
existence of such an energy field and its interactions with physiology is fascinating."
Barry blinked. "Uh, yeah, it's... complicated. But I'd be happy to try and explain."
Brainy immediately perked up. "Excellent. A detailed breakdown would be most beneficial.
Perhaps we could compare notes on quantum entanglement as it relates to your enhanced
velocity?"
Before Barry could respond, Alex draped an arm around him. "Careful, Barry. Brainy won't let
you leave if you give him too many answers."
Barry laughed as Kara pulled him toward a booth. "How have you been, Kara?" he asked
sincerely. "I feel like every time we see each other, we're in the middle of some crisis."
Kara exhaled. "Honestly? Things have been a lot lately, but tonight I just want to have fun."
Barry smiled. "Then let's make that happen."
"You know what we should do instead of moping? Sing."
Barry grinned. "Now you're talking."
Minutes later, the two superfriends were on stage, belting out a duet to the delight of the bar.
Alex, Kelly, Nia, and Brainy cheered them on, and even the patrons who didn't know them got
caught up in their energy.
As the night wore on, Barry made his rounds, getting to know everyone better. He was
especially intrigued by Nia's abilities.
"You know, your powers kind of remind me of someone I knew back home," Barry noted. "He
could see things, different timelines, different realities. It's rare to meet someone with abilities
connected to time and dreams like that."
Nia's eyes widened. "That's amazing! I'd love to learn more about how he controlled it."
At one point, Brainy pulled him aside again, launching into an in-depth discussion about the
mechanics of speed, leaving Kara and the others giggling at Barry's slightly overwhelmed
expression.
"Hey, Barry, is that what I think it is?" Alex asked, pointing to his ring.
Barry grinned, slipping it off and holding it up. "Yep. Suit's in here. One press, and boom, instant
costume change."
Kelly raised an eyebrow. "That is both awesome and wildly convenient."
Barry laughed. "It comes in handy."
"You know Oliver and Felicity had a daughter," he said as both Alex and Kara's eyes lit up.
"Really!" both women said.
"Ya," He nodded with a smile. He pulled out his phone and pulled up a picture of him holding the
youngest member of the Queen family, and passed it around.
"Aww" the women fawned over the photo, while Brainy kept a straight face.
"Her name is Mia," He said
"It's a more modern version of Oliver's mother's name, Miora" he added.
The group listened intently, some exchanging glances. "She's adorable," Kara said, smiling and
handing the phone back to him.
Eventually, the group had to pull themselves away from the bar, lamenting the end of the night
while playfully cursing at Barry and Kara for their inability to get drunk.
After ensuring everyone got home safely, the two superfriends flashed back to Kara's
apartment. As she shut and locked the door, Barry couldn't wipe the smile from his face.
"Barry, thank you so much. Tonight was the most fun I've had in a while." Kara smiled at him,
warmth radiating from her gaze.
"Kara, can I tell you something?" Barry asked, his voice softer now.
She looked at him with a mix of worry and curiosity but nodded nonetheless.
"Tonight made me realize a lot of things," he admitted. "Or at least, it made me finally want to
face them."
"Barry…"
He took a deep breath. "I've been avoiding this, avoiding how I feel—how I've felt for a long
time. But I don't want to run from it anymore. Kara, I just need you to know—I've always felt this
way."
She looked up into his soft, caring eyes, and in that instant, her breath hitched. The two fell into
each other's arms, holding on tightly, as if afraid to let go.
When they finally pulled apart, their eyes remained locked. The world around them faded into
nothing.
Kara's eyes fluttered shut as they slowly leaned in, but just as she expected to feel his lips on
hers, the moment stalled.
"Can I kiss you?" Barry asked softly, his voice barely above a breath, his eyes searching hers
with quiet desperation.
Kara's heart clenched at his tenderness, at the way he treated this moment with such care. She
slowly nodded, licking her lips in anticipation, her eyes falling shut once more. Her pulse raced,
so fast she almost wondered if Barry could hear it.
And then, finally, their lips met.
It was an explosion of emotions, of years of unsaid words and missed moments, of longing that
neither of them had fully dared to acknowledge until now. The kiss deepened, neither willing to
pull away, both making up for lost time.
Barry's hand rested gently on her cheek, anchoring himself to the moment, to her. When he
finally did pull back, Kara chased his lips for the briefest second before her eyes fluttered open.
She looked at him, and then—she smiled. Not just any smile, but the biggest, most beautiful
smile Barry had ever seen.
And that's when the weight of it all hit him.
"I'm sorry," he murmured, his forehead resting against hers, their breaths still mingling.
Kara blinked. "For what?"
"For not doing that years ago," Barry admitted, his voice heavy with regret. "For wasting so
much time when I could've been with you."
Kara's expression softened as she cupped his face gently. "You're here now," she whispered.
"That's all that matters."
He let out a small, breathy laugh, relief washing over him. She was right. They were here.
Together.
No more running. No more regrets. Just them. Just this. Just the beginning.