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

chapter five

"Let me see," you said. You grabbed his arm that was cut and he hissed in pain. The edge of the cut was spreading and spreading, the blood pouring out, and his skin was changing color to a brownish-gold. "Oh gosh. Ian, do you know any spells to stop poisoning?"

"Poison ivy, maybe, but not this," he said. He saw the wound and blanched. "Oh jeez..."

"I can't feel my arms," Barley whispered. "I can't feel anything now."

You cursed softly and looked up at his face. His jaw seemed to slack open; you could see that he was really going numb. You ripped the bottom of his t-shirt and wrapped it around the space above his cut as tightly as you could, but you weren't stupid. It was doing nothing for him. "Barley, I-I don't know what to do, I---"

"I-It's okay, I know," he whispered. "Hey, we always find a way out of trouble, don't we? Kid, look at me."

You did. You didn't realize that you were having a panic attack. "I don't know if this is killing you---"

"I-I think it is," Barley said. "Not to be dramatic, but..." He was breathing heavily. "My lungs hurt now."

"Ian," you cried. "Is there anything we can do? Come on. Is there anything in your book or anything!?"

Ian was flipping through the pages. "I don't know! I don't know, I'm looking!"

Barley's hand that was gripping yours was loosening. "Barley, no! You have to keep holding onto me."

"I can't feel it," he told you. "I can't move my hand."

"Come on, babe," you pleaded. "Just..." You clenched his hand so tightly, so tightly it should be hurting him, but he was feeling nothing and you could tell by the emptiness of his face. And you looked at the wound on his arm and you cursed yourself for agreeing to another stupid quest while you're pregnant. You were cursing yourself for being a bad wife and a bad mom and for letting your husband put himself in danger again and not being completely prepared, and you were looking at the cut and just wishing it would heal.

"Your eyes," Barley whispered, but he was so quiet that you weren't sure if that was what he really said.

You put your hand over the cut and pressed hard on it, and then you were vaguely aware of the feeling that was moving over your body. At first you panicked, thinking that you were hurting yourself and the baby by poisoning yourself. But then you saw the swirls of green wrapping around your wrists, moving between your fingers, and then going right around and over the cut on Barley's arm.

"What are you doing?" Ian asked.

You didn't know, but you also did. You were willing Barley's arm to heal, and it was. You watched the cut close up and vanish, not leaving an inch of it on his skin. You watched his eyes become more aware and his body sit up slowly as the glittering green settled on him, and then it stopped and you stopped and a wave of exhaustion fell over you.

You slacked over and Barley's hands, strong now, caught you. "Whoa," he said. "You okay?"

You nodded slowly, your eyes partly closed---

And then they snapped open and you were awake and aware. You jumped up on your feet in alarm. Barley did the same, mirroring your actions as you jumped away from him and Ian and stared in shock at your hands.

"Did you just heal me?" Barley asked.

You blinked. "I-I guess."

"Did you know you could do that?" he asked. He sounded very in awe of you.

"No!" you said quickly, your eyes on his arm. He was definitely healed. Completely so.

"How did you not know you could do that?!" Ian questioned.

"I-I don't know. It's new!" You stared at your hands again, dumbfounded. "Why am I glowing green?!"

"Uh... maybe you're cursed or something?" Ian stepped away from you. You shot him a dirty look for being obviously afraid of you.

"Well it's not like I'm poisonous or something!" you yelled. "Or poisoned."

"How would you know that? You don't know what's happening either!"

"Ooh, ooh!" Barley pointed at you. "I know what it is. The emerald."

"What about it?"

"The emerald that you used to heal me, remember? When you cast that spell, your eyes glowed and it was crazy freakin' awesome. And now you healed me again, and your eyes did the same old thing! Except this time you didn't even need the staff."

Your fingertips were still fading in and out with a glowing emerald color. "Okay, but I don't get it."

"The magic was binding," he explained, taking your hand gently into both of his. He held your palm upward and traced his fingers across the lines of your hand. "When you cast the spell, it bound itself to you. It's uncommon but it does happen to certain sorcerers."

"So you're telling me I can heal now?"

"That's exactly what I'm telling you." Barley grinned. "You can heal anything and anyone!"

"How long?"

"No telling," he said. "But I think as long as you see the green go back to you when it's done healing, then you still have the power."

"That's... strange."

"That's amazing!" Barley corrected, his arms wrapping around you. He pressed his cheek against yours as he lifted you slightly in the embrace. You laughed nervously as he placed you back on your feet and looked at you. "I swear, you're the greatest."

You smiled at him. "And you're feeling okay now?"

"I'm feeling great," he assured you. You traced your fingers along his tattoo, letting them trail downward to where the cut was. "Seriously, babe, nothing to worry about. If that magic cured me when I was about to die, I think it can cure a little bit of poison."

"Yeah, you're right." You closed your eyes and he kissed you on the center of your forehead. You clung to his upper arms, pressing your chest against his and letting yourself finally breathe. He was fine and he was here.

As you finally let yourself relax, Barley's eyes opened fast. "___."

"Yeah?"

He pushed you back slightly and you looked up at him, your eyebrows furrowed together. He was staring at the floor. "I just thought of something that might be possible. But it also might be insane."

"What is it?"

"If you can heal people, and you... you healed me --- who's to say that you can't heal others? Like... like save them from certain death?"

"Like who?"

His eyes were on yours now. "Like my dad."