restinglichface | Open rp post!

[Barry will never ever for as long as he lives and breathes get over the sight of Lup wearing his clothing. He doesn't know why. There's something so simple, so incredibly endearing about the image, seeing Lup so comfortable and at home with him that she makes his clothes her own. While she's taller than him (just by, like, an inch, it's not a big deal, geeze), he's bigger than her by quite a lot. She's practically swimming in his shirt, many sizes too big for her, the hem swishing around her naked thighs, the shoulder seams almost halfway down her arms.

Now he's starting to regret convincing her to work, because all he wants to do is seal his mouth over her exposed clavicle, trace the bony protrusion from shoulder to shoulder with his tongue, map out the familiar expanse of her chest with his hands--]

Uh. Looking for this? [He clears his throat and tosses her a pair of pants, along with a well-used hairbrush, retrieved from underneath last night's hastily discarded clothing. She looks like she needs it. Hair that thick and lustrous doesn't come easy, and her brushes always suffer.

Her comment gets a soft chuckle, a hum pretending at thoughtful.] Hmmm, well. Hard to say. You know how much I love to science. [He grins, broad and goofy and all teeth, wiggling his fingers in the air to indicate ~science~, like that somehow accurately represents his duties as lead researcher and CSO. Like all he does all day isn't going through the same notes thirty times over, double-checking math, rewriting all the chicken-scratch in the margins.] You know me, always sciencin' all over the place. Can't make any promises.

[Funny how that single inch of advantage that Lup has over Barry quickly turns into two or three in her favorite boots, more if she's feeling adventurous enough to swipe Taako's heels. But at least here, barefoot in their shared bedroom, the pair are on slightly more even ground. (Though honestly, Lup has yet to get over how much she adores having a boyfriend shorter than her. There's just something so adorable about the way he has to straighten up just to kiss her. It's such a ridiculous thing to constantly notice, but it never ceases to leave her feeling warm, something that's become entirely too familiar around Barry.)]

Oh! Thanks, [he tosses over her pants and the missing hair brush, Lup catching both items with surprising ease, the brush set aside while she wiggles into something a little more appropriate for Research Mode. And if she turns to show off her butt while she's shimmying into her pants, well, that's just a complete accident.

Grabbing for her brush, Lup crosses the short distance between them, right past the rest of the clothes strewn about the floor, to press a quick kiss against Barry's cheek. She lingers longer than necessary, a hand reaching up to brush the hair from his forehead before her eyes crinkle and she laughs. Lup's expression is just shining with fondness for this goofy, adorable man.] Such a dweeb. You're exactly the kind of guy Taako and I would have swindled everything from back home.

[But the love is so obvious on her face, Lup doesn't even need to say it.] I know I come second to your grand mistress, Science, but try not to forget about the hot piece of ass waiting for you at the end of the day, kay?

[As if forgetting her was ever a possibility for anyone. Lup pecks Barry on the mouth quickly before moving to full length mirror tilted precariously in the corner of the room, the elf sweeping a few shirts on the floor away with her foot so she can step in close. But just as she begins to part her hair for brushing, her gaze flicks upwards to the Barry reflected in her mirror, trying to catch his gaze.]

Hey, can I add on to this deal we're working on? Sweeten the pot a little?

Edited 2017-10-05 05:27 (UTC)

[Barry's grin widens at Lup's teasing, Lup's lingering little kisses, Lup's fingers in his hair - and yes, also at Lup's butt when she'd turned and bent over to pull her pants up. He's a simple man, okay? Said butt gets a gentle brush of fingers and a fond, appraising gaze as she walks past him to the mirror. Like he'd ever manage to forget about such a fantastic ass. It'd take a miracle, a calamity, nothing short of divine intervention.] Well. I guess I'll try t'keep it in mind.

[Sleepy flirting is all well and good, but Barry does have a metric shit-ton of work ahead of him, work he should really be getting to. They only barely got away with the Light last cycle, so most of his work had been put on hold for a whole frustrating year of geographical triangulation and field exploration. Now that the Light is safe and on the ship (they'd been lucky this time around), he needs to take advantage of every second he has with it, do careful testing, verify or disprove any hypotheses about it and it's properties he possibly can. Their time with the Light back on their home world had answered a few, but their current situation has sparked a whole new angle of inquiry into the Light's powers:

What exactly makes the Hunger crave the Light? Does it differ from how intelligent life on the worlds they encounter crave it? (Insufficient data, Merle has not made enough progress in the Parley space to determine what the Hunger actually consists of) How does it transmit this energy, and how far does it reach? How does this energy behave in planes other than the Prime Material? (Insufficient data, Taako is unable to remain long enough in the Ethereal plane to gather data without significant risk to himself) Is the Light responsible for restoring them to their recorded states every cycle? Or is it the Bond Engine? If so, how does the power of Bonds interact with the power of Creation used to fabricate the engine in the first place? How does one quantify concepts like Bonds and Creation? Does the restoration process tell them anything about the capabilities of the power of Bonds? (Insufficient data, dying hurts and really sucks, and no one wants to be the test case) Can Bonds, if harnessed, stop the Hunger? If so, how could--]

Hm? [He's pulled out of his reverie when Lup calls his attention, and his gaze lands on her reflection in the mirror. The sight of her reminds him why he does this. Why he works so hard and sleeps so little and risks his flabby, cowardly ass to secure the Light every time. It's not for the advancement of science anymore, not really. It's not heroism, a need to save every world they inhabit, certainly not. It's her. Them. His family. If it hadn't been for them, if it hadn't been for Lup, he would have laid down and given up six cycles in. She's the reason he keeps working, keeps fighting. He'd do anything - anything - for her.

Barry smiles as he approaches her, hands settling on her hips and chin propping up on her shoulder. He loves how she feels pressed up against him.] I thought the pot was pretty sweet already. What, combing over thirty-year old notes and making out afterward isn't your idea of a sweet pot? [He laughs, kisses her shoulder.] Just kiddin'. What'd you have in mind?

Glad to know you'll at least try. Lemme tell you, it's such a curse being so damn forgettable.

[While Barry's thoughts shift to the lack of progress they've been making in the lab as of late, the absence of valid information starting to become more and more frustrating at each turn they take in their work, Lup peers at him through his reflection on her mirror as she brushes through the tangled ends of her hair. Her mouth quirks to the side, her expression a mix of fond amusement. Right now, after a good night's rest together and a fresh day to start anew with their research, she finds the man endlessly adorable when he gets lost in thought like this. They'll just be sitting out in the shared living quarters of the Starblaster, her legs throw over his on the couch, chatting casually with their friends and he'll be so cutely struck with an idea, the conversation coming to an immediate halt until he snaps to attention again. That part Lup doesn't mind.

It's in the night, when she wakes up to find his side of the bed empty, having gone back to his research notes in the lab for one thing. Or the times he skips out on bed altogether, where she'll find him half asleep hovering over the Light of Creation, mumbling incoherently to himself, needing just ten more minutes into a twenty-four hour research shift before he can finally take a break. Whatever reason Barry continues to fight and work so tirelessly for, Lup is endlessly proud of her boyfriend's ambition and his drive to find the answers they've been looking decades for. But she hates to see him putting his health and life on the line like this. Does he dream in thirty-year old research notes by now? Do failed hypotheses and badly scrawled equations dance behind his eyelids when he closes them at night?

No one would be very surprised.

But he's pulled out of his thoughts and returned to her, for the moment, and when Barry comes up behind her, his familiar hands finding their place at her hips, Lup twists her head to catch his mouth in a quick kiss. She's given up on brushing the rest of her hair for now--it's too much of a project and honestly, who pulls off messy chic better than her?--so she's plaiting the ends of it quickly, not even needing to watch her reflection to see what she's doing.]

I'm not opposed, but we should go out instead. [Craning her neck is a pain, so she just watches Barry's reaction in the mirror instead.] We've been cooped up onboard forever and this is a perfectly good plane to get out and enjoy.

Yeah? [It probably doesn't surprise anyone to learn Barry isn't one for physical exertion. Not that going for a walk in a warm, tropical forest is "exertion" of any kind, certainly not to Lup, but Barry's always been stubbornly sedentary, ever since he was a kid.

The IPRE crew has changed that, of course. Taako teaching him how to swim all those years ago opened up a whole new world for him, and if they ever find themselves in a calm, oceanic world with time to spare, Barry is usually the first one in the water. Magnus isn't as patient with him as Taako had been, but he's done his best to teach Barry some simple exercise routines he can do during lulls in his research, mostly indoors bodyweight fitness, or running a lap around the Starblaster without pulling something. Now Barry exercises as often as he can muster. Every time the cycle resets, he's returned to the absolute worst shape of his life, all his progress erased, and he hates it. He hates getting winded just walking up the stairs. He hates feeling doughy and sweaty all the time. If he wants to keep up with the rest, he has to really focus on getting in shape. Not getting fit, he won't ever be that, but at least healthy.

He also does it for Lup. This isn't something he ever admits to her, Barry knows she loves him no matter what he looks like, she calls him beautiful all the time without a shade of irony. But he does want to look good for her. He wants to go swimming with her and play in the water unobstructed. He wants to be able to go on walks with her when she gets all stir crazy without immediately getting out of breath. He wants to keep up with her in bed, but shh, that's ultra-private, he's doing his best.]

Hmmm, I dunno... You thinkin' like a field study? Collect samples, do some cataloguing, couple experiments? Sexy. [Barry grins at Lup's reflection, teasing, echoing back to the days he would balk at the mere suggestion of an outdoors-y date. Nowadays he likes it, looks forward to it, but.. teasing is more fun. He pulls Lup closer, squeezing her against his front, kissing her neck.] If y'can convince me, I guess we could go for a romantic moonlit walk in the forest. Whatcha got?

[Barry, stop worrying so much! Lup is quite satisfied with all of his efforts so far!]

Mmm, cataloguing samples. The best foreplay of all. [The teasing's become as routine between them as anything else, Barry knowing just what to say for Lup's mouth to curl in that particular way it does when she's seconds away from laughing, when she's just too happy to play it cool. With her hair finished, the elf lets her brush drop back into another pile of scattered clothing (where she'll once again forget where it's gone to), before reaching up over her shoulder to drop her slim, but calloused fingers against the back of Barry's neck.]

Bluejeans, a girl is going to get all wound up if you keep kissing on her neck that way. Don't be a tease. [She twists just barely, to steal a real, but quick kiss from him, before she leans back into his familiar, warm touch.] That's my job. [And that's his last warning. Get all kissy on her one more time and she's pushing him straight to bed, reports be damned.]

Mags and I went exploring the other day and found a pretty sweet swimming spot. Super secluded, looks untouched by the population here. I was thinking we could take a midnight swim together instead of our usual walk.

Edited 2017-10-11 04:37 (UTC)

[Barry laughs into the quick stolen kiss, resigning himself to just holding her close - for now. She does get some gentle nose-rubs to her shoulder, though. He's a real affectionate dude, okay?] Duly noted.

[He perks up as soon as water is mentioned. The lakes on this plane have all been surrounded by fairly densely populated villages and towns, and while the locals are friendly enough, Barry hasn't felt comfortable enough to invade their spaces and dip in. Honestly, he's been jonesing a little for a swim. One of these days, he needs to convince Davenport to help him construct a swimming pool on the Starblaster. That desert plane had been a nightmare.

But the promise of going to a crisp, secluded lake and swimming with his girlfriend has him giddy with excitement. Perfect motivation to get his work out of the way as fast as humanly possible.] Sounds perfect, Lup. I'd really, really like that. [He kisses her cheek, beaming at her.] Race ya? See who finishes their report first?

[And just like that, she's got him. Funny that the elf didn't even have to bring up the second half of her idea, which would have teasingly gone into explicit detail on all of the adult fun they could have in such a secluded location. But Barry, her sweet and wonderful boyfriend, is just so completely sold at the mention of a dip in the lake alone. Not for the first time, Lup's grateful her twin took the time during their beach year to teach Barry to swim. It's a good look on him.

Lup huffs when she feels that cold nose nuzzle against her shoulder, the fingers that had been pressed against the back of Barry's neck slipping upwards to card affectionately through the man's hair. Barry's genuinely affectionate nature had taken some time to get used to, but now it was just one of those parts of Lup's life she felt like she just couldn't function without. Going to sleep alone now just didn't feel right.]

Oh, sweetheart. [Lup wiggles around to face Barry, still wrapped up so sweetly in his arms, her free hand coming up to give his cheek a condescending pat.] We both know how long-winded you get with your notes. I'm gonna destroy you. It's cute of you to think otherwise, though.

[Going into any explicit detail would have completely derailed Barry's entire afternoon, because then he honestly might've had to continue kissing Lup's neck so she'd make good on her earlier threat. There's a strict No Boner rule in the lab. One Lup seems to take every opportunity to make Barry break. She usually succeeds.

He's more than capable of imagining all the adult fun they might have tonight on his own, anyway. It's gonna be a good date-night.]

Hey. I take offense to that. I can be very succinct. [Barry adjusts his glasses with a lopsided grin as Lup pats him, letting her get away with it like she always does.] How's this for long-winded: [He kisses her then, warm and tender in contrast to their teasing jabs, one hand on her waist, the other cupping her cheek. When he pulls away, his voice is soft against Lup's lips.] Love you.

[Lup's already coming up with her next comeback before Barry even has a chance to properly respond, when suddenly the man is kissing her. Really kissing her. He's tender and sweet, the soft press of his body against hers the most comforting feeling in the whole planar-system. Even now, years and years into a relationship, she's not one for waxing poetic on the way that Barry makes her feel, preferring action over word like she did in most aspects of her life.

But for all her teasing, when Barry pulls away from that tender kiss, Lup looks delightfully dazed, just the softest touch of pink to her cheeks. She knows she loves him, has known for literal decades, but sometimes the full weight of her love for Barry will smack straight into the woman and remind her, never once letting her forget for too long how big this thing is. Not that she ever could.

Lup plays off her reaction with a second huff and an exaggerated roll of her eyes, planting a hand to Barry's chest and making a show of pushing away from him. The secret is that she puts exactly zero strength into the move, it's purely for show.] Alright, that was ultra gay, but I'm impressed with your concise reply. Still not taking back what I said. I'm going to crush you into pieces.

[The shortest of beats pass before her voice drops slightly, as much of a whisper as Lup is capable of.] Love you too, Bar.

[Barry laughs, impossibly fond, letting Lup goof around and push at his chest all she wants. It'd taken several years for him to realize that Lup's teasing nature isn't a sign that she doesn't like him, that all her snark isn't some convoluted, back-handed way to let him know she's not interested. That's just the way the twins operate, he's come to realize. Barry's the kind of guy who wears his heart on his sleeve. Lup's the kind of woman who, while outwardly boisterous and teeming with huge emotions, is very private about her more tender feelings.

He's so lucky she lets him past her guard. He's never taken it for granted.]

Impressed, huh. High praise. [With one last gentle stroke of his thumb over a high, sharp cheekbone, Barry lets his hands drop and releases Lup. This is nice. This is so nice. Lup's pink cheeks and gentle, quiet affirmation makes his heart swell in his chest. But they really, truly, honestly do have a lot of work to do if they want to justify a date-night. So Barry pulls away to gather the notebooks he's got stashed on his nightstand - of course he doesn't take his work into bed, Lup, it's just for safe-keeping - before gesturing to the door.] All right, then. Let's take that big talk to the lab, see who crushes who.

[Lup's already at the doorway by the time that Barry's collected his journals, the woman still dressed in his oversized shirt, but with her dark jeans and her hair messily braided to the side, it's a casual work look only one of the twins could pull off this well. Her coloring is almost back to normal, but the sparkle in Lup's eyes remain while she waits for Barry to join her. They have a long day ahead of them, sure, but there's no one else she'd rather be trapped in the lab with more.

Despite how much effort she may put into getting out of work, Lup was endlessly proud of the numerous achievements they'd made so far together over the course of their journey. It was always a delight to see firsthand how their knowledge on the light continued to grow and grow each time they were lucky enough to nab it early enough into a cycle. Barry had theories about it, at least a million and a half, and Lup was dead set on taking the time to test each one. Not just to please his own natural curiosity towards this unknown, but ever-present force in their life, but to satiate the elf's as well.

How could they use the light to their advantage? How could they use it to defeat the Hunger? Lup would keep working cycle by cycle till she found out.

When Barry reached her, she immediately took his free hand in hers, intertwining their fingers, before pulling him down the hall, on the familiar path to the lab.] Sooo, what did you get done with while I was getting those good z's on?

[Barry easily links his fingers with Lup's as she pulls him out the door and through the hall. Thankfully, Davenport's strict All Uniforms On Always-rule doesn't apply in the lab, the gnome having relaxed his policy after years of campaigning (read: complaining) from a very sweaty and encumbered and unhappy Barry. So he's free to admire Lup's form in those fantastic jeans all day, given that they're working. Which they usually are.]

Oh, y'know. Kept tryin' to crack that nut we worked on before bed. [This particular nut has been driving him crazy since Taako managed to make a fake Light all the way back in Fungston. For some reason, there's some intangible property to the Light that makes the Hunger and every other intelligent creature they encounter crave it, like some sort of homing or guidance system. If they could isolate it, harness it, block it somehow without destroying the Light, the Hunger wouldn't keep finding it - or at least, that's how far his hypothesis goes right now. It's impossible to test in its current state.

Besides, his understanding of quantum mechanics and theoretical physics is nowhere near adequate enough to get them any answers in a timely fashion. That's assuming they're even talking about quantum mechanics to begin with. Could just be a bunch of one-dimensional strings for all he fucking knows.] Meaning I got a whole bunch-a nothin' done. Unless y'count putting away all the coffee mugs. And makin' tall paper stacks. Then I made great progress.

[It's a thankless job, admiring Lup in her fantastic jeans, but somebody has to do it.

The elf tips her head to the side to regard her beau as they move through the Starblaster, down the tight hallway and past the rest of the bedrooms into the main living area. It's blissfully empty, besides Merle's familiar form snoozing in the middle of floor, but Lup's already stepping over the dwarf and tugging Barry along with her. (Merle just plain never sleeps in his own room. Lup's thinking about taking it over as a giant closet for the twins to share.)

Now that they've come this far, Lup takes a quick detour to the kitchen. Coffee first, then to the lab.]

No luck? [It's a little disappointing, sure, but the elf shrugs her thin shoulders, like they have all the time in the world.] Well, you'll get there, babe. If anyone's good at nut busting, it's my guy. [Bad choice of words, but that was probably intentional. Sometimes it's hard to tell, when Lup feels like being particularly enigmatic.]

Besides, progress is progress, even if it's just tidying up our work space. We'll kick ass at our reports, have a fun night out, and be all refreshed for another go around the light tomorrow. It can't keep hiding all of it's secrets from us forever. Once we have a handle on that whole craveability thing it's got going on, we'll be able to come up with a more solid plan on how to shut it down.

I really wish you'd stop callin' it craveability. [It's grumbled softly, fondly exasperated. Magnus' dumb nickname for the Light's magnetism has unfortunately stuck, everyone but Lucretia having taken to calling it that now. Not that it matters, but it gets a little hard to take his research seriously when his notes have the infuriating but admittedly apt word craveability sprinkled through them. Thank every God on every plane they've ever shot past that crave-wave didn't fare as well. Barry would have mutinied.]

Yeah, you're right, of course. We'll figure it out someday. Focus on the reports today, take the rest from there. It'll be good to have a night out with you, that's for damn sure. [He too helps himself to some coffee, grabbing a banana-like fruit they'd found growing in huge bunches in the trees outside for a work snack. Just as he's about to head back out of the kitchen and sneak around Merle snoring on the floor, he pauses by the counter, frowns, then turns to Lup with a bewildered grin.] ... Did you just say I'm good at nut busting?

And that, dear Barold, is why you're stuck behind the scenes in the lab and not kicking it with the big boys in PR. Craveability is like a public relations person's wet dream. It's fucking gold! I'd like to see fantasy Pepsi come up with something better.

[And let's be honest. Crave-wave isn't completely gone, nor will it ever be. Whenever she's feeling particularly feisty (and when it's been long enough for Barry to momentarily think he's safe), she'll magic his reports to change all mentions of craveability into crave-wave. Just to see if Barry catches it in time before turning things over for Davenport to review. It's one of those games of hers that he's probably not nearly as fond of, but it's just too damn funny to keep her from stopping.

Lup turns back to Barry sporting her favorite mug from last Candlenights, and as much as she tries to keep her expression neutral, there's a definite twitch at the corners of her mouth, a ghost of a wild grin begging to be let free.]

Did I? Oops, must have meant cracking. Cracking all those nuts. Totally.

Psch, big boys in PR. You're all nightmare people over there. Impossible t'work with. I feel bad for your copywriter.

[It's a good thing Barry is completely head over heels about this woman, because honestly, her tricks and goofs sometimes border right on the edge of cruel. He'll never ever forget the humiliation of Davenport going from a tiny snicker to full-on weepy cackling over that first fateful crave-wave-ified report, Lup and Taako not far behind. She'd graciously let Barry sulk it out until he'd been ready to laugh about it too.

It's still not very funny, though... Okay, maybe a little...]

Uh-huh. Sure y'did. [He sees you, Lup, he sees you grinnin' on the inside. Barry will just have to swoop in and smooch that grin right off your face before it gets the chance to escape. So he does. All he wants to do all day is smooch her anyway, let's jump at every opportunity as it comes.] Remember, date night's after work.

Nightmare people who get the work done! You'll be thanking me once we've extrapolated what makes the light tick and shoved it in a bottle for the masses. Then we'll start making those big bucks.

[To be fair, that first magic'd report had come long before this thing between them had first gotten it's legs. Back when picking on Barry was still prime mischief making time for the twins. Now, if it wasn't so wonderfully routine, she may hesitate a little out of love for the guy, but since he's already been through the ringer with it, it's a good goof to keep bringing up every seven years or so. Lup absolutely keep track of dates in the back of one of her research notebooks, just to keep incidents perfectly spaced apart. Sometimes you gotta put in the work for a prime goof.

His knowing look shot her way is enough to draw laughter from the taller woman, her neutral expression dropping the moment he's slipped in to steal a kiss. It's ridiculous, how happy he makes her, how light she feels around him. She returns the kiss but then playfully shoves him away.] I'll break you free from your science mistress one day, Bluejeans. Just you wait. But until then... Race you to the lab!

[And because she's a full grown adult elf edging on two hundred years old, Lup turns and full on sprints away, sloshing coffee out of her mug the whole way.]

[He's about to go into a whole spiel about how Lup's imaginary PR people would have to pry the Light's enticing properties out of his cold dead hands to sell it, how it should be in the public domain for the good of the people, something about the evils of marketing, et cetera. But Lup cuts him off with a classic Kiss and Ditch.]

Lup! Coffee spills! [But it's too late, she's already gone, leaving a trail of little coffee puddles in her wake as she races through the common room and out of sight. Barry watches her race away with an exasperated smile and, because he's a fully grown adult human male of fourty-eight goddamn years with a couple decades in change, he calmly picks up the coffee pot, turns off the heat, and carries his things with him to the lab at a reasonable adult walking pace. He takes care to avoid the coffee spills (thankfully none of it landed on Merle, he's still sound asleep), not wanting to slip or get any on his shoes.

When the trail comes to an end and he finds Lup, having reached the lab first and effortlessly won the race against no one, Barry offers her a grin and the remains of the coffee in the pot. Not that he wouldn't have raced her, honestly, even if he'd obviously lose he would have raced her just for the fun of it. But. Coffee is important. And these jeans are too nice for spills.]

Need a victory refill?

[Naturally, when Barry enters the lab behind her, Lup is there perched on the edge of a table, posing effortlessly with her toes pointed and her head thrown back just to show off how long she'd been sitting there. But the elf breaks into a grin at his arrival, breaking character almost immediately, her gaze shifting down from her only half-full coffee mug to the still steaming pot that he's brought along with him.

Really, could this man be any more perfect?

Lup holds out her mug, letting him tip off her coffee before she's sliding off the table with ease, lifting her free hand to wag a finger at the man.]

Alright, but then seriously, Bar, no more distractions. Can't believe I have to keep reminding you. We're on the clock! Chop chop! [And with a wink and one last quick kiss pressed to his cheek, Lup takes her mug over to their work station, to begin sorting through the numerous notes she'd left scattered around the day before. Lup's been telling herself for decades now to just sort everything out before she clocks off every night, but she still continues to make excuses for putting it off till morning anyway.

Lup's morning self sure despises her evening self.]

Augh, y'never let me have fun anymore! What happened to you? You're all work work work these days, gah, unbelievable.

[Through his whole little affected tirade, Barry is rolling his eyes, grinning despite himself, completely unable to keep character much like his girlfriend. Coffee cups topped off, kisses and goofs out of the way, Barry lets Lup saunter off to her messy desk before he settles at his equally messy desk, adjusting his glasses and rolling up his sleeves. Time to get to work.

His mother used to say that time flies when you're having fun. Marlena's voice would be brilliant and her aging eyes would crinkle at the corners, and it would make her look so young and energetic, whether they'd spent hours together at the piano in the study or just reading in the garden as the suns set behind the mountains, painting the sky a wild mulberry fuchsia.

Her cheerful words never seemed as apt as now, because this is taking an eternity.

Nothing about this is fun, and every time Barry feels like it's been at least half an hour since last time he's glanced at the timepiece on the wall, it's only been like four minutes. Every single time. He alternates between struggling with equations made obsolete by time and approaching the Light perched in the center of the lab, studying it intently, scribbling something into a notebook or scratching whole sections out with quiet, unintelligible mumblings. By the time he's finished his report, all six pages of tiny, tiny handwriting summarizing their findings and redacting others, Barry feels like he's been working for a week straight.

At least enough time has passed by now for the steady drumming of rain against the hull of the ship to cease, replaced by the distant chirp of cricket-like bugs filling the trees outside. Barry sets down his pen and deflates into his chair, pulling his glasses off to rub at his eyes. How many years has he technically lived now? Over a hundred? He feels like it.] Fuckin' finally...

[Lup startles from under her desk when he speaks, like she may have fallen asleep in the last hour or so...

The day is just as trying for Lup, who loves working in the lab, but hates getting stuck writing long-winded reports, her attention always shifting every handful of sentences or so up, looking for distractions or doodling in the margins of her notes before continuing. When she gets up, it's to take a quick walk around the Starblaster, to stretch her legs and clear her mind before diving right back in. Her notes aren't nearly as nicely scrawled as Barry's, words scratched out here and there and more than a few arrows motioning to move paragraphs up and down in order (not to mention the elaborate doodles that threaten to take over the page by the end of it), but Lup will just drop it off with Lucretia with a wink and the other woman will usually redo it for her in half the time it would take Lup to rewrite.

By the time that Barry finishes, Lup has migrated to the floor under her desk, surrounded completely by her notes and her nearly finished report, which probably would have been completed an hour earlier if she hadn't fallen asleep. The woman startles awake, her attention abruptly shifting to that ending paragraph she'd been working on. Just needs a good outro, something to establish closure, to wrap up all of her findings and put a nice bow on top.

'And they they lived happily ever after'.

Eh, good enough. She can fix it up later.

Lup crawls out from under her desk, scattering her research notes around, and quickly stretches, skinny arms above her head. She fights back a yawn (she loses) before holding up her completed work.] I'd say I finished ten minutes ago but my ink is obvs still drying, so I guess you can claim victory. Just this once.

[If it was anyone else, she'd fight a little more for the title, but Lup doesn't quite mind handing Barry the win. Honestly, it feels more like a triumph for both of them when he does.]

[Barry blinks a couple of times at Lup's blurry form emerging from what he's pretty sure is a table, silent and completely stumped for several long seconds before he remembers. Oh, right. They were racing. He looks down at the papers on his own desk, the text just a black blob without his glasses on. What a victory it is.]

Just this once, right. Appreciate it. [He manages a tired smile, wiping his glasses off on his shirt before slipping them back on, taking in the messy state of things. His hands are black with ink, as are Lup's. The notes will just have to await sorting in the morning before they take them to Davenport and the rest of the crew for the briefing. Right now he's grumpy and sore from sitting and really, really craving a hug. Scientist Mode has to make way for Boyfriend Mode now, or he might just collapse.

Getting up from his desk with an old-man groan, he approaches Lup and wraps his arms around her waist, just quietly holding her for a while. This is the best part of the worst workdays, getting to feel her against him. He's about to suggest getting some food before they head out, but is distracted when he pulls back to notice a spot of ink smeared on her cheek. Probably from when she fell asleep on her notes.]

Y'got a little... a little schmutz, right... [He reaches up and thumbs away some of the ink streaking her skin, hand lingering there, fingers settling against her jaw.] There. [He chuckles.] Guess we need that bath, huh?

Just this once, [Lup repeats with a fond grin as her boyfriend falls against her, one arm wrapping around his middle while her hand slips upwards to comb through his short hair, leaving a little ink behind. Everything about this is familiar and warm, the perfect end to an exhausting day, Lup pressing a quick kiss against Barry's temple while she just lets him hold her. The lab is quiet, blessedly soundproof or they never would get any work done, so there's no rush to leave when it's just the two of them.

But eventually they have to move or risk wasting their whole night just standing there in a stupor, Barry's hand coming up to wipe the woman's cheek, her own slipping down to press her palm against the back of his hand. Lup leans into the touch, eyes crinkling sweetly at her boyfriend.] Mm, making me wish we were heading for a hot spring instead of a chilly swimming hole.

[Though the idea of them huddled together for warmth while running back to the ship after warmed her heart.]

You sure you wanna go, babe? Looking a little rough around the edges. I could always grab someone else if you wanna get your sleep on. No biggie. We can rain check for tomorrow. [Lup just had a nice ol' nap, so she needs to get some of that endless energy of hers out, but she loves everyone on the Starblaster and can make a good time with any of them.

And because she's not capable of holding back around this man, Lup waggles her eyebrows suggestively.] I could tuck you in before I go.

Aw, c'mon. I've been lookin' forward to going swimmin' with you a-all... [Yeah, there's no stopping that frankly embarrassingly huge yawn.] All day. Dammit.

[He really wants to hit the hay right now. Nothing gets him quite as tuckered out as compiling notes and wringing his brain for a report made as concise as possible. But every moment he'd allowed himself a break today, a respite from thinking and writing and calculating, he'd glanced up at Lup and imagined going out with her when this was all over. He'd pictured it clear as day. Ice cold lake water making her skin prickly with goosebumps, the moonlight catching in her hair, her infectious laughter in the dead silence of night as they played and splashed each other in the water. And his heart had swelled and his stomach had done flips and he'd returned to his work with renewed vigor.

He wants that. He wants it badly. Badly enough that he's willing to forego sleep for a couple more hours.]

I'm sure I wanna go, Lup. Y'can tuck me in after I've given you the date night I promised. [He smiles then, broader, more sincere, leaning in to give his girlfriend a warm, lingering kiss.] Nothin' better to wake a guy up than a chilly swimmin' hole, right?

[Now it's his turn to return the cheesy eyebrow-waggle - which comes nowhere near as naturally to him as it does the Taaco twins, but by now it's a force of habit.] How 'bout we make this a skinny-dippin' affair? Can't grab someone else for that, huh?

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