Since we've been talking about demon!Eobard and exorcist!Barry and Jay... He shouldn't have left the boy--oh, he's a man, a brave and intelligent one at that, but to Garrick he's just a kid still and too innocent for this work--to wander off. But Barry had said he wanted to check something, and Jay hadn't seen any harm in it. The shouts and cries he hears from across the house bring Jay as quickly as his feet can carry him, but it seems it's over before he bursts through the door. Barry's on his knees, expression shocked, and Jay sags against the doorframe in relief, knuckles white as he sends up a prayer of thanks when those blue eyes focus on him with a blink. Allen's lips slowly form a grin, elated, and Jay can't help but chuckle when he lets out a breathless laugh, clutching at his chest like he can't quite credit that he came through the encounter intact. Garrick feels like the crushing hug he gathers the smaller man into is more than earned, it's needed. He needs to affirm to himself that he's unharmed and safe. Barry melts into the hug, and Jay's feels pride and affection like a pressure in his chest. They conclude their investigation of the home--no sign of the entity that they'd come to oust--and the two pack up as the light starts to turn golden. Sitting behind the wheel of the rickety old truck he's called his for decades, the older of the two priests glances Barry's way where he sits, leaning an elbow on the window sill of the passenger seat. His grip tightens on the steering wheel, knuckles white as his heart suddenly pounds in his chest.

Barry's eyes are blue, like a clear sky in autumn.

Just now, Jay could swear he caught a glint of red.

ODHSKFJSK

I know nothing about priests and this is definitely not the fic I should be writing BUT HERE HAVE A DRABBLE ANYWAY--

There was nothing wrong with that house, Jay is convinced of it. With that entire neighbourhood even, despite the many reports of strange happenings going around in the past few months. It's more likely that some kids were pulling a prank on their seniors because the telltale signs of a Presence were just not there.

Birds behaved normally, no cats hissing at apparently nothing, no dogs scared to walk into a particular room or a lane. No sigils, no symbols. Truly the only odd occurrence that had been lamented where the lights - like a storm was brewing but with flashes of blood red instead of white, seen by four different people at the same hour of different nights. That and mirrors breaking by themselves in two separate occasions.

Jay has seen many little communities susceptible to the suggestion of paranormal, and in fact many people are just bored with the mundane, cling to the hope that something more hides behind a nightmare or a perfectly explainable "odd experience", or in case of elderlies, their own deteriorating minds. Barry was the one who insisted to go give it a look. If anything, it was going to be a trip to a quaint little village, and it had been just that after all, both the young man and his older mentor enjoying their time together just like father and son.

Then why after almost three months from said trip, is Jay still thinking about it.

Not just thinking, that would be reductive. He's going over everything that happened in details, especially the moment he heard Barry's scared cry from another room... Nothing was happening in that room, right? Barry had just dropped something. A mirror. There were glass shards on the floor when Jay had gotten there and Barry was kneeling in the middle of them, luckily unscathed. Jay remembers being worried for him, hurrying to pull him into a hug. He remembers Barry's laugh, everything was alright.

Definitely nothing was happening in that room.

A letter arrives, and it thanks Garrick and his former apprentice for the help, saying that ever since their visit, all the disturbances stopped. No more mirrors shattering, no more strange lights. Maybe the kids pulling a prank got scared of seeing two priests and decided to call it quits. Maybe the people who convinced themselves that they were seeing things, also convinced themselves that whatever entity they thought there was, it had been successfully ousted. Regardless, it's not like Jay and Barry had actually done anything about it. They had just taken a look, and the most notable incident was Barry accidentally breaking that mirror. Was it...?

Jay goes check their equipment, it's still in the back of the truck. They prepared for an ousting but why, there was never any need for it. Among the other things there's a shard of glass in the bag, some drops of crusted blood still on it. It makes no sense, Barry never got cut with that broken mirror, where does that blood come from?

He decides to visit Barry. It's been too long for any cut to be still on him but he might as well ask. Jay can't remember for the love of him that the young man got cut, but Barry most likely does. And maybe he also remembers what exactly happened in that room.

He's pulling up in the driveway of Barry's apartment, the truck's engine wheezing to a halt. Jay grabs the key to pull it out of the ignition.

The man in the passenger seat smiles at him from the rearview mirror, and Jay turns to face red eyes on a friendly face.

"Nothing happened in that room," the smiling man says as he looks back at Jay. "And Barry is alright. You don't need to see him now."

Jay nods. It's entirely true, nothing happened in that room. They went to that place solely to take a trip, maybe have a look around. Barry never got cut anywhere, what a silly thought... And surely Jay doesn't need to bother him with this now.

He still has his hand on the key. The engine rumbles back to life as Jay turns it, then drives away from Barry's home.