The Dangers of Snapchat
(Or: How Barry Accidentally Outed Them Via Snapchat)
It started off small. All Barry did was post an innocent video covering Panic! At The Disco's "Death of a Bachelor" because Iris had been bugging him. But then his video somehow came to the attention of the band and they posted a link to it. On their official Twitter. Which has 2.3 million followers. No big deal. Next thing he knows he has a record label knocking at his door, he's performing a few songs for some execs at said record label and bam! he's landed himself a record deal. His EP was a major success and suddenly he's working on his second album.
They met at a high profile party that Iris, as his manager and personal fashion-police when his actual stylist needs some time off, urged him to go to. A casual bumping of arms, a few words, and Barry somehow landed himself a date with Oliver Queen, resident playboy philanthropist of Starling City- just call him the real world Tony Stark. They keep it quiet, neither wanting the press cottoning in on their dates. And one date turns into two, two three, and suddenly they've been dating for almost three years, Oliver is mayor of Starling, and Barry is due to release his third album in two months.
To their endless amusement, somehow Buzzfeed thought that they hated each other (and don't ask them how this rumor started, because they have no clue), so now the entire world thought that they were each other's archnemesis. Oliver found endless amusement reading fan-conspiracies of their hatred for each other and Barry delighted in looking at the 'proof' of their hatred that Tumblr users have put together. Every time some magazine posts another article about their supposed feud, one of their friends gets them a copy and they read it together and then add it to the collection of them that they store in an old shoebox kept under their bed. They have yet to correct the general public.
The amount of people who know they are dating is low. Oliver's parents and his sister, Barry's foster father and sister, his stylists cum friends Cisco and Caitlin, some of the record label and Queen people that handle PR, some other close friends that could be trusted, and a handful of bodyguards that are employed by Barry and Oliver. Still, the number is rather low and that's just the way that they prefer it.
Barry grins up from his position on his boyfriend's lap and takes a quick selfie, Oliver engrossed in the book he's reading. Barry rolls his eyes at the reading glasses his boyfriend sports, "You're such a dork."
Oliver briefly looks down at Barry, "Well, you are too." Oliver huffs out a breath of air and returns to his book, "Tell Cait and the others I say hi."
Barry makes a funny face at Oliver as he opens up Snapchat and uploads the picture of them, adding the label, 'sexy in glasses' with a heart-eyed emoji before posting it and closing the app. "So I have a better idea for the use of our time…." Barry slides his palm up Oliver's thigh teasingly. Oliver looks at his boyfriend with anticipation. "I was just thinking…." The hand slides even further up, "...that today was a lovely day for a dip in the pool!" Barry jumps up and scuttles off towards the pool, leaving Oliver looking after him slightly put out, but also with fond amusement.
"I'm expecting a follow-through with what you started later!" Oliver calls after him as he puts his book down and heads towards the bedroom to find some swim shorts, abandoning both of their phones on the coffee table.
A couple hours later, Barry and Oliver jerk up from their position on the couch where they had been dozing watching Netflix when Iris and Thea make a dramatic appearance in their house. "Don't you believe in knocking?" Oliver grumps.
Thea glares at him and snaps back, "Don't you two believe in giving your PR teams notice before you go revealing your relationship to the public via Snapchat?"
The boys look at their sisters in shock. "What?" Barry finally stammers out. "What do you mean?" Iris shoves a screenshot of Barry's latest snap at them. Barry looks at her in confusion, "But I sent that to our private group?"
Iris shakes her head, "Oh no, honey, you didn't."
Thea snorts, unamused, "You sent it to your main Snapchat following."
The color drains from Barry's face as he turns to Oliver in shock. "I accidentally outed us via Snapchat."
Oliver looks a little peaky as he put his head in his hands. "Do we even want to know what they're saying about us?"
The girls share a look before Iris shakes her head, "Not at the moment. There's support, but there's also a lot of backlash. Just give it some time to calm down."
"And for God's sake, don't go on social media!" Thea adds waspishly. "The PR people are working on getting you guys an interview with someone. Any requests?"
"Ellen?" Barry asks his boyfriend, "She's nice…"
Oliver nods his agreement, "Yeah, she's nice."
"We're leaving now." Iris says, "So don't do anything else stupid, okay?"
Barry gives his foster sister a thumbs-up, "We'll do our best." Iris sighs as she walks away, rapidly typing away on her phone, Thea trailing behind after sending them both another stern glare.
After a few minutes of silence, Oliver chuckles, earning himself a glare, "What's so funny?" Barry asks.
"I mean, you got to admit that it's funny you outed us on Snapchat of all places."
Barry can't hide his giggle, "Yeah, it is kinda funny…"
"Just means we can go as each other's dates to events now." Oliver points out optimistically, "And besides, the truth would have come out eventually."
Barry nods and presses his face into Oliver's stomach, "I guess you're right."
"I always am."
Barry hits him, "Stop being so smug, you bastard." Oliver rolls his eyes and grabs his book as Barry presses play and the sounds of iZombie once again fill their living room.
A week later they go on Ellen together and tell their story. After, Iris is delighted to tell them that they broke the internet with their adorableness.