THE RANDOMEST POST

[yarnzipan]

Instructions:

• Pick a character of mine you'd like to play with.
  
• Figure out a character of YOURS you'd like to throw at them.
  
• Plug their names into THIS plot generator. Or this one. Or hey, either one of these. Post a picture. Or a list of words. A TFLN. WHATEVER YOU WANT.
  
• Make sure to put the character you want in the subject line.
  
• I'll reply with a starter and away we go!

Comments

[stands_for_hope]

The sad fact is that Clark doesn't get to go back to Central City very much anymore. There'd been a time where he'd spent most summers here, hanging out at STAR Labs and working with the Flash. But since he'd gone off to college, since he'd gone around the world finishing his degree as he got his hands dirty doing all manner of on-the-spot journalism, there just hadn't been the time, let alone the opportunity.

But given that he happened to be in the city. And given that there was a warp in one of the train tracks...

It's nice to be able to smile over at Barry, confident and unstrained, as he holds up the tracks while the train goes by.

[scarletstreak]

He'd gotten the alert, and he would have been in time to figure out a way to fix it, but it just so happens he doesn't need to. Someone else got there first, a face he hasn't seen in years and yet still so familiar. Everything is familiar. It might even be the same set of tracks.

The idea makes Barry laugh as he skids to a neat stop on top of the tracks after the train has passed, crouching and grinning over the side. "You're not gonna pass out this time, right?" he calls down. "You're a lot heavier now."

A lot heavier, a lot stronger, a lot more well-known. He'd watched Clark grow into his powers, making some mistakes but making up for them, gaining confidence, the love of the people of his city. He's too proud to have minded when Clark got too busy to visit.

[stands_for_hope]

There's a bit of a blur, or there would be to literally anyone else but Barry Allen. Clark's learned a lot over the years, including a lot of science and engineering. When he uses his heat vision and his own hands to repair the track, this time, the work is done neatly and seamlessly. So when he zooms up between them to grab Barry in a hug, well,

He's earned it.

"Hey."

Because he's missed him, but it's been long enough he doesn't even know what to say. He's just happy to see him.

[scarletstreak]

Barry's solution would probably have been getting everyone off the train before it derailed, and he doesn't need to be told this is way better. Superman to the rescue. He's more than happy to jump right into that bear-hug, squeezing as hard as he can because he can, and yeah, maybe he tousles the kid's hair a little. Not a kid anymore, but old habits, man.

"I didn't even know you were here. Don't worry about calling and telling me you're in town, it's only been a million years, it's fine."

[stands_for_hope]

"Here for work," he says with a shrug and a tilt of his head as he grins at the hair tousling. He's not a kid anymore but Barry's still allowed to ruffle it up.

"The... other work. I just happened to notice this was buckling when I glanced out the window. Though I did email you. Have you checked your messages today?"

[scarletstreak]

"Oh, the day job? What are you—you did, really?" Barry reaches for his phone, remembers it's back at STAR Labs because of course it is, and shakes his head a little. "I sort of have, uh, not done that today, no." It's been years, but it's still that same sheepish Barry Allen smile.

"Sorry. Um, how long are you around for?" He can't help but hope Clark's around for at least a little while. It's been a while. He's been watching Clark on the news a lot, but he hasn't wanted to crowd him.

[stands_for_hope]

"I'm here for the next few days," he explains honestly with a glance around the area. It's occurring to him that perhaps, they should go someplace a little more private so they don't garner too much attention. He points up to the top of a building, grins at Barry, and zooms up. He knows Barry will be there when he gets there, after all.

[scarletstreak]

"You should—" But Clark's gone before Barry has a chance to finish the sentence, and he grins and speeds off himself, the red streak right up the side of the building and skidding to a stop on the roof. "—come over for dinner," he finishes without a break, still grinning. "I can cook now, kinda."

[stands_for_hope]

"Or we could do dinner over Uncle Joe's," he points out with a little smile, "who I know can cook."

It's half teasing and half giving Barry an out that still involves him coming for dinner. All in all, there's nothing mean in it.

[scarletstreak]

"Okay, I guess Joe would be pretty mad if I didn't tell him you were around," Barry admits, because that's totally the reason Clark is suggesting they go over there. Not because Barry's cooking experiments in the past would not inspire confidence for the present. He is better than he was, but Joe is still the master.