AN:Hello, guys! My beta had to withdraw from the project, and thus this chapter is UNBETAD. Any and all mistakes are my own, of course. If any of you would like to help me out with the continued betaing for this story, please let me know.

"His name was Henry Allen."

Len looked up at Barry, catching the surprise on his face.

"...my dad?" his voice was weak and tapered off at the end.

Len swallowed heavily and drew a hand over his shaved head, nodding.

"Yeah. I didn't really make the connection before, plenty of Allens' out there."

Barry kept his eyes downwards, and Len could feel his stomach starting to knot. He liked Barry, had liked him since Lisa had brought him home, and the more he had gotten to know him, the more it seemed like Barry had always been a part of their lives. When he had realized the connection, Len hadn't known if he should tell Barry or not, but he didn't feel like he could hold it back from the younger man.

Barry slowly looked up from the floor, his eyes finding Len's. The growing smile on his face surprised Len, and he knew Barry could see it on his face when his grin grew even more.

"You're not mad?" Len ventured to ask.

"Mad? No, I'm… I'm really happy actually. I'm so happy that this crap thing that happened to my family, to my dad, actually helped someone."

Barry started moving his hands and shaking his legs, almost like he couldn't sit still anymore.

"You said… you said that him being there, him saying that to you saved your life, Lisa's life, Mick's life. And all the people that you are helping through your project, are people who will be helped because my dad was in that position to help you."

He rose up from the chair and started pacing, his hands moving while he talked.

"I love that in all the misery that this is, he could actually help someone else, and someone so important to me, and… and neither of us knew. And I know that if he knew how much impact he has had… he would say it's been worth it. And who knows how many more people he has helped!"

Barry suddenly stopped and walked over to Len, looking down at where the older man was still sitting.

"And I just …"

Barry let out a little sigh, and gathered his courage.

"I just really want to…"

He let his eyes shift between Len's eyes and mouth, leaning down, trying to give Len a chance to pull away if he wanted. But Len stayed put, his eyes hooded, keeping eye contact with Barry as he leaned in.

The first touch of their lips was soft, tentative, but Len leaned in and deepened the kiss. His hands came up to steady Barry, stroking the skin between the beltline and his t-shirt. Barry had one hand on Len's shoulder, the other on his neck, and when the kiss grew deeper, his hands slid around the older man's neck.

Len stood up from his chair, keeping his hands where they were, but drawing Barry in, deepening the kiss even more. After a few minutes they both drew away, and Len looked at Barry, his eyes searching. Barry didn't know what he was looking for.

Len cleared his throat. "Is this something that you want, Barry?"

Barry started nodding, about to tell Len exactly how much he indeed wanted this, but Len held a finger over his mouth.

"I need to be clear here. I am talking about a relationship. I don't do one-night stands. You are either all in or all out."

He took his finger from Barry's mouth, looking, Barry thought, a little nervous.

"All in, are you kidding? All in."

With a puff of air, almost as a sigh of relief, Len drew Barry in for another kiss.

Barry looked at himself in the mirror. He was wearing his nicest pair of skinny jeans, a black shirt and a dark green sweater over it. He thought he looked okay, but he knew he wasn't exactly an expert.

He drew his hand over his sweater one last time before he reached for his phone and wallet. Just then Iris walked in the open door of his room.

"Wow, looking good. You got a hot date?"

Barry blushed and nodded. "Yeah."

Iris looked at him in surprise.

"Wait, seriously? With who?"

He gave her a small smile, and tried to force his blush down, to no avail.

"Len, Lisa's brother. We, uhm… we kissed yesterday.

"Barry Allen! Give me all the details!"

Iris sat down on his bed with a little bounce.

Barry shrugged as he picked up his keys.

"We had a pretty serious conversation, some personal stuff, and I just… kissed him."

"You started it? Way to go, Barry! Is he a good kisser?"

"Oh yeah, really good. I was… swooning."

He mumbled the last part, and his blush grew again. With an awkward shrug, he cleared his throat.

"But I have to go, or I'll be late."

He started going down the stairs from his room, and could hear Iris behind him as he headed for the front door.

"Wow, Barry Allen on time. Never thought I'd see the day. "

Barry could feel a slight tightening in his stomach, and he yelled a 'bye' as he left the house.

The date went well. It went really well. Barry had had some serious butterflies in his stomach before he met up with Len. But then Len greeted him with a kiss, and they sat down to eat and suddenly all his nerves were gone.

After they had eaten, they had walked down to the central city harbor, talking and laughing, and before he knew it, the night was over. Len had followed Barry home, and outside the house kissed him goodbye with a smile. Barry was still grinning when he went to bed.

It was now the day after, and Barry knew that Len was currently telling Lisa what was going on. That was making him much more nervous than the date had, and he was slowly walking towards the shop, delaying it as much as he could.

He didn't have to worry. He turned the corner by the shop, and he could see Lisa standing by the open door, looking in his direction. When she saw him, she started smiling, and quickly walked towards him. When she reached him, before he could utter a word, she threw her arms around his neck in a hug and whispered to him;

"I knew it!"

Barry let his arms come around her, and at her words, he drew her closer in, the relief coursing through him.