TDIR: Convergence (7)
Fandom: The Dark Is Rising
Pairing: Jane/Mary
Warnings: None
Rating: G
Summary: Barney accidentally upsets Jane and she comes to a decision. For 10lilies.
"You really like Mary, don't you?"
Jane looks up to see Barney giving her a rather pitying look. She scowls at him. "Shouldn't you be busy studying?"
"I'm only asking," he says, frowning at her. "You shouldn't be all snappy like that. And it's silly being snappy about it, I think everyone knows you like Mary. As in... like, you know, like, not just as a friend."
"Everyone thinks I'm a strange one, you mean?" Jane asks. She sounds bitter, and Barney frowns.
"No more than they think I am. Well, at least our family. Other people think you're strange, probably, but who cares about them? You should tell Mary about it, see whether she likes you back."
Jane sighs softly. She can't help it: she's been thinking lately about how strange she is, how she hasn't liked any boy since Will, and that when they were all eleven and twelve and on holiday in Cornwall and Wales. She's been wondering whether Mary realises, and she's come to the conclusion Mary would probably think her very strange for it. And the thought of losing the friendship they've built up again, well --
"Hey... hey, Janey, don't cry," Barney says, sounding alarmed. He leans down and puts his arms around her, hugging her tightly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... You know if she doesn't like you because you're strange, well, she's silly. And if she doesn't want you she's just an idiot, right? Any sensible person would want you."
Jane's smile is thin, but she is smiling. "I wouldn't think she's an idiot just for not liking me."
"Well she would be," Barney says, firmly. He pulls back a bit and drops a box of tissues into Jane's lap. "Don't cry, okay? I'm going to go and paint now... taking a break from studying. If you want to talk... And I'm sorry for making you cry, I guess I didn't think before I opened my big mouth."
"Barney?" she says, as he's about to go.
He turns in the doorway, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah?"
Jane smiles a little bit, blowing her nose before she answers. "If Bran doesn't want you, he's an idiot."
He blushes instantly, running his hand through his hair and shifting from foot to foot. "Ah... yeah, okay, I suppose. I mean... wait! What makes you think I want Bran? He's annoying and arrogant and he keeps forgetting to write, and -- "
"Good luck, Barney," she says, her eyes dancing, her tears forgotten in amusement at the look on Barney's face.
He smiles at her, still looking fidgety and shy, and then he holds up his hands, showing her his crossed fingers. "Good luck with Mary, too. You should tell her how you feel, you know. She's can't read your mind."
"Thanks, Barney," Jane says, and he nods and grins and then he's gone. She sits looking down at the table, blowing her nose again and dropping the used tissues into the bin -- wiping her eyes on the back of her sleeve. Barney's right, she thinks. She's got to say something.
Pairing: Jane/Mary
Warnings: None
Rating: G
Summary: Barney accidentally upsets Jane and she comes to a decision. For 10lilies.
"You really like Mary, don't you?"
Jane looks up to see Barney giving her a rather pitying look. She scowls at him. "Shouldn't you be busy studying?"
"I'm only asking," he says, frowning at her. "You shouldn't be all snappy like that. And it's silly being snappy about it, I think everyone knows you like Mary. As in... like, you know, like, not just as a friend."
"Everyone thinks I'm a strange one, you mean?" Jane asks. She sounds bitter, and Barney frowns.
"No more than they think I am. Well, at least our family. Other people think you're strange, probably, but who cares about them? You should tell Mary about it, see whether she likes you back."
Jane sighs softly. She can't help it: she's been thinking lately about how strange she is, how she hasn't liked any boy since Will, and that when they were all eleven and twelve and on holiday in Cornwall and Wales. She's been wondering whether Mary realises, and she's come to the conclusion Mary would probably think her very strange for it. And the thought of losing the friendship they've built up again, well --
"Hey... hey, Janey, don't cry," Barney says, sounding alarmed. He leans down and puts his arms around her, hugging her tightly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... You know if she doesn't like you because you're strange, well, she's silly. And if she doesn't want you she's just an idiot, right? Any sensible person would want you."
Jane's smile is thin, but she is smiling. "I wouldn't think she's an idiot just for not liking me."
"Well she would be," Barney says, firmly. He pulls back a bit and drops a box of tissues into Jane's lap. "Don't cry, okay? I'm going to go and paint now... taking a break from studying. If you want to talk... And I'm sorry for making you cry, I guess I didn't think before I opened my big mouth."
"Barney?" she says, as he's about to go.
He turns in the doorway, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah?"
Jane smiles a little bit, blowing her nose before she answers. "If Bran doesn't want you, he's an idiot."
He blushes instantly, running his hand through his hair and shifting from foot to foot. "Ah... yeah, okay, I suppose. I mean... wait! What makes you think I want Bran? He's annoying and arrogant and he keeps forgetting to write, and -- "
"Good luck, Barney," she says, her eyes dancing, her tears forgotten in amusement at the look on Barney's face.
He smiles at her, still looking fidgety and shy, and then he holds up his hands, showing her his crossed fingers. "Good luck with Mary, too. You should tell her how you feel, you know. She's can't read your mind."
"Thanks, Barney," Jane says, and he nods and grins and then he's gone. She sits looking down at the table, blowing her nose again and dropping the used tissues into the bin -- wiping her eyes on the back of her sleeve. Barney's right, she thinks. She's got to say something.