~More Than A Program~/// Bart Allen x Reader

Chapter 22

When you reached the entrance doors, you pushed them open with newfound strength. Spotting Barry and Wally in the distance, you eagerly called out, unable to keep a small skip from your step, "Heeeeey! Over here!"

The duo, noticing you, sped over, of course, meeting you at about halfway of the distance.

Your heart soaring high, you tackle-hugged them both, laughing as you relaxed. Yes, this was real. They were finally home! "I'm so glad to see you guys!! How did it go??"

"We succeeded," confirmed Barry, although... He didn't sound so enthusiastic about it...

Confused, you released Wally from your embrace to look at them both with a frown. "What's wrong?"

"There were some..." The Kid Flash uneasily averted his gaze. "Complications."

"Complications?" ...Your heart sunk when, "Where's Bart?"

"Well, he..." Barry's voice trailed off. He exchanged a glance with Wally, who nodded before taking an object out of his backpack and handing it to the taller male.

Your world shattered.

It was Bart's case. And it was barely recognizable. Burn marks, dents, missing pieces, you name it, the thing was downright wrecked.

And it didn't give off its usual, small, battery-indicating light.

It was... Destroyed.

You stared, and stared, and stared some more. You couldn't believe what you were seeing. No, this couldn't be right, this couldn't be true. This was all a horrible nightmare. You'd wake up to a grinning Impulse, who would assure you that you were dreaming nonsense! Right!?

"Aww, (Y/N). I'd never leave you alone."

"He... H-He's still in there, right?" Your voice shook as you slowly looked up at the two males. At their silence, the cruel truth making itself known, you felt a horrible hopelessness seize your body, ripping a quiet sob out of you. Your knees gave in underneath you, making you helplessly collapse to the ground as you held your face in your hands. "N-No... Please, no..."

"Please, (Y/N)," Wally took a step forward, his voice soft, "Let us explain-"

"H-He PROMISED!!" Your weak wail was followed by a hearty hiccup as you started to tremble. "H-He promised he'd never leave alone, he told me he l-loved me! I n-never even got to s-say goodbye!"

You heard the two exchange animated whispers, but you didn't care. Nothing mattered anymore.

You lost Bart. He had left you behind. You were stranded, broken, doomed to solitude. No one would ever make you smile like he had. No one would ever make you feel cherished like he had.

No one would ever make you love like he had.

A future without him wasn't worth living. You wanted him with you, no, you needed him to support you, to make you carry on.

Come back, Bart, p-please... I need you... I-I can't go on without you..!

Two arms, slithering around your beaten form from behind. However, this offered no comfort whatsoever. Nothing would ever be able to appease your pain. It was over. You had lost your family, your only remaining family, and no one would ever be able to change that-

"Missed me, (Y/N)?"

You stiffened. Your mind went blank in disbelief.

No. No, he can't be here. He's gone. I'm just going crazy.

Opening your teary eyes, you noticed Barry and Wally. They were looking down at you expectantly.

It can't be...

Yet, your heart told you otherwise. It was thumping speedily against your ribcage like it always did when... When he was around...

Fearing the worst, that this was all just your imagination's doing, you hesitated before gently turning to face the arms' owner.

Short, messy brown hair. Bright green eyes.

And especially, the goofiest grin you had ever seen.

There sat none other than Bart Allen.

You just gaped, and gaped some more. Your eyes were wide, struggling to process what was in front of them. Your mouth was dry, words were stuck in your throat.

Those gorgeous emerald filled with worry as, brows furrowing, "Are you okay (Y/N)?"

"D-Does it look like I'm okay!?" Your words came out as a high-pitched, choked screech. Unable to keep it all in, "I-I thought you were dead, and now you just appear out of nowhere like if your case wasn't bloody sabotaged-"

"(Y/N)-"

"And guess what, I'm ever crazier than you because I don't even care!!" With a loud sob, you buried your face in his neck, clinging to him feebly for dear life. You were no longer able to control yourself, crying vehemently, as you whimpered, "D-Don't scare me like that!"

Bart frowned, holding you close against him, and shushing you gently as he rocked you. He hated seeing you like this. You didn't deserve to be sad...

"If you had let us explain," Wally commented after a moment, "you wouldn't have gotten so scared."

Although you didn't respond, Barry knew you were listening, and therefore explained, "Bart chose to sacrifice himself for the mission which, yes, destroyed his case and deleted him from existence. However, I was able to make a duplicate of him by assembling traces of his data that he left in my circuits, and data that Wally was able to extract from the case. He also created an operation identical to the case's that allows me to introduce Bart to the world in this physical form."

"S-So you're really here?" Your voice was raspy from all of your crying.

Smiling weakly, the boy murmured softly, "Yes, (Y/N). I'm here, and I always will be."

You let out a tired giggle as he started to nuzzle against you lovingly. "I missed you Bart..."

"I missed you too." A peaceful silence before, out of the blue, "(Y/N), will you be my wife?"

You jolted upright at his words, staring in pure disbelief. Quickly acknowledging his mistake, the speedster flushed in embarrassment and hastily corrected himself, "Wait, I-I mean my girlfriend-"

Your quiet chuckling cut him off, and earned you a nervous look from him. Although, at your amused smile, hope lit up in his lively green eyes.

"You speedsters always do everything too quickly, don't you?" His anxiousness only made you giggle again, before, "Of course I'll be your wife, Bart."

...A wide, goofy grin, slowly spreading over his face. His gaze literally had stars in it before suddenly, he gripped your waist slightly. That earned him a squeak of surprise that was soon muffled out by his lips meeting yours in a sweet, first kiss.

You were quick to recover, laughing against him as you returned his affection, your hands finding his hair.

Things were perfect. Things were how they should be.

You were with Bart now, and that was all you could ever ask for.