Work Text:
Pheromones can be powerful but when Barry came back in to StarLabs, Harrison had not been prepared for how overwhelming they could be.
Barry had gotten shot up with some sort of pheromone cocktail. Unlike most chemical substances, when introduced into Barrys system, it amplified. His metabolism didn't burn through the compound like it should have at all. Barry himself showed no adverse symptoms, thank God. But the rest of us weren't so lucky.
––
Barry had sat down and Caitlin and just finished drawing some of his blood when it started to kick in. Harrison watched as Caitlin handed the blood off to Cisco and started to stroke Barrys bare arms.
"Uhh Caitlin?" Barry squirmed.
"Mmhmm?" She responded and then started drag her fingers down his chest.
Barry yelped and grabbed her wrists to stop her. "Okay seriously! What are you doing?"
She pulled away in surprise. "I don't...I just had to.."
Harrison moved between her and Barry and gave the speedster a quick onceover. He looked at him and inhaled. His pupils dilated, his heart rate sped up, and he was suddenly hit with an incredible need to touch Barry, to have him. His hands desperately clenched at the arms of his chair in a herculean effort to not get up, bend Barry over the table, and take him right there.
"Damn it... This is very bad. Barry you need to go through decon right now and lock yourself in quarantine. Cisco, Caitlin, full hazmat while working on his blood. Go now!" He ground out.
Barry looked confused for a second and then he was gone. Harrisons body immediately began to calm down.
It took them almost all night to come up with two different serums. One to hopefully lessen Barrys pheromone output, and the other to block pheromone receptors. Cisco had been the one to go in and tell Barry what was going on and give him his shot, all while wearing the hazmat suit of course.
Then came the time to test the receptor blocker.
Cisco shifted on his feet and looked pointedly at the floor. "I think it should be you Dr Wells. I mean if it doesn't work then at least you couldn't do much harm.. No offense."
Harrison cringed inwardly. They were so very wrong but it wasn't like he could tell them that. So he rolled up his sleeve and offered his arm. Ten minutes later he was sitting in the decon room just outside of quarantine.
"Alright Barry, come in."
The quarantine doors hissed, pressurized air blew, and then Barry was standing right in front of him. They waited there for a good five minutes to be safe, but as far as he could tell, both shots had been successful. Part two of the test was to see how people responded without the blocker to the reduced pheromone output. Both he and Barry exited decon to where Caitlin was waiting.
A few moments passed in silence before she spoke.
"Well looks like I'm not all gropey hands anymore" she said nervously. "Not that it was bad... I do love some good arms.. If you wanted me to.."
"That's enough." Harrison said shortly. "Cisco inoculate yourself and then get in here and do the same for Caitlin."
Caitlins expression kept flipping between embarrassed and flirty and it was making Harrison sick. He turned to Barry who was blushing furiously.
"Obviously it would be unwise to leave the facility until this," he gestured at Barry, "has warn off."
"Sorry Doc but I can't. I really need to go in to work today."
...
"If you insist on going then I suggest you call Joe and get him to come in and get inoculated. Wouldn't want to have him hitting on you."
Barry looked mortified and Harrison just smiled sweetly in return before taking off down the hall.
–––––
Joe was just leaving home when his phone rang. He used one hand to lock the door and the other to answer it.
"West."
"Uh heyyy Joe. Would you mind stopping by StarLabs before you head to the station?"
Of course that immediately made him worry.
"What happened? Are you okay?"
"...yeah. No everything is fine. Ish. I just sorta got hit with a nasty chemical last night and you need to get an inoculation before I can be around you."
"I need an... So you're sick. Are we talking call the CDC sick or chicken soup sick? If I need to get a shot what about everyone else?"
"No no not sick or contagious just... It's complicated. Please just come to StarLabs and get the shot and then I'll explain everything." He said then hung up.
Joe stared at his phone and shook his head. He had a feeling today was gonna be a long day.
He hopped into his car and drove to StarLabs. When he got there Wells was waiting for him.
"Harrison."
"Joe."
"So do you want to tell me what's going on?" he asked as they entered the building.
"Last night Barry was exposed to some kind of pheromone compound. Nothing directly dangerous to his health but he was emitting large amounts of those pheromones... None of us could be in the same room as him without wanting to... have intercourse with him."
Joe stopped walking and blanched. "What?"
"Nothing to worry about. We figured out what was happening before it became irresistible. We created something of a dampener for Barry until it wears off on it's own. It reduces the intensity of the pheromones so that no one will try to hurt him. The lust is still there, but greatly reduced. That's why Barry wanted you to come in. The shot we are going to give you will block out the rest of the pheromones so that you won't have any inappropriate thoughts towards Barry today."
Harrison smirked at his discomfort and then continued on until they got to the main hub. The girl, Caitlin, looked up at him as he entered the room and waved him over.
"Detective West, if you could come over here, I will administer your inoculation."
He sat down and rolled up his sleeve without a word. Caitlin was quick and efficient, he barely felt a thing.
As he stood back up Wells spoke again.
"You will want to keep an eye on him throughout the day. Most people are relatively harmless, but some people may be more aggressive in their advances. We really have no way to tell how people will react."
Oh, Joe chuckled inwardly, Wells was pissed. He didn't like the idea of the older man having some sort of thing for Barry, but he had come to accept it. And now Barry was about to spend an entire day getting hit on by every person he met. Yeah Wells was freaking out on the inside. He could see it.
"If it gets to be too much just bring him back here where it's safe."
"Speaking of," Barry poked his head in the room, "is it safe to come in now?"
Wells practically rolled his eyes. "Yes of course. Have a good time today Barry. Be careful. Now if you'll excuse me I have some work to do." He said before turning and leaving the room.
Joe watched him leave and then turned to Barry. "Little pissy today isn't he?"
"Yeah. I mean, he's been here and awake for at least 24 hours. He just needs some sleep."
"Uh huh. I'm sure that's exactly what his problem is."
–––
Joe remembered earlier when he thought all of this was funny. He missed earlier. Somewhere between getting out of the car and walking into the station it stopped being funny. In that short distance Barry had already been catcalled, hit on, and groped, an alarming amount of times. This wasn't funny, this was disturbing.
They entered the bullpen and went to Joes desk. They were surrounded almost instantly.
"Damn Barry, looking good today."
"Let's you and I get out of here."
"Marry me?"
"You know these are not my only handcuffs. I've got another pair at home.."
"You ever had sex in a cop car?"
Joes eye started twitching.. He was pretty sure he was going to have an aneurysm. He grabbed Barry and fled to the kids lab.
"Why the hell did you think it would be a good idea to come in today?" Joe slammed the door behind him. "This is insane. Do they even know what they are saying?"
Barrys face was the darkest red he's ever seen it and his eyes were wide with shock.
"I honestly didn't think it was going to be this bad?" He wilted.
"Well this is just great. I'm going to have to stay with you all day. Hurry up and do what ever absolutely has to be done and then you are going right back to StarLabs."
"I could just lock myself in here and–".
"No. Get the important shit done, show me what it is, and I'll hand it out for you later when you are gone."
Barry sighed and went to work. Some things were delicate and took some time and others Barry was able to complete with his speed. They were just waiting on a few tests to finish processing and then Barry could leave.
"Alright kid. I've got to run downstairs for a minute and use the head. You going to be okay alone?"
Barry just waved him off without even looking up from his computer screen.
He wasn't gone more than a couple of minutes before he walked back through the lab doors. And there was the last straw.
His partner, who was currently dating his daughter, had Barry corned. He was standing way too close, and by the look on Barrys face, was whispering something highly inappropriate in the kids ear, while trailing his fingers up Barrys side.
"Oh hell no. Eddie!"
Eddie pulled away and turned around in shock.
"Hey partner... I was just saying hi to Barry. That's all."
Joe looked him dead in the eyes.
"I will shoot you if you don't leave right now."
Eddie didn't need to be told twice. He ran away while he still could.
Joe inhaled and exhaled deeply before grabbing Barrys bag and throwing it at the kid.
"Go back to StarLabs now. Before my head explodes."
–––
Barry ran back as fast as he could. He should have listened to Harrison. He should have just called in sick and left it at that. Now he was back at the labs and both Cisco and Caitlin must have gone home. He searched the building and found Harrison in the kitchen nursing a coffee. He dropped to normal speed as he walked through the door way.
"Shouldn't you be sleeping?" He plucked the coffee out of Harrisons hands and placed it on the counter beside him.
"Shouldn't you be at work?" The older man countered.
They had a minor staring contest before Barry sighed and slowly turned to walk away. A hand on his wrist stopped him. Harrison tugged gently and pulled Barry into his lap. He wrapped his arms around him and rested his forehead on Barrys shoulder.
"You gonna say 'I told ya so'?" Barry wondered out loud and wrapped his arms over top of Harrisons.
"Nope."
Barry smiled. "You gonna say anything?"
There was a long pause and then Harrison murmured sleepily, "Mine."