What Happens in Vegas…

Iris sucked in a breath as Barry ran her through the city, carrying her in his arms. He had completely abandoned his motorcycle, but that was the last of Iris's concerns.

What was she doing? What had she agreed to?! Where was Barry taking her?!

When they came to a stop, Iris took a moment to get her bearings. Still slightly disoriented, Iris realized they were in a different part of the city. They were standing outside the city center, which housed some of the most prestigious stores in the world: Gucci, Tom Ford, Prada. The buildings themselves were a work of art, displaying just as many flashing lights as the hotels and casinos. Iris stared up at them in awe as Barry took her hand and led her to one building in particular.

Louis Vuitton.

"What are we doing here, Barry?" Iris asked as they entered the store.

From the inside, it looked more like a palace than an actual store. She had never been in a more extravagant building.

"Just doing a little shopping," Barry said vaguely, leading her to the escalator.

Now Iris was just confused. Barry had said he wanted to have fun. Sure, Iris loved shopping, but Barry had always hated it. This was the opposite of fun for him.

"How 'bout this one?" Barry asked, waving a hand over a dress on display, "White always looks good on you."

"It's twelve-thousand dollars, Barry," Iris gasped, looking at the price tag.

"Try it on," Barry said with a crooked smile.

"I'm afraid to touch it," Iris said, backing away from the dress, "Let alone try it on."

"Come on," Barry laughed, taking the dress off the rack and leading her to the dressing room.

"Seriously, Barry," Iris sighed, "What are we doing here?"

"Getting you some clothes," Barry shrugged, "Where we're going next, you're not really going to blend in with that sweatshirt and yoga pants you're wearing."

Iris looked down at her clothes with a sigh.

"Okay," she said slowly, "But why are we in this store? The prices here are outrageous!"

"I made seventy-six K tonight," Barry said calmly, "And that's a slow night. Normally, I make a lot more, so don't worry about it."

Iris let out a heavy sigh and gave him a stubborn look.

"Fine," Barry shrugged, pulling out her phone and holding it out to her, "Call Joe and rejoin the others. I'll see you home at three."

Iris stared at him. Barry was smiling at her, knowing he had her in a corner. He was buying her this dress whether she wanted him to or not.

"I hate you," Iris sighed, taking the dress from Barry and heading for the dressing room.

Barry laughed and repocketed her phone.

Iris felt uncomfortable as they were checking out. Barry paid in all cash, causing the clerk to raise an eyebrow. Barry had always been generous, but Iris felt weird knowing he was spending thousands of dollars on her, for a dress she certainly didn't need.

Iris had always been into fashion, but she had never worn anything this nice before. The off-white color complimented her skin tone perfectly, and the dress hugged her body in all the right ways, the half sleeves hanging off her shoulders while the short hem showed off her long legs. Barry also bought her a fifteen-hundred-dollar pair of heals to match.

Iris, anxious to get out of the ridiculously expensive store, started heading for the door as soon as they checked out. She was stopped, however, by a gentle hand on her arm.

"Where are you going?" Barry asked in amusement.

"Aren't we leaving?" Iris asked, giving him a confused look.

Barry laughed and shook his head.

"I said I wanted to show you my favorite places in Vegas," he said, steering her to a different part of the store.

Iris walked with him in confusion. One of his favorite places was in the store?

Barry led them up a couple levels, taking them to the third floor. As he led her through the luxury handbag portion of the store, he started to explain.

"This is one of the little-known places in Vegas," he said, "Most locals don't even know about it."

Barry led her to the back corner of the store, where a man was standing near a rather inconspicuous looking door.

"We're here for the Akhob," Barry said to the man.

"Do you have a reservation?" the man asked in a bored voice.

Barry laughed and shook his head.

"Reservations book a month in advance," the man said tiredly, "I suggest you call and come back when you—"

"I think this should cover it," Barry said, slipping the man a wad of cash.

The man raised his eyebrows as he flipped through the bills. Barry leaned in and whispered something to him, but Iris couldn't hear what he was saying. The man nodded seriously.

"Very well then," he said, opening the door.

Barry smiled and took Iris's hand, leading her through the door. A small gasp escaped Iris's lips when they entered the other room.

They were in a large bright white room, if you could even call it that. It wasn't a normal room. The walls seemed to bend and contort each and every way, following their own architectural rules. The ceiling must have been a good twenty feet high.

"Right this way, Miss West," Barry said, offering her his arm.

Iris hooked her arm with his and allowed him to lead her towards a set of stairs that led to a circular doorway at the top. It was some sort of tunnel, but instead of the same bright white lighting, this passage was lit up a brilliant shade of pink.

"What is this place?" Iris breathed as they walked through the tunnel.

Even speaking softly, her voice echoed in the empty space.

"The Akhob," Barry answered, smiling as he watched her facial expressions when they entered another room, this one now a deep shade of red, "One of the best, yet most secret, light shows in Vegas."

"A secret light show?" Iris asked, looking around the bent walls that reflected the different shades of light, "In a Louis Vuitton store?"

Barry laughed and nodded.

"Vegas is full of surprises," he chuckled, leading her around a corner and up another set of purple stairs.

These stairs went right to the ceiling, where there was a small opening for them to pass through that led them to yet another room, this one a rich blue. Iris sucked in a breath. The ceiling of this room had hundreds of dazzling white lights that stood out against deep blue, mimicking a starry night sky.

"It's beautiful," Iris whispered, "And so quiet."

"Because we're the only ones in here," Barry told her softly, "They only allow one viewing at a time, which is why reservations are required a month in advance and why this isn't listed as a tourist destination. Few people know about it."

"How did you find it?" Iris asked, tearing her eyes away from the ceiling to look at Barry.

Barry smiled.

"An acquaintance of mine recommended it to me," he said, "I come here a couple times a week. I like it here."

Iris stared at him.

"You come here a couple times a week?" she asked, "Just how often do you come to Vegas, Barry?"

Barry shrugged.

"I only gamble on the weekends," he said, "But sometimes, after work, I'll run here just to come to the Akhob."

"By yourself?" Iris asked quietly, looking around the vast empty space, "That sounds lonely."

"It's peaceful," Barry said, and then his face split into a wide grin, "And it makes an amazing running track."

Iris's eyes widened.

"You use this as a running track?" she asked.

Barry nodded.

"The lights and the twisting passages make for an interesting run," he explained, "There isn't a single flat wall or ceiling in here. It's like a fun house for a speedster."

Barry grinned at her, and Iris shook her head in amusement.

"I can only imagine," she laughed lightly.

"I'd take you for a run," Barry sighed, "But to you, it would just be a nauseating roller-coaster of lights and colors. You wouldn't get the full experience of it."

Iris smiled sadly.

"It's too bad," she said, "It sounds incredible."

Barry's lips twitched.

"Sometimes I really wish I wasn't the only speedster," he said, "The only non-evil one, at least. It would be nice to share it with someone. Sometimes, it just feels…"

"Lonely," Iris said quietly.

Barry nodded silently, and then his lips twisted into a small smile.

"Come on," he said softly, "We have fifteen more rooms to go."

By the time they made it out of the Akhob, it was 12:40 AM. Forty minutes of their time was used up, and Barry had another hour and twenty minutes before his time was up. That was, if he made good on his promise to let her call her dad at two AM. Iris wasn't sure if she could really count on him to keep that promise right now, though.

Barry didn't waste any time. As soon as they were out of the Louis Vuitton store, he flashed them to their next destination.

Tryst Nightclub.

According to Barry, it was one of the most prestigious clubs in Vegas and in the top ten list of most expensive clubs in the US. It definitely reflected that. People were being turned away left and right at the door. Apparently, you needed to be on some sort of list to get in.

"Barry," Iris hissed when he started moving for the door, "There's a line."

Barry glanced at the line of people and laughed.

"Come on," he chuckled, hooking Iris's arm in his as he walked confidently up to the door.

"Mr. Smythe," the bouncer nodded, allowing Barry to walk past.

Barry nodded back at him and passed the red rope like it wasn't even there.

"Mr. Smythe?" Iris asked, raising an eyebrow as they walked into the club.

"I never use my real name in Vegas," Barry laughed, as if it were obvious, "Now, come on. Let's get a couple drinks."

Barry led her through the club then. She quickly saw why it was listed as one of the most prestigious clubs in the US. It wasn't her typical definition of a club. Sure, people were dancing on the dance floor, but even more people were mingling throughout the club in the lounging areas. It was like a VIP section, except instead of being one small section, it took up the whole club. Almost every surface in the club was a deep red color, including the maroon, leather couches. Iris could see why this place appealed to Barry over a normal club.

When they approached the bar, the bartender came to them immediately, ignoring her other patrons who were waiting for a drink.

"I'll have an 1879 Macallan," Barry said to the bartender, pulling out a wad of cash, "And she'll have whatever her heart desires."

The bartender nodded and poured Barry his rather expensive sounding whiskey. She then turned to Iris.

"Um," Iris said, "A grapefruit cosmo?"

The bartended nodded and started making her her drink.

"Anything else I can get for you, Mr. Smythe?" she asked seriously as she set Iris's drink in front of her.

"That'll be all for now, Tahlia," Barry said, sliding a wad of cash towards her, "Keep the change."

"Thanks, Grant," the women smiled, taking the cash and moving to tend to other waiting patrons.

Barry smiled to himself and took a sip of his single-malt whiskey.

"What?" he asked when he noticed Iris staring at him.

"Just how often do you come here, Barry?" she asked.

Barry shrugged.

"Whenever the mood hits," he said vaguely, raising up his glass for a toast.

Iris sighed and tapped her glass with his.

"To new beginnings," Barry said softly, his eyes locked with hers as they drank from their glasses.

"Barry," Iris sighed as she set her glass on the bar, "Are you sure this is a good idea? You were drinking all night at the casino after all."

Barry laughed.

"I was drinking tonic and lime all night," he told her, "I never drink alcohol when I'm counting. It's a strategy of mine. I want the casinos to think I'm just some big-betting drunk blue blood spending his daddy's money. Hence, the five-thousand-dollar suit. I have a reason for wearing it. I'm not that ostentatious, Iris."

Iris laughed and shook her head.

"I didn't think you were," she said, "But you're not exactly yourself right now, Barry."

"What makes you say that?" Barry asked, a small smile on his face as his eyebrows furrowed.

"Barry," Iris said seriously, taking the drink from his hand to set it on the bar, "You need to listen to me. A few weeks ago, you had that run-in with that metahuman who whammied you."

"Yeah, but it didn't affect me," Barry shrugged.

"Barry, look at yourself!" Iris said incredulously, "You've been acting differently. This isn't you."

Barry stubbornly shook his head.

"Iris, I've never felt more like myself than I do now," he said seriously, "I've never felt more…free."

"That's the metahuman talking," Iris insisted, "You're not in your right mind right now, Barry. That's what I've been trying to tell you. You wouldn't normally be doing any of this. You're not yourself."

"Or maybe I am," Barry suggested, "Maybe this is the true me, not holding back, doing what I really want to do."

"The Barry I know doesn't care about money," Iris said seriously, "Or making his coworkers respect him. Or jumping into bed with strangers."

"Maybe you don't know the real Barry then," Barry huffed, "Maybe a part of me has always wanted nice things and a little more respect, and as for the sex…I'm a guy, Iris. I have desires, too, just like any other red-blooded male. The only difference is that I've always been too much of a gentleman to act on them."

"So, you're telling me," Iris said angrily, "That the Barry I know has a secret desire to be a man-whore?"

Barry laughed and shook his head.

"No," he said, "I'm telling you that the Barry you know is too afraid to take what he wants. He's too afraid to live. Well, not anymore. From now on, I'm going to do what I want when I want, and I'm not going to answer to anyone for it."

Iris sucked in a breath.

"Barry, do you even hear yourself right now?" she asked desperately, "You can't say that this isn't the metahuman affecting you!"

"I don't care if it is," Barry shrugged, "If the metahuman is behind it, then I should thank him. This is the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"You wouldn't be saying that if you were yourself right now," Iris insisted, shaking her head, "And when we get back to Central City, we're going to fix whatever the metahuman did to you."

Barry slowly shook his head at her.

"We can talk about this later," he sighed, "For now, I just want to make the most of this night with you."

With that, Barry finished his single-malt whiskey and pulled her toward the dance floor. Iris wanted to protest. She wanted to continue their conversation, but that was made impossible by the loud music rennervating through the club. Barry smirked at her. He knew what he was doing. He wasn't allowing her to spoil their night by talking about going home. He was determined to have fun with her.

Iris was surprised when they didn't stop on the dance floor but instead walked right through it. They didn't dance.

Instead, Barry led her to another part of the club, a wide doorway that opened up to an outdoor area. It was a warm, beautiful night, and the light breeze felt good against her skin compared to the stuffy air on the dance floor. Iris gasped when she saw what was outside of the club.

"Is that a swimming pool?" she asked.

Barry laughed and nodded.

"Not much swimming goes on it, though," he said, "It's just for show."

"That's a waste," Iris said, looking down at the beautiful pool.

"I agree," Barry grinned, "Here, take this."

He handed Iris her cellphone. Iris frowned at it in confusion. What was he doing? He said he wasn't going to give her her phone until two. She was so preoccupied with wondering what his game was here, she didn't notice Barry getting ready to jump. Suddenly, she heard a loud splash, causing her to look up from her phone.

"Barry!" Iris hissed when his head came up to the surface again, "What are you doing?!"

"Going for a swim," Barry said simply, looking up at her from the pool, his now-wet hair clinging to the sides of his face.

"Are you crazy?!" Iris hissed at him, looking around for security, "You're going to get us kicked out of here!"

Barry only laughed at that.

"They're not going to kick Grant Smythe out of here, don't worry," he assured her, "You should join me."

Iris goggled at him.

"I'm not jumping in with you, Barry," she said seriously, "In case you forgot, I'm wearing a twelve-thousand-dollar dress."

"And this was a five-thousand-dollar suit," he pointed out.

A devious grin spread across his face then.

"If it makes you feel better," he said slowly, "We could always just take our clothes—"

"I'm not skinny-dipping with you, Barry," Iris groaned.

Her own devious smile spread across her face then.

"I'm going to make a phone call," she smirked.

Barry just laughed and shook his head as she pulled out her phone. Iris frowned when she saw the screen. No service.

"That's going to be rather difficult without your sim card," Barry said smugly.

Iris's eyes went wide.

"You—? You took out my sim card?!"

Barry laughed and nodded, a stupid smirk on his face.

"Don't worry," he assured her, "I hid it in a safe place."

Iris stared incredulously at him.

"I can't believe you!" she seethed.

Barry just laughed.

"You'd probably feel better if you joined me," he said casually, moving so that he was floating on his back in the pool, "The water feels incredible."

"I'm not doing it," Iris said firmly, walking over to sit at one of the outdoor tables, "I'm going to wait right here for you until you decide your done with your little swim."

Barry sighed and stood up straight in the pool then.

"Fine," he said, "Help me out of here."

Iris huffed as she walked over to the pool to take his outstretched hand. Before she knew it, though, Barry was pulling her into the pool.

"Barry!" Iris shrieked when she suddenly found herself to be in the water.

"I can't believe you fell for that!" Barry choked, letting out a loud, ringing laugh.

Iris splashed some water in his face.

"Barry, I'm soaked!" she whined.

"You shouldn't have set down your phone," Barry smirked, "It's like you were asking me to pull you in."

Iris frowned as she looked back at the table she had been sitting at. Her phone was sitting on the table next to her drink, where she had set it down without thinking. Iris internally cursed herself.

"Admit it," Barry smirked, "The water feels nice."

Iris sighed and shook her head at him. Deep down, though, she had to admit: the pool did feel good on this hot Nevada night. She felt self-conscious, though. Other club-goers who were around the pool were giving them strange looks. Barry didn't even seem to notice them, though. His eyes were fixed on her.

"This feels weird," Iris whined, "Swimming with full clothes on."

"Well, like I said," Barry grinned, "We could always—"

"We're not taking them off," Iris snapped, "I said I wasn't skinny-dipping, and in case you didn't notice, there are other people here, Barry."

"What other people?" he asked, grinning at her.

Iris rolled her eyes at his corniness.

"Can we please get out now?" she pleaded.

Barry smiled and finally nodded.

"If that's what you really want," he sighed.

"It is," Iris said seriously.

"Fine," he pouted.

She was surprised when Barry listened to her then. They actually got out of the pool. Iris was starting to notice that Barry did listen to her most of the time. He wanted her to have fun, after all. She just wished he would listen to her about the things that really mattered, like getting him back to Central City so they could put him back to normal.

"Where to next?" she asked him after he helped her out of the pool, "Now that we're soaking wet."

Barry grinned at her. Without a word, he flashed her out of the club. When they came to a stop, they weren't outside anymore and the music of the club suddenly disappeared. Everything was silent.

"Where are we?" Iris asked, looking around the extravagant room she suddenly found herself to be in.

"Caesar's Palace," Barry said, taking off his sopping wet suit jacket, "My suite."

Iris's heart stuttered in her chest. Barry had taken them back to his hotel room.

"Relax, Iris," Barry said calmly as he started to undo the buttons of his undershirt, "This isn't a seduction attempt."

Iris swallowed as she watched Barry undo the buttons of his shirt. 'Are you sure about that?' she wanted to ask. The wet, white undershirt was practically transparent as it clung to his body. She could plainly see his abs underneath the material, as if it wasn't even there. Iris felt her heartrate quicken.

"I know you're not that kind of girl," Barry continued, as he finished undoing the buttons, letting the shirt hang open, revealing his stomach, "And I respect you for it. We're just here to change."

With that, Barry suddenly flashed out of the room, returning a moment later with a fresh change of clothes for her. Iris was thankful to see that they weren't as extravagant as the dress he had bought her. It was a simple pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt.

"Thank you," Iris whispered as she took the clothes from him.

Barry's lips twitched. He then pointed to a door in the corner.

"You can change in the bathroom," he told her softly.

Iris nodded and took the clothes from him. She didn't move, though. For a moment the two of them just stared at each other, standing in Barry's hotel room, the water from their clothes dripping onto the carpet. After a moment, Iris gave herself a small shake and tore her eyes away from his.

"Okay," she said quietly, moving to the bathroom to change.

As soon as the door was closed, Iris pressed her back against it and took in a shaky breath. This was crazy! She was in Las Vegas with Barry, who was under the influence of some rogue metahuman. The others were probably worried sick about them, not to mention wondering where the hell she had disappeared to. Her father was probably having a coronary right now over the whole thing. For some reason, Iris hadn't paid that much thought until now. She hadn't been able to make herself care about that. She had just been wrapped up in the moment. Now that she was alone, though, her mind was racing. It had to be nearing two AM by now. She would be able to call the others, and they would take Barry home. And this night…

This night would just be a memory. A fluke night she had spent with Barry in Vegas because of some metahuman. It was all just a fluke, a funny accident.

Iris had to keep telling herself that as she got dressed in Barry's hotel bathroom, which she was just now noticing had its own chandelier. After getting dressed, Iris goggled at it for a moment, also noticing that the bathroom had both a shower and jacuzzi bathtub that looked more like a small swimming pool. It was hard to believe this was a hotel room and not the bathroom of some celebrity's mansion.

When Iris took a deep, mind-clearing breath and finally exited the bathroom, she was surprised to find Barry still in the process of changing. He had changed into a pair of sweatpants, but he was taking his sweet time to put a fresh shirt on.

"So much for being the fastest man alive," she teased, suspecting Barry was purposely taking his time.

He could have changed his clothes in a blink of an eye, and they both knew it. He had intentionally wanted her to find him shirtless when she exited the bathroom. Iris wasn't that naïve. Regardless, she couldn't help but be amused by his antics, especially when they gave her an eyeful of his abs. Seriously, where had those come from?! Had the lightning given them to him?!

Barry smiled knowingly at her.

"I wanted to show you my surprise for you," he grinned.

Iris's heart nearly leapt out of her chest at these words. What the hell did that mean?!

Before she could jump to any conclusions or ask Barry what he meant, he suddenly turned, showing her his bare shoulder. Iris's eyes furrowed in confusion when she saw the dark mark that was there.

She then gasped and clapped a hand to her mouth in shock when she recognized it for what it was.

"Is that a tattoo?!" she shouted.

Barry grinned and nodded.

"Oh, my God, Barry!" Iris shrieked, not knowing weather on not to laugh or scream.

Barry—Barry Allen—had gotten a tattoo! Iris didn't know if she should feel horrified for him or just laugh at the hilarity of the situation. Barry had a tattoo! He was going to be so mortified when all this was over and he was thinking clearly again!

Iris rushed over to him for a closer look at it. Once she saw what it was, she suddenly no longer had any desire to laugh. When her eyes landed on the calligraphic script etched into his skin, all she felt was crippling shock.

Iris

It was her name. Barry had gotten a tattoo of her name!

"Oh…oh, my God, Barry," Iris whispered, running her hand over the tattoo, "Please, please tell me this isn't real!"

Barry smiled and shook his head.

"It's real," he assured her, "I got it done earlier tonight, when you guys were trying to track me down. I told you I'd prove you were the only girl for me."

Iris stared at the tattoo in shock, torn half-way between flattered and horrified. This was insane! This was horrible! Even after they put Barry's mind right, he was going to be stuck with this for the rest of his life! That is, if it didn't fade with his healing abilities. Either way, Barry was going to have this for a while. Iris almost would have found it funny if it wasn't her name that was forever etched into Barry's skin.

"I meant what I said," Barry said quietly, his eyes fixed on her face as she stared at his tattoo, "You mean everything to me, Iris. You're my whole world."

"Barry," Iris choked, a lump forming in her throat.

This wasn't fair. He wasn't thinking clearly right now. It wasn't fair of her to stand here while he poured his heart out to her, under the influence of some metahuman.

"I'm serious," Barry told her, "I don't care what you say. I know you think this is just the metahuman talking, but it's not. I know how I feel. The metahuman just got rid of all the things that were stopping me from saying it. I love you, Iris."

"Barry," Iris said in a strained voice, "Can…can we have this conversation later? Please? I don't want to have this conversation with you when you're—"

"No," Barry cut her off, "I need to say this now, while I still can."

Iris stared at him with wide, watery eyes, unable to say a word as Barry continued.

"I've loved you for over half my life, Iris," he said, "And I know, deep down, you feel something for me, too. I know how hard this is for you, though. You haven't dated anyone since you lost Eddie. Moving on must feel impossible to you, especially with me after everything that's happened between us."

Iris looked down at the floor, and Barry let out a heavy sigh, gently putting his hand under her chin to raise her head up, locking eyes with her.

"Eddie did matter," he said firmly, "His life mattered, and his death should be respected. I never expected you to run off with me the moment he was gone. You wouldn't be the woman I love if you did."

"Barry," Iris choked, tears forming in her eyes.

"But Eddie wouldn't want you to hold yourself back," Barry continued, his voice shaking slightly, "He would want you to find happiness again…and as much as I hope you can find that happiness with me, I'll just be happy to see you happy, Iris. That's all I've ever wanted for you."

"Barry," Iris whispered, "I…"

"You don't have to say anything right now," Barry said quickly, "I'm not saying any of this to pressure you. You can take all the time you need. I just needed to say this. I just needed you to know that my feelings have never changed, not when I was with Patty and not now. I'll always love you, Iris, whether I've been whammied by some metahuman or not and whether you return those feelings or not. I just want you to be happy."

Iris gave Barry a watery smile, a single tear brimming over to roll down her cheek. Barry lovingly swiped it away with his thumb. He took in a shaky breath and looked down at his watch then.

"It's two AM," he said softly.

He walked over to the coffee table and picked something up. With a closer look, Iris saw that it was the sim card for her cell phone. He had hidden it here.

Barry reinstalled the small card into her phone and handed it to her.

"I'll see you at home," he said softly.

Barry flashed out of the hotel room then.

For a moment, Iris just stood there in the empty suite, in shock from the conversation they had just had. She was grateful for the space. He had clearly sensed she needed a moment alone to clear her head, and he had given it to her. She was thankful for that. Iris clenched the phone in her hand.

It took her a full ten minutes to collect herself and call the others.

Even though she was exhausted, she knew she wasn't going to sleep on the flight home.

She had too much to think about.