A/N: This first o/s is an extension to the Iris/Caitlin squeal-worthy scene in 2x18. It starts directly after the scene ends in the episode.
*HUGE THANKS TO THE WESTALLEN TUMBLR FANBASE FOLLOWING ME! If not for all your loving the brief dialogue snippet I posted, this one-shot would likely not have come to fruition, so thank-you.
*I own nothing. No copyright infringement intended.
…
Iris took him in, watching as he started to walk out of the room with Joe. Barry was everything she could ever hope for in a man, and in a friend. She felt foolish for not seeing it sooner, or not letting herself see it. What girl didn't want to fall in love with her best friend?
An unsettling thought hit her like a ton of bricks suddenly though and she sank into herself. She could feel the concern on Caitlin's face burning into her averted gaze.
"What…what if…" She lost her voice briefly; then cleared her throat to restore it. "I mean," She raised her eyes to meet Caitlin's gaze. "Do you think it really matters, that I've finally realized I'm in love with Barry?" She caught her breath as the realization of what she'd just done dawned on her. "Wow, it feels weird to say that out loud." She chuckled nervously to herself.
Caitlin only smiled, not commenting on the latter half.
"Why wouldn't it matter?" she asked instead.
"Well…" Iris took a deep breath. "What if Barry's feelings…are no longer there?" She ignored Caitlin's brief deadpanning stare. "He was with Patty after all, and I could tell he really cared about her. Maybe he even—"
"Loved her?" Caitlin finished softly.
Iris shrugged.
"I guess. Yeah…maybe."
"I don't think it matters if he did," Caitlin continued. "You weren't ready then, but you are now." She paused. "And Iris?"
She looked up at her. Caitlin was still a few feet away but it was as if she could feel her hand on her own, comforting and encouraging her.
"It's always been you."
Her heart thudded faster as the beginning of a smile started to spread across her face. It fell away instantly when she caught the movement out of the corner of her eye. Someone was standing in the doorway, who had likely heard a lot of what both she and Caitlin had just said.
Someone that caused her heart to race.
"Iris?" Barry squeaked.
He cleared his throat and forced a smile, though he kept averting his eyes. Iris seemed to be doing the same thing, afraid if she caught his gaze for more than a split second she wouldn't be able to look away.
Caitlin smiled to herself at the sweet oddity surrounding her and got to her feet.
"I'll leave you two alone…go see if Cisco might be in his workshop after all," she murmured on her way out the door.
…
The silence was deafening.
Barry's head was swimming. He'd had suspicions about Iris in the past. He'd even heard her declaration of feelings in another timeline, in what felt like forever ago. But not recently. No, recently she'd only barely started to move on from her grief due to Eddie's death. And with her boss no less, the editor. Scott.
Every time he thought of the man he wanted to cringe. Didn't he have a thing against him anyway? Well, the Flash. Still.
But he knew it was just jealousy. Because Iris – in this timeline – had admitted to thinking about him, but not wanting to because of Eddie. Barry had been the best friend, and had no problem with that. He knew she needed time to grieve. Now that she was ready to move on, he wondered why it wasn't with him.
"How was your date last night?" He found himself asking.
Iris blinked and then looked at him, confused.
"Uh…" she stammered. "It was…well, I—" She'd been about to say great, or something along those lines, when she realized she'd bailed. "I didn't go."
Barry felt his heart swell and couldn't suppress the smile that started to spread across his face.
"Really."
She rolled her eyes, but knew she was starting to smile too.
"And why was that?" Barry tried to sound serious, curious only, but he was still smiling and not attempting at all to stop. Iris looked up at him and he made some effort.
"How much did you hear?" she demanded playfully and wished she hadn't. He'd clearly heard enough.
He gave her a look of pure innocence and she returned with an all-knowing sparkle in her eyes. Then she sighed, but more from nerves than annoyance at how smug he was being.
"Barry, I…"
He suppressed a teasing yess? Because he could see the nerves written all over her face, her fingers trembling a little, and it reminded him of all the anxiety he'd had when he told her he loved her the Christmas before last.
"I've been thinking a lot about us…"
She wasn't looking at him, was fiddling with her shaking fingers. He was careful not to say anything, but he was tense with anticipation.
"I know that we left things kind of uncertain before…"
She didn't say Eddie died, but Barry heard it and sobered up.
"…well, you know."
He nodded along, lamenting just as she was for that terrible sacrifice.
"But I meant what I said before," she said, sitting straighter, fortifying herself. "Without your support, I wouldn't have had the courage to move on."
He looked up at her, smiling softly, just at her appreciation of him.
"And I…I really think…" She cut herself off and stood, came to him. "Barry-"
He stood too and took her trembling hands into his own.
"I don't know why I'm so nervous…I mean, you're my best friend and I…I was just talking to Caitlin, and it was so easy. She—"
"Iris."
Her eyes fixed on his.
"I still have feelings for you."
Her mouth went dry.
"Really?" she rasped.
He wanted to laugh at her disbelief, that she would even wonder if his heart beat only for her.
"Really." He assured her with a grin. He cupped her face in his hands. "Iris. I'm in love with you. That has never changed."
Her breath caught in her throat and a hesitant smile started to stretch across her face. Her heart beat wildly. She could hear the sound in her ears. She could feel Barry's hands very distinctly on her face, sinking into her hair, wrapping softly against the side of her neck. And then his lips were on hers and she felt like she was flying.
It was hard to wrap her head around what was happening. It somehow felt like déjà vu. The only time she'd kissed Barry before now was in her dreams for the last couple months. She couldn't explain the feeling. So she abandoned it and let herself sink into the moment. She moved closer and set her hands on his waist. Then abruptly, unthinkingly, she pulled him flush against her body and moaned, even against his muffled surprise.
Eventually they broke away, both breathing hard and leaning their foreheads against each other.
"Wow."
He laughed. "Yeah." He took some more breaths. "To put it mildly."
She lifted her head and looked at him. Chills erupted all over her body when he met her eyes. The words were on the tip of her tongue but she couldn't force them out. She just stared at him for an eternity and then spat out,
"You are a really good kisser."
He chuckled a little. "I was highly motivated." He paused, thinking, and then smiled. "And very excited."
That sobered Iris surprisingly. The smile slipped off her face and she became very serious.
"Barry, I love you," she all but whispered.
His heart dropped, but he couldn't process the words quick enough before she continued.
"I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. When we're together, lately…I've always been wondering what it would be like if we were…more than what we are, what we have been. And I was so worried, because I didn't know what it would mean if we took that step. And you have seemed so unaware that I was so focused on you that I thought…" She left the sentence unfinished, aware of him shaking his head.
She smiled and gushed up at him. "I'm just…completely in love with you." She caught her breath and cupped his face in her hands, tracing her fingers across his features. "I think I have loved you for a long time. I just…couldn't seem to…"
He nodded, reminding himself to keep breathing.
"I know. It was that way for me too."
"No." She gave him a crooked smile. "You always knew what you wanted."
"I always wanted you," he said simply.
She was drowning in his eyes but his lips kept drawing her gaze as well and the feel of his arms around her and just how hot her best friend was, and how much he loved and adored her. And how that had always been there, and she'd been oblivious.
"We should probably kiss again," she said.
He nodded enthusiastically.
"Mhmm, we probably should."
He pulled her close for another fiery kiss. For all the chaos surrounding him and the whole team…with Zoom and Earth 2 and getting faster, Iris telling him she loved him pretty much topped the charts as an excellent distraction. And also, the greatest moment in his entire life.
…
A/N: I'm pretty much in love with this oneshot. I can see it all happening in my head and I hope you were able to too. Happy reviews are my favorite. If you want more westallen fanfiction from me, please don't hesitate to say so. Thank you for reading.