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Cisco seemed right at home on the stage.
He was by the keyboard near the back and Barry guessed everyone was probably paying way more attention to Kara singing, maybe Zari and her violin, she was really good, Wally was definitely enjoying himself with the other guitar, but all his focus was Cisco. Barry could barely hear the words, so focused on Cisco’s small smile, his concentration, his fingers that Barry had always known were so very talented with his engineering dancing between the keys to create a melody that dragged Barry away.
He gulped as Cisco met his eyes through the crowd.
Caitlin nudged him.
Right, they were meant to be here for a reason.
His eyes scanned the crowd, looking for anyone acting suspicious, but it wasn’t long before his eyes slid back to Cisco.
Barry darted around toward the back of the stage, briefly forgetting security was not supposed to just let him do that, leaving Caitlin to meet Iris near the entrance.
“He’s my friend,” Cisco called over.
“You’re going to have to tell him to wait after,” the security guard warned.
Cisco slid over.
“Boyfriend,” he said, like it was an aside and not a lie, something between just the three of them. “It’s still pretty new though, so we haven’t told anyone yet. Right, babe?”
“Right,” Barry agreed, his mouth dry as Cisco winked at him.
“I understand,” the security guard said. “But unless you’re on my pre-written list, I can’t do that today, I’m sorry.”
“He’s also my band mate’s brother,” Cisco said. “The guitar player?”
The guard frowned.
“You see why we haven’t brought it up yet,” Cisco said. “I don’t want to mess with the dynamic or anything. Like, I’m serious about him, we’ve been dancing around this for a while, I just-”
“His dad fostered me when I was a kid,” Barry said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his work laminate- the whole reason he hadn’t been able to join them in the first place- and held it out. “Here, this might be more convincing.”
The guard looked down and nodded.
“I can put you on the list for tomorrow,” he said. “Still can’t let you back there today, and I think you know why.”
“I was here first thing this morning, I know exactly why,” Barry said. “I was worried about them.”
“No one’s getting back there, I promise,” the guard said. “Your boyfriend and your brother will be fine.”
“Thank you,” Barry said.
He hesitated, then gave Cisco a quick kiss on his cheek.
“I’ll meet you outside later?”
“I’ll be as quick as the Flash,” Cisco said.
Barry was technically loitering near the backstage door in the alley and had definitely clocked the attention of some more security when Cisco darted out and over to him and threw himself into Barry’s arms.
“Hey, babe,” he said. “Enjoy the show?”
“You know I always do,” Barry said and he let Cisco drag him down into a kiss.
Cisco was really good at kissing, Barry could keep doing that for a while, only then Cisco pulled back to be just right against his lips.
“See anything?” he whispered.
“Nothing yet,” Barry said. “Any vibes?”
“None.”
Cisco nodded and let go right as the door opened again and the others walked out.
“Hi Barry!” Kara said, rushing up to hug him.
“Kara!” he hugged her tight. “You guys were so good.”
“Thanks,” Wally said. “You guys want to go get some food?”
The pizza place had a table big enough for five, so Barry and Cisco had left Wally, Iris, Caitlin, Kara, and Zari to it and migrated over to their own, not far, but just enough to have their own quiet conversation.
“You’re really good,” Barry said. “At the keyboard I mean.”
“Well, I’m no Dante,” Cisco said. “But I had to have music lessons till I was like fifteen?”
“You are really good, Cisco,” Barry said earnestly, reaching his hand across the table.
“Hey, so the whole dating thing,” Cisco said, looking at it. “I kind of blurted that one out, I didn’t-”
“It’s fine,” Barry shook his head. “It was a good excuse, and it’ll get me back there to check on you next time. And if we’re meant to be keeping it between us for now then we shouldn’t have to do a lot to sell it, right?”
“I still kissed-”
“You’re one of my best friends,” Barry interrupted firmly. “Best friends can kiss each other if they want.”
“Sure,” Cisco said and for a moment a tiny flicker of hope reared as Cisco almost seemed disappointed.
Wishful thinking.
“I wouldn’t have let you if I was uncomfortable with it,” Barry said. “I promise. I kissed you first. Were you-”
“It was cute,” Cisco said. “I mean, I’m sure if we were really dating I would have found it really cute and nice.”
Barry nodded.
“We should probably talk somewhere properly private,” Barry said. “About how we do this. Fake dating but keeping it secret from everyone except maybe a few security guards and Kara who can definitely hear us right now.”
He looked over and she waved with a slightly guilty look on her face.
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” Barry asked.
“What, secretly fake dating my bff?” Cisco asked.
“I meant the whole going undercover to try and find a metahuman who seems to be able to turn invisible who has been screwing with a battle of the bands competition who apparently escalated to murder last night, but yeah, that too.”
“Babe,” Cisco said, and Barry rolled his eyes and ignored the little flutter of his heart as Cisco used the pet name. “I’m a superhero in a fake band with three other superheroes. We got this.”