Barry Allen Imagines

42;

Barry was definitely not the smoothest guy out there, but he normally didn't have a problem talking to girls. All that, however, went out the window when it came to talking to you. It felt like he couldn't even properly form a coherent sentence when talking to you and it made him hate himself.
The one person for whom he wanted nothing more to than impress and nearly every time he'd end up putting his foot in his mouth. That was typically how it went.
Maybe it was because of the fact that he so desperately wanted to impress you that he always messed up. Or maybe he was just meant to make a fool of himself around you because that's what happened.
Not that you were ever rude to him in any form–quite the opposite actually. But Barry just assumed that with his nonsense ramblings you'd have to label him as a fool.
And, maybe if you weren't fawning over someone else you might have been able to see that he was so desperately trying to tell you his feelings without actually saying it out loud—not his brightest idea, to be honest.
Barry normally went out of his way in order to see you throughout the day but, on those rare days when he gathered up the courage, he'd always end up rambling on about the most random things (for instance, he spent nearly ten minutes once comparing the new washing machine he had recently purchased to his old one that had broke).
He didn't know what it was about you but he knew that he was bound to make a fool out of himself whenever you were around, one way or another.
Seeing you was something to look forward to most days.
He'd usually run to Jitters several times a day to order coffee just so he could talk with you a bit while he ordered and you made his drink. However, recently he'd been making so many trips there, as an attempt not to look suspicious he ended up buying four coffees (for his friends, he claimed) but STAR Labs was empty and he was left with four coffees and embarrassment lingering within him.
God, he just didn't know what it was about you that turned him into that babbling mess.

Being a superhero was fun. It was basically like having an alter ego and one could even compare it to a Hannah Montana life because, at times, it really was the Best of Both Worlds. You'd handle your normal barista job during the day but once trouble struck you were able to sneak away and return Central City to homeostasis.
That wasn't the best part however. By far, being held in such high esteem as one of the protecters of the city was superior. The other hero was the Flash–your partnership termed by the media as being the Dynamic Duo. And you didn't mind at all to be sharing the spotlight with the fastest man alive. He was the greatest partner you could ask for. (Not to mention the fact that every time he was around you swooned a bit).
It was like any other day; not to warm, very sunny, oh and there was yet another metahuman determined to destroy Central City and it's inhabitants.
"Thought you weren't comin' Flash!" You giggled, swinging down from your spot overlooking the havoc this week's villain was wrecking. "Y'know, you'd think that the whole super speed thing would actually make you early but I think the constant lateness just cancels out your speed entirely."
"Haha, Ladybug," he said in a very monotone, unimpressed sort of way. He was a tough cookie but it was clear that he was fighting for a reason and he refused to let anyone down. "You wanna take Storm or evacuate the civilians?"
Always straight to the point. Maybe that was why you found him so attractive. He was always ready to save the day. Business first. Fun after.
His bravery exceeded you and his versatility to be able to adapt to each situation was admirable since he was always able to think on his feet.
So desperately did you want to know the man under the mask but you couldn't seem to convince him. Even with the offer of revealing your own identity, he still wouldn't crack, claiming that it was safer to keep your identities a secret.
Ironic how nearly half the town knows of his identity while only your bother, Jason Todd, knew of your identity; yet unbeknownst to you this hypercritical man insisted to keep your identities secret.
While you swooped down to evacuate the building, Barry worked out a game plan in his head.
This villain didn't look too bad. The most intimidating thing about her had to be her outfit that was plated in a shiny metal. But, by now, Barry knew better than to underestimate them and kept his guard up.
"Be careful, Barry," Cisco said in the intercom. "She can use your own weaknesses against you."
Barry pressed his fingers against the intercom to hear Cisco better. "How's she able to do that? She just knows my weaknesses?" Barry asked, slightly annoyed since he was on his way to Jitters when Cisco called him with trouble. For all he knows this could've been the day he finally asked you out (or at least managed to have a charming conversation with you without somehow managing to make a fool of himself), but now that it was interrupted he may never know.
"Building's clear!" You chirped, gracefully landing beside Flash while you waited to hear his plan of attack. "She's still standin'?" You asked, eyeing the metahuman that was causing all this trouble. "Man, you're gettin' slow Flash. Thought you'd have her tied up and away by the time I managed to clear the building."
Though your humor was more punny than funny, Flash did find it a good way to make light of situations like this which could easily distract him from the heavy weight on his shoulders. But distractions only go so far before you have to face the weight head on.
Barry formulated a plan as quickly as he could, hoping that this wouldn't become too troublesome and waste any more of his day. "Alright," He said, giving Storm one last look before turning to you. "I'm going in first. If I can get her to surrender peacefully then the CCPD will be able to go easier on her but if she wants a fight then you'll have to come in with backup. At that point, we're just going to have to improvise and hope we take her down."
"Aye aye, Captain." You saluted as he dashed off, leaving you to wait until the call from him.
You weren't even sure what this chick wanted or want her powers actually were. Obviously she had some form of power that allowed her to manipulate perception but then why would she make her target an office building? What could she possibly have to gain from that? Maybe targeting a bank or something along those lines would have been a better target if you think about it.
But what's done is done and the only thing that matters now is that the building is empty, all hostages were safe, and the dynamic duo were ready to put yet another bad meta behind bars.
Sighing, you peaked your head around the corner to see what was taking the fastest man alive so long. Your eyes widened. He definitely needed back up.
"What the hell did you do?" You yelled over the roaring wind, holding your hair down since the meta seemed to create some wind vortex during her little tantrum. "D'you piss her off or somethin'? When I left you, she wasn't causing nearly this much ruckus." You had to shout over the roaring winds, occasionally ducking when a rogue branch or flower pot decided to come your way.
"Not on purpose!" Flash bellowed, holding his ground while he decided a better plan of action. "Just don't mention anything about the CEO of this office building, that's apparently her Father and that's the sore spot that got me into this situation."
"Daddy issues," you noted, "got it."
"New plan! You go find her Father, and I'll deal with her. Having her Father on our side will give us more than on advantage."
Flash watched you run off, mentally questioning what the hell he was going to do. No matter how fast he ran, Storm would manage to manipulate his perception and make him see things that weren't actually there, making all his efforts to take her down pointless.
What he needed was a distraction. Distract her and make her focus on something other than him.
"Storm," His masked voice boomed over the roaring winds and honking horns, catching the trouble maker's attention as she halted her attacks. Maybe the same thing that got him into this mess could be the thing that got him out...he hoped. "I know your Father," Lie Number one. "And all of your perceptions of him are completely true. He scum and you have every right to want to take revenge for everything he's done to you." The storm calmed as Barry now had her full attention. "But you're going about it the wrong way. If you end his life now then he's getting out of it too easily in comparison to what he's done to you. Let me take care of him. And in the meantime I can help you."
Storm shook her head. "I don't need help. I know who I am and what I can do. After he's gone you'll never see me again, Flash."
"I can't let you do that."
"And I can't let you get in my way, Flash."
She kicked it into high gear as she spun up her distraction in order to sidetrack Barry and focus on her much needed revenge.
Filtering through his mind, she found her perfect target that was bound to be just the decoy she needed.

Finding her Father should've been an easy task (especially considering that since Storm was targeting the office he must be inside but you knew it was cleared out), but that man was pretty elusive.
It ended up taking roughly fifteen minutes—ten minutes too long—to find him and escort him to safety before returning to the scene with Flash.
You arrived at the scene, standing off the the side as you admired Flash for a moment. He seemed to be attempting to negotiate with the meta but she still seemed very angry. As you were about to step in, the scene around him morphed as Storm grasped a civilian in her arms, Storm's hands wrapped around the civilian girl's neck as Storm threatened to tighten her grasp and cut off oxygen.
Normally, at the sight of a hostage, you would have jumped into action faster than ever to free the innocent bystander. However, the sight of you–non-superhero you–in her grasp, caused her to freeze.
And while you've witnessed who the Flash normally dealt with hostage situation, this was nothing like any of those times. He seemed visibly shaken as he risked the entire mission, as well as his identity, for her—for you.
"Flash!" You yelled, running to his aid but being forced to a halt when it felt like you ran into a glass wall. "It's not real. She's fooling you!" You huffed, whatever invisible force she had created keeping you away from Flash and Storm with your holographic doppelgänger.
You didnt know how to help at this point but you were determined to try. He'd nearly sacrifice his life in order to save a civilian whom he may not even know in real life— the definition of a true hero.
"How do you know?" He hesitated, suddenly aware of your presence as everything seemed so far away. He could only focus on the fact that you were a mere feet away from him, in the arms of the enemy and one wrong move could be the end of everything.
"You-You just have you trust me! Please!" You couldn't outright tell him, unless things got much worse you'd out yourself but right now you hoped you could talk you way out of this mess. "It's not real, Flash. If you have any faith in me at all then please believe me. That civilian–y/n–is safe at home. That. Is. Not. Her."
The illusion must have broke as the holographic doppelgänger went up in smoke, and Flash sprang back into action, this time without the risk of your life on the line. And the invisible glass wall expelled and you ran in for assistance.
Minutes later Storm was cuffed and on her way to the meta prison. And you waited for the celebratory high five. It didn't come however. Flash leaned against a building, his chest heaving as he tried to calm his nerves, those never however wouldn't calm until he was able to see that you were 100% safe.
"Flash," you quietly spoke, approaching him to gain his attention. "We won. Everyone's safe," you reminded. "There's no need to worry."
"I know, I know." He sighed. "I'm just really shaken up for some reason."
A few moments of silence passed before you piped up. "Is it because of the hostage thing? Did you possibly know her? It that why you're do upset?"
"What?" His voice shook as he knew he couldn't tell the truth but he also knew that he hated lying to you. You were his partner and you didn't deserve lies. "I've never met that girl," Lie number two. "But things had gotten too close for my liking today. I hate close calls and I guess that just threw me off. Y'know, actually, I'm just going to get some coffee and relax. Thanks again, Ladybug, and good work."
He sped off without another word and after checking in at the Lab he decided that it would be best to get coffee at Jitters and kill two birds with one stone; getting coffee and checking on you.
Imagine his surprise when he walked in to see Clair, a different barista, frantically running around as the coffee shop seemed understaffed and normally you were ones to work on these busy nights.
Barry quietly ordered his usual (The Flash, of course) and sat at the table in the corner and watched the news on the mounted flat screen tv.
"Sorry I'm so late, Claire." His head snapped up as he heard that voice and saw you rush through the door, tugging you hair up into a ponytail before slipping behind the counter and grabbed an apron. "I got tied up but I'm here now and I can close up because it's only fair that you don't have to stay late since I came in late."
Barry couldn't help the grin on his face. You were save and maybe one day he could man up and come clean about his feelings to you. He already had his suspicions about you liking the Flash (you would always order the drink as well as the few times you'd wear a shirt with his symbol on it. He ever swore he saw you in the crown of Flash Day.) so how hard could it be to come clean about his feelings and his alter ego all in one go.
However, today was not that day but he definitely hoped that that day would come relatively soon.