Work Text:
A dark, rainy evening on the streets of London, the dear detective was bickering with his assistant on the other side of the dinky telephone line. Naib leant against the glass of the telephone booth, occasionally raising a gloved hand to make exaggerated hand movements or pinch the bridge of his nose.
"For the last time, m'lady Truth," Naib sighed, "I apologize about letting your coffee spill onto your precious paperwork. Now can I get a ride back home?"
"It's may I, Mr. Inference. Where are your manners?" The girl scolded. She listened quietly as the detective cursed her out for a solid 10 seconds.
"Fine, fine. I'll arrange a ride. Don't get cold outside. I can hear the rain from here."
After his rather uneventful phone call, Naib stepped out of the phone booth. He was adjusting his cap, a deerstalker cap gifted to him by the agency, before noticing that he could not feel the cold drips of the rain against his skin.
The detective took a quick look around, only to notice a man standing to his left. The brown-haired boy appeared to be getting soaked in the rain but was still kindly offering his umbrella to Naib. Naib stood there and stared at the boy, confused but… Intrigued?
Naib was taken back at the strange, but rather endearing marks across his cheeks. Not to mention those gentle blue eyes. It was easily his most attractive feature...
Oh for fuck sake, Subedar. You did not learn quick analysis skills just to use them to figure out how hot a guy is.
"I... Truly don't need this," Naib tried to say, but the stranger kindly insisted without much more than a persistent smile. Naib felt a bit guilty if he didn't accept such an offer, so he took the umbrella.
He was just about to thank the stranger, but the boy opened the door to the telephone booth to make a phone call before he could. It was only then Naib realized that he was just an umbrella holder for the boy. How typical.
Minutes passed, and the detective's patience was wearing thin, being replaced by boredom. Watching the cars and people pass by in the rain only made him wish he were comfortably at home, pouring himself a warm cup of coffee or something along those lines.
Naib turned his attention towards the unknown umbrella boy inside the booth. He was calling somebody but was speaking rather quietly by the looks of it. Naib couldn't quite hear him over the cars passing by or the heavy downpour.
He also looked... A tad upset.
Once the boy's phone call ended and he had exited the booth, Naib handed back the umbrella. The boy was a bit delayed in responding but took the umbrella with a sad smile.
"I'm sorry if you've been having a bad day," Naib tried to reassure, "I mean- I suppose I could say quite the same for myself."
There was an awkward silence between the two, as the brunette was staring at the stone pathway in thought. Naib supposed he just wasn't the talkative type, so he did not try to press the conversation further.
"Do you enjoy music, mister?" The boy asked, his voice gentle and soothing. Naib thought about it a bit, giving a small shrug in response. Who doesn't enjoy music, after all?
He wasn't quite sure what his response got the boy so excited for, because the brunette began to laugh. Naib felt his cheeks burning in embarrassment, "What's so funny about that?"
"Nothing! Nothing," The stranger reassured,
before pulling out two tickets from his pocket, "I'm just relieved to hear... I'm guessing you wouldn't mind seeing a show with me then? I paid quite a lot for these, but my friend isn't coming."
Naib took the tickets with a gloved hand, skimming over the title. La Traviata? He knew nothing about watching plays or concerts. His life was too occupied doing paperwork and investigation to go watch some measly little concert anyways.
Doing a bit more reading, Naib furrowed his brows, before handing the tickets back to the boy in mild disappointment.
"I hate to disappoint but... I detest opera."
The stranger seems to laugh to himself, "That's what they all say... Lucky for you, you're with Eli Clark! Who cares what you're listening to; all that matters is who you're listening with."
Naib wasn't exactly sure if the name Eli Clark was supposed to ring a bell to him or not, but Naib was so deeply infatuated with Eli's smile, he agreed to go see the play nevertheless.
He supposed that his ride would just have to wait.
The theatre was not too far from the phone booth, so it was just a short walk in the rain. Naib stuck close to Eli's side as they made their way past through the crowded inside of the theatre. He wasn't the biggest fan of crowds, for it was too noisy for his taste, but Eli's relaxed presence kept him on his feet.
The two took their seats as the orchestra was preparing for the show. Naib took his cap off and leant back, prepared to just take a mental nap through the entire show. Eli seemed to pay no mind to Naib's obvious disinterest; rather looking fairly happy just knowing that somebody was there to fill up his friend's seat.
Naib closed his eyes as the lights dimmed and the orchestra began to play. He could hear the sweet melody of the violins playing in the background, but his attention was hardly on the music. His surprise and sudden alertness were not because of how enchanting or beautiful the playing was, successfully sweeping the picky detective off his feet...
Nope. It was because Naib could feel somebody's hand in his. Eli's hand was comfortably holding onto him. As embarrassed as Naib was to admit it... That is exactly where it stayed until the show concluded.
"Were you bored, mister?" Eli asked after they exited the theatre, the rain having calmed down by then. Naib, still a bit dazed and jittery from the experience, shook his head in response.
"I... Suppose it wasn't half bad... It feels like this was the best night I've had in a long time," Naib admitted, which got a smile out of Eli, a sight that melted the detective's poor heart.
Eli laughed, before pulling out a piece of paper and a pen. He was scribbling something on the sheet against the palm of his hand, before handing it to Naib to keep.
"What's your name, dearest?"
"Naib Subedar. I work at a detective agency just down south," Naib explained, trying to read what the boy had written under the dim street lights. It appeared to be a phone number. Just the simple realization made the detective's heart flutter.
"A detective! My, I do hope you're not busy... I have so many shows I could bring you to!" Eli exclaimed, tapping his pen against his lips in thought.
"I am a busy man, believe me," Naib said, reaching over to take Eli's pen. He gently held Eli's palm out before scribbling his personal phone number out for the man. "But if it's for you, then I will always have time."
And with that, Naib tucked the pen back into Eli's coat before kissing Eli's palm gently. A sign of sincerity.
Naib pulled away and smiled, seeing Eli's flustered look. The boy turned away from Naib, embarrassed by the gesture. Naib would've enjoyed teasing him further, but suddenly realized that he had a ride to catch... If the said ride was still waiting for him anyways.
"I'll see you soon, Mr. Clark. Have a good night!" He called out. Eli turned his head to see Naib running through the puddle-filled streets, cursing at the water-soaked his clothes. Eli laughed to himself, before walking the other way.
And soon it was, for once they met again it was hardly a week later. They continued to watch shows under Eli's splendid recommendation, and despite Naib's constant insistence that he didn't enjoy them, it was very clear he did for one reason or another.
They spent almost every night together, whether that be in person or on the phone. Lady Truth couldn't tell if she should be happy or annoyed that Naib was spending most of his attention on subjects unrelated to work for once. She supposed she was just a bit relieved that the once workaholic and stoic Mr.Inference was now softening up and becoming a bit more relaxed, but expressed concern over the general public's view on such relations.
"I have nothing against you, Mr. Inference. I respect you and what you believe is right," Lady Truth said, fiddling with a folder in her lap as she sat at Naib's desk. The man was scribbling away at a report while she spoke. "But... I worry for your safety. You are a smart man, but that will not matter to those who look down upon you."
"Believe me, m'lady. As a detective, I can hide evidence as easily as I can discover them," Naib reassured, but the girl remained unconvinced.
"And what shall be made of Mr. Clark? How do you know he will be safe? What if his family found out? Perhaps shunned him out and instead of throwing him over to authorities, they marry him off to some woman he doesn't know?"
Naib paused his pen, before looking up. He wasn't quite sure how to respond to that, quite frankly he never even considered Eli's safety in such a manner. Perhaps they really should be more careful. That would be a matter they would discuss once Eli returned from his trip to visit family outside of the city.
"I am unsure. Do you mind accommodating me to the train station on the 25th? Perhaps it would be easiest if you met my significant other in person."
"Of course!" Lady Truth nodded her head before standing up in her seat, "Thank you for your time, Mr. Inference."
"Anytime."
Time flew fast as Naib awaited the 25th. He was standing at the station alongside a very bouncy Lady Truth. She did not like standing around and waiting for too long. As the minutes ticked by on the clock, Naib held onto a package he intended to give to Eli once he arrived. A special reminder, as Naib would see it. He had booked tickets to another run of La Traviata.
The train pulled into the station not too long after. Naib felt his heart flutter as he gently handed the package to Lady Truth. "Come along now, m'lady! We must make sure we catch Eli when he gets off!"
"Huh? Where- Hey!" Lady Truth exclaimed as Naib was already running across the platform to reach the front where passengers were already offloading.
Stopping to catch his breath, Naib rested his hands against his knees to breathe. His clothes were too heavy for him to be running around anyway. He took a quick scan of the area to see if Eli was around as Lady Truth's small footsteps caught up to him.
"Is he around, you reckon?"
Naib furrowed his brow, before catching a glimpse of a familiar beige trench coat, "He is! That's him! Eli!"
Eli's head turned, trying to figure out the direction of his name being called. He was still standing in the middle of people passing by, so Naib took Lady Truth by the sleeve to walk over there. But something was off, Naib realized.
When Eli finally caught a glimpse of Naib, his eyes widened in shock. He did not dawn the warm smile Naib was familiar with. Naib stopped in his tracks as something became abundantly clear.
"Who are you two?"
A young lady just above Naib's height was holding onto Eli's hand. She was wearing a long blue dress and holding onto a travel bag. By the sound of her soft voice, she seemed nice enough... But the sight of her made Naib's heart sink.
Naib was too stunned to answer. Lady Truth was cowering behind the detective, unsure of if she should answer for him or not. Eli cleared his throat to break the odd silence, before saying the last thing Naib wanted to hear, after waiting for so long for his return.
"I do not know them, Gertrude."
"Don't... Don't know?" Naib stammered, his hand clenching into a fist in an attempt to keep his composure, "Eli Clark I have been waiting for you to return my calls... The question that I should be getting an answer to is who is this lady!"
Naib's loud voice certainly caught some unwanted attention, as people at the train station began to stop and stare. Gertrude did not take this lightly, as she replied with a frown "I am his lover, and we would rather not be involved in public disturbances..."
"No," Naib sharply corrected, taking a step towards Eli. He felt Lady Truth pulling him back in a desperate attempt to stop him, but failed. "You are mistaken. I am his lover."
A few gasps arise from bystanders. Gertrude seemed to be disgusted, but Naib couldn't care less about what other people thought at that moment. He only cared for Eli's reaction.
But Eli did not look pleased. He almost looked... Apologetic.
"I believe he is mistaken, dear," Eli reassured Gertrude after a tense silence, "I've had no such relations to this man."
Naib could almost hear something shatter within him. He wanted to cry, but somebody was tugging at his sleeve urgently "Mr. Inference, we have to leave," Lady truth whispered, "If somebody were to call the authorities now, you're dead."
Naib tilted his cap down, before letting Lady Truth guide him out of the train station. He tried to catch a last glimpse of Eli before they left, but Eli's back was turned away from him.
The world truly was a cruel place. When Naib arrived back at the office, he felt like being upset... But couldn't bring himself to be. He felt guilty for being angry at Eli. Perhaps he did something wrong, taking their relationship this far. Perhaps it just wasn't meant to be.
The sick feeling consumed him from within, destroying what passion and motivation the man once had. It wasn't long before Lady Truth became the chief detective of the agency, after reports of the world-renown Mr. Inference being killed in his home after authorities had arrived. Only a true and loyal assistant would've known that Naib was too prideful to die at the hands of some government underlings, but Lady Truth (now only being known as Emma Woods) did not try to correct the media in regards to his passing. She knew better than to meddle with such things, for she was already given Naib's wishes to fulfill.
Instead of mourning, she visited Eli Clark and invited him to see a show. He reluctantly agreed, albeit a bit confused.
"La Traviata. It's my favourite... But why are you bringing me along?" Eli asked as they were seated, the orchestra getting ready to play.
"...I know you are not a fool, Mr. Clark," Emma said after some thinking. "The day at the train station, you lied because you did not want Gertrude to know you were having a relationship with Naib. I suppose she was a friend of your family, for whom you were supposed to marry, even with no romantic interest in mind. Am I correct?”
Emma awaited confirmation. Eli did not respond as he was looking at his hands, gently folded in his lap. He slowly nodded his head, all while avoiding Emma's gaze.
"...I suspected that much. Naib, however, took that moment to heart. That day, he was going to give you tickets to La Traviata to watch with him..." Emma trailed off. Eli raised his head to look at her, a bit puzzled.
"And why isn't he here today?"
"Naib passed away last night," Emma smiled bitterly as the lights began to dim.
"His final wish was to let you relive the night you two met: the best night of his life."