Be Your Hero - Barry Allen/The Flash (Book 1)

Becoming the Flash

Barry's POV.

Barry watched Cisco and Ella leave. He looked down and began wringing his hands. He needed his speed, but what he he tried to get it back and ended up dying in the process or worse what if the particle excelorator released dark matter into the City again. Harry looked him in the eye. "You know what you need to do." He did. "I need a minute." He announced, before walking out of the lab. Barry went down to where Harry had built the machine that would give him back his powers. He stared at it.

"Hey." Barry turned his head in surprise to see Iris. Barry sighed and turned around. "It should be an easy decision." He chuckled in frustration. "Why isn't it?" Iris leaned against the platform. "I mean it's not like you're picking out what sweater you're gonna wear. Getting hit by another particle excelorator explosion, I mean come on. What if something goes wrong. What if-" She paused looking at him. He looked back knowing the what if she was talking about.

"I thought bringing my dad here would make this easier." He shook his head and chuckled at his stupidity. "Now it's just made it a lot harder." He said. "I can understand him not wanting you to do it. He just wants you to be safe." He glanced at her. He knew his dad's feeling, Joe's, Harry's, and of course Ella's, but not hers. "What about you?" Iris took a deep breath. "I mean I don't know if I could go through what I went through last time if you get hurt." She told him honestly.

Nodding, he looked down. When he glanced back up at her she was also looking down, but it was like she was holding something back. "You okay?" She met his eyes and shook her head. "Not really." He tilted his head at her. "What's up?"

She hesitated. "Do you remember when I told I didn't want you going to earth two if you felt like you didn't have anything left here?" She asked him. He nodded. "Yeah. After Patty left." "It wasn't just because of Patty." She admitted. Barry looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Barry you've always had someone to come home to. Me. I've just been thinking a lot lately. . .about us." Barry's mouth was slightly ajar now. He couldn't believe it. "About us being married on Earth Two, the fact that we grew up together and are best friends and the fact that. . .you loved me your whole life. And. . .I can't help but think. . .maybe we're meant to be together." She finally confessed.

Barry couldn't believe what he was hearing. It's all he ever wanted to hear. "So. . .when I told you how I felt about you last year. . ." Barry began. "I wasn't available in that way. But-But I am now."

He rubbed the back of his head. "Why are you telling me this now?" She looked at the machine. "Because, Barry I need you to know that it doesn't matter to me if you're the Flash or not." He nodded. Then he remembered Ella saying almost the same thing. "You, Barry. That who I wanna see if I have a future with." She said with tears in her eyes. "I mean. . .if you still want that too of course." She said walking closer to him.

He smiled and opened his mouth to answer, when all of the sudden casting out all of his excitement from finding out his long lived crush had feelings for him, he remembered Ella. He loved her. When he found out she loved him he felt like his heart was going to explode. With Iris it was only slight excitement and shock because of the sudden news.

His smile faded as he looked at her. "Iris. . .I-I can't." Her own smile disappeared. "I'm with Ella now." Iris nodded. "I know that, but you haven't been together that long and if you did have feelings. . .do you think we possibly have a chance?" She asked hopefully. He shook his head slowly. "No, Iris. We don't. Not anymore." She blinked in surprise. "I mean. . .if you would have come to me earlier, like when Patty had just left or even when she and I were still together, then maybe, but it's different now." He explained.

"Different? What's so different?" She asked. "What's the difference between telling you now or telling you when when you were dating Patty?" She asked cluelessly. Without wavering, he answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the universe. "I wasn't inlove with Patty." Iris took a deep breath in understanding. "But you're inlove with Ella." She stated. He gave a confident nod. "I am."