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He’s in the wrong time again – sped to the future without even realising it. Since coming out of the speed force, he’d been running faster than ever – breaking his own record and every other speedster before and after him.
And so, despite swearing on his life that he’d stop tampering with time, one minute he’s running from a meta-human induced earthquake, and the next minute he’s skidding in front of Iris in their apartment, heart nearly beating out of his chest as his shaky knees almost give in on him.
“Babe?” Iris asks, rising from the couch, face concerned. She reaches out for him, and the warmth of her hand on his shoulder makes him close his eyes. He’s really exhausted himself this time.
“Iris,” he pants out, but she’s busy scurrying to support his frame – stop him from collapsing in on himself – and she leads him over to the kitchen table.
“When are you from?” she asks, as though this is a normal occurrence for her.
(Which, in all fairness, it probably is).
He takes a few seconds to gather himself again, letting out a breath and finally getting a glimpse of her as she’s taking a seat across from him. She’s aged a little bit (but not so much to indicate that he’s come that far in the future), looks a little more mature. Still beautiful as ever. And there’s something about her – like her skin is radiating with something that he can’t quite figure out, but whatever it is, it suits her.
“2017,” he answers, and she reaches over to take his hand. “Just… after the speed force.”
Iris’ smile dips a little, and it doesn’t take a CSI to work out that she’s remembering the six months she spent without him – sleeping on the couch, heartbroken and alone. And there’s something else to it. An extra layer. He can’t figure it out but it makes his heart ache anew, but the expression doesn’t last long, because she squeezes his hand and lets out a huff of laughter.
“You’re just getting used to your speed, huh? I’m guessing this visit was accidental.”
“Yeah. Sorry.”
At that, a chuckle escapes her lips. “I’m just glad we don’t have another crisis on our hands. There’s only so much I can take. Being married to a superhero is hard, you know.”
At that, Barry’s heart skips a beat, and his lips lift a little. “Married, huh?”
“2017, right? We’re already engaged?”
“Yeah,” Barry replies. “It’s just—it’s nice to know—”
“—that we went through with it.” Iris finishes for him, her voice all-knowing. It’s merely a statement – nothing that she’s surprised or insulted to hear.
Which, given their lives, makes sense. It’s not that they don’t love each other with everything they have, it’s just that… things get in the way. But it’s nice to know that he still has this. Has Iris. His fiancé. Future wife. Or, well, now-wife, considering when he is. Which raises another question.
“Um. What date is it?”
Iris pauses for a few seconds, and Barry’s eyes flicker up to catch her eyes dimming a little bit. “It’s 2024.”
2024. He remembers the headline. Iris West-Allen. Flash Missing, Vanishes in Crisis.
And really, it makes sense. Iris is here alone, and the sky is dark, indicating that it’s somewhere in the middle of the night. He wonders if Iris is usually awake at this time. He wonders if future versions of himself visit her regularly. She hadn’t seemed surprised when he’d shown up – nor had she mistaken him for her own Barry.
“Am I—"
“—gone. Yeah.”
Again. Iris is going through this again. How many times is he going to do this to her in his life?
Iris must catch his guilt-ridden expression because she’s hurrying to make him feel better. “It’s not your fault, Bear. I don’t—you didn’t do this by choice. You’ve been trying to work out how to stop it, and—well. I won’t get into the details. But you’ll be back. I’m not letting myself lose faith in you. Especially not now.”
He’s not foolish enough to think that if he learns the details now it’ll turn out any different. He’s learned his lesson on that, too. He’d been lucky to keep Iris, but they’d lost HR in the crossfire. He’s not willing to put anyone else’s life at risk in place of his own.
Wait.
“Not now?”
Iris examines him closely but looks slightly amused. “You didn’t notice?”
His eyes flicker over Iris, trying to figure out what she means. Is there something he’s missing?
Of course, as soon as she stands up to demonstrate exactly what it is, Barry feels the breath leave him all at once.
“You—you’re—”
“I’m pregnant. You’d think your line of work would make you more observant.”
She’s pretty far along, too. Must have happened shortly before he went missing. “Do I—do I know?”
She shakes her head. “You—you went missing before I could tell you.”
God, he’s always known Iris was the strongest woman in his life – yet he still finds himself knocked back from it now and again. He rises from his feet, coming over to her, hand resting over her impressive bump, eyes wide in awe.
“We’re having twins,” she supplies, her voice soft, as though she can barely believe it herself.
He swallows thickly. “Twins, huh?”
He finds himself hoping that they don’t inherit his speed. He’s not sure if that was a thing. He wasn’t born with these powers, but they’re in his genetics now. What could that mean for his family? Their family?
He sweeps a strand of hair back from her face with his free hand and leans in to press a gentle kiss to her lips, feeling her practically melt against him. He doesn’t know how long he’s been gone, but he knows as well as she does that he’ll make good on his promise.
Every hour, every minute.
“I can’t stay,” he says, letting out a shaky breath. He almost wants to bring Iris back with him, to take care of her – but he can’t mess with time. Not again. And this time’s version of himself needs his beacon of light – something that he can make his way back home to.
“I know,” she whispers, her hands coming up to skim over his face, eyes piercing. She’s drinking him in – smell, taste, touch – taking what she can before he leaves her again.
“I’m so sorry, Iris.”
“Don’t be,” she tells him. “Just—when it happens—just come back to me.”
“I will. I promise.”
And he knows then and there, he’ll damn well do everything it takes to make good on it.
Another brush of their lips, and fighting every single instinct he has, he’s gone in a flash.