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Iris felt like her whole body was vibrating, like every atom was fizzing and splitting apart. A little voice in her head that sounded suspiciously like Barry was telling her to slow down, and lay off the espresso but she ignored it. Too much to do, too much to bake, too much to clean, and only one of her. It only started becoming inconvenient when the involuntary twitching kicked in, and the eggs fell on the floor.
"Agh!" Not the most attractive noise, but it expressed her frustration adequately enough for now.
She was in charge of cookies for the precinct Christmas party, since Sergeant Maroney’s wife Lena was being induced and couldn’t do it this year.
She loved the Christmas party, Dad dubbing she and Barry old enough to go had been one of the most exciting days of her life. Last year had been so much fun, and any time her dad enjoyed his work it was a good thing. His colleagues were a good bunch of people too, they looked out for each other and it was like having a third family.
The beeping of the oven alerted her to the latest batch of tiny gingerbread police officers being done with their shift, and she slid over to pull them out, Rudolph socks providing expedient travel.
"Yes! It worked!" She said, bouncing up and down excitedly. She’d had Barry make little cookie cutters in the shape of badges, and tiny people in hats. She’d brushed a glaze over each piece before they went in and as a result the cookies were shiny, crisp, perfect, and smelled fantastic.
She set the tray aside and rotated it out for a batch of chocolate meltaways, humming Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas as she transferred them into the oven. Christmas was her favorite holiday, and her cheer spilled over to Barry, who still didn’t do too well with holidays. Cookies helped though, cookies and espresso helped everyone.
“Have yourself a merry little christmas, make the yuletide gaaaay. From now oooon, your troubles will be miles awaaaaay." Iris crooned, grinning from ear to ear as she threw eggshells and empty bags in the garbage.
Iris bounced back over to the coffee pot, turning it on and pulling out a packet of hot cocoa mix. The more caffeine, the more she could get done before Dad got home from work, and the bigger the surprise.
The persistent hum of the chemicals in her bloodstream were making her chipper, more giggly than normal, and a little bit nauseous but that was fine. The sensation of her whole brain screaming in her skull was one she’d gotten used to, depending on caffeine to keep her functioning normally since sophomore year. Coffee was her friend, and would never betray her, with that in mind she sock-skated back over to her recipe list and started on the shortbread squares.
Swaying as she went, sipping her hot chocolate and singing, Iris slowly covered every surface in the kitchen with high calorie baked goods. She was just finishing the pecan turtles when she heard footsteps behind her. Four espressos, three cups of hot chocolate, and 18 hours of sleeplessness had made her a little punchy.
Wielding a chocolate glaze covered wooden spoon, she spun around, nearly falling flat as her socks caught a floured patch of the floor.
"Who’s there?" she asked, a manic expression crossing her face, the caffeine and cookie dough making her seem more like an angry, strung out elf rather than a high school senior. She raised her spoon, gaze darting across the kitchen for the intruder. A pair of hands landed softly on her shoulders and she screamed, jumping almost a foot in the air.
"What are you doing here?" she shrieked, alarm coursing through her veins despite the cheerful and cold flushed face grinning brightly down at her.
"Hi, Iris. I live here too, remember? Joe wanted me to come home and help you get everything boxed up." Barry said, taking the spoon from her, licking it, and putting it in the sink.
"You scared me!" Iris said, folding her arms, and tapping her reindeer clad foot on the cleanest part of the floor she could find.
"I can see that. Just how much coffee have you had?" Barry asked, surveying the day’s achievements with some unease. A caffeinated Iris was impossible to catch, rein in, or talk down.
"A little…" Iris said, handing Barry the tray of gingerbread officers and pointing to a parchment lined dish on the table.
"A little is a frappuccino, I think you’ve successfully stabilized the Columbian economy. You gonna be okay? Your heart rate and blood sugar levels are probably spiking out of control right now.” Barry said, laying the cookies flat and putting plastic wrap over the dish.
"I’m good, just excited. Since you’re here now, I can go get ready, and we’ll call a cab. Any news on Maroney’s wife yet?" Iris asked, gingerly setting the meltaways in a tin and stacking the clean trays, bowls, and stand mixer in a corner.
"Eight centimeters when I left. They stuck me in the back of the filing room today. There are newspapers from the Twenties in there. You’d love it.” Barry said, sighing tiredly and ambling over to the coffee pot. Iris sped over, her hand slapping his away from her day’s life source.
"Nope, sorry. Mine." She said, smiling sweetly up at him. Neither of them had done much sleeping last night, there had been gifts to wrap, and movies to watch, so tired was the order of the day.
“You need a break.” Barry said, his eyes performing a quick scan of her face, hands, and feet. Iris could feel herself shaking like she’d crack apart but she wouldn’t admit defeat. It was Christmas time, and she wanted to experience all of it.
"I’m fi-put me down!” Iris yelled, as Barry scooped her up and carried her into the downstairs bathroom.
"Not gonna happen. You realize you can overdose on caffeine right?" Barry informed her, a grin lighting his face as he deposited her flour dusted form in the bath tub.
"I said I was-" Iris was cut off again, a stream of cold water hitting her in the face and shocking her.
"Fine, right." Barry was still grinning, and that wouldn’t stand. Iris yanked him over the barrier with a triumphant howl and pushed him under the freezing water, his snowman sweater being soaked through in the process.
They made it to the christmas party after much shoving, swearing, and giggling, and using up almost all of the hot water between the two of them. Christmas was about family, Iris had her dad, he had her, and the rest of the precinct, and they both had Barry. That was something to be merry about.