"What?" Nora sat with a look of pure shock as she looked at the man across from her, she had expected him to be angry or hurt or something like that but hearing him drop the L-bomb just as she sat down was something she wasn't prepared for.
"It's just," Y/n leaned back in his seat as he looked at Nora. "I thought I was going to be angry at you guys, I thought I wasn't going to see you and even thought it would be for the best and yet," He paused for a moment as he played around with his coffee cup. "The moment I see you, everything slows down again, everything becomes complete,"
"Y/n," Nora paused for a moment as she stared at the Speedster. "I... I..."
"Don't have to say it," He cut her off with a smile. "You don't have to say it because I did," He reassured her as he sipped his drink.
"But I already told you I had feelings for you..."
"But Love is something else, it's more serious than just feelings," He pointed out, his voice was low but it wasn't hurt or angry, it was calming and Nora could listen to it all day. "Like you've heard already, I experienced a lot more time than you guys, I've had a lot more time to think and process things," He explained, sounding a lot more mature now and Nora wasn't sure if that was because if this event or if he was doing it on purpose. "You spent a day without me while I spent years without you and I know for a fact, I don't want to spend any more time without you and I'm okay with that being romantic or pure plutonic, as long as you are part of my life,"
"Don't be ridiculous," Nora muttered as she moved to sit next to him instead of across from him. "We could never have a plutonic relationship, not after we told each other about our feelings, not after all the times we've kissed and definitely not after the wonderful time at the Gala," She spoke with a smile as she took his larger hand in hers. "I wouldn't be against the idea of another date or two," She smiled as she watched Y/n.
Her eyes were soft and caring, for a moment Y/n forgot about the rest of the world as his eyes scanned her face again and again before settling in on her lips as he thought about the last time he kissed her, he found himself wanting to taste her lips again and it seemed like Nora noticed this as she ran her tongue across her lips as she stared at Y/n.
Y/n was snapped back to reality by the sound of his phone ringing as he quickly fished it out of his pocket. "Talk to me," He spoke after glancing at the unknown caller ID.
"Hey there Y/n," A familiar voice called out.
"Mom?! Hi," Y/n was caught off guard by the sudden call as he furrowed his eyebrows and he glanced at Nora, who seemed more intrigued by the call rather than confused. "How did you get my number?" He probably shouldn't need to ask that question but he did nor did he have to sound dry and frustrated but he was interrupted.
"Caitlin gave it to me," Y/n felt his eyes roll as Mirabelle explained, Nora gave his hand a slight squeeze to get him to look at her and she gave him a stern gaze, warning him to behave. "I was busy throwing together a little Brunch and wanted to ask you to come over," She explained as Y/n heard movement from her side followed by chopping.
"Join you for Brunch?" Y/n sounded confused but then again, he still kinda was. "I don't see why not, it'll give us time to catch up," He shrugged his shoulders, it was a chance to spend time with his mother, why would he say no?...
"Make sure to bring your girlfriend," Y/n almost choked on thin air as he heard his mother's comment but he was able to hide most of his reaction, besides his eyes widening in shock. "Nora if I'm correct?"
"We're not..." Y/n was about to argue but his eyes landed on his hand that was interlocked with Nora's. "Where did you even hear that?" He regretted asking that almost instantly because there was one person he could easily guess.
"Caitlin," Yip, there the name was. "She's told me about how you two are nearly inseparable, almost always with each other," She added as the sound of cooking continued in the background. "So it's not that hard to put two and two together," She hummed.
"We're not always together," Y/n muttered as he released Nora's hand to rub his forehead as he listened to his -not-yet-mother embarrass him like a preschooler. "You shouldn't believe everything Aunty Katy says," He tried to negate whatever the Doctor said.
"Y/n, where are you?"
"Jitters,"
"Is she with you?"
Y/n's gaze met Nora's intrigued one, if she somehow didn't know what or who he was talking about before became very obvious now. "That's besides the point," He exclaimed as he buried his face in his free hand, completely giving up on this conversation which caused Nora to let out a soft giggle as she rubbed his back.
"Sure," Mirabelle sang as she moved around. "Just get you two over here soon," She added before hanging up, not waiting for Y/n's response.
"Now I understand Aunty Katy's frustration with me," Y/n chuckled realizing how much of a pain dealing with him must be. "Hey, My mom's making Brunch and wants us to come over," Y/n finished his drink as he stood up.
"I kinda got that but I don't think it would be a good idea?" Nora mumbled as she fidgeted with the sleeves of her jacket.
"Why not?"
"It's technically going to be the first time seeing your mom," Nora looked at the table in front of her as she spoke. "I think you'd rather spend some alone time," She added as she shrugged her shoulders, still not looking up at Y/n.
"Why are you so adorable?" Y/n muttered as he found himself placing a hand against her cheek, his thumb tracing circles as he stared at the shy Speedster. Nora finally looked up at Y/n, finding herself leaning into his touch as she stared at his soft smile. "Let's go,' Y/n motioned for her to stand up.
"Y/n?..."
"I told you, the less time I spend away from you the better," He repeated as he slowly removed his hand from Nora. "Let's go, my mom seems adamant that you must be there," He joked as he gave her a gentle squeeze on the shoulder, watching a smile form on her lips as she stood up.
"We shouldn't keep her waiting," Nora smiled as they left, making their way over to a familiar house.
Y/n and Nora reached the house that the Thawne had called home back in their timeline, Nora was about to walk up to the entrance but she could tell this was something new for her companion so she paused before walking closer to Y/n. "You okay?" She asked as she wrapped her arms around his arm, ignoring the flash from the Gala.
"Yeah, just seems so unreal," Y/n muttered as he glanced at the Speedster next to him.
"I know exactly how you feel," She smiled as she rested her head against his arm. "But I'm right here so you have nothing to worry about," She reassured him with a giggle while Y/n just chuckled as he began walking closer to the door.
"I'll hold you to that," He fired back as they reached the entrance.
Y/n took a deep breath as he raised his hand to knock. "IT'S OPEN!" Mirabelle's voice called from the inside of what Y/n remembers being the window to the kitchen.
Y/n glanced at Nora once more, only receiving a smile from the young woman who attached herself to his arm. Taking a deep breath, Y/n twisted the door and pushed it open before leading them in and shutting it behind them. His eyes began scanning the familiar yet different building in front of him, walls still vibrant with colour and life, a warm sense beckoning him deeper into it and yet he couldn't remember the walls being this bright in twenty years.
"I'm in the kitchen!" Mirabelle seemed to be worried that they hadn't made it into the room faster, her voice snapped Y/n out of his trip down memory lane as he shook his head, feeling Nora hug his arm tighter as to remind him that she was right there.
"We're coming!" Y/n yelled back as he led Nora into the larger kitchen that she was familiar with as they were met with Mirabelle dashing back and forth between her food and her laptop.
"Everything alright?" Y/n asked her as he just stood there staring at her teal lightning, pure teal lightning zip back and forth.
"Yeah, some data samples have been sent through to me and I need to analyse them quickly," Mirabelle explained as she dashed over to the stove once more.
"And you decided now was the best time to invite people over?" Y/n chuckled at his mother who just glared at him for a moment before turning back to her food.
"Shut it," She muttered playfully as she continued.
"What data are you analysing?" Y/n asked as he moved over to the laptop and scanned over the screen. "Neural Implants!" Y/n practically yelled as he watched his mother pause from cooking to look at him, in a flash of teal and orange lightning Y/n had moved to stand in front of his mother. "I'll do this while you focus on that," He motioned to the laptop while taking the knife away from his mother and moved the chopping board closer to him.
"Y/n, I invited you guys over,"
"I stay here," Y/n cut her off with a chuckle. "Or at least I will, so it is technically my duty as well," He argued as he began dicing the herbs.
"Are you sure?" Mirabelle asked, clearly wanting to focus on her work but feeling bad that her guest had to cook.
"Creamy Chicken Ricotta," Y/n read the recipe, ignoring his mother as he closed the recipe book with a smile that spoke about his confidence in his cooking skills. "I do have some questions though," Y/n spoke as his mom calmly walked over to her laptop, no longer dashing back and forth.
"Sure," Mirabelle spoke up as she sat down, watching Nora move to the counter near Y/n and opting to watch the Speedster cook.
"How did you know who I was?"
"Of course," Mirabelle muttered as her eyes scanned over the document. "Your father ran back in time as well," She began explaining with a stern expression as she worked. "He first tried multiple times to change what will happen but when he realised that it would never work, he did it just to spend time with me and tell me about you,"
Y/n froze for a moment at the news that his father ran back in time so that he could tell Mirabelle more about her son. "Really?" Y/n wanted to look at her, see if she was being honest with him but he could, he would rather believe it even if it was a lie.
"Yeah, he told me about how he tried to teach you how to ride a back and you hated it," Mirabelle laughed at the thought. "Because it's stupid and whoever invented it was dropped on his head as a baby... I found it so hard to believe that my toddler called people like Karl von Drais and Kirkpatrick MacMillian retarded, you have anger issues," She half joked and half scolded the Speedster.
"Firstly, it is stupid and I don't need to justify why," Y/n seemed to aim that last part at Nora since he shifted his gaze over to her as he spoke. "Secondly, your husband was a horrible teacher," He laughed at the memory himself.
"I don't doubt that one bit," Mirabelle laughed as she worked. "And I've sensed your connection to the Chaos Force which not only tells me you have to be my family but also that you aren't trained," She spoke matter-of-factly.
"What is this Chaos Force?" Nora was the one to ask this time, moving so that she was leaning against the countertop, partially sitting on it as she shifted her gaze to Mirabelle.
"It's the reason me and Y/n have teal-coloured lightning," She explained, raising her hand and vibrating it which caused teal sparks to fly off, no other colour like Y/n was accustomed to. "I can tap into the purest form of Chaos Energy while Y/n can't, that's why he has orange lightning as well," Mirabelle added as she looked at the female Speedster.
"But he also had red lightning," Nora pointed out as she crossed her arms over her chest, slightly uncomfortable under Mirabelle's stern gaze.
"Red?" Mirabelle seemed shocked as she looked at her future son. "Why did it turn red?"
"I thought my friend was killed so I lost my temper," Y/n didn't hesitate as he continued cooking, moving back and forth with ease as he worked.
"Red means you tapped more into the darker side of the Chaos Force," Mirabelle explained as she turned her attention back to her own analysis. "Think of it like this, the Chaos force has four sides to it... The 'Pure' side where your lightning is orange, the 'dark' side where it's red," She paused for a moment to focus on her laptop.
Nora used this chance to study Y/n's expression, he seemed completely unbothered by this or he was simply that good at hiding what he was feeling which reminded her of the way he spoke at Jitters. That memory reminded her about the time he spent in this 'Chaos Force' which made her wonder just how much that had affected him.
"The darker side of the Chaos force is completely emotional just like the Negative Speed Force, the more anger and hatred you have, the stronger the force," Mirabelle's voice caught Nora off guard, snapping her eyes away from Y/n as she looked at his mother. "But if you can find an 'Anchor' to help you find a balance between the two... You tap into the 'Purest' form of Chaos Energy, until then it is as if you have two different Forces fighting for dominance," She added, clearly referring to her pure teal lightning.
Silence fell amongst the three of them, Y/n focused on his 'cooking', Mirabelle seemed to focus on work while waiting for Y/n to talk up once again while Nora just stared at the two. "And the fourth?" She finally spoke up, asking all the questions she was sure Y/n wanted to ask.
"Pardon?" Mirabelle looked at the olive-skinned Speedster
"You said there were four, you told us about three of them so what's the fourth?" Nora once again turned her gaze back to Y/n, avoiding the possibility of entering a stare-down with Mirabelle.
"The fourth is unachievable," Mirabelle spoke rather dryly, not upset with Nora but more the question itself. "It's what I've learned to call the 'Impure' Force and the emotional state you have to be in just to sense it is insane," She explained as she returned to her work.
"You said you could sense me?" Y/n finally spoke up, whether it was with a genuine question or just to stop the Nora-Inquisition was yet to be determined.
"It's a sense of familiarity, I just knew you were connected to the Chaos Force," She explained to her son as he cooked, finishing up slowly. "I knew you were untrained because when you used it's speed it was like echolocation, I just felt where you were when you tapped into it," She continued. "I am trained so unless I want you to, you would not be able to detect me tapping into it unless you had a stronger connection with it than me," She spoke about the last part as if it was impossible.
"Familiarity?"
"Yes, turn to me," Mirabelle instructed her son who stopped stirring for a moment to face his mother. "I want you to close your eyes, Y/n. Reach deep within yourself, embrace your connection to the Chaos force, and let it guide you." She explained as she watched her son follow her instructions. "Once you've felt like you are connected to it, look at me,"
Y/n felt a familiar pull, one from when he wandered the streets alone day after day, night after night, year after year, the Chaos force was guiding him then and it seemed to do that now. Opening his eyes and looking at Mirabelle, he felt what could only be explained as Deja Vu, a sense of knowing who she was.
"As you train, it becomes more instinctive and requires less focus," She explained before returning to her work.
Y/n on the other hand turned back to the stove slightly confused. "You okay?" Nora asked as she tilted her head.
"Yeah, just something I need to try later," Y/n muttered as he grabbed a fork from the drawer and scooped up some food, blowing on it until it was cold enough before moving closer to Nora and holding it up.
"Uh..." Nora muttered before going red as Y/n moved closer to her, eyes locked with hers as he gave her a small smile. Nora nervously opened her mouth, allowing Y/n to feed her. Nora finally broke eye contact with him when she closed her eyes and let out a slight moan which made her go even more red. "Um... That... That was really good," She found herself a stuttering mess once more but this time in front of his mother as well which just made it more embarrassing.
"Thanks," Y/n smile only grew as he looked at her. "Okay, mom! Work away, time to eat!" He turned his attention to Mirabelle as he took three plates out and began dishing up. "Go sit down," Y/n motioned for Nora to go take her seat at the table while he got everything ready.
Nora was still too embarrassed to argue or anything so she just listened to Y/n and went to sit down across from Mirabelle and waited for Y/n.
Soon enough, the three of them were eating and talking, jokes were being made and laughs were heard. Y/n was ecstatic, he was eating with not only his mother but as far as he was concerned, the love of his life.
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I haven't done an Author's Note in so long!!!
But I just wanted to mention that I know these past two chapters have not been following the storyline but I feel like we don't know that much about Y/n and yet I had the Chaos Force from the start of my book, it explains why they detected both Speed Force and Negative Speed Force, he isn't tapping into the purest form of the Chaos force so it seems like he has two different forces.
This also sets the story up for the second reveal that is coming up (Probably in the next chapter)...
What I'm trying to say is that I hope these 'filler' chapters aren't too annoying.
What was your favourite part of this chapter?
What are your thoughts on this book so far?
What are your theories for the upcoming chapters and secrets?