Chapter Text
Lup has barely seen Barry for the last week and she hates it. He's been ensconced in the shop, ostensibly planning for the joust, but there's definitely something else going on. All of his texts have been perfectly polite, just like they used to be before she cracked his shell and the good-good Barry nonsense started flowing out. They haven't hung out at work or afterwards. She should be over at his right now, not at home. It's weird and she hates it.
She has tried to ask about what’s going on, tried to invite him to do things, but even when she dangled a discussion about a research paper on living history attractions he didn't bite, just said he didn't want to take up too much of her time. She wanted him to take up more of her time if anything.
“I broke Barold.” Lup nudges Taako's shin with her foot. “Do you know what's going on with him?”
Taako squinches his face in a ‘yes but I'm not telling you way.’
“Don't pull attorney client privilege, we've got twin immunity!”
“Twin immunity isn't real, the Burnsides case deemed it and we can't undo a Highchurch ruling. Plus, cha’boy has no idea what's going on in Barold’s head. He's all up in the joust business and can't be shaken out of it. All we've talked about is the catering.”
Lup tips her head back in frustration. “I don't know what went wrong.”
“Have you considered that maybe you could have just asked him out yourself and ended the years long volley of emotions tennis that you've forced us all to watch?” Taako gives her a look which dares her to tell him he's wrong.
“Tennis doesn't work.” Lup says, because she's not going to address anything else before he fixes his metaphors.
“Doesn't Taako know it? It's a game in a game in a game and they need to decide on which one they're playing instead of torturing us all with never ending pla-thunks.”
And he's off. But at least The Tennis Rant(™) will distract him from prodding her about her always impeccable life choices. It wasn't that she didn't want to ask Barry out, it wasn't anything to do with patriarchal nonsense about roles and stereotypes, she just didn't want to pressure him into anything he didn't want and wasn't ready for. If it came from him she'd know he was happy and ready and willing. That's all. It was a good decision, the right decision. Telling him before the winter season meant he had time to reflect. She just didn't consider that his reflection might lead to, well, this.
She wanted to respect Barry, she did. But she couldn't deal with not knowing why things had shifted so dramatically and maybe he was just stressed about the joust.
–
Two more days without Barry and she knew she had to do something.
–
“Hey Bear, I brought coffee sustenance.” She brandishes the slightly grease stained bag from the run down roadside hut that makes the best bacon bap she's ever had.
Barry's face peeks past his office door. He scrumples his brow like he's running calculations.
“I got you proper butter.” She shakes the bag slightly, hoping the delicious smell combined with the lure of dairy might waft his way and pry him out or get her past the office door.
“Uh…” he pauses.
Lup inches slightly closer, careful not to spook him. It’s reminiscent of the old days. When she and Taako first rocked up Barry had been skittish, wary of their friendly teasing, scared because they were loud and unapologetic (because they’d spent too much of their lives trying to hide who they were.) It hadn’t lasted long before she cracked him and he was joking with the rest of them. She hates the feeling of being back at square one.
He doesn’t shut the door, which she takes as a win and an invitation.
“Thought you might need these to fuel you up for another day of joust prep.” Lup offers a coffee.
Barry’s smile changes from polite to fond as he takes the cup from her. “Thanks Lup.”
“So, tell cha’girl what’s going on? How are the ticket sales? Have Magnus and Julia been practicing? I’ve seen them round a lot lately.”
Barry snorts. “He keeps insisting they can practice without the horses…”
“...Please tell me you have…” Lup interrupts.
“Yes, I have video. I’ll send them right now.”
Lup flops down into the spare chair and kicks her feet up onto the footstool, grabbing her phone in anticipation. “Thanks Bear.”
“This is incredible.” She rewinds to watch Magnus stumble over his sabaton again… and a third time. She’s going to loop this for Taako.
“He did suggest hobby horses to get the authentic feel.” Barry deadpans, but Lup sees the smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
Barry takes a swig from the coffee and holds out the bag to her, letting her take first pick of the sandwiches, always thoughtful, always kind.
Lup takes hers, and waits until Barry has his in hand so she can toast him with it. “To bread.”
“To bacon.” Barry adds.
“To the delicious things we’re tastin’.” They say in unison.
“So how’s Marlena? Did the rhubarb trick work?” It had looked to be flourishing last time he video called from his Mum’s house. Lup always loves the seasonal garden tours she gets from them.
“Yep, she got a bumper crop. It was a pain to have to leave it, but it definitely paid off. In fact, I’ve got some in the freezer, we could, uh, try and recreate that cake you made? I mean… er. Nevermind.” Barry looks panicked, he’s flushed red, it’s not adorable like it used to be, she’s just worried.
“What’s going on, Bear?” It’s out before she can think properly, but fuck it, she needs to be direct, he’ll keep dodging her otherwise. “I make a baller rhubarb cake and you know it, I’ve been to your house before loads, I basically live there part time. What’s going on?”
“I… uh… I should get back to…”
“Barold Jorts Bluejeans!”
“That’s not my…” Barry protests.
“What’s going on?” She asks again, hopes he’ll answer her. If he doesn’t this time she’ll leave it, it’s not fair to push too hard. She settles back in her chair, takes a swig of coffee, gives him time to formulate his thoughts.
“I… thought…” Barry pauses. Glances at her nervously. She smiles, lopsided and encouraging. “... I thought you might want to spend less time with me because you’d be busy with your, er, boyfriend.”
Lup is glad she’d swallowed the mouthful of coffee already. “My fucking what now?”
“Your boyfriend.” He repeats more confident. “I, uh, I heard you and Magnus talking, and I understand, I’m sorry for pulling away, I just need to uh…”
“Barry, what the fuck?”
“What?” He looks so perplexed. Idiot.
“You’re a researcher, you’re an academic. You, Dr Bluejeans, have two PhDs.”
Barry has the audacity to look confused by her incredibly logical line of reasoning.
“How many data points do you have for your conclusion?” Lup stands up, she’s prepared to go and grab the whiteboard to illustrate this point if she needs to.
Barry’s eyes widen in alarm. “I…”
“What’s the quality of the evidence?” She’s off now, pacing, she’s unstoppable, he will analyse the data points or else.
“Lup…”
“And how about the weighting of the sources?” In fact, she’s not going to write on the whiteboard, he can do it.
Lup hands him the pen.
“Draw me an evidence table.”
Barry takes the pen automatically. She’d feel bad if she didn’t think that he needed this. A physical representation of his wrongness wouldn’t hurt. Because if Lup had a boyfriend it was Barry Bluejeans, he’d been that for at least two years, longer as far as Taako was concerned. It was about time he realised it.
“So your hypothesis is that I have a boyfriend, correct?”
Barry nods, not quite making eye contact. “I, look, I didn’t mean to upset you, I didn’t think… I should have… it’s my fault.”
“Barry, show me what you know.” Lup doesn’t even begin to examine what he’s just said. They can figure that out later.
“Uh… Okay… I heard you talking to Magnus.” Barry scribbles on the board. “And you said you had a serious boyfriend.” He scribbles more and turns round.
“Uh huh. And that context of that conversation was?” Lup waits for an answer.
“Er…” Barry hesitates. “I don’t know.”
“Cool. Cool cool cool. So, weak data point?”
Barry nods.
“And just for the sake of thinking about it… who’s the most likely candidate to be the person I was in the relationship with?”
“Uh…”
“If you asked… say… your Mum who she thought I was dating? What would she say?”
“Mum doesn’t count.”
“Sure, sure. How about Paloma at the coffee shop?”
“Well…”
“How about Taako?”
“Taako’s biased.”
“Why?”
“Because he knows how I feel.”
“And so do I, and you know how I feel right back.”
Barry hesitates. “But you said…”
“Magnus was teasing me. A guy asked me out, I said I was in a serious relationship because as far as I’m concerned, I am.”
“With…?” Barry asks, quietly.
“What does the evidence say, Bear?”
He glances at the board one more time, looks back again. Takes a deep breath. “Me?” He says softly, a question more than anything.
“Who?” Lup says, because she wants him to know it, wants him to mean it.
“Me.” Barry says more firmly.
“I think maybe it’s time we stopped dancing around that fact.” Lup can’t see the point in delaying this any more, not if it left room for anything like this to get in the way.
“You’re sure?” Barry’s voice is lower than usual.
“You’re not?” Lup throws back, because she’s going down swinging today apparently. She figures she’s allowed to be at least a little bit peeved about this. It robbed her of Barry time and that’s precious enough as it is.
“I have never been more sure of anything in my life.” Barry says without even the slightest hesitation.
“Well then.” Lup shrugs.
“Well then.” Barry mirrors right back.
There’s a moment, a long, fragile moment, when she’s not entirely sure what to do. It’s too much pressure, years of it… they don’t have to handle all of it now.
“Shall we look at the joust spreadsheet? Taako’s been telling me about the pies.”
Barry lets the confused look wash over his face quickly and replaces it with a fond smile of understanding. “Yeah, that’d be nice.”
Lup scooches her chair closer to his as he wakes the computer up, leans her head on his shoulder to watch him talk through the plans, feels at home as he wraps his arm around her shoulders and pulls her closer.