Chapter Text
Barney knew something was wrong the day he turned thirteen.
It was the magic birthday. The day, as he knew it, where boys become men. In his young mind, he thought he would grow six inches overnight, put on some muscle and start to grow a mustache just like his dad. The kids always teased him. They were all taller, faster, stronger. They called him waterboy, even though he actively avoided the football field. There was this boy there. The only kid who didn’t tease him. Didn’t look at him, really, but Barney was okay with that, because when they looked at each other his heart rate picked up and his stomach felt sick. What an unnatural reaction, he thought, when looking at somebody else. But his father had told him that he was going to start feeling that way soon, when he looked at girls. In fact, on the eve of his birthday his father had given him a long, strange lecture that proved to be rather uneducational to Barney. It left him feeling more uncomfortable than enlightened, but he figured this was just how it was supposed to feel. He was still twelve, after all. Once he turned thirteen, it would all make sense.
But it didn’t. Because he woke up the next day, got dressed up real nice for school, ran into that boy from the football field and panicked. He was frozen.
“Hi Barney,” he said quietly. He was a quiet kid.
Barney’s lips felt like they were sewn shut. Why was this happening?
“O-oh. Uhm. H-hi, Andy.”
“I like your tie.”
Barney blushed furiously. “T-thanks.”
“Happy birthday, by the way.”
Barney didn’t move, even when the school bell rang and all the kids ran inside.
His father wasn’t happy.
He didn’t like what his son was implying, but he gave him the benefit of the doubt because Barney was prone to exaggeration. He’s just shy, is all. Nervous. He’s only been thirteen for a day. He’ll straighten out.
Barney wasn’t stupid. He could tell his father was upset. That was all the evidence he needed that this -- whatever this was -- wasn’t normal. He had waited for years to finally become a teenager. He thought he would finally start to think like all the other boys, who pined over girls and talked about how pretty they looked in their dresses. But the feeling he got when he looked at Andy, however sickening, was addicting. He never wanted it to stop.
It was a good revelation to come to at a young age. He was able to keep it to himself.
“Hey there! You! You got a hall pass?”
There were few things in life Barney took more seriously than being Hall Monitor. He kept his chest puffed, clenching his fists to stop his nervous shaking.
“Why, yes sir, I do,” said Andy, coyly pulling the laminated pass from his pant pocket. “You know I wouldn’t go anywhere without it.”
“Good, good,” Barney said. He relaxed his shoulders and tried to hide the small smile on his lips. He snatched the hall pass from a smirking Andy, humming as he turned it over in his hands. “Yep. This checks out. You may proceed.”
“Thank you kindly,” Andy drawled, gently taking the pass back. For the briefest of moments, their fingers brushed. They locked eyes. Andy smiled, and walked away. Barney didn’t move.
“Gee, Andy, I--I don’t know what to say--”
“You don’t gotta say nothin’,” Andy said dismissively. “We’re partners now.”
Barney almost collapsed. “Uh-- we’re-- what?”
“Partners!” Andy said with all the naivete of a five year old. “Sheriff, and deputy.”
“Oh.” Barney squeezed his eyes shut for a moment and let out a shaky breath before slapping on a smile. “That’s right! Yeah! Sheriff and deputy!” He strode over to Andy and slung an arm around his shoulder. “Sheriff Taylor and Deputy Fife! The best darn police force this town has ever seen!”
Andy laughed, patting Barney on the back and gently taking his arm off. “Sure, Barn. If that’s what we’re callin’ ourselves.”
“I--I won’t letcha down, Andy, I promise,” Barney stammered as Andy walked away. “I can’t thank you enough for this.”
Andy shrugged as leaned back on his desk. “It’s nothin’.”
Barney couldn’t stop himself. “I mean it! You looked over all the candidates, judged all their qualifications and characters and abilities, and-- and I just wanna do good on this job! Even if it’s just deliverin’ messages or handing out parking tickets--”
“You were quite the hall monitor back in the day, you know,” Andy mused. “Never let a kid pass without that silly piece of paper. I think you’ll do juuust fine.”
Barney swallowed.
“Well, this paperwork ain’t gonna do itself, now is it?”
“N-no, I suppose not,” Barney practically whispered. He could only stand and watch.
It was getting harder to hide it now.
Sometimes it was a passing glance, sometimes it was a smile. Maybe their arms touched for a brief moment when they brushed past each other, and Barney’s heart would flutter and Andy had to turn his head down to hide his blushing cheeks. They both thought they were very sly.
“Why do you always come home smiling, pa?”
“Huh?” Andy put his keys down on the side table. He didn’t realize he was laughing to himself.
“You have been in an awfully good mood lately, Andy,” Bee chimed in from the dinner table that was just about set.
“Oh, well, I suppose I just really enjoy bein’ the Sheriff.”
“I thought jobs were suppose’ta be boring,” Opie questioned. “That’s what everyone in school says.”
“Well, some jobs can be boring. But mine isn’t. I like the responsibility.”
“What about Barney?”
Andy paused for the slightest moment. “What about Barney?”
“It must be fun bein’ at work with your friend!”
“Oh, it’s a barrel of fun,” Andy said, scooping Opie up. “He sure keeps things entertaining. It was mighty quiet there before he showed up.”
Bee, who had just come from the kitchen carrying a plate full of pot roast, raised her eyebrow.
“Dinner, you two,” she called. As she set the plate down, she took a long look at Andy. His smile, however subtle, still hadn’t faded.