I can’t help but wonder how different this exchange might have gone if it wasn’t in the middle of a West family crisis.
Remember, Barry and Iris just told Joe about Wally and are all tense and concerned and unsure what to do, on top of normal life stresses, and the holidays. Then BAM, home invader who was recently broken out of prison.
What if the whole Wally thing happened earlier or later and wasn’t an issue right now? What if Barry came home alone to find Snart like this? I don’t think he’d be as upset. Sure, Snart was broken out of prison, but Barry doesn’t know the details yet, and he wants to believe in Snart. Plus, Snart is just sitting there - WITH COCOA. He has the gun, yes, but he’s not holding it, not pointing it, doesn’t have Iris or Joe hostage, he’s just…there.
I think Barry would have been startled, then all out laughed, like, “Seriously? Prison was so horrible you had to break out for cocoa? And you keep telling me there isn’t good in you.”
Len would brush it off, do his usual schpeal, give Barry the details on Jesse and Mardon, only Barry has the opportunity to more jovially tease him about it.
“You came here to warn me?”
“Because first I broke our deal.”
“Snart, can you stop grasping for excuses and just admit you’re being a terrible villain this week?”
Len gives that tight, ‘damn it, I will not give in’ smile.
“What if I ran out and got mini marshmallows - give me fifteen seconds, seriously - and we can do the cocoa one better, because that sounds really good right now, actually, I’ve had a really long day.”
Len is too stunned to say no. They end up chatting in the living room with their cocoa, properly made this time, until Joe comes home and Barry flashes Len up to his room instead of out the back door like a sane person.
“My, my, Scarlet, exactly how were you planning on thanking me for coming here tonight?”
We have the canon scene intensity of Barry pressed in close to Len, holding him in place, but it’s against his bedroom door this time and…shit.
“If you’re still here when I get back…maybe we can think of something.”
Len is speechless, amazed Barry is playing along.
So, Barry winks at him and zips away, but very much looks forward to returning.