A.N.: I don't own the characters mentioned.

Running late. Still at precinct. Sorry. –Barry

Oliver read the text that came, mentally sighing in disappointment and then giving a perfect fake smile of pleasure to his least favorite councilman that arrived and shook his hand.

So far, he was doing well at keeping up appearances when seeing unpleasant politicians, but then again he was one of them now and it should be natural for him.

It was a military gala that Star City personally sponsored, extending to other cities such as Central, Opal, National, and Coast City. The venue consisted mostly of men in their army uniforms who stood out (and Oliver would rather exclusively have since the gathering was supposed to be about them and not for opportunistic government officials) in varying shades of camouflage green and grayish sand brown.

Not that being the Mayor meant that he gets to choose who has to attend the gathering. Though he did wish he could.

Be nice, was what his head-Barry told him, mildly chiding and mostly amused. And he knew Barry would be in person once he saw Oliver's exasperated expression underneath the layers of Mayor Oliver Queen masks he put on.

Except that Barry was yet to arrive, and for somebody with superspeed, he was running late. Again.

That soured his mood more and the evening less tolerable.

I'm on my way now. Love you. –Barry

Thank God for that.

He pocketed his phone, somehow relieved that he would only bear the evening for a few more minutes. And that finally he gets to have his partner in person after three days without seeing each other, both occupied with their duties inside and outside of their vigilante business.

Oliver might not have the same concept of time like Barry's, but it was too long for him.

His eyes darted to the entrance, mentally starting a countdown of five minutes. But faster than he expected, Barry came in wearing a form-fitting black tuxedo over cream white undershirt. It enunciated his waistline amazingly, coupled with a dark grey slim fit dress pants that pronounced his long legs more and a pair of sleek loafers. His hair was coiffed stylishly and he has a grin, bordering smirk, plastered on his face.

Oliver had never seen him as well dressed like that before. Not that he didn't appreciate Barry in his simple get ups of sweaters and baggy shirts—it was more like seeing a new side of his lover that he would very much like to see more. Barry seemed more confident and self assured at this state and Oliver liked the charisma oozing from him.

Uncharacteristic, sure, but not unpleasant.

Though as much as he appreciated the sight, there was also a tug in his gut, telling him that something is wrong.

It was faint at first, until Oliver's warning bells rang when Barry looked at his direction, part amused and confused with the small smile he gave him before turning away to look for somebody else around the venue.

Oliver was on his way to him when a man in a military uniform came first to Barry, gathering him by the waist and planting a passionate kiss on his mouth which Barry enthusiastically returned, his arms encircling the other man's neck.

Oliver froze on his tracks and felt like he was doused with a cold bucket of water. There was an ugly, painful twist in his chest that was unfamiliar. And then he knew. He knew this was what Laurel felt back then, the hurt and betrayal; what those females he fooled around with had experienced when he cheat—

"Ollie?"

Oliver barely processed the voice until Barry, his Barry, was in front of his face, green eyes looking at him with concern.

"Hey, are you okay?"

To be honest, Oliver didn't think so. Words failed him as he noticed Barry beginning to worry.

"If this is about me being late, I'm sorry," Barry said softly, eyes looking down. "I apologize if I upset you."

"No," Oliver managed to say, starting to recover from shock of seeing two Barry Allen tonight. "It's just that I thought I saw you earlier, and you kissed another man who's not me," he spilled.

Barry's face lit up in a cute smile, and then giggled. "Did you miss me that much that you began seeing me in other people?"

"No." Because try as he might, he couldn't believe that what he saw was his mind playing tricks on him. It was real. "Yes." Because he did really miss his partner so bad.

Barry cooed at him, thoroughly amused as he gave him a chaste kiss before pulling him in an embrace that Oliver had been craving for the past few days. He returned it with fervor, hugging him tightly back.

Oliver decided to put what he witnessed away from his mind when his gaze landed towards that direction and found nobody there.

Until Barry parted from him for the meantime to get them refreshments and food for himself where Oliver was left standing alone and was approached by the couple he had seen.

And while one of them has the looks identical to Barry's, from the freckles that peppered their skin and green eyes to height and voice, their similarities stopped at those. This person has a very different demeanor, carrying himself in the manner without any awkwardness and introducing himself forwardly with a firm hand.

"Sebastian Smythe," the man said smoothly. "D.A. from Coast City. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mayor Queen."

They exchanged a handshake, Oliver nodding to him with a welcoming smile. He noticed a gold band on one of the other's long fingers and noted that the same was also worn by the person with him which in turn made him looked at the other man clearly that made Oliver school his best expression of indifference.

If Sebastian was like Barry's twin brother, this man was Cooper Seldon's.

"Hunter Clarington, sir," he introduced and then gave him a clipped gratitude on behalf of his fellow soldiers. There was a discipline in him when faced with an authority, while there was also a part of him that was laid back when his arm was casually looped to his husband's waist.

He mentally noted to do some research later regarding Seldon's family background and get Felicity's help on it. At the same time, he was wondering on how Sebastian and Barry's interaction would be like. Barry never mentioned a twin or a relative that could be mistaken as him therefore he knew his partner would be equally surprised, if not more.

After the short exchange, the couple joined the crowd in a distance while Barry came back to his side and handed him a drink. If Oliver didn't know better, he would say the timing of Barry's appearance was too convenient, and that he could possibly be playing a dual role tonight.

But Oliver did know better, that as much as that was easy for somebody like Barry, he wouldn't.

He lifted the younger man's chin, placing a light, feathery kiss on his lips. "I've missed you."

"Figured as much." Barry nudged him playfully on the shoulder, hooking his arm around Oliver's. "Love you," he murmured with a slight tinge of pink on his cheeks and ears.

"I love you too," Oliver said back, his insides warming with fondness. "Now, how about we get out of here and go home? The mayor is tired with all of this and wants to cuddle with the Flash."

"As if you only want cuddles," Barry teased. "But I do like the sound of that."

At the same evening he called Felicity and asked for a background check on both Sebastian Smythe and Hunter Clarington, Felicity let out multiple ohmygod in varying volumes from the other line in seeing her ex-boyfriend look alike on her computer screen who was supposed to be dead already. And when she pulled up an image of Sebastian Smythe, she gasped and unbelievingly muttered they're married under her breath. She said that it was like seeing two of the guys she dated dating each other instead and if that's not hot, I don't know what is.

Oliver was secretly amused at her reaction.

She cleared any of his suspicions when she confirmed that, yes, they were two completely different people, mentioning about them being in the same high school together and a show choir.

Oliver decided that it was a rather interesting case of mistaken identity.

And a bad joke played by fate and weird genetics.

THE END