Sorry guys, I'm inflicting more pain on Barry this weekend. Poor guy.
Prompt from Jeune Ecrivain. The Flash is injured in battle, and Iris nurses his wound to the best of her ability. Later, she finds Barry, who is either recovering in bed or on his feet but still visibly weak. Her concerned curiosity gets the better of her, and despite Barry's attempts to play it off, she insists on checking him out and finds the bandaging that she herself put on his injury.
It wasn't even a metahuman. All of this drama was caused by a normal criminal. A boring criminal. Barry could just picture the smirk that would be on Oliver's face.
The day had started off normal enough. Barry was late to work, Captain Singh had gave him a patronizing remark about it, Joe, Eddie, and Barry had been called to a crime scene, but that was where the normalcy had ended.
When they arrived at the crime scene the body . . . there wasn't much of one. The remains were charred and cut into pieces. Joe gave him a questioning look. Barry knew that he was wondering if it was a metahuman. He knew he was afraid that it might be Caitlyn's metahuman fiancé.
Barry looked a little closer at the little pieces because it was hard to tell. Still, it didn't take him long to figure out that it was not a metahuman. "The burns are sporadic. There are several thin strips of burns. It's likely these were made by blowtorch."
Joe nodded at his son, relieved and disturbed that it was a human case.
~_~ line break ~_~
It took Barry a while to get the dental records back. He was worried about Joe and Iris. The man that had been killed was the son of Joe's old partner, Chyre, and Barry was pretty sure he knew who had killed him.
About ten years ago Joe and Chyre had arrested a man for killing his family, by burning them and chopping them up. Barry had been told that he escaped while he was still in his coma. Jeremiah Erving was the man's name.
Barry ran down to where Eddie and Joe stood discussing the case.
"Bear, you ok?" Joe asked concerned.
"What's going on, Allen?" Eddie questioned.
"Put a detail on Iris, and you be careful." Barry pointed at Joe.
Joe gave Barry his wide eyed, terrified look as he pushed Eddie to go set up the detail. When Eddie came back, Joe was still staring at his son.
"Jeremiah Erving."
Joe's eyes widened further if that was possible.
"What does he have to do with Iris?" Eddie asked, worry evident in his eyes as well.
"Chyre and I brought him in."
"I know that much." Eddie mumbled.
"Barry, does that mean . . . The dental records said . . ." Barry couldn't blame him for not being able to choke the words out.
He nodded. "It was Chris that was found in the alley."
Realization finally crossed Eddie's eyes. Normally Eddie was faster at connecting the dots, so Barry reckoned either he was hoping for different solution, or something else was occupying his thoughts.
An officer came running over. "We sent teams to her apartment and her work she wasn't there."
Beep, beep.
Barry's alert for Iris's blog posts rang. He pulled out his phone, and Joe leaned over his shoulder to read.
'North on 52nd street, left a mile, right two miles. Smells like metal. Help!'
"Go!" Joe nodded as Barry ran up to his office to get his suit with his super speed being disguised by the commotion. Searches being set up, teams being sent out, etc.
Barry followed the directions Iris gave him until he smelled something strong and metallic. He had to be in the right place. Metal doesn't usually smell this strong, but there was another scent that caught his attention. Fire. He kept accelerating as he searched for the exact spot where she was being kept. Smoke was rising from the leftmost building in the area. It took him less than half a second to get there and find her.
"Iris!" The Flash yelled, is vision obscured by the smoke.
"Look out!" She yelled back, but it was too late. Barry felt a searing pain in his abdomen. A sword or large knife of some sort had cut through his side. He couldn't think clearly due to the pain, but he managed to lash out against Erving before he could strike another blow. The Flash managed to knock the other man out, and immediately he ran to Iris. Three seconds later they were out of the now collapsing building.
Barry set her down, and they both gasped trying to drag in as much fresh air as they possibly could, occasionally choking.
Iris noticed that her side was covered in blood, his blood. After only a few minutes, Barry's strength failed, and he feel to the ground.
"Flash!" Iris exclaimed dropping to her knees next to him.
"I'll be fine. I heal fast." He groaned in pain as he spoke, and needless to say, Iris wasn't convinced.
"Take off your undershirt."
"Iris." Was Barry's weak last ditch attempt to stop her-something he had never been able to do after she had made up her mind.
"Flash."
"This is the tone that gives me another reason not to tell you who I am. You'd use my full name." Barry laughed, then groaned at the pain it caused him.
"My best friend, Barry, doesn't like his full name either." Iris made small talk as he sped changed out of his undershirt causing himself even more pain.
"I'm sure his name is just as bad as mine." Barry inwardly smirked.
Iris carefully wrapped the shirt around his still bleeding abdomen. He moaned again. They heard sirens in the distance heading toward them.
"You know I can't still be here when they arrive." The Flash reminded Iris.
"You know you shouldn't be moving." She retorted.
"I'll heal, but I can't wipe the cops' memories." She gave him a sad look, with a twinge of what he thought was longing, maybe for him to be able to stay with her.
"How will I know if you're alright?" Iris asked cautiously. She had known for a long time that she had feelings or the Flash that were almost equal to her feeling for Barry, and she was still worried that she might lose him. The cut was deep and would require surgery for a normal person. What if he didn't make it?
"I'll visit you tonight, I promise." He smiled sadly. "Same old place."
Iris frowned thinking of the last time they had been on that roof together. She had told him never to contact her again, and yet when she called for him, he had come. He had been willing to get seriously injured to save her even after she had pushed him away for beating up her ex-boyfriend after he had tried to get a task force against him.
"Ok." Her voice was small, and he knew what his best friend was thinking.
"I will never leave you in danger if there is something I can do to help you. There is nothing you could ever do to keep me from being there when you need me. I . . ." He had wanted to be Barry when he said it the first time, but he felt she needed to hear it now. "I love you."
He heard her sharp intake of breath and saw her small yet bright smile before he had to dash away. The police had arrived.
~_~ line break ~_~
Iris was sitting in the police station after recounting her story to everyone in the station. Everyone except Barry.
When she was done she went to look for her best friend. It wasn't like him to not show his face when she had just been in extreme danger. Usually he would have come rushing to her side to take care of her like the loveable best friend he is, but now he was nowhere to be seen.
She went up to his lab and found him, in a different shirt than he was wearing when she saw him this morning, sitting in his chair holding his side like he was in pain.
"Bear?" She got his attention and fixed him with a worried look.
He sighed in relief, but it was almost forced. "You're ok." He breathed.
"Yeah, what's wrong with you? What happened to your side?" That must be why he wasn't at the meeting downstairs.
"It's nothing. All that matters is that you're ok."
The words struck a familiar chord, but she thought no more of it as she moved closer to the man she knew she loved, and ignored the thoughts of the man that had just confessed his love to her.
"Barry, I know you better than this. What happened to your side?"
He didn't answer her so she stepped closer and pulled up the side of his shirt. His other shirt was wrapped around a wound on his abdomen, just as she had just wrapped up the Flash's identical wound.
"You are the Flash." She said simply. He nodded. "There are so many thoughts running through my head. So many questions that I don't know how to ask."
"You can ask me anything. You know that." He looked nervous.
"That can all wait. You love me?" Iris was just as nervous as he was.
"Yes. I've always loved you." Barry gave her a half smile half wince, and she moved closer to him.
"I love you too, Barry."