Flashpoint Paradox || Barry Allen [3]

05|Feels Like the First Time

***

An entire month had gone by since the last time I saw Roy. It was Friday, the usual time that I was usually visiting him and with Jade of at school I had to keep my mind off everything Roy.

So, I was taking a seat at an empty table after just having bought my coffee. Slipping my wallet inside, I began to pull out my laptop and a pile of folders to get an early start on work. Kendra was going to go on break in a couple of minutes and I was expecting for her to tell me all about her date with Carter.

Just as I was starting to get into the mindset to work, I turned around as I got the feeling that someone was coming up behind. Knowing it wasn't anyone that I knew, because of their footsteps.

Just as I expected a complete stranger was standing beside me, looking completely startles. His right hand was out, like he was was ready to tap my shoulder. Whatever look I had on my face made him immediately drop his hand to his side. He seemed at a complete loss of words.

"Hi, sorry. Is this yours?" He finally said as he held up my wallet. "I think maybe you dropped it. It was just right up there."

He held my wallet out expectantly, and for some reason I hesitated. Reasonably, I knew that was my wallet. Except I could almost vividly remember putting it in my purse and zipping it up.

"Yeah, I didn't even realize I dropped it." I said quickly, ignoring the odd feeling. Being raised in the League of Assassins, was more that learning how to fight. It also raised you how to read people and situations. And although this situation was raising red flags in my mind. I pushed them back against my better judgment. "Thank you."

When he continued standing there awkwardly, I gave him a small tight lipped smile before turning back towards my work.

"I'm Barry." He suddenly stated as he moved to stand in front of me again. "Barry Allen."

Barry smiled brightly at me as he extended his hand. I shook his hand slowly, unsure of what exactly was happening. Or what he seemed to be expecting from me. "Diane Crock."

"Sorry, I was a little awkward moments ago." He began to explain, and I could practically feel the nervous energy radiating off of him. "It seemed a little weird, so I thought I should introduce myself."

"Don't worry about it." I assured him. "Thank you again."

At this point I was expecting him to accept my gratitude and leave. But he remained where he was standing, seeming very unsure of himself.

"You know what? Uh, would you wanna get a coffee?" He suddenly asked, before seeming to mentally scold himself. "I mean, I know you're having a coffee right now. I meant, like, you know, at a different time. With me." Barry quickly added, as if that detail wasn't obvious. And I was about to nicely reject his offer before he continued. "Or it doesn't even have to be a coffee. It could be any kind of beverage, like a wine or a beer, or...not that I wanna get you drunk. We we could get iced tea. Do you like iced tea? Do would you wanna get an iced tea with me? "

I felt myself involuntarily blink a couple of times trying to process everything he just said. Regardless of everything I still found his excited energy amusing, and had to stop myself from laughing. He must have noticed this as he smiled at more more brightly. If that was possible.

"Um." I began not completely sure about what my answer was going to be. But as I looked at him, that uneasy feeling I felt when I first saw him disappeared. There was something about his eyes and the way he was looking at me that made my thoughts run a million miles per hour. And regardless of the fact that I didn't know a single thing about this man, it still felt that I knew him in some way. "Yes."