Coldflash: Coffee Shop + Fairy Tale + Bed Sharing
OKAY SO I HAD AN IDEA LAST NIGHT
I hope you enjoy . . .
One day Len finds his way to a new cafe outside his usual area (perhaps he's lying low from a heist or hiding from the police by going to a place he doesn't frequent?) called Redcap Cafe. He doesn't think much of the name besides wondering if the dishes are mushroom-based. When he gets inside, though, he discovers he'd misunderstood the name. It's not a reference to the mushrooms, but the vicious little fey with caps of a similar color. This is apparent to him because everywhere he looks, there is a reference to mythos and fairytales. Fairies flit around on the walls, gnomes stand guard at the front, an Eastern-style dragon snakes across the ceiling while a Western-style is curled around a mountain of gold coins (Len feels a kindred spirit, even if his theivery is more for the thrill than the loot), and the namesake of the cafe glare menacingly from within bushes scattered about the cafe's masterfully painted walls.
Even the food and drinks are clearly inspired by fairy tales, with such names as the Golden Goose Omelet, the Gingerbread Man (a latte with ginger and cinnamon, a lot of whipped cream, and a complimentary Gingerbread biscuit), a Poisoned Apple (a spiced apple cider of deep red color), Dragon-fired Lambchops, and other unique creations.
Len's intrigued, even if he finds it all a bit over-the-top. He's even more intrigued by the brunette at the counter, whose sunny smile is definitely Prince Charming material. He can tell the place belongs to the kid just from looking at him (he has a dragon curling up one arm into his rolled-up sleeve and what looks like the beginning of "Once upon a time" surrounded by stained glass mosaics of fairytales on the other). There's something about him that pulls Len in, and he can't help but give his real name and chat the kid up.
His first time there he doesn't get much more than a name in return--Barry--but the flirting is definitely not one-sided. He comes back again and again and again (even once the heat dies down and he can go back to his usual haunts), always ordering himself an End of the Rainbow (a hot chocolate drink served in a little Leprechaun pot with golden mini-marshmallows [because cocoa isn't cocoa without the mini-marshmallows]) and a box of Brownie brownies to go (for Lisa).
Barry and Len have gotten closer over that time, even touching on a few personal topics, but it always feels like Barry's holding something back. Not that he can blame the kid, Len's doing the same thing. But even with their walls, he just can't stay away.
Len visits later than usual one evening and finds the cafe closed early. He almost just turns around and leaves, but something makes him go around the side of the building to where the stairs to Barry's second floor apartment are located, climbing them and knocking on Barry's front door.
No reply is forthcoming, so Len gets to work with his lock picks. Normally he wouldn't break into a personal residence unless it was that of a rich snob he's relieving of their expensive jewelry and paintings, but something urges him to get inside, and now.
The inside of Barry's apartment is much like he imagined it'd be--filled with fairytales and mythology. A painting of a landscape with a majestic castle in the background, a knight in the fore with his head bowed, resting upon a large sword buried in the grass; colorful blown glass figures of various beasts and fey; two bookcases full of artbooks, comics, mythological tomes, and books of fairytales; and a helmet and sword resting in pride of place.
Len feels a similar pull to what he'd felt towards Barry at first sight when he sees the rapier. It's stainless steel with a bright blue grip and sparkling gemstones of a similar color embedded in the metal of the handguard. It almost looks like the lower half of the blade is covered in ice, even though the room itself is comfortably warm. It's not possible, right?
Len doesn't realize he's reaching out for the sword until a sound startles him and he yanks it back towards his chest. What the hell is with him tonight? He shakes his head. He came to check on Barry, not steal what's most likely some fake cosplay weapon. Though admittedly a high quality fake.
He finds Barry in his bedroom facing away from the door, two blankets pulled up to his neck, the inner of which had what looked like a fur lining at the top.
When he speaks, Barry's voice is soft and slightly wrecked; that and the sniffle that follows his words ("I could have sworn I locked my door.") leads Len to believe he's been crying. He's not sure what to do, or why he's even here. This seems like a job for the sister Barry's mentioned before, not a cold criminal with a soft spot for sweet things (he's talking about the mini-marshmallows, of course).
When Len gets around to asking him what's wrong, Barry is quiet long enough that Len wonders if he should just leave the kid alone, maybe look up Iris' number and call her over to help her brother. But then Barry seems to come to a decision, pushing himself up from his prone position until he's sitting up, fur-lined blanket still wrapped around his shoulders.
When he confides that it's the anniversary of the day he lost the love of his life, Len offers to listen to Barry talk about the person. Barry (after a look of sad amusement) takes the offer.
("People always called him Cold." Barry chuckles like he's making a joke, then smiles softly. "But he wasn't. Not to me. Not to his sister or his best friend. He loved us. He would put his life on the line if it meant that we would live." He pauses, closes his eyes. "And he did.")
Barry says his love has returned to him, but doesn't remember him. (Len says he doesn't know how anyone could forget him and Barry laughs a sad laugh.)
(Len keeps finding his eyes drawn to the strange blanket around Barry's shoulders; the fur seems to only be around the outer edges, and it almost looks like there's a hood lying against Barry's back--but there are no arms to it, so it can't be a coat. What exactly is it?)
Somehow, Len manages to comfort Barry enough that the kid begins to smile without a sad tinge to it, and Len (reluctantly) leaves.
It's two weeks later, when Lisa gets hurt during a job, that Len understands.
Everything.
The memories come rushing back in the moment he hears her cry out in pain, but he can't sort through them in the moment, he has to push through the confusion to get Lisa the hell out of there and to a safehouse, abandoning the loot in favor of his sister.
It's only once he's got Lisa resting in bed, the minor but painful injury taken care of, that Len lets himself think about everything that came back to him.
Lisa, gold following her fingers' path and creeping up metal at her behest. Ice following his own command and fire, Mick's. Another life, one filled with strife and pain of a different kind but also so much love.
Another familiar face--a young prince, unsure and unconfident in his power, but always striving to do the best he could for his people. Never afraid of Len's icy demeanor, Mick's firey temper, or Lisa's glittering fingers.
Barry. Always Barry.
Len finds himself breaking into Barry's apartment again the same night he gets his memories back, unable to wait any longer to truly reunite with him. But of course fate isn't so kind, and Barry isn't there when he gets inside. He decides to wait, as Barry must come home sometime soon if he plans to open the cafe on time tomorrow.
How sentimental his prince is, to open a cafe inspired by the tales with more truth to them than most think.
When he spots the rapier this time, he does not hesitate. He picks it up from its display, noting how well it's been cared for, how the blue zircons still glimmer in the light and the metal is polished to a shine. His body is no longer used to holding such a weapon, the calluses on his hand from guns instead of swords, but with an experimental thrust and swipe of his ceremonial rapier, he knows he can retrain his body without problem.
For now, he slides it back into its perch and steps back, brushing a hand over his old helmet as he goes. He wanders into the bedroom, a smirk curling his lips as he finds the "blanket" that had confused him before. Of course, he recognizes it now not as a blanket, but as a cloak. His cloak, in fact. ("I thought I was the thief around here.")
He picks it up and wraps it around his shoulders, securing it with the hidden clasp. He inhales and smells that unmistakable scent. Barry.
Of course that's the moment Barry returns, finding Len with his old cloak around his shoulders and his nose pressed into the fur.
He's seen Barry recently, but it's somehow different with all his memories intact. He knows, even looking from this distance, about the mole on Barry's ear, the flecks of gold in his bright green eyes.
He must look different too, his edges softer, the tenseness he's caried in this life replaced by his new (old) surety in Barry.
"I'm sorry I took so long, Scarlet."
The confusion (and hope) on Barry's face quickly turns to shock at Len's words, followed by joy and then tears.
Len easily catches his prince in his arms when Barry runs at him with unnatural speed, pulling his cloak up to wrap around them both. They're home now. He's home now.
They'll still need to talk about things, of course. Len will apologize for forgetting Barry [but never for dying in the first place, as his death ensured Barry would not face the same fate], Barry will tell Len all that he missed after his death in the kingdom that used to be their home, they will share stories of people familiar and yet different than they were [Barry found not only his best friend again in his sister, but his head knight and apothecary in his neighbors Cisco and Caitlin], and Len will tell Barry of this life [and find out that Barry already knew of Len's criminal deeds, and simply did not care beyond knowing he did not kill innocent people]. But they are together now; that is the important thing to them.
And they will never be separated again.
("May nothing but Death pull us apart."
"My love, not even Death shall come between us. However long, however far, I will return to you."
". . . Do you swear it?"
"I swear upon my honor as Knight Cold under the Lightning Throne, that even should Death claim this life of mine, I will find my way back to you, my prince."
"I love you, Len."
"As I love you, Scarlet. Now, and forever.")
--------------------------------
I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THIS IS ANYMORE AAAAAAAA
This literally started as just "Barry owns a fairytale-themed cafe" and became "Len is Prince Barry's knight lover, who died for him, reborn" and I don't even know how
I may have cheated a bit on the bed sharing, as it's more them sitting together than like sleeping in the same bed. Though they absolutely do sleep together after getting some hugs in. And kisses. ("I've been deprived of your arms around me as I sleep for far too long, my love." -Barry apparently)
I hope you enjoyed this weird meandering story and that it makes some kind of sense hahaha. I'm too sleepy to go back over it now. Thanks for the prompts! Sorry I took so long to respond! Feel free to send in more (as long as you're good with waiting)!