#Eddie: I will guard the punch bowl with my life

[morganbritton132]

One of Steve’s students posts a Tiktok of his second period class complaining about Eddie not going to their Valentine’s Day dance. One particularly loud kid is like, “This is a democracy and we voted on it, Mr Harrington!”

Steve says in the most tired teacher voice, “Yeah, no. This is not a democracy, Jeremy, this is math class. Get your textbooks out.”

Then later that day when Eddie’s live-streaming, Steve drops some papers in his lap and says, “Fill that out. Read the dress code. You’re a chaperone.”

Eddie: Wait, seriously?

Steve: If you don’t play me Careless Whisper, I will be so upset.

[thelazyeye]

War Dogs - Chapter 8

Summary:

All of Richie’s walls are falling down around him. Every defense he’s ever made has weakened in this single conversation. Everything leading up to right now – the Barrens, the nightmares, the fight – has chipped away at Richie. He has no more Voices to hide behind. There are no more sideways smiles, no more jokes, no more shenanigans. 

Read it on A03

Tag List:

@tinyarmedtrex @richardtoz @aizeninlefox @bonehex @chocolatemangoose @godtozier 

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There really are no words to capture the exact way one Richie Tozier is feeling other than by categorizing it as complete fucking shit. He is currently laying on the couch in his empty house. His parents were gone by the time he mustered enough strength to come downstairs and have a bowl of cereal. His stomach is in knots, his head is pounding, and his arms and legs are covered in small scrapes and scratches from attempting to chase after Eddie through the brush in the dark. It was for nothing, though. He never caught up to Eddie. He’s lying on his back, facing the ceiling with his eyes closed hoping the darkness will ease the pounding in his head. He fucked up in so many ways. He couldn’t get the sight of Eddie red faced and yelling out of his mind. His words kept ringing in his ears over and over again. Selfish. Yeah, he was. He was selfish for taking his dad’s vodka. Selfish for never asking Eddie how he was. Never asking any of them how they were. He never even asked Stan how he was. All he was good for was distraction and reckless fun. And hurting his best friends apparently. His best friends that were in love with him. Fuck. Eddie looked so upset. Eddie was so upset. And he was right to be. He sighed heavily and tossed himself over onto his side, staring blankly at the wall. When he turns his entire world spins, tilting in front of him. Eddie probably hates him. Eddie probably never wants see him again. Not after last night. Not after how bad Richie fucked everything up. Richie could feel the pity and shame rising up from the pit of his stomach. He could feel it working its way through his chest, his throat, his… oh wait. That’s vomit. He leaned over the side of the couch, reaching desperately for the trashcan and dragging it over just in time to catch this morning’s breakfast. Richie isn’t really sure what feels worse: the hangover or the emotional consequences that came with his choices. Probably the latter. His body feels like a war is waging inside of him. Every time he moves his stomach cramps, every time he opens his eyes pain shoots through his head. The only comfortable solution is to lay as still as possible with his eyes closed. It doesn’t take much longer for Richie to fall asleep. When he wakes up he feels considerably better. Well, physically. He can now stand up, which he does, and he can now hold down a glass of water, so he drinks one. It takes him a couple minutes to make his way around the kitchen, bathroom, and upstairs to his bedroom to put on a fresh set of clothes. He opts for loose cargo shorts and a ratty Depeche Mode shirt Stan got for him second hand at Christmas. After he changes and starts to feel maybe kind of like a person again, he debates calling Stan. He lingers on the idea for a while. Today is Stan’s morning for therapy which means he’s likely at home now. This also means Bill is with him. He could still call. He could explain to them what happened at the Barrens and maybe they could help him make sense of everything. Maybe they could tell him how to fix things with Eddie. But that would mean he would have to tell them everything that happened. The drinking, the midnight breakout. The confession. He couldn’t do that. The confession. Fuck. Eddie was in love with him. What the fuck was he going to do about that? In the roughly twelve hours it’s been between their fight and Richie standing in his bedroom, he hasn’t had time to really sit and think about anything that happened. He was trying not to, honestly. He was trying not to think about the tone of Eddie’s voice and the way it cracked on certain words. He was trying not to think about how Eddie screamed at him. Like, really screamed. He doesn’t think Eddie has ever yelled at him that seriously before. He was trying not to think about the look in Eddie’s eyes. He couldn’t give it one emotion. It wasn’t just anger, or hurt, or any one thing. It was everything Richie has ever tried to avoid. Eddie looked desperate, he looked destroyed. Richie did that to him. His stomach turned again, threatening another round of bile. He swallows it down and walks downstairs to the phone, picking it up and punching in the numbers on autopilot. The phone rings several times before a cheery voice comes over the line. “Marsh residence, Beverly speaking!” “Bev, hey.” He’s not sure why he called her. He isn’t sure what he wants from her. Did he want to talk about what happened? Was he looking for a distraction? “Oh. Hi.” she cuts, tone falling flat immediately. “Uhh, it’s Richie,” he tries, caught off guard by the immediate change in her tone. Maybe she doesn’t know it was him. A rock settles in his gut. “Yeah. I know.” “Uhh, okay. Listen, I was wondering if we could hang out. Maybe hit the bleachers?” His voice softens at the end. Bev is never this cold with him, never this standoffish. Its silent for a beat and Richie things about offering to buy Bev her own pack of cigarettes when the line cracks and he hears her speak again. “I don’t think so, Rich,” she says cooly. Not the answer he was hoping for. “Oh. Okay. Well maybe tomor-” “Listen, Rich,” she cut him off, “I’m not mediating for you and Eddie. You need to fix this shit yourself.” Well fuck. Looks like she knows. And judging by her tone, she knows everything. He’s quiet for a moment before beginning, “Bev-” “You hurt him, Rich.” Her words send a jolt through his chest. It’s sharp and painful, originating from deep within his ribcage and spreading down into his lungs. It makes breathing harder and nothing seems okay anymore. He knows he hurt Eddie, he fucking knows it, but to hear her say it makes it so much more real. Before it was only inside of him. It only existed in his head. Bev put it out there into the world. She made it a real, tangible force that could reach into his chest and rip his heart clean out of his body. “I didn’t mean to.” Richie croaks out. He didn’t even realize how close he was to tears until they were threatening to spill out over his eyes. She seems to soften at this, the hard edges of her voice melting away into the reciever. “I know, Richie. But you have to fix it.” “I don’t know how,” comes out in nothing but a broke whisper. “You’ll figure it out.” It isn’t what he wants to hear. He wants her to tell him what to do, to tell him out to fix it with Eddie but this is all he gets from her. He’ll take it. It’s better than the venom from before that’s still working its way through his system. They exchange quick goodbyes and then he’s standing in his living room listening to dead air through the phone. He knows he has to figure this out.  He has to fix this with Eddie. If he doesn’t, he could lose him entirely. Richie doesn’t know what he would do if that happened. All the Losers, yeah they’re great. But Eddie? Eddie completes him. Them. Eddie completes them. They’re lucky seven, not lucky six. If Eddie and Richie have a major falling out it’ll throw off the group’s dynamic. It’ll ruin their whole vibe. They’ll never be able to hang out together as a group again. No more movie nights at Bill’s house. No more group hangs in the Barren’s. No more secret Santa. No more cuddle puddles. No more throwing Eddie over his shoulder. No more pinching Eddie’s cheeks. No more falling asleep together on the couch. No more reading comics with Eddie in his room. No more climbing through his window in the middle of the night. Everything Richie has built his life around will come falling apart. And then what? What will be left? He has to fix this. He has no idea where to start and he knows that if he marches up to Eddie with no plan of action he’s going to make things worse. Eddie. Eddie, who’s in love with him. Eddie, who probably has wanted to kiss him for longer than he knows. Eddie, who’s late night cuddle sessions probably meant more to himself than Richie. Eddie, Eddie, Eddie. Richie slips his shoes on and heads in the direction of the Derry Public Library. He knows he’ll find someone there who can help him. When he walks in he looks around, searching for a familiar face. It takes a moment but he sees them. Sitting in the back corning, several books splayed around in front of them, were Mike and Ben. He made a beeline for the table, pulling a chair out and sitting himself down. He caught them mid-conversation, something about interstates and highways or some shit. They stopped when he sat down, looking up at him curiously. “Hey Richie. What brings you all the way out here to this fine learning establishment?” Mike implores, a smile dancing on his lips. Richie levels him with a lopsided grin. “Mikey boy, I felt my heart calling out to you. It brought me here. And you know I’d never set foot in this place without a damn good reason.” Ben snorts beside him. “Bullshit. We all know who your heart really belongs to.” Mike laughs, slapping Ben on the shoulder and grinning over at Richie. “Oh, we sure do!” Richie’s grin falters. This is the part where he is supposed to make an Eddie joke. Or a Mrs. K. joke. Neither of them feel right in his mouth. He rolls all of the possible responses around on his tongue before going with a simple, “Haystack gets off a good one,” with less tenacity than his usual banter. “Everything alright there, Rich?” Mike asks, eyeing Richie cautiously. Ben looks over now, too, concern replacing his previous expression. Richie hesitates again. He was tempted to cover it all up. He could do a voice, joke it off, talk about being bored with good ol’ Mrs. K. and wanting some new fresh MILF to bang. But isn’t this the whole reason he came here? He knew he would find Ben at least, the hopeless romantic. “Oh yeah, Mike. Don’t worry about lil ol’ me. Just casually falling apart at the seams,” Richie said in a damsel-in-distress type voice. His eyes were locked with Mike, a smile dancing on his lips. Mike, being Mike, took the bait. “Well, little lady. What could a nice young man such as myself do to stitch you back together?” Mike drawls, leaning across the table and resting his head in his hands. “Well, it seems I’ve made a mess of damn near everything!” Richie cried, leaning hard into a southern accent. This earns him several stern looks from nearby patrons. Ben glances around nervously before shhing them softly. Neither of them seemed to notice because they continued on. “Well, why don’t you tell Mikey here what’s wrong. Maybe I can fix it up real good for you.” Mike’s voice is honey sweet, dripping slowly from his lips. Richie’s smile falters, only for a second, and he opens his mouth to reply. Before he can, though, Ben stands up, gathering his books and motioning for them to follow him with a simple, “We’re not doing this here. You guys are too loud.” Together they leave the library and walk across to McCarron Park. There they sit in a small triangle, Mike to Richie’s right and Ben to his left. Ben is sprawled out, leaning back on his side and staring up at the sky. Mike, however, has his eyes trained on Richie. They started this thing and Mike wasn’t going to back down now. “So, little lady. Tell old Mikey here what’s ailing you.” He’s soft, but firm. Mike leavesYe no room for argument, no room for running away. “Well, you see,” he starts, drawling the words out. “My knight, sir Edward, is mighty mad at me,” “And why is that?” “I’ve made a mistake, Mikey.” Richie whines, “A terrible mistake. I’ve gone and outdone myself. A little bit too much of my sweet, sweet, spirits and sir Eddie has gone and got all of his panties in a twist over it.” It isn’t the absolute truth, but how else was he going to get his point across? “Tell me, Rich.” “That’s a long story mister Michael,” Richie warns. He starts ahead anyway. Mike and him bantered back and forth in their fake southern accents, both playing the part they had given themselves. He tells Mike of how he went down to the barrens to partake in a little bit of late night fun. He talks about how Eddie came down and found him. He talks about their dancing and how much fun they had together. He spends a good chunk of time talking about that. He would rather talk about the good parts. He would go back to that moment again if he could. He would give anything to be able to sweep Eddie back into his arms, hold him, sway with him, tease him. But he can’t and it’s his own damn fault. Eventually, after a sharp look from Mike, Richie falls into the most important part of the story. Mike watches him carefully. He looks at Richie like he’s studying him. Like he’s trying to read in between the lines for some hidden meaning Richie hasn’t figured out yet. Ben was now sitting up, staring at Richie, too, and occasionally sparing a glance at Mike. Richie paused, hesitating when he got to the climax of their fight. He has two options here. He can tell Ben and Mike the whole truth. He can tell them about Eddie. He can tell them what Eddie said and how he told Richie he loved him. Richie knows he can trust them. Mike and Ben are steadfast in their loyalty. He can tell them about how he doesn’t know what to do. He doesn’t know how to fix it. He can’t fix a broken heart. He’s Richie Tozier, he can’t even fix his own broken head. Or. Or, Richie can omit that part. He can tell them that Eddie stalked off into the night and was now furious with Richie and Richie wasn’t sure what to do. He wasn’t sure how to approach Eddie like this. Eddie has never been this angry at him before. He’s never been this serious. Eddie has never been this hurt. “Eddie said he hated me and then he left.” Richie whispers, his Voice lost back in the depths of his confessions. It falls from his lips involuntarily, like an automatic prayer. It isn’t the truth and he knows it. Mike and Ben know it, too, because the look they share is short but skeptical. Ben is the first to speak up. “I’m sure he didn’t mean that, Rich. You know how Eddie can get. He’s all emotion sometimes.” “Yeah, Benny boy. I know he is. That’s why I think he really did mean it this time.” Richie responds. “What about you,” Mike says next. He talks slow and carefully, picking his words like strawberries from a field. “How are you feeling in all of this. Do you hate him, back?” Richie’s voice catches in his throat and he hesitates. Mike is staring him down with meaningful eyes. His gaze is burning a hole through Richie’s head and suddenly everything begins to clock into place. It isn’t quite there yet, but the cogs are turning in the machine. Mike knows something. Mike understands Richie and this whole situation better than Richie does himself. Mike is better at reading between the lines than any other Loser. He understands the nuances, he sees the real meanings. “Of course not, Mike. I could never hate Eddie.” “Then how do you feel?” Ben asks, coming back into the conversation. Ben’s always been quick on the uptake and Richie has no doubt in his mind that he understands now, too. “I don’t know.” All of Richie’s walls are falling down around him. Every defense he’s ever made has weakened in this single conversation. Everything leading up to right now – the Barrens, the nightmares, the fight – has chipped away at Richie. He has no more Voices to hide behind. There are no more sideways smiles, no more jokes, no more shenanigans. “I think it’s time you figured that out, Richie.” Mike hums. His voice is calm and gentle but final in that way that only Mike is. Richie simply nods, thanks them, and picks himself up off the ground. He starts slowly towards home. That wasn’t what he went there for. He wasn’t sure what he wanted from Mike and Ben but he was sure as hell that wasn’t it. He was hoping for a quick fix. He wanted them to give him more advice other than figure it out, Richie. He can feel that inner machine whirling. He’s on the brink of something but he doesn’t know what. It’s frustrating to no end. Nothing is making sense. Why did Mike and Ben only ask about Richie and not Eddie and what happened? If they really knew like they seemed to, they would have asked Richie all about it. He knows he would have. He would have grilled any one of them for details. What happened? What did he say? Are you sure he likes you? Do you like him back? What are you go– Wait. Do you like him back. “Then how do you feel?” Ben asked him that. Was Ben asking if he liked Eddie back? Fuck. Richie can’t remember what he had said. He has no idea. He said doesn’t know. Why did he say that? He doesn’t know if he likes Eddie back? This is something he should know. But if he didn’t, the answer would be simple, cut and dry. If he didn’t like Eddie back there would be no confusion. Somewhere in the distance a clock strikes three. The sound of a gong echoes through Derry once, twice, three times. At the same moment the gears inside of Richie click into place.

[fairyling]

mismatched // part 6

summary: everyone has marks on their body that match their soulmate. stan doesn’t belive that there’s someone out there to complete him while richie dates people left and right in hopes of finding the person to finish his life. 

a/n: i don’t know if anyone can guess the ending, but i hope that people are surprised by how i choose to end this fic. for now !! enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think !! you can read it on ao3 here!! 

word count: 1275

part 1 // part 2 // part 3 // part 4 // part 5 // part 6 // part 7 // part 8

Ben was leaning against one counter while Eddie was seated on the island opposite him. They were taking turns throwing popcorn into each other’s mouths while the others shouted at each other in the other room. The pair was hurt by what they saw, but neither of them felt that yelling was right. If Beverly and Richie wanted to kiss each other, who were they to stop them? They were soulmates after all, the marks proved it. Eddie had believed in soulmates up until this point. He wasn’t sure how Ben felt about soulmates, but it was clear that the other boy was devastated to see the two kissing in the living room.

“You knew she wasn’t your soulmate. Why did it hurt you so much to see them kissing?” Eddie asked as he tossed another piece of popcorn in Ben’s direction, smiling when he caught it in his mouth.

“I could ask you the same thing.”

“We both knew that Stan was drawing his soulmark. I guess I hoped that Richie did the same.”

“If he drew it, why would he draw one that matched someone else’s?”

“I didn’t say it made sense.”

“Love never seems to make sense.”

“You love her?”

“I have since we were twelve.”

“Did you ever try moving on?”

“No. Did you?”

“...No.”

Eddie’s fingertips brushed the bottom of the bowl and he frowned, glancing at the now empty bowl of popcorn. Perhaps him and Ben were destined to pine after people that were never meant to be theirs. Briefly, he wondered if the same was true for Stan. The weirdest part to Eddie was that he was content spending his lifetime pining after Richie. Even if he never got to so much as kiss the boy, he was happy being in love with Richie. He glanced at the door and flinched when he heard something hit the wall. “Wanna try and see how many skittles you can catch in your mouth?” Ben nodded and passed the bowl of candy to Eddie.

The vase that Beverly threw shattered on the wall beside Stan’s head and he flinched away, grabbing for Mike’s hand. Bill was standing to the side with a worried look on his face and he was being rather quiet considering everything that was happening. Mike thought that he would have stepped in by now, but he also thought that he would have stepped in as well. Yet here they were. Richie had grabbed Beverly’s arms to hold her back, but she shrugged him away and glared at everyone. The first thing that Stan had said was that Richie didn’t love her and it only went downhill from there.

“He didn’t love you, either.”

“He doesn’t have to love me. I’m not with him. I’m not his soulmate.”

A look of hurt crossed Richie’s face, but it was quickly covered by a look of shock as Beverly grabbed for something else to throw in Stan’s direction. The brunet flinched, but Richie had his hands over Beverly’s and she was back to glaring at everyone else in the room. Mike had a protective arm around Stan and he was about to pull the smaller boy out of the room and say that maybe they should try a movie night again after everyone calmed down, but Bill walked between the two and looked at his friends sternly.

“T-This is ridiculous. W-we’re all f-friends.”

“Are we?” Stan’s voice rang through and the question was enough to make Bill recoil. He found himself staring between two of the people that he loved most in the world as he thought about the question. They had all been friends for so long, how could this change anything? With a sigh, Bill straightened up and nodded.

“We’re a-all friends. This i-isn’t going to r-ruin us. P-please, Stanley.”

Stan stared at the scene in front of him, pausing to really take it all in. The anger on Bev’s face softened under Richie’s touch which caused an ache in his chest. Richie was holding her hands and he just seemed lost and scared. Their matching soulmarks seemed to mock Stanley. It hurt to stare at that so he moved to Bill, taking in the other boy’s full appearance. Something about Bill always struck Stan with a deep, unidentifiable feeling. He was the glue that held them all together, but maybe that part of their lives was over. Now he glanced at Mike and decided to focus on the touch from the other male. The touch sent a small electric feeling under his skin and Stan found himself relaxing into it, or wanting to. He ran a hand through his perfect curls and sighed. “I’m leaving.” With that, he turned on his heel and exited through the door he had just entered. Mike opened his mouth to speak, but Bill simply nodded and he followed the boy.

“Did someone just leave?”

“I’m scared to check.”

“Are you scared it’s Richie?”

“I’m scared that whoever left won’t be coming back.”

Eddie looked at the colorful candy in the bowl in his lap and sighed. It didn’t matter who left, he had a strong feeling that none of the losers would be meeting up all together for a long time. He planned on trying his best to see all of them, but this seemed to be a tipping point for all of them. Of course, he was hoping that they could all come back from this, but Eddie found himself uncertain if they could. Soulmates were a serious thing and everyone seemed to have a strong opinion on it. In fact, Eddie wasn’t sure that he had met anyone without a strong opinion on the matter. He sighed and held the bowl of candy out for Ben to take. The boy accepted it and placed it on the counter.

“Do you understand love, Ben?”

“I pretend I do.”

“Why?”

“I want to understand something.”

“I think you understand more than you realize.”

Before anything else could be shared between the two, Bill walked into the kitchen with an unreadable expression. Eddie opened his mouth to speak, but Ben beat him to the punch. “Stan left. M-Mike followed him but… I d-don’t know.” Eddie and Ben exchanged a look, but Bill didn’t seem to get what they were saying with their eyes.

“What about Richie?”

“And Beverly?”

“She was too a-angry so Richie tried to w-walk her home, but she i-insisted that she could g-go on her own.”

“I’ll go follow her.”

“G-good idea, Ben.”

With that, Ben left the room in an attempt to find and/or follow Beverly. Eddie wasn’t sure how well that would go for either of them, but he was hopeful that his friend didn’t get his heartbroken anymore. Eddie was about to announce that he was going home, but Richie walked into the kitchen and went straight for him. Eddie didn’t even have time to get off the counter before Richie was wrapping his arms around the other’s middle. “Don’t leave me, Eds.” The action and the words caught him off-guard, but Eddie found himself wrapping his arms around the other boy. At this level, they were about the same height and he started to play with Richie’s hair. “I can’t leave you. Who else would I let out all my anger on?” The darker haired boy laughed and squeezed him even tighter. Neither seemed to notice Bill grabbing a bowl of candy and leaving the kitchen as they mumbled to each other. “Even if you’re not my soulmate, I know we’re supposed to be in each other’s life.”

“Me too, Eds. Who knows, though?”

[smartestpersonintheroom]

Iris West: Stories that could have been great - Season 1B

So, on that anon’s request, the 1B part of my ‘canon fix’ head-canon, kinda.

OK, this is very rough and I don’t remember a lot of what happened in most of these episodes to know if I’m properly integrating the storylines. But here goes…  I created an Iris+Mason vs Reverse Flash adventure that’s a bit like a horror movie because we rarely get Normal vs Meta action on this show and that can be engaging if it’s done well. I threw in an Iris/theFlash (pre-reveal) Kiss because honestly, we were robbed of that. I made Iris’s realisation more angsty than angry and put in another Iris/Caitlin scene. There’s implied Iris/Linda and Iris/Arrow interaction but I didn’t go into much detail there. It mostly sticks to canon wrt to romance, but I think it makes Iris pov and what drives her emotional decisions a bit more complicated and more simple at the same time. (Basically, finding out that you’re destined to marry the life-long BFF that has gaslighted you for a year will influence your romantic decisions for the worse).

 Here goes nothing:

 16:  So in this repeat!day, the disastrous bowling event happened and Iris shows up at CCPD to ‘get a story’. Since Barry’s already arrested the Weather Wizard, she doesn’t meet her father, Eddie & Barry leaving Singh’s office but actually literally runs into Barry as she’s entering CCPD, scattering her folder which contains some materials about Nora Allen’s murder. She’s skitterish around him (because of the dream), becoming even more so when she realizes he’s just discovered (she thinks) about her investigation into his mom’s murder. But Barry takes it unexpectedly well. He’s high on the repeat!day and the knowledge that she’s about to return his feelings. He’s completely off his guard – finishing some of her sentences (based on their previous conversation), and making slips like when he says he was just at CCPN to look for her and she’s like – that’s 30 minutes across town, Barry? Iris, despite herself, starts getting charmed by this jovial, angst-free Barry & they start looking rather cozy together. Which, of course, is when Eddie walks up to them, takes one look and walks away. Iris and Barry follow. This leads to a three-way confrontation – which is sort of the “something’s changed between you two” speech but with heightened suspicions/emotions that ends with Iris & Eddie pretty publicly breaking up. And Eddie punching Barry in the face after Iris leaves. (Because, come on, Barry had that coming.)

 At CCPN, Mason meets her with his suspicions about Harrison Wells & Iris has a eureka moment – when she bumped into Barry and her papers spilled, one paper was a copy of a newspaper clipping of Henry’s trial with a smaller article mentioning Harrison Wells’ accident. It can’t be a coincidence that the one event happened at the same time as the other? Mason shares his findings about Snart and Iris shares her theory about the Particle accelerator making meta-humans. The question now is… did Wells do it on purpose? Had he done it before (with the meta that killed Nora?) They take a trip to Starling City (cross-over episode) to get some more information.

 They feel they have enough to force a confrontation with Wells at STAR Labs. He’s alone – and they start asking questions about the PA, and about Nora Allen.  

 Wells is considering murdering both of them at the spot, when Barry shows up & he ‘escorts’ them out of STAR Labs. He and Iris almost get into a fight about Wells – he insists that Wells is his hero, mentoring him, etc (remember, Mason wasn’t murdered so Barry has no reason to suspect Wells) & anyway her theory is wrong because ‘he’ was affected by the PA and he doesn’t have powers. (Another light-bulb moment for Iris here but she doesn’t want to think about what this means).

 Iris meets up with the Flash to ‘interview’/’warn’ him about STAR Labs & Wells. At first, Barry is ticked off (still smarting over the quarrel & her suspicions about Wells, then her ‘crush’ on the ‘Flash’) but when Iris tells him to keep an eye on Barry, because she knows he hangs around Wells, they have a ‘moment’, and Barry (who is being extra that day) kisses her.

Iris likes the kiss very much – but she breaks it off, and tells him that she’s sorry but she can’t…

The Flash: I thought you and your boyfriend broke up.

Iris: How did you…? It doesn’t matter. Look, I like you, so much. I admire you and respect you but… there’s someone else. Will be. Soon. If… he hasn’t changed his mind…  

And Barry realizes she’s talking about him. He’s about to tell her the truth there and then – when he gets buzzed by STAR Labs. He wants to ignore it, then she gets an urgent call from Mason, that he’s just got a hot lead. The Flash then gives Iris a ‘ride’ back to CCPN.

 Iris goes back to CCPN very confused, to pull a late night with Mason who wants to publish the article soon. Reverse Flash attacks them. He forces Iris to send messages to her family that she and Mason have left the City to chase a lead, knocks them out, transports to an abandoned industrial warehouse.

 (17): RF tells them that he’s not Wells, he’s Eobard Thawne. He tortures Mason to get Iris to reveal where they kept backups to all the intelligence they’ve gathered on their investigation on Wells. He says that he can’t have them jeopardize Wells before his ‘mission is complete’. He has to leave (to play-act as Wells), and Iris & Mason have a long conversation about the case, and finally manage to escape. Mason is badly injured which slows them down & the place is like a maze (the whole episode/arc is shot like a horror movie). RF returns just as they are about to make an escape. Iris (who has figured out that for some reason, RF doesn’t want her dead, hides Mason & confronts RF). He threatens her, and she calls his bluff that he can’t hurt her. She asks him about Nora, etc, and why would he harm Nora. RF, not having anything to lose and being petty, tells her that he did it to harm Barry Allen. Iris asks why, what would an 11-year-old boy have ever done to him? RF says that it’s not what Barry was (at 11) but what he would become. He says it meaningfully and Iris (who has been connecting the dots all this while) is shocked and heartbroken.

 RF tries to attack her again, and she leads him to a trap she and Mason prepared where he falsl into the pool of electrocuted water, seemingly dying. Mason wants to use the opportunity to unmask him – know who he is, once and for all, but Iris just wants to leave.

Just then, the Flash shows up. When Iris left a message for Barry and her father, she used certain words that Joe taught them to use when they were in danger and Barry realized that she was. He’s been looking for her ever since and only just found her. He’s about to whisk her away when they both realize that Mason had – foolishly – unplugged the electric supply into the pond so he could unmask RF. RF kills him at once.

 RF and Flash battle and RF escapes. Flash takes Iris to the hospital.

 At the hospital, Barry comes to visit her & she tells him ‘hello Barry or should I say the Flash?’

 18: Iris had been piecing the clues together all this while – that the Flash appeared the same time Barry woke up; his recent slip-ups; his vanishing acts; she got the idea of electrocuting RF because of Barry being struck by lightning; some of the stuff that Caitlin let slip, etc. They have a long, painful, tear-filled (on both their parts’) conversation that must have Iris saying things like this.

 Barry: I was going to tell you at the roof. I always wanted to tell you. You were the first person I wanted to tell. Then I went to Jitters… and… and everything else happened and I thought maybe Joe was right…

Iris: my father knew?

Barry: He was trying to keep you safe… We both were.

Iris: (after a long silence): Iris: I believed you about what happened the night your mother died! I was the only one who did. And when I was talking to you about the impossible, about the Flash, about you, you lied to me, you tricked me, you fooled me.

Barry: Iris…

Iris: Why Barry?

Barry: I did it to protect you.

Iris: Maybe at first, that was true. But you kept lying. Even when I worked with Caitlin, with Cisco, with the Flash…

Barry: Everything that was happening just made me more convinced…

Iris: The truth, Barry…  

Barry: …with Wells, with Reverse Flash, Iris…

Iris: Tell me the truth, Barry!

Barry: BECAUSE YOU WERE DATING EDDIE!

<long, heavy silence> Both looking shocked. Barry didn’t realize his reasons were so buried in his subconscious, that he’s just articulating them.

Barry: (anguished) Iris…

Iris: You kept this a secret… to punish me for Eddie?

Barry: Not to punish you. Never. But… I woke up. 9 months in a coma and I came to Jitters to tell you about this amazing thing that happened to me and I saw you with Eddie and I realized that… I had lost you.  (he’s struggling with the words, hating himself for hurting her – she’s crying now and he tries to comfort her but she waves him away) And every-time I saw you with him, I saw you making a life with him.  You were leaving me and I needed something…

Iris: Something that I wasn’t part of. Something that you could escape away to. Away from me.

Barry: <too anguished to speak>

Iris: Please leave.

Barry: Iris…

At this point, a nurse comes in and shushes him away.

 Joe/Iris fight, then later Iris accuses Caitlin of also lying to her and Caitlin tries to appeal to Iris on Barry’s behalf (‘he was on his way to tell you, you know. The secret was hurting him.’)

 Later on, Eddie comes to see her and offers her a place to stay, as a friend. He knows that Iris is on the outs with Joe and Barry, and won’t be comfortable staying at her dad’s place. Iris accepts. They’re not dating, but it looks like they’re working towards a reconciliation.

 19 – 21: Iris is fully integrated into the secret team to bring down “Wells”. She interviews Dr McGee & contributes towards discovering that Wells is actually Eobard Thawne. During the “Everyman” incident, she and Barry work together to clear Eddie’s name. So it paradoxically helps her reconcile with Barry, while making Eddie believe that she is becoming closer to him.

Rather than a proposal at the bridge, Eddie starts asking her about giving them another shot, when RF kidnaps him. Pretty much like canon.

22 – 23: Iris finds an engagement ring box (that’s what she shows Barry in the restaurant, not the ‘return labels’ she has to send back). He puts aside his own feelings to (for once!) be a good friend. Eddie is found. He tells Iris that he’s moving out of the flat & Iris asks ‘what about us working things out?’ and Eddie gives her the ‘you and Barry marry in the future’ speech. Squeeze in a heart-to-heart with Joe, about how Eddie is a good man and if Barry hadn’t ever told her his feelings, she’d be perfectly happy with him but…

Joe: Barry told you and that changed everything, didn’t it?

Iris: It doesn’t matter. Even if Eddie & I never get back together, I’m not going to let Destiny or Fate decide who I love.

Joe: Are you sure you’re not letting Destiny/Fate choose Eddie for you? Honey, I think you’re making a…

Iris: What did I tell you about not doing things to ‘protect me’ anymore?

Joe: stays silent.

/and pretty much everything else that happens in canon… Eddie & Iris make up. Eddie shoots himself. The End./