no fine print [snowbarry]

chapter ten

The next day, Barry sauntered into the Cortex, eager to see Caitlin. Despite only staying the night at her place a few times now, last night he had missed falling asleep next to her. He had missed the comforting weight of her head on his chest and the smell of her vanilla-coconut shampoo wafting into his nose. However, disappointment washed over him as he found the Cortex strangely empty when he entered, perplexing the speedster.

But before he could question the odd phenomenon, motion caught his eye from the adjacent room - Caitlin's office - and there she was in her pristine white lab coat, her hair trailing behind her as she walked across the room with purpose.

He quietly made his way over to the doorframe, content to just watch her for a moment and witness her brilliant and passionate mind in action. She stifled a yawn as she looked into her microscope, the act making her cutely scrunch up her nose, and he couldn't help but smile.

"You tired?" he asked, breaking the silence and revealing himself.

She shortly jumped, having been caught off guard, but she laughed when she saw it was him. "I'm fine," she insisted with a small grin before quickly jotting something down on the notepad by her side.

Barry took that as an invitation to walk into the room, slowly making his way closer. Her attention was laser-focused on whatever she was studying underneath the microscope, her hands poised over the dials, only turning them ever so briefly. He waited until she pulled back to write another note, not wanting to interrupt any potential breakthrough.

"I actually had trouble sleeping last night," he admitted, watching her carefully.

"Oh?" she sounded, almost in genuine surprise as she regarded him with a raised brow.

"My bed isn't quite as soft..."

Her lips slowly turned upwards at his words, before her eyes shyly met his. "I was a little too cold last night myself," she admitted.

The speedster grinned, understanding what she was really telling him, that she had missed him too. Boldened by her confession, he enveloped his arms around her, pulling her against his chest, his hands rubbing up and down her back. "I could warm you up right now if you'd like," he gruffly suggested.

"Bar-ry," she gently scolded him through a giggle. "We're at STAR Labs, you know, my work."

"That didn't stop us at my work," he pointed out, and was delighted to see her whole face flush at the memory, making her already rosy cheeks even redder. "But fine, one kiss then?" he bargained. "No one is here."

She looked around him towards the empty Cortex before swiveling her gaze back to him, biting her lip momentarily. "One quick one," she stressed.

His smile broadened as he cupped her beautiful face in his hands, guiding her mouth to his. Her lips were always so soft, like a pillow, and tasted so sweet - so Caitlin. He couldn't help himself as he instinctively tilted his head to deepen and prolong the kiss, but she was right there along with him, kissing him back and welcoming him further.

"I thought we had agreed on a quick one," she lightly chided him when they finally parted, her eyes glinting humorously.

"Oh? That wasn't a quick one?" he said, trying his best to hold back a grin, while she smilingly shook her head at him. "Sorry, my perception of time has been wonky since becoming a speedster and all."

"Right," she stretched out, her hand distractingly sweeping over his chest.

Suddenly the meta-human alarms were blaring from all around the building. The duo looked at each other in shock before jogging to the Cortex to see what was going on. They were soon joined by Cisco and Harry.