73



I looked through a case file, seated at my desk, dressed in a black long sleeve t shirt, that was tucked into blue ripped skinny jeans, black heeled ankle boots on my feet, my hair straight. I messed with my badge, that was clipped to the small black belt I had around my jeans, as my eyes skimmed through the paper in front of me.


"Hey you," I heard from in front of me, as my head snaps up, landing on Barry Allen, a smile on his face at the very sight of me.


"Oh- hey, Barry." I smile, setting the case file folder down on my desk, sitting up lightly due to how I was slouching, my hands on the arms of the office chair I was sitting in, "What can I do for you?"


"Just because I came down here to talk to you, doesn't mean I need something." Barry told me, as he questions right after, "You workin late?"


"No?" I say, my sentence coming out as some sort of question, my eyebrows furrowing in confusion.


"It's seven." He points to the small clock that rested on my desk, my eyes landing on the bright red digits on the device.


"Oh-" I took the folder and placed it back in the cabinet, "Time ran away from me, I guess."


"What case were you looking at?" Barry questions, holding onto his bag.


"A old one." I simply answer, slipping on my black windbreaker, making sure my gun was secure in its holsters that was also attached to my belt, as I grabbed my hand purse and my phone, "It really doesn't matter."


He gives me a nod, dropping it, "I was gonna stop by Star Labs-"


"And you want me to come with you?" I question, already knowing what he would ask me right after.


He nods, a chuckle leaving his lips, "Yeah."


"All right- I'll come." I leave ccpd with him, as we walked down the sidewalk. Within minutes, both of our phones buzzed.


I fished out my phone as does he, as he both look at each other after checking our phones, saying in unison, "Cisco."


Barry runs, leaving his bag at his home before running back over to me, scooping me up in his arms, then running into Star Labs, into the breach room, setting me down, "What's going on?" Barry's voice sounded the room.


"That." Caitlin pointed to the breach.


"Why'd you open a breach?" I stepped down the stairs, looking at Cisco with confusion.


"I didn't." He answered, putting some sort of gun he had probably created at the breach, Joe holding his own gun towards the breach also, as Iris stood behind her father.


"What?" Barry asks confused.


"That's why we called you." Joe answered.


"Can't you close it?" I questioned.


"Once again, wouldn't have called if I could." Cisco told me, keeping his aim straight.


Barry comes over, standing right next to me, his arm out, guarding me lightly, as we all prepared for what would happen.


"Alright- somebody's coming through-" Wally spoke, as I pulled my gun out, setting it in place, also aiming at the breach.


"Get back-" Joe told everyone who was unarmed, as we stood still.


In jumped Harry, letting out a breath as he looked at Barry, "Allen."


"Wells-" Barry looked at Harry with slight wide eyes, as I lowered my gun, placing it back in the holster attached to my belt.


"I need your help." Harry told us.


"With what exactly?" I question, my eyebrows furrowed in confusion.


As if on cue, in came a whoosh, as some sort of lightning ran in circles, someone with abilities just like Barry's before stopping in front of us, Jesse being the one who had just ran around in front of us.


"With that." Harry points to Jesse.


"Hey guys." Jesse smiles at us.


I slowly look at Barry, my eyes wide, "Did you just- because I just- we all just- I'm not seeing things, am I?-"


Barry's hands move, one hand going to my lower back, the other hand covering my mouth to stop me from rambling, looking at me, a small smile on his face because of how I had started to ramble, as he spoke to me quietly, "We all saw that."


"Jesse-" Wally starts in astonishment, "You're a speedster?"


"Yeah, it's pretty cool, right?" Jesse starts, but corrects herself, "I mean- I would say so."


"When did this happen?" Caitlin questions.


"A few days ago." Jesse answers.


"When I got Allen his speed back- Wally and Jesse were hit with the dark matter, and she was affected, she was totally affected." Harry explained.


"But I didn't get speed, so could it have been something else?" Wally questioned.


"I doubt it." Harry spoke, "Dark matter affects different people- in different ways- at different times. Sometimes not at all, so be thankful that she was affected, and I have to run some tests to find out just how much."


"Then, you've come to the right place." Caitlin told him, a smile playing at her lips. "Let's go to the Speed Lab."


Barry and Harry question in unison, "Speed Lab?"


Cisco leads us all into the Speed Lab, as he speaks, "Something tells me you've never been in this room before."


Barry nods, "This is insane."


Harry speaks up, "Wait you've never- Allen. I suppose that means you travelled back in time again."


"Yeah, but-" Barry starts.


Harry cuts him off, "How many times did I tell you not to do that?"


"Well you figured that out really quick, Harry." Iris said.


"Yes, Ms. West, it was easy because we've never been here either." Harry says.


I end up zoning out completely as my stare fixed on the ground, my mind trailing off to things that didn't matter at the moment, but I couldn't get my mind off of.


The fear that it could crush Iris if there was anything between Barry and I still made me fall into a hole of remorse.


I knew I still had feelings for Barry, and that wouldn't change. No matter how hard I tried and completely covered it.


I knew whenever he spoke to me, my heart would beat out of my chest. When he smiled in my direction, my heart would stop. Whenever we were together my stomach would do flips. Whenever we made eye contact, my heart fluttered.


The fact that Barry was in another timeline, meant he didn't know anything that happened after him and I broke up because of Reign. Barry was hurt, and so was I. We couldn't be in the same room with each other unless we were going to try our hardest not to hold each other.


We wanted to be together, we did. But due to Reign's stunt, Barry thought it was best that we kept our desire to be in relationship off the table for now.


And I agreed.


We had soon learned to somewhat bring things back to normal, we were back to being friends. Eventually, Iris had admitted to somewhat meaning what she said the day we tried to get Barry's speed back.


It bothered me, yes, but I didn't want to ruin her chances with him. Due to them ending up in the future anyway.


Barry and Iris talked it out a bit before, which I had no idea what was said. And now fast forwarding up to today, Barry and Iris never had anything going on and he had hopes of being with me once more.


If that were true, if he did want to be with me, I didn't know if I could do it. The guilt was consuming me, as I felt selfish, wanting Barry, needing Barry.


I had hoped that whatever Iris felt was a phase. A phase that would end soon. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt her.


"Hey- you okay?" I heard Barry's voice break me out of my thoughts, as I kept my stare of the ground.


"I'm fine." I barely whisper, my hands in the pockets of my windbreaker.


"No you're not-" I felt a hand go under my chin and tilt my head up, my eyes remaining on the ground until the very last second of my head being fully tilted up, as my eyes snap towards him, making me immediately make eye contact with him.


"What's wrong? Talk to me." His words were full of the action to comfort me, as my eyes looked around, noticing Iris, Wally and Joe had  left the Speed Lab, Cisco and Caitlin were in some corner, Harry with them, Jesse doing laps.


My eyes make contact with his once more, my heart fluttering at the contact, "I just-" I sigh, "Don't worry about it, okay?"


Barry sighs quietly, "Just because we aren't together doesn't mean you can't tell me when something's bothering you."


"Barry," I put my hands on his chest hesitantly, looking up at him, "I'm okay. It's nothing to worry about right now."


"Well- maybe we could talk about it over coffee?" Barry questions quietly, his voice coming out slightly shaky, his hand still under my chin, holding my face up directing up towards his, as he starts to slowly ramble, "I mean- unless you want to get some other type of drink. Because that's totally fine- we could do iced tea- or lemonade- or soda- or whiskey- not that I want to get you drunk- I mean even water's fine. Whatever you want- just- would you want to- get one with me?"


"Are you really asking me out on a date? Right now?" I question, my voice coming out quiet, my eyes slightly wide with amusement, my heart feeling all types of joy due to how cute he was being, and how he had just asked me out, giving me hope about what could start once more between us, but also creating a small puddle of guilt in my stomach.


"Yes," He nods, "I am."


A small smile forms on my lips, "Coffee would be nice."


"I could pick you up before work tomorrow?" Barry suggests.


"Yeah, I'd like that." I smile lightly, before stepping away from him, a wide smile crossing his lips.


I was going on a date with Barry Allen.


-


I fixed my lightly curled hair repeatedly in the mirror as I stared at my outfit. I was dressed in a dark green blouse, that was tucked into black jeans that were for once not ripped, my feet wearing my normal go to black heeled ankle boots.


I had put on some mascara and chapstick, and a bit of concealer to hide the bags under my eyes from the lack of sleep I had gotten that night.


Iris had already left to go to ccpn, which gave me some sort of relief. I heard a knock at my door as I grab my hand purse, and my phone, fixing the holster that held my gun, and my badge, the both attached to the band of my jeans, as I opened the door, my eyes landing on Barry.


He was dressed in a green button up, a white shirt under it, black jeans, his black coat over it. He ran a hand through his hair, a smile forming on his lips, "Hey."


"Hi-" My eyes trail down his outfit, then look down at mine, "We're matching- okay- this is weird- Do you want me to go change?- I'm gonna go change- you know what- just sit here and make yourself comfortable- and I will be back in just one minute-" I set down my things, practically bolting into my room, shutting the door, ignoring the fact that I had left Barry standing there with the door wide open.


I was quick to change into a white sweater instead, fixing my necklace, before leaving my room, to see Barry standing in my living room, waiting patiently. "I'm sorry- for making you wait-"


"It's alright." He smiles at me, "You look really pretty."


My heart flutters, as I put a strand of my hair behind my ear, "Thank you." I grab a black leather jacket, slipping it on before grabbing my phone and purse again, walking over to him.


We walk to Jitters, I sit down at a booth, Barry ordering for the both of us up front, paying due to denying every attempt of me trying to give him some money for it, before he comes over, setting my iced coffee in front of me, sitting across from me.


I sip the coffee, the familiar caramel taste causing a small smile to form on my lips, "You remembered?"


"Of course I remembered." He mutters, "When it comes to you, I always remember."


My heart fluttered lightly at the sound of those words. I had thought that since we haven't been together for months, he would've forgotten the little things, such as my coffee order. But then it came to mind that he didn't experience those few months.


"Are you okay?" Barry asks me after taking a sip of his coffee.


"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." I spoke, trying to come up with a lie, "I just wasn't feeling well, and I was stressing out about the case I was looking at."


"Is that so?" He questions, his eyebrow raised, the expression on his face telling me that he wasn't believing me.


I hum in response as he continues, "Why stress out about a case that's old and dismissed?"


I go silent, not knowing how to react, being caught in the lie.


"What's actually been bothering you?" Barry asks me once more.


I sigh, staring down at my hands, "I know- you were in another timeline- and have had no idea what has happened in the last few months. But I lived it. I watched it all happened- I witnessed it. Whatever Iris said to you about the thing that has apparently went on between you two- she was there- and she felt it."


He nods, as I continue, "She admitted to me that what she said to you that day we tried to get your speed back to go against Zoom- she meant it. I don't want to hurt her."


He stays silent, as I continue to speak, "Don't get me wrong- I got so- excited- when you asked me out. But I felt selfish. I don't care if I had you before she did- I feel guilty."


"I'll talk to her about it." Barry spoke up, "She'll understand."


"I know." I whisper.


"Let's just enjoy our date, all right?" Barry suggests.


I nod, a small smile on my face, "Okay."

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