AO3 Stories

Olivarry: Decorations

FANDOM: The Arrow/The Flash

PAIRING: Oliver Queen/Barry Allen

Warning: implied smutty fun times (kinda)(but also like cute and not smutty so?)

When Barry lived with the Wests, they went all out for Christmas, not just the tree, but the trees outside wrapped in lights and wreaths in each window, garland on the mantle, throw pillows and tchotchkes. Oliver suspects those were mostly Iris's idea, Joe doesn't seem like the throw-pillows-and-nick-nacks type of guy.

Barry had promised that his Christmases would look just like that when he got his own house. And Oliver isn't one to deny his boyfriend of his dreams. And that is why he's on the roof at eight in the morning.

"Okay, no no. Pin it there. Wait, a little to the left, no, my left." Barry dictates from the ground, squinting up, tilting his head this way and that to get the perfect angle.

"Barry, either stop being so picky or come up here and do it yourself." He all but growls.

"Calm down, its the last one. Don't move, right there is perfect." Barry beams, face lighting up, and Oliver remembers why he put up with this. For that face, that look of pure happiness, with red cheeks and bright eyes. It's that which makes this worth every moment.

Oliver carefully steps to the edge of the roof and climbs the ladder down, joining his boyfriend. "You do know we can't test them until tonight, right? And if they aren't working, you get to use your speed to check every one." Barry opens his mouth to interrupt but Oliver continues "Yes, I am aware you want it to be old fashion and I am right there with you but I draw the line at testing every bulb for the problem child. I already have one of them."

Barry narrows his eyes "I am not a problem child."

"Funny how you immediately thought I was talking about you." Oliver laughs, wrapping his arm around his shoulders and kissing Barry's temple.

"That's because you were. Tree time!" Barry ducks under Oliver's arm, flashing into the house. Oliver chuckles, walking at a normal pace to the front door. They already bought the tree from a nearby nursery the weekend before but were called away to stop a meta before they could decorate it. And there it's sat.

Barry is sprawled on the couch, attempting to juggle two spools of ribbon and a stuffed reindeer. When he sees Oliver in the doorway, he loses control and drops the ribbon on his face. Oliver snorts.

"For someone so fast, your reflexes are pretty slow." he teases, taking the ribbon and offering the end to Barry.

"Wait, something's missing. Christmas music!" Barry flits to the record player, flipping through their albums, of which way too many are Christmas. "Are we more in the mood for Mariah Carey Christmas or Michael Buble Christmas."

Oliver looks up from where he was inspecting a stuck branch. They answer together "Mariah Carey."

Barry laughs, "I don't know why I even asked." He gingerly lifts the tonearm and soon the room was filled with the gentle vocalizing of Mariah.

"Neither do I, now get your ass over here. I'm not decorating alone." Oliver grins, chucking the ribbon at him.

They spend the entire morning primping the tree. Wrapping it in white lights and ribbon and hanging baubles and childhood memories from the branches. They go back and forth as they pull out little things they brought with them from home just for this.

"This one is from when I was fourteen. Joe bought me my first microscope and got me this little ornament to add to the tree." Barry spoke, holding up a little cartoon beaker ("It's an Erlenmeyer flask"), complete with fake blue bubbles.

A little while later Oliver pulls out a lump of pink-tinted clay "Thea made this for me the year before the boat incident. I'm still not sure what it is, I think it's supposed to be a heart but I don't want to ask now. Her sculpting skills were a little lacking, even as a twelve-year-old."

"Aw, put them next to each other," Barry commands, leaning back with a sigh. He feels Oliver sit next to him and tucks his head into the side of Oliver's neck. "I'm proud," Barry says, looking around the room.

They have a weird throw pillow with Santa's crocheted face on it, snowglobes on every flat surface, even red and green candles lining the mantle in front of the pictures of their friends and family.

The current song ends, and the final notes float through the air, leaving a comfortable silence behind. It's this that makes Barry comfortable asking Oliver as he gets up to switch to a different record.

"Ollie, will you do me a favor?" The older man nods, quirking his head to the side slightly, like an adorable puppy. "Dance with me?" Oliver nods, standing up an offering his hand to Barry, a smile dancing around his mouth, eyes warm and open in a way so rare for anyone to see.

It's less dancing than it is swaying in a circle, but it's something. Barry is face to face with Oliver, feeling safety wash over him, as he stares into the cerulean he loves so much. Oliver's eyes hold a question, flicking down to Barry's lips. Barry doesn't answer, just leans in and captures the man's lips. It starts off as a near-innocent press, but Oliver tilts his head, adjusting the angle just so, and Barry is gone. His hands fly to the elder's neck, fingers sliding behind his ear, the other cupping his jaw. He lets out a slight moan as Oliver's lips travel down, nose tracing a path down Barry's neck.

"I love you so much." Barry gasps, as Oliver slips his hands around the boy's thighs, lifting him up. Barry's legs automatically lock around Oliver's waist as he continues to lick and nip at Barry's Adam's apple.

"I love you most," Oliver whispers into the hollow of his throat, "Let's take this somewhere a little more comfortable." And together, they head into the bedroom, giggling and stumbling, more than a little drunk on love.

And Barry got his decorating dream (and a little more) because Oliver loves his boyfriend and his boyfriend loves Christmas.