Barry breathed out a chuckle and even though he noticed the way in which Blaine’s smile wobbled, his did not. Social interactions had always posed a challenge; other people’s hesitation made insecurity emerge in his heart, being pumped all around his system, fearing as though he might be the reason why they felt uncomfortable, or bored, or whatever it was that had them looking put off by their conversation. More often than not he remained oblivious to the fact that the true reason might have been that he was making the other person as flushed and nervous as they were making him. This time, however, was different. Now he wouldn’t go as far as smugly claiming Blaine was totally into him ( he could see in his manner that there was more to the story he could not explicitly ask to hear just yet ), but suddenly interacting didn’t feel like such a struggle.
Instead, with the warmth he could feel taking over his smile and his inability to tear his eyes from his face, he felt as though he was communicating exactly what he wanted; how comforted and flattered and honored he felt to be deemed as special company. He was not worrying about staying silent for too long, or whether or not he was coming off as creepy by looking at him longer than he should have been, or any other thought that would have normally been tormenting him. Even if he did manage to make heat rise up his face every now and again, and a goofy bashful smile spread across his lips in spite of himself, interacting with Blaine was inexplicably easy. It was new and comforting and nothing he could see himself jeopardizing by doing something as senseless as overthinking.
Perhaps it was that new, comforting feeling, or the relief of no longer subjecting himself to his insecurity, or the sight of twinkling Christmas lights bouncing off Blaine’s face ( he had yet to find a lighting that did not flatter him ), but the speedster felt as though a great weight had temporarily been lifted off his shoulders. He slid his hands into his pockets, looking around his home. Acting humble would have proven futile; the pictures of three smiling faces ( and a few recent of four and more ) decorating every flat surface on the room spoke for themselves. “I used to do this thing when I was a kid.” He jerked his head towards the star on the top of the tree, suddenly blinking in a rhythmic pattern as though dancing to a mute Christmas carol. “It blinks like that for a few seconds every couple of minutes and I used to think that… if I caught it while it was blinking and made a wish before it stopped, it’d come true.”
Everything about Barry and this house and the people inside the pictures that called it home exuded so much warmth it was impossible not to feel it seep inside of you and make you feel like this is exactly where you wanted to be. Especially on a night like tonight. When it was supposed to be spent with those you love, the ones you want to keep the closest to yourself. People you couldn’t imagine living without. And here he was, standing beside someone so perfectly new. So apart from anything in his past that it made him feel like he could build something from the ground up for the first time in such a long time that hope was an emotion that was impossible not to feel. Something he had told himself time and time again that he’d be more cautious of settling into the idea of. Hope could bring so many problems with it if placed in the wrong person or given to the wrong idea or thing. If he was going to let himself feel that with someone again? Blaine promised himself it’d be someone who wouldn’t…
Clearing his throat and breathing past where his mind was trailing off to, hazel eyes darted up to the blinking star on top of the tree. “Okay that’s the most adorable thing ever and now I’m making you wait here until it happens again. Whether you like it or not. I mean. We could always use a wish or two coming true. Couldn’t we?” Without thinking, without so much as a pause, Blaine’s hand crept out and his fingers laced through the slender length of Barry’s gathering them in a loose, tentative grip that strengthened once he caught his attention again and smiled. “Have I told you how grateful I am that you invited me over tonight? You have no idea how much it means. That you’d even want to.”
His lips twitched into a small smile as the edge of his thumb grazed back and forth over the side of Barry’s hand. Tearing his gaze away and back up to the glowing star up above, he narrowed his gaze thoughtfully almost like he was gearing himself up to catch it at the very first sign it might be ready to start blinking. “What would you wish for tonight? Or am I not supposed to ask that because it won’t come true if you tell me? I forget the rules,” he mused with a crease of wonder formed between his eyebrows, “Do you think that only pertains to birthday wishes? Cause I’m thinking Christmas ones are way more powerful and should be able to override any limits. Don’t you?”
pianokeysandbowties 