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WHO: Caitlin Snow, Barry Allen; anyone else who wants an age swap-related thread
WHERE: StarkTech
WHEN: March 25
WHAT: bein' teenagers together.
WARNINGS: n/a

Lucky for Caitlin, (a) people at StarkTech are used to weird things happening because that's just the kind of life they live so (b) no one really bats an eye - for more than a couple seconds, at least - at the fact that the head of biochem is a teenager. She heads into work, makes her announcement to the network and starts getting things together for beginning tests. By the time Barry's let in, she's already found a lab coat that fits her more-or-less and has attached her engagement ring to her necklace so it doesn't slip off again.

She's busy enough getting ready that she doesn't really notice that the little teddy bear wearing a Flash costume is still propped up on one of the work stations. That suddenly feels a lot more childish to have.

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The sad thing is that for someone who has normally been running for years and previously ran in these particular legs, Barry sucks at running with superspeed right now. He thinks it'll take him ten minutes but in between the bumps— literal and figurative— into various things it takes him closer to twenty to finally get to StarkTech and into it. He figures Caitlin's seen him be late enough under normal circumstances that she won't really mind too much that he's late.

He doesn't actually announce his presence when he enters and for once he actually manages some degree of stealthiness. Caitlin may not notice that she still has the teddy bear wearing a Flash costume on the work station, but it's the first thing Barry notices. It takes all of his self control not to just run right over to it with superspeed. In the end he ends up walking over to it and grabbing it before he manages to finally say anything.

"There's a teddy bear with my costume on it." He says with a sense of glee that's a little intense even if he is back to his sixteen year old body. "I'm stealing this from you."

She's really not surprised in the slightest. How Barry Allen manages to be late so often when he has superspeed is a question that requires vigorous scientific study, but she's willing to cut him some slack considering that he's trying to adjust to a newly-teenage body.

No slack for stuffed animal-stealing sneaksters, though. Caitlin narrows her eyes and gives him a don't you dare look that's less threatening on her adolescent face. "That's the only one I have." If it goes missing, Barry Allen, so help her.

At least this time he honestly tried to be on time. And if anyone were to ask Barry how he manages to be late so often even with the superspeed, he's willing to just blame it on old habits being hard to break. Never mind that he should have never developed the habit in the first place, that's really neither here nor there.

Barry has to bite the inside of his cheek to keep himself from laughing when she narrows her eyes. It does honestly strike a bit of fear in him normally, but seeing it on her younger face just makes him want to laugh. He knows better than to do that though— he'll wait until later to laugh. "But I didn't get a chance to get one." You didn't even realize it was still there, Caitlin, surely you wouldn't miss it. Surely.

If the way he's holding it is any indication, he's about a few minutes away from pouting to get this bear. "And you're probably going to use me as your first age test subject, so I think I deserve to at least keep it for a day."

"I'm using myself as my first age test subject," she points out. Although yes, she was planning on having him be the second. He's here already, after all, so why waste such convenience?

She sighs. "Fine. One day. And I expect it to be returned to me in the same condition it is now." It is an original, unique piece, okay, she is allowed to be a little protective of it. And he could have gotten one of his own if he'd bothered to show up.

"How are you feeling? Any adverse effects?"

"I'd argue that you can't accurately test yourself, but I feel like you might hit me if I do. So, you're just using me as your first age test subject other than yourself," he manages to say with less tact than he wanted.

"I'll treat it like it's my own flesh and blood." Okay, maybe not quite that carefully, but still, at the risk of Caitlin trying to maim him if he harmed it, he'll at least treat it pretty nicely. And he could have shown up but saying he's Barry Allen while trying to get said Flash bear might have been weird. Just maybe.

"Other than me running into about five different walls while coming here? No. Feeling a little weird mind-wise about this but— that seems a normal response." Because this is really weird.

She blinks at that and does another quick look over him for any obvious injuries. "Are you experiencing any dizziness?" Because she can't think of a whole lot of reasons he would be running into walls.

Caitlin was never a teenage boy.

He shakes his head before pointing at his legs, "No, but these aren't the legs and this isn't the body I'm used to running with like this."

There's a pause before he makes a face. "I'm just misjudging when I need to stop because I'm in the wrong body," he pauses, "at least I'm pretty sure that's why. Unless something's really messed up which I don't want to be the issue."

Oh. Yes, she guesses that would do it. She shakes her head slightly. "We can check your inner ear, but if you're feeling dizzy or anything, then it's probably fine."

Beat.

"Well, as fine as this can be." Caitlin grabs a syringe and turns to him. "Blood sample?"

"If I'm still having issues when I return the bear, I'll let you take a look. That way we know it's not just something to do with the sudden body change."

His eyes focus on the syringe for probably a few moments too long before he says anything. "Do I have to?" Yeah, he knows he needs too but still, he swears this is something Caitlin enjoys doing to him.

She rolls her eyes a little. "We don't have to, but I'd be missing some pretty basic information if we didn't."

Beat.

"You don't have trypanophobia at this age, do you?"

"No. I just— don't want to do it. And considering the body I'm in now, I'm entitled to a bit of a teenage rebellion." He frowns, partially because that sounded better in his head and partially because fine, he will do it.

After about a moment he finally just sticks his arm out. "I think this might earn me another day with the bear."

She rolls her eyes a little. Caitlin is also entitled to a few teenage reactions, by the same logic. "Do you need to hold his paw to protect you from the scary needle?"

"You're never going to let me forget this, are you?" Never mind that the question he just asked isn't an answer in the slightest. Which is probably why he shakes his head. "No. You can't really blame me for enjoying this, can you? It's a bear with the— it's one thing to know that people know about me in other universes but it's a little Flash bear."

"I think I still have the artist's business card," she says. "If you want to contact them about making another."

Because apparently he is really hung up on the Flash teddy. Caitlin uses the bear's paw to pat his arm because he deserves it before swabbing the patch of skin with antiseptic.

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