Peachy

SIX

The next morning Barry woke with Len's arms around him. A small smile crept onto his face as he turned around in his arms. The thief's eyes fluttered open.

"Good morning," Barry said softly.

"Morning Scarlet," Len replied, the corners of his mouth quirking up just a little at seeing the speedster lying in his arms with a smile on his face.

"So you're sure you want to tell your friends and family about us? I don't want you to do something you regret because of me." He asked.

Barry shook his head.

"Len, anything even remotely concerning you is nothing I'll ever regret," Barry told him.

That shocked him. Did the brunette really care about him that much? Len cared for him a lot too, but he was still learning to let anyone inside the walls that he had put up. Barry could just about share anything with a stranger, which Len admired about him. Their pasts had been quite similar, and yet Barry turned out so good and so pure, whereas he had jumped headfirst into a life of crime.

"What are you thinking about?" Barry asked. He shifted to get more comfortable, his hazel eyes searching his face curiously.

"Life. I mean, with our pasts the rolls could've easily been reversed. You could've taken a few wrong turns, I could've been good. "

"You are good Len." The brunette told him.

"Barry-"

"No let me finish," he ordered. "You are good Len. You might not follow the law, you might not have made the right choices in the past. But that doesn't define you. Inside, you are a good man. No, people will never see you as a hero, but that's why you're a legend."

Barry's words had hit their mark, resulting in an accepting silence.

"That still won't mean I'll stop stealing. I'll keep making the wrong choices." He sighed after a while.

"And I'll still love you regardless," Barry assured him.

"Even if I hurt someone close to you because they hurt you. Because I can't promise that I won't," Len's voice was barely louder than a whisper now, sincerity clear in his eyes.

"I'll just have to have a little faith that you won't. And even if you would, I would give you a second chance. Making mistakes is human, Len," The speedster sounded so sure and so sincere that Len couldn't help but smile a little.

He closed the distance between them, gently pressing his lips to Barry's.

"How are you so perfect?" Was all he could ask.

Barry snorted. "I'm far from perfect Len." He told the thief.

•*•*•

Barry was fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. Sure he wanted to tell his family and friends about his relationship with Len, but doing so was a whole matter entirely. Len was there for support, no doubt feeling Barry's hand clutch his desperately for some feeling of comfort.

"You alright?" Was all he asked.

Barry swallowed but nodded. "Just nervous."

Just then the elevator dinged, signaling they had reached their floor. Barry swallowed hard and walked out, still clutching his lover's hand.

"Barry, not that I mind, not in the slightest, but if you want to tell them you might need to let go of my hand," Len told him quietly. "I will be there for you. Especially when they turn on you about this, but it might not be smart to walk in there holding hands."

The brunette sighed but let his hand slowly slip out of Len's.

"I know, I just-" he nervously ran a hand through his hair. "It's all just so complicated." Barry sighed again.

Len was silent in acknowledgment as they walked through the corridors that led to the cortex.

The nauseously nervous feeling worsened with every step he took but Barry forced himself to push on with Len close behind. The thief's face had become an emotionless mask again? But Barry could see in his eyes he was concerned. With a sharp intake of breath, he went around the corner into the Cortex. "Hey, Barry wha-" Cisco started to ask but cut himself off, a look of alarm entering his face.

"Barry, what is Leonard Snart doing here?" Caitlin asked sounding rather feeble.

She wasn't the only one unsure of the situation. He saw Eddie's hand drift to his gun, but not quite touching it. Felicity, who'd 'coincidentally' was in town, because Barry would pretend he didn't know Oliver had suspicions and send her to keep an eye on things, had a look of confusion on her face.

"Uh yeah, about that, you know how you said that I, uh, couldn't flirt with him again?" Barry started not daring to look at any of their faces.

"Wait you did what?!" Felicity exclaimed.

"Barry...?" He heard a voice behind him. Iris. She must wonder what Len was doing here too.

"Great, everyone's here that'll make it simpler," he said, his throat dry and rushing his words now.

"Make what simpler?" She asked suspiciously.

"Uhm," He started out, staring at his shoes. "I'm dating Len," He murmured quietly.

There it was, the quiet before the storm. His loved ones processing what they heard. Barry could see the look on their faces change slowly from brows furrowed into confusion to disbelief. Some stuck there but others turned to anger.

"You've got to be kidding me! Barry, seriously?! I was fucking being sarcastic about you dating him." Cisco hissed, not caring to keep his anger and disgust a secret. "Enemies with benefits maybe but this!?]"

"I wouldn't go judging Barry now, Ramon. If I remember correctly you are totally smitten with my sister," Len almost growled.

Barry put a hand on his arm, a clear sign that said that he needed to calm down. Getting into fights with the people he was closest to would do nothing to possibly win them over. Not that that would ever be a possibility, he thought bitterly. Len has threatened or hurt about everyone in the room there once, with the exception of Felicity and Iris.

"I mean, if he makes you happy," Iris quietly spoke, surprising everyone.

Iris shared a look with him, that made it quite clear that she knew Len was the guy he'd talked about to her. The guy he'd been all giddy over.

"My, my, Miss West, I'm flattered." Len was the first to speak again, with a grin on his face, the bastard. "You certainly have more tact than your old man."

Barry could literally slap himself, and Len, definitely Len, in the face. Joe was less than okay with this whole thing and bringing it up to Iris would not go well. She'd try and come up with some sort of plan to make the two tolerate each other for his happiness. And while he greatly appreciated the gesture, he didn't really want it.

"It's not because I like you, believe me," Iris shot back.

God, he really did not need a battle of one-liners, barbs, comebacks, and puns between these two, that would be a never-ending conversation.

"At least I know one person has my back," Barry muttered mutinously, but the room was so quiet everyone was able to hear it. And the speedster had to admit that when he saw a slive of guilt shine through their expressions, he felt satisfied.

Let them feel it because he knew this was right. He and Len were good for each other.

They just didn't see it yet.