Hi! This is my first story that I am writing. I got this idea after rewatching all the seasons on Netflix about how there were so many moments that happen in the episodes that could've resulted in a great snowbarry moment that was either interrupted by another character, never followed up on, or just never happened (like the many times Caitlin was captured and Barry was so worried about her only to not address it later in the episode!). The chapters might get out of order as I'm writing these as they come to my head, so sorry if the episodes won't be in chronological order, but I'll do my best. I also don't want to do episodes that are too early (like 1x03), as I like how their relationship was a slow burn and how through each episode, their friendship continued to develop until it looked like it could be a romantic one(at least for season 1 before the writers decided not to go down this path...), so I don't want their relationship to seem rushed. Plus, I actually was fine with the first few episodes and the interactions between them because they did a good job of developing their relationship.

Also, another note is that each prompt is independent from each other, meaning that a moment that I write that happens between Barry and Caitlin won't carry on into the next chapter and so on. This is because I want all these stories to hold true to the "what if" title and remain hypothetical scenes that just should've happened. Enjoy!

Prompt: What if Cisco hadn't interrupted what Caitlin was going to do during her conversation with Barry after he lost his powers?

POV: Caitlin

Caitlin was still having a hard time wrapping her head around the fact that Barry had lost his powers. Part of her felt bad for Barry as she knew that being the Flash was important to him, but a part of her was also upset at the universe in general. She started out hating Barry for running around like a supersonic fireman, risking his life to save others as it reminded her too much of Ronnie. It wasn't like she didn't think saving other people was a bad thing to do, but in the 9 months that she was taking care of him in his coma, she had grown overprotective of his safety as she didn't want anyone else to have to suffer through what she had gone through with losing Ronnie. Yet as the weeks went by, any anger she felt towards Barry turned into caring deeply about his wellbeing every time he stepped out into the field, praying that he comes back alive and doing her best to patch him up when he comes back scarred. That's why Barry losing his powers hit her so hard, as she felt that in a way, she had failed to protect him, even though deep down she knows there wasn't much she could've done.

Caitlin sighed at this thought as she walked into the Cortex, expecting to just see Cisco working on finding out who the metahuman was. Instead, she found Barry alone, leaning against the wall and staring at his Flash suit. Caitlin suddenly felt a desperate need to talk to him. If she couldn't help him get his powers back at the moment, she should at least be there for him.

Caitlin began walking towards Barry, unsure of what to say. He turned his head around briefly to see who was coming, and they made eye contact for a second before he turned back to the suit.

"You think I'll ever wear it again?" Barry asked, still continuing to stare at the suit.

"I hope so," Caitlin replied. Again, Barry turned his head, almost as if he was surprised to hear her say that. She could've phrased it in any other way, but she wanted to emphasize that she truly cared about how he felt.

She heard Barry audibly sigh as he began to speak again. "I didn't have my speed for very long, but now that it's gone, it feels like a part of me is gone too." His gaze never left the suit, making Caitlin feel even more bad for him.

"With or without your speed you're still you Barry." And she meant that. He was so much more than just a speedster who ran around saving people. Sure, she felt that she had some purpose to her life while he is the Flash with helping him, but she was also just glad that he had come into her life. It was at the perfect time too, with her feeling broken after Ronnie's death, but getting to know Barry as a person made coping with the loss a whole lot easier. The prime example of this was when the metahuman Cisco named The Mist showed up. She was so relieved when Barry had initially bailed her out of going down to the particle accelerator and instead took her to visit the CCPD. He then was able to help conquer her fear of going down to the accelerator by simply going with her and comforting her with a hug. He didn't need his powers to do to this; he was just being Barry.

"But I'm not. I'm not the best version of me," Barry replied. "I love being the Flash."

And for the first time in the conversation, Barry gave his infectious smile that Caitlin couldn't do anything but smile back.

"I love everything about it. The feeling of running hundreds of miles per hour, wind and power just rushing past my face."

And for the first time in the conversation, Barry's eyes connected with Caitlin's, reminding her of how amazing his eyes looked. This wasn't the first time she thought this way about him, but for whatever reason, she couldn't stop thinking about that now. Not just his eyes, but how happy he looked as he described his superhero alter-ego. It must mean so much to him…

"Being able to help people," Caitlin immediately snapped out of her trance as Barry's voice cut into her thoughts. "I'm not sure I can live without it Caitlin."

Suddenly the air was filled with thick silence, and Caitlin realized that it was her turn to respond. She honestly had no idea what to say. Barry had just poured out his feelings on how important being the Flash meant to him, and there was no way she could rival what he said with comforting words. All she knew was that she couldn't live without him.

It was almost like there was some sort of force that started to pull her towards Barry. She took a few steps forward until there was no space in between them, and that's when Caitlin realized she had no idea where this was going.

Barry was now looking at her intently, not saying a word and having a face of confusion and anticipation. So, Caitlin did the only thing that wouldn't make their friendship weird but also something she has wanted to do again.

She hugged him.

This wasn't the first time they hugged, but now she wasn't crying about Ronnie and could really take in the hug. Her whole body was filled with this warmth that made her feel so comfortable that she could just fall asleep in his arms. When she felt his arms tighten against her, pulling her even closer, she realized that she should not be enjoying a simple hug this much from a friend.

Unless, she was starting to develop feelings for him. But there was no way she can like Barry. Both of their hearts still belonged to someone else. That doesn't mean she can still enjoy being in his company...

They stayed like that for a few seconds. Caitlin really hoped that no one would -

"Farooq Gibran." Instantly Barry and Caitlin pulled apart and saw Cisco walking towards them, luckily with his head in his tablet so he couldn't observe what just happened between them.

As Cisco explained how he figured out who their meta was, Barry briefly glanced at Caitlin, smiling and mouthing a thank you, to which Caitlin couldn't help but smile back. Maybe there was something more going on between them.

Hope you enjoyed!