Within Seconds // Barry Allen

What I Like About You

Having a girlfriend hadn't worked for Oliver since he became the Arrow, that he tended to preach about. Barry listened. He didn't share Oliver's values, and he definitely didn't believe his feelings for Parker were going to diminish because he shared what happened to his previous girlfriends. Oliver Queen was not Barry Allen. 

Trial and error was how Barry's life worked now. Being with Parker was a risk, they both knew it, and he was all in. It was time to see if she felt the same. 

So, Barry called dibs to drive the van from the train station. He didn't take them back to S.T.A.R. Labs at first. He started to drive, asking her to close her eyes. 

"Why?" she asked. 

"Because I asked you to," sighed Barry. 

Parker stared at him. "Do you really think that's a good reason?" 

"I'm going to take you somewhere, just trust me here, Park."

"And I say again: do you really think that's a good reason?"

"I will stop this car."

Parker pondered the idea, for a second, until she noticed the line of cars trailing behind them. Sighing, she placed her hands over her eyes and leaned back in the seat. 

"Thank you," grinned Barry. 

"Leave me alone."

She and Barry drove in quiet silence, in which Parker pretended to be angry about having to close her eyes and Barry continued to annoy her by not telling her where they were going. At last, when they were both tired of arguing, Parker slapped on the radio. She turned it obnoxiously high to drown his voice out. 

"All right," said Barry, placing the van into park. "Open your..."

Parker opened her eyes when he stopped the car. She stared blankly at the prison in front of them, at a loss of words. Her lips were split. 

"Parker?" wondered Barry. 

"I-I can't meet your father, Barry," she whispered. 

He frowned. "Well, why not?" 

"That's a part of your life that's special to you, private, I can't intrude on--"

"I want you to. I want you to meet him, please," he pleaded. 

Parker ran her fingers through her hair. She turned to look Barry, biting her lip. Thinking about how devastated he would be if she disagreed caused her to nod. She prayed to the Gods above to give her strength for the impromptu meeting. 

On the way into the prison, Barry spoke excitedly, giving her a full detail of what was going to have to happen for them to enter. 

Parker watched him talk, unable to fathom how much he trusted her. A true level of trust had to exist to introduce someone to a family member holed up in jail. To think that she was of such importance to Barry meant the world to her. It left her speechless.

When Barry and Parker arrived, Henry Allen waited on the opposite side of a glass window. From the moment he saw the woman behind his son, his brow furrowed, his gaze stuck on Parker. 

Barry held the chair for her. She sat. He knelt on the floor next to her, placing his arm on her thigh. Parker instantly scooted over, pulling him onto the chair with her. 

"You're making me look bad," she whispered sharply.

Barry rolled his eyes. He grabbed the telephone on their side, holding it between their ears. 

"Who have you brought for me to meet?" asked Mr. Allen. 

"This is Parker," introduced Barry.