#whih

Wow, they really said all this about me and my book! That’s so cool of them!…even Doc Strange.

Barley has to leave the house for a little bit, leaving Ian home alone when he starts having a full on panic attack (whether it be by stressed, or work) and barley comes back in the house only to hear labor breathing from Ian's room and when he goes to check on him, he sees that he's having another attack and helps him to calm down and comforts him.

Okay guys, so the stories coming up will start connecting more. Hope you enjoy! Let me know if it gets confusing. I have no idea what kind of tag I should use for this. Let me know if you have any ideas!

Barley noticed Ian was dosing off more than usual lately. He watched Ian closely. There had been several threats made against Ian and both brothers talked to their good friend, the Manticore, they liked to just stick with Corey, about it. She didn't seem surprised. Sad, but surprised. She explained to them that this was going to be an unfortunate everyday thing. The brothers would never be able to let their guard down, and if Barley continued to stay around Ian, that he would be a target as well. People would use him against his little brother.

The good news, since their mom doesn't go on quests with them, she was most likely safe. She didn't pose nearly as much of a threat to enemies as Barley did (Barley saw that as a grave mistake to anyone who underestimated his mother, but he wouldn't argue about it, if it meant she was safe).

Ian almost broke down when Corey explained she has heard stories of the wizard's brother or sister being killed on their behalf. Apparently, grief to that degree can cause a lot of pain and power. Ian could unleash something horrible if Barley was killed.

That, was not so much good news.

"I wish I could give you guys better news, I do, but it is important that you start taking your safety seriously. You have to stay on guard, because there are always going to be people watching now."

"That Clarke guy knew a lot about me," Ian said. Barley felt his skin crawl at the mention of that bastard. Who knew how long that guy had been watching Ian. He targeted Ian and tried to use him for potions.

Both brothers shuttered at that awful memory.

"There are more like him," Corey sighed. "The good news is, Barley, that sword I gave you should also cloak you. People won't view you as a threat until you attack."

"What about Ian? Isn't there some kind of spell that could cloak him?"

"Ian won't be able to make that spell until he's older. While you are advanced," she said, looking at him, "you are still young. You will grow more powerful the older you get."

“Is there something we can do in the meantime? Will my family be in danger around me?”

That, was also not good news.

Barley had been feeling heavy-hearted since the entire conversation. That had been a week ago and Ian spoke maybe three sentences to anyone. He was quiet at school, because Ian’s friends texted Barley to ask if he was okay, and a teacher had called their mom.

Barley could normally read Ian like a book, but his brother completely closed himself off. He couldn’t blame him. This was a lot for everyone to take in. But Barley desperately wanted to fix it and he hated seeing Ian worry about him so much. He didn’t want his family to worry for him, but it seemed natural.

“Ian,” Barley called to his brother’s locked door, “I need to grab some things at the store. Do you need anything?”

He hadn’t come out all day. His mom told him to give Ian space before she left for work, but he could hear the worry and stress in her voice.

“Please, say something,” Barley said, after a minute of silence.

“I’m alright, Barley, thanks,” Ian’s voice responded.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes. Call me if you need anything.”

He didn’t get a response, but he decided not to push it. As he ran his errand, he tried to brush off the worry, but he couldn’t stand it. Ian, while he was always a little unsure of himself, never had so many mental battles. Barley had helped take care of him his entire life, was practically a father figure to him, and he was normally able to comfort Ian, but he couldn’t. 

This was something he couldn’t fix. But he so desperately wanted to. e wished more than anything he could fix it, but he couldn’t and he hated it.

When he came home, he went to check in on Ian when he heard hyperventilating. He tried the door again, but it didn’t budge.

“Ian? Are you okay in there?” he asked. He didn’t get a response, but the hyperventilating got worse. “Ian?”

Nothing.

“If you are by the door, move. I’m breaking the door open,” Barley said and waited a moment and then used his shoulder to break the door and found Ian on against the corner, trying to breathe. Beside him was a duffle bag half full of clothes.

Barley darted to his brother’s side and pulled him into him. Ian latched on and sobbed on his brother’s chest.

“I don’t want to go,” he cried.

“Who said anything about you leaving? What are you talking about?” Barley asked. One arm was completely wrapped around Ian and the other held Ian’s head close.

“I can’t stay here, Barley. It’s not safe,” Ian responded.

“You’re not leaving, Ian.”

“You heard what Corey said! You could die! I’m not risking that!”

“You’re not leaving, Ian, that’s the end of that. I don’t care about whatever risk there is,” Barley responded and refused to let Ian go. “We are going to figure something out. I don’t care, we are both going to survive this. I’m not losing you and you aren’t losing me.”

“You don’t know that.”

Barley knew damn well he didn’t know that, but he would fight with everything he had.

“Ian, we have overcome everything so far. We are going to be okay. I promise. We are going to figure it out,” Barley responded. He held Ian as he cried and hid his tears himself. He looked at the duffle bag and sighed. “I can’t lose you, Ian. I-I lost Dad and there was nothing I could do about it. I’m not going to let you go. You are the last person I can afford to lose.”

“It’s not safe for you to be around me.”

“I don’t care.”

“I do.”

“Then we’ll figure out a plan,” Barley said. Eventually, Ian’s breathing evened out.

“I don’t want you to get hurt, Barley.”

“Ian, you have an incredible and amazing gift. We are going to figure out what to do. But I don’t want you to get so caught up in this you forget what an amazing gift this actually is. You can change the world.”

Celebration for the returned

Religions around the world take part

jane foster week: ↳ day five: respect

“Everyone thinks she’s on the fringe of science and that she’s this kook, so this is her opportunity to prove herself” (Natalie Portman)

((This is genuinely one of my favorite clips 😂 there’s a lot of Easter Eggs in this segment, and it’s a really great intro to Scott Lang tbh, especially his heart and his humor.

Part 2 of the fire story (I’m not sure if it’s possible to link anything, but if anyone knows, please let me know so I can try to connect the stories! Thank you in advance!)

Barley kept his arm around Ian as they returned home from the hospital. After being awoken in the dead of the night to his house burning and then giving his little brother CPR after his heart stopped beating, Barley was exhausted, but unable to sleep.

Ian seemed to be doing okay. He had to take it easy for the next few weeks, but given what could have happened, the entire family was thankful he was alive and well. Their mom gave them both a hug again as they walked in the house. The kitchen, his room and the upstairs was scorched.

Someone had to of done this, but Barley had no idea who. It seemed that being a wizard caused Ian a lot of enemies. Barley hated it with a passion, but there’s nothing he could do about it at this moment. Would he ever be able to let his guard down again?

“Wait,” Ian said, sudden horror filling his eyes as he ran up the stairs.

“Ian, be careful!” their mom called as they followed him. The foundation was still stable at least, but Ian wasn’t in a condition to be running.

Ian darted into his room and when Barley followed him, realization hit him in the face and his heart filled with dread.

The cassette tape with his dad’s voice. Burned up. The player destroyed, too.

“No, no, no, please no,” Ian said as he tried to see if anything was salvageable. Tears were now pouring down the young Lightfoot’s face. He hadn’t cried this whole time, but Barley had enough tears to tonight to last the rest of his life. He still teared up when he thought about pulling Ian out of the fire.

He held his little brother’s lifeless body.

“Oh, sweetheart,” his mom’s words pulled Barley back into reality. Ian sobbed at the sight of his room, his dad’s tape, everything, just like that, gone. All besides his staff, which somehow managed to survive.

Barley picked up the tape, now abandoned on the half-burned desk. He looked up and saw none of the pictures survived either. 

He looked back over at his family. Ian was distraught and Barley wished he could take away that pain. Then he looked at his mom. The woman who wanted them to all be okay. Who loved and supported them. He knew all the sacrifices she made for him. He could clearly see the exhaustion on her face as she worked her best to provide for them all those years.

They both looked broken, sitting side by side while Ian had his head on her shoulder and she was playing with his hair. 

He had to do something. He loved both of them more than anything in the world. More than life itself and far too much to just sit here and watch them suffer.

“I’ll be back,” Barley said and left without another word.

Ian watched his brother leave without saying anything else. His brother had been unusually silent since Ian woke up. He barely remembered the conversation, but he talked with his dad. But the longer he stayed awake, the more he forgot. He wished he didn’t. 

He looked over at the ruined player and felt the tears welt up again. He would never be able to live a normal life. Something targeted him, he heard Barley insist that to Colt in the hospital. His brother had been furious and went off on Colt for not taking him seriously, but around Ian he hardly talked. He held on to his hand or kept an arm around him, but that was about it. Not that it wasn’t comfort, but still. He hated seeing his family in such a state on his behalf.

“It’s going to be okay, honey, we are going to get through this,” his mom said. Why was his mom comforting him? She lost more than he ever did.

“Yeah, I know.”

Barley came home three hours later with the cassette tape, somehow fixed and then a portable player.

“Barley, how did-?” their mom didn’t finish the sentence, instead she pulled her son into a strong hug.

“I know a guy who fixes these all the time. Good news is the tape itself wasn’t damaged, it just needed a new case,” Barley answered and handed them to Ian. He looked at Barley and wrapped both of his arms around his brother and cries on his chest. He felt Barley hug him tightly and he listened to his brother’s heartbeat.

Mom told him that Barley was the one to get him out of the fire. He didn’t take the credit for it, but he pushed her to safety and then risked his life to save Ian’s. Ian died, but Barley did CPR to revive him. His brother’s hold got a little tighter and he knew he wasn’t the only one thinking about it.

“Thank you, Barley,” he said.

“Always got you, little brother. The rest of this stuff can be replaced later on, but at least Dad’s tape is safe,” Barley responded.