In A Blink ➳ Barry Allen/The Flash

07.

Barry's eyes were wide as he watched Caitlin, "Uhh..that is...very fast."

"Is that her first or.." Nat asked as she took a seat beside her cousin and rubbed her shoulder.

Caitlin ignored their comments, or maybe the alcohol was drowning them out, and raised her hand to get the attention of the bar tender, "Excuse me! I'd like to start a tab." The pure excitement on her face, alcohol or not, was one that made Natalie smile.

"One round's on me, guys. How about..tequila?" Nat asked glancing between Barry and Caitlin. Caitlin nodded her head up and down, wide eyed and happy while Barry just smiled.

When the bartender came with their drinks, each took one. Caitlin immediately downed hers and went to the bar to get another drink.

"Well it looks like it's just you and me Allen," Nat said, raising her glass for them to toast.

Barry grinned and clinked his shot with hers, "Bottoms up."

Nat threw the shot down her throat, wincing a bit as it burned down her throat. "Hey, Bare, if I start to get like," Nat started, twisting around in her seat to find Caitlin and pointing, "her, please stop me before I do something stupid."

He nodded his head and laughed, "Sure thing, Nat." Natalie smiled in gratitude and Barry waved his hand to get another round of shots.

"Man, you're not drunk yet. Why aren't you drunk yet? Your face is blurry," Nat said, her speech slurring and her balance a little off as she sat in he stool at the bar next to Barry.

Worried look momentarily passed through Barry's face before he started to chuckle a bit. "Okay, Nat. You're done for tonight. Hey sir, could you please make sure she doesn't have anymore drinks, whether she asks for t or not," Barry asked the bartender, who nodded.

Natalie just kept staring at Barry and smiling, "You're pretty." Barry laughed but turned away slightly blushing, but Natalie saw it.

Her face beamed and her eyes lit up and she cupped Barry's cheek, "Barry's blushing! I made Barry Allen blush. Aww."

Barry just laughed and used his left hand to keep her hand on his cheek there while he used his other to cup her own cheek, "And you're drunk. You won't remember this."

Natalie let out a loud harrumph, "Oh I will too, pretty Barry." He confined to laugh and kept we steady on her stool, giving her glasses of water.

In mid conversation with the bartender, a familiar voice sounded from the microphone, "Mister Barry Allen!"

Natalie instantly perked up and nudged Barry, "Oh that's you!"

Barry smiled at her and turned around to see Caitlin on the karaoke stage, beckoning him to join her. She began to chant 'Barry', which caught on and be was forced to go up on stage.

Before he left he made sure the bartender watched Nat.

"Oh look at him he's so fast!" Caitlin squeaked before holding her finger up to Barry and hushing him like he was the one that said it.

The pair sang "Summer Nights" from Grease, and Barry was actually really good. Nat found herself bobbing an slurring the lyrics of the song and when the two came back, applauded them on their performance.

"You're fast and you can song? What can't you do?" Caitlin said in disbelief.

Barry laughed in amusement, "Apparently keep you two from getting drunk." Caitlyn left after announcing she had to pee leaving Barry and Nat alone again.

He sat back in his stool and Nat moved over to lean on his shoulder, "I thought you said you wouldn't let get as drunk as her."

She could feel the vibrations travel from his body to hers as he chuckled, "To be fair, you are not as drunk as her."

Natalie furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, trying to figure out what Barry just said. He stared at her as she did so, the way the lines around her eyes and nose crinkled when she did that was something Barry thought was really cute. He could smell vanilla off of her as she leaned on him, and he didn't want her to move.

He and Caitlyn came here tonight to move on. To move on from Iris and Ronnie. Originally, Barry had come for moral support for Cait, but now that he thought about it, maybe he could move on from Iris.

He'd been thinking a lot about that recently. He has spent most of his life picking Iris up after she had fallen hoping that one time, things would change. But over and over, each time, they only stayed friends. Maybe that's how it was supposed to be. As soon as he starts having his doubts in his..pining for Iris, Natalie moves to Central City. And she makes him think of someone other than Iris.

Maybe it was a sign. Or a coincidence. But with each thought, Barry thought more and more on her. Maybe he would take a chance, not play it safe like he did with Iris. There was no time for mistakes. He would try to make a move.

Just not now. When Nat's sober he would.

Tomorrow. Maybe.

Barry was ripped from his thoughts as a woman with brown hair approached him, in this moment he realized Nat had moved from his shoulder on fallen asleep on the bar counter.

"Hi, I'm Linda Park," the woman said, holding out her hand, "you're Barry?"

"How do you know my name?" Barry asked, confused on who this woman was and what she wanted with him.

"Well you were the Barry we were all chanting for right?" she said, sending a dazzling smile to him, but not one that compared to Nat's. Barry let out a small laugh and nodded.

He silently hoped Caitlin would come back from the bathroom or that Natalie would wake up. "You were really good up there," Linda said, continuing to talk, "Was that your girlfriend?" she asked, pouting to the stage.

Barry shook his head, "No. She's just a friend."

Linda gestures to Natalie then, "What about her.. I saw her leaning on you.."

Barry shook his head again, "No she isn't either. But.."

He couldn't continue his sentence as Linda shoved a piece of paper in his hands, "Here's my number. You should call me sometime." And with that she walked off and at that moment, Caitlin decided to walk up.

She clutched her stomach and pouted, "Barry, I don't feel good." Sensing she was going to throw up, Barry used his speed once they were away from people to rush Caitlin to the Parkin lot and held back her hair as she threw up.

"Okay. I'm going to run you to your apartment then I'm going to bring Nat over while she's still sleeping okay? Just say that we brought her while she was passed out." Caitlin just nodded her head in agreement as Barry scooped her up and ran her to the apartment.

"Are we still running?" Caitlin asked, leaning on Barry for support.

He held onto her arm and walked her to her bed, "No we're here. Now just wait. I'm gonna go get Natalie."

As soon as Caitlin was on her bed, Barry ran to the bar where Natalie was still asleep and scooped her up to run her back to Cait's apartment. He was lucky she was passed out. He didn't want her to know he was the Flash. Not yet.

He set her down gently in the guest bedroom, removing her heels and tucking her in, he planted a small goodnight kiss on her forehead. Standing in the doorway, he admired her, the way she slept, so gentle and at peace.

Barry walked back to Caitlin's room, helping her change into pajamas and tucking her in as well and staying till he fell asleep.

Though he couldn't get drunk due to his powers, he was glad he went to the bar that night. Caitlin was right, it was liquid courage. Barry decided he would take a risk. He would always love Iris, but not in the same way he thought he did. Barry just now accepted that. He didn't know who he was meant for, but he had to start looking. No more wasting time. Even though he was fast, time was the lost precious thing in the world.