chapter thirty ; war of the heart and mind
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Felicity immediately hooked her arm through Natalie's once the two climbed as gracefully as they could out of the cab in their dresses and heels. Natalie stared at the door of the restaurant before glancing down at her body, the dress covered by her coat, a wave of panic flooding her veins. "You look amazing," Felicity reassured her as she rubbed Natalie's coated arm.
Nodding her head, Natalie took a deep breath and shot a wide smile at her new companion, "Let's go in. It's a bit chilly and I'm hungry." Felicity chuckled at her comment and shook her head as the two walked towards the doors, which were opened by an employee of the restaurant. Felicity immediately went into Ray's welcoming arms as Natalie stood in the doorway and shrugged off her coat, shivering a bit as the air hit the bare skin on her back.
Barry looked up from his seat by Eddie and Iris at the bar to see Natalie, his mouth slightly ajar. His eyes traveled down her body, the black all-lace, short-sleeved dress teasing the bare skin of her arms and above her chest only to be covered in a thicker black below, all hugging her body tightly. As she turned to hand one of the employees her coat, he saw the oval-like cut out revealing the skin of her back, a small strip of lace closing the oval just below where her dark brown hair was pulled into a styled, messy bun.
"Close your mouth. You're drooling Barry," Iris teased as she nudged Barry in the side after looking at Natalie. Eddie looked back at smiled before turning to Barry in disbelief, "How have you not had sex yet? Look at her, Barry." Barry snapped out of his trance and raised his eyebrows as Iris lightly smacked Eddie on the arm as she glared. Desperate to get away due to Eddie's comment and the troubled couple, Barry set down his drink and walked to his girlfriend, the smile returning to his face.
"You look amazing.. gorgeous, I mean beautiful. Whatever you want to hear," Barry stumbled out as he took her hands in his. Natalie blushed down at the ground, muttering a 'thank you' and smiled at Barry. "I think sexy is a good word, right Barry?" Felicity added from Ray's arms. Barry smiled and turned to Natalie, "Yeah, sexy is definitely a good word."
Ray straightened as a waiter approached him and said a few words, "Let's have dinner, shall we?" The three couples walked into the dining area of the restaurant only to be met with empty chairs and empty tables. "I thought it'd be nice if it was quiet, so I bought out the entire restaurant," Ray announced proudly as the rest stood in a happily shocked but mutual disbelief.
Barry pulled out Natalie's chair, being the gentleman that he is, and intertwined her hand in his once he was settled down as well. "You know, you look amazing, handsome, stunning. Dare I say.. sexy in that suit. Whatever you want to hear, sweetie," Natalie whispered to Barry as she leaned into his side.
Barry laughed as she played off of what he told her when he first saw her in the dress, "Sweetie?" Natalie shrugged in response as she smoothed down his tie, "Thought I would try out a nickname. Any good?" He nodded his head and nuzzled his nose against the side of her neck, "Whatever you wanna call me, babe." Natalie smiled and pursed her lips, "Okay, sexy dork."
The two finished their side affection when Ray cleared his throat and stood up, "I would like to start off this evening with a toast to each and every one of us for having the wonderful partner beside us tonight, to friends, and also, an amazing glass of red wine." The group raised their glasses, once they were filled, and clanked them together towards Ray's short toast.
Small conversations picked up here and there, fading and dying as the tension between Iris and Eddie ensued. Natalie only started to lose attention as Iris began to not-so-subtly call Eddie out. Barry and Natalie remained silent through the ordeal, instead silently focusing on each other as the other couples talked. "Oh thank god the food's here," Barry sighed in relief as he looked at the waiters over Natalie's shoulder. Natalie stared warily at the bowl set in front of her containing around three spoonful's, unable to decipher what the lead waiter had called it.
Not wanting to listen to Iris and Eddie bicker softly at the table, Natalie poked and prodded the food with her spoon. Her attention was only shifted at Barry's sudden departure from the table. Glancing up and watching his back as he left the room, Natalie removed the napkin from her lap and excused herself from the table to follow him.
Pushing the heavy wooden door, Natalie saw Barry pacing back in forth in what she presumed was a wine cellar of sorts. Not knowing what he was upset about, given she wasn't paying attention, Natalie simply pulled Barry into a hug and rubbing his back in comfort. She turned only when she heard the door open revealing a concerned Felicity.
"I'll give you two some time. Maybe a fresh perspective on the situation would be better than my biased side. And it would probably be best if I kept Ray company while Iris and Eddie have their little spat," Natalie said softly to the two before kissing Barry lightly on the head and returning to the dining room.
Ray sighed in relief at the sight of Natalie as Eddie and Iris seemed to quiet down. "So um, Ray, you think you could share with us what it's like in Starling City?" Natalie asked, silently hoping that that was a safe topic. Clearing his throat, Ray sat up straighter as he began to talk animatedly, "Well, for starters, Starling City and Central City are like night and day. Starling being the night and Central the day. I'm hoping to improve the..conditions of Starling, make it a home again, Star City if you will."
Natalie nodded her head and looked at Iris and Eddie for any comment, which wasn't any. It was pretty much a dead topic. "Eddie, I hear you're a cop. What's that like?" Ray inquired as he took a long sip of his wine. "It has its ups and downs. But the one thing I will always love about it is getting justice," Eddie answered proudly.
"But sometimes, your job can keep you from doing justice to the ones you love," Iris retorted as she tilted her head. Ray seemed to have grown desperate and quickly excused himself to go get Felicity and Barry, bringing Natalie with him. "Hey guys, thugs are getting a little..intense in here," Ray said as he opened the door wide enough for Natalie an himself to pop their heads in.
The four walked back into the dining room just as Iris and Eddie both stood up. "When you are ready to act like two people who love each other, call me. Until then, I'll be at my dad's," Iris stated as she dropped her napkin on the table and stormed out, leaving a distraught Eddie behind. Eddie watched Iris leave in disbelief before he walked up to Ray and sadly thanked him for dinner before leaving as well.
At that moment, Barry's phone buzzed in his pocket and he looked apologetically at the three others, "I'm sorry. Emergency at S.T.A.R. Labs." Natalie nodded her head, "Go. I'll take a cab."
Natalie blinked her eyes several times as the blast from Barry running hit her face. "What a waste of an evening on a perfect dress," Natalie muttered under her breath before turning to a waiter and Ray and Felicity, "Now if I could just get the dessert in a little to-go box.."
Splitting from, what Natalie dubbed, the awkward-yet-adorable couple that is Felicity and Ray, Natalie took a detour before going to S.T.A.R. Labs. Natalie walked as fast as she could from the cab into Jitters, luckily getting in her rather large order of coffee for all of her fellow secret keepers before they closed. Just as she set the coffee holders down when she got to S.T.A.R. Labs, a screen focused on a bee that was starting to wiggle. "Is the meta-human on the move again?"
Caitlin shook her head as Felicity and Dr. Wells raced, or wheeled, to the computers. "Not a metahuman. Brie Larvan. Just a mad scientist with killer robotic bees. Worked for Dr. Tina McGee at Mercury Labs only to be fired for inappropriate use of the equipment. You look nice by the way."
Natalie smiled and looked down at the lace dress, "Thanks Cait." She froze when she noticed something peculiar. "Why is there a big gaping hole in the desk?" Natalie asked as she pointed at it. Caitlin and Cisco simultaneously winced before the latter spoke up, "One of the bees nested in Barry's suit and then decided to take a lap around the Cortex."
"Oh we've got a problem," Felicity announced once she finished her work at the computers. "The swarm of bees, they're headed to Mercury Labs." Barry was called, arriving in the Cortex changed into the Flash suit just as Cisco and Ray walked in.
Cisco stood behind Dr. Wells with a look of disgust on his face for he bees, "Okay, we need to stop this.. bug-eyed..glasses woman."
"And her mini bandits," Ray added as he stood beside him. The two men looked at each other in awe before shouting in pride, "Bug-Eyed Bandit!" Burying her head in her hands, Natalie peeked over at her cousin who was trying not to laugh, "I swear if Ray wasn't with Felicity I would push him and Cisco together." Two places to go and two superheroes at hand, it was decided that Ray, and his suit, would go to Mercury Labs to save Dr. Tina McGee while Barry went to the warehouse Brie was controlling the bees from.
Cisco picked up his coat and tablet and looked at Ray, "I'm going with you."
"I'm driving."
"And I'm kissing you," Felicity said as she cupped her hands around Ray's face kissed him softly before he along with Caitlin and Cisco left. Natalie turned to Barry an kissed him as well, the mask off, "It's only fair if you get a kiss too. Do good. Stay safe." Barry pecked her lips one last time before racing off.
Natalie took a seat in-between Felicity and Dr. Wells at the desk, her job being to communicate to Barry while Felicity hacked and Wells watched Barry's vitals. Directing the bees that were targeting Tina onto Ray, Felicity went straight to work on hacking into the bees that were going after Barry in the warehouse. She watched in awe as Felicity's fingers flew across the keyboard and she muttered under her breath about how good Brie was, both girls jumping back as sparks flew from the computer she was working on.
Felicity let out a small gasp, "Rude!"
"Bitch can do that?" Natalie said as she turned to Dr. Wells, who simply shrugged in response.
"Felicity! Right now would be a good time to do something," Barry called through the earcom. Natalie leaned forward, pressing her finger on the transmitting button, "Hold on, Bare. She's working on it."
Felicity's face stoned over with determination, hitting her last key before shooting up from her seat, "Boom. Drop the mic. It's metaphorical of course.. because I don't have a real mic."
"Cisco's been stung! He's going into shock," Caitlin's voice called through from the intercom. From her side, a woosh was heard and Barry's voice telling them to step back, presumably from Cisco. Natalie and Felicity held each other's hand in worry as they waited for someone to say something.
"Either my fear of bees is gone or it just got a whole lot worse." The two girls, along with Dr. Wells, sighed in audible relief at the sound of Cisco's voice. The home group waited for the rest of the crew to file into the Cortex before hugs of success went around.
"Well, this has been one eventful night," Natalie sighed loudly as she pulled off her heels, leaning her hand against the wall by her front door for support. Barry nodded quietly as he followed her upstairs. "Are you staying the night, Bare, or.." To answer her question, Barry simply flopped down on the bed and patted the space beside him.
Natalie left the room briefly, changing into pajama shorts and a tank top, and also cleansed her face of any makeup, returning to the room as Barry climbed into bed in nothing but his boxers. Climbing into bed and resting her head on his chest, Natalie snuggled closer into Barry's embrace as his arm wrapped around her and he ran his other hand through her hair.
"I don't want to be like Iris and Eddie," Natalie mumbled softly into his chest.
Barry lifted his head slightly and furrowed his brows, "What?"
Natalie shifted and propped elbow up and leaned her head on her hand to look at him better, "If we ever fight, I don't want it to be the way they do, throwing shade at each other and fighting when we're with friends. If we're mad at each other, promise me that we will talk about it. We work it out. We work together." Taking in her words, Barry nodded his head, planting a kiss on her hair as he pulled her closer, "I promise, babe."
~~~~~
The next morning at work, Natalie sat perched on the edge of Barry's desk as both she and her love sorted through files, this being she made sure he was staying organized and on track. The two looked up when there was a knock on the door. Both Nat and Barry looked up, Natalie noticing the recognition on her boyfriend's face. "Dr. McGee."
"May I come in?"
Barry stood up and helped Natalie off the desk as the woman stepped into the room. "Um Doctor, this is my girlfriend, Natalie. Natalie this is Dr. Tina McGee," Barry said as he introduced the two women in the room. "It's a pleasure to meet you," Natalie said as the two shook hands. After the introductions, Tina focused solely on Barry, apologizing for not taking the CCPD's offer of protection.
As she turned to leave, Barry seemed to contemplate something before he spoke up, "Can I ask you something?"
Dr. McGee faced the two again, a slight look of confusion on her face before she nodded. Barry glanced at Natalie before he spoke again, "I couldn't help but notice some..tension between you and Dr. Wells. Do you mind if I ask what happened between you two." Natalie nodded to herself, knowing where Barry was going with this.
"I ask myself that same question all the time," Dr. McGee explained, "Fifteen years ago, Harrison and I were as thick as thieves. We were promising young scientists in Starling City. He was such a kind man, then everything changed after Tess died. I understand that grief can affect a person but this was more than that. Harrison Wells became a completely different person."
Barry turned to Natalie after Dr. McGee left, his mind lulling over his words. Natalie glanced up at the board, flipping it over to the side containing Wells' information and wrote down a few words: After accident, Harrison Wells became a completely different person.
Looking over what she wrote, Barry nodded and grabbed his coat and Natalie's hand, "Come on, we have to get to Jitters to say goodbye to Felicity and Ray."
"And another end to another exciting adventure in Central City," Felicity sighed happily as she hugged Natalie. "Maybe we can stop by Starling City one day, though from what I've heard about the Arrow, he might not be too happy that I guessed his secret alter ego." Felicity nodded her head at that before hugging Barry goodbye.
About two hours after the two had returned to work, the couple headed down the stairs, yet again, hand in hand to go to lunch. Natalie glanced around the station, her eyes landing on an upset blonde. "Babe, what's wrong?" Barry asked, her pause having pulled him back. His gaze followed Iris, who smiled at him shortly while passing them on her way out, and then finally landed on Eddie.
"I know you want to tell Iris, Barry. And I know Joe doesn't because he wants to protect her, but I don't think he realizes that he is ruining her happiness," Natalie mumbled softly as she watched Eddie try to regain his composure.
As the two ate lunch, Barry thought over Felicity's constant advice she gave him throughout her time here. He, having full trust in her, told her everything that was going on with Dr. Wells and Joe's hesitation to involve Caitlin and Cisco. She, having full faith in him, told him that Caitlin and Cisco were his friends and could never be capable of hurting anyone. Having this fresh perspective, Barry made his decision and made a few calls to set things in place. He had faith in his friends.