Not What You Expected

Moving On

"Dude they are literally, holding a rally in your honor ok? Remember that time, you saved the city from a giant black hole in the sky? You have to go!" Cisco argued with Barry as he patched a hole in the Flash suit, "They wanna give you a key and everything, the least you could do is show up."

Barry sat in a nearby chair shaking his head, "They're holding a rally for who they think The Flash is, and that guy is not me Cisco, I'm Barry Allen, forensic specialist for the CCPD, The Flash is..." he shook his head again, leaving his sentence unfinished.

Cisco set his tools down pointedly and looked over at him with expectant eyes, "The Flash is what? Because if the next three words you were gonna say were 'not a hero', I'm gonna have to punch you in the face, and we both know that would hurt me more than you so-"

Barry chuckled at that, "You'd have to catch me first," he replied earning a squint from Cisco.

"Touché," Cisco conceded, "but still, I'm gonna need you to shut up about this 'I'm not a hero' crap, because for one its crap like I said, and for two it's crap,"

"Wow reasons one and two sound a lot a like," Barry noted raising an eyebrow at him.

"That's because they are," Cisco replied with a smile, "you know why? Cuz it's double crap, crap squared, two craps one excuse," he lifted his tools once more, "I could go on for hours, but I think you get my point, yeah?"

Barry laughed and nodded, "Yeah buddy, I get your point," he said leaning back in his seat before adding softly, "it doesn't change my opinion though."

Cisco grumbled, rolling his eyes as he put the final stitch into the suit, "I swear to god Barry, if you weren't my best friend, I would hate you so much." he put his tools away in his desk drawer and turned to face Barry, standing as he began to lecture him. "When we first started this whole thing, waaaay back when you first got out of the coma, there was no stopping you, it was nothing but heroics with you, running around all over doing good deeds because you wanted to help people; and you did, you helped a lot of people Barry, like A LOT. Now it's nothing but self deprecation and regret with you, and I know some of what you're feeling is totally warranted," he'd steadily moved step by step until he was stood in front of Barry, looking down into his face with a serious gaze, "but Barry, you've gotta know that not all of your success is because of Wells."

Barry had been looking up at Cisco with a hint of a smile on his face, knowing that his friend's lecturing was the product of their mutual affection, but at the mention of Wells, the hint of a smile vanished, replaced by a hardened expression that Cisco had grown all to familiar with, "I don't want to talk about it," Barry said simply, shrugging his shoulders a little before crossing his arms over his chest like a child.

Cisco sighed, knowing that at this point Barry wouldn't listen to him even if he forced the conversation further, so instead he put his hands up in mock surrender, "Fine, you win, we won't talk about it," he agreed, taking a step backwards, "but will you at least promise to consider going to the rally?"

Barry's expression didn't soften as he looked up at Cisco and asked, "Will it get you to stop talking about it?" Cisco nodded, making an X over his heart as he did so, "then yes, I will consider it," Barry agreed, "but I'm probably still going to decide not to go, so don't get your hopes up."

Cisco rolled his eyes and nodded again, "Yeah yeah, I know," he acknowledged, "but there is one thing that I know you'll say yes to," he grinned, pointing a finger gun at Barry.

"Whats that?" Barry asked, out of genuine curiosity.

"Big Belly burger," Cisco replied victoriously, Barry finally cracking a smile in defeat, "boom, I found your weakness," Cisco laughed triumphantly.

Barry shook his head, "Yeah whatever, you're just lucky I have a ridiculous metabolism," Barry defended as he got to his feet, "what do you want me to get you?"

"Aww babe you know what I like," Cisco teased as he turned back to his desk.

Barry rolled his eyes, "Always sweet talking me when you want something," he quipped back making Cisco snicker, "I'll be right back,"

"Wait!" Cisco cried just as Barry got ready to speed off.

"What, what is it?" Barry asked with a confused frown. Cisco marched up to him and gave him a light slap on the cheek that stung just enough to make Barry flinch backwards, "what the hell dude?"

"I figured that was safer than actually trying to punch you," Cisco shrugged, "I kinda need my hands for work and stuff."

Barry squinted at him for a moment, "You know what, just for that, you're buying lunch," he said before speeding off at the look of horror on Cisco face.

"Barry wait no! YOU'RE NOT A CHEAP DATE!" Cisco called after him, but he was already gone. He sighed moving back to his desk as he muttered, "whatever, you deserved it." He lifted the suit in his hands and approached the mannequin it went on, carefully putting it back on the white plastic form, a contented smile on his face as he worked. It was nice, being able to talk with Barry like he used to; it had taken a while after the team broke up for Barry to stop shutting him out, even after he'd yelled at him for it. Barry was just the protective type it seemed, and despite his best efforts to keep the team away, Cisco, Joe, and Iris were determined to stay as close as possible to him, and in the end they wore him down. Cisco couldn't deny it was nice to have his best friend back, or at least...it was nice to hang out with his second best friend without the constant thoughts of Amy running in the background, reminding him that Barry was always second to her. He paused in zipping a sleeve into place as he thought about her, realizing he hadn't thought about her for the better part of the week and wondering when he'd started forgetting to think about her all the time.

No, that wasn't the right word for it. Forgetting wasn't what he was doing, he was just "Moving on..." he said to himself quietly, "that's what it is, I'm moving on," he felt suddenly sick to his stomach, thinking that if he moved on he might actually start forgetting about her, like he had to keep thinking about her or she'd be lost to his memories forever and ever, but the feeling passed almost as soon as it came, and he shook his head chastising himself. He wouldn't forget her, how could he? Her picture was still up in his apartment, and everyone else still remembered her and thought about her. No he wouldn't forget her, but he would move on. After all, Amy would want him to.