The Flash - We Stumble, We Falter (but we're no different from anyone) - Part Two

[elrhiarhodan]

Title: We Stumble, We Falter (but we're no different from anyone) - Part Two of Two
Author: elrhiarhodan
Fandom: The Flash
Rating: R
Characters/Pairings: Earth-2 Harrison Wells, Joe West, Jesse "Quick" Wells, Wally West, Cisco Ramon, Barry Allen, Iris West; Harry/Joe, Wally/Jesse, Barry/Iris, mention of Cisco/Hartley/Caitlin
Spoilers: None
Warnings/Enticements/Triggers: None
Word Count: ~12,500
Beta Credit: theatregirl7299, @timeforalongstory
Summary: Set about five years after The Silence Between the Birdsong, Joe West and Harry Wells are in a relationship that is much more than casual. Harry, however, is having some difficulty accepting that his brilliant daughter is going to be building her own life with the man she loves. Joe, who has never been shy about expressing his feelings for this difficult man, is the voice of common sense.
A/N: Written for Ladyofpride's Harrison Wells Appreciation Month. I was lucky enough to get a chance to write Harry interacting with both Jesse and with Wally West, but this is first and foremost, a Jarrison fic with all the Jarrison feels I could manage, and then some.







Six Weeks Later

For the last few weeks Joe had kept a very careful eye on Harry. His partner seemed like he was on the verge of an minor emotional breakdown. It was in the small things, like a diminished appetite, a lack of interest in taking the lead in sex, but a desperate neediness for Joe to make the first move. Some nights, Harry would cling to him like a limpet. Other nights, they'd make love and he'd be out the door before the sweat dried.

Joe understood. Harry was losing his little girl.

This morning, the pair had arrived for breakfast holding hands and looking like they'd invented love. As always, when faced with the reality of his daughter's impending marriage, Harry displayed an unreserved happiness. But once the kids had left, Harry muttered something about needing to go out.

Joe didn't stop him, but being the overprotective bastard that he was, tracked Harry's progress for the next few hours as he ran through the streets of Central City at a human pace.

Around three o'clock, and just a little worried, Joe went to look for his partner. He'd found Harry sitting on a park bench overlooking the hills, on the opposite side of Central City. His lover was sweaty and disheveled, his gaze distant. Joe sat down next to him and handed him a flask of hot coffee. Despite the mid-afternoon sun, it was getting chilly.

"You're too good to me, Joe." Harry kept staring out into the distance. "You are always taking care of me."

"It's my job. I take care of the people I love." Joe knew using that word was a calculated risk. While Harry had made the first move all those years ago, Joe had been the first to say it, and he wasn't shy about saying it regularly. Harry was a little less forthcoming, and didn't always reply in kind. But that didn't matter to Joe; he didn't need to hear the words to know the feeling was reciprocated.

Harry fiddled with the flask, opening it up and closing it again without taking a sip. "I don't know if I deserve your love, Joe West. I'm an asshole."

"Yeah, you are. But only sometimes. And that doesn't mean you don't deserve my love." He casually draped an arm across the back of the park bench and counted the seconds before Harry leaned into him.

"I don't understand why this is wrecking me. Jesse and Wally are perfect for each other; they love and respect each other. I look at them and know that they have such a wonderful future ahead of themselves. But I feel like I'm such a selfish bastard."

Joe leaned his head against Harry's. They'd had this conversation before. "Jesse's been your focus for so long. You've raised her, protected her, crossed universes for her. It's natural that you're feeling lost now that she's getting ready for a life without you."

"Is it, Joe? It feels obsessive and cruel. Not just to Jesse, but to you, too. I love you and yet I can't let that be my happiness. Why?"

Joe ignored the warm burst of feeling at Harry's declaration. That wasn't what was important now. Instead he says, "Stop being such a scientist. Feelings are irrational. There is no mathematical formula to define the human heart."

"That may be, but I shouldn't feel like this. I should be happy for Jesse and Wally."

"You're not?" Worried, Joe sat up and looked at Harry's face.

"No, I put that badly. I am happy for them. I am happy that my daughter will be marrying someone who is so right for her. I am happy for Wally, who'll be marrying someone who is so right for him. I'm just miserable for myself. Like I said before, I'm an asshole."

Joe understood his lover's feelings. They'd talked about Harry's inescapable feelings of impending loss, his inability to let go. It was going to take time. Harry was going to have to find his own peace. He'd help him any way he could, as much as he could. But he had something to share, something that might take his partner's mind off his own feelings.

"Barry and Iris stopped by this afternoon."

"Ah. And how are the blissfully happy couple?"

"Even more blissfully happy, if that's possible."

"I can't help but envy you."

"Why?" A brisk wind picked up and Joe pulled Harry a little closer.

"How perfect is it that your daughter is married to your foster son? Family stays family and grows exponentially."

"Do I have to point out that your daughter is marrying my son? It's kind of the same thing."

"Damn you, Joe. Why do you have to be so logical?" There was no heat in that admonition, just weary resignation.

"And speaking of family growth, in a few months, ours is going to get a little bigger …" Joe let the sentence trail off, waiting for the smartest man he knew to make the connection.

5 … 4 … 3 … 2 …

Harry sat up and looked shocked. "Wait, wait, what do you mean?"

Joe just looked at Harry and smiled, letting all the fullness of his heart pour out.

"Iris, Barry – they're going to be parents? Iris is pregnant?"

"Yup. And even better, I'm going to be a grandfather." Joe couldn't keep the smugness out of his voice.

Harry blinked rapidly.

Joe continued, "And that will mean you're going to be a grandfather, too. Because those kids, especially Barry, are as much yours as they are mine, now." He felt Harry shiver. "Come on, let's get home." Joe pulled his dumbfounded partner to his feet and steered him to the car.

They were about halfway home when Harry finally spoke. "A baby."

"Yes. A baby."

"How is that even possible?"

"Um, do I really need to explain the birds and the bees to you?"

"No, no – that's not what I mean. Barry's a meta-human, his fertility should have been affected. His entire DNA structure was affected."

"So you're saying that meta-humans shouldn't be able to reproduce? That they're sterile?"

"Mutations on that scale generally are."

"Well, Barry is fertile, and Iris is two and a half months pregnant. We're going to be grandparents, Harrison Wells. I call dibs on 'Paw-Paw', so you'll need to get your own nickname."

Harry seemed to ignore him. "That means Wally and Jesse could have children, too. I hadn't thought that was a possibility."

Joe pulled to a stop at a traffic light and looked at Harry. For the first time in weeks, there was a genuine smile on his face. "That's right. In a few years, you could be a grandfather again. I'll be a grandfather again."

The light changed and Joe turned for home. Harry just leaned back in the seat, that smile still on his face as he whispered with reverence, "Grandchildren".

Harry was silent for the rest of the ride home, but something had changed. The quiet desperation that had seemed to drift around his partner like a noxious fog had cleared. Joe parked the car and Harry practically bounded up to the house.

This mood swing troubled him, and while he was pleased to see Harry happy, he couldn't help but worry, too.

Joe waited until they'd finished dinner and were relaxing on the couch before saying anything. "What's going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"You seem unusually happy."

Harry looked at him, a wry smile on his face. "Yes, I think I am."

"The news about Iris' pregnancy is that important to you? That Jesse and Wally could have kids if they wanted?"

Harry didn't answer immediately and Joe could see the wheels turning. "It's hard to explain."

Joe got up and poured each of them a glass of good scotch. "Try."

"Like I've told you too many times, I'm having a difficult time letting Jesse go."

Joe nodded.

"It's not that I don't want to let her go, to let her grow up and be everything she can and should be."

"I understand. She was the center of your world for so long."

"What I have had such a hard time articulating is why I've been feeling this way." Harry sipping the scotch. "It's not that she's no longer the center of my universe. It's that she doesn't need me anymore. I know it's not rational, but until now, I felt like I didn't have a purpose anymore. I felt unmoored, adrift."

"Lost."

"Exactly. But grandchildren, Joe. They'll need us to protect them." Harry scrubbed his face. "I sound ridiculous, don't I?"

Joe pulled Harry into his arms. "Not in the least. We're a pair of middle-aged lions who have to watch over our pride."

"You understand, don't you? Just knowing that there will be someone who wants to hold my hand, who will need my help, who'll ask me why the sky's blue - "

"And you'll lull them to sleep with the science behind it - "

"I'm having a moment here, Joe." Harry put the scotch down and rested his head on his shoulder.

Joe rubbed his cheek against Harry's head, loving everything about this moment.

Harry let out a happy sigh. "This changes everything."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"Tell me again why we had to come to Chicago?" Joe fiddled with his tie and complained.

Harry chuckled, "Because my daughter wants a very special wedding dress, one that she apparently can't find in Central City, that's why."

"And I'm here, because?"

"Because I need moral support."

"And I guess Barry and Cisco and Iris couldn't provide you with that?"

"Nope." Harry kissed Joe on the lips, softly, sweetly and with promise. "You are my partner, you are the man I love. And haven't you made it your life's work to look after the people you love?"

Joe couldn't keep the smile off of his lips. "You are very good at many things, Harry Wells, with the whole sciencing thing, the baking, the dad stuff, but chief amongst your many talents is your ability to emotionally blackmail me."

"Glad you realize that, Detective West, and 'sciencing' is still not a word." Harry was grinning. "Here, let me fix that." He pushed Joe's hands away and re-knotted his tie.

"Why are we getting all dressed up to do this?"

"Because apparently the bridal shop is very high class. Didn't you read the instructions that she sent?"

"No." Joe had seen the email, rolled his eyes at the header and marked it as read.

"We have to behave ourselves."

"So what does that mean? No PDAs?"

Harry looked puzzled. "Personal digital assistants? I'm pretty sure that Gideon is still in the Time Vault."

Joe rolled his eyes. "No, 'public displays of affection'."

"Ah, well – if that's the case, Jesse's just going to have to be disappointed. Because I plan on crying a lot and will need you to hug me and hold my hand."

Joe suspected that Harry was exaggerating, just a little. Harrison Wells was too self-contained to really let himself go, at least in public. But in private, he was rapidly developing the reputation for being a complete ball of mush. He spent hours listening to Barry rhapsodizing about his impending fatherhood, sharing his own experiences in a way that Joe never could. He hovered over Iris, at least as much as she allowed. Just last week, she'd confessed that while Harry's attention and paternal affection were a little disconcerting, they kind of charmed her, too.

And then there was the hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of medical equipment Harry had purchased with his own money to equip a birthing and neo-natal suite at S.T.A.R. Labs, because there was no way that Iris was going to be allowed to give birth at a hospital, not if he had anything to say about it. Barry's speedster genes might create problems that a normal obstetrician might not be able to handle. Not to mention paying for Cisco's training as a doula.

"You're a little crazy, you know that?" Joe batted Harry's hands away and looked at himself in the mirror, thinking, Not bad, except for the ten pounds I've put on from eating all of Harry's baked goods.

"Yeah, I know that. Been this way for a while." Harry, as usual, left off the tie, preferring an open collar with his impeccable Armani suit and his ridiculous hair.

A knock at their hotel room door interrupted their fussing. Joe sighed. "That would be one or more of our offspring."

Joe opened the door and found Jesse and Iris on the other side, both of them blooming in their own way.

Iris asked, with a hint of the patented West family snark, "Are the both of you decent?"

Jesse elbowed her gently. "Are they ever?"

Joe pretends to look offended. "You know, we don't have to do this. Harry and I could spend the day exploring Chicago. Catch a Bulls game, eat a deep-dish pizza."

Iris scoffed. "You don't scare me, Dad."

"Baby, I'm only here for moral support." He wrapped an arm around his obviously pregnant daughter. "You did me a favor by eloping."

Jesse went over to her father and Joe watched the two of them with fond delight. In the last two months, Harry had mostly shed his melancholy over his child's impending nuptials. It had been a slow process and there were moments when the sadness seemed to take over, but they had become rarer and rarer as the weeks passed.

Jesse asked, "Are you ready for this?"

Harry shrugged and looked over at Joe, who shrugged back. "I guess so."

"The guys are waiting downstairs; we've got a car arranged."

Joe fetched their coats and they met up with Barry and Cisco in the hotel lobby. Caitlin and Hartley and Wally had stayed behind in Central City. Wally, naturally, had not been invited to help pick out his bride's wedding dress, and Caitlin and Hartley had remained because someone had to man the comms for any emergency requiring a speedster.

Like Joe and Harry, Cisco and Barry were wearing suits, although Cisco's was a slightly flashy burgundy that he'd picked out against Hartley and Caitlin's advice. Joe thought it was a hoot, especially with the tie and braces decorated in tiny lightning bolts.

They arrived at the bridal shop, and seated on a large and very uncomfortable couch, surround by all the frou-frou accouterments of the wedding industry, Joe felt like he was on some strange reality show when Jesse made the introductions.

"This is my dad, Harry." Harry gave a fierce grin, but with his arms folded across his chest, Joe was fairly certain he would have preferred being introduced as "Harrison".

"And this is my dad's partner, Joe. Who's also my fiancé's father, which means my dad is romantically involved with my soon-to-be father-in-law." Jesse said this like she'd never thought of it before. Joe just rolled his eyes.

"This is Iris, my matron of honor, who is Joe's daughter and my fiancé's sister. She's married to Barry, who's Joe's foster son and my father's business partner.

"And this is Cisco, who works with my dad. He isn't related to or in a relationship with anyone here, but he's an essential part of our family. And his boyfriend and girlfriend, who is my other bridesmaid, both work with my dad, too. And they couldn't come – because of, well – reasons."

Jesse finished with a grin, obviously quite pleased with her unique family.

The bridal consultant, who'd introduced herself as Natasha, seemed to take everything in stride, warmly greeting everyone and offering them coffee. Natasha then took Jesse into a fitting room, leaving them to their own devices.

Joe leaned back against the couch and draped an arm over Harry's shoulder. Cisco was sitting in the middle, his phone at the ready to capture all of the craziness about to ensue, and from the way his thumbs were dancing over the surface, he was probably texting with Hartley or Caitlin or both. And of course, at the far end, Iris and Barry were cuddling. Joe wondered if those kids regretted eloping, missing out on this. Watching Harry go through this, Joe wasn't sure if he regretted missing out on being the father of the bride.

But right now, Harry was smiling, the expression kind of sappy.

"What so amusing?"

"Listening to Jesse describe us. Me and you, you and Barry and Iris, you and Wally, Cisco and Hartley and Caitlin, we are all interconnected. We all overlap."

Cisco apparently couldn't resist butting in. "And for a man who came here, behaved like an utter dick, and immediately declared he didn't want or need anyone's help with anything, you certainly have managed to amass quite a pile of friends and family."

Harry couldn't help himself and snarked back, "And you count yourself among those, Ramon?"

"When you're not being a dick, Wells, yes. I do."

Joe did his best not to laugh. He always enjoyed watching Harry and Cisco go at each other like a pair of wet cats. "Kids, if you don't behave yourselves, we're all going home. No ice cream for anyone."

From the end of the couch, he heard Barry give in to the laugh Joe had manfully held back. "It's so nice to have another adult on this field trip."

Joe looked past the grinning faces and said, "You think you're an adult?"

"Actually, I was referring to my wife."

Iris patted Barry's shoulder. "A wise man knows his limitations."

The laughter was cut short when Jesse came out. Harry took Joe’s hand and gripped it so hard that Joe thought his fingers might break.

"Well, what do you think?" Natasha helped Jesse onto a small platform and she twirled around, showing off acres of satin and lace, beads and sequins glittering under the lights.

Harry cleared his throat. "You look beautiful."

Jesse's smile was sweet and Joe could read the lines of communication between father and daughter. Next to him, Cisco let out a small sigh of reverence. "I'm calling you Science Princess from now on."

"Not if you want to live, Ramon. I'm no one's princess." Jesse stuck her tongue out at them, breaking the tension.

Ten minutes later, Jesse came out in a different gown, one the consultant described as "mermaid-style" and then the fun began, because no one liked it except Harry, who might not have liked it but was trying not to hurt his daughter's feelings.

"Dad, you can say it, it's pretty hideous on me."

"Okay,” Harry finally admitted, “it's pretty hideous."

Iris offered to go back with Jesse and that left the four men sitting there like lumps on a log. Joe got up and fetched more coffee. "There are cookies back there. I would have brought some back, but you've kind of spoiled me for baked goods."

Cisco and Barry went over to the small buffet table at the back of the show room to help themselves. Even though they were frequent beneficiaries of Harry's stress baking, they were apparently far less discerning about quality.

Alone with Harry, Joe had to ask, "You doing okay?"

"Yeah."

"You don't sound all that convinced."

"I am. Okay, that is. It's a rite of passage. And I'm happy."

"But you really just want to go back to the hotel and cry."

Harry shook his head. "You know me too well, Joe."

"I didn't get to do this with Iris, but I am pretty certain that if I had, I'd have been on the floor, sobbing like a two year old coming down from a sugar high."

A few minutes later, Jesse came out in a third – and completely different – dress. The team offered their critiques and that set the pattern for the next few hours. Joe kept an arm draped over Harry's shoulders and he could feel his partner's escalating tension. He wanted to call for a breather, but he didn't have to. At the end of the second hour, Jesse emerged from the fitting room in the first dress she'd tried on and declared, "I think this is it."

Harry got up and went over to his daughter, taking both her hands. "My little Jesse Quick, all grown up. You're so beautiful that it breaks my heart. If this is what you want, then this is what you'll have."

Jesse wrapped her arms around Harry and hugged him tight. Not for the first time today, Joe felt himself tear up, but for the first time, let the tears fall. He felt something poke him in the arm; it was Barry with a box of tissues.

Of course, the selection of the dress didn't mean that they could leave. There were headpieces and veils to consider and Iris, bless her heart, suggested that these items could remain a mystery for the rest of the party. To everyone's relief, Jesse told the rest of the party to go do something manly. They'd meet them back at the hotel around dinnertime.

Barry and Cisco asked them if they wanted to join them at the Museum of Science and Industry. Joe didn't even bother to look at Harry. "Nah, us old guys are going to use this opportunity to recover from the stress and strain of the day."

Cisco looked like he was about to make a rather vulgar comment about what they'd be doing, but maybe it was Harry's expression of doom – one he hadn't had to use in a good long while – that stopped the young man in his tracks.

They parted company and since the weather wasn't as unpleasant as it could be in Chicago a few weeks before Christmas, they walked back to their hotel. Joe smiled to himself as Harry reached for his hand.

They got some looks because of that – mostly smiles, but there were a few glares, too. One was from a woman who seemed on the verge of shoving a bible in their faces. Fortunately for her, they were at a crosswalk and had to wait for the light to change. Harry took the opportunity to kiss him.

Joe knew just what he was doing, but enjoyed it anyway. "Mmm, can't wait until we get back to the hotel room."

Once there, Harry proceeded fulfill the promise of that kiss. "Let me." He eased Joe's jacket off. "You've taken such good care of me today, and over the last few months, let me have the pleasure of taking care of you."

And he took Joe apart, turning him into a needy, shivering wreck with his beautiful mouth and his wicked hands and a body that seemed to have been created just to bring him pleasure. After a soul-shattering orgasm, Harry looked up at him from between his thighs, his hair even messier, his mouth red and swollen, his eyes blazing. "Are you okay?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure. Give me a few and ask again." Joe thought if he was going to die from too much pleasure, he could go right now and be content.

Harry got up and went to the bathroom with way too much energy and Joe closed his eyes, letting the pleasure continue to roll through him. Harry came back and Joe acknowledged his presence (and the warm washcloth) with a blissed-out moan of contentment.

A few minutes later (or so Joe thought), Harry was back in bed, tucked around him, his arm draped over his waist, his breath warm and steady against his shoulder. "I love you, Joe West. I have for a long time."

Joe stroked the fingers resting on his belly. "I love you, too."

"I came back for you."

"Huh?" Joe wasn't sure what Harry was getting at.

"I came back here because I wanted to have you in my life, I wanted to be part of your life. As a friend, and if I was really lucky, as a lover. There was a very brief moment when I almost changed my mind, when Jesse said she wanted to stay. And I would have, but I would have always regretted it." Harry pressed his face against Joe's shoulder and he could feel the heat from his cheeks.

"I think I'm the lucky one."

"I'm not so sure about that. After Jesse and Wally got engaged – and even in the weeks before that, when I knew what was coming – I was an emotional wreck. I'd taken and taken and taken from you. Leaned on you, ignored you, was a grumpy, moody selfish asshole."

Joe rolled over because this was a conversation that needed to happen face-to-face. "Yeah, you were, but that didn't matter. I knew what I was signing up for when we started this." He touched Harry's face. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I raised Barry. I know all about moods and anger and frustration and helplessness. In comparison, you, Harry Wells, are a walk in the park."

"So, you're saying you're 'raising me' too?"

Joe knew that Harry was joking, but he still felt the need to explain. "No, what I'm saying is that the experience made me uniquely equipped to love difficult people."

Harry touched his face, his lips. "You are. And you are unique, Joe."

He kissed Harry's fingers. "And so are you."

Harry leaned up on one elbow and looked at him. "I have an idea. You might find it a little presumptuous, though."

"Oh?"

"I've been thinking – "

"You're always thinking."

Harry let out a tiny annoyed huff at the interruption. "I was thinking, maybe I move in with you and give Jesse and Wally my house. It seems kind of pointless for the kids to get an apartment when I've got a nice house that I barely sleep in."

Joe couldn't keep the grin off his face. "I'd been thinking along similar lines. Not about you giving Jesse and Wally your house, but you selling it and moving in with me."

"So, we'll do this?"

"Yeah. Definitely." Joe looked over his shoulder at the clock on the night table. "Damn, we need to meet the kids in about a half-hour. Just enough time to shower and get dressed."

"How about we let them have dinner without us?" Harry waggled his brows suggestively.

As much as the idea was appealing, Joe nixed it. "You will be the father of the bride only once. Enjoy the experience to the fullest."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The children were married. Harry could finally relax and let himself enjoy the moment.

He'd walked his Jesse Quick up the aisle and handed her over to Wally in a surprisingly old-fashioned manner. The boy had looked at him so gravely, and then, as he took Jesse's hand, he grinned – that lightning fast smile – and time had started moving forward again.

The traditional ceremony had been amended; Joe "gave" Wally to Jesse as Harry "gave" Jesse to Wally. The celebrant spoke the words required by law and then offered a wedding blessing that invoked no god but spoke of the eternal power of love.

Jesse and Wally spoke their own vows together:

We pledge to wake each morning face-to-face,
to shun the orders of the busy sun,
we promise to disturb each other's peace.
And we will, yes, gaze at the pining moon,
will pick out brine-blown glass-gems from the sand,
will read our future scratched onto a stone.
We're naked, till we wear each other's scent
and recognize it quicker than our own.
You start and finish me, you're my extent.
I speak these words to many and for one.

Harry had listened to them practice the verse for days, every evening this past week and he thought he might scream if he heard it one more time. But hearing it in the chapel, his daughter, Joe's son, each speaking so reverently, eyes locked, he thought his heart might just burst.

After the ceremony, there was the obligatory session with the photographer, who seemed slightly disconcerted when he was asked to take a rather romantic photograph of the bride's father and the groom's father. Not upset, just confused.

The party was a surprisingly lively affair, with more guests than he'd ever imagined. Jesse's friends, Wally's friends and colleagues. Joe, of course, had to invite a number of the cops he worked with.

Barry and Iris – in the late stages of pregnancy – watched the whole proceeding with smug amusement, having avoided all of the hoopla when they tied the knot. Joe had been a little peeved (okay, a lot peeved) at being denied the chance to walk his baby girl down the aisle, but he’d understood, too. Which was probably why he'd plunged headfirst into planning this affair with an enthusiasm usually displayed by the mother of the bride, not the father of the groom.

Even now, Joe was working the crowd, posing for photographs at every table, dancing with random guests as the evening wound to a close. Of course Harry had done his part, too, dancing with Jesse while Joe danced with Wally, and then they’d switched and Harry had taken an unholy delight at Wally's awkwardness – Wally was clearly more accustomed to leading but had been trying desperately not to offend his new father-in-law. They’d shuffled along for a few steps until Harry turned Wally back over to his new bride and gratefully found relief in Joe's arms.

There were toasts and speeches; Harry managed to give his without breaking down, but only because he'd practiced it as often as Jesse and Wally practiced their vows. And his years of experience with the media helped, too. Joe wasn't quite as steadfast and was sobbing three-quarters of the way through. Harry was going to have quite a bit of fun teasing Joe about that, since he'd refused to practice, claiming he just needed to speak from the heart.

The wedding cake had been served about a half-hour ago. He'd offered to make it, but Jesse politely suggested that as the father of the bride, he had way too many responsibilities to barricade himself in the kitchen for the week before the wedding. In other words, she wasn't letting him hide from the inevitable.

Harry toyed with the remains of the dessert on his plate. It wasn't bad, but he could have done better.

"Hey, Dad." Harry’s brand new son-in-law sat down next to him, his bow tie loosened, jacket unbuttoned, looking very satisfied with himself.

"Son." Harry did like how that single syllable sounded as he spoke it.

"Good party."

He nodded. "One of the best I've ever been to." Harry kept his eyes glued to the dance floor, where Joe was swaying back and forth with Iris, who was vastly pregnant – twins. Jesse, looking like a princess in her wedding gown, cut in and pulled Joe away from the dance floor. Barry, who'd been watching from the sidelines, escorted Iris back to their table. Mellow from champagne and happiness, Harry vaguely wondered why Jesse needed to talk to Joe, but wasn't at all worried.

"You doing okay?"

"Yes, I am."

Wally nodded. "Good." He let out a small sigh and sat up straight. "I need to ask you something important."

Harry had no clue what this was about. "Go ahead."

"When are you going to make an honest man out of my dad?"

"Excuse me?" Harry felt a scalding flush climb over his face.

"Jesse and I have been wondering for a while. The two of you are pretty perfect together. And it's not like you're getting any younger. You need to man up and do the right thing." Wally sounded so fierce.

Harry opened and closed his mouth. "I – uh – it's not like I haven't thought about it." Truth was, he'd been thinking about it a lot. Since the beginning, when anything beyond friendship seemed an impossible dream.

"Good. Maybe it's time to do more than just think about it. And just so you know, Jesse's having this conversation with my dad right now. In case he was thinking that she'd be silly enough to object to the two of you tying the knot."

"You know, you could be making things difficult for us."

"Yeah, but somehow, I don't think so. You're living together. It's time to put a ring on it." Wally got up, nodded at him, and went to join his bride on the dance floor. Joe was nowhere to be seen. He was just about to go look for him when Cisco dropped into the seat that Wally just abandoned.

"You okay?"

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" Since this was Ramon, Harry didn't bother to disguise his annoyance.

"Because you’re looking a little freaked, man."

Harry glared at his still more-than-occasional bête noir and wondered if Cisco were in on the plot. "Do you have something to say?"

"About what?" Cisco leaned back and smirked.

"About – " Harry shook his head. "Never mind. I'm going to find Joe and see what we need to do to start getting people to leave."

"Rude, much?"

"Go find your boyfriend and girlfriend and go home." Harry got up but didn't move. Joe was now back on the dance floor, twirling Tina McGee around like they'd been partners for years.

"What's the matter?" Cisco followed his gaze. "You're not – "

Jealous? "No, of course not."

The song ended and the DJ announced that this was the last tune of the evening, fittingly, Tonight, I Celebrate My Love. Joe turned. When he spotted Harry, he held out his hand and Harry went to him. This wasn't a song that required any fancy steps, rather one that almost demanded the cling and shuffle, which Harry didn't mind. Not at all.

Joe smelled of cologne and sweat and champagne. He smelled like happiness and Harry breathed deeply.

Joe murmured, "We did good tonight, didn't we?"

"Yeah, really good."

Joe pressed a kiss against his neck. "I'm glad it's over, though."

"Me, too."

"Can't wait to get home."

"Yeah." Home was home now, not a house three blocks away.

"Get you home, get you naked. Make you scream."

Harry swallowed hard at that, and tried to sound blasé when he asked, "Have you been counting the days until you could that?"

"Hell, yes. Might even break out the handcuffs if you're very good."

"Mmm, or very bad."

Joe chuckled. "That, too."

The song came to an end and the lighting subtly increased, signaling an end to the evening. "I think we need to say goodbye to our guests. And our kids. I don't think having a boner is good etiquette in such situations."

Joe laughed again. "Very true."

Harry wondered if Jesse actually did have that conversation with Joe, because Joe seemed wholly unfazed. He was as he always was, happy and unflappable, affectionate, comfortably open with his feelings. Not at all like a man who just might have been lectured by his new daughter-in-law about marriage.

Joe tugged on him. "Let's go make our farewells, tell the kids not to do anything stupid, and go home."

It took nearly an hour to say farewell to the last of the guests, then wave off Jesse and Wally, who were leaving on an old-fashioned road trip, driving through the Pacific Northwest for two weeks. They also needed to take Barry and Iris home and it was close to one in the morning by the time they walked through the door.

"Mmm." Joe toed off his shoes, dropped his tuxedo jacket on a chair, took off his bow tie and collapsed on the couch. "Good to be home."

Harry looked at his partner in mock-disappointment. "I thought you were going to make me scream."

Joe gazed at him through half-lidded eyes. "Yes, I did promise to do that."

"And you are a man who keeps his promises."

Joe's lips curved into a particularly sweet smile. "That I am." He held out his hand. "Come here."

Harry did as asked and sat down next to his partner. He wondered if this was the right time. Probably not. Maybe after the babies were born. Now that the wedding was over, they had to focus on Barry and Iris and the grandbabies. Twins.

"I know what you're thinking about."

"You do, Detective?"

"Yes. You get a particularly sappy look on your face when you are contemplating your impending grandfather-hood."

He ducked his head, delighted anew by Joe's generosity. Barry and Iris', as well – since they had also declared that he was their babies' grandpa, too.

No, now was not the time. After the babies were born, then he'd ask. He rested his head against Joe's shoulder, and as Joe wrapped an arm around him and leaned against him, Harry let out a small sigh of contentment.

They sat together, basking in the silence, in the happiness of the moment.

"Have something for you."

"Oh?" Harry tried to stir himself to curiosity. He was just too comfortable, too wiped out.

Joe shifted as he reached into his pocket. "I also have a question to ask you."

"Ask away." Harry closed his eyes.

"Will you marry me?" At that, he felt Joe poke him with something small, something with sharp corners.

He opened his eyes and felt himself staring at a ring box.

"Joe?" He sat up and took the box, warm from the hours spent in the other man's pocket.

Joe looked at him, his expression surprisingly wary for a man who'd just asked Harry to marry him as casually as he'd ask if Harry wanted another beer.

Harry opened the box to find a ring. But not any kind of ring he might have expected to find. It was a signet ring with the S.T.A.R. Labs logo and a lightning bolt on each of the points. Someone – Joe, obviously – had had this made for him.

"Well?"

"It's incredible." He took the ring out and slid it on. "You've had this planned for a while, I think."

"I've been thinking about it for almost as long as we've been together. I had the ring made last year."

"Why did you wait so long?"

"Because I didn't think you were ready."

"I've been thinking about this for a long time, too. But you're right; I don't think I was ready."

"And are you ready now?" Harry could hear the worry, the fear of rejection in Joe's voice. All unnecessary emotions.

"Yes."

Joe picked up his hand - the one with the ring on it - and smiled. "Is that a 'yes, I'm ready' or a 'yes, I'll marry you'?"

"It's both." Harry leaned over and kissed Joe. On Joe’s lips, he tasted the future, and it was delicious.

FIN


END NOTES: The poem that Jesse and Wally recite as their vows was written by Michael Symmons Roberts, and is called The Vows, A Coda.

Comments

[pipilj.livejournal.com]

Aww this was nice, Joe and Harry have been at loggerheads for such a long time. Loved the ring.