Momentum | The Flash | Ezra Miller|

17

17 | The Sweet Spot

With a slight pause and deep breath, Barry opened up to Willow. The moment her hand crossed the table and touched his, it ignited something in him, something deep and fierce. He felt a fire rekindle within him, and he took the leap, telling Willow what had happened to him while he was on the roof. He leaned forwards, explaining in detail that the reason he'd lost a little bit of himself for just a few moments, was because he'd nearly lost her. Willow's brows furrowed as Barry explained how everything had gone dark the more he obsessed about her death and it spiraled out of control. He was a backseat driver in his own body as his impulses took over his reason. He flew up the tower and nearly did something he'd regret.

" I don't know, " he trailed off, unsure how to not sound like some kind of supervillain, " I just couldn't imagine a life without you. "

He spoke earnestly, his own eyes losing light as he became more serious, unsure how she'd react to such a gesture, but it was a relief to get it out. He was overwhelmed with an anxiety that was brought on by his intense worry, but she'd made it clear before that she had made the choice to be friends with him. That she'd chosen a life of danger, and that is she died, it was her choice.

" It was dark, and I saw you. " He pursed his lips as a worried expression began to form, "It's so hard to explain, I was so angry- I felt this huge surge of energy. " His grip tightened as he tried to read her expression. " At the edge of the darkness there was a light at the end of the city, and the more I focused on that the more I realized who it was, " the hint of a smirk catching his lips as he finished, " That was you. "

The hairs on Willow's arms rose as a chill swept down her spine. She looked further into his eyes, looking at how completely exposed he was right now. Admitting he was damaged, how he fell into something dark and vast and was having trouble climbing out. She wasn't sure what was the appropriate way to react. Her brain innocently went to her medical training, wanting to dig deeper and find the root cause to his pain but instead she reacted on impulse. Ignoring those prying questions about him that she knew would be shared eventually, she offered him something he didn't have; an open ear and a full heart. She wasn't sure if he'd had anyone to really share with, but she knew that she wanted to know all of him. Especially the ugly parts.

" You're not-"

Willow was interrupted. Barry wasn't the bad guy, he wasn't the villain, he was trying his best to tread water. She'd been lost and hurt in her life and hadn't had many people to be there for her to fall back on, it was a little alarming -really, as she listened to him, she could hear parts of herself.

There was an alarming sight next to them, as Meryl stood grinning and pressing her face against the glass. Both Willow and Barry froze still as she looked at both of them and rushed into the restaurant. Willow would only get one lasting glance with Barry, her jade eyes matching his fearful honey brown ones as Meryl came through the restaurant and helped herself to their table. Fresh off a double, there were purple crescent circles beginning to form underneath her heavy eyes, but her wild smile compensated for her exhaustion. Her fire licked hair was messed and pulled up by a large clip, and Willow noticed she hadn't yet changed out of her scrubs. Willow knew how tired she must have been, and all because she had bailed out on going in.