In A Blink ➳ Barry Allen/The Flash

39.

"Why don't you want to wear my clothes," Barry pouted as he glanced over his girlfriend, who he thought looked gorgeous in anything.

Natalie rested her hands on his chest, his arms automatically wrapping around her waist, "Because, I like looking more presentable for work."

"But I like it when you wear my clothes," he whispered, trying to get her to change her mind with a dorky grin. Natalie only laughed when she saw the glances she was getting from her cousin and Barry's family and shook her head. Barry sighed in defeat, "Well you shouldn't go alone, with Wells and your dad-"

"-Barry, I'm a big girl. I can handle myself. I'll be okay," Natalie reassured. She turned to her cousin and stuck out her bottom lip, "Cait, can I borrow your car?"

With Caitlin's car parked neatly in her driveway, Natalie busied herself in her room, organizing her clothes and shoes into piles of what to pack and what to leave behind. She didn't exactly know what to bring with her to the West house, given that as far as she knew it was a temporary move. Clothes and shoes, besides toiletries, were the only sure bet.

Having all of her attire organized into their respective piles, Natalie changed into her geometric print crop tank and billowing black skirt she had set out. She had settled upon asking Barry and maybe Joe on what they recommended on packing up later. Slipping on her light blue heels, Natalie checked her appearance in the mirror before grabbing her house keys, Caitlin's car keys, and her purse.

She quickly locked the door behind her before she began to make her way to the car. Struggling to find the correct key from the array strung along Caitlin's key ring, Natalie's eyes darted up when she noticed a figure out of the corner of her eye.

Her eyes traveled up the body of the man standing across the street. The dirty sneakers, tattered and worn jeans, battered hoodie. Eyes falling upon the Cheshire-like smile of her father. His eerie grin seemed to widen as he saw his daughter tense, freezing on the spot at his sight. Neither of them made a move, their eyes locked and the road between them still.

Snapping out of her trance, Natalie rushed the space she had left to the car, practically leaping in and locking the door once it was shut. Finally finding the correct key, she jammed it into the ignition, making sure to keep an eye on her dad through the rear-view mirror. Her stomach turned at the fact that he seemed amused by her fluster. She glanced at him one last time in the mirror, his feet rooted in his spot, before peeling out of her driveway.

When she got to the station, she made almost no detours on her way to Singh's office, the only one being she paused to take off her heels in order to run without twisting an ankle. Throwing her hands up in the air when she saw his office was empty, Natalie sighed. "Officer Vukuvich!" she called to the older officer as he passed by her.

"Natalie," he said through a tired smile, "Aren't you supposed to be doing some work for Captain Singh?"

The young brunette nodded her head, "I am but he's not in his office and I feel like if I went in there without permission he'd rip my head off. With his bare hands. Or maybe his teeth."

The older officer cracked a laugh at her comment, "Well Singh went out for lunch with his fiancé Rob, I have no clue when he'll be back. But go on in, I give you permission. And if he wants to rip your head off, yell for me."

"Okay, thank you," Natalie said as she noticed she was still holding onto her heels. After slipping them back, she remembered the reason she had rushed to see the captain. "Officer Vukuvich, wait!"

Once she regained his attention, her nerves began to jump again, remembering the fright her dad had given her, and explained her encounter with the said man.