A/N: This just popped up out of nowhere when I put a couple snippets of dialogue on tumblr and my followers exploded in happiness. lol. I hope you enjoy. Should be just a few chaps of Cisco & Iris trying to steal Barry's attention away from each other. XD Takes place soon after all the recent crossover eps (3x08 on TF, 5x08 on Arrow & 2x07 on LoT).
*Many thanks as always to my lovely beta, sendtherain. She's the best. :)
*I own nothing. No copyright infringement intended.
...
Chapter 1 -
It had been a couple weeks since he'd returned from fighting the Dominators, and with the help of all the other superheroes on this earth – and one other – he was able to defeat the aliens and come home safely. Iris blew a gasket when she found out he almost didn't make it, which didn't take long considering Cisco had spoken in awestruck wonder about it on their return. It was clear to her then that Cisco and Barry had made up, or were starting to, which was the only thing that kept her from screaming at Barry right in front of everyone. How could he have gone through with such a thing without telling her dad or Wally or especially her?
But, for Cisco's sake, she held it in until later when, in spurts, she blew up at Barry. Then she cried herself to sleep in his arms because – God, she had been so close to losing him.
In the following days, the team started to forge itself back together. There was a harmony between all of them that hadn't been there for a while; certainly not recently. Iris stuck closer to Barry than ever. And even though Savitar and Alchemy still loomed at large, there were a lot more moments in the day where they could pretend Savitar's metahumans were the only problem, and that as long as those were dealt with, they were making some progress.
Barry had crashed with Iris for a few days before he left to deal with the Dominators, but now that things were good with Cisco again, he was moving back in with him. Which was fine for Iris. It was good – smart. Better keep moving to get that friendship back to where it was rather than just some drinks after work or during work hours only.
But Iris was desperate for as much Barry as she could get. So, whenever Cisco and Barry didn't bring up plans to hang out, she would pop up and inform Barry they were going to hang out that night – and late. Barry never complained. She hoped he never would.
Today she hadn't had to. Yesterday Cisco had claimed Barry for the entire day. She got the idea Barry was catching on to her need to spend time with him, because he met her eyes when she heard the news – when the whole team did, because Cisco was also boasting about the newest video game he'd been first in line to purchase (thanks to Barry). She recovered quickly, but she still felt his eyes burning into her from across the room as she avoided his gaze.
"Iris-" he'd tried later that day when everyone was getting ready to leave.
"It's fine, Bear," she said. She wasn't going to pretend she didn't know where the apologetic tone of his voice was coming from. "I'm not one of those needy girlfriends that's going to hog her boyfriend so much that he stops hanging out with his friends."
"They're our friends."
"Dude," Cisco interjected, popping up right next to them.
Both Iris and Barry were obliged to turn and look at him shaking his head.
"Guys night," he emphasized. Iris was about to mention how it was just the two of them when Cisco added, "I invited Wally too." He turned and grinned at Iris. "You can have him back tomorrow."
Barry could do nothing but shrug and mouth a 'sorry' to Iris as Cisco pulled him away.
It was fine, Iris told herself. She needed to write articles anyway. Time away from him might even be a good thing. When he was around she just got distracted, and she had gotten distracted a lot when he was crashing with her. Now she could get back on schedule.
She wouldn't deny how her heart flipped the next morning when Barry showed up at promptly 9 a.m. with coffee and a muffin in hand, a silly grin on his face and a kiss that made her toes curl.
"What about Cisco?" she managed when they broke apart.
He tucked some of her locks behind her ear and ran his finger along her jaw.
"I bet him whoever won the most consecutive games could have whatever they wanted by the end of the night, with the exception of large amount of money since I'm broke." He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. "He was already pretty tipsy by then, so he was a little less-focused around level forty."
"And what did you want?" Iris started to grin.
He nuzzled her nose and pulled her in close.
"Today with you."
Her heart raced.
"Just today?" she asked, her hands grazing his waist and then slowly clutching the fabric of his shirt as she stepped backward and pulled him with her.
"Well…that's all the bet was for, so…"
"Barry."
He grinned, looking down at her when they came to a stop at the couch.
"Is someone jealous of all the time I've been spending with a certain someone?" he teased.
She reigned in her frustration that was already tight on its leash and wrapped her arms around him, letting her fingers brush against the little hairs at the base of his neck. She saw him shiver and knew she'd hit the right spot.
"Someone is," she confirmed.
"Well…" he swallowed, as her hands started to roam, first to his shoulders and then his collar bones, down his chest and just under his t-shirt at the skin just above his waistband.
"Just think," she murmured, just loud enough for him to hear. "If you were here more often, my mouth could go to all the places my hands just went."
His eyes widened and when she finally looked up at him, she took her hands away and fell back onto the couch. She promptly folded her arms and hooked one knee over the other and raised one eyebrow, daring him to make a move.
"Well, Mr. Allen, what do you say? Think you can trade some video games with Cisco for some, uh…" She raised her folded arms so they were pushed up just beneath her breasts, enhancing her cleavage. "…sexy times with your girlfriend?"
His eyes were darker now and there was no denying the prominent bulge in his pants, positioned at her eye level. It was a shame, she thought, that they hadn't had sex yet and that both of them wanted it to be special – not just for some trivial reason such as bribing the other for more quality time together.
She didn't want to throw that all to the wind now, but it was very tempting considering how her attraction to him had not only grown since they'd been dating but magnified after she'd found out he'd almost given himself up to be killed. Before her sexual appetite for him had been that of the normal variety, now the unresolved tension was mounting. She needed some sort of relief. Her logic for not caving was getting shaky.
"I…" he licked his lips when his mouth went dry. "I think I can do that."
She smirked and ran one of her legs up and down his.
"I'm glad you feel that way…because I'm thinking I'm in the mood for making out with you." She paused pointedly, fighting the grin that threatened to take hold of her. She stopped moving her leg and locked eyes with him. "All. Day."
Silence stretched out until all she could hear was his shallow breathing and their racing heartbeats.
"What are you waiting for, Allen?" she whispered. She ran her hands up his thighs and hooked her fingers into the empty belt loops. She yanked once, knocking him off guard and sent him almost flailing on top of her. He just barely braced himself over her, his hands wrapping around the top of the couch just behind her head.
"Kiss me," she said, and the wheels in his head started to move again. He kissed her once, deep, and then turned her on the couch so she was laying beneath him.
"You want me, Iris?" he asked hotly against her neck.
She nodded, wrapping her leg around his and pulled him closer.
He deepened his kisses but then pulled away, staying as still as he could until she opened her eyes and saw the lust in his own.
She saw the question, the demand so clear in the green turned black-emerald of his eyes, and knew what he wanted.
Say it. Tell me you want me.
"I want you, Barry," she purred.
Then he blew her mind.
