I've Got Soul but I'm Not a Soldier

Barry Allen is the Flash

"So – wait, wait, wait. You're telling me that Barry Allen – cute, adorable, lab-coat-wearing, CSI Barry Allen – is the Flash?"

The incredulity in Lisa's voice is – not as much as he would have thought, to be honest, but she's still pretty shocked. So much so that she has released him, and he will not ask for her to hug him again, even if he misses the warmth. Even if it reminds him of another's warmth.

He says nothing and she swallows thickly.

"You're kidding," she says. "No – shut up, Len, you're kidding. You have to be kidding. That cute little CSI can't be the Flash – he's always late to his day job!"

Which is amusing, to be honest. Len has certainly teased Barry on numerous occasions when he always shows up late, and admitted it was a fact of his life, that he's late for work half the time, too. How can the Flash be late?

"He's the Flash," Len says. "I don't know what you want me to tell you."

"How long have you known?" she snaps, but she doesn't really sound angry, just surprised, and maybe a little offended he didn't tell her.

"A while," he says. "Months."

"And... And you didn't tell me? Your own sister?"

"I told you I was dating Barry, but not that he's the Flash. It didn't seem... relevant. We were keeping our work and personal lives separate."

"Uh huh – and how did that work out for you?" she asks, shaking her head as she pushes to her feet, pacing to the end of the bed and back again, tangling her fingers in her curly brunette hair. "Fuck, Len, this is so complicated. The Flash is our enemy. I know you're kind of frenemies with him, but-"

"Not you too," Len groans.

"What? Excuse me?"

"Cisco has been calling us that, too," Len mutters. "Or, that's what Barry said, anyway, and..."

But talking about Barry right now is... not pleasant, and so he stops.

Lisa stares at him for a moment. "Do they know you're with the Flash? Is that what that was about at STAR Labs today?"

"They just found out then, because I was an idiot," Len tells her.

"You're in love, dummy, you're not an idiot," she says, rolling her eyes as she turns to pace away from him again, only to spin back and pace back toward him once more, before repeating the process a few times.

Meanwhile Len mentally breaks down her words. Barry said he loved Len. Lisa seems to think Len loves Barry.

"Do I love him?" he asks aloud without meaning to, and Lisa stops pacing long enough to throw him a look.

"Of course you do," she says, rolling her eyes again. "I've seen that look on your face. You only have it with him. And here I thought things were complicated because he worked with the police, but shit, Lenny, you really know how to pick them."

"It's not like this was planned," Len snaps.

Lisa smirks. "No, Lenny, I'm not mad at you. Well, I mean, I'm mad you didn't tell me you're fucking the Flash, but I mean – I'm happy for you, really. He makes you smile."

Len shifts uncomfortably. Having a warm heart-to-heart with his sister was certainly not in his plans for today, but all those plans went out the proverbial window when he looked into the sky and saw that it was trying to eat itself, so maybe that's to be expected.