Photograph [Snowbarry AU]

I'll Be There For You

"Well then, I'll just keep you company." Barry cheered, leaning back against the counter next to her. "Besides, I think it's better this way. I'm sure you remember how skilled I am in the kitchen." He added with a shrug, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Caitlin bit her lower lip to keep a giggle from escaping. But when she glanced at him and her laughing hazel-brown eyes met his twinkling green ones, the sound just came tumbling out of her mouth. Barry couldn't help thinking it was music to his ears and he willingly joined in her fit of laughter. A couple of minutes passed by until they could catch their breaths again. They both perfectly knew to which incident he was referring.

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Caitlin let her finger slide under her bag's strap, trying to lessen the weight off her shoulder. But she knew it would only give her a few seconds of relief. She tried to pick up her pace, but she was already weary from the school day she just had behind her.

She stopped for a moment, readjusting her heavy shoulder bag before resuming her walk. She was almost there anyway, it wouldn't be long until she'd be at her boyfriend's house, enjoying a huge glass of water and just chill for the rest of her Friday.

A stupid English project had kept her occupied for the past couple of hours at her high school while all of her friends had already gone home to begin their weekend. But no. Caitlin Snow was too serious for that. She wanted to finish that project before the end of the day. So she had dragged her project partner with her to the library and they had worked hard on it.

Two hours later, the project was practically done but her partner had begged her to stop now and finish it later in the weekend or even next week. Caitlin had wanted to protest, but she couldn't help feeling tired too. So she had reluctantly agreed and the other girl had ran out of the library as if it had been on fire. Caitlin couldn't hold it against her. She, herself, just wanted one thing: get rid of her bag and cuddle up with Barry.

Everything froze when she turned the corner of Barry's street. She felt her heart drop in her chest and her breath catch in her throat as she saw a revolving red light shining just in front of his house. She barely registered the fire truck that was attached to it. She dropped her heavy bag, which made a loud 'thump' as it hit the floor, her books spilling out, and she ran towards Barry's house. Frenetically, she looked around to see if she spotted any gurney or any injured person.

But she didn't see any.

Panicked, she made her way inside and there she saw Henry Allen calmly talking to two firemen. She thought she heard him apologise but she wasn't paying that much attention to the conversation.

When she caught Henry's eyes, he smiled at her and nodded towards the kitchen. "He's in there." He informed her. She didn't need to ask whom he was talking about, she already knew.

The first thing she saw as she stepped inside the kitchen – even though a thick smoke was still very much present, trying to make an escape through the opened windows – was Barry slumped on a chair in his whole lanky glory. His elbows rested on his knees, his face was buried in his hands and his hair was sticking up in an even messier state than usual. As if he had felt her presence, he lifted his head slowly.

Barry looked sheepishly at her. "I tried to make that Italian dish you really wanted to try, with pasta and cheese and ham, the whole lot in the oven, you know? I wanted to surprise you with it because I knew you would be dead tired." His eyes dropped down to the burnt plate. "It didn't go so well..."

Her eyes followed his and she gaped at the state the plate was in. She could barely make out the remains of pasta. She then looked at the ruined oven, the burnt door torn out, and bits of dark smoke coming out of it. She realised then how this could have gone very, very, wrong. She turned her attention back to Barry who was waiting for her reaction.