Y/n's spine cracked in a satisfying chorus of pops as he rose from the couch, his movements deliberate and accompanied by a stretch that seemed to send relief coursing through his body. Letting out a hearty yawn that felt like it came from the very core of his being, he sat there for a moment, thoughts whirring like a high-speed train. The question pounded within him: Why was he here? The urge to return home gnawed at him, an itch that seemed to grow more persistent with every passing moment. Yet, here he was, sprawled on a couch with the weight of unfamiliar eyes watching his every move, just like in his own timeline—but at least there, it was familiarity.
A soft rustle pulled his attention towards the neighbouring couch, where Nora lay in slumber, her hair tangled and a blanket clutched tightly in her grasp. Something in him softened at the sight. With a slow exhale, Y/n rose from his seat, careful not to disturb her rest. He quietly made his way out of the room, the gentle click of the door echoing the weight of leaving her in her dreams.
The corridors of Star Labs welcomed him with a sense of familiarity that contradicted the temporal dislocation he felt. He stripped off his damp towel in the bathroom, exposing his bare skin to the cool air. His fingers brushed against the prickle of stubble that had begun to form along his jawline. A musing smirk danced on his lips as he studied his reflection, his gaze moving from his dishevelled hair to the scattered stubble that marked his jaw. "Maybe it's time for a cleanup," he muttered, reaching for the shaving kit Cisco had thoughtfully provided.
In the hushed ambience of the bathroom, Y/n's fingers danced across his skin, spreading a layer of shaving cream with a thoughtful touch. The mirror bore witness as his eyes fixated on his own reflection, the questions within him echoing through the depths of his gaze. He stared at himself for a moment, as if searching for answers beyond the surface. The blade, warmed by a quick rinse, met his skin with precision, the scrape and drag a soothing rhythm amidst the silence. As the cream was wiped away, revealing a smoother canvas, he couldn't help but acknowledge the absurdity of the situation. "What am I doing?" he murmured, half-amused, half-bemused, to the reflection that stared back.
Nora had woken up a few hours later, all alone in the lounge as she looked around the room for any signs of the other Speedster. She gave up on her search soon enough as she got ready for the day ahead of her. After a moment or two, Nora made her way over to the gym in Star Labs as she donned a pair of black yoga pants and a purple sports bra with a towel in hand.
Soon enough, she made her way into the large room which she expected to be empty but instead was met with the sight of Y/n in a pair of baggy shorts, lifting himself up on the pullup bar with a massive disk strapped to his abdomen.
Slowly the Thawne lowered himself to the ground, Nora wincing as the heavyweight collided with the ground, followed by Y/n dropping as well. He unstrapped the weight from him before rolling his shoulders back, the muscles in his back pulled tight and flexed as he tried to loosen them up.
Y/n grabbed his towel and dabbed his forehead as he turned around to begin his next workout only to find the Purple Speedster standing there, her eyes trained on him. "Morning Nora," He greeted as he dropped his towel on the stand before sitting on the bench.
"Morning," She quickly responded before turning and walking over to the open space to begin her stretches. Not missing the large number of plates that were stacked on the bar as Y/n laid back and unracked the barbell, proceeding to do some impressive bench presses.
The room was soon filled with small clicks as Y/n did his session and Nora warmed up, both lost in their own thoughts as they did their things. Y/n was the first one to finish with his routine as he grabbed his stuff and began walking towards the door. "See you later," He called out to Nora who seemed lost in her thoughts. "Okay," He muttered to himself as he left the gym.
"Y/n!" Cisco called out to the Speedster as he walked through the halls. "Clean up, I need your help with some stuff before heading out," He added as he drew circles in the air.
"Heading out where?" Y/n fired back as he looked at the scientist.
"Don't ask so many questions," Cisco disappeared into the lab, leaving Y/n by himself as he walked back to the lounge to grab some clothes.
"Some people..." Y/n chuckled to himself as he shook his head.
Why was he here? Y/n had no idea but yet, here he sat in the West-Allen household. "So you aren't stuck here?" Iris asked as everyone looked at Nora, except Y/n who was leaning back in his chair, staring at the ceiling.
"No I'm not," Nora muttered nervously as she looked at every.
"So," Caitlin spoke up, glancing at everyone. "The Negative Tachyons in your system?" She asked, watching the nervous Speedster.
"Were put there by me," Nora responded, glancing at the second Speedster from the future who was still studying the ceiling above him, completely lost in thought.
"Are you kidding?" Cisco spoke up, not looking too happy as he sat next to Ralph. "Do you know how many credit card points I just blew trying to get rid of your Negative Tachyons?" He didn't sound pleased as he spoke. "I just bought a brand new Spectral Tachyometer when I could have had my Fiji getaway..."
Y/n could almost hear Caitlin and Cecile wanting to laugh at the poor scientist's lack of priority but holding it in.
"Not that I have anyone to go with..." Cisco muttered to himself as he readjusted himself on the couch. "I'm not taking you to Fiji, Ralph," he added without even looking at the man next to him.
Silence fell on the group for a moment before being broken by snickering, everyone turned their attention towards Y/n who was pinching the bridge of his nose as he tried to hold his laughter back but was clearly failing. "What's got you giggling over there?" Joe chuckled as he watched the young Speedster.
"Think about it, Nora willingly chose to run at full speed-" He was interrupted when another laugh tried to escape his lips, everyone else slowly realised where he was going with this. "She ran at full speed WITH a Tachyon Device, knowing that it would have been like running into a brick wall," he tried his best to not laugh as he looked over at Nora who was glaring at him. "And yet you have the nerve to tell me not to do something reckless," He chuckled as she grabbed a pillow from the couch and hurled it at him.
There were a few chuckles around the room that was soon cut off by Iris. "Why didn't you guys tell us this before?" She asked as she looked at her husband.
Barry and Nora looked at each other for a moment before the Scarlet Speedster gave her a nod and everyone watched as Nora pressed the device in her arm, causing a projection to appear. "Oh my God," Caitlin gasped as she read the newspaper.
"Barry never returns?" Cecile asked as she looked at the father and daughter duo.
"That's why you came here?" Joe asked his granddaughter as she showed the newspaper to Cisco and Ralph. "To see your father because you were raised without him?" Silence filled the room as Nora gave Joe a slight nod, tensions were heavy as everyone looked at them.
"So what?" Iris spoke up causing everyone to look at her.
"Iris," Barry muttered, confused by her words.
"So what if that article says you never return?" She stood up as he looked at her husband and daughter. "So what if the other one says you vanish?" She added, her eyes filled with a newfound sense of determination. "It's said other things before, we've made it say other things before," she reminded the group. "So whatever the future brings, we will deal with it when it gets here... And change it if we need to,"
"She's got a point," Cisco spoke up with half a smile. "If there's anything Team Flash is good at, it's handing the future its own ass and then some..." He smirks at the rest of them.
"What he said," Caitlin smiled as she looked at the scientist and then back at the father and daughter.
"Well," Iris smiled as she looked around the room before focusing on her daughter from the future. "It looks like Nora's going to need that training after all," She smiled at the two Speedsters in front of her.
A silence filled the room as everyone was filled with a new sense of hope and determination, the silence was soon broken by a cry. "Oh okay, she's hungry," Cecile smiled as she stood up and made her way out of the room.
"Yeah, why don't we all meet back at Star Labs," Barry spoke as everyone nodded before getting up and preparing to leave.
"Well, Mister Thawne," Joe smiled as he called out to the person who stayed quiet throughout most of the talk. "I and you still need to have a talk soon," he smiled as everyone's gaze shifted between Y/n and Joe.
"Of course," Y/n returned his smile as he got ready to leave. "Maybe over some coffee later," he suggested as he looked at Joe who gave him a nod before turning to Iris.
Y/m stood outside a building, a building that was familiar. The walls were the same colour but more vibrant, in fact, the entire house seemed to vibrate with a different feeling to it, like it was a whole nother entity on its own, yet still familiar. That's when it caught his eye, movement through one of the windows. Should he knock on the door?
Y/n took a deep breath before finally making a decision, in a blur of Teal lightning he left the area and ran back to Star Labs, he couldn't do it even if he really wanted to.
The hum of the kitchen's fluorescent lights provided a subtle, calming ambience as Y/n leaned against the counter, his fingers tracing an absent pattern on the smooth surface. He stared into the distance, lost in thought, his mind a whirlwind of emotions that he struggled to contain. However, the peace was soon interrupted by the soft padding of footsteps. Caitlin entered the kitchen, her expression gentle as she noticed Y/n lost in contemplation. "Hey," she greeted, her voice a warm presence in the otherwise quiet space. "Mind if I join you?" Without waiting for an answer, she pulled out a chair and took a seat across from him, her brown eyes filled with concern as she watched Y/n.
Y/n glanced up, a small smile forming on his lips as he acknowledged her presence. "Of course not," he replied, his voice tinged with gratitude.
Caitlin studied him for a moment, her gaze unwavering yet respectful. "Are you okay?" she inquired softly, her concern genuine.
He let out a sigh, his fingers continuing their rhythmic dance on the countertop. "I don't even know how to answer that," he admitted, his gaze distant. "I visited a place, and it's brought up so many emotions I thought I'd left behind."
Curiosity mingled with her concern as Caitlin leaned back in her chair, giving him space to share. "What place?" she asked gently, her voice encouraging.
Y/n hesitated for a moment, his eyes flickering as he summoned the courage to speak. "It was my mother's house," he finally revealed, his voice softer as if the words themselves held a weight he struggled to bear.
Caitlin's expression softened further, her understanding deepening as she processed his revelation. "Did you... talk to her?" she asked, her voice softening to match his vulnerability.
The question hung in the air, heavy with unspoken implications. Y/n's gaze dropped to the countertop, his fingers pausing in their movements. "No," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "I couldn't bring myself to."
"Why not?" Caitlin's voice held a gentle curiosity, her eyes never leaving his face.
A mixture of emotions danced in Y/n's eyes as he looked up, his gaze meeting hers. "I guess I was afraid," he confessed, his voice tinged with a touch of sadness. "Afraid that it would be too much, that seeing her again would... I don't know,"
"You say that your mother was a Speedster, right?" Caitlin asked as she watched Y/n shrug his shoulders.
"As far as I am aware," He chuckled as he continued to draw patterns over the tabletop. "Last time I saw her, I wasn't even four yet," Y/n almost laughed as he looked at Caitlin.
"Well, if she is a Speedster then I am sure she knows about time travel and stuff like that,"
"Are you saying that I should go tell her that I am her son from the future?" Y/n cocked an eyebrow as he looked at the Doctor across from him. "I don't think I can," Y/n shook his head as he turned his attention back to his table art.
"Well, think about it," Caitlin spoke as she stood up. "And when you are ready, I'll go with you," She offered the Speedster a smile as she got ready to leave the room.
"Thanks, Aunty Katy," Y/n called out as she reached the door. Caitlin turned and gave him one final smile before disappearing back down the halls and deeper into Star Labs.
"So you grew up without both parents?" Joe sounded completely shocked as he watched the young Thawne sip his coffee, shrugging his shoulders as he did so. "Were they ever able to find out what happened to your mother?"
"Other than her and her team were killed by a Speedster? No," Y/n responded as he watched Joe shake his head, he knew what question was coming next since it was always the follow-up question when he spoke to people about this.
"Y/n, not to sound rude or anything but are you sure that your father couldn't have done it?" Joe sounded really concerned as he questioned Y/n.
"Joe, I know my father is far from the ideal man, husband or father but at the end of the day," Y/n smiled as memories of his father flashed through his head. "If there was one thing that Eobard loved more than his chase for power it would definitely be Mirabelle L/n," Y/n watched as Joe nodded, not fully trusting that statement but clearly trusting Y/n's belief in his father.
"I hear your mother is also a Speedster?" Joe decided to take the conversation down to a slightly different topic. "That's why you have such a strange lightning colour," He added, watching Y/n agree. "So you always have her with you in some form," Joe chuckled as he watched Y/n smile at that statement.
A comfortable silence fell between the two as they sipped their drinks. Y/n had explained to Joe about his childhood and how he was exiled from society for being a Thawne, how the Johnsons and Caitlin were there for him, and how he refused to use his speed often and only used it every once in a while.
"So you and my granddaughter are really close," Joe fought back his laugh as he watched Y/n almost choke on his drink.
"Excuse me?"
"I mean, you two are almost as inseparable as she is with Barry," Joe shrugged his shoulders as he took a sip of his coffee, hiding his smile as he watched Y/n try to gather himself.
"I'm sorry, Joe but I think you are just imagining things," Y/n tried to figure his words out as he watched Joe smile. "In fact, Nora and I hardly spoke with each other, like ten minutes or so when she drops by for something to drink and eat," Y/n quickly explained. "Other than those few minutes every so often, we never really spoke to each other,"
"Really because the two of you are always going at each other," Joe did seem surprised at that. "Natural chemistry I guess," This time couldn't stop the laugh that escaped as he watched Y/n choke on his coffee once again. "As much as this is, I best be getting back to the Missus and little one," Joe finished his drink before. "It was nice getting to know you more," And with that, he left Y/n sitting there by himself, once again lost in thought.
"The kind of dense reserved for people who still believe in love," Cisco's words reached the Speedster as he walked into the lab.
"Bloody hell, that's depressing," Y/n chuckled as he took a sip of his Energy drink. "Are you alright?" Y/n watched as everyone turned to face him, except Cisco who just seemed to zone out.
"What I think Cisco is trying to say," Caitlin stepped up to fill in for the Scientist. "Is that Vanessa can manipulate the movement of atoms to create concentrated air molecules in cubed form," She explained as everyone turned their attention from Y/n towards her. "The space between those molecules are so compact that-"
"There isn't enough room for a Speedster to vibrate through them," Nora finished the sentence for Caitlin, receiving a confused look from Y/n as he tried to understand what was happening right now.
"What do you call someone who can compress air molecules into solid blocks?" Barry asked Cisco, trying to cheer him up as he seemed to stay in a trance while walking out of the lab.
"I don't know, Block," Cisco mutter before disappearing from everyone's sight.
"So I take it that Cisco is still taking the Gypse thing really hard," Iris muttered as she looked at Ralph and Caitlin.
"We're working on it," Ralph stuttered as he shrugged his shoulders. "Can't expect real progress until you hit step seventeen,"
Both Barry and Y/n looked at the two of them with pure confusion. "It's this thing we're working on with Cisco," Caitlin tried to explain to them. "You can do without us for a little while, right?"
"I mean, we're blind without our satellite so we're just going to have to wait for Vanessa to make her next move anyway," Barry shrugged his shoulder as he looked around the room.
"I feel like I've missed something..." Y/n muttered, straw still raised to his lips as he watched Caitlin and Ralph leave to catch up with Cisco.
"Of course, you did," Nora laughed, grabbing Y/n's arm and dragging him out of the room. "Come on, I'll fill you in,"
"Is this necessary?" Y/n groaned as he let her drag him off.