Snowbarry Week 2019

Unravel Me

A.N. Day 3 of Snowbarry Week 2019 - "halloween". Struggled a bit with this one but a solid idea finally hit after watching Danielle's ep 6.06 and watching/reading a few of her interviews during the day. And of course, the fun holiday challenge day is the one that already had me bawling barely a paragraph in. Angst really does seem to be easier for me than fluff for some reason. (Even though this one was still a struggle throughout.) With this one there's a whole lotta that angst, but also some fun and goofiness, and then even more angst. Takes place immediately following Joe and Barry's heart to heart at the end of 6.04. Frost needs someone to accompany her on her next "life lesson" and Barry offers to go with. P.S. title and lyrics at the beginning come from Kate Voegele's beautiful song "Unfair"

I don't know how much I can keep

Letting you unravel me

~

'Cause those who get to know our hearts the most

They always seem to be the ones we'll never hold

Barry wandered aimlessly through Star Labs, his conversations with Cisco and Joe about the Crisis weighing heavily on his mind. He'd just watched his adopted father leave only moments ago, most likely catching up with Cecile in the parking lot before the two would go pick little Jenna up from the sitters.

He felt completely and utterly drained, absolutely spent both emotionally and mentally. Most of all he hated that all of it was hurting the ones he loved most. He'd made his own peace with dying and understood the importance of it to protect his friends and family, but understandably none of them were taking it so well.

He felt, more than anything, that the most important goal he had before the Crisis was to prepare them all both as his fellow heroes and his friends. Though he felt one was going to be easier than the other.

The building was seemingly empty as he wandered the endless hallways as he guessed everyone had already gone home before Joe and Cecile had. He'd thought Iris would be waiting for him, but a quick check of his phone told him she had to stop at her office quick and she'd see him at home later. He sighed, pocketing his phone again. Of all of them, he'd expected his wife to have the hardest time accepting the news of his impending death but she seemed the most calm about it. She'd been great supporting him with all of it, but . . . he couldn't help but not understand how she was taking it better than he himself was.

Setting those thoughts aside, he continued his slow travel through the building. He could use his speed to race home or even find Iris at her office but he just walked at a normal pace. He thought about all the memories that lined the walls of Star Labs, from the good to the bad, from the fun to the terrifying. The moments he'd thought would be his last, the moments of triumph . . . . the final moments of heroes who'd sacrificed themselves before him. So many past memories . . . it killed him inside that he wouldn't be there for the future but he didn't see any way around it to give his friends and family the chance the chance to actually make those future memories.

He passed by the training room, just thinking of his first days at Star Labs with his powers, when he caught sight of a fresh icicle lodged in the doorframe. Raising an eyebrow, he peeked his head in the door - and had to lunge out of the way of an incoming ice spike.

"Get out of the way!"

He looked up from where he'd scrambled to the floor to find Frost glaring at him with her hands on her hips.

"Geez, Flash - outta be more careful. Wouldn't wanna accidentally kill ya first before this Crisis whats-it." She rolled her eyes, creating another icicle in her hand and twirling it around.