Barry
The atmosphere of the bar was like any other: loud, filled with tipsy/drunk people and reeked of beer.
The only difference was that the bar Barry chose was a karaoke bar.
Barry joyfully smiled, imagining what Parker would sing when she got her chance up there.
Barry hadn't ever praised himself for his voice, but he knew Parker enjoyed singing duets with him. If she begged him enough, he might join her.
Speaking of Parker, she waltzed through the door at the same time the man on stage ended the song. She must have found him quickly; he hadn't seen her enter.
Parker shuffled to the table and placed her hands over his eyes.
"Introducing.. Caitlin 'I don't always dress like a high school principal' Snow!"
Parker slid her hands off Barry's eyes and held her hands out to a very dressy Caitlin Snow.
Caitlin wore a tight, sparkly black dress and high heels. Somehow they found enough time to curl her strawberry blonde locks.
"You look.." he paused, shaking his head in astonishment. "So pretty."
Barry and Parker gave a light round of applause, Caitlin jokingly curtsied, then the two girls sat the circular table.
Barry saw Parker staring wide-eyed at the stage. He placed one hand on her thigh and leaned close to her, watching the stage too.
"Do you hear that? The stage is calling you, Parker."
"This has been my dream for years," Parker whispered.
"Do it!" Caitlin eagerly urged.
"No, I musn't," Parker said dramatically, her hand held over her heart. "My dream can be pushed off for the night. We have Caitlin to worry about."
Caitlin's eyes widened. "What do you mean? What about me?"
"All three of us are looking for Clay and Shawna. At the same time, this is a Parry date night. But for you, dearest Caitlin Snow, I believe it's time for you to get yourself back out there."
Caitlin took only a second to ponder the idea before she nodded. She grabbed Barry's vodka and pressed the rim to her lips, drowning it.
Parker's eyes enlarged to a point where they began to water.
The couple glanced at each other, assuring the other that actually happened and then looked at Caitlin.
With a goofy smile, Caitlin raised her hand at the boy behind the bar. "Excuse me! I'd like to start a tab."
Those were words Parker never thought she would hear from Caitlin Snow.
Parker took her beer from the bartender; Caitlin and Barry grabbed their vodka. Together, they took the first sip.
Parker's goal for the night was to get Caitlin drunk enough to numb her nerves and find a man she might want to go out with when she was clear of alcohol.
If her plan didn't work, at least Caitlin would provide humorous memories for Parker.
Barry slouched in his seat, a smirk on his face after an idea came to him. If Parker's plan for Caitlin was to essentially, numb her nerves, then that's what he would do. He was going to get Parker drunk enough to perform.
It wasn't very hard. Parker already designated herself as the one to get drunk alongside Caitlin. She said something along the lines of, "I can't let her get drunk alone. That's not being a good friend," so he just continued to buy drinks.
A while later, Barry flicked Parker's chin lightly with his finger, gaining her attention. He smiled when she looked at him.
Her eyebrows were raised; her smile showing all her teeth; her head bobbing to the beat of the current karaoke song playing.
"This is the song that plays in my head every single time I see you," Barry teased.
Parker's eyes flickered to the karaoke machine to find the song. She let out a single laugh as she saw it.
"I'll Be There by The Jackson Five. That's cute."
"You would sound so beautiful singing that," he continued, kissing her cheek once. Near her ear, he breathed, "You would also look pretty sexy up there on the stage."
"I've got just the song. Be ready to be amazed by my sexiness."
Barry leaned his elbows on the table, curled his fingers into his palms and set his chin on them.
Parker approached the bar, asked for the microphone, typed in her song and hopped up the steps to the stage. As always before performing, her cheeks painted themselves pink.
"Hello, everybody. I chose this song because it's very.." Parker paused and tipped her head back and forth, thinking. "I think the word flamboyant works. I hope everyone likes it."
Parker turned her back to the crowd. The beat began and so did Parker's dance. She started to swing her hips side to side.
Barry was too caught up in the shake of her body to notice the song, until she snapped her head around and made eye contact with him.
"Crack that whip!"
For the millionth time that night, Barry's mouth dropped.
"Give the past a slip!
Step on a crack!
Break your momma's back!"
Parker smirked. She turned on her heel and grabbed the microphone stand.
"When a problem comes along
You must whip it
Before the cream sets out too long
You must whip it
When something's goin' wrong
You must whip it!"
To the next section, she sang a line with the microphone tilted one way, leaned the other way for the second line and so on.
"Now whip it!
Into shape
Shape it up
Get straight
Go forward
Move ahead
Try to detect it
It's not too late
To whip it
Whip it good!
When a good time turns around
You must whip it
You will never live it down
Unless you whip it
No one gets away
Until they whip it!"
Parker was really giving the crowd something to laugh about. She was moving her hips enjoyably, whipping her wrist around (like an imaginary whip was in her hand, obviously) and dancing completely carefree.
She truly lost herself in the stage. Or maybe because she was so close to being drunk.
Either way, everyone was having a kick-ass night.
"I say whip it
Whip it good
I say whip it
Whip it good
Crack that whip
Give the past a slip
Step on a crack
Break your momma's back
When a problem comes along
You must whip it
Before the cream sets out too long
You must whip it
When something's goin' wrong
You must whip it
Now whip it
Into shape
Shape it up
Get straight
Go forward
Move ahead
Try to detect it
It's not too late
To whip it
Into shape
Shape it up
Get straight
Go forward
Move ahead
Try to detect it
It's not too late
To whip it!"
Parker snatched the microphone out of the stand and threw her free arm up, reminding Barry of the final scene in The Breakfast Club.
"Well, whip it good!"
The crowd rose to her feet to thank her for that performance.
Instead of roses being thrown at her feet, drinks were sent to her table.
In all, ten drinks had been ordered from people in the bar. Caitlin, Barry and Parker shared them.
Soon after they finished all ten drinks, Barry went to fetch water for the two girls.
They unofficially designated him as the driver for the night which ultimately meant he had to keep them safe and if he could, rid their hangovers a little bit.
Barry's head snapped to the front stage in fear when a call of, "Mr.Barry Allen!" rang through the bar.
Parker
Parker snapped her head up at the stage when she heard Barry's name called.
Caitlin turned out to be the one inviting Barry to sing with her.
Parker grabbed her phone from her pocket and flipped on the video camera.
"Come on down here! Or up. Come on up here, with me! Come show 'em what you go," Caitlin begged.
Parker cupped one hand over her mouth and started chanting, "Barry! Barry!"
Soon enough, the entire bar chanted his name.
"Look at him go, he's so fast!" Caitlin squealed, then slapped a finger to her mouth and hushed Barry like he was the one who said it.
He jogged up the stairs and placed his hand lightly on Caitlin's back. He whispered something in her ear, watching her carefully. He was awfully worried that she might have drank too much too quickly.
"We are going to bring this place down," Caitlin predicted.
She reached for the microphone, tripped, and held onto Barry's hand as he reached to steady her.
He made her place her hands on the microphone stand. She obeyed and Barry patted her back, withdrawing his hands slowly in case she fell.
"Good girl," he mumbled.
Caitlin bounced on the heels of her toes and shook her shoulders, very off-beat. Caitlin acted like a toddler when she was drunk.
Since Parker doubted she would ever see Caitlin drunk again, she taped everything to the best of her own drunken ability. Her phone was low to sneakily record it, not noticeable enough for Barry to see.
"Summer lovin' had me a blast!
Summer lovin' happened so fast!"
Parker lost it. She slapped her hand over her mouth to hide the volume of her giggles.
"I met a girl crazy for me," Barry sang. At the end of his line, he met Parker's eyes and gave a flirty wink.
Caitlin glanced at him, stable enough in her drunken phase to understand his voice was better than hers. She was surprised, but forced to bury it in order to sing the next line.
"I met a boy cute as can be," she continued, a pout on her lips.
"Summer days, driftin' away.." Barry glanced at Caitlin, waving his hand to get her ready for the next part.
"To-ah, oh those summer nights," They chorused. "Well-a, well-a, well-a, uhn!"
Parker gathered herself in time to see Caitlin and Barry react to the beat.
Caitlin had let go of the stand and waved her arms, then popped her hip out to the end beat of the first chunk of song.
Barry was watching Caitlin, doing his own little head bop to the song. On the "uhn," he struck his chin down and scrunched his face, only for a moment.
Parker pouted her lips in a way that resembled the look people get when they see cute dogs.
It was the cutest face she'd ever seen him make. (After playing the song again on a different night, she figured out he made that face every time.)
Barry helped Caitlin off the stage and led her back to the bartender for water.
Joining the two, Parker wrapped an arm around Barry's waist.
"I think I out-shined you," he told her.
"Shut up and kiss me, you cocky son of a bitch."
He waited no longer to obey.
Interrupting their lip-to-lip kiss, Caitlin sighed loudly. "You're fast and you can sing? What can't you do?"
Jealous, she snatched a drink on the counter, drowned it and slammed it down empty with a confused look.
"I don't even think that was mine. I'm going to the bathroom." And Caitlin waddled off in search of the bathroom.
"Should I go?" Parker wondered.
"Probably," Barry chuckled.
Parker held her hand on Barry's cheek, forcing him to look at her. "I know you're so handsome, but you're mine, kid. Don't forget it."
"Why are you--?"
"In case you get hit on," she stated, grinning. "Be safe. I'll watch Caitlin."
>>>>>
Parker held back Caitlin's hair as she puked beside the garbage can in the alleyway beside the bar.
Long story short, Caitlin accidentally stumbled out of the bar instead of going to the bathroom.
Luckily, Parker wasn't all that grossed out by it.
"I want to go home," Caitlin whimpered.
Parker rubbed circles on her back sympathetically. "Okay. I'll call Barry to bring you home."
She did what she told Caitlin. Barry dorkily ran to them in normal speed. He used his phone's flashlight to find them. Parker casually waved her hand as a greeting.
"You need me to take her home?" he asked.
"If you can," Parker said. "I can take a cab with her if you're grossed out."
Barry released Parker's hand. He swept Caitlin into his arms. Her head fell against his chest, moaning with intense pain.
"I'll meet you at home," Parker promised.
"Don't fall asleep, I have to tell you something."
"Okay. Be safe."
>>>>
Parker did just what she said she wouldn't.
When Barry ran to her apartment and used his spare key to get in, every light was off.
He investigated further and found Parker snuggled into the pillows of her bed.
He joined her and they slept well and heavily, the long night of karaoke searing into their memories.
>>>>>
The next morning, Barry ran at super speed to S.T.A.R. Labs with Parker in his arms.
The second the elevator doors slid open, Parker shoved her body through and ran into the lab where all members of Team Flash usually were found.
On her phone, she had pulled the video of Caitlin singing and was ready to show it.
"Do you guys want to see Caitlin sing Summer Nights? We got her drunk last night!"
Dr.Wells and Cisco showed varying degrees of concern.
Parker couldn't stop her grin, "Dudes, I know. But I drank almost half of what she did. She was chugging-- it was amazing. Do you want to see or not?"
"You can show them later," Barry called.
She turned and saw him bent over the computer desk, specifically the computer that monitored all the security cameras.
"Caitlin's on her way up the elevator," he finished.
Barry snatched his little S.T.A.R. Labs coffee mug and held out his hand.
Parker tossed her phone to Cisco and shuffled around the computer desk, lacing their fingers together.
They swung their arms gently as they walked to the elevator doors.
"So, this girl named Linda hit on me last night," Barry started.
The skin between his eyebrows scrunched, in a wince, fearing her response.
Parker just tilted her chin to look at him. Her face was neutral.
"Did you tell her you have a girlfriend?"
"Of course I did. I wouldn't trade anyone with you."
"I'd trade you with Chris Evans."
Barry scoffed. "Whatever. Linda gave me her number."
"Then call her if you want. I don't care if you make friends."
Parker and Barry stopped outside the doors. She wiggled his hand, nodding to the coffee cup in his hand. He bent his wrist to allow her a sip. While she drank, he continued talking.
"Trust me, Parker. You're the only girl for me. I l-"
Dressed in a coat, yellow scarf and sunglasses over her eyes, Caitlin emerged from the elevator. Her lips were in a straight line as she turned her head to acknowledge the couple.
Barry internally sighed. Guess it'll have to wait another day..
"Good morning," he gently whispered.
Caitlin winced. "So loud.."
Barry and Parker grinned, amused. Caitlin started walking to the Cortex. The couple followed.
"We just wanted to make sure you were okay," Barry said.
"Let's just say I envy your inability to get drunk.. I don't remember much from last night."
Barry scrunched his shoulders, wincing for Caitlin. "That's probably for the best.."
Parker nudged his ribs and held up a finger count. On three, Parker and Barry sang a quiet, "Summer lovin'.."
Caitlin let out a sharp, regretful breath. "That I do remember."