"How? Tell me, Ollie. How am I supposed to look away now that I've seen you." Barry’s crowding Oliver into the wall of one of his safehouses with a new sense of ease now that he was no longer the flash but instead star cities vigilante. "I'm not good Bear." Oliver sulked, "'M not good, find someone better." But Barry only smiled before placing his knee between Oliver's legs, slipping his hands down the back of Oliver's jeans and pulling them down just enough for his hands to easily grip each cheek harshly. "I don't wanna look at anything." He's pushing Oliver now, grinding him harder and further up his knee, "I don't wanna look at anything else now that I saw you." Barry's whispering now, "On purpose Ollie. I love you on purpose." Slipping his fingers in Barry's beltloops Oliver tugs lightly "C'mon, always with the teasing."
Oliver's fucking smiling ear to ear whimpering Barrys' name like its gospel. Oliver with a little help from his new superpower quickly manurers them toward the living room. Settling himself in the couch Oliver pulls, tugging at Barry until he’s over Oliver’s lap, chest in the sofa, ass in the fucking air. “Love my suit on you Bear” and because he can he smacks it “looks so fuckin’ good.”
All that keeps replaying in Oliver’s head is “fuck maybe we’d be together in any universe” and before he realizes “bear… I dunno, maybe we’d be together no matter the timeline” and then Barry’s sitting up and wrapping his arms around Oliver’s neck “maybe we weren’t written in the stars but I’ll keep choosing you.” Rubbing Barry’s back softly Oliver kisses his forehead “Yeah, I think it’s too late for me me anyhow, I can’t turn you out of my heart it’s like a part of you lives there now.”
Welcome to Fanfic Friday! Each Friday I will post a new fanfic here and on A03. Enjoy x
Read/Save it on A03 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/31733458
{training dates}
Ship: olivarry
Status: dating
Warnings: none :)
WC: 1,646
Barry’s POV
It sort of all started when I got my powers. And I ran to Oliver.
“I’ve spent my whole life searching for the impossible, never imagining that I would become the impossible.”
“So why come to me? Something tells me you didn’t just run 600 miles to say hi to a friend.”
“All my life I’ve wanted to do, more. Be more. And now I am. And the first chance I get to help someone, I screw up. What if Wells is right? What if I’m not a hero? What if I am just some guy who got stuck by lighting?”
“I don’t think that bolt of lighting struck you Barry,” Oliver paused, “I think it chose you.”
“I’m just not sure I’m like you, Oliver. I don’t know if I can be some, vigilante,” I whispered, looking down.
“You can be better. You can inspire people. In a way I never could. Watching over your city like a guardian angel, making a difference. Saving people,” he smirked, “In a flash.”
He walked to the edge of the building, “Take your own advice, wear a mask.” Oliver then got out his bow to zipline off the rooftop.
“Oliver, wait,” I called, thinking.
“Yeah, Barry?” he said, turning around.
“I-i can’t fight. I can’t be strong. And tough.”
“Yes, you can. Meet me at my club, Verdant, in a week. Same time.”
“Your club?”
“Yes, my club.”
And then he did his robin hood and swung away.
A lot happens in a week. Take down metas, learn to swirl my arms to make wind, realize I have a bit of a crush on Oliver Queen. Please ignore the last one.
I arrived at his club the following week at midday. During that time, I recalled that his secret lair was in the sublevel of his club.
“Hello Barry,” he greeted.
“Hi. So, um-”
“Come at me. I’m going to hit you with an arrow.”
“Sure you are,” I smirked.
“Go, go.”
I sped off 100 or so meters, and then ran straight at him. He fired an arrow, and it slowly made its way towards me. With a cheeky smile, I grabbed it and stopped.
“Nice try Ollie, to-OCHHCHHC. Fuck-what?”
“Awareness of your surroundings,” Oliver said, pulling the arrows out of my back.
“Ow ow it hurts.”
“That was lesson one. The battlefield is just that, it’s a field. It’s not one person in one place, it's a network of people all trying to kill,” he places a finger on my chest, “You.”
I was still in pain, and not too fond of him.
“You know there are less painful ways to teach that lesson?”
“You showed up, you knew what you were getting yourself into,” he stated blatantly.
“Well-no. No. I didn’t really want an arrow in my back.”
“Would you prefer to train on a deserted Island on the coast of the China Sea?” he said jokingly.
“No. Fine.”
He led me down to his base.
“Come ‘ere,” he said, pointing to where a punching bag was set up.
“This place gets cooler every time,” I mumbled under my breath.
“Punch,” he instructed. I started speed punching the bag, and it almost immediately broke.
“Well I’d say that was pretty good,” I said, smiling.
“Horrible. No control.”
“What? I broke the bag.”
“Don’t speed punch. Punch normally,” he said, replacing the bag.
I started punching as hard as I could.
“Untuck your thumb,” he commented, “You’re going to break it.”
I kept punching, taking his feedback and applying it.
“Wrist straight,” he said, taking my wrist into his hand and holding it steady.
Almost 45 minutes later, I was exhausted.
“My arms, I, I can’t feel them.”
“Good, now fight me.”
“Excuse me?”
“Sparring, let's go. No fucking speedy shit, alright?”
“Ollie, I don’t think I physically can.”
“Oh yes you can.” He took my arm and dragged me onto the mat. I threw some weak punches at him, not moving. He was not holding back.
“Oliver, are you just going to continue to BEAT me up?”
“When you start trying, I will stop punching.”
I gritted my teeth and started throwing more meaningful punches.
“Good, come on, keep your feet right.”
I threw another punch.
“Don’t lean back, move forward.”
After another 15 minutes of sparring, he called it.
“Done.”
“Is that all?” I joked.
“I mean we can do more,” he teased back.
“Nah I’m good. I feel like I should get a certificate, like, ‘congrats you completed your first Oliver Queen superhero training session.’”
“Idiot,” he smirked.
“Thanks.”
“Right, I should get back to my city. Same time next week?”
“Yes.”
I reached out to hug him.
“I’m not really a hugger, Barry.”
“Well, technically I could just speed and hug you, so you might as well just…”
He smiled, and we briefly hugged.
“Thanks Ollie.”
“See ya.”
Most sessions were similar to that. Well, not similar but the same vibe. He had me slap water for two hours once. He made me lift sand another time. Anyway, the training was hard and weird, but it seemed to be working. However, they started to shift. We were mainly sparring after three months, him giving me tips.
“Good sessions,” he said, chucking me a bottle of water.
“Thanks,” I huffed, collapsing into a chair.
He walked over to his salmon ladder, and he pulled his shirt off. Update, the crush got much worse which could, really, only be expected.
He started to go upwards, and I did definitely stare. Him jumping down caught my attention.
“You wanna get some food?” he asked.
“Yeah, sure, yeah. Where?”
Where ended up being big belly burger, and, as the flash, I ate a shedload.
“That. Is. Disgusting,” Ollie said, smiling endearingly.
“You do you.”
“So, how’s everything in Central?”
“Yeah, it’s metahuman and that.”
“Right, descriptive.” We both chuckled.
“How’s everyone here?”
“Oh we’re hanging on as usual.”
“Mine wasn’t descriptive enough,” I said, sarcastically.
“What, you want me to give a rundown of every person in my life?”
No, I want to know if you and Felicity still have this weird “in love” thing going on.
“You know what, sure,” I smirked.
“You are a child, Barry Allen.”
I just laughed.
We stayed a while just chatting, long after we’d finished eating. We were both red from laughter. and he was smiling brighter than I’d ever seen him.
It became a tradition of sorts. Train and go get food. He’d take me to all his favorite spots, we’d eat, and stay for hours just talking.
One day we were sparring, and I’d somehow ended up under him. He slowly leaned in, and I gave him a little nodd. The kiss lasted far too little time for my liking.
I was smirking at him, “Does someone have a little crush?”
“Shut up, I see how you look at me shirtless.”
“Fair. You look very hot shirtless,” I said, “Your heart is beating fast.’
“So is yours.”
He leaned in again, and this kiss lasted longer.
“You wanna go for dinner?”
“As in a date?” I inquired.
“As in dinner, you know. Maybe. People eat dinner.”
“We’ve been dating for months now, neither of us cared to admit it,” I joked, walking towards a chair.
“No,” he said, thinking.
I shoot him a “really” look.
“Aright so yes, we have. Do you wanna get dinner?”
“Yes, Ollie, I want to get dinner.”
So from there we basically just dated. Woah revolutionary I know. Training sessions became covers for dates. Sleeping at his became a late night’s work. In the chaos of everything, we found peace in each other.
Oliver’s POV
“Can you run this through facial recognition please, Felicity?”
“Yeah,” she said, tapping on her keyboard.
My phone began to ring, and I saw it was Barry.
I shot Felicity a look and headed to the backroom in the lair.
“Hey Be-”
“Hello,” a voice said. I recognized it to be Cisco.
“Cisco?”
“Yeah? Oliver?”
“Why do you have Barry’s phone?”
“Barry told me to call this number if he was ever in trouble?”
I panicked, “Is, is h-he alright?”
“Well, yes, no, he’s sorta-”
“I’m coming now.”
“Felicity, I’m going to Central City, work stuff.”
“What work exactly?”
“Stuff.”
“Secret girlfriend stuff?”
“W-what?”
“Come on, we all see you smiling at your texts, spending way too much time in Central City with'' Barry,” and the way your face lights up when you get a call.”
“I-no. I don’t have a secret girlfriend.” Boyfriend, I have a secret boyfriend who happens to not be doing so well.
“Where is he? Where’s Barry?”
“Med bed, right there,” Caitlin said, “Be careful, he’s resting.”
“What the hell happened to him?” I said, fuming.
“He got stabbed. Fight.”
I ran over to his bed, grabbing his hand.
“Barry,” I said softly.
His eyes fluttered open softly.
“Ollie, ollie. Y-you came.”
“Of course, baby, why would I not be here?”
He just tried to move closer to me.
“Hey, hey, you stay still.”
“Cuddles? Please cuddles.”
I carefully made my way under the covers, and Barry immediately cuddled into me. He quickly fell asleep to the calming motion of my fingers running through his hair.
I just held on to Barry, hoping he’d get better. Hoping he’d be fine.
A few hours later his eyes fluttered open.
“Ollie?”
“I’m right here, Bear.”
“I think they know,” he said, smiling.
“They might have a suspicion.”
“All this started from a bit of training.”
I kissed his forehead, “God, you idiot, you had me worried there.”
“You can’t get rid of me that quick.”
“And I’m so glad.”
His lips met mine, and we kissed for a short moment.
“I think I love you Barry Allen.”
He smiled his million dollar smile, “Oliver Queen? Love?”
“Only you.”
“I love you, too Ollie.”
Read/Save it on A03 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/31733458
Yes, this is inspired in the 1D song. Yes, this is very fluffy. Yes, I'm crying :)
When Felicity asked Oliver who was the lucky girl to be in the vigilante's mind, he looked very confused.
The only girls he had contact with right now were Felicity and Laurel, and none of them were in his mind.
But when he denied it, she didn't believed him.
"Oh come on, you have been all thoughtful and smiley, and there are times where you don't even pay attention to me" Felicity raised an eyebrow, suspicious "Don't you dare lie to me!" he pointed at him with her finger, judging him.
Oliver raised his hands "It's true" then he put them down and frowned "Also, I'm always thoughtful"
"But you barely smile enough, now you are all smiley and sunshine, you even begin to look like Barry"
As the mention of that name, his mind instantly brought an image of that brunette kid.
The kid that has also been in his mind since he saw the news about "the Flash".
"Aha! There it is again! Maybe it's someone from Central..." Felicity stopped talking suddenly and it seemed like she freezed for a whole minute.
"What?" he asked desperate for all of this questioning to end.
"You like Barry"
Oliver almost choked.
"What?!" he laughed sarcastically.
"You don't just like Barry, you're fully into him" she pointed, almost as if she was entering to a new reality where everything was more clear.
"I don't- I'm not- Barry? Seriously?"
"Oh my god!" she covered her mouth "Oh my god! How mad Barry was about your training when you two fought, how Barry didn't want to say goodbye to none of us after your whole "who would win" thing, what happened there?"
Oliver was screwed.
"We kissed, okay? I kissed him the first time, and I stopped him both" he sighed as he closed his eyes, remembering.
"Both?! Are you kidding me? Why would you do that? Have you seen Barry? He's probably the best guy ever" Felicity said frustrated as she moved her hands "However, how did it happened? When did you got close to him or what...?"
"Remember when he came to Star City to ask me for help after he woke up from the coma?" she nodded "Well, he may have... stayed at my place that night" now it seemed like her eyes were about to pop off her face "He literally run milles to come here and he didn't ate anything so he was almost passing out"
"You are telling me he, not only came here just to ask you for help, but you had dinner together? and then he stayed in your place?!"
"Yes Felicity, that's exactly what I'm telling you" he sighed while he looked down to his shoes, praying to the universe to stop with this conversation.
"And you weren't going to tell me?!" she almost yelled "Why the hell did you stopped him?"
"I don't know! I don't want to hurt his feelings" he stopped to think about what was he saying "I don't even know If I like him" now he whispered.
"Well, spoiler alert, you do" the blonde rolled her eyes, wanting to hit him in the head so bad "Have you seen yourself lately? You literally can't not smile at the simple mention of him, come on, if you kissed him first, there should be at least one reason why you are attracted to him"
Barry's image came to his mind again.
"I think... it's the little things, you know" Oliver thought about the smile the green eyed man gave, which he hoped would be especially for him "His smile" it almost sounded as a question.
"Come on Oliver, think harder" Felicity pressured.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
"Partners?" he smiled very excited while he extended his hand.
"Partners" Oliver stretched his hand and smiled too, thinking how both hands fitted perfectly, as If they were made for each other.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Oliver watched as Barry took his shirt off, showing the now scars of the arrows he shoot him.
"It should have been recovered by now, maybe there's a piece of arrow still in my back, I think I can feel it" Barry murmured in pain.
Oliver approached to cure him, and he saw those little freckles in his back.
For a second, he let himself lose in the moment, joining up the dots as if they were constellations.
For a second, it all made sense to him
Then, the next thing he remembers is kissing Barry.
A slow kiss that seemed like an eternity, like it was meant to be.
And none of them wanted to stop it, until Oliver came back to the reality.
What was he doing?
"Oh, I'm so sorry" Oliver started to apologize, wanting to run out of there.
"It's okay" Barry calmed him, while having the biggest smile the archer has ever seen in him.
His smile was so big that made it appear little crinkles by his eyes; Barry instantly covered them, apparently, he didn't like them.
But Oliver loved them.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
When Barry and Oliver arrived the archer's place after having dinner in Big Belly Burger, the new speedster sat on the couch while the other went to the kitchen.
"Oliver, I can go home, it's okay" Barry insisted for the almost twentieth time that night.
"Barry, you almost passed out in my arms, you need rest so tomorrow you can go back to your city and be the hero you always wanted to be" He stated, making him know he couldn't argue "Anyways, do you want to drink something?"
Instantly, Barry was on the kitchen with him, making Oliver jump with surprise. It was still weird for him.
"Um yes... do you have tea?" Oliver turned to look at him, weirded out.
"After all the burgers you ate, and you are going to drink tea now? Feeling fitness?" He teased, repressing his laughter.
"It's not about that, you idiot" He laughed "I can't go to bed without a cup of tea, it relaxes me"
"Okay, Mr. British, I..." opened one of the cabinets to see that box of tea bags Thea bought last week for him "Have this" he showed them.
"Oh, I love those!" He jumped excited.
He nodded and put the water to boil.
"Ok, so now I have to bring the blankets and everything so we can stay here in the couch..."
"We?" Barry interrupted him.
"Of course, we don't know how your powers work yet, what if you start running asleep or something?"
"Oh so we are having a hero sleepover" Barry teased him "Let's make it a tradition" He laughed. Oliver was really talking to a kid.
He sighed as he squeezed his nose with his fingers.
"Anyways, I'm going for the blankets" he started walking to the stairs.
"Where are they?"
"In the wardrobe next to my room"
Then he felt a gust of wind and the next second his couch seemed like a perfect and comfy bed.
"Ready" He smiled while staring at him.
"Ok, now that is annoying" He pointed at him and laughed.
And hours later, Barry fell asleep in the middle of the movie they were watching, making Oliver laugh internally because "I never fell asleep in movies Ollie, how dare you?"
And all he could think about was that nickname in the speedster's lips. Because for the first time, he didn't associate it with the island, he associated it with that smiley little brunette sleeping next to him.
He thought about it so much that for a moment he could even hear it.
"Ollie" Barry muttered.
"What?" Oliver turned to look at him, but he was still with that peaceful face that signed he was still asleep.
"Ollie" Barry muttered again.
Oliver laughed silently, noticing he was talking asleep.
"What?" he muttered again.
"Don't tell Ollie, but I think he can inspire too, he's an inspiration to me" Barry mumbled and turned to the other side.
Oliver smiled, thinking he would do what he asked and keep that conversation in secret for everyone.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
"Ollie c'mon, we've been doing this for hours, it's a tie get over it" Barry teased him
"Tired, Flash?" he smirked.
"You asked for it" he began to run towards him again.
And it wasn't that hard for the speedster to tackle him, after all, Oliver was still human and he was exhausted, but he won't give up that easily; he tackled Barry too and they fought on the floor.
Until the moment Barry ended up above him, laughing while he had his hands locked up with only one of his.
Oliver wasn't a good loser, but this time he accepted it only for the sight of Barry like that.
And the green eyed man stared at him as he saw a smile appear in his lips. The next thing he knew, he was kissing those lips, surprising the archer.
It took a moment for Oliver to react and continue the kiss.
A kiss that felt like an eternity, an eternity neither of them wanted to end.
But it was Oliver who did it.
"Barry... I'm sorry... I- I can't..." the vigilante muttered.
And the brunette stood up immediately.
"I understand, you don't really like me, do you?" He stared at him expectant "Of course you don't, why would you though? I'm just an ordinary scientist who just happened to got struck by lightning" he mumbled so fast he almost didn't understand.
"No, it's not you" all the words got stuck in his throat as a lot of feelings were in his mind.
"Of course it's me, I'm such an idiot, why would you even care?"
He wanted to tell him how perfect he was, how the problem was him and how he didn't want to hurt him. But he only managed to whisper "Barry..."
"Save it, Oliver" he ran away from there way to his city.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
"Oliver..." Felicity almost wanted to palm her face. Oliver put his head up, waiting for her to talk when he noticed his cheeks were hurting.
He had been smiling while counting all the things he loved about Barry.
Loved...
"Oliver. Jonas. Queen." she approached him very slowly with probably the most scary face she has ever done "You better get your billionaire ass on a train way to Central City right now or the League of Assasins would be the less of your problems" she pointed at him.
"And what am I supposed to tell him?" he moved his hands in frustration.
"Oh, I don't know! How about "I'm sorry for being a jerk, I love you, let's kiss"!" she acted very desperate.
"Felicity, I can't just go back to there and tell him that!"
"Oh yes you can and you will" she pushed him to the exit "And you better not come back until you have told him or I won't let you in"
"Felicity..."
"Go, now"
When he arrived Central City, he felt very lost for the first time in years, he didn't know where to find him since he didn't want to explain to his team nor his best friend/sister/whatever what was Oliver Queen doing a random friday in Central City.
He was infinitely thankful when Felicity texted him she hacked the speedster's phone and found him in the West house.
"Olli- Oliver... What are you doing here?" Barry's eyes seemed like they were about to pop off his face as the sight of the blue eyed man in his old house's porche.
"Can i talk to you for a sec?"
Barry looked back at Joe putting the plates on the table while Iris and Eddie chatted with him and helped with the dinner; took his jacket and went out with him.
As the weirded look in Oliver's eyes, he explained "Family dinner"
Oliver nodded "It's okay, we can talk another time" he turned around, ready to ran away from there.
"If you went all the way from Star City in your bike just to talk, it must be important" Barry stopped him.
"Yes" he grimaced before turning around again "I just wanted to... apologize for... you know" he scratched his neck, nervous.
Why did he had to listen to Felicity?
"No, I don't" he said obvious.
"I wanted to apologize for being a jerk, I shouldn't have let you ran away that day" the archer sighed "You were wrong. Of course I would notice you, you have been extraordinary even before that lightning struck you; of course I did notice you, you haven't left my mind since you entered to Queen Consolidated that day" Oliver inhaled, taking the courage he needed "And you were wrong because I do love you" he exhaled, feeling the weight leave his shoulders.
"Bu- No... You can't-" Barry was terrified it all ended up as just a bad joke.
Oliver sighed again "What can I do for you to believe me? I love you, I love when you're so happy it shows the crinkles by your eyes when you smile, I love your freckles, I love how you talk in your sleep, I love how much faith you have in me, even more than I do; what can I do for you to understand? I love all these little things 'cause it's you they add up to, and I'm in love with you" He stated, never feeling so sure in his life about something than right now.
And Barry was speechless, because he loved him too since they met but he wasn't as good with words as Oliver.
So he kissed him.
But this time was different, this time they felt everything, they felt the electricity, they felt the connection; but more important, they felt the love.
The impossible happened and I managed to write (probably) my last Olivarry fic and I’m actually proud of myself XD If you want, feel free to read it here or down below! <3
Coffee Beans And Cakes, It's You For Whom My Heart Aches
Summary: Barry Allen thought he was done with love. He had missed out all his chances and if love was supposed to be only unrequited in his case, then what the hell was the point? So he filled his life with routines and small pleasures to keep himself going and convince himself he was okay. He hadn't anticipated one of those routines would eventually sabotage him and turn his whole life around, but sometimes you just need to live in a lie for a while to be able to see the truth. Barry learned that the hard way.
Relationships: Barry Allen/Oliver Queen
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, First Meetings, Friends to Lovers, First Kiss, Love Confessions, Slow Burn
Words: 13268
It was three o'clock in the afternoon when Barry finally turned off his computer and hurried out of his lab, waving both Joe and Eddie with a smile, silently dodging their offers to accompany him which they both knew were fruitless to ask. It was his habit to stop by Jitters for his favorite kind of coffee and spend a few minutes in solitude just sipping and relishing the bittersweet taste he knew so well and today was no different. Being already twenty-nine, it was only normal to have his life filled with small routines like this that ultimately were the sole reason why he was able to be himself and not just some kind of zombie, struggling to see the point in waking up in the morning. Don't get him wrong. Sometimes, days got rough and he was on the zombie spectrum more than he would actually like, but when that happened, it was small pleasures like this that got him back to smiling and simply enjoying what he was supposed to no matter how much other people considered it crucial.
Nothing new ever happened during his afternoon visits to Jitters. He just loved that where people were usually swarming inside like bees in their hives he could have a peaceful time and think. It was liberating in ways not many people would understand but he didn't care. He just knew he wouldn't change this routine for anything. As hectic as his life sometimes was, this was something he wanted to keep intact no matter what. Too bad destiny had other ideas.
As expected, there were only a few people inside. One man was standing by the cash register, strikingly aggravated by the debate he was having with the barista, which Barry supposed looked more like an argument despite how the man, probably in his thirties, was trying to stay calm. Barry moved to stand a few feet next to him in a queue he just created, patiently waiting for his turn. He absolutely didn't mean to eavesdrop, his parents and Joe had raised him better than that, but he was standing right there and it wasn't his fault the man was apparently losing his patience and raising his voice as the result. Besides, he couldn't simply leave his spot unless he decided to skip the coffee and go home, which in his mind was not an option. Not even some uptight customer would change that, thank you very much.
So he just stood there and listened because what else was really there to do?
"Sir, I apologize, but I've already told you that this cake is reserved for the couple’s menu only. Feel free to choose any other, though. Surely we can come to an agreement we'll both like," the female barista said, doing her utmost best to remain as polite as possible even though Barry could see her resolve was on the brink of despair.
"I don't want any other cake," the man stated. "It's my son's favorite, always has been. We have it every time we're here. It never was 'reserved for a couple’s menu only' before so why now?"
"It's our policy to include some desserts for only specific types of menus and I'm sorry, but I don't make these rules."
"I understand, but can't you make an exception just this once? You'll get your money either way. Besides, it's not like this place is filled with people fighting for this particular cake and you're gonna close soon anyway."
"I'm afraid there's nothing I can do, sir," the barista sighed and looked genuinely sorry and annoyed by this stupid policy too, but her hands were tied. Her boss probably wasn't one of the kindest people on this planet.
"Of course," the man scoffed. "It's funny, though. Not sure when exactly love of couples started being more important than love for your own damn child." The venom behind those words was borderline outrageous, even more, when Barry noticed how it made the barista slump her shoulders in defeat and shame, but it was probably the thing that caused Barry's life to change so radically that day. While everyone else would most likely judge the man for being too harsh on the woman, Barry focused on this customer's reasoning and intentions that were definitely meant to be good and decided to help out. That was how he'd been raised after all.
"Actually," he spoke, causing the barista to look at him, "he's here with me." What happened next was downright comical as the man literally froze mere inches before the exit door and spun around to gape, unabashed, at this man he'd never seen before, claiming they were a couple.
As tempted as Barry was to burst out laughing on spot, he formed a smile and turned to the barista that was staring him down skeptically. She wasn't stupid. Of course it was obvious he didn't know the man that just made his way back to them, still gaping at him, but then again, it wasn't like they needed some license or document to show they were dating. They just needed to convince her to either believe them or take pity on them. Whichever came first.
"I'm sorry about him," he started again, motioning to the man next to him. "He's not much of a people person, but he means well."
"And he's your boyfriend," the woman summarized, not buying a single word, and glanced at the other man. "Why didn't you say so before? You must have noticed him coming here."
"We usually keep it quiet. He's a bit shy, you know?" Barry clarified, letting his eyes fall on the man and locking them with his on instinct, suddenly finding it nearly impossible to look anywhere else besides the magnificent shade of blue boring into his. He almost forgot he was supposed to make sure the barista bought his little act. "Darling, I told you, you should've waited for me. We would've solved this together and spared your nerves. As much as I like the grey strands in your hair, smiling suits you better."
At this comment, the man openly glared at him, but his eyes, those incredibly pretty eyes, were glinting with amusement that kept Barry's smile intact without him even putting real effort in it.
"I was waiting for you," the man joined in. "for full ten minutes even. It's not my fault you're always late, honey."
"Seems that supertardiness is one of my powers. Glad it didn't stop you from falling in love with me."
"Believe me, I'm questioning myself about this all the time," the man teased and smirked.
Barry couldn't contain the small chuckle escaping his lips and the absolute wonder that this whole charade was going so well despite them having no clue who the other person was. Barry was too old to believe in fairytales, but part of him never stopped being a dreamer. It was probably why this connection between him and the blue-eyed stranger seemed to be almost magical like it wasn't just random luck but a plan in the grand scheme of things. But that was just silly and he was the fool for imagining otherwise when he was probably the only one feeling this.
Once he couldn't face these thoughts without breaking off his act of a loving boyfriend, he glanced at the barista and found her looking at them with an odd expression. Some sort of mixture of amusement and intrigue, probably, but then again he was only skilled in reading criminals per se, so he could be wrong. He put the question of figuring it out later to the back of his mind before he broke the silence that was on the brink of becoming awkward. "Could we have the couple’s menu, please?"
The woman snapped out of whatever trance she was in and beamed at them without any trace of her previous embarrassment intact, taking in their coffee orders and asking for their names, for which Barry was more grateful than ever since it was the most subtle way of finding out who the man was he could hope for.
"Barry." "Oliver." They both said at the exact same time, momentarily stunning the whole party. Barry's eyes once again met Oliver's, already getting lost in them and their spellbinding glimmer as if he had nothing better to do that day than openly stare.
"You seemed to be in real sync," the woman pointed out as she was writing the names right into the huge red hearts decorating the cups that were most definitely ordered for the sole purpose of labeling everyone who proved to be worthy of getting the couple's menu. It was sweet, but all Barry could do was inwardly laugh about it when he noticed how Oliver glared at the cups. "Does this happen a lot?"
"Oh, yeah, all the time. We're practically the same person," Barry answered and saw the tiny smile playing on Oliver's lips from the corner of his eyes for what it was, ignoring how elevated it instantly made him.
"You're really lucky, then," the woman said and smiled so warmly Barry almost started regretting they were so openly lying to her. But only almost.
"Hear that, Ollie? You're lucky to have me," he teased and, for reasons he probably won't ever be able to grasp, bumped his shoulder against Oliver's. He had no idea where this boldness came from, but the man next to him didn't recoil or stiffen and he decided to take that as a good sign.
"You shouldn't encourage him," Oliver said to the barista, shaking his head. "He's insufferable enough as he is."
"Says the guy who wanted to burn this whole place down minutes ago," Barry countered. "Don't you think an apology is in order? You're the one that keeps telling me agreements and rules are here to be followed not broken every time I'm late."
This time it was Oliver who moved closer, not out of fake affection like Barry had, though. Not that it really mattered to Barry's hammering heart once he felt a strong arm hooking around his shoulders and spreading warmth through his whole body as he heard the blue-eyed stranger whisper: "You're playing with fire."
However bewildered Barry was from the whole situation, he didn't let this intimidate him. "Do you want me to tell certain someone we both know that it's okay not to apologize for being a bit of a jerk?"
"I was not-" Oliver began but his words came up short when Barry just arched one of his eyebrows at him. He was probably having too much fun with this, but after having such a boring day at work, this was exhilarating to the bone and he couldn't get enough of it. "Fine," Oliver sighed in defeat and aimed his next words at the barista, who was once again dedicating them that same odd look like before. She smiled after hearing Oliver's apology and waved with her hand, saying she understood Oliver's outrage at the policy she didn't see the point of either.
"See?" Barry remarked and smiled. "Wasn't so hard now, was it?"
Oliver merely chuckled and only then let go of Barry's shoulders, making him involuntarily wonder why it caused a small downfall to his mood not to be so close to the older man anymore.
The barista once again saved him from any more uncomfortable questions his brain was so fond of sending his way when she asked whether they wanted to have the cake packed or not. When Oliver confirmed the former option, she sheepishly asked for the name of his son and wrote down "William" on the pink box covered in numerous hearts of various sizes, which once again didn't fail to make Barry chuckle. He got a glare aimed at him in return, but something was telling him every time Oliver did that, the venom behind it got less and less serious.
Once they had the cake safely in the box and their coffees in their hands, Oliver proceeded to pay before Barry could even get his wallet out. Had things been any different, he would have argued about this, but he figured it made sense that only one of them would pay since they were "together" and besides, he understood it for Oliver's way of saying thank you since Barry was the sole reason he got the cake for his son in the first place.
Barry anticipated they would exchange vague goodbyes after that since the barista was already too busy with another customer to pay them any mind and be on their way back to their lives as if nothing like this happened with the only difference that they now had a hell of a story to tell, but no such thing happened. Barry proceeded to go sit down to his usual spot and Oliver followed, awkwardly asking whether Barry would mind him sitting there with him, to which Barry merely smiled and nodded.
"It's nice to meet you by the way," he said, not raising his hand for a handshake and risking the barista would see. "Circumstances could've been better, but it was fun."
"You made that abundantly clear," Oliver deadpanned.
"Hey, you got your cake, didn't you? So if anything you should be grateful."
Oliver shook his head but smiled at his strained tantrum and Barry felt warm all over because he knew that meant the man was as grateful as he should be and Barry didn't need to hear the words to know that. Somehow just seeing was enough in this case and send his heart skyrocketing for no valid reason yet again.
"Why did you do it, though?" Oliver eventually asked.
Barry could reply with another teasing remark, but he decided to go with the truth instead. "Because you were right. When you said that love between two people who are a couple shouldn't mean more than the love parents have for their child. I'm pretty sure they have a suggestion box here somewhere. We might let them know what we think."
"And see them ignore it and keep doing whatever the hell they want? No thank you."
"Are you always this optimistic or should I just consider myself lucky?"
"It's just been a hectic week for me."
"Central isn't to your taste?"
"Is it that obvious that I'm not from here?"
"Only to people who you're fake-dating," Barry teased. "You're visiting or?"
"I've recently moved in, actually. To stay close to my son."
Weirdly enough, only then did some trivial realizations dawn on Barry. After all, he knew from Iris that a certain person of her interest had moved from Star City to Central recently. "You're Oliver Queen, right?"
"We're already on the full name basis? Here I thought you were one of those people that would take things slow in a relationship."
Barry's eyes widened in amusement after hearing an honest-to-god joke from the man who seemed anything but carefree not so long ago. "I consider our relationship too special for that."
"In that case, you should know it's not fair I don't know your full name."
"Barry Allen," Barry replied, unable to fight off his smile. Exchanging names like this had to mean something, right? If Oliver planned to forget this day even happened, that they met in such a crazy way, he surely wouldn't go through the trouble of staying there, talking with Barry and possibly finding out more, would he? More importantly, what was Barry promising himself to get out of this? What was he hoping all this meant?
"I bet your son is gonna love the box once he sees it," he changed the subject to keep his mind in here and now. "Horrid pink with hearts all over. Who wouldn't love such a creative design?"
Oliver openly laughed at the comment which Barry stored in his brain for safekeeping on instinct. "He's gonna love the story behind it even more."
The conversation didn't cease any time soon after that. Sure, there were moments of silence between them, but they all felt as natural as the times their mouths were overloaded with words. Whoever walked past them, there was no way they suspected Oliver and Barry had just met. It was like the barista said, they were awfully in sync to be mere strangers to each other. Barry could muse about it in his head, but he knew that wouldn't get him anywhere he liked and so he just kept the conversation flowing as effortlessly as before.
They left the coffee shop together. Oliver thanked him again, with words this time, and after they exchanged goodbyes and smiles, that was it. Barry was on his way home, feeling like the world could collapse and he wouldn't notice because while his legs were moving, his mind had failed to leave Oliver's side just yet. Once he realized it, he chastised himself for keeping his hopes up when the odds of him seeing Oliver again were so close to zero it hurt. Not in a way how hearing Iris and Eddie were getting married did, of course, but it still hurt more than it probably should have considering everything. So he decided to stop thinking about it once and for all and just get on with his life, back to his routines and stability.
To his utter surprise, he found out that it wasn't even remotely that simple when he walked into Jitters the next day and noticed Oliver waiting for his turn. He politely said hi as he passed by and was stunned to the bone when Oliver not only said it back but engaged him in the conversation before he could get too far. Just like that, they fell right back in whatever force was making sure they felt good in each other's company. And once it was their turn to order, somehow, without either of them confident enough to explain it, they just knew they were gonna drink from the cups covered in love again. It was a silent agreement between them. That day and every one that followed until it became another routine bringing joy to Barry's life.
Oliver rarely decided to take the cake currently on the offer with him home. Instead, he ordered just one piece which they both shared as they were sipping on their coffees and talking. Neither of them minded the charade they had to keep going in order to convince every barista that they were indeed a couple. It wasn't a matter of not wanting to risk someone calling them on their bullshit one day or not being able to live without having their coffees served in the horrid looking colors. The couple's menu was cheaper than getting all of it separate and while that shouldn't matter since the cheapest approach would be paying solely for their own coffees by themselves and not getting any cake, it made perfect sense to both of them when the possibility to spend the time together was on the table. Most of the baristas didn't care about whether they were telling the truth or not either. Only the woman from the first day did even though Barry was pretty sure she was fully aware they were only faking and just kept her mouth shut to keep the game going.
That was probably why Barry was doing it too. It was fun, exhilarating and yet so natural he didn't feel nervous or under any kind of pressure even when he forgot to watch himself and leaned maybe just too close to Oliver's personal zone. Then he remembered that he was supposed to fake they were in love after all and he leaned all the way in, using Oliver's biceps as a pillow or squeezing his shoulder and relishing in how it felt when Oliver returned the gesture.
It didn't take long before these moments in Jitters started being his favorite part of the day. He was no longer questioning the magical vibe between them. It was just warming him to the core that he had a friend who was so easy to talk to. With Iris being busy planning her own wedding, he had every right to miss such simple interactions that were about serious talk as much as it was about merely messing around. Two months of these regular meetings passed and he felt like Oliver could safely compete with both Joe and Iris about who knew him best and possibly come of it as the winner and from what he learned from Oliver, the feeling had to be somewhat mutual.
One day, however, turned out to be different after all when Barry entered Jitters and couldn't see Oliver anywhere inside the coffee shop. His face fell down for a split second before he realized he was being ridiculous, relying on a deal they never had in the first place. Oliver was his own person after all. He couldn't expect the billionaire to come there every day for the rest of their lives. Besides, it was probably a sign that Oliver had grown tired of their silly charade and this was his way of showing they needed to stop. Barry could understand that although he was definitely going to miss the cups where Oliver's name would occasionally be written with a small heart above the letter "i" instead of a dot. Even the mere thought made him smile despite how bitter he was still feeling.
But then the door to the coffee shop opened and there was Oliver with his blue eyes so bright Barry supposed all those magazines were rightfully going mad over them. Not that he'd read any of them, but he knew from all those times Iris' celebrity crush would be showing just a tiny bit too much.
Their eyes fell on each other, making Barry's heart leap in his chest when Oliver dedicated him one of his rare but immensely warm smiles. It was as if this one moment, however brief, was straight out of a romance novel, ending in the most horrid way ever when Barry noticed Oliver didn't come alone that day.
As soon as the blonde woman with glasses and a smile so charming Barry felt his stomach drop, leaving him utterly confused because what the hell, Oliver looked at her and Barry supposed that was that. He watched them interact, witnessing Oliver dedicate her the same smile, and fighting not to visibly squirm. She was really pretty and they looked good together. Barry should be happy for his friend because that was what they were. Friends. They were not together. Never would be. Not because Oliver wouldn't handle being in a serious relationship, Barry knew him well enough to know that was just bullshit the tabloids kept feeding to maintain interest among their readers, but because they were just pretending and that was okay. It was what they both wanted.
But then why did he suddenly feel so hollow?
He didn't get a chance to find out that day when he noticed both Oliver and the woman with him were making his way to him. Shit, shit, shit, what was he supposed to do? To say? What if they noticed him staring and thought he was weird? What if this woman was going to scold him for making the whole coffee shop believe he was dating her boyfriend? What if Oliver no longer wanted anything to do with him?
"No supertardiness today?" Oliver quipped. "Some special occasion?"
"If by special you mean Captain Singh was again in one of his moods, which was worse than usual and made me pretty much run away from there, then yeah," Barry replied, trying to be as nonchalant as possible and hoping to God it was playing off.
"Captain Singh from the CCPD?" the woman asked. "You work there?"
"As a forensic scientist," Barry confirmed and frowned. "And you are?"
"Oh, I'm Felicity. Smoak," the woman beamed and extended her hand. "I'm only asking because I'm applying for a job there."
"Barry Allen. And really? What kind?"
"Hacking. Not the bad kind, like stealing people's money or anything! Although I could do that, but only if it was meant to do good. Not that I think people should steal. They definitely shouldn't do that. Especially not when there could possibly be another way how to solve their situation."
"I think he gets it, Felicity," Oliver gently pitched in.
"Right, sorry! I'm just... I'm supposed to have my interview tomorrow and I thought I was fine, but now after hearing you talk about Captain Singh I feel like applying was the worst idea I ever had."
"Hey, it's okay," Barry said. "I'm sure it'll go fine. Besides, he's a lot nicer to newcomers even potential ones. Just convince him he needs you and you'll get the job."
"Wow," Felicity gasped and looked at Oliver, "you were right. He really does know what to say to make people feel better."
"I didn't say that," Oliver denied and if Barry didn't know him any better he would think he was blushing, but that was just a silly thought, wasn't it?
"Oh yeah, just like you don't come here every day at the exact say time, right? I wonder, is it because of the coffee or something else?"
"Actually, it's for the cakes," Barry joined and earned himself another glare that made him feel warm all over.
"Of course! I knew I wasn't imagining that there was something different about you. Now I know why," Felicity said, glancing briefly at Oliver's abdomen. But there was no harsh truth behind her words and they all knew it. She and Barry were just messing around. Oliver's torso, chest, basically everything definitely couldn't have been considered to be anything but dreamy not that Barry was picturing it or anything, but he had eyes and it was clear that Oliver was in good shape and that was that. It didn't have to go anywhere else.
"Well, I'm definitely not paying for either of you today, that's for sure," Oliver grumbled and turned to face the barista to order now that it was their turn.
"You're lucky we don't put up with you for your money, then," Felicity remarked, Oliver pretended he didn't hear it even though it was obvious he did and Barry could only stare at how carefree the whole situation was despite him almost bolting out of there mere minutes ago. Felicity's natural light just made it that easy to stay and have a good time. Oliver was really lucky to have her.
The billionaire didn't plan to order the couple’s menu that day, but before Barry could compose himself enough to make it seem like he didn't mind, which he really shouldn't anyway so what the hell, brain, yet again, Felicity cut the billionaire off and asked the barista to give him and Barry the couple’s menu, vouching for them that the man wouldn't find two people more in love in the whole city. Oliver rolled her eyes but let her have it her way, ignoring her every teasing remark about the romance-themed cups coming their way. Barry was too stunned to really pay them any mind as they were making a beeline for one of the tables.
Before they sat down, Oliver's phone suddenly buzzed, making him curse under his breath as he fished it out of his pocket. Barry figured it must be something related to his work when the billionaire just apologized to them, claiming he had to take it and marched outside with his coffee.
"Must be important," Barry pointed out sadly, remembering this wasn't the first time their afternoon got a bit ruined by Oliver's phone.
"He takes his job seriously. It wasn't always like that, but since he's had William, he's a changed man."
"You must be proud of him."
"More than anything."
"How long have you been together, by the way?"
Felicity almost chocked on her coffee. "Come again? Together as in being an item? Because we're not that. We might have been something before, but now we're just friends."
"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought-"
"I guess that makes sense. He's the guy everyone has a crush on and once you get to know him, it's even worse. I fell hard far too quickly and it was working for a while, but eventually, we both figured we were better off as friends. It wasn't meant to be for us."
"I'm really sorry to hear that." And he really was despite how his heart skipped a beat upon hearing the information.
"Don't be," Felicity shrugged. "It's better now. Really. He needs someone he has no problem to talk to. I wasn’t it for him, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have a place in his life. And what about you? Do you have someone like that?”
He should've known this topic would turn against him and he had no reason to be upset since his feelings had never passed the “unrequited love” stage. Felicity's obviously had. She'd gotten a chance with Oliver, they'd been happy for some time and then life had decided to take it from them. He'd had numerous opportunities to do something about his feelings and he hadn't. He had no one else to blame but himself. But maybe that was why it hurt so much even after such a long time.
"Nope, it's just me. I mean, I have family and friends, they are everything to me, but I don't have anyone... like that. There was this one person, but I... I never said how I felt and they're getting married next week so... it's just me."
"Oh, Barry, I'm so sorry," Felicity consoled.
"It's fine," he waved off and for the first time ever felt like these words represented the truth in his heart. Even if it was only remotely, he couldn't dwell on this for the rest of his life. He needed to move on sooner or later and it seemed like subconsciously, he'd already begun. "Just wasn't meant to be, but it's better to know that now than find out years later, right?"
"Yeah, it might not mean much right now, but I believe things like this don't work out for a reason. One day we'll both be grateful for it."
He smiled and nodded. "I think you might be onto something, Miss Smoak." His eyes then fell on Oliver who was still outside, talking relentlessly to whoever was on the other side of that call. In the chilly day of November, the billionaire looked barely as if he'd even registered the cold despite the visible puffs of air coming out of his mouth and reddened cheeks. He looked like he belonged there and Barry found it impossible to look away.
"What about Oliver?" he cleared his throat and looked at Felicity who was watching him with an expression he didn't dare to figure out. "Does he have anyone like that?"
Felicity glanced at her friend with a smile. "I don't think so. Not officially at least, but he's been different these past few weeks so I'd say someone has appeared in his life even though it's likely he hasn't realized it yet."
Barry wasn't sure how he felt about that. He considered Oliver a friend, one of the special ones even, so, of course, he wished to see him happy, but just imagining that one day the billionaire would come here to drink from love-themed cups and share one piece of cake with someone else, some beautiful woman probably, it... didn't sit right with him.
He probably got too used to having these meetings in Jitters as a constant in his life. With Oliver being the fundamental part of it. After Iris and Eddie got busy preparing their wedding and he found it goddamn hard to be in their presence, it really made sense that he would need someone new in his life. He had Cisco, Caitlin, Wally and Ralph he was thankful for it every day, but sometimes, you just need something new or to do things differently than you normally would to see everything from a new perspective and ultimately appreciate what you had all along.
His life just seemed so much easier with a cup decorated with hearts in his hands, an indicator that it's essential to find the time to mess around sometimes and to forget about everything else. It reminded him of the times he'd spent with Iris, those little moments when they would just put their feet up and talk about whatever till it was too late to even hope they would get enough sleep that night. And for the first time, he felt determined to reach out to her.
"You look like you just figured out something," Felicity pointed out. "Something good, I hope."
"Remains to be seen, I guess," Barry said but smiled with all sincerity within him.
"That actually reminds me... Are you by any chance free this Friday night?"
"Uh, yes? If this is about Captain Singh again, then I assure you that while he has bad days, he never made me work on Friday night."
"That's... good to know, sure, but it's not why I'm asking. It just so happens that I was supposed to go with Oliver and William to the movies this Friday, but something came up and I don't want the ticket to go to waste. You and Oliver really seem like you hit it off so the ticket is yours if you want it."
"Um, I'm not sure that's a good idea."
"Why not? You're Oliver's friend like me and if you're worried about William, he's thirteen and so basically, all he cares about is seeing that movie. He won't pay you that much attention and even if he did, just remember that he puts up with Oliver so you'll definitely be fine."
Barry wanted to say yes. It wasn't even his anxiety caused by meeting William for the first time holding him back from voicing out that one damn word. Oliver had talked about his son enough times for Barry to know William wasn't anyone to be wary of. He was into comics, movies, tv shows, and video games and Oliver was proud of him. It was apparent from every single word the billionaire uttered about his son. That counted for something. Had William been a spoiled brat, there would never be this spellbinding glint of content in Oliver's eyes.
So really, William was not the problem. But then what was?
He eventually settled for "I'll think about it," and maybe got a bit more relieved than he should have when Felicity flashed him a smile and nodded. They both noticed Oliver finally hung up and was now making his way back to them.
"Sorry about that," the billionaire said as he took his seat. "What did I miss?"
"Barry is going with you and William to the movies!" Felicity announced and watched both men gawp at her.
"That's not-" Barry started, but Felicity shushed him with a wave of her hand. "Oh come on, you were gonna say yes. You won’t regret it, I swear. Besides, it will make Oliver immensely happy if you come. Isn't that right, Oliver?"
Oliver stared at her hard, but seeing she wouldn't relent, he sighed and looked at Barry. "Yeah, what she said. But only if it's no trouble for you."
Barry didn't have any other choice than to cave in. Oh, what the hell, he thought, it was ridiculous that they hadn't met one single time outside Jitters anyway. "What movie are we seeing?"
"Ready Player One. Have you seen it already?" Felicity asked.
Barry had actually. The other day he went with Cisco, but it also didn't go unnoticed by him how the corners of Oliver's lips quirked into a tiny a smile as he agreed to go and he found himself ecstatic to see that movie again even though he was fully aware the motion picture itself had very little to do with it.
"No, but I always wanted to. I never pictured you to be into this kind of movies, though," he said to Oliver.
"You're implying I'm getting old?"
"N-no! Of course not! It's just that-"
"Relax, Barry," Felicity chuckled, "that's just your fake boyfriend making fun of you. There's no need to get all flustered for him. It doesn't do his ego any good."
Oliver narrowed his eyes at her and for a few seconds, Barry had the time to look away and at least try to figure out why today everything was so different. Why he was so flabbergasted when he should be just having a good time with Oliver like he always would. Felicity was nice and kind so there was no reason to even consider she had something to do with this, but something did. And why the hell couldn't he get to the bottom of it?
When Felicity and Oliver turned their attention back to him, he formed a smile, hoping neither of them could see how strained it was. It wore off quickly and soon he was back to talking with them like it was that easy. But then they were parting ways and Barry saw Felicity hug Oliver and he felt his insides churning and the bitterness was back. He needed to get his shit together before Friday would come. Leaving the impression he was weird shouldn't be the first thing he does in front of William, especially now when he really wanted to come and spend his Friday this way. So he told himself to suck it up and try to see the bigger picture here. It probably wasn't as big of a problem as he was making it out to be anyway.
They had agreed to meet outside the movie theater and Barry was actually on time or at least that was what he first thought, but then the main entrance came to his sight and he stopped dead on his tracks. Because there Oliver and William were and he couldn't hear them. They were too far and the streets of Central were as alive as ever, but to him, there was no noise because the whole world fell silent. He just watched, surrounded by the imaginary tranquility, Oliver and William talking.
It looked like William was trying to explain something he considered amazing and Oliver was giving him his utmost attention. The billionaire must have understood something wrong, though, or at least pretended to because the next thing that happened was William shaking his head incredulously and soon falling into a round of laughter, which Oliver mirrored. He had definitely faked it, then, just to get his son to laugh like this. Before Barry knew it, he smiled at the scene before him almost feeling sorry he had to break it with his appearance, but after witnessing this little and yet meaningful interaction between the two, he felt much more relaxed than when he'd left his apartment that night.
"You're late," Oliver told him once he noticed him.
Barry innocently shrugged, not regretting his reasons for violating his punctuality that night. "I didn't want you to feel special, thinking I was trying for you. Your ego is already big enough as it is."
Before Oliver could counter the snarky comment, William snorted and all attention fell on him. "So this is the Barry you've been talking about?"
"He talks about me?" Barry asked, amused.
"Oh yeah, like all the time."
"He doesn't mean that. He's just trying to be funny," Oliver said and Barry smiled as their eyes locked for a brief moment. "I figured. Wonder who he got it from, though."
"Hear that, Dad? I'm just learning from the best like you taught me."
"Just get inside before I change my mind and we go home," Oliver replied, but the way he shook his head with an amused smile he couldn't fight was the only indicator they needed to know his threat wasn't meant to be serious at all. William looked like he wanted to say one more thing but chose to rather stay silent and go inside anyway with Oliver and Barry following behind. Once inside, he sent them to buy some snacks and drinks while he went to the washroom. Barry just found it endearing how Oliver rolled his eyes at his son being so bossy. Still having the moment between Oliver and William that was the reason he'd come late freshly on his mind, he was more than thrilled that he had come here in the end. Hearing Oliver talk about William was something he always enjoyed, it would always uncover this side of Oliver he doubted many people could see. But actually seeing them interact pushed it into a completely new level and he knew he would regret it if he didn't get to find out about that.
"He's cute," he said as they were waiting in the line.
"Don't let him hear you. He would never forget that."
"But it's true."
"He's thirteen. Saying he's 'cute' might as well be an insult to him."
"Oh yeah? And what’s your excuse? Because I remember you being bothered every time I called you cute in front of the baristas.”
“I wasn’t... bothered.”
“You calling me a liar, darling?”
“Nope, just delusional,” Oliver deadpanned and got away with it only because it was their turn to order. Once that was done the man behind the cash register looked at them and asked: “I don’t mean to intrude, but are you, guys, a couple?” Before they could answer he went on. “Because we have this offer going for tonight. We’ll give you a small bucket of chocolate covered cinnamon bears for half the price if you’re a couple.”
Barry had to chuckle at that because really what were the odds of two establishments having such a similar offer, but then another thing shocked him. Both he and Oliver remained silent, no longer trying to say that they were just friends hanging out even though that was the truth. Instead, they looked at each other, reading where they stood from each other's faces without any difficulty. What the hell, William was definitely going to be ecstatic about the extra snack anyway.
"Yeah, we're together and we'd love to have that bucket," Barry said, but there was something different about saying those words even though he had said similar ones so many times he'd already lost count. He saw Oliver smiling at him and that somehow caused the whole world to freeze and mute again, overwhelming him with an unfamiliar feeling of warmth. The next thing he remembered was Oliver handing him the said bucket with numerous brown bears inside and the two of them making their way to William who was already waiting for them in front of the entrance to the auditorium.
"You took your time," William concluded, clearly more intrigued than mad when he lifted his eyebrows questioningly.
"Yeah, that's on me," Barry said. "But we got you this, so all forgiven?"
William took the small bucket and beamed for a split second before he looked back at Barry, all serious again. "You're all good. This time. But I'll be watching you so you don't teach my dad your habit of always coming late. Like I said, he talks about you a lot."
"I believe what William meant to say was 'thank you', right, buddy?" Oliver mildly chastised his son.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," William said and rolled his eyes when Oliver arched his eyebrows at him expectantly. "Thanks."
"You're welcome," Barry and Oliver said in unison, which made William snort before he took his drink from Oliver's hands and motioned for them to follow him. "We should get inside. It's gonna start soon."
Both men followed him and sat down at their rightful place with William sitting between them, exchanging the bucket with cinnamon bears for the one filled with popcorn with his dad, obviously saving that for later, which made Barry smile for probably the hundredth time that night. It wasn't like he minded, though, when it was making him feel warmer than he ever had. Even when the movie started, his mind didn't completely get the hint it was time to focus on the screen instead of the two people beside him. He was actually glad he had already seen the picture. That way it didn't matter how many times his eyes flew over to Oliver and William to watch them for a few minutes instead because he would still be up to date. He just couldn't help it.
It was clear the screening of Ready Player One was going to end for good soon. Most people had already seen it and thanks to that the auditorium was almost completely empty. Barry had never witnessed anything like it since he'd always been into movies and wanted to see them as soon as possible, but this solitude was really... nice. It gave Oliver and William the room to comment on what was happening on the screen without needing to worry they were disturbing someone else.
William would occasionally brag about how much more pop culture references he could spot than Oliver and no matter what, the billionaire didn't attempt to silence him, to put him down. He didn't get bored, he listened to all his son said and even looked truly immersed by the movie. The sight made Barry so spellbound he couldn't stop staring for several minutes and even when he eventually forced himself to watch the screen and not look away again, his mind stayed there in that magical moment. Everything he'd seen that night convinced him that Oliver was a good father, which was another thing tabloids never got right. Their loss, he thought and kept smiling till the end of the movie.
After they left the movie theater, William excused himself again when he spotted one of his friends from school to go say hi.
"I'm really glad I came with you, guys," Barry said once he was alone with Oliver.
"Even though you've already seen the movie before tonight?" the billionaire asked and chuckled when Barry's eyes widened. "Yeah, I knew the whole time. You might be an amazing forensic scientist, but that doesn't mean you can lie."
"I don't know if I should take this as a compliment or an insult."
"Take it as me showing my gratitude you came anyway, then. I keep hearing it's not one of my stronger suits."
"Oliver Queen is actually bad at something and openly admitting it? Has the world started ending while I wasn't watching or what?" Barry teased and chuckled when the billionaire rolled his eyes at him in that affectionate way he did with William. Then, however, Barry’s phone buzzed, alerting him of a message from Iris. Being reminded he had to attend her wedding and that he still wasn't completely okay with it, his mood fell down so radically Oliver would have to be blind not to notice.
"Hey, you okay?" he gently asked with nothing else but clear concern written all over his face.
"It's nothing," Barry lied, all too aware Oliver could tell and expecting to be questioned about this further, but the billionaire didn't say anything. He just nodded, seemingly content to let the silence stretch out and let this be the way of how this amazing night was supposed to end. Barry should've been grateful that his friend wasn't prying, but for some reason, he decided to clarify regardless.
"You remember how I mentioned two of my friends getting married?"
"Iris and Eddie, right?"
"That's them. And it's happening next Tuesday and I just...," he trailed off, not even knowing where he was going with this.
"You don't feel like you're ready yet," Oliver finished for him, obviously remembering all that Barry had willingly shared with him about his bitter experience with love. If the circumstances were any different, Barry would be touched that Oliver cared so much he listened and remembered all that had been said between them. But like this, he just felt embarrassed to the bone.
"Barry, there's nothing wrong with taking your time," the billionaire said and although Barry believed his words, there was just something odd about the way he said them. Or maybe it was about the special kind of sadness he could see in these piercing blue eyes before him. He couldn't decipher what it meant for anything and it was driving him mad because here he was, bothering Oliver with his problems when the latter could be possibly dealing with something much worse and just keeping it to himself to have this weight solely on his shoulders. Now that was pathetic and for a while, Barry felt speechless until he remembered what amazing time he'd been having every time he'd met with Oliver and an idea popped up in his head.
"Come with me," he said before he could think better on it.
"What?"
"To the wedding. As my plus one."
Oliver stared him down, obviously not buying he was being serious. "You want me to go to a wedding and pretend we're together in front of dozens of people?"
"Why not? We're already pretending and obviously doing a good job."
"You call fooling a bunch of baristas, people we don't know, a good job?"
Barry slumped his shoulders and let his head fall when it occurred to him how ridiculous he was being. Of course pretending in front of his friends and family would be different and honestly, he had no right to ask that of Oliver so what the hell was wrong with him? Was he really so scared of facing Iris and Eddie that he forgot he and Oliver were in this together as equals? Since when was he so selfish?
"You're right. I'm sorry. I don't know why I even suggested it. Just forget it happened," Barry pleaded and looked up only after he heard William making their way to them.
They said their goodbyes quickly after that, which made Barry hate himself immensely more. He just had to ruin a perfect evening like that, didn't he? He wondered what that meant for him and Oliver. Whether the billionaire was upset and would ditch their regular meetings in Jitters or worse, ditch him completely. He got his answer at least partly the next Monday when he went to Jitters and Oliver wasn't there. But honestly, he had no one else to blame but himself so he took the coffee with him outside, feeling the breath of winter embracing him mercilessly and taking it as the punishment for being such a fool as it was and he went home, already trying to prepare himself for tomorrow.
Surprisingly, interacting with both Iris and Eddie wasn't as hard as he thought it would be. Somehow the bond he had with them found its way to work again despite his disbelief and talking with them felt easy. Even seeing them together, stealing glances, smiling and just being happy gave him this vibe that it was how it was supposed to be. They belonged together. It was as clear as a day when they were both glowing in the most beautiful way there was.
Barry felt happy for them as sincerely as he should have right from the start. It made him realize he had been even more of a fool all this time. He could have honestly enjoyed this wedding, but the way he'd parted ways with Oliver last Friday was all he could think of. He could deny it all he wanted every time someone asked him if he was okay, but it didn't make his pain disappear or him forget about it. The ceremony hadn't even started yet, but he already knew he had to fix this somehow or at least try. He would call Oliver after the wedding or maybe come to his apartment. What if Oliver wasn't home or refused to let him in? What if he didn't want to have anything to do with him ever again?
He was so immersed with what-ifs and maybes that he failed to realize everyone around him turned their attention away from wherever it was to openly stare at something. He got out of his trance only after the voice he knew all too well found its way to his ears.
"Seems that you're already rubbing off me," Oliver said with a smile. "But unlike you, I have a valid excuse for being late. I had to find out which wedding was the right one. Did you know there are two other weddings happening today? It's November. Who gets married in a goddamn November?"
"That'd be us," Eddie said cheerily as he and Iris appeared beside them. "You have to forgive us. We just couldn't wait any longer to make this official. Besides, we had no idea Oliver Queen himself would come by."
"It's such an honor to meet you, Mr. Queen," Iris babbled out and punched Barry on his arm, which finally made him overcome his shock of seeing Oliver there. "Why didn't you tell me you were bringing someone with you when I asked?"
"Actually, that's on me," Oliver claimed. "It wasn't the plan. I just changed my mind in the last second."
"You did?" Barry blurted out as the fool he was, still unable to believe this was really happening.
Oliver looked at him and smiled so warmly Barry thought his heart was going to burst and that was no longer normal. Even in his standards. He knew he was missing something, but figuring it out seemed still so out of reach. "You're gonna introduce me to your friends or not?"
"Right, sorry. Iris and Eddie, this is Oliver," he said, suspecting Oliver was daring him to introduce him as his boyfriend. Barry, however, said or implied no such thing and just left the introduction as it was. With a single look at both Iris and Eddie he could tell they saw them as the couple they weren't. He had no idea why he refused to tell them they were wrong, though.
"How long have you known each other?" Iris asked.
"Just a few months," he replied and somehow the conversation kept going until Iris and Eddie excused themselves to get ready and Barry finally had time to talk to Oliver alone.
"Why did you come? Not that I'm not happy to see you, but... when I didn't see in you in Jitters yesterday, I thought..."
"I'm not so easy to get rid of, Barry, don't worry. Besides, there's booze and cake for free. You know me, how could I say no to that?"
Barry laughed at that and squeezed Oliver's arm in the affectionate way they were both used to by now. "Thank you, Ollie."
Oliver dedicated him another smile and that was that. The two of them never left each other's side for too long during the whole event. They fell into a conversation with numerous people Barry knew, Joe, Cisco, Caitlin, Wally, Dr. Wells, Ralph, all of them obviously suspecting he and Oliver weren't just friends and yet Barry didn't correct any of them because he was having such an amazing time that he thought this would totally ruin it and he didn't want to do that the way he had the last time.
Being with Oliver just felt so refreshing and easy, he didn't feel like the stranger he'd been worried he would be all this time. He was bursting with gratitude and he wanted Oliver to know that because he was all too aware the billionaire had helped him to heal from his unrequited feelings and how they'd broken him. He thought the damage couldn't be erased or conquered, but thanks to Oliver that was exactly what had happened without him knowing all along.
This was what kept him smiling during the whole ceremony as he watched Iris and Eddie exchange their vows. His eyes fell on Oliver's hand right next to his and he had no idea what possessed him right at that moment, but the next thing he knew, he lightly stroked the back of Oliver's hand with the tips of his fingers and before he could freak out, Oliver turned his hand with his palm up and stopped his own hand from retracting. Barry relaxed and entangled his fingers with Oliver's, letting the all too familiar feeling of warmth by now spread and his heart go skyrocketing at the contact.
They didn't let go for the rest of the ceremony and Barry was pretty sure no one was watching them, trying to determine if they were together or not. This right there was just for them and only after they had to stand up and let go, it occurred to Barry to actually wonder whether he knew the answer to the one question of all those people staring at them. He'd been pretending all this time to be in love with his friend. Had it really gotten so out of hand that he failed to notice he stopped faking it somewhere along the way without taking any hint?
Suddenly, he felt like the whole world was going to collapse on him. Remembering all those times his knees went weak upon seeing Oliver smile or when a shiver ran down his spine upon standing so close to the billionaire their bodies were almost touching. Back then, he was too exhilarated that he could still make friends, that he had made a friend as amazing as Oliver and that after all this time he finally felt normal and content and... happy. He'd been healing all this time and he just didn't know, but now it all made sense and the realization was more than just dreadful.
Because how could he expect Oliver to ever feel the same? Oliver Queen whom every girl wanted, who was funny and much more thoughtful than anyone would expect him to be, who was an amazing father who cared about small things and would always do anything to make his loved ones happy. And who, most importantly, was straight. Barry inwardly cursed. He was so screwed he wanted to cry. How had he let this happen? Why couldn't he just stay out of the quarrel the day he'd met Oliver? Why couldn't he just stop going with this play of pretending they were in love so willingly?
Everything was caving in. The world suddenly felt too loud and his head hurt. He desperately needed to get out for at least a minute, so he marched towards the nearest exit, not giving even a tiny bit of damn that it was too cold to stand outside only in his suit. All he wanted was to think in silence and peace, but even that seemed to be too much to ask when he noticed Oliver came after him, all perfect and dashing, making Barry's body wanting to react despite him being all too aware Oliver was the last person he wanted to see right at that moment.
"Hey," the billionaire said with concern written all over his face yet again and Barry wanted to laugh at the irony that Oliver himself was partly the reason for it and just didn’t know about it. "Is everything alright? If it's too much for you to be here, we can leave. Just say the word."
"No, it's not that," Barry sighed, unable to look at him. "Everything's fine. I just needed to get some air and think."
"Alright. Then I leave you to it. Just don't stay here too long. I have a feeling Joe would blame me if you froze to death."
Barry didn't laugh as he was supposed to. He didn't even smile or look at Oliver who turned away to leave. But that was the thing, deep inside Barry didn't want him to leave. Not like he had last Friday and not like he was leaving now, which was why he uttered that question he couldn't let go no matter what. "Why did you come, Oliver? The real reason this time."
The billionaire came closer and spoke after letting out a huge exhale. "Just wanted to make sure you'd be okay."
Barry knew Oliver well enough to know it was true, but he also knew him enough to figure out it wasn't all Oliver had to say. "I was doing okay. You saw that so you could leave any time you wanted, but you stayed anyway. Why?"
"If you wanted me to leave, Barry, you should've said so."
"That's not what I meant."
"Then tell me what's wrong."
Barry took a deep breath, trying to make sense of the mess his thoughts were in and failing to find the right words, growing more agitated with every passing second because Oliver was waiting for him to explain what was going on with him and he so desperately wanted to but found it too hard to even say anything at that point.
"Everyone inside thinks we're together," he finally said.
"So? I thought that was the plan. The two of us, pretending and lying to your family and friends, or did I get it wrong?" Oliver said and Barry knew that was meant to hurt.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing," Oliver denied but sighed when it was obvious Barry wouldn't let go. "I just find it interesting that lying to those you love is comes easy for you. You could've introduced me as your friend and denied there was more between us, but you didn't."
"From what I gathered you didn't deny anything either."
"Well, maybe because I didn't want to deny whatever they were thinking in the first place. Ever thought of that?" Oliver almost growled or maybe that was what Barry's messed up brain was telling him it was because at this point he really wasn't sure anymore. It felt like the world was trying to fool him, daring him to fall for its tricks just one more time and come of it finally broken for good because there was no way he had just heard that right. Oliver couldn't have said any of that because it just didn't make any sense. Not that it mattered because Barry's brain completely shut down once he finally noticed how close they were standing, looking directly into each other's eyes, unable to look anywhere else.
Barry's heart was hammering against his ribcage, deafening any other sound and most importantly all his common sense from trying to bring him back to reality. He didn't know how to respond, what to say, he just wanted to know what it felt for at least one fucking second and so in a flash, he connected their lips in the most horrible angle he could have and let it all crumble on him, ceasing to care completely whether Oliver would rebuff him, shove him away and never speak to him again. He just needed to know it was real. That he hadn't imagined ever falling for his best friend again and that he didn't wish more than anything to stop pretending.
He got much more, though, because Oliver didn't break away from him at all. Against all Barry's expectations, Oliver fixed their angle like it was the easiest thing on this world and kissed him back as zealously as possible, making Barry feel he could burst any second with pushing it even further and biting on Barry's nether lip, requesting an entrance Barry granted on instinct and moaned at the sensation, feeling his pants rapidly getting too tight to his liking, but he wasn't ready to let it end just yet. It was a dream coming true for him. Who would want something like that to end?
"I knew it! I knew I wasn't hallucinating it," Cisco's voice suddenly came to the surface and broke the trance he and Oliver were in, causing them to jump from the embrace and Barry wanting to die right on spot.
"Cisco, what hell, man? What are you doing here?"
"I was looking for you two. It's time to cut the cake and Iris wants you there. Although I'm pretty sure she'd be willing to let it slide if she knew you were this... busy. I mean, Oliver Queen? Common mortals like us weren't enough for you or what?"
"You do realize I'm right here and I can hear you just fine?" Oliver asked, openly glaring at Cisco who backed away immediately. "Right, sorry. I'm just gonna run from this not at all awkward moment and say you're both alright."
"We'll be right behind you," Barry promised and tried to pull off a smile which was probably more strained than ever before he turned to face Oliver with an unreadable expression on his face. "That was..."
"Close," the billionaire finished for him. "It's a good thing he caught us like this instead of us arguing. I can imagine you being questioned about having troubles in paradise is the last thing you want."
"Wait, what?"
Oliver let out a deep exhale and finally forced himself to meet Barry's eyes. "You should go inside before they get too worried. Tell them I'm sorry, but I had to leave early."
"Leave? What are you talking about?" Barry said and grabbed Oliver's hand before the man could get too far.
Oliver glanced at their joined hands and lifted his free hand to gently separate them. "You got what you wanted. They're not gonna doubt anything now. But I'm done." He briefly looked at the ground, clenching his teeth, before looking at Barry again. "This would be so much easier if it just stayed in that stupid coffee shop." And without any more words, the billionaire walked away, not stopping or looking back and making Barry hate himself for failing to prevent this from happening. He watched Oliver leave again and although it didn't make any sense to him at first, after a few more seconds of silence, he realized he was the only one to blame for this. Because Oliver thought Barry had seen Cisco coming and kissed him only to make sure everyone believed they were together and honestly, could he really blame him for it? When he was too chickenshit to say anything to prove him wrong?
He did go back inside after that, but feeling more hollow than ever before, he wasn't a joy to be around anymore and eventually ended up leaving early too, thinking of everything he felt during that make-out session and coming to the most dreadful realization there was. He was in love with Oliver Queen and he just let that man walk away.
Oliver knew both Felicity and William were trying to make him talk about it, but it was pointless. He was already getting over it, he just needed more time. It wasn't like Barry had ever tried to fool him into thinking it was more than just pretense on his part. Oliver had only himself to blame for suspecting this and now he had to pay the price. It was fine, though. He knew how to handle rejection or... heartbreak even. It wasn't anything new to him despite everyone assuming otherwise considering who he was.
Several days passed since the wedding. Oliver hadn't gone to Jitters at all as the coward he was, knowing all too well the building alone would remind him of Barry enough to make the pain raw again and ruin his whole facade and that wouldn’t help him with getting over this, which was why he turned away the offer of the owner of Jitters himself after he got a phone call from him that night, finding out he had supposedly won some price even though he was one hundred percent certain he hadn't taken part in any competition in the first place.
The man eventually admitted he just made that up to make him come because he had a daughter who, again supposedly, was a huge admirer of Oliver Queen and would die for a photo with him. Feeling too tempted to tell the man to shove it and go to hell, it took Oliver several seconds of silence to overcome the overload of emotions inside and say he'd be right there, already regretting ever going with it the second he hung up, but there was no coming back from it. Besides, there was a chance the man was being honest and in that case, his visit to Jitters would be a good thing, but for some reason, he couldn't help but doubt the man's words. It didn't stop him from leaving his apartment in the end, though.
It was way past the closing hours, but the coffee shop was still all lit up, leaving an odd impression with how empty it was. There were no... there was no Barry and that was the whole problem. And it hurt just like Oliver suspected it would. But he told himself to shove it and finally pushed the entrance door and stepped inside.
"Hello? Anyone here?" he asked, getting no answer, which was weird because he was expected after all, so what was happening? Was this some kind of prank or a crazy way to rob him?
"You're here," he suddenly heard and witnessed his heart skipping a beat as Barry appeared behind the cash register. He spun around, marching to leave on instinct because this was just too much to take for him, but froze on spot when Barry shouted: "No, wait! Please stay. I just want to talk."
They couldn't talk. They'd lost that ability after the kiss and just being in the same room felt too suffocating, but somehow despite that, the idea of him walking away after hearing Barry beg him to stay without holding anything back seemed... wrong to him. So he stayed and turned around to face the other man, folding his arms and looking anywhere else. "Then talk."
Barry slowly made his way to him, stopping soon enough to leave several feet separating them. "Remember how we were making fun of the owner for coming with the whole menu for couples in the first place? It turned out he's actually a really nice guy. Maybe a bit too trusting since I convinced him to lend me the keys for tonight so quickly, though."
"Where are you going with this, Barry?"
"Just wanted to tell you how much this place means to me. It's not about good coffee or cakes or the whole vibe I get from it, although I love all those things too, don't get me wrong. But there's more to it."
Everything was screaming at Oliver to put an end to whatever this whole thing was and leave this part of his life finally behind, but then there was this small voice nagging at him to stay and listen. Barry was his friend first after all. He owed him to be there and listen when it was required.
"Every time I hang out with friends, we end up going here and we look forward to it. We don’t find it weird at all," Barry went on and took one step forward. "I met you here." Another step. "Out of all the places, this was the one where I felt like I could relax no matter what." And another. "After the whole thing with Iris and Eddie, I thought I would never be the same again. That I was broken and there was no way to fix it. And it took time, but eventually, I healed and let go. Partly thanks to this place too." He took the last step, locking their eyes and smiling before he uttered his next words."And I've fallen in love under this very roof and I was more late than I've ever been to realize it. But I know now and I'm sorry I couldn't say something sooner."
Oliver wanted to believe it. It pained him how much he wanted to believe it, but what if Barry was just taking pity on him? What if he was meant to have his heart broken countlessly worse than he already had?
"You once said," Barry broke his train of thought, knowing him perfectly enough to suspect what was going on in his mind, "that I was a terrible liar and you were right. Then you told me that you couldn't understand why I found it so easy to lie to my friends and family. And, Ollie, you were right about that too because it's one of the hardest things anyone could ask of me. The reason why I made it look so easy is that I wasn't lying in the first place. I wasn't pretending anymore. The truth is I've probably stopped a long time ago and I'm pretty sure so have you."
"But what if it's not real? What if we're just fooling ourselves like we've been fooling others?"
Barry slowly placed both his hands on Oliver's cheeks. "I think it's been real the whole time. We were doomed right from the start. We just didn't know about it. I'm a terrible liar and you could've told me to go to hell the second you got that cake for William the day we met, but you didn't. You just went along with it like I did. All I'm asking is for you to go with it now too if it's what you want. Because it is what I want and I'm sick of getting everything in the way of me saying it."
Oliver smiled before he could stop it and he knew right there on the spot that there was no reason to question what this was between them anymore. He knew what he was feeling, what he had been feeling for a long time now, and he wasn't going to fight it when Barry was right there, promising happiness Oliver was certain he would deliver when he had been doing it the whole time they'd known each other. It was time to stop refusing it. It was time to embrace it instead. And so he did just that when he wrapped his arms around Barry's waist and sealed the deal with a kiss, letting it serve as his yes to the other man's question. Now and every time anyone would ask him again. Because it felt real. Getting another taste of Barry's lips, he couldn't be more certain he was right where he belonged and it no longer mattered to him it had taken him so long to realize it and accept it. He was now convinced he wouldn't let Barry go for anything and that was what was mattered.
"I take that's a yes, then?" Barry asked once their lips parted and they could catch their breaths again.
"What, you didn't find that convincing enough?"
"I'm not sure," Barry replied and smirked. "You're much better at lying than me after all. You might as well keep trying harder to make me fully convinced."
"You're lucky I have no problem with that," Oliver finished and connected their lips yet again, already sure he would never get tired of this sensation because it was tangible. It was real and most importantly it was theirs.
It was a regular day the next time they decided to meet in Jitters again. Barry still couldn't get over the fact this was officially his life. He'd never been this happy and sometimes there were still days he thought life would decide to take that away from him in the most horrible way possible, but Oliver never left again and that had to count for something, right?
They were waiting in the line as they had been numerous times before and yet something felt different this time. Their eyes were locked, hands always busy with finding countless ways how to stay in direct contact. They were in their own world, immersed and happy beyond belief it was something only the two of them shared. No one could take that away from them because they would be foolish to ever let it go.
"Welcome to Jitters," a barista they didn't recognize brought them back to reality. "What can I get you?"
Barry ordered for both of them and then finished with "By the way, we're together, so we'll go with the couple’s menu if that's okay" and feeling utterly joyful that this was official and as true as it could be.
The cashier, however, apologized instead and said they were no longer serving the couple’s menus because it was stupid to begin with according to their owner and someone had complained the policy implied one kind of love meant more than any other. Barry didn’t appreciate the irony of this at all, but he tried to wave it off even though part of him felt sad that he would never get to drink from the horrendous looking cups again especially now that he was so blessed with love and aware of it. Oliver must have read it somehow from his face as the know-it-all he was because once the barista wrote their names on the regular cups the billionaire asked: "Can I borrow your pen for a second?"
"Yeah, sure," the barista replied and handed him the object in question.
Oliver thanked him and reached for one cup, either writing or drawing something on it and then doing the same thing on the other cup. Barry couldn't tell what it was, though, because Oliver made sure it was indecipherable from the movements of his hand as the smartass he was, handing the cups back to the barista so Barry couldn't see why he needed the pen for as long as possible. Even once their coffees were ready, Oliver took them both and left Barry to pay for it which had been the plan anyway so Barry decided to let it slide and followed his boyfriend, relishing was he could call him that now, to their table. Only then Oliver handed him his steaming coffee with a smile. "I'm gonna miss the cakes."
"We can buy a cake next time we're here and share it like we used to. We don't need some special menu to be able to do that."
Oliver softly chuckled with so much affection Barry had to mirror it. "I guess you're right."
Barry finally turned the cup around in his hands so he could see Oliver's creation and stopped breathing for several seconds in shock and so much love he swore it had to be illegal because there was no way people could feel this good and get away with it. In the end, he decided to be immersed in it instead because that was what it was supposed to be about anyway.
He didn't throw away his cup that day. He took it home with him and for the rest of his life, he would wake up with it in his eyesight, reminding him that dreams could come true after all. He had never imagined a used coffee cup, although he did try to clean it as much as possible without damaging it, with his name in the center of a huge heart struck with an arrow to be the sign of something like that, but then again, he hadn't anticipated having someone like Oliver in his life either and here he was. And here he would always be. No matter what.
i suddenly remembered i had a crisis on earth-x fic idea where the good guys kidnap earth-x barry and earth-1 barry tries to go undercover and he finds out that e-x oliver is having an affair with e-x barry behind e-x kara’s back and he fuckin flips do i write it
Welcome to Fanfic Friday! Each Friday I will post a new fanfic here and on A03. Enjoy x
Read/Save it on A03 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/31883764
{Elseworlds}
Ship: olivarry
Status: married
WC: 1503
Barry’s POV
I woke up the normal smile on my face, and I reached over for Oliver. He wasn’t in bed, so I suspected that he’d started making breakfast for myself and William. I pulled on some sweatpants and my STAR Labs sweatshirt.
“Oliver!” I called, entering the kitchen. This isn’t our kitchen. This isn’t our house.
Iris was here.
“Hey babe, morning. Look at these, they’re perfect this time?” Iris went in to kiss me.
“What-uh Oliver-could have just w-w?
“Oliver? What about Oliver? Did you get enough sleep last night?”
“Well he’s my, my-”
I look down to my hand expecting to find my emerald wedding ring, but instead I am met with a standard silver wedding ring.
“Where’s my ring? Where’s Will?”
“What ring? Who’s Will? Are you alright? Look, if it’s Cicada, we will catch him. And with Cayden J-”
“No. Uh, right, Cicada.”
“Are you alright, Barry?”
“Just, tired I guess?”
“It it my cooking because-”
“No, no, no. These smell,” I take a whiff of the pancake she placed in front of me, “delicious.”
They smelled beyond atrocious, and I would literally do anything for an omelet from Ollie.
“-so he’s fine Caitlin?”
She hummed a yes.
“Really? There are no anomalies. I-i don’t have a brain tumor or-nothing?”
“Barry, you’re in perfect shape.”
“Tell me about it? Look at these abs, all mine,” Iris said, laying her hands all over me. I very much disliked it.
“Maybe lay off on the PDA?”
“You sa-”
“I know I like touch. But, uh, I’m going to go home.”
“Barry, you’ve been off all morning, what is going on?”
I got up and headed into the hallway. I didn’t even bother waiting for one of them to come talk to me, I just sped off.
As I made my way to star city, I had a scary thought. What if Ollie doesn’t remember me? What if Will doesn’t remember me?
I ran straight to Star City and picked up Oliver from the scene he was fighting at. I sped Diggle back to Argus, and I took Oliver with me back to our place in Star City.
“Barry?” he said, wrapping his arms around me. Relief flooded my body.
“Oh thank god, Ollie, I was so scared that you wouldn’t remember me. Us.”
“No, never.” We quickly kissed.
“What the fuck is going on?” Oliver said.
I showed my hand, “Seems like I’m married to Iris.”
“And I’m married to Felicity.”
“I woke up in her house.”
“You woke up, in bed, with her?”
“No need to get jealous, bear,” Oliver smirked.
“Of course I’m going to get jealous. You’re mine, and we don’t even have our rings!”
“Baby, come ‘ere.”
He kept me in his arms.
“We will figure this out. I promise you.” He kissed my head. I quickly changed out of my Flash suit and into some sweats and a hoodie from Oliver’s closet.
“We need to figure this out. Asap.”
“Morning Dad,” William said, yawning. Dad. Not Dads. He doesn't remember me.
“Hey kiddo,” Oliver said back.
“Who’s that?”
“He’s, uh, a friend of mine. He’s helping me with some work.
“Where’s Felicity? I need help with-”
“Give me a second, Will. I need to figure this out. Can you stay here for a while on your own?”
“Uhm, sure.”
“Raisa will be here anytime now.”
“O-okay. Dad is everything alright?”
“It’s fine, kiddo. Promise. Right, I’m going to head to work.” Ollie kissed William on the forehead before heading out.
I followed close behind.
“Bye Will.”
“Uh, bye?”
Once in the hallways, I started crying.
“Hey, shh, we’ll figure this out.”
“H-he doesn’t remember me. Will, our son, h-he doesn’t know me.”
“I know, bear, but we’re going to fix this, I swear to you.”
“I-i don’t know how Ollie, everyone one on this earth think I married Iris. S-she’s like my sister.”
He just held me close, and I buried my head in his neck.
“Bear, I’ve got an idea. Everyone on THIS earth. Kara.”
“W-we’d need team flash to get to her earth.”
“We need to tell them what’s happened. They’re your best friends, they’ll know something is wrong.”
“I-i-”
“Baby, I promise this will all be fine.”
“How? How can you Oliver? We have no idea what the hell is going on,” I was upset, admittedly, and angry.
“Barry, calm down.” He wrapped his arms around my neck, resting his forehead on mine. I took a deep breath. Ollie was right, we’d figure this all out.
“Through the good and the bad, right?”
He replied with a careful kiss on the lips.
“Come on, let’s get to STAR Labs.”
Barry took my arm and sped us there.
“Barry?” Caitlyn said, “You’re back, and Oliver?”
“Hello,” he said, calmly.
“So, how do I say this. Ollie and I-well, we’re married.”
Cisco laughed, “Y-you and Oliver.”
I shot him a look.
“Oh, oh you’re serious?”
“Look, we got married on the 28th of August. You, you were his best man, Cisco. He both used to wear a ring with the other person's colour on it. I-i, we, I love him more than anything in the world.”
“He-yeah.”
“Kiss then? Prove it,” Iris said, walking into the cortex. I carefully wrapped my arms around Barry’s neck, and leaned it. He was comfort, and love, and everything good in the world. When our lips met, it reminded me of that. I shifted my hands to run through his hair, and, a few moments later, we broke apart.
“Good enough?” I said, gesticulating wildly.
“Yeah. That was no platonic kiss or whatever,” Cisco said, shocked.
“I tend to agree,” Caitlyn said.
Iris just looked down, muttering, “I knew something was up this morning.”
“I-i’m so sorry Iris, it’s just that, that Ollie, he’s my everything and I need everyone to know that and remember that. And William he is my so-”
“Hey, hey Barry, I understand. I see how you look at him, it’s like the only thing in the world that matters is him. Y-you look at me with those same eyes, Barry Allen.”
“I promise this will all get fixed, I swear.”
“Go be a hero, Barry,” She whispered with a smile, laying a kiss on my cheek.
I walked back over to Ollie, standing next to him. He wrapped a casual arm around me. Once a possessive git, always a possessive git.
“Right, so we need to open a breach to earth 38.”
“Understood. I’ll grab the interdimensional extrapolator.” Cisco ran off, and we all stood there in somewhat of an awkward silence.
“So, Barry, Oliver, when did you two meet?”
I looked at Ollie, silently begging him to answer the question.
“W-we met when he came to investigate a case similar to his mother's back in Starling. We ended up talking, going for dinner, but I thought he’d aired me. Turns out the whole coma thing was the reason he didn’t respond to my texts. Both our night jobs just pulled us together. It’s always been easy with Bear.“
“Right, one interdimenstionall extrapolator ready to go,” Cisco said, placing the small discus looking object in my hand.
“Thanks,” I said, opening a breach.
We quickly ended up on a farm on earth 28 greeted by, well, people threatening us. Well, that is, unti Kara showed up.
“They’re friendlies, they’re friendlies!” she called, “Barry, Oliver!”
“Hey.”
“Meet my cousin Clarke.”
“As in the super one?”
Kara nodded.
“You can just call me Clarke,” he smiled.
“Barry Allen-Queen.”
“Oliver Allen-Queen.”
“Lovely to meet you, two. This is my wife Lois.”
We both greeted her.
“Kara, you know we’re married right?”
“Of course, otp.”
“Oh thank god!” I exclaimed.
“What, what’s happening?”
“Everyone on our earth thinks he’s married to Iris, and they think I married Felicity.”
“W-wait? Really?”
Oliver nodded his pensive nod.
Time skip to when the book resets them
I woke up again, but this time in the right bedroom. I reached my hand over, and I felt Oliver’s chest.
“Ollie! Ollie!” I said, tears rolling down my face as his eyes fluttered open. I immediately cuddled into his chest.
“Barry- look,” he said, carefully taking my fingers into his hand, and glossing over my hand.
We both sighed with relief.
“This isn’t over, Bear,” he said.
“I know. I know it isn’t. I-i’m just glad to be here.”
“Yeah me too,” he placed a kiss on my lips.
“I’m going to go check on Will,” I said, getting up. I threw on some sweats and a hoodie.
He hummed in agreement.
I made the small walk to Will’s room, carefully sliding open the door. Will was sitting at his desk, typing at his computer.
“Hey dad,” he said, briefly looking up.
I quickly wrapped my arms around him, kissing his forehead.
“Dad? You alright?”
‘Yeah, fine, Fine now,” I smiled.
“You’re acting strange.”
“I-it’s nothing kiddo. All good.”
“Ok. Can you get Dad to make his pancakes for breakfast?”
“I might need your help convincing him.”
“Let’s go, then.”
The battle was far from won, but Ollie and I, we could figure it out.
Read it/save it on A03 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/31883764
(Disclaimer: this is based on the first three parts of crisis on infinite earths and a bit about the comic) (also very angsty)
What was he supposed to do? Running was the only thing that he knew, running was the only thing that he had left.
They saved the multiverse, everyone was okay.
Well, not everyone.
Many people lost their loved ones after the merge or in the middle of war; but they were trying.
On the other hand, Barry was broken, he barely went outside his apartment to fight major threats that Frost, Cisco and Ralph couldn't handle alone.
But he trained them to be prepared for everything because he was sure he was going to die, he was going to be the one who sacrificed everything to protect the people he loved.
It should have been him.
But no, it was Oliver.
"I gave it all up for you"
Barry was the one who saw Oliver's light on his eyes after turning at him before he dissapeared from earth 38.
Barry was also the last person to see Oliver's light on his eyes.
"Barry, please, we need you in the cortex" was the call he recieved from Frost.
When he arrived, Cisco explained to him that there was a robbering at the Central City bank and they have been chasing the robber for an entire month but they haven't been able to catch him.
Barry felt they were missing something but he decided not to ask, the faster he can catch him, the faster he can go back to his apartment.
His soundless, cold and lonely apartment.
He arrived to the bank and saw the robber, using arrows to intimidate the people.
Arrows? He wanted to believe it was a cruel joke.
"Hey robin hood" moved his hand to bring his attention "Who the hell are you?"
"Well, if it isn't the famous Flash. Thought you have died after the merge" turned to him and pointed at him with an arrow "My name's Arrow, and you, Flash, have failed this city"
"Amazo, you have failed this city"
The stranger shot him.
He could stop the arrow but he heard a very familiar sound and then there were two arrows in his back.
"You're gonna run over there, gonna come back at me and you're gonna get hit with an arrow"
"No, I'm not"
"Yes, you are"
"Okay, fine, I will humor you"
He saw a portal and Cisco jumping through it.
"I heard you heal fast" shoot another arrow at his leg "Maybe this one may not"
"Flash!" Cisco was next to him trying to get him up while the unknown archer escaped.
"You just run in blind! There's a difference Barry, between having powers and having precision"
He was again in Star Labs trying to recover so he could go after that man again, but the last arrow he shoot inhabilited his speed so it was taking too long.
However, the exact moment he felt his speed again, he put his suit on and prepared for the fight.
"This is just for the two of us"
"You mean the one of you, this was your idea"
"You can't expect me to believe that you don't wanna know, once and for all, who would win? me or you"
"Barry, you can't just go out there after what he did to you" Frost almost screamed.
"It's okay"
"No, it's not dude, you are not okay" Cisco stopped him.
"Dude, I'm fine" he opened his arms showing there was no injuries left.
"That's not what I meant and you know it"
"Guys, I'm okay, alright? I'm going to catch him and left him at CCPD and he will go to jail and everyone will be alright and everything will be fine" Barry smiled at the thought of everything being alright but it looked like a painful grin.
"Are you listening to yourself?" asked Frost "You have been locked in your apartment for eight months! as if Oliver would appear with magic, and all you are doing is hurting yourself more, you are never going to move on if you keep doing that" Frost exploded.
"He was MY husband, Frost! He gave his life for me! I just can't move on" Barry shouted while holding his tears.
"Do you think he would have wanted this?" Cisco asked calmly.
"I don't know Cisco! He's dead!" he ran to the place where it sounded an alarm.
"Wow, I thought it would be slowest than that but okay, ready for another fight?" the archer smirked.
"Stop with the copycat thing, there will be only one Arrow ever"
The man shoot at him multiple arrows but he stopped all of them.
"I still believe in you, Barry"
When he arrived to his apartment after being sure the copycat archer was on iron heights, he let himself broke down, once again.
"I miss you so much Ollie" he cried "I can't live without you"
"Barry, you are the very best of us"
He was the best of him.
"You can inspire people"
He inspired him.
"You can be better"
He was better for him.
"Like a guardian angel"
He wasn't his guardian angel when he needed him.
"You and Kara changed your destinies, Barry, by being the heroes you always have been"
He lied, he spent all these months knowing he had to die and he didn't told anyone.
"I'm not as good as you think I am, but because of you I think I'll get there someday"
He was the best hero, he was the best man.
"Bear, I'm so sorry" he stared at him, trying to hold his tears.
"Why did you leave me?!" shouted at him.
"I did it to protect you, babe" he said calmly "There wouldn't be a life where I'd choose to leave you alone, but I did it to save you, to save this universe"
"But I can't with this anymore! I miss you! I don't care if I'm being selfish but I don't give a damn about the universe! I would rather be with my husband!" Barry screamed at the top of his lungs, feeling the pressure on his chest start to grow and knowing how his heart was just breaking more and more after every breath.
He went to the kitchen for a glass of water, he needed to stay calm.
"Bear, I love you, it's okay, now it's my turn to be your guardian angel" he entered to the kitchen behind him.
"Fuck off!" he yelled as he threw the glass at him, only for it to explode in pieces on the door "You aren't even real!"
"Barry..." said as he disappeared.
He fell on the floor with his hands over his face crying again.
