I remember the day you told me you were leaving
I remember the make-up running down your face
And the dreams you left behind you didn't need them
Like every single wish, we ever made
Amnesia- 5SOS
______________
The sun was setting over Central City while two young lovers were saying their final goodbye. They are on the pier overlooking Central City's coast. Their spot.
"Barry, I don't wanna go. I don't wanna leave. I can't leave you," The teenage girl wept, her hands shaking as she clutched his.
"I know and I don't want you to go either. But you have to. It won't be long then I'll come and get you," Barry replied with just as many tears as her and caressing her cheek to rub away her tears.
"I love you, Barry," she choked, placing her hand on top of his, the other reaching for his free hand.
"I love you too, Cait," he replied.
"Promise me that this isn't it. This isn't the end," she asked with a sense of need to assure her that their story hadn't ended.
"Of course, this isn't it. We said forever. We are far from over and nothing that could possibly happen on this earth will stop our future together," he reassured, chasing away all doubt in Caitlin's mind replacing it with hope. The simple words meant so much to her that she would keep them with her until the next time they meet.
"I'm not going until tomorrow. We can still have one last night together. I don't want this to end yet," she changed the subject, trying to force leaving out of her mind. And she knew exactly the perfect way to do that.
Barry didn't reply, instead, he just leant in to kiss her, which she immediately responded to with as much passion and love and she could possibly muster in this moment, knowing this could be one of the last kisses they could share for a long time.
They weren't sure how long they stayed tangled in their kiss and each other but it must have been a great amount of time as soon rain clouds formed and rain started to fall on them at an alarming rate. They both laughed as they were getting soaked by the storm. Quickly, they grabbed each other's hands and ran across the pier to get back to Barry's car as fast as possible.
Merely minutes later, they were back at his parents' house, more specifically his room. Their wet clothes abandoned on the floor.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next morning, they woke to the sound of Caitlin's phone. It's ringtone alerting the two eighteen-year-olds that their time together was finished.
Tired from lack of sleep, Caitlin opened her eyes and reached for her phone on the bedside table without moving from the cuddling position she and Barry were currently in. She looked at the caller ID and sighed as she saw who was calling her.
Her Mom
Right now, her mother or father was the last people Caitlin wanted to speak to. Because they were the reason she had to leave.
Caitlin had lived in Central City her whole life with her parents. She'd always been studious and often too serious for her own good. And especially uptight. But that all changed when she went to high school...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was a dreary morning in the usually sunny Central City and this particular day happened to be Caitlin Snow's first day at high school. Something about being a freshman at a new school excited her. She couldn't wait to do all different classes and meet her new teachers and get to know her new environment.
Normally, Caitlin hated change but as this was a part of the next stage in her academic achievement, she was abnormally bubbly.
After getting ready for the day, she grabbed her bag from her bedroom floor and walked out of the door and made her way to school, taking advantage of the new Audi her parents had purchased for her only last week.
Just as she planned, Caitlin arrived nice and early so that she could get acquainted with the school before the day started. When she said acquainted, what she really meant was making a beeline to the library.
As she walked in she saw three other people sitting at the computers. Two girls and one guy. The first girl was typing furiously. Her blonde hair was tied into a neat ponytail and her glasses slipped down the bridge of her nose as she subconsciously leant into the computer further.
The other girl was typing slower but her wavy black hair was falling down her shoulders and into her eyes so every few seconds she would tuck it behind her ears to clear her vision. The guy was sitting behind them rather than using a computer himself. He was holding some kind of gadget in his hands and it seemed he was adapting it in some way.
The blond glasses girl looked up and saw Caitlin and smiled.
"I guess you're new here too. I'm Felicity Smoak. This is Iris West and Cisco Ramon," she greeted and gestured for her to come sit with them.
"Caitlin Snow. And yes, I'm a freshman. I'm actually surprised that other people are here," Caitlin replied, sitting beside Felicity.
"Oh, well we are the academic types. Engineer extraordinaire, over there, insisted. But I'm more of a computer science girl myself. And Iris is an aspiring journalist," she stated.
"I am planning on being a biochemist. My parents are both doctors so it's always been my dream," Caitlin replied.
Soon enough the four became great friends and the other three welcomed Caitlin into their group like she had always been a part of it.
Later that day, the new friends were heading to science as their last period of the day. Their teacher, Dr Harrison Wells, sat Caitlin next to a student that she hadn't met until now.
Barry Allen.
At first, they didn't talk much only speaking when the experiment they were doing together required it. That was until, Caitlin noticed his clear aptitude at the subject, which surprised her greatly. He didn't really look like the science type.
But who was she to judge? She knew better than anyone that looks can be deceiving. She was about to open her mouth to speak, but he beat her to it.
"I've heard a lot about you. Erm... I'm not stalking you or anything. I just heard that you're really smart, I'm not a stalker. We only just met, why would I want to stalk you? Not that you are not worth stalking, there isn't any reason why someone wouldn't want to stalk you. Just not me. Because I'm not a stalker," he paused and looked at her with an awkward smile.
To Caitlin's surprise, she found this rather endearing and kinda cute and couldn't help but giggle and even blush despite the awkwardness. Biting her lower lip in modesty, she averted her eyes down to the table but swiftly looked back up at him and almost fell off her chair when she caught his eyes. Actually, she would've fallen off if he hadn't have caught her in time.
The physical contact sent a few shivers down her spine and her blush increased, half out of embarrassment of her slip and the other half she wasn't quite sure of yet. Once again, their eyes met but this time neither of their clumsy sides took over and they briefly shared an odd moment which seemed rather romantic as they smiled and eagerly gazed into the other's eyes.
"Thanks," Caitlin mumbled sheepishly, not able to rip her eyes from his grip.
"It's nothing," Barry replied, feeling the exact same way as she was.
After this encounter, they felt drawn to each other and spent the rest of the lesson conversing and getting to know each other. And it seemed to have caught the curious eyes of Felicity, Iris and Cisco as they eagerly watched the pair talk. To them, it seemed clear that there was definitely something between them, or there would be in the future.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Almost three years had passed since their first encounter and now the last two terms of the couple's senior year would be spent apart, in separate cities.
Only a month previous it had been announced that Caitlin and her parents would move to New York City because "Her father had been rewarded a prestigious position at NYU that would be foolish to turn down". This statement was true, however, Caitlin knows that the true, masked, reason behind her family's departure from Central City was because of Caitlin and Barry's relationship.
It was no secret to the young lovers that Caitlin's rich and powerful parents disapproved of their relationship but they never let that stop them. And as much as the young woman's parents had tried to force them apart, they failed every time.
Their motives were unknown to the couple. But Caitlin often grew suspicious that they wanted her to marry someone just as rich and powerful as she was. But Caitlin's heart belonged to Barry and no other. She was physically and mentally incapable of loving another. Nothing or no one could compare to their love and she didn't want anyone to try.
Barry was the only man for her and she wished that her parents would realise it the same way they had and the way everyone else around them had. Simply, they were meant to be.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Yes, mom, I'll be at the airport in half an hour. Of course, I'm with Barry. For God's sake, mom, you got your wish. Can't I spend my last moments here with the one I love? Ugh! We're not talking about this now!" Caitlin argued over the phone with her mother after reluctantly answering it then hanging up abruptly with a sigh of annoyance.
It finally dawned on the two lovers that their time together was up and they lay in their embrace in silence as that fact sunk in.
"I don't want to go," Caitlin finally broke the silence with a strained sigh.
"I know and I don't want you to go either but we have no choice. We'll make it work, no matter what happens," he replied, kissing her head and threading his fingers through her hair. "We should get dressed. We don't need another reason for your parents to dislike me,"
When they arrived at the departures gate, the lovers had to exchange their final goodbye. At least for now.
It was harder than the previous night in the rain. So much harder...
"I love you, Barry Allen," Caitlin breathed out with tears threatening to escape from her saddened eyes.
"I love you too, Caitlin Snow," Barry replied, stroking her cheek with one hand, the other wiping away her tears which were rolling down her flushed cheeks. "It's only a few months. Then I'll come and get you as soon as we graduate and bring you back here," he reassured, not only for her benefit but for his own too.
"Then I promise we'll never be parted again," she finished and reached up for a kiss. Their final kiss.
It lasted for several minutes. Until Caitlin's parents pulled her away against her will.As she was dragged away, Caitlin kept her eyes on her beloved until they were out of each other's sight.
On the plane journey, she spent the whole length of time listening to her and Barry's favourite songs, including their song.
The one that had been assigned to them by none other than Felicity and Iris.
Sparks Fly by Taylor Swift.
As soon as Felicity and Iris heard the song for the first time they had instantly decided that it belonged to Snowbarry.
Whilst listening to the music that was closest to her heart, Caitlin watched the clouds pass by as they flew. Thinking only of the future ahead, the torture that would be being away from Barry, and how much life is going to change now. And most likely not for the better...