"Hey, man, I just wanna say thanks again for letting me tag along," Barry said while folding the last of his clothes and placing them in his small suitcase. He and Wally had been roommates at Central City College for the past two years, and this year, Wally had asked him to spend their winter break in his hometown. He knew the holidays were a sensitive time for Barry since his mother had passed away, and his dad was wrongfully convicted of the crime.
"Dude, don't even mention it. It's gonna be nice to not be the only college student. Now, you can answer half of the stress loaded questions," Wally laughs and shakes his head.
Barry gave a small laugh, "Wait, I thought you said your sister graduated high school last year."
"Yeah, but she's taking a gap year to complete this internship with some journalist. He's supposed to be like one of the best or something," Wally explained while zipping his now fully packed bag, "You ready to go?" Barry nodded in response, and the two left their dorm.
X.
"Iris, come downstairs; your brother should be here soon," Joe yelled from the bottom of the stairs. His daughter slowly descended and raised an eyebrow.
"Wally comes home all the time; I don't get the big deal," Iris planted herself on the couch in the living room. She had brought her laptop down with her in hopes of finishing the first draft of her article.
"I know he does, but he's bringing his friend. From what Wally told me, he doesn't have much family around, so I thought it'd be nice if we were a little extra supportive," Joe had sat on a chair facing Iris, and by the look on her face, he could tell that she understood. Before she had a chance to reply, the door opened to reveal Wally and his friend.
"We're here!" He yelled out as soon as he walked in. Joe and Iris sprung up to go greet them.
"My boy!" Joe captures Wally in a bone-crushing hug. After a couple seconds, Wally escapes and turns towards Barry who is standing behind him with a grin on his face.
"Dad, Iris, this is Barry Allen, my roommate," Wally says as he gestures between the three of them. Barry reaches out to shake Joe's hand, and then turns his focus towards Iris and gives her a small wave.
"It's really nice to meet you. Wally's told us so much about you," Iris says with a half smile.
"Likewise," Barry returns her smile.
"Alright, well, I am going to go show Barry upstairs, so that we can both get settled in," Wally interrupts. The boys each grab their bags and head towards the stairs.
X.
"So, Barry, are you an engineering major like Wally?" Joe asks over dinner that night.
"No, I am actually majoring in forensics, but we're both in the science buildings, so we see each other around a lot."
"Forensics? You mean like in those crime shows?" Iris perks up.
"Yeah, I'm looking into CSI work, but I don't quite think it's as glamorous as Hollywood makes it," Barry smiles up at her which elicits a small giggle from Iris.
"Dinner is delicious by the way, Mr. West," Barry looks over at Joe who smiles in response.
"Thank you, and call me Joe. I've never been a fan of the formalities." The night continued with small conversations and the West family getting to know Barry better. Once they were finished and the table had been cleaned up, the four decided to head to bed. Barry was unpacking his toothbrush and other toiletries when Wally had walked back into their room.
"Everything okay? They didn't scare you with the twenty questions over dinner, did they?" Wally asked.
"Yeah, your family is great," Barry chuckled, "But if you could tell me where the bathroom is, that would be great."
"Down the hall and it should be on your left." Later that night, Barry found himself struggling to fall asleep, so he crept downstairs for a glass of water. He walked down to see that the kitchen lights were still on, and when he got closer he realized that Iris was sitting at the kitchen counter completely engrossed in her work. He stood there for a moment simply looking at her. She was in shorts and a giant t-shirt which he assumed belonged to Wally, and she looked adorable. Barry let a small smile grace his lips, and as if suddenly becoming aware of his presence, Iris turned to look at him with wide eyes.
"I'm so sorry; is the light being on bothering you? I work best down here, and if I don't have this draft turned in by tomorrow morning, my editor will have my head on a stick," Iris rambled.
"No, no, the light was no bother. I just came down for a glass of water; don't let me distract you." Barry began opening random cabinets in an attempt to find the cups. Iris giggled, and got up to grab Barry a cup; he mumbled an embarrassed thanks in response.
"As cute as you look when you're confused, I really should finish this article."
"Yeah, good luck." He made his way back upstairs, and it wasn't until he was in his room that he thought about what she had just said.