Within Seconds: Sylas & Allen

Extra: 2

In which Caitlin, Cisco, Parker, and Barry get together for their traditional Chinese Food Night, only it doesn't exactly go as planned, thanks to Cisco making his own key to the Allen house without telling the couple. 

xxxx

If the chance occurred, the S.T.A.R. Labs squad liked to gather at Parker and Barry's house once a month for a massive helping of Chinese. Sometimes, it was nice to remember how it felt to be normal, to be oblivious to the meta-human's, and to the danger surrounding the world. Being together and laughing for an entire night was a good reminder of the lifestyle they tried to work to keep in the world. 

"Barry, where's the goddamn menu?!" called Parker. 

Barry was tugging a shirt on when he exited their bedroom. He stepped towards the coffee table, where they normally kept their abundance of menu's. 

"Already checked there," said Parker. 

Barry stepped towards the bookcase next the television, where their home phone sat on top of. It was normal for them to forget to put away menu's after making a call. 

"Already checked there," sighed Parker. 

Barry frowned. "Can I look around without you yelling at me?"

"That is not a yell," said Parker. 

"I would qualify that as a yell," muttered Barry. 

"You look, then!"

"That's a yell."

Parker turned away before she could show him what yelling truly was. She reached over the bookcase, stacked with collectible figurines, to crack open a window to cool the house. She was not about to pay for air conditioning when it was forty degrees outside. 

Suddenly, someone burst through the front door. 

Shrieks occurred from both Barry and Parker, though one was in fright, and the other was in despair. Barry, who was checking under the rug, had knocked into Parker's heels, bumping her body into the bookcase. 

Parker inhaled a frightened gasp. She reached pathetically after the fallen toy. An action figure, one from The Wrath of Khan in 1983, sitting proudly on the top shelf, flew through the open window.  

"Khaaaaaaaaan!" screamed Parker. 

Impressed, he said, "Way to channel your inner Shatner."

"Not the time to be joking," mumbled Barry nervously.

Parker stared out of the window. She was breathless, heartbroken. Then, without a word, she ran past everyone and to the elevator at the end of the hall. 

"I told you, Cisco, you have to tell people you've made keys to their houses," chastised Caitlin. 

"Nonsense," denied Cisco. 

"Dear God, please tell me that he survived that fall," begged Barry quietly. 

Cisco laughed. "I'm doubting that."

"I'm doubt that she won't kill you," retorted Barry. "That action figure was the last present her father gave her." 

Cisco's lips split. He had no words, other than a saddened, "Oh, shit."

Parker's return had her shuffling through the door, clutching the pieces of the broken action figure against her chest. She didn't look at the trio. She walked down the hall to the bedroom. Frowns broke out when they heard the door close. 

"Way to ruin Chinese Food Night," snapped Caitlin. 

"How is that my fault?" whispered Cisco angrily.