Author's note: Here's another snowbarry, because I can't get enough of them and because christmas is around the corner :D With some flarrow because I love olicity as well. Hope you like it. :D
Christmas time had finally arrived, meaning another year had passed by. Last Christmas had been a little rough for everyone, with the appearance of the man in yellow suit and finding out that Ronnie was alive. Last year also, Barry had confessed his feelings to Iris and he had avoided her for weeks. But after they talked and she reassured him that she wasn't going to leave even if she didn't have romantic feelings for him, everything went back to normal. Barry understood and started to move on slowly.
With all the drama the previous year, everyone wanted it to be more light and fun that year. That was why when Joe and Iris invited everyone to spend Christmas with them that year, Cisco came up with the brilliant idea of making everyone wear ugly sweaters, claiming that it was a tradition.
"I look ridiculous" Caitlin complained, as she walked through the doors of S.T.A.R labs wearing an ugly blue sweater with white reindeers. Barry immediately smiled when he saw her. It was good to see this side of her.
Barry looked at her, before chuckling. He was wearing a similar sweater, only his was red, and he was also wearing a matching red santa hat. Meanwhile, Cisco was wearing a white sweater with red patterns.
"You don't, you look great" he said and she rolled her eyes, but he truly meant it. Cisco and him looked like clowns compared to her.
"Where is Cisco? I'm definitely going to kill him" a voice suddenly interrupted them. The three of them turned around and were surprised to see Oliver, wearing a green sweater with snowflake shapes around.
Barry tried his best not to laugh as Cisco tried to hide from Oliver, who looked very angry.
"He doesn't meant it, don't worry Cisco" it was Felicity, who had walked in after Oliver. Felicity hadn't agree on their whole 'ugly sweater' tradition because she was jewish and everyone had been okay with that.
"Of course I mean it" he said and sounded very angry, before he glared at Cisco, who simply smiled sheepishly at him.
Roy walked in after Felicity, wearing an ugly sweater as well. His was red like Barry's and it had snowflake shapes like Oliver's.
"Where's Mr. Diggle?" Cisco suddenly asked, diverting the attention from him.
"Spending Christmas with Lyla and little Sara" Felicity explained "They couldn't make it here"
"Oh" that was the only thing he said, as he kept trying to avoid Oliver's death glare on him.
"I envy you, Felicity" Caitlin said as she noticed the gorgeous dress she was wearing, before she sighed "You don't have to wear these ugly sweaters"
"But you look great, Caitlin" Felicity said
"See? I told you" Barry said, teasing her and she rolled her eyes once again.
"I insist, we look ridiculous" Caitlin complained once again
"I agree with her" Roy said, quiet embarrassed about what he was wearing.
"We do, but she looks adorable" Barry commented as he looked at her, causing Caitlin to blush. No one seemed to notice this little gesture, except Felicity, who smiled knowingly.
"I appreciate your invitation Barry, but you shouldn't have bothered" Oliver said, obviously annoyed. "I don't feel comfortable spending Christmas with company"
"You mean the Wests?" he asked in confusion
"I mean people in general" he said, causing Barry to chuckle.
"Don't be so grumpy, Oliver" Felicity scolded him "Iris was kind enough to invite us all, I couldn't reject the offer"
"You don't even celebrate Christmas, Felicity" Oliver told her and she rolled her eyes
"Still" she said
"You guys fight like an old married couple" Cisco said chuckling, earning glares from them, which immediately made him stop.
"Why don't we get going?" Barry said with a bright smile "Iris, Joe and Eddie might be waiting for us"
The West Residence was perfectly decorated for the occasion, just like it was last year. Iris, who was also wearing an ugly sweater, greeted them on the door happily and hugged everyone, even Oliver and Roy. The last one she greeted was Barry and she smiled smugly at him after they pulled away.
"I see you are even wearing matching sweaters" she whispered to him, after she noticed that Caitlin's sweater was exactly like Barry's except it was blue. Barry simply rolled his eyes, but couldn't hide his smile and the slight blush on his cheeks.
"Shut up, Iris" he said jokingly "It wasn't even intentional"
"Why don't you just tell her how you feel?" she asked
"I can't" he said as he started at Caitlin with loving eyes as she chatted happily with everyone and smiled brightly. His heart skipped a beat everytime she did and he couldn't help it. For the past year, they had gotten closer as they both tried to move on from their past loves. Barry had helped Caitlin to deal with the fact that Ronnie wasn't the same anymore and didn't want them in his new life. And Caitlin had helped Barry deal with his broken heart after Iris rejected him.
Time passed and Barry slowly began developing feelings for Caitlin. He didn't plan it. He just suddenly found himself mesmerized by her beauty, concerned about her safety and wanting to spend more time with her. He just didn't know how it happened. It just did.
"And why not?" she asked, annoyed by her best friend's cowardice
"Because of everything that happened last Christmas" he said, annoyed "Her not so dead fiancé reappeared in her life and I confessed my feelings to you, which aren't there anymore by the way, on that same day. I can't do that"
Iris simply rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe he was using that as an excuse.
"First, his not so dead fiancé is gone as far as I'm concerned" she said, looking at him sternly "And second, like you said, you don't have romantic feelings for me anymore, so what's the problem?"
"I just… can't, okay?" he said as he sighed exasperated.
Iris simply shook her head in disbelief and went to talk with Eddie, leaving Barry thinking about everything she said.
Barry's eyes landed on Caitlin once again and a smile appeared on his face, before he sighed as his heart started beating faster. He wasn't joking when he told her she looked great in that ugly Christmas sweater. She looked really cute in it and she looked so not guarded, like she usually did.
How did he end up falling for her? He didn't even know. Maybe it was the way she cared about him and worried about him. Maybe it was the fact that she saw the real him. Maybe it was the fact that she was so kind and selfless. Maybe it was the way she smiled when she succeeded in an experiment or when he cracked a lame joke. Maybe it was the fact that she let her guard down with him. Or maybe it was all of the above. Everything about her made him fall for her.
Barry sighed once again. He should stop thinking about that. He should stop thinking about her. Hell, he didn't even know if she felt the same way. What if she thought he was still in love with Iris? Or worse, what if she was still in love with Ronnie?
He decided to head to the kitchen for some hot chocolate instead of continuing thinking about that. Maybe that would take his mind off his favorite doctor. He grabbed one of his favorite mugs from the kitchen counter and poured some hot chocolate, before he sipped on it. It was indeed relaxing.
From his spot, he could see Joe engaged in what seemed to be a very interesting conversation with Cisco and Roy. On another part of the room, Iris was sitting on Eddie's lap as the couple happily chatted with Oliver and Felicity.
He smiled as it all seemed like a perfect picture of a christmas evening. However, he suddenly frowned when he realized someone was missing in the picture. He then heard a familiar giggle. He immediately turned around and saw Caitlin behind him, with a mug of hot chocolate herself.
"Only noticed I was here now?" she asked and he chuckled at his own silliness. He had been so distracted that he didn't notice her walking in. He looked at her and his heart started beating fastly once again.
"Sorry, I was distracted" he said
Silence engulfed them for a while, as they both simply stood there sipping on their drinks and exchanging looks from time to time.
"You don't think Iris hung mistletoe around, do you?" she suddenly asked breaking the silence and making him choke in his drink with surprise.
"What?" he asked coughing, as his eyes widened "Why?"
"Because I saw Oliver and Felicity run from it a while ago" she replied as she chuckled at the memory, although she seemed a little bit nervous.
Of course, Iris would do something like that. She knew Caitlin was coming, so she probably did it in on purpose.
He unconsciously looked up and his eyes widened in shock once again. He looked down immediately, afraid that Caitlin had noticed, but it was too late. She noticed his nervousness and looked up as well. There was mistletoe hanging there and they didn't see it. Barry gulped hardly.
"I swear I didn't know that was there" he nervously said and she chuckled at his nervousness
"I believe you, don't worry" she said and he sighed relieved.
Silence engulfed them once again, as they stood there staring at each other intently. Neither made a move nor said anything.
"You don't think we should… kiss, do you?" she asked nervously, fidgeting. She felt as if her heart would come out any second.
"We could…" he nervously said. He was dying a little inside with all the anxiety "I mean, it's tradition"
"Yeah, it is" she replied, blushing madly "Or we could simply run away from it… like Oliver and Felicity did"
"Yeah, we could" he said, rubbing the back of his neck, before sighing "But I don't want to"
As he said that, he took a step closer to her. They were so close now, they could feel each other's heat.
"I don't want to, either" she said and he felt as if his heart had gone back to its place. He smiled suddenly and she smiled back.
Barry suddenly cupped her cheeks and nervously leaned in to kiss her soft lips. His heart skipped a beat once again and he felt an unfamiliar rush inside of him. Her lips felt so perfect against his.
As they pulled away, Caitlin felt as if her heart was about to come off. Her cheeks were so completely blushed. Barry smiled at her and caressed her cheek gently, as his pulse became steady once again.
"Caitlin, I've been struggling to tell you this for a long time, but I can't hide it anymore" he said as he stared into her eyes intently "I'm in love with you. I've been for a quite a long time now"
Caitlin looked at him and smiled, feeling her eyes tearing up a little bit.
"I'm in love with you too, Barry" she said and he suddenly felt like the happiest man alive "I was afraid of telling since I thought you were still in love with Iris, but after the kiss I realized that you felt the same way"
"I do" he said smiling and she smiled back at him, before they both leaned in for another kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he wrapped his around her waist, pulling her closer. They melted into the kiss, which was absolutely perfect.
"Guys, it's time" they suddenly heard Iris' voice from the living room and they both chuckled as they pulled away. "Come out from wherever you are"
"Let's go" he said with a smile as he extended his hand for her to take it. Caitlin smiled at him, before she took his hand and they walked outside, with their hands intertwined. Maybe ugly sweaters weren't that bad. And maybe mistletoe wasn't that bad either.