216 |𝐛.𝐚| (hiatus)

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BARRY ALLEN rushed into the familiar environment. The bell didn't ring anymore and individual shoes littered the floor. It was obvious that people had already been here. Whether they were here to steal some slightly damaged shoes or to help clean up, Barry didn't know. Barry sighed and rushed around the front of the store, repairing some shelves and fixing the bell.

He looked around and found a mop of red hair lying on the counter in front of a dimly lit computer screen. Barry's heart momentarily stopped as he flashed over, but started again when he saw the rising and falling of her chest on the countertop.

Barry called out to Lucy before touching her, "Lucy? Lucy!" He whisper-yelled.

Lucy grumbled and slowly rose her head. Barry chuckled and pointed to a strand of hair that was stuck with drool on Lucy's tired and groggy face.

Lucy felt the spot and pushed her hair back and wiped her face with the sleeve of her shirt with a blush rising on her face and cheeks.

"Sorry about that," She said and looked at Barry. Lucy looked around and flinched at the semi-bright light of her computer screen and then reached down behind the counter and flipped a switch, turning the lights (excluding the broken ones that were scattered around the store). She played with the hairband that sat on her wrist and then decided to put her red hair up into a messy bun on top of her head.

"You know, I heard about stores being magically repaired overnight, I wanted to see for myself," Lucy stated in a raspy voice.

Barry widened his eyes, "You've been here every night! Do you know what could have happened if someone just decided to walk in here and you were asleep? You could have been hurt," Barry replied incredulously, ignoring most of what Lucy had said.

Lucy shrugged, "I figured the only person that would come in here would be you and you didn't reply to any calls,"

Barry sighed, "I'm sorry,"

Lucy scoffed, "Yeah, for what?" She demanded, "Sorry for making Penny get half-credit on a project that she turned in late? A project that was worth a quarter of her final grade. Or are you sorry for forgetting to tell me about your plan to save your mother, which you completely ignored me and instead didn't do it? And then you created a black hole in Central City," Lucy ranted and then stopped when she saw Barry's eyes pointed towards the ground.

"What about Ronnie's death?" He said in a mumble.

"Barry," Lucy called out, she stood up from her chair and took Barry's hands in hers, "No one blames you for Ronnie's death. I'm just disappointed that I had to hear it from the news and Cisco because you wouldn't talk to me,"

"I couldn't save him, Lucy" Barry reiterated.

"No, he knew exactly what the risks were going into that to help millions of people. Without his sacrifice, we wouldn't be alive right now." Lucy stated in Barry's eyes.

Barry looked up into Lucy's eyes and stared. Their breaths caught in their throats and whatever reply Barry was about to say, it was lost. Lost in those eyes.

Barry was the first to end the moment when he cleared his throat and looked around the store where the lights were flickering in and out, "So, uh, did you want some help, uh, here?" He rubbed the back of his neck and felt a large wave of blush run through his body.

Lucy also felt the same wave of blush and nodded, "Uh, yeah, that's what you were here for, right?" She said changing the subject and not mentioning anything that just happened.

Er, should have happened! Could have, could have!

Lucy stepped back and surveyed the room. She hadn't since she came in through the back and basically took inventory the rest of the night and ordered new boxes.

She looked to the brunette standing awkwardly in the middle of the store, "Can you watch outside for anyone?" She asked.

Barry nodded and stood outside and then watched Lucy as she whipped her hands around, returning the shoes on the floor to the shelves and holding said shelves up and using her powers to lift tools fixing the store and then beckoning a seat towards her to sit down.

Barry flashed into the store in front of Lucy where she was sitting and guffawed, "Oh my god, that was awesome! Do you know how much weight you can carry? Do you know how you can manipulate the air currents from nowhere or does it come from the air around you?" Barry gasped.

"Have you ever tried choking someone and summoning the air out of their lungs watching as it leaves their body?" He asked excitedly.

Lucy looked at Barry weirdly and shook her head, taking a step back from him.

"Uh, no?" She replied, "Why would I?"

"Oh, I swear I didn't mean it that way! I don't think that way! Well, I do, but like it's for my job and I'm such a total nerd and-" Barry stopped, took a deep breath and composed himself and then grabbed her shoulders, shaking her, "There could be so many possibilities! Cisco would freak! We should test your abilities!" Well obviously composing himself did not help.

"Only if you appear on Flash day," Lucy replied.

Barry's smile left his face and he let go of Lucy's shoulders and he stepped back.

Lucy took Barry's silence, "Cisco told me," She stated quietly.

"Why should I go?" Barry asked.

"I already told you, it wasn't your fault," Lucy reiterated.

"And I didn't save the world either," Barry stated.

Lucy smiled at Barry, "But you gave them hope, hope that everyone needed,"

Barry looked away, "So, uh" He rubbed the back of his neck, "Did Penny really get half-credit?" He asked changing the subject.

Lucy nodded, "Yeah, but you'll need to bring that up with her not me,"

Barry meekly smiled at Lucy, "I promise I'll make it up to her,"

Lucy nodded again and then reached to grab her computer from the counter, shut the top and stashed it in her large satchel on the counter.

Lucy looked at Barry who wore a sad expression on his face, "Just, promise you'll think about Flash Day?"

Barry looked at Lucy through the top of his eyelashes and nodded at the ground. Lucy walked out the front door to the store and turned the lights off, leaving Barry in the darkness.

He looked around and smiled and then rushed after a second of basking in the aura of the shop.

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I just did so much work on writing after taking a big break. So sorry if those of you who loved the schedule and I hope to return to it next week. I'm sorry that I went off of it in the first place, but with the new semester and all new classes, I found myself not having a ton of time. I also found myself procrastinating and not enjoying what I already wrote.

I'm also working on a series that is hopefully debuting this summer along with the return of freedom. Please check my conversations tab to know what I am doing, I talk a lot on there and give updates about myself as well as other series.

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