~More Than A Program~/// Bart Allen x Reader

Chapter 16

You stared a little longer before, moving to fully face him, you murmured, "Thank you for showing this to me, Bart. This place really is wonderful..."

And you leaned in to hug him.

Yes, you, (Y/N) (L/N), who usually repelled such affectionate acts like if they were attacks, were initiating one yourself.

At first, completely taken off-guard, Bart merely stood, frozen to his spot. For a moment or two, he pondered whether or not this was really happening. However, upon feeling his heartbeat considerably speed up, he acknowledged that his programming definitely wasn't messing with him.

Quickly recovering, the speedster smiled, slowly reaching out to wrap his arms around your shorter form. He had never even dreamed that you'd feel so warm, so precious in his embrace. A strange giddiness was spreading through his body. "Don't thank me yet (Y/N), this isn't even the crash part."

You raised a brow at him in disbelief. "What could possibly be better than this?"

He blinked affectionately down at you. "You'll see." He picked you up once again, and was secretly glad you let yourself be carried without giving a fuss. He headed down the path that led to the lake, wild flowers and overgrown grass tickling his ankles.

He let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding when he made out the silhouette of a small canoe on the water. Had Wally's information about the presence of this embarkation been false, the whole night would've been ruined.

After having reached it, Bart gently put you down in the boat before dipping his feet into the water. To his pleasant surprise, it wasn't too cold, in fact, it was the perfect temperature for a refreshing bath!

He guided the floating object further away from the shore, ultimately pulling himself onto it.

Slightly disgruntled by the chilly water drops that were sent your way at his slight struggle, you shrunk away from him, tightly wrapping his jacket around yourself. "Ugh, Bart! You're all wet!"

"What do you mean?" He gave you a confused look. "Only my legs went in the lake!"

"Yeah, but- Eeek!" You let out a shrill shriek as suddenly, he attempted to shake the water off him, much like a dog would've. Of course, that resulted in you getting soaked yourself.

Amusement was written all over Bart's face as you sent a soft glare his way. "What the hell?"

"What?" He raised a brow playfully as he taunted, "Can't take a bit of water?"

"Of course I can, but-"

"What about you guys get to know each other, then?" Before you could quite react, Bart's hands speedily reached out and suddenly grabbed you before trapping you against his drenched form.

You let out a squeak as this and started to struggle in his embrace, obviously trying to flee from his humid clothes' cold bite. However, the teen merely laughed, effortlessly holding you captive.

"Come on, the water likes you (Y/N)!"

"W-Well, I don't like it back!!" In a last, hopeless attempt to free yourself, you roughly inclined to the left. Bart, not having seen his coming, slightly lost his balance, and finally released you to catch himself. However, the rapidity of the movement was too much for him to stop, and before he could say 'Chicken whizees', he flipped over the canoe's flank and fell into the water with a deep 'sploosh'.

Alarmed, of course, you abruptly stood up and cautiously poked your head overboard, urgently searching for the male. But he was... Gone! All that greeted your eyes were the ripples that disturbed the once-peaceful surface.

An unsettling feeling of worry and dread weighing down on your chest, you uncertainly called out, "Bart?" ...Nothing. You tried again. "Bart?"

And then, suddenly, a blur jolted out of the lake. You merely heard a hushed, "I got you," before you were pulled into the-

Oh goodness was it absolutely freezing!! Your muscles instantly caught on fire as the cruel cold practically suffocated you. Panicked, you desperately trudged your way back to the surface, and took in a deep, hungry gulp of air as soon as you felt the chilly night air attack your face.

Once you had calmed down, you were able to process the sound of laughter, radiating from not too far off.

Glancing over, your eyes narrowed at the sight of Bart, who seemed to be enjoying this surprise bath much more than he should've.

"Don't just laugh like that! I thought you drowned!"

Chuckling at your grumpy pout, the speedster swiftly swam back over to you, giving you a toothy grin. "Hey, don't be so moded about it! The water's nice, right?"

"No it's not," you grumbled, turning away from him as you crossed your arms.

Bart observed you for a few moments before an idea crossed his mind.

Deciding that he'd dare risk his life to make you feel a little less down about your situation, he temptingly splashed some water at you. That earned him a death glare.

"...Bart..." A low, warning growl, yet, he paid no attention to it whatsoever, boldly attacking you once again.

"Water fight!!"

Although, when he saw a murderous look fall over your face, he knew it was perhaps time to retreat...

Chuckling, he swam for his life as you set chase after him, swearing to drown him if ever you got your hands on him. However, before long, of course, these threats gave way to delighted laughs of your own.

Laughs that were so contagious, that lit up the world.

Bart's world.