Collateral Damage (snowbarry)

First Time Around

Caitlin is sitting in Jitters in her favorite seat toward the back. She is mindlessly stirring her coffee, eyes fixed on a couple across the shop. She comes back to reality when fingers are snapped in her face. She looks up to see Iris smiling at her accusingly.

"By the look on your face, I'd say you're not enjoying the show." Iris says, sitting across from Caitlin.

"Show?" Caitlin says trying to act oblivious.

"He said you helped him form up an apology for ditching her last week." Iris says, taking a sip of her drink. "Gotta give you credit, it was a good apology."

Caitlin raises her eyebrows and nods at Iris in thanks.

"But...uh...tell me. Why are telling him how to apologize to his girlfriend when you obviously have a thing for him?"

Caitlin chokes on her coffee. "I don't have a thing for...what does that even mean? A thing for him?" Caitlin asks.

"You like him Caitlin. Admit it. I see the way you look at him." Iris accuses.

"I'm his doctor. We're just friends." Caitlin admits, taking a slower, more cautious sip of her coffee.

"Barry doesn't have friends Caitlin. He has always been a bit of an outsider because of his adorable nerdiness that most people don't find adorable and his slight obsession with murder cases." Iris starts. "He has me and Joe and his dad, who he can only talk to through a glass window. You and Cisco are the first real friends he's ever had and I've never seen three people more suited to each other. You two saved his life in more ways than one."

Caitlin blushes at this and looks down into her cup to hide it.

"I thought the way he was with you was just me seeing him having a friend for the first time, but the way he is with you is very different from the way he is with Cisco. He likes you Caitlin. You like him. Don't let the fact that neither of you are willing to be the first to say it get in the way." Iris finishes, standing up. "Well I gotta get to work, Mason has some stuff he wants to show me."

"I don't know how you're able to put up with that guy everyday." Caitlin says, looking to the door and motioning over Cisco who just walked in.

"Just until I'm able to take over his job." Iris admits. She turns to leave and says hi to Cisco as he takes her seat.

"No coffee? Caitlin asks, eyeing Cisco who looks...honestly a little high on something.

"It's my brother's birthday tomorrow." Cisco says, eyes still a little glazed over.

"The next full moon is in a week." Caitlin says. Cisco looks up and gives her a confused look. "Sorry, I thought we were giving random calendar facts."

Cisco half-heartedly chuckles. "They want me to come to his party."

"He's having a birthday party?" Caitlin asks. "How old is he?"

"Too old to be having a birthday party." Cisco says, laughing a little more genuinely. "Every year they invite me and every year I go. And every year they spend the entire time comparing us and saying how worthless I am and how amazing Dante is."

"Want me to go with you?" Caitlin interrupts.

"You'd do that?"

"Of course. I kind of want to meet the people who raised you. Might clear up some confusion."

Cisco narrows his eyes at her. "Confusion about what?"

"Why you're so weird." Caitlin says jokingly.