Work Text:
“What are you drawing today?”
Iris looks up from the page, end of the pencil still caught between her teeth. She hugs the notepad to her chest defensively.
“Nothin’,” she says, eyes flickering from Caitlin in her work chair to Barry, where he lays on the hospital bed.
It’s been a few months since Barry was taken to Star Labs after his condition started to worsen, and Iris has visited every day since. Some days she talks to Barry, holds his hand and tells old stories but sometimes, usually on the days she visited after work, Iris brings a notepad with her and she draws.
Caitlin has been able to catch a few glimpses, and she’s good, but Iris is frustratingly secretive about her drawings. Still, it’s cute to watch Iris work, when she concentrates really hard her tongue sometimes sticks out of the corner of her mouth and a little crease appears between her eyebrows, and Caitlin is always tempted to reach over and smooth it out.
“Sure looks like something,” Caitlin teases. “The way you were frowning.”
“I-” Iris purses her lips, taking the pencil out of her mouth and looking like she’s thinking of whether or not to divulge any information. “I can’t get the mouth right.”
Caitlin’s mouth opens slightly involuntarily, licks her lips. Iris mimics her, thumb rubbing up the length of the pencil.
“I could model for you, if my mouth isn’t too different,” she offers. Her work for the day is almost done, and she could always stay a little later if necessary.
Iris smiles, like she knows something Caitlin doesn’t. “You’re perfect. Um, I mean, your mouth is - thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Caitlin says, laughing as she feels her cheeks heating up. She moved her chair closer to Iris eagerly, stopping when she could just about touch Iris if she straightened her arm.
She hasn’t thought this through.
For the next twenty minutes Caitlin sat silently, lips pursed slightly and fighting the urge to lick her lips every seconds. She hadn’t thought about how it would feel to have Iris staring at her mouth, eyes dark and intense as they flicker over her face.
“Done,” Iris says quietly, tapping her pencil on the paper a few times. She digs her teeth into her bottom lip. “I have to go now; I’m late for work.”
“Okay,” Caitlin clears her throat, rolling her chair back. “See you tomorrow?”
Iris nods, smiling at her softly.
“Iris?” Caitlin spins her chair around, looking up at Iris who’s halfway out the door. “Maybe you could draw me sometime, for real.”
“I’d like that,” Iris says, and her smile makes Caitlin’s stomach flip, a smile pulling her own lips up before she can think of stopping it.