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A camping trip, simple enough, a good bonding exercise and a possible excuse for matchmaking. Well if Iris, Caitlin and Lisa had anything to do with it. Len and Barry had clearly been sort of flirting instead of bantering during fights and missions for too long now and the girls decided something needed to be done. Hopefully a camping trip would bring them together, close confines and all that.
They arrived and set up, a few were sharing tents – Lisa, Iris and Caitlin together and Wally with Cisco while Barry and Len each had their own tents. Barry would have been happy to share with the other boys but was told by Cisco they had no room and Wally offered him the tent first. Barry found that a little weird but went with it (little did he know Cisco wanted Barry to have his own tent for a reason or hopeful reason if all went to plan).
The first night was a success: they sat around a campfire all snuggled up, drinking hot chocolate and toasting marshmallows. Len retired earlier than the others as he was convinced it was going to rain heavily that night even though the other’s assured him the weather was meant to be fine.
It was not fine.
It was a torrential downpour that no one had accounted for. Luckily the girls and Wally and Cisco had pitched their tents in good areas, slightly elevated areas.
Barry had not.
His tent was not only not waterproof as it turned out, but it was on ground that was quickly filling with water that then started to seep into his tent. He ran outside unsure of what to do, getting soaked as he went and it was freezing cold. He didn’t want to wake the others though.
“Barry,” came a shouted whisper, barely audible over the rain, but unmistakably Len’s voice.
“Yes,” he replied.
“Why are you outside?”
“Ten-tent’s fl-flooded.” He managed through now chattering teeth.
“Get in here.”
Luckily Barry still had his phone clutched in his hand and used the torch to stumble over to and unzip Len’s tent. He felt instantly warmer when he stepped inside.
Len was snuggled down in his sleeping bag but he flicked a lantern on when Barry entered.
“Th-thank you. I’ll just-” Barry gestured to the floor and started to descend, soaking wet thin blanket still tightly wrapped around his shoulders. Not to mention the soaking wet clothes he was wearing.
“No you won’t. You’re gonna freeze. We need to get you out of those clothes.”
Len unzipped his sleeping bag and made his way to Barry who was still shivering sitting on the floor, trying to pull off very wet clothes which clung tightly to him.
Barry raised his eyes from the floor when Len reached him and sat down, hands going to his clothes.
“You’re naked! Oh god, I’m so sorry- I shouldn’t have looked, I’m sorry.”
“Barry it’s fine. Just hold still.”
“Sorry. But why are you naked, it’s freezing!!”
“Sleeping bags work best when there are no thick layers covering the skin. Aren’t you a scientist?”
“Ohh, uhh, yeh. I’ve never been brave enough to try that though!”
“It works, believe me.”
Len had Barry out of his top and sweatpants, Barry still tried to cover himself with the soaking blanket though which really wasn’t helping.
“Gonna need you to put that down Scarlet. You’re making yourself colder with that thing.”
“Ohh, uhh right.” Barry knew it was silly as Len was helping him after all and he was a sort of friend now but he couldn’t help but be self-conscious still. He agreed though and dropped the blanket putting it in a pile with his other wet clothes. Rain continued to hammer down outside but clearly Len had an excellent tent for this sort of weather as it was keeping them nice and dry.
Barry was now just left in his boxers, they were also soaking and the wet material was becoming more and more uncomfortable.
“You’re probably not gonna like this,” Len started, “but losing those would help you.”
Barry gave half a second to think before deciding that he was already in deeper than he’d like so might as well go the whole way. He wasn’t exactly comfortable about being naked in front of Len though, or anyone really.
“I won’t look, I promise. Just take those off and climb into the sleeping bag. I know you probably don’t wanna but it’s the best way to warm you up- body heat. And don’t worry I’ll be the perfect gentleman,” Len finished earnestly.
Len turned to give Barry some privacy and climbed back into the sleeping bag. It was fairly large so Barry would be able to squeeze in, plus the way Barry was shivering he’d probably be plastered to Len anyway which Len was surprisingly okay with.
Barry took the boxers off and walked over, true to his word Len kept his gaze to the side. Barry snuggled in and Len immediately wrapped his arms around Barry's chest, pretty much spooning him.
“I don’t want you getting hypothermia on me, super healing or not.”
“Um, okay yeh. Thanks again Len. Good night.”
“Anytime. Get the light Barry.”
It didn’t take long after that for both of them to fall asleep wrapped up together.
The next morning was strange in that it actually didn’t feel that strange. Barry woke as the sunlight came in. He’d shifted position in the night and was now wrapped around Len’s left side while Len was on his back. Barry's leg was tangled with Len’s and one arm rested on Len’s chest. It was… nice. Especially now that he felt much warmer too.
Len started to rouse and mumbled a “good morning” out. Barry tried to move but there wasn’t exactly a lot of room.
“I see it really is a good morning.”
Barry was puzzled for a second before realising that yes that was definitely his morning wood pressing into Len’s leg.
“Oh god, I’m so sorry. I’m sorry.” Barry tried to scramble out but couldn’t find the zip on the sleeping bag. He eventually did and pulled himself out, sitting to the side trying to cover his body as best he could.
“Don’t worry about it. I’m only teasing. Unless you don’t want me to be?” Len teased.
And well, that made Barry think. He definitely wanted Len to not be teasing but he couldn’t exactly tell him that. If he did everything else would probably come tumbling out, along the lines of “Yes I want that but also want to cuddle with you and hold your hand and continue flirting during fights and marry you and have your gorgeous adopted babies.”
Instead Barry kept staring, probably for longer than was actually comfortable, Len kept his gaze though, not breaking eye contact.
“Do you want that Barry? Do you want me?” Len asked more sincerely this time.
Barry nodded, he didn’t trust himself to speak just yet.
“Get back in here then, you’re gonna freeze again with no clothes on.”
Barry tentatively crawled back over and got into the sleeping bag. They were both on their sides. He stared at Len and then, summoning all his courage, leaned in to kiss Len. It was gentle, and Len kissed back sweetly.
“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that for,” Len said.
“What?! Really?”
“Yes Barry. You didn’t pick up on the hints and flirting?”
“Well I uhh, just kinda assumed that was what you do, especially to distract me.”
“Oh no that was all for you. I hoped but I didn’t think I would get anywhere though.”
“Well I kinda thought the same!” Barry exclaimed.
“Clearly we’re both idiots then,” Len conceded.
“Yeah seems that way. So uhh, about what you said earlier?” Barry asked hopefully.
Len chuckled.
“Not here. Not yet. If we’re both on the same page now and want more than a quick fumble in a tent, then I don’t wanna rush things, okay?”
“Yeah, that’s okay. I’d like that actually.”
“But we can do this.” Len pulled Barry in for another kiss. “Right we need to get dressed. You can borrow some things of mine and we’ll survey the damage in your tent.”
“Okay.”
A few minutes later Barry and Len emerged from Len’s tent to a round of howls, wolf whistles and cheers. Clearly nothing was getting past this lot then. Barry’s hair probably wasn’t helping either.
Len curtly answered them all by saying, “Yes Barry stayed in my tent. No nothing happened and even if it did,” he pointed at Iris for this, “I would not be telling you.”
Wally and Cisco laughed and sighed. Lisa, Caitlin and Iris shared a look, clearly their plan had worked better than expected with the addition of the storm last night, although it sucked for Barry, but hey he had a saviour!
Barry’s tent was pretty bad but luckily his bag of clothes was still fine at the back of the tent. The group debated packing up and heading home early but at Len and Barry’s insistence decided they could stay another night.
After all, Barry wasn’t exactly about to turn down another opportunity to snuggle naked with his new boyfriend.