Chapter Text
He likes to frequent this little coffee shop next to their apartment building called Jitters because, one, it's convenient - it's literally next to their home - and, two, he'd once been an employee back when he was still paying for his degree. He no longer works for them but they still make the best coffee in the city. Plus, his best friend Iris hooks him up with a freshly brewed pot every time so why should he look for another cafe?
With a hot cup of coffee between his hands, busy conversations buzzing all around him, sunlight set on low... this cafe has been synonymous with his idea of home a long time ago.
However, sitting in his usual spot, a booth in the corner of the quaint place, suddenly feels tight and unfamiliar... with Oliver's broad physique taking up more than half the space right there next to him and Kara, unreal beauty and all, directly in front of him.
Usually, it would have to take a lot for him to feel cramped, even with his fair share of books, papers, his laptop, Iris sneakily taking breaks to talk to him for just a few minutes...
In hindsight, he probably should have just told his parents the truth: that he's a complete loser and totally not dating these two very much unattainable people. They're just roommates, nothing more.
That's way less complicated than having to get used to the fact that he's easily grown to just be a little bit addicted to the feeling of Kara's hand in his or Oliver's lips brushing against his temple.
Oliver sighs and pulls back. He almost protests at the sudden loss of him. "You have got to stop flinching every time we come near you."
"I don't flinch!" He complains with a huff.
Kara raises a brow and reaches across the table to gently place her hand on his. It's not his fault goosebumps and the hair on his forearm rise. Kara looks amused by his reaction and lets go.
God she's beautiful.
"This isn't going to work," she concludes. "If we're supposed to be in love for almost half a year, we shouldn't be so uncomfortable around each other."
Truth be told, he's always had this...
... this...
... this bundle of indecipherable emotions—
Probably crushes, insists that tiny voice of common sense in his head that sounds a lot like Iris.
—on both his roommates since he first met them because, really, who wouldn't?
Oliver is built like a god from years of training and conditioning himself to be at his peak while he was in the army, and Kara might as well be the personification of sunshine with her endless supply of smiles and incredibly blonde hair.
He shrugs, feeling quite pathetic because Kara and Oliver aren't the ones that are uncomfortable; it's just him, the one that started this problem. The least he could do is put more effort in but... it's hard.
He runs his hand through his hair. "Maybe we're still getting past that awkward stage? You know, since we're kind of an unconventional couple?"
"Throuple," Oliver corrects. And wow, his eyes are just so... blue. "There are three people in this relationship 'cause you couldn't keep your story straight."
He's about to argue back, maybe even grumble at Oliver but the man's right on both accounts but mostly about him not being able to keep his story straight. They've been roommates for a year and friends for a little bit longer, so Oliver is already well-acquainted with his unfortunate foot in mouth tendencies.
Kara speaks, "Speaking of story, what is it?"
"What?" God, why is his voice cracking? He's nearing his thirties and his voice is cracking.
Kara looks at him with that expression again, lips pressed together so hard and eyes widened to their biggest, as if asking if he's an idiot. Which, by the way, he knows he is. "Yeah like, you know, did we meet in college? Were we set up? Did you guys stop me from jumping off a building?"
His eyes widen. "Run that last past by me again?"
Kara rolls her eyes. "Barry, I'm just saying we need to have a convincing story about how we all met. At some point, someone's going to ask how we all met and we can't all have conflicting stories if we wanna convince them we're all together."
Oliver leans back and has his arms crossed over his chest. "Go with the truth. Barry was looking roommates to share the cost of the apartment."
Barry opens his mouth to argue but then snaps it shut. It's perfect. They don't have to lie or fib the truth 'cause that's what really happened. "Okay, yeah."
"Great, we have that down." Kara sips her coffee. "How'd we get together? Was it all at the same time? Did two of us like each other then the other one too?"
Barry closes his eyes and runs his hands through his hair. This is too much. "Oh god this was a bad idea."
"No, no! We can totally make this work!" Kara rushes to say. "We just have to—"
"Hey, Barry!" A voice interrupts them. Barry half-expected it to be Iris, but then again, Iris' shift has barely started and it's the morning rush so she wouldn't have time to come over for a chat. He looks up and it's not Iris but her fiance.
"Caitlin, hey!" His voice doesn't crack thank god. "What are you doing here?" He winces at the stupidity of his question. Of course she's here for Iris. Or coffee, which he knows she desperately needs in the mornings. "I-I meant, you know, you're here really early..." And she's not usually, contrary to her seemingly no-nonsense attitude.
"So are you." Caitlin's eyes seem to sparkle at the sight of Oliver and Kara. "With friends."
And it's right then when it slaps him in the face that Caitlin has never met his roommates. Iris has met and interacted with them sporadically in the past year they've lived together. Cisco has met them once. Wally has never seen them. Ralph doesn't even know about them. Harry most likely doesn't really care.
And this is Caitlin's first time meeting them.
"Not really," he begins to say, "they're my—"
"Girlfriend," Kara interrupts, knowing he nearly said 'roommates.'
"Boyfriend," Oliver adds.
"Significant others?" Kara supplies. Oliver nods and takes Barry's hand.
Barry should probably close his mouth, should probably stop gawking at his roommates by how simply they'd let it out but there it is.
Barry's hand tenses in Oliver's. Oliver squeezes back in reassurance.
But Caitlin doesn't look mad. Confused for the first second, it seems, but not disappointed.
"You're dating?" The lines around Caitlin's eyes crinkle; she's happy for Barry. "You're dating! Oh my god! And you didn't tell us?" By 'us,' he doesn't know if she means her and Iris, or her and Cisco. He kind of lets out a breath by the positive reaction.
It takes him nearly half a minute to recover. "Right. Right. Yeah. I just... I haven't really told anyone yet."
He can feel himself turn red under her gaze, knowing full well she wants to know more. Iris has really corrupted her.
Feeling his discomfort, Kara comes to his rescue. "It's... um... It's still..." Barry is slightly stunned, wondering if Kara's stumbling of words is genuine or not.
"It's still... new. Really new. And... different from... from what any of us are used to," Oliver explains.
Barry finds himself nodding, looking at anything but Caitlin's watchful eyes.
"Right, of course," Caitlin says but Barry catches that glint in her eyes meant for him that he knows demands for more details later. "I'm Caitlin. Barry and I used to intern at the same lab."
"Kara Danvers." Kara smiles so brightly it would make any celebrity jealous.
"Oliver," Oliver says simply.
Someone calls Caitlin's name and it's Iris from the bar, waving despite the growing number of impatient customers who need their caffeine fix.
Caitlin smiles. "It was really nice meeting both of you."
"Hey, Caitlin?" Barry says before she's making her way to Iris.
"Yeah?"
"Please don't tell Iris yet." He pauses. "Or-Or Cisco. Or anyone actually."
She considers his request for a second. "Okay. But you know I can't lie to Iris for long."
"I know but... just not yet."
"Okay, Barry. See you later." And she leaves with one more smile towards Oliver and Kara before stepping away.
They all wait until Caitlin's out of earshot and that's when he releases a breath he hasn't realized he's been holding until then.
Kara bursts into laughter and Oliver leans back against his seat.
"We got this," Kara says confidently.
"Barry actually did better than we thought," Oliver says agreeably (to which Barry huffs in defiance).
This spells disaster but he can't help but grin his widest.
He really lucked out on the lottery of roommates.