Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Dr. Harrison Wells, CEO of S.T.A.R. Labs, the largest and most successful lab in Central City, sat at his desk in his office, engrossed in one of the many documents lying on his desk. No one knew his true face. Except for his daughter, his employees, and his investors. Whenever a conference was held or he was required to appear in front of cameras, it was assigned to his personal assistant. Harrison wrote down what he should say, and he did so. Dr. Wells avoided cameras. He wasn't a big fan of being stopped on the streets to answer questions if people knew what he looked like... The door opened, and his daughter, Jesse Wells, ran in. A wide grin on her face.

"Jesse, what are you doing here?" he asked, irritated, looking up from his work. "Don't you have class?"

"Dad, I don't have any more classes, or did you forget that I graduated two weeks ago?" Jesse said, rolling her eyes.

"Right." He closed his eyes for a moment. "How could I forget? I'm sorry." Harrison leaned back in his chair and exhaled. "Sometimes I just forget how grown up you've become. But to me, you'll always be my little Jesse Quick."

"It's okay, Daddy, and I know how busy you are. That's why I arranged a date for you," she said, smiling.

Harrison raised an eyebrow. "A date?"

"Yeah! It'll definitely be great."

"Wait a minute. You mean a date, like between a man and a woman at a restaurant?"

"Yes. Or do you have other ideas?"

He ran a hand over his face. "Jesse, you know I've sworn off love, and you know why."

"Daddy, it's been years since Mom left you. I want to..." She sighed. "I want to see you smile again, see you happy."

"Honey, I'm happy."

"But all you do is work. You go to work, come home and sleep, and then you get up the next day, only to go back to work. Please, Daddy. Besides, it’s maybe only for tonight if you don’t like her then…"

"Tonight?" Harrison asked. "Jesse, I can't..."

"I already told Dr. Thawne you have a date today, and he told me he'll call you to reschedule for the particle accelerator."

"You what?!" Harrison said angrily. "Jesse, you know this project is my life's work! I started it 15 years ago, and it's so close to completion! You can't just cancel an important appointment."

"But Dr. Thawne said it wasn't a problem and..." Jesse tried to explain, but her father wouldn't let her speak.

"You can't just meddle in my business, Jesse!"

Harrison saw the tears welling up in his daughter's eyes and knew he'd gone too far, but she had to understand that she couldn't just postpone everything without facing the consequences.

"Okay. Okay! Then work yourself to death!" she cried, angry and hurt, and stormed out of his office. The door closed with a loud bang. Harrison sighed. Tonight, when he got home, he would have to talk to his daughter again, but first, he had to take care of the reschedule with Thawne now…

Meanwhile, in a small flower shop in Central City, Caitlin Snow was selling bouquets with her friend, Ronald Raymond. The two had known each other since high school, and Caitlin's dream was to become a biochemist in a prestigious laboratory. But that was easier said than done, and even though her mother, Carla Tannhauser, had offered her a job with her, she had turned it down. She wanted to make it her own way, just like her college years had. Her father had died young in a car accident on his way home. His death had hit Caitlin hard, and it wasn't until a year later that she had truly accepted his passing. Ronald had been with her and given her strength. His family owned the flower shop, and they both helped out whenever they needed help. With the money, she was able to pay for some of her college tuition, but she also had to waitress to be able to afford it. Her mother had bought her an apartment, which Caitlin was a bit cynical about at first, but later very grateful for, as it meant she didn't have to pay as much.

"Caitlin?" Ronald's voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Yes?" She looked up from the flowers she was trying to make into a bouquet.

"Do you have any plans for tonight?" he asked, a little nervously.

"Yes. I have a date. Well, more like a blind date."

Ronald stopped watering the tree in the pot by the door and looked at her in disbelief. "A blind date?"

"Yes."

"So? Is he good-looking?" he asked.

"I'll find out when I meet him tonight. As you know, I'm not looking for looks, but whether he's friendly and good-natured. He can be as good-looking as he wants, but if he's an arrogant jerk, finding someone won't help him."

Ronald laughed. "That's true."

"Do you have plans tonight, Ronnie?" she asked.

"Uhm... I thought I'd stay a little longer to help my parents."

"Should I help you? I could..."

"No, you go on your date, Caitlin. Have fun. But if that guy hurts you, he'll have to answer to me," Ronald said seriously.

Snow smiled. "I'll let him know."

Shortly before 5 p.m., Harrison Wells came home. His daughter was sitting on the sofa, reading a brochure. He sighed and went into the living room to sit next to Jesse.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that," he apologized.

"No," she replied, looking at him. "I shouldn't have sabotaged your work like that, just for a date. I'm sorry, Dad. I just want you to be happy again."

"But I'm happy with you, my little Jesse Quick. I don't need anyone."

"Can't you try? Just this one date, and then I promise I'll never arrange another date for you," she said, looking at him hopefully.

Harrison opened his mouth, about to say no, but he'd always found it difficult to say no to his daughter. He sighed. "All right, then. I'm going on the date today."

"Yes!"

"But I'm not going as Harrison Wells."

"What? Why not?" Jesse asked, confused.

"Once she knows who I am, she'll just be after my money or she'll think I'm crazy," he explained. "I'm going as Harry."

"Harry?" Jesse chuckled.

"Yeah, why not?"

"Okay, and what does Harry do for money?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I'll think of something."

Jesse laughed. "Okay, but you should get ready now, otherwise you'll be late for your date."

Harrison sighed and stood up. What had his daughter gotten him into? Presumably, this woman he was about to meet was only interested in money anyway, which would make it a short evening…

That evening, Caitlin was sitting in a restaurant. She wore a light pink dress with small earrings and high heels. Her eyes scanned the room. There were so many people there, dressed up for dinner. Nervously, she rubbed her fingers in her lap. She felt so out of place. He had chosen the restaurant. Her gaze wandered back to the clock. 6:07 p.m. Her date was already seven minutes late. She decided to wait a few more minutes. Maybe he had gotten stuck in traffic. It was rush hour on the streets, after all. Snow's eyes wandered to the entrance of the restaurant as a man entered. He was dressed all in black and wore a simple black jacket. He had short brown hair, clear blue eyes, and was slim. She guessed he was in his early 50s and found him quite attractive at first glance. Caitlin averted her gaze and looked back at the clock. 6:09 p.m. A clearing of the throat made her look back and gaze into the clear blue eyes of the man who had just entered the restaurant. Harrison tilted his head slightly.

"Could you... be my blind date?" he asked cautiously, looking around. Maybe he'd mistaken the table, or the waiter did? This woman was probably only in her late 20s. What on earth had Jesse got him into?

"If you're the man who arranged this restaurant and the time, 6 p.m., then yes," Caitlin replied with a nervous smile, standing up. "I'm your blind date."

Chapter Text

So this young woman was his date. Harrison cursed inwardly. When he got home, he would have to talk to his daughter. How could she choose a woman so much younger than him? She had probably expected a much younger man, too. He sighed and closed his eyes for a brief moment as his gaze fell on her fingers nervously playing with the sides of her dress. He looked into her eyes, which were a beautiful chocolate brown. Her hair fell in light waves over her shoulders, and her lips glowed faintly in the warm light of the restaurant's lamps. She was a beautiful woman; anyone who was her boyfriend would consider themselves lucky, Harrison had to admit. He blinked and cleared his throat. They should sit down, otherwise they would attract attention.

"My name is Harry," he said, holding out his hand.

"Caitlin Snow," she replied with a shy smile.

"Please." He gestured for her to sit down, and he sat opposite her. A waiter brought them two menus. "First, I'd like to apologize for being late. There was an accident that forced me to take a detour."

"It's okay," Caitlin said. "It's rush hour at this time of day, so I've calculated a delay."

Harrison's eyebrows raised slightly. She seemed to be thinking ahead and, at first glance, a patient person, yet... if she knew who he really was, she'd only want one thing...

"How about we order something?"

Caitlin nodded and picked up the menu, opening it as Harrison watched her. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw the prices. The restaurant they were sitting in was known for its good food, but also for its high prices.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, raising a brow.

Caitlin looked up from the menu as if he'd caught her doing something forbidden. She gave him a nervous smile. "Yeah... uhm... everything's okay." She continued to flip through the menu, but all the prices started at 45 euros and went up to 70 euros. Only the salad cost 15 to 20 euros. Caitlin swallowed. So she'd only be able to eat a salad tonight and go home hungry.

"Have you found anything yet?" Snow jumped slightly when a waiter suddenly appeared. She hadn't even noticed he'd arrived.

"Please, you first," Caitlin said to Harrison, smiling.

He looked at her silently for a brief moment before turning his gaze to the menu and telling the waiter his order. She felt hot as the waiter looked at her, waiting for her order.

"I-I'll have the chicken salad," she said, her voice trembling.

"Okay. And for the main course?"

"Uhm..." Caitlin swallowed. Her gaze slid briefly to Harry, who was studying her with his clear blue eyes. "Just the salad."

The waiter looked at her dumbfounded. An awkward silence fell over the table until Harry cleared his throat and caught the waiter's attention.

"She's having the same main course as me," he replied.

"Okay."

Caitlin opened her mouth to object, but the waiter was already walking away. She looked at Harry.

"What?"
"You shouldn't have..." She breathed a sigh, then added quietly, "I can't... I can't pay for it. It's too expensive."

"That's okay. I'll pay for it," Harry replied, tilting his head slightly. She would thank him right away for paying her main course bill, because that's what everyone he invited to dinner did and thanked him profusely.

Caitlin shook her head. "No, I'll pay it."

Harrison frowned, not expecting that answer. "But I just gave you a 63-euro main course."

"I know, and I'll still pay it."

He looked at her in disbelief. She told him she couldn't pay, and yet she insisted she did. An interesting young woman. And so beautiful, too. He blinked and looked away, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly.

"Doesn't it bother you that I'm..." Harrison cleared his throat. "That I'm quite a bit older? I don't mean to hurt or offend you, but when I came here, I thought I might meet someone..."

"Someone your age?" Caitlin answered with a small chuckle.

He smiled. "Yes, I did."

"So did I."

"I have something to confess. My daughter arranged this blind date."

Snow frowned. "So..."

"She was the one who arranged this restaurant and the time."

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh." A brief silence fell over the table until Harry spoke again, "How about we think of it not as a date, but just two people here having a nice evening and talking."

Caitlin giggled. "I'd be happy to do that."

"So, Ms. Snow..."

"Caitlin."

"Hmm?"

"You can call me Caitlin, Harry," she said, smiling.

He smiled. "Okay, Caitlin. A woman as beautiful as you must be a model. At least, that would be my first thought when I see you like this."

She blushed slightly at the compliment. "Thanks, but no, that's not me."

"What do you do if not that?"

"I work at a friend's flower shop."

"A friend's flower shop?" he asked curiously. That's why she smelled so lovely of flowers. The waiter brought them both their appetizers and wished them bon appetite.

"Yes. I work there to earn money while I look for a job."

"And what is it that you want to become?"

"A biochemist," Caitlin said, smiling.

Harrison raised his eyebrows. "Biochemist? Really?"

"Yes. I graduated a few months ago, but unfortunately, it's a little hard to get a foothold here. That's why I'm working at the flower shop at the moment."

"Are you enjoying it?" Harrison asked.

"Oh yes, a lot. It's always a pleasure to turn flowers into bouquets for people and generally take care of plants," she said with a smile.

"What's the name of the flower shop?"

"Sunflower Love. My best friend's parents own the shop and took it over from his father's parents."

"So it's a small family business."

"Yes. I'll work there until I can work as a biochemist, and then I'll help them out on weekends," she said with a smile.

"Really?" Harrison raised an eyebrow. "You'd work 40 hours a week and then on the weekends? Wouldn't that be too much?"

She dropped her hand holding the fork, and a sad expression came over her usually cheerful face. "Ronnie's parents offered me this job without hesitation, even though they don't get paid much, so I could earn something too. I want to give something back to them. My father taught me that. If you take, give something back."

"Your father seems like a good man."

Caitlin smiled sadly. "Yes, he was."

"Was?"

"He..." She swallowed and looked up. "My father died in a car accident."

Well done, Harrison. It was supposed to be a nice evening for Snow, and you reminded her of her late father. Fuck! "I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to..."

"It's okay," she said, forcing a smile. "Uhm... What do you do for a living?"

Harry opened his mouth and was about to say that he's the CEO of S.T.A.R. Labs, but stopped immediately. He hadn't given it any thought. Caitlin looked at him expectantly. "I... work... as a CEO... at a startup company."

"Wow! That's incredible. What does your company specialize in?" Caitlin asked curiously.

"What does my company specialize in?" Harrison repeated her question, licking his lips. She nodded. Her eyes shone, and her red lips were spread into a smile. Such beautiful lips... He blinked and cleared his throat. Give her an answer. Damn it! Any answer! Harrison opened his mouth to say something when suddenly a woman three tables away stood up and splashed a glass of wine in the face of the man sitting across from her. The guests around her gasped in shock as the woman grabbed her things and angrily walked out of the restaurant. Harrison raised an eyebrow as the man placed a few bills on the table and followed the woman out.

"Harry?" He turned his attention back to Caitlin, who was looking at him.

"Yes? Sorry."

She smiled. "Everything's fine."

"Where were we?"

"You were just about to tell me what your startup company does."

"Yeah, right. We're... tilers," Harry replied, and could have slapped himself for that. He couldn't have chosen anything further from his actual job... He was the boss of the most successful company in all of Central City, and he chose the job of tiler?! He sighed inwardly.

"Really?" Caitlin beamed.

"Mhm." Harrison took a sip of his non-alcoholic wine, as he still had to drive. The waiter came to bring them the main course, and Harry saw Snow swallow hard. He wanted to offer to pay for the meal again—after all, he was the one who had pushed it on her—but he knew she would say she would, even though she was apparently short on cash. She was so different from the women he'd been saddled with on his dates so far, the ones his daughter had saddled him with. "Excuse me for a minute. I need to freshen up."

"Okay."

Harrison got up and walked quickly through the restaurant until he was stopped by a young waiter at the kitchen entrance.

"Sir, you're not allowed in here. I'll have to ask you to go back to your seat," he asked politely.

"I want to speak to the chef."

"Sir, you can't..."

"Tell him Harrison is here," Dr. Wells interrupted, "then he'll know and come."

The young waiter eyed him uncertainly for a brief moment, but then disappeared into the kitchen. Not a minute later, the chef emerged from the kitchen with a broad smile.

"Harrison!" he greeted him and hugged him. "What a pleasure to see you here. I haven't seen you eat here in so long."

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Luigi," Harrison replied, his voice devoid of any joy. Luigi was an old friend of his. He had given him food when he and the company S.T.A.R. Labs weren't doing so well, and Harrison and his daughter would have almost ended up on the streets if Luigi hadn't supported them financially. As S.T.A.R. Labs gained popularity and grew larger, Harrison doubled the money he had given him, allowing Luigi to expand his restaurant. The two were still good friends to this day. "You know I don't like to owe anyone a favor, but it's, let's say, an emergency. Can you help me?"

"Of course, my friend. What is it?" he asked curiously.

"My companion can't afford the meal I... forced on her," Harrison explained. "Besides, I'm not here as Dr. Wells, but as Harry, who founded a small startup company, which is why she doesn't know that I actually have quite a bit of money. Are you following me so far?"

"Yes. She shouldn't know who you really are."

"Even though she doesn't have enough money, she insists on paying for the meal, and I was wondering if there's anything you can do to save her from having to pay? I'll pay for it in the end, of course."

Luigi nodded thoughtfully, a grin spreading across his face. "I have an idea. Go back to your seat and don't worry. Luigi will take care of it."

"Thanks."

"Is everything okay?" Caitlin asked with a hint of concern as Harrison sat back down at his seat.

"Yes, everything's fine," he replied, noticing that Snow hadn't even touched her main course. "Why haven't you started eating yet?"

"I've been waiting for you," she confessed quietly, lowering her eyes, Harry noting that her cheeks were turning a light pink.

He smiled crookedly. "Well, I'm back."

Snow was about to say something when she was distracted by two waiters and a man in white entering the restaurant.

"Good evening, my dear guests," the man in white began. "My name is Luigi, head chef of this restaurant." He paused for a few seconds, his gaze briefly scanning the guests before settling on Caitlin and Harrison's table. He averted his gaze as he met the attentive eyes of Dr. Wells. "Since today is the day of my beloved late mother, may she rest in peace, I have prepared something very special." The two waiters brought out two glass balls containing white pieces of paper. "The pieces of paper you can see here have the numbers of every table in the restaurant written on them. I'm going to draw a number, and the table that belongs to that number will be invited by me tonight. That means that table doesn't have to pay, because I'm paying for it."

Some of the guests clapped or whispered excitedly. Luigi reached into the left glass ball. When Harrison looked at Caitlin, he saw she had a sad smile on her face.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," she replied, adjusting the napkin she'd placed on her thigh. "I'm just happy for the table that's going to win."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Haven't you ever won anything?"

"No, but that's okay, because I've already won."

He tilted his head slightly. "What do you mean?"

"I live a wonderful life. With a few struggles, of course, but who doesn't, right? Still, I can't complain."

"Table 14," Luigi announced, holding up the piece of paper as if the number on it could be read. "Table 14, please raise your hand."

"Besides, I have true friends I can count on, who always support me, no matter what situation I find myself in."

"Snow."

"Cisco and Barry, in particular, have..."

"Snow."

"Hmm?" Caitlin stopped talking and looked at Harrison.

"What table number do we have?"

"Uhm... 14. Why?" she asked, confused. He nodded toward Luigi, who was still saying the table number he'd drawn. Caitlin's eyes widened when she heard it. "Us! We're table number 14!"

Luigi turned to the two of them and grinned. "Congratulations. You two are the lucky ones who get to eat on the house tonight." Caitlin stared wide-eyed at the chef, who gave her a wide, friendly grin. "Thank you all for your attention, and enjoy your meal." With that, he disappeared back into the kitchen.

Caitlin looked wide-eyed at Harrison, who smiled at her. "Did... Did we really just win something?"

"It seems so," he replied, picking up his cutlery. "So then... enjoy your meal, Snow."

"Enjoy your meal, Harry." He winked at her, and she blushed slightly.

Late in the evening, Harrison drove her home to the building where she lived. They talked about hobbies for a bit before Harrison returned to Caitlin's dream of becoming a biochemist. They spent almost the rest of the evening talking about it, and Harrison realized how smart and knowledgeable she actually was. She also seemed to approach her work with conscientiousness and love. Caitlin even treated herself to dessert, though he ate the rest when she couldn't finish it, with her spoon, mind you.

"Thank you so much for tonight," Caitlin said as they both stood in front of the front door. "It was really lovely."

"Yes, it was," Harrison replied, smiling.

"And thank you so much for driving me here. You didn't have to. I would have gotten a taxi."

"Like I said, my route home is on your route, so it worked out, but if it had been the opposite way, I would have driven you home anyway."

Caitlin wanted to say that she'd like to meet up with him again, but all she could manage was "Thank you, Harry" and "Have a safe trip home".

"Good night, Snow."

"Good night, Harry," she said, her cheeks flushed, before closing the door. She wanted to see him again, but she was too young for him. And did he even want to see her again? Caitlin sighed softly and walked up the steps to her apartment. Outside, Harrison stood staring at the closed door. He wanted to see her again, but he was too old for her. And did she even want to see him again? He sighed and walked back to his car to drive home.

Chapter Text

Harrison stood in front of the small flower shop Sunflower Love and looked through the large window, where various bouquets of flowers were standing or lying. Four days had passed since his "date" with Caitlin Snow, which wasn't supposed to be a date, but just a nice evening between two adults. Caitlin was too young for him and he was too old for her, but why did Harry always get this warm feeling whenever he thought of her? Or when he closed his eyes and saw her chocolate-brown eyes, her beautiful smile on her full lips.

"Ronnie?" Harry was pulled from his thoughts when he heard her voice and saw her coming out of a back room with a bouquet of flowers. She was wearing a dark blue blouse, a black skirt that reached down to her knees, and black high heels. Her hair was tied back in a braid, and Harry knew she smelled so lovely of flowers again.

"Did you see the note from Mrs. Brown? I thought I took the note back with me, but apparently I was mistaken," she said, stopping next to a young man standing behind the small cash register, which was made from an old wooden chest of drawers.

"You mean this one?" he replied, grinning, waving the note back and forth in front of her.

"Don't tell me you hid it from me." She looked at him questioningly.

"I would never do that," he said, and Caitlin slapped his upper arm lightly, laughing.

"Ronald Raymond!" She grabbed the note to tuck it into the bouquet so they'd know who it belonged to when the customer came to pick it up. Snow went back into the room, while Ronnie watched her.

"Would you like to go into the shop too?" Harrison tore his gaze away from the young man and looked into the face of an older woman who was looking at him questioningly.

Say no. "Yes."

"Then why are you still out here, young man?" she said, smiling. Young man? "The bouquets look much better when you hold them in your hands, especially when you smell them."

"Right." Harrison cleared his throat and let the elderly lady go first before entering the store himself. He was immediately greeted by the different scents of the flowers. He watched as the elderly lady walked over to the young man behind the cash register. What was his name again? He was sure that Snow had told him his name when they were together in the restaurant. Harrison decided to look at the various bouquets while trying to think of a reason why he was there.

Meanwhile, Caitlin was standing in the back room, beginning to make a new bouquet. As she was trimming the stem of a sunflower, she paused, and her thoughts wandered, as they had so often in the past few days, to Harry. She still remembered lying awake in her bed that same evening, unable to sleep, her thoughts on Harry. Snow knew he was too old for her, so why did she want to see him again? They had both agreed it wasn't a date between them... Caitlin sighed. Her heart inevitably beat faster as she thought of his clear blue eyes, which seemed to be able to see into her very soul. It was as if she could sink into them.

"Caity?" She looked up from her bouquet to turn to Ronnie. "There's a man who would like to see you."

Snow frowned. "A man who wants to see me?"

"Yeah. His name is Harry or something," Ronnie said nonchalantly, shrugging.

Her eyes widened slightly. "H-Harry? He-He's here?" she stammered.

Her friend frowned and raised an eyebrow. He crossed his arms. "Is he giving you trouble? Should I take care of him?" he asked protectively.

"No, no. I told you about my date."

"You mean the date that wasn't really a date?"

"Exactly."

"Yeah. And? What about it?" Caitlin tilted her head slightly and looked at Ronnie until he understood what she was getting at. "Hold up! That guy out there." He pointed behind him. "He's the man you were meeting? He's the tiler?"

"Yeah, and... and I have no idea why he's here. I only told him I worked here, but I didn't know he was coming to see me, and I thought we wouldn't meet again."

"Understandable. The guy looks really old."

"Ronnie!" Caitlin hissed.

"Sorry, that was mean," he apologized immediately. "So what do you want to do? He specifically asked for you, but I can also tell him you're not here. Then he'll definitely leave."

"No, that wouldn't be very nice, Ronnie, and you know it." Caitlin took a deep breath and cautiously walked to the doorway to peer out. Harry stood at the dresser, holding an orange tulip in his hand, which he was looking at. She smiled. He was dressed all in black, like on their date, only this time he was wearing a long-sleeved shirt instead of a jacket.

"So? Are you going to see him or not?" asked Ronnie, still with his arms crossed.

"And what should I tell him?" asked Caitlin, who was now pacing nervously.

"Why are you asking me that? He was your date. I mean, he wasn't your date." This is so confusing, Ronnie thought, rubbing his forehead. "Maybe he just wants to buy a bouquet of flowers," he replied, stopping her by placing his hands on her upper arms. "Treat him like any other customer who comes into our store. And if he bothers you or you feel uncomfortable, I'm here. You can always count on me, Caitlin."

She looked at him. It was true. Ronnie was always there for her, no matter what situation she was in. Snow pulled him into a hug. "Thank you, Ronnie." She pulled away from him again and took another deep breath before walking out of the back room and into the front of the store. When Harry saw her, he put the tulip back. A smile twitched at the corners of his mouth.

"Hey," he greeted her kindly.

"Hey." He could see she was a little nervous and that her cheeks had turned a slight pink.

"I asked Ricky about you," Harry said, rolling his eyes inwardly. This is the best with what you can come up with? Damn it Harrison Wells! Get it together!

"His name is Ronnie, but yeah, he told me and here I am," Caitlin replied, smiling.

"Right." He rubbed his forehead.

"So... uhm... What brings you here? Are you looking for something specific?"

You. I wanted to see you again. "My daughter graduated a few days ago, and I wanted to give her a bouquet of flowers as a surprise to go with her other gifts," he explained.

"You have a daughter?" Snow asked.

"Mhm. From my first marriage, before she decided to run off with our remaining money and leave me and my daughter with nothing." He gave her a pained smile. It hurt to still talk about it, even if it had been several years ago.

"I'm sorry."

"Thank you." He cleared his throat and waved his hand. "But I don't want to live in the past anymore, or even talk about it. I've moved on from it and am now looking forward."

A brief silence fell between the two of them, where they just stared at each other until Caitlin tore her eyes away from his clear blue ones. "Uhm... So what kind of bouquet would you like?" He tilted his head slightly. Caitlin giggled. "There's a simple bouquet, a round bouquet, a formal linear bouquet, or a…"

"How about you surprise me?" Harrison suggested. All the different types of bouquets made his head spin. "You decide which flowers belong in the bouquet, and I'll pick it up when you're ready."

"Really? You trust me with such an important project?" Caitlin asked, amazed.

"Why not?"

"B-But..."

"I trust you, Snow," he said in a husky voice, which left Caitlin with goosebumps and a tingling sensation.

"You trust me?" she asked in a squeaky, low voice, feeling herself blush.

Harry chuckled. "Yes, I do. At that night we were together, you told me about the flower shop, and I saw how much joy and love you have for it." If it were possible, Snow would have blushed even more. "So, what do you say?" He raised an eyebrow and smiled crookedly.

"Yes. I will do it.“

"Thank you, Snow. Here." He handed her a small folded slip of paper. "It's my number, so you can call or text me when you're finished with the bouquet."

"Okay." Caitlin swallowed. Her heart pounded so wildly in her chest that she thought Harry could hear it as their fingers touched for a brief moment as she took the slip of paper. "I'll definitely call you."

"I hope so," Harrison replied, winking at her. "Goodbye, Snow."

"Goodbye, Harry."

He left the flower shop, and Caitlin was still staring at the door he had disappeared through until Ronnie snapped her out of her stupor.

"Are you okay, or why are you as red as a tomato?" Ronald asked, raising a brow and crossing his arms.

"Yes, of course. Why shouldn't everything be okay?" Snow replied with a smile, putting the small slip of paper into her wallet, which was in her purse under the wooden chest of drawers.

Her friend shrugged. "I'm just asking. You're my best friend, after all, and I don't want anything to happen to you."

"I know," she said, smiling. "Come on. We have to keep going. Our work doesn't finish itself." Caitlin grinned and pulled him into the back room, where together they began creating more bouquets for their clients.

That evening, Caitlin unlocked her apartment door and placed the keys on the dresser in the small hallway, then went straight to the bedroom to change. She changed out of her dark blue blouse and black skirt into a simple white T-shirt and cozy red lounge pants. Humming, she went into the kitchen to make herself something for dinner. While the potatoes and vegetables sizzled in the pan, she got her cell phone and wallet. Caitlin took the small folded piece of paper and looked at the number Harry had given her. It was his cell phone number. Nervously, she nibbled on her lower lip. Should she do it? Torn between two minds, she considered it for a moment before deciding to send him a quick message.

"Okay."

Snow typed the number into her phone and clicked the text message icon. An empty chat opened on her screen. Her shaky fingers hovered over the keyboard. What should she text him? Caitlin thought feverishly until she decided to write something simple.

Hello Harry,

this is Caitlin. You gave me your number this afternoon when you were at the store.

She looked at the second sentence and shook her head. The sentence sounded like he might have already forgotten it. She quickly deleted it and started writing again.

Hello Harry,

this is Caitlin. I just wanted to thank you again for trusting me to make your daughter a beautiful bouquet of flowers. I promise I won't disappoint you.

Snow nibbled on her lower lip, nervous and excited. Her thumb hovered over the send button. She narrowed her eyes and pressed the button. When she opened her eyes again, she saw her message on her screen. Caitlin felt herself blush when she saw she had actually sent it. Her heart pounded as she smelled something burning. Snow raised her head and looked at the stove where her potatoes had started to burn. She quickly put down her phone and went to the stove to save her dinner.

Chapter Text

Harrison sat at his desk in his office, staring out the large floor-to-ceiling window. It was before noon, and his heart was still beating as fast as it had a few hours ago, after he'd eaten breakfast with his daughter and then checked his messages on his phone. He'd seen an unsaved number on his screen. Raising a brow, he'd assumed it was a spam message until he'd read the first five words.

Hello Harry, this is Caitlin...

The beautiful woman who smelled so wonderfully of flowers had sent him a message. He'd stared at the message for a while, as if to make sure it wasn't his imagination. His fingers then flew over the screen to send her a reply.

Hello Snow,

I trust your skills and your trained eye to conjure up a wonderful bouquet. I look forward to hearing from you when the bouquet is ready and I can see the finished work of art.

Harry

He'd wanted to write that he was happy to see her again, but he left it off, unsure if it would seem strange to her. Harrison closed his eyes and sighed. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. If he kept thinking about Caitlin, he'd never get his work done. So he turned to his computer and was about to sink back into his work when someone knocked at the door.

"Come in."

The door opened and one of his interns came in. Just from the nervous expression on her face, Harrison knew something must have happened. He sighed. To make matters worse, the intern had been sent up to him because the others probably thought they somehow could escape his wrath.

"S-sorry to interrupt, Dr. Wells," the young girl said, nervous and unsure. How old was she again? 16, or was it 17 years old? Harrison couldn't remember. And what was her name again?

"What is it?" When she didn't answer him right away, he raised an eyebrow. "Have you forgotten how to speak?"

"No, I..." The girl was on the verge of tears. "I don't know if I'm doing the right thing by telling you and betraying the staff. I've told him so many times that it's forbidden, but he doesn't care."

When Harrison saw the tears in the girl's eyes, his father's heart pounded in his chest. He stood up to walk around his desk and asked her to sit on one of the two chairs in front of the table. She did, and Harrison sat across from her, noticing her name tag on her white coat.

"So, Emily. What's going on? You can tell me. I won’t be mad at you. What ever it is we can find a solution to your problem."

"O-Okay." The young girl took a deep breath and collected her thoughts. "It's about Dr. Portman, m-my boss on the biochemistry floor."

"Yes."

"He's smoking with another colleague."

Harrison frowned. "That's not unusual. Lots of people smoke."

"What I mean is... uhm... h-he's smoking in the lab with his colleague."

Hearing this, his eyebrows shot up and his muscles tensed. Emily saw his hands clench into fists. "Did you see it?" he asked, having to concentrate on staying calm. No one, absolutely no one, was allowed to smoke in the lab. It was forbidden, and it was clearly stated in the employment contract that anyone caught smoking would be fired.

"Yes, he... he smokes almost every day," Emily murmured quietly.

"Almost every..." He gritted his teeth to keep from yelling at her about why she hadn't come to him with this until now. He frowned. "But why did I never notice anything about it? There are cameras in this lab."

"There's a blind spot that Dr. Portman and the colleague are exploiting," she explained.

"I understand." Harrison looked away from her for a brief moment. He would probably have to fix that blind spot. "What days do they smoke?"

"Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday." Those were the days when he didn't do a tour of the lab, as otherwise he wouldn't be able to finish his work, which he generally never did, as there was so much to do. "Usually at the end of the day, when there are hardly any people there."

Today was Wednesday. "Okay, then I'll pay a little surprise visit to the biochemistry lab today." He looked back at the young girl. "Thank you, Emily." He winked at her. "You can go back to work now."

Emily nodded and left the office. Harrison took a glass and filled it with Scotch. Behind his desk was a cabinet filled with glasses, alcohol, and water. He took a sip and let the burning sensation flow down his throat subside his anger a little. Nevertheless, Dr. Portman and his colleague would lose their jobs at S.T.A.R. Labs today…

Meanwhile, Caitlin had tied a few bouquets of flowers together in a bucket of water. They stood under the marquise so they wouldn't be exposed to the sun. It was pleasantly warm outside, and Caitlin was looking forward to her lunch break, as Ronnie had promised to go out for ice cream with her. She crouched down in front of the bouquets.

"Please don't mind calling for me if you need water. Call me if it gets too hot for you," she said, smiling. It had become a habit of hers to talk to the flowers she was arranging in a bouquet. Ronnie found it a little ridiculous, but didn't stop her. She jumped in alarm when someone kicked over one of the buckets.

"Oops!"

Caitlin stood up and looked at the person who had knocked over the bucket. The young woman had braided brown hair and brown eyes. She wore a blue shirt, which she had tied at the middle of her waist, a black skirt, and high heels. She was slim and could probably get anyone with her figure. Her name was Eliza Harmon and she had once been Caitlin's friend, but since she started dating her ex-boyfriend, Hunter Zolomon, she had become unbearable. Apparently, his bad character had rubbed off on her. He now had short blonde hair. When he was still with Caitlin, his hair had been shoulder-length. He wore jeans, a denim jacket, and a white shirt. White sunglasses were perched on his head. His right arm was casually draped over Eliza's shoulders.

"What are you doing here?" Snow asked, his arms crossed. "If you don't want to buy flowers and just want to cause trouble, then get out of here!"

"We just wanted to see what the little flower girl was doing. And if she was still talking to flowers," Eliza teased, grinning evilly, and Hunter grinned too.

"You heard her talking to her flowers," Caitlin's ex-boyfriend laughed. He mimicked her, and Eliza laughed loudly. Snow tried to hold back her tears. Hunter stepped on the flowers.

"No! Stop!" Snow shouted, trying to get his foot off the flowers and screaming as he stepped on her hand.

"You should join them. Now the flowers look just like her."

"Ugly and unbearable," Eliza grinned maliciously. She played with the collar of Hunter's jacket. "Honey, what did you see so strongly about her? It couldn't have been her looks."

"I used to think she was pretty, but now... I prefer you every time," Hunter replied, smiling and kissing his girlfriend.

"Come on, let's get out of here and find a quiet place," Eliza said. The two left Snow alone, and as they disappeared around the corner, she let her tears stream down her cheeks. Slowly, she began gathering the flowers.

"I'm sorry, flowers," she whispered in a choked voice.

"Caitlin!" She raised her head and saw Ronnie running toward her with two boxes in his arms. "What happened?"

She shook her head. "It doesn't matter."

He stopped her as she was about to gather more petals. Caitlin looked at him. "What happened?"

She exhaled shakily. "Hunter and Eliza were here. They made fun of me and how ugly I was, just like these petals on the floor."

"Those damned..." Ronald growled angrily. "If they show up here again, then..."

"No, Ronnie. If you stoop to their level, then you're no better than them." Snow sighed as her gaze fell on the two boxes lying on the floor next to her boyfriend. "What did you pick up?"

"Hmm?" He followed her gaze. "Oh. This is for my dad. He wanted some new tools, and I checked a secondhand store to see if they had any, and lo and behold, the seller had some of the tools my dad wanted."

"That's great, your father will definitely be happy," Caitlin said, smiling. "I'll just quickly clean everything up, then I'll help you with some new bouquets."

"Let me do that, and you..."

"It's okay. I'm almost done anyway," she interrupted. "Go and show the tools to your father. He can't wait, knowing him."

"You're right," Ronnie laughed. "Okay, I'll leave you alone then. But call me if there are any problems."

"I will."

Ronald got up and took the boxes, but before he went into the shop, he turned back to Snow, who was squatting on the floor, tending to the flowers. A soft sigh escaped his throat. He wanted to do so much more for her. Next time, he would protect her. He wouldn't let Caitlin be teased again.

Snow looked down. Her mood hadn't improved since Eliza and Hunter had been at the flower shop. Was she really not beautiful enough? Should she perhaps change something about herself?

"Caitlin. Cait, hello? Are you listening to me?"

She raised her head when she saw Ronnie looking at her questioningly. "What? Sorry, I was lost in my thoughts."

"It's not still because of those two idiots from earlier, is it?" She lowered her eyes and Ronald sighed. "Caitlin, look at me." Snow raised her gaze. "Okay, now listen to me carefully, okay?" She nodded. "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. You always make me laugh and do so much for others. It's your life, and you decide what happens in it. It doesn't matter at all what those two said. You decide what you do, okay?"

Snow nodded, tears in her eyes. She hugged Ronnie. "Thank you."

"I'm always here for you," he said with a smile, pulling away from her. "So. I was wondering if you'd like an iced coffee instead of regular ice cream?"

"At Jitters?" Caitlin asked, her eyes shining.

"Of course, at Jitters! It's on me."

"What? No, I'll pay, Ronnie."

"No, Caitlin, you won't. I'd like to treat you to a little dessert lunch and take your mind off things somehow, because I see those two idiots won't let you go, right?" Ronald guessed, looking at her appraisingly.

Snow sighed. She forced a smile. "You're right. I shouldn't think about them anymore. Life is too short to be upset about people who have no place in your life."

"There she is again!" he grinned. "The Caitlin Snow I love so much."

She laughed and hugged him. "Thank you, Ronnie."

He hugged her back. "I'm always here for you."

They both separated and walked towards Jitters. The café was full, but the line wasn't very long. They lined up and looked at the menus.

"There's a new iced coffee," Ronnie noted.

"Hmm?"

He chuckled. "It's called S.T.A.R. Coffee. I wonder if that's a reference to that S.T.A.R. lab you'd like to visit?"

Caitlin read the ingredients. "I think I'll try it."

"Really?" Ronald raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"Yes. If you want, I can pay for my own coffee. If you don't…"

"No way. I'll pay for your coffee."

Snow smiled. She was incredibly glad to have him as a friend. He always knew when she needed words of encouragement to keep her from sinking into the dark thoughts she sometimes had. Especially when Eliza Harmon showed up with Hunter Zolomon to annoy her. Caitlin let her gaze wander around the café when her gaze caught on one person, and she felt her heart instantly race. Harry was sitting across from a young woman at a table on one of the new sofas Jitters had bought. He was dressed in a dark suit this time, with his jacket draped over the chair, rather than all black like the last two times.

"Hey, isn't that your date back there? Harry, right?" she heard Ronnie ask, holding out her iced coffee.

"Uhm... Yes," Snow said, feeling herself blush.

"Should we sit with them? They have two seats left," he suggested.

"What? No, we…"

"Come on, this will be fun." Before she could reply, Ronald pulled her along, and Snow had a hard time getting away from him, otherwise she would have spilled the iced coffee. They both stopped in front of them, and Caitlin felt like sinking into the ground. "Hey."

"Hi," the young girl greeted them, somewhat surprised, her gaze briefly shifting to Harry, who was staring almost frozen at Caitlin, who had lowered her gaze to the floor in embarrassment. "Dad? Daaaad?"

"Hmm?" He tore his gaze away from Snow to look at his daughter. She raised an eyebrow. "Jesse, this is Caitlin Snow and..."

"Ronald Raymond," Ronnie introduced himself.

"Right. Snow, Ricky, this is Jesse, my daughter."

"It's Ronald," he said through gritted teeth, but Harrison ignored him.

"Nice to meet you both. Would you like to join us?" Jesse asked pleasantly. "It's pretty crowded here, and I don't think there are any seats left. Besides, Dad told me about you, Snow."

Caitlin blushed. "Really?"

"Jesse!" Harrison hissed, giving her a warning look that suggested she shouldn't push it too far and keep quiet about the subject, but she studiously ignored it.

"How about Dad and I move a little closer together so you can sit next to us," she said, smiling, with Ronnie on her side and Caitlin on Harrison's side.

Before the two could say anything, Jesse slid out of her seat and pulled her father's sleeve to get him to move as well. Ronald sat down next to Jesse, and Caitlin sat next to Harrison.
"Ohhhh! What kind of coffee is that?" Jesse asked curiously when she saw Caitlin's iced coffee.

"The coffee seems new. It's called S.T.A.R. coffee."

"Seems to be a reference to this S.T.A.R. Labs," Ronnie said indifferently, taking a sip of his coffee. Harrison and Jesse exchanged a quick glance.

"Does it taste good?" Jesse asked.

"I don't know yet, I haven't tried it yet."

"Harry."

"Yes?" He tore his gaze away from Snow, who, as expected, smelled wonderfully of flowers again, and looked at Caitlin's friend, who was looking at him with a frown.

"Why are you wearing a suit?" Ronald asked.

Harrison frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Caitlin told me about your date, or rather, your non-date, that you were wearing only plain black clothes, while she was dressed in a beautiful dress."

"Ronnie!" Snow hissed, finding it more than a little rude, but he didn't stop.

"Why are you suddenly wearing a suit? Did you think Caitlin wasn't good enough for you, so you only showed up in simple clothes?"

Jesse looked at her father, and she could clearly see the anger in his eyes, and his features had taken on a harder cast. She lightly nudged her father under the table with her shoe. His gaze flickered to her for a millisecond before he smiled thinly.

"To answer your question, Ronald. My suit was at the dry cleaners, and I was only able to pick it up yesterday." The lie slipped easily from his lips. He looked penetratingly at the young man in front of him. "Are you satisfied with my answer, or are there other such important questions burning on your mind? Speak them out, and I'll be happy to answer them if it's within my power."

"Right, I... ah!" Ronnie looked at Caitlin, who had kicked him in the shin under the table. She looked at him angrily.

"Are you okay?" Harrison asked, unable to prevent the corners of his mouth from twitching, knowing Snow must have kicked him.

"Yes. I just bumped into something," he replied through gritted teeth.

"You should be more careful in the future and be aware of your surroundings."

"I will, thanks for the suggestion, and no, I don't have any more questions."

"So, Caitlin, my dad told me you want to be a biochemist," Jesse changed the subject so the silence that had developed between them wouldn't sound awkward.

"Oh yes. That's my dream," Snow replied, smiling and taking a sip of her iced coffee. "Unfortunately, it's harder than I thought to get a foothold, especially when companies aren't hiring, or they're only looking for people who are already senior level and not juniors like me."

"I had my difficulties at the beginning, too, but now I'm super happy in my chemistry job," she said proudly. "You can't let yourself get discouraged. Send out your application anyway, even for senior level exhibitions. Who knows, maybe the companies will see your potential and hire you anyway." Jesse looked at her father.

"I don't know," Caitlin said uncertainly. "My grades and the recommendations from the companies where I've interned are very good, but I just seem to lack experience."

Harrison frowned. "But internships give you experience. And if you say your grades are good... why doesn't anyone want you?"

Snow shrugged. "I don't know. Unfortunately, I can't read other people's minds. But that's okay. I'll just keep looking. Maybe I'll even take you up on your suggestion and apply for the senior applications too. After all, it doesn't cost anything, and the worst you can get is a rejection."

"That's the right attitude," Jesse grinned.

The ringing of Harrison's cell phone made everyone look at him. He pulled it out and looked at the screen. It was one of his scientists.
"Sorry. I have to answer it," he said, and Snow got up so he could stand up. "Thank you." Harrison smiled, and she smiled back.

"You're welcome."

The wonderful scent of flowers from Caitlin mingled with Harrison's aftershave. Both were slightly dazed by the scent, and Snow blushed slightly as Harrison’s arm brushed against hers. She shouldn't have these feelings for him, yet her heart couldn't lie as it beat faster at the touch. Caitlin watched him until he disappeared from Jitters Café and took the phone outside.

"So you two work at the Sunflower Love flower shop?" Jesse asked when Snow had sat back down in her seat, not missing Caitlin's gaze as she watched her father leave.

"Yes. My parents own the shop, and Cait and I work there to keep up with the orders that keep coming in," Ronnie explained proudly. "One day I'd like to take it over and try to expand it."

"Really?" she asked curiously.

"I think the shop has so much potential. It's difficult, of course. Some flower shops have already closed because they weren't making as much money, and we also have to figure out how to get the money, but I think we can still manage in the long run. Right, Caitlin?"

"Absolutely," she replied with a smile, as they all suddenly heard a loud crash and turned around to see what was going on. Harrison, in anger, had kicked the lower frame of the window, which was already loose.

"What's wrong with your father?" Ronnie asked, frowning.

Jesse shrugged. "Something probably went wrong at work. It happens every now and then."

"I'll go and check on him," Snow said, and before Ronald could say anything, she had already gotten up and crossed the restaurant. Jesse grinned happily into her iced coffee. "Are you okay, Harry?"

Harrison turned around and was about to yell at the person to go away when he realized it was Caitlin. The anger that had been stirred by the conversation with his incompetent scientist immediately vanished. He smiled and put his phone in his pocket. "Yes."

"Problems at work?" Snow asked cautiously, and Harrison nodded.

He scratched the back of his head. "So obvious?"

Caitlin laughed, and Harrison couldn't help but laugh too. Her laughter was just too contagious, especially when she was beaming like that. She was so beautiful. He wanted to tell her, but he didn't want to deal with the knowledge that it might come across as weird and she might label him as creepy. And so he remained silent.

"Everyone makes mistakes. It's in our nature to make mistakes and then learn from them," Caitlin replied with a smile. "Don't be too hard on yourself or your colleagues."

"I'll write that down and stick it on my fridge," Harrison said.

"No, you won't." She grinned.

"Yes, I will. I'll write it down right now and put it up as soon as I get home. If you want, I'll even send you a picture," he replied with a grin.

But his grin disappeared instantly, and he was just in time to pull Caitlin toward him as two teenagers sped past them on their bikes. His right arm was wrapped around her waist, while his left hand rested gently on her head. Snow's eyes were wide as her fingers gently dug into his shirt. She breathed in his scent of aftershave and coffee and felt herself blush as she heard his heart pounding against his chest.

"Fucking teenagers," Harrison cursed quietly before turning back to Caitlin and gently pulling her away. "Are you okay? Sorry I grabbed you, but otherwise they probably would have knocked you over with their bikes."

Snow stared at him, wide-eyed. Her cheeks were flushed, and she knew Harry saw it. She tried to get a word out, but it just wouldn't come. She could still feel the soft fabric of his shirt against her cheek and the warmth of his body emanating from beneath it.

"Snow? Are you okay?" he repeated, now worried, touching her cheek with his fingertips. "You're suddenly so red. Are you allergic to something? I use regular laundry detergent for my shirts and I don't know..."

"I-I'm fine," Caitlin stammered in a squeaky voice, feeling a shiver run through her body.

Harrison smiled. "That's reassuring." He cleared his throat. "We should go back inside. I don't want Jesse and Ricky wondering why we're out here so long."

"His name is Ronnie. We could tell them we're enjoying the nice weather together," Snow replied, while Harrison opened the café door and held it open for her like a gentleman. "Thank you."

He followed her inside and the two sat down with the others again, with Ronald immediately noticing the blush on Snow's face.

"Is everything okay, Cait?" he asked worriedly. "Why are you so red?"

"It's warm outside," Jesse replied, winking at her. "The heat can get to your head sometimes. It's a good thing they have ice cream and iced coffee."

"Right," Caitlin said, smiling and lowering her gaze, embarrassed.

They continued talking about the flower shop and later about biochemistry until Harrison and Jesse had to leave, as Harrison's lunch break was over. They said their goodbyes, with Caitlin and Harrison sharing a quick hug, which Ronnie accepted with a disapproving look.

"We should go back to the shop too," Snow said five minutes later, after finishing her coffee. "There are still some bouquets to make."

"Yes, you're right," Ronald replied with a small smile. He wanted to tell her about his feelings, but didn't know how. He'd liked her very much since elementary school, but until now, he'd never mustered the courage to tell her how he felt about her. He cleared his throat. "Caitlin, I... uhm... I wanted to tell you something..."

"Ronnie, look," she interrupted, holding a pair of black sunglasses up to his nose. "Aren't those Harry's?"

He shrugged. "It's quite possible."

"I'd better write to him. I don't want him looking for the glasses and wondering where he left them."

"Yes, do that," Ronnie replied, twirling his empty coffee cup in front of him.

Caitlin quickly texted Harry a photo of the sunglasses before turning back to Ronald. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt, Ronnie. What were you trying to tell me?"

He opened his mouth to say it to her, but no words came out. He waved his hand. "Not that important."

"But it sounded important."

"I forgot," Ronald said, shrugging and standing up. "Come on, we have to get back to the flower shop. My parents are probably wondering where we two are."

He headed toward the exit, while Snow sat in her seat for a moment, watching him leave. Had she said or done something wrong?

Harrison looked at his watch. It was just before 6 p.m. Closing time for the biochemistry lab. He shut down his computer and stood up. He put his cell phone in the inside pocket of his suit. When he'd received the message from Snow this afternoon, he'd written to her that she could keep the glasses for him until the bouquet was ready, and then he'd take them with him along with the bouquet. Harrison sighed at the thought that he now had to fire two men. He didn't do it a little, but it was still very stressful to find new employees who met his standards for the position. After turning off the lights in his office, he took the elevator to the biochemistry lab. As he crossed the hall, he could already smell a whiff of cigarettes, followed by loud laughter. Harrison stopped at the entrance to the lab and leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed. The intern Emily was still there, sorting through some things, when she noticed him. She opened her mouth to greet him, but he placed his finger on his lips to signal her to be quiet. Emily nodded and returned to her work, turning her back to him so it would look like she hadn't seen him. Dr. Portman and Dr. Harmon were standing with their backs to him at a small, open window, smoking.

"Good evening, gentlemen." Startled, the two men spun around and stared at their boss with wide eyes. Harrison tilted his head slightly. "Looks like you're having fun."

"D-Dr. Wells," Dr. Portman stammered, looking from him to the cigarette he was still holding between his fingers. "W-We were just..."

"What? Smoking?" The two swallowed nervously. "I can see and smell it." Harrison pushed himself away from the doorframe and tucked his hands into his pockets as he slowly approached the two men. "You two will now leave this lab and never come back here again. Gather your things and get out of here."

"B-But Dr. Wells," stammered Dr. Harmon. "We were just having a quick smoke and..."

"Apparently, not only can you read, but you're also deaf. Will you be able to find your way out yourself, or should I call security to help you?" Harrison interrupted in a low, threatening voice.

"Your shitty lab is going to go under anyway when we're both gone," Dr. Portman replied angrily.

"Is that so?"

"You need us. We're the only two who have enough knowledge and experience in biochemistry."

A small smile twitched at the corners of Harrison's mouth. "I need you? No... You need this job, because as soon as you two are gone, two new ones will start here next week, and life will go on here at S.T.A.R. Labs as if nothing had happened. Except for the consequence that you're both now unemployed." His gaze turned cold and his face hard. "Now get out of my lab."

Dr. Harmon pulled Dr. Portman with him, who glared at Harrison and spat at him as he passed. Dr. Wells watched the two of them until his gaze fell on Emily, who held out a cloth, which he gratefully accepted to wipe his face.

"You should go home now too," Harrison replied, throwing the cloth in the trash before leaving the lab without waiting for an answer from Emily.

Chapter Text

Harrison was leaning against the doorframe of the Sunflower Love flower land, his hands in his pockets and a crooked smile on his lips. He was once again dressed in his usual black clothes. His clear blue eyes watched Caitlin Snow as she tied the bouquet for his daughter Jesse behind the dresser they used as a cash register. She wore a white blouse with a blue skirt. Her hair hung loose over her shoulders, and his black sunglasses were perched atop her head. A week had passed since they'd shared ice cream at Jitters, and after they'd said their goodbyes, Jesse had immediately told him that he absolutely had to see Caitlin again. Harrison had just laughed, because it was complicated, after all, considering their age difference. Jesse just waved his hand.

"Age is just a number, Dad," she'd told him, adding that love didn't make a difference at that age. Besides, he wouldn't be the first to love someone considerably younger than him, which made him grimace. But he still thanked his daughter, feeling inwardly pleased that she liked Caitlin.

"Beautiful." Snow looked up from her work, and Harrison felt his adrenaline surge through his body when he realized he'd said it out loud. She smiled.

"Hello Harry," she greeted him, holding out the arranged bouquet.

"Hello..." He cleared his throat, his voice faltering for a moment. "Hello Snow." Harrison pushed himself away from the doorframe to walk over to her.

"Do you really think it's beautiful?" she asked, smiling. "I chose a mix of yellow and orange, as your daughter has a very cheerful personality. At least, that's how it seemed to me when... uhm... we were sitting at Jitters together." She felt her cheeks flush slightly, and she hoped he was putting it down to today's heat.

"It's the most beautiful bouquet I've ever seen," he said, his eyes on her.

Caitlin hid her face slightly behind the flowers and smiled shyly. She felt herself blush even deeper. "Now you're exaggerating, Harry."

"No, really. I mean it," he replied. The corners of his mouth twitched as he tried to hide a smirk when he saw her blush again. "I've seen a few bouquets, and this is truly one of the most beautiful I've seen, Snow." He winked at her. "So I guess I put my trust in the right person."

Caitlin smiled. "Here." She pulled another bouquet from behind the dresser. "I made you another small bouquet." The bouquet consisted of red flowers and even included three roses. "It's meant as an apology, and it's on me."

Harrison frowned. "An apology? Why?"

She nibbled nervously on her lower lip. "I felt bad when Ronnie interrupted you and Jesse during your lunch break last week."

"And you apologized for it several times via text, Snow," Harrison replied, smiling, because she had indeed sent him several apologizing messages. "I texted you back to say it wasn't a big deal. Besides, I enjoyed my lunch break with you."

"R-Really?" Caitlin looked at him with wide eyes.

"Yes." He scratched the back of his head. "I don't want to sound corny, but when I'm around you, I forget my everyday worries and live in the moment. You brighten my day when I see you." Snow had opened her mouth slightly and looked at him. Her heart was pounding and her thoughts were racing. Had he just tried to tell her he liked her? As the silence dragged on and Caitlin still didn't say anything, Harrison started to feel nervous and a bit uncomfortable. "Forget what I said, Snow. Here."

He took a 100-euro bill out of his wallet and placed it on the dresser, then picked up the two bouquets. "You can keep the rest of the money. I won't bother you any further, and I'm sorry if I offended you just now. I hope you don't feel uncomfortable. If so, I deeply apologize and hope you forgive me. You can delete my number if... if that's your wish." He gave her a pained little smile. His heart ached and cried out for her, but he knew he wasn't her destiny. Caitlin deserved better, and that wasn't him. "Goodbye, Snow. It was a pleasure meeting you."

With that, Harrison turned to leave the flower shop. He had just reached the doorstep when two arms suddenly wrapped around his waist and Snow's body pressed gently against his back.

"No." Her voice was barely above a whisper. "Please don't. Please don't disappear from my life." Her words made his heart beat faster and he smiled. "Could... Could we maybe meet again sometime?" she asked cautiously.

Harrison slowly turned around and Snow let go of him. Nervously, she rubbed her fingers and nibbled on her lower lip, looking up at him with her chocolate-brown eyes. His gaze wandered to her lip, which was between her teeth, and he resisted the urge to use his thumb to free her lower lip, capture it with his lips, and nibble on it himself. His clear blue eyes looked back into hers, which were looking at him questioningly.

"You mean as a..."

"A friend," Caitlin said quickly.

Second Date, Harrison wanted to say, and his heart sank when he heard her quick reply. As a friend? So she saw him as just a friend and nothing more. He tried not to look disappointed, so he forced a smile. "Sure… Friends." An awkward silence spread between the two as they stared at each other in silence, until Harrison broke it and said, "I'll go then."

"Right."

"And thank you again for the bouquets. They're really beautiful."

"Thank you, and you're welcome," Snow replied, smiling. Harrison turned and walked away when he heard her voice call, "Harry!" He turned back to her and saw her walking toward him. "Here," she said, holding out his sunglasses. "You almost forgot them again."

His gaze rested silently on the glasses for a brief moment before returning to her. "Keep them."

"What? No, I can't. The glasses are yours and..."

"It's a gift," Harrison replied with a small smile, barely able to hide his disappointment. "Goodbye, Snow."

He turned around, and instantly his smile vanished. He could feel Caitlin's eyes on him, but he didn't turn back, even when he heard her quietly say goodbye.

When Harrison came home that evening, his mood still hadn't improved. His thoughts kept circling back to Caitlin and the conversation they'd had. Friends... The word hurt him more than he wanted to admit. Silently, he walked into the living room, where his daughter Jesse was sitting on the sofa, checking something on her phone. She looked up as her father came in.

"Hey Dad, how was your... day?" she asked, noticing something was bothering him. He hadn't smiled, nor had he greeted her when he saw her, which was what he usually did when he came home.

"Hey, Jesse." Harrison forced a smile. He held out the yellow bouquet. "A little gift for your graduation."
"Dad, I told you I didn't need anything," she said, but she still took the bouquet with a smile and smelled the flowers. "Hmm. I think I know who put these together." He smiled sadly. "Dad, is everything okay?"

"Yeah. Everything is okay. Don’t worry."

He started to turn away, but his daughter wouldn't let up. "Dad." Harrison exhaled and closed his eyes for a brief moment. He didn't want to talk about it, but he knew Jesse wouldn't stop asking him what was wrong until he gave her the answer. "Did something happen between you two?"

"I picked up your bouquet from the little flower shop," he said, sitting down. "Snow made me a second one as an apology for last week when she sat down with her friend." Harrison sighed.

"And then what happened?"

"We talked a bit, and as I was leaving, she said maybe we could meet more often."

"But that's good," Jesse said.

"As friends."

"Oh." Her smile faded.

"Yeah." Harrison breathed out a laugh and stood up again. "I think I'll go change. I'll probably do some more work, and then we can order something to eat later. How does that sound?"

"Great, Dad," Jesse said, smiling, but inside she was sad about what her father had told her.
Harrison kissed his daughter on the hair before leaving the living room with the small bouquet of flowers to go to his office and continue working. He always did this when he couldn't handle a situation in which he felt he had done something right, but something bad came out of it. Jesse sighed and decided to look for something that might bring the two of them together.

Late that evening, Jesse carefully opened the door to her father's office and found him at his desk. He had fallen asleep over a book lying on the table. It was only 9:33 p.m., and yet today seemed to have been a stressful day for him. Also on the desk was a vase containing the red bouquet of flowers Caitlin had made for him. She quietly crept over to him, her gaze lingering for a moment on his two screens. It was about his particle accelerator, which he had been building for 14 years. In a few months, it would be 15 years, and he wanted to finally have it finished and operational. She looked at the almost empty Scotch bottle and the empty glass near his right hand. Apparently, he had given it a little help. Jesse took her father's cell phone and logged in, which was easy because it was her date of birth. She quickly typed in the page she had found on her phone, copied the link, and then sent it to Caitlin with a message,

Hello Snow,

Would you like to go there with me this Saturday? The weather's supposed to be nice. I hope you have time. I would love to.

Harry

She raised an eyebrow, hoping her father would text something like that, and put the phone back on the table before gently waking Harrison.

"Dad? Dad. Dad, wake up."

"Hmmm..." Blinking, he opened his eyes, and the strong smell of alcohol hit her nose. "Jesse," he crooned. "Is... Is the delivery guy with the food already here?" He narrowed his eyes. He groaned. "My head."

"Not for you today. You'd better go to bed, Dad," she said, helping him out of his chair. Jesse supported him and led him to his bedroom, where she put him in his bed. Just in case he vomited from all that Scotch, she fetched another bucket. She tucked him in and kissed him on the cheek. "Good night, Dad." She quietly closed the door behind her.

Chapter Text

When Harrison woke up the next day, he groaned as a headache greeted him. He slowly threw back the covers to get up, then went to the bathroom to freshen up. In the shower, he let the warm water flow over his body. His eyes were closed, his thoughts on Caitlin. Maybe he should have handled this differently. Maybe he should have just told her about his feelings? But now it was too late. Snow had labeled him a friend. Angry with himself, he slammed his fist against the wall before turning off the water to step out of the shower and dry himself off. Harrison put on his white bathrobe and went into the living room, where his daughter was just putting the bread on the kitchen island. Plates, coffee, jam, and sausage were also on it.

"Good morning, Dad," she greeted him with a smile.

He squeezed his eyes shut as his head pounded. "Please, not so loud. Good morning, Jesse."

"Hungry?" she asked, sitting down on one of the stools and taking a slice of bread.

"Yes, but first I need something for my headache," Harrison murmured. He got a second glass from the cupboard and another headache pill. He washed it all down with water before sitting down with Jesse at the kitchen island.

"How are you?" his daughter asked cautiously after Harrison had taken the first bite of his slice of bread. "I... I found you drunk in your study last night."

Harrison swallowed. His gaze was fixed on the pale marble countertop. Yesterday, his emotions had overcome him, and he had reached for the bottle of Scotch he kept in the small cabinet next to his desk. He hadn't drunk as much as he had last night in a long time. Harrison was usually very well in control of himself when it came to alcohol. He had even forbidden his daughter to drink alcohol until she was 18, and then only when he was there. Most would call him overprotective, but he didn't care. He wanted Jesse to be okay and to have a good life. Harrison sighed.

"I'm sorry. It won't happen again," he said, forcing a small smile. "I... I've come to terms with the fact that Snow sees me as just a friend and nothing more." The answer came across as even less convincing than he'd imagined.

"I understand."

With that, the conversation ended, and breakfast passed in silence. Harrison cleared the table with Jesse before she began getting ready to meet up with friends in town.

"Jesse!" She gritted her teeth as she heard her father's loud voice calling through the house. She had hoped she would be out of the house by the time he looked at his phone. Jesse put on her T-shirt and heard an angry knock on her bedroom door.

"Come in."

Harrison opened the door, and she could see the anger clearly in his eyes. He held out his phone to her. "Did you send Snow that message yesterday?" Jesse looked at his phone and saw the message and the one Caitlin had sent him in response.

Hello Harry,

I'd love to go there with you this Saturday. I'll take care of the food and drinks, so we don't have to buy anything. Maybe we could have a little picnic there. I'm famous for my sandwiches.

Caitlin

At the end, Snow even added a heart emoji. She opened her mouth to say something, but her father didn't let her. "Why am I even asking? You're the only one who lives here with me and knows my code!"

"Dad, I..."

"Just yesterday I found out from Snow that I'm just a friend to her, and now I want to meet her at a gigantic field of different types of flowers? That sounds like…"

"As if you'd enjoy spending time with her!" Jesse interrupted him loudly. "As you know, she loves flowers and just happens to work at a flower shop! That's what friends do! They meet up and do things together. And I'm sure Caitlin feels more than just friendship for you! If you only knew the way she looked after you as you left the cafe, or in general, the way she looked at you when you were talking to her friend. She loves you! But she's too shy to tell you, and you're apparently too blind to see it! You were truly happy after a long time when you were with her or when she texted you, your eyes lit up with joy and excitement. It's the only thing I want for you, Dad. I want you to be happy again." Tears had welled up in her eyes. "I'll never forget what Mom did to us, but we have to think about ourselves, about our happiness. She left us, but we're a team, Dad. Or are we not?"

"Of course," Harrison replied. His voice thick with emotion.

"I love you, Daddy, and I want to help you find happiness again. Caitlin is the one for you. I can feel it."

Tears had also crept into Harrison's eyes, and instead of answering her, he hugged her. Jesse returned his hug and pressed herself against him.

"I love you, Jesse."

"I love you too, Daddy."

"Thank you," he whispered, hugging her a little tighter.

Jesse smiled. "I'm always here for you."

Harrison laughed. "That's true, and I'm always here for you." The two of them broke away, and he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You should get ready. Your friends are probably waiting for you. And I should get ready for work, too."

"Should I order us something tonight? After all, we somehow didn't quite manage it last night," Jesse grinned as her father was already at the door.

Harrison laughed. "Okay. I'll be home on time."

He closed the door behind him and went into his bedroom to get ready for work. It occurred to him that his team was still two people short in the biochemistry lab because he had forgotten to tell his secretary to post two new job advertisements online.

That afternoon, Caitlin was at the flower shop, watering the plants while humming quietly to herself.

"You seem to be in a good mood, Cait," said Ronald, smiling as he brought two bouquets forward. "Did something amazing happen to put you in such a good mood?"

"Harry and I want to go to the big flower meadow the day after tomorrow," she told him, smiling.

"With all the different types of flowers?" Caitlin nodded. Ronald raised an eyebrow. "Is it meant as a... second date?"

Snow paused and looked at him. "U-uhm... no. We're going there as friends."

"Good. I would have been surprised."

Caitlin raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Ronnie opened his mouth, only to close it again. Snow looked at him expectantly. Her arms were crossed in front of her chest. The watering can hung at her side. "What I'm saying is..." Ronald began, "that Harry is too old for you. He could be your father, or maybe your grandfather. Depending on how you look at it..."

"Ronnie..."

"I'm just saying what's on my mind. Have you ever asked him his age? How old is he? 40? Maybe even 60? Or 70? Caitlin, you're in your early 30s. Do you know what it would be like if you were with him? Everyone would look at you strangely and wonder if you were having a sexual relationship with your father." As soon as Ronnie finished the last sentence, he knew he'd gone too far. Caitlin's eyes had filled with tears, and he could see how hurt she was by his words. He swallowed. What an ass he was, talking about her late father like that when he knew exactly how much she loved him. "Caitlin, I'm sorry..."

"I'm going to go get some air," she interrupted, picking up her bag from the dresser.

"Caitlin," Ronald said, but she ignored him. She left the flower shop without looking at Ronnie again.

When Caitlin turned the corner, she let her tears flow. She didn't care who saw her. Ronnie was her best friend. She couldn't believe he had said something like that. Why was he so negative about Harry? Harry was a kind-hearted man who dared to take risks and had already been through a lot in his life. She sat down on a free bench in a park and took out a tissue to blow her nose and wipe away the tears. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment. Caitlin opened her eyes when her phone vibrated, and when she looked at the screen, she saw a message from Harry. With a small smile, she unlocked her phone to read the message.

Hello Snow,

Then I'll see you on Saturday. I'll bring a blanket and pick you up. Will you also be working at the flower shop on Saturday? Then I'll come and pick you up. Unless you're home

Caitlin blinked, irritated by the unfinished sentence, but then she saw the three little dancing dots on the screen, indicating that Harry was writing a message. He must have accidentally clicked send and sent the message. She smiled amusedly until her thumb brushed over the button meant for making a phone call.

"No!" she cried, about to press the red button to hang up, but Harry answered her call.

"Hello, Snow," she heard his voice through the phone's speaker. She stared at her phone. "Hello? Snow? Snow, are you there?"

"Uhm... Hey," she answered shyly. "I... uhm... I accidentally pressed the call button. Sorry."

"Ah. I understand." She could hear a smile in his reply. "Are you okay? You sound so tearful."

"I'm okay. I'm fine." As soon as Caitlin finished the words, her eyes filled with tears again, and she couldn't suppress a sob.

"Snow, please don't lie to me." She nibbled on her lower lip. "Where are you?"

"In the park near the flower shop," Caitlin replied.

"Okay. I'll be there in five minutes."

"What? Harry, no. I..."

"See you in a minute." With that, Harry hung up and she buried her face in her hands. She didn't want him to see her so tearful. Caitlin looked up from her phone and began dabbing her face lightly with her handkerchief. She suddenly felt very hot, and it wasn't from the warm weather. Her gaze wandered around the park for a while, until she looked at the large clock that stood in the park. Four minutes had already passed.

"Snow!"

She looked to her left and saw Harrison walking toward her. He was wearing a black suit, except for his shirt, which was white and had the first three buttons undone. Caitlin swallowed when she saw him and tried not to stare. He was truly a handsome man. Harrison stopped in front of her, slightly out of breath, and before Caitlin could stop it, tears streamed down her cheeks. He immediately pulled the box of tissues he'd retrieved from his car out of his pocket to give her a tissue, which she accepted with a quiet "Thank you." Harrison sat down on the bench next to her. He had canceled his last two appointments to get to Snow and see what had happened.

"So, what happened?" he asked cautiously.

"Nothing."

Harrison raised an eyebrow. "Snow, when a person cries, usually something has happened. Please. I just want to help you." Caitlin nibbled on her lower lip. "I assume it has something to do with your friend, because otherwise we wouldn't be sitting in a park together right now. Instead, you'd be talking to him about it, since he's your best friend."

Snow exhaled. "He doesn't seem to like you very much."

"I already noticed that when we were sitting together in Jitters," Harrison replied. If he'd hurt her, he'd pay him a visit.

"Even less that I still want to meet up with you," she continued, and he raised an eyebrow.

"We're friends and friends do things together," to echo his daughter's words from this morning.

"Yes, that's true, but apparently it rubs him the wrong way." Harrison's mouth twitched, and he had to concentrate not to smirk. Apparently, this boy had feelings for Snow. He was jealous. Oh, Harrison knew that feeling all too well from his younger days. "He made nasty comments about if we were together as... a couple." Snow blushed slightly as she said the word, looking away from Harrison for a brief moment.

"What kind of comments?"

"That you... well... uhm... That you were too old for me and that it would look like I was with my father." New tears filled her eyes. "Ronnie knows I had a hard time when my father died. For a while, I could hardly leave the house or stop crying. We were so close, and when he died, my world fell apart. Ronnie was there to comfort me and slowly got me back up." Caitlin sniffed.

"Come here." Harrison gently took her in his arms. The two sat like that for a while, and Caitlin enjoyed his closeness. He smelled of aftershave and coffee. "Should I talk to him?"

She raised her head to look at him. "No. You'll probably just make it worse because he doesn't like you in general."

"Point taken."
Snow sighed. "I'll talk to him tomorrow. He'll probably even come to me on his own, knowing he hurt me."

Harry gently brushed a tear from her cheek with his thumb. "If you need someone to talk to, Snow, I'm here, okay?"

She nodded. "Thank you, Harry."

"And now let's talk about something nice so you don't cry anymore," he said, smiling. "What I wanted to write to you about Saturday."

"Yes. I was a little confused when you suddenly stopped mid-sentence," Caitlin replied, smiling amusedly.

"I accidentally hit the send button," he explained, laughing. "Will you be working at the flower shop on Saturday? If not, I'll come and pick you up from your apartment."

"I have Saturday off. I could wait for you downstairs in front of the house," she suggested.

"Okay, I'll pick you up from there," Harrison said with a smile, as his gaze fell upon a small shop that rented mopeds. "Would you like to ride a moped with me?"

"I've always wanted to, but I'm too scared of crashing one."

Harrison chuckled amusedly and stood up. "Come on. I'll ride and you sit behind me," he said, smiling, holding out his hand, which she took to be pulled up.

Harrison paid for the time they spent riding the bike around town, with Snow telling him she would give him half the money back, to which Harrison responded with a smile. He was always amazed at how different Caitlin was from the women he'd dated, even if only briefly. She never asked for money or if he could pay her for this or that. Snow always wanted to pay for everything herself, even if she didn't have much money. Harrison sat in the front seat, while Caitlin sat behind him, her hands around his waist. They both wore helmets, and she had given Harrison the sunglasses he'd given her to protect him from the sun's glare.

"Ready?" he asked, glancing back.

"Yes," she said excitedly, smiling.

"Hold on tight."

Harrison drove off slowly, feeling her grip on his waist tighten. Smiling, the two drove through the city, stopping at various small food stalls Snow had never been to before. Harrison paid for everything, and Caitlin felt bad about it.

"Please let me pay for something too. It feels like I'm taking advantage of you," Caitlin said, as she was eating a burger that Harry said was the best in town.

"You're not taking advantage of me, Snow. I'm happy to treat you. So don't worry about it anymore, okay?" Reluctantly, she nodded and took a bite of her burger. Harrison chuckled. They continued eating quietly and talked a bit about biochemistry until he remembered that they had posted the job descriptions for two new biochemists online today. "Snow."

"Hmm?" She looked up from chewing her burger.

"I just happened to see today that S.T.A.R. Labs is hiring biochemists."

Caitlin almost choked on her food when she heard it. Her eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Yes," he said with a smile, pulling out his phone to open the website and then show her the job posting.

"They're even looking for a junior biochemist!" she exclaimed excitedly. Her eyes scanned the requirements. "I didn't expect that. I thought S.T.A.R. Labs only hired experienced biochemists."

Harrison shrugged. "Who knows, maybe the company's boss thought it was time for younger people to tap into their talents."

"Oh no..."

He frowned. "What's wrong?"

"They've already received over 200 applications, and the job posting has only been online for six hours," Caitlin said. "I won't stand a chance."

"Most of the time, even experienced people apply for these positions, which are only for juniors. Who knows, maybe there are only 50 junior biochemists and the other 150 senior biochemists. Don't let that intimidate you, Snow. Seize this opportunity. Maybe you'll get lucky and get invited for an interview." He winked at her, her cheeks turning a little pink, and she shyly turned her gaze back to his phone.

"Okay. I'll send my papers as soon as I get home."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Pinky promise?" Harry asked, holding out his little finger.

Caitlin laughed, and he grinned as she crossed her little finger with his. "Pinky promise."

She put the last bite of the burger in her mouth, leaving some ketchup on the corner of her mouth. Harrison chuckled. Caitlin looked at him questioningly.

"Hmm?"

"You have some ketchup there," he replied, and before she could reach for the napkin, Harrison leaned over the table to wipe it away with his thumb and put it in his mouth to lick it.

Caitlin stared at him, feeling herself blush and a tingling sensation shoot through her entire body. "Th-Thanks," she said quietly.

After Harrison paid for the food, he drove Caitlin back to the park to drop off the bike and then drove her home, as it was already late. The two stopped in front of the door of the apartment building, and Snow turned to Harrison.

"Thank you for today, Harry. It was really nice," she said.

"I'm glad I could give you a nice day," he replied, smiling. His hands were hidden in his pockets. "And now you've ridden a moped."

"Yes, that's right." She grinned.

"You can always call me if anything happens or you want to do something. I'm here for you."

Caitlin suddenly moved so close to him that their breath mingled. Harrison held his breath, hearing his blood rushing in his ears. She stood slightly on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek. His heart instantly beat faster as her lips touched his skin.

"Thank you, Harry," she said, smiling. "See you on Saturday, and have a safe journey home."

"See you on Saturday, Snow." He watched her until she closed the door behind her. His fingertips touched the spot on his cheek where Snow had kissed him. Had that really just happened? Had she kissed him? Harrison swallowed. He sincerely hoped it would happen again…

Chapter Text

Harrison wore a white short-sleeved shirt, beige shorts, and black sunglasses hanging from one of his shirt buttons. He rang Caitlin's apartment doorbell when it was already ten minutes past 10:00. They had agreed to leave at 10 am, which made Harrison wonder why Caitlin wasn't there yet.

"Hello?" he heard her voice over the speaker.

"This is Harry. Is everything okay? I thought we were leaving at 10 am."

"Yes, I... uhm... Wait, I'll let you in so we can talk better," Snow said, and then Harrison heard the door whir quietly.

He opened the door and walked into the building. Nervousness crept through his body, as this was the first time he'd ever entered Snow's apartment. Harrison went up the stairs and on the second floor, he saw the open door to an apartment, and in the doorway stood Caitlin with wet hair and dressed in a white bathrobe. His eyes widened slightly and he swallowed. She was beautiful. Droplets of water clung to her skin. A droplet of water trickled down her neck and disappeared between her breasts, and Harrison quickly returned his gaze to her face as his eyes stared at the spot where the droplet had disappeared.

"Come in, Harry," Snow said, smiling.

"Y-Yes," he stammered, clearing his throat. This woman would be his downfall. Harrison entered her apartment, and Caitlin closed the door behind him. As she walked past, he could smell flowers again. He swallowed. He had to control the feelings that were stirring in him for her, otherwise they wouldn't leave this apartment today.

"I'm sorry I'm not ready yet, but I somehow didn't hear my alarm and I only got up half an hour ago. That's when I realized my alarm clock seems to be broken, and that's why I couldn't hear it," Snow explained.

"Don't worry. We have all day, and besides, the flower field is open all day." He winked at her.

"I already have the sandwiches ready, and the drinks are chilled in the fridge. Speaking of drinks, would you like something to drink? Water, coffee, apple juice, or orange juice. I also have some fruit mix I bought to try, but I haven't gotten around to it yet."

"A glass of water will do, thank you," he replied, giving her a crooked smile.

"O-Okay," Snow said, unable to stop her cheeks from turning a little pink. She was about to head into the kitchen when Harrison stopped her, gently placing his hand on her upper arm.

"How about I go find the glass of water and you get ready?" he suggested.

Caitlin stared at him for a moment, frozen, because the proximity made her heart race, and the scent of his aftershave and the faint smell of coffee filled her nostrils. He smelled so good! She could only nod, because the words caught in her throat. His clear blue eyes stared at her, and she felt like she could drown in them. Caitlin swallowed and blinked, trying to tear her gaze away from him and disappear back into the bathroom. As soon as she closed the bathroom door behind her, Snow placed a hand on her chest, where her pounding heart was. She suddenly felt so warm. How would she survive this day alone with Harry? Caitlin continued getting ready, applied a light touch of makeup, and disappeared into her room to put on a light white dress, as it was supposed to be warm today. With one last glance in the mirror, she opened the bedroom door to join Harrison in the kitchen. He was leaning against the stove with a glass of water in his hand, looking out the window. When Harrison caught the scent of floral perfume, he turned his gaze away from the outside and looked toward the kitchen entrance. His eyes widened slightly in amazement when he saw Caitlin in the white dress that clung easily to her body, as if it were made for her. Fuck! She was breathtakingly beautiful. His mouth suddenly felt dry.

"How do I look?" she asked, her cheeks slightly pink. Shyly, she turned around once and looked at him with her chocolate-brown eyes.

Harrison blinked, coming out of his trance. He slowly approached her, the glass of water he had placed on the stove. Caitlin swallowed as he stopped in front of her. He raised his right hand to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. His fingertips stroked her cheek, down to the shell of her ear, giving Caitlin goosebumps.

"You look stunning." His voice was raspy and husky, and it got straight to her core. Her lips parted slightly, and his gaze lingered on them. His clear blue eyes were dilated, and desire was evident in them. He bit his lower lip.

"Thank you," Snow said quietly, lowering her eyes, her cheeks flushing. "Uhm... Sh-Should we go?"

Harrison blinked and took a step back. He cleared his throat. "Yes. Of course."

"I'll just get the sandwiches and drinks from the fridge and put them in the cooler bag." Caitlin walked past him to the fridge to put the prepared sandwiches and drinks in the cooler bag. Harrison grabbed the bag once she had closed it.

"I'll carry it for you," he said with a smile.

"Oh. Thank you," Snow replied with a shy smile. "I'll just put on my shoes, because I can't walk barefoot."

Harrison chuckled as Caitlin quickly disappeared from the kitchen. It was so sweet when she was suddenly so shy around him. And those slightly red cheeks with her lovely lips. He bit the inside of his cheek. Fuck! What would he do to feel those lips on his. Even if it was only briefly. Like the kiss on the cheek. Harrison exhaled and rubbed a hand over his face. This day around her would be torture for him…

"I sent my documents to S.T.A.R. Labs," Caitlin told Harrison proudly as he pulled the car into a parking space. There was little traffic on the streets, which was unusual for such a beautiful day, but there were probably a lot of people at the beach, Harrison guessed as he took off his sunglasses, which he had been wearing the entire car ride.

"My fingers are crossed, Snow," Harrison said, smiling, holding out his hands and crossing his thumbs. She grinned.

"Thanks. I'm not holding out much hope, but who knows... maybe I'll get lucky," she said excitedly.

He winked. "I have faith that you'll get an interview."

"Thank you, Harry. Really. I..." Caitlin bit her lip to stop the words from coming out of her mouth.

Harrison looked at her. "What were you going to say?"

She shook her head and felt herself blush. "It doesn't matter."

"No, please tell me," he begged.

"You'll laugh at me."

"I would never do that, Snow," he replied, smiling, taking her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. He nodded encouragingly. "Tell me."

Caitlin looked at him for a moment, then took a deep breath. "I... I feel like the world is open to me, that I can accomplish anything when you're around me, Harry." With her thumb, she had begun to trace a small circle on the back of his hand. "You make me feel like I'm more than just someone with a biochemistry degree who can't get a job. Like I've been working toward something, knowing I can still get a job. I... I don't feel so lost."

Harrison looked at her. He could feel how much it had taken for her to tell him this. She had probably never told anyone how she really felt. Not even her best friend, Ronald Raymond. He gently brushed away a tear that had worked its way down her cheek with his thumb.

"You're going to be an incredible biochemist. You possess so much knowledge and would approach every task with conscience and consideration. I'm convinced of that." Snow smiled. "S.T.A.R. Labs would need someone like you. If I were... If I were the boss of this lab, I'd hire you immediately."

Caitlin giggled. "Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way."

"Too bad..." Harrison's hand rested on her cheek, and his thumb gently stroked it. They both looked at each other in silence until Snow pulled away. Her cheeks were bright red. Shyly, she tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Uhm... W-We should... uhm..." she stammered.

Harrison blinked and cleared his throat. "Of course."

Caitlin got out on the passenger side and he opened the driver's side door. Harrison got out and was holding onto the car handle when his vision suddenly blurred. He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again. He took a deep breath. Yesterday, he'd felt a little unwell and even slightly nauseous, but that was probably the excitement of today.

"Harry?" He looked at Caitlin, who was looking at him worriedly. "Is everything okay?"

Harrison smiled. "Yes, everything's fine."

"Really?" she asked, not particularly convinced.

He nodded. "Yes. I promise." Harrison walked past her to get the bag and blanket from the car. Caitlin looked at him worriedly. His hand gently rested on her cheek. "I'm fine, Snow. Come on. I'm excited to see what the field will look like."

"Have you never been here before?" she asked curiously.

"No. I've never really had time."

"It's beautiful. The different colors. The scents of the different flowers." Caitlin's eyes shone with joy and excitement. Harrison smiled as he looked at her sideways. "Simply wonderful. I'm sure your daughter would love it here too."

"Yes, I think so too."

The two of them walked along a road that led away from the parking lot, where only a few spaces were occupied. They circled a small hill covered with grass and wildflowers until a gigantic field of all kinds of flowers appeared before them. From sunflowers, tulips, roses, and daisies, it was covered and blooming in the bright summer sunlight. Harrison could even see lavender.

"Isn't this beautiful?" Caitlin asked happily.

He looked at her, smiling. "Yes, it is."

She took his hand and pulled him along. "Come with me. I'll show you every flower." He laughed amusedly and let her lead the way. In fact, they stopped at every type of flower Snow knew—and she knew a lot—so she could describe and explain it to him, and Harrison listened patiently. "I hope I'm not boring you. You have to tell me if I am, and I'll stop."

"No, please. Continue."

"Really?" she asked skeptically.

"Yes, really."

Snow smiled as her gaze fell on a rose that drooped its head. She quickly went over to it. "It must be too hot for you."

"Should we give it some water?" asked Harrison, who had crouched down next to her and was already opening the cooler bag.

"Oh yes, that would be great!" she said cheerfully, gratefully accepting the bottle he held out to her. Carefully, Caitlin gave the flower some water. "Do you mind that I talk to flowers?"

He frowned. "No, why?"

"Some people think I'm crazy when they see me talking to flowers."

Harrison raised an eyebrow as he put the water bottle back in his bag. "Flowers are living beings just like us. They have feelings that we don't perceive. They don't speak to us, yet they communicate with us when they need something, like that rose you watered." He winked at her. "Don't worry about what others think of you. Life is too short to think about other people talking badly about you. Live your life and move on, Snow. It's your life, and you decide about it. You decide how you live it. No one else does."

Caitlin just nodded, unable to respond… Captivated by his clear blue eyes, which looked at her so seriously. This feeling deep inside her, which hadn't left her since the first time she saw him. It had grown even stronger. She wanted to grasp this feeling, wanted to know what would happen if she gave in to it, but would it destroy her friendship with Harry? He smiled and stood up. This smile that made all her worries and fears disappear. The look that made her legs tremble and her heart burn. Snow took his outstretched hand so he could pull her up. His hand, strong, rough, and warm. The scent of aftershave and the subtle aroma of coffee that clung to it wafted into her nose, and in such a short time, it had become her favorite smell.

"How about we find a shady spot under a tree and I try your famous sandwiches," he said with a grin and a wink.

"I made a few different ones because I completely forgot if you were allergic to anything. Sorry."

"As long as there isn't a sandwich with avocado on it, I'm fine," Harrison replied.

"No. No avocado on those sandwiches," Caitlin said, smiling.

The two found a spot under a tree in a meadow where three other couples were scattered around, one of whom had two children laughing and playing tag. Harrison spread out the blanket for them to sit on, and Caitlin took the sandwiches and drinks out of the cooler and also chicken with noodles.

"Oh. You even cooked?" Harrison asked in amazement.

"It's from yesterday, and I thought maybe it could be eaten cold? I thought if you weren't so keen on..."

"You don't have to justify yourself to me, Snow." He winked at her. "I'm curious to see how it tastes." She lowered her eyes shyly and held out a wrapped sandwich. He accepted it gratefully, unwrapped it, and took a bite. She looked at him expectantly. Harrison groaned. Caitlin felt herself blush and suddenly feel warm inside. "You weren't exaggerating. This is truly one of the best sandwiches I've ever eaten." He took another bite. "Delicious."

"Th-Thank you." With slightly trembling hands, she also took a sandwich, and they both ate in silence, observing the natural world. A little later Harrison lay down against the tree trunk, folded his arms behind his head, and closed his eyes. A sudden tiredness overcame him, and he decided to enjoy the peace and quiet he missed so much. Opening his eyes a crack, he saw Snow crawling toward the tree as well, looking for a place to rest. Harrison removed his right arm and stretched it out toward her.

"Come here, Snow," he said, smiling. Caitlin looked at him for a few seconds before she took his hand, and he gently pulled her toward him, and she fell into his arms.

"I-I'm sorry," she stammered, apologizing. Her cheeks red with embarrassment. Harrison's face was only inches from hers.

"Everything's fine. I just thought it might be more comfortable at my place than up against a tree." Caitlin swallowed, feeling herself heat up as she looked at him wide-eyed. His clear blue eyes moved from hers down to her lips. She moistened them with her tongue and saw his pupils dilate as he followed the movement of her tongue. He swallowed thickly as he imagined what it would be like to kiss her now. His hand moved to her cheek, and Snow leaned into the touch. "Beautiful."

Caitlin cried out in shock when something wet suddenly slapped against her back. Harrison immediately pulled her toward him. The children and their father ran to them.

"Oh my God, we're so sorry," the father apologized. "It wasn't intentional. The boys wanted to have water balloons and play with them. And I'm playing with them for once..." The man sighed. "I'm so sorry."

Snow turned to them and smiled. "It's just water, and the dress will dry out."

"We're sorry," one of the little boys said apologetically.

"It's okay, don't worry," Caitlin replied.

"Thank you."

The father ran back with his boys and continued playing with the water balloons. The children squealed happily as one of them hit them and burst.

"Are you okay?" Snow looked at Harrison, who was looking at her with concern.

She nodded. "Yes, everything's fine."

That evening, Harrison drove Caitlin back to her apartment. He came upstairs to deliver the cooler bag to her door, where they said their goodbyes.

"Thank you so much, Harry. The day with you was great," she said with a smile. "I hope it wasn't too boring for you."

"Not a second is boring with you, Snow," Harrison replied, and Snow blushed slightly. "I hope I made you happy."

"Yes. I haven't been there in a long time, and I was really looking forward to spending the day there with you today."

Harrison smiled. "I'm glad to hear that." For a brief moment, the two just looked at each other until he cleared his throat. "I hope you have a lovely rest of the evening and sweet dreams."

"Thank you, I wish you the same, Harry."

"Goodbye, Snow."

"Have a safe trip home and goodbye, Harry."

Harrison turned around and walked down the stairs and heard Caitlin close the door to her apartment. He had only just climbed the first few steps when he stopped, turned around, and took the stairs up back to Caitlin's apartment. He stopped in front of the door and rang the buzzer. It took a moment until the door opened and Snow appeared. She looked at him in surprise.

"Harry. Did you forget some...?" Caitlin didn't get any further, because Harry cupped her face and sealed his lips with hers. The kiss was careful and gentle—tender. When Harrison pulled away, Snow looked at him with wide eyes.

"I..." But Caitlin didn't let him speak, pressing her lips against his. Harrison smiled into the kiss and pulled her close. His arms wrapped around her waist, and he stumbled into the apartment with her, and he closed the door behind him...

Chapter Text

The next morning, when Caitlin opened her eyes and shifted slightly, she felt an arm around her waist tighten slightly. Only then did she realize she was completely naked. Slowly, she turned to see who was in bed with her. Her eyes widened, and she stared at Harry, asleep beside her. So it hadn't been her imagination. He had actually come back to her. He had kissed her, and then she had kissed him, and then... Caitlin felt herself blush as she thought back to the previous night. Harry had carried her to her bedroom, and they had removed their clothes. She didn't know she had been capable of coming as many times as she had last night. He had shown her his love, and she had almost come just from his kisses, which he had placed all over her body, and his tongue—especially his tongue—had set it on fire. Harry had been cautious, especially when she told him that she had only had sex once and that it had been a painful memory. He wanted her to enjoy her first time with him, and what would come later... well, they would get to that when Snow was ready... Caitlin blushed as she thought about how deep he had been inside her and how he had found places inside her she hadn't even known she had, and it had felt wonderful.

"Seems like you're thinking about something nice." Snow turned her gaze to Harry's face, as it had been lying on his bare chest the whole time. A mischievous smirk played on his lips, and she blushed. He took her hand and kissed her fingers. "Want to tell me what you're thinking about right now? What brought such an enchanting smile to your beautiful face?" Caitlin only blushed deeper and shook her head. Harrison raised an eyebrow. "No? Hmm... I guess I'll just have to accept it."

His fingers wandered over her naked body and then he suddenly started tickling her, and Caitlin laughed out loud as she tried to fight off his tickling attack.

"Okay, okay. You win," she said, laughing and out of breath. Harrison stopped and looked at her expectantly. "I was thinking about our night together." Snow felt her cheeks flush.

A worried expression appeared on Harrison's face. "Is everything okay? I tried to be careful. If I hurt you, I'm truly sorry." His hand placed itself on her cheek and his thumb stroked it. His eyes were filled with concern. "Did I hurt you?"

"No, it... it was beautiful. I think that... that's what it's supposed to feel like when two people give themselves to each other. At first, I was unsure and a little scared, afraid it would hurt again like the first time I had sex with Hunter." A tear trickled down her cheek, and Harrison gently wiped it away.

"Why didn't you tell him he was hurting you? Your partner should listen to you so it feels good for you too, not just him."

"I loved him and wanted to have sex with him. But when the time came, I became unsure, but Hunter was so fixated on finally having sex with me that... that I stayed quiet." She nibbled on her lower lip and suppressed a sob. "When he... When he was done, he got up and went to take a shower. He didn't ask how I was feeling while my body drowned in the pain, and when he came back, he told me I should ride him next time, while I told myself I never wanted to have sex with him again. A few days later, I found out from Iris that Hunter had been cheating on me for quite some time. I confronted him about it, but he said I was the only one in his life. The next day, he left the apartment late at night when he thought I was asleep. I followed him and saw him with two girls, whom he was just kissing. After that, I broke up with him. And... well, I haven't had sex since then and... uhm... that was two years ago."

It hurt Harrison to see Caitlin cry, and it made him even angrier that that fucking Hunter had hurt her.

"Your well-being will always be my top priority, Snow, especially when we have sex together," he replied with a small smile, stroking her slightly red cheek with his thumb. "Hurting you would be the last thing I want to do."

Caitlin smiled. "That's what I like so much about you. You always tell me what's on your mind. You... You don't lie to me."

Harrison's smile vanished. Lies. He was lying to her right then. From the very beginning. She didn't know who he really was. Caitlin still believed he was the CEO of a startup company. He swallowed and looked into her eyes, which were shining brightly back at him.

"Snow?"

"Hmm?" She nibbled on her lower lip.

"What if... What if I wasn't the CEO of a startup company, but the CEO of S.T.A.R. Labs?"

Caitlin blinked, irritated. "You mean Dr. Harrison Wells? The man whose appearance no one knows except his employees?"

"Exactly." She giggled, and this time it was him who raised an irritated eyebrow. "What? Why are you laughing?"

"I have my dream and you have your dream, even if yours is very ambitious, but that's why I love you."

"No, Snow, I mean... Wait." He looked at her. Had he heard right? "What did you just say?"

"That your dream is very ambitious," she repeated.

"You said something else."

Caitlin shook her head. "No." Harrison grinned and moved a little closer so their faces weren't so far apart. His thumb stroked her cheek tenderly, and she blushed. She lowered her eyes shyly. "I love you, Harry."

Before Snow could do anything, Harrison covered his lips with hers, and she smiled. She returned the kiss lovingly, but when she opened her lips and his tongue slipped inside, she moaned. Harrison was above her, looking at her. His clear blue eyes were dark, and lust was evident in them.

"I could drown in your chocolate-brown eyes," he said, and began tenderly placing kisses down her face, down to her neck, where he bit her very gently, where her carotid artery was.

"Chocolate-brown eyes?"

"Mhm..." He nibbled on her chin before moving on to her breasts, kneading them in his hands and letting his fingers stroke her nipples.

Caitlin whimpered and arched toward him as his lips closed around a nipple. Her fingers traced through his hair and over his scalp. "W-Why chocolate?"

Harrison chuckled as he let go of her breasts and looked back at her. His breath fanned over her flushed face as she stared at him, wide-eyed. His knuckles gently brushed her temple until his fingers caught a strand of hair and played with it. His gaze was fixed on her, so intense that Caitlin swallowed, feeling her core pulse and become even wetter than she already was.

"Because I want to taste every part of your perfect body below your eyes." He bucked his hips, and Caitlin arched toward him, moaning as his cock slid through her slick folds.

"Harry." Her fingers gripped his shoulders. She felt his hot breath on her ear.

"Do you want to know which part of your body I like best?" He licked the tip of his tongue over the shell of her ear. He moved his hips again, and Caitlin moaned with pleasure, grinding herself against his hard cock.

"Harry, please. I need you." Harrison chuckled and briefly pushed the tip of his cock inside her before pulling away. Caitlin whimpered. "No. Don't tease me. Please."

"First, answer my question," he replied with a grin. Caitlin twisted beneath him, trying to somehow push him inside her, but to no avail.

"I-I don't know," she gasped excitedly. She could hardly think clearly when she felt him so close to her core.

"Really?" She shook her head. "Oh yes, I think you do." A glint had appeared in his eyes, and Harrison kissed her hard. Snow pressed herself against him, sucking on his tongue as it entered her mouth. Harrison moaned. And then the doorbell rang at Caitlin's apartment. They both stopped. Someone must be downstairs, wanting to get to her.

"Let it ring," Harrison said, and was about to kiss her again when she placed her hands on his cheeks to stop him.

"Wait." He frowned. "What day is it?"

"Sunday. I don't know the date right now, but I think the end of June. Why?"

"Ronnie!"

Harrison sat up and sat back on his heels. "What?"

"Oh no. No, no, no. It's already 11 o'clock!" Caitlin practically jumped out of bed. Everything from a few seconds ago was forgotten. She looked at her calendar hanging on the wall. "Ronnie wanted to take his family and me on a trip."

"A trip? Where to? I just hope not outdoors, because it's pouring outside."

"I should open the door for Ronnie," Snow said, about to leave the bedroom, but Harrison stopped her by placing his hand on the door and his other hand on the wall next to hers. Caging her. "Harry, please let me out. Ronnie is..."

"I know, but I'm not letting him see you completely naked like this," he answered in a husky voice. His eyes slid over her naked body. His arm wrapped around her waist to hold her close. Caitlin bit her lower lip to suppress a moan as she felt his erection against her wet center. "This pleasure is mine alone."

Snow felt herself blush. "I-I'm putting on my robe. I still need to shower."

Harrison reached out with his left arm to take the robe from the hook on the door, his eyes never leaving her. Caitlin's breath caught in his throat. He held the robe open for her, leaving her to simply pull on the sleeves. Harrison tied the robe in front and gently cupped her chin to kiss her.

"And you really don't want to change your mind?"

"I promised Ronnie, and he's my best friend. His parents have done so much for me."

Harrison kissed her forehead. He smiled. "I'll stay in your bedroom until you're gone."

"Okay." She stood slightly on tiptoe to kiss him before leaving the room and heard Harrison close the door. Caitlin sprinted through her apartment, but stopped by the sofa to grab Harrison's shirt, which was lying on it, and hide it in her bathrobe. She felt warm, and the pulsing in her core didn't subside, but increased, as she thought about how she had almost ripped it off Harry's body last night. At the door, she collected her thoughts before pushing the button to let Ronnie in. As she opened her apartment door, she heard him sprinting up the stairs. He had closed the umbrella again, and his clothes were already wet in a few places.

"Hello Cait," he greeted her with a smile.

"Sorry. I just woke up."

"It's okay. My parents have to place a few orders and will call me. I thought I'd pick you up."

Caitlin closed the apartment door. "Would you like something to drink while you wait? I'll be there in a minute."

"Calm down, Caitlin," he said, smiling.

"Okay." She exhaled. "I'm going to take a shower."

"Yes. I'll make myself a coffee."

"Good." Caitlin walked quickly through the apartment and disappeared into the bathroom. She took another deep breath before removing her bathrobe, hiding Harrison's shirt under it, even though she knew Ronnie would never come in here when she was naked. She stepped into the shower and turned on the tap. The water splashed down on her. Caitlin enjoyed the coolness of the water until it warmed up. She could spend hours in the shower. There was always something so calming about it. Snow was washing her hair and was just washing her body when suddenly two arms wrapped around her from behind. Her startled cry was muffled by the hand that rested on her mouth.

"Shhh. It's me," she heard Harrison's voice in her ear. She immediately relaxed again and leaned against his body. He removed his hand and breathed a kiss on her shoulder.

"What are you doing here?" Caitlin hissed as she turned to him. "And how did you get in here?"

Harrison chuckled amusedly. "My sweet Snow. Have you forgotten there are such things as doors?"

"I mean, how could you get past Ronnie?"

"He's in the kitchen making himself a coffee. If you listen closely, you'll hear the machine."

"Caity?" Snow jumped in alarm and covered Harrison's mouth.

"Yes?" she asked.

"You still have a few of your sandwiches in the fridge."

"You can eat them all if you want."

"Thank you," he said, and she felt Harrison's lips curl into a smile.

He gently cupped her wrist to remove her hand from his mouth. "Harry, you were supposed to be in the bedroom!"

"I've missed you," he said, mock-sad, pulling a pout. Caitlin nibbled on her lower lip. Harrison's gaze fell on it, and he used his thumb to free her lower lip. "Don't do that. Don't nibble on your lip."

"I always do it when I'm nervous or..."

She didn't get to finish her sentence because Harrison kissed her, and she squealed as he bit her lower lip. She stumbled backward against the white tiles of the shower and was lifted up by Harrison, wrapping her legs around his torso. Panting, Caitlin pulled away and looked at him. The underside of his erect cock pressed against her clit.

"Harry."

"What is it?" he asked with a crooked smile.

"Please."

"Please, what? Tell me what you want, Snow, and I'll grant your wish," Harrison said. He lowered his head, running his nose along the side of her face from her temple to the line of her jaw. "Tell me."

"I want you, Harry. Please. I want you."

He smiled mischievously and lifted her slightly. The tip of his cock stroked the folds of her pussy, and then he pushed inside her. Slowly. Caitlin felt him stretching her wider the deeper he went. She moaned and dug her fingernails into his shoulders. It hurt, but less than yesterday. And then he was completely inside her. Throbbing. Hard. Bare.

"Fuck. You feel so good, Snow. So tight. So perfect."

Harrison began to move inside her, and Caitlin moaned. He claimed her lips. Their lips moved as one, passionately, as Harrison began to thrust into her faster. Gasping, Snow pulled away from him and tilted her head back as he took her nipple into his mouth to suckle.

"More... More," she moaned.

"You want more?" he asked, gently biting her nipple. His thrusts slowed.

"Don't hold back, Harry," she said, placing her hand on his cheek as she kissed him sloppily. "I can take it."

With the tip of his tongue, he licked her lips, which were only millimeters away from his, as he pulled away and pushed inside her again with a violent thrust. Caitlin cried out in shock, and Harrison immediately placed his hand over her mouth.

"Shhhh. You don't want your best friend to hear you." Caitlin flinched in alarm when she heard Ronald's voice.

"Caity? Is everything okay?" they heard Ronnie ask worriedly. He was standing in front of the closed bathroom door.

Harrison slowly removed his hand from her mouth so Snow could answer. "Yes, everything's fine. I just dropped my shampoo bottle."

"Okay."

They both waited a moment before Harrison began to move inside her again. The sound of the water and their panting could be heard. Harrison sucked on her breast, trying to induce a hickey, and Caitlin moaned softly. Her fingers buried in his hair, she pulled gently. Her moans grew a little louder, and she had to bite her lip to suppress them, resulting in only a whimper.

"Oh fuck, Snow..."

"I'm close. So close!"

"I'm not wearing a condom. I have to..."

"No. Come inside me. Please," Caitlin begged, wrapping her legs even tighter around his torso. "I'm on the pill. Come inside me."

"Snow." She was on the pill, but still...

"Please. I want to feel you. I want to feel you come inside me. Deep inside me."

"Fuck."

Harrison claimed her lips. He kissed her hard and thrust into her faster and harder until he felt her walls tighten around his cock. Caitlin's body shuddered and she reached her climax. She tilted her head back. Her eyes were closed and her mouth open, but no sound came out. Harrison thrust into her a few more times until he, too, reached his climax and squirted his cum into her womb. They both stood there, panting, against the wall for a moment, until Caitlin loosened her legs around his torso and he carefully set her down. He held her tight until he was sure she could stand. His gaze fell between her legs, where he saw their shared juices running down her thigh.

"Now I need to shower again," Caitlin said, and Harrison's gaze fell on her beautiful, flushed face.

"I can shower with you. I'm wet anyway." She blushed even deeper. He grinned, amused.

Chapter Text

Harrison ran up the stairs to his office, but stopped by his secretary.

"How many applications have we received for the position of Junior Biochemist?" he asked, taking a sip of the hot coffee he'd bought at Jitters that morning.

"Over 6,000, Dr. Wells, and the numbers are rising daily," the woman replied, and he couldn't help but chuckle.

"Good. Send me the 20 most promising of the first 100. I'll do a little digging to see who's applied." The secretary looked at him in disbelief, wide-eyed. "What?"

"N-Nothing. It's just..."

"Stop mumbling and tell me," Harrison said, his voice heavy with emphasis, which made the secretary slightly nervous.

"Well, you've never asked to edit the applicant lists for a position here at S.T.A.R. Labs."

"After all, we're hiring a complete novice in this field, which requires leniency and utmost concentration. I want to know who I'm bringing into my lab. Do you have any other unnecessary questions for me?"

"No, Dr. Wells."

"Good." With that, Harrison left her alone again, but before disappearing into his office, he reminded her once more, "Send me the 20 people from the first 100 who seem most promising to you!"

"Yes, sir, Dr. Wells."

After Harrison closed the office door behind him and sat down behind his desk, he opened his leather shoulder bag. With a smile, he pulled out a small box containing four sandwiches that Caitlin had made him last night. It was already Thursday, and tonight they would meet again to go to the beach. Yesterday, Harrison had driven straight to her after work, and they had a lovely evening at Snow's, bringing a not-so-cheap wine with dinner. His daughter had just giggled when he called her to tell her he wouldn't be coming home. Jesse had simply told him to have fun, like last weekend, when he'd come home in a good mood, not grumpy or grumpy like he did every day. Harrison had just rolled his eyes at that comment and wished her a good night before hanging up.

They both enjoyed their evening together, and after dinner, they went to the sofa and cuddled up to watch a film. But the film was quickly forgotten, as they both couldn't keep their distance from each other. Caitlin had slept in his arms on the sofa, and they had fallen asleep and woken up like that. When he woke up, her head was resting on his chest. Her left leg was between his, and his left leg was between hers, while her bare torso lay on top of his. He had to chuckle when he heard her snoring very softly. Harrison exhaled and put the small box of sandwiches in a small refrigerator behind his desk.

Tonight on the beach, he would tell Snow the truth. To him, she was more than just a young woman he visited to have sex with. He had feelings for her. He loved her. He had realized this deep down when he woke up this morning with her in his arms. And she would learn the truth. Find out who he really was. Harrison leaned back and closed his eyes for a moment. But how should he tell her?

"Caitlin, I'm actually someone else. No, I mean, I'm me, but..." Harrison sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Snow, I'm Harrison Wells. CEO of S.T.A.R. Labs. I... No, she'll never believe me..."

He breathed out, remembering how she'd reacted the last time he'd tried to tell her the truth. He was the founder of the most successful lab in Central City and one of the smartest people in the world, and yet he'd just failed to tell the truth to the woman he'd grown to love. He ran his fingers through his hair and decided to put that problem aside for later and focus on his work…

Caitlin hummed to herself with a smile as she swept the flower shop. Ronnie's mother came forward and watched her, smiling.

"You seem to be in a good mood again today," the woman said, placing the basket of flowers on the dresser. Caitlin turned to her.

"Yes." Her eyes shone with joy.

"Did you get your job at the lab, or did you meet someone?"

The job. She hadn't even checked to see if she'd received an answer. But she was one of thousands, and surely S.T.A.R. Labs wouldn't vet every single one to see if they were qualified. They'd probably pick the 10 most promising candidates among the top 100, and since she was one of the 500, she had no chance.

"More like the latter," she replied with a small smile.

"You seem like you have fallen for him head over heels." Caitlin felt herself blush. Ronnie's mother laughed. "I'm glad you found someone. You've been glowing lately. He's good for you. Hold on to him and don't let go."

"I won’t."

At noon, Harrison decided to visit Caitlin at her flower shop to have lunch with her. He had texted her before 11 a.m., and she had texted back that she'd be happy to. Beforehand, he had gone home to change into his usual black attire so he wouldn't show up in a suit like he had the last few times. Harrison looked through the shop's glass and chuckled when he saw Caitlin standing behind the dresser, tying a bouquet. She looked so happy. Harrison leaned his shoulder against the open door to watch her work. His head rested slightly against the glass, a smile playing on his lips.

"Lisa, I'll be out in a few minutes. Harry's probably already waiting for me in the park," Caitlin said without looking up. She still hadn't noticed him.

A woman about Harrison's age emerged from the back room. Her long brown hair fell in curls over her shoulders, and her brown eyes were kind. A smile spread across her lips when she saw him standing at the door. "I think you won't have to go far to see him," she said with a grin.

"Hm?" Caitlin looked up from her work, and then her bright brown eyes fell on Harrison, shining with joy. "Harry!"

"Hello, beautiful," he greeted her. Caitlin came out from behind the dresser and ran to him, throwing her arms around him to pull him into a tight hug. Harrison breathed her in, and when Snow pulled away, she kissed him lovingly. "Ready for our little lunch date?" He winked at her.

"Yes. I'll just quickly grab my food," Snow said, running into the back room.

Harrison's gaze fell on the woman now standing behind the dresser. "I should introduce myself. My name is..."

"Harry," the woman said, smiling.
"Y-yes."

"Caitlin told me about you. I'm Lisa Raymond, mother of Ronald Raymond."

"Ah. I see." He held out his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Pleasure is all mine. Caitlin's talked a lot about you."

Harrison raised an eyebrow. "Did she?"

"She lights up when she talks about you. She's in love with you."

"I know," he said, his voice raspy.

"Don't break her heart. She's been through a lot in such a short life. Caitlin deserves to be happy."

"Breaking her heart would be the last thing I want," Harrison replied, his chest tightening at the words. Still, maybe I will if I tell her that I'm actually the CEO of S.T.A.R. Labs, not a Tiler. His attention shifted to Caitlin, who was smiling from the back room carrying a small can. "Ready?"

"Yes."

"Have fun," Lisa said.

"We will," Snow replied, smiling, and walked out of the store with Harrison, holding hands. She bounced slightly. "I'm glad you're here."

"Me too," he said honestly, squeezing her hand gently. "I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Really? What is it?" she asked curiously.

"I'll tell you once we're at the park enjoying our lunch."

When they arrived at the park, they found a spot in the sun, as it wasn't as hot this time. There were fewer people in the park this time, presumably due to the work week. Caitlin closed her eyes, sank back onto the grass, and sighed. She opened her eyes as a shadow fell over her, and a grin spread across her face as she saw Harrison's face hovering over hers.

"Tired?" he asked, smiling.

"A little," she said, placing her hand on his cheek. "I've missed you, Harry."

Harrison smiled. "Just this morning, you almost kicked me out of your apartment so I wouldn't be late for work, even though I wanted to cuddle with you a little longer." Snow smiled, and he took her hand from his cheek to place kisses on her fingers.

"I know how our cuddling would have ended, and then we wouldn't have shown up for work at all," she said, her cheeks flushing.

"Mhm... I think you know me pretty well by now, Snow," Harrison replied with a grin as he leaned down to brush his lips over hers before kissing her lovingly.

Caitlin turned away from him, laughing. "Stop, Harry, we only have an hour, and I'd like to eat my lunch."

"Hmm... Well, I could think of something better. I'd like to have dessert before lunch. Do you think we can find a quiet spot here just for the two of us?" he said with a mischievous smile, and Caitlin's cheeks flushed bright red. He laughed gently and straightened.

They both ate their lunch in silence, enjoying the nature and observing the families and couples who were also in the park. Harrison's gaze rested on Caitlin, who had closed her eyes to enjoy the sun. A cheerful smile played on her lips. He rubbed his lips with his index finger. How would she react if he told her the truth? Would she be sad and disappointed, or would it not bother her? If he didn't tell her, he'd never find out, but was now the best time? When she was so happy?

"Snow?" She opened her eyes and looked at him questioningly. "I've been wanting to tell you something."

"Right. What is it?" She looked at him excitedly and turned to him.

"I... uhm..." He swallowed, searching for the right words. "I'm afraid I have to cancel our date tonight."

Sadness overshadowed Snow's face. She had been looking forward to it. "Oh. I understand."

"It's not that I don't want to, just... My friend Eobard Thawne is throwing a party today, which I unfortunately forgot about. And I was wondering if you'd like to go with me."

"Thawne... Thawne..." she murmured, as if considering the name. Her eyes widened. "You don't mean Dr. Thawne, who works with S.T.A.R. Labs?"

"Yes, I do."

"You know him? He—He's your friend?" she asked incredulously.

"Yeah, sort of. I...uh...was there when he renovated his house," Harry lied, and could have slapped himself for yet another lie.

"And you want me to go to his party with you?"

"Yes." It was risky to take her, since most people there knew who he was, but he still wanted her there. She was his shining star in the sky.

"Do you really think I belong there? I mean, I certainly won't look as good as the others, but..."

"Hey." He placed his fingers over her lips to stop her from speaking. "Don't say that again. You'll be the prettiest of them all, Snow."

She blushed. "Okay, but you have to promise me you'll be by my side all evening, since I don't know any of these people there."

"I will, of course. I won't let them steal you away from me," Harrison replied with a grin. His right hand disappeared into his jacket pocket to pull out a silver ring. He'd seen it in a jewelry store window and bought it immediately. It wasn't very expensive and fit a tiler's salary. Caitlin looked at him in surprise when he held the ring out to her. "It's a promise." Harrison took her right hand to place the ring on her finger. "A promise that I'll never break your heart, Snow." And yet, maybe he would, but what if she didn't mind him being CEO of S.T.A.R. Labs? After all, there would be some benefits, besides his money. He had to tell her, but not today. Maybe tomorrow.

Caitlin smiled with delight and leaned forward to kiss him. The two spent the rest of the break in the park. Snow had snuggled up to Harrison and dozed off. He gently woke her by stroking her cheek and softly saying her name until Snow stirred and snuggled even more. He kissed her hair.

"Snow, love, we have to get up. Our lunch break is almost over."

"Five more minutes," she mumbled sleepily.

Harrison smiled. "I don't think we'll be able to make it." Caitlin blinked open her eyes and raised her head. Harrison looked at her. "Did you sleep well?" She nodded and laid her head back on his chest, and he laughed.

"I don't want to work anymore today. I want to lie here with you and enjoy the sun."

Harrison stroked her hair. "I'd love to, Snow, but unfortunately it's not that easy. How about we come here at the weekend and then we can lie here all day and enjoy the sun."

Caitlin raised her head to look at him. A smile played on her lips. "That would be nice."

"Then we'll do it, but now we really have to go back." She straightened up so Harrison could sit up, and they both stood up. He took her hand in his, intertwining his fingers with hers. "Come on."

Harrison grinned and pulled her along. Caitlin laughed, and the two of them ran through town, only stopping when they reached the flower shop. They laughed, out of breath.

"If I'd known we'd be running here, I could have slept for another five minutes," Snow said, grinning.

"Yes, that's true, but then I wouldn't have been able to kiss you like that," Harrison replied, smiling.

"How...?"

Caitlin didn't finish her question because he took her face in his hands and sealed his lips with hers. Her fingers dug into his black shirt, and she melted against his chest. Harrison opened his eyes and looked through the flower shop's window. He saw Ronald Raymond standing behind the dresser, watching her. Their eyes met, and Harrison saw how angry the young man was. He had to smile into the kiss when he saw it, before closing his eyes again and pushing his tongue into Caitlin's mouth. As the kiss deepened, she stifled a moan and pulled away, breathless. She swallowed, and Harrison smiled mischievously when he saw her red, swollen lips.

"See you tonight," he said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Y-yes," Snow stammered. Her cheeks red.

"And maybe I'll get dessert afterward?" Harrison kissed her briefly on the lips before turning and walking away. But he turned back to wave to Snow before disappearing around the corner.

Chapter Text

Caitlin swallowed and looked nervously at the gigantic house before her. She could see colorful lights and hear loud music from inside and in the garden. She was wearing a black, tight-fitting, off-the-shoulder dress. Delicate silver earrings hung from her earlobes, and an equally delicate silver necklace adorned her neck. Harry had called her five minutes ago to say he was stuck in traffic and she could go in if she wanted, as he didn't know how long it would take. Since then, she'd been standing outside, unsure whether to go in or wait for Harry.

"Ms.?" Caitlin's gaze wandered to the entrance, where a young man in a suit and white gloves was looking at her kindly. "Wouldn't you like to come in?"

"I'm still waiting for my boyfriend, but he's stuck in traffic," she said.

"I understand. Unfortunately, at this time of night, it will take pretty long until he gets here. I'm sure he won't mind if you go to the party now," the man replied with a smile.

She nervously nibbled on her lower lip before deciding to go into the large house. She would keep a low profile and wait for Harry.

"Would you like something to drink?" a waitress asked with a friendly smile, holding out a tray of various alcoholic drinks.

"Thank you," said Snow, taking a glass of champagne.

"Wow!" Caitlin turned around and saw a man approaching. He was dressed in a white suit, with a red and yellow handkerchief tucked into his left breast pocket. "You're beautiful," he said, stopping in front of Snow.

"Uhm... thank you," she replied shyly, feeling herself blush slightly.

"I've thrown a few parties, but I've never seen you here before," he said, grinning, and holding out his hand. "Eobard Thawne."

"Caitlin Snow."

"May I ask what brings you to my party?"

"My boyfriend. He received an invitation from you and asked me if I could come with him," she explained, smiling, taking a small sip of her champagne.

"Your boyfriend is truly very lucky to have a woman like you by his side. What's his name? Is he here already?" Thawne asked, looking around.

"No. He's stuck in traffic. His name is Harry."

Eobard frowned. "Harry? Harry... Harry..." he muttered, thinking as if he'd heard the name somewhere before. "Oh! You mean Harrison! Haha."

This time it was Caitlin who frowned. "Harrison? No. His name is Harry."

"I usually call him Harry, even though he's not a big fan of it, but the great Dr. Harrison Wells doesn't seem to be a big fan of anything. Except for his daughter and apparently you, otherwise he wouldn't have asked you to come to my party. He must really like you." Thawne's gaze shifted from her to behind her. "Oh, damn. I guess I have to go save the Champagne Tower. Excuse me."

With that, he left a confused Caitlin alone. Harry? Harrison? Harrison Wells? Harry was supposed to be Harrison Wells? No. Harry was a Tiler. He was the CEO of his own small startup company, not the CEO of S.T.A.R. Labs. She played with the silver ring on her finger. It's a promise that I will never break your heart. Harry wouldn't lie to her if she asked him that. Right? She took a deep breath and decided to go outside to the garden to get some fresh air. There were lots of people there, too, chatting. Feeling a little out of place, she walked past the pool, which was lit up, careful to get past it as quickly as possible. She hadn't felt safe near a pool or the ocean. Not since her incident a few years ago.

"Caitlin?" She stopped and turned around, the pool at her back. Eliza Harmon approached her. She wore a dark red dress and her hair was tied back in a braid. Her eyes scanned her from head to toe, and she raised a disapproving brow. "That you fit into that dress is a miracle, but the audacity to show up at this party is unbelievable."

"My boyfriend invited me to come."

"Your boyfriend?" Hunter joined them and put his arm around his girlfriend Eliza. In his right hand, he held a glass of beer. "Who wants you as a girlfriend?"

Harrison smiled as he joined the party Eobard Thawne threw every year. His friend was always the extra-vagant type. As always, many people Harrison knew had been invited, but tonight he would only talk to one: Caitlin Snow. He just had to find her. A waiter passed him with a tray of champagne glasses, and Harrison picked up one to take a sip. His clear blue eyes scanned the room, but he couldn't see Snow anywhere. His gaze briefly caught Christina McGee, dressed in a dark purple, form-fitting dress. When their eyes met, he saw her eyes light up. He cursed inwardly and decided to flee, heading toward the garden.

"Harrison!" He gritted his teeth and gripped the glass a little tighter. McGee stopped in front of him, smiling.

"Dr. McGee. So you were able to attend this party as well," he said, his gaze wandering around the garden.

"Indeed. I'm glad you're here as well, because I have some things to discuss with you."

Harrison raised an eyebrow at this answer and looked at her. "Oh, yes? And that would be?"

"It's about our shared future. I'd like to join forces with you and S.T.A.R. Labs. We could be at the top together." He stopped rolling his eyes and began scanning the garden again, where other guests were gathered, trying to find Snow. "Two geniuses in their field. Together we could change the world..."

Harrison stopped listening at that point, having spotted Snow. She was dressed in a beautiful black strapless dress. A silver necklace hung around her neck and delicate silver earrings hung from her earlobes. She even had a touch of makeup on, which made her red lips stand out. Harrison swallowed hard and suppressed a groan as he felt the blood rush to his nether region. Ignoring Christina McGee, he simply left her alone to go into the garden. His eyes were fixed solely on the beautiful woman until someone stopped him again.

"Harrison, my friend!" said Eobard, placing his hand on his shoulder. He stood in front of him, so Harrison only had to look over his shoulder to see Caitlin. "How are you?"

"Good." He didn't want to be rude to his friend—probably his only friend—but he wanted to go to Snow and finally hold her in his arms and tell her how beautiful she looked.

"Good? That's it? We haven't seen each other in months. Come on, you have to say more. How's your daughter, Jesse? How's work? Have you finally found someone?" Thawne knew of course that Caitlin was his girlfriend but he would love to hear it from his best friend, that he finally found someone.

Wells exhaled. "My daughter is fine and enjoying her job, but I think her supervisor is getting on her nerves a little. My work is unchanged, and have I found someone?" His gaze wandered back to Caitlin, who was talking to a young woman and seemed agitated. He frowned. "Excuse me."

Harrison was about to pass Eobard when the young woman pushed Caitlin into the pool behind her. She cried out in alarm before the water swallowed her. He stared frozen at the water for a moment, but Caitlin didn't resurface. Harrison took off his jacket and jumped after her. He swam to the bottom of the pool to Caitlin and wrapped his arms around her body before swimming back to the surface. Caitlin clinging to the body that was holding her. She trembled all over as two strong arms pulled her back to the surface and she was pressed against his chest. She gasped for air. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

"It's okay. I'm here, Snow. I'm here," she heard the ragged voice of the man she loved so much.

"Harry," she sobbed, crying.

Harrison seethed with rage as he stepped out of the pool with Caitlin in his arms. Eobard stood before him and placed his jacket, which he had taken off, over Snow's trembling form. All the guests stared at the two of them in shock.

"I'll take care of it. There's a car outside."

Harrison didn't answer but walked past Thawne, who had stepped aside. All eyes were on him as he walked through the house. McGee opened her mouth, trying to stop him, but one look from Harrison was enough to keep her silent. He left the house, and as Eobard had said, there was indeed a black car parked outside. A waiter with a towel in one hand opened the back door so Harrison could carefully place Snow into the seat. He circled the car before getting in himself and taking the towel. After the door was closed, Harrison gave the driver the address of Caitlin's apartment before attending to her. He carefully laid her head in his lap, and Harrison placed the towel over her body. She had pulled her legs up and was now lying on her side. He gently stroked her cheek with his fingertips and brushed back a few stray strands of wet hair. She was still shaking all over. Tears flowed freely down her beautiful face.

Harrison opened the apartment door and turned on the light. Caitlin slowly walked into her apartment, and he closed the door behind her. She had been asleep the entire drive. It pained him to see her like this. If he had been there earlier and hadn't been held up by work, this incident certainly wouldn't have happened. They would still be at the party, having fun. Harrison was torn from his thoughts when Caitlin suddenly collapsed next to the sofa.

"Snow." He immediately ran to her and knelt beside her. She had wrapped her arms around her trembling body. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Why..." she sobbed in a choked voice. "Why can't I..." She coughed and took a ragged breath.

Harrison gently held her in his arms. "Shhh." He rocked her gently and kissed her hair. "Let's get you out of that wet dress and warm you up."

They slowly stood up. Harrison supported her to the bathroom, where he sat her down on a stool before stepping into the shower to turn on the water. He removed his own clothes, down to his shorts, before turning to Snow. Her gaze was on the floor. Her arms were still wrapped around her body. Harrison went to her and knelt before her. He gently lifted her chin so she would look at him. Her eyes were red, as were her cheeks. Sobbing, she looked at his blurry figure in front of her. He gently stroked her cheek.

"May I help you?" he asked in a low, raspy voice. Snow nodded, whimpering. Harrison carefully helped her up and stepped a little closer to her, invading her personal space. Her trembling, cold hands rested on his warm, bare chest. He carefully took her left arm to remove it from the loop of her dress and did the same with her right arm. Then he unzipped her back, and the dress fell silently to the floor. She stood before him completely naked except for her black hipster panties. If this were any other moment, he would be hard and have sex with her, but not now. Snow needed him. He was the support she needed so much right now. Harrison slowly led her into the shower. She clung to his arm like a frightened little child. He gently held her in his arms, and her head rested on his chest. She was still shaking all over. Harrison took the shower head in his hand and carefully began to let the warm water flow over her cold body.

"Is it comfortable for you?" he asked gently.

He had put the water pressure to low, so that it was only gently splashing. Caitlin nodded, whimpering. Harrison wondered why Snow was suddenly so frightened. Was it perhaps the shock of her sudden plunge into the pool? She flinched and squeezed her eyes shut as the stream of water cascaded over her head. He immediately lowered the shower head to her shoulders and put his arm around her. He kissed her hair.

"It's okay. You'll be okay." Sobbing, Snow looked up at him. He could see so much fear and anxiety in her tear-filled eyes. "You're safe."

Carefully, he raised the shower head again to let the warm water flow over her hair. Snow's gaze was fixed on him the whole time, as if he were giving her strength. He picked up the shampoo bottle to pour some into his hand before beginning to wash her hair. Caitlin closed her eyes in pleasure as his fingers wandered through her hair and massaged her scalp. He then used shower gel to cleanse her body of the chlorine smell of the pool water. His hands slid over her bare skin, her breasts down to her pussy, and removed her hipster panties.

But he made no sexual advances, only concerned with making Snow feel comfortable. Afterward, he washed his hair and body, Caitlin's fingers wandering over his torso, making it difficult for him not to take her right there and then. They got out of the shower together, and Harrison wrapped her in a towel. She sat down on a stool, and Harrison began combing and blow-drying her hair. Caitlin sat there with her eyes closed. Her body was no longer shaking, but he saw her shaking hands resting in her lap. He lifted her up in his arms and carried her to her bedroom, where he carefully placed her on the bed. His eyes found her nightgown, and he helped her put it on. He lifted her left arm to thread it through the sleeve, and then he lifted her right arm to thread it through the sleeve as well. Stray tears flowed down her cheeks, and he gently wiped them away.

"I-I'm sorry," Caitlin whimpered.

Harrison looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean? What are you sorry for?"

"If I had just avoided Eliza, then... then we'd still be at the party," she sobbed. "And... And you could see me in a dress for once. I usually wear jeans and a blouse or a skirt. I wanted you to see me when I'm really beautiful and..."

"No." He gently placed his fingers on her lips and moved a little closer to her. He had crouched down in front of her. "Never say that again. Every day that passes, you're beautiful, Snow. Dress or no dress." He gently wiped away her forming tears and took her face in his hands. "I love you, Snow. I don't care if you own hundreds of dresses or nothing at all. I love you because you are you, and nothing will change that." Harrison kissed her lovingly on the lips.

"Can you stay here tonight?" Caitlin asked uncertainly as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

He smiled. "Nothing would please me more."

Harrison circled the bed and removed his wet shorts, leaving him completely naked. A small smile twitched at his lips as he saw Caitlin's cheeks flush. He slipped under the covers and Snow snuggled up to him. She breathed a sigh of relief. Harrison put his arm around her body to gently hold her against him. Her fingers rested against his chest, feeling his heartbeat. Her fingertips gently brushed his skin and his nipples. Harrison placed his hands over hers to press her against his chest.

"If you keep this up, we won't get any sleep tonight, Snow," he said, his voice raspy. She looked up at him and his hand gently rested on her cheek. "Sleep now." Harrison kissed her forehead. She snuggled even closer and closed her eyes.

Chapter Text

When Caitlin woke up the next morning, she stretched and felt the other side of the bed with her left hand, but she couldn't find Harry's body. She blinked a few times and rubbed her eyes as she sat up, realizing she was alone in her bedroom. Caitlin was about to call his name when the smell of bacon hit her. She threw back the covers and left the bedroom.

"I don't care. I want her for the job. Send her the offer and that she can start working for us right away." Harry seemed to be on the phone. "Yes, without an interview. Today."

She heard him sigh, and when she entered the kitchen, she saw him place his phone next to the stove. He was wearing a black T-shirt, black jeans, and black socks. Caitlin frowned, considering he'd worn a suit yesterday. So he must have gone home just to get some new clothes and then come back here. Her heart beat faster at the thought. Smiling, she walked over to him and hugged him from behind. He flinched slightly as her arms wrapped around his waist.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," he greeted her. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you," Snow replied, resting her cheek against his back. Her eyes were closed, enjoying the closeness between them.

"I'm glad to hear that. Hungry?"

"Yes."

"Good, because I made too many scrambled eggs and bacon for two," Harrison replied, turning off the stove. He turned to her, holding two bowls in his hands. One with bacon, the other with scrambled eggs. Caitlin was still hugging him. Her chin rested on his chest. She looked up at him. He laughed softly. "You have to let go of me so we can get to the table and have breakfast."

"First, you have to give me a kiss," Snow said, smiling.

Harrison smiled. "I'd love nothing more." He leaned down and connected his lips with hers. The kiss was gentle and full of emotion. Caitlin smiled into the kiss as she tasted the salty, smoky flavor of bacon on his lips.

"You were snacking on the bacon," she said with a grin, gently running her thumb over his lips before putting it in her mouth and licking it.

"I had to see if it tasted good," Harrison said innocently, grinning. He winked at her. "Come on. Let's have breakfast, or the food will get cold."

The two went into the living room and sat down at the already set table. A bouquet of red roses lay next to Snow's plate, and she couldn't help but smile. She picked it up to smell the roses.

"Thank you, Harry," she said, and went over to kiss him. "I love you."

"I love you more."

They both ate breakfast together in silence until Harrison asked the question that had been bothering him since yesterday.

"Snow?"

"Hm?" Caitlin looked up from her plate as she was shoveling some scrambled eggs onto her fork.

"I'd like to ask you something, but you don't have to answer me, okay?"

She blinked. "O-Okay?"

"Last... night, when that young woman pushed you into the pool," Harrison began, watching Caitlin lower her fork until she released it completely and hid her hands in her lap. Her gaze dropped to the plate and she swallowed. "Can't... Can't you swim? I mean, it's okay..."

"I can swim," Caitlin interrupted in a low voice. Her gaze was fixed on the plate, which blurred before her eyes as tears formed in them and fell onto the plate. She heard Harrison stand up, and a moment later, he took her in his arms and held her close.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I didn't mean to make you cry, Snow." Her head rested against his chest. He kissed her hair. When he pulled away, he gently wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Please forgive me."

Her lips trembled as she gave him a smile. "I..." She sobbed.

"You don't have to explain or answer me. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have..." Harrison stopped himself and could have slapped himself. He had seen how she had reacted. Scared. In shock. "I'm sorry."

Caitlin took his hands and held on tight. Her gaze was fixed on her fingers. "It happened four years ago. Ronnie and I were in Spain with his family," she explained slowly. Harrison had to rein in his jealousy and anger at Ronald when he heard that he had seen her half-naked. "I went to the seaside with them." Ronnie and I went swimming. Diving. We watched some fish and swam through a slightly narrow crack in the rocks..." Caitlin swallowed and held his fingers even tighter.

"I'm here," Harrison said gently. "You're safe."

She raised her head and looked at him. "My foot with the fin got stuck. When I couldn't free myself, I panicked. I wanted to call for Ronnie, but it's hard to call underwater." Tears streamed down her beautiful face. "I was running out of air and I... I couldn't see Ronnie anywhere. I thought I was going to die. But then Ronnie came and... and got me out of there. He beat himself up for weeks that he didn't turn around to look for me. Ever since, I've been afraid of water. Especially the sea. When—When Eliza pushed me... I was frozen. I—I couldn't do anything." Her trembling hand slipped from his fingers and rested on his cheek. "You saved me, Harry."

"And I'd do it again, Snow." He would run into a burning house just to save her. He gently wiped away her tears with his thumbs. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry."

"It's okay. If we had gone to the beach yesterday, I would have told you, at the very latest when you asked me why I hadn't gone into the water with you," she replied with a small smile. "And so I would have ruined our date at the beach because I wouldn't have gone into the sea with you."

"No. You wouldn't have ruined our date, Snow. I would have gone into the sea with you, but only as far as you wanted. I would have held you. I'm always looking out for you."

"Thank you, Harry."

They shared a gentle kiss before Harrison stood up. "What would you like to do today? I'm open to suggestions. I just advise against going outside, since it's raining and there's apparently a storm coming later."

"I have a few games we could play," Snow suggested.

"Okay. You pick out some games and I'll clear the table while you do."

"I can help, Harry. You've already set the table and made breakfast."

"No. I'd be happy to. Get some more rest," he said with a wink and kissed her forehead before picking up the two plates and heading into the kitchen.

Caitlin watched him go, smiling. He did so much for her. She got up and was about to go to her bedroom when she heard something crash to the floor in the kitchen. She immediately ran there and saw Harrison leaning against the wall. The plates lay in shards on the floor as he caught his breath.

"Harry, is everything okay?" Caitlin asked worriedly, approaching him, careful not to step on the broken shards. She gently touched his upper arm. "Are you okay?"

"I felt a little dizzy," he said, breathing loudly.

Her hand rested on his forehead. "You don't have a fever. Is this the first time you've felt dizzy out of nowhere? Does anything hurt?"

No."Yes. It is the first time, but nothing hurts," he lied, feeling a slight twinge in his chest. He didn't want her to worry about him. It was probably just the stress of the last few days.

"You should sit down. Don't collapse on me, because carrying you will be heavy." Caitlin helped Harrison out of the kitchen and into the living room so he could sit on the couch. "I'll take care of the dishes and you rest."

He opened his mouth and was about to contradict her, but a "Thank you" was all he could manage. Caitlin went back into the kitchen. She first gathered the large pieces of glass and put them in a bag, then took a dustpan and the small broom that came with it to sweep up the remaining pieces. After throwing everything in the trash and clearing the table, she went to Harrison on the sofa. She smiled when she saw that he had lain down on his side and fallen asleep…

Harrison was jolted awake by a loud thunderstorm. Blinking, he rubbed his eyes, realizing a blanket was covering his body.

"You're awake," he heard Snow say. He sat up slowly and spotted her at the other end of the couch with a book in her hand. She was wearing a shirt and a thong. "Slept well, sleepyhead?"

Harrison groaned. "Sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep, but I was so tired. You could have woken me up."

"You looked like you needed the sleep," she replied with a smile, placing the book on the coffee table in front of the couch.

"I hope I didn't sleep that late?" he asked.

"It's just after 2 p.m."

"I slept for five hours?" Harrison tilted his head back and sighed. "I'm sorry. This isn't how it's supposed to go."

Caitlin laughed softly and crawled over to sit on his lap. His hands rested on her bare thighs. His fingers caressed her soft skin. He grinned when he saw the glint in her eyes.

"Why are you looking at me like that, huh?" he asked, nuzzling his nose against hers.

She laughed softly, but then became serious, and the glint was overshadowed by concern. She cupped his face. "Are you okay? You scared me in the kitchen this morning."

"I'm fine," Harrison replied, although he didn't know why he felt dizzy. "Maybe I've been working too much these last few days. It can be very stressful at times."

"You have to take care of yourself, Harry."

"I know." He laughed. "My daughter always tells me when I come home very late and then keep working."

"Maybe if you come to my place in the evening, I can distract you from your work so you don't start working here too," Caitlin said with a grin.

"Oh really?" He grinned, his fingers wandering to her bottom. "And how do you want to do that?"

"I have my ways," she replied. She kissed him and rubbed herself against him, feeling him get hard.

"Holy fuck, Caitlin!" Harrison moaned between kisses.

"Does it work?" she asked, giggling as she continued to rub herself against him.

"Oh yes, it does." He helped her take off his shirt and sighed as her fingers wandered over his bare skin…

When Caitlin woke up the next morning, she was alone in her apartment. Harrison had gone home the night before. She threw off the covers and went into the bathroom to freshen up. Then she went into the kitchen to make herself some breakfast, smiling when she saw Harrison's black jacket hanging over a chair. She picked up the jacket and inhaled his scent. It smelled of him and the aftershave he always used. Snow picked up her phone and tapped on their shared chat.

Caitlin: Good morning Harry, I hope you slept well. I found your jacket in my kitchen. Should I drop it off?

She sent the message and was about to put her phone away when she saw Harry come online and her message was marked as "read."

Harry: Good morning beautiful, I always sleep best with you. I wish I didn't have to go home last night. I missed your warmth this morning. Caitlin blushed when she read his message. I'll pick up my jacket from you tonight, if you'd like.

Her heart beat faster. That meant he was probably staying over again. She jumped excitedly on the spot. She quickly typed her reply.

Caitlin: I'm looking forward to seeing you tonight.

Harry: I'm looking forward to seeing you.

Caitlin swiped away the chat and was about to put her phone away when she paused. Should she check her emails? Should she see if she'd gotten the job at S.T.A.R. Labs? After all, two weeks had passed since she'd submitted her application. Snow took a breath and clicked on her emails. Her eyes widened and her fingers began to tremble when she saw an email from S.T.A.R. Labs. Should she open and read the email? Or should she read it with Harry? What if she'd been rejected? Or maybe she'd been accepted? And invited to an interview? Nervously, she began to chew on her lower lip. Caitlin exhaled. She hadn't even realized she'd been holding her breath. She closed her eyes and clicked on the email. Slowly, she opened her eyes a crack, and then they widened.

Dear Ms. Snow,

we are hereby informing you that you have been hired for the position of Junior Bio-Chemist. Please send us your earliest possible start date.

Sincerely,
S.T.A.R. Labs CEO
Dr. Harrison Wells

Caitlin squealed excitedly. She'd done it! She'd gotten the position as a junior biochemist! But then she frowned. But where was the interview appointment? Didn't S.T.A.R. Labs do interviews? No, that couldn't be right. Maybe someone from S.T.A.R. Labs had forgotten to write it there? Maybe...

"I don't care. I want her for the job. Send her the acceptance letter and that she can start working with us right away... Yes, without an interview. Today."

"Harry? Harry... Harry... Oh! You mean Harrison! I usually call him Harry, even though he's not a big fan of it, but the great Dr. Harrison Wells doesn't seem to be a big fan of anything. Except for his daughter and apparently you, otherwise he wouldn't have asked you to come to my party. He must really like you."

Caitlin swallowed. Why had that occurred to her? She shook her head. No, that couldn't be. Harry wasn't Harrison. He couldn't be. He couldn't... He couldn't be Dr. Harrison Wells. Harry wouldn't lie to her. Snow opened the app again and was about to call Harry, but her thumb hovered over the call button. She bit her lower lip and decided to do something that would probably cost her this job if she was wrong…

An hour later, Caitlin stood in front of the large building. S.T.A.R. Labs. She wore a white blouse, a black skirt, and matching shoes. Caitlin walked inside and went straight to the counter, where a young man was sitting behind it.

"Good afternoon," he greeted her warmly. "How can I help you?"

"Hello. My name is Caitlin Snow. I'm here for the interview for the position of Junior Biochemist. Dr. Wells will be interviewing me, but I was so excited that I forgot which floor his office was on." Caitlin felt bad lying to him, but she had to be sure.

"Of course. Dr. Wells' office is on the fourth floor. Just around the corner on the left."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

As Snow continued walking, she took a deep breath. That couldn't be. No. He had promised her. Harry had promised not to break her heart. Caitlin took the stairs to the fourth floor instead of the elevator. She rounded a corner and then stood in front of Dr. Harrison Wells's office. The door was closed. Should she knock? Should she check to see if Eobard Thawne had really spoken the truth? Was Harry supposed to be Dr. Harrison Wells? Caitlin rubbed her trembling fingers, flinching slightly as a woman came around the corner carrying a cup of coffee on a small tray.

"Hello," she greeted Caitlin with a friendly smile.

"Hello. I-Is this coffee for Ha... Dr. Wells?"

"Yes."

"Would you mind if I took it to him?" Caitlin asked cautiously.

"No, at least then I'll be spared his bad mood," the woman replied, handing her the tray.

Snow opened her mouth and was about to say something else when the woman disappeared around the corner again. Once again, she was alone in the hallway, and the smell of coffee filled her nostrils. She took another deep breath before raising her hand to knock on the door.

"Come in," she heard Dr. Wells' muffled voice. With that, Caitlin opened the door and stepped into the office. Holding the tray with trembling hands, she held it. Her eyes widened in shock. In front of her, just a few meters away, Harry... no, Dr. Harrison Wells sat at his desk, engrossed in a document. He wasn't wearing his usual black clothes, but a dark blue suit with a white shirt, the first button open.

"You can put the coffee on…" Harrison couldn't finish his sentence because the tray with the cup fell to the floor with a crash. He looked up and was about to shout angrily at the person when he froze. Caitlin stood before him, her hands shaking, tears streaming down her beautiful face. As if by remote control, he rose from his chair to walk around the desk and stand in front of her, ignoring the pain in the left side of his chest.

"You promised," she sobbed in a strangled voice. It was like a stab in his heart to see her like that... and he was the trigger. "You promised."

"Snow." He tried to take her hands, but she recoiled from him as if she'd been burned.

"Don't touch me!" More tears streamed down her cheeks. "Did you enjoy it?"

Harrison blinked, confused. "What?"

"Did you enjoy lying to me?" she repeated, her voice trembling. "Using me?"

"What?! No! I would never use you! I..." He swallowed. Desperation and pain were evident on his face. "Let me explain. Please. Let me explain why I did it."

"I don't want your explanation because I know it's just another lie from you," Caitlin replied, deeply hurt. "It was all a lie. Your feelings for me. Your sweet words you whispered to me." She took a shaky breath. It was as if someone was squeezing her chest. Her dream of a future with the man she loved so much had been shattered.

"My feelings for you are true, Snow," Harrison tried desperately to explain. "Everything I've done with you, everything we've done together... I did it because I fell in love with you." For a brief moment, he saw something flash in her reddened eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it had come. "Yes, I lied to you about who I really am, but my feelings for you have always been real. Still are! Please. Let... Let me explain."

Caitlin shook her head. "I opened up to you and told you how hard it had been for me after Hunter lied to me and betrayed me." At that moment, all he wanted to do was hold her. He wanted to squeeze her, tell her that everything would be okay, but if he did, she wouldn't allow it. "You know..." A sad smile spread across her face, and she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, but more tears streamed down her cheeks. "I felt truly happy for the first time again—cherished, because I thought I'd finally found someone who understood me, who loved me as much as I loved him, who wouldn't lie to me." Her lower lip trembled as she added in a choked voice, "But I was wrong. Again."

"I still am. I'm still your Harry. I may not be the CEO of a tiling company, but I am the CEO of S.T.A.R. Labs."

"Dr. Harrison Wells."

"Yes. Please, Snow. We can still live as we do now. Nothing has changed."

"Maybe not for you, but it does for me," Caitlin answered, sobbing. "I fell in love with Harry. A man who founded a small start-up company, who made me breakfast early in the morning, who drove me to the big flower meadow, who showed me that I am more than just someone who works in a flower shop. You awakened dreams in me that I thought I had lost."

"I still am," his voice was little more than a pleading and desperate whisper.

"Standing before me now is Dr. Harrison Wells. CEO of S.T.A.R. Labs, the largest and most successful company in Central City. The man who has been lying to me this whole time." Caitlin took the silver ring off her finger and held it out to him. "Here. I don't want it anymore."

Harrison swallowed and stared at her. She could see pain and despair in his eyes. "Snow, please..."

"Take it." With trembling fingers, he took the ring. It suddenly felt so heavy in his hand. "I hereby submit my resignation." Harrison stared at her. "I don't want anything to do with you anymore."

"Sn..."

"Goodbye, Dr. Wells." With that, Caitlin turned and left his office. He stared at the ring. It seemed as if something inside him was shattering. He breathed in and out frantically. He had to speak with her! Tell her everything!

"Snow!" Harrison clutched his chest as it felt like it was constricting and ran out into the hallway, but he couldn't find her. Cold sweat had suddenly spread across his forehead, and he had to brace himself against the wall to avoid falling over.

"Dr. Wells?" he heard a female voice call worriedly behind him.

"Snow..." he mumbled before losing consciousness and collapsing to the floor.

Chapter Text

"You promised."

"Did you enjoy lying to me?"

"I felt truly happy for the first time again—cherished, because I thought I'd finally found someone who understood me, who loved me as much as I loved him, who wouldn't lie to me. But I was wrong. Again."

"I don't want anything to do with you anymore."

"Goodbye, Dr. Wells."

Harrison opened his eyes and stared at a white ceiling.

"Daddy."

He blinked, and a moment later, his daughter's face came into view. Her eyes were red. She had been crying. But why? What had happened? Where was he? He felt his daughter squeeze his hand.

"I was so scared for you when they called and told me you'd been taken to a hospital," Jesse sobbed, wiping away her welling tears. Hospital? "You must never scare me like that again. Never again, do you hear me?"

"What..." He swallowed and moistened his lips. His mouth was dry. "What happened?"

"The doctor said you had a heart attack," she told him.

A heart attack? He felt himself frown. "How..." His question remained unfinished as the door to the hospital room opened and a doctor entered.

"Hello Dr. Wells. My name is Dr. Brown," he introduced himself with a friendly smile.

"Why am I here?"

Jesse and the doctor exchanged a brief glance before his daughter spoke. "I just told you. You had a heart attack."

"I need to get out of here. I... I need to talk to Snow," Harrison said, about to get out of bed, but the Doctor and Jesse stopped him.

"Dr. Wells, you have to stay here for at least one more night."

"What? Why?"

"We want to monitor your results a little longer. A heart attack shouldn't be taken lightly."

"Daddy, please. Listen to someone besides yourself," Jesse said. Her voice had risen. "It's about your health."

Harrison looked at his daughter. He was her comfort zone. He was always there for her. Her hero, who had never gotten sick, never been in the hospital. She saw her father as invulnerable, but now he'd had a heart attack, and so she'd seen that he, too, was only human. He swallowed and slowly lay back down on the bed.

"Okay." Harrison exhaled. His gaze turned to the doctor. "What can I do to prevent another heart attack?"

"You should stop smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and avoid an unhealthy diet high in salt, sugar, and saturated fat. Excessive physical exertion should also be avoided, especially in the immediate post-heart attack period."

"It's a good thing I'm not doing any of those things. I might cut down on snacking then," Harrison replied. "Anything else?"

"Yes, and this is one of the most important things you should avoid, which I think will be difficult in the position of CEO: stress."

Harrison snorted. "I really can't do that."

"That's why I'm going to sign you off sick for at least three months," the Doctor said.

"Excuse me? You can't..."

"Daddy." He looked at Jesse, who took his hand and squeezed. "Please. I don't want to lose you." At that moment, he no longer saw his 23-year-old daughter, but his little 6-year-old daughter, anxiously holding his hand as they slept on the streets of Central City. He exhaled again.

"Good. Three months... I think I can manage that."

"After that, I'll examine you again. However, you should also avoid stress in the future, as it can be a major trigger when it comes to suffering a second heart attack."

"I understand," Harrison replied contritely.

"I'll leave you alone again now. You need to rest," the Doctor said, leaving the hospital room.
He closed his eyes for a brief moment and exhaled.

"I haven't called Caitlin yet. Should I call her and tell her what happened?" Jesse asked, already holding the phone.

"No."

She frowned. "No? But she'll probably worry if you don't come to her."

"We..." He sighed. "We're not together anymore."

"What do you mean? Not together anymore? But you two..."

"She found out," Harrison interrupted.

"What did she find out?" Jesse asked, confused.

"She found out I'm Dr. Harrison Wells, not some CEO of a startup company."

Jesse looked at her father in disbelief. "Wait a second. You've been with her for over three months and you still haven't told her who you are? Dad! Why didn't you tell her?!"

"I wanted to tell her!" Harrison replied angrily, then immediately regretted it as a stabbing pain began to appear in his left chest. His hand clutched his shirt and he squeezed his eyes shut.

"I'm sorry, Daddy. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... I’m so sorry," Jesse said desperately.

Harrison took a deep breath and waited a moment before speaking. "I wanted to tell Snow, but... but I couldn't. I never found the right moment. Maybe..." He sighed and closed his eyes in defeat. "I was just afraid she'd leave me as soon as I told her who I really was. It was like I was trapped in a beautiful dream that I didn't want to leave." Harrison opened his eyes and looked at his daughter. "Snow... Caitlin was... is the first woman who never takes anything for granted. Even though I always paid for everything, she told me she would pay me back as soon as she..." He smiled sadly. "As soon as she had enough money or started working at S.T.A.R. Labs. It would be the very first thing she would do." Harrison blinked to stop the tears from welling up. Jesse had taken his hand and was squeezing it gently. "I'm an idiot. I should have told her when we were in the park, or when we spent the night together... There were so many times when I could have told her, but I..." He exhaled.

"What if you explain it to her? Why you did it? I'm sure she'll understand," Jesse said hopefully.

"I tried, but in her eyes... I could see how hurt she was about it and how betrayed she felt," Harrison answered, his voice shaky. "And I promised her I'd never break her heart, and that's exactly what I did."

He stared at the ceiling, and for a moment, an oppressive silence filled the hospital room until his daughter sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Move to the side a bit," she said. He frowned. "Move to the side a bit, or I won't fit on the bed."

Harrison did as he was told and shifted a little further to the left so Jesse could lie down on the bed. She put her arm around him and snuggled up to him. Harrison smiled and laughed softly.

"Remember? Whenever you were sad, I would crawl into your bed at night and we would cuddle together," Jesse said, smiling and looking at him.

He tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Yes, we did. After that, I always felt better. We had... We always have the two of us."

"Exactly. We Wellses don't let ourselves get defeated so easily." Jesse laid her head on his shoulder and felt her father put his arm protectively around her.

"That's true," Harrison replied, kissing her hair. "Thank you, my little Jesse Quick."

"I'm always here for you, Daddy. Always."

"And I'm always here for you, Jesse. No matter what. You can always count on me." Harrison closed his eyes, and only then did he realize how tired and exhausted he still was. He let his mind wander, remembering the time he spent with his daughter, and drifted off to sleep…

Meanwhile, Caitlin sat on the couch in her apartment, staring thoughtfully at the coffee table in front of her. She had pressed her legs against her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Her eyes were red from crying so much, and the worst part was, she just couldn't stop crying. Her gaze wandered to the black jacket lying over the arm of the couch. In her anger at Harrison, she had thrown the jacket in the trash, but after a few hours, she had taken it out and washed it. The good thing was that the jacket no longer smelled of him, but the bad thing was that it reminded her of him. She didn't want to remember him anymore; she wanted to forget everything about him. She wanted to forget how good he smelled, how good he looked—no matter what he was wearing. She wanted to forget his beautiful, clear blue eyes, as if they could see into her very core. She wanted to forget how loving, gentle, and tender he was, and how good the sex with him was.

But no matter how hard Caitlin tried, she couldn't forget him. Fresh tears streamed down her cheeks as she looked at the phone lying on the couch next to her. Ronnie was calling her for the fourth time today. It was already past noon, and she hadn't shown up for work. After what had happened yesterday, she hadn't found the strength to go to the flower shop and pretend everything was fine... because it wasn't. It hurt so much. She'd never felt such pain before. Why did love hurt so much? Caitlin jumped in alarm when someone knocked on the apartment door.

"Caitlin?" It was Ronald. She didn't answer. "I know you're in the apartment. Please open the door. My parents and I are really worried about you. Please, Cait."

For a moment, she considered staying still and waiting for Ronnie to leave, but she didn't want to be rude. Snow got up to walk to the door and open it. Ronald opened his mouth, about to say something, but stopped when he saw her tear-stained face. He clenched his hands into fists in anger. "What did that bastard do to you?"

"He..."

"Whatever. I'll beat the shit out of him!" he growled, about to turn around to leave, but Snow held him back.

"No." New tears filled her eyes, and Caitlin couldn't suppress a sob.

Ronald's gaze softened and he entered her apartment. As soon as she closed the door, he took her in his arms, where his shirt caught her tears. "I... I thought it was him." She lifted her head and looked at her friend. "I thought I'd finally found someone who..." Caitlin sobbed.

"I'll make us some hot chocolate and then you tell me everything, okay?" She just nodded, and Ronnie led her back to the living room, where she sat back down on the couch. He disappeared into the kitchen and started making hot chocolate. A few minutes later, he came back out of the kitchen with two mugs, where steaming hot chocolate could be seen. He placed the mug on the table in front of the couch and sat down next to Caitlin. She had curled up her legs and was staring forward with reddened eyes.

"Caitlin? Do you want to talk about it?"

She sniffed. "He... He's been lying to me... the whole time..."

Ronald blinked in surprise. "What did he lie to you about?"

"About who he really is," she answered, picking up the cup of hot chocolate.

"And who is he if he's not the CEO of a tiling company?"

"Harry... or rather, Dr. Harrison Wells is the CEO of S.T.A.R. Labs." She sipped the hot chocolate cautiously.

Her friend stared at her in disbelief. He'd thought of everything, but never that Harry was actually Dr. Harrison Wells. "I'm sorry, Caitlin. I really am."

"Thanks, Ronnie. Seems like I'll never find the right one," she muttered dejectedly. "I think I should just give up on any hope..."

Ronald opened his mouth to tell her not to stop looking. He wanted to tell her that the right one might even be sitting right next to her. But confessing his feelings for her now would probably only make things worse. And so he asked, "How did you find out he wasn't Harry?"

Caitlin laughed bitterly. "I went to the company after I got my job offer at S.T.A.R. Labs, but I didn't need an interview. It seemed strange to me, and I had a few thoughts that made me doubt... I went to his office, and when I walked in, I saw him sitting at his desk. It should have seemed strange to me right away that he was always able to pay for everything, and I'm sure he knew the chef from our date. He paid for the meal. We weren't lucky enough to have the chef pay for our meal. Harry... Dr. Wells just wanted to make me feel happy..." She sniffed. "And he succeeded," she added quietly. Snow sighed. "When I saw him sitting there... He promised he wouldn't break my heart, but that's exactly what he did. Dr. Wells wanted to explain himself, but... but I couldn't at that moment. It hurt too much."

"The good thing is, you'll never have to see him again, Caitlin," Ronald said, and when she looked at him, he smiled. "I won't let you get your heart broken again. Never again."

Caitlin smiled. "Thank you. I don't know what I'd do without you, Ronnie."

"How about we watch some movies and forget everything?" he suggested. "I'll watch your romantic movies with you, too."

She laughed, and he grinned. He loved her laugh. "But what about the flower shop? Aren't your parents expecting you back?"

"I'll send them a message and explain everything, if you'd like." Caitlin nodded and took a sip of her hot chocolate. "Okay. Then go ahead and pick out some movies, and I'll get us some snacks and drinks."

Chapter Text

It was afternoon, and Jesse was sitting at home on the sofa in the living room, typing something on her computer. In a week, she would be flying to Australia with a few employees and her boss to visit the company's second location. Next to the computer on the table was a small device that tracked her father's heart rate. He had built it in a single day two weeks ago so she could monitor his heart rate at all times. Since he was always quick to get worked up or stressed, knowing how incompetent some of his employees could be, it was a way for her to calm him down. Jesse was just typing something when the device started beeping. She got up and walked into his bedroom, where he had lain down to get some sleep. The bedside lamp on his side of the bed cast a warm glow over a small part of the room. Her father lay under the covers, panting heavily. His hand was clutched in his shirt. She quickly ran to him.

"Dad, wake up. Dad? Daddy. Daddy, wake up," Jesse said over and over, gently shaking his shoulder until Harrison opened his eyes.

For a moment, he seemed unsure of where he was, until his confused gaze fell on his daughter's face. "Jesse..." he breathed.

Harrison slowly sat up and ran his hand over his sweaty face. He'd been dreaming of Caitlin for days, but they weren't pleasant dreams; they were nightmares. Sometimes he watched her drown and he couldn't save her, or she'd leave him, over and over again, and no matter what he said, she'd leave him. Jesse saw her father getting worse. He hadn't showered in two days and was just hiding in his dark study until dinner was ready. His hair had also gotten a little longer, and he'd grown a beard, which he shaved off a little now and then. Harrison had tried calling Caitlin to talk to her during the first week, but she hadn't answered or returned any of his calls. He'd sent her thousands of messages, but no response. He'd even gone to the flower shop, but only Ronald Raymond's parents had been there. They weren't exactly thrilled about his visit and had told him that Caitlin had flown to France with Ronald to forget him. When she came home one evening, he had drunk a whole bottle of whiskey. Jesse then decided to work from home and packed all the alcoholic drinks in a cupboard and locked it. She kept the key with her. She looked at her father worriedly. He hadn't seen him this broken since her mother had left them both.

"Dad?"

"Hmm?" He looked at her questioningly. His usually clear blue eyes were cloudy, and dark circles had formed under his eyes.

"How about we go out to dinner tonight? Just the two of us at Luigi's restaurant after he closes? We haven't done that in a long time, and I'm sure it'll be fun," Jesse suggested with a smile.

Harrison tried to smile. "Yeah... yeah, that sounds good." He threw off the covers to get up. "I'm in the bathroom, taking a shower."

"Okay." Jesse watched her father cross the bedroom without any real energy and disappear into the bathroom. She exhaled, and then it hit her. She slapped her forehead, remembering that it was where her father had first met Caitlin. "Oh, Jesse! You're an idiot!"

She looked at the closed bathroom before slowly approaching and knocking. From inside, she heard the shower running. "Dad, can I come in?" Jesse asked, raising her voice so he could hear her, but there was no answer. "Dad?" Even louder. Silence. "Daddy, I'm coming in now."

Jesse opened the bathroom door and stepped inside. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw her father, clothes on, sitting on the shower floor, leaning against the wall. The water from the showerhead cascaded onto the floor, already soaking her father. His eyes were fixed straight ahead, but his distant gaze betrayed that he was lost in thought. His eyes were shining in the light of the bathroom, as if he'd been crying. Jesse swallowed. He looked so broken, worn out, and lost. Without thinking, she walked into the shower and sat down next to her father. She pulled him into a hug. She wanted him to know she was with him, that he wasn't alone. She would always be there for him... Jesse didn't know how long she'd been sitting in the shower with him, but the water had long since run cold.

"It's like I don't deserve another chance at love," Harrison murmured in a low voice. "I messed up... I had the love of my life right in front of me, holding her in my arms, but I was too cowardly... And now I've lost her forever…"

"You can still talk to her," Jesse tried to encourage him.

Harrison shook his head. "No, I think it's too late for that..." He carefully pulled away from his daughter and got up to leave the shower. He left the bathroom completely soaked. She felt so useless. She wanted to help her father, but she was running out of ideas. Jesse sat there for a moment before getting up to leave the bathroom as well. She followed the small puddles on the floor until she spotted her father in the kitchen by the refrigerator. Jesse watched him for a brief moment before making a decision. She went into the living room to grab her father's phone, typed Caitlin's cell phone number into her own phone, and pressed "call" It took a few seconds for someone to answer.

"Caitlin Snow."

"Uhm... Hey," she said, cursing herself inwardly.

"Who's speaking?"

"Jesse. Jesse Wells."

For a brief moment, there was only silence, and she heard Caitlin exhale. "If..."
"Wait. Before you say what you want to say, please hear me first," Jesse begged. "Please."

She heard Snow take a deep breath. "Okay."

"I know what my father did wasn't okay and... and that you'll probably never forgive him, but... but can you maybe listen to him? Let him explain why he did it? Why he pretended to be someone else?"

There was that silence again, and Jesse thought Snow had hung up when she spoke, "All right. I'll be at Jitters Café tonight after work at 6:00 pm."

A small explosion of fireworks went off in her stomach when she heard her words. "He'll be here. Thank you, Caitlin. See you later."

"Goodbye.“

Jesse jumped for joy when she hung up. "Why are you so happy? Did you get another raise?" she heard her father ask.

She turned to him with a grin. He was leaning against the wall, his clothes still soaked, a bowl of cereal in his hands. "Caitlin will meet you at Jitters tonight at 6 p.m."

Harrison paused as he was about to put his spoonful of cereal into his mouth. He stared at his daughter in disbelief. "What did you say?"

"I just spoke with Caitlin, and she's going to meet with you today so you can explain to her why you didn't tell her who you really are."

The bowl fell to the floor, shattering into pieces as the cereal spilled across the floor. "Snow called here?"

"No, not that, but I called her," Jesse replied. "I want you to explain it to her. She should know the truth."

Harrison swallowed. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Caitlin wanted to meet with him? He would see her again! A smile spread across his face. Harrison blinked. "What time is it?"

"It's 5:22," his daughter said, checking her phone.

"What? I still have to get ready and..."

"Let's go, Daddy!" Jesse grinned happily. Completely forgetting the cereal on the floor, he ran into his bedroom to get ready. "Slow down! Your heart!"

"Yes." Ten minutes later, Harrison stood in front of a mirror with his daughter, all in black, nervously looking at himself. "Do you think I should really keep the beard? What if Snow doesn't recognize me?"

Jesse laughed. "She'll recognize you, Daddy, I'm sure of it. No one else wears all black."

Harrison turned to her and hugged her. "Thank you, my little Jesse Quick."

She pulled away from him, smiling, and gently squeezed his hands. "I'm here for you. Now, take her back."

"I will."

He kissed his daughter on the forehead before leaving the house and getting into the car. Before starting the car, he took a deep breath. He would explain everything to her, answer any questions she might have. Everything. There was hardly anything going on on the streets, so Harrison arrived at Jitters Café early. He entered the café and the cozy warmth enveloped him. He scanned the café, but Caitlin apparently wasn't there yet. So he sat down at an empty seat and ordered a coffee. Whenever the door opened, Harrison looked up, hoping it was Snow. Time passed, and even at 6:46 p.m., Caitlin didn't appear.

Harrison was already on his second coffee. Maybe she was busy at the flower shop again, or maybe there was more traffic on the streets? He checked his phone to see if Caitlin had texted him, but there were no new messages. And what was he thinking? She probably wouldn't send him a message. She'd probably call his daughter instead of him. Harrison sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. At least he still had time to prepare for his conversation with Snow. More time passed, and the café emptied until only Harrison was left sitting there alone. The clock read 8:34 p.m. The café staff had already started tidying up a bit. And Caitlin still hadn't shown up. When Harrison heard the door open, he looked up from his fingers, hoping it was Snow, but it was his daughter. He blinked in confusion.

"Jesse, what are you doing here?"

"Well, I wanted to see how things were going, but..." She looked at the empty seat in front of her father. "Apparently Caitlin didn't come."

"She's coming," Harrison answered with conviction. "She wouldn't just cancel without saying anything. Snow isn't that kind of person."

Jesse nibbled on her lip and sat down across from her father. He was still so hopeful that she would show up. "Okay. I'll wait for her with you."

At 9:15 p.m., the two had to leave the café, leaving them alone on the streets of Central City. Harrison stared at the sidewalk in front of him. Jesse gently placed her hand on his arm, sympathetic.

"She... She'll come..." Harrison said in a low, dejected voice.

"Come on, Dad. Let's go home."

When her father looked at her, tears welled up in her eyes. He looked so hurt and frail. "No. What... What if she does come and... and we miss her?"

"Caitlin won't come, Daddy," Jesse said quietly. She took his hand in hers and slowly pulled him with her to his car.

"But..." He muttered quietly to himself. His gaze was fixed on the pavement. At the car, Jesse helped her father into the seat next to the drivers seat. During the ride, she glanced at Harrison every now and then. His gaze was fixed on the car floor. He seemed deep in thought. At home, Jesse helped him out of his clothes and placed a glass of water on his nightstand after covering him with the blanket. Before leaving the bedroom, she gave him a kiss on the forehead and wished him good night…

The next morning, when Harrison woke up, he changed his clothes and decided to walk through Central City. It was too quiet at home, because Jesse had to go to the office today. With his hands in his pockets, he shuffled through the city until he stopped in front of the flower shop. His eyes widened when he saw Caitlin standing behind the dresser, tying a bouquet.

"Snow." He had said her name and walked into the shop before he could stop himself.

Caitlin stopped what she was doing and looked toward the entrance. She stared at Harrison. The first thing she noticed was his beard and messy hair, as if he had just gotten out of bed. His clear blue eyes were dull, and dark circles were visible. He looked so tired as if hadn’t slept for days. His Adam's apple moved as he swallowed.

"You look beautiful," she heard him say softly, his voice raspy, and wondered if he had meant to say it out loud.

"What do you want here, Dr. Wells?" She looked from Harrison to Ronnie, who had come out of the back room and placed a small box on the dresser.

"I... I wanted to talk to Snow," he said quietly.

"But she doesn't want to talk to you. So you can go now."

"Ronnie." Caitlin placed her hand on his upper arm and stood beside him before turning her attention back to Harrison. "What would you like to discuss with me, Dr. Wells?"

Dr. Wells, not Harry. Anyone else could call him that, but she... to her, he was Harry. "I wanted to talk to you. To apologize to you. What I did..."

"I thought what we had was real," Caitlin interrupted. "At least to me."

Harrison blinked. "It was real, and it still is. Just like for me."

"If it had been real to you, you wouldn't have lied to me about your true identity."

"Snow, I..."

"No," she interrupted again. "I don't want to see anymore, Dr. Wells. Stop calling me or stopping by the flower shop to ask for me or send me messages. I'm over what happened. Your life is different from mine, and I... I don't belong there."

Hearing her words, Harrison frowned. "What are you talking about, Snow? You..."

"I live a simple life."

"We can live a simple life together," Harrison replied. He wanted to say so much to her, but his memory seemed completely jumbled, and the tightening in his chest didn't make it any better. "Please, Snow. Give... Give me a chance to prove to you that I'm still your Harry. Please. Give me a chance. Just one. Please."

"So you can lie to me again?" she asked, folding her arms in front of her chest. "No, thank you."

He was about to say something else, but Ronnie interrupted him, "You should go, Dr. Wells. Caitlin doesn't want anything to do with you anymore. You should just accept that."

Harrison clenched his hands into fists as anger boiled inside him, but then he let it go. He took a deep breath and resisted clutching his chest as a stabbing pain shot through him. His damn heart! When his gaze fell on her, Caitlin could see sadness, pain, and regret in them.

"I'm sorry, Snow," he said, his voice raspy. "If you can ever forgive me... you know where to find me. My door will always be open for you."

Caitlin looked away. Tears had welled up in her eyes. "Please leave."

Harrison flinched almost imperceptibly at the word. It hurt more than the pulling in his chest. Slowly, he turned and walked to the door. He dug his fingers into his shirt and squeezed his eyes shut as the pain in his chest increased. He gasped for air and had to brace himself with his hand against the doorframe for a moment.

"Are you alright, Dr. Wells?" he heard Ronald's voice ask.

He swallowed. "Yes... I'm fine." He took a deep breath and opened the door. Slowly, he walked out of the store and looked straight ahead. His gaze was fixed on a tree in the distance so he wouldn't look through the window at Snow again and see her hurt and disappointed face.

"Dr. Wells." He turned and saw Ronald walking toward him. Harrison took a deep breath.

"What?"

"You shouldn't get your hopes up that Caitlin will come back to you."

Harrison frowned. "And why not? Snow can still..."

"She's gotten over it, which is no wonder after what I did to take care of her. You broke her heart, Dr. Wells, and she'll never forgive you. Yet she still has me."

"What are you talking about?" he asked, confused. What was he getting at?

"Caitlin is my girlfriend now."

"Your girlfriend?" Harrison repeated incredulously. He felt his chest tighten. "You're lying."

"It's still very new, but as her boyfriend, I want you to stay away from her."

"You're lying. Snow wouldn't..." He swallowed and looked through the window at Caitlin, who was watching them from behind the dresser.

"You're welcome to ask her," Ronald said, stepping aside. "But after you ask her, get out of here. You're no longer welcome in our flower shop." He could see the shock and pain in Harrison's eyes. Now he knew what it felt like to lose someone you loved after everything he'd done. Harrison's fingers clenched in his shirt over his heart. He gasped and coughed. Without another word, he turned and walked away, slightly stooped. Raymond watched him briefly before sighing and heading back into the shop.

"What did you discuss with him?" asked Caitlin, who was standing behind the dresser, gathering remnants of flower stems.

"He should get over it. He's been lying to you all this time, and now he wants you back?" Ronald shook his head. "Crazy."

"I..." A loud crash sent them both running out of the shop and onto the street. Snow's eyes widened when she saw the man lying on the ground. "Harry!"

Chapter Text

Caitlin sat on a chair in the hospital room. Her reddened eyes were fixed on the man lying closed in bed next to her. The doctor had told her that his left arm and right leg were broken, as were his left shoulder and three of his ribs. His head was bandaged because he had a laceration and a severe concussion. Internal bleeding had been caused by a broken rib, but the doctor was able to quickly bring it under control. With tears in her eyes, she looked at Harrison. What if she had let him explain? Then maybe it wouldn't have happened at all. He wouldn't be lying in front of her now. But instead of letting him speak, Caitlin had cut him off, still hurt and angry with him. With a trembling hand, she took his hand in hers.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I'm so sorry. I should have listened to you, but I…" She looked up as the door to the room opened and Jesse ran in.

"Daddy!" she cried, stopping, out of breath, in front of his bed. Tears filled her eyes when she saw him lying there. Her legs buckled, and she knelt beside the bed. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Sobbing, she carefully took his left hand in hers. "Dad... Daddy, wake up," she sobbed, her gaze falling on Snow. "C-Caitlin? What... What are you doing here?"

"Uhm..." She swallowed and stifled a sob. She let go of Harrison's hand and placed her hands in her lap. More tears had formed in her eyes. "Harry was at the flower shop. He... He wanted to apologize, but I wouldn't let him and... and when he walked out... I-I heard a loud crash and then I saw... I saw him lying on the street."

"He was at the flower shop?" she repeated, sniffling. Snow nodded. "He was probably hoping to find you there after you didn't show up at the agreed time yesterday and he waited for you until Jitters closed."

Caitlin's eyes widened. "He... Harry was waiting for me?"

Jesse straightened up and wiped the tears from his cheeks. "Do you know how painful it was for my dad when you didn't come? When I told him you were meeting him, there... there was a spark of life in him again. He was happy to see you again and wanted to explain everything to you. Even when we had to leave Jitters because they were closing, he still hoped! He hoped you'd come. My dad said you'd let me know if you couldn't come, because you weren't the kind of person to just leave someone out in the cold."

Caitlin stared at Jesse in disbelief. "But I... I... I told Ronnie to please call you and tell you I couldn't come."

Now it was Harrison's daughter who looked at her, confused. "What?"

"Last night, after our phone call, there were so many people in the flower shop and I had my hands full. When Ronnie wanted to go into the back room, I called out to him to please call you on my phone and tell you I couldn't come. That was just before 6 p.m."

"But your friend didn't call me."

"Ronnie told me he had," Caitlin answered in disbelief. He had lied to her.

"And why didn't you let my father explain himself when he was with you?"

She cast her eyes down. "I don't know. I... When I saw him, I was angry at him again, and I..." Caitlin exhaled. Everything was so complicated. She was still angry at him, but deep down... she still loved Harry. "I'm sorry. I promise, when Harry wakes up, I'll be there to listen."

"I certainly hope so," Jesse said, sniffing. "When he told me in the hospital that you two weren't together anymore, I thought he'd get over it, but he hasn't. As you can see, he's grown a beard, and his hair's gotten longer, too." For a brief moment, she smiled. "Day after day, I watched him become more and more a shadow of himself. He barely ate anything, and when he did, I had to tell him to please eat something because after one bite he always stopped and just stared at the table. He's broken inside."

A brief silence fell until Caitlin asked, "Hospital? Why was he..."

"He had a heart attack."

Caitlin's eyes widened in shock. A heart attack? "When... When did he have a heart attack?"

"Two weeks ago." She wiped away the tears that were forming. Two weeks ago? That was when she... Snow looked at Harry, who was lying next to them on the hospital bed with his eyes closed. "I was so scared for my father. He... He'd never been in a hospital before, except for when I was born, of course. You know... When I was six, Daddy lost his first company. He worked day and night to build something for me and my mother," Jesse told her with a small smile. She had rested her head on her upper arm while holding Harrison's hand. "He was devastated, and when he came home, my mother started a fight with him. She accused him of being responsible for the company's demise. It was the last time I saw my mother." Her thumb gently stroked the back of her father's hand.

"I'm sorry," Caitlin said sympathetically. She had thought she knew Harry, but in reality, she knew almost nothing about him.

"Then he tried to get a job, but... well, my dad isn't exactly a team player," Jesse replied, smiling. "A few days later, he looked at the account and saw that my mother had taken all our savings and probably sent it to another account. My dad wanted to challenge it with lawyers, but without any money... We lost everything in just a few days and ended up on the streets. Dad said we would go camping for a few days. I knew that we wouldn't go camping but be living on the street because we had no money but I knew my dad wanted me not to worry. I don't know how long we were homeless, but after some time had passed, he and someone founded S.T.A.R. Labs. Things weren't looking good, and the co-founder disappeared because he didn't want anything to do with it anymore. And, like my mother had done, he blamed my dad for the fact that S.T.A.R. Labs would soon close. One evening, we were having dinner with Luigi at a restaurant when he offered to give us money so we could continue using S.T.A.R. Labs. Daddy, of course, refused, saying he would figure it out somehow, but... after a few weeks, we were in danger of ending up on the streets again, so Dad accepted Luigi's offer. He told my dad to pay him back the money someday - without interest. This allowed us and S.T.A.R. Labs to stay afloat. And then Daddy met Dr. Eobard Thawne. The two had similar ideas, and they began working together. Since then, S.T.A.R. Labs is the most successful company in the entire city." New tears had welled up in Jesse's eyes. "I don't want to lose my dad. We only have the two of us left. If Dad can't make it, then..."

"You can't think like that," Caitlin said. Jesse looked at her. "Harry will recover. He's a fighter, just like you. You've both been through so much. And now he'll get through this too, I'm absolutely convinced of that."

Throughout the day, the Doctor came to check on Harrison. Jesse stayed by her father's side while Caitlin quickly picked up something from the bakery so they had something to eat. Jesse told her funny stories about himself and Harrison to keep the mood steady, and they both laughed. They even spent the night in the hospital room. Jesse in the second empty bed, while Snow made herself comfortable on a chair. Jesse had insisted that she sleep on the chair, but Snow hadn't tolerated any argument.

Early the next morning, Caitlin awoke to the realization that she had spent the night in the chair. Her whole body ached and protested as she moved to stand and stretch. Her gaze fell on Harry, still lying in bed with his eyes closed, the only sound being the steady beeping of the machines he was hooked up to. With silent steps, she walked over to sit beside him again, while Jesse slept soundly on the other bed. She gently stroked his hair with her fingers.

"I'm sorry, Harry. Everything I did. Hurting you... was the last thing I wanted," Snow said, her voice choked. "But I was so angry and sad that... that you didn't tell me who you really were. You lied to me, and I... I couldn't..." She exhaled. A tear streamed down her cheek. "But I think I understand why you did it. I'm sure any woman who knows your true identity is only thinking about your money... That's why you hid your true identity from me and... I... I want you to know that I don't care how much money you have. I don't care if you don't have any money. I... I don't care if you're the CEO of a tiling company or the CEO of S.T.A.R. Labs. I... I just want you, Harry. Please. Come back to me." She kissed the back of his hand and then felt his hand squeeze hers. It was only briefly. Weak, but he had squeezed it. Snow looked at him hopefully. "H-Harry? Harry, can you hear me?" And then he opened his eyes and he was there. He was awake. Tears of joy and relief streamed down Caitlin's cheeks. "Harry."

His blue eyes studied her as if he didn't even realize she was sitting next to him, holding his hand. As if he were dreaming. "S... now..." His voice was a ragged whisper. He blinked slowly to clear his vision. Caitlin nodded.

"I'm here, Harry. I'm here."

"I'm... sorry... I introduced myself as Harry because..."

She gently placed her fingers on his lips to stop him from speaking. "You don't have to explain anything to me. Jesse told me everything." She wiped away the tears that were forming.

"Jesse..."

"She's sleeping on the bed next to you." Harrison slowly turned his head to the left and saw his daughter sleeping soundly. A small, faint smile spread across his face before he turned back to Caitlin. "I won't leave. Not again will I let you go, Harry. I love you."

His eyes widened slightly. "You... love me?" She nodded. "But..." He moistened his lips with his tongue. It was an effort to speak, but he wanted to know. "You and Ronald... you're not... together?"

Caitlin frowned, confused. "What do you mean?"

Harrison took a deep breath. "Your friend said that... that you two are a couple."

She stared at him in disbelief. "What? No. He said that?" Harry nodded slightly. She shook her head. "No. Ronnie and I aren't a couple. He's like a brother to me. I would never love him like that." Caitlin couldn't believe what she was hearing. First, she learned from Jesse that he had lied to her, and then he lied to Harry that they were together. A couple?!

"So you're not a couple?" Harrison asked quietly.

"No. The man I love is in front of me," Caitlin said with a small smile and kissed the back of his hand.

Harry swallowed and felt his eyes fill with tears. He tried to sit up, but all he could move was his head.

"What are you trying to do, Harry?" Snow asked.

"I wanted... wanted to kiss you," he said after his head had fallen back onto the pillow. He was breathing heavily.

She smiled and moved closer. "You want a kiss?"

"Yes, please, otherwise I'll still think it's a dream."

Snow looked at him for a moment before leaning in and capturing her lips with his. Harrison's hand rested on her cheek, and he sighed into the kiss. Yes, she was here. She wasn't a imagination. It wasn't a dream.

"So? Now you think I'm really here?" Caitlin asked, smiling, once she had pulled away from him.

"Yes, but I think I need one more kiss to be absolutely sure," Harrison replied, and Caitlin laughed softly. He grinned amusedly.

"You'll have as many kisses as you like, Harry, but now you need to rest."

"You're staying here?" he asked, feeling his eyelids grow heavy.

"Yes. I'll stay with you."

"Thank you, Snow... I love... you..." Harry whispered before drifting off to sleep.

Chapter Text

It had now been two weeks since the accident happened. Harrison was in a wheelchair. He had insisted on crutches, but he had to agree with the doctor because things were going badly. Jesse had been in Australia with her colleagues and had been back home for four days. Caitlin had spoken to Ronald about his lies. He had confessed his love for her and said that he was a lot better than Harrison. She would forgive his two little lies in a few months and they would be happy together. He would never lie to her about his true identity like Harrison had. Caitlin had told him that she considered him her best friend and nothing more. She never expected that he would lie to her and that one lie would put Harrison in such great danger. She then told his parents that she was taking some time off so she could look after Harrison until Jesse got back. But when his daughter returned, Harrison insisted that Snow stay with them for the weekend, as bad weather and storms had also been forecast. Harrison was in bed and Caitlin was next to him. Her head was on his right shoulder and his arm was around her.

It was just before 10 am and Caitlin was watching Harry sleep. His healing had progressed quickly. His head wound and concussion had healed well, but Harry would still have headaches for weeks to come, but no more nausea. His broken bones also healed well, but to avoid overexerting himself, he had to use a wheelchair. Driving to work wasn't an option either, as he was supposed to rest, which Harrison grumbled and reluctantly accepted. Caitlin raised her hand to gently glide the tip of her index finger across his forehead, down over the bridge of his nose.

"Hmmm…" Harry hummed, making her smile.

"You're awake," Snow remarked in a quiet tone. He opened his eyes. "I thought you were still asleep."

Harrison turned his head to her and kissed her forehead. Caitlin carefully pushed herself up on her elbow to look at him. "Five minutes ago, yes, but then the headache came and a hint of hunger," he replied, raising his hand to let his knuckles gently stroke her cheek. "You're so beautiful, Snow."

"Harry." Caitlin felt herself getting warm and her cheeks flushed. She lowered her gaze shyly.

"It's true," he said, gently lifting her chin with two fingers. "You are my day and my night, Snow. As bright as the sun and as calm as the night. For the first time something feels right. Without a doubt. Without fear. For the first time I think that there is more to me than... work, guilt and old mistakes. Every time I look at you or think about what we're going to do next, it's like a weight is lifted from my shoulders. I know that I can sometimes be a difficult person, Snow. And I've never really shown you how much you mean to me. But I figured it out... maybe the hard way." A small smile graced his face. "I can't go on without you anymore. To me, you're more than just a young woman who works in a flower shop and wants to be a biochemist one day. You're the one who gave me the meaning back to my life. You're not one of those women who, when she finds out that I'm rich, only sees money in their eyes. What really matters, Snow, is you. You were honest with me from the start and I played the wrong cards because I thought you were only interested in money."

Caitlin's eyes had filled with tears and Harry gently brushed away a tear that was threatening to flow down her cheek.

"After everything that's happened... I'm afraid I'll never be able to do enough to be fair to you, to repair the damage I've caused. But I want to at least try. Even if it takes my whole life."

His fingertips glided gently over her cheek. The words he had been searching for for so long to apologize... He had finally found them. He wanted to show her his love, confess his love to her and now he had finally done it. Harry loved her so much. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her and hoped she wanted to spend it with him too. "I..."

But before he could finish his sentence, Caitlin leaned down to kiss him. He smiled into the kiss because it was answer enough for him. His hand was on her cheek and when she pulled away he looked into her bright brown eyes.

"If I wasn't hurt, I would have sex with you right now," he said, grinning. Caitlin laughed. He pushed a strand of hair out of her face. "I'll make it up to you, Snow. I promise you."

"Every day that goes by and I can be with you, that's enough for me," she said, smiling. Harrison's eyes twitched. He groaned. "Is everything okay? Are you in pain?"

"My head," he murmured. When he looked at her again, he saw concern in her eyes. "Maybe your kisses can ease my headache."

Caitlin smiled and kissed his temple. "I'll help you into the wheelchair, then we can have breakfast together and then go for a walk to get some fresh air. At least as long there is no storm."

She crawled down from the bed and went to Harry's side of the bed. She pulled away the blanket and positioned the wheelchair so that Harrison could lean on the bedside table and sit in the wheelchair without any problems. He sighed as he sat in the wheelchair.

"I know that sigh, Harry," Snow said, looking at him. "You're not a burden to me. I'm happy to do it."

"But…"

"No. No buts. That's what you do in a relationship, you support each other and are there for each other."

Harrison looked at her for a moment. This wonderful woman in front of him gave him so much and he had only caused her grief. It would be a long journey to live up to her, but each new day was a beginning. He smiled. "Okay."

"Good," Snow said smiling and gave him a kiss before driving him out of the bedroom and into the living room to the table. While Harry was in the wheelchair, they used the guest room, which was downstairs and at ground level. “What would you like to eat?” Caitlin asked.

"Surprise me," he said, taking a small sip from the glass of water Caitlin had placed in front of him. She laughed and opened the fridge to get some eggs when they both heard the front door open and close. Caitlin looked at Harrison.

"Jesse?" Harry asked loudly.

His daughter came around the corner. "Hey. You're awake. I didn't want to be loud since I didn't know if you were awake. I brought breakfast." Grinning, she held up three bags from a bakery. "Croissants, pretzel sticks, and rolls. And for dessert, blueberry muffins."

"Do we have something to celebrate, that you bought so much?" Harrison asked with a raised eyebrow, while Jesse placed the bags on the table and fetched a basket from the kitchen.

"Of course. I'm celebrating that you two are finally back together." Caitlin and Harry exchanged a quick glance. "You two belong together. You're good for each other. And now we're going to eat, because I'm starving."

Caitlin laughed and Harry smiled. They were like a little family. It was a feeling Harry hadn't had in a long time. He felt liberated and... happy.

"Are you crying, Daddy?" Jesse asked suddenly.

Harry blinked, feeling the tears welling up. He quickly wiped his eyes. "No. I..."

"Yes. You're crying," his daughter interrupted, grinning.

"I'm happy," he replied. Jesse's smile faded as she looked at him. "I'm happy again. For a long time, I thought I could never be truly happy again, but now..." He laughed. "I think anything is possible."

His daughter's smile returned, and she went to him to give him a gentle hug. "I'm happy too. I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, my little Jesse Quick."

When the doorbell rang, Caitlin went into the hall to open it. A woman with long blonde hair and blue eyes. She was wearing makeup, an expensive coat, and an equally expensive handbag.

"Hello," Snow greeted her kindly. "Can I help you?"

"Ah. You must be the maid," the woman said, and before Caitlin could do anything, too stunned by the word maid, the woman pushed her aside to enter the house.

"Snow? Is everything okay?" she heard Harry's voice ask from the living room.
Blinking, she came out of her stupor and went back into the room where the woman stood. Harrison and Jesse stared at her, stunned.

"Don't look like you're seeing a ghost," said the woman, smiling, seemingly the only one there who hadn't yet realized she wasn't welcome.

"Tess." Tess?

"Mom." Mom?

Caitlin's eyes widened in understanding.

"Yes. I'm back." Tess smiled.

"Snow, come here, please," Harry said, and she did as he told her. She stood beside him, and Harrison took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

Tess frowned. "Why are you holding hands with the maid?"

"Maid?" Jesse repeated incredulously, folding his arms. "Her name is Caitlin Snow, and she sells flowers and is a biochemist!"

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked in a dark, threatening voice.

"What do I want here? You're still my husband, Harrison, and I'm your wife. We..."

"My wife?" he interrupted. "No. We haven't been a couple for years."

"You left us and took all our money! Or did you forget that!" Jesse shouted angrily.

"I just took what was mine after your father lost his company," Tess replied, shrugging indifferently and making Caitlin sick. Didn't this woman understand she'd hit a wall? She wouldn't be able to get a foothold here.

"It's because of you that we ended up on the streets!"

"But look at each other now. See what we've accomplished?" she said, turning around.

"We? You mean my dad!" This woman was delusional. How could she possibly believe Harrison and Jesse would let her back into their lives after everything she'd done to them?

"Tess." His ex-wife looked at Harry as he said her name, and Jesse closed her mouth to stop herself from saying anything. "The only reason you're back here is because you need money. You don't want to see either of us, otherwise you wouldn't have left us."

"I..."

"After I made my company, S.T.A.R. Labs, successful and had enough money, the first thing I did was file for a divorce. And you signed that divorce."

"Excuse me? I never did that!" Tess spat.

"Yes, you did, but you don't seem to have realized it in all the stuff you've bought with my money. Because I sent someone to you to explain that I wanted a divorce, and you signed it. My lawyer even told me how quickly you wanted to get it over with while your new boyfriend was standing in the kitchen." Harrison saw her swallow, realization dawning in her eyes. "You don't have a home here anymore, Tess, and you never will."

"But I..." For the first time, her gaze fell on Caitlin, who had been watching the scene silently. "Talk to Harrison. You're apparently his girlfriend now! Talk some sense into..."

"Leave Caitlin out of this," Harry interrupted coldly. Tess looked at her ex-husband. "You should leave before I call the police and report you for trespassing on my property."

The woman opened her mouth, but then closed it again. She stamped her foot angrily, turned around, and disappeared from the living room. The only sound of her was the door closing with a loud bang. Harry leaned back in his wheelchair. He closed his eyes, and exhaled. He never dreamed he'd see this woman again.

"Harry?" He opened his eyes when he heard Snow's worried voice. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I am now." Harrison kissed her hand, which he still held in his hand. "Let's have breakfast."

"Okay."

"How did Mom get here…" Jesse slapped his forehead. "She must have seen me on the street at the bakery and followed me."

"That doesn't matter now. The only thing that matters is that we have each other." Caitlin sat down next to Harry, while Jesse sat at the table opposite her father. Jesse cut him a roll and Snow took a croissant from the basket.

Late that afternoon, Caitlin and Harry sat together on the sofa while it rained and stormed outside. Snow was reading a book while Harry slept sitting up next to her. A book about particles lay on his lap. His head was resting on the back of the sofa, his mouth slightly open. Caitlin looked up from her book when Harrison suddenly woke up.

"Are you okay?" she asked. He looked at her. His eyes were full of fear and uncertainty. Caitlin put the book down and placed her hand on his cheek. "Hey, what's wrong?" She looked at him worriedly.

"I thought…" Harry swallowed. "I dreamed you weren't here anymore. I'd wake up and you wouldn't be there."

Snow smiled and kissed him. "I won't leave you, Harry. I told you in the hospital that I would stay with you and I intend to stay with you forever."

Harry stared at her speechlessly until he claimed her lips. Caitlin squeaked in surprise, but then returned the kiss lovingly. The last few days had been ups and downs, but now they would look to the future together. As a team. And perhaps the family would grow a little in the future…