5

"Zee! Hey- sorry- I got a call that you needed a ride?" Barry walks over to me, as I walk out of StarLabs.

"I- think." I say hastily, walking over to him as quick as I could, still in confusion on how the one and only The Flash, knew Barry Allen.

"You- think? Come on- I was gonna drive you to Jitters to grab a coffee. You look pretty worn out." He says, lightly grabbing onto my arm and gently pulls me over to his car.

"Yeah- it's been rough, I guess." I speak quietly, getting in the passenger seat of his car, thinking if I should tell him about what had just happened, or what I'm finding out about myself- or anything. But I decide against it.

He nods slowly, not asking further questions, driving to Jitters quickly, parking, then dragging me inside with him.

I sat down at one of the booths, as Barry insisted to get us both coffees, and soon enough, he had sat down in front of me, sliding a cup of coffee in front of me, me being distracted by the steam coming from it.

And with that, thee Iris West had walked into Jitters and over to her boyfriend "Detective Pretty Boy."

I looked up at Barry, and he couldn't keep his eyes off her. Once he saw her walk over to Eddie, his expression dropped, him quickly looking down at his coffee.

He was blindly in love with her. He had that small piece of hope- that maybe- just maybe- Iris would find her way to him and leave Eddie. Just like I had hoped things would turn out with him and I. But. What he doesn't see is that Eddie and Iris are so hopelessly in love with each other. He was just breaking himself down slowly, breaking me along with him.

"Zee-?" Barry speaks quietly, looking up at me.

I blink, looking up at him quickly, my eyes slightly wide because I wasn't expecting him to say anything, turning my head slightly, watching Iris and Eddie walk out of Jitters, then turning my head back and looking at him, "Y-yeah?" I stuttered a bit.

"Are you gonna drink that? You've been staring at it as if it was going to run away from you." He chuckled a bit.

"I- oh- right- coffee- i'm stupid-" I ramble, and pick up the mug, sipping out of it, immediately letting go of the cup, hissing in pain because I didn't realize how hot it was.

"Frick- I'm even stupider now-" I stick my tongue out in attempt to cool it down a bit from being so hot, I didn't seem to notice that Barry had caught my cup, and every single drop in seconds, and had it in front of him again, so it wasn't spilled.

"Great job, idiot." He laughs at me.

I laugh a little, sitting up, rubbing my eyes tiredly.

"I could drop you home?" He spoke up after a awkward silence.

"I'll actually walk-" I start to say but get cut off when Barry's phone rings. "Actually- maybe you should walk- I'll- call you later- okay?" And with that, he rushed out.

I huff, drinking the rest of my coffee and start walking home, kicking little objects on the ground, in boredom, deep into thought. I have been pinning over Barry for years. Maybe it's time I stopped. He clearly- wasn't into me in any way- and wasn't ever going to be. I need to stop being so into him and find someone else. I'm an adult- and I'm not even doing anything with my life anymore. it's like. depressing.

I walk into my apartment and sit on my couch, letting out a small huff, playing with my hands. I sat there for a bit. and by a bit. I mean. a few hours. doing various things. until I found myself, slowly falling asleep.

I jolt up as I feel a burning sensation on my bare arm, and come face to face with Iris, who is repeatedly hitting my arm.

"ow- why are you hitting me?" I mumble, looking at the coffee table to see that she had used my spare key to get inside. "how- do you do it!" she slightly shouts at me.

"Do what? What're you even talking about?" I say, sitting up, scooting back away from her so dodge her light hits that gradually grew harder, rubbing the stinging on my arm.

"I haven't seen barry in an entire week and I literally- live with him! I haven't been able to speak to him at all- whenever I come home- he isn't there- he's always busy- with- work- and then- when I finally do run into him- he tells me that he has just gotten back from being with you- how do you get him to make time for you with his- clearly- very- busy schedule-?" She starts to rant to me.

I cut her off and spoke, "I don't know-"

"I swear- sometimes I think he's in love with you or something-" she laughs quietly.

I stiff out a forced laugh, "I'm pretty sure he's head over heels for someone else-." I pause, "Yeah- pretty damn sure."

"Zee. Come on. We both know- that you're already. pinning over. Barry Allen. What's wrong with a little hope that he feels those same- tingly- heart leaping- inside flipping- heart fluttering- feeling you feel for him, for you?" She twirls around in glee.

"The burning fact that Ill get hurt-" I start to say but she cuts me off. "But it already hurts you when you see him swooning over another girl. Which ones worse? Watching him fall for someone else- or. Being able to have hope- that he feels the same?"

"Why are we having this conversation-"

"Because it is. my life's mission. to get you two together."

"It's not gonna happen, Iris- we're just- best. friends. that's all we'll ever be, unfortunately."

"Don't speak so soon-" she sings as she twirls again, then sits next to me on my couch.

"I'm calling it."

"Whatever you say." She types away on her phone and soon to my understanding, she was texting Eddie, and had to leave, and that's what she did.

I slowly get up and walk into my room, starting to clean up to mess that is. my room. While doing that, I have ended up doing some homework that was due soon. I write away on my page as I felt my hands start to heat up. I ignore it, thinking it's just me getting kinda hot from how warm my apartment is. But soon enough, all my papers were engulfed in flames, me letting out a scream.

I jump off my bed, and rush around my room, trying to figure out some way to put out the flame that was only growing larger, stumbling and grabbing at whatever I see. But everything I held on for too long, it also, engulfed into flames. I now had tears streaming down my face, coughing because of the smoke around my room, the smoke alarm now beeping continuously.

After minutes of letting all my emotions out and trying to figure out how to put out the fire that was now, my room, I put it all out with the fire extinguisher. I quickly put it down, as I felt it get too hot from me holding it, not wanting that to either explode- or metahumaned. by me. If that is even a word.

I rush up to the roof of the building, the cold air hitting me, me regretting only being in jeans and a t shirt. I pace, and cry for what seemed like hours, but only was a few minutes.

I pause in my tracks when i feel a whoosh next to me, and now see a figure standing on the ledge of the roof. It was The Flash. The guy himself- has decided to come talk to me.

I look at him, "What're you doing here-" I start to say but he cuts me off, his voice- vibrated.

"Are you okay? Have you been crying?"

"I'm fine-" I start to say yet again, but he cuts me off by slowly coming off the ledge, not even bothering to phase his face away from me, slowly stepping closer to me. "We both, know you're not fine."

I glance at my hands then look at him, my tears just dried on my face, I didn't feel like crying anymore. I felt angry. "I- I don't want these powers. Take them away-"

"I can't do that. I can't- do that." He says, eyeing my every move.

"I don't- want these powers! Flash- I- you have no idea what this is like- I'm- a mess- I can't- control these powers-"

"I do know, what it's like. I've been in your stage- I've been. The beginner- you just have to train- you'll be fi-" I cut him off

"No- I won't be fine. I-" I was now screaming, my voice cracking every now and then. "Whatever I touch. Whatever I touch- for too long- is burned. It turns- it literal- fire. I- can't control it. I could hurt someone- I could- burn down my apartment- I could ruin- everything. You don't understand- I'm not meant. To have these powers- this was a mistake- I can't handle this- you need. To get someone- Cisco- Caitlin- even Harrison Wells- to figure out- how the hell- to get these powers- out of me!"

"I know this is a lot to handle, right now. You'll get used to it. I promise- just. trust me- we can help you-" he steps closer to me, and reaches for my arm, his vibrated voice distracting me for a second.

I back up, stumbling, "No- no don't touch me. I'll hurt you- I can't control it- nonono-" I shriek quietly, turning away, starting to walk away.

He reaches for my arm, and spins me around so I'm facing him, holding a somewhat tight grip on my arm so I don't move away, we being face to face, as I slowly make eye contact with him, breathing heavily, having a complete panic attack.

"Calm down. I got you. You will be fine. My team and I- will help you, control your powers." He says in a low tone, his voice still vibrated to keep his identity safe.

I stare at him, staying silent, slowly calming down. His eyes glanced down at my lips, as my eyes did the same to his.

I blink, trying to step back, noticing how he started to lean in and I began to let him. He blinks, phases his face and runs off, disappearing from my sight, leaving me on the roof top, alone, and cold.