Chapter Text
“And that’s how I ended up standing naked on the Brooklyn Bridge on Christmas Eve,” Barry finished up.
Cisco pinched the bridge of his nose. “That’s a hell of a story, man. Glad to see you found some clothes. Merry Christmas, I’ll see you -”
“These clothes are terrible,” Barry interrupted.
Cisco looked him up and down. True, the I (Heart) NY t-shirt strained at Barry’s shoulders and exposed his belly button, and yeah, the sweatpants hit him mid-shin, but - “They’re literally covering your ass,” he pointed out. “They’re fine until you get home. In like three seconds,” he hinted broadly.
Barry had always been gloriously impervious to hints. “What if I have to make a save? I can’t do it like this.”
“Do you honestly think I have a Flash suit lying around my apartment, just in case you knock on my door at half after midnight?”
“I - maybe?”
Cisco stared him down.
“Okay,” Barry said. “You don’t. But can you help me anyway?”
“If it’s that damn important, just zip over to Star Labs and grab one of the spares.”
“Oh, I guess I could do that, huh.”
“Mhm. Or alternatively, you could take your genuine Little Italy gelato directly back to Iris’s pregnant ass because she’s been waiting for it for like an hour in the middle of the night.”
“Did I wake you up? I’m sorry.”
“No,” Cisco said. “But I was kind of in the middle of something, and I’d like to get back to it.”
“What were you in the midd - ” Barry’s feet hooked in a puddle of green cloth, and he almost tripped. “Whoa! What’s this?” He reached down and picked it up.
Cisco went very still.
“Dude,” Barry said. “Dude! Is there someone here? Like an overnight guest?” He punched Cisco’s shoulder. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Do you remember when I opened the door ten minutes ago and said ‘I can’t talk right now?’”
Barry blinked a few times. Clearly, he didn’t.
“Yeah, well, that’s why.”
“Oh my god! When did this happen?”
“Uh - ”
“Is she cute?”
Cisco looked at him oddly for a minute, then said, “Yeah, I think she’s really cute.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you met someone new?”
Cisco looked at him oddly for another minute. “Because I didn’t,” he said. “I’ve known her for a few years now, but we just recently decided to try this out. See where it goes.”
“Wow,” Barry said. “Way to loop your best friend in, man.” He actually looked a little hurt.
“Sorry, but we haven’t told anyone. We’re taking it slow. Not really spreading the news around until we feel like it’s going to stick. So if you’d - you know. Button the lip on this.”
“Oh, yeah, yeah.” Barry mimed the action. “Hey, if you want, I can turn up sometime. As the Flash. Tell her I know you and that you’re awesome.”
Cisco chewed on his cheek a moment. “That’s generous, man. Thank you. But Vibe already vouched for me, so - ”
“Oh, right, I guess two superheroes would be overkill.” Barry rubbed the back of his neck. “So I guess I should go, shouldn’t I?”
“So soon?” Cisco said, opening the front door. “Aww, gee. Good night, man. Merry Christmas.”
“Bye,” Barry said, and was gone, touristy t-shirt and all.
Cisco rolled his eyes and shook his head. Finally. He went back to his bedroom.
In the doorway, he stopped and savored the sight of Caitlin in the middle of the disordered blankets, propped up against his pillows, wearing one of his t-shirts and playing on her phone. She looked up. “You finally got rid of him?” she asked, tossing her phone on the bedside table.
“Finally,” he said, climbing into bed next to her and kissing her on the lips.
“I was starting to think I’d have to go out here like this,” she said, kissing him back and stroking her hands down his chest.
“Mmm,” he murmured. “No, it’s probably better you didn’t. It might have broken him.”
“You think he suspected it was me?”
Cisco snorted. “He deadass picked up the dress you were wearing all night at Joe and Cecile’s party, looked right at it, and asked me when I’d met someone new. No. He had no clue.”
“Good old Barry,” Caitlin said. “On the other hand, Iris is probably going to take one look at us and know I spent the night here.”
“Probably,” Cisco acknowledged, kissing her neck. His hand slipped under the hem of the t-shirt she wore. “So we should make tonight worth it before we get all the West-Allens up in our business.”
She gave a pleased hum as his hand drifted higher up under the shirt. “If you ask me, we’ve already made tonight more than worth it.”
"Well, you know me,” he murmured, pushing the shirt up over her breasts. “Thorough.”
She giggled and pulled him down into the blankets with her.