SATELLITE HEART [A BARLEY LIGHTFOOT x READER STORY]

chapter 10

Driving up the mountains was nerve-wracking. You'd never traveled up them in the first place, and while you weren't sure Barley was aware of it, he really wasn't a great driver. He drove too fast and swerved too harshly and you were terrified of flying right off the side of the mountain as he drove through the twists and turns of the thin, broken roads that went right through the tall evergreen trees. Music blared out of the radio, Barley sang along, and you just gripped the sides of your seat as you tried to not knock your head against the roof of the car with every bump in the road. 

"How are we lookin' on the map, brother?" he called back. 

"Uh, we're on the right path," he said. "There's gonna be a fork in the road in about three miles or so. Take the left."

"Ah, a fork in the road, you say?" he asked. "Maybe it's metaphorical." 

"I don't think so, Barley," Ian said. "I think it's a literal fork in the road."

"You know what I always say, little brother," he said, "the right path isn't always the easiest one."

"I get that and you know that I agree," Ian said, stooping forward as he walked to the front of the van. He held on tightly to both seats. "But if you take the literal right path, you'll be driving straight to the cliff side, where all of the tourists pull over to take pictures. You won't be going anywhere after that."

"Ah. Understood, Iandore. Understood." Barley took one hand off the steering wheel and glanced at you and Ian. "So while we're here, why don't you two get to know each other better?"

"Uh... why?" Ian asked. 

"'Cause you're my two best friends! Come on, I know you guys will be great friends too if you get to know one another. Ian, did you know that ___ works at Burger Shire?" 

"I think I've seen her there once or twice," he said.

"Yeah, I've seen him a couple of times." 

"See? You two are getting to know each other great already. ___. Did you know that my little brother once stood up to the Manticore without any fear whatsoever?" 

Ian tipped his head back and groaned, and you laughed quietly. For the next couple of hours, Barley played a game of Did You Know? between you and Ian. You were fine with it, you loved learning about Barley's family and you loved how much Barley wanted you and Ian to get along.

In all honesty, you never thought that it would be difficult to get along with Ian. Ever. It wasn't even a possibility that crossed your mind. Your concern was focused on Colt, even though you and Barley had both agreed that he didn't really matter. But you never thought that it would be Ian that would have a problem with you. It was obvious that he was being quiet and keeping his responses polite but short as the questions went on and on. 

But finally the game was over when you arrived at the small campsite that looked like it hadn't been visited in a long time. When you got out of the van, you walked over to Barley, who stood and looked at it with his hands on his hips. Ian clutched the wizard staff in his hands and said, "Look familiar, Barley?"

"Yeah, I mean, I know this place," he said, "I just can't picture Dad here." He took a deep breath. "I just wish... I just wish that I had more than, like, five memories of him." 

You put your hand on his arm and he looked at you and smiled. Ian grabbed the huge blanket in the back of the van and laid it out by the creek for all of you to sit. Laurel had packed a lunch of sandwiches, which you all ate quietly, listening to the sounds of unicorns in the depths of the forest and the chirping of birds above you.

After a while, Ian got up and went to take a look around. He promised not to go far after Barley got on him. At first you thought he was worried for his little brother, but then he said, "I don't want you seein' anything cool without me!", and you laughed. 

When Ian was gone, Barley looked at you. "What's wrong?" 

"What do you mean?" 

"You've been acting weird since last night," he said. "And don't tell me you haven't been, 'cause I know you, kid." He poked your side and you pushed his hand away, barely able to show a smile. "Come on. What's wrong? Aren't you having fun?"

"Yes," you said, but you sighed. "I would be... but Barley..." Your voice dropped to a soft whisper. "I don't think that Ian likes me very much." 

"What are you talkin' about!? Ian couldn't dislike anyone," he said. 

"I'm not saying he dislikes me," you corrected, "just that he doesn't like me tagging along on quests. And I completely understand it. This is your thing and it has been for a while. I shouldn't... I won't come along on anymore. I can just feel that he isn't happy---"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Barley said. He grabbed your arm. "I want you to come on more quests."

"I know you do, but Ian---"

"Will adjust to this," he said with a smile. He put his arm around you. "Come here. Look, it's just been Ian and I for a long time. I never really had a girlfriend before. This is all pretty new and I know it's not easy for him but it isn't like a huge change." You looked up at your boyfriend uneasily and he pulled you in a little tighter. "Come on, trust me. Just give him time."

"Okay," you said, sighing. "I'll give him time. Just---"

"And please don't say you're not coming on anymore quests," he said. "This is our first one!" 

"I know," you said. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to ruin your time---"

"Babe, come on," he said, shaking his head. He reached into your backpack that was half spilled out behind you. He grabbed your camera and turned it on and flipped the camera on you. He snapped a picture before you were ready.

"Barley!" 

It printed out of the bottom and he pulled it out. "I love it. Now you take one of me!" 

You sighed and shook your head at him, but you took the camera and sat up on your knees. You snapped a picture of him as he posed. You laughed at him and he chuckled. You shoved his shoulder as you crawled close to him and leaned against his side. The picture printed and you smiled. You loved it. 

"There, now you have one and I have one,"  he said. "Now let's take a couple of us together. One for you, one for me." 

"Okay," you said, leaning against his side, his arm around your shoulder. He held the camera up and snapped the selfie as you smiled. It printed out and fell on your lap. You caught it and he looked at it for a second, still angling the camera at your faces. 

"You're so pretty, babe," he said, and you looked at him and smiled and he snapped the second picture, where you were looking at him with what only you knew was pure love.

That was the photo that he kept and tucked away in the glovebox of his van.