Chapter Text
It's his first day at CCPD. He's pretty sure nervous isn't strong enough to describe his feelings.
The Captian - David Singh, according to his name tag - is strict, doesn't stray from the point and he likes it. Singh's reading something out loud- which he's pretty sure he should listen to, but he finds himself drifting away, again.
It's his first time outside of the grim, but still homey UK. Here, in Central everything is sunny, bright as if they don't have such a big problems with the metahumans.Especially that Zoom one. He still sees it in his mind, the way that thing had the Flash - the Hero, the Saviour he muses- in his grasp. Not long after that came the notification that on the CSI department was a vacancy, and if you had the right education, you'd start immediately. He didn't even hesitated, didn't think it through the way he should've before he sent his CV and within a day he packed everything. He wrote a simple letter to his parents and threw it in the mailbox, ready to go, without a proper goodbye.
And now here he was, sitting in this chair, listening to his rights - not that he didn't study it in his way here, thank you very much- and sometimes nodded. The Captian said something, then he pushed a paper in front of him, with a pen.
"And this is your contract.I've just read the important parts out loud to you, but if you still need some time, that's fine by me, but I'd love to wrap this up today so you could start soon."
Before the Captian could finish his speech, he already signed it.
"And this is where most of our CSIs work." says the Captian, after he was shown around the precinct. "And this will be your table." the table he gestures to is near the window, at the bottom level. There's at least six or seven tables in the room, all of them messy with folders and who knows what's. The smell at least is clearly some kind of detergent and it's a relief.
"If you need something, there's the storage of the chemicals, and there's the way to the morgue if needed. I hope you'll enjoy working here and your work will be successful."
There's one man he just can't figure out. He hasn't seen that often, just when he took his results to the Captian. He was always late, always ran and babbled like a teenager.
According to the others, his name is Allen. And he has his own lab. He never envied someone before, but now, he's really close to it.
He just can't understand these people. They should be the ones, who arrests these metahumans, the ones who chase them and get them arrested and make them face the consequences of their actions. But no, they have the Flash, so why should they put effort in their work? He really hates that guy.
He knows it'll be a terrible day before he even arrives at his workplace. It's raining and it's not that kind of rain you found romantic, oh no, it's like a freaking flood, and the water is billowing on the streets because the channels can't swallow it. By the time he makes it to the precinct, he's soaked and he's really annoyed and grumpy. And that's before he even hears the bad news.
"Oh, Albert, you finally made it! You should go down to the labs, one of the pipes got broken."
And of fucking course, his table is the only one which got washed away.
Until his workplace is under reconstruction, he was moved up to Allen's lab. The other CSI just looked as pleased as he felt when the Captian told them the news. So, he got a new table and ta-da, the problem was solved, even if just temporarily.
He can't even admit it to himself, but he was sure the Captian was ready to send him home, saying he earned a month-long vacation with all the hard work he has done. That he should just go home to spend some time with his family. And he just couldn't let that happen. There was no way he was ready to head home, to see the disapproving glances on his own parent's faces. The way he just left, without an explanation, the one who should've inherited the goods, the wealth, the one who was the heir - and he let them down and was back, like some stray, who couldn't survive on his own, the prodigal son. He was so desperate that he was ready to beg. And an Albert never begs.
Instead, he got paired with Allen, and for a moment he isn't sure he ended up with the better choice.
Working so closely with Allen isn't that bad. Sure, he has is own flaws, like he's almost late to everything and talks when he shouldn't but he can't deny the fact he's a good CSI - the moment the meaning of this sentence sunk in he was pretty sure he technically choked and almost suffocated, earning some funny looks - and if he isn't acting like an asshole, who's above him, a great company.
But learning from his previous experiences, he knows he can't afford the luxury to have friends. The last time tried to get along his coworkers outside of work, they made fun of him, so why would it be different?
So he, at first, patiently shuts down Allen requests for coffee breaks, or the offers to have lunch with him and his friends - and aren't they just weird? How an Earth did they met?What brought them together? - and when he volunteers to help in out with his cases. And then, along the way, he just snaps one time, and he responds more angrily and Allen just shouts back at him, saying things which make him lose his control and in the end Joe has to step in before they both do something they'd regret later - if just for the fact that their renown would be stained.
After that, Allen never asks him again, talks to him if it's necessary and behind his back just calls him the guy, who he really just hates. Julian ignores the hurt and responds in kind.
It's close to May when one day Barry shows up to work and his posture radiates defeat. There was always something different about the other man like he was more than he let on like he was some otherworldly half-God. But now, he looked like just lost the want to live. Without a snarky comment, he makes his way past him and just sits down, looking miserable.
He works without a break, and around 1.00 pm he looks like he's gonna faint. Before he could change his mind, he goes down to Jitters and buys two cups of coffee. On his way back to work he tries to reason himself, collects reasons why he should and why he shouldn't give this coffee to him.
But when he does give it to him, the way Allen's tired, dull eyes come alive again, the way he smiles at him, just a shy, if-you-blink-you-gonna.miss-it one, the butterflies in his stomach are totally worth it.
They don't talk about it as if it never happened. They're just bantering, trying to rile up the other. Barry - and when did he become Barry? - complaining he really wants back his lab, and himself just goes along with it, saying he too wants it.
But Julian just can't forget that smile, the way the other smiled up at him.
Until one day everything changes, not long after West claimed that Zoom was gone for good.
The day when Barry walked in one day, saying things, acting like he never saw him before.