Reciprocal Altruism || Snowbarry College AU

The Evolution of Grandma Kisses IV

Not wanting to disturb the rest Barry was getting, Caitlin quietly replaced her shoulder for a pillow and rested his head against it. She picked up her backpack and made her way to the door.

"You're leaving already?"

Closing her eyes, realizing she woke him up, Caitlin turned around. "It's 3 am, Barry. I didn't want to wake you up."

"You're going home this late?" Barry sounded groggy; he rubbed his eyes, trying to wake himself up. "It's not safe."

"I'll be fine." Caitlin held something up and waved it. "I have pepper spray and a Taser." A haunting thought crossed her mind. "Can't be too safe out there."

"If you don't want to stay, let me walk you home." Barry stood up from the couch and stumbled forwards.

"You're a true gentleman, Bare." Caitlin held a hand up to his chest when he tried to get to the door. "But I'll be fine. I called an Uber. I'll be outside for two minutes tops."

Barry finally seemed to accept that Caitlin wasn't going to let him come. "You'll call me as soon as you get home?"

"Yes, sir."

He gave her a sleepy smile. "Today was fun."

Caitlin's own smile faltered slightly. "About that..."

"Iris?" Barry knew.

"It's just that she—"

"Distracts me?"

"And we didn't really get any tutoring done..." Caitlin trailed off, looking up at him through her lashes, hoping she didn't sound like a jealous fake girlfriend. "I don't want her to join our other tutoring sessions."

A silent second passed before Barry nodded resignedly. "You're right and I'm sorry that we wasted a day of studying. But hey, on the bright side, we still have three more days till the exam! We... I... just have to be even more on track."

Caitlin looked at her watch and corrected him. "Two more days now." She bit her lower lip. "You're not mad at me?"

"Of course not." Barry reassured her. "I totally understand where you're coming from and I'm sorry I didn't realize it sooner."

Caitlin suddenly felt warm again and looked at him with a shy smile. "Thank you."

An idea struck her. "Plus, you can tell Iris about me seeing some deep chemistry between you and her and that I am so jealous of the two of you together." She poked Barry's side teasingly and he jumped as she unintentionally tickled him.

Barry grinned as he rubbed his side. "Like she would believe that."

She shrugged. "It's worth a shot."

He chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Deep chemistry..." he repeated.

Caitlin checked her phone. "Uber's here."

"Oh, before you go." Barry gave her a teasing look. "How was our first kiss?"

Caitlin felt her heart racing at just the thought of his cheek kiss. So he did know. She had to play it cool. "It was so steamy and hot. Best cheek kiss I've ever had. My grandma would be jealous."

Barry nodded as he acted serious. "I kiss better than your grandma. I believe that is the highest accomplishment any fake boyfriend could achieve."

"Congratulations, Grandma Kisser."

Barry crinkled his nose in disgust. "You make it sound like I just go around kissing random grandmas when you and I both know these lips are only for kissing the cheek of one old person stuck in a young person's body."

"I am not an old person in a young person's body!" Caitlin protested, hands on her hips.

"You're right," agreed Barry, "You're not an old person in a young person's body... you're an old person in an old person's body. You even have the gray hairs to prove it!"

"White hairs, asshole!" Caitlin shoved him playfully, and she could hear herself laughing.

"Language!" Barry yelled as he doubled over in laughter himself. "You kiss your grandma with that mouth?"

Maybe it was the high one gets at 3:30 in the morning. Maybe it was the stress. But even as Caitlin reached the Uber and went off to her apartment, the grins and the giggles just wouldn't go away. Even as she changed into her pajamas and laid her head on the pillow, the thoughts of another apartment with cluttered tables and Doctor Who DVDs refused to fade away.