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He and Len were arguing as usual. Well not really arguing more like bantering. Len kept trying to back out and leave but Barry was not having it. Barry had followed him out of Star Labs and continued their discussion.
“Oh come on just admit that it’s cooler being a hero than trying to pull heists and getting your butt handed to you by Central City’s Scarlet Speedster.”
“You admit that you just enjoy running around in skin tight leather then maybe I’ll talk, kid.”
He splutters a moment before he squawks “It’s not leather! It’s a special tri-polymer blend-”
Len smirks and stops Barry midsentence.
“So I’m not wrong about the skin tight part.” Barry makes a very mean looking face. He definitely doesn’t pout and give what Iris calls his kitten glare. He does not.
“Don’t worry, Scarlet, your secret is safe with me,” his smirk turns into a full blown smile as he winks and nudges Barry. Barry is most certainly not smiling as he shoves Len back.
“Well at least my outfit’s practical, Mr.I-nearly-passed-out-because-my-parka-was-too-warm.”
“As I recall that was when a certain speedster thought it was a good idea to let Mick help fight in an oil refinery and ended up torching the place.”
“Well I guess you’re not as cool as I thought.”
Len’s hand grasps his chest as if the words had been an actual hit.
“You wound me, Barry. You are truly cold-hearted.”
“Hey, at least I’m not giving you the cold shoulder.” Barry’s smile widens at all his ‘clever’ puns. In fact he doesn’t even notice the woman who has come up to them until she speaks up.
“Well I’ll be, someone that not only stands my Lenny’s puns but joins in. Is this the cute boy you can’t stop talking about?” Len’s face breaks into an expression Barry has never seen before. He almost looks embarrassed but Captain Cold is never embarrassed.
“Oh, look at the time, come on Tia let’s go. Goodbye Barry.”
Barry sees this as Len’s moment of weakness and strikes.
“You can’t leave without introducing me to this lovely lady, Len. Where are your manners?”
“You’d think he was raised in a barn sometimes with the way he acts. Hi, I’m Tia, Len’s mother, and you must be the infamous Barry Allen. Len talks about you all the time.” Barry has to stop for a second to process that information. Tia’s mocha skin is a shocking contrast to Len’s, but he can kind of see the resemblance in their eyes and their mouths. Not to mention that she and Len look about the same age. Barry just looks confused glancing between the two. Len just rolls his eyes.
“Yes my mother is black. Yes that makes me half black. The term you are searching for is white-passing,” Len says this in a bored tone like he’s said it a million times before.
“Wha- no I get that but she’s way too young to be your mom. She looks 35, 40 tops.”
“Oh you, flatterer you. Why can’t all Lenny’s boyfriends be like you?” After those words leave Tia’s mouth Barry sees Len genuinely blush for the first time. It’s just a barely there reddening of his cheeks but he is definitely blushing.
“Tia, Barry and I are not dating,” Len states this resolutely.
“Please, Lenny don’t lie to me. I could see both of you boys flirting from a block away.”
“Mother, Barry and I work together and nothing more.”
“Well then I guess you wouldn’t mind if I invited your not-boyfriend to thanksgiving with us. That is if Barry here doesn’t already have plans.” Barry has been silent up to this point because he is trying to take in all this information. Since when is Len gay?
“I’m sure Barry already has plans.”
“Uh I actually don’t.” He really doesn’t. Joe will be holding down the fort at the CCPD while all the other cops spend time with their families. Iris and Eddie are going up state to visit Eddie’s folks and get away from Iris’ mother. Cisco is going to be visiting his family. Caitlyn and Ronnie will be going on a trip to the Bahamas because they never got a chance to go on a real honeymoon. And his dad is busy up in Keystone trying to get his practice started. Barry was just planning on sitting around watching A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and pigging out on a turkey he was going to make all for himself.
“See maybe he was expecting his boyfriend to invite him over. Now I really need to pick up Ashley but I hope to see you and Barry on Thursday. Bye.” Barry and Len stand in shocked silence for a few moments before Barry wisely states:
“Wait did I just get invited to Thanksgiving with your family?” Len pinches the bridge of his nose as he feels a migraine coming on.
“For being the fastest man alive you are not quick on the up take.”
“Well I’m sorry it’s a lot to take in, like were you flirting with me like Tia said?”
“You are really not living up to your namesake, Flash.”
“You were flirting with me?!”
“Yes, Barry I’ve been flirting with you. All it took was four months and a conversation with my mother for you to figure it out.”
“You’ve been flirting with me for months? So that means you like like me?”
“Way to phrase it like a child but yes, kid, I like like you.”
“You mean we could have started going out months ago?” Now it’s Len’s turn to be shocked and confused. For once in his life Len has no idea how to respond this. He stares at Barry with his jaw dropped.
“I’ll take that as a yes. Come on, boyfriend let’s go get dinner because I am not letting our first date be dinner with your family.” Barry proceeds to drag a very pliant Len to a little diner where they actually talk about their feelings and discuss Thanksgiving plans.
Len warns Barry about Aunt Katrina’s awful fruitcakes and that no matter what you do under no circumstances do you accept one.
Barry ends up with three of the horrid things before he leaves.