Dropping In

[swoopyhair]

Once he'd gotten word from Noah that it would be safe, Peter was eager to visit Central City and see Claire. It was nice to hear she'd finally settled down, and something he expected to happen sooner or later. What he didn't expect, however, was to hear she'd gotten herself into a relationship. At least not so soon after moving in.

But he understood all too well what it was like to fall in love with someone at first sight. He was glad that it seemed to be going much better for his niece than it had for him.

There was also some lingering curiosity about the dream he'd had. The one where he was in that weird room with Claire and a bunch of people he didn't know - her friends, he would later learn after talking with Noah. He assumed he'd meet them eventually, though maybe not today. It would make sense if she wanted to introduce him slowly and let them build up trust in him. She'd never been so open with her relationships that he could remember - the last one he knew anything about had been with Gretchen and even then he barely had met the woman. Peter didn't want to push too hard and end up distancing himself from Claire all over again. He was all too aware that his involvement with Sylar had put a strain on them, and he wanted to use this time to try and set things right.

Claire had texted her address just after moving in, so he knew right where to go. But rather than teleport directly into the apartment, Peter popped into the hallway. He was planning to surprise her, and now that he was there, he hoped she was home so he didn't have to text her and ruin the surprise.

He knocked twice, then waited for her to answer.

Comments

[feelthelightning]

Barry was both relieved and worried that she didn't want to take that out. He felt selfish for being relieved. But he didn't want to lose what they had and he'd go down fighting for it.

She was right. Neither of them recognised her name from anywhere but Barry's texts. Sure, Felicity was a hacker and tech whiz but she had no reason to dig into Claire because she trusted Barry. "I've heard a lot about you too! Over text. So, I guess I've read a lot. From Barry." Felicity fumbled over her wording with a goofy smile. "What I mean is, you make him happy and I'm glad he has that in his life."

Barry set Claire down so she didn't feel like some damsel trapped in his arms.

Oliver walked up, stopping beside Felicity and held out a hand too. "I'm Oliver Queen, not Grumpy. And I'm pleased to meet you. But I get that. It's always a day around here. That's why I thought you guys might want a reprieve. I made reservations for us."

"Ollie, you didn't have to do that..." Barry started but Oliver held up a hand to hush Barry.

"Dinner was Oliver's idea. I just wanted to drop in and say hi." Felicity admitted with a smile.

"Digg's watching over Star City. And... I'm sure if there's an emergency, Barry can have me there in a Flash." Oliver admitted.

Barry grinned stupidly. "You did the thing!"

"Never again." Oliver said solemnly. He had a much calmer aura than most of Barry's friends. Oliver was even more reserved than Caitlin, but he still seemed to hold a warmth about him in Barry's presence.

"Loving the leather. Looks like Cisco's handiwork." Felicity commented on Claire's outfit. "Joining the superhero ranks with Barry and Oliver?"

[infinite1ups]

This was one time she was letting herself be 100% selfish. If the only time she had left was here and now, she was damn well going to make the most of it, and fight to hold onto it. They had options, there was still hope. She wasn't giving up.

"The happiness is definitely mutual," Claire gushed. "I'm very lucky." She got to her feet and shook Oliver's hand too, still smiling. "Nice to meet you, as well, Oliver." And it really was - even after just hearing about how this man had shot her fiancé. She knew it was part of training, even though she loathed hearing about Barry being hurt. "Sorry, man, your grumpy reputation precedes you. But Barry says you're good, and that's good enough for me." It was all in light teasing.

Her own grin was just as goofy as Ollie said the thing. That never got old. Barry was an easy person to feel warm around, in her absolutely biased opinion. Anyone who didn't feel that warmth was probably not to be trusted, honestly.

A slight blush rose up as Felicity made mention of her suit, and she nodded almost shyly, looking down at herself. "Ah, thanks. Yeah, Cisco's hooking me up, big time. Today was the debut of Phoenix. I just haven't changed back yet. Which... I should probably do now if we're going out."

[feelthelightning]

"It'd help if you actually smile more." Felicity said and swatted Oliver's shoulder. He remained mostly stoic, only looking the teeniest bit irritated with the lift of an eyebrow in Felicity's direction.

"Barry's always been quick to defend my honour, even when I'm pretty sure I don't always deserve it." Oliver said.

"Ollie's always had unwavering belief in me. Almost always. You wanted to kill me when we fiiiiiirst met, but after that, you've been the one who kept pushing me forward." Barry smiled and faced Claire. "He may not seem like it, but he can give pretty good advice."

"I just tell you the truth."

Felicity looked excited and smiled. "Ohhhh! Phoenix! You guys have all the cool code names! Go ahead and get changed. We'll wait here for you. We brought my car, so Oliver didn't draw attention."

"Aww. No limo?" Barry teased. "Would've been fun to bring Claire to a restaurant in a limo."

[infinite1ups]

"I can see it," Claire said, squinting playfully at Ollie as though inspecting him. "He's totally giving those wise mentor vibes." She could easily see how they'd have that dynamic together. It was something she'd witnessed in Barry, how he saw the best in people. He'd done it with her - when she was convinced she'd screw things up and hurt everyone she had grown to love, he was just as convinced that she wouldn't.

"The name is also Cisco's work, so I can't take credit for that." She laughed, shrugging a little. "I don't think I could've come up with anything nearly as cool."

As Barry faced her, she took her clothes from him. "A limo would be fun, but it isn't quite my style. I mean, I drive a hippie bus." Not that she was doing all that much driving lately. "I'll get changed and we can go."

Yeah, getting into the suit with superspeed was far easier than getting out of it at regular speed, but she managed, folding it up neatly and bringing it back to the Cortex. She added her mask to the pile, too. "Feels good to just be Claire again." Though despite the stress of the day, she had enjoyed getting to suit up way more than she expected to.

She tried not to think about what Eobard would say, after she told him she wasn't going to put on a costume and try to be a hero.

"You know, I haven't tried many of the restaurants here yet," Claire admitted as they headed out. "I usually cook. It's nice to get out, though."

[feelthelightning]

Barry had almost offered to help her get speed-changed if she'd wanted it, but she didn't seem to hesitate, so he let her go. He'd been forced to get out of his suit without powers one too many times for his own liking enough to know how annoying it could be. When she was back, he happily fell in beside her. "It's always a relief to just be Barry again. So I know what you mean."

"No offence to Barry, but the place Oliver has picked out isn't somewhere you'll probably normally go with him." Felicity said with a quirky little head tilt in Oliver's direction as they walked to her SUV.

"It usually has a dress code." Oliver supplied easily. "But I booked the entire restaurant so we could have a casual evening to ourselves." He said it as if it were just something normal people did all the time.

"He's not always this extra." Felicity said with a playful eye-roll.

"What?" Oliver sounded aghast. "I didn't figure Barry wanted to hunt down a suit and tie and frankly, I didn't want to dress up either. This was just easier. Plus, I liked the food last time we were here."

Barry was grinning ear to ear as he watched them go back and forth. Not so sneakily, he laced his fingers with Claire's and gave her hand a squeeze.

[infinite1ups]

Frankly, renting out a whole restaurant sounded like something Angela Petrelli might do - not often, though. Maybe once, just because she could. It was a surprise that Oliver might do so just for a casual dinner with friends, but Claire wasn't exactly complaining. She wouldn't have minded dressing up with a little advance notice. And...

"For the record, and for future reference, I won't ever be opposed to seeing you in a suit and tie," she told Barry, teasing. She briefly leaned her head against his arm as they walked, sighing happily. "I like extra, sometimes." Someone was getting used to letting herself be spoiled a bit, thanks to her fiancé's influence.

Seemed like every couple around them was just together as herself and Barry - even if Caitlin and Peter technically weren't officially a couple yet - Oliver and Felicity were no exception. Claire especially liked Felicity.

Once they made it to the car she sat in back with Barry, her hand finding his again. Her cheeky mood continued, "I'll try not to let the fact that my first Central City dining out experience is a fancy one ruin the rest of what the city has to offer. Good thing I'm pretty easy to please."

[feelthelightning]

Barry blushed out right. That amused the Hell out of Felicity, so she pushed further with a wicked grin. "He looks downright fetching in a suit and tie! Next time, I'll insist just for your viewing pleasure." She winked at Claire. "Barry and I briefly--very briefly, like once and never again--dated."

"Very, very briefly. We looked down that road and decided it wasn't for us." Barry said trying not to let Felicity fluster him.

"Cut it out. I can hear his blood pressure rising from here." Oliver said as he settled into the driver's seat and Felicity got into the passenger seat.

There sure would be an amusing realisation if Claire voiced her thoughts about Felicity and Oliver as a couple. He smiled at her and laughed. "I mean, I prefer cooking for you anyway. When you'll let me."

it was supposed to say "just as cute together" but apparently i spaced out in that sentence

[infinite1ups]

"He dressed up for our first date, close enough to a suit and tie," Claire admitted with a blush, though in all honesty she was blushing as much from Felicity winking at her at as the conversation. Was she jealous? Not really. It happened before they had met, after all. No, she was flustered by the thought for other reasons.

"You do cook a damn good breakfast. It's an accomplishment and a half that you got me sleeping in, so I'm okay with letting you cook in the morning." Considering she'd barely been sleeping at all before him? Yeah. It's a miracle. "But I like it best of all when we cook together." Or, more accurately, Koala-Barry time.

"It all worked out pretty well, I'd say," she added thoughtfully. "Barry and I hit it off literally at first sight, and you two are adorable together."

XD My brain autocorrected it. I didn't even notice! Lol!

[feelthelightning]

"I love when we cook together." Barry smiled and leaned into her. Felicity gave them a happy, pouty-faced smile that said just how cute she thought they were.

"Whoa! No! There's no together here!" Felicity nearly tumbled over the words. "We're just--"

"Good friends." "Work friends." They said simultaneously. Felicity and Oliver both faced forward now, as if the road was the most fascinating thing ever. Which, for Oliver, now that he was driving, was as good of an excuse as any. Felicity couldn't find it in her to not look flustered.

Barry just covered his mouth and tried not to make a sound. He knew Felicity loved Oliver and he knew Oliver loved Felicity. Both had told him directly at different times, but Oliver was Hell bent on his whole idea that people like them didn't get the girl. With Savitar... he could see why. He'd have to clue Claire in later.

[infinite1ups]

Claire softly clapped a hand over her mouth at her mix-up. Oliver and Felicity weren't an item? They bickered like they've been married for years, in the cutest way!

"Oops, that's my bad for assuming, sorry," she said sheepishly. But hey, there was now a relatively unbiased third party opinion in case either of them were wondering. Only relatively unbiased, because it was already Claire's firm opinion that anyone who met Felicity and didn't love her was either stupid or not attracted to women. Oliver totally struck her as a ladies man, and he seemed like a smart enough guy from everything Barry had told her, so... it was probably the whole Mr. Stoic schtick.

And because she'd been the one to make things awkward, she felt a responsibility to change the subject. "I've never been to Star City. What's it like?"

[feelthelightning]

They both stayed quiet for a while, awkward silence as they mulled over how they must come across to others if that was her assumption. They both knew there were feelings but Oliver kept pushing her away while still dangling the I love you card over her. At least until he came back from training with Merlyn. She'd been the one to tell him she didn't want his love. Things had been strained since.

She was right about Oliver. He used to be a lady's man. More so before his whole debacle with the Gambit sinking. Everything that happened after that changed his life and hardened him. Those were a rough five years and he came back different. Any semblance of the party play boy he used to be was gone. That, however, didn't change the long laundry list of women he'd left in his wake. He wanted Felicity to be different. But he also didn't want to hurt her and she'd be more of a target if they were together. Slade taught him that.

"It's nice. Not as um... calm? as Central City. It has a bigger city vibe." Felicity explained, happy for the change of subject.

"Think Hell's Kitchen." Barry added. "Ollie's like Daredevil." He smiled.

"I'm not..." Oliver sighed.

"Barry deals with a lot of super baddies. We deal with a lot of... well, ninjas. And assassins. And whatever Malcolm Merlyn decides he is depending on the day of the week." Felicity held some heavy annoyance when she brought up that name. "But other than that, it's just a typical large city. If you like the metropolis vibe, you'll enjoy it."

[infinite1ups]

"That sounds fun!" Claire chirped, eager to keep plowing ahead with the conversation in order to spare any further awkwardness. Yes, she was including the ninjas and assassins in that assessment. It sounded more fun than Savitar. "But I also can't lie. The name 'Malcolm Merlyn' sounds like someone you made up just now." With finger quotes around the name and everything. Way worse than Bartholomew, she thought, with a smile back at Barry.

"I've spent a lot of time all over, I can get along just about anywhere. Central City is definitely home now, but I'll have to take time for a visit, eventually." Man, Ollie as Daredevil just made him sound even cooler. From her time working at the comic shop, she liked what the guys there told her about him.

It probably would be some time before she got to Star City, at least until after the Savitar threat was dealt with, Claire presumed. However the hell they were going to deal with it. Oliver could shoot well enough to hit speedsters, she'd been told, but he wouldn't even be able to see Savitar. As grateful as she was to have friends trying to help, she wasn't sure how closely she wanted Ollie and Felicity involved. More people helping meant more lives at risk, and she felt guilty enough that so many were in danger for her sake already.

Besides, this night out should be a little break from all of that. She could have a talk with Barry later about who they wanted to tell and how much to tell them. He obviously knew his friends better than she did, so if he felt there was a reason to loop them in, she wouldn't fight him on it, though she would express her concerns. And her guilt.

"Though I don't know if I'd agree about Central City being calm," she joked. "Since I got here I've already saved Harry's life twice and had my own saved. Well, as close to saving my life as someone can do for me." This didn't count as talking about Savitar, because they'd dealt with the Chameleon, and Hartley wasn't a threat anymore. Her regeneration wasn't a secret, least of all to anyone Barry trusted. "I'm not a Meta, but I'm something like it. I was born with my ability - I heal. Faster than Barry."

[feelthelightning]

"I wish I made him up." Felicity said bitterly.

"He has his moments." Oliver offered diplomatically.

"I mean, he does know my identity and hasn't actually come for me yet." Barry said.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I... wasn't thinking clearly." Felicity sounded ashamed.

"Nobody was that day." Barry frowned.

"Harry?" Felicity jumped on the topic. "Oh! That's the Harrison Wells from that other Earth, right? With the daughter? Jeez, that guy seems to always have it rough." She paused, then elaborated. "I read your mission files. I worry about you guys."

"Cisco lets you in he system?" Barry sounded surprised.

".......nnnooooo, but I helped him build half of it! So I let myself in."

Barry laughed and shook his head.

"An Evolved Human, right? I was snooping. Don't worry, no one else can get into STAR Labs systems. I'm a unique exception. Sorry about that. After Zoom broke Barry's back and I didn't hear about it until weeks later, I like to check and make sure nothing like that happens again. We may not be able to make it here as fast as Barry can make it to Star City, but we all care and worry about Team Flash."

It was safe to say Felicity and Oliver knew at least a little bit of what was going on, even if they were being polite about not butting into it. Maybe this dinner was just as much of a wellness check as it was to meet the fiancé.

[infinite1ups]

The more Felicity talked, the more Claire realized she and Oliver were probably checking up on Barry. And, by extension, herself and everyone else. If it were anyone other than people Barry trusted, she would have been a lot more upset about being snooped on. She'd had issues about that with others in the last.

In hindsight, when her roommate-turned-crush admitted to Googling her, and knew details about one her most traumatic high school experiences... it was a red flag. Not to mention the way Sylar had stalked her. But in this case, it was fine. Clearly Oliver and Felicity had all of their best interests in mind.

"That's right. I'm finally coming around to the term Evo, if only because it's less of a mouthful," Claire said with a dry laugh. She gave Barry's hand a squeeze. "Harry's like another dad to me now. I seem to be collecting them, but I don't mind. Jesse's like the little sister I've always wished for."

Her fondness for them was evident in her voice when she spoke. She couldn't be happier about her growing family. "I'm glad you guys came. These last couple of weeks have been a little crazy, which you probably know if you've been keeping an eye on us. A nice evening out is much needed, I think."

[feelthelightning]

"I was super worried when I saw that you, Barry, and Harrison got hit by that venom. I may not know you, but anyone Barry cares about is worth worrying over." She admitted.

"Felicity's a bleeding heart. You'll have to excuse her." Oliver pulled into an empty parking lot to a restaurant that looked like it probably only let you in if you knew someone.

"Evos, huh? It's gonna take some getting used to, but we did adjust to Metas, so I guess we'll manage. Not that we deal with many Metas in Star City. Damien Darhk used magic. And the League of Assassins along with Merlyn have this whole supernatural power thing that can keep them alive for centuries. So, we have weirdos, but not Metas."

"Felicity." Oliver said like it was a warning. "She has her own problems without hearing about ours."

"Right! Sorry." She laughed and got out of the car, opening the door for Claire.

Barry hopped out his side and moved to meet Claire.

"So, you collect dads like pokemon?" She asked with an amused smile. "We just take in strays. Dads sound more wholesome. You don't have to train your dads not to bite the hand that feeds."

[infinite1ups]

"I feel the same with anyone Barry cares about, so I get it. I'm not used to being affected by things like that venom, so I was extra relieved to get the all clear." For both her and Barry, of course. In her opinion, it affected him much worse, given the risk associated with his speed failing.

Once out of the car, she grinned at Barry and took his hand to head into the restaurant. "I wouldn't wish the kind of stuff we deal with on anyone, but there's also something about the solidarity in knowing we're not alone in the weirdness that's awfully comforting."

Magic and supernatural elements? That was certainly unexpected. And yet, intriguing. It gave her another angle to consider with the stone and Savitar. Peter had said it felt mystical to him, and maybe it was.

Wait, shit. She wasn't supposed to be thinking about this now. But it was hard not to, knowing such a serious threat was hanging over her head.

"Ha, yeah, I'm gonna have a Pokémon team of dads at this rate. I've also collected my fair share of strays when I was living on the road. Or... I guess I was the stray." She laughed quietly, eyeing up the restaurant. It was far more fancy than what she was used to. Sure, the Petrellis had money, but she didn't live that way.

"Dang, this place is swanky. Looks like you have good taste, Oliver."

[feelthelightning]

"Barry's group is usually pretty good at taking care of the medical stuff. That's how Barry found out about Oliver. Ollie had been attacked and poisoned and we didn't know how to help him. I knew Barry was a chemist, so I brought him in, desperate to save Oliver's life. He identified that Oliver had been injected with a fast acting coagulant and mixed up, of all things, a dilute rat poison solution to thin his blood enough to save his life."

"Then Ollie threatened to shoot me." Barry sounded amused.

"Back then, I didn't know if you could be trusted." Oliver defended. "And I never really did thank you for that." Barry just smiled in return.

"Oh, come on. You can say what you were actually thinking. He has expensive taste." Felicity teased and Oliver rolled his eyes. He held open the door for his three guests. The inside was dimly lit with lots of glass aesthetics and golden trim. Hues of maroon were augmented with white marble. There was a man, dressed in a three piece suit standing behind a podium waiting for them with menus in hand.

"Mr. Queen. Please, choose where you and your guests wish to sit and I'll have settings brought to you." The man said formally.

Oliver nodded at him and took them to a table that seemed arbitrarily picked, but Barry knew Oliver well enough to know why he picked it. It was defensible if, for some reason, they were attacked. There were two walls without doors, it gave them a clear view of the entrance, and meant no one would be sneaking up behind them. Oliver pulled out a chair for Felicity, then took his own seat beside her so he could see the door. Barry followed suit and pulled out a chair for Claire.

"I feel so under-dressed." Barry said with a flush.

"I let them know we wouldn't be obeying dress code. They didn't seem to mind." Oliver replied quietly.

"When Oliver throws money at a place, they usually don't complain." Felicity said airily. "So, Claire, what drew you to Central City in the first place?"

The waiter brought over the menus and set them in front of each of them. Barry noticed quickly that everything was in French... "Why is it always French...?" He muttered softly and pulled out his phone to translate.

[infinite1ups]

That sounded exactly like the Barry Allen she'd come to know and love. She couldn't help feeling a little proud. Truly, she'd gotten herself the best fiancé imaginable.

Claire had spent enough time with her dad to know at least some of the significance Oliver's seating choice. Noah would have chosen similarly. As Barry pulled out her chair, she flashed him a grin and took her seat. Her jeans and blouse weren't exactly shabby, but they certainly weren't the type of attire that would usually fly in a place like this.

Expensive taste, indeed. She would try not to get distracted thinking about Barry in a suit and tie. Browsing the menu, she considered Felicity's question and stubbornly refused to use her phone to translate any dishes. Poulet was chicken, and she knew a few other food terms.

"Mostly I think I just wanted to live somewhere I hadn't already been. Somewhere I didn't know anyone, and no one knew me. Traveling as much as I had before I settled down tends to leave a trail, even when I was trying to lay low and use aliases." Which... sounded very suspicious. "Going public as an evolved human the way I did wasn't the best idea."

But now she was running around as a masked hero. How long before someone recognized her, even with the mask?

"Pommes de terre means potato. It literally translates to like, ground apples," Claire said to Barry as if she was extremely pleased with herself for knowing this information. But in a delighted way, not a know-it-all way. "I... have a few friends who speak French."

In pre op. Sorry for short tag

[feelthelightning]

"Going public is always a tricky decision." Oliver said in that wisend mentor tone. "Sometimes your hand is forced. Sometimes it feels like the right thing to do. But it always has consequences." Felicity started to reach for Oliver's hand but stopped herself before she made it too far.

Barry flushed and offered her a smile. "I never took any language classes. Kinda wish I had. Caitlin speaks French. Cisco speaks Spanish." Wells/Thawne spoke Latin. But that didn't count anymore and he didn't ask Harry if he did as well. Without Hartley around it didn't matter much. "Ground apples." Barry repeated with an amused smile. "They don't look like apples."

Don't be sorry! Thinking of you, hope it's all going well. <3

[infinite1ups]

"It was... impulsive and reckless. Even if it was for what I thought were the right reasons. I was tired of having to hide who I am, and I just wanted to live my life without people trying to hunt me down." There was some irony in hiding while on the road after her public reveal, but even in that, Claire had felt liberated.

The sentiment around evolved humans wavered in the public eye, but other events and individuals popped up to take away the attention. All of the initial hubbub around her jump had died down. Now she rarely got recognized.

She grinned at Barry, utterly adoring. He was just so dang cute! "I took some Spanish in high school, but the whole regeneration thing led to a lot of stuff happening that made me miss school, so I don't really remember much. I ended up just getting my GED." There was always a small sense of shame and regret over not getting to have a proper high school graduation. It wasn't really her fault, but that didn't stop her from blaming herself and seeing it as a personal shortcoming.

"My dad's last partner at the Company, René, taught me a little French. And a couple friends I met up in Canada." She gently bumped her shoulder against his, giggling. "Do you know what you're going to order? I think I've decided."