Barry stopped with his hand halfway to the door, turning to Karan with sudden urgency in his eyes.
"Wait," he said, voice low. "Before we do this... can we not mention the powers thing? At least not yet?"
Karan raised an eyebrow. "You don't want to tell your family that you can run faster than physics allows?"
"It's not that I don't trust them," Barry said quickly, running a hand through his hair in what was clearly a nervous habit. "It's just... Joe's a cop. He deals with facts, evidence, things that make sense. And Iris is studying journalism—she's got this investigative instinct that won't let things go once she gets curious about them."
"So you're worried they'll think you've lost your mind?"
"I'm worried they'll want to help, and helping might put them in danger." Barry's expression grew troubled. "I don't know what these abilities mean yet, or what kind of attention they might draw. If there are other people out there with powers, some of them probably aren't as interested in helping people as we are."
Karan considered this, thinking about the various metahuman villains he remembered from the show—Captain Cold, Heat Wave, Gorilla Grodd, and dozens of others who would eventually make Central City their personal playground. Barry wasn't wrong to be concerned about keeping his family safe.
"Plus," Barry continued, "what if I accidentally demonstrate super speed while I'm here? What if I get emotional and suddenly I'm vibrating through the furniture? I barely have any control over this yet."
"Fair points," Karan agreed. "And I suppose 'divine armor' is an even harder sell than super speed. At least running fast is something people can conceptually understand, even if the physics are impossible."
"Exactly. So for now, we're just... two guys who were in comas and are recovering remarkably well. Deal?"
Karan grinned. "Deal. Though if you accidentally blur across the room, I'm going to have to get creative with explanations."
"Don't worry about that. Worry about explaining why you look like you spent nine months with a personal trainer instead of unconscious in a hospital bed."
"I'll blame good genetics and hospital physical therapy."
"Hospital physical therapy that gave you abs you could bounce quarters off of?"
"Very aggressive hospital physical therapy."
Barry snorted with laughter despite his nerves, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. "Right. Okay. Here goes nothing."
He knocked on the door—three quick raps that had the rhythm of long familiarity.
Footsteps approached from inside, and then the door swung open to reveal a man in his early fifties with graying hair, kind eyes, and the sort of solid, dependable presence that screamed "cop who actually cares about his community."
Detective Joe West took one look at Barry and froze completely.
"Barry?" The name came out as barely a whisper, as if Joe was afraid that speaking too loudly might make the vision in front of him disappear.
"Hey, Joe." Barry's voice was soft, uncertain, hope and anxiety warring in his expression. "I'm... I'm okay. I'm awake."
For a moment, neither of them moved. Then Joe stepped forward and pulled Barry into a hug that spoke of nine months of worry, of sitting beside a hospital bed and wondering if the kid he'd raised would ever open his eyes again.
Karan looked away, giving them a moment of privacy, though he couldn't help but smile at the obvious love between them. This was what family looked like—not just blood, but choice, commitment, the kind of bond that survived impossible circumstances.
When they finally separated, Joe kept his hands on Barry's shoulders, studying his face as if memorizing every detail. "You look... God, Barry, you look healthy. Better than healthy. The doctors said you might have muscle atrophy, cognitive issues..."
"I got lucky, I guess." Barry's smile was genuine now, warmed by Joe's obvious relief. "Joe, I want you to meet someone. This is Karan Matthews. He was my roommate at the hospital—caught in the same explosion I was."
Joe turned his attention to Karan, and those cop eyes immediately began cataloging details. Karan could practically see the mental notes being taken: height, build, general demeanor, the way he carried himself.
"Karan," Joe said, extending a hand. "Joe West. Any friend of Barry's is welcome here."
Karan shook the offered hand, noting Joe's firm grip and the calluses that spoke of someone who worked with his hands as well as his brain. "Thank you, Detective West. Barry's told me a lot about you and your family. I hope you don't mind me tagging along—I haven't been out of S.T.A.R. Labs much since I woke up."
"S.T.A.R. Labs?" Joe's expression shifted subtly, becoming more guarded. "You're both staying there now?"
"Dr. Wells offered," Barry said quickly. "Given that we were both affected by the explosion, he thought it would be better if we were somewhere with medical equipment designed for... unusual cases."
"Unusual how?"
Barry and Karan exchanged a quick glance. "Just... some enhanced healing, faster reflexes, that kind of thing," Barry said. "Nothing dangerous. But the regular hospital wasn't equipped to monitor the changes."
Joe's cop instincts were clearly pinging, but he stepped back and gestured them inside. "Come in, both of you. I'll make coffee. We've got a lot to catch up on."
The West family home was exactly what Karan had expected—comfortable without being fancy, lived-in without being messy, with the kind of warmth that came from people who genuinely cared about each other. Family photos covered the mantle and side tables, showing Joe, Barry, and a young woman who had to be Iris at various ages and occasions.
"Sit, sit," Joe said, bustling toward the kitchen. "Barry, you still take your coffee with enough sugar to power a small aircraft?"
"Some things never change," Barry replied, settling onto the familiar couch with visible relief. He looked around the living room as if he were seeing it for the first time, taking in details he'd probably never noticed before. "God, I missed this place."
Karan chose an armchair that gave him a good view of both the room and the front door—old habits from his previous life, where being aware of exits had occasionally been the difference between helping someone and becoming a casualty himself.
"So," Joe called from the kitchen, accompanied by the sounds of coffee preparation, "S.T.A.R. Labs. That's... that's the same Harrison Wells whose particle accelerator put you both in comas."
"Joe—" Barry started.
"I'm not judging," Joe said, appearing in the doorway between kitchen and living room. "I'm just trying to understand. Nine months ago, I was ready to sue that place into the ground for what happened to you. Now you're living there?"
Barry ran a hand through his hair again. "It's complicated, Joe. Dr. Wells... he feels responsible for what happened. He's been taking care of both of us, making sure we have the best medical attention possible."
"And he's not just doing this out of guilt?"
Karan spoke up. "Detective West, if I may... Dr. Wells knew my parents. They were colleagues. When the explosion happened and I lost them, he stepped in as my guardian. I know it seems suspicious from the outside, but he's been nothing but supportive."
Joe's eyes sharpened. "Your parents were killed in the explosion?"
"They were archaeologists. They were at our house examining some artifacts when the dark matter wave hit. The house collapsed." Karan let genuine grief—borrowed though it was—color his voice. "Dr. Wells has been helping me deal with not just the physical recovery, but... everything else."
Joe's expression softened with sympathy, the cop giving way to the father figure. "I'm sorry for your loss, son. That's... that's a hell of a thing to wake up to."
"Barry's been helping me through it," Karan said, glancing at his friend. "Having someone who understands what it's like to wake up and find out your whole world has changed... it makes a difference."
The coffee maker beeped from the kitchen, and Joe disappeared to pour mugs. Barry used the moment of privacy to mouth "nice touch" at Karan, who shrugged as if to say "just telling the truth."
Joe returned with three steaming mugs, handing them out before settling into his own familiar chair. "So what's the plan now? Barry, your job at the lab is still waiting for you. Captain Singh has been asking about you every week."
Barry wrapped his hands around his mug, using it as much for comfort as warmth. "I don't know if I'm ready to go back to work yet. Everything feels... different. Like I need time to figure out who I am now."
"That's understandable. Trauma changes people, and what you both went through..." Joe shook his head. "Take the time you need. Your job will be there when you're ready."
"What about everyone else?" Barry asked. "How's the city doing? I saw some of the damage on the drive over, but..."
Joe's expression grew more serious. "It's been rough. The explosion affected more people than we initially realized. We've had reports of... unusual incidents. People displaying abilities that shouldn't be possible."
Karan felt his pulse quicken, but kept his expression neutral. "Abilities?"
"Enhanced strength, people who can manipulate fire or ice, someone who can apparently turn their skin to metal." Joe leaned forward, his voice dropping. "The department's been trying to keep it quiet, but there are people out there who got powers from that explosion. And not all of them are using those powers for good."
Barry set down his coffee mug with careful precision. "Are people getting hurt?"
"Some property damage, a few injuries. Nothing fatal yet, but..." Joe studied both their faces. "It's only a matter of time before someone with these abilities decides to use them for something worse than petty crime."
The room fell quiet, all three of them contemplating the implications.
Finally, Karan spoke up. "Detective West, do you think... do you think people like that could be helped? If they had guidance, support, maybe they could learn to use their abilities constructively?"
Joe considered this. "Maybe. But it would take someone who understood what they were going through. Someone who could relate to suddenly having power you never asked for."
Barry and Karan exchanged another look, and Karan could see the same thought in both their minds: they were exactly the kind of people who could help. They had the abilities, the motivation, and—thanks to their residence at S.T.A.R. Labs—the resources.
"Where's Iris?" Barry asked, clearly wanting to change the subject before they got too deep into territory that might require revealing their own abilities. "I was hoping to see her."
Joe's expression grew complicated—part pride, part concern, part frustration. "She's working. Got a job at Jitters, that new coffee place downtown."
"Coffee shop?" Barry looked confused. "But what about her internship? Last I knew, she'd gotten that position with Central City Picture News."
Joe's face darkened. "She lost it."
"Lost it? How?"
"Because she spent more time at the hospital watching over you than she did at work." Joe's voice carried a mix of exasperation and affection. "I told her she needed to focus on her career, that sitting beside your bed wasn't going to wake you up any faster. But you know Iris—stubborn as a mule when she's made up her mind about something."
Barry went very still, his coffee mug frozen halfway to his lips. "She lost her internship because of me?"
"She chose to prioritize you over her career," Joe corrected gently. "No one forced her to spend every free moment at that hospital. But she said..." He paused, seeming to choose his words carefully. "She said someone had to be there for you, since you'd do the same for any of us."
Guilt washed over Barry's features. "Joe, I had no idea. If I'd known she was sacrificing—"
"You were unconscious, Barry. You couldn't have known anything." Joe leaned forward, his voice firm but kind. "And Iris doesn't see it as a sacrifice. She sees it as what family does for family."
Karan watched the interplay between them, noting how Joe's protective instincts extended to both his biological daughter and his adopted son. This was a man who understood that family was about more than blood—it was about showing up, about choosing to care about someone even when it was difficult or inconvenient.
"I need to see her," Barry said suddenly, standing up with the kind of restless energy that suggested his enhanced metabolism was starting to kick in. "I need to apologize, explain that she didn't have to—"
"Barry." Joe's voice carried the authority of someone who'd spent years managing both criminals and teenagers. "Iris made her own choices. She's an adult, and she doesn't need you to rescue her from the consequences of her decisions."
"But—"
"But nothing. You want to see her? Go see her. Just remember that she's not the same person she was nine months ago, any more than you are." Joe stood as well, moving to the front window and pulling back the curtain to look out at the late afternoon light. "Losing you... it changed her. Made her more focused, more determined. She's not just Barry Allen's best friend anymore—she's Iris West, and she's figuring out who that means on her own terms."
Karan rose from his chair, sensing that this conversation was moving into territory that Barry and Joe needed to navigate as a family. "Maybe I should wait in the car? Give you two some time to—"
"No," Barry said quickly. "I mean, if you don't mind coming along? I could use the moral support, and..." He glanced at Joe. "Is it okay if Karan meets Iris? I know this is all kind of sudden, but he's been a good friend. Going through this recovery process together, it's made us close."
Joe studied Karan for a moment, those cop eyes taking in details that most people would miss. Whatever he saw must have satisfied him, because he nodded. "Of course. Any friend of yours is family here."
The simple acceptance in those words hit Karan harder than he'd expected. He'd been orphaned twice now—once in his original life when he'd chosen to throw himself in front of a truck, and again in this life when Karan Matthews' parents had died protecting him. The idea of being welcomed into another family, even temporarily, was both comforting and terrifying.
"Thank you," he said quietly. "That... that means a lot."
Joe clapped him on the shoulder with the easy warmth of someone who'd spent years collecting strays and turning them into family. "Jitters is about ten minutes from here. Iris should be finishing up her shift soon—she usually works the afternoon crowd."
Barry was already moving toward the door, that restless energy becoming more pronounced. "Is it okay if we take the car? I don't think I'm quite ready for public transportation yet."
"Enhanced reflexes?" Joe asked casually.
Barry froze. "What?"
"You've been moving differently since you got here," Joe observed. "Faster reactions, more aware of your surroundings. Classic signs of neurological enhancement from trauma. I've seen it in soldiers coming back from deployment."
Karan had to admire how smoothly Joe had arrived at a perfectly reasonable explanation for Barry's behavioral changes. It made him wonder how much the detective actually suspected, and how much he was choosing not to investigate for the sake of his family's peace of mind.
"Something like that," Barry said carefully. "The doctors said it should level out as I readjust to normal life."
"Take all the time you need," Joe replied. "Just remember—you don't have to handle everything alone. You've got people who care about you, people who want to help."
As they headed for the door, Karan caught Joe's eye and nodded slightly—a silent acknowledgment that he understood the message wasn't just for Barry. Joe West was the kind of man who collected people who needed protecting, and apparently Karan had just been added to that list.
"One more thing," Joe called as they reached the door. "When you see Iris... try not to be too surprised if she's different. Nine months of thinking she might lose you... it changes a person."
Barry paused with his hand on the doorknob. "Different how?"
Joe's smile was equal parts proud and worried. "You'll see. Just... be prepared for the fact that she's not going to be content sitting on the sidelines anymore. Not about anything."
As they walked back to the car, Karan couldn't help but grin at the obvious affection and concern in Joe's voice. "He really loves you both, doesn't he?"
"Joe West is the best man I know," Barry replied without hesitation. "He took in a traumatized eleven-year-old kid and gave him a home, a family, a future. Everything I am, everything good about me... it started with him believing in me when no one else would."
"And now you get to see Iris, who apparently spent nine months proving that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree when it comes to stubbornly loyal family members."
Barry laughed as he climbed into the passenger seat. "Yeah, well, that's going to be an interesting conversation. 'Hey, sorry you sacrificed your career to watch over my unconscious body. By the way, I have super speed now and I'm living with the guy whose experiment nearly killed us both.'"
"We're not mentioning the powers, remember?"
"Right. So just: 'Hey, sorry you sacrificed your career to watch over my unconscious body. By the way, I'm living with the guy whose experiment nearly killed us both and I look like I spent nine months at a supernatural gym.'"
"Much better. Very subtle."
Karan started the car and pulled away from the curb, following Joe's directions toward downtown Central City. As they drove, he found himself looking forward to meeting Iris West—the woman who had apparently inherited her father's protective instincts and her adoptive brother's stubborn determination to help the people she cared about.
Something told him that the West family was about to become a much bigger part of his life than he'd originally planned.
And honestly? He was okay with that.
—
The drive to Jitters took them through the heart of Central City, and Karan found himself cataloging the differences between this world and the one he remembered from the show. The architecture was the same—that mix of modern glass towers and older brick buildings that gave the city its distinctive character. But there were subtle changes that spoke of a world where superheroes had been operating for longer than just the few years since Barry became the Flash.
A billboard advertised the Superman Museum in Metropolis, featuring what looked like David Corenswet's impossibly wholesome smile. Another sign promoted a charity run "in honor of Central City's metahuman community." Street art depicted stylized lightning bolts alongside green arrows and bat symbols, as if the city's artists had already begun incorporating superhero iconography into their work.
"It's weird," Barry said, following Karan's gaze out the window. "Everything looks the same, but it doesn't feel the same. Like someone changed the frequency the whole city operates on."
"Nine months is a long time," Karan replied, though he suspected Barry's enhanced perception was picking up on things that went deeper than just the passage of time. "Especially after something as traumatic as the particle accelerator explosion. Cities have their own healing processes."
"Speaking of healing processes..." Barry's voice carried a note of anxiety that had been building since they left Joe's house. "What if Iris is angry with me? What if she thinks I abandoned her by staying unconscious for so long?"
Karan shot him a sideways look. "You do realize that's not how comas work, right? It's not like you were choosing to stay asleep while she worried about you."
"Logically, sure. But emotions aren't always logical." Barry ran a hand through his hair, that nervous gesture becoming more pronounced. "And Iris... she's always been protective of the people she cares about. Sometimes to her own detriment."
*Like sacrificing her internship to keep vigil at your hospital bed,* Karan thought, but didn't say it out loud. Instead, he asked, "How long have you known her?"
"Since I was eleven. She was thirteen when Joe took me in, and she could have resented having some traumatized kid suddenly living in her house, sharing her father's attention." Barry's smile was soft with memory. "Instead, she made it her mission to make sure I felt like I belonged. Made me part of every family tradition, every inside joke, every late-night conversation about dreams and fears and the future we wanted to build."
The affection in Barry's voice was unmistakable, and Karan found himself wondering about the exact nature of that relationship. In the show, Barry had been hopelessly in love with Iris for years, too afraid to risk their friendship by confessing his feelings. But this Barry seemed more uncertain, as if nine months of separation had forced him to reevaluate what Iris meant to him.
They pulled into a parking spot across from Jitters, and Karan got his first look at Central City's apparently premier coffee establishment. It was exactly what he'd expected from the show—exposed brick walls, mismatched furniture, the kind of carefully curated bohemian atmosphere that attracted college students, artists, and young professionals who wanted to feel like they were part of something creative.
Through the large front windows, he could see a handful of customers scattered around tables, laptops open, conversations flowing with the easy energy of people who had found their community gathering place.
"There she is," Barry breathed, and Karan followed his gaze to see a young woman behind the counter.
Iris West was beautiful in that effortless way that suggested she'd never had to work particularly hard at it—long dark hair pulled back in a practical ponytail, warm brown skin that seemed to glow even under the coffee shop's harsh fluorescent lighting, and an animated smile as she chatted with a customer. But it was her energy that really caught Karan's attention. Even from across the street, he could see the confidence in how she moved, the way she commanded the space around her with natural charisma.
*Candice Patton,* Karan realized. *Of course. This universe really does have specific casting preferences.*
"She looks good," Barry said, and there was something complicated in his voice. "Confident. Like Joe said, different."
"Different how?"
Barry was quiet for a moment, studying Iris through the window. "She used to be more... careful, I guess? Always thinking about how her actions might affect other people, always trying to keep everyone happy. But look at her now."
Karan watched as Iris handled what appeared to be a difficult customer with grace but firmness, never losing her smile but making it clear that she wasn't going to be pushed around. When the customer finally left, she turned to say something to her coworker that made them both laugh.
"She looks like someone who's figured out who she is," Karan observed.
"Yeah. And I'm not sure where that leaves me."
Before Karan could ask what he meant by that, Barry was already getting out of the car. "Come on. Let's get this reunion over with before I lose my nerve entirely."
The interior of Jitters smelled like espresso and cinnamon, with an undercurrent of something that might have been vanilla or might have been the lingering sweetness of too many pastries. The afternoon crowd was winding down, leaving mostly die-hard caffeine addicts and a few people who seemed to be using the coffee shop as their office.
Iris was wiping down the counter when they walked in, her back to the door. "We're still open," she called without looking up, "but fair warning—if you want anything complicated, you're going to have to wait while I remember how to operate the espresso machine. My brain checks out around four o'clock."
"I'll take my chances," Barry said quietly.
Iris went completely still for a moment, cloth frozen in her hand. Then she turned around slowly, as if she was afraid that speaking too loudly might make the voice disappear.
When she saw Barry, her face went through a series of expressions so quickly that Karan almost missed them—disbelief, hope, joy, anger, relief, and finally settling on something that looked like carefully controlled emotion.
"Barry Allen," she said, her voice steady despite the way her hands were shaking. "You absolute idiot."
"Hi, Iris."
They stared at each other across the coffee shop counter, and Karan suddenly felt like he was intruding on something deeply personal. This wasn't just a reunion between friends—this was two people who had been part of each other's lives for so long that they'd become essential pieces of each other's identities.
"Nine months," Iris continued, her voice still carefully controlled. "Nine months, Barry. Do you know what nine months feels like when someone you..." She paused, seeming to catch herself. "When someone important to you is unconscious in a hospital bed?"
"Iris, I'm so sorry. I know you lost your internship because—"
"Oh, you know about that?" Iris's eyebrows rose, and there was an edge to her voice now. "Let me guess—Joe told you. And what did he say? That poor little Iris sacrificed her career to sit by your bedside like some Victorian heroine pining away for her beloved?"
Barry blinked, clearly not having expected this reaction. "I... well... yes?"
"Typical." Iris shook her head, but she was smiling now, and the anger was already fading into something that looked more like fond exasperation. "For the record, I didn't lose that internship because I was watching over you. I lost it because I started asking too many questions about the particle accelerator explosion, about S.T.A.R. Labs, about why there seemed to be a cover-up regarding the true extent of what happened that night."
Karan felt his pulse quicken. "Cover-up?"
Iris's attention shifted to him for the first time, and he found himself being subjected to the same kind of analytical gaze he'd gotten from Joe—though where the detective's assessment had been protective, Iris's felt more like investigative curiosity.
"And you must be the mysterious roommate," she said, extending a hand over the counter. "Iris West. I'd say I've heard a lot about you, but Barry was unconscious for nine months, so unless you've got some very interesting telepathic abilities, that's not exactly true."
Her handshake was firm, confident, and Karan found himself impressed by the way she'd managed to simultaneously welcome him and establish that she wasn't someone who could be easily fooled.
"Karan Matthews," he replied. "And you're right—we haven't had much opportunity for Barry to tell stories about his family. Though from what he has said, I was expecting someone pretty extraordinary."
"Flattery will get you everywhere," Iris said with a grin, then turned back to Barry. "So. S.T.A.R. Labs, huh? Living with the people who put you in a coma. That's not traumatic at all."
"It's not like that," Barry said quickly. "Dr. Wells, he feels responsible for what happened. He's been taking care of us, making sure we get the best medical attention—"
"Us?" Iris interrupted, looking between Barry and Karan. "Both of you are living there?"
"My parents were killed in the explosion," Karan explained. "Dr. Wells was a colleague of my father's. He took me in when I didn't have anywhere else to go."
Iris's expression immediately softened with genuine sympathy. "I'm so sorry for your loss. That must have been incredibly difficult to wake up to."
"It has been. But Barry's been helping me through it. Having someone who understands what it's like to suddenly have your whole world change... it makes a difference."
"I can imagine." Iris studied both of them for a moment, then seemed to make a decision. "Well, since you're both here and apparently healthy, I think this calls for celebration coffee. On the house. What can I make you?"
"You don't have to—" Barry started.
"I absolutely do have to. My best friend just woke up from a nine-month coma looking like he spent the time in some kind of supernatural fitness program. The least I can do is provide caffeination."
Barry laughed, and some of the tension in his shoulders finally eased. "Supernatural fitness program?"
"Barry, I've known you since you were eleven years old. You've always been cute, but you were also the guy who thought 'athletic' was something that happened to other people." Iris gestured at his general appearance. "Now you look like you could bench press a small car. Either the medical care at S.T.A.R. Labs includes access to super-soldier serum, or comas have significantly different effects than I learned in my biology classes."
Karan nearly choked on the water he'd been sipping. "Super-soldier serum?"
"Too much?" Iris asked with a grin. "I've been spending a lot of time researching unusual phenomena since the explosion. You'd be surprised how many comic book tropes turn out to have basis in actual science."
*Oh, if you only knew,* Karan thought.
Before anyone could respond, the door chimed and another customer walked in. But this wasn't just any customer—this was a tall, blonde man in a police uniform, moving with the easy confidence of someone who was comfortable with authority.
Detective Eddie Thawne.
Karan felt his blood run cold as he recognized the face of the man who, in the timeline he remembered, had been Iris's boyfriend, Joe's partner, and—most importantly—Eobard Thawne's ancestor from the past. The man whose sacrifice would eventually give Barry the power to defeat the Reverse Flash, but not before a lot of heartbreak and temporal complications.
"Eddie!" Iris's face lit up in a way that made Barry go completely still beside Karan. "You're early. I thought you said you couldn't get away until six?"
Eddie approached the counter with a smile that was warm, genuine, and completely unlike the cold calculation Karan had seen from Eobard. "Caught a break in the Morrison case. Figured I'd surprise my favorite barista."
He leaned across the counter to kiss Iris quickly, casually, with the familiarity of an established relationship.
Barry made a sound that might have been clearing his throat or might have been choking on his own spit.
"Eddie," Iris said, turning toward them with obvious excitement, "I want you to meet someone very important. This is Barry Allen."
Eddie's expression shifted to one of recognition and concern. "Barry Allen... you're Joe's..." He extended a hand immediately. "Detective Eddie Thawne. Joe talks about you all the time. It's good to finally meet you, especially under better circumstances."
Barry shook Eddie's hand with mechanical politeness, and Karan could practically see the gears turning in his friend's head. *He's dating Iris. And he seems like a genuinely nice guy who makes her happy.*
"Detective Thawne," Barry managed. "Joe's mentioned you too. His new partner, right?"
"About six months now. Joe's been a great mentor." Eddie's smile was easy, unguarded. "He's also been worried sick about you. He'll be relieved to know you're up and about."
"And this is Karan Matthews," Iris continued, seemingly unaware of the undercurrents flowing between Barry and Eddie. "He was Barry's roommate at the hospital. Also caught in the particle accelerator explosion."
Eddie turned his attention to Karan, and those sharp eyes—so different from Eobard's calculating gaze—took in details with professional interest. "Another victim of the S.T.A.R. Labs incident? How are you both doing with the recovery?"
"Better than expected," Karan replied carefully. "We've been fortunate to have good medical care and each other for support."
"That's good to hear. The department's been dealing with a lot of aftermath from that explosion. Not just property damage—there have been some unusual incidents involving people who were affected by the dark matter wave."
Iris perked up with obvious interest. "Unusual how?"
Eddie glanced around the coffee shop, noting the other customers, and lowered his voice. "Enhanced physical capabilities, mostly. Increased strength, speed, that sort of thing. Nothing dangerous so far, but we're keeping an eye on the situation."
*And you have no idea that your girlfriend's best friend can run faster than light and her new friend is wearing divine armor under his clothes,* Karan thought.
"Enhanced capabilities," Iris repeated thoughtfully. "Like, superhuman enhanced?"
"Let's just say some people seem to have been... improved... by their exposure to the dark matter," Eddie said diplomatically. "The department's working with some scientists to understand what happened and how to help people adjust."
Barry was being very quiet during this exchange, and Karan could see the war playing out on his face. Here was Eddie Thawne—not the Reverse Flash, but a good man who was dating the woman Barry had been in love with for years. A man who was Joe's partner and seemed to genuinely care about protecting Central City. A man whose death would eventually be necessary to save the timeline.
"Karan," Barry said suddenly, his voice carefully controlled, "we should probably head back soon. Dr. Wells will be expecting us for dinner."
Iris looked disappointed. "Already? I was hoping we could catch up more. I have about a million questions about what the last nine months have been like for you."
"Another time?" Barry asked, and Karan could hear the emotional strain under his polite tone. "Maybe we could all get together. You, me, Joe... Eddie."
"I'd like that," Eddie said warmly. "Any friend of Joe's family is someone I'd like to get to know better."
As they prepared to leave, Iris handed them their coffee orders with a smile that seemed to hold promises of longer conversations to come. "Don't be a stranger, Barry Allen. And Karan—you're welcome here anytime. Anyone who's helping Barry adjust to being back in the world is good people in my book."
Walking back to the car, Barry was unnaturally quiet. Karan waited until they were both seated and pulling away from the curb before addressing the elephant in the room.
"So," he said carefully, "Eddie seems nice."
Barry's laugh was bitter. "Yeah. He does."
"You didn't know. About them dating."
"I suspected something might have changed while I was gone. Nine months is a long time." Barry stared out the passenger window at the city passing by. "I just... I hoped..."
He trailed off, but Karan could fill in the blanks. Barry had hoped that when he woke up, he'd finally have the courage to tell Iris how he felt about her. Instead, he'd discovered that she'd moved on, found someone who could be there for her in ways that an unconscious Barry couldn't.
"Eddie Thawne," Barry said quietly. "Of all the names in the world, it had to be Thawne."
Karan's hands tightened on the steering wheel. "What do you mean?"
"Nothing, probably. It's just... the name Thawne was in some of my mom's old case files. My dad's case files, actually. Connected to some old research about the night she was murdered." Barry shook his head. "But that's impossible. This Eddie is way too young to have been involved in something that happened fifteen years ago."
*If you only knew,* Karan thought grimly. *Eddie Thawne is the ancestor of the man who murdered your mother and framed your father. The same man who's been posing as Harrison Wells and manipulating your entire life to turn you into the weapon he needs to get back to his own time.*
But all he said was, "Coincidences happen. And from what I saw, Eddie genuinely cares about Iris. About protecting the city. He seems like good people."
"Yeah," Barry agreed reluctantly. "He does. Which somehow makes it worse."
They drove the rest of the way back to S.T.A.R. Labs in contemplative silence, both lost in thoughts about family, love, and the complicated ways that life never quite worked out the way you planned.
As they pulled into the facility's parking garage, Barry finally spoke again. "Karan?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for coming with me today. I don't think I could have handled seeing Iris with someone else if I'd been alone."
"That's what friends are for," Karan replied, though he was already thinking ahead to the conversation he was going to need to have with Barry eventually. About Harrison Wells, about the Reverse Flash, about the fact that Eddie Thawne's life was going to become much more complicated than a simple detective-dating-reporter romance.
For now, though, Barry needed time to process. Time to figure out how to be Barry Allen again, even if Barry Allen was now someone with super speed living in the same building as his greatest enemy.
Some revelations, Karan decided, could wait a little while longer.
After all, they had plenty of other impossible things to figure out first.
---
Hey fellow fanfic enthusiasts!
I hope you're enjoying the fanfiction so far! I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. Whether you loved it, hated it, or have some constructive criticism, your feedback is super important to me. Feel free to drop a comment or send me a message with your thoughts. Can't wait to hear from you!
If you're passionate about fanfiction and love discussing stories, characters, and plot twists, then you're in the right place! I've created a Discord (HHHwRsB6wd) server dedicated to diving deep into the world of fanfiction, especially my own stories. Whether you're a reader, a writer, or just someone who enjoys a good tale, I welcome you to join us for lively discussions, feedback sessions, and maybe even some sneak peeks into upcoming chapters, along with artwork related to the stories. Let's nerd out together over our favorite fandoms and explore the endless possibilities of storytelling!
Can't wait to see you there!