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~*~
His head was throbbing, a tinny ringing echoing in his ears, and he groaned, rolling over onto his stomach and burying his face in his pillow. It didn't stop any of his misery, but the pillow was soft and smelled clean. He'd almost drifted off again when the bed creaked and dipped next to him.
He was… sharing a bed?
With who?
He breathed another heartfelt groan and pushed himself up so he could get a look at his companion, and—okay. Wow.
Laying next to him was maybe the most handsome person he'd ever seen. A chiseled, feline face, a pretty little bow of a mouth, and close-shaved hair that should have looked severe, but came across tidy instead. Something about that face sent sensation squirming and warm into his belly.
Was he gay?
He looked over his companion again, pulling his focus away from the guy's face. He was wearing a black Henley and jeans—it looked like he'd kicked off most of the blanket in his sleep, and one of his arms was dangling off the edge of the bed. It was adorable
"Hey." He reached out and touched his shoulder, comforted by the body heat that bled through the fabric. "Wake up. Please?"
The guy's eyebrow twitched, a crease forming on his forehead as he stirred, and then he opened his eyes all at once, staring up at him without any of the usual half-asleep fog. His eyes were gray-blue, like ice when it caught the right kind of light, and they stared at each other silently.
Immediate chemistry. Yeah, if this guy wasn't his boyfriend, he was going to be. Hell yeah.
He cleared his throat and offered a smile. "Good morning."
"Good morning."
God. Even his voice was great.
"Hi, so… I don't mean to be rude, but. I don't suppose you know who I am?"
The guy blinked—jeez. Such long eyelashes—and rubbed his forehead with the heel of his palm. "Honestly, I was hoping I could ask you the same question."
~*~
After a quick search of the room, ignoring any unopened doors for now, they sat together in the bed to share their spoils. They had uncovered a navy blue parka and a tan cardigan tossed over a couple of chairs, and next to the bed they'd found a pair of black boots and a pair of Converse.
"This must be yours," his hot boyfriend said, plucking a brown wallet out of the cardigan pocket with a dexterous motion of his hand.
"Hmm." He opened the wallet and frowned at the ID. "Bartholomew Henry Allen." The picture showed a young man with brown hair and green eyes. He looked thin and kind of reedy. He showed his hot boyfriend the picture. "Is this me?"
In the middle of putting the cardigan on, his hot boyfriend paused and took a close look at the picture. "Yeah. Definitely the same nerdy mug."
"Hey!" Bartholomew yanked his wallet away, his cheeks burning. "If you're going to be mean, I'm taking my cardigan back."
His hot boyfriend rubbed the fabric of the cardigan between his fingers. "It's comfortable."
"Fine." Bartholomew rolled his eyes. "I'll wear your over-dramatic parka, then. The thermostat says it's seventy degrees in here, I don't know why you decided you needed a whole winter coat." Bartholomew patted down the pockets and found a second wallet. "Aha!" He flipped it open and found some cash in the billfold, a couple of store loyalty cards, and an ID for Leonard Sullivan, who was kind of giving the camera a stink-eye.
Bartholomew tossed it over to Leonard. "It's definitely you. You must take bad pictures at the DMV."
Leonard narrowed his eyes. "Everyone takes bad pictures at the DMV."
Bartholomew scooted closer and bumped their knees together as he examined the shoes. The Converse were his, which made sense. The boots were as dramatic as the parka. "So what do I call you? Len? Leo?"
Leonard grinned, his eyes flickering over Barry briefly. "You can call me whatever you want."
Barry took the offer seriously, watching Leonard as he put his boots on and made a satisfied sound at the fit. "You look like a Leo to me."
"Huh. Bartholomew is a mouthful. I'm gonna call you Barry."
Bartholomew groaned. "No. Call me Bart, it's so much better."
Leo raised his eyebrow. "Like the Simpsons? No thanks." Leo turned away and looked down; Barry—only because he wasn't going to fight Leo on something as dumb as a nickname—knelt on the bed to look over Leo's shoulder. He was frowning, giving his ID a closer look.
"What's wrong?" Barry asked.
Leo shook his head. "You're just a kid. Why the hell was I in bed with you?"
Barry hummed and draped his arms over Leo's shoulders. "Maybe I seduced you," he teased, rubbing his cheek against Leo's shoulder. "Men are like bourbon—they get better as they age."
Leo snorted. "I hope you don't think that was smooth."
"You haven't pulled away yet." Barry reached down, stroking his finger over Leo's knuckles. "Maybe you like my bad sense of humor?"
"Don't push your luck."
Leo wasn't frowning anymore, though, which made another burst of warmth bloom in Barry's chest.
"We should scout the rest of this place and see if we can figure anything else out." Barry pulled away from Leo only to get his Converse on, and then he stood, looking around the room critically. Now that they were a little more comfortable, it was time to explore the rest of the place.
Leo explored his side of the room slowly and methodically, so Barry followed his lead; he opened a small door that looked like a linen or coat closet and found it empty. Door number two lead to a small bathroom with a toilet and a shower stall, and very little otherwise. "This doesn't look very homey," he said.
"Maybe last night was a one night stand?" Leo suggested, and he inched past Barry to investigate the bathroom, pulling open drawers and cabinets. He managed to find a cache of unopened toiletries, and he grinned at Barry in delight.
Barry firmly shook his head. "No way. You're totally boyfriend material." Barry had the distinct pleasure of watching Leo's eyes widen and a flush creep up into his cheeks. It was adorable. He wanted to do it again immediately.
Leo didn't respond, choosing to clear his throat instead, and Barry snagged one of the unopened toothbrushes and the weird mini-toothpaste that looked like it'd been taken from a cheap motel.
It was a relief to brush his teeth and get the grimy, sleep feel out of his mouth. With Leo next to him, it was practically domestic. Boyfriend material indeed.
Refreshed, Barry and Leo continued their exploration, opening the what had to be the entrance of the bedroom and finding what looked like a mostly abandoned warehouse outside it. Leo turned to face the bedroom, and then spun around to stare at the warehouse again.
Barry and Leo shared a look.
"This is weird, right?" Leo asked.
"Who knows?" Barry shrugged and then very casually reached for Leo's hand with nervous, cold fingers. The fact that Leo squeezed his hand just as tightly was reassuring.
They walked forward together, looking around in a silence born of confusion and fear. They were definitely in an abandoned warehouse that weirdly had one completely refurbished bedroom. It was like the Twilight Zone. They eventually found an unlocked side door and stepped outside.
It was a warm, bright morning. A car drove down the road, and Barry could hear the signs of life in the city, the kind of white noise ambiance that happened when a lot of people lived closely together. It was good to know that they weren't like, the only people left in the world or anything like that.
"Anything look familiar?" Barry asked. Leo looked around, squinting against the morning light, and shook his head.
"Should we go to the police?" Leo asked, and Barry shook his head.
"We were in a weird abandoned warehouse," he pointed out. "Don't you think that's suspicious?"
"Barry." Leo fixed him with a look made him feel like a child about to be scolded. "People don't lose their memories for the hell of it. We should at least try to find a hospital and get checked out."
"You're right. I wish I had my phone."
"Who says you have a phone?" Leo asked. "Maybe we were squatters and that's why we were in a warehouse?"
Barry grinned, leaning against Leo's side before choosing a direction to walk, tugging him along after. "So we're not a one night stand? Now we're squatters living together?"
Leo glanced at Barry from the corner of his eye. "I… think I'm comfortable with you. That means something, right?"
Barry flushed in pleasure, squeezing Leo's hand. "I think it does."
They reached an intersection; the small, slow road they'd been walking connected to a larger street, and it was overwhelming, a clash of loud traffic and restaurant signs. Billboards obscured the skyline from where they stood, and Barry wasn't even sure what direction they were facing. How were they supposed to find a hospital when he had no clue about… well, literally anything?
A sleek gold motorcycle zoomed past them, close enough for Barry to feel the wind; a second later, the rider took a sharp u-turn and sped back, driving onto the sidewalk where they were standing.
"Where have you been?" The voice was feminine behind the motorcycle helmet, and the woman yanked it off, golden-brown hair cascading in loose curls around her face. "I've been looking for you for hours, Lenny!"
"Uh…" Leo blinked and took a step back. Barry couldn't blame him—she was fierce. "Sorry?"
"Sorry?" She jabbed her heel against the kickstand of her ride and got into Leo's face, jabbing his shoulder with one perfectly manicured fingernail. "You jerk, I'm going to kill you. You couldn't even tell your sister you were alive?"
"Sister?" Barry asked, since Leo didn't look like he was ready to start asking questions. "You know who he is? What about me?"
The woman blinked, her face growing taut and suspicious as she looked between Barry and Leo, her eyes dropping to their clasped hands. She swore under her breath and pulled her cell from her jacket pocket.
"Cisco, I found him," she said into the phone. "he's with your nerdy friend. It looks like they're okay, but they're acting weird." She stared off into the distance as she listened to whatever Cisco was saying. "You'd do that? Thanks, Cisco." She whirled around on her heel to face them as she ended the call.
"My name's Lisa," she said. "And I'm your little sister, jerk." She took a deep breath and pushed her hands through her hair. "I'm sure you have questions, but it'll be better to discuss everything once we're at STAR Labs."
Barry and Leo exchanged another look, and Barry shrugged. "Honestly, I don't see a better option."
Then a whole-ass portal appeared in front of them, forming out of thin air. Barry yelped; Leo stepped forward, letting Barry hide behind him, and Lisa rolled her eyes. "Come on, boys." She walked her bike through the portal.
"Do you think it's safe?" Barry asked.
"She went first," Leo answered. He took a deep breath and stepped into the portal, pulling Barry after him.
There was a second of falling, of spatial disorientation, and then Barry's feet hit solid ground. He stumbled, because of course he did, grabbing onto Leo's arm to keep upright. Leo casually slid his arm around Barry's waist to help, and Barry blushed bright red at the contact.
Once he got his bearings, though, he was amazed. Just a second ago, they'd been on the sidewalk in front of a busy intersection, and now they were somewhere completely new. Everything was shiny and clean and reminded Barry of a sci-fi movie set. Completing the scene was a dark-haired guy wearing a Star Trek shirt, who was looking at Barry like he'd just found his lost puppy.
"Barry, bro, you've got to stop vanishing on people," he said, hurrying up to Barry and pulling him into a hug. "Are you okay? Where did you and Snart go last night?" He pulled away to glare at Leo. "You didn't do anything to him, did you?"
"Of course he didn't!" Barry said defensively. "Why would he?"
"Like I said, Cisco." Lisa gestured at Barry and Leo. "They're acting weird. He's wearing Lenny's parka."
Cisco looked at Barry, long and hard, and then leaned closer. "You know, The Flash and Captain Cold did a little team up at the docks last night."
"…Is that supposed to mean something?" Barry asked. Leo just mouthed the sentence, disbelief evident in his face.
Cisco planted his hands on Barry's shoulders. "Brain Wave? ARGUS? Any of this ringing a bell?"
"Quit freaking him out. We don't know what you're talking about." Leo tugged Barry away from Cisco, and Barry squeezed Leo's arm, taking comfort in the one person who shared his experience.
"This is so, so weird," Cisco whispered. He hurried over to one of the terminals and typed in a number; it started ringing over speaker, and a woman answered.
"Cisco, did you find them?"
"Caitlin, I think they got whammied by the meta last night."
"You found Barry?" Another woman's voice, and there was something in the warm tone that stirred Barry's memory, vaguely familiar.
"Found them both," Cisco agreed, "but um… maybe we could use everyone's expertise on this one."
"Just the four of us," Lisa said pointedly. "There's no reason to bring anyone else into this."
"This is a little more dramatic than I thought it'd be," Leo murmured to Barry as they watched Cisco and Lisa bicker with the others on the line.
"I guess I was thinking hospitals and maybe parents," Barry agreed, "But hey. We live in a world where portals open up out of nowhere. That's pretty cool."
"It is." Leo took a deep breath. "I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't know what's going on."
"Cisco said I was with someone named Snart last night." Barry scratched at the back of his neck. "Maybe we can track them down, see if they know what happened?"
"Sounds like a good idea. Of course, everything kinda sounds like a good idea right now."
"What are partners for, right?" Barry grinned at Leo. Despite the anxiety of being in a new place with strangers who apparently knew him, the warmth an reassurance Leo gave him was something that couldn't be denied.
That small pleasure vanished when he realized Cisco and Lisa were staring at them—Cisco's face was stuck on something like disbelief, while Lisa was smirking, as if she knew something no one else did.
Cisco raked his hands through his hair and then pointed a shaking finger at Leonard. "You. You're Snart. Leonard Snart."
Leo shrugged. "That's not what my ID says."
"Your ID is fake," Lisa said. "We got new ones two weeks ago, specifically for our mission last night."
"Are you a secret agent?" Barry asked, looking over at Leo with renewed interest.
"He used to be a criminal, but now he likes to play at being a superhero." Lisa narrowed her eyes speculatively. "Personally, I think it's your influence, Barry. You always con him into doing stupid things."
"That's not fair, Sister Cold," Cisco protested. "Barry doesn't make anyone do anything."
Barry cleared his throat, raising his hand in a little wave to catch their attention. "Sorry to interrupt, but you mentioned some people earlier. At least, I think they're people. The Flash? Captain Cold?"
Cisco opened his mouth, closed it, and sank into a chair at the terminal. "That's you. And him. Code names."
Stupid code names. Leo used to be a criminal, Lisa said, but not anymore? And Barry had a tenency to talk Leo into bad ideas? Barry swallowed. "We're not like… strippers, are we?"
Lisa choked back her laughter for a full second before she gave up, curling in and covering her mouth with her hands.
Cisco, horrified and glassy-eyed only said, "No. You're not strippers."
~*~
Everything was awkward until Caitlin and Iris walked through the door. Caitlin was a white woman, eyes and hair a pretty brown, with a fragile and pointed face. Iris was a beautiful black woman who radiated warmth and confidence in a way that Barry found immediately comforting.
"Barry," Iris said, giving him a smile. The look she turned on Leo was a little cooler, but she still nodded in his direction. "Leonard."
Caitlin traded her jacket for a white lab coat. "If you'll come with me?" She led them to a medical room off to the side of the main lab where they had been waiting. "I don't know how much Cisco's told you—"
"Not much," Leo interrupted. "I have a fake ID, I guess."
"And we have secret agent code names," Barry added cheerfully.
Caitlin raised a hand to her face and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"I'll take this part over," Iris said as she followed after them. "You just focus on the tests." Caitlin gave Iris a look of naked relief and gratitude, and immediately started placing electrodes on Barry's head. She was careful despite her speed, and Barry was kind of impressed. Did Caitlin deal with a lot of medical emergencies?
"I'm Iris West," Iris said. "Barry, you're my best friend. We've known each other since we were kids, so I'm going to be as honest as I can with you."
Leo leaned in and bumped his shoulder to Barry's. "Everyone's calling you Barry. Just pointing that out."
"That just means I'm dumb." Barry folded his arms over his chest—only Caitlin buzzing around them prevented him from fidgeting. "Bart's a superior nickname."
Caitlin and Iris laughed. "This isn't the first time you've had amnesia," Iris explained. "You wanted to be called Bart then, too."
"I agree with myself," Barry said, choosing to ignore the rest of the sentence. Caitlin spared him a warm look as she moved onto Leo and started fastening electrodes to him as well.
"Anyway," Iris said, redirecting the conversation, "You're a superhero. A vigilante. Sometimes you and Leonard team up when you have matching interests—"
"Nice how you just slid past the vigilante-superhero thing," Leo said, his voice dropping low and dangerous in a way that made goosebumps rise on Barry's arms.
"That's because it's the least important part in this story, and we can return to it later, if you want." Iris and Leo glared at each other for a minute before Leo relented, relaxing back into some facsimile of calm.
Barry needed to make a list of all the stuff he liked about the guy. Handsome. Cool under pressure. Protective. Sexy voice—Barry really liked that. Good hygiene. Smelled good. Let Barry hold onto him for reassurance even though he knew as much as Barry did. Funny.
Leo glanced Barry's way. "What're you looking at me for?"
"I'm just making a list of all the things I like about you." Barry didn't see the point in lying, really. "I don't want to forget again."
"Oh." Leo cleared his throat as he looked away, focusing on Caitlin. The tips of his ears were dusted pink. Barry liked this guy so much.
Iris watched Barry with utter delight. "I'm going to tease you about this so much when this is all over."
"Hey!" Cisco hurried into the room and looked Barry and Leo over, his eyes going wide and frantic. "Snart, where's the gun? You had it last night!"
"What gun?" Leo looked from Cisco to Barry as if Barry might have the answer for him, and Cisco made a low, defeated sound in his throat.
"Another thing on the list to worry about," Cisco muttered to himself, and his shoulders slumped as he walked out.
"Is that kid okay?" Leo asked. "He seems stressed."
"Like you wouldn't believe," Caitlin agreed.
"Let's focus," Iris said, pulling Barry's attention back to her. "We were tracking a meta human last night—meta humans are people with superpowers, okay? We were tracking down a man named Henry King. From the information we'd been able to gather, he's telepathic and able to manipulate the minds of others. I suspect that's what happened to the two of you last night."
"Okay, yeah, sure." Barry laughed weakly and shrugged. "We live in a comic book. Why not?"
"How do we fix it?" Leo asked—he'd been focused and intent the entire time Iris had been talking, just as she'd asked.
"That's the thing. We have a theory, but we haven't tested it." Iris crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her fingernails on her forearm. "I think that if we use a combination of Cisco's vibe abilities and the Speed Force, it'll break whatever Henry did to you."
"I don't understand anything you just said." Barry almost leaned back, but Leo rested his hand against Barry's shoulders. It reminded Barry that they were both currently undergoing tests, and he probably shouldn't be moving around too much.
"Honestly, it's hard to explain," Iris admitted. "You have access to something that we've named the Speed Force. It's sort of…"
"It's sort of like if science and and metaphysical, new age weirdness had a baby," Caitlin said without looking away from her monitors. "No one really understands how it works."
"The point is that the Speed Force has proven to be very protective over you," Iris continued. "We're hoping it'll fix whatever Brain Wave did to you."
"I can't see any actual damage in their scans, so I think our original hypothesis stands. We saw the same kind of memory issues in Brain Wave's other victims, so I think it's probably the same telepathic hypnosis he used before."
"Why erase their memories entirely, though?" Iris asked. "He usually just tries to wipe out an hour or two.Unless he went careless and took as much as he could because you were the only ones close enough to stop him."
There was a brief knock at the door—Lisa and Cisco announcing that they were there—and Lisa walked over to Leo's side, shaking her head.
"You're always getting into something, Lenny," she said softly. "You used to take care of me when I was little, and I feel like it's my turn to take care of you."
"I don't think I could be in better hands," Leo assured her, and he reached up to tug on a strand of her hair. Her eyes went shiny for a moment, and then she punched his shoulder playfully.
Smart. Focused. Kind to his sister. Barry was definitely putting all of that on his list.
"I don't know if you heard what we were talking about, Cisco?" Caitlin took the electrodes off Barry's head. "If we're lucky, you'll be able to disrupt they effect of Brain Wave's abilities. No time to try like the present."
"Got it." Cisco stepped up to Barry and gave him a serious look. "I've got you, bro. This won't hurt. At worst, it won't do anything, and if we're lucky, it'll get you back to normal."
Barry shrugged again. He appreciated the effort they seemed to be going through for them, but also he didn't know any better. They said they were his friends, and he hadn't seen any behavior that made him think they were lying… but they could also be really good actors.
"Okay," Barry said. "I'm ready."
Cisco stuck his hand out. "Take my hand, Barry."
Barry looked from Cisco's face to his hand. Then he straightened his shoulders and gripped Cisco's hand tight.
For a minute, nothing happened. A few more seconds. Cisco's hand in his started to pulse with a pale, bluish light, and it tingled like static electricity on his skin, little flickers of yellow lightning dancing up and down his arm.
"Wow," Barry breathed.
"I'm just… trying to find…" Cisco frowned, his forehead lined deep with concentration. The lightning grew stronger, crackling sparks building all around him, and—
"Barry!" Leo, worry and alarm written all over his face, and—
Something fragmented in his mind, a smooth featureless wall of mortared thoughts splintering as Cisco found the right frequency to destroy the block, and everything came back to him, his breath punched out by the onslaught. His mom, his dad, Joe, Iris, Cisco and Caitlin—the people he loved and trusted above all else. It wasn't emotionally brutal, which he'd been afraid of. It was just as if a wall had been put up between his conscious thoughts and the scars he'd kept from his life; Brain Wave's ability didn't rip open new wounds.
And then there was last night—he'd seen Brain Wave about to do his thing, golden light shining like a halo around his head, and he'd tried to grab Leonard and get him out before it took effect. He hadn't even been in costume because he hadn't expected things to go south. He should always assume things were going to go bad out in the field. It was a stupid oversight.
Barry winced and pulled away from Cisco to rub at his aching head. "Ugh, that's like brain freeze. Oh, this sucks."
"Barry, what happened last night?" Iris reached out and grabbed tight to Barry's hands; Barry pulled her into a hug and rested his head on her shoulder for a bit.
"We got caught," Barry said slowly. "I tried to get us out, but it was too late. Leonard managed to get us to a safe house before everything was gone. I don't even think Brain Wave knew who we were—we were just unlucky."
"Good to have you back, dude." Cisco said, his relief deep and obvious, and Barry released Iris to pull Cisco into a hug, too.
"You've always got my back, bro." Barry grinned. "Thanks."
"No problem." Cisco smiled back, and then looked over at Leo and Lisa, his smile faltering. "I don't really know how to replicate it with him, though."
Barry let Caitlin pull away from her hug as he focused on what Cisco was saying. Caitlin took the opportunity to grab her supplies and hurry out of the room. "I have some ideas." And the thing was, Barry did. If Leo could trust him, maybe it would be possible for him to piggyback off Cisco's vibes. If he were really lucky, the Speed Force would take pity on him and give him a little help. He eased off the table and turned to face Leo fully.
He was so patient the entire time, too. Definitely something to put on his list.
"Hey." Leo's face was so open and worried; it felt alien. It felt like he was looking at Leo Snart from Earth X all over again.
"Hey." Barry took a step closer and rested his hands on Leo's knees. "It's gonna be okay."
"I'm assuming it worked?" Leo asked.
Barry nodded. "Didn't hurt at all."
"You said it was like brain freeze."
"I… well. Okay, you're right. I did say that. But it didn't last for long, and now I can officially tell you we didn't even do anything fun last night."
"That's disappointing."
"I know, right?" Barry squeezed Leo's knees, trying to keep his hands still. It wouldn't be good to take advantage of him, right? And yeah, like. Leo was cute and all, but he missed his grouchy Captain Cold. It wasn't a question of trying to get Leo's memories back, it was a question of how long Leonard would stick around after.
"So." Leo waited until Barry raised his eyes, and gave him a playful, open smile. Damn it, Barry wanted that for real. "Still boyfriend material?"
It was a punch in the gut, that simple question. Barry choked out a small, pained sound and his body acted faster than his brain, his hands reaching up to cradle Leo's face as he stepped between his thighs, pressing as close as he could with the medical table right there. He kissed Leo hard on the mouth, his heartbeat ratcheting up until his blood was roaring in his ears. It was only with great reluctance that he pulled away.
"Yeah," Barry answered Leo's question as he licked his lips. "The best boyfriend material."
Behind him, Cisco muttered, "You could've just told him that without the kissing, but what do I know?"
"I'm taking pictures," Iris said fervently. "Any time Dad gets mad at me for the next year, I'm throwing Barry under the bus."
"Hey," Barry complained, but he wasn't really angry about it. If letting Iris tell Joe about the whole thing was his punishment, he'd accept it all.
Leo took a deep breath to steady himself, and it made Barry's chest ache to realize how vulnerable he was, how much he was risking by trusting Barry without question. Barry rubbed his thumb against Leo's jaw, his heart wrenching when Leo closed his eyes and leaned into the touch, just a little.
Okay. Time to get his Leonard back for real.
"Cisco? Got enough in the tank to do this one more time?"
"I think so," Cisco said. "Maybe it'll be faster now that you're attuned to the Speed Force again?"
"That's what I'm hoping." Barry tapped his finger against Leo's temple. "Ready?"
Leo nodded. "Let's do it."
Coming at Brain Wave's mental hypnosis from the outside was a little strange, like trying to do surgery with your eyes shut tight and operating by feel instead. Cisco's vibes let him pull against other dimensions, other Earths—all Barry had to do was speed up and resonate with that inter-dimensional vibration; the Speed Force, hopefully, would identify what didn't belong in Leonard's head and remove the echoes of Brain Wave's telepathic intrusion.
If Barry were lucky.
He watched Leo's face, tracking the moment the Speed Force did its magic through his expressions alone: nervousness, worry, confusion. Eventually Leo stiffened, his face taking on that cautious, hyper-reactive watchfulness Barry was so familiar with, and Barry let the Speed Force fade away.
"Leonard? How are you feeling?"
Leonard winced, in the throes of the brain freeze stab, Barry thought. After, Leonard opened his eyes, his attention flickering across the room with absent vigilance. His attention lit on Barry, and a muscle in his jaw twitched.
Focusing past Barry's shoulder at Cisco, Leonard said, "I didn't lose the gun. I stashed it before the memory thing took effect."
"Uh. Good to know?"
Leonard stripped off Barry's cardigan, and Barry's mouth went dry at the peek of Leonard's skin from beneath the edge of his shirt.
Behind him, Iris laughed. Barry jerked his eyes away.
"Give me my jacket, kid."
Barry startled, scrambling out of Leonard's parka on instinct. Leonard slipped of the medical table and grabbed his parka from Barry, leaving the cardigan behind.
Wait. Wait, this wasn't—was Leonard just going to leave?
Barry reached out and grabbed Leonard's arm; Leonard froze, his arm tense beneath Barry's hand. "Leonard, I meant it."
"You did what you needed to do. No hard feelings." Leonard's face was turned away, but Barry could read everything he needed to know in the way he was standing, energy coiling beneath the surface, ready to run.
"I was serious," Barry pleaded.
For once, he had to focus on what was right in front of him. Barry knew instinctively that if he backed down now, if he let his embarrassment of the situation catch up with him, he'd never get another chance to talk to Leonard about it. Their attraction would fade into the background and never be acknowledged again—he just wished they wouldn't have this conversation in front of other people.
"We'll get dinner and watch a movie, like. I." Barry swallowed down the panic trying to claw its way up his throat. "Are you a Star Trek person? Um. Terminator or Die Hard? Lord of the Rings? We can watch one of those, or…something else?"
"Lenny, put him out of his misery," Lisa said, her pretty face twisted into a wince. "I'm starting to feel bad for him."
"Are you about to turn him down?" Cisco asked. He raised his hands defensively, power pulsing a little in his fists. "I mean, he's way too good for you, but after all this BS, I'm gonna… I'll knock you into next week, pal."
"Leonard's smarter than that," Iris said, folding her arms over her chest in a way that suggested no one better consider arguing with her.
Barry flushed in mortification, but Leonard wasn't shaking him off, so he slid his hand down Leonard's arm and squeezed his fingers instead. "The best boyfriend material," he reminded Leonard desperately. "Perfect boyfriend material."
Another immeasurable moment of time, and finally Leonard relaxed, squeezing Barry's hand back. "Assholes," he muttered under his breath. "Can't even give a guy time to think."
Relief made Barry's knees weaken. "You think too much."
"Finish that meta first," Leonard said. "We'll talk after."
"Promise?"
"I said—" Leonard finally turned to face him, eyes flashing with annoyance, and Barry pulled him in for one more kiss. Neither of them had shaved that morning, and everything was tense and a little prickly and it took Leonard a few seconds to kiss Barry back, but it was a relief. A promise. It wasn't something either of them were gonna sweep beneath the rug.
Barry was the one that broke the kiss. He would remember that.
"Let's go, Lise." Leonard gave Barry a final, appraising look, and walked out into the cortex. Lisa hurried after him, not even bothering to give one last, flirtatious toss of her hair.
"Hey, Lisa," Barry called to her just before she reached the door. "Thanks for keeping my identity quiet out on the street."
Lisa smirked. "What, like I'm an amateur?" She hesitated and watched Barry for a second, her eyes going narrow and calculating. "If you hurt him, I will kill you. Just so we're clear."
"Yeah." Barry agreed. "Thanks again." Lisa swanned out of the room, and Barry slipped into Flash Time, just to get a little peace and quiet. Iris was going to be insufferable.
When he slowed down, Cisco said, "You know he was like, twenty when you were born, right?"
Barry just stared at Cisco, thoroughly unimpressed.
"Fine, whatever, sorry I'm busy worrying about my friend who doesn't have the greatest track record with his decisions." Cisco flung his hands up into the air and walked away.
Iris relaxed once it was the two of them alone, and she reached up to squeeze Barry's shoulder. "It's good to have you back."
Barry gave her a weak grin. "I think I've got to go knock on wood. It was so easy to resolve I'm kind of scared about what happens next."
"Take a second," Iris said as she stepped back. "Meet us in the cortex when you're ready to out-think this guy."
"Thanks."
Iris left the room, and Barry rubbed the back of his neck, trying to get his thoughts in order. First, he would focus on apprehending Brain Wave. After that, he could think about Leonard as much as he wanted.
At least now he had something to look forward to.
~*~