Cisco swore Barry Allen was gonna kill him one day.

Not with lightning. Not with speed.

With those stupid soft eyes.

Cisco leaned back in the chair in the Cortex, boots kicked onto the console while music hummed low through the speakers of STAR Labs. The Vibe suit sat perfectly tonight. Black fitted material hugged everywhere it needed to, gold accents catching under monitor light. Hair down around his shoulders. Goatee cleaned up smooth for once.

Honestly?

He looked good as hell.

And Barry was staring.

Not subtle either.

Cisco caught it in the reflection of one of the dark monitors. Barry standing near the entrance in that quiet way he got sometimes, hands in his hoodie pockets, lightning scar glow faint against the dim blue lab lights.

Just staring.

Cisco smirked without looking up. “You keep eyeballing me like that, cariño, HR’s gonna need paperwork.”

Barry didn’t answer.

Didn’t even blink.

Instead he walked closer slowly, sneakers silent against the floor.

Cisco finally looked up fully and immediately regretted it.

Because Barry’s expression hit like a freight train.

Fond. Warm. Completely gone over him.

Cisco laughed nervously. “Dude, c’mon, don’t do the eyes thing.”

Barry tilted his head slightly.

Still silent.

Then he reached out, fingers brushing Cisco’s loose curls behind his ear with impossible gentleness.

Cisco’s brain blue-screened instantly.

“…I had a comeback and everything,” he muttered weakly.

Barry only smiled.

Which honestly?

Way worse.

Barry’s smile lingered for exactly three seconds before Cisco pointed accusingly at him.

“Nope. Don’t do that.”

Barry raised an innocent brow.

“That face. Right there.” Cisco waved dramatically. “You know the one. The ‘I’m secretly adorable and emotionally devastating’ face.”

Barry’s shoulders bounced once with silent laughter.

Traitor.

Cisco spun slowly in the chair instead, trying to recover whatever dignity he had left. The Cortex lights painted gold across the seams of his suit while monitors blinked around them softly. Outside, Central City glowed through the windows like scattered stars.

It should’ve felt normal.

Except Barry kept looking at him like Cisco personally hung the moon.

And man, that was dangerous.

“You’re being weird tonight,” Cisco muttered, though there wasn’t much heat behind it.

Barry finally moved closer until he stood beside the chair. Close enough Cisco could feel static dancing faintly in the air around him. Not enough to spark. Just enough to remind Cisco exactly who Barry was.

The fastest man alive.

The guy who could outrun sound itself.

And yet somehow always slowed down for him.

Cisco’s chest squeezed at the thought.

Barry leaned against the console beside him, arms folded now, eyes drifting over the Vibe suit again. Cisco tried pretending not to notice.

Failed miserably.

“What?” he laughed. “Is it the hair? I knew leaving it down was too powerful.”

Barry nodded immediately.

Cisco barked out a laugh. “Wow. No hesitation either.”

Barry just grinned wider.

The idiot looked genuinely enchanted.

Cisco groaned dramatically, dropping his head back against the chair. “You are impossible, man.”

A warm hand landed on his shoulder.

Simple. Gentle.

Cisco’s voice softened automatically. “You know this suit took forever to get right? Half the stitching nearly exploded.”

Barry’s gaze dropped to the gold lining near Cisco’s collar before looking back up again with unmistakable admiration.

Cisco huffed quietly through a smile. “Yeah, okay, keep looking at me like that and I’m charging you.”

Barry rolled his eyes fondly.

Then, before Cisco could prepare himself, Barry reached down and tugged him effortlessly out of the chair.

Cisco stumbled forward with a startled laugh. “Barry—”

Arms wrapped around his waist instantly.

Warm. Solid. Fast enough to catch him before he fully lost balance.

Cisco blinked.

“…Dude.”

Barry rested his forehead against Cisco’s shoulder, still smiling that quiet little smile.

And just like that, Cisco melted completely.

His hands slid up Barry’s hoodie automatically,