You Bring Out The Worst In Me~

[nevergetshome]

It had been some time ago that Thawne had gotten the results of Claire's blood. He messaged her and to his surprise the text kicked back. A phone call told him the number had been disconnected. It only took a little bit of research with Gideon to get her address from this time period only to find out she'd moved. Recently. And where had she moved to? Of all places in the world but Central City. The hometown of his foe. A place he spent fifteen years of his life. It was time to visit his old rival.

Silent observation was key. He kept his distance, but immediately, he felt something interesting. Barry Allen was having trouble handling the Speed Force. The fumbles were small, but enough that he could feel them when Barry faltered. Ahh, so this was around his encounter with the Chameleon. That made sense. What drove a dagger into his heart though was to see Barry Allen and Claire Bennet together. After he'd shared everything with her. Told her how Barry ruined his life. Even if he never said Allen's name, he called him the Flash, and she clearly knew who he was. How could she betray him?!

Just one more reason to hate Barry. One more thing Barry stole from him. One more reason to destroy The Flash. He'd have to teach them both a lesson.

There was a knock at Noah's hotel door. Harrison was standing politely on the other side, waiting for Noah to answer.

Comments

[infinite1ups]

Part of her was afraid she might never get over the knowledge of that other timeline, and that some part of her would never stop doubting, even just a little. But at its core, that fear was mostly chalked up to her overall fear of losing Barry. It was her responsibility to deal with that on her own, she thought.

"I could be asking the same thing about you," Claire teased, filing his reaction to her kiss in her memory for another time. "You take such good care of me."

She headed into the kitchen, poking around in the cupboards and fridge for the things she'd need. "Looks like we've got everything we'll need, actually. How about brownies? It's hard to go wrong with chocolate."

Her gaze turned back to Barry with a cheeky grin. "Watch it, babe. I already want to kiss you enough without covering you in sugar." She giggled as she washed her hands, then got started on the meatballs. "Pretty sure you're just about the only person who could get in my way in the kitchen and I won't get annoyed. And... I'd rather you were close, I'm still kinda anxious after everything today. Is that okay?"

[feelthelightning]

"Brownies sound perfect." He smiled warmly as he followed after her into the kitchen.

That little 'threat' made his warm smile turn more mischievous. There might totally be some spilled sugar in the future. But for now, he looked around and watched her preparing meatballs. His grin widened. A little gust of wind and he'd washed his hands, dashed around the kitchen, prepped all the meatballs for her, having just watched her make the first one, and set them out for her. "That's perfectly fine with me. So long as you don't mind sharing the kitchen with me." He said and held out the plate of mixed and formed meatballs like a proud kid.

[infinite1ups]

It was a simple enough process, once she'd seasoned the meat and chopped up some onion to mix in. Before she could get the words out to tell Barry she had it handled, there was a pile of meatballs on a plate. Okay, maybe she should have expected this. How could she possibly say no to that face? It simply wasn't possible.

"Show-off," she laughed, getting a pot ready on the stove to cook them, and another one with water for the pasta. "But it's your kitchen too, now. C'mon, we'll get these cooked right along with the sauce." Nothing fancy, just a shortcut homemade recipe that was still better than the stuff in a jar.

Claire oiled up the bottom of the pot to sear up the meatballs, humming thoughtfully. "Ever since my family's house burned down in Texas, nowhere ever really felt like home. For ten years I kept looking for that feeling," she said, gently stirring in the pot with a wooden spoon.

"I finally found it."

Absolutely listening to "What are you Waiting For" by Nickleback RN. Sorry for sappiness. XD

[feelthelightning]

Barry washed his hand and vibrated them dry, letting the heat generated evaporate the water. Then he looped his arms around Claire's waist from behind, leaning in to rest his chin on her shoulder as he just hugged her.

"It's our kitchen. Our home. I couldn't be happier to share this space with you, Claire." He turned his head and kissed the line of her jaw softly. "I know this seems like it happened fast, but I've always been a believer of love at first sight. That probably sounds ridiculous. But I knew I'd love you. And I do love you. I will always love you." Says the Paragon of Love.

*never* apologize for sappiness. :D

[infinite1ups]

She leaned back in Barry's embrace with a content sigh, head tilting just slightly as he kissed her. It was kind of hard not to get misty-eyed, actually, but she held it together.

"Nah, it doesn't sound ridiculous. I don't know about love at first sight, I just knew I'd regret it if I didn't go talk to you. And I knew right away this was something special. I mean... we had literal sparks fly the first time we touched." Claire giggled at the memory.

"I love you, and I love the life we're building together. I thought I might never get to have this. For all I talk about making my own future, and not believing in fate, I know this is where I'm meant to be."

When the world isn't burning down around him, Barry is a sap. XD

[feelthelightning]

He was so happy where he was right now. Which made that devastating vision hit so much harder as it lingered in the back of his mind like a bad taste in his mouth. But moments like this made him incredibly happy.

Barry laughed a soft little huff of a sound. "You know, they say sparks fly when you meet your soulmate." He teased and nuzzled into the side of her neck. Now, he wasn't sure if he believed in soulmates, but it was easy to joke about.

"This is definitely where you're meant to be."

Claire didn't get to show it enough in canon, but I think she is too. XD

[infinite1ups]

For the time being, at least, Claire was happy enough that it beat down the negativity in her mind: her doubts, her fear of that vision, everything. Perhaps without even knowing, everything he was saying was exactly what she needed to hear.

Were they soulmates? She wasn't sure such a thing existed - not to mention that her belief in her own soul was in doubt sometimes considering how much she'd died. Still, she couldn't deny she felt a draw to Barry that was somehow bigger than herself, bigger than the two of them, from that very first day.

"Soulmate? Hmm. You're my Bear." She grinned as she kept on with the cooking. Having his arms wrapped around he didn't hinder her progress whatsoever.

This wasn't the 'normal life' she'd lamented about not having back when her regen had manifested. This was something better. A purpose, a place to belong, and people to belong with - not just Barry, their family - all entwined together.

They can be saps together! <3

[feelthelightning]

He had no idea that Thawne had planted so many doubts in both Claire and Eddie over the same thing. Or that it was putting a strain on his friendship with Eddie and possibly starting Iris off with negative points. It would just make him hate Thawne more to know.

"Your dad calls you ClaireBear, but I can't take that. You, Claire Bennet, are my Home. Right here." He nuzzled into her neck and kissed over her pulse. "The eye of my storm."

He's definitely making her even more of a sap. <3

[infinite1ups]

Claire hadn't guessed Eddie's apparent doubts were the same as her own until he mentioned changing the future. From there, it all made sense, especially knowing The Reverse-Flash was involved.

"I can be something of a storm, myself," she said teasingly. "But I'm happy to be your home, just as you're mine, too. My everything."

There was a quiet beat before she added, giggling, "I could really get used to cooking this way, y'know."

XD I love it! I wanna use the Lightning Rod thing because it's canon but it feels like a cop out.

[feelthelightning]

"Maybe even more of a storm with Valocity." He added. They'd be a force.

He laughed and hugged her a little tighter around the middle. "You mean with a love leach stuck to you?" He asked playfully. "That can certainly be arranged."

Some nickname will come in a thread at some point, I'm sure of it. XD

[infinite1ups]

"And whatever Cisco has planned for me," she said, quietly excited. "A firestorm, from the sound of it." Which was okay with her.

As he hugged her tighter, she just relaxed even more. Her arms were still free, and everything she needed was within reach, so she was utterly content. "If we keep with the bear theme, pandas can be cuddly. And they're almost as cute as you."

[feelthelightning]

[I'm not allowed to come up with nicknames for people. XD I have a cat named Goose and I call him Goose-a-saurus Rex and Goocifer. I also have a cat named Ghost who I call Ghostie Toastie. Ghost is also Ham or Hammy. Goblin, my kitten, is Woblet or Wobuffet. I'm ridiculously Cisco coded. XD]

---

"Well, Firestorm is taken, sorry." He teased playfully. "Ronnie Raymond, Caitlin's deceased fiance was part of Firestorm. Two halves make one hero. The other being Professor Stein. Who is now a member of the Legends with his new Firestorm half, Jax. You'll meet them eventually."

"Pandas can also be terrifying. Don't they kill people?" He asked with a concerned furrow of his brow.

[infinite1ups]

"I like Phoenix. Cisco nailed it with that one." It was a badass mythological creature and it tied in with both of her biological parents' abilities. "But I'm also happy no matter what you call me. Pretty sure I melted the first time you called me sweetheart."

She considered the question, trying to recall everything she'd read about pandas. "I think they're usually regarded as pretty peaceful creatures? They just chill and eat bamboo. But maybe they could get aggressive if pushed, like to protect their cubs or something. Bears in general have a reputation for being protective, and I'd say that's both of us, even if we're not quite as aggressive about it.



( I think this makes you supremely qualified to give nicknames! Probably because my cat Peanut is also Nutterbutter, Fluffernutter, Nutty Buddy, and anything else nut-related, lol. So I'm very much the same with names. XD )

[feelthelightning]

"Cisco's pretty good at that. Harry teased him for it at first, but he partakes in the naming games now. I think he does it to get under Cisco's skin, but they're both good natured about it. Well... As good natured as those two can be when they're bickering." He knew from the outside, his little family probably looked a bit volatile at times, but they would trade their lives for each other in a heartbeat. Barry smiled and nuzzled into her neck again. "You're still my sweetheart. I was afraid that was too sappy..." He admitted gently.

"You're right. We're both pretty protective of our own." Not just that. But protective in general.

---

[XD I love Nutterbutter and Fluffernutter! I legit would go the same route! I also have Kokoro (Japanese for Heart), Goblin's twin brother, who is Chocobo, Kokonut, and Kokobee. They're my fluffy Maine Coon boys.]

[infinite1ups]

Harry could be pretty intense, but now she knew beyond doubt that he meant well, no matter how angry he might seem. While she didn't bicker with him in the same way Cisco did, they certainly butted heads - and would likely continue to do so, given Claire's penchant for self-sacrifice. She died for him once, and would do it again, it came down to that. Just as she would for any of them.

Hopefully, not permanently. They were all working on that part.

"No such thing as too sappy, 'specially when it comes to you," she assured Barry as she added pasta to the pot of boiling water. The way he nuzzled into her neck made her shiver. "I love that you're so open about your feelings, good or bad. But of course, that also means I'll be ready to fight anyone who upsets you..."




( Maine Coons are SO cute!! Peanut is an orange and white boy, I adore him. I also have a tabby named Terra who gets nicknames like Terra the Terror and Princess. She has two moods: antagonizing Peanut and demanding cuddles/pets from me. She's literally on my shoulder as I type this on my phone. XD )

[feelthelightning]

There wasn't a person on any Earth that Harry didn't butt heads with, save Tess. She was likely the only human being in the entirety of the Multiverse that could set him right. In Claire's case, he didn't think he was worth the risk to her health. Or to anyone's health. For someone with such a high opinion of himself, he had an equally low opinion of himself as a person.

He would absolutely not let her even consider a permanent death for him. That was out of the question.

"I've been told I over share." Barry laughed. "Joe didn't know how to handle Wally when he showed up because he wasn't used to raising a son." Yes, Joe had said Barry was like raising a second daughter. Not that it bothered him much. Just confused him. "Just... don't pick fights with everyone. That's a dangerous list of villains." He noted the shiver and kissed again with a smile.

[infinite1ups]

The current situation was reaching Claire that she could be more apprehensive about rushing into a permanent death - the way she's thrown herself into looking for answers would be proof enough of that. But she'd like to think that if it truly became unavoidable, she would go toward it bravely, and hopefully it would save at least one other person. Until that point, she was fighting as hard as she could to save herself.

Like Harry, though, she wouldn't want anyone to sacrifice themselves for her. It wouldn't come to that, she was certain of it. She wasn't alone, they all were doing whatever it took. Just as she would for any of them - she reminded herself it went both ways so she didn't tear herself apart with guilt that so many people were giving so much to save her.

"I don't see it as oversharing at all. You're honest and wholly yourself. I never have to guess where I stand with you, and if there are problems, we can always talk it out." Which certainly hinted at some of her romantic past, particularly from the last few years on the road. It also was doing wonders to ease her mind with the whole timeline thing.

Her head tilted slightly as he kissed her neck, shoulders relaxing with a sigh. "I'll try not to fight everyone." And then, clearly cheeky and teasing, "Just the ones I'm pretty sure I could take."

[feelthelightning]

None of them would let her walk into her death. Especially not Barry. Like Claire, Harry and Barry had strong self-sacrificing tendencies. Both would fight her death tooth and nail.

Barry buries his face in her shoulder for a moment. "I'm glad you told me about your powers. About everything. It... made it easier for me to tell you about The Flash. Which is what makes it easy to be completely transparent with you. My life as The Flash ruined two of my relationships already. Because I couldn't be honest." Patty had given him an ultimatum. He'd wanted to tell her, but it had put her in danger just being near him. Knowing he was The Flash would've made it worse. She was safer and better off away from him.

Her teasing made him chuckle and he lifted his head back up to rest his chin on her shoulder again. "My Hero."

[infinite1ups]

"I would never have kept that from you. Once it became pretty obvious how serious we are about each other I had to tell you as soon as I could. I wanted you to hear it from me." Claire briefly rested her hand over his arm where he had it around her, and gave a squeeze. She also couldn't help but laugh a little. "It was hard not to tell you the day we met, to be honest. By our first date, I just couldn't keep anything from you anymore. I like it that way, though. For so many years I was afraid to get close, mostly because I didn't want someone to be at risk just from knowing me. I hate that we're both in danger, and I especially hate knowing how much you've suffered, but... our experiences are so similar, it's like I found the one person who can truly understand. I'm so thankful for you, babe."

She would've understood completely if he'd walked away after she told him about Thawne. It would have devastated her, but Barry would've been well within his rights to lose trust. Every day since, she was grateful he had been willing to hear her out.

"And hey, I've never met this Julian guy, but I could probably get a good shot in on him if he gives you too much trouble." Claire giggled. "No one even has to know it was me."

[feelthelightning]

"I'm so thankful for you too, sweetheart." His heart rate spiked a little more, a bit of a flutter, as he held her. "We're both dangerous people to be around for similar reasons."

If it came down to leaving her to save her life... he'd do it. He'd have to. Because he loved her too much. And that thought hurt as much as anything.

"Julian Albert is..." Barry huffed. "I just hate him. He's so condescending and scathing and frustrating to be around! Think Draco Malfoy. But instead of hating mixed heritage, he hates Metas. He went on a rant about The Flash being a bad influence. How he makes the PD weak and how they just don't know how to do their job without him anymore and what if he decided to take over the city? No one would stop him. And..." Barry took a breath and let it out slowly. "...sorry." Rant over.

[infinite1ups]

Despite having suggested it herself when discussing Thawne finding out about her betrayal, Claire would absolute hate the idea of Barry leaving to keep her safe. Just like everyone else working to save her, she'd do whatever was necessary to keep them together. That was just what you did when you loved someone, especially a once in a lifetime love like theirs.

Barry's huff was too adorable, but she held back her giggles and let him rant. Nothing he said made her want to kick Julian Albert in the shins any less. Maybe slash his tires. Nothing lethal, of course, just enough to annoy him and maybe ruin his day.

"He sounds like an idiot. The Flash is an excellent example of doing what you can to help others, and keeping each other safe by whatever means we're able to. If he thinks thatbmakes him look bad, maybe he needs to do better." She leaned her head back against Barry's chest with a sigh. "You don't have to apologize, darlin'."

[feelthelightning]

Barry smiled. Her unwavering support was wholesome. Julian seemed to have a chip on his shoulder and Barry couldn't figure out what it was. He hated Barry and that made it hard for him to even try to figure the other man out because he was guarded around him.

"He... yeah. I dunno if I'd say The Flash is an excellent example, but I try. I make mistakes, just like everyone else." And he beat himself up over them almost more than others blamed him for them.

[infinite1ups]

"Being an excellent example doesn't have to mean perfect. Making mistakes is fine, what matters is owning up to and learning from it." Which was, admittedly, something Claire was still working on, too. She also tended to beat herself up about her mistakes.

"I don't know what the hell Julian's problem is, but he sounds like a bitter loser. Some people just like tearing down the accomplishments of others because it makes them feel better about themselves." They could also be endlessly hateful toward people they didn't understand, like Metas. And once Julian found out about them, Evos.

"The Flash is good, and so are you. Nothing he says can change that. I think you're perfect."

[feelthelightning]

"...he's scared. People fear what they don't understand. And different people react to fear differently. Some hide, some stand up to it, some blame it for being different." Barry said softly, like he'd just realised this, thanks to Claire. "We, we're used to dealing with the unexplainable all the time. We know how to cope. I'd be willing to bet, he's just afraid."

Barry tipped his head up and pulled away so he could turn he away from the stove for a moment. He leaned in, cupping her face in both hands, kissing her softly. When he broke the slow kiss, he spoke a breath away from her lips. "Your opinion is the only one that matters."

[infinite1ups]

Her hands went to Barry's sides as he kissed her, and she was all too happy to stay tucked in close. She bumped her nose against his with a giddy smile.

"That's entirely possible. Maybe if he gets used to this stuff, he'll come around. But if not--" Claire stole another kiss, "If he doesn't come around, and he keeps being a jerk, it's not your fault. You can always come home and complain about him to me, and I'll just keep loving on your perfect self."

A quiet, excited squeak slipped out before she could stop herself, and her cheeks flushed pink. "Sorry, I-- it's just so nice every time, thinking about us living together and you coming home to me."