[ It wasn't exactly a party; Henry's funeral was looming, recent and awful, in all of their minds. Barry's silence, his strained smiles, and his eventual absence, cast a pall on the others gathered in the living room of the West house. But none of them could really bear to go their separate ways right away. They'd defeated Zoom, finally, after so long. It hasn't quite sunk in yet, for Cisco. He doesn't feel relieved. Perhaps he will, in a few days. For now, though, he can't stop looking for something to do, feeling like he's forgotten or neglected something.
Barry had left, and Iris soon after. Caitlin was next, unsurprisingly: it was going to take a while for her to heal from all this. That left only Cisco, and Joe, and Wally. He was acutely aware of the fact that he was the only one left who didn't live here, and was just about to get up off the couch, start making excuses, when Joe said he was heading up to sleep, and to make sure to shut off the lights and lock the doors when they were done. He laid a hand on first Wally's shoulder and then, surprisingly, Cisco's, too. It was a warm, firm grip, absent-minded and vaguely paternal.
Which left only the two of them, on the empty first floor of the house, the TV on with the news playing, though muted. Cisco should say goodnight, head out, but... he couldn't stand the thought of being alone right now. So, rather than excuse himself, he asks: ]
If you want me to go just say so. I'm still feeling kinda amped up.
[The last few days have been...overwhelming. Way too much to process, that Barry's The Flash, integrating everything that he just learned in with everything he already knew. Wally's head's been spinning all day, he's seen things he never expected to see, he's had explanations thrown at him that he still can't quite wrap his head around. But his dad is safe, now, he hadn't had to lose the only parent he had left, and the relief is worth the confusion.
But there's no ignoring the fact that he's pretty much the only one here who's smiling, who's able to smile. There's no ignoring the fact that Barry's just lost his dad like Wally was so scared to. He feels guilty being relieved, but he can't just turn it off.
By the time everyone's drifting out, Wally's comfortably and lazily tipsy, still picking at the pizza a bit. After he squeezes his dad's hand as Joe heads upstairs and Cisco sitting on the couch beside him, he tilts his head back, closes his eyes and swallows hard. When Cisco says he'll go if Wally wants, he turns his head a bit, offers Cisco a tiny, tired smile.]
Naw, man. I am too. Hell, stay the night if you want.
[Draping a hand over his head, against the back of the couch, he stares at the ceiling for a moment.]
[ Normally, Cisco would assume that the invitation was just a gesture of politeness, not anything to be taken seriously. But Wally says it so matter-of-factly, without any hesitation. He says it smiling softly, eyes still closed, clearly feeling the exhaustion of the day, the same way Cisco is. And for that reason... well, he's seriously considering it. The couch is comfortable, and he's a little buzzed, and bone-tired from stress and excitement and using his powers so many times. How many breaches had he opened, today, anyway? ]
Might take you up on that. I'm beat.
[ The thanks take him by surprise. He raises his eyebrows, curious, blinking a few times. It is confusion, rather than any kind of modesty, that prompts Cisco to ask: ]
[Wally shrugs against the back of the couch, exhaling deeply. He feels heavy and weightless all at once, his eyes tired and his body thrumming just a little. Maybe he's in shock, maybe it's just the sheer overwhelming magnitude of how much his world just opened up, but he's also...]
I'm beat too. This has been... [He shakes his head, laughs a bit. There are no words for what this has been, and he's pretty sure Cisco will get that. Cisco's always been the one to get him the most, besides, sometimes, Iris.
But when Cisco asks what he's saying thanks for, Wally rolls his head to the side, dark eyes opening slowly as he looks at the other young man, smiling a bit again.]
Seriously? You have to ask? [Another shake of his head.] For helping save my dad.
[ Wally doesn't need to finish that sentence, for Cisco to know. He'd been there beside him the whole time. Zoom and all of his melodramatic, violent, terrifying bullshit. Joe being taken. Locking Barry up. Letting Barry go. The race. All the wild shit that had gone down there.
And, he reminds himself, it was only a few days ago Wally hadn't had any idea that Barry was the Flash, that Cisco had powers, that any of this was going on. It's a lot for anybody to take in. ]
Oh.
[ Cisco shifts, then, discomfort acute enough to make him pull over one of the couch pillows, fiddling with the tiny tassels at the corners and staring at them as if they've become fascinating to him. He'd seen how much it impacted Wally, when Joe was taken. He'd been worried, himself, but he knows it can't be anywhere close. Joe is Wally's dad, the dad he'd never had a chance to know growing up. His only parent left.
It doesn't take much, for Cisco's mood to tip towards regret. He wouldn't say anything, if there were other people around, if it weren't quiet in that special way when it's just two people talking alone at night. ]
He shouldn't have been taken in the first place.
[ Cisco thinks back; it's been such a long few days. But, no. Wally hadn't been there, when Joe got taken. So he swallows and explains, quietly: ]
Joe didn't have to be anywhere near Zoom. It would've made more sense for me to be the one who was up close. I was the one opening the breach. He could've stayed in the back, been there as support. But- but he put me far away, and he...
[ Trailing off, Cisco gives a mute shrug, frowning down at the pillow. ]
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Barry had left, and Iris soon after. Caitlin was next, unsurprisingly: it was going to take a while for her to heal from all this. That left only Cisco, and Joe, and Wally. He was acutely aware of the fact that he was the only one left who didn't live here, and was just about to get up off the couch, start making excuses, when Joe said he was heading up to sleep, and to make sure to shut off the lights and lock the doors when they were done. He laid a hand on first Wally's shoulder and then, surprisingly, Cisco's, too. It was a warm, firm grip, absent-minded and vaguely paternal.
Which left only the two of them, on the empty first floor of the house, the TV on with the news playing, though muted. Cisco should say goodnight, head out, but... he couldn't stand the thought of being alone right now. So, rather than excuse himself, he asks: ]
If you want me to go just say so. I'm still feeling kinda amped up.
no subject
But there's no ignoring the fact that he's pretty much the only one here who's smiling, who's able to smile. There's no ignoring the fact that Barry's just lost his dad like Wally was so scared to. He feels guilty being relieved, but he can't just turn it off.
By the time everyone's drifting out, Wally's comfortably and lazily tipsy, still picking at the pizza a bit. After he squeezes his dad's hand as Joe heads upstairs and Cisco sitting on the couch beside him, he tilts his head back, closes his eyes and swallows hard. When Cisco says he'll go if Wally wants, he turns his head a bit, offers Cisco a tiny, tired smile.]
Naw, man. I am too. Hell, stay the night if you want.
[Draping a hand over his head, against the back of the couch, he stares at the ceiling for a moment.]
Thanks, Cisco.
no subject
[ Normally, Cisco would assume that the invitation was just a gesture of politeness, not anything to be taken seriously. But Wally says it so matter-of-factly, without any hesitation. He says it smiling softly, eyes still closed, clearly feeling the exhaustion of the day, the same way Cisco is. And for that reason... well, he's seriously considering it. The couch is comfortable, and he's a little buzzed, and bone-tired from stress and excitement and using his powers so many times. How many breaches had he opened, today, anyway? ]
Might take you up on that. I'm beat.
[ The thanks take him by surprise. He raises his eyebrows, curious, blinking a few times. It is confusion, rather than any kind of modesty, that prompts Cisco to ask: ]
For what?
no subject
[Wally shrugs against the back of the couch, exhaling deeply. He feels heavy and weightless all at once, his eyes tired and his body thrumming just a little. Maybe he's in shock, maybe it's just the sheer overwhelming magnitude of how much his world just opened up, but he's also...]
I'm beat too. This has been... [He shakes his head, laughs a bit. There are no words for what this has been, and he's pretty sure Cisco will get that. Cisco's always been the one to get him the most, besides, sometimes, Iris.
But when Cisco asks what he's saying thanks for, Wally rolls his head to the side, dark eyes opening slowly as he looks at the other young man, smiling a bit again.]
Seriously? You have to ask? [Another shake of his head.] For helping save my dad.
no subject
[ Wally doesn't need to finish that sentence, for Cisco to know. He'd been there beside him the whole time. Zoom and all of his melodramatic, violent, terrifying bullshit. Joe being taken. Locking Barry up. Letting Barry go. The race. All the wild shit that had gone down there.
And, he reminds himself, it was only a few days ago Wally hadn't had any idea that Barry was the Flash, that Cisco had powers, that any of this was going on. It's a lot for anybody to take in. ]
Oh.
[ Cisco shifts, then, discomfort acute enough to make him pull over one of the couch pillows, fiddling with the tiny tassels at the corners and staring at them as if they've become fascinating to him. He'd seen how much it impacted Wally, when Joe was taken. He'd been worried, himself, but he knows it can't be anywhere close. Joe is Wally's dad, the dad he'd never had a chance to know growing up. His only parent left.
It doesn't take much, for Cisco's mood to tip towards regret. He wouldn't say anything, if there were other people around, if it weren't quiet in that special way when it's just two people talking alone at night. ]
He shouldn't have been taken in the first place.
[ Cisco thinks back; it's been such a long few days. But, no. Wally hadn't been there, when Joe got taken. So he swallows and explains, quietly: ]
Joe didn't have to be anywhere near Zoom. It would've made more sense for me to be the one who was up close. I was the one opening the breach. He could've stayed in the back, been there as support. But- but he put me far away, and he...
[ Trailing off, Cisco gives a mute shrug, frowning down at the pillow. ]