Ready To Run (FLASH/ARROW/GLEE)

Arrow's Part

It wasn't easy being helpless. Definitely not for Oliver. He had been out of any sort of control over his own life for a long enough time to be affected in a tremendous manner by it.

He was stubborn and a person might have better luck pushing a boulder over using a finger, than getting Oliver to change his mind about any decision he had taken. Especially if that decision somehow involved the safety or happiness or the welfare, in general, of the people he held close to his heart.

Barry Allen happened to hold a very special place in his heart.

When Oliver had returned to Starling City, his mind was in a broken and dark place. In his quest to right the wrongs made in his city, he had actually become a murderer. A hero in a way, but a murderer nevertheless.

It was Diggle and Felicity who reminded him that there were other ways to achieve his mission. Diggle was there with him always, providing silent yet strong support. Felicity showed him that there was light when all Oliver could see was pitch black darkness which continued to suck him in.

Both of these frankly amazing people repeatedly tried to convince him not to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders.

And when it didn't work, they were right there with him, supporting him with unwavering loyalty, helping him stand tall even when the pressure became a bit much, letting him know that he wasn't alone anymore.

The thing was, there were times when even Felicity and Diggle couldn't help him. Those were the times when the constant, continuous clamour in his mind broke free from his control. Every perceived failure and his guilt would wreck him and shred his sense of self-worth even more, increasing his self-loathing.

Oliver couldn't find a way to center himself, since he hadn't actually made peace with everything that had happened to him nor had he made peace with what he himself had done in the name of survival.

His chosen method of keeping his feelings under a tight wrap was working out till he was ready to drop, patrolling the streets vigorously and in general, exerting himself in all possible ways to keep his mind from crumbling within itself.

And Oliver thought that was going to be his life for ever more. He was pretty sure he would break one day, but he would have been damned if he was just going to give in and wait for that day. He was Oliver Queen and he had a habit of beating the odds (or atleast go down trying).

That is, that's what he thought, until a dorky CSI from Central City found his way into Oliver's life.

It was pure coincidence. A lucky one.

Barry Allen was like a ball of sunshine wrapped up with wide smiles and expressive eyes. He wormed his way into Oliver's mind and gradually, his heart, so slowly and yet rapidly that Oliver was still not sure how it happened.

Barry's very presence calmed the turbulence in Oliver like nothing ever did before. The billionaire hadn't even noticed how he always gravitated towards the younger man, how his eyes always followed him around the room, till Diggle had pointed it out with a knowing smirk on his face. His protests that he was only keeping an eye on Felicity and that he didn't trust the CSI, only fell on deaf ears. If anything, Diggle's smirk widened.

Of course, Oliver hadn't actually figured out what exactly was the pull between them, when Barry ended up saving his life. When Oliver had realised that Barry now knew about him being the Vigilante, it was the fear that maybe he would look differently upon him, with disgust or loathing, fear that the knowledge of his secret identity might put the one person who instilled a flame in his very soul, in danger, than real anger, that made him lash out. Though he regretted it as soon as he did when he saw the way Barry Allen's eyes dimmed.

The news of the Particle Accelerator explosion and Barry's coma had instilled a sense of loss so acute that Oliver felt like an iron band was squeezing his chest, preventing his capacity to breathe in air.

He made anonymous donations to avail the best medical care for Barry and visited him atleast once a week as the Arrow, in the middle of the night.

Also, the Arrow was found to be wearing an actual mask. If either Felicity or Diggle ever saw him tracing the contours of the mask, running his fingers lightly over it, with a painful expression on his face, they had enough tact to not mention it.

After Barry had woken up, the subsequent discovery of his super speed had led him to go straight to Oliver for help. It was all Oliver could do to not hold Barry in place and check him thoroughly himself to make sure that he wasn't hurt anymore.

Oliver knew that Barry could be something good, something better, than the Arrow could ever be. And that's exactly what he told him. Oliver could only hope that he wouldn't get hurt.

Then followed the most intricate yet ridiculous dance between the two of them, that had led to a lot of face-palming by Diggle, Felicity and their latest addition, Roy.

But they had worked it out. Though it took Barry a while to break through Oliver's defences and hammer into his mind that, yes, you deserve happiness and yes, you deserve me, not just because I make you happy, Oliver. It's because you make me happy too. More than I thought was even possible.

And somewhere along the way, Oliver Queen had fallen in love. By some miracle, Barry was in love with him too.

Though Oliver knew that the lives they lived were not the safest, there was nothing he wouldn't do to keep his very capable, genius partner-in-life (because Barry was it for him) safe and happy.

So, when Oliver saw Barry having a panic attack, he felt like that feeling of helplessness was choking him. Because, irrespective of everything Oliver did, Barry still ended up getting hurt emotionally and Oliver knew, it must have been very bad for it to have affected him this much.

That was why, that night as every one went to sleep, Oliver was walking with purpose to Barry's bedroom at the West Residence, determined to get the truth from him. He had tried before but Barry always found a way to get out of the discussion.

Well, not this time.

***
A/N:

Thank you so very much to everyone who had read, voted and commented on this story. You guys rock!

And I am so very sorry that I haven't been replying to the comments. I'll do better next time! :)

So, thoughts?