Worlds Enough and Time

for potcpoi

Nathan Ingram was desperately in love with Harold. He’s been quietly pining for Harold except here are also the truths: he’s no shrinking violet, he’s also his own special kind of dick— rich and entitled, Nathan Ingram was supposed to be the Golden Boy.

(Another headcanon: Nathan’s father or his trust fund was IFT’s first investor).

But he met Harold and this midwest kid, with his big glasses and cocky grin, and it changed his whole world. He was the smartest guy in class, had a dry sense of humor that made Nathan laugh every time. He and Claypool gravitated towards Harold and became fast friends— years later, after MIT, after building their company, hidden in suits— its hard to believe Harold was the same kid who talked back at professors, joined rallies and planned pranks and protests that caused MIT to black out for three hours.

He was a shining star, he burned bright and fast. And when Harold spoke, Nathan believed they could change the world.

Then the accident happened, people got hurt, and the Feds went after Harold, and Harold ran.

And a year or two later, Nathan dropped out of MIT.

When Nathan met Harold again, he was shocked— gone was the restless rebel with a thousand and one agendas, in his place was a quiet and contained man you won’t even notice.

Except when he gets the look in his eyes, the intense look that get them going from one idea after the other, that gets them through trade shows, pitches. Harold was brilliant at finding the pattern, at predicting the next technological innovation, it made his part of the job— selling their software (and eventually, hardware) easy.

All the money and accolades in the world, of course couldn’t change the fact that Nathan Ingram, good ol’ Texas boy, was in love with Harold. Nothing could change it, not throwing at himself at all the women, not drinking himself stupid-- Then he met Olivia.

He loved Olivia, and he loved his life with Olivia, he loved his son, and it was working until it wasn’t. That’s when the lies start building up, and it kept building up.

Knowing Harold, and loving Harold was life long, he never really leaves. And it was maddening because as brilliant and kind he was, Harold can be remote and cold, thinking ten steps ahead every time that, and Harold can also be a special kind of asshole when pushed too far. He knew when to strike and he knew how to make it hurt. It frustrated Nathan sometimes when he gets too stubborn or stuck on something, nothing short of an Earthquake can change Harold’s mind, and not even then.

And God help him, it just made Nathan love him more.

The worst thing was… Nathan suspected Harold knew.

Harold never did anything to indicate that he knew, Nathan never brought it up even though there were times he wanted to.

Then the towers fell.

And then Harold changed the world.