Olivarry short stories

An Angel for Christmas

Last Christmas, Star City's mayor Oliver Queen, also secretly known as the Green Arrow lost his wife, Laurel and his son, William lost his mother.
Then Barry Allen (who's not the Flash in this story) suddenly shows up in their lives in October and he's a science teacher from Central City, who offers himself to start tutoring William after he fell behind on his studies since his mother's death. They bond over losing their mothers at a young age and then William introduces his nice teacher to his father and sparks fly between them.
Oliver never expected to find love again and he never thought Christmas could be a happy time again after losing Laurel, the love of his life. But could Barry be their angel for Christmas?

Oliver leaned against the front door with a sigh and a big smile spread across his face after Barry had left after another evening of hanging out, but they weren't dating. No way. The grumpy vigilante didn't date since he lost his wife, Laurel, last Christmas. Definitely not a dork like Barry Allen, who had somehow become best friends with his son, William really quickly since he started tutoring him in October when he moved to Star City for a job. His son and Barry had both lost their mothers at a young age. William when he was ten, Barry when he was eleven so they had bonded over that.
But Oliver was only smiling because the cute teacher had helped them put up a Christmas tree this afternoon and he'd stayed until it got dark outside and not because he was starting to develop feelings for him. Even if the mayor had almost offered him to stay, but that would've been crazy. William had already convinced him in to spend Christmas with them on Sunday.
Oliver went to bed with the big smile still on his face. A warmth spread through him as he crawled into his and Laurel's bed, that usually felt so empty, but for once he didn't think about that, he thought about the gleam in Barry's green eyes when he and William talked excitedly about the last day of school tomorrow and Christmas coming up this Sunday. Since William lost his mother no one had been able to cheer him up (or Oliver himself either for that matter) that much. Barry must've been an angel sent by Laurel to them for Christmas.
The next day after work for the Mayor/Green Arrow and the final classes at school before the break for Barry, they met up to have a hot cocoa while William was hanging out with John and Lyla's kids, Sara and Connor at the Christmas fair along with Oliver's sister, Thea and her boyfriend, Roy.
"I never thought I'd be looking forward to Christmas again or enjoy the little things about the holidays." Oliver sighed after he had taken a sip from his cocoa and the man opposite him gave him a soft smile over his own.
The coffee shop was decorated in tinsel and Christmas lights, a Christmas tree was placed in the corner not far from the booth Barry and Oliver sat in and Christmas music played from the speakers.
"After you know, I lost my mother and my father went to prison when I was eleven, my Christmases as a kid weren't the most happy ones either... until I finally started to belong with Joe and Iris and their whole family so I guess that's why looking after William has become so important to me." Barry said and a heavy blush appeared on his cheeks as he said the last sentence. Crap, did I just tell the handsome billionaire in front of me that his son is important to me? He thought as he took a large sip from his warm beverage to hide his embarrassment.
But Oliver found Barry's blushing adorable and he couldn't fight the urge to reach for the younger man's hand across the table and squeeze it gently. "Barry, I really appreciate that. I don't think we would've been celebrating Christmas at all this year if it wasn't for you. You've really brought the light back into our home," the mayor started and he blushed too. "and I'm not talking about all the Christmas lights you've helped us put up this week," he said with amusement in his voice and caused Barry to chuckle one of those laughs that made Oliver feel warm inside, but also a sting of guilt towards his wife. Even if she was gone. "But with your own light." Oliver got more shy and broke the eye contact and pulled his hand away again when he said that.
"Aww," Barry said with a soft voice. "I promise I won't let anyone know what a big softie you really are, Mr Queen." the younger man continued with a teasing wink before he suddenly got up from his seat and grabbed his dark-red winter coat.
Oliver blinked in confusion as the dork got to his feet and put on his hat and gloves as if he was leaving. "Wait, where are you going?" he asked while he got out of the booth too and pulled on his own coat.
"Look outside. It's snowing again. Come on." Barry said and grabbed Oliver's hand without thinking and dragged him outside. Other people had also noticed the snow and stopped on the streets so the dork steered the archer further way from them to avoid being noticed by curious eyes. The grass in a park nearby had been covered in a layer of snow and it was increasing by the second.
The usually brooding man chuckled when he watched Barry sprawl out on the snow to start making snow angels. As if he wasn't the real angel, Oliver thought to himself.
"Come on, Ollie. Make snow angels with me." Barry said with a sad pout as he looked up at the other man who was just standing there. The dork looked ridiculous in the snow, but Oliver couldn't care less. He chuckled nervously again and in that moment he realized how gone he was for the snow-covered man. He laid down next to him and made snow angels too. They both chuckled until they got up afterwards.
"I think mine's a bit better." Oliver stated about his snow angel because the competitive archer always had to turn everything into a competition. The younger man was shaking his head and he felt cold after lying in the snow while it was still snowing so he wrapped his arms around Oliver's neck. A warm chuckle escaped the mayors throat as he placed his arms around the younger man in return.
"Because you don't need a snow-angel. You're the real angel here, Barry," the older man said and slowly eased the embrace, but kept one hand on Barry's waist. "I'm serious... The thought occurred to me last night that you must be an angel sent by Laurel to us for Christmas." he sighed and moved his free hand to cup the younger man's soft, flushed, cold cheek in his gloved-clad hand.
"Aww, you've really gone soft on me, haven't you?" Barry murmured softly and Oliver nodded with a gleam of tears in his blue eyes that he blinked away because he still felt guilty towards his dead wife. Then he got an idea and grabbed the young teacher's hand and steered him back to his car outside the coffee shop to drive them to the graveyard where Laurel was buried.
Barry felt confused the whole car ride because Oliver didn't tell him where they'd be going until they stepped out of the car by some graveyard. Then the mayor noticed the confusion before Barry could ask.
"I want to ask you something and I feel like I need to do it here." Oliver explained and steered Barry towards Laurel's grave while it was still snowing. The name on the stone caught the younger man's attention.
"In front of your wife's grave...?" Barry wondered in confusion while Oliver crouched down in front of the grave.
"Hi, Laurel. I really miss you and I guess I'm here to somehow hope for your blessing..." the archer said with a quiver to his voice.
Then he straightened himself and turned towards Barry again and grabbed both his hands. "Barry, I started dating Laurel right after high school and last Christmas when I lost her I never thought I'd fall in love again. Honestly, I didn't want to feel that way about anyone again and that's why I've been so frustrated with you since we met," the archer spoke from his heart in a way he rarely did. "But someone told me a while ago that Laurel wouldn't want me to be miserable for the rest of my life." he added and Barry's green eyes lit up and he chuckled softly as he was reminded about his own words to the mayor shortly after they met.
"Wow, you actually do listen to me." the younger man said with a fake surprised voice.
"Shut up, Barry and let me finish because I don't usually do things like this," Oliver sighed and paused for a second while he adjusted the younger man's hands in his own. "I know my son has already convinced you to spend Christmas with us instead of going home to Central City and he's not the only one who's happy that you're staying," he said and a smile slowly crossed his face too despite of where they stood. "And I feel like I'm finally ready to take the next step with you so I just wanted to ask, if you'd like to be my date on the Christmas Eve party I have to attend tomorrow as the city's Mayor?" Oliver broke the eye contact and he was thankful for the dark because he could feel his cheeks turning red when he asked the question.
"Nah...Who would want to go to a fancy Christmas party with a very handsome Mayor?" Barry responded sarcastically before he broke into a chuckle and tossed his arms around Oliver's neck. "Of course, I'll go with you." he said and squeezed the other man tighter, who chuckled as he hugged the younger man back before he eased the embrace and cupped Barry's face. He was almost about to lean in and kiss him when the dork spoke again.
"And did you really think that I was only staying for Christmas because your son wanted me too? I mean he's a great kid, but if I didn't like you too I might as well have gone back to Central City since my father finally got out of prison this fall because the real killer finally admitted to it. But it would still be a sad, miserable Christmas where I'd have to watch the girl I liked back home, Iris and her stupid good-looking cop boyfriend, Eddie-" Barry's rambling was cut off by a pair of lips before he could finish his sentence. Oliver slowly tasted his lips tenderly and after the initial surprise the younger man returned the kiss despite the scruff that tickled his own smooth skin. He couldn't even be bothered by the cold evening air because of the the warm flutter in his chest while they deepened their first kiss.
Then their lips parted with a soft chuckle. "Wow, guess I should've started by calling another man good-looking..." Barry joked and licked his lips because they were still tingling from Oliver's brief kiss. The archer chuckled softly, still with a hand under Barry's chin and his forehead resting against the dork's.
"No... I've actually been wanting to do that for a while now. I've just been scared of letting anyone in again. I guess it's why I wanted to bring you here to seek some sort of new beginning." The archer said and glanced at the grave they were standing next to. Barry followed his gaze and slowly intertwined his gloved-clad hand with the other man's.
"I get it. I haven't lost a wife so I can't imagine how it must be for you, but I've spent most of my life crushing on my best friend, who only saw me as a best friend and I was too much of a coward to tell her how I feel out of fear that I'd lose her, and then I did anyway. I know it's not the same thing, but I don't want to make that mistake again." the young science teacher said while he cradled Oliver's free hand in his own and refused to meet his distracting blue eyes. "I really like you, Ollie." Barry admitted with closed eyes which the archer found adorable.
Oliver couldn't resist the urge to lean in and kiss Barry softly again. He tasted his lips more eagerly this time when he knew they were at the same page. "I really like you too, Barry." he whispered against those soft lips when they parted.
"Come on, let's go home now because you're not going to sit alone in your apartment on the day before Christmas Eve. William wouldn't mind a sleepover with John and Lyla's kids... while you and I have a sleepover of our own." Oliver changed the subject with a sudden seductive gleam in his eyes and a bright smile on his face. He took a step back and grabbed Barry's hand as he was about to walk back towards the car.
"I like how that sounds," Barry said while he started walking, but then he suddenly stopped and turned around to face Laurel's grave again. "Goodbye, Laurel. I wished I could've gotten to know you, but at least I'll try to keep both your boys safe and happy." Those heartfelt words caused Oliver's eyes to tear up again.
"What did I do to deserve you? I lose one angel and then I gain another..." the archer asked mostly to himself. A smile grew across Barry's face.
"Maybe it's a Christmas miracle." the younger man replied teasingly before he started to move in the direction of Oliver's car.