"You've been ignoring my texts," she said without preamble.
Barry checked his phone. Three messages from Iris over the past four hours. He'd been so focused on the conference he hadn't noticed.
"Sorry. I was at a tech conference. Phone was on silent."
"Right. The mysterious tech work you never want to talk about." Iris crossed her arms.
"Are we doing this or not, Barry?"
"Doing what?"
"Whatever this is between us. Because some days you're all in. Attentive. Present. Making me feel like I matter. And other days you disappear into your work and I don't hear from you for days. I need to know where I stand."
Barry understood her frustration immediately. Iris wanted commitment. Wanted to know they were building toward something serious. Wanted the relationship to be a priority.
But Barry couldn't give her that. Not yet. Not when his heart did not desire a single commitment. Not when he knew getting too committed to Iris now would complicate everything later.
He needed to navigate this carefully. Keep her interested without promising exclusivity.
"I care about you," Barry said, meeting her eyes. "A lot. But I'm also trying to build something important with my work. Something that could change my entire future. That takes time and focus."
"I get that. I'm trying to build my journalism career too. But I still make time for people who matter to me."
"You're right. I should communicate better." Barry stepped closer, taking her hands. "I'm not trying to push you away. I'm just learning how to balance everything. Give me some patience?"
Iris studied his face. "Are you seeing other people?"
"No." That was technically true. He wasn't seeing anyone else right now.
"But you want to keep things casual?"
This was the critical moment. How he answered would determine whether Iris stayed or walked away.
"I want to keep things honest," Barry said. "I care about you. I want to spend time with you. But I'm also not ready to make promises about the future when I'm still figuring out my own life. Does that make sense?"
Iris's expression softened slightly. "So we're friends who kiss and go on dates but no label?"
"If that works for you."
She was quiet for a long moment. Then nodded. "Okay. But only if you actually communicate with me. I can handle casual. I can't handle being ignored."
"Deal." Barry pulled her close and kissed her. Slow and deep. Reminding her of the chemistry between them. Reinforcing the physical connection even as he avoided emotional commitment.
Iris melted into the kiss. When they pulled apart, her frustration had transformed into something warmer. More accepting.
"You're infuriating," she said, but smiled.
"Want to come over? I made dinner and was hoping to share it with someone."
Barry considered. He should work on his Thinking Cap improvements. Should prepare for the STAR Labs meeting Tuesday. Should process everything from today's conference.
But Iris was here. Offering something human and grounded.
And maybe he needed that. Maybe Joe and Wells were right that isolation had limits.
"Yeah," Barry said. "I'd like that."
They went to Iris's apartment. Ate pasta she'd made. Talked about her latest article and his conference presentation. Normal conversation between two people who genuinely liked each other.
It felt good. Felt real in a way that his obsessive planning and preparation didn't.
Later, they ended up on her couch. Kissing turned to more. Clothes came off. Barry made a decision and didn't pull back this time.
They moved to her bedroom and things got physical and intense.
Still, it was but a connection without promises.
Afterward, lying in her bed, Barry stared at the ceiling while Iris curled against him. She fell asleep quickly, her breathing steady and peaceful.
But Barry's mind wouldn't stop. He'd crossed a line tonight. Made the relationship physical. That would deepen Iris's emotional investment even as he maintained distance.
Was that fair? Was he manipulating her?
Using her for physical and emotional comfort while knowing his long-term plans didn't include traditional commitment?
His couldn't answer that. Morality wasn't mathematical. Human relationships didn't follow clean equations.
He was in uncharted territory. Becoming someone different from the original Barry Allen. Someone willing to make compromises the original never would have.
'Is this who I want to be?' he thought.
'Someone who plans multiple relationships while letting Iris believe there's potential for more?'
But then another thought followed. 'The original Barry Allen would have stumbled through life, reactive and uncertain. This version is building something unprecedented. Maybe some compromise is necessary for that.'
Barry closed his eyes, pushing the guilt aside. He'd deal with the moral implications later. Right now, he had plans to execute. Goals to achieve. A future to build.
Everything else was secondary.
Even if that made him something less than heroic.
Read more chapters, 21+ days ahead of Webnovel Updates, on Patreon marvelstark