Author's note: Not beta'd. I apologize in advance for any grammatical or spelling errors. I've had stressful year and have been working on this on and off. I hope you enjoy this nonetheless.
Barry had gone to see plenty of movies with Iris but he couldn't remember the last time they had gone together. Between school, part-time jobs, and extracurricular activities, they didn't seem to get the chance to do things together. On Tuesday morning over breakfast, Iris had asked if she could walk with him to school. When Barry had replied, "Of course! What happened to riding with Kelsey? Not that I mind you walking with me but…" Iris had popped her last bit of bacon into her mouth, chewed thoughtfully, then replied with a shrug, "I told her she didn't need to pick me up today. It's a beautiful morning. Why not enjoy it, ya know?"
It had been unseasonably warm for a late November morning. During the walk, they had chatted about assignments they were working on and tests they were dreading. When there was a lull in conversation, Iris had asked him if he wanted to see a movie Saturday night, he jumped at the opportunity. After asking if she had any movies in mind, Iris had replied with a smile, "We'll figure it out." From the moment they had parted ways to their respective homerooms, Barry had been trying to decide what movie would be ideal to see with Iris. He hadn't seen a movie with her, alone anyway, in a couple of years when Iris had continued moving up in the school social hierarchy. Not to mention continuously being teased about them hanging out all the time didn't help. "Are you guys going out? Why do we have to wait for Iris? Isn't she like your sister now?" Barry and Iris had drifted apart over the past couple of years. Now sophomores in high school, Iris and Barry's social circles barely touched, let alone overlapped.
The movie had to be strictly platonic. Not even a hint of romance because if Iris even suspected he liked her, he would die from embarrassment. But almost every movie has some romantic subplot or scene. Barry groaned inwardly. It was going to be a long week.
Early Friday evening, Barry was opening the door to walk into the West house after spending time in Central City Library when Iris yanked the door open and almost ran into him. "Oh!" Iris said startled. "Iris, where are-" Barry stammered.
"Gonna be late," she said quickly, sweeping her hair into a high bun as she brushed passed him. "Late?" Barry asked bemused. Iris turned to face him while still walking backwards. She was struggling with her hair while trying to shift her athletic bag on her shoulder and replied, "Yeah, practice, er, lessons."
"Prac-wha-lessons?" Barry said. Iris rolled her eyes, still walking backwards and said, "Jeez, are you a parrot now, Bear? Because I-" Barry watched as Iris stumbled off the top step of the porch and immediately darted forward, grabbing the strap of her bag across her shoulder. He yanked her back to the porch, exclaiming, "Holy crap, Iris! What are you-" Barry didn't realize he had been clutching her so tightly to his chest until he heard her gasp, "Bear, let go. 'M okay." Barry relaxed his grip and Iris stepped back a little. She looked back at the steps and back him before laughing nervously, "Well that certainly would've made me late." Barry frowned at her. Iris cleared her throat and looked away, "Anyway, ice skating lessons. I'm-"
"Late, yeah, I got that," Barry mumbled, crossing his arms. Iris sighed and looked at Barry, "I'm okay. Promise. I just had a little insomnia last night, so I've been a little out of it today…" "Ah yes, sleep deprived, the optimal ice skating condition," Barry replied. Iris opened her mouth, a snarky response on the tip of her tongue but stopped herself and shook her head slightly.
Barry had always been a worrier, always concerned about her doing too much and "not consuming the necessary calories needed by an athletic teenage girl." He was a worrier but he was also right. Iris quickly walked around him back to the front door. "Iris, where-" Barry called after her.
"I'm gonna put my bag in my room and change then we're going to the movies." "Uh, we- we are?" Barry stammered. As Iris was walking through the door, she smiled over her shoulder and said, "I hope you figured out what you wanted to see this weekend." Barry was left with his mouth opening and closing like a fish. He ran his hands through his hair anxiously. Over the past week, he had managed to come up with three possibilities but was still trying to narrow it down. Barry started pacing on the porch deep in thought. There was that one rom-com he knew Iris wanted to see and that he wanted to see with Iris but would it be awkward to suggest that movie? There was the one horror movie, something about a virus turning people into zombies. Barry shuddered. Iris loved scary movies but he could do without the gore and jump scares. Maybe the new Shrek movie? It was safe, genre wise. No worries of emotions being inadvertently projected. No concerns of having to see several feet of blood and guts inadvertently projected brightly…
"You ready, Bear?" Iris said, pulling him from his circling thoughts. He looked up to see Iris in a pair of dark leggings and baggy red sweatshirt. Her hair was softly curled about her shoulders and she wore a bright smile. Before Barry could find two working brain cells to rub together to form a sentence, Iris had bounced over, looped her arm in his, and began tugging him off the porch.
The movie theater was a relatively short bus ride and the teenagers found themselves staring at the board looking at what was starting near their arrival time. Iris had begun humming the Jeopardy theme song as she waited for him to decide.
"I don't get why you can't decide," Barry muttered squinting at the back-lit board.
"Because it was your idea," Iris sang to the beat of the game-show tune. She was bobbing her head as she began to hum increasingly louder. Barry finally threw up his hands and said, "Fine the zombie thing!"
Iris pumped her fist and replied, "Yes, that's the one I wanted to see!" Barry gaped at her, "Then why didn't you just say we should see it?"
"Because it was your idea to see a movie and you hate scary movies," Iris threw over her shoulder as she approached the theater's front desk.
Barry quickly caught up to Iris and as she was digging in her purse, he said to the clerk, "Two for Diseaze."
The theater worker tapped on the screen and replied, "That'll be $12.50."
Barry pulled his wallet from his back pocket and opened it then frowned, flicking through his money. He quickly counted and recounted his cash. He thought he had two tens but could only find a single crumpled ten-dollar bill.
Holding up a hand, Barry said absentmindedly, "Just give me one sec…" He began patting down then digging through the pockets of his jeans, button up, and jacket with increasing panic. He had put that other ten he got for raking Mr. and Mrs. Parker's yard in his wallet, hadn't he? Maybe it was still in the sweatpants he had worn?
As Barry continued to search, Iris pulled a twenty out of her wallet and handed it to the desk clerk. Barry flushed. "I can get this I just need to run back for the rest-" he stammered.
"No need, Bear," Iris said, taking the tickets and her change from the theater worker. She nudged him off to the side so the people behind them could go next and handed Barry one of the paper slips.
"You said it was my idea, so…"
"So, you chose the movie," Iris chirped, shoving the change into her wallet.
"Shouldn't I also pay for it?"
"Nope!" She replied, walking excitedly towards the concessions stand.
"But by that logic-" Barry sputtered. When Iris turned, narrowing her eyes, Barry put his hands up, "Okay yeah, no. Uh, right…"
"Why don't you buy the snacks? Mr. Logical," She quipped. Barry sighed inwardly, trailing after Iris. At least he could get them something to eat and drink.
By the time they had gotten settled into their seats, the title screen appeared on the movie screen. Iris leaned over and whispered into Barry's ear, "I'm so freakin' excited. Thank you for seeing this with me Bear! I know you hate these kinda movies!"
Barry glanced at Iris and studied her profile, noting the smile on her face as she watched the screen. He could stomach a couple hours of gore for that smile, he thought before murmuring, "No problem."
Not long into the movie Barry noticed Iris shiver and whispered, "You cold?" Iris nodded.
"Why don't you put on your coat then?"
"Too hot," she replied in a soft voice. Rolling his eyes, Barry tugged off the large scarf draped around his neck and offered it to her. Iris eyed it for a moment, when Barry raised his eyebrows in question, she lifted the armrest separating them. She draped half of the scarf over her shoulders and the other half around Barry's.
She leaned against Barry and smiled brightly up at him, "Now we're both warm."
Barry felt his face flush. He opened his mouth to reply when he heard a voice shush them from the back of the theatre. Barry quickly glanced behind them then back at Iris who was watching the movie again. He leaned into her and turned back to the movie where a zombie was shambling towards a screaming woman in a poorly lit bedroom. He smiled a little. Yeah, he could deal with a few hours of zombies to be close to Iris West.