Z E R O G R A V I T Y
↳ V i g i l a n t e

"Piggy back ride on crack..."
⚡⚡⚡

-C O R Y-

Did I go to a bar? No.

Did I think about It? Hell yeah.

But it'd be a shame since I've haven't visited the bar in two weeks. And not just because the owner of the bar near Jitters banned me but because it's a waste of time.

When I get drunk it only lasts twenty minutes.

I don't consider myself to be an alcoholic either. It just has the ability to suddenly appear whenever things go south.

So you're probably asking about my whereabouts. I wasn't at the bar, or at work, and most definitely not at S.T.A.R Labs.

I was visiting an old friend.

"Hey there," I mumbled, Ignoring the dirt and grass, and sat down cross legged."How's it going down there? Great? I'd imagine it. How am I doing, you ask? Peachy. Just peachy, sis." I rambled. "Not sure if you can see the clouds right now, but they look pretty freakin' spectacular. I'm not sure what's with the sky, but I think it's extra happy. The clouds seem bigger fluffier, whiter..."

I bit my lip. And looked at the patch of flowers I sat on and laughed. "Since when did you start looking down more at the ground than the sky, huh?"

A tiny wild flower bent beneath the weight of my tear, which I furiously wiped away.

I laid side by side with the grave. "I miss mom. And now I know you've been missing her too. You can't deny it anymore. I saw the family albums you had in your bedroom. I just- I wish you could've told me instead of crying yourself to sleep every night. Found that out in your diary. It was an old one so you stopped writing in it. But now I'm curious to see what else you cried about."

My cheaks were wet and my nose was getting undeniably stuffy. "I'm getting off task," I chuckled before taking in a shaky breath.

"You remember your friends at the lab, that crappy job of yours? Well they did a bad thing, and I wanna help them, and I don't know what to do, a-and to be honest," I hiccuped. "I don't think I'm here for the advice."

Don't cry, I told myself.
Don't cry.
Don't cry.
Don't cry.

Fuck.

So much for not being sentimental.

⚡⚡⚡

I sludged the sidewalk in nothing but my flats and regular attire. My hair was soaked from the roots to ends before they landed on my face and slid down my cheek, not failing to remind me of the pathetic breakdown I had at the cementery.

I didn't bother rushing to my house, unlike the people in the streets. I was pretty easy to spot in a crowd too as I was the only one who didn't have an umbrella.

I just hung my head down, readying myself to turn an empty corner when I fell into a cement wall.

There pinning me, was Allen, with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. He wasn't as wet, but was beginning to when he simply stood in front of me, off in his own little world.

I didn't get angry, which is probably the reason why he stood there being shocked, I just didn't have the energy. All of that was poured into my crying earlier.

"I'm so so sorry, Cory. I really didn't mean to run into you, I didn't see you there I swear. I was on my way back from Starling-" He stopped. I stood on my tippie-toes as I wrapped my arms around his neck to a hug and heard his literal breath get knocked out faintly. He was caught off guard obviously, but soon came back to his senses, confused as hell, and slowly but surely had his hands wrapped around my waist as if silently asking if it was okay.

We stood like that for a few minutes in silence. If he was uncomfortable in any way possible, you surely wouldn't have noticed.

"What was that for?"

"I want you to know you're not alone. Whatever happened to your mom, you can open up to me if you want, okay Barry?"

He nodded solemnly shocked to say the least. "Anytime? Any place?"

"Anytime. Any place." I assured.

No one deserves to feel like I do, which is shitty by the way. To go through hell and back being haunted by the ones you loved.

I felt Allen's gaze on me. That blunt stare he likes to give people.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing, I just realized you called me by my first name. You never do that."

"I wouldn't be getting used to it if I were you."

He nodded again but his eyes still lingered on me. "You should get out of the rain. You're gonna get sick."

I shook my head and held his hand to stop him from going inside the closing Italian restaurant we stood in front of.

"Don't," my chin tilted up and looked at the sky as best it could without getting rain drops in my eye. I didn't notice it was night time til now. "I like storms. They let me know that even the sky screams too."

He guided me on the granite sidewalk with a humble smiled and glanced down at my hand which was still around his. I didn't pay attention though, Too busy enjoying the rain.

I walked beside Allen with his gigantic coat hanging at my shoulders loosely. He absolutely insisted that if I didn't wear it I would get a cold, which I didn't care much for, but wouldn't stop until I was wearing it.

My eyes kept glued to the wet sidewalk in thought. "What exactly were you doing?"

Allen glanced at me with wide eyes then went to rub the back of his neck awkwardly. "W-what do you mean?"

I narrowed my eyes, catching his odd behavior. Then again, I haven't known him long enough to know what his odd behavior is."You stormed from S.T.A.R Labs. Where'd you run off to after that?"

The brunette sighed. "Starling City."
He answered.

My eyebrows creased. "What for?"

He looked at me again and lolled his head from left to right. "Seeing an old friend you could say," his hands rammed in his pant's pockets. "You?"

"At the grave yard, visiting my sister."
Allen's mouth gaped repeatedly, mentally cursing himself for asking.

"I'm sorry fo-" I held up my hand and chuckled faintly.

"There's no need to apologize."

He nodded slowly, his movements stiff. He realized he stepped on a thin patch of ice.

I didn't know him in the slightest and vice versa but I could see from the look in his eyes he was thinking on something to say next, praying he won't set off the bomb that is me. "Do you think Wells is right about me?" By the confused look on my face he explained further. "That I'm just a guy who got struck by lightning."

I would've laughed, because that's one hell of a sentence starter, but for once Allen looked conflicted and for whatever type of reason, it bothered me. Probably because I wasn't the one to make him act like that.

"It's never wrong to want to help people, Barry." My arms folded across my chest. "Why? You planning on being a vigilante?"

One glance at my timid smile sent him in a smiling frenzy as well, I think part of it was because I called him by his first name again.

He reads way too much into things, I swear.

"Maybe."

"Well, take my advice and wear a mask."

The smile widened if that's even remotely possible. "I think you just gave me an idea." He placed a hand out in front of me and crouched. "Get on my back."

"What?"

"Get on my back." Allen repeated nonchalantly. Did he lose a few brain cells when he knocked into me or something?

"You're a person who can run faster than the speed of sound. I may not be smart twenty-four-seven, but I sure as hell know a bad idea when I see one."

He shot me a knowing look as if to send me back and really question what I just said.

"Okay, maybe not. But this one is!"

Allen waited for me patiently as he wasn't taking no for an answer. Relecuantly I scanned the area which seemed abandoned still and slowly crawled on his back.

"You've got nothing to be worried about," He reassured, horribly. "Just hold on tight."

I snorted loudly in his ear. "Oh yeah, cause I definetly wasn't planning on it."

You didn't need sight to see the dramatic eye roll he did, you can just sense it. But for the sake of him I ignored. "Give me a three second head start so I can, you know, prepare..."

His shoulder shrugged ruggedly, scaring me half to death. He hasn't even ran yet and I already had a near-death experience. God this is a bad idea, I can hear the music to my funeral playing already. "You know what, I think it's better if we don't. I'm not in the mood to die today."

He shot a glance at me. "That's not what you said when you flew."

A silence hovered as we both realize he got me there. "Fair enough." 

"Alright. One..." My hands clasped stronger around his neck. Who knows maybe if I strangle him hard enough he'll pass out and we can ditch the whole stupid piggy back ride on crack idea. "Two-"

I was mentally preparing myself for the three, but it never came. Allen simply zoomed off. And I don't regret the ear-splitting scream one bit.

⚡⚡⚡

"Holy crap, I'm dying!" Allen dropped me off at the entrance of S.T.A.R Labs which made me highly believe he thinks I actually live here.

Shaking to the bone, I wobbled my way upstairs more scared than a turkey on Thanksgiving day. Turns out Dylan decided to camp out in the hallway, waiting for me, which is pretty sweet when you think about it.

But he's asleep. At least I think he is. Half of his body was slumped on the ground while the other half nearly fell from the make shift chair which is pillows stacked on upon one another.

Gulping, I slowly inched towards his slouched figure. Then bluntly tapped my foot on his shoulder, checking to see if he'd respond. Dylan jolted with a start, yelling like a banshee, causing me to scream bloody Mary. Cisco and Caitlin came scurrying, Cisco holding a grilled cheese sandwich and Caitlin holding my new pair of pumps I wasn't planning on wearing anytime soon but looked too killer for me not to buy.

If an intruder were to waltz right in here, this is their choice of weapons?

What are they gonna do? Burn you to death with hot cheese? Or how about stabbing your eyes out with heels?

Dylan and I realized it was only each other. He laughed nervously and held a hand on his chest where his heart's resting underneath.

"Cory, you scared me!"

"You're the victim?! My ears are bleeding from your girly scream!"

He doubled over in laughter. "You calm yet? I mean, you looked pretty mad at Harrison." He spoke, reffering to earlier.

Dylan knew better than to come after me whenever I broke down. I found it surprising how he guessed the right things to do so quickly in our relationship considering this type of thing didn't happen often.

I smiled warmly at him while wrapping my arms around his waist for a hug. I was too tired to reach for his neck because then I'd have to go on my tippy-toes since our height difference is off.

Cisco's the only one remotely close to my five foot five stature.

"Yes, very."

He didn't object the hug. If I hug you, accept it, because that doesn't happen too often either.

"What just happened?!" Caitlin yelled.

Whipping our head toward her and Cisco, who no longer paid us any attention and mentally set his ultimate life goal to devoring his sandwich, Caitlin stood shocked.

"Why are you holding my shoes?" I countered.

Caitlin held her hands up in surrender. "I saw nothing, you saw nothing." She backed away with nothing else to say as I bit back a laugh from bubbling.

Dylan noticed and narrowed his eyes.
"What is this?" His fingers picked at the large jacket Barry put on me and I let it completely slip my mind.

"Oh right, it's Allen's."

That didn't make Dylan any happier.

"It was raining when I was on my way back from the cemetery and Allen ran into me, literally. He wouldn't stop nagging me til I put on his coat. Kept rambling on about me getting sick and what not."

"Well he was right about that," Dylan chuckled. He held my waist and closed the ongoing space between us with a quick peck on the lips, nothing too dramatic and noteworthy but loveable all the same.

As he slowly peeled the jacket from my arms and body with a look of distaste, he asked. "Where is Barry anyway?"

It wasn't until now that I moticed Allen wasn't here. "Not sure. He gave me a piggy back ride here than ran off after saying he'll be back in a minute tops."

Despite my unconcerned attitude Dylan seemed to think otherwise. "He left you?!"

"He said he'd be right back. He had to get something."

"That doesn't mean anything."

"Clearly you've never seen the guy run then."

And just on time, the door clatter and loose papers flew everywhere; he's back. A blur passed the three of us in the lobby and headed straight for the lab. I smirked in the presence of Dylan's overly shocked expression and nearly gave out of laughter right on the spot. "Careful, you might catch flies.

[ Edited ]

I chose the name Dylan cause I planned on Cory's ex being Dylan O' Brien who's also bae. Sue me.

Well if you enjoyed this chapter than don't forget to; vote, comment, and all that jazz because I really appreciate all of it.

✌