skinny love | barry allen

46

Barry swallows hard, relief crossing his features, "Really?-"

"Really." I nodded slow, "Hey, uhm- little tip though, try talking just a little bit slower-"

Barry exhales slow, giving me a nervous smile, "Speed- has always been my problem."

-

"And what the hell makes me so interesting to you, Mr. Allen?" I heard Joe say to Barry as I walked toward them at CCPD, "Tell me- I'd really like to know- and remember, I have a hangover, and a gun."

"Don't answer that." I walked over to them, then smiling softly at my date, "Hi, Barry-"

He looks at me, his smile matching mine, "Hey-"

"Oh, I get it." Joe looks between the two of us, shaking his head, "No, I do not approve."

I look at him, "What?-"

"You think it's a good idea, dating somebody I work with, Zee?" Joe turned his back to me, looking at the pile of work on his desk.

"Well, I didn't really think you had a say in who I spent my time with or not." I placed a hand on my hip, looking at him, "You're not my father-"

"Yeah, only the guy who fed you and put a roof over your head for over four years of your life-" Joe rolls his eyes, "Again, it's not smart dating someone I work with-"

"Bare necessities, Joe- the bare minimum." I scoff lightly, "And truthfully, I wasn't even sure you still worked here, only time I see you is when you're passed out drunk on the couch whenever I come by-"

Joe swallows hard and doesn't reply, as I exhale and look at Barry, "You ready for that- iced tea date?"

"Yeah, let's do it." Barry rubs his hands together, nodding quickly, "I just gotta go grab my jacket-"

-

"I'm sorry about- what happened with Joe-" I walked alongside Barry down the sidewalk, "He and I don't have a good relationship- I mean, god- I feel like that was an immediate turn off-"

"No! No- it's fine, I mean- it's alright-" Barry rubs the back of his neck, "Don't worry about it- I just feel bad for him- and you, you know-"

I look at him, "You barely even know us."

"Feels like I do." Barry was all smiles, "Is that weird? Is that a weird thing to say?-"

"No-" I lightly shook my head, "I mean- I know exactly what you mean- I feel that way too- it's- kind of weird?"

Barry starts to laugh, as I couldn't help but laugh lightly as well, "I don't usually- date. I mean, I've never said yes to a guy just- asking me out like that, but- I don't know- it doesn't make any sense, I just- felt like I would've regretted it if I hadn't said yes to you."

"Well, I wanna know about you-" Barry suddenly said, looking at me, "What do you do? I wanna know everything-"

"Everything?" I softly laugh at him in amusement, "I don't exactly know where to start-"

"Alright, alright- I'll make it easier- where do you work?" Barry asked, "What do you do for a living?"

"I'm- actually a bartender." I purse my lips, tilting my head lightly to the side at his amused expression, "I'm still in school- I'm aiming for a Masters-"

"That's- really interesting-" Barry slowly nodded, "I don't know- for some reason I thought you were- a reporter-"

"You've got me mixed up with my friend-" I replied to him, "Iris West? Joe's daughter-"