In A Blink ? Barry Allen/The Flash

23.

A few hours later, Barry dragged a reluctant Natalie to the bar to join Cisco. "Oh come on, Barry. Last time we went to the bar it ended very badly," Natalie whined as Barry held onto her shoulders from behind, pushing her forward through the crowd of people to Cisco, who sat glumly at a table alone.

Barry just laughed and sat next to him, "Hey man."

Cisco gave them a small smile, "Hey you two. Barry, thanks for meeting me here but I didn't know you were coming Nat."

Natalie shrugged, a sly smile playing across her face, "Bare here thought it would be funny to try and get me drunk again. But this time I'm gonna try and get him drunk."

Barry and Cisco looked at each other before they both burst out laughing. "What?" Natalie asked dumbfounded as to why the two would be laughing.

"I can't get drunk," Barry said once he caught his breath, "Part of having super speed also gives me a very high metabolism. Burns the alcohol right off. It's quite sad though." Natalie gave a small 'harrumph' as she plopped down in a seat next to Barry, slightly disappointed at this information, and Barry wrapped his arm around her waist in solace.

"So, how was your day?" Cisco asked as he took a long sip from his glass of beer.

Barry shrugged to himself, removing his hand from Nat's waist, and clutched them together, "It's been really great. What about you, Cisco?"

Cisco simply responded by raising his beer glass and taking a long drink. Before anyone could speak again, a blonde woman approached the group, "Hi, I don't normally do this but I was watching you and.. Can I buy you a drink?"

Cisco hung his head as Barry looked in disbelief at the woman as Natalie tensed up and glared at her. "Uh wow, I-I'm really flattered but I don't think my girlfriend would like that very much," Barry said smugly as he returned his arm to Natalie's waist, feeling the tension relax under his touch and words.

The woman gave him a small smile before shaking her head, "Actually I was talking to him," she said as she pointed at Cisco.

Cisco looked at Natalie and Barry, his eyes wide, "Um, I-I'm sorry. You-you said you were talking to me?"

The woman smiled to herself and gestured to a group of girls somewhere else in the bar, "Yeah, I just told my friends over there that I thought you were cute and they dared me to come over here and talk to you so.. Please talk to me."

Natalie buried her proud smile in Barry's shoulder as Cisco smiled to himself, "Yeah, yeah I suppose I could talk to you. Uh Barry."

Barry looked between the two before jumping up and pulling Natalie up as well, "Yeah of course. We were actually just leaving. Make me proud." The last part he whispered to Cisco before taking Natalie's hand and walking away, only to turn around and mouth suggestive taunts Cisco's way behind the woman's back.

"Leave him alone," Natalie said, shoving Barry forward, "Besides, you still owe me a drink. Maybe some ice cream. Or chocolate. Or just food in general.."

Barry laughed as the two walked out onto the street, "Is this your way of telling me you're hungry?"

"Starving," Natalie replied, a small glint in her eyes.

Barry nodded his head and picked her up, racing them down the city streets and to the store, "How about we make our own adult desserts. You grab the ice cream and brownies and all of that good stuff and I'll grab the booze."

Natalie laughed and began walking backwards towards the sweet stuff, "I'll race you. And no special skills allowed!"

"You're so on!" Barry said as the two turned and dashed to their assigned goods. A few minutes later, and some debating as to who had won, Barry ran them to Natalie's house and they spent the rest of the night mixing the alcohol into the brownie mix and soaking it into the ladyfingers sponge cakes.

"Barry, what are you doing?" Natalie asked, her speech slurred now from the alcohol she had consumed.

"I'm gonna move you to your room so you can sleep," Barry said.

"No, I wanna stay on the couch," Natalie whined, tossing a bit as her mind lulled. "You can stay too, on the couch" she added, scooting over a bit and making room for Barry.

Barry stared at her, torn between wanting to stay but also not wanting to given that she wasn't fully thinking straight right now. "Natalie," Barry started, his voiced cracked.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," Natalie said, blinking through heavy eye lids, close to falling asleep.

Barry took one last look before moving slowly and lying down on the couch, pulling the blanket draped over Natalie's legs over the two of them. Natalie moved closer to Barry's warm body and snuggled up to his chest. Barry wrapped an arm around her body, pulling her closer, and stroked the edge of her cheek, moving her hair out of her face and behind her ear.

"Goodnight, Barry," Natalie mumbled as she drifted off into sleep.

"Goodnight, Natalie," Barry whispered and kissed the top of her head before resting his down, taking in the warm scent of vanilla and the vague presence of Natalie's perfume.

His eyes were closed but his mind was fully awake, drifting off and wandering the events of the two different but yet same days. He had saved Joe and so many other people, but he had yet to set straight Iris or tell Natalie he loved her.

Barry mulled things over as he turned his head and watched her sleeping figure lying against his chest, her chest moving up and down as she breathed and the small smile she had on her soft lips. They hadn't known each other for a few months, but Barry felt something deep in his chest, like an animal trying to crawl its way out but felt only tamed, purred even, whenever Natalie was around. He felt he had known her for the longest time, that she had been with him in every moment of his life, but he knew that wasn't true. Barry's heart race picked up, scared at the fact he was falling in love or had even already fallen.

He gave her one last kiss before nuzzling his nose against her head. This day was much better than the one Barry had previously lived. So much for deja vu..