scarletstreak | Open RP Post

[After everything that's happened to all of them, it's really nice to see her smiling like that. Like she isn't worried, like they can relax a little. It gets him pushing off from the door frame and coming closer, hands in his pockets as he leans against the counter.]

I'm okay. A little worried about my dad, y'know, after what happened. But, I mean, I know he'll be fine. He's fine. So I'm fine.

...listen, um. [He rubs the back of his neck, wondering why this is hard all of a sudden.] I was thinking earlier about how...we were, y'know, we went out, and. [He huffs a little laugh, bracing his hands on either side of his hips as he tips his head, ducking it, a little sheepish, and slants a sidelong look at her.]

I kinda...Caitlin, I. Like you. And I didn't really expect that, but you're really...you're warm, and you really care about everyone, and you're really pretty when you're concentrating, and. Um. I know it's not a great time for, for either of us, and if you want to tell me off, you absolutely can, but... [And he trails off, because he's been talking for a while and if he doesn't trail off, he'll never stop.]

[ He called her out on her tell, once, that she bites her lip when something's bothering her. She may not have him down so pat yet, but she's catching on. That look, she's seen it before, when he's trying to organize his thoughts. When he's thinking too hard about it.

It's entirely endearing.

She can't say she's expecting this, though. She isn't expecting to hear him say that he's been thinking about the same thing she has. And now he's putting it into words, in his way, of course. The rambling alone makes her smile grow wider. She should interrupt him, save him from the way his words keep spilling out. But then she might not hear any more of those compliments that bring a little color to her cheeks.

There's a lull, and that's when she'll take her chance. She moves closer to him, rolling in her chair until she can put her hands over his, until she can draw them away from his hips. ] Barry. I don't want to tell you off. I — I didn't expect this either, I didn't think I could like someone like this again. Like I like you. You've given back so much to this city. As the Flash and as Barry Allen, CSI. You help make this place feel alive again. And you have the biggest heart of anyone I know.

[ She squeezes his hands gently. ] So yeah, maybe it isn't a good time, but... I think it is.

[Barry swallows a little as Caitlin doesn't push him away or give him reasons against it. She reaches out and takes his hands, and he lets her, spreading his fingers and settling their hands palm to palm. His smile is small and quiet, but it grows as she talks, and finally he squeezes her hands and tugs gently.]

C'mere?

[It comes out as more of a question than he'd expected, but maybe that's understandable. This is new, it's unexpected for both of them, and even Barry isn't entirely sure what he'll do next if she gets up out of that chair and comes closer. Well, he has a few ideas, he'd increasingly like to kiss her right now, but...it's new. And going slow, it's not in his nature anymore, but he can, if that's what she wants.]

[ It doesn't take much to encourage her out of her chair. Truth be told, he didn't need to say anything, didn't need to tug on their joined hands. She would have gotten to her feet without prompting. Caitlin wants to put her arms around him, which would be a touch awkward given him standing and her being seated.

But him asking, him pulling gently at her hands, it makes this even better. They'd both said the right words, and neither of them are really given to speaking empty ones, but words are much more effective with actions behind them. She uncrosses her legs and uses his hands to pull herself standing, not wanting to let go.

On her feet, she's closer to him now, but not close enough. Standing makes how their fingers are interlaced awkward; she lets go, only to rest her hands on his shoulders. She doesn't want to go slow — she's spent a year mourning Ronnie, a year with her life on hold. A year holding her breath. Her hands slide past his shoulders and around the back of his neck, and it's her turn to tug ever so gently. It's permission, it's asking, just short of a demand. ]

[Her fingers trace along his neck, and his hands find their way to her waist, and his throat is dry, but he's smiling as he leans in. HIs lips brush just barely against hers, once, twice, wondering for a few moments if this is really what they should be doing...before he pulls her carefully against him and the next kiss is deeper, it's real.

He knows Caitlin, he's seen the way she's been hurting, and he's been hurting, and this doesn't hurt. She's warm and kind and beautiful, and at least for right now she's here with him, and they're going to take a break from hurting.]

[ She'd be lying if she said she hasn't been thinking about this. It's a more recent thing, to be sure, and maybe it wasn't in the Cortex when she imagined it, but the most important parts are here. Her nerves are a touch rattled, her mind having to take a moment to shove aside the thought that she shouldn't be doing this. That alone may have been harder to do, if she hadn't already taken her ring off a while back and put it away.

He smiles as he leans close, and she smiles back, her eyes closing as she lifts her chin. There's two almost near-misses, two barely-there touches, and there's a second where she worries that he's changed his mind. But it's gone as his hands grip her waist carefully, as their lips touch and part and she breathes him in. One hand slides up his neck, her fingers threading through his short hair. It's an urgent, needy touch; she's wanted him and this and part of her can't believe it's happening. ]

[Should it be happening? Maybe, maybe not, but now that it's started, now that Caitlin's fingers are running over him, bringing him closer, Barry is only thinking about her. He turns, leaning against the computer work station behind him and pulling her flush.

Someone else might walk in, or walk back in, or the metahuman alarm might go off and he'll need to be somewhere else, but there will always be a something-else that will come up. He doesn't want to wait around for a perfect moment anymore, he wants to make one.]

[ Their bodies press together, a preview of just how neatly and perfectly they'd fit together if there were to move beyond this. Caitlin can feel how warm he is, wonders if her skin is the same fever hot to him. Her other hand slips around the back of his neck, dipping under the collar of his shirt, her palm pressing flat along the back of his shoulder.

Her lungs burn faintly; she needs to take a breath but she doesn't want this to stop. If she pulls away, will he decide that he regrets this? But the ache in her chest grows insistent, and she turns her head just slightly, just enough to break the kiss, her lips dragging to the corner of his mouth, his jaw, as she catches her breath. ]

[Barry's breath catches a little as she pulls back, and he tips his head to one side with a smile, closing his eyes at the careful touch of her lips against his jaw. His hands loosen a little, not letting her go but getting more comfortable like this.]

Caitlin... [He takes a breath, looks down, shifts to rest his head against hers.] Yeah, I think it's a good time. It's never a great time for anything, right? So maybe we need to make our own time.

We'd be waiting forever if we — [ Still breathless, she has to pause, to give her body a moment to catch up. ] If we waited for it to be a great time. There's always going to be something. It's just ... our lives now.

[ After the explosion, after Barry came out of his coma, their lives were always going to be complicated. Being the Flash, being part of the team that supported the Flash, these aren't jobs you can take a vacation from. Or a leave of absence. A day off here or there, that would be possible, but they both will always be needed. ] We can definitely carve out time for ourselves. Even if we can't get away from here. This place is awfully big and awfully empty.

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