A/N: This one is thanks to a prompt from an Anon on Tumblr. Thank you, Nonnie. Um, I have no clue how to write Barry, so I hope this works. It's set a couple of months after Barry's first few appearances in Starling City. There's really no set timeline on this one. But I hope you guys like it! And look, two Arrow fics in one day!


"Uh, Felicity?" Barry Allen said, nervously looking over his shoulder.

"Hmm?" Felicity didn't turn her head or look away from the computer screen. Her fingers flew furiously over the keyboard, the clacking noise serving only to encourage her to move faster.

"I'm not sure how to say this…" Barry started.

"Well, spit it out, Barry. I am very busy and I need to figure this out and you need to help me. I can't have you worrying about something and not working to the best of your ability. Oliver is counting on us. All of Starling City is counting on us," Felicity said all of this in one breath, barely pausing after she was finished.

"Uh…. right," Barry turned his chair back to face the computer screen, "what am I helping you with?"

"See this?" Felicity pointed at the screen with a dark green painted fingernail, "This is not supposed to be there. Where is this supposed to be?"

Barry paused, and looked at the screen. He took his time analyzing the image. Felicity was getting frustrated, and tapped her foot on the ground.

"Barry," she said, "I know you like to go slow, but please can we speed this up? Oliver is going to be down here lurking any minute and I'd like to have something to tell him."

Barry nodded, "Right, Oliver, right."

He nervously tapped his fingers against the desktop, as he scanned the photo again.

Felicity watched him, her brow furrowing.

"Oh, here it is," Barry pointed, "That painting? It's the wrong color. Someone probably tried to paint a replica, but they didn't do it right. Oliver just has to check that out."

Felicity grinned widely, "Yes! Thank you, Barry. God, I could kiss you. Um, but I won't because I'm not like a crazy person or anything. Unless you want me to kiss you? But sill that's weird, because if you did, you would've kissed me, or I ruined a surprise kiss. And I'm just going to shut up now."

Barry laughed, "Um, I don't think you should kiss me. Obviously I think you're really pretty, but…it probably wouldn't work."

"Oh, too bad. You are cute," Felicity smiled.

"Yeah, Barry, you're real cute," Oliver said, coming into Felicity's tech area.

Barry jumped slightly, "Uh, heh, Oliver. Felicity has something to tell you."

Felicity looked from Barry to Oliver and back. She raised an eyebrow and shrugged, launching into a description of the painting and what Oliver had to look for.

Oliver nodded, "Thank you, Felicity. Take a break. You've worked hard."

"Actually, this one is on Barry. I couldn't figure this photo out for the life of me," Felicity smiled.

Oliver grunted, instead of thanking Barry. He shot a smile in Felicity's direction, and a glare in Barry's before heading out of the foundry.

"Did you see that?" Barry exclaimed, once Oliver was out of earshot.

"See what?' Felicity said, tapping away at her computer again, "Because that looked like pretty typical Oliver Queen behavior."

Barry winced, "Really? He shoots death glares at everyone that isn't you?"

Felicity smiled, "Oh, that."

"Yeah, that," Barry said, "I knew he was a little crazy, but…"

"Oh, he's not crazy, Barry," Felicity defended her friend (her maybe more?).

Barry's eyebrows shot up, "Really? Cause he could've fooled me. So if he's not crazy, what is he?"

A gentle smile spread across Felicity's face, "He's a little protective."

"Protective?"

"Mm-hm," Felicity hummed.

"I don't get it? Did something change between you two in the few months I've been gone?" Barry shook his head, trying to make sense of Oliver's reaction.

"No, not in the way you're thinking," Felicity explained, "We've gotten closer, but we're not dating or anything."

Barry caught something in her tone, "But you want to be."

"What? Um, no, I mean, wait, what…it's not like…He's my boss…and like my friend…" Felicity sputtered.

"Don't worry," Barry winked, "Secret's safe with me."

He stood up, saluted dorkily to Felicity and left the foundry.

"Why do I do this to myself?" Felicity wondered out loud.


"Hey, Oliver. Can I talk to you for a second?" Barry stuck his head into Oliver's office.

Oliver looked up from his computer and stared at Barry darkly. Barry took the older man's silence as a 'yes' and stepped inside.

"I…uh…probably shouldn't get involved," Barry started.

"Then don't. Felicity doesn't need a long distance relationship to worry about," Oliver muttered.

Barry smiled, "Yeah, but that's not what I was going to say. Obviously I like Felicity. She's cool, funny, smart, beautiful…"

Barry trailed off when he saw Oliver's darkening look.

"And, that's also not my point. I just wanted to let you know, I'm not getting in your way."

"What?" Oliver asked, her eyebrows furrowing.

"I would like to ask Felicity out, but I won't. Bro code, right?" Barry shrugged nonchalantly.

"What the hell's 'bro code'?" Oliver asked.

"Oh, right. Island. I forgot," Barry mumbled, "Basically, bro code is one guy not moving in on a girl that his friend already likes."

"I don't like Felicity," Oliver said, the tips of his ears turning pinkish.

"Right. Yeah, of course," Barry said, "Still, I'm not going to move in. I know that you're protective of her."

Oliver narrowed his eyes at the forensic scientist, trying to figure out if he had any ulterior motives.

Barry raised his hands in the universal sign for surrender, "I'm not about to tell you what to do in your personal life, but it would be cool if we were friends again."

"We were always—" Oliver started, but Barry cut him off.

"Dude, we were friends when I first met you, but…uh…something changed."

Oliver gave a sheepish smile. He was the one who had changed, but he wasn't used to people calling him out on it.

Oliver stuck out his hand, and Barry shook it, "Sorry, man."

Barry shook his head, "Not your fault. Uh, possessive people do crazy things."

Oliver shook his head at the smirk that had found it's way to Barry's face, "Get the hell out of here, Allen."

"You got it," Barry opened the door to Oliver's office, "I hope things have changed by the next time I come to Starling City."

"Me too," Oliver said to the closed door, "Me too."