Hola, my beautiful friends! It seems like every story I do is of Barry and Oliver lol. I just love their friendship so much, it makes me happyyyy. Anywho, it also seems like every time I'm like "Yeah! I'm totally getting back into writing! Whoo!" I end up not...so, condolences. Hopefully this short fic makes up for my hiatus! :D

This is set around 2x18 to 2x20, I think? I know that when Barry "died", they technically found out he "didn't really" like five minutes later lol. So imagine it taking them a week to find out for the sake of the story, 'mkay? Gracias.

Disclaimer: never gonna' own it.

Oliver heaved a breath as he set down the weights he was holding.

Annoyance and frustration mixed in with the already existing heat of exercising and the loud ringing of his cell phone echoed in the empty room, overlapping his heavy breathing from exerting himself.

Couldn't he get just one moment of peace to himself anymore?

Oliver made his way over to the counter, hoping it was nobody important. God knows he could use some time to himself without having to worry about who needed what, where and when. Reaching out to his phone, he noticed the name that appeared on the screen; Barry.

Annoyance filled him at the inconvenience until he reprimanded himself for getting upset at the kid who had recently had his back broken by some maniacal speedster.

Guess Oliver wasn't the only one having a difficult year.

Guilt weighing on his shoulders, Oliver answered the call. "Hello?" He waited a beat. Nothing. He pulled the phone away from his ear, glancing at the screen to make sure they were still connected, before putting it back to his ear only to hear more silence.

Irritated, Oliver moved to hang up the phone when he suddenly heard a quiet voice speak on the other end.

"Ol-Oliver. Uh, hey." Barry spoke, and Oliver noticed the rasp attached to his words.

"Hey, Barry." He paused. "What's up?" He heard a shaky inhale from the other end and his brows furrowed.

"Listen, I'm um, I'm sorry if now is a bad time and I can call you back later, or I can just let you go-, I know you're busy and I-, I'm sorry, I'll just hang up-"

"Whoa, hey, Barry, it's fine. I'm not busy right now," Oliver rushed, frowning. Barry sounded flustered and his voice was hoarse, making Oliver concerned for the well-being of his friend. "Are you okay, Barry? You sound a little raspy there."

"It's nothing." A pause, and then a sigh. "It-I need help." Barry declared abruptly, and Oliver blinked.

"Listen, Barry, now's not exactly the best ti-" Another sigh.

"No, that's not what I meant. I mean-" Barry hesitated and he could practically see the other man doing mental acrobatics on the other side of the phone as he debated what to say. A few moments later and there was still silence.

Oliver inhaled to say something when it was cut off. "I don't know what to do, Ollie." Barry whispered brokenly. Oliver's stomach twisted at the sound in Barry's voice. It was a sound of hopelessness.

"Barry, what-"

"I thought I was fast enough, I thought I could catch him, but God, Ollie, I was so wrong and now Caitlin's gone and Zoom is even more powerful and I'm-I'm-" Barry spoke rapidly and he sounded as if he were on the verge of tears.

"Barry, slow down. Breathe. I can't understand what you're saying when you speak that fast." A broken, humorless, half laugh and half sob came through the other line, causing Oliver to glance at the phone in confusion. "Barry?" Silence.

"Zoom took my speed." Came the quiet confession. Oliver felt dumbfounded for a moment that he couldn't even say anything. Barry took that chance to continue.

"I have no powers now. I'm helpless. I don't know what to do, I mean, I did what I had to do to save Wally but now, Zoom, he-, he took Caitlin and now God only knows where she is and I couldn't save her even if I did still have powers. And how am I supposed to save Caitlin without my speed, let alone defeat Zoom and protect Central City, and-, and I can't be the hero they need. I couldn't even save my friend, how the heck am I supposed to save everyone else? I'm not a hero, I'm not the Flash, now I'm just the same old weak, helpless Barry Allen I was before the particle accelerator-"

"Barry!" Oliver interrupted his rambling, trying to process everything he just heard. He listened as there was yet another shaky inhale. "You need to calm down." Oliver carefully instructed, firmly but not coldly.

"I-I can't. Not with Zoom still out there and Caitlin with him-"

"Barry."

"I'm sorry." Oliver sighed.

"It's okay." He simply said, though he knew that nothing at the moment was. "Are you okay? Physically?" Oliver questioned and he wanted to laugh at his own question because of course Barry wasn't okay. "Taking your speed couldn't have been easy on your-"

"I'm fine." Was the harsh cut off to his words. Oliver clamped his lips shut. There was no way he was fine after that.

"You said that you were back to being weak and helpless. Like the old Barry Allen." He stated. Calm and collected. Though he felt anything but. Barry inhaled.

"Yes."

"Barry," He paused, wanting to choose his next words carefully.

"You were never weak or helpless. You are one of the strongest and best people I have ever met. Your powers didn't create those traits nor did they enhance them. I knew you before yours powers, albeit a short time, but I know for certain that if you asked Joe and Iris or Felicity and Dig, they would all agree. Your powers don't define you. You are still you. You are still one of the kindest and most selfless people I have ever had the honor of knowing. Powers or no powers, nothing will ever change that." He declared, the conviction strong in his voice.

"But Oliver...how can I save Caitlin or protect my city without powers? I'm not a hero anymore. I can't just run in and save the day." Oliver sighed.

"You do not need your powers to be a hero. You have always been a hero and it has nothing to do with your powers, Barry, it has to do with your heart. You will find a way to bring Caitlin back and to defeat Zoom. I know you will because you will do anything for the ones you care about. And you have a team and family to back you up," He paused, softening his tone.

"You have us. Felicity, Dig, and I will always be here to have your back. If you need help, just call and we'll be there."

"But you're fighting Darhk, you can't just-"

"We'll figure it out, Barry." Barry inhaled shakily, voice wavering as he spoke.

"Okay. Okay." He waited a moment, and then another. He was met with silence.

"Are you okay now?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I think so. Thank you, Ollie. Really. It-it means a lot." Oliver smiled sadly, though it was almost more a grimace than a sign of joy.

"Anytime, Barry. I'm always here. And I mean everything I said." He reassured once more, even though he knew it was fruitless to convince the younger man.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Oliver knew he didn't. But he chose not to argue because if the roles were reversed, honestly, Oliver wouldn't believe those words either. "I'm always here, too. For you, I mean. See ya', Ollie."

"You, too, Barry." And with that he hung up. Oliver sighed as he set the phone down on the table, a quiet clang resounding throughout the empty room. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he inhaled and closed his eyes. They just needed a win.

Just one win.

And with that, Oliver returned to his equipment once more to take out his inner turmoil, knowing that their chances of getting a win were about as slim as the odds of his punching bag not being broken tonight.

It had been a week since Barry had called him.

A busy, heart-wrenching week.

And Oliver finally had a moment to himself. It was the first time in a while where Oliver could go back to their base and just be. No one he needed to protect. From harm or merely from seeing his true self. No guard to put up. No one to have to be strong for. He could finally break, in peace.

But there was something that had been on his mind that he just couldn't shake.

Or rather, someone.

Oliver had heard about what had happened at the Central City Jitters. How the CCPD had lost many of it's officers to the hands of Zoom in the blink of an eye. Literally. And he knew exactly what would be going through Barry Allen's mind.

That was how Oliver found himself standing in the middle of the basement under Palmer Technologies, grasping his cell phone as he patiently waited for Barry to pick up.

One call.

Nothing.

So he tried again, irritation running along the nerves just under his skin. Though, if he were to be honest with himself, maybe that was concern. He frowned as the ringing nearly came to an end but to his surprise, he heard it be picked up.

"Hello?" Came the voice through the line, causing Oliver's brows to furrow in confusion as that was most definitely not Barry's voice.

"Barry?" He questioned despite knowing it wasn't.

"Um, no, sorry, it's...it's Cisco." The young engineer said quietly, his voice trailing into a sigh.

"Cisco, hey. Would it be at all possible to speak with Barry, please?" It wasn't his intention to sound rude, but he did have limited time and patience. He needed to know how Barry was doing. But when he heard the shaky inhale - or was that a muffled sob? - somehow he just knew.

"Oliver, I-" Another shaky breath. "I don't know how to tell you this but-, but Barry's gone. I'm so sorry." No. No. No, Barry couldn't-, he couldn't be-, he couldn't be.

Oh God, not him, too.

He had to sit down. Before his legs gave way. His breath hitched as he - ungracefully - stumbled to the floor, sitting in the first position his body came to. Not even aware of the voice on the other end of the line. "Oliver?" He shook his head lightly, refocusing on the dusty and dirty floor before him.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm still here. Cisco...what-," He frowned, confusion and denial filling his face. "What happened?" He forced out in a whisper. Another sigh.

"Barry, he-, we tried to get his speed back." A mirthless, wet chuckle came from the younger man. "That stubborn idiot just had to get his speed back." Cisco growled before his tone softened into a somber voice.

"We recreated the particle accelerator and Barry, God, he was friggin' ripped to shreds. Not even a body, Oliver." He couldn't take anymore. The phone fell from his hands with a loud clang as it hit the floor. Barry - gone, ripped - shreds, stubborn, particle accelerator, not even a body-

The phone was the first thing to hit the wall.

Glass shattered as objects were hurled into it. Wood breaking and metal clanging and knuckles bleeding but Oliver didn't care, he didn't care, he didn't care. He sank to his knees as his chest shook and his breathing wavered.

God, no, not again.

Not him, too, not another friend. No more losses, please.

His head hung low as he closed his eyes and took a shaky breath. Surrounded by damage and destruction and blood and pain, Oliver begged. One quiet, pleading whisper.

"Just one. I'm begging you. Just one win. Please."

Honestly, I hate that ending lol. I may end up changing it.

So yeah, if ya'll want a part where Oliver gets a call that Barry lives, then drop a comment. ;P