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Barry drew his coat tighter around his shoulders. It was unusually cold for March. He stuffed his hands in the pockets and leaned against the car door. He looked up at the gates of the graveyard, looming over him in a way that seemed to say, Why haven't you been here lately? Isn't she important to you anymore?
The cool air burned in his lungs. Of course he'd wanted to come here, but well, being a superhero and having a full-time job and being in a relationship wasn't exactly a walk in the park. He'd been busy... Okay, that wasn't an excuse. There was no excuse. He missed his mom every day, but coming here was still tough.
“You okay?”
He looked over at Oliver, who locked the car and walked around it to stand next to him. “Fine. Just... You don't think it's weird, do you?”
Oliver gave him a smile. “Of course not. It's important to you.”
Barry smiled back gratefully and slipped his hand into Oliver's.
“Hey mom.” Barry knelt down and traced the outlines of Nora etched into the gravestone with his fingertips. “I- I'm sorry I haven't been here in a while...” He tried to swallow around the lump in his throat. His voice dropped into a whisper. “I try to keep the city safe. The people. I have- I have super speed. It's pretty cool.”
Barry smiled sadly, imagining what his mom would do if she were here – she'd probably cup his cheek, kiss his forehead, and tell him to be careful.
“Barry?” He turned around; Oliver was standing a bit away, hands stuffed into his coat pockets and biting his lip.
“Yeah, uh- Come here?” Oliver crouched down beside him. “Mom... This- This is Oliver. My boyfriend.”
“It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Allen,” Oliver whispered. He reached out a hand, raising his eyebrows in question, and Barry nodded. He lay his hand on top of the stone and kept his eyes on the inscription – Loving mother and wife. She will be missed.
“Oliver saves people, too. He saved my life. I- I'm fine now, but...” He bit his lip and looked down.
Oliver's hand was on his shoulder, squeezing comfortingly. “It's okay.”
Barry smiled in gratitude. “She'd like you.” Oliver gave him a surprised look. “Y'know, you're good-looking, polite, well-mannered... And you wouldn't show your douche-y side too much around her, I think.” His boyfriend snorted and pushed at his shoulder. Barry grinned and turned back to the gravestone. “He's... He's great, mom. Really. I like him a lot,” he added quietly; he was sure Oliver could hear him clearly, but he didn't say anything back.
They only stayed for a few minutes; Barry enjoyed the silence and the pressure of Oliver's hand on his back. He'd missed this; he knew his mom would never come back, not really, but he firmly believed that he could feel her presence here.
His legs were stiff when he stood up. “Okay,” he said, taking a deep breath. “Now... Let's go meet my dad.”
Barry had no idea how his father would react to him having a boyfriend. His love life had never really been a topic between them, much less the fact that he might be attracted to men; there had always been more important things to focus on. Barry didn't know what his dad's opinion on same-sex relationships was; he couldn't really imagine him getting angry (or worse) but that didn't make him less nervous.
“What's wrong?” Oliver's voice brought him back to reality.
“Uh, I just- I don't know...”
“It'll be fine.”
Barry shrugged. He really hoped Oliver was right.
The guards were nice as always; they'd known him since he was a kid, since his dad had been arrested for a crime he didn't commit. Barry suspected they felt a bit sorry for him, but he decided not to dwell on that too much.
“Go right in, son. We'll let him know you're here.”
Barry nodded in thanks and entered the empty visiting room. He pulled a second chair for Oliver to his usual spot and sat down, rubbing his sweaty hands on his jeans, his legs bouncing.
“Hey, calm down. You're starting to make me nervous.”
“Sorry.” Barry took the handset off the phone on the wall just to have something to do. Oliver put a hand on his knee and squeezed.
When he saw his dad coming in, he tried for a smile and held the phone to his ear. His dad grinned back, a slight frown appearing on his face when he saw Oliver.
“Hey son.”
“Dad! How're you doing?”
“Good...” He glanced at Oliver, who started to shift nervously next to him. “Who did you bring with you?”
“Uhm. This is- That's Oliver. Oliver Queen.” His dad nodded in greeting, and Oliver raised his hand. “He- uh. We're- We're together.”
His dad raised his eyebrows, looking between the two of them, and Barry swallowed. Shit. No. What's he thinking? Why isn't he saying anythi-
“Well, it's- it's certainly nice to meet Mr. Queen.” He cleared his throat. “Barry, I'd like to speak with you alone.”
“But he can't hear-”
“Barry.”
Oliver stood up without a word, giving Barry a quick smile before leaving the room.
“So,” his dad started. He didn't look angry or disgusted, only curious. “When did that happen? You... liking men?”
Barry shrugged. “It's not men, plural. Not- It's a man. I- I really like him.” He bit his lip and shrugged his shoulders again.
He saw his dad reaching out, but the thick glass window between them prevented him from it. He sighed. “Son, I'm happy for you. Did you really think it'd be a problem for me?”
“I- I don't know.”
“Your happiness is what matters to me, alright? You could be attracted to cake for all I care.” Barry snorted and nodded, relieved. “Now, tell me. How in the world did you manage to snag a billionaire?”