𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐄 ━━ 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘩

⠀⠀𝟯𝟬. ❛ EVERYTHING I DIDN'T SAY ❜

     The sound of footsteps approaching caused her to turn her head, the voices disappearing as her eyes locked with Barry's. Guilt contorted her heart, and she glanced away, playing with her fingers idly as he sat down in front of her. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

     Reaching over, Barry placed his hand over hers. "Please, look at me," he whispered. Chocolate brown met clover green, and he sighed, interlacing their fingers.

     "I don't want to do this," Piper choked out, her tears on the brink of spilling over. "I don't want to leave." Her voice cracked, and he pulled her into his arms, resting his head on her shoulder. Feeling her tremble in his arms, he ran his hand up and down her back, pressing a kiss to the side of her head.

     He didn't want her to leave either. Every part of him wanted to just freeze time and keep her there with him forever. Barry had someone he could call home for the first time in his life. Someone he wanted to go home to every night and cuddle with as they fell asleep. He wanted to have a life with the redhead. He wanted any and everything that came with being with her.

     Now, that couldn't happen.

     They couldn't be together because she was leaving. She had a world to save, and who would Barry be if he begged for her to stay instead of saving billions of people?

     "I don't want you to leave either," Barry whispered, tears of his own pooling in his eyes.

     Piper pulled away and wiped away her tears, sniffing. Looking up, she noticed Barry's and leaned forward, wiping them away with her thumbs. Before she could lower her hand, he raised his, placing it over hers and pressing it to his cheek. She smiled softly, her eyes savoring every detail of his face.

     Yesterday, Piper firmly believed that saying goodbye to Barry would destroy her, but as she sat there with him, she realized that she was wrong. It wasn't saying goodbye that would be the hardest part; it was learning to live without him when she made it back to Earth-Four.

     No more running through the streets, laughing as they raced. No more arguments about stupid things and choices. No more giving advice in a time of need. She would no longer feel her heart race excitedly at the sight of him, nor be able to hold his hand and hug him. There would be no more stupid and embarrassing suggestive comments. When she felt defeated and alone, she wouldn't be able to go to him. She wouldn't be able to go home.

     When she got back, her life was going to be different. Nothing was ever going to be the same, and that's what scared her most about going through with her promise. Her family and friends would be placed on the opposite side of a glass wall, their worlds so close yet so far apart.

     Everything was going to change, and she wasn't ready. She didn't want to be ready because if she was, then that would mean she was okay with this dramatic turn of events. That she was okay with leaving behind the man she had fallen in love with and the family she never knew she needed. Because she wasn't okay with it. None of it. However, it wasn't up to her whether or not she was ready. She had to do this.

     She had to leave. She had to kill Aureolin. She had to save the world.

     Pulling her hands away from Barry, she took in a shaky breath as she ran them through her hair. "Before everything happens tomorrow, I need you to know how much you and your friendship matter to me." Piper finally spoke quietly, choosing her words wisely. Nothing could happen between them regardless of how she felt about the speedster. It would only make things worse. It would only hurt more.

     Noticing how she hesitated to say friendship, Barry furrowed his brows. He nodded for her to continue, pushing down the lump in his throat as he stared at her silently.