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Eddie's been wanting to say something to Iris for weeks. With the way Iris is looking at him now, he has no doubt she's known for almost as long that he wants to talk, and has reached the point where she can barely contain her mix of curiosity and frustration. He's grateful she's given him time to figure things out.
His problem has always been not knowing what to say. He's well aware that when he's nervous he has a tendency to speak his mind with little to no filter and come off as strange or flippant. Sometimes he gets the impression Iris finds that appealing, cute to see he's not the impenetrable no-hair-out-of-place guy she used to tease him for being. And he's not afraid to admit that he likes the idea that she thinks it's cute, so long as she thinks he's sexy too.
Even though he accidentally mouths off at times when he's nervous, when he's really nervous he clams up entirely. Like so many moments during the last few weeks.
Again, Iris is looking up at him and his uncharacteristic quietness as they stand by the car. They should get in and drive home, but there's an instinct stopping him. One too many comments about Barry that make him realize he has to say it now, finally.
He takes Iris' hands in his, trying to ground himself with that physicality, and opens his mouth, blurting it out, straight to the point.
“Barry makes you happy.”
“You make me happy,” Iris says in return, quick to reply and reassure him. He loves her for it. But he can also feel the tension in her tight grip on his hands, clearly not wanting to let go. Does she think this is a breakup? Eddie represses the urge to groan at his bad wording and racks his brain for how to backtrack this conversation from where she thinks it has gone.
“Too. I make you happy too. That's my point. You can do both. I mean, you can date both, of us. You could date Barry too.”
Iris gapes a little at first but says nothing. Her expression becomes indecipherable, a complex mix of emotions he can't read on her face. He wants her to say something, anything - yes, no, what the hell Eddie? Any of those options would be better than the silence settling around them. He's dimly aware of distant city noises, muffled by the concrete of the parking garage. Why did he choose now to tell her? Why here? After weeks of lead up, how did it go so wrong...
As the silence stretches out, he feels sick, his gut twisting with the worry that he's messed everything up with his outburst. Eddie doesn't think he's been this nervous since he was still a teenager, waiting for his academy acceptance letter. The reason he's so nervous is because Iris is never speechless. She might laugh or scoff, or make some other adorable noise she's possibly self-conscious of, but she reacts. This absence of any response is killing him.
Eventually, she comes out with an “I'll think about it.”
Iris kisses him then - her fingers threading through his hair, giving him the calming sense of connection he'd been seeking. She kisses him just long enough he forgets the worry momentarily, as if everything is fine, normal. That gives him hope he's doing the right thing. Whatever the outcome, it needed to be said.
It had hurt a little to consider what might be best for her, might be different from what was best for him, but the more he'd thought on it, he'd decided opening up their relationship was the kind of thing he could get used to. The thought he wouldn't be the only important person in her life romantically anymore stung, but it was a hurt that mellowed out over time, like it already had in the last few weeks. Difficult to adapt to but just another challenge.
He's watched Barry and Iris together, seen how good they are for each other. When he sees them they're happy enough, yet there's an undercurrent of sadness at what can't be. Especially from Barry, who normally lights up a room anytime he's around. There are moments he sees something dim in Barry, a flickering of his usually unbounded enthusiasm. If there's anything that can't be, it's that: it hurts him to see Barry hurt, so God only knows how painful it must be for Iris to see that.
He wants it to work because he wants them to work. To be happy. All of them. Him, Iris, Barry.
Sometimes love is about recognizing needs, compromising and letting go of rigid ideals. He doesn't need every second of his day to be spent with Iris. He's happy just having her in his life and he hopes Barry will feel the same, no tug of war over her. Not that Iris would do anything other than what she wants. If there's anything he's confident about in this situation, it's that they’ll put Iris and what she wants first.
People don't surprise Barry very often anymore, not with his superspeed, but he doesn't expect Iris to push him up against her apartment door on their first date. Hard enough to make a thump that might give the neighbors pause for thought.
Not that it's actually their first date, as much as it’s their first date not interrupted by a crisis. The first of what Barry hopes will be many dates. For sure he's really enjoying the unfiltered ardor Iris has for being with him like this. No more longing looks he might be mistaken about. This is desire; completely out in the open and he's bathing in it. Not that he's complaining but he honestly expected more of an adjustment from friends to would-be lovers. Things aren't there yet, but the way Iris is pressed up against him and snaking her limbs around him, definitely isn't leaving him with any doubt that that's where things will end up someday if everything keeps going this well.
He's pretty engrossed in the feel of Iris - holding her close, her pulling him to her mouth with a hand on the back of his neck – and that's why he manages to be surprised again. He doesn't hear anything with the blood of his arousal, his thrumming heartbeat in his ears. But he does feel the shift behind him, the displacement of the air – the signs the door is opening. At least this time he reacts fast enough to not spiral backward into Eddie, pivoting himself and Iris, and stabilizing them so they don't fall over.
However, that still leaves a wide-eyed Eddie staring at their embrace. It takes Iris a few seconds to adjust to the change, eyebrows knitting in confusion before she registers their audience and the pin drops. They're not doing anything anymore, although it can't escape anyone’s notice how plump Iris' lips are from all the kissing, how flushed Barry must look, or Iris' handbag strategically dangling to hide his crotch.
Eddie tries to start a sentence, several times, but never gets more than a sound out. Of course the situation is awkward but he seems so much more flustered than Barry would have expected. Eddie might actually be blushing. Barry's never seen Eddie remotely like this and it's kinda hot. Which is totally not relevant right now and Barry wishes his brain hadn't gone there. He's gonna blame how turned on he is from the make-out session with Iris and try hard to forget he ever thought it.
Iris has had a lot of long nights lately. The difference with this one is she's not slumped at her CCPN desk at the end of it, ready to fall asleep and dream of 'local metahuman meddling with the Mayor'. Instead, she's sat rigid in one of the cortex chairs rolled into the medbay, clasping Barry's hand at his side willing him to wake up already.
Caitlin insists he'll be fine, that he just needs to sleep his injuries off, concussion included. No amount of explanation of the medical or metahuman considerations is going to stop her worrying though, not after how long she spent waiting for him to wake up from his coma. Iris hates seeing him like this again, because Barry, even when he's at relative rest, is so full of energy and that's how he should be. Anything else makes her heart ache.
Iris sits there, grateful STAR Labs opted to splurge on comfortable chairs, unlike the ones at the hospital. The steady background noise of the monitors starts to lull her into a sense of security that Barry is okay and her brain manages to take the alertness down a step. That's when she realizes comfortable isn't such a blessing because she has to fight harder and harder to keep her eyes open.
She opens her eyes to the unexpected sight of Eddie standing at the entrance to the room, eyes narrowed enough she can tell he's concerned. And he's not looking at Barry anymore, attention shifted over to her.
"When did you last sleep, Iris?"
"I'm fine, Barry's the one who’s on a gurney."
Eddie's mouth twists, a sure sign he disagrees and is struggling with what to say in return. He must know why she doesn't want to leave, despite the fact she's tired to the point of nearly sleeping on her feet.
Eddie draws up a chair next to her.
"He won't be alone. If he wakes up I'll be here. Go get some sleep."
Eddie places an arm around her shoulders, his fingers rubbing small circles where his hand rests at the top of her arm. She melts into the comfort, resting her head on his shoulder and it's so good. It would be so easy to fall asleep against him. He's right, she needs sleep. She's probably going to fall asleep in the chair anyway and wake up with a crick in her neck. At least knowing Eddie is watching over Barry might allow her to rest easier. And Caitlin has a pull out couch in her office next door that Iris has no doubt she'd let her use, just to be close enough in case anything does happen.
Iris shifts in her seat and Eddie moves his arm, sensing the need to. She stands up and sways a little. Eddie is quick to get up, his arms around her once more and leading her out the door where she sees Caitlin has gotten up, awaiting her, and making it seem like this was planned, a caring conspiracy to get her out of the room.
"You can use my cot, I put fresh sheets on it already," Caitlin says, taking over steadying her with a gentle hand on her back, though Iris is a little more with it now she's walked out. Eddie is hovering at the end of the bed again as Iris looks back at him, like he's torn between helping her and going to Barry. Seeing her stop for a moment, he must take it as hesitation to leave Barry.
"I got this, Iris. I promise to come wake you as soon as he does. I'll even hold his hand like you would," Eddie says with a bright smile that is nevertheless dampened by the dour mood of the early hours and all that has happened to put them here in this situation.
Eddie sits down in her chair this time, and does as he said he would, taking Barry's hand in his and glancing back at her to see if she's satisfied. It's like he's taking over the shift watching Barry and it feels good to know he'll be there, trusting in him to do as she would, more or less. As unpleasant a reminder it is to when Barry was struck by lightning, it also reminds her why she fell for Eddie in the first place during Barry's coma. He understood how much she cared for Barry and never resented it even when it took her away from him. He did everything he could to help her and her dad because he wanted her to be happy, just like when he'd presented polyamory as a solution to her conundrum of loving them both. Her heart still aches with worry for Barry but it swells too with love for both of her guys and the warmth of how blessed she is. It's not a bad thought to have as she lays her head down to get some rest.
She’s woken up by Eddie with a cup of coffee. About five hours later she spies when she turns his wrist to look at his watch.
"Barry's awake, he's fine now."
That's definitely not the whole story judging by the tightness around Eddie's eyes as he informs her of Barry's status. He's almost slipping into cop mode with the way he's telling her solely what she needs to hear while holding something back.
She straightens up and fixes him with a look as she takes the offered coffee. She doesn't drink yet, waiting for more details as she watches Eddie, knowing he's bound to break soon because he hates keeping things from her. Eddie purses his lips under her gaze. It doesn't take long for him to admit Barry has been awake for a couple of hours but he promised Barry he wouldn't wake her since she needed the sleep.
She's annoyed though the mocha with cream and cinnamon sprinkled on top does help his case. She hands it back to Eddie after a few gulps for the caffeine fix, who looks confused, probably concerned he's in the doghouse. She's content to let him think that for a little longer as a lesson in why it's bad to break promises, but in truth all her annoyance forgotten as soon as she throws her arms around Barry who's up and about already.
Sometimes Eddie looks at Barry longer than is strictly necessary. Barry is easy on the eyes and pretty adorable in how he behaves and is generally amazing given he's a fantastic CSI and a superhero. Few who know him would disagree with any of that, so it's also easy for Eddie to justify it as understandable and nothing unusual that he likes being around the guy and is fond of looking at him too. Not exactly noteworthy even if he feels lightheaded at times when Barry glances up and catches his eye, returning the look with a slightly confused crease of his brow.
Barry probably wonders why Eddie is paying him attention and doesn't trust that it's the positive kind. Despite the friendliness with his metamour, he suspects Barry is still worried that everything is going to go south with their arrangement. The fact he once punched Barry for trying to convince Iris to go out with him while they were dating likely isn't doing him any favors, water under the bridge as it is. Barry explained the truth about that incident to him one day over coffee at Jitters - how it was not lightning psychosis as Caitlin had claimed - and he'd gotten the impression that holding it in had been bugging Barry for some time.
Eddie had accepted it as an oddity of the life they lead now. Forgiven and forgotten. Whether Barry believes he meant it is another matter. Eddie doesn't think there's much more he can do to reassure Barry, having made it clear he's welcome at the apartment anytime and being flexible on changing days for dates when emergencies interfere.
He could stop looking at him, considering it's maybe making Barry more self-conscious, but that's a lot harder to do than he expected. Something about Barry draws him in with a desire to be closer.
Barry might not realize the true reason he has Eddie's attention, but Eddie has a moment where it's crystal clear that Iris does. She catches him looking at Barry. Just a peek from the kitchen where he's putting popcorn into the popcorn maker, to Barry intently speed scanning the Netflix catalog for a movie that would tempt them both, but it's enough to trigger a knowing smile from Iris. The kind she has when she's worked out a secret, broken a story no one else could crack, or figured the twist in a movie, and is entirely too pleased with herself. He usually loves seeing that look on her face, but this time his stomach sinks because she knows. Iris knows he likes Barry too and that makes it too real all of a sudden.
That smile of hers doesn't entirely fade over the evening, it wanes at times but then there's a sly amusement bringing it back every time she sees Eddie so much as glance at Barry. At the end of the night, the standard goodbyes are said, plus the hugs and kisses Eddie studiously avoids watching. Once she closes the door, she turns to him and grins. He gets the feeling she thinks his crush is adorable, which is a relief but it doesn't make the pit in his stomach any less substantial because talking about this is significant.
He opens his mouth to deny it but gives up before he utters a word because there's no fooling Iris. Plus, they promised each other when they started they'd be honest about how they felt. She doesn't seem to care he's held this back and there's no reason to risk causing problems by claiming he feels otherwise.
Iris sits down heavily next to him, relaxing into the couch and he wishes he was that relaxed right now. Usually spending time with Iris and Barry is pleasant, a good way to unwind, with only the occasional nervous spikes of energy due to his unaddressed feelings for the man. Tonight has had him tense instead, waiting for something to drop even though he knows Iris wouldn't out him like that, not intentionally. She wasn't the most subtle about it but luckily Barry is blissfully ignorant.
Iris leans against him, cuddling up. He sees her smile drop and imagines she senses how tightly wound his body is.
"Why didn't you say anything?" she asks softly, no accusation to it.
"I didn't want to complicate things," he says but it sounds weak to him even before Iris points out the flaw in his logic.
"Oh Eddie," she says fondly, stroking a hand through his hair and he lets go of at least some of the tension he'd been holding onto all night, "Things are already complicated...but in a good way."
She kisses him and even though nothing has fundamentally changed he feels lighter. He doesn't know how Barry feels but he feels accepted by Iris and that makes all the difference.
"So what do you like best about Barry?" Iris asks firmly as she throws her arms around his neck leisurely.
"His killer investigative skills? His winning smile? His hair you just wanna reach out and ruffle?"
He rolls his eyes at her switching to wanting to worm details out of him.
"His ass?" She asks with eyebrows raised mischievously as she settles into his lap, teasing him with her own. He squirms under the scrutiny, not to mention her trying to get a rise out of him in more ways than one, but it makes him happy that they get to have this conversation. No secrets, no barriers, sharing everything in life.
Barry is so antsy he feels like he's gonna vibrate through the floor or something. Not literally. At least, he hopes not, but it isn't technically outside the realm of possibility.
He doesn't know why he has so much nervous energy. It's just another Tuesday. There is no crisis bigger than a stack of paperwork in his lab he intends to get to later on, when he needs something soothing to wind down with after patrolling the city.
It's just dinner. With Iris and Eddie at their place. Like they've done several dozen times before over the last year. This really shouldn't be any different. But it is.
Eddie asked him to come. Asked him not in that casual 'Oh hey, we'll have leftovers, you might as well join us' type of way. Ignoring that he's pretty sure Iris and Eddie purposefully buy enough for every meal to constantly have enough leftovers in the fridge to feed a peckish speedster… No, Eddie asked Barry in an odd, stiff way. Kinda formally, which isn't very like Eddie, who tends to be laid-back. Barry's not sure why that matters to him, that Eddie invited him over for dinner with them rather than Iris.
They've sometimes eaten together before or after dates by chance, or when he'd been injured and Iris didn't want to let him out of her sight just yet, because it made sense. Or during movie nights where it could be just the three of them, but just as likely to be the whole team depending on who was busy or what film was being watched.
This time the dinner is planned. It feels important. Barry feels important to Eddie, in more than the usual we're-sort-of-family way that the whole team has. It's unusual, unanticipated. Other than the pleasant warmth it evokes at knowing Eddie cares, and isn't simply tolerating him like he occasionally worries about, Barry isn't sure he knows how he feels about it. There's a strong feeling for sure but it's new and currently indescribable.
In practical terms, Barry doesn't know what to do about it, what to say to Eddie. He's already said thanks and how much he appreciates the invite, both brushed off as nothing by Eddie who's the gracious host tonight with Iris relaxing in the background. About all he can do is offer to help set up or prep food for the cooking Eddie's in the middle of. They're painfully awkward at working together when they haven't done this before, and Barry isn't making it any better with his urge to try so hard to make it go smoothly, it's only backfiring. They keep getting their wires crossed, both reaching for the same knife or nearly tripping over each other in the small space of Eddie's kitchen. Regardless Eddie seems grateful.
He knows from past experience that Eddie is a decent cook and even if he weren't good at it, letting Eddie cook would have been safer for all concerned than letting Iris loose in the kitchen. If the smells wafting through the apartment tonight are any indication, Eddie is, when he has plenty of time to give to it, a more than decent cook. Barry's mouth is already salivating and he's resisting the temptation to sneak tastes like he would want to if anyone else he knew was cooking something.
Iris looks like she's biting the inside of her cheek as she sits at the breakfast bar drinking her wine, watching the entertainment of his acting like this, full well knowing how much he's holding back his urge to cheekily taste test like he has so many times at the West household. Barry almost moans in relief, stifling it into an odd mmm sound of enjoyment, when Eddie holds up a spoon to ask his opinion on the pasta sauce.
Iris chokes on her drink, from an aborted laugh probably, and Barry's glad at least someone is amused at how he's been foot in mouth tonight so far. He shoots her a look and she bites her amusement down and retreats to the couch which leaves him and Eddie alone. Is she trying to give them some space?
Barry glances back to Iris from time to time as he and Eddie finish up the meal prep. It definitely seems like she's keeping an eye on them, like she's expecting something to happen. She's curled up on the couch, but she's only half watching ‘America's Next Top Model’.
No amount of space is likely to make Barry any less nervous because it's being around Eddie that's inexplicably the reason. He has to stop himself tapping his foot fast enough to damage the floorboards as he chops the cucumber and lets out a sigh of frustration. That's when Barry notices Eddie is doing the same, sort of. He's had this list for the meal prep and he keeps going over it, ticking off what's done, but every time he goes back to it he appears to have lost his place and sighs as he works his way down the steps as if to reassure himself he hasn't forgotten anything important. Like he's been distracted.
They're both nervous and Iris is very not nervous. In fact, she seemed amused from the moment he stepped over the threshold. Barry flushes at the idea of why that is.
Dinner is delicious and it's super hard not to make appreciative noises about the food. Eddie seems in a permanent state of blushing but it could just be from the wine of course.
Barry's not surprised when he ends up in the middle of them for the movie Iris picked out. It's not one Barry is so into but that's just as well when he can't concentrate on it with Eddie's thigh pressed up next to him. Eddie’s arm is behind him across the back of the couch, not quite around Barry’s shoulders, making him feel like he's missing that contact.
By the end of the movie he's more relaxed, getting used to being between them. Except Iris announces she's going to bed early. Eddie's in the middle of a police academy tale but she's heard it before and she insists Eddie finish telling it for Barry before he even considers coming to bed.
She's working long shifts at the newspaper that Barry knows are tiring her out so it's entirely reasonable. Still, he has the impression it's as much about leaving them alone. Once Iris leaves, Barry stretches out, simultaneously putting some space between him and Eddie, hoping it will be easier to concentrate like that. Eddie definitely notices, an emotion flitting across his face but Barry doesn't know him well enough to know what he's thinking. Neither of them says anything about it and he just hopes Eddie doesn't read too much into the action.
Barry doesn't expect to stay much longer and surely Iris' company, sleepy as it would be, is more appealing than his to Eddie, but the story is recounted... and then another and another. Eddie is grinning widely about some misguided college prank and Barry's lips tug sympathetically upwards. Eddie's enthusiasm is infectious even as he shares what could easily be an embarrassing anecdote for anyone else, he doesn't seem to mind admitting he messed up, finding the humor in it.
He's chatted with Eddie before, mostly about cases or trivial everyday things, but this is deeper conversation. Sharing parts of themselves bit by bit, a certain level of vulnerability to it that is entrancing. Barry doesn't want to say goodnight and have it be over already.
As it turns out, he doesn't. They talk into the night, until he doesn't know when, because the next thing he knows the sunlight shining through at the bottom of the blinds is in his eyes, waking him up with the dawn. The clock on the wall shows 5am, early for others but actually late for him seeing as he sleeps less these days as a speedster. He never did get to patrolling last night or his backlog of lab work he'd planned on post-heroing duties. The city is clearly still fine, no Flash alert went off on his phone to wake him up.
What he forgot to do is of much less concern to him right now than where he is. He’s acutely aware of the fact he'd shifted to lying on the couch in his sleep, so that he’s across Eddie’s legs. And Eddie - sitting in the same spot but slumped over to the side - has his arm around Barry's torso. In essence, they're more or less cuddling.
Barry tries to extricate himself, slowly lifting up Eddie's arm without using his powers, not wanting to use his speed in case the gust of air or static it creates disturbs him. He doesn't have much luck, Eddie pulls tighter in response and murmurs, half-asleep, "Mmm comfy. Stay."
Barry decides he will. For a little while at least. Despite the odd angles of how he's draped on the couch, feet sticking off the edge, (or the general panic at 'what does this mean'), Eddie is warm and smells good and wants him there. So Barry lets himself enjoy the time held close by a sleepy Eddie until he really does have to go patrol.
"Maybe we could get a three-bedroom."
Eddie looks up from browsing apartment listings on his phone, a questioning furrow of his brow at the possibility she's been debating mentioning for the past few days. She'd wanted to do her research first and hopes throwing the idea out there is as good as she'd decided it was.
"Why three?"
They'd already discussed the possibility of two rooms. Main bedroom and then how, if the living spaces weren't big enough for a desk space, they could consider a place with a second room to use as a study for her work so she won't bother Eddie with late-night research binges and can sleep in there if needed.
"Main bedroom, study and another room, like a guest room."
By which she means, a room like a guest room that could be a guest room but could also be Barry's room, if he wanted. If that's where things are going.
Eddie and Barry seem to be dancing around whatever it is they are. Those two are taking things surprisingly slowly, concerned about changing their relationship and how it could change so much in their lives. Iris gets it, being cautious, because they don't want to spoil a good friendship but they're seriously overthinking things. Maybe she shouldn't be so surprised when Barry took more than a decade to admit how he felt about her. However slow Barry and Eddie are taking it, it's positively speedy in comparison to her and Barry. At least they get on well and that doesn't seem likely to change with how careful they are being.
Barry already spends a ridiculously high amount of time at theirs compared to his apartment. His place is nice enough but somehow socializing gravitates back to their place and she isn't sure their place would feel like home without Barry anymore.
"What's wrong with a pull out in the living room?" Eddie asks, suspicions aroused.
She might as well lay it out there. Trying to be tactful isn't doing anyone any favors.
"I think we need a third room, because…"
It sounded simple in her head but it's much harder to voice. What if Eddie doesn't want this? She'd already scoped out how Barry felt with a few key questions and is confident he'd react positively if it was more than the theoretical she'd presented to him for consideration.
Iris takes a deep breath.
"Because of Barry. You know, he’s here so much, he should have a proper space in our lives."
The whole thing comes out in a rush. She's rambling her explanation almost as fast as Barry would, but Eddie is patient. He's got a small smile on his face and he just says "Okay." As if it's no big deal. Iris sort of deflates at that.
"Okay?"
"If you want to and Barry wants to, then I want to."
"Yes. Good. And I do. Thank you," she says, punctuating it by leaning over with a kiss. "I really really want to live with both the men I care about, who I love."
Eddie beams at her.
"Aren't you forgetting you still need to ask one of them?"
"Oh I got that covered. Don't worry."
Iris fishes out her phone and hits send on a text message she'd prepared earlier. Barry speeds in making Eddie's grin only the second biggest in the room.
"For real? You mean that? Because if you do, I've got twenty listings bookmarked, just in case..."
Iris laughs, her nodding enthusiastically yes is interrupted by a fervent celebratory kiss on the lips. Barry turns to kiss Eddie much the same without thinking about it and Eddie pulls him closer, finally abandoning the caution they've had for ages. Barry's left a bit stunned once they break for air, but he looks happy and so does Eddie. The room is so full of love, just like her heart, and Iris takes the opportunity to get in there for a group hug.
It's the afternoon after the first paper edition of the Central City Citizen went to press and the most difficult decision she's facing today is where to hang the lovingly preserved memento of having made it as a reporter. Iris is feeling nicely refreshed from a well-deserved lie-in while her deputy editor and very capable team take over for the day. Normally it would take a lot longer to have a newspaper spread specially framed, but this is one of the perks of dating a speedster with a can-do attitude. She doesn't even think Barry knew how to frame anything until about five minutes ago because usually, it's her or Eddie who arranges that at the shop around the corner.
She's still staring at the wall, nothing looking out of place, and barely registers the movement before Barry is showing her phone camera snaps of the different placements she'd been considering out loud.
"Option 4," she says resolutely and Barry lights up, first his smile and then literally with the crackle of lightning as he goes to get the equipment he needs to permanently place it.
When he's done fixing it up, in the blink of an eye to her, he stands back to admire his work and hers, pulling Iris close, his arm around her warm and comforting.
"I did it. We did it, but I couldn't have done this without you," Iris pulls him closer still, hugs him tight and winds her arms around his waist. She expects he'll deny it, tell her it was all her and nothing to do with him, but maybe by now Barry believes her when she says how much his help means to her. Barry simply responds with a kiss, not a brief one either and she loses her train of thought until they break apart.
"It came true, just like it was meant to."
Barry gives her a Look, the kind she knows means she's in for a pep-talk.
"If there's one thing I've learned from seeing different timelines, it's that destiny doesn't mean something is inevitable. This," he says pointedly, indicating to the new addition on the wall, "was only inevitable because you are. You're amazing and unstoppable, Iris, and it was only a matter of time before everyone else was gonna see how brilliant you are, too."
She ducks her head down, blushing, overwhelmed by Barry's praise and how fervent he is about the inevitability of her time to shine.
"I should eat," she says, trying to change the subject back to the practical. He gives her another kiss on the forehead and pops out for coffee from Jitters, a cup in her hand in a flash. Then he heads out for donuts - vague about where he's going to get some from, which probably means somewhere far-flung and fancy in aid of the occasion.
However overwhelming it is, it also feels good to share in her success. She stands there sipping her coffee and looking at the wall, her first edition of CCC right next to Eddie's commendation and the bulkily encased Flash Day commemorative poster that hides the key to the city behind it.
Those framed achievements sit next to an array of photos spread across the largest wall in the living room that's now overspilling onto the adjacent wall. There are childhood photos of her and Barry, them and Joe too, and a beautiful portrait of his parents in pride of place above the mantelpiece. There's also photos of the team on various birthdays and holidays; Cisco pulling silly faces in so many pictures and Caitlin doing the bunny ears behind a stern Harry who pretends to not notice.
Not to mention there's her and Eddie's engagement photo, though they chose not to get married in the end since they couldn't all get married. Iris wears her engagement ring and the replica Barry gave her of her mother's ring on a necklace next to each other, keeping something from each of her loves with her at all times. She changed her surname to West-Allen anyway, and so did Eddie, happy to get rid of the Thawne name. Barry is forever Allen at CCPD but her and Eddie call him Barry West-Allen at home and he smiles so wide every time.
The most recent additions are some stunning candids that Kamilla took of the three of them and a portrait of Barry and Eddie together so that they have a photo of them alone. They have a lot of tough days but this wall always helps her remember why they do it, what they fight so hard for.
Barry returns with what smells like fresh croissants as well as a massive box of donuts deposited on the dining table and an Eddie in tow, holding an excessively large bottle of champagne. Iris swallows down the lump in her throat and smiles a touch tearfully at the sight, so grateful for all they have to celebrate.