#bluepluse

“I’m telling’ you,Cass,” Bart said, walking down the hallway beside her. The studentsmulling around them were chatting excitedly with the end of the day. “It’sgoing to catch on, just watch.”

“Sure, Bart you’re a realtrendsetter.” Cassie teased good-naturedly.

Bart ignored the sarcasm in hervoice and shrugged. “What can I say? I am just ahead of my time.”

Cassie snorted. “Speaking oftime, aren’t you late for track practice?”

“Nah, I’ve got atleast-” He checked his watch. “-Thirty seconds before I- Ohman.”

Cassie laughed. “Now you’redefinitely crashed!”

Bart shook his head, exasperated.“No, no, crash is good. I’m not crash,I’m-” He thought for a moment. What was the opposite of crash? “I’llfigure it out later. I gotta run!”

He winked and shot finger guns ather as she rolled her eyes.

“For the last time, nobodylikes your puns!” she cried.

“You’re just jealous becauseyou can’t think of any!” Bart retorted, half-turning just to see the scowlform on her face.

“Whatever!” Cassiehollered back.

Bart grinned as he startedsprinting down the hallway, making a beeline for the track field on the farwest side of the school. Wally was going to murder him. Bart could almost hearthe senior’s nagging voice in the back of his head, “Just because you got a lucky breakdoesn’t mean you can start slacking off now.” or “I saw you with those Chicken Whizzes,Bartholomew, you know the rule about junk food during the season.”or “Are you keepingyour grades up? As captain I can’t let you stay on the team unless you meet theGPA standard and blah-blah-blah-”

Bart didn’t see Jaime Reyesrounding the corner before it was too late.

They crashed together, Bart’sforehead cracking against Jaime’s jaw and Jaime’s phone falling to the floor.Bart fell backward, clutching the bruising spot in pain.

“Ouch!” Bart whined.

“Sorry, hermano!” Jaimegasped, extending a tan hand down to him after he’d scooped up his phone.

Bart let himself be pulled up,still rubbing his head in annoyance. Now he was defiantly going to be late.Couldn’t this kid watch where he was-

Bart looked up and holycrap.

Jaime’s deep brown eyes were wideand watching him with concern. His cinnamon colored face was angular andhandsome, his soft-looking lips slightly parted, dark eyebrows knitted ever soslightly with worry. Suddenly it felt like everything inside Bart was vibratingwith nerves.

“Oh…” Bart felthimself blushing. “It’s-it’s cool.”

“You sure, ese?” Evenhis voice wasattractive, Bart thought. There was a husk to it, just soft enough to keep itfrom having an unpleasant edge and- Bart cursed himself. Out of all the boys inschool he could’ve smashed into, he had to pick a hot one.

“Oh yeah, totally,”Bart said. He realized their hands were still clasped and he pulled away,scratching the back of his neck. “It was my bad, I should’ve been payingmore attention-”

“I was the one on my phone,dude, it was my bad.” Jaime laughed and theentire hall seemed to light up. “Hey, you’re Bart Allen aren’t you?”

Bart blinked. He knew his name?Jaime was pointing at his chest and he looked down, and remembering,“Allen” was printed on his jacket. Bart flushed even more furiously.“Yeah, that’s me.”

“Congrats on the win,”Jaime said a little quickly. “You did- you did really good.”

“You were there?” WasJaime blushing too?

“Yeah, well, sometimes Ihang out here after school and-” Jaime gulped. “I watch you guyspractice. And you know, might as well support the team and-”

Bart was grinning now.“That’s awesome.”Jaime returned with a shaky smile. “Shouldn’t you be there now actually?”

Bart’s face fell. “Oh manI’m late! Sorry for crashing into you, dude, I have to go. My cousin will havemy head for this.”

Jaime shook his head rapidly.“No, don’t be. I’m sorry for making youlate.”

Bart nodded. “Alright well,I’ll see you I-”

Jaime caught his wrist before hecould dash off. “No, wait!”

Jaime was defiantly flushing now, and Bart’s eyebrows roseinquiringly. “What?”

“Maybe, um-” Jaimestammered, as if losing his nerve. “Maybe we could hang outsometime?”

Bart felt his heart leap.“Oh, yeah, sure. Sounds crash!”

Jaime frowned. “Crash?”

Bart cursed himself again.“It’s nothing, just a stupid thing I say I don’t know why, I just-”

“Crash,” Jaime repeatedslowly, getting a feel for the way the word fit around his mouth. “I likeit.”

“You do?” Bartbrightened.

“Yeah, ” Jaime said,nodding. “Can I- Can I meet you after track practice?”

“Totally!” Bartexclaimed, then fearing he was coming on to strong added, “I mean, sure. Idon’t think I have anything going on.”

“Crash.” Jaime grinned.“I’ll see you then.”

Just relax.  There was nothing to worry about.  They had been dating for almost ten years now.  If they didn't like each other, they'd have broken up already.  So taking the next step was only logical, if only logic played any real part in human emotions and courtship- Vulcans maybe.  Vulcans were really crash with their  mind melds and death grips.  Maybe if he had been Vulcan- or at least part- Khaji Da would've accepted him quicker when he and Jaime first started dating.  Bart was sure that in one of the episodes it had a piece of the Vulcan courtship process, perhaps he could borrow some ideas from it-

He was getting side tracked again.  Not crash.  Someone should have stopped Jaime from letting him watch those retro t.v. shows all those years ago.  Focus.  Asking Jaime the big question.  What could go wrong?  A lot, actually.  His mind quickly presented two dozen disastrous outcomes within a second.  Jaime was a family man, what if he didn't want to be with Bart forever because they couldn't have one?  Sure, they could adopt but would that work?  Who would let them raise children?! Yeah, Bart was helping to raise his dad and Aunt Dawn but that was totally different.

What if a villain gets their claws into Jaime and mind controls him?  Makes Bart's love attack him or say no?  Granted the refusal would probably hurt more than any physical attack.  It might happen.  It was like part of the super hero creed that they were to get mind control once in their careers.  It was still up for grabs if being on mode was mind control or not.

Or what if, what if Jaime just decides he no longer loved Bart?  No, that would just break the speedster's heart.  He couldn't even think further on it.

Bart stopped his pacing-  dessert sand flying up as he did so.  He wasn't quite sure how much distance he'd been pacing across but someone was bond to notice the groove that he made.  Though the auburn couldn't bring himself to care.  With a frustrated sigh, he plopped himself onto the ground, resting his arms over his knees.  This wasn't how he had planned this to go at all.  He hadn't planned on worrying about the what ifs and maybes.  

Nope.  Bart had planned on having a nice quiet dinner with Jaime and his family, like they always did once a month.  And after the plates were cleared and Milagro teased them- she never outgrew that- he'd ask Jaime to marry him.  Right in front of his family, real romantic.  But family was important to Jaime and Bart couldn't think of a better place to ask. 

Alright, he could think of several other places but this one just felt right. So, earlier in the week, the speedster paid a visit to Mama and Papa Reyes and asked for their son's hand in marriage.  Bart didn't quite get that phrase.  He didn't just want Jaime's hand, he wanted all of his sexy Hispanic boyfriend.  Both parents gave their consent, though Mama Reyes threatened that if the speedster ever hurt her son- there would be no place on Earth that Bart could run.

Now here Bart was, messing everything up by chocking.  With an almost inaudible sigh, Bart let his head fall onto his arms.  And to top things off, Bart was late for dinner by...an hour?  Two?  Three?  He wasn't quite sure.  To him it felt like days.  Could tonight get any worse?

As if on cue the sound of Blue Beetle's jet filled the air and a crunch of feet landing on dirt soon followed.  Bart lifted his head up a little, to steal a glance at his boyfriend as the scarab armor retreated.  He couldn't help but take a second to appreciate how well Jaime's clothes fit him before letting his head fall back onto his arms.

"Carino, you're late.  Are you alright?" Jaime's smooth accented voice cut across the night air.  Of course Jaime would come looking for him.  Especially if he was as late as he thought he was.  Just great.  This was turning out to be a wonderful night.

"Would you be quiet, Khaji Da.  I'm asking him!"  Bart jumped and jerked his head back up.  Jaime was crouched right in front of him- a shy smile gracing his lips and a small box in his hand.  As he began to speak, he opened it to reveal a wedding band- though it was made of some blue metal.  "Look, I was going to ask you at dinner tonight, but, uh, would you marry me, Carino?"  

The speedster stared at his boyfriend, blinking slowly several times- his brain trying to process what he just heard.  Apparently, super speed thinking had decided to abandon him at that moment.  Tonight at dinner.  Ask him.  Marry me.  This couldn't' be happening.  Could it?

"Ah, just forget I asked," Jaime muttered when Bart took too long to answer- an embarrassed flush coloring his cheeks.  A second later, he hissed over his shoulder at his scarab, " Ay dios mio, I told you it was too soon to ask him-"

"Yes."  This is so crash.  The crashiest crash, crash, crash ever.  Crash.

"Que?"

"Yes," Bart repeated, louder this time- the biggest smile he ever had stretching across his face.  He plucked the ring out of the box, letting his boyfriend work through his stupor, sliding it onto his ring finger.  He tilted his head, giving the ring a curious stare.  "This doesn't look like a normal ring..."

"It's made from the scarab armor.  Khaji Da and I thought it would be fitting," Jaime managed to say once he recovered from Bart's answer. "It also has a tracker built in so, uh, we can always find you.  That sounds so wrong."