Murphy chewed on his thumb as he watched Barrie out of the corner of his eye. She had her hands shoved in her coat pockets and she was biting the inside of her cheek, her breath coming out in cloud every time she sighed. He waited for her to speak, not wanting to disturb her thoughts.

"Had Con ever lied ta me, Murph?" she asked quietly, and Murphy dropped his hand from his mouth as he looked at the side of her face. She was staring straight ahead, refusing to look at him as though she were afraid of what his answer might be.

"Only when he was pretendin' he wasn't head over heels in love wi' ye," he shrugged his shoulders. "That's not really a lie, though. More him bein' nervous about ye reaction. Why? What's botherin' ye?"

"…How'd ye really get that scar, Murph? And Connor, how'd he get the ones on his wrists?" she narrowed her eyes at him. "Are ya's in come kind o' trouble? Do ye need help? I can help, I've got money, I-"

"We don't need ye money," Murphy chuckled. "Barrie, trust me when I tell ye, it's not important. If ye needed ta know, we'd tell ye. We're not keepin' it from ye ta be dicks, we're keepin' it from ye so's ye don't get hurt, alright? I'm askin' ye ta trust me."

"I just worry about ya's, Murph," she told him sadly, her eyes dropping to the ground. "Ye don't know what it was like back home after ya's left. I was heartbroken the first time, I hadn't wanted ta let go when Con was huggin' me goodbye. I didn't want ta lose ya's, but I knew I was goin' ta. Then ye came home and- I went ta the house, ta see ye. Ye were a tad preoccupied, what with havin' some half-naked girl pinned against the kitchen counter. I missed ya's so much, Murph, I wanted ye back. I just wanted ye both ta stay, and I knew I couldn't ask that o' ye. I made ya's both me whole world and when ye left, I had nothin'."

"Barrie…" Murphy paused, sighing in uncertainty.

"But now I'm here, and I can help ye with whatever's goin' on, if ye let me. Please, Murph, please don't keep me in the dark about this," she pleaded with him and he shook his head.

"If ye keep askin' questions, Barrie, and keep diggin' through stuf then yer goin' to find somethin' ye don't want ta find, somethin' ye don't like, just like Rocco did. Ye don't want ta lose us? We don't want to lose ye either," he told her. "Ye think yer the only one who was missin' us? Con was inconsolable on the boat over here the first time, I didn't understand why 'til last night, when I found out what had happened between ya's. He would have taken ye with us, if he could have. Second time, too, I'm guessin'. Hell, the second time we left, I wanted ta bring wi' us! Just… I need ye ta trust us. If it gets ta the point that ye need ta know, we'll tell ye. Until then, please, Barrie, please let it go. Please forget it, because I'm not willin' ta put ye in danger ta satisfy yer curiosity," he rolled his eyes, silently praying she'd listen to him.

"…Fine," Barried agreed after a pause. She wanted to push it, wanted to question him and wanted to get answers to satisfy her nosiness, but Murphy's voice held a tone she'd never heard from him before – it almost sounded panicked, like desperation. "For now, Murph. But I'll be here when ye ready ta tell me."

"I know ye will be," he smiled softly, taking his bottom lip between his teeth. "Is that why yer pissed wi' Con? For lyin' ta ye?"

"Aye," she sighed heavily.

"Really?" he asked with a smirk. "Coz if anythin', I thought it'd be for the massive new hickey yer sportin' on ye neck!"

"Shut up!" Barrie shrieked, her eyes widening as she clamped a hand over her neck. "Where?! I'll kill him!" she hissed, staring at herself in the nearest window and pulling the jumped away from her neck as Murphy laughed loudly behind her. "Fucks sake, it looks like I've been attacked by Dracula!"

"Well, if ye will have sex wi' me brother…" Murphy shrugged his shoulders. "He can get a bit carried away, lass. Surprised he didn't do it to ye last time."

"I think he did, actually," she sighed heavily. "I just didn't care back then."

"So why d'ye care now?" he shrugged his shoulders.

"Maybe coz I'm older now, I dunno," Barrie moved away from the window and fixed the jumper she was wearing. "Maybe because I saw the old lady in church this mornin' givin' me evils like I was some sort o' harlot for darin' to be sat wi' two handsome boys."

"Yer think I'm handsome?" Murphy asked proudly.

"Knock it off, MacManus," Barrie shoved him away and punched his shoulder. "I've thought ye were handsome since I was about thirteen, ye know that."

"Ye know, Barrie, I'm curious as ta why ye say ye loved me or whatever, but ye never made a move on me?"

"Excuse me, I flirted wi' ye as though me life depended on it!" she chuckled. "Not my fault ye were too stupid ta realise… Or ye just didn't give a shit, whichever," she shrugged her shoulders.

"Aye, but why did ye never come right out wi' it and tell me how ye felt?"

"Because ye already knew?" she raised an eyebrow. "Everyone in town knew, ye mother knew. Didn't think I needed ta tell ye. Besides, I was scared ye'd tell me ta get lost an' that would be our friendship over with!"

"I never woulda done that," Murphy frowned at her.

"Don't lie, saw ye do it wi' plenty o' other girls," she nudged him with her shoulder. "Anyway, it's up ta the boy ta make a move! Girls are s'pposed ta sit and wait patiently."

"Yer settin' the feminist movement back a few decades there, lass," Murphy scoffed at her. "And ye were never the typical girl, anyway. If ye wanted somethin', ye usually just went for it. Don't see why I was any different."

"Ye just were," she told him with a huff. "Doesn't matter know, I guess. Ye always were pretty secretive. Do ya's still speak German and all that when ye don't want anyone ta understand what ya's are sayin'?"

"Aye," Murphy replied with a chuckle.

"Used ta do me head in back home," Barrie huffed, her fingers curling round Murphy's as she spotted a gang of boys at the end of the street. Murphy followed her gaze and he smiled, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze and pulling her closer to him as they walked past them. "I was dead paranoid, used ta think ya's were talkin' 'bout me all the time. I'd catch ya's lookin' over and whisperin' ta yerselves."

"We probably were," Murphy shrugged his shoulders.

"Oh," Barrie pulled a face at him.

"Good things, Barrie," he chuckled. "I was probably tryin' ta get Connor ta make his move on ye."

"…Did ye really used to tell him that? Ta make a move?"

"Course I did, there was only so much mopin' I could put up with," Murphy rolled his eyes. "Why? Does that bother ye? Did ye think only girls talked about their crushes?"

"Bothers me more that ye knew I felt somethin' for ya, and ye still tried ta palm me off on yer brother," she shrugged at him. "Like ye were settin' him up for a fall."

"No I wasn't," Murphy frowned. "I knew ye'd see sense eventually, I knew ye were gonna fall for him and look – I was right."

"Only gave him a chance because ye told me to," Barrie admitted quietly. "Guess I should be thankin' ye. Best bit of advice I ever listened ta."

"Well, yer welcome," Murphy coughed, dropping her hand and digging a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. He kept walking towards the diner, not noticing that Barrie had stopped until he went to offer her a smoke. He frowned in confusion, turning round and seeing her stood in the middle of the street, looking at him curiously. "Wha'?"

"Say somethin' ta me in one o' ye languages, Murph," she told him. "It's always nice ta hear a different language. Or do ye just save it for the women yer tryin' ta bed?"

"Aye, I save it, but I s'ppose I can make an exception for ye," he laughed, smoke escaping between his lips as he took a step towards her. Her cheeks were rosy from the cold, the top of her nose turning red, too, and her blue eyes shining brightly. She'd always been pretty growing up, she had the shy and quiet look down to a tee, giving everyone a shock when they really got to know her. Murphy smiled as he resisted the urge to reach out and let his fingers dance across the freckles that were dotted across her nose, instead letting his hand tangle in the ends of her ginger curls. "Cailín álainn," he whispered. Barrie froze, looking up at him as her cheeks turned a darker shade of pink and her teeth sunk into her bottom lip, a dopey smile on her face. It was then that he realised his mistake, and he wanted the ground to open up and swallow him whole.

"Ye think I'm beautiful?" she grinned at him.

"Ah, shite," he mumbled, letting his hand fall from her hair as she chuckled. "Fuckin' hell, Barrie."

"Ye forgot it was me ya were talkin' ta, Murph," she giggled, lacing her fingers through his. "I'm not one o' yer fancy girls. I can speak Gaelic, too."

"Aye, don't I fuckin' know it," he grumbled. "Come on, I'm hungry and I think ye owe Con an explanation as ta why ye ran out on him. Ye should get him cake, he likes cake."

"S'ppose so," she sighed, falling into step beside him again. "Ye really think the best way ta say sorry is ta bring him cake though, Murphy?"

"Trust me," Murphy nodded. "I know me brother. He'll forgive ye in a heartbeat if ye bring 'im food."

"He shouldn't even have ta forgive me," Barrie grumbled moodily. "He lied to me, Murph."

"Aye, for yer own bloody good, don't go forgettin' that," Murphy pointed a finger at her as he raised his eyebrows. "…What ye lookin' at me like that for, girl?"

"D'ye really think I'm beautiful, Murph?" she smiled up at him.

"Christ, Barrie…" Murphy groaned, scratching at his nose. "Yer've just got outta bed wi' me brother, ye can't go askin' me stuff like that, yer not one o' the girls we pass back and forth!"

"One o' the girls you- oh," Barrie took a step away from him and cleared her throat, crossing her arms over her chest as she licked her lips. "Do ya's, erm, do that a lot, like? Passin' girls between ya's?"

"Aye, quite a bit we used ta, yeah," Murphy sighed. "Not lately, though. And not anymore, not with… not with ye, Barrie. We'd never do that with ye."

"Why?" she looked at him, and Murphy was surprised by the accusatory tone of her voice, the look of hurt that flashed in her eyes. "Am I not good enough for ye, Murph? Just gonna leave me for Con again?"

"Ye wha'?" Murphy stared at her, his eyes narrowed as he wrapped his fingers round her elbow to stop her. "Ye think-" he paused, cocking his head and eyeing her curiously as she chewed the inside of her cheek. "…Ye can't really think the reason I didn't go after ye back home was coz I thought ye weren't good enough for me? Have ye banged yer head, lass? Ye feelin' alright?"

"I know it doesn't matter now, but I've always wondered," Barrie sighed. "I loved ye, Murph. I really, really loved ye back then and ye just broke me heart over and over again," she shook her head.

"An' who was always there ta pick up the pieces for ye, hmmm?" Murphy hummed, a small smile on his face as Barrie's mouth dropped open in shock. "Exactly."

"Wait, wait a second," she shook her head at him and held a hand up. "Ye mean ta tell me, ye put me through all that agony and I cried every fuckin' weekend when I saw ye makin' out wi' one o' ye hussies, because ye were trying ta help Connor?"

"Worked, didn't it?"

"Yer a fuckin' arsewipe, MacManus!" she growled, pushing at his chest and stomping past him. Murphy stared after her in a mix of shock and confusion, before he dropped his cigarette to the ground and followed her, watching as she pushed through the same crowd of teens she'd been afraid of passing mere minutes earlier.

"Barrie-"

"Get yer hands off me, Murphy," she growled, yanking her arm out of his grasp when he took hold of her.

"Ye can't seriously be pissed at me about somethin' I did years ago?" he asked incredulously. "I was a kid, Barrie, I thought I was doin' me brother a favour!"

"Oh I can be pissed at ye, Murphy!" she snapped, pointing a finger in his face. "Ye don't understand what it's like ta be 16 years old and have the only boy yer've ever wanted parade a load o' different girls in fron o' ye every fuckin' week! I used ta cry meself ta sleep wonderin' what was wrong wi' me, why ye didn't want me, why ye'd go off wi' every other girl who fluttered her eyelashes at ye and shove me ta the side when I was the only one who even cared about ye!"

"Barrie…" Murphy sighed, scratching the back of his neck.

"Yer plan was a load of shite," sne sniffed. "The brother ye were so intent on helpin' had ta listen ta me cry over how much I loved ye! Did ye even think how that must've been for him?"

"I didn't- I-"

"Course ye fuckin' didn't, yer brain lives in yer pants," she grumbled. "Doubt much has changed."

"Doesn't that say somethin' ta ye, though?" Murphy asked her quietly. "Con still stuck 'round, didn't he? He never went anywhere, he was happy ta be there coz he got ta spend time wi' the girl he loved."

"Yeah, while she was busy cryin' over his idiot brother who was never fuckin' good enough for her, anyway," Barrie muttered with a sniff as she rubbed her eyes. Murphy sucked in a breath, feeling wounded as he nodded his head.

"Yer right," he told her. "I was never good enough for ye, Barrie, that's why I was so bloody eager ta set ye up wi' Connor. He treated ye good, right? Still does. So, yer welcome."

"I'm welcome?" Barrie's eyes widening. "M'not thankin' ye for makin' me teens years hell, Murphy."

"Thank me for gettin' ye wi' Con, then," he shrugged his shoulders.

"Ye really don't get it, do ye Murph?" she whispered, shaking her head. "I loved ye, and ye used that ta yer advantage whenever ye needed to. I remember once when me parents wen away and ya's both came round ta keep me company, ye had me watching that Halloween movie. I was terrified and I wanted ta turn it off, I was hiding in Con's jumper and he was goin' ta turn it off for me, but you… Ye got this pout on ye face and ye pulled me away from Con and over ta you instead and ye were whisperin' to me, sayin' ya's were gonna sleep over ta protect me," she sighed. "So I let ye keep it on, even though I hated it. Soon as I agreed ta it, ye let go o' me and I ended up back wi' Connor. Ye didn't even stay, either. Ya went out wi' some girl and woke me up at four in the mornin' piss drunk and tryin' ta scare me."

"Why did ye like me when I treated ye that way?"

"Convinced meself ye didn't know how I felt," Barrie shrugged her shoulders. "But ye did. Everyone knew how I felt about ye. The amount o' time Connor got angry wi' me for not forgettin' about ya… God, I think it was when we were eighteen that I realised ye were a dick, when I caught ye screwin' Clare Wilson in the back of ye car at the leavers dance we had in school. Con got me nice an' drunk ta get the image out o' me head."

"Got ye nice and drunk ta try and get ye into bed," Murphy smirked.

"No," Barrie frowned at him. "No, Connor's the complete opposite. He's not like you," she told him. "Con was always there when I needed him."

"Ye make him out ta be some sort o' saint," Murphy grumbled, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he fought back a smirk, the irony of his words amusing him.

"Far from it, he just knows how ta treat a lady."

"Ye think he hasn't fucked 'em and dumped 'em just like I have?" Murphy asked, his eyebrows raised. "Ye naïve if ye think that's true, Barrie. He has one night stands, too."

"Aye, I know he does," she nodded her head. "Everyone does. But he always made sure I was okay, and you had a blatant disregard for me feelings, Murphy. Ye never cared if I was hurtin' or-"

"That's not true!" Murphy cried, interrupting her. "Remember when Jimmy O'Malley came round ta apologise for standin' ye up that time, and he had a broken nose?"

"Course I remember, was the first time anyone had stood up for me the way Con did."

"Con didn't fuckin' stand up ye, Barrie," Murphy growled. "It was me. I did it. I found him round the back o' the pub gettin' plastered on cheap cider an' I was the one who broke his nose."

"Wha-" Barrie paused, her hands dropping to her sides as he looked up at him. "But- everyone said it was Connor? Jimmy said he saw Con do it."

"He saw Con pull the fuck off of him before I killed the fucker wi' me bare hands," Murphy huffed. "I'd never… When I saw ye cryin', I hated him an' I knew I had ta get him for hurtin' ye. I knew I had ta do somethin' because I knew then… I'd probably made ye cry just as bad."

"…Why did ye let me think it was Connor?" she asked with a frown and Murphy shrugged his shoulders.

"When ye thought it was him, next time ye saw us… Ye gave him a kiss and the fucker started ta blush," he chuckled. "I knew he loved ye then, and I knew ye were grateful ta him for doin' it. Didn't want ye ta know it was me. Shall we go back, then?" he asked, nodding his head in the direction of McGinty's. "Seein' as ye clearly not goin' ta get any pie for anyone."

"Wait a minute," Barrie grabbed hold of his arm to stop him from walking. "…That was when we were 17, Murph."

"Aye, I know," he nodded and started to walk again, but Barrie tugged on to the back of his jacket. "What?"

"Yer reason for not bein' interested, for bein' an arse, was ye knew Connor wanted me. How could ye have known Connor wanted me when ye just said that's when ye knew he loved me?"

"I mean- I knew he had a crush on ye, I knew he was-" Murphy stuttered.

"Yer a terrible liar," Barrie shook her head. "S'okay, Murph. I knew ye were never interested, just hurts thinkin' back on it. Woulda killed someone ta be one o' ye girls."

"Don't say that," Murphy frowned, wrapping his fingers round her wrist. "Don't. They weren't- I'm not proud o' the way I was when I was a kid, Barrie. I messed a lot o' girls round."

"Left a trail o' broken hearts behind ye."

"Aye, yours was one o' them," he sighed heavily. "Ye have ta know… Ye always meant much more ta me then any o' those girls did. I knew I could have had ye, Barrie. Fuck, I wanted ye meself, but I knew I woulda ended up hurtin' ye and I didn't want ta do that, not to you. Ye were our best friend, ye were the only girl I gave a shit about gettin' hurt, ye were the only girl who was me friend. I didn't want ta lose ye. If I lost ye… then Con did, too. Wasn't goin' ta do that ta either o' ya's."

"Murphy…" Barrie bit her bottom lip as she looked up at him, fighting the urge to smile when she saw the the top of his ears turning pink in embarrassment. "Shall we head back ta McGinty's, then? Reckon I need ta tell Con sorry for runnin' out."

"Aye, ye do," Murphy rolled his eyes at her and started to walk away, pausing and turning to look at her when she didn't follow him. "What is it, girl?" he asked in confusion. Barrie smiled as she took a step towards him, her gloved hands talking hold of his face as she stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek softly, just brushing the corner of his lips.

Murphy could have sworn his heart jumped in his chest as her lips lingered there for a few seconds longer than normal, and he only dared to breath when she'd pulled away from him and was looking at the ground, chewing the inside of her cheek nervously as she blushed.

"Figured I owe ye a kiss for breakin' Jimmy's nose," she told him quietly. Murphy laughed, throwing an arm around her shoulders and kissing the top of her head.

"If I get kisses like that when I look after ye, remind me ta punch a few other guys who piss ye off."