The Flash ⚡ One Shots

Best Friend's Sibling (Barry x Patty)

Yet another one-shot I was challenged to write. The prompt I was given for this one was: You're my best friend's sibling and the first person you turn to is me and we stay up talking on the phone until 3am every night until we're closer than they know and I don't think this is okay. Enjoy reading!

update 01/05/2022: super light editing (i can't believe i wrote this pre "Captain America: Civil War" - it feels so o l d now)

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When my phone buzzed with an incoming call, I didn't look away from my computer screen as I picked it up and answered. Placing the device to my ear, I greeted the person on the other end with, "Five minutes late, Allen."

"How am I late when I didn't tell you I'd be calling?" Barry protested from the other side of the line, sounding offended.

Tapping the touchpad, I paused Netflix as I answered, "Because you always call me, and when you do, it's at ten-thirty. Usually." Realizing how that sounded, I hurriedly added, "Not that I keep track or anything. I just noticed you tend to call around then."

I fought to keep from smiling as I heard him laugh, but ended up failing as my lips twitched upwards. "I'm really that predictable?" He checked. I could practically hear him smiling as well.

"Mm-hmm," I hummed in confirmation. I pulled my legs up so my knees were bent and lay back on my bed, sinking into my pillows. "It's not a bad thing though. I'm sure your professors are able to count down the seconds until you run into the classroom."

"You're right about that one. They don't even look at me when I walk in and still know it's me," the college student admitted. "I'm waiting for the day when someone else walks in late and they're mistaken for me."

I laughed, imaging possible reactions from both the poor, mistaken student and the poor, embarrassed professor. "If that happens, please manage to show up in time to see it or video it. Oh, oh, oh! Or - Or you could be hiding in the back, so you're really on time, then jump out!"

Barry was cracking up. "Patty, it's nice to know that you think I'd be able to hide from my professors, but it's like they have a built in Allen-radar or something." I heard something slam from his end of the line, probably a door closing.

"An Allen-radar?" I questioned, grinning. I rolled over onto my stomach and hugged a pillow beneath me with my free arm, resting my chin on it as I stared at the wall before me.

"Yup," he confirmed. "I swear, every one of them have it. It's like they gossip about me or something."

"Does that count as being popular?"

"If it does, it's not the kind of popular people usually want."

"Good point," I admitted. Switching topics before there was an awkward lull, I asked, "So, how was your day?"

I listened as he told me, smiling whenever I heard him stumble into something and yelp. It used to concern me, but it didn't really anymore. Not after talking to him for years. He'd come to me one day, asking for advice about something. He'd gotten into a disagreement with my best friend - his sister - Iris, and had looked to me for help. After that, he'd started talking to me more, mainly when he needed help or to vent, and I didn't turn him away. In fact, I started going to him when I needed advice or help. After a bit, we'd moved past talking about problems to talking and chatting, getting to know each other.

No one really knew that we stayed up every night until 3 a.m. chatting. I suspected that Iris had a hunch, but she never brought it up and for that, I was thankful. For some reason, the idea of talking to anyone about me and Barry seemed weird. Awkward. Maybe it was because more recently our relationship had gotten deeper. We'd gone from acquaintances, to friends, to... something. I didn't know what.