Photograph [Snowbarry AU]

I'll Be There For You

"No one could ever know me
No one could ever see me
Seems you're the only one who knows what it's like to be me
Someone to face the day with, make it through all the rest with
Someone I'll always laugh with
Even at my worst, I'm best with you, yeah!

It's like you're always stuck in second gear
When it hasn't been your day, your week, your month, or even your year"

"I'll Be There For You – The Rembrandts"

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He could only see her back, her tense shoulders and her arm mechanically moving following a certain pattern. The room was silent except for the chopping noise the knife she had in her hand was making. He stayed there for moment, watching her at the kitchen counter, cutting some vegetables. She didn't seem to notice his presence there so he enjoyed the short moment of catching her unaware.

After the visit at the hospital and a quick check up on Barry's health, they had gone straight back to the beach house. Everything was fine with him, the doctors just repeated that he had to take things easy and rest a lot. Some test results would take a few days to come, but they weren't worried. Barry had been really, really, lucky.

Caitlin had promised she would prepare the dinner for that evening, so, as soon as they had arrived at the house, she had disappeared into the kitchen and Barry had decided to leave her alone for a bit and follow his doctors' orders and had gone to take a nap.

He had noticed how silent Caitlin had been after their little conversation with Anthony. It seemed like his words had stirred something inside the young doctor and Barry couldn't quite put his finger on it. He wanted to ask, but he didn't. And the last glance she had sent him before going to the kitchen told him she was grateful he didn't push for answers.

But now, almost four hours later, Caitlin was still in the kitchen and Barry was beginning to get worried about her. He didn't think it would take her that long to cook their dinner. When he stepped inside the kitchen, he saw that she was still in the second phase of her cooking process. Which meant she hadn't spent the last four hours cooking. Knowing her, she had probably spent her time deep in her thoughts, enjoying the alone time.

"Do you need a hand?" He came up behind her, startling her as he rested one hand on her shoulder.

"Geez, Barry! You seriously have to stop doing that!" She hissed as she did a small jump. "You know better than to scare a girl with a knife in her hand." She berated him. "Or I'll literally take the hand you just offered." She added with narrowed eyes, gesturing her knife threateningly at him.

Barry lifted his hands in surrender and grinned. "Sorry."

Caitlin rolled her eyes at him but the thin line of her lips transformed into a smile. That damn smirk of his was always so contagious that she could do nothing other than stare at it and smile back. When she realised she was staring, her eyes flew up and locked with his for a moment. Caitlin's heart missed a beat. It didn't help that a few hours ago she had promised herself that she would really try to move on. Even though her head knew Barry wasn't the answer to that, her heart always seemed to betray her when he was concerned.

There was a certain amount of tension floating around them and she couldn't have any of that. So she tore her eyes away, looking back at her cutting board.

"Anyway," she breathed out, breaking the tension, "I'm almost done here, so there isn't much for you to do."

With that, Caitlin went back to chopping, expecting him to leave. But he didn't budge.