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48. Three Years Later [B.A.]

Three Years Later
{Barry x Reader}
!SPOILER ALERT 🚨 FOR ARROW S3!

"Who wouldn't be angry? You ate all of my cereal and faked your death for three years!"

I cringed, watching as Barry stood before me, mouth agape and eyes wide. I wore a sheepish smile, as my shoulders shrugged helplessly. Pushing myself off of the kitchen stool inside his home, I took a few cautious steps towards the speedster before me.

"There was a reason," I sighed, biting my lip. "I had to." I wrung my hands together, thinking of all the possible ways to explain this. Every time I imagined coming here and doing this, I could never predict Barry's reaction.

"Had to fake your death? And not tell me?" Barry begged, his face etched with hurt. He glanced to the empty bowl sitting on the table, "And eat all of my cereal?"

"I..." I trailed off, all the lines I'd rehearsed in my head for the past three years vanished. I drew a blank.

"Or, did you really die?" Barry asked suddenly, his voice going low. "Like Sara? And Thea? Was it the Lazarus Pit? God, Y/N, you and Roy were stabbed in prison three years ago! You guys died lying about being the Arrow and Speedy!" He rambled loudly. I watched as his face fell, realization hitting him.

"Roy's alive, too," I clarified softly.

"I knew it." He breathed. "Oliver said something once, and... and... I didn't want to think that Roy was alive, and you weren't."

I nodded slowly, feeling my lip tremble. I didn't care if he yelled and screamed, it didn't matter. I was just happy I was finally home to my best friend - to the man I told I loved before risking my life for Oliver and Thea, three years ago.

Barry's words finally stopped, and he rushed forward, embracing me in his strong arms. Three years without Barry felt like eternity, and finally being back here with him was perfect.

"I missed you so much," I gushed, holding on to him tightly. "I - Roy and I - we had to. Oliver and Thea risked so much for us, I couldn't not do that. But the stabbing, our deaths, it was all fake. It was just to get us out of prison. We had to leave town for a very long time. People can't know we're alive, Barry." My explanation sounded crazy out loud now, just as it had when I thought it over in my head. Thank God Barry believed in the impossible. Thank God Barry was already the impossible.

"I missed you," Barry cried into my hair. "I missed you so much, Y/N."

He moved his hands to my shoulder, holding me away at arms length to look at me again. His eyes wandered over my face, and my hair that was once chopped short like Thea's, that had grown long again. After three years of living a life as a civilian, and not a vigilante, I had changed. My face was clean from cuts, my body soft and without bruises.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Barry begged, finally dropping his hands.

I shook my head, closing my eyes for a moment. "I wasn't allowed to," I explained. "If I told you, you wouldn't have let me do it. And if I told you right after - then what? I'd still have to leave. We still couldn't have been together."

Barry nodded, evidently still in shock, though. I had missed his handsome face so much, and looking into his beautiful eyes. I missed everything he was. I missed being his.

"Barry." I sighed, lacing my hand into his. "We could be together now."

Barry's eyes widened, as he stepped away, my hand falling from his. His jaw clenched and his gaze dropped to the floor. I watched as turned his back to me, bringing his hands to his hair. He yanked at it, sighing loudly.

"Really, Y/N?" He huffed, "I'm so happy you're back - I really, really am. But... the thing is... I'm not... living alone."

My breath hitched, the news hitting me like a truck. How did I not see this coming? I should've known from the time I was searching through the cereals and saw Captain Crunch sitting there among the boxes. Barry hates Captain Crunch cereal.

"Right, of course." I backed away, looking around the pretty apartment. Right. I noticed the frilly throw blankets, a pair of high heels by the doorway, the pictures of Barry and Iris West littering every side table and mantle. "You and Iris must be happy together."

I looked back to Barry. How had I never had the thought that he moved on? That was selfish of me. Returning like this was selfish of me.

Barry laughed weakly, shaking his head at me. "Far from it, actually," he sighed. "I don't think I'm supposed to tell you that, but then again, people aren't supposed to tell others they faked their death." He put his hand to his temples, rubbing and squeezing his eyes shut.

"Oh." I answered quietly. "Sorry."

Barry shrugged. "Iris has been staying with Joe for the past few days," he explained. "We sort of have a disagreement.... Like, where I said I wanted to get married and she didn't agree kind."

My heart ached, wishing I never had to know that. Barry Allen wanted to marry a girl, and that girl wasn't me.

Barry stepped forward, sighing loudly. "And this sounds crazy, but maybe..." he got quiet, eyes searching my face for the billionth time since I showed up. "Maybe it's okay. Maybe it's because I'm supposed to marry you."

Today was full of surprises for both of us.

"Bear, Bear. You're feeling a lot of things right now," I stated, holding my hands up. "I just came back to life to you after years and you're thinking about getting married to your best friend. That's a lot of emotions on one week. Don't get ahead of yourself, okay?" As much as I wanted his words to be true, I knew his emotions must have been raging and confused.

"I never stopped loving you, Y/N."

I could feel my heart ready to pierce through my chest. I'd dreamed of Barry saying that as soon as the faked death plans were set in stone. And now, when he said it, it didn't feel as good as I imagined. Because his heart still belonged to someone else. "I feel the same. But work things out with Iris for now," I answered calmly.

I brushed past him, heading for the large window looking over the city. I unlocked it and pulled it open, as Barry's hand grabbed my arm. "Will I see you again?" He questioned, his words in a whisper, as if someone else could be listening.

I laughed quietly, nodding. "Yeah, Barry." I nodded. "I believe Central City is in need of more vigilantes. You just figure out what you need."

With super speed, Barry kissed my cheek. I smiled weakly, before throwing myself out of the window.

• • • • •

author's note | nooooo, she did not just commit suicide. she can just jump out of windows & stuff because she's a vigilante, duhhhh. cool?

i honestly have no idea what this imagine is. it's weird, i know, sorry. i just saw the first line as a writing prompt & really wanted to do it. so, it's really just an interesting barry prompt & not one shot fluff. whoop?

hope you're all having a good life :) peace out, girl scout (or maybe you're a boy scout idk)

ps, how long do you like your imagines? any word count preference?