Soothsayer ⚡ Barry Allen

Trip for Naught

AN: Read things in the proper order and I'll update more c:

I ran my hand over Barry's leg as he ate, watching him, memorizing him. I wasn't sure when, but now that I had decided, I was sure that my time with him was going to be cut short. I wanted to remember him as best as possible. "Do you two ever breathe without the other?" Arthur asked, abruptly taking my attention from Barry.

"I could run the world with all the stuff I wouldn't do when he's around," I laughed, moving my hand to Barry's hair as I turned back to him. There was a light flush to his cheeks as he swallowed his bite, his eyes on the Atlantian.

"I got a lot done before she came around," he defended, pouting as he brought another sandwich to his lips.

"Not without tripping over your own feet," Arthur chuckled, pulling a bottle of dark liqour from his coat pocket. After taking a long drink, he offered it to me and I nodded after a moment of thought, my hand leaving Barry's hair to catch the bottle. I felt his eyes on me as I took a long drink, capping it and sliding it across the table as I released a tense breath.

"Don't give me that look. You do what I had to, you'd be drinking too; if your body didn't burn through it." When I turned back to him, there was a pain in his eyes that wasn't physical and I was quick to return my hand to his leg. His dreams were wearing hard on him these days, I could see it even now.

"I'm sorry," he sighed. I shook my head, taking a deep breath as I gently squeezed his thigh.

"You don't have to be, as long as you don't do it again." Arthur scoffed and when I looked to him for a second, he shook his head and held the bottle to his lips as he walked out of the dining room. "I don't blame you for what happened, Bare. Most of last night was out of our control."

"You shouldn't blame yourself, either then. In either case, you hold just as much blame as I do." I took a deep breath and leaned back, putting a little space between us aside from my hand on his leg. I wanted that to be true, I really did. However, my mind kept screaming at me that I was at fault for letting the Joker nearly take two people I loved from me. I was having a hard time believing anything otherwise.

"Okay," I settled for, unsure of what else to say. "But, um, in light of recent events, do you think we can go home? I don't wanna be here longer than we have to be."

"I'll see what I can do," he nodded. I stood and kissed the top of his head.

"You finish eating. You need it."

"I love you," he got out around a bite, tilting his head up to meet my eye.

"Love you, too," I chuckled, walking out of the room. Once I was past the doorway, I ran my hands down my face and released a shaky breath, straightening out when I found Selina in the livingroom with Bruce beside her looking like reprimanding parents. "Oh, crap," I sighed. "I'm not fifteen anymore, Cat."

"That doesn't change the fact that you put both yours and Barry's lives in danger last night," Wayne started, his face hard.

"I told you when I was last here, I put our lives in danger!" I argued. "Coming back to this God forsaken town is what got him hurt in the first place!"

"He came after you two in Central City and killed Frankie," Selina sighed. "What's to stop him from coming back?"

"I am," I pointed out. I turned as I felt a hand close around mine, my defenses falling away when Barry gave me a look that displayed the worlds of hurt he was in. I had a multitude of choices before me, most of which required leaving him; all the best ones, at least. He gave me a sad, half smile before turning back to Cat and Bats.

"We're going back to Central City," he announced. "Let us know if there's something more going on than using me as target practice." I glared at Barry and smacked his chest. Even I wouldn't joke like that. "Sorry," he mumbled, running his thumb over my hand.

"You're in no condition to travel," Wayne tried, but Barry was sold.

"Maybe not for running, but there were ways of getting around before these legs came around." Releasing my hand, he slid his arm around my neck and leaned his weight against me. I didn't realize just how much he had strained himself from just standing here until he relaxed and a soft whimper left him, my arms sliding around him in support as I walked out.

"Andy," Selina sighed, her heels clicking on the hardwood as she followed us. Barry looked over my shoulder but I didn't let us stop. "It's safer for you two to stay here."

"Obviously not," I scoffed. I sat Barry down near one of the doors, making sure he was alright before rushing upstairs to grab our things. I knew Selina was still behind me so while I grabbed one of Barry's sweaters and threw the rest of our crap into our bags, I asked, "Can you give me a set of Wayne's car keys?"

"What?" She put a hand on my shoulder and I instantly snapped around, holding her wrist an arm's distance away. With my eyebrows pulling together in confusion, I slowly let her go and walked past her.

"Well, I could drag Barry eight miles back into town and then hotwire a car then, or you could lend me a set of keys," I supplied, my voice soft. I hadn't reacted to her like that since she first started teaching me the flow of things. "Figured asking you was safer than just taking one anyway."

"And what about his wounds?" Cat tried, pulling any angle she could to keep us here.

"I seem to remember me nursing you back to health after you got stabbed twice," I pointed out, slinging his gear over my shoulder, bag in one hand and a sweater in the other. Selina didn't respond as I took the stairs two at a time, my body full of momentum for a short moment as I hit the ground floor and walked over to Barry. Setting down our crap, I helped him into the sweater, giving the action my full attention since every hiss and wince only made me feel worse.

By the time his head and arms were through, he was breathing hard, his pain clear. I wanted to give him something, anything to help, but his body would metabolize whatever it was in seconds, it wouldn't be worth the short taste of relief he'd be teased with. I ran my thumb over his cheek and studied his mini smile of appreciation, feeling a smile of my own struggle with me when he kissed the heel of my palm. I took my arm back and slung his gear back over my shoulder, looking up as Selina came down the rest of the stairs.

There was a slight hesitancy to it, but she held her arms open, accepting my hug as I felt her featherlight fingers dip into my pocket. "Stay safe," she sighed. "You know where to find me." Cat graced me with a small smile as she pulled away, disappearing into the maze of a mansion. Slinging the other bag over my shoulder, I helped Barry stand and took his weight as well, running my fingers over his stomach.

"Where's the garage?"