Barry was just lost. He couldn't put it any other way.
Oliver and he had been married for two months – the five happiest months of his life. But for two weeks now, a woman, by the name of Bao came in their life, destroying the frail sense of security Barry had ever felt.
Bao was one Oliver's ex-girlfriend, whom he met on Lian yu. Together they fell in love trying to survive on the island, until one fateful day, Oliver saw her falling off of a cliff, and believed her to be dead.
But she didn't and she looked for Oliver for months on the island never finding him, until she learned he was rescued by some Chinese fishermen. Several months later, she was in turn rescued, and after spending several weeks in a small Chinese village, she decided to come in Starling to find Oliver and to resume their love story.
Oliver introduced her to his husband, she was kind of shocked to learn that the love of her life was married, and that he was married to a man… At the beginning everything was more or less okay, but two weeks later, Barry had realized that Oliver was spending more and more time with Bao.
Knowing him as she did it didn't take too much time for her to discover that Oliver and the Arrow were the same person, so she asked him to help them fighting crime; after all she was a very good fighter herself.
Oliver was glad to spent some time with her, they had shared so much, they had suffered together, they had fought together, they had been afraid together…., so he decided to train her a bit on the evenings, but several days Barry was feeling alone, he was feeling insecure, and he was feeling jealous.
Every day, he could see the both of them training, laughing remembering some events that he hadn't been able to share with his love. Bao was really good at making him jealous, doing it on purpose of course, and wearing very tight and short clothes when she was with Oliver, excluding Barry of all their conversations…
As straight forward as Felicity was, she told Oliver one day, what was going on "I'm telling you Oliver, that bitch's trying to take you back, and Barry noticed it too, he's not feeling well!"
"Felicity, Bao is my friend, she knows I'm happy, she wouldn't try to spoil this for me.. And I can feel Barry's not feeling well, but with what happened to him it's normal he's still going through tough period because of withdrawal"
"You know what, for someone with such an accurate sight, you can be so blind to what's in front of you sometimes!" She said leaving the room.
So here Barry was, alone looking through the window as the snow recovered all the grass in their garden, a bottle of whisky in his hand;
"Still sulking," said a female voice
"Hey Felicity, I didn't hear you coming, how are you?" He said smiling
"I'm fine, but looking at you I can tell you're not. Have you been eating the last days? I can see you've lost weight Barry, you have to be careful on that point you know that."
"I know it's just, I can't"
"It's because of Bao? To tell you the truth I'm not her biggest fan, I think she's trying to seduce Oliver" Barry looked at her straight away his face full of worry.
"Hey don't worry, it's funnier than anything else I promise! Because every time she's trying something, Oliver's speaking about you" she said laughing. "You don't have to fear her Barry, Oliver loves you more than anyone on this earth! He doesn't even see her as a threat because for him no one can separate you. He's thinking she could help..."
"It's just, I'm feeling so insecure they shared so much things Felicity! I can't even participate in their conversations, I'm just of no use! She even told me I was a mistake in Oliver's life and ruining it and that I should just leave and you know what, I truly believe she's right! I told him at the beginning of our relationship I didn't know why he wanted to be with me. But I'm thinking more and more about it now, and I'm just causing him trouble! Look all those gossips on us! He doesn't speak with his mother because of me! And I can't even be happy about him meeting up with one of his friend and...And I wanted to feel better and get drunk but I can't so I was thinking of what that man gave to me and maybe if I could have some I could feel better but.." He couldn't keep going, the pain he was feeling was so intense
"Barry stop, you can't do that, just try and remember what you went through to get that shit out of your body! Besides you're not of no use! You saved him countless time! God you saved us all! I don't know what we would do without you! Besides I've never seen him so happy since I've known him! You are important for him and for us too! God you're a genius, you help in labs, you help on the fields, you help me with computers… And those gossips, if it wasn't about you they would have found something else! And if I were you, I would have ripped that Bao or strangled her with her hair! It's normal for you to feel that way when one of your husband ex-girlfriend comes back in his life! And.."
But she was cut off when the door banged open and Oliver rushed in the living room closely followed by Bao.
"Barry what's the matter baby" He asked walking towards him. "I was driving when I felt a huge pain in my heart what happened?"'
"Nothing it's me don't worry it's just…"
"Don't tell me it's nothing, it was something and I'm still feeling it …"
But Barry's feelings were so overwhelming at that moment and that girl was just behind Oliver so the only reaction he had was to run away.
"BARRY!" he turned towards Felicity. "What?"
"What? Seriously you're asking? Ok here what: you spent all your evenings and a part of your nights with your ex-girlfriend who's constantly trying to seduce you ! You didn't even notice that your husband lost weight! He is feeling so alone, and insecure, I can't bring him to eat anything! But you Mr. Queen would have noticed, had you not been flirting with that bitch" She said pointing at Bao
"Who's the bitch? Look at you!" said Bao coming near Felicity in a threatening way
"Bao stop! I don't advise to try and touch one single hair of her head! – Felicity I wasn't flirting I promise"
"I know" she answered crying "It's just she really was seducing you, and you didn't believe me, she even told Barry to leave if he wanted you to be happy, and Barry believed it and now I'm really really worried about him, he can't run that fast without having eaten anything and he told me.."
"What, Felicity what did he told you?" Said Oliver fearing the worst
"That he couldn't get drunk to forget so his only option was to take some stuff that man forced him to"
"My god" Oliver was on the verge of panic
"Don't worry I'm not going anywhere I'll stay with you and …'
"Bao did you really do all of this on purpose?"
"I just…. I love you and we were great together, and I thought that if Barry wasn't here anymore we could just you know, be happy together" she said her eyes watering
"It was in the past, my present and future are either with my husband or they just simply don't exist, how can you do that to me Bao, You've known me before, and now that you can see how much I changed, how happy I am, you want to take all that from me. I don't think I would still be here if it wasn't for Barry" said Oliver saddened by her behavior
"It's just that I wanted to be the one making you happy and living…"
"But you'll never be, no one will ever be except for Barry! So now just leave please, I don't want to see you never again"
BAo left the home running outside as fast as she could
"Felicity how can I find him?"
"You're bound to him, so maybe just close your eyes and concentrate really hard to enter his mind."
Oliver took a deep breath closed his eyes and concentrated; he could see everything Barry was seeing while running. He could see Barry stopped and leaning on a wall – he closed his eyes, he was feeling dizzy – the lack of food probably. He started running once again, then stopped and began walking into a dark alley with very disreputable persons, he approached a strange man and began talking….
"My God, Felicity we have to be quick he's going to do something stupid!"
"I know just take your motorbike and drive there the fastest you can!"
"It won't be enough!"
Saying that he began running towards the garage, but he was running fast, as fast as Barry, he didn't how but didn't take time thinking about it and ran as fast as he could towards that alley.
When he arrived he stopped in front of Barry, who was sitting on the ground his back leaning to a wall.
"Barry!" no answers
"My god what did you do to yourself!" he said panicking
"Nothing" This surprised Oliver "I couldn't, I don't want to make you suffer… but it's hard, I have nothing to numb the pain I'm feeling, so I thought maybe just a little bit would help me… But I can't do that to you" he handed a small bag he had just bought from that man.
Oliver took it, breathed deeply, and emptied in the gutter.
"Barry I love you, I'm sorry for that last two weeks, I was just glad to see her, you have to know that you're the only one for me, and you'll always be, you have to know this"
"It's just you seemed to go along so well together that…"
"I'm sorry, I didn't see what she was trying to do, I really thought about her as a friend, I wouldn't have imagined her to behave like this to me, I guess I wanted to believe she could be happy for me… But don't believe what she said, I wouldn't be able to smile without you by my side, and I want you by my side every single day, I can't live without you," and Oliver sobbed taking Barry in his arms
"I'm sorry I should have talked to you instead of staying all by myself"
"Don't be sorry, it was my fault too, I guess I would have reacted worse than you. But I'm warning you Mr. Queen because I love you more than you could ever imagined, if I catch you one day trying to buy some drugs I promise you that even if I'm hurting myself at the same time, I will beat the living shit out of you! Just before taking care of you"
"I guess it's fair enough" he said smiling a bit
"Ok we're leaving, just wait for me here I have some business to take care of" with that said he went at the far end of the alley and beat unconscious the scumbag who dared selling drugs to his young lover.
He came back, his fist covered by the blood of that man. Barry didn't ask anything for he already what happened.
"Oliver, how did you run that fast? Normally it's only when we're holding hands" Said Barry while Oliver was pulling him up
"Seriously I have no idea, but I guess I so wanted to be near you, to hug you … and I was in your head, you know it was kind the same that if I was with you so… Barry you ok?" He said worryingly. Barry knees had gave up and if it wasn't for Oliver to catch him so fast, he would have ended on the ground
"Yeah, I'm just kind of dizzy I guess it's from running"
Oliver scooped him up in his arms "Barry you weight like nothing when did you eat last time?"
"I don't remember" he said shyly and ashamed.
"Ok I'm bringing you to Caitlin!"
"No please Oliver I'm okay, promise I just need to sleep"
"No way! I'm not taking any risks with your health so we're going straight to see her! End of discussion"
Oliver ran to Caitlin's apartment with his lover securely in his arms. Once arrived, Caitlin spent a least an hour scolding both of them, because as soon as Oliver entered her apartment, she noticed Barry had lost weight
"Barry how many times will I have to tell you how important it is for you to eat! Non sense! And you Oliver you didn't notice the state is in!" She was moving around them both pricking Barry full of vitamins and other food supplements! Sincerely those two will be the death of me! I swear" she sighed
"Ok as your personal physician I'm asking to weigh yourself each mornings! And I want at least an e-mail or a message indicating your weight every morning! and if you don't do it, i'll tell Joe or worst I'll tell Felicity and you know she's is perfectly capable of coming every morning to watch in your boxer on your scale!"
"Ok" they answered shyly, God! Women can be so scary when in mother hen mode…
"Caitlin" asked Barry a bit hesitant, "Sooner today, Oliver wanted to see me, but it was a very strong need, and he was able to run as fast as me even though I wasn't near him, do you know why? I thought he couldn't? Normally only his reflexes and senses have been improved and increased in speed, so I thought that maybe as we're sharing a very special kind of bound, he could run towards me when he needed badly to be with me, I think it could make sense as we're depending on each other to live…"
"I think you're right, that makes sense. You do need each other to survive and I'm not talking about your feelings but physically, so I think that when you're apart and you badly need the other one, you can share that power even though you're not holding hands, it must the emotional side which triggers something in brain level, with a bit of training Oliver should be able to run as fast as you but only to join you, I don't think it could work to go anywhere where you're not, it's acted a bit like a magnet"
"Well that's good to know, as soon as you're healthy again we'll train, I want to be able to do that again"
"ah.. Addicted to speed Olie? I told you it was a great feeling!"
"It's more addicted to you Bear, and I want to be strong enough to save you, I want to be fast enough to be near you." And he kissed him
"Ok guys, for tonight you can stay in the spare bedroom. Barry, if you're blood tests are better tomorrow, you should be able to go home with a strict food diet that you'll have to follow,ok?"
"Ok, I'll try"
"He'll do it promise" answered quickly Oliver before Caitlin could argue more with Barry not taking care of himself.
"Ok night guys!" she said smiling and leaving the room.
Oliver came lying in bed with Barry in his arms, hugging him tightly, and telling how much he needed him, and they fell asleep feeling they were the only one on earth.