Bart, you've got some 'splaining to do!

[notarrowette]

[RP with nokidflash, following this]

Cissie closed her laptop and buried her face in her hands. She had thirty-five minutes before Bart showed up, and she was going to need all of them. She'd spent the last twenty hours or so in something of a daze, not really believing the reality of Bart being gone and clinging to the idea that he would come back. And despite all the arguing about blame and "stopping" Bart, she just hadn't been able to place blame anywhere. The idea that Bart had left on purpose was just not something she had been able to grasp yet.

But now Bart was back, and saying that he not only knew what he'd been doing, but that he had done it--he'd left them--without knowing if he could come back.

Five minutes before Bart was due to arrive, Cissie stopped crying and went to wash her face. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, grimacing. She looked horrible, like she'd been crying all day. Her eyes were red and swollen and her face was splotchy and pale. She just couldn't bring herself to care, though. So she splashed more water on her face, went to change her t-shirt and wait for Bart.

Comments

[cisskabob.livejournal.com]

"The last part!"

[nokidflash.livejournal.com]

"Oh. I was thinking maybe you'd want to go out with me."

[cisskabob.livejournal.com]

"You were..." Cissie stepped back and bumped into the counter. Oh, right. She was in the kitchen. "You thought--what?"

[nokidflash.livejournal.com]

"Or not?" Bart looked at her like she had three heads. It's not like he'd just asked her to kick a puppy. "I mean, it was just an idea."

[cisskabob.livejournal.com]

"No, I mean, it's not--" She exhaled in a huff, pushing her hair back from her face. "What about--Tabby, and--somehow I'm even more confused now."

[nokidflash.livejournal.com]

"Yeaah." Bart shrugged. "Tabby has Sam, and even if she didn't, she doesn't... maybe one day she could love me, but I'm not going to wait around for that. Mia still isn't talking to me, and I deserve it. And that makes it sound like you're the runner up or something, but it's not like that. I just want to have dinner with you. Because. You're you."

[cisskabob.livejournal.com]

Cissie looked at him closely, trying to read him. "Are you still in love with them?"

[nokidflash.livejournal.com]

"Yeah." Bart wasn't going to do the dishonesty thing anymore. "I am."

[cisskabob.livejournal.com]

Oh. That--yeah, that made sense. You don't stop being in love with someone overnight, even in the Speed Force. "And--you want to go out with me?"

[nokidflash.livejournal.com]

"Yeah?" This wasn't exactly what he'd expected, but at least there was no punching. "Yeah. I do."

[cisskabob.livejournal.com]

"...Oh. Okay."

[nokidflash.livejournal.com]

"Yeah?" Okay. Weird, but she still said yes, so that was good. "Are you sure?"

[cisskabob.livejournal.com]

"I--gyah, Bart!" She shoved her hands into her hair and blew out her breath. "I don't know, I think so? It's... I'm just happy you're back," she said with a sigh. "And dinner would be--fun. We still have to find a bakery location anyway, right?"

[nokidflash.livejournal.com]

Gyah? Gyah could mean so many things. "Don't say yes just because you're happy I'm not dead. Say yes because you want to go out with me." He took a couple of steps towards her, tentatively. "Yeah, we do. But this isn't like post-work drinks. It's a date."

[cisskabob.livejournal.com]

"I am happy you're not dead," she pointed out--and okay, when did her stomach start doing that little flippy thing? That was new. And when did Bart's earnestness become so... charming? Cute? She didn't even know. She took a deep breath. "Are you asking me out because you want to go out with me? Or..." She had no idea what the 'or' might be, but asking it made her hold her breath.

[nokidflash.livejournal.com]

There were a lot of "or" responses. Or because he didn't want to be alone. Or because he wanted to take his mind off Tabby and Mia. Or because he thought they might care and it might change things. But none of those were true. The truth was... he just liked Cissie. And they were both in a place and time where it made sense to try something.

"I want to go out with you." He grinned. "I did bring you flours, right?"

[cisskabob.livejournal.com]

She couldn't help a small smile at that, glancing over at them. "You definitely did." She bit her lip and looked back at him. "Okay," she said, feeling her face heat. Was she blushing? Gah. What was she, twelve?

[nokidflash.livejournal.com]

"I don't know how to play guitar though, sorry. I could probably learn." She was looking at him funny. Was she blushing? Huh. "I was thinking of taking up the violin, actually. I was talking to my friend Terry about it, and... how about tonight?"

[cisskabob.livejournal.com]

She laughed, smiling a little easier. "I like violins better than guitars, actually," she said with a shrug. "Um. Tonight. ...Okay."

[nokidflash.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, me too." Another step, and they were toe to toe again. Bart looked down at her. "Want me to go, get beaten up by Cassie, and pick you up later? Or can I stay a little?"

[cisskabob.livejournal.com]

Wow, he was close. And tall. And close, and she was pretty sure she was smiling stupidly. "Well, you can stay a little. But I think Cassie's really anxious to beat you up, and everybody else probably wants to see you, too."

[nokidflash.livejournal.com]

"Okay. Are there cookies?" He leaned down and pressed his forehead against the top of Cissie's head, just resting it there for a minute. "If there aren't cookies, I may as well just go get my ass kicked now."

[cisskabob.livejournal.com]

She grinned, letting her eyes close for a second, just feeling--happy. "I think there are some old cookies," she offered. "From last week."

[nokidflash.livejournal.com]

"Better than nothing. Guess I can stick around." Bart didn't move, other than to tentatively wrap his arms back around her waist. It wasn't the same kind of hug as before, and he didn't even realize he was holding his breath, waiting for her reaction.

[cisskabob.livejournal.com]

Cissie opened her eyes and smiled at him, a little shyly. She put her arms around his shoulders carefully. This was--different, but... in a good way? She didn't really know, and she didn't want to think too hard about it, so she just hugged him back and smiled up at him and asked, "Just for cookies?"