Reciprocal Altruism || Snowbarry College AU

The Cait-alyst or the Snow-hibitor IV

Trying to think of a way to turn the conversation around, Caitlin asked, "Do you remember Oliver Queen?"

"Hmm?" Barry mumbled, distracted with the thought of Iris not loving him.

"Oliver Queen. His name is practically plastered on all the buildings here since his parents paid like three-quarters of the donations this school receives."

"What about him?" Barry could distinctly remember a boy with a green hoodie who graduated a few years ago.

"I really didn't think he was a good person," Caitlin stated. "I mean, he had a reputation for beating people up in alleyways and not many people liked him."

"What's your point, Caitlin?" Barry asked wearily, rising from his seat to take his and her dirty dishes to the sink.

Following behind, Caitlin stood next to Barry as he began to rinse off the plates with soap and water. "I thought he had anger issues and was like the worst person on campus and he was only here on his parent's money."

"And?"

"And then he started dating my best friend."

Barry remembered Felicity talking about her Oliver and only then did it connect that she was talking about Oliver Queen. Similar to Caitlin, Barry was also privy to the rumors surrounding Oliver's unsavory vigilante escapades. He had heard about Oliver's violent outbursts, especially those surrounding the campus's drug dealing business.

"I tried so hard to convince Felicity that Oliver was a bad idea. I understood that Oliver hated the drug issue at our school and how the police and law enforcement did absolutely nothing about it. When his sister got mixed up into the ring, Oliver kind of just lost it, and I understood why, but at the same time, I wanted Felicity safe. I wanted her away from the danger I saw in Oliver."

"Yeah, he doesn't sound like he would be good relationship material," Barry muttered, trying to contribute something to the conversation.

"Right?" Caitlin said, "But one day, Felicity forced the two of us to talk. We all went out for lunch and Oliver paid, which duh, since his parents were loaded. It was really awkward at first cause we both really hate talking, but Felicity insisted we 'bond' cause we were the two most important people in her life. So we talked and tried to 'bond' and after some time, I really go to know who Oliver was as a person and eventually, I realized why Felicity fell in love with him."

"Why?" Barry finished washing off the plates and handed it to Caitlin, who then began to dry them off with a towel.

"He wasn't a perfect guy. That was for sure. And he definitely had giant anger issues about our school. But at the same time, when you really got to know him, beneath the rough exterior was a guy who was passionate about a problem and had no real means or ideas on how to fix it." Caitlin put the plates back up on the shelf. "He and Felicity actually met cause Oliver wanted a new start and a new way to deal with the drug problem at our school and she kinda pulled him back from the edge and set him on a new path."

"The Justice League," Barry remembered vaguely.

"Yep, that's how the Justice League organization was formed and our campus and city crime rates have been at an all-time low ever since. Aaaand now Felicity and Oliver are gonna get married and you're probably wondering why I told you their whole backstory."

"Maybe just a little."

"I didn't know anything about Oliver until I met him and saw the side of him that Felicity fell in love with." Caitlin paused for a moment and took in a breath. "I know you and your quirks and personality and I've spoken to Iris and I know what kind of person she is."

She fidgeted with her hands for a moment, while Barry watched her intently, before continuing, "I know why you love her so much. But... "

"There's always a 'but'," Barry sighed.

"But, I think we all have different ideas of how we see each other and our intentions. By looking on the outside, I didn't really have an idea of who Oliver was and I honestly think that you and Iris are looking at each other from the outside and the both of you have very different impressions of each other."

"I've known Iris my entire life," Barry cut in. "Since elementary school!"

"But you don't know anything about her. Not really." Caitlin answered quickly. "And can you really say that Iris knows everything about you?"

"Nobody can know everything about a person," Barry scoffed.

"Does she know the important things though? When was the last time you had a serious talk with her with just the two of you? When was the last time you ever opened up to each other and were actually, truly honest with her?"

"I don't know... I guess when my mom died..." Barry seemed lost in the memory. "I didn't really want to talk about it when it happened and she... nobody believed me about my dad."

"What about the bullying in middle school?" Caitlin added, "Did you ever tell Iris how much it bothered you that she ignored you in school?"

"It wasn't her fault! Being around me meant getting bullied too. And she was my friend at home, so—"

"You're still looking at her from the outside, Barry. You're putting her on a pedestal and seeing her as this woman who can do no wrong and has no flaws. You can still love a person, even with their flaws, so why don't you try to actually get to know her? You might find out things."

Like how she doesn't really want to be in any relationship at all, Caitlin thought back to her and Iris's conversation in the arcade bathroom.

"Do you even want to find out those things about her, Barry?"

Love, in Caitlin's humble opinion, was knowing a person's story, their secrets, their insecurities, and their failures, and wanting to be with them anyway. Love was wanting to be a part of a person's story.

Falling out of love was wanting to have nothing to do with them anymore.

"I..." Barry muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "I should go back to my place."

"Wait, Barry." Caitlin grabbed his hand before he could leave out the door. "I'm sorry for dropping all of that on you. I swear I did not want to have a conversation like this so early in the morning on a Saturday."

Barry smiled wearily. "I know, Cait, you always have a way of making me talk about things. And you're probably right. I think I do put Iris on a pedestal, but I've been doing that my whole life and I don't think it's something I can just turn off. I just need time to think, okay?"

"Yeah, okay," Caitlin agreed. "And you got your fake girlfriend here if you need anything, got it? I'm not abandoning this thing we have just yet."

"Even if you think it'll never work," he stated resignedly, like he knew the answer.

Although Caitlin had never quite said it out loud and so outright, Barry had caught on pretty quick to her true intentions.

"I'm with you, Barry," she said instead of answering, "I'm Team Speedster or whatever your superstar track nickname is."

Barry let out a quick laugh. "Don't pretend like you don't know, Cait."

"Bye, Flash."