bakerstreet | "I'd do anything to be back at your side."

[ probably could fit into either. ]

(Dean is definitely more the one leaving and coming back, but open to trying the other way round too somehow.)

[no smut]

[Test driving. Would love cast mates, but open to all. Discuss before assuming CR. No smut right now as I'm still testing her out.]

[ooc: Probably the partner that stays behind.]

[Most likely the one coming back to you, but could also be someone arranging to see him in private wherever he may be for the time being! Up for anything.]

((Total placeholder - Michael coming home to Barry after Panama?))

[Michael is happy to be home. He's relieved it's all over and he drags his tired form up the stairs to their apartment. He hasn't seen Barry in months. He's scared and sorry for whatever heartbreak he knows he's caused. Oliver had come to him, pissed beyond reason and it'd taken time to calm the Arrow down so he'd understand that what happened, had never been his intention. He was glad to be home and hesitant to knock on the door. He's expecting Barry to turn him away, he wouldn't blame him. He can only hope that Oliver told him the truth about what happened. That he hadn't meant to leave him for so long. That he intended the entire time to come back.

After a few moments to bow his head and breathe he'll give the door a few raps before waiting. The sun-kissed and somewhat ragged form on the otherside of the door isn't quite the same as when he first met Barry. He's a little more broken because of Sona. Because of losing Sara. And despite his desire to kill Gretchen, Oliver and Linc convinced him to go home to Barry and try to move on. It's what Sara would've wanted it. He deserves some peace after the hell he's survived. They'd be safe. Lj and Linc were safe. He could rest his weary form and let Barry's warmth heal him. He needed him more than ever.]

[In the weeks after Michael's disappearance, Barry tried to convince himself it was for the best. Maybe Michael had gone back to his brother, maybe he'd finally found some sense of peace. At least he hadn't stolen away in the night. They'd said goodbye.

That didn't make the heartache any easier to deal with. Barry had connected so quickly with Michael, maybe he'd had blinders on, maybe he'd rushed into it too quickly and the days stretched into weeks without word.

But there was still Zoom to deal with and rather than wonder what he'd done wrong, Barry threw himself into his work. Figuring out the speed equation.

Naturally it had been Oliver who had picked up on what was wrong. Barry had been quiet, distant and not like himself at all. So the vigilante had gone off to set things right, only texting Barry an hour or so ahead to let him know Michael was finally free and coming home.

Michael was coming home.

Speedsters aren't the best at waiting and Barry had all but worn a groove in the floor when he finally hears a tentative knock at the door, a sound that stops his heart cold.

Michael was coming home.

With shaking hands he opens the door and pulls Michael inside. Barry can't speak, in fact the best he can muster is a strangled sob as he folds his arms around Michael and just hangs on.]

You're home. You're home.

Edited 2016-04-05 12:39 (UTC)

Ba-- [Is all he manages to get out the moment the door opens and he sees the Speedster. Before he knows it he's being pulled inside and hugged tight. He can't help but to embrace the other in kind, squeezing him as if he lets go, he'll drown. Those strangled sobs break his heart and he listens to the way his voice wavers when he says he's home.

He's home.

His brows knit and he squeezes his eyes shut to bow his head against Barry's shoulder, burying his face in his shirt as he can feel a tremor start up his spine. He's had to be strong for so long. For himself. For Lincoln. For others in Sona, in Fox River. For every life he held in his hands. For every person he hurt, lied, cheated, manipulated. For every life he ruined. For every life he helped to take. He never quite had the chance to stop being strong. To let himself break. He came close. And losing Sara had nearly destroyed him. But he had to keep fighting. Keep moving. Keep trying for LJ's sake and for Lincoln. For his family. And when it seemed impossible, he made it. Somehow. And here he was, making good on his promise.

He was home. He could finally be home. It was done. It was over. No more suffering. No more Company breathing down their necks. They'd be safe. He'd done his part and Oliver and the others could be sure Linc and LJ would remain out of their clutches. That he was finally free.

They were free of everything.

A sob steals his breath away and he curls his fingers into Barry's shirt. He'd mourned Sara in Sona, but even then he had to pick up the pieces and keep moving. Now he could let it all crash over him and know that he wouldn't drown. Not while he had Barry there to keep his head above water. He didn't have to fight it. He didn't have to stay strong when he needed this moment of weakness in order to heal properly. In order to be given a chance to move on and start new.

So he broke; Whispering apologies as he tried to just breathe through his sobs. It had been so hard, so taxing, so frustrating and painful. And it was finally over and he could have a home. He could make a new life. Each tear was equal parts of his agony that he held in, that he locked away and parts relief. To have someone to come home to and to comfort him in this moment. His knees threatened to buckle under his own weight but with Barry's support he remains upright in his arms.

After a good, hard moment to just let it all wash out of him in a show of emotion, he'll quiet down and just cling to the Speedster, listening to his heartbeat, breathing him in and feeling his warmth.]

[He's home. Michael is finally home. Barry wraps him up as tightly as he can and it allows them both to break a little. For so long they'd both had to be strong, to hold things together for the people who counted on them.

But this? This was just for them. Michael could come apart in his arms and Barry would hold him through it, whispering into his shoulder through his own tears. There was nothing to be sorry for. Nothing to apologize for. Michael was home and that was all that mattered to the speedster.

Every curl of familiar fingers in his shirt, every ragged breath into his shoulder only broke his heart a little more. But Barry doesn't waver for an instant, keeping Michael tucked in close against him as he slowly steers them towards the couch.

The storm of tears doesn't last long for either of them, but it's enough. A catharsis that will finally allow both of them to move forward. As they both grow quiet and still, Barry reaches to tug the thrift store quilt from the back of the couch over them both.

Michael was home. They had time now.

Barry presses a soft kiss to his temple. He'd missed him so much, but to call attention to it almost seems unfair. So he tilts his head and simply breathes him in.] Welcome home.

[Which is what the apartment was now. There were rows of little origami animals on a shelf, Michael's favorite books and his own drawers in the bedroom. Awaiting his return.]

[Being in Sona hadn't given him many options to try and reach Barry, if he desperately wanted to. He didn't get phone calls and sending out mail was too risky with the Company keeping such a close eye on him. Even if Barry had friends to keep him safe, he didn't want to take any chances to lead the Company here, to Central City. So instead, when he last saw Oliver he managed to give him something to send to Barry for him. It had been difficult to find good paper that wasn't stained or ruined in some fashion. He managed to fold a paper frog for the speedster. A symbol of his return. On the belly of the frog it read, "Promise".

Michael had always been the more emotional and sentimental of the two brothers. As he grew that dulled down to a degree, having to hide his so-called weaknesses but never quite losing his empathy and touch with his emotions. He just learned how to better control them or how to cage them when he needed to be strong. Which is why it's such a relief when he can finally just rely on someone else to be strong so that he might let everything go. Or that they both could be each other's shoulders to cry on, unafraid to be weak for a moment with one another.

He'll gladly sink onto the couch and nest in the blanket with Barry. He'll take a moment to clear his head, wipe his eyes and breathe. After that he'll have a look around with reddened eyes and spot the frog on the shelf with a few others he'd made prior. With a sigh he'll lean into Barry, making himself comfortable and just cuddling for a moment.]

I'm sorry, Barry. It wasn't safe to contact you. I wish I could've done more to stay in touch and let you know what was going on.

[That little frog had given Barry so much hope, given him the strength to press forward in his fight against Jay. A promise that he'd come home, a promise that he'd see him again. Michael was coming home and he could trust both in that little frog and Oliver's reassurance that he was going to get Michael clear and put him on a plane home.

They both need the quiet now, to pull themselves together and simply catch their breath. Michael was home and that was all Barry cared about. Using his sleeve he wipes at his own cheeks, drying his face as Michael shifts back to speak.]

I know. I.. I should have gone with you. I could have helped. [Another decision he'd pay for, one that he'd regretted in the months Michael had been gone. But he summons a smile even with eyes still red from crying.] Next time you suggest a vacation? I'm going.

[But this time he might suggest a quiet cabin in the woods, someplace far away and safe. Where they could just be Barry and Michael.]

To be fair it wasn't much of a vacation anyway. [They'd spent more of it running and trying to shake Mahone than anything. Everything with the Company and Sona... it was hell. He's just glad it's over.]

We'll plan a get away sometime soon, but right now Central City needs you more and we survived. We're together again and nothing is going to change that.

I know. [And even though he couldn't have gone, couldn't have left the city behind, he still wishes he had gone.]

You're right. We're together, that's what matters. [Another soft kiss as he rests against Michael.] I missed you so much. But I knew you were coming home.

Yeah? [The smile he wears is bittersweet and despite how it might sound it wasn't so much that he doubted his own loyalty.]

There were times I wasn't so sure. [So many times he'd looked out over that wasteland between the prison wall and the fence, watching the guards in their towers with their guns and knowing that if they messed up, they'd be shot dead on sight. How many times had he been so sure he'd be dead in Sona? How many had told him that was the only way out? He'd done what he could to keep his head down but still work his magic to figure things out. He didn't want to cause fights because fights always ended up with one person leaving dead and he couldn't afford to lose, but he hated the idea of someone losing their life over something petty. Over him.]

I just hope the Company is satisfied and leaves us all the hell alone now. They got what they wanted and Linc and LJ were exonerated.

[He's still a wanted man. He actually did commit a crime to land himself with the 5 years of jail time and broke out other Cons on top of that. They'd still be hunting him down if there wasn't already a warrant out there for his arrest and return. He'd become infamous for what he'd done for his brother after all. But he's satisfied with that and if he's ever caught he'd face his sentence and prepare to serve it. He'll own up to the mistakes he made and the laws he broke, he'll accept whatever punishment he has coming to him. But he's not about to hand himself over either.]

Yeah. I was. [Every time Barry started to doubt, he let his eyes find that little frog, the word written on it as a reminder that somehow, some way, Michael would find his way home.

Of course if he'd known the extent of the danger, Barry would have stuck a pin in the matter of Jay Garrick and Zoom and raced to Sona to bring Michael home. Not because he didn't have faith in his abilities, but because that's what heroes were supposed to do. Help people when they needed it most.]

Good. I'm glad they're safe and clear of everything. [And he can have Felicity and Cisco work their magic, build a new life for Michael in Central City free of his old life and free from his old burdens.] Now it's your turn. You can have a new life here.

[Michael closes his eyes and draws in a deep breath to leave it gently and slowly out through his pursed lips, letting it go. Barry's words are reassuring even if he's heard the promise before. It's good to have some solid ground, to have support. He knows his brother Linc would give him anything and everything but he needed to focus on him and LJ and starting THEIR life. They were better off without him and what might follow him. At least Barry and his friends have the means to keep him safe and to keep him free. Linc doesn't, as much as he'd like to and he doesn't want his Brother and Nephew who were FREE MEN to risk themselves for him anymore. No one should lose their life in any way for him anymore.

At least with Barry they could do the opposite. They could build something and despite worrying what his presance here would do to them? He found faith in how Barry believed and trusted his comrades.

He turns, lifting a hand to caress Barry's cheek as he kisses him softly, pouring affection into every press of their lips. He indulges in him, it's sweet and simple and is so good he's nearly lost to it. He thought he'd lost this. Not because he thinks Barry would've turned his back on him but because he wasn't so sure he could survive this one and succeed. He'd felt so powerless and helpless in Sona. And when he lost Sara...

Almost immediately he breaks the kiss and bites his lip feeling guilt wrenching in his belly and stabbing him in the chest with loss. He loved her. He still loves her and in a way he feels like he's betraying her memory. In his heart he knew he couldn't be with her but to lose her like that? To be the very reason she is dead. He'd ruined her life and then indirectly took it from her.

He pulls away from Barry as he punishes himself, feeling like he doesn't deserve to be happy when she's dead because of him. He fights back the pain as tears threaten and burn his eyes but he manages to save face. He knows Barry will see right through him and he slips from his arms and the warmth of the blanket to stand.]

I need a shower... [he'd got one when he stayed in the hotel for a few days before coming home, but he felt disgusting. He needs to scrub himself clean of the last grimy remnants of Sona.]

[The kiss is warm and sweet. A promise of what they can finally have now that Michael's brother is safe. He's not naïve enough to think things will always be this simple, but these are the moments worth fighting for. The moments he hangs on to when things get bad.

Barry doesn't fight it when Michael pulls away, curling in on himself for a moment.] Okay.

[The water is running when he approaches the door with fresh towels. Barry can hear the sound of tears and it cuts him to the core. He can't pretend he doesn't hear Michael's pain so he slips inside, leaving the towels on the sink.

Warm arms draw Michael in again and later Barry will realize that he probably should have undressed before getting in the shower with him. But that will come later.]

I've got you. It's okay. I've got you Michael.

[He knew it might happen, that once he stripped down and allowed himself a moment alone to be vulnerable that everything might wash in over him and cripple him. He lets go under the running water, sobbing louder than he thought he would as he just breaks all over again. He does his best and his worst thinking in the shower and he was hoping the sound of the running water would mask his tears. He quiets down when he hears the door, breath hitching despite himself as he chokes down his sobs. He listens intently to the movement and despite the fear curling in his gut that it might be someone other than Barry, he knows in his heart that's exactly who it is.

Michael is leaning back against the shower wall, hugging himself when Barry steps in and his head is bowed as he clenches his jaw tight to try not to cry. He'll let the other drag him in against him and unfold his arms to hug Barry tight. This is the last time he's letting this eat him to this point. He swears this is the last bit of mourning he needs to feel. But it's something he couldn't avoid.]

She's gone. They killed her--I killed her. Sara's dead because of me. [He clutches the other tight as he mutters his confessions against his soggy shirt, fingers twisting into the damp fabric.]

I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. [He's uttering apologies to Sara to everyone, too grief-stricken to think straight. But Sara wouldn't want this for him. She wouldn't want him crying over her like this. He did everything he could. He'd been able to fix things between them before Sona. But she still suffered because of him. And she'd still think he suffered enough. She'd want him to be happy. To start something new with Barry. He just needs to finally let it go and move on.]

[Barry's had his own breaks like that, moments when he thought he could have done more, should have done more. Betrayals he never saw coming that cut him to the bone. So he holds Michael through it, lets him get it out.] You did everything you could have Michael. I know you did.

[Barry didn't have to be there, he knows that's the sort of person Michael is. The Speedster keeps him close and lets him break apart until the sobs become hitched breaths and the water threatens to go cold on them.]

Come on. [Barry shuts off the water and wraps Michael in the soft towels he'd brought in. He hurries to strip out of his soggy clothes, dropping them in the shower to deal with later.] I'll get you some clean clothes.

[He shakes his head, protesting the idea he did all he could. In truth, he did all that was within his ability to do for any of them. He told Linc to make the move. He didn't realize they would go to such a level and it was a gamble he regretted every chancing. He should've known. He should've done more for sara, should've never got caught, should've got her somewhere safe. He wished for things to have been different.]

it should've been me. [He mutters, not thinking, just feeling. Later he'll have regretted saying that knowing damn well what he meant to Barry and the promise he'd made. He had to come back here. But in the moment, he wished so much that it had been him instead of Sara. He'd have given anything to allow Lincoln, LJ and Sara to live happy lives even if it meant dying for them.

He allows Barry to guide him out and wrap him up in towels. He uses one to dab at his face and dry his puffy eyes. He'll stand there shivering slightly with his grief, as if his body is unsure how to respond from the overload of emotion. He pulls the towels in tighter around him and just sniffles softly until everything starts to finally release it's hold on him and he begins to feel a little better. He feels clean.]

[Barry doesn't think much at the denial - while he doesn't know exactly what Michael had gone through he knows how guilt can eat at a person. How it can make you second guess what you had done, even when it seemed right at the time.

While he didn't have anyone to help him through his crises, at least it helps Barry know what to do this time. A warm STAR Labs sweatshirt pulled over Michael's head and running shorts tugged on. Once Barry has flashed into a clean, dry change of clothes for himself he simply takes him to bed. They can rest before he finds some food for them.

Rest. Recovery. Start with the simple things. He can hold Michael while he processes.]

[He'll almost mechanically allow Barry to help dress him then lead him off to the bedroom where he'll crawl into bed and just curl up, hugging the Speedster and listening to his heartbeat. As it calms him down he'll just sort of let things flow.]

I loved her. [He deserved to know the truth. Why he'd been so hesitant at first with Barry, not only because it was new but because he had feelings for someone else. But what they had... it was different than what he has with Barry, it's hard to describe. Maybe there isn't a way to explain it.]

I ruined her life... and now she's dead. I don't know what to do. I failed her.

[And maybe it hurts to hear that Michael loved someone who was gone, but Barry chooses to keep his focus on the present, on Michael. He'd lost someone he cared about and the most Barry could do was offer comfort and care.

He should have been there. He should have gone with him, if only to have spared him the pain that had shaken Michael to his core like this.] You tried. I know you Michael - if there had been a way you would have found it. You're a good man. The best I've ever known.

I should have gone with you. I'm sorry.

[He shakes his head and wants to argue that he didn't try hard enough. That he barely scraped by as is. He felt so helpless. And had he not had Linc on the outside, or Oliver and Leonard, then they wouldn't have succeeded at all. He would've ended up dead too. He never got the chance to find a way to save her, they screwed up, made a wrong move, and the Company doesn't screw around. They killed Sara over the smallest mistake.]

It was a gamble I made and they took her life to punish me. She didn't have to die, but I messed up.

[There's a soft sigh and he'll lift his eyes to press their foreheads together, gently brushing fingers over his cheek to soothe.]

Don't you start blaming yourself too. It's not your fault. [its not your fault His own words echo back to him in Sara's voice and he feels his throat nearly close up on him with the painful desire to start crying again. He fights it back, swallowing hard and closing his eyes. She wouldn't want him to be broken and sad over her. She'd want him to open his eyes and focus on the man, the friend, the comfort and the love he has right here. She'd be happy he was finally free, finally home and able to make a new life and be happy.]

[That's the problem with people like them - you always second guess every decision. What could you have done differently? How could you have changed things to spare someone else pain or suffering? Questions that had chased Barry more early mornings than he really wanted to admit. Could he have seen through Thawne sooner? Or Jay?

The grief and the sorrow in Michael's voice breaks his heart all over again and Barry simply cups his hand gently at the back of his neck to keep him close, shutting his eyes against the sting of tears.

He should have been there. Should have gone when it was clear Michael and his brother were in so much danger. More deaths on him.] I love you. [It's a risky statement, but it's true. He's loved Michael for some time now.] And I know you loved her. Sometimes all we can do is try our best, as hard as we can for the people we care about. [Like his mother. People they love but ultimately can't save.]

[Michael's lips part but his voice and breath are stolen from him. Those three words are strong, knitting his brows with something other than pain. His fingers brush back and into Barry's hair as blue eyes just search the Speedsters own while he talks. There's something familiar there. It's not just sympathy or empathy, Barry has felt the same way. He had someone he loved that he lost and couldn't save. Someone he failed. Someone that died because of him. But that I love you sticks in his mind and instead of responding with words he'll just lean in and kiss him instead. It's an apology and reciprocation. His heart is so twisted up on itself with everything that's happened he's not sure how he feels, but he does know that he cares and that he doesn't want to lose this. So there's something passionate in his response as well.]

[It's okay. Michael doesn't have to say a thing, much less to say the words in return. Barry sighs softly into the kiss, sliding his arm around Michael to keep him close. It's okay. They're both going to be okay. They had both lost so much, both been forced to suffer through loss and guilt and grief - Barry understands it better than he can say.

So he lets Michael kiss him in reply, his lips parting beneath his as he holds him close. It's okay. They're okay. He loves Michael and the rest? Well, the rest will have to sort itself out as they go.]

You should rest. [Gentle fingers stroking his cheek and down his shoulder.] I can get you something to eat if you're hungry?

[Probably stupid to start with something so simple, but it's in his nature. Barry wants people to be taken care of, to feel safe and comfortable. So naturally that only goes into overdrive when it's someone he cares so much for. Someone he loves.]

[Michaels breaths rasp softly when they break the kiss, trying to catch what was stolen from him with so little. But the affection and the love he'd gotten from Barry since day one has been so utterly incredible and genuine and strong. He's sadly never had so much of this in his life time. Linc had tried to be a good brother when they were together, but it didn't always turn out that way. His foster families weren't great. Some were good people, but he still didn't quite feel like he belonged. The others... the others left marks on him he'd rather forget. Then there was Sara. And now... Barry. Barry was the burning sun in a lifetime of black and white, of darkness and shadow, of pain and guilt. Barry was beginning to mean more to him than anyone ever had that had walked into his life. No one had accepted him and taken him in so completely. No one had given everything for him without question or without asking for anything in return. All Barry ever wanted was his trust and to know he'd always come back. To not be left behind and alone, to not be betrayed and it's something Michael would gladly give over and over. He could only hope nothing would ever tear them apart again.

He shakes his head.] I'm not hungry. This is fine.

[He squeeze Barry in a hug and just presses his ear to his sternum to listen to his heartbeat.]

This is all I need. It's all I ever wanted. [To be loved. To be wanted. To find comfort and safety with another. Barry was the answer. He was everything to him. He was home.]

[Barry had been given so much love as a child. His parents and then Joe and Iris - they'd all loved him unconditionally and there was simply something in him that wanted to reflect all of that back to the people he cared about. Michael needed that love and he gave it freely, without expecting anything in return. He didn't need anything in return, all he needed was what they had. Warmth and trust. Michael wouldn't leave him, wouldn't walk away.

Eobard had once told him that he would never be happy. That he could never have true happiness in his life.

He was so wrong. Even with Michael shaky and upset, Barry is happy. He's content. He loves Michael with everything that he has and he's home. They can start trying to build a real life together now. God he owes Ollie big for this.

The words get a quiet smile and he lets blunt nails scritch gently along his scalp and across his shoulders.] 'm not going anywhere. You're home now.

[Up for whatever, could potentially be the one coming back depending on the partner. Feel free to PM to work things out.]

[ ooc; I could see him being either role, but considering how often he's in prison he's probably the one coming back. f/m unless canonmates or previous cr. ]

[Could fall into either side of it]

(either role.)

"I'd do anything to be back at your side."

Rey | SW:TFA | OTA

jessica jones - mcu

alec lightwood ( shadowhunters ) m/m

Yukikaze | 07-ghost | ota

Dean Winchester | Supernatural | ota

yuu hyakuya | owari no seraph | m/m

Darcy Lewis | MCU | OTA

Nathan Drake | Uncharted | m/f

Lucy Heartfilia | Fairy Tail | OTA

aoba seragaki || dramatical murder || m/m

Elia Broch | Star Wars OC | OTA

Michael Scofield | Prison Break | OTA

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Leonard Snart/Captain Cold | The Flash/LoT | OTA

Aaron Livesy ( Emmerdale ) M/M

mick rory ( heat wave ) | the flash/legends of tomorrow ( cw )

Tobias Eaton [Four] | Divergent [Book Verse] | m/m

oikawa tooru . haikyuu!! (m/m)

Tara Knowles | Sons of Anarchy | F/M