NO HERO · BARRY ALLEN | ✘

Six: The Holidays Part Two

He pulls away in shock. "I have to go."

"Wait-" I begin. Before I finish my sentence, I'm back on the ground floor and the Flash is nowhere to be found.

Mason's tactic didn't work. But I don't regret kissing him.

~*~

The next day, I walk in to Barry's lab to give him his gift. I try to force my cheeks to be less flushed, but since yesterday, the feeling just refused to go away. Maybe I was just dreaming.

"Knock knock," I call out.

Barry opens the door and walks away.

I dismiss the weird mood change in the air and enter his lab. "Well, Merry Christmas. I got you something I think you'll love."

He nods and mumbles a thank you, his back still facing me.

"Two minutes and still no word. I swear you'll have to change medication sooner or later."

He turns around. "Sorry, I'm just a little distracted. Why do you look so flushed?"

"Me?" I force myself to laugh. "Why do you look so flushed?"

He widens his eyes and begins touching his cheeks. "I still am?"

"Yeah, you-wait, what do you mean you still are? Did you kiss Iris or something?" I still can't believe the fact she's known him for so long and didn't know he was in love with her while it took me 20 seconds.

"N-no, I didn't," he stops and shakes his head. "Anyway, I'm really sorry I forgot to give you a Christmas gift. I've been so busy with...um...work."

"That's okay. I thinking giving is better than receiving right now, I got a lovely surprise from my mother not too long ago, in fact."

"Alright. I won't ask about that. So why didn't you come yesterday?"

"Aw, you missed me!" I tease. "It's because people got sick or went on vacation and my boss wants me to cover their section. I hope their pay gets cut and I get a bonus for doing all that crap for them."

My phone buzzes, and my mother's face fills the screen. She must be really willing to talk to me if she uses international time.

I put her on speaker. "Hey, Mom."

"I'm really sorry I ended our last chat so abruptly, Gwynnie."

Gwynnie? Barry mouths in confusion. I shake my head and wave his words away.

"It's fine. I'm over it. It's just.. I was so excited to visit all these places, but I think I'll be stuck here for a while."

"Then I just called to tell you that I'm sorry. Your father OD'd and he's in the hospital. He took a job barely a week before it happened." Do my ears deceive me, or do I hear a bit of an accent creeping into her voice?

"I'll Skype you soon, Mom," I promise, ignoring what she told me about Dad.

"Mhm. Bye now. I love you, Gwynnie."

"I love you, too," I mumble quickly, and hang up. I turn my attention to Barry.

"I'm really sorry about your dad," he apologizes, although I can tell he's itching to ask me about something else.

"Really no need to. He'll be fine. He's always gotten himself out of sticky messes. It's just that this time, Mom knows," I reply without a trace of doubt. My father is my hero, and I know he's going to be okay.

"So your nickname is Gwynnie."

"Shut up. I'll explain why over some eggnog."

~*~