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Lup has always been fire, a force to be reckoned with; and that definitely hasn’t changed now that she and Barry are a thing .
If anything he catches more of her sparks now, always in close proximity – and honestly, he wouldn’t have it any other way. They catch at his edges, flaring to life and burning over and through him with a fervor that only she could possibly ignite.
Even now, pulling him with a grin to a nearby alcove not all that far from their friends, he can see that fire in her eyes, feel the heat in the way that she presses him against the wall with her body. She’s not forceful, though; somehow still seeking permission despite her more demanding actions. Color rises in his cheeks as she leans in closer to ghost her lips across his jawline, tracing a path to his ear that sends a shiver down his spine.
“L-Lup, we’re in public,” Barry manages to get out, a gasp escaping him as she lightly nips at his earlobe.
“And? I don’t see what’s the problem here.” Lup’s voice is a near-chuckle in his ear, smile evident in her tone. In the many years they’ve spent together, he’s come to learn that she’s much less ashamed of things than he is; though even she had been a bit hesitant when they first talked about their relationship.
“I – but – what if someone comes over here? Or –” He loses his voice mid-sentence as his heart leaps into his throat, intake of air sharp as Lup exhales a small laugh, breath tickling his skin. “Or what if the others come this way? Or your brother –”
“It wouldn’t be the first time Taako has walked in on something he wasn’t meant to. This is fine.” She pauses, pulling back slightly to look at him, focusing on his face. “Unless you don’t want to…?”
“N-no! I do, I just – I just wasn’t sure, I –” He swallows, shaking his head and meeting her gaze with a smile, even as he feels his cheeks burn a little. “I’m fine.”
Lup reaches for his hand, twining their fingers together as she gives him a smile of her own. Her eyes are warm as she looks at him fondly, bringing her other hand up to push a stray lock of hair away from his face. “You’re cute when you’re nervous, you know that?” He feels his face grow warmer as he sputters, trying to find words to respond.
“Not as beautiful as you are, um, always.” He gets a feeling of satisfaction as a blush spreads across Lup’s face and to her ears, barely visible against her darker skin. A rush of confidence floods him, and this time when Lup leans in he meets her halfway.
Her lips on his are warm, just like the rest of her; Lup is always warm, always bright, and Barry loses himself in that willingly. She tends to take the lead in moments like these, and now is no different. He takes his cues from her, shifting to align their bodies a bit more closely as she presses him closer to the wall, moving his free hand to her hip, steadying her as much pulling her closer.
She untangles her hand from his, bringing both to run through his hair and settling at the back of his neck. He feels her pull away from their kiss, and he tries to chase her for a moment before her light grip on his hair prevents him from going too far. His next breath is a sharp one as she pulls his head back just a little further, allowing her to trace her way down the side of his neck with her lips before settling on one spot in particular.
Lup does something against the skin of his neck that definitely involves teeth, and Barry can’t stop the small noise that escapes him, just loud enough that it echoes slightly in the shallow alcove they’ve tucked themselves away in. His grip on her hip tightens reflexively, his other hand gripping at the edge of her jacket, and he can feel her laugh quietly against his neck, leaving a trail of soft kisses from the sensitive spot back to his mouth.
Their lips just barely brush before Lup is pulling away again, hands moving over his shoulders and down his chest toward the clasp of his robe. Barry takes the opportunity to place a kiss against her neck, the angle slightly easier for him to reach – she’s taller than him, just barely, but it never seems to hinder her. A bold moment has him biting lightly at her neck, just as she did with his; the gasp that edges into a stifled moan tells him as much as her sudden fumbling with the clasp of his robe, and it’s his turn to smile fondly into her skin. She pulls him gently away from her neck, muttering something about playing dirty, and directs their mouths back together, robe clasps and jacket buttons forgotten for the moment.
The sound of approaching footsteps barely registers at the very limits of Barry’s hearing, and for a moment he’s not sure if he’s imagining them as Lup continues their kiss without any indication of hearing the same.
“Hey, Lup! Where’d you go? Lucretia’s looking for you, says she needs help with something!” Taako voice calls out to his sister, and this time Barry is sure that he hears the sounds of someone approaching on the cobbled path. He goes to step away from Lup, but before he can fully part from her she’s pulling him back in, and he instinctively presses back against her, despite the knowledge that Taako is nearing their shallow alcove. She keeps them pressed together several moments longer than Barry would have preferred with someone approaching, and by the time she pulls back with the smallest grin on her face they’re both a little out of breath.
He scrambles to straighten his robe and glasses just as Taako steps into view, raising an eyebrow as soon as he sees the two of them. Barry glances to his side at Lup, unsure of how she manages to look so nonchalant as she leans up against the opposite side of the alcove, arms crossed and no hint of their previous occupation on her face.
“Lulu, Lucretia says she wants you to help her with her research of this plane’s magic. Something about it being different, and that she ‘doesn’t need my area of expertise, sorry Taako.’” He pitches his voice to mimic their friend, not mocking so much as making it clear that he’s quoting her words as he speaks.
Lup shrugs, straightening and throwing her hair over one shoulder as she responds. “Sure, we’ll head back to the ship. Where are you off to?” She raises an eyebrow of her own with her question, and her twin gives an eerily similar shrug in response.
“Probably going to go with Magnus, make sure he doesn’t get lost looking for the Light again. Usually I’d tell Merle to go with him, but, well, that’s not much of an option right now. Maybe I can convince him to learn some magic this time around.” His gaze shifts over to Barry, and his grin grow before he speaks again. “Nice bite by the way, Barold.”
Barry’s face instantly goes hot, hand shooting to his neck to cover the area Lup had been so focused on earlier. Lup isn’t ashamed of leaving marks on his paler skin, he’s learned quickly, though usually he at least has the chance to cover them for decency’s sake before going out in public. He opens and closes his mouth a couple of times, forcing himself not to look to Lup for help and trying to figure out an acceptable reply as Taako laughs.
“Look, you’re embarrassing him, Taako. And he was doing so well,” Lup chides with no real force behind her words, nudging her brother. “Don’t you have better things to do than tease him?”
“I’m heading after Magnus now, before he gets too much of a start without me.” He turns to go, adjusting the hat on his head that he’d picked up a couple of cycle ago. “Try not to do anything I wouldn’t do!” he calls over his shoulder as he leaves, laugh ringing across the short distance between them, leaving Barry to blush again. Lup sighs and shakes her head fondly, looking to Barry with an almost apologetic expression.
“Sorry about Taako. You know how he is sometimes. He does like you, you know.”
“It’s – it’s fine. We’ve gotten past the point of him calling me a nerd all the time, so I’ll take that as a win.” She chuckles at his words. “Though I guess I could do with less, uh, close calls with your brother.”
“I promise I’ll make it up to you later.” She says in way of apology, leaning in to place a light kiss at the corner of his mouth. When she pulls back she has a wicked expression on her face, one that suggests something much different than her softer tone.
Barry blushes, unaware that his face could get any redder than it already was, earning a proper smile from Lup. “Don’t get too excited yet, Barold. We’ve still got a lot to do before it’s night.” She steps away, pushing her hair back and out of her face as she gives him a wink. “See you soon, Bluejeans.”
He watches as Lup leaves, heartbeat calming and heat slowly fading from his face, even as it remains elsewhere in him, less physical and more… something else.
It’s a warmth he hopes will never burn out.