Chapter Text
Kravitz and Barry had long since left Lup and Taako to give them privacy. The two of them had been standing in silence. Barry was staring at the door while Kravitz was looking anywhere else.
"How long do you think it'll be?" Kravitz asked in an attempt to make conversation.
"What was that?" Barry asked, snapping back to reality and looking at Kravitz.
Kravitz sighed, glancing at the closed door. "Taako remembering, I was wondering how long it'll be until he'll be alright."
"Well, I don't know if he'll ever be alright," Barry said, and after seeing Kravitz' face he added, "No no, not like—um. I mean, he's going to remember, and he'll stop hurting, but...he's just been through so much. We all have, and I don't know if any of us will be 'alright' again."
Kravitz nodded. Barry nodded back, and they stood beside each other, staring at the door in silence again. Kravitz was beginning to feel restless.
"I gave Davenport a drink of the ichor," Kravitz said.
"Oh," Barry said. "How did he take it?"
Kravitz blinked. "He...drank it?"
"No, I mean, the remembering."
"I don't know, I didn't stay to see."
"Oh."
More silence. Kravitz' mind started to wander.
He wished there was anything he could do to help, and he knew Barry felt the same. But Kravitz hadn't known Taako for all that long. Even Barry, after one hundred years, probably wouldn't be able to help him all that much. If Lup hadn't been available, Kravitz had no idea what they would have done.
Kravitz didn't know everything that happened to Taako in the century he forgot. Barry and Lup gave him an abridged version. They only had the time to tell him about a few cycles in detail. But this was the first time he actually got to think about what they didn't tell him. Specifically, what they left out intentionally.
Barry and Lup hadn't said much about their own relationship, other than it officially started at the Legato Observatory and had grown strong enough in the years following to stabilize themselves as liches. And Kravitz knew that they didn't have to. After all, it was a very personal story to tell a complete stranger. But now Kravitz wondered if they had left other relationships out. More specifically, those that pertained to Taako.
He wondered if Taako had been in a relationship during the century.
His curiosity quickly turned to anxiety as he wondered how Taako would react when he remembered the hypothetical relationship. He loved Taako, loved him more than anything or anyone he had ever cared about before, but if there was someone Taako had history with, someone who shared his past—
I can't control Taako's feelings, Kravitz told himself. I can't force Taako to stay with me. That would make him miserable, and I could never live with myself if I did that. If he fell in love before me, then—
"It should only be a few hours at most," Barry said, snapping Kravitz out of his thoughts.
"What?" Kravitz asked.
"To answer your question from earlier, about how long until they're done."
"Oh."
Even more silence followed.
"I hate this," Barry said before Kravitz could start thinking again.
"Not knowing how they're doing?" Kravitz suggested.
"No." Barry paused. "Well, yes, but specifically I meant small talk." After a moment to reflect on his words, Barry said "Not that I hate talking to you, of course. I was just never very good at it. It's a two-way street, you know."
Kravitz barely had time to open his mouth before Barry continued. "Not that you aren't good at it, I'm sure you're fine. I was talking about me, I just get so anxious and—"
"Barry," Kravitz said. He was ignored.
"—I can't come up with anything to say, you know? Like, if there was a class or degree for small talk I could probably learn eventually—"
"Barry," Kravitz interrupted, more stern.
"But there isn't one? We're just supposed to know it without instruction? So—"
"Barry!" Kravitz shouted, finally snapping him out of his downward spiral. Kravitz held his hands up and lowered them. "It's fine. It's not your fault, I don't know what to say either."
More silence. Kravitz was trying to avoid his own spiraling thoughts.
"Do you play cards?" Barry asked, finally giving both of them something to do what wasn't making small talk.
...
Kravitz wasn't sure if they were playing the game right at this point. Actually, he wasn't quite sure what game they were playing anymore. All he was focused on was the lich in front of him. Barry was cheating, Kravitz was sure of it. He just needed proof before he could call him out on it.
Stranger yet, not all of Barry's cheating was to get the upper hand. Of course, there was a lot of that, but sometimes he 'slipped up' to encourage Kravitz to let his guard down. Kravitz knew better. Taako had explained a similar grift to him on one of their dates. An hour later they were kicked out and ended up dragging a couple dozen shoes to Taako's bedroom. Taako surely would have told Barry this strategy.
Kravitz had also dealt extensively with necromancers trying to cheat death by challenging him to a game of cards. He knew all the tricks they liked to pull (such as, oh, using a cheating card deck, which he ignored exactly once because he was already having a long night and didn't want to do the paperwork for three people with over eighty deaths between them). At least, he thought he knew all of the tricks. Barry was turning out to be a very interesting opponent.
Needless to say, Kravitz was also cheating. It was only fair, he reasoned as he cast an illusion to change the face of a card. I'm just leveling out the playing field. Kravitz tapped his cards with his index finger—a fake tell he had developed for this game.
Barry and Kravitz had been so focused on trying to cheat each other so much that they almost didn't notice when the door opened. Lup entered, then closed the door behind her, alone.
"How's Taako doing?" Kravitz asked, standing. "Why isn't he with you?"
Lup didn't say anything. She made eye contact with Barry, who after a moment, held his head in his hands, saying "Oh my gods, really?" in a tone of voice that didn't suggest worry. Rather, it sounded like...annoyance. That didn't help Kravitz' anxiety, though.
"What? What's wrong, did something happen?" Kravitz asked frantically. "If there's anything I can do—"
"It's nothing, Kravitz," Barry said, his hand still on his forehead. He looked up at Lup. "Do I really have to say it?"
Lup nodded, smiling. "Yep," she said. She poked Barry once. "Come on, babe, say the thing."
Barry sighed. "Alright, Taako! You can come out!"
A second passed. Then Taako kicked the door open and said, "I'm gay!"
"Oh my gods," Kravitz said, laughing from relief alone. He was overjoyed at seeing Taako standing, smiling, and not in pain. He was back to his usual self.
Taako and Kravitz locked eyes and everything that had worried Kravitz earlier came rushing back to him. He stiffened and prepared himself for the worst. For Taako to break up with him. Thank him for a good time, and then ask him to leave.
Then Taako ran into Kravitz, almost causing him to lose his balance when they collided. Before Kravitz could react, Taako's lips were on his and Kravitz melted into Taako.
Lup pretended to throw up in the background. Taako pulled away from Kravitz to point at her and say "Hey! You have no right to do that! I had to deal with you and Barold pining after each other for a hundred years!"
Kravitz smiled and lifted one of his hands to wipe his own tears.
"What's wrong, Skeletor?" Taako asked, smirking.
"Nothing," Kravitz said, overjoyed. "I was just so worried that you weren't—that after you remembered everything, you would want to—to break up, and I hoped you wouldn't, but—" He held Taako's face with his free hand and said, "I love you, Taako, and I'm just so glad that you're okay."
Taako stared at Kravitz, eyes wide and turning glossy. "You sap," Taako said, "You gave me Lup back, how could I leave you?" Taako held Kravitz tighter and kissed him. "Thank you," he said between kisses. "Thank you, I love you, thank you, thank you—"