The flash... II

Chapter two: anxiety

TRIGGER WARNING: mentions of anxiety, heights and dangerous and violent actions

Never in his entire life had Oliver witnessed such a quiet Starling City. He was certain that even when he was on the island there hadn't been a single night that silent. That calm. There weren't cars speeding down the streets. There weren't men dressed in black hiding in the shadows. There weren't drunk boys trying to pick a fight or harass some poor girls. Felicity was strangely quiet, no news about a robbery, a murder, a deal; nothing. It was almost scary. Or maybe it wasn't. Maybe what was actually scary was the nauseating feeling that had settled in his stomach at the beginning of the night. A feeling that by the sunrise was making him hyperventilate. If the city was so serene, then what was the reason of his anxiety?

"Felicity"
He called once. Then another time. Then another. She was probably asleep on her desk. Oliver shook his head. He dropped off the roof he was on. One specific roof. As he was on the edge of it he smiled to himself. He subconsciously turned his head around to look at the empty dove he was about to leave behind. His mind replayed what had happened a year prior.
"I'm not sure if I can be like you, some vigilante"
The younger man had said, a despondent, no disappointed expression painted on his face.
"No"
He had responded.
"You can be better. You can be something I could never, an inspiration, a hero. You can watch over the city like a guardian angel, and save them. In a flash"
He had said to him, in a almost desperate attempt to erase the sadness from the other man's heart. The feeling of great happiness that invaded his heart when he saw Barry's smile was possibly the most amount of happiness he had ever felt in his entire life. In that moment Oliver had found himself incapable of control his reactions, so he let a small smile slip. A smile that could only grow at the sight of his dimples. What was happening? Why was he unable to restrain himself and his reactions? How was Barry capable of having such an impact on him? Oliver lowered his head and slightly chuckled.
"And take your own advice, wear a mask"
He said, then took what was probably the only moment of sanity since the start of the conversation and walked away. As he was about the jump from the edge of the roof, the same voice that had distracted him just a few minutes before, spoke again.
"You'll help me, right?"
Barry's voice was shaky, as if he had let his anxiety take control over him once again.
"I'll be there, every step of the way"

A breath of wind brought Oliver back to reality. An exasperated sigh escaped his lips as his eyes made contact with the street. He took his hood off and run his hands through his hair. What was happening? Why was he feeling so preoccupied? He run his hands over his face sighing again. He took his bow in his left hand, clenched it around the metal. His right one searched for an arrow in the quiver attached to his back. He shot. He jumped. As his feet touched the ground he let out another breath. His head swirled with thousands of different possible explanations. He went through every single one of those thoughts and neither one of them seem remotely reasonable. His mind wandered to Barry. Bartholomew Henry Allen. His Bear. His. Oliver didn't even remember when he started calling Barry his. Or how for all it matters. It just happened. That spark they felt when Barry infiltrated into Queens Consolidate grew. It became a flame, then a bonfire, then huge fire. A fire either of them had intention to extinguish.

Oliver let himself smile as he turned his motorcycle on. He hopped on and turned right, then left. The foundry grew closer and closer, every mile brought up a different memory: Barry saving his life, their first "crossover" as Barry had addressed as, the late night calls, the late night runs, their first date. Oliver found himself thinking about their first date.

"How about we start tomorrow"
A strange wave of courage had washed over him. He had hesitated to jump off the roof. He didn't know why tho. He didn't understand why. He just stopped on the edge. Stopped and started talking. It felt like he was watching himself from above. As if someone had taken possession of his body.
"Like starting to train?"
Barry's voice was light, filled with confusion.
"You have woken up from a coma what? Six, seven hours ago? I was thinking more about a meeting?"
"A date"
Said Barry. And Oliver went completely quiet. Was that what he meant? Did Barry want it to be a date? Did Oliver himself want it to be a date? Again as if he was watching somebody else answer for him, he opened his mouth and said
"Exactly like a date"
The two of them felt that little spark grow a bit bigger, a sense of warmth and tranquility spread in both their chests and they smiled at each other. Oliver jumped. Barry run. They left each other behind, but not for long.

The ride to the foundry was as smooth as the night Oliver had just spent jumping from a roof to another. As he entered the warehouse Felicity jumped from her chair, adjusting her glasses and her blouse. Oliver quietly chuckled and shook his head. Felicity sent him a poisonous look and flipped him off, while she stretched her legs and sat back down on her chair. Oliver slowly undressed himself, set his quiver and his bow aside and placed his mask on its stand. His mask. The mask Barry had made. For him. Oliver had a very long time to get to know Barry Allen. He now knew his quirks, his virtues, his flaws, his darkness and his light. However he still couldn't understand why would he take time and effort to make him a gift after he had tried to kill him. He was grateful non the less.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by a loud ring. He jumped and looked around, searching for the source of such loud noise.
"It's your phone"
Felicity said with a scratchy, tired voice. When Oliver picked it up from the desk a new, fresh wave of anxiety hit him like a tsunami. Iris. Iris never texted. Iris never called. Why would she reach out at 6:47 in the morning? Was she the answer to the nervousness he had felt all night? Was the source of said nervousness Barry? He answered.
"Oliver"
Her voice was shaky, Oliver could picture her puffy, red eyes and her wet cheeks.
"Zoom"
She said. That's all she needed to say. Oliver ended the call. He took his jacket and helmet and hopped on his bike once again. However this time he was sure the ride was going to be way much longer.