Saturday; Text to Action

[feelthelightning]

I'm gonna be a little late. Had to run into work on my day off for a bit.

The text was sent at around 5pm and it wasn't exactly a lie. It just had nothing to do with CCPD work. It had to do with stopping a train from derailing. And now he was waiting for a bruise over his left eye to heal before he could show up. Because it would be gone in 30 minutes max and if his bruise disappeared while he was having dinner with her it might seem suspicious.

He was just glad Caitlin and Harry had managed to create an anti venom for the chameleon's venom so quickly or he would have had to call off the date entirely. He still had no leads on who killed the chameleon or what went down in that bar. If he didn't know better, it had been Snart's Cold gun, but he was off with the Legends fixing time. Whatever had done it, made sure the Meta wouldn't get back up.

It was roughly 6:45 when he finally showed up at he place in a dress shirt and waistcoat with matching slacks. He had a bottle of wine in one arm and a bouquet of flowers in the other. He knocked on her apartment door, careful not to drop anything.

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[infinite1ups]

Claire had just put the cherry pie into the oven when her phone chimed with Barry's text. She knew these things were to be expected with the job he had. Now it was even more fortunate that she'd decided on pizza; her plan had been to bake it up fresh and hot, so she could easily wait until he got there.

I'll be here. Can't wait to see you. :)

Everything was already set to go for the 6pm date time. It only threw the timing of things off slightly. Nothing that would ruin the meal.

The only unfortunate side effect was that waiting gave her mind more time to wander. Could he be working on the case of the Meta from the bar, or was it something else entirely? Barry said he was a CSI, and her blood would be all over that bar. Snart's too, though they had cleared out well before the cops arrived.

As far as she knew, her records had been deleted. It helped having a technopath friend who could hack into even the most secure government databases. It was likely her blood wouldn't come up with any matches, and Snart said he was Barry's friend. Of course, it stood to reason that Barry would recognize the handiwork of his friend's extremely unique weapon.

Tonight was supposed to be a distraction from all of that. So she forced those thoughts to the back of her mind as she went to check herself in the mirror again. Her hair and makeup were still in tact, and she hadn't gotten any stains on her ittle red dress. She also messaged her dad to remind him of her date, so he wouldn't get worried if she didn't respond.

The knock on the door startled her, and Claire raced to answer it. She was already extremely understanding about the delay, but as soon as she laid eyes on him she couldn't have been mad even if she'd wanted to. He'd mentioned wine, but flowers? When was the last time anyone had given her flowers? She honestly couldn't remember. Not to mention how handsome he looked.

Oh, dear. She was going to fall fast, if she wasn't careful.

"Hi," Claire said quickly once she realized she was staring. Her cheeks burned as she stepped back and opened the door wider to let him in. "Glad you made it. Can I take something off your hands?"

[feelthelightning]

Suspiciously, a certain bloody shard of glass was missing from the crime scene and Claire might find out why later. As for Snart's blood, his records had been stricken from the database in a deal with Barry once, so not even his prints would come back with a match. The only thing Barry had to go off of was the way the body seemed to shatter like glass, meaning it had been at absolute zero when struck. And the only thing he knew of that could do that was Snart's Cold gun.

Don't mind him staring when she opened the door. Claire wasn't the only one blushing. The awkward nerd almost dropped the bottle of wine but caught it last minute. "H-hi!" He stammered out while he juggled the bottle before holding it steady. "You look beautiful!" He blabbed then cringed and started babbling, "not that you aren't always beautiful! But you look amazing! More amazing than usual! Like, wow! I'm gonna shut up now." When she asked, he held out the bouquet for her to take. "I hope that wasn't too cheesy." He said sheepishly and stepped inside.

[infinite1ups]

Claire did know an evolved human who could freeze and shatter people like Snart's gun: Tracy Strauss. But she hadn't seen the woman quite some time, as Tracy was closer to her dad. She herself had even been on receiving end of an accidental freezing. It was partly why she'd cheekily told Thawne she had most of her originals.

All of that was the farthest thing from her mind as she was letting Barry into her apartment. He'd seemed just as taken with her in that moment, and as soon as he opened his mouth, that sort of confirmed it. Her blush only deepened. Surely she wasn't worth that kind of reaction... right?

His reflexes were much quicker than hers. He'd already steadied the bottle before she could even think to reach for it. Instead, she took the flowers as he offered them, absolutely beaming. She closed the door behind him and paused to sniff them (also a vain attempt to will herself to stop blushing), then shuffled forward to lead him further inside.

The door opened up into the kitchen, which still smelled like the cherry pie cooling on the counter. She had gotten in the habit of treating herself to flowers at the farmers market, so she dropped them into the empty vase and added a little water.

"No, no. This is perfect. All of it. Thank you for the flowers," Claire insisted, smiling at him over her shoulder. But she wasn't idle, turning the oven back on to preheat and poking around in the cupboard. "I'll throw the pizza in the oven, should be about fifteen to twenty before it's done. And since you so thoughtfully brought the wine, we can have a glass while we wait."

It wouldn't actually do anything to her, but maybe she was hoping for some kind of placebo effect to counter how nervous she suddenly felt. She turned, holding up a pair of matching drinking glasses adorned with little white daisies. "Uh... is it weird to drink wine out of these? 'Cause apparently I don't have wine glasses. I'm still getting my place together. Heck, this was a gift from my mom."

Now it was her turn to babble.

[feelthelightning]

"This place looks nice!" He commented as he followed her. Barry did a sort of spin around to look at the living room then brought the bottle to her in the kitchen.

"And thank you for all of this! And for being so understanding. My job is Hell on my social life." He admitted.

He looked the glasses over with a goofy smile and shook his head. "Nah. It's cool! I don't have proper wine glasses either. Besides, I kinda like them!" Barry knew the alcohol wouldn't have any effect on him, but he could admit that sometimes the flavour notes of wine heightened the taste of food. Not that he thought her cooking would need any help in that department, but it also helped set a romantic atmosphere. And he wanted this to be perfect.

"That pie smells amazing, by the way!" He knew better than to show up without a corkscrew, so he set the bottle down and fished it out of his pocket, so he could uncork the bottle. "Also, hey, you can keep the corkscrew. It's a spare and not everyone has one. Especially when they first move into a place."

[infinite1ups]

"It's no trouble at all. Turns out pizza is really flexible for things like this." And Barry was certainly worth the wait. "Oh - thanks! I've collected some bits and bobs in my travels, and got a few housewarming gifts." The kitchen had an eclectic style that extended through the rest of the apartment, with mismatched magnets on the fridge and other small decor that seemed to reflect Claire's colorful personality.

She swept over and set the glasses down, then set about opening the wine. Despite not being a drinker, she still knew her way around a corkscrew thanks to family holidays. After pouring each of them some wine, she handed one of the glasses to Barry.

"Mom said they reminded her of me," Claire explained shyly, holding up her glass. "Cheers." And with the small toast, she took a sip. "Shoot, let me get the pizza going."

Not that she minded having an excuse to extend their date, but neither did she want to delay dinner any further. Surely he'd be hungry after being dragged into work on his day off. Not to mention, she was nearly always a little peckish, with her metabolism. Once the pizza was in the oven with the timer set, she finally let herself relax a little.

"So, handsome, how was your day?" she asked, leading him through an open archway into the adjacent living room. Her nerves had settled down enough that she could lay on the charm again. The couch was plush and clearly pretty new, with colorful accent pillows. Might as well be comfortable while they waited, so she sat and invited Barry to join her.

[feelthelightning]

"I can see why. The flowers are sunny and cheerful, just like you." He agreed as he looked over the glass she handed him the he seemed to fluster more. "I swear I'm not always this cheesy!" He brought the glass to his lips as if the alcohol would help hide his embarrassment. It was a nice thought. "Cheers!"

He was hungry, but he'd curbed his unnaturally ravenous appetite after saving the train with one of Cisco's supplements. He'd made sure not to eat the whole thing, but he also didn't want to pass out on her of a glucose crash. That would be hard to explain, especially after eating dinner.

Barry followed her to the couch and sat beside her. "I just wrapped up a case I've been working on for a week. More or less. A Meta that's been threatening people close to me was found dead. But things are looking much better now, from where I'm sitting." Barry tried to relax into a playful smile.

"What about you? How are you settling in?"

[infinite1ups]

"I like cheesy," she assured him. In her mind, it meant he could be himself around her and that's exactly what she hoped for. It was sweet.

Claire took one more sip of wine before setting the glass down on the coffee table. The last thing she wanted was to be clumsy and spill. Her timing was perfect.

The mention of that dead Meta almost made her freeze, which very well could have made her drop the glass. She tried to act casual, leaning back a little more in her seat, but she couldn't stop her fingers from nervously toying with the hem of her dress. It would eat at her to lie to him, she already knew, so she decided to just answer his question.

Not telling him wasn't great, but it was better than outright lying. Claire hoped, anyway.

"Not too bad! Pretty much have everything I need set up now. No more mattress on the floor," she answered with a laugh. "My dad's coming to visit next week, so that'll be nice. He's trying to be all cool about it, but I know he's doing his overprotective dad thing."

[feelthelightning]

He was being as close to himself as he could be without giving away secrets he couldn't afford to give away.

Barry took another sip of his wine before setting it on the table as well. "Is there anything left you need help setting up? I don't mind giving you a hand." He offered with a genuine desire to be helpful, not just as someone wanting to earn brownie points.

"If your dad's anything like Joe, I'm sure he means well. Don't hold overprotectiveness against him." Maybe he'd get to meet her dad? Why was he already thinking about meeting her parents?! Maybe because Joe already wanted to meet her because Barry hadn't shut up about her since their meeting at the coffee shop.

[infinite1ups]

He sounded so earnest in his desire to help her that she actually stopped to think. It was earning some brownie points, of course, and she was happy for any reason to have him around.

"Anything? I mean, I do have this shelf I was gonna hang up in my bedroom but I was kinda struggling with it..." Again she felt her face grow warmer. Her cheeks just might have been as red as her dress. Maybe Snart had a point about her getting hurt a lot. There had been mishaps trying to hang up that stupid shelf.

"Oh, nah. I'm used to it from my dad by now. He's really toned it down, mostly saves it for the big stuff." Like settling down in a new city, then immediately getting wrapped up in a bar fight and meeting a guy. Both had been shared in a phone call with Noah on the night of the fight, and she'd mentioned Barry mostly to cheer herself up. She hadn't shut up about that day at the coffee shop either; her mom had also heard all about it. Claire hadn't breathed a word about Thawne to either of them, nor would she. "I'm looking forward to showing him around - don't worry, Jitters is gonna be one of our first stops."

[feelthelightning]

"Sure!" He jumped on the offer to help with the shelf. "Two sets of hands make tasks like that easier!" Then it dawned on him that she said in her bedroom. He pretty much grew up with Iris after his mother died and dad went to jail, so a girl's bedroom wasn't a foreign space to him. Hell, Joe said Barry was like having another daughter in the house rather than taking in a son. This was different, though. Because he hadn't lived in the same house with her. So the creeping blush grew. "I-I mean if you're sure you want me in your room!"

Barry Allen, you are a mess of a human being. "I can pop by Jitters to say hi when he's in town. I'd love to meet him."

[infinite1ups]

Heaven help her, Barry was adorable. The immediate agreement, followed by the immediate shy realization that she'd invited him into her bedroom. Claire grinned, eyes shining with affection, and reached to squeeze his hand.

"I wouldn't put it out there if I wasn't comfortable with it. But, hey-- I'm not putting you to work on our date. We can totally do it another day."

An excuse to hang out? Absolutely. It wasn't anything vital, definitely something that could wait for later, when they could make time. The pizza would be done any minute, and besides, what kind of monster would she be if she gave him a to-do list on their first proper date?

"Wait. You... actually want to meet my dad?" She'd mentioned that he could be overprotective, usually that scared guys off. Though she had also said she was sure Noah would like him. Still, it only endeared her to him even more. "Okay, I'll let you know when he's here."

[feelthelightning]

Barry gave her hand a squeeze in return. "Another day sounds perfect. That gives me another excuse to visit." He tried to sound confident and flirty, but he was just too giddy to come off ad anything but a twitterpated goof. It should be illegal to be this full of happy fuzzies around someone! His heart was so aflutter, if he wasn't careful he'd end up accidentally pulling himself into Flash Time just because his pulse was beating too fast.

"Are you kidding? Of course I do! I wanna make a good impression. And let him know his daughter will be safe in Central City." His blue-green eyes were determined. He wanted her dad to like him. He'd undergo whatever tests an overprotective father wanted to put him through. "And also, my foster father wants to meet you, too. But that's something that can wait. I think I've been driving Joe up the walls since our little lunch at Jitters."

[infinite1ups]

Another excuse to visit - they were practically on the same wavelength. As much as Claire might try to rein it in, she couldn't stop smiling. She was all but buzzing with excitement, still holding Barry's hand.

Safe. It almost made her smile falter, knowing she'd already been attacked. With that look in his eyes, though, she believed him. How different would things have turned out if he'd been there? Not telling him was starting to feel too much like lying.

"He'll be glad to hear that," she said, ducking her head sheepishly. "Trouble tends to find me even when I'm not looking for it." And then, with a huff of a laugh, "Especially when I'm not looking for it."

Maybe it shouldn't have been, but it was still a surprise to hear that he'd talked her up so much to Joe. After all, she'd talked about Barry just as much to her parents. "I'd love to meet your foster father."

She brought his hand up to kiss the back of it. "He's gotta know you're in good hands."

[feelthelightning]

"He knows I am. I haven't been head over heels for anyone in a long time."

Barry knew first hand how dangerous Central City could be. He was determined not to let her become a target like Linda and Patty had. But something in what she said struck a cord with him. That trouble seemed to find her.

"Did something happen?" He cradled her hand in both of his, holding it close to him after she kissed the back of his. "The Flash was out of commission the last few days. He got poisoned by the same Meta that attacked Harry, which happens to be the one we found dead. I have an SOS app on my phone that buzzes The Flash if something's going down. STAR Labs monitors CCPD's chatter, so he's usually on the scene before the police. But if you ever find yourself in trouble just text or call me an SOS and I can have him there in a second." He'd have to talk to Cisco about getting her an SOS button like the rest of them so it directly linked to STAR Labs. It was more discrete than trying to text or call. Just one push.

[infinite1ups]

Head over heels? She might swear her heart skipped a beat at that. It was obvious they liked each other, and it was becoming clearer just how deep that mutual attraction was going. And fast.

Claire felt herself being drawn in more, her hand cocooned in his, and she leaned a bit closer. She should have known her comment might have seemed suspicious. Now he was asking, and what could she do but tell the truth?

Or, as much of the truth as possible. Snart had all but made her swear not to mention the ship. But as Leonard's friend, maybe Barry already knew. She could leave that part out.

"Well..." Claire bit her lip, suddenly awkward. "The trouble that found me was, uh, that Meta. The chameleon guy." She paused for a deep breath, then quickly added, "I'm fine, though! I'm a lot tougher than I look, and... I had some help, uh, from a friend of yours."

Snart had never told her not to mention him at all, so that was fair game. She still needed to tell him what she was, what she could do. That wasn't something she was trying to intentionally hide. It was just easier this way, piecemeal.

"Guess you can tell The Flash we helped. But, y'know, I'll try to text next time." She hadn't realized Barry was that tight with The Flash, but given how he'd reacted at Jitters, maybe it made sense.

[feelthelightning]

Barry did most things in life fast, including falling in love. It made his heartbreaks that much harder to deal with because he gave everything so freely. Both versions of Wells warned him about being so quick to trust, but it was a lesson he still hadn't learned.

She leaned closer and he scooted a bit close so they were nestled together just slightly. Barry was very affectionate by nature. It drove his more distant friends like Oliver nuts. He wouldn't cross boundaries with someone he barely knew, but she'd initiated the hand holding and seem receptive to touch, so right now snuggle was the comfort he offered now that she seemed awkward. He wanted her to be relaxed around him.

When she spoke, he felt ice run through his veins, though. A surge of panic gripped him as he looked her over the best he could for injuries. A friend of his? "That was Snart's Cold Gun." He muttered, storing that away for later. "You sure you're alright? Claire, I'm so sorry I wasn't there to help!" That damn venom had him confined to bed rest until Harry and Caitlin came up with an antidote. But he should have been there to help! She could have been severely hurt or worse!

But at least she'd had someone there with her. She wasn't alone. And she seemed fine. If she'd been hit, they wouldn't be on this date. The venom proved to be fatal without some kind of healing factor involved.

"Y-yeah, I'll let him know. He'll be relieved to know you had Snart with you to have your back when he couldn't be there." He owed Leonard. He'd have to drop the Legends a personal call so he could thank Cold. He knew the man would shut down his gratitude, but it still needed to be said.

[infinite1ups]

Try as she might to be careful with her feelings, some people just had a way of blowing past her defenses. Thawne had gotten there with flattery, whether he'd intended to or not. But with Barry, it was different. The sparks that first day had been both literal and figurative.

Claire felt entirely comfortable to lean in more, letting her arm rest against his. It just felt natural. Right.

She knew that look, the way his eyes searched her for signs of injury. It made her blush, considering her dress was showing off a little skin. If she'd been injured without healing, it'd be painfully obvious.

"I'm fine, I promise." She looked down again, at his hands wrapped around her own. The truth, now. "It did get me a little, but I heal. I mentioned people like Metas before. People with powers, that aren't Metas. I'm... one of them."

With that, she lifted her eyes to his again, a hint of desperation in the pale green. "I didn't want to hide it from you on purpose. It's just always weird to bring if up and I... I like you a lot. I can't keep it to myself anymore."

Before they get in any deeper, he can decide if she's too weird, too dangerous, to be with. Sure, he said he'd keep her safe, but would he want to get even more mixed up with her when he already had enough going on? She might just get in the way, be a target. Hell, she already was targeted. He could choose to keep his distance from her if he felt that was best - it was only fair that he could make an informed decision.

Better now before it hurt even more later.

[feelthelightning]

Barry shifted so he could fold his leg half up onto the couch, which would allow him to turn and face her better, rather than being side by side. He studied her features as she spoke. His own were guarded for probably the first time since they'd met. He tentatively let go of her hand, but not to let her worry that he was pulling away, he placed his hands on her upper arms lightly.

"It hurt you?" The concern there was palpable. "If it scratched you, the venom could still be in your system. We have a cure at STAR Labs." Leave it to Barry to be more worried about her health than fussed with the idea that she was something other than Meta or plane Jane human.

"Have you been having trouble breathing or your limbs feeling a little bit like pins and needles but not fully numb? Or moving slower than normal? Your pulse a little thready?" All spoken from experience.

He was about one 'yes' away from Flash Time turning off the oven and running her at full speed back to the lab for a dose of the anti venom. He'd already reached for the Speed Force with the hike in his adrenaline. If she was observant enough, she might see faint crackles of yellow lightning dancing around his irises. But only if she was looking him in the eyes.

[infinite1ups]

She shifted to face him a little more, hands in her lap. His hands were warm on her skin, her arms bare in the dress with its thin straps. There was a heaviness in her chest at how worried he sounded, and worrying about how best to explain tore at her.

"My regeneration healed the wounds, and I think it fought off the worst of the venom's effects. It did much worse to Leonard, I had to drag him in--" Claire stopped short, blushing. "He, uh. He didn't want me to tell. Let's just say he and I are even when it comes to saving one another's lives." Since Barry knew that Snart had been there, she hoped he could put it together on his own. If he knew about the ship already, it wasn't really revealing a secret. Yeah, it was kind of a loophole, but it was the best she could do to honor Snart's wishes, and she owed him at least that much.

The look in Barry's eyes was intense, it almost startled her how they just barely seemed to crackle and glow. Yellow, somehow similar to the red she'd seen with Thawne...

That couldn't be a coincidence, could it? She wasn't going to worry about it now, not when he was so worried about her. Not to mention, Thawne was a secret she had to keep even more closely guarded than her time aboard the Waverider.

"I'm still kind of freaked out about it, if I'm honest. It was scary - I've never really experienced anything like that before. Physically, though, I'm all better." He likely had no idea what a testament it was to how much she really liked him if she was admitting that she was scared. She lifted a hand to gently touch his cheek and offered what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "Takes a lot more than that to keep me down."

[feelthelightning]

It would, of course, do much worse to Leonard. As formidable as Snart was, he wasn't a Meta. So, like Harry, the venom would've hit him hard. The fact that she wasn't telling him that Snart was dead meant that Gideon had a remedy for him, which was probably what she was dancing around saying. The tension in his shoulders eased up some and he let his hands slide down her arms some to rest just above her elbows. The dim crackles in his eyes died down as he let go of the Speed Force.

"I'm glad you were there for him, too. Thanks for saving him. He's a decent guy, deep down." Barry insisted, looking her over with a softer gaze this time. More just taking in her features. But as soon as she started talking about being freaked out, he pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight.

"Hey, it's okay. We all get freaked out. You said you're not a Meta. Do you wanna talk about it or not? If getting it off your chest will help calm that panic, I've been told I'm a great listener. If it won't, I'm also a great cuddler. We can just cuddle, and I can hold you until you're less freaked."

[infinite1ups]

Claire didn't love admitting weakness, but maybe with Barry it wasn't so bad. He did give excellent hugs, after all. She snuggled in close, arms slipping around his middle, head dropping to his shoulder with a content sigh.

Yeah, she could get used to this.

"He saved my butt out there, he's got my stamp of approval," she chuckled softly, then turned more thoughtful. "When he saw me heal, he said I should tell you. That you needed to know, and you'd understand. Or... you might slip through my fingers."

Even as she'd already been planning to tell Barry, those words had continued to be heavy motivation to do it sooner rather than later. Yet still there was the fear that had always come with telling anyone she cared for about it. He was handling it far better than most.

It was hard to be upset about anything with his arms around her.

"Talking about what I am is the easy part. Admitting I'm scared is harder." Claire's voice was soft, now tinged with amusement. She felt lighter with that secret off her chest. If he was going to hold her through it, she wasn't in any hurry to let go.

"I'm an evolved human. Kind of like a Meta, but most of us were born with our powers except for those who were given that formula I told you about at Jitters. We all have abilities. Powers, I guess." It had never felt like a power to her, so she rarely referred to it as such. "Mine is that I heal. They call it rapid cell regeneration. Up until that Meta, I thought I was immune to any sort of toxin or drug. Heck, I can't even get drunk."

She paused, giggling nervously. "Sorry... the wine is still really nice."

[feelthelightning]

He tucked her in close and held her tight. Barry tipped his head so his temple was rested against her head as he listened to her. "He's... a nuisance." Barry laughed softly. "My last two relationships ended because I couldn't stand to see them in danger. Maybe he thought a healing ability would sway me after finding out you'd been attacked." It was almost scary how well Snart knew him. But profiling was something Leonard did exceptionally well. "I'm dangerous to be around."

"It's always hard to admit when we're scared. But everyone gets scared and I can definitely see how that would be terrifying when you've found yourself invulnerable up until then." He pressed a soft kiss to the side of her head.

"All the powers here are new. None of the Metas were born with them. But don't worry about the wine. Hypermetabolism does that. The flavour should compliment dinner, that was the main reason I brought it."

[infinite1ups]

"That makes two of us, though things had calmed down for me quite a lot before I moved here." Maybe that was because she'd been on the run for so long. She hadn't had much in the way of a permanent residence since the Ferris wheel jump. Sure, she'd stay somewhere a few months at most, in a barebones apartment or going from motel to motel, but she didn't let herself settle down.

Claire felt herself relaxing even more as he held her. He did say he wanted to tell her dad she'd be safe with him. Somehow, she felt like she would be. As safe as someone like her could manage, anyway. Certainly better than being on her own.

No one else came to mind, either, when she tried to think of someone who made her feel the way Barry did. The giddy rush she felt with him hadn't happened for quite a while. She thought she might turn into a puddle when he kissed her head, and she didn't realize until now that it was a feeling she'd sorely missed. For so long she'd been preparing to just be alone. Maybe she didn't have to be.

"My healing manifested about... ten years ago?" It was always a guessing game; that time in her life became a blur not long after she first noticed herself healing. "I just wanted to get prepped for Homecoming, then suddenly I'm a freak show and my life and everyone I care about are in danger. Talk about worst nightmares in high school."

She could laugh about it now, thanks to the passage of time and having grown up considerably since then. "I don't think of myself as a freak show anymore, but at the time, I was afraid I'd get kicked off the cheerleading squad and my social life as I knew it would end. Things you worry about when you're sixteen, I guess."

What did have to end, for the moment, was snuggle time. Claire jumped a little as the oven timer went off, then broke away with a sheepish grin. "That damn thing startles me every time," she complained, but her tone was more affectionate than truly annoyed. "C'mon, the second-best cure for talking about a bunch of serious and sad stuff is pizza." She grabbed her glass of wine and led the way back to the kitchen.

[feelthelightning]

Fortunately his powers hadn't come about until after he'd graduated college. So he didn't have to worry about getting kicked off any teams or anything with superspeed. Even if he wasn't using it, you just knew he'd be accused of it if he was at all successful.

"Hey, you're not a freak show." Barry objected then jumped right along with her when the timer went off. He let her go as she moved to get up, then snagged his glass as well, following her back into the kitchen. Now he was in the awkward position of, should he tell her that he's the Flash or should he just let that go for now? She'd confided in him her secret and obviously Snart thought she was worth keeping around or he wouldn't have pressed that she keep him in the loop about her abilities.

"--after all, if you're a freak show, then so am I." The words left his mouth before he'd even made up his mind. "I'm a Meta."

[infinite1ups]

She'd just turned the timer off when Barry revealed a secret of his own. Amidst her surprise, she managed to get the pizza out of the oven without dropping it or burning herself. (She even used oven gloves!) It wasn't until she set the hot pan down on the stovetop that she turned to look at him. Safety first, and all.

"You-- really?" Maybe it wasn't that much of a surprise, Claire thought, given that he'd been talking about working with Metas so he was clearly familiar with them. And, that curious glow of lightning in his eyes. Leonard had been careful not to give it away. It wasn't his secret to tell, just like he'd said about her regeneration. He was right, of course Barry would understand. Surging past the mild shock, though, was a rush of affection. That kind of mutual trust was more than enough to make her realize she was well and truly falling in love.

It would take moment or two before their dinner cooled down enough to serve, so she stepped over to take his hand... only to realize she still had the oven mitts on. A giggle erupted before she could stop them as she pulled them off and rested her hand on Barry's forearm, her smile softening.

"I would've understood if you kept that to yourself a while longer. I wouldn't want you to feel like you had to, just 'cause I told you mine. But, I'm really glad you could trust me enough to tell me tonight," she told him with a content sigh. The hearteyes were on full display; she felt so full of joy that she could burst, even as her tone got a little more serious when she said, "I will never betray that trust."