In A Blink ➳ Barry Allen/The Flash

24.

chapter twenty-four ; mess with time, it kicks your ass

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The ghost of a smile played across Barry's lips as he remembered waking up this morning with Natalie right next to him, kissing her awake, and making coffee for her. In those moments, he had never felt any happier. It was as if she had filled this void in his heart, not replacing the hole made when his mom was ripped from his life, but putting the missing pieces back together. Barry sat at a table, playing with his thumbs as he waited for Iris to get to Jitters, the rest of the world bustling around him as he relived his memories.

"What are you smiling about?"

Barry whipped his head up as Iris took a seat across from. "Just thinking back on something," Barry hummed. "One incredibly heavy cronut and one Americano with an extra shot," Barry said with a grin as he slid them across the table to her. He thought that bribing her a bit might put her in a happier mood.

Iris smiled and laughed a little, "Just the way I like it."

"Yeah I know. I know you, Iris," Barry said, the smile on his face lingering as he thought of how happy he and Natalie would be once they didn't have any worries about Iris.

Iris smiled to herself and took the coffee in her hands, closing her eyes as the drink warmed her throat, "So, Barry, what is going on with you? You're acting like Christmas came early."

Barry let out a breath of a laugh, the light in his eyes shining, "No, I guess it did, kind of." Remembering what he was here for, Barry took Iris' hands in his and his face hardened as he thought of how to word his thoughts gently, "Look Iris, I know last Christmas I told you that I loved you, and I know that you've been thinking about me recently.."

"Barry, what are you talking about?" Iris asked, confusion etched on her face.

Still holding on to her hand, Barry sunk in his seat a bit, "You having feelings for me. Iris, I will always love you but not-"

Iris pulled back her hand, a pained look on her face, "Barry we've been over this. Nothing has changed for me. And I don't understand why you are doing this now, you're with Natalie."

"Woah no, that's not what this is about," Barry warned as Iris started picking up her coat and purse.

"Yes it is, Barry. You're with Natalie. And I love Eddie. Nothing has changed since Christmas. If you still have feelings for me, Barry, don't string Natalie along. She's my friend and I don't want to see either of you get hurt. And you can't keep springing this on me, okay? It's not fair that you keep making me the bad guy that keeps telling you no," Iris voiced as she left, leaving Barry in a state of confusion at the table.

"What did you do, Barry?" Natalie demanded as she replaced Iris' seat, the stern look on her face making Barry shrink. "I came ten minute after she was supposed to meet you here, like you asked, so we could all talk. She looked angry and a bit sad."

"I tried explaining that I didn't have feelings for her, there was a miscommunication, and it didn't go so well," Barry mumbled, clasping his hands together on top of the table.

Natalie let out a puff of air, "Okay, um well, I'll try talking to her. Just don't do anything stupid in the mean time," she said with a small laugh.

Barry nodded his head and took her hands in his, "God I love you."

The muscles in her body tensed and Barry could feel it in her small hands. Her voice was small and quiet, "Wh-what did you just say?"

His Adam's apple bobbed as he looked into her eyes, "I-I love you, Natalie." His voice grew confident and sure with every word, given that it wasn't the first time he had said it.