SATELLITE HEART [A BARLEY LIGHTFOOT x READER STORY]

chapter 8

Dinner was as tense as you thought it would be, with only a quiet hello from Colt and a quick handshake, you were suddenly across from him at the table. Barley sat beside you, his hand holding yours right on his knee. You tried to ignore the way Colt looked at you. 

Why didn't he like you? You weren't even a troublemaker the way he thought Barley was. What was his problem with you?

Still, you were three meatballs and half your garlic bread into dinner and you hadn't had to get up and flee the house just yet. Laurel was telling you stories of how Barley spoke often about you, even before the two of you started talking. She and Ian agreed that it was always obvious that he had a crush on you. Colt looked at them, dumbfounded that he hadn't noticed any of this. 

"It couldn't have been that obvious," Barley said. 

"Oh, yes it was," Laurel said. "You should've seen how happy he was the day he brought your trash cans up! Barley never volunteers for any housework. That's how I knew he must've talked to you." 

"Well, he was really good at hiding that he liked me, then, 'cause I had no idea," you said. "I thought it was just me that liked him." 

"I mean, I always liked you, but it was these last few weeks where I really ended up liking you." 

You looked at him and smiled. "Do you like me enough to still bring the trash cans up for me every week?" 

Laurel and Ian laughed and Barley smiled. Colt resisted the urge to roll his eyes. You glanced at him for a moment and regretted it right away; he was glaring daggers at Barley when his wife wasn't looking. The disappointment in him was clear. 

"___, we can't tell you how happy we are to have you here today," Laurel said, smiling sweetly. "You've become... I don't know, a light in all of our lives. Seeing Barley this happy now and seeing him grow up because of this... it makes my heart proud." She reached over and messed with Barley's hair until he leaned back, laughing to himself and waving her away. 

And even with Colt's glares, you felt comfortable enough to smile and grip Barley's hand a little bit tighter. 

After dinner, Barley sat with you in the living room. A show played on muted volume on their small television; you sat with your legs crossed, Barley's arm slung over your shoulders, your body slightly leaned against his. You both stared ahead, not at the screen, but at the wall of photos behind the television. 

"So I made you grow up, huh?" 

Barley chuckled, "I don't know what she's talking about. I woke up at two in the afternoon yesterday."

"Yeah, but that's an improvement, 'cause when we were just friends, you were waking up at four," you pointed out. 

"You got me there," he said. "But I can't sleep through the entire day now, 'cause I gotta take you to work. And I guess that's made me grow up. I don't really do quests that much now... I just feel like you're always going to work. So yeah, maybe I am a little grown up now. I guess." He shuddered. "Gross."

"Yeah, that is true," Ian said, passing into the living room. "Since Barley started taking you to work, I've actually seen him before noon." He laughed. "Hey, uh, I'm heading upstairs to do homework so I'll see ya around, ___."

"Cool, I'll see you," you replied, waving.

Ian waved, turned, and then turned around again. "Oh hey, and uh, Barley.  I was, uh, wondering if you wanted to go on a quest this Friday. We haven't in a while... since --- but I was wondering if we could... maybe."

"Well of course we can, little brother!" Barley exclaimed, a wide grin on his face. "You know I'm always up for an adventure."

"Cool! I, uh, have a couple of ideas for what we can do this weekend and so---"

"___ can come too!" Barley said suddenly with a gasp. He looked at you. "Do you want to?! It'll be your first real quest."

"Oh, I don't know," you said uneasily, pulling out from Barley's hold slightly. You turned towards him on the couch. "This was Ian's idea and I don't want to intrude..."

"Oh, nonsense. We're all friends!" Barley said, waving his hand.

And bless Barley's heart, you thought to yourself, but that wasn't exactly true. You barely knew Ian. You'd hardly known Barley for that long. There was no way that Ian was good and okay with his brother's girlfriend tagging along on something that was theirs.

Ian flashed a fast nervous smile and leaned against the wall. "Y-Yeah, we're all friends. It'd be great if you came too."

"Really?" 

"Really," Barley answered for them both. You looked at Ian for reassurance, and he actually seemed happy enough. Maybe you were just being silly...

You thought for a minute and then smiled. "Then I guess I'm up for going. But you're gonna have to really teach me how to do this, 'cause I don't know how quests work."

"Yes!" Barely threw his fist up and jumped off the couch. He grabbed your arm and ran over to Ian, yanking him in for a group hug that made you cringe. "We're going on a quest! All of us. Together!" He dropped you both and you smiled, pushing your hair back from your shoulders. Ian scratched his shoulder, that same smile still on his face. Barley laughed and rubbed his palms together. "Oh, we gotta make this one good!" 

He pulled away, mumbling plans to himself. Ian stepped backwards, clapping his hands together once awkwardly, and then he slipped up the stairs. And you stood and watched him go, his steps sluggish and his face a little sad, and you wondered if maybe you weren't being silly. It caused a pang in your chest to think it, but maybe the youngest Lightfoot brother didn't like you as much as you thought he did.