words: 518
pairing: neph/harjit


Harjit, he realized very early on, was truly something special. From the moment he introduced himself Neph was struck by him, a pinned butterfly with it’s wings halted midair. Something about his very presence was so intoxicating, so dizzying and Neph longed for nothing more than to get closer, closer, closer.

This fact wasn’t lost on those at Chapman’s, who raised their eyebrows suggestively in his direction whenever Harjit visited, or found poor excuses to leave the room to give Neph time alone with him. It embarrassed Neph greatly, of course, but there was a real sense of companionship with his housemates he’d never experienced before….so he diligently pretended that they’d not done anything out of the ordinary, every time this happened. Though, unfortunately, his flustered stammering was no doubt confession enough.

Harjit, for his part, didn’t mention it, just continued the conversation as normal until Neph regained his composure. If there was a twinkle in his eye afterward, Neph chose not to dwell on it any longer than necessary. (Many an hour as he lay in bed, trying to sleep.)

Matters often turned to Neph’s life before, a topic that caused much intrigue amongst his friends. They’d all been made to believe him when things in the Neath started getting stranger and more dangerous, resolving that if any number of other ‘impossible’ things could happen, why not time travel? Why would that be out of the question when animals had learned to speak and devils walked amongst humans on the street?

He never really knew what to say, how to explain the advances in technology or the changing societal sentiments. He did his best, but always felt as though he was the most disappointing future visitor they could have gotten.

In any case, Harjit never made him feel inadequate. He always appreciated whatever information Neph wanted to divulge, and Neph always savored his responses. He often talked, in return, about his home country, from the political climate to fond memories Neph felt honored just to be there to hear.

At some point, Harjit had insinuated that perhaps Neph might like to join him on his rounds to keep him company as he worked. It was all Neph could do not to appear overjoyed at the invitation and accept normally, though he recounted the invite to Griz as soon as they’d parted ways. She gave him a fond look and expressed her congratulations, but ruined the moment by implying the things he and Harjit could get up to while on the clock. Neph huffed, becoming overly defensive in a way that screamed “I’ve thought about it but you don’t get to say that!” before leaving to overthink it on his own time.

It wasn’t until he was halfway in a daydream that it dawned on him how little he’d been thinking of his old life these days, so caught up living in the Neath.

It made him realize how genuinely happy he felt, a feeling that hadn’t graced him in so long he’d half thought it would never return.
Maybe fate really did work in mysterious ways.


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