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It had been a little over a month since everyone had discovered Norton had developed a hunter persona. Learning to deal with “Fool’s Gold” had already been a brutal process even before the shocking truth reached them.
It was obvious they looked at him differently. Every room he entered suddenly went quiet and their eyes lingered on him when he turned to leave. Some were full of questions, some were scared… others looked angry.
Freddy had even kicked at him when Norton had attempted to rescue him during a match.
“Get away from me you freak! I thought you would want your hunter buddy to win! Or do you just enjoy watching him take us down?” Even knowing Freddy often blew smoke but rarely meant his words they still struck like a knife to the heart.
Norton didn’t have answers for them.
Nothing he could say to make it okay again.
So he didn’t try.
He stopped leaving his room all together except for matches and to sneak out late at night for some food. He’d become thankful he’d learned to survive on very little since it was usually just leftover bread and the occasional hunk of cheese he could find easily in the kitchens that late.
He’d returned to his room holding his pillaged bread as if it were a precious prize but as his thoughts spiraled around the drain he started to feel sick to his stomach. He tossed the hunk of bread onto his desk and sank down onto his mattress with a defeated sigh. His head hung low to his chest as his shoulders slumped and his arms rested on his knees.
There was a gentle series of knocks on his door and Norton lifted his head in confusion as he stared at it. It was the middle of the night… who the hell was bothering him this late? He waited several moments only for the gentle knocks to repeat a little louder this time.
He swallowed hard as he stood and tried to compose himself. He blinked away the tears attempting to pool in the corners of his eyes and set his expression to one of hard hearted nonchalance as he reached for the door. His hand hesitated on the knob as he tried to get it to stop shaking. Annoyed, he shook his head and quickly pulled the door open.
Eli jumped slightly and the tray resting over his free arm jostled just enough to spill some of the soup he was carrying. He didn’t draw attention to the reaction though as he smiled calmly and greeted him with a nod. Norton noticed all the same and his stomach felt like it was in a freefall. Eli was afraid of him too?
“What?” He tried to sound hard like he wasn’t about to fall apart.
“May I come in?”
Norton’s expression darkened. He wasn’t surprised the empathetic Seer would try something like this. He could take his pity and shove it.
“I’m… actually really tired, I was just about to–”
“Then I promise not to take up much of your time.” The way Eli cut him off and the knowing smile on his lips left little room for argument. Everyone thought of him as being such a gentle and sweet man but Norton knew what a quiet bully he could be. He snorted and shrugged as he pulled back from the door.
“Well, don’t get mad at me if I fall asleep while you’re mid-sentence.” Norton fell back flat onto his bed with a hard ‘fwump’ . He tucked his hands behind his head and pulled his leg up over the other to pivot and swing against his knee as if annoyed.
Eli invited himself inside and closed the door quietly behind him. He sat down quietly in the chair by the desk and rested the tray on his lap.
“I’ve noticed you missing dinner a lot lately. This is a stew my mother used to make for me when I wasn’t feeling well. I thought maybe–”
“I’m not hungry.” Norton snapped out the words then immediately felt guilty for them. His jaw clenched as he reminded himself silently that despite his current feelings Eli wasn’t an enemy, “Thanks though.” He grumbled and closed his eyes.
Eli only smiled as if he could read Norton completely.
“It’s… been a few weeks since we’ve met “Fool’s Gold” now, hasn’t it?”
Norton flinched as Eli decided to cut straight to the heart of the matter. He heard Norton sigh, knowing this conversation couldn’t have gone any other way.
“Yeah? Your point?” Norton growled defensively, “If you’re here to try and tell me everything will be fine I really don’t want to hear it, alright?” He shook his leg faster, the tension quickly building in the room making his stomach roll even harder.
“Then you’ll be pleased to know that isn’t what I intended to say at all. It’s actually… quite the opposite.” He sensed Norton physically tense and his leg stopped swinging idly over his knee. Eli took a deep breath and released it slowly as the words came to him.
“Nothing is going to get better if you keep hiding like this. It’s not that I don’t understand your reasoning but–”
“The hell is there to “get better”? I’ve betrayed you. Someone you thought you could trust is now the one cutting you down. That doesn’t “Get better”.” Norton refused to sit up and look at him. His chest grew tight and he could feel himself choking up.
“Everyone is worried but they don’t know what to say to you. They’re scared. They’re starting to think you hate them all now.” Eli continued despite Norton’s protest.
“What if I do hate you all now? Ever think of that?” Norton’s voice was low and sharp. His heart pounded in his throat trying to choke him even more.
“I don’t believe that for a single moment.” Eli tried to keep his voice steady but it shook slightly with laughter at the ridiculous notion.
“Why not? It’s a convenient explanation, don’t you think?” Norton finally sat up and glared at Eli in annoyance as his hands dug into the blanket under him in tight fists.
“Because you wouldn’t be hiding in your room nearly on the verge of tears if that were true.” Eli gave him a soft, warm and knowing smile that made Norton feel as if Eli knew him better than he knew himself.
“Tch.” He looked away from him and gave a huff, “It’d be easier for everyone if it were true though.”
He glanced back at Eli’s gentle smile and flushed with shame for having even suggested it.
“We’ve all been waiting for you to talk to us. Naib’s been threatening to kick your door down. Emma’s been talking about throwing you a huge party. Even Kevin offered to hog tie you until you started talking. I insisted they let me try first before doing anything dramatic.”
Norton stared at him in disbelief.
“Nothing I can say is going to help. Why bother?” His voice shook slightly.
“You know that’s not true so you might as well talk to me.” Eli smiled again and Norton sighed hard.
“Goddammit, Clark.” Norton ran a hand through his messy hair. Eli kept his face soft but grinned inwardly. Norton only ever called him by his last name when he’d won a verbal spar between them.
There was a long silence that fell between them. Several times Norton took the breath to speak only for the words to fail him and he’d let the breath out with a pained sigh. Eli waited patiently, only offering him a reassuring smile when Norton did glance at him. Norton finally swallowed hard and took a deep but quivering breath.
“I… never wanted… to hurt any of you… but I–” He cut off, choking up as his head sank to his chest and he brought his hands up to hold his head, “-when he takes over… He doesn’t… I- don’t recognize anyone anymore. You’re all…” His eyes cut up to Eli for just a moment as he hesitated before sinking back down in shame.
“You’re all just targets.” His voice was tight and his breaths grew ragged.
“Worst of all?” Norton lifted his head letting Eli see the haunted look in his eyes. All of his fear and shame plain to see on his face as it grew paler, “He enjoys it. That means… part of me… enjoys watching you all get hurt. What the hell do I say to that? How the hell do I make that alright!?” His voice rose as he stood up and threw his arms out. He needed Eli to see him as a monster. Because he was… and it was tearing him apart.
“How am I supposed to look any of you in the eye knowing that? How can I possibly stay where I don’t belong anymore?” He stumbled back and collapsed onto the bed again, his hands shaking as he sunk his head into them.
Eli’s smile had fallen and he gently sat the tray in his lap on the edge of the desk as he stood and walked over to sit next to him on the bed.
“Norton-” He went to take his shoulder but as his fingers just barely grazed him Norton wrenched back from his touch.
“No! Stop it!!” He cried out, shrinking back, “Just accept you can’t make this better and leave me the hell alone!” Norton pulled his knees up to his chest, holding them tight as his entire body shook violently. His head fell hard against his knees. He sucked in several broken and stuttered breaths as he tried not to break down completely. All of his emotions coming together into a cold, sharp realization.
“Eli…” His voice was a soft rasp, “You should all be terrified of me. Should hate me. What if he came out here? Eli, I can’t stop him. If I found out he… If I… did something I could never take back–”
“Norton.” Eli’s voice was uncharacteristically hard. Sharp enough that Norton actually lifted his head as his eyes snapped to Eli’s face in shock.
“If you never listen to me ever again, you listen to me now, Norton Campbell.” Eli reached out and pulled one of Norton’s hands away from his legs and he circled it with both of his own, clasping it tightly, “You are not him. Norton is not Fool’s Gold.”
Norton tried to pull his hand away but Eli held it with a surprising amount of strength.
“But–” Norton turned his head away.
“Look at me.” His voice held a soft but commanding tone that demanded compliance. Norton swallowed hard as he looked at him. Eli pushed his blindfold up and his hood back in a single fluid motion before settling his hand back around Norton’s. His sightless, piercing blue eyes somehow found Norton’s perfectly and Norton shivered.
“You said Fool’s Gold enjoyed hunting us yet you’re sitting here on the brink of tears telling me you’re terrified of hurting us. Tell me how you and he are one in the same?”
“E-Eli, it’s… it’s never gonna to be that simple.”
“Why not? Norton Campbell doesn’t want to hurt us. That’s all I need to know. That’s the end of it.”
“Eli Clark can’t speak for everyone.” Norton replied bitterly. His heart pounded in his chest painfully.
“No, but I hear them. Like I said, we’re not afraid of you Norton, we’re worried about you. This is change… and that is always terrifying- but they’ll understand if you tell them.” Eli gently squeezed Norton’s hand and let it go as he gave him a sympathetic smile.
“D-dammit… W-what the hell am I supposed to say to that?” Norton, clearly embarrassed, finally broke eye contact with him. Eli released a breath he’d been holding tight in his chest and smiled.
“Say you’ll eat my soup, sleep well then come down to breakfast in the morning. You look like hell.” Eli said in a dead pan voice as he pulled his blindfold and hood back into their proper places.
Norton couldn’t help the flustered laugh he gave at Eli’s uncharacteristic words.
“Damn, you really don’t hold your punches, do you Clark?”
“Not when they count.” He started to give a cheeky smirk but instead he gave a short gasp as Norton suddenly pulled him forward and wrapped his arms tight around him. Norton let his head sink down onto Eli’s shoulder as he felt his face flush.
“Well… Thanks.” He tried to keep his voice steady but it shook regardless. He closed his eyes and felt his body relax against Eli’s more as he felt Eli hug him back, “Thank you, Eli.” He said it with more sincerity this time.
Obviously things weren’t going to be better overnight. Norton was still going to struggle with his literal demon made manifest but Eli wasn’t about to let it take Norton away from them.
“Norton.You belong here with us.” He hugged him tighter, “... With me.”
Norton leaned back from the hug and sniffled, his face flushing at Eli’s words.
“Sh-shut up, already!” Norton’s voice cracked and he cleared his throat. Clearly even more embarrassed now but not stopping Eli as he leaned up and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead. Despite his embarrassment he retaliated by sliding a hand behind Eli’s head and lifted his own head to meet Eli’s lips with his own.
~~**~~
It took far less time than he’d figured for everyone to act normal around him again. They were obviously curious and asked him questions but giving them honest answers and being open about it quickly told them Norton wasn’t their enemy and just like Eli had said, that was enough.
Even Freddy only held out long enough for Eli’s owl Brooke to attack him a handful of times after he made some snippy comment. Amazing what a few well placed pecks and scratches could do for a salty lawyer.