OBLIVION [SEQUEL TO SATELLITE HEART: BARLEY LIGHTFOOT x READER]

chapter three

Christmas night was your last night in the Lightfoot house. While you and Barley ignored the luggage that needed to be packed before your trip back home in the late afternoon, you laid back in his bed together, cuddled close in the small space of the twin bed. He was reading a fantasy novel that he had recently gotten into and you were reading one of the books Ian had on magic. 

"I bought out the entire store, I'm telling you," he said the night you'd first arrived. "I ended up spending over a hundred dollars on books at the thrift store. There were just so many and you never know what you'll find in them." 

"That's my little brother!" Barley had gushed. "Always on the lookout for something new." 

Now you were sitting on the bed, reading through a book that Ian hadn't gotten a chance to look at yet. Between college and work, reading wasn't a common activity for him anymore, and neither was practicing news spells. 

You flipped the page again, your eyebrows pulled together in concentration as you read about a cavern of riches that laid far beneath the surface of the sea. The only way to get there was to cast a spell that only the most advances wizards could cast. Few had attempted it, and even fewer had made it there. 

While you were deep in your reading, Barley shut his book and turned around. He moved towards you, wrapping an arm around you and pulling you even tighter against him. You let him, simply moving your hands up so the book was closer to your face. Barley blinked down at you. "Find anything interesting?"

"A little interesting, yeah," you said. 

"I can tell." He placed his finger in the space between your eyebrows until you finally let your forehead relax and tore your eyes away from the book with a laugh. "Your eyebrows are doing that thing again." 

"Stop it." You snickered at him.

"What are you reading about?"

"Is your book not interesting?" you asked him. 

"I mean, it is. I guess. It's about time travel." 

"That sounds good." 

"It is, but I'm wanting to read something new." 

"Alright, here, you can read my book with me," you said. You sat up in bed and he did too. With his arms circling around you, you leaned against his chest, settling in right between his legs. The two of you read the story together. You let him lead, flipping the pages at his own pace. 

"Man, that was awesome," he said. "I so want to know what's really in that cavern of riches. The fact that no one alive knows what it looks like..." 

"We should try to go," you suggested. 

"What? You mean try to cast the spell to get there?" he laughed. 

"Why not?" 

"No offense, babe, but you're no master sorceress or anything like that. I'm not so sure you've got it in you to get there." 

You turned and glared at him. "Hey! This sorceress saved your life, didn't she?" 

"Okay, okay." He laughed.

"And I didn't even mean me, Bar. I meant Ian. I think he can do it." 

Barley thought for a moment. "You know... you might be onto something." 

"Don't act so surprised," you said, elbowing him gently. You turned around and put your arms around his shoulders. "You know, it's been a long time since the three of us got to go on a quest like we used to. I think it'd be really fun and might be good for Ian, too. He starts school again in January... I'll be a little over six months pregnant this summer... so this might be our very last quest. You know, without a baby, anyway." 

"You've got a point, honey," he said. "Although I'm not sure why you're trying to convince me. I'm up for any quest. No matter the danger!"

"That's the spirit," you said, and you kissed him. "Come on, let's go tell Ian before he goes to bed early again. He has to get to practicing. No going to bed at eight at night tonight!"

"Especially not on Christmas," he said, following you as you got out of bed and ran to the door. His hand found yours and his fingers slipped right into the spaces between yours easily. You gripped his hand tightly right away; this was his favorite thing in the world.  "Should I throw something at him again?"

"If you truly think it's right to," you said, pulling open the bedroom door. 

"When isn't it right to throw a pillow at your little brother's face?" 

"Uh... right now," Ian mumbled, stepping out of the bathroom with a toothbrush hanging out of his mouth. "What's with you two?"

"Nothing is with us, Sir Iandore," Barley said, "except..."

"Oh no," Ian said. "I know that tone." 

Barley let go of your hand to bow respectfully in front of his little brother. "Sir Iandore of Lightfoot, my wife and I humbly request your company on this extremely important, noble, daring, and seriously freaking awesome quest." 

"What is it?" 

"It's a cavern of wonders full of treasures you couldn't dare dream of!" Barley gushed. "And you just need a very skilled wizard to get in!" 

"And let me guess..." Ian rolled his eyes. "That's me?"

"Of course that's you," Barley said. He took your hand again. "This one's too pregnant." 

You scoffed. "I think that isn't the problem." 

"No, it isn't," Barley said, "but I feel too guilty if I say that you're not that great at magic yet again." 

"And you should," you scolded him, "because I'm the one that saved your life with my magic that you didn't even know I had!" 

"But you're good at other things, babe, and you're not bad at magic. You just need a little help and practice. Maybe Ian can help you!" 

"Or maybe Ian can just get us to that cavern," you said. You looked at your little brother and smiled hopefully. "So what do you say? Wanna go on a quest?" 

Ian glanced from you to Barley. He started to brush his teeth again as he crossed his arms over his chest and nodded slowly. "You know I do," he mumbled. 

"Yes!" Barley threw a fist upward into the air. He dramatically whispered, "We leave at midnight."

"We leave in the morning," Ian said. "I'm too tired to concentrate tonight." 

"Right, right," Barley said. "Sure. We leave in the morning! 'Cause every great wizard needs a good night's sleep." 

Ian rolled his eyes and laughed at his brother as he turned back into the bathroom. "Goodnight, Barley."