10

I was awoken by a cold breeze hitting my legs, and two squealing girls hovering over me. Those girls being Iris and Caitlin. And Iris, holding my blanket, exposing my body to how cold her room was because of her window being open. I slowly sit up and fix the ends of my joggers, looking at them, my hair being a curly, tangled mess.

"Merry Christmas!" They shout, throwing my blanket next to me.

"Geez- you guys are like six year olds." I laugh quietly, standing up.

"Everyone's downstairs- we gotta get readyyy." Iris says, walking to her closet.

"Right- right." I say, and go to the bathroom, brushing my teeth and showering quickly. I step out and dry myself, then my hair, also flat ironing it. I grab my bag and change into a white oversized knit sweater, and a pair of burgundy skinny jeans. Putting on some chapstick, I step out the bathroom and see that Iris was dressed in a red mid thigh dress, and Caitlin was in a white blouse, and red skirt.

"Am I the only person dressing causally?" I ask, walking over to them.

"Well- this is like our everyday style- so maybe not." Iris says, putting some lipstick on.

We all went downstairs once we were finished to be greeted by everyone we were just with last night, and to my surprise, Dr Wells, and Eddie.

I look around at everyone, as they were all having their own separate conversations but I stop at Barry. He was wearing a pair of black jeans, a green button up, with a white t shirt under. He was talking to Joe, laughing and smiling. I blink, and walk into the kitchen, and ended up leading Iris right behind me.

"So you gonna tell me what's going on with you and Barry?" She asks, leaning against the counter.

"Iris- there's nothing going on."

"Really? So him looking at you when you're not looking, legitimately smiling to himself- and you doing the exact same to him is- nothing?"

I look at him, my eyebrow slightly raised, my curiosity getting the best of me, I asking in a low quiet voice, "He looks at me and smiles when I'm not looking?"

"Damn right he does."

"Well why are you just watching what him and I do?"

"Zee." She says.

"There's nothing going on- we're just. friends. and that's all we're ever going to be. I honestly need to- find a guy. Cause without one- all I'm going to do is pin over him until he gets with someone and it breaks me. And honestly- he needs to find someone too. Or he'll be pinning over you until-" I say quietly then stop myself, forgetting that she didn't know he was in love with her.

"He told me, yesterday." She says quietly. "He understands what the situation is right now- and I'm with Eddie. I'm in love. with Eddie. And if you're talking about you two finding people, who's to say you two can't try to- get together?" So that's why they were so weird yesterday.

"Because he's the one I'm trying to get over." I roll my eyes.

She shrugs lightly, "Well maybe you shouldn't get over him."

"Iris. Not gonna happen." I say, and with that, I walk out the kitchen, and Iris goes over to Eddie.

Everyone was now giving each other presents and I sat on the arm of the couch, watching everyone, a small smile on my face.

I flinch slightly when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turn my head and see Barry.

"Hey- I didn't mean to scare you. But- come here." He says, moving his hand away from my shoulder.

"Okay-" I trail off, getting up, slowly following him up to his room, and watch him dig through his nightstand.

"What're you looking for?" I ask.

"I wanted to give you your present in private-" He pulls out a box that fit right on his palm.

"Uh oh- don't tell me your purposing to me." I joke, him giving me a breathy laugh, replying, "Oh yeah- cause the ring would be in this big of a box."

I shrug, "You never know what people come up with these days."

He shrugs back then hands me the box, shoving his hands into his jean pockets.

I slowly rip the packaging, then open the box, looking at the necklace that was sitting inside it, feeling Barry's stare on my every move. The necklace was pretty. It wasn't a huge necklace you'd wear to a huge event, or a really tiny necklace that had no meaning. It was the right size, and had a bit too small, but not too large lightening bolt.

"A lightening bolt?" I ask, tearing my gaze away from the necklace and to him.

"Yeah- I heard about your little- meetings with the flash, and how you train with him with Cisco and Caitlin- which is so- freaking cool by the way. But- I thought maybe you'd like it." He says as he runs a hand through his hair.

I smile, biting my bottom lip to make sure my smile didn't grow wider, and slowly take out the necklace from the box. "Here- let me." Barry takes the necklace as I gather my hair to the side, and let him put it on me. He does just that then steps back, having me turn and looks at me. "It looks cute." He says, giving me his best smile.

"Thank- you." I say quietly and touch the necklace, letting my hair fall back to where it was, rather than it being on my side.

Barry reaches over and tucks a piece of my hair being my ear, and I look at him, as he lets his hand slowly slip down from my ear, to my face and holds it. I let out a very quiet whisper, "And maybe this is why everyone out there thinks that we have something going on."

Barry's eyes grow wide for a second but then he quickly recovers, stepping back, letting his hand slip away, "Right- yeah. I just- your- hair- it looks nice. You don't usually have it straightened so- it- looks really- nice." He blurts out a bunch of words at once.

"Thank you." I awkwardly laugh a little. "But- lets go get your present?"

He nods and I turn to go downstairs, but am stopped in my tracks when I notice a mistletoe hanging on Barry's door. Barry, wasn't paying attention and runs right into me on accident, causing me to trip and fall forward, with a small shriek. He grabs my arm quickly and pulls me back, and spins me towards him before I hit the ground.

"God- I almost died." I say, letting out a breath.  He lets out a small laugh, "You should know I wouldn't let that happen."

I don't bother replying and just give him a small smile. He glances up at the mistletoe, then looks down at me, "Well, I see that we're under a mistletoe."

I nod slowly.

"Don't people usually, kiss under, mistletoes?" He says quietly, a small grin playing on his lips.

"They do." I say.

"Then do I get a kiss?" He jokes lightly. I reach up and kiss his cheek. "That's your kiss. Now lets go get your present, okay?" I say, slipping away and go downstairs with him.

I slip past everyone and grab his present, coming over to him, us standing by the stairs, away from everyone. I hand him his present, and watch the confused look on his face when he grabs onto it. He slowly rips the packaging, putting it to the side, and looks at the present. It was a picture frame. The picture inside of it was a picture of Nora, Henry and Barry, when he was younger. Before she died. And before Henry went to Prison.

He stares at the picture, letting out a shaky breath, and I could see the small tears in his eyes, as he lets out quietly, "Where- where did you get this?"

"I- was looking through a bunch of my old stuff from when I first moved into my apartment- and. I found the photo album- you, iris and I had when we were younger- and that- picture was in there. I made a copy and thought- you'd wanted to have it." I say, shoving my hands into my back pockets.

He looks at me, a small tear falling, right as the tear falls, he looks away, and my heart drops, nervousness taking over me.

My voice goes quiet, looking at him with pure concern, "I didn't mean to make you upset- I just thought- maybe you'd want something that held a lot of- value?-" I was cut off when he put the picture frame down on the staircase, and he wraps a arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his chest, for a tight hug. One arm wraps around my waist and he holds me tight against him. I go completely silent and slowly slip my arms around him, holding him equally as tight back. The only other time he's ever held me like this, was when I got broken up with a few years ago. So it's been too long.

"Thank you- so much." He whispers, sniffling quietly, just holding onto me. I nod a tiny bit, and just let him hold me. My face is laying against his chest, facing everyone else. I see Dr Wells basically glaring at me, Iris smiling to herself, and Joe with his eyebrow raised. They all immediately look away when they see me looking, except for Dr Wells.

I turn my face and shove it into Barry's chest, taking in his scent. He held me for a while, and I grew uncomfortable by the way Dr Wells was glaring at me. Barry slowly pulls away, and wipes the tear that fell, giving me a small smile.

I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear and smile back lightly, then look at Dr Wells from the corner of my eye.

He was still glaring.