Shannon forces her eyes to stay shut and she clings to his long, lean body as he speeds her across the city to who knows where. For as many times as he has done this to her she's still never gotten over the adrenaline rush it causes.

The flat out arousal that courses through her system as she clutches his firm body next to hers like this, the strength coiling beneath taunt muscles as he holds her close to him.

It's intoxicating.

The world keeps spinning even after he sets her back on her feet.  She needs to keep her hands on his biceps and eyes closed as she tries to steady herself once again.

"Why.....  why did you do that??  Where...  where did you take me off to?"

His voice is closer than she expects it to be when he responds.

"Because I needed to be with you Shann.  Open your eyes Darling, and you'll see where we are.  Please..."

Obediently she opens her brown eyes and takes in her surroundings.

King sized bed with gilded burgundy sheets.

Soft music playing.

A large whirlpool bath tub in the next room.

It looks just like....

But it can't be, can it?

Her eyes meet his questioningly. And with those green orbs glinting mischievously and the smirk plastered on his face he's more Sebastian Smythe than Barry Allen at the moment.

"Looks like you want to say something Beautiful. So out with it."

She barely breathes out her response as he moves closer again, pressing up to her body.

"Is this.... this is the Le Méridien?? The hotel you took me to after your prom? Where we.... you know... for the first time"

He smirks again as he reaches out to cup her face.

"The one and only. Thought I'd remind you of that night and how much you mean to me...."

She stands dumbfounded in this hotel room in Ohio, one that looks so much like where they lost their virginities to each other all those years ago.

It's sweet.

It's perfect.

But then she remembers, even though he dropped his ring on the floor of the speed lab back at Star Labs in Central City he is still very much a married man.

And as he moves his face in closer to kiss her again she places a gentle hand on his chest, pushing him back just so.

That pout. 

Those green eyes, so torn. Confused.

"Why'd you stop me Love??"

Shannon sighs.

"Bar....  Bassy, just because you took your ring off doesn't make you any less of a married man.  I don't want to be your mistress.  I deserve better than that."

His hand falls from her face as he takes a small step back, reaching into the interior pocket of his blazer as he does.

"Now that's where you're wrong Shann. You wouldn't be my mistress, you're my girl. You've always been my girl, I just didn't want to admit it to myself.  And you can be again. Well after this..."

He pulls out a packet of papers and hands them over to her. When she reads the words on the first page she gasps in surprise.

"Divorce papers?? Why now? Does she.... does she know??"

Barry nods solemnly.

"She does. No one else does, but it's supposed to be finalized after the new year. And to answer your other question of why now.... we had a bit of a blow up around August."

August??  Why August?

Shannon's confusion is evident on her face as she goes to sit on the edge of the large bed, the divorce papers still clutched lightly in her grasp.  Barry comes and kneels in front of her, carefully removing them and placing them on the bedside table.  He laces his fingers with hers and continues his explanation.

"I...  well...   she saw a box....  your birthday gift.  I was getting ready to wrap it and she questioned me about what it was.  I explained that it was your birthday gift and she lost it.  Why was I buying you a personalized necklace.  That she was my wife yet I treat you better.  And something inside me snapped. I told her the only reason she married me was because Eddie died, that marrying her was the biggest mistake I'd ever made.  That she wanted me to forget a whole part of my life. So yeah...."

With the hand that isn't currently interlaced with the kneeling man's, Shannon fingers the necklace she is wearing.  The gift she received from Barry/Sebastian on her last birthday.  A locket full of charms: their birthstones, music notes, a lacrosse stick, the Dalton Academy logo, a Warbler and even a lightening bolt for his newest adventure. She remembers hugging him so tight when she unwrapped it.

But to know that it, that she is what helped lead to the dissolution of his marriage....

"I'm sorry Bastian...   I didn't mean to ruin your marriage."

Barry shakes his head as he stands to sit next to her on the bed.

"No Darling...   you didn't ruin anything. It was a long time coming.  She can't handle our friendship, our history.  And I can't give you up.  I won't..."

Hand in hand, he leans in and kisses her.  Whispering softly.

"So please don't leave me Shanny...."

(Okay, this may have been crappy and I know you wanted sexy time but this chapter was a bit long already.  Promise sexy times next time, and Cisco shows up too. ❤️ Shann)