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The whole world was falling apart. Joe was right all along, and apparently one could never realy trust anybody in this world. The very same man who saved him, gave him purpose and in many ways was starting to become his family, killed his mom. While trying to kill Barry, if it wasn`t enough. Doctor Wells being the Reverse Flash made no sense at all, and the next second it would seem that obvious that Barry blamed himself for not figuring out sooner.
Caitlin and Cisco were in shock, too, and there was no telling whether it was easier for them than it was for Barry, or even harder. Wells didn’t do them any actual harm – apart from that Cisco’s vision, but those were the events that didn’t actually take place - but they worked with him for years, stood by his side when the whole world turned on their mentor, and now found out they were being deceived all the time. None of them even met the real Harrison Wells, who have been dead for the last fifteen years. Still, they couldn`t bring themselves to call him “Eobard Thawne”. It sounded weird and unfamiliar.
But for Barry, it was more than broken trust. Wells turned out to be the speedster much like himself, and in a way it gave them a special connection that nobody else could fully understand. Moreover, he still couldn’t help thinking of Wells and Reverse Flash as two different persons. His admiration and respect for Wells didn’t vanish upon discovering his secret. Instead of disgust and anger, he felt interest and tried again and again to understand the man he thought he knew so well.
On the nights when he couldn’t fall asleep, Barry raced the streets, challenging himself to go faster, wishing to feel the mysterious speedforce Wells once told him about. He secretly hoped that during one of those strolls he would find Harrison – or, more likely, Harrison would find him. The truth was, he had absolutely no idea what he’d do if they actually met.
And of course, one night the universe reminded him that it was vital to be careful what you wish for.
He was running without paying much attention to his surroundings, relying on pure instinct. He didn’t have Caitlin or Cisco in his earpiece: they both went home to rest while he decided that a good run would help him clear his head. Suddenly he saw a red streak and, before he could move a muscle, felt being pulled sideways and thrown into the wall. The collision slammed all the air out of his lungs, and he crouched on the ground, gasping and trying to recover from the pain as soon as possible.
“You,” he spat at the figure in yellow. The figure’s face, as usual, was a blur. “You know, there’s no point in doing this since I already know who you are.”
The blur slowly ceased. Harrison took off his mask and approached Barry with silent steps.
“Don’t try to change what’s destined to happen,” he said almost kindly.
“Well,” Barry stared right into his face with mixed feelings, “knowing me, I guess I’l try anyway.”
Wells clenched his teeth and slammed his fist into the wall next to Barry. It crackled, and the whole building shook and nastily creaked. He took a swing again, this time aiming at Barry’s face, but suddenly dropped his hand.
“If you only knew,” he whispered, leaning close to Barry. For a long second they gazed into each other’s eyes, and then Wells was gone in a flash of red. Barry sat against the wall after making sure it wasn’t going to collapse, breathing heavily and wondering what on earth just happened between the two of them.
* * *
“I will always beat you… Flash,” the Reverse Flash pinned him against the wall of the particle acelerator. “And just to be clear, after I kill you, I will kill them all,” he gestured at Barry’s friends, frozen in terror behind him. “And then I’ll kill your father.”
It all happened so fast that none of the rest had any chance to notice it. But Barry knew that before Eddie shot himself, before everything became right and wrong at tbe same time, he hissed at the man in yellow:
“You know, whatever it is, you better leave my friends and family alone. But why? Why do you hate me so much?”
For about a nanosecond the Reverse Flash stopped blurring, and Eo- no, Harrison Wells told him in a bitter voice:
“It would’ve been so much easier if now I could truly hate you.”
For half a nanosecond his grip changed from rough to just firm, and their lips met, and Harrison kissed him passionately and angrily. Barry couldn’t even pull away or move, trapped by the other man’s arms. Before he managed to fully comprehend what was going on, Wells already drew back, and the shot excrutiatingly louldly echoed in the walls.
When later Barry tried to wrap his head around it, he soon gave up. It all was too rapid to make anything out of it. Harrison Wells now never existed, and they could move on. Everything was fine.
But Barry Allen knew one simple thing, and had no idea what to do with that knowledge: if their lips were joined just for a moment longer, he actually would’ve kissed back.