Archive of Our Own

Naib peered up at the taller man, crossing his arms as he pulled his hoodie closer around his small frame.

"My name's Naib, I'm a guy, and I'm not interested in whatever...this is."

He waved lazily at Norton and their surroundings. Two two sat on adjacent chairs near the balcony, left abandoned by the very parents they had come here for in the first place. The atmosphere was a bit awkward, but Naib's words cut through the silence like a knife. His confidence was impressive to say the least, especially on such a potentially dangerous topic.

"Just tell your parents I'm bossy or something and let's be done with this yeah? Stay out here with me for a bit so we can at least say we tried."

Norton blinked as the smaller man pulled a cigarette from his pocket, and a lighter from the other. This was...a lot. Norton quietly processed the situation as Naib smoked, wrinkling his nose slightly at the smell. He hadn't even known anyone besides his father and mother would be here, and now here he was, sitting beside the so called woman he was meant to date. Another problem child. To be sure, his parents thought they'd make the perfect pair. For the time being, he tried to dodge that very awkward conversation and make small talk instead. He motioned to Naib's cigarette.

"Are they alright with that?"

"Nope."

Naib craned his neck to look inside. No-one was paying them any mind, so he slowly exhaled a mouthful of smoke and leaned back. He looked oddly relaxed, especially considering how tense he'd looked when they were inside. His baggy hoodie, quiet voice and slouched poster didn't exactly exude confidence yet, here he was, coming out to a stranger and smoking without a care.

"You smoke?"

Naib asked.

"No."

Norton replied disdainfully, causing Naib to bark out a laugh.

"Ha! Traditional sort, aren't ya?"

"Not even close."

Norton eyed the stick between Naib's fingers warily.

"I just don't find the scent of things burning to be pleasant."

True enough, Norton hated the smell of smoke. He'd have thought the burn marks marring the better part of his face would make that obvious, but Naib had hardly looked at him the entire meeting. Norton wouldn't be surprised if Naib hadn't noticed - or simply didn't care.

"Suit yourself."

Naib shrugged, stretching his arms over his head and looking out over the city.

"So what's your deal?"

"Hm?"

"Surely I'm not your family's first choice."

Naib chuckled.

"New money, un-lady-like, no father figure to speak of - what'd you do to make them this desperate huh?"

"I told them I'm gay."

Norton muttered. Naib nearly inhaled his cigarette from how sharply he inhaled, half choking half chortling as smoke spilled from his mouth and nose. Norton discreetly stretched his foot over and crushed the fallen cigarette under his boot while Naib was distracted, smilingly slightly as the tiny man looked back at him, grinning broadly.

"You're kidding."

"Am not."

"Ha! They really fucked up huh?"

"So you like men too then?"

"Oh, yeah."

Naib smirked.

"Āmā didn't even get it easy. I swear, if I liked girls at all she'd just make me transition and hook me up with some lady instead. Told her I'll die single if she made me date women though so..."

He motioned to himself, his pleasant disposition dropping into a scowl in an instant. His attire wasn't exactly feminine per-se, but Norton certainly never would've guessed he was male by his outward appearance. He was correct in the assumption that Naib hadn't gotten much of a say in that. Silky brown hair fell loosely over his face and shoulders, framing a round face and sharp greyish-blue eyes. He wore a worn green hoodie over a pretty white blouse and fitted black pants, as well as boots with a slight heel and platform. He stood barely past Norton's shoulder even with those. His ears were pierced with simple black studs, and he wore no makeup - something Norton's mother had been quick to quietly comment on the moment Naib's "Āmā"'s back was turned, in Spanish of course, to avoid her or Naib overhearing.

"So...can I call you Naib around them...or?"

Naib smiled wryly.

"Probably better you don't, not that it matters much. We don't ever have to talk again after this."

In the end, Norton let that conversation die and they talked about other things instead - family gossip, mostly. Naib told Norton all about his family's rise to wealth. Well, "family" was a poor word for it. Naib's father, a cheater and illegal arms-dealer had come into wealth. Naib himself had participated from a young age, though he swore Norton to secrecy on that part. He never said it directly, but Norton got the idea that Naib's mother wasn't fully aware. When Naib's idiot father had gone and gotten himself assassinated before finalizing the divorce papers with Naib's very furious, very single mother, his entire fortune had gone to them, leaving Ms.Subedar (never Missus - she and Naib kept her own surname) to invest here and there and eventually make a bright future for her children and herself. Naib had a handful of younger siblings, most clearly illegitimate, and all much younger. 

Norton's story was a bit different mainly in that his family's money was older. Some ancestor of his had struck it big in coal and petroleum sales, passing down ownership and money for a few generations. Norton hadn't grown up rich though. As a child, his uncle owned everything, leaving Norton's parents destitute after the death of his grandfather. Norton was a young adult by the time his uncle vanished mysteriously, leaving everything to Norton's father and mother. Now with his father on his deathbed - a small part of Norton wished the old geezer would die before he could set Norton up with anyone. Then again, he'd never let that happen, and deathbed was a bit of an exaggeration. Mr. Campbell had been in and out of the hospital for a few years now, but he showed no signs of giving up anytime soon. With money like that, even chronically ill men could live forever. The man would sooner disown Norton than let him be unmarried when he died.

Naib's mother was desperate to get him married off - stuck to a man so that when Naib inevitably came out (she knew he would eventually, with his disregard for public opinion and unabashed fearlessness), his husband wouldn't have a choice but to either live with it, or "fix" him. And she knew her son well enough to know he'd never let some heir force him into the role of a wife.

Norton's father was desperate to hook him with a woman - any woman before he died, while his mother insisted he could never be happy single, or with a man.

Their situations couldn't have crossed on a more fortuitous path.

"Let's get married."

Norton blurted out. Naib didn't look up. He sat in the passenger seat, tapping away on his phone while Norton was supposed to be driving. Instead the man just sat still, gripping the steering wheel with white knuckles and staring intently at the speedometer, not making eye contact.

"You don't have to do something just because your dad says you should."

Naib replied bluntly. Norton stayed silent for a bit. Eventually, Naib did look up, frowning over at him. Sure, the dinner had been awkward, but not awkward enough to make Norton propose...at least Naib had thought. These family dinners with both of their families had only grown more and more common over the last few months. Naib didn't mind - Norton always drove him, and his family always paid. Naib wasn't one to deny himself free food. Especially fancy free food. Sure, the stares from his own mother and Naib's parents were a bit unnerving, and the questions a little prying but, it was nothing Naib wasn't accustomed to...nothing Norton shouldn't be accustomed to as well. Comments about when they would wed were common, as were casual jabs at Naib's presentation, in English and Spanish. Naib had picked up enough from Norton to know when he was being insulted. 

Not that Naib's Āmā was much better. She too made comments. She just kept pushing and pushing, throwing around the words "boyfriend" and "grandchildren" like there was no tomorrow, but again, over the past months, Naib had gotten more than used to that. Norton's reaction was...odd, he thought.  

"...did something different happen you didn't tell me about?"

Norton inhaled sharply, speaking quickly through gritted teeth.

"They'retryingtosetmeupwithsomeonedifferent."

"What?!"

"Yeahhhhhhhh."

Norton grimaced. Naib dropped his phone, mouth slightly ajar.

"They said, and don't be offended - they said you're childish and that you'll never commit to anything...so I should meet this...other, actual lady."

"What the hell?! We've barely been 'dating' four months! What's their damn rush?!"

Norton shrugged.

"Some...bullshit about how your dad leaving probably gave you a negative view of marriage...how you don't seem to like me that much, how you dress like a uh...uhhh..."

"A what?! What's their fucking problem with me?!"

"They asked me if you were a lesbian earlier."

"I thought you were discussing the fucking menu!"

Norton cringed. Naib and his mother spoke Nepali - his family spoke Spanish, which meant that shit-talking one another within earshot was fully possible. He'd learned a few words from Naib - enough to know that his mother usually didn't swear in their mother language, and that she did indeed use the correct name and pronouns for Naib in that language exclusively. His own parents usually said less supportive things.

"Look, I'm sorry-"

"So what you think we can just slap the marriage bandaid on that shit and be done?!"

Naib shifted in his seat so that he was facing Norton, scowling. Norton nervously fiddled with his coat sleeve.

"Look...we get married and both of our family problems go away. For once a marriage of convenience would actually...be a convenience to the people in it, not just their families."

Norton stayed quiet for a bit, watching as Naib processed everything. Suddenly Naib opened the car door and marched out. Norton hastily followed as Naib lit a cigarette and inhaled the smoke, leaning against the car's side. Norton slowly circled around to stand beside him, watching his expression - completely blank.

"I'll sign off on...name changes, surgeries, whatever you want."

"You say that now..."

Naib grumbled.

"How do I know you won't start pushing the lady card the moment we're stuck together?"

"...you've seen how I feel about women right?"

Naib couldn't help but chuckle at the comment. Sure enough, every time he'd seen Norton around women - a painful sight. He always wore a sickeningly fake smile if the lady showed any semblance of interest and deadpanned uncomfortably at the mere suggestion of flirtation. Naib remembered the one time they'd visited a straight bar, at the insistence and invitation of some mutual friends. Even after multiple drinks the discomfort only grew, resulting in the two bailing hardly an hour in and spending the night curled up at home watching movies instead.

"Fair enough."

He stayed quiet for a while, smoking in silence while Norton shifted uncomfortably beside him. The parking lot was mostly empty this late, and a bit chilly. Norton kept pulling his coat closer around himself, but Naib didn't seem bothered. The cold kept him grounded, as did the scent of tobacco filling his lungs. As dearly as he wanted to wait and give Norton an answer later - much, much later, he knew well enough that he needed to make a decision fast. He'd been in enough of these arranged relationships to know that once Norton's parents decided he was bad news, he'd never get another shot. And where else was he going to find a man who both knew of his situation, and accepted it? Let alone someone he genuinely enjoyed spending time with.

"Are you gonna make me wear a dress?"

Naib asked abruptly.

"What?"

Norton glanced over, taken aback by the sudden question.

"To the wedding."

"Oh..."

Norton winced when he finally looked at Naib's face. The man looked...exhausted, eyes sunk and head low. The topic was clearly weighing on him. Naib never wore skirts or dresses when he could avoid it, but for a wedding...that probably wasn't a battle Naib could win.

"I mean..."

Norton started slowly.

"...you'll get shit for it but, if you want to wear a suit, I won't stop you."

"And I'm not changing my last name."

Naib asserted, shooting the other man a glare as he huffed out smoke. It was all Norton could do to avoid choking. Fuck, that smell was overpowering.

"If I move in with you, I get my own room. If anyone asks questions when I start on hormones you're gonna play dumb, and you're gonna call me Naib unless we're around your parents. Āmā can know. Yours can't. To everybody else I'm Naib and I swear Norton, if you fuck me over on this-"

"They'll never find my corpse?"

Naib stayed quiet as Norton shifted closer, brushing his hand against Naib's free hand. Naib glanced down and moved it slightly, giving Norton the silent permission he needed to tangle their fingers together. Naib sighed as Norton shifted closer again, leaning his head back to lull onto the taller man's shoulder. The smell was awful, but Naib and his smoking provided some warmth from the cold air.

"Can I make a request too then?"

"Hm?"

Naib spared him a glance, scowling as Norton reached over and plucked the cigarette from his hand.

"Hey!"

"Stop smoking. You can do whatever you want, we can get you nicotine patches or...gum. Just...no more smoking, please."

Naib opened his mouth to protest, but stopped short as Norton scowled and dropped the cigarette, crushing it with a bit more force than necessary. His eyes lingered on Norton's face. The man was covered in burn marks, and he always wrinkled his nose when Naib smoked but, since he'd never asked Naib to stop, he'd never hesitated. He opened his mouth again to ask, then stopped himself again. He knew well enough why Norton was uncomfortable.

"...what if I just don't do it when you're around?"

Norton shook his head.

"You'll still smell."

"...fine."

Naib sighed and pulled the rest of his pack from a pocket, flipping it closed before offering it to the taller man. He gave a light laugh.

"Never thought I'd be proposing to someone with a box of cigs."

"We can go look for rings tomorrow."

Norton said quietly, accepting the pack and tucking it into his coat pocket. 

"Once this is all over we can both go about our lives."

"Oh fuck, I could go to school!"

Naib grinned broadly as Norton opened the passenger side door, motioning for Naib to get in. He circled around and sat back in the driver's seat as Naib slammed the door shut.

"I've been too busy helping Āmā with work and my siblings, but if we're on our own..."

"Oh? What'll you study?"

"Criminology, maybe. I've never been good at school though."

"Well, you'll have all the time you need."

Norton smiled softly as he started up the car.

"Didn't you go to school?"

"Yep. Majored in geology, not that I'll ever use it."

"The fuck are you talking about?! Your house is a fucking rock museum."

Naib chuckled. Norton managed a weak smile.

"Yeah...that's just for fun though."

The drive to Naib's home consisted mostly of college talk and lots of joking. Truthfully, Norton was glad for the change in topic, as well as Naib's attitude. The man seemed genuinely happy - he was looking on the bright side, and Norton did his best to do the same. This was the best he could hope for.

They pulled into Naib's driveway, agreeing to meet early the next morning to work out the details and with any luck, convince their mothers to handle the wedding planning. 

"Think we can convince them to keep it small?"

"Definitely not."

Norton laughed quietly at Naib's scowl. Naib was a fool if he thought either of their families would allow for anything less than excessive. Naib huffed quietly and reached into his pocket. After a moment of digging he started patting his pockets, a panicked look crossing his features. Norton quickly caught on, clearing his throat and drawing Naib's attention.

"No more smoking, remember?"

Naib groaned loudly.

"Uuuuuugh. I hate you."

"Sure you do."

"Go home you fuckin' asshole."

Norton opened his mouth to retort, only to fall silent as Naib tugged him by the collar and pressed a warm kiss to his cheek. His mouth hung slightly open as Naib grinned before hopping out the car, holding the door open.

"Get some rest! Tomorrow we've gotta plan the worst wedding in the world."

Norton tried to reply, but Naib slammed the door before he could. For someone so tiny, Naib was certainly quick ; he was gone before Norton got his bearings. 

Finally, the man gave a long sigh.

Worst wedding in the world huh?

This would be fun.