Just a Kiss 3
Disclaimer: see in chapter one.
A/N: so here I am with chapter 3 of "Just a Kiss" my first idea was to write a three chapter's fic. Now, I'm not so sure about it anymore. I mean, while, I'm writing this other ideas come up that could fit into this fic. I had forgotten how joyful writing is for me. Like I told you guys, previously.
I hadn't thought I would love writing about Barry and Iris so much.
I'm not such a big fan of Eddie Thawne, so forgive me if I writing out of character.
This chapter is writing thanks to an idea of NoCaffein who review on . Something pointed out to me, that I actually always thought too, but I wasn't thinking of writing it. So change of plans and here it is.
Remember people, this is still un-beta'd so forgive me for the mistakes, misspelling or anything else that might be wrongly written.
I'm so so sorry for the delay, but I had already written a part of this chapter done, but it wasn't what I wanted it to be so, I erased it and went into rewriting it.
Now up, to the chapter, shall we?
It wasn't supposed to be.
Iris has never really loved me, of course not because she's in love with our CSI, Allen, though she doesn't even realize it. Why did I think even for a second I could make her forget him? Gosh, I'm such an idiot. Eddie thought.
Thawne was brought out of his thoughts by the beeping of his cell phone signaling him he'd just received a text message. It was from Iris.
Can we meet in about half an hour?
At first, Eddie was tempted to text her back that he couldn't, but decided against it and texted her back that he'd be happy to at their usual place.
When she arrived, Eddie was already there and had apparently already made orders for them at least for their drinks. Thank goodness, he didn't order anything else because Iris wasn't very hungry. She wished Barry would be here to give her some sort of support.
Iris hadn't planned to fall in love with Barry, she hadn't planned for it to happen and yet it had. She felt nervous and uneasy. She didn't want to tell Eddie their relationship was over, but she didn't want it to stay the way it was either. Each time she was with him, she wanted to run for some reason. Eddie and she had never had the kind of relationship someone would expect lovers to have. The man worked as a police officer of course but still.
They were happy at first, but she wasn't sure when things changed between them actually, but they did and it all escalated when The Flash appeared in Central City. If she didn't know better, she would think that her boyfriend was jealous of the superhero.
How could she not have understood, Barry had been the right one for her all along? She wondered. Barry was always there during the most important events in her life, he was the first person she thought of when she woke up, the last person she thought of when she went to sleep. Iris couldn't believe it took her so many years to understand such a simple thing.
Poor Barry... she decided, she would make it up to him. As soon as…
Oh boy, Iris wasn't ready for this. On the other hand, no one was ready to break up with someone else. Therefore, Iris took a deep breath, and stuck up her hand and smiled. Hoping that the smile wouldn't appear too fake. Why was it she felt so uncomfortable suddenly?
It wasn't a question she asked herself no. It was a statement.
Barry was pacing, he was nervous. How he managed to keep, his pace had normal rate he had no idea. Many thoughts were going through his head. Iris was probably on her way to see Eddie; they had a lot to talk about. As much as he hated it, Barry knew Detective Thawne had meant a lot to her and that loved him at some point.
If only he hadn't been in a coma… if only he had had the guts to tell her how he felt before it all happened… Barry thought. However, what if's wouldn't change anything now would they?
No one knew what his or her future was like. It was probably better that way or was it really?
Did Iris have to date Eddie for her to realize she was in fact in love with me, Barry Allen? Would it be that way in any other timeline? Barry knew that the reason he wondered about everything was that he was scared that Eddie might say something to Iris that might change her mind.
His mind was obviously playing with him putting things in his head and Barry felt he had to busy himself or he was going to drive himself crazy.
The next thing he knew Barry was at S.T.A.R. lab.
"Barry?" Caitlin said surprised to see him.
"Where is everyone?" He asked almost automatically.
"For once we had a day off, remember?"
"Yes, right!" Barry answered putting his hand behind his neck.
Caitlin recognized the gesture and asked him, "is everything okay with you?"
"Can we talk?"
"Sure. Want some coffee?"
"No, I'm fine thanks. I already drank one. Iris bought me one."
The woman still sitting at her computer couldn't help but smile at his answer. No matter what happened to Barry Allen, Iris was always somehow part of it. Something told Cate that this wasn't any different.
"What's going on?" Caitlin asked Barry while pushing her chair away from the desk. She stood up and walked toward him.
"She knows." He told her.
At his answer she frowned, not sure to know what her friend was talking about. "Who knows?" she asked confused not really following him.
"Iris knows I'm The Flash."
Caitlin's eyes widened in surprise, at her friend's confession. "You weren't supposed to tell her. Joe didn't want her to know."
"I didn't tell her, Cate." Barry told her.
"Then how?"
"We kissed." Was his simple answer to her.
"Barry, I know I'm not an idiot, but I'm not sure I understand how the fact that you kissed each other makes Iris know that you are The Flash."
He was about to tell her how it happened when he witnessed a change in her facial expression as she assembled the pieces of the puzzle. "Unless… You guys kissed once when you were The Flash and, once when you were Barry Allen."
The corners of his mouth lifted up as he said; "I knew you'd understand."
Caitlin saw though that his smile didn't touch his eyes. "I thought you'd be happier about the fact that you finally have no secret for your best friend anymore."
"I am, but… I'm also scared. And right at this moment my fear is overpowering anything else I feel."
"Why?" She asked although she had the feeling she already knew the answer to this question.
"Iris is with Eddie now."
"So?"
"She went to talk to him. To break up with him. I'm scared that he might find the right words to convince her to stay with him." He explained to Caitlin while he rubbed his hand behind his neck.
The ghost of a smiled played on her lips at his explanation.
"It's not funny."
"No it's not, but you shouldn't be nervous. Iris won't let herself be convinced by Eddie's words, I can promise you that."
"How can you be sure."
"I've noticed the way she looks at you lately when she thinks no one sees her."
Barry looked with surprise at his friend. "What do you mean?"
"Iris is in love with you." Caitlin said seriously.
"How can you be so certain we only kissed three times and the first time… she doesn't even remember, I erased it remember?"
"Love is not measurable in kisses."
"I know that. It's just that well, I guess, I'm scared all of it is a dream and that I soon will wake out of it. I've always been the nerd, the guy the girls don't see because he is more interested in science than anything else. I've been in love with her for as long as I can remember for me Iris is the definition of love itself. She's my best friend. I've tried to tell her a thousand times how I felt about her, but I've been so afraid that she would laugh at me and reject me and that it would ruin our friendship… and then, I fell into a coma and when I woke up, I became The Flash and she was with Eddie. It made me feel like she was out of my league… and the Oliver said…" Barry trailed off.
"Hey, I know Barry, I know. I mean, I don't know what Oliver told you, but I have a pretty good idea of what he said." She said placing a soothing hand on his back.
"I mean, what I've always wanted is about to happen and now, I'm not so sure anymore if it's the right thing."
Caitlin Snow smiled, "and people wonder why you became The Flash? You're thinking about someone else again. Barry, listen to me, you're didn't tell the truth to Iris, she figured it out on her own. I know that, I don't know her as good as you do, but something tells me she won't back away. That she will support you every step of the journey. Iris is a strong woman who knows what she wants. Life is a lonely path, so don't make it any lonelier than it has to be."
Barry couldn't help but smile at her words.
"What?" She asked curious to know where his smile came from.
"Nothing. It's just that you basically said, the same thing Felicity said to me last time I saw her.
"Felicity is a smart girl. Barry you are fortunate to have someone you love that loves you back, don't let your fears or what others tell you push her away, just because you think it's the best thing for her. Just be thankful for what you have. Every moment, you can spend with the person you love his precious." She said her voice cracking.
"Oh, Cate, I'm so sorry, I'm such an idiot." Barry said apologizing. He put his coffee on the floor and then hugged his friend.
"It's okay, I'm fine, I promise." She said close to his hear.
"I'm sorry, it brought up such painful memories for you, I wasn't thinking." He said as he placed a kiss on her cheek.
"Being The Flash isn't easy, but you're doing an awesome job and you aren't alone, don't ever forget that."
"I wouldn't be able to do such a good job if it wasn't for you, guys. We are a team."
"Now shouldn't go see how Iris is doing?"
"Maybe. He said disentangling himself from the embrace. "You sure you're going to be alright?"
"Yeah, I have tones of works to do."
"You work too much."
"So do you," She smiled, now hush, go!"
He looked at her one last time to make she was indeed going to be all right and the next thing she knew he was gone.
"At normal speed would have been better." She yelled after him.
Iris couldn't believe her ears. "Why is it that I don't believe a word of what you just said to me then?" She asked the detective sitting opposite her at the table.
"Simply because, you don't want it to be true." Thawne answered her.
"Don't turn the roles around here, Eddie."
"Me turning the roles around? Interesting. Eddie said. "As far as I recall, you said yes when I asked you out or am I wrong here?"
"No. I did say yes, but it was one the biggest mistakes I've ever made. You asked me out when I was the most vulnerable. You knew I would say yes."
"I'm not like that." He said defensively.
"You sure about that? Why otherwise would you have asked me out?" Iris demanded.
"Because I fell in love with you, the first time, I laid eyes on you, Iris." Eddie answered her, simply.
When the words came out of his mouth, Iris had been watching him closely. His eyes were empty. Iris had the impression Eddie didn't mean any of the words he was saying to her. She was starting to think that he had been using her. Suddenly she felt as if she'd been his notice board. As if waned to say to the world, I'm dating Iris West, the daughter of a police officer. The question was why had he be doing it?
As she thought about it, she wondered if the man sitting opposite her had ever been honest with her had any point in their relationship.
"I don't believe you." Iris replied.
"But I did," he insisted.
Iris sighed heavily. This was of no use.
"If that's how you see things, I could say almost the same to you Miss West the big journalist. You've never really been in love with me either. Barry Allen has always been between us."
"Leave Barry out of this." She said dryly.
"Why? Isn't he the reason why we are sitting in the first place?" Eddie asked back as dryly. "You and me, Iris… it's never been the two of us together, it's always been you me and Barry Allen. And I was stupid to think…" He stopped himself as he realized he was about to say something he shouldn't.
But when as he looked at her, Eddie knew it was too late.
"You were stupid enough to think that being with you would make me forget my best friend, the one that's always been there whenever I needed him. Which isn't something I can say about myself. She said her eyes shining with unshed tears. Unlike me. I hurt him and my dad because I wanted to be with you, damn it! I suppose we weren't meant to be together… Iris stood up and left with another glance back at the man who had shared her life once.
Tears were rolling down her cheeks as she walked away from Eddie realizing suddenly how much she must have hurt the once she loved once.
Eddie hadn't moved from his seat and watched her walk.
"No, It wasn't supposed to be." He said to know one in particular before finally standing up himself and leaving in the opposite direction.
To be continued….
A/N #2: I'm once again sorry for the delay. I'm not sure there is only one chapter left or if there will be more chapters to it or if there is going to be a sequel, because it seems like the story has a life on her own. So, this means this isn't over yet…
What do you guys think? Do you want to know if Iris was right about Eddie hiding something?