When they woke, tangled together again, Barry couldn't help but grin. CC was still mostly asleep, which was something Barry enjoyed way more than he should. There was something about the peacefulness in his features, the innocence of it, that hooked him. It was why he came back every time.

"You could stop staring," CC groaned out.

Barry laughed. "You know, I don't think I want to keep screaming CC," Barry mused lightly as CC forced his eyes open. "I think Len?"

CC raised an eyebrow as he made eye contact with Barry. "Whatever you want, kid," he replied.

"Breakfast or room service?" Len asked. This time, it was Barry who raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Do you have some secret cooking talent?"

Len smirked mysteriously. "Maybe I do. Guess you'll just have to wait, won't you?"

Barry rolled his eyes as the rest of him rolled off the bottom bunk. He offered a hand to Len, who, to his surprise, took it. They walked side by side to the living room to watch TV. Their room didn't have a kitchen, but it had a bathroom, and it wasn't difficult for a speedster to speed to the kitchen and grab what Len asked for.

So they sat in the bathroom. Barry had pulled up a chair for Len, who had cast it aside, so it sat by the door. Barry was a bundle of energy, as usual, so he paced around the large bathroom, occasionally asking about what Len was making. Of course, the guy wouldn't actually tell him what it was, but it was fun to guess. Len seemed to enjoy it, too.

Len had changed when Barry wasn't looking because he was apparently shy, so he was now wearing a shirt that was completely blue to match his eyes. It said, 'Ain't it cold in here?' The pun kept making Barry laugh at the most random moments, which Len seemed to smile every time he did. That could be his imagination, though.

"What mysterious talent do you have, Scarlet?" Len asked at one point. Barry had blushed and looked at his feet, his pacing stopped for a moment. He had tried to put it off, change the topic, but Len was persistent. Eventually, he managed to coax Barry into singing Cold by Maroon 5. It was completely worth it when Len actually laughed at the pun, though.

"I don't understand why you're so cold," Barry sang, but it was directed at Len. Like he was asking him.

"Baby, tell me, how did you get so cold?"

Len shifted uncomfortably with every lyric, but Barry didn't let up. If anything, he seemed to press even harder, slowly but surely making his way over to Len.

Barry was asking him. Begging him, in fact. He was curious. He knew Lewis was a part of it, but Len never talked about him. He needed to know.

"Cold, enough to chill my bones," he sang, this time right next to Len as he cracked an egg harshly and threw it into the bowl.

"Go away!" Len growled as he shoved Barry back. But Barry just looked more determined. "What happened to you?" Barry asked, the song long forgotten. Len glanced away, forcing the tears to stay beyond his eyes.

"Please, Len," Barry whispered, right up next to him again, but Len didn't feel like pushing him away this time. Honestly, he wanted to talk to him, to open himself up, but he couldn't. People couldn't be trusted, especially this one.

"You can trust me. I won't hurt you."

Somehow, that hurt. It made him think of all the times he had betrayed the speedster, the many times he had faked everything about himself because he was scared.

"I-I can't, alright?!" Len yelled. This time, the tears had made it to his eyes and he was just done with this. It had been a peaceful morning, a happy one, for once, and Barry had to go and ruin it! Or maybe Len had, he didn't know anymore.

Barry didn't look at him with pity. He looked at him like he saw something Len couldn't. Like he was waiting for Len to just stand up and push past his evil past to join him. But Len couldn't do that. If he could, he would've done it years ago.

"Yes, you can, Lenny. I believe it on you."

Len felt the first real tear since his childhood fall. He had mastered the art of fake crying over the years and was shocked to realize this wasn't it. The liquid making its way down his cheeks was real.

One more look at Barry's pure, young face had him running. He didn't know where yet, or what he was going to do when he got there. All he knew was that he had to get away from these feelings, the ones that made his heart spin and gave him a headache.

Soon, he was at Lisa's door, knocking quietly. Some part of him was hoping she wouldn't answer. He could take care of himself, he didn't need her, but those thoughts were long gone the second she opened the door. One look at his face and she was ushering him in, a beer bottle in hand.

"Wanna talk?" she asked, but the answer was obvious. That was the literal reason he had run away, after all.

So, like the thieves they were, they decided to head to the bar to look for the people wearing shiny necklaces.

There was a girl in the corner doing a keg stand, the crowd around her chanting, "48, 49, 50!" Len thought he recognized her as Barry's friend. Lily, was it?

When Lisa saw his gaze, she raised an eyebrow. "You're not into girls," she said, straight to the point as always.

"Someone my roommate knows," Len muttered distractedly. Lisa laughed. "Oh, you've fallen hard," she giggled. Len glared at her, but she had latched onto this like a lifeline, and she was gonna milk it.

"That's why you're upset," she realized. "He did or said something to push the boundaries, and you won't open up."

Len looked down. He had come with her to get away, after all. Yet, apparently, he was going to have to keep talking. Yay.

"Lenny... Please don't do this to yourself," Lisa begged. "I know you think you have to protect yourself, and I understand, but it's okay to open up. I did with Cisco."

Len couldn't tell you why, but that made him angry. Maybe it was jealousy. She had a loving, trusting boyfriend and he didn't. Maybe it was hurt. She trusted Cisco more than Len. Or maybe it was something else. All he knew was that his emotions were out of control, and he couldn't seem to reel them in.

One look at his face and Lisa could tell she had said the wrong thing. She also knew him and knew that it was too late to fix it. Maybe he needed it.

"I don't care, okay? Barry's different. He's special. He... He doesn't need me tainting him." When Len looked up at her, Lisa could see how much this was tearing him up inside. She immediately knew the right words.

"Maybe he needs this. Maybe, being such a goody two shoes, he needs a break. Maybe that's what you could be to him. For him."

Len looked at her, real emotions leaking into his expression. "I can't," he said again before walking away from her.

Lisa sighed. Apparently, she had a lot more work to do. She was going to make this a thing, no matter how much it took.

Meanwhile, Barry sat on the couch, absolutely miserable. Now that Len was gone and mad at him, Barry couldn't help but be disappointed. He had wanted to spend the entire day with him, but now that he had messed it up, he wouldn't get to. And it was all his fault, just like everything else.

Lily was off doing something alone, and JJ was sleeping off a hangover, so they wouldn't be able to get him out of this funk. No way in hell was he going to go near Kara after what had happened last night. So, he was bored out of his mind.

Of course, Mick just had to change that.

He barged in the room. The door was unlocked because Len hadn't taken his keys and Barry didn't want to lock him out, so it wasn't like he had to break in, but still.

"Lenny!" he called out angrily. "You owe me some goddamn money!"

Barry flinched into the couch, praying Mick didn't see him. He really didn't need a murderer noticing his weakness. Especially when it had to do with his partner.

Sadly, luck had never really been in Barry's favor.

Mick was trained like Len, so he noticed the same things. He also knew his partner extremely well. Lenny never left a door unlocked, or would open a door and hide, so someone was likely here, waiting for him.

"Show yourself, coward!" he yelled as he looked around wildly.

Of course, Barry just had to pick that moment to peek out from his blanket fort, which he had built in the time it had taken Mick to walk in. He was greeted by a punch to the face.

"Who the hell are you?" Mick demanded as he grabbed Barry by the neck and held him up. Realizing that made Barry taller than him, he set him down but didn't let go of his neck.

"I'm... Barry..." Barry tried to say, but it was difficult when someone as strong as Mick was crushing his windpipe.

"I heard him talking about you after that keg stand," Mick muttered to himself, unintentionally letting Barry go. Somehow, he didn't hear the loud thump when Barry hit the floor. It seemed Barry had a little luck left, after all.

"Len doing a keg stand? For real?" Barry gasped, eyes watering, but all was forgotten as an image of Len being held upside down entered his mind. He snorted.

Mick raised an eyebrow, going from angry to surprised to suspicious. "You call him that to his face?"

Barry gave him a confused look before realizing what he had said. He covered his mouth, but the damage was done. He stared wide-eyed at Mick, trying to think of a way to backtrack when the door behind them bust open.

"I'm home, honey!" a drunken Len called out in greeting. Barry could feel the blood dripping from his nose, but he couldn't help but smile and sigh. Len was safe. Len would protect him.

Then he realized what he was thinking and shook his head slowly. Len wouldn't protect him. Snart wouldn't protect him.

He was proved wrong a second later when Len tried to sock Mick in the face. He must've been extremely drunk because he ended up hitting Mick's chest before actually falling there. Mick, being as strong as he was, easily picked him up, which made Barry jealous for some reason.

He walked over to Mick and shoved him, which didn't move the big brute in the slightest, but it definitely helped Barry's confidence as he pulled Len away. He held the tall man against his chest as he half-dragged CC to the couch.

"Hehe," Len smirked as he looked up at Barry, but Barry only had eyes for Mick, who he was glaring at. He growled to emphasize his point, but Mick just let out a belly laugh.

"Oh, you're in for it, Snart!" he called as he turned and headed out the pink door. "Oh, and Lisa will be along to see you later," he warned before he was out of eyesight. Barry groaned as he looked down at the apparently very clingy Len.

"I wish I could say it was just you and me," Barry sighed.

And it was only noon.