A/N: SuperFlash AU - No Superpowers

Few notes to consider:

1. Characters may be OOC, especially Kara and Barry, while being set in Central City. An external OC is introduced as Barry and Iris' sister, assuming Joe had another young child.

2. No super powers are present in this fanfic (Sorry) with Barry and Kara being neighbours, as well as changes in Kara's profession by being a teacher instead of a reporter!

[You are able to skip this note]

Sorry for postponing my other stories that are more anticipated. 'Birth of the Dark Flash' and 'Broken Paths' may have updates coming soon, I guess I had lost interest in writing for a bit but I hope you enjoy this for now before I work on my other stories. Thank you!

Disclaimer: I do not own DC, CW Characters

"You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams."

― Dr. Seuss

The music started four months ago. It was loud, with a blaring beat and a slur of words that had to filter through the wall. Kara's neighbour had moved in almost six months ago, but the music was something new she had learned. He spoke loudly with his friends. And he enjoyed music far too loudly at three in the morning. Kara had a class tomorrow morning that she had to teach, and she wasn't in the mood for this.

Her pillow curling around her head doing nothing, she rose up in her bed, staring at the beige wall of her apartment, the other side a circus of noise. Bounding her fist, she hammered hard against the wall, the ache going right up her forearm, yet the music still blared on the other side. Huffing, she banged louder again, knowing she'd have to shout this time. "Will you shut it! Not everyone can stay up 'til three in the morning!" she yelled. Pressing her ear to the wall, to her surprise, she heard a low grumbled laugh.

"If you want to hear me have sex, be my guest," he replied, a ridiculous and annoyingly cute laugh followed.

"You're being unfair! Turn it off!" she shouted. When the music stopped, she settled back into bed, before hearing hushed and eager moans from a woman with a soft banging on the headboard against her wall. Covering her mouth, Kara squeaked, banging back on the wall. "Rao! Turn it on!" she begged. She heard her neighbour chuckle again, the music back on, but softer this time. The moans were muffled and it only sounded like a soft tap as the bed frame hit against the wall.

Oddly enough, the rhythm took Kara to sleep rather easily. She'd never admit to that.

Waking up with only a few hours of sleep, she gathered her books, putting them in her bag as her coffee brewed. She realised that she was the one making the noise now, but she was running a little late and after what occurred last night she didn't really care. Putting the coffee in a thermos, Kara curled her hair into a bun, jabbing one of those long metal clips through it. Jumping into her skin tight pencil skirt and tucking in her blouse, she was ready to rush out the door.

Fumbling for her keys in her bag, her front door shut, she noticed the little note taped to her door. Her keys in hand now, she took the folded note from the door, reading it before chuckling to herself.

'Sorry about last night. I'll try and keep off the loud music from now on. - B'

She looked at her neighbour's door, not knowing when he put the note there, but could tell this was something the fool would do. Locking her door, she put her keys away and found a pen. On the other side of the note, Kara scribbled out a reply.

'Just make sure it isn't past nine. Other than that, blare away. - K'

Biting at her lip, she taped the note to his door, her phone sparking her back into what she was meant to be doing. She rushed down the hallway, making her way down the three flights of stairs, rushing off to the nearest station to try and make her train. She just managed to get on, squashed between two rather large men and a child pressed behind her legs by a mother.

No matter how much work she had to do, and the classes she had to teach, a moment to herself was captivated by her stupid neighbour. Maybe it was because he was damn cocky about all of this, or how she willingly wrote him a note back. She didn't have to be polite to him, she had every right to be mad at him for more than a few days, but, he somehow made it so easy for her to smile at that stupid note.

Her lessons ran smoothly, a few misbehaviours, but that was to be expected with children. When Kara was marking the homework however, she was surprised when she noticed one of her brightest students had consistently not finished her homework, always almost complete. Glancing over to her, the blonde little girl with a smile that was a sparkle of greatness. When the groups split into crafts, to give Kara the chance to talk to some students one on one.

Kara knelt down next to Emma's chair, smiling as she watched the girl draw a picture of her family. Herself, her mother, and a man standing next to Emma. Kara smiled at the picture before whispering to Emma. "Your homework is incomplete Emma. Is everything okay? You get some of it done, sweetie, but not all of it," Kara questioned.

"Miss Danvers, I...I," Emma stuttered, the verge of tears sprinkling at the corner of her eyes, an unexpected response. Kara rubbed at her back before standing and pointing to the door of the classroom.

"Sweetie, come on," she gestured, taking them both out of the classroom and just outside the door. Kara knelt back down, watching as Emma rubbed at her eyes to clean them. "You're not in trouble. I just want to know why you're doing very well in your homework, but you don't complete it," she asked.

"I stay with my brother some days and my dad the others. I don't get much done when I'm with my brother," Emma explained, still drying her tears. Kara reached up, wiping away the small drops from her eyes and smiling to the scared little girl.

"Does he not want to help you?"

Emma shrugged. "We play when he takes care of me. I don't want to do work."

"Well, how about this. Whenever you're with your brother, start with your homework together before you play. Knowing you, you'll get it done in no time," Kara negotiated. Emma nodded, chewing on his bottom lip.

"Ok," she replied simply.

"Alright. Let's go back to the crafts, okay, sweetie?" Kara smiled again and took them both back inside the classroom. The rest of the day went faster, lessons going easily enough as most of the student had the topics under their belts and could answer all the questions set to them. Letting her hair down on the train trip home, she read over some note for her class the next day. Able to sit down and go through everything gave her a chance to get things out of the way so she could just relax when she got home. When she arrived at her apartment, she found that the note was missing from her neighbour's door and she smiled. Perfectly content with her day, she collapsed on her bed, put on her Netflix and fell asleep in the middle of the afternoon.

A week passed before Kara felt the need to interact with her neighbour again. Thursday night and he was playing music again. She was going through some end of the week homework as he played whatever he liked. After this one song played, Kara couldn't get the beat out of her head, making it impossible to focus on the new music and the work she was doing.

Getting up from her chair, Kara walked across her room, bounding her fist and knocking against the wall, tough but not as demanding as other time she knocked. Kara waited a moment, and the music shut off, the sound of footsteps came over to the wall. "Do you need me to turn it down again?" he asked, his voice clearer then before, as though he was right up against the wall like she was. Nervously, rising on her toes, she replied.

"No." Kara cleared her throat, tracing a pattern into the wall. "Uhhh, what was that song you played before?" she asked, biting her lip. He chuckled on the other side.

"Gotta be a little more specific than that" he articulated and Kara laughed. She wasn't sure why. Maybe it was the combination of an awkward conversation and being nervous, but she oddly loved the feeling.

"It was more of a guitar at first and the beat kicked in a little," she explained it as best she could. Her neighbour made a noise before his footsteps trailed away, then, the music started.

"This it?"

"Yes! Yes! That's it!" Kara squeaked, jumping up and down.

"Photograph, Ed Sheeran" he confirmed.

"Ah! Thank you!" She ended up jumping up in glee again, so pleased with knowing a song. As Kara was going back to her laptop, she heard him clear his throat on the other side of the wall. She stopped.

"I'm Barry, by the way," he told her.

"Bear?"

"Barry," he corrected in a laugh. Kara considered it for a moment, her foot going behind her other ankle, rubbing it up and down as she bit at her lip.

"Kara Danvers. But people call me Kara," she replied, biting her nail, tracing his name into the wall.

"Good to know," he replied. And that was it, they both went back to their own things, Kara put on her headphones and listened to the song over and over again. She got through it all done in a matter of an hour or so, and by the time she was going to thank Barry again, there was no noise coming from his apartment, and she didn't want to risk waking him.

On Sunday morning, going through some grading, she was desperately in need for a coffee. When she was about to brew her coffee, she found the near to empty milk carton in her fridge. She huffed in frustration, searching the rest of the fridge for any more milk to no avail.

"If I didn't know any better, someone has been drinking all my damn milk," Kara cursed loudly, shutting her fridge door with a loud bang. Throughout the day, she heard Barry on the phone, coming and going from his apartment, some conversations in angered tones, others in nervous frustration. He had a job interview the next day, and the person on the other end was trying to reassure Barry but it only seemed to irritate him.

Later on in the day, very unexpectedly, Kara got a knock to her front door. She packed up some of her things, pushing some of the grades underneath each other, to note which were marked and the ones that weren't. Opening it, there was no one around, until she looked down - a glass of milk sat on her doormat with a note attached to it.

Heading inside, transferring the milk from the one glass to one of her own, rinsing out the foreign glass and finally reading the post-it-note that had familiar writing on it.

'Ask for a cup of sugar next time. I'm running low on milk too - B'

Kara laughed, replying on the other side of the note, rereading the note.

'Thank you. Too good to a stranger, you are - K'

Sticking the note back on the glass and returning it to the foot of Barry's door, she knocked a few times before going back to her apartment, finally able to make herself a nice mug of coffee. It managed to do the trick, because she got all her work done that night which was a surprise for her but Rao, was it all welcome. That night, she decided to do something nice for once - she found her post-it-notes, scribbled something on the top one and waited for morning to come to stick it there.

Before heading down the stairs of her apartment complex, she stuck the fresh post-it-note on Barry's door. She reread it, sighing at it and wondered if it would be enough.

'Good luck at your job interview :)'

Maybe.

She'd have to wait to find out.

It wasn't until later on in the week that her question was answered. A few rapid knocks came to Kara's wall, which spooked her in a tight squeak, pausing her TV. "Oh!" she peeped and there was a laugh on the other side of the wall.

"Am I interrupting anything?" he asked. Kara settled back into her bed, resting up in her bed and her head resting against the wall.

"Just my Friends rewatch," she replied, her knees coming up and her arms wrapping around them.

"What episode?" he asked eagerly.

"The one where Joey speaks French."

"Great episode."

"What's up?"

He took a moment to reply. "I got the job," he said, bashful in tone.

"Really?" Kara almost jumped up out of her bed, prompting up on her knees, hands pressed against the wall.

"Yeah, walked in with a surge of confidence, like someone was cheering me on. Don't know why," Barry's voice was closer than before, but still just as excited as hers. He was being playful with her, a playful nature that she found so comforting.

"I'm happy you did. I heard you talking on the phone, it sounded like you wanted it," she replied, settling back into bed, biting at her nail; a common factor whenever she talked to Barry.

"I did. And I was talking to my dad by the way, well, foster dad" he explained quickly. "He's been pestering me about getting a better job for a while now."

"Well you best call him or something," Kara said, licking at her lips.

"You're right. You're the first person I told," he chuckled, a soft thud of his head probably falling against the wall.

"Well, aren't I just special," Kara laughed, biting her lip.

"You are and you know it," he replied in that same cheeky and flirty tone that made Kara feel lighter than air.

Barry and Kara ended up having very conflicting schedules, she'd work during the day, and he'd work nights during the week. They'd have brief conversations as Kara collapses back into her bed and Barry is getting dressed for his own shift. If they hear about any other neighbours with gossip, they share it, but they know for a fact that they're both a topic of conversation for most of the other neighbours now.

They ended up talking between a wall for nearly four months, both enjoying each other's company, and when weekends came around, just being able to vent or talk to someone else that isn't family and with no obligations to really care in case of advice. But it ended up there; when Barry came home frustrated with people he's working with or when Kara was dealing with sexist idiots at work, they both made sure the other calmed down before advice was given. Kara knew it was more than just neighbours... or even friends.

A Saturday night came around, and as she was readying to put on her TV shows for the night, she heard the door next door shut, soft giggles and sounds of a couple stumbling through the apartment. Knocking things over, giggles interrupted by moans and the soft sounds of lips parting. Kara turned on her TV quickly, unsure of how else to take the moment. It wasn't as though Kara thought they were going to get together, but something still hurt about all of this.

"Hey, can you keep your voice down. My neighbour and I have the thinnest walls," Barry tried to say in a quiet voice, but Kara still heard it.

"I'm sure he won't mind," the woman replied. Kara scoffed.

"I do actually. Just make sure I don't hear Barry's name every few seconds, he doesn't need that kind of ego," she quipped, shaking her head at the whole thing.

"You wound me, Kar," Barry joked. Kara turned the volume up on her TV.

After hearing the soft pants and squeaking moans from the woman, Kara expected that she may need to go to a different room of her apartment to avoid the high intensity stuff. When she was gathering up her coffee mug and the food scattered on her bedside table, she was surprised when Kara heard the woman huff out in frustration. Kara relaxed back into her bed, way too invested in this - the only time she'd ever indulge herself in eavesdropping.

"Come on, Barry, we were having fun," the woman complained.

"I'm not feeling it," he cleared his throat. There was a squeak coming from the mattress of his bed as people shifted on and off it. "I can give you a lift home?" he offered.

"Forget it. I'll call you," she huffed, walking out of his room, shutting the door in annoyed bang. There was silence as Kara stayed on her bed, trying to hear if Barry was moving around at all. It didn't seem like it.

"I don't think she's going to call you," she joked.

Barry sighed, but scoffed out a laugh anyway. "Yeah. She doesn't have my number." Kara smiled.

"You know, you could still chase after her," she told him.

"Honestly, I'd rather just sit here and watch some TV," he replied, his voice calm and not an ounce of sarcasm in his voice. Kara bit at her lip. "What epi- "

"The one with all the wedding dresses," Kara laughed after she told him.

"Classic."

"Catch up so we can watch it together," she said, relaxing back into her bed, listening through his wall to make sure they were almost at the same point. They ended up laughing the whole night to whatever was happening on screen, as well as Kara telling Barry a story of how she and her friends and sister ended up doing something similar with wedding dresses. In her defence, her friend was getting married and felt weird about renting a dress alone, so all the girls got dresses and wore them around the hotel room a few days before the wedding. Barry laughed at that fact of her life. Kara liked hearing him laugh.

After an extremely long Friday, Kara pushed up her glasses, reading over the teacher's notes she made for the day in her diary. Emma was still struggling to keep consistent homework, Kara had to note that she had to talk to Emma's parents about this. Michael was having more behavioural issues in class, which Kara would have to talk to him about before bringing in his parents. Lucy had improved in her mathematics problem solving, but her literature marks weren't improving, which was saddening to see, maybe Kara would -

She was already at her door, her books in her hand and she hadn't even tried for her keys. She cursed herself internally for not paying attention sooner, but the struggle between Kara and her bag became her next quest. When she reached her keys and tried to get them out from her bag, she dropped them on the floor.

"Damn, for Rao's sake!" she cursed aloud this time. Bending down to get them, a hand was already on them, picking them up before she was able to. Looking up, she saw the square-jawed young man with eyes that were glimmering the brightest emerald Kara had ever seen. He smiled at her with lips that curved so gracefully on his face, it made her swallow hard just watching him.

"Kara?" he asked, a voice so familiar, it was impossible for her not to recognise it by now.

"Barry?" she asked in return and he chuckled, handing over her keys.

"Good to finally meet you," he said, running his hand over his jaw. Kara clenched tightly to her keys; she needed something to hold onto because he couldn't be real.

"You too," she said with a shaken voice. Kara was better than this, better than being nervous, but she really couldn't help it.

"Studying?" he asked, pointing at her diary and she gave a vague nod.

"Sort of," she licked at her lip. "I'm a little bit of a mess right now, but it was good meeting you...finally," she gave over a giggle, using her keys to tuck hair behind her ear.

"I wouldn't say a mess," Barry gave over a flirty smirk, which made Kara feel uneasy.

"I'm doubtful on that. Good seeing you Barry," she waved before unlocking her door. Barry smiled at her one last time before they both disappeared inside their apartments. Throwing everything to the floor and out of her arms, Kara shut the door and leaned against the wood. Covering her mouth, Kara sighed. "Oh, I'm so screwed," she whispered against her hand. And, boy was she right.

Kara had been playing music in her kitchen, her oversized shirt knotted at her waist as her shorts rolled down her hips, dancing lazily in the midst of baking. The little ritual she did on a Friday night - a new ritual that she didn't mind - was how she wound down, to let go of the week and let the weekend deal with the pain of more work; tonight was just hers. Well, almost just hers. Her feet skipped, glasses falling up and down on her nose as the next verse got her into the beat.

" Just know that I want you back ," Kara sang a little off key, shaking her hips as she poured the batter into the baking tin. Using her forearm, she pushed up her glasses and skilfully managed to push hair out of her face. When the batter was layered in the tin, Kara skipped over to the oven, the heat radiating from its surface. Putting it inside and setting the ridiculously long timer, Kara skipped around her kitchen a little more, getting further into the music.

When the final chorus came in, Kara jumped up and down, shaking her hips and her hands up in her hair. She was in a daze of music and joy. Nothing felt better than dancing around her kitchen, forgetting about her stressful week at school, and just letting everything go on a Friday night at home. Spinning around, she found Barry in her apartment, standing against the wall with his hand covering his mouth as he contained a laugh. Kara squeaked, almost dropping to the floor out of sheer shock.

"Sorry! Sorry! It was just too much fun to not watch," Barry said, walking over to her and embracing her tightly.

"Why didn't you say anything?" she said, burying her head into his shoulder and jabbing him in the ribs. Since meeting, Kara and Barry had met every Friday night for at least a catch up for their week. After that first night meeting each other, it became more of a habit to meet each other. Kara was guilty of drawing out conversations just to spend a little extra time with him. Six months of knowing a guy and she still loved talking to him, which wasn't always the case in Kara's life experience. They found that talking through the wall was getting tiresome, forcing Barry to knock on her door on a Friday night and rant about this guy from his new job.

"If I was a villain ready to rob you, you wouldn't even hear me," he teased, pinching at her side. Kara hit him hard against his shoulder, backing away towards the bench behind her.

"You're an idiot," she said, trying not to laugh at his smirking face.

"You look adorable when you dance," he commented, sitting down on the couch and flicking onto Kara's Netflix. He put his feet up on the coffee table, forcing Kara to roll her eyes as he relaxed. He tugged on his tie and unbuttoned his blazer. He threw his blazer across to the other couch, his head falling back. His job was a CSI for the CCPD, which meant a suit and tie for their new regulations, which he hated. Kara started to wash up the baking equipment, ignoring his behaviour, until she felt his presence behind her back. She stilled, unsure of herself before he moved around her and started to dry up the dishes.

"Thank you," she cleared her throat. She couldn't help but notice his sleeves rolled up past his elbows, the muscles in his forearms working as he reached and put away her dishes. Kara wasn't the kind of girl to fawn over a guy's physical appearance, but on this particular day, she was weak against the combination Barry was unintentionally giving her. As Barry kept on drying, he took in all the items he handled and quickly scoffed.

"Did you even make yourself dinner?" he asked.

"No," she replied, smiling as his laugh thickened. "But, look what I did make," she knocked her hip against his, gesturing over to the oven. He turned, quickly spinning back with a gasp. Kara couldn't help but smile back at that face; the goofy grin that took up his whole face, every ounce of joy showcased on that beautiful face of his.

"Chocolate cake? Do you have ice cream?" he asked, turning between Kara and the cake once more.

"Who do you think I am?" Kara exclaimed before laughing.

"But, guess who is lucky?" Barry knocked his hip back against Kara's.

"You?"

"Kinda. We've got dinner," he said.

"You cooked something?" she asked, surprised. He gave her an exasperated look, his eyebrow raised as if to ask if she was entirely serious.

"Really, Kar?" he gave back and she held in a laugh.

"Okay, what?"

"Chinese," he said slowly, with a grin growing wider as his word became longer.

"Ah! Yes Potstickers!" Kara cheered, dancing a little in place as Barry laughed at her.

As the night dragged on, far more Chinese food for either of them to handle, they ended up on the couch, watching movie after movie. Some they were extremely into, shouting at the television and talking about theories that no human could rationally be able to run at such speeds or fly in the sky. Other movies, they sat through without paying attention to it, Kara and Barry just talking about events in their week. Every time Barry talked, Kara found herself either very unaware of how lost she was getting in him, or hyper-aware that she may have been staring. She knew she wasn't this girl, that fawned or was under a spell from a guy, but she was just lost in him. How did he make her feel so comfortable and unaware of the troubles she may have been facing? She wondered if she did the same for him.

The night wound down, the time was something ridiculously late, but Kara couldn't make it out; her eyes couldn't fix on it, she was too tired. Her head rested on Barry's shoulder, drifting in and out of sleep, the smell of the finished cake still filling the air of her apartment. It took Kara by surprise when Barry stirred underneath her. She rose, rubbing at her eyes and finally seeing a disheveled Barry; hair fixed in a mess, shirt untucked from his trousers and unbuttoned to middle of his ribs.

"Hey, I should go," he mumbled, a husky voice that hit low in Kara's belly.

"Hmm," she responded, still trying to rouse herself. "You can stay if you want. I don't mind." The words came out of her mouth, her tired brain unable to register what she was saying until morning. Barry had stopped before standing up.

"My bed is more comfortable than your couch," he replied, leaning down and pressing a kiss to the crown of her head. It was unexpected to say the least, but it made Kara smile with a scoff, disbelief that he could be that affectionate with her. "Go to bed, you'll hate yourself if you sleep on your couch," he said, gathering up his tie and jacket.

When Kara heard Barry's door shut, him shuffling about his apartment, she crept into her own room, collapsing down onto her bed. Pulling her blankets around herself as the night took her in a comforting embrace, she was happy to sleep. Waking felt more troublesome, that she couldn't quite make it out of her bed without feeling like something was missing. She knew what it was, but she didn't want to admit it. Her apartment was still a mess, so for the rest of her Saturday, she blared her music, and cleaned as much as she could - hoping to distract herself from her own thoughts.

Sunday came and went, with Kara making notes on all her students for her parent-teacher conferences. She wanted to get it all out of the way now instead of rushing on Monday afternoon to finish right before the conferences. She had extensive notes for herself on all her students, making sure she could improve their parents understand of how well they were going in school and what needed help. Having leftover Chinese food for dinner again, Kara caught up on some of the movies that she and Barry missed out on all together, knowing now why they skipped through them all.

Walking into school that day, Kara was stopped in the staff room by Principal Jonzz. Kara was sipping at her coffee when Jonn sat down across from her at her table. Adjusting her glasses, Kara gave over a friendly smile. He gave his typical stoic look with warm greetings of the day before getting right down to it. "Emma's father won't be able to make it today. Instead, her older brother will be in her place," he told her informatively, tapping the table a few times in a rhythm and finally going off to another teacher in the staff room.

"Oh, okay." There was no one to talk to at that point, it was just Kara noting it all down for herself. She scrambled through her conference notes, marking down that she'd be meeting with this guy instead of Emma's mother before the bell rang, and she was able to go off to her class for the day.

All her lessons for the day were great, all the kids on their best behaviour - better than they had been behaving all year. End of the term, summer holidays just around the corner, they were excited to get everything out of the way.

Kara sat at her desk, flicking through every folder she had in front of her, making sure she had every student accounted for before interviews started. When she was ready, she called for the first parents, talking to them about their child, praising when necessary and giving advice where it was needed. One of her last interviews of the afternoon was scheduled for Emma Allen. Kara wasn't finished marking off the previous student's record to indicate that the interview was conducted when someone walked in and sat down opposite Kara.

"So, I understand from the principal that you're Emma's brother. Are you a guardian of some kind?" she said, not looking up just yet from her papers. Gathering up her things a little, she pushed Emma's notes to the top and went through her list of things to talk about.

"I look after her every Tuesday and Wednesday, 'cause -" That voice . She looked up straight away, Barry sitting right in front of her with a stunned look that she believed she also had.

"Barry," she breathed out, blinking rapidly as she took off her glasses.

"That's what studying means," he laughed. Kara couldn't help but let out a laugh too. And that was the easiest interview she had all day, talking about the confusion they both had about the situation; Barry explaining his relationship, the fact that Emma is his half-sister, and the confusion that Barry thought Kara was still studying. Then, they got into Emma, how she was a hard working little student, but she has been struggling when she hasn't done the homework.

"Look, it's not like Emma is a bad student. She's amazing. She just isn't doing her homework. If you sit down with her every afternoon you have her, she'll do fine and it won't be a problem," Kara explained and Barry nodded along, smiling. Kara noticed how tired he looked; his tie askew, his sleeves rolled up - including that of his suit jacket - and the way he slouched. He had obviously rushed from work to get there, and he was exhausted. Kara ended the interview just a few minutes after it was supposed to. Barry offered to pay for a cab to take them both home, and even though she said she may be a little longer, he didn't seem to mind waiting.

Finishing as quickly as possible, Kara and Barry rode back to their apartments in the taxi. Kara liked the space of it, giving her the opportunity to collect her thoughts through her notes and making sure everything was in order for her own records, including the teaching notes she had from that day and coordinating her notes for later in the week across Barry's lap. Throughout it all, Barry laughed and tried to help without getting in the way. Arriving back at their apartment, Barry helped Kara with all her belongings, carrying her heavy bags up the three flights of stairs.

"Can I ask you a favour?" Barry asked as Kara went to find her keys. She merely nodded. "Joe works Tuesdays and Wednesdays and can't pick Emma up on time, and it's a rush for me with my job over at the CCPD," he explained, a pained look on his brow.

"You want me to take Emma back here with me until you can get back from work?" she asked, unlocking her door and taking her belongings from his hands. Kicking off the small heels she had worn, she put all her things down near her desk, noticing that Barry barely broke past the threshold of her apartment. She wondered if she had done something wrong the last time he was there. Kara met back with Barry at her door frame.

"Could you?" he shrugged. "You don't have to, it's just that you'd be right there and you live next door," he explained his reasoning but Kara had already made up her mind. She caught onto his arm, both their attentions drawn to the soft hand she placed on his forearm.

"Don't worry, Bar. I've got it," she smiled, the hiccup of her heartbeat was echoing across Kara's body, wondering if Barry could feel how nervous she was. There was something in the air, a heat that wouldn't leave them when silence surrounded them. All she wanted him to do with kiss her, to do something other than just stand there. He brought her in for a small embrace before going to his apartment door and kicking it open slightly.

It was a good routine they all fell into, Kara would either walk home with Emma on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, or they'd catch the train for a little urban experience to mortify Emma for life. When she first did it, she wasn't sure if she should - some parents are still wary of that kinda thing - but Emma loved the wildness of the zipping trains and the crowds of people that she felt lost in. She had described it as a forest of people she'd have to climb in order to see the sky. Kara felt proud of her teaching skills if a child could think like that. Barry reassured Kara that they've taken Emma on the tube before, but Emma loved going every time.

Wednesdays were easier, Barry came home earlier, and Kara never really assigned hard homework for the middle of the week. So, Kara let Emma loose in her apartment, drawing and trying to get Emma to be as creative as she wished; They had put on small plays for Barry in case Emma wanted to be an actress. Somehow, Kara always got roped into being the princess - she'd definitely prefer to knight. This Wednesday, Barry was running a little later than expected, so Emma was going through some of the colouring in books Kara had got special, both picking out colours that would best suit the picture. When Kara thought she heard someone near her door, Emma perked and Kara got up to investigate.

Opening the door, she saw something very unexpected; Barry was kissing a girl by his front door. His lips were eager against hers. Why did Kara notice that first? When Kara's door squeaked, she jumped, as did Barry.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't realise you had company," she cleared her throat, averting her eyes briefly as the two separated.

"It's okay," Barry said wiping at his lips.

"Emma just wanted to come and see you. I'll just help her pack up," Kara thought quickly, trying to step back into her apartment.

"Kar, I -"

"Sorry for being a bother," she spat back, forcing her door closed a little faster. She stood on behind her closed door for a moment, breathing in what she could only think was utter disappointment. She'd never thought she'd be disappointed like this, especially over a guy.

What the hell was she thinking? Rao, she knew better than to get caught up in falling for a guy. She knew this wasn't going to work out, no matter how much she thought. She is just his stupid neighbour; why did she assume it was anything more? Sighing, Kara went back to Emma, helping her gathering all her school supplies and putting them away in her bag.

Returning out of her apartment with Emma at her side, Barry was alone, kneeling down to hug his sister. Ushering her inside his apartment, he stood looking at Kara for a moment. Ready to get back inside, Kara slipped back inside her apartment just before Barry pushed his hand on the door. "Hey, you know I didn't -"

"Didn't what?" Kara tried to play it off politely, smiling with innocence and not unjustified spite. She may have pulled it off if it wasn't for her knotted brow. "Barry, you have a personal life. Why should it matter to me? I'm just your neighbour." Her jaw shut tightly, her words more brutal than intended. She swallowed hard, trying to stop herself from biting onto her lip.

"Yeah...I just thought that maybe…" he stopped himself. "Thanks for taking care of Emma again. I really appreciate it," he said back, going into his apartment. Kara didn't shut her door for a few more moments, wondering if her jealous heart was going to give her a break that day. "No, Kara is busy tonight, she can't come over." Kara heard Barry say to his sister.

"But we had a new play to show you!" Emma complained.

"Next week," Barry replied. Kara sighed. She wanted to apologise for what she was saying, what she was doing, but it was better to just leave it, against her better judgement. After dinner, Kara had resigned to her bedroom, not hearing much from the apartment next door, which she didn't find odd, but she missed hearing anything she could hold onto. Why did it all have to feel so finished so fast?

Kara was laid up in bed, unable to find the most comfortable position and always shifting from one side to the other. She wasn't going to have an easy sleep tonight. And Rao, she had a full day of work the following day. Nope. She wasn't ready for this night to keep her awake. When she thought she wasn't going to hear any voices for the rest of the night, she heard Barry whisper to Emma and a soft groan. The door opened to his apartment.

"Thanks for getting her, Joe," he said, voice easily described as tired.

"Everything alright, Bar?" Joe replied.

"Just had a rough day," he said back.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

He paused. "Nah. Just wanna get to sleep," he huffed.

"Alright, Iris will be back from college soon enough, Rest up now," Joe said, the door to his apartment closing and the footsteps leading over to where Kara was approximately. The bed hit against the wall as Barry fell onto it. There was no sounds from his room, and it seemed as though he found sleep better than she could. She hated that.

Kara still couldn't sleep. All she wanted was for this night to end, but no, the universe was making her brain reel over events she had no control over. Then, it decided to make things more unpredictable, as she remembered the focus she held on Barry's lips, how he poured himself into it without effort or fail.

"Stop! It's only your neighbour..." Kara quietly mumbled after abruptly ceasing her initial thoughts as a frown took over her features. She proceeded to struggle with sleep for the rest of the night but it couldn't be helped.

The summer break came only two weeks later. Kara was happy for the break, a good holiday away from the stress of class plans and student behavioural issues. It was just going to be her and whatever she could do over the next coming weeks. She'd finally be able to catch up with friends, go out drinking without thinking that she shouldn't.

As Kara came home from doing a giant haul from her grocery shopping trip, she saw Emma rushing around Barry's feet as he tried to open up the door to his apartment. He tried to quiet her down, but all she wanted to do was play make-believe with her toys in hand, having them battle each other in some grand fight. He noticed Kara as she struggled up the steps and smiled to her. She wanted to smile back, but her keys were in her mouth - she didn't want to struggle to find them when she was at her door. Barry laughed, letting Emma inside and walking over to Kara. He took the keys from her mouth and she sighed in appreciation. Barry started to unlock the door for her and she leaned against the wall outside.

"So, spending more time with Emma?" Kara asked, still trying to catch her breath.

"For the next week, yeah. She's going away with Iris for following weeks," Barry said, finally unlocking the door. He looked at her once over before he bent slightly to grab some of the bags from her hand, helping her carry them inside. Barry threw her keys on the kitchen counter before hauling the heavy bags up onto the surface.

"You're going to be a little lonely, aren't you?" she asked. Barry shrugged, heading back towards the door.

"I wouldn't say that," he smiled, a spark racing over his eyes that made Kara bite at her lip and hide it by putting her bags on the counter. As she felt Barry start to move, Kara knew she couldn't let him walk away again. She had to fix it. The conversation had been so pleasant, but it still felt like there was a tension they were trying to ignore in the silence.

"Hey, when Emma is out of your hair, let's get back to doing Friday nights, okay? I've got the resources for it," Kara asked. Barry tucked his hands into his pockets, smiling back at her.

"She leaves here on Friday morning, so it'll be the best meal I've had all week," he joked and Kara giggled, rolling her eyes. She thanked him for helping her before he had to go check on Emma.

That entire week, Kara couldn't help but wish it were Friday, begging for it to come sooner rather than later. Kara started making beef bourguignon when Barry knocked on her door on Friday night. She called him in, the door left open just for him. He sat on the unused countertop, trying to steal some mushrooms as Kara was gradually adding them to the meal. When it was all ready, they sat on her couch, silence unbearably still around them. Kara put her plate down, asking if they could just get past everything. When Barry sighed, relieved that she said something about it

And they did, they talked. They made sure that everything was fine. Kara avoided confessing anything, just that she felt that she was unkind to him for no good reason and that she was sorry for it. Barry brought up the girl. Kara shifted uncomfortably when he did, and he saw. He told her it was some journalist, that she had been flirting with him all day after getting a scoop on the latest murders around Central, but he never expected her to try and come to his place with him. After they had kissed, she assumed Emma was his daughter, immediately trying to get out of that situation. They both laughed at that fact. They apologised to each other for acting the way they have, the distance and the awkwardness. And they were fine, they didn't feel like they needed to talk about any other event, it fine to be them again.

Saturday came in quickly after the long night she had. Kara found herself bombarded by group texts, her friends begging her to come out that night to go drinking with them. Kara contemplated for a moment before agreeing. it wasn't like she had anything else going on. It took the rest of the afternoon for them to figure out where they were going, which wasn't too far from Kara's apartment. Kara picked out a dress she hadn't worn in a very long time, and when she put it on, it seemed shorter than she remembered, but she didn't mind. It was slim against her frame, the v-neck and slim strapped velvet blue dress hugged onto her in a comfortable way and she remembered why she bought that dress.

Finishing up on her hair, and touching up her makeup, she pushed her feet into her heels. Making sure she had her purse with her, she managed to put her phone away inside along with her keys. Taking a breath, Kara opened up her door, closing it behind her and locking the door.

"Kar?" she heard Barry at the end of the open hallway, the sounds of the street right there, and the night air swiftly reminding her of cold in the summer. He was in his lazy clothes of a shorts and a tank top, coming up from throwing away the garbage - well, she assumed that's where he was coming from. He walked back to his door, looking her up and down with one of the most excited looks on his face. "Look at you!" Barry gawked, his eyebrows raised in surprise. It made Kara giggle, unused to this kind of surprise on him.

"Yeah, some friends know this the only time I get to relax. So, clubbing it is," she said, tucking hair behind her ear, resting against the door of her apartment. Barry's eyes lingered on her, his hand wanting to work the key to unlock the door but he didn't seem interested enough in it.

"Well, you'll definitely have fun in that dress," he said, looking her up and down again. Kara couldn't help but bite her lip after that. Before Kara could even think of anything to say, there was a blaring horn beneath them in the parking lot. Looking down, there was a small charter bus, girls hanging out of it trying to call Kara down.

"I gotta go," she said, backing towards the stairs. "Have a good night," she shouted to him, his key finally opening the door. He stopped.

"You too," he called back. As Kara made her way into the car, she looked back up to Barry, who waved to her. She waved back, rolling her eyes at him.

"Who's the guy?" Her friend Lena asked as Kara got comfortable in her spot.

"Neighbour," she replied.

"He's cute," Lena giggled and the rest of the girls cheered in agreement. Yeah, Kara was well aware and a little bit defensive even if she didn't portray it externally.

They got to the club in quick time, Kara being the last of them they had to pick up. Walking in, the club played music she was only familiar with because Barry played some of it, but the rest of it was dance music that she couldn't care for even if she tried. Kara was going to drink until she saw how much everyone was paying. She kept her purse clutched tight to herself, making sure her friends weren't making fools of themselves. She used to be the kind of girl you could go shot for shot with - and to be fair, she still could - but life changes and that didn't interest her anymore. Her friends were drinking like they were eighteen and this was their first taste of freedom.

The club wasn't fun, and everything around Kara seemed so foreign and strange. She was in her early, early twenties, but still, clubbing felt off and unwelcome. She liked getting dressed up, making herself look hot as hell, but she wasn't in a place where she felt comfortable, or even with people she wanted to be with. Only being there an hour, Kara told one of her semi-sober friends and let them know she was heading home. Disappointed, but they let Kara go without any fuss. The train was practically empty, and the walk home was brisk. It gave her the chance to think about what she wanted.

Did she really want to be letting herself fall for her neighbour? She'd known him for nearly a year and yet she felt like she was rushing things; she let herself fall into his charms and the way he talked to her. Kara was a mature woman, she was strong and passionate and had things she wanted to do with her life; she didn't have to be so caught up in him. Kara could be anything, could do anything, but all she wanted was to be happy...and be happy talking with him, being with him . Rao dammit, she was so screwed. Was she even really given a chance?

Opening up her door, locking it behind her, Kara threw her keys and purse on the counter, trying to take off her heels as painlessly as possible. Only an hour in them, it was like they were knives to every joint in her foot.

"Hey... I wasn't expecting you back so soon," he exclaimed. Kara stayed silent as she put her things away. "You got company?" he asked a little more bashful this time. Kara shook her head, moving into her bedroom where his voice was the loudest.

"No... no," she sighed, crawling on her bed until she was faced with the wall, fingers tracing a familiar spot on its surface. "Just forgot how inexperienced I was with the whole thing," she laughed, her forehead resting on the wall.

"Are you at least a little bit tipsy?"

"Not one bit. Didn't drink."

"What?! But you went clubbing!"

"I didn't feel like it," she shrugged. There was a pause before he replied.

"Need company?" Kara stilled at the comment, pressing her fingers to the wall. Did she dare answer with her desires? Did she risk it all for the one thing she had been craving for months? Just thinking about it, she felt the ghosting of his breath on her neck, hands snaking around her tight fitting dress, trying to lift the fabric at the top of her thighs. Biting at her lip to catch the shaky breath, she knew she couldn't indulge herself.

"I'll be okay. Should probably just get some sleep. Goodnight," she replied, going to her bathroom. It was colder than the rest of her apartment and it gave her a moment to cool down. She climbed into the empty bathtub, resting against the cool porcelain, running her hands over her face to stop herself from thinking.

It was tough the following week. Every time she came into contact with Barry, she was reminded of the fact that she needed to let herself go, to stop trying to win him over or see if there was something there. Trying to convince herself there wasn't was like trying to move the sun -impossible. It took her until the following Saturday to talk herself into telling Barry. She didn't know what she was going to say, how to even start it - hell, what she was even going to say. She just knew she had to tell him that….that….that she may love him? Rao, why does pining make you into such an idiot , she thought. Finding out he had work all weekend was torture, so when he finally had the day off on Wednesday, she crossed her fingers that she could get him alone.

By pure chance, Kara was coming up from putting out the garbage, and Barry was at his door, unlocking his door. Kara dusted off her hands as she rushed to her door next to Barry. He smiled at her with the quirk of his lips that could only be given to her.

"Can I talk to you?" she asked, chewing on the inside of her cheek.

"Something wrong?" he asked, stopping his key.

"No," she shook her head. "Well, kind of. I just need to talk to you," she shrugged. Barry pocketed his keys. Kara invited him inside her apartment, both stopping the moment they entire the little apartment hallway.

"What's going on?" he asked. Kara wasn't sure what to say, her heart was beating up a storm inside her chest, and everything felt like it needed to move - to act. And so she did. She surged forward, taking hold of Barry's shirt and pulling him down by his collar, kissing him as eagerly as she could muster, everything she'd let herself build to was forced into her lips. When she realised what she'd done, she stepped back, pushing herself away from.

Covering her mouth, Kara felt like she was going to faint. How could she do that? What made her so reckless? "Sorry...I don't know what I was -" Before she could finish rambling, Barry was already pushing her up against the wall, his lips finding hers with the response she wanted the first time. His hands pulled her into him, eager fingers holding her so tightly, there was no chance he was letting her go. And Rao, that kiss, it felt like she was float and his lips were the only thing keeping her on the ground.

"You have no idea how bad I've wanted this. Wanted you ." Kara let out a shaky breath as she pushed herself up on her toes, confidence finally surging through her. She felt normal and courageous once more, no need to go on tiptoes around him with 'unjustified' feelings. They were mutual - and Rao how she wanted him.

"No need to want. You have it," she whispered before pulling him down to kiss her again.

Barry bent slightly, taking his hands underneath her knees and hoisting her up against the wall - all the while, never letting his lips part from hers. Kara's hands either side of his face tried not to claw and grip into him, the urge of the tension and wanting was unbearable. Instead, she curled her hands around to his hair, letting it slip through the gaps in her fingers and bind tightly to the ends.

That night was filled with unforgettable experiences. They had both drifted to sleep cuddled tightly in each others arms finally getting what they couldn't attain from months of attraction.

Kara was only woken the next morning by her bed shifting. She barely opened her eyes to find Barry buttoning his shirt, fixing them on and noticing that he had stirred Kara. He moved a little closer to her, but didn't touch her as she expected him to do.

"I've gotta head to work. I'll…" he stopped. "I'll see you around," he whispered, leaving her room and she heard her front door shut. Sitting up in her bed, his words stung her chest. Something had happened, something she couldn't describe, but things had changed, she knew that for sure.

A full month went by before she'd heard a thing from Barry. And it wasn't even him speaking to her. She wasn't sure what she'd done wrong, guilt buried in her chest for something she wasn't even sure on. Every time they were in the hallway together, Barry would avoid talking to her, even rushing past her and down the stairs. After the second time this happened, Kara stopped trying. It hurt her, the way he could just drop her like she was nothing. Was she really just a conquest for him?

She didn't want to think like that. Kara knew Barry, she knew he was better than that. But still, everything about hurt. Why did he have to pull away so fast and without warning, breaking her without doing a damn thing? She didn't deserve that, but she couldn't find it in her to hate him, against everything in her body telling her to condemn the man. Kara couldn't bring herself to do it.

Kara was sitting in her apartment, marking off the grades for her new class she had taken. She didn't get to see Emma anymore as she'd moved to the next grade, and Kara had all new students under her belt to try to get to know, remember and teach. Next door, however, she heard Barry and his friends getting ready for a night out. It wasn't uncommon, she'd heard them many times in the last month, more than she'd ever heard them before their time together.

"So, what happened with you and that chick you hooked up with?" One of his friends piped up and Kara immediately perked. She got up slowly, and without making a sound, moved to the wall, pressing her ear to it.

"Shut it," Barry spat back.

"What? You said you really liked her," he replied. Kara bit at her lip. Barry sighed.

"She's my sister's teacher. I didn't even realise how much of a conflict of interest this is for her. I shouldn't have gotten involved." And she finally got it; why he was distant that morning, why he tried to avoid her at every turn. He didn't want her to….

Did he really think that she hadn't thought about it? About them? What it meant for her career? Kara wanted to hit him so bad in that moment, but she couldn't blame him for his worry, she'd be doing the same.

"But is she even teaching your sister anymore?" The other friend asked. Kara instinctively shook her head.

"No, but I feel guilty for doing this all," he told them.

"Bar, think of it this way," The second friend started. "If she hits you up next, she wants you, no matter what. See if she calls you," he told Barry. There was a pause.

"Maybe," he muttered. Barry cleared his throat. "We ready to go or what?" he asked, voice louder this time, but he still seemed defeated by it all. The door to his apartment closed and Kara was left standing and wondering - wondering if she should, let herself go for him after he said nothing. Rao, this was ridiculous. If she could, she'd talk to him in that moment, but she wasn't that lucky.

Two more weeks passed, her mind still coming to terms with it, weighing it all. And she was done questioning herself. She just wanted. And she never allowed herself to want before. Kneeling on her bed, her fingers tracing the same spot as always and her other hand readied in a fist. Kara hesitated before finally knocking against the wall. She waited, trying to hear for a voice, wondered if he'd even say anything or if she'd have to start.

"Hey," Barry's voice was soft on the other side, surprised in tone, like he didn't expect himself to reply at all.

"We haven't spoken in a while," her voice was weak, but she needed to just hear him.

"Yeah," he said simply. Kara sighed, biting into her lip, staring at the wall, begging it for courage. And it gave what she needed - no cluttered surface, but a blank chance that she needed to take.

"Did you want to come over?" she asked. And there was no reply. She waited, this is the longest silence she'd ever encountered. She still waited, wondering if he even wanted to reply. "Barry?" Her voice wavered, lip pursed, hoping. There was a knock at her front door, and the shaky exhale she gave out was the only disappointment she let herself feel. She wasn't going to break over a one-night stand. She was better than that. Walking to her door, she sniffed and put on the fakest smile she could.

When Barry stood on the other side, she couldn't help but let it drop only for it to be replaced by a real one. He looked stunned, like he was trying to find the right words. He swallowed hard, hands bound in fists.

"I messed up," he said, jaw clenched tight.

"I know," she sighed. Opening her door a little wider, she stepped towards him. "No more walls. It's just you and me," she said. A grin lingered on his lips.

"Promise?" he asked. Kara laughed.

"On these thin walls, I promise." Barry laughed before bounding forward, picking Kara straight off her feet, letting her legs wrap around his body, spinning her around as his face buried into the crook of her neck. They stopped in a slow spin, his breathing hot against her collarbone.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. As her arms around her shoulders, softly playing with his hair.

"Hey," she said, urging him to look up at her. "Kiss me and prove it," she teased before his lips found hers in a flash. No matter how much she'd been kissed by those lips before, nothing could overtake the next one that followed. He made every moment feel endless and wonder-filled. She was the luckiest girl in all of Central City. And Barry felt the same about her.

A/N: Well there you have it! Really proud of this little short story and potentially could be expanded in the future. I really hope you have enjoyed and again with a heartfelt promise, I will try to keep up with my other stories. Sorry :D

-Ancillary