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The annoying cacophony of cicadas rang in the background of his memory as a secondary thought, while the scenery was painted into view around him. Sunlight filtered in between the blotches of greens and browns of the trees that stood out so vividly against the clear blue skies.
On days when children were free from school, it was a common occurrence to see them here. With a well-loved playground, a scenic pond and well maintained walkways, the park was a staple to his childhood. The quality of its furnishings was not at all deterred by its age; as people from all walks of life traversed through its tranquility.
It had been so long since he had the pleasure of such simplicity in his life. The naive yet light hearted innocence in enjoying the day-by-day passage of time without the stress of what would come next.
Norton draws the conclusion that he was dreaming again.
He would be disillusioned to have believed anything otherwise as he stood there—his presence holding less substance than even that of a ghost. The sound of the chains rattling from the nearby swings and footsteps crunching atop grass gave depth to his memories.
To his omniscient eyes, he watches patiently as the forms of two young boys come into focus. He recognizes his younger self immediately, with his slightly drooping puppy eyes and unruly hair. From a time before his accident which left him with the signature scar that drew attention wherever he went.
Then, he sees him. With bated breath, Norton feels his heart quiver as a familiar boyish grin and tanned skin run up to match with his younger self's pace. Eyes akin to that of cold steel pierce through him with a warmth he hadn't experienced for a long time outside of his dreams.
“Come on —don’t you want to see who can race the fastest? Norton!”
It was unsettling as they ran through his form, meeting no resistance since he doesn’t exist in this time and space. Yet despite knowing that this was a dream, he couldn’t help but release a gasp of surprise as he spun around to continue following them.
“I don’t need to. I know I’m faster, Naib!”
He heard his younger self snark as he overtook the other boy and sprinted toward the tree they agreed would be the end goal of their arbitrary race.
Naib let out an exclamation of disbelief as he shouted,
“ Hey! No fair—you had a head start! ”
The edges of his memory began to grow hazy as his returning consciousness caused the scene before him to become jumbled up.
With a resigned sigh, all he could do was reach out to the visage in front of him.
'Just for a bit longer...it would be nice to stay here.'
The two boys tumbled into one another; collapsing in a fit of laughter and shouting as they tried wrestling the other off of them. In the distance, the faint concerned voices of their parents called out to them—waxing a melancholy tune that strummed at his heartstrings.
His dreams were as much of a reprieve to him from the harshness of the world as they were an addiction to rose-tinted hopes that kept him stagnant.
But for now, it would be fine for him to close his eyes and fall into their lulling song.
His body was attuned to waking up much earlier than his mind. Groggily, he rolled over to turn off his fourth alarm for that morning and finally reached up to rub tiredly at his eyes as he sat up and stretched. The series of pops that came from his back was to be expected as he groaned lightly before checking his phone for any notifications.
Seeing nothing but the usual ads from his social media and a few email pings, Norton shrugged his shoulders before throwing his phone back onto the bed. Standing up, he went through his usual morning routine as his body thanked him for loosening up whatever tension built up during his sleep.
Scratching the skin of his stomach lightly, he made his way to the bathroom to freshen up—the coldness of the hardwood floor beneath his feet giving him a slight chill but not as much as the sensation of emptiness that pervaded his home.
Briefly, he wonders if 'home' was being too generous to describe his modest living space. In the absence of the aspects that one would attribute with warmth and familiarity—Norton is greeted only by the silence of his loneliness.
Pulling on one of his cashmere sweaters and usual blue beanie, he turns to the space reserved for two portraits—just before he reached the doorway to leave. He closes his eyes to take in a deep breath before giving his late parents a strained smile.
“I’m off.”
At the same time in another high rise apartment—a hand reached out to search his nightstand for the phone that was disturbing his sleep.
“Mmm—fuck, who the hell-?” He rasped as his eyes, crusted over by sleep, squinted frustratedly at the screen before letting out a resigned sigh.
Picking the call up before it could end, he prepared himself for a verbal lashing from his manager.
“I see you finally picked up Subedar , one would assume you didn’t care about maintaining self discipline at all with how—“
“Oh shut up Freddy. Just get to the point,” Naib cut the man off as he heard the other give him an indignant huff.
“How disrespectful. If it weren’t for your popularity in the industry circle, you’d be dropped at a moment’s notice,” Freddy sniffed as he insulted his own contract.
“Yeah yeah, now are you going to tell me or what?” Naib took notice of the sound of papers being flipped in the background as he ran a hand through his tangled hair.
“You have a commercial photoshoot today in two hours that we have to get you ready for now . They’re one of our bigger sponsors so be on your best behavior Subedar.” Freddy enunciated the last part with a slight sneer that Naib rolled his eyes at.
His manager was prickly as hell but he couldn’t deny that the man was meticulous at keeping him on track. He just wished he could be given a bit more breathing space to be a person and not an icon for just a moment.
‘Although I have no one to blame but myself for that…’
Since his debut as a professional skateboarder, his life had become overtaken by the fast lane—years passing by just as he would blur past his competition. Recklessly, non-committedly, with no memory of anything that held importance to him. Faces with no clarity, relationships that burnt out quicker than the cigarettes he would smoke during the parties where he rubbed elbows with the pseudo rich.
“—Bedar, Subedar are you listening ?” Freddy’s annoyed tone brought him back to the present as Naib cursed.
“Alright—shit, just give me a fucking second and I’ll be at the company building in fifteen.”
Without waiting for a response, he hangs up. His arms flopped uselessly on his bed for a moment before he decides hearing another rant from Freddy wouldn’t be worth it and slid his legs out from under the sheets. Lifting up his phone, Naib unlocked it to stare at the screen for a moment. In a moment of vulnerability, he strokes the face on his screen with his thumb.
The image that illuminates back at him sunk stones into the pit of his stomach. He had fucked up plenty in the span of his career; each one being remedied by his company's influence and money.
But nothing would make up for the hollowness that nestled itself into his chest like a close lover. Forlorn promises that he had once made and broken due to his cowardice.
If he tried hard enough, he could imagine that person's familiar warmth residing on the opposite of his bed. However, those were the wishes of a man far past his chance for forgiveness.
His only companion was the scent of bitter lemons—an illusionary memento of his past as he left the apartment; throwing on his helmet in a rough manner before mounting his bike.
The revving of his engine calmed him enough to clear his mind as he gripped the handles and sped off,
‘ There’s no use thinking about him now. It’s better that we parted ways, he deserved more than I could give. ’
Naib was immediately accosted by Freddy and his makeup artist Margaretha as he entered the building. Sparing no time for him to even greet them; hair and skin products were sprayed and pushed onto his face in hopes to clean up his appearance.
His only saving grace was Demi, his outfit coordinator, who gave him a sympathetic smile as he was pushed into her arms after his makeover was taken care of.
“Busy day today, you eat or drink yet Naib?” She asked rhetorically as he groaned into his hands, dragging one down his face in a manner conscious of Margie's efforts.
“Freddy forgets that I need air to breathe sometimes, much less proper boundaries—thanks Demi,” he nodded gratefully to her as she passed him an unopened bottle of water that he chugged down.
“Well, Freddy is pretty anal about things,” they both shared a chuckle at the wording, like children would and Naib is grateful for his friend’s down to earth quality.
She dressed him up in accordance to today’s photoshoot requirements as he admires the high end material and how badass it made him look.
She let out a playful wolf whistle, walking around him to survey her work as Naib rolled his eyes playfully and shoved her away lightly.
“My eyes are up here,” He teased as Demi smirked.
“Oh, don’t worry. There’s not much here for me to admire besides my own work. Sorry if I got your hopes up sweetheart.” She laughed as Naib clutched his chest in mock pain at her jab.
“How cruel! I’ll have you know I’m an 11/10, thank you very much ,” Naib defended, only for Demi to laugh again and smack him on the shoulder.
“Maybe to your fans, but from where I stand—flat ass, no boobs, looking like a whole ass Monster energy drink? I’ll pass, especially since I have Martha.” She finished as Naib shook his head fondly.
“You called sweetheart?” A mature, yet feminine voice called out as Demi turned around to press a cheerful kiss against Martha’s cheek as Naib greeted his other manager.
There was a twinge of envy that shot through him at the picture the two women painted, but he buried those feelings into some obscure corner of his mind easily enough. Being in the closet for a majority of his life made him an expert at denial after all.
“Mornin’ Martha, will you be accompanying me to the shoot?” Naib asked as she nodded. The skater let out a fist pump in joy at knowing it wouldn’t be Freddy.
“Yup,” she responded simply, accentuating the ‘p’ with a popping sound as she looped an arm around Demi’s waist affectionately.
Naib wanted to turn away, lest his expression give away anything that could be misunderstood—but he doesn’t, he couldn’t . Not when his own daydream overlapped their intimacy and beckoned of a love he let slip through his fingers.
“Let’s go.” He requested as he finally held the decency to look off to the side, arms slack as he reached down to pick up his iconic board.
Whoever said love was better experienced than never had at all, was an idiot. Not all loves were equal or forgiving—he would know. He had walked away from what could have been his forever, after all and his heart was still bleeding.
The studio was buzzing with activity as Naib was finally ushered in alongside some familiar faces.
Demi had settled in comfortably among the other staff who were on standby for their respective contracts. Martha was preoccupied with the photoshoot director and other managers coordinating the group’s lineup.
From the corner of his peripheral vision, he sees an annoyingly familiar face strut quickly in his direction. With no time to hide before the man slung an arm over his shoulder, Naib grunted in lieu of a greeting as his guest laughed at his frown.
“Naib! What a pleasure seeing you here—I didn’t realize you were going to be the representative from B.Duck today!”
“Been a while, Eli—interesting outfit they put you in today,” Naib begrudgingly raised a brow at the bold choice of the mesh shirt and bright orange jacket the other man was dressed in.
“Is that all you have to say Naib? No ‘I've missed you too Eli! We should hang out sometime or—‘“ He is cut off by Naib’s gloved hand shoving his face away as the skater flipped him off with his other hand.
“Shove off Eli, you know I’ve been busy recently.” Naib retorted weakly as Eli gave him a knowing look as he lifted his eye mask up in response.
“Bothering Subedar again, Clark?” Another voice disrupted their conversation as a handsome, grey-haired man stepped closer.
“Well if it isn’t Aesop Carl! What a treat it is! And bother? I would never, I’m a pleasure to have!” Eli joked as Aesop leveled a deadpan gaze at him before looking at Naib and sharing an understanding nod between them that Eli gave an indignant ‘Hey!’ to.
“Who else is part of the shoot today?” Naib asked as Aesop shrugged, leaving Eli to take the spotlight as he leaned down to whisper in Naib’s ear conspiratorially.
“Well besides the three of us handsome young lads—I think I heard Mike Morton was coming with another friend from the baseball industry. Haven’t heard of his friend before but the staff seemed to think he was rather hot—“ He chuckled as if remembering the eavesdropping he did earlier.
“The last guy is pretty new to the professional scene too. Andrew Kreiss, I think his name was?” Eli stopped as he noticed someone lingering nearby with a nervous look on his face. Given the brand sponsored apparel and overall appearance the group could assume he was one of their photoshoot members.
The four men blinked as an awkward silence settled over them when the albino failed to take the social cue to introduce himself to their group.
“Uhh, you must be Andrew? I’m Naib.” Although his tone was unsure, Naib held out a welcoming hand—only for the Albino to look at it with a raised brow.
“Andrew Kreiss, no handshake please—Nice to…meet you all.” He spoke with a low yet amiable tone before Eli smiled and moved over to crowd his new, unfortunate target to bombard him with the Eli Clark sunshine treatment.
Aesop and Naib gave the male their condolences as they made use of his distraction and quickly escaped despite Andrew’s pleading look for help as Eli began talking his ear off.
“Oh! Naib, this is where you were. We’re ready to start the photoshoot, Morton and his friend have arrived so everything’s ready to go.” Martha called out as the skateboarder and track star both turned to her.
“Sweet, wonder who he brought with him—“ Naib trailed off with a cough that took him by surprise as his gaze locked with an equally shocked expression that quickly schooled itself into a cool professionalism.
“Thank you for agreeing to partake in the photoshoot today Mike! I wasn’t expecting for your friend to be so handsome either but you truly never fail to surprise me!” The director laughed juvially with the blond batter whose social circles expanded far and wide.
There were few people who didn’t know of Mike Morton, but to Naib, he was unable to tear his eyes away from the grown form of his old friend.
“Norton…?” He whispered in disbelief as the man in question shook his head before turning away, unable to face him.
Martha looked between the two with a look of concern as she whispered,
“You two don’t…have bad blood do you?”
To which Naib swallowed with a complicated grimace marring his face.
“We…have a history together but don’t worry, it won’t affect our photoshoot today. If he’s the same as I remember him…he’ll do amazing.” Naib finished lamely as he looked on with longing to where Norton had already leaned down to speak to Mike who seemed to be oblivious to his friend’s relationship to Naib.
The sensation of adolescent naivety choked out by the sharpness that came with the passage of time made his stomach buzz and his hands clammy.
In front of Norton, he may as well have been transported back to those days before stardom.
When all that mattered in the world was the happiness of two boys, in love—before they knew what love could be.
Everything was fine.
Their group pictures were flawless—Mike and Eli keeping the atmosphere of the studio at a constant level of comfort that eased them into the flow of posing. Neither Naib nor Norton had said anything to one another yet. Only sharing momentary glances when they were positioned close to one another before turning their gazes to the camera.
However, the tension they shared could only be missed by someone who was purposefully ignorant as some of the staff gossiped; wondering what their possible relationship could have been.
The director seemed to eat it up as he was excited about utilizing that energy to take some rather intense shots.
Naib was doing all he could to ignore the appeal of Norton’s subtle and earthy fragrance as he held his breath when the pitcher stood close. It didn’t help that whoever dressed the man, they certainly held no qualms with putting Norton in that ridiculous crop top.
It was hard to focus when sculpted abs kept flashing in front of him with the expanse of tan and scarred skin that drew him in like a moth to a flame.
‘ He’s really matured —’
“…You look like you’ve been doing well.”
The sudden intrusion of Norton’s deep voice ran chills through him as the suave quality made his stomach flip.
“I guess that’s one way to see it,” Naib responded without much thought as he winced at his lackluster word choice.
Norton chuckled in between their pose transitions; the director not missing a chance to take a shot of the pitcher’s elusive smirk.
“Seems like it still isn’t my place to worry about you then.” He whispered as Naib almost broke focus to turn to him with a retort of, ‘ That’s not true! ’ stuck in his throat like an unpleasant, syrupy medicine.
Eli nudged him subtly, while maintaining his pretty boy smile as the cameras flashed, for reassurance as the skater sighed.
“…What if I wanted you to worry about me? Would you?” Naib asked genuinely. He fully ignored Eli and Aesop’s inquisitive gazes as Norton stood stock-still against Mike’s back, feeling the batter’s barely restrained curiosity sparking against him.
Poor Andrew was trying to maintain his own facade amidst their tension as he kept getting repositioned by the director who chose to ignore their secret conversation in lieu of capturing the energy of their group dynamic.
Norton was quiet for a moment as they all awaited his response—only for the pitcher to turn to Naib during their last group pose and respond with a passive,
“Are we that close for me to do so?”
The sound of the camera shutter was not the only thing that closed with a sudden and resolute feeling as Naib swallowed back his unspoken affection with a silent nod at Norton’s words.
I miss you so much, but you won’t even look at me anymore. I used to breathe you in as naturally as air and what came out were flowers that leaked of my infatuation.
“…I guess not.”
Eli coughed into his hand as a way to muffle his shock at Norton’s cold rejection to his friend. And while they waited for the director to approve of their shots, he turned to extend a hand out to Norton.
“Eli Clark, I wasn’t able to catch your name earlier?” He smiled pleasantly as Norton looked at him before taking the hand with an apathetic disposition.
“Call me Norton, I’m Mike’s teammate. Nice to meet you, Eli.”
“Yeah cool—so, Norton, level with me —how do you know our resident grumpy pants here?” He asked before yelping when Naib elbowed him hard in the ribs.
“—Morton, you’re up first for solo pictures!” One of the staff called out as the blond groaned at missing out on the story unfolding between them.
“You’re fucking joking . Norty don’t say a word until I get back! I want to hear it too—“ Mike whined as he was dragged away by a very unamused woman in the form of his lovely manager Patricia.
Norton sighed, crossing his arms as he pinched his brow tiredly.
“Shut the fuck up Eli. Not everyone has to be involved in your meddling,” Naib hissed as he tried to pull the frivolous martial artist away—not that he could. The man wasn’t famous within his discipline without reason.
“Aren’t martial artists, oh I don’t know—supposed to be all self discipline and exercise humility or something?” Naib asked through gritted teeth as Eli waved him off before swinging an arm around Norton’s shoulders in an overly friendly but demanding way.
“That’s stereotyping Naib, besides,” Eli gestured half-heartedly at the skater as a taunting smirk slid on his face.
“We’re celebrities—being messy is kind of our thing. Drama sells and all that,” He finished with a shrug of his shoulders; only to stumble in surprise when Norton took the initiative to wrap his own arm around the man’s waist and pull him close.
Utilizing his height to bear down on Eli with a half lidded gaze that had him growing flushed from Norton’s proximity, the pitcher’s breath caressed Eli’s ear.
“It’s not nice to tease people, Eli Clark. You never know who might return the favor after all,” Norton smirked as Eli’s mouth dropped at his boldness while Naib blinked in disbelief.
The pitcher didn’t waste any time in detaching himself from Eli after making his point. Instead, he opted to stand next to Andrew who had made a very comfortable bubble for himself—melding into the wall during their conversation.
The javelinist curled in on himself as he was unsure where his stance was on their drama but Norton simply gave him a nod before turning to pay attention to Mike’s solo shots.
Naib groaned, running a hand down his face as he tried to collect his composure before thinking of what to do next.
‘ Clearly, he has no interest in talking to me. Maybe I should respect that? ’
Naib pondered for a moment before shaking his head. He wasn’t going to run past his issues like some ignorant teen anymore—he needed to find an opportunity to at least ask Norton to consider talking to him.
He hadn’t felt this insecure about himself since college. Those few years had really opened his eyes after he realized he had free reign to explore and experience who he was without the limitations of his upbringing.
Resolving his nerves, he made his way over to Norton—sparing Andrew a pleading nod as to ask the man to move away so that the two of them could have some privacy.
The albino sighed before shuffling away to find some respite next to Aesop who had tactfully ghosted away into an obscure corner of the room.
Clearing his throat, Naib went to garner Norton’s attention only to frown when the other moved to walk away, purposefully ignoring the skater.
Without thinking, Naib reached out to grab ahold of the taller man’s wrist—only to have it ripped out of his grasp as Norton slapped Naib’s hand away with a scornful glare.
“Do you make it a habit to ignore personal boundaries, Subedar? Or do you only enjoy antagonizing me specifically?”
He scowled at that as his lips dropped into an equally intense frown,
“Maybe if you weren’t acting like such an ass I wouldn’t have to. I just want to talk,” he bit back to which Norton scoffed.
“Did you actually have something important to say, Subedar or did you come over just to gaslight me?”
“Gas—I’m not gaslighting you Norton. It’s just,” Naib was cut off by an exaggerated exhale from the man in front of him.
“Just what? Tell me Subedar , why should I have to hear you out—after all these years where you didn’t reach out once?”
He had a point, as Naib felt his mouth go dry and his words choked in his throat from the guilt. Floundering for anything of substance to say, to keep Norton from walking away disinterested, Naib opened his mouth again—
“Campbell! You’re up next, Morton’s done with his solo shots.” Patricia called out as Norton gave him one last shake of his head before moving to pass by, brushing his arm against Naib as he leaned down to whisper.
“Just leave me the fuck alone. My love for you died the same night you ripped it out of my chest and stomped all over it.”
The skateboarder felt his breathing quicken out of his control as his frustration became visible in the way he curled his hands into fists. He closed his eyes for a second, trying to keep his cool before leaving the room for a quick breather. He shook off Demi’s worried hand gently as he passed her by, not emotionally prepared to give into a potential panic attack amidst strangers.
By the time he was able to regain his composure and come back—Norton was long gone, seeing as how he and Mike were the first to finish their remaining shots.
Naib on the other hand—just wanted to crawl in a hole and die.
‘ Fucking hell…’
“ Norty— what was that all about? Come on now, you have to spill the beans, please please please—“ Mike was muffled by Norton’s hand coming up to squeeze his cheeks together as a way to get the batter to quiet down.
The photoshoot had ended anti-climatically given all of the built up tension—as the two of them thanked the director and staff for their hard work and parted ways. Although, not before Mike could exchange numbers with the others barring Naib who had been absent. No one could say no to the whirlwind that was the blond, after all.
“There’s nothing to tell, we just know each other from a while back. But then we grew up and went our own ways.” Norton answered calmly as he took a sip of water to make up for the lack of hydration during their photo session.
Mike propped both hands on his hips as he stared down his best friend with a knowing look.
“Hmm, no . I don’t think it’s that simple.” The blond circled Norton like a shark that caught the scent of blood as he tapped his chin repeatedly, a sign that he was brainstorming some sort of idea in his cracked up mind.
“You like him. Like, like like him—you,” Mike leaned in closer as Norton tried not to sweat as he turned his face away from the other who gasped.
“Oh my god, no way. No fucking way!” He exclaimed excitedly as he gripped either side of the pitcher’s shoulders and shook his friend with abandon. He didn’t think he would ever see the day that his dearest friend who held the misfortune of having resting bitch face syndrome would ever be caught off guard like this.
To Mike’s knowledge, Norton had not once shown interest in other people on a fundamental level much less romantic . He had believed his dark haired friend to be aromantic and hadn’t considered there was an alternative reason until today.
“You’re both hopeless romantics who won’t talk to each other like adults and instead suffer in gay silence cause of your pride.” Mike teased the brunette who flipped him off before hiding his face in his hands with a muffled yell.
“Fuck off Mike, I don’t—I mean I, it’s complicated ok?” Norton hissed as his eyes looked out to see if anyone was close enough to eavesdrop on them, relaxing when he didn’t see anyone interested in what they had to say.
Mike grinned like a cat who caught the canary as he hugged Norton from behind, lying his head on the taller man’s shoulder.
“As your best friend, and really— only friend nowadays; although I guess Ganji counts but he’s terrible at emotional support,” Mike rambled off before smacking his cheeks to get his focus back.
“Anyway! As your best friend , who only wants the absolute best for you. Tell me what’s going on. Obviously you two have the hots for each other but things are playing out like the shitty telenovelas you like to watch late at night when you think I’m asleep and unaware of what you’re up to.”
Norton couldn’t help but give Mike a slack jawed look at that as he flushed red for a moment before scowling.
“…they aren’t shitty,” he murmured as Mike rolled his eyes.
“That’s the one thing you’ll comment on?” Mike shook his head before taking a sip of his protein shake.
“You’re being avoidant, is it really so bad that you won’t even acknowledge your feelings for him, Norty?”
The pitcher was silent for a moment before running a hand through his hair.
It wasn’t like he didn’t regret how they parted ways. He had always imagined his future including Naib before.
“It just fucking sucks Mike, seeing him again—god it, it’s been so long and I thought I got over shit but,”
He doesn’t hate Naib. But just because they didn’t hate each other, it doesn’t mean they would be good for one another.
‘Goddammit Naib, even after all this time you still haven’t returned my heart to me. That’s just like you to do…how greedy.’
“But?” Mike drawled as he waited for Norton to finish his explanation with eager eyes.
“But I don’t want to be made a fool of again. I don’t want to be the only one who’s left behind. I want to stop hurting , Mike.”
The batter lost his teasing grin as he moved to kneel down in front of where his friend had his head held down and placed a comforting hand over Norton’s own.
“…Ok. We can work with this Norty, you don’t have to talk to him if you don’t want to. But if one last chance to clear the air is possible, I hope you take it. Because he doesn’t deserve to have any part of your attention otherwise.”
The pitcher gave Mike a boyish grin before holding his fist out for the other to fist bump.
“When’d you become such a sap Mike? Usually you’d just go threatening to break his legs or something,” Norton joked as Mike chuckled before enveloping the other in a tight hug.
“Oh don’t worry, I’m trying to give the man a fighting chance before I tell our team. You know how they tend to be.” Mike shrugged nonchalantly as Norton paled.
“After all, Norty! Murder is only illegal if you get caught!”
His wheels slammed down on the concrete with an aggressive edge as Naib reveled in the rush of air that rolled off of him as he wound down into a stop in front of Eli who decided to accompany him to the skate park.
It was nagging at him, the taste of dissatisfaction from his poor handling of the situation that is. He supposed it was only fair to be played for the fool he was since he couldn’t even voice out his apologies properly. After wrapping up his own solo shots, the skater had to shake off a worried Martha and Demi who had followed after him.
Their concerns were well founded given his past record of getting into trouble, which made him wince in hindsight.
‘ I never have thanked them properly for all the shit they’ve gotten my ass out of .’ He sighed before looking up at Eli who waited patiently for him to speak up. The martial artist had decided to follow in pursuit seeing as how he truly did care for the skater. It wasn’t often that he would witness Naib at an impasse for what to do.
Aesop decided this wasn’t his area of expertise and smartly disappeared with Andrew, the two of whom had unsurprisingly gotten along somehow despite their silent communication.
Ignoring the scattered applause from the audience of fellow skaters and onlookers for his performance, Naib plopped his ass tiredly on the bench. From his peripheral, he could see Eli pulling out two water bottles before the man handed one over.
“Better?” Eli asked simply as Naib chugged down the water he was offered before shrugging.
He wasn’t sure to be quite honest. His nerves were alight with energy but his heart still felt heavy despite clearing out his mind somewhat.
“…For what it’s worth, he didn’t look like he hates you. Not really…You know?” Eli remarked to which Naib visibly deflated—removing his black cap to let his hair fall down in sweaty strands that he shook out, much to Eli’s mock disgust.
“You say that because you don’t know how we grew apart. He has every right to hate me.” Naib said as Eli gave his friend a sympathetic pat on the back.
“Back when we were kids, why—there wasn’t anyone in our neighborhood that didn’t know of us. You know, being little troublemakers and all,” he chuckled as Eli smiled at his friend’s reminescing.
“Then what, Naib?”
“…I was a hot-headed fool, eager for my five minutes of fame before I was ready and well, I ended up choosing what was best for my career. At least… that’s what I thought at the time.”
Naib smiled in a self deprecating way that had Eli taken aback as he spun his helmet in his hands before letting it drop on the bench with a resounding thud. Eli had always roped Naib into the same category that he held himself and the others in their circle to. ‘Egotisitical Geniuses’.
There was nothing wrong with being cocky since they held the skills to back it up and more importantly, emotional weakness was something they couldn’t afford to have. Not when the press was always biting at their heels waiting for some major scandal to ruin their lives.
The blond skater was the epitome of that; sitting atop of his self proclaimed throne with jeering taunts to his competitors. But Eli realizes it makes sense now. Why he had never seen Naib caught up in any romantic drama. He loved someone.
“We never dated, funnily enough. Small town, conservative views and all that drama—I denied my own feelings for Norton for a long while. Guess I still do to an extent.”
Eli was quiet for a moment after his friend’s confession before he spoke up,
“And you hurt him because of that?”
“…You don’t get it Eli. I didn’t just hurt him,”
The remnants of his memories flashed across his mind at that moment.
Norton stood across from him with a face that screamed of exhaustion as he had to take in deep breaths from his sudden revelation.
Rain pelted the both of them and made their bodies shiver from the unrelenting cold as Naib witnessed himself stumble back in shock as Norton’s eyes widened at the confession that he hadn’t meant to spill forth.
The words he had then said reverberated in his mind; scorching into his memory like a hot iron brand.
“—tell me you’re joking. Tell me you’re fucking joking .”
His younger self had shook his head, backing away from Norton whose expression killed Naib to see. The anguish that drenched itself in the way his lips quivered and his hands clenched into anxious fists.
The fluctuation of his eyes as he was left in a stupor by Naib’s harsh reaction was accentuated by that desperate, haunting look that enveloped him next.
“Is it so bad that I love you? Naib?”
The blond was shaken up—opting to instead turn away and walk a few steps before looking over his shoulder with a grimace.
“…Stay the hell away from me.”
“I broke his heart —it isn’t a matter of if I love him or not anymore.” Naib’s voice shuddered as he tried to maintain his composure. The sensation of Eli’s patient hand on his back making it that much harder despite his friend’s good intentions.
“Naib…I don’t know the extent of what happened, but…have you considered that maybe you aren’t the only one who has been waiting?” Eli prompted as Naib gave him a pointed look that asked for the man to continue elaborating.
“The director for our photoshoot wants to throw a celebratory party for us, as thanks for our performance. I’m sure he will be attending, it could be your chance.”
“To do what , exactly? He’s already made it clear I’m not welcome in his life anymore and maybe this once—I should actually listen to what he wants,” Naib retorted only for Eli to dump the remainder of his entire water bottle on the skateboarder.
There was a moment of silent tension that sparked between the two men as Naib slowly turned to give Eli a disbelieving gaze.
“Stop making this all about yourself Naib Subedar . All I keep hearing is how pitiful you are and nothing about how you can apologize for what you did.” Eli frowned, before throwing a dry towel at the blond who let it flop miserably against his face.
“Get your head out of your ass and give that poor man closure at the very least. You two are adults for god’s sake.” He shook his head as Naib breathed in deeply, knowing that his friend’s words rang true.
“…I won’t make any promises but I’ll try,”
“That’s all I could ask of you Naib, the rest is all up to the two of you to figure out.”
The days and nights leading up to the appointed date of the congratulatory party passed by with a dreadful lethargy. Both men found themselves haunted by traces of each other in the daily occurrences of their lives. It had been so easy before—forgetting how deeply they had touched each other's worlds.
But as Norton found himself pouring out a cup of coffee and reaching to add in sugar and creamer in the way he had remembered Naib enjoyed it—
And as Naib turned around after completing a tricky technical move to look for his friend in anticipation to receive praise, only to be a witness to his absence—
That ember of love that had been punished by their negligence began to spark to life again with a vengeance renewed.
Memories that played out like projections on a flimsy screen became the ghosts that haunted their sleep. Unable to do little more than twist and turn as Eros himself, cracked open the shells of their chests to bring forth their wavering hearts.
“Norton! Norton—oh hey, there you are! You won’t believe it dude—so you know how prom is coming up in a few weeks? Well that girl, Emily, asked if we could go together so I said ‘sure.’ But instead of being happy, she got upset with me for some reason.” Naib rambled off as he slung an arm around Norton’s shoulders as he chuckled.
“It’s because you have about as much romantic sense as a rock, Naib. Girls don’t want to hear ‘sure’ after working up the confidence to ask someone out to prom dude.” Norton replied without looking up from his phone only to jump in surprise when Naib snatched it out of his hand.
“Hey! Give that back—brat!”
“What would you know, Norton? You always reject the girls that ask you out for anything. Mr. Heartbreaker, is what they call you!”
Naib taunted as Norton gave him a complicated grimace that he didn’t understand at the time but seemed so obvious now, after their revelations.
“There’s no use in giving anyone false hope, Naib. A heart is a delicate thing, you shouldn’t just treat it carelessly.” He muttered as Naib rolled his eyes.
“Sometimes I forget you’re a huge fucking dork, no one’s gonna be heartbroken over something like a prom rejection.” Naib shrugged as Norton shook his head.
“Just because that’s your perspective, doesn’t mean everyone feels the same, you know?”
The heavy gaze that the taller man leveled Naib was enough to make him quiet down with a grumble.
“Whatever, who cares about prom when the next skating comp comes out around the same time!”
Norton claps him on the back with a chuckle,
“Still dreaming of going pro, Naib?”
He gives Norton a cocky grin before declaring,
“Dreaming? Nah—it’s gonna happen Norton. Just keep watching, I’m going to be a household name for skaters.”
Naib is distracted for a moment by his own daydreaming that when he looks at Norton again, he’s taken aback by the sheer fondness in his friend’s eyes as he grew flustered by it.
“Yeah, I believe in you Naib.”
Summer 20XX, he was approached with an offer to skate for some local brand that took interest in his skills and overall potential. Naib was no stranger to the workings of the industry scene—most contracts that amateurs like himself were offered usually spoke of trouble.
But he was young and desperate to put his foot in the door of potential stardom. He signed on with them and partook in every competition he could. He thought it was simple and clear cut—race and win.
But things weren’t so black and white as he’d imagined, consistently winning made for a boring show and a boring show meant a lack of monetary support from the audience.
They began to request of him to win when they said to and lose when they said to. To participate in events he was uncomfortable with just to build a sort of edgy image to sell the public.
“—I’m not saying you need to quit skating Naib! I just—it isn’t right! I’m just worried they’ll ask you to do something out of hand and,”
“So what?” Naib cut him off as Norton looked at the skater with a disbelieving gaze.
“So what? So what? It’s your life Naib but as your friend can’t I help but be concerned for you when I see you being used?” Norton ran a hand through his hair in frustration as Naib scowled.
“You always have something to say about what I do Norton. Are you actually concerned or are you jealous?” Naib insulted as he crossed his arms as Norton matched his scowl and stood up to confront Naib’s taunt.
“Jealous about being worked like a dog and hanging out with the wrong crowd? Hah—yeah, plenty to be jealous of there, Naib.”
The skater’s nostrils flared as he jabbed his finger into Norton’s chest pushing the taller man back as he spoke out of his ass, uncaring about the impact of his words until after he finished.
“And what? Should I just wither away like you do? Sorry I want to have a life and not be some miserable hermit—“ By the time his eyes widened at the accusation it was too late as Norton’s fist smarted his cheek, snapping his head to the side as Naib hissed at the intense stinging sensation.
Any words that he wanted to say died on his tongue as he locked gazes with Norton whose eyes teared up from Naib’s insensitivity.
“…forget it. I was wrong to care about someone like you.” Norton rasped as Naib tried to reach out and grab ahold of his friend but was unable to as Norton drew back from his reach.
“Yeah, you’re right. What would a parent-less, antisocial loser like me know about anything, right? Sorry for thinking I was important enough to have any place in your world, Naib.”
Naib awakened with a cold sweat that clung to his back like icy hooks and regret chaining his limbs as his mouth hangs agape, like a fish out of water. Checking his phone, the time read: 3:47 am as Naib groaned in frustration.
Seeing the wallpaper he had refused to change of him and Norton he scowled before throwing it down on his pillow and pseudo-punching the hell out of it. After his childish outburst, he slumped forward and buried his face in his hands.
He could only hope that he wasn't alone in his suffering as a more twisted part of him wondered if Norton was going through the same anguish. Even when he tried not to think about the other, the yearning to look for him bled through to his subconscious.
Emotions that had been buried deep inside the poorly kept grave of his soul crawled up like persistent daisies—determined to take root in his wallowing.
Was it normal to want to brush his thumb against another man's cheek as softly and intimately as lovers do? Who made the rules to say what was right or wrong when what he felt was the honest truth?
What would it be like to finally connect with that outstretched hand that fits so well in his own? To feel the gentleness of those lips against his temple as they held one another in an embrace witnessed only by their own bodies.
Why had his realization come years too late—leaving him where he was now. Lying uselessly in bed, unable to do little more than wax self-pitying poetry about his mistakes instead of opening his mouth to spill forth those apologies he had held on to for the decade they had been apart.
‘ Is this how you felt Norton? Is it normal to be unable to function when I think of you? Is love really something this powerful or is this just another delusion from my guilt?’
With his only company being the silence of the transitioning dawn, his questions were left unanswered as he dwelled on them to no end. It was then, that the answer came to him in a sudden and brief realization that was lit aflame by the rising sun.
"Ah."
To his credit, Norton had held himself together much better than the skater. But whether that was a result of his composure or if it was years of experience going through this turmoil and having no one to support him through it—he wasn't exactly sure.
Sleep came sporadic patterns that left him more exhausted than rested. Although it helped after he set his phone to do not disturb as an attempt to derail Mike's attempts to play wingman. At least, that was his plan until he came to the conclusion that the blond would only grow increasingly more annoying if he didn't let him help.
Despite Norton's complaints, he did appreciate what the other did for him. Even if the notification of 100+ messages made his eye twitch as he unlocked his phone to read through them all. The pitcher no longer tried to understand how Mike's sleep schedule worked.
He was half certain the blond functioned without sleep but that couldn’t be true as he witnessed the other sleeping soundly before—even made fun of the unique snoring habit he had.
Mike: ‘You can’t ignore me forever you know.’
Mike: ‘Hurry up and wake up Norty_:(´ཀ`」 ∠):’
Mike: ‘I’m wasting away here…my youth…gone…’
Mike: ‘Check out this video on tiktok I think you’d like—’
Norton sighed before deciding that if the energetic blond was going to keep blowing up his phone he might as well retaliate by FaceTiming him this early.
It barely rung once before the notification sound alerting him that Mike had answered passed through his ears.
“Good morning Norty! Looking as sleep deprived as ever—you should really lighten up, it helps keep you young you know?” Mike was never one to wait for a response to his greeting before shooting his mouth off as Norton was left to deal with the aftermath of his ramblings.
“Are you ready for today Norton? Remember—if you need an out man just text me or come get me and I’ll bring you somewhere safe. I may want you two to talk things through but if Subedar does anything,” Mike’s usual sunny smile seemed a bit strange as Norton shuddered at the unspoken promise.
“Don’t joke like that Mike, someone might think you were serious,” Norton chuckled only to trail off nervously when the blond tilted his head.
“But I’m not joking? Don’t worry Norty—Ganji’s got ties to the police and I’m sure if I tell your uncles they’ll be more than happy to take care of loose ends!”
Norton ignored the implications of Mike’s words as he continued getting presentable with his friend who definitely wasn’t a criminal.
Naib was dressed to the nines in his signature colors of black and green as Demi had excitedly gone all out on styling him after he requested her help. He wanted to show Norton that he had changed and even if it was shallow, aesthetic things like how he presented himself—he would take every chance he got.
Entering the large double doors of the party's venue, he is assaulted by the blaring music being played by a decently skilled DJ and the blurring forms of people moving about. It was dimly lit with a soft purple-pink haze tinting the room as mildly lavish furniture was set about for the guests to lounge in.
Waiters and waitresses alike were hustling about with trays of alcohol and appetizers as the staff and celebrities alike who had been invited mingled amongst one another. Demi and Martha had made themselves comfortable among the other women there as Freddy made himself sparse. most likely chatting it up with the big wigs in order to seek out more business opportunities.
Even with the numerous compliments toward himself as he walked in, Naib still wrung his hands nervously as he played with the decorative rings swamping his fingers.
It would be his luck that Naib spots Eli's familiar form dancing with a woman he recognized as the man's fiance, Gertrude, or something. Mindfully avoiding the man's frightening ability of foresight, Naib utilizes the shadows cast in the room to slip past during a song transition that had Eli's back turned to him.
Instead, he made his way over to where he had spotted Aesop and Andrew enjoying each other's company in a silent bonding session of people watching. Perhaps they were even telepathically shit talking to each other, Naib chuckled at that thought.
Nabbing the closest glass of alcohol that neared his person, he saluted the two men as he sat down alongside them at the inconspicuous table. Just as he drew his first sip and settled in to relax his shoulders a bit—
"You can relax. Your brooding crush hasn't arrived yet," Aesop remarked as if it were a passing thought and not the anxiety-inducing nightmare that had been plaguing Naib for the past week or so. The grey-haired bastard even had the nerve to maintain eye contact as Naib choked on his drink and consequently coughed up a lung.
Flipping him off, Naib glared at the track star as Andrew worriedly patted his back.
"You're evil Aesop, pure evil," Naib frowned as the other gave him a barely noticeable eye smile in return.
"Evil is a rather strong alignment to categorize me into. I prefer the adjective 'Opportune'."
“There’s nothing wrong—with liking men, that is, Subedar. Mother tells me that God makes no mistake and that a love like yours is just as valid as that between a man and woman. Or a woman and woman and what not.” Andrew spoke up, surprising the both of them as that had been the most he had ever said to them.
The albino’s red flush was made more apparent due to his lack of pigmentation as Naib smiled at him.
“Thanks Kreiss, your mother sounds like a wonderful lady. Makes me wish someone had told me that when I was younger…” Naib shook his head as Andrew wrung his hands nervously but with a determined glint in his eyes.
“Don’t be afraid, seek not forgiveness but a chance for redemption. You can do it Subedar.”
Naib was a bit taken aback but he swallowed thickly, unable to say anything in the face of Andrew’s encouragement. It was hilarious in a pathetic sort of way, that he was receiving such support and comfort when he was not the one to be hurt so deeply.
But perhaps he was also deserving of these words, Naib would certainly like to believe so as he takes in a breath.
"Isn't that Morton who just walked in?" Andrew whispered to them as Naib snapped his head around to see.
'Ok so no time for a breather, got it.' He thought before straining his eyes to spot the person he was actually looking for only to have his breath knocked out of him when he found him.
Surely it couldn't have only been Naib who thought Norton was devastatingly gorgeous as he walked in behind Mike like he had no mortal restraints tying him down to earth. Draped in a stunning white suit and royal blue corset vest, the light reflected off of him in a halo that had Naib's heart pounding like he was eighteen again.
Norton gave the director an amiable smile that Naib definitely noticed had heads turning, before he moved to down more of his drink awaiting the buzz to kick in.
'I can do this, I can do this, I can — '
"Naib you're sweating up a storm over there, I can almost hear your thoughts," Aesop grounded his mind again as his monotonous voice cut through Naib's anxiety.
Andrew passed him a few napkins as Naib nods appreciatively at the two.
"I'm not usually this much of a mess, I guess it's just a bit hard not to feel insecure right now." He confessed as they nodded.
"I can see why you are so hung up on him. That's quite the person you let slip away, Naib."
Before the skater could respond, a flash of blond hair filled his vision as an arm looped around his neck with a familiarity that was a stranger to Naib as he flinched.
"Why hello there Mr. Doom and Gloom! Whatcha doing, looking so serious at a party?"
"Heya Mike...Norton."
It was a difference between heaven and hell as Naib locked gazes with Norton who now stood in front of him. At the very least, the faint flush that washed over the pitcher stoked the fire of confidence in Naib that his attraction wasn’t unrequited.
He stood up, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly before trying to find the words to say.
“You…look good.”
Naib didn’t have to look back to know Aesop had face palmed in second hand embarrassment seeing as how Mike’s face turning purple from trying to refrain from laughing spoke volumes about how bad Naib was with words.
However, the slight quiver of Norton’s lips as if he was also trying not to laugh made it a bit better as Naib took consolation in knowing he still had some effect on the brunette. Norton cleared his throat as he tried to compose himself into that damned deadpan expression Naib had a growing dislike toward.
“You don’t look half bad yourself, Naib. The director had a lot of praise for our work on the photoshoot.”
“Ah…is that so? I think we did pretty damn good too. You were great—I mean everyone did awesome I think, it’s just, I haven’t seen you in a while and it was nice to work with you again,” Naib rambled before being cut off by a groan of frustration from Mike who pushed him hard enough to stumble into Norton, whose eyes widen in surprise at his friend’s action as well.
“Please, for the love of God . You two are giving me immense second hand embarrassment. Me, Mike Morton , embarrassed. I can’t stomach it.” The blond teased as he dry heaved to emphasize his point as Aesop and Andrew nodded in agreement, thus driving the nail further into Naib’s metaphorical coffin.
To make matters worse, Naib noticed that Eli had finally caught wind of their arrival and was making his way over to their table with an aura of mischief that spelled trouble.
So instead of waiting around, he takes the opportunity of the adrenaline rush churning through his veins to offer a hand to Norton as he pushed aside his doubts to convey his sincerity. His stomach is wound up into knots as his heart skips a beat before Norton finally takes it with a silent confirmation for Naib to whisk him away.
Without a second thought, they slink away through the crowd. Their hands procuring a respective glass of alcohol from one of the passing waiters while Eli's calls for them to come back fall on deaf ears. Closing the door behind them, the music has now died down to a muffled mess of vague singing and upbeat instruments.
Norton is unsure of where Naib will bring him, but as he watches that determined back walk forward with purpose—he finds it hard to be afraid. Especially when the hand that was holding his own was equally as clammy and unsure as they fell from whatever egotistical pedestal they built up for themselves.
At this moment, they were simply the Naib Subedar and Norton Campbell whose only distraction was the wind that blew past their ears to accompany the rattling of the monsters hidden inside their hearts—banging against their prison of ribcages.
They had found themselves at a nearby park, one that was a far cry from the one held so endearingly in their memories. Urban architecture was often mistreated and undervalued like that when funding was often cut in lieu of capitalistic expansions. It was clean enough, however, for the both of them not to feel uncomfortable per se.
Not many people were passing through and most of the ones that did would only spare a curious glance at their appearances before shrugging it off as another occurrence in their lives.
On the other hand, there was something charming about the poorly covered graffiti and the gaggle of young adults that were clearly skipping school to hang out with one another.
"That used to be us, back in the old days," Naib remarked as Norton scoffed lightly.
"You speak like we're grandparents or something — although I guess that's what missing out on a decade's worth of each other's lives would feel like, wouldn't it?"
The skater winced at the reminder before he gestured for Norton to take a seat next to him on the park bench.
"You always did know how to cut straight to the punch," Naib remarked before the two sat there quietly for a moment, gathering their thoughts before speaking again.
Surprisingly it was Norton who extended the olive branch and spoke up unprompted as Naib listened attentively.
“I got drafted and contracted to be a pitcher for a while. It paid well and my team won a good amount of games—it’s actually how I met Mike and Ganji.” Norton continued, smiling fondly as he mentioned the two names as Naib felt that invisible knife in his gut twisting a bit further as he faked a grin.
“Mike seems like a cool guy, fun. It’s good—to see you with a good friend.”
Norton looked at him strangely before snorting,
“Forget the small talk Naib, you’re utterly shit at it. We both are. What do you want from me Naib?”
"I don't know. I wish I did, Norton—I truly and wholeheartedly wish I knew. But I don't . I can't even get out a fucking apology to you," Naib spoke in a low, harsh whisper directly at his own inability to speak forth the words that he wanted to tear from his throat.
"How do I even go about apologizing to you? Is 'sorry' really something you want to hear from me for what I did?" Naib turned to face him as he brought up his arms to grab at either side of Norton's shoulders.
The intensity of his gaze stoked not only the fires of contempt within the pitcher but that of a larger, more encompassing desire to find solace within his old friend once again.
But it felt too good to be true. Norton admits he was never the easiest person to get along with but he hadn't expected Naib to give up on him the way that he had. He had no confidence to believe that the other wouldn't abandon him again.
"You're right, Naib. Sorry isn't what I want to hear from you."
His eyes tear up against his will as he continues.
" 'Sorry' can't make up for the time I went through rehabilitation after my accident alone. You could have visited me at any time before you left to study abroad."
Naib's gaze fell on Norton's scarring as he felt himself wither at the spoken truth in his friend's words.
"I knew you were confused and scared after my confession. It must've been tough, huh? To learn your best friend wasn't just gay, but also in love with you," Norton laughed hollowly before raising a hand to cover his face, in an attempt to hide his anguish.
"But what about me , Naib? I bet even to this day, it never occurred to you how lost and scared I was to have realized it first . I had only you, and even then—I fucked that up," his words came out in shorter, breathy increments as Naib felt a pain pierce through him in a manner worse than any injury he ever acquired in his career of skating.
Matters of the heart were not so easily remedied and he had become the poison that encased Norton’s heart with wounds unable to be mended without closure.
"My only saving grace was that you didn't out me to our community at the time. It would've been a complete social suicide for me if you did," Norton finished as Naib could no longer meet his gaze.
It hurt to be called out on his past—shame flooding his veins at how ignorant he had been. Had chosen to be.
A hand gripped the bottom of his chin in a rough manner, tilting his head up as Norton rasped out a desperate,
"You don't get to look away, Naib ."
Both men were quivering from the rawness of their emotions being flayed open and in full display as their words painted wounds against their vulnerability.
"If you really wanted me back in your life…you had a decade to reach out. To ask me to come back and walk alongside you; so I could witness you grow up to achieve your dreams, Naib."
The silent, ‘ So why didn’t you? ’ was left unspoken since there was nothing Naib was able to say in his defense. Norton was undeniably right and that realization cut closer to home than Naib wanted to admit.
"You're right. I haven't changed—not really. There's not a single thing I've done that had changed who I am and I'm ashamed of that. It had always been about what ' I ' wanted and how ' I ' felt." Naib finally spoke up after his prolonged silence.
"There is no excusing or apologizing for the way I treated you. And if...if you want me to have no part in your life from this moment on. You can say the word and I...I'll suck it up and accept it."
The skater let go of the trembling body in front of him as he bowed his head down to the other.
"But I want to change. You don't deserve to be hurt by me and I...would like to ask you for a chance to prove that. My feelings don't get to invalidate yours, Norton."
It was a blessing that the cold weather seemed to deter people from the park seeing as how it would be a strange sight to stumble upon. Two grown men crying as if they were filming for some secretive movie or something similar.
Certainly, this was not where either men expected to find themselves as Norton sniffled—his nose and cheeks turning red from where they were exposed to the cold air.
“You’re an asshole Naib. I could’ve lived out the rest of my life content with what I had—what am I supposed to do now?”
“We could…start by ditching this cold ass park and maybe heading back to the party? From the way your phone has been vibrating nonstop I’m guessing Mike is curious about how things are going?” Naib offered as Norton chuckled, wiping his face roughly before pulling out his phone to check.
From the pitcher’s expression, Naib could only surmise that the batter had gotten up to some mischief in the time they had been gone.
“So, how about we hit up this banging gyro place I know nearby instead of dealing with whatever is waiting for us back at the party?” Naib joked lightly only for Norton to elbow him back playfully.
“Ten years ago I’d say fuck it, but unfortunately—I can’t let my better best friend do something irreversibly damaging to his reputation.” Norton taunted as Naib clutched his chest at the intentional jab.
“Remind me why I’m so infatuated with you again?” Naib laughed as unruly butterflies fluttered in Norton’s stomach at the casual way the skater seemed to accept his crush now.
“Can’t say, probably the missing brain cells from all those wipeouts you had before you were pro.”
“ DUDE!”
The heating inside the hotel was well received as both men melted into its warmth. There was no beating the benefits of luxury as they took the elevator up to the floor the party venue was hosted at. Upon reaching their destination, they heard the rambunctious hollering and music before even seeing the double doors swing open to give a glimpse at the zoo the party had become in their absence.
Taking his chance before they entered, Naib quickly stepped in front of Norton who tilted his head inquisitively at the shorter man.
“Naib? What’s up—”
“Welcome back, Norton. It hasn’t been the same without you.”
Naib confessed with a soft and genuine smile that brought youth back into his demeanor as the seriousness of his face softened into something more tender. Reserved for only Norton’s eyes to see as the pitcher goes slack jawed at his companion’s sincerity.
He swallowed thickly, before his hand reached up against his wishes with a traitorous mind of its own—and he wasn’t the only one who was taken aback as Naib stared at it before mirth filled his eyes.
The sensation that shot through the both of them as the skater fit his hand into Norton’s, was better experienced than explained. Words would only limit the depth of how seen he was. Of how, despite nothing being ‘fixed’, he could at least see the beginnings of his healing.
“Exactly what , do you think you’re doing Subedar?” A familiar snide voice interrupted their moment as they snapped their heads around to see Freddy raise a brow at their locked hands as Norton was quick to try and let go—only for Naib to hold onto his hand even tighter.
His dark brown eyes widened in surprise at the blond’s bold declaration as he smiled widely, in the manner so reminiscent of when they were children, at Norton for the first time since they were reunited.
“I’m making up for lost time…why? Got an issue with that Freddy?” Naib retorted as the manager rolled his eyes.
“Practically half of our company is lgbtq+ Subedar, just cause I’m straight doesn’t mean I’m irredeemable.” He sniffs as Naib gives him an incredulous look at his joke.
“Just the homewrecker part right?” Naib taunts as Freddy flipped him off with the hand hosting said wedding ring.
“Anyway, what I actually meant is—what are you two doing out here being utterly disgusting saps when you could stop Clark and Morton from dancing half naked on the tables in there.”
The two men groaned in sync before locking gazes and bursting out with laughter at their misfortune of having to wrangle in their friends. Freddy quickly made his way back in as the two men shared one last moment before joining in on the chaos.
“You still have a lot of work to do before I’ll even consider you eligible for the Norton Campbell certified friendship card.” Norton smirked as Naib flipped him off.
“Challenges only motivate me to work even harder. You know that already though.”
The pitcher said nothing, choosing to gesture to Naib to have the honors of facing the music.
What had greeted them as Naib swung open the doors, was Mike flinging himself at Norton who yelled as he caught his friend who bowled him over.
Naib clutched his stomach from laughter as a weight was relieved from his chest.
That scared and wanting teen inside of him—curled up in his denial, finally looked up as he stood confidently for the first time.
Naib looks at him with a tender expression as he whispers, “I see you.”
The transition from the hesitation and self hatred on his face to the glorious contentment that fell into place like a long lost friend and he breathed it in.
“Come on Naib! Have a swig of this and start stripping!” Eli laughed as his usual eye mask was being whipped back and forth by Demi who had a full wine bottle in her other hand.
“Ah hell, why the fuck not?”
It was a chilly February night, as frost covered their windows and the indoor heating was set at a comfortable 72 Fahrenheit.
The walls of their apartment were lined with multitudes of framed pictures. Each one holding a dear memory in full vivacity with a smattering of their friends included among them.
Their shelves held trophies and accomplishments the two shared in the years following their reunion, somewhat hidden by the collection of well read books and movies that showcased their interests.
Norton tilted his head up from where he was contentedly petting their well loved cat, Alexander, who was purring up a storm as he made biscuits into the knitted blanket that Violetta had gifted them.
“Couldn’t sleep Naib?” He asks as his eyes lifted up into a smile, accentuating the wrinkles from his age as his lover shook his head before sitting next to him.
“Just missed you, is all. It’s been over thirty years— twenty eight years since I married your ass,” Naib joked as he reached across to intertwine his aged hand with Norton’s own.
“You love this ass and you know it.” Norton jabbed back as Naib chuckled, shaking his head.
Their simple wedding bands gleamed against the soft illumination of the room, as Naib brought up Norton’s hand to kiss his ring.
“Sometimes I imagine what it would be like. If we hadn’t met each other again. Always doomed to end on that sour note back in high school.” Naib confessed as Norton looked to him tenderly, waiting for his husband to continue.
It was rare for the other to talk about his emotions and sentiments, which made it ever more endearing when he did.
“We’re old men now, Norton. I can’t skate like I used to, can’t party like I’m young—can’t overdo the alcohol, it’s a blessing I’m not losing my hair yet unlike Freddy.”
The two of them laughed at that as Alexander jumped off of Norton’s lap from the jostling it caused.
“But I can still love you. I can still look at you and feel just as in love with you now as I did when we were young again.” Naib trailed off as Norton took his opportunity to speak up.
“I remember when you had given me your wedding vows. You said you ‘couldn’t promise me the world, but you would try your damndest to get close’. I thought that was hilarious,” Norton chuckled before kissing Naib’s forehead.
“Maybe it's because I’m a romantic at heart—but I don’t need the world when I have you. If there were a world where we never met again, maybe even one where we meet someone else that we loved—I don’t think I could ever have stopped loving you.”
Naib’s hands shook as Norton closed his own hand over them and pulled his lover into his arms.
“Thank you Norton,” the retired skater said, his voice muffled by Norton’s cashmere sweater.
“Hmm? Thank you for what?”
Naib hummed in lieu of a response for a moment before he tilted Norton’s face to kiss him softly on the lips.
Their intimacy was beautiful in how unashamed they were about their love. In the moments of their soft touches, of their secret and kept promises—of their silent apologies for the time they made up for.
“For being here to greet another sunrise with me, my love. For the happiest years of my life.”
Norton’s arms wrapped tightly around Naib as he buried his face into the crook of his lover’s neck. The impact of their sentimental confessions hit a bit harder than he was prepared to handle as he allowed himself the freedom to be vulnerable in Naib’s security.
“Happy Valentine’s, heart of mine. Even death will only be a witness to our love. But not before our time is up.” Norton kissed him again as his breath shuddered.
They were nothing more than two men in love and yet somehow that was powerful—nothing that would change the world. Nothing that would go down in history.
And yet, it was everything to them.
It was love.
“Happy Valentine’s, Norton.”