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“It’s just…” Iris pauses, and glances over at Barry who’s watching her with a strange look on his face. “It’s just that he’s used to being in charge.” She deadpans looking back at the therapist. She still can’t believe they’re in couple’s therapy for Barry’s inability to let her be in control or maybe it was hers? Who knows. The point is they’re in couple’s therapy. She almost giggles at the outrageousness of the situation. “And why is that?” The therapist questions. She’s eyeing both Barry and Iris over the pair of glasses perched on the bridge of her nose with a type of nonchalance most therapists are known for. At least the ones Iris has seen. Barry opens his mouth once, twice before he swallows and attempts to formulate a proper response. He has to be a leader. He’s the Flash. He’s the guy who saves people, who an entire city depends on. He doesn’t know how to be anything else. When Barry says nothing, Iris looks over at him. He’s wearing his thinking face. She too opens and closes her mouth in indecision. She can’t exactly tell their therapist about his superhuman abilities or his intense need to save people. That would be a no-no. Thinking on her feet she watches Barry as she responds. “I think he has to be for the rest of us,” She says, returning her gaze back to the therapist. “I think we give him that power, to be the person who makes the major decisions and to ultimately be the one who shoulders the burdens so we don’t have to.” She’s toying with her engagement ring as she finishes her statement. Yes, in Barry’s absence she was the one who stepped up to the mantle. Who stood in his place and guided the team the way he would’ve but now he’s back and apart of Iris feels like she’s no longer needed. Being a leader isn’t about how strong you are, it’s about valor- a trait both of them possess. “Do you work together?” “Mmm?” Barry and Iris gurgle at the same time. “N-no,” They say in unison. “We don’t,” Iris adds, crossing and uncrossing her legs. It’s one of her nervous tells and Barry can’t help but swallow again for the hundredth time. He’s wearing his best poker face but he can tell their therapist is getting suspicious. Who said therapy was easy anyway? Especially when secrets were involved. “I work for CCPD as a Forensic scientist,” Barry throws out in hopes of distracting her from asking anymore Flash-related questions. “And does Iris work there as well?” Iris lifts an eyebrow and glances between Barry and the therapist for a long period. She has no idea what to say because they do work together outside of their relationship and outside of their respective occupations. But that fact plays no part in their current dilemma and that dilemma is, they have very strong opinions. “No,” Barry’s the one to answer this time. “She’s a reporter and sometimes she comes to me for research on her stories. So I guess in that sense we do work together,” Quick save, Iris thinks releasing a slow breath and smiling in reassurance. The urge to facepalm is strong though. What’s the point of therapy if you can’t share the root of the problem? “Exactly. We aren’t coworkers in the traditional sense of the word.” Iris tacks on, bobbing her head in agreement with Barry’s answer. Instead of asking another question, the therapist jots something down on her notepad and Iris wonders what it is. It can’t be anything horrible, right? Their relationship doesn’t exactly classify as dysfunctional. At least she doesn’t think it does. They’re solid; her and Barry. They don’t argue...a lot and they have an understanding that only people after over twenty something years of knowing each other have. They’re still in love, they’ll always be and they respect each other tremendously. So why are they in therapy again? The rest of the session ticks by relatively fast with Iris directing the conversation to other areas of their lives. Thankfully, the therapist doesn’t seem concerned with how involved they are in each other’s professional lives or the fact that they are both liar mclying pants. *Barry eyes her as she steps out of her heels in the front hall of their loft. They’d completed their first successful couples therapy session. The urge to giggle tickles the base of her throat but she fights it. The last thing she wants is for Barry to think she’s not serious about the whole ordeal. This is about relearning how to work together, as leaders.Shrugging out of her blazer she barely spares him a glance and walks to the kitchen to get a glass of badly needed wine. Chances are they’ll order take-out from his favorite pizzeria or hers. Iris is on her tiptoes reaching for a wine glass when she feels Barry directly behind her. His fingers press into her waist and the giggle she was trying to fight earlier slips out. “Fine,” She begins lowering down to the balls of her feet and twisting to face him, mission retrieving wine glass forgotten. “Therapy is ridiculous,” She admits blowing hot air through her lips. She almost loses it in fits of laughter as Barry feigns outrage, his head moving back and forth in a solid nod of disagreement. Iris wants him to take this whole therapy thing seriously but she’s being a hypocrite if she isn’t honest with herself too.Truth of the matter is they don’t need therapy. She likes their relationship and the co-dependence they share. She likes the way she knows what he’s thinking before he does. They’ll learn to lead together, the same way they learned how to do everything else. “What do you mean?” He’s wearing an incredulous expression and she can’t help but grin. It’s official, she can’t hold in how comical the day has been. “You have to believe in the process, Iris,” “Oh, shut up,” She says slapping a hand on his chest. Under her palm she can feel the steady knock, knock of his heartbeat. Her eyes gravitate to where her hand landed and she stares for a lingering moment. A tiny part of her still can’t believe he’s here when only a few weeks ago he was trapped in the speedforce. When Iris looks back up, her lips lift into a doopey smile and all’s right with the world.“We dodged a bullet, you know?” He utters referring to the moment the therapist dug to close to the truth. “I know,” Iris holds up two perfectly manicured fingers an inch apart. “We were so close to getting caught, so close.” She binds her knees a fraction to dramatize her point but the goofiness quickly evaporates when Barry bends and brushes his lips over hers suddenly. It’s teasing, tender but their simple touch of lips does the trick in kick-starting her heartbeat. It’s like her heart says to Barry’s, ‘There. Now we’re whole.’Her lips are tingling as Barry finds her arms and brings them around his neck, something he’s known to do. He’s staring at her in that way, the way he does when he’s about to swallow her whole. God, she’s missed that stare. The green of his eyes is darker, and his face is all soft and sweet. All Barry like. Her fingers brush through the hair at the nape of his neck and she sends a silent ‘thank you’ into the universe for having him back.“I think we did good,” He states and she smiles- big and wide because when it’s just them, it’s Barry and Iris against the world and not the Flash against the world. “Me too babe.” She steps onto his feet and leans up, her body flush against his. Pressing her mouth to his, she sighs into the kiss and the day melts away.Iris figures that with or without therapy, they’re going to be just fine.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The dewy frost of the late-night clings to the windows. It’s three o’clock on a chilly December morning and Barry’s trying his damndest to sneak into bed. Gently closing the door, he crosses his arms over his torso and tiptoes into their room. He could zap in beside her but from past experiences that was never too subtle.Iris is curled in a fetal position; a position he seems to find her in whenever she falls asleep without him. She’s laying on top of the comforter which tells Barry she was trying to wait up. Love swells in his chest at the mere thought of her not caring about sleep.Biting his bottom lip, he puts one knee on the bed first in a sort of testing manner. He hates coming home at this hour, hates not seeing her fall asleep in his arms but when you’re a hero you have to suck up what you miss for the greater cause. At least it goes something like that. When she doesn’t react, he climbs the rest of the way onto the bed. Triumphant is thick on his chest at the silence in the room. He’s succeeded in his mission to be sleuth and not wake Iris.He grabs one of the throw blankets she likes to keep at the foot of the bed. This would have to do, he thinks, and swings the blanket over them. There’s still no sound from her and he’s about to give himself a pat on the back for a job well done when her body shifts. Shit.“Babe?” She’s already titling her head, and gazing up at him with sleep-laden eyes. Her hair fans out on the pillow and he gives her a smile in the darkness. She’s perfect.“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you,”“You didn’t wake me,” She says covering a yawn. “I was waiting up,”And Barry chuckles because that’s what she always says when he creeps in at whenever o’clock in the morning. Moving so that his arm is underneath her neck -as a type of pillow- and his fingers are splayed over her midriff, he snuggles into her back. She’s warm, and heat instantly slides through his body from the tips of his toes upwards. He rubs his nose against the side of her cheek, inhaling the vanilla off her skin.“Thanks for waiting up than,”“You’re welcome.” She states in a sleepy murmur. Her hand finds his on her stomach and she entwines their fingers together, squeezing it in assurance.Barry relaxes into her, his eyes closing. Silence greets them and stays for a while. His mind isn’t racing but it isn’t exactly tired either. He listens to her breathing even out and thinks she’s fallen back into an unconscious state when he feels the vibration of her voice.“Did you guys figure it out?”She’s asking about the meta of the week, the one with invisibility capabilities. He groans and opens his eyes. This guy was pissing him off. Staring off into the distance, he dwells on all that went wrong that night and gives himself a mental kick.Trying to figure out a solution to a difficult problem was the hardest part of the problem, especially when the solution held the potential of saving hundreds of lives. Inhaling a deep breath, he nods his head slightly in answer and buries his lips into her hair.“Not...exactly.”They’re trying to capture this meta but how do you capture someone who can go through any barrier you place in front of them? It must be nice to be invisible, he thinks. Instead of diving into more details about invisie man, he drops open mouthed kisses down her jaw and the exposed column of her neck with the intent of distraction. Work stays at work, he adds silently with each feather touch of his lips. Iris sighs in contentment and plants a kiss of her own on his forearm. She understands the need to leave work alone.“How was your day?” He asks, settling his nose into the soft strands of her hair. It’s shorter than he’s used to but still as beautiful.“Not as interesting as yours.” The hop in her voice lets him know she’s more alert, at least her mind is and he kicks himself for waking her. With only three hours left before their alarm sounds he wishes he could hush her back to sleep. But this is Iris and once she’s up, she’s up.Before he utters another word, she’s twisting to face him and he instantly misses the brush of her hair on his nose. But now they’re facing each other, her front pressed to his and he moves the arm she’s using as a pillow to bring her closer. She watches him as she traces the lightly sprinkled moles all over his bare chest. This time the shiver that races up his spine isn’t from the nip in the air.“I missed you today,” She whispers, moving so that her nose bumps his softly. “But only a little,”Steadfastly he stares at her; hypnotized and his lips begin to twitch upwards. He wants to fake offense to her comment but he doesn’t have the ebullience to carry it out. She slips her arm under his and pulls herself closer - hugging his body tight. This is habitual for them when they’re in bed together. Either she’s wrapped around him or he’s wrapped around her but they’re never not touching. “A little?”“Mhm,” She answers, skimming her lips up and down his jawline. Now it’s her turn to kiss him where she wants, and however she wants. Whiskers from his five o’clock shadow tickle her lips and she makes a sound at the back of her throat in pleasure. Her man is sexy after a hard day’s work.“So not nice,” He says watching her under heavy eyes.“Who said anything about being nice?”Barry opens and closes his mouth, his mind registering the undertone of her response. He wants to reply with something witty but he’s ridiculously distracted by her teeth and tongue on his face and only manages a groan. He feels the imprint of her smile on his jaw and then she’s resting her head in the crook of his neck.“Cat got your tongue?” She whispers, mirth etched in every word. He tries and fails to hold back a grin. And not before long they’re giggling.“No.” He finally replies after they slip back into silence. Leave it to Iris to be this alive at three in the morning. He starts rubbing shapes on the back of her thighs. First, it’s a circle, a square, a triangle, a heart and then random squiggly lines. Iris’ head raises and she gazes down at him. Her hair frames her pretty little face and he reaches up to tangle his fingers in its soft strands because he has to touch her, in every way possible.Barry memorizes every blemish, scar and line engraved in her features. Of course, he already knows but it doesn’t deter this newfound study of his. Decades could pass and she’d still be the most beautiful girl in the room.“Kiss me.” She mutters, her eyes jumping between the emerald of his pupils to the softness of his lips. There’s no hesitation as he guides her mouth to his. There’s a moment where their lips are unmoving, and there’s a sort of stillness. This is what makes his world spin, what makes him get up every morning and put on his metaphorical red cape, what makes him try over and over again no matter the obstacles.The tip of her tongue brushes his bottom lip and he opens his mouth on a sigh. The flavor of her shocks goosebumps onto his skin and roars his heart into a gallop. He doubts with the way her hand creeps between their bodies that sleep is the only thing on her mind.Yeah, she’d missed him far more than just a little.