Friends don't (Snowbarry)

Go home

The rain has calmed and everyone decided to go there separate ways home. Cisco and wells left after reassurance that the injured teens would be under surveillance and would stay in Star Labs for the night. Iris headed out with Joe after he offered her a ride since it didn't look like Barry was heading out so now it was Barry, Caitlin and the teens.

Caitlin likes to be the last one to leave at night: ever since Wells (Eobard Thawne they must constantly remind themselves) betrayed them, she's developed the tendency to linger and do a final sweep of the lab before heading home. After months of trying to wait for her, Cisco has given up, but as Barry's become more accustomed to the behavior (to the feeling, the need for control, to double and triple check), he's started to linger himself.

He's just trying to be safe, he tells himself as he leans against the doorframe, watching her shut off monitors and reorganize the binders at her desk, just trying to make sure everyone on his team is taken care of.

It's becoming a pretty pathetic lie, one that's harder and harder to sell to himself as he smiles at the way she moves from space to space, being sure everything is put back where it belongs and that all the imprisoned meta humans are properly locked away (and fed) for the night.

"You can go you know," she reminds him, glancing over her shoulder. It's abnormally late, after midnight, and they've all had a long day. Yet for all the ups and downs of it, here she is, running through her protocols like always, smiling and humming a little as she does so.

It's getting easier to admit that maybe staying is as much about Caitlin herself as it is her safety, as much about these few minutes of her quiet, grounding company as making sure everyone's taken care of.

"It's okay, I'll wait." The words were almost warm to her, setting something inside her.

"I was actually going to stay with them." She turns her head to the med bay where she watches as the boy gave his sister a checkup which he seemed to be completely educated to do. "Make sure there okay and maybe get them to open up a bit considering we don't even know there names."There was a small smile plastered on her lips as she watched the siblings interact.

Barry is still a little skeptical about the twins but he trusts Caitlin and if she says she's going to be fine then she will be.

Barry couldn't help but stare at her, watching every single inch of her face and seeing the longing expression. He couldn't help but wonder if she was longing for a sibling or if she wanted to be cared for as much as the boy cared for his sister. 

"Still can't manage to sleep?" The question got her attention before she narrowed her eyes on his. 

"It's getting better." Lie. He's watching her with careful eyes, hovering just outside of her personal space, like he's not quite sure if he should come closer. The look he sends her is undeniably questioning, so she gives a sigh before shrugging. 

"I'm fine go home Barry. Iris is probably waiting." he tries not to frown almost groaning a quick no; she staves off his protests. "Seriously, go," she grins as she presses a kiss to his cheek, trying not to gag, "you stink and you're sore. The rain and sweat sent doesn't mix well."

It takes a long moment; he sighs first and then meets her eyes, nodding. "Call me if you need something?" he turns away before looking back "anything"

She can live with that.

...................................................

She's half asleep, sprawled across the hospital bed in the med bay, a picture that Caitlin couldn't see the front of abandoned in her lap as her brother sat near her feet absentmindedly. There's a documentary about epigenetics playing on the TV, but neither of them are really watching. 

After Barry had left Caitlin had walked in and introduced herself. There was a silence and Caitlin noticed that they don't want to talk so she simply offered to watch something.

"You should go home," The girls suddenly mumbles from her place propped up against a pillow. She doesn't sound particularly excited about it and Caitlin has to laugh a little at that: she barely got to know these kids but there's already a pretty good understanding between them (The teens been nibbling crackers and sipping protein shakes with the kind of trepidation Caitlin usually reserves for venturing into Cisco's work refrigerator). "It's late."

The boy nods but makes no move to swing off the bed. Instead, he takes a deep breath, gathers his courage and presents another option. "Or you could just stay and ask what you've been dying to ask?"

It's a big push, considering they've been tiptoeing around it all nights watching tv. She manages to hold her ground but she's fairly certainly they can see right through her. So she sighs and sits up. "I just- It's like you guys came out of nowhere. Barry checked all over the city for any sign of distress and found nothing then you guys just..Show up."

If they notices her anxiety, they don't say anything: there's a sigh passed them before they turn to look at her, a curl and a twist and a dancing light behind the dark warmth of there eyes that she just catches before her head ducks. The girl tugs on her shirt, (Which happened's to be Caitlin's extra clothes that she offered the girl as apposed to the clothes Barry offered they young boy.)  "It was raining pretty bad when we got here, he probably missed us". 

Caitlin was still skeptical, Barry was persistent when it came to patrol and he never misses an ally let alone two injured teens. "So if you don't want to tell me where your from can you at least tell me your names?" She figured if they where going to spend the night here, she could at least get something out of them.

"I'm Brett Al-Alington and this is my twin sister Bree Alington"

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So here it is,  I have most of this story done and I can tell you that it does get better

comment if you have any insight an don't forget to

VOTEEE.....