"It's pointless," he grumbled, yanking the helmet off Barry's head.

"It keeps it from being boring!"

"It doesn't need to be exciting, it just needs to work."

"It can work and not be boring," Caitlin said, pulling a gummy bear out of her pocket and popping it in her mouth. The three or four charm bracelets tangled around her wrist jingled.

He grumbled under his breath and took the helmet back to the table where Dr. Wells sat.

Caitlin rolled her eyes and muttered, "Stick in the mud." She turned back to Barry. "Okay. Let's get you synced up and see what you can do."

"You're a doctor?" he said doubtfully as she jabbed at the various sensors on his chest with purple-glittered nails, then tapped her tablet. "Like, really a doctor?"

"Nah, you got me. I printed my M.D. from the Internet." She ate another gummy bear. A stray sunbeam bounced off the pink sequined heart on the front of her dress and momentarily blinded him.

"Wait, what?"

"Yes. I'm a real doctor. School loans and everything."

"It's just that you're not - uh."

"Very professional-looking?" She flicked the pink-striped braid back over her shoulder. "Oh, I know. And I did spend a lot of years conforming. Pencil skirts, little pearl studs - " She shook her head so that the mess of metal that swung from her earlobes jingled cheerfully. "- neutral nail polish, that kind of thing."

"What happened?"

"The same thing that happened to you." She made a note in her tablet. "My once-promising career in bioengineering is over, my boss is in a wheelchair for life, and the explosion that put you in a coma also killed my fiancé. So, I figure I've got fuck-all to lose by wearing leggings with cats on them to work."

He glanced down automatically. Not only did her leggings have cats, they were also floating in outer space.

He looked back up, and she smirked at him. "Cute, huh?"

He smirked back. "Bet your co-worker over there loves that."

But instead of agreeing, she said, "Look, Cisco's kind of a stiff. I'll give you that. But he's the most brilliant, inventive mechanical genius you'll ever meet. Ever. And he's there when you need him."

Probably with a judgemental frown. Or a lecture. "Cisco? He said to call him Francisco."

"Yeah, you should probably stick to that for awhile, until he decides to let you in."

Barry looked over his shoulder at the scowling young man, working on his machines. "I'm not holding my breath."

"Give him some time. Let him warm up to you. In the meantime, don't push it."

Barry decided it was unlikely. "Do you think I can break the speed of sound?" It felt possible to him, with the lightning crackling in his blood.

"Tell you what,"  she called over her shoulder, already on the way back to the RV. Her heavy Doc Martens splashed through a puddle. "If you do, I'll give you a gummy bear."

When Cisco drifted into her lab, she didn't look up as she asked, "So, what do you think of our speedster?"

"So he runs fast. It's scientifically intriguing, but functionally pointless."

"You're just annoyed because the blowback landed you on your ass out there." She lifted her head and grinned at him.

He scowled at her in a way that as good as admitted she was right. "Really. What can he do with that ability?"

"What can't he do with it? He makes Usain Bolt look like a grandma in a walker. Fastest man alive!"

"This is real life, not a comic book."

"You could fool me, lately." She looked up. From this angle, she could see one of the "teeth" that curved over Star Labs, broken in half by the explosion nine months ago. "Maybe a superhero would have stopped this from happening."

She wanted to bite her own tongue off when she heard the words slip out. Wincing, she turned to look at Cisco.

He'd taken off his glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose. "We didn't need a superhero. We needed better engineers."

He always looked younger with his glasses off. She suspected that was why he wore them, and why he tied his hair back so tightly.

"Hey," she said. "How many times do I have to say it? That - " She gestured up at the broken tooth. " - was not your fault. Ronnie was not your fault."

"If I'd done better - if I'd made a different choice - you would still have him."

"Maybe," she acknowledged. "And if I hadn't asked him to come along, he wouldn't have been here that night. And if his mom had never flirted with his dad at the roller rink in high school, he wouldn't have been born."

Cisco gave her a long suffering look.  

"My point is, you can what-if until the cows come home, but this is the world we live in." She bit her lip, thinking of the engagement ring entombed in her jewelry box at home. But that hurt, a knot right under her breastbone, and she said, "Speaking of that, do you ever wonder about those cows? I mean, what are they doing out so late? Probably up to no good. Bovine delinquents."

Cisco's mouth quirked up at the corner, and she felt a flush of triumph. She didn't get a smile out of him very often. "Your shoe's untied," he said.

She glanced down. "Oh, yeah. I'll get them in a moment. I'm almost done with these samples." She didn't want to have to put on a new pair of sterile gloves after she'd handled her dirty shoelaces.

He nudged her wheely office chair over to her. "Put your foot up."

She raised her brows, but propped her foot on the seat. He leaned over, took her loose laces, and retied them. Double-knotted, of course. He gave the toe of her boot a quick pat and straightened up. "There," he said. "I imagine it's not very sterile to trip over your shoelaces and faceplant into your lab bench, either."

She settled her foot back on the floor, feeling a flush creep up her face. "Not particularly, no." She focused on her samples again.

When she had them all prepped and set up for the morning, she looked over at him. He was fiddling with her shelf of beakers, turning them all so they faced the same direction. "Hey," she said. "What are you thinking about?"

"Air friction," he said, brows drawn together in concentration.

Her hands paused. What had she thought he was going to say? I'm thinking about the way I look at you sometimes, when you don't think I notice? I'm wondering if you ever look at me that way?

(The answer was yes, but it wasn't an answer she was ready to give. Not yet.)

"Of course you are," she said, stripping her gloves off and chucking them toward the trash can. She started to put everything else away. "What else?"

"We clocked him at 220 miles per hour today. He only ran about a mile, but what if he does longer runs? The effect of air friction would be considerable."

Caitlin considered it as she hoisted herself up on the counter. She leaned over and pulled open a drawer, plucking out a mini Krackel bar. "His skin should be okay - he's got that healing factor - but his clothes, his shoes? Yeah, they'd be pretty thrashed, I'd say."

She unwrapped the chocolate bar and bit in half. With her mouth full, she rummaged through the drawer for a moment and then held out a piece of candy. Dark chocolate with almonds.

He started to tell her he didn't snack between meals. She knew it, she could hear the words practically gathering up on his tongue. But he took the candy bar and unwrapped it carefully, biting off the corner.

The only reason she didn't throw all the dark-chocolate-with-almonds away when she filled her chocolate stash was because they were his favorite. Weirdo, she thought fondly.

"Since you brought it up," she prompted. "I'm guessing you got something in mind for air friction?"

"I have been working on that heat-resistant material."

"The fire suit?"

"The fire suit."

She played with the wrapper from her candy bar. "Just for proof of concept, of course," she said innocently.

He shot her a look from behind his glasses, but before he could say anything, the door to the cortex thumped open and Barry's voice called out, "Guys? Hey, where is everyone?"

She called out, "In here!" and Barry appeared with two large boxes in his arms.

"Hey," he said. "You guys got some time to talk?"

"I was about to go home for the night," Cisco said coolly.

"But we can make the time," Caitlin said, giving him a warning look. He pushed his glasses up in a gesture of annoyance, but didn't argue.

"Great," Barry said, thumping both boxes down on the table and pulling files out. "I've been going over unsolved cases from the past nine months. There's been a sharp increase in unexplained deaths and missing people. . . ."

Caitlin listened as Barry explained what he wanted to do. Superhero, she thought. He wants to be a real-life superhero.

She looked across the table at Cisco. He had his arms folded tightly, his hands gripping the opposite elbows. His face looked blank as he stared down at the files scattered over the table. Unexplained deaths, missing persons, general weirdness. They all knew that Central City had gotten much weirder lately.

If all of them, or even some of them, were due to the particle accelerator explosion, then that was even more that they needed to atone for. But if Barry's idea panned out, maybe they could actually start on that instead of marinating in regrets.

"I can't do it without you," Barry finished up. He glanced at Caitlin, and then looked longer at Cisco.

When Cisco lifted his head, though, it wasn't to return Barry's gaze. Instead, he looked up at her. Anybody who didn't know him wouldn't have been able to see the mix of emotions bubbling in his eyes. Uncertainty, hope, wariness, excitement.

She knew him.

She tilted her head and raised her brows. He let out a little sigh and pressed his lips together. She smiled at him.

"If we're going to do this," he said slowly, as if the words were being pulled out of him, "I have something that might help."

The DJ is a lanky, nerdy thing, very much similar to old pictures of Barry Iris showed Cisco from their days in high school. He tapped the kid on the shoulder, waiting for him to stop bopping to this horrible excuse of a song and remove his headphones.

“I’m sorry, Friday? What year is this, 2011?”

“I think it’s pretty rocking.”

Cisco groaned. “Okay, how much are they paying you for this gig? Fifty? Eighty? One Hundred?” Cisco slid over several twenty from his pocket. “I will double whatever they’re offering if you play something better. I’m desperate.”

The boy looked at the cash longingly, but shook his head.

“Sorry Sir, this song was requested.”

“By who?” Cisco cried, trying to forget that this dude called him sir. He may not be twenty-three anymore, and he may be wearing an itchy fake mustache, but god forbid anyone actually starts treating Cisco like an old irrelevant man.

The DJ pointed out a bossy girl teetering in heels wearing a flower crown.

“Oh Lord, she’s just as crazy as her father,” Cisco muttered under his breath. Of course it had to be Yelena, Dr. Sinister’s fourteen year old daughter.

Cisco rolled his eyes and left the DJ to his horrible life choices, maneuvering around the cheering pre-adolescent children on the dance floor as they slosh their orange crush over the rims of their red solo cups.

“It’s no use,” Cisco grumbled to Caitlin, who was leaning against the wall as Friday faded out and Miley Cyrus circa 2008 started next. He grabbed two drinks from a passing caterer tray. 

He peered into the first glass.

“Shirley Temple?” Cisco guessed, handing the pink concoction to Caitlin.

“Thanks,” she said. She took a careful sip, grimaced, then rolled her eyes at finding Cisco covering his ears like a child.  

“What do you expect?”  She said, and Cisco let out a long tired sigh. He hates when she excuses crazy situations they get themselves into with logic.  “This is a teenage dance hall converted into a makeshift club for the birthday party of a 14 year old who happens to be best friends with the daughter of Barry’s newest arch nemesis.”

“What I expect is to not have to fear that my brain will bleed out of my ears before the end of the day!”

“You’re being so dramatic,” Caitlin laughed, “As if you don’t love Lady Gaga and Katy Perry.”

Cisco scoffed, offended. “I’m sorry but Poker Face cannot even compare to Fly On The Wall and you know it.”

A teenager came up to them then. “Excuse me, are you two the chaperones?”

Caitlin bended down, “Yes! My name is Katherine Rodriguez and this is my husband, Arlo. We’re Sonya’s parents.”

The kid gave Caitlin and Cisco a once over. “You two don’t look anything like her.”

They shoot each other a quick look before both replying at the same time.

“She looks like her grandmother.”

“She’s adopted.”

Caitlin stepped on Cisco’s foot. “Uh, what we mean is we adopted Sonya when she was three but we were told she looks like her maternal grandmother.”

The girl snapped her gum, “Yeah, whatever. We’re, like, not friends or anything.”

Cisco tilted his head to the side and squinted. “Is there a point to this or…”

The girl seemed to remember the reason why she came and perked up, “Oh this is, like, tbh, really awkward now, but I just wanted to let you know that I caught her picking on Yelena. Maybe you should go and see what’s going on.”

Yelena Sinister. Dr. Sinister’s daughter. Perfect. The plan was working.

Caitlin tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and blinked innocently. Cisco snorts. Is that how Caitlin thought it looked to be motherly? He’d tease her later about it if he didn’t find it so weirdly endearing. “Oh, I’m sure it’s just a misunderstanding,” Caitlin said, placatingly.

The kid looked skeptical, but put her hands up as if to say Oh well I tried  and turned back to the buffet table.

“Arlo?” Cisco exclaimed, scandalized, once the girl was out of earshot.  

“It rhymes with Cisco!” Caitlin defended, peering over the crowd for Nora. “It should be any moment now.”

“Are you sure she knows what she’s doing?” Cisco asked.

Caitlin nodded, “It’s Nora. She practically begged us to let her do it. Besides, you know she’d do anything to help her dad with a mission. Even if it means crashing a lame party and going by the terrible fake name Sonya.”

Cisco stopped sipping his club soda to retort, “Like Sonya is so much worse than Arlo.”

Cisco could feel they were just about to get into an epic bickering match over names when a man about five years older than Cisco comes towards them. 

“Excuse me,” The man interrupted politely.

He was tall and somewhat handsome, but very obviously not naturally blonde. However, Cisco supposed it wasn’t fair to judge. Caitlin was sporting a ginger wig, like she was channeling a young Molly Ringwald and Cisco’s own fake mustache and goatee Iris forced onto him made him laugh so hard the first time he saw himself in a mirror, they almost flew off his face.

“Are you the other chaperone?”

The question was pointed at Cisco.

“Yes, I’m Arlo,” Cisco introduced himself, and he really did have to fake the smile. He shook his hand, “And this is my wife, Katherine.”

“Oh!” The man flushed pink and began to stutter. “Oh, we met before.”

Caitlin began to flush too, and Cisco sensed he was missing something.

“Really...When was this?” Cisco asked.

“I believe you were with the DJ. You know, it’s so refreshing to hear our children listen to appropriate songs, thank you for reminding the DJ of that.”

Caitlin hid her laugh in a cough as Cisco’s fake smile turned into a pained expression.

“Well, yes. That’s my job, protecting the children,” Cisco said smoothly.

The man turned to Caitlin.

“I’m so terribly sorry, Katherine. I didn’t know you were married or else I never would’ve said those things.”

Cisco raised an eyebrow, “I’m sorry, what? Wait...Were you flirting with my wife?”

Cisco found himself getting ticked off, and it was weird, how he didn’t even have to pretend to feel vindictive. How he had no real claim at all over Caitlin but he still wanted to put his arm around her waist and drag her the hell away from this man.

Cisco didn’t like the way he looked at her. Cisco didn’t like the way she looked at him either, especially with her all flustered like this.  

Caitlin put her hand on Cisco’s arm, sensing his discomfort. “I thought Eric was being friendly, I swear. It didn’t click until just now.”

Caitlin’s explanation felt sincere, and Cisco felt himself unwind when Caitlin kissed his cheek, for show, obviously, but still, it was a nice gesture for him...Or was it for Arlo? Cisco was starting to get confused.

For what it’s worth, the man truly did seem like he wanted a hole to swallow him up.

“I’m so sorry I flirted with your wife, man. I was just saying she looks so young to have a teenage daughter.” Eric paused to look at Cisco, “I mean, so do you. Also, I couldn’t help but notice neither of you wear wedding rings.”

Oh damn. Cisco knew they forgot something.

Caitlin smiled tightly. “We’re both allergic to gold, not that it’s any of your business.”

“Of course. Again, my apologies. Anyway, whose parents are you again?”

“Sonya.”

“How old is she?”

Cisco and Caitlin both spoke at the same time. Again.

“Eleven.”

“Fourteen.”

This was why Cisco and Caitlin hated working undercover.They sucked. 

All three chuckled awkwardly.

Cisco cleared his throat, “We adopted Sonya when she was three...” He began, and Caitlin continued on for him when he began to falter.

“Exactly, so she’s really fourteen in age but we’ve only had her for eleven.”

They linked their arms together, smiling charmingly.

Speaking of their fake daughter, Cisco was hoping Nora picked up the pace so they could call Dr. Sinister already and get him out of his lair. Barry must’ve been staked out there for over two hours now.

Nosy Eric, as Cisco began to call him in his head, even though he probably doesn’t deserve it, frowned. “My daughter never mentioned her before. How does she know Vanessa?”

“Who?” Cisco frowned.

“Vanessa? My daughter.” Eric began to grow impatient, “The birthday girl.”

“Oh, right, I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you over this wholesome music!” Cisco replied, snidely.

Caitlin jabbed an elbow into Cisco’s rib. “Sonya was invited by Yelena. They go to piano lessons together.”

“I see. Wait a minute...Yelena doesn’t go to piano lessons. She does ballet.”

Thankfully, Nora swooped in and saved them when a loud crash followed by shrieking caused everyone to swerve their heads to see what the commotion was.

Cisco, Caitlin and Eric ran over to the dessert table where Nora was bent over, hands on her knees, laughing her ass off at Yelena who was on the floor, covered head to toe with hot melted chocolate from Vanessa’s chocolate fountain.

“You little bitch!” Yelena cried, slipping in the gooey mess as Vanessa stood several feet away completely stunned.

“Language!” Eric scolded at her, but it became very clear he agreed. 

The snitch that advised Caitlin and Cisco crossed her arms over her chest and sighed loudly, “I warned you.”

All of their friends were pointing and laughing, which would’ve made Cisco feel a little bad if she wasn’t the spoiled brat spawn of one of Earth’s most despicable metahumans. 

It was time to spring to action.

Cisco offered Yelena a hand as Eric began to scream at Caitlin about Nora ruining his daughter’s party.

“Your daughter did this?! I thought you said they were friends!” Eric accused, snapping at the teens to put their phones away.

“I can’t believe Sonya did this, I’m so sorry,” Caitlin apologized profusely, pretending to be aghast.

Cisco looked at his goddaughter straight in the eye and mentally psyched himself to sound as fatherly and as angry as possible when all he wanted to do was laugh. She quirked an eyebrow challengingly with a mischievous smirk.

“Sonya Isabella Rodriguez how dare you,” he scolded, “Your mother and I raised you so much better than this. Have you not one ounce of shame? This behaviour of yours is out of hand!”

Nora pinched her fingers together discreetly, telling him to tone it down a notch.

“But Daaaaaaaaad!” Nora whined, “You would’ve done it too if you knew what she’s like!”

“I don’t care,” Cisco said, “You’re coming home immediately. Apologize to this poor girl right away. Also you’re grounded.”

Caitlin rushed to the table to get napkins and wiped off the chocolate from Yelena’s hands.

“Here,” she said, whipping he phone out where it was conveniently left at the dial page. “Call your parents, honey. They’ll pick you up.”

Smart move, Cisco thought. Now Caitlin will have Dr. Sinister’s cell phone number, a valuable asset for tracking him in the future, and potentially finding out where else he goes.

Teary-eyed and humiliated, Yelena took Caitlin’s phone gingerly and called her father. She began wailing into the phone, and Cisco continued to fake berate Nora until she hung up.

“My daddy is coming right away to pick me up,” Yelena sniffed, picking her wilted flower crown from off the sticky floor.

Cisco shuffled Nora towards her. “Yelena, Sonya has something she’d like to say.”

Caitlin grabbed her cell back,  texting Barry that Dr. Sinister should be leaving any minute, and that he should go ahead the moment the coast is clear.

Yelena shot Cisco a death glare she definitely learned from her father. “Your daughter is a fake ass wannabe weirdo who doesn’t even go to our middle school! I never invited you! Nobody knows who you are! How dare you crash Vanessa’s party!”

Nora’s jaw dropped, “Yeah, well you’re a prissy princess daddy’s girl! Even worse, your dad is a total psycho!”

Yelena gasped, then lunged at Nora, slapping her right across the face.

Cisco sent Caitlin a panicked look. Name calling and slapping fights that could end up exposing their fake identities during their undercover mission was not part of the plan.

“Okaaay! That’s enough! We’re going home now!” Cisco said in a rush, dragging Nora away by the collar of her skater dress. Quickly, Nora sped the three off to the dance hall’s lobby where Cisco opened a breach and they all quickly jumped through it and into Star Labs.

~.~

Iris startled at the control board of the cortex. She surveyed the three of them catching their breath and narrowed her eyes. 

“Why is there chocolate all over my eleven year old daughter’s hair?”

Nora threw both her hands up in the air, “You were the one who said Uncle Cisco and Aunt Caitlin needed me to get into the party!” 

Iris opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again. “Well... Yes, but it was their job to end the party and get Dr. Sinister out of his lair! Not yours.”

“Hey,” Said Cisco, putting a hand on Nora’s shoulder. “We were the ones that let   Nora get involved in the mission, and she did an excellent job, if not slightly carried away at the end, but who could blame her.”

Iris massaged her temples, “You couldn’t have pulled the fire alarm or something?”

Caitlin shrugged sheepishly, “...We didn’t think of that.”

“Sweetie, come here,” Iris said to Nora, but at that moment Barry’s voice crackled over the intercom system, requesting Iris and Cisco for help.

 He must have found something in Dr. Sinister’s lair.

“Ah crap,” Iris sighed, “Caitlin, do you mind?”

Caitlin shook her head and beckoned Nora over to the Med Bay, “Here, let’s get you cleaned up.”

She made Nora sit on the examining table and wet some paper towels to wipe the chocolate out of her hair.

“That was fun,” Nora said happily.

“I”m glad you thought so, but I’m sorry you got hit. Does it hurt?”

“Not really,” Nora reached towards Caitlin’s head to take off the red wig. “You looked like Kim Possible.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Caitlin smiled.

“Aunt Caitlin, can I ask you a question?”

Caitlin turned off the water faucet, and turned towards her, all ears.

“Sure,” Caitlin replied.

“I saw that guy talking to you. Why didn’t you get his number?”

Caitlin raised an eyebrow at the little speedster. This wasn’t what she had in mind when Nora asked to chat. 

“It would’ve blown the cover. I was pretending to be married to Uncle Cisco, remember?”

“But you’re not in real life!”  Nora objected.

Caitlin handed her a junior sized Star Labs sweatshirt and sweatpants to change into. Nora hopped off the table to get dressed.

“Yes,” Caitlin agreed, “But that man didn’t know that. I didn’t want his number anyway.”

“Why not?” Nora asked innocently.

“I just didn’t.” 

“So if you’re not with anyone, and you’re not really with Uncle Cisco, then why haven’t you or Uncle Cisco ever had a boyfriend or girlfriend?”

Caitlin paused, taken aback. It was true that she had been single for a long time, but coincidentally, Caitlin had never been more content in her life than she was now. She had her life back in order, she had struck up an unlikely friendship with her alter ego, who had been less Killer and more Frost for several peaceful years. She made amends with her mother and was in fact really proud of her work with Barry, Star Labs and her personal research.

 “I can’t speak for Uncle Cisco but I’m happy with my life as is. I don’t need anyone new.” Caitlin looked out the window at Cisco, giving Barry directions of what kind of tech to look for in Dr. Sinister’s lab and sighed wistfully.She was right. She didn’t need anyone new. It was an old friend that she had wrapped around her finger.  

Nora followed her gaze.

“You looked awfully happy pretending to be Mrs. Rodriguez, though,” Nora pointed out.

Caitlin blushed. It wasn’t lost on her that there was a lot of truth to that statement. “I was playing pretend,” Caitlin insisted, knowing how weak that sounded..

Nora put a hand on her hip sassily, pursing her lips a lot like her mother.

“Were you, though?” She pressed.

Caitlin ruffled the damp hair of Nora’s head, shutting down the conversation all together. She loved the kid, but she sure was Barry Allen’s daughter, meddling in personal affairs.  “You’re all good to go. Why don’t you run home to your brother. I’m sure he misses you.”

“Yeah, okay.”

Caitlin opened a drawer and handed her a lollipop. Nora rolled her eyes. “I’m too old for these.”

Cisco peeked his head in at that moment, his faux facial hair all gone, “No no,” He admonished, “You’re never too old for candy.”

He snatched Nora’s lollipop out of her hand, unwrapped the plastic and plopped it in his mouth. “Your loss my gain,” he said, muffled around the candy.

“Just think about what I said,” Nora told Caitlin, then sped out the building.

Cisco leaned forward. “What was she talking about?”

Caitlin fiddled with her medicine drawers. “Um,” she said lightly, shaking her head like it was no big deal, “Just about us being Mr. and Mrs. Rodriguez. She didn’t quite believe that we were acting.”

Cisco sat in down heavily in Caitlin’s office chair. “But you told her we were…” 

“Of course.” 

Cisco sighed. “Right.” 

Caitlin turned around, curious at Cisco’s tone of voice. “Why, you wish we weren’t?” She felt overly conscious about the way her heart  sudden quickened in pace.

Cisco made a contemplative humming noise, “Weeeellll,” he dragged out the word, avoiding Caitlin’s gaze. He toyed his dress shoes into the floor as he swiveled left-right-left in her chair and removed the candy from his mouth. 

“Arlo might’ve been a little jealous that a man was interested in his wife. It made him feel a bit stupid. Arlo has this amazing beautiful woman and he never really tells her enough what she means to him, he always kind of assumed she knew.”

“Ah,” Caitlin responded. Cisco glanced up at her, vulnerability written all over his face. “What does Katherine think?”

Caitlin lifted a shoulder, nonchalant. “Katherine was too wrapped up in her feelings about Arlo to even notice that another man was interested. Katherine felt silly that she lost her touch. And then she felt not so silly, because who was she trying to impress, if Arlo cared about her so deeply without her even having to try?”

“Really?” 

They weren’t joking anymore. 

Caitlin nodded. “Yeah.” 

“I do,” Cisco breathed. “Care about you deeply. So much. For so long.”

Caitlin felt like she might die. In a really good way. In a ‘I ate three belly burgers and had one milkshake too many but I’m so very happy’ way.

“Is this Arlo talking or Cisco?” Caitlin teased, holding her breath.

Cisco stood up and grabbed Caitlin’s hand, tugging her towards him. “It’s Cisco,” He said softly, seriously. “It’s me. I’d be lying if I said you’re not who I want. Who I think about all the time. Who I’d want to be my partner in crime not just when we fight crime.”

Caitlin squeezed their joint hands. “That’s a relief. Caitlin feels the same way.”

Cisco moved closer, following Caitlin with his eyes, beaming. He leaned in just as Caitlin placed her hands on his waist when Nora zipped back into the Med Bay with her twin brother in tow, scaring the two half to death.

They jumped into each other’s arms as Nora crowed in victory. “Thank you speedforce!” She exclaimed, “I did it! You owe me ten bucks!”

“Congratulations,” Don cheered as unenthusiastically as a kid could sound. “No offense, but I thought it was never going to happen.” He handed Nora a crumpled Hamilton.

“See, I told you it would work!” She stuck her tongue out at Don smugly.

Suddenly all the puzzle pieces clicked. “Wait a minute…” Cisco said, shaking his head at Nora, impressed. “We’ve been bamboozled! You were the one that put the idea that we should be your fake parents in our heads! You set us up!”

“To be fair,” Nora pointed out, “You are our godparents, so it’s not like it’s that unrealistic.”  

Caitlin tilted her head, thinking that reasoning over. “I don’t think that’s how it works.”

“Who cares!” Nora cried, “You’re together now!” 

“Okay, thank you, we owe you. Now let us have our moment!” Cisco said, ushering the Tornado Twins away. 

They zoomed off, and Cisco could hear Iris yelling after them as he pulled the curtain around the bed. 

“Now,” Cisco said, winking, “Where were--Mmmph!”  

The week is spent in a mixture of helping Eddie and Iris with the final details of their wedding and sight seeing around the city. It is all beautiful, Caitlin getting misty eyed as she sees Iris in her wedding dress, a vision of white, a breathtaking smile on her lips as they nod to the dressmaker.

He had been responsible for ensuring the church was ready and prepared for the weekend, and Caitlin catches Cisco before he goes sleep one night, his eyes alight as he describes the location to her.

She sighs wistfully at the description, mind wandering as it paints an illustration of the location. He cuts himself off the moment he realises what she’s doing, his smile falling a fraction and then falling completely. Their goodnights are tainted with bittersweet memories, of another church which was going to hold a wedding, but instead had a funeral.

Sleep comes to them eventually, but it comes with restlessness and memories they would prefer to be forgotten.

They have an engagement dinner the next night, the group booking themselves at an exclusive restaurant, with large price tags and small portions. But it is worth it, a warm environment and laughs and an explosion of flavour on their taste-buds.

It’s wonderful, but then there is Eddie and Iris feeding each other dessert, the pair making faces at each other as they spoon the cake into the other’s mouth, laughing at the reaction. They distract her from her own dish, chocolate mousse sitting abandoned as she watches them be in love, so utterly in love.

“Do you think I’ll ever get that?” The words were supposed to stay in her mind, but they slip out, Cisco sitting beside her, catching her words. 

“Of course Caitlin.” 

She sighs, longing looks at the engaged couple, subconsciously rubbing her bare finger. The action is stopped by Cisco, his hand covering hers, a sympathetic look on his face as he pulls her closer, Caitlin resting her head on his shoulder. They don’t need to exchange words, Caitlin entwining their fingers together, a soft exhale leaving her lips.

Ronnie was on her mind, on both their minds now, the wedding she had planned never occurring, a funeral taking place instead. It had been years ago, but weddings were always a difficult thing to endure, always reminding her of what she was denied, what she longed for. “I don’t think so.” It comes out with a choked sob, her chair scraping against the floor as she pushes it back, rushing to her feet, an excuse on her lips about needing the bathroom.

He catches up to her, Cisco willing to follow her to the ends of the earth. The corridor where the bathrooms are located is as far as he needed to go. “Hey,” he calls out and she stills, shoulders up and arms pulled into herself. His hands are warm on her shoulders and she turns easily as he guides her, spinning her around to face him. But her gaze is concentrated on the ground below, chin pushing into her neck as she avoids even glancing at his feet. “Hey, look at me.” She does, eyes so open, her heart vulnerable. And he feels his shatter at the pain on her expression, the glossy sheen over her eyes making her eyes shine in the candlelight. He is barely aware of his thumb stroking the bare skin of her shoulder, or her hand resting on his chest, over his heart. “Caitlin, you’re a beautiful, wonderful, stunning, intelligent person. And anyone would be lucky to call you their wife. So none of this crap okay?”

She replies with a hug, Caitlin pressing her face against the crook of his neck, her arms tight around his torso. It takes him by surprise, Cisco pulling her closer, breathing deeply as the hug lingers. “Thank you,” she whispers, lips brushing against the skin behind his ear and it takes all his willpower to not shudder at the touch.

She pulls her face away, and he meets her gaze. “Anytime Caitlin.” Earnestness permeates his tone and she smiles for the first time that night. He doesn’t want to leave her side and she doesn’t let him, Caitlin gravitating to his side throughout the night, talking to him, touching him.

She relaxes with him and by the end of the night she is giggling carefree at his corny jokes. And he knows they are, but they bring a smile to her face and grace his ears with her laughter, so he considers them some of the greatest jokes he knows. 

But he hates that it is as they are entering their hotel rooms. They drop Barry at his room, their own a few doors down. And soon they are standing in front of their rooms, Cisco on one side, Caitlin opposite. The hug goodnight gently and quick and he lets her go, lips quirking into a smile as he says goodnight, taking the few steps to his room.

He is stopped with a hand on his shoulder, small and dainty and Caitlin’s. Cisco turns instantly, head tilted. “The night’s still quite young,” she starts hesitantly. “And the wedding is happening in the afternoon.” He doesn’t say anything as she pauses again, lips pursed as she tries to get her words out. But then finally, “do you wanna get drunk?”

“Alright, so if you’re gonna get smashed and laid... who are we going with here?”

It had taken them a few drinks before the idea arrived to Cisco, the man jumping up at the idea, startling Caitlin as he beams at her. The club they had found was everything they were looking for, strong alcohol and a good beat enough to convince them to stay. She rejects the idea outright,  no one in the club taking her interest. He pouts, complaining that she hadn’t looked, reminding her that it was for her benefit, and so she gives a cursory glance around before affirming her previous statement.

No one here was that interesting.

He swears to prove her wrong. All she needs to is go along with the idea.

Caitlin had then nodded slowly at his idea, going along with it more for Cisco than herself. But he was certain it would help her mood, endorphins and wonderful memories formed at this wedding hopefully enough to dampen the sting of her past. So he had dragged her to a booth, somewhere isolated where they could check out the strangers in the club.

She sits down beside him, more interested in her drink than the other people, but he carries on determined to find someone for her.

“Oh!” Cisco looks excited. “That guy looks cute.” Caitlin barely spares him a glance before nodding. “Caitlin,” he whines. “You have to look at him.”

She does this time, her gaze slowly raking up him, lips moistened with her tongue as she runs her eyes back down him. And it leaves Cisco feeling unsettled, his best friend blatantly checking a person out with the intention of seducing them. He quells the feeling, the good of Caitlin of more importance than his emotions.

“He’s good,” she concedes. “But I haven’t really flirted with anyone in a while. Don’t think it’d go that well.”

“Oh.” And he realises she is right. “Okay, practice on me then.”

That startles her, the empty cup slipping from her grasp, falling on its side and rolling on the table. “What?” Her voice is hoarse and he doesn’t get why.

“Flirt with me. I mean, who better to give you advice?”

She bites back a retort and he can see her push it back. “Are you serious Cisco?”

“Yeah,” and he sounds less confident, he feels less confident. But he wants to help her, Caitlin’s eyes searching his. And whatever she is looking for she finds it, a resolute look crossing her face.

No words come from her mouth, Caitlin giving him a critical look before it slips away. He feels nervous, heart rate picking up and she hadn’t yet made a move. She slides closer to him, her curves pressing against his side as she cups his chin, turning his head to look at her. It must be the lighting because her pupils appear blown, eyes dark as she drinks him in. “Hey handsome.” It is a throaty whisper and his hands itch to hold her, Cisco clenching them by his side, desperate for restraint. 

He is in over his head already and she has barely started. He wonders how he would ever be expected to forget this moment.

Her hands are normally so cold, but now they are burning through his shirt, fire left in its wake as she runs them over his torso. “Do you remember asking me whether I’d date you if you were the last guy on Earth?” It’s a strange pick up line, he thinks. But the memory is on the forefront of his mind now, Caitlin laughing at the question, a teasing smile on her lips as she calls him her brother.

It had stung a bit, though not more than the jellyfish had her, he remembers with a smile. 

She leans forward, hot breath ghosting his skin, lips brushing against his ear lobe. “I lied. And when you asked me if I wanted to take any of the guys home in this club and I said no.” Her hand reaches his neck, runs itself through his hair. And he grumbles deep inside his chest, the most delectable noise leaving Caitlin’s throat as she hears it, as she feels the vibration against her own chest. She leans into him, and he can feel her every curve, is sure that if he’d only look down, he would see a few as well. His hands find her hips, holding her firmly against him, praying she couldn’t feel him stiffening underneath her. 

He is looking up at her and oh, he realises belatedly, when did she move from beside him to on top of his lap? She is straddling him now, her hair falling over the sides of her face, blocking them off from the world. “What about that?” His voice is strained and she is cruel, rolling her hips against his erection. 

Her lips skim across the line of his jaw, barely touching his skin, only enough to have sparks erupt with her touch. And he wants to growl at her to commit, because this teasing was driving him crazy. “I was lying then too.”

“Oh?” he forces out, artificial lightness injected in his tone. Because he can’t make any assumptions, can’t be lead by his emotions and feelings in a time like this.

“Yeah,” she whispers and they are nose to nose, lips  touching whenever she spoke, just a touch, but enough to send fire through his veins, enough to steal the oxygen from his lungs. “Because you were here.”

It is wet and messy, their first kiss, and he can taste the fruitiness of her cocktail on her tongue, is sure she can taste his beer. There is no careful treading near the boundaries of their friendship, they storm across the line drawn in the sand, blowing it away as they made out in a darkened and isolated area of the club. Every fantasy Cisco had about kissing her, during those hours right before dawn where his mind would wander to things he normally denied, even to himself - all of them imagined their first kiss to be sweet, shy touches and gentle caresses. He had never imagined it like this. Rough. Frantic. Intoxicating. His tongue sweeps into her mouth, swallowing her moan, holding back his own as she grinds against him. And he can’t have enough, his hands holding her body against his, one drifting up to her hair, Cisco tangling his fingers in her hair. It’s perfect, she’s perfect. And he doesn’t want to pull away, not even to breathe, not if she may come to her senses and realise she could have any guy in this club easily. Including him.

They do eventually pull away, Caitlin biting his bottom lip as she does so, tugging it before letting it go with a pop.

“That was great practice,” she manages through laboured breaths, Caitlin’s fingers slipping underneath his shirt, dragging a nail lightly against the bottom of his stomach, just over the top of his pants, and she watches his reaction. His hips jerk up instinctively, eyes burning. “But I really think I need to practice some more.” Her eyes are dark and lips swollen and he is so totally screwed.

He gulps in a breath and she is holding hers in anticipation. “I’ll call us a cab.”

He wakes up in his hotel room, naked and aching in all the best places. And not alone. Her head is a nice weight on his chest, hair spread across her back and his neck, tickling his nose. They had sex together. Multiple times. And, he can’t help but admit, it was magnificent. But of course it would be, they knew each other for years, knew the other like they knew themselves, so of course sex would be no different, each inch of skin a new mystery they would easily learn and love.

A question floats through his mind, Cisco wondering whether he should wake sleeping beauty from her slumber. He decides against it - he would enjoy as much peace as he could be afforded and deal with the fallout later. Now though, now he will bask in the memories he was granted.

It lasts all of five minutes, a knock on the door waking her up. It’s comical, the way her head lifts from his chest, eyes wide and she looks like she is going to panic, she is panicking. He doesn’t think about his actions, Cisco pulling her head back against his chest, pulling up his blanket until it is covering her body up.

And then Barry strolls in, bouncing around. “Dude, what are you doing? Iris is getting married today!” The glee in his eyes is a sharp difference to his reaction to that of her dating Eddie, Barry now fully moved on from his crush on her, opening up his heart again.

“And you’ll be the prettiest bridesmaid Barry,” Cisco says drily, but the barb misses, Barry grinning harder at the words.

“Thanks Cisco.” Barry looks as though he wants to say something more, but Caitlin is still hiding underneath Cisco’s blanket, she is still pressed up against his body and she is most definitely still nude while doing so.

“So don’t you think you should be, you know, actually helping Iris right now Bar. I mean, isn’t that what being the maid-of-honour means.” And his eyes widen, a curse leaving Barry’s mouth as he runs out of the building at top speed, the door slamming behind him.

It is only when he’s left alone Cisco relaxes. But he’s not alone, Caitlin’s head darting out from the blanket, head turned to the door before twisting back to Cisco, gaze dropping down to his naked chest before immediately flickering back to his face, eyes wide and cheeks red.

“We slept together.” He can’t tell if she is surprised or horrified. He thinks it’s a mixture of both.

“Yes.”

“You and me.”

She still is leaning into him, her hand resting on his chest as balanced herself on him. “Pretty sure.” His voice is a little strained, but to be fair she is so close and it’s early in the morning and all he wants to do it touch her skin.

“We slept together.” She is panicking, voice shrill and loud and he needs to calm her down. 

He pulls himself up into a sitting position, Caitlin leaning back, sitting on her legs, breathing heavy. “Alright Caitlin, I think you need to breathe for a bit. Copy me,” And he does exaggerated breaths, hands on her shoulder as he holds her steady and together. She copies him, and soon she is breathing normally, a grateful smile on her face.

“You okay?” And even in this situation he is soft with her, Cisco taking her hand in his, squeezing it gently. She gives him a small nod, and he breathes a sigh of relief. “Okay good. Also do you mind putting a shirt on. Not that I don’t mind the view, I do, it’s just...” He drifts off Caitlin having glanced down and realised the state of her undress. She scrambles out of the bed and he dutifully looks away, laughing as she picks up the first shirt she can grab - his - and slips it over her head. She runs wildly around, her bra hanging on the bed frame, underwear missing and prepares to leave. The pause at the door gets his attention, hair flying and her head turns to face him.

“We need to be downstairs in two hours Cisco.” Then she slips out the door, her hotel room opposite his own, the key in her hand.

And she disappears, leaving him and his thoughts alone. Collapsing back on his bed he sighs. This would go one of two ways, and both paths frightened him. 

She was early to the chapel. He doesn’t think she would be, but that was a stupid thought. When was Caitlin ever late for anything? She’s like a nervous cat, jumping at his presence behind her, skittish and unsure how to proceed. “Hey Cisco.” She sounds happy, bubbly. But it is all wrong, it isn’t genuine and Cisco hates it.

He sighs, taking her hand in his, fiddling with the ring she was wearing on her right hand. Contact seems to be enough, Caitlin deflating, a more real version of her taking its place. “We should probably talk about last night.”

Invisible hackles rise, but his hands tighten on hers and she doesn’t run away. That’s a plus, he thinks. “There’s nothing to talk about.” She sounds frosty, but that is only surface level. She couldn’t hide her emotions from him, not her nervousness, not her fear, not from him. “We were drunk, that’s all.”

He scoffs at her attempts to brush it off. “We weren’t that drunk.”

“It might ruin our friendship,” she says pleadingly, though he wasn’t sure what she was pleading for. “You’re the most important person in my life Cisco, I couldn’t imagine my life without you.”

“Alright then.” He nods to himself, an idea forming in his mind. “Well then, what about this - what happens in London, stays in London.” She is going to object and Iris will probably hate him for smudging her lipstick, but he presses a finger against her ruby lips, eyebrows arching at his action. She stays silent. “I know how important our friendship is to you, hell you’re the most important person in my life. I think about all the memories I cherish most - you’re in every single one of them Caitlin.” Her breath hitches and he doesn’t know if he’ll regret letting that piece of information slip. “All I know is that I can’t let last night be brushed off as a mistake. I just - I need you Caitlin, even if it is just in London. I promise as soon as we’re back at Central City -” he throws her a weak smirk, “- I’ll be your BFF again, no more sexy times.” She nods against his finger, and she’ll definitely need to reapply her lipstick.

“Okay,” she whispers.

“Okay.” And his smile is wider and brighter and he feels lighter. “I should probably add that you look beautiful Caitlin.”

She blushes at his words, eyes averted as she smiles to herself. It is a precious sight and he stores it in his memory. “You look handsome too.” She drags her eyes over him, winking as she catches his gaze. “This is definitely a good look on you.”

“Cait-lin,” and oh, his voice was husky. Her eyes gleam as she catches it.

“What?” And her look of innocence has deviousness written across it. “If all we have is London, I should take full advantage of that, don’t you think?” 

He takes a step toward her, a smile on his lips as he hears her words. “Oh really?”

Caitlin nods. “I was thinking after the reception.” He is right before her now, eye-to-eye because of her heels.

“I like the sound of that.”

The wedding goes off without a hitch. The ceremony is small and intimate, beautiful enough for Caitlin to have shed a tear before Iris even makes her way down the aisle, holding onto Joe. And she isn’t sure what is more beautiful, Iris’ face when she sees Eddie standing there, or Eddie’s, his jaw dropping at the sight of Iris, eyes shining in adoration and love, the man barely able to breathe.

But then Iris is right next to him, smiling at him and then he can breathe again, knowing that this woman, this beautiful, incredible woman, was willing to promise him the rest of her life. But every so often Caitlin finds herself stealing a glance at Cisco, the man captivated by the ceremony.

Iris steals her attention back in her vows, teasingly saying Barry’s name and not Eddie’s. There is a collective sharp inhale from everyone else, but her eyes are sparkling and lips smirking and Eddie’s laugh echoes through the chapel. Because she continues on saying that Barry’s name felt wrong on her lips, that Eddie is the only one she could imagine confessing her love to, promising her life to. It was Eddie, only Eddie, only ever Eddie.

She has the man crying before she ever finishes, Cisco discreetly wiping his own eyes. And he steals a glance at Caitlin, heart thundering as he catches her unwavering gaze focussed only on him. They are both brought back into reality soon enough, watching on in happiness as their two friends slip the wedding ring on the other’s fingers, a wet laugh leaving Eddie as he fumbles, his tears making it harder to see clearly.

And everyone cheers as they exchange their first kiss as husband and wife.

Cisco and Caitlin promised it that it would end in London, that they wouldn’t continue anything, not with their friendship being so important. Because it was. It was the most important thing in their lives, and ruining that, continuing their little affair and potentially ruining the greatest thing that had happened to them, that wasn’t even a possibility.

(There was the potential it would lead to something greater and stronger and more intimate than they could ever have imagined. They are too scared to even imagine a reality where that may occur.)

And so they sneak in lingering touches and longing looks while the others remain oblivious, too wrapped up in the wedding to notice the pair. The reception is perfection, for Iris and Eddie, for everyone. It isn’t traditional by any means, but they had intended a larger gathering back in the States, after their honeymoon in Italy. And so they have a dinner, everyone who attended the wedding going. It was less formal than the pre-wedding dinner, a room rented out, cheap food, lots of alcohol and good music.

He manages to convince her to do one dance, laughing at her stilted movements. And he guides her, hands on her hips, his body pressed up against her back as he shows her how to move with the music, how to let it wash over her and control her. She teases him back, reminds him he is just as bad at dancing than she is, if not more. But she doesn’t let him leave her. Because he does lose himself in the music and she wants to lose herself in it as well, wants to lose herself in him, his touch, his presence.

They wear themselves out, fatigue catching up to them late at night. Iris and Eddie had already headed off to their rooms and Cisco was thinking that they should do the same. He drags her to Barry who was talking to Joe, a cup of alcohol in his hand. “Hey guys, I think we’ll head back to the apartment now. Or this one is going to fall asleep on the dance floor.” A drowsy Caitlin still has the strength to glare at Cisco, pulling her hand out of his to cross her arms.

“Excuse me, I am completely awake right now.” Even as the words come out she is yawning. Joe laughs at her, crinkles at the side of his eye as Cisco cocks an eyebrow up, a smirk on his face as she pouts to him. Cisco thinks that Barry have gotten another drink during the little dispute.

“Come on sleeping beauty,” he mutters, pulling her out of the room. “Let’s get you into your bed okay.”

She stumbles into him, laughing to herself. “I’d rather be in yours.” He jumps as she squeezes his butt, her expression sinful.

He manages to get her into the cab, the ride home quiet, the knowledge of just what they were planning on doing hanging over them. Before they had the excuse of alcohol, but now they were sober  and cognisant of just what they were going to do. What they wanted to do.

They can barely touch, each of them awkward as they pay the driver and go up the hotel lift. “Caitlin,” he calls before she enters her room, Cisco’s hand resting on his door handle. She hums, turning her head. And she can see his eyes, dark and blown and she feels a little weak in the knees at the sight of him, barely restrained lust and desperation rolling off him. “I’ll leave my door open.”

Caitlin isn’t sure either of them will survive the night.

She sneaks into Cisco’s bedroom, closing the door behind her, a teasing smile on her lips as she leans against the wood, Cisco jumping in surprise. But that quickly turns into something else, a ravenous look on his face as he sees just what she’s wearing, a pale blue slip cutting off mid-thigh barely covered by the robe around her shoulders. “God Caitlin,” he whispers reverently and she can already feel the effects of his glance, of his words, a fluttering in her stomach. And is then she takes him in, the crisp white shirt unbuttoned and sleeves rolled to his elbows, bow tie loosened, hanging from his neck. And she loses whatever advantage she thought she would have by surprising him, heat in her gaze as she drags her eyes up and down his body. She loved Cisco in a suit, had always done so, had always appreciated the sight it gave her, but seeing him like this, it sent shock waves through her system. Catching his gaze was a mistake, pupils dilated, sucking her in until she was drowning in those chocolate pools. She thinks she says some things, thinks she swears. But she isn’t sure. All she knows is that something snaps inside Cisco, and that the distance between them was too much, any distance was too much.

He stalks to her, determined and sure, sweeping her up in his arms. She pushes herself off the door, leaning against his chest as he kisses her, Caitlin melting at his touch. And here, sober, she finds herself just as easily succumbing to the lust swirling inside her, tendrils extending their reach to every fibre of her being and she gets her wish, losing herself in his touch and taste.

They break apart, the kiss too short, too chaste for them to feel content with. And he offers her his hand, Caitlin slipping her own inside, guided as he tugs her away from the door and to the bed.

They stand at its foot, the atmosphere thick with the weight of their future actions. But it doesn’t deter them, Cisco’s touch tender as he reaches up, slipping the robe off her shoulders, the material dropping to the floor.

“I’m going to take my time tonight,” he growls and she nods, desperate to have his hands on her once more. 

But they don’t get any further, an insistent knocking on his door. “Who is it?” And there may be a slight undercurrent of anger, but it was justified, Caitlin inches away, watching him with dark eyes, anticipation burning between them.

“It’s Barry. Can I come in?” And he feels horrible because his first instinct was to say no. But Caitlin. Bed. Nakedness. He wanted it.

A sigh of resignation leaves him, Caitlin already bending to pick up her robe, wrapping it tight around her. Thank you he mouths, leaning forward to press a chaste kiss against her mouth, lingering because he can, because this was potentially the last time he could. “I’m coming.”

If Barry is surprised at the sight of Caitlin sitting on Cisco’s bed he says nothing, Barry joining her on the mattress, falling backward against it. “I hate being single,” he moans and they know they won’t be alone that night. Sighing Cisco joins them, the three of them cramped up on the queen sized bed, Caitlin stuck in the middle. They stare at the ceiling, more painless than looking at each other. “Do you think we’ll ever find the person we’re meant to be with?”

Caitlin laughs. “I think my question is more of a ‘will they stay alive long enough or will they turn into abusive dirtbags?’” Cisco reaches for her instinctively, taking her hand in his, rubbing his thumb against the inside of her wrist. The touch seems to calm her, Caitlin exhaling loudly, squeezing his hand in gratitude.

Barry winces, mumbling an apology, Caitlin brushing it off easily.

“Gosh, we’re pathetic single people aren’t we? Destined to be alone...”

“We aren’t alone though,” Cisco pipes up, and she knows he is looking at her, can feel his eyes burn into her and it’s like an itch, this need to turn her head and meet his gaze, the more she ignores it, the more it is the only thing on her mind. “We have each other.”

Silence fills the room at his words, comfortable and not awkward. Barry twists onto his side, back to Caitlin as he wishes them all a goodnight. It is startling, the thought of him sleeping on Cisco’s bed, assuming they would all do so too.Caitlin turns her back to Cisco too, afraid of what would happen if she were to face him, to meet his gaze, their plans unspoken and hanging between them. And so she holds it inside, disappointment clawing at her heart, a sense of loss washing over her.

Barry drifts off first, Cisco whispering his name, sighing when he got no response. “This isn’t how I planned to spend the night,” he grumbles, and he shifts onto his side, moving his hand to her hip, curling it over her bone as he leans into her. “Barry Allen, fastest cockblocker in Central City.” 

“Let’s just go to sleep Cisco, we leave tomorrow morning,” she mumbles, closing her eyes as she wills oblivion to come swiftly.

But he continues on as if he hadn’t heard her. “I had such good plans too. I was going to kiss you right here.” He rests his weight on his elbow, leaning down to press a kiss underneath her ear. “And another here,” he shifts lower, “and again here...” he quietens, choosing to instead press kisses down the exposed slope of her neck and across her shoulders.

“Stop it Cisco.” There is a warning in her tone and he concedes to it, elbow giving way as he lies beside her. 

“I really did had it all planned.” He whispers it now, and she strains to hear his words. “I was going to slip one strap down, going to suck a hickey high on your neck and so whenever someone would see it they’d know you were sleeping with someone. And I was going kiss every inch of your skin, going to finger you until you couldn’t take it anymore, until every time you saw my hands you’d think of tonight and this bed and just how incredible it was. You were going to lose your voice tonight, and the neighbours were going to learn my name as I sucked your clit and as my tongue -”

She rolls awkwardly, a glare on her face. “Cisco, I swear you better shut your mouth before I kick you.” He looks at her confused, eyebrows pinching as he struggles to understand why she would react like that. “Don’t start something you won’t finish,” she huffs, turning her back to him again as realisation dawns on him.

“Are you turned on Cait?” He sounds incredulous, disbelieving. 

“I will kick you,” she threatens and he laughs, a tender kiss against the base of neck.

He is serious however, in the next moment, voice soft as he whispers his apologies. “I’m sorry we couldn’t have our final night together.”

There is a tremour in her voice, a thickness that made his heart lurch. “Maybe it just wasn’t supposed to happen Cisco.”

And he can’t explain to her just how strongly he thought she was wrong. But the words won’t come to his tongue, and so he sighs, resting his forehead on the top of her spine, and he falls asleep.

Barry wakes up, nudging Caitlin first and then Cisco awake. He is brighter than he was last night, not affected by a hangover whatsoever. She wants to linger in the room with Cisco, wants to say goodbye to whatever had happened, what could have happened, what never happened. He wants it too, wants to reach out and hold her back. 

But Barry slips his arm in hers, rambling on a mile a minute as he walks to the the doorway. And he continues to chat to her, pausing at her doorway, leaning on the wall beside it, smiling as he catches up with her, Caitlin reminding him off their checkout and flight time.

They pack up sombrely, a sharp contrast to Barry who was bouncing around his room, having already packed his items in a flash. They all meet in the hotel lobby, Iris and Eddie having gone on ahead, starting their honeymoon bright and early. Joe wasn’t happy, complaining their flight back was so early and, given how little Wally and Jesse could look at each other without blushing, Cisco figured Harry would be having a fun time when they arrived back in the States.

The flight is tense, Barry in the middle of them and oblivious to the tension, head bopping to whatever music was playing through their headphones. They can’t look at each other, can’t even look in their direction, hearts beating hard in their chest.

It will be a long flight, and they know it.

“Well, here we are.” Their Uber pulls up at Caitlin’s apartment and she doesn’t want to be here, not yet, not when it meant that the bubble they were in would have to burst. Barry had taken a different cab, residing in a different area of the city, leaving those two without any excuse for separating. And they found, the moment they both got in the cab, they were thankful for these last few moments together.

“Yeah,” she says sadly, her smile falling. “I guess we are.”

And he sense her mood shift, Cisco taking her hand in his. “Hey,” he murmurs. “We’ll be okay.” The nod is jerky, Caitlin biting her lips and back her tears. And she isn’t sure why her eyes are stinging. She would be seeing him in a few days, STAR Labs still waiting for them to return. But she felt as though she were saying goodbye.

“Thank you Cisco.” It’s a breathy whisper and his hands tighten around her in response. “For everything.”

“You don’t have to Caitlin.”

“No,” she interrupts, eyes flashing in determination. “You’re always there for me, and I don’t say it enough.” Words of appreciation get caught in his throat, Cisco letting go of her hands to lean forward, the seatbelt digging into his chest as he pulls her into a hug. He breathes in deeply, her scent filling his nostrils, warm and familiar and he doesn’t want to let go.

“Alright you two,” the driver snaps and they pull away from each other, as if burnt. They had forgotten about him, about where they were. “I got other people to pick up.”

Her cheeks are red from embarrassment, Caitlin opening her door, stumbling out of the door and going to the boot where she picks up her luggage. He peers out of the window, waving at her as the car pulls away, tilting his head until she became a spec in the distance.

And all he wanted to do was go back to her.

It is supposed to be normal, everything is supposed to be normal. They were in Central City again, back in the regular grind of life, co workers and best friends and not lovers. But it wasn’t normal, nothing was normal anymore. Not when he still itches to hold her, to touch her, to kiss her.

It isn’t like he had never had these feelings for her, but they were repressed for so long, Cisco content with friendship. But now, now he knew what it was like to feel her against him, knew the sounds she made when she was close to an orgasm, when she was needy, when she pleads for more. And he knew he would struggle, knew that these feelings were unleashed and that they would only grow.

He doesn’t unpack when he gets home, simply ditches his bags by the door and curls up on his bed, sleep overcoming him, a jetlagged Cisco exhausted. 

It isn’t the best idea, not when ten at night rolls around and he is wide awake, unpacking and pacing and cursing his decision to sleep earlier. There is energy burning inside him and no outlet. But it is preferable to sleep, flashes of memories and fantasies blending into each other, arching bodies and soft skin aroused noises and Caitlin. He dreams of Caitlin. And he wants.

He jumps when he hears the vibrations of his phone against his bedside table, Cisco’s heart stopping as he sees her name on the screen. Shaky hands pick up the device, answering the call he had never expected.

The sound of deep breathing fills his ear and how can she be breathing when he can’t seem to take an inhale. The hesitation is obvious and he hopes, he just hopes that she desires what he does. That London wasn’t an end but instead a beginning. “Cisco.” 

“Yeah.” His voice cracks but he doesn’t care.

There is a huff and he knows she has made a decision, whichever way it would go. “I can’t sleep Cisco.” There is a quiver in her voice and he can feel his skin heating up. “What if I’m still on London time?”

He knows what she is saying, doesn’t need to hear the words.

And one second he is in his room, the next he is in hers, Caitlin laying in her bed, hair mused from sleep but eyes wide awake, dark and unblinking as she takes him in. There is an itch underneath his skin, a need to touch her, to hold her and she watches him unblinking as he stalks toward her bed, Cisco crawling over bed, stopping when their bodies were only a hairbreadth apart. And then his hand is cupping the back of her head, tugging her close as his mouth devours hers, pent up emotion that had been building since they boarded the aeroplane, a day ago.

She melts against his mouth, hand cupping his face, holding him close. And it is Caitlin who deepens the kiss, tilting her head, nose pressing against his cheek as she opens her mouth to him, licking at his seams until he complies.

 “I need you Cisco.” It is murmured softly, Caitlin looking at him through her lashes. She guides his hand from her hair, dragging it slowly down her body, his gaze following its movements. And she can feel it burn against, the trail marking her skin, tingles left in its wake. His finger gets caught on the top of nightgown, tugging it down, the reveal of more skin leaving his mind heady with the idea of what would happen, his skin buzzing at the feel of her. But she pulls his hand lower and the material slips from his hold. The touch sets fire through her, his palm pressing against her stomach and lower, Caitlin guiding him to where she needed him.

He can feel her wet and it was because of him. It was for him. “Cisco,” she repeats and his name sounds like a prayer, Caitlin gasping it, eyelids fluttering closed as his fingers trace the seams of her lips through her underwear. “I need you.”

There wasn’t any doubt - they weren’t going back to being merely friends, they couldn’t. Not after this, not anymore.

He wakes to Caitlin watching him, trepidation and determination warring on her expression. And he wants to wipe the lines on her forehead away, wants to kiss her until she was smiling against his mouth.

He wants it so much and he isn’t surprised by it, isn’t afraid of its intensity. Why would he? She had been his best friend for years, and he had always hurt when she hurt, always wanted to make her smile and feel better. But it hadn’t been like this. Their relationship had shifted on its axis and he finds himself wanting more, wanting to do more for her. The idea of her finding another man to share this intimacy with, to find comfort in someone else’s arms - it was so thorough repugnant to him and he finds himself wishing that she would just choose him. He had already chosen her.

“Any chance I can just sleep in for a few more hours.“ The lightness of his words are belied by the tightness in his chest.

“Well it’s a Sunday,” she replies, dropping her head onto his chest, the softness of her cheek pressing against his pectoral muscles, her hand resting low on his stomach. The fine hairs of his happy trail tickle the inside of her palm.

He hums in reply and she feels it all the way down to her toes. “So you’re not kicking me out of this bed. Because it’s very comfy and I might not ever leave.”

He means it teasingly, but he loses the amusement mid sentence and her heart stops at the thought of her coming home to him every night, having his arms around her tight, falling asleep to the sound of his heartbeat. He had always made her feel safe, feel cared for, feel loved. “I wouldn’t mind.”

He freezes at her words. His heart stops being and he wonders if this is still a dream. “What’s happening between us Caitlin?” It is a hoarse whisper and it feels serious, the atmosphere shifting around them, enveloping them in a bubble, the world around them fading away. “Is it just sex?” 

“No.” It was torn from her lungs, an earnestness which puts his mind at ease. “It could never be just sex.” Her voice is quiet, soft. “Not with you.”

“Then what is this between us?”

“I don’t know,” she whispers. He sees her moving beside him, feels her chin digging into his chest as she rests it on him, drumming her fingers against his side. “But I want to know where it goes.” It’s a terrible angle to hear such incredible words. He wants to say something eloquent, but he must take to long because a shadow crosses her face. “Unless you don’t...”

“I do,” he rushes out in an exhale. He pushes himself to a sitting position, collecting her in his arms. “God Caitlin, of course I do.” She relaxes in his hold, a smile on her face which lights up the room. And how can he help himself, Cisco leaning in, Caitlin meeting him midway for a kiss. It is different, a tender meeting of two heart, chaste and pure and he cannot hide his joy when she pulls away. “Should we tell the others?” There is a hopeful tinge to his voice, and although she shakes her head, it doesn’t diminish the happiness swelling inside him.

“What if something happens between us, we can’t drag them into this.” She is worried, he can hear it in her voice, but she ploughs through  it, committed to it, to them.

“This might change things between us. Are you ready for that?”

“It doesn’t really have to change anything.” There is a demure smile on her face, her voice dropping several keys. “We’d just touch more.” Her fingers dance across his skin, sliding up the slope of his neck, tangling with his locks. “And we’d kiss more,” she whispers, pressing her lips on the underside of his jaw, grinning as his fingers flex against her hips. She trails her lips up to his ear, a soft kiss on the back of his ear. “And spend more time naked together.” She tugs at his earlobe with her teeth, Cisco stuttering her name. “Much more time naked.”

He turns his head, catching her lips in a kiss, stealing her breath away. “I like the sound of that.” He mumbles it against her mouth, smiling as she giggles into the kiss. It is slow and languid, her arms winding themselves his neck, holding him close.

She pulls back from him, nudging his nose with the tip of hers. “You’re still my best friend Cisco,” she says seriously. “No matter what happens between us you’ll always be my best friend.”

The smile he gives her is soft and tender and she feels the tension roll off her. “Ditto Caitlin.”

He seals it with a kiss.

There is a certain thrill, they discover, in hiding the relationship from everybody else. An excitement that courses through their veins every time the kiss at work, knowing anyone could come in and stumble upon them, a giddiness when they would touch each other in increasingly risque ways, a game between them for who would cause the other to crack without alerting anyone.

They get a few glances, confusion as Barry and Harry and Iris catch them in compromising positions. But it gets brushed off, and dismissed as something they would normally do, Caitlin and Cisco always incredibly close and loving toward each other.

 The actual dating... they don’t even need to hide that. Going out for dinner, spending entire evenings together on a couch and Netflix, it was so common before London that no one suspects their actions. Caitlin was right - much of their lives didn’t really change. 

But she was wrong, because so much of their lives did.

Barry is the first one to realise there was something going on between them, months after they had returned from London.

It is due to a eyelash curler of all things.

The guys were having an evening separate from the girls, Barry and Cisco taking Eddie out for drinks and bonding, Iris and Caitlin encouraging them to go out, the two discussing their own plans for the night. Barry met up with Cisco beforehand, the pair making their way to the bar, Eddie planning to meet them there after his shift concludes.

And so Barry arrives at Cisco’s apartment at lightning speed, waiting as Cisco finishes getting ready for the evening. Bored he decides to quickly check his reflection, hoping that his running hadn’t ruined his hairstyle. 

Barry finds the curler lying in Cisco’s bathroom. He had taken his wallet out of his pocket, double checking he had enough cash on him, his keys falling out with it. Bending down to pick it up he discovers the curler on the floor and picks it up, eyebrows raised. He keeps it in his pocket, wandering back to Cisco’s lounge, sitting casually as he racks his brain trying to figure out who it belonged to.

He decides to just confront Cisco directly, Barry pulling it out when Cisco enters his living room finally ready for their night out. “So, what’s this then?” He smirks at the look of panic on Cisco’s face, Barry snorting in laughter as Cisco’s mouth opens and closes numerous times.

“Umm...”

“You’re sleeping with someone?” How he manages to get it out through his laughter is a miracle.

Cisco snaps his fingers, pointing to Barry with a smile on his face. “Exactly. I met someone in a bar and then slept with them.”

“Really?” His tone would be considered sceptical if Barry hadn’t come up with the suggestion himself.

Cisco nods vigorously. “And and and you’ve never met them because it was a one time thing. Never even got a name.” There is an audible sigh of relief from Cisco, Barry crossing his arms, ready to discuss this further. But he is distracted by the time - they would be late if they don’t leave now and Cisco is dragging him out of the room before he could object.

The next day has the trio in the labs, working on a way to defeat their latest meta.

“Hey Cisco,” Caitlin calls out around lunchtime, digging through her bag. “Did I leave my eyelash curler at your apartment last weekend during our Walking Dead marathon? Because I can’t find it anywhere.”

Barry’s brows furrow, gaze flicking between Cisco’s alarmed expression and Caitlin’s confused one. “That was yours?” He settles on Cisco. “Why did you say it was from someone you’d slept with when it was just Caitlin’s?”

An ungodly noise leaves her mouth at his question, hands quickly covering her mouth, eyes wide in shock. “He what?” It is a strangled sound from her throat, Caitlin starting to cough, punching her chest until the cough clears.

“He said that the curler belonged to -” It strikes him, the man staggering back hand reaching back to lean on the desk behind him. “Nooooo.” It is a mixture of disbelief and surprise and Cisco has his face in his hands, rubbing his eyes with the palm of his hands before straightening up. “Really? You two?”

“Yes, okay. Yes.” His hands are open, trying to placate Barry, Cisco moving toward him slowly. “Caitlin and I have been...” He drifts off, trying to think of the correct word. His sways his head left to right, a grateful smile directed to Caitlin pipes up.

“We’re together Barry. But you can’t tell anyone.”

He had calmed down since the revelation, but the knowledge that he couldn’t share the information with anyone has him whining. “Why?”

It is Cisco who answers. “We’re still getting use to it Barry. This is years of friendship we’re talking about. So we’re just taking it very slowly.”

“Not that slowly,” Caitlin teases, a sly smirk on her face as she winks toward Cisco, her head thrown back in laughter at the look of utter surprise on his face, the man taken aback by her action. But then he breaks into a smile and its blinding, the fondness he held for her, the love he had been hiding from everyone.

And Barry can’t believe he hadn’t seen it before, hadn’t suspected it in the slightest. Because watching them together, the change was subtle but it was dramatic, and he didn’t think he would be able to unsee them as anything but a couple. It was different to how they used to look at each other, but really wasn’t that much different....

“You guys.” And he sounds as if he will cry at the sight of them, his arms stretching wide. There is no reluctance, though Cisco does roll his eyes as they go to him, a group hug filling them with warmth, the knowledge that one of their closest friends knew and supported them a relief. “I’m so happy for you.” And yeah, he definitely sounds choked up. “So, when did this happen?”

“London.”

“London?!”

They aren’t aware that Iris sees them a few months after Barry finds out, Cisco and Caitlin too caught up in each other. He is working, or he appears to be, but it is lunch time and there was a lull in crime and Caitlin was standing behind him, leaning down. Iris stifles a gasp as she sees the other woman press a kiss against his cheek, Cisco turning his head, capturing her lips in a soft kiss. 

They pull apart relatively quickly, Caitlin pressing a gentle kiss against the side of Cisco’s temple before straightening up, walking out of the room.

They don’t know Iris is there, don’t even know she was coming to the lab today. And she stays there, watching the space, the memory replaying in her mind over and over until it drove her crazy.

And she couldn’t keep this knowledge to herself.

“They’re dating!” It’s an explosion of hurt and excitement, Iris bouncing in her spot. She had dragged Barry to her house, Eddie sitting on their couch alongside Barry as she paces before them.

“Who?” It is confusion. Eddie. 

“Caitlin and Cisco. They’re dating...” Her jaw drops. One look of surprise, one look of guilt. “Bartholemew Allen you better tell me what I want to know.”

He caves.

He tells them everything.

“I can’t believe they’d hide this from us.” Iris stops, smirks, mischief dancing in her eyes. “Well, we can change that.” She looks between the two men with her. “And you’re both going to help me.”

Hiding their relationship wasn’t the best idea in the world, not when Eddie and Iris seem intent on setting their two friends on dates. And they can’t really resist their efforts without seeming strange, Cisco had been bemoaning the lack of romance in his life, Caitlin promising Iris that she would try and move on from the scars Jay left on her. And she finally seemed as though she were, a few scattered dates before the fateful trip to London.

But Julian didn’t light up anything inside her, and Lisa, Cisco was sure, is someone he has seen on the wanted board in the police station.

(Iris concedes that maybe finding a stranger in a bar wasn’t the best idea for organising Cisco’s blind date.)

They try other people, but the couple don’t appear to show any annoyance at the constant barrage of dates they were set up on, smiling the next day as they exchanged anecdotes of the previous night with each other. The looks of adoration aren’t hard to miss between them and Iris feels like screaming, the poor charade of just-friends crumbling the moment they are in the same room together.

“So this isn’t working,” Iris huffs, crossing her arms as Eddie sits across from her on the table, taking her hand.

“What are you thinking babe?”

“We need the big guns.” Her eyes spark and both Barry and Eddie know not to try and stop her.

Cynthia comes over to STAR Labs the next day, some half formed excuse stuttered out of Barry’s lips before he zooms off to practice.

Cisco is free to assist her with the problem plaguing her bounty agency, the man ready to work and talk tech with whoever was willing to listen. And Cynthia was. She hovers over Cisco’s shoulders, listening to his words and explanations, nodding, asking for clarification on points she doesn’t understand. It’s different, a more calm Cynthia. A Cynthia that spoke only to him.

Caitlin was working on another issue, her expertise not relevant to the problem. And so she is largely ignored, and largely ignores them. Which means she is unaware of the gentle touches Cynthia does on his shoulder. Which means she is unaware at the closeness between Cynthia and Cisco.

But Cisco isn’t oblivious. Confused and unsure how to mention it to Cynthia, but not oblivious.

With the end of the day comes the end of the problem, Cynthia beaming at the improved technology Cisco was passing over to her, eyes bright when she sees the strength of the gun, sees just how the gloves harness and amplify her strength.

Cynthia presses a kiss against his cheek, in what he assumes is thanks. But then she checks him out, blatantly checks him out, winking as she catches his surprised look before she enters the lift, heading up to the top, and he doesn’t know what to think anymore. “See you around Ramon,” she had said before she left.

And he isn’t sure what to expect when she does.  

He takes a seat at his desk not half an hour after Cynthia had left, huffing to himself, abandoning any pretence of doing work. Because her actions were on his mind and he needed to talk with someone. His best friend. “Caitlin... I think there’s a meta affecting people’s minds.” The snort of laughter leaving her lips doesn’t fill him with confidence.

She turns her head to him smiling, but he doesn’t seem amused, seems troubled, and so she drops her work turning to him. “And why do you think that?”

“Cynthia.” The blank look on Caitlin’s face wasn’t something he wanted to see, Cisco realising that now he’d have to explain everything to her. “She was flirting with me.” He rushes the words out, as if speed would detract from its meaning.

Caitlin rolls her eyes, rolling herself to Cisco’s desk. His brows furrow as she places the back of her hand on his forehead, head cocked to the side. “You don’t seem to have a high temperature.”

“Rude.” He pushes her hand away from him. Missing the contact instantly. “I’m serious.”

“Cisco,” Caitlin starts slowly. “Cynthia has always flirted with you.”

That revelation takes him by surprise. “What?”

“Yeah, haven’t you wondered why she's always so awkward around me?” He shrugs, Caitlin rolling her eyes, ruffling his hair affectionately. He yelps, brushing her hand away from his hair. “You’re the cutest thing.”

He pouts, crossing his arms over his chest. “Okay then Miss Smarty-pants, why is she being so blatant then?”

The question hangs over them, the look of mirth on Caitlin’s face dropping. “They know.”

He doesn’t need an explanation for what she was referring to. “They couldn’t possibly.”

Caitlin gives him an unimpressed look. “Barry knows.”

He tilts his head, pondering her argument. “.... They know.” But it still doesn’t explain everything. “And they sent Cynthia to do what exactly?”

Caitlin smiles, devious and chilling and he loves it. “I don’t know, but I do know how to find out.”

(He loves her).

It becomes a point of pride, the couple wanting to admonish their friends for trying to force them out of secrecy. And Cisco just wants to mess with them.

Barry is terrible with secrets, and a small amount of pressure exerted by Caitlin has him folding, telling them the plan. That apparently Cynthia was to flirt with him, the resulting awkwardness a source of amusement and would hopefully have them confessing the relationship.

And so he tries to flirt back.

She leans back in surprise when he moves closer, flirting just as obviously, and he can hear Iris gasp, her gaze flickering to Caitlin’s neutral expression, Caitlin not reacting to the sight in front of her. She appears disinterested. It takes them by surprise.

Cynthia recovers quickly, smiling as she slides her hand up his torso, Cisco’s stomach clenching at the touch. “Are you saying you’re interested in me Cisco?” There is a coy smile on her lips and he gulps, adam’s apple bobbing as he commits to the plan.

“I’ve never denied it Cynthia. I knew there was a reason that the universe tried to show us we were -” he blanks, searching for the right word. “On similar wavelengths, compatible.”

Her eyes brighten and oh, he thinks, this was a terrible idea. She was much better at this than him. “I agree. We should really explore what it is between us Cisco.” Her finger runs down his torso, Cynthia close, too close. But he can’t flinch, can’t show any sign of discomfort. Can’t let them win.

“Maybe over dinner?”

His words take her by surprise, eyes widening. They had clearly never planned for it to go this far. “That sounds perfect.” And the waver in her voice was audible, Cynthia clearing her throat to disguise it.

“So it’s a date?” He tries to sound excited for it, but the smile on his lips too wide, too bright.

“Yeah.” She nods, pulling away from him. And he can breathe normally again. “Where do you want to go?” He was successful, this charade was working. 

And he’s a little too confident, the words slipping out without second thought. “My apartment, Friday night, 8 o’clock. I’ll cook you some of mama Ramon’s famous recipes.”

And as soon as they are out he wants to take them back, wants to pluck them from the air and eat his words back up. What he would do to run through time and stop his past self. But he can’t. They are in the open and Cynthia is nodding, a smile on her face, a few words before turning on her heels and leaving the room.

“I look forward to it.”

Caitlin is in his apartment before the date takes place, sitting down by his kitchen table, a smile on her face as she watches him run around, preparing dinner for another woman. “You can help any time you know?” 

She laughs at his words and he feels himself relax at the sound, shoulders falling and a calm washing over him. “Are you really sure you want me helping with the cooking?”

There is a moment to ponder her words before he nods. “Yeah you’re right, we’d die of food poisoning, and it wouldn’t even be intentional.”

She pouts at him, sticking her tongue out as he laughs. “I’m not that bad,” she grumbles and he switches the stove off, Cisco moving to her, kneeling in front of her.

“No,” he whispers, and the air isn’t light anymore, a tension settling in the room. “You’re the best.”

The smile is small, but it means everything to him, Cisco pulling himself to his feet, moving to get ready, Caitlin rising with him almost instinctively. And up close he can see her emotions more clearly. He can see the worry in her face, Caitlin gnawing at her bottom lip. “Hey,” his hand finds the bottom of her chin, tilting it up until she meets his gaze. And she can’t hide anything from him. Never really could. “You okay?”

She nods, and he can feel her swallow thickly. He wants to say the words, the three words that were weighing on his heart. Instead he leans forward, Caitlin melting into him as she kisses him, tension rolling off her in waves. 

They break apart slowly, Caitlin reaching up to his mouth, wiping his lips clean with her thumb, maintaining eye contact with him the entire time. He catches her arm as she moves to pull her hand away, dry lips pressing a lingering kiss against the inside of her wrist.

“You need a clean shirt,” she says eventually, voice scratchy. And she runs, leaving him alone in his lounge room. He is alone with a clawing feeling inside him, stomach flipping as the minutes stretch. She comes back with a clean button up shirt flung over her shoulder. And she can’t meet his gaze, her hands grabbing the bottom of his shirt, lifting it up slowly.

There is a tension in the atmosphere he never expected, Caitlin clinging to his shirt, unable to meet his gaze. He picks the other off her shoulder, sliding his hands through it. And she buttons up his shirt slowly, staring from the bottom and working her way up. “You don’t to go this far if you don’t feel comfortable.”

“I won’t if you don’t want me too.” It is a whisper. It feels wrong to do anything but that.

She meets his gaze then and the emotions swirling inside it takes his breath away. “I just -” She cuts herself off. She doesn’t need to say anything more.

“You know you’re the only woman I...” He hesitates, unsure if he should say those words, unsure if she was ready to hear them. “You’re the only one I truly care for,” he finishes and he prays she can read between the lines, can understand what he means.

She nods, a watery smile on her lips and she doesn’t, not really. “Yeah, of course.”

He kisses her then. He kisses her because he adores her and loves her and he can’t imagine being with anyone else. He kisses her because he can’t stand the look on her face, can’t stand being away from her. And something unlocks inside him, her hands winding themselves around his neck, a muffled moan against his lips. 

The whimper that leaves her mouth when they break apart has him leaning back into her, holding her tight against him. 

“I’ll sneak out now,” she says, glancing at the time. She stops at the door, turning on her heel, a shy smile on her face as she adds. “You look nice.” Her words send his heart into overdrive and the words are going to slip out accidentally. It is too big and important and she is such a big and important part of his life.

But then there is a knock on her door.

Cynthia was here,

but so was Caitlin.

There is a flurry of movement, a panicked Caitlin running into his bedroom. “I’ll be okay here, won’t I?” she hisses.

He rolls his eyes at her question. “I don’t know what you think I’m going to do tonight, but none of it involves her in my bedroom okay?” She nods rapidly, shutting the door to him. And she leans on the wood behind her, sinking slowly to the floor, clutching her hand to her chest, over her heart. It is beating hard and there is an uneasiness she doesn’t understand.

It is Cisco, and he would never hurt her, never do anything against her. And Cynthia was just playing with both of them. But still...

Caitlin closes her eyes, rests her head against the door and breathes deeply. And she listens.

Cisco is much more panicked than her now he was left alone. He opens the door to Cynthia, a smile on his face as he takes her hand in his, a kiss against the back of her palm partnered with a wink. 

She rolls her eyes at his antics, but the smile tugging on her lips betrays her amusement. “You look good,” she says and it’s strange, feeling her eyes rake over him. With Caitlin he felt hot, but Cynthia was his friend.

He does the same with her, a noise of appreciation leaving him as he takes in the dress she was wearing partnered with the leather jacket. “And you look beautiful.” It is true, she really does, the deep blue of the dress and loose hair is a very nice look on her. But she wasn’t who he wanted.

He snaps out of his thoughts. “Oh! Food.” He abandons her by the door, rushing to the kitchen. “I’ll just put this on low,” he calls out, Cynthia following him slowly. “I wasn’t sure how long it’d be so I prepared it early.” She runs her hand up his back and he stiffens immediately.  “Just wait a moment, the food is almost ready.” His voice is difficult to keep steady, but he succeeds.

“I’m hungry,” she pulls him away from the stove, pushes him against his kitchen bench, the granite digging into his back. “Just not for food.”

“Oh really?” 

“Surely you’ve felt it,” her voice is low and she is good, he thinks to himself. And committed. “This spark between us.”

She stares at his lips and licks her own. “Of course.” He puts his hand on her hips. It is more to hold her back than to show affection. He hopes that she doesn’t notice.

“Then why are we fighting it.” Cynthia drifts off, voice soft  and leans in close, lips so close to his own.

And he can’t.

“Okay, alright!” The squeezing of his eyelids does nothing to alleviate the pressure he felt against his heart. “You guys win. I can’t kiss you.” He cracks one eye open, a smug look of satisfaction on her face. She pulls away from him, and he can breath easy with the distance between them.

“And why is that?” She crosses her arms over her chest, tapping her foot impatiently, the constant and consistent noise pushing him over the edge.

“Because I love Caitlin.” The words rush out of his mouth, sufficient and clearly, nothing like the jumbled feelings bouncing around inside him. He is barely aware of the door opening behind Cynthia, more focussed on her shifting smile, now soft and genuine, and it gives him the strength to continue, knowing at least two of his friends was supportive of the relationship. “I love her and I’m in love with her.” His gaze flickers behind Cynthia, Iris having burst into the room, Eddie and Barry behind her. And she is bouncing on the spot, her hand covering her mouth doing nothing to hide the look of glee on her face, eyes misty as she hears his confession. And Eddie is beside her, both his hands on her shoulder. And god, Cisco thinks to himself, what he would do to be able to hold Caitlin like that in public.

Caitlin.

He turns to the bedroom door, the petite frame coming out of the room slowly and hesitantly and his heart is in his throat. She doesn’t acknowledge anyone else in the room, the world him and only him. It’s almost in slow motion, watching Caitlin approach him, stopping only a few steps away from him.

“Look,” he starts, gaze on the floor. “I know you’re not ready for that, and that Jay hurt you real bad.” He hears her sniff, can see through his periphery Caitlin lift up her hand to her face, but he doesn’t have will to meet her gaze, afraid of what he might see in it. “I don’t expect you to say it back, but it’s true and I don’t think I can lie anymore. I’m in love with you Caitlin Snow.” He chuckles to himself. “And I have been for a while.”

Cold fingers slide across his jawline, and he leans into her hand, gaze slowly lifting as she closes the gap between them, feet now centimetres. Her hand lifts his head up, eyes searching his own for the truth. And she finds it, is overwhelmed by it, by his love for her.

She’s crying he realises belatedly. She’s smiling and it’s beautiful like a supernova, big and stunning and deadly if you’re too close, and he is too close, but he doesn’t mind being burned by such a beautiful thing. “I love you too Cisco.” Her chin trembles and he thinks that maybe he should kiss her. He most definitely should kiss her.

He does.

“What?” Cisco screeched. “You mean like a mannequin?” Cisco paused. “Mr. Mannequin, that’s a good one.”

“Uh huh,” Barry nodded, “And it gets crazier. This guy claims he had this from birth. And not just that, his whole family can do it. His mother, father, maternal cousin…”

Cisco frowned, “But how is that possible? Metas only started appearing due to the particle accelerator or Devoe’s bus metas.”

“And the similarity in both were the dark matter,” Barry agreed. “But this guy’s medical tests show none.”

“There are more metas out there,” Cisco said. It’s not a question. It would’ve been, two years ago, but not anymore. Not since Cisco vibed with Caitlin her repressed memory where she had turned into Killer Frost as a kid. Caitlin asked him not to tell anyone, so he hadn’t. He kept quiet, but now he wondered if maybe he should be speaking up.

Barry threw his hands in the air, “Maybe there were other types of metas this whole time!” He looked around the room, realizing it was quieter than usual. Ralph was away in Wisconsin but... “Wait, where’s Caitlin?”

Cisco sighed, “She’s sick. She caught a cold so she’s staying home. Ha! That’s ironic.”

“Okay,” Barry said slowly, and you could tell he was calculating something in his mind. “Okay, that’s good actually.”

Cisco scrunched up his face in confusion. “You want Caitlin to be sick? That’s not being a good friend…”

“No, there’s a reason.”

Barry sat down next to Cisco and explained to him that apparently there was a doctor who researched into the possibility of superpowered humans about seventeen years ago with several examples. It was pretty much ignored by academia and dismissed as a joke paper, buried away. It was obvious however, based off descriptions of abilities, that one of them was a relative of Nolan Fisher. The problem? The contact information on the file was an old phone number and home address for the doctor, which was great. Except for the fact the research was published posthumously after the doctor’s long battle with multiple sclerosis.

“Who was the doctor?” Cisco asked.

Barry looked down at the brown folder. He opened it, then silently slid the papers across the table to Cisco.

Mr. Ethan Snow.

Cisco’s eyes widened. “Caitlin’s dad?”

“Yeah. Does Caitlin ever talk about him?”

“No,” Cisco admitted, “I know his death hit her hard, it inspired her to become a doctor, but it was also the driving force that put a wedge in the relationship Caitlin had with her mom.”

Barry worried his bottom lip into his mouth, giving Cisco a look.

Cisco knew where this was going.

“You want to go back in time and meet him, don’t you?”

Barry at least had the audacity to look sheepish. “Before you freak out, I asked Jay Garrick. If we meet him several months before he dies, Jay said us being there shouldn’t have much impact if we’re careful.”

Cisco mulled it over. He was still stunned. Caitlin’s dad. That was really interesting. It seemed too coincidental, for this to not have anything to do with Killer Frost. The more he thought about it, the more bothered he got. If Caitlin’s father knew about her, he should’ve told her. Maybe it could’ve helped, if Caitlin was prepared…

“I’m in,” Cisco said. “But we’re not telling Cait.”

Barry nodded, “I know you don’t want to keep secrets from her, but I think that’s the wisest choice.”

Cisco started to get excited. He heard all of Barry’s adventures from time travelling and after the Flashpoint fiasco. Unless he quit Team Flash and joined the Legends, he always thought it was something he’d never get to experience.

Cisco took a deep breath. “When do we leave?”

~.~

It’s 2004, and the first thing Cisco does is pull a Diggle and puke into a public garbage can.

“I’m sorry man,” Barry said apologetically as Cisco gagged.

It took a minute for Cisco’s stomach to settle. “I’m usually good with your speed travels but we were going really fast.”  

Barry found a map somehow and located Caitlin’s old home address. They were using the face morphing tech made for H.R. so to not alter anything should they run into Caitlin.

Hopefully they won’t. It’s the middle of the day and she should be in middle school.

Cisco flexed his fingers and opened a breach. They ended up right in front of Caitlin’s house.

To use the word house was being modest. It was a mansion.

They both took a minute to soak it in.

 Cisco whistled softly, “Damn, I knew Caitlin’s family had money but this house is…”

“Bitchin?” Barry joked, nudging him forward, “Come on, let’s go.”

They ring the doorbell and a middle aged nurse opens the door. Barry told her they’re visitors for Dr. Snow and the nurse beamed delightedly.

“It’s been a long time since he’s gotten any visitors from young people like you. Sickness scares people away, you know. It’s a shame, really. How about I go for my lunch and leave you with him for an hour? He’s having a good day. If you need anything, you can ask Meyrielle, the cleaning lady. She’s in the basement. Mr. Snow is in the living room.”

She stopped after she grabbed her purse.

“Who did you say you were, again?”

“We used to work with him when we were residents,” Cisco made up on the spot.

“Oh, that’s nice!” The nurse gave them another sunny smile and left.

Barry and Cisco shared a look. That was ridiculously easy.

They walked down the luxurious hallways with mahogany wooden floors and walls lined with what looked like expensive original paintings.

“Caitlin’s mom has an interesting taste of interior design,” Cisco mumbled as they made their way to the living room.

Barry knocked on the side of the door and peered in.

There was Dr. Snow, the Mister Dr. Snow, on the couch watching television.

Cisco marvelled. Caitlin looked a lot like him. He was very thin in places people only were when they were chronically sick, and he hunched over himself in an awkward angle. But he still had a full head thick of Caitlin’s brown hair. They had the same complexion, and a very similar face shape as well. A wheelchair was next to him and there were many pills in a pouch on the adjacent coffee table. Cisco was rather surprised, he was bracing for him to appear a lot worse.

“Hello, Dr. Snow? I’m Barry Allen and this is Cisco Ramon. We came to ask you some questions about something sensitive regarding your research and we were wondering if you had the moment to talk with us about it.”

Dr. Snow perked up immediately. “Oh, I’d love to discuss medicine with you. I miss practicing.”

Barry glanced at Cisco who nodded. They agreed to just go ahead and tell him everything. The man only had two months left to live and it was unlikely he would deny their story if Barry and Cisco could show him their powers to prove it.

“Bear with us,” Cisco warned, “This is going to sound crazy.”

Barry retold the entire tale. The time travelling, him being struck by lightning due to the particle accelerator explosion, his job at CCPD, including the particle accelerator explosion and being best friends with Caitlin. Finally, Barry asked about the Fisher case and what Dr. Snow thought about genetically hereditary powers.

Dr. Snow listened carefully throughout and explained his theory of mutant genes being a genetic possibility for having powers from birth.

“You mean like the X-Men?”

Dr. Snow nodded. “Maybe Stan Lee’s comics aren’t so fantastical after all. I believe although rare, there might have been...Metahumans as you say...Since the beginning of time.”

Barry was leaning forward absorbing every word that came out of Dr. Snow’s mouth, reminding Cisco a lot of how he used to act around evil Wells.

“How on Earth did you get so involved with this?” Barry wondered outloud.

Something twisted in Cisco’s gut. No matter how awesome Caitlin’s dad seemed, he was still hiding this from his daughter. How could he say all of this to two people he just met but not Caitlin, who should know?

“Because of Caitlin!” Cisco blurted out, and Barry turned to Cisco, wide-eyed.

Dr. Snow was so shocked he began to  cough and he shouted out in pain.

“I know that you know about Caitlin’s secret,” Cisco confided. “I understand you want to protect your daughter, but keeping her in the dark about this isn’t a good idea—”

“That’s enough, Cisco,” Barry cut him off, immediately apologizing to Dr. Snow, and tending to his side.

“I’m fine boys,” Dr. Snow waved off, but Barry asked Cisco to get him some water from the kitchen anyways.

“Please, let’s keep this secret between us,” he requested, his voice a little horse, as Cisco left the room.

Cisco was glad for the excuse to leave. Being here felt wrong. He was sorry he came. Cisco had to do something. He could feel it in his bones, there’s no way that he’s leaving 2004 without altering the timeline in some way. He realized these were a dying man’s last wishes to respect, but it also went completely against everything he stood for when it came to Caitlin: Doing what was best for her.

Cisco had his hand on the fridge handle when footsteps went thundering down the stairs.

Cisco froze.

A young girl shy of fifteen made her way through the house. She wore blue jean shorts and a yellow spaghetti tank. Her hair was in a ponytail and she looked downright frazzled.

It was Caitlin. Oh god. It was fourteen year old Caitlin. Cisco couldn’t breathe.

“Daddy?” She called, rushing past Cisco so fast she didn’t even notice a stranger was in her kitchen.

“Daddy are you okay, what’s the matter?”

Cisco could hear Dr. Snow reassuring her from the living room that he was alright but it was clear she wasn’t taking no for an answer.

It went quiet for a while, undoubtedly her father and Barry diverting questions about who Barry was and what he was doing.

“I’m getting you water,” she informed, and marched into the kitchen.

Cisco knew he was wearing a different face but he still felt utterly exposed.

“Why are there two strangers in my house?” Young Caitlin snapped.

“I’m also visiting,” Cisco told her. She opened a cupboard for a glass. Cisco opened the fridge and handed her a water bottle, trying not to stare at her like a creep.

He glanced at the time on their fancy electrical stove. “Shouldn’t you be at school?”

Caitlin’s face was very matter of fact as she poured the water from the bottle into the glass. She added some vitamin tablets and said, “I can stay home sometimes when Dad is having a good day. We don’t know how many of those he’ll have left.”

“You don’t seem to be the type to miss school,” he couldn’t help but say. Caitlin, his Caitlin, who managed two doctorates and a PhD in what…? Five years? She must’ve skipped some grades in high school. Cisco skipped two. That rigorous work ethic made even taking an early dismissal for a dentist appointment in eighth grade sound impossible.

Caitlin shrugged, “I don’t mind not going as long as I get the homework.”

Ah yes, there she is.

Caitlin continued, “Besides, there’s this girl, Lexi, she torments me at school for who knows why. Why would I want to spend my days there when I can be with him, right?”

No wonder Caitlin didn’t talk much about her life before college. This all just seemed so sad.

Cisco rested his chin on the palm of his hand and leaned his elbow against the marble counter, fascinated by this version of his best friend.

“You seem like a smart girl. What do you want to be when you grow up?”

Caitlin lit up, “A zoologist!”

Cisco snorted. The glare Caitlin shot him was a fetus compared to some of the ones he receives at Star Labs now.

“What about a doctor?” Cisco asked.

“Eh,” She sounded disinterested, “we’ve got enough Dr. Snows around here. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to give this to Dad.”

Cisco watched Caitlin go.

Barry walked into the kitchen as Caitlin walked out. He swiveled around her awkwardly in the doorway looking down at her and then up at Cisco repeatedly mouthing out Cait! and So Freaky! accompanied with many weirded out facial expressions.

“I got what I needed,” Barry said out loud, pulling out a high stool from the kitchen island to sit on.

“That’s great,” Cisco told him, sounding a little flat.

“I’m really confused,” Barry admitted,  “How does Dr. Snow know anything about KF?”

Cisco took a deep breath. “I vibed it with her the day we defeated DeVoe. It turns out...Caitlin’s first encounter with KF in fact happened four years ago, as in 2000. Not 2017,” he whispered. “She’s been repressing the memory.”

Barry’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head, “What the hell?”

“He knows Barry, he knew this entire time and just let her go on by herself.” Cisco was so anguished. Barry patted his shoulder sympathetically.

“It sounds like he’s trying to do the right thing. He really doesn’t want her to be burdened with this fear. Can’t you imagine how scary that would be for a teenager?”

Cisco knew to some extent that Barry was right. Still, it didn’t sit well with him. It would be so easy to fix it all right there and then. If Killer Frost is triggered psychologically, wouldn’t being mentally prepared for her arrival actually work to keep her at bay?

“Can’t we do something?”

Barry sighed. He got up quickly, looked left and right and then flashed Cisco out the house.

Barry started scolding Cisco in front of the Snow’s peonies.

“You know the answer to that already. We should be going. Now.”

“Please, Barry,” Cisco pleaded, “She’s had so much pain in her life. What if we could change that?”

“You’re not getting it,” Barry cried, “It’s because of me time travelling to try and save my mom that I screwed up the timeline! If it wasn’t for my interference, Caitlin never would’ve been Killer Frost to begin with!”

“And if we don’t do something now, she’ll run away terrified of Killer Frost in sixteen years because we kept our mouths shut instead of helping our best friend!”

“Anything dealing with Killer Frost is too risky!”

“Maybe it’s a risk I’m willing to take,” Cisco replied stubbornly.

Barry crossed his arms across his chest.

“Like Dante?”

The hurt on Cisco’s face was so evident Barry could’ve slapped him and it wouldn’t have looked any different.

“I’m sorry,” Barry apologized genuinely.

Cisco sat down in the grass, stunned into silence.

“That’s what happens when you tamper with fixed events,” Barry explained softly, ridding the patronizing tone from his voice this time.

“I know how much you care about Caitlin,” he continued, “I should’ve known this would be incredibly hard for you to stand back and watch. I shouldn’t have asked you to come with me.”

“I wanted to see a slice of Caitlin’s life when I assumed would’ve been a happier time. But when I spoke to her...She’s had it so hard, man. Since the beginning. All I can think about when I’m in this house is how she’s going to lose her father and then she’s going to fall out with her mom and then she’s going to lose Ronnie and her career. Her entire life has been like this.”

Barry kicked some fancy fertilized dirt. “I know.”

“I just wish we could do something.”

“I know,”  Barry said again.

Cisco squinted at the 2004 sky. “Hey,” he said, an idea forming in the back of his mind as a Ferrari blasting Usher’s Yeah!  drove by. “Maybe we can.”

~.~

They went back inside. They waited for Caitlin to go to the bathroom for Cisco apologized and promised Dr. Snow he’d keep the secret for Caitlin to find out—-If she ever does—In 2018 and not 2004. They also showed him some pictures of Team Flash and their Caitlin from their phones and reassured him that, all in all, Caitlin was happy and successful. He should be proud.

Dr. Snow brushed away tears, eternally grateful.

He really was a nice man. Cisco had to turn away for a moment to collect his emotions. If only Caitlin could have one more moment with him. Cisco shook his head, clearing his thoughts. He couldn’t even tell her about it.

They waved goodbye to Caitlin as she returned with blankets and snacks to cuddle  up with her father and watch a VHS.

“Hey,” Cisco said to Caitlin, who looked up from the television to him.

“Don’t give up, okay? Promise?”

Young Caitlin smiled a little, intrigued if not slightly confused.

“Promise the young man,” Dr. Snow nudged at his daughter, teasing her.

“...I Promise?”

Cisco hid his smile. “That’s all I wanted to hear.”

They left the house as the nurse came back from her lunch. “Aww, leaving already?” She pouted.

“Yeah, we’re pressed for time,” Barry told her, and they quickened their paces down the Snows cobblestone walkway.

“Come again!” The nurse called cheerfully.

~.~

Central East Middle School was just beginning their after school cheerleading practice of the day when Cisco breached right in front of Lexi Laroche and her stupid clique gossiping under the bleachers.

The girls all screamed.

“Hi!” Cisco enthused, “Which one of you little snakes is Lexi Laroche?”

The leader of the group stood up on wobbly legs. “Me.”

“I’m a superhero from the future,” Cisco said, “And I got informed that you bully Caitlin Snow.”

Lexi Laroche turned white. “I wouldn’t call it bullying…” She stammered. How quaint, Cisco thought, she had a french accent to accompany the French last name.

Cisco threw a vibe blast at a soccer ball. All of the air exploded out of the ball. The girls jumped, then huddled together. “Yeah,” Cisco said sarcastically, “And I wouldn’t call that exploding a soccer ball with my bare hands.”

Lexi gulped.

“This is what’s going to happen. You’re going to read this pamphlet about the dangers of bullying. It has a whole list of ugly things nobody wants to be called or have done to, but guess what? You did those. And you said that. There are far better things to do with your life. Like, say, expand your wardrobe beyond hot pink juicy couture sweatpants and bubblegum pink tube tops.”

Cisco pulled out the bullying pamphlet from his Vibe Jacket and gave it to her.

“Next, you’re going to stay away from Caitlin. I don’t want to see you behaving despicably like that to Caitlin or any other girl. Is that clear?”

Lexi Laroche nodded her head so fast she looked like a bobble head.

Cisco put his hands on his hips, satisfied. He seemed to have caught their attention well enough. He didn’t want to traumatize them.

“Good.” He opened a breach. “Bye.”

~.~

Barry brought them back to 2018.

As soon as Barry was certain Cisco wasn’t going to get dizzy and faint, he went straight to CCPD with his new information.

On the other hand, Cisco breached to a certain sick friend’s apartment.

Cisco walked down the hall towards Caitlin’s room. The lights were shut off and she was fast asleep.

He turned on her bedside table lamp and knelt on the floor next to her sleeping form. He whispered for her to wake up, placing a hand on her forehead.

No fever, that’s good.

She opened an eye and mumbled a groggy hello at Cisco. He waited for her to get her bearings and sit up in her bed. Cisco would’ve normally sat on her bed if she was injured or upset in the past, but she’s sick and he really doesn’t want her germs so he pulled up a chair instead.

“How are you feeling?”

Caitlin swallowed purposely and blinked a few more times, obviously attempting to come up with an adequate self-evaluation. “Better.”

“Good to hear,” Cisco threw a paper bag onto her lap.

She raised an eyebrow. “What’s this?”

Cisco bounced in his seat, “Just open it!”

Caitlin emptied the bag and out fell a box of cookies.

Caitlin gaped, “Choco-Hearties!? I thought they don’t make these anymore! Cisco!!” She slapped at his arm excitedly, “These were my favorite cookies growing up. How did you find them?”

Caitlin busied herself with opening the flaps and stuffed two in her mouth right away.

“I don’t even care that this hurts my throat,” she mumbled happily around her mouthful.

Cisco laughed, very much proud of his accomplishment. Also very glad that Caitlin was still too tired to notice Cisco blacked out the expiry date.

“Hey,” Cisco said casually, three Brooklyn-Nine-Nine episodes later. Caitlin was getting drowsy and her cookie box was three-thirds eaten. Cisco tried one and he too now understood why she wrote a letter of complaint to the company in ninth grade. Good thing he bought two more.

Caitlin hummed in response.

“I ran into one of my childhood bullies today, it reminded me of what you said about that girl who put gum in your hair, what was her name? Alexis?”

Caitlin frowned. “Lexi? She picked on me for maybe three months in eighth and then stopped bothering me. I heard she moved to France...Cisco I’m sorry I’m really tired.” 

Cisco ran his hand through her hair and tried to keep the silly grin out of his voice. “That’s alright. You sleep. I’ll check on you tomorrow.”