Welp. Guess I had to succumb to the 5+1 format sometime. This fic's been brewing in my head for a while, but then AP exams happened (RIP AP Physics) and CollegeBoard may be a bit of a scam, but that doesn't mean I don't want to potentially save money on college courses.

Disclaimer: No. I don't own these shows or characters. If I did, I wouldn't need to take ridiculous 45 minute exams to save money.

Beware, I've only actually watched the most recent seasons of Flash and Arrow (AKA the last season) because I only found out they existed last summer. I've watched quite a few clips of other seasons on Youtube, though. But if I get some things wrong, please don't kill me.

I wanna say this one takes place right after the season 2 premiere? After all that singularity stuff, but also after Team Flash is somewhat reunited.

Before, Oliver thought he would win first place for self-deprecation.

Barry's giving him a run for his money.

Seriously, the kid is exhausted. Oliver can see the dark bags under his eyes that aren't quite as bright. He can see a heavy fatigue there that doesn't fit with the image he had of Barry: always rambling and smiling and too energetic for his own good (his speed certainly didn't help). He also sees Caitlin and Cisco and Joe eyeing the young man carefully, almost like they're prepared to catch him if he falls (as if he's already fallen once).

Oliver's prepared to do that too.

'Cause he's heard about what happened in Central City, how there was a big worm hole that sucked away a good portion of the place and damaged a multitude of buildings. He's heard about lost friends and lost family. He's also heard about houses seemingly rebuilding themselves overnight. About a person and a streak of lightning working in the dead of night. All night. Every night.

Frankly, he's worried. Actually, no, he can't put it that way. Felicity's worried, sure. But not Oliver. He's just...mildly concerned. Yeah, that's it.

When they finally track down the elusive meta that Team Flash hasn't been able to catch (making inanimate objects very much alive is apparently a very useful power), Barry superspeeds the two of them to the place.

They split up, creeping around the warehouse in question (Why is it always a warehouse?) until Barry announces through the comms, "I got eyes on him."

"Stay there. Watch him. I'm coming your way."

Normally, Oliver would go right in. But it's Barry here. He's new, compared to Oliver, with this hero stuff; and considering the multiple times he's failed with this particular meta (Cisco's calling him 'Mickey Mouse'), Oliver would say that rushing in probably isn't the best idea.

There's also a small part of him that remembers what Barry looks like, the state he's in. Oliver is nowhere near Barry's side of the building, and he doesn't want Barry to fight off the meta alone. He doesn't want Felicity or Team Flash to kill him (he doesn't doubt their ability to do so) if Barry dies on his watch. He's simply looking out for his own well being, that's all; Barry will probably be fine.

Probably.

But, of course, Barry, being the most stubborn guy in the world (he'd probably win first place for that too), says, "No. I'm going in. We need to catch him now."

"Barry, don't-" A whoosh can be heard as Barry speeds to apprehend the guy. Oliver quickens his pace at the sound of fighting.

He finally reaches a vantage point in the warehouse where he can watch without being seen. And the sight he finds is Barry being attacked by the meta and a bunch of boxes with eyes and sharp teeth that are probably cardboard piranhas or something like that. Oliver's fairly certain this meta shouldn't be associated with Disney.

He's utterly surrounded and breathing heavily. Oliver doesn't like his chances, so he shoots at the meta, only skimming his arm as he senses Oliver's presence. He shoots an arrow to the opposite wall and swings down to the ground, engaging in hand-to-hand combat as Barry attempts to take down the boxes.

And no, cardboard teeth are much more painful that they look. Oliver wonders if the meta's powers enhance the material or something like that, because the ease with which one bites into Barry's arm makes the cardboard seem like metal.

The meta gets distracted, glancing at Barry and flashing a triumphant smile until Oliver gets the upper hand and knocks him out, cuffing him with the huge bulky meta cuffs Team Flash uses.

He looks back at Barry with concern as all the piranhas drop lifelessly to the ground.

"You good?" he asks.

"Yeah." And he has the audacity to grin. "All in a day's work, I guess."

Oliver stares at him. "You're bleeding."

Barry looks down, as if surprised by that fact. He groans. "Cisco's gonna kill me for ruining his suit."

"Let's get back to STAR Labs," Oliver grounds out. Caitlin would kill him if he didn't get her one and only patient back as soon as possible. Oliver has a reasonable amount of patience for an archer clad in dark green who was stuck on an island in the South China Sea for years. He's definitely got a decent amount.

Lectures could wait. Even if they were for a reckless red-clad superhero who was struck by lightning and thinks he's invincible because of his superpowers even though Oliver had to save his ass and he was called to Central City for a reason they were supposed to have worked together not go in while the other's still 70 feet away!

He takes a deep breath and sighs.

So after Barry's patched up and 100% healed because, look at that, speedsters heal fast but that doesn't mean you can just go in without backup and act like nobody can hurt you and STOP BEING SO RECKLESS I thought we talked about this, Oliver pulls Barry aside.

"What the hell was that?"

Barry looks at him as if he's the one being unreasonable. "It was me, catching a meta."

"No, it was you, going in without thinking about a plan or waiting for me to get there. It was you, being reckless."

Barry scowls. "I was taking an opportunity I saw. You would've done the same." Oh, damn you, Barry Allen.

"The way to defeat this meta without an accident," he gestures to Barry's arm, "is with the element of surprise."

"Better me than you," Barry mutters. And there's the root of the problem.

Oliver takes a moment to think. "Barry...I've been hurt before. You should know; you were there one of those times. It's fine."

Barry leans his head back against the wall. "I just don't want anyone getting hurt because of me." The 'again' is unsaid.

"Look. Not everything in the world is your fault. Sure, half of Central City was probably destroyed in that worm hole-"

"Singularity."

"-singularity, but I'm sure you didn't intend for that to happen."

Barry laughs humorlessly. "But it did. Ronnie," he cuts himself off and swallows, "Ronnie could've been alive right now. He and Caitlin would've been happy. And now Caitlin's had to lose him all over again."

"She doesn't blame you. Nobody blames you. We're all here to support you." Barry looks at him skeptically. "I came here for a reason, and that was to help you. Joe and Cisco and Caitlin are still here, supporting you behind the comms and patching you up and having your back. Whenever we get the chance, Felicity is so excited to see you. You're not alone, Barry."

"Everyone around me gets hurt," he says in a small voice.

Oliver rolls his eyes. "Don't be dramatic. We're all still here. Alive. In STAR Labs."

"More people would be here if it wasn't for me."

"You can't change what happened. Just know that none of us blame you. Heck, I don't even think the public blames you."

"The public doesn't know enough to blame me."

"The public knows that you're their hero, and that's enough."

Barry smiles. Just a little crinkle in his eyes and a little upturn of his lips. But it's a smile.

Oliver smirks. "The city needs a hero that's actually alive, though. Less recklessness and self-sacrificing would be greatly appreciated."

"You know Joe already told me this?"

"It's not my fault you needed to hear this twice to get it through your thick head." He knocks his knuckles against Barry's head to prove his point.

"Hey!" He escapes Oliver and runs down the hall (at normal speed) towards the others. He turns around halfway through. "Nice pep talk!"

Oliver's going to deny that. "Nope. It wasn't a pep talk! It was just some much needed advice from a much more experienced vigilante."

"Sure, Oliver, sure."

Oliver sighs, rubbing his forehead with his hand. He's become soft.

Okay. I'm not that great at coming up with original metas, as evidenced by Mickey Mouse here.

But pleeeeease R&R!