Archive of Our Own

“Naib, darling, dearest, the love of my life.”

“Shut up,” Naib snaps back, desperately trying to hide the swiftly blossoming blush upon his face. His efforts are evidently in vain, though, as Norton eyes him pointedly and smirks. “What do you want?”

The teasing laugh he receives in response reminds him both of how infuriating Norton can be - and how utterly smitten he is, heart fluttering at the melodic sound. Pathetic. 

“Who says I had a reason for coming here? Maybe I just missed you,” Norton suggests, reaching out to wrap an arm around Naib’s waist. Naib rolls his eyes at his - his friend ’s antics (because that’s all they are, Norton is just a flirt, he doesn’t feel the same way, they’re just friends), in spite of his mortifyingly quick pulse. 

“You and I both know that’s bullshit, Nort, and if you don’t hurry up I’m going to kick you out of my dorm; you’re wasting my time.” No time with you could ever be wasted - not that you need to know that. In an attempt to compose himself, Naib inches away from Norton’s grip; he tries his best to believe he doesn’t miss the familiar warmth. 

At this, Norton lets out an affronted gasp, crocodile tears filling his eyes. “You wouldn’t be so cold as to do such a thing to your best friend, would you?” The way Naib’s eyes narrow is answer enough, and Norton sighs, muttering something about ‘you’re no fun’. 

“Well,” he begins, a sheepish expression upon his face, “I was hoping you’d let me stay so that I could finally get to meet-”

Oh, so that’s what this is about. 

An ugly feeling rises in Naib’s chest, one that has been growing uncomfortably frequent ever since Norton started asking after his roommate. 

“No.” The firmness of Naib’s voice startles himself - he’s sure Norton is surprised too; this level of seriousness in regards to something as trivial as this is uncharacteristic of him. 

“Why not?” Norton pouts. “It’s like you’re trying to keep us apart.”

Naib winces, sure that Norton has caught on to his irrational jealousy.

“Don’t be stupid,” huffs Naib in response.

“But Naib ,” Norton whines, ignorant to the nausea that Naib is combating. “He’s one of the star students, and spirits know we need all the help we can get.”

“I-”

“You said so yourself, he’s a magical prodigy!” 

Naib curses his past self for being so obliviously enthusiastic about the identity of his roommate. At the time, it had been an honour to even breathe the same air as the famed clairvoyant genius, Eli Clark - naturally, he would have told Norton the good news. He faintly remembers joking about how he might finally have a friend with more than three brain cells. 

If only he had known how greatly this would have piqued Norton’s interest, he’d have never opened his mouth at all. 

Honestly, Naib is in a haze as he mumbles something incoherent to get Norton to leave and stop talking about Eli; it’s painful enough knowing that Norton probably doesn’t like him back without needing to think about him and Eli together. 

(He doesn’t notice the blatant concern on Norton’s face as he exits the room.)

When Norton and his annoying cocky grin finally disappear from sight, Naib sighs loudly. It’s painful, having this be the thing to distance them. Stupid feelings, stupid Eli, stupid Norton. And Norton isn’t even wrong to want to learn from Eli - ‘the Seer’, as their classmates refer to him, is notorious for his aptitude for magic, and Naib and Norton have never exactly been teacher’s pets at the academy. 

He groans with even more despair as he’s reminded of their upcoming exam, administered by Professor Lapadura - never a fan of traditional spellcasting, and definitely not an easy pass. (Eli, of course, passes with flying colours.)

And naturally, as he is the butt of every joke of the universe, Eli enters their dorm right as Naib is (mentally, but who knows what charms Eli might have cast) cursing his name. 

Luckily, there don’t seem to be any mind-reading spells in place, but Naib shuts his eyes tighter just in case. 

“You don’t look great, Naib. Are you alright? Should we take you to the medical wing?” Eli forgoes a greeting altogether, having noticed Naib’s distressed state. 

And that’s just the cherry on top - Eli Clark is a genius, attractive, and a saint, none of which are traits that belong to Naib. Of course Norton would be interested in Eli, who has everything Naib has and more. 

The silence has stretched on for too long, though. Naib might not be a saint, but he’s not a terrible person either, and Eli’s increasing confusion and worry rid him of any unkind sentiment he bore towards the spellcaster previously. He’s so hard to hate .

“’m fine,” Naib mumbles, planting his face into his pillow so that none might see his shame. “Just don’t feel like talking.” 

Eli hums in sympathy, the ever-present familiar on his shoulder echoing with a hoot.

“Well, Brooke and I will try to be quiet for you, but please don’t hesitate to let me know if you need us to leave, or if you’d like me to call Miss Dyer, alright? Seemingly small conditions might be symptoms of greater illnesses, so don’t be shy!”

The only response Naib can muster is an anguished grumble, which Eli wisely ignores. 

Meanwhile, Norton: 

Norton, having been ever so rudely forced out of Naib’s room, lets out a heaving sigh. Was I too obvious? 

(It was probably a bad idea, thinking he could get away with overly dramatic flirting if he pretended there were no feelings involved. One could get addicted to that pretty flush on Naib’s face - Norton wonders idly if there’s a way to bottle that expression; something that could be an impossibly potent ingredient for a potion.)

It’s quite possible that Naib, having suddenly realized Norton’s ulterior motives in wanting to meet his roommate, had grown uncomfortable with the sheer extent of his feelings and wanted him to leave. 

To be fair, though, how could Norton not want to scope out his potential romantic rival? The way Naib talks about this ‘Eli’ is… worrying. Eli this, Eli that - really, Naib makes him out to be some sort of god. Can Norton really be blamed for being just a bit jealous? 

(Not to mention the way Naib tries so desperately to keep Eli and Norton apart. Norton had tried alluding to it as a joke, but Naib had brushed it off brusquely, which is - pretty much a confirmation, right?

Norton can only pray that it’s not for the reason he thinks it is.)

What information he had garnered from what he’d seen of Eli’s half of the room didn’t look wonderful for him. Bookshelves organized by colour, cute stickers placed throughout, neatly folded bed sheets - a thought occurs to Norton, making him shudder. 

What if Naib’s type is cute nerds ?

I don’t even know if a whole makeover can save me if that’s the case. 

Meanwhile, Eli: 

Eli is aware that the professors warned him not to abuse his powers, so as to not put strain on both his mind and on his interpersonal relationships - to use them only for emergencies, if necessary. 

Eli is also aware, however, that his roommate is an oblivious train wreck, and his situation should probably count as an emergency. 

A little bit of telepathy never hurt anyone, right? 

Time to meddle. 

Norton’s been avoiding Naib since the day he snapped at him, he knows it. Where they would ordinarily meet up with one another outside of classes to talk or study or just relish in the other’s presence (and Naib would never admit it, but he cherishes each and every one of those quiet moments of peace where he can relax in the comfort of knowing Norton is there), Norton is now brushing him off with the most unnerving expression upon his face, coming up with excuses so bad that it’s insulting he thinks Naib of all people could ever believe them.

It has to have something to do with Eli, Naib decides - the timing of this sudden ghosting is too specific to be coincidence. Norton probably thought he was weird for being so stubborn, or was uncomfortable after realizing Naib’s feelings… or, Naib realizes (with no shortage of dread), Norton’s decided he likes Eli better than him.

( Loves? )

There’s a sinking feeling of despair in his stomach when he catches Norton talking with Eli outside their dorm - it only increases when Norton catches sight of Naib, pales, and dashes away before Naib can even say a word, and what’s worse is that Eli is smiling - beaming , even, like the goddamned ray of sunshine that he is, curse you Eli Clark. 

At the moment, Naib wants nothing better than to know what had amused Eli so much - whether it was something that, under regular circumstances, Norton would have been talking to Naib about?

The sinking feeling reappears, stronger than before, as Naib is struck by the realization that this might not be a temporary thing. It’s been days, soon to be a week, since Norton - Naib’s best friend , dammit - has started avoiding Naib like the plague, and while the loneliness had been bearable ( not thinking about the time Naib bought two drinks for lunch break, only to have Norton nowhere to be found, nope ) because Naib had thought for sure that Norton would come back to him eventually - 

What if he doesn’t?

And oh god, wouldn’t that hurt - his closest friend, the bearer of secrets he dares not tell another soul, the person who taught him how to love, lost to… whom?

Blaming Eli is a stupid idea. It’s not Eli’s fault he’s naturally talented and better than Naib in every way possible. Maybe this was a long time coming, after all - maybe it was only a matter of time before Norton got tired of him and his flaws, him and his imperfections, and found someone like Eli: a good person who could genuinely treat him well, someone who wouldn’t get so upset over mere jealousy - 

Naib’s definitely noticed the way Norton’s been avoiding him. 

It’s heartbreaking how he looks like a kicked puppy every time his eyes scan over the lunch hall (looking for him, Norton dares to hope), only for his face to fall. 

It’s for the greater good , Norton tries - he really does - to convince himself. Over the years, Norton’s learned to read Naib fairly well, and he knows love when he sees it. A few days of monitoring him pretty much confirms it - Naib must be lovesick over his tryhard roommate, Eli Clark.

As Naib’s friend , Norton wants him to be happy.

( More than that, I want you to feel euphoric every day, I want you to wake up next to me in elation, I want- )

Thus, as Naib’s friend, Norton should give him space to hang out with his crush. Naib probably thinks he’s a pain for hogging all his time, Norton notices a bit too late, but he can still make amends for it, right?

(It doesn’t hurt that not constantly being around Naib means he doesn’t have to think as much about how whipped he is, satisfied to drown in a single smile - only to remember that Naib likes someone else.)

It’s easier to suppress the pain of not being able to see those pretty, pretty eyes every day if Norton can constantly remind himself that Naib would be happier this way. 

Even if Norton isn’t.

Brooke returns from her expedition, managing to make a single hoot sound contemptuous.

Well, that can’t be good news . 

As it turns out, Eli doesn’t even need his powers of clairvoyance to be correct in this regard, touching his hand to receive the emotions that Brooke had picked up from the unsuspecting could-be-couple, and - 

Eli sighs loudly enough for the others in the library to glare at him. He disregards them, though, because there’s a bigger problem at hand. 

Good god, these two are disasters.

The owl lets out a chirp of agreement.

Naib wakes up feeling unrested and entirely unprepared for the exam that he had definitely not forgotten about what do you mean ahaha . Prof Lapadura had even been warning them for several days in advance about how crucial it was to study the content  - he’s very harsh when it comes to marking tests, save for the few favourites he has who seem to hold similar beliefs about novel magics, that electric guy and the girl who seems to be attached to him (the important part being that Naib is neither of those two and definitely not a favourite) - but, to be fair, Naib has been preoccupied with the distinct threat of having the love of his life torn out of his life. 

Not that the professor will take that as a valid excuse, but at least he’ll be able to justify himself when he gets kicked out of the academy for his atrocious marks. 

(To Naib’s credit, it’s very unlike him to forget to study for exams, especially important ones such as this one. However, the main reason he remembered so well in the past is because he would always look forward to planning his study ‘dates’ (as Norton would joke, knowing how it made Naib flustered) with Norton. Even if the longest time the two have ever managed to study together without taking a break and getting distracted is fifteen minutes.)

With a heavy heart and an all-around unwillingness to get out of bed, Naib reluctantly rolls onto the floor, much to Eli’s amusement. 

It feels wrong, but with Norton so frequently gone, Naib has had no one to talk to, and so - much to his surprise - he’s found Eli to, in fact, be decent company. Perhaps even a friend, if only he wasn’t the reason Norton wouldn’t even look him in the eye anymore. 

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Eli giggles, already dressed and looking as though he’s been awake for hours. His owl tweets a greeting to him as well.

How are they so chipper?!

“You ready for the day?”

This bastard and his overwhelming confidence… then again, I’d probably be like that too if I was a genius. 

“...Sure.” 

Eli tilts his head, a movement that Brooke mirrors. “That didn’t sound very enthusiastic. You sure about that?”

Naib snarls. Forget about ‘decent company’, actually - it’s too early in the morning to feign politeness, and Mr Star Student is getting on his nerves with what has to be intentional provocation. 

“No, Eli, I’m really not sure.”

(If he were less dedicated to fixing the mess he’s partly responsible for, Eli would have laughed.)

“I notice you haven’t really been studying recently either.”

Fuck you.

“Yeah, I guess I haven’t.”

“Hmm… well, I won’t pry.”

Is that all you have to say?

“That’s… good.”

“However! I don’t think it’s fair that such an important test should be taken while you’re in emotional distress and unable to work as efficiently as you would ordinarily.”

“Hmm…?”

“It just so happens I’ve been experimenting recently with different types of potions.”

(Technically not a lie.)

“Would you like to give one of mine a shot?”

“I-”

“Oh, don’t worry - it won’t give you the answers or anything, it just enhances your memory so that you can access things more easily.” 

Not actually a terrible lie , Eli muses idly. If I undersell it, he might be able to placebo himself into doing well… 

“So how about it?”

A quick poke into Naib’s internal monologue reveals an interesting conflict.

is he offering me drugs to cheat this sounds too good to be true but he’s Eli so I wouldn’t put that past him but would he really do that he seems too Good and Pure for this I bet Nort would say yes right away what if he’s been studying with someone else while he’s been gone and I’m the only one who’s left behind actually he’s probably been studying with Eli they’ve been pretty close lately haven’t they or am I just seeing things I hope I’m just seeing things I

Eli notes, not for the first nor for the last time, that Naib is exceptionally talented at the art of overthinking, if nothing else. 

Finally, though, Naib swallows. “I… I don’t need it.”

Eli raises his eyebrows. That hadn’t been what he was expecting - the vague sentiments he had been picking up from Naib recently had suggested a certain desperation in regards to the test. Yet here he is, denying himself something that - according to Eli - could very likely flush those worries down the drain. 

(Of course it won’t actually do that. Eli will let it pass this time because Naib doesn’t know him very well yet, but it’s rather insulting he thinks Eli would let him get away with something like cheating.

Then again, perhaps Eli doesn’t know Naib well enough to form judgements either.) 

In this situation, there’s no way for Eli to persist without drawing suspicion from the ever-wary Naib, so he smiles and nods. “I didn’t think you would, but just in case.” 

“Best of luck, then!” 

Well that didn’t go according to plan. 

Eli is nothing but loved by Lady Luck, though, and it just so happens that as Naib is freshening up - still looking slightly unnerved - he’s left his glass of water unmonitored… 

Who is Eli to deny this opening?

A quietly uttered charm and the pouring of some pink fluid and it’s done. Who could bear witness to the scene but a single owl, endlessly faithful to her master and his cause?

(Frankly, even Brooke has grown tired of the way the mages dance around each other but never dare to touch.) 

“Three, two, one… begin.”

Written exams have never been Naib’s forte - his strength lies in physical spellcasting, for his focus is all too easily broken. Norton never dared to tease him about it in the past, since he could hardly boast of any more. As he scrawls answers that sound less and less convincing on his page, Naib’s thoughts drift, as do his eyes: he finds himself glancing around the room, hoping to catch sight of familiar fluffy hair and dark eyes. Alas, Norton appears as deftly hidden as he seems to have been making a habit of recently, and Naib finds himself wondering whether he’s been studying up on invisibility charms. 

(Eli, from a few seats behind and having already started the process of triple-checking his answers, exhales rather unsubtly in exasperation.)

Naib ponders further on the subject as he circles random answers, speeding through the exam faster than he has any right to. 

Why would he do this on purpose?

Maybe he’d come back if I made friends with Eli… 

Should I have taken Eli’s potion after all?

I miss you, Norton. 

If you just give me another chance, I’ll try to be better for you. 

His body feels numb as he continues to scribble away, paying no heed to the excessive amount of force being used - despite the poor state of his abused quill. Time flashes by in an instant, and suddenly everyone is leaving so he probably should too, why is Eli looking at him like that is he trying to pick a fight, and - 

Norton is never going to be ungrateful for his friendship with Luca ever again. Eccentric as the guy can be, his last-minute tips and advice have been lifesavers for the test, which Norton hadn’t had the time or effort or motivation to study for - hadn’t had anything, really, least of all a partner to study with. 

Even more wonderful is the way Luca had offered to teach him a simple disillusionment spell, allowing Norton to pass by Naib unseen for a few hours per day.

(A generous usage of the word wonderful, but - it’s for the greater good, it has to be. )

In a class with so many students, it had been easy to slip in undetected and quickly cast the spell immediately afterwards. Luca had warned him in advance, however, that eye contact with anyone would immediately render the magic useless - yet it’s so hard to ignore the piercing stare that he’d usually revel in.

God, I miss you, Naib. 

The way Norton answers the questions so easily doesn’t make him feel better at all. Actually, a failing mark might be better than this endless self-inflicted torment . Yes, Norton would rather have no idea what he’s doing at all if it meant he could keep the hours spent next to Naib doing nothing under the guise of a ‘study session’. 

This is hell, and Norton’s the only one at fault for his fate. 

If only I were better, maybe you would want me instead of him…  

A sad smile lingers on his face, unseen. 

And in that moment of vulnerability everything is too much to bear and Norton wants nothing more than to gaze into those stupid blue eyes forever so maybe a single taste of freedom will be enough to humble him, eyes dart up right at the same time as a distinct yet familiar pair mirror the same action - 

“...Norton?” His voice is soft, filled with tragic disbelief. 

“ Haha no must be a lookalike gotta go now- ”

“Norton fucking Campbell get your ass back over here before I drag you here myself.” 

It’s been a while since Norton has held an extended conversation with Naib. His reaction can hardly be blamed, he hasn’t had time to build up his Naib tolerance! Something about the electrifying look in his eyes, the rawness of his voice, the way his stance suggests that that was not an empty threat - it has Norton’s knees weak; what can he do but stand there and gape?

(It doesn’t help that it’s kind of hot.) 

Despite the fact that Norton has, in fact, complied with Naib’s wishes, he’s nonetheless manhandled and forced some way or another until, somehow, they manage to be out of earshot of the other students. 

He doesn’t even have a chance to register the change in surroundings, much less say anything, before Naib is practically on top of him, somehow managing to loom over him intimidatingly despite being a head shorter than him. 

“Where have you been ,” Naib hisses, and it’s really not the right time for this but Norton tries not to shiver, opting to sweat nervously instead. 

He likes Eli remember don’t do something dumb just keep your cool

“I-”

“Do you have any idea how worried I was, why’ve you been ignoring me - god, Nort, what the hell did I fuck up badly enough for you to hate me?”

Too much, there’s too much going on right now - Naib’s hands are on him but not like that (not the way he wants, the way he probably thinks about too much) and there’s a feverish glint in his eyes and this could all be misinterpreted pretty badly by some poor bystander but wait, what did he just to say -

“I don’t hate you, what?” 

Naib bares his teeth, nearly feral in his actions. “Don’t you of all people lie to me, Norton, are you trying to kill me?”

(Something’s in his system, something is making Naib speak the thoughts he usually keeps locked up tightly in his head for no one else to see and it’s mortifying but Norton’s reactions are… possibly worth it?)

“Kill you - what?”

“Why are you like this?” Oh god, are those tears?

Norton is panicking very very hard but he’d also very much like some personal space so that he can actually formulate a thought that isn’t just repeatedly what what what cycling through his head. Alas, the small hallway they find themselves in doesn’t provide nearly enough room for Norton to wiggle out of Naib’s death grip.

“I’m not letting you get away from me again, bastard.”

Norton’s squirming and protests go unacknowledged, so apparently primate-brain Norton has to be the one to say something and make everything better and normal but what to say - 

“Please don’t cry,” Norton manages - and it’s a bit pathetic that that’s the first proper sentence he’s spoken in this entire exchange, especially since it does nothing to deter Naib’s allconsuming fury. 

“ Don’t cry , he says, like I haven’t been able to sleep for days now worrying about what I did to upset you.”

“ Don’t cry , he says, like you haven’t been ignoring for weeks on end for no goddamn reason.”

“ Don’t cry , he says, like I don’t - like I’m not - like I haven’t been-”

(Naib thinks now would be a great time for his inhibitions to kick in and stop him from saying something stupid - well, something more stupid.)

Norton, meanwhile, has bluescreened. Hard. 

You’ve… missed me? 

He doesn’t realize he’s put voice to the thought until he hears the incredulous laugh that is a bit too wet for his liking. “Are you stupid, Norton?”

“Of course I’ve missed you, dumbass.” 

To be fair - Norton has never claimed to be good at reading the mood. 

“But don’t you like Eli?”

From here, everything seems to move in slow motion. Naib’s grip loosens from shock, allowing Norton to wriggle out and finally breathe, though it doesn’t do much for his heart that continues to race, and the flush that has been ever-present on his face since Naib brought him here. 

“What did you just say?” The words are spoken softly, but with a menacing aura, unlike before - the words of a man who is deciding the fate of an enemy at his mercy. 

Norton never even gets a chance to answer before Naib kisses him and hmm, maybe he shouldn’t have assumed after all - but that’s hardly the most important thing to consider right now because Naib is kissing him and his hands are suddenly buried in his hair and damn that feels good except it ends all too soon and with their separation comes Naib, face bright red, starting to open his mouth in apology and uttering the most absurd thing he’s ever heard that idiot say:

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to force you into that I know you don’t like me that way I just - I’ve missed you a lot, you know, but we can pretend that never happened and I’ll apologize to Eli too…”

Norton’s brain almost can’t compute the meaning behind that entire jumbled mess of a sentence. What does Eli have to do with this if you don’t like him? 

And then suddenly, a revelation, the likes of which Norton had never experienced before.

“You think I like Eli ?”

“You don’t?”

“No, I thought you liked him!”

“Well clearly I don’t, or else why would I-” Naib slaps a hand over his mouth before he can mention the kiss. Once he’s sure of his self-control (really, was there something in his drink?), he clears his throat and speaks again: “Either way, even if you don’t like Eli, I’m sorry to have…” Vague hand gestures ensue. 

Though he is, in fact, in immense shock, Norton manages to snap out of it before Naib can massively misunderstand something else and then run away, because this farce has gone on for far too long and the mortification of having been wholly incorrect about the subject of Naib’s affections can wait for afterwards - this conversation is long overdue . 

“I like you,” Norton blurts out, then flinches because, well - that was direct. Still, it has its intended effect, as Naib stops playing charades with his hands and instead blinks at him in incomprehension. He’s cuter than he has any right to be, and Norton despairs - how is he supposed to have a proper heart-to-heart if he breaks down from how absurdly adorable Naib is at the least convenient of times? 

…This grows less relevant when the tears that had previously been barely suppressed spill from Naib’s eyes, and it’s once again Norton’s turn to panic. 

“Ahh did I say something wrong Naib - I assumed that you kissing me meant you liked me back, I’m sorry did I misunderstand, please don’t hate me I didn’t want to avoid you that whole time - why are you laughing like that.”

While it’s truly a relief to see the man he loves bearing such a mirthful expression, it’s also baffling how the emotions on Naib’s face contradict one another. “Sorry,” he sniffles - as if he’s the one to have something to be sorry for, Norton’s the one who made him cry, Norton’s the one who made all this happen - “’m not sad, just… been an emotional day.”

You don’t say. 

That doesn’t seem to be all that Naib has to say, though, continuing on as he laugh-cries into a monologue. 

“It’s just - you’ve been avoiding me for some reason I don’t understand, and I didn’t study for the exam today, and I really never thought you’d ever like me back, and I miss you lots so please don’t disappear on me again?” 

How could Norton ever say no to that? It’s not like I wanted to in the first place. 

“I could never,” Norton’s first thought. Then,

“Wait, what do you mean by ‘like you back’?” 

“Nort, you idiot, do you expect to be kissed by just anyone who comes along?”

“To be fair, I’d hardly say you’re just anyone-”

“Do you kiss all your best friends?”

“It’s a good thing you’re the only one,” Norton manages to choke out in response. 

There’s a challenge in Naib’s eyes, along with lingering - entirely unwarranted - jealousy, but has it always felt so hot in here? 

Experimentally, Norton licks his lips, and sure enough, Naib’s eyes track the movement. Suddenly, his throat feels rather dry. 

“Naib…” Norton’s voice comes out embarrassingly soft. 

“Hmm?”

Here goes nothing, I guess. 

“What would you do if I asked you to kiss me again?”  

Naib’s response is lightning-fast, as though he had been waiting for this moment the whole time - their lips touch nearly before Norton finishes the question. (Not that he’s complaining.)

From above, a familiar brown feather drops down upon the two. The wingflaps of an owl, gone back to report her master’s mission’s success, go blissfully unnoticed. 

In the future, I should take care to stand out less , Eli decides.