"Few MORE tests and I will be there in a second!"
Iris read his text and smiled to herself. She could almost feels his irritation when he was writing this message – for reasons beyond Barry's comprehension most of his tests didn't have a "speedy" option and they just had to take their timely course. And for the fastest man alive waiting for chemical reaction to end was almost physically painful. But only almost – Iris knew Barry loved his job so she didn't feel TOO sorry for him. Also – he WOULD come in a second once his CSI-ing for today will be finished… perks of dating The Flash!
She'd put aside her phone and turned back to her laptop trying to refocus on her article that was due this Friday. It seemed ok… but "ok" wasn't what Iris was going for in her assignment… or her life in general for that matter. Something was off about this article, something inconclusive…
Iris sighted and closed her laptop. Maybe today wasn't her day. Or maybe she just needed a recess and a cup of coffee to get her muse working again.
She stood up, tiredly flexing her stiff muscles, and walked towards the counter. Turning on familiar coffee-machine Iris made a mental note to thank Tracy for lending her keys to Jitters and allowing them to stay at the coffee shop after closing time. Considering how Barry still lived with her dad… well, let's just say, having night dates at "his place" was out of the question! So that was a real blessing to have such an understanding roommate as Tracy. And if it weren't for Tracy's mischievous all-too-knowing smile when she gave her the keys… but nothing is prefect, right?
Coffee machine hissed and clacked announcing Iris's drink was ready. She took her cup carefully – and almost dropped it right away startled by the fire trucks' sirens. Red trucks flew past café followed by ambulances and police vehicles – judging by the size of procession the fire was enormous.
Iris forgot about her coffee immediately and rushed to her laptop to check for any information about this fire. And it wasn't even the investigative journalist in her that was interested in the story – it was girlfriend in her that was worried nuts. Because her boyfriend was surely there by now. Wherever "there" was.
Central Expo was on fire. Some equipment malfunctioned and caught a spark – and it wasn't too long before their New Architect exposition went ablaze. Main entrance was crashed but people were still running out from side exits. There was no telling how many were trapped inside…
"The Flash is back to the building"… "Seventeen people and counting"… "I see his lightning tail on a second floor"…
Iris dimply remembered the old days when she'd chase after every Streak sighting hoping to see him in person, to catch him during one of his heroic acts, to prove his existence. Now… she was motionless, stunned with worry. Because it wasn't The Flash running through collapsed building that was clouded with grey smoke – it was her Barry, her very own, very real, very human Barry. He wasn't invincible or impervious to pain and exhaustion… she knew his limits and prayed that his powers will be enough to get him through this.
"Barry… come back… to me… come back!"
Iris never got used to the feeling of being whooshed through space in a fraction of a second. Maybe because it was always too quick for her to register the movement at all – one second she was glued to her seat reading news updates frantically… and the other she's at the rooftop of Jitters, her back pressed to his body still buzzing with the rush of the run. And for whatever reason she was facing the wall. Her face was literally two inches away from the wall and Iris tried to step back – only to realize that Barry is leaning on her with all of his body weight, only balancing it with his hand and forehead pressed to the wall over her shoulder.
Iris ducked away supporting him so he wouldn't fall to the ground. Barry sat, his eyes closed, he was heaving and arching uncomfortably with every breath.
She touched her hand to his face brushing off smidges of ash. Barry's head turned instinctively and he kissed her palm inhaling deeper. That brought about another pained grimace and Iris asked gently:
- Where does it hurt? Should I call Caitlin? She's probably waiting to hear from you anyways…
Barry finally opened his eyes and smiled tiredly:
- There will be nothing to worry about… in twenty minutes or so… I just breathed a lot of smoke… but I'm much better already.
He gulped audibly and slowly raised his hand to take off his hood. By his careful movements Iris knew that burned lounges were not the only one of his problems… but he wouldn't tell her the rest of it to spare her the worries. Barry often joked that Iris was hurt by his injuries for a much longer time that those injuries actually lasted on his body.
Barry shifted a little bit on the ground and set straighter. Iris could only hope that this was a sign that her boyfriend felt better already. To confirm these hopes Barry chuckled:
- But do call her before she sends cavalry after my suits tracker. My earpiece and mic got damaged so I couldn't report myself… but I hope at least some of the sensors haven't melted so they know I'm alive.
Both Barry and Iris looked over Barry's body length – the suit was a mess of cuts and melted patches.
Iris frowned seeing how much pain Barry has evidently felt when these damages to his suit happened. Barry read her expression differently:
- Cisco is going to give me a headache for dirtying his suit. Normally it should withstand fire – I mean, is was originally designed for firefighters – but I guess combination of my internal temperature, heated air, bad cocktail of chemicals and electric current I ran through took its toll on the suit. I'm thinking if we…
He kept talking some ideas but Iris's happiness effectively tuned him out – if Barry was going full nerd again, then he was better indeed.
Iris sat beside him and when she was done texting Caitlin she leaned over and pressed her ear to his chest. She moved tentatively afraid to apply any pressure to his wounded body – but Barry was in a mood for a real hug: he tugged her closer to him and shifted his body once again so that Iris was practically laying on top of him, her head over his chest.
- It's still beating, - he murmured to her hair when they both settled in their new positions. Iris smiled nodding a little bit – his heartbeat was strong and really fast… her favorite sound in the whole wide world.
Iris was the first one to break their comfortable silence:
- How many?
Barry took her hand and brought it to his lips to kiss every knuckle. It seemed like doing this was much more interesting to him than answering Iris's question so she yanked her hand away from him and repeated:
- How many?
Barry looked down at her beautiful face… and Iris's determination to get her answers meant his defeat. He shrugged:
- Seriously though… why would you think that I count them? I don't know! I did a final sweep, I double-checked – nobody was left behind. So… all of them. But I honestly don't know the exact number.
Iris sighted:
- My boss is convinced that I have some sort of an "in" with The Flash. But usually I'm the one who finds out the details of your heroics the last! It's very inconvenient that it's my job to report on The Flash when said Flash tries to keep me "safely oblivious"!
Considering their laying positions Iris made a horizontal equivalent of foot stomping and softly punched Barry's bent knee. His responding laughter was accompanied by sizzles of light vibrations running through his body – something that happened when Barry felt really good.
Iris prompted herself on her fists put together – she wasn't going to say anything, she just wanted to look at her boyfriend's smiling face.
She saw him smiling so many times… in so many different ways. But this… this smile wasn't just "loving" – he loved her since forever. But this was Barry's "loved" smile – the one he'd found after they got together. Happier smile, more hopeful, more playful, more confident and, to be honest, much dreamier than she remembered from before.
But to Iris's dismay his smile suddenly changed to tightly pressed lips – Barry's eyes were searching her face for some answers but he couldn't quite make himself to voice the question. Iris encouraged him:
- What is it, Bar?
He didn't say anything but one "whoosh" later Iris was tight pressed between the wall and his lean body. The urgency and hunger of his kiss could've scared her but Iris was too lost in the feeling of being whole again to question his actions just yet. It was like low current being administered all over her body – his every touch sparkled inwards igniting her with energy. Barry was her personal source of life force.
Still, something was off about it. Just like earlier with her article, Iris couldn't shake off the feeling that something was not right. She pushed Barry gently off her body and held his face in her hands:
- Barry, what is it? What aren't you telling me?
He searched her face with desperate intensity that made her anxious about his answer. Barry turned away and his shoulders dropped as he whispered:
- I got so scared today…
Iris came closer and hugged him from behind, consoling him:
- Barry, it's a normal human reaction, you had to run through gigantic fire! Anyone would…
He swirled around, grabbed her shoulders and shook her shouting:
- I wasn't afraid for myself! I was afraid for you!
Iris was stunned with disbelief:
- But… why? I was here, safe and sound.
Barry let go of Iris and stepped away – same panic he experienced before came crushing back:
- It was my fifth of sixth sweep through the building and I brought out this old lady, she was unconscious so I carried her directly to ambulance car…
Iris could not understand what this situation could possibly have to do with her but waited for him to finish:
- … And then I'd overheard the radio – all the cars were reporting that they'd delivered the first line of fire victims and were coming back to the site… all but one car that was sent to retrieve a girl with head trauma… robbery gone wrong.
Iris sighed:
- Oh, Barry, but it wasn't…
He nodded still not looking at her:
- I know it wasn't you. I ran back to the building, I kept searching for more people, again and again… but all this time I was only thinking of you. I tried convincing myself that it wasn't you, that it could not have been you… but…
His voice broke and Barry hugged Iris crushing her to his body, enveloping her with his long arms as if trying to hide her from some unseen danger. His whisper travelled through her hair and Iris shivered a bit because of the pleasant sensation of his breath on her skin:
- Iris, I will NEVER forgive myself if something happens to you because you are with me… but also I will NEVER be able to live with myself if something happens while I was away – and if I could've prevented it by being close to you.
Iris turned her head to kiss his neck, his jawline, his chin… she just like kissing him so much. But things he was saying warranted some reality check from her:
- Barry, you know you're setting yourself up to be responsible for ANYTHING that happens to me, be it with or without you? I mean, I survived without The Flash by my side for so many years – I'm sure I can take care of myself in the future.
Finally Barry looked her in the eyes with mixed expression of genuine surprise and adoration:
- Iris, I don't doubt you can take care of yourself! God, even Joe eased up on this, and we both know how hard it was for him! But it's not about you – it's about me… I am the one who is afraid, not you… Every time I run away, I want to come back so much – just to make sure nothing happens to you.
Iris sighted – at least, he knew what it felt like to worry over someone's safety. But usually it was her that had all the reasons to worry. She pondered over this inequality:
- You know, Bar, for somebody who literally runs into danger every other day, you sure talk a lot of "overprotective boyfriend" stuff.
- Yeah, but I have superpowers, and you don't – so you can see where I'm coming from in my craziness. Also, I normally wait for a report to come in – you actively seek out trouble, especially if it involves some nasty metahuman. Makes it that much harder to be prepared, you know?
Instead of answering, Iris bit Barry's jaw but he turned his head so quickly that she ended up kissing him full mouth – and they get lost in this for some long minutes. When they broke apart to breathe Barry's eyes changed color to a deeper shade of green and a barely noticeable tremor took hold of his body.
Iris hand moved across his chest to the neckline where a hidden zipper to his suit jacket started. She pulled it down slowly, torturously slowly… kissing every bit of his pale skin she'd uncovered… enjoying the vibrations rocking his body as he struggled to stand still. Iris knew he couldn't help it – and she was the only one he'd react to like this.
Barry was heaving and Iris's hands on his body were not helping him to contain himself. He managed to whisper hoarsely:
- Iris… what… are… you… doing?
Oh, he KNEW what she was doing! But usually after he came back from saving the day, Iris was so worried about his beaten up body that she'd stay away for hours! And now, little less than an hour after the fire, she was quite the opposite of "away"! Not that he minded this new turn but what has brought it about?
But Iris was past talking – it distracted her from checking up on her favorite freckles on Barry's chest with her tongue. She moved flaps of his jacket to the sides and clawed his chest right above his nipples. Barry hissed and jerked forward to meet her touch – Iris dug her nails deeper and traced them down to his waistband where yet another hidden zipper started. She tiptoed and when their faces aligned Iris's hushed answer to his long-forgotten question landed directly on his lips:
- I'm looking for some trouble with nasty metahuman. Are you game, Allen?
Barry's nostril flared and his eyes shut wide open as he flung them across the rooftop to the darkest corner there was. He collided into her, grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked it to meet her wanting gaze.
- Oh, it's ON, Ms. West!
Perfect dress. She'd picked a perfect dress for today. Later Iris would think about whether she'd chosen that dress for this specific reason or was it random coincidence.
Anyways, this coincidence was very lucky. Because for today she'd chosen slim dress with frontal top-to-bottom zip line. And Barry had just found a clasp…
He kissed her fervently, deeply… drinking in her moans and gasps… mixing them for his throaty groaning and hushed cursing. Barry used fistful of her locks to tug her head to the side… nape of Iris's neck was so sensitive to his biting, she trembled and whimpered every time his teeth touched her warm chocolate skin.
When he was finally done with her zipper (you'd think the fastest man alive could hurry up with that… unless he was otherwise engaged) Barry stepped half a step away from Iris to take it all in. He cupped her face, brushed his thumb over her full bottom lip and just couldn't help it – he had to step back closer and kiss her again, there was no way for him to see her mouth and not want to kiss her!
But it took only a fraction of a second and he stepped back again to continue his exploration… her long neck, soft hollows above her collarbones, her skin glistening with tiny droplets of sweat… Barry's hands trailed the straps of her dress to push them off of her shoulders… and…
- Oh, fuck, Iris! Why…
Iris smiled – she was expecting this. Barry was rather set in the ways these things supposed to work… or maybe it was a rebellion against his speed force – he LOVED to take things slow. Excruciatingly slow! To peel layer after layer of her clothing, driving her to the moon and back in the process, getting her undone over and over again before even joining the party… that was his way.
Her way was to surprise him with skipping ahead, throwing away any notion of foreplay and diving head first into the lightning energy that was two of them together.
And that was what she did here. She wasn't wearing anything but that dress and now when that dress subsided to a piece of fabric at her feet, Iris knew she'd won this round.
His eyes locked at Iris's. Barry felt lightheaded because of his superspeedy intake of oxygen – or because adrenaline cursed through his veins instead of blood. Not looking away from her, Barry unzipped his calves to get rid of his jacked. Iris murmured:
- Keep it.
Barry raised an eyebrow and smirked suggestively:
- Why, Ms. West, which one of me do you need?
Iris could've easily gotten irritated with this little power play at her expense. She did love the suit and he knew that FOR SURE. But two can play this game…
Iris pushed herself away from the wall towards him in a body-roll motion – hips first, then arching her back, then standing straight in front of him, her marble nipples almost touching his chest – but not quite. Her breast were raising and falling slowly to the music of her soft hitched breathing – and the man in front of her was absolutely hypnotized with this sight. Iris brought her finger under his chin to raise his head and said:
- I need all of you to stop wasting my time. How fast you think you can do it?
Barry nodded, his Adam's apple bobbing with a hard gulp:
- Pretty fast.
His body buzzed. Iris knew the difference between this and actual vibrating (oh, she KNEW that one too!). Vibrating was something Barry did at will but buzzing was something that just happened and he couldn't control it. And he wouldn't even want too – because it only happened between him and Iris. His smooth pale skin prickled hers when they touched, like static discharge… It wasn't painful at all, it felt both exhilarating and hot… and live. Barry could simply touch a hand to her body and send a charge pulsing at all the right directions. And in his slow-burn mode he'd do just that… but now was a totally different story!
Barry crushed her! His lips were everywhere, his teeth marked her body with painful semi circles – and she'd retaliated by leaving long curved lines by dragging her nails down his spine to the line where her fingers halted at his waistband… not the way she'd wanted this track to end! Barry let out a low guttural sound when Iris tugged his belt tightening his already tightened pants – and she pressed her hips into his well-built bulge to enhance the effect. Barry's eyes rolled back to his head and he groaned – he was loosing this game gloriously! But Barry wasn't a superhero for nothing – he won't give up without a fight!
He caught both her hands trying to unzip his pants and pinned them above her head. Iris tried to wiggle her way out of it but he was much stronger and had much better ideas than her straightforward plan!
His head dropped to her breasts and Barry licked one of her cherry stone nipples, rolling it slowly in the curve of his tongue. Iris shuddered and froze mid-breath, no longer fighting to free herself from his grip. Barry let go of Iris's wrists and traced his hands down to cup her full breasts, letting his fingers vibrate just a little… but that "little" was just enough to send shooting spasm to the depth of her body, reverberating all the way down to where her body was glowing and burning and breaking apart.
He kissed her belly, scratching her oversensitive skin with his stubble… smiling every time a little whimper escaped her lips, every time Iris whispered his name like it was an explanation to everything that was happening to her.
And then his mouth touched the littlest of her skin folds, a well-hidden triangle of nerves that swelled and ached for some attention. Iris mouth fell open but no sound came out – she wasn't even breathing anymore, just screaming internally.
Barry's hands went under her knees right before they buckled – he dug his fingers to the wall and Iris was practically straddling his upper arms. To steady herself Iris gripped his hair and in her rush yanked it painfully, but Barry couldn't care less… the wide spread of her thighs caught all of his attention.
While Iris wasn't breathing – Barry wasn't thinking. At all. Something primal, animalistic took over him – the urge to possess, to claim, to mark as his own. To devour her.
She was so wet… she smelled so good… his body shook with barely contained need to have her.
Barry rolled his vibrating tongue over her clitoris eliciting one more silent moan from Iris… and he did it again… and she arched to meet his sinful mouth… and he did it again and again and again… circling, sucking, flicking… crushing whatever control over her body Iris thought she had with an intoxicating wave of pleasure.
Then came this numbing feeling that swirled from her limbs to the core of her body, locking her muscles in place… and Iris knew she had mere seconds.
- Come, - she tugged his head to hers, her voice barely audible – but Barry heard her. He could have finished what he'd started just like they were… but Iris wanted him and he'd obeyed.
Her legs didn't even touch the ground as he stood up before her and locked her ankles behind his back. His extremely tight pants were finally shoved to his knees and Iris could feel him buzzing with anticipation against her wet hot entrance.
- Come… slowly, - her voice broke against his cheek and she felt his jaw tense as Barry braced himself for what she was asking.
Slowly… was almost painful to him. His flesh twitched for action, for conquer, for release. But he didn't give in – he went slowly… feeling how her inner muscles gave way to him only to constrict convulsively and pull him in deeper… and deeper… to consume all of his length… like a perfectly sized sheath.
She was so tight, so, so, so tight!
- Fuck, Iris, I can't hold any…
- Don't, Bar… don't hold it…
That was enough for him to let go. His head dropped to her shoulder, his hands held her back so it wouldn't get scraped against the wall… and he started moving.
The sensation… every time it felt life-changing. If Barry ever wondered how it felt to be struck by lightning (because he didn't remember actual experience) then this was it! With every thrust into her burning body life ran through him in surges, realigning his atoms and charging him all over again. Every feverish move brought him closer to… to…
Iris sobbed quietly at his shoulder, clawing him closer to her, melting into his vibrating body. The numbing feeling she fought for so long took hold of her body and spiraled to where there were connected – to explode! In colors and shapes under her eyelids, in buzzing noises in her ears, in million places on her body that she didn't know existed…
- Iris… Iris…
She knew… she felt it too. Her inner muscles, thighs, legs – everything clenched around him, while his body shook and rocked inside of her, mixing his release with her own climax and expanding both…
- Barry… Oh, God, Barry…
He smiled listening to her exhausted sights… His name on her lips was his claim, his mark. His reward.
It took him three whole seconds to run couple of blocks down the street to Bed Bath & Beyond and get an oversized duvet that was now used to cocoon their tangled bodies on the floor. Yes, Barry got dressed, ran to the shop, came back and stripped again – because Iris said so. Yes, Iris offered to go downstairs and find more comfortable place – but Barry wanted to stay on the roof and "get some fresh air". The air was indeed really fresh, even chilly – they had to cuddle really close to each other to keep warm… and by the way Barry's body was buzzing Iris knew that his sudden appreciation for "fresh air" had totally absolutely 100% nothing to do with them being naked under the blanket. Nope, no hidden agenda whatsoever…
- Barry… - Iris touched her fingers to his chin and he refocused his gaze on her.
- M-hm?
- Have I told you I love you lately?
Barry touched his forehead to hers and kissed the tip of her nose:
- It may have skipped your lips this evening… but I'm all for hearing it again.
He smiled and she traces little wrinkles around his eyes that formed when he smiled so genuinely and happily. Iris said quietly, her voice deep with emotion and honesty:
- Barry, I love you. So much.
Barry's eyes darkened and glistened with tears he wasn't going to shed – he was too happy to cry now. He said solemnly:
- Iris, you have NO IDEA how much I love you. Whatever it takes, whatever I have to do – I will make you happy!
She believed him… and for hundredth of times asked herself of what she didn't know – what have he ALREADY done to keep her safe, keep her happy? This unbelievably unique man, the one she was thrilled to call her own, he could move through space and time, endure immense physical and emotional pain – and he did just that so many times to save this city and its residents. And every time he looked at her like this, vowing his life to hers… there was this undeniable conviction, like he didn't just think that he WOULD do anything for her, but he KNEW he would because he already DID. What was it? Will he ever tell her? Does she want to know?
Iris laid her head on Barry's chest to listen to his speeding heartbeat. Absentmindedly she traced lines between his abs – only to realize that his buzzing grew stronger under her hand's movements. She slapped Barry's stomach jokingly:
- Easy there, tiger! Not everybody here has your super metabolism, some boring non-metahuman people need time to relax and check for sore skin!
Barry stretched his body and pulled Iris closer to him – buzzing hasn't subsided.
- You know, Iris, for once I'd say I too need some time to relax and lick my wounds, - Barry raised an eyebrow sarcastically implying that her skin hasn't even touched any surfaces apart from him and it was his body that had scoffing marks everywhere.
Iris got worried for a second:
- Hurts that much?
Barry shrugged it off:
- I heal fast, give me some minutes.
Iris brought her leg over his hips in a very suggestive manned and offered her version of a remedy:
- Do you want ME to lick your wounds?
Barry's answering expression was a mixture of disbelief and excitement:
- Iris, I'm all in… but weren't you the one who asked for some time just now? Make up you mind, beautiful.
Iris nodded in defeat:
- Yeah, in all honesty, I do need some time to rest. I just like the felling… the afterglow.
And she fell back to his chest hugging him tighter. Barry's hand went traveling down her back, pressing and vibrating lightly, tending to her tensed muscles. Shortly Iris started to make little humming noises of pleasure – and Barry's self-control started splitting at the seams. To distract himself from this train of thoughts – or to get Iris to the same train – Barry decided to ask the question that intrigued him this evening immensely:
- Iris?
- Yeah…
- If I ask you something, will you answer?
Iris prompted herself on her elbow and looked at him quizzically:
- Sure, why not?
Barry tried his best not to smile victoriously and asked:
- What was it tonight? I mean, I am MORE THAN HAPPY that you couldn't keep your hands off me… but at days likes this it's usually the other way around – you try to give me some space and I try to catch you by the tail. What… changed?
Iris pressed her lips tight and Barry's heart fell – he was afraid she wouldn't answer. Probably, it was something embarrassing. He shouldn't have asked…
- It's what you said… - she answered looking away, tears brimming in her eyes, - About being worried for me. I am worried for you too, Barry. You're the one running into burning building, collapsing bridges and crazed metahumans. I have lost you once – I will NOT survive the other one. And I can't reverse time to bring you back. So every time you come back to me… beaten, burned, out of breath… but alive… Every time it's my own personal miracle. My wish for every fallen star and every four-leafed clover. That you'd come back to me. Alive.
If emotions could crush physically, he'd be flattened on the ground already. But he wasn't. He was alive – with her, for her.
And with every kiss he'd left on her lips, her face, her shoulders, her hands… he whispered "I love you", "I love you", "I love you"… She loved him back – and it was HIS own personal miracle.
Iris giggled and Barry raised his head from her belly to look up:
- What?
She giggled some more and flicked his nose:
- I considered your earlier question and came to the conclusion that it may have had something to do with a smoke!
- Um… What?
- The smoke. Something about the smell of smoke speaks to my primal instincts.
Barry scoffed:
- So, it's not only about me coming back from the life-threatening situation then? It's also that I smelled good?
Iris nodded:
- And the suit. Red leather looks really good on you.
Barry looked away to where his suit – or what's left of it – lay on the floor. He turned back to lecture Iris:
- I'm not gonna tell Cisco that you called his reinforced tripolymer a "leather".
Iris waved her hand disregarding his vain threat:
- Potato, potata… - then she'd caught herself at alarming thought and quickly added, - but you sure not gonna tell Cisco about any of this, right?
Barry chuckled:
- Sure not!
Barry thought to himself that this was one of the cases when Iris should be kept safely oblivious. He also wondered when will she catch up with the fact that his suit had built-in sensors – and speakers – that monitor everything that happens with him and around him. Which is why the fist time he and Iris got themselves into the heated makeout session, it took all of his poker face skills to act normally when Cisco's voice suddenly spoke to him… in the process.
"Why do I always have to be the one who walks in on this stuff? I was eating, for God sakes! Also, man, tomorrow morning Caitlin will check the readings of your suit and you'd better come up with some explanation for all the biometric spikes!"
Barry chocked and made an excuse to leave Iris on her couch in the middle of their date. She probably still thinks that evening he went on to stop the robbery, came back, made out with her, and went to save somebody again. And Barry is NOT going to tell her how there was an audio recording of her moaning on top of him!
The recording hadn't existed anymore, he made sure of it. Still, the next day he asked Cisco to make a turn-off switch in the suit – which came in handy today when Iris asked to leave the suit on. To be honest, he didn't understand the appeal – suit was a mere necessity to him, nothing too interesting. But then again he did like to see Iris in her black leather pants or knee-high boots – so he understood the notion of a kink. Considering how often Iris had seen him in this suit, he'd call it a win!
- Yes, dad, he's with me… Oh, did she? Ok, I'll tell him… Sure, dad! Love you too! Night!
Iris put down her phone and turned to face Barry – already fully clothed in sweatpants and a t-shirt they kept hidden in Jitters just in case. Actually… today was the first time the "case" has happened – and both Barry and Iris would have never imagined the circumstances for which they prepared these clothes!
- Caitlin told dad you're with me… but it's getting late and he was wondering if you're coming back home today.
Barry hugged Iris who was still wrapped in a blanket – she looked so adorable like this!
- You know, beautiful, I still think that it should be you living in the house with Joe – and I could go live with Cisco, he'd offered already.
Iris looked away – she really didn't like this topic. Somehow it all came at once – her finding out Barry's secret and her breaking up with Eddie. She was so mad with her dad and Barry… but she couldn't still live with Eddie either. So Tracy's offer to stay with her came as a salvation. And now Iris liked her independence and occasional girly night-outs with Tracy and her friends. It was nice.
Also, there was one more reason for this arrangement and Iris reminded Barry of it:
- Bar, we've been through this already – Cisco lives in the apartment building with neighbors and surveillance cameras. Eventually somebody will catch up with you blasting in and out of Cisco's place. So it's better this way – dad's house is much more secluded. I don't mind, you shouldn't either.
Barry sighted – he'd lost this argument before, he knew the outcome this time too.
Iris dropped the blanket to put on her dress – their rooftop date evidently came to an end.
- So… - Barry ran his hand through his hair unsure of what to do now, - should I drop you off to your place?
Iris giggled:
- No way! I like my dress and I don't want it to catch fire, thank you very much!
Barry looked over her curvy body and nodded with appreciation:
- Yes, I like this dress too. Especially… umm… zipper part.
- You do, don't you?
She spun around theatrically so Barry could appreciate what he'd missed before in a hurry. When she'd stopped in front of him, Iris suggested:
- Let's do it like this – I go home, you go pick up some pizza and meet me there. I'm starving!
- Iris… it's past midnight. Cal's pizzerias work till 11… and you don't like anything from 24/7 places.
Her eyes shot wide open with pretend surprise as if she didn't know it herself. Than she'd said innocently:
- Well, I've heard they have Cal's Pizza 24/7 in Gotham City…
His laughter disappeared in the lightning blur and Barry was still laughing when he emerged in his Flash costume.
- Iris, it'll take me half an hour to run there and back – don't fall asleep till I come back.
- I'll give you a head start.
As Iris winked at him, her boyfriend disappeared… in a flash.