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𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐑𝐚𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐦 𝐬𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐚𝐥, jumping so high she would have hit him right in the head—except he sped down the building with a blur.
Rae scrambled back, eyes wide. She stared, to see a familiar red-and-yellow speedster now standing beside her on the wet sidewalk. Dressed in his iconic suit, with a lightning insignia on his chest, the Flash tilted his head at her.
She just stood there, hunched up and still trying to control her heart rate. Rae didn't say a word, and perhaps it was very entertaining, but at this moment, that didn't cross her mind.
The Flash grinned, "Sorry about that. I tend to startle people unintentionally."
She scowled. "Well, you succeeded."
He chuckled. "I'm the Flash. (we know) Just checking if you're alright."
Rae continued to watch him, her startlement momentarily forgotten. Even behind the mask, Rae could tell the speedster watched her—tense, hesitant, but also with a hint of mischief. He was amused at her lack of a response. Cocky, even. It made her quickly clear her throat and straighten her shoulders. "I'm heading home from work. I'm fine, thank you, Flash. You can go now. Shoo." She waved him off as if he was an annoying fly.
"What're you doing working this late?" Barry Allen asked, looking genuinely concerned.
"I like to end work late," answered Rae, keeping her gaze at the sky as she tried to direct eye contact elsewhere . It frustrated her that being beside the Flash made her stumble and flustered.
( maybe because it's Barry Allen in a tight red leather suit that—)
"I'm fine. Thanks for the concern. Don't you have some other crime-stopping to do? I don't wanna miss my train."
"I—uh—wait—!" As she started to leave, Rae didn't expect the Flash to zip beside her, catching up effortlessly. It made her raise an eyebrow at him, amused.
It made her heart jolt too, and she slowed her pace down to a stroll. It allowed the speedster to match her pace.
Ironic, isn't it.
"What?" she asked.
"I can't let you walk alone," he told her, and that confident voice was back—But there was something that made the air between them awkward.
Barry just hoped Rae's apparent meanness wasn't exclusive to him as in Bartholomew Henry Allen, not others. The thought of her treating him differently left him a bit disheartened, wondering if he'd done something wrong. Yet, to his relief, Rae didn't act too differently around others—maybe just a bit more flustered. It made Barry feel a bit cocky, but deep down, he was just happy she was still his Rae.
