Reciprocal Altruism || Snowbarry College AU

Out of Airplanes Into Pools of Sharks IV

After paying for their food and leaving a good tip, the four of them walked over to the arcade and went exploring underneath the bright lights and loud music.

"Look, it's a claw machine!" Iris pointed to a big showy box made of clear glass. Cute little stuffed animals filled the machine to the top.

Iris ran over to it immediately, pulling Eddie along with her. The two of them took turns playing, but neither had much luck getting a prize. At one point, Iris had managed to grab an adorable yellow minion doll by its head but the claw had let it slip just before the stuffed creature could make its way to the prize chute.

Eddie tried again. He focused on the controls, his body hunched forward and eyes squinted as he manipulated the control to his advantage. He rolled his shoulders back and Caitlin swore she could have heard at least ten girls in the nearest vicinity sigh dramatically (her included).

"Wow," she whispered under her breath. She had noticed it before, but watching him be so focused and in the moment was a whole 'nother experience. "He's so hot."

Barry, who stood next to her and heard her every word she said, rolled his eyes, arms crossed while he watched the other two play.

Caitlin stuttered quickly and tried to take back her words, "I mean genetically speaking. Cause I want to be a geneticist, of course," she took a deep breath and then exclaimed, "Hey guys, Barry wants a turn now!"

"What?" Barry looked around as Caitlin pushed him to the claw machine, "No, I don't."

"How about you win something for your girlfriend and make me happy," Caitlin emphasized the words so Barry could catch the double meaning.

"Oh. Of course. I mean, anything for you, my beautiful girlfriend," but then he turned to look at Caitlin and whispered, "You know these things are rigged, right?"

"Yeah, obviously. But if anyone can beat the system, it's Mr. Allen and Ms. Snow."

"Doctor Snow," Barry corrected.

"Not a doctor," Caitlin retorted.

"Not a claw machine player," he responded.

"Barry!" Caitlin whined.

"Fine," Barry said, putting in fifty cents to start up the machine. Caitlin smiled victoriously.

As predicted, the game was a total bust and the claw ended up nowhere near the prize Barry was aiming for.

"One more time." Barry grit his teeth and put in more money. Another fail.

Caitlin leaned closer to watch Barry and the machine closely. She wanted to study how it worked.

Barry was a competitive player. He was reluctant to join anything, but once committed, he wanted to be the best he could be. He was relentless and—

Oh, right. She wanted to study the machine.

And he lost the prize once again.

Fifty more cents.

Nada.

Every time he wanted to pick something up or drop it, the machine was just a little off. It dropped it at the wrong place, opened at the wrong time. It was just off.

Another fifty cents.

Nope.

Barry was just about to put more coins in when Caitlin interrupted. "Okay, I think I have a plan. I know how we can beat this thing. We just have to look at it from a different angle to see where the claw is actually going to aim."

"We?" Barry asked, turning to look at her.

"What?" Caitlin nudged his side lightly with her elbow. "You think you can do this without Doctor Snow?" She moved to the other side of the glass case to look at the game from another perspective. Once the game started, she began guiding him down giving him directions every so often that caused him to stay on the right path.

"A little more to the right," she advised.

"But then I won't be—"

"Just trust me, Barry," she told him.

And he did.

"Alright," Caitlin studied the claw closely. "You are right under the prize now. Lower the claw gently and grab it by the foot."

"Yes, ma'am," Barry said.

Just like that, a tiny green nub was clutched in the claw.

"Okay, Mr. Allen," Caitlin said, "Game's not over yet. You still need to bring it over to the chute, but remember to keep your hand steady. Like you're taking a blood sample out of a really thin graduated cylinder and you can't let your pipette touch the sides and get infected. Precision, Barry, precision."

"Why did that analogy actually help me?" Barry muttered, mostly to himself.

"Little more to the left now and..." With two seconds left on the clock Caitlin shouted, "Drop!"

Barry pressed the button and the four of them watched the stuffed toy reach its destination, slide down the chute, and into the prize box. He reached down and grabbed the stuffed plush, holding it above his head in victory while the other three cheered loudly.

Then, he bent down on one knee and presented his winnings to his fake girlfriend. "Oh, my lady, please accept this humble gift as a token of my love for thee."

"Oh, good sir," Catlin replied, one hand on her chest, the other fanning herself dramatically. "You are too kind to me."

She took the prize from him and examined what they had managed to pluck out. It was an adorable little teddy bear that was colored a bright, but familiar, pepper green.

"I love him." Caitlin hugged the fluffy baby. "I think I'm gonna name him—"

"Yoda," Barry finished for her.

She gaped at him in surprise. "Am I that predictable?"

"Nah," Barry grinned, rubbing the back of his neck as he stood up. "I would have named him the same thing. Cause, uh... Yoda one for me." He physically cringed as soon as the pun left his mouth, but the way Caitlin, Eddie, and Iris started laughing made him laugh as well.

"That was bad, wasn't it?" Barry asked sheepishly.

Eddie wiped away a tear from his eye as he finished laughing. "Yeah, man. That was pretty bad. But also, the right kind of bad." He slapped Barry on the back in a friendly manner causing the pun pundit to stumble a step forward. The two of them smiled at each other, Barry's smile towards him finally starting to look genuine.

"I think what you meant to say was," Caitlin held the stuffed bear in front of her face and in a terrible impression of the little green creature said, "For me Yoda one."

"One for me Yoda." Barry countered with an equally terrible Yoda impression.

"Oh, you guys are definitely made for each other," Iris said, her eyes twinkling while she watched their interaction.

Caitlin tried to ignore the hammering in her chest when Iris said those words. She tried to ignore how Barry's face flinched slightly when Iris had put down his hopes once again. It was just a flicker. There and gone in a flash.

She ignored it and moved on.

"Thank you for winning this for me," she said, holding the bear closely to her chest.

"I couldn't have done it without you," Barry replied. "It was a joint effort."

"We are quite the pair, Mr. Allen."

"Yes we are, Doctor Snow."

And they laughed, a true and genuine laugh. Iris looked at them laughing at their inside joke and just for a flicker, Caitlin thought she might have seen something change in Iris's eyes.

Regret. Anger. Confusion.

But just as quickly as it had come, it had left just the same. There and gone in a flash.