In which Cissie gets a code name [SWS]

[notarrowette]

[RP with nokidflash, following Cissie's conversation with Cassie]

After her talk with Cassie, Cissie decided that she needed to try to relax and clear her head. She had spent all morning in the bakery, and she could go back, but she felt like burning energy, so she headed to the range for some practice. When she was shooting, she could put aside everything that was bothering her and focus.

Bart had spent the day doing Things That Weren't At the Bakery, like talking to suppliers and fighting criminals. He missed Cissie, mostly because things had been so moody lately and he liked being around her to calm him. But she wasn't at home - his or hers - and she wasn't at the bakery. He ran to the Young Justice HQ, but she wasn't there either. Which left really only one place he knew she'd be at. She'd told him where the range was once, but he'd never been while she was practicing. Cissie was a VIP, so she had a nice spot that was sort of secluded. Bart slipped quietly in and watched her practice for a little while before clearing his throat to announce his presence.

Sometimes when Cissie was shooting, especially when she had a lot on her mind, she focused too much--like now. She didn't even notice anyone was nearby until Bart cleared his throat. Thankfully, he was smart enough to wait until she had let the arrow go before surprising her. She jumped and whipped her head around to look. "Bart!"

"Cissie!" Bart grinned at her. She was really amazing to watch. He admired her focus, and the way the bow seemed like an extension of her body. It wasn't something he'd really paid attention to before, but now that he did it was hard to ignore... well, how sexy she looked while she was in archery mode. "I missed you. I hope you don't mind."

She set her bow aside and grinned at him. "I definitely don't mind!" She pulled her glove off and leapt at him. "Hi!"

"Hi!" Bart laughed and caught her in his arms. "The guy at the front desk totally texted Perez Hilton when I came in. I think we've just been outed."

She laughed and kissed him, hooking her arms around his neck. "I'm okay with that if you are."

"Yep! Totally okay with it. Though I'm a little worried he's going to photoshop a penis on my face." Smiling, Bart kissed Cissie back and then spun her a little for good measure. "I didn't mean to interrupt your practice, but I wanted some Cissie Kisses. Do you need to shoot some more?"

"Why would he do that?" She grinned and giggled when he spun. "I've been at it for a while. I would rather have Bart kisses than more practice."

"I don't know, isn't that what he does to people?" So maybe Bart had been bored one day and looked at the website. Maybe. "Well, you can have all the Bart kisses you want."

Cissie shrugged, making a 'huh' face. "I don't know! I don't really pay attention to him? He falls under the category of 'the press' and I am not their biggest fan," she said, winking at him. "Which, you know, doesn't mean I'm stupid enough to piss them off, but whatever!" She kissed him again. "I want lots and lots of Bart kisses, please."

"Okay, lots and lots of Bart kisses coming right up." Bart smiled and kissed her. And then kissed her again. And again, until the lots of small kisses turned into a few long, heavy ones.

Cissie most definitely approved of this. Bart kisses were exactly what she needed right now, and she returned them happily. When they stopped to breathe, she leaned her head against his. "Hi," she said softly. "I'm glad you came."

"Me too." He backed slowly towards a bench so he could sit down, and pulled Cissie into his lap. "You okay, BooBoo?"

"I am now," she said, curling up in his lap and tucking her head against his shoulder. "Are you?"

"Yeah. I got to be a superhero for a little while today. No drama, just kicking butt. It was nice." He kissed her temple. "But I missed you. And I got us a hotel in Boston. Also I missed you. Oh. And I love you. Don't forget that either."

Cissie shook her head, kissing his neck. "I don't." It was kind of amazing, really, how much that was already part of her. She was Cissie King-Jones, and she loved Bart Allen. Who loved her back. "I missed you too. I'm glad you got to kick some butt and take some names. You got us an entire hotel?"

"Shoot, I didn't take their names." Bart made a mock-worried face. "Should I have taken their names?" He laughed and thwapped her lightly on the back. "Nooo, just a room. Near the Esplanade."

Cissie laughed lightly and just tightened her arms around him. "I think it's okay if you didn't take their names. Next time. The hotel room sounds great. I'm excited."

Bart grinned. "Really? It's only a little over a month away. I hope you have fun. We'll go for the weekend and do the Freedom Trail annnnnd I'll take you to a Red Sox game annnnd other stuff!"

She pulled back enough to smile at him. "Really, silly. And I will have fun--I always have fun with you," she said, kissing his nose. "That sounds fantastic. I've never done those before--what kinds of things are on the Freedom Trail?"

"Uhhh, Faneuil Hall and the Old North Church and the cemetery where famous people are buried." Bart shrugged. "I don't want to ruin it." He smiled and kissed her. "We have so much stuff to do between now and then. Like the bakery. And kissing. And sex. And the bakery. Annnd, kissing and sex. Okay, maybe not that much."

Cissie laughed and kissed him back. "We will probably be very busy with the bakery, yes" she conceded.

Bart blinked. "... and kissing and sex?"

Cissie giggled and kissed his nose. "And kissing and sex. But aren't those normal things now?"

"Yeaah." He wrinkled his nose. "But the bakery will be, too. We don't have to have sex all the time, you know. I mean. I'm not like a sex fiend or anything."

She reached up and poked his nose with her finger. "I know that, silly. I love you." She leaned in to whisper, "And I love sex with you. And that you want sex with me."

"Okay, because I definitely want sex with you." He closed the gap between their lips and kissed her. "And other fun sexy times. And cuddling times. And kissing times. And all times, really."

Cissie kissed him back, hugging him tightly. "How do you always do that?"

Bart grinned. "Do what? You always ask me that, Ciss. All I do is tell you how I feel."

Cissie leaned her head against his and shrugged. "I know, but--you always know when I need to hear it. When I need you. You always make me feel about a million times better."

"That's because it's my job." Bart ran his hand up and down her back. "I exist to make you happy. To make you feel better. 'Cause I love you and I'll always love you and I've always loved you. That's just how it is."

Cissie tucked her head in against his shoulder again, holding him close and burying her face in his neck. Her eyes stung and she already had a headache from crying earlier with Cassie, but that just meant the tears came that much easier, even if she didn't want them to. She didn't really know where this was coming from. Maybe she was just especially vulnerable today, but she just suddenly felt... unbalanced. Like this kept happening, like she needed Bart and his reassurances so much more--and more often--than he needed her. "Do... Do I make you happy? Because I want to. I want--to make you as happy as you make me."

"Cissie." Bart had no idea what brought this on, though he could guess. He held onto her tightly, trying to sooth her with his hands, combing his fingers through her hair, kissing her softly. "You make me so happy. I don't know how to put it into words how happy you make me. I told you that you're like running to me. You are. With you I feel... right. I came back for you, Ciss, to be with you because I need you. Because ten seconds without you is like torture, but ten seconds with you is... everything. You make me happy."

Cissie hated that she was crying. She hated that she was so screwed up and needy and wounded today, even after seeing Cassie and clearing things up with her. She hated feeling like she wasn't enough. She knew Bart loved her. He told her all the time, and she knew it--it was part of her now. She did know. She held on to him and took a few deep breaths. "I'm sorry," she said finally. "I don't know what's got into me."

"You don't have to apologize." Bart just sat for a few minutes, holding onto her. "You don't ever have to apologize to me, Cissie. I'll always love you no matter what." He knew that with their weird lives that was probably an invitation for disaster, but he also felt right; nothing would go wrong with Cissie. He knew it like he knew how to breathe. "How'd things go with Cass?"

"I love you too. So much." Cissie took a few steadying breaths and finally wiped at her eyes, settling against him a little more comfortably, able to stop clinging so much. "They went well, I think." She made a face, sighing a little. "I cried in public. I hate that. But we talked. She said that maybe you were right."

Bart's hands stilled as Cissie seemed to calm down, and relaxed with her. "Of course I was right!" He smiled and nodded, but the added: "What was I right about?"

Cissie laughed. "She said maybe I should be 'Hot General Cissie.' I told her I think there does need to be a field leader, too. And that the code name needs work."

"Really?" Bart looked thoughtful. "I think Hot General Cissie is a great code name. I mean, I guess it's sort of specific so it's not really secret, but it's very descriptive." He playfully pinched at her hips. "You're really hot."

"Even when I look like this?" She pulled back to look at him, making a face. She knew she had to be all red and splotchy, and her eyes felt swollen and tired--she was not one of those girls who looked pretty when they cried. But she was mostly teasing, so she continued, "It's not very secret, no, and it's kind of long. Not very easy to say in a hurry. Unless it's you."

"Duh, Cissie. I'd so have sex with you right now. You're hot all the time, even like this, which is, I dunno, what's the word. Beautiful. 'Cause you always are." Bart put his hands at her cheeks and wiped away some of her tears with his thumbs. "How about Hot General? HG? Hotgen!"

She laughed and turned her head to kiss his palm. "You can call me that. I might come up with something else for everyone else, how's that?"

"No, I've already got BooBoo for you, BooBoo." Bart smiled. "Is there a reason you don't want to be Arrowette anymore? I mean, I know you're not going to put on the mask or go out there, but... is the name a problem?"

Cissie frowned thoughtfully, leaning into his hand. "I don't know that the name is a problem... It's just--not me, anymore? Like you're not Impulse, or Kid Flash or Flash, now. I don't--Arrowette did things... I don't want to be her anymore. And--that was Mom's name, and Mom's dream and then I kind of... did it to get back at her, and then it was mine, and then I--well, you know. I don't know. I think I'd rather start over, if that makes sense."

"That makes a lot of sense. Look at who you're talking to. Everyone hates my new name, even you a little. So I get what it means when you say that's not who you are anymore." He let one hand drop to her side and leaned back against the wall. "Do you want a name that has anything to do with the Arrows?" He sort of wished Speedy wasn't taken, because he'd love for her to be Speedy. Just selfishly. He knew it had nothing to do with running, but still.

"I don't hate the name, just--what it brings to mind." She shrugged. "But you'll give me new things to associate it with and everyone will get over it." She paused, thinking. "I don't know. I think... I don't really know where I fit with them yet, and I won't actually be using my archery, not for this. I... I might want something that's just--mine, you know?"

"Yeah, I know." He leaned forward and kissed her. "Want to do some brainstorming? I've got a lot of names memorized, and their meanings, annnnd, you want something that no mask's ever used before, right?"

She smiled into the kiss. "Brainstorming sounds fun."

"Okay." It took a lot for Bart not to just keep kissing her. But he knew that getting a code name would be helpful. It'd help her feel better with them all, and maybe it'd help Cassie feel better, too. "Um, so what sort of name do you want? Descriptive? The name of, like, a mythological creature, something that invokes a feeling...?"

Cissie hummed thoughtfully, biting her lip and wrinkling her forehead. "I like mythology. Something..." She laughed, shrugging. "Something with a little more meaning than 'Arrowette'," she said wryly.

"Okay. Well, no Greek gods because that's weird with Cassie." Bart closed his eyes for a second and thought about it. "What about a bird? Like Raven or... Griffin. Which isn't a bird, but you know. It's got wings" He opened his eyes and added quietly: "Arrowette has a lot of meaning for me."

Cissie smiled softly and leaned in, kissing him. "I love you. I meant--you know what I meant."

Bart smiled. "I know what you meant. For me it's not about your mom. I hear Arrowette and I think of the girl I fell in love with without even knowing. But, yeah. No birds?"

"Thank you." Cissie gave him another soft kiss and smiled. "I don't mind birds. I don't really know why birds, though?"

"I have no idea, it was just a thought." Bart shrugged. "I mean. Do you have a theme?"

She wrinkled her nose, frowning slightly. "I don't... know. I haven't really thought of one. Should I have one? Huh."

"Um, no? You don't need to. I mean, whatever you want." Another shrug. "Tim's is pretty random. I mean, he didn't pick it, but I think it was randomish when Dick did, right? So... whatever works?"

Cissie hummed thoughtfully. "I guess. I think I want something with some meaning, though? Like... Your name has meaning. It's what you are. Cassie, Tim and Kon didn't pick their names, but they have meaning and histories behind them, you know?"

"I guess. But you know I don't like the whole boy and girl thing. And the Kid Flash sucked. Why did you let me agree to that?" He tickled her ribs lightly. "So what kind of meaning do you want?"

Cissie giggled and kissed his nose, swatting at one of his hands. "You didn't ask me! And I know. We're a little old for that. I'm happy to not have girl in my code name." She scrunched up her face, thinking. "Ummm. I'm not sure. Something... I don't know, like--pay no attention to the girl behind the curtain-ish. Or... I don't know. Something. Bah."

Bart grinned. "Uh. The Wiz?"

She made a face at him, grimacing. "I really don't want to give Kon that kind of teasing ammunition."

"Yeah, good call, BB." Bart leaned his head back and looked at the ceiling. "I dunno. What other kind of... meaning, I mean. Besides the wizard that does stuff behind the scenes?"

"Hmm." Cissie put a hand on his chest, over his heart. "Like... I don't know. I'll be back at, I don't know, home base or whatever we'll call it. Kind of... keeping track of things. Watching over you." She leaned in and touched her forehead to his, closing her eyes. "You'll come home to me."

"Like my beacon," Bart whispered. "Guiding me home. I'll always come home to you, Cissie. As long as I breathe. And even after that."

She wrapped her arms around him. "Good," she whispered back. "I want you to. I... I want to be your beacon. Always." She didn't care how corny it might sound, because it was the truth. "I want you to always remember that I'm there, waiting for you."

Bart smiled and held Cissie close to him. Nothing else mattered when she was in his arms. "I'll always remember. You brought me back form the Speed Force, Cissie. You really are my - hey. What about that as a codename?" He pulled back a little. "Beacon."

Cissie blinked at him, surprised when he pulled back. She'd been all prepared to go in for the kiss, so it took her a second to focus again. "That's... huh." She looked thoughtful for a moment, then smiled a little. "That's--not bad. I think I like it."

"Really?" Bart beamed. He wanted to be a part of her naming - though he wouldn't tell her that so he wouldn't pressure her - but he'd be happy if she really kept it. "I kind of like it, too."

"Really." Cissie smiled--seeing him so happy made her happy, too. She liked the name, and what it meant, and that Bart had suggested it. She leaned in and pressed her lips to his. “It’s perfect. I love it.” She punctuated her sentences with kisses, then leaned in and whispered into his ear. “Can we go home now so I can thank you properly?”

They were moving before she finished her sentence.