"You like Eddie, don't you?"

Caitlin snapped out of her stupor, because no, no it couldn't be.

But it was.

Barry Allen, the Barry Allen, the track champion of the district, the guy who made geek chic (well, for him anyhow) and her one weakness since he recited the values of pi to the tenth decimal place at the age of six. He was speaking to her. She looked around, expecting someone else to be in the room, unbelieving he was here for her, unsure how he had found her in the empty biology lab that lunch break.

"What?" He chuckled at her bewildered expression, pulling the seat in front of her out and sitting on it, his gaze boring into her, their emerald hues threatening to draw her close and not let her escape.

And so what if she wasn't her most eloquent at the moment, because he was speaking to her!

"Eddie, Eddie Thawne." He tilted his head and she internally swooned at how adorable he looked. "My best friend's boyfriend, you like him." And just as she felt her heart soar with the knowledge he had come and approached her, only her, it sunk as he said those words, a lopsided grin firmly in place.

Clearing her throat, she looked anywhere but him, willing her voice to be steady. "Why - why would you think that?" Wincing at how stiff her voice came across, she straightened her posture, wanting to appear strong and held together, even when she felt it all falling apart.

"I heard you talking about it to Cisco, that he was hot, 'genetically speaking' because you wanted to be a geneticist." She felt the blush creeping up her neck and colouring her cheeks, his teasing tone indicative of just how little he believed the cover-up excuse she had uttered as soon as she realised that people could actually hear her musings of the table before them.

"And if I do? What would it be to you?" She felt irrationally defensive; she had no feelings for the friendly blond and she didn't know why she couldn't tell Barry that, but the words of denial weighed her tongue down, refusing to be uttered, allowing her crush to remain under the impression that it was true.

Barry ran his fingers through his hair, the first sign of nervousness he displayed since the conversation had started.

"I need a favour."

"And what would that be?" The suspicious tone that slipped into her tone wasn't intentional, but he had found her, approached her, started the conversation. She wasn't sure where this was going at the moment, and she wasn't sure how she would feel about the answer.

He huffed a breath of laughter at her blunt questioning, knowing the moment that he had heard those words to Cisco from her mouth that she was exactly who he needed. He hadn't approached her immediately, science teaching him that he must watch and observe So he did. He took in the way she tilted her head back and laughed whenever Cisco would say something funny, how she would fuss over Ronnie every time he would come from football practice with a bruised or bloodied face. (They would be the smallest things, but they could have been life-threatening with the way she treated them), the comfort she provided Felicity as she attempted to navigate the murky waters of her non-relationship with Oliver.

And the more he took note of her, the more he realised that his instincts were on point when they chose her.

She was perfect.

"I need you to date me."

"What?!"

"Let me get this straight." He watched amused as she paced across the floor, her head tilted downwards, as if searching for the answers in the floorboards below her. "You want me to pretend to be your girlfriend, doing couple-y stuff, to make your best friend realise she is in love with you and not her boyfriend, so that when we do graduate she won't move in with him and you won't lose her forever." He conceded that it did sound ridiculous coming from her mouth but that didn't diminish the fear. She was not there when Iris would go on about how sweet and thoughtful Eddie was, about how they were intending to go to the same university, looking for housing nearby without once realising his uncomfortable predicament.

"Hey, you're making it seem like I'm the only one benefitting from this. You are getting to spend more time with Eddie, who you like, and who knows, maybe after all of this is over he won't even mind I'm with Iris..." He lead off, hoping she would get where he was leading with this.

She did.

"So you want me to try and seduce her boyfriend as well." She stopped her walking to look at him, her expression matching her deadpan tone.

"What - that's... yeah." He grinned sheepishly at her, his winning smile breaking down some of her walls.

"So you want me to seduce her boyfriend." Her voice held a more panicked air at his confirmation, the pacing from moments before resumed. "I mean, how does one even do that? What are his likes? Dislikes? I mean, he must like strong, confident girls if he is with Iris. I'm none of those things, I'm just that shy geek in the corner who answers the questions." She took in a quick breath, her mind working a million miles an hour, her heart-rate attempting to match it. "I - oh wow, I'm an spending way too much time with Felicity if that was anything to go by." Her eyes were wide, and the thought of just how adorable she looked like this drifted through his mind fleetingly.

"So, wait, you're doing this?" He bounced up from his seat, walking up to her, the look of alarm only balanced by the flush at his words. And if he thought it was because of her non-existent crush on Eddie being discussed and not the effect of his proximity on her, she was perfectly okay with that. His arms rose, his fingers clasping her shoulders, the heat emitted from his palms sending sparks down her body, the urge to shudder under his touch almost uncontrollable. Almost. Her eyes had fluttered closed at his touch, the only other sign she was affected by him. Taking a few moments to centre herself, to focus on anything but the heat flooding her system at their points of contact, she opened her eyes, a sadness shining in them as she realised just how impossible it would be.

"No. I mean, we barely speak, how would she believe that we are suddenly in a long-term relationship, let alone that you're interested in me. And you're you -" Her arms gesticulated up and down, and she let her eyes roam his lean frame. "while I'm just me, why would anyone believe that?"

"Because you are smart. Beautiful. Kind. Funny." Each word was punctured with a slight squeeze of her arm, the pressure relieving the grip insecurity had on her. "Any guy would be crazy to not see how wonderful you really are Caitlin Snow." He may have said those words about her, but she knew there was no way he felt anything for her other than possible friendship and gratitude.

"I'll do it." The words slipped out without permission, but now they had she couldn't take it back.

He blinked rapidly, the agreement taking him by surprise.

"You'll do it?"

"Not the seducing Eddie part, because that is just wrong and I'll feel uncomfortable, but yes, I'll be your fake girlfriend." He smiled winningly towards her, and for all the doubts and pain she was guaranteed to feel, it all seemed worth it in that small moment.

But then reality crashed down upon her.

"We'll need to create a backstory for how we got together, and we'll need to learn more about each other for this to seem realistic. And to spend time with each other if this is ever going to work, and you better be a wonderful actor if you're going to look like you're in love with me and boundaries - we'll need to set boundaries." The ramifications of this agreement was starting to settle down, the panic washing over her expression only a fraction of what was bubbling within her.

"It'll be fine." Without realising she caught her bottom lip between her teeth, only noticing when his eyes dropped slightly. Letting it go, she attempted a smile, hoping he wouldn't notice its tightness. But judging from his expression, he had seen through it easily. "Trust me, okay." And nodding hesitantly, she let his promise temporarily alleviate her fears, coating them in comfort, but not removing them from her head and heart.

"Well, boyfriend, are you ready for this?" She tried to sound flirty and teasing, but her awkwardness shone through, and she visibly winced at how awful it sounded coming from her.

"Yes. Thank you Caitlin." He swept her into a hug, noting with some sadness the way she immediately stiffened with the contact. But she eventually relaxed into his embrace, her arms wrapping loosely around his waist, her head dropping against his shoulder.

"You know that using one of the greatest clichés in history probably won't end well." And with her head resting against his shoulder, the musky cologne and sweat hanging on him, curling itself around her mind, embedding itself in her memory, she knew she was talking more to herself than him.

"I'm willing to risk it." And she could hear his determination, his need to see it through.

And, with her heart as heavy as lead, she knew there was no need for the word 'probably.'

Hey look, a new SB fic. whooo. it'll probably be on break until my other multi-chapter fics are done (i'm probably lying seeing I've already started the second chapter for this and I haven't gotten that far in the others.) I don't own any part of the Flash.