Reciprocal Altruism || Snowbarry College AU

Therefore I Am Descartes I

Solipsism: The view or theory that the self is all that can be known to exist.

***

Barry held Caitlin's hand the whole way back to her apartment. His hands were very warm, starkly contrasting with her forever freezing hands. It felt nice and comfy, until suddenly Barry's arms became very rigid and straight and he walked without bending his knees while making weird techno noises.

"What are you doing?" Caitlin asked, amused.

"Walking like a robot," Barry stated casually.

Caitlin raised her eyebrows. "And why are you walking like a robot?"

"Do you ever feel like a robot?"

"Do you ever feel like a plastic bag?"

This time Barry was the one to raise his eyebrows so Caitlin clarified, "Katy Perry."

"Yeah, no, I got that."

"To answer your question: no. I don't feel like a robot, but sometimes I feel like I'm the only human and everyone around me are robots placed in my life to make it seem real. But really, it's all in my head and when I leave the room, the world just shuts down."

Barry didn't even comment on the absurdity of her comment, but rather asked for clarification, "How would you explain the news and things you hear about the lives of celebrities and—"

"Fake. All of it."

"Fake news," Barry joked.

"Seriously! I've actually thought about this a lot! What if you're not real and you're just here because I think you're here?"

"I feel pretty real to me."

"But only because I think that you think that you feel real."

"What?"

"Exactly! I confused myself," Caitlin announced, swinging both their arms up to the sky.

"No, you confused me."

"But I am you. Everything is me."

"Hey, I didn't agree to be in an all Caitlin world!" Barry joked, "And if this is all in your head and you created it. Why does it suck? And why do I have memories of myself that you have never been in?"

"I don't know why it sucks... Maybe I'm just a pessimistic person." Caitlin shrugged.

"That I can believe."

"Hey! And maybe you really don't have memories and the only reason you're saying you have memories is because you are talking to me and it helps further my life."

"Your plotline!"

"My what?"

"What if life is like a TV show! And we are all just main characters or side characters and—"

"That's brilliant! And it actually fits my theory." Caitlin was getting excited, she had never told anyone her crazy theories and when she did, they all looked at her like she was, well... crazy.

"And whenever we have a memory, it's just a flashback sequence!" Barry was bouncing lightly from his television universe theory.

"So I'm the main character of my TV show!" Caitlin exclaimed.

"Maybe it's my TV show," Barry challenged, a grin on his face.

"Oh, please. My life is way more interesting than yours and even if you were the main character, people would only watch the show for me. I'd totally Han Solo your ass."