Once off the train and back on the soil of their hometown, the four S.T.A.R. Labs workers split. Barry and Parker took a cab straight to the hospital. Cisco and Caitlin decided to get the wrath of Dr.Wells over with right at once.

It didn't take long for Barry and Parker to land a seat in an actual hospital room and not the waiting room. Apparently a severely injured shoulder was more important than the rest of the waiting patients.

Despite not being in the actual waiting room, the two had to patiently wait. As you might suspect, Parker and Barry aren't exactly known for their patience.

Barry stood and quietly walked to the Doctors cabinet, prying out four rubber gloves.

"Barry!" Parker hissed. "You can't!"

"I can," He insisted. "and I will."

To prove his recklessness, his cheeks puffed up with air and the rubber glove on his lips puffed up. With a smug smile, he let the glove go and it deflated, slamming into Parker's face.

She couldn't reach the cabinet, so she slipped off her shoe and whipped it at him. She didn't want to seem unprofessional if the Doctor decided to walk in, so she kept her other shoe on. Every balloon that hit her face made her scowl but she continued to keep her head held high.

Just as Barry released another balloon, the door creaked open.

A wave of fear washed over Parker and she grabbed the blown up gloves and her, shoving them under her thigh. She prayed the Doctor wouldn't make her stand.

Barry had slouched in his chair, stuffing what he had left of the gloves under his shirt.

"Hi, Dr. Evans! Hey. What's up?" Parker blurted out, panicking.

Dr.Evans glanced at her, saying nothing. "I believe the question is what's up with you, Ms.Sylas. Popped shoulder?"

"I fell. My friend popped it back into place and well.. I might have popped it out again?" she wondered, not knowing the answer.

Dr.Evans patted around her right shoulder, feeling the bump cautiously.

"I just need you to be more careful. You started with a dislocated shoulder and it's likely to happen multiple times if you aren't careful with it and give it the time to heal. If you repeatedly dislocate it, you could wind up with chronic instability."

Parker knew that term quite well. Years ago, when Derek had popped out his shoulder from baseball, he was almost diagnosed with chronic instability. "Gotcha. So how can I be more careful?"

"It's a given, but don't sleep on it. I can give you some medicine if you wish, to ease the pain. Do you have a sling?"

Parker shook her head. "No, on the medicine, and no on the sling."

"I'll give you a sling, then," Dr.Evans said. He scribbled something onto the clipboard. "I recommend icing it quite a bit. And do you have someone to stay with you for aid?"

"Uhh.." Parker hummed.

She definitely didn't want Iris in her house, she wasn't a good cleaner. Cisco would get annoying after about a day. Caitlin.. No way.

"I can, Park." Barry chimed, holding up his hand. He quickly added. "If you want me to."

Parker ran her hands down her thighs nervously. Did she really want him in her house all day/everyday? Even if it was for a certain amount of time and even if it was Barry freakin' Allen.. Could she handle that? She needed time alone for herself; she had a feeling he was going to fuss over her a lot.. But maybe she could use this as a test run for their relationship.

Parker faced the Doctor. "Yes, that doofus over there."

>>>>>>

A great deal of argument came from Parker upon Barry's suggestion to carry her to his apartment from the hospital. After two minutes of listening to her, he finally just swept her up and started running.

He set her down at his apartment doorstep, listening to her heave in breaths as he unlocked the door.

"You suck," she managed to say.

Barry flashed a smile, walking backwards through his apartment. "How long am I staying?"

"I don't know. Like six weeks? But you don't have to stay every night."

Barry stood with his hands on his hips, surveying his apartment. It was practically empty. All he really did was sleep and eat here. There was no decorations on his walls and just the bare minimum furniture.

"Park, do you mind if I just move in?"

"Uh-"

"Look at this place," Barry continued, slapping his hand against the empty wall. "Empty anyway. And it's getting hard to sneak in without the neighbors noticing. I'll stay with you until you're healed, then find somewhere else."

Parker definitely didn't mind the thought of him staying, but there was obviously some hesitation. However, if they worked out the pay situation and went over the groundrules of her house, everything could work out.

"I guess. You sure?"

"I'm sure." Barry confirmed, grinning. He held up his finger. Within a couple blinks, his things were packed into four bags.

"That's it? Four bags?" Parker asked. "You don't want to take any furniture? Nothing?"

Barry gasped and trailed his bags into the kitchen. He reappeared with a box of cookies.

"Okay, now I'm ready."

>>>

Parker and Barry spent the night unloading his belongings into her guest bedroom.

The guest bedroom included a comfortable futon, but Parker had a feeling it wouldn't be used. It seemed like two people were going to be occupying her bed for the next six weeks.

"That's adorable," Parker claimed as she dug out a framed picture of Barry and Iris.

She set it on the dresser, giving him something to glance at before he walked out of the room. He finished awfully quick without using his speed. After his bags were shoved under the futon, the two faced each other, clueless on what to do next.

"Time?" Parker asked.

"11:07."

Parker groaned and held out her hand. Barry took it, shutting off the lights and closing the door on the way out of the bedroom. As expected, the two fell asleep entertwined in Parker's memory foam mattress.

>>>>

Barry had left for an early meet up with Joe and Iris, leaving Parker the house to herself. Although it was only the first time she was alone since BMI (Barry move in), she cherished it while it would last.

She used the time to wrap all of her friends presents.

Like she promised, Cisco and Caitlin received comics. Caitlin got some Fantastic Four and a Jitters gift card.. For Cisco, a Game Stop gift card and Hawkeye comics. Dr.Wells received a Visa card, with a small note attached that said, "In case of wheelchair repairs xoxo -Park" For Iris: a good sized notebook with a red cover and a lightning bolt hand-drawn onto the cover.

For Barry Allen, (a.k.a the hardest person to shop for) Parker bought him a watch. It was quite the project, but she managed to dig out the gears and squeeze her own hand-drawn design into it. A circle filled with the numbers one through ten, in a jumbled order. The words, 'whatever, I'm late anyways,' strung across the paper.

The front door opened and Parker pushed all the presents into a gigantic present bag, setting it on the couch.

"You got our Christmas presents already?" Barry asked.

"Of course. Did you?"

"Yeah, they're in my room," Parker said. She took notice of the microscope he held carefully in his hands.

"Early present from Iris. I'll put this in my room and we can go," Barry said. He zipped to and from the room. "Okay, I'm ready."

Parker pointed to the couch. Barry obeyed, sitting while she paced in front of him.

"I have very simple house rules. Text me if you're leaving and when you plan on returning. Curfew is midnight, unless you're working or being the Flash. Do not leave food or products you use out-- always put them back where they belong. We will switch off on dish duty every week. Cleaning days are on Sundays. And no matter what happens, do not touch any food marked with an orange sticky note. Understood?"

"You wanna write those down for me?" Barry asked, pretending to forget already.

Parker rolled her eyes. "Now, since you're technically moved in, I'm going to make you pay rent. But in food/products. If you buy the equivalent of what you would be paying for rent in food or products we both need, such as shampoo or something, then I'll let you stay."

"I like your rules. Very simple."

"What can I say," Parker joked with a flip of her hair.

"Now off to S.T.A.R. Labs for Christmas?" Barry asked. He was itching to open his presents.

Parker reached over the couch and slipped the bag of presents over her arm, nodding. "Off to S.T.A.R. Labs for early Christmas!"

>>>>

"Merry Christmas. For all that you've done for me this year.." Barry said, passing out his presents.

Parker tossed her gifts out. "Merry Christmas, losers."

"I think I speak on behalf of all my colleagues when I say that you have been a gift to us, Barry," Dr.Wells said, smiling at the couple.

Way to get out of getting us presents..

Caitlin had noticed the container in Barry's hands. "What's that?"

"This is Grandma Esther's world famous eggnog."

"That's what I'm talking about!" Cisco squealed, grabbing the container. Caitlin followed him eagerly.

"Maybe later for me. Wouldn't wanna drink and drive," Dr.Wells said. He smiled and wheeled away, quite sorrowful.

"Did I say something wrong?" Barry asked, his arm sliding around Parker's waist.

"No," Caitlin said.

"No, the accident happened before Christmas.. This used to be his favorite time of the year, but.." Cisco trailed off.

Parker furrowed her eyebrows, turning to look at Barry. Had it been a year already? A year since I've moved in?

Caitlin snatched her car keys from her desk. "I'm gonna go get him a present. Maybe that'll cheer him up."

"I've lived in Central for a year already," Parker said.

"Aw, Park.." Barry cooed, hugging her tightly.

A year since I reconnected with Barry Allen..

Cisco was happily watching his favorite couple. "Did you guys already exchange gifts?" He asked, pointing between Parker and Barry.

"We did not, no." Barry said.

He released Parker and pulled a ring box from his coat pocket. Parker dug her box out from inside her sling.

"Really?" Barry chuckled.

"Extra room. It's a purse without being a purse," She defended, rolling her eyes. "Whatever. Leave me alone."

They exchanged gifts. Parker managed to tear through her wrapping paper and through the box one handed. (At the time, she had been set on not moving her right arm at all. The less time it took to heal the better.) Unfortunately, Cisco had to pry open the actual box her present was set in. He popped the lid and held it out to her.

Her jaw dropped. Her eyes went from the ring to Barry's wide grin, back and forth again in disbelief.

"Oh, wow!" Cisco said after he had brought the box back to see what treasure was inside. "Nice, Barry."

Cisco held the box steady and Parker gently pried the silver ring from the box, holding it in the palm of her hand. It was a silver band, a circle in the middle with a lightning bolt inscribed within the circle.

"Allen.." Parker mumbled, meeting his sparkling green eyes. They held nervousness.

"Shut up and take it," Barry dismissed. He held up one hand. "It was the ring," he held the other at his waist. "or a shirt with my face on it."

Parker pointed at the higher hand; the ring. She maneuvered the silver band onto the pointer finger of her left hand.

"That's beautiful. I love it."

"If you like it then you should have put a ring on it.." Cisco sang.

Barry whipped the box his watch came in at Cisco, who ran out of the room to protect himself from further attacks.

"Just don't wear it in public.. You know what I mean," Barry cautioned.

She could dig around her apartment for an empty chain and hang it on that. Since the dawn of time, she always held a knack for losing rings. What would she do when she got married? Slip the ring on a necklace and wear that? Unprofessional, but yes, most likely.