ColdFlash- Soulmates

Chapter 4: Christmas

  The streets of Central City were mercifully snow free as Barry made his way back form the West house. Still cold, the low temperature hitting him as soon as he stepped out of the door. His apartment was a few blocks away but he needed to walk of some of the huge portions of food that he had consumed and he was just in too good a mood to get a cab. So he decided to brave that cold, didn't matter when there was no snow to soak his clothes- which was many layers of clothing. Plus it was Christmas so there weren't that many cabs anyway. So yes, Barry was glad for the lack of snow at that moment in time. He walked along with Joe's rich chuckle  and the merry sound of Iris' laughter echoing in his head, he smiled to himself at the memory of the happiness that had overflowed the house that he had just left. Everything was good. So good.

  Barry was slightly apprehensive however as he made his way closer and closer to his apartment. Len was going to be there and he had wanted to introduce his sister and best friend to Barry. Barry's family still didn't know of Leonard Snart but now Barry understand why, that didn't however mean that the forensic scientist couldn't meet his boyfriend's loved ones. Even if they were criminals too, because hey- Barry hadn't had Len locked away, why would they be any different? What he'd do for love. Despite how slightly mortified the thought of meeting the people in Len's life made Barry feel, he wanted to do it for his boyfriend, he was trusting him with his life- something that Barry had learnt from being around him, was that it was a big thing, a big show of trust. That made him feel better, the thought that a guy how struggled to trust anyone had given him his trust. 

  Barry didn't care anymore that he was gay and what others might think. he didn't hide it from Joe and Iris because of that, it was because Len came form criminal backgrounds, so what could the people around him be like?

***

  Barry opened the door to the apartment and the quiet chatter that he had heard from outside died down. He made his way into his home, depositing his bag by the door and removing his jacket, stalling for just a little bit longer. Len stood up form where he had been sat on the sofa and offered Barry a reassuring smile and a quiet "hello". A pretty brunette and a shaved-bald, intimidating looking man looked up as Len stood. Barry just smiled nervously back. He could tell this was going to be terrifying. 

  Len came around the furniture and rapped an arm around his shoulders, walking him forward. The older man seemed both ecstatic and fearful at the same time.

"This is Barry," Len introduced," and Barry this is my sister, Lisa, and my good friend Mick Rory."

  Lisa stood gracefully and shook Barry's hand smiling with the same sly look that Leonard sometimes wore, she moved in the same way that his boyfriend did and it obvious that they had to be related. The man, Mick, stood more slowly than Lisa and it seemed to be an alien movement for him to grasp the forensic scientist's hand, shaking it roughly and pulling away quickly, his hands were callused and the skin hot- so Barry wasn't complaining about the . He was slightly taller than Len and he had an almost feral look to him, but at the same time a venerability.

***

  They sat comfortably with coffee in hand, a beer for Mick. Len was pressed up against Barry, despite the half a sofa of free room, Lisa sat on the other sofa and Mick crouched in the arm chair. Barry found that he liked Lisa, she had the same kind of confidence as her brother and a slyness that was always there as it had been beneath the surface when Barry had first come across Leonard- they were so alike and yet Lisa had a spark about her that was so individual, something that set her far from her older brother. Mick didn't say much, he nodded and grunted along to conversations but mostly just sat back and watched the interactions.

"So what kind of things are you into Mick?" Barry asked, trying to get the conversation flowing between them.

At the question, Mick Rory's face lit up and a smile spread slowly across his face.

"Fire," Mick said," it is beautiful, hypnotic and entrancing. It is powerful and elegant all at once."

  The glee with which he said it had Barry kind of worried and he glanced briefly at his boyfriend who gave him an apologetic smile. He squirmed a bit but felt confident enough that Len would prevent any mishaps. 

***

  After the two had left Len settled back down beside Barry on the sofa and Barry cuddled in. Len slung his arm over Barry's shoulder and they sat like that for a while in companionable silence as Barry reminisced about the day. About how lucky he was. He still couldn't quite get past the pride that Leonard trusted him, because in that respect he was much worse than Barry. And yet Leonard trusted Barry.

"What do you think of Mick and my sister?" Len asked after a while. The uncharacteristic apprehension that he had shown earlier that evening was gone, and Barry was glad, his boyfriend must have really been uptight to show that level and that kind of emotion.

"Well I can defiantly tell that Lisa is your sister," Barry started and hurried on as Len started to playfully protest," not through looks, I mean look at the head of hair she had," Barry chuckled earning a playful punch from Len.

"So why Mr.Allen?" Len pressed, smirking.

"The way that she was, the confidence, the slyness, even the way she held herself was similar to the way you do," Barry looked fondly up at the blue eyes above him, the eyes that were at that moment filled with fondness also.

"You do notice a lot of things," Leonard commented.

"It's my job and anyway it's hard not to with you, I mean look at you, "Barry laughed, earning himself a deep kiss from Len. The older man bent his head and pressed his lips to Barry's and the forensic scientist sat up slightly as Len's free hand went to stroking his jaw. Barry brought his hand up also and just held his boyfriend's face until they both needed to come up for air.

"So what about Mick?" Len asked looking appreciatively at Barry's flushed lips. The forensic scientist loved that the height difference between them was near nothing so that he could look into that face with ease and into those blue eyes.

Barry scrunched up his nose slightly at the thought of Mick Rory, which Len just thought was cute," he was... unnerving."

Len laughed lightly at that and nodded in agreement, "Mick isn't the brightest of the bunch, far from dumb, he just has a more detached and carefree outlook on the world, and he is a pyromaniac I will give you that."

"Thank you for sharing your family with me though. It meant a lot that you trust me enough," Barry said quietly.

"It's not just trust, it's love Barry. I don't know what it is with you, I've never felt this way about anyone- let alone feeling it so quickly. I just hope that you had a good Christmas," Len said tenderly making Barry practically glow. Leonard felt the same way as he did, felt that almost uncanny connection.

"I did. Merry Christmas Len," Barry said lying his head down onto the older man's solid chest listening to his heart, the heart that belonged to Barry now, and the rhythmic, soothing breathing.