I've Got Soul but I'm Not a Soldier

The Good Life

The Flash has a speedy recovery – of course he does. He's the Flash, and according to the new scans Caitlin took this morning, the spots are still gone, even a week after the procedure. The spots are gone, and his lungs are working normally, for him. He ran on the treadmill a few times, being monitored, and nothing happened – he didn't get dizzy or breathless or pass out. All very good signs.

It's over, and Len is grateful.

His hand is another matter entirely, though. Barry apologized profusely when he discovered what he did to Len's hand; currently it's wrapped in a makeshift cast of white bandaging to keep him from moving it too much. Not broken, Caitlin said – just enflamed from too much pressure against tendons, nerves and bones. It's going to be sore for a while, and this will cushion it a bit but still allow him to use his hand if absolutely necessary.

All in all, things are going particularly well, a week after the procedure.

The paperwork for their new apartment comes through on a lazy Monday morning; Barry arrives at the safe house in a blur Len was not expecting, since the kid's supposed to be at work. He's so excited, with this wide smile on his face as he thrusts the paper into Len's good hand. It takes a second for Len's mind to catch up with what's happening, but when it does he brings the paper up and reads it. It's their lease, and they can move in whenever they want. The apartment is theirs, and it's ready.

They have a home together.

And then he's smiling, too. He can't help it – the feeling arises from a warm place in his stomach and then his lips are yanked back sharply into this wide grin he can't stop as he looks at Barry.

Barry gives a laugh and a kiss, along with a few quick words telling Len they'll start packing when he gets off tonight, and then he's gone in a flash, disappearing as suddenly as he arrived.

Len looks back down at the paper in his hand.

The apartment is theirs, Barry's health is fine again, and they're getting married in December.

Life is good.

xXx

Lisa is thrilled that the paperwork finally went through and they are getting their own apartment. She's going to remain at the safe house, claiming it has become home to her, and now she won't have to worry about having Cisco's clothes on the couch since Len won't be there. Len imagines Cisco will be spending more nights with Lisa after he and Barry move out.

After they both move out.

It reinforces the thought that they are living together. Sometimes that thought takes a bit to sink in, and when it does, it always leaves him with the urge to smile. As he's alone right now, he allows the feeling to fully blossom and he's grinning widely as he packs clothes into a box. He doesn't have many clothes – a lot of long-sleeved shirts, but only a few pairs of actual jeans, a few pairs of sweatpants for lazing around the safe house, and a couple of short-sleeved shirts. Oh, and his parka. Can't forget that.

He gently folds the parka before laying on top of the pile in the box. After sealing the box, he turns and looks around the room.

It's been three days since they started packing. Barry offered to do it all in one go, claiming he's done it before when he moved back home with Joe after Iris moved out, but Len declines. If they are going to move in together, in their own apartment, they're going to do this right. And that means painstakingly packing everything the old-fashioned way, together. It's slow and tedious and Len's not as young as he used to be, but they spend the better part of three days together, packing random things from the safe house and taking it over to the apartment via a moving truck.