Another show has sucked me in, and thus another pairing.

No, I do not own the show or any characters used. No copyright intended.

…

Monday Afternoon After School

How strenuous it is to be a scientist, Barry thought as he tweaked one of his machines in the RV. He had a strained relationship with his parents, which no one wanted, but he did, and it usually had to do with his science.

Of course, he also had Shelby and Cyd and Shelby's parents and the twins.

And Naldo too.

Barry would always have Naldo, and that thought made him smile. He wasn't good at emotions really, but he knew there was something about his friend that he found pleasant.

When he was without him, it made it harder to focus on science and even when he was with him, it was getting harder and harder to focus.

Barry didn't quite understand, but he knew a way to figure it out.

Science was the answer to everything after all.

So, when Naldo walked into the lab, that big goofy grin on his face, Barry almost forgot what he was thinking.

Why would he feel breathless around Naldo? And why was his heart racing? He must be ill! That was it.

Wasn't it? Of course it was! Shelby got sick often, maybe he could converse with her.

"Renaldo! Please excuse me I must talk to Shelby first before we get started."

Barry brushed past him, a chill shooting through him as they briefly locked eyes.

"Barry..."

"I'll be right back. Please wait. Don't blow anything up!" He called over his shoulder as he ran to the Marcus' house. Shelby was ditzy, but smart. She would know what was up with him.

"Oh… okay…" Naldo said, watching him go before he sighed. Although Naldo would never admit – because Cyd and Shelby were good friends of both his and Barry – he hated having to share his genius with them.

His genius? Where had that come from?

Of course, he often thought of Barry as his, just as he knew Cyd and Shelby thought of each other as theirs. It was just a thing, a best friend thing, wasn't it?

Of course it was! Naldo laughed to himself and sat down in the booth of the RV to wait.

Barry would be back before he knew it.

Barry always came back to Naldo before long, and Naldo liked it that way.

…

Shelby just stared at Barry, debating on how to break the news to him.

"I've deduced that I am ill, but I can't comprehend how I got this way. I'm very diligent about my healthcare."

"Uh-huh… tell me your "symptoms" again," Shelby said, making air quotes around the word.

"I feel breathless, my heart has continuous palpations and I feel a tremoring in my hands and knees," Barry said simply, watching the blonde girl, not sure why she had begun to giggle. "What?"

"And this happens…?"

"When I am around Renaldo of course. I suppose I could be allergic to him, but how would that be possible. Perhaps his laundry soap is the culprit! But how…" Barry began to mumble to himself while Shelby continue to laugh.

"Cyd! Come here!

"What?!"

"We've got to help Barry not be stupid!"

"Ooh fun! I'll get my hitting stick!"

"No Cyd, no hitting! This is serious."

"Darn it. I hate when things are serious." Cyd came into the kitchen and sat next to Shelby, waiting. "So?"

"I think Barry's in love."

"WHAT!?" Barry and Cyd both yelled out, making Shelby giggle before she leaned over to whisper into Cyd's ear. Cyd's eyes went wide before she nodded.

"That explains a lot actually," she muttered, staring at Barry.

"I am not in love with anyone, I am seriously ill here and you two are acting like it's nothing short of a disaster!"

"Maybe we should jump to the future and see what happens," Shelby says, ignoring Barry and turning to Cyd. "Say… two weeks?"

"Two weeks should be a good one, but maybe just a couple of days. I bet the feelings are returned."

"I bet so. Science my dear Cyd."

"Science."

"You two are making fun of me, aren't you?" They laughed and grabbed hands, disappearing in a blur of light.

…

Four Days Later – Friday Morning Before School

"Well, you were right," Shelby said, eyes wide and face twisted in shocked wonder. "I can't look away."

"Me neither. It's so…"

"Odd."

"Yeah. But I'm happy for them."

"Me too."

"Still weird to see though."

"We obviously get used to it."

"Oh yeah. I'm ready to annoy these two for the rest of their lives. Don't you think they need to breathe?"

"I don't know anymore. Aren't they uncomfortable?"

"This is going to be burned in my eyes for eternity isn't it?

"Yep."

"Guess we should go tell Barry."

"Back home?"

"Back home."

They grabbed hands and disappeared once again.
…

Monday – Two Minutes Earlier

"You two are making fun of me, aren't you?" They laughed and smiled at him. "What? What in the galaxy are you two doing, staring at me like that?"

Cyd began to laugh, her face turning blotchy and eyes watering. Shelby was a little more composed as she let out a short laugh and smiled at Barry.

"Barry… you're in love with Naldo."

"Don't be preposterous I think I would know if I was in love with anyone, and certainly not Renaldo."

"Tell that," Cyd started, laughing again, "to your," laughing still, "future self."

"You two jumped? To when? And what did you see?"

"We won't tell you what we saw-"

"Because I don't want to relive that if I can avoid it-"

"But it did confirm what I thought," Shelby said, elbowing Cyd off the couch, who was still snorting in laughter. 'You like Naldo."

"How on Earth could I like Renaldo and not know it?"

"You don't seem surprised."

"I'm a scientist," Barry said simply with a shrug. "Anything is possible in the name of science. Romance is the same. "Love" as it is often referred to is just a component of the body's cells being attracted to another set of cells. There's a theory that people who are overly attached – like you and Cyd and me and Renaldo for example – were supposedly made from the same set of atoms that had been created by the Big Bang. This in itself is a theory of course, so I figured that is what made me happy with Renaldo close, but I was going to run some tests for that theory as well."

"Barry, you can't learn about love. You feel it. And what you feel is that you. Like. Naldo."

"Shelby, dear Shelby, I don't know what you saw whenever you jumped, but I cannot possibly like Renaldo. It is just pure science. Our cells are similar in the same fashion that yours and Cyd's are."

"Barry, you're being stupid."

"How dare you!"

"You know I'm right!"

"Barry, think of it like this," Cyd said, sitting up from where she had still been laughing on the floor, face much more serious than it had ever been.. "It's this simple. Would you like Naldo to be anywhere else right now except sitting in that RV, waiting for you to come back?"

"Or would you rather he be with someone, doing something else?"

"Something that you didn't know about?"

"With someone else?"

"Someone who wasn't you."

"And maybe they were hugging, talking-"

"Working on science without you-"

"STOP IT!" Barry stood up, feeling his face grow hot. He hated to think of Naldo anywhere but in that RV, with him. His hands began to shake again and his chest hurt. He stared at the two girls, who both looked surprised. Of course they would be, because Barry never let his emotions get the best of him. Emotions were for silly people and he enjoyed seeing his friends express them because as a scientist, it was just easier if he didn't.

But now he had, and the thought of Naldo with anyone else, like the way they had described, had hurt him in a way he didn't want to recognize. It was like the pain he got when he found out about the girls getting the power of time travel, or how he had missed meeting his idol when he was younger. It was the pain of missing something that isn't really yours but you want it to be. He still stood there, waiting for something to make sense.

Nothing did. His brain was gone, running off in thoughts of Naldo. He tried to think of it in a scientific way – like what would Naldo look like if he was with anyone else, but all Barry could see was the way Naldo's face lit up when he saw him in the hallway, or how he was always there when Barry wanted him, or how when Naldo needed him he would be there.

But did that mean…. What if….

"Oh." Barry sunk back down into his seat, watching them. "What did you two see?"

"Don't worry about that. It'll happen in due time."

"But what if…"

"What is it Barry?"

"I like Renaldo."

"Yep."

"Trust us that much is true."

"Does he…"

"Yeah Barry, he does."

"He probably doesn't know it yet, but he does."

"I need to process this. Will you please keep Renaldo distracted? Tell him I will see him tomorrow morning so we can go to school as usual. There is no need for him to know about this yet."

"But-"

"Please girls, give me time. That is what you two can do, after all." They looked at each other and nodded.

"I'll go get him out of the RV."

"Thank you."

…

"Where's Barry?"

"He doesn't feel well. So me and Cyd are gonna go hang out at the mall. Come with us. You can get Barry something to make him feel better."

"Well I do like buying him presents."

"I know you do. Come on." Naldo nodded and let himself be pulled from the RV.

"Is he mad at me?"

"What? No of course not."

"He seemed upset about something earlier. I don't want Barry upset."

"I know you don't," Shelby said, giving Naldo a smile. "It'll be okay. Really. He said he'll be better by tomorrow morning and you two can walk to school together, as usual."

"Are you sure he's not mad at me? I don't like when Barry's mad."

"Barry doesn't get mad, that means he'd have to show emotion."

"Barry always shows emotion around me. He never thinks he does, but I notice it. Even if no one else does. He's not good with people. But he's good with me."

"He really is isn't he? Of course you do. Now come on, let's get to the mall."

...

Okay well, if this is good, let me know and I will gladly post chapter two!

Let the Baldo fans unite!

-JustMe133