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Bart Allen had a certain type.
Everyone knew he had a type.
He didn’t know everyone knew he had a type.
He basically thought his super speed would give him some sort of stealth ability, but more often than not, his attempts at subtle display of affection did not go unnoticed.
When first arriving in the year 2016 his mission was clear: to stop the apocalypse. Falling for it was not exactly part of his plan. Jaime Reyes was probably the first time, he ever felt attracted to any other human being. He was the first time, Bart noticed how calming physical contact with another human being could be. At first, he did not quite manage to sort that feeling in.
Until one evening Jaime fell asleep, head resting on Bart’s shoulders, while watching a movie together. And he noticed that he really liked this. Time, which from Bart’s perspective was rather … flexible, suddenly seemed to slip away from his control. The minutes he was sitting on Jaime’s couch, that he would never have let passed by, without tapping his finger at the speed of sound to make time at least feel like it’s moving, suddenly felt like something he did not want to end.
When Jaime awoke after what felt like hours, Bart’s only thought was: “I wish, we could stay like that more often.”
And so, Bart realized, he loved his friend, more than he would ever have expected.
That’s when Bart used his powers to enjoy this newfound emotion to its biggest extent. Whether it be holding Jaime’s hand just a split-second without anyone noticing or carrying him like a princess because it would be so much faster. (Which for Jaime it was at least.) He didn’t do anything inappropriate though.
Or maybe there was the occasional peek if he was being really honest.
Until Jaime met Traci and they ended up dating.
When Traci first met both of them, she just thought they were really close guy friends, totally comfortable with hugging or just being a bit touchy sometimes. Until she realized that Bart mostly initiated those hugs and touches. And then she realized “Damn, I might be in a love triangle.”
It wasn’t after months, when Bart, Jaime and Traci were hanging out that Jaime noticed his both friends sure loved maintaining eye contact with him. When pointing that out, Bart and Traci just gave each other a very desperate look after which everyone in the room completely understood the situation at hand.
And that led to Bart doing what he was best at: running.
Bart wasn’t one to easily get jealous. In fact, he might have actually played a role in getting Traci and Jaime together. He was happy seeing his friend happy.
What he didn’t know at that point was how awkward being around couples could be. More often than not he would feel like a third wheel. Or a fifth, if Cassie and Tim were around. But they were his only friends, so what else was there to do?
Entrance love interest number two: Eduardo Dorado Jr. He was a … friend? Acquaintance? Person Jaime knew. When the Meta-Human Youth Centre opened, he accompanied Jaime and Megan where he met Ed.
Bart being his usual self, explored the facility within minutes, introduced himself to anyone, and did not really bother to get introduced to anyone. But there was just something about Ed that quickly gained his attention. Maybe it was the fact, that he teleported right in front of him, while he was running around the entrance hall, crashing into him (pun fully intended).
One of the fastest people alive getting stopped that easily wasn’t something Bart took on lightly. On so it would happen quite often that Bart would just literally run into Ed at the facility, once a week, twice a week, every two days, until they had so much fun, and that weird little game turned into a bit of their everyday life, that they didn’t even realize they were gradually becoming best friends.
Though for Bart once more, Ed turned into something more. And Bart’s time gradually slowed down, every time that cool boy with the ridiculous hair came into his view until he took the time slowly coming to a halt in front of him and planting a soft kiss on the other’s lips.
It took both of them a second to realize what just happened. And that they might have kissed outside the MHYC in broad daylight on a time were people walked in and out of the huge glass doors, that where the entrance to the facility.
In embarrassment Ed teleported away, only to come back a second later and taking Bart with him to the roof, where they were alone, and where they kissed each other. Ed felt guilty about it, because that was one part of him, he still couldn’t accept. The metagene and his sexuality just were two completely different things.
“I love you, but I am scared to do so.”
Bart knew that feeling. He recounted how he ran away from Jaime because he too got scared. But Jaime was there for him, and he helped him sort things out. And Bart hoped, he could do the same thing for Ed.
Jaime noticed a few things changing between Ed and Bart. First of all, they were spending a lot of time together. Like … a lot! Jaime wasn’t used to seeing his friend more often. Sometimes he felt, that something was missing in his day-to-day life. And then he noticed the way Bart sometimes slightly touched Ed’s hand in superspeed. Or was that just an illusion? Or one time, Bart was carrying Ed like a princess to the MHYC claiming it was faster that way. Sure, because not even teleportation would beat super speed.
And then there was that … thing on thanksgiving. That tiny motion. The way, what Jaime thought, Bart moved his face towards Ed, after greeting everyone.
Was that a kiss on the cheek?
And that’s when a smile rose from Jaime’s unconscious together with a lot of memories, from him and Bart, before they met Traci. Those sped-up hugs, the occasional hand-holding.
He looked at Bart hugging the other Latino boy from the side.
“Wow Bart Allen.” Jaime thought. “You totally have a type.