Au

Chapter 3

Earlier that day...

The alarm went off and Barry flung his hand out from underneath the covers towards the screeching device. One tap, two taps, three taps later and it finally grew quiet. As he drifted back to sleep the sound of a dragged shuffle grew louder as it got closer to him. A yawn sounded followed by a sleepy muffle that carried in it a message along the lines of
"Dude, we're gonna be late".

His roomate shuffled out and Barry listened to his retreat before returning his attention to the task at hand but unfortunately it was too late. The need to sleep had left him. Like a brainless being he rose from his bed, tripping over everything before him (including air) and walking his way to the bathroom. As soon as the cold water hit his face his sences came to life. He awakened completely and with his new and alert state came a radiant smile that seemed to be permanently plastered on to his face. A quick shower and teeth brushing later and he was back in his bedroom, dancing around in nothing but his jeans and a pair of socks while he picked out a shirt.

"You can't find a partner use a wodden chair, let's rock. Every body lets rock. Every body in the...." a knock on his door stopped him mid lyric and he turned away from his cupboard to give the new comer permission to enter.
Cisco popped his head in through the door with a liquorice stick (his breakfast of choice) hanging from his mouth.

"Yoh Elvis Presley, can you hurry up with the sequens we're gonna be late."

"Late for what?"  Barry asked settling on a plain white t-shirt and throwing a navy blue cardigan on over it.

"The investors meeting at S. T. A. R. Labs? The people who are funding our internship are gonna be there so they want us to be there too? Any of this ring a bell?" he asked swinging the half eaten piece of candy in the air like a magic memory wand.

"Oh right," Barry recalled and Cisco shook his head, holding back the urge to slap his forehead. The house phone chimed and he left with a final "speed up" warning. Barry took a brush to his easy going patch of hair that caved to each gentle stroke without protest then made his way out to kitchen.
He entered just as Cisco put down the phone.
"That was Dr. Snow. Seems like there's been a death amongst the investors. The meetings been pushed up to later in the afternoon so we're going to have a late night," he informed while slumping down into a chair and reaching out for the TV remote. Barry shrugged to no one in particular, dismissing the information as unimportant and moving towards the cupboard for some turtle mix.

"Hey there buddy. You hungry?" he cooed as he unloaded a scoop of food into the medium sized glass case that housed their pet turtle.

"I honestly don't know why you talk to that thing. It's not like it's gonna answer back. I mean all it does is sit there and look ancient." Cisco remarked with his attention still trained on the ever changing screen.

"Don't listen to him Mc Snurtle, you don't look a day over a hundred." Barry responded with a goofy pout as he reached in and rubbed the turtles hard shell with his finger. He watched for a while as the reptile feasted at his usual languid pace and Barry just smiled, inexplicably entertained.

"You know maybe we should get McSnurtle a girlfriend. He looks lonely." Barry observed and Cisco snorted in response.

"You can barely get yourself a girlfriend and you want to get one for the world's tiniest dinosaur?" he asked and Barry rolled his eyes in response but his roomates eyes were too glued to the TV  screen for him to notice. Barry made his way to the other couch in the cozy apartment and sat down to join Cisco in his latest TV binge. They ended up debating the many scientific faults and accuracies in the show with a passion only mastered by stereotypical (and this is meant in the best sense of the word) nerds.

The clock struck noon and Barry grew stir crazy.
"I'm gonna head out for a bit." he said but when his revelation was met with no answer he directed a questioning glance at Cisco and found that he was fast asleep. A very soft thunder rumbled in the distance and deciding that he would make it home before the downpour he left without an umbrella.

The sky was a light grey that darkened in hue towards the east where the storm, undoubtedly was coming from. Barry walked lazily down the street towards the cemetery. He could have gotten a cab but the weather was at the perfect interim point between sun shine and rain so a five block walk felt necessary. He took deep breaths in through his nose, enjoying the earthy smell of the coming drizzle that fluttered toward him on the back of a pleasant breeze. He passed by a group of high school girls taking a group photo and offered them a charming smile. That picture, it's safe to say, became a collage of varying shades of crimson cheeks.

He walked through the gates of the cemetery and the familiar feeling of nostalgia infused sadness crept into his heart as he neared his parents resting place. The graves laid side by side, an image of their devotion to each other that even in death their love carried on.

"Hi mom. Hi dad." he greeted once he'd reached them then exposed his pocketed hands to caress the cool stones, simultaneously wiping of some of the collected dust. He crouched down infront of them and continued his solo conversation.
"Sorry its been a while, I've been busy." he blushed, hearing his parents condemning tones in his head.
"I know, I know that's not an excuse and I promise I'll try to do better. I'm just really tired and I miss you both, a little more each day." The back of his throat burned with tears but before he could hang his head and cry he heard a distressed scream from somewhere near by. Ever the model citizen, his ability to sympathise and his need to help kicked in and he left his parents graves to go in search of the troubled soul. Barry didn't have to walk far before he came a cross an enchanting woman, beautiful even in her state of emotional turbulence and made more charming by her complete vulnerability. The wind blew her ebony hair in all manner of directions, concealing her facial features and adding to the mystery that seemed to draw him to her. He stepped in her direction just as she turned on her heel and made her way to him. She seemed to be leaving. Barry ducked behind a grave and waited for her to make her exit, convincing himself that she probably didn't want to be disturbed.

The mesmerising stranger stormed past him without noticing his presence and for the brief moment in which he watched her walk away he found himself running short of air. It was almost as if each step she took away from him decreased the levels of oxygen around him so finally he gathered up his courage and as he stepped out of his hiding place, he asked if she was alright. When she turned around to express her annoyance, their eyes connected and hers, he realised, were an intoxicating shade of brown. She drank him in and he felt himself grow afraid at the intensity with which she analised him. His face began to flush as he traced each detail of her feminine features, committing each line and curve to memory. The world around him seemed to dim in comparison and so when the rain fell, to him it looked like a painting being drained of its colour. All else washed away and there was only her.