Tiptoe { Allenski }

Bearing

Barry

I manage to find Joe before I go out for lunch with Stiles, and as soon as I do, I round on him.

"What the hell Joe?" I ask, taking him to the side. He looked at me quizzically. "Stiles?"

Joe's face immediately drops to a frown. "I don't like him."

"Yeah I could see that!" I explode. "He's new here, give him a break."

"Just because you have a crush doesn't mean I have to like him. There's something about him I don't trust."

"Ok detective. Whatever. I'm going for lunch with him now." I completely dismiss the crush comment, because I don't like lying to him.

I walk away from Joe, angry, and see Stiles standing in the hallway. Before I can go up to him, my phone rings and I dash round the corner when I see the caller ID.

"Cisco I'm at work."

"Huge flat block fire, meta human caused it man, there's hundreds of people in there!"

Fuck. I look at Stiles, standing quietly in the hall, a small and polite smile on his face. He checks his watch and I can see that I'm already late.

"Barry!" Cisco yells in my ear.

Sorry Stiles.

I turn away, and speed out of the office, to save the day once again.

Later that day, it's about 8 at night and the rain is pouring down. I'm pacing back and forth thinking.

"What's up with Barry?" Cisco asks Joe, stuffing Cheetos in his mouth.

"He's upset because you made him miss his date."

"No I'm not!" I cry, defensive. I am. "And it wasn't a date." I hope it was

"Oh my god, Barry! It's not like a block of flats needed saving or something!" Cisco spins his chair round to face me, throwing his hands in the air.

"I know Cisco, I know." I stop pacing and lean my hands on my elbows next to his desk. "I just feel bad, I couldn't explain myself."

"I'm sure she won't mind." Cisco throws a Cheeto up in the air and catches it in his mouth. I look at Joe, alarmed that I would have to explain to Cisco that it wasn't a girl I liked. "So who is she?"

"My new partner." Joe chuckles when I glare at him.

"Patty Spivot?" Cisco frowns. "I thought we went there and then came back from there, you know, with the whole being blind thing."

"It's not Patty." I sigh, rubbing my eyes, and Caitlyn giggles, having figured it out.

"Who is she then?"

"I'm not telling you Cisco."

"Why!?"

"Guys there's a meta sighting. Barry go." Joe says. I silently thank the meta human at this moment, for letting me escape Cisco. "Go catch us another prisoner."

"You're not escaping this!" Cisco yells as I leave. Oh yes I am.

I'm speeding down the road when I see the meta. He's throwing cars in the air with his hands, and pedestrians are running in all directions. I'm about to speed towards him when I see a boy, asleep in the corner of a wall, in a sleeping bag, dangerously close to the flying cars.