The Flash ficlet: The Light in His Eyes
Title: The Light in His Eyes
Characters: Barry Allen/Cisco Ramon
Word Count: 585
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None, unless you don't know that Barry Allen went back in time
Disclaimer: Nope, not mine; no money made
Beta: unbeta'd due to shortness
Summary: Barry carries the weight of the world; Cisco wants to lighten his load, if only for a short time
Author's Notes: Something I wrote back in 2016 that never made it to my fic LJ or AO3, although it was posted at 1_million_words back when I wrote it.
This can also be read here at AO3
If there was one thing Cisco hated, it was seeing Barry looking as though he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The trouble was, Barry couldn’t seem to help blaming himself for far too many things that were out of his control. Okay, so technically, many of the things Barry blamed himself for might not have happened if he hadn’t travelled back in time trying to save his mother, but he could hardly be blamed for anything other people chose to do after he’d done it, since his intentions were pure.
Pure.
The word made Cisco smile because it was so very Barry. All Barry wanted out of life was to help people, and not because it would make him a hero in their eyes, but simply because it was the right thing to do.
So seeing the expression that said Barry thought he’d let the world down, when that was as far from the truth as it could get, made Cisco want to do everything in his power to chase it away.
“Barry,” Cisco murmured as the others left the room, causing Barry to turn back, giving him a questioning look - still somewhat tinged with the sadness he couldn’t hide. “My parents left this huge casserole when they went home last weekend. Come back to mine and help me eat it? It’ll only go to waste otherwise - there’s no way I can eat it all before it goes off.”
Barry smiled sadly. “You don’t have to do that, you know.”
“Do what?”
“Try to take my mind off the trouble I’ve caused.”
“You don’t get it, do you?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Barry, you aren’t to blame for the choices people make; you need to stop thinking that everything bad that’s happened since you went back is your fault.” Cisco moved closer to Barry, aching to smooth out the creases on his brow. “If you think all of that is because of what you did, then why won’t you accept the blame for the good things that have happened? The people you’ve saved; the lives you’ve changed for the better; people who might never have realised how much potential they have!”
Barry snorted lightly, and looked away. When he met Cisco’s eyes a moment later, it was clear he hadn’t even considered that side of things, but he couldn’t deny it was true. “Okay, I’ll come to dinner with you. I’d like to hear more of your theories about the good things I’ve caused, because… I only remember a few.”
Cisco reached out a hand, grateful that Barry was actually listening; that his words were enough. Barry took it, pulling him into a hug. “Thanks, Cisco.”
“What for?”
“For always managing to make me see things more clearly. You, Cisco Ramon, are an endless source of wonder to me. I’m more grateful than you know for your friendship, for your help in saving the world, and… much more.”
Cisco’s chest ached with an emotion he was thankful he didn’t have to put into more words than he knew how to articulate.
He met Barry’s small smile with a larger one of his own. “I’m honoured. Although,” He allowed Barry to wrap an arm across his shoulders as they walked. “I am pretty wonderful. I must be, or I wouldn’t be best friends with the fastest man in the world.”
Barry smiled at that, a light back in his eyes. It was the most beautiful thing Cisco had ever seen.
~//~
END
Characters: Barry Allen/Cisco Ramon
Word Count: 585
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None, unless you don't know that Barry Allen went back in time
Disclaimer: Nope, not mine; no money made
Beta: unbeta'd due to shortness
Summary: Barry carries the weight of the world; Cisco wants to lighten his load, if only for a short time
Author's Notes: Something I wrote back in 2016 that never made it to my fic LJ or AO3, although it was posted at 1_million_words back when I wrote it.
This can also be read here at AO3
If there was one thing Cisco hated, it was seeing Barry looking as though he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The trouble was, Barry couldn’t seem to help blaming himself for far too many things that were out of his control. Okay, so technically, many of the things Barry blamed himself for might not have happened if he hadn’t travelled back in time trying to save his mother, but he could hardly be blamed for anything other people chose to do after he’d done it, since his intentions were pure.
Pure.
The word made Cisco smile because it was so very Barry. All Barry wanted out of life was to help people, and not because it would make him a hero in their eyes, but simply because it was the right thing to do.
So seeing the expression that said Barry thought he’d let the world down, when that was as far from the truth as it could get, made Cisco want to do everything in his power to chase it away.
“Barry,” Cisco murmured as the others left the room, causing Barry to turn back, giving him a questioning look - still somewhat tinged with the sadness he couldn’t hide. “My parents left this huge casserole when they went home last weekend. Come back to mine and help me eat it? It’ll only go to waste otherwise - there’s no way I can eat it all before it goes off.”
Barry smiled sadly. “You don’t have to do that, you know.”
“Do what?”
“Try to take my mind off the trouble I’ve caused.”
“You don’t get it, do you?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Barry, you aren’t to blame for the choices people make; you need to stop thinking that everything bad that’s happened since you went back is your fault.” Cisco moved closer to Barry, aching to smooth out the creases on his brow. “If you think all of that is because of what you did, then why won’t you accept the blame for the good things that have happened? The people you’ve saved; the lives you’ve changed for the better; people who might never have realised how much potential they have!”
Barry snorted lightly, and looked away. When he met Cisco’s eyes a moment later, it was clear he hadn’t even considered that side of things, but he couldn’t deny it was true. “Okay, I’ll come to dinner with you. I’d like to hear more of your theories about the good things I’ve caused, because… I only remember a few.”
Cisco reached out a hand, grateful that Barry was actually listening; that his words were enough. Barry took it, pulling him into a hug. “Thanks, Cisco.”
“What for?”
“For always managing to make me see things more clearly. You, Cisco Ramon, are an endless source of wonder to me. I’m more grateful than you know for your friendship, for your help in saving the world, and… much more.”
Cisco’s chest ached with an emotion he was thankful he didn’t have to put into more words than he knew how to articulate.
He met Barry’s small smile with a larger one of his own. “I’m honoured. Although,” He allowed Barry to wrap an arm across his shoulders as they walked. “I am pretty wonderful. I must be, or I wouldn’t be best friends with the fastest man in the world.”
Barry smiled at that, a light back in his eyes. It was the most beautiful thing Cisco had ever seen.
~//~
END