*Beta'd by sendtherain

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8. I Am Mad

I'm boiling; absolutely infuriated. Nothing could make me madder in this instant, but Wally – who has just woken up from his night over on the couch – somehow achieves that feat by asking what the big deal is.

"Oh, no," Barry says as I turn to face my brother, my fingers curled into fists at my side so I don't start clawing his eyes out with my fingernails.

"What's the big deal?"

"Sorry for what?" Wally asks aloud, and I know Barry has just mouthed to his brother-in-law to apologize. "So, your editor didn't like your story. Write another one."

I stomp toward him, unable to decide which infuriates me more, him not realizing what the big deal is or him not feeling bad about the fact that he's made me so mad.

I finally see him worrying for his own safety at least as I get closer because he's backing up and has himself pinned to the wall before I'm inches away pointing my finger at him.

"The 'big deal' is that this story will change lives. The 'big deal' is that I risked my life getting the information to write this story-"

"Wait, what?" His eyes widen and Barry's face falls into his palm.

I probably shouldn't have informed my little brother about that part. Oops.

"The big deal is-"

"Uh-uh, you're not getting out of it that easily. Your life? What happened, Iris?" He's suddenly soft with me, and part of me loves it, but the part of me that's still mad at him doesn't. How dare he be concerned when he could've cared less about the story two seconds ago!

"Iris?" Barry tries, and for some god forsaken reason I turn around and address him.

"What?" I demand, though he hardly deserves it.

He walks up to me, sets his hands on my shoulders, and looks me in the eye.

"If anyone can change that man's mind, it's you." He lowers his head to kiss me, and I reciprocate – much to Wally's annoyance. "I love you."

I melt. Completely melt into his embrace.

"I love you, too."

"Ugh. Get a room, you two," Wally says, and actually leaves the loft. I don't care. He'll be back later for pizza and telling me how great of a writer and big sister I am – if history has told me anything.

Right now, my husband is kissing me, and there's not much more to care about than that.