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Dark ominous storm clouds slowly crept across Central City in the early hours of the evening. It wasn’t long before low rumbles of thunder were heard and the wind started to pick-up. Rain started to fall, lightly at first but then gradually became heavier.
“You can’t go home in this,” David Singh stated, looking out his living room window. “It’s too dangerous.”
“It’s not that bad,” Barry Allen said looking out the window beside him. “I’ll be fine.”
Singh had invited Allen over for a nice home cook supper that night. He wanted to do something special for his boyfriend as they been dating now for just about a month now. They usually didn’t get to have many quiet dates as usually something Flash related always seemed to come up and postpone their plans. Tonight thought, everything on the Flash front was silent so the two got to have a nice romantic night. After supper they made their way to the living room and sat on the couch where they talked, enjoyed a nice glass of wine and engage in some very nice kissing until a particular clasp of thunder drew their attention from each other’s lips and towards the window.
“It’s coming down too hard. I may not remember a lot from my high school physics class but I do remember that speed and rain don’t mix.”
Barry tried to wave off the captain’s concern. “I’ve had to run through storms made by Weather Wizard harsher than this-”
“Mark Mardon had nothing to do with this,” an annoyed David interrupted as he took Barry by the shoulder and turned him so they were facing, “so it’s not like you can knock him out with bolt of lightning and everything will disappear and be all right.”
The Scarlet Speedster could see the concern in the older man’s deep brown eyed and the apprehension in his face. The concern David had caused a warm feeling to spread through out Barry’s body and a feeling to wrap his arms around his captain and bury his face in the nook of his shoulder. Barry knew Daivd was right but he just couldn’t admit it because if he did then that meant one thing, Singh would then insist that he stay the night and that filled Barry with fear.
“I’m telling you; I’ll be alright and I’ll call you when I get home. I promise.”
Barry’s assurance did not sway his captain’s opinion. Instead, he dropped his hands and gave Barry his most serious captain’s look. “Bartholomew Henery Allen, you are not running in this rain.”
That was the end of the discussion. Barry knew all to well that when Singh spoke like that his word was final.
“Okay,” Barry uttered in defeat, “I’ll stay.”
“Good.”
“So, I guess I’ll camp out here on the couch?”
David’s brow furrowed in confusion. “No, you wont be sleeping on the couch.”
“The guest room then?”
“No, Barry, you’ll be sleeping with me in my bed,” David answered as if it should have been obvious.
Barry didn’t answer, instead a look of panic flashed across his face before he tried to cover it up and give David a smile. His attempt to mask his fear however did not work though as Singh realized something was making Barry feel uneasy.
It only took David a moment to figure out what was going through the young CSI’s mind before he shook his head and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “When I say sleeping with me in my bed that’s what I mean, Barry. Me on one side and you on the other. “That’s it,” he said assuredly. “I’m not expecting anything else from you.”
His captain’s comforting words of assurance helped ease the tension in both Barry’ shoulders and mind. Finally, after giving a nod of acceptance, Barry allowed David to take him by the hand and lead him to his bedroom.
Inside David’s room, Barry stood as he watched the man go over to his dresser and started rummaging through the drawers till he found what he was looking for and turned back to face Barry
“Here, I hope these will be alright,” David said as he held out a part of black and blue plaid pajama bottoms and a grey t-shirt.
“Thank you,” Barry said, a feeling wonderment going through him as he took the offered clothes.
“You’re welcome. Bathroom through there,” David indicated to a door, “you can take a shower if you want and there’s an extra tooth in the cabinet.”
David smiled and left the room, leaving a stunned Barry behind. As if on autopilot, Barry found himself heading towards the bathroom. Alone, Barry took a moment to think over what had just happened. Usually, Barry would go to sleep in just his boxers but David, having deduced Barry’s feeling, provided him with something to wear to help him feel more at ease. Looking at the t-shirt, Barry saw that it was a Central City Police Training Academy shirt. It was slightly faded and Barry quickly realized that Singh must have had this for years. Barry felt his lips quivering as he realized the significance of the captain’s action. David had willingly given him a shirt that held great sentimental feelings for him without a second thought. Barry thought he was going to start crying at the simple gesture that had greater meaning behind it. Barry took a couple deep breaths to steady himself. The last thing he wanted was for David to find him on the floor crying over a t-shirt. Deciding to forgo the shower, Barry changed cloths. The shirt was a little too big, hanging off his shoulders but it smelled like David so Barry was content. Finding the toothbrush, Barry then went ahead and brushed his teeth and when he was done, he went back into David’s room.
He had barely taken two steps in when Barry suddenly stopped when he caught sight of David. The man had already changed and now was wearing a form fitting grey tank top and well-fitting pair of black joggers.
“You look good in my clothes,” David said upon Barry’s return.
“Thanks,” Barry blushed and David could not help but smile at the younger man’s awkwardness.
“You’re too adorable, Allen,” David said as he lightly kissed Barry on the lips. “You get yourself comfy and I’ll be back.
After David had gone into the bathroom, Barry, with great trepidation, got into the bed. The bed was large enough for two unlike his own bed back in his apartment. Seeing the bedside table was on the left side, Barry got in on the right side.
“Comfy?” David asked exiting the bathroom.
“Yeah,” was all Barry found he was able to say.
David leaned in and kissed Barry light on the cheek. “Good night, Barry,” he said before reaching over and turned the light off.
Barry lay there in the dark, unsure of what to do. Was he supposed to stay there on his side or was David expecting him to get close to him. After turning off the light, David rolled over on his side facing away from Barry. He hadn’t tried to reach for him or nothing. While he had been nervous about sleeping in the same bed as his boyfriend, Barry had liked the idea of sleeping while David was holding onto him. Yet it looked like David didn’t share that idea.
Letting out a small sad sigh, Barry rolled over and closed his eyes, hoping to fall asleep.
The storm picked up over time. Rain fell hard against roofs and against the glass of the windowpanes. The wind howled and caused tree limbs to shake and bang against each other. Every now and again, the night sky was illuminated by a flash of lighting followed by a rumble of deep thunder that seemed to shake the house. Barry looked out the bedroom window, arms crossed, watching the storm continue on. The digital clock on the bedside table read 3:28 AM. He had been up looking out the window since he had woken up a littler after 3 am. The storm hadn’t woken him though. He had been awake for a while, looking up at the dark celling for some time, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts.
As he continued to look out at the stormy night, the only sound he could hear was the rain pitted the windows and the almost mournful wail of the wind. So, Barry did not hear the sound of movement from the bed or the footsteps that followed and came to a stop behind him.
“Couldn’t sleep,” a warm voice asked as Barry felt two strong arms wrap themselves around his waist.
“No,” the young man answered. “What are you doing up?”
“I rolled over and you weren’t there for me to cuddle with. I had assumed that would be one of the perks of you spending the night,” David answered as he gently kissed Barry’s shoulder.
“Sorry. I guess I thought you...”
“Me what?”
“That you didn’t want to do anything like that since you just….” Barry trailed off, not really knowing how to finish the sentence.
“Barry, are you upset that I made you stay the night?” David asked, his voice low but gentle.
Barry didn’t answer. Instead, he moved back to the bed and sat down. David followed and turned to light on before sitting down next to his melancholy looking boyfriend. After a moment of debating how to answer, Barry lowered his head and sighed. “We…We haven’t….done….”
Realizing what Barry was trying to convey, David leaned over and took Barry in his arms, tightening his hold on the younger man and buried his face in his neck. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, Barry. I really didn’t want you out there and I also thought….thought we were getting close to….”
“To what?”
“Closer to being together,” David answered. “I know you’ve been worried about the whole sex thing so that’s why I was happy to take things slows. I just kinda of felt lately that you were getting more comfortable so I was feeling better about bringing up the topic of you possibly spending the night with me and seeing how that went. I guess the storm just pushed me into asking you.”
“So, you just rolling over and not trying to hold onto me?”
“I didn’t want you to feel that you owed me anything.”
Barry felt he could just melt at the sincerity in his captain’s words. “I guess I’m something of an idiot.”
David chuckled. “Maybe but you’re my adorable idiot.” He kissed Barry again and leaned back down, bringing Barry with him. “Better?”
“Much,” Barry smiled as he positioned himself better in David’s embrace.
Reaching for the light, David turned it off, plunging the room back into darkness.
The storm continued on but it went unnoticed by Barry and David. For the rest of the night both men slept comfortably in the warm and loving embrace of each other.