Barry's voice came through the comms that night, stopping midway to the Morgue, "Oh, boy."
"Hey, what's going on?" Cisco questions, looking at me, confused.
My face twisted in confusion as well, "Dude?"
Barry swallows hard and blurts out, "Zee!"
"Yeah, it's me." I trail off, looking from Cisco to the monitor, "Before you mention me ditching you guys-"
"No, no- I get it-" Barry's breathing was heavy.
"Are you- okay?" I questioned, confused as ever.
"Yeah, what happened?" Cisco asked, "Why'd you stop?"
"I just- got a little disoriented." Barry sounded like he had seen a ghost, not moving.
"Well, you need to make up some time, man." Cisco said, "You better hurry up."
"Hurry?" Barry repeats, sounding more confused than us, "What are you-"
I slouched in my seat, "Hurry, as in get to the morgue, Barry."
"The morgue?" Barry repeated my words, "I was there- yesterday."
This catches Dr. Wells' attention.
I blinked, "You were there yesterday?"
"What are you talking about?" Cisco presses in confusion, "Come on, you gotta go."
-
"So- Clyde Mardon has a brother?" Caitlin asked as we all stared at the screen where their profiles were pulled up the next day.
I was dressed in medium wash ripped jeans and a army green button up shirt, a black tank top under it, resulting in me keeping the first few buttons unbuttoned, letting my shirt fall off the shoulder, black combat boots on my feet, my hair straight.
Dr. Wells wheels over, "And both brothers survived the plane crash, and then the dark matter released from the particle accelerator explosion affects them both in-"
"-virtually the same way." Barry says in unison with Dr. Wells, making me look at him, confused."
Dr. Wells turns toward him, "That's right."
"Only Mark's not like Clyde at all." Barry crosses his arms, "He can do things that you couldn't even imagine."
Cisco smirked proudly, "You'd have to be a-"
"Weather Wizard." Barry looks back at him, his eyes wide, saying in unison with Cisco.
Cisco sips his lurkers and freezes when he gets a brain freeze as Caitlin speaks, Barry saying that in unison with her as well, "Trigeminal headache?"
I hit Barry in the back of the head lightly with my palm, "What the hell's wrong with you?"
Cisco looks at Caitlin in confusion, "What?"
"Trigeminal headache." Caitlin repeats, "Brain freeze."
I looked at her, Barry quoting me perfectly in unison, "Then why don't you just call it a brain freeze?"
I looked at him with wide eyes, Dr. Wells cutting in, "Mr. Allen, a word please."
-
"I'm gonna break out of here!" Mark Marion raises his voice from inside his cell in the pipeline.
Mark Mardon shouts again, "I'm gonna create a tidal wave that destroys your entire city!"
Barry held back a laugh and shut the door, taking off his suit, facing us.
I spoke in question, "How did that happen?"
"Right- I still don't understand." Cisco was just as confused and baffled as me, "How did you find him?"
Barry shrugs lightly, smiling, "I just had a hunch."
"A hunch." I crossed my arms, staring at him, "So, you just had a hunch that he would be where he was and he- was."
Barry acted like it was a piece of cake, "Yeah."
I didn't buy it, but I let it go, "All right."
"That's gotta be some kind of record." Caitlin didn't pay much mind to it, smiling as her, Cisco and I began leaving.
"Yeah." Cisco agrees, "Well, there goes my excuse for bailing on my brother's birthday."
-
[ barry's pov ]
"Hey, I'm here!" I rushed over to Linda, stealing a long glance at Zee when I walked in, sitting on the steps by her desk, "So sorry, again."
Linda faces me, "Well, you get a pass considering you're never late."
I softly laugh, as she inhales sharply, "What's going on with you lately?"
I shot her a look, "Nothing."
"Come on." Linda's expression didn't change, "Give me a little credit here."
"I've just been dealing with a lot of things lately." I trail off, "I like you, Linda- and we really get along."
"Relationships should be more than just getting along." Linda stares at me, her voice quiet, "Your heart should ache for me- does it?"
I don't reply to this, feeling guilty.
I look down and use every cell within me to not look at Zee when this was said.
But Linda knew, her hand resting on mine as she lightly jerks her head towards Zee, who's back was towards us as she was typing away quickly on her laptop, "It aches for her."
My eyes fell onto Zee, watching her work.
From the angle I sat at, I could see her side profile.
Her fingers moved quickly on her keyboard, her leg shaking due to how forced she was.
She had a habit of shaking her leg when she was sitting, but only when she was nervous or so focused that she wouldn't even notice.
She bit the inside of her cheek, her eyes glued to the screen, her eyebrows furrow in determination.
The sunlight coming from outside complimented her tan skin, and made her dark hair look brown. I could even see how her eyes looked lighter than the dark brown they were.
My heart raced just looking at her.
Ever since she admitted her feelings, I couldn't stop thinking about her.
It was like her doing so opened a new wave of feelings I didn't know I had.
And all those feelings were for her.
And then I ran back in time and l screwed it all up.
When I notice I'd been staring for too long, I looked back at Linda immediately, "Uhm- you're not upset with me?"
Linda softly shook her head, "No one did anything wrong."
I got up, sighing in guilt. "I really do feel a lot for you, Linda. It's just-"
"It's just you feel for her so much more." Linda got up as well, giving me a small smile before walking away, "Go get her."
-
[ zee's pov ]
"The Flash: Speeding his way into our lives." Mason Bridge's voice filled my ears from behind me as he read off my laptop screen of the article I was typing, "It's a little on the nose, don't you think?"
I stopped typing, slouching back in my seat, throwing my head back and looking up at him, giving him my best sarcastic smile, "What can I do for you, Mason?"
"I have something to show you." Mason leaned against my desk and showed me a photo, "Simon Stagg, remember him? Hasn't been heard from in nearly a year."
"Uh, yeah." I sat up, taking the photo from him.
"Hey, Zee." Barry's voice filled my ears, making me look up, "Mr. Bridge, hi."
Mason looks at him, "Do I know you?"
"Oh, no, we haven't met yet fully, you know, um-" Barry began to stammer as I stared at him with wide eyes, "Zee, can I talk to you for a second?"
"Uh, yeah, sure." I handed Mason back the photo and stood up.
"We'll catch up later." Mason nods at me, getting up as well, "Nice meeting you, strange young man."
I followed Barry to the side, placing my hands on my hips as I walked, "I saw you talking to Linda- everything okay?"
"Uh-" Barry stops, playing with his hands as he looked at me, "No, that's done."
I blink, "Oh, I- I am so sorry."
"No, no, no, it's okay, we're gonna be friends." Barry was quickly pushing it away as if it didn't matter as much, "Um, yeah, no, it's gonna be awesome."
I slowly nod, "Awesome- that's cool."
"Uh, anyway, are you- are you free tomorrow?" Barry was stammering and stuttering with every word he mustered out, "Do you want to get some coffee and we can just talk and just tell each other stuff- I don't know, stuff we got rolling around in there, you know?"
"Stuff rolling around in there." I nodded as he spoke, "Yeah, yeah, sure, that'd be great, Barry."
Then, Barry's phone buzzes as he answers it, "Hey, man. What? Actually, I'm here with Zee- bring her too? Okay, cool-"
When he shuts off his phone, I shot him a confused look, "Our friend is in need."
-
"Hey-" I walked over to Cisco with Barry at my side, sitting on his right side as Barry sat on his other side.
"Hey, thanks for meeting me here." Cisco exhales deeply, then looks at Barry for a moment, "Even though you can't get drunk."
"No worries." Barry pats his back.
Cisco sipped the beer he had, "So, how was your day?"
"Great." Barry smiles, "But- Linda and I did break up."
Cisco looked surprised, "That's the first time I ever heard anyone use the word "great" to describe a break-up."
I looked at him, "I know right? I was shocked too."
Barry softly smiled to himself, "I have a feeling that I'm about to move forward with someone really special."
"Okay." Cisco smiles at him proudly, "Go ahead, Barry."
"Hi." A blond woman catches our attention, stood by Barry, "I don't normally do this, but I was watching you, and can I buy you a drink?"
"Uh- wow." Barry blinks, "I mean, I'm really flattered, but I-"
She clears her throat and points to Cisco, "Actually, I was talking to him."
Cisco started to smirk, "Um, I'm- I'm sorry, you said- you said you were talking to me?"
She seems nervous, "Yeah, I just told my friends over there that I thought you were cute and they dared me to come over here and talk to you, so please talk to me."
"Yeah, yeah, I suppose I can talk to you for a little bit." Cisco began, then mutters something inaudible to Barry and I bet we got the message.
Barry got up, "Yeah, no, we were just leaving, actually."
I jumped up as well, "I don't even drink-"
"Make me proud." Barry whispers to Cisco, as Barry and I backed away so we could see Cisco.
The woman took Barry's spit and introduced herself, as Barry and I silently cheered Cisco on, backing up, "I'm Lisa, by the way."
-
"Hey-" I smiled at Barry the next morning, walking into Jitters where he sat with a huge smile on his face, as he had already ordered.
I was dressed in black plaid skinny pants, a cropped white sweater on it, ending right where my belt began, black heeled boots on my feet, my hair wavy.
"Hey." Barry sat up, rubbing his hands together and pointing at everything on the table besides his coffee, "One chocolate danish with extra chocolate, and one iced caramel coffee with extra caramel, and stirred well- just the way you like it."
I placed my coat on my chair and slowly sat down, smiling at him softly, "Just the way I like it."
"Yeah, I know." Barry's smile was like a child's when they got the toy they wanted for Christmas, "I know you, Zee."
"Did you hit your head somewhere or something?" I took a sip of my coffee, "Lately, you've been acting like Christmas came early."
"Uh-" Barry trails off, "Yeah, no, I guess it did, kind of."
My eyebrows furrow in confusion as I continued to sip my coffee, holding the cup in my hand.
Barry grabs my hand between both of his, "Look, Zee, um- I think about you all the time and I know you've been thinking about me too, so- let's just stop thinking and start doing."
I stopped sipping, pulling the straw away from my lips slowly, staring at him with wide, confused eyes, a pool of coffee in my mouth that I couldn't bring myself to swallow.
"I know- it's crazy, but you and I-" Barry was just rambling on, "We're meant to be, and we like each other-"
When I went to swallow the coffee in my mouth so I could speak, I choked at his words.
Barry's eyes widen, as I fell into a coughing fit, letting go of his hand, covering my mouth with my arm.
I calm myself down, clearing my throat, leaning my elbows on the table and pinching the bridge of my nose, my eyes closed, "The special someone you were talking about at the bar yesterday was me."
Barry gently nods, as I sat up, pressing my palms together and looking at him, "Barry- I- just, what?"
Barry fiddles with his thumbs, "You and me- us."
I stare at him, "Us."
"I have feelings for you-" Barry confessed to me, "And I know you have feelings for me too-"
"Barry." I stopped him, "How could you possibly know that?"
"I just- I just know- some stuff, somehow." Barry began to ramble again, "I don't know, maybe it's like ESP or something, but-"
"Barry." I cut him off, my eyes wide with slight concern, "You just got out of a relationship- yesterday. I mean, I don't know if you need some comfort by trying to start up another relationship but-"
"No, no, no-" Barry shook his head, "Zee, the entire time I was with Linda, I thought about you. I mean- I thought I was hung up with Iris, but it wasn't her that was holding me back from getting anywhere with Linda- it was you."
I swallow hard, not knowing what to say, "Barry."
When a look I couldn't decipher stretched on his face, I quickly grabbed his hands with both of mine, "Barry, okay- uhm,"
I jumped at the opportunity to make the hope burn in his eyes again, because for some reason I felt a pang in my chest that I didn't like when I saw him upset.
"I- I just, I don't know what to do with this information." I inhale sharply, squeezing his hands in mine, "I mean, yesterday you were with Linda and now- you and I, we're- meant for each other?"
I looked down at my hands, "I- listen, I just- I need some time to- process this."
-
[ barry's pov ]
"So, there's Cisco getting into a car with Snart's sister." Dr. Wells flipped through the footage as I sat with him alone in the cortex, "And the license plate is iced over."
"All right, Dr. Wells, you were right." I huff in frustration and looked at him, "I- I screwed with time and now time is screwing with me."
I began letting it all out, "Cold is back, he kidnapped Cisco, and Zee is-"
Dr. Wells points at me and cuts me off, "Stop right there before you cause another disruption to the timeline."
"Please, Dr. Wells." I put my head in my hands, my voice broken and pleading, to upset to keep this bottled up anymore, "Please, I have to talk to someone."
Dr. Wells stares at me for a moment, then sighs, nodding for me to go on, "Go ahead."
I inhaled, "In the previous version of today, Captain Singh is seriously injured, Joe is in danger, and Zee said she had feelings for me."
Dr. Wells already knew where I was going with this, "And now Cisco's life is on the line, and Zee has no idea she confessed those feelings."
I played with my hands, staring at the ground, clinging on every piece of hope, "But- she still has them, right?"
Dr. Wells looks at me, "Barry, what did Zee say to you exactly?"
"She said that, that day at work Linda confronted her about us- having feelings for each other." I stared at my feet, "She said she was in denial but every time she was with me she couldn't help but feel those feelings and then she knew it was true."
"The unconscious mind, Barry, it's a powerful thing." Dr. Wells exhales deeply, "It sounds like it took that confrontation to jar those feelings loose and without a confrontation, those feelings remain deeper down, unaccessed."
"I don't understand." I sigh deeply, "I thought that I was helping people by stopping Mardon."
"Yes, but this new ability of yours, Barry, is dangerous." Dr. Wells readjusts his glasses, "You only traveled back in time one day- what if you traveled back decades? Centuries? Imagine the havoc you could wreak."
"But- I will have the opportunity to travel back in time in the near future and save my mom." I trail off and notice the look on his face, "Or you're saying I shouldn't?"
Dr. Wells exhales deeply, "I'm saying how many more people could die if your mother lives?"
"Hey-" Zee walks into the cortex, followed by Caitlin, "Did you guys find Cisco?"
-
[ zee's pov ]
Caitlin stares at the screen, "There's nothing on the satellite thermography."
"You were right." Barry sighs deeply, "This is all my fault-"
I looked up, "How is this your fault?"
"Brave heart, Barry." Dr. Wells speaks up before I could question any further, "We'll get Cisco back."
A moment or two later, a familiar broken voice filled our ears, catching all our attention, "I'm back."
"Cisco!" I gasped, running over to him and throwing my arms around him, "Oh my God-"
Cisco hugs me back tightly, as I rubbed his back, slowly pulling away, "Are you okay?"
Caitlin hugs him next, "We were so worried."
Barry got up, "What happened?"
Dr. Wells wheels over, "How did you escape?"
Cisco looks up, as I noticed the cut on his cheekbone, "I didn't."
"Snart just let you go?" Barry questions, "Why?"
"He, um- he tortured my brother." Cisco's voice was shaky, "And he said he was gonna kill him if I didn't- if I didn't tell him."
Caitlin speaks the question we were all thinking, "Tell him what?"
Cisco's words made my heart stop, "Who The Flash really is."
My hand played with my necklace, my eyes slightly widening, my voice quiet, "Cisco-"
"I, honestly, man, they- they could've killed me." Cisco was on the verge of tears, "But- they were gonna kill my brother- I couldn't let him do that-"
My heart broke at the sight of this.
"Hey-" Barry walked over to him, shaking his head, placing a hand on his shoulder, "No-"
"I'm sorry, Barry." Cisco lets out a small sob, "I'm so sorry."
"I put you in that position." Barry engulfed him in a hug, "I'm the one who's sorry."
When they pulled away, Cisco began leaving the room, making me call out, "Where are you going?"
"I don't deserve to be here." Cisco shook his head, "I won't be the one to put you in jeopardy- not again, never again."
-
"Hey." I smiled at Joe when he walked into CCPN and over to me, "What're you doing here?"
"I actually have to talk to you." Joe wrapped an arm around me all father like, walking me to my desk, "About Barry."
I inhale sharply, "Oh."
"Honey." Joe stands in front of me, "Do you love him?"
"I mean I love him- but- not like that?" I set down the papers I was holding, "I don't think."
"All right, lemme ask you something." Joe slips his hands into his pockets, "Who do you go to when you're upset?"
I lean against my desk, "Barry."
"Who knows your favorite breakfast and coffee order by heart?" Joe went on, "Who found a loop hole to fill you in on something he wasn't supposed to because of how much he wanted you in the loop?"
"Barry." I exhale deeply, knowing what he was referring to, "But, I mean- all best friends do that."
"Honey, that boy cares about you- so much." Joe places a hand on my shoulder, "And he's always been there for you, as much as you've been there for him."
I stare at him, not replying.
"Think about it, okay?" Joe kissed my head and walks out of CCPN.
Mason walks by me, "Bad time?"
I simply sigh and held my hand out for the file he wanted to show me, taking it and sitting down at my desk.
authors note:
they're literally so in love with each other like why doesn't zee see it
but awh barry's aware of his feelings for her now :))
and so is joe so like hmm who's playin matchmaker
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