Keeping it together {Snowbarry}

Loose your mind

His eyes were glowing with energy, the lightening zapping all over his bare body.

Robin exhales slowly then her eyes dart to Cisco who was wide eyed.

"Barry?" Caitlin said loudly. His gaze shifts to her then he looks back to Robin, slowly letting her go.

He turns around to face her now, his eyes were low with shame.

His features were alert and panicky, his beard was long and unkept, along with his hair.

Cisco hands him a towel, keeping his gaze on Robin who was just glaring at Barry.

"Are you okay?" Caitlin said taking a small step closer to him.

Barry puts a hand out to keep her back then he wraps the towel around his waist. "She's bleeding too much..."

Cisco looks back to Barry slowly.

"What? Who's bleeding?"

Robin looks between Cisco and Caitlin then she looks back to Barry.

"I know that Lucas is my son" he side eyes Robin then he looks back to Caitlin, raising his brow hopeful.

"Uhh..." Cisco trails off then he looks to her.

She was still staring at him in disbelief.

"I could never hurt you, Cait..." Caitlin snaps out of it then. She inhales sharply "Barry, I think this is vocal dysplasia..."

Cisco chuckles awkwardly "what does that mean?"

Robin gave a scoff "it means his words are all mixed up, he doesn't realize it but it makes him sound like a dodo" Barry mutters something then he rolls his eyes.

"I need to take a shower..." Caitlin reaches out to touch him but he shakes his head ducking her touch and then he turns to her "I- I just need to take a shower"

She looks back and forth between his eyes then she nods softly. "Okay.." he grips the towel tighter to his waist then he speeds out of the room.

Caitlin exhales thankfully as the familiar whoosh shuffles her hair.

"So that was Barry?" Robin said after a moment. Cisco nods, his eyes on Caitlin.

He was worried Barry may not be the same person out of the.. memories or vibe or wherever the hell he was.

Hopefully that didn't affect Caitlin...

"I'm gonna go home and um... relieve the babysitter, can you tell him where I went when he's done with the shower?" Cisco nods quickly.

She seemed dazed, her mind elsewhere, on Barry.

On Madeline, on Lucas, their future, his vocal dysplasia.

"But are you okay?" Cisco said softly then Caitlin nods again "I'm fine... I'm always fine" she gave a short chuckle then she steps out of the cortex.

Back at the Snowbarry house...

Caitlin stands in the kitchen, her hands nervously fiddling with her ring. Barry was upstairs in their bathroom doing god knows what.

Madeline was reading on the couch, so Caitlin was just cooking.

Hopefully she remembers him.

She heard the gentle creak of the stairs and look to it expectantly. "Barry? Is that you?"

"Uhh yeah..." his voice was raspy with exhaustion, he had been shaving his beard in her bathroom, a clean face. Barry stands at the third step staring at her cautiously.

She inhaled then she puts her hands on the counter for support "you want to talk?"

He gave a small nod then he walks closer to her "i was trapped in something called mind-space..." he stares into her eyes as he walks closer.

"It was like a prison... I could see you and hear you but I couldn't figure out how to talk to you" she leans against the counter, her brows scrunched in concentration.

"Zoom was there... or- or the monster that he became after..."

She nods intently, she wanted to know what he went through but she feared to pressure him.

"Everyone was there, Caitlin..." his voice was more quiet now, he sits on the counter top next to her.

"DeVoe... Savitar.... Zoom.... Lexi...thawne" he lets out a shuddering breath and Caitlin touches his cheek making him look at her.

"I am so sorry you had to deal with that" he closed his eyes with a soft nod then he slowly leans into a hug.

She gripped his back, keeping him securely in her hold now.

The vulnerability in his eyes, the uneasiness about the whole situation.

He had seen the people that had helped destroy his happiness.

Thawne and his mother, zoom and his father, savitar and his sanity, DeVoe and his marriage, Lexi and all the hell she put them through.

She kisses his shoulder gently, she felt his hands pull her closer then he slides off the counter, letting his face bury into her neck.

"I missed you so much..." she whispers

"I know..." he said quietly back.

"I'm here now.. and I'm not leaving you again..."

Caitlin quietly sighed, she wanted that to be true, please god let it be true.