Iris had not moved by the time Barry arrived in the store. He had to show Kevin's ID to prove he was he one that Iris was expecting—he was incredibly thankful she had given Kevin's name and not one of the alters, or that would be much harder to explain. He had taken the officer's advice and was carrying a warm cup of tea from the café they had gone to that first night, guided around the mess of glass and the owners of the store who were speaking with a detective on scene.
The sight of the broken window and cops swarming all over the place had his hand tightening on the cup, trying not to picture how terrified Iris must have been when someone broke the window. She had sounded as though she was on the cusp of breaking down when he spoke with her on the phone, and that was after she had some time to calm down.
Led to the back of the store by a woman named Sinclair, she stopped Barry right before they were to enter the back office. "Here, let me take that from you," she proposed, motioning to the tea. "I'm sure you'll want your hands free."
Barry nodded numbly as he handed her the tea—he hadn't even thought of that. He probably would have just dropped the damn thing to let Iris into his arms. With his hands now free, the officer nodded to the door as a silent instruction to head inside. The door was slightly ajar already, a man's voice drifting from within. Pushing the door open slowly, Barry stood in the doorway of the small office as he watched Iris sign the bottom of her police statement regarding the incident.
The sight of his tiny soulmate, one hand tucked in close to her chest and the other shaking unsteadily as she tried to sign the paper, nearly broke his heart. Knowing she had been in danger was more nerve-wracking than the nights he had known she was struggling to sleep—first because of their unfortunate beginning, and then again because of her father.
"Miss. Mayfair, you can finish this at the station. Just come by tomorrow, give yourself some time to calm down," the male officer with her was instructing, trying to persuade her from continuing to attempt a sloppy signature from her shaking hand.
"Iris," Barry called finally, more a sigh of relief to see that she truly wasn't hurt than anything else. Immediately, her head snapped to the side, chocolate braid flying, and those watery, whiskey eyes landed on him with a look of such relief that Barry was moving before he even thought about doing so.
He didn't care about the cops or the noise or the tiny space they were stuck in. Iris leapt from the chair and was infolded tightly in his arm in the next instant, small arms wrapped around him so tightly he was momentarily stunned by her strength. Releasing the breath he had been holding, Barry pulled her in against him until she had nearly disappeared into the bulk of his arms and coat. She made no sound, but he could feel her entire body shaking like a leaf in the wind.
Part of it was because of the adrenaline that must have flooded her system, now beginning to dissipate, but he also noticed that she was only in the thin, long sleeved shirt she had been wearing for work. They may have been in the back, but the window had been busted long enough that the entire store was frigid with the cold wind that had blown in earlier that day.
Her hands were icy against his back, the cold reaching him through his shirt. Keeping one arm wrapped securely around her shoulders, he used his free hand to rub up and down her back soothingly, trying to use the friction to bring more warmth at the same time. "You're freezing, Sweetheart. Where's your coat?"
"Locker," she mumbled against his chest, the word barely audible. "In the break room."
"I'll go," the officer that had been with her volunteered, stepping away from the couple and silently leaving the room as Sinclair leant past Barry to place the hot tea on the desk next to Iris's statement. A moment later, they were alone.
"You promise you're okay, Iris? You didn't get hurt?" Barry asked a moment later, shifting his hold so he could run his hand along her soft hair—he'd said she got some glass in it, hadn't he? That window had exploded with a pretty decent distance; there was glass all the way down the aisles.
"I'm okay now," she assured, tightening her hands in the back of his shirt. "I just want to warm up, and lie down." Pulling back just enough to look up at him, Barry felt his heart clench at the paleness of her cheeks, and the shadows beneath her eyes. It reminded him of the night they met up again at Dr. Fletcher's, when Iris had come running without her coat.
Framing her face with his hands, her skin cold against his warm palms, Barry watched as she relaxed into the touch and sighed from the warm feeling. "Come back to our place tonight," he proposed abruptly, blurting out the suggestion before he really thought about it. She blinked in surprise. "You'll be safe, and I don't want you to be left alone."
Her expression softened and her eyes drifted closed before she nodded against his hands. Her agreement finally let Barry relax, knowing that he could keep an eye on her and assure himself and the others that she was safe with them. Still cradling her face, he leant down to press a warm kiss against her forehead, letting out a trembling exhale. Finally, his heart began to beat normally in his chest. He would need to speak with the others, but he knew they would all agree with his offer and welcome their soulmate in with open, grateful arms.
"Miss. Mayfair." Pulling back enough, Barry and Iris both looked over to Montez, who stood holding her coat and bag in his hands. "You can go home now. Please get some rest tonight, and you can come by the station tomorrow to review and sign your statement."
Nodding reluctantly, Iris admitted defeat. Her hands were too shaky to sign her name, and her brain grew foggier as the adrenaline wore off. "Thank you, Officer Montez." Barry helped her pull on her coat and took her bag for her. She was soon bundled in her coat and scarf, the tea Barry had purchased cradled carefully between her hands. Initially, she was worried she would drop it, but it was only a small and was light enough she could keep her grip on the warm beverage. Barry accepted a card from Montez with his information on it, saying that he'd be working the next day and to just ask for him.
Montez stayed to collect her statement as Sinclair escorted them back to the front. Mrs. McIntosh stopped her just briefly to check on her and assure her that the store would be closed the next day. She smiled gratefully at Barry, the look in her eye telling him that she knew exactly what his connection with Iris was, before she let the two of them head outside.
An officer offered to give them a ride, Barry accepting gratefully now that they wouldn't need to try and hail a cab or call a company to have one come by. Kevin's ID had an apartment provided at the south side of the zoo, so it wouldn't be suspicious to have them dropped off there by the officer. He didn't usually go to Kevin's work-provided apartment, but it came in handy now and then. The cop opened the door for them and Barry helped Iris to bundle herself in first before he joined her.
As soon as he was beside her, Iris folded herself into his side with the tea still between her palms. Barry heaved a sigh of relief as he let his head rest atop hers.
They had been preparing somewhere for her, but it was far from being complete. He would let her stay in his room tonight and they would figure out where to go from there. If she wanted to stay more than one night, he would gladly give up his room for however long she wanted. Knowing Iris, she would feel terrible about taking his room, but she also didn't understand how deeply he and the others felt for her already. They would burn the world if she asked.
Being so close to the zoo, it only took a few short minutes for them to pull up at the gates to the back entrance. Barry quickly thanked the officer when he opened the door for them, helping Iris out as she continued to clutch the tea. He watched her eyes widen in interest when she finally took in where they were. The sounds of the animals could still be heard in the distant buildings, too far to be seen.
"The zoo," she mumbled in surprise. Then her lips lifted in a tired smile. "You live in the zoo?" Barry watched the cruiser pull away before he spoke.
"Well, under it," Barry answered sheepishly. "Come on, I'll show you."
Pulling out the ring of keys—a rather large number of keys—he unlocked the gates and led Iris inside. Keeping an arm around her, he watched her as she took in their surroundings, her expression showing no sign of disgust or judgement about his accommodations. "Is that why you work for the zoo?" she asked after a minute of walking up the winding paths. "Because you live here? Or do you live here because you work for the zoo?"
"I got the job first and found out that a bunch of the old buildings were abandoned, so I started working on making a place for all of us. We all have space here, so it was perfect. It's...not very legal, but-"
Iris took his hand gently, cradling her tea against her chest so as not to drop it. He stopped talking, glancing down at her kind expression as she stroked her warm, gloved thumb over the back of his hand. "I lived on the streets, remember? You found and made yourselves a home. I see nothing wrong with that."
A smile grew across Barry's lips as she spoke, feeling his face warm at her kindness. "You're perfect, Sweetheart, you know that?"
Iris repressed the urge to scoff, but pursed her lips slightly as she bowed her head. Barry stopped them outside the door to the underground tunnels, turning Iris to face him. Drawing her in closer, he pressed a firm kiss against his cheekbone before wrapping her in his arms again—careful of her tea between them.
"You're perfect, Iris. I'm so glad you're mine."
She shivered at the feeling of his breath at her ear, his words reaching the depths of her soul. One of her arms slipped up to wrap around his neck, returning his embrace as she buried her face against his neck. Her emotions welled inside of her like a storm; she wanted to laugh and to cry, fighting against a whimper of all things that wanted to burst free from her chest. Holding Barry only caused the emotions to surge stronger, making her tremble against his presence.
"I love you," she whispered instead, keeping her hold around his neck and shoulders tight. The muscles beneath her hand twitched and tensed for a moment before he relaxed against her, while bringing her in closer. The warm breath against her ear shuddered, like he was fighting to breathe. The words felt right as they rolled off her tongue, her heart free of regrets.
She loved him. She loved all of them. Having met them or not, they were hers and she loved them with all of her heart.
She would burn the world for them, too.
Turning his head to press a kiss against temple, Barry could feel the burn of tears as happiness threatened to overwhelm the rest of his senses. "I love you, too." He felt her draw back enough to return the kiss he had given her upon his cheek, lips trembling and warm breath teasing his skin. Pulling back enough to meet her gaze, whiskey eyes glistening much like his own, he couldn't stop the smile that brightened his features.
Snow peppered Iris's dark hair and the mix of emotions and cold air had brought a rosy colour to her cheeks. She was the picture of beauty as she gazed up at him with her lips turned up the faintest bit to mirror his smile, her palm warm against his cheek as she shifted her hold on him. He could see only happiness and peace in her expression, her confession done with honest emotions. "I love you, Barry," she repeated, her voice stronger this time.
Barry's cheeks nearly hurt with the force of his smile, watching as Iris's smile grew as well at the sight of his emotions so clearly on display. His head tipped forward to rest his beanie-covered forehead against hers. Taking a moment to silently bask in the moment, he took in the sensation of Iris's thumb caressing his cheek and the gentle warmth of each exhale warming his lips against the cold wind.
Remembering the morning that he had walked her to work, Barry gazed into warm amber before he closed his eyes and tipped his head. His lips claimed hers, completing the kiss that almost was when she had turned her head that one morning. A soft sigh escape her before she lifted her chin to press back, parting her lips just slightly to take his bottom lips between hers. Closing her eyes completely, unbidden but joyful tears streamed down her cheeks.
A shiver disrupted the peace as icy wind blew across the back of Iris's neck, the smile on her face assuring Barry that her tears were not of sadness when he pulled away to look down upon her. "Let's get you inside," he offered, keeping a warm, heavy arm across her shoulders as he unlocked the door for them and pulled it open with ease.
Iris shuffled in ahead of him, shaking the snow from her hair as he closed and locked the door behind them.
Flipping on the hall lights, a set of stairs immediately descended into the underground tunnels. Barry shook his shoulders as he looked bashfully at the ground. He knew that she wouldn't judge, but he still wished he could show her a nicer place to stay. She noticed his silence and reached back to take his hand again. "Show me," she encouraged softly, using the other hand that still held the tea to carefully wipe her cheek.
Barry reached forward naturally, wiping the other cheek free of salty tears.
Holding her hand, he led her down the stairs and into the confining tunnels that he and the others had made their home.
Majority of the walk was hallways with dim lighting, kept fairly clean because of Dennis's habits and Patricia's concerned nature. Their steps echoed off the walls as he guided her into the center of the abandoned buildings, where the old employees of the zoo had offices and break rooms, which included the kitchen that thankfully had working appliances.
Unlocking the last door that separated his home from the halls, Barry held it open for Iris to enter first. Iris stepped inside and immediately began looking around, taking in the sparingly placed décor and personal items. With so many different personalities and preferences, she could understand that one main way of decorating would be hard. Some furniture was spread sporadically, yet meticulously, and she could detect touches of Patricia from the throws or pillows that were placed carefully around the little living room.
The bookshelves were a bit of a disaster and she could see little piles of papers with writing and drawings from where she stood.
A set of dumbbells were stashed beneath one of the couches, barely peeking into her sight. Luke's leather jacket was hung on the corner of the chair at the table, a woman's soft red pea coat on the opposite side.
Barry watched as she took in the minute details that were haphazardly spread throughout the main room. The kitchen was off to the side, Patricia's collection of herbs stacked in main view and the large cupboard of cereals left open from that morning when he'd made breakfast before work. "What...what do you think?" he asked nervously, even though he could see her lips turned up in a smile.
"I can see you," she answered quietly. "And Luke," she added, motioning to the jacket, "BT, Patricia..."
Barry relaxed as he watched her attention jump from possession to possession, seeing her soulmates among the chaos. She could also see a few children's colouring books, and several different types of shoes neatly sectioned away. Walking over to the corner that had some of his drawings scattered about, Barry swallowed as he watched her inspect some of his work. Her attention was caught by one of the more recent ones, which he was wishing he'd stashed away now, that he had drawn with her in mind. The model was faceless, but it was of a thin, small woman that appeared enveloped in a plush jacket of whiskey-coloured softness. He had tried to capture the colour of Iris's eyes, but it was a difficult shade to recreate.
"These are amazing, Barry," she breathed out in awe, leaning closer to take in some of the details. "You're very talented."
"Thanks," he mumbled bashfully as he pulled his beanie off. "Uhm, we've been getting a room ready for you but it's not quite done. You can...stay in my room tonight. I'll ask one of the others if I can use their room-"
"Barry," she interrupted softly, moving to place her tea down on the little dining table. "I don't want to kick you out of your room." He opened his mouth to insist, but Iris placed her fingertips against his tips before he could get a sound out. "You slept next to me when you were at my apartment. Can you stay with me again?"
He hadn't even really thought about it until that moment, but she probably didn't want to be alone after the fright at the store. She had no clue who had thrown the pipe through the window, for all she knew it could have been her father, or the man and his wife that had tried to get the money from her for a refund that didn't exist.
"My bed's a bit smaller than yours," he admitted in forewarning, but she just smiled up at him.
She looked ready to speak again before her words were interrupted by a long, deep yawn that caused a quiet popping sound in her jaw. Barry pursed his lips at the adorable sight of her covering her mouth with the sleeve of her coat, eyes squeezed closed.
"I'll give you a proper tour tomorrow," he offered, moving to turn off the lamp on the desk. "For now, time for bed."
Iris was physically and emotionally drained, the slight boost in energy from their moment outside beginning to subside and return the exhaustion of an adrenaline crash.
Guiding her through the smaller hallways to his room, Barry began shuffling through his closet to pick out some warm, clean clothes for her to wear. She was going to be swimming in anything he gave her, so he found the warmer items that he owned—a pair of sweatpants that could be tied at the waist, and a long sleeved, flannel sleep shirt. "Here, you can wear these tonight. Are you hungry at all?"
Iris shook her head as she took the clothes from him. "I don't think I could stomach anything right now."
Showing her to the nearby washroom, crowded with different soaps, towels, toothbrushes and other supplies, she took the new toothbrush that he offered her before he left her alone to change and have a moment to herself.
Iris closed the door of the bathroom and placed the clothes he had given her on the counter, avoiding the different razors and face soaps that covered a decent amount of its surface. Her gaze travelled over the twenty-three different toothbrushes, as well as the abundance of hooks on the back wall that each had a different coloured towel hanging from it. She had wondered how all of the personalities lived among one another; seeing it now, it only made her more curious.
Quickly brushing her teeth and washing her face, she pulled on the large clothes that Barry had provided. The pants had to be rolled at the ankles and waist in order to remain up, and the sleeves of the shirt hung past her wrists and draped loose around her thin shoulders. The sight of herself in Barry's clothes almost made her laugh. She looked like a small child in an adults clothing. Pulling her hair from the braid and brushing it out with her fingers, she took a deep, calming breath to ease the fluttering in her stomach.
Would it be different to fall asleep next to Barry after she had confessed her love for him? After the kiss they had shared?
Finishing up in the bathroom and collecting her armful of clothes, jacket included, Iris stepped out into the hallway and spotted Barry waiting just outside of his room in a different set of clothes. As soon as he saw her emerge from the washroom, he pushed hurriedly off of the wall and watched her approach him with an amused look brightening his baby-blue eyes.
"I look like a kid," Iris said first, knowing why he looked so amused.
"It's cute," he assured, motioning her into his room.
The walls were almost completely covered in drawings, several sketchbooks and portfolios stacked on the desk and shelves he had installed around the room. He'd hurriedly made his bed when she was in the washroom and had snatched an extra pillow from the linen closet. "I'm gunna go brush my teeth. Just...make yourself at home."
Watching him duck back out into the hallway, Iris carefully put her clothes on the chair in front of his desk, trying not to disturb any of the papers scattered around. She spotted another drawing similar to the one she had seen in the living room area, this time with the woman in the drawing wearing an elegant black dress with lace designs.
Not wanting to invade his privacy, she stepped away before getting too caught up and shuffled over to the bed. Shyly drawing back the covers, she tried not to overthink as she slipped under the sheets, the smell of Barry's soap and cologne immediately overwhelming her senses. Relaxing into the familiar, comforting scent, her exhaustion returned almost instantaneously.
It felt as though her body became boneless as she lay beneath the warm covers of Barry's bed, the pillow beneath her head smelling like clean linen. She was barely aware of the lights turning off, her eyes only opening when she felt the mattress dip and the covers shift slightly to adjust to the new body settling beneath. There was still a light on somewhere, probably the hall, because she could barely make out the sight of Barry lying across from her.
"Thank you, Barry," she mumbled tiredly. It was doubtful that she would have slept if she had gone back to her apartment and spent the night alone.
"Anything for you, Sweetheart," he assured quietly, the deep rumble of his lowered voice causing her to smile before she shuffled closer to his body. His arm came around her naturally, enfolding her against his chest as she sighed in contentment. "Goodnight, Iris."
"'Night," she mumbled back, barely aware enough to get the word out before she had dropped off to sleep. Barry remained awake for a short while more, watching over her as she slept to make sure that no nightmares disturbed her sleep. He couldn't wipe the smile from his face as he held her tight, delaying his own sleep to enjoy the time he had with her in his arms. He wasn't sure what was to come when they woke in the morning, but he knew that he would need to share her with the others again. He wanted to enjoy his time while he could.
He fell asleep to her even, gentle breaths against his chest and the whispers of the other alters in his mind.
Thank you so much to all loyal readers! I'm so sorry for the lengthy wait, I hope these past two chapters have made the wait for it for you. I've rediscovered my love for these stories so I promise I won't disappear for another year.