Turn A Blind Eye (Barry Allen/Oliver Queen)

Dinner Date With The Arrow

Caitlin fixed up the collar of Barry's black button up shirt, making it look nice underneath the opened leather jacket. His dark jeans held up with a black belt covered over his dark grey low converse. Barry seemed nervous, but she couldn't blame him. Oliver didn't seem to take anyone but his sister and friends out.

"You'll be fine," Caitlin assured, looking at her friend's outfit. Oliver would be impressed, she hoped, at least. He might think she was good at something.

"It won't be that bad, Caitlin. I'm not concerned."

"Not concerned?" Caitlin gasped, grabbing a hold of Barry's shoulders. "You're pretty much going on a date with him. Something that every woman in the country, hell, the world, would want to do!"

"It's not a date." Barry countered, feeling Caitlin lightly pinch his shoulders. He didn't give her any hint that he could feel it. "It's just two friends catching up."

"No, you going out to dinner with that Iris girl you've known for would be you two catching up." Iris hadn't known where Barry was for months, and Barry was sure that she would be asking a million and one questions about where he had been. Barry had spoken about Iris to his friends in the first couple of weeks. Apparently Wells had somehow been in contact with Joe West for a while, when he accidently mentioned Joe wanting to see Barry in the near future.

"Barry, Oliver is waiting." Cisco informed as he walked into the room. Caitlin held onto Barry's arm as they walked. Caitlin couldn't help but begin to smile from her friend smiling. It was great to see Barry genuinely happy.

"Sorry for making you wait," Barry's smile wavered, then returned.

"It really isn't any problem." Oliver started to lead Barry out, allowing Caitlin to help until they got outside to the car. Okay, the limousine.

Oliver helped Barry into the limo, stepping back to let Caitlin say goodbye.

"Have fun," she said, planting a soft kiss on Barry's forehead. She turned to Oliver slowly with a serious look on her face. "You take care of him."

"I will," Oliver replied, a short nod to signal a goodbye through the window when he climbed into the backseat.

"You look excited," Oliver observed, Barry had a very wide smile on his face.

"I haven't been out of the lab for several months, since I woke up actually." Barry paused, then shook his head. "It's just great to be out of there for a little while."

"You should come to Starling City sometime. The Arrow may always need help." Barry's head turned to the side, like he would have been staring at the rich man like he was crazy.

"I can't see, and you still think I can help?" Barry questioned.

"Never know when I might need you to zip a person around." Oliver quipped. He just hoped Felicity could find somewhere to get any extra information and supplies to help Caitlin.

"I guess so," Barry replied looking somehow hopeful and defeated simultaneously.

"We can forget about the vigilantly stuff tonight." Oliver said hoping to lift Barry's spirits. "It's going to be a good night."

XXXX

Barry had gone through several shots, not feeling the slightest bit buzzed. Oliver looked in shock, and pretty close to disgust, at his friend downing the fluids and not feeling a thing. Surely someone else was witnessing this?

"How-?" Oliver took a mouthful of the beer in his glass, starting to feel more buzzed from the other one he had drank.

"No clue, I haven't had alcohol since before the lightning," Barry leaned closer to Oliver. "Must be the super speed."

Oliver, and even Barry, had expected for them to be at least on the way to being drunk after their dinner. The wine they had would have been enough to have affected either man even the slightest bit if they had finished a glass. But Barry's body burnt up the alcohol as soon as he drank it.

"Well," Oliver began, then took a gulp of his drink, blinking a couple of times at the rush in his body. "I think that crosses off terrible drunk karaoke off the list of fun things to do."

"You've had too much to drink." Oliver laughed then looked serious again.

"I have NOT," he instated, finishing off the remainer of the beer. He pulled out a fifty dollar bill from his wallet. "The drinks are just cheap here, and I took advantage of it."

"Come on, Rich Boy," Barry stood up and hauled Oliver to his feet, placing Oliver's closer arm over his shoulders. "Help me get out of here and I may not drop you on a park bench outside."

Oliver began to walk, most of his weight being shifted onto Barry. They stumbled around; Oliver giving the bill to the till working and letting them keep whatever change there was. Now there was a blind man helping his drunk friend to a bench up the road from the restaurant and bar they had been at. Oliver called his driver to pick the pair up; they just had to wait for another fifteen minutes.

"Why didn't you see me sooner, Ollie?" Barry inquired, his hand moving around in his lap.

"I don't like seeing people I care about hurt in any kind of way." Oliver rested his cheek onto his palm, his elbow leaning upward on the side railing of the bench. "Especially not the ones that deserve so much better."

A very long, awkward silence brewed between the two. Barry decided to speak up again.

"When you said you missed me, then said everyone else did too. Did you really only speak for yourself?" Despite his instincts, Barry didn't take what Oliver said as truthful.

"Yep, except I know Felicity misses you a lot. Not as much as me." Maybe Barry just didn't want to believe it was true.

A.N. It looks like a short chapter, but I love it. I want to try and update this daily, so hopefully I don't get stuck. But I won't make a promise to that, because I hate breaking promises. Anways, hope you all enjoyed, and don't be afraid to leave any suggestions on what you want to see, whether in the comment section on the story, or send me a direct message. I will work on getting tomorrow's chapter out sooner but I'm stuck on where to go from here.