*Many thanks to sendtherain for beta'ing.

Chapter 7 -

Well, Iris did not come back.

She ran to get her dad who was perched on his beach chair, pointed Barry out to him, and once she was sure he had spotted him, she ran back into the lake.

Joe was briefly confused. "Iris, wa- Aren't you gonna…?"

But she was too far gone and splashing too loudly to hear him, so he shook his head and muttered something Barry could only imagine was about not going too far out.

"Son, what in God's name happened?" Joe asked, concern rather than panicked over Barry's scratched up feet and knees. The sand lightly covered them and made for more painful movement when Barry tried to bend and flex.

Barry looked up at him and sheepishly explained how there had been unexpectedly sharp rocks where he and Iris were running, and how the first set of them had sent them toppling over onto the sand.

"Jesus." His ran his hand over his face and gingerly got Barry to his feet. "Can you bend your knees a little? It's not exactly a short distance from here to our spot on the beach."

"Oh, yeah," Barry squeaked. "I'll be fine."

But one step and he nearly folded, the sand having coated the cuts and making the pain worse.

Barry sucked in a breath of air through his teeth.

"Okay, okay," Joe said, gently helping Barry back to a sitting position on the sand. "You stay here." Barry nodded. "I'll go get some clean water and the first aid kit. We'll have you patched up in no time."

Barry forced a smile and nodded.

"Okay. Thanks, Joe."

Joe shook his head, marveling at Barry's wounds for a moment.

"It's a miracle Iris didn't get hurt. What do you think stopped her?"

"Uh…I think she just…tripped on top of me after I fell, so I…I cushioned her, I think."

Joe nodded slowly, slightly suspicious as to what that had looked like and meant, at least for Barry. But he accepted the explanation since Barry had nothing more to say.

"Right. Okay, I'll be back."

Joe jogged lightly across the beach, gathered supplies and was back before Barry could even think to move again. Joe watched him like a hawk from that point on, making sure he didn't move a muscle while the cold water, Neosporin, and bandages were applied. Barry hissed in pain but tried to keep his reaction under control so Barry wouldn't worry too much. After all, he wasn't bleeding that excessively. The cuts should be cleared up within a day or two at the most.

And that was how Barry wound up sitting on a beach chair under a large multi-colored umbrella in the sand, watching Joe and Iris build sandcastles down by the shore.

Iris was very particular about how her sandcastles should be made. In fact, she probably would've been happier if Joe had made a separate sandcastle and they'd competed to see who made the best one. Barry would judge, of course, and Iris would win. Not just because she was his best friend who he was also madly in love with, but because she was an expert sandcastle builder. Both Joe and Barry paled in comparison when it came to their sandcastle-making skills.

Under normal circumstances, Barry would either compete against her or build with her, and Joe would judge. But these were not normal circumstances. These circumstances involved him not only being injured physically and able to really move around in the sand, but he'd been an absolute idiot and not kissed Iris West back when she surprised him by pressing her lips to his after they fell over the sharp rocks.

He didn't know how to make up for it, but he knew it wasn't going to be easy. Iris was embarrassed and she was convinced his inability to act in time meant he didn't feel the same way. He knew exactly how she acted under those circumstances. She avoided. She avoided constantly. And when she wasn't avoiding she was heartbreakingly vulnerable to the point that you just didn't know if there was anything you could say that would make her feel better.

And to top it all off, he couldn't tell Joe, his number one confidant when it came to all things Iris – though he still hadn't told him how he felt about her. That was one secret he intended to take to his grave. That was, of course, until Iris made it blatantly obvious that she had feelings for him.

That still didn't mean he was going to tell Joe, though. He'd split up their sleeping arrangements for sure, afraid them sleeping so near to each other risked pregnancy; and damn if his baby girl was going to get pregnant on his watch, even it was by the only boy he approved of in the present and the future.

In that tent was the only place Barry was going to get through to Iris and talk to her about what had happened on the beach. She'd probably pretend to be asleep or cry. Or both. But she wouldn't be able to run away from him. She would have to at least hear him out.

Did that mean he'd have to tell her he was in love with her?

Oh, God.

In a tent? On a camping trip? After she made the first move and he failed to reciprocate?

That was not how he had imagined telling her at all.

Under the circumstances that he would tell her.

Oh, boy. He did not know if he was up for this. After all, it could mean risking their entire friendship. Over one kiss? One miraculous kiss. He still remembered the pressure of her lips against his, those beautiful, luscious lips he'd dreamed of kissing one day.

Damn it to hell, he'd have to risk it.

Iris Ann West was his best friend, but he also firmly believed she was his soulmate. He was going to fix this. Tonight.

…

It was worse than he thought.

The day at the beach had been cut short by Iris getting upset that Joe wasn't doing his part in making the best possible sandcastle with her. She stomped all over it, walked back to their spot on the beach, ignored Barry when he asked her what was wrong, and strutted back to the campsite.

Joe told Barry what happened as soon as he reached him, and then of course pushed him to gather up the supplies and head back as fast as he could – that his wounds would allow.

"Honey, wait a minute. Would you just slow down? Let's talk about this."

"There's nothing to talk about. And you can slow down yourself. I'm just going back to the campsite."

Well, Iris did not just go back to the campsite. She also grabbed her bike to presumably go take a shower at the bathrooms near the entrance – those were the nice ones. Only, she was gone an hour, and even Iris didn't take that long taking a shower.

"I'm going to go check out those bathrooms," Joe said, prepared to take his own bike and barge into the Ladies' room.

"Joe, I don't thin-" Barry protested, and was soon added in by Iris who suddenly showed up in cozy clothes and the flip-flops she'd left in.

"Barry's right, Dad. I'm right here."

He was briefly elated. That was the first time she'd said his name all afternoon since the 'incident'.

It didn't last, though.

"Young lady, have you been showering this whole time?"

She scoffed. "Of course not. You know I don't take that long of a shower. Those stalls were icky anyway." She scrunched up her nose.

"Then where the hell have you been?" Joe demanded.

"No need to raise your voice, Dad. I'm here now."

"Iris Ann West, where did you go?"

She sighed dramatically. "Just took a lap around the lake on my bike. That's it. Okay? God."

Joe's eyes widened, and so did Barry's. Iris could be rebellious in theory, but it was usually behind her dad's back, not to his face.

"Get in your tent."

She scoffed. "What?"

"Get in your tent right now."

"What did I-"

"Iris," Barry warned under his breath, and she shot him a glare.

"Go," Joe ordered, and she dramatically spun around and went into the tent, zipping it hard and fast behind her and miraculously not catching her finger in it.

"I didn't do anything," she muttered on her way.

Joe shook his head after she'd quieted down and was no doubt pouting on top of her sleeping bag.

"I don't know what's gotten into her. I was doing the best I could on that damn sandcastle."

Barry swallowed.

"Do you know?" He turned to look at Barry who pretended to not notice. "Bear."

"Hmm?" He looked over at him. "Oh, what? Me? Nope. I have no idea, Joe. It's just…" He looked away towards the tent. "Weird."

Joe sat down in a chair and sighed.

"Maybe she's…" He lowered his voice. "On her period?"

Barry blushed fiercely, unable to find the words to answer.

The sound of a zipper unzipping quickly was suddenly heard and Iris popped her head out of the tent.

"I am not on my period," she seethed, then quickly shut herself back in the tent again.

Joe looked back at Barry.

"Guess not?" Barry offered.

Joe pressed two fingers to his forehead.

"I'm gonna take a nap."

Barry nodded. "I would but…" He gestured towards the tent with the currently angry Iris in it.

"You can sleep in mine if you'd like to, son," Joe said. "I can always sleep in the hammock."

"Nah, it's okay. I'll be fine."

"Suit yourself."

And so, he did. And by the time dinner rolled around, Iris had calmed down and was acting like nothing had happened. Joe managed to squeeze an apology out of her when Barry left to change into more comfortable clothes. It was difficult though, so there was still some tension when Barry returned, but he was confident that all would be well after their conversation tonight. If he had anything to say about it, at least.

Iris excused herself for bed after toasting just one marshmallow that evening. She didn't even make a s'more out of it. Barry excused himself shortly after, because she was not going to be asleep by the time he made his grand gesture.

"You sure, son?" Joe asked as he was leaving. "You don't want to wait until…you know who is asleep?" He lowered his voice to a whisper.

Barry shook his head.

"I'm gonna try to talk to her."

Joe's eyes widened, but he nodded anyway.

"Don't stay up too late."

"You either," he joked lightly, but it was quiet, and Joe was already looking up at the stars through the trees, so Barry figured he probably hadn't heard him.

As he had suspected, Iris was turned away towards the wall of the tent on her side and was pretending to be asleep when he stepped inside the tent. He went along with it till he was tucked into his own sleeping bag and then turned on the light between them.

A slight irritated moan was heard from her end, so he knew for sure she wasn't sleeping.

"Iris."

She tried to level out her breathing, so her body wasn't moving so quickly with each breath.

"Iris, I know you're not sleeping."

She tried to snore. Barry had to suppress laughter. He just barely managed it.

"That's the worst snore I've ever heard."

She made to kick him from inside her sleeping bag, but she'd moved herself so far away from his that she ended up hitting nothing instead and looking foolish.

"Aiming for something?" he asked, amused.

"Jerk," she muttered.

"Oh. She speaks."

She huffed, then turned towards him.

"What do you want, Barry?"

"I want to know why you're taking out what happened between us out on your dad."

Her jaw dropped.

"And Iris…" He tried to reach for her, but she moved out of the way. He sighed. "Are you going to avoid me forever? We're best friends."

She frowned, apparently not knowing what to do with that.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"I know you don't, but-"

She turned around in her sleeping bag again and faced the wall.

"Goodnight, Barry."

"Iris-"

"You don't have to go hiking with me on Friday anymore, Barry. I know you never wanted to, anyway."

"Iris, I want to go with you!"

"No, you don't. You were just doing it because I begged. And you can't now anyways, because of your cuts."

"They'll be healed up in a couple days. That leaves plenty of time between then and Friday."

"Please go to sleep, Barry." She sniffled.

Darn it. She was crying.

"Iris, please…please don't cry."

She flinched hard when he touched her shoulder lightly.

"Please stop, Barry."

He sighed and relented.

"Okay, Iris. I won't touch you if you don't want me to."

That made Iris shake, and Barry knew she was fighting not to cry out loud. And it was all because of him, and his stupid lack of kissing reciprocation. Ugh. He hated himself.

"Goodnight, Iris," he whispered, then turned the light off and turned towards his side of the tent to fall asleep.

Somehow Iris fell asleep before him. He stayed awake for hours, wondering how this camping trip could possibly improve for the better when he'd already ruined it so sufficiently.

Unable to fall asleep while next to her, he finally got up quietly and snuck out of the tent. One of the doors was left open in the car and there was a pillow and blanket inside from the ride up, so Barry took both and scrunched together his tall, lanky frame as best as he could to sleep in the car.

Hopefully, things would look better in the morning. Somehow…