Great Scott, Barry! (A Barry Allen x Reader Fic)

Chapter 5

"I can't believe this is happening right now. What are we going to do?"

Sitting at a table in the back corner of Jitters, you and Barry talk in hushed voices about what had come to pass. Your mind was still blown from the (clearly not) impossible fact that you were currently stuck in the past. Not to mention that you had, not that long ago, stopped Barry and yourself from having your first encounter, thus never meeting. How that will affect the future from here on out, you had no idea. The timeline has now been altered and not knowing what comes next scared you.

"Relax, it'll be alright," Barry says, trying to calm you. "He'll be here any minute." As if on cue, Cisco walks through the door and Barry gives him a stressed wave. He was the first person Barry had thought to confide in and the fewer people that knew about your current predicament the better.

"Barry, I got your text. What's so urgent?" Cisco looks at you up and down. "And who's your lovely friend?"

That's right, we haven't met yet. Barry introduces you and instructs Cisco to sit down.

"Listen, this is going to be a lot to take in, so just, you know, keep an open mind."

"Dude, we live in a city full of Metas. My mind's pretty damn open."

You and Barry lock eyes, hesitating to confess, which leaves an awkward pause around the table. But ultimately it's Barry who blurts out the almost unfathomable truth.

"Cisco, we're from the future."

"Five days in the future to be exact-" you jump in.

"I ran back in time-"

"And I totally just messed up the timeline-"

"So now we've never met-"

"Which means I won't get kidnapped by Captain Cold-"

"Who I'm supposed to save her from, but I can't now because my powers are gone-"

"So Barry can't run fast enough to create a portal back to our time-"

"And now we're stuck." Both of you are out of breath from the long winded explanation and it also doesn't help that you hold your breath while waiting for Cisco's response. Cisco sits there with his mouth slightly agape and big round eyes staring back at you both. He gives his head a downward shake.

"Whoa," he finally utters. "This is heavy."

*

"Okay, okay. Let's walk through this again, only slower this time."

Cisco paces the floor of his small apartment, where the sensitive conversation had been immediately moved to, where it could be talked about at full volume and without any interruptions or more potentially life altering run-ins.

"You two are from the near future. This upcoming Friday, to be exact."

"Yes," you confirm.

"(Y/N) was kidnapped by Snart and Barry saved you by running so fast that he accidentally created this time portal to the past. To now."

"Correct," Barry says.

"Now (Y/N) ran into, let's call him 'Past Barry,' and changed the course of events that led you two to meet. Or rather, not meet. See, this could be a real problem."

"No shit..." you mutter under your breath.

"Because – if my line of thinking is correct, if you don't meet, you don't go out. And if you don't go out, you don't fall for one another, care enough for each other. And why would Snart kidnap someone Barry doesn't care for? He likes to hit you where it hurts."