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Today has been another bad day in the long history of bad days.
After Barry had finally managed to convince Cicada into taking the cure, they had been a step closer to ending this.... except they hadn't, not really. Because the one step forward they had needed had led to multiple steps back they hadn't. Dwyer had been cured only to then be taken, Dr Ambres is now dead and there is now another Cicada running around the city for them to defeat. Oh and on top of all that, the lab is a disaster, completely trashed during the fight against new Cicada.
To say it has been a bad day for team flash would be a vast understatement. They were all more than a little battered and not just physically.
For Caitlin, this is exactly what she needs. To be at home, away from it all, if only for the tonight. She needs a break and she's not going to apologise for it. Sometimes you just need to take a step back away from it all, to take care of yourself so you are able to approach things with fresh eyes and a rested mind.
Curled up in the corner of the couch, a wine glass cradled in her hand, she absently watches the news as it airs the day's events. These days, it seems there is never anything good to report. Always disasters, attacks and death. Where is the good? Does it actually exist in this world anymore?... She holds onto the hope that it does, because it has too. With a sigh she shakes her head, flicking through the channels before she settles randomly on a game show. It's a distraction for her mind, answering the questions aloud into the relative silence of her apartment.
The game show offers itself as a distraction just long enough before something better comes along.
The scratch of a key in the lock could be heard seconds before the front door swings open. Harry steps inside, his arms full with takeout bags.
Caitlin looks up from the bags, watching him kick aside his boots and has to wonder just how many people they are feeding here tonight.
"Did you order everything on the menu?"
"Not everything but I did order a few extras. I figured since it's been a bad day, let's go wild with the comfort food. Besides, are you really going to turn down your favourite Chinese food from your favourite restaurant?"
The answer she doesn't even need to consider. "You know the answer to that."
"I do," Harry says with a smirk, setting down the food on the coffee table before going to get what they need from the kitchen, though not before stealing a quick kiss from her.
She pours him a glass of wine as he retrieves the plates and cutlery needed.
She smiles her thanks when he hands her a plate before he drops down beside her, each reaching for the containers of food, helping themselves to fill their plates. There's a comfortable silence that lingers around them as they settle in to eat.
Harry stretches his legs out and groans, his eyes resting on the TV.
"A zero is represented by five dashes in what code?"
"Morse code," Harry says in answer to the question from the game show host. He smirks when his answer is proven correct.
"Nasa estimates that the earth is how far away from the centre of the milky way?"
"28,000 light years," he answers again and his smirk broadens when he's proven correct, again.
"Well look at you."
Harry glances towards Caitlin, lifting his hand to tap his head. "Maybe everything up here isn't as fried and forgotten as we feared."
It says a lot that he can joke about what happened to him but still, she doesn't like it, especially when he puts himself down in the process. "Hey, what have I always told you?" She reaches out to brush her fingers through his hair at his forehead. She doesn't wait for an answer. "That everything about your mind is bright and beautiful."
"I know." He reaches up to take her hand, bringing it to his lips where he presses a kiss to her palm. "I know."
"Good," Caitlin tells him, a warmth in her eyes that's reserved only for him.
"So, your turn." He jerks his head at the TV.
And Caitlin realises he means the next question up is for her.
"Which cartoon characters lives at 124 Conch Street?"
Harry huffs a laugh. "You won't get this," he taunts, baiting her.
With a fork of noodles hovering before her, ignoring his jab that she wont get this question correct, she answers, "Spongebob square pants."
She snorts a laugh when she's proven right and turns to find Harry looking at her in disbelief. She's swallows her noodles then shugs. "What can I say, I'm a fountain of all knowledge."
"I think your knowledge is slipping." Harry shakes his head. "You've been spending far too much time with Ramon."
Caitlin doesn't dignify him with a response.
They fall back into the comfortable silence, an answered questioned followed by some gentle teasing only breaks it every now and then as they eat. This is definitely what she needs. Time at home away from the lab, to relax, to eat her favourite food with the man she loves. Nothing could be better than this for her right now.
But like all good things they sometimes come to an end. Harry doesn't want to drag down the mood but he knows they have to talk about what happened.
"So today was not a good day."
Caitlin glances towards the man beside her. "A vast understatement."
"Do we have a plan?"
She shakes her head. "Not yet. The lab is destroyed, tomorrow we need to regroup, fix the mess and then develope a plan for our next move."
"How are you feeling?"
Caitlin stops eating, exchanging what's left of her food for her wine glass, taking a moment to think over his question. Because how does she really feel?
"Physically or emotionally?"
"Either or both. You've had a hell of a day."
"We all have and physically I'm fine, a little sore maybe but nothing a good night's sleep won't cure and as for emotionally, I feel drained. For every step forward we take, something hurdles us ten back. This was supposed to be a way to end this but instead, there's an even bigger threat with this new Cicada." She sighs heavily, feeling the weight of responsibility weighing down on her. "Sometimes I wonder if it's worth it, fighting..."
Harry leans forward, setting his plate on the coffee table. His hand soothes down her back, fingers slipping under her old knitted sweater to touch her skin. So warm beneath the pads of his fingertips. "You don't mean that."
Caitlin leans into him, turning her face to bury in his neck. Seeking comfort from him. "No, I don't. Of course not. I'm just-- I'm just tired Harry."
"I know but sweetheart, you're one of the strongest women I've ever known, you're as beautiful as you are badass. We'll fight this and we'll win, just like we always do, because we're a team."
Lifting her head from his neck, she looks at him. This man, who she loves with her entire being and someone who she is so lucky to have. She wouldn't know what to do without him. Leaning forward, her mouth takes his, slowly infusing the action with as much love as she possibly can. She wants him to feel it. When she eventually pulls back, she meets his eyes, azure so much more brighter than normal yet so familiar in meaning. He wants her. She wants him too, she always does.
"Thank you."
"For what?"
Caitlin shakes her head and instead of answering, she just kisses him again and follows easily as he pulls her to straddle him.
Tomorrow will come and with it the tidy up at the lab, the plans needed to continue their fight except this time to stop a new Cicada. The thought is daunting, having thought they had already succeeded when they had convinced and cured Dwyer but with Harry by her side and with the team, it seems just that little bit less daunting.
But for now, she'll take comfort in this moment, relish her night spent at home with the man she loves. Everything else will come with the rise of a new day but that's tomorrow, for now, this is all she wants to think about.
The end.