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"So, Julian, when are you planning on asking Barry out?" Caitlin suddenly asks one day.
Julian startles, tearing his eyes away from Barry's running form on the treadmill in the room next door. It was just them two, Caitlin and Julian, tracking Barry's current progress in increasing his speed.
So, of course, the bioengineer took this as an opportunity to bring up the romantic tension between the two CSI's.
"What?" Julian asked, eyebrows furrowing at such a forward inquiry.
Caitlin just smiled like she knew something no one else did. "Oh come on. It's obvious that you like him."
Julian huffed out a short laugh, but it sounded strained even to him. "I haven't the slightest idea of what you're getting at."
"Liar," Caitlin accused, narrowing her eyes at Julian who now refused to meet her gaze.
They'd grown quite close over the past few weeks of Julian joining the team, and despite all that had happened in their past, Julian probably trusted her the most.
It came as a shock to mostly everyone, who would've thought that Julian would make a friend? And with the woman who'd kidnapped him no less?
Cisco liked to joke that nothing solidified friendship more than having the mutual experience of unwillingly becoming the bad guy.
"Okay so what if I did have feelings for Barry? It wouldn't matter, he clearly just wants to be friends," Julian said matter of factly, gesturing to the speedster that was currently oblivious to the fact that he was the topic of interest.
"Wow," Caitlin said, drawing out the word. "I can't believe this." She shook her head in mock sadness.
"What?"
"You're both lovestruck idiots!" Caitlin exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. "You're trying to tell me you can't see the lingering looks he gives you, or how he somehow always finds an excuse to be close enough to touch you?"
Julian scoffed, looking genuinely offended. "I am most definitely not lovestruck, Caitlin. And Barry does not give me lingering looks. Thank you for the interesting, albeit false, input."
Caitlin simply sighed at the blonde, wondering how someone so smart could be such a dumb ass. "Fine. I'll do it myself."
Julian gave her a confused but wary look, watching her as she not-so-casually leaned her elbow onto the intercom button that allowed Barry to hear their conversation from inside of the other room.
Then, she shouted, "OH MY GOD JULIAN! IS THAT A HICKEY?!"
Barry promptly flew off the treadmill after that, sending hundreds of packing peanuts in all directions.
Caitlin gave Julian a look, one that said "See?" without actually using words. He met her gaze with a very unimpressed expression.
Julian scoffed. "That doesn't mean anything," He insisted.
"We'll see," Caitlin shrugged, and went to help Barry up.