SO. TO KICK OFF THE WEEK OF SPECULATION BEFORE THE UPDATE DROPS.

last night i had a bit of a Revelation. literally. i borderline woke up in a cold sweat with this realization. the way i lunged for my laptop to scream at friends... ough. lets get into it

so. i do believe I've made a couple of theory posts about Barnaby not being quite as receptive to his and Wally's "forced" best friendship as Wally - since the show wrote them to be friends instead of it happening naturally. i thought it might be a point of tension for Barn. i thought a lot.

YES SO I'M TOSSING (almost) ALL OF THAT OUT THE WINDOW!

the bios state Barnaby as Wally's best friend multiple times over. it had to be regularly reinforced. their colors were chosen to mark them as friends.

but Barnaby - presumably - can't see the bios, he wouldn't know the scripts. the friendship would be natural from his perspective. how would he know otherwise? even if the relationship started out synthetic, i don't doubt that it became genuine. in the context of their world and perceptions, realistically speaking Barnaby probably wouldn't sense anything wrong.

the reminders to be best friends weren't for Barnaby.

they were for Wally.

i'm starting to suspect that Wally is Barnaby's best friend, but Barnaby isn't Wally's. i think that Wally's "best friend" is Home - or at least Wally has a closer connection to them / Home is more important to Wally than anyone else is.

i remember reading this livestream trivia (from theneighborhoodwatch's doc, if you haven't their resources yet what are you even doing?):

and i assumed it was for Barnaby's side of the relationship. but it's not, is it? it's Wally's? and it makes too much fucking Sense! it fits! i can see it perfectly! i can feel things slotting together in my mind due to this shift in perspective, and i'm scared

Barnaby probably thinks the relationship is natural, just like how he thinks he's a real person in a real world. Wally probably knows that the relationship is a role, just like how he knows he's a puppet in a false reality.

that leaves me wondering how much of it is genuine on Wally's side. i don't doubt that they really are friends, but how deep does that connection go? in the interview, Wally sounded excited/proud about having a best friend, but how much came from a place of feeling, and how much came from a place of Fulfilling The Role? how much of it is performative? how much of it is a mask?

i've been seeing everything differently. Barnaby poses for Wally the most because he has good balance and is good at staying still, not because of favoritism or because he's Wally's best friend. in the 14 (15 including the hidden halloween) audios, Barnaby consistently seeks out Wally and checks in on him. Wally seems more casual about their relationship than Barnaby is.

i'm worried that Wally values Home & You/Us over Barnaby. that Barnaby is second or third place in Wally's heart. that Wally means more to Barnaby than he means to Wally. after all, only one of them needed their relationship to be reinforced on a seemingly regular basis.

i'm confident that Wally cares about / loves Barnaby, but the question is how much? to what extent?

Imagine #111 Barry Allen and Cisco Ramon (Requested)

A/N:This is the 3rd part to these imagines. I appreciate the kind words and encouragement. I hope you all like it! (Imagines #105 and #107 are the first and second parts)

After the dreaded ‘lunch’ fiasco, you’d avoided Barry like the plague; you returned to S.T.A.R Labs in an eerie silence, collected your belongings and went home without a word. An excruciating month has crept by since then and no one has the slightest idea why you’d refused to return to ‘work’ since. Caitlin tried, in her earnest motherly tone, to coax you into detailing the troubles hidden behind the bizarre behavior to no avail. Cisco, despite being a curious and concerned boyfriend, didn’t push you to talk; instead he’d drown you in affection and whisper that he’d always be there to listen when you needed him. Joe, Wally and Iris continued to invite you over to family dinners; never being able to miss the disappointment in their voices when you’d politely decline. Barry; oh Barry, he was the worst. Barry’s constant attempt at communication was frustrating to say the least; he’d knock on your apartment door until he’d tire and leave, he’d called your phone so much that you contemplated blocking his number, he’d even gone as far as to email you daily. Despite the anger and confusion he’d caused, it was impossible to deny that the pixelated video clips he’d attach to his emails always made you feel a sense of guilt for giving him the cold shoulder as he sat in isolation with the burden of ‘what could have been’ settling in his brain like an anchor.

“Knock, knock.” A cautious voice calls disrupting the silence of your office, a startled unease settling in your stomach as you met the gaze of the man who’d made your world crumble. Despite his efforts, never once had he intruded on your workplace, I guess when desperation sets in nothing is off limits. “I know I shouldn’t just show up at your work-”

“Then, why did you?” You interrupt with a frown, a defensive posture a clear indication of how this conversation would surely go.

“Ouch.” Barry mumbled to himself, shaking off the malicious tone to your voice as he continued. “You haven’t been returning my calls.” He hesitates before using his fingers to emphasize his point. “Or emails, or text messages or answered your door.”

“Anyone else would catch the hint.” You snap, furrowing your eyebrows at him before uncrossing your arms. “What do you want, Bartholomew?” He shivers at the way you say his name, you’d never been angry with him before and he wasn’t sure how much more of this he could stomach.

“I guess I just want you to hear me out.” He shrugs, avoiding the odd chance he’d meet your eyes as he closes the office door behind himself and sits in the chair in the furthest corner of the room. “I know I can’t make things better but… I just want you to understand.”

“Understand what? That I am dating your best friend after you told me to move on and now you want to be with me? That you waited until I was finally happy again, until I felt like I could breathe, until I felt like maybe I had a chance at loving someone who could love me back, just to crush my heart all over again?”

“It’s not like that.” He rushed, leaning forward in his seat in a desperate attempt to explain himself. “I want you to be happy, I do.” He sighs, swallowing the dry feeling settling in his throat. “But I know that I can make you happy. We were happy. In that other timeline, we were together and you told me that I made you the happiest you’ve ever been. I’ve seen you date other people before but this, this is different. I can feel that it’s different. I am scared, okay?” He admits, running his slender fingers through his brown hair as he stares at his tattered shoes. “I am scared of losing you. I am scared that after everything that I’ve been through in my life, that’s been out of my control, that this, something I’ve created, will be the worst thing I’ll have to live through. You’ve always been there for me. When my mom was murdered, after Zoom and my dad.” He sighs, placing his head in his hands. “I can’t imagine my life without you.”

“I just need time.” You sigh, pinching the bridge of your nose before rubbing your palms down your face. “It’s a lot to take in, Barr.” He fights the urge to smile at the use of his nickname, nodding in understanding as he stands from his seat before wiping his palms against the thighs of his jeans in a nervous gesture. “I love you, Barr. I really do.” You murmur, ignoring the cheshire grin spreading across Barry’s face as you continue. “But.” Just like that his smile vanishes, replaced by a confused frown and furrow of his darkened eyebrows. “I am just not sure that it’d ever work out. I don’t know that I could get over what’s happened between us and-and Cisco.” You trail off, meeting his saddened green eyes as realization settles and warm tears glisten in his eyes.

“You love him, don’t you?” He inquired in a whisper, there’s a suffocating tension in the atmosphere as an uncomfortable deafening silence settles in the air. The question was meant to be rhetorical, you knew that, but it didn’t keep you from gnawing on your bottom lip as you avoid meeting his gaze and nod. There’s a gust of wind, the shuffling of papers interrupting the silence as your papers flutter off your desk, Barry disappearing in a burst of neon yellow lightning. An unyielding sense of guilt weighs on your chest, this entire dilemma is crushing you under a mountain of emotions that feel impossible to sift through. Disregarding the papers scattered across the carpet, you grasp your purse and head to the only place that can help you feel safe in a moment like this.

“Hey, baby.” Cisco’s warm smooth voice welcomes; the delicious scent of a homemade meal wafting from the kitchen, the dulled clatter of dishes interrupting the complacent silence as you complete the routine of locking the deadbolt and hanging your purse on a coat hook on the wall mounted beside the front door. “I didn’t know you were coming over.” He comments, entering the foyer with a beige towel hanging on his broad shoulder and a handsome smile on his face.

“I could leave if you want.” You tease causing him to narrow his milk chocolate eyes at you in a playful manner as he approaches you. He hums appreciatively as you press a desperate kiss against his warm mouth.

“What’s wrong, gorgeous?” He questions in a delicate voice, cradling your face in his palms was he rubs his thumbs against your cheekbones; he’s always so tender with you, his affectionate nature is part of the reason you fell in love with him. Love; that’s what’s making everything so difficult. “Tough day?”

“You have no idea.” You sigh, burying your face into the crook of his neck, nuzzling the warm flesh like a kitten as you inhale the comforting scent of his cologne. He releases a pleasant hum, relishing the affectionate embrace as his lean muscular arms wrap around your shoulders and squeeze you tighter against him. “I missed you.”

“Mm, I missed you too.” He murmurs against your hair, pressing a lingering kiss against your hairline before releasing you from his grasp and re-entering the kitchen. “Make yourself comfortable and I’ll bring our food.” He calls, too familiar with the knowledge that you’d probably forgotten to eat as you often did.

There was a movie playing on the television screen in the living room, if you weren’t so emotionally exhausted you might’ve been interested in watching it but there were too many thoughts racing through your brain. The spaghetti with meatballs accompanied with Cisco’s choice of aged red wine was delicious. Francisco Ramon is an absolute sweetheart; he explained that he’d enlisted Caitlin for her help in learning to cook the dish just to surprise you. This fact would’ve been heartwarming had it not made your stomach twist with guilt. Barry’s words were lingering in your mind, his confession weighing on your chest as you cuddle closer into Cisco’s side and attempt to fight the tears stinging the back of your eyes.

“I love you.” Cisco’s smooth voice murmurs, as soon as the words reached your ears it felt like your heart stopped. He hesitates, gnawing on his lower lip as he contemplates on whether he’s just ruined your relationship. Maybe he should’ve waited. Maybe it was too soon. Just as he began to panic, he was startled by the pleasant surprise of you straddling his lap. Cradling his face, you press a passionate kiss to his mouth causing him to moan into the kiss and clutch at your hips.

“I love you.” He’s grinning into the kiss, heart hammering against his chest at your confession. He wants to relish in the moment, to stay here like this with you forever, but as he looks into your eyes there’s something there that makes him second guess the moment. It’s something that’s just beneath the surface, hiding within the innermost part of your mind. He could feel it, there was something wrong. So, he did the sole thing he’d promised you from the first day you’d started the relationship that he wouldn’t do; he vibed you.

Imagine #109 Wally West [Requested]

A/N: I was so happy to get this request because Wally doesn’t get enough love. I adore him. <3 

“This is useless.” The disheartened statement weighed on your tongue, a disgruntled sigh interrupting the silence as you toss the mechanical pencil from your grasp; the petulant gesture causing Iris to furrow her brow before glancing over at your desk with intrigue. “Iris.” You whine before leaning back in the desk chair and covering your face in an overdramatic fashion. “I can’t concentrate. Can I help you with your blog?”

“Maybe you can’t concentrate because you keep thinking about Wally.” She suggested, suppressing a grin, ignoring the bitter glare in her direction as her manicured fingers tapped against the keys of her laptop.

“So you’re not worried about him?” You counter with an edge to your voice as you toss a pencil-top eraser in her direction. “He just had his heart broken.”

“I wouldn’t say that.” She sighs, frowning as she watches your expression darken and your face fall. “He’s upset but he’s not heartbroken.” She knew her brother was never in love with Jesse Wells; because he’s always been in love with you. Iris West, being a reporter, was known for her impeccable abilities in investigation. Despite this, she needn’t use her abilities when it came to her baby brother; Wally West is far from subtle, and because of this she knew he’d become smitten with you from the moment he met you. Before he knew what was happening, he’d fallen completely and hopelessly in love with you. The day that he came into the S.T.A.R Labs cortex in a jealous rage, due to a date you accepted with a coworker, he confessed to his sister that he was in love with you.

“Heartbroken?” Caitlin questions as she enters the cortex with a steaming mug of coffee within her palms as she puckers her mouth and blows against the surface. “Are we talking about Wally?”

“See, even Caitlin agrees!” You exclaim, releasing a pitiful sigh, you lean back into the comfortable desk chair before lolling your head in Iris’ direction to shoot her a smug bitter smile. “Maybe,” you start with an excited hop in your seat, a wide smile creeping across your face as the girls watch you with curiosity in their eyes. “We can all go to that karaoke bar downtown tonight; get some drinks, sing a little and get Wally’s mind off of things?”

“That’s…” Iris hesitates, turning from her laptop with a mischievous smile. “A great idea. I’ll nudge him in the right direction. We’ll be there.”

An appreciative sigh escapes your mouth, the boisterous thud of textbooks and shuffling of notebook papers interrupting the complacent silence lingering within your bedroom. It was difficult, to say the least, to keep yourself focused on the pile of homework for the week. Procrastination definitely makes your college life strenuous, however, that fact never did anything to change your actions as you snuggle on the living room couch and binge watch shows on Netflix with your best friend. It feels like your heart has a knack for influencing your mind; somehow, Wally West always seems to dominate even the faintest of thoughts.

“Look at you.” Cisco whistled, twirling you around in an exaggerated gesture before helping you into the booth that Caitlin, Barry, and Cisco were seated at. “You are smokin’.” He compliments, his arm sliding against the faux leather of the booth behind your shoulders before shooting you an adorable wink.

“Thank you, Cisco.” You giggle, straightening the hem of your purple flower printed cocktail dress. There was no denying that there had always been a sense of playful flirtations with Cisco but, to your knowledge, it's always been friendly banter. Despite this fact, there was something about the way he’s been acting since you’d arrived to the bar that felt like something might’ve changed for him. There’s faint talk of ordering drinks, but it falls on deaf ears as you spot the West siblings entering the karaoke bar in animated conversation and attractive smiles on their faces.

Wally’s handsome smile vanishes, features darkening as his chocolate brown eyes land on Cisco’s arm strewn across your shoulders. He swallows the lump in his throat, ignoring the urge to stomp over there and shove him away from you. Iris notices the way her brother bristles and follows his gaze to the table and suppresses the knowing smile from her mouth as she nudges his elbow and raises her eyebrows. He scoffs, making a face before sulking to the bar to retrieve a much needed drink. As if things weren’t bad enough, the thought enters his mind as he approaches the bar and does his best to try to ignore the ache in his chest. He raises his hand, the universal gesture for bartenders to take an order, as he waits, the screech of feedback emanating from the stage speakers catches his attention. The establishment’s manager introduces himself, a series of light hearted banter and a few misplaced jokes later, he urges the patrons who want to be involved in the activities to sign on the dotted line at the bar.

“What can I get you?” The bartender questions with a polite nod, palms on the marbled countertop as he awaits Wally’s order.

“Two long island iced teas.” He murmurs, forgetting for a moment that he can’t actually drown his sorrows in alcohol. “And the sign up sheet.”

The conversation at the booth is smooth; subtle laughter, casual conversation and enjoying each other’s company. Wally was the sole silent occupant, frowning as his fingertips circled the edge of his glass and his attention wandered between anyone that acknowledged him and your side of the table where it seemed Cisco had been flirting with you all night. It was when an employee waved him over to the stage that he downed his drink and left the table without a word. The curious glances at his empty seat went unnoticed by him as he squeezed the microphone in his hand in a white-knuckled grip before releasing a nervous sigh and the beginning notes to Maroon 5’s “Sugar” began playing. He swallowed the dryness in his throat, hesitating before his eyes found their way to you. Just as they always did.

“I'm hurting, baby, I'm broken down. I need your loving, loving. I need it now. When I'm without you. I'm something weak. You got me begging, begging. I'm on my knees.” His voice is smooth and soothing, sending ripples down your spine as you ignore the heat spreading through your cheeks. You clear your throat, sinking into your seat as your friends all look between you and Wally. “I don't wanna be needing your love. I just wanna be deep in your love. And it's killing me when you're away, ooh, baby, 'cause I really don't care where you are. I just wanna be there where you are. And I gotta get one little taste.”

There are a few whistles in the crowd, patrons cheering at Wally’s beautiful voice as he seems to relax and a handsome grin quirks his mouth as he gets into his performance. “Your sugar. Yes, please. Won't you come and put it down on me? I'm right here, 'cause I need, a little love, a little sympathy. Yeah, you show me good loving. Make it alright. Need a little sweetness in my life. Your sugar. Yes, please. Won't you come and put it down on me?” He’s moving his body in a way that makes you squirm and a few women in the crowd shout at him. He points at you, winking as he continues. “My broken pieces, you pick them up. Don't leave me hanging, hanging. Come give me some. When I'm without ya, I'm so insecure. You are the one thing, one thing. I'm living for.” You excuse yourself from the booth, your heart beating erratically in your chest as you order another drink. This performance was just another example of Wally’s playful personality. It didn’t mean anything. There were no hidden messages in his song choice or his gestures. At least, that’s what you told yourself as you close your eyes and allow the alcohol in your glass to burn your throat. Wally isn’t yours. That sad fact kept ringing in your head as you empty your glass and order another drink, ignoring the cheers as Wally finishes his song.

“So.” Wally’s excited voice interrupts your thoughts as he plops into the stool beside you. “What’d you think?”

“You know I love your singing, Wal.” You compliment before hastily tossing your drink back. He furrows his brow at your behavior before letting an awkward silence settle between you. He wasn’t sure if you actually caught that he chose that song for you. He was trying to take Iris’ advice and pour his heart out to you. He’s always loved you, dating Jesse never changed that; in fact, that was part of the reason she broke up with him. She could never compare to you and she was tired of trying. She didn’t want to be second best anymore.

“I love you.” He blurts out in a rush, ignoring the nauseous feeling in the pit of his stomach as he continues. “I never wanted to ruin our friendship, so I never said anything. The closer we got the harder I fell and I panicked. I knew you’d never feel the same for me so I distracted myself by dating Jesse and-and I wasn’t gonna say anything but I don’t know if you and Cisco have something going on or not but I hated seeing him flirt with you all night-”

“Wally.” Your voice wavers as you attempt to interrupt his ramblings but it falls on deaf ears as he continues.

“I don’t have anything against him. If he makes you happy then I’m happy. I just couldn’t keep this inside anymore-” He’s silenced by the warmth of your mouth against his, the hint of alcohol on your tongue caressing his taste buds as you deepen the kiss and place your hand on the back of his head. The entire bar seems to melt away as his hands find your hips and pull you flush against him as he continues to kiss you with every pent up emotion he’s held in his heart. The overwhelming need for oxygen burns your lungs and you reluctantly pull away, setting your forehead on his as you both grin from ear to ear.

“I love you, Wally West.” You whisper, nudging his nose with yours. “I always have and I always will.”