Warnings: hurt/comfort; trauma;
Summary: Being declared dead after assuming Y/N drowned in a dramatic accident, Arthur Curry's wife is miraculously returned to him. However, Y/N has to struggle with re-adjusting to normal life as well as certain new-found abilities.
*****************
"Get the kid first. I can manage."
These words still haunt him in his dreams. Every night Arthur wakes up soaked in a flooded bedroom. In a king sized bed, missing its queen.
Every night Arthur would take a walk on the riverside looking out to the water.
Hoping.
Wishing.
This specific dull and cold night he thought he saw odd movements out on the water, but it couldn't be.. so he brushed it off and started walking back to the cold and empty cabin, the two of them failed to finish building.
Arthur completely abandoned the ocean after what happened to his sun and stars. Y/N radiated light wherever she went. Always putting others before herself. Unsurprisingly so, she decided to put her own life in danger in order to save a little boy from certain death.
The winters were especially cold in these parts of town. During one thunderous night, the little boy went out to the sea, regardless of his parents pleas. Y/N was the first one to hear his raft being crushed by monstrous waves.
Within seconds she brought him back up to the surface, handing him over to her husband who jumped into the water mere moments after her.
Knowing that he'd be safe in Arthur's hands - he was able to control the ocean after all - she yelled through the thunder:
"Get the kid first. I can manage."
Which would have undoubtedly been true, if her foot hadn't been caught in a sling that came loose from the raft, pulling her underwater immediately.
Arthur however, had listened to her and thus, didn't even notice she wasn't right behind him until he put the boy down on the shore.
He kept replaying the day of her disappearance in his head. If he'd done one tiny thing differently maybe she wouldn't... wouldn't -
"Yo, Oceanman? Mister Atlantis? Aquaking?" the speedster jokingly interrupted. "No? Aaanyway, Bruce told me to come get you" he grinned.
Arthur just grunted and led the way as they started walking towards the road. When suddenly something grabbed Barry's wrist pulling him back.
As Barry looked down he realised it was actual water in the shape of a hand entwining his wrist.
"Alright, very funny. Look the Aquaking may have been a ..tad.. too much, but Bruce genuinely said its urge-"
Clearly startled, Arthur interrupted: "Th-this isn't me.."
Arthur turned around almost immediately, staring into a familiar face he thought he had lost forever. He was sure he had skipped at least a few heartbeats.
"Woah listen, correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm getting major the little mermaid vibes here.." Barry remarked.
But Arthur just smiled as his eyes began to water, eventually remembering to breathe again. Now that the lovers shared the same abilities, their bond seemed stronger than ever. For the first time in years Arthur felt like everything just might be ok after all.
